The Mourning Tree

"Let me..." she whispered, kissing him briefly before dropping to her knees to unbutton his pants and slip them down. The thick bulge of his penis looked as if it was going to rip right out of his silk boxers, and Holly felt herself salivate at the thought of tasting every inch he had to offer her. His underwear slipped away in her fingers, and the long, stiff pole they concealed swung away from his body.

"Ummmm..." moaned Holly softly.

She leaned in enough to brush her lips on the fat, purple head, kissing it. Then looked up through her eyelashes into Nathan's hungry eyes as she teased his fully erect cock, giving it a few experimental licks, letting the flat of her tongue rub his frenulum, never entirely taking the shaft into her mouth.

"Jesus...Holly..." groaned Nathan.

She grinned up at him, brushing her fingers along the vein covered length of his manhood.

"I want you to make me take it...make me take it, Nathan..." she begged.

He slipped a hand into her curly, red hair, and shoved her mouth down onto his prick. The head moved forcefully back into her throat, pink lips stretching around his throbbing shaft. He guided her, and she sucked him loudly, sloppily, saliva pouring down his skin. The sounds of her moans of pleasure, her enjoyment of being made to swallow every long, hard inch turned Nathan on beyond belief, and when her hand came up to stroke his dripping penis in concert with her bobbing head it was all he could do to hold back the flood of semen that wanted to erupt from his balls.

"Dammit! Holly! Fuck! You're so good at this! Ah! MY GOD! You're going to make me explode!"

Holly paused for just a second, smiling with her swollen, cock sucking lips up at her lover.

"I want you so bad right now, Nathan. I think you should fuck me."

Nathan grunted with effort yanking Holly back to her feet and then into his arms, grasping her tight ass in his hands. Her eyes got wider when she realized exactly what was about to happen and how he was going to take her.

There was only one partly empty wall in the room, and Nathan carried her there, placing her back to the cool, hardwood. She felt his power and strength, and it thrilled her in a way she had never experienced before in her life. When he lowered her onto his cock, it pierced her deeply, shoving its way into the slick pink flesh until his dark pubic hairs were pressing into the red tangle of her own.

"Oh My God! Oh My God! You're so deep! OH! Nathan!"

He started to move her up and down while rolling his hips to thrust himself further each time she dropped onto his hard dick. Holly lay back, her chest rising and falling rapidly, breasts bouncing on her chest, hot waves of pleasure shooting into every part of her body.

"Fuck! Fuck! FUCK! Ah! Shit! Never been fucked like this! Ahhh Goddddd! YESSSS!" screamed Holly.

She grabbed the back of Nathan's head, ramming her tongue into his mouth in a passionate kiss. Their movements were becoming wilder, more frantic with each passing second.

"Oh! Nathan! You're going to make me cum!" she warned him.

Since he was getting close himself, this was more of a relief than a warning.

He had never seen a woman look hotter than Holly Mansfield at that moment, her chest flushed with the blood of her arousal, white skin getting shot through with pink as her nipples turned into rosy red knots. She was getting tighter inside, her clitoris a steel-hard pea at the top of her hood. Nathan almost fancied he could feel it rubbing on his pelvis as he drove himself into her body. The thing he did feel for sure was when she finally came, and it was a release that startled him with its fury.

"Oh! JESUS! NATHANNNNN!" she screamed, digging her nails into his shoulders.

He felt the ripples as her vagina contracted onto him, and the squeezing force of it triggered his orgasm. A fast, hot surge of semen shot up his quivering cock and exploded into Holly's wet pussy covering her insides in pearly white.

"Holly! Shit! I'm there with you! Cumming for you!"

They clung to each other after kissing sweetly, gently, before Nathan's tired back finally gave out, and he was forced to carry her to the couch where they collapsed together.

"Are you o.k.?" she asked.

He cradled her head on his chest while they lay across the cushions, quietly stroking her hair.

"Yes...Sorry if that seemed a little fast. It's been a while."

"For me, too, and you don't have to worry, it was wonderful. It would be just as good in a bed."

"Are you ready for seconds?" he said with a laugh.

"I could do this all night."

"No pressure..." chuckled Nathan.

