Lawson by Crystal Daniels
Lawson
Boom. An explosion rocks the number two vehicle I'm driving as the Humvee gun truck in front of us is hit by an IED. "Oh shit! Get down." I swerve to avoid hitting a collision and slam my foot on the break. Pieces of metal and ground pelt the windshield. "Everyone okay?" I yell, and the two other men accompanying me sound off with, "I'm good." Plumes of dust and smoke create a shroud around us, making visibility poor when exiting the vehicle. We quickly assess our surroundings before I rush to the mangled Humvee that’s blocking more than half of the road our convoy was traveling on. It's bad. The entire back end is gone.
"Radio base!" our commanding officer, Hawthorne, shouts while kneeling beside one soldier, who was thrown from the wreckage. "He's alive! Get on that radio, now. Where is my medic?"
Carefully approaching the front end of the truck, the smell of fuel strengthens. Fuck. Not good. BOOM. A secondary explosion knocks me on my ass. I shake my head, clearing the fog and focusing through the ringing in my ears from the blast. Getting to my feet, I go toward the blaze. I find the driver slumped to one side. There's no time to check for life. "Hang in there, Coop." Slinging my weapon over my shoulder, I jerk on the heavy metal door until it breaks open and pull my military brother from the wreckage, then a fireman carries him to safety. Only then do I realize the heat blast from the flames has burned one side of his body. Coop moans, then coughs as he comes around. "Sheffield and Anderson?" he grits his teeth.
"Anderson is gone, and Sheffield is critical." Hurst, our medic, tells him.
Suddenly, gunfire erupts, and bullets ricochet off the trucks and ground around us. "Take cover. Get Cooper and Sheffield!" Hawthorn shouts as he and others in the unit return fire toward the rocky hills several meters east of our current location.
Just as I try moving Cooper to a safer location, a sharp pain radiates across my lower back.
Like a ripcord pulls you backward, I feel my body jackknife with my heart pounding heavily in my chest. Confusion washes over me before the panic subsides, and I realize I'm in my bedroom.
It was only a dream.
I run my sweaty palm over my head, and take a deep breath, then toss the cover from my body and climb out of bed. I stroll across the room and flip the switch on the wall as I enter the bathroom. Reaching into the shower, I turn it on and stand in front of the framed mirror hanging over the vanity as steam fills the air. I stare at my reflection in the mirror and at the scar on my lower abdomen. Twisting, I peer at the spot on my back that mirrors it. I was shot the same day as the IED explosion. Straight through. The bullet took out one of my kidneys. A small price to pay compared to the two friends our unit lost that day. Anderson's death was instant, and Sheffield passed away a few days later due to complications. Cooper suffered burns on thirty percent of his body from the second blast. Damn. I wonder how he's doing today. Like so many others, we all tend to lose contact with one another as we go back to civilian life. I step beneath the spray of hot water and wash away the lingering effects of the dream.
Needing to release a bit more tension, I take hold of my cock. My hand is no substitute for a tight slick pussy, but it works for a means to an end. Jerking off isn't something I usually do. There's usually a beautiful woman lying in my bed, waiting to do the job for me.
Closing my eyes, I pleasure myself and free my mind of all thoughts until that all too familiar feeling begins building at the base of my spine, and my toes curl against the tiled shower floor. Soft curves, plump ass, and full tits, the usual spank bank images flood my thoughts when out of nowhere, just as I'm about to explode, the fantasy woman in my head has a face. Brown hair and hazel eyes—Willow.
"Jesus fucking Christ." I climax so fucking hard I have to press my palm against the shower wall to brace myself.
Eventually, my ragged breaths even out. "What the hell?" Willow? I'm completely thrown off by the fact I visualized her while choking my cock.
I turn off the water and step out of the shower. I stand there for a minute, letting the sudden change from hot to cold from the air conditioning hit my skin. "Get a grip, Lawson. The two of you are friends." I wrap a towel around my waist. But what if I want more? The sudden thought stops me in my tracks as I'm walking across the bedroom toward my closet. I hardly know Willow. I force all thoughts of her out of my head, then continue with the task of getting ready for the day and throw some clothes on.
Later in the day,I meet up with Ransom and Gideon downtown at the city park. A few dozen booths span across one side where several people have their products on display. On the other side of the open field, a few fair rides are up and running. The entire community is coming together to support one of their own today to raise money for Gator and his wonderful family. The guys and I are helping the fire department by feeding the crowds BBQ, crawfish, and my dad's famous chili.
