Chapter 13 – Inferno

 

“Coach,” the man-boy frowns as he approaches us and greets Cam, but his eyes are on me.

“You want to talk to me, Gheer, you need to set up a meeting,” Cam says crossing his arms, definitely not welcoming him to The Shed with a complicated man handshake, let alone a slap on the back.

The man-boy, who’s as tall as Cam but not nearly as built, ignores his request for an appointment, “Word is you’re pulling me from first string.”

“It just happened last week.  I know you can’t forget why you’re suspended for the first three weeks of the season.  After that, it’s anyone’s position to earn or lose.  The shit you pulled should’ve earned you a longer suspension.  You’re giving Brett Sullivan a shot at starter, not me.  I know you’re so far up your own ass to remember, but I’ve got two receivers ranked top ten in the state.  They’re able to make most decent quarterbacks look good.  I’ve told Sullivan he’s starting out the season as my number one and it’s his to lose.  I guess you’ll just have to sit back and see how it plays out like the rest of us,” Cam informs him.  

“He doesn’t have my range or accuracy.  You’ve got the stats to prove it,” he accuses.

“Yeah?  I’ve also got the police report from last week not to mention your student records with grades that barely keep you eligible.  You add it all up, guess whose stats win?” Cam rebukes.

“You’d rather lose?  You start losing games, you’ll lose your job,” he spits back at Cam.

“Season hasn’t started, I haven’t lost a game yet,” Cam says.  “You get your shit together and keep your grades up, we’ll see.  Brett’s a decent quarterback, he’s a hard worker and he wants it.  He sees the opportunity that’s fallen in his lap.  My guess?  He’s gonna take it and run.  We’ll see who’s starting by the end of the season.”

“You’re gonna lose games if you keep him in.  He’ll tank,” the boy sneers.

“Keep digging, Mike.  You’ll bury your football career before you come off suspension in the fall,” Cam narrows his eyes on the delinquent quarterback.  “Now I’ve confirmed what you’ve heard, you need to get going.  You know state regulations say I can’t coach or train you until opening day of practices.  If you want to talk to me in the future, call to set up an official meeting.  Unless you have a scheduled time with one of my trainers, I don’t want to see you on my property.”

Michael Gheer’s jaw hardens and he narrows his eyes at Cam before they come back to me.  Demonstrating his stupidity, he sneers, “Hopefully, she’s yours.  Maybe if you get yourself some, you won’t be such a dick.”

Cam proves how fast he is because one second he’s standing next to me, and the next, he’s closed the distance between him and Michael.  He isn’t touching him, but he’s so far in his face, Michael’s forced to lean back.

“Don’t talk about her and don’t try me.  You want to find yourself third or fourth string, keep at it,” Cam threatens, his voice low and full of warning.   

Michael finally shuts up and works his jaw as he eyes Cam.  He retreats one step and shakes his head before turning back to his Camaro.  We watch him bend into his sports car and take off before Cam finally turns to me.  And just like last week when Bekki showed up, he doesn’t utter a word.

I decide to break the silence, “He…um…isn’t happy with your decision.”

“He’s an ass,” Cam replies.

“I think I got that.”

“I wish I could boot him off the team.  The other kid is good and a hard worker.  I’m not worried about him, he’ll get there,” Cam explains.

“This seems to be a pattern.  Do you tend to have a lot of people angry with you?”

He shakes his head and his goatee tips up on one side, “Just you sometimes.”

“Are you putting me in the same category with Bekki and the quarterback?” I ask frowning.

“No,” he smirks and moves to grab my hand.  “But when you’re pissed you’re a handful.”

I roll my eyes and change the subject, “You took a shower.”

“Yeah.”

“You need to take me home.  I have to bake cookies, prep for two events this week and I really need a shower after all the torture.”

He squeezes my hand as he says, “You give it some time, I promise you’ll like it.”

