by Devon Ashley
It was easier to push him off this time since he cracked up with laughter. I put my hands up in a defensive manner, swatting back his when they tried to latch on again. “You can’t even laugh quietly,” I accused with a hushed voice.
“Alright, fine. But I’m still stripping ‘cause it’s too hot in here for clothes.”
He didn’t wait for any acknowledgement from me because he was determined to get naked no matter what. And I had to admit, once the shirt did a disappearing act, I kind of had a hard time finding a reason to object. I sat there on my knees, hands propped up on my hips, watching the strip down, the full moon offering just enough light to enjoy the show. He laid down on his back and kicked off his shoes, then I stared as every muscle in his abdomen stretched and contracted as he removed his shorts. With nothing but a pair of dark fitted boxer briefs, he sat up and reached out for me.
My body was slow to move forward since it was my knees that had to react and not my feet, but my mind seemed to have no objection to straddling myself around the hips of this incredibly sexy, muscular man. Hands slid their way down my back, pressing our hips tightly together. My arms pushed upward so I could palm both sides of his face, which had already begun to stubble for the night. His eyes sparkled in the moon light, his grin slowly growing as we watched each other, the tips of our noses close enough to touch.
“Hi,” he said softly.
“Hi.” Now I smiled. I let him get in a few succulent kisses before saying, “I’m serious about the sex, Brady.”
“I know,” he replied, his mouth moving to nibble along my jaw, and by the way he said it, he knew I was serious.
But I had to tease him just a little, because I preferred him light and carefree to serious. “Yeah? Then why are you ready to push in?” I asked, feeling his length harden and swell as it pressed against my thigh.
With a hint of laughter in his voice, he quietly said by my ear, “Because I’m a twenty-three year old guy and there’s a hot chick pressing the entrance to Wonderland against my dick.
“Don’t worry,” he added between love bites, “I can be good.”
He might’ve said he’d behave, but his hands became more active, his kisses a little deeper. And the way I lifted to press my body harder against his wasn’t going to convince him to slow down any. I had just looped my arms all the way around his neck when he completely spun us, reversing our positions. Flat on my back, he hovered over me, using both arms and legs to trap me in. As we gently kissed for a few minutes and our hands slowly scoped the other out, my heart began to quicken, my insides awakening as sparks of electricity shivered their way through my body. And my thighs kept inching upward, my hips aching to allow him just a little bit closer.
I guessed a little fooling around couldn’t hurt, right?
I was so lost in the moment that I hadn’t even noticed that his hand had slipped beneath my shirt, slowly palming its way upward, but hell if I was going to stop it either. But sadly, nothing he was doing was making me truly rev up for take-off. The heat of the night was too strong, had me too relaxed, and I still wanted nothing more than to pass out.
Out of nowhere a body stomped over dead leaves as it passed by, shocking me awake once more. I could hear Lis mutter, “Un-fucking-believable,” before she left the campsite. Brady and I both froze, our eyes angled toward the mild commotion as Owen fell into step behind her, quickly moving to catch up.
Brady groaned, temporarily dropping his forehead against my shoulder before collapsing on the blanket beside me. “One night. Just one night where they don’t end up fighting over something.”
I sighed gently and closed my eyes. “Some couples find comfort in ritual.” Even dumb ones.
I could sense his attention focus on me and I hoped he wasn’t seeking clarification, because I had no idea why I said that.
“You want to have a nightly ritual with me, I’m all for it,” he said suggestively. “But shoot me if we ever get to the point of just arguing for argument’s sake.”
I made a noncommittal noise in my throat before rolling over to settle over his chest. The rhythmic up and down motion of his lungs was soothing, but the night was sweltering. Seriously. Whose idea was it to camp in the dead heat of summer? I groaned and mumbled, “Too hot,” as I pulled the t-shirt off my heated skin.
