Chapter 1: A New Neighbor
“Tom? Is that you?”
Elizabeth Lance shouted from the laundry room as her son Tom entered the house.
Tom poked his head into the laundry room. “Yeah, Mom, I just finished mowing, and I’m going to shower.”
“OK, sweetie,” she said. “Oh! We have a new neighbor. Somebody bought the old Dawkins house next door: a Mrs. Miller. I met her this morning. You should go over and say hello.”
“Mrs. Miller, huh,” he said. “OK, I’ll swing by after my shower.”
The Dawkins house was small, with just two bedrooms, but had been well maintained. Tom glanced at the lawn before ringing the doorbell.
A young woman with blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail appeared at the door, looking exhausted. “Yes?” She said.
“Hi, I’m Tom Lance. I live next door. Is Mrs. Miller here?”
“That would be me,” she said.
Tom looked confused. “You’re Mrs. Miller?”
She laughed and said, “The one-and-only. Were you expecting somebody else?”
Tom hung his head. “Sorry. I guess I was expecting someone older, a second-grade teacher nearing retirement, and I have no idea why I thought that.”
“Well,” she said, “sorry to disappoint. Come on in. The place is a mess. Apparently, the movers dropped all the boxes off but were allergic to stairs. I’ve got quite a mess.”
He stepped inside and said, “I see your point. I can help if you like.”
“That’s generous,” she said, “but it’s too much to do for free. How about twenty dollars an hour?”
“Where do I start?” He said.
After three hours and countless trips up and down the stairs, most boxes were staged in the correct rooms. Tom appeared wilted on his last trip down.
“You are a hard worker!” She said. “I thought I’d be doing this for days. Thank you! I’ll just grab my purse.”
“No need,” he said. “Look, we’re neighbors, and I was happy to help you get settled. I’m not going to take your money.”
She stood with her hands on her hips. “Are you sure?”
“Mrs. Miller, I am very sure. I was happy to help,” he said.
She shook her head. “OK. Two things: Number one, call me Jenny, and number two, I’m making you dinner tonight, and I’m not taking no for an answer.”
Tom smiled and wiped his brow. “Dinner sounds wonderful, but I need a shower. When should I come back?”
Jenny said, “How about six? We’ll have a drink and then eat. But be warned. It will be a pretty simple meal. I’ve not had time to do a big grocery run yet.”
“No worries,” he said. “I’ll be back in a bit.”
Tom walked across the yard and entered the side door to his house. His Mom was in the kitchen.
“Hey, Mom,” he said.
“Where have you been?” She said. “And why are you so sweaty again?”
“Mrs. Miller needed some help moving boxes, so I pitched in. She’s going to make me dinner as a thank you,” he said.
“But I’m making meatloaf!” His Mom replied.
Tom kissed his mother on the head and said, “Just put mine in the fridge. You know I’ll eat it. Nobody can resist your meatloaf.” He kissed her again and said, “I’m going to shower.”
He returned to Jessy’s house a little after six o’clock and rang the bell. She had showered and changed and now wore jeans and a T-shirt.
“Come in,” she said. “Have a seat at the table in the kitchen. I’ll be right there.”
He seated himself and then looked around.
“You’ve got a lot done,” he said.
She returned to the kitchen and said, “I would give you a lot of credit for that. Beer?”
“Sure,” he said.
She grabbed two bottles from the fridge and sat at the table. Once they were open, she held her bottle up, and Tom clinked it to his own. “To neighbors,” he said.
“I,” he said, then hesitated, “don’t know how to ask this. Where is Mr. Miller?”
Jessy stared at her bottle before answering. “My husband died three years ago.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss. And I’m sorry for prying,” he said, looking down.
They were quiet for a time when Jenny said, “You didn’t ask how he died.”
He looked at her and shook his head. “It’s not my place. You don’t owe me that.”
She nodded. “You are a very polite young man, and I wish everybody was like you.” She took a deep breath and said, “Gray was driving back after visiting his folks when a drunk driver got on the interstate going the wrong way.”
“I’m sorry,” he said.
She stood and moved to the stove. “So was I,” she said. “We’d only been married a year, and I didn’t expect to be a widow at twenty-seven.” She picked up a spatula. “Hamburgers?”
“That sounds great,” he said.
“What about you?” She said as she began cooking. “What’s your story?”
“I’m going into my senior year and plan on finishing my Electrical Engineering degree next Spring,” he said.
“Oh! Young college stud,” she said.
“A little older than my classmates, though,” he said. “I took a gap year after high school.”
“Travel the country? Toured Europe?” She asked as the hamburger began to sizzle.
“Hardly,” he said, tipping his bottle. “I worked construction for a year to save some money. It was my Dad’s idea, and I got a lot of great experience and put some money away.”
“So, what does that make you twenty-two?” She asked.
“Twenty-three,” he said, smiling.
“Well, old man,” she said, “I’m glad you were still in good enough shape to run up and down those stairs!”
He chuckled. “I’ll be sore in the morning.”
They both laughed and took a drink.
When Tom returned home, his parents were sitting in the living room.
“Well, what can you tell us about our new neighbor?” His mom asked.
“Liz, don’t badger the poor boy,” said his father.
Tom took a seat and said, “She’s nice. She’s also a widow. Her husband died three years ago, and I think she’s trying to restart her life.”
“Oh, the poor dear!” Liz said. “How did he die?”
“Car accident,” Tom said, “but don’t bring it up. Let the poor woman grieve in peace.”
“She’s taken a shine to him, John,” Liz told her husband.
“Mom, don’t be ridiculous,” Tom said, rolling his eyes.
“She invited him to dinner,” Liz continued.
“Because I helped her move boxes for three hours, Mom. Don’t start crazy rumors,” Tom said.
John said, “You were a good neighbor helping her finish moving. I’m sure she appreciated it.”
Tom stood and said, “I’ve had a day. I’m going up to surf the web and then go to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.” He kissed his mom on the cheek and said, “Goodnight, Dad,” to his father.
