by M. Sembera
Roe stopped for a second, made a face at his parents then continued into the room.
“Took ya long enough,” I griped as I stood up.
With her arms still around Uncle Seth, Aunt Penny offered, “Roe, sweetheart, are you hungry? Would you like me to make you a snack before you go?”
I had to laugh at my aunt. Roe was a beast of a guy, six-four, three hundred and fifty pounds of bulky muscle and she still talked to him like he was kindergartener on the first day of school. I was never scared to talk mess to him but clearly the guy could hold his own.
As he shook his head at her, she asked, “Where are y’all going?”
“To see if we can find some trouble to get into,” I replied, flashing a smile at her.
Her face fell and a worried scowl formed between her eyes.
“I’m joking, Aunt Penny. Wren’s truck broke down, I figured if I couldn’t get it going, Roe here could just pick it up and carry it home.”
Aunt Penny and Uncle Seth laughed before telling us to be careful as we headed out the door.
Pulling out of the driveway, I looked at Roe and shook my head.
“Seriously, man, what are you wearing?”
Looking down at his black slacks, he straightened the collar of his grey button down and mumbled, “I look better than you.”
“Sure ya do, princess.” I laughed as he shot me the finger with a sideways glance.
A few miles down the road, Roe griped, “Why did you tell my mom what I said about Joie?”
“Why did you tell my dad?”
“Did your dad spend half the night asking you a million questions about her?”
“No.”
“That’s why.”
“My, someone’s extra moody today,” I teased.
Roe wasn’t a big talker to begin with but I could tell something was bothering him. Plus, he looked like he hadn’t slept in a month.
“Come on, tell Palmer all about it.”
“No, thanks.”
“First was way more fun to hang out with than you. It never took much to get him talkin’.”
“Well, if I ever decide to hook up with my cousin, I promise to tell you all about it.”
We both laughed for a good minute before turning into the subdivision where Wren was stranded.
In case you didn’t catch that, my cousin First is in a committed type relationship with his cousin, Tansy. She’s no relation to me so I can say with a clear conscience that she’s fine as hell too. It’s not quite as seedy as it sounds, though. They’re not blood related either, so no harm no foul just lots of opportunity to give him a hard time, ya know.
Wren’s 89 Chevy pickup looked out of place parked next to the 2017 Jaguar XF in the driveway, not to mention the neighborhood.
As we walked up to the door, I elbowed Roe. “Looks like Wren decided to try out the classy side of town.”
Wren was pretty hardcore, a chip off her old man’s block you could say. I’m convinced she swiped her twin brother First’s man card when they were in the womb. She was cool though, mean as hell but not in a bitchy way. She had a few boyfriends here and there when we were in high school but since graduation she was sort of notorious for her quick getaways after the fact, or the act, if you get what I’m sayin’.
Before we reached the door, Wren was fast walking her way out to meet us by her truck.
“What? We don’t get to meet your man friend?” I taunted, seeing a broken hearted looking fellow standing in the doorway.
“What took you so long? Another minute in there and y’all would have been bailing me out of jail for assault,” she barked while swiping strands of her long red hair out of her face.
“What? No love connection?”
“He tried to serenade me with a recorder,” she growled under her breath while swinging her truck door open.
I busted out laughing as Roe stood there with a confused expression on his face.
“You know those plastic horns they give you in elementary school music class.”
Roe glanced at the guy still standing in the doorway and shook his head.
“I know neither of you is judging me.” Then pointing at Roe, she fussed, “Especially, you.”
“You know about Roe’s not serious, but steady, secret girlfriend too? Who is she?”
Narrowing her eyes at me, she scoffed, “You are just an ignorant bastard, aren’t you?”
“Screw you, unlike your future kids, I know who my daddy is.”
Wren gave a loud snort laugh before popping the hood of her truck.
Turns out it was nothing more than a loose battery cable. Wren and her truck were back on the road in no time.
We were almost at Roe’s house when I offered, “I know I can be kind of an asshole sometimes but you know I got you if you ever need it right?”
“Sure.”
“Nah, man, I’m serious. I can tell something’s bothering you and I’m just sayin’.”
I could feel him staring at me and thought I’d nudge him in the right direction.
“I could teach you how to drive, ya know, for example. It’s been a long time since the accident and it might help you come out of your shell a bit.”
“No.”
“You’re damn near twenty. What happens when your secret girlfriend turns into a real thing and she wants you to take her out?”
“No.”
“Come on, man.”
Roe looked down at the floorboard and slowly shook his head. “It’s Joie.”
“That shit with her dad and the bills? I think we’re all pissed about that.”
He sat there quiet until we pulled up in his driveway.
“Did you ever tell her how you feel about her?”
“Hell, no. And it ain’t feelings, it’s more like an urge. It’ll pass.”
“What if it doesn’t?”
“Then I’m gonna be one miserable son of a bitch, ya know.”
Roe looked like he was about to say something then nodded as he opened the passenger door and got out of the car.
Chapter Five
Reaching over the bar in the kitchen, I shook my uncle’s hand as he and Aunt Charlotte teased me about it still smelling like burnt bacon.
