My hands travel down her back to her ass and over to her hip before I continue my path up her ribs. She lets out another whimper which makes my already hard cock twitch with arousal. She doesn’t move her face from my neck but her hand tells me she’s awake when it travels down my chest to my abs and finally to my dick. She grabs it and strokes me.
“Let me see your face,” I say softly.
She turns her sleepy eyes on me and I almost come apart. Before I say some stupid shit, I dip down and press my lips to hers. She deepens the kiss by pushing her tongue into my mouth. I wrap my arms around her and pull her to her back as I climb on top of her. I don’t break the kiss but I have access to her body now where my hands rub up and down until I land on her breasts. I gently grab them and knead them in my hands.
As we continue our kiss I reach between her legs and find she’s already wet. She bends her knees for me as I guide myself inside her. I lay my body on top of hers and cup her face as I move in and out of her at a slow pace while I push my tongue in her mouth. She pulls her right leg as close to her chest as our bodies will allow, so I hook my arm behind it while I keep my other hand on her face. The fingertips on her left hand stroke down my back until they reach my ass where she stops and gently grabs on.
I move so slowly I can feel every inch of her pussy, so wet and open for me. Her lips break away from mine as she moans for me. My lips find a way to stay busy down her cheek, jaw line, behind her ear, and down her throat. I leave light kisses all over and then bring my eyes back to hers. I nip her bottom lip with my teeth and follow it with a peck before I pull back and enjoy watching her. I let her knee go and bring my hands to cup her head. Other than the brushing my lips against hers every few minutes, I just enjoy watching her come undone. I could do this forever.
Both of her hands grab onto my ass and her fingertips slightly bite my skin. She arches her back as much as she can with my weight on top of her, her eyes close and she throws her head back. I kiss under her chin and down her neck as she quivers underneath me. My name crosses her lips, barely a whisper as she unravels. The sight of her in so much pleasure has me following right behind her. I lean down and kiss her deeply while I come inside of her.
Her hands release my bottom and cup both sides of my face where she kisses me like I’m going off to war or something, and I kiss her back with as much fervor.
I pull back, kiss her nose, her chin, and then the center of her chest. I’m so wrapped up in her right now I feel like I might cry after sex like those bitches in romance novels do. I think I’m growing a vagina.
“It’s never been so good,” I whisper.
I rest my head on her chest as she runs her fingers through my hair soothing me.
“I know,” she whispers back.
***
We shower after I made love to her. I washed her like she was a delicate flower and showered her with kisses. We made breakfast together and played with Cash for a while. She didn’t ask me about Pam or Beau because she knows when I’m ready to talk I’ll lay it all out. It’s always been so easy to be with Henley, and I’m glad that sex didn’t change that between us.
After lunch I leave to run an errand, or rather I go in search of Grace and Derek. I didn’t tell Hen where I was going, but I didn’t know how to tell her what I needed to do. She’d understand, but I want to talk to Grace and Derek first. Then I’d like to talk to Red.
I knock on their door and it only takes a few moments before Grace opens the door. She smiles and pulls me into a hug she doesn’t let me out of for some time.
She touches my face and looks up at me, “How are you, sweetheart?”
“I’m trying to be okay,” I answer honestly.
She invites me further into the home I grew up in. We join Derek on the back porch where he also greets me with a hug and inquires on my wellbeing. I tell them both the condensed version of what Beau had told me at Rose Hill. Grace cried and grew angry throughout the story, but is grateful I’m okay.
“I have a favor to ask. It’s going to sound crazy at first, but please hear me out before you answer,” I plead.
“Sure,” Derek nods.
“I don’t want Paxton to be my last name anymore, and the reasons are pretty obvious. I don’t know Beau well enough to decide to take my birth name. I’d like to change my last name to Hendrix if it’s okay with you two and all three of the siblings. I’m not asking you to adopt me because it could cause some issues with Henley and I being romantically involved. I just wanted the family’s permission to change my last name.”
“Son, if that’s what you want you are more than welcome to my last name. I’d be happy for you to have it. I think I understand why you need to do it, and I can’t say I’d want to carry around that man’s name either. I’ll support you 100% percent,” Derek says.
“Regardless of what’s going on with you and Henley now, you’ve always been a part of this family. I support you. Let’s talk to Koi, Memphis, and Hen and ask them what they think. We’ll go from there,” Grace smiles and pulls me into her arms.
It might sound crazy that I’m not asking them to adopt me, but I’m not looking for a piece of paper to tell me where I belong. I am looking for a piece of paper that clears me of any relation to Gary and Pam. I need to rid myself of Gary once and for all.
I spend a few hours with the two people who were the first people to give me a long-term family. We talk about the tour, music, and the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. I feel at ease and safe with Derek and Grace, and I always have.
“I need to talk to Red. Do you know if he’s home?” I ask them.
“If he’s not at the house, he’ll be in the studio,” Grace smiles.
“Go easy on the old man, yeah? Red did what he thought was right,” Derek adds.
