- Text Size +
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter
Enjoy =)
Chapter Three-Hundred-Eighty-Four



“Careful Kevin,” Ann warned playfully and she buried her face in her menu when her son looked at her innocently.


“What?”


“You know exactly what I am talking about. I haven’t met Summer yet, but I’m pretty sure its safe to say that she would scoop your eyes balls out of their sockets with a spoon if she knew what you were up to.”


“I’m not up to anything,” Kevin insisted innocently. “I don’t know what you are talking about.” Ann laughed amusedly.


“One of these days you’ll finally learn that a mother sees, knows, and hears all. One of these days.” Kevin shrugged his shoulders innocently and gently gathered Elenore in his lap so she was facing the table. He pulled her menu and crayons in front of her, wrapped his arms around her, and rested his chin on her shoulder.


“What are you having for dinner sweetheart?” he asked her in attempt to change the subject and he saw his mother smile and shake her head in the corner of his eye.


“Pancakes an’ bacon.”


“And how about some oatmeal too?” Elenore looked up at him as she scrunched up her nose.


“Why?”


“Cause I’m your daddy and want you to have some.” Elenore sighed defeatedly.


“Kay,” She told him, silently figuring that she had better butter him up while she can. He still has yet to punish her. “An’ chocolate milk daddy? Please?”


“We’ll see princess,” Kevin told her gently and he grabbed up two crayons, handed her one while he kept the other and before Ann knew it, her son was engrossed in a game of tic tac toe with his five year old. She watched happily for a few moments wondering just exactly where this turn around has come from, and then spoke up.


“Aren’t you going to look and see what you want Kevin?”


“I already know. I’m getting the All-American Slam. What about you?” Kevin asked conversationally, before playfully scorning Ellie for beating him for the second time and she giggled.


“I’m thinking I’m going to go with the country fried steak,” Ann answered as she continued to look her menu over. Meanwhile over in the kitchen Kristin watched Kevin as she poured a cup of coffee while trying to make it all seem casual when a familiar voice spoke from behind her.


“Is he something you like sis?” Kristin flinched slightly at the abrupt sound of her older sister by five years causing the coffeepot to slip from her hands and the older woman to quickly reach out and grab it by the handle with ease while laughing amusedly.


“Whoa Kris, careful now don’t spill the coffee. That would definitely draw you some attention.”


Don’t sneak up on me like that Tina, are you crazy?”


“Sorry, I didn’t realize that scoping out the hot guy would make you so jumpy.”


“I wasn’t scoping him out.”


“Oh you were totally scoping him out,” Tina laughed.


“I was not, I was simply watching his adorable little girl, it’s hard not to. She’s the type of child who could hold the attention of everyone in her presence without even trying” Kristin insisted as she looked back over at the table just on time to see Kevin playfully tickle Ellie and Ellie to giggle and squirm. Tina rolled her eyes playfully at her younger sister.


“And the fact that her gorgeous Backstreet Boy of a daddy has the same talent isn’t all that bad either.” Kristin tore her gaze from the father and daughter across the way and looked at her sister curiously.


“What did you call him?”


“Oh come on, you can’t mean to tell me that you don’t know who he is.” Kristin raised her eyebrow and Tina gaped.


“Oh Kris, you really need to get out of this restaurant more.” When Kristin didn’t reply, Tina raised her eyebrow.


“You can’t seriously not know who the Backstreet Boys are.”


“I know who they are as a band…I just don’t spend a lot of time studying who they are personally.”


“Well sis,” Tina replied while swinging an arm around her shoulders and smiling at her some.


“The gorgeous man across the way would be Kevin Richardson and you’re totally crushing on him high school style right now, so why don’t you put this coffee down and go on over and serve him?”


“Because he is sitting at your table.”


“Not anymore, I’m making it your table now.”


“But I have to serve table five their drinks.”


“I’ll do it,” Tina insisted while grabbing the tray of drinks that Kristin had currently been putting together. She flashed her sister a smile and then walked off to take over her table. Kristin rolled her eyes and grabbed her serving pad and a pen before heading on back to Kevin’s table.


“Okay it looks like I’ll be serving you this evening. What can I get all of you to drink?” she asked while looking at Ann first just to avoid Kevin’s gaze.


“I’ll have a diet coke please,” Ann told her with a small smile and Kristin nodded before marking that down on her pad and looking at Kevin.


“I’ll have regular coke…and as for this little one…she’s a big chocolate milk fanatic but I’m afraid she might be coming down with a cold, so I want her to have mostly warm stuff tonight. Is it possible that she could maybe get some hot chocolate?”


“Buts daddy I don’ts want hot chocolate,” Elenore pouted somewhat.


“Aww…how come?” Kristin asked gently. “Its really good sweetie I promise.”


“Cause, I always gets chocolate milk,” Elenore insisted while crossing her arms over her chest and looking down at her menu and going into full on pout mode.


Ellie…” Kevin lectured somewhat. “Please don’t be so difficult.”


“No.”


“I’ll tell you what,” Kristin replied while kneeling down somewhat so that she was at Ellie’s height. “What if I made you the Kristin Special?” she asked, making it up as she goes a long. Elenore looked up at her curiously then.


“Whats the Kristin Special?” she asked softly, and Kristin could hear that she was beginning to develop the sniffles as she pronounced the ‘n’ in her name. “What if I made you a special warm chocolate drink with whipped cream and lots of pretty sprinkles?” Elenore perked up slightly then.


“Really? I likes sprinkles an’ whipped cream…”


“Yes really,” Kristin smiled. “That is, if its okay with your daddy” She quickly added and she looked up at Kevin for approval. Elenore looked up at Kevin then.


“Please daddy, pleeeease? Can I haves the Kristin Special?” Kevin chuckled softly.


“Of course,” he approved and Elenore smiled happily as she watched Kristin straighten back up to her regular height and write that down.


“The Kristin Special it is then,” She announced and she flashed them all a smile.


“Thank-you,” Kevin told her sincerely, feeling highly impressed that she had managed to stop an Ellie Tantrum before it got out of control.


“No problem, kids will be kids right? I have a niece and nephew, I know how it goes” Kristin explained gently while locking eyes with Kevin for the briefest moment. “I will be right back with those drinks,” she added and then turned and walked off before she could allow herself to get lost in them. Elenore smiled some as she watched her walk away and then she looked up at Kevin and over at her Grandmother.


“She’s a nice lady, I likes her lots.”


“Me too,” Ann decided out loud and she smiled at her son.


“Ma, don’t start that again.”


“What?” Ann asked innocently. “I am only agreeing with my Granddaughter what’s wrong with that?”


“You’ll like Summer too when you finally meet her tomorrow,” Kevin insisted stubbornly.


“Well, maybe” was all Ann said as she looked down at her menu again simply to have something to distract her with so she wont reveal any kind of emotion. “But did you see the way Kristin handled Ellie Kevin?” she asked after a moment. “Not many people can stop a tantrum before it gets out of hand like that if any.”


“Yeah, I saw it” Kevin sighed as he gazed over at the waitress and watched her serve other people. After a couple of moments he looked back down at Ellie’s menu and continued to color what he he’d been coloring before Kristin showed up. “I definitely saw that…” he muttered quietly to himself.



~*~*~*~*~



“Well, I was hoping to see some stars out here but I guess with all of this weird weather we’ve been getting lately they’re all hiding from us…” Howie commented as he and Lindsey sat outside in the backyard together.


“Yeah…I don’t know what’s up with the weather, but it sure is peaceful sitting out here,” Lindsey replied as she and Howie lay side by side in two different pool side lounge chairs that they had pushed close together.


“Did AJ say he was getting the kids dinner?” she asked after a few moments.


“Yeah Ashley and Nick invited them to stay for spaghetti and meatballs.”


“Do you think he’ll be okay taking Laila to Jersey?”


“Oh yeah,” Howie insisted sincerely. “If there is anything that man is responsible with, I can assure you that its Laila. There isn’t anybody I would trust with her more.”


“Okay,” Lindsey replied and Howie gently took her hand into his and laced their fingers together as he gazed up at the almost starless sky.


“What time do you start work tomorrow?” he asked while bringing the back of her hand up to his mouth and kissing it softly.


“10 am.”


“Okay, I’ll drive you there on my way to hang out at the Orphanage and you can call me when you’re ready to be picked up all right?”


“Mhm,” Lindsey replied softly as she lay there quietly gazing at only him as he stared up at the sky oblivious.


“Lindz,” He asked quietly after awhile.


“Yeah?”


“You never told me…was your husband buried or cremated? Ryan asked me a long time ago if we could visit his father’s grave and when I asked you about it we got into a really huge argument.”


“He’s buried here in Florida…at the cemetery near our old home.” Howie was quiet for a few moments.


“Do you mind if I take him to it tomorrow? He’s really been wanting to take flowers to him and stuff…and I think it would be good for him to have that kind of closure.”


