For all he knew, she was only curious to learn if he just likes the beach.
Don’t be retarded. She wouldn’t send a message wanting to know my opinion of the beach.
Still…he couldn’t think of how to write back.
The phone buzzed in his hand, making him gasp.
One new message.
It was from Megan.
He swiped his thumb over the screen and pulled the message up.
Meet me in 30?
Gunner gulped. She wanted him to meet her. The message didn’t say anything about us.
Me.
Did that mean her brothers wouldn’t be there?
About to send back a yes, he remembered Trish was here. Though he doubted she would make him stay home, he’d feel bad if he left her alone with Natalie. His little sister could be a bit hard to handle at times.
She likes Trish, though. It should be fine.
Besides, he really wanted to meet Megan. He recalled how she’d looked in the white bikini the other day, her tawny skin glossy around the white patches, her lemon-colored hair that seemed to blaze brightly under the sun. Remembering how her body had curved with tight muscle, how her breasts shook when playing volleyball, how her nipples pushed tiny points into the silky fabric, made him ache to see her again.
Trish won’t mind.
He’d ask her to be sure.
Entering the living room, he noticed the only sounds came from a game show on TV. He looked to the couch and saw the top of Trish’s head poking up above the top, tilted to the side as if about to fall over. He moved to the left to walk around the couch. Her bare feet, propped on the coffee table and crossed at the ankles, came into view. Her toes curled slightly.
Gunner liked Trish’s feet. Her toes were evenly shaped and seemed to slant down perfectly from the larger one. He didn’t like when a foot had one stray long toe that seemed to want to curl around the one next to it. Trish’s were perfect, toenails painted a shiny purple hue that looked almost like metal.
Her legs appeared as Gunner closed in. The light of the room glimmered across her tanned shins. He saw the jut of her slightly bent knee, the curve of a dark thigh that vanished under the fringe of ragged denim of her cut-offs. Her faded pink tank top had slipped back on her midriff, leaving a patch of skin by her hip exposed. The skin bowed out into a soft point, tanned as the rest of her. Next were the humps of her breasts. The shirt, twisted to the side, pulled against her left breast and showed a tawny slope. From this angle, Gunner could see right down the shirt to the cups of her bra that barely seemed to cover the front.
Feeling ashamed, Gunner averted his eyes. Her hair came into view, draping the side of her face and part of her arm that reached up to her head. A bright curtain blocked her eyes.
Natalie was on the floor, sitting cross-legged and watching the game show with complete fascination. She hadn’t heard Gunner’s approach.
Nor had Trish turned to acknowledge him.
Then he realized he was tiptoeing, keeping his steps silent. He had no idea why he was doing that.
Because I was getting a good view…
Again Gunner was struck by guilt. He shouldn’t look at Trish like that. She was his uncle’s wife. Though she wasn’t a relative by blood, she was close enough.
He stepped around to the front of Trish and looked at her. From this direction, he could still see more of her than he should. But he could also see her eyes were shut. The slow rise of her stomach suggested she’d fallen asleep.
He didn’t want to wake her up. She looked so beautiful on the couch, dozing, her brow slightly wrinkled as if concentrating on whatever she was dreaming about.
“Gunner! Watch the show!”
Natalie’s voice boomed in the room, making Gunner jump.
Trish jerked awake. Her legs flew off the table and she sat up. Her breasts lurched behind the tank top. Looking around as if confused, Trish didn’t say anything. Then she turned to Gunner and leaned back her head to see him. She smiled.
“Caught me napping on the job, huh?” she asked.
Gunner smiled. “It’s okay.”
“Sorry. A late night followed by an early morning.” She yawned. “I’m beat.”
“I bet so.”
She looked to the side of Gunner and squinted at the TV. Her nose wrinkled. “When did this come on?”
“It’s about to go off,” said Natalie. “You missed all of it!”
Trish groaned. “I’ll live.”
Gunner laughed.
“What time is it?” asked Trish. She started to reach for her phone on the coffee table. Her shirt dipped low on her breasts, but she hardly seemed to notice.
Gunner looked at the TV.
“Wow, still early,” he heard her say. “So, Gunner, what do you have planned for us to do today?”
Gunner turned to Trish. She was leaning forward, her arms folded on top of her thighs and chest pressed against them. The position seemed to shove her breasts higher as if to show Gunner how nice they were.
He cleared his throat. “Well…that’s what I came to talk to you about.”
“Oh?” An eyebrow arched. “Planned out a full day?”
Man. She thinks I want all of us to go do something.
He’d feel like a jerk if he told her he wanted to go to the beach by himself.
An image of Megan stretched out on the towel, resting on her elbows and head tilted back, her skin gleaming with suntan oil, popped in his mind.
“Care if I head to the beach?” he asked.
“The beach?” Trish puckered out her bottom lip. “Great idea. A day at the beach. You know, I’ve lived here so long that it’s become a common thing to me. I forgot that it’s still new to you.”
“The beach! Yeah!” Natalie bounced on her rump. “I haven’t got to see it yet!”
Great. There goes that.
He could still meet up with Megan at some point. Maybe excuse himself from Trish and Natalie so he can spend some time with Megan.
