Kissed by a Carrington

As the Carrington family ate their breakfast, the room was as quiet as falling snow.

Houston looked from one brother to the other, his eyes flickering with amusement. He could see Ashleigh was still fascinated by how much the guys ate. The vast amount of food gobbled down was outright astonishing. If daily exercise wasn’t a part of their lives, Houston feared they’d all blow up like the Goodyear blimp.

A wry smile playing at the corners of his mouth, Austin captured Houston in his gaze. “Say, bro, aren’t your feet tired yet?”

Houston looked puzzled. “What’re you talking about?”

Austin laughed at Houston’s frowning expression. “You never responded to me about inviting Kelly to dinner. I guess it means you’re still busy running hard and fast. Thought you were ready to be caught. That’s the impression I got during recent conversations.”

Sighing heavily, Houston scowled. He should’ve known his family hadn’t let him off the hook. They never did. “Man, my feet are just plain cold. One minute, I think about getting up close and personal with Kelly. Then I start using the same excuses to avoid getting involved.”

“Little brother,” Dallas said to Houston, “you keep this up, you could lose out. What if Kelly Charleston is the one? She’s hardly a member of the little groupies out there in force in every city our teams visit. You’d better go for it before some other man snatches her up.”

Houston shot Dallas a dagger-thrust look. “You haven’t made the ultimate commitment to Lanier, yet you’ve been with her awhile. Kelly and I aren’t even dating.”

“Everybody here knows Lanier’s the holdout, including you,” Dallas countered. “She’s just like you, man, scared to death of commitment, terrified of forever after. I’ve been ready for the next level. I’m a patient man but it gets hard. You don’t want any woman you care about to feel any doubt. If I didn’t believe Lanier truly loved me, I would’ve been long gone.”

“She does love you,” Ashleigh assured Dallas, “with all her heart. In her defense, we know she grew up amidst a bad marriage and a volatile household. The verbal and physical fighting between her parents was how she landed in foster care. Lanier wants forever with you, too, Dallas, but she just doesn’t have a good grip on her fears. Please remain patient with her.”

Dallas gave Ashleigh the thumbs-up. “I plan to. Love is patient.”

Uncomfortable with the direction the conversation had taken, Houston excused himself from the table, promising to return in a few minutes.

On the back patio, seated at the round glass table, surrounded by the unbelievably serene atmosphere Austin had created for himself and Ashleigh, Houston pulled out his cell phone. After three indecisive starts and stops, he finally punched the code for Kelly’s home number, hoping she was in. Houston hadn’t talked to her in a couple of days.

The Cyclones team had made it into the playoffs but had been ousted in the second round, right after their unstoppable center was badly injured. The official season had ended at the end of May, but the preseason wouldn’t get under way until late summer. Houston wasn’t fond of the lengthy downtime, though he welcomed the break.

Houston’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing Kelly’s sweet, sultry voice. “Hey, lady, how’s it going this morning?”

Savoring the delicious sound of the sexy bass voice on the other end, Kelly closed her sable-brown eyes. Had her constant thoughts of Houston somehow gotten through to him? “Morning, Houston. I’m fine. What about you?”

As though Kelly could see him through the phone, Houston moved his hand in a so-so gesture. “I’m good. I miss the game, of course. Once the finals are over, sometime in June, I’ll play in a summer league. Have to keep the skills honed. What’re you up to?”

Up to my elbows in missing you like crazy. “Staying busy. Office hours at my private practice, Houston Sports Medicine Center, make my days crazy, especially with so many new patients. I’m not complaining, though, ‘cause I’m blessed. I could use a nice long break, but my schedule is packed right now. Just calling to say hello or did you have something specific in mind?” She hoped for the latter.

Sucking in a deep breath, Houston slowly released it. “I’d like you to join us at Austin’s tonight for our family dinner. Are you free by chance?”

Kelly suddenly felt the insanity of this crazy liaison with Houston. The boy was here today, but would he be gone tomorrow? Did she dare dance with a man who had no proclivity for commitment? She didn’t want to start wondering if she’d see him again. Nothing romantic had occurred between them, yet she had no stomach for the bitter taste of disappointment she might be signing on for, wittingly so. She wouldn’t be able to yell she’d been blindsided, not when he had exposed so much of who he was and how he felt about commitment.

Although Kelly wanted to accept Houston’s invitation to the Carrington family dinner she was hesitant. But what would it prove to deprive herself of time in his company? Not a thing. She had already decided to accept Houston just for who he was. He’d been honest and right up-front about how he chose to live his life. No sane person argued with candor.

