CHAPTER 41

Nick had made the decision to come home early for three reasons. One was that he hated press conferences. He wasn't good at answering questions when put on the spot and his lack of self confidence showed. The second reason was Aaron. He didn't feel well and the excitement of such an explosive tour had worn him out already. His whining didn't help and so no one else on the tour complained when Nick expressed a desire to leave and take Aaron with him. The third reason was that Nick missed Holly and wanted to be with her.

The day after Nick left, Kevin decided to jump ship as well. He was always there for radio interviews, press conferences and other PR work. Let the others handle it. Howie and AJ loved this stuff and Brian could get off his ass for once, too. Kevin was going home to Lexington and to Tristan. He would surprise her by coming home two days earlier than expected.

************

Tristan sat in Kevin's office at his desk. It was still fairly early - only 9:00AM, but she was up, showered and dressed. Normally she might have been lazy and slept late but Jerald had already been by that morning. He had taken her to an electronics store the day before where she had purchased a computer for their home. He seemed to have the notion that it was almost laughable for a 'lady' to pick out anything that had a plug, except for coffee makers and blenders, and had insisted on helping her make a selection. Tristan thought that maybe Jerald had too much time on his hands.

He had awakened her that morning at eight, hollering up the stairs from the living room after having let himself into the house. She had stumbled out of the bedroom to the loft still half-asleep and looked down at him from the railing. She had been wearing flannel boxers that were hidden by a large Kentucky Wildcats tee shirt that belonged to Kevin. Her hair was mussed and she was squinting, trying to focus her vision on the early morning caller. There stood Jerald, grinning up at her while sticking his hand into a bag full of red colored gumdrops.

"I came over to hook up the computer.." he called up to her as he popped a gumdrop into his mouth.

Tristan made a face. "What are you eating? Is that candy?"

"I've had a craving for cinnamon gumdrops lately." He put another one in his mouth and sucked the sugar off the candy before chewing.

"Yuck!" Tristan laughed. "You're not pregnant, are you Jerald?"

"Ha…ha… I'll just go hook up the computer, smart ass…"

Jerald turned to go down the stairs to Kevin's office and Tristan headed for the shower. She stopped and called down to him.

"How did you get in here, anyway? Did I leave the door unlocked again?"

"No. I had my key."

Tristan shook her head as she closed the door behind her, I didn't know he had a key….

After a light lunch, Tristan decided to do a little exploring. She was feeling a little restless and thought that perhaps a walk around their property would calm her nerves. The morning seemed to go on forever and although she enjoyed her own company just fine, her thoughts seemed to have permanently rested on Kevin. She glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall. 12:55. He had probably done one interview already. Maybe he's eating lunch now. She wondered what he was eating and where.

Tristan briefly thought about changing her clothes. She wore a short sleeved sweater that buttoned up the front over a gathered chambray skirt that fell to the middle of her calf. She had not bothered with underwear. What the hell… Who am I going to see in the woods? I doubt if the rabbits really care. After tucking her hair up under a wide brimmed hat, she slipped on her Dr. Scholl's and stepped out of the front door.

*********

Kevin deplaned in Lexington at 12:40 in the afternoon. There was no such thing as a direct flight to his hometown and it had taken him three hours to get to Kentucky after a layover in D.C. No one knew he was coming home. He smiled wondering what he would catch Tristan doing when he got there. As soon as he got in a cab, he pulled his wedding ring out of his pocket and pushed it onto his finger. He had left Kevin Backstreet behind and had become Kevin Richardson once again - at least for a couple of weeks, then work would begin once more.

He thought he must have been crazy agreeing to spend fourteen days holed up with his bandmates in an undisclosed location but it had become important to them that their next album be their own creation and that would mean lots of writing, composing, singing and fighting. The five of them blended together well but their individuality became pronounced when they started collaborating. The trip could prove to be very difficult. While Kevin loved R&B and rock, the music that he actually wrote tended to be romantic and low tempo with just a touch of rhythm and blues. He had almost developed into the poet of the group and had, in fact, begun to look the part. His hair had become shaggy and he looked pale and thinner than he should be. A couple of weeks at home should help restore his body. He was thinking about keeping the hair, however.

