Family Bonds

Chapter 10, Episode 2, and Chapter 11, Episode 1

She stopped her car next to his and looked at the deserted lakefront. When he leaned toward her, she sighed and leaned her head onto his shoulder. She reached up to touch his face. Her fingers found the pulse in his neck as she clung to him. It was as rapid as her own.

He stroked her cheek and kissed her. "I want—" a kiss on her lips "—you—" a kiss on her right cheek "—to forget—" a kiss on her left cheek—"whatever it was—" another kiss on her lips "—my dad said to you. Will you?"

As if the words weren't burned into her brain. "Oh, Chet," was all she could muster.

He took her in his arms and kissed her again, this time with such pent-up desire that she melted. It was as if everything stopped—her breathing, her awareness of where they were. All she knew was that she was in his arms, and his mouth on hers. She caressed the hard smoothness of his chest as she moved her hands under his shirt, aware of his hands as he stroked her back. When she opened her mouth to take a quick breath, his tongue teased her and sent shivers down her spine. Her skin burned wherever he touched her and when his fingers slipped under her blouse and cupped her breasts, desire took her breath away. Her very soul trembled, she wanted him so badly.

"Jane, please don't cry. I'll do anything so you won't cry. My dad was wrong. What he says, what he thinks, doesn't mean a thing. We don't agree on anything. One reason I moved out. Forget what he said. You're a fine person. I know that. I want to be with you—tonight, tomorrow, forever," he murmured.

She shifted in her seat and looked at him. Tonight? Tomorrow? Forever? Tenderness mixed with passion filled his eyes. She sniffed, remembering what Marty had said about her first time. Her first time had to be with Chet. Forever? Was he saying he loved her?

He pulled a tissue from a pocket and handed it to her.

How could she say good-bye to him when every cell in her body screamed for more? She blew her nose and wiped her eyes. "I'd like that, too. I just don't know how we can make it work. The forever part. Even though ..."

She stiffened her back and eased out of his arms. Remembering what Bert said, she murmured, "But family is more important than friends." How she wanted to sound convincing when she hated every word. "You'll always have your family, your mom and your dad. I can't come between you and them. Maybe after I graduate and have a job and you're through law school, your father will see that I'm not so bad, that I'm not after your money."

The corners of her mouth quirked up ever so slightly. "I never thought you had any—that you were working to put yourself through school, just like me. It didn't matter that your family is rich, because that's not why ... that's not why I like you." She couldn't talk through a fresh wave of tears.

"What my dad says doesn't count, not to me. Ashley thinks the world of you. My mom likes you, too. And Oliver said you're a class act. You heard him."

She tried to smile again. "He seemed like a nice man."

"What he thinks is more important to me than what my dad said. He doesn't even want me to be a lawyer."

She gasped. "Why not? He should be proud of you for wanting to go to law school."

"My mom's older brother is a lawyer. A long time ago, he told her he didn't trust my dad because of some business deal. Dad's never forgiven Uncle Vince. The only reason he comes to family gatherings is because my mom and Aunt Cindy insist. Ashley's dad, too. Uncle John, Vince's brother."

Chet stared into her eyes and opened the car door. "Come on. Let's take a walk. Why I parked my car here."

Jane climbed out of the car and took Chet's hand. They sat on a nearby log, removed their shoes and padded through the softer sand until they reached the edge of the shore where the wet sand was firm. He put his arm around her shoulders and they walked along the lakefront, wading into the water until their feet were chilled. "You're cold. Let's go back to the car. I'll follow you home."