It’d be better, though, if I was alone.
But seeing her briefly was better than not at all.
He turned to Trish and saw she was frowning at him. “What?” he said.
“You have a look about you,” she said.
“A look?”
“Yeah. Like I just told you we’re going to spend the day doing math.”
Gunner blushed, which caused Trish to laugh. “Jeez…”
“No big deal. I think you want to go to the beach for other reasons than to play in the sand.”
Gunner’s skin felt hot. “Hey, no it’s…”
“A girl?” Gunner nodded. Natalie made a retching sound. “Say no more. How about you ride with us to the beach, then I’ll take Natalie to the sand and you go meet your friend? I’ll text you when we’re about to leave and if you’re not ready, you can stay. Just text me when you want me to come pick you up. So long as we’re done by five. Howie said they’re closing the beach early tonight.”
Gunner nodded. “Wow, Trish! Thanks a lot!” Though he was relieved he could spend the time with Megan, he felt bad. He was ditching his family for a girl he hardly knew.
Trish understands, though. She might feel bad if I ditched Megan for her.
He pictured Trish in a bikini like the one Megan had on. A day with Trish on the beach might be as rewarding as a day with Megan.
No thanks. She didn’t bring a bathing suit anyway.
Plus, he wouldn’t have to suffer the guilt when ogling Megan in a bikini.
“Well, go get ready,” said Trish. “Natalie and I will round up her bathing suit. She has one, right?”
“Yeah, but she hasn’t worn it since last year.”
Trish wrinkled her nose, a corner of her lip stuck up. “Might be too small for her. I’ll buy her one from one of the shops.”
“Hey, you don’t have to do that. I’m sure Dad would…”
“No worries. Since the tourist season is over, the prices will be discounted.”
Back in his room, Gunner sent Megan a text that told her he’d be there. A few seconds later she responded with: Yay!
Reading the message, his chest felt weird, as if it was being tickled deep inside.
I’ll have the whole day with her.
The eagerness was quickly invaded with dread. What would he say? Back home, he was never good at talking to girls. Especially girls as hot as Megan. But at his old school, there was never a need to worry since they all ignored him. All the time he’d had with Megan had either been short or surrounded by people. This would be the longest bout of one on one time he’d had with her.
He felt dizzy.
Don’t blow it.
****
Gunner liked Trish’s car. A newer model red convertible Mustang with a loud engine that seemed to rumble off the houses as they passed by in multicolored blurs. With the top down, the salty air knocked Gunner’s hair all over. He enjoyed the feel of the heavy gusts on his face, but he hoped he wouldn’t show up to meet Megan with a wild bush on his head.
Run into a bathroom and wet it down.
He looked at Trish from the passenger seat. She drove with one hand on the steering wheel and her other arm draped across the car door. Her bright hair danced around her sunglasses, flapping behind her like golden streamers. She had a slight smile on her face, as if she was listening to someone tell her a story that was about to make her laugh.
Though the ride might be hell on his hair, it beat riding his bike any day.
“Good thing you’re not driving,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re not keeping your eyes on the road.”
Heat filled Gunner’s cheeks. He quickly faced forward. “Sorry.”
Trish laughed. “It’s okay. I know these sights are new to you, so take them all in. Natalie’s doing it, too.”
Gunner looked behind him. Natalie, in her booster seat, gazed at the flat expanse of the ocean. Her ponytail twirled behind her head like a propeller from the wind. Springs swirled around her face.
Unlike Natalie who was enjoying everything around them, Trish was the only sight Gunner had been taking in. His eyes looked down at Trish’s legs. They were spread, one reaching to the gas pedal and the other angled away. It left a wide part at her groin. Gunner could see the lacey material of panties at the end of the short corridor between her inner thigh and denim. Through the translucent panties, he saw a bare patch of slightly arched skin.
Shit…
His throat felt too thick to swallow. He quickly looked away and focused on what was outside the car.
A parking lot.
The Mustang began slowing down as it reached the entrance. There were only a couple cars parked in the large space. Beyond the lot were strips of stores and to the left was the path to the ocean.
We’re here already?
Gunner was thankful. He had to get out the car and away from Trish. Thoughts of Megan had his mind spinning and he was using his uncle’s wife as an object to focus those thoughts on. He felt awful, as if he’d spied on her undressing. He imagined what he’d done was pretty close.
He’d seen her bra, part of her panties, and her…
She shaves it!
Though Gunner wasn’t cold, he trembled as if a chilly wind had blown across him.
“You okay?”
Gunner turned and saw Trish watching him. An eyebrow curved above the sunglasses. Gunner saw the warped reflection of a pasty kid in the dark lens. “Huh?”
“You look pale.”
His head felt awfully light. The shock of seeing Trish’s shaved crotch had left him dizzy. But he shook his head and said, “I’m fine.”
“Nervous?” A corner of her mouth curved up. “This girl you’re meeting, has she got your stomach buzzing?”
“Something like that.”
“I hope she’s a good girl and doesn’t get you into any trouble.”
“I hardly know her. I’ll be able to tell you if she is after today.”
