I Love You More Than (3 page)

“Hey sweetie!” Harrison glanced up from the invoices he was currently working on, to find his mom standing in the doorway of his office.

“Hey pretty lady! What brings you down my way?” He asked as he got up and walked around his desk to give his mother her customary hug and kiss on the cheek.

“Oh nothing. I thought I’d stop by and bring you and the boys the left over muffins I had from a charity brunch we held this morning. Along with some other goodies to munch on throughout the day.”

“Well thank you! We appreciate it. You look really nice today mom. Where’s Pop?” Harrison asked looking around. “He let you out by yourself looking this nice?” Carolyn Kincaid couldn’t help but to laugh at her sons’ flattery. If there was ever a time she needed a pick me up, she knew just where to turn. Well after her husband Winston of course, Harrison did get his flattering ways honest after all.

“Ohhh, he elected not to come to the brunch with me today. Said he’d rather watch the paint dry.”

Harrison Kincaid was born and raised in St Louis Missouri. The second of six children, three girls and three boys. Growing up in a four bedroom two bath house had been difficult, but his parents Winston and Carolyn Kincaid made the best of the situation. Harrison’s father was a general practitioner for thirty odd years and his mother was his office manager up until the day she retired five years ago. Before that she had worked from home managing the practice. Harrison’s father finally followed suit two years prior.

Harrison laughed loudly at his mother. He could see his father’s reaction at having to put on his Sunday best during the week. Winston and Harrison Kincaid were an awful lot alike. They were both what many would call loners. They had no problem interacting with people, but if they were left alone to their own devices, they’d be perfectly fine with that as well.

But in the looks department upon initial glance, one would think Harrison was the complete opposite of Winston. Where Winston was fair and blond, Harrison was the definition of tall dark and damn handsome! At thirty-nine he wore his hair cut down low on the sides, a little longer on the top, but not by much. Harrison mostly kept his face clean shaven. Every now and then he wore a closely cropped full beard and mustache. He had full luscious lips that were perfectly framed by his mouthwatering beard. His brandy hued gaze could reduce you down to embers from the smoldering heat they radiated. He had an impeccable style when it was time to dress up, a direct opposition to his profession.

Harrison worked with his hands, mostly for pleasure. Restoring old classics he purchased. But from time to time if one of his shops were short staffed, he’d fill in where needed. Harrison had swarthy tanned skin and tattoos for days that were well hidden and very few people knew of.

“You know I was thinking…” Carolyn Kincaid began. Letting Harrison know that she had some hair brained scheme cooked up. No doubt it involved hooking him up with an acquaintances daughter. An acquaintance she’d just had brunch with. “Since your divorce from Chloe we haven’t really seen you interested in anyone. It’s been a few years and I’m ready for some more grandchildren. I know you’re ready for your own little brood too. I see how you are with your nieces and nephews. You’re ready for your own…”

The Kincaid’s were a strong family unit. Immediate and extended. Harrison was extremely close with his siblings even if a couple, really all of them, got on his nerves. The Kincaid boys as soon as they turned to the age of eighteen, enlisted in the services as their father had done. This drove Carolyn bonkers, but she never stood in their way. There would be no excuses as to why any of them would not receive a college degree. And they all had. Harrison’s oldest brother was Win, was forty-one and still active in the black ops. Then there was his baby brother Luke Kincaid who was thirty-six. Luke had served in the Marines while Harrison served with navy seals for 16 years retiring as a Lieutenant Commander.

Emma Kincaid-Ross at thirty-six was his oldest sister. Emma, was married to Daniel, a successful cardiologist. She was a stay at home mother whose days were filled with chauffeuring her children to and from their sports and activities. Volunteering and keeping a perfect home for her successful husband (while secretly lusting after their handyman). Anyone who had grown up with Emma was completely and utterly shocked at her transformation over the years. Harrison personally believed she must’ve done some stupid shit during college causing her to see the light and straighten her act up. What else other than a near death experience could bring his wild child sister to heel?

Next in line was Lindsey Kincaid who was thirty-four and a successful freelance journalist and blogger. She had only one major flaw as far as their mother was concerned. She was a serial dater. In fact Lindsey was seeing the current boyfriend for over four months now. A record in her family’s eyes.

Last but certainly not least was Kelley Kincaid ringing in at thirty and was affectionately known to her siblings as the “oops baby”. Kelly still lived at home with their parents. Not like she was hardly ever there. Kelley was drop dead gorgeous and was a stylist for quite a few A-listers. She was too busy having fun with girls, boys and sometimes both at the same time to settle down with just one.