Brian's music was taking a definite turn towards country, albeit innocent country. Nick was up to his neck in pop but Kevin had sensed a slight shift towards metal. Nick had described it as 'hard pop'. Howie was Latin through and through but after the positive reponse he'd had to the rap bit he did in concert, he had been trying to incorporate some urban elements into his salsa. AJ's tastes were firmly entrenched into soulful rock and blues. God only knew what would emerge from this mixing bowl. Perhaps some heavy metal country or a slow, romantic rap number? Kevin shook his head and smiled. Oh, yes… They would be ready to kill each other..

The guys hadn't told the girls about their getaway plans yet. Leighanne probably wouldn't say that much, but she wouldn't have to. She'd have Brian feeling nice and guilty and he'd be required to call her everyday. Holly was fairly independent but Kevin doubted that Nick would tell her that she couldn't come. Telling Holly Carmichael that she wasn't allowed would be too much of a challenge for her to resist. Amanda would bitch her ass off and then make sure that AJ knew that she was having a hell of a good time without him. She would be out on the town every night whether she wanted to be or not and would make sure that he knew about it. Tristan? Well Kevin just wasn't sure about Tris. It occurred to him that he and Tristan had never taken a real trip together - one where they could really be alone. In Orlando it was always work, work, work and in Kentucky there was always family close by. He promised himself that they would get away soon. Even though she never really complained, Kevin wanted for Tristan to know that she was his first priority and that he wanted to do something special for her. After the recording was done and a new tour was designed and planned and promo work was finished and the launch video had been shot and rehearsals were over and wardrobe was taken care of and any legal and personnel issues were resolved and the fast food tie in was wrapped…

Kevin had the cab driver stop and let him out halfway down the lane to their house. This was to be a sneak attack. He left his bags under a tree and walked quietly up to the house in case Tristan was outside. He could see that she had been doing some gardening when he noticed several freshly planted rose bushes near the front porch. He guessed that these were the Tropicana's that she had ordered. Kevin pulled the house key out of his pocket and slowly inserted it into the lock. To his surprise, the door pushed open. Kevin stepped inside the door and listened for sounds of her. There were none. The grin that he'd had on his face turned into a scowl. Fuck! Don't tell me she's not home….

Kevin tiptoed around the house looking for her but she was nowhere to be found. He had gone up the stairs to check the bedroom last, hoping that she had decided to take a nap or something but he was disappointed once more. She hadn't known he was coming but he still felt a little peeved. He sighed in exasperation, threw his hat down on the bed and walked over to the window to take in the view of the lake. It looked as beautiful as ever. Pink and white dogwoods peppered the evergreens in the distance. The lake was calm today. He wished that he were. Shit! Where is she? A small spot of blue moved through Kevin's peripheral vision and he cocked his head to see what it was. Tristan! She was just at the edge of the meadow and carrying a handful of daffodils. Kevin barreled down the stairs and out of the front door, his desire for a sneak attack now diminished. He just wanted her against him. He needed to be inside of her. Badly.

**************

"What are you looking at?" Anne asked her eldest son.

Jerald stood in his mother's kitchen, looking out of the back window in the direction of his brother's house. He picked up his bag of gumdrops and slid one onto his tongue.

"Nothing… Have you talked to Tris today?" Jerald asked still staring out of the window.

"No.." Anne answered. "You saw her this morning, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but maybe I should go check on her. "Kev won't be home for a couple more days." Jerald folded up the bag of candy and stuffed it into his pocket.

Anne came into the kitchen and joined him at the sink. "Maybe she'd like some time to herself. She hasn't had any for weeks." She glanced towards the woods before catching her son's eye. "Leave her alone, Jerald."

Jerald looked into his mother's face. Her tone was vague, her expression unreadable. He turned Anne's demand over in his head.

"I'm not going to bother her, Mom. Just want to make sure the computer's working okay. Maybe I'll see if she'd like to go into town for dinner tonight. You, too, of course…"

"Of course… Why don't you just call over there?" Anne persisted.

