Down the Road

Chapter Thirty-Six

by Melinda Kay Jenkinson


Down the Road
Chapter Thirty-Six


Kaye Leigh and Becki were putting groceries away. No one would let Kaye Leigh lift anything they considered too heavy for her.

"You guys do realize that I did all of this lifting before you got here right?" she said laughing at them.

"Only when you were being too stubborn to let me." Josh said.

"True but totally beside the point." She agreed. When they finished putting all the groceries away the guys went into town with the kids while Becki and Kaye Leigh stayed home.

"I'm really glad Josh sent me that e-mail." Becki said.

"I am too; I've missed all of you." Kaye Leigh replied. "You know I don't deserve a family like you guys." Kaye Leigh laughed.

"None of us do, but God gave us each other for life for a reason." Becki said.

"I wish you and Curtis would get together for life." She said. Becki laughed.

"You never give up do you?" Becki said.

"Who do I sound like? Um could it be my husband." Kaye Leigh said. They laughed.

"I'm about ready to fall asleep." Kaye Leigh said after a while.

"Why don't you go lie down?" Becki said. "I don't need you to entertain me really."

"I think I will. Thanks." She replied and headed to her room. Kaye Leigh changed into her nightgown and climbed into bed, she was asleep within minutes.

Jeff had come home and Becki told him that Kaye Leigh was asleep, so he went into the bedroom. He watched her sleep for a few minutes and then laid down next to her.

"Hello." She said sleepily.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to wake you." He said.

She moved closer to him and laid her head on his chest.

"It's ok I was dreaming about you." She told him.

"Were we back home?" he asked. She smiled.

"Yes, were home riding on the ranch." She replied.

"You won't be doing that for a while." Jeff said. Kaye Leigh laughed.

"I guess I should be getting up huh?" she said.

"No, let's stay here for a while." He said.

"Do you think we could get away with it?" she said.

"I'm pretty sure we could." He said.

"Ok then I'll tell them you said it was ok." She said shutting her eyes.

"You must be really tired." He said brushing hair away from her face.

"I haven't slept well in a while." She replied.

"That's because you need me beside you." He said laughing.

"That's true, who else will protect me?" she said.

"Let me get comfortable." He said getting up and getting undressed. Kaye Leigh watched him, and then moved back into his arms when he laid down again.

"I love you Jeff you know that right? My love for you was never a question." She said looking at him.

"I know that Kaye Leigh." He said holding her close.

"Good I want you to know that." She said shutting her eyes again.

After about a half hour they got up, Kaye Leigh was changing back into her clothes when Jeff asked, "Why did you come here Kaye Leigh?"

"You know why." She said coming out of the bathroom.

"No here to North Carolina where you and Sam lived." He said. Kaye Leigh turned and looked at him.

"You think I came here because I lived here with Sam?" she asked shocked.

"No not because of Sam, but you did live here with him." He said.

"This is the only other city I've lived in that I know a little that's not in Michigan. I did not think I would get too lost here. If I was basing my decision on past experiences this would not have been one of my top twenty." She said.

"Don't get upset, I didn't mean anything by it I was just wondering that's all." He said getting up to hug her.

"I'm not upset just a little shocked." She said yawning.

"And tired." He said laughing. She smiled at him.

"It's great to have you here Jeff." She said kissing him.

"It's great being with you Kaye Leigh." He said kissing her back.

"Let's go see what everyone else is up to." Jeff said.

Everyone was in the living room.

"We didn't expect to see until later." Curtis said laughing. Kaye Leigh ignored him.

"Did you kids have fun?" she asked.

"Yes, we did some Christmas shopping." Faith said.

"I'm getting up early Friday morning to go; does anyone want to go with me?" Kaye Leigh said.

"I'll go." Becki replied.

No one else said anything.

"What now you don't want to go shopping with me?" she asked Jeff. He pulled her into his lap.

"I'll go if you want me to but I'm not volunteering this time though." He said laughing.

