His Sweetest Song

by Victoria H. Smith

  Squeezing my shoulder, the mayor handed me a plaque, which he instructed to the press would be placed inside the home for all to see. The photographers in bounds, they took pictures with the two of us, the plaque the forefront. The sun high today, half the town was here, many people I got to call friends amongst those pleasant faces. They whistled for me, throwing their hands up and clapping. All this meant something to them.

  I knew the feeling.

  Laughing, the glee overwhelming, I stepped back, taking it all in. After a pat, the mayor left me and I was on my own for the questions about the property and my plans for it. They came in droves, but I answered every one. I told them I was still in talks, which was true, but in the end, the home and my aunt’s land would be priority.

  After they were done with me, I was rightly out of breath, and then came Ava, her arms thrown around me.

  “Oh my gosh, how are you dealing?” she asked, laughing a little. She brought a few of our friends with her, local guys. I’d come to know Ava definitely as a tomboy. I seemed to be the only one she made an exception for.

  I shook my head. “It’s a lot,” I told her, placing the plaque under my arm. She wanted to see it, so I pulled it out for her.

  Her expression changed after seeing it, softening before staring up at me.

  “She’d be proud,” she said. She said that a lot. I knew my aunt Jo would be. I hoped I could do something for her and this amazing town I suddenly saw myself a part of. It was the least I could do after she gave me such a gift.

  Squeezing my arm, Ava stood back.

  “So now that’s done, we drink,” she said, conferring with her friends. “We’re going to Brown & Hobs and I’m buying.”

  Brown & Hobs was the town’s hotspot outside of the bar Ava worked at, a place where drinking, eating, and dancing were the standard fare. But it hadn’t just been any drinking and dancing.

  This girl—i.e. me—had actually added line dancing to her arsenal and no one had been more surprised than myself. It wasn’t my favorite pastime, something I’d only done a handful of times in the past few months, but I always enjoyed myself when there.

  I told her no problem, but I had to ask Gray first. I lost him sometime between the beginning of the speech and the end, not surprised. He was a pretty good sport when it came to being around people. He often joined me in my ventures out with Ava and friends, but literally half the town and more had been here today, something I knew would put him completely out of his element.

  I was coming to learn a lot about him, how he flowed and how he worked. He was different, but then again, maybe everyone else was. He had a good heart, a good soul, and his kindness battled the unusual. He was an amazing human being, man or otherwise.

  I could go on about him all day.

  And would most days if he let me, if Ava let me. As it turned out Ava knew exactly where Gray had escaped to, on the other side of the house with the rest of the wallflowers I imagined.

  I went over after hugging Ava goodbye, figuring he wouldn’t be hard to find with his size. I knew exactly who I was looking for, his distressed jeans and crisp white t-shirt the standard with him. He dressed up a little today by wearing a collared shirt and I looked for that toward the front of the house. I found a few friends, more smiling faces of the city. They’d been enjoying the refreshment table in the front, but no Gray.

  Hands coming down my shoulders told of his location, his thick fingers embedding deeply into my skin. A daisy pushing in front of my eyes, he used a free arm to crane around me, his lips pushing a smile into my neck.

  “Congratulations,” he said, pulling away and I got that daisy in my face when he presented it with a bow of his head.

  I took it like it was the most valued treasure, smiling as I kissed it against my lips before bringing an arm around his broad frame.

  He didn’t have to say anything about where he’d been or why he’d gone. It didn’t matter. He was here now.

  After pinching my lips between his, he pulled back at the call of his name, but it hadn’t been me who said, “Dad.”

  A light shown around a perfect ponytail drawn back with a few braids decorating the sides. She’d let me do her hair today. I’d do it every day if the girl calmed down enough to do such a thing. She was always running around.

  She was always laughing.

  An excited and jubilant, “Dad!” Laura tossed in her father’s direction once more, pressing her face into his side before throwing an arm around me too. I’d never get enough of this girl’s hugs.

  I used to wish, once upon a time, that I’d been there the very first time. I wanted to enjoy the moment of hearing her voice, but that hadn’t been for me. The moment had been between a father and daughter, a long time coming for them, and me, I got the best of both worlds. I got the glee and excitement of it all after.

  Her joy heavily displayed today. She let go of me and tugged on her dad’s t-shirt.

  “Slow down,” Gray said, his child literally lunging at him. It made him smile, smile in the most desperately handsome way. His hand on the back of her head, he dipped a chin down at her, his kid’s words a mile a minute now that she’d found them. I deciphered her asking to go to her friend’s house, a lot of friends she’d made over these past few months since attending school. It was slow at first and only one friend at a time. It took some time for her to brave and no one rushed her.

  Gray’s Laura wasn’t to be rushed.

  She was like her father in that way, comfortable with change if only not pushed. I learned so much since being around both of them, blessed to be able to.

  Laura went on about going to her friend’s house and eventually, Gray’s lips turned down at her.

  “And what does Jasmine’s mom have to say about that?” he asked her, rubbing the back of her head. He’d referred to her friend who’d come to be her best friend over time. She also happened to be Jolene’s niece, the first one she initially shared her beautiful spirit with.

