Chapter 12

By the time Donal and Sheila made it back to the campsite, great sheets of gray raindrops were slashing across a muddy morass. Hunched over a table near the grill, Stanley wore a green plastic rain poncho while cleaning fish. At their splashing footsteps dashing closer, he looked up. Endless streams of water flowed from the peaked bill, overhanging his worried face.

“Oh, thank God. I was worried about you two.” He waved the knife skyward. “This shit came outta nowhere.”

As he scanned them, she clung tighter to her son’s bare torso. Once the deluge had struck, her blouse had become nothing but a transparent skin. Without a word, he had stripped and wrapped his T-shirt over her. As she stood shivering in the slop, it was molded to her soaking hair and shoulders.

“Uh, why don’t you grab some dry clothes, hon? Edward’s got the heater going in there already.” With the knife, he pointed to the smaller tent. “Get that open for your mother. Um, I should be done in a little while. At least we’ll have some warm food in our bellies.” He glanced at the sodden fire pit. “Gas grill for the win.”

“O-Okay, d-dear,” she stammered through chattering teeth.

No sooner had he returned to the fish than Donal gave her a tight squeeze. After pressing her lips to his bare skin, she slipped from his grip and dashed across the spreading puddles to the larger tent. Once inside, she rushed around, gathering a thick robe and clothing into a small waterproof bag. Then, with her teeth gnawing at her lower lip, she added a few more items.

When she stumbled quickly out into the deluge, she caught Donal’s broad smile as he held open the other tent’s flap. As soon as she bent to dive inside, the warmth hit her like a wave. From the rear of the tent, a small heater glowed. After shoving beneath a thick arm, she grinned at Edward. Eyes wide and jaw dropping, he was frozen along the side. His gaze was locked on the invisible material pasted to her swaying chest.

“Missed mommy, huh?” she murmured while smiling and settling on the thin rubber mat lining the tent floor.

Although her youngest said nothing, his shorts lurched upwards. With the grin still on his face, Donal zipped the door partially closed, leaving a gap wide enough to see Stanley’s bent back.

While peeling the soaked T-shirt from her head, she chewed her lower lip. To match the warmth on her skin, heat once again surged within her.

Once Donal stripped off his boots and lowered his shorts, releasing his swollen tower into the dimness, that heat became flames. At his glance toward his brother, she turned. Edward’s fingers were running along the hardness straining beneath his shorts. While remaining silent, she peeled off the transparent top and laid it closer to the heater behind her. After doing the same with Donal’s shorts, then hers, she tugged off her boots and sighed.

Again, the simplicity flowed through her. He, too, was her son. Plus, also in need.

“Hmm, mommy’s hungry.” She eased Edward’s hand away and ran a fingernail over his taut crotch. “Oh, it’s so full, sweetie. Does it hurt?”

“Um-hmm. Uh, y-yes,” he replied as his shaft twitched beneath her gentle rubbing.