"I won't make you get up early, even though you're not the one pregnant." She said.

"I'll go do the shopping, not sure what anyone will get though." Jeff said. Everyone laughed.

"No thanks." She said hugging him.

"You know that you will have to mail everything home right?" Jeff said.

"Yes I know that, but I can't fly home tomorrow and get up early Friday, it's just not going to happen." Kaye Leigh said. Jeff laughed.

"Well at least she decided she was going home." Curtis said.

"That depends on how nice you are too me between now and then." She said.

"Oh we'll be nice until we get you back home, and then watch out." Curtis told her.

"You're really mean." She told him.

"Yeah but you know I love you." He said.

"By the way Curtis thanks for showing Jeff where I was the first time." She said smiling at him.

"Wait a minute, he gets thanked, and I get yelled at?" Josh said.

"But I didn't want to be found this time." She said.

"Yeah right that's why you cried every day." Josh said. Jeff laughed.

"I cry all the time." She said.

"That's true she does." Grace told them.

"You guys are just being mean to me so I am going to go fix dinner." She said trying to get off Jeff's lap.

Kaye Leigh went into the kitchen and started dinner, Jeff followed her.

"Do you want some help?" he asked.

"Thanks." She said kissing him. "I love you, you know that right?" Jeff laughed.

"Yes I know that, we had this conversation not too long ago remember?" he said. "It's you that needs to be reminded that I love you."

"That's not true, I know you love me, I just don't know why." She replied.

"Because you make life so much more interesting." He said laughing. He pulled her into a hug.

"You two realize that dinner won't cook itself." Curtis said coming into the kitchen followed by Becki.

"It's cooking right now." Kaye Leigh said. "Just for being so mean you get to cook tomorrow."

"I'll make the reservations." Jeff said. Becki laughed.

"I might be a great cook, you don't know." Curtis said.

"I've tried your cooking; it's not as good as the girls." Jeff said.

"They've had more practice." Curtis said.

"What about before I came to Texas, who did you're cooking then?" Kaye Leigh asked.

"Yeah who did?" Becki asked.

"I did most of my own, but there were some who felt sorry for me and invited me over for Sunday dinner." Curtis told them.

"Anyone that was interested in you?" Kaye Leigh asked.

"Well now I'm sure they were or they wouldn't have invited me in the first place would they?" Curtis replied.

"Now the real question is were you interested in any of them?" Jeff said laughing.

"I can always use more friends." Curtis started. "But as far as a romantic interest, I can't say there was."

"Good answer." Kaye Leigh said. Becki laughed.

"I'm going to set the table." Becki said.

"I'll help." Curtis said.

"Kids go get cleaned up for dinner." Jeff yelled.

"You don't have to be so loud dad; this isn't that big of a house." Dan said.

"It was the right size for three and a half." Kaye Leigh said. Jeff laughed.

"You're crazy you know that right?" he said.

"You must be too then because you want to be with me." She said kissing his cheek.

"I must be." He said.

They sat down for dinner, Jeff said prayers, and then everyone started to serve themselves.

"You look tired Kaye Leigh." Becki said.

"I am, I was so rudely woken up from my nap this afternoon." She said smiling at Jeff.

"I said I was sorry." Jeff replied.

"I'm always tired, but tonight I need to try to do some writing before I go to bed." She said.

"Have you written anything since you left?" Becki asked. "Not a word, not that I haven't tried though." She said.

"But it's not like my dead line is tomorrow either, but you know me I re-write everything a hundred times."

"What is the next book about?" Jeff asked. Kaye Leigh laughed.

"It's about two people who love each other, but just can't seem to get together." She replied. Jeff laughed.

"Very funny." Becki said.

"It's true, I swear." She said.

"Sounds like a great book, I can't wait to find out how it ends." Curtis said. Jeff laughed harder. Kaye Leigh had tried to write, but she was just too tired so she ended up going to bed early. She was asleep within minutes of lying down.

Click the link below to return to
Purity Publications Free Christian Ebook Store: