Jaxson

by Kris Keldaran

  “So where’s that crazy daughter of yours?” a cousin asked.

  Sigh. Almost at ease.

  “I don’t know,” Marcia declared as she sat down in a chair, twisting open a beer. “She said she might come down today. Guess that shooting at the school yesterday really messed things up for her.”

  “She’s not hurt, is she?” Randall asked.

  “She said she’s fine. Just some crazies hopped up on drugs.”

  The adults at the table shook their heads, muttering various derisive remarks on the fate of such miscreants.

  Nearby, one of the teenagers piped up. “You should see the video from when the police went in. One of those lolos got thrown out the third story window!”

  “Yeah right.”

  “No, serious! It’s on YouTube!”

  “The broadcast after by the police was better. Great big freaking hapa-haole stands up in front of the camera, tells the reporters his team of ex-Marine mercs went in there and cleared those crazies out,” AJ, Marcia’s nephew claimed from where he stood by the grill cooking huli huli chicken.

  “Ain’t no ex-marines, boy,” Marcia’s husband announced officiously.

  Grizzled and not as fast as he used to be, Jerry Makoa had once been a Marine gunnery sergeant. After retiring to Hawaii on his pension, he’d met a young woman and started a family there.

  “There’s former Marines and dead Marines, boy,” Jerry continued. “And yeah, he was one salty looking leatherneck. Wouldn’t mind buying him a round. Now hurry up with that chicken.”

  A low rumble filled the air much like thunder, except it was getting closer.

  “One of your neighbors get a new truck?”

  “Not that I know of,” Marcia said absently.

  She turned back to her plate of rice and fried fish with unfeigned hunger. The smell alone was driving her crazy.

  “Hey, everybody!”

  Marcia turned in surprise at hearing her daughter’s voice. And froze.

  Kehau had come through the side gate to the backyard. She looked like her usual lovely self, albeit this time she was in a short denim skirt that showed off her beautifully sculpted legs and a plaid shirt tied low in front. The cowgirl boots she wore had to be brand new, because Marcia certainly never remembered her owning a pair before. Still, a very nice look for her.

  But her daughter's clothing was not what had her standing still, no, it was the monster of a man standing beside Kehau that made Marcia freeze up. Easily the size of any present in the backyard, stolid, and immovable like an Easter Island statue. His Fu Manchu and goatee were long and thick, just like the wild mass of curls going every which way. Still, he looked presentable in jeans and leather vest. There was a way about him though, the way he carried himself. Confident with a side of arrogance and devil may care. Throwing a glance at her husband, Marcia could see that he was taking it all in stride so far. It was not the first time Kehau had shocked her family, but it had been a while since it happened.

  Aunty Tuela down at the far end of the table spoke up first. “Kehau, who’s your friend?”

  “Aunty Tuela, this is my boyfriend, Jaxson Kuznia.”

  Everybody was in shock. Even the kids had stopped eating to stare. Everybody knew about her break up with Sione by now. But when did she pick up a new guy? And how?

  Kehau kissed her mother on either cheek and gave her a hug, followed by a dozen yellow roses.

  “You’re the man from TV,” AJ blurted out. “The Marine that went into the building and saved those kids in the dance class.”

  Jax grinned. “I had some help doing it.”

  Marcia turned to Kehau. “He doesn’t mean your dance class, does he?”

  Kehau blushed. Jerry drained his beer and set the bottle down. “I’ve got a feeling there’s a story to this.”

  He pulled two new beers from the cooler and tossed one to Jax. “Why don’t you sit and tell Gunny what you’ve been up to with his little girl, eh, devil dog?”

  It took several minutes, with interruptions from various aunts asking questions and the need for more beer before the history of Kehau’s new boyfriend was satisfactorily explained. By the time the young couple had finished telling their story, Marcia was looking at Jax in a new light. And she couldn’t help but notice how her daughter was looking at him. Even when she’d been with Sione, Kehau had never looked at him that way. Marcia sighed mentally. You knew this day was coming. You just wish it didn’t have to be so soon.”