“Here. Let me get this.” He shuffled around past our feet, where our bags were tossed. A few seconds later he pulled back and placed something to the side of me, a whirring noise taking flight in the air. A breeze suddenly hit my face. I smacked the front of his shoulder with the back of my hand. “You had that the whole time?!” I scolded in a hushed tone.
He chuckled and pulled me back down with him. “I’m a guy. I wanted you hot and naked. Sue me.”
We couldn’t have been lying there for more than five minutes when Owen and Lis came thundering back into the campsite. Owen was at least making an effort to keep it down, but Lis still wasn’t. When he tried to shush her, she cried out, “Oh, would you stop it? It’s not like they don’t all know!”
Owen muttered something under his breath. I couldn’t figure out what, but it was enough to keep annoying Lis. “Yeah? Well I’m tired of this bullshit too. Sayonara, asshole!”
I don’t know who sighed heavier. Owen or Brady, who was now crawling out from under me. I followed his lead and put on my clothing as Owen called out, “Don’t go out there by yourself!” though by the sound of it, he didn’t make a move to follow her this time.
Brady unzipped the tent and I followed him out. Lis was already gone, leaving Owen just standing there with his head dropped back, eyes shooting straight for the sky.
“Where’d she go?” Brady asked quietly. Everyone else stayed put in their tents, but I’d be surprised if any of them were still asleep after that.
“Off that way,” he said miserably, pointing to the right of me. I could still hear her footsteps crunching in the forest.
“I’ll go,” I offered, snatching a flash light.
“Don’t go far,” Brady plead. “You don’t know the woods.”
“Okay,” I called over my shoulder, running to catch up. “Lis!” I called out.
Tiredly, I heard her whine, “Over here.”
She paused long enough to wait for me, but began her stride again the moment I caught up. The moon lit up the forest surprisingly well, giving her pale skin the milkiest of glows, which was a sharp contrast to her long, darkened hair. “Where are we going?”
I turned to estimate how far we’d come, but I had already lost track of our campsite. I guessed so long as we kept a straight line, we’d be able to get back easily enough.
“I don’t know. Just away.”
I let her keep going for a few more minutes before I insisted we stop. I didn’t mind Lis getting some distance to cool off, but I didn’t want to be so far away from Brady that we couldn’t hear one another if we called out.
Lis sighed and sat down to lean her back against one of the larger trees. I moved to join her, our shoulders lightly brushing. I hadn’t even noticed until now, but Lis had a glass bottle in her hand. She unscrewed the cap and took a swig. After releasing a long breath, her arm swung my way to offer it to me. It didn’t even matter what it was, I shook my head and quietly said, “No, thanks.
“You want to talk about it?” I offered.
Her head lolled slowly back and forth, but after the fourth pass, she spoke. “Same ole fight, different night.”
“What’s the fight?”
She took another swig, taking her time getting to it. “Leaving.”
“Each other?” I asked, recalling how the two of them went on about being tired of something.
She lightly chuckled, and I could already tell she was feeling her buzz. “Campbellsville. I’ve been trying to get him out of here forever.”
“You don’t like it here?”
“Fuck no!” she spat. “I’ve been here way too long already. And Owen…” she trailed off, taking a long sip as she gazed
through the trees in front of us, which directly faced where we came from. No one had followed after us yet. “Don’t get me wrong. I love Owen. We’ve been together for five years now. But ever since his Mom died, he’s become a complete recluse. He used to want to go out, do things, see things. Now all he ever does is stay in that barn of his and whittle away. Which I totally get because he’s so good at it, but seriously… It’s like he’s hiding from something. Like he’s afraid to live anymore. I thought…
“I thought that if I could get him out of this town and away from all the ghosts, he’d be the same old Owen again, you know?” I nodded, because at the very least I did remember Owen from when we were young teens, and he had been more outgoing back then. He sure as hell laughed a lot more. “He’s not happy here, but he stays put because of Brady.”
“Brady?” I repeated, my voice cutting sharply. “What he’s got to do with this?”
