“Much,” she replied, leaning into him for a brief moment.
“Come do the face stuff?” he said, gesturing helplessly with the makeup kit he held in his hand.
“Of course,” Lainie replied. “Let’s go in the bedroom where we can have a mirror.” Giggling, she grinned up at him and clicked her heels together.
“Hoping the magic shoes will teleport you out of here,” he teased, tugging on one of her braids. She had wanted to die her hair brown to be a more authentic Dorothy, but thankfully one of her friends had convinced her that a blonde Dorothy was just fine.
“Why would I do that?” she asked. “After all, there’s no place like home, and I’m already home.”
Grant couldn’t help but smile. Getting here had been a rocky road, but just like the cowardly lion, he had finally found the courage to lead his family, and his family had finally found home.
The End
His Forever Summer
Tara Finnegan
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Finnegan, Tara
His Forever Summer
eBook ISBN: 978-1-62750-572-7
This book is intended for adults only. Spanking and other sexual activities represented in this book are fantasies only, intended for adults. Nothing in this book should be interpreted as Blushing Books' or the author's advocating any non-consensual spanking activity or the spanking of minors.
Chapter 1
Oh bollocks,” Jim exclaimed as he read the screen in front of him.
“What’s up?” Ange asked. Jim rarely swore anymore and never in front of the children, so she knew it had to be something pretty bad. He had scrunched his eyes in that deeply contemplative way he had, revealing a deep ridge, evidence of his age and life experience. His once black hair was getting more and more peppered with grey, although the spring sunshine had his skin glowing with healthfulness.
“Kieran’s just split up with Maura. He’s due some leave and he wants to come here.”
“Sure that’s hardly the end of the world, is it?”
“For three bloody months! I don’t know how Brent would take to that. It’s a long time and it would be hard to hide what Corbin’s Bend is.”
Ange understood his anxiety. Although Kieran wasn’t the worst of them, neither Jim’s nor Ange’s family were too impressed when their spanking kink had come to light, very publicly. And if they couldn’t handle the kink, then full domestic discipline would definitely not go down well. There wasn’t a hope in hell of Kieran understanding it, or the community they lived in.
“You’ll have to put him off, simple as that. Tell him it’s a closed community and we are only allowed visitors for a week or so. Anyway, it’s not really lying; we aren’t supposed to have long term visitors without the board’s approval,” Ange said.
“Yeah! You’re right, that’s what I’ll do. I doubt Brent would like it. Perfect. Thanks, love.” Ange listened to the rapid click, click, click of the tablet’s keyboard. She was amazed at how computer literate Jim had become since working with Hank Methon. In Ireland, everything was thrown in a shoebox and handed to the accountant. He always said that stuff was beyond him, and yet off the top of his head he could tell you the profit on any job, the cost of any material and what he had in his bank account to the penny, with nothing more than pen and paper and a good memory. He was just too run ragged to set it down formally in a spreadsheet or to get to grips with changing technology.
“Feck it!” Jim exclaimed loudly a few minutes later. Ange looked over. His face was red with anger.
“Bugger had only gone and booked his ticket earlier, it wasn’t a bloody request; he was merely informing us he’s coming.”
“Nice of him to let us know in advance of landing here! So when is he arriving?” Ange asked.
“Next week. Bang goes my study for three months. Brent did say I could have an office, but I always preferred doing the paper work from here. I like having my coffee breaks with you.”
The loss of the office was the least of Ange’s worries. She was concerned about the interference in their private life. She and Jim were closer than ever before, and their sex life was amazing. She wasn’t happy at the idea of another adult staying with them. It would mean they would have to keep the noise down. And the domestic discipline she had fought so hard to avoid was almost like a drug to her, a sedative when she was stressed, a pick me up when she was down. She didn’t want that curtailed. Not to mention another person to feed, clean up after and have under her feet.
“I don’t want him to know what this place is, Jim. Please don’t tell him. He won’t understand.”
“It’ll be hard to hide it, love. Anyway, I thought we left the shame behind in Ireland.”
“Yeah well, it seems Ireland just followed us here. Please. For me?”
At nine pm the flight touched down in Denver International Airport. Kieran cleared customs and immigration much more speedily than he had anticipated. Too quickly in fact; the several beers he had consumed on the flight were still fresh in his system. He needed coffee. Kieran was hoping his niece and nephew were not waiting in arrivals, or Ange would be gunning for him. Kieran had liked Ange a lot when she and Jim started dating, and after they were married and Ava was born. But after little Jack was born, she seemed to change. She lost her sense of humor and got as uptight as bejaysus. She wouldn’t appreciate his landing half cut. But he had needed those few drinks. It had been a tough few weeks. It was bad enough that Maura ditched him, but to hear she was getting married in a couple of months had gutted him. They had been living together for a year. Kieran had been on about getting married for longer than that, but Maura had always insisted she was not the marrying kind, and he had accepted it. Kieran had figured that in time they would have had children and then she would either change her mind about marriage, or at least agree to a civil partnership to give the children a sense of security. To hear she was half way down the aisle already was just devastating. When Kieran boarded that plane, he made a resolution to leave it all behind him. Not normally much of a drinker, he toasted his freedom with far too many beers.