“You must be hard of hearing in your old age.  I’m not coming back.” 

When we get to the door of his warehouse, instead of going in he pulls me to the side and once again pins me to the wall.  He dips one hand up the back of my sweaty tank and cups the back of my head with the other. 

“Cam, I’m sweaty and stinky and you’ve already showered,” I try and complain, but even though we’re outside his place of business, I can’t help but want this.  I like how one second we’re standing here and the next he’s got his hands on me.  He accused me last night of liking it and he was right.  It makes my heart race, warming me all over.

He gets in my space and speaks in a low voice, “I like having you here.”

“You do?” I ask, thinking I like being here, but I’d rather be doing something else besides boot camp.  But I really like that he likes me here.

“I do.  I want you back tomorrow,” he demands, his eyes sweeping my face.

I have to pull in a breath and try to grab on to my will power to say no to the torture, but he’s making it difficult. 

“I’m going to be sore tomorrow, it’s going to be worse than today.  I might not be able to move in the morning,” I keep on.

He leans closer and his voice turns sexy, “Then it’s a good thing you’ll be at my house tonight, in my bed.  Once I get my hands on you, I’ll go to town on your muscles and relax you again.  You’ll be better than fine.”

“What about the kids?  I can’t stay at your house,” I argue, however I can’t help but fidget at the thought of him getting his hands on me in any way and the second I do, he narrows his eyes.  Damn.  He felt it, too. 

He leans down and kisses me, but not as fast as earlier, “Don’t worry about the kids, they go to bed early.  Let’s get your stuff and I’ll take you home.  We’ll pick you up for your brother’s party.”

“No, no,” I say quickly because I’m not ready to show up with Cam at a Carpino hoopla.  “I’ll come on my own, meet you there.”

It goes without saying, my family’s huge and I’ve never shown up with a man who makes me fidget to a family event.  I can’t show up with Cam.  They’ll eat me alive.

“No way.  I’m taking you so you can’t escape from me later,” he grins.

“I have to be there early,” I lie.

“How early?”

“Really early,” I say, but it comes out lame.

He shakes his head and says in a low voice, “I’m taking you, be ready at five-thirty.  And no painting toes this time.  If you got any of your skills from your mom, I’m looking forward to dinner.”

I sigh.  I guess I have a few hours reprieve until the mighty Carpino’s pick over me like vultures ravaging a dead carcass on the side of the road.  Between boot camp and showing up to a Carpino family affair with a man and his kids, I’ll surely never live to see tomorrow. 

*****

“Wait, you’re Cam Montgomery from the Huskers?”

“Long time ago,” I say to Paige’s brother. 

We’re hanging outside after dinner and I was right.  Paige must have been inspired by her mom.  Dinner consisted of grilled flank steak, beer can chicken, grilled veggies and some sort of spicy mashed potatoes along with all kinds of salads.  It didn’t begin to touch Paige’s Beef Wellington, but it was still fucking good.   It was quite the spread, but it’d need to be.  There are a shit ton of people here.

“I did my undergrad at Nebraska.  You were a couple years ahead of me, but I saw you play my first couple of years.  I think you were a junior when I was a freshman.  You’re fast,” Tony states, sort of frowning while taking a pull from his beer.

“Was fast,” I correct, trying to get a read on him.  He’s not unfriendly, but he’s definitely not welcoming. 

“You were good.  You didn’t try and go pro?” he asks.

“I was good, not great.  Didn’t want to waste years chasing a dream when I saw the reality.  I had other options and I wanted to coach.  I’ve done okay.”

“I asked Lanny, he told me you’ve developed a good program.  We all went to Highland, you took them to the State Playoffs last year.  You’re my sister’s neighbor, right?” he asks frowning even deeper.

“Right next door,” I offer, keeping up with his interrogation.

Then he doesn’t ask, but accuses, “But you came with my little sister.”

And there it is.

