A Lifetime Of Love
Written by Holly Custer
Copyright © 1999
 

Kerstin Middleton was a police officer who loved her job. She put her whole heart into everything that she did. Her job performance evaluations were always rated one of the highest. She was known to be a kind, compassionate and caring person. Very few people, if any, had a problem with Kerstin.

Kerstin, however, had a problem with one person. This person just happened to be a fellow officer. His name was Steven Hart. Steven had many times proclaimed his love for Kerstin. Most of the time, it was subtly with flowers or candy or a stuffed animal. Unfortunately for Steven, Kerstin had rejected him just as many times.

You must understand, Steve was not an obnoxious person. He didn't have bad manners and he was quite handsome. He was always kind and considerate. He also had a very tender heart.

In fact, several of Kerstin and Steve's fellow officers had gently berated Kerstin for her sometimes callous attitude towards Steve. They didn't understand why she didn't give him a chance. Kerstin never explained herself. She would just smile sadly and shake her head.

You see, before Kerstin had come to this small town, she had been deeply in love. She and her fiancé' had plans to be married when he had been killed in a senseless drive-by shooting. This had devastated Kerstin beyond belief. She had vowed solemnly that she would never fall in love again------a promise that would prove to be very difficult to keep.

One afternoon, not long before her twenty-fifth birthday, Kerstin was called into her Sergeant's office.

"You wanted to see me, Sarge?" Kerstin sat down in the chair when the Sergeant motioned her to sit. Kerstin let her eyes wander around the room as she waited for her superior officer to finish his phone call.

"Yes, Kerstin, I did want to see you. The Captain has asked, or rather, ordered, that from now on you must have a partner. Apparently, he does not feel that it is safe for a woman to be patrolling on her own." He held up his hand, palm out, as Kerstin started to protest. "I'm sorry, but it is the way it's going to be from now on------with any woman."

"Who's my partner?" She asked with a resigned sigh.

"Your partner is Steven Hart." He answered shuffling through the papers on his desk. Kerstin thought that he looked a bit self-conscious. She knew that everyone knew how Steve felt about her. But why Steve Hart?\

"Steve Hart? Why him?" Kerstin sputtered, her hazel eyes darkening with dismay. It wasn't that Steve was such a bad guy, it was that she didn't want to have to deal with his feelings every minute of the day. She stood to her feet.

"First of all, Steve is willing to work with a partner. Secondly, Steve is low man on the totem pole. Thirdly, he is whom the Captain chose." Sergeant Ames stood to his feet. "I hope you will cooperate, Officer Middleton." He paused and looked her square in the eyes. "There had better not be any complaints about you crossing my desk. Understood?"

"Yes, sir, I understand." Kerstin sighed. She turned and walked out of the office.

Walking slowly down the hall she met up with her new partner. Steve fell into step with her. "I see you heard the news." He said quietly. "I know you don't like me------"

Kerstin faced him quickly. "It's not that I don't like you, Steve, it's just that------it's just-------it's such a long story. I do like you. I think you are one of the nicest guys I know." Kerstin felt uncomfortable. Steve placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. He turned her to face him.

"Let's call a truce, Kerstin. We both have a job to do. Let's do it to the best of our abilities. I promise I won't ask you for anymore dates and no more candy, flowers or stuffed animals. We'll just be partners. Deal?" Steve held out his hand. Kerstin gazed into his warm, chocolate brown eyes for a long moment.

Finally, she smiled. "All right, Steve, we have ourselves a deal. I have only one condition." She said shaking his hand.

"What's that?" Steve asked his brow furrowing in concern.

"I get to drive once in a while." Kerstin said with a giggle. Steve threw back his head and laughed a deep. rolling laugh.

Over the next few weeks, Kerstin and Steve became steadfast friends and partners. Kerstin was pleased with the way things were going. Steve had kept his promise, that is, until one afternoon three months after they had become partners.

"Kerstin, could we grab a cup of coffee after work?" He saw immediately that his request had put her on the defensive. "I'm not asking for a date, but things are being said about you that I think you need to hear from a friend."

