Mr. Basketball Ch. 11

"Really Sam?" I quipped. "Fucking come on, do you really have to go there? Teagan was my life. Not to mention the year of therapy I went through to get over the asshole I was. Damn I thought you would give me more credit than that."

"Jake, I'm sorry. Please, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I'm sorry."

"I got over who I was and gave my life to her," I huffed. "Taylor and I are just starting out. It's not even official yet. I'm making sure I'm ready."

"Sorry," she said again. "I'm an ass sometimes."

"I guess it does run in the family," I said softening some.

"Are you keeping it quiet?" she asked.

"Yes and no," I sighed. "Thom knows but that's it. Not a word to anybody here ok?"

"My lips are sealed."

"Thank you."

"So... Tell me how it happened."

"She told me how she felt about me and we kissed. That's pretty much it. The other night things got intense but nothing happened. I'm still sorting things out."

"Are you ready to move on?" she questioned.

"I think I am. I just don't want to do anything to hurt her. She's been so close to me for the past four years. I don't want to hurt her."

"So take it slow and feel it out," Sam offered. "You will know if you are doing the right thing. Jake you're a good man, I know you won't hurt her."

"Thanks Sam."

"So how did Thom find out?"

"He just knew," I smiled. "The man is smarter than I give him credit for."

"And he was ok with it?"

"He just doesn't want me to string her along."

"And you won't," she said firmly. "Did it feel right when you kissed her?"

"Not at first. I keep getting these dreams about Teagan and lately she's been telling me to let go and find happiness. I find it strange but I know she's telling me it's ok. When we got heavy the other night I felt a little guilty but it felt right. I kind of feel bad for leaving her over Christmas."

"It's time Jake," she offered. "You're ready. You can't greave forever. If you're feeling guilty for leaving her then you know it's time."

"I know," I said. Sitting there thinking about it I did miss Taylor.

"So what else has been going on with you?" Sam asked.

"I quit drinking."

"I heard it was getting pretty bad for you. Your dad was ready to come up there and kick your ass you know."

"Yeah," I laughed lightly but with some fear. "He told me last night."

"He wasn't joking," she said seriously. "I looked into flights for him."

"I'm good now. I realized how stupid I was one night. I used to get so drunk I couldn't remember how I got to where I was sometimes. I don't know how I functioned sometimes. God I was stupid. Dr. Watson drove me home twice when I showed up to work drunk."

"You're better now right?" she questioned.

"I still hurt sometimes and I am tempted but I find something to take my mind off things some other way. Teagan called me an asshole...no wait, it was a drunken prick, in one of my dreams. I realized I was letting her down more than I was letting everyone else down."

"If you need someone to talk to Jake I'm always here for you. You're my best friend you know?"

"I know Sam and I appreciate everything you have done for me over the years. Even the bad times have taught me something. I love you for always being there for me."

"Let's not talk about that," she giggled lightly. "And I love you too."

"Jacob," my mom called. "You better git outa that bed and git ready to go or yur daddy is gunna be mad."

"Yes momma," I called.

Sam hopped off the bed and left me alone. I got ready quickly and headed off to the church for services. We returned to the house after service. The girls started cooking as dad, Gus and I worked on the boat motor in hopes we could get it running so we could hit the lake. There was no such luck as it needed some parts he didn't have on hand.

We had a nice dinner and ended up on the porch like we always did. We talked and laughed and picked on the guitar. Missy and I sat there on the swing and actually talked nicely for a change. That was the most pleasant surprise of the whole trip.

"It's a damn Christmas miracle," Gus teased us. "Y'all are sitten there talkin like you is old friends."

"It was time to bury the hatchet Gus," I offered.

"Well, it is nice ta see y'all talkin."

Even Missy and Sam got along. They weren't buddy, buddy but they tolerated each other as we all sat there and talked. It was nice to sit there and actually laugh about the good times we all had together. We stayed out there until well into the night before everyone decided it was time. I said my good byes and said that maybe I would be back in the summer. They all laughed at me and said I wasn't ever coming back. They did enjoy seeing me and said I should visit more often.

The next morning I said my goodbyes to my parents before heading back to the airport and catching my flight home. Thom was waiting for me as I got to the curb.