So far Paige’s family has been nice, but over-the-top curious since we walked in the door.  Even Lizzie and her dad, Tony, Sr, have been friendly, but they’ve been acquaintances for a while since I’m Sophia’s neighbor.  Nonetheless, the minute we stepped foot over their threshold, Paige has ignored me, busying herself with food.  Serving food, cleaning up food and preparing dessert.  She hasn’t given me even a glance, but she has doted on Cara, including her in every part of the evening.  Cara’s stuck to Paige like glue and vice-versa, but I have a feeling Paige is sticking to Cara so she can continue giving the women in her family the cold shoulder.  I’ve watched it happen since we arrived and can’t help but find it amusing to see Paige uncomfortable when she’s normally such a spitfire. 

And I fucking love the look on my daughter’s face.  She’s always been a happy kid, but this is a different happy, and to see that in my girl face makes me feel a burning I’ve never felt. It’s a burning that’s both good and bad.  I’m fucking pissed she’s five years old and I’ve never seen it, at the same time I’m fucking elated it’s finally there.  And my burning ignites hotter knowing it’s because of Paige Carpino.

My burning for Paige seems to be running deeper and hotter by the second.  It’s more than her making me hard by giving me her wiseass and sass.  She’s igniting something deeper in my gut that’s becoming difficult to ignore.  Touching her last night, watching her come for me, sleeping with her?  I could barely wait to get home this afternoon so I could jack off in the shower with nothing but her on my mind.  I knew I’d need that since I’ll have her in my bed tonight giving her what she needs, but not taking anything. 

But knowing no one’s been there but me?  And I haven’t even been there yet?

I’m a fucking inferno.

I look over to the woman who’s proving to be pure kindling for my blaze, and see another female I was introduced to but can’t remember her name, replace Paige’s drink with a new cup of something.  Paige shoots her a dirty look before giving her attention back to Cara, but still taking a sip.

“She’s four years younger than me,” I hear and look back to Tony.  I frown, not getting where he’s coming from when he goes on to ask, “That makes her what, five or six years younger than you?”

“Six,” I answer curtly.  I’m getting tired of talking about her age.  Six years isn’t that fucking big of a deal.  She’s a grown woman even if she’s an inexperienced one.  It’s not like she’s eighteen.   

“She hasn’t dated much,” Tony informs me.

“Know that, too,” I cross my arms and look him in the eye.

“I’m just taking note that you’re older, you’ve got kids and Lanny tells me you’re divorced.  My little sister might be a pain in my ass at times, but she’s loving and selfless, always doing for others.  I want her to be happy and get what she wants out of life.  I’m not gonna be pleased if she puts herself out there and gets hurt along the way,” he lays it out, warning me at the same time.

I take in a deep breath and calm my voice before I say, “You’re right.  I’m older, I’ve got kids and I’m divorced.  I can’t help my age, or hers for the matter, and I won’t apologize for being divorced.  I’m thankful every day my bitch of an ex-wife is out of my life, but I also got two great kids out of the miserable years I had to put up with her.  I’d suffer that misery again just to have them.  What you don’t know is that during the three years I’ve been divorced, I’ve never been around another woman in front of my kids.  I’ve known your sister a week and a half, but she’s the only woman I’ve spent time with in the company of my children.  I don’t take that lightly and can’t read the future, but I don’t appreciate the implication that I’ll hurt her ‘along the way.’”

“Not implying anything, Cam.  Just letting you know her family wants her to have what she wants.  We won’t be happy if she’s not happy,” he finishes.

“Noted,” I mutter into my beer bottle before taking a long drink.

“Good,” Tony says, finished with his brotherly duty, threatening the man who’s shown an interest in his little sister.  I get it, I’ve got two little sisters myself, but I’ve never lived near them when they were dating. 

“Tony?” I call as he walks away from me.  He turns to look back and frowns in question.  “Congrats.  I heard about the twins.”

