Then You Happened

  ****

  Sierra

  “So, what’s it like?” Jolene asked as she sat on her bed and watched me do my hair.

  “What is what like?”

  “Being a lesbian?”

  Oh, for fuck sake. Did she really just ask me that? “Umm. It’s fine, I guess. Why are you asking?”

  “I don’t know. I kissed a girl last year. A random girl in a bar and it kind of stayed with me.”

  I shuddered. “Do you have a boyfriend?” I asked.

  “No. I’ve never had a boyfriend. I’ve just never really been interested in guys.”

  Oh boy. I thought Cameron’s little sister was trying to tell me she might be a lesbian.

  “I find girls more attractive,” she said.

  I stopped brushing my hair and turned around to face her. “Then go with your feelings. Never hide who you are.”

  Before I knew it, Jolene jumped up from the bed and smashed her mouth against mine. It was only for a second and I was completely caught off guard.

  “What the hell is going on?” Cameron yelled as he walked in the room.

  “Nothing. I was just testing something,” she said as she walked out.

  I stood there, my eyes as wide as they could get and in shock.

  “Would you like to tell me what the hell just happened?”

  “I think Jolene is a lesbian and she may have just confirmed it with me.”

  “What? My sister is not a lesbian.”

  “Yeah, Cam. I think she is,” I said with a twisted face.

  He shook his head and told me that it was time to leave for dinner. “By the way, you look really nice,” he said before walking out of the room.

  I smiled as I set the brush down on the dresser and took one last look at myself. My cute little floral print skirt that I bought from Old Navy and my ankle boots looked nice. This was an interesting birthday and one I wouldn’t be forgetting any time soon.

  “Look at you. You look adorable.” Luanne smiled as I walked down the steps. “Kelly and her husband Jeff are going to meet us at the restaurant. You’ll get to meet our grandbaby, Savannah.” She giggled.

  Great. I could hardly wait. Cameron and I climbed into the rental car and Mark and Jaden got in the back.

  “Hey, do either of you know anything about Jolene liking girls?” Cameron asked.

  “I wouldn’t be surprised,” Jaden said. “She’s never been on a date with a guy.”

  “Sierra,” Mark spoke from the back seat. “How long has it been since you’ve been out of the closet?”

  Cameron looked at me and chuckled.

  “Oh, it feels like it was only yesterday,” I replied with an eye roll and a wave of my hand.

  We pulled up to the restaurant and, when we walked inside, the Cole family was already sitting at a table, waiting for us. I met Kelly, her baby, Savannah, and her husband, Jeff. Like any dinner with a one-year-old, it was eventful. Lots of whining and crying when she didn’t get her way. If I wanted to hear all that, I could have stayed in Los Angeles with Kirsty. After we finished eating, the waitress brought out a birthday cake and everyone sang “Happy Birthday” to me and Cameron. As I sat and watched Cameron and his family, I could feel the love that poured out of all of them. The conversations they had were funny but heart-warming. A dinner with my mother, Clive, and Ava could never be like that. Our dinners always revolved around complaining about the latest designer or who didn’t get invited to certain social events.

  “You guys coming to the bar?” Mark asked.

  “Yep. You ready?” Cameron replied.

  Kelly handed Savannah over to Luanne and Jerry because they were the designated babysitters while Kelly and Jeff went to the bar with us. We pulled up in the gravel parking lot and I stared straight ahead at the wood-sided building that sat far back in what seemed like the middle of the woods. To me, this was as creepy as shit. Like something out of a horror movie.

  “Did they film a horror movie using this bar? I swear I’ve seen it in a horror flick.”

  “Stop being ridiculous, Sierra.” Cameron laughed.

  He thought I was being funny. I was being serious. We walked inside and, surprisingly, it was bigger than it looked from the outside. The bar had a cabin feel to it. Everything, right down to the floor, was wood. Mark walked behind the bar to grab us some drinks. The rest of us sat in the only round booth in the joint. It had a white “Reserved” sign sitting in the middle of it. There was a band that was setting up in one corner. A couple of pool tables sat across the other side of the bar. Mark set the tray of drinks on the table.

