A Long Ago Past

This is my first story. It is a developmental piece and has many chapters. There is no sex in this first chapter so if that is what your looking for you are going to be upset. Let me know what you all think and if you like it I will keep going. Feel free to give me any ideas you all might have as to where I should take the story. I hope you all like it!

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"Are you sure this is what you want to do Katie?" Her best friend Angie asked helping her pack her belongings and put them in her truck.

"There was another girl in his hotel room Angie." Katie told her. "It is just the last straw, I really can't take anymore."

"I think you should just talk to him about this." Angie tried.

"Angie," Katie said angrily. "I have tried for 3 years. He is always away for work, and when he's not on a work related trip he is doing something work related."

"He's trying to make a better life for the two of you." her friend Lucy said coming through the door. "Sorry I am late, I had to shake Ethan, if he found out what you were doing and that I was part of it he would kill me."

Katie was loading something into a box and stopped to stare at it. Lucy noticed that it was a shoe box of old love letters that she had saved from Alec sense they had met 12 years ago.

"He really loves you Katie." Lucy told her. "All you have to do is read those and that should prove it."

"A woman answered his phone in his hotel room Luce!" Katie said angrily shoving the letters back in the box and into the drawer.

"A meeting maybe." Lucy tried.

"It was 2am." Angie broke in. "And she told Katie he was asleep."

"Just talk to him."

"I want children you guys." Katie cried. "He keeps stringing me along and I am never going to get pregnant, I just have to face the facts that he doesn't want kids."

"Did he tell you that?" Angie asked.

"He said he wanted to get established first that a kid would hold him back." Katie said sadly.

"I am so sorry Katie Anne." Lucy said helping. "Does Lucas know your leaving tonight?" (Lucas was Katie's cousin and he was a banker who lived in New York City.)

"I called him this morning and he told me he would leave his key with the door man." Katie told them. "That's why I am only taking these six boxes."

The girls talked for a little while longer then Katie got her boxes in her truck, grabbed her purse and keys, locked up the house and was prepared to leave Sweetwater Texas for good.

"I am going to miss you so much!" Lucy cried as she hugged Katie.

"I will miss you too." Katie cried. "Take good care of Ethan and stay out of trouble okay."

"I promise." Lucy cried.

"You call me as soon as you get to New York!" Angie cried.

"I will." Katie said. "I left Alec a note so ya'll don't have to explain nuthin' to him."

"What does your momma say Katie Anne?" Lucy asked.

"She said the same thing you did." Katie said. "That I needed to stick it out, but she said I also may need to spread my wings and I should go if it's what I feel in my heart of hearts I should do."

"I love you girl." Angie cried.

"I love ya too." Katie said climbing into her truck. "I'll call ya'll as soon as I can." and with that Katie started the car, blew them a kiss and began her long journey to New York City.

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CHAPTER 1

Alec couldn't believe it! There in the window of the coffee shop was his wife. God she still looked as beautiful as she had four years ago when she had left him with that note he thought angrily.

"Pull over here." Alec told the cab driver. He paid the man and got out of the cab and walked to the coffee shop where his wife sat with three females.

As if Kate could sense something in the air, she looked up at the same time that Alec was walking through the door.

"Dear God." she whispered.

The ladies turned to see a man coming toward their table.

"Dear God is right." Janelle laughed. "He is a hotty."

"He is a god." Cocoa said." and he's coming this way."

"He's her husband." Angie said laughing.

"I am glad you find this so amusing." Kate said angrily. "I haven't seen the man in four years." she addressed the rest of her girlfriends.

"And who's fault is that?" Alec said standing behind her. "You left me Katie Anne or have you forgotten?"

Katie closed her eyes. He was so close to her, she could smell him.....God he still smelled so good.

"Hello Angie, long time no see." He practically hissed. "Did ya'll miss me?"

"How are you Alec?" Angie asked smiling and turned toward him.

"I'm good." he said not taking his eyes off the back of Katie's head. "My mother sure does miss you girls somethin' awful though."

Kate got up enough courage to stand up and look at this beautiful man that smelled so good and used to be her husband. "How is Jake doing?" she asked.

"Well, he's just fine." Alec answered, sounding just a little pissed off. "I am good too by the way, and so is Sweetwater, but you wouldn't know cause you haven't been back home sense you left me in the middle of the night with just a note."

"And you don't sound the least bit bitter about it." Angie laughed.

"Really?" He quipped. "Because I am , but wouldn't you be?" he asked angrily. "You come home from an out of town business meeting to find that you wife is gone and the only thing she leaves you is her wedding band and a fucking note. Yeah I am a little bitter."

"I really don't think this is the place to hash this out." Angie said quietly looking around.

"What am I supposed to do Katie Anne?" he asked angrily ignoring Angie's remarks. "Hell I haven't seen hide nor hair of you in 4 years!"

"Will you excuse me?" Katie asked leaving the table and walking towards the door practically pulling all 6'2" 225 pounds of him out the door.

"Is this your idea of revenge or something?" she asked angrily. "You embarrass me in front of my friends and co- workers and I get to feel how you felt when you found my note?"

"Lets get something straight Katie Anne." he stated angrily. "I have every right to be mad at you, you left me! I haven't seen or talked to you in four years, and when I stumble upon you, you asked me about how my brother is." God he was so hansome when he was angry. "No this isn't payback," he continued. "I am a big enough man to admit that our marriage was the joke you thought it was." he pushed his hands through his hair. "I can even admit to being the backwoods joke you thought I was, but what you did to me was wrong!"

"I never thought you were a joke." Katie said quietly.

"Just our marriage." he laughed bitterly.

"I have to go Alec." she said. "I need to get home."

