NEVER GOODBYE (An Albany Boys Novel) (29 page)

              “Totally agree.”

              “Actually, I think I have to get up and go Google it or it’s going to drive me mad. I won’t get any sleep now.”

              I’m chuckling, but I grab her and lay over her when she goes to move. Again I know she’s just messing with me, but I love playing her games. I always will.

              But she stops laughing and then so do I ‘cause the air is crackling with a need we have suppressed all day. I could have taken her at any time today; I tried really hard to ignore it, but the best I could do was keep her at arm’s length so I didn’t drag her off to my truck. She deserves more than that.

              But that was today. Tonight is a different time and definite place. Not the palace that she deserves, but she seems to like this damn tent. I’m gonna have to get one for us because I think I’m going to be planning a whole lot more camping.

              I lower and her breath is as warm and heavy as mine and minty. When did toothpaste become an aphrodisiac? My lips meet hers and that’s where I fade into her. There’s no me, only her. Everything is for her.

***

              It’s getting warm already. Tents are bad for that, but there’s no way I’m moving because Blue is asleep in my arms. We have the parade today and I’m late with helping Winnie and her flock of volunteers, but she’ll forgive me this once.

              I can’t even see my watch for the time, though I know it’s well after eight. I wonder if she normally sleeps in or this is because she’s worn out and … fuck. She’s sick dude, there’s no hiding from it or the word. I hate it, but it is what it is and we have to deal with it. I just hope she hasn’t overdone it. Maybe she needs today to rest. Maybe she will sleep for hours.

              As much as I would love to lay here with her, could I do that? Lay for hours when there is work to be done. And not just for Winnie, but the nursery too.

              As much as I want this, I know I can’t. So as carefully as I can I pull my arm from under her. Her head lulls and she rolls over onto her side, sleeping soundly. I almost decide to curl back up to her, but I have obligations.

              It’s a miracle she doesn’t wake as I leave the tent, the zip and Velcro is so loud in the still morning. I don’t go inside; I make my way around the side of the house and get to my truck when Benny bounds out the front door.

              “Where’re you going?” he rushes to the hood of the truck where I meet him with a smile. I really love this kid.

              “Gotta go do some stuff at the shop and then head over to the parade and make sure Winnie isn’t too cranky about my no-show this morning. Then I’ll be back.”

              “Can I come? I can help. I wanna plan more of our booby trap for April with you, so if I help you’ll be done quicker.”

              I chuckle and nod. “Only if your sister won’t worry when she wakes up.”

              “You can text her.”

              “I could. But I don’t want to wake her. How about I warm the truck up and you go write her a note?”

              “Okay. Wait right here.”

              “I will, bro, I’ll be in the truck.” He runs off and I’m left shaking my head, grinning about all the changes in my life since I met Blue. I start the truck and sit back against the seat and close my eyes. Every change, every one of them, has been a light in my life and something to be thankful for. I’d lay my life down for both of them.

              Suddenly, and I mean suddenly, I realize I can’t let her wake up in that tent alone. With the truck still running I run to the back of the house, almost taking out my shoulder on the corner of the house and when I make it to the tent she is stirring as I slide the zip open.

              “Hey baby,” she groggily smiles, wiping the non-existent sleep from her eyes.

              “Morning. You up for a trip into the nursery or would you like to get some more rest?” I want her to have both. Well, why the hell can’t she have both? “Actually. Go get dressed; you can relax in the sanctuary while I get a few things done. We can drop by to see the parade and then I have a date with your brother, April and a very cool booby trap.”

              She grins and she’s leaping into my arms, making me fall back on my butt outside the tent with her in my arms, kissing my face all over while I laugh. I never want her to stop.

***

              We have fallen into a routine in the last week. Most nights I stayed with her at her house. When her Dad was home I leave, but she makes me promise to return which, I always do. We take Benny to school and then we walk to our school. We catch up in the breaks and at lunch, where I ward off the hounds She lets me wrap my arms around her to show a little possession and I love the feel of her soft skin as I stroke her arm. This makes the lunch hour go so fast it kills me, and then we are back in class.

