| TAYLOR: "Jess.." I whispered again and kissed her lips softly. "Do you understand?" I pulled her hairtie from her ponytail and smoothed her hair back. She nodded and wiped her cheeks. "Why do you think I smashed the idiot on the head with that chair?" she asked. "I love you Taylor. I didn't want him to hurt you either..." I hugged her close and kissed the top of her head. "Come on baby...get back in the truck okay?" She nodded again and let me help her in. I walked slowly around the other side and used my cell phone to tell Dave to go ahead to the house without us. I got in the truck and started it, then put my arm around Jess' shoulders and pulled her right up next to me. Dave's car went flying past us and Jess looked questioningly at me. "I told him to go, baby. I think we need some chill time.." I grinned down at her, kissing the top of her head as she smiled up at me. She laid her head on my shoulder and sighed softly as I drove, out of town, past even our rural neighborhood and farther out into the country. Jess' stomach growled and I groaned. "I'm sorry baby, I forgot..." "It's alright Tay." she said, reached in her bag and pulled out one of those blasted protien bars. I sighed heavily as she chewed on it thoughtfully. "You know.." she grinned at me once she had finished it and guzzled her whole bottle of water, "I'm getting spoiled on REAL food. You're gonna have to feed me again soon." "My pleasure, my unbelievably gorgeous wife. And I WILL take that literally.." I laughed. "Ooookay.." she smiled. "Hey where are we going anyway?" she asked. "It's a surprise. You'll love it.." I told her and kept quiet the rest of the way. |
| As I followed the dirt road that led to where I was headed, my mind flooded with memories of being a kid, and running around this place with my brothers, not having any cares at all. It made me want to cry for Jess, who had to grow up way too fast. I also knew that Jess would love this place now, because she loved being outdoors, even at home, she spent alot of time outside and she had pretty much taken over the deck as hers, at my parents house. If I had to go looking for her, that would be the first place I'd look. "Tay? Where the heck are we?" she asked as I turned my truck into the small two-track, that pushed through a small thick patch of trees and opened into a small, spring fed lake. It had been so long, I couldn't even remember how my Dad had found this place, but it was clean and almost NO ONE ever came here anymore. "Surprise.." I grinned as we came out of the trees and she had a perfect view of the lake. "Oh my gosh, Tay! How did you even KNOW this was here? It's great!" she smiled and leaned forward, and I could tell she was all set to jump right out of the truck and explore. "Whoa! Hold on Jess..lemme park.." I grinned and turned the truck, so we could drop the tailgate and sit on that. "Sorry baby.." she grinned. "Hey you never answered me...how did you know this was here?" "My Dad found it when we were kids, I don't remember how. But I do remember almost drowning both my brothers in that lake, several times. We used to come here alot, when we weren't away with my dad on buisness and before we got busy with the music." I told her. "Come on, let's walk..unless you're sore already?" "Not yet." she smiled and took my hand and we sort of walked-hiked around the lake. Jess listened intensely with a smile as I pointed out areas where things USED to be, and told her a few stories that I could remember from when we were younger. Like the time Zac got his foot caught in the tire swing that used to hang from the tree we were standing under, so instead fo going in feet first like he planned, he went in head first but flopped on his belly and came out with a stinging red front and the sound echoed all the way across the lake. "Poor Zac." she chuckled. "Sounds like you guys had a lot of fun here." she smiled again and squeezed my hand. "I was thinkin' it'd be fun to bring our own kids here, Jess. I can see 'em all running around, diving in..." We were back at the truck and I sat down on the tailgate. I pulled her to me, spreading my legs so she could fit in between them, and I could wrap myself around her. She pressed her cheek to my chest and gave me a light squeeze. "It would be, Tay." she said softly and then looked up at me. "I'd love them to have all the fun, happy memeories that you have of growing up." She ducked her head, pressing her forehead into the middle of my chest. "How could they not," I asked her, "with