Page 53 of Semper Fi

The ground was damp with chilly evening dew that would soon be frost as the harvest ended, but Cal didn’t care as they tore off their clothes.

He clumsily spread his jacket and shirt and stretched out on the ground as Jim covered him.

They both groaned, kissing deeply. Rocking together, they were already hard.

“I need you.” Cal urged Jim to straddle his chest so he could take Jim’s cock into his mouth.

As Jim moaned his name, Cal sucked messily, getting Jim as slick as possible.

They were almost frantic as Jim licked his fingers and reached down to open Cal’s ass, making Cal groan wetly and spread his legs. Jim shimmied down between them.

Cal held his knees to his chest as Jim pushed into him. It burned like hell, and it was the greatest thing he’d ever felt. Jim was inside him again, and nothing else mattered. Not the hard ground, or the rock digging into his spine, or the brisk breeze scattering goose bumps over his flesh.

Tipping his head back, Cal moaned as Jim began to fuck him. It felt as though it had been years since they’d touched, and he met Jim’s thrusts, threading their fingers together on the grass by his head as Jim leaned over with a smile dancing on his lips.

“I dreamed of you like this.” Jim’s eyes were bright, and his hair stuck up. Sweat beaded on his lip. “Out here in the orchard, naked in the moonlight.”

Cal drew him down for a deep kiss. He panted. “How did it end?”

“However we want.” Jim kissed him again as he angled in deeper and hitched Cal’s legs higher.

They strained together, grunting as their flesh smacked in the calm of the orchard. Sparks of pleasure flickered through Cal’s body as Jim brushed the perfect spot inside him. “God. There. Harder. I need—” He pulled Jim’s head down and kissed him.

Reaching between them, Jim stroked Cal’s cock. “I want this forever. Want you.”

Cal had to shut his eyes as the pleasure thundered through him, his throat closing as he came.

Tingling from head to toe, he gasped and clamped down on Jim’s cock.

Jim thrust wildly, his arms shaking. Cal felt the heat of Jim’s seed deep inside him, and Jim buried his head in Cal’s neck as he cried out.

As he softened inside Cal, Jim pressed their foreheads together. His lips parted as he caught his breath. Cal kissed him gently, and wished they could stay forever.

Of course, they had to get dressed eventually, the night chill catching up with them as they pulled on their clothes and boots. Laughing, Jim licked his palm and ran it over Cal’s unruly hair. Cal did the same to Jim with a smile.

The question tumbled from Cal’s lips before he could stop it. “What changed?”

“Nothing. I’ve always loved you.” With an achingly serious expression, Jim brushed his thumb over Cal’s bottom lip. “Always.”

“What about everything else? The kids?”

“We’ll be careful. We’ll keep what’s private between us private.

We’ll come out here or go to the cabin. I wish I could go to sleep with you every night and wake up with you every morning.

But we can still love each other. We can still make a life together.

Even with our secret.” He exhaled a shaky breath, clear anxiety creasing his face. “It’s not perfect, I know.”

“I don’t need perfect.” Cal rubbed their noses together. “Just you.”

***

Sophie tugged Cal’s hand. “We’re going to miss it!”

“Okay, okay.”

She huffed. “Uncle Cal, would you hurry up?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Cal increased his pace as they wove their way through the crowded main street. The Harvest Festival was in full swing, and tables of crafts, baked goods, and produce lined the street.

The autumn sun was high in a blue sky, and it looked as if almost everyone in the county had come out. The hailstorm had hurt the region badly, and the community was banding together. It made Cal smile.

In the field beyond the street, a few carnival rides creaked and played tinny music as the children laughed in delight.

Cal spotted Adam chortling as he and Mrs. O’Brien rode the carousel.

Mrs. O’Brien waved as they passed, but Sophie clearly had another destination in mind and tugged Cal toward a gathering crowd.

On a wooden platform, a man in a suit waited. Cal frowned. “Who’s that?”

“It’s the mayor.” Sophie squeezed into the crowd, her face alight. She wore a dress with a wool cardigan, and pushed her sleeves up to her elbows, her cheeks rosy. In the warmth of the crowd, Cal was glad he’d left his jacket with Jim.

“What’s he waiting for?”

She giggled. “You’ll see!”

A moment later, a woman stepped up with a cream pie in her hand. Cal laughed. “Don’t tell me she’s going to—”

The crowd roared as the pie landed on the mayor’s chest, splattering cream all over his suit. Two more people stepped up for their turn, the last landing their pie squarely in the mayor’s face. For his part, the man simply licked his lips. “Strawberry cream. My favorite!”

Everyone laughed, and then the show was apparently over. Sophie beamed. “Wasn’t that funny?”

“Sure. But why do they do that?”

She shrugged. “I dunno. Because it’s funny.”

When they made their way back to the Clover Grove table set up on the street near the bakery, Jim glanced up from a piece of paper. “Did they get him good this year?”

