Forever Lovers (4 page)

Padding into the den, he immediately gave his
dad a call back. It barely rang once before his dad barked, “What
happened to Lily?”

Quinn didn't resent the inquisition as he
knew his dad was just concerned about Lily. It was a legitimate
concern. “She got into trouble when she was surfing. A wave was
strong and the tow took her under.”

Troy digested that a moment. “Is she all
right?”

“Yeah, a little shook-up, but fine. It was a
nasty scare for all of us. One that none of us are likely to forget
too soon and hope is never repeated.”

Troy had to ask for his own piece of mind;
although, he knew his son was extremely responsible, “Where the
hell were you when all this was happening?”

“Fortunately, I was in nearby water. A rogue
wave came out of nowhere.” Quinn decided to just state the facts.
The reason she was in the rough water was just speculation on his
sibling’s part. If there were more to the story, Lily would have to
be the one to tell it.

“I see,” Troy replied sensing there was more
that was not being said. “Does she need to go to the hospital or
checked out by a doctor? You know her parents are going to be
really concerned.”

“I don't think so, but why don't you have
Uncle Luke give me a call around ten, Pacific Coast Time. I'll fill
him in on any details. If Lily isn't awake by that time, I'll wake
her.” No surprise, the phone started ringing fifteen minutes later
– it was Uncle Luke. Fortunately, he'd had his morning cup of
coffee by that time. He was ready for the inquisition that
followed.

After another fifteen minutes of Uncle Luke
throwing question after question at him, he apparently was somewhat
satisfied. “Just make sure Lily calls me the moment she opens her
eyelids!”

“Yes, Sir.” Quinn replied as the other end of
the phone clicked.

CHAPTER 5

Quinn looked in on Lily around eight o'clock.
She was still in bed, but her eyes were open and she was staring up
at the ceiling with a blank vacant hunted look.

“Lily?” she turned her head. Quinn gave her a
little smile and walked over to the bed sitting down next to her.
“How are you doing?'

“Fine.”

“Are you “fine” enough to talk to your dad?
He's called four times since five this morning, wanting to know if
you're all right.”

Lily smiled weakly, “Then, I guess I'd better
give him a call.”

Quinn handed her cell phone to her and left
to give her some privacy. He listened for activity in the twin’s
room and concluded rightly that they were still snoozing. Then, he
went downstairs to go through some of his mail left on the
counter.

When Quinn looked in on Lily again, her bed
was empty. Since, he hadn't seen her come downstairs; he stuck his
head out her balcony. He could see her down at the beach just a few
yards from the house. She was sitting by herself in the sand as she
stared out at the calm Pacific looking very small, sad, and alone.
Quinn grabbed his nearest beach shoes and headed down to join
her.

Quinn sat down beside Lily as she gazed
forlornly at the rippling waves. “Everything okay?”

Lily shook her head up and down, not looking
at him. She was embarrassed that he'd had to rescue her from a near
drowning, that she'd clung to him like a silly goose, that she'd
kissed him in the shower no less wishing they were naked together,
that she'd pulled him into her bed and those were just some of the
highlights – the list just seemed to go on and on. How could
she
ever look at him again? Worse yet, how could
he
ever look at her again? As far as she was concerned, her dad
couldn't get here fast enough! She lay her head on her knees and
braced herself for “
The – “Dad”—Speech”
wishing she had a
hoodie that she could pull over her head and make Quinn
disappear.

Quinn surprised Lily by saying nothing. He
just leaned back in the sand and began rubbing her shoulders hoping
that some of Lily's tension would disappear. After a few minutes,
he could feel her shoulders begin to droop. He knew he had
accomplished his mission. In the process, however, a pretty
bubblegum pink bra strap slid down one shoulder from under her
white sleeveless linen blouse. Without thinking, Quinn slipped it
back inside the sleeve hole. It was a stupid move. He was not
prepared for the weight of her breast as he lifted the strap onto
her shoulder. It felt like he was holding her naked breast in his
naked hand. It was overwhelming, as if he were touching her. She
must have felt the tug as well, because she turned her head and was
looking at him funny – like she was trying to figure out a puzzle
she couldn't understand.

