The Letter Jacket Ch. 02: Summer Rental

"What are these scratches? They look like fingernail marks."

"Lily did that!" he said, sounding irritated. "When we were crossing a little stream, Lily wanted a piggyback ride across, but she didn't wait until I was ready, and tried to jump on. Instead she slipped down my back and scratched it."

"I already said I was sorry! God! Let it go!"

"Well, she asked."

"You were all sweaty and slippery. I didn't know it was going to happen."

"Kids!" Karen interrupted. "It's fine. It's not a bad scratch and she already apologized. That's the end of it. When we get back to the cottage I'll put some Neosporin on it."

As soon as she turned around, Lily mouthed "Sorry," to him.

He just hugged her and whispered, "Good cover. Besides, you can scratch my back like that any time you want." She giggled into his chest and hugged him tight.

Glen, Karen and Steve thought it was nice how quickly they made up. Most kids weren't that close or that forgiving.

Steve and Glen readied the sails while Steve let Austin and Lily sail back. He still shouted commands, repeated by whichever twin he had ordered, and everyone enjoyed their first sail out. Once the sails were wrapped up and they powered into the cove, Karen driving until Steve needed to dock it, it was getting close to dinnertime. Steve again congratulated Glen, who thanked him, as did his family, and the Owens loaded into the Tahoe for the short drive back to the rental.

######

"I'm bushed," yawned Glen after a grilled shrimp dinner. Karen agreed, saying that the sun must have sapped their energy, and they headed to an early bedtime. With their parents' permission, Lily and Austin pulled the top off the hot tub and settled in, each with a beer in hand.

Lily, now in a clean green bikini, settled into the water almost up to her neck. She took a sip of her beer from the green bottle before setting it on the side of the tub. She looked at her handsome brother on the adjacent wall of the tub, his head and strong chest still above the surface of the churning water, and felt her stomach tingle at the thought of the next few days alone.

"I can't wait for Thursday," she said quietly.

"Me, neither," he smiled. "Just to be with you again without having to sneak around?" He shook his head and laughed. "Wow."

"What do you plan on doing to me?" she teased.

"WITH you," he corrected.

"Okay. WITH me."

I want to take my time making love," he whispered, looking up toward their parent's window a few feet away. While the noise of the hot tub motor made it very difficult to hear their own conversation, as they tried to be quiet, he didn't want to take any chances of them hearing that specific phrase. He leaned close to her and continued quietly. "I want to kiss you all over and I want to share some long, gentle lovemaking with you."

"That sounds amazing," she sighed. "Of course, we'll still get to be aggressive and dirty some, too, right?"

"Oh, yeah, of course!" he laughed, settling back in his seat again.

"Good," she giggled. "I had a really good time with you today."

"I did, too. That one's definitely going in my spank bank."

She laughed hard at that one and picked up her beer. For the next half-hour they laughed and talked, mostly about sailing today and how cool it felt to steer and to have the wind catch in the sail that first time. They agreed it was something they would like to do again if the opportunity ever arose.

As they talked, their hands rested on each other's legs, caressing the warm, soft skin of their lovers. It was relaxing just to touch freely without it necessarily leading to anything sexual. While they would both admit that they would like to be more sexually open with each other, they would also both admit that the simple affectionate touch was its own reward.

They soon got out of the hot tub, drying off before Austin turned off the motor and closed the lid. They settled in on the couch and watched a movie before going to bed. Tomorrow was the fourth of July and their parents would want to make the most of it. With a quick hug and kiss goodnight, Austin dropped Lily off at her room. As she closed her door, she whispered, "Thursday."

Her brother smiled.

######

"Breakfast at 9!" Glen bellowed through Austin's door, banging on it with a flat palm.

"Okay!" Austin called hoarsely, somewhat irritated at his father's invasive tactic. He sat up and swung his feet to the floor, rubbing his face as he contemplated standing. He looked at his running watch and noted that at least his dad gave some grace by waiting until after 8:30 to announce the impending family breakfast. He knew better than to think that he would be fighting anyone for the shower. Lily, like his parents, was an early riser and had probably been up since about 7.

As soon as he opened his door, he saw the bathroom light on across the hall, and as he suspected, his sister was putting on the finishing touches to her make-up. "Good morning," she chirped when he entered.