They ended up in Holly's bed with Nathan on top, looking into her eyes and watching her face grimace in ecstasy as she came over and over on his cock. Their bodies seemed to have been made for this joining, so perfect in how they melded together. Nathan couldn't get enough of Holly's lips, so plump and sweet, and he kissed her with more and more fervor as he reached his peak again and emptied another long crescendo of forceful bursts into her body.

"Holly!"

"I feel it! Cum in me, Nathan! Cum inside me! Fill me!" she cried, holding him tight.

Afterward, they slept together, spooning up against one another. Nathan spent that night without a nightmare, without the usual terrors that pulled him from his slumber, and he was more than a little grateful for it when the sunlight through the window woke him at last. He rolled over, rather interested to see if Holly was just as beautiful first thing in the morning as she was the rest of the day, but her side of the bed was empty.

On her pillow was a note.

- Nathan-

I went to fetch Sam. Make yourself at home if you like. Coffee is in the pantry, second shelf on the right. Thanks for last night...You were amazing.

"You're darn right I was..." he laughed.

Nathan rose and stretched, scratching at the healing cut over his eye. He made his way downstairs and slipped back into his clothes before going in search of the coffee Holly had mentioned. Later, with a steaming cup in hand, he returned to the couch and sat down, blowing on the hot liquid. The yearbook was still on the coffee table, and he absently started flipping through it while he drank his morning cup. The photos of young strangers flew by, memories of a time he hadn't been a part of, but that mirrored his history in many ways. Around some of the photos, people had written notes or signed their names.

Nathan stopped suddenly on one his brow creasing in thought.

The picture was of three boys standing in front of a large structure, a bus barn where the vehicles were stored at night when they were done with their appointed rounds.

The boy on the left was Travis, the one in the middle Greg Talbot, and the one on the right looked very familiar. A note was written under the photo.

- Have a great summer, Holly! We'll paint your face on a bus sometime...Gary -

"Gary...Gary Hammond. Deputy Hammond."

Nathan sat back, thinking. It probably didn't mean anything, Travis had been friends with many folks, but not once had anyone mentioned that Deputy Hammond had been close with him. He picked the yearbook back up and flipped to the athletic section looking for the football team photo. There was Travis again right in the middle, and just three guys over, Gary Hammond.

"Starting wide receiver, G. Hammond," read Nathan out loud.

Where had Deputy Hammond gone that first day when Nathan had arrived? To investigate a break-in at the bus barn...

"If I were looking for a place to hide my first night back in town..." mumbled Nathan to himself.

It was a long shot, but a cop learns to go with their gut, and Nathan's was telling him he had tumbled to something.

He left a note for Holly, and ran to his car, pulling out and swinging back around onto the dirt road that led him back to the freeway. A short while later, he pulled into a parking spot in front of the police station.

Thelma Martin was in her usual place while an unfamiliar deputy staffed the desk.

"Can I help you?" he asked Nathan.

"We haven't met. I'm Detective Yost."

"Yeah, Sheriff mentioned you were around. Clarence Miller," replied the skinny, older gentleman reaching out to shake Nathan's hand.

"Is Deputy Hammond around?"

"He went to answer a call at 'Bob's Joint,' about a half-hour ago. Do you want me to radio him that you need to talk to him?"

"No...I'll catch up with him later. Thanks. Anyone heard from the hospital about the sheriff?"

"I talked to his nurse a little while ago," answered Thelma, "He was doing fine, but they say his wife was there and mad as a hornet that he got himself shot. He should have known better than to go creeping up on Ray Coleman."

"Lesson learned, I'm sure. I might run out there to check on him later."

Nathan beat a hasty retreat wanting to catch up with Deputy Hammond. He mused on the way over at how much action was seen at "Bob's Joint," wondering if this was typical. Hammond's cruiser was still parked in the lot outside the bar, and Nathan pulled up alongside getting out of his car right as the deputy came walking out of the front door. He eyed Nathan unhappily and walked over to him.

"Detective. I would think you would have had enough of this place after the other night."

"Actually, Deputy, I'm here to talk to you."

"I was on my way back to the station to file a report; maybe we could meet up back there?" said Hammond turning toward his car, but Nathan stepped in front of him.

"This will just take a minute," he said reasonably.

"What's this about?"

"I was wondering about your relationship with Travis Coleman. You didn't mention that you two were friends."

"I don't see why that matters. It's a small town, and Travis had a lot of friends as you've come to know since you arrived."

