Lost & Found Ch. 06 Pt. 02

"Dolan started comin' around near on every night; he'd haul momma into that big black Cadillac of his, it didn't matter one little bit that she didn't want to go; him and his dogshit sheriff buddy, they just drug her into that car and they'd be gone half the night. They'd bring her home all mussed-up, clothes hangin' in rags on her, sometimes she'd have bruises on her face, or a split lip, smelling of booze and what-all they'd been doin' to her, you know what I'm talkin' about. They'd just dump her on the porch and drive off hootin' and hollerin', drunk as shit and twice as ugly."

He paused to take a deep breath, and both Luna and Joey could tell the story was affecting him deeply.

"I guess it was only a matter of time afore they got tired of her; by then she was pregnant, so they were done with her anyway. I think it was that more'n anythin' else that killed my daddy; that those sumbitches had come into his house and taken his wife whenever they wanted, used her, knocked her up, and threw her aside, and there warn't nothin' he could do about it, not a damned thing. When momma told him she was havin' a baby,that was the last straw; he just turned away, and next day he was gone. They killed my daddy; they broke his heart, and they killed him. That was when the three of us swore we'd find a way to make them whoresons pay. When the baby was born, we knew right away whose daughter she was; there was no mistakin' that hair and those eyes; she was Jerry Dolan's daughter, your momma, Lu-Lu."

He paused again, his eyes far away.

"Momma never really recovered from what they done to her; she wouldn't go into town no more. She didn't want the town to know her shame, what had been done to her. One day, when Jodie was just about six years old, momma took daddy's old twelve-gauge up into the pasture, stuck the barrel up under her chin and pulled both triggers."

He sighed, his eyes bright and far away.

"We was only fourteen, and Laurie was about eight, so your aunt Stella came up and stayed with us during the week, and Miss Mary Donnelly looked after us on the weekends so's child services couldn't split us up. When we hit eighteen, we enlisted in the Marine Corps, just like our daddy had back in the sixties; didn't seem much else to do; momma and daddy was gone, old man Dolan was dead from the booze, the girls was livin' pretty much permanent with Miss Mary in town, so we upped and enlisted. That's what happened to our family, and that's why Jethro and Jeremiah, especially Jeremiah, are the way they are."

Luna stared at him in shock. The news of what her grandfather was, and what he'd done to her family affected her deeply; and then the man who'd fathered her, he'd taken his own sister...did he know?

"Jonah, did he know, did Steve Dolan know mom was his sister?" she asked, dreading the answer, but needing to know.

"I don't think so," replied Jonah, once more examining his pipe, "but if he did, I don't think it would have stopped him; his dogshit daddy always gave him what he wanted, taught him he was better'n the rest of us, so when he wanted something, he just up and took it; he done that to Miss Sarah, and he done it to your momma; more'n likely he did it to others, too."

Jonah looked pensive for a moment.

"You got lucky, Lu-Lu. You got the blood from Steve's momma, your grandma, Miss Rosie, a truer lady never walked this earth, and Joey, he got all the best parts of his granddaddy, Mister Martin, plus everythin' Miss Sarah and his grandma, Miss Colleen, could give him too, God rest her soul. I always knew why young Frank left in such a hurry, and took Caitlin with him; she was his half-sister, and Miss Sarah knew that after what Frank did to that worthless sack of shit they'd be lookin' for evens any way they could, prolly through her and Joey, so she worked out a way for them to be safe, but they had to leave."

He grinned at the memory.

"With Frank and Caitlin gone, and me and Jethro and Jerry lookin' out for Miss Sarah, plus all them Hennessey and Moran boys over in Lucerne County just lookin' for a chance to shove Steve Dolan's head down in the privy and leave him there, and the Donnelly boys right there in town, Dolan and his buddies weren't gonna go troublin' Miss Sarah none, you better believe it! Young Caitlin was pretty as the day is bright, a real looker, and I don't blame Frank in the slightest; she's the picture of her Aunt Rosie, your grandma, and she got everythin' the Moran blood could give her, too; her daddy was your grandma's big brother, Miss Sarah's step-daddy, he was a fine man, and he taught young Frank and Caitlin well; with him and Caitlin on your side you got everythin' you need. I seen the pictures of them two girls of hers, and damn, they look like you! You come from good blood, girl, always remember that."