Chapter 2: Lawns and Home Repair
The Summer solstice was still a few weeks away, but the grass, flowers, and weeds were thriving. Tom walked behind his house and noticed the grass needed cutting again, and Jenny’s grass looked more like a jungle. Saturday mornings were the usual day for mowing, so he walked to Jenny’s front door and rang the bell.
“Good morning,” she said.
“I’m going to mow our lawn,” he said, “and it would only take a few extra minutes to mow yours, too. Would that be OK?”
“Yes!” She said. “I’ve been too busy to get a lawnmower. You’re a lifesaver. Can I pay you?”
He chucked. “What do you think?”
Tom thought for a moment, then peeked inside the house. “Have you swapped out all the light bulbs yet?”
“What? No,” she said.
He pointed to the porch light. “Incandescent bulb. I’m betting all the bulbs leftover from the last owner are like this. You’ll save a ton of money if you swap them out for LED bulbs.”
“Really?” She said. “What are you suggesting?”
“I’m going to mow the lawns, and then we should head over to Home Depot and get LED bulbs to replace all the old incandescent ones. Let me help you with this project, and I’ll let you buy me lunch.”
She smiled. “Well, I can’t pass up an offer like that! What do you need from me?”
He took a deep breath. “While I’m mowing, you need to do an inventory of all the bulbs you’ve got and where they are, maybe even their wattage. Then we’ll know how many of each kind to buy. Check the basement and fixtures in the bathrooms, kitchen, and hallways. If you’ve got table lamps, count those, too. Don’t go nuts. We’ll never find everything in one trip, but get us started. I should be done in about an hour.”
“OK,” she said. “I’ll be ready to go in an hour.”
It was nearly as easy to mow two lawns as one. Jenny’s lot was small, and the grass in the back was just an extension of Tom’s own backyard. When he was done, both properties looked much better.
She met him in the driveway by her car. “Ready?” She said.
Her list was complete, and he complimented her on her organizational skills. The bill for the Home Depot run was hefty, but Tom assured her that she’ll save enough on electricity to win back the investment in a year or so.
They found a cafe with table service and ordered their lunch.
“I get the impression you’re pretty handy around the house,” she said. “I’ve got some other projects in mind. Think you could help?”
“Absolutely,” he said. “And, if I’m stuck, Dad’s a wizard with home repairs. I’m sure we can do whatever you need between the two of us.”
She smiled. “It’s nice to have a man around the house again.” She chuckled when she saw him blanch. “Uh oh!” She said. “Looks like we’ve got commitment issues!”
Tom relaxed and then snickered. “OK. You got me. I don’t have commitment issues. You are such a tease!”
“I don’t know,” she said. “Home repair projects, mowing the lawn, helping with household chores, you’re starting to look like husband material.”
Their sandwiches arrived, and they ate while Jenny described some of the projects. There were loose boards on the basement stairs, a yard light that didn’t work, and some loose molding.
When they arrived back at Jenny’s house, they spent an hour swapping light bulbs, many of which were out of Jenny’s reach but well within Tom’s. The big box of old bulbs was stashed in the basement awaiting trash day.
“Let there be light,” she said as they clinked their beers together.
“And we saw the light, and it was fantastic,” he replied, laughing.
Jenny’s house had taken shape and appeared more like a home than a sea of boxes. Changes were also evident in the relationship between Tom and Jenny. They had begun spending more time together, and Tom ate dinner at Jenny’s at least two nights a week. By mid-Summer, they were best of friends.
Chapter 3: A Cry in the Night
Tom settled into bed and turned the light out. His bedroom door was closed not for privacy but because he disliked the temperature his parents set on the house’s air conditioning. Instead of freezing in July, Tom opened his windows, closed the registers to the central air, and kept his bedroom door closed, enjoying the warm summer breezes. He read his eReader in the darkness while listening to the sound of nature through the window’s screen.
Just as he was dropping off to sleep, Tom heard a scream. He jumped out of bed and moved to the window in time to hear another scream coming from Jenny’s house. He grabbed his jeans and a T-shirt that had been tossed over a chair and flew down the stairs and out the door. The screaming was definitely coming from Jenny’s house.
He ran barefoot to her front door but found it locked. Then he sprinted around the back to find the door to the walk-in basement kicked in and hanging off its hinges. It took a few seconds to climb the stairs to the main floor.
“Jenny!” Tom shouted.
He heard more screaming.
“Jenny! I’m here! I’m coming!” He shouted as he began climbing the stairs to the second floor and her bedroom.
The house was dark. No lights were on in the halls or the rooms, even lights that should have been on were dark. Someone must have killed the power.
“Jenny!” He shouted as he reached the top of the stairs.
A dark figure moved to meet him, throwing a punch that landed on Tom’s shoulder. The two men wrestled, throwing punches in the dark until a foot slipped, and the two of them, still wrestling, still flailing, careened down the stairs together, landing, rolling, falling, bouncing, until there was a sickening crunch and the two figures stopped moving.
Tom caught his breath and extracted his arm from under his assailant. The man lay motionless near the bottom of the stairs, his head toward the bottom and tilted at an odd angle. When he collected his wits, Tom climbed the stairs again.
“Jenny! I’m coming!”
A second man met Tom at the top of the stairs, but one glance at the body lying at the bottom and he pushed Tom aside, descended the stairs, and flew out the front door. Squealing tires were heard moments later.
Tom entered Jenny’s room. “Jenny, are you alright? Are you hurt?”
Jenny backed away toward the corner of the room.
“Jenny, it’s me, Tom. I’m here. Nobody’s going to hurt you. I’m here now,” he said.
It took a moment for her to understand, but then she rushed to him, threw her arms around him, and held him tightly, crying. Tom held her close but kept one eye on the door.
“Jenny,” he said, “where’s your phone?”
“What?”
“Where’s your phone?”
