A Second Chance Love (7 page)

Then the doorbell rang and I exchanged a frustrated glance with Jacob and Kyle.

“Well, that will kill the mood,” Kyle grumped.

I got up. “Maybe we’ll be lucky and they’ll leave quickly.” I grinned at them as I headed to the door. But as I pulled it open and saw the handsome, older man standing on our front porch, I knew that wasn’t happening. I stood there for a moment with my mouth hanging open in shock.

“Hello, Kerri,” my father said with a smile. “Aren’t you going to let me in?”

* * * *

Awkward didn’t begin to describe the feeling in the living room. I sat in my chair. Dad sat in the other one. Jacob and Kyle sat on the sofa. We made small talk. Actually, I did. I asked about my step-mother Diane and her two teenage sons. While I wasn’t super close to them, I did like them and I was glad that they made my dad happy.

“Why are you here, Dad? I told you I would be there for Thanksgiving?” I had called a few days ago to tell him. What I hadn’t said was I wasn’t coming alone in spite of him saying family only, and that we had a hotel room to stay in. We had realized there wasn’t going to be an easy way of telling him, so we would be there two days before the holiday and give him time to accept everything. And we could always stay at the hotel if we needed to and have a vacation.

He gave me an uncomfortable look. “Maybe we should speak privately.”

Oh, hell. “Dad, you know that Kyle and Jacob are very close to me so go ahead and talk to me, please.”
Unless…oh, God.
“You’re not sick are you?” My voice wobbled.

“No, no, nothing like that, Kerri.” He shook his head. “But I could tell that something has been going on with you for a while now and I think you could use a change. I took the whole week to spend here to convince you to come back for good.”

Oh shit!

“Dad, I’m doing great, I promise.”

“Kerri, you need to stop hiding out here and start living again.” Dad looked at Jacob and Kyle apologetically. “Your friends helped you, and I am grateful, but can you really meet new people living out here? Don’t you miss what you used to have?”

I exchanged a glance with the guys.
Oh, my God, it’s time.

“Dad, I love my life out here. I truly do.” How the hell did I say this? I adored my dad, but it had taken him a while to relax his conservative upbringing when I’d started hanging around Jacob and Kyle in college. It was why I had been having a hard time with telling him.

“Yes, but aren’t you ready to find someone to love again?”

“I already have, Dad, and I am very happy.” I gave him a nervous smile. “I wanted to do it in person, so I was waiting to tell you over Thanksgiving. We were going to tell you together.”

“But the only people you asked to bring were…” His voice trailed off and his face paled rapidly. He stood quickly. My dad was a large man and braced in a fighter’s stance, his hands clenched and partially raised. “What the hell? You can’t possibly mean that! They are gay.”

The three of us quickly rose too, moving to stand together in a united front with me in the middle.

Jacob replied in a respectful voice. “Technically, Mr Mullnex, Kyle and I have always been bi. We have been in love with each other since high school and we have both loved Kerri since we met her. But we never acted on it because she loved Caleb.”

“But when she moved here you saw your chance, didn’t you?” He shook his head. “I am taking her home away from you. To take advantage of her grief like that was despicable.”

“Dad, no! I am not leaving them. This is my home.” I almost yelled at him, but I knew it was partially my fault for not finding a better way of telling him. Maybe if I had been open about Jacob and Kyle being bi from the beginning—but it didn’t really matter now.

I grabbed Kyle’s hand, knowing that he would need the physical anchor the most and I almost let out a gasp of pain at the power of his grip. I took my eyes off my father for just a moment to meet Jacob’s gaze, wanting the reassurance of his strength for myself, only for the gasp that I’d held back to escape when I saw the fear in his eyes. I wrapped my other hand around his and squeezed hard.

“I am
not
leaving them. I love them, Dad.” I didn’t raise my voice, I didn’t have to. I just put every bit of feeling and conviction I had in it for him to hear.

I watched as he realized just how serious I was.

“They never made a move on me, Dad, I swear. I fell in love with them all on my own. I had no idea they had always loved me until I told them I was leaving because it hurt too much to see them together and never be a part of them.”

