NEVER GOODBYE (An Albany Boys Novel) (27 page)

Jeez, do I look that bad? I try to shake him off, a little irritated even though he doesn’t deserve my attitude.  “I’m fine. Stop coddling me like I’m a baby or sick.” Frozen side by side, I realize the idiocy of my words and begin to laugh before turning to hug him. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to snap. It’s just I really want to camp with you, I want to make love and I want to enjoy my night here with you, but this dumb body is just so drained it won’t do any of that.” A growl erupts from my chest and I actually stomp my foot. “It’s so frustrating!”

“Blue,” he strokes my hair and my back. “You just went through a full dose of treatment to fight cancer. It is completely normal to feel fatigued, but you need to take care of yourself. Camping is nothing compared to your health. We can camp anytime and we can definitely make love any time. All the fracking time ― when you are healthy.”

I can hear the mirth and I laugh, too. I like the idea of me and him in bed forever. “Fine. But I am going to sleep in that tent tonight.”

He holds my shoulders and takes a step back. “Okay, but I’m grabbing another blanket and the game of spotlight is out for this campout.”

I pout but he just raises his brows and drops his lips to mine for a quick kiss before ushering me into the tent where I find a bag of Cherry bars. Gasping and squealing like a girl would be a polite way to describe my response. I did that and practically dived down on the blow-up mattress, grabbing the bag and hugging it like it was my first born.

“Where did you get these?”

He chuckles. “I have a good supplier.”

“I want you to hook me up.”

“Am I your pusher now?”

              “Abso-freaking-lutely. Where can I get these babies?”

              He backs out of the tent, grinning. “I’ll tell you after I fetch another blanket. Don’t you open that bag until I get back.” And then he’s gone and I’m left with my mouth hanging open.

That boy is going to spill his guts tonight or he will never see my flesh again. Yeah, it’s a double edged sword, but for my Chocolate goodness I will give up almost anything. Almost … but I have to admit that if Vaun asked me to take my clothes off I’d ditch the chocolate-covered-cherry-heaven-in-a-wrapper without hesitation.’ for flow. I love the description of the chocolate! They have nothing on him.
Nothing
. Damn it!

He is back and wrapping us both up in three blankets when he takes the first cherry mash from its wrapper and hands it to me. I could have bitten into it and shared it with him like a polite and proper young lady should, but I feel I have been estranged from my favorites for so long I practically shove it in my mouth. It’s so full of gooey goodness that when he laughs I almost lose it, spraying the contents of my mouthful all over him and our tent. I have to cup my mouth tightly and fight the laughter, which of course, just makes it all worse. In the end I’m choking and I have to sit up to chew the chocolate enough so I can swallow it.

“Well, that will teach you for being a piglet. Next one will be in rations so you don’t kill yourself,” he chides, shaking his head while I continue to stifle a laugh and choke.

He meant it when he said he would ration my supply. For every Cherry Mash he gave me he would take a large bit of first. Monster. I don’t feel tired anymore and that’s good. No, it’s great. He has that effect on me and he knows it, but he still doesn’t want me to exert myself. I hate that. I want to live while I can. Not in the way I did before, like at any second I was going to die. No. I know now I’m going to make it because there is no way I would have been given Vaun’s heart just to break it in to a million pieces. I mean to live while I have the energy and enjoy all these small moments so when he grabs another wrapper I put my hand over his and he freezes.

His eyes are so warm that I don’t notice I am licking my lip until his lips are on mine and now I’m lost. He may have thought he wasn’t going to make love to me before, but his body is showing mass signs of anarchy and mine’s in heated overdrive.

              I don’t feel the chill of the air as I kick the blankets down and roll over on top of him. In fact, it’s hot in here, filled with the steaming heat of our bodies and our heavy breathing.

              His tongue brushes against my teeth and lips and I sit up and rip my favorite tank top up my body and over my head before he has a millisecond to think about what we are doing. I don’t want him to think, just feel.

              His hands are on my ribs and up to my breasts and I shiver. I’m far from cold or nervous. I should be both, but not with Vaun. I can be more when I’m with him and I never want to be any less.

