Skin (McCullough Mountain 2)

by Lydia Michaels

  His grandmother glanced at him with a look of innocence that only a child should exhibit. Over the last year, he’d watch her change from the fiery spirit she’d always been to a quiet old woman who sometimes forgot his name.

  “I…I don’t know. I was up and then I was down.”

  It was clear that she was upset. He hated the way dementia could make a person who hadn’t answered to anyone in years, suddenly appear frightened as if they would be chastised for things beyond their control.

  “It’s okay,” he comforted. “Do you think you think you could stand up if I help you?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. The doctor told me to stay here.”

  He frowned and glanced at his mother. She shook her head telling him there had been no doctor. “Does anything hurt?”

  “My side,” she said, indicating her ribs.

  His lips thinned. “Did you call 911, Mum?”

  “I called you. I didn’t know what to do. Thank you for coming so quickly, always my angel I can count on.” His mother rubbed his head like he was four and he flushed, subconsciously glancing back at Mallory who was still waiting by the door.

  “Let’s get an ambulance here. They can at least look her over before we move her and then if she needs a doctor we can take her to the hospital. If she broke something I don’t want to make it worse.”

  His mother nodded and started to stand. “My phone’s in the kitchen.”

  “I’ve got it,” Mallory said, already dialing.

  For the first time his mother noticed he hadn’t come alone. As Mallory placed the call to the dispatch operator his mother gripped his hand and whispered. “I hadn’t meant to interrupt your day, Finnegan. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be silly, Mum. You know I’m always here when you need me.”

  She smiled tightly, her copper lashes blinking. “I know you are, dearie.”

  By the time the EMTs left, his father had returned. The day had come and gone. His grandmother needed to take a trip to the hospital for some tests, which he knew would likely happen. His mother and father took the truck to follow the ambulance and he and Mallory were alone. It was rare that the big house was ever empty or quiet.

  “I’m sorry about all this,” he said, as he poured her a glass of water and carried a bowl of strawberries to the table.

  “I don’t mind at all. It’s your family. What else could you have done, but be there when they needed you?”

  He smiled at her as he tossed a berry into his mouth. She was so understanding. “Do you miss your family?”

  She nibbled a berry, the juice staining her lips pink. “Yes. I’m used to not seeing my sister, but I miss my mom and dad. They lived in the city, too, and we usually saw each other once a week.”

  “Why don’t you go home to visit?”

  She glanced at the table, her fingertips ruffling the pile of soft green stems they’d collected on the plate. “I’m not ready to go back yet.”

  “Did something happen?”

  “No. I just have this silly idea in my head that when I go back they’ll see a difference. I think, in my own screwed up head, if I look better than I did when I left, they’ll assume I’m happy here and not bug me to come home. It’s hard telling them no.”

  He made no comment about her opinions and thoughts of looking better. She looked great. Sooner or later he’d get her to understand that. “Yeah, it’s not always easy to go against your family’s wishes. So when do you think you’ll go back?”

  “Probably Thanksgiving. The school’s closed for two days, so I’ll have a long weekend.”

  He swallowed. There was a part of him that feared what he didn’t know. City life was exciting. A place like Philadelphia had so much more to offer than their small town here in Center County. “Can I come with you?”

  Her gaze met his and her face split with a smile. “Would you want to?”

  “Meet your family? Of course.”

  “Okay. The idea of you being there actually makes it a whole lot less intimidating. My parents will be shocked to see I have a real life, flesh and blood boyfriend.”

  “Stop.”

  “I’m serious. I’ve never brought a guy home. The only date they saw me go on was my senior prom and for that I took my cousin.” She sighed. “My life is such a sad cliché.”

  He reached for her hand and said, “I didn’t go to my prom. Erin and I had broken up for some stupid reason or another. My mom wanted me to take my cousin, but I said no. I don’t much care for dancing.”