“I think your dad almost burned down the kitchen once, too,” Uncle Auggie shared before Aunt Charlotte added, “That was back when he was trying to light Liv’s fire,” with a mischievous smile.
My Uncle Auggie’s wife, Charlotte, is insanely hot, fun to be around and she always smells damn delicious. I’m convinced she’s the reason I’m partial to blondes. I’d say I have no idea how my uncle snagged a woman like her but I’d be lyin’ if I did. He’s the man, cool as hell and rougher than you’d ever wanna find out. When I was a senior in high school, First and Wren were juniors. First’s English teacher, Mr. Skinner, told him he’d earn an easy A, if he hooked him up with Aunt Charlotte. The man had to have a screw or two loose. Anyway, the next morning Uncle Auggie drove to the school, walked straight into the teacher’s parking lot and knocked Mr. Skinner smooth out. I think Wren still has the video on her phone.
Speaking of delicious, Joie unexpectedly walked in and I’m pretty sure my tongue just hit the floor. She looked like she tasted so sweet. I couldn’t help my mouth starting to water at the sight of her. Her platinum blonde hair was now more of a light caramel that reminded me of her natural color. She appeared softer than usual, cuddly even. All I could think about was snuggling up with her in a secluded corner and kissing that pink lipstick right off of her lips before I…
No! Bad Palmer.
As if that weren’t enough to test me, come to find out, she was staying the night. It wasn’t like she’d never stayed over before but damn.
The second Joie walked to my room to put her bag away, I turned to my mom and griped, “Why?”
“It won’t kill you to sleep on the couch.”
Of course she gets the bed, that’s just a given.
“What? No. Why is she staying th
e night?” I questioned, trying to block out the thought of Joie in my bed.
Aunt Charlotte answered, “Wren’s picking up First and Tansy from the airport tomorrow for the party and this way they can come straight here without having to double back or make an extra trip.”
Out of all of us, no one could pick Joie up tomorrow?
“You got a problem with her staying here?” mom asked, appearing aggravated with me.
Hell yea I got a problem, a big one and he’s making a pretty convincing argument for following through on every naughty thought I’ve ever had about her.
Drawing in a quick breath, I lied, “No, ma’am,” and walked out of the kitchen.
Pushing my bedroom door open, I caught Joie staring at the picture taped to my mirror.
“That was a good night.”
Focusing on the picture, she laughed, “No it wasn’t. I was mad at you all night.”
“You were?”
Joie glanced over at me and then rolled her eyes. “Yea, you didn’t like what I had on and said I couldn’t play unless I wore your t-shirt.”
It only took a second to recall her in the hot pink bra and see-through black top that she had on that night.
“I never said I didn’t like it.”
“Oh, I know. You spouted the same hypocritical bullshit as always.”
Damn, tell me how you really feel.
“That’s kinda harsh, don’t ya think?”
A wide smile spread across her face. “Yes, I’ve always thought you were too hard on me. I’m glad you finally recognize that.”
A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth as I casually brushed a few strands of hair away from her face.
I felt myself leaning closer to her until she cleared her throat at me. “What are you doing?”
Not fixing to kiss you. That’s the lie I’m telling myself anyways. I was definitely not about to do that.
“I like your hair.” I complimented, allowing my fingers to sift through the side of her hair.
She looked up at me in astonishment with those sweet blue eyes of hers. “You do?”
“Yea, it looks pretty.”
Her cheeks flushed and I swear it was like the cherry on top of a caramel sundae.
Yea, I’m screwed.
I did a good job of avoiding Joie for the rest of the day. She hung out with my mom in the kitchen while I helped my dad outside. I honestly think I made things awkward for the both of us by complimenting her hair. I’m not saying I’ve never complimented a girl before but I’m not entirely sure that I have until today. True compliments are different than saying ‘You look hot tonight’ or ‘Damn, you’re fine’, it’s just something you say; easy, like hello. My compliment to her was sincere and it wasn’t until I was stretched out on the couch and almost asleep that she even spoke to me again.
Although her feet against the hardwood floor made enough noise to catch my attention, it was clear she was trying to sneak up on me.
“Oh, you’re awake,” she whispered as I raised my head to look at her.
“Why are you whispering?”
With a slight giggle, she replied, “I don’t know, it’s dark in here and it seemed like the right thing to do.”
She’s so damn cute.
“Were you tryin’ to creep on me in my sleep?” I gave her a suspicious glare as I sat up.
“No, I didn’t want to wake you if you were already sleeping.”
“I’m awake, now what?”
Shrugging with a big cheesy grin, Joie proposed, “I can’t sleep. Wanna watch a movie?”
Goosebumps formed on my arms as I sat shirtless next to her while she watched a Sci-Fi movie, wrapped in my blanket. She offered to share, of course, but it had been a long day and I wasn’t sure I could behave myself under the same blanket with her. I’ve never had a problem putting my arm around her before but sitting here in the dark felt too personal. This was uncharted territory for me.