Quinn thought to himself,
This is not
smart.
He stood up and offered his hand to help pull Lily to
her feet. “Let's walk.” Lily placed her hand in his. He did not let
go of her hand once she was`` standing. They walked that way in
silence for some time down the beach looking like lovers, neither
of them wanting to break the thin thread of closeness. It felt good
and right to both of them.

It was Sunday morning and the beach was not
overly crowded as the sky was overcast again and the breeze was
slightly cool as it skimmed off the top of the ocean. Oil derricks
stood solemnly in the distance water, pumping away twenty four
seven. The waves rolled continuously onto the beach leaving its
usual debris of brownish seaweed and broken seashells before
receding back to the ocean depths and back again like a rocking
horse that never stopped. The seagulls were circling and the sand
pipers were busy searching for a prized meal. It was a typical day
on the beach, but, for Lily and Quinn, there was nothing typical
about that morning.

As Lily and Quinn strolled hand in hand down
the edge of the wet surf, it no longer was a smooth terrain as they
began to run out of the sandy beach. It was beginning to become a
little rocky beneath their feet, which was also another reason that
this area of the beach was void of people that day. There were
looming rock formations up ahead. Rocks that Quinn and the twins
had played upon when they were children. Quinn led them in that
direction thinking it might be a good place to climb and get his
mind off of other things. It didn't work out that way.

The rock formation kind of twisted and
turned. Lily and Quinn followed the path that they led and soon
found themselves engulfed in their own private world, cut off from
the vision of other beach combers should they be taking an early
morning walk in their direction. They could no longer see the
ocean, but they could still hear the splashing surf reminding them
that the ocean was still there. As they reached an obvious secluded
spot that was protected from the wind, Quinn instinctively backed
Lily up against a smooth slab. She looked up at him questioningly
not totaling understanding what he wanted or what was expected. He
on the other hand, knew exactly what he wanted.

Quinn started out just silently asking for a
little harmless kiss he told himself. The moment their lips met,
however, things immediately blossomed out of control. His desire
begin to quickly fester and get the best of him as his hand of its
own accord reached for the snap of Lily's jean shorts. His hand
dipped inside the edge of Lily's bikini panties running his
forefinger along the elastic edge. She gasped, clinging to his
shoulders letting him do whatever. Quinn took a step back, finally
listening to the warning of bells and whistles going off inside his
head before he took it any farther. He rested his elbows on the
rock behind Lily’s head, breathing deeply, trying to get control of
his emotions.

Quinn was shocked how things had escalated to
such unbelievable velocity. He was the adult here. It was his
responsibility to stop. He finally did, but not before he leaned
into Lily's beckoning womanly body again, whispering in her ear,
“Just feel what you do to me, Lily.” making sure she
understood.

Quinn touched his forehead to Lily's,
inhaling deeply as he got a whiff of her strawberry essence and
fought for control. Looking down, he started snapping up her shorts
catching a glimpse of her pink frilly bikini underwear. “You're
mine. You always have been. Don't ever forget it!” He hugged her
and started pulling a shocked Lily, who was still trying to digest
the declaration she had just heard, out from behind the rocks
before he changed his mind and made love to her in their private
hide-away the rest of the morning and afternoon.

CHAPTER 6

Luke was beside himself. If it hadn't been
for Platinum's calming presence he would have jumped in his private
Cessna at the Kansas City hanger before Lily called him. He began
to pace until the phone finally rang. Even speaking to Lily did
very little to console his fears. By lunch, he had worked himself
in such a twit that he was flying west before food could be put on
the table for lunch. He needed to reassure himself that his little
Lily was all right – and that was all there was to it!

