Returning Home

What he said and the way he said it sent a bolt of electricity through her body as she looked over at him as he looked at her.

She quickly looked away then said, "I'm not quite sure how to take that, Hunter."

As she took another sip he said, "I just meant you're a very special woman, Mrs. Carmichael. You really are beautiful, and you're also the nicest teacher I've ever known. So you're definitely not just any girl."

"I'm very flattered, Hunter. Considering how you're quite possibly the nicest student I've ever met, that means a lot to me," she said. Then without thinking she told him, "And you're also one of the nicest-looking guys I've ever known."

"I can't be that nice," he said as she looked back at him causing him to look away.

"No, it's true. You're a very nice young man. And it's no secret you're also very attractive," she heard herself say again.

"Then why am I thinking the kinds of thoughts about you that aren't nice?" he said quietly.

Lana's heart was suddenly racing, and she found herself unable to think clearly as the universe folded up into the tiny space in the front of his truck.

"What...kind of thoughts, Hunter?" she asked barely able to speak.

"Thoughts about...you. About...us. Together," he said without looking at her.

"You mean, together together?" she asked, her heart now in her throat.

"Yes," he said quietly as he looked over at her waiting for her to look back at him.

When she did, he reached over and with his first two fingers, gently pushed her long, blonde hair back over her ear.

He'd kissed enough girls to know when one wanted to be kissed, and the way Mrs. Carmichael was looking at his eyes and then his lips told him she was one of them.

As he leaned over toward her she did the same thing, their eyes wide open until the moment their lips touched. Her eyes closed first as Hunter reached up with his left hand and touched her face as the kiss grew more passionate.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered as the kiss briefly paused.

Without thinking, Lana said, "Am I...really pretty?"

"No, you're not just pretty. You're absolutely gorgeous," he told her.

The windows were heavily fogged up, and the cab was high enough that no one driving by could see what they were doing as Lana's body burned with desire. She kissed him hungrily as their tongues swirled and their lips pressed hard on the other's.

Although fully aware of what she was doing, Lana found herself unable to stop. It was as though her body had taken control of her mind which was trying to warn her of the dangers even as her fingers reached for the buttons on his shirt.

In just moments, his shirt was unbuttoned as were his jeans which were soon down around his ankles. Lana's coat came off first and then her skirt and seconds after that, her panties were on the floor, as well.

Hunter pushed the driver's seat as far back as it would go as the beautiful woman next to him climbed onto his lap kissing him unbridled passion as she raised up offering herself to her young lover. Nothing had ever felt so wrong and yet so right as she lowered herself onto his rock-hard cock and took him fully as she moaned softly.

"Oh...God!" she said as he filled her. He was thick and long and oh-so hard and as she ground against him she felt him against her swollen clit.

He raised her up and down as she also pushed against him. As she came very close to coming the thought that she was on the pill hit her for the first time even though she knew her body didn't care. Her brain was praying this gorgeous young boy didn't have an STD as she felt her body tense and tremble and begin to shake just as she felt the first warm splash hit her followed by four more in rapid succession.

Unable to let go of him she continued to kiss him hungrily even after he was fully spent.

Drained, his head fell into the crook or her shoulder, and almost immediately, feelings of guilt washed over him. And yet Lana, the one who should have been experiencing those feelings felt none of them. It didn't matter how wrong this was, all that mattered was the way being with him made her feel.

As he tried to pull back, Lana said, "No. Please don't let go. Please!" as she clung to his neck.

Not sure what else to say or do, Hunter said, "I'm really sorry, Mrs. Car...."

"No! Don't say that, Hunter," she told him. "I'm not sorry this happened. I'm...I'm glad it did. I...I know I shouldn't feel this way, but I do. I...I really, really do."

"But what about...you know. You're...married," he said without judgment.

"I know," she said as she pulled his head back into the body. "That's what I was hoping to talk to you about. I still want to talk about with you, Hunter. I want to tell you everything. Just not right now, okay?"

"Okay. Sure. We can talk," he said now feeling less guilty.

He was still inside her and felt himself growing again.

Lana moaned with pleasure as she felt him.