"How was the trip?" Thom asked as I climbed into the car.

"It was good to go back home."

"How is everybody down there?"

"Same old same old," I sighed. "Nothing really changes down there."

"I imagine it doesn't," he chuckled.

"How was Christmas?" I asked.

"As you can see we got some snow."

"Yeah," I groaned. I hated the snow.

"Duke is expecting a visit from you next weekend," he said.

"Ok," I said. "I hope I can get off of work."

"All taken care of," he smiled.

"Are you coming?" I questioned.

"Just because you can get off of work doesn't mean I can," he laughed.

I had to laugh with him.

"I know you two will be ok down there."

"I haven't been there in ten years but I can still find my way around."

"It's an unofficial visit so you are going to have to book a room. I didn't know where anything was so I'm leaving that up to you," he continued.

"I will find something close," I said trying to recall what was nearby.

"We are having dinner tonight at the house. I hope you can join us."

"Like I have anything else going on," I laughed.

"I'm glad you can see things my way," he laughed with me.

We drove on quietly for a while. I was nodding off a little before the hard pull of the car shook me awake.

"Almost there," Thom laughed a little as my head bounced off the window. "You can sleep when you get home."

"Hey Thom," I sighed.

"Yes son," he said looking over at me.

"Thanks for being there for me when I was... You know."

"A drunken son of a bitch," he finished for me.

"Yeah. I don't know what came over me but I'm glad you didn't give up on me."

"We all do things differently Jake," he offered. "I'm just glad you figured things out. I wouldn't give up on you though. You're my son even if Teagan isn't around anymore. You will always be a part of this family."

"Thanks Thom," I choked a little. "You don't know how much that means to me."

We rode on relative silence for a little while longer. Taylor was on my mind now and I couldn't help but bring it up again.

"Hey Thom?" I started.

"Yeah?" he said taking his eyes off the road to look over at me again.

"It might sound kind of stupid for me to ask you this but I want to ask anyway."

"Sure," he said. "What do you need?"

"Is it ok if I date Taylor? It sounds dumb to me to ask you but I want to make sure it's ok with you. I know people are going to talk."

"You're a good man Jake," he started. "If the man that I know you can be wants to date Taylor, then I don't have a problem with that. If the Jake that showed up a few months ago wants to date Taylor, the answer is a big and firm no."

"I let that man go," I smiled lightly. "The one that showed up in my dark hours of my life that is."

"I know you were doing more than just drinking Jake," Thom sighed. "People talk you know?"

"That they do. I wasn't proud of who I became."

"We all do things we aren't proud of Jake. Even I did things I am not proud of and I wish I could take back."

"The straight and narrow Thom has a dark side?" I joked.

"Even I had a dark side Jake," he sighed. "Tammy and I went through a rough patch when the kids were younger. I started drinking and cheating and it nearly ruined my marriage. It took a lot to fix what I had screwed up but I'm thankful I fought for it. I realized what Tammy meant to me and what I had with her when we were separated. I'm glad I admitted my wrongs and fixed them."

I nodded as he let me in on more of his life than I think he had ever done. I knew they had split up for a while but I never really knew the reason.

"I don't know if you knew that about my life," he sighed.

"Teagan told me some of it," I offered. "Not much more than you two had split up for a while and then you worked things out."

"That was my dark side," he sighed. "It's apart of who I am."

"We all have something in our past that we aren't proud of," I offered. "Some of us have more than others do though I guess."

"Anyway," he sighed. "If you are over all that then I don't have a problem with it. Just make sure you are careful with her. She really adores you. It would kill her if you did something to break her heart."

"Trust me," I said. "I know. I'm over who I was. That period was not the bright spot in my life."

"Don't worry about what other people think Jake. If they don't know the full details then they shouldn't talk. If they do... just ignore them and focus on you and her."

"I'm just concerned that if Taylor and I do get a little more serious than dating... what am I going to do when she leaves for college?"

"Cross that bridge when you get there," he offered.

We went silent again as I looked out the window and watched the town come into sight. A few minutes later he pulled up in front of the house. My driveway was plowed and snow free, much to my surprise.

"Who did the driveway?" I asked.

"Taylor," he smiled. "I couldn't let her little stunt from the other night slide."

"I said I would take care of it," I smiled.

