Summer on Main Street

by Crista McHugh

  ***

  Jack paused in the doorway of the storage room of Do-Overs to enjoy the sight of Beth standing on tip toe at the top of a stepladder. Her shirt rode up above the band of her jeans, showing a sexy strip of bare skin and the top of her tattoo, as she tried to reach something on the top shelf. He recalled how he’d pressed his mouth to that tattoo during their marathon lovemaking session and his body tightened.

  “Need some help?”

  Beth’s head turned at his voice. “Well, yeah. Since you’re here. Could you hand me that box of light bulbs?” She pointed.

  “Feel free to check out my ass when I’m up here,” he said as he took her place on the stepladder.

  She didn’t respond, which meant she was still mad at him. “You’re early,” she said, her voice curt. “Lindsey’s bus doesn’t get here for another fifteen, twenty minutes.”

  “I know,” he said, stepping down beside her and handing over the cardboard box of light bulbs. “The game was fast. Great pitching. So I came by to see you.”

  “Why? You didn’t cross your heart or hope to die to see me today.” She didn’t quite smile as she said that, but the comment told him she was thawing.

  He chuckled. “I take it you heard our phone conversation yesterday?”

  She nodded. “Well, Lindsey’s side of it.”

  “I was afraid not to show up today, and prayed to God my game didn’t go into extra innings or otherwise run long. She’d have hurt me. Or you would have.”

  “Damn straight.” Finally, her mouth twitched at the corner.

  “Seriously. I felt horrible about yesterday, and… just wanted to tell you that in person rather than on the phone or via text.”

  She stared at him a moment, pursed her lips, then nodded. “Okay.”

  “So we’re good?”

  “We’re good. Just don’t do it again.” Her voice was light, but he heard the serious undercurrent.

  He scratched the back of his neck. “I would love to say I won’t, but… I suck at this, Beth.”

  “You made a mistake. It happens. You apologized.” She shrugged. “Besides, you probably had a lot on your mind yesterday, what with Ryan leaving.”

  He was about to say he didn’t know what she was talking about, but the way she was looking at him without censure, without judgment in her eyes, had him admitting, “Don’t get me wrong—I’m happy for the kid. He’s worked hard. He’s a great player. He deserves it. But—”

  “But you wish it was you.” Her words were soft.

  He was trying to think how to respond in a way that didn’t sound as selfish out loud as it sounded in his head, when Beth stepped in front of him and wrapped her arms around his waist, laying her head on his shoulder.

  “It’ll happen,” she said, her voice partially muffled in his shirt.

  Her belief in him made him envelope her into a tight hug. She felt so good in his arms, such a perfect fit against his body. When she smiled up at him, it seemed the most natural thing to do to kiss her upturned mouth. Just a quick kiss to satisfy his longing, then he’d let her get back to minding the store. He didn’t really expect her to kiss him back.

  But she did kiss him back, sliding her arms around his neck, and parting her lips in invitation.

  How could he resist that? He deepened the kiss and slipped a hand between their bodies to caress her breast through her shirt. When his thumb flicked over her nipple, she whimpered and arched into his hand. “You’re so damned responsive,” he muttered against her lips.

  “I love when you touch me,” she muttered right back.

  That did it. The “little kiss” turned into a raging volcano. He reached over her shoulder and shut the door, then backed her against it. After a moment of fumbling, her jeans were unbuttoned and his hand was in her panties and between her thighs, seeking her heat.

  As his fingers slipped inside her, he captured her sexy-as-hell gasp of pleasure with his mouth. God. She was so hot and wet. He figured he wouldn’t push his luck, he’d just play here for a while, and hopefully talk her into sneaking away with him later somehow.

  She covered his hand with hers, stopping him. Disappointment crashed through him, and he withdrew his hand. This was okay. He got it. For one thing, her sister Tara was out in the shop. And for another, Beth had probably decided not to continue down this path if it wasn’t going to lead anywhere else.

  Yeah, he got it. But his body hadn’t yet gotten the message. He closed his eyes and tried to think of baseball, and puppies, and shopping at Walmart—anything to convince his dick that it wasn’t getting lucky any time soon.

