Blood Wild

"Should I ask... what you are jealous about?" Tom hazarded with a hesitant voice.

Lee, remained silent for a bit. Slowly breathing in and out and sniffing occasionally to clear her sinuses of the tears that were still falling warmly onto Tom's chest. Tom was thinking that Lee wasn't going to elaborate further but then she shrugged ever so slightly and took a deep breath before speaking again.

"I'm jealous of my sister...and of Yvonne too, I guess. Because they will still be together with the one they love... they will see each other every day, and be together every night from now on. But... I'll be missing you..." Lee choked out quietly then shook as the sobs started up again.

Tom felt a sharp pain in his heart at hearing Lee's words. He knew she was right, and he too would feel that way when he went away to the army. He was going to be missing her, the greatest thing to ever happen to him in his life... the love of his life. He wanted to scream in anger, to laugh in dismay and even cry from the pain in his heart but he was a man, he couldn't do that in front of the one person in this world that meant more to him than life itself. He had to be strong, for her. To let her know that he was strong for her and that he would come home... to her.

Lee's sobs quieted down after a while. She was still sniffling a bit as the tears still trickled a bit in her nose and sinuses instead of flowing freely out of the corners of her eyes. Tom still stroked her head with his free hand and held her tightly with his other arm. Lee stirred slightly then turned her head once more to look into his face. Her eyes were reddened and still shining with the chance of more tears, but she was determined to not dwell on her on pitifulness.

"One more day... We have one more day before you have to get on the bus to go be a soldier. What would you like to do?" Lee asked earnestly.

Tom looked into those weepy big blue eyes and his heart melted just a little more. He smiled softly and gave a slight shrug before speaking from his heart.

"I don't care, as long as I'm with you I'll be happy whatever we do."

Lee's bottom lip trembled again and her already glossy blue eyes watered even more as she smiled and lunged at his face to kiss his lips once more. There were no more words for quite some time as the kissing became more frenetic than simply sensual. Hands roamed and explored once more. Grasping, clasping, clinging, all their limbs entwining with one another as their desire for the other flared fueling the passion.

Lee pushed herself up so that she was leaning over Tom as he lay on his back looking up at her. She rested her hands on either side of his head as she sat astride his naked body. Her long curly blonde hair hung down like a curtain, a wall of golden locks surrounding only their two faces, inches apart... sharing their impassioned rapid breathing as they panted with their excitement.

Tom felt Lee's breast or more accurately, her nipples tickling the hairs of his chest as she leaned suspended over him. His hands were once more on her hips as she slowly ground her sex along his hardened manhood. Lee shivered and sat still for a moment then exhaled a sigh and reached one hand down between hem and grasped Tom's cock. She rose up on her knees to align him with her still dripping entrance... then settled back down piercing herself on his staff. Tom and Lee both groaned as they were rejoined.

Neither Tom nor Lee kept track of the time or the number of times they made love that night. Rather, it was more like one very long love making session that lasted most of the night. Eventually, however, they both fell asleep when exhaustion claimed their tired bodies, still entangled and wrapped in each other's arms.

***___***___

Gerald and Annie had planned on giving Tom and Lee the entire week to themselves when the idea of going off together had first been imagined. As the week wore on, Annie realized that this was the longest time she had been away from her son since he was born. She also realized that he was due to leave this Saturday morning and would be gone for who knew how long.

In short, Annie was missing her son and longed to spend as much time with him before she had to say goodbye. She knew it was selfish in a way, in that Lee, too, would be saying goodbye to him and waiting just as long to see him again as well. Even with the excitement and new love and emotions she felt for Gerald, she couldn't turn her mind off from thinking of her Tom.

Gerald, for his part, realized that Annie needed to be home, at least for the last day before he was scheduled to leave. As Annie stood at the balcony rail in their hotel room Thursday night, Gerald made arrangements with the hotel, shortening their stay by one night and paying their bill. All they had to do for check-out in the morning was drop off their keys at the front desk and be on their way.

Annie cried into Gerald's chest after he told her what he had done. She thanked him repeatedly for his thoughtfulness. That night, she made love to Gerald, and he to her. A slow gentle and kind lovemaking as tender as it gets. It was eminently fulfilling for both and they fell asleep in one another's arms smiling.