"Because then if she's having problems with the computer, I'd have to go anyway. I won't be long." Jerald replied as he opened the door.

"But Jerald…"

He was gone.

****************

The grass was well over two feet high in this part of the meadow. It had finally rained last night and Tristan's skirt and feet became wet as she moved through the growth. The wind had picked up, too - enough that it carried away the sound of approaching footsteps. Suddenly, two large hands had wrapped themselves around her waist and she was being forced to the damp ground. Tristan's eyes clamped shut. She was unable to react. Then she felt his mouth on hers and his beard against her cheek. The tension in her eyes eased and her body relaxed with his touch. Kevin had come home.

Kevin raised himself from her and began his exploration, which had become almost a ritual for him after a long absence or before an extended separation. Her hat had come off, causing her locks to tumble freely. Neither of them spoke as he brushed her hair back from her shoulders. A buttercup rested on Tristan's temple and clover curled at her neck. The tall grass all but hid them but it provided no shade and Kevin was able to see her eyes lighten in the bright sunshine. They looked like watery amethysts. His fingers traveled down her flushed cheek and across her parted lips to her throat and then he shifted his weight onto his right arm. He began to slowly unfasten the buttons of her sweater with his left hand. Kevin glanced at her once as his fingers opened the first closure. Tristan was watching his face. He seemed almost nervous but he was serious, as always.

Kevin's eyes widened when he parted Tristan's sweater and discovered that no barrier lay between him and her creamy mounds of flesh. Her nipples were hard and ripe - his reaction swift and aggressive as he buried his face between her breasts and then began his journey to a tender tip, biting and then licking along the way. When his mouth reached its destination, Kevin clamped her nipple between his teeth and began to suck vigorously, occasionally increasing the pressure of his teeth on her tender buds.

Tristan was writhing beneath him now and he heard her groan as the line that separated her pleasure from her pain blurred. When Kevin became aware of her hands pulling at his hair, he knew that he had control over her physical sensations and he liked it. His hardness became unbearable when he nipped at her again and she murmured his name in response. When his hunger sought out her other breast, Tristan raised her knees and he found himself lying between her legs, his hips moving against the folds of her skirt. The fabric had ridden up to her thighs and fallen down between her legs but Kevin kept moving - humping her. He wanted to watch her build towards orgasm, to watch her urgent need increase by degrees. He gained a sense of satisfaction knowing that he could take her over the edge without entering her or even touching her directly through manipulation. He felt empowered, much like he had on that afternoon when she had come to climax at his command.

Tristan was pushing up against him now, demanding release. Kevin's hand came down her body and pushed itself under the folds of her skirt. He was moving on pure instinct now and so was she. When he realized that she wore no panties, he groaned and ran the tips of his fingers up between the soft lips that protected her womanhood. She was so wet for him. When his fingers moved to her engorged clitoris, she shuddered and gasped. Her head rolled to the side and she moaned softly. Tristan's hips still moved but at a slower pace now. She was gone. She had flown away from him. Her eyelids opened and closed slowly over glazed irises like someone just waking from a long and deep sleep.

"Jesus, Tristan…." Kevin murmured into her neck as he fumbled with the zipper on his jeans. Then he whispered, coaxing her return. "That was one, baby. Come on back to me now…I want to give you another…."

*****************

Jerald instantly dropped, belly down, into the tall grass. The wind had picked up and he thought he had heard voices but looking around and behind him, he saw that he was alone. He had taken a few more steps and then was startled by the sight of a head rising over the top of the grass. Kevin? What is he doing home and what is he doing? Jerald was less than twenty yards away.

Jerald slowly pushed himself up on his hands and peeked over the top of the meadow grass. Kevin seemed to be on his knees and looking down. Then Jerald saw a woman's hands come up and rest on Kevin's shoulders. Kevin smiled, straightened and pulled his shirt over his head.

"Shit!"

Kevin appeared to freeze and then jerk his head around as if trying to hear something. Jerald dropped again before Kevin could turn to look toward him. Double shit! Kevin's out here in broad daylight, nailing Tristan to the ground! Now he didn't know what to do. He closed his eyes and held his breath, expecting to be pounced on at any minute. Seconds passed and nothing happened. Soon, the breezes were carrying the sounds of sex to his ears.