"Sure, Steve." Kerstin saw that he was totally serious. She also wondered what was being said. She put it to the back of her mind. Right now, she had work to do.

After work, Steve and Kerstin met outside of the police department. They took Steve's car and went to a small, but clean coffee shop not far from the station. They went inside and ordered two cups of coffee. They found a table away from the other customers and sat down across from each other. They sat in silence for a long moment.

"Okay, Steve, out with it. What's going on that I should know?" Kerstin said leaning forward and looking at the handsome officer sitting across from her.

"People are saying that the reason you don't date is because your fiance' was killed in a drive-by shooting." Kerstin jerked back as though she had been slapped. She suddenly found it hard to breathe. "Kerstin, are you all right?" Steve asked softly. Concern was evident in his brown eyes. Kerstin shut her eyes as the memories came flooding back.

Slowly, she opened them. "What people have said is true. My fiance' was murdered by a gang member just days before we were to be married. It was a senseless killing. I found out later that the kid who killed Mark was being initiated into the gang. He had to kill a police officer." Kerstin paused as she struggled to control her emotions. "Mark was one of the best officers I ever knew. He was also the sweetest, kindest man. His life------and mine was cut short. The kid who killed him was caught and convicted to the full extent of the law, but it doesn't bring Mark back." Kerstin swallowed a sob. "I promised myself that I would never fall in love with another cop. I've kept that promise------so far."

Steve was stunned. No wonder she had turned him down time and time again. She had been through so much in her young life. Another thought occurred to him: maybe she wasn't as indifferent to him as he thought.

"I really need to get home, Steve." That evening, while Kerstin lay in her bed in the dark, she thought about Mark. She tried to bring his face to her mind, but suddenly it wasn't there. Mark's face had been replaced by another's. It had been replaced by Steven Hart's face. Kerstin sat up in amazement. Did she truly care for the handsome officer? Was he the one who now held her heart in his strong, capable hands? Was it possible that she loved this man? This was something she was going to have to dwell on for a while. The promise she had made when Mark was killed never even crossed her mind.

After a great deal of thought, Kerstin came to the conclusion that she needed to tell Steve how she felt, but she kept putting it off until, one day, it was almost too late.

It had turned out to be a bright, sunny day. Steve and Kerstin had left the police station when they received a call about a bank robbery occurring just around the corner from where they were at the moment. \

They pulled up in front of the bank just as several robbers were exiting the front door. Steve stopped the patrol car and jumped out and shouted. He had his gun out and trained on the men before Kerstin could even move. The next few events took place in just a matter of seconds.

The robbers got down on the ground when Steve ordered them to do so. he made sure that it was safe, then moved out into the open in front of the bank. In the meantime, Kerstin had exited the car and was kneeling behind the open door with her gun drawn. She had her gun aimed at the men laying facedown on the ground.

At that moment, Kerstin saw a movement from the front of the bank. Another man had slipped through the doors. He was holding a gun. Before Kerstin could move or yell, he shot at Steve. Steve was thrown back as the bullet hit him in the shoulder. Using reflex and an amazingly accurate aim, Kerstin turned and shot the man.

Kerstin, in a flash, turned back and kept her gun trained on the men on the ground before they could think about running. She moved carefully towards Steve. She heard more police cruisers pull up behind her. She watched as officers came and arrested the men laying on the ground.

She placed her gun in its holster and ran to where Steve lay with other officers putting pressure on the wound. She knelt down next to him. He looked up at her and she saw the pain in his brown eyes. Her eyes moved to his shoulder. She could see the blood seeping slowly through the cloth that someone had pressed to the wound.

"The ambulance is on its way, Kerstin." One of her fellow officers told her seeming to know what was on her mind. Kerstin thanked him and turned back to Steve.

"You're going to be all right, Steve. You hear me?" Kerstin said huskily.

Later, at the hospital, Kerstin waited in the hall. Steve's doctor stepped from the room.

