Chapter 29

Jack fidgeted, moving from one foot to the other. He rubbed one sweaty palm on his jeans, then switched the fragrant gift to that hand so he could dry his other sweaty palm.

The gate door opened and he felt his heart speed up. Like a guy on a first date, he humored to himself. Disembarking passengers spilled out of the doorway. He moved his head back and forth, up and down, trying to catch sight of every passenger, hoping beyond hope that his beautiful wife would be one of the first off the plane. Murphy's Law intervened, however, and she didn't emerge until the flow of passengers had slowed to almost a trickle. When she stepped into the terminal, his heart thudded twice loudly in his ears. His breath caught as she flipped her thick mane of long auburn hair over her shoulder and searched around the terminal with her eyes. Finally, their eyes met and he was again amazed at how such an incredible creature could want anything to do with him. Her smile lit her face and she began to move quickly towards him, pulling her carry-on behind her.

He remained planted in his spot, letting her close the distance. He didn't alter his expression, content to absorb every subtlety of her movement. Her brow furrowed as she stopped just in front of him. He didn't reach for her, which he was sure she found puzzling. Instead, he deeply and slowly inhaled through his nose, her perfume and her personal scent intoxicating him.

"So, I kind of expected us to run across the terminal and into each other's open arms," she said, her face beginning to cloud.

He smiled his half smile that he knew she loved so much. "I was afraid that by so doing I would ruin the stunning visual masterpiece that I saw before me."

Under different circumstances, it would have come out sounding cheesy. However, she blushed and smiled demurely. He slid his arms slowly around her waist and pulled her to him. He moved his face until he could feel her breath on his lips, his eyes looking deep into her soul.

"However, I can see that nothing I could do would ruin a work of art as lovely as you."

She caught her breath just as he leaned in and pressed his full lips into hers, caressing her open mouth with his tongue. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she returned his kiss with a passion that left him weak in the knees. After an endless time, the pulled apart, breathless, and pressed their foreheads together. He had his eyes closed and just enjoyed her hands playing in his hair, her supple body molded to his, his hands caressing her back.

"God, I missed you, Abigail," he whispered fiercely.

She ran one finger lightly over his lips, causing him to tremble. "I missed you, too, Jack."

They kissed again, not as involved but just as passionately, then started towards the baggage claim hand in hand.

"Where's Allison? She didn't come with you?"

Jack squeezed her hand affectionately as he let the melody of her voice wash over him. "She was insistent that this moment was a private moment for us. She seems to think that until we all step foot together in the apartment this evening, there are still three distinct relationships. And your return belongs to the distinct relationship that is me and you."

"Hmmm ... interesting way of looking at it," Abigail commented.

Personally, Jack intended to make sure that there would still be intimate one on one time between the three of them, so he wasn't sure it mattered. But he appreciated his younger lover's thoughtfulness all the same.

"Besides," he said. "When I left she was scurrying around like a crazy woman babbling on and on about how everything had to be just right when you came home."

Abigail raised an eyebrow and looked at Jack. "Just right? Is she planning something?"

"I'm not sure if running from one bathroom to the other wearing rubber gloves and carrying the toilet brush would be considered 'planning something.' She just wants you to come home without having to worry about the daily tasks such as cleaning and cooking."

Abigail nodded, accepting his answer. Jack smiled to himself. Allison was planning something, alright. They both were. And he was sure it would blow Abigail's mind.

Ted reviewed the legal document one last time before signing. Everything appeared to be in order, something that John had assured him only minutes before. Still, Ted was nothing if not thorough. With his mind at ease, he put pen to paper. The act may have been mundane but it was still important.

John Merrill cleared his throat, and Ted handed the document back to him.

"It's kind of nice to deal with the routine from time to time, isn't it?" the lawyer asked him with a smile.

Ted shrugged. "Nice, no. Necessary, yes. It would be easy to overlook the routine when there are so many more pressing matters that need my attention."

"Yes, well, not much you can do about the Williams matter at the moment. You've put things in motion. You just need to let them play out. I'll be sure to keep you abreast of anything you need to know."

