Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 94716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
My eyes closed and I willed myself not to cry. “Well, that just sucks a donkey toe.”
“Donkey toe?” He laughed, pulling me into his embrace.
My eyes traveled over to the pond and I watched as tiny fish came up to the water’s surface and ate the pollen off the top. “I was going to say donkey dick but then I decided that it wasn’t very ladylike.”
His snort was incredibly obnoxious. “Since when have you ever been ladylike?”
“Hey!” I said with indignation.
Jack showed me the cane pole at the bottom of the pier, and then pointed towards the dirt. “Go find a worm.”
He looked at me like he was waiting for me to object, but I wouldn’t be giving him that. Instead, I walked over, grabbed a stick, and started sifting through the leaves. It didn’t take long until I had a big juicy one in the palm of his hand.
“Nice.” He smiled, working the worm on the hook.
I felt sympathy for the little bugger, but that all flew out the window as soon as I caught my first bass. And what a big bass it was, too.
Jack’s laughter was delighted when he saw the utter awe on my face after he unhooked the massive thing.
“It’s still just a baby.” He chuckled.
I glared, and let my fish go.
We returned to the party twenty minutes later after feeding the fish in the pond. There were indeed large catfish. So large that they resembled small dolphins. Not that Jack agreed with that comparison.
“John! I caught a bass!” I squealed in delight, practically shoving my phone into his face when I got up to his side.
He laughed and grabbed the phone to push it away from his face. His whistle made my smile all the brighter. “That’s a good catch. That one must have been the brute of the lot. He’s nearly three times the size of the ones I always catch.”
I gave Jack a smug smile, and all he did was shake his head and laugh.
Later that night, as Jack set the stand on his bike, he told me that I’d made his night. “I’m glad you got along with them. They mean the world to me.”
“Why didn’t your dad come tonight?” I asked as I swung my leg over the seat.
The sadness in his eyes eluded to old pain. “He doesn’t really get out much. The bar’s his life now. After Cat died, he changed. I’m lucky to get him out to dinner. Tai and I alternate weeks getting him out and about; even if it’s just to get groceries or pick up some fast food.”
“I’ll keep him busy while you’re deployed. I won’t let him turn into a recluse.” I smiled and gave him a peck on the lips.
His hand captured the back of my neck and pulled me back, taking control of the kiss. At first, it was just a soft innocent kiss on the lips; then it turned into something so heated, I didn’t even realize when he pulled me across his lap to straddle his thighs.
My ass took up position on his gas tank. Even though it felt uncomfortable to have a gas cap digging into my butt, I reveled in the feel of his strong arms around me. His callused hands traveled up the outsides of my thighs, until they came to rest with the majority of his fingers disappearing under my short shorts.
A high-pitched whistle pierced our fog, and we broke apart as if we’d been shot.
“Fuck,” Jack said, eyes scanning our surroundings.
He did that a lot. Always scanning. Watching. Making sure trouble didn’t lurk in the shadows. He’d pull me to the opposite side as we passed a dark alley. Or when I slept over last week, he put me in the corner with the wall at my back.
The man was super protective, but I found that I liked someone that cared about my safety. It made me feel safe. Secure.
It was something I hadn’t felt my entire life. Sure, Stormy did her best, but there was just no substitute for this. I wasn’t even aware of the feeling until I met Jack and felt the difference.
“That will make a cute picture.” Stormy said from the doorway, her trusty 35 millimeter in her hands. The woman was a genius with a camera.
“Your sister annoys the shit out of me sometimes.” He grumbled against my neck.
“Yeah, but just think of the benefits. You’ll get pictures while you’re over there, and they’ll be professional quality. In addition, I won’t have to take them to be developed at Walgreens. Which means I can make them as racy as I want.” I said wiggling my eyebrows.
***
Two months and two days later
Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.
I repeated the demand in my head, hoping beyond hope that I could keep the tears at bay. Today was the day. The day that the love of my life leaves me. Going off to a country that is hostile. That could possibly take him away from me.
I followed behind Jack as he led me to the bleachers set up in the midmorning sun. We’d said our goodbyes in the parking lot ten minutes earlier; now I was just taking my seat so he could get into formation with his fellow troops.
Although we’d spoken about our fears, doubts, hopes, and dreams in length over the last two months, nothing could have prepared me for the actuality of deployment.
There was a pall of sadness that hung in the air. Children, mothers, fathers, and other various family members cried as they let their loved one go. It made me even more determined not to do that to Jack. He didn’t need to worry about me, when he should be worrying about himself.
After he let me go, I took my seat and watched as he walked away with my heart. My hands clutched the brown paper sack as if my life depended on it. He’d given it to me before he left with the instructions not to open it until after his plane was in the air.