“It’s on the dresser,” she said, stuttering.
Tom dialed 911.
“911. What’s your emergency?”
“I need police and emergency medical at 13921 South Sweetbriar. There’s been a home invasion. A woman has been assaulted, and there is a man injured on the stairs. I’m going to open the front door. I also need to figure out why the power is out. Mrs. Jennifer Miller is the owner of the house, and she’s injured, but I can’t give you more details until I get the lights on.”
“Stay on the line,” the dispatcher said before making radio calls.
Jenny was holding on to Tom while he made the call. He switched the phone to speaker so they could both hear the dispatcher.
“Police and EMS are on their way. Stay where you are,” said the dispatcher.
“I’m leaving the phone with Mrs. Miller. I’m Tom Lance, a neighbor, and I’m going to try to get the lights on. Stay on the line with Mrs. Miller,” he said.
“No!” Jenny cried. “Don’t leave me!”
“I’m not leaving you. I’m going to get the power back on. Don’t leave this room. Don’t hang up on the 911 operator. I’ll be back in 90 seconds,” he said. Then he held her by the shoulders and said, “Trust me.”
She nodded and stood by the dresser and the phone.
Tom rushed down the stairs, careful not to disturb the body, and found the breaker panel in the basement. The main circuit breakers had been switched off. He reset the breakers and tried a light in the basement. Satisfied, he returned to the first floor and turned on some lights.
It was clear that the man on the stairs was dead. Tom walked up the stairs and returned to Jenny’s room to find her slumped on the floor. He switched on a light to find her bleeding from a cut on her head. Before he could say anything, flashing lights appeared in the window, and a policeman entered the house.
“Up here,” Tom shouted.
The policeman climbed the stairs while the EMTs examined the body.
“I’m Officer Johnson. Can you tell me what happened here?”
Jenny looked dazed. The officer turned to Tom. “Who are you?”
“My name is Tom Lance. I live next door with my parents. I sleep with my window open at night, so I was able to hear Jenny screaming. I entered the house through the basement. That door had been knocked off its hinges. I went up the stairs yelling to Jenny the whole way I was coming, and when I reached the second floor, a man attacked me in the dark. We fell down the stairs together, and he must have been injured.”
“He’s dead,” said the cop.
Tom nodded. “I was tangled up with him. My arm was trapped beneath him. Once I got free, I climbed the stairs again, and a second man met me at the top. He didn’t fight me, though, he ran down the stairs and out the door. He drove off seconds later.”
“Can you describe the second man?”
“No, they shut off the power at the breaker box. The whole house was dark,” said Tom.
The officer harrumphed. “Wait outside. I’m going to talk to this other witness.”
“Victim,” Tom said, correcting the officer.
“Wait outside,” the officer repeated.
“No!”
Jenny was panicked at the thought of Tom leaving her.
Tom reached for her. “I’m not leaving. I’m going downstairs to talk to the EMT. I won’t leave you. It’s going to be OK.”
Jenny nodded through her tears.
When Tom made his way to the first floor, past the body and the EMTs, he saw his parents waiting outside.
“Tom!” Said his father. “What the hell is going on? The police say this is a crime scene!”
“It is, Dad,” Tom said. “Somebody broke in and attacked Jenny.”
“Is that man dead?”
“Yeah, Dad, I think he probably is. I’ll fill you in later, OK. Just go home. I’ll call you in a bit,” said Tom.
Tom heard the EMTs estimate a time of death and call the county coroner. Finally, Officer Johnson came down the stairs and said, “The EMTs are with her now. She’s shaken up, but I don’t think she’s seriously hurt. She’s asking for you.”
“Thank you,” said Tom, and he climbed the stairs.
It took an hour for the body to be removed. Tom spent that hour holding Jenny while she shook and sobbed. Finally, Officer Johnson said, “We’ve finished. We’ll be in contact with you later today if we have more questions.”
“Thank you,” was all Tom could muster.
When he heard the door close, he picked up Jenny’s phone and called his parents. His father picked up.
“Dad, the police are done. I need to get some things from the house, and we should do something with the basement door to seal it,” Tom said.
“Don’t leave!” Cried Jenny.
“Hang on, Dad,” said Tom.
“I’m not going to leave you. I’m going to have my Dad come over and sit with you while I get some clothes and other stuff, OK?” Tom was holding her by the shoulders as he spoke.
He picked up the phone again. “Dad, can you come over and sit with Jenny for a few minutes so I can grab some stuff from the house?”
“Of course. You want my.45?”
Jenny heard the offer and shouted, “No guns! No guns in my house! No!”
“OK, OK, got it. No guns,” said Tom.
“I’ll be right over, son,” said John.
“Thanks, Dad.”
When John Lance arrived, Jenny was still shaking. It took a moment for her to accept John as protector while Tom returned to the house, but she eventually acquiesced. Tom went to his room and collected a change of clothes, shoes, phone, and his beloved 32-inch Louisville Slugger baseball bat. It may not be as effective as his father’s.45, but it would do in a pinch.
When he returned to Jenny’s room, he found his father and Jenny sitting in silence. His father looked at him, and Tom may have detected a tear in his eyes.
“Thanks, Dad, I got it from here,” said Tom.
John rose, and as he passed his son, he spotted the baseball bat. “Good choice,” he said and walked home.
Tom took a step toward Jenny, and she sprung from the bed and hugged him. “I was so scared!”
He held her close, kissed the top of her head, and patted her back. “I know. It was really scary. But it’s over. OK? You need sleep. You’re exhausted. I will sit in this chair and watch out so nothing else happens, OK? I’ll be here the whole night. I’m not moving. So climb into bed and try to rest. Can you do that?”
“Yes,” she said quietly. She moved the covers and climbed into bed. When Tom moved to turn off the light, she shouted, “No! Please leave the light on!”
“OK,” Tom said. “Good idea. The light stays on. And I stay right here.”
She nodded, closed her eyes, cried for a bit, and finally fell asleep.