"Do you hate me?" she asked suddenly worried, not about her marriage, but about the beautiful boy who was fucking her in his car.

"Hate you?" he asked now thoroughly confused. "How could I hate you? Why would I hate you?"

Lana looked into his eyes as he spoke; eyes filled with need and desperation.

"I want to be with you, Hunter," she said unable not to say it. "I don't know how to do that. I only know that's what I want. More than anything."

As she began to grind on him again, Hunter Decker was unable to think and began pumping hard as she squeezed him with her warm, wet pussy as they fucked again. He had no way of knowing they would make love many, many times over the next seven months or that their lovemaking and their affair would come to an abrupt end. For now, all he knew was that he felt like he was in love with the most beautiful woman he'd ever known. Nor could he know that this gorgeous, much-older woman, who knew it wasn't possible, felt like she might also be in love with him.

An hour later, her new battery was in and her car was running and toasty warm. Hunter had left her in his truck where she could watch her young lover working to help her, and as she did, her mind and her imagination ran wild as they joined her body by forming an unholy trinity of lust for a boy who could lead to nothing but trouble and the worst consequences imaginable.

When her car was ready, he got back into the truck and let her know.

"Thank you, Hunter," she said before kissing him right there in the school parking lot. It was now very dark and only the closest street light dimly illuminated the cab of his truck.

"You know we're going to have to be incredibly careful, right?" she said as the kiss ended.

"I do," he told her.

"I don't want to go home, but I have to," she said knowing she had to. "I'll try and explain all that the next time we're together, okay, sweetheart?"

"Okay," Hunter said not knowing how to even address her now.

Unsure, he finally asked."What...do I call you?"

"When we're alone, please call me Lana, okay?"

"Okay...Lana," he said before kissing her again.

"Or...honey...if you prefer," she said unable to take her eyes off of him.

Just before she got out, she said, "Hunter? We have time. We'll figure all this out. I promise. Do you believe me?"

"Yes. Of course I do...honey," he said causing her to smile happily.

"Then...I guess I'll have to go—for now. If anyone asks, we can tell them you took me to the auto parts store and we'll just say you had a hard time getting the old battery out. Does that sound plausible?"

"Sure. If I didn't have the right wrench size, it could take quite a while," he said going along with the lie that was their first cover story.

She leaned over and kissed him one last time for quite a while then said, "My handsome young lover," as she stroked his face. "I can't wait to be alone with you again."

And with that she was gone.

From then on until the middle of July, the two of them were together as often as circumstances would allow. They became very creative at finding ways to be alone and often drove 20-30 miles out of town just to be able to have dinner alone or go to a movie where they could hold hands or even make out.

Lana no longer cared whether or not her husband was interested in her and had he ever shown any interest, she'd have found an excuse to say 'no' to his advances, but he never did. She also no longer cared about anything except being with the boy she loved and she was very sure she was in love with him.

*****

July 8th, 2008

"Well, well. I have some wonderful news," her doctor told her. "You are indeed pregnant!"

Lana was still in shock even after being two weeks late and having taken a home pregnancy test. She'd never stopped taking the pill and even though the chances of getting pregnant were very small, she knew it was still possible.

Suddenly, the life she'd dreamed about with her young lover came crashing in on her as she had the first pangs of consciousness since that first time in his truck back in January on that cold winter day.

Hunter had been accepted to MIT, and would be leaving in less than two months. His future was bright and unlimited. There was no way Lana could ask him to give all that up or to even let her tag along and work to support themselves and a baby.

She stopped along the side of the road on the way home and cried until she couldn't cry anymore. Her mind was a jumbled mess of conflicting thoughts as she thought about Hunter, the baby, her sham of a marriage, her teaching career, and their future.

Could she have somehow subconsciously done this in order to have the baby she'd wanted for so long? Was it possible she wasn't really in love with this boy who would only be turning 19 in another four months?

But the question that kept screaming at her was, "If you do really love him, how can you do this to him?"

And that question was what had caused her to cry and sob like she'd never done before in her life.

As her body shook and trembled while she tried to take a deep breath, she knew the answer. No, she couldn't do that to him. Nor could she continue to live with a man she no longer loved or even respected.

