CHAPTER SIXTEEN

 

I didn’t know there were families like this outside of sappy holiday movies.  Large tribes of loyal people who joked and teased and knew each other’s histories and celebrated every life event together.  Maybe there really weren’t too many families like the Gentrys. If I hadn’t been living in their midst for over a week now I would have insisted they were too good to be real. 

“My dad’s got you cleaning the grill, huh?” Cassie asked. 

I hadn’t heard her exit the house and open the gate to the backyard.  As always, something inside of me skipped a beat at the sight of her.  I couldn’t control it anymore than I could control the rising of my dick.  

“I volunteered,” I told her and switched on the hose to give me an excuse to turn away from the long legs packaged in a pair of cutoff shorts that would look a lot better puddled around her ankles. 

“This thing is ancient, by the way,” Cassie said, peering down at the grate I’d removed from the gas grill and set on the patio tile so I could hose it off.  She was closer now, close enough for me to inhale the floral scent of her shampoo.  “I think my dad bought it when we were in kindergarten.  It’s got a lot of history though.  I can’t even guess how many family gatherings this bad boy has hosted.”     

I turned off the hose and took my time rolling it back up.  “Have you seen Brecken?” 

“He was helping my mom set the table.”  Her voice now sounded weirdly high and distant.  I looked up and was surprised to see her scaling a ladder and reaching for the roof. 

“What are you doing?” I asked, trying not to notice that I had a damn fine view of her ass as she climbed even as I had to remind myself it was out of my reach.  Cassie and I ate meals together at the Gentry family dining table, we shared a bathroom, we worked together and we might be sort of friends at this point.  She was the beloved daughter in a household I was lucky enough to be a guest in. 

But she still had a hell of a great ass. 

Cassie reached for a string of lights.  “The patio lights got tangled up during the dust storm last night.” 

“I’ll fix it.” 

The ladder wobbled.  “It’s fine, I’m already up here.” 

I moved to hold the ladder steady.  “You’re making me nervous.” 

Cassie loosened the tangled lights and smiled down at me.  “Why?”

I swallowed, unable to tell if she was flirting or not.  Sometimes Cassie could be sarcastic, witty and even a little moody. Other times I would glimpse this wistful innocence about her that I wanted to protect. 

Or corrupt. 

God help me. 

“I’ll finish that for you if you get down,” I offered. 

“I’ve got it.”  She shifted her weight and began straightening out the light string, in the process leaning back more than I was comfortable with.  I was strong enough to catch her if she tumbled off the ladder but that was a level of contact I’d rather avoid.

Cassie got the light string sorted out and reattached to the hooks that had been screwed in along the eves of the roof.  She looked down at me with a triumphant grin. 

“Curtis?” 

“Yeah?”

“I need to climb down and you’re in my way.” 

I backed up only a little while still holding onto the ladder because I didn’t trust it not to shake and cause her to slip.  Unfortunately I held on a little too long and when Cassie hopped off the last few steps her body skidded into mine, that ripe little ass sliding over my hard cock in a way that produced an involuntary groan.  

“Oh shit.”  She spun around and we were face to face, so close my chest was practically grazing her nipples. “Did I step on your foot or something?” she asked breathlessly. 

Human willpower was an incredible force.  It had to be because there was nothing else on earth that was stopping me from seizing her and getting my hands, mouth and cock all over every inch. 

“No,” I said, letting go of the ladder and backing away. “I just thought you were about to fall.” 

She tilted her head and gave me an odd look.  “I wasn’t.” 

The sound of squeaking hinges caught my attention and I swiveled around to see someone was entering through the backyard gate. She was someone I’d seen once before in the parking lot of Scratch but barely noticed because my attention had been focused on her sister at the time. 

Cami Gentry, Cassie’s twin sister, looked amused as she put her hands on her hips and sized me up.  “So you’re Curtis,” she said. 

“Guilty,” I replied and accepted her handshake.  It was surprisingly firm. 

Cami was different from her twin sister.  It wasn’t just because they didn’t look alike.  Cami bore a strong resemblance to her mother, Saylor. Even the style of her long brown hair was the same.  Cami also possessed a certain shrewdness that came across as she peppered me with questions and carefully weighed the answers.  I couldn’t blame her for the scrutiny.  Here I was, some rough looking dude with a sketchy record, living with her family and standing too close to her sister.  I’d heard she was a reporter.  After five minutes in her company I’d have to say the occupation suited her well. 