She angled my way. Her words were getting slower, her eyes and voice more dreary as the alcohol really settled in. Didn’t keep Lis from sipping more though, like she wasn’t numb enough yet. “They’re just two brothers trying desperately to hold on to one another, because they’re all they have left, but for some reason they think they need to stay here to remain close.” She sighed heavily. “Which would be fine if this fucking town didn’t make Owen so miserable. Brady was miserable once they lost both their parents too, but he found a way to come back from it. I don’t know what to do anymore. I just want to leave already.”
We sat there in silence for a bit. I’d always thought Owen was somewhat of a homebody, so it didn’t surprise me that he preferred to stay in the family home. Hell, here in Campbellsville he probably had a home and land that was already paid for, a barn to do the work he loved, friends who still hadn’t left town and a brother going to school locally who wanted to create a business with him. Owen might’ve been sad, but I was sure some of this had to make him happy in his own way. I just didn’t get why he and Lis were clashing over it so much. Something was missing from this story, but I didn’t want to pry and get wrapped up in all the drama, so I just let Lis keep sipping away at her bottle.
Several minutes later I heard twigs cracking beneath heavy feet and the soft voices of two guys, who I knew would turn out to be Brady and Owen. When they got a little closer, I called out, “Over here,” and waited for them to reach us. Lis seemed good and numb now, so she didn’t seem bothered that they were coming. They both looked as tired as I felt, particularly Owen, who could barely twitch his lips into a smile when our eyes met briefly.
In the dark the two brothers seemed so much alike.
Brady reached out for me. Before taking his hand, I asked Lis if she was good. She lazily nodded she was, so I let him pull me to my feet. Owen quietly said his thanks, then awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, unable to look me in the eye. We left them behind to figure out their mess, and as Brady walked me back to our tent, I couldn’t help but wonder if Brady was only choosing to stay in this town because his brother needed him, and if he’d end up just as miserable down the road because of it.
Owen and Lis kept at it most the night. Well, Lis kept at it. I hardly heard two peeps out of Owen. If he was anything like the guy I once knew, it had to be driving him nuts that she couldn’t keep their issues quietly to themselves. And obviously he cared for her if he hadn’t sent her loud, overdramatic ass packing.
By four AM I was beginning to understand why all the others seemed frustrated with her all the time. Five years of this probably would’ve driven me up the wall too. She just seemed incapable of letting anything go. Even temporarily for the sake of others.
Needless to say, we were all pretty grumpy by sunrise. No one really had the energy to pull camp and go home early, but no one wanted to lie around in the heat all day babysitting the grumpy energy-sucker either, so we chose the saner option and were back in the cars by seven-thirty.
Only one person seemed to complain the whole time. And oddly enough, she didn’t seem to quite grasp the reason we were bailing a day early on the trip. A little too self-involved, that one.
Brady had me in my driveway within the hour and helped me carry my things in quietly through the back door. I tried to turn off the alarm, but it had already been deactivated. Weird. He laid my bag down on the island counter, then embraced me, leaning his forehead against mine.
“I am so tired,” he mumbled.
“Me too.”
“You know, we could slip out of here and I could drive you over to my place. Louise isn’t expecting you back until tomorrow.”
I was almost too exhausted to smile. “We could, but out of both our places, yours is the most likely place Lis could show up and ruin it.”
Brady groaned and lifted his head, bringing me in closer. “Now I just want to crash in your bed for the next twenty-four hours.”
“Not a chance lover boy. Nana would not approve.”
After a momentary pause, he said, “I don’t think Nana has room to talk.”
Confused, I lifted my head. He was fixated on something behind me, and when I turned to see, my eyes widened in disbelief. Through the door, on the far side of the shop, stood Nana and an older gentleman I’d never met, smiling and whispering what appeared to be sweet nothings.
“What?” I asked with disbelief, observing Nana was still in her long nightgown.
When Nana began kissing him, Brady was quick to let go and say, “Gotta go.”
“Hey!” I called with a hushed voice. “You get back here!”
“Not a chance,” he replied, a huge grin plastered across his face as he snuck out the back door.
