Clover

by Cole, Braxton

  “Have you asked him what he will do?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Maybe he’s not ready for sex, which, by the way, still makes me think he’s gay, but maybe he’d be okay with a hand job or oral. Have you asked?”

  Clover couldn’t imagine how she would even word a question like that. “What the hell, Lexy! What am I supposed to say to him? ‘Hi, do you mind if I suck your cock? And after, would you mind fingering me until I come?’ I can’t do that.”

  “Why not? Maybe he subscribes to the Bill Clinton definition of sex.”

  “You’re not helping.”

  “Maybe not, but the one thing I know for sure is that people our age aren’t supposed to agonize over whether we should have sex. If we want it, we’re supposed to do it. And you actually like this guy, so go get you some.”

  As twisted as Lexy’s logic was, there was a simplistic truth to it. Rather than increasing her frustration, as she was sure was Lexy’s intent, it made her feel a warm fondness in her chest for Jake. He was a unique, principled man at an age when men weren’t recognized for their restraint and moral standards. He really was special.

  “Enough about me. Tell me about the Caribbean. Have you met anyone?” It was a silly question meant to distract Lexy. Clover already knew the answer. Lexy always met someone.

  “Actually, I have.” Rather than the flippant banter Clover expected, Lexy’s voice was soft and thoughtful. She hadn’t just met someone. She’d met someone special.

  “Tell me.”

  “Oh, my God, Clover, he’s amazing.” Lexy talked for the next fifteen minutes without pausing. She told Clover all about the Scuba instructor, Xander, who made her want to throw away her upcoming internship and live on the beach with him in a little hut where they could make love by the ocean forever.

  It was sappy and romantic and so unlike Lexy. When she referred to sex as “making love,” Clover almost asked if she was high. Lexy was always very practical about her relationships. Sex was a physical release that was biologically necessary. It was nothing to lose her head over. Clover suddenly began to have serious doubts about whether Lexy would meet her in Portland as they’d planned.

  “Wow. He sounds special.” Clover had to admit that anyone who affected her best friend so deeply in such a short amount of time had to be special.

  “I think I love him,” Lexy whispered.

  “Oh, honey.”

  “Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I’m leaving in a few weeks. I’m just going to enjoy it while I’m here.”

  “Maybe he’ll come with you.”

  “No. Not a chance. A guy like Xand would shrivel and die in the city. I would never ask that of him. You should see him, Clover. I’ve never seen someone so alive as he is in the water.”

  Before Lexy could respond, Clover’s dad yelled from the front yard for Clover and R.J. to join him outside.

  “Lex, my dad is calling me. I’m sorry.” It’d been too long since she’d talked to Lexy and she missed her regular presence in her life. Still, Clover knew from experience that her dad didn’t care how old she was; he wouldn’t wait for her to respond when it was convenient for her. Lexy’d been around enough times when her dad had called to know the drill.

  “Don’t worry about it. We’ll talk more later. Love you.” Lexy hit disconnect, but before the call ended, Clover heard her giggle and tell someone she was coming.

  Clover had no doubt that, if she’d gone with Lexy, she’d definitely be getting more action, but she wasn’t sure that would have been better. Yes, she would gladly have done without the obnoxious boss trying to get her on her knees every time they talked, but at this point, she wouldn’t trade her developing relationship with Jake for meaningless island sex. She still wanted to get laid, but she really wanted it to be with Jake.

  She slipped her phone in her purse and grabbed a pair of sunglasses off her dresser. No matter what her dad wanted, it was guaranteed to be bright outside.

  When she made it to the driveway, R.J., her dad, and Brandon were already waiting for her, along with her car. Apparently the mechanic had finished with it and delivered it to the house. She was sad that her excuse to ask Jake for a ride had come to an end.

  “What’s up, Dad? Clover’s here now.” R.J. looked annoyed that he’d been pulled away from his video games.