Jerald didn't think he could risk moving. The fact was that he didn't really want to move. He rolled to his back and listened. He had difficulty making out distinct words but the activity and tone were unmistakable. The sounds of thrashing grass grew more urgent. Then their moans began to assail his ears. Kevin's voice became clearer as it got louder.

"God damn, Tris… Tight. So tight…"

Jerald risked another glance. Kevin had straightened again and Tristan's legs were over his shoulders. Damn… Kevin was slamming into her. Jerald quickly unfastened his jeans in order to free his growing erection before lying back down in the grass. He began to stroke himself. His tempo increased as Kevin's demands and Tristan's whimpers grew steadily more intense. When he heard Tristan begin to scream for Kevin, he was close….so close…

Seconds later, Jerald heard Kevin groaning loudly and with a fierceness that almost seemed animalistic. Jerald's breath caught in his throat and his eyes flew open as his release erupted. His rhythm slowed as his hand continued to move over his shaft - now sticky and wet with his ejaculate. Then he rolled to his side and permitted a soft moan to escape his throat. He lay there for several minutes until he was breathing normally again. That had been one hell of a jerk off. He listened for any movement or sound but heard nothing. He wouldn't risk another peek. He just hoped they were finished and would go back to the house. He should have felt more shame about what had just happened. Instead, he found that he was already replaying their intimacies in his head. His major regret was not that he had watched his brother and sister-in-law make love in the tall grass. His major regret was that Tristan had not been the one on top.

CHAPTER 42

"Where have you been?" Anne asked when her eldest son came back through the kitchen door. He had been gone for an hour and a half. "Did you see Kevin and Tristan?"

Jerald paused for a moment. Yeah, Ma. I saw them, alright. Heard them, too…

"No. Is Kevin home?" he asked innocently.

Anne beamed. "Yes! He called about twenty minutes ago. Said he came home early to surprise Tris. Isn't that sweet?"

Sweet? What I saw could hardly be described as 'sweet'… "Um…yeah. Great."

Anne glanced at Jerald as she stepped across the kitchen to get a cloth out of the drawer.

"Where have you been, Jerald?" she asked again as she began to wipe off the counter top. "Are those grass stains on the back of your shirt?"

Jerald gulped. "Uh…I just decided to go for a walk. I took your advice. Didn't want to be a pest, so I stayed away from Tris. I…uh…stepped in a hole and tripped. Probably a ground hog or rabbit hole. Guess that's how I got the stains."

"Well, they'll come out." Anne said absently. "Oh Jerald.. 'XYZ'.."

"XYZ?"

""Examine Your Zipper', dear." Anne shook her head. "I'll never understand the thrill men get from taking care of their business in the great outdoors."

Jerald looked down at his pants. His fly was wide open. Shit. He chuckled uncomfortably.

"Target practice, Mom. More to aim at outside."

Anne looked at her son over the top of her glasses. "I wish I'd known about that when you boys were small. I would have painted a bullseye in the bottom of the toilet."

Jerald decided to change the subject. "Got anything to eat around here?"

"Get an apple. Tris and Kevin are coming over for supper later - after...uh..well - later."

Jerald rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I get it, Mom."

Anne blushed a little and then continued.

"You'll come, too won't you? Tim's coming."

"What about the wife and kids?" Jerald asked, trying to be polite.

"They're at her mother's. You going to come? It'll just be me, you, your brothers and Tris." As if Jerald needed further encouragement, she added, "I'm making chili…"

Jerald grinned and nodded. "Sure, I'll come. By the way, Ma. Where'd you put my gumdrops?"

**************

"Here, let me get that for you.."

Tristan stood on her tiptoes trying to reach a pitcher on one of the higher cabinet shelves when Jerald offered his services. Before she could step aside, however, he was leaning against her back and pressing her against the counter as he reached up and over her head.

"Jeez, Jerald! You're squishing me!" Tristan laughed.