His demeanor instantly changes and I see a look wash over him that’s nothing but proud.  He doesn’t say a thing, but he does lift his chin before turning to leave me for good, finally ending our uncomfortable conversation on the lawn.

“So, my little sister-in-law, huh?” I hear from my other side and turn to see my neighbor, grinning like a lunatic while shaking his head.

“Fuck.  Not you, too,” I shake my head at Lanny before swallowing the last dregs of my beer. 

“Dude, I might be curious, but my wife is over the bend about what’s going on between you two.  Ever since you came looking for her yesterday, Paige won’t return any of Sophia’s phone calls.  Soph is going mad trying to figure out what’s up.  Then you two showed up together tonight with Paige looking as uncomfortable as a whore in church and you can’t keep your eyes off her.  I don’t think anyone’s wondering anymore and the women are chewing it up.”

“I’ve known her a week and her brother just threatened to lynch me.”

“Don’t get me wrong.  I’ve known Paige since she was fourteen.  I’d stand in line to lynch anyone who hurt her.  But I didn’t come to threaten you—I came to warn you about the Carpino women.  I landed myself one and she still keeps me on my toes after ten years of marriage.  Just trying to be a good friend and let you know what you’re getting yourself into,” he keeps grinning.

I look back at him, “I’m kind of getting that.”

He shakes his head, looks over at Paige with my daughter and a horde of other kids playing a yard game, “It’s hard to say, but I might venture that even though the baby of the family is the smallest, she’s got the most spirit, by far.”

I watch Paige take a sip of her drink as she tosses a corn bag toward the board, it not only misses the hole but skids off completely.  She proceeds to throw a pretend fit about the game being rigged while the kids laugh.  I add, “I think I’m getting that, too.”

“Cam,” he calls for me.  I’ve known Lanny for two years.  He’s a good man, a good husband and a good dad.  I also consider him a friend and feel I know him well.  So when he raises an eyebrow, I know he means it when he says in all seriousness, “You’re screwed.”

I look back to Paige Carpino, who’s now being pulled away by Tony’s newly-pregnant wife while the big kids start a new game, averting Cara’s attention away from Paige.  Paige is frowning at Leigh and looks frustrated as a group of women follow them around the side of the house. 

Before I lose sight of her, she glances my way and her deep brown eyes widen.  I can’t see from here, but I can only imagine the gold flecks shining bright in those big brown eyes.  I grin as she’s pulled out of my view and her frown deepens. 

Fuck, yeah.  I’m screwed. 

*****

“I cannot be-lieve you haven’t called me,” Sophia whisper-yells, completely angry as she makes her way to where Leigh Paige-napped me from the kids.  I thought I was safe with Cara, not to mention we were having fun playing Corn Hole.

“Most people can take a hint when they don’t get a call back, Soph.  It means they don’t want to talk to you.  So guess what?  I don’t want to talk to you,” I say, taking another sip of my fruity vodka drink. 

I’ve had a bottomless drink in my hand all night.  My sisters and cousins have been replacing it all evening, but they’ve finally cornered me.  I’m sure their plan was to get me loose lipped about the man I showed up with tonight.  All of them, Leigh, Sophia, Charlotte, Gabby, Avery, Micah and even Rosa shuffled through the grass to join us.  Damn them all.

“Tell us all about him,” Leigh says, smiling big.  Of course she’s happy.  She’s glowing, double-glowing, on-top-of-the-world-happy as she and my brother announced they’re not only pregnant, but just found out they’re having twins.  She goes on, “He’s hot.  And with his body, I’m pretty sure he could’ve been on Spartacus.”

Only because I’ve seen him in his underwear, I am witness to the fact that Cam could lay waste to most of those guys on Spartacus.  His muscles are just that fine.

I don’t get to agree or disagree because my younger cousin, Avery, who is home from college for the summer, says, “Maybe I should watch Spartacus.”