  Jerry seemed to take it all in stride. “Who’s the Sergeant Major over at 1/3 these days?”

  “Sergeant Major Caldwell.”

  “Big popolo, wears the old Birth Control Glasses?”

  “Yup.”

  Jerry barked out a laugh. “I remember when he was my boot.” His eyes took on a faraway look. “Those were some very good times.”

  Jax glanced around for a moment, as if looking for something. “Hey, AJ, right?”

  “Yes, sir?”

  “There’s a quad-bike out front. In the saddlebag is a burlap sack. It’s heavy so carry it from the bottom. Bring it on over here.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  As the boy scrambled to obey, Jerry gave Jax a quizzical look. “Everything all right?”

  “Oh it is, Gunny, but I figure if the two of us are gonna be sharing sea stories, we’ll need something better than Heineken and PBR.” AJ returned in a moment, setting the burlap sack on the table and stepping back a respectful distance.

  Within was a tall mason jar full of liquid the color of dark amber. Cinnamon sticks and slices of apple floated within it.

  “Apple pie moonshine?” Jerry asked.

  “Yep. Surprised you know what it is.”

  “Me and moonshine go way back, son. Used to be, middle of winter during a field op, we’d make coffee at night, with a slug of something special to help us stay warm. Moonshine in coffee is the second best thing God ever gave me. First best is still my pretty wife.”

  Marcia’s cheeks dimpled at the compliment, but she gazed at her husband with new insight. Of all the men who’d come over to her house chasing Kehau, Jax was the one who’d bonded the fastest with her husband. And Jerry had never told her he liked liquor in his coffee! She made a mental note then to see what Jerry thought of some Kahlua in his morning cup. Or maybe a little moonshine if Jax had an extra jar lying around somewhere.

  Opening the jar, Jax poured them both a shot, then held up the glass, “Absent comrades.”

  “Absent comrades. Oorah.”

  Jerry sipped, letting the liquid coat his tongue and throat.

  “Goes down smooth,” he declared.

  “Family secret. It’ll clean paint off concrete, but it tastes good too.”

  Jerry smiled. “Best kind.” He looked at Jax quizzically. “What was your MOS?”

  “0351, assault man.”

  Jerry grunted. “That's what I like to hear. What's your nickname?”

  “Johnny Rocket.” He pointed at the three black rings wrapped around his forearm, near the elbow.

  “Iraq, during the invasion.”

  “Wide stripes too,” Jerry remarked.

  “Yeah well our tanks were a little slow getting through the city. That, and I was sick of lugging so many AT4s in the back of my Humvee and not using them.”

  “I don't get it,” Kehau’s uncle Jeremy said from the far end of the table. “What are you talking about?”

  “Assault men carry rockets,” Jerry explained. “They hunt tanks. Wide stripe means he’s got three tank kills. Three wide stripes means nine tanks.”

  So that's why he has those particular tattoos, Kehau realized.

  “Where'd you learn that?” Jax asked around a spoonful of rice.

  Jerry pulled back the sleeve of his floral print shirt. One wide black band wrapped around the meaty portion of his bicep, with a single thinner band just below it. “Vietnam 1972. Got lucky dropping mortars on an NVA tank platoon one night. Now, you mentioned something about sea storie
s. Lemme tell ya bout a trip to Thailand back in 1980…”

  In the hours that followed, Jerry Makoa gave his family a gift they’d never seen coming. For years, he’d been closemouthed about his time in the Corps, sharing little with anybody. A taciturn man by nature, he loved his wife and doted on his only child, which was the extent of his kindness, and as much as he felt comfortable sharing. But Jax came along, and the next thing anybody knew, they were carrying on like fast friends. Kehau couldn’t remember ever hearing her father laugh so hard as she did now, trading stories with Jax about what it was like being young enlisted Marines overseas.

  Shot by shot, they emptied the Mason jar several inches that night. AJ, days away from turning eighteen, tried a sip of the moonshine only after Jax cut it with a full glass of apple juice.

  “Don’t need you going blind on us,” he’d declared over AJ’s protest.

