Chapter 2

I spotted a convenience store on my way north, so I stopped and grabbed a couple six-packs of beer along with a Styrofoam chest and some ice to keep it cold. I also warmed up my coffee and decided to grab a couple packs of smokes. I normally didn’t smoke around the apartment, but I knew Dave smoked and thought he might appreciate the gesture. He was letting me rack out at his place for a while, after all, so I thought I owed him that much at least.

Dave Brolin was about 15 years older than me and had worked with my father. That’s how we met. He stayed at our place several times when he was working in our area, and he was kind of like a big brother to me. I learned a lot from him working in my dad’s shop.

He had it rough growing up. His father worked in the shipyards and ended up dying from complications due to mesothelioma, thanks to the asbestos he was constantly exposed to. After his father died, his baby sister, Beverly, stayed home to watch over their mother until she died a year or so ago from stomach cancer.

I had known Bev for quite some time. She was a no-nonsense kind of girl, attractive in a girl-next-door sort of way. Of course I never made a move on her partly because of Dave’s friendship with me and my dad, but mostly because I was already smitten with Lucy. Bev and I got along nicely, and we were more like siblings than anything else, ribbing each other over this or that. I hadn’t seen her in a while, and was curious to see what she was like nowadays.

Like me, Dave married young, but ended up divorced when he came home to find his wife with one of her co-workers. He never re-married, but does go out now and again. Most of his time is spent looking after Beverly, who now lives with him. Beverly, of course, would say she’s watching over him.

I pulled up in front of Dave’s two-story log house about 2:30 am, grabbed my stuff and the ice chest, and met Dave on the front porch.

“I hope you got some beer in there for us,” he said with a smile. After taking the pack of smokes I offered him, he opened the door and helped me get the rest of my things inside. I carried the ice chest into the kitchen and saw a gorgeous blonde coming down the stairs wearing a long t-shirt and a short pair of pajama bottoms.

“Whose the blonde bombshell?” I asked Dave. He laughed.

“You know who I am, numb nuts,” the blonde said. I did a double-take and realized it was Beverly. She looked nothing like the gangling teenage girl I remembered. Her legs were well-toned, her breasts had gotten a bit larger and her hair reached almost to the middle of her back.

“Beverly?” I asked, confused. “Is that really you?”

“You know it is, dipshit,” she said sarcastically. “Why are you here so damn early in the morning? Lucy catch you cheating on her and throw you out or something?”

“No, not quite,” I said with an edge in my voice. Bev’s face softened as she took me in.

“I’m sorry, Stan,” she said, looking at my bruised face. “What happened? Are you alright?”

“Not really,” I said. “That’s why I’m here.”

“Why don’t you grab a beer and come explain it to us?” Dave said. I nodded my head, grabbed three beers and headed into the front room. I handed one to Dave, then turned to Beverly.

“You sure you’re old enough to drink?” I asked her sarcastically. She smiled as she held up a middle finger and grabbed a beer out of my hands.

“Spill it,” she said. “What’s going on with you two?”

“It’s pretty embarrassing,” I said.

“So?” Beverly said. “We’re adults and we’re damned near family, so out with it.”

“Okay,” I said before telling them the whole story about Lucy, Marie and Jake. I showed them the video I took of my brief meeting with Holly. They sat, shocked into silence, when I finished.

“Damn,” Dave said after he took a swig of his beer. “Do you think they know where you are now?”

“I don’t think so,” I told him. “I didn’t see any cars follow me up here anyway.”

“Well, fortunately, we’re on top of this hill and we can see anyone heading up here. And I still have the guns I bought from your dad after Mikey’s accident. You still remember how to shoot, don’t ya?” I nodded my head.

“Yeah, but I haven’t touched a gun since that happened,” I said. My younger brother, Michael, or Mikey, as everyone called him, accidentally shot himself in the leg with my dad’s .22 caliber pistol years ago. Mikey only suffered a minor flesh wound and recovered just fine, but my dad felt so bad about it that he got rid of all his guns and never replaced them.