“But three people, Kerri? How can that possibly be right?” Dad had an expression of denial on his face. Not hatred or disgust. Just flat out rejection. “It’s wrong. And what about kids?”

“I don’t care what anybody else thinks. And kids? That is for us to decide, Dad, when we are ready.”

“I won’t accept them, Kerri. I won’t accept this.” He stated this in a flat voice I recognized. “They are not welcome in my house.”

“I am sorry to hear that, Dad. I love you and that makes what I have to say very hard.” I swallowed down the pain shooting through me. “If they aren’t welcome in your house then neither am I, and you aren’t welcome in our house either.”

He looked at me and his brown eyes widened. He seemed truly surprised that I would do that.

“If I treated Diane with anything less than respect, you’d tell me the same thing. Jacob and Kyle are the men I love. They aren’t criminals. They aren’t abusive. They treat me with love and respect. If I was with only one of them, you would be happy for me. The only fault is that the
three
of us are in love and that shouldn’t wrong between consenting adults.” I was trying to keep from being angry, but this was my dad. Even if I didn’t get angry over his rejection of my happiness, the only thing left was sorrow. “You wanted me to be happy. To love again. To be loved again. I am. Why can’t that be what you see?” I tried one last plea.

For just a moment I thought I might’ve reached him. His eyes softened and I saw a bit of pride enter his expression. This was the man that had always encouraged me to fight for what I thought was right. Hope flickered in my chest.

“I have always been proud of the way you have stood for what you have believed in, Kerri girl.” His eyes searched my face deeply for something. “You’ve convinced me to change my mind on so many issues over the last few years. Some of which I never would’ve believed possible in a million years. But this?”

My dad’s gaze went back to Jacob and Kyle and the anger flared up again. His shoulders braced and his chin firmed up. “Kerri, I love you, and I will always be your father, but I will never accept this lifestyle. I will be waiting when you are ready to come back to your family.”

I knew he wouldn’t change his mind. He loved me, and in his mind he was fighting for what was best for me. He would never give up on the people he loved. But he forgot something important. Two things actually.

I was my father’s daughter.

I loved Jacob and Kyle.

So I watched my father drive away and when the tears came, the two men I had chosen wrapped me in their arms and whispered their love until I finally slept held securely between them.

* * * *

“Kerri, I swear your dad may be a stubborn bastard, but he will eventually see the light, even if I have to tape his eyelids open and shine a flashlight in them myself!”

I laughed, feeling better than I had in days. To think I almost hadn’t answered the phone when I’d seen the caller ID. “Thank you, Diane.” I had been expecting her to be arguing my dad’s case. What I had gotten instead was a step-mother who wanted to let me know she was thrilled that I was happy and in love.

“Kerri, it is bad enough that his little girl grew up and got married on him. He had to deal with you in bed with one man—now he has to deal with you in bed with two men at once. The dad gene just freaked out and it will take some time, okay?” Her voice held the teasing humor that had always made me like her. “And since I said the two men in bed thing, I have to say this just once, okay?”

“Okay?” I knew I sounded a bit confused.

“You lucky, lucky bitch!” She was laughing her ass off.

“Oh my God! Why do we not talk more, Diane?” I was laughing just as hard now.

“Because to put it bluntly, I don’t think your father’s heart could take it, Kerri.” She changed to a more serious tone. “He’s staying the whole week hoping you’ll change your mind and come back with him. Stubborn man. I will work on him when he gets home, but it will take some time. You hang in there, kid.”

As I said my goodbyes, I noticed the wind was picking up and I felt a chill go up my spine. The forecast had predicted a forty percent chance for thunderstorms with only a slight chance of severe weather. I had been checking off and on all afternoon and nothing, but this was Oklahoma, so I knew I’d better check again.
Please don’t be doing anything
. While I was claustrophobic and terrified of being in the storm shelter, I was more scared of tornados…
I think.

