Red Dirt Heart 04 - Red Dirt Heart 4 (4 page)

I scoffed. “You didn’t seem to mind it last night!”

“Once every three years,” he said. “But that thumpin’ music and that young crowd isn’t my thing. The club was full of eighteen-year-olds with hair gel and jeans so tight you could see what religion they were.”

George snorted back his tea and almost choked, and Ma laughed long and loud. Charlie was clearly embarrassed. He ducked his head and his foot hooked around mine. It was something he did when he needed some silent reassurance.

“Sorry.” He stared at the table with reddened cheeks. “I didn’t really mean to say it like that.”

Ma laughed some more and patted his hand. “I’ll have to remember that one.”

I put my hand on the back of his head and ruffled his hair. “Didn’t realise you were a religious man.”

Charlie muffled a laugh by clearing his throat and stood up. “On that note, I’ll bid you goodnight,” he said, still with flaming cheeks.

Wanting to leave with him, I considered making a joke about religious experiences, being on my knees or screaming, “Oh God”, but before I could think of which one was the least inappropriate, Charlie said, “Travis, whatever it is you’re about to say, don’t.”

I looked up at him. “Not even one ‘come to Jesus’ joke?”

Charlie sighed and mumbled something that sounded like ‘goodnight’ as he walked out. Ma laughed again and George put his cup of tea on the table while trying not to smile. I stood up and put my cup in the sink and turned to face them. “The only jokes that come to mind are too rude for repeating, so I’ll just say goodnight instead, and I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Night,” George said with a smirk and a nod.

“Good night, love,” Ma said. I wasn’t sure when the pet names started from Ma. They’d kind of slipped in every now and then after she’d had her operation, cemented in when I came back from my grandfather’s funeral, and some kind of stuck.

The bedroom was empty, and the bathroom light was on but the door was closed. I waited in the hall for him, and when he finally opened the door, I stepped in real close and pressed him against the doorjamb. “Religion, huh?”

He huffed quietly. “I can’t believe I said that.”

I kissed him and nudged his nose with mine. “I can’t believe you were looking at other guys’ junk.”

“I wasn’t,” he said quickly.

I laughed and kissed him again, slower this time. “I know. You weren’t capable of doing much last night.”

Charlie put his head back against the wood doorframe and looked at me for a long moment. “I was pretty drunk.”

“You were.” I kissed his neck, his jaw and below his ear. “Did you want to have that ‘come to Jesus’ talk?”

He laughed quietly. “No more religious jokes, please.”

“Don’t tell me you’re offended. You don’t have a religious bone in your body,” I said. Then I laughed. “Do you want one?”

Charlie laughed, louder this time and leaned his forehead on my shoulder. “That’s the worst joke you’ve ever told.” But he slid his hand around my back and into the jeans pocket on my ass and pulled me against him. He kissed my neck and scraped his teeth against my skin.

“One thing about you in Darwin,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “You have a dirty mouth when you drink.”

Charlie froze, and I pulled back so I could see his face. I nudged his nose again. “It was hot,” I reassured him, murmuring the words. “And you can talk like that to me any time.”

He tried to look down, but I pulled his chin up with my fingers. “Don’t be embarrassed,” I whispered, kissing him. “Don’t ever be embarrassed to tell me what you want.”

He swallowed hard. “I’m not brave like you. I’m just learning how to talk about normal things, I can’t just say… things like that. Drunk, yes. Apparently. Sober… I… well, I, um…”

I nudged my nose against his again and pulled his bottom lip in between mine. “If I told you I wanted you,” I said against his mouth. “If I told you I wanted you to fill me and fuck me, would you do it?”

His breath hitched, and I could feel his chest rise and fall against mine. He nodded. “Yes.”

“Then do it,” I told him. My voice was rough. “Take me to bed and have me. Any way you want.”

Charlie pushed me back, grabbed my hand and led me to our room. He shut the door behind me and took my face in his hands and he kissed me, slow and deep.

He ran his hands down my neck, my chest, and slowly pulled my shirt up and over my head. I could see him the darkened room, his swollen lips and his wanting eyes. I could feel his breath on my face, and his hands—his rough, callused hands—skated over every inch of my skin.

