Page 20 of When It Burns

I nod at him and say gruffly, “I figured,” before shifting my attention to Seth. “Hey, man.”

“Theo right?” he asks as he sticks out his hand, intending to shake mine. I nod and stand to shake his hand once before sitting down. “So you’re the new asshole fire chief huh?”

Caroline makes a move to defend me, but I respond simply with, “Yep, that’s me.”

Seth lets out a loud laugh and shakes his head. “Nice to meet you. I gotta say, you made quite the entrance into Springside. I know everybody has their panties in a twist about your arrival. Will told me that you and your sister just moved down here from outside of Birmingham. I guess Springside has to be a pretty big adjustment.”

“Yeah, a bit,” I respond as everyone around us just stares. I know I’m being an asshole but I don’t care. I am done apologizing to everyone in this stupid town.

The group titters awkwardly until Seth lets out a boisterous laugh and slaps me on the shoulder. “Listen, as long as you and Caroline are good, I don’t give a damn what Mrs. Sally is spouting on about at the Dollar General. Everyone in Springside has gotten on her hit list at least once. It’ll blow over. So let’s grab a volleyball net and have some fun today.

The group lets out a loud echo of cheers in agreement, and Will reaches into the suitcase-sized beach bag Hannah brought to pull out a neon volleyball. As we run over the white sand to grab one of the empty nets, Will calls out, “Girls y’all head to the other side. We’re about to kick your ass.”

* * *

“What the fuck Will?Maybe if you weren’t so worried about messing up your hair, you might be able to hit the ball in the boundary,” Hannah taunts loudly as a ball flies past Will.

“I swear Hannah, since you’re such a goddamn superstar I’m about to let you play by yourself. I swear you never get tired of hearing your own voice do you?” Will snaps back, serving the ball back over the net.

We’ve been playing for well over an hour and while I should have guessed this crew would be competitive, I was totally unprepared for the trash-talking these two have done. I can’t tell if they are ready to fuck or claw each other’s eyes out. Margaret and Caroline let out loud laughs at the duo's antics as Caroline dives to set the ball up for Hannah. Her long legs were already covered with sand, but as Hannah expertly spikes the ball at Seth’s feet, I notice Caroline’s large breasts are now covered as well. She stands up trying to wipe the grains from her body, but it clings to her curves.

“Alright, guys. Play nice. I need a break. I am going to get in the water,” Caroline yells across the beach with a laugh.

The group choruses their agreement, and everyone races to the ocean. Will grabs Hannah’s waist and throws her over his shoulder as she kicks and screams. I fight a smile as he throws her into the water and she comes up sputtering.

“Will Thompson, I am going to murder you!” Hannah yells, gathering a few stares from the families lounging on the beach. I walk deeper into the water, getting some distance from what I am certain will be a knockdown drag out between the two.

Hannah and Will continue bickering, but all of a sudden I can’t hear anything they’re saying because I am completely captivated by the view of Caroline walking towards me. The sun makes her skin glow which is fitting with her bright personality. Saltwater glistens off every beautiful inch of her tanned skin, and her curves look as if they are begging me to reach out and touch them. It occurs to me that the thoughts I’m having about her are far from friendly, but I decide to give myself a pass since it’s not like I am going to act on them. The almost kiss in the water today is as close as I’ll ever get to knowing what Caroline Tyler tastes like. But damn what I wouldn’t give to have her muscular thighs wrapped around my head while I licked her cunt. I have no doubt she would taste like the sweetest honey that’s ever touched my lips. I am grateful for the water hiding what I am sure is my obvious arousal thanks to the fantasy playing in my head.

“We can’t take them anywhere,” Caroline says with a laugh as she nods her head to Hannah and Will who are now trying to tackle each other into the water.

“I’ll say. Is she really trying to tackle a football coach? Will is at least three times her size,” I point out incredulously.

“I think you’d be surprised. Hannah is little, but she’s feisty. My money’s on her. Wanna bet on it?” Caroline asks with a smirk.

“Sure, Sunshine. You’re on. What are the stakes?” I ask. I hadn’t meant to call her that out loud, but her smile tells me she doesn’t mind.

“Sunshine huh?” she asks with a wink.

“Yeah. I’ve never met anyone that was so damn happy all the time. I think it fits. But don’t change the subject now. What are the stakes?” I ask as Hannah and Will continue to flounder in the water.

“If Hannah takes down the football coach, you’ll agree to drive us to the line dance next weekend. Will told us last time he was never coming back, and you know there aren’t any Ubers in Springside. If Will somehow gets the best of Hannah, I’ll help you around the farm.”

I really don’t give a damn about farm help right now, but this girl is impossible to turn down. I give her a small nod and reach out my hand to shake hers. “You’re on,” I tell her, trying to ignore the jolt of electricity I feel from touching her again. Once again she draws a bit closer, and my self-restraint to keep from pulling her into me is almost at zero when I hear a loud splash beside us. Caroline cheers loudly as Hannah dances in the water and Will tries to stand as a wave knocks him back down. I shake my head and try not to laugh as Will curses over and over again. “I’ll be damned. Looks like you have yourself a driver.”

* * *

We stayon the beach until the sun has slipped down toward the horizon, and the brightest sunset lights up the sky. The girls have had several White Claws throughout the day, and they are singing loudly as they sit in their chairs and sing about a cowboy taking them away. Caroline and Margaret giggle as Hannah stands and starts dancing to the music playing from the speaker. I may have gotten off to a rough start in Springside, but it’s clear my sister has never felt more at home. It makes me more relaxed seeing her so happy.

Seth leans over as he watches the girls and asks, “So man, what brought y’all to Springside?”

“Well, the mayor is a family friend. When he called to ask if I was interested, I jumped at the opportunity to get out of the city. Plus, it worked out for Margaret to move with me. So here we are,” I tell him.

“That’s awesome that you’re so close. I know you got off to a rough start, but I think Springside is lucky to have you. I don’t remember the last time anyone under the age of fifty moved into town. The locals will come around,” Seth says confidently.

I don’t really give a damn about the town, but it feels good to have someone not believe I am a total asshole. “Thanks,” I reply, unsure of what to say.

I look back over at the girls who are now holding hands and dancing to the latest Miranda Lambert song. I have always gravitated to country music, and the tune has come across my Spotify several times over the last week.

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