Chapter 4: Motive
When daybreak came, Tom finally switched off the light. Jenny woke a few minutes later, and she looked at him and smiled.
“Good morning,” he said.
She smiled. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he said. “You had me worried.”
She moved to the far side of the queen-sized bed. “I’m so tired,” she said. “You must be exhausted. Did you stay up all night for me?”
Tom shrugged. “Yeah, I was right here the whole night.”
“Well,” she said, “the sun is out now, so I’m less panicked. You need sleep, too. Come to bed with me. Sleep with me. I want you here.”
Tom said, “OK,” and moved to the bed.
She giggled. “No, silly, take off your clothes! It’s OK. I’ve seen man parts before.”
“You sure?” He said.
She nodded. “I’m sure. I’ll sleep better if you hold me. And you need sleep, too.”
He removed his shoes, shirt, and pants and crawled beside her.
She rolled to put her head on his shoulder while he embraced her. “Thank you,” she said, and she kissed his neck. Then she moved back, and he spooned her as they fell asleep.
It was noon when Tom’s phone rang. He reached for it and gave a sleepy, “Hello?”
“You guys going to sleep all day?” John asked playfully.
“Hi, Dad. I stayed up until about six, then finally got some shuteye. But, yeah, we should be up. We’ll be over in a few minutes. I’m bringing Jenny. I don’t think she should be alone,” Tom said.
“You’re right. We’ll be here,” and John ended the call.
Tom turned back to Jenny. “Hi,” he said.
She crawled on top of him, surprising him. “Thank you,” she said, and she kissed him. His arms enveloped her, and they kissed gently, carefully, and respectfully. She giggled. “You are a gentleman. Are you afraid you’ll take advantage of me?”
He pulled a few locks of hair from her eyes and said, “I won’t lie. I want you. You’re amazing. But I want us to–” For a moment, he lost the words, “Do this the right way. I don’t want to mess this up. You’re too important to me.”
She kissed him, petted his hair, and whispered, “I want you, too. And you’re right. Thank you.”
She slipped from the bed, leaned to him again, and said, “Do you have anything against saving water in the shower?”
A grin appeared on his face. “No, that’s very practical, and I’m all in with that.”
She removed her T-shirt and shorts, dropping them to the floor. He was transfixed by her form, her breasts, her ass, and her golden hair sliding across her shoulders. His heart raced as he rose from the bed and discarded his boxers, seeing her illuminated by the mid-day sun.
She turned as he began following her, and she felt a warmth in her core, a weightlessness that lifted all sorrow and a sense of belonging that she had missed for too long. She switched on the bathroom light and pulled two towels from the linen closet. When she turned, he was there, strong arms holding her, drawing her closer, his lips kissing her, his cock, long and hard, poking her. He shifted, and his hard-on slipped quickly between them, pointing straight up, trapped between their bodies.
They kissed passionately, and she reached between them and grasped his dick, pausing momentarily to lock eyes. There was lust, yes, but also deep affection. As she jacked him, he leaned back and closed his eyes, craving an orgasm that would splash over her breasts, a wanton desire to feel his cock pulse in her hands, yearning to consummate their unspoken love for each other.
He grabbed her ass to steady himself as he leaned back slightly to give her room to pump his dick. The joy on her face was radiant. She cupped his balls and pumped faster, dragging her thumb across his piss hole, pulling his foreskin, and massaging his balls.
“Cum for me, Tom,” she said. “Please, you saved my life, protected me through the night. Let me help you cum.”
Tom grunted and sighed as the first jet of cum flew from his cock, spraying the underside of her boobs. “Yes,” she hissed, slowing, pacing her pumps to his eruptions, milking him, tenderly caressing his dick, wiping it with his cum to lubricate it. “Yes, baby,” she said. “So good.”
When he was spent, she released his cock and mashed herself into him, trapping his cock between them and grabbing his ass. Tom’s other hand held her ass, too, and he fucked her belly with his slick cock. Rocking, head forward, eyes locked on hers, breathing ragged, and a smile of relief and gratitude. After a few moments, he stopped moving, loosened his grip, and bent to kiss her. He could feel her vibrating with excitement.
“You’re amazing,” he said.
“Not me, you,” she said. “You’re my knight in shining armor come to save me.”
He kissed her again, and when the kiss broke, she said, “I’m getting cold. What’s the chance I can get you to wash my back?”
When they walked through the door to Tom’s parent’s house, Liz said, “There they are!”
“Hi, Mom,” said Tom as he stood beside the kitchen table.
“Are you kids alright?” Liz asked.
Jenny said, “It was a rough night. I was a mess, but Tom watched over me all night. I felt safe with him there, and I was able to get some sleep.”
“Well, sit down. We’ll make lunch, and you can tell us what happened,” said Liz.
John sat at the table and said, “No more trouble, I take it?”
Tom sighed, “No, but we’ve got some work to do. The basement door is in bad shape, and if we can’t repair or replace it right away, we should probably use some two-by-fours to hold it shut.”
“We can look at that after lunch,” said John. “Any other damage?”
Liz brought a pile of grilled cheese sandwiches and bowls of tomato soup to the table.
“I don’t know, Dad. By the time the police and coroner left, it was late. We’ll have to look around when we’re done with lunch.”
The four ate silently until Liz suggested that Jenny stay while “the boys” did house repairs. When the men left, Jenny helped Liz clear the dishes, with Liz washing and Jenny drying.
Liz said, “I know last night was terrifying. I can’t imagine it. But you seem better today. Are you feeling better? You’re very brave.”
Jenny shook her head. “I’m not brave. Your son is brave. He fought a man in the darkness, nearly died on those stairs, and kept going. I heard him call to me as soon as he entered the house. It gave me hope.”
Liz looked into the dishwater and smiled. “I think I know my son. He must care for you much more than he’s letting on. I’ve never seen him so focused on a woman as he is on you. I see the way he looks at you.” Then she stopped.
