Father's Keeper by Parker Ford (classic fiction .TXT) 📗

Gil having provoked a wetness between my legs. I pressed my pussy tothe heel of my hand, delving deep with my fingers, fucking myself with my facepressed to Gil’s pillow. Calling up the image of his hands on me, of himswallowing my sounds with a kiss when I’d come, I moved like a wave over my ownthrusting fingers, pressing my clit to my hand. Moving, moving, moving softlybut surely until I came, my lips pressed to where he’d slept the night before.

My heartbeat rushed and thumped in myears and I felt like I was trapped underwater for an instant as my body letloose its final rush of release. And then I lay there panting. Breathing hardand wishing he’d come in and catch me, touch me, love me.

The phone rang and I jumped.

I’d grown up in the house so I didn’tgive it a second thought. I answered it.

“Jennifer?” There was shock in thatvoice. And chagrin.

I almost hung up. Instead I said,‘Yes, mother.”

“What are you doing there?” she asked,her voice sounding almost petulant. How had I forgotten that my mother neverliked to be anything but the center of attention. Me being here meant thatmaybe Gil wasn’t focused solely on her and her disappearing act.

“Pit stop,” I said, offering up aslittle information as possible just to drive her crazy. “Carl and I werepassing through. I figured I’d check on my father.” I’d also said that to driveher crazy. Because for all of her protesting and insistence that I accept Gilas my dad, once I did she’d seemed all tweaked about it. Reminding me oftenthat he wasn’t really my father but that she was my mom. She couldn’tstand anyone else to be viewed favorably, it seemed.

“Ah, I see. Is Gil there?”

“Nope.”

“Where is he?” she snapped, not at allhappy with my brevity. Which made me smile, if you must know.

“Don’t know.” I laid back on her bed,smelling my own sexual actions on her perfumed air.

“Well can you take a message,Jennifer, or have you lost all your manners?”

“What was I thinking, mother? I meanit’s a sin to be rude isn’t it. If you were here I’d be in trouble.” I madesure to drag out if you were here and she caught it. She went silent fora moment and I waited.

“Would you just tell him that I havesome things I’d like him to send and I’ll call later with an address.”

“Fine.”

“Thank you, Jennifer. I have to go.”

“Oh, okay,” I hissed. “And I’m fine,by the way, thanks for asking.” And I slammed the phone down so hard my fingerstingled.

I put her pearls in my pocket andsmoothed the bed. No reason for Gil to be upset and know what I’d done. No needfor him to have to deal with it all. He’d have enough to deal with tonight whenMarian called back.

* * * *

I realized at one point that Gil wasin his workshop. I could hear him moving around in there, working on his lateststained glass project. I was pretty sure he’d said it was for the church and Ipictured some Archangel, flaming sword in hand, gracing the table in Gil’sspace. I thought of Gil’s hands and where they had been. I thought of the sweetstolen orgasm he’d worked out of me and the way his lips had felt and Ifinished my coffee. Then I hit the shower.

I lingered in there, not doinganything other than focusing on the feel of the rivulets of hot water runningdown over me. I washed my hair and felt it tangle under my fingers.

When I dried off and tossed on jeansand a yellow top, I checked the time. I had a few hours before I had to go tothe tavern for my short shift. I braided my wet hair and briefly wondered whatCarl would think. What Gil would think. Shit, what I would think. Then I walkedthe three miles to Josie’s.

Chapter7

“You want to what?” Josie’s hair waspink lemonade pink and I’d done a double take when I walked in. Her bright blueeyes were still as startling as ever, especially with the candy colored hair.

“Chop it off. Whack it, hack it,donate it.” I flopped in her turquoise styling chair and she kissed my cheek.

“We missed you around here. Stillcrazy and impulsive I see.”

“Come on! We’ve been best friendsforever. Are you really surprised that a new life means I want new hair?” Itwirled the long dark caramel colored strands around my hand and eyed myself inthe mirror. No makeup, pale skin, blue eyes, freckled just above the apples ofmy cheeks. Defiant. Above all, I saw a defiant woman who was going to announcevia her hair that shit was going to change, thank you very much.

Carl loved my hair. Loved it long.Loved to twine his fingers in it and use it as a rein in bed or just playedwith it. He liked to twirl it and brush it and even braid it on occasion. Carlwas going to toss a nut. The thought made me laugh.

Even Gil would be surprised because myhair was one of my best features just like my mom. Maybe that was why I wascutting it. With my hair long I was a dead ringer for Marian.

You think he did that with you becauseyou look like your mother…

I shook the thought off and focused onJosie. “I think if we go close to the chin we can donate to charity,” she wasrambling.

“Good, chop it. I’m thinking a chinlength cut--fierce obviously and a crisp bang.”

“Say fringe, baby. It’s so much morechic,” Josie said, misting my hair with water and then putting the cape on me.She started to comb me out.

“Like I said, a crisp bang.”

Josie snorted and hovered her sharpshears near my hair. “You ready?”

“Wait,” I said, feeling a little blipof fear. “What about color?”

She grinned and the blip turned into awave of fear. “Don’t look so terrified!” Josie said.

“I can’t help it.”

“I’m saying keep it natural color andall but how about a blazing blue streak near the front?”

“What in blue blazes,” I laughed.

“Exactly.”

“Fuck it. Let’s go for it,” I said.

“Done and done,” my best friend saidand