Rescued

"I really wish you wouldn't work the overnight. The evening shifts at convenience stores are dangerous enough," I grumbled, mostly to myself. It was the only argument we'd had more than once. I wasn't going to belabor the point again.

"I know. It's kind of creepy there at night. And the people coming and going in the wee hours can be pretty weird too."

I quirked an eyebrow, of course they were. Move on. "Chick flick, I'm guessing?"

"Are there any others?" She wrangled some unruly bacon onto a paper towel lined plate.

"Are you going to try to get some sleep during the day with Donnie running loose in the house?" I glanced at the wall calendar. It was Bill's weekend to have Donnie. The asshole would be coming after work to pick him up. The only thing anyone could actually count on Bill for. Probably because it gave him a chance to get in Nikki's face. Donnie told me he spent most of his 'Daddy' time with Bill's parents.

"He's a good boy. I'll cat nap a little while he's watching TV or something." She showed me a four-inch-diameter pancake on a spatula. "How many of these do you want?"

"Three's plenty." I sipped more coffee as she loaded a plate for me.

I'd never really given Nikki much of a look over. Not in a sexual nature anyway. But I'd always thought she was pretty. Looking at her in a new light now stirred something in me. Maybe something skeevy. I watched her moving about and let myself wonder about a sexual relationship for a moment. I failed to chase the thought away. I was just being creepy. She was six years younger than me. More importantly, my sister-in-law.

Nikki's smile, just like Rachel's, was downright inviting. For a girl who'd become a wife at eighteen, a mom at nineteen, and an abuse survivor at twenty-two, she was beautiful and sexy. Even wearing her frumpy robe and bunny slippers.

Nikki noticed me staring as she brought our plates to the table. "What're you looking at? Have I got a 'kick me' sign hanging on my butt or something?"

I did what any guy would do when caught ogling, I lied, and hoped it wasn't too lame. "No. I was just thinking about work. I've got a truckload of two-by-fours coming in. The last batch was crap. I may need to find a new supplier."

Nikki nodded as she took a seat, appearing to accept my story. We exchanged small talk as we ate. When I'd finished I took my plate and cup to the sink, then pulled the grocery list off the refrigerator and handed it to her.

"Thanks for a great breakfast. It sure beat the bowl of cereal I had in mind. Check this over while I get dressed. If there's anything missing or you want something special add it to the list. I'll shop before I come home tonight." She nodded and I left her at the table.

Dressed for work, I returned to the kitchen. Nikki was scribbling a couple entries on the bottom of the list. "If you're about done with that, I'll take it and get going."

Nikki rose, and tapped the pen against her bottom teeth as she followed me to the front door. "Do you do the shopping on Bill's day to pick up Donnie so you don't have to talk to him?" She asked.

I paused with the door open and looked at her. Wearing my work boots and her being essentially barefoot, I was a full head taller than her. "Yup. After about ten minutes of being around that guy, I get an overwhelming urge to punch him in the face."

Nikki giggled. "Me too, I guess that's why we're not together anymore."

Her robe slipped off her left shoulder exposing her left breast. Her décolletage was pale with a few faint freckles. Her breast looked perky and inviting. A bright pink areola, the size of a half-dollar, with a stiff nipple peeked out. I fought off the urge to caress and taste it, but I couldn't prevent unconsciously licking my lips. I dragged my eyes from Nikki's chest to her face.

She'd caught me staring again. She closed her robe at the throat with one hand and handed me the grocery list with the other. Her eyes never left mine.

Heat roared onto my face as I accepted the list. "I'm sorry, Nikki. I didn't mean to stare. I know, that was uncalled for. I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

Nikki flashed a genuine smile and patted my arm. "It's all right. I haven't seen that look on a man's face in a long time. In a way, I'm flattered. Let's just chalk it up to an accident and go on about our day."

I nodded and said goodbye. I went to my truck as quickly as I could and hoped against hope she hadn't noticed the bulge that'd come uninvited to the front of my jeans. I stuck the shopping list behind the visor, then chided myself on the drive to work. An erection hadn't sprung up like that since high school and now it wouldn't go away. I tried to concentrate on traffic, telling myself it was just an accidental nip slip. Not some overt attempt to seduce me. Calm the hell down, you horny bastard.

By the time I lurched to a halt in my parking space, my adolescent cock had decided to behave. I breathed a sigh of relief and went straight to my office.