In the morning, after another brief interlude, Gerald picked Annie up and carried her to the bathroom to shower together. They may have fondled and caressed a bit more than necessary but mostly they merely bathed so that they could get dressed and, on the road, back to Missouri and to Helton. The two took turns driving and other than stopping for gas or a bite to eat, they drove straight through, to home.

***___***___

Tom and Lee had decided that this last day together would be spent relaxing. They loaded up a picnic basket and grabbed a couple of fishing poles in the morning and headed off to the lake. As they were driving across the bridge over the narrows, they passed another pickup going in the other direction. Tom recognized Richard and Richard waved in recognition as well. Richard had been night fishing for catfish the evening before and was now on his way home.

It wasn't long before Tom and Lee had found a secluded stretch of bank not too far from the road that they spread their blanket out and began fishing themselves. It wasn't important to either if they actually caught any fish or not, it was just being together that was important. They sat on the blanket holding hands and talking about their hopes and dreams for the future... after Tom got back from his stint I the army that is. They both silently cursed the fact that Tom had to go away at all, but it couldn't be avoided so they would just make the best of it that they could.

It was while they were having a bite to eat, sandwiches that Lee had made and packed for their lunch, that Lee jumped excitedly. It startled Tom until she explained that she thought she had felt the baby move. She wasn't sure, seeing that this was the first time she'd ever been pregnant, but it sure felt like something had moved inside of her.

They were both excited and Tom lay next to Lee for almost an hour with his hand on her belly waiting to see if it would happen again. It didn't, but Lee didn't complain at all. Her hand rested atop of Tom's and she watched his face lovingly as he concentrated on "feeling" whatever was going on.

As the afternoon wore on and the shadows got longer as the day began to close towards nightfall, Tom and Lee both grew more somber and saddened. When they decided it was best to pack up and go back to the house, it was almost as if they were going to a funeral. The sad smiles they gave one another still conveyed their love and devotion, but also their sadness and regret that time was slipping by faster than either wanted it to do.

Both were lost in their own thoughts as they drove up the gravel driveway towards the house. The sun was starting to set and the dying rays of red light reflected off the back window of a car parked near the house. At first neither recognized the car, but then Tom realized that it was Gerald's personal car. He and Tom's mother Annie had returned from their trip. The honeymoon was officially over.

Getting out of the truck after Tom parked, Lee was the first to be enveloped by a hug from Annie. Gerald stood nearby smiling if somewhat sadly. Tom extended a hand and congratulated the sheriff on his and Tom's mother's engagement. He apologized in advance for probably not being able to attend the wedding.

The words were no sooner out of Tom's mouth when his mother wrapped her arms around him and shushed him. She told him that she knew he would be there in spirit even if he couldn't make it in person. There were tears though, even Tom got a little misty eyed as did Gerald. Eyeing the fish that Tom and Lee had caught, Annie sent Tom and Gerald to clean them while she took Lee by the hand and headed inside the house.

"Did you have a good time at the beach?" Lee asked Annie as they began making preparations for dinner.

"Oh, Lee. It was wonderful. What about you? Did you and Tom have fun this week?" Annie asked with a knowing grin.

Lee blushed and nodded while smiling shyly, then giggled. Annie, too, broke out in giggles and hugged Lee once more. Annie told Lee all about the beach, walking in the sand, dipping her feet in the surf. And of course, Gerald's proposing to her. They both swooned and then broke out into giggles again. They were still giggling when the men came back in with the cleaned fish. Annie took them from Tom and gave Gerald a kiss on the cheek before she began cooking. Lee helped when she could.

Tom and Gerald sat at the table and watched them work, and talked. Gerald relaying his own experience in the army and his days of basic training many years ago. Tom tried to absorb it all, but he was constantly distracted watching Lee, and his mother. Secretly, he was trying to absorb them into his brain, so that he would have this memory to look back on while he was away.