Vaun

I can’t believe how lucky I am to have such a sexy, beautiful and giving person in my life. Blue is so perfect and I don’t want to tarnish her with my dirty boy thoughts, but I can’t help it. All I want to do is love her and touch her. Clothes or no clothes, it matters none to me. I just want her. So when the sun rises and she’s sleeping soundly beside me with a glow I know is all about me, I want to touch her again and never let her out of this fracking tent.

She was so damn sexy last night, sexy and alive. Christ I love her.

Her hair feels like silk. Okay, I don’t think I’ve ever actually touched real silk, but I imagine it would be like that.

I’m lost in her skin and hair when I notice her eyes are slightly open and she’s watching me. “Hey.”

“Hey.” She quickly covers her mouth and tucks her head into the blanket. “Morning breath.”

I chuckle and tug her hand away and kiss her against her protest. “I love your morning breath.”

“You’re sick.”

“Yeah, love sick. Don’t ever repeat that. I’ll have my ass handed to me.”

She leans up on her elbow pulling the blanket with her and she kisses my chest. I gulp a load of air to stop myself from pulling her onto of me and repeating what we did last night. “Your ass is mine, you can tell them to leave it where it is because I like it,” she says.

“You like my ass?

She grins and her cheeks grow pink, she’s adorable. Like little puppies, only cuter. Jesus. I’m sounding like true pussy yet I don’t give a shit ‘cause I have her and she likes my ass and a lot more that she won’t say. Which makes her all the more adorable.

***

She love those boots and man, does she look hot. Maybe too hot ‘cause guys keep looking her way. I was afraid of that. Then again, it’s not really the boots that make her hot, that’s all her. The boots just change the way she carries herself. She’s less nervous. They’ve done exactly what she wanted; she feels less like an outsider. Little does she know, she will always belong; right by my side.

The whole damn town is here and it’s loud and hot and actually pretty awesome. We found Benny half an hour ago, he looked tired and totally wired on all the sweets the carnival has to offer. Right now the two of us are lining up for the pie eating contest while Blue hangs with Carter, April and the group. Travis is looking at her legs and my blood is boiling.

“Ben, bro. Wait here a sec.” He nods and I duck out of line and bolt to Travis slamming him in the arm with my fist. It hurts but it feels fracking great as he holds it and complains.

“
What the hell, man?
”

“Keep your eyes to yourself.”

He eyes Blue who, is frowning my way. She knows and damn it if I care. She isn’t his to gape at. Travis returns his eyes to me and I give him some serious daggers before walking back to Ben who, was grinning like a cute fool.

“What?”

Ben laughs and looks away. “Nothing.”

I take a chance and look back at Blue and she’s still not happy with my reaction but I shrug ‘cause Travis is a douche and he knows it. She shakes her head and begins to walk toward me. God help me if he is actually up there ‘cause her mere walk is fracking sexy as hell.

I take a step out of the line again, away from Ben’s ears. “I’m not going to apologize,” I say and she shakes her head.

“Did I ask you for one?”

“No, but you have that disapproving look.”

“Well, I do disapprove. Although I actually came here to give you a kiss good luck, but since you’re in this macho motard mood. I’ll just head back over there where Travis can ogle me some more.”

I grab her and kiss her. I kiss her hard until she withers and that little noise comes from her throat that I don’t think she’s aware of. When I break the kiss, her eyes flutter open all dreamily, making me want to kiss her again, but we’ve drawn enough of an audience.

“What’s a motard?” I ask, aware my voice is breathless and husky.

“I take it back. You’re the devil.” She swats my cheek and deliberately saunters back to our friends.

Damn if she ain’t gonna be the death of me.

14

Home

Harper

‘A place of visible and noble souls is where I can call home
.’

Kerri Williams

              Footy, Ben, Vaun, two other men and one woman were in the midst of stuffing raspberry pie in their mouths. I was a little amazed a female would enter, but I get equality and, at the end of the day, she is better than the skinny guy with lots of hair.