I’ll be honest here, it’s not like I ever had to work for it. The type of girl that I was into didn’t want to hold hands or take things slow. I’ve gone more than one round with a few of them but they were in it for the same thing I was. It was always simple and straightforward, I feel good, they feel good, end of story. I don’t attract feelings. My appeal tends to lean more toward the cheap thrills department. Plus, a few that heard the rumors and were curious. Word travels fast in a small town and let’s just say a strong Irish heritage isn’t the only thing us Caffrey men have to be proud of.
Halfway through the movie, Joie leaned her head against my shoulder. She was warm and the sensation caused me to shiver as I crossed my arms across my bare chest.
Joie shot straight up in her spot. “You’re freezing,” she announced, pulling her hand out of the blanket she was curled up in and placing it on my shoulder.
More goosebumps rose and I started to get up. “I’m gonna grab another blanket.”
“You’ll miss the best part,” she insisted before pulling the blanket from around herself and throwing half of it over me.
The instant warmth was a relief and while I wasn’t cold anymore, I was definitely frozen in place.
Under the blanket with her, I kept the palms of my hands flat against the top of my thighs. I sat there as still as possible but it didn’t help. Her hip wedged against my hip gave me the irrational urge to shove her off the couch. She was sitting too close. My muscles were locked in place and my chest felt tight enough to cause a slight internal panic. The palms of my hands began to tingle then my fingertips felt like they were on fire.
I don’t know what’s happening to me.
Agitated by an overwhelming feeling of helplessness, I clenched my back teeth together until my jaw began to ache.
I can’t. I have to. I won’t. I’m goin’ for it.
Drawing in a slow breath, I lifted my left hand off of my thigh. The second my fingers touched the soft skin just above the inside of her wrist it was lights out game over. From the corner of my eye, I watched her close her eyes as I slid my fingers against her palm. Joie’s hand remained open and relaxed when I slid my fingers in between hers. Leaving my hand open against hers, I waited.
I waited because I cared. She knew what I was like. Cheap thrills, remember? So, as uncharacteristic of me as it was, it seemed only right to leave things up to her. That way she knew what she was getting into with me. No ‘in the heat of the moment’ mistakes and no one accidentally gets hurt.
Joie leaned her head against my shoulder and tightened her hand around mine. It wasn’t nearly enough. Heat rolled through me settling in all the right places as I closed my eyes, determined to stay focused and in control. I felt like a tool but I wasn’t trying to be an asshole with her. She seemed content holding my hand and I liked that.
Not as much as I’d like her to be holding onto something else of mine but it was still a good feeling, ya know.
Chapter Six
It was beautiful outside. The perfect day for Joie’s party. Uncle Auggie and Aunt Charlotte were the first to arrive followed closely by Wren who showed up with First and Tansy. It turned out that Brooks had to work so all we were waiting on was Roe, Aunt Penny and Uncle Seth.
The girls were in the house with mom and Aunt Charlotte. Dad and Uncle Auggie were in the back, leaving First and I on the porch to catch up. He looked happy which was good considering how miserable he was before he and Tansy finally got together at the end of the summer.
“How’s livin’ with Tansy goin’?”
First glanced at the front door before lowering his voice to say, “I’m going to ask her to marry me.”
Slapping him on the back, I applauded, “Congrats, man.”
“Shh… I’m waiting until Christmas.”
“Why?”
“I have one more payment left on her ring and I want to do it in front of the family.”
I gave him an approving nod. I was happy for him. To be honest, we’d both been sort of miserable this past summer, I was just a
lot better at hiding it than he was. Maybe his news was a good omen for me.
Leaning back in my chair, I smiled to myself thinking about the present I had for Joey in my front pocket.
First seemed interested as he questioned, “How’s the Joie situation?”
I smiled wider.
“What happened to no one will ever know and all that control of yours?” he laughed at me.
Ordinarily, I would have been pissed for having to admit she broke me a little but that tiny slice of pride would be well worth it if things worked out.
“It’s still under control.” I laughed back. Pulling the ring box out of my pocket I motioned for him to look under the table, just in case someone walked out. “Check this out.” Popping the box open, I asked, “You think she’ll like it?”
With a confused expression on his face, he questioned, “You got her a ring?”
“It was supposed to be her graduation present but I never got around to giving it to her.”
“You’re giving it to her for her birthday?”
“It’s not her only present, but yeah.”
Raising his eyebrows at me, he leaned closer and whispered, “What kind of a ring is it?”
Lifting the ring box higher so he could get a better look at it, I shared, “It’s a snare,” before the front door opened and we both looked up.
I snapped the box closed as Tansy walked out onto the porch. I was about to slide it back in my pocket then changed my mind.
Waving her over to where we were sitting, I suggested, “Let’s see what she thinks.”
Tansy wrapped her arms around First’s neck, leaned down and kissed him on the cheek before looking over at me. “What’s up?”
Opening the ring box back up, I held it in her direction. “You think Joie’ll like it?”
She let go of First and stood straight up in a panic. “What is that?”
“It’s a snare. You know, the drum. ‘Cause she’s a drummer.”
Seriously, this wasn’t rocket science.
“I get that. Why are you giving her a ring?”
“I’m tryin’ to hook up with her?”