  “I have a surprise for both of you.” Her dad smiled like he did after he made an awesome stock pick and cashed in. “R.J., you’ll be driving soon and you’ll need a car when that happens. Clover, you’re moving from college to graduate school and I couldn’t be prouder. I wanted to give you something to show you how much.”

  As he was speaking, Clover noticed there was another car in the driveway next to her Corolla. A pretty Nissan roadster that was way too flashy for her dad. He preferred the stately presence of his Navigator.

  He handed the keys to her Corolla to R.J. and Clover’s chest flooded with adrenaline. She didn’t hear half of what he said to R.J.. “…expect you to take good care of it.”

  R.J. pumped his fist in the air and ran for the car. She could hear him muttering to himself about all the “badass upgrades” he was going to make.

  “That leaves you.” Her dad turned his attention to Clover. He smiled the way he had when he saw her in her cap and gown with the salutatorian cords around her neck. She’d been proud of herself at the time, but in retrospect, knowing how hard she’d had to work for her grades at the University of Washington, she really should have made valedictorian in high school. For as much as she’d studied, she hadn’t pushed quite hard enough.

  She swallowed and felt tears forming. When her dad acknowledged her hard work, it always made her emotional. “Yes, Daddy?”

  He gestured toward the Nissan. “I put down half. That’s my gift to you. I’ll make the payments on it as long as you’re in school. I figured if you get that doctorate, it’ll be paid off before you finish. If not, you can take over then.”

  He had made a solid argument in favor of her becoming a tax attorney, but she still wasn’t sure. An MBA was a good middle ground for a financial advisor, where the Master’s of Law in Taxation was a little too specialized for her to apply it anywhere else if she decided against law school. Even though he was convinced that the MBA program she’d been accepted to would translate into a law degree just as easily, she knew it wasn’t the most logical progression. It could work if she decided to do it, but it certainly wasn’t the path of least resistance.

  He held out a key ring. A shiny gold “C” dangled from it, along with the unmistakable Nissan fob. “Go on, you can take it.”

  She froze, unable to do more than just stare. Clover knew how much a car like this cost. Even used, it would cost around thirty thousand, and this car didn’t look used. If her dad had gone with any upgrades at all, half was at least twenty grand. She was speechless.

  Brandon rested his hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. “We’re very proud of you.”

  Her dad picked up her hand and placed the key ring gently in her palm. “Say something.”

  “How…” Clover wanted to know how he’d managed it and why he would purchase something so extravagant. He’d taught her to step cautiously. The tears she’d been trying to hold back slipped down her face. “Oh, Daddy.” She threw her arms around him and hugged him until her breathing returned to normal and she felt like she might be able to speak.

  “Hey now, you worked hard. Hard work always pays off. You know that. And don’t think I’m just giving it to you. Starting this fall, I’ll be sending you client files to work on. Trust me, you’re going to earn this.”

  She hugged him again. She had no doubt that the work he’d send would make her feel overloaded and stretched when stacked on top of her classwork, but she still couldn’t believe how generous he was being. Her dad was well respected in the industry. If she decided against working with him, being able to list his company on her résumé would go a long way toward securing a job when she finished sch
ool. “I won’t let you down. I promise.”

  “I know, baby. You never do.” He kissed the top of her head. “Now go on. Get out of here. I know you’re dying to give it a test drive.”

  Clover laughed and ran for the driver’s side door. She was going to go before he changed his mind. She pulled out of the driveway with the smell of new car all around her. The only thing on her mind was sharing her good fortune with Jake.

  Chapter 20

  Six Years Ago

  Mason’s Drug Store had the longest candy counter in town, even bigger than the Safeway two blocks over. Sure, Safeway carried more bag candy, but Jake had a dollar that his aunt had given him and a craving for something sweet. He couldn’t buy a bag for that price, but he could get a bar. When Clover had agreed to stop at Mason’s after her shift at the pool, he couldn’t believe his luck.

  Now, with her tapping her foot beside him while he stared at the long row of candy bars, he knew she was regretting that decision. She always had somewhere else to be, but still took time to pick him up on her way to work every day.

