[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
A few hours later, Jennifer spotted Kevin sitting out alone by the pool, and decided enough time had passed that she might as well chance talking to him. "You going to yell at me again?" She asked softly as she approached, relief sweeping over her when he turned around to look at her without screaming.

"Come here," He reached his hand out for her and pulled her into her embrace, arranging her next to him. "I did it again, didn't I."

"I'm so sorry we hid this from you, Kevin, we just didn't know what else to do," Jennifer apologized again, holding his hands tight in hers. She didn't feel like she could ever say the words enough, she was so very sorry...

"It's not like I gave you much of a choice," Kevin replied softly, looking at her hands in his, her skin looking porcelain white, and silky soft against his. "Nick said that you wanted to tell me, how upset you were over the whole thing."

"I was..."

"You really love him?" He asked, his voice strangely sad and distant. "You never said that about Paul, you know..."

"I never was in love with Paul like this," Jennifer said, looking into Kevin's eyes, hoping he could see how sincere she was. "I love Nick, I really do. He's a wonderful man, and he makes me so happy."

Kevin sighed heavily and hugged her tight, "I guess I shouldn't be so surprised, I knew something like this was bound to happen."

"We really didn't mean for anything to happen...it just kinda did..."

"I know," Kevin nodded slowly, before kissing her hair lightly. "I love you, Jenny, you know that. I love Nicky too, he's a brother to me. Just the idea of him...and you...."

Jennifer laughed lightly and smiled at Kevin. "I know, the whole idea would have sounded a little nuts to me too."

"Mind if I join you?" Nick walked up to them and looked at Kevin, a hopeful look in his eyes.

"I think this is where I'm supposed to do the gracious thing and leave the two lovebirds alone," Kevin said slowly, not entirely sure why it seemed to physically hurt to say those words. He kissed Jennifer's forehead one last time, then stood up, looking Nick over with a stern gaze. "You know how much Jenny means to me, right?"

"Yeah, of course," Nick nodded rapidly, unable to stop from shooting Jen a quick grin. It looked like Kevin was coming around? "She was untouchable to me because she was your best friend. I don't know what suddenly changed, but something did, and it's been great, Kev..."

"Ok, enough, I really don't want details," Kevin interrupted, pulling Nick into a tight hug. "You're my brother, but I've known Jenny since she was 4 years old, she's my world. You hurt her, I'll kill you. You got it?"

"Got it," Nick agreed, returning the hug with vigor. "I hurt her, I'll kill myself, that's a promise."

"That's morbid," Jennifer interrupted, standing up and pulling the two men apart. "Nobody's hurting anyone, ok?"

"Now that's just too cute..." Brian and Leighanne stopped in their tracks on their way out to the pool at the sight of Kevin, Jennifer and Nick all hugging each other tight.

"Leave them be..." Leighanne chided, as Brian started creeping up to them, a grin on his face.

"No way, this is too good to resist." Brian hushed her as he jumped onto Kevin's back, sending the four of them flying into the pool behind them. "HEY CUZ!"

"Now someone's getting hurt!" Kevin hollered, splashing around in search of his cousin. "Where is he?" He stormed around the pool in an angry exaggeration of himself, much to the enjoyment of Leighanne and Kristen, watching from the side.

Jennifer and Nick were oblivious to the ruckus, they had surfaced in the pool, taken one look at each other, and fell into each others arms. And there they stayed, hugging each other tight, as Kevin and Brian splashed around them, and the wives looked on laughing. Mom stayed in the kitchen cleaning up, glad her son had finally calmed down and was acting like himself again.

As Kevin finally dragged himself out of the pool after Brian, wringing water from his hair, he came to a very uncomfortable realization. He really didn't like seeing Nick touching Jennifer like that.

And he really didn't know exactly why.



A very tan and relaxed Nick and Jennifer showed up to their first day of rehearsals for the second leg of the tour, both of them wearing grins that could have lit up a moonless night.

"Have your feet touched the ground even once since our tour ended?" Howie asked Nick as he walked into the room holding Jen's hand, laughing at how insanely giddy his friend looked.

"I don't think so," Nick confessed, looking at Jen. Ever since Kevin had accepted the two of them as a couple things had been wonderful. He felt like they'd grown closer than ever over the last month, and he had the time of his life spending so much time alone with her. Neither of them had realized exactly how much they had been holding back for fear of rejection from Kevin...once that fear was removed, it all came flooding out. "They don't have to though, do they?"

"Nope!" Jennifer quipped, kissing Nick quickly. "Not ever."

"Is that my best friend?" Kevin walked into the room, his hand over his eyes as if to shade him from the sight. "I don't know, it's been a while, not sure if I recognize her...."

"Very funny," Jennifer ran over to Kevin and hugged him tight. "It's your fault you didn't see me, you're the one who was always too busy." And he had been, every single time she'd tried to get Kevin, Kristen, her and Nick together over the last month, something had come up. Kristen had come over a few times, but never with Kevin.

"I had business to take care of," Kevin said woefully. "Did you miss me?" He also hadn't wanted to see Jennifer and Nick together. He'd figured he would be confronted with the sight of the two of them together soon enough, and often enough, taking some time to get used to the idea was a good thing to do first. Except that he'd taken his time, and he still wasn't used it, and it was no longer an idea. It was very real, he hadn't missed seeing Jennifer and Nick kissing when he'd walked in. The sight had not been a pleasant one.

"Of course I did." Jennifer smiled. "Terribly."

Nick watched Jennifer and Kevin talk, his eyes narrowing as something began to nag at him. Something about the way Kevin was talking to Jen...something different in his manner. It was almost as if he were...well....flirting with her. "She did, she was always complaining about how awful you were for standing her up," he pointed out to Kevin with a grin, walking up to Jen and hugging her from behind.

"Yup, he's an awful awful best friend, isn't he," Jennifer snuggled into Nick's arms, laughing at the grimace Kevin made in response. "He knows it, look at that face."

"That's Kevin, always got the business. Y'all can stay young, Kevin's acting old enough for all of us." Brian cracked, making a face when Kevin didn't laugh. "What?"

"We are here to rehearse, aren't we?" He pointed out, looking around the room.

"We don't have to, we can just stand here all day," Jennifer suggested, quite content in her spot with Nick's arms wrapped tight around her.

"Rehearsal." Kevin laughed, pushing her away from Nick and smacking her lightly on the rear. "Go! Rehearse!"

"Sheesh, be a slave driver, why don't you," Jennifer grumbled, before waving a goodbye and going off to join the other dancers. "I'll see you later, Massa Richardson," she drawled with a smirk.

"Ok, that's not funny..."

Nick snickered and followed Jen, "I'm gonna hang with the dancers until you need me. And yeah, that was really funny, Kev..."

"I am not a slave driver, and you are not going to hang with the dancers, you're staying right here."

"Plantation owner, I think, a Massa would be," Brian corrected.

"Not funny. Nick, get back here."

"Overseer?" Howie offered.

"Still not funny. Nick!"

"Kevin, just Kevin," AJ cut in. "He's Train. An entity all unto himself. Just leave it at that."

"Just Kevin." Kevin nodded, ending the discussion there. "Now, do we or do we not have a tour to prepare for...Nick!"