Page 58 of Signed, SEALed, Delivered

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Kennedy

The only sound in the room was the tacky sound of paint being spread on the wall as I pushed the roller up and down. Zach had wanted me to hire a company to paint the house, but I told him I wanted to do it myself. The pain I would likely feel in my arms later may cause me to question my decision, however the feeling of usefulness and pride were my best form of painkillers.

After learning the house, my house, had always been mine in more than just feelings of comfort and security, I began to plan what I wanted to do with each and every corner. What would add to the warm feel it already had? What upgrades would add convenience and value? Zach's proposal caused such immense joy, yet, for a single second, I panicked as to what I would do with this slice of real estate. A single phone call did more than give me a much-needed break from painting the entryway; it gave me the answer to that very issue.

I pulled my phone from my back pocket, not bothering to look at the screen. It could be one of only two people, Zach or my mother. From the formal sound of the deep male voice, I was wrong on both accounts.

"May I speak with Kennedy Forrester, please?" Formality had always caused me to stiffen my spine. The man on the other end caused my muscles to align on their own.

"Yes, this is she. How may I help you?" I tried to sound bored, praying I would get off easy and it would be a salesman or another credit card company offering me a better interest rate.

"Ms. Forrester, this is Officer Frank Simone with the Georgia State Patrol."

My muscles clenched tighter and my heart leapt into my throat. My left hand found the center of my chest as I awaited the dreadful news such a call was sure to deliver. "Yes, Sir. How can I help you?"

"Well, Ma'am, one of our officers responded to a report of suspicious activity in the area around a well known business. When they arrived on the scene, they found a couple engaged in lewd behavior. Both were arrested for the activity they were engaging in since it was in a public place. The female, a Claudia Clarkston, gave my officers quite a fight and she was subsequently charged with resisting arrest."

During divorce proceedings, my father had given my mother every single thing she asked for; her car, one of their vacation homes, and a sizable settlement. He asked for one thing in return, that his name be removed and her maiden name be returned. I closed my eyes tightly, my free hand now flat against my forehead.

"When you say lewd behavior, Sir, do you mean...?" My eyes peeked open slightly, trying to erase the images of what I feared him to confirm.

"Yes, Ma’am. Mrs. Clarkston and Mr. Richard Caldwell, were found in a sexual position, and lacking their clothing." The mental picture his words left me with were enough to cause my heart rate to stop momentarily. "Mrs. Clarkston had a particular, er...part of Mr. Caldwell's anatomy in her mouth."

“I’m sorry, did you say Richard Caldwell?”

“Yes, ma’am. Are you familiar with the gentleman?”

“Sadly, yes,” I sigh. “Has his wife been contacted?”

“Yes, ma’am. Mrs. Caldwell came to the station not twenty minutes ago. Mrs. Clarkston asked that you be called instead of her estranged husband, due to the relationship between the two men." Oh, I bet she did. What in the hell is wrong with my mother, getting caught in a lewd act with her daughter’s husband?

"Officer Simone, how may I assist you with Ms. Clarkston?" It would take many years of therapy and copious amounts of wine to rid me of the mental images now forming in my brain.

"Well, Ms. Forrester, due to the sensitive nature of the crime and the lack of response from the gentleman she was arrested with, we were hoping you would come down and post her bail."

"Wait, what do you mean the response from Mr. Caldwell?"

"Well, when Mrs. Caldwell came to retrieve her husband and found out he was discovered with Mrs. Clarkston..."

"Ms." I corrected, regretting the slip of my tongue immediately.

"I'm sorry?"

"Ms. Clarkston isn't married. She and my father divorced nearly two weeks ago." The silence on the line was uncomfortable. I could hear the rustle of paper and the beginning of chuckling.

"Um...well, when Mrs. Caldwell found out who her husband was arrested with..." The unease in his voice was no match for the way my skin was crawling as I processed the information. "She informed her husband he could kiss his bid for the Senate goodbye.”

It took everything I had to keep my laughter inside. Apparently my sister couldn't turn a blind eye to everything her husband did outside of their marital bed. I thanked the officer, right after asking what would be considered an odd question. "Sir, does the jail have business hours?"

Zach arrived just after I had cleaned the last of my paintbrushes. He molded his body around mine, encasing my tiny form in his larger, stronger one. "I missed you today." His words finding my ear, as his lips found my neck, nipping and caressing the tender flesh.

"I missed you too, Baby." The edge in my voice telling him it had been a bad day. I covered my face with my hand as my body sagged with fatigue.

Zach being the super star fiancée he was, presented me with a bottle of cold iced tea. The smile on my face was more than any word of thanks I could ever utter. However, he also noticed the pain at the edges of my eyes, pain that came from more than just a hard day's work.

"Talk to me, Kennedy." He hugged me closer, for his comfort as well as my own. "Tell me what happened."

---