Page 5 of Redbird

“Dinner smells good,” Cash says, popping up behind me. “Smells like biscuits.”

“Well, you know I don’t serve breakfast without biscuits,” I say, lifting him up to sit on the counter. He watches as I pour a glass of lemonade and hand it to him. He drinks, testing it experimentally. Just one time, when he was three, I gave him lemonade that wasn’t sweet enough and, I swear, he’ll remember it forever.

“It’s good,” he says.

“Cash,” Gerard says, walking into the kitchen in just his t-shirt and pants, a towel in hand. “Say thank you to your mother when she serves you.”

“Thank you, mom,” he says, looking guilty. “Sorry, I forgot.”

I kiss his head. “You’re welcome, baby.”

I give Gerard a glance over my shoulder and he gives me a glance back. It’s a silent exchange of me telling him he’s too stern with Cash and him telling me that he knows what he’s doing. For a second, I consider pushing back, but then I remember that Gerard shows his love differently than I do and that’s alright.

“Can we eat on the porch?” Cash says, dropping to the ground.

“Sure,” I say. “Why don’t you go set the table?”

He nods and starts gathering up the utensils and napkins. He’s not very good at it, I always have to do some subtle corrections. But I’m over the moon that he wants to help.

He heads out, everything in a bundle held to his chest. Gerard leans on the counter and gives me a look. Heat creeps up my neck and I pretend to ignore him as I flip the sausages.

But it’s so hard to ignore the way those pale eyes follow my every move. Finally, I turn.

“What?” I ask, not unkindly.

“Nothing,” he says. “I just have a good looking wife.”

I bite my lip, ducking my head. Never sure how to react when he looks at me like that. I give him everything. My body, my mind. There are no secrets, nothing between us anymore. And yet, he’s so hungry for more.

It’s thrilling, overwhelming.

At least, we’ll never get bored together.

We eat on the porch as the sun sets over the mountains. The grass in the fields is already high and it moves in waves. In the distance, I hear the cattle settling down. It’s a sound so familiar it brings me peace every night.

Cash plays in the yard for a while. Around eight, Gerard sends him up to brush his teeth and go to bed. When I’m finished with cleaning the kitchen, I sneak up the stairs and peer into his room.

My little boy is curled up, head on the pillow. Eyes hazy and fixed out his window.

“Goodnight, baby,” I whisper.

He glances over his shoulder, smile sleepy. Then he’s out, snoring as the moon rises and casts a pale blue glow over his bed. Heart overflowing, I close his door and go back downstairs to find my husband.

CHAPTER TWO

GERARD

I watch her step onto the porch. The moon is so bright tonight it almost feels like day. Everything glows midnight blue.

Her hips sway as she descends the steps. She’s in that little, blue printed sundress that makes my heart pound. It falls off her shoulder and the fabric is tight over her breasts. The soft swell of her cleavage spills over beautifully.

Her eyes dart up in a coy glance. She knows what she does to me.

My dick twitches in my pants. It’s Sunday night and I’ll make her pay for teasing me later.

I stand in the yard, waiting. She draws up beside me, her bare feet noiseless, and I take her by the throat to kiss her mouth.

God, she tastes like heaven. A little bit of sweetness still on her tongue. I lick it off and kiss up the side of her neck. Her head falls back, spilling brilliant red down her back.

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