  “Why don’t you get a Snickers? You know you like them.” Clover hitched her bag up on her shoulder and barely looked at him as she spoke. She kept scanning the parking lot over the top of her sunglasses.

  Jake touched the Snickers, but it didn’t sound quite right. “What are you watching for?”

  “What?” Clover pushed her glasses back in place with a startled jerk and looked directly at him.

  “You’re staring at the lot. What are you looking for?”

  “None of your business.” She snapped her heels together and walked away a few feet.

  “Ignore her,” R.J. advised. “Bobby Mitchell promised to come see her today and then didn’t show. She’s pissy.”

  “Bobby Mitchell?” Jake’s heart fluttered. This was the first he’d ever heard about Clover being interested in a boy. Until now, he’d just assumed she was above it all. It made him feel better to think that even though she clearly wasn’t interested in him, it didn’t matter because she wasn’t interested in any boy. R.J. had just casually lampooned Jake without even knowing it.

  “Yeah. Do you know him? Big guy. Plays football. Pretty sure he has a sponge where his brain goes.” R.J. tossed a Payday into the air and caught it, then also grabbed a Reese’s. “Screw it. I can’t decide. Clover, I’m getting both.” He said the last part a little louder so his sister could hear.

  “Really? He’s not her type, is he?” How could Clover like a dumb jock? She was the smartest person Jake knew. She was always reading, and according to his Aunt Tammy, she’d already been accepted to the University of Washington. She had one year left of high school. Why would she waste it on someone like that?

  “No, he’s not.” Clover handed him a Kit Kat bar. “Get this one. We’re going.”

  “Then why did R.J. say he was?” Jake hurried to catch up with Clover. She had the longest legs he’d ever seen on a girl and she moved fast. R.J. was already at the checkout.

  “Because he’s an idiot.”

  Jake had spent more time than he cared to admit studying the books he saw Clover reading. If the situation ever presented itself, he wanted to be able to talk to her about them. Had he known she was into muscles, he would have spent more time on his body instead.

  “I changed my mind.” He ran back and returned the candy bar to the shelf.

  “What the heck, Jake?” Clover looked even more annoyed than she did when R.J. mentioned Bobby Mitchell.

  “I just don’t want it anymore, that’s all.” He wasn’t about to explain that he put it back on the off chance that she’d actually notice him if his muscles were bigger. He’d start working out with the set of free weights that his aunt kept in the basement as soon as he got back to her place.

  “Whatever, let’s go.” Clover shrugged and he might have been imagining it, but she didn’t sound as annoyed. She even reached over and mussed his hair. He didn’t like that so much because she did the same thing to R.J., but at least she’d touched him. That part was nice.

  She walked out ahead of them, but Jake waited for R.J. to finish at the check stand. When they finally emerged from the building, Clover was leaning into the open window of a blue Dodge Dakota that was towing a trailer full of Ski-dos. Jake heard her giggle and he stopped dead in his tracks.

  R.J. bumped his shoulder on his way past and said, “Bobby Mitchell.”

  Jake stared until Bobby wrapped his hand around Clover’s neck and pulled her in for a kiss. He ran all the way to the car, where R.J. was leaning against the trunk eating a Reese’s.

  “Oh, shit. She looks pissed.” R.J. gulped down the other cup, stuffed the wrapper in the bag, and wiped his hands on his pants. “Look out.”

  Jake turned to see Clover walking, stiff backed, head high, toward the car. She pushed the button on her keychain to unlock it and said, “Get in.” Her voice was tightly controlled, but Jake could hear the underlying anger.

  He got into the car as quickly as he could. Clover sat behind the wheel for several moments taking deep breaths and visibly trying to calm down.

  “What happened?” he asked as gently as possible. She just glared at him.

  “Bobby tried to kiss her. She punched him.” R.J. sounded more interested in the Payday bar he was eating than in his sister’s drama.