He reached into his pocket and took out a card and handed it to her. "I would like to talk to you about our divorce." he said looking into her suddenly clouded eyes. "I have met someone and I need this" he gestured between them. "to be over."

She took the card looking a little dazed. "When you get a chance call me at home or the office." and then he flagged down a cab, got into it and drove away.

"What did he say?" Angie asked walking over to her friend on the curb.

"He met someone." she said as a tear rolled down her face, "He want's a divorce, and now I am going to have to tell him about Nickie."

"You should have done that a long time ago Katie." Angie told her.

"I know," Kate cried. "But I think some part of me always thought that he would come for me and we would be together and better then ever you know.....it.... just......it never happened."

Two days later Alec was sitting at his desk when his secretary walked into the room.

"There is a Kate McCannless to see you." his secretary said batting her lashes at him. "I didn't know you had family in town, is she your sister?"

"I don't have a sister Hannah." he told her feeling a bit stressed. "Kate is my wife."

The look on Hannah's face was priceless. "You...Your married, but I thought you were engaged to Victoria."

"I am, we have been separated for four years." He said. "I asked Kate to come here today to sign papers so I can marry Tori, you can send her in."

A few moments later Kate walked into the room. She walked over to his desk where he was now standing.

"Would you like something to drink?" he asked motioning her to sit.

"I'm good." Kate said sitting in a plush chair in front of his desk. "I came to talk to you about something important actually, besides the divorce."

"Okay." he said sitting. "Hannah, could you excuse us and hold all my calls please?"

Hannah nodded and walked out of the room.

"She doesn't like me." Kate said teasingly.

"She doesn't like my fiancé either." he said quietly. "We used to date."

"You really shouldn't sleep with people who work for you." Katie said jokingly.

"Or your spouses relatives." he bit out, then kicked himself for letting it slip.

"Excuse me?" Kate asked. "Did you just insinuate that I slept with one of your brothers?"

"I didn't insinuate." Alec told her.

Kate stood then and grabbed her purse. "I made a mistake coming here!" She would not cry in front of him damn it! "I will have my lawyer call you and discuss the divorce," She then began walking to the door.

"Are you going to even deny it Katie Ann?" He asked angrily. "Isn't that the reason you decided to leave?"

Kate turned around and Alec's heart almost broke into when he saw the tears in he eyes. "I never slept with anyone in my whole life but you, you asshole and the fact that you would even think anything differently makes me think I did the right thing by leaving you." Kate wiped her eyes with her hand. "And by the way, the reason why I left was because I was unhappy. I wanted a husband who would actually come home and be with me, one who wanted a family with me but the joke was on me Alec I found out I was pregnant two weeks after I got here. And no it's not one of your brother's."

"You..... You were pregnant?" he stammered.

"That's why I came here today Alec," she told him wiping her eyes again. " You have a son."

Alec just stared at her for a long time. All rational thought left. "I HAVE A CHILD!" he yelled. "You have been keeping my child from me for 4 years"

"Stop yelling." she told him angrily. "and yes,his name is Nicholas Jay McCannless." Kate said quietly. "Everyone calls him Nicky."

"Get out!" Alec yelled Angrily.

"Your yelling again." Kate told him.

"Your lucky you arn't a man Katie Anne." he told her. " Because I feel like I need to hit something, and I would never hit a woman."

"Here is my address and phone number." Kate said writing her information down and put it on his desk. "When you are less violent,you can see him if you want."

"How big of you." Alec said angrily grabbing the paper. "Now get out of my office."

The next day a man delivered papers to Kate at her home at dinner time. "You have been served." the man had told her. Kate opened the envelope and saw what was inside and collapsed. "He is suing for joint custody." Angie asked. "Is this also in the divorce decree?"

"I haven't even seen the divorce papers yet." Kate told her. "What am I going to do Ang? Nicky doesn't even know about him."

"I guess it's time for them to meet then huh." Angie told her.

"Yeah I know." Kate said.

Alec walked to the door of the small two story ivy covered home. It was totally Kate. There were flowers everywhere and it was far from the city and all the noise. He was so nervous, but he rang the bell and waited.

Katie opened the door and smiled a sad smile. "Come in." she told him.

"Thanks." he said quietly.

"Nickie isn't here yet." she told him. "He's at flag football but he will be home soon." Kate took his coat and hung it in the closet. "Would you like some coffee?"

"Please." he said and followed her to the kitchen. "Your house is nice."

"You thank so?" she asked. "I lived here when I moved from Texas and when ms.. Nancy passed about two years ago she left it to me and I renovated it so I would have more room for me and Nickie."

"Do you two live here alone?" he asked, then mentally kicked himself.

"No." she said. "Jackson lives with us, he's Nickie's football coach."

Alec was not prepared for that answer, he put his coffee down on the counter and turned to face Kate.

"You mean to tell me that another man is raising my son?"

"What are you so angry about Alec?" Katie said loudly, "Last I recall you didn't want children, I believe you said they would conflict with your goals."

"Maybe I would have changed!" he yelled.

"And maybe I would have stayed!" she yelled back in return as the front door opened and Nickie came charging in with Jack not far behind.

"We won momma!" Nickie yelled and launched himself at her.

"Good job baby."Kate said kissing him.

"Who's that?" he asked pointing to Alec.

Kate was speechless, Jack came up and knelt in front of them.

"Nickie this man here is your daddy," Jack said winking at Kate and making Alec furious. "Remember what we talked about last night."

"You live in Texas?" Nickie stated not so much as a question but a fact.

"Sometimes." Alec said. "It's where I met your momma."

"You got any horses?" Nickie asked.

"Yup lots." Alec said smiling.

"Can I ride them sometime?" Nickie asked."Anytime you want." Alec smiled. God he had a beautiful smile, it looked.......just like Nickie's.