After dinner, there was an awkward moment when Lee looked at Tom and then asked Annie if she and Tom should sleep in his bedroom that evening. Annie smiled then looked at Gerand to confirm, but told Lee that she wouldn't be staying at the house that night. She and Gerald would return in the morning, of course, but tonight, the house was still theirs. It would be the last night they would be together for some time; they should be together and comfortable.

Tom's jaw pretty much hit the floor. Gerald actually blushed a little but harumphed and wiped his chin with a massive hand before grinning sheepishly towards Annie, a twinkle in his eye. After the dishes were washed and the kitchen cleaned, Annie took Gerald's hand and led him towards the screen door to the back porch. They paused long enough to give both Tom and Lee more hugs and kisses, then told them goodnight, and left.

Lee and Tom stood holding one another on the back porch waving as Gerald and Annie drove down the gravel driveway out to the road. When the tail lights vanished around the bend, Tom turned to Lee and took her face gently in both of his hands and looked soulfully into her big blue eyes.

"I love you, Lee. More than I will ever be able to tell you. But if it takes me the rest of my life, I will show you, somehow, some way." Tom nearly whispered, just before he leaned a little closer and kissed her trembling lips.

Lee nearly collapsed as her knees grew weak and she swooned from the words and ultimately the kiss. Only Toms strong arms, that had moved to her waist, held her up, as her heart fluttered in her chest.

"Oh, Tom... I know you love me. And you know I love you. If only you didn't have to go away..." Lee began but once more choked on the emotions that boiled furiously in her heart and mind.

"I know. We'll just have to keep telling ourselves that it's only for a while. I'll do my stint and then come home, come back to you, and our baby. Maybe after basic, I can have you come live wherever I'm stationed? It won't be ideal, like living here on the farm, but we can be together at least. I would much rather that happen than be away from you the whole time. Could you do that?" Tom asked as he hugged Lee close to him and rocked her gently in his arms as they still stood on the back porch.

"Tom, I will follow you anywhere you go, if they let me. We will be a family no matter where that is." Lee proclaimed staunchly, squeezing Tom about the waist.

"And we will be together..." Tom added with a sigh then leaned apart to look down into her face and smiled reassuringly.

Lee smiled back at him, the love in her eyes with a glimmer of hope. She stood on her tip toes and kissed him softly, closing her eyes as their lips engaged. It might have been a few minutes, it might have been an hour, but at some point, the kissing stopped and Tom picked Lee up and carried her back into the house.

Into the house and kicked the door shut behind him causing Lee to giggle, even as he carried her on to the bedroom. Their last night together was going to be a long one, and a very special one indeed. There was no rush, but there was an urgency that both felt. Perhaps it was the feeling that time was growing short.

***___***___

Dawn broke the next morning to the sound of distant thunder. The air was heavy with the scent of rain and the gusting wind was uncertain in direction and consistency. It was a foreboding, gloomy morning. Lovers clung to one another and took comfort in their closeness. It was as if time and nature were turning the page, or perhaps closing one book and opening another altogether.

Lee sniffed quietly as she clung to Tom, her head on his chest, her silent tears running onto his skin. Tom held her tight and stroked her head gently as he was too choked up to even speak at the moment. So, they just held one another as the thunder rolled in the distance.

In another bed, in town, Deeny and Yvonne lay face to face, forehead to forehead, sharing their breath and soft gentle kisses. Each touching and caressing the other as if still disbelieving that this was real. Their hearts swelled with joy to be here, together... as one, forever.

Across town, the old brass bed in Sheriff Gerald Potter's run-down little house he rented, was almost too small for both himself and Annie. To them, however, it could have been a sleeping bag for all they cared. They were together and that was what was important. The distant thunder had awakened both of them before the alarm clock had sounded off.

Annie was curled into Gerald and running her fingers through the hair on his chest. Her joy of the moment was clouded and overshadowed by the knowledge that today she would say goodbye to her son as he climbed aboard the bus to take him off to the army. She and Gerald had talked extensively about what it meant to her and how it would affect her life moving forward.

Annie hated that she would be living alone on the farm, but now that she had said yes to his wedding proposal, that would change. Gerald had agreed to move into the house on the farm. Perhaps after Tom got discharged from the service, he could take over the farm and Gerand and Annie could move elsewhere, perhaps to Florida?