“Just be careful okay?” Lindsey asked softly. “Rick’s death has done so much damage to him already…”


“You know I’ll take really good care of him…and besides, I really do believe it will be good for him. When my sister died the best therapy I could get was visiting her grave and just talking to her as if she could really hear me. It really felt good.”


“I know you’ll take really good care of him, I trust you.” Howie squeezed her hand gently as he continued to gaze up at the sky and he thought about all of the things he himself would like to say to the man he’s heard so much about. He has a lot on his mind, things he needs to get off his chest – things only between him and this man who he can only imagine must’ve been wonderful. He won’t be able to answer him, but he knows that he’ll hear him – wherever he is now.


~*~*~*~*~



After Kevin, Ann, and Ellie had finished their dinner and paying for it and after Ellie had personally thanked Kristin for her specially made hot chocolate, Kevin and Ann took Ellie outside and Ann looked at Kevin curiously.


“What now? Home?”


“Why don’t you call Jer momma? He’s probably still at the Orphanage. Maybe Brian will drive him down here and he can pick up your car and take it home. You can join Ellie and me in mine and we can go grocery shopping. I need to get a few things.”


“How will he take my car if I have the key?”


“Well, technically, you are driving my car remember?” Kevin chuckled. “And I keep at least three copies to both of my cars because I tend to lose things.”


“And how do you keep track of which key goes to what car then?” Ann asked amusedly.


“Well, I memorize them just fine but when Jer moved in he got a little label happy with the keys…so, now even Ellie could figure it out.”


“I see,” Ann replied and Kevin nodded.


“So anyway, Jerald can swing by the house and get the extra copy and then come here to get the car and you can come shopping with me so you don’t have to go home to an empty house.”


“Works for me,” Ann replied and she followed Kevin to his car.


“You just kind of have to put up with 98 Degrees in my car, sorry. Boss of the radio’s rules” Kevin informed as he buckled Ellie into her booster seat.


“I tolds Gramma that Nick Lachey is cute an’ she agreed withs me,” Elenore informed matter of factly.


“Mom,” Kevin whined.


“What?” Ann asked innocently, something she was getting good at as the night goes on.


Don’t encourage her,” Kevin insisted as he got into the drivers seat. He waited until she was situated in the passenger’s seat and then headed off to Wal-Mart Super Center. Ann rolled her eyes playfully.


“Oh I’m sorry dear. You know I will always think you are the cutest boybander out there,” she teased. “No need for the jealousy after all. Nick Lachey has got nothing on my son. You would win the best naked baby in the bathtub picture for sure.”


Mom! ” Kevin groaned and Ellie giggled hysterically in the backseat. Ann smiled amusedly at her son as she watched him change from one shade of red to another. When they arrived at Wal-Mart Kevin parked the car in the closest spot to the store and then got out, closed his door, and opened Ellie’s where he began to get her out. Ann got out as well and walked around and stood next to her son. She waited until he had Ellie out of her car seat, her door closed, and he was turned around before pulling him into a hug and kissing his cheek affectionately.


“Don’t suck up to me Momma, you already embarrassed me, the damage has been done” Kevin insisted, though he returned her hug anyway being almost as big of a weakling to his mother as Brian is to his own. Almost.


“I’m your mother, its what I do best” Ann insisted amusedly before pulling away from him and the two of them headed into the store. “Just be grateful I haven’t called Nick Lachey’s mother over yet for a baby picture sharing party,” She added with a smirk.


“Can she do that’s?” Elenore asked Kevin, perking up slightly despite her cold. Kevin chuckled softly.


“I’m sure if she really wanted to she could manage it but she had better not.” Ellie rested her head against Kevin’s shoulder then as she looked over at her Grandmother and Ann smiled and winked at her causing Ellie to smile right back and her hopes to soar.


~*~*~*~*~



“So are you really going to keep Josh under house arrest for three weeks Brian?” Riley asked curiously when Brooke had reclaimed her role as headmistress and Brian had whisked his girlfriend off to the long since cleaned up and empty cafeteria since dinner where they could have coffee and be alone. “You don’t think that’s just a little too much time for a six year old?”


“He chose to harbor a fugitive, I think he should get the whole experience of the consequences one gets for doing such a crime,” Brian insisted. “But I cant punish him for three years obviously.”


“But three weeks honey? That’s almost an entire month.”


“I just want him to get the feel of what its like. When he starts complaining after the first week and I feel like I’ve gotten my point across I’ll start slowly giving privileges back.”


“Like what?” Riley asked as she sat down at a table that Brian unfolded just for them and he sat down in front of her, gently placed his hands to her stomach and leaned down and kissed it softly.


