Trial By Fire - Bouncing Back, Book 1

Seventeen

Not knowing if his kid would make it home or not, Thomas scowled as he waited in the living room of the small, two-story house he’d bought when he first moved to Ontario. Though his wife at the time was a sweet young woman, she’d turned into a real harpy after they moved from Quebec.

Knowing he didn’t have the best of luck in any situation, he smartly took Memphis to get a DNA test when he was born. Once he was sure the boy was his, he put his liquidities under his son’s name, even going as far as to put the house in trust. Holly was pissed when she learned that information in the courtroom, having wanted half of everything, but there was nothing she could do.

Though their son was ten at the time of their ugly divorce, Memphis didn’t seem bothered. Then again, he’d already admitted to knowing his mother was a money-hungry woman without a care of who she hurt in the process.

He snorted a laugh, shaking his head as he sipped the rum and coke in his hand. That’s when he heard the familiar roar of the Jeep in the drive, and he knew the teens were back from their hopefully fun-filled night. He could hear Kennedy giggling, and the sound actually scared him. If that child laughed, she was up to something.

The hall door that joined the house with the garage opened, and Memphis led Kennedy through. As they passed the living room, she pulled her hand from his and looked at the man sitting in the La-Z-Boy.

Smiling, she walked in and stood in front of him. When he looked up, she leaned over and hugged him tightly. Shocked, he froze for a minute before hugging her back. “Thank you for raising a gentleman, Thomas.”

Emotion choked him as he nodded silently. Like Memphis, he was falling for the girl, but in a different way. She was smart, reliable, strong, and loving. “I take it you’re staying the night?”

“Do you mind? We’re super tired right now, so we’re just going to grab a snack and head up. I’m staying in Memphis’s bed,” she said calmly.

Despite everything that hit her at once, he knew that the tiny young woman was too resilient to let life get her down or hold her back. “We do have a spare room, you know.”

“Yeah, but it’s more of a trust exercise. Let’s see if he still got his balls in the morning,” she said with a giggle.

“That scares me more than the thought of you killing my kid,” he muttered as he got to his feet and followed her to the kitchen. “Since when do you giggle?”

Memphis choked on his water as he laughed. Thomas scowled, not understanding what was so funny about the statement he made. “Dad, don’t. I said the same thing, but it’s because she feels safe and comfortable enough around us to be herself. She’s a completely different person based entirely on the aura of the room or crowd.”

“Ah,” he replied. “So, you guys had lot’s of fun?”

Happily jumping to sit on the counter in front of Memphis, she put her arms around his shoulders. Looking at Thomas, she said, “Yup! Memphis took me to one of my all-time fav dessert places, then we went to the SkyWheel, and then we went to visit the MC for a bit because they had some gifts for me, too. After that, I got to pick again, and he took me to Niagara Park for fireworks. We had some popcorn, walked around the stalls at the concert that was going on, then we went to wind down at Sammy’s Place just before they closed.”

“Oh, babe, tell dad the best part,” Memphis encouraged with a grin.

“The best part?” His father echoed, clearly perturbed by the happy-go-lucky atmosphere falling around him.

“Yeah,” Memphis said, clearly proud of something. “There was a shooting and knife-throwing competition, so we both entered. I may have failed on purpose, but my birthday girl won both of them pretty easy.”

“You… why?” Thomas asked incredulously.

Memphis shrugged, feeling the weight of Kennedy’s body slump against his back. Her soft snores filled his ears, and he smiled. “She’s exhausted all over again, and so am I. Don’t worry, Dad. I got zero intentions of doing anything until she’s ready. Right now, it’s all about teaching her how to unwind without violence and being the calm to her chaos. Do you understand now?”

“I got you, kid. She riles you up, and you calm her down. I had so many doubts at first, but I understand now. You chose well, Memphis,” Thomas said as he put his glass in the sink. “Well, I’m going to bed now that you’re home safe. Night.”