“That’s alright,” Dave said. “I’ll take you out back and let you get familiar with them. Bev can work with you as well, she’s gotten to be a pretty decent shot.” I looked at Beverly, surprised. She sat up a bit and gave me a wicked smile. “Does your dad know you’re up here?” Dave asked me. I shook my head.

“No,” I said. “I haven’t told anyone where I’m at. I need to let the assistant DA know, though. You have to remember, I didn’t even think about coming up here until I had already left.”

“Okay,” he said. “I’ll call your parents and let them know this morning after the sun comes up. Don’t use your cell phone if you can help it. In fact, it might be a good idea to turn your phone off and remove the battery, just in case there’s some kind of tracker on it.”

“Good idea,” I said, turning the phone off. I popped the back off and removed the battery.

“So Lucy and her friends are going before the judge on Monday?” Beverly asked.

“Yes, the arraignment is on Monday,” I said. “The DA is hoping the judge holds them without bail, but after what I heard from Holly, I’m not so sure that’ll happen.”

“Well, you’re welcome to stay here as long as you need to,” Dave said. “I have a job to get to a week from Monday and I’ll be gone for a week, but if you need to hang around, that’s okay. How much time are you taking off?”

“I was planning on two weeks,” I said. “I’m hoping this gets squared away by then.”

“Like I said, you’re welcome to rack out here,” Dave said.

“Thanks, I appreciate that,” I said. “If there’s anything I can do to help, let me know.” Dave looked at Beverly, then smiled.

“I’m sure Bev can think of a thing or two,” Dave told me. “But you’re a guest here and your folks always treated us like royalty, so you can kick back and enjoy the country air as far as I’m concerned.”

“Well, guys, this has been fun, but I have to get up and make breakfast in a few hours,” Beverly said, standing up. “I hope you like omelets and hash browns, cause that’s what I’m fixing,” she added, looking at me.

“Breakfast of champions,” I told her. “Sounds great to me.” She waved and headed upstairs. After I heard her bedroom door close, Dave and I went out back to smoke a cigarette and talk.

“What’s the story with her, anyway?” I asked. “I figured she’d be married and raising kids by now.”

“Well, she never met anyone she really cared for,” Dave said. “She dated a few guys, but she said they just didn’t measure up.”

“Measure up? To what?” I asked. He looked at me seriously.

“To you, numb nuts,” he said. “She’s always had a major crush on you.”

“No way,” I said, shocked.

“Absolutely,” he said. “The only reason she never told you was because of Lucy. She didn’t want to be the reason you two split up.”

“Are you serious?” I asked.

“As a heart attack,” he said.

“What makes you think she’s still got a crush on me?” I asked.

“I hear her sometimes after she goes to bed,” Dave said. “She’s got this dildo named ‘Little Stan’ and I’ve heard her use it a few times. I’ve heard her call your name out more than once.”

“That’s just a bit too much information,” I said. Dave smiled and took a sip of his beer.

“Well, it is what it is,” he said.

“So when did Beverly turn into a babe?” I asked.

“She’s always been a pretty girl,” Dave told me. “She just never flaunted it. Besides, you only had eyes for Lucy, remember?”

“Yeah, I do,” I said.

“Look, between you and me, I’d be more than okay with you two getting together,” he said. “Just do me a favor, willya?”

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Don’t break her heart,” he said. “I love my sister and I think you do, too, if you think about it. I just don’t want to see her get her hopes up, then watch you and Lucy reconcile. That would destroy her.” I shook my head.

“I’m done with Lucy,” I said.

“Alright,” he said. “Well, I’d better get my ass to bed. See ya later this morning.” He stood up, ground out his cigarette in the can he had set up and headed upstairs. I finished my cigarette and went to bed a few minutes later. I was asleep the minute my head hit the pillow.

I woke up later when Beverly opened the door and yelled at me to “rise and shine.” I wiped the sleep from my eyes and noticed it was 8:30. I went into the bathroom and did my morning routine, then took a quick shower, dressed and headed downstairs. I looked at the ring on my finger as I got dressed and pulled it off, tossing it on the dresser.