“I’ve not felt this way since my husband was alive,” Jenny said. “It isn’t just last night. Tom makes me happy. It doesn’t matter what we’re doing. I see him smile at me and feel warm, at home.”
Liz looked at her and whispered, “Are you ready for those feelings again? Tom has made the point that you’re still grieving and that we need to give you time and space. But when I see you together, I’m worried he’s not taking his own advice.”
Jenny could only nod.
Liz stepped away from the water to face Jenny. “I’m your neighbor and your friend. Don’t think of me as Tom’s mother. Tom is a grown-ass man who doesn’t need his Mom to protect him. If you have any doubt of that, just think back to last night.”
Jenny looked down but listened.
“I believe if he isn’t in love with you, he will be soon,” Liz continued. “Here’s what I’m trying to say: tell him if you need more time. Tell him if you need him to step up and move things along. The men in our family are idiots. I had to kick John in the ass a couple of times because he was being so much of a gentleman. It was infuriating. Tom cares about you, but you have to let him in.”
Jenny stood motionless for a time, then tears appeared, and she laid her head on Liz’s shoulder and hugged her. “Thank you,” she said.
Tom and John stood in the basement, hands on hips, examining the damaged door. The frame had been partially ripped out, and the door was unsalvageable.
“I’m not sure it’s worth making a list,” said Tom. “We’re going to need to replace the whole thing: frame, hinges, door, locks, weather stripping, the works.”
John nodded. “Yeah.” He moved the door, and another piece fell off. “I called Billy. I’ve sent enough work his way that he said he’d do the job for cost and not charge for labor. I told him you’d help. Hope that’s OK.”
“I worked for him for a year,” said Tom. “He knows I work hard. But even just the door and the lumber will be expensive. Should we run this by Jenny?”
“No need,” said John. “I talked to your mother this morning. I’ll pick up the tab for the parts. I will be a housewarming present from us. We should add something, though. Let’s put a motion-activated floodlight over the door. I don’t want a repeat of last night.”
“I was thinking,” said Tom. “We should put in an alarm system with a panic button. You can buy them at the big box stores and set them up in a day.”
“Expensive?” Asked John.
“Not really,” said Tom.
“Looks like your Mom and I are good for an alarm system, too.”
Chapter 5: Closer
Tom and Jenny spent much more time together, having dinner at each other’s houses, movies, shopping, hiking, and doing chores. John and Liz treated her as one of the family, and soon the skittishness she showed after the break-in was replaced by smiles and laughter.
Around the Lance dinner table, John asked, “I don’t think I ever asked you what you do for work.”
Jenny put her wine down and said, “I’m Senior Vice President for Commercial Loans at Title Bank in Groverton.”
“My!” Said Liz.
Jenny laughed and said, “It’s just paperwork, and since I have almost no staff, it’s usually just me. But I like the work, and they’re good to me.”
Tom couldn’t help but beam.
“Only about a month until you go back to school, right Tom?” Asked John.
“Yeah, just two more semesters and the last one should be relatively light so I can interview,” Tom said.
“I think that gap year you took did you good,” said his Dad.
Jenny raised her glass. “To our budding engineer!”
Glasses clicked, and everyone sipped.
After dinner, Tom followed Jenny home kissing her as soon as they entered the house. “God, you’re beautiful,” he said.
“Stay with me,” said Jenny. “Please. I don’t need to get up for work tomorrow. We can stay up all night making love. Don’t leave.”
Tom rested his forehead on hers and said, “I want to, but I should really head home.”
Tears came to her eyes, but she nodded and let him go.
When Tom returned home, he found his mother in the living room reading. His father was nowhere to be seen. His mother closed her book and looked at him. “What are you doing back?”
“Um–” he said stupidly.
His mother shook her head and pointed to a chair. “Sit,” she said.
He obeyed.
“What am I going to do with you?” She said.
“What–”
“Shut up and listen to your mother,” Liz said. “Do you love her?”
“Um–”
“Oh, for Christ’s sake,” she said, rolling her eyes.
Tom must have decided that saying nothing was better than his last few responses.
“Has she been asking you to sleep with her?”
Tom nodded.
“And you keep coming home. Why?”
“Um–”
Liz rolled her eyes again. “What is it with males in this family? Maybe you don’t know if you love her, but do you know if you want to be with her tonight?”
“Yes,” said Tom.
“Then why aren’t you?”
“Um–”
Liz shook her head. “I’m starting to think your brain’s stuck, and it’s now on repeat. Let me remind you of a few things. You’re twenty-three years old. You’re a man and don’t need your mother’s permission to sleep with a woman. I’m sure you didn’t call me and ask permission before!”
Tom’s face turned bright red.
“Right,” she continued. “If a woman you deeply care about invites you to her bed, you should accept graciously. Why is this so hard for you to get?”
“Dad–”
“Don’t start,” she said. “Your father’s an idiot. I discussed this with him earlier, and he had no idea you were so close. Sometimes I wonder how he doesn’t wander into traffic.”
“You don’t mind?” Said Tom.
“Mind?” Answered Liz. “I want you to be happy. I’ve never seen you happier than when you’re with Jessy. Go to her. Now. But do me one favor.”
“Um, sure?” He said.
“No grandchildren until you graduate,” Liz said with a twinkle in her eyes.
Tom walked across the lawn and back to Jessy’s house. He knocked.
When she opened the door, Tom said, “I’m sorry. I’m an idiot. Can you forgive me?”
Jessy smiled and nodded. “I hear it runs in the family,” she said. Then, after a beat, she said, “Well, don’t just stand there. Come in!”
He stepped through, and she was in his arms as soon as the door was closed.
“Not that it matters, but what changed your mind?” She said.
“My mother read me the riot act,” Tom said, shrugging.
Jenny suppressed a grin. “Don’t feel bad. I got the full treatment, too, a while ago.”
“Why?”
She took his hand and walked him to the loveseat.