Raising a brown brow, Memphis stared at his father’s retreating back. There was something in the man’s praise that said more than the words could convey, but he understood. While he was worried that his father would berate his choices more because of the glass of rum in his hand, he was relieved everything went down without a problem.

With Kennedy sound asleep on his back, he carried her up over the stairs to his room and set her down on the bed. He glanced at her clothes, fighting with the idea that he could potentially change her, and she wouldn’t kill him over it.

Taking a breath, he reached down and slowly started removing his girlfriend’s clothes. As she moaned in her sleep, he stopped, his face a mask of fear as she slowly opened her eyes to look at him. “What are you doing?”

Licking his lips, he held up one of his oversized shirts. “I was going to change you, but -”

“Oh, okay.”

Um… “Say what?”

“I trust you, Memphis. I’m so sleepy,” she muttered.

“Okay, but since you’re up, help me help you, because I do not want to die tonight.” He replied jokingly.

Nodding, she shifted her weight until she was sitting on the edge of his bed. Removing her clothes, he was going to leave her bra on when she scowled weakly at him. “No, take it off. I don’t sleep with it on. Do you know how utterly bad it is for a woman’s health? The hooks and underwire can rub against our skin, sometimes causing us to bleed. I got enough scars on my body as it is.”

“I did not know that, but thanks for the intel all the same. I mean, if you’re sure I’m not going to get slapped to death over it, I will.” He answered after a moment. When she didn’t move, his fingers clumsily unclipped the back hooks. The bra slipped off her shoulders, showing him more of her cleavage until she pulled it off and threw it to the floor.

His heart hammering, he grabbed the shirt he took from his closet and shoved it over her head quickly. Helping her stand, he adjusted the fabric before reaching for her jeans. Sliding them down her legs, he felt his mouth water at how close he was to the treasure at her core. She fell back to the bed, letting him finish taking off the denim until she was in nothing but her socks, underpants, and his shirt.

“Ken?” He reached out to get her to move. Yet, despite shaking her shoulder, he got nothing. Not even a twitch. Lifting her, he adjusted their weight until the twin bed was comfortable for them both. Sliding in behind her, he kissed her shoulder before snugly pulling her close. “Goodnight.”

Laying in his embrace, Kennedy let her eyes crack open slightly as she listened to his breathing level out. He’d gone above and beyond for her, earning every ounce of trust she was willing to give.

“Sweet dreams, Memphis.” She whispered to the darkness before joining him in sleep.

Waking the next morning, he noticed she was gone, but the room was clean, and his shirt was missing along with her clothes. Stretching out, he got up, heading to the bathroom with a change of clothes. Once he was showered and ready for the day, he went down to the kitchen.

Laughter greeted his ears as he heard his father’s old-as-the-hills vinyl record player going. Some old song was blasting from the speakers, but the biggest shock was when he walked into the kitchen. His father was dancing with Kennedy while they made breakfast.

“Did I wake up in the Twilight Zone or something?” He asked with a grin.

Seeing him, his girlfriend jumped into his arms. “I had a great time last night, but I have to go with the fam-jam later. Graveyard trip to say hi to my parents and have a picnic with them.”

“I’m glad, but why a graveyard picnic?” He asked, interested in one of the few things he didn’t know about her. Giving it a little more thought, his eyes went wide. “Oh, I get you now. It’s something your ‘rents did before they died. A good memory is always worth keeping alive. Do you think your sister and Diablo would mind me going?”

As she opened her mouth to object, his father shook his head. “Rom and Nix already claimed her for the day, Mem. You’ve got some work to get finished from school yesterday. Ken?”

“Actually, your dad has a point. I’m sorry, but the plan was made months in advance, and my sister hates last minute changes. When we get back, I’ll come over to help you with your studying so we can ace this year and be done.” She said as she sat down and put Memphis’s plate in front of him.

“That sounds like a plan,” he replied.