by Kaylee Ryan
I find Savannah sitting at the vanity in her room, the curling iron plugged in and ready to go. “It always looks better when you do it,” she says in greeting.
“It looks the exact same as when you do.” I smile her.
“I just want to look good for him, you know? It hit me on the way home, really hit me that I only have a few short days with him. I want to make the most of them, and part of that is looking good for him.” Although she tries to hide it, I can hear the sadness in her voice. She’s not her chipper, bubbly self, and I hate that for her.
I pick up the curling iron and start adding loose curls to her hair. “Savvy, you know he loves you, right? Not just ‘oh that’s my girl, and I love her,’ you two are the real deal.”
“I know he does, and I love him, too. I want him to be excited about what he has to come home to.”
“What’s going on with you?” My brows dip in concern, and I place a hand on her shoulder, squeezing lightly. “Where’s all this coming from?” When Brandon left for boot camp, I expected this kind of reaction. She surprised me with how well she dealt with him being gone. I know thirteen weeks of no contact was hard for her, but she never let it show.
“This is hard, Aust. So damn hard. I did okay, you know? After a few days, I adjusted, and I know I will this time too, but now my heart knows what it feels like to be away from him.” My heart squeezes in my chest at her admission. Reaching out, I wrap my arms around her and hug her tight.
“You’ve not had any time to spend time with him since he’s been home. Last night it was his parents and Slade. Today we were working. Tonight, you will get some time with him. I’ll entertain Slade so you can soak up as much of Brandon as you need to. When he leaves, I’ll be here to lend a shoulder, or distract you, whatever you need. This is a great thing he’s doing, but that extends to you, too.”
Her eyes find mine in the mirror of the vanity. “How is being the girlfriend of a marine a good thing?” she questions.
“He needs you, Savvy. He’s fighting for his country, but also to keep those he loves safe. That’s you. You give him something to fight for, something to come home to. He knows he doesn’t have to worry about you sleeping around. Remember all those online forums we found when he first left for boot camp? The distance is hard on a relationship, only a love like what you two have will beat the odds.” Tears well up in her eyes. I was worried the forums would scare her, but instead, I think she found strength. I can still remember one of them she read to me. It basically said that even though your marine is away, you’re their rock, their foundation. They need to know their foundation is solid to do what they do. Savvy took that to heart and was a rock star the last thirteen weeks. “Now,” I change the subject, “how many curls are we talking?”
She laughs, knowing exactly what I’m trying to do. “Just a few. I just want a little bounce.”
“I mean, maybe you should be talking to Brandon about your bounce, that’s really not up to me.” I school my features, trying my hardest not to laugh. When Savvy bursts out laughing, I join her. I finish her hair and then go back across the hall to blow dry mine. I’m leaving mine straight tonight. I’m just me. I should probably add some curl too, but I don’t want it to look like I’m trying too hard. Besides, I meant what I said earlier. He’s leaving when Brandon does, hell, maybe even sooner for all I know. No point in starting something we can’t finish. My shoulders drop and some of my earlier excitement diminishes. The gorgeous marine is leaving in a few days. That pretty much sums up my luck with guys. The good ones are always taken, and the ones with potential are just passing through.
COMBS PULLS UP IN FRONT of a small two-story house just outside of town. There are two cars in the driveway, both nicer than anything I’ve ever driven. Hell, this truck I’m sitting in is my dream truck. It’s ten years old, but it’s a four-door Ford F-350, a man’s truck.
“You coming?” he asks, parking the truck and climbing out.
Not wanting to look like a tool, I follow him. I know Austyn and I are not on a date, but this kind of makes it feel that way. Not that I would know; there was no time for dating when I had an ill grandmother to take care of. I know it’s not a date; she’s just there as filler to keep me from being the third wheel. I’m sure of it. I know this, yet my palms are still sweaty. Quickly, I wipe them on my jeans just as Combs knocks on the front door.