“Are you still there, Kelly?”

She sighed. “I’m still thinking about the invite.”

Kelly wanted to make the right decision. There was no doubt in her mind about her desire to be with Houston. Besides, she didn’t want to thwart the chance of them becoming at least friends. Despite the minor run-in, they had enjoyed each other’s company.

Houston chuckled. “Have you come up with anything yet?”

“As a matter of fact, I haven’t. Do you have any suggestions, Mr. C.?”

Intrigued by Kelly’s taunting remark and follow-up question, Houston propped his feet on a nearby chair. “Well, let me see if I can help you out. What about the fact we could have a great time together? Our conversations will definitely be intellectual bombs and there are endless things to laugh like crazy about. Those are very good reasons for you to accept. Also, my family would love to meet you.”

Kelly gasped inwardly. “Oh, you play so dirty. You just couldn’t resist tossing in a bit of irresistible bait.” She already knew she’d enjoy his family from the things Houston had said about them. She’d even mentioned how nice it’d be to spend time with the Carrington crew.

Being estranged from her own family was hard on Kelly. The unresolved issues standing between her and her parents were difficult to bring to a close.

“What time should I get out to Austin and Ashleigh’s ranch?” Kelly asked.

“Seven is the magic dinner hour for us. I’d love to pick you up. It won’t be a problem.”

“Thanks but no thanks, Houston. If I drive myself, I won’t have to wonder if I’ll ever see you again.” Without further comment, she rang off.

Sorry she’d disconnected rather rudely, Kelly stared at the phone, trying to decide if she should call back and apologize. Instead, she sat back in the recliner in her bedroom and reflected.

Kelly hadn’t personally met Houston when the sports medicine position had first become available, but he was one of her favorite basketball players. She had closely followed his career and had developed an infatuation with him via the television and the home games she attended.

Houston Carrington intrigued Kelly both on and off the court. She was now more intrigued than ever before. His superstardom wasn’t at the heart of her desire to get to know him. It was the sexy flesh-and-blood man who turned her on and flipped her heart inside out. She wasn’t sure she knew how to deal with it.

Feeling the prickly heat from Kelly’s last remark, Houston clipped the phone back onto his leather belt. By the tone of her voice, he couldn’t help wondering if she already felt a bit of disillusionment with him.

Up to this point, Kelly hadn’t said if she was in a romantic relationship, which made him unsure of where she stood. He couldn’t blame her if she was a little concerned with how things might go between them. He himself was on edge over it. Thinking of how he and Kelly had come into being was outrageously intriguing. No other woman had paid for a date with him. Of course, he knew the donated money was for Haven House, but indulging in silly flattery every now and then never hurt anything.

Houston got up from the chair and went back inside the house. The moment he entered the kitchen, all eyes instantly turned on him. “Ash, you can count on one more mouth to feed for the family shindig. I invited Kelly…and she accepted.”

“Way to go, bro,” Austin and Dallas shouted simultaneously.

Dropping back down in his original seat, Houston looked embarrassed. “Give it a rest, guys. You have no clue how hard it was to make that call. I can’t seem to figure out what I want with and from Kelly. I’m confused about her. Pray for me,” Houston joked. “Unlike you two muscular, hardheaded jocks, I know I need Jesus.”

Everyone laughed.

“Boy, you need the holy Trinity,” Dallas shot back like a crack of thunder.

Laughter erupted again.

Even Houston had to laugh at Dallas’s comment. “I can’t top that one so I won’t try.” He looked down at his watch. “I need to get going here shortly. This day has sprouted wings.”

Austin eyed his brother closely. “I guess you have to go get all primped up for your big date with Kelly,” he teased. “Word of advice, you could sure use a haircut.”

Houston tore Austin to shreds with a glaring look. “Save it, man. Not trying to hear it.”

The Carrington triplets were used to good-natured ribbing with each other. No one ever took it seriously. It was simply a part of their extremely close brotherhood.

Dallas leaped to his feet. “I could use a haircut, too, but I need to make sure I have a date for tonight. Ash, I’m run on over to Haven House for a minute to check on my favorite girl. Want to come along? The girls would love to see you. They miss you like crazy.”

“I miss them, too.” Ashleigh looked to Austin. “Mind if I go along with Dallas?”

Austin shrugged. “Not at all. I’ll drive you so he won’t have to come back out here until this evening. I’d like to see the teenagers, too.”