He always did that, from the very first time, he did it still. Like he was trying to memorise every inch of skin, as though he might forget what I felt like. I pulled his t-shirt over his head and kissed down along his shoulder. “Have you got me all mapped out in your head?” I asked, licking up his neck to his ear.

He let his head fall back and moaned out a bit of a laugh. Then he was fumbling with my zipper and pushing my cargos down and he lay me down on the bed. When I’d told him to have me anyway he wanted, I meant it.

And so did he.

An announcement, a party and a knee in the nuts.

“Hi, Momma.” I looked at the laptop screen. Charlie and I were sitting on our bed with our backs to the headboard, the laptop resting on our thighs.

“Oh, Travis, Charlie, how’ve you boys been?” she said.

“Real good, Momma,” I answered.

“I’m fine, Mrs Craig.” Charlie rubbed his hands on his thighs, clearly nervous.

I squeezed his hand. “Momma, is Dad there?”

“Yeah, he’s in the den. Everything okay?” she asked, lookin’ all concerned.

“Everything’s fine, Momma,” I reassured her. “Can you get him for me? There’s something I wanna tell you both.”

Mom disappeared off screen and we heard her call out to my dad, mumblin’ as she went to get him, and just a few moments later, they appeared together. “Hey there, Travis,” he said. “Your Mom’s got herself in a tizz. What’s the matter?”

“Oh Jesus,” Charlie whispered, exhalin’ like his nerves were about to give out. He was squeezin’ my hand a fraction too tight and put his face behind my shoulder.

“Nothin’s the matter, Dad,” I said. “I just wanted to tell you that I asked Charlie to marry me.”

Charlie made an odd strangled noise. Dad smiled and Mom blinked. Both of them were shocked, but eventually Mom said, “And?”

“And what?”

“And what did he say?”

Charlie stopped hiding his face behind my shoulder to stare at the screen. “Yes. I said yes. Of course I said yes.”

I laughed. “He said yes, Momma.”

Then there were tears. Dad put his arm around Mom, tellin’ me it was real good news and how he wasn’t too surprised, all the while Mom just nodded and dabbed a Kleenex at her eyes.

“Why is she cryin’?” Charlie whispered. “Travis, your mum is crying. Make her stop. Travis, this is bad.”

I smiled and gave him a quick kiss. “They’re not sad tears, Charlie.” They were my-baby’s-all-grown-up tears.

They were my-baby’s-never-coming-home tears.

Charlie swallowed hard and looked at the screen. “I just want you to know,” he said to my parents. “There’s no immediate plans for anything, we’re just happy where we’re at right now.” Then he squeezed my hand to near bone-breaking, took a deep breath and lifted his chin. “Mr Craig, Mrs Craig, I know we’ve never met, and I promise we will so I can ask this in person—” Charlie swallowed again. “—but if it’s okay with you, I’d really like to spend the rest of my life with your son.”

Holy shit.

I kinda forgot my parents were there. I was lookin’ at Charlie, and he’d just said the most beautiful thing that made my heart bang in my chest. “Charlie,” I whispered.

He looked at me then, all vulnerable and exposed. “Was that okay?”

I laughed at his so-damn-adorable ways. “Was that okay? I had no idea you were gonna ask permission.”

Charlie blinked. “Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do? I mean, I don’t know these things—”

A half laugh, half sob came from the laptop. My mom was still crying. “You boys are the sweetest things.” She now had a tissue scrunched in each hand, one dabbing at her nose, the other at her eyes, while my dad stood there holding the box of Kleenex.

I could see it, the moment it clicked with her. “Travis, honey, you didn’t discuss asking parents?” She did that head-tilt thing that told me I was in trouble. “Travis, please tell me you asked Charlie’s family before you asked him?”

“Well, I… Um, you see, I—”

“Travis Craig.” There was always something about being full-named by your momma that put the fear of God in your bones. “Did I not raise you better than that?”

“Oh, well, Mrs Craig,” Charlie said quickly. “I don’t really have parents. My dad died a few years ago and my mum… well, I have a Ma and a George. Well, and a Laura, but she’s not really my mum. I mean she is, but it’s… complicated.”

Mom’s face softened. “Oh, I know, sweetheart,” she said softly. “Travis told me all about your Ma and George and Laura.” She looked at me, and I could feel the heat of her glare through the screen. “Travis, please tell me you didn’t ask Charlie to marry you without asking George first?”