“Come in!” a female voice yells.
I follow him inside and come face-to-face with both of the girls. Savannah jumps into Combs’s arms while Austyn and I stand there just staring at each other. “Hey,” she says finally.
“Hey,” I say, shoving my hands in my pockets.
“You ladies ready to go?” Combs asks, his arms still locked around Savannah.
“All set,” Austyn tells him, and takes a step toward me. Taking that as my cue, I turn on my heel and walk back outside. I walk straight to the passenger side back door and open it. Turning, I smile at Austyn and tilt my head toward the truck.
“Thank you,” she whispers as she passes me, and climbs into the truck. I make my way to the other side and climb into the back seat beside her.
“Slade, I could have sat back there,” Savannah says once they’re both inside the truck.
“No worries. You two have been separated long enough.” Her face softens and she mouths, “Thank you,” before turning around in her seat. I watch as Combs reaches over and grabs her hand.
A smile lights up her face, and I know in this moment, that all the stories I’ve heard about this girl are true. Combs talked about her nonstop, but one thing that stood out to me was the way he described her smile. He claimed that one look from her, with that smile on her face, and he would give her the world, just to keep it there. I thought it sounded kind of sappy, but I didn’t question him. I’ve never had a girlfriend, so what do I know? Seeing her face light up when she looks at him, though, not only do I get it, I envy it. What would that feel like, to have a love like that? To not be alone in the world? Maybe one day I’ll be lucky enough to find out.
“So, Slade,” Savannah turns to face me, as much as her seat belt will let her, “you have county fairs where you’re from?”
“We do, but I have a feeling that the county fairs I’ve been to are nothing like the one we’re about to see.” This causes everyone to laugh.
“Where are you from?” the sweet voice next to me asks.
“Michigan, just outside of Detroit.”
She nods. “I’ve been to Michigan on vacation with my family.”
“Yeah? What part?”
“We got a house on Lake Michigan, right on the water. It was nice.”
“Slade’s never seen the ocean,” Savannah chimes in, remembering our conversation at dinner last night.
“No?” Austyn asks.
I shrug. “Just never had the opportunity.”
“Hopefully one day, in your travels with the Marines, you’ll be able to.”
“I’m not sure, but that would be nice.”
“We should plan a trip,” Savannah says. “Spend a week at the beach.”
“Savvy, babe, it’s September.” Combs laughs.
“It’s warm in Florida,” she counters, sticking her tongue out at him.
“Babe, we’ll be gone for five months,” he reminds her gently.
“Yeah,” she concedes. It’s obvious by the somber tone of her voice it’s not something she’s looking forward to. I know for a fact it’s been eating at Combs as well.
“Maybe we can plan it in between? I don’t know how much leave we get after SOI, but maybe we can figure something out. What about school?”
“At that time we’ll be out for winter break, but it doesn’t matter. We can make it up, right, Austyn?”
“Wait? By we, you’re including me in this little adventure?”
“Of course I am. Both of you,” she says, looking at me. My pulse races thinking about spending more time with her. On the beach, in a bikini, hell yes. Sign me up.
“Yeah, we can make it up,” Austyn readily agrees.
There’s relief in Savannah’s eyes. Glancing at Austyn out of the corner of my eye, I can see that she sees it too. She smiles, knowing she’s just given her best friend an opportunity to spend the week at the beach with her boyfriend. Well, possibly fiancé; I’m not sure what Combs has planned. I’m don’t know why she needs her best friend by her side, but she’s happy to know that’s the outcome either way.
Pulling into the fair, we park in a big field. I quickly climb out of the truck and hurry to the passenger side and open both the front and rear door for the girls.
“Reeves, man, you’re making me look bad,” Combs jokes as he saunters around the front of the truck, taking his sweet-ass time.
Savannah laughs as she rushes toward him, linking her arm through his. “Thank you, Slade,” Austyn says, stepping back so I can shut the door.
