First We Were Friends - A Bucky Barnes Novel

Chapter 5. Perfect Fifth (Sexual Content)

Julia returned to her parent's house in the late morning after she saw her sister come out onto the deck and wave at her.  Bucky and Sam went with her noticing her sister and brothers were all packed up and ready to go.  Janey had made the brothers clean up the mess from the party the night before.  The brothers did ask if Julia could take the excess garbage bags to the waste centre as there were too many to put into the garbage bins.  She smiled as she hugged her brothers as apparently it was a recurring theme with them, leaving her with something to do.  The brothers then shook hands with Bucky and Sam.

Janey gave Julia a heartfelt hug.  "You take it easy while you're here, okay?" she said, stroking Julia's hair.  "You'll get through this, I promise."

She looked briefly at Bucky after she said it, then shook Sam's hand and gave him a quick hug.  She gave Bucky a bigger hug.  "Watch out for her while you're still around," she whispered. 

She stepped back and Bucky nodded at her.  They all picked up their bags and went out the front door with the others following them.  Jake unlocked the trunk and dropped his bag inside followed by John then Janey.  They all hugged and kissed Julia again then Jake got behind the wheel and the others got into the car.  He beeped the horn and backed the car out.  Bucky looked at Julia and saw she was barely holding back the tears.  Kindly he put his arm around her and she grasped him desperately.  When the car pulled away she buried her face in his chest and began to cry.  Gently he enclosed her in his arms and stroked her hair, letting her cry.  Sam bent his head down to Julia's.

"It's okay," he said compassionately.  "We're staying for a while.  You won't be alone."

Julia nodded but held on to Bucky until she had control of herself.  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief, the habit still ingrained in him from the 1940s.  Wordlessly he handed it to Julia and she took it, smiling briefly, before dabbing her eyes, then blowing her nose.  Pulling away from Bucky she walked back inside the house and looked around, feeling like it was much emptier than it had been before. 

"Why don't Bucky and I take these garbage bags to the waste centre?" asked Sam gently.  "Give you a chance to recoup yourself."

"You won't find it," she said dully.  "It's in a dead spot for GPS.  I'll go with you.  The house is too quiet now anyways."

Both men gathered up the garbage bags while Julia made sure Jasper was in the house before locking it up.  Bucky locked up the other house and they soon were on their way to the waste centre.  Although Bucky put some music on Julia didn't react to it on the drive.  Instead she just looked out the window, occasionally giving him directions on where to turn.  When they arrived and she confirmed her address with the operator they were directed to drive in and drop off their bags of garbage.  After, when Bucky drove out of the facility he didn't take the return route and Julia looked at him.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"A drive around the lake," he replied.  "You don't mind, do you?  I can go back if you really want."

"No, I don't mind," she replied then she looked out the window again.  "There are some really nice viewpoints we can stop at."

Bucky made eye contact with Sam in the back seat and he nodded his approval.  

"Go north," said Julia.  "Look for the turnoff to Incline Village Mountain Golf Course.  There's a nice outlook there."

Bucky gave her his phone to enter the location and plug it into the CarPlay.  Smiling slightly at him she took the phone, chose the right route, and turned the directions on.  In the meantime they also listened to his playlist with the new songs he had added since arriving in Lake Tahoe.  The voice on the CarPlay directed them across the state border into Nevada to the right spot and they all got out to take in the view.  After that was Memorial Point then Emerald Cove.  The views were quite pretty and Julia had become more herself.  When they got back into the truck she looked at both of them with a grin on her face.