I reached out and gave Kacey’s hand a gentle squeeze, not sure how to respond to everything she had just said. “I’m sorry.” Simple, but safe.
Kacey lifted one shoulder and let it drop. “Losing someone is hard no matter what, but my relationship with my grandma was strained at best. She tried harder the past few years, especially after becoming sick, but so much had happened by then that I could never fully let my guard down around her or let her in. She did help with Bailey while I finished my degree, so I’m thankful for that. But once she was gone, it didn’t feel like there was anything left to keep us in that town. I was still living in the house I grew up in and needed a change.”
“So, why Bellman?”
Kacey shrugged again. “As you know, I don’t really let people in, and since we don’t have family, we didn’t have any connections. So, really, we could’ve gone anywhere, but I didn’t want to go anywhere other than Bellman. Throughout my whole life, Bellman was the one place that felt like home. I wanted to feel that again.”
I could kind of understand what she meant. Bellman was twenty minutes from my hometown, but it felt like the only choice when I was deciding where to buy a house. Although, I was learning that Bellman felt a lot more like home with Kacey around. I opened my mouth to say something but was interrupted by Bailey talking quickly as she ran back over to us.
“You should see all the candy I got. I can’t believe I made it to every house in just an hour. This means we have time to watch a movie, right? Kari, do you want to come over and watch a Halloween movie with us? A fun one. Not a scary one. Don’t worry.”
Her excitement made me chuckle. “As long as it’s not too late to start a movie, I’d love to.” This time, I didn’t wait for Kacey’s approval. After our conversation, I knew she would be okay with it.
Kacey took Bailey’s hand in hers and rested her other hand on my arm. “It’s Halloween. I think popcorn, candy, and a movie is a must.”
Once we were back at their house, Kacey made some popcorn while Bailey rooted through her candy, deciding which she was going to eat that night. Kacey put on a newer Halloween movie that I had never heard of, then took a seat beside Bailey on the couch. Bailey patted the other side of her and looked at me. “Kari, can you sit here? I want to be in the middle of my two favorite people.”
“I’m totally going to tell Bo you said that. He’ll be so jealous.” I tickled her playfully as I sat down to keep myself from getting choked up over her words.
“He’s number five,” Bailey said matter-of-factly. “Right after Addison and Michael from my class.” She held her mom’s hand and rested her other hand on top of mine, then put all of her attention onto the TV.
About an hour into the movie, Bailey’s legs were stretched across Kacey and her head was resting on my shoulder. I looked down to find her starting to doze off and ran my fingers through her hair to relax her. I smiled as I watched her drift off completely. After a few minutes, I could feel eyes on me and looked up to see Kacey watching the two of us. Her smile was content, but her eyes were intense. She barely even blinked as her eyes bore into me. “You’re really good with her,” she said so quietly I barely heard it.
I got lost in her eyes and the sincerity I saw in them as I stared back at her. The moment was so intense I wanted to look away, but also stay lost in it all at once. “She’s a good kid.” My words came out in a breathy whisper and I forced myself to look away.
Kacey cleared her throat and stood up. “I guess I should get her to bed.” She lifted Bailey off of me and carried her to the stairs.
For whatever reason, my body felt compelled to stand up and follow her as she made her way up the stairs and down the hall to Bailey’s room. I leaned against the doorframe, watching in awe as she pulled the covers over her daughter and placed a kiss on her forehead. Kacey always had a natural instinct for taking care of people, but the softness in the way she took care of Bailey was different. It was, quite literally, breathtaking. “You’re really good with her too.”
Kacey turned around quickly, clearly surprised to hear my voice. A slow smile spread across her face as our eyes met. “I didn’t realize you were up here.”
“Yeah. Sorry about that. I just wanted to say goodbye. I should head home.”
Kacey walked over to me and put an arm lightly around my waist. “Let me walk you out.”
Her hand remained on my hip as we made our way down the stairs. She didn’t let it drop until we were at the front door, and I immediately found myself missing her touch. “Thanks for coming tonight. I had a really nice time, and I could tell Bailey did too.”
“I had a great time too. Best Halloween I’ve had in years.”
“Better than the time you insisted we dress up as Beauty and the Beast, then threw up all over your dress?” Kacey teased.
“It’s close, but I’d say tonight topped that.”
We both laughed lightly, but neither of us moved from our place. “Well, thanks again,” Kacey said, her voice becoming more serious.
I hesitated slightly before reaching out and pulling her into my arms. Kacey melted into my touch and our bodies molded together. I held on as I took in the scent of her shampoo, reveling in the familiarity. I don’t know how long we stayed like this, but eventually we reluctantly pulled away, our bodies slowly disconnecting until just our hands lingered. The touch was so light that it would have gone unnoticed if my body wasn’t so hyper aware of Kacey’s. I allowed my finger to continue to brush against her, not ready to break that connection. After a while, I forced myself to let go as I moved my hand to open the door. The feeling of the brisk fall air as I walked outside was in direct contrast to the warmth I felt throughout my body. I turned around one more time so I could take Kacey in once more before leaving.
“Goodnight, Kacey,” I said breathlessly.
“Goodnight, Kari.”
I willed myself to walk away this time, but felt Kacey’s eyes on me until I disappeared into my house. I closed the door and leaned against the wall, feeling the need to catch my breath to calm down what was happening throughout my body. I wasn’t sure if I liked this feeling or hated it, but I knew I couldn’t stop smiling.
***
“I feel like I never see you anymore,” Bo said before taking a big gulp from his glass of beer.
“That’s not true. I saw you like a week ago on Halloween.”
Bo scoffed, then took another sip. “For like two minutes when you guys came to my house for candy.” He sighed dramatically as he set his empty glass back on the table and wiped at his mouth. “I’m just saying, I’m really happy that you’re finally getting your lady bits rubbed, but don’t forget about little old me.”
I spit out the cocktail that I had just taken a sip of. “Excuse me?”
“I mean, that’s what’s happening, right? You and Kacey are hooking up now?”
“No. We’re just friends,” I answered quickly, confused where he would have gotten that idea.
“Huh. I was sure that’s what was happening. You two totally look at each other like two people who are boning.” His face suddenly lit up as if he had just had an epiphany that made him extremely happy. “Unless, that is the look of two people in lo—”