  “She, she, she, her mom said she didn’t care,” she spouted, jumping and tugging on his shirt still. Again, she had so many words and excitement bubbled up within her she couldn’t seem to express them fast enough for her newfound voice to catch up with. She grinned. “She said she didn’t care even though it was a school night.”

  “I highly doubt that,” Gray exclaimed, tugging on one of her braids. He smiled. “She really didn’t care?”

  “No, no. She didn’t. Can I go, please? I’ll be back before dinner.”

  “Oh, I know you’ll be,” he said, coming down to her. He grabbed her shoulders, shaking her playfully and I knew his answer. They’d been the same answer every time she asked something from him, every time she needed something.

  And I think it made him just as happy to say yes as it did for her to hear it.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Gray

  She was wild today, which excited me, but I’d never admit that to her. We’d had a picnic down at the lake since we’d been Laura-free today, the spot we picked far enough to drive to. Alicia had wanted to explore, see all of what Josephine’s land really consisted of which I showed her. It’d been after all the fanfare and away from all the press that seemed to constantly be around these days. As the project of Josephine’s home gained toward completion and word about the plans for the development got out more and more people seemed to be stopping by. They were excited for it, the town more than.

  It’d been a whirlwind, but we’d made it, a house, a story I’d been proud to be a part of. I got everything out of it in which I intended. I honored a woman who had been so good to me and my family.

  I also got something else.

  Alicia ran from the lake and in the general direction of my truck, picnic basket thrown over her arm. Out of breath, she sprinted from me, but I honestly could have caught up to her in maybe a stride and a half if I tried. My legs were quite extensive compared to hers, and in her short dress and sandals, she wasn’t gaining a lot of traction on the
sand and then later through the woods, as she headed out toward my truck parked just off the side of the road. The one handicap I had was the rest of our picnic gear, but that really hadn’t been a handicap at all. I could have easily caught her, a finger brush, then grab away.

  I just liked chasing her.

  I enjoyed the chase of her, a constant game I’d been playing in so many months. I didn’t know my life without that game, without her heavily embedded in all aspects of my wonderful life.

  Gaining on her, she’d reached my truck, spinning around and the bell of her dress whipping in the wind and exposing her beautiful brown legs. Dropping our stuff to the ground, I wanted to see more of them, bunching up her dress and pressing my mouths to hers. She teased me though, not making that easy. Dropping our picnic basket, she threw her arms around my neck, backing us both into my truck with a slam, tossing her hips up against me and spreading her legs. Her sweet heat between us, she rubbed steadfast against my jeans and I pressed a hand against my truck.

  “Alicia…” I groaned, her hands exploring, undoing my pants. “Alicia, no.”

  I wasn’t as adventurous as her. She’d kept her hands to herself for the most part at the lake, mostly because I believed she’d been afraid one of the people down at her house would somehow make their way to where we’d been. I knew there really hadn’t been any possibility of that considering how far away we’d gotten, but I let her believe the fact. If I hadn’t, she’d be doing what she was now.

  Testing my resolving in the worst way.

  Mouth parting on mine, she eased my cock out of my jeans, massaging me and guiding me to pump into her hand. The stimulation was something I could easily give into, her hands like fire and the space between her legs just as tempting to fill. Enraptured, I took over her lips, nibbling and bruising them between my teeth. Eventually, her hand left me and went to the skirt of her dress and the moment her arousal hit the air I was done for.

  I was giving into her.

  Opening the door of my truck, I pulled her to me, her body trembling and my hardened cock against her back. I rocked my hips, pushing the door wide then guiding her forward. Bent over my seat, I shoved her dress above her ass, her supple bottom exposed when I tugged her panties down.

  She made me this way, insatiable for her. Her honeyed flesh pooled between the spaces of my fingers when I gripped her tight flesh, a mew sound eased from her lips.

  Corkscrewing her hips, she rubbed her sweet pussy against my seat, trying to get some relief I imagine, but if I wasn’t getting any she wasn’t.

  I created a barrier between my seat and her mound with my hand, bracing the warmth and thrusting forward a little. I watched my cock smooth between the slit in her backside, my pre-cum on her ass and sliding between her cheeks. She called my name when I did that, a soft and aroused, “Gray,” which toyed at my soul. I wanted to tear into her, ease myself inside and claim her until she was mine, until she knew she was mine. So many things were up in the air with us, time, distance, and space were all ultimately against us. The topics had been something we never discussed because neither of us had the answers. We just had this, Gray and Alicia.

  We got this.

  Sliding on a condom, I eased her legs apart with a tap of my boot to each of her ankles, the protection something I’d invested in. We hadn’t had unprotected sex since our first time together, my error, and even though she’d said we were okay I wanted to make sure of that. It wasn’t because I didn’t want another child. I just didn’t want to leave her vulnerable, the possibility of having a child placed only on her when I was in this too. We were two people and shared responsibility.

  I loved her.

  And I told her that at the first fill, easing up and burying myself inside her. Being cautious of my weight, I pressed my body on hers, gripping her hip while I got good traction by placing my boot on the step of my truck. Getting a rhythm, I tunneled in, my hips slapping against her bottom and creating the most beautiful, audible arrangement amongst that of the nature and trees.

