Identity Crisis (Rocky Mountain Novella Series)

  IDENTITY CRISIS: A ROCKY MOUNTAIN NOVELLA

  Copyright © 2013 by Rory Chambers

  All rights reserved. Except for the use in review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to the actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Books by Rory Chambers:

  Dangerous Reunion (Book 1: Class of ’92 Series)

  Surviving Las Vegas (Book 2: Class of ’92 Series)

  Secret Obsessions (Book 3: Class of ’92 Series)

  Class of ’92 Series (All 3 Books: Class of ’92 Series)

  Steel Glances (Book 1: Rocky Mountain Novella Series)

  Identity Crisis (Book 2: Rocky Mountain Novella Series)

  www.PorterlanceBooks.com

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  Identity Crisis

  Rory Chambers

  Chapter 1

  “Oh my God! You look so beautiful!” Tanya, one of Kristen’s bridesmaids said as she entered the living room with her fiancé, Andrew in tow. His name was Andrew Steel, but everyone just called him Steel from his time on the police force.

  Kristen couldn’t believe the time of her wedding to Steel had finally come. They had been through so much since they met a little under a year earlier. She had lost her father, but she knew he’d be smiling down from Heaven on her and happy that she and Steel had found one another. She liked to think it was her father that brought them together.

  Kristen lost her mother when she was only two, but still remembered her. Even though she discovered her mother and father weren’t her birth parents, Kristen loved them as though they were. They were the only parents she had ever known, and had always made her feel loved.

  As Kristen’s Maid of Honor greeted the arriving guests at the door with Mimosas, Kristen mingled and showed off her fiancé to those who hadn’t met him yet. Since it was a Jack and Jill bridal shower, both men and women were invited, so Kristen found herself meeting a lot of Steel’s friends as well.

  “Yes, she had to beg me to marry her,” Steel teased as he told the story of their engagement to one of his ex-police force buddies. He told the story in a way that it was obvious he was joking. He would never say anything mean about Kristen or even anything that would make her look bad. He loved her and couldn’t believe he ever even had a life before her.

  Kristen liked Steel’s sense of humor and went a long with him. The two were really very similar, even though she acted quite different when they first met. She could remember acting standoffish and aloof during their first encounter. Steel understood and never held it against her, but she was surprised he even wanted to get to know her better after her rude behavior. She wouldn’t take all the blame, though. Steel did egg her on a bit.

  “Okay, guys,” Julie Anderson, Kristen’s Maid of Honor, announced once everyone had arrived. “We’re here to give a shower to Kristen and Steel, so let’s let the party begin!” Julie was very bubbly and the room instantly began cheering.

  Julie and Kristen were long time friends, having met in the third grade, when Julie’s family moved to town from Texas. He father was a warehouse manager and they moved to Colorado for a better job opportunity. Kristen and Julie bonded instantly. Children and teachers who didn’t know better even thought they were sisters. When it came time for them to separate and go to college, they couldn’t do it. Though Julie had chosen a different college, she only lasted a semester there before transferring to the University of South Alabama to be with her best friend. It wasn’t until they both began careers that they were able to really be apart. Still, they remained best friends and Kristen was ecstatic to have Julie as her Maid of Honor.

  After everyone visited for a while longer, a nice, light lunch consisting of finger sandwiches, crostinis, mini quiches, and a veggie and cheese tray was served.

  “Hey, what’s his story?” Julie asked her best friend and bride to be.

  Kristen looked to see who Julie had meant. It was James Kawoski, Steel’s Sergeant from the police force and current Best Man. He was slightly older than Julie, but Kristen could see the two together. Julie always did have a thing for slightly older men and Kawoski was a really good guy. She had grown quite close to him since over the last year, and almost thought of him as an older brother.

  “What? You like him?” Kristen teased her best friend as they ate their lunch. For the rest of the bridal shower, she kept her eyes on Kawoski. She noticed his attention seemed to zero in on Julie several times. She made a mental note to discuss it with Steel so maybe they could do something to bring their best friends together.

  Following lunch, Julie announced that it was time for the opening of the gifts. Although Steel didn’t mind attending and sharing the bridal shower with his soon to be wife, it was unorthodox. He wasn’t quite sure he liked sitting around and opening gifts with everyone staring at him, though, so he left that to Kristen. “I’ll let you handle this, dear,” he said, “After all, it’s a bridal shower, right?”

  Kristen was more than happy to open all of the gifts herself. It was like having an extra birthday. Most of the gifts were silly or cheesy, like things that would come from a Spencer Gifts store. Kristen couldn’t help blushing as they became more intimate though. Embarrassed, she held up the gift that was inside the box she had just unwrapped. It was a black teddy with lace garters.

  “My, my,” she said and laughed.

  “Well, I wanted to get something for both of you since this is a Jack and Jill bridal shower,” Janet, one of Kristen’s other bridesmaids, teased.

  All eyes went to Steel. It was his time to blush. “I don’t know if I look good in black lace,” he joked to take off some of the heat he was feeling.

