Cherishing You

by JoRae Andrews

  “Did you sleep well, Ethan?”

  “Yeah, I did. Sorry, I was going to help you get packed up.”

  “It’s okay, you needed the sleep. I’m all done, just hanging out with Mom and Dad for a bit before I have to go. I had no idea Dad was racing with you, I thought he was just going to cheer you on. That’s so awesome.”

  “Yeah, we have a lot of fun with it, don’t we, Ron?”

  “That we do, Ethan . . . Okay, I know we all want to see you as much as possible, but I think we’re going to leave you two alone for a bit. What do you say, Bev? Want to go in with me and I’ll help you cook up a big meal before Andi has to leave?”

  “Of course, sweetie, thank you for your help. I’ll holler for you two when it’s done.” They go hand in hand out the door and back to the house. I know being away from each other is going to be hard on us, but I really think Andi and I have the same kind of strong love Ron and Bev do. It’ll carry us through—it has to.

  “So, Andi, I know you don’t have much time left, but is there anything you want to do before we go in and eat with your parents?”

  “Well, I’m glad you asked that, Ethan. There are a hundred things I want to do, but nothing more than being wrapped in your arms.” With that, she steps up to me, pulls my head down to hers, and places a hot, sensual kiss on my lips. I can’t help the groan that escapes as I put my hands around her hips and pull her off the ground. As soon as I do, she wraps her legs around my waist, locking them together behind my back. I know she has to feel my hard-on rubbing against her through our pants. I carry her around to the front of the car and lay her back on the hood. Damn, what a gorgeous sight!

  I run to the door and lock it, then just as fast I’m back to her. She lets out a giggle, which quickly turns into moans as I push her shirt up and start sucking on her tight bud while massaging the other. She doesn’t waste any time winding her fingers through my hair, holding me tight against her. I switch to the other breast and continue my assault on her nipples, trailing my hand down to her waistline and slowly unbuttoning her khakis.

  I slide her zipper down and hear a sharp gasp as I slip my fingers under her panties, touching her core. She is so wet for me. Raising her hips, she matches my fingers, stroke for sensuous stroke. I tug her khakis and panties down quickly then drop to my knees, flicking my tongue against her clit. She tastes just as amazing as I always imagined she would.

  I feel her hands in my hair and it turns me on even more. Digging my fingers into her sweet ass cheeks, I pull her tighter to me; I can’t wait to make love to her, but making her come will just have to do. I want to wait until we won’t be interrupted by anyone and I can have her for the entire night. No rush, and no impending trip to Texas hanging over our heads. I feel her body trembling beneath me, her moans becoming more intense. She must be about to come. I speed up my pace and just as she explodes I hear a knock on the door.

  “You guys, come on in and eat,” Bev calls out.

  I’m really glad I locked the door.

  I stand up and Andi has thrown her arm over her eyes. Bev knocks again then yells that she’s going back in for lunch. I look down at Andi, and she has a cute flush to her cheeks—a mix between ‘a good orgasm just rippled through me’ and ‘I got caught in the process.’ Yes, definitely cute and sexy. Another beautiful pic for my memory.

  “Okay, we’ll be there in a few minutes,” I call out to Bev. I scoop Andi up in my arms and tilt her face to mine.

  “Baby, we’re both consenting adults, and unless I’m mistaken, you seemed to be enjoying yourself as much as I was.”

  “Of course I was, it’s just now she knows we were fooling around in here. It’s embarrassing is all.”

  I place a quick kiss on her lips and place her on her feet.

  “Come on, baby, let’s get in there before she sends your dad out after us.” I laugh, but she isn’t as amused. Either way, she still looks sexy as hell. She tugs her panties and pants back up and in place.

  “Once again, we’re interrupted before I can reciprocate. I really want to make you lose control, just like you do to me.” She cups my junk through my pants, and my dick jerks and strains against my jeans, begging for release.

  “Oh, girl, you have no idea what you do to me. How am I supposed to go sit at your parents’ dinner table and share a meal with this hard-on?”

