Family Ties

”

“Remind me to wring her neck,” Christy muttered. “For real this time.

And don’t believe everything she tells you.”

“Why? She’s been right about everything so far. Yeah, she has her own agenda, but I don’t think she’s lied to me. Has she?”

“I don’t know what she’s told you. She won’t tell me,” she added sourly.

Then, just like her father, she visibly adjusted her attitude and decided to make the most of the situation. “But I flatly deny anything that doesn’t make me look like a paragon of virtue!”

I laughed. Then I set my book aside and gestured for her to join me on the couch.

“Oh, no! You just wanna take advantage of me in a weak moment.”

“Weak moment? What’re you talking about?”

“I’m feeling particularly affectionate toward you right now.”

“For saying I’m worth the wait.”

“See? You’re doing it again, making me really like you.”

“Then come up here and show me. You can sit in my lap,” I added with a grin. “We’ll talk about the first thing that comes up.”

She rolled her eyes but joined me anyway.

“There,” I said as I wrapped my arms around her, “much better.”

“For the record,” she said, “that’s the worst line ever. No girl in history has ever fallen for it.”

“Would you rather…?” I kissed her gently. “Fall…?” I kissed her again.

“For something else?”

I kissed her deeper. Then she began planting kisses on my neck. My dick reacted predictably.

“Told you,” I said dryly.

“You may need to tell me again.”

“How ’bout if I just kiss you instead?”

I spent a long time thinking about Christy during my run the next morning. I was a little surprised that the nudist camp hadn’t been more of a sticking point. Then again, it was the least shocking part of my lifestyle. The swinging would probably involve a much larger adjustment. That is, if I ever found the

I also found myself thinking about the question that had been lurking in the back of my brain for a while: who exactly was seducing whom? Christy made Kendall look like an amateur when it came to getting what she wanted without having to take responsibility for it. And for some reason that really bugged me.

I didn’t want her to be a take-charge type like Wren or Sara, but I didn’t want a passive wallflower either. She wasn’t in many ways, like her art, but she definitely was in the relationship department, and especially about sex.

Things would get predictable and boring if I were the only one to start things or decide what we did.

I started another lap around the neighborhood while I worked out my rules of engagement. What was I willing to do and what would I make her ask for explicitly? Where did I draw the line between passive object and active partner? My imagination went wild, but I couldn’t make a rule for every situation, so I eventually settled on a single one: Christy would have to start anything that involved my penis inside her.

“Hey,” she said when I finally came through the front door. “You were gone a long time.”

“Yeah, sorry. Had a lot on my mind.”

“Thinking about your friend? Gunny?”

“It’s okay. But thanks.”

“You want me to fix you breakfast?”

“That’d be nice,” I said. Then I grinned. “Are you ready for your second breakfast, my fair hobbit lass?”

She rolled her eyes but took down two bowls for cereal.

We ate in companionable silence and then headed upstairs to pack and get ready for the trip.

“Do you want to shower first?” she asked.

“Okay. And… I know I should pack super-light, ’cause it’s a little plane, but—?”

“I think so. How many dresses should I take? One for the funeral, of course, but will we be doing anything else? With his family?”

“I don’t think so. So one dress should be fine. Maybe two,” I said. “I’m only going to take my black suit. Casual clothes the rest of the time.”

“It’s a nudist camp, right?” she teased.

“Yes, Miss Sherlock, but we’ll be doing stuff other places, in the regular world.”

“I know. I’m just kidding. I’m actually kind of looking forward to it. I mean, not the funeral,” she added hastily. “Seeing where you spent your summers. And…” She smiled and looked down.

“And meeting your family. I’m sorry it’s under the circumstances, but I’m really excited. I know that sounds horrible, but…”

Christy was unusually excited as we drove to Island Home Airport. She even followed along as I did the preflight walk-around on the Comanche.

“I know you used to fly with your brothers,” I said, “but you were a lot

smaller then, right?”

“I couldn’t even see over the instrument panel.”

“So this’ll be your first time as a grown-up?”

“Cool. But don’t worry, I’ll be gentle.”

She frowned for a moment and then blinked in shock. “Ugh. That was the worst.