  Relieved when she had finally opened the last of the gifts, Kristen thanked her friends and suggested they move onto some games.

  “Hey, that’s my job!” Julie spoke up, feigning insult. She stepped out of the room only to return with a cart full of the supplies they would need for the activities she had planned.

  While some of the games involved all the guests, many just involved the soon to be bride and groom. The room rose with laughter as they played The Doughnut and the Carrot, which involved Kristen being blindfolded with a doughnut in her hand while Steel remained seated with a carrot in his. The game was supposed to be a test of their communication, but it was also a double entendre. The point was for Steel to give instructions to Kristen to reach him and place her doughnut hole onto his carrot, all while blindfolded.

  “Am I anywhere near you?” Kristen asked as everyone chuckled. She was half way across the room. Steel’s instructions were actually pretty good, but the noise of the party guests kept Kristen a little disoriented. The more she laughed at her ineptness, the more disoriented she became. She wondered to herself if that’s how a blind person feels in public. She finally managed to find Steel and get her doughnut onto his carrot, but it took a full twenty minutes or longer.

  The games to follow contained motifs that were sexual in nature, as well. They played Check Out His Golf Club, and Donations to the Dare Jar, as well as a few more g-rated games. By the end of the day, both Kristen and Steel were completely worn out. It had been a good day, though. It was nice to have all their
friends gathered together, where they were able to spend intimate time together.

  “You guys go home,” Julie told the in-love couple when they offered to stay and help clean up. “I’ll find some other volunteers…now, go!”

  Neither Kristen nor Steel were about to put up an argument. The only thing on their minds was getting home and enjoying a little one on one time with each other…clothing optional, of course.

  By the time they got home, though, Kristen was already half asleep. “Why don’t you just go upstairs and sleep?” Steel told her. He didn’t mind postponing what he was hoping would happen that night. They would have their entire lives together. There was no rush. He lovingly carried Kristen into the house and upstairs to the bedroom and tucked her in.

  “I love you so much,” Kristen whispered. She didn’t know why she was suddenly so tired. It was probably the stress of all the wedding details. She loved Steel more than anything, but the wedding couldn’t get there soon enough as far as she was concerned. She just wanted to start her life as Mrs. Kristen Steel.

  Chapter 2

  By the next week, Kristen and Steel had a plan to setup Julie and Kawoski. Rather than have their Maid of Honor and Best Man sitting to their sides during their Rehearsal Dinner, Kristen and Steel rearranged the seating chart so that Julie and Kawoski would be sat across from them instead, with the bridesmaids and groomsmen filling in the table.

  When she arrived at the dinner, Julie was surprised to see that her seating chart had been changed.

  “Oh, Steel and I just thought it would be nice to have you and his Best Man across from us so we could visit better,” Kristen explained and hoped that her best friend would accept the explanation. Julie wasn’t sure she believed it after what she told Kristen the week before at the bridal shower, but she wasn’t one to argue with the bride to be. After all, it was her wedding. Besides, it wasn’t like she would be suffering sitting next to Steel’s handsome Best Man.

  “Julie, you know my Best Man, Kawoski, right?” Steel asked with a wink as his buddy arrived and found his place at the table.

  “You can call me James,” Kawoski told Julie as he sat down.

  Throughout dinner, Kristen happily watched as Julie and Kawoski made small talk. Both seemed to be enjoying each other’s company. Kristen wondered if she should change careers and become a matchmaker.

  As Julie sat next to James, she breathed in the scent of his cologne. It was a mix of sandalwood and something sweet that she couldn’t place, but she liked it. Somehow, it made him seem more sensitive since his demeanor was very tough and rigid. If she had to describe James, she would definitely say he was a man’s man. She would have to remember to thank Kristen for what she was sure was a setup.

  James listened as Julie rambled on about how she changed colleges to be closer to Kristen. In just a few minutes, he felt like he had learned the entire history of her and Kristen’s friendship. Julie was definitely a talker, but he liked that. Since he was more of the quiet, unspoken, type, Julie’s chattering balanced them out quite well. It didn’t hurt that she was exactly the type of woman he was attracted to. She was tall, for a woman, but still shorter than him. She had short hair like Kristen, only it was darker, and her body seemed to be toned from years of Pilates workouts.

  “Isn’t this great?” Kristen whispered to Steel as they watched their best friends fall in love in front of them.

  “They’re great for each other, but just don’t get your hopes up,” Steel answered. Even though he wished the best for Kawoski and Julie, he was more cautious as a general rule.

  “Oh, you’re just not romantic,” Kristen teased.

  “I’m plenty romantic. I won your heart, didn’t I?” Steel replied between bites of his perfectly cooked steak.

  After dinner, Julie pulled Kristen aside and told her that she and James were going to go out for drinks.

  “I knew you guys would hit it off,” Kristen told her best friend as they hugged. “Just take it slow,” she warned before wishing Julie good luck.

  James felt awkward as they walked the down the street to a local jazz club. He wasn’t used to having to make small talk and didn’t really know what to say now that they were out and away from everyone else. He felt his hands sweating and rubbed them on the inside of his pockets to dry them off.