He grinned at Luna, and put his unlit pipe in his mouth, sucking reflectively on the stem.

"When I come home to look after you, I was also lookin' to even the score with that sumbitch, but much as I wanted to drag his ass out into the scrub country and stick him on a spike for the buzzards, I couldn't do it; he was your daddy; in a way, and it made me sick to even say it to myself, he was family, too, whether you knew it or not, so I let him live; he knew he was your daddy; he had to; you look exactly like Miss Rosie; he may have thought he was slicker'n frog-shit, but he knew one thing for sure: one word out of place, one wrong look, and he was gonna die, so he kept his distance."

He grinned, and now it was that skinning of his teeth again, not the relaxed smile he'd let slip when his guard was down.

"Funny thing, though; 'bout six months ago, you remember when Jerry and Jethro come back on leave? They took off almost right away on a huntin' trip up El Chaco way; my cousin Gabe Mason's got a sheep ranch out that way, and he had a coyote problem, and they said they was going out there to help out. Seems like Sheriff Dolan and that dirtbag mayor took off too 'round about then; mebbe they was funny for each other and decided to elope, who knows? Thing is, they ain't been seen since, and nary a soul in town knows anythin' about where they gone or if they coming back. Your cousin used to be deputy, Joey, now he's actin' sheriff until that fat turd shows up again; Logan Hennessey's a good man. He's fair and got smarts, just what this town needs."

His grin was wolfish, and Joey suppressed a shudder as he looked into Jonah's chill, expressionless eyes and saw only merciless satisfaction, and he suddenly understood; the Hollister brothers had finally had their justice.

Jonah absently put his unlit pipe back in his mouth and chewed on the stem.

"So now you know; it kinda makes you think, don't it? Both our families have been through too much to have somethin' like this here situation make too much difference; all that matters now is how you feel about each other. I seen the way you look at him, girl. I hear what you sayin', and your eyes say somethin' else. Life's too short to worry about what other folk say, or think, or what you think they want from you; question is, what do you want?"

Luna studied his expression, then looked down to where her hand was still twined in Joey's, then up to his face, her gaze penetrating as she looked deep into his eyes. As she stared into his eyes, a slight frown creased her forehead, and Joey's face fell, but when he tried to disengage his hand from hers, she tightened her grip, making him glance at her in surprise.

"Can we do this, Joey? Can we really make this work?"she murmured, her voice low and hesitant, but she smiled back when he smiled at her.

"Yes we can, I know we can; Robbie and Casey found a way, and so did Uncle Frank and Aunt Kat; they wanted it to work, and they made it so, and they're happy; we can be happy too. All we need is a chance!"

Luna released his hand, to stroke her fingertips across his cheek.

"I think we can do that, but...no more secrets, no more hiding things; everything we've got, we share, you understand, Joey Anderson? No walls between us, nothin's gonna be left out; that's how it has to be, that's the only way it can work, got that?"

Joey nodded happily.

"No more secrets, baby, cross my heart!"

Luna grinned happily, jigging the little boy in her lap and making him giggle too, then a sudden thought occurred, wiping the smile from her face.

"Uncle Jonah, what about Jethro and Jerry? They know, too, don't they? They know who I am, and who Joey is, what if they...?"

Jonah smiled happily, the first time that day Joey had seen him actually smile properly, his pipe-stem clenched between his teeth.

"You leave them two idjits to me, don't you worry!" he said, his eyes dancing. "They may be Gunnies, but I'm a Staff Sergeant, and I don't got to take any shit from either one of them; they know when to keep their fat mouths shut!"

He stood up, and made as if to go to the drinks cabinet, but stopped at Luna's sudden frown.

"Don't you dare, not again!" she gritted, and Jonah grinned resignedly; instead, he held up Joe's carry harness.

"I reckon you two got some other stuff you need to say, so I'll just take this young feller into town; I told Miss Mary he was here, and she wants to see him; she and her girls used to babysit Joey; now she wants to meet her newest nephew, so if you got no objections...?"

Joey and Luna glanced at each other and grinned, then both shook their heads, so Jonah took the little boy from them.

"I got one of Laurie's baby-carriers in the truck; I reckon he'll be safe enough in that, so you two go say what you got to say, and we'll be back whenever Miss Mary lets him go. Go on, now, I got this."

Joey and Luna watched as Jonah strapped the boy into the carrier. He glanced up and grinned at them.