“Well, first he’ll be allowed to watch television again, then I’ll start letting him only be allowed out in the backyard and that is it…and then eventually I’ll start letting Ellie come over for more then just bedtime and Ellie alone. He’ll get it all back on good behavior, but slowly.”


“As long as you don’t have him completely cut off from the outside world for the whole three weeks, then I guess its okay.”


“He won’t be completely lonely,” Brian promised. “I cant necessarily keep Chris from him after all.”


“That’s true,” Riley agreed and Brian smiled at her some before moving closer to her and brushing his lips lightly over hers as he took her hands into his own and laced their fingers together. Riley arched an eyebrow at him curiously.


“What are you being all sweet and lovey dovey for huh?”


“Do I need a reason to love my fiancée?” Brian asked innocently.


“Well, lately you’ve just been very preoccupied with everything else.” Brian’s fingers lightly danced across her cheek in a delicate caress and he gazed into her gray blue eyes with complete adoration in his own.


“Well, right now I am very preoccupied with the love of my life and that’s all that matters.” Riley sat there quietly smiling at him some as she battled with the mixed emotions she was currently experiencing. She wants to be angry and upset with him for pushing her aside for the past few weeks and further delaying her being married to him. But at the same time he knows just exactly what to say to make her heart flutter inside her chest and make her feel loved and beautiful. He is very good at making it hard for her to keep her damn hormones straight. “And I’m wondering if the love of my life that I speak of…would want to do something fun and completely spontaneous with me tomorrow.”


“Like what?” Riley asked softly as he leaned down and placed butterfly kisses on various parts of her face. Riley closed her eyes softly, as she was now long past incapable of resisting him.


“Play hooky with me,” he told her in barely a whisper - not that it mattered much anyway, they were completely alone. Riley’s eyes fluttered open then and she looked at him curiously.


“Say what?”


“Let’s ditch work tomorrow baby.”


“But we can’t – Brookie needs us. What with Nick, Ashley, and AJ all leaving…we cant leave her here by herself Brian.”


“She’ll have Jaime.”


“But…”


“Howie, Kevin, and all of the other caregivers. She won’t be completely helpless.”


“But Brian…”


“Come on baby please? Lets do it.”


“I’ll have to talk to Brooke…I can’t just—“


“--No, we aren’t going to talk to anybody. We aren’t going to tell anybody where we’re at or what we’re doing, it’s just going to be you and me and we’re going to disappear.”


“Brian Thomas Littrell you are being crazy right now.” Brian gently gathered Riley into his lap so she was sitting sideways then and he cupped her chin with his forefinger and thumb before delicately tilting it back slightly so she was looking into his eyes.


“If wanting to spend a whole day completely alone with the woman that I love with absolutely nothing or no one to interrupt us or answer to makes me crazy, then I want to be the craziest son of a bitch alive right now.”


“What about the kids?” Riley asked incredulously.


“Mom will have them.”


“Brooke is going to be pissed.” Brian shook his head and shrugged.


“I don’t care,” he insisted before claiming her lips for his own in a very intense and captivating kiss that all Riley could think to do was cup the back of his neck with her hand and return it.



~*~*~*~*~


“Daddy” Elenore spoke up as Kevin carried her upstairs with him when they got home and Ann followed.


“Yes princess?”


“I loves you very much but can Gramma gets me into my pajamas, please?” she asked softly.


“But I used to always be the one to change you and now you never let me do it,” Kevin pointed out. “Why is that?”


“I never gets to see my Gramma cause she lives so far away,” Elenore insisted.


“But even when she wasn’t here you always insist on Jerry doing it.”


“You were always busy.”


“But I’m not now.”


“Yeah buts…I wants my Gramma,” Elenore replied softly. “I loves you daddy…” he handed her over to Ann then and he watched suspiciously as his mother carried his little girl into her bedroom to help her into her pajamas. He stood there and waited for five minutes until he was called in there again and when he did he flashed them both a smile as he pushed his suspicions to the back of his head to mull over later.


“How about we watch our movie downstairs on the big screen?”


“Yeah!” Elenore answered excitedly and she ran on over to him. Kevin gently gathered her into his arms as he watched his mother pick up Ellie’s dirty clothes and stick them in the hamper. As he did this, his eyes fell on her sai, her chipmunk stuffed animals, and her TMNT figures – the three most important things to her. As he looked at these things, he suddenly decided that as her punishment he would get them from her before bed and inform her that she will get them back in three weeks. He will wait until bedtime to do this so that their little movie night that they have planned will not be ruined with a tantrum.