  “Here’s to Cameron’s and Sierra’s thirtieth birthdays!” Jaden yelled as he held up his glass.

  “And to a newfound friendship.” Cameron smiled as he stared into my eyes.

  I reached over and pressed my lips against his cheek. “Happy Birthday.”

  “Woo hoo,” everyone cheered as we threw back our drinks.

  Everyone walked over to the other side of the bar to play pool. I really didn’t feel like playing, so I told Cameron that I’d stay back at the table for a while and I’d join them later. He nodded and walked away just as Mark brought me another glass of tequila. He slid in the seat across from me and took a drink of his beer.

  “So, what’s going on with you and my brother?” he asked.

  I narrowed my eyes at him.

  “I know you’re not a lesbian, Sierra. But I don’t think you two are in a relationship. So what’s the deal?”

  “I am a lesbian, Mark.”

  “No, you’re not.”

  “Yes, I am.”

  He laughed. “I can see why my brother looks at you the way he does. You’re fucking adorable.”

  I smiled and laughed at the same time. “Fine. I’m not a lesbian, but don’t you go spreading that around. Got it?”

  He nodded his head as he leaned back and folded his arms. “So why pretend?”

  “It’s a long story and one I’d rather not get into at the moment. Cameron and I have a special relationship. We like each other very much.”

  “You mean you’re fuck buddies. No strings attached, right?”

  “How did you know?”

  “First off, I knew you weren’t a lesbian by the way he looks at you and the way his face lights up when you walk into the room. I haven’t seen my brother this happy in a very long time.”

  “Unfortunately, sex and friendship are all I can give him. I can’t be in a relationship.”

  “You can’t or you won’t? Bad experience?” he asked.

  “Something like that.”

  “Well, your secret is safe with me. Just don’t hurt him. Please. He’s a good guy.”

  How could I hurt him when we both fully understand the nature of our relationship? I flashed him my “don’t worry, but I can’t make any promises” smile and finished off my tequila.

  “Hey, Sierra,” I heard Cameron yell across the bar. “Come on. You’re playing.”

  I took in a deep breath and I got up and walked over to Cameron.

  “Here.” He smiled as he handed me the pool stick. “Do you know how to play?”

  I looked at the pool table, ran my tongue across my bottom lip, and looked at Cameron. “It can’t be that hard, right? I just hit the balls with this stick?” I asked.

  “Yep.” He smiled.

  It was me and him. Everyone else stood back and watched. Cameron let me break. I leaned over the table and positioned the stick.

  “Wait a second. You’re holding the stick wrong.” He laughed.

  He came up behind me and repositioned the stick so I was holding it correctly. He also gave me a little tutorial on how to hit the ball. The first time I went to strike the ball, I missed.

  “It’s okay. It just takes some practice.” Cameron smiled.

  He was good. Really good. A good pool player. My balls wouldn’t go in the pockets; his did. He kept making little comments about it being okay and don’t worry, not everyone can play pool. When it w
as my turn again, I looked at Mark.

  “Before I take my turn, do you think you can get me a double shot of tequila?”

  “Coming right up.” He smiled.

  “Sierra. Are you taking your turn or what?” Cameron asked.

  “Hold your horses, boy. Give me a second. You’re kicking my ass and I need a drink.”

  He shook his head and smiled as Mark handed me the shot glass. I threw it back like it was water and handed it back to him.

  “Let’s get this party started.” I smiled as I hit every one of my balls into the pockets. “Black ball, corner left pocket.” I grinned as I hit it and in it went.

  “What the fuck! You’re a scam!” Cameron playfully shouted as he grabbed the sides of his head and did a little spin.

  I began laughing as I did my little dance around him. He grabbed me, set me up on the pool table, and whispered in my ear.

  “Do you know how bad I want to fuck you on this pool table?”