Working turned out to be an almost complete waste of time. A couple times during the day I'd let my mind wander to Nikki and the possibility of taking our relationship to another level. A level with long walks, sweet wine, and plenty of love making. Both times I ended up with an embarrassing erection. I really was a horny bastard.

I was lucky enough to be between those juvenile hard-ons when I had to listen to a customer complain about the quality of a toilet he'd bought almost a year ago. After I bent over backwards to get a grunt of satisfaction from him, Nikki came to mind again. I considered jerking-off in the men's room, but decided against it. That's all I'd need, somebody catching the store manager wanking in the restroom. What the hell was I, fourteen?

That was one Friday quitting time couldn't come fast enough.

I parked in the grocery store lot and sat there for a minute thinking. I pulled the shopping list from the visor. Nikki had drawn a heart at the bottom of the list. She'd done it before the robe incident. What was she doing? Was she hinting at something or was I reading too much into an otherwise innocent accident?

While it was true I hadn't been with a woman since Rachel, it wasn't like I'd been totally devoid of opportunity. Mike and Shelly made sure I'd gone on a couple pleasant dates, but nothing came of them. Why was I finding Nikki so exciting and so damn distracting? And why now after all this time? Was it my genuine fondness for her mixed with our day to day proximity?

She didn't really remind me of Rachel all that much. She was similar, but they weren't close to being twins. She hadn't gotten upset at me staring at her bared breast. Was that a signal? The main personality difference between the sisters was their temperament. Nikki didn't seem to be near as quick to anger as Rachel had been. She was exceptionally patient with Donnie. That said, the sisters were both pretty feisty. I decided to go ahead and explore an intimate relationship with Nikki, as long as she seemed game.

I whipped into the drive just as Bill was pulling away in his brand new SUV. Donnie was seated in his child's seat and peeked out the window at me. He looked almost like a convicted prisoner. I waved at him as they rushed past.

I hauled the groceries in as a single load and set the bags on the table. I called that I was home. There was no response. I shrugged and put the cold stuff in the fridge, pushed the rest of it onto the counter, and unwrapped the long-stem carnation I'd bought from the grocery's floral department.

I found Nikki in her room, sitting on the bed with a tissue in her hand. Her eyes were red rimmed and she sniffed a couple times before wiping her upper lip with the tissue. I tapped on the open door and waited. When she nodded, I sat next to her, put an arm across her shoulders, and hugged her against my side. "Was he talking shit again?"

Nikki nodded, blew her nose, and sighed aloud. "How long is he going to keep beating me up about us living in your house? No matter how much I deny it, he claims we're sleeping together and Donnie is being neglected because of it. That's just bullshit. You and I both know even if we were sleeping together, Donnie wouldn't get neglected."

"He's just talking. He can't do anything legally without going to court and that'd cost him money. You've got to try and ignore him. When he gets into one of his tirades, just smile at him. That'll piss him off." I hugged her tighter. "I know you were married to that guy, but I know guys in general. Guys like Bill are predictable. As soon as he finds a stripper or a cocktail waitress willing to move in with him, he'll forget all about you and Donnie. Most likely we'll never see him again after that."

"Do you really think so?" She sniffed.

"Yes I do. A year or two down the road the only memory of that jackass you'll have will be Donnie. And that'll be a good memory." I released my hug and rubbed her back for a few seconds, then handed her the flower. "So, put on your going to the movies face and I'll heat up the left over spaghetti. Remember, he's just talking. You're entitled to a life. Legally he can't do anything about it."

Nikki wiped her nose one more time, sniffed the carnation, then stood. "Thank you, it's lovely." She threw her arms around my shoulders and pressed my face between her breasts. My cock sprang to an uncomfortable attention as I wrapped my arms around her hips, returning her embrace. She wasn't wearing a fragrance, but her purely female heat was heady, and her breasts soft. My arousal was complete. Just as suddenly as she'd hugged me, she stepped back. "Thanks for being you, John. I don't think I could make it without your help."

Nikki turned and went across the hallway into the bathroom. I watched her go, admiring the swing of her hips and the way her plump behind shifted from side to side. She glanced at me as she smelled the flower again, then closed the bathroom door. I let out a loud sigh and looked around her room. It had gotten very girly. Lots of lace, floral prints, and tiny, porcelain terriers placed strategically on the horizontal surfaces. I rose and wondered about her feelings toward me. No real clue.

