Willow Smoke (49 page)

Why
did
they
have
to
go
back?
Daisy
closed
her
eyes
briefly.
Of
course
they
had
to
go
back.

A smile crept across her
face. Wasn’t
there
a
children’s
story
about
wishing
upon
a
star?
She
opened
her
eyes.
There
were
countless
stars.
What
if
she
wished
Reggie
was
sent
away
to
prison
for
a
very
long
time?
He
deserved
it.
Wouldn’t
Maxine
be
better
off
without
him?
But
wasn’t
that
a
mean
wish?
Why
can’t they
just
leave
me
alone?
She
closed
her
eyes,
willing
sleep
to
take
away
her
dread.

You’ll
be
okay,
girl.
You’re
the
only
one
who
can
help
you.
Keep
your
wits
about
you
and
trust
no
one.
The
words
of
her
grandmother
came
to
her
like
the
call
of
the
loon
out
of
the
darkness
of
the
night.
Yes,
Grandma,
she
screamed
silently.
I
know.
Aloneness
spread
through
her
muscle
fibers
like
a
cancer.
“Never
turn
your
back
on
blood.”
Daisy
began
to
tremble
and
then
she
was
shaking.

Nick
pulled
her
closer.
“Are
you
cold?”
he
asked,
half
awake.

“No,”
Daisy
mumbled.
“It
was
a
bad
dream.”

“Oh.”

His
regular
inhaling
and
exhaling
let
her
know
that
he
was
asleep
again.
She compressed
her
lips
and
then
let
out
a
big
breath
preparing
to
do
battle
with
wakefulness.

She
opened
her
eyes.
She
squinted.
Her
eyes
widened.
“Oh
my
God,”
she
exclaimed,
poking
Nick.

“What the...” He rose to
a sitting position.

“Look.
Look
at
the
sky!”
Daisy
was
standing
now—even
naked,
she
wasn’t
chilled.
“It’s
spectacular.
I’ve
only
ever
read
about it.
The
dance
of
the
lights.
There
aren’t
enough
words
to
describe
what’s
going
on
inside
me.”

“I
know.”
Nick
stepped
up
behind
her,
encircling
her
in
his
arms.

The
warmth
of
his
body
covered
her
backside
like
a
blanket.
It
felt
right.
She
felt
whole.
No
matter
what
happened
tomorrow
or
the next day, in this moment
standing
under
the
Northern
Lights,
she
was
whole.

“They
seem
to
have
a
life
of
their
own,
pulsating
first
one
direction
and
then
another.”
She
arched
her
neck.
“Some
of
them
are directly overhead. God, it’s like
they
are
enfolding
us.
I
wonder
if
anyone
else
is
noticing.”

“Probably.
Although
not
too
many
people
are
likely
out
at
one
o’clock
in
the
morning.”

They
stood
and
watched
for
minutes.
“Look
at
that
red
panel
of
light.
It’s
coming
out of the lake. There’s another. Green.
White.
Red.
What’s
happening,
Nick?”

Nick
chuckled
softly
in
her
ear.
“It’s
an
illusion.
All
the
sheets
of
light
are
still
coming from the
sky—from the sun, actually. But it sure does look like they’re
bouncing
off
the
water.”

“There’s
something
very
primal
about
this.”

“We
could
come
back
hundreds
of
times
and
not
see
a
light
show
like
this.
I
think
you’re
looking
at
nature’s
birthday
candles
just
for
you.”
He
nibbled
on
her
ear.

His
arousal
pressed
against
her
bare
bottom.
She
wiggled,
encouraging
him.
His
lips
brushed
her
shoulder;
his
hands
cupped
her
breasts.
Already,
she
felt
her
breathing
shorten.
His
teeth
nipped
at
her
shoulder.
She
gasped.

With him at her back,
she felt
helpless
to
participate.
She
reached
around
to
squeeze
his
butt.
He
bit
her
shoulder
harder.
She
moaned.
He
rolled
a
nipple
between
thumb
and
finger.
She
gave
in
to
self-pleasure
and
stroked
the
unattended
nipple.

“I
like
it
when
you
help,”
he
whispered, hoarsely.
“There’s
something
primal
about
that, too.”

His
words
acted
like
a
whip.
Through
half-closed
eyes
she
watched
sheets
of
red
and
green
dance
across
the
lake
while
her
fingers
roamed
across
her
belly
to
her
mound
of
curls.
She
was
soaking.
His
hand
joined
hers.
Two
fingers
entered
her
heat
—o
ne
hers, one his.

It was too much. It was
just right.
“Now!”
she screamed,
jerking against him.
“Now.”
She
stilled.
He
held
her
as
she
crumpled
to
her
knees.

Then
she
positioned
herself
on
hands
and
knees
and
rotated
her
rear
in
invitation.
“I’m ready, are you?”

An
inarticulate
grunt
was
his
response.
He
entered
her
with
a
single
swift
push.
He
paused,
catching
his
breath.
She
squeezed
down.
He
yelped
and
began
to
move.
She
smiled,
keeping
her
eyes
open.
She
wasn’t
going
to
miss
the
lights
playing
upon
the
water.

He
leaned
over,
pushed
her
hair
aside
and ran
his
tongue
across
the
base
of
her
neck.
Daisy
threw
her
head
back,
encouraging
him.
A
coiling
sensation
began
tightening
within
her
loins.
“Deeper,”
she
groaned.