  She grabbed my hand while I slammed into her, holding it to her hip.

  “I love you, Gray,” she said. “I love you,” and I came. I came so hard inside her I felt it in my toes, my balls drawing up and my core tight with the release.

  I filled the condom, her, and enjoyed the high of feeling her pulse around me as her pussy pulled me in. She gave in right after I did and I watched her, held her through each gorgeous second. After she finished, I smiled into her back, kissing the warm brown skin above her bottom.

  “I can’t believe you got me to do that,” I said, laughing against her skin. I drew my tongue down her back, and when she pressed her bottom into me, I knew something else.

  She was about to make me do it again.

  So many times this woman got me to go outside of myself, to change and each time had been a welcomed relief.

  I watched her change too; free herself in the ways she hadn’t been upon coming to this town. Alicia was the type of class to see me on the street not even a year ago and pass on a glance my way, no time for her or her attention. She was a woman of the world, myself far from.

  But she was with me now, here and now, her beautiful breasts bouncing above me while her hips tightened down below.

  I eased the straps of her dress and bra down, wanting to see her completely as she rode me in my truck. My hands on her breasts, I massaged, her nipples dark and dimpled between my fingers.

  I pulled, tweaked, and sucked each one, her lips calling my name, her hand on the back of my head.

  “Gray, Gray, Gray.”

  That meant she was close, her hand coming down to grip my frame. Her fingers created a white heat in my side, my abs tightening and pulsating with her hand beneath my shirt.

  Guiding my hands to her thighs, I drove up, my boots securing themselves to the floor while I thrust my hips. Her hands instinctually went up to the top of the truck’s cabin, the space tight, but big enough.

  My thighs slapped her, hard hits, which burned with every retreat. I could imagine it was the same for her, a call from her throat with every retreat. Eventually, our labor exhausted us and I saw it on her face the moment it happened.

  I brought my hand to her cheek at the very instance, wanting to feel her beneath my fingers when I brought them down her mouth. She was so soft, so perfect in every way. I had no right to be with this woman and only in this universe would it work.

  But I took it. I fucked her. I loved her with my entire being.

  I cleaned her up right after, knowing we wouldn’t have a lot of time to just be together. We’d been out all afternoon, reality and obligations coming back to us.

  I held Alicia in my arms in my favorite way, her nestled on top of me, my truck door still open and allowing her feet to hang freely. She lost her shoes at some point. I hadn’t been surprised I guess.

  Using a few strands of her hair, I stroked her cheek, watching her eyes and a little noise left her lips in response to my touch. I could watch her all day like this. I did watch her on a lot of fortunate nights.

  “Everyone seemed to enjoy today,” I told her after awhile, her eyes opening on me with a smile. I smiled back, cupping her face. “I think you made the town really happy.”

  We’d seen literally everyone there in a matter of weeks, people stopping by to wish their warm regards and give their blessings.

  It was little things like that… thought for people and the place they called home that meant something to them. Alicia and I both were foreign to this place, but she thought about them, their town.

  Her eyes creasing in the corners, she tilted her head at me.

  “You think I made her happy?” she asked after a while. She cupped my hand on her cheek. “That’s what I want.”

  Leaning forward, I kissed her nose, enjoying her scent and feminine heat.

  “I know you have,” I told her. “She would have loved this. She would have loved this so much.”

  Josephine loved her house
and to know, at least in all this inheritance business with Alicia and everything else, that this element, in it would be preserved a huge blessing. Alicia didn’t have to do any of this, the woman basically a stranger to her.

  But she had and did so graciously, using her own money at that too from what I understood.

  I had no idea her future plans for everything and, basically, had put all hopes aside. I had no hopes.

  Mostly because I didn’t know what I wanted either.

  “Do you know what you’re going to do? With the rest of the property I mean?” I actually asked her, questions so forbidden before. Truth be told, I didn’t want the answer with every passing day because each one meant the possibility of her leaving.

  Her expression changed with the questions, her shoulders shrugged, and she brought a shawl she’d taken with us up and over her shoulders.

  “More and more offers for me to sell have come,” she admitted. “With the press and everything you know.”

  I did know, clasping her hand. I could imagine the land was a hot commodity. Especially with the revisions.

  Nodding, I let her know I understood, playing with the material of her dress on my lap.

  I didn’t know what to say to her. I didn’t know if I could say anything when it came to whatever decision she was trying to make. When she started this project, I’d gone in myself with a finality, this town in my rearview mirror once the development of this property and my duty to a kind woman named Josephine ultimately fulfilled.

  But with each passing day, each laugh, each moment experienced in this town not just with Alicia, but my daughter…

  It was hard not to deny the power of this place and what it was starting to mean for my family. We’d found something here.

  We had security finally.

  I was tired of running. I was tired of fighting for something I already had. I hated moving my daughter to a new town every time I felt we’d been there too long. I hated uprooting and changing our lives due to mistakes I’d made in the past. I was tired of worrying about the if. If something would happen if we stayed somewhere too long.