“Make way, everyone,” said a man’s voice and a tall dark-haired guy strolled into the backyard carrying a platter of raw meat.  I gathered that the guy was Cami’s boyfriend, Dalton.  Cord had told me a little bit about him when he mentioned that Cami and her boyfriend were coming over for dinner tonight.  He used to be a pro athlete and I found that easy to believe.  Judging by the muscles on display I’d guess he still hit the gym pretty often.  Years ago he’d suffered an injury that led to the decline of his sports career.  These days he owned and operated a baseball facility for local youth.  I could tell from the way Cord talked about him that he had enormous respect for the guy. I had to admit that Dalton sounded like he was as close to a saint as a man could hope for when it came to his daughter’s boyfriend. 

Dalton was gracious when he set the plate of meat down and shook my hand. 

“Good to meet you, Curtis.”  He looked me over carefully.  “I can see you’ve got good taste in ink.” 

My arms were a mess of shapes and skulls and black tribal tattoos.  I knew the letters on my neck would have some people guessing I had a history of gang activity.  Dalton’s friendly smile said if he knew anything about my past he wasn’t going to hold it against me.  I appreciated that.  A lot of people were far more judgmental. 

Cami sidled up to her boyfriend and he put his arm around her.  “Don’t tell me Dad’s letting you grill the meat.  That’s a task he usually insists on performing himself.” 

“Because he says he’s only one who can grill a perfect hamburger,” Cassie added. 

“And by perfect she means burnt to a crisp,” Cami smirked. 

“They’re never burnt,” Cord boomed, entering the backyard twirling a grilling utensil and wearing an absurd white chef’s hat.  “Just well done.” 

Cassie put her hand to the side of the mouth and loudly whispered, “They’re burnt.” 

“Thanks for the support, Cassidy,” Cord sighed and fired up the grill. 

Cassie grinned and kissed her father on the cheek.  “Love you, Daddy.” 

“I know.  That’s why you’re allowed to get away with insulting my grilling skills.” 

Cassie and her sister opted to return to the house.  I noticed the way Dalton stared at his girlfriend with a goofy grin as she walked away. I didn’t know much about this Dalton dude but the boy was smitten, that was for sure. 

“I never burn the damn burgers,” Cord grumbled as he tossed some slabs on meat on the grill. 

Dalton threw me a look and nodded.  I smothered a laugh. 

Brecken came outside with the ancient mutt known as Angus the Dog.  Angus still had some life left in him and would retrieve a ball if thrown but then it seemed he would lose interest and drop it under a bush somewhere.  After a few minutes Brecken got bored and left Angus to go pant in the shade. 

My brother approached Dalton rather shyly.  “I heard you used to play baseball,” he said. 

“Sure did,” Dalton said cheerfully.  “You like baseball?”

“Yeah.  I watch the D-Backs games sometimes.” 

Dalton smiled.  “You ever play any yourself.”   

Brecken scrunched up his face.  “Not really.  I’m not very good at it.”

“Maybe we could toss a few balls sometime.  I could give you some pointers.”

Brecken’s face was hopeful.  “Really?” 

“Sure.  I run a kids’ baseball camp a few miles from here.  How old are you?” 

“Thirteen,” answered Brecken in a soft voice.  He was sensitive about the fact that he looked a few years younger. 

Dalton was kind enough to just nod and say, “That’s the perfect age to start playing baseball.” 

Somehow it was still a surprise to me that everyone in the Gentry family went out of their way to be kind.  Apparently it was a prerequisite that even extended to significant others because Dalton immediately starting schooling Brecken on the finer points of throwing a ball.  Brecken eagerly soaked up every word. 

