Honka Honka (Honk Series Book 1)

by Krissy Reynolds

  And she didn't mean to but envisioning a jar of strawberry jam being thrown at him was too funny to not laugh and she did before she could stop herself, bringing her hand to cover her mouth.

  "That's terrible," Alison managed to say.

  "Kind of loses the effect when you're laughin' while tryin' to say that," Yuriel teased.

  "I might have a jar downstairs in the cellar left over from canning. I'll go look," she offered and then with that, she stood on her toes and leaned into him, giving him a kiss on the cheek before turning towards the house.

  She looked back and saw that Harvey was staying with Yuriel and daddy and she couldn't help but smile, liking the idea of the lamb being attached to both of them.

  Coming through the back door, she saw that Vicky was in the kitchen and Alison couldn't help but feel a tension in her back immediately upon being in her presence. She hated this. Absolutely hated this. But she didn't know how to fix this because they were at a standstill. Alison could only say so many times that she was getting better and Vicky could only so many times refuse to believe her.

  Vicky was digging around for something in the pantry and she lifted her head when she heard the screen door, turning to see Alison standing there. The two sisters looked at one another without speaking for a few moments.

  "Do you mind if I take these?" Vicky asked, lifting a box of four mason jars.

  "Of course not," Alison shook her head, both surprised and nervous with Vicky actually talking to her. "I have plenty downstairs," she said. She swallowed the thickness in her throat. "Are you going to be doing canning in Atlanta?"

  "No," Vicky shook her head. "That was always more your thing. Jeff has absolutely no glassware in his place that isn't made out of plastic. I figured I could bring these and use these for drinks."

  Alison gave a small smile. "Jeff," she then said, recognizing the name immediately. "From Rhee Pizza."

  "Yeah," Vicky nodded and then looked embarrassed almost for some reason. "He's not really my usual type but there's something about him…"

  Alison laughed a little. "I know what you mean. I don't think Jimmy and Yuriel could be more different from one another." Her laughter faded and she looked down to the floor. She wasn't sure if that was the thing to say or not. She and Vicky were talking, yes, but maybe this was a conversation that wasn't time to take place yet.

  Vicky set the box down on the middle kitchen island and chewed on her bottom lip for a moment. "He really cares about you," she then said. "It's obvious to everyone."

  "He does," Alison nodded. "He loves me. And I love him."

  Vicky looked at her and then slowly nodded her head. "Good. I'm… I'm really happy for you, Alisony."

  "Are you?" Alison dared herself to ask, studying her sister closely.

  "I am," Vicky immediately nodded her head and she sounded sincere. Alison had always been able to tell when Vicky was lying. She did this shuffle thing on her feet but she stood there, standing still and Alison knew she was being honest. "You deserve to be happy, Alison, and you deserve to be loved."

  "I've always known you loved me, Vicky," Alison quickly said.

  Vicky smiled a little – not a happy smile – but one that twitched her lips. "And I'll never stop. You're my little sister, Alison. I'll always love you and I'll always be there for you. No matter what happens."

  And it wasn't an apology and it wasn't a promise that things would ever be the same between them but for now, Alison stood in that kitchen with Vicky and for the first time in the longest time, she felt like she had a sister – an actual sister and not a warden keeping tabs on her – again.

  …

  She woke up to the smell of coffee brewing.

  Her eyelids fluttered open and she saw that sun was streaming in through the open blinds and she noticed immediately that she was alone in bed. She lifted her head, the sleep fog fading from her brain, and she frowned a little. Where had Yuriel gone? She looked to the alarm clock. It was a little before seven. Had he gone hunting? He usually told her the night before if he was going to be doing that and then before he left, he would always murmur in her ear that he was leaving.

  He had done none of those things. Maybe something had come up with Carlos or at the shop and he had left. There was no need to worry. She just had gotten so used to waking up beside him, it was slightly unnerving to being in bed by herself again.

