by Vivian Arend
Alone. Like usual. Like always.
This time it burned.
Chapter Nineteen
Vicki wasn’t returning his calls. Jesse was avoiding him. Altogether the last couple days had been one bucket load of crap after the other.
Although there was something to celebrate. Not only was the Six Pack clan rejoicing in the arrival of the newest Coleman, there was a new reason to tease Blake.
The baby was another girl.
Blake had been astonished. Jaxi just smiled and held the swaddled bundle to Joel when he dropped in for a visit.
He sat next to Jaxi, the soft flannel quilt wrapped around the baby barely leaving room to see her face. “So, Blake. You like pink or something?”
“Of course I love pink. I adore it. It’s totally my favourite colour. I’m going to paint the barns pink next time around.” Blake laughed along with the others, laid his hand on Jaxi’s shoulder and leaned in for a kiss. Then he stood and shook a finger in her face. “Whatever happened to following in my grampa and daddy’s footsteps? Having six boys, all that.”
Jaxi shrugged. “Hey, you’re the one who has to hand over the boy genes. I can’t do much if you don’t provide the building blocks.”
Joel stroked his finger over the baby girl’s cheek, amazed at how perfect and tiny she was, little lips pulsing. Nose wiggling. “I don’t know why you’d want a boy when she’s so beautiful.”
Blake growled. “Wait. I’m going to have three girls in their teens at the same time.”
“You won’t ever put your shotgun away. Just clean it every time the boys come to call. Worked on us with Stacey Walker.”
Yeah, that part of the past few days had been incredible. The rest of it? Sucked.
“You going to keep moping over there or get your ass in gear?” Travis popped past him, a bundle of energy. He cracked a stick against Joel’s legs. “More action, less daydreaming.”
“What the hell is your issue today? You’ve been a jerk all afternoon.”
“I’m giving back what you’re giving me.” Travis dragged his hand through his hair. “Okay, that wasn’t fair. Yes, I’m pissed off, only not at you, but you’re not helping matters.”
Joel shoved his gloves in his pocket. “Go ahead and give me hell. What did I do this time?”
“You’re moping,” Travis repeated. “You in shit with your girl?”
“Not sure. She’s not talking to me.”
“Oh, great. Yeah, that’s a super way to solve problems, I got one of those as well.”
Joel eyed his brother. “You and Ashley have a fight?”
Travis paused. “Actually, it’s Cassidy who’s being a jerk.”
That was unexpected. Joel thought back over the past weeks, and couldn’t remember seeing Travis’s buddy since the summer. “I thought he’d moved out of town. At least, I haven’t seen him around in forever.”
“Exactly.” Travis grabbed a sack from the wheelbarrow and placed it into position while they talked. “He gave me hell a while ago, and I thought he was joking, but the ass took off for real.”
“Sad. Stupid, too, like you said. Not talking about troubles doesn’t make things better.” Joel passed him another sack. “Vicki’s probably just busy.”
“Not a good reason to let her stew.” Travis glanced over. “How are things going with her? I mean other than she’s not talking to you.”
Joel had thought they were going great. “Hell if I know.”
“She ever tell you about…” Travis shook his head. “Never mind.”
“What?” Joel jerked to a stop. “You can’t make that kind of comment then cut off. Spill.”
“Just wondered if you ever talked about what happened in high school. With Eric Tell.”
The mysterious Eric question. “Nope. Although her sister mentioned something the other day in passing about Vicki stealing someone’s boyfriend, which I think is total bullshit.”
Travis brushed his hands clean as he led Joel from the barn. “I’m not going to tell you.”
“Asshole.” Joel shoved Travis’s shoulder. “Why’d you bring it up, then?”
“Because if she had told you, I was going to tell you something else, but if you notice, I don’t share other people’s secrets. So get your act together and ask her.”
Joel still felt like poking Travis, but it was true. Travis was the tightest mouth son-of-a-bitch around. “Since what you’re doing is not helpful, bringing up topics then not explaining what’s going on, any real suggestions for how to get Vicki to give me a call?”