He’d never been the center of attention the way he had ever since Saylor brought him home.  She found out what his favorite foods were and immediately purchased them all.  She insisted on buying him an entirely new wardrobe despite my weak objections. Saylor just winked and said she loved to shop and anyway the boy had outgrown most of his old clothes.  It wasn’t really true. Brecken hadn’t grown much at all these past six months.  Some of Cassie’s teenage cousins who were also on summer break came over to help tutor him with math. I still took him to summer school every morning but instead of wandering over to the youth center afterwards he would get picked up by Saylor and they would have lunch. No wonder why the kid was ecstatic these days.  He even looked healthier with a ruddy glow on his cheeks.  The only cloud hanging over the current situation was Tristan.  He hadn’t been in touch.  I’d left word with the motel management in case he turned up there looking for us but I wasn’t optimistic the toothless hood-eyed manager would pass the information along even though I spotted him a twenty.  I wished I had better news for Brecken when he would ask me at the end of every day if I’d heard from our brother.  I also wished I knew if Tristan was out there in the world confronting all kinds of horrors and temptations.  I constantly hoped he’d found a safe refuge.  Deck Gentry had pulled me aside this afternoon to give me the bad news that he hadn’t had any luck tracking Tristan’s whereabouts.  The Phoenix metropolitan area was immense and crowded.  If a seventeen year old kid wanted to disappear into its depths he wouldn’t have to try very hard.

I’d drifted over to the corner of the yard and become lost in thought, watching Dalton instruct Brecken while Cord flipped the burgers and waved away clouds of smoke.  I didn’t know Cassie had returned to the backyard until I heard her voice right beside me.   

“Mom actually asked me if we should eat outside,” Cassie said.  She roped her mane of thick hair into a knot at the base of her neck and fanned herself with one hand.  “I told her she was crazy.  It’s got to be a hundred and ten out here.” 

“It’s Arizona in the summer,” I said.  “Probably a few degrees north of the temperature of hell.” 

Cassie picked off a tiny purple flower from a nearby sage bush.  “I guess it’s as hot or hotter down in Emblem.” 

“Just about.” 

Cassie twirled the flower under her chin.  “My grandpa still lives down there but he prefers to come up here rather than have us visit him.  He says there are too many dangerous parts of town now.  I know my mom was trying to talk him into moving up here now that he’s retired from the prison but he says he was born in Emblem and he plans to die there.” 

“That’s a common sentiment in Emblem.” 

Cassie was watching me.  “Do you still know people down there?  In Emblem?” 

I thought about them, the people I knew who were still there.  A handful of decent folks mixed in with the burnouts and the criminals.  And of course there was the huge population of inmates behind the fences of the state prison.  Can’t forget about them.  Some of them had been Emblem kids once. 

“Not many,” I told her.  “Most of the people I knew down there are not the kind you ought to keep in your life if you want to avoid wearing an orange jumpsuit.” 

“What?” She was confused. 

“The prison uniform.” 

“Oh.”  Cassie held her flower in the palm of her hand.  It was wilting already. She let it fall to the ground and then fastened me with a frank expression.  “You’re lonely, aren’t you, Curtis?  I mean, I know you’ve been busy working and trying to keep your brothers together but there are some things even family can’t help you with, right?” 

I’d never thought about it that way.  Being lonely.  It seemed like I hadn’t been alone in many months. But that wasn’t what Cassie meant.  And she wasn’t just talking about me.  Strangely enough, it seemed like she was talking about herself too. 

“some things even family can’t help you with…”

 “Yes,” I said. 

She nodded.  “I get it.” 

I didn’t see how she could.  Cassie was beautiful and sweet and adored by her family and probably everyone who crossed her path.  She ought to have the world at her feet. 

“How could a girl like you be lonely?” I asked.  I was honestly curious. 

The question annoyed her.   “What does that mean?” 

I hadn’t meant to say anything wrong.  “Nothing.” 

“Is this about Parker?”

“Who?”  It took me a moment to realize she was talking about the douchebag who’d slithered into Scratch one day, the same one she’d been smiling at in the coffee shop afterwards.   “Oh, that asshole.” 

“He’s not an asshole.” 

I shrugged.  “If you say so.” 

Cassie didn’t appear convinced herself.  She tugged at her lip.  “At least not anymore.  I used to hate him.  But people can change for the better, don’t you think?” 

“Not that fucking guy,” I said tersely.  I didn’t know why I was suddenly fuming over the memory of Cassie smiling at Parker what’s-his-face.  Or why I was so fucking sure that he was up to no good. 

Cassie glared at me.  “You don’t know everything about people,” she said and stalked back to the house. 

When I glanced around the yard I saw that Cord was still actively blackening the hamburgers, Dalton was still instructing Brecken and Angus the Dog had fallen asleep in the shade.  No one had been paying the slightest attention to the brief interaction between Cassie and me except one person. 

Cami Gentry kept her eyes on me as her twin sister left the backyard. 

She did not look pleased.