  When he felt Beth’s hands at the button of his jeans, his eyes popped open. There went the baseball images in his head. Then her hand was inside his boxers. No more puppies. She wrapped her fingers around his cock. Shopping? What’s that?

  When she dropped to her knees and took him into her mouth, any remaining coherent thoughts flew from his head. “Sweet mother of God,” he muttered, watching her. Every pull of her mouth just about sent him through the roof.

  After a few moments of pure bliss, he reached under her arms and pulled her to her feet. He hadn’t come here to get his rocks off, but if that was the plan, he was taking her with him.

  He spun her away from him, grabbed her hands and placed them on the door. “Tell me you want this,” he growled into her ear as he tugged her jeans and panties down over her hips and bottom.

  “Dammit. You know I do.” Her voice sounded strained, as if she was just as wound up as he was.

  That was all he needed to hear. He reached for his wallet and pulled out a condom. After rolling it on, he urged her legs apart. “Brace yourself,” he muttered, as he grabbed her bare hips and pushed slowly all the way into her from behind, inch by pleasurable inch. He slipped a hand down her belly and between her legs, and when he found her sweet spot, her throaty sounds of pleasure were his downfall. The door rattled beneath Beth’s hands as he thrust into her faster, harder, over and over and over until her inner walls tightened around him. She cried out as she came. Soon after, he buried his face into her hair as he roared out his own release.

  He collapsed against her, breathing hard. Her hands were still flattened against the door, and he covered them with his, entwining their fingers.

  “Wow,” he finally said.

  She giggled. “I can’t believe we just did that.”

  Someone knocked, and they both jerked. “School bus,” came Tara’s voice from the other side of the door.

  “Oh, shit! Lindsey’s bus! I lost track of time.”

  A few hurried moments later, a disheveled Jack and Beth stepped out of the storage room. Tara glanced up from her position behind the counter and raised an eyebrow. “How many people does it take to screw in a light bulb?” she muttered. “Emphasis on the word ‘screw’.”

  Jack loved how Beth’s cheeks turned even redder than they already were. “Um, oh yeah. The light bulbs.” God, she was cute when she was flustered. She started back toward the storage room, then stopped. “Wait. I need to get Lindsey.”

  “I’ll go meet the bus,” he said. “And by the way?” He leaned in to whisper in her ear. “You’re even more beautiful after you’ve just had an orgasm.”

  Her startled gasp made him chuckle as he headed out of the store just as the bus pulled up at the end of the block. Lindsey saw him from behind the windows and waved excitedly.

  “Daddy!” she squealed as the bus doors opened and she flew into his arms.

  ***

  The next couple of weeks sped by in a blur. Planning Zoey’s last-minute wedding took much of Beth’s free time. The wedding was to happen on a Thursday night, after Ryan’s 1 p.m. game that day, so finding vendors was pretty easy, even though June was the busiest month for weddings. Zoey and Ryan wanted to get married outside on the boardwalk; there was no need to reserve that.

  Jack was out of town most of that time, but he made sure to call or text her and Lindsey every day. He’d been playing really
well and swore his knee was feeling great. That made her happy and sad at the same time, because the closer he got to one hundred percent, the closer he was to getting called back up.

  The day before the wedding, Beth dropped Lindsey off at school, then swung by Jack’s condo. He didn’t leave for batting practice until ten, and a glance at the parking lot found his rental car.

  Nerves bounced around in her gut as she headed toward his place, not knowing how he’d react to having her drop by unexpectedly. They hadn’t seen each other in person since their hot and heavy tryst in the storage room. She was bursting with need for him, and hoped he was feeling the same way.

  She loved him. She wanted to be with him. He might love her, too, in his own way, but she couldn’t compete with the game. She never could, and never would. And she’d come to accept that.

  So she’d made the decision to enjoy their relationship in every which way it could be enjoyed while he was still in Twin Rivers. He’d been playing really well, people were talking, and she knew it was just a matter of time before he got that call back to the majors.

  Tara was always preaching in her yoga classes to live in the moment. That’s what Beth planned to do. Right now.