By the time she got home, Lana was amazed at the strength of her self confidence. When Abel sat down after dinner she sat across from him and calmly said, "I want a divorce."

He didn't argue at all. He just stared at her until he understood she was serious.

"Okay," was all he said.

The next morning he began packing up the things he wanted and the following day he was gone.

And then came the worst day of her life. The day that she was finally free but had to tell the man she did love that she didn't. She rehearsed the speech over and over until it began to sound real and even natural.

"Hunter? This...fling...has been more wonderful than I can put into words. But we both knew it couldn't last. And I'm afraid the time has come to get back to our lives. Our real lives."

It lasted for a good two minutes as she smiled and spoke confidently never once breaking character. She then patiently answered all of his questions one by one until he felt like her student again for the first time since that day seven months before.

"Lana? Are you really sure?" he asked again before he left. "I'm in love with you and I know you're in love with me."

"Hunter. That isn't love, my dear. That's...lust. It was real. It was intense. And yes, it was even amazing. But it was never love," she forced herself to say.

"Can I at least kiss you goodbye?" he asked once he knew there was no other option.

Lana had never seen him cry and when his eyes filled with tears her breaking heart nearly broke.

"No, I don't think that would be a good idea," she said smiling as brightly as she could knowing that if she did, she'd never let him go.

"Let's just cherish the memories we made and go about starting over, okay?"

"But...your husband just left. We can live together now. And when your divorce is final, we can get...."

She put a finger on his lips and said, "No, Hunter. We can't."

"Is there someone else?" he asked as a tear fell and ran down his cheek.

Lana knew there wasn't another man, but the baby was the 'someone else' she knew was the reason she had to end this.

"You're such a perceptive young man," she said knowing he would assume the answer was 'yes'.

"Listen. Hunter, this isn't the end. It's the beginning. There will be other woman. As many as you like. And one day you'll find that special someone. That girl whose your age; the one you'll really fall in love with. The one you'll know is right for you. And you'll start a family and I'll be nothing but a distant memory. So...please. Go and start that new life, okay?"

Angry, frustrated, and hurt, Hunter couldn't stop himself from saying the most hurtful thing he could think of in spite of loving her with all his heart.

"I should have known there was someone else. Any woman who'd cheat on her husband would cheat on me. I thought you were special. I thought you were different. But you're just like every other cheating whore!"

He turned around and as he opened the front door he stopped and said, "I would have done anything for you. Anything! And this is how you repay me? Fuck you, Lana. Fuck you all to hell!"

Within seconds of the door slamming shut, Lana was crying even harder than the day she'd learned she was pregnant with Hunter's child. This time, the crying didn't end. This time, there was no confidence left. Lana cried all that night and for many days after.

She fell into a deep, dark depression and found herself unable to go back to work in September while Hunter had headed back east to begin his studies at MIT.

Had it not been for her baby, Lana was sure she'd have taken her own life. But over time, each time she thought of doing so, the life growing inside her kept her from taking that final action. By the time she was ready to give birth, her depression had finally lifted, and although she wasn't her old self, her thoughts and her entire life's focus turned to the little boy she had decided to name Bodie.

When she held him in her arms just moments after delivering him, she cried again. But this time, her tears were tears of joy.

A few hours later a woman came in to ask what she was naming her son.

"Bodie. That's such a masculine name," the woman said. "I love it! Will there be a middle name?"

Lana knew she couldn't give her son his father's last name so she told the woman, "Yes. Decker. Bodie Decker."

"Carmichael?" she asked.

"No. Not Carmichael. I think I want him to have my maiden name which is Woods."

"Okay. Got it. Bodie Decker Woods. No hyphens, right?" she asked.

"No. No hyphens," Lana said with a smile.

The woman showed her the name on her tablet then said, "If that's all correct, press the green button then we'll get an electronic signature and it'll be official!"

******

Present Day, Puyallup, Washington

"Mom, you really outdid yourself today," Hunter told her. "That was delicious!"

"Well, how could it not be after my wonderful son gave me a completely new, remodeled kitchen with a double oven?" she said with a happy smile.