  “Probably as bad as I want you to. It’s obvious you have never been in my basement.” I winked as I jumped down.

  Everyone was staring at us except Jolene. Where was Jolene? My eyes scanned the bar and stopped as they saw her talking to, or possibly flirting with, some chick at a table in the corner. I silently smiled to myself, not wanting to draw attention to her with the rest of the family.

  “Cool. Real cool, Sierra.” Mark winked.

  Chapter 23

  Cameron

  I couldn’t believe her. She was playing me the whole time. As I looked at her and shook my head, she flashed me that smile. A smile like the one I saw in the picture of her and her father. A happy smile. The band announced that they wanted everyone on the dance floor to shake it to Luke Bryan’s “Country Girl (Shake it for Me)” line dance. I turned to Sierra, grabbed her hand, and led her to the dance floor.

  “Oh my God, no!” she exclaimed. “I don’t know how to do it.”

  “Just follow me.” I smiled.

  My brothers and sisters howled as they ran to the dance floor and the music began to play. We started the line dance and Sierra watched me intently, trying to follow the dance moves.

  “I thought you don’t dance,” she said.

  “I’m more comfortable in my own element. Besides, I ballroom dance, don’t I?”

  She was moving with us, stumbling a few times, but keeping up. She was shaking her ass, and what a fine ass it was in that short skirt. She didn’t take her eyes off of me and the smile never left her face. It was happening. She was opening up to the other side of life. When the music stopped, she grabbed my hand and led me outside the bar.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “It’s really hot in there. I just needed some fresh air.”

  We took a seat at a wooden picnic table that sat next to the bar. The parking lot was full and people were still coming. I sat across from her and stared at her as she tried to catch her breath.

  “You did good on the dance floor.”

  “Thanks. It was fun.” She smiled.

  “You never told me you could play pool.” I smirked.

  “I didn’t know that I should have. Is it just something a girl tells a guy out of the clear blue? ‘Hey, guess what? I can play pool and I can probably kick your ass at it.’”

  I chuckled as I pulled my phone from my pocket. “Do you want a drink?” I asked.

  “Yeah. I’ll have a beer.” She smiled.

  I smiled back and sent a text message to Mark, asking him to bring us out two bottles of beer.

  “So, where did you learn to play pool like that?”

  She looked down at the table as she ran her finger across the rough wood. “My dad taught me. Pool was his way to unwind after a long and stressful day at the office. He’d come home, ask me if I did my homework, and then take me downstairs to play. Sometimes, he’d have a group of friends over and he’d show off what he taught me. He used to say, ‘Sierra, you are the pool cue and the ball is your life. Once you have both lined up with precision, you hit hard in the direction you want to roll.’”

  “Wow. He sounds like he was a great father.”

  “He was and I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for him. I miss him so much.”

  My heart ached for her. I could tell that her relationship with her father was nothing like the one she had with her mother. I reached across the table and placed my fingers on hers. She looked up at me and smiled softly.

  “I think I drank too much,” she spoke.

  “Would you like to go back to my house?”

  “No. I want to go to a fucking hotel where we can fuck all night long without your family around.”

  She already had me rock hard and I was more than committed to making her wish come true.

  “I think I can arrange that. But first, we need to go back to my house and get our things for our hike tomorrow.”

  “Then let’s go.” She flashed a smile.

  We got up from the picnic table and walked inside the bar. I had to let everyone know we were leaving in case they needed a ride back. Mark and Jaden said they all could catch a ride with Kelly and Jeff. We climbed in the car and drove back to the house.

  “What hotel are we staying at?” Sierra asked as she turned on the radio.

  “You’ll see. I’m just hoping they have a room for us.”

  “What kind of hotel is it?” she asked with concern.

  “You’ll see.” I turned to her and smiled.

  We pulled up to the house and I could see from the driveway that my parents were sitting in the living room. Sierra got out of the car and we walked into the house. Or should I say, she stumbled into the house.

  “Hello, you two,” my mom said as she gave Savannah her bottle.