Luke arrived in Huntington late afternoon.
Luke's presence was unannounced as he came storming into the Slater
home like he was ready for battle. He only calmed down after
holding and checking Lily out for himself making sure she was not
suffering any aftermath of trauma. He stayed long enough to have a
ham sandwich, only because Quinn was at the time in the middle of
making one for himself. Lily declined. Her tummy was full of just
too many butterflies to munch on anything. Luke gave his thanks and
appreciation to Quinn, which had he known how they'd spent the
morning would have at the very least given him a sock on the jaw
followed by a black eye and that would have been after the
castration. Some things are just better that a father doesn’t
know.

The twins were up by that time, conversing
with Lily before she left. They were disappointed that she wasn't
staying longer, but they promised they'd come for a visit to Kansas
City later on that summer. “I'll teach you how to ride horses.
We'll do a barbeque, too.” Lily added. After kisses and hugs all
around, Lily and her dad departed and headed for home. Quinn
watched Lily's behind swaying back and forth until it disappeared
from his view.

Luke soon had Lily loaded in the passenger
seat of his twin engine. They were back in Kansas City by night
fall, a much calmer Daddy by then – and a much different Lily as
she contemplated the events of the last forty-eight hours. She was
feeling the subtle awakening of becoming a woman – that time when
you no longer see things through the eyes of an adolescent, a time
to dream of your first love.

Luke noticed the subtle change in Lily. He
was concerned and mentioned that fact to Platinum. She assured him
that a near death experience would subdue anyone. Luke wasn't so
sure. It made him a little edgy.

Later that evening, back in Huntington, a
very perceptive and always the romantic, Jade, said to her twin,
Jasmine, “Do you think Lily and Quinn have a thing?”

“What kind of a thing?” Jasmine asked totally
clueless.

“You know, like they might kind of be
developing an interest in each other.”

“You mean like a romance?”

Jade nodded her head up and down with
enthusiasm as she warmed to a possible secret.

Ever practical Jasmine's reply was, “Not a
chance, besides he's too OLD!” -- spoken like a true sister, thank
you very much.

CHAPTER 7

Lily hardly heard from Quinn after her near
drowning experience. She had emailed him a couple of times, but
rarely got a response. Disappointed, she went on with her own life
as she was supposed to do.

Lily had gotten her own horse when she turned
sixteen while her friends got cars. She was thrilled and not a bit
disappointed as she knew she could always get rides with her
girlfriends if she needed one. Besides, she was promised any kind
of car within reason after she graduated from high school. Lily
knew her Daddy would indulge and it would not be a problem. She
could always barrow mom's car when she turned seventeen.

Lily immediately had fallen in love with her
new little filly and vice versus. She was with her every minute
that she wasn't in school. She brushed her coat, fed her oats,
braided her tail, taught her tricks, and exercised her daily. They
were like the wind, blending into their surrounding with every step
and gallop they took together. They were pals – inseparable. They
were the darlings of Benjamin Stables.

The stable hands always said Lily was
spoiling her little Hot Pants filly. What's the matter with being
spoiled?” she'd often joked back with spunk when teased by the
stable hands. So far, no one could back with a really good
answer.

Unfortunately, between attending an all-girls
school most of her life and teaching Hot Pants to barrel race, it
gave her little contact with the neighboring school boys. As Lily
had gotten older she had continue to spend a lot of time at the
stables while most of her friends were dating and learning about
the opposite sex in subtle and not so subtle ways. It wasn't
necessarily a bad thing that she didn't spend much time with the
opposite sex, but she was definitely lacking in that part of her
education. She was happy and felt nothing was missing in her life
except maybe, Quinn. She considered the old stable hands her
extended family. It was fortunate that most of them felt the same
and watched over her; especially, when she was in the barn grooming
Hot Pants by herself. They never left her alone in the barn. One of
them always managed to grab a pitch fork to bale the hay or oats
for the horses. It was just an unvoiced rule of the stable guys
that were nearby. They knew their actions kept some of the young
bucks away, which was their intentions for more than one
reason.

After about a year, Lily decided that she
wanted Hot Pants to barrel race for competition. She was a quick
learner as the sorrel filly had had some training in rounding up
cattle before she was Lily's birthday present. So, stopping and
turning on a dime came natural to her little sorrel. She loved it
as much as Lily. It was mutually delightful and fun for both of
them.