Chapter 27

I took a look at the three of them. Les and Sam I recognized. The other girl was in a cheerleader's uniform and looked familiar, but I don't think I knew her.

I cleared my throat. "Is there anything I can do?"

My two looked up, saw me and jumped off the couch, hugging me as if I'd just returned from a six month-voyage.

Les kissed me. There was no doubt it was more than a brother-sister kiss.

Sam lifted her head to kiss me. She must have seen Joey over my shoulder. She gasped and backed off from me.

If he hadn't figured it out by now, he was just as dumb as I'd been. I wasn't going to lose out because of Joey. I grabbed Sam's wrist and pulled her into my body and gave her a good, sound kiss.

I let both girls go and looked over at the nervous teenager on the couch. I reached over and took her hand. "My name's Wes. This is my friend Joey."

I looked at him for the first time since we'd walked into the living room. Obviously on overload. His mind was trying to piece together what his eyes had seen over the past couple of minutes.

I looked back at the girl on the couch. "Hi. My name's Darcy." She looked over at Joey quickly, then back at me.

I turned around. "Say hello, Joey."

He mumbled "Hi."

I turned back. "Darcy... Darcy. Aren't you the one who's been trying to steal Bubba away from my sister?"

I got a sharp gasp and a giggle from Darcy. Good. That's the first sign of her cheering up since we came in. Les slugged me in the arm. "I told you that was all a trick to..."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. Make me take you to bed so that you could trick me into taking Sam to bed and falling in love with both of you."

Joey looked like he was trying to make the words make sense. Sam looked at me and tried to point at her brother with her eyes. She looked stiff.

"Oh, lighten up, Sam. If he hasn't figured it out yet, he will soon. And all three of us are together so that's not a problem. And it's not like Darcy doesn't know all the intimate details." I looked over in time to see Darcy turn red.

It was like everything came together for Joey. His eyes focused and he seemed to expand a little. His breathing sounded like that of a bull, ready to attack the matador.

Joey clenched his fists and started moving towards me. All of a sudden he was blocked by two fierce females in cheer outfits. Sam and Les were standing right in his chest with their hands on their hips. It was funny. They were both about a foot shorter than he was but there was no way they were going to let him pass.

Poor Joe looked like he wanted to cry. "Come on, girls. Let me at him... I don't want to hurt you."

"Joseph Allen!" His head snapped toward his sister as she hit him with both the complete first name and the dreaded middle name. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

All of a sudden, the mad bull was confused and embarrassed. "It was just... I was... Oh shit, I don't know. You're my sister and you're his sister and... I... uh... Its just doesn't seem right."

He looked proud to finally get a sentence out. Almost as if they'd rehearsed it (who knows, with these two they probably did) they both leaned over, put hands on his chest and kissed him on the cheek. Joey turned red. They each grabbed a hand and walked him over to the couch. They pulled him down between them as they sat down next to Darcy.

Darcy looked at Les in amazement. Les spoke to her. "You see? That's how it can be. You've got to do what we said. You can talk to Wes if you want, but it's not going to make any difference in the end."

"I'd like to anyway. Wes? Can you sit down so we can talk?

There was probably room on the couch for five people but it would have been a little too cozy. I got a chair and scooted it over in front of the couch, facing Darcy and my sister. I needed something to keep some control in on the situation, and squeezing against Darcy wasn't it. I figured she was going to try to take me to bed.

I sat down and said "Shoot." Darcy started at the word. Les said "That probably wasn't a good way to start this conversation. He doesn't know, Darcy." She picked up Darcy's hand in both of hers.

"I've got a brother who graduated in June," Darcy started. "He figured he'd goof off all summer, then see about Jr.College in the fall. He got a letter from Uncle Sam this morning. He has to report for duty in two weeks."

"Oh, God, Darcy. I'm so sorry. Is there anything he can do about it?"

I knew the chances of getting away from a draft notice were slim to none. We weren't directly involved in the war and wouldn't be for four or five years, but it was all around us. Older brothers, people from church, there was no lack of 18 years old kids being drafted. It was almost guaranteed that you'd go over to Vietnam right after boot camp. And if you listened to Walter Cronkite and his pals, very few made it home in one piece. There were stories of people running away to Canada, but I hadn't heard of anybody around here doing it. No wonder the poor kid had been crying.