  She sat up, smothering a yawn with her hand and a slight ache between her thighs. She was still naked from the night before and almost immediately, as the covers slipped from her body, she shivered. She pulled herself from the bed and found her underwear on the floor, tugging them back on. She then picked up the flannel shirt of Yuriel's and slipped that on, buttoning a couple of buttons.

  Had he made coffee before he left? It tickled her nose and it smelled heavenly even if she didn't really like coffee. She still loved the smell. It was strange though. Yuriel wasn't really a big coffee drinker either so why had he made a pot?

  She went to the closed bedroom door but before opening it, she could hear voices on the other side and she stopped herself. One was Yuriel's and the other, she recognized as belonging to Benny. Her fingers were still curled around the doorknob but they fell away and she pressed her ear to the door. She knew it was wrong to eavesdrop but she couldn't stop herself. Curiosity was getting the better of her.

  "And you're sure?" Yuriel was asking.

  "Kind of hard to misinterpret what she said," Benny said.

  "'m sorry," Yuriel then mumbled.

  "I guess I saw this coming months ago. How long have I been talking to you about this?" Benny then sighed heavily. "She said that after Aubrey was born, she felt so unattractive and I didn't do a thing to tell her how beautiful she was. Travon knew just the right things to say. I didn't know I had to tell her she was beautiful. She's Helen. Of course I think she's beautiful. She should have known that."

  Yuriel was silent and Alison gnawed on her bottom lip. Poor Benny. Poor, poor Benny. And poor Carl and Aubrey. She had met Helen Kerry a few times and the woman had always been kind to her and Alison wasn't going to judge her because she didn't know her side of the story but Alison stood there and felt her chest ache for Benny right now.

  "What are you gonna do 'bout Travon?" Yuriel asked then.

  "Kill him," Benny said without pause but then sighed heavily. "I don't know."

  "You get 'im in the woods, I can have a huntin' accident with 'im," Yuriel offered and Alison could hear Benny's smirk through the door.

  "Thanks for that, Yuriel," he said. "You're a good friend."

  "'m sorry," Yuriel said again.

  "I'm gonna give Carlos a call," Benny said. "I don't feel bad going to a strip club now. You want to come with us this time?"

  Yuriel was quiet for a moment. "I don't think so. I got Alison. I don't need to see any other woman take her clothes off in front of me."

  Alison felt her face warm at his words and she felt her heart give a little flip before feeling as if it was expanding past it's normal size in her chest.

  That man. God, she loved that man so much. She believed in soul mates and love at first sight and she knew with a doubt that Yuriel was her soul mate. They were meant to be. The universe had been planning this all along. He had been born and then a few years later, she had been born and the universe knew from the very start that they would find one another and be together. It was how things were supposed to be.

  All was right in the universe.

  Benny and Yuriel talked for a bit longer and Alison slipped back into the bed, curling on her side, resting her head on his pillow and unable to stop smiling to herself. She began to drift off again and in the back of her mind, she could hear the murmur of voices as Benny bid farewell and then a minute after that, she heard his car driving away and the trailer was silent except for the chirping of birds and the familiar of the woods surrounding them outside.

  Her eyes fluttered open when she heard the bedroom door open and Yuriel stepped i
n again. His eyes fell on her immediately and she gave him a small smile, one he returned. He took off his pants and then tugged off his shirt, leaving him in his boxers, and he lifted the covers, slipping back into bed beside her. Immediately, her head found his chest and she sighed contently as his arm wrapped around her shoulders. His other hand found hers and their fingers rested on his stomach.

  It was quiet between them but they didn't need to talk. Most times, they didn't have to. So much of their relationship had happened between them without words or discussions and it had been natural and right and they had always been on the same page with one another. Even before they had their first real conversation with one another, she had felt drawn to him – as if they had some sort of connection – and now, after being with him for these past few months, maybe she had never been wrong in thinking that in the first place.

