Coming Home Ch. 04

SIX MONTHS LATER

The December weather was snowy and windy, and Kerri drove slow to keep the Jeep on the road as she made her way up the mountain road to her father's house.

Even through the cold -- she was bundled up in a thick sweater and heavy coat, thanks to the Jeep's broken heater -- she could feel the butterflies roiling in her stomach. Aside from a brief phone call and a few emails, she hadn't talked to her father since the weekend they had spent together over the summer break. Even the emails had been friendly and perfunctory, and neither of them had brought up what had happened. It seemed best, given her dad's grudging acceptance of the computer he'd bought to "keep in touch." The last thing either of them needed was a virus or security hole blowing their secret wide open.

This visit promised to be very different from the last. For starters, her little sister Kim was visiting -- herself eighteen and attending college next term, in a different state than Kerri (thank god, she thought to herself). There was no way that Kerri and her father would get the alone time they wanted, even assuming he still felt the same way about her after all these months.

Even if they did have time alone, she had to admit she had no idea what would happen. For the first few weeks after her return to her tiny studio apartment, her longing for him had been like a constant, bittersweet ache -- but over time, desire had become laced with doubt, and Kerri had begun to wonder if even she felt the same way she had. She wouldn't know until she laid eyes him again, and a large part of her was afraid of what would happen when she did.

In short, the moment she most feared was approaching, on the other side of the wind and snow. So she drove slowly.

# # #

The house, aside from a few inches of snow and her father's traditional half-hearted attempt at Christmas lights, was just as she'd left it the previous summer. Kerri parked the Jeep out front and grabbed her bag, leaning into the icy wind with clenched teeth. White puffs of dusty snow exploded into the air as she ran for the front door. She knocked once, waited, decided it was absurd to knock at the door of a house she'd lived in most of her life, and let herself in.

"Dad?"

A burst of warm, fragrant air greeted her, smelling of wood smoke and pine needles, but no voice answered her own. She closed the door and set her bag down, then unwrapped her scarf and unzipped her jacket.

"Hello?" she called as she hung up her jacket on the hook by the door.

"Oh my god, shut up," a voice said from the living room.

Kerri furrowed her brow and stepped out of the foyer, following the sound of that voice. She emerged into the living room to find Kim curled up on one corner of the couch, thumbing through a magazine.

She hadn't seen her little sister since she'd left home the first time, and she was surprised by both how much and how little she'd changed. Though the resemblance would be instantly clear to anyone who made a casual observation, their similarity ended at their blue eyes and pale skin. Where Kerri's hair was long and and thick and tended to curl a little at the ends, Kim's was fine and straight, ending just below her shoulders. They were both slim, but where Kerri was slightly more curvy in the hips and waist, Kim was slender, although filled out a little from the stick figure she had been in high school. Finally, it was apparent that Kerri had gotten all the luck in the breast department; while hers were modest but shapely serviceable C-cups, Kim looked nearly flat-chested by comparison. Kim, however, had gotten the full lips and the perfect skin, flawless as apricot cream.

Kerri noted with amusement that one other thing hadn't changed; Kim still wore shockingly tight tops, even in the cold weather, to accentuate the figure she had.

"Hey, runt," Kerri said, not without affection.

"Dad's not here," Kim said, legs crossed, one foot bouncing restlessly with Kim's typical nervous energy.

"Hi to you too," Kerri said.

Her sister finally looked up. "That sweater makes you look like a cow," she said.

"Thanks. That top makes you look like a whore."

"I'm following in your footsteps."

"Oh wow," Kerri said, her jaw dropping in mock surprise. "Does that mean you finally lost your virginity?"

Kim looked at her wide-eyed for a moment, then could hold the facade no longer. She burst out laughing.

"Shut up, bitch," she said, and leaped off the couch and across the room to give Kerri a hug. Kerri squeezed her sister tight, once again marveling at how tiny and slender Kim still was.

"I missed you," Kerri said.

"I missed you too," Kim replied, and kissed her on the cheek. "Sorry about the cow thing."

"No, you're right, it does make me look like a cow. I can't wait to get out of this damn thing. So where is Dad anyway?"

"He drove down to the grocery to get more supplies. He said that with both of us here, we'd eat all the food in the house within a day."

"That's because his idea of 'all the food in the house' is six peanuts and a can of Miller Lite," Kerri said. "So how did you get here before me?"

