I'm with you, I don't even need any of that."
I'm not even really hearing his words, just seeing the images in my mind, of me, my hair blowing in the wind, the smell of pines and fresh earth all around, birds chirping in the branches above me, my skin glowing in the early morning light.
"So I'm like a fairy princess in your eyes," I ask, still feeling the wind in my hair.
He laughs. "No, you're no fairy, or a princess, really. You're more like relentless force of nature. Like a forest spirit, if you want to put a name on it. Or the wind. Maybe I'm not explaining it well. It looks a lot better in my head."
I press my lips against his and kiss him wetly. "You're explaining it just fine."
"You're also a really good lay," he says, his fingers digging into my ass.
The shrill sound of my phone ringing wakes me at dawn the next morning. Scott's body is pressed against mine, his arm holding me close so tightly, that the phone stops ringing by the time I finally manage to get free.
"Is something wrong, Dad?" I ask as soon as I call him back. "Why are you calling so early?"
"Something is definitely wrong!" he yells into the phone. "I spoke to your uncle last night. What are you doing associating with criminals?"
I can see his eyes bulging from his head, the scarlet color rising in his cheeks, the vein in his temple throbbing.
"I'm not," I mutter.
Beside me, Scott's sitting on the edge of the bed, rolling his shoulders, staring at me with wide eyes as white as snow.
"Come home now, we need to talk," Dad barks into my ear.
"There's no need," I say back.
"Come home, or I'm coming there. Your choice. What is happening with you, Gail?" Dad's losing it, and he won't back down until I agree. I know him well enough for that. Besides I'm the same way.
"Fine," I mutter. "I'll be there this afternoon."
"The sooner, the better," he says. "Seriously, Gail, I thought you were more grown up."
I hang up and finally meet Scott's eyes, which are turning darker by the second, white turning to black like pristine snow turning to slush.
"I have to go home today," I mutter and toss my phone on the bed.
"Yeah, I heard," he says. "I'd offer to come with you, but I don't see that ending well."
I walk over to him, and press his face against my belly, his hot breath erasing all chill. "Don't worry about it. My dad will understand."
If anyone can, he will, I'm certain of it.
"Will you come over, afterwards?" Scott asks and stands up, picking up his jeans off the floor.
"Nothing will stop me," I say, smiling widely, hoping to erase the cold panic still etched into his eyes.
"If you still want to, that is?"
"I want to," I assure him, and wrap my arms around his waist. His heart is thumping so fast in his chest, I'm afraid he'll collapse at any second. "And nothing will stop me."
CHAPTER TEN
"Gail, I'm in the living room!" Dad calls out as soon as the front door clicks shut behind me. But I take my time taking off my jacket before I join him there.
"Who is this car thief and how do you know him?" Dad asks, leaning forward in his chair, a glass of scotch glistening in the overhead lights on the coffee table between us.
"He's the brother of a friend," I mutter, but that doesn't sound right. "The brother of my boyfriend, I mean."
Dad slaps his knees then throws his hands up. "What are you saying, Gail? Are you dating a criminal?"
I shake my head, but I can't meet his eyes, because really I am.
"From what I've been able to find out, that whole family is involved in criminal activity," Dad says, and my breath hitches in my throat. "Another one of them has just been released from prison. Please tell me that's not the one you're dating."
"And what if I am?" I spit out, before I can stop myself. "He's served his time, and it's not a big crime."
My dad's face goes straight from pale white to crimson. "You're kidding me. How stupid are you? Think of your future!"
It's like granddaddy Henderson is sitting across from me,
I'm not even really hearing his words, just seeing the images in my mind, of me, my hair blowing in the wind, the smell of pines and fresh earth all around, birds chirping in the branches above me, my skin glowing in the early morning light.
"So I'm like a fairy princess in your eyes," I ask, still feeling the wind in my hair.
He laughs. "No, you're no fairy, or a princess, really. You're more like relentless force of nature. Like a forest spirit, if you want to put a name on it. Or the wind. Maybe I'm not explaining it well. It looks a lot better in my head."
I press my lips against his and kiss him wetly. "You're explaining it just fine."
"You're also a really good lay," he says, his fingers digging into my ass.
The shrill sound of my phone ringing wakes me at dawn the next morning. Scott's body is pressed against mine, his arm holding me close so tightly, that the phone stops ringing by the time I finally manage to get free.
"Is something wrong, Dad?" I ask as soon as I call him back. "Why are you calling so early?"
"Something is definitely wrong!" he yells into the phone. "I spoke to your uncle last night. What are you doing associating with criminals?"
I can see his eyes bulging from his head, the scarlet color rising in his cheeks, the vein in his temple throbbing.
"I'm not," I mutter.
Beside me, Scott's sitting on the edge of the bed, rolling his shoulders, staring at me with wide eyes as white as snow.
"Come home now, we need to talk," Dad barks into my ear.
"There's no need," I say back.
"Come home, or I'm coming there. Your choice. What is happening with you, Gail?" Dad's losing it, and he won't back down until I agree. I know him well enough for that. Besides I'm the same way.
"Fine," I mutter. "I'll be there this afternoon."
"The sooner, the better," he says. "Seriously, Gail, I thought you were more grown up."
I hang up and finally meet Scott's eyes, which are turning darker by the second, white turning to black like pristine snow turning to slush.
"I have to go home today," I mutter and toss my phone on the bed.
"Yeah, I heard," he says. "I'd offer to come with you, but I don't see that ending well."
I walk over to him, and press his face against my belly, his hot breath erasing all chill. "Don't worry about it. My dad will understand."
If anyone can, he will, I'm certain of it.
"Will you come over, afterwards?" Scott asks and stands up, picking up his jeans off the floor.
"Nothing will stop me," I say, smiling widely, hoping to erase the cold panic still etched into his eyes.
"If you still want to, that is?"
"I want to," I assure him, and wrap my arms around his waist. His heart is thumping so fast in his chest, I'm afraid he'll collapse at any second. "And nothing will stop me."
CHAPTER TEN
"Gail, I'm in the living room!" Dad calls out as soon as the front door clicks shut behind me. But I take my time taking off my jacket before I join him there.
"Who is this car thief and how do you know him?" Dad asks, leaning forward in his chair, a glass of scotch glistening in the overhead lights on the coffee table between us.
"He's the brother of a friend," I mutter, but that doesn't sound right. "The brother of my boyfriend, I mean."
Dad slaps his knees then throws his hands up. "What are you saying, Gail? Are you dating a criminal?"
I shake my head, but I can't meet his eyes, because really I am.
"From what I've been able to find out, that whole family is involved in criminal activity," Dad says, and my breath hitches in my throat. "Another one of them has just been released from prison. Please tell me that's not the one you're dating."
"And what if I am?" I spit out, before I can stop myself. "He's served his time, and it's not a big crime."
My dad's face goes straight from pale white to crimson. "You're kidding me. How stupid are you? Think of your future!"
It's like granddaddy Henderson is sitting across from me,
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