“I was mad when I first found out, but the truth is if Gary knew Beau was coming around here, he would’ve snatched me away from y’all. I don’t know if I would’ve survived the rest of my childhood.”
Grace tears up again. Hearing that the man who claimed to be my father beat me and poisoned me and essentially tried to murder me several times is not something she’ll ever forgive Gary or Pam for. It’s not easy to hear. It sure as hell isn’t easy to digest either. I’ve not quite figured out how to swallow that jagged little pill, but I’ve learned time helps us make sense of the unfathomable.
After I hug Derek and Grace bye, I drive the short distance to Red’s house. I knock on the front door and Mrs. Newman pulls me into her arms and insists I come inside for coffee and cookies. Dude, Mrs. Smith ain’t got shit on this woman’s cookies. She always has something sweet that just came out of the oven and a pot of coffee ready.
I sit with her and devour half a plate of cookies and a few cups of coffee. We discuss Thanksgiving and the tour. She gives her delayed blessing for me to date Henley which makes me smile.
“I always knew you’d be the man for her. I was surprised to see her and Jagger together, but sometimes we have to go through those bad times to appreciate the good ones,” she says wisely.
“Yes ma’am.”
“Imagine you’re looking for Red,” she smiles knowingly.
“Yes ma’am.”
“He’s out in the studio. Been expectin’ ya since yesterday.”
“What’s it been like to be married to him all these years? He’s so… I don’t know the word I’m looking for.”
“Wise? Insightful? All-knowing?” she chuckles.
“For starters.”
“When I met Red, he was angry as hell at the world. He was still a boy in a man’s body, but that’s common for men in their early twenties. He hit the bottle a lot to deal with his anger. Was dealt a shit hand of cards because of his skin color. When the government made the Creeks leave in the 1830’s, Red’s people went out west to the Indian Territory. Some of his ancestors came back, cut their hair, and assimilated the best they could into the white culture. There wasn’t a lot of them l
eft in Georgia when Red was coming up and he wasn’t treated well. He went hungry often and worked in fields from the time he was a small boy. He grew into an angry man. He was mad because he was born with a different skin color, and because it made life harder for him than it did for a white man. I guess things began to change in the fifties, and he used his guitar abilities to make something of himself. By the time I met him, he was relatively famous, but still angry. I went out on a few dates with him, and it made my mama and daddy mad because he was an Indian. When I realized he drank too much I refused to see him anymore. He quit drinking and asked me out on another date. I said yes, and two months later he asked for my hand in marriage. My parents disowned me, but I loved the man. I didn’t give a damn about his skin color. I thought he was the most handsome man I’d ever met. I never regretted marrying him. After he quit drinking, he learned to embrace the way of his people and he just always seemed to know things other people don’t. His people’s ways make a helluva a lot more sense to me anyways. I was raised as a good Baptist girl, but I more or less embraced his belief system. They try to be one and have harmonious existences with the universe. I think Henley gets that need for something more from him.”
“I can’t imagine him being a drunk,” I chuckle.
“It wasn’t pretty because he was angry and drunk,” she purses her lips.
“He quit drinking for you, though.”
“More or less. I think he realized he couldn’t keep going the way he was.”
I give her a kiss on the forehead and thank her for the goodies before I walk to the studio in search of Red.
He speaks as soon as I open the door, “Thought you’d be here yesterday.”
“I wasn’t in a good place yesterday,” I answer.
“Don’t imagine you are now,” he says.
“No,” I answer honestly.
“You angry with me, son?” Red turns in his chair and looks at me.
“No sir. I came to say thank you. You saved my life when you had no idea who I was. You saved me from knowing I had a drug addict father. I’m grateful for what you did.”
“You’re not angry I didn’t tell you about Beau?” he tilts his head to the side to take me in.
I chuckle, “I was at first, but after Beau explained everything I understood. It wasn’t your place to tell me. It was Pam’s place first. It was Beau’s place second, and Gary shouldn’t have had a damn say in any of it.”
“You’re right about that. He’ll get his. I don’t know what you believe in son, but there’s something out there after we stop breathing. Wherever he is, he’ll be called to answer for the things he did in this life. I don’t personally believe in a heaven and hell, but I do believe our hell exists on this earth when we’re forced to deal with the things we did in past lives.”
“I believe something exists out there,” I confirm. “I still want to spray weed killer around his grave.”
Red lets out a big belly laugh. It takes him several moments to recover from my confession.
“Let me know if you ever do it. I’d like to watch,” he chuckles.
“You’ll be on my list of people I enroll to make it happen,” I tell him.
“You been through a lot, son. Just remember it’s all over with now. Gary can’t hurt you and he hasn’t been able to touch you since I found out about you. Pam can’t lie to you anymore and you no longer have to walk on eggshells around her. Takes time to reconcile the shit you been through, but you will. Grow from it, learn from it, be a better person because of it. You’ve always been a part of this family. Don’t ever forget it.”
“Thank you, Red.”
I shake his hand and leave to head to my own house to finish looking through some more boxes. I shoot Henley a text to let her know where I’ll be.
“I’ve got a few more things to do. Can I come by after?”