"How is he, doctor?"

"You are------?"

"I'm Officer Hart's partner and friend. Can I see him?" Kerstin asked almost impatiently.

"All right, but don't stay too long. He needs his rest." The doctor turned and walked away. Kerstin opened the door and stepped inside of the room. She walked to Steve's bedside. She looked down into his face. It was pale and his eyes were closed, but he was alive. She leaned down and kissed his forehead. Steve slowly opened his eyes and looked up into her face.

"I almost lost you out there today." Kerstin whispered with a catch in her voice. She looked away as the tears welled up in her eyes. Steve smiled as he realized that Kerstin cared more than she had wanted to let him know. Steve reached over and clasped her hand in his. Kerstin turned at his touch. Steve tugged gently on her hand and pulled her down next to him on his bed. He crooked his finger at her motioning her to bend closer to him. She leaned over him. Steve reached up and pulled her head down to his. He pressed his lips to hers in a loving kiss. He was pleased when he realized that Kerstin was responding to his advances. Kerstin smiled when their lips parted.

"I have a feeling that if I tell you that I love you this time you won't reject me." Steve whispered holding her hand firmly.

"No, I won't." Kerstin smiled shyly. "I love you, Steve." Steve felt like he had been transported to heaven at the sound of those precious words falling from Kerstin's sweet lips.

Several days later, Steve was discharged from the hospital. Kerstin drove him home. She cooked dinner for him and cleaned the kitchen. She checked his wound and saw that it was healing nicely. She kissed him and went home.

Weeks later, Steve's shoulder was like brand-new. He had full movement of it. It was as if he had never been shot except for the small scar that would always be a reminder.

One morning, Kerstin was awakened by a loud pounding on her front door. She jumped out of bed and donned a silk bathrobe. She hurried to the front door barefoot and opened it. Steve was standing there with a huge grin on his handsome face.

"What are you doing here so early, handsome?" Kerstin asked rubbing her hazel eyes with the back of one slender hand.

"We are going on a picnic, just you and me." He grabbed her hand and pulled her out on to the porch and down the steps.

"Steve! I need to get dressed!" Kerstin exclaimed. Steve turned and saw that she was still in her bathrobe and had no shoes on her feet. He chuckled and swung her up in his arms. With a gasp, Kerstin threw her arms around his neck. He deposited her gently on the porch.

"Hurry and get dressed. I'll be waiting." Steve ordered with a grin.

Kerstin ran back into the house and into her room. She pulled on a pair of jeans and a pullover sweater. She put on a pair of socks and loafers. She expertly braided her hair. Kerstin grabbed her purse and went back to the porch. She locked the door and turned around to face Steve.

She smiled when she saw that Steve was leaning against his car munching on a sandwich. He always seemed to be eating, but yet he never gained any weight. She skipped down the steps and to the car. Still munching, Steve opened the car door for her. Before getting in, she reached up and kissed him on the cheek.

They drove for a while. It was a nice day for a drive. Finally, Steve stopped in front of a lovely, old, Victorian house. They both got out of the car. Steve took Kerstin by the hand and led her up the stairs.

"Who lives here, Steven? Do we know them?" Kerstin hung back.

"My darling Kerstin, I own this house. My parents left it to me when they died. I never had much use for it until now. I want you and I to live here. I want us to love here and raise our children here. I want us to quarrel here and make up here. Will you marry me, Kerstin? I love you and want you to be my wife." Steve said.

Kerstin stood staring up at Steve with wide, hazel eyes. She was speechless. She hadn't expected this and had been caught off guard.

"Kerstin, please say something." Steve touched her arm gently.

"Oh, Steve! Yes, I'll marry you!" Steve grinned down at her and let out a great whoop. He pulled her into his arms and whirled her around happily. He set her down and kissed her until they were both breathless. At that moment, a teenager on a bicycle rode by and saw them. He let out a whistle. Steve and Kerstin broke apart laughing. This was the beginning of a lifetime of love for the both of them.

THE END