“Set a date and tell her you’re taking her. Show up. You know where to find her, right?”
Easier now than before. “She’s just moved into Hope’s apartment.”
“Bring her out for the night with me and Ashley, then. We can relax and get your girl to forget whatever stupid thing you did.”
“Hey, who said I did something wrong?”
Travis grinned. “You’re a guy. Means you had to do something wrong. Accept it, and life gets easier.”
Vicki couldn’t hide any longer. She’d started this façade for one main reason, learning to deal with the stupid horses. It wasn’t Joel’s fault the other things she’d asked him to help with were making her crazy. She still had to deal with her fears. Calling things off would be insanity.
But she wasn’t going to let herself fall into thinking anything was real. No sir, that wound had been cut open and flayed the other day. This was about what she could get. What she needed to learn in the next while.
Warm fuzzy feelings didn’t belong.
Sexual pleasure was fine. Competence with horses, fine. Even moving in with Hope made sense. It wasn’t hurting anyone, and not only did it help Hope, it was a good deal for Vicki since her portion of the rent was lower than she’d been paying. Hope wasn’t likely to be around very much at all.
So when Joel called with the news they were going out with Travis and Ashley, Vicki didn’t argue.
“No horses, right?”
Joel helped her into the truck, squeezing her fingers. “You’ve been avoiding me to get out of the lessons, haven’t you?”
Vicki jumped at the excuse. “You’re right, I’ve been afraid to go back. I have to keep trying, though.”
“I have some good ideas for over the next couple of months that I think will help.”
Not real. Not real. Vicki focused as hard as possible on the prospect of becoming comfortable with the beasts and ignored the caring implied in his tone of voice.
Joel grimaced. “I got asked a couple times if we’d broken up, so I guess the gossip chain is still hot on our radar. Which, you know, it’s not a bad thing to have them wondering.”
Vicki stared, kind of shocked. “Why would it be good for people to think we’d broken up?”
He grinned. “Because that means they thought we were really together in the first place, get it? And now when they see us doing things over the next while, another set of gossips will hopefully get bored and just move on.”
“What are we doing tonight?” He had her tucked beside him, warmth bleeding over her so addictively.
“Going exploring, then having a campfire. Just hanging out.”
They met Travis and Ashley in the Coleman yard. Vicki smiled at Ashley. The other woman had on faded jeans and bright red cowboy boots, her thick winter coat a total contrast to the tight things she’d worn on the dance floor. “Nice jacket.”
Ashley ran her hands over the puffed-out pockets. “Down. It’s so comfy. Warm and yet soft. Feel.”
The other woman grabbed Vicki’s hand and duplicated her move of a moment ago. Vicki wasn’t sure what caught her attention more, the velvety texture of the fabric, or the fact Ashley had basically pressed Vicki’s hands to her boobs.
Travis’s gaze darkened as he peeled his gaze off his girlfriend. “If we’re ready to go, one truck or two?”
“One.” Joel pulled Vicki back to his side. “Mine. Come on, pile in.”
; She’d had a good time with Matt and Hope two weeks earlier. This was fun of a whole different kind. Joel headed for the river, but at the last moment he took a side trail, turning away from the water and over hilly terrain.
Wheels skittering, engine roaring, they raced down a back lane and directly into the trees.
Vicki held Joel’s thigh with one hand, the other pressed against the dashboard to stop from rocking too hard.
In the back, Ashley hooted with delight. “Woohoo, glad you’ve got good shocks, or I’d be out the window by now.”
Travis laughed. “Do up your seatbelt, idiot.”
The radio roared. Everyone sang along. Wild passion, high-beat energy raced through Vicki. A night to take whatever came her way. This wasn’t about anything except having a good time.
“Stop,” Travis ordered.
Joel slammed on the brakes and skidded to a halt, the massive trees overhead closing in like a cathedral. “What you see?”
“You’re not going to believe it.” Travis was out the door and climbing the limbs of a nearby tree.
Joel rolled down his window, laughing the entire time. “What the hell are you doing?”
