Baumgartners Empty Nest (The Baumgartners) (13 page)

“Harder,” she panted. The headboard banged against the wall, and the bed squeaked underneath them, and she knew Jody could probably hear them now, but she was too far gone to think about it. “Oh please! Pound my pussy! Pound my little pussy, Doc!”

He groaned, grabbing her thighs and pressing her back, kneeling up between her legs as he slammed his cock deep into her flesh. She pressed her palms flat against the headboard to keep from knocking into it with every thrust. Doc rutted deep inside her, growling like an animal.

“Fill me,” she begged. She was chasing her climax it hot, little circles with her fingers around her throbbing clit. “Oh fuck! Fuck! I’m going to come! Fill me, baby! Fill me with all that hot fucking cum!”

Doc gave a low grunt and arched, the first wave of his cum spurting deep into her clenching little cunt. Carrie cried out, bucking, thrashing under him with her orgasm. He pinned her to the bed, like his cock was a sword and he’d run her through. She squirmed, but couldn’t get away, not from him, not from the delicious, torturous spasm of her pussy, again and again, until she thought it would never end.

“Oh fuck.” Doc collapsed beside her on the bed, an arm thrown over his eyes. “You’re so fucking hot when you take a new lover. It’s like getting to fuck you for the first time all over again.”

“Really?” Carrie panted at the ceiling. She hadn’t ever thought of it that way.

Doc reached out, his hand brushing hers. He linked their fingers, squeezing gently.

“I love you.” He lifted her hand, kissing her fingers.

Carrie smiled through her tears, and for the second time that night, listened to someone she loved fall deeply asleep.

“The market’s rebounding,” Elise said as she opened closets and made notes on her yellow legal pad. She took another picture with her phone camera of the living room and kitchen as she walked through. “We’ll have no problem selling this place.”

“You think so?” Carrie asked, surprised. She was in real estate and knew the market was improving back home, too, but she hadn’t anticipated that it would be the same in Florida. People might have a little more spending cash than they did five or ten years ago, but enough to invest in a time share or vacation property? 

“Real estate is always in demand down here.” Elise opened the sliding door that led to their private beach and stepped out onto the patio in her high heels. “And you’ve got quite a stretch of premium land here.”

“Yes, we were lucky to get it when we did.” Carrie pulled her cover-up closer around her as she stepped outside. She’d been sunbathing—Jody and Doc had bonded over firearms and had gone to the local hunt club to do some target shooting—when Elise called and asked to come by to take some measurements and get some pictures. 

She remembered the first time she’d been to the time share, soon after she’d met Doc. It had been his parents who had bought into it first, along with Brady, who later took Doc under his wing in his family practice. Doc’s parents had given up their part of the time share to their son, finding it too taxing to travel back and forth. They were probably the only two aging people she knew who didn’t want to move to Florida when they retired. 

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we sold it while you were here.” Elise squinted up and down the beach as if she were looking for some flaw, but the expression her face told Carrie she wasn’t finding it.

Their little place was heaven on earth.

“We’re only going to be here two weeks!” Carrie exclaimed as Elise walked to the edge of the patio—she didn’t go any further, though. Not in high heels on the sand.

“I know.” The agent raised her phone, turning slowly as she took a panorama of the beach view.

“That soon...” Carrie mused, hugging herself as if she were cold, even though it was at least eighty-five degrees. It had been unusually warm this week so far, which made it perfect sunbathing weather. Her tan lines were already disappearing. She’d been forced to put a bikini on when Elise had called, saying she was going to stop by.

“Trust me, I’ll get phone calls as soon as I list it.” Elise flipped through the photos on her phone, shading the view with her hand from the sun’s glare. “Once these pictures go up, we’re going to get swamped with offers.”

“Well, that’s good.” Carrie looked out at the waves rolling in, worrying her lip. This was what they had come down here for. The agent was enthusiastic, motivated, and seemed to think it wouldn’t take long at all to sell. That was great news. Except it didn’t feel so great. In fact, it left Carrie with a hard knot in the middle of her belly.

“I’ll email you the listing as soon as it’s up,” Elise said, tucking her phone back into her purse. “I think I have everything I need. I’ll call you if I have any more questions.”

“Well, thanks.” She heard a car pull up around front, the dark prowl of the Mustang. Doc and Jody were home. Carrie opened the sliding door, stepping back into the cool air conditioning, Elise close behind.