I let the tailgate down and begin unloading cooking supplies out of the bed of my truck. I run into Ransom, who is carrying a couple of pies, on my way toward the tent where Gideon is standing. Beside our tent, Genesis, Lily, and Willow set a variety of baked goods on tables. "Are those what I think they are?" I can smell the sweet aroma of strawberries.
Ransom grins. "Genesis stayed up half the night with the girls baking."
Once at the tent, I set the propane tank, cooking base, and boiler down beside the grill that is already fired up and ready to go. Gideon, who's manning the crawfish, begins adding garlic, bay leaves, crab boil seasonings, oranges, lemons, and potatoes into his large pot of water. I inhale the aromas. "Damn, that is going to be some fine eaten."
Gideon pops the top off of a cold beer. "One thing I can say my momma taught me was how to make a proper crawfish boil." It only takes a second for him to get that distant look in his eyes like he always does at the mention of his mom, so I let him be and stroll over to say hello to the women.
"Hey, Lawson," Jax, Genesis' son, says. He pulls a cookie from his pocket.
"Hey, kid." I smile at him.
"Jax, you better stay out of these double chocolate cookies, or we won't have any left to sell!" Genesis shouts.
Jax looks at me and grins. "See ya later." He takes off, running toward the nearby playground. I can't help but chuckle.
"That boy is always eating." Genesis stares at her retreating son's back, with her hand on her hip.
"How's it going, ladies?" I glance around, my eyes landing on some professional-looking cakes.
"They look amazing, right?" Genesis steps to the table where three cakes sit. "Willow made them."
I immediately look at Willow. "No shit?" She gives me a shy nod. "You selling by the slice?"
"Forty dollars for the whole cake," Genesis supplies.
"Done." I pull my wallet out.
"A whole cake?" Genesis questions.
"Hell, yeah. I want the chocolate one with the peanut butter candy things on top." I place my cash on the table. "Just set it aside, and I'll take it home with me tonight." Then I glance at the other platters of goodies. "I'll take a snack to tide me over until then."
"You can try one of the cookies I made—I mean if you want." Willow's soft-spoken voice unexpectedly washes over me like a warm embrace.
"Hell yeah, I want to taste your cookie." The words leave my mouth before realizing how it sounds, and my thoughts shift to the moment I had in the shower this morning. Shit. That comment had way too many intentions behind it. Willow's cheeks flush. Beside her, Genesis is trying to hide a smile.
"Why does everything you say sound sexual?" Lilly rolls her eyes, and I shrug.
Willow lifts a cookie off a tray and hands it to me. "These are brown butter chocolate chips." She watches as I take a bite. The flavor coats my tongue, and I imagine Willow tasting just as sweet.
Genesis smiles and waves at someone over my shoulder. "Mrs. Masterson," she says, and I pull my attention off Willow and look behind me to see my mom walking toward us carrying a basket full of what looks to be her banana bread.
"Lawson, sweetheart." Mom stops and kisses my cheek.
"Where's Dad?" I look around.
"He's riding in on the firetruck with the guys and will be here soon. I just came by to drop off some bread for the bake sale." Mom passes the basket to Genesis. "Genesis, did you make these?" My mom admires the cakes.
"Willow did," I say before Genesis has the chance to answer. "Mom, have you met Willow?" I gesture toward Willow.
"Of course. I shop at GiGi’s all the time." Mom looks at Willow with a smile. "Honey, these cakes are amazing."
"Thank you, Dr. Masterson."
Mom waves her hand. "Please call me, Trudy. Seriously, you should consider a career in baking."
"Her cookies are amazing." I finish the one in my hand while staring at Willow, who blushes again.
"Is that so?" my mom chirps while looking at me with a lifted brow. After a beat she excuses herself. "Well, I've got to run. I promised Gale I would help her and Carol at the biscuit stand."
As my mom retreats, Ransom walks up with his and Genesis's daughters, Chloe and Sloane. "People are starting to show up in droves." He kisses his woman. "I better start grilling."
Knowing I should do the same, I give Willow a final look and snatch one more cookie. She smiles at me, and I smile back, adding a wink. I tip my hat at her. "Catch ya later."
The sun is settingover Graystone, and the park is lit up as the festivities continue to go strong. Gideon sold the last of his crawfish boil moments ago, and Ransom throws a few more burger patties and hotdogs on the grill. I look down at the empty pot of chili sitting in front of me. It's been one hell of a good day, and I'm optimistic the funds raised today will help Gator's family through the next few months.
The ladies walk around and join us. "We've sold out of everything." Genesis throws her hair into a ponytail. "The girls want to hang out with friends for a while, so Willow and I are going to take Jax over to the rides." She kisses Ransom.