Her husband shot her a look which reminded her he didn't approve of being given things, even by their son. And yet, even though he'd complained loudly when Hunter bought him a new vehicle, he'd relented and accepted it.

Hunter countered his complaints with the fact he and his mom had footed the bill for nearly six years at MIT. His parents were well enough off to afford it, but they hadn't saved a dollar since he left home, and Hunter insisted he take it. His dad had pretended there was 'something in his eye' and turned away when his son handed him the keys and Hunter played along saying, "Yeah, this pollen has been killin' me for days" even though there wasn't a grain of pollen anywhere to be found.

"Is there any chance you can stay a little longer today?" his mom asked hopefully.

"No, sorry, Mom. The Pentagon's put in another huge order and we're working 24/7 so I just can't."

Hunter had opened a second plant just outside Portland and it was doing nothing but commercial business while the factory in Everett worked exclusively on products for the military and NASA.

"Oh, hey. Before you go, I saw an obituary that I wanted to show you," his dad said as he grabbed the local paper.

Hunter had had four of his graduating classmates die already and he assumed this would be number five.

"Oh, here it is," his dad said. "Jonathan David Woods, 82, of Puyallup, Washington, passed away on Friday. He is survived by....let's see...oh, yeah. Here's the name: Lana Carmichael-Woods. Wasn't that your teacher back in high school?"

Hunter froze and didn't say a word for several moments.

"Can I see that, Dad?" he said extending a hand.

"Yeah, sure. Here you go."

Hunter scanned the page and found the place where his father had been reading.

"Funeral services to be held Monday morning at 10am at St. Michael's Episcopal Church. Donations may be made to...."

"That was your teacher, right?" he said again.

"Um...yeah. It was," Hunter said.

"Your father only remembers the ones that were knockouts," his mother said with a bit of and edge.

"Lookin' and doin' are two separate things, Carol!" he grumbled.

Hunter wasn't listening. He was pulling out his phone and looking for the address of the church.

"312 NW 7th Street," he said to himself. He punched the location into his maps app and knew exactly where it was.

"You okay, son?" his father asked as he took the paper back.

"Yeah. I'm fine, Dad," he told him.

"You look like you've seen a ghost."

"No. No ghost. Just a blast from the past. That's all."

His father shook his head feeling like his son was speaking a foreign language.

He gave his mother and hug and a kiss then shook hands with his dad as he got ready to leave.

"So we'll see you again next Sunday, right, honey?" his mom asked.

"I wouldn't miss it, Mom," he told her.

"You know, there's plenty of room at this new table for someone else," she said with a sweet smile.

"Hmmm. It's been what? A week since you reminded me of that?" he said smiling back.

"I didn't mention it last week," his mom said as though it was a source of pride.

"Oh, okay. Thanks for the one-week reprieve," he told her with a warm smile.

"Carol?" Ernest boomed. "Give it a rest, okay?"

Hunter smiled at his mom who tried not to laugh. She gave her handsome son one more hug then said she'd be counting the days until Sunday.

"There'll be seven of them!" her husband called out. This time both of them laughed before Hunter headed out.

He hit the Bluetooth button in his car as soon as it started and said, "Dial Kelli."

Kelli DeBois was his personal assistant and as cute as they came. She was extremely proficient and professional, but had managed to let her boss know she was single and available—just in case he was ever interested. He'd smiled and let her know he found her very attractive, and that if he ever did find time to date he'd let her know.

What he didn't tell her was that he'd been wrecked by the only woman he'd ever loved some nine years ago. He also didn't tell her when she picked up on the first ring—even on a Sunday afternoon—that the reason he'd be taking the morning off tomorrow was to see that woman for reasons he really couldn't explain.

But having seen her name and knowing she would almost certainly be there, he knew he had to see her. He'd been tempted many times to check and see if she'd ever remarried and/or had children, but out of love and respect, he didn't because he just couldn't. No matter how often he thought of her, he couldn't intrude on her life. She'd made it very clear she'd never loved him, and yet in spite of the horrible things he'd said before walking away, he still loved her.