"Yeah, but you're the only friend he had in law enforcement. It seems to me that would be a valuable friend to have if you were on the run."

"Are you accusing me of something?" said Hammond, his face darkening.

"Not at all. I am just making an observation. You know, I saw a photo of you with Travis and Greg Talbot taken outside the bus barn near the high school. It was one you signed for Holly Mansfield. I got the impression that you might have been a participant in some of those bus painting pranks back in the day."

"We were kids. Everyone pulled pranks back then."

"I'm sure that's true. It's an interesting coincidence, though, that you happened to be answering a call at the bus barn the day I arrived on Travis's tail. I wonder what you found there? Is it possible that you ran across an old friend who was looking for a place to hide for a short time and thought the bus barn might be the last place someone would look for him?"

"That's a fine story, Detective, but it's all fiction. It was just a bunch of kids, and I ran them off. Look, I need to get back on duty."

Nathan had been a cop long enough to know when someone was lying to him, and Hammond had all the signs. He was nervous and agitated, his voice shaking the more he spoke. He tried to step around Nathan again, but this time the detective grabbed his arm.

"What do you say we take a ride over to your house?"

"Why?"

"I'm curious if you have any guests staying with you."

"You're crazy! I don't have to let you anywhere near my place. If you're that interested, why don't you get a warrant?" growled Hammond pulling his arm loose.

"Get in my car, Deputy, or I can put you there. Your choice."

The two went toe to toe, but Hammond finally blinked, looking away.

"Fine...If it means that much to you, but you're the one whose going to look foolish."

"Lead the way, Deputy," said Nathan gesturing toward his vehicle.

Hammond took a step in that direction before whirling around and shoving Nathan hard onto the ground.

Nathan bounced back up, wincing in pain from his bruised ribs and drawing his sidearm.

"Stop right there, Deputy!" he shouted, pointing his gun at the fleeing man who had one leg in his police cruiser.

"You going to shoot a cop?" asked Hammond, his voice trembling with emotion.

"I'm done with fistfights for now, so, yeah, if you keep moving."

Nathan slipped up behind his quarry, relieving the younger man of his gun.

"Get your ass in the back!" he ordered.

Once he had Hammond secured in the back of the cruiser, he took over the driver's side.

"Now...Deputy. Just where is it you hang your hat?"

The dejected deputy gave him directions, and they pulled up a short time later in front of a small, but well-kept home on a quiet street. Nathan was about to get out when Hammond spoke up from the back seat.

"Where's my truck?"

"What?"

"My truck. It was parked in the driveway when I left in my cruiser this morning."

"Who would have taken it, I wonder? Are you ready to start coming clean with me, Deputy?"

Hammond looked at the ground licking his lips in thought, clearly unhappy with how this was turning out.

"I told him to stay put..." he said quietly.

"Travis?"

"Yeah. Look, Detective, he was my friend, o.k., I couldn't just turn my back on him. I don't know how it is in the big city, but you don't do that here."

"You would have been doing him a better service if you had set him straight about what was the right thing to do. A life on the run is no joke, and you have a responsibility to your oath as a police officer to see justice done. All that aside, where is he?"

"I don't know. You were right that I found him at the bus barn that first day. He was scared stiff, and I took him in and brought him here. I swear I was going to try and talk him into turning himself in. I just needed a little time. I didn't want to see him hauled back to Houston by you and thrown to the wolves of the system. Travis deserved better."

"Travis made his choices, and now he has to live with them. If he isn't here now, then where did he go?"

"I don't know. I told him to stay in the house and not show himself."

"When was the last time you spoke to him?"

"This morning. We were reminiscing about school and talking about all the shit we used to get into. Then he brought up Holly, and I told him it was a good thing he cut her loose since she turned around and got pregnant right after they split and he left town. He was lucky she didn't try to trap him instead."

"Or maybe...that's not what he thought at all."

"What?"

"Dammit, Hammond. I think I know exactly where Travis has gone."

Nathan was careful not to run the sirens and alert anyone he was coming. He thought briefly about calling for backup, but he wasn't sure who to trust with the sheriff out of commission. He slowed, coming up the dirt road to Holly's place, and was not at all surprised when he saw a strange truck parked next to Holly's.

"Is that yours?"

He looked over his shoulder to see Hammond nodding.

"Let me go with you. I can help."

