Jace grins. "I bet you do. Hey," he says, leaning over. "Think we can have sex during the flight?"
Looking around and noticing a door at the back, I open it to find a bedroom.
"You have to be kidding me!" I cry.
Before we get too rowdy, the flight attendant shows up to offer us drinks before we take off. I rejoin Jace and take the beer.
"Yeah, fancy," I say, resting my head against his arm.
Once we take off, the attendant disappears and we see our chance to sneak off into the bedroom. Our naked activities eat up most of the flight time. We manage to enjoy a quick meal of barbecue chicken and the best mash potatoes besides Mom's.
"I hate flying," I say, grinning ear to ear when we land. "This wasn't flying though."
Jace holds my hand and stares out the window like an excited kid. I love when his eyes shine the way they do right now. So focused on him, I don't think about how excited I am to see my family.
After landing, we step off the plane at the small airport Cooper convinced the county to build to increase "trade." I'm surprised to see both of my brothers waiting for us nearby.
Like a dork, I run to them and fling myself at Cooper. He hugs me tightly, almost seeming like he won't let go. Tucker's hug is nearly as crazy suffocating. I'm glad they missed me since I sure as hell missed them.
"Bailey is coming to the house with the boys after they're done at school," Cooper says, looking now at little embarrassed by his affection.
I study my blond brothers and see so much of Pop in them. When I left Ellsberg, I wanted away from seeing those similarities. Now I crave them.
"You two finally stopped fucking off and got back together, huh?" Tucker asks, reminding me of why I smack him so often.
"Shut up, fuckwit," I say lovingly while patting his cheek.
Jace looks over my brothers, showing little reaction. I notice them sizing him up. Something's changed in the power balance, and they all feel it.
I don't care about that part. I want to get home, see the family dogs, and hug Kim. Lifting my face to the sun, I inhale the distinct scents of Ellsberg, Kentucky.
"Let's get you home," Cooper says, drawing my attention back to the men.
Jace moves to the waiting SUV our bags and the massive boxes full of horror movies. I offer to help, but he's making manly moves in front of my brothers. Since I prefer this method to the men pulling out their dicks and asking me to measure them, I stand back and look pretty.
On the drive to my house, I stick my head out of the window like a dog. Jace laughs at me while my brothers race by on their Harleys. I can't be sure, but I think they're laughing too. I don't care about their reactions. Ellsberg smells like heaven in the summer. No, it smells like memories.
If I close my eyes, my mind returns to dozens of childhood memories. I settle on riding with Pop on his Harley down the dirt roads around our property.
Arriving at the house, I'm crying. "Happy memories," I tell a worried Jace.
"There were a lot of them."
I feel as Jace did on the plane. The kid in me doesn't know what to do first. I play with the dogs before running inside to see Kim. I want to swim in our pool and watch TV on the couch I often shared with Pop. Soon, I'll make something in the kitchen where I spent so many hours with Mom.
Homesickness turned my life in Ellsberg into a fantasy, and I'm now living that dream.
Chapter 40
Jace
Carry On Wayward Son
One horrible night broke up my blessed life, and I later lost my way for nine months. Otherwise, happiness tends to fall in my lap.
Returning to Ellsberg, we slide back into our old lives. Friends visit, and I hang out with my family. The first night, Sawyer chases Tucker around the room when he farts at her face. Later, she chases Bailey around when her sister hugs her for too long. Everything feels comfortable as if the last nine months hadn't happened.
The day after we arrive in Ellsberg, I get a haircut. No denying I'm not Judd or Vaughn. I like my hair out of my face, so I cut it shorter. Sawyer rewards me with fun in the pool.
"You be whoever you want to be as long as that guy loves me," she says as we sit outside under the stars.
I stop driving my Harley and tell Cooper I want a break from the club. He only thanks me for bringing his sister back and warns me not to hurt her again. I give him a dirty look that makes his eyes widen. The Bottle of Hate trick even surprises Cooper.
Two days after we arrive in Ellsberg, Jodi returns. I watch the poor woman smothered by four grown children desperate for her attention. Despite the silliness of their display, I know Sawyer needs her mom to be happy. Last Dollar was always a fantasy.
Sawyer and Jodi are inseparable those first few days. I don't mind the quiet time while I figure things out. My brother-in-law Dylan offers to have me work for his construction company. I also consider going to college or tech school.