"What, you-all think I didn't know how to do this? I done this enough times for Joey when he was no bigger; I told you, I got this. See you later, and you, girl, you have that ring back on your finger when I get back, you hear me?"

*

Joey and Luna watched from the porch as Jonah's truck drove out of the gate and turned to follow the two-lane blacktop back to the turnpike. As he turned out of the gate, he waved once, and he was gone, the sound of the old V8 slowly dying away. Luna turned to Joey and took his hand.

"Let's go inside. Jonah was right; we do still have some things left to say. "

Joey gratefully took her hand and let her lead him back indoors, to sit together on the couch. Joey grinned at her, and gestured for her to begin. The corners of her lips quirked up for a second, then her expression settled once again into an almost mask-like stillness, no hint of emotion or animation showing.

"Joey, even after all that happened, and everything Jonah said, I do love you, and I do believe you love me too, and I think we can make this work; like you say, Frank and Kat, and Robbie and Casey all managed it; we can too. There's just one more thing I need to say..."

Joey looked at her quizzically, a half smile on his face, and that was when she slapped him so hard he actually saw stars.

"Don't you ever lie to me again, 'bout nothin', y'all hear me, Joe Anderson?" she gritted, her eyes flashing green fire, her accent once more that Southern drawl of her childhood, only now there was nothing warm, or laid-back, or languid about it; now her words were diamond-edged, clipped and terse. Joey said nothing, still too shocked to speak, but he could tell she was mad as hell; with good cause, he was honest enough to admit to himself, and, in his moment of self-examination, he agreed that he'd deserved that teeth-rattling slap; if that was all she wanted from him, then he'd gotten-off lightly for what he'd done; in truth, he'd expected a lot more, and worse.

Even in the extremity of her anger, her face flushed and her eyes slitted, all he could really focus on was just how stunning she was, and just how much he wanted her. Luna stared defiantly at him, her face set and expressionless, her eyes boring into his like emerald drill-bits.

"That was the first and only time I will ever raise my hand to you, Joseph Anderson, and that's a promise. Whatever we do, everythin' we do, it comes with a price. You hurt me, you lied to me, and you paid the price; I do forgive you, Joey Anderson, and I mean that with all my heart. Folks say 'I will forgive, but I will never forget' but that's just the same as saying 'I won't ever forgive', and I can't do that, not to you, because you're part of me now; I have forgiven you for lyin' to me, and forgotten it ever happened, it's gone, it never happened, and we go on from here."

She took his hand and once more held his gaze with her drill-bit stare.

"Just you remember this, Joseph Anderson; from now on, we don't hold nothin' back, no matter how hurtful or scary, you understand? You tell me everythin', you be honest with me, and I'll be the same with, you got that?"

Joey nodded, almost trembling with relief as the tension drained out of him. His smile was tentative, and his heart leaped as she returned it, her sunny, placid self once more, and her eyes twinkled mischievously.

"Well don't just sit there with your mouth hanging open, kiss me, you idjit!" she grinned, and suddenly she was in his arms, her lips glued to his as all his fears and apprehension melted away; she was back, she'd come back!

After what seemed like hours, Luna broke their kiss, her fingertips gently skittering across the red mark on his cheek. Joey looked in her eyes and she flushed guiltily.

"I'm sorry, baby, I didn't mean to slap you so hard..." she murmured, but Joey just grinned as he worked his jaw.

"Wow, you got some right on you, girl!" he quipped, grinning widely as her flush deepened.

"Hey, it's okay, baby, I'm joking, really!" he grinned, "I played football for ten years; I've been hit a lot harder, believe me!"

Luna looked unconvinced, but couldn't help smiling back.

"Tell you what, Joey, why don't I make it up to you with a tour of my home?" she smiled artlessly, Joey grinning back as once again she arched her eyebrow at him, exactly the same mannerism as all the women in his family; his sister, his aunt, his grandmother, and his two spitfire cousins; of course, now he knew why...

"Well, I dunno," he hedged, "you might take the notion to attack me again, I mean, I'm feeling a little vulnerable right now...!"

Luna grinned and stood up, holding out her hand to him and leading him up the stairs.

"I thought we were having a tour?" he enquired innocently, but Luna just smiled slyly and pushed open the first door they came to on the landing.

"So here we have my bedroom; as you can see, it's decorated in early American Tasteless, but I like it. Shall we go in?"