I saw Beverly in the kitchen making breakfast when I got downstairs. She was wearing a short t-shirt and a pair of cutoff shorts. Her long hair was pulled back into a ponytail and her blonde bangs fell over her forehead. She was a vision of loveliness and I wondered why I hadn’t seen it before.

“That smells good,” I said. She smiled.

“I’m glad you think so, cowboy,” she said. “Coffee’s already made if you want some. You still like Butter Pecan creamer?”

“Sure do,” I said. “You got some?”

“Oh yeah,” she said. “In the fridge. Help yourself. Just save some for Dave and I.” I poured a cup of coffee and added some creamer. I love southern butter pecan, thanks to my dad. Dave got hooked on it when my dad brought some onto a job site.

“Go ahead and have a seat,” she told me with a smile. “I’ll have it done in just a minute.” I took a seat at the table where Dave had already sat down, reading the Sunday paper.

“Morning,” I said. He looked at me over the paper.

“Morning,” he said in response.

“Anything interesting in the news?” I asked.

“Yeah, a piece here in the paper about some fancy lawyer getting arrested for various charges,” he said. “Take a look,” he added, handing me the article. The article didn’t mention any names, nor did it give much in the way of specifics. It was pretty much boilerplate “news” drivel that wouldn’t mean anything to anyone who didn’t know the whole story. I grunted and handed the paper back. By then, Bev had finished making breakfast and was bringing it to the table on a cart.

“This is delicious,” I said as I took a big bite.

“Thank you, kind sir,” Beverly said with a smile. “I’m glad you approve.” We finished our breakfast and Dave stood up after he cleaned his plate.

“I have to run into town and get some things,” he said. “I’ll be gone for at least a couple hours. If you need to call the DA, you can use the house phone.”

“Thanks,” I said. Beverly handed him a list of things she needed and he stuffed it in his pocket. He grabbed his keys and headed out. I looked at Beverly.

“You need some help clearing the dishes?” I asked.

“I don’t necessarily need it, but it would be appreciated,” she said. “Thanks for asking.” I got up and helped her clear the table. She tossed me a towel and began washing the dishes already in the sink.

“I see you’re not wearing your ring,” she said as she washed a plate. “Are you actually going to divorce her?”

“Yeah,” I said. “I told her I wouldn’t stand for any cheating, and I meant it.”

“Good,” she said with a slight smile. “I’m glad to see you still have some balls.”

“What’s your story?” I asked. “How’s things with you?” She shrugged her shoulders.

“Okay, I guess,” she said.

“Anyone special in your life these days?” I asked.

“There was once,” she said. “But he was taken. Besides, I wouldn’t have been able to pursue a relationship anyway. Too busy taking care of my parents.”

“That’s what I heard,” I said.

“Yeah, well, it had to be done,” she said. “After Dad died, Mom needed my help. I worked as a waitress to help bring in some money, since all she had was Dad’s 401K and some Social Security. I worked until she was too sick to do anything, then stayed home and took care of her full-time.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said.

“Don’t be,” she said. “I don’t regret staying home with her. I just hope when I’m at her age someone will be around to help me out.”

“So, what happened?” I asked.

“After Mom died, there wasn’t much left,” she said. “We had to sell the house and a lot of her stuff. Between what was left of Dad’s pension and 401K, we managed to pay off all her final expenses. There was a little bit left over, and Dave let me have it since I took care of her. He promised Mom he’d let me stay here with him and this is where I’ve been ever since. Dave offered to pay for me to go to college but I turned him down.”

“Why?” I asked.

“I don’t want to be beholden to anyone,” she said. “I want to make it on my own steam if I can. So I stay here and work at the McDonald’s in town. I make enough to cover my expenses and I’m taking a few business courses at night.”

“Good for you,” I said.

“Yeah, well, Dave has this idea about starting his own fabrication business, and he mentioned having me do the accounting and stuff,” she said.