"Then you owe me some money for that phone I had to buy her," he chuckled lightly.

I gave a confused look.

"You really thought Jeremy would just bring it back to her?" he smiled.

"I guess not," I sighed.

"Dinner is at five so don't be late. You can stop by earlier if you want."

"I'll be on time. I'm going to take a nap."

I arrived a little early and walked into the house. I found Taylor in the kitchen getting the plates out from the shelf.

"When did you get back?" she asked.

"This afternoon," I said. "Didn't dad tell you I was coming back?"

"I must have missed that if he told me. So how was the trip?"

"Alright I guess. I missed having my girl with me."

"Me?" she questioned.

"Yeah you," I smiled.

"You missed me?" she asked cutely.

"Believe it or not but I did."

She giggled her little giggle that made me smile. "Will you help me set the table?"

We set the table and stole little glances at each other. All throughout dinner we gave each other little looks. We played a couple of card games before I decided I had had enough. I went home and sat on the couch to watch TV and play the guitar again. I had been playing for about a half an hour before the door opened and Taylor came in quickly.

"Whew, it's cold out there," she huffed.

I glanced up as she took off her long trench coat and hung it on the rack.

"You should have dressed a little warmer," I laughed. She was wearing a long sleeve shirt and a knee length skirt of all things.

"Probably," she giggled as she kicked off her snow boots.

I laughed again as she came and joined me on the couch.

"Are you ready to learn some more?"

"I've been working on my three cords," she smiled.

"Let's hear it then."

"I took the guitar you let me use home," she said shyly.

"Fine," I sighed. "Use this one."

She took it from me and got ready to play. She played the three cords without a problem switching between them with ease.

"Good job," I smiled.

"Thanks," she smiled back.

"Are you ready for the next one?"

"I can try."

I leaned over and took her fingers to show her where they needed to be. I couldn't help but glance at the soft swell of her breasts as I got her in the right place. She strum the cord a few times before going back to the first one. She went down the line and got them all on the first try.

"You're almost ready to play a song," I smiled.

"You think so?" she asked.

"You just have to put the cords together and you should be able to play something. You should learn one more before trying though."

"So teach me," she sassed.

"Geez miss bossy," I joked.

I took her hands again and set them where they needed to be. She played the cord as my hand set softly on her knee. She smiled at me as I looked at her.

"Thanks for shoveling the driveway," I smiled.

She giggled a little. "Nikki helped me. You have a long driveway."

"Yeah, it is quite a pain in the ass. Why didn't you get the snow blower?"

"Dad said I had to do it by hand," she sighed.

"You're still running," I smiled.

"I figured as much."

She smiled lightly at me before she strum a few cords and tried to put them together. She fumbled just a little before handing me back the guitar. I took it into my hands and strum a few cords before starting a song for her.

"It don't matter what plans I got I can break 'em, yeah I can turn this thing around at the next red light..."

"That sounds a little more than what I can play," she sighed.

"It's not that hard Taylor," I smiled.

I sat there in thought until I remembered a very easy song that I learned to play when I was younger.

"This one is easy. G, C, and D are really the only ones you need to know."

I started strumming but I couldn't remember it had been so long.

"Geez, I'm getting old," I laughed. "Hold on just a second."

I whipped my phone out now and scrolled through it until I found what I was looking for.

"Alright," I sighed. "Here we go."

"Hey, where did you go, days when the rains came?..."

She started clapping lightly to the beat of Brown Eyed Girl until I finished it up.

"Not so bad is it?" I asked.

"Well," she smiled. "You make it look easy."

"You will get there one day."

"I can only hope."

"You know?" I paused. "I meant what I said earlier about missing you being around."

"Did you?" she smiled.

"I did," I smiled back.

I set the guitar down and leaned forward. She quickly met me halfway and found my mouth. It was a slow and tender kiss that let my tongue find hers and tangle with it quickly. Her kiss quickly grew harder as her hunger grew. She was pulling me into her kiss and pulling me so I was falling on top of her as she lay back on the couch. I was on top of her now with my upper body covering hers. I was on my knees pressed up against the back of the couch as she let her legs dangle off the front.

