by Bijou Hunter
“Yes, ma’am.”
After I find a shirt for Journey, she walks into the bathroom, and I heard her talking on the phone. Her family likely wants her to ditch me and find someone capable of giving her what she needs. If she were my sister, I’d say, “Dump the queef and find a real man.”
Waiting for her on the couch, I watch a football game while googling the word “queef.” I don’t know if realizing I’ve been called a vaginal fart helps or hurts me. No doubt Journey could have labeled me worse.
Joining me on the couch, Journey takes my hand in hers. Her gaze is on the TV, but her mind is on my fuck ups. I feel her judging me. This is a woman who wants what she wants, and I’m making her weak for giving less than she needs.
Journey shifts her body on the couch and straddles me. Her hands press against my chest before she rests her head on my bare shoulder. I shiver at the feel of her warm breath against my chilled skin. Not knowing what she wants me to do, I wrap my arms around her and refuse to let go.
Her lips skim my throat first, followed by a lick of her tongue. My entire body wakes up from the drunken stupor. My fingers grip her shirt while my cock becomes painfully hard from only her teasing.
“Journey,” I whisper.
When she lifts her head and looks in my eyes, I see my future in her gaze. I can have everything I need if only I’ll get my shit together. Our lips meet as my fingers slide under her shirt to explore her bare flesh. The thought of her warming pussy only a layer of jeans from reuniting my cock makes me sober up quickly.
I pull the shirt over her head and watch her hair cascade around her shoulders. The liquor makes everything a little surreal, but I know for a fact that this is the most beautiful woman to walk the face of the earth. No others even get close.
My hands guide Journey’s hips upward, so I can devour one of her nipples while yanking down my jeans and boxers. I’m lucky I don’t injure myself from moving so fast, but I need to feel the inside of her body.
Entering her with a hard thrust, I finally exhale. I swear Journey’s been holding her breath too. She’s the picture of relief as her hot flesh slides up and down my shaft.
I lick my fingers before plucking at her hard round nipples. She moans, moving faster. I can’t believe how quickly she’s ready to come. I wonder if she walked into the house aroused and wanting to fuck. A little part of me wanted to tear off her clothes the moment I heard her at the door. Her flushed cheeks and enraged eyes made my cock twitch even when the booze soothed the rest of me.
Now my cock relishes the way her hot muscles tense around it. An orgasm makes Journey bounce wildly on my lap. When my fingers reach for her clit and give it a little possessive pinch, she cries out in pain and ecstasy. I watch her come and know I won’t last much longer.
My erection can only hold on long enough for her orgasm to subside. Then I thrust upward into her soaking wet pussy. She moves with me, faster and harder until my balls let loose with what feels like a lifetime of pent-up need.
Journey bites my lower lip while her pussy sucks up every drop my cock offers. Her gorgeous face wears a mask of determination. We both know fucking won’t fix what’s wrong between us, but it certainly can’t hurt.
35 Snake Charmers
Journey
Late in the afternoon, I detect the sound of Jared’s bike long before he turns onto our long driveway. I’m pretty proud of my ability to tell the difference between his and Court’s Harleys. Christine can likely tell the differences too because she tends to get busy with cleaning whenever Jared shows up.
I walk out to the porch with Justice right behind me. We watch our dad turn off the rumbling machine and give us a friendly smile. I sense he wants something because his smile last for just a little too long.
“What’s up?” I ask when he doesn’t speak up.
“I’m here to talk to your mom.”
“Come inside and take a load off,” Justice says instantly. “Journey is cooking, so you know dinner will rock.”
“Ignore her. She’s kissing up to me today.”
Jared rubs his head, and I wonder what he’s up to now. “I need to talk to Christine alone out here.”
“Naw, I don’t see that happening,” Poppy says, joining us outside. “We don’t know your intentions.”
“What’s this about?” I ask. “Are you mad at her? I can tell you she isn’t in the mood for your crap.”
“Will you just get Christine?” Jared says, gritting his teeth.
“No,” Poppy says, placing her hands on her hips. “I just don’t see that happening at all.”
“Christine!” he calls out.
“She’s not here,” Poppy says, standing in front of the door. “She moved. Ran off with a washed up tennis player. I hear they moved to the Poconos.”
“What’s going on?” Christine asks while struggling to open the door with Poppy in the way.
“He’s up to no good, Mom! Run for it while I hold him off!”
After a short wrestling match to move Poppy, I get the door open enough for Christine to slip out.
“You’re weird,” I tell my sister.
Poppy points at Jared. “You heard her. Get going, trouble maker.”
“You need to decrease her sugar intake,” Jared tells me as if I’m her mom.
“Don’t tell her what to do,” Poppy mutters. “Troublemaker.”
Christine shushes Poppy before asking, “What’s going on, Jared?”
“Can I talk to you alone?”
“No,” Poppy says.
“Inside,” Christine orders, snapping her fingers and pointing at the door. “You heard me, Pauline.”
“Fine, but I plan to stand inside and listen to the entire conversation.”
“Do what you need to do but do it off the porch.”
Justice and I shuffle inside with Poppy before standing at the window and peering out at Jared.
