Family Ties

”

His calmness unnerved me, and my cheeks flushed when I realized how I’d talked to him. “Sorry I snapped at you.”

“Yeah, well… not from your son.”

“I’m glad you realize that.”

“I do. Sorry. Anyway, you probably didn’t bang on our door just for fun.

Especially this early. So, what’s up?”

“Ah, maybe you aren’t so slow on the uptake after all.” He grinned to take the sting out of it. “I just got off the phone with the weather service.

Front’s moving in faster. Pressure’s falling and the winds’re picking up.

Thunderstorms here by noon. And since we’re flying west…”

I glanced at the lightening sky and actually paid attention to the air. I could feel the change myself, once he’d mentioned it.

“I think we should leave before breakfast,” he added unnecessarily.

“Roger that. We’ll get moving.”

He nodded, satisfied, and went to knock on Erin’s door.

I closed ours and found Christy standing behind me.

“I heard.” She slipped into my arms and tilted her face up for a kiss. “I wish we could go back to bed.”

“What?” I laughed. “You didn’t get enough earlier?”

“I’ll never get enough of you.” She kissed me again, and the little head reacted oh-so-predictably. She laughed. “Someone agrees.”

“Someone doesn’t have to fly home through thunderstorms if we don’t leave soon enough.”

“Can we do that? Is it safe?”

“Roger that,” she mimicked. “Do we have time for a shower?”

“If we make it quick,” I said. “No fooling around. For real. Okay?”

“Yes, sir, captain, sir.”

We grabbed our towels and toiletries and headed across the road. My parents arrived right behind us, followed by a very groggy Erin. I thought she’d complain about getting up earlier than she wanted, but she simply joined Christy and me and waited her turn under the water.

“Why don’t you turn on another shower?” Mom suggested.

“’Cause I want hot water.”

“We have plenty. Susan replaced the hot water heaters last year.”

“You knew,” Erin accused me, “didn’t you?”

“Yeah, but you were so cute when you thought you were maneuvering Christy and me into showering with you.”

“Did you really know?” Christy asked.

“Of course. But you wanted to check out Erin as much as she did you.

So… I figured I might as well enjoy it.”

She rolled her eyes.

“My sentiments exactly,” Erin said, although she didn’t move to another shower.

We rushed through washing and rinsing and then everyone used a sink.

Christy and I shared like we did at home, with me standing behind her. My dick “accidentally” touched her bare butt several times, and she grinned at me in the mirror.

Back in the room, she dried her hair while I packed our dress clothes in the hanging bag and pulled the sheets off the bed. Then we put on traveling clothes and stuffed the rest of our things in our bags.

“Next time let’s just share a suitcase,” I said.

“You mean like a real couple?” Her smile was pure pleasure.

“Unless you have a problem with your delicates traveling with my boxers.”

“My delicates can travel with yours any time.”

“We aren’t talking about underwear anymore, are we?”

I laughed and kissed her and then surveyed the room for anything we’d left. “Ready?” I said at last.

“Yes, sir. Let’s go.”

I opened the door just as Dad was getting ready to knock.

Susan was waiting for us in the station wagon. We loaded our things in the back and then climbed in. She handed us breakfast sandwiches wrapped in wax paper.

“Dawn wasn’t sure what kind of vegetarian you are,” she told Christy as she gave her two specially wrapped sandwiches. “So we made one with egg and cheese and one with just cheese.”

“I eat eggs,” Christy said. “But I’m starving, so I’ll definitely eat both.

Thank you very much.”

“My pleasure.” She put the car in gear and accelerated up the hill. “I also

packed the rest of your fruit and vegetables for the flight. Just in case.”

“She burned a lot of calories this morning,” I said.

“Be nice, Paul,” Susan chided.

“Worst boyfriend ever,” Erin said.

Susan eyeballed her in the rearview mirror. “The same goes for you.”

“Yes, Mom,” Erin said with affectionate sarcasm.

“I thought you said she was acting like a grown-up,” Susan said to Mom.

“Only with me. You’re on your own.”

“You’re right about that,” Susan said fondly.

Christy reached over and squeezed my hand. Then Susan glanced at us in the rearview mirror.

“It was a pleasure to meet you, Christy,” she said. “You’ll have to visit in the summer when you can enjoy the lake and everything else we have to offer.”

“I’d like that,” Christy said. “And it was a pleasure to meet you, too. I’m very sorry for your loss, though.”

“Thank you. We’ll feel Jeremiah’s absence for a long time, I think.