“Enough about Spartacus,” Sophia snaps.  Then like the blabbermouth she is, she puts her hands to hips and informs my family and Rosa everything she knows, “Yesterday evening, Cam Montgomery showed up on my doorstep looking pissed beyond belief and demanded to know where my littlest sister lives.  I asked him why and he said he had some,” she pauses for effect and leans toward her audience to enunciate her words, “unfinished business,” she stands straight to cross her arms while looking straight at me, “with you.” 

I do my best to give her a blank look but she perseveres, addressing her female spectators, “Now, I’ve known Cam Montgomery for two years.  He’s a good guy.  He and Lanny are friends.  He’s a good neighbor, not to mention an awesome dad.  He’s also a single dad with a bitch of an ex-wife who I’ve only experienced at his kids’ birthday parties, but wow, the woman is a star member of the bitch club.  That said, I’ve seen Cam pissy when it comes to his ex-wife, but nothing compared to how pissed he was yesterday when he was,” again with the pause and again with the glaring, “looking for my littlest sister.”

I frown, but I think I’ve had at least three bottomless vodka drinks, all I can seem to focus on is what kind of party Cam threw for his kids.  He said he doesn’t have company picnics and he doesn’t come across like a party throwing kind of guy.  He doesn’t even throw trash away very well.  Sure, he’s a guy—I’m sure Jordy’s party would be easy for him to plan.

But just as I’m wondering if Cara got a Little Mermaid party for her fifth birthday, Sophia continues her storytelling, “Since Paige took care of Noah and Cayden for us last week, she also had Cam’s two kids every afternoon since I’m watching them all summer.  So, I want to know,” she looks back to me. “How did you go from taking care of his kids all week, to him being so pissed he needed to find you when you clearly didn’t want him to find you, to showing up with him tonight looking like you’re together?  You’ve blushed about a million times and he looks like a cat who got his cream.”

I gasp and frown deeper as I hear murmurs coming from all around me, “Oh my”, “Wow”, “Really?”, “Holy shit, she finally gave it up.”

From above all the murmurs, Rosa practically yells, “I told you to keep your legs together!”

“Rosa, keep your voice down,” I caution her.

“Uh-huh,” Sophia continues louder than necessary. “I want to know, Paige Elizabeth Carpino.  Did he get your cream?”

“No!” I yell back.  “Stop talking like that.  It’s none of your business anyway.  None of yours,” I add, looking around at the group.

“You didn’t do it?” my sister Charlotte asks.  She’s the least of the blabbermouths of the family, but that doesn’t mean she’s gossip free.  She’s just less of a gossip than the rest.

“No,” I keep frowning and can’t help but feel my face warm from talking about this.

“But you’ve done something,” Leigh grins.

“Leave her alone,” Gabby says.  “You all did this to me last year and it’s not fun. If she gives it up, we’ll know by the look on her face.”

“Holy shit,” I mutter and take another big drink wondering if they’ll really be able to tell by the look on my face.

“What’s going on with you two?  Are you together?” my cousin Micah asks.

“I don’t know.  I think we might be,” I sigh.

“What happened last week?” Charlotte asks.

“Tell us,” Rosa demands.  “You didn’t call me like you said you would and you made me have to do the texting.  I’m not happy with you and I want to know.”

I sigh and decide to let the vodka take over, thinking it’s all for naught.  They’ll assume worse if I don’t share, so I give them the abridged edition. 

I tell them about the Wet T-shirt Contest, then meeting him at Sophia’s and realizing we knew each other from the Dr. Pepper Incident.  I explain in detail about the Sugar Daddy story, how I cleaned his kitchen, dinner, Brian, Bekki with an i, how he kisses me while pressing into things and even going out for hamburgers.  Then I tell them we had an “argument” Saturday night, but I did not go into detail about that particular story.  I describe how he came to my apartment, the scene with Brian and how Cam manages to apologize without actually saying “I’m sorry,” and yet it’s sweeter than the real thing.  I even told them how he spent the night, how he relaxed me, my earth-shattering orgasm and me being forced to endure boot camp this morning.  Maybe it was the vodka doing what it does best, but I also told them about his sexy talk and when I see him with his kids, it makes me weak.