a mom who's willing to play just as hard as they do?" She looked up at me and grinned, "I guess I do, huh?" she asked and I nodded, not being able to keep from smiling. "You wear ME out sometimes Jess. And Mac and the girls are beat by the time you get done with them." She chuckled and shrugged her shoulders, "Maybe it's some kind of unconscious thing.." then she gave me a sly grin. "But I thought you LIKE it when I wear you out.." I cupped her face in my hands, "I do.." I grinned down at her and then kissed her, tracing her lips with the tip of my tongue and then covering her mouth completely. Her arms came up around my neck as she let her body relax against mine, and parted her lips, letting me in to taste her. "Mmm...Jess.." I breathed as we pulled apart. "I love you Tay." she told me softly, and caressed my cheek. |
| "C'mere baby..' I told her and scooted over on the tailgate to make room for her to sit next to me. I watched as she slipped her sweatjacket off, turned around, placed her palms flat on the tailgate behind her and hoist her little body up, to sit in the jacket she had laid out. I was amazed again at the sight of her, her strength, so much packed into such a tiny frame. She was so small, but her muscles, when she was putting forth effort to use them, looked like they were chiseled from stone. How could something that felt so soft and warm, and melted under my touch, be so strong and stonelike at the same time? My eyes wandered over her body, which was clad in nothing but a sport bra top and a hip hugging pair of drawstring shorts that matched the sweat jacket she was sitting on. I absently wondered if her tummy was ever going to start to protrude and give visible evidence that she was carrying my child, right now I only could tell because of her appetite and the fact that her luscious cleavage did not fit into her bras anymore. I let my gaze wander over her long, strong legs as she pulled her knee up to her chest and untied her shoe. She took it off, pulled her sock off and stuffed it into her shoe, and then repeated the whole sequence with her other leg as I watche, entranced by her graceful movements even in doing such a simple thing. She ran her hand through her hair and I noticed she was beginning to sweat. But it WAS hot, and I also knew she only wore the seatjacket to cover herself in the gym when she wasn't working out. I was beginning to feel the sweat bead on my own brow, and kicked off my shoes as well. I took off my overshirt and laid it over the edge of the bed of the truck. "Tay! You'll get burnt.." she said and hopped from tha tailgate on bare feet. She pulled her bag from the seat and dug through it, smiling triumphantly when she found what she was looking for. "Sunscreen..take your other shirt off and I'll rub some on you.." "Oooh baby.." I grinned as I did as I was told. "Can I do you, too?" "Depends on what you mean by that.." she giggled. I groaned when I realized the double meaning of what I'd said. "Hey get your mind out of the gutter, woman. I just wanted to rub lotion on you.." I laughed. "MMhmm.." she grinned. "But I have a zillion and one photo shoots this month baby..so if you put some on me and I STAY in the sun..well..there just can't be any tan lines. You should see some of the floss they try to pass off as a swimsuit...might as well not wear one.." she grumbled as she quickly rubbed the stuff all over my back and shoulders. "Now there's an idea.." I chuckled as she moved around to my front and began to slather the stuff all over me. "Uh-huh..you know you have a point..it IS hot out here.." she grinned, grabbed the towel out of her bag and wiped her hands. Then, to my amazement. she stepped back, hung the towel next to my shirts and began to undress. The sun shone down on her, making her bronzed skin and gold streaked hair glow as she slowly pulled her sport top off over her head. She chuckled and tossed it at me as I stared with my mouth hanging open. I caught it as it hit me in the chest. "Jess...what the..?" She had pulled her shorts off and I realized she didn't have any panties on. She giggled and chucked her shorts at me, hitting me in the chest again as I caught them. My heart began to pound loudly in my chest as I stared at her, standing completely naked in the late afternoon sunlight. It cast a golden glow over her and I had to suck my breath in when she ran her hands through her hair and stretched her arms over her head. "What are you waiting for?" she giggled and stepped into the lake, gingerly. |