"Thanks, John. Still, I won't be able to rest until I see the fruits of my labors."

John began to gather the various documents to return to his briefcase. "So, do you plan to attend the university graduation ceremony next weekend?"

Ted was already scrawling notes into his planner. "Of course. Why wouldn't I? I always support those students who have worked for me. Why should this year be any different?

John stopped and looked intently Ted, an action that Ted didn't fail to notice. "Williams," he said simply.

"Humph," Ted scoffed. "I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing that I altered my routine because of him. Besides, I'd be surprised if he walked, anyway. Men like him rarely accomplish feats of importance, so they usually have no clue what to do if they reach such an achievement. He likely will just accept his parchment when it arrives in the mail."

John just nodded. "Maybe you're right. However, I hear through the grapevine that your son-in-law..."

"Former son-in-law," Ted interrupted brusquely.

" ... FORMER son-in-law," John corrected with a small smile, "will be graduating with honors."

Ted paused for just moment before dismissing the news with a simple wave. "No matter. As they say, even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in a while."

John chuckled quietly. "Yes, so they say."

Brianna sat nervously on the couch, but her mind couldn't seem to figure out why she was nervous. She'd had friends over to her house before, new ones even, and she never felt this nervous. She got too antsy sitting, so stood and moved over to the fireplace mantel. She began wiping at the invisible dust that coated the surface.

Her mother let out an exasperated sigh. "Will you stop it already? You're driving me nuts?"

Brianna turned and faced her mom, confused at her comments. "Stop what? What are you talking about?"

"You won't stay still for even 30 seconds. You've dusted that mantel four times in the last five minutes, adjusted the pillows on the couch three times, and straightened the wall hangings at least twice." Her mother turned her attention back to her novel. "You act like you are getting ready to go on a first date!"

That last sentence hit Brianna like a lightning bolt, causing her to burn from her head to her toes. Just then the doorbell rang and Brianna jumped. Her mother looked up again. "What has you so skittish, dear?"

Brianna shook her head to clear it and moved towards the door. "Uh, nothing, Mom. I think your just imagining things."

"Humph..." her mother retorted.

Brianna took a deep breath and pulled the door open.

"Hey, Brianna!" Merrigan smiled when she saw Brianna. She's beautiful, Brianna thought. Merrigan had on another tight baby tee that showed just hint of skin at her midriff, over the top of her hip hugging jeans. A gentle breeze had blown some stray strands of hair in front of her face, which she casually brushed behind her ear. She pulled the shoulder strap of her backpack up higher onto her shoulder.

"Uh, hey, Merrigan," Brianna answered with a smile. "Come in." She stepped aside and let Merrigan step into the entryway, then accepted her friend's quick embrace. She turned and saw her mother standing in the entrance to the living room, a friendly smile on her face. "Uh, Merrigan, this is my mom, Lucy Rawlings. Mom, this is my friend Merrigan Mandrake."

"Hello, Mrs. Rawlings," Merrigan said, sticking her hand out.

"Why, hello, Merrigan," Lucy said, accepting the offered handshake. "It's nice to finally meet you. Brianna talks about you all the time."

Brianna blushed. "Mommm..."

Lucy ignored her daughter. "And she was right. You are as lovely as your name."

Now Brianna really blushed. "Mom, please." She turned to Merrigan. "Ready to study?"

Merrigan smiled back at Brianna with a twinkle in her eye. "Sure. Lead the way."

"I'll call you girls down when we're about ready for supper," Lucy said as she headed back to her reading spot in the living room.

As they climbed the stairs, Brianna looked over her shoulder at Merrigan. "Sorry about my mom," she said softly. "Sometimes parents say..."

"You really told you mom I was lovely?" Merrigan interrupted.

Brianna blushed again, then cursed herself for lack of bodily control. Now what should she say? She didn't want to offend her new friend. The truth. Say the truth.

"Um, yeah. When I was telling her about you coming over, I think I said something about you being really pretty. You know, when I was describing you to her."