“Well, um…” There was no point in lying. She’d know anyway. “I did actually, yes. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing and it didn’t occur to me that I had to ask anyone’s permission. I asked Charlie. I needed
his
blessing, Momma, not anyone else’s.”

This was, apparently, the wrong answer.

“Mrs Craig,” Charlie said again, trying to soothe her. “Travis shouldn’t be in any trouble.”

Momma took a deep breath and straightened her back. It was a posture I knew well. It meant there was an ass-handing about to be given. “Travis, if you’re man enough to get married, then you’re man enough to ask his daddy for his blessing.”

Charlie did that nervous-can’t-stop-talking thing. “Oh, he’s man enough…” His words died when he realised just how that sounded. He looked at me with wide, horrified, sorry eyes and shook his head. “I’m making it worse.”

I laughed and kissed him quick, and looked back at my mother. She was now arguing with my dad. I think he was telling her to mind her own business, but then she gave him the look—you know,
that
look—and then my dad faced the screen and sighed. “Son, you better do the right thing.”

I put my hands up. “Alright, alright,” I conceded defeat with a laugh. “I’ll go do it now. Sweet mercy, Momma.”

Charlie laughed a little. “Sweet mercy? Just how Texan are you?”

“Want me to show you how Texan I can be?” I whispered, waggling my eyebrows, pouncing on Charlie, pushing him back down on the bed.

My dad groaned, a painful sound. “Travis, for the love of therapy, son, disconnect the call first.”

I could see on the laptop that my parents copped a screen full of our fully dressed tangled legs and hips, I barked out a laugh and shut the laptop. I kissed Charlie hard and quick and rolled off the bed. I held out my hand, which Charlie took, and when he had clambered to his feet, I said, “Come on, I gotta go find George.”

I dragged a protesting Charlie down the hall to the living room to where George and Ma were watching TV and Nugget was getting a belly rub from George’s foot.

“Travis, you don’t have to do this,” Charlie said quietly. “We’ll just tell your mum that you asked and it’ll be fine. They won’t need to know any different.”

I ignored him.

By this time, Ma and George were looking at us, waiting for whatever it was I was about to say. “George, may I have a word?”

“’Course,” he said, looking more concerned, and he made to get up from the sofa.

“No, stay there,” I said. “And Ma, I’m glad you’re here. This involves you too.”

“Is everything okay?” Ma asked. “How were your parents? That’s who you were talking to, wasn’t it? Is everything alright?”

“Everything’s just fine,” I reassured her. Then, taking a deep breath and squeezing Charlie’s hand, I said, “I’m technically supposed to ask George, but it only seems right that I ask both of you.”

Charlie hid behind me and buried his face against my back. “Oh dear God.”

“George, Ma, you both know that I love Charlie very much,” I said, looking at them both. “Well, I asked him to marry me and he said yes.” Ma’s hands went to her mouth, and George started to smile. “My promise to you is, that for as long as I have breath, I will respect him and treat him as he deserves—which, knowing Charlie, on any given day could range from complete adoration to giving him a kick in the ass.” Charlie snorted against my back, so I pulled him around and tucked him in under my arm. I looked back at George and Ma. “So, if you’ll give it, I’d really love your blessing to become part of your family.”

Charlie looked up at me and shook his head. “You just had to outdo me, didn’t you?”

I laughed but before I could answer, Ma got up from the sofa and stood in front of us, her hands still at her mouth. She now had tears in her eyes. “Oh, Travis, love. You’re already part of this family, but yes, yes, yes.”

George stood beside her and held out his hand, which I shook. “It ain’t strictly required, son, but if it’s a blessing you need, consider it yours.”

Ma was now holding Charlie’s face. “Oh, I’m so happy for you both.”

“Thanks, Ma,” he said. “We just thought it was time to make it official, ya know?”

“Well, Charlie thought it was about time,” I amended.

“I figured makin’ him wait a year was long enough.” He laughed.

“Oh. I assumed this must have all happened when you went to Darwin for the weekend.” Ma’s eyes flickered between mine and Charlie’s. “What do you mean
a year
?”