  She laughed. “Oh, but I’ve seen your moves. There’s a disco queen hiding somewhere under all that flannel.”

  He put his finger to his lips. “Shh. No one’s supposed to know about that. That was all part of my sexy plan of attack. I’m like a deranged bird trying to show off for its mate.”

  She giggled. “Well, you got me.”

  Warmth spread in his chest. Yeah, he got her. “I’d like to have you again.”

  Her mouth opened and her cheeks flushed. She looked around and whispered, “We’re at your parents’ house.”

  “No one’s here. Wanna see my room?”

  She smirked. “I feel like we’re in high school.”

  “Well, we are going steady.” He coughed. “I think that pin I wanted to give you is up there. Why don’t you come help me find it?”

  “Finnegan, what if we get caught?”

  His lips twitched as he tried to appear concerned. Nodding, he said, “I’d risk getting grounded for you.”

  “I’m all gross from running.”

  “So am I. Let’s go be gross together.”

  She hesitated then stood. “Okay, but I’m keeping my shirt on.”

  “Okay, but I’m still going to try to cop a feel.”

  They held hands as they took the stairs. His room was the third door on the left. It wasn’t much, just where he’d slept for the past twenty-eight years of his life. It was painted hunter green and the furniture was raw wood, made from a local carpenter. His bed was big, because he was big.

  As he opened the door a flutter of something reminiscent of adolescence tickled his gut. He couldn’t remember the last time he had a girl in here.

  Turning, he lowered his mouth to Mallory’s and kissed her softly. “This is my room.”

  “Mmm.” She said against his lips. “Nice.”

  “I think I left that pin on my bed somewhere.”

  She giggled. “I’m sure we can find it if we look hard enough.”

  He led her to the unmade bed and pulled her down. She pushed him and he sat on the edge. She straddled his legs and linked her arms around his neck. Her mouth tasted like strawberries and her skin was salty.

  He cupped his palms over her back and felt the straps of her bra. It was one of those sporty contraptions without clasps. He didn’t have the first clue how women got into them or a clue about getting her out of it. His hand traced over her shirt and he cupped her breast.

  “Rounding those bases pretty quick there, Finnegan.”

  “You know it,” he said kissing her neck.

  Her nipple pressed against the fabric and he teased the peak. She began to rotate her hips, grinding over him. He wanted to be inside of her then he remembered he’d left the condoms at her place. “Shit.”

  “Problem?”

  “I left the condoms at your apartment.”

  She groaned and pressed her forehead to his shoulder. “I guess we’re just going to have to behave ourselves like teenagers do—with our pants on.”

  He picked her up and she squealed. “Finn!”

  Dropping her onto the bed, he blanketed her with his weight. Through his track pants, his erection was quite evident. He pressed it into the cradle of her hips and she moaned then gasped.

  “Good?”

  “Yes.” She spread her legs. Her pants were those tight black running kind. He could feel her crease through the layers of material. He ground himself into her and she arched. Every rub of friction along his cock felt incre
dible.

  They kissed and made out and touched through their clothing until they were both panting. He was shocked when he felt his climax nearing. Shit. He was going to come in his pants.

  She moaned and dug her nails into his shoulders through his shirt. “Finn.” Her voice was breathy, a sexy rasp that whispered to every nerve in his body.

  “Fuck, Mallory, I’m gonna come.”

  She lifted her hips and pressed into him. His spine tingled and he moaned. She tightened her knees around him and tugged at his hair. Her body bowed and she cried out. Warmth seeped over his length as his cock throbbed and pulsed.

  He fell to the side and pulled her close. They were both out of breath. “I can’t believe I just did that,” he admitted and she giggled.

  “Me neither. You’re definitely giving me your pin now.”

  He didn’t actually have a pin in mind, but when Mallory left to use the bathroom and he changed into some fresh clothes and cleaned himself up, he found the old fishing pin his grandfather had given him when he was a boy.