"I'm about to wrap things up here. I'll meet you by the tilt-a-whirl in thirty minutes," he tells her.
It's not long until the last of the food is gone, and we are packing up our things. After receiving a phone call, Gideon quickly leaves after helping us load up all the cooking gear we brought with us today. I slide a cooler into the back of my truck bed and close the tailgate. "Does Gideon seem off to you?"
"He's definitely been distracted lately," Ransom agrees as we stroll across the park. "You know Gideon keeps his shit bottled up. Whatever it is, he'll tell us when he gets ready."
We spot Genesis standing beside Willow at the dunking booth while her son throws a baseball at the target sign. The little dude hits the mark on his first try and sends the school's principal dropping into the water. Willow gives an excited Jax a high five. "Nice pitch," I tell the little man, coming to a stop in front of him and Willow while Ransom wraps his arms around Genesis. "Keep throwing like that, and you'll be a pitcher on the team next year." I ruffle the hair on his head.
"I'm going to be a major league starting pitcher one day," Jax says with overwhelming confidence. He looks at Willow. "You try, Willow." He smiles.
"I don't know. I'm not very good at it." Willow hesitates.
"I can help you if you want. It's easy," Jax encourages her.
Willow's eyes shift to my face, and I grin. "Go ahead," I encourage her, digging five dollars out of my wallet and handing it to the lady operating the dunking booth. She passes me three baseballs. I give one to Willow, who takes the ball from my hand. Turning, she faces the dunking booth where the man sits perched on a seat waiting to be dunked again. Willow's first throw misses, and her shoulders sag. I step up behind her, my chest pressing against her back as I place another baseball in her hand. I don't miss the way her body shivers at the contact but I continue. "Here, hold the ball like this." I adjust her finger placement. With my hand covering hers, she holds the ball, and I bring her arm back. "You want to throw the ball like this." Her movement flows with mine as I teach her how to pitch. "Feel the difference?"
Willow licks her lips before replying with a breathy, "Yes."
"Line the target up and throw the ball." I let go of her hand but remain standing behind her. Willow pulls in a deep breath of confidence, rears her arm back, and pitches it, hitting the red target dead center, dropping the man into the water. She spins and throws herself at me, her arms wrapping around my neck. "I did it!" Just as fast, she leaps back, looking embarrassed and shocked. "Oh my gosh. I am so sorry."
"Don't be." I want to pull her back into me but don't.
"Why don't we go find the girls?" Genesis takes her son's hand.
"Can we all ride the Ferris wheel together before going home?" her son asks.
"Sure thing, buddy," Ransom tells him, then looks at Willow and me. "You two want to tag along?
"Actually, I was going to ask Willow if she'd like to grab some grub." I look at Willow. "What do you say?"
She hesitates for a second before saying, "Okay."
I get both shocked and amused looks from Ransom and Genesis, but thankfully they choose to say nothing. "Have fun. We'll find you when we get ready to leave and give you a ride back to the hotel," Genesis tells Willow.
"No need. I'll take her home," I state and Genesis raises her brow at me. "To her hotel room," I confirm after Ransom eyes me suspiciously.
"Okay. Then I'll see you in the morning." Genesis gives Willow a small embrace before walking away with her family.
Willow avoids eye contact with me, and I don't like it. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing?"
"Walk with me. I promise I won't bite." I smirk, and Willow's lip twitches before lifting in a small smile.
"Sorry, it's just. . ." She sighs as we stroll to the other end of the park where a few food vendors are still operating.
"Just what?"
Willow just shakes her head. "Nothing."
"You have nothing to be nervous about when you're around me, beautiful. We're just two friends getting a bite to eat and getting to know each other."
Willow places her hands in the pockets of her flowy summer dress. Damn, she is beautiful. "Friends, huh?"
"For now." The words fly from my mouth as fast as I think them. There's no taking them back now. Luckily, before Willow chances a response, Mr. Boone's streamline camper, converted into a food truck, is in view. The aromatic smells of hickory and BBQ fill my nostrils and my mouth waters. "Get ready to have some of the best brisket you've ever tasted." I take Willow by the hand and steer us in Mr. Boone's direction.
"Well, hell. Look what the cat dragged in." Mr. Boone stands from where he's sitting just outside the food truck. He extends his hand, and I shake it.
"How's it going, Mr. Boone?"
"Oh, I can't complain." His eyes settle on Willow. "And who is this lovely lady?"
"This is Willow," I introduce her, and Willow gives the old man a smile.
"Nice to meet you."
"Likewise." Mr. Boone smiles back. "So, what can I get you?"