“Y’all have everything you need? I’m gonna lock it.” Everyone checks and gives him the okay, and then we’re off. We trek through the field to the main gate. The sounds of the rides, kids laughing and screaming float through the air. The smells that make a fair what they are assault my senses.
“Fair food.” Austyn moans from beside me.
“You hungry?” I ask her.
“Yeah, but even if I wasn’t, I’d be indulging,” she says, laughing. “The fair only comes around once a year, and I have to get my fill.”
“What’s your favorite?” I ask.
“All of it.” She throws me a grin. “I mean, how am I supposed to choose? French fries with vinegar, and ketchup, caramel corn, candied apples, deep fried Oreos, elephant ears, pork tenderloin sandwiches, mmmm,” she moans, causing my dick to twitch.
“That’s all?”
“No, that’s just the start, and oh, freshly squeezed lemonade,” she says, stopping beside said lemonade stand.
I’m thankful for the break so I can adjust myself. When she steps up to order, as discreetly as I can, I make things more comfortable. Combs and Savannah keep walking, and I should probably tell them that we stopped, yell ahead to them, but I don’t. I’ll take all the time I can get with this girl. She’s down to earth, not at all like the girls I’ve been around. She doesn’t think she’s better than everyone around her. She’s just her, just Austyn, and that’s endearing as hell.
“You want one?” She turns to look at me.
“Why not,” I say, and reach into my pocket for my wallet. She waves me off and hands me a long, slender cup with lemons all over it, and a yellow bendy straw. “Thank you, let me give you some money,” I offer again.
“Nah, you can get the next round,” she says, placing that bendy straw in her mouth.
I can’t take my eyes off her lips as they wrap around it. Her cheeks pull in as she sucks and just like that, I’m no longer twitching, I’m hard as a rock. I don’t know what it is about her, but she’s affecting me. Stirring up all kinds of emotions I’ve never felt before. “What next?” I ask, pushing myself to not think about how sexy she looks standing before me.
“Hmm, I’m thinking pork tenderloin and fries.” She looks around us, and I know who she’s looking for.
“They went on ahead.”
She shrugs. “Their loss. You ready?” She turns and starts walking in the opposite direction of where Combs and Savannah just disappeared into the crowd.
“Lead the way,” I tell her. What she doesn’t know is that I would follow her anywhere. I don’t know her, but my body’s reaction to her tells me that I need to.
We walk down the strip—as she calls it—several people, mostly guys, call out to her. She gives them a wave but keeps on walking. “So I’m thinking we split up,” she suggests when we reach the end of the strip. “Over there,” she points to the right, “are the fries, and there,” she points to the left, “are the sandwiches. Divide and conquer. Meet back here.” She points in front of us as some picnic tables that are set up.
“What’s back there?” I point just beyond the picnic tables.
“That’s where they hold the demolition derby and the tractor pulls.”
“You a fan?” I ask her.
She shrugs. “I’ve watched a time or two with my dad and little brother.”
“How old?”
“My brother?”
I nod.
“He’s eight. How about you, any siblings?”
“Only child as far as I know,” I say, letting that last part slip.
She raises her eyebrows in question. She doesn’t ask, just waits for me to tell her. “My grandma raised me from the time I was twelve. I haven’t seen my parents since. So, as far as I know, it’s just me.”
“Their loss,” she says. “Now, you go left for the sandwiches. I’ll go right for the fries. You have to get the vinegar-to-ketchup ratio just right.” She smiles up at me.
I’m grateful she takes my words at face value and doesn’t pry for more details. It’s not something I like to talk about. “Here.” I pull my wallet out and try to hand her some money.
“You can buy dessert,” she says, walking backward toward the fry booth.
I stand there and watch her go. I don’t move until she makes it to the booth and finds her place in line. Even then I have to force myself to pull my eyes from her to go order our sandwiches. I order four, not sure how hungry she is. I know I can eat two easily on my own.