Sophie grinned. “Uh-huh.”

Cal took his seat beside Jim. “Why exactly does the mayor of Tivoli agree to this ritual?”

“People bid money on the pies and it goes into the town’s coffers. It’s a tradition. The bidding wars can get pretty darn fierce.”

“I’m glad it’s not me with a pie in my face. Although…” Cal examined their table. “If there are any of Mrs. O’Brien’s apple pies left at the end of the day, I’m eating one.”

Sophie plopped onto Cal’s lap. “You can’t eat a whole pie.”

Jim snorted. “Oh, he could. Believe me.”

“I won’t even use a fork.”

She poked him in the stomach. “You’ll get fat.”

“It’s true. I will. Let’s hope I don’t get hungry enough to eat you.” He tickled her as she squirmed and squealed.

A little girl in pigtails appeared. “Sophie, come ride the tilt-a-whirl!”

With a quick glance at Jim, who nodded, Sophie disappeared into the crowd. Cal tapped the piece of paper in Jim’s lap. “What’s that? ”

Jim passed it over. “I picked up the mail. There was a letter from Joe. He got married.” Jim held up a small black and white photo of big old Joe with a tiny blonde on his arm.

“First Gambler and now Joe?” Grinning, Cal read the letter, scrawled in Joe’s messy hand, telling of how he’d made foreman at the mill and that Miss Lydia Rogers had agreed to become his wife.

“We should invite them to visit.” He glanced at Jim’s unreadable expression.

“Unless…I guess we shouldn’t.” Cal folded the letter and handed it back.

“No. We should. Definitely. I’ll write this week.”

“Okay.” Cal smiled and felt that silly flip-flop of his stomach that hadn’t gone away yet. He wondered if it ever would. He and Jim sat in companionable silence, watching the townsfolk go by.

“Hello, Clover Grove.” Rebecca approached the table. “I’ll have a glass of cider, please. I’d prefer the alcoholic kind, but I suppose it’s not ready yet.”

“I’m afraid the regular old cider will have to do for now.” Jim poured her a glass and waved off her offer of money. “It’s on the house.”

“All right, if you insist. How did the harvest go? All finished?”

Jim nodded. “We are. Still lots of work, but the picking’s done for the year.”

“Good.” Rebecca smiled at Cal. “And I hear you’re staying on permanently.”

“That I am.” Cal could still hardly believe it was true.

“Welcome to Tivoli, Mr. Cunningham. Officially, that is.”

“Thank you kindly.” Cal stood and walked around the table to kiss Rebecca’s cheek.

They were jostled suddenly, and Cal looked down to find Sophie scowling at them. “Say hello, Sophie.”

“Hi, Aunt Rebecca,” she muttered.

“Hello, honey,” Rebecca said. “Are you having fun?”

Sophie only nodded.

“Well, I should get going. I’ll see you all soon.” Rebecca waved and moved into the crowd.

Staring after her, Sophie’s frown deepened. Jim and Cal shared a glance as Cal sat down again. Jim looked just as lost as Cal felt.

“What’s wrong, sweetie?” Jim asked.

“Nothing.” It was a half-hearted response at best.

“ Sophie. ” Jim gave her a stern look. “Come on, now. Did something happen with Jane? Did you bicker?”

“No.” Sophie peeked at Cal. The next moment she exclaimed, “Are you going to marry her?”

Cal couldn’t have been more surprised if he’d gotten a pie in the face. “Who? Your pal Jane? She’s a little young for me, don’t you think?”

Sophie huffed. “You kissed Aunt Rebecca.” Her eyes narrowed. “I saw.”

“I was only being nice. She’s my friend. Your daddy’s friend too. Not to mention yours. I’m not going to marry her.”

Sophie’s lip trembled. “Promise?”

“I promise.” It would certainly be an easy one to keep.

“Sweetheart, what’s gotten into you?” Jim asked.

“Uncle Cal said he’s going to stay with us. For good.”

Cal opened his arms and beckoned Sophie onto his lap. “I’m staying. For good.”

She glanced back and forth between Cal and Jim. “Okay.” She relaxed against him. “I believe you.”

Holding her close, Cal pressed a kiss to her head, and Jim rubbed her arm gently. He and Jim looked at each other, and Jim smiled softly.

The sun was setting as they packed up the truck with the table and chairs and leftover apples and cider. Sophie and Adam were already slumped together in the middle of the cab, fast asleep. Cal had the keys in his pocket and got behind the wheel as Jim climbed into the passenger side.

Even when the engine rattled to life, the kids didn’t so much as twitch. Jim flicked on the radio, keeping the volume low as Art Mooney crooned about his four-leaf clover. Cal sang along softly as he pulled onto the road, and Jim reached over the kids to rest his hand on the back of Cal’s neck.

Cal came to the crossroads and turned toward home.