I look back to my oldest sister and add, “But he did not get my cream.  Are you happy now?”

My blabbermouth sister and the rest of the semi-blabbermouths stand around me in awe, for once, speechless.  And the Carpino women are rarely speechless—it was a sight to behold.

Another moment goes by and Charlotte finally mumbles, “Wow.”

“Girlie, I feel your pain.  But, can I come to boot camp with you?  I mean, after I stop throwing up all the time,” Gabby asks.

“There’s no way Jude will let you do a boot camp,” Leigh throws at her and then looks to me.   “I’ve never liked Brian.”

“Forget about Brian and boot camp,” Sophia finds her voice and turns to me.  “What now?”

“I don’t know,” I say.  “He told me he’s taking me back to his house tonight.  He wants me in his bed to work on my muscles and relax me again.”

“She’s gonna finally give it up,” young Avery smiles at me.

“She is not,” Rosa frowns at her.  Looking back to me she says, “I know it’s not common to wait for marriage these days, I watch the television and read naughty books.  But you’ve waited this long, you need to make sure.  Don’t rush, child.  You’ll have the rest of your life to have sexual intercourse.”

I think I can speak for the rest of our group that’s under the age of eighty-five when I say—we all wince at Rosa’s clinical description of sex.  I do my best to eradicate that from my brain and think I’m not sure how much more ready one can be, but whatever.  I mean, all he has to do is touch me and I melt.  I’ve only known him a little over a week and even though I’ve never thought about giving it up to anyone, I have a feeling when you know, you know.  Three drinks into a bottomless vodka drink isn’t the time to decide, but still, Cam makes me ache in ways I’ve never ached before.

Gabby interrupts my thoughts and says softly, “My mom taught with him for a year before she died.”

My eyes dart to my cousin and I can’t help but feel a pang somewhere down deep.  Gabby lost her parents five years ago in what we all thought was a car accident, but we learned late last year their car had been tampered with by a man her dad had prosecuted long ago.  I know it’s still hard for Gabby to talk about their death, so her soft comment brings all eyes to her.  Her mom taught math at our old high school, but it never occurred to me Cam taught at Highland with my Aunt Meredith.

“Really?” I whisper.

She nods while rubbing her small baby bump and gives me a smile, “Yeah, just for a year.  He’d taught before, but it was his first year at Highland.  She liked him, said he was a good teacher and everyone was hopeful he’d be able to turn around the football program.  I guess the team sucked back then.  I still follow news from the school, he’s done well.  They even went to the state playoffs last year.”  I return her small smile as she keeps talking, “Not that you needed the approval of anyone, but I think your aunt would approve.”

“Thanks, Gabby,” I say quietly.

But before anyone can torture me further (it must be National Torture Paige Day), Cam comes stalking around the corner.  The instant he sees our group, he stops abruptly, taking us all in.  He narrows his eyes and tips his head when his bright blue ones catch mine.  All the females turn to him, Sophia looking put out, Rosa frowning and the rest are grinning like schoolgirls. 

His face relaxes into a soft look and he melts me all over again when he sexily extends his hand to me.  His blue eyes are warm and I know what he’s thinking about, what’s in store for me later, when he says in a low voice full of promise, “Time to go, baby.”

I hear a few exhales behind me and can’t help but fidget.  Oh yeah, I don’t know how much longer I can hold on to it.  Not when he looks at me like that.  I don’t even take a moment to think, to argue, to worry about the blabbermouths surrounding me.  I immediately move through the gaggle of women straight to him, giving him my hand. 

Even after my rollercoaster of a week, I think I’d let him lead me anywhere.