  The door opened and he turned. “I have something for you.”

  She looked up at him inquisitively. “What is it?”

  “Come here.” She stepped closer and he pressed the spike of the pin through her shirt. After he snapped it closed he said, “There.”

  She glanced down at the pin and read, “Catch and Release. How romantic.”

  He kissed her nose. “That’s big stuff from a logger.”

  “I’m sure. I love it.”

  * * * *

  Mallory couldn’t sleep that evening. Her mind continued to replay their weekend like a loop at the beginning of a movie. She watched scenes from the past two days flow through her mind and stared into space, utterly speechless that this was her real life.

  The following morning she was tired, but thoughts of Finn worked like espresso for her soul. He texted her throughout the day and she had to try hard to keep a straight face. He was coming over that night and she planned on making dinner for the two of them.

  She ran to the market right from work and intended to take a quick jog around the park before he got there at six. She’d been waiting at the butcher counter for her order when someone bumped her cart. Still in the daze she’d been in for the last twenty-four hours, she muttered a quick apology, and pulled her cart out of the way. That was when she realized she’d been intentionally bumped.

  Erin glared at her with disdain over a cart only filled with produce and cereal in the child seat area. “Sorry. You seem to be taking up the whole aisle.”

  Mallory frowned. She did not like this girl. The butcher returned and showed her the two cuts of chicken she’d ordered. “Will this be enough, ma’am?”

  She glanced at the peach colored meat cradled in the white paper and nodded. When she looked back at Erin, the girl said, “Cooking for two or just eating more than you should?”

  She gaped at her audacity. “Excuse me?”

  The bitch rolled her eyes. “I don’t know what he sees in you, but I’m sure he’ll be over it soon.”

  Her spine stiffened. “Many could say the same about you.”

  She chuckled coldly. “I doubt it. Everyone knows Finn’s been in love with me since high school. Don’t get too attached.” With that, she wheeled her cart away, shaking her petite little butt for everyone to see.

  The butcher handed her the wrapped poultry and she quickly darted to the checkout.

  When she returned home and unpacked the groceries, she should have changed and left for her run, but she couldn’t find the strength. She sat on her couch and stared at the blank television screen.

  Finn’s been in love with me since high school…

  Don’t get too attached…

  I don’t know what he sees in you.

  Mallory let out a shaky breath. “Me neither.”

  She must have sat there for over an hour. The sky began to fade from blue to violet and when she glanced at her watch it was almost time for Finn to be there. She stood and dug her phone out of her purse. There were three missed texts.

  Just finishing up. See you soon. Xo

  ~F.

  Do you need anything from the store? Leaving in ten.

  ~F.

  Are you still at the park? You aren’t answering. Leaving now.

  ~F.

  The last text was sent almost twenty minutes ago, which meant he would be there any minute and she hadn’t even started dinner. She quickly pulled out the items she needed and turned the oven to preheat. Before she had the salad tossed, Finn was knocking at the door.

  Brushing her fingers on a dishrag, she went to let him in. He greeted her with a smile and pressed a kiss to her lips. “Hey, beautiful. I missed you.”

  “Hey. Dinner won’t be done for about thirty minutes. You can watch TV if you want.”

  He frowned. “Did you go running?”

  “No.” She returned to the salad and continued chopping tomatoes.

  “Bad day?”

  “It was fine.”

  She scraped up the tomatoes and dumped them in the bowl. The oven beeped and she carried the dish of chicken over and slipped it inside. The oven door slammed with a little more force than necessary.

  “What are you making?”

  “Chicken. It’s for you. I’m just having salad.”

  “You sure you’re okay?”

  She huffed. “I’m fine. Stop asking.”

  “Do you want me to leave?”

  “No,” she snapped. “If you leave then the meal is going in the trash. I made it for you.”

  His hands went up in a defensive motion. “Whoa, Philly, what’s going on?”