Kim shrugged her shoulders. "There was an earlier flight with some available seats, so I took it. Dad hung out with me for awhile, then decided to take off before you left. He said we needed girl time."

"Right," Kerri said. "So how is girl time treating you so far?"

"I've had about enough," Kim said, and they both laughed again. Then Kim got the mischievous glint in her eye that Kerri knew so well.

"Uh-oh," Kerri asked. "What?"

"Before he gets back, will you make the special coffee?" Kim asked, putting her fists under her chin in a highly successful attempt to look cute.

Kerri smiled. "You mean the coffee with the Bailey's in it."

"Yeah."

"All this time and you haven't figured out how to filch your own liquor yet? Do I have to do everything for you?"

"Dad won't let me have any. He thinks I'm still underage."

"Right, because you've been eighteen how long? Nine minutes?"

Kim delivered a punch to her sister's shoulder. "Nine months, bitch."

Kerri rubbed her arm. "Well, you certainly hit like a grown-up. All right, one special coffee. But just one. I'm not having you getting lit and jumping off the roof of the house before Dad gets back. He's going to want to get the movie camera first."

"Oh my god, you are so mean," Kim said. "I've missed you."

Kerri grinned. "I've missed you too, sis."

# # #

Steve returned an hour later, a gust of chill wind breaking up the warmth as he shuffled in, paper grocery bags under both arms.

"Little help," he said. Both girls put down their coffee cups and bounced over to fetch the bags. Steve shrugged off his coat and hung it up next to Kerri's, just as she put down the groceries and threw herself into his arms for a hug.

"Hi Dad," she said, her voice muffled as she pressed her face into his shoulder.

"Hi, kitten," he said, and squeezed her tight. She sought for clues to the questions that had been plaguing her in his embrace, but found nothing except the affection she'd known all her life. She decided to stop overthinking it and just enjoy the hug instead.

As soon as she was finished, Kim pounced in to take her place, burying herself in Dad's arms. Kim almost disappeared when he put his arms around her.

"I want another hug, too," Kim said. "I've missed you so much."

"I just went to the store," he said, laughing a little.

"I mean before that."

Kerri watched the two of them, noting that Kim's hug lasted a bit longer than hers had, and quickly suppressed the tiny sting of jealousy registering in the back of her mind.

"Okay, that's enough," he said, and pushed Kim away gently. "I haven't even taken off my boots yet." He sniffed the air, then looked at Kerri. "You gave her the special coffee."

Kerri blushed. "I might have, a little."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh boy. You didn't let her touch the coffee maker, did you?"

"Hey," Kim said. "That was one time. Once."

"Once was enough. You do know you're supposed to close the lid on the bean grinder before turning it on, right?"

"Yes, I figured that out," Kim said. "Eventually."

"Oh, Kim," Kerri teased. "Poor, sweet, stupid Kim with the brain the size of a walnut..."

"Eat it, Kerri," Kim said, and drew her fist back another punch at her arm. Kerri dodged sideways, laughing.

"All right, girls, let's save the steel cage match for later, please," Steve said. "I need to get dinner on."

"Pasta?" Kim said, hopping with enthusiasm.

"Your favorite," he said, and Kerri felt that sharp sting again.

# # #

Over dinner, they mostly talked about Kim -- her semester overseas as part of the foreign exchange program, her summer interning at a graphic design studio. Her father seemed very excited, but after the first twenty minutes or so, Kerri mostly wanted the conversation to be over -- mostly because her father would barely look at her, much less talk to her. Not that she could get a word in edgewise when Kim started running her mouth -- as always, she talked a mile a minute, barely stopping to take a breath.

"So," Steve said when dinner was finished. "Who wants to help with dishes."

"Me!" Kerri said at once, a little too emphatically.

Kim looked at her sister, perplexed. "What's the matter with you?"

"I just want to help out," Kerri said. "It's not my fault you're a lazy bum."

"And it's not my fault you're a suck-up," Kim said, raising her hand and waving it in the air with frantic abandon. "Oh my god! Me! Please let me do dishes!"

"Get bent," Kerri advised.

"Hey." Steve gave them both a stern look. "Cool it, ladies."

"Just being sisterly, Dad," Kim said with a saccharine grin.

"Now who's sucking up?" Kerri accused as she gathered up dishes.

"You are."

"Shut up."

"Girls!"

"Sorry, Dad," they said in unison.