"Hey," he croaked, trying to smile.

She made a dead face in imitation and mocked him. "Hey."

"Shut up," he laughed, bringing a giggle from her.

"That's better," she smiled.

"Are you about done? I need to get ready."

"Sure. I can finish up in my room," she said, gathering her make-up kit and squeezing past him. As she passed, her hand nonchalantly squeezed his semi-hard prick through his boxers. She otherwise never acknowledged it.

After a quick shower and change, Austin found himself in the backseat of the Tahoe again, the family on their way to the local pancake house for their Independence Day special. Over a plate of giant pancakes covered in whipped cream, strawberries and blueberries, Glen announced their plans for the day.

"What do you say we take out the ski boat today? We can cruise the lake, ski and tube, and dock up down at Ringo's Beach for the afternoon. They are having their pork pull, which is apparently a big community event around here."

"What's a pork pull?" asked Lily.

"Oh, I used to love a pork pull. Granny and Pop Pop had them for family and friends every summer when I was growing up. They would get a pig from the local stock auction, butcher it, dig a pit, and cook the pig whole in the pit. The next day, they would clear the coal, open the pig and we would pull the meat right out."

"Ewww, really?" Lily asked, her nose scrunched up in disgust.

"I know," Karen laughed. "It sounds disgusting, but it's no different than smoking one over a brick pit or a grill. And the meat is incredibly tender. Of course, Pop Pop had his own special barbecue sauce he would make, which was amazing! I'm sure that helped make the barbecue so delicious."

"And if you don't want to eat from the pork pull," Glen said, "There will be lots of other options. It's a big barbecue competition so there will be lots of types of barbecue and tons of vendors, so you can find whatever you want. And then after dinner, we'll drive out into the middle of the lake and watch the fireworks over the water."

"Oh, Glen," exclaimed Karen, "That sounds so amazing."

"Yay!" cried Lily, clapping excitedly.

"Sounds awesome, dad," nodded Austin.

"Great! I'm excited!" Glen said before cutting into his pancakes again.

######

Lily and her parents laughed yet again when Austin tumbled across the water before settling beneath the surface and bobbing in the wake. He waved, indicating he was okay as Glen turned the boat around to bring the rope to within reach of his son.

"Another try?" he yelled.

"Not this time," Austin said, pulling himself through the water with one hand while the other held the slalom ski. "I'm exhausted. Besides I think I gave myself an enema with that last spill." They all laughed at that.

"Can I go again, daddy?" asked Lily.

"Sure, sweetie."

Lily clipped her ski vest on and tossed the second ski into the water before jumping off the side. As her brother climbed onto the back of the boat, she adjusted the boots and slipped her feet into the skis. She floated, toes up as Glen slowly dragged the towrope near her. She grabbed and flipped it over the ski tip so that it floated between her feet. Glen looked back and waved to her. She quickly returned a thumbs up and gripped the handle. Glen pressed the throttle forward and everyone watched as his tiny angel popped up effortlessly onto her feet.

Soon enough Lily was outside the wake, crossing back and forth behind the boat, sometimes even catching a little bit of air as she jumped the ripples trailing the ski boat. After a few minutes, she moved back to the center and dropped the rope, skimming along on her skis until she slowly sank into the lake. Everyone cheered for her as they approached.

"Great job, Lil," Austin offered as he reached for the ski she was holding.

"Yeah, that was a beautiful run, sweetie," said Karen as she clipped her own vest on. Tossing the wakeboard into the water, she slid down off the side of the boat while her son helped his sister over the back. She had her back to him when she bent down to stow her ski vest in the bench. Austin noticed that her bikini had ridden up a little, giving her the appearance of a thong. She stood and hooked two fingers in the legs before pulling it out and snapping it in place as she turned around.

Austin looked up at her face, where the look he saw made him realize he had been busted. She had one eyebrow raised and a crooked smirk. "I can't help it," he whispered with a shrug. She just shook her head.

Glen turned around from handing Karen the wakeboard and said, "Okay, kids, keep an eye on your mom for me."

