Page 5 of Until Kendal

“We can get what you need,” I offered, hoped she would trust me.

Her lips curved higher. “We need to ensure you’re taken care of.”

I walked her out, and the bright sun of the day put me in a good mood. Or maybe it was her Calvin Klein One perfume. I’d studied perfume in college to impress girls before I realized my last name was enough usually. Near Kendal, though, life didn’t seem to be a game of cat and mouse—she had all my attention right away.

My steps felt lighter. I grabbed my bags and boxes from my car and put them into the Honda, and Kendal collected her small items from her vehicle. Two minutes later, we were ready.

“So point me to the nicest hotel around here, and we’ll get you to work,” I said.

She tapped the car, sighed, and took the passenger seat. “Are you always this nice to strangers, Joel?”

I laughed. I wanted to know everything about her. So I shared small details about myself when I started the car. “No. My blind date last week said I was a cold, uncaring jerk because my business meeting ran late and I didn’t get a chance to text her, not that I knew her number through the app.”

The engine hummed. I blinked. I didn’t remember the last car I’d been in making that sound, but it was probably normal for this model. The car that my sister and her boyfriend had been driving when they had a wreck had bald tires and needed to be pushed to start. I’d spent countless nights wishing I hadn’t helped push her off that night.

Kendal directed me down streets lined with green trees. “What do you do?” she asked.

“I run my own business.” Technically, I never needed to work, but I would never sponge. And work kept me focused. With her on my arm, though, I would have my family and someone to care about. I was probably getting ahead of myself, which was odd for me. “Computer stuff mostly. You?”

Her eyes widened, and she met my gaze like it was obvious. “Hair, catering, and any odd job.”

We drove to Main Street, so I assumed we were close. I’d never planned a town, but center seemed a good location for a place to stay. And hopefully, I could convince her to spend more time with me. “So what was your trouble last night?”

She pointed to a quaint hotel. “I… I'm thinking of leaving here.”

A locally owned hotel was a step above the three-star hotel I'd stayed in last night. The inn looked cute, and thankfully, I wasn’t Arman. Kendal mattered more. Moving normally didn’t cause tears.

“Are you moving with your boyfriend?” I asked.

As I parked, she said, “No boyfriend, no husband. I need to move my mom into my apartment while we work out some things.”

I turned off the engine and thought. If I could get her to open up, I could solve both our problems. “That's vague.”

“That’s all I want to say.” She shrugged and reached for the door.

She stepped out, and I followed, an idea forming in my mind. I wanted her close enough to continue talking. I glanced up at the well-kept independent hotel and said, “Tell you what. I can book us all rooms at the hotel. We can have your mom stay here, like it’s a vacation, while you work out whatever you need.”

She glanced up at the building. “I wish. The police station is close.”

We stopped outside the door, and my body tensed. “Are you in trouble?”

She flinched then reached for the brass doorknob. “We’ll be fine. This is the oldest and most expensive hotel around. I’m sure you’ll be comfortable.”

I watched her sway her hips in black slacks and no-name flats that no woman in Manhattan or Beverly Hills would wear. My heart stopped as I asked, “We?”

Music played from the piano bar area, and the lobby was filled with vacationers and couples looking to visit small-town America. She hugged her waist and said, “I shouldn’t.”

We walked closer, but I kept my voice low so only she heard me. “I’m alone here. I wouldn’t mind your company for dinner.”

She pressed her hand on my shoulder, and a rush pulsed through me. I’d never been instantly struck with desire. Her lips made mine tingle, and we weren’t close enough to do anything.

“Are you asking me out too?” she asked.

Fuck yes. If she was willing, I would marry her. The thought struck me like a baseball to the back of my skull. I blinked, and we made it to check-in line as I said, “Usually women want to go out with me.”

“Because of your smile?” Kendal joked. “Or generosity.”

The hotel was clearly also used for weddings, as a glowing young couple left a side room that had "Wedding Consultations" embossed in gold on the white door. For a second, I saw Kendal and me as the young couple holding hands. I blinked and turned back to Kendal. Her brown eyes were warm with emotion. The hotel clerk waved us over, and I said to Kendal, “I’d like it to be that. Giving back is one of my life goals. Will you stay here?”

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