Merrigan didn't say anything until they were upstairs and approaching Brianna's room. She put her hand on Brianna's arm to stop her.

"Thanks," the redhead said quietly. "That was very sweet of you."

Their eyes met and the two stood frozen facing each other. Finally, Brianna gathered her wits. "Um, you're welcome. It's ... it's true. I appreciate beauty, and I recognize it in everything. You are beautiful." Merrigan's face lit up happily. Brianna felt instantly at ease.

She led Merrigan into her room and within minutes the girls were sprawled out, textbooks and notebooks scattered open in front of them. After about an hour, there was tap on Brianna's door.

"It's open!" she called without looking up from her notebook.

The door opened and her mother stepped in with two glasses in hand. "Thought you two might like some lemonade to replenish the brain power.

"Thanks, Mrs. Rawlings," Merrigan said as she took a glass.

"Yeah, thanks, Mom," Brianna parroted.

"Dinner will be in an hour. Brianna, I need you to set the table in 45."

"Sure thing, Mom."

Lucy left the room, closing the door behind her.

"I can help you with the table setting, Bri," Merrigan offered after she took sip of the tart drink.

"Thanks. Um, so do you want to take a look at what we've gathered on the stuff with Tyson and his gang?"

"Sure, I could use a break from school work."

Brianna hopped up and opened up the bottom drawer of her dresser, and pulled out a large wooden box. She'd found this box in Tammy's house right after her sister had moved in, an old relic left behind by the previous owners. It was sturdy and had a hinged lid and rusty metal latch. She purchased a small padlock and now used the box to hold her private things. The box was big enough to hold several reams of paper, if need. She fished the key out from under the lip of her bed frame and then plopped on the bed next to Merrigan

"Wow, you're keeping pretty secure, huh?" Merrigan asked as Brianna worked the lock free.

Brianna open the latch, then lifted the lid. "Yeah. Some things are best left hidden from prying eyes. Besides, I don't want to run the risk of anyone catching wind of what we're doing, nor do I want the girls' stories to make it out into the public before we're ready." She pulled out some old love notes and pictures she'd gathered over the years, then pulled a notebook from the box. She flipped the book open.

Merrigan fished into her bag and pulled out a small steno pad. "OK. We've wanted to get the girls to write their stories down, but I was thinking that might be kind of hard to do. What would you say about recording the stories on tape beforehand?"

Brianna thought it over for a minute. "You know, I think that's a really good idea. That way, if they get nervous at the last minute, we've got the stories already captured. Who should we start with?"

Merrigan, started going through her list. "I've talked to Selena Barton, Angela Smith, Sherri Gardner, Becka and Amy Taylor, Chrissy Pelphrey, Tabby Cooke and Regina Anderson."

"All of those girls have been to talk to me except Sherri and Tabby."

"Sherri said she would, but Tabby was kind of non-committal. She wouldn't really admit that she was forced, but she didn't deny it either. I'm still working on her."

Brianna made a couple of notes. "Any other names come out?"

"Just Aimee Cline. I've not been able to get with her yet."

"OK. When I talked to the girls, they gave me a few other names." Brianna tore the bottom third of a sheet of paper from her notebook and handed it to Merrigan, who mentally read through the names.

"Holy shit, Bri. Six more names? How many before it stops?"

Brianna sighed. "And this is just the kids we go to school with. From what I can tell, this has been going on now for a while. Don't forget, I'm still trying to find the Ramirez girl from, what 10 years ago? And this is only the number of girls, not the number of times it happened. Becka and Amy were drugged and doubled up by Tyson and Seth on the same night. At least four guys took a turn with little Chrissy Pelphrey at one party before she passed out." Brianna shuddered at the thought.

Merrigan sniffed and wiped tears from her eyes. "Those worthless bastards," she hissed.

Brianna put her hand on Merrigan's thigh. "I'm sorry, Merrigan. I don't mean to sound so casual about all this. It's just enough to blow your mind. Is this too much for you?"