I, on the other hand, decided testosterone was a strange thing. A moment ago all I wanted in the world was to make love with that woman. Now all I wanted to do was hunt down and use my high school wrestling background to beat the crap out of Bill. I stifled both urges, and went to the kitchen. I rummaged among the plastic containers until I found the spaghetti. I tossed it into a saucepan and turned on the burner.

Nikki came to the table as I was putting the hot leftovers on plates. She was looking ready to rock. A Kelly-green sweater complimented her hair color. Her jeans may have been a little too tight, but her eye makeup accentuated their hue and size perfectly. I gave her a little wolf whistle of approval. She beamed.

After eating, we sat at the table waiting for Betty. Nikki sipped tea and I did the same with a cola.

"So, you think I look nice?" Nikki said.

"Absolutely. You're gorgeous. Of course, you shouldn't put a whole lot of stock in some old fart's opinion." I took a pull on my soda hoping I hadn't sounded too corny. I doubled down. "Regardless, I think you look great. But I'm biased, you're family."

"God, you make yourself sound like a dinosaur fossil or something. You're not old, you're only twenty-eight." Nikki shared her infectious smile.

"I'm old enough to remember you were just a kid when we met." I forced myself to not stare at her sweater-confined breasts.

She seemed lost in thought, then a frown crossed her face. "You know, Bill was really disappointed I didn't lose all my baby fat after Donnie was born. Maybe he was right. Do you think I should sign up for one of those weight loss programs?"

She wasn't fooling me, that wasn't a question. It was a literal minefield. Any hope I may have entertained for moving a relationship forward with Nikki hung on my answer. I postponed answering with an even longer pull on my cola.

She stared at me, waiting.

Time to take the plunge. "Body image is a personal thing. To my way of thinking, you're hot. If you want to lose some weight, I'll support you. If not, it's okay by me. I think you're beautiful, smart, and sexy."

A car horn was double tapped. Even though we couldn't see the driveway from the dining-room, we both turned to look. My heart fell knowing this conversation would have to be started up again later. Maybe she'd think about it while she was gone and decide I was too old. Or she might fear her parents would frown on a relationship with me. Didn't stop her from marrying Bill. Regardless, there was a multitude of reasons why she could turn me down. Of course, I hadn't actually asked her to join me in a romance yet. Maybe I shouldn't shoot myself in the foot before I'd taken the first step.

"That's Betty. Can't keep the boss waiting. I'll see you later." Nikki hopped up, grabbed her purse, and planted a quick kiss on my lips. It was a bit more than a sisterly kiss, but not quite a lover's kiss. Before I could react she turned and headed for the front door. She smiled over a shoulder. "And if what Rachel told me is true, I doubt you're an old fart."

I jumped to my feet and went after her. "What did Rachel tell you?" I caught the screen door before it closed. Nikki was hurrying down the walkway toward Betty's car. I was momentarily mesmerized by her bouncing hair and swaying butt. All I could do was shout after her. "That's totally not fair, Lady."

Nikki paused with the car door open. She waved and smiled ear to ear. Betty waved through the windshield as well. I was standing there looking like an abandoned puppy. So I mustered up my adulthood and waved back. I stood there with the screen door open until they'd pulled out of the driveway and driven off down the street. "What did Rachel tell her?"

I went to the refrigerator and got a fresh cola, then flopped on the couch in the den. I mechanically turned on the TV and scrolled through a few channels until I settled on a ballgame. Discovering Nikki's thoughts about our relationship, or lack thereof, was going to take more time than I'd hoped.

***

The front door clicked closed and the deadbolt snapped shut as the postgame show drew to an end. I shook myself, turned off the TV, and picked up my empty pop bottle. I went into the living room just as Nikki was dropping her keys into her purse and putting it in the closet.

"So how was the movie?" I asked.

"As romantic comedies go, I'd have to say it wasn't all that romantic or funny," Nikki said.

"That's a shame. Your first movie date in a while turns out to be a dud."

"It wasn't exactly a date. Betty's my boss after all."

I flashed a pretend frown. "I see you didn't bring me any popcorn."

Nikki cocked her head to one side and let her brows merge. "I'm sorry. I let Betty take the leftovers home for her kids."