Jerald returned the laugh. "Oh, soooo sorry!" he said dramatically as he set the pitcher on the counter. Then he added, "Not!"

He laughed again and grabbed Tristan on each side of her waist, tickling her. Tristan doubled over and squealed.

"Get your hands off of my wife!"

Jerald froze and then spun around. Kevin was passing through the entryway and stepped over to the stove, laughing. He picked up a wooden spoon and began to stir the chili, that sat simmering on the back burner.

"Save me, Kevin!"

Tristan ran over to him and wiggled up under his arm for protection, giggling. Anne wasn't giggling. She stood beside the dining room table and looked into the kitchen where she had witnessed the little scene. She had seen the look on Jerald's face when Kevin had 'caught' them. Anne couldn't ignore the vibes that she felt coming off of Jerald. She wished she could. Then she began to mentally scold herself for her paranoia. She was probably just being overly protective of Kevin but it still made her uncomfortable. When she turned to finish setting the table, she almost bumped into Tim who had been standing behind her. Tim had witnessed Jerald's actions as well and Anne could tell right away that she wasn't alone in her 'paranoia'.

"You two look like you've been suckin' on lemons." Kevin said as he took the spoon from his lips. Tristan was still under his arm.

Tim's attention turned to Kevin and he laughed. "No, man. We're just waitin' on the chili. Is it ready?"

"Tastes ready to me!" he answered.

Kevin stuck the ladle in the pot and carried it to the table while Tristan mixed the tea. Anne pulled a salad out of the refrigerator, Tim got the bread out of the oven and Jerald filled the glasses with ice. After they were seated, Jerald pronounced a blessing over the meal. They all dug in and conversation began.

"So, Kevin," Tim said, squeezing a slice of lemon over his tea. "when are you gonna get that hair cut?" Tim made a face. "You're startin' to look like a 'girrrl'…."

The barbs and insults had begun.

"Yeah," Jerald joined in, "We're gonna have to start calling you 'Rosemary' or something. 'Rosemary Richardson'. I like it!" Jerald laughed.

Kevin rolled his eyes and reached for the salad dressing. He's let his older brothers have their fun. Tristan was enjoying the banter. Family teasing was still a fresh and exhilarating to her. She didn't participate. She just listened. Kevin noted her fascination and thought of Stockholm. He squeezed her thigh under the table.

"Jackie tells me that Brian will be home in a couple of days." Anne said, changing the subject. "She wants you to come see him when he gets home."

Kevin looked up from his chili. "Why? 'Cause we never get to spend any time together? Jeez…" he said sarcastically.

Anne made a face across the table.

"Noooo…She wants you two to talk to the others about waiting until after the Easter holiday before you go to the islands to record or write or whatever it is you're going to do." Anne lifted her glass and brought it to her lips not realizing that she had let the cat out of the bag.

Kevin groaned inwardly as Tristan's eyes lit up. Brian and his big mouth…

"We're going to the islands?" She asked him excitedly. "Which islands? When?" She was practically jumping up and down in her seat. "I haven't been to a beach since…"

"Tris.." Kevin interrupted, glaring back across the table before facing her. "Uh…this is not a vacation, baby. It's a working trip and.."

"Oh Kevin! That's fine! You guys will work and we'll play! I'll lay out on the beach and get some sun. It'll be…"

"Tris!" Kevin cut in again.

"What?"

Tristan stopped her rambling and met his eyes, grinning. Kevin sighed before trying to make this as painless as possible. Anne, Tim and Jerald looked on curiously as Kevin took Tristan's hand.

"Baby, just the guys and security are going - nobody else."

Tristan's grin began to fade rapidly. "I don't understand…"

Kevin took a breath and tried again. " You know this album is real important to us and we thought we might work better if there weren't any…umm…distractions."

"Distractions?" Tristan's eyes began to narrow.

"Yeah. You know, like girlfriends and stuff."

"And 'stuff'?" Tristan repeated. She pulled her hand from his.

"You know what I mean, Tris…"

"And all of you decided this would be a good idea?" she asked pointedly.

Kevin swallowed. He had thought so. Now he wasn't so sure. It seemed to make sense at the time. He made no reply.