“It’s hotter than forty hells out there.” Jody came in, looking long-legged and gorgeous in a sleeveless, orange paisley print dress, fanning her flushed face with a folded piece of paper. She stopped when she saw Elise, looking surprised. “Well, hello.”

“Elise is the agent Marcy sent over to do the listing,” Carrie explained as Doc came in, closing the front door behind him.

“Oh, great to meet you.” Doc came forward, holding out his hand to shake the agent’s.

“I think you’re going to be very happy with the results we get, Mr. Baumgartner.” Elise looked him up and down appreciatively, beaming. Carrie had noticed the woman didn’t wear a wedding ring. “I expect a lot of traffic through here once I get the listing up.”

“Great!” Doc smiled and Carrie noticed the way the agent glanced over at Jody, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. She could almost hear Elise thinking,
There’s no way I’d let my husband traipse around with a woman who looked like that!

“Nice to meet you, Elise.” Jody held out her hand, smiling at the woman’s strange look. Jody looked like she was enjoying the other woman’s confusion.

“You, too.” Elise glanced at Doc, then at Carrie, clearly hoping to find a clue.

“This is Jody—our cousin.” That’s what Carrie went with, seeing Elise relax a little. “She needed a little vacation, so we invited her down for our last visit.”

“Ohhhh, I see.” That seemed to satisfy Elise’s curiosity anyway, although Carrie’s explanation had amused Jody, if the smirk on her face was any indication. “Well it certainly is a great place to vacation.”

“I’m going to miss it.” Carrie sighed, glancing out the sliding door into the sunshine.

“If it were mine, I’d live here all the time.” Jody took a seat on the sofa, crossing one knee over the other. Her skirt came to just above, but rode up slightly when she sat, revealing her long legs. Elise noticed, frowning. Jody just smiled. “I mean, why leave paradise?”

“If I had a job down here, I just might consider it.” Doc half-sat on the arm of the chair. Carrie looked at him, surprised. They loved coming down here for vacations, it was true, but she’d never heard him say he wanted to set up shop or anything.

“I’m sure there’s someone out there who will just love this place,” Elise countered, clearly trying to steer the conversation back towards a decision that would net her a hefty commission. “I think you’re doing the right thing. Trust me, this is a great place to vacation—but you don’t want to live here.”

“Why not?” Carrie asked.

“Well, for one thing, the mosquito’s the state bird.” Elise winked, giving a little, tinkling, fake laugh. “And the weather’s gorgeous like this in September, but you don’t want to be here in the summer. The air conditioning bills alone!”

“They’re bad enough when we’re here in the winter,” Carrie agreed.

“Don’t forget the hurricanes,” Doc added.

“Plus, there’s the freak factor.” Elise sighed, giving a small shake of her head, her lips pursing.
“Especially
here in Key West.”

“The freak factor?” Carrie felt the hackles on the back of her neck stand up. She had a feeling she knew where this was heading and didn’t like it.

“It’s not quite as bad where I live, out in Key Largo.” Elise spoke conspiratorially. “We’ve got a lovely little beach house there. But the further south you get, the more they let the freak flag fly.”

“Is that so?” Jody twirled a lock of dark hair around her finger.

“Duval Street is just the worst.” Elise gave a delicate shudder. “I wouldn’t go down there at night, not even if you paid me.”

“Because it’s dangerous?” Doc raised his eyebrows.

“No, disgusting.” Elise looked to Jody, who was the only one who hadn’t expressed judgement at her opinion. It was clear both Doc and Carrie weren’t happy with the direction of the conversation, but Jody had remained neutral, so clearly Elise thought she might have an ally there.
Little does she know,
Carrie thought, looking between them.

“The gay men are bad enough—they roller blade around town in, well, let’s say, beach attire.” Elise put her hands out in a warding-off gesture.

“You mean…” Jody leaned in, lowering her voice like she was whispering a secret. “Suits so tight you can see their religion?”

“Exactly!” Elise gave that fake laugh again. “Oh, and then there are the men who think they want to be women.”

“You don’t say?” Jody’s plucked, delicately arched eyebrow went up.

“The...” She leaned in closer, as if whispering it might keep her from being dirtied by even saying it out loud.
“Transsexuals.”

“On Duval Street?” Doc waved his hand, shaking his head. “You know, a lot of them are just cross-dressers or drag queens.”

“Is there a difference?” Elise made a face.

“A big one, actually,” Carrie countered, giving Jody a knowing look. Jody just pressed her lips together, trying not to smile.

