He knew that raising a fuss wouldn’t help and was more likely to earn him a pop to head than anything else. He sucked in a breath and wiped his nose on his sleeve. A few tears escaped before he could stop them. He flinched when he felt his aunt’s hand on his head, but she just ruffled his hair and picked up his bag.
“Come on, kid. Let’s get you settled.”
Chapter 3
Present Day
Clover stared at Jake’s profile. She couldn’t believe the changes she saw. She rested her hand on her own thigh in a way that let her fingertips brush against Jake’s leg. She left it there and tried to ignore the flush of heat and excitement the small gesture created in her. Jake blushed when he looked at her hand, then smiled at her like he couldn't quite believe his luck.
“You’re just home for the summer?” Jake’s voice cracked in the middle and he cleared his throat. Clover suppressed a giggle. She loved that she was having an effect on him.
“Right. I start at University of Portland this fall.” She didn’t really want to talk about school. It was one more reminder that he was three years younger than her.
“Oh, I thought you were finishing this past year for some reason.”
“I did,” she answered.
“She graduated with honors.” R.J. was strangely proud of her academic accomplishments. Not that he showed any of the same interest in his own.
“Really? I totally figured that would happen. So why are you...” Jake let the question trail off.
“Starting work on my Master’s program. What about you?”
“I’ll start my second year at Chemeketa in September.” Chemeketa was the community college in Salem where he grew up.
“What are you studying?”
He shrugged. “I dunno yet. Getting the core stuff out of the way right now. I’ll figure out what’s next when I get there, I guess.”
“That’s good.” She didn’t think it was good at all. She’d had her whole life planned out by the time she was sixteen. She tried to imagine what it would have been like not to have a clear vision of her future when she started college. She couldn’t.
Jake smiled and said, “I wish I was more like you. You always look like you know exactly where you’re going and how you’re going to get there.”
She laughed. His compliment made her uncomfortable. He obviously thought she was special and she didn’t feel that way at all. “Except for a few minutes ago when my car broke down.”
Jake laughed and nodded. “True, but I’m being serious. Maybe later you can help me figure out which direction I should be going.”
She nodded but didn’t answer directly. That was a lot of responsibility and she wanted to go back to being flirty and fun.
“Thanks for picking us up. We would have been walking for hours.” She had more to say, but forgot whatever it was when she looked into Jake’s eyes for too long. R.J. made a vomiting noise, effectively breaking the connection. She elbowed her brother in the gut.
“It's no problem.” Jake divided his attention between Clover and the road. “Your dad would have picked you up though, I'm sure.”
R.J. snorted and Clover said, “Not a chance.”
“But he's going to get your car?”
“At some point. But there’s no way he would stop working just to save us from walking. Have you met my dad?” Clover's dad loved his kids, but he was driven when it came to his career. If they were in danger, he would drop everything to help them, but he wouldn’t leave just to save them from a little walking.
When he’d nixed her vacation plans, Clover had begged him to let her spend the summer with him, as an internship of sorts, but he'd refused. Just like every year before, he wanted her to earn her own money. He helped her make investment choices with it, walked her through the decision making, but so far he wouldn’t let her anywhere near anyone else's portfolio.
“What about Brandon?”
Brandon was her dad’s farm manager. Her dad loved the idea of living on acreage, but was practical enough to know that he earned a great deal more as an investment banker than a farm. Besides, he killed houseplants. No way could he cultivate fields of crops. Still, he hated the idea of his land going fallow. Brandon, on the other hand, had the knowledge to run a profitable farm. However, he lacked capital. Shortly after they relocated to southern Oregon, her dad struck a deal with Brandon. He’d been part of the family ever since.
“It’s summer.” Clover would have expanded the explanation for anyone else, but Jake knew how crazy it could get on a farm in the summertime.
“Oh.” Jake shook his head and glanced at Clover's hand. It grazed the edge of his leg every time they went over a bump.
“Dude, you're going to miss the turn.” R.J. pointed out the road Clover usually took on the way into town. If Jake didn't take this one, there were three others that would take them to the same place. They all took about the same amount of time, so she didn’t know why R.J. even said anything.
“Right.” Jake's foot hit the brake a little too hard and Clover lurched forward. Trucks this old only came with a lap belt and she hadn’t bothered to put it on when she got in. She was going to kill R.J. if she went through the windshield because he felt the need to screw with the groove she was building with Jake.
Jake slid around the corner, his fingers so tight on the wheel his knuckles turned white.
“Sorry about that.” He laughed nervously and glanced sideways at Clover.
“No problem.” She smiled then, freer than she'd felt in far too long. Jake's crooked smile made her want to take chances. She decided that she didn’t care that he was younger and moving through school without a rudder. A lot of people did that, even her dad. He loved to tell the story about how he’d had no idea what he wanted to do until he was doing it. He’d majored in general business and never went further. He’d lucked out when a friend’s father offered him a job right out of school.
Encouraged by the knowledge that so far Jake wasn’t much different than her dad and her dad was the best man she knew, Clover gave up her last reservations about Jake. She turned up his radio and danced in her seat the rest of the way to the pool.