"You're staying right here, Deputy. You've done enough."

Nathan took pains not to make a sound as he crept up the wood stairs to the front of the house. The door was unlocked, and he stepped inside, hearing raised voices coming from the kitchen.

"I swear he isn't yours, Travis!"

"It wouldn't be the first time you've lied to me, Holly! You don't want me to be a part of his life. Are you afraid I'm like my father because I'm not!"

"Really? What about what happened at that jewelry store in Houston?"

"That...that was an accident. It wasn't supposed to go down that way. Greg said..."

"Greg said! How many times did I tell you not to listen to that idiot!"

"You don't understand! I didn't have a choice...Mom was sick and..."

"You always have a choice, Travis."

Moving as silently as he could, Nathan came down the hallway, drawing his gun and holding it in front of him. He peeked around the corner into the kitchen. Travis was standing by the sink with one arm around Sam, a gun in the other, while Holly was seated at the kitchen table.

"Let him go, Travis."

"We were good together, you and me, Holly. We could be again, a real family."

"What are you talking about? You're a wanted felon!"

"I know that! Do you think I can forget it? I...I just need to think...we can think of a way out of this together."

"There is no, "We," just let Sam go!" shouted Holly.

"Shut up for a second and let me fucking think!"

Nathan stepped around the corner, and Sam spotted him immediately. He held a finger to his lips to caution the boy to remain silent, but Travis felt him squirm, and he looked up.

"Dammit!" yelled Travis as he yanked Sam off the floor, holding the shaking child to his chest. The gun now pointed at Sam's ribs.

"Drop the gun!" ordered Travis.

"I can't do that, Travis, and we both know you're not going to hurt that child," said Nathan calmly.

"I'm not going to tell you again!" cried Travis pressing the gun tighter to Sam, making him wince and try to pull away.

"Stop it! Travis! Give me my son!" yelled Holly jumping up from the table.

"Holly!" snapped Nathan freezing her in her tracks.

"Stay right where you are."

The low tone of authority in his voice brought her up short, but she threw a look of fear and desperation his way just the same.

"Travis...You don't want to hurt Sam, and I don't want to hurt you. Let's stay calm and talk about this, o.k.?"

"I'm done talking to people. Every time I listen to someone, things go to shit! First Greg...and then Gary...I want to be left alone."

"I'm sorry, Travis, but things have come too far for me just to let you go. I know what happened at the jewelry store wasn't your fault. You were trying to help your Mom. I understand that. In your shoes, I might have done the same thing."

"It wasn't supposed to go down like that..."

"I know...Look...If you would just put down the gun and let Sam go, we can walk out of here together and see about fixing this mess."

"I'm going to go to prison," wailed Travis, his body starting to shake.

"Maybe...but I can promise you things are only going to get worse if you keep running, especially if you pull Sam into this thing."

"A boy needs a father...a good one..." said Travis.

"How are you going to be a good father?" said Holly sharply.

"Holly...please..." said Nathan.

"I can be a good dad! Not like mine! I wouldn't hurt, Sam! I would raise him right...I wouldn't...I wouldn't..."

"Lock him in a closet?"

Travis's eyes darted back to Nathan.

"I know what you're talking about, Travis. My dad was not a good man. He used his fists on my mother, and when he tired of that game, he used them on me. You know what that's like, don't you?"

"Yes..." breathed Travis between clenched teeth.

"You're right that we don't have to be our fathers, Travis. We don't have to share their pain and pass it on to our kids."

Nathan took a slow step forward, holding Travis's gaze locked to his own.

"Why did he do that? I never did anything to deserve it," said Travis, tears forming in his eyes.

"I don't know. I think that sometimes people are so angry with themselves they feel like they have to take it out on the whole world. I can tell you this much. It's the ones they love that suffer the most. We both know that, don't we?"

Travis was starting to cry openly now, tears spilling down his cheeks. Nathan edged closer.

"I had a son. He died last year, and I will never get to show him that I was a better man than my father. You still have that chance, Travis. It can start right now. Let Sam go. Show him how to do the right thing."

"I...I can't be a father from inside a cell."

"Sure you can, and prison isn't forever. There were a lot of circumstances around your crime to consider, things that may help. I will make sure your side of the story gets heard. I promise you. It's time to prove that you're the better man. Do what your father would never have been brave enough to do..."