Page 78 of Best Thing I Never Had

“Please, just be careful.Thelast thingIneed is something happening to you.”Idon’t know whatIwould do if something happened to her.

“Don’tworry,Ileft the fire-building to the cavemen.”Selenaflips her dark hair over her shoulder and marches away from me back into the house.Ina few minutes, she comes back out with a tray of something in one hand and a glass of white wine in the other.She’sbarefoot, and milling about my parent’s lawn like some sort of sex nymph who seduces men with baked goods.AndallIcan say is, it’s working.Atleast, on me, it is.Ithad better not be working on any other man.

Shewalks around to everyone as they arrive out into the backyard.Afterlong, it’s not just my brothers andGunnar.Everyextended relative within a hundred kilometer radius eventually makes their way around the house to the backyard.Selenaoffers whatever she has on that tray to everyone but me.Whenit’s empty, she goes inside, refills it again and then sets it down on the long table for people to help themselves.Thenshe takes a seat on a bale of hay by the fire pit as far away from me as she can get and drinks her wine.

Dadshould be here by now, even with how slowBrendamust be driving, soIhead back around the front to wait for him.Whenthey pull up inBrenda’swhite mini-van,Ihead over to meet them.Itry to take my dad’s arm to support him, but he waves me off.

“I’mgood,Jacks.I’mgood,” he tells me.ButIstill stick close just in case.

“Doyou want to change or head right out back?”

“Ijust need a change of clothes.”

“Okay,I’lltake you upstairs,”Itell him.

“Idon’t need a babysitter,Jacks,” he mutters.

Turningback toBrenda,Iarch an eyebrow.

“Yes, you do,Mr.Waters.Whenwas the last time you climbed a flight of stairs?UntilIsign off, someone needs to be with you when you’re going up and down the stairs.”

“Sheschooled you,”Ilaugh under my breath.

“Ican take you.Orone of your boys can.”

“Talkabout a rock and a hard place,”Imutter, laughing.

“I’mnot sure which is worse.Aprofessional babysitter or having my kids babysit me.”

“Well, you’re gonna have lots of time to figure that out.I’lltake you upstairs now, and you can try it out later withBrenda.”

Dadgrumbles through the entire process of going upstairs, changing while supervised, and me hovering in front of him to break his fall on the way back down.Iset him up in the chairSelenahad brought outside for him and then see about starting the fire.It’sstill early, butImay as well get it started now.

Whenthe fire’s just taking hold,Ihear something happening behind me.

“Whatthe hell?”Jaspersays.

“Whathappened toLily?”Jamesonsays loud enough for everyone all the way back in town to hear.

Turningaround to see what’s wrong,IseeLilywalking down the back porch steps, barefoot likeSelena.Andwearing a dress.Awhite silk dress that floats over her curves and has a deep v neck.Idon’t thinkI’veever seenLilywear a dress that didn’t look like it came from my grandmother’s closet in my entire life.Thisdress is… slinky.Itlooks good on her.

“Youlook good,Lil!”Ishout before doing a wolf whistle at my best friend.ThenIrememberIhave a girlfriend, andIwould lose my shit if she did anything half as bad as whatIjust did.ButSelena’sgrinning atLilyand holding up her wineglass in a toast.

Selenadid this too,Iguess.

Walkingover to her,Istand there waiting for her to make room for me on her bale of hay.Whenshe doesn’t,Islide my hands along the sides of her breasts under her arms and pull her to stand up.ThenIsit down in the middle of the bale and pull her back down next to me.Igrab her legs and toss them over mine, and throw my arm around her shoulders.Noone who sees this is going to be in any doubt about my feelings for this woman.

Shetakes a sip of her wine, not bothering to comment on the wayIjust manhandled her.Maybeshe’s used to it by now?

“YouboughtLily’snew dress.So,I’mglad you like it.”Hertone is pissy.

“Areyou jealous?BecauseLilylooks great, but you look…”Itrail off, not sure how far is too far, sinceIjust manhandled her, rearranging her to sit howIwanted her to, and violating the contract seven ways fromSunday.AndnowI’vegot her trapped next to me, her legs across mine.

Fuckable?Hotas fuck?Goodenough to take a bite out of?Sogood she’s giving me half a hard-on, and if she moves her legs even an inch she’s going to feel it?Ican’t say any of those things to her.So,Isettle for a different truth.

“Youlookperfect.”

Whenshe frowns at me again,Iknow that wasn’t the right answer, either.Inever seem to say the right thing to her.

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