Vicki unbuckled so she could lean across Joel’s lap and watch as well. Joel took advantage of her position to pull her closer and tuck his face against her neck. “Hmm, you smell good.”
“Let me go.” She squirmed, but he kept her pinned in place, adjusting her hand so it rested over his groin. He hardened under her touch. Well, that was a nice development. “Or, maybe don’t let me go.”
Ashley leaned out the back window. “You need a hand? I thought guys peed on trees, not in them.”
Vicki snorted.
Travis climbed down one-handed, something shiny clutched in his other. “For that, you get last sip.”
Joel swore lightly. “You’re kidding me. Is that what I think it is?”
Travis brandished the Mason jar like it was a fine bottle of wine. “Coleman Moonshine, circa 1900.”
The golden-tinged liquid rolled in the three-quarter-full glass jar. Vicki stared in amazement. “You found a bottle of moonshine in a tree?”
Travis gestured Ashley out of the way and crawled back in the truck. “You’ve never heard of the Coleman Moonshine wars?”
Joel snorted. “You make it sound big and impressive.”
“It’s local history. They should teach this in school,” Travis insisted.
They broke out from the edge of the trees and Joel pulled to a stop. “Let’s get the fire going then you can spin your tale.”
The landscape had changed, and the place was perfect for a bonfire. In front of them was a small hill, the sandy soil eroded away to make a safe spot to build the fire. As the flames grew higher, the light reflected off the golden white of the hill and made all of them glow with a magical gleam.
Joel had the tailgate down, cooler with drinks and snacks pulled to the side. Thick picnic blankets spread on the ground, Vicki climbed into Joel’s lap.
“Ready for my story, Travis,” she teased.
Ashley had him wrapped around her, his legs extending on either side of hers as the two of them sat on their own blanket beside the flames.
“Great-grampa Stan and Great-grampa Peter were the two brothers who established the Coleman land. That’s why we have the two houses on our property. Stan lived in the one our folks use, and Peter built where Blake and Jaxi live. But before they settled down?” Travis whistled. “The stories my dad passed down said the two of them were quite the troublemakers.”
“And this is surprising…why? Sounds as if the family genes breed true to this day.”
“Smart-ass.” Travis kissed Ashley soundly before continuing. “One of the things they did that we don’t was brew their own liquor. Which was fine when they were making hootch to stretch out their money. But they had a bad habit of getting drunk, having a fight then hiding the night’s production.”
Joel stroked Vicki’s legs, starting a lovely anticipatory tingle. “Since their still was far back on the property to keep it hidden, the jars got tucked in all sorts of places, and over the years we’ve slowly found them. Some broken, some intact.”
“Most of them are on Moonshine land, which is why it got that name.”
Ashley reached for the jar. “Can you still drink it?”
Travis took it from her. “Ah, ah, ah…careful there, sweetheart. That’s way stronger than you can handle.”
Ashley’s response was to laugh out loud and wrap her arms around his neck, kissing him wildly.
Travis somehow kept hold of the jar without dropping it.
Behind her, Joel was laughing as well. “You want to try a sip?”
Vicki gaped at him. “You’re not serious. Isn’t it like drinking lighter fluid or something?”
Joel shrugged. “Not sure, never drank lighter fluid. I had some moonshine from a jar Daniel found once. It wasn’t particularly smooth going down, but it sure warmed me the hell up in a hurry.”
She straightened up. Why not? “Sure, I’d love to try some.”
Ashley had wrestled the jar from Travis, straddling his thighs as she worked the top. “Stronger than I can handle. Sheesh, I handle you just fine, don’t I?”
He waited as she struggled to get the top open, the smirk on his face growing by the second. When she realized he was silently mocking her, she pressed the unopened jar against his chest. “Here. Make yourself useful.”
“Don’t move.” Travis reached around her, twisting the lid. The metal circle around the outside slipped off, leaving the sealed glass top behind. Travis worked the edge and the pop was audible across where Vicki sat.
“Ready?” Ashley glanced over her shoulder.