"I see…" Tristan stood, picked her dishes up from the table and took them into the kitchen.

"Thanks Mom.." Kevin mouthed the words across the table. Shit.

Anne frowned, picked up her dishes and followed Tristan into the kitchen. When the women were out of earshot, Jerald leaned over to Kevin.

"Man, are you crazy? You're not going to take that sweet thang with you to a tropical island? Jesus!"

"It's work, Jerald." Kevin answered firmly.

"So? Tristan mixed your last album. She can mix this one."

"The producers pick the mixer, Jerald." Kevin explained.

"And who's producing?"

"Well…" Kevin hesitated and looked into his bowl. "We're hoping that we'll be able to do the bulk of it."

Jerald was silent for a moment.

"You just don't want Tris working, do you? You feel threatened by that or something?"

"It's not that!" Kevin said irritably, throwing his napkin onto the table. "It would be nepotism…"

"Oh.." Jerald mused. "You mean like with Aaron, Harold, Denise and Pollyanna…"

Kevin didn't answer his brother. He couldn't answer him. He pushed his chair back from the table and went into the kitchen to try and reason with Tristan.

"Where is she?" Kevin asked, looking around the kitchen.

Anne slowly rinsed a dishcloth out in the sink before answering. "She left some time ago, dear."

Kevin frowned. "Left? She just…left?"

"Yes, dear." Anne said, glancing at him sideways.

In Kevin's mind, this was the equivalent of a hang-up. He had experience with Tristan hanging up on him while they were in the middle of an argument. At least this time she was only a quarter of a mile away.

"Well, I guess I'd better get home," he sighed. Thanks for supper, Mom. It was great, as usual." Kevin opened the backdoor to leave and then stopped and turned to his mother. "Mom, do you think I'm being an ass about this?"

"Hee-haw." She brayed.

****************

Tristan was sitting at the vanity rubbing lotion on her hands and forearms when Kevin came into the bedroom.

"Tris…"

"Hi, Kevin.." she turned and looked at him.

She didn't seem too pissed now. She must have cooled off after she had time to think about this. That was good.

"Are you…feeling better?" he asked cautiously.

"I'm fine." Tristan turned back to the mirror and picked up her hairbrush. She started counting strokes, murmuring the numbers. "One, two…" Kevin stepped over to her and took the brush from her hand. "Here, let me…" he said softly as he started pulling the brush through her thick waves.

"Listen, baby.." he began.

"The phone was ringing when I got home." Tristan interrupted. "Guess who it was?" Her eyes had closed as Kevin had stroked her hair. He continued to brush.

"Who?"

"Amanda."

Tristan felt the brush stop in her hair mid-stroke. She smiled to herself.

Great. AJ's told her.. "Really? What did she want?" as if I didn't know.

"She was talking about this working trip that y'all are taking."

Kevin nodded. What a surprise..

"She said that y'all had been talking about this for some time."

Tristan checked Kevin's reaction in the mirror. She thought she caught a touch of exasperation and then went on.

"She said that a trip to the tropics sounded good to her after this miserable winter."

"Tristan, this is not a vacation. It's work. I told you that!"

"Oh, I know Kevin. Work. While you guys are in the Bahamas - it is the Bahamas, right?" Kevin nodded. "While you're working in the Bahamas at the villa she said that y'all have rented, Amanda and I are going to get together."

"Oh?" Kevin gritted his teeth.

"Yeah. She said that you were going to fly out of Orlando together on a charter so I guess that means we'll need to get back to Florida a few days before you leave, right?"

Kevin said nothing, wondering if there was anything Amanda didn't tell her. Tristan paused and when she got no response, she continued.

"Well, Amada's birthday is a couple of days before you leave, so I thought we'd have a little dinner party for her."

Kevin nodded again. Whew!…that's not bad…

"Then after y'all leave, we're gonna hop a plane to Cancun!" Tristan stood up and snatched the brush from Kevin's hand. "Thanks, babe." She said putting the brush away.

"WHAT?"