A wave of relief washed over Kieran when he saw Jim standing behind the barriers alone. Kieran was struck by how amazingly fit and trim his brother looked. He had become positively porky before they left Ireland, and no wonder; Ange was an incredible cook. The thought of being fed by her for the next three months was making his mouth water in anticipation. Looking at Jim made him wonder if she had given up on the cooking elaborate dishes for the family, now that she was running a bakery business.
“Is the missus not feeding you right, now that she’s back working?” he asked once Jim released him from the bear hug.
“Don’t you dare say that to Ange, or she’ll serve you your goolies for breakfast in the morning,” Jim replied with a laugh. “It’s living here. The facilities are great and there’s no going to the pub every weekend. You smell like you could do with a dry out too!”
“Christ, I didn’t expect you to have a pop at me. Ange maybe. I haven’t turned into a lush. It’s a once off, I swear. But I could seriously use a coffee before we go any further. How long is the drive?”
“Over an hour. We’ll get coffee to go.”
“I suppose you heard Maura’s getting married,” Kieran said as they started out on the journey.
“Fuck, no! I’m sorry, man.”
“Ach, I suppose it’s better off happening now than when we had kids. At
least that’s what I try to tell myself. She’d have left me sooner or later. You’re lucky you found Ange. She’s so dependable.”
“We’ve had our share of ups and downs, every couple does. But yeah, she’s pretty great. And coming here was a brilliant decision. We’ve become a team.”
“Oh my God, that sounds so American. We’ll have to get you back home to sort you out.”
“Scoff away, but you’ll see. Things are different here. Once Corbin’s Bend gets under your skin, you won’t want to leave. And no, before you ask! You can’t extend your stay. Three months is definitely your limit. I had to do all sorts of begging and pleading to get permission for you to stay this long.”
“Why, what’s the big deal with visitors?”
“It’s a housing co-operative, none of us own our houses, but we own shares in the co-op. New residents go through a screening process. And a three month stay is a long time. The board may well want to meet with you, I don’t know yet.”
“What sort of screening? Like work ethic, clean living and that kind of thing?”
“Um, yeah…something like that,” Jim replied. Kieran got the feeling that Jim was holding back, something he wasn’t saying, and his curiosity was piqued. But he knew Jim of old, nothing would convince him to spit it out if he didn’t want to, so Kieran let it pass.
“That’s a great idea, we should have those co-ops in Ireland. Hey, maybe I can look into it when I get back. Could be a business proposition.”
“You’d have to get the right legislation first. And as far as I can see, they’re not profitable. But Brent, the man who started the whole thing, he had a vision and he doesn’t seem to mind helping to fund his dreams.”
“Nice,” Kieran said as they pulled into the community.
“Wait ‘til you see it in daylight. It’s beautiful, especially with the mountains as a backdrop. This is our street now. That house is Brandon Delt’s, he’s a great mate. You’ll like him.”
Kieran couldn’t help but envy the enthusiasm in Jim’s voice as he spoke of his new community and life. He was a different man to the spent force that had almost been hounded out of Ireland almost three years earlier. Kieran, while saddened by the contrast with his own circumstances, could only be thrilled for him. He’d had a rough few years. He wondered if Ange was as happy or if she was here because of Jim. They entered through the front door and headed straight through the hall to the living room where his sister-in-law was waiting their arrival.
“Kieran, great to see you. How was your flight?” He had to stoop pretty low to accept the kiss the diminutive Ange was offering. She was radiating health. Positively glowing. His guess was she was just as happy as her husband.
“Good to see you too, Ange. You look mighty. Thanks for having me.”
“It’s not like you gave us a lot of choice,” Ange retorted, punching him playfully. “You get more like Jim every year, you’d want to be careful I don’t mix you up and snuggle into the wrong brother.”
“I wouldn’t mind,” Kieran said.
“Well I certainly would, hands off – this is mine, all mine,” Jim cut in, grabbing a fistful of his wife’s shapely bottom as she giggled and playfully slapped his hands away.
Yes, things had certainly improved between them, Kieran surmised. He hadn’t seen them so at ease together in years. He suddenly felt better about Maura’s departure. He’d never had that easiness with her. Maybe she hadn’t been the one for him.
The heat and the bright sunshine were the first things that struck Kieran when he woke up in Jim’s study, the room that was to be his bedroom for the coming months. Kieran felt kind of guilty about that – he hadn’t considered the inconvenience he might have been putting Jim and Ange to when he booked his flight – all he had been concerned about was getting away. Their house in Ireland, while a similar size, had been much more compartmented. More rooms of a smaller size. The open plan on the ground floor was wonderful, opening the whole area to suit family needs. But throw a third party into the mix and Kieran could see it was tricky. He would either have to stick to his bedroom, or get under their feet.