I felt her hands leave my face now as she searched for the bottom of my shirt. My tongue was still tangled with hers as she finally found it and started to curl it in her fingers. My one hand rested on her knee as I softly scratched her skin. My other hand held me up so I wouldn't lay on her fully. Slowly my shirt started to lift up my back as she pulled it.

It climbed my body until it reached my shoulders. I broke the kiss with her long enough for her to pull it over my head. It got caught around my neck so I had to sit back and lift it free myself. She took the opportunity to bring her legs onto the couch and spread them around me. I tossed my shirt off my body and set it on the back of the couch. Her skirt had folded down her legs leaving me between her legs and looking directly at her white little panties.

Her mound pressed against it outlining her cunny. The slightest patch of wetness was evident in the center. I left her cunny and turned my gaze to her face once again. She lay there with a soft smile on her face and a look of wanton. I leaned forward and rested between her legs as I found her mouth again.

I was slow again and just kissed her. My desire was flooding my body now. The want and the need to feel the touch of a woman again. I didn't want to just use a woman now. I wanted to start something more. My hand left my spot where I had put it next to Taylor's shoulder and started down her body. I traced her side down to her hip. I could feel the skirt folded up as I passed over it and found the skin of her leg.

Her skin was tingling with excitement as I touched it. My fingers traced her skin towards her knee before stopping and moving back towards her inner thigh. I went back and forth letting her feel my touch. Each time I went closer and closer to her panties before I touched just the edges of them. The heat from her cunny was clear as my fingers traced over the soaked fabric and felt her slit hiding underneath.

She moaned softly into my mouth as I touched her cunny. Her hands traced my chest now sending excitement down my spine as I turned my hand and cupped her cunny. I was very gentle and soft as I felt her excitement below. She responded by softly turning her hips into my hand.

Her kiss grew harder as my finger traced her slit. I pressed the fabric harder against her little opening between her legs. More wetness soaked into the thin material and met my fingers. I let my finger go from her opening up to her clit teasing her softly. Her hips turned harder as my fingers pressed just slightly harder.

She stopped and smiled up at me. "You can take them off if they are in the way."

It shocked me a little that she was so certain about this.

"If they come off it's going to lead to more than just kissing," I warned. "Are you sure you want that?"

She nodded confidently and reached up to pull me back into her kiss. I leaned down and kissed her again. My fingers started tracing her slit before turning to the edge and carefully feeling her soft lip as I slipped under them. Her lip was smooth and soft as I traced it with the lightest amount of pressure. She let out another soft gasp as I touched her middle for the first time and felt her wetness skin to skin.

She was soaking wet and leaking heavily as I slid my finger up and down her slit. I teased her opening before moving up and touching her clit. The sensitive bud was swollen from under the hood and sticking out as I scratched it. She let out another moan of desire as my tongue still tangled with hers.

Her hands were on my chest lightly scratching my skin. They left my chest suddenly and went to her hips. I could feel her shifting around as I left her mouth to see what she was doing. Her thumbs were hooked around the waist elastic as she started to roll them down her hips.

"No, no," I said softly. "Not here."

She glanced to the stairway as her hands stopped.

"You're sure this is what you want?" I questioned softly. "I'm willing to..."

Her fingers covered my mouth as I tried to speak.

"I'm sure Jake," she whispered. "I'm not afraid of what it might change between us."

I smiled at her confidence before I twisted my body from the couch and stood. She quickly took my hands as I held them out for her. I pulled her from the couch and let her lead the way up the steps. I suppressed the guilt I was starting to feel as we reached the top. Taylor turned to the left and went towards the guest bedroom. I was thankful she did this.

We reached the room and stood at the foot of the bed. I smiled at her as she looked up at me waiting for me to make the next move. I took her back into my arms and kissed her again. Her tongue battled mine as we both kissed with a hunger and a need. I pushed all thoughts out of my head and felt nothing but Taylor now.

I took her face into my hands and pulled her into my kiss. I let them trail down her body touching her neck and tangling in her hair before falling to her sides. I caught her shirt in my hands and pulled it slowly up her body until it reached her neck. It slipped over her head before I found her kiss again. I reached back and unclipped her bra. My rough fingers traced her soft skin as I let the straps slide down her shoulders to her elbows. She slipped one arm free then the other letting it hit the floor at our feet.