The sun was shining bright, the music was loud and it all felt surreal to Lincoln. He never thought he’d be bringing a girlfriend to a family event. His parents decided to barbeque and invite family and friends. They were thrilled Lincoln was in a relationship. It had been over two weeks since he made love to Jessy, and he was truly addicted to having Jessy next to him. He hated the nights she worked and wasn’t in his bed, which was crazy to him. He never even dreamed he’d be comfortable having a woman spend the night with him, but with her it just felt right. Now that he knew how content it made him feel, he wanted her with him every night but he was trying not to be like a bulldozer.
He watched her from across the yard sitting under the shade of a tree on a canvas fold up chair. She was laughing at something his sister was telling her. She looked happy and he wanted to puff out his chest. He felt responsible for her smiles and the soft look in her eyes. She trusted him to protect her and it made him feel good inside, like all was right with his world. There were still times she looked like she was waiting for him to say he was bored and leave. He understood her fear
s after how she grew up. She confided in him about her difficult childhood. She always tried to shelter Lily, but who took care of Jessy? No one. Now he was determined to show her he was going nowhere. He would be her shelter. It would take time to make her feel secure but he knew Jessy was it for him. He felt excited about the future with her. All they had to do was make sure Jagger never found the girls. He was willing to just get rid of Jagger, but his brother was a stickler for the rules.
His cousin Alex walked up to him and slapped him on the back. “Damn cuz, your girlfriend is hot. How did you get her to fall for your ugly mug?”
Lincoln laughed, rubbing his chin and pretending to ponder the question. “My charming ways and winning smiles, how else?”
Alex burst out laughing. Everyone knew him as having grouchy traits. His family was big and close-knit. They had no politeness when it came to being nosey. He was afraid they would intimidate Jessy and Lily. The girls were used to being alone, but so far, they seemed to be handling it all with grace. His aunt had already asked for Jessy’s life story. His mom had come to the rescue, asking Jessy to help her in the kitchen.
“Is that cute chick with the short hair her sister?” Alex asked, his eyes gleaming with interest. Alex was still young and sowing his wild oats. Lincoln looked over at Lily, who was smiling at his mom and helping her put plates of appetizers out on the table. Delores Ramirez had taken one look at Lily and the sad, nervous look in her eyes and immediately began mothering her. Lily basked in the attention.
“Yes, that is Lily, but she is off limits.” He lost his smile and went into protective mode. He understood why Jessy felt so protective of her sister. Lily was sweet but fragile. “I don’t want to see you playing with her head or you will be dealing with me.”
“And me,” Abel added, walking up quietly behind them.
“I’m not that bad.” Alex pouted.
“You are,” Lincoln and Abel said together.
“You change girls like you change socks,” Abel told his cousin. “Lily has been through a lot lately, she doesn’t need heartache added to the list.
“Fine, whatever,” Alex relented after seeing both men’s hard looks. “You two are bullies. Man, I need a beer now.”
Abel laughed and pointed to the cooler with wheels he was dragging behind him.
Abel opened the top of the cooler and handed out bottle of beers. “Here you go.”
Lincoln was sipping his cold beer when Jessy walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, but later he would take her hair down and make love to her. His body was all in agreement with his idea.
“Thanks for inviting us, Lincoln. This is nice. I can’t remember the last time I went to a barbeque before.” Her lips were covered in a shiny gloss and he leaned down to place a soft kiss on her lips. Mmm, peach flavored. He loved the soft, light green summer dress she wore. It molded to her body.
“Doesn’t New York have cookouts?” Alex asked with a confused look.
Jessy laughed. “Of course. I might have been to a few as a child, but as an adult I was too busy with school, then work and taking care of my mom. Socializing was not on my list of priorities.”
“Oh yeah. Sorry to hear about your mom, Jessy,” he said, giving her an understanding look. “I enjoy eating too much at these events and taking naps on the hammock. I have to beat Lincoln to it or he will snooze all afternoon. He is quite lazy, Jessy,” Alex said mournfully. “You should have gone for someone younger, like me.”
Lincoln was thinking of punching his cousin, but Jessy just laughed. She squeezed his waist.
“That’s because he works so hard. Just yesterday he was at my house after working all day cutting my grass. Lily was supposed to do it, but she took off with Melanie and forgot all about it. I sat and admired his muscles.”
Lincoln gave Alex a superior look, making them all laugh. He looked down at Jessy. “She has been so upset lately. Melanie wanted her to have a fun day and I agreed.”
Jessy agreed, knowing that Abel and the detectives in New York were keeping an eye on Jagger just in case he decided to leave town. It rehashed all the memories of the night Jessy was attacked. Both girls had nightmares, but Lily had them more often. Abel had a picture of the man on his bulletin board at the station. Lincoln had already studied the man’s picture. He looked mean and cold, and he knew the girls had every reason to fear him. He had a reputation for being ruthless and got away with too many crimes.
“I told her not to worry about Jagger. One way or another he is going down,” Abel added. He treated Lily like a little sister, too.
Lincoln knew Jessy was grateful his family had accepted not only her but Lily, too. How could they not? Both girls had good hearts and had not let the bad things in their life beat them down. His parents admired that.
“Food is ready!” Oscar yelled from behind the grill. People cheered and headed toward the food.
Lincoln waited for the line to get smaller. He kissed the top of Jessy’s head, smelling her fresh scented shampoo. He wrapped his arms around her waist, loving the feel of her so close to him. Now that he wasn’t fighting his feelings, he felt like a bulldozer trying to take things slow, but impossible. “Thanks for coming today. I know you were nervous but my family loves you.”
“I never had a big family so it was daunting,” Jessy admitted and looked around the yard filled with people. “It’s nice though. You are so lucky, Lincoln. Before my mom was sick, she did her best to spend time with us, but she was always working extra shifts at the factory. My dad never concerned himself with us much. He wanted boys not girls.”
She said it without any bitterness, as if she accepted that’s the way it was. Lily was bitter about her old life back in New York, but Jessy shrugged and moved on with life. Although he admired her spirit it also made him sad. He didn’t want her to always have to settle for whatever life gave her. She deserved good things, and he was going to do his best to make sure she got them.