I hate that we don’t have many classes together. But it’s not all that long before we are meeting up again after last hour and picking up Benny to go to the nursery. This was our routine for the last three days. Tomorrow, however, is another treatment day and this time I’m going instead of April. Blue, objected of course, but I insisted. I love her and I want to be there for her, especially when she’s sick and miserable. I need her and she will need me even though she’s tough and full of spunk.

Tonight though, we are having a big cookout. Her dad will be there, Winnie and Ed are coming. They both have become family since Benny wormed his way into their hearts. I guess it’s like a new son or grandson to dote over. April and the family are coming and my dad and Laurel even got excited when I asked them to come. So it’s a big thing and a great idea to keep Blue’s mind off tomorrow.

We pull up in front of Benny’s school and his face lights up as he throws his bag into the back of the truck and hops in. He rambles excitedly about his day, telling us about the douche who picked on his friend who, although she’s a girl is not his girlfriend. We chuckle as he explains this. Apparently this douche was picking on this said friend and so he had to intervene. I love the hell outta this damn kid. I could see him sticking up for the underdog.

“Seat belt,” Blue reminds him as I put the truck into gear and pull out from the curb. He continues to chatter all the way to the Hy-Vee.

I glance at Blue, who gives me that apologetic smile, but I seriously don’t mind. This kid is like the little brother I never had and he’s actually pretty darn cool.

Blue grabs a cart, but I take it from her and tap her on the bottom which earns me a scowl, closely followed by a grin. Benny catches the action and makes me laugh with his gagging action. We all laugh when sixty-four year old Mrs Palmer gasps and runs as fast as her plump, old legs can take her away.

“Ben, behave.” Blue scolds lacking conviction.

Ben puts his palms up and shrugs, to which I shake my head and urge him forward. We have heaps to get and do before people start showing up.

Blue’s dad isn’t taking every available shift since he received the town’s donations, yet his shift doesn’t finish for another hour and a half so we are getting it all set up on our own which means we need to hustle.

It feels a little surreal shopping like a family, but I’m actually enjoying it, even after receiving another glare for riding the cart down the last aisle after Ben dared me to.

We pay for our items, load them into the truck and head home, each with a task to get done so everything is ready. We seem like a family again as I light the grill and catch the sun glowing over Blue in her red sundress. She’s placing pitchers of sweet tea on the table, her long hair dangling down and catching the light. I know that one day she will be doing that at our own house, and it will be our children running around looking for napkins. It should scare me, but it doesn’t. It actually brings me a peace I’ve longed for and new hope that everything is going to be okay.

15

It’s a trap

Harper

‘It’s not in the stars to hold our destiny,

it’s in ourselves’.

Williams Shakespeare

              Vaun and Benny are up to something. They keep exchanging looks across the table and I’m beginning to fear they have worked out a booby trap and are finally going to carry out their diabolical plan. Worse yet, April really isn’t in the mood. I think she’s had a fight with Carter because I asked where he was and she shrugged and started a new conversation. She looks tired and her normal clothing flair has been subdued to denim shorts and a
Green Bay Packers
tee.

I’ve been so wrapped up in my own life and new love I have neglected my best friend. I suck.

              I hate that she isn’t sharing her pain with me.  I don’t know if it’s because she doesn’t want to ruin my mood or is annoyed that she isn’t coming with me tomorrow. Whatever it is, I’m worried and it’s killing my buzz.

              “April, you want to go for a walk before we serve up the pie?”

              Her mouth opens and she’s about to answer when Benny calls her from the kitchen. Ordinarily she would call out something like ‘what, twerp?’ but today she smiles at me, gets up from the table and quickly heads for the kitchen to Benny’s call. That’s when my fears come true and I hear her scream.

