Roustabout

by Jane Harvey-Berrick

  Disgusted, I smacked the back of his head and stood up. Kes idly kicked him in the ribs as he walked past, making Zef cough up dust. Why didn’t I think of that?

  I turned back and gave Zef another kick for good measure.

  He lay in the dirt laughing and coughing until his eyes watered.

  “One day he’s gonna really piss me off,” I said darkly.

  Kes gave me an amused smile. “You realize that if it wasn’t my sister we were talking about, I’d be ripping the piss out of you, too.”

  “Yeah, I know,” I muttered.

  We took our two-minute turns in the shower and I had to admit that I missed the long, lazy showers that I’d shared with Tera.

  And I really missed the sex.

  A small bonfire was blazing in the fire pit when I stepped out of the RV, and the usual crowd of carnies was grouped around it. I slumped down in a deckchair and helped myself to pizza, looking around and nodding at familiar faces.

  I remembered the first time I saw Tera, back in the spring, sitting alone by Kes’s bonfire, her hair gleaming in the firelight, one side of her face thrown into shadow. And then she glanced up at me and I remember thinking that there was a damn fine woman.

  “Holy shit, Tucker McCoy looks like he’s thinking!”

  I looked up, grinning at Ollo.

  “Hey, man!” I said, standing up and holding out my hand.

  But quicker than a sober man taking a piss in the snow, he yanked my arm behind my back and had me on my knees. My bad arm.

  “Fuck!” I yelled, my eyes watering from the pain.

  Ollo laughed and let me up.

  “You’ve gotten soft,” he grinned.

  I stood up slowly, pain throbbing through my abused body.

  “What the fuck you do that for, dude?” I asked, massaging my shoulder.

  He took a step closer.

  “Tera Chastain Hawkins is family. You fuck her over and you’ll answer to me,” he said, his voice hard and menacing.”

  “I know! I know! Jeez, Ollo, you couldn’t have just said it without ripping my damn arm off?”

  The little man shrugged. “You need to know I mean it.”

  He walked away without saying another word.

  I got it, I did, but it kind of sucked that everyone assumed I was going to fuck this up with Tera.

  Sighing, I picked up my pizza from the ground, dusted it off and finished eating. A few other carnies came over to shoot the breeze and catch me up on the news, which wasn’t much.

  Everyone always wanted to be around Kes’s fire—he was the closest thing there was to carnie royalty. But it was more than that—people were drawn to him, just wanting to be near. For the first three years I’d known him, he used that as a way of getting as much pussy as he wanted, but ever since he’d met Aimee again, he’d barely looked at another woman.

  I wondered if it was easy or if it took a lot of willpower.

  “Hey, lover!”

  I looked up just in time to catch Jade as she dropped into my lap and kissed me enthusiastically.

  “I heard you were back,” she whispered, grinding her ass against me. “Want to come over later?”

  “Damn, that’s a good offer,” I smiled, “but I’m going to have to say no.”

  She laughed in amazement.

  “Why the hell not? You got religion or something?”

  “Or something,” I said, winking at her. “I met someone and we’re kind of dating.”

  Jade looked stunned. “Seriously?” And she looked around. “Where is she?”

  “She lives in San Francisco. She’s flying out in a couple of weeks.”

  Jade’s laugh rang out over the campsite.

  “She’s a thousand miles away and you’re kind of dating? Well, I’m kind of not caring, Tucker,” and she tried to kiss me again.

  “Not interested,” I said firmly, gripping her hips tightly.

  “Yeah?” she smirked. “Well, your dick tells me something else.”

  Fuck! She was right. I couldn’t help it—a pretty girl was grinding on my lap. My dick didn’t know any better and was up for whatever action he could get.

  I shifted Jade off of my lap.

  “You’re a great girl, Jade,” I said soberly, “and we had some great times, but I’m with someone now.”

  She raised her hands in a gesture of defeat, but the glint in her eyes told another story.

  “So you’re housetrained now—I can take a hint. But if you get bored of waiting for Ms Whitebread, you know where I’ll be.”

  And she walked off swinging her hips.