  She giggles and tugs on me again through my jeans. “I don’t know, but you better figure it out before Dad comes out here to get us.”

  I gently remove her hand from my crotch. “As much as I’d like to throw you over this hood and make sweet, passionate love to you for the rest of the day, we have to get in there with your parents and have lunch. Plus, I’m sure your dad walking in here and seeing me pumping my dick into his daughter is probably not on his top ten list.”

  Her face turns even redder, and I don’t know if it’s from embarrassment or if it’s because she just pictured us making love on her father’s car. Either way, it’s sexy as hell.

  “Okay, let’s go.” She gives me a quick kiss.

  We walk hand in hand to the house, where Ron and Bev are sitting at the dining room table, waiting on us. We quickly sit down next to one another and start making our plates. I’m not very hungry, but I can’t pass up a meal made by Bev no matter how full I am.

  “Sorry we were late, we—”

  Bev interrupts Andi, saying, “Andi, you’re consenting adults, even though sometimes that’s hard to remember. What you two do behind closed doors is none of my business, and I’d like to keep it that way. Thank you, by the way, to whoever was smart enough to lock the door. Now that we have that out of the way, let’s enjoy this meal together before you have to get going.” She gives us both a smile and takes a bite of food.

  Neither of us says anything else as we eat. Of course, it tastes just as good as I knew it would, and I enjoy every bite I take. I look around the table quietly while I chew, once again overwhelmed by the amount of love that’s right here at this table. This family is truly one of a kind, and I’m grateful to be a part of their lives. I always felt comfortable with them, and now that Andi and I are together I know they’ll always be in my life.

  Someday, I plan to make it official. I want to spend every day with her by my side and make love with her every single night.

  I’m not ready for her to leave yet; I want to hang on for as long as possible. She looks up then, catching me staring at her angelic face. She smiles at me and puts her hand on my leg under the table, giving it a quick squeeze. I place my hand over hers, squeezing back. I give her a small smile, which she returns. I can’t seem to help myself as I lean over, quickly pecking her cheek.

  “All right, you two. We’re happy for you, but knock it off,” Ron says with a laugh.

  “Hope everyone saved room for dessert, because I have a surprise for you.” Bev stands and goes to the kitchen.

  She comes back in with a huge round chocolate cake. It’s two layers and covered with chocolate icing. Of course, it’s all made from scratch, and almost falls apart when she slices it. Once everyone has a plate, I take a bite, and it melts in my mouth.

  “Oh, Mom, you’ve outdone yourself this time,” Andi says between bites.

  “Thank you, honey. I know how much you love my homemade cakes and I hadn’t done one in quite a while, so I decided to whip it up for you. I wanted to make you something special before you leave.”

  “I really appreciate it.” Andi gets up from her chair, rounds the table, and hugs her mom tight. I know seeing her go is as hard on them as it is me. I wish things were different, but this is how it has to be—for now, at least.

  “I know you do, honey, that’s why I do it.” She gives her another quick squeeze then releases her. Andi goes to her father next and gives him a tight hug.

  “Andi, I want you to promise to come home and visit more, okay? Will you do that?

  “Of course I will, Dad. I’ll be back before you know it.”

  “Good! Now, le
t’s enjoy the rest of our cake.” Ron winks at her, and she lets go and comes back to her chair. I lean over and wrap my arm around her, pulling her close to my side. I want to spend every evening like this.

  We all seem to want to linger on this meal, stretching it out for as long as possible.

  When we finish eating, we all get up to clean the dishes, but Mom won’t have it.

  “You guys go hang out for a little while before you have to leave. I’d want every second together I could get if it were me and your dad.”

  “Thank you, Bev, I appreciate everything you do,” Ethan says, giving her a quick hug.

  “You’re welcome, Ethan.”

  I look up at him. “Do you want take a walk with me?”

