Page 126 of Them Bones

Life can never get any better than this.

LANEY

On Christmas Eve, sporting matching hoodies that said Fully Completely, Shane drove her to the city for the show.

She’d never been to a concert before and was squirming with excitement as they walked through the crowd hand-in-hand.

“Keep still,” he scolded. “You’re going to break my wrist if you keep bouncing around like that!”

“Carry me, then,” she said, sticking her tongue out and leaping onto his back. He laughed, a beautiful sound that he seemed to give her more and more freely, hefting her up and locking his hands under her knees as she wrapped her arms around his chest and sucked on his ear lobe.

An older couple glowered at them, but she looked the woman right in the eye and stuck her tongue in Shane’s ear.

The woman huffed at her and walked away.

It was hot, and crowded, and loud, but she loved every second of it. Shane wrapped his arms around her, his chin on her head, and sang along to every song. He had a surprisingly melodic voice, clear and sweet, and she warmed for him as always, heart full and panties soaked.

I left your house this morning

‘Bout a quarter after nine

Coulda been the Willie Nelson

Could been the wine

When I left your house this morning

It was a little after nine

It was in Bobcaygeon, I saw the constellations

Reveal themselves one star at a time

She closed her eyes, Shane’s hypnotic voice in her ear, thousands and thousands of lighters swaying in the dark.

Went back to bed this morning

With working on my mind

I thought of maybe quittin’

Thought of leavin’ it behind

Went back to bed this morning

And as I’m pullin’ down the blind

Yeah, the sky was dull and hypothetical

And fallin’ one cloud at a time

She squeezed her thighs together, thinking of their sleepy morning birthday tryst. Shane had slipped into her from behind, bare, both of them on their sides, his hand on her nipples and his mouth hot on her neck.

That night in Toronto

With it’s checkerboard floors

Riding on horseback

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