Leaning back in his chair Harrison appraised his mom trying to gauge if this was going to be a short and sweet talk or turn into a lecture.

“Mom,” Harrison started trying to gather the right words. “Yes I’m ready to start a family of my own, but first
I
have to find the right woman for me.” Rushing on to cut off whoever she was about to try and set him up with, he continued on. “After my whole marriage debacle with Chloe, I learned to be patient. Do I want a wife, kids and family? Yes, but not enough to jump and rush into something with just anybody. When I meet the right woman for me, I’ll know.”

Harrison had learned at an early age if he wanted to be happy with what he did in life, he had to be the commander of his destiny. He didn’t do well taking orders from anyone else, therefore whatever he did in life, he had to be his own boss. This proved useful when he was a Seal. It propelled him to raise high in the ranks sooner than most. And to find his way when he returned home.

Harrison had always loved cars. As a boy he played with them, when he grew up he began to work on and restore them. He jumped at the chance to buy his first garage when the Morrison’ decided to move to Florida and put their garage up for sale five years ago. He and his silent investor (father) purchased the building. Harrison purchased the three acres of land the Morrison’s owned connected to the business separately. Harrison had expanded the business and now had locations in Glendale, Chesterfield, Ladue, Creve Coeur and St Louis.

When Harrison retired from the services he met and fell in love with his ex-wife Chloe. Things were great until they married six months later and Harrison wanted to start working on their family right away. He’d grown up with five siblings, of course he loved children! But Harrison had never wanted to get serious or have kids while enlisted. He soon learned Chloe was only interested in designing her dream house and being a pampered housewife sans the children.

“I know son, but just like I didn’t want you wasting time on that good for nothing woman you married. I don’t want you wasting time, pining away for something that is out of your reach…” Carolyn told him, purposefully leaving Felicia’s name out of the conversation. Harrison has carried a torch for his sister’s best friend from high school for many years. Carolyn used to hold out hope that the two of them would find their way to each other. But the years hadn’t been kind to either one. Both of them ending up with people who could not, would not and did not appreciate them for the treasures they were.

Felicia glanced at her reflection in her rearview mirror while stopped at a traffic light. There’s nothing more she hated; than running late!
Considering she had overslept that morning and only had forty minutes to get not only herself, but Dana who was eight and Elena who was five, out of the house………..she looked good. David being the total waste of space he was, had lain dead to the world on her living room couch.

One would think with the father of your children living with you, the kids missing the bus wouldn’t be the end of the world. He didn’t have to be into the office until ten after all. But David would have thrown such a fit at having to get up and demonstrate with anything first thing in the morning. It just was not worth the fight and the effort. That’s how a lot of things went and were decided in Felicia’s house. On whether or not she felt it was worth the fight that was guaranteed to ensue.

Felicia used to love to entertain at her house. Invite friends and family over to eat and play cards. But David was so paranoid, he felt that everyone was after him. He didn’t want strangers in his house. He had important papers and documents in his room (that he didn’t sleep in). Mind you these strangers were people Felicia had known longer than she’d been with David. But still they were strangers. Felicia couldn’t park her car in her own garage because of all of his mess he had stored in there. It was only used as an easy way to take grocery bags to the kitchen. And if he was around, that had to be done in five minutes flat. He didn’t want the neighbors knowing what all he had in her garage.

In the beginning Felicia used to just think that David was paranoid about the government being in his business. That’s why he kept his money in a safety deposit box and didn’t do direct deposit. But that was just the surface of his paranoia. The girls didn’t even like having company over. Not since the time Felicia was to take her neighbors little girls, Dana’s friend to school with them one morning. Felicia agreed to do this without a thought as a favor to her mother. Leah was scared that Felicia would forget her and she walked over to sit and wait for them to get ready to leave.

You would have thought that the world had come to an end the way David yelled and ranted about people coming over unannounced. How rude it was etcetera, etcetera. Felicia had been livid that he’d not only shown his ass, but also that he’d shown his ass over a fucking baby coming over to catch a ride. A baby’s whose mother and father helped Felicia out anytime she needed it because his deadbeat lazy ass did nothing around the house. She had been so embarrassed. After sending everyone out to get in the car, including a teary eyed Dana, Felicia lost it and cussed David out for five minutes straight. Ending her rant with,
you need to move the fuck out of my house now!
That had been six months or so ago and he was still there.