A couple of minutes later, Karen was riding the wake and slicing through the water with surprising speed and skill. After a few minutes, she dropped the rope and skimmed to a stop, flopping back into the blue-green water before freeing herself from the board. When her husband pulled the boat up close to her, she laughed, saying, "I forgot how much fun that was." Once she was in the boat, Austin coiled up the line and Glen stowed the gear while Lily asked her mother about how she got so good. It turns out she used to spend a lot of summers at Uncle Mark's house on the river and they skied all the time. She just hadn't been in years, but it came back more easily than she thought it would have.

######

Glen docked the boat in the marina adjacent to the beach and paid for the slip for the day. The family spent the day on the golden sand of the beach. While Glen and Karen sat on the beach under a rented umbrella, or waded in a little, Austin and Lily spent most of their time in the water. There was even a diving platform with a slide anchored in the swimming area, and a blob, out in the deeper part of the cordoned off section of the beachfront. They liked that the most, each of them jumping from the high platform in an effort to send their sibling flying high into the air on the other end. Glen and Karen laughed as they watched and were unsurprised at how much further Lily flew than her brother. Soon enough, however, Lily partnered up with another girl and the two held hands as they jumped in unison, surprising Austin as he was launched high into the air before splashing heavily into the lake. Both girls laughed heartily at Austin as he came up, and, seeing the other girl, called his sister a cheater, laughing as he accused her.

By five o'clock, the twins walked back up onto the beach, complaining that the sandwiches they had eaten on the boat, had worn off long ago. They were ready for supper.

Glen didn't even lift his head or open his eyes. He and Karen had lain back and just relaxed, holding hands on the double reclining lounger. He just pointed out to the left, saying, "The pig's buried over there."

"EEeeww!" Lily whined.

"Gross, dad," laughed Austin.

Karen opened one eye and said, "Still no, huh?"

"Definitely no," nodded her daughter.

"Fine," she laughed. "Get some money out of my bag and find something you'll eat. We're going to go get a plate to bring back. Take your time."

"Thanks, mom," said Lily, kneeling down to go through her mother's wallet.

"We'll be right here," Glen said, "unless we take a walk. But we won't untie the boat until 8."

"Okay," Austin said. "I'll make sure we're back in plenty of time."

Austin dried off and put on his t-shirt and Lily slipped on her shorts and tank top after drying herself off and brushing her hair out. As soon as they were off the beach and on the boardwalk, she slipped her hand into his. He readily returned her grasp.

For the first time they were in public together in a way that people may think they were dating instead of siblings. They weren't doing anything that if people knew they were related, would seem out of the norm, but if people didn't know any better, their first assumption may be that this was a boyfriend and girlfriend. The thought stirred up butterflies in Lily's stomach again and her heart was beating a little faster.

Finally, after walking through the dense crowd, they settled on another barbecue vendor who boasted a trophy and large blue ribbon on the tall umbrella with "BBQ" printed in white on every alternating red flap hanging over the edge.

"Evenin'," said a young woman in short denim shorts and a red tank top. Her eyes were hidden behind a pair of aviator sunglasses and her blonde hair was pulled into a tight ponytail. Behind her was a large mustachioed man in a gray t-shirt and jeans, using a string mop to baste a giant slab of meat on a barrel grill with a trailer frame.

"Hi," said Austin. "Can we get two brisket sandwiches, please?"

"Sure," she said. "You want chips and a drink?"

"Okay," Lily said. Austin handed the girl a $20 bill and she gave him his change as she told him to pick his chips off the rack and the bottles were in a galvanized tub filled with ice water and sitting on a milk crate at the end of the table. She recommended the jalapeno potato chips as the best ones, in her opinion, to go with the brisket sandwich. Lily and Austin both selected those, so Lily pulled two bags from the clip and Austin grabbed two bottles of soda from the tub.

When the sandwiches were ready, two cups of barbecue sauce were placed in the cardstock baskets lined with wax paper, and Lily dropped the chips beside the sandwiches so she could carry them. After searching the crowd, they found a shaded table when another couple was getting up to leave.

They enjoyed their meal together and Lily reached out to take her brother's hand as she ate. She just liked being able to touch him in public. He pulled away to wipe some sauce off his chin and she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Hello, again," he said.

Austin stood as Lily turned. She saw her brother shaking Papa's hand and Dot patted Lily's shoulder. "Having a good week, dear?"

"Yes, ma'am," she said. "Would you like to join us?"