“Is something wrong?” Christine asks, trying and failing to sound casual.
“No, not at all. I wanted to ask you a question without the girls under foot.”
“Troublemaker,” Poppy whispers.
“I’m sorry your dad sucks,” Justice whispers back. “I assume that’s why you get so bitchy about my awesome dad, right?”
“Yeah, basically. Thanks for noticing.”
We share a smile and then watch Jared shuffle his feet in the dirt.
“What’s the question?” Christine pushes when he falls silent.
“I thought we could have dinner this weekend.”
“Do you mean come to the house for dinner?”
“No, I want to take you out for dinner.”
“As friends and co-parents?”
Justice snorts and whispers, “Co-parents. How old does she think we are?”
Christine fiddles with her dish rag while Jared finally gets up the courage to take a fricking step closer.
“I’m asking you on a date, Christine.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that.”
“You’re not dating anyone. I’m not dating anyone. Aren’t you curious how things might be if we dated now?”
Christine tries to act disinterested. I know that’s the look she’s going for with her facial expression. Except she also pulls a classic flirty girl move by twirling a lock of her blonde hair.
“I guess it wouldn’t hurt. You don’t think it would, do you?”
“We barely talk now. Can’t imagine how we could foul things up more than we already have. Let’s give ourselves a fresh start and see how it goes.”
Christine wants to say yes, but she’s stupid when it comes to Jared. Unsure if agreeing is the right move, she glances back at the house where we stand behind the closed shades. My hand snakes around the blinds to give her a thumbs-up.
Smiling now, Christine nods. “Sure. When?”
Jared exhales loudly, relieved like a school boy asking a girl to the dance. They make plans for a simple dinner at Rolling Roni’s Ribs. Justice lets out a lit
tle squeak when she hears their destination.
“That’s where Court took me on our first date.”
“No one cares,” Poppy says.
“I care,” Justice mumbles. “That was what the squeaking was about.”
“Oh, I thought you were passing weird gas.”
“Look at the lovebirds out there,” I say, watching my parents rather than the feuding siblings.
Jared and Christine finally stop their flirting long enough for him to drive off. My mother flees inside, ready to gossip with me. She wants to pick out what to wear and how she should wear her hair. Soon, Justice, Poppy, and Matilda join us in Christine’s bedroom where we play Pretty Woman montages with her outfits.
36 Snake Charmers
Donovan
Harley on my quiet, family oriented street usually means Court is once again breaking his desire to stay off the radar. Ever since he married Justice Sheerer, he cares less about appearances. I don’t blame him, but I also worry too much attention to our relationship could put both of us in jeopardy.
I open my front door to find someone besides Court parking at the curb. For nearly a minute, I struggle to connect his face to a name.
Jared Sheerer.
Well, my hope of staying off the sheriff’s radar is in the shitter now.
“Cop,” Jared says, approaching my door.
“Biker,” I reply and then add, “Or should I call you Girlfriend’s Father?”
“Jared will do. Let me come inside. I’d hate to make this awkward by shoving my way in.”
I step back so Jared can enter the house. Kitty sniffs him, uncertain about our guest. The dog isn’t a fan of guests except for Journey, whose lap he confiscated weeks ago.
“Want a beer?”
“No, I’m picking up Poppy from school today.”
“How did you get that shit job?” I ask, walking into my kitchen.
“She called and asked to be driven home. I told her to call someone else. She hung up and then called back two minutes later claiming to have asked everyone in the entire universe, and I was the only one available. I figured she wouldn’t have asked if she wasn’t desperate.”
“Probably not. I’m assuming you’re here to talk about Journey.”
“Yeah,” he says, pulling at his leather jacket and trying not to seem at all uncomfortable with this visit. “You’ve managed to wrap my daughter around your pinkie finger.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“She puts up with your shit. No way would Journey do that unless you had her under your spell. Well, unless maybe you were blackmailing her. I figure if that was the case that she’d signal for help by now.”
“Can’t imagine anyone wanting to blackmail a woman looking for reasons to punch people, but I’ve met some seriously stupid people in life.”
“Me too. I’m wondering if you’re one of them.”
Leaning against the fridge, I cross my arms. “Stupid for loving Journey or stupid for not knowing how to close the deal?”
“No man would be stupid for loving my daughter. She’s beautiful, smart, loyal, and a good cook. Doesn’t hurt that she has a mean right hook.”
“So we’re agreed Journey isn’t the problem. I don’t know what to tell you about me. I get skittishly like a spooked cat when I think of making things official, but riled up like a pissed bear when I think of letting her go.”
After scratching at his jaw, Jared points at me. “You know I ran with your dad. He couldn’t commit to anything either.”
“I doubt that was his greatest flaw. Besides, he did commit to the club.”
“Not really. He was always doing his own shit and telling us about it afterward. We’ve had weak leadership for decades. A lot of clubs would have ended his ass long before he ended it himself.”
“So you weren’t a fan.”
“I liked Chuck, but I had no respect for the man. He was flighty. That quality might work on a good looking woman but not a club brother.”