As soon as they pulled into the parking lot, R.J. jumped out of the truck and yelled, “Later losers,” and ran into the building. Unlike Clover, he was going to swim, not to work.
“What time are you off?” Jake asked. He opened the driver’s door just like last time.
As she climbed over him to get out, she lingered with her legs straddled on either side of his lap. She rested there with her hands against his bare chest. The skin was smooth and firm beneath her touch.
“Supposedly four, but I'm not sure now. My boss may want me to stay late.” She fished her phone out of her bag and offered it to him. “Give me your number just in case?” She tried to sound sweet, but she didn’t feel particularly sweet with the suffocating heat closing in on them.
She should have moved off Jake while they talked, stood outside the truck, maybe. She could hear her father in her head telling her to “act like a lady, for God’s sake!” But Jake’s chest was bronzed and rippled when she brushed the backs of her fingers against it. Unlike last time, she didn't have her baby brother there as an audience. As much as Clover knew she should move, she wanted to stay right where she was even more, and so she did.
She fought the urge to roll her hips against him. She may have known him for years, but she hadn’t known him that well. When they were kids, they played together, but that changed when she hit high school. She was only three years older than him, but it felt like more. He was starting middle school when she started high school and that distinction made all the difference in the world.
“You're kinda killing me here.” Jake looked at his lap. Clover followed his gaze to find her skirt stretched tight and scrunched up higher than what could be considered decent. She laughed with nervous energy and her body moved as she did it. Jake groaned and she felt him grow harder. Now she definitely wasn’t mo
ving any sooner than absolutely necessary.
“What do you mean?” She held perfectly still then, frozen in place by his grip at her waist and his pleading gaze. Was it a bad idea to be this close, this exposed, in the middle of a busy parking lot? Definitely. The odds of her dad hearing about this moment were dangerously high. Yet Clover couldn’t bring herself to look away. She was captivated by the intensity in Jake’s eyes.
“Jesus.” He let his hands drift down to her hips and tightened his hold. He didn’t want her to move any more than she did. “This. You. Here.”
She could feel him straining against the confines of his Levi’s and she fought the urge to grind down against him. This was nuts. It hadn’t been that long since she’d had sex. Certainly not long enough for her to forget herself and act all crazy in public. She wasn’t that needy.
She debated kissing him then, and God knew she wanted to, but she decided against it. If she started, if she gave herself even the smallest taste of his lips, she'd likely never stop. She'd unzip his pants and not let him go until she came. Nothing about that sounded smart.
As much as she liked this new version of Jake, Clover didn’t need her daddy to hear from the local gossips about her acting like a whore in the public pool parking lot. She’d already given them too much fodder by sitting on his lap for so long. Besides, she needed her job, even it was crappy. If she didn't get inside soon, her boss would fire her. That simply wouldn't do.
She held her phone in her hands. The spot where Jake’s number should go was blank. She showed him the screen. “I still need your number.”
He left one hand on her hip, and used the other to type in his number while Clover held the phone. His eyes darted between her and the phone. His fingers flexed and released rhythmically, massaging her thigh and pulling her skirt even tighter.
“There.” Jake returned his hand to her hip and Clover began to wonder how she would ever get out of his truck.
“I gotta go,” she whispered.
“I know.” Jake’s grip on her tightened slightly.
They stared at each other for several long moments and she felt like she was on a precipice, waiting for something to happen. She watched a bead of sweat roll the length of his cheek. When it dropped to his chest, she wiped it away with her thumb.
“You’ll pick me up?”
Jake nodded slowly. “At four.”
She kissed him lightly on the cheek because she couldn't resist taking something away with her, and the taste of his salty skin and the rub of afternoon stubble against her lips had to be enough.
“Don't forget me.” Clover let herself out of the truck and ran for the door without looking back.
She managed to avoid her boss as she went through the office part of the swim building to the locker room. She changed in record speed, checked the pool assignment, then hauled her ass out to her tower.
And that's when all her good luck turned to crap. Her boss, a beautifully muscled man who spent far too much time in a tanning bed, sat at her tower. He wore his mirrored sunglasses and a disapproving frown. For a guy who loved to be tan, he hated to be in the actual sun.
“I'm so sorry, Vince.” Clover greeted him the only way she could, begging for forgiveness. “My car is sitting on the side of the highway right now.”
“How'd you get here?” He stepped out of the seat and almost smiled. He was a year or two younger than her dad and it gave her the creeps. Still, the smile meant maybe she wasn't as deep in shit as she feared.
“A friend happened to drive by. He rescued me.”
“I want you to stay to make up the time.” Vince didn't step back when Clover climbed into the lifeguard chair and his body grazed against her. All the leftover happy, buzzy feelings she had from the ride with Jake were overpowered by the ick factor of bumping Vince's barely contained erection as she took her place at the tower.
“Of course. Whatever you want.” Clover knew the moment the words were out and Vince's mouth curved into a predatory smile that she'd said the wrong thing. There was no good way to fix it.
Vince removed his glasses and looked into her eyes. She imagined it was supposed to be seductive, but it was mostly nauseating. She wasn't looking for a fill-in daddy.