Merrigan placed her hand on Brianna's and sniffed again. "No. It's OK. I'm actually glad I'm still able to cry about it. It used to be so awful when I'd hear another name. I ... I just wanted to vomit. Then I think I got numb to it. I'm just glad I'm still affected by it."

Brianna went to move her hand, but Merrigan held fast, instead turning her friend's hand and interlacing their fingers. Brianna felt her heart and breathing speed up. Little bolts of electricity shot through her hand.

Merrigan shook her head sadly. "How did it get to this? How can something like this go on for so long, Bri?"

"I don't know, Merrigan. I don't know." She squeezed gently, which brought Merrigan's eyes to hers. "But it stops here and it stops now. I promise you we'll see this through."

Merrigan smiled as her eyes flicked back and forth between Brianna's, as if she was searching for something. Brianna felt herself beginning to lose herself in the deep blue pools. Her heart was beating so fast and so hard. She was sure Merrigan could hear it. There was no doubt the redhead could feel the slight tremor in Brianna's hand. Brianna continued to sink deeper and deeper and she felt herself pulled closer towards those beautiful blue pools. Merrigan's eyes sparkled in anticipation as the two friends drew closer together.

Suddenly, a loud door slamming downstairs startled them out of the moment.

"Hey, ladies! I'm home!" her dad called out from the entryway, as was his standard ritual every day.

Brianna giggled and blushed. Merrigan smiled shyly and let go of Brianna's hand. Both girls fidgeted for a moment, unsure of what to do next. Finally, Brianna cleared her throat.

"Um, com'n, Merrigan. Let me introduce you to my dad."

"Sure. Sounds great."

The girls smiled at each other as they went to make the introductions.

Jack opened the door for Abigail. She heard him hoist her bags behind her as she stepped into their dimly lit house. It was just getting dark outside, and the living room and kitchen lights were obviously turned off. Just then a slight breeze from the open door caused the light to flicker, and Abigail realized the room was dimly lit by candles.

She looked back at Jack as he set the bags inside the front door and shut the door. He just smiled innocently when she raised a questioning eyebrow at him. She stood still and looked around the pristine room. Her sister and husband had really cleaned it up well, from what she could tell in the dim light. She noticed the candles seemed to lead through the kitchen and into the hall.

"What's going on, Jack?" she asked. She was curious and a touch excited about what her lovers had planned for her.

"Follow the candles and find out," he answered. She turned and kissed him firmly on the lips. Then she slowly followed the path. The rose scented candles stood on the floor down the length of the hall before turning into the main bathroom. She hesitated at the bathroom door. The candle light was brighter in the room. Her attention was first drawn to the full, steaming tub, complete with a thick layer of luxurious suds. The footstool she kept in the hall closet was sitting next to the tub, covered in a cloth. A bowl of green grapes and sliced apples sat on top of the stool. Two bottles of sparkling apple cider and three long stem glasses stood next to the stool. She felt her heart swell with love for Jack and Allison as she realized they wanted to make her return a night to remember for her. Stepping into the room, the rest of the bathroom opened up and she immediately saw Allison leaning against the vanity. Abigail's breath caught at the wonderful vision in front of her. Allison was wearing a very short white satin robe. The fabric barely covered her ass and upper thighs. She had it tied loosely so the front was open almost down to the tie. Her youthful breasts were exposed to her nipples and cast enticing shadows into her cleavage. Her long brown hair was piled haphazardly on her head. She lifted her eyes sensually and posed with a sexy smile.

"Holy shit," Abigail heard Jack whisper behind her.

"I'll second that," she whispered back.

Allison held out her hand compelling Abigail forward. As if in a trance Abigail complied. Allison took a step forward to meet her sister. Without a word, the younger girl brought her hands to cup Abigail's face and then she kissed her slowly but gently on the lips. Abigail trembled when Allison's tongue lightly brushed her lips just as she pulled away.

