Fun and Games with K&K is back....

We have been MIA since right before Xmas.  I am totally willing to take the heat on this one.  Me and the Captain took a trip and I learned very quickly that blogging and holidays and families and friends do not go together.  Yes, I could have slept less, but chose not to.  So if you have missed any of our installments you can catch up by clicking on the tab at the top marked Fun and Games.  There all there.  I promise.

When we last checked in with Grace and Harper secrets were being shared.  Let's see what happens next.

“Hey, isn’t that Grace’s car?”  Lucky asked from the passenger seat of Owen’s truck.

“Yeah, it is.” Concern coated Owen’s voice.  Turning the truck into the parking lot, he scanned the area for any sign of the girls.  “I don’t see them.”  Shooting across the lot, Owen could feel the panic starting to build.  What were they doing all the way on the back side of the mall?

Lucky was wondering the same thing until he saw them leaning against the back fender.   “There O…there they are” Lucky pointed.

A loud squeal of breaks had both girls looking up even as Owen and Lucky bolted from the cab of the truck.  

“Harp? Are you okay?”   None of them missed Harper’s cringe as Owen moved toward her.

“Grace, what’s wrong?”  They both started at the same time.  

Grace helped Harper to her feet and moved to get her into the car before Owen could intercept.  She knew his heart was in the right place, but right now, her first thought was for her best friend.

With her back to the boys, Grace smiled at Harper and whispered, “I got this.  Just hang on a sec.”  Pasting on a phony smile that would never cover up the anguish that was stamped on to her features, Grace turned back to the two young men who were now waiting a few feet away for an answer.

“Hi guys.  Sure has been a long time since we saw you two.”  Her attempt at humor fell flat.

Lucky walked over to Grace and tilted her face up with a soft tap to the chin.  “Are you okay?” 

Grace’s smile might have been shaky, but she would see it through, and on a shrug said.  “We’re good.  Harper lost a contact.”

Owen spared Grace one glance before looking back to her Harper.  His protective instincts were screaming.  He wanted to fold her into a hug and promise to make it all better.   She was upset-what an understatement- but the fear was something he was not used to.  From the very beginning, he had been drawn to her because of her strength and sense of humor.  Now, it was as if those parts of her were gone.  

Looking over to Lucky, he said, “Give us a second.  Okay.”

“Okay, bro.”  Lucky clasped Grace’s hand and pulled her over to the truck.

“No, Lucky.  Stop.  I mean it.”  Grace said as she tried unsuccessfully to remove her hand from his while simultaneously looking over her should to ensure Harper was okay.  “You are not listening to me.  Again.”

Lucky pulled her to the driver’s side of the truck in order to give Harper and Owen a little privacy.  Struggling and fed up Grace hissed, “Swear to God Lucky, let me go or your grandchildren will be singing soprano.”   

Finally, out of desperation, he pulled her up close and hugged her.  Resting his mouth next to her ear, he whispered, “He’s not going to hurt her.”

And just like that, the fight went out of Grace.  Relaxing, she rested her forehead against his chest and sighed, “I know. “  Tears were pricking her eye lids, but she absolutely refused to make this about her, even if it did feel awfully nice to have someone to lean on for a change.  Harper was always there for her, and vice versa, but this was different.  

Grace shifted slightly so she could meet Lucky’s gaze, and found herself dazzled by the color of his eyes.  Déjà vu all over again.  It was oddly comforting, considering they didn’t really know each other all that well.  “Did Owen tell you what’s going on with Harper?” she asked in a whisper.

“Yeah.” Lucky whispered back.  “Did you guys have a fight?  Are you okay?”

Smiling because he was concerned for her, she said, “No fight.  We were just talking.  But she finally started to open up about what happened. “

“So something happened?  Did he hurt her?”

Turning, she tried to look over the back of the truck bed to make sure Harper was okay.  “Yeah, he hurt her.”  

Harper was wedged between the door and the car, but she was talking to Owen, so that was good.  Plus, she had told Grace she wanted to handle this herself.  And this time, Grace didn’t know what to do to make it right.  Turning her attention back to Lucky, she said, “We really do need to go.”

“Are you hanging out with Harper tonight?”

“Tonight?”

“Yeah, I was thinking maybe if you didn’t have any plans, you and I could get together and hang out.  That is, if you aren’t already planning to hang with Harper.”

Suddenly, the reality of the situation hit Grace.  Here she was snuggled up with one guy while another one was planning a date with her for that very evening.  She had only been crushing on Truman since forever.  Feeling a little guilty, Grace stepped away from Lucky even as she said, “Um…actually I have a date tonight.”

“A date.”  Disbelief dripped from each word even as he felt his ears turn red with the sting of rejection. It wasn’t like she was his girlfriend or anything.  In fact, he didn’t even know her.  How could he be jealous?  “Okay.  Good.  Yeah, um, have a good time.”  Pushing his hand through his hair, he got into the driver’s side of the truck and started it up.  

Rolling down the window, he honked the horn and called for Owen to hurry it up.  The look on Owen’s face when he saw Lucky behind the wheel might have been comical if Grace weren’t feeling so miserable at that moment. 

Lucky felt sick to his stomach.  She had a date.  Well, didn’t that just suck?  Drumming on the steering wheel, he hit the horn one more time for good measure even as he watched Grace move around the truck and head back to her car.  Owen popped his head into the passenger window and asked, “Uh, Luck…you aren’t planning on driving are you?”

“Asshole.”

Owen climbed into the truck and buckled his seat belt.  “Okay, what’s wrong?”

“She has a date tonight.”

Shocked, Owen asked, “Harper?”

Looking over, Lucky said, “What? No. Grace.  She has a date tonight.  I asked her out, and she can’t go because she has a date.  With a guy.”  The last was added in a sneering tone that Owen recognized.

Snorting, Owen said, “That’s good, right?  That it’s with a guy at least?  Cuz if she were going out with a girl your chances would be even worse.”

“Shut-up, O.”

“I asked Harper out.”  

Now it was Lucky’s turn to be surprised.  “You did?  Do you think that’s a good idea?  What did she say?”

Okay now it's Karla's turn.  Make sure you check her installment out on Thursday.  So before you go, tell me what you think.