“He’s still talking about that?” I asked.

“Yeah,” she said. “He does a lot of one-off things for folks around here. Custom barbecue grills, trailers, that sort of thing. Gets pretty good money doing it. His dream is to stay home and work out of his shop out back. Maybe he’ll show it to you while you’re here.”

“That would be nice,” I said. We fell quiet and I found myself admiring her. For the first time, I realized how beautiful she really was, and not just on the outside. She glanced at me before saying anything.

“What are you looking at?” she asked.

“I think I’m looking at the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met,” I told her. I thought I saw a tear form in her eye.

“Stop teasing me,” she said quietly, looking down.

“I’m not,” I said. “I can’t help but admire you. You put your own life on hold for your parents, you refused to accept Dave’s offer to put you through college and you’re working your own way through school. I’m just sorry I didn’t notice it before now.”

“Well, you were blinded by Lucy, so I can’t really hold that against you,” she said.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” I said. Having washed all the dishes, she drained the water in the sink, dried her hands and turned to me.

“She used you, you know,” Bev said.

“I think you’re right,” I said.

“Of course I’m right,” she told me. “I saw through her years ago.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” I asked.

“You wouldn’t have believed me,” she said. I realized she was probably right. “Hell, she could do no wrong in your eyes. She had you wrapped so tight around her little finger you would’ve done anything for her.”

“All I wanted to do was keep her happy,” I said.

“And look where that got you.” she said rhetorically. “She got her degree, her new car, all kinds of baubles and trinkets and clothes, all on your dime. Then when she didn’t need you anymore, she traded you in for a new model. I’m glad she’s in jail, cause if she were here right now, I’d rip her a new asshole.”

“I believe you would,” I said.

“I just wanna know one thing,” she said, her hands on her hips.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Are you gonna fall for her tears and take her back?” she asked. I shook my head.

“No,” I said. “That ship has sailed. After Friday, that’s not gonna happen.”

“Good,” she said. “And in case you have second thoughts, remember this.” She pulled her t-shirt over her head and tossed it on the floor, revealing her bare breasts to me for the first time. I felt a stirring in my groin as I looked at her. She wasn’t finished and pulled her shorts and panties down at the same time, revealing her smooth pussy. I could see her lips protruding from her slit. My cock was getting harder by the second.

She walked to me and put her arms around me, giving me the deepest tongue kiss I had ever experienced. As we kissed, she unbuttoned my shirt and pulled it off. Then she pulled my t-shirt over my head and unzipped my jeans. She pulled my jeans and boxers down, and my cock sprang free. Then she grabbed my manhood and put one leg around me.

“Fuck me, Stanley Shipman,” she whispered. “Fuck me full of your cum and make me your woman. Please.” I gasped as she slid my cock inside her. I had never felt anything so hot, wet and tight in my life. This woman was scorching hot and she was making me hot as well. I grabbed her ass and held her up as I pumped into her. She moaned in my ear, encouraging me to fuck her.

“Oh God, fuck me,” she moaned. “I’ve wanted to do this for so fucking long. Your cock feels so fucking good inside me. Don’t ever stop fucking me. Make me cum. Do it, baby, cum inside my pussy.” I couldn’t hold back any longer and erupted inside her. Her orgasm hit the same time and we held each other’s trembling bodies until we settled down.

“I love you, Stan Shipman,” she said. “I’ve always loved you. Don’t ever forget that. I’ll be your woman for as long as you want me.”

“I love you too, Beverly,” I said. “I wanna stay like this for the rest of my life.”

“That sounds nice, but I don’t think my brother would appreciate that,” she said jokingly. I laughed, then kissed her deeply. Then it hit me. I looked at her, concerned.

“I just realized I didn’t use any protection,” I said.

“Don’t worry about it,” she said. “I’m on the pill. Besides, I wouldn’t mind if you got me pregnant. I’d love to have your children.”

“I’m going to hold you to that,” I said.