  She stopped in front of Jack’s door, took a deep breath, and knocked three times.

  When he didn’t answer, she glanced at her watch. Eight-forty-five. No way was he still sleeping. She knocked again before she changed her mind.

  The door opened in front of her. Jack wore nothing but a white towel slung low on his hips. His skin and hair were still wet from the shower.

  She resisted licking her lips and tried not to stare at his bulge.

  “Is everything okay? It’s not Lindsey, is it?”

  She’d never shown up at his place before, so she understood his concern. She shook her head. “She’s fine. She’s at school.”

  “Do you want to come inside?” At her nod, he stood aside for her to enter, then closed the door. “Sorry, I’m not really dressed for company.” He grinned.

  “Actually, you’re a little overdressed for what I have in mind,” she said, licking her lips.

  He cocked his head and lifted an eyebrow. “Is this a booty call, Ms. Darrow?”

  “That’s exactly what this is,” she said, tugging off his towel and letting it fall to the floor. “If you’re interested.”

  She sucked in a breath as she stared at his spectacular naked body, and at a certain part that was quickly becoming even more spectacular.

  Jack started unbuttoning her shirt. “I think it’s obvious that I’m interested.” He pushed the shirt off her shoulders then unhooked her bra. He covered her bare breasts with his large hands, flicking his thumbs across the pebbled nipples.

  Beth’s breathing grew more rapid as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I decided to quit worrying about what the future holds and just live in the moment. And in this moment, right now, I want you.”

  ***

  “Oh, no,” Beth groaned on Thursday morning, when she opened the blinds in her bedroom and the room didn’t lighten up at all because it was so dark and dreary outside. Outside weddings and Pacific Northwest weather didn’t always mix. She and her sisters had tried to talk Zoey and Ryan into something indoors, but Zoey had been insistent. She wanted to get married on the boardwalk over the river. Period. So Beth, who was in charge of the venues and decorations, had to get creative.

  She checked her long To Do list for the day, made a couple of phone calls, then quickly showered and fixed Lindsey breakfast. Beth was too nervous to eat much. This was the first wedding she’d ever planned—other than her own, which had been nothing more than bride, groom, and parents—and she really, really, really wanted it to go off without a hitch. Well, at least without a hitch anyone else would notice.

  “Do I really have to wear a dress, Mommy?” Lindsey said a horrified voice as she shoved a huge bite of French toast and strawberries into her mouth.

  “Yes, you really do. You’re the flower girl.” Beth forced down a couple of bites and a few swigs of extra strong coffee. “Your daddy wants us to take pictures, because he’s never seen you in a dress. He said he bets you’ll be prettier than the bride.” Jack was sad to be missing his buddy Ryan’s wedding, but the Rapids were headed out of town this morning for a long, three-city road trip.

  Lindsey bounced in her chair. “Really?” she asked with her mouth full.

  Beth let the bad manners go this morning and nodded. “But don’t tell Zoey he said that,” she whispered.

  “It would hurt Miss Zoey’s feelings if I was prettier,” Lindsey whispered back, conspiratorially.

  After getting dressed, she walked Lindsey to the bus stop. “Gramma Ren will bring Do-Overs you to after school. And no, you can’t wear your baseball pants under your flower girl dress.” Lindsey nodded meekly, and Beth knew that had been her plan. She bent down and kissed her daughter on the cheek as the bus pulled in front of them. “See you at the wedding.”

  The rest of the day was a rush of making sure everything was in place. She headed out to the bridge to oversee the preparations for the ceremony. She sent Susie to the Twin Rivers Community Center to oversee the set up for the reception. Tara camped out at the store, making last minute alterations on the dresses and handing out the tuxes to the groomsmen.

  Beth took a few minutes to change her clothes as well, putting on a short kelly green dress and high heels. She so rarely had an opportunity to dress up; it was a shame there would be no one here to appreciate her attire, namely Jack.

  Renata brought Lindsey to the shop around five o’clock, and she looked adorable but slightly put out for wearing a dress. Even after Zoey and her bridesmaids oohed and ahhed over her, she continued to frown.