“Look, Jared, I never knew Chuck Hull, and he didn’t know me. Walking down memory lane and talking shit about a dead man doesn’t seem like a good use of your time. What is it that you want to say?”
“I need you to make things right with my daughter.”
“How would I do that?”
“Take a shit or get off the pot, cop. Make a choice about what you want and stick to your decision.”
“Lots of people date for more than a month without making things official.”
“Not Earlham women,” Jared says, shaking his head and giving me a little grin. “Christine got married both times within a month of meeting her husbands. Justice was basically living with Court within two weeks. They grab what they want and hold on. If they can’t, they’ll get restless until they break free and make a run for it.”
I get where Jared is going. Christine ran when Jared was stuck in prison. He figures Journey will run too. I don’t know if he’s right about his daughter. I doubt most people know what Journey will do, let alone Journey herself.
“Are you sure you want me to stay with Journey? A cop in a family with your ties doesn’t sound too safe for you.”
“You protect Court. He plays quiet about it, but I know you give him info. As far as I can tell, you’ve got one foot on the right side of the law and the other foot square in the outlaw side. You might want to make a choice with that too.”
“Are you hinting if I stay with Journey, I’ll need to quit my job?”
“No. Journey doesn’t care about the law or the club. She pretends what the Rawkfist men do involves nothing more complicated than male bonding. She can pretend whatever she wants with you too. I just don’t know if you’ve got the heart for law and order.”
“How do you figure?”
“You have a lot more of your pop in you than your mom.”
“What do you know about her? She was wild.”
“She ran wild to piss off her old man. Your grandfather loves the law more than God and country. He’d sacrifice anyone to do right by his precious rules. That’s who he is, and your mama wanted to make him suffer for not putting her first. She wasn’t wild. That girl was pitching a fit.”
“A lifelong fit?
“People get in the habit of doing something and can’t get out of it. I think you became a cop because that’s what Mooney men do. You’re trying to be one of them, but you’re an idiot outlaw like your pop. No amount of dressing up in your uniform and writing tickets to speeding soccer moms will change the reality of who you are inside.”
“Are you always this wise?”
“Me?” he says, giving me a smirk. “No, but Journey’s been giving me advice even when I don’t ask for it. She has me thinking about how things are in Tumbling Rock. How people get stuck in the past and won’t change. I know I’ve been stuck in my old way of thinking. Now I have my girls back, and Christine is in town, and I need to change. Staying the same because everyone expects it doesn’t do anyone any favors. So, I’m not a wise old man giving you advice. I’m a guy figuring shit out, just like you. The only difference is I have less to lose if I fuck up while you’re gonna lose a woman you can’t replace.”
“When I saw you driving up, I figured you planned to tell me to stay away from Journey.”
“Oh, I tried that shit on her weeks ago,” Jared says, laughing. “She schooled me on my relationship with Christine. I’ve also learned people don’t give up what they don’t want to give up. Your problem is that even though you’re not giving up Journey, she’ll slip through your fingers. I know a little something about ignoring shit until a woman walks away. When that happens, what in the hell can a man do besides grovel? I didn’t grovel and look at me. I’m an old man chasing his ex-wife after too many damn years. Don’t listen to me, if you think you know best. I just know you don’t want to end up like me. While I’m smarter than the stupid shits who gave you life, it’s not by much.”
Jared stretches. “I better head toward the high school if I
want to pick up Poppy on time. Unlike her mother, the kid seems pretty punctual. I guess she got that from her dumpy father.”
Grinning, I walk him to the door. “I’ll talk to Journey.”
“Talk or not, you need to figure out what you want, boy. Forget about everyone else and figure you out. If I had to guess, you’ve been doing what other people want for too fucking long.”
Losing my grin, I don’t like Jared or anyone else thinking I’m a pussy following my grandfather’s every command.
After he rides away, I think about the last night Journey spent the night. In a big move, she moved the pillow between us and cuddled next to me. I hadn’t panicked at the lack of personal space, and she hadn’t freaked when I stole the blanket.
We aren’t the same people who began dating one awkward night at a shitty pizza joint in Tumbling Rock. I just don’t know if I’ve changed enough to embrace the only person who loves me despite my worst.
37 Snake Charmers
Journey
I’ve never been one to suffer from depression, but the uncertainty with Donovan leaves me in a funk. I go through the motions with work and home. I make sure to keep up a brave face for Otto and my family. Even hiding my depression well, I feel suffocated by it. Even grocery shopping proves exhausting.
Arriving home before everyone else, I carry bags inside alone. I left work early after claiming to be sick. That’s how pathetic I’ve become. Now that my love life is making me miss work, I’m officially annoyed with myself.
“Hey, eyebrows!” Zeb calls out in a rough voice from down the driveway.
A part of me is just fine ignoring the old coot. Another part knows Zeb won’t go away until he gets what he came for.
“What do you want?”
Zeb finishes walking up the drive until he’s standing next to me and the SUV.
“You need a haircut,” he says, catching his breath.
“And you need to mind your own fricking business, Grandpa.”
Narrowing his blue eyes, he mutters, “Your big mouth is gonna get you in trouble.”