  “Hey, Mom. Sierra and I are going to grab a couple things and get a couple rooms at the bed and breakfast. I want to get on the trails early tomorrow.”

  “Have fun, you two.”

  I went to my room and gathered what I needed and then I walked to Sierra’s room to find her sleeping on the bed.

  “Sierra, wake up!” I said as I gently shook her.

  “I’m not sleeping. I’m just trying to make the room stop spinning.”

  I chuckled and shook my head. “I’ll run downstairs and make you a coffee to go. Get your stuff ready. We have to leave.”

  A few moments later, Sierra walked into the kitchen. I took her bag and handed her a cup of coffee. We walked out the door and drove off to the place where I prayed they had a room available.

  Chapter 24

  Sierra

  “What’s this?” I asked as Cameron pulled up in front of what looked like another house.

  “It’s a bed and breakfast. It’s the closest to the trails. Keep your fingers crossed they have a room for us. I’ll be right back.”

  Keeping my fingers crossed, not! I rolled down the window and stared at the wooden house with the long, wooden porch. I craved a plush hotel. The Trump would be nice right about now. Cameron emerged from the house and opened my door.

  “I got us the last room!” He smiled as he held the key up in front of my face.

  “An actual key? That you put into a lock? Who does that anymore?” I asked.

  He sighed with a heavy breath as he grabbed both our bags and led me inside the bed and breakfast and up the stairs to our room. He inserted the key into the lock and twisted the knob to open the door. He reached to the left and flipped on the light switch. I approached with caution. Before stepping inside the incredibly small room, I examined it from the hallway. The entire room was wood, from the ceiling to the walls and right down to the floor. It was too much country for my taste.

  “Are you coming in or staying in the hallway?” Cameron asked.

  I stepped in and looked at the bed. “Why is this bed so small?” I asked as I stared at it.

  “Because it’s a queen-sized bed. It’s all they had.”

  I placed the tips of my fingers on top of the quilt that was sprea
d over the bed. I pushed down. The bed squeaked. I looked at Cameron and he shrugged his shoulders.

  “Really? How are we supposed to have sex on a squeaky bed?”

  “We’ll figure it out. Now get undressed and get that sweet ass of yours in here.” He smiled as he stripped out of his clothes and climbed under the covers.

  I didn’t waste any time doing what he asked and we spent an hour making the bed squeak. The way I saw it, it was the owner’s fault for not replacing the bed. So if people complained, then that was the story I was sticking to.

  ****

  “Sierra, wake up.”

  I felt his hot breath blow across my skin and his warm lips pressed against my shoulder.

  “What time is it?” I asked as I tried to shoo him away.

  “It’s six a.m. We need to get ready and hit the trails.”

  “Are you crazy? This is supposed to be a vacation. Who gets up at six o’clock in the morning on their vacation? Go away. I’ll meet you on the trails. Just leave me the address.”

  I heard him chuckle. “Stop being silly and get up,” he said as he started to tickle me.

  I jumped. The one thing I hated most was being tickled. I lost control of my bladder every time.

  “No.” I jumped up and scooted to the other side of the bed. “Listen, buddy,” I said with a sleepy voice. “No tickling, ever! Ugh. Damn you, Cole.”

  He stood there with a smile on his face until I climbed out of bed. As I made my way to the tiny bathroom that barely fit one person, I turned and looked at him.

  “You’re weird. I just want you to know that.”

  He laughed and shook his head as he sat down on the bed and put on his shoes. “We’re eating breakfast first, so hurry it up. I’ll meet you downstairs in the dining room.”

  “Okay,” I yelled from the bathroom. “I know it won’t be too hard to find you in this place.”

  I looked at myself in the mirror as I brushed my teeth. The bags under my eyes told the whole story of last night. I threw my hair up in a ponytail, put on my khaki short shorts and a white tank top. As I dabbed some concealer under my eyes, I heard the faint sound of my phone ringing. I took two steps out of the bathroom and raced to the nightstand where my phone sat. It was Kirsty.