  I rubbed the heels of my hands over my eyes before the image was burned into them.

  Zef nudged me.

  “How’s it feel to be a one-woman man?” he asked, his voice hovering between amused and curious.

  “Right now it sucks,” I admitted and Zef gave me a knowing smile.

  I closed my eyes and leaned back in the deckchair. The weekend after next couldn’t come soon enough.

  Tera

  Damn planes! Damn airports! Damn rental cars that weren’t where they were supposed to be!

  A two-hour flight and a short drive had turned into six hours of infuriating sitting on my ass.

  It was one snafu after another and I was horribly late. I was nervous enough about seeing Tucker again—I really didn’t need any extra stress.

  We’d only managed one long conversation a week ago; everything else had been scattered texts, missed calls and hurried words while one of was rushing somewhere else. He’d even called me at work a couple of times, but I’d been stuck in boring meetings. Our schedules didn’t match at all.

  I hoped it wasn’t an omen.

  But I sensed a distraction when I did speak to him, a shadow in the distance that chilled me.

  And now, instead of arriving in time to see the evening show, light was fading from the sky and the carnival was winding down. I was dirty, dusty, and my stomach was growling—not a good combination.

  It took a while to weave my rental through the steady stream of traffic leaving the fairground, and then I had to convince the surly carnie at the campsite entrance that I wasn’t just some rube trying to go where I didn’t belong.

  Finally, finally, hot, tired and tense, I parked my car catty-corner and lugged my suitcase across the campground, looking for Kes’s RV.

  Aimee spotted me first, followed by Bo, who shrieked happily and scampered across the open ground before climbing me like a tree.

  “Hey, baby boy! Did you miss your Aunty Tera?”

  Aimee grinned at me, squeezing my waist and kissing my cheek.

  “Tera! How are you?”

  “I’m good!” I said, smiling. “It’s great to be back.”

  “To see us or to see a certain reformed manwhore who’s awfully pretty to look at?”

  My cheeks flooded with color as I grinned at her sheepishly.

  “Can I say ‘both’ without upsetting someone?”

  Aimee laughed. “Probably not. But I will say he’s been like a cat on a hot tin roof waiting for you to show up. He’s over there, on the other side of the bonfire.”

  We both turned to look and my heart skittered to a halt.

  It was so much like the first time I saw him. He was surrounded by a group of people who were smiling at him while Tucker’s intoxicating laugh rang out the loudest.

  Tall and slim, his long lean build was easy on the eyes, and his oil-stained t-shirt clung to his arms and chest. The bonfire’s flames turned his dirty blond hair into a fiery halo, his eyes dancing with happiness.

  And, just like last time, a woman with glossy black hair that reached to her waist was hanging onto him, her short nails digging into his arm in a possessive way.

  “Oh . . .” Aimee whispered, glancing at me nervously.

  “Oh,” I echoed, torn between fear and anger.

  But then Tucker looked up, as if he sensed me watching him and a shadow passed behind his eyes. And this time I didn
’t have to wonder, I knew—the clown’s mask hid something deeper, something darker. And possibly something dangerous.

  Maybe he was a man to stay away from.

  And if I was smart, that’s exactly what I’d do.

  A slow smile turned the corners of his mouth upwards, and I felt the intensity hidden in his lazy gaze and laidback smile.

  He brushed off the woman’s arm as if it meant nothing, and I didn’t miss the irritation on her face. I loved the irritation on her face.

  Tucker strode toward me, his fierce stare purposeful.

  The angry, hateful words died in my throat as he wrapped his arms around me tightly and kissed me with certainty.

  I could taste both tension and relief in his kiss, and I let myself sink into his arms gratefully, soaking up the warmth of his solid body.

  The same passion fizzed and crackled between us, and I could feel his growing need against my thigh. But then he pulled away and stared into my face, examining every inch, as if searching for change or doubt or reservation.

  Finding nothing, he smiled again, his beautiful face glowing as he grinned at me.

  “Fuck, you’re a sight for sore eyes, sugar!”

  “Sweet words from such a gentleman!” I snorted, laughing and smiling at the same time.

