Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 83586 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83586 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
“I heard that, asshole,” Emerson told him.
“Oh, sorry, I thought you were too busy kissing.” Charles winked at him. “Also, who’s that broody guy with the dark hair? He’s sexy as hell. Maybe the gay gods will show me some love and he’ll swing our way.” He pointed to where Jasper, Earl, Chet, Lacey, Allison, and Duke were talking.
I cocked a brow. “Gay gods?” Charles was different from any guy I knew. He was city at heart and much more blunt when it came to being who he was.
Emerson said, “I don’t know which one in that group you’re pointing at, but I’m sure none of them are queer.”
“You just met them,” Sammy countered. “For all you know, maybe they are.”
“Do you think they are?” Emerson looked skeptical.
“No, but I ain’t assumin’. You know what they say. It makes an ass outta you.”
Emerson grinned and kissed him.
“No,” Charles said, “not them. The guy under the tree, smoking by himself. He looks like he can use some fun. I’m fun. It would work perfectly. Especially if it’s naked fun.” He waggled his brows.
I frowned, a little surprised. “Um…that’s my uncle. And no, he ain’t queer, but now I’m freaked out at the thought of you wantin’ to get naked with him,” I said, and Emerson barked out a laugh.
Charles only gave a little shrug. “Sorry…I think? He’s hot. That’s all I was saying.”
I stood. “I think this is where I leave the conversation.”
“Charles don’t mean no harm,” Sammy said. “That’s just how he is.”
“It’s still weird.” I smiled so they knew I wasn’t really upset, then made my way to my uncle. I’d been trying to get him out of the house more, which most of the time didn’t work. But he’d come over for dinner with me and Jasp a few times. We’d sit outside by the firepit, the three of us playing guitar together, and I figured that was a start. I’d gotten lucky today.
“How you doin’, Uncle Brian?” We still hadn’t talked about how I thought he’d been in love with my mama. How did you even bring that up? I wasn’t sure it was something I should say at all.
“All right. You got yourself a good support system now. That’s real good.”
“Made even better because you’re part of it.” I nodded toward the group. “You should come socialize.”
“I’ll be there when I’m done smokin’, though I can’t promise how social I’ll be.”
I chuckled. “Well, that’s something.”
As I started to walk away, Uncle Brian looked up at the sky. “Storm’s comin’ later,” he mused.
There wasn’t a cloud up there, but then, there didn’t have to be. This was North Carolina.
Sometimes we had four seasons in one day.
I hung out with Jasper and the crew for a bit. When dinner was done, we sat around in camp chairs and at the picnic table to eat. Once during the evening, I saw Uncle Brian smoking again, Charles there talking to him. Charles was barking up the wrong tree, but then, people would have thought that about me or Jasper before we went and fell in love with each other, and it couldn’t hurt for Uncle Brian to have a friend. I couldn’t figure out what in the hell they’d have in common, but I guess you never knew.
It was about nine when the last few people left and me and Jasper were finally alone.
We were still sitting outside, side by side in camp chairs by the fire, which we’d lit earlier to roast marshmallows. Jasper was drinking sweet tea because we’d made sure not to have any beer there today, trying to be respectful of Carrie.
I playfully kicked his chair. “It was a good day.”
Jasper turned to me, giving me his crooked smile. “It’s a good life.”
“Yeah, yeah it is.” The best life. I was thankful for it every day. I wished my family were around to see me, to see how happy I was with Jasp.
The fire and moonlight sparked off his eyes, with a little glimmer of Jasper mischief. He set his tea down. I knew something was up, and one second he was in his chair, the next he was lunging at me.
I reacted quickly, used to this playful Jasper, fighting to roll us over as soon as we hit the ground. It didn’t quite work as planned, and we ended up grappling in the grass, both of us working to get the upper hand, which was hard because we were laughing so hard while wrestling.
My stomach muscles ached and my cheeks hurt from chuckling. I flipped him, only for him to lick the side of my face to distract me before I ended up on my back, Jasper straddling me, holding my arms down.
“You ain’t fightin’ back.”
“Maybe I like where I am.” I smiled up at him, the look in his eyes going from playful to hungry, and I didn’t mean for food.