              Benny’s coming last, but he is also the youngest. Apparently he wasn’t allowed to enter due to his age, but Vaun had him slipped in. I still can’t believe how lucky I am to have someone who would take on the baggage I have. I’m almost like a sick single mom.

              The crowd is getting louder and I should admit, some of that is me, screaming and jumping and clapping along with the rest of the girls in our group. I’ve never felt like one of the girls, but I do here. I feel at home for the first time in my whole life, even counting the time before my mom’s accident. Albany is like a comfort bubble filled with love and familiarity; a familiarity that comes from the lost part in one’s soul. Like déjàvu in a way, but more.

              The MC is counting down from ten and the screams grow to roars. Footy is ahead by half a pie followed by Vaun and the other guy. Six, the MC calls and Benny eyes grow wide as he looks at Vaun’s plate on the count of three. Two. One. The crowd grows wild and almost crazed, like they all won a million dollars. It’s insane, but the excitement is so contagious. I love it!

              Footy won, which doesn’t surprise anyone as most of the bets were on him. By the count of one he was two pies ahead. Vaun talks to Footy and a second later they lift Benny up onto their shoulders. Benny is awarded a trophy and a tear escapes me. Not a tear of sadness but of sheer joy. I hug April and see that she too is shedding a tear. She may make out that she hates my little brother but I know the truth; she loves him like he is one of her own.

              “Before you go, folks,” the MC says and April and I look back toward the stage. “I want to say a big thank you to Winnie O’Connor for her donation of pies for these growing lads to devour ― oh, sorry, lads
and
ladies.” He smiles and the contest woman waves him off. “Today we are going to do something just a little different. We all know Winnie’s pies are award winning, so we are auctioning her all American apple pie off to the highest bidder for a good cause.”

              Both April and I grow immediately stiff.

              “There is a family that needs a little country style help. I want to show them how giving the folks of Albany can be and, although this family has never asked for help, we need to show them they are not alone; not in Gentry county.”

              There are cheers all round and a lot of eyes are directed my way. I’m freaking out ― a lot. It’s a small town and I should have known better than to think I could lay low until after I started treatment. I knew once I lost my hair and looked ill I couldn’t hide, but now I’m way out there. The whole family is out there.

              “Harper, breathe,” April whispers.

              I take a huge breath and hold it before letting it out slowly. The MC continues a heartfelt speech that’s becoming a bit of a blur as I search for Vaun. He isn’t on the stage anymore, Benny is with Footy. Where is V―

              “Trust me,” Vaun whispers as he wraps his arm around my shoulder and April lets me go, but stays close.

              “What’s going on?”

              “Just trust me and take it all in.”

              He must have eaten too much pie because I can’t relax, but at least he’s here.

              “This father, Andrew Kennedy and his family are heroes of spirit. A lot of us folk have heard what’s happening in their house and it’s a miracle they can enjoy what God has given them when faced with so much. That’s true Albany spirit. So, we are auctioning off Winnie’s pie and the funds are going to the Kennedy’s medical bills.”

              People are looking at me with sorrowful eyes and I hate it, but as I gaze around there are many with pride and smiles and I feel the empathy and love. I mean it, I feel it. My body begins to relax a little and my back begins to ease. Instead of gripping Vaun’s shirt, I hug him just as a man right behind us makes a fifty dollar bid.

              I am shocked as the generosity jumps another two hundred dollars and then, from way behind us, I hear a familiar voice call a number out which I must have misheard. But there is so much noise I can’t ask Vaun. I can’t make out anything. There are whistles and shouts of joy before the MC calls it. “Sold to Brian Campbell for ten thousand dollars!”

              I look at Vaun. I’m speechless and he’s already looking down at me with a huge grin on his face.

              “I don’t understand,” I say.

              “What’s to understand? My dad just paid a chunk of the medical bills so your dad can be with you during treatment without having to kill himself for days after to make payments.”

              “He did this because you asked him?”

              “What does it matter why?”

              He’s right. What does it matter? It doesn’t. It doesn’t matter at all.