  “Sure, you lead and I’ll follow you anywhere,” he says, a goofy smile on his lips. I grab his hand and pull him behind me out the back door; I want to go back down to the pond one more time before I go. I honestly should’ve been back in Texas by now, but I’m having a hard time leaving. I wonder if Ethan’s changed his mind yet, if he sees I’m fully aware of the decision I want to make. Yes, there’s a risk of regret, but I don’t think I actually will. How could I, when my whole life is here?

  We get to the dock and, after sliding off my sandals, I dangle my feet over the edge. Ethan sits down behind me, removes his socks and shoes, and slides his legs on each side of me to hang off the edge. He wraps his arms around my belly and I lean back against him, looking out over the water.

  This is so comfortable. Maybe I can call my new boss and tell her something’s come up and I need to delay my start. Surely they’d understand, right? Okay, so that probably wouldn’t go over well when my first day is supposed to be in the morning. It’s not like I really care what they think; I don’t even want to work there any more, I know this is where I want to be.

  “So, I know you don’t want to go, and I don’t want you to leave either, but you realize you have to, right?”

  “No, I don’t have to go, Ethan. I could stay right here wrapped in your arms until we get tired. Then we could go up to my room, climb into my bed, and hold each other through the night. So no, I don’t have to go,” I say, continuing to watch out across the water.

  I feel Ethan take a deep breath and release it slowly. “You’re right, you don’t have to go, but I would always feel guilty that I made you miss out on an incredible opportunity just because I selfishly asked you to stay. I meant what I said before—I don’t want any more regrets in our relationship. You’ll kick butt at this job because that’s who you are; you excel at everything you do. Then you’ll decide where you want to go from there. I’ll support you no matter what.”

  “Oh, Ethan.” I didn’t realize there were tears streaming down my face until then. I know he’s right, but it doesn’t make leaving any easier. Turning my head, he leans down and kisses me. I hold on to him with everything I have, kissing him with all the fear and excitement jumbled in my brain.

  Of course, this only turns the flame that was burning between us earlier into a full-on wildfire. We really need to cool this party down before Mom and Dad come out here. Plus, I should be hitting the road.

  As if on cue, Ethan pulls away from me and takes another deep breath. I know this is just as hard on him as it is me. Of course, he still won’t go for my idea, so I guess there’s no getting around it.

  “You need to head out, you’re going to be exhausted as it is already.”

  “I know, but it’s okay, you’re totally worth it.” I give him a quick peck on the cheek. I know I’m just putting it off, but I can’t help it.

  “Okay, baby. Five more minutes, and then I’ll help get your car packed up. I don’t want you to be too tired while you drive.”

  I don’t say anything, just nod at him. It doesn’t matter that I already have my bags in the car. I also don’t say anything about leaving most of my stuff here; I plan on being back soon, so I’ll decide then what I need. We don’t say anything as we watch some birds fly around the pond. A bullfrog calls out a few times. The beautiful sounds of nature are all around us; I’ll miss this, especially when I wake up to car horns and sirens in the distance.

  “All right, babe, I guess I should let you go. I don’t like the idea of you driving it all in one day by yourself. Promise me you’ll call if you get tired?”

  “Yes, I’ll call. And I want updates on your mom as much as possible too.”

  “I’ll let you know how she’s doing every day.”

  We stand up and I put my sandals back on, wait while he ties his shoes. Then we walk hand in hand slowly back up to the house. Mom and Dad are sitting on the back porch talking.

  “Time to hit the road, I take it,” Dad says as he stands up and comes down the few steps to me, wrapping me in a big hug. “I’m going to miss you, baby girl. Please take care of yourself, and don’t forget to carry your pepper spray.”

  “I won’t, Dad. I’ll be careful, I promise.”

  Mom comes up next. “Oh, honey, I love you!” With tears in her eyes, she gives me a tight hug.

  “I love you too, Mom. I’ll miss cooking meals together and our talks, but don’t worry, I’ll still be calling you constantly for our talks,” I say with a giggle. Releasing her, I tell them both again how much I love them before Ethan walks me to my car as I hold on tight to his hand. In the driveway, I throw my arms around his neck and bury my face in his chest. He wraps his arms around me and holds tight.

