Chapter 2

Laura Mitchell Martin had always adored her older brother, Fred. When he'd married Millie years ago, Laura had been heartbroken that he hadn't waited for her to grow up. She finally married on the rebound when she was eighteen. She'd had Eric at nineteen and now was separated from her husband, Pete Martin, and living with Fred and Millie temporarily.

Laura had always loved Fred's looks and she stared at him unobtrusively as he sat in a lounge chair in the living room and sipped a beer.

The rest of the family was out. Laura was able to examine the back of Fred's head and marvel at how nicely his still-thick hair grew over his collar. He had a solid, muscular body and a thick chest. He'd played football as a teenager and he still had the strong thighs and flat belly of an athlete.

"When's Millie coming back?" Laura said, sipping her own beer.

"Late," Fred said, his face half in the sports page of the newspaper.

She sighed deeply and moved her feet up onto the sofa. Fred noticed the loud sigh and turned around.

"You okay, Sis?" he said.

"Oh, I guess so." She didn't want to burden her older brother, but she'd been depressed ever since Pete had walked out on her.

"It's Pete, isn't it?" Fred said, laying his paper down.

"I guess so."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I hate to lay my troubles on you."

He rose up and joined her on the sofa. "That's what big brothers are for."

Tears welled in her eyes. "I don't know... it's not that I miss Pete so much."

"Then what is it?"

"It's just... oh, I don't know... I hate to bother you with all my problems."

Fred took her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "I think you better talk about it," he said. "That way you'll feel better. It's the only way. Millie and I talk things out all the time. We kind of act as each other's shrink. Come on. Start talking."

"Well, Pete was always a runaround, but I guess you know that."

Fred frowned. "I figured that out. And to be truthful with you, Sis, he bragged about it too. Pete's the kind of guy who doesn't enjoy fooling around unless he can brag about it. He's probably got a deep- seated feeling of inferiority. But frankly I don't give a damn about him. It's you I care about. Why don't you divorce him and find someone who'll appreciate you and Eric? You're a fine-looking woman, Sis. You can have your pick of guys."

He removed his arm from her shoulder and reached for his beer. Tears coursed down her cheeks and she threw her long red hair back over one shoulder.

"Oh, Fred," she said in an unsteady voice. "I'm just so confused. Eric adores his father. And it just crushed him when Pete disappeared. He's at the age where a boy needs his father. You know that. You and John are so close. It just kills me to watch how wonderful you are with John when my own boy has no male authority figure in his life anymore."

She tried to stem the flood of tears streaming down her cheeks, but her throat felt constricted and she soon gave up. Fred put his arm around her again and patted her arm.

"I have to agree that when you and Eric got here the boy seemed kind of quiet and withdrawn. But, it's the damndest thing. For the past few days he's kind of blossomed. You know; I think Millie's a good influence on him. Have you seen those two huddling together and giggling? Listen, Sis, after a few weeks here you and Eric will both see things differently. Now you remember, you can stay here as long as you want. Our house is open to you. Just unwind and settle in. We love you and Eric." He continued patting her arm and she finally stopped sobbing.

"I don't know what I'd do without you," she hiccupped.

"Sssshhh, don't mention it," Fred said. "What you need is a guy in your life. I've got a few friends and they'd be crazy about you. Bachelors too. How about if I fix you up with one of them?"

She began to sob again and buried her face against his shoulder. "Oh, Fred, I'm still married. How can I start something with another man?"

He clucked and patted her hair as her body shook with sobs. "Yeah, you're probably right," he mused. "Don't cry, Sis. No guy's worth it. A woman with your looks. Jesus, you're a gorgeous woman."

Laura smiled and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "Oh, Fred, you always were good for my ego." His thigh touched hers and the redhead drew hers back.

"Well, it's the truth, Sis," he said. "You are gorgeous. Even Millie thinks so."

"Millie's much prettier," she said. "And her figure's much better than mine."

"Millie's built pretty good, but you don't have to take a back seat to anyone, Sis."

Once again his thigh pressed against hers, but he sipped his beer and seemed to be miles away.

"I'll be okay," Laura said. "Honest, I will. In a few weeks, I'll be over Pete. And then Eric and I will go home and I'll find a divorce lawyer."

"It's gone that far, huh?"

"Yes," Laura said in a trembly voice. "I don't want to be married to a man who walks out on a teenage son."

She lay her head on Fred's shoulder and he absently stroked her hair.

"I think that's a wise decision, Sis," he said. Her body felt warm and pliant and Fred heard a tiny alarm go off in his brain.

"Millie's so lucky to have you for a husband," Laura said then.

"I'm not perfect," Fred chuckled. "Not by a long shot."

"She's never complained to me."

"Well, we have our moments, but in the end we always make things up."

"What do you mean?"

"We've both had our flings," Fred said slowly. "Not that Millie ever admitted it. She's too smart for that. But I happen to be pretty sure she's had a few affairs." He saw the alarmed expression on his sister's face. "I've had a few myself," he added quickly. "I'm no angel, so don't think too harshly of Millie."

"But, it's different for a man," Laura said.

"Why? She's got strong sexual needs too. Why should it be any different for a woman?"

"I guess I'm just an old-fashioned girl," Laura said. "It just shocks me that Millie's had affairs. Somehow if a man fools around, it doesn't seem so terrible."

She giggled and Fred smirked. "You're certainly no woman's libber, thank God," he said.

"Oh, no," she said. "I think a man should be boss. That's the one area Pete and I agreed about."

It was a moment before she realized her tit was pressing against his arm. She glanced down at his lap and saw a slight movement in his crotch.

"That's nice perfume you're wearing," he said.

Laura crossed her legs. "Eric bought it for my birthday."

He sniffed her hair and neck. "A smell like that could turn a guy on," he said.

The redhead snuggled against him. "Even if the wearer was your sister?" she teased.

"Especially then," he whispered in her ear, moving a hand to her chest and brushing his fingertips against her tits.

He left his hand on her tits for a moment and pulled her more tightly against him. She gasped. "What are you doing?" she hissed.

"You're my sister," he said. "I feel responsible for you."

"But what do you mean?" Her heart beat so fast and hard she thought she might faint.