  He’d been proven right on the first sip when AJ turned a sickly shade of green. To his credit, the boy choked it down, causing even more laughter amongst all of the men present. But he survived, and the night went on.

  At long last, the stars were fully overhead, the children laid out in the living room fast asleep on pillows and sheets. The torches were growing dimmer, their wicks nearly burnt up. Finally, Jerry flipped his glass over, signifying he was done.

  “Keep taking good care of my little girl, devil.” He stood and kissed his daughter. “I like this one.” Taking his wife by the hand, he led her inside, a certain spring to his step.

  “Where is my father and what have you done with him?” Kehau demanded.

  Jax shrugged his shoulders. “I didn't do crap, sexy baby, you were right here the whole time.”

  She picked up the jar, sniffing its potent contents. “So how are you not unconscious right now?”

  “I'm the grandson of a shine maker, sexy baby, I know how to drink.”

  “Obviously. I lost count after number seven.” She continued to walk around the table, clearing it of plates and food as she went. “So what do you think of them?”

  “I love your mom’s cooking. And I like your daddy.”

  “Good, I was hoping you would.”

  “What time are you thinking of going shopping tomorrow?” he asked her.

  “Sometime after noon, my mom likes to sleep in on Saturdays.”

  “Want to hang out at the beach until then?”

  She looked down at him indignantly. “Why, Jaxson Kuznia, somebody might think you were trying to get your girlfriend in a bikini!”

  “Maybe I am,” he countered. “What are you going to do about it?”

  Kehau sauntered over, straddling his hips as she sat down on his lap, her bosom right at eye level.

  “And what if I told you I had a very patriotic red, white, and blue bikini waiting for a weekend like this?”

  “God Bless America,” he croaked, even as she ran her hands through his hair and ground her pelvis ever so provocatively against him.

  In response, he traced the edge of her shirt with his lips, running down to the slight crevice between her breasts that was showing.

  “Oh really,” Kehau murmured in his ear. “Is that what you want?”

  The snap buttons of her shirt popped open easily, one by one, revealing the bright electric pink bra she wore beneath it. Jax looked at it curiously. Something seemed off. Though what it was he couldn't guess. Without a moment’s further hesitation, he leaned forward, applying his lips to trace her collarbone, down across her heart to where the swell of her large bosom met her bra. He took his time, nipping her with his teeth just as much as he kissed the soft brown flesh. Jax placed his ear against her chest, listening to the beat of her heart for a moment. “Such a heart you have, my dearest love,” he whispered in a hushed voice.

  Slowly coasting across the curvature, he moved up the opposite side of her neck, stopping to suck briefly, planting a hickey on her neck where the collar couldn’t hide it. Her breath caught in her throat and he could feel the vein of her neck pulse even faster.

  “Tell me something, Jax,” she cooed in his ear, “what would you do if I did this?”

  With a deft flick of her fingers, the previously unknown clasp in the front popped open. He knew what she was offering him. But she’s a good girl, damn it! She doesn't owe me anything! Another part of his mind spoke up then. Refusing her right now would be a real good way to piss her off. This is part of how she knows she’s beautiful. That she's wanted and desired.

  His hands slid from where they rested on her waist, upwards to the open bra. Very gently, his fingers opened her bra wider as they skimmed across her nipples. They felt large against his palms and his erection grew even harder. Mine, all mine.

  The bra cups fell to either side. Her nipples were large, puffy, and hardened under his attention, they were the size of the tip of his index finger, with dark areolas at least two inches across. As he cupped both breasts, he marveled at how they seemed to fill his hands so well. Better than any woman I’ve been with before.

  Letting go of her right breast, he trailed quick kisses around the generous brown orb. Quiet moans told him his ministrations were having an effect. Right before he got to the nipple though, Jax switched to her left and suckled on the nipple, dragging his teeth gently off the tip. Now he had her undivided attention. Then he switched back to the right, rolling it between his teeth with the aid of his tongue. His hand rose up once more to cup, pinch, and fondle the unattended tit. She ground her pelvis against him, and he could feel a wet spot on his lap from where her growing desire left its mark.