  “Let’s go to bed,” he whispered, nuzzling my neck.

  I was nodding against his chest when he was ripped away from me.

  “Hey!” he yelped.

  “Back off,” grumbled Kes. “That’s my sister you’ve got your goddamn hands all over. Hey, Tera!”

  Kes gave me a rib-crunching hug, casually elbowing Tucker out of the way as he led me toward the bonfire.

  I threw a rueful smile at Tucker and mouthed the word ‘later’.

  He pretended to catch it with his hands, then winked and blew me a kiss.

  This man made me completely crazy. It was a rush, a fairground ride that spun me around and flipped me upside down, leaving me dizzy and grinning like an idiot—the Tucker McCoy effect.

  This dusty campsite and a State I’d never visited before—it felt like home.

  I took my place at the bonfire, my brother on one side, my lover on the other. But when the woman with the black hair sat down on Tucker’s other side, I was not happy.

  “You looked good today, Tucker,” she said, nudging his shoulder and smiling at him from under her lashes. “But then again, I always like you in leather,” and she gave a husky laugh.

  Tucker glanced at her appraisingly then smiled widely, and I had the feeling he knew exactly which game she was playing.

  “Thanks,” he said, as he slung his arm around me and nuzzled my cheek. “Tera, this is Jade—she’s got a flying act, trapeze. Jade, this is Tera—my girlfriend.” And as an afterthought, “She’s Kes’s sister.”

  Tucker might have missed her annoyed pout, but I didn’t. I leaned against him, enjoying the closeness that wasn’t about proximity; it was about him showing her and everyone else that we were together. Although I admit that Aimee’s words about Tucker being ‘reformed’ were music to my ears.

  Did I trust him? I wanted to, but we’d been apart for 13 days. It was good to know that a couple of weeks couldn’t break us, but what about four weeks or six? What about when the miles between us were too far?

  I didn’t like to think about it, and for tonight, I’d put it out of my mind.

  “I like you in leather, too,” I smiled. “But isn’t it a bit hot for that? Not that I have any objection to you getting all hot and sweaty.”

  He groaned softly.

  “You’re killing me, TC.”

  I laughed at his pained expression while he shifted uncomfortably.

  “So how was your day?” I asked, letting him off the hook.

  He shrugged. “The usual. Walked the ramps, checked the arena for oil patches, changed a chain and sprocket, fitted a set of braided steel brake lines.”

  He grinned at my lost expression.

  “Sounds, um . . . technical?” I muttered.

  Tucker laughed, but before he could reply, Jade butted in.

  “Aren’t you going to tell her that you were practicing jumps?”

  Tucker stiffened and I turned my head to look at him. “Jumps? You’ve been riding already?”

  I could tell that Tucker was annoyed: with me, with her, I wasn’t sure.

  He drank from a can of beer and nodded.

  “Yeah, felt good.”

  “The doctor told you three months,” I said carefully, trying to navigate the minefield of being a protective girlfriend and being a nag. “It’s only been seven weeks.”

  Tucker’s lips flattened into a hard line.

  “It was fine, and I . . .”

  Jade interrupted. I could tell that she was enjoying herself, her smile spiteful.

  “Aw, are you guys arguing already? That’s so cute—just like an old married couple,” and she laughed again. “The princess and the pauper. Too funny!”

  I wanted to smack her, but Tucker gave her a fake grin. “My woman worries about me—not hating it, that’s for sure,” and then he tightened his arm around my shoulders as Jade raised her lip in a sneer.

  Bitch.

  Kes nudged me. “Don’t worry, TC. He wouldn’t be doing a show if the doc hadn’t passed him on a physical.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked quietly, hurt that he hadn’t mentioned something that was so important to him.

  Tucker raised his eyebrows. “You checked your voicemail since you got off the plane?”

  “Oh! I forgot! I was so annoyed when I got to the rental place and they couldn’t find my reservation. You left me a message?”

  He gave a serious look. “You were the first person I called, Tera.”

  I dug my phone out of my purse and listened to the voicemail. I could hear the excitement, his happiness shining through.