I went into the living room and turned the local TV station. The weather was on, which meant regularly scheduled programming wasn’t. Not good. After watching for a few minutes, I realized there was a wall cloud and surprise, surprise guess what direction it was headed? With a ball of dread forming in my stomach, I acknowledged that we were going to have to take cover soon, so I grabbed my cell.

It rang a few times and I started to get nervous until I heard Jacob.

“Kerri, now don’t get mad.”

“Why? No, no time. Where the fuck are you two?”

“We went to see your dad before he left. We are in the city. Why?” He sounded concerned.

“Turn on the weather. I only have a minute.”

“Oh Christ! Kyle, turn on channel nine
now
!” Jacob voice was panicking now. “I’m putting you on speaker.”

“Okay. I am heading to the shelter now. I don’t know how much longer I will keep the signal.”

Kyle started yelling. “Kerri, run! Right fucking now!”

“We’re coming, baby!”

I could hear my dad asking how close it was and Kyle saying too damn close. I was going as fast I could, but I started yelling at Jacob as I ran through the yard. “Don’t you dare get in the truck until it is over, Jacob!”

I held the phone with one hand while I opened the metal latching system to the cement bunker with the other. “I am at the shelter, Jacob! I am getting in now! I will try and text so don’t come until it is over!”

“You’re terrified of that shelter, I can’t leave you down there, Kerri! I can’t stand the idea of you trapped down there waiting for us.” He was roaring at me.

I roared right back at him. “And I would rather wait down there for days as long as I know you two are safe! Because I know you will always come for me. Goddamn you! Don’t you dare take chance of getting in an accident and leaving me like Caleb! Promise me!”

“I promise! Now get in!”

“I’m in!” And I climbed in and latched it shut.

* * * *

I had been right. I had lost the call as soon as I shut the door, but I think I managed to get a text out before I completely lost all signal. A few minutes after I got in, my ears popped from the pressure change and I could hear horrible noises coming from above. I heard the sound of the train that everyone talked about and there were worse noises. Grinding, tearing and crashing noises that I knew were the sounds of our life being torn apart.
Our beautiful house.

I had managed to stay calm and I was proud of myself. It was dark in here and creepy, but there was a little light coming in through the air vent. So I waited until everything had stayed quiet for a long time and I decided to open the door and look around. That was when I started having problems.

I couldn’t open the door. There was something blocking it and it was just too heavy for me to move. It was getting darker too. I tried to use my phone for some light, but the battery quickly died out.

Oh God!
I could do this. I could do this. At first I tried to move around, but that just made me realize how small the shelter was. So then I sat down and waited. And waited.

But I would be okay. Jacob and Kyle were coming. Deep breaths.

One at a time, Kerri. They’re coming. You got this.

* * * *

I don’t know how long it was. I tried not think about time. I tried to think about anything but where I was and how long I’d been waiting. I did my best not to listen for sounds of rescue. I knew they would be coming as soon as possible.

I distracted myself by thinking of different ways to drive each of my men crazy the next time I got them in bed, and as distractions go, I couldn’t think of a better one. I personally thought it was Jacob’s turn to be tied up. I thought it was time he let someone else take charge. And as sensitive as he was, I wondered how he would react to feather light touches. Maybe he should be wearing a cock ring too.
Hmm.

Sounds intruded on my fantasy and I almost ignored them. I was afraid of getting my hopes up again, but while I would definitely daydream of Kyle and Jacob calling my name as they rescued me, I think I would have left the profanities out.

“Kerri!” Jacob called. “Jesus, this is a fucking mess!”

“Watch that shit, Jacob! You about sliced my hand,” Kyle snapped.

“I’m sorry, babe. You okay?” Jacob sounded guilty. “I’m just worried.”

“I know. Me too.” Kyle’s voice softened. “But Kerri will kick both our asses if we dig her out just in time for her drag us into the ER because we’re idiots.”

I smiled so big it actually hurt and scrambled up the ladder as close to the door as I could. Grateful for the air vent that let our voices carry. “You’re right about that so just take your time. I am perfectly all right now that I can hear you.”

I didn’t ask about our house or any damage. I didn’t want to know yet. If it was as bad as I was afraid of, I would face it when we could deal with it together.