  No one understood her like Yuriel did and she liked to think that no one understood him like she did. They were true partners in every sense of the word. They would never talk about it but they both knew that he had saved her and they both knew that she had saved him, too. And maybe others could see it be that way between them but it didn't matter whether anyone else could or not. All that mattered was what she and Yuriel thought and felt about one another.

  And now they had this. Quiet mornings in bed together, their bodies locked in one another's embrace and neither wanting to let go. And Alison knew that they would always have this with one another and there would never be a reason to let go.

  Chapter Thirty.

  "Well," Alison beamed at him as they walked out of the diner, her hand immediately going to his and twining their fingers together.

  "It still don't count, Alison," Yuriel gave her a slight frown, reading her mind.

  She nearly laughed. "Why not? It was dinner and I didn't pay. Sounds like a date to me. And look. I'm wearing a dress."

  "You're always wearin' a dress," he said. "And it don't count 'cause there were five other people with us and Martin picked up the check."

  She couldn't hold it in any longer and she laughed now.

  After work that evening, Martin had wanted to treat everyone out for dinner and it been such a fun meal, Axel and Martinez trying to up one another with ridiculous stories and sometimes, Alison was laughing so hard, she felt as if she was going to start crying. And she was happy that things between her and Zach weren't as awkward as they had once been. He had begun dating a girl from the community college and he seemed to finally accept that Alison and Yuriel were very much together and he had never really had a chance anyway even before they were.

  She liked Zach though. They were close in age and they listened to much of the same music and had spent some of the meal talking about their newfound love for Vance Joy. Apparently, he was coming to Atlanta and Zach had offered to get three tickets for himself and the other two for Yuriel and Alison. Alison had suggested he get another ticket and bring the girl he was dating along as well.

  "A double date," she said with a smile.

  It had been raining that morning so Yuriel had driven them to work in the pickup truck. And nearing it now, Yuriel unlocked the passenger side door and pulled it open for Alison. She stopped and smiled up at him but didn't get in.

  "I told you, Yuriel. We've already had our first date. I think we're probably up to our tenth date by now, at least," she said.

  But he just shook his head like the stubborn man he was. "None of those ten times counted," he reminded her, thinking she was being the stubborn one. "Our first date isn't gonna be gas station food and eatin' it on a rock by a body of water."

  "Sounds perfect to me," she just kept smiling up at him and he did his best to frown, telling himself that he wasn't going to give in even though she had the prettiest smile he had ever seen on a person.

  He had promised her a date and they were going to go on a date, damn it. The timing of it all just never seemed to line up and he still couldn't think of what they should do. Benny had mentioned – when Yuriel had casually asked him about it – that a typical first date was something along the lines of dinner and a movie. And Yuriel supposed they could do that. It sounded easy enough. Except in the back of his mind, he remembered a comment Alison had made a long time ago about how all they seemed to do together was eat. Yuriel didn't want to do something they did all of the time.

  The ride back home was mostly quiet except for Alison singing softly along to whatever song was on the alternative music radio station he usually had it set to. He didn't know the song – didn't know most of the music she liked – but she had declared it to be one of her favorites and he made sure to listen to it closely. Sounded like some British guy sinking; something about a cornerstone – whatever the hell that was. But Alison sang with a soft smile on her face and he was reluctant to turn the truck off when they got home, not wanting her to stop her singing.

  Harvey was in his pen, bahhing the instant he saw them, and Alison went to greet him as she always did every night with hugs and kisses and asking if he had been a good lamb though how he could have possibly misbehaved was still a little beyond Yuriel. Yuriel went to the shed where they kept a trashcan full of oats Lawrence had given them and he scooped some more into Harvey's bowl even though he spent his days eating the grass around him while Alison went to get him some fresh water from the pump. Harvey wasn't interested in any of it though now that they were home and Yuriel opened the gate door to the pen, the lamb trotting right out and following Alison up to the front door of the trailer.