  She fisted her hand on her hip and lowered her head. “Sorry. I’m just…in a mood.”

  “Did something happen at work?”

  “No. Work was fine.”

  “After work?”

  She turned and opened the fridge. “What kind of dressing do you want on your salad?”

  He caught the door of the refrigerator, sneaking up on her. “Forget the salad. Talk to me. Something happened and I want to know what.”

  Was she really going to tell him? What if he agreed with Erin and she saw it in his eyes that he’d eventually return to his ex. No matter what he said, he’d never be able to take back that sort of look once it was out there. When they first met he’d planned on marrying that girl. “Nothing. A cart hit my car at the market. It put me in a bad mood. I’m sorry. Let’s start over.”

  “Is it bad? I know a mechanic that does bodywork. I can take it over there for you and have him look at it if you want.”

  Jesus. This is why you don’t lie! “No. It’s barely noticeable. I overreacted. Do you want to set the table?”

  He smiled, but his eyes looked concerned. “Sure.”

  By the time they were sitting down to eat, she’d forced all thoughts of Finn and his ex out of her mind. Finn told her about his day and complimented her cooking. He gave her a lecture when he noticed she was eating her salad without dressing, but she was sick and tired of people using her weight against her. She was going to get skinny if it killed her. And if she failed…well, then she’d sit on little bitches like Erin and beat the crap out of them.

  She needed to calm down.

  After dinner Finn helped clear the table and kept stealing little touches here and there. She kept shouldering him off.

  His arms wrapped around her waist and she felt like she couldn’t breathe with him holding her like that. He wasn’t suffocating her, but she didn’t want him to touch her at the moment, didn’t want him to feel her, if that made any sense.

  She nudged him away and he pulled her back, pressing his lips to her shoulder. “Want to go watch some TV?”

  That wasn’t what he was asking. He wanted to fool around and while that had been her plan all morning, things had changed.

  “I’m not really in the mood.”

  He frowned. “What do you want to do?”

  She sighed. �
��I need to get stuff ready for work and…stuff.”

  His gaze scrutinized her. “Do you want me to go?”

  “It’s late.” She didn’t want him to go. She wanted him to stay and hold her while she cried about how badly his miserable ex hurt her feelings that afternoon. She wanted to tell him how much he meant to her and how afraid she was that he would leave her eventually.

  Needy much?

  “Mallory, if I—” His words cut off as his phone rang. He rolled his eyes and let out an aggravated sigh as he answered it. “Hello?…Again?…I’m sort of busy…”

  She didn’t think it was anyone in his family by the tone of his voice. To give him privacy she started on the dishes, but she could still hear him talking to the person on the phone.

  “Can’t you call your brother?” There was a long pause. “Fine. I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Stay in the car and lock the doors.”

  He ended the call and she shut off the water, grabbing a towel to dry her hands. “Everything all right?”

  “I have to go. That was Erin. Her car broke down and she’s in the middle of nowhere.”

  Her jaw must have hit the floor. “What?” She was doing this on purpose. She knew Mallory was cooking him dinner tonight. That…Bitch! “Don’t go,” she suddenly pleaded, completely changing her tune from minutes ago.

  He frowned. “Mallory, I have to go. She’s stranded and her brother isn’t answering the phone.”

  “So? Doesn’t she have other friends she can call?”

  “I guess not. She called me. I’m sure I wasn’t her first choice.”

  Wanna bet? “Finn, I think you should call her back and ask her to call someone else. Doesn’t she have parents?”

  He scowled at her. “Mallory, she called me. You have to get ready for work anyway. It would be different if we had plans, but you just told me to basically leave. I might as well go help her.”

  She couldn’t help the begging tone in her voice. “I don’t want you to go.”

  He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, gripping the back of his neck. “Mallory, please don’t be like that. I pride myself on being a guy people can count on. She’s a girl and she’s broken down on the side of the road. Don’t be like her. Don’t make me choose.”