“You ready for an Austyn fair fry experience?” she asks, once I join her at the picnic table.
“You hold the secret to fair fries?” I smile at her.
“I told you, it’s the ratio of ketchup to vinegar that makes all the difference.” She slides a small cup of fries my way. “Go on.” She nods toward the cup.
Not willing to disappoint her, I grab a couple of fries and pop them in my mouth. The combination of flavors burst on my tongue, and I have to admit, she’s onto something. “Good,” I say, swallowing and taking a drink of my lemonade. “Here.” I push two sandwiches toward her. “I wasn’t sure how hungry you were.”
“Starving, but one is plenty. I have to save room. This is just the start of the list,” she reminds me.
“Take the other one home to your little brother,” I tell her.
She looks up from unwrapping her sandwich and smiles softly. “That’s sweet of you. We’ll see if the others want it, or you can have it.”
“Two and fries is plenty, and it sounds like I’ve got more to try. I’ll be paying for this when we get to SOI. I’m going to need to go for a run in the morning to work this off.”
“What’s SOI?” she asks, taking a big bite of her sandwich.
“School of Infantry.”
“It’s a great thing you’re doing, serving our country. Thank you.”
I nod. I have my reasons for doing what I do. Sure, I want to serve my country, but the Marines are giving me something I need, a family. A camp of brothers. “What’s next?” I ask, pushing past the subject. I don’t like to, nor do I want to talk about my past. Not right now. I just want to spend some time with her. She makes me feel… normal. That’s not something I’ve had much of growing up.
“I say we walk around, let this settle a little before we dive into anything else. I don’t want to get sick.”
“I think that’s a wise decision.”
We make small talk when we can, several people stop by our table to say hi, again mostly guys, some just shout out her name as they walk by. “You seem to know everyone.”
“Downfall of a small town.”
“I don’t know. It does seem to have its appeal.” This is unlike our fair in Michigan. Then again, it’s been years since I’ve been. The first year I went to live with Gran, she took me. I rode rides, and we shared cotton candy and caramel corn. By the next year, when the fair rolled around, her health had declined so much, it was too hard for her to walk around. She declined fast.
“It’s not bad, makes you wonder what else is out there though. I’m sure the Marines will take yo
u places you never imagined you’d see.”
“Yeah, some I’m sure I’ll be fine never seeing,” I admit quietly. “I’m hoping it’s a good mix of both.”
Her face softens at my words and she offers me a small smile. Her cell then rings, interrupting the moment, and I stand to gather our trash and throw it away while she answers.
“You left us,” she says in greeting. I don’t hear the other end of the conversation, but when she says, “We’re good,” I stand a little taller, glad to know that she’s having at least an okay time with me. “We’ve already hit up the food booths. We’re going to walk around a little then go for round two.” She pauses. “Yeah, we might. I’ll ask Slade and text you.”
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah, that was Savvy. She wants to know where we wandered off to. They’re going to go back to the grandstands and watch the demolition derby later. She wanted to know if we wanted to watch it with them.”
“I’m yours for the night. Whatever you want to do is what we’ll do.”
“I say we take a walk.” She steps next to me and links her arm through mine, leading us through the crowd.
If I stood taller when she said she was good, I’m as tall as the fucking Jolly Green Giant now that she’s linked her arm through mine. She doesn’t let go when people she knows calls out to her. When the guys yell out her name, this time, envy doesn’t raise its ugly head. I’m the one she’s with. Pride fills my chest to have her on my arm. It’s a feeling I could get used to.
I DON’T KNOW WHAT CAUSED me to slip my arm through Slade’s, but he didn’t pull away, and I like the warmth being close to him provides. “How do you feel about rides?” I ask him.
“Rides? As in, do I ride them?” he clarifies.
“Yeah.”
“Honestly, I haven’t been to a fair since I was twelve. That was my first and last time there. I went on a few rides.”