“You can come and go here as you please, Kip. You always have,” she replies.
“Went and saw your folks and grandparents. Grandma fed me cookies and coffee,” I taunt.
My phone dings with her immediate reply, “What kind? Were they still warm?”
“Chocolate Chip. She just pulled them out of the oven.”
“Did you get me some?”
She has a killer sweet tooth.
“Um… Well…. See what had happened was…”
“You asshole. Cash and I are going to Grandma’s.”
“I ate them all,” I lie.
“I’ll cut your throat in your sleep,” she replies.
“Okay, there may be two or three left.”
“For your sake, there better be more than that. Driving over there now.”
“That was fast.”
“You said my Grandma made cookies. It’s a life or death situation. I have to get to what’s left before my brothers smell them all the way across the property. If they eat them you all die… life or death for the lot of you.”
“LOL, be careful. I’ll see you in a bit.”
“10-4.”
Five minutes later she texts a picture of her devouring chocolate chip cookies. Ten minutes later she texts a picture of Memphis staring at the empty plate like someone shot his dog. This is my family.
Chapter 10
Memphis
My phone rings four days before Thanksgiving. I see Grace’s pretty face on the screen.
“Hey ma,” I answer.
She’s not really my mom, but she is. I haven’t spoken to my own mother in close to a year.
“Hey baby. I was calling to let you know Dad wants to grill out tonight,” she says.
“It’s cold as hell,” I argue.
“He came up with the idea after he smoked a joint and got the munchies,” she laughs.
“Says no parent ever,” I add.
“Well, we’ve never been very orthodox in any definition of the word.”
“What time?”
“Six.”
“See you then. Love you,” I say.
“Love you too, Memph,” she disconnects.
I lounge around Henley’s house with Cash who snores like a grown man. It’s ridiculous how loud the dog can snore. Whatever you do don’t tell the monster I called him a dog. He might go straight for the jugular.
I ride over to the parents with Cash, Henley, and Koi. Kip’s been in and out the last day or so. I hope he’s coming tonight so he can enjoy some family time and get his mind off all the crazy shit he’s been dealt lately.
Cash jumps out of the SUV first and heads for mom who is waiting on the front porch for us to give out hugs. He sits at her feet and stares up with eyes that plead for a scratch on the head.
“Very good, Cash. You are such a gentleman,” she says and scratches behind his head.
Kip pulls in before we get inside, so we all exchange hugs and get inside the warm house. He picks Henley up and twirls them around before he plants a kiss on her lips. I find it funny that so many people were surprised by those two hooking up. I saw that shit coming a mile away. I honestly didn’t know how long it would take to happen, but when it did it was like they’d always been together. It also made me long for something similar. I never wanted what she and Jagger had. I rooted for them, because Jag is really a great guy, but they were horrible together. I want what her and Kip have. They seem just as happy drinking in bars with Godzilla Bear and 1% bikers as they do sitting at home watching TV or reading on the couch together. The chemistry is there too. I wish a woman would make me feel like that.
“Before we start cooking, I’d like for us to have a seat in the family room for a second,” Dad says.
Dad is an extremely cool cat. He’s really laid back and easy going. He’s kind, talented, and forgiving. I hate my mother for taking away my childhood with these people. When I finally met them and the truth about Derek being my dad came out, it felt like I’d always been here. This is what I was always missing.
“I know it’s cold, and it wa
s a really dumb idea to grill out but I was hungry earlier and it seemed like a good idea,” Dad starts.
“Pops, you gotta quit smoking so much of that primo shit,” Koi playfully chastises.
“Munchies are a bitch,” Dad shakes his head.
“Derek,” Grace guides him back on track.
“This is our family. We all came to be in this room together in different ways, but we’re all a family. Kip’s been through a lot of shit lately, and I just wanted us to get together as a family and take a few moments to remember that we’re here for each other. When life gets tough, we sometimes forget about the people who love us. Kip, we’re here for you. We love you,” Dad says.
“I’d… uh like to ask… or talk about something. I spoke with Derek and Grace prior to today, but I wanted everyone’s blessing before I went through with paperwork. After everything that has happened since Gary kicked the bucket, it disgusts me to carry around his last name. There’s been a lot more revealed that I haven’t shared with everyone just yet, but essentially from the time I was in utero, Gary attempted to kill me a couple of times. I don’t want to have anything to do with what’s left of him. I don’t want his name. I’d like to change my last name to Hendrix if everyone here is okay with it. Derek and Grace won’t adopt me, because well it would be weird to pork my adopted sister,” Kip grins at the end.
“Bruh! Why you gotta say shit like that about her?” Koi asks with a look of disgust.
Dad and Ma giggle.
“How would you like me to word it? How about ‘It would be taboo to fuck my sister?’” Kip asks.
“Jesus Christ,” I mutter.
“Not better. I was cool with you being a Hendrix until you started in on putting your dick in Hen. Fuck, now that’s all I can think about. I need therapy,” Koi rubs his face with his hands.
Guitar Face Series Box Set: Books 1-4 Page 95
