Page 77 of Homestead

I fall asleep before he gets back, and I don’t wake up until I smell ham frying.

Jimmy is making dinner.

* * *

Dinner is good. Jimmy is closer to his normal self, and the mood between us is pleasant and companionable. I’m a little embarrassed by my long nap, but I do feel quite a bit better now.

The evening passes quickly, and I’m relieved when Jimmy gets into bed after washing up and changing his boxers. He definitely didn’t need to sleep on the floor again.

I get the animals ready for the night and lock up the house after I go to the bathroom. Since I’m dirtier and sweatier than normal, I take longer than usual to clean up. I put my gown on since Jimmy’s back isn’t going to be up to having sex tonight.

He’s watching me as I come to bed.

“You feelin’ okay?” he asks as I climb over him.

“Yes. Of course. Why?”

“Don’t know.” His eyebrows are pulled together. “Guess you’re real tired.”

“Not so bad now that I had that nap. How’s your back?”

“It’s better. Not great but better.”

“You want me to give you a back rub?”

“What?” He gapes at me.

“A back rub?” I frown as I sit on my folded legs beside his prone body. “I thought it might help because your muscles are all clenched up.”

“Oh.”

“If you don’t want it, it’s totally fi?—”

“I want it!” He appears startled by his outburst. Chuckles slightly. “I mean, you don’t gotta do it just ’cause I’m all enfeebled. Don’t like you feelin’ sorry for me.”

I giggle at that. “I’m not feeling sorry for you. I just thought it might make you feel better.”

“It probably will.”

“Okay then. Can you turn over on your stomach?”

It takes him a minute to resituate his big body because moving too fast or at the wrong angle might cause his back to catch again. But he’s eventually settled on his stomach with his head turned in my direction. “You sure? You did a lot of work today, so you really don’t gotta coddle—” He breaks off his sentence with a gasp when I gently stroke down from his shoulders to the waistband of his boxers.

“Did that hurt?” I ask, a little nervous about making things worse.

“No. No way. Didn’t hurt at all.”

Relieved by this reassurance, I start massaging him with moderate pressure, starting at his shoulders and moving down. I’ve given him back rubs before when he’s overworked himself, but his back has never gone out like this before, so I don’t know how much pressure will be best.

Every single muscle in his back is clenched up. He’s got tons of knots and trigger points I try to release by pushing into. He gasps and moans with increasing shamelessness as I work my way down his back.

His lower back is the worst. That’s the source of most of the pain. I do my best to rub the tight muscles but not overdo it.

He’s a lot more relaxed when I’ve reached his boxers. He’s still making those low, extended groans that prove how much he’s enjoying it.

His responsiveness makes me feel good, causes something deep and heavy to clench below my belly, like all my female parts are trying to grab him.

It’s an odd and intimate feeling, and I’m not sure what to make of it.

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