  “I’ll be seeing you soon, I promise you that.”

  “Oh, I know you will, sweetheart, because if you’re not home for a visit soon, I’ll be coming there to see you,” Ethan says with a short laugh.

  This makes me feel a little better, even though it hurts like hell to be leaving. I press my lips to his and give him a long, hard kiss.

  I love him so much it hurts.

  We eventually run out of air, and I know I have to let him go and get on the road. I wish things were different, but it doesn’t matter right now; it is what it is, and we’ve gone over this a hundred times. I give him another kiss and tight squeeze then I get into the car.

  Ethan reaches in, pulls me to his lips giving me a long hard kiss. I would sit here all day and kiss him. He lets go and waits until I buckle. “Let me know how your trip goes and I’ll be waiting to hear that you made it safely,” then gives me another quick kiss.

  “I love you, Ethan. We’ll be together soon!”

  “I love you too, baby.”

  Mom and Dad come up behind him, and I see Dad put his hand on Ethan’s back. I’m again reminded of what wonderful parents I have. I know they’ll be here for Ethan as much as he will for them. I’m pretty lucky to have such great people in my life.

  “When you decide you’re hungry or thirsty, I packed a cooler for you. You may have a surprise in there too,” Mom says. I look back and, sure enough, there’s a cooler sitting on my backseat.

  “Thanks, Mom, I really appreciate that.”

  “You’re welcome, sweetie. Be safe.” She blows me a kiss and I start up the car.

  “See you all later, and soon!” I call out. They’re all saying their byes and I pull out of the driveway. Tears are rolling down my face, and I have to keep wiping them to see where I’m going. Why does this have to hurt so much? I know why—because the love of my life is back there, along with everyone else I love.

  Finally, I shut off my brain and just drive. I try to make myself enjoy the scenery as I go, and not think about what I’m leaving behind. I made the decision to do this, so now it’s time to put on my big-girl panties and give this a fair try. If it doesn’t work out, I can honestly say I gave it my all and decided it wasn’t for me.

  I’d already programmed my GPS system on my phone, so I activate it and set it in my dash holder. When I reach the freeway, I turn the radio up, roll the windows down, and set cruise control. I honestly should’ve left this morning; at this rate, I’ll get back to my apartment in time to grab a shower and maybe a couple hours’ sleep before h
eading to my new job. Not the way I wanted to start my first day at all, but hey, at least I’ll make it. With evening traffic being light, it should go smoothly anyway.

  I drive for a long while then decide I better stop and fill up on fuel. I check the fluids while the gas is filling up; I don’t want to break down again like I did on my way home. At least then I wasn’t far out. A breakdown now would be a disaster.

  I find bottled water in the cooler, along with several food items from Mom. She’s so sweet; I don’t know what I’d do without her. I use the restroom and freshen up, pay for my fuel, and hit the road once again.

  My trip goes well, and I make it back in record time. I decide to wait until I get home from work to unpack my car, so I grab my purse, the cooler, and my essentials bag and go into my apartment. Most of my stuff is packed up because I was planning on getting a small place closer to my job, but I might just stay here until I decide if I like it or not. No sense moving twice if I don’t need to.

  I run through the shower and set the alarm to go off in two hours, which will give me just enough time to throw my hair up in a bun and get dressed and out the door. I noticed Mom packed some of her muffins in the cooler, so I’ll grab one for breakfast.

  I quickly text Ethan then Mom and Dad, letting them know I made it here safe and sound. I’m sure they’ll be sleeping for a while yet.

  Finally ready, I close my eyes.

  We stand there until we can’t see her car anymore, never saying a word. It was like Andi was our sunshine; when she pulled away, she took the light with her. I suddenly feel the same pain and loneliness as when she left for college. Except this time, she did tell me, and she finally knows how I feel—that I’m not just her best friend, but that I love her, and she even loves me too. I wanted so badly to ask her to marry me, but I don’t want to put any added pressure on her; this was hard enough already. I want her to give the new job a fair chance. Then, when she decides, I’ll ask her. It can’t happen soon enough.