  Kristen, for once, was also at a loss for words. She was afraid she was coming on too strong and wanted to let James lead the conversation, but in doing so left them with just silence and the sounds of the city.

  “I’m sorry,” they both said at the same time after an awkward ten minutes.

  “It’s my fault,” James confessed. “I’m just not good at small talk.”

  “Well, maybe you can tell me about how you and Steel met and became friends,” Julie suggested.

  Once he started talking, James proved he could be just as talkative as the beautiful lady he was entertaining. As they sat at the bar, with a couple of drinks in each of them, they managed to shed their earlier shyness.

  “Would you like to dance?” Kawoski asked when a slower song played. There was something about Julie that made him less nervous. He felt as though they had always known one another.

  “How strong are your shoes?” Julie joked. She wasn’t a great dancer. In fact, she was known amongst her friends as quite the klutz.

  James assured her that she would be fine. “I’ll have you a dancing pro in no time.” Unbeknownst to Julie, he was actually a great dancer. In high school, he played football and his coach made all the players take both ballet and ballroom dance lessons. He found that he was very coordinated at it and actually excelled.

  Julie did step on James’ feet a couple of times, but he didn’t even flinch. She was amazed at how such a large man could move so gracefully. She wondered what other talents he had that she was unaware of.

  As they danced, drank and talked, the two completely lost track of time. “Last call,” the bartender bellowed causing Julie to look at her watch.

  “How did it get so late?” she asked. She didn’t want the night to end, but had so many things to do for the bachelorette party the next day.

  James offered to drive her home, but Julie had her own car. “Well, at least let me walk you to your car,” he insisted.

  This time, as they walked, the two held hands. It had been a long time since James had felt the feelings swirling around in his head. He really hadn’t dated much since college. His career took a lot of his time, and for a long time had been his main passion. Relationships always took a back seat. He was ready to change that, though.

  When they reached her car, Julie stood on her toes and gave James a kiss on the cheek. She considered kissing him on the lips, but didn’t want to come off so forward. “I had a really nice time,” she told him before unlocking her car’s driver-side door.

  “Me too,” James echoed before asking her to call him when she got home so he would know she arrived safely.

  He felt like a teenage boy in love as he watched her drive off. After she disappeared from sight, he made his way to his own car and headed home. About halfway there, his cell phone rang. James smiled to himself as he looked at the caller ID. He didn’t recognize the number, but was sure it was Julie. It was and they stayed on the phone until he reached his house.

  After saying goodnight to James, Julie soaked in a hot bubble bath. She wasn’t ready to go to bed just yet. She wanted to replay the day in her head, especially the time she shared with James. Back at his house, James was in bed doing the same thing. Even with his eyes closed, he could picture Julie as clearly as if she had been right there in his room with him. If she really was there, he wasn’t sure he could control his desires. James turned over, determined to go to sleep but the thoughts he was having were exciting much more than making him tired. He secretly hoped that the time he and Julie spent together had inspired similar feelings for her.

  Chapter 3

  The next morning started out normal for Steel, but by the time the su
n set, it was anything but usual.

  BANG, BANG, BANG!

  Steel knew the banging at his door was likely Kawoski. He had insisted on throwing his friend a bachelor party, even though Steel said he didn’t really need one.

  “You gotta have one, it’s tradition!” Kawoski urged.

  Steel wasn’t one to normally go against anything the man he once called boss told him, so he broke down and agreed. “I don’t want anything tasteless, though,” he warned. Kawoski agreed, but there was something in the gleam in his eye that told Steel to be on the lookout for a few surprises anyway.

  “Hold on!” Steel yelled as he got up off the couch and turned off the TV. He was watching a college game on ESPN, but hadn’t really been interested. He wasn’t huge on watching sports, but liked to catch a game every now and again.

  When he answered his door, expecting to see just Kawoski, he was surprised to see practically every guy he worked with on the force there as well. They were all yelling and being obnoxious as they ushered Steel into the waiting black, stretch limousine.

  Steel was a bit shocked, but managed to ask Kawoski, “What did you do?”

  “Don’t worry. There won’t be any hot, young strippers,” James answered to alleviate his friend’s concern. The statement caused a barrage of moans and boos from the other men in the limo. “Calm down, boys,” the Sergeant answered. “This is Steel’s night and we have to respect his wishes.” Again, Steel noticed what seemed to be a wink as Kawoski said his last words.

  At the same time, Kristen was on her way to her bachelorette party. Unlike Kawoski, Julie made no such promises about keeping the night clean. She planned on giving her best-friend the typical night of wanton debauchery.

  Within minutes of arriving at Julie’s house, Kristen was given a drink. For someone who rarely drinks, she found it to taste wretched. It must’ve contained four times the normal alcohol, but it was pretty and blue. It was a special night, so Kristen downed the drink as fast as she could. “What the hell,” she said as she drank the mixture as if it were just a large shot. She promised herself it would be her only drink of the night though. She definitely didn’t want to be hung-over for her wedding.