Caroline stepped up beside Duke as he stood on the back porch leaning on the post next to the stairs looking at the darkened skies and clouds rolling in towards them. She slipped an arm around his waist and leaned her head on his shoulder and offered him a cup of coffee with her other hand. Duke accepted the steaming mug and kissed the top of her head before looking back to the skies. A rumble of thunder rolled and rolled echoing from its distant source.

***___***___

Tom and Lee were sitting on the glider on the back porch when Gerand and Annie pulled up to the house. There was a single, half full, duffel bag sitting by the door. Tom and Lee were holding hands and both looking rather subdued even as they both smiled to Gerald and Annie when they got out of the car.

"Have you eaten?" Annie asked as she and Gerald climbed the steps onto the porch.

"No, Lee offered to make breakfast, but I'm not hungry, so she didn't bother." Tom replied squeezing Lee's hand gently.

"Are you sure, it might be a while before they feed you later today." Annie began, but Gerald took her by the elbow and silently shook his head and shrugged slightly.

Annie looked at Gerald and then back at Tom's stoic expression as he looked out across the yard towards the barn. She realized then that it was nerves, and it wouldn't do to press the issue.

"I'm sorry. I'm just a mom, I will always worry about little things. I understand." She said even as Gerald stood close and wrapped an arm around her waist reassuringly.

"Son. I know you might be concerned about what's going to be happening. But don't fret too much. I've been through it myself, it wasn't all that bad. I know being away from home is going to be the hardest part. It'll all be fine when it's said and done though." Gerald said quietly trying to ease some anxiety that Tom might have had.

"I know... it's just I really want to be here when the baby is born. I don't want Lee to have to go through it all by herself." Tom said, while looking at Lee and squeezing her hand gently.

"Oh, she won't be by herself." Annie spoke up. "She'll be surrounded by those who love her. Myself, her mother Caroline, her sister Deeny, Duke, probably Yvonne as well." Annie added with a soft smile.

"And, basic training is only ten weeks long. You'll be long done with that before the baby gets here. I'm pretty sure they'll allow you a furlough to come home for the birth." Gerald added.

Lee smiled at Tom and squeezed his hand signifying her hope that this was all possible as well, then laid her head on his shoulder. Annie and Gerald went into the house to make some coffee and some toast. Annie also made a couple of sandwiches and put them into a paper bag for Tom to take with him on the bus. Once a mother, always a mother it would seem.

Tom and Lee continued to talk quietly and swing slowly on the old glider on the porch while Annie and Gerald had a cup of coffee each with some toast and jam, and spoke quietly to one another. Gerald reassuring that everything would be okay and for Annie, like Lee, not to worry too much about the boy... the young man.

When they had finished their cups and cleaned up after their light meal of toast. Annie and Gerald rejoined Tom and Lee on the porch. Time was getting near, and so was the threatening thunderstorm... distant thunder seemed to be far nearer now than it was even an hour ago. Tom stood up from the glider and helped Lee stand. Then all four of them descended the porch steps and got in Gerald's car to make the trip to the bus station.

***___***___

"There's mom and dad." Deeny said to Yvonne as she turned the old blue Chevy into the small parking lot at the bus station.

"They look about as happy as you do this morning." Yvonne said softly as she stroked the side of Deeny's head with her fingertips brushing hair over Deeny's ear.

"Yeah... It's kind of sad. I feel terrible for my baby sister. Especially since she's pregnant." Deeny lamented a little sadly, as she stopped the old car and set the parking brake before shutting the engine off.

Deeny and Yvonne got out of the car and walked over to the corner of the building by the front door to join Caroline and Duke who were standing close together and holding hands. Duke checked his watch and watched as a few other young men were dropped off at the station.

A couple of short taps of the horn caused all four to look up and towards the road as a pale yellow four door Chrysler New Yorker turned in to the parking lot. Sheriff Gerald Potter was behind the wheel, still dressed in his civilian clothes. In the passenger's seat was Annie, and in the back seat, Tom and Lee. All four look somewhat somber to say the least.