So like any other normal day, Felicia hurried to get the girls ready so she could try and catch up with their bus at one of the other stops. She would most definitely be late if she had to end up taking them to school. Luckily, they caught up with the bus three stops away.

Felicia did most of her meditation while sitting in traffic. This morning was no different as she thought about how David was completely and utterly useless. If the girls had a function and God forbid for him to have to perform a parental duty and take them somewhere or show up. If he did, Felicia had to give him detailed instructions on how to get to and from the event. She needed to let him know if she thought weather would play a role in his venture and if there were any major accidents or delays on the roads he was travelling. If she just so happened to not be Super Woman and fail the mission, David would go off into a rant about how nothing she did was ever competent enough!

This is why he hasn’t been able to bring himself to ask her to marry him in the thirteen years they’ve been on again off again. All the parents and coaches thought they were living the perfect life, they were just living a progressive lifestyle. Her family was starting to get an unobstructed view of her life. Her friends had always seen the real David. Not the half assed act of indifference he put on for her family.

Sex had been a thing of the past between the two of them unknowingly to everyone. Felicia’s grandmamma always said, ‘if your man ain’t getting his loving from you, you best be damned sure he’s getting it from somewhere else baby!’ And Felicia was just fine with that. As long as he left her alone.

The sound of the horn brought Felicia back to the present as she hastily attempted to accelerate her 1999 Honda Accord…well, as much as it would allow her to anyway. She pulled into a parking spot at the warehouse her office was housed out of. Felicia loved her job as an interior designer. The hours were sometime crazy but she loved the hustle and bustle of the deadlines. David has never been supportive of her career. The way he saw it, all Felicia did was play all day making things pretty.

Walking in you could tell it was just another
manic Monday
. Everyone there was anxiously awaiting for their turn to brew their Keurig fix. Felicia herself would’ve been in that line, but even though she woke up extremely late…she never left the house without her morning cup of brew. Which is why they had to chase down the bus. But hey, in the end everyone was happy.

As Felicia was passing the line headed to her office, her favorite of her favorite bosses in the whole world Rich joined her.

“Good morning cookie! How’s your Monday morning going so far?” he asked brightly. A little too brightly Felicia thought to herself.

“It’s going Rich. Off to a late start, but catching up in the race. Speaking of, how many cups of coffee have you had today?” Laughing loudly, which only served as evidence that it was indeed not his first cup, Rich stopped them outside her office.

“This would be my third mug of the day. And before you start in on me, it will also be my last of the day. Tea from here on out! But that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about cookie. Saroya had to fly out yesterday for a family emergency and doesn’t know when she’ll be back. You know I have the upmost confidence in you and have felt for quite some time for you to give up the “assistant” role despite your arguments. So while she’s gone, you will take over her clientele and continue on with the projects.”

Felicia knew she had to have looked like a fish out of water the way her mouth kept opening and closing. Felicia finally found her tongue and she started to voice her objectives when Rich cut her off.

“Ah ah ahhhh, I don’t want to hear it! It is done. Tom and I agreed, so it is so. Couldn’t have happened at a better time really Jenna the new hire will fill in as your assistant.” He told her while giving her cheek a pat. “Make it a great day cookie!” and with that Rich was off to secure more well-to-do clients…or whatever it was that he did.

Felicia walked into her and Saroya’s funky, hip office that was decorated with a lot of bold colors and dark wood. Walking to her desk, as she began to sit she heard a knock from the doorway. Looking up she could only assume the cute little pixie chick standing in the doorway was her, well rather the office’s new assistant Jenna.

“Hi. I’m Jenna. Rich told me I was to report here to you?”

“Hello Jenna. Yes from what I understand you and I will be working together while Saroya is out of the office.”

Felicia saw a spark alight in Jenna’s eye and it appeared that the girl was holding back. But Felicia discounted it to nerves.

“I will just grab my things and make some room for you. Have you had your morning coffee?”

“No not yet. I usually stop on the way to work, but didn’t want to chance running late.” Jenna replied warmly.

“Well it’s a good thing you didn’t stop and pay when you have great free gourmet coffee at your fingertips. Go on and grab yourself a cup and by time you get through the line, I should be set to get you started.”

“Okay. Would you like a cup also or anything to eat?” Jenna’s question threw Felicia as she was so used to seeing to others needs.

“Uh sure, I’ll take a small cup of the vanilla biscotti.”

“Great. I’ll be right back!” And with that, Jenna was off and Felicia found herself outside of her normal routine and out of sorts.