Joey needed no further encouragement, closing the door firmly behind him and clicking the lock.

"Just so we're not disturbed..." he murmured, his jeans tightening at her sudden, inviting smile.

"So what shall we do next, Joey?" she asked innocently, and Joey grinned at the surprised squeak as he pulled her closer and clamped his hands on her taut little butt.

"I was thinking of maybe catching-up a little, what do you say, Miss Luna Hollister?"

Luna smiled as he pulled her a little closer to kiss her, and squeaked in surprise once more as he suddenly hoisted her up, carrying her as their lips met. Luna smiled against his lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Joey carried her over to the armchair and sat down with her on his lap, holding her against him with one arm around her waist. They kissed, gently at first, but with increasing heat, her hands on his face, holding him to her while his free hand caressed her waist, her thigh, before cupping her breast, gently rubbing and squeezing her erect nipple through the material of her top.

Luna moaned softly, her lips suddenly more intense on his, her fingers twining more deeply in his hair. She squirmed on his lap, pushing her breast harder against his cupping hand, until she couldn't take it any more. Luna broke their kiss to gaze deeply into his eyes, and Joey read aright the need in her eyes, his hands tugging her tee out of her jeans and up over her head.

Luna, in turn, slid to her knees, kissing Joey as he dipped his head down while she fumbled open the fly of his jeans, before reaching inside and pulling his erect cock into the open. Joey groaned as she slowly squeezed him, and then gasped softly as her soft, warm lips slipped over the tip of his penis, the heat of her mouth exquisitely, agonizingly sweet as she slowly took him all the way into her mouth.

Luna sucked him, the tip of her tongue probing in the slitted head of his manhood, making him squirm and tremble in turn as her mouth pleasured him, and when she began undoing his belt and popping the button on his jeans, he raised his hips so she could pull them down, along with his shorts, and resume sucking and squeezing him. Her hands were soft and warm, her fingers gentle and unbearably exciting as she slowly, teasingly massaged his sac, building his excitement to fever pitch.

When she looked up into his eyes, a new need made itself felt, and so he gently pushed her away from him, smiling at the question in her eyes. He raised her to her feet, kissing her deeply while his fingers fumbled with her jeans, finally pushing them down so she could kick them off. Now it was Luna's turn to sit as Joey knelt between her thighs and gently kissed her soft stomach, making her squirm when he poked his tongue-tip into her navel before pulling down the front of her panties so he could kiss and lick the apex of her slit.

Luna writhed and gasped for breath, softly groaning her pleasure as his tongue skittered across her awakening clitoris, hunching herself against his lapping tongue and mobile lips as they teased and pleasured her, eating her like a rare and delicate sweet treat, something to be savoured and made to last as long as possible. As Joey bored-in, licking and tasting her deeper and deeper, she writhed and wriggled against his lapping, teasing, unbearably wonderful tongue and all the incredible things it was making happen inside her, until she couldn't take any more. The hands that had held his head against her now pushed him away.

"No...no more, not like this..." she gasped, then moaned between tightly-clenched teeth as he kissed her one last time at the very apex of her slit, his tongue lightly brushing the place where all those wonderful sensations emanated and radiated through her entire body. Joey stood, and helped her to her feet, his hands and lips still touching caressing, kissing, making her jump and tremble with need. Her hands found him, and now she squeezed and fisted him, feeling him gasp and shudder as she worked him up all over again, taking him to that near fever-pitch he'd so skilfully taken her to.

"Well, I reckon you'all 'bout ready now, young Sir!" she drawled, "How 'bout you come over there with me and show me some of that West-Coast loving I been hearin' so much 'bout!"

Joey grinned as she played-up her Southern accent once more, while at the same time tugging off his sports shirt and kicking his jeans away.

"D'you have any idea how hot I get when you do that?" he grinned, holding her closer and squeezing her ass before kissing her. Luna giggled and ground against him, making him groan softly.

"Why I'm sure I have no idea what you mean, Mister Anderson, the very idea!" she drawled at him, her eyes brimming with glee and her lips twitching as she tried to keep a straight face.

"How 'bout this then?" he murmured, holding her even closer, and dipping down to gently bite her stiffly protruding nipple. It was her turn to gasp and murmur now, feeling his stiff, solid erection pressing against her swelling labia even as he sucked and teased her throbbing nipples.