Just Like Old Times

The To-Do List

"Come on, Arthur," 17-year-old Lilly murmured excitedly. "Show up already..."

She was hiding in the woods, and it was in the evening. Lilly had on blue jean shorts and a red and white plaid button shirt, tucked in and sleeves rolled up. And barefoot, as was her usual thing to do. Nothing felt better than the land beneath her bare feet. It felt energizing somehow. Lilly's wavy auburn hair hung loosely around her shoulders as she sat on a branch of a giant oak tree. She'd been waiting for some time now. They'd started a hunting ritual the day she single handedly took on twenty-five O'Driscolls. The hate she had for Colm O'Driscoll, the leader of that gang, ran deep. Real deep. She remembered what the death of Annabel did to Dutch, and Colm was the one responsible for her death.

Lilly didn't care if it was in retaliation. That woman and Bessie, Hosea's wife, were like mothers to her. Lilly called her "Ma", while Bessie was "Máthair". They both died when she was younger, but their absence affected her deeper than she would dare acknowlegde. How many family members did she have to keep losing? One leg hung loosely off the branch while the other was held up. Lilly's chin rested on her knee. It was her "lost in thought" position. And she was very much lost in her thoughts. People she cared about died around her. Would she lose everyone else too? No, that was a ridiculous thought. Lilly couldn't think like that. And she'd gone off track with her original thought. The hunting game.

Lilly waited a long time for Arthur to see her as a woman and not a little girl. She hadn't wanted Arthur to feel uncomfortable with a little girl flirting with him, so she waited. She sharpened her claws on other men and boys to pass the time. They gave in too easily and it was not much of a challenge. But Arthur? He was more than she could've hoped for. Strong, challenging, and bold. Very bold. The way he touched her on these occasions made her shiver just thinking about it. No one else dared lay a hand on her but that day on the shore of the lake, after goading and teasing him, Arthur pulled Lilly close and introduced her to a whole new world of emotions she just couldn't identify. His hands on her body made Lilly's heart race, her skin prickle with goosebumps, and her respirations damn near went out of control. And the way he would look at her when they were in camp and not engaging in their game? Good God, sometimes her knees would almost buckle.

Still lost in thought, she did not hear Arthur sneak up on her in the tree. Before she could register his presence, he was behind her and his arms pulled her close in one quick jerk. "Hello, beautiful."

She yelped in surprise. "Oh God, Arthur, you startled me!"

He pulled her hair away from one side of her neck and nuzzled her shoulder. "Never thought I could do that. No one can sneak up on you."

"I guess I was distracted."

"By what?"

"Things." she sounded sad.

Nails dragged across her inner thigh and Lilly moaned softly. "You sound upset but I can make you feel so much better, O'Callaghan."

"I bet you can," Lilly chuckled. "Tell me how you're gonna accomplish that, Morgan."

Arthur's lips grazed her ear. "I've been thinkin' we should go swimmin'."

Lilly scoffed with disappointment. "Swimmin'? That's nice, I guess."

Arthur's throat rumbled with a low chuckle. "Swimmin' naked, Lillian," he said, low and husky. "Right now."