"Two of your brisket sandwiches, sloppy, with fried onions." I dig out some cash.
"You got it. Would you like anything to wash it down with?" Mr. Boone opens the door and steps inside his food truck.
I face Willow. "You drink beer?"
"Once or twice," she answers.
I turn back and shout to Mr. Boone, "You got any beer back there?"
"Sure do."
"I'll take two of those as well." A few minutes later, I have our food in hand. I glance around to find an empty picnic table, but they are all occupied. I spot a bench near the Ferris wheel. "Follow me." I lead the way, then wait for Willow to have a seat before placing the beers between us and handing Willow her food. We both take our first bites together. "Good, right?"
"It really is." Silence falls between us as we eat our meal, and she watches the ride spin. My attention never leaves her face and the way the lights reflect in her eyes. She looks relaxed and happy. "I can't believe you put all this together."
"What—the fundraiser?" I continue and wash my last bite down with a swallow of beer.
"Yeah."
"It wasn't me. I suggested it, but it was the entire community coming together that made it all happen," I say, taking no credit for the outcome.
"Don't sell yourself short, Lawson. Genesis told me all about what you did. You planted the seed. This town came together to raise money for a family in need. I've never been around so many giving people before—not until I came to Graystone." Willow finishes her food and tosses her trash in the nearby bin.
"Want to take a spin?" I point toward the Ferris wheel, stopping to let riders off and load new ones on.
"I'd like that." She stands and brushes crumbs off the front of her dress.
I pay the operator and help Willow into the bucket seat. I sit beside her, pull the bar down across our laps, and naturally place my arm behind her shoulders. The seat swings as we slowly begin to move.
"How long have you lived in Graystone?" Willow asks.
"All my life."
"Must be wonderful growing up in one spot and getting to plant roots," Willow says in a somber tone. "Tell me about your family."
I smile, thinking about them. "My parents are great. Dad is the fire chief. Mom runs her own pediatric practice in town, and I have three younger sisters."
"Having a large family sounds amazing. Growing up with sisters must have been an experience, though." Willow giggles, and the sweetness of it resonates inside me.
I laugh and shake my head. "You have no idea. What about you?"
Willow looks at me. "Where did I grow up?"
"Yeah, beautiful. I want to know all about you," I confess, and she turns away.
"Not much to tell."
"What about your parents and siblings?" I ask, hating the sadness in her voice.
Willow shrugs. "Again, not much to tell. I never knew my dad, and my mom wasn't exactly mother of the year. And no siblings." She faces me and gives a weak smile. "There isn't anything remarkable about me, Lawson. I'm sure your life is much more interesting than mine." She turns away again.
I don't like the way she views herself. Willow has no idea how great she is. Reaching out, I touch her chin, guiding her to face me. "Look at me." She lifts her hazel eyes to mine. "You are a remarkable woman, Willow. Make no mistake. Everything about you fascinates me." Before I know it, I'm leaning in and brushing my lips against hers. The kiss is fleeting, only lasting for a second, but it has my heart racing. No woman and no kiss has ever had this kind of effect on me.
Willow presses her palm against my chest, slightly pushing me away, and I have to admit, I don't like it. "Lawson, I can't. I think we should just be friends." I hear the strain of her words as if she hates what she says.
The pull between us is undeniable, and I know Willow feels it too. I stare at her for a beat but say nothing. Turning away, she asks, "Will you take me back to the hotel?"
"Sure."
I keep stealingglances at Willow, who's staring out the window of my truck. She's been quiet and withdrawn since we left, and I desperately want to get inside her head—to see what she's thinking. Willow is a mystery I want to solve.
A short ride later, I'm pulling into the parking lot of Graystone Inn. I climb out and go to the passenger side, open the door, and help Willow out. "Lawson, I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"I didn't mean to ruin the night." She fiddles with the key in her hand.
"Baby, look at me." I wait for her to raise her downcast eyes to mine. "I had a great time."
"So, you're not mad? Can we still be friends?"
"No, I’m not mad." I take a step closer to her and brush the hair from her face. "If friendship is all you're ready for, I can accept it."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." I walk her to her door, and she unlocks it. "Go on inside and lock the door. I'll see you in the morning."
She looks at me with confusion. "In the morning?"
"I'll pick you up and take you to work."
"You don't need to go out of your way to take me to work."
"I don't live far, and you work across the street from Gray Wolf. I'll be here in the morning." I wait for her to argue, but she doesn't.
"Okay." Her eyes fall to my lips, and if I don't go now, I'll kiss her again.
"Goodnight, Willow."
She gives me an easy smile. "Goodnight, Lawson."