“They’re quite aggressive.” Elise straightened, holding her legal pad close to her chest. “I’m sure it was different when you first bought here. You had small kids then, didn’t you?”

“Yes.” Carrie nodded, remembering the hours the kids had spent making castles in the sand out there. “They’re all grown now.”

“Well, let’s just say, Las Vegas is more family-friendly these days than Key West.”

“But it sounds like it’s a perfect place to let your freak-flag fly.” Jody smiled sweetly when Elise blinked in her direction.
So much for having an ally,
Carrie thought, hiding her own smile.

Elise’s spine straightened, her lips barely moving when she said, “I don’t have a freak flag.”

“I bet you do,” Carrie countered, unable to hide her smile anymore. “You just haven’t found it yet.”

“Well, I’ve got to get going.” Elise took a step back toward the foyer. “I’ll email you when the listing is up.”

“Goodbye, Elise.” Doc stood, taking a few, long strides to the door and opening it for her. She edged her way by him, and Carrie covered her mouth with her hand when her husband couldn’t resist and said, as the agent went out the door, “Unfurl that freak flag, lady. Life’s too short to care what everyone else thinks.”

“That poor woman.” Jody laughed as soon as the door closed behind her.

“Some people.” Doc pointed a finger-gun at the door, aimed, and fake-fired. “Can’t live with ‘em, can’t shoot ‘em.”

“This is Florida—it’s a stand-your-ground state,” Jody reminded him. “Hey, Carrie, did you know your husband can burn money faster than any man I know?”

“I know.” She laughed, walking over to Doc and kissing him on the cheek. “What did he buy now?”

“Oh, we just spent an hour at the range,” Jody reminded her. “And ammo isn’t cheap.” 

“This girl can shoot!” Doc exclaimed, grinning like a fool.

“You’re not so bad yourself, Doc.” Jody dropped him a wink.

“I’m learning.” He slipped an arm around his wife’s shoulders. “Jody’s a great teacher.”

“Some things you just don’t forget,” Jody replied. “Besides, a girl’s gotta know how to take care of herself.” 

“Did you know she was packing heat?” Doc asked, looking at Carrie.

“Oh, yes.” Carrie nodded, trying not to smirk when she met the other woman’s eyes. “She showed me her gun.” 

“You should come with us, hon.” Doc was being completely earnest. “She can show you how to handle it.”

“Maybe later.” Carrie pressed her lips together to keep from laughing out loud and dropped her gaze to the coffee table. If she looked at Jody, she knew she was going to crack up.

“I think I must be related to Doc Holliday,” her husband mused.

Jody chuckled. “I don’t think the name thing works that way.” 

“I’m serious. I have a new hobby,” Doc insisted. “What did you call it, Jody? Gunpowder golf?”

“We used to call it burnin’ lead,” Jody said, smiling. “Or killin’ cardboard.”

“Burning money is more like it,” Carrie said, returning to the first reference. “A yearly membership to the Hunt Club, and we’re only here a few weeks a year?”

“Well, I’m going upstairs to change into a suit.” Jody stood, changing the subject. “And then I’m hitting that gorgeous beach. You coming?”

“I’m ready.” Carrie smiled, parting her cover-up to reveal her white bikini underneath.

“It’s a private beach, you know.” Doc looked down at his wife’s cleavage, then at Jody as she headed toward the stairs. “Suits are optional.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Jody winked at him over her shoulder as she headed up the stairs.

“Gotta let that freak flag fly some time,” Doc called.

Carrie heard Jody’s soft laugh. “Well, you two are really hitting it off.”

“I enjoy spending time with her,” he said, sounding surprised. “She’s… different.” 

You have no idea,
Carrie thought, feeling his arm tighten around her shoulder.

“I’m really going to miss this place.” She sighed, looking around the living room. She could almost see her young children, like ghosts, watching TV or playing the X-Box, lolling around on the floor.

“Me, too.” Doc kissed the top of her head.

She sighed again, putting her arms around his waist. “Everywhere I look is a memory.”

“That’s okay.” He lowered his mouth to her ear, his breath warm as he whispered, “We’re going to make more before we go.”

“I hope so.”

“Oh, hey, speaking of, I stopped on the way home and bought some wine.” Doc let her go, heading toward the front door. “It’s in the car.”

“You planning on getting me drunk?” she called.

“That’s the plan.” He waggled his eyebrows, then glanced at the stairs. “Maybe if we get her drunk enough...”

Carrie laughed. “I don’t think that’s what it’s gonna take.”