I shook my head and muttered, “Traitor,” under my breath. Guess I now knew why the alarm was already off. I threw my backpack over my shoulder, suddenly feeling determined and energetic. The moment her guest had left and she had the door locked, I stepped into the shop and yelled, “Nana!”
She jumped and threw her hand over her heart, her eyes startled long after spotting me.
“Tessie! What are you doing sneaking up on me like that?”
“What am I doing? And speaking of sneaking, what are you doing? Who was that?”
Nana composed herself before heading for the stairs. “Just a friend.”
“A friend?” I repeated, but with an accusatory tone. “Do all your friends stay overnight?”
“Nope,” she replied as she passed. As she headed up the stairs, she added, “Just the ones good in bed.”
“Nana!” I exclaimed again.
“And for the record, if you hadn’t spent most of your nights sneaking off to stay with Brady, you might’ve bumped into Clarence by now.”
That stunned me for a moment. How often did this guy sleep over? How many times did I sneak back in just to miss this Clarence guy heading out?
I hurried up the stairs after her. She was already at the coffee pot, pouring herself what I assumed was a refill since Clarence’s cup was there on the counter too.
“Okay. In all fairness, I’m in a relationship with Brady.”
“Are you?” she asked with quizzical brows.
Weren’t we? I mean, we hadn’t defined anything, but we were with each other all the time now. And Nana was right…I did spend most of my evenings sneaking off to sleep with him. “Ye-ah,” I blurted awkwardly.
“Well. Good. And here I thought you were accusing me of doing the exact same thing you were doing.”
I dumbly stood there a moment with my hands to my hips, staring off to the side. Inside my pocket my cell phone chimed.
“Saved by the bell,” Nana said, giving me the eye.
I pulled it out to check because I did need saving at the moment. Once again it was my mom. Where RU? Talk to me.
No way I was going to deal with her right now. Or ever, if possible. And it wasn’t like it took a genius to figure out where I came for the summer if I wasn’t talking to her. I pocketed my phone again. Nana was already opening the refrigerator, digging around inside it.<
br />
“You want eggs?” she asked, her accusatory tone gone.
“Scrambled?”
“With cheese, I know.”
I poured a cup of java for myself and went digging for the pans we used to make bacon and eggs. “So who’s Clarence?” I asked innocently.
With a smile, Nana replied, “I met him at one of the VA socials. Kind man. You’d like him. He lost his wife a few years ago. Has two girls all grown up with grandkids a little younger than you. He works at an accounting firm but he’ll be retiring in a few years.”
“Can I meet him?” I asked, lighting the two burners. After a moment of clarity, I refined my question. “Should I meet him? I mean, what is he to you?”
With an amused look that usually went to Rose or Helen, she smarted, “Do you mean to ask if he’s just an amusement ride?”
I pressed my lips tightly together and hoped my cheeks didn’t start flushing. She clearly was trying to get a shocked reaction out of me. And she was successful. This wasn’t the kind of conversation I ever expected to have with Nana. Nor did I want to know all the deets of the special nighttime buddy who kept her warm.
“Yes, Tessie, you can meet him. We’re dating in a sense, but we’re not bound. We’re just happy keeping company.”
“Okay,” I said as I released my held breath. “Maybe we can go out for dinner some night.” Or drinks. A slight buzz might be a good thing that night.
“Well that would be lovely,” she said in normal Nana fashion.
I huffed silently to myself. “Lovely, yes. Proper word there,” I smarted. She looked at me curiously between breaking eggs. “So tell me, my sweet well-behaved grandma. This amusement ride. Can he go ‘round and ‘round, or does he need gravity to help him complete the pass?”
It was nice to see the look of shock on her face for once. Priceless.
I smiled behind my coffee cup. I could play this game, too.
When the wind chime played its sweet melody, I automatically called out, “Hello!” before I even lifted my head up to see who it was. My smile grew so wide you’d think an invisible hanger was jammed inside it.