Trish tilted her head and puckered her lips as if fighting a grimace. “You better behave.”
Gunner realized she’d taken what he’d said the wrong way. “I will! That didn’t sound right.”
“It sure didn’t, buster.”
Gunner shook his head. “I’m going to get out of here before I say something else stupid.”
Laughing, Trish waved him away. “Okay. Just be careful.”
“Have fun with that girl,” said Natalie in an annoyed voice.
Trish laughed.
“I’ll try,” said Gunner.
“You could come with us,” Natalie reminded him.
“Not this time. Next time.”
“Okay. But you better behave!”
Natalie waved a finger at him, narrowing one eye. The look reminded Gunner of their mother. Though Trish laughed, Gunner couldn’t even smile at it.
“I will, Natalie. Have fun with Trish.”
It took him a couple more minutes to finally get away from Trish and Natalie. Heading to the sandy trail that curled around the restrooms, he made a slight detour into the men’s room.
He checked himself in the mirror. Surprisingly, his hair wasn’t in too bad of shape. It seemed somehow fuller and wavier. He used water from the sink to make some parts lay down, then splashed some on his face. The cold water helped diminish those images of Trish, but didn’t wash them away completely. They were still there, like faded pictures that he couldn’t quite see.
After drying his hands, he left the bathroom. The heat dropped down on his back. It felt heavy as he walked onto the beach. He took a heavy whiff of the fresh briny smell of the ocean. He listened to the heavy crashes of the waves when they hit the shore.
Sand got between his feet and flip-flops as he walked, making it hard to keep going. He paused long enough to take them off.
Carrying his flip-flops in one hand, he patted the pocket of his shorts with the other. He felt the bulge of his wallet. A condom was inside it behind his driver’s license.
He felt a nervous sizzle in his gut.
You won’t need it. This is just hanging out.
But it was there, just in case…
Shaking those thoughts away, he started walking. He pulled his cell phone out of the other pocket, scrolled to the last message from Megan and texted her to let her know he was here.
At the top of a dune, he gazed upon the beach. It was mostly bare, other than a few people scattered about here and there. He saw some kids playing in the water with their father. Way off in the distance a group of guys were surfing. Other than some random walkers and sunbathers, nobody was around.
Gunner started down the dune, walking slightly to the side so he wouldn’t fall. As he reached the bottom, the phone vibrated in his hand.
Gunner read the message from Megan and gulped.
Come to my house. I’m alone. Big house on the east side of beach. Past the fence.
“Oh, boy…”
He’d told Trish he would be hanging out with Megan on the beach, not at her house. What if she found out?
I could tell her. Just call her real quick and tell her that the plans had been changed.
At the house before they’d left, Trish had gotten his number and given him hers. But if he told her where he was going, she’d want to know if adults were going to be there.
Megan said she was alone. No way would Trish let him go without any adults nearby. She knew Dad’s rules. The beach was one thing, but being at her house without her parents being home was something different entirely.
Trish wouldn’t let me.
Though he knew all this, he texted Megan back to tell her he was on his way. He walked a few feet and checked the markers at the top of dune. A white post with crossing planks rose from the swaying weeds. He saw which way was east and started walking on weak and heavy legs. His stomach felt like it was twisting into co
ld knots. His heart was sledging.
But it didn’t matter.
Nothing was going to keep Gunner from being alone with Megan.
25
The entrance to the cave wasn’t as hard to maneuver as Paul had expected. Though the rocks were slippery going up, there were plenty of places to hold onto as they climbed toward the cavern’s yawning ingress. It reminded Paul of mounting the hills behind his uncle’s cabin in Tennessee during the winters. Though they weren’t treacherous, the snow had made them hard to do.
There was no snow here, only rocks and slick patches of wet sand, waves crashing between them and throwing up salty wetness. The front of Paul’s uniform was drenched, dark with ocean water that made him look as if he’d peed all over himself.
From where Paul was, he could see the walls of the cave. They looked slimy, as if coated in baby food. Stringy bits that looked like mossy hair dangled from the ceiling and nearly reached to the sand floor.
Striker had already entered and waited underneath the overhang of rock, under a sheaf of shade that looked wonderful to Paul. Howie stood at the top of the rocks, hands on his hips and peering down. The rest of their unit was coming up from other sides, just to cover all angles, as Howie had put it.
“Shit!”
Paul’s heart lurched. His foot nearly slipped out from under him. He slapped his hand down on the jagged edge of a rock to catch himself.
Who shouted?
Sounded like Lillard.
He turned to Becky. She was leaned against a cluster of rocks, head tilted back to look behind her. Her mouth was a tight line. Sweat dotted her upper lip. Though she wore sunglasses, Paul could tell her eyes had narrowed from the wrinkles in her brow.
“See anything?” he asked.
Becky shook her head.
“What’s wrong!?!” That was Howie.
“Found some human remains!”
Paul’s skin tightened. Becky turned to him, mouth falling open.
“Male and female!” Now Paul definitely recognized the finicky voice as belonging to Lillard.
Howie stepped up to the ledge and cupped his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice. “We’ll have to leave them for now! Mark the location and get your asses up here!”
Bigfoot Beach Page 18