“She told me that I needed to be honest with you. If I need time, I should tell you. If I need you to quit stalling, I should tell you that, too. You would give me all the time I needed and wouldn’t make a move until you were sure I was ready,” said Jenny.
“She said all that?”
“I paraphrased,” Jenny said, “And I left out some other important bits, but that was the gist.”
“I don’t want you to feel pressured,” he said.
She kissed him and said, “The only thing I want to feel tonight is you.”
They moved to her bedroom and disrobed each other slowly with lots of kisses on newly exposed skin. She lay in the center of the bed, Tom hovering over her, kissing from her neck to her breasts, her tummy, and finally her mound, which he found shaved clean.
He dropped, slipped his arms beneath her legs, and lifted as he inhaled deeply her scent. He began with a simple kiss near the top of her entrance where her button should be hiding, and he could feel her tense in his arms. He circled the area, kissing inside her thighs, back and forth, until he paused and licked a trace between the bottom of her lips and the top, again kissing the hidden button. There was an audible sigh.
He teased her with his nose, dragging it through her slit, poking it, rubbing it along the bikini line, up and down, left to right. His tongue licked again, and then he sucked carefully, slowly, dragging the lips slightly until he reached her clit again. Then he licked hard and sucked. There was a squeal.
She was wet now. He tongue-fucked her, bouncing his nose against her button, then extended a finger until it was lubricated from her juices. She was tight, and he was careful. He replaced his index finger with his middle finger and gently dragged the fingertip along the top of her pussy, seeking the G-spot. Over and over, he finger-fucked her, dragging, seeking, probing, and stretching while he began sucking on her nub.
She gave no warning. Her legs snapped around his head, and she shouted, “Fuck!” The bed shook, and he could feel her spasms when he laid his hand on her belly. Her hand pushed his head hard off her cunt. When her shaking slowed, he moved up the bed and rested his head next to hers.
After a few minutes, she spoke. “I’ve never come that hard,” she said.
He whispered to her, “It was long overdue. I’m sorry I made you wait.”
Chuckling, she said, “Well, now that I know how good you are, damn you for making me wait.”
She turned to him and said, “Tom, I–”
“Don’t,” he said.
Her face fell, and tears ran down her cheeks.
“I try not to be selfish,” he said, “but I’m making an exception here. I want to say it first. Jessy, I love you. I’ve loved you for a while but didn’t know if I should say it. If you’re not ready, I’ll wait for you. You’re everything.”
She held his face. “I love you, too!” Tears came again but of joy. They embraced, and she said, “I love you so much.”
Then her hand wandered lower, seeking his wand. He was hard, and she pulled on it playfully.
“I’m sorry,” he said, “I don’t have protection. I’m not even sure I have it at the house.” Then, reluctantly, he said, “It’s been a long time.”
She released his cock and rubbed his chest. “I think I have you beat on that score,” she said.
He sighed.
“We don’t need to wait. I went on the pill before I bought the house. I thought maybe if I allowed myself the notion that I might meet someone, I might be more open to the idea,” she said.
“Are you sure?” He said.
She laughed. “Your Mom’s right. You are an idiot. Come here, you.”
He hovered over her, kissed her, and rubbed his hard cock through her wet pussy.
“You know I’m tight,” she said. “Please go slow.”
“I planned to,” he said, and he kissed her.
She helped him in, then brought her knees up so she could rotate her ass to better accommodate him. His strokes were short and slow, giving her time to loosen. Her breath was hot on his neck as he glanced down to see his prick disappear.
She pulled him down into a kiss, and he slipped in more of his length. When he finally bumped his hilt, she gasped, wrapped her ankles around his ass, and pulled. Each upward stroke pulled her off the bed, and each downward stroke pounded her ass into the mattress.
“Ah! Fuck!” She said between gasps. “Oh my god, faster!”
He went from slow and careful to fucking her hard. Each thrust into her banged their pubic bones together, and then her ass was driven into the bed. He felt his balls boiling, and though his brain wanted to hold out, the animal in him wanted to cum in her, to bury his prick deep inside her, to bang his balls on her asshole and fill her. When he let loose, he straightened his arms and growled, looking into her eyes. His first jet triggered her second orgasm, and her pussy clamped down on his cock.
His breathing was rough, and it took a few moments for him to focus again and settle onto his elbows. He kissed her forehead, then dropped down to kiss her mouth gently at first, and then tongues and sighs merged them as her hands pulled his ass cheeks, trying to pull him inside her.
“I love you,” he said, resting his head on her shoulder.
Her hands traveled up his back and neck, and they both began to relax.
“I didn’t realize how strong you were,” she said.
“I’m going to need some time to recover,” he said.
She scratched his arms. “Yeah? How long?”
He groaned and pulled off of her. “Maybe a week,” he said, laughing.
“No chance, mister, we have a lot of catching up to do,” she said.
He turned to her. “I loved feeling your heat,” he said. “I never want us to wear a condom.”
“First time,” she asked.
“Yes. And I’m glad it was with you.”
They cuddled for a few minutes, and Tom finally spoke. “I’ve never felt so at peace.” He closed his eyes and spoke toward the ceiling. “You want to get married, right?”
Chapter 6: The Return
“Oh my god,” Liz said. “That’s how he proposed?”
Jenny giggled. “He probably wasn’t thinking clearly at that point.”
“Oh, lord,” Liz said. “What did you say?”
Coffee steamed in her mug as Jenny warmed her hands. “I decided that was his clumsy way of asking if I was ready to move on from Gray. The idea behind the question was sweet, but–”
“He’s an idiot,” they said in unison. They laughed.
Liz said, “I married John almost thirty years ago. He might occasionally be an idiot, but he has always had a good heart, and that’s what matters.”
Looking down, Jenny nodded, smiling and reminiscing.
Liz put a cookie on her plate. “How are the house repairs coming?”
“Tom supervised the installation of the new basement door and even had that motion-activated light added,” Jenny said. “I can’t thank you and your husband enough for taking care of that for me, and it was very thoughtful.”