“I'm glad to hear you say that, Clover. I'm sure we can work something out.” He patted her foot and her skin crawled. Unfortunately, Vince took it to be a sexy shiver and extended the contact. He left his hand on her foot for a few extra seconds and smiled that creepy smile again. “Come see me before you leave.”
Clover hated, hated, hated that she knew he was picturing her on her knees with his dick in her mouth. Not that long ago she would have been oblivious. Life was simpler when she had no clue how disgusting some men were.
Chapter 4
Eleven years ago
“Hold it steady now.” Brandon spoke so softly that Jake barely heard him over the loud growl of the combine engine.
Clover, her hands at ten and two on the large steering wheel, nodded, but kept her eyes focused on the field in front of them. She had a serious, intense look on her face that would have been out of place on any other kid, but on Clover, it looked normal.
Jake had arrived last week for his second summer with his aunt. Once again, his parents had packed his bag and put him in the car without explaining where they were going or why. This time, at least he’d recognized the scenery as they drove, and his aunt welcomed him with a one-armed hug instead of a scowl.
It was sheer luck that landed him here, in the cab of Brandon’s combine with Clover. R.J. was grounded to the house for the next week and not allowed to go anywhere, even out with Brandon. Jake hadn’t asked why. With his own parents, something like using the last of the milk landed him in trouble. Mr. Watson, however, wasn’t as quick to react. If he’d grounded R.J. for that long, he had a really good reason.
It still bummed Jake out. He wanted to play with his friend. Clover, he guessed, was his friend, too. But she was too serious to play with anyone. All he’d ever seen her do before today was read her books. She seemed to like driving just as much though.
Clover sat on Brandon’s lap and Jake stood beside them both. The cab of the combine had more room than he expected. R.J. could have fit on Brandon’s other side, no problem. Still, Jake held himself as still and small as possible. He didn’t want to accidentally bump Brandon and upset him. He’d promised that Jake could have a turn at the wheel if he was good, but Jake had no idea how Brandon decided what was good and what was bad.
They neared the end of the row and Jake could feel Clover grow tense. “What do I do?” Her voice, however, was calm.
It always took him a while to get used to how soft the Watson family sounded compared to his own family. Even R.J., with all his bluster, was still quieter than Jake’s parents. His Aunt Tammy came close, but she didn’t really do angry, just loud. It felt completely different when she yelled.
Brandon placed his hands on the wheel. “Just stay with me, Clover. You’re doing great.” Brandon acted like it was no big deal that an eleven year old was driving a piece of heavy machinery through his crops. From his tone, they could just as easily have been playing a game or eating dinner.
Times like these, Jake wanted to trade his own family for Clover’s. But that wasn’t a very nice thought, so he didn’t like to think it.
When they reached the end of the row, Brandon eased his foot off the accelerator, hit a lever that did something Jake didn’t understand, then he turned the wheel, hand over hand, until they were headed the opposite direction. He hit the lever again and the combine shuddered and made a thunking noise. Clover kept her hands aligned with Brandon’s, following his motions perfectly. The crinkle in her brow grew deeper until she had safely rounded the corner.
Even though she was only three years older, Jake felt very young next to Clover, like he was still a little kid and she was already a grown up.
They went up and down twice more before Brandon said, “Do you think we should give
Jake a turn at the wheel?”
Clover had been smiling, pleased with her expert driving skills Jake guessed, but she stopped when Brandon asked that question. She looked at Brandon briefly and asked in a serious voice, “Are you sure he’s old enough?”
Jake held his breath. He really wanted to drive. Clover didn’t sound like she was trying to talk Brandon out of it. More like she wanted to make sure it was really okay before trading places. But what if Brandon didn’t know how much younger he was than Clover? He didn’t start breathing again until Brandon responded.
“I think he’ll be okay, don’t you?” He asked Clover gently.
Clover nodded once. “He’ll be fine.”
Her vote of confidence made Jake’s chest swell with pride. Maybe she wasn’t completely grown up. Or maybe she was and he was just a little more grown than he thought. Either way, Brandon smiled and nodded and Jake knew he was going to get a turn.
Brandon turned to Jake, the look on his face very somber, but his eyes were totally smiling. “What do you say, young man? Are you ready to drive this thing?”
Jake nodded his head as fast as he could, but he couldn’t make his voice work. If he did this right, maybe his dad would know he wasn’t just a little kid. Maybe he wouldn’t treat him like he was always in the way. Driving a combine was serious, grown up work. He tried to swallow down his excitement, but he couldn’t control his smile.
Brandon brought the combine to a halt in the middle of the row and waited until Jake and Clover had switched places before starting again. It was strange sitting on Brandon’s lap. His dad didn’t really hold him. Neither did his mom. He felt his body stiffen and he had a hard time hearing the words Brandon said to him.
Jake held the wheel like Clover had and he knew, despite his stiff body, that Brandon would guide him safely around the corners. All he had to do was let it happen and try to keep the combine going in a straight row the rest of the time.
Jake lost track of how many rows Brandon let him drive down, but it wasn’t nearly enough. When Brandon pulled to a stop at the end of one and opened the cab door, Jake wanted to beg for more time. He didn’t though.
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