The look on Charlie’s face was priceless, and I swear I could hear him mentally trying to backpedal. “Oh, um…” He looked at me, then back to Ma. “Well, Trav actually asked me a year ago.”

Ma raised both eyebrows, her smile was gone. “And you just said yes now? Charlie,” she hissed her disapproval. “What were you thinking?”

“No! I said yes right away,” he blurted out. “But we just kinda got talking about it now.”

“You’ve been engaged for a year?” she asked.

Oh shit.
I was familiar with that tone. That was her Charles-Sutton-you’re-in-so-much-trouble tone. My momma had one just like it.

“Well, it’s all been so perfect and I didn’t want to jinx anything, and then I just kinda blurted it out to Sam. I didn’t really even mean to,” he said quickly. “And then once I’d said it, I realised it felt right and I kinda liked the sound of it, and I know leaving it a whole year was pretty shitty.” Charlie looked at me with those wide, unsure eyes. “I’m really sorry, Trav.”

“Hey, don’t apologise,” I said. Again. I took his hand. “Maybe you weren’t ready then, or whatever. It doesn’t matter. You’re ready now, and that’s fine with me. I told you before, it’s enough for me to know that you said yes. That’s all.”

He nodded, never taking his eyes off me. “Thank you.”

I chuckled at him. “You don’t need to thank me, Charlie.” He slid his arm around me and I looked at Ma. Her eyes had softened and she was smiling at us. “Ma, don’t be mad at him. He did everything right.”

“I thought you meant he didn’t answer you for a year,” she said. “Then I woulda been mad.”

“I wouldn’t have ever said no, Ma,” Charlie said, still leaning in to me. “I nearly died saying yes, but I wouldn’t have ever’d said no.” Then he stood up straight and took her hand. “But there’s no more plans for anything. It’s just bein’ engaged, for however long we need, okay? So no pressure for wedding dates or anything like that, please. And I’m not sure how I feel about the others knowin’ yet. We just told Trav’s folks just now.”

“Well,” George said. He’d been quiet all this time. “I think it’s great news. Don’t need no one addin’ pressure, but thank you for tellin’ us.” He looked at me. “Travis, you askin’ like you did makes me real proud.” Then he looked at Charlie and put his big hand on Charlie’s arm. “Who’d’a thought, huh? Remember us sittin’ at the lagoon that time and you were so sure you didn’t deserve him? Remember that?”

Charlie nodded.

“And when you were thinkin’ the government was gonna make Travis leave? And when he went back to Texas and you were sure he was gone for good?”

Charlie swallowed thickly. “Yeah.”

“Now you get it, dontcha, Charlie?” the old man said. “Now you know it don’t matter where either of ya are in the world, does it? You know, dontcha, Charlie, not everyone’s out to leave ya.”

Charlie nodded quickly, his eyes were shining with tears. “I get it now.”

“You don’t need no wedding or a piece of paper or a ring on your finger to prove to no one,” George said. “Because
you
know.”

Charlie looked at me. “Yeah. I know.”

Ma looked at her husband like she just might burst. She patted down her greying hair, on the verge of tears. “Oh, Joseph Brown, that’s the sweetest thing.”

George gave a sly all-knowing smile to his wife and took her hand. “It’s getting late, Katie,” he said, leading her out. Ma gave us a smile before they disappeared through the door.

Charlie put both arms around me, buried his face in my neck and chuckled. “George isn’t foolin’ anyone. He knows exactly what to say to make Ma putty in his hands.”

My laugh became a long, contented sigh. I ran my hands up Charlie’s back and nuzzled into his hair. “Is what he said is true, though? Do you know now, Charlie? Do you know that when I say forever, I mean it?”

He linked his hands behind my lower back, but pulled his head back so he could look at me. We both knew it wasn’t to do with Charlie understanding that I loved him. It was about him knowing he deserved to be loved. “Yeah, I get it now.”

I nudged his nose with mine and gave him an almost kiss. “Good.”

Charlie responded with a kiss, a deep all-consuming kiss. He tilted his head and slid his tongue along mine. His hands on my ass, he pulled me closer still, and I responded in kind. Jesus, he knew how to kiss.

Then something stabbed my foot and I reflexively lifted my leg, effectively kneeing Charlie in the balls.