Taking a small step back, Allison nodded to Jack, who still stood behind Abigail. Abigail held her breath when she felt Jack's hard body press against her from behind. His hands slid sensuously under her arms from her hips up to her waist and then around her front to cup her heavy breasts. His soft lips kissed the hot spot just behind her ear. A soft moan escaped her lips.

She realized that she'd closed her eyes. She opened them and the sight brought another moan from her. Allison's hands were caressing her own body as she watched Jack fondle Abigail. One hand slid up and down her thigh just below the hem of the robe. The other was hidden inside the flap of the robe slowly massaging her breast. Her chest was heaving. Abigail felt the dampness in her panties, her arousal heightened the intensity of the moment.

Jack's hands slowly began to work the buttons of her blouse, popping them open at a snail's pace. All the while he continued to explore the side of her face and neck with his mouth. She laid her head back on his shoulder and watched Allison through half-lidded eyes. When Jack finished the buttons, his fingers slid up her soft skin, parting the blouse and then pulling it off her shoulders. She felt it flutter to the floor behind her. His hands slid up the soft skin of her back, sending goosebumps to cover her skin. With barely a hesitation, his hands unclasped her bra and slid the straps forward until her large breasts fell free. The two sisters moaned simultaneously as the bra landed on the floor. Abigail focused back on Allison. The younger girl had pushed her robe off her shoulders so it hung in the crooks of her elbows. Her breasts were also exposed and she was gently kneading them, running her fingers and palms over already stiff nipples.

Abigail gasped when Jack mimicked Allison's movements. His hands cupped and squeezed his wife's massive orbs, and then he brushed his fingers and palms over the turgid tips.

And so it continued. Jack slowly unbuttoned Abigail's slacks and pushed them down her curvy hips while Allison slowly untied the robe's belt. When Jack peeled Abigail's now drenched panties down to the floor, Allison let her robe fall in a pile at her feet. Husband and wife watched in fascination as their young lover slid her hands up her inner thighs to press firmly into the juncture of her legs. Allison shuddered and moaned when her hands made contact, and Abigail was sure that signaled a tiny orgasm in her sister.

Jack was now kneeling behind Abigail. He placed a soft kiss and a gentle nip on each cheek of her full ass before helping her step out of her shoes and clothes. Allison tentatively stepped into the hot tub. She hissed as she settled down into the water. Then she looked up at Abigail, her eyes shining with lust.

"Join me," she said huskily.

Without hesitation, Abigail stepped over.

"Careful," Allison warned. "It's still pretty hot."

Abigail settled down in the tub with her sister and slid back so Allison's breasts pressed firmly into her back. Immediately Allison's wet soapy hands slid around Abigail and began to massage and caress her stomach and beasts. Abigail settled in tightly against Allison.

"Mmm ... this feels sooo good," Abigail cooed.

Allison kissed Abigail's shoulder. "I missed you, sis."

Jack sighed as he looked down at the sisters relaxing in the tub. Abigail could see the lust in his eyes and his pants. But even then, she saw the incredible love and affection he had for both sisters. Her heart swelled almost to bursting. She was in the arms of one lover under the watchful gaze of another. It was all she could do to keep from crying.

"Ladies, as much as I hate to, I need to step out for a minute to take care of a couple of things. I'll be back to attend to you in a bit." Jack smiled and winked at the girls, then left them alone.

"You two are amazing," Abigail said after he closed the door. "A simple 'so glad you're home' would have sufficed."

"Are you complaining?" Allison teased, her hands never stopping their journeying across Abigail's body.

"Hell, no. I'm just saying..."

"Well, Abbie, nothing is too good for you. You deserve this and more for everything you've done for us."

Abigail leaned over a little so she could turn her head and see her sister's face. She smiled and then met Allison's lips in a lover's kiss. Even though the angle was uncomfortable for Abigail, she couldn't help but turn the heat up on the kiss. She felt her body getting flush with passion as her tongue danced with Allison's. Abigail gasped when Allison's hand slipped under the water and between Abigail's legs.

"Ooh, Gawd, Allie," Abigail moaned when Allison's fingers slid between the puffy folds and deep into her hot body.