“Thanks,Dad.”
“I wish your brothers would come back from ‘Nam,” his dad said. “But they’re doing a dammed good job fighting for their country. You boys turned out all right. Now if I could just get Aaron toshapeup.”
“He’s still in high school, he’s got time,”Gregsaid.
“He’s almost a man so he needs to start acting like one. I don’t want him bringing home another hippie girl. That last one about gave your mom a heartattack.”
Greg knew better than to argue with him, so he kept his mouth shut. His mom had liked Sunshine, Aaron’s last girlfriend, but she couldn’t tell his dad that without risking getting popped. Everyone in the family knew better than to challenge his authority, especially Greg. He’d watched his father tear down Greg’s younger brother Peter. By the time the kid had gone off to war, he’d confessed that it had felt like a blessing rather than acurse.
But after being over there for a year, did Peter still hold that belief? Greg sighed. He’d have to ask him the next time he sent a letter. Greg frowned. When was the last time they’d received mailfromhim?
“Hey, Dad,” he called. “Want me to go into town later and checkthemail?”
“Aaron’s got the key. He’s supposed to stop on hiswayhome.”
“It’s been a while since we’ve heard from Peter,”Gregsaid.
“True,” his dad scowled. “That boy needs to write more often. Betty was asking about him earlier. I told her that she’d probably get a letter from him soon, but I’ll set him straight. He shouldn’t be making his mom worrylikethat.”
After his dad stomped off, Greg leaned against the side of the stall. He couldn’t show weakness—it wasn’t tolerated—but he worried about Peter constantly. Every night, Greg watched the news in hopes that he’d catch a glimpse of one of his brothers. Frank and Luke were also fighting for their country, but they could take care of themselves. Hell, Luke could take on Muhammad Ali and win. Frank could hold his own too, but Peter? Notsomuch.
Greg gripped the pitchfork and jammed it under a pile of soiled hay. His father never should have let Peter join the Marines. He had to know that his second-youngest son wasn’t fit for war. He belonged on the farm. They could have used the farmer’s exemption to avoid sending him to ‘Nam but his father wouldn’t hear of it. Greg’s belly clenched. Someday his dad’s stubbornness was going to backfireonhim.
As he continued mucking the stalls, his mind drifted back to Daisy. She’d been an absolute vision in that long pink skirt and loose shirt. She clearly didn’t wear a bra and he couldn’t stop fantasizing about reaching under her shirt to stroke her suppleflesh.
He mashed his lips together and shook the tension out of his body. He’d go check to make sure they were gone later this afternoon. They’d be stupid to stay, but theywerehippies, so their word didn’tmeanmuch.
Hours later after he’d finished all of his chores, he snuck back to the barn to get his shotgun. After grabbing it, he paused at the entrance. If his dad saw him heading into the forest with the weapon, he’d follow. Greg couldn’t take thatchance.
When he was sure that his old man wasn’t around, Greg sprinted across the field toward the forest. He turned to check behind him, but didn’t see any movement. So far,sogood.
He hurried through the forest, jumping over fallen logs and racing around dense patches of pine saplings. His bear leapt for joy until he realized Greg wasn’t going to let him out to run. In a snarling rush of claws, his bear fought to be released. Greg pounded his fist against hischest.
Stopit,bear.
The creature chuffed and snarled but settled down. He resumed his hurried pace until he reached the edge of the clearing where the hippies had set up camp. To his dismay, three tents still sat where they’d been the previous day. He spotted a VW bus decorated with a ridiculous sun and moon hidden behind a clump of juniperbushes.
Dammit. Why were theystillhere?
The sound of laughter and splashing drew him to the edge of the forest. Sunlight glared off the rippling water. He brought his hand to his eyes and squinted. What he saw took hisbreathaway.
Standing waist-deep in the lake, Daisy splashed her friends. As she giggled and jumped up and down, her perfect, creamy breasts bounced enticingly. His hand trembled as he laid the gun against the tree trunk. With one arm propped against the ragged bark, he leaned forward to get abetterlook.
She dove under the surface. Several seconds passed. He stopped breathing and didn’t release his pent-up anxiety until she reappeared. Rivulets of sparkling liquid cascaded down her breasts, running over theirrosytips.
As she waded closer to the shore, his heart kicked in his chest. Blood rushed in to make him harder than he’d ever been in his life. His entire body ached with desire. When she reached up to tie her hair into a bun, her perky breasts jutted out. He wanted to die on the spot. For a second, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d made love to a woman. Then it all came back as a rush of sadness that stole hisstrength.
Lori, the girl who’d broken his heart four years ago, invaded his consciousness. He turned his back on Daisy and slammed it against the tree. As he bent at the waist, he braced himself with his hands on his knees. He’d never been with anyonebutLori.
They’d met in their senior year of high school. When her family had moved away, she’d promised to write to him. She swore that the day she graduated, she’d run away and come back for him. She never did. Not a phone call, not a letter, nothing. Nothingevercame.
He stood and swiped moisture from his eyes. After sniffing a few times, he knew he would never forget what Lori had done to him. Although it had been four years since he’d last spoken to her, he wasn’t ready to even consider dating anyone again, let alone a flighty hippie girl. He didn’t know anything about Daisy. She could be just as bad as Lori. It would be best to just get rid of her and her friends so he could return to his quiet life onthefarm.
When he turned back to the lake, Daisy’s radiant smile melted the hardness in his heart. She walked out of the water like a Grecian goddess. Every inch of her perfection glittered in thesunlight.
“Come play with us,” shecalled.
He jerked back. How long had she known that he’d been standing there? Without thinking, he grabbed his gun, whipped around, and ran into the forest. He wasn’t totally sure why he’d completely panicked, but he didn’t stop running until he was out of breath. His bear jumped and kicked and flailed in an attempt at freedom. Greg didn’t have the mental strength to fight the creatureanymore.
