Page 41 of Thick & Thin

“Looks like you’re getting skinny. Are they feeding you here, boy?”

I nodded. “Yes, sir. We get plenty to eat.”

Genie stepped forward and hugged me, and my eyes went to Jenny, who was standing behind my family waiting her turn. She smiled and hugged herself.

She was nervous.

I understood. Even though Jenny and I were always together, I was feeling nervous myself.

She had on one of her nicer T-shirts and a pair of jeans that hugged her body like I had been dreaming of for the past few weeks. Her hair was down, which was rare, but she had a hair tie around her wrist, waiting until the appropriate time to pull it up into her signature ponytail.

“I guess I missed you, little brother.”

I chuckled. “Thanks. I guess I missed you too.”

Then it was Jenny’s turn.

I held my breath as she stepped into my arms, and I pulled her into me. Her long hair tickled my cheek, and I breathed her in, taking in her familiar scent and sighing in relief. I didn’t know if it was obvious to her and my family, but I wasn’t sure I cared.

“I missed you so fucking much,” I whispered in her ear.

Her arms tightened around me. “I missed you more.”

Impossible.

We went to a local restaurant to celebrate, and I ate like I hadn’t eaten properly in months. The food wasn’t terrible at basic, but everything was rushed, so I hadn’t enjoyed a meal since I entered. After we finished dinner, we sat around the table while everyone filled me in on the goings-on in town.

It was good to spend the day with my family after graduation, but I knew it couldn’t last long. I was checking in with my new unit at Sand Hill for One Station Unit Training that night, which meant I had to be back at the barracks to gather my belongings and check out of my unit for out processing.

Jenny had driven her dad’s truck, so when it was time for Mom and Dad to drop me off at the barracks, it also meant it was time for me to tell Jenny bye. I didn’t want to. I wanted to see more of her. I wanted her to stay longer.

I hugged her, and without thinking, I whispered in her ear. “Don’t leave yet. Come to the barracks.”

She pulled away with a look of confusion and then nodded her understanding.

I didn’t want to rush my parents and sister when they were dropping me off, but it was getting late, and I had seen Jenny pull in and park on the edge of the lot in the dark beneath a set of old oaks.

I waited until my parents and sister were loaded in the car and pulling away before I made my way across the dark parking lot to where Jenny was parked. She got out and closed the door behind her.

“Hey. Everything okay?” she asked with a concerned look on her gorgeous face.

I didn’t answer.

Instead, I went to her, collected her face in my palms, and kissed her like I would never kiss her again.

13

Jenny

I kissed him back.I had been dreaming of kissing him since he left for basic, but the second I saw him in his uniform, it was over. I couldn’t control myself. I pushed into him, needing to feel his body against mine. Needing to know he was there.

Being around him with his parents near had been hell. All I wanted to do was kiss him. Hold him to me. When he asked me to come back to the barracks, I was more than happy to do so.

I hadn’t expected him to move straight in with a kiss, but I wasn’t about to stop him. He pushed me against Daddy’s truck, and I lost my hands in his hair, knocking his hat from his head.

“I’ve wanted to do this all fucking day,” he said against my lips.

“Me too. What if we get caught out here?”

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