ALMOST HEAVEN

Chapter 9

Laurel felt a kiss on her shoulder. Then an arm around her waist and she felt Clyde's body pressed up against her. She loved waking up with Clyde. The feel of his big body wrapped around hers was the best feeling.

"Good morning, love," she said sleepily.

"Good morning, Laurel Anne." She felt another kiss, this time on her cheek. "Happy Fourth of July."

She rolled over so she facing Clyde. "Today is the picnic."

"It is but that's later. For right now, I think we should celebrate with fireworks."

Laurel's eyes opened wide. "Clyde Logan, don't you dare set off a firecracker in this bedroom like you and Jimmy did last night on the deck. That scared the hell out of Sylvia and me."

Clyde's eyes sparkled as he looked at her. "That's not the sort of fireworks I was talking about, angel. I meant, like you and me fireworks."

"Oh, that's completely different. I like those fireworks."

"I was pretty sure you did." He kissed her again, this time on the lips. His hazel eyes studied her face for a minute. "It sure is nice to wake up with you. I always miss you when we're not together."

Since the first time they had made love, they usually spent several nights a week together. Some nights Clyde would text her around 11 pm, say he was closing the bar early and ask if could he come stay at her place. She always said yes. When Clyde was at her apartment suddenly her queen sized bed seemed so much smaller. But she didn't mind at all.  But some days Laurel had to go into work early so she had to go to bed earlier and it didn't work with Clyde's schedule. She missed him the nights she slept alone.

After spending a couple nights alone, she had come over last night with plans to spend the next three days at Clyde's. Jimmy and Sylvia had come over for dinner. Laurel suspected that Jimmy still didn't care for her. He barely spoke to her and occasionally she caught him watching her with distaste. She tried to be friendly but he wasn't interested.

"Where'd you go?" Clyde said bringing her back to the moment.

"I was thinking about last night." She raised her eyebrow at him.

He grinned at her. "I'm sorry but both you and Sylvia jumped a mile and screamed practically at the same time. It was funny."

Laurel shook her head. "What were you and Jimmy thinking? Who just throws down firecrackers right where we all were sitting?"

"Me and Jimmy."

"Was that story Sylvia told about you and Jimmy lighting off a string of firecrackers in the gym during an assembly in high school true?" Laurel asked.

Clyde laughed softly at the memory. "Sure was. We got suspended for a week. Daddy was fit to be tied. He would have whooped us but by that time, Jimmy and I were bigger than him."

"What did he do?"

"He threw his arms up in the air and told us that if we didn't change our ways, we were headed down a path to hell. To which Jimmy, always a smart ass, said, 'Well, Daddy, I sure hope there's pretty girls there.'"

Laurel started laughing. "I can't imagine."

"Jimmy was always getting us in trouble. He'd come up with these schemes that he called cauliflower and I'd just follow along." Clyde was laying on his side, his chin propped up against his hand. "I never told you, Laurel, but as a kid, I spent 6 months in juvie hall. I'm not proud of it."

"How old were you?"

"13 years old."

"13 years old and they put you in juvie? That's horrible. My poor young Clyde." She reached over and kissed him.