"I don't know," she said, "You're on vacation."

"You might have a hard time finding a table otherwise," said Austin. "You might as well sit here."

"Thank you," said Dot, getting a nod from Papa.

He walked off as she took a seat on the third side of the table. "So, what have you done so far?" she asked. Lily and Austin described their trip, focusing heavily on the sailing trip the day before. As they were talking about their day, Papa returned with two pulled pork sandwiches piled with cole slaw, and chips and drinks.

"Ronnie, what was the name of that sailboat rental place down by Deep Cove?" Dot asked.

"Breezeway Rentals," he said, opening his chips.

"That's it! Breezeway. Thank you. If you want to try sailing on your own, you can rent a small boat there, and I think they will give you a quick lesson for a little extra."

They continued to talk for a few minutes, Lily and Austin finishing their dinner before Papa and Dot, but enjoying their company. They bragged on the cottage and asked how Papa and Dot got into the rental business. By the time they were finished the sky was turning a deeper red, she shadows growing long.

"I understand your folks are leaving tomorrow?" asked Papa.

"Yes, sir," answered Austin, glancing at Lily as if he thought it was going to be a problem.

"Well, if you need anything from us or run into any problems, you be sure to give us a call, you hear?" he said with a smile.

"Yes, sir, we will. Thank you," smiled Lily.

As they stood, Dot said, "Give your parents our best."

"Yes, ma'am. And thanks again," said Austin as everyone shook hands. They watched as Dot slipped her hand into Papa's while they walked away. It was obvious to Lily and to Austin that they were still in love after all this time. Lily wondered what they would look like in 50 years. Austin would undoubtedly not be in the shape he is now, but neither would she. She pictured her brother as older, maybe a little rounder in the middle, a tremble in his hand, thick glasses. She pictured herself as a little old lady, still small, but not really lean. She tried to picture her grandparents to get a sense of what their features may be: thinning hair, age spots, glasses, a few other things. But she found that rather than being turned off by it, she found it endearing. If her love for Austin was this powerful now, would it fade in time, or would it be even deeper, almost immeasurable?

What about his love for her? Would the ravages of time and life circumstance cause him to back out of love? Would he look at her the same then that he does now? Her heart saddened a little at the thought that he may not.

"I can see you and I like that when we're old," Austin smiled, squeezing her hand.

"What?" she thought she heard him, but wasn't sure.

"Papa and Dot. When we saw their family picture, it made me wonder what our family would look like when we're old."

"You did?"

"I can still see you as being beautiful to me, white hair and wrinkles just invisible to me. I mean I would know they were there, of course, but they would just be. . . you. I know I won't look the same, either, but doesn't love look past all that?"

"It does," she said, a lump in her throat and tears in her eyes.

"Hey," he said softly, wiping a tear away with his thumb. "Don't cry. I'll try to stay in shape as long as I can," he said before a gentle smile crept onto his face.

She slapped his chest and hugged him tight. When she pulled away, she reached up and kissed him on the lips quickly, just long enough to let him know she loved him, but not long enough to draw attention from anyone. He looked around quickly and realized no one was even paying them any attention. "Come on," he said, "Let's look around before we go back to the dock."

They walked hand in hand, ducking into sidewalk shops with racks of clothes, towels, and beach toys; and spending some time in the stores on the main street and boardwalk. She even convinced him to try a sample at the fudge shop, even though the smell even outside the store was sweet enough to make his stomach a little bit upset. He had to admit, however, that the maple fudge she wanted to try, was quite good.

At the end of the boardwalk, she suggested they walk back on the beach, so they held hands as they walked along the water, each of them holding their flip-flops in their free hand. The beach was still plenty crowded, but not as much as it had been earlier. People were gathering to watch the fireworks rather than to play in the water.

When they got close enough to the section of beach where their parents were, she reluctantly let go of his hand. "I hate that I have to let go," she said sadly.

"Then don't," he said. "Let me give you a piggyback ride! We've been doing that for years, so mom and dad won't think anything of it, and I'll get to feel you wrapped around me."

She smiled and nodded excitedly. "Okay!" He handed her his shoes and she hopped up on his back. She laughed excitedly, drawing the attention of others in the crowd as he ran up the beach toward his parents, the small girl squealing with laughter all the way.