  “What?” Jake couldn’t believe what R.J. had said. “You hit him?”

  “Yes.” Clover started the car and drove all the way home without speaking.

  Jake made a note to never, ever kiss Clover Watson without first making very sure that she wanted it.

  Chapter 21

  Present Day

  Jake spread alfalfa hay for the small herd of cows his aunt kept. For the most part, she let them roam and eat free range, but she supplemented their diet. Same for the pigs and chickens. He’d never heard of letting pigs roam free, but they thrived in that environment. He had to work a little harder when it was time to track down the manure and add it to the compost pile, but that wasn’t enough to convince his aunt to pen them up.

  When he saw a small black sports car headed up the drive, he turned around in the field and headed back toward the house. His aunt hadn’t mentioned that she was expecting a customer to stop by, but that didn’t mean anything. Sometimes people stopped by without calling ahead. She sold her meat, eggs, and milk in bulk to local customers. After the barbecue with Clover’s family, he’d checked the list. Her dad had a side of beef and half a pig down for this fall.

  Jake parked the four-wheel ATV and trailer just outside the barn door and walked to the house. Clover was leaning against the car with a smile so big it almost didn’t fit on her face. When she saw Jake, she ran up to him and threw her arms around him. She kissed him once, quick and almost habitually, licked her lips, and kissed him again. This time slower and with a great deal more purpose.

  He rested his hands on her waist and split his attention between not holding her too tight and enjoying the kiss. Clover scared him. He could lose himself to her so easily. All he wanted to do when she was around was find the nearest flat surface to lay her out on. He wanted her naked and beneath him. God help him, he wanted to get inside her so badly. It started with a deep yearning in his chest that worked itself lower until his cock was throbbing so hard he feared he might come from just thinking about it.

  When she finally pulled away, he chased after her lips. He didn’t want to be so needy with her, but he just couldn’t hold himself back. He wanted to prolong the contact for just a moment longer. Finally, when he could take no more without going completely insane, he rested his forehead against hers. “Hi.”

  She left her eyes closed and kept her face near enough for him to feel her breath on his lips. When she said hello, it was more like a whispered benediction than a greeting.

  Jake pulled away and turned her until they were both facing the car she’d driven up in. He put his arm around her shoulder because he couldn’t stand not to touch her and, i
n this position, he felt as though he could keep her safe and protect her from the rest of the world. She looped her arms around his waist and held him tight. He loved that no matter how city she looked at times, she wasn’t afraid to hug a working farm boy.

  “What are you doing right now?”

  “Just finished feeding. I don’t think Aunt Tammy has anything else for me right away.”

  “Want to go for a ride with me?” She smiled up at him through her lashes in the way that always made his insides turn liquid, except for the rock pit at the base of his stomach.

  “A ride?” It wasn’t that he didn’t understand that she drove up in the car. He just didn’t know why. Last he heard, her car was still with the mechanic and Mr. Watson didn’t seem like the kind of guy who would want his baby girl taking her boyfriend joy riding in his new car.

  “Daddy bought me a new car,” Clover squealed and kissed him again. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

  “Oh wow.” Jake walked closer and just stared. His parents couldn’t afford to buy him the Hot Wheels version of this car. He didn’t know how to respond. He was excited for her, while also being jealous and feeling like she was totally out of his league. They weren’t pretty emotions, but they were honest. He’d have to spend some time later trying to figure out what they meant. “It’s beautiful.”

  “Come with me?”

  “Umm…yeah. Let me change.” He hesitated, but he didn’t know why. He’d be a total dick if he couldn’t appreciate this for her.

  Clover fell in step beside him, chattering about how excited she was and how she didn’t really expect anything like this. Her dad hadn’t given any indication that he was even thinking about buying her a car, let alone a sweet one like this. She was so happy that he couldn’t help but absorb it. He laced his fingers with hers and let their hands swing loose between them. Without realizing it, he led her all the way into his room. He felt his face flush with heat when she sat down on the bed with a bounce.