""I'm going to get some tea. Want some?" Tristan headed for the door and then stopped. "By the way, AJ said to tell you that the surfboard you ordered will be ready when you arrive." She smiled, turned and left.

Kevin stood for a moment, not moving. He wasn't sure what had just happened. He envisioned Tristan and Amanda dancing on the Mexican beaches in bikinis, waving around coconuts that were filled with liquor and had little paper umbrellas sticking out of them. Fuck! Kevin padded down the stairs after Tristan.

"Tris? What are you talking about? You and Amanda by yourselves? In Cancun?"

Tristan bent into the refrigerator to retrieve the pitcher of tea.

"Oh I'm not sure yet if it'll just be us. Amanda's gonna call Holly and Leighanne, too, but I don't know if they're going to be able to go or not. I think I might see if Mason wants to come." Tristan paused, thinking. "I don't know who else." Then she brightened. "Hey! Jerald's not working until June! Maybe he'd like to come!"

Kevin frowned. "But…you'll be there…" he hesitated. "you know - without me…."

Tristan walked over to Kevin and put her arms around his neck.

"Oh I know, baby." She pouted sadly. "But don't forget - you'll be in the Bahamas without me."

Kevin broke away from her and stepped back, scowling.

"Is this some kind of 'pay-back', Tris? Are you and Amanda cooking up a little 'vengeance stew' here?"

Tristan's hands went to her hips - a bad sign. "Amanda and I aren't 'cooking up' anything, Kevin! We'd just like to get away and have a little fun! What do you want me to do? Stare out of the window and pine for you for two weeks?"

Yes. "No! I don't expect that! I just hope that you understand that we're gonna be working and…"

"And you don't want any 'distractions'." Tristan finished.

"We just have to make sure we keep the creative juices flowing, so to speak." Kevin growled.

"And a little romance would use up your 'creative juices'? Gee, Kevin! I didn't realize that musical creativity was formed in your testicles! After a couple of weeks, you should have enough of those 'creative juices' in you to compose a damned symphony - so to speak!"

Tristan brushed past Kevin, went out onto the front porch and curled herself up on the swing that faced the lake. There were a million stars in the sky. It was a beautiful night. She should be happy. She didn't want to fight with Kevin. All of this had taken her by surprise. Logically, she understood that these plans probably made some sense and that they had only recently been finalized. She also understood why, considering their circumstances, Kevin would want to wait and tell her about them in person. Tristan couldn't help but smile to herself thinking about what must have been going through his head when Anne spoke out tonight.

She didn't have an ulterior motive for going to Cancun although she did have to admit that she got some pleasure out of watching Kevin squirm a little. That brief pleasure was gone now, though, and before long they would be back in Florida. Here she sat - outside and alone. It was a little nippy out here but she didn't go into the house for a blanket. Her pride was bigger than her goosebumps.

Kevin watched her through the window as she wrapped her arms around herself. She was cold. He went into the living room and picked up an afghan - the big one that they shared on cool winter evenings - and took it outside to the swing.

"Sit up." He ordered as he seated himself next to her.

Tristan straightened and Kevin draped the coverlet around their backs and brought it over the front of their bodies. This simple gesture broke through Tristan's defenses. She sighed and rested her head against Kevin's shoulder as his arm curled around her back and held her close.

"Don't be mad." He whispered into her hair before kissing the top of her head. "I love you."

"I'm not really mad." Tristan replied softly. "Just surprised, I guess. I thought you'd have more time before the Backstreet wheels started turning again."

"The wheels will grind to a halt one day, Tris. But I do want us to take a little break together - a trip somewhere."

"Where?"

"You pick, baby. Anywhere you want."

"Really?"

"Really."

Tristan sat up and looked into Kevin's face.

"Just the two of us? No Backstreet Boys?"

Kevin chuckled. "Just us."

"When?"

Now Kevin hesitated. He didn't know when. Tristan waited expectantly for an answer but after several seconds she could see that Kevin wasn't able to respond. She gave him a wistful little smile and settled back onto his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Tris. I just don't know…"

"That's okay, Kevin. You can let me know when it's convenient for us to go. I'll wait…"

Email Grace

---