# # #

Kerri stood next to her father, drying dishes as he handed them to her. When Kim grew bored and wandered off to the living room, she nudged him.

"I've missed you," she said softly.

"I've missed you too," he said, and nudged her back.

"So..." she searched for a way to phrase what she felt. "Are we okay?"

He smiled, as if he understood exactly what she meant. "We're okay," he said. "We just can't let Kim suspect anything. You know how she is."

"Nosy?"

"Smart."

"I know," she said. He handed her a glass, and she dried it off idly. "I'd really like to kiss you right now, though."

He gave her an amused look. "You're so bad."

"You have no idea."

"Just be careful. If Kim finds out --"

"Don't worry," Kerri said. "She won't find out."

# # #

They finished up the dishes and returned to the living room to join Kim. Kerri heard a soft jumble of noise before she entered the room, and figured it out just before she laid eyes on her dad's latest acquisition.

"You got a TV," she said with mild amazement. And indeed he had; a large flatscreen complete with surround sound. Kim had already found the remote and tuned it to some sort of nature documentary.

"And satellite," Steve said.

"Oh my god," Kerri said. "Whatever happened to television rotting the brain and corrupting the moral sense?"

"Hey, I never said anything about the moral sense," he said as he sat down on the couch next to Kim. "And as far as the brains are concerned, you two were a lost cause years ago--"

"Hey!" Kim said. She pounced on him and began frantically trying to tickle him. Deploying his traditional defense, he pinned her arms against her sides and pulled her into his lap.

"That's not fair!" she giggled. "You're too big for me. This is an unfair fight."

He released his grip and held out his hands, palms open. "Well, that's what you get. You started it. All right, I'm letting you go."

"No," Kim said, settling in with her back against his chest with a contented smile. "I'm comfortable now." She stretched out her legs and made herself cozy.

Kerri gnawed on a fingernail, trying once again to ignore the jealous little sting in the back of her brain. They settled down to watch the documentary. Kerri crossed her legs and folded her arms, chiding herself for seething the way she was, but apparently unable to stop herself. There was no point in denying it: she wanted to be the one sitting in her father's lap, feeling his arms around her, enjoying his warmth. Of course, that wasn't what she really wanted -- she wanted to be stretched out on the couch naked with him, ignoring this stupid documentary entirely.

She told herself she was being ridiculous, but her mood refused to improve. Eventually, Kim slid down until her head was in her father's lap, her hands together on his knees.

Steve looked over, caught Kerri's glance, then shrugged with an apologetic expression. Kerri looked at the chewed stubs of her fingernails. Already, she wasn't sure she was too fond of this particular vacation.

# # #

Kim tired out quickly, far more jet-lagged than she had let on, and within an hour was dozing in her father's lap. Steve poked her lightly in the ear until she woke up with a start and an angry cry.

"Ugh, I hate it when you do that," Kim said, putting her hand over her ear.

"Then don't fall asleep on me," he said.

"I can't help it."

"Consider yourself lucky I didn't give you a wet willie."

Kerri, who had been taking a sip of wine, spit it across the room involuntarily.

Kim looked over at her sister, her brow knitting. "What the hell's the matter with you?"

"Got some up my nose," Kerri said.

"Yeah," Steve said. "Kim, why don't you hit the sack? It's kind of late."

"I'm not tired," Kim said, rubbing her eyes.

"Good one, sweetheart. Go on." He gave her a gentle shove in the direction of the downstairs bedroom, and she stumbled away, muttering.

Kerri and her father sat quietly until they heard the bedroom door close, then waited a while longer. Finally, almost in unison, they sprang from their places and went up the wooden stairs, as quickly as they could move without making apocalyptic amounts of noise.

She followed him into his room, and he had no sooner shut the door behind them both before she threw herself into his arms.

"I missed you, Dad," she said, and kissed him on the lips, pressing herself against him.

He laughed a little under his breath. "Easy," he said, gently but firmly pushing her away. "I missed you too, but we can't go crazy. Not now."

Kerri frowned. "Come on, she's asleep. You know she is."

She saw him wince, and felt a surge of indignation and frustration. She knew that face. That was the face of caution and second thoughts.

"Kerri, we can't," he said, confirming her fears. "If she finds out, the shit will hit the fan."