  There was some mild panicking when Zoey told her Ryan’s game had gone into extra innings and he might be running late. But finally, he arrived and it was time. Everyone was here who needed to be here. Beth glanced out the back door of the shop and saw that the guests were lined up on either side of the river along the boardwalks. Soft music played from the speaker system wired along the bridge. She glanced overhead. And so far, the weather was holding. The temperature was in the low seventies, with the sun peeking out from behind fluffy gray clouds. There were actually patches of blue sky. She crossed her fingers, and headed back inside.

  She clapped her hands a few times to get everyone’s attention. “Let’s get this party started, shall we?” The bridesmaids had all gotten ready in the store, while the groomsmen got ready across the street in the yoga studio. Susie called Tara to have her send the men into position on the bridge.

  As the guys took their places, Zoey’s friends made a few final touchups to her hair and makeup. She looked radiant in the dress Tara had altered. It was skin tight with no hint of a baby bump just yet.

  Zoey was ear-to-ear smiles, clearly not nervous at all. “Thanks so much, you guys, for helping me pull this together so quickly.” She hugged Beth, Tara, and Susie. “Me and my parents really appreciate it.”

  The soft strains of All of Me wafted through the open back door. “That’s your cue,” Susie told the bridal party. She blinked away tears. “Oh, my goodness, I’m already starting to cry.”

  Beth escorted Lindsey to the door. She leaned down and said, “Now, walk slowly toward the bridge, throwing out handfuls of rose petals from your basket, just as we practiced in rehearsal last night.”

  Lindsey crossed her arms. “No.”

  Beth’s brows rose. “No?”

  “I don’t wanna.”

  Beth closed her eyes for patience. Now was so not the time for a seven-year-old’s tantrum. “Sweetie, this is Zoey’s big day. Look, the ring bearer is already on the bridge waiting for you. See? That’s Mr. Ryan’s nephew. He’s about your age.” She pointed out the door and showed her the little boy who looked about as happy to be wearing a tux as Lindsey did to be wearing a dress.

  Lindsey looked and her scowl deepened. “I don’t wanna get married.” L
ike father like daughter. “I don’t wanna marry Mr. Ryan’s nephew.”

  The first bridesmaid in line hid a laugh behind a cough, then turned to whisper to the others what was going on. Muted giggling reached Beth’s ears. She grinned. “Oh, Linds. The only one getting married today is Zoey. The ring bearer is just there to hold the rings for Miss Zoey and Mr. Ryan, not to marry you.” She tried her best to keep the amusement out of her voice. “You’re just here to, um, look pretty.”

  Lindsey’s brows drew together. “Well, that’s a dumb reason to be here.”

  Mommy’s little feminist, Beth thought with a grin. “You okay to go now?”

  Lindsey nodded and headed outside.

  Beth turned back to the wedding party, and blew a dramatic breath, swiping the back of her wrist across her forehead.

  Lindsey’s appearance on the boardwalk drew smiles and quiet laughter from the wedding guests as she walked just like she was taught in rehearsal and threw small handfuls of pink rose petals in her wake. Some of the pink and white petals caught the wind and blew into the water. Beth wished Jack was here to see this.

  She waited until Lindsey reached the bridge, then directed the bridesmaids out, one by one, to follow. Once all the young women reached the crest of the bridge and had taken their places beside Ryan and his groomsmen, Beth signaled the DJ to start the wedding march. Then she urged Zoey out of the store, straightening the train of her gown as she stepped onto the boardwalk.

  Ryan was all smiles as Zoey walked down the “aisle”, his love for her clear on his face.

  Beth wiped away a tear as she joined the other wedding guests along the railing, facing the bridge. She supposed it was a good thing Jack wasn’t here. She was already an emotional mess. The last thing she needed here today was the man she loved but couldn’t have. At least, not in the way she wanted him.

  Strong arms wrapped around her from behind. Speak of the devil. Warm breath whispered against the side of her neck. “You look beautiful. Love the dress. But I’d really like to see you wearing nothing but those high heels sometime.”