The aroma of pancakes, bacon and maple syrup soon made lying in impossible. The scents ascended the stairs, with one purpose in mind – to tempt him from his bed! He checked his watch. At first he was embarrassed at the lateness of the hour, then he remembered he hadn’t yet switched to Colorado time. A bit of speedy mental arithmetic convinced him it was only seven a.m. What in the hell was wrong with these people? Sure it was almost the middle of the night! He raced through his shower, washing away the after effects of his in flight indulgences. There was nothing like a good feed to get you right after a night’s drinking.
When he went into the kitchen, Ange had already gone to work. Jim had apparently whipped up the pancakes himself. Even that was astounding to Kieran. For years, Kieran had watched Ange keep the home fires burning. Even when other things were bad. There were times he had wanted to whap his brother for being so bloody obtuse. He should have seen she was cracking under the strain, but he kept working ridiculously long hours and burying his head in the sand. After little Jack was born, Kieran could see Ange was losing it, and tried to point it out to Jim in as nice a way he could, but Jim kept saying everything was grand. Grand my arse, he thought. How could all that crap in the newspapers be grand? She must have died a new death with each headline. Still, Jim was master of his own castle. It was his business how he ran his life.
“Nice grub. Very American,” Kieran commented as he surveyed the plates on the table.
“Kids like it,” Jim explained. “Didn’t expect to see you for another few hours.”
“Damn, I thought I was missing Ange’s cooking. If I’d known it was only yours, I would have stayed in bed,” he said helping himself to a heaped plate of pancakes, bacon and smothering it in syrup.
“Cheeky bugger! Eat it and be thankful. Now, no offense to the company, but I have to drop the kids off and get to work. Here’s a key. I’ll pop in on you in a few hours. I’ve taken the next few days off, but I thought you would sleep late with the jet-lag, so I figured today should be a work day. Seems like I was wrong. Sorry.”
“That’s grand. Sure I need a bit of time to sleep off this head. I’ll look around later,” Kieran replied through a mouthful of pancake. “These are good, the missus must have taught you a thing or two since you got here.”
“Keep that chat up and I’ll forbid Ange to feed you for the full three months! Oh, I nearly forgot, a neighbor has a key, and she often pops in and out looking for paperwork and stuff. Long, lanky lass by the name of Carla. Don’t piss her off, her father is my business partner. And watch out for her, she eats men for breakfast. She’s a great girl, apart from that.” With that, he exited leaving Kieran no chance to ask any questions.
Chapter 2
Carla looked at her reflection in disgust as she combed her wet hair. She’d gained so much weight since her accident, the whiplash preventing strenuous exercise. She’d been free of the collar for months and she still couldn’t seem to get back down to her pre accident weight of one hundred and twenty five pounds. She hated her shape. Her chest was still as flat as a pancake, the after effects of years as a professional athlete. Every spare pound she gained seemed to settle on her hips and butt. It was bad enough being so tall, at five foot nine, she was as tall as many of the men she knew. She pulled the towel she was wrapped in around her tighter, as if trying squeeze the excess flab upwards. Why couldn’t she look more like Ange, she lamented. Small and pixie-like and so very feminine.
Thinking of Ange reminded her that she had to pick up some blueprints from Jim’s to bring to her father that evening. Another source of discontent! Jim was a great guy, and Ange was the best, but working so closely with him just served as a daily reminder of what an ass she had made of herself with her obsession with him. Ange and Jim’s graciousness only made her feel guiltier. It would be better if they treated her with the contempt she knew she deserved. And n
ot satisfied with that, she had to move on and make an idiot of herself over the local doctor, Marcus, too. No more. Enough was enough, Carla was keeping away from men, especially men in Corbin’s Bend. She knew well the women laughed at her desperation. She’d laugh herself if it wasn’t so damn mortifying. She knew leaving Corbin’s Bend would be the smartest move, but she loved it there. Even being on the fringe of the community was better than not being part of it at all. No, Carla didn’t like the reflection that was looking back at her, inside or out.
She shook her damp auburn head. Time was pressing on and no one knew better than she how a fraction of a second could change one’s life. Two tenths of a second to be precise. With renewed vigour, she finished drying her hair, tugging fiercely at her scalp as if that could speed up the process. It was no good feeling sorry for herself, dwelling on what if’s and past disappointments. She put on makeup and forced a smile she didn’t feel on to her face. She was going to be running around all day, so she pulled on a pair of jeans and matched it with a baggy, light floral blouse that hid her hips as a nod to femininity.
When she got to Jim’s house, she could hear the TV. Dammit she had forgotten that Kieran was arriving. She should have picked up the blueprints last night like she was supposed to, but she just wasn’t in the mood for being sociable. Well, she’d pay for it now she realized with a sigh as she rang the bell rather than using the house key.
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