"So we'll be quiet," she told him, and pressed herself close to him again. She took his hand in hers and pressed it to her breast. She had no bra on under her sweater, and she watched his expression as he put that particular fact together. For a moment, he teetered on the edge of giving in -- he drew her close to him, his other hand closing around her ass for a moment -- then regained his composure and drew back.

"Kerri, come on. It's not going to happen. "Knock it off."

Kerri's frustration reached a head, and she decided there was no way she was going back downstairs feeling this wound up. She knew that he wanted her -- she could see it in his eyes, in his posture. Playing nice wasn't working -- so she decided to try a different tactic.

"Make me," she said, and stood up, standing in front of him. She undid the buttons of her sweater; one, two, then all four, exposing the inner curves of her breasts. Once again she was reminded how large he was, her head only coming up to his chest. "You're not the boss of me," she said, and gave him a playful, gentle shove.

He rocked back on his heels, taking a step backward, a shocked expression on his face. "Now you're acting like your little sister," her dad said. "Like a little brat."

"I used to be a little brat," she said, and pushed him playfully again She couldn't really budge him, but then, he wasn't resisting either. "Did you ever want to punish me? Take me over your knee and spank me, even though I was way too old for it? Make me scream?"

"No," he said, and put his hands on her shoulders. She saw his eyes go to her chest -- her nipples were hard, the front of her sweater wide open, exposing her body.

She grinned at him. "You did, didn't you? Did you ever want to just put something in my mouth to shut me up when I was mouthing off?"

"Stop talking like that," he said, the note in his voice not really anger -- more like a rapidly eroding resolve.

"Did you want to do it to Kim, too? Did you want to make us both kneel down and --"

"You be quiet!" her father commanded in a fierce whisper, and took a fistful of her hair, pulling her onto tiptoe. Her heart leaped, and she gasped loudly, her arousal rocketing off the charts. She looked up at him and saw that he'd seen it, too.

"Do it," she whispered. "Do it, Dad, punish me..."

For a moment, her father just stood there, quivering, his expression tormented. Then he took her sweater in his hands and ripped it off her, almost tearing it in half. It fell away, as forgotten as her shirt that first night she'd dared to expose her true feelings for him.

Suddenly, as if by magic, the whole world seemed clear again.

She took a step back and cupped her hands over her breasts, playing as though she were covering them. She widened her eyes and looking up at him, knowing it would drive him insane. She was right.

"You better behave," her father said, clearly getting into the role. He reached down and unzipped his pants. His cock came out, hard and big, and then his hands were on her, driving her to her knees. She hit the hardwood floor, grunting a little, and he tangled his fingers in her hair again, tilting her head back.

"Now you apologize to your father," he said.

Kerri felt her heart pounding, her entire body tingling at the impromptu scenario they'd concocted. A part of her had been certain he wouldn't go for it -- but now, here he was, playing his part with apparent enthusiasm.

"I'm sorry, Daddy," she said, and then he pushed his cock into her mouth. She whimpered and took it, squeezing her eyes shut as she felt him hit the back of her throat, but kept her arms at her sides. She was his now, and she let him have his way.

He thrust his cock in and out of her mouth, and she whimpered obligingly, letting him enjoy himself. When she raised her hands to touch him, he told her quietly to put them down, and she obeyed. Her overactive imagination started composing scenes of Kim walking in on both of them, eyes wide, mouth agape... and to her surprise, found the idea more arousing than scary.

Finally, she pulled her head back long enough to breathe, and his cock came out of her mouth with an audible pop. She gasped for breath and looked up at him, playing defiant now. The corners of her mouth were wet, and she wiped the back of her hand across her lips.

"Is that the worst you can do?" she asked. She saw a smile touch his mouth, but he didn't break his role. Instead, he grabbed her by the arm and hauled her over to the bed, pushing her onto it face-down. His hand clamped around the back of her neck, gently enough to let her move if she needed to, firmly enough for her to pretend that she couldn't.

She felt rough hands on her body; one on her bare shoulder, the other on her hip. He hiked up her skirt -- surprising him again. Much like that night in the woods, she'd worn nothing underneath, and paid the price in goosebumps from the cold all night -- now, suddenly, worth the discomfort.

"Daddy," she pleaded, and then he put both hands on her hips -- his big strong hands! -- and thrust into her from behind, hard. Kerri buried her face in the covers to suppress a shriek, her fingers clawing at the quilt, as he bucked his hips and drove into her. Pleasure rocketed up her spine in waves, and she had to clench her teeth not to scream at the top of her lungs.