“You are very welcome,” Liz said. “We want you to feel safe. We’ve even loaned you our son for guard duty!”
“Well,” Jenny said, “he sleeps a lot on the job, but as you say, his heart is in the right place.”
“Are you feeling better about things?”
Jenny nodded. “Tom installed a new alarm system while I was at work one day. There are sensors on all the doors and first-floor windows, and it even has a panic button. I keep that and my phone by the bed now. And I think Tom also keeps that Louisville Slugger next to his side.”
Tom’s Mom said, “He used to have a pretty good swing. I hope he never has to use it.”
“I’m going to miss him when he returns to school,” said Jenny. “I’ve felt so safe with him here. But I want him to complete his studies. I even asked if he’d considered a master’s degree, but he insists on getting some work experience first.”
“He would know,” said Liz. “I hope the time passes quickly for you two. You’re perfect together.”
“Thank you,” said Jenny. “You and your husband are so very kind. I couldn’t ask for better.”
“I hate to pry, but has there been any word on why those two maniacs came into your house?”
“No,” Jenny said. “But a police detective is coming by later today to ask me more questions, and maybe I’ll learn more then.”
Tom and Jenny sat quietly in the living room of her house, waiting for the detective to arrive. Jenny looked from window to window for the new sensors Tom installed. The keypad for the system glowed near the front door.
Jenny answered when the detective knocked, leading him to the chair while the two lovers took the loveseat.
“Thank you for seeing me,” said the man. “I’m Detective Stone. I’ve read the police reports and the report from the coroner, but I’d appreciate it if you could tell it to me again in your own words.”
They both recounted what they heard and saw. Tom’s recollection of the fight on the stairway brought Jenny to tears when she was reminded how close she came to losing him. The detective took notes, and when they had finished, he closed his book.
“Mrs. Miller, I need to ask you some questions that are a bit awkward. I hope you don’t mind,” the man said. “Do you know of anyone who would want to harm you? I understand that you work in a bank. Perhaps it could be a disgruntled customer?”
Jenny thought for a moment. “I work in commercial finance, not consumer finance, so my customers are businesses, typically big businesses. Nothing seems very personal, and I don’t know why this would be work-related.”
“How about family,” he asked. “Does anyone in your family have mental health problems, hold a grudge, feel cheated, or generally wish you harm?”
“This is a stretch,” she said, “but my husband’s younger sister believes I somehow cheated her out of insurance money.”
Tom leaned back in his seat. This was the first he’d heard of anything of the sort.
“And why would she believe that?” Asked the detective.
Jenny looked down and spoke softly. “My husband was Gray Miller. He died about three years ago in a traffic accident. We had only been married a short time. We were trying to start a family and did the sorts of things people do. We began looking for a house, discussing baby names, and buying life insurance policies for both of us. We were going to open a college fund account, but he died before we got there.”
Tom reached for her hand. “I’m sorry,” he said.
She continued. “His death was a shock. We were very young. The insurance policy was written with me as the primary beneficiary and his sister as the contingent beneficiary if I preceded him in death. His sister somehow thought we’d split the money since we were both on the policy. That’s not how it works, of course.”
“And you know she thought this how?” The detective asked.
“She was very vocal about it,” Jenny said. “When she discovered a month after his death that she’d receive nothing, she called me and threatened to sue me. She also began making horrible accusations about me to her family. His mom tried to talk sense into her but to no avail. In the end, I moved and got a new phone number. I was close to Gray’s parents, but June made keeping in touch impossible.”
“What is her full name?”
“June Alice Miller.” Jenny provided contact information for her former sister-in-law.
“Is there anyone else you can think of?” The detective asked.
“No,” said Jenny. “I can’t imagine why anyone would have done that.”
“That insurance policy is now paid out, so there is no question about beneficiaries or other legal matters, right?”
Jenny shrugged. “Correct. The will executed after his death had me as the sole heir, and his sister wasn’t mentioned. That’s now complete, too. I’ve had a new will drawn up citing my parents for any inheritance.”
“Can you think of anything else that might help?”
Jenny looked at Tom, who shook his head. “No. That’s all I can think of,” said Jenny.
The detective handed Jenny his card and said that should she think of something, to please call. As an afterthought, the detective turned to Tom. “I should add that the coroner and the district attorney agreed that the death on the stairs was an accident and self-defense. So you’re in the clear.”
“Thank you,” said Tom.
When the detective was gone, Tom held Jenny and said, “I didn’t know any of that. I’m so sorry.”
“It was a long time ago,” she said. “It’s hard to talk about, even now.”
In nearly a whisper, Tom said, “I didn’t know you were trying to get pregnant.”
She wiped a tear away and said, “That was a long time ago, too.”
They made love that night and the next but retired early on the third. The bedroom windows faced the front and side yards, not the back, so they didn’t see the motion-activated flood lights flash. They did hear the alarm.
Tom grabbed the remote and silenced the alarm. Jenny sat up and looked panicked. He put his finger to his lips to silence her, then handed her the phone. “If I’m not back in sixty seconds, you call 911 and stay on the line. Don’t open this door for anyone but me.”
Tom slipped on his jeans and sneakers, gripped his baseball bat, and moved to the door. “Lock it just like we practiced,” he whispered.
Jenny closed the door and locked the two deadbolts.
The keypad at the front door indicated a window break in the basement. Tom found the darkest spot near the base of the stairs and waited. If this was just a burglary, he might let it go. But the moment someone put a foot on those stairs leading to Jenny’s bedroom, they would get the business end of that bat.
Tom stood as still as he could, knowing some floorboards squeak. A figure moving silently in the dark approached the stairs. They turned for a moment to look at the keypad but must have decided to ignore it. The intruder took that first step up, and Tom came out swinging. He hit the intruder behind the knees with a full swing. The figure screamed and fell backward into the entryway a few feet from the stairs. When Tom saw the intruder would not get up, he reached for the light switch and turned it on.
