Page 8 of Unscripted Love

If,I reminded myself.Not when.

I forced all thoughts of Kyle, both innocent and naughty, out of my mind so I could use my energy for the visit from three of my favorite people in my life. I referred to them as the Matrons of Maple Lane. Our lane wasn’t very long and three houses in the cul-de-sac were owned by the three women presently taking up space in my kitchen. My grandmother’s house was in the middle with her daughters’ homes flanking hers on both sides—well, that was until Aunt Sandra’s husband passed away and she moved back in with Grandma, who was also a widow.

I rented the house from Aunt Sandra so we could “keep it in the family” like we were some small-town mafia. I loved the cheap rent she charged, but I hated the lack of privacy. I thought that I’d have a little more when I moved out of my parents’ house, but it seemed like they were at my place more than their own when I was home.

My father, Denver Bailey Hamilton, was a living, breathing saint. I had never in my life witnessed a man with so much patience as my father. He was surrounded and fussed over constantly but never seemed to complain. “What’s to be upset about?” he asked when I mentioned it once. “They like to nurture.” Nurturing is one thing, but I thought my mother, aunt, and grandmother resembled hyperactive hummingbirds hovering around a flower with juicy… ew, never mind. That visual was quickly shifting to something too disgusting to contemplate.

“So, what’s going on today?” I asked when I returned to the kitchen where the Matrons sat around the table.

“We have a book idea for you, dear,” Grandma said. “We want you to write a story about a small-town guy who really likes the town vet but is too afraid to act on it. You see, this small-town guy—let’s name him Chad—thinks that the vet is out of his reach, but everyone around them can see that the vet returns Chad’s interest.”

“Chad, huh?” I asked like I was playing along. “What do you think I should name the town vet?”

“Kurt,” Sandra suggested.

“You don’t say?” I asked.

“It was the first name that popped into my mind,” she said with a casual shrug. My aunt did nothing casually, and she didn’t fool me. In fact, the entire conversation seemed rehearsed.

“ChadandKurt,” I said as if I was mulling it over. Little did they know that I already based one of my first books on Kyle. Of course, Kyle was book hero material, and pieces of him would probably always appear in my writing projects. “What else should I know about either of the men that would make a story entertaining?”

“Well,” my mother said, “Chadis quite a few years younger thanKurt, so he probably doesn’t remember much about the older man from their childhood. I think it’s possible he’s too caught up in the perfection ofKurtas an adult.”What the hell did that mean?

“Huh,” I said. “You know what would make it interesting? What ifChadwas friends withKurt’syounger sister,Bridget? If that were the case,Chadwould’ve been a guest at theVance’shouse.”

“True,” Sandra said, “but by thenKurthad already started coming out of his cocoon.”

“What?” I asked because she had lost me. While it was true that I didn’t remember a lot about Kyle, I did recall a tall, handsome kid who always seemed serious. Of course, he was eighteen to my ten and probably wasn’t very excited about chaperoning Brittney’s birthday pool party. Even then, I knew that Kyle Vaughn was a beautiful specimen.

“What Sandra is trying to say is that Ky-Kurtwas a late bloomer in life,” Grandma said. “He was an obese boy until he was fourteen or fifteen. I don’t know what motivated him to change, but he started eating better and got involved in sports. It didn’t happen fast, but he had fully transformed himself into a stud by the time you would remember him.”

Kyle had been an obese kid?It was hard to imagine because he was so fit, I mean perfectly so. He must’ve spent countless hours developing those muscles. “Yeah, I don’t know ifChadremembers that or not.”

“The lonely look inKurt’seyes is the same one he had when he was bullied in school or picked last to be on a team in gym. I think people no longer see the obese kid when they look atKurtbut I wonder if that’s all he sees,” Sandra said. I hated the thought of Kyle being picked on and overlooked. I hated it so much my heart squeezed painfully in my chest.

“Oh, were youKurt’steacher too?” I asked my aunt.

“Don’t get smart with me or I’ll crack you with a ruler,” she replied.

I released a breath slowly as I dug deep for patience over their meddling in my business. “Look, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but…”

“There is nobutsabout it, young man,” Grandma said forcefully. “I’m not getting any younger, and you’re my only hope for great-grandbabies.” Wow, Nan was bringing out the big guns before I had my first cup of coffee.

“Who are you trying to fool?” I asked her. “You’re going to outlive us all.”

“Be that as it may,” she said seriously, “I want to see you happy, Chaz. You’re finally coming into your own with your writing, and I want to see you happy in your personal life too. I want you to have what Josh has.” I wanted that too, but I knew it wasn’t something you just dialed up and had delivered to your house like a pizza.

“It’ll happen for me when the time is right,” I told them. “Please don’t worry about me.”

“It’s our job to worry,” my mother said. “We can’t just turn it off like a switch.”

“Okay, what if I tell you that I’m working harder at making something happen betweenChadandKurt?” I asked, hoping they’d back off if I threw them a little bone.

The three women smiled brightly at me, and I knew I’d said the right thing. Besides, once the words left my mouth, I realized how right they felt. Wasn’t there a little truth in them? I had taken the initiative and kissed him the night before, and we both liked it a lot before I went tearing out of there like a scared punk.

I could make it right easily enough. Kyle said he would call me and I promised him that I’d answer. When he did, I’d apologize for running out on him and ask for a do-over. If he agreed, I would have to find a way to tell him that I was Drew.

I shared my coffee cake with the Matrons then decided to revise my project outline to factor in the rogue changes from the previous night. As always, I got lost in the details of my story and lost track of time until two noises caught my attention: the growling of my stomach and the pinging that I had a message on my phone. My appetite disappeared in a flash when I recognized the ping as the one I designated for my gamer messaging app. There was only one person who had ever contacted me through the app. Kyle.