  Kehau had never been with a man so patient. Sione was more of the wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am type. Before they’d broken up, she’d meant to tell him how bored she was getting in bed. Guess I won’t need to worry about that anymore. Her tits felt amazing. It was as if Jax was making love to them. She’d always wanted a man who could lavish attention on them, and make her feel excited. The warmth between her legs didn’t help any. Kehau could feel his growing erection underneath the denim and if she was a good judge of size, he was massively proportioned. Sliding herself against him, forward and back repeatedly only added to her growing desire. This is insane! she realized with a start. I’m going to cum right here, in my parent’s backyard, and he’s not even inside of me! Oh God, it feels so good…

  Her thoughts trailed off into never-land as her whole body began to shake and tremble. As if Jax sensed her growing arousal, he sucked her whole areola into his mouth as his free hand reached down to gently stroke her inner thighs. A finger slipped inside the tight-fitting denim. Kehau felt it brush down the outer lips of her already wet pussy to finally rest on her clitoris. The stroking became more vigorous as he scratched an itch she'd had building up for weeks.

  Kehau gripped his hair tightly as she came all at once, an explosion that left tingling sensations everywhere. “Oh, Jax,” she moaned.

  “Yes, my queen?” he asked her coyly.

  She looked at him with smoldering, warm eyes. “You have no idea, Johnny Rocket. When we get back to my bedroom, I’m going to—"

  “Aunty Kehau? I need some water. I’m thirsty.”

  Emily, her tiny three-year-old niece stood in the doorway wearing My Little Pony pajamas and clutching a stuffed doll. Tired hands tried to rub the sleep away from her eyes as she looked at Kehau’s back.

  Why oh why did she have to come along right now?

  "I’ll be right there, Emily,” Kehau said, fingers fumbling to close her shirt before she stood. Jax was struggling not to laugh.

  “What?” she said exasperatedly.

  “Every damn time we start getting heavy, somebody interrupts us. I know your roommates saw us from the house on our first date. The nun at church, and now this. Almost like the cosmos is in conspiracy against us,” he said, trying to keep from laughing. “Go ahead and go help the keiki. It’s okay, sexy baby.”

  By the time Kehau returned, Jax had passed out in a nearby hammock, snoring away.

  "Well,
this sucks," Kehau said as she watched the rise and fall of his chest.

  Chapter Eleven

  Anytime you want to pick up the telephone you

  Know that it ain't nothing to drop a couple stacks on you

  If you want it you can get it my dear

  5 millions dollars homes drop bitness I swear.

  T.I.

  "So where are you thinking of getting your dress from?" Marcia asked her daughter as she drove her red BMW M5 through the afternoon traffic of Downtown Honolulu. Carli and Marissa were in the back, enjoying the ride in the convertible.

  "I was kinda thinking Ross seeing as we’re on a budget,” Kehau announced.

  "That's nice," Marcia said. And drove right past it.

  "Hey, you missed your turn back there!" Kehau said suddenly.

  "No I didn't.” Five minutes and a few more turns she pulled up to the valet at Neiman Marcus.

  "What are we doing here?"

  Marcia looked at her daughter levelly. "Your boyfriend? Mr. Badass? He asked that we bring you here. Said we're responsible for finding you a very nice dress, and he’ll take care of the cost. Now, let’s get out of the car and do some shopping, shall we?"

  An associate named Lei’Ana was waiting for them at the front counter in a blue and green kimono.

  “Good afternoon, ladies, Mr. Kuznia called ahead and asked me to help you with your shopping. He mentioned it’s for the Birthday Ball and to please have fun today.”

  “I love a man who plans ahead,” Kehau said cheerfully.

  “If you'll follow me right this way please, I'll show you what we have available.”

  The dresses came in every style and color imaginable. Kehau couldn't remember spending this much energy looking for a prom dress. And she had no clue what a Birthday Ball was either. Maybe it's a Marine thing. I should ask daddy about that later.

  A dress caught her eye right then. Still half-wrapped in plastic and hanging on a cart, it looked like an odd shade between orange and pink.