The intruder was a woman wearing a ski mask. Tom held the bat threatening to bring it down on her while reaching for the mask. He pulled it off, then shouted, “Are you alone? Who is with you?”
“Don’t hurt me!” She cried.
“Are you alone?” Tom yelled.
“Yes!”
Tom took a breath and shouted toward the second floor. “Jenny, come down here. Bring the phone.”
He heard the locks slide and the door open. When Jenny reached the top of the stairs, she saw the figure on the ground. “June?”
June Alice Miller said nothing.
“Jenny,” Tom said in an exhausted voice, “call 911 and ask for the police to come by.”
The police arrived in minutes, and June Miller was arrested. She was checked by EMTs and had no broken bones, but she complained bitterly about the bruising to the back of her knees, and she received little sympathy.
Chapter 7: The Fall of Leaves
Jenny knew the police would be crawling through the place the next day, so she left a message for her manager that she would be taking a personal day to deal with the second home invasion of the summer. She received an email in the morning wishing her well.
Since the police weren’t going to arrive until noon for interviews, Tom and Jenny decided they would screw like bunnies the whole morning. Well, the whole morning, minus the time it took to bring John and Liz up to date.
“Are you glad I don’t have any siblings?” Tom asked.
Jenny giggled. “Why? Would they want to kill me, too?”
Tom rolled on top of her and kissed her gently. “I guess we’ll never know.”
“Our whole bedroom smells like sex,” she said. “Should we open a window?”
“Do you really want to take a chance on my Dad hearing you screaming Oh, Tom! Oh, Tom!”
She slugged him on the arm. “Yeah? How do you know it wouldn’t be Oh, Detective Stone!”
He kissed her again and rubbed a thumb across her nipple. She cooed. “Don’t start something you can’t finish,” she said.
He flipped her roughly onto her stomach and pulled her to her knees, raising her ass. He straddled her and wiped his hardening cock against her pussy, still wet from the last round.
“You’ve never fucked me like this before,” she said.
He grunted. “I like looking into your eyes when I cum in you, but this ass has been begging for a viewing. It’s a perfect ass.”
He slipped his cock into her, held her hips, and pounded, slapping their bodies together, his hips meeting that perfect ass, his cock penetrating deep. Jessy slipped a pillow beneath her head and screamed into it. “Fuck! Fuck! Oh shit!”
Tom picked up his pace. Normally, their lovemaking was slow at first, building in intensity and speed only at the end. This time was different.
Tom released her ass and reached for her shoulders, banging hard against her ass, pushing her forward with each thrust, his hands pulling her back by the shoulders. “Oh my god!” She cried.
When he felt the tingle in his balls, he grabbed her ponytail with one hand and pulled her head back. Screaming into the pillow was no longer an option. “Oh my god! Fuck me! Shit!”
Her pussy clamped down just as he shot his load. Jet after jet flowed into her. Her face was frozen in exquisite pain. When he released her hair, she fell to the pillow panting, eyes watering, drooling. Tom collapsed gently onto her back and whispered in her ear, “You are the girl of my dreams. I love you, Jessica.”
She laughed easily. “I will never challenge you to fuck me again. Though that was amazing. Holy shit. I’ve never been fucked like that. I think you wrecked me.”
He rolled off of her and pulled her on top of him. “If that means only blowjobs for the next couple of days, I’ll try to cope.”
She giggled and playfully slapped his arm. “You wish.”
Then she brushed the hair from his eyes and kissed him. “I have never felt this way with anyone. Your family has become a second family to me. And you give me so much. I pinch myself to make sure I’m awake.”
“Hey,” he said. “No pinching. That’s my job.” He gently pinched a nipple.
“Oh! Sensitive,” she said. She pulled herself up.
He stared at her breasts. “Those are the world’s greatest tits. I think there should be an award for that. I know you’d win.”
“As long as you like them,” she said.
He dropped his head and pulled a tit into his mouth. Using just enough suction to hold the tit, he ran his tongue around the areola. Then he finally flicked the nipple.
“Oh my god! Will you stop? I can’t come again. I’ll fly apart!” She said.
He kissed her again. “We can’t have that.” Then he became serious. “I love making you cum. I love knowing I did that and helped you find that joy. I love knowing it was my cock or my tongue or my fingers that drove you over the edge. There’s a kind of power there. I want you to be happy more than almost anything.”
“Almost?” She said.
“Yes. I want to be the one that made you happy. I’m selfish. I admit it. I love you and want to be the one that makes you happy.”
Fucking would need to wait. There were two more semesters of classes to take. Tom packed his car, and Jenny followed him to his apartment off campus. They would have one last night together before she had to return home and go back to work.
“At least I don’t have a roommate,” he said.
“Yeah, we have enough money that we could afford your own apartment for the year. I’m too old to be fucking in a college dorm.” She said.
“Hey, everybody! Check out my old lady!” He said.
She shook a finger at him. “Somebody is going to have blue balls if he keeps that up!”
He held her close and said, “Just a few more months, then we can be together. I’m going to get a big diamond for this–” He held her left hand and saw no rings. “What happened?”
She looked at her hand and said, “My rings are in the safety deposit box with other valuables.”
“Are you sure?” He said.
She shook her head. “You really have to stop saying that, you idiot.” Then she laughed.
He cringed and nodded. “Yeah, it is pretty stupid.”
“It was time,” she said. “I loved Gray. He was what I needed at the time. He was good and kind and young, like me. We were innocent, blissfully so, and the time together was wonderful and too short. Gray will always be a part of my life. And you have not once shown you were jealous of him. For that, I will be forever grateful.”
He held her left hand and said, “What would you think about a Christmas engagement?”
She smiled. “That sounds lovely. But if you can’t wait, I’m ready to buy tickets to Vegas, just so you know.”
They laughed.
“However it happens,” he said, “I will be the luckiest man on Earth.”
The End