“We’d better get cleaned up before Dave gets back,” she said. “I have to put out the meat for tonight so why don’t you run up and take a quick shower, okay? I’ll be up in a bit.”

“Okay,” I said. “What’s up with the meat?”

“We like to barbecue on Sundays, weather permitting,” she said. “You like venison, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I love venison,” I said. “But it’s been years since I had any.”

“Good,” she said. “I shot it myself with Dave’s .50 caliber flintlock. Even dressed it in the field with my own two hands.”

“My, you are quite the woman,” I said. “The rugged outdoorsy type. I’m truly impressed.” I had seen Dave’s flintlock and knew it had to be at least 49 inches long. “Did you load it yourself?” I asked her.

“Of course,” she said. “Patched round ball with 100 grains of triple-F powder. Even molded the bullet myself. One shot. Right through the heart.”

“Damn,” I said. “Do you like fishing as well?” She smiled.

“I love to go fishing,” she said. “I even bait my own hooks and clean my own fish.”

“Is there anything you haven’t done?” I asked sarcastically.

“I haven’t rebuilt the transmission in Dave’s truck,” she said. “Yet. I did help him rebuild his engine, though.”

“I am definitely in love,” I told her, giving her a kiss. She kissed me back.

“Now, hurry, run upstairs and grab a quick shower,” she said. “I’ll be up in a bit.” I headed up and jumped in the shower. A few minutes later, Beverly joined me. I got hard just looking at her lovely nude form. She giggled as she grabbed my manhood.

“No time for this right now,” she said. “Just wait till tonight when we go to bed. By the way, you’re sleeping with me from now on. My bed’s a lot bigger than the one in your room.”

“Won’t Dave get upset?” I asked.

“Nope,” she said. “Besides, we’re both consenting adults.” After our shower, we dressed and headed back downstairs.

“I need to call the DA and let her know where I’m at,” I said. Bev pointed to a wireless phone set sitting in its cradle.

“Go ahead and use that phone,” she said. I picked up the phone and called, nearly forgetting that it was long distance. Linda picked up the phone after the second ring.

“Linda Calloway,” she said.

“Linda, this is Stan Shipman,” I said. “I just called to let you know where I’m at.”

“Stan, thank God you called,” she said. “I was starting to get worried. I see you’re calling long distance. Where are you?”

“I’m with an old friend of the family,” I said. “I’ve turned off my cell phone, just to be safe.”

“Okay,” she said. “I’ll keep you in the loop as much as possible. I’ve already heard from the feds. Seems they’re looking into the firm your wife works for. By the way, I took the liberty of talking to an old friend of mine who just happens to be the best damn divorce lawyer in the area. I hope you don’t mind.”

“No, I don’t,” I said.

“Good,” Linda said. “She’s expecting to hear from you tomorrow. I told her a little bit about your situation. If anyone can deal with this, she can.”

“Thanks,” I said. “I’ll do that.” Linda gave me the information I needed and promised to let me know how things went at the arraignment before we ended the call. By then, Dave had returned so I went out to help him carry in what he had bought.

“By the way,” he said when we finished. “I called your folks. They were pretty concerned about you. I told them you were staying with us for a while.”

“Thanks,” I told him. That night, we barbecued the meat and enjoyed a nice dinner outside on their deck. After dinner, we all pitched in and cleaned up. Dave and I grabbed a beer and headed out for a smoke as Beverly finished up.

“Bev tell me you’re gonna be sleeping in her room,” Dave said. “Is this gonna be a permanent thing?” I felt a bit uncomfortable discussing this with him. She was his sister, after all.

“I think so,” I said.

“You think?” he asked.

“Yeah, it is,” I said. “I just have to get my divorce out of the way.”

“Do you love her?” he asked.

“Yeah, I do,” I said.

“Good,” he said. “It’s about time you got yer head outta yer ass,” he added with a smile. “Look, Bev’s a big girl and can make her own decisions. She can definitely take care of herself. I just don’t wanna see her get hurt, that’s all.”