“Let me try it first,” Travis warned.
He sniffed the amber liquid, blinking hard. “I hope I have teeth left after this.”
Travis raised the jar to his lips and took a small sip, swallowing quickly and gasping out a choked breath.
“That good?” Joel asked.
He hadn’t stopped stroking her. Vicki wished it wasn’t dead-on winter so he’d be touching bare skin instead of petting her over her clothing. Inspiration hit, and she tugged up her jacket and shirt, pressing his hand to her belly.
She’d forgotten his fingers would be cold.
Her gasp of surprise made Ashley laugh. “You haven’t even had a sip, and you’re squealing?”
Something about the other woman’s attitude made Vicki go for broke and answer a lot more boldly than usual. “Joel’s got cold hands.”
“Nice.” Ashley winked. “That can be a lot of fun. Ice cubes, things like that.”
Travis nudged Ashley. “Stop making the girl blush. You want some?” She reached for the jar, but he held it out of reach. “You didn’t answer me.”
Ashley leaned away, her hands demurely linked behind her. “Yes, please.”
It was such a rapid change in her demeanor Vicki blinked in surprise.
Travis nodded, then put the jar back to his mouth and took another sip. Ashley rocked forward and pressed their lips together.
Something wild raced down Vicki’s spine. Ashley swallowed, Travis hummed in approval then they both moved on to kissing, flashes of tongue turning Vicki’s spectator status into something hotter than she’d imagined.
“You like that?” Joel took advantage of where she’d placed his hand, sliding his fingers farther up to trace along the underside of her bra. He made a disgruntled noise as he attempted to budge the material and got blocked by the underwire.
Vicki laughed. “Yes, I like that very much, and I’d love to try it. But first, give me a minute.”
She reached behind her and unsnapped her bra. A wildness in the air tonight made her lose her inhibitions. Without even a drop of liquor in her, she was tightly wound and on edge, as if something momentous was waiting to happen.
She leaned away from Joel and slipped her hand up her sleeve, pulling her bra strap past her elbow, out the sleeve and ove
r her hand. One more wiggle and she had hold of the opposite strap.
Normally she would have completely removed her bra out a sleeve, but this time she didn’t think swinging the material like a double-barreled slingshot was a good thing, no matter how cocky she felt. Instead she straightened and gave Joel a wink. “There, you can slip it off now.”
Joel tugged experimentally, his eyes widening as he pulled the cups from her body and out the gap at her waistline.
“That’s a nice trick.” He lifted the fabric and shocked her by stroking it over his cheek. “It’s still warm from your body.”
Oh jeez. “Put that down.”
Too late. Travis stood next to them, Ashley watching from her spot on the blanket with bright eyes.
Travis didn’t say anything. Just grinned, his gaze trickling over Vicki. He held out the jar and waited until Joel took it from him.
Vicki ignored the flash of heat storming her face. Flushing her chest, making her now-uncontained breasts ache. Joel copied Travis’s earlier actions. Filled his mouth with liquid then turned, cupping the back of her neck and pulling her forward until their lips met.
Kissing him was like stepping into an inferno. Flames scorched her throat while his tongue slammed in and he stole her breath. Nothing could have prepared her for the burn or the bliss, because his tongue cooled the pain and stoked the fire at the same time.
The head rush was wild to experience, but it was touching Joel, kissing him, that was the real highlight of the moment.
When they broke apart, her head was spinning slightly and she wasn’t sure what had caused it. “Oh yeah, that packs a punch.”
Joel nuzzled her neck. “My kisses or the hootch?”
“Definitely the hootch,” Vicki teased.
Travis retrieved the jar. “I’m cutting us off.” He tweaked Ashley’s chin as she muttered a complaint. “I know, such a bore, aren’t I? There’s nobody going blind while I’m in charge. Switch to the liquor we brought with us.”
She nodded, clambering to her feet and racing to the truck where she leaned in the open window and turned up the music. The song about a redneck yacht club wasn’t very seasonally appropriate, but it made Vicki smile.