"Now I see how you are." I cruised past her into the kitchen. I kept my burning question light. "So what did Rachel tell you about me?"

Nikki's shoes thumped on the floor and shortly afterward I recognized the pad of her bare feet on the tile in the kitchen.

I put the bottle in the recycle bin and turned to face her. She had an impish grin on her face and a dusky look in her eyes.

"Let's not talk about the past right now. Let's talk about us and the future," Nikki said.

"Us?" That sounded promising.

Nikki stepped forward and embraced me resting her head on my chest, pressing her breasts and hips against me. I held her in return, and made no attempt to hide my growing physical interest.

"I spent most of the movie thinking about you. Truth is I've spent most of the last few weeks thinking about you and me. I've tried to hint a little, but you've been kind of slow on the uptake. Now, I'll just use the direct approach. I'd like you to take me to bed and make love to me," Nikki said.

Yes! Exactly what I was hoping for. But, I didn't want to act too eager. Maybe she's vulnerable, thinking her options are limited or something. Didn't want her to think I was taking advantage.

"You don't think there's something, I don't know, weird about us? What will your family think?" I said.

"We're not actually blood relatives, you know. Besides, my folks love you. They always disliked Bill. I don't think there's any problem there. Mom thought moving in with you was a great idea. Good for both of us, she said." Nikki grinned.

I gazed into those green eyes and my knees grew weak. "I don't want you to think I'm trying to take advantage of you in a vulnerable moment." Was I being too honest? Would that get her thinking along those lines?

She shook her head. "I'm a grown woman. I know what I want. Of course, if you were just bullshitting me after supper and don't really think I'm sexy, I'll get over it. Now that I've made a fool of myself, I might murder you in your sleep first, but I'll get over it."

After laughing, I studied her beaming face, then kissed her. The kiss turned into a passionate exploration of each other. I lost myself in the taste of her lips, her tongue's texture, and the fragrance of her hair. Her soft body molded to mine and her heat transferred to me as effectively as if we were naked. My cock stand grew nearly painful. Finally I came up for air, shocked at the level of my excitement.

Nikki's Eyes remained closed and her nostrils flared with each breath. I gently kissed each eyelid in turn while massaging her butt. She smiled. I pressed my cheek against hers, closed my eyes and breathed deep.

A mechanical rendition of 'Who Are You' played in the other room. Nikki's phone. When I released my grip on her, she shook her head. "Ignore it. If it's important, they'll call back."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

The phone went silent.

Nikki nodded. "Yes. I should've turned it off. Now where were we?"

"We were about to—" Her phone rang again. I quirked an eyebrow at her. "You'd better see what's so important."

She sighed and pulled away. "I guess so." I followed her into the living room. She picked up the phone, glanced at it, then swiped to answer. "Hi, Mom."

I stepped away to give her some privacy, but stopped short. Nicki's eyebrows mashed together and she held up a 'wait a minute' finger.

"No. Bill doesn't have this number. He's supposed to call the house to make arrangements for Donnie," Nikki said. "What? Say that again."

Now I scrunched my brows and took a step closer to her. I silently mouthed the question, "What's going on?"

Nikki shook her head and turned away. "Where are you, Mom?" Nikki nodded. "And Donnie's with you?"

Oh this couldn't possibly be good. What in hell happened?

"On south Monroe, got it. I'm on my way." Nikki swiped her phone ending the call, then ripped open the closet. She grabbed her shoes and turned to me. "Can you drive me to Saint Teresa's?"

I picked up my shoes too. "Of course. What's going on?"

"Bill had an accident on the interstate. Donnie was in the car. Mom's with Donnie at the hospital and says he's okay, but I need to see for myself." Nikki's lower lip trembled. She snatched her purse from the shelf and stood with a hand on the doorknob.

I spoke while tying my shoes. "Why didn't they call you?"

"Something about the only number Bill could remember was Mom's. Can we hurry up please?"

I jumped to my feet and ushered her out the door. "Of course. Let's go"

All the way to the hospital I tried in vain to think of something encouraging to say. Nikki, for her part, chewed her lower lip and alternated checking the speedometer with staring out the passenger's window.

I slid to a halt at the emergency room's entrance. Nikki leapt from the truck and rushed inside. I drove into the adjoining lot and parked. By the time I got to the reception desk, Nikki was nowhere in sight.