  “Sorry,” I said, leaning my head against his chest.

  He kissed the top of my head. “I wanted you to see me perform tomorrow, so I made the docs do the physical exam today.”

  “You’re sure it’s not too soon?” I repeated hesitantly.

  “He’s fine, sis,” said Kes. “Believe me, I wouldn’t have a man on the show who wasn’t fit, including myself.”

  Aimee threw him a skeptical look, but Kes grinned at Zach who’d been listening to the conversation. “Isn’t that right?”

  Zach nodded, a glimmer of humor in his eyes. “Yep, but we didn’t make Tucker take the mental test ‘cause he’d have no chance of passing that.”

  Everyone laughed, including Tucker, and it broke the tension.

  “Well, I guess I’ve gotta be crazy to do this shit and live with you guys!”

  Ollo tossed a toasted marshmallow toward us, and Tucker caught it in his mouth.

  “Some are born carnies,” said Ollo pointing at Kes. “Some are born crazy,” and he pointed at Zef, “and some were dropped on their heads at birth,” and he pointed at Tucker.

  “And some are born with mouths too big for their short-ass bodies,” grinned Tucker.

  Without warning, Ollo dove across, knocking Tucker backwards and into the dust, landing on his ribs with a thud that made me wince.

  Aimee pulled me out of the way, shaking her head with an amused smile as they rolled around, kicking up quite a dust cloud.

  I could tell that Tucker wasn’t trying very hard to shake Ollo off of him, and after a minute, they’d both had enough and sat up in the dirt, out of breath.

  “Don’t you go tracking all that dirt and dust through the RV, Tucker McCoy,” Aimee warned.

  “No, ma’am. I’ll take my clothes off outside,” and he sent a wink in my direction.

  My libido, dozing peacefully, woke up.

  Naked Tucker.

  Yes, please. And now.

  Aimee smiled at my expression and raised an eyebrow. “I got first dibs on the shower.”

  She walked away and Kes followed immediately, lifting her into his
arms, making her squeal in surprise.

  Tucker stood up and attempted to brush some of the dust from his clothes, although it didn’t seem to do much good. He must have had the same thought, because he lifted up the hem of his his t-shirt and wiped his face with the worn cotton.

  Even while I was appreciating the hard lines of his body, and beautiful, small, flat, masculine nipples, I realized that he was able to wear t-shirts again. Obviously his shoulder was healing, although I was still annoyed that he was risking his health doing jumps so soon and . . .

  “Enjoying the view,” he grinned, catching me with my eyes fixed on his chest and stomach.

  “Yes,” I said, raising my gaze slowly. “Lovely scenery around here. Lots of . . . trees.”

  “Yeah, they sure got a lot of . . . trees,” he agreed, his smile turning wolfish.

  “I think they’ve got some . . . trees over there that I haven’t seen yet,” I murmured, glancing toward the forest.

  Tucker laughed. “God, I’ve missed you.”

  And if the night wasn’t warm enough already, his words were a comforting blanket around me.

  “Come on,” he said. “Let’s go see some trees.”

  Hand in hand, we walked into the woods, the bonfire’s flames flickering and fading into the distance.

  “I’ve never had sex outdoors before,” I said absently. “Have you?”

  Tucker threw me a quick, amused look. “Yeah.”

  “Of course you have,” I laughed. “Is there anything you haven’t done?”

  He nodded. “Oh yeah. I haven’t done you in a forest. I haven’t done you in my bed. I haven’t done you on the top of the Ferris wheel. I haven’t . . .”

  “The Ferris wheel?” I tried to imagine what that would be like, the bucket swinging, and then swinging some more. Hmm. “I’m getting the idea,” I said, squeezing his fingers.

  Tucker stopped next to a tall pine, then pulled his t-shirt over his head, wincing slightly as he lifted his arm. Then he laid the worn cotton on the ground carefully so I had something to sit on.

  The t-shirt was old and tattered with oil stains down the front, and it was still the sweetest gesture a man had ever made for me.

  I sank down onto it, pulling him with me.