“It’s one of those things that you’rewalking on,” Todd said, and snorted.
I laughed, too, and Alexis shook her head.“Really, I should have been the one with the penis.”
Todd guffawed, and a few people from theelectrical aisle looked over at us. Todd waved. “Sorry.”
The people just shook their heads andcontinued looking at their boring supplies. We, on the other hand,were having a good time.
“So, what all do we need to get started?” Iasked, hoping that we’d have enough money for the plans that I hadfor the fort.
“Well, we need to get the initial structurefigured out… I was thinking we’d get the 4x4’s today along withsome Quickcrete and some bracing.”
It was all Greek to me, so I nodded. “Soundsgood.”
Alexis laughed and led us down multipleaisles, having “Todd the Muscles” put the supplies onto a longcart, and before we knew it, we were paying for the purchases withmy debit card, and Todd was getting everything loaded into my Dad’sold pickup. There wasn’t that much there, as lumber cost a lot ofmoney, but it was a start, and that’s all I needed to make me feela little bit better.
Payton
I hadn’t been home since Mom made myfavorite meal, and that was a few weeks ago. I sighed as I pulledinto the driveway, hoping that my folks wouldn’t be too mad that Ipretty much ignored them since the peace offering.
When I parked my truck, however, Mom camerunning out of the house, and with a grin on her face. “Baby!”
I smiled and got out. “Mom.”
“I’m so glad that you’ve been trying to fixthings…”
I looked at Mom and had no idea what she’dbeen talking about. “Come again?”
“The fort,” she said, and then wiped at hereyes. “I saw today, what you’ve been doing.”
I felt like my throat was closing up. “Whatdo you mean?”
“Oh, honey, I know you’re trying to keep ita secret, but you don’t have to keep it from me, I’m your mom. Youcan talk to me about it.”
I looked toward the field and saw Keri’sDad’s truck near the tree. Our very messed up, tree. My jawclenched, and my fists balled at my sides.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m goingto find out.”
Mom’s eyes widened, and she looked visiblyupset. “No, Payton, just leave it alone.”
I could hear the panic in my mom’s voice,and I was sad that I’d put it there in the first place. “I’m notgoing to do anything stupid. I just…I need to find out what’s goingon.”
“You haven’t been out there?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“And, you didn’t know about this?” Momasked, waiting for my response.
“No.”
“Then I’ll call the police. That’sour land.”
I looked at my mom just then and realizedsomething. She’d been on her own since December, too. Not only didI behave like an idiot, but I put her in the middle of this thingwith Dad and I. “I’m really sorry about December, Mom.”
Mom looked at me just then, and fellapart.
Hours later, after dinner, when Ifigured everyone would be out of the field, I headed toward my oldfavorite spot. And, of course, as luck would have it, I sawher.
“What are you doing?” I asked, feeling moreconfident this time than the last.
“Hey!” Keri said, and turned toward me. Shehad a grin on her face that, almost immediately, turned down.“What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong?” I asked, fuming. “What’swrong is, you won’t leave me alone. You’re everywhere.”
Keri swallowed, and hurriedly shook herhead. “No, it’s not like that.”
“It’s exactly like that. Am I not going tobe able to go home until you go back to Ohio?”
Keri sighed and her shoulders slumped. “Ihope you will, I mean, you can. I meant what I said on the phonethe other night, Pay, I’m going to make this right.”
“By doing what?” I asked, and knew alreadywhat she was going to say.
“By rebuilding our fort.”
I looked at the ground and saw the 4x4’ssurrounded by concrete. “Who did this?” I quirked my eyebrow to theright and put my hand on my hip.
“I did; well, me, and Alexis and Todd.”
Impressed, I looked around. “They’rehere?”
Keri nodded with a smile. “Yeah, they wantedto help.”
“And you didn’t think to, I don’tknow, tell me?”
Keri shrugged. “Well, I planned to make it asurprise.”
“What did you think would happen, Keri?”
Keri’s eyes widened. “Well, I thought I’dask you to come here, and then you’d see the fort that I built, andthen you’d know how much…”
“How much, what?”
“How much I love you.”
Before I knew what was happening, I wasalready moving toward her, and she toward me. I had her in my arms,feeling her skin against my own, and it felt good.
So good.
“Fuck…”
“I know,” Keri moaned.
“I…”
“I love you, Payton,” Keri said once again.I knew she couldn’t possibly mean it, but I was so tired of turningher away. I’d wanted her for so long, and she was here. Here whereit should have happened nearly eight months ago.
I kissed her, and felt her tongue move alongwith my own, and I licked her lips, and she licked mine. My handsmoved up her sides, and then pulled up on her shirt, and before weknew it, the shirt had come off, and she and I were in thefield.
I kissed up and down her neck, and then upto her ear and took her lobe in my mouth. I sucked gently, as myhands moved up her back and to her bra.
She moaned, and then her hands were at myshirt, taking the hem up and over, and I helped her remove it therest of the way. My hands went back to her bra, unsnapped theenclosure, then slowly moved my hands back around to cup herbreasts, and to remove the bra the rest of the way. We werebreathing hard now, and I was oh so ready.
I looked into her eyes.
Her beautiful blue eyes, and I froze. “Ilove you, too,” I said, softly, and then I moved my mouth down herneck.
Keri’s back arched, and I continued my trek,using my tongue and hands until her nipples were hard and in tightbeads. I sucked on her left breast first as my hand continued tomove down to the button at the top of her shorts.
Keri sighed