  Inside, Yuriel sank down into his arm chair and grabbed one of his books – he was trying to read through Dracula right now and he didn't hate it so far – and Harvey stretched down at his feet like any dog would do. Alison went into the bedroom and came out, wearing a heavier sweater, and she went to the keyboard, sitting down on the stool and beginning to work on the song she was in the middle of writing.

  It was a quiet evening like they always had. It was a quiet life but it was theirs and it was better than anything they could ask for.

  …

  On Thanksgiving, it snowed, and Alison shivered and pressed herself against Yuriel as if they had moved to the South Pole overnight. The trailer did have heat and he had two space heaters, too, but Alison's teeth kept chattering and he suggested they get to her dad's house earlier than they were expected.

  And when they got to the Silver farm, Alison raced inside where she kept wearing her hat, coat, gloves and scarf on for at least another half hour until she deemed herself at a warm enough temperature again. No one else was there yet and Lawrence was in the kitchen, basting the turkey as his first and second wives had both shown him throughout their marriage and Alison would help with the stuffing and the mashed potatoes and when Vicky arrived, she would be in charge of the sweet potatoes. Yuriel looked at Alison sitting on the couch and he hesitantly approached her.

  There were some days where he still felt unsure about all of this. He knew it was a stupid thing to think, of course, but he could never seem to help himself. And he knew that there would always be that part of him that would doubt this whole thing because he had gone his entire life without something good like her and he knew it would probably take the rest of his life getting used to it; because he saw Alison being in his life for as many days as he had left in this world.

  "Hey." He stood in front of her and she lifted her head, giving him a smile. "If you wanna stay here… with your pops for the winter-"

  "Don't be silly," Alison swiftly cut him off as if she had been expecting all along for him to say something like that. "You know me. I'm always cold," she then reminded him. "I'm just going to get some heavier sweaters and socks. I'll be fine, Yuriel," she said and he nodded, his eyes lowering to the floor, and she stood up in front of him. "Hey," she said softly and he looked at her. She gave him that same small smile and her arms circled around his waist. "Guess you'll just have to find some other ways to keep me warm," she said with a twinkle in her eye.

  Instead
of smirking, Yuriel quickly glanced to the kitchen before back to Alison. "Quiet," he said. "Don't wan' your dad to hear. You're a good girl, 'member?" He said.

  Alison laughed softly as if she couldn't help herself. "I'm still a good girl, Yuriel. But I'm pretty sure my daddy's figured things out between us."

  Yuriel instantly felt the tips of his ears turn red and Alison laughed again before standing up on her toes and pecking him on the lips.

  "What do you know?" She then smiled faintly. "Already so much warmer."

  Yuriel smirked a little at that and he glanced to the kitchen once more to make sure that Lawrence hadn't suddenly appeared before he lowered his lips back to Alison's and gave her a longer kiss, his fingers tangling in her hair, keeping her head to his.

  …

  Thanksgiving that year at the Silver farm was a full house.

  It was Lawrence, Alison and Yuriel and then Shawn was coming in from Savannah and Vicky and Jeff were driving in from Atlanta as was Rosita, carpooling with them since her own family was in Texas and after all of her personal issues, she didn't have the best relationship with them. Carlos and Annie were coming with their one-month old son, Hank. Annie usually cooked a Thanksgiving meal but with the newborn, she was so exhausted and Lawrence insisted she come over and let someone else do the cooking. Benny had been invited, too, but he was with the kids and with Helen, too, today – the two deciding to try and work things out between them; to see if things could be worked out.

  Yuriel stood in the doorway of the living room, drinking from a can of Ginger Ale and looking at all of the people crowded in there, talking and laughing, and passing baby Hank around.

  It was still overwhelming to him at times – to be included in something like this; to want to be wanted by so many people in one room. He wondered if it was one of those things he would ever get used to. He didn't know. He did know that he wanted to get used to it though.