              The table grows quiet and then we are all rushing to the kitchen, to her the screaming curses directed at my brother. The girl could make a Marine blush with her potty mouth.

Dad’s the first one to the crime scene, at least that’s what I’m calling it. April is covered in what looks like whipped cream. The fridge is open and there is cream splattered randomly about the kitchen, though mostly concentrated on a livid April. Somehow I think Benny and, more than likely, Vaun had rigged a whip cream dispenser to explode when she opened the fridge. Ordinarily I would be laughing along with everyone else, but April was on the edge before … now I’m actually scared for Ben who I spot red-faced, snickering just around the corner.

              I’m about to grab April when she begins to laugh and I freeze. She laughs so hard I begin to laugh too. This is the old April, although she will more than likely kick my brother’s ass later on, but now she is enjoying the moment and finally, so am I.

              April Gillespie was booby trapped and she needed it more than she needed a chat and a hug from her cousin.

              Vaun slips his arm around me and I look up at him, hugging his arms. “Thank you,” I whisper, “Tonight has been awesome. Everyone’s getting along, it’s like we’re a huge family. A dysfunctional family, but a family nonetheless.”

              “That was the idea.”

              I turn in his arms and kiss his chin. “And did you see our dads and Laurel? I haven’t seen my dad drink a beer with anyone in a very long time. I thought he was long gone, but not anymore.”

              He smiles, but it’s not the real kind that I love. “I’m just glad your dad is able to spend some time with you and Ben. I’m even happier that you enjoyed tonight. This is all for you, Blue.” He nods toward to the flurry of friends and family in the kitchen. While Winnie and Laurel clean April off and attack the cream splashed room, Aunt June’s giving Benny an earful by dad’s side. I can tell dad and Benny are hiding their smirks and I have to bite back my laugh. Mister Campbell and Ed’s gone back outside with their beers and sweet tea, talking football. This is exactly what I imagine a family to be and I only have it because of Vaun. I have it all and I owe one person for that.

              I turn back to him again, reach up, wrap my arms around his neck and I kiss his open mouth. I kiss him hard and I kiss him until he I hear a clearing of my father’s throat and Vaun pulls away.

              Vaun looks nervous, but I glance over at Dad and ignore his tense, flushed face. “Daddy, I’m gonna marry this boy so kissing the shit out of him is something you’re going to have to get used to.”

              Vaun makes a choking sound; I don’t think it’s over the fact I want to marry him, it’s that I told Dad I want to. Dad, however, is grinning. His eyes are wide like saucers in surprise, but he’s happy and I’m sure it’s got a lot to do with the fact that I have a new lease on life even though I’ve been given a time frame on it. I’m enjoying life more than I have in a very long time and he is here to see it and to see it’s all due to one special boy in all our lives.

***

              Vaun spent the night in my room without having to sneak in tonight. I guess Dad sees him a little differently after the cookout.

              Vaun drops his Jeans and pulls his tee over his head as he saunters toward me and I tell ya, I’m sure glad I’m sitting in my bed or I might just buckle. I forget how delicious he looks with his shirt off, his tattoo out in all its glory with muscles that come from hard work. I don’t know how I ended up being so damn lucky to have a boy who’s not only deliciously handsome, but has the biggest heart in the world. I can’t believe I tried to stop him from being a part of my life but I’m so glad he was too damn stubborn to listen. He’s brought so much joy to me and those I love and I hope I have done the same for him. I’m not giving him up now that I have him. Not for anything.

              He slides in next to me and my hands are like possessed entities of their own as they trace the tattoo under his fine, toned skin.

              “Vaun?”

              “Yeah.”

              “If I was to get a tattoo, what should I get?”

              He chuckles and slides his hand over my cheek, pushing the hair from my face. “How about I get your tattoo for you and we leave your sweet skin alone.”

              “But what If I want a butterfly or a dolphin or a picture of Matt Damon?”

              He purses his lips and before I know it I’m a bag of screaming, giggling skin under his fingers.