"I shoot dogs, nephew!" Logan yelled from the door, causing them both to laugh. "Let me know!"
All the while, Starlah watched from her bedroom window, a faint grin appearing. It was short-lived, but it felt good to hear and see other people than Logan, who'd been studying her every move. It also didn't hurt that Swift had grown up. The one she remembered was the mouthy, oversized boy Creed used to hang out with each summer he came to visit.
Swift was tall, dark, and handsome back then, with jet-black, silk-like waves, full lips, and eyes she could drown in, but now he was even taller and bulkier, starting with his thighs and calves. Starlah gulped, clenching her thighs when she realized he'd caught her looking.
"Shit," she whispered. She moved behind the wall, panting.
After a few beats, she glanced again, but Swift wasn't there. She then heard him again, this time from her other window near the backyard, the same one Colt was infamous for crawling through. She dashed across the room and peeked, and there he was, laughing and running with Chevy and Papa as if he'd been doing that all of his life.
That made her smile.
"Oh my God!"Endea screamed when Starlah passed out.
The funeral was packed to capacity, with over two hundred guests who came to celebrate the lives of Lucky and Creed Steel. Throughout most of the funeral, Starlah sat motionless, her affect flat as friends and family spoke fondly of her father and brother.
Swift immediately bent down and swept her in his arms, damn near bumping into another man who appeared annoyed that he'd helped. He had no clue who he was, but he didn't have time for dick measuring. That, and he'd been eyeing Swift the entire funeral. He thought his name was Cody or Colt, but he wasn't so sure.
"Baby, take her to the back. She hasn't been eating or drinking," his mother instructed him. His father held the door open while his mother went to fetch a bottle of water.
"Over here, son." Cain found a bench nearby and moved a few items. "Easy, son. Easy."
Once Starlah was down, Swift pulled up a chair and quickly fanned her face with his hand.
"Let me see what's taking your mama so damn long. She's probably mad because they have store-brand water instead of Quiet Waters. That damn woman is a country girl at heart, but too damn bougie for her own good."
After he took off, Swift remembered he had an obituary inside his suit jacket. He pulled it out and waved it over her, her tightly shut eyes starting to blink. He'd had a hard time not staring at her each time they were in the same room over the past few days.
That morning was no different when Starlah walked out of her bedroom, wearing a black, form-fitting dress that flowed past her hips but did little to hide her thick thighs. At the sight of her, he had to will his dick to behave. He tossed his jacket over her legs and looked over his shoulder.
"Here I am. I needed the facilities man to bring in the coolers with the cold beverages." London rushed toward them, her hands shaky as she opened the water bottle. "Damn store brand," she muttered, causing Swift to release a soft laugh.
"Starlah, honey? Can you sit up a bit and drink?"
"I-I can try."
Star grunted when Swift took her by her forearm with one hand, the other cradling her back when she slowly sat up. She pinched her lips when his mother placed the rim of the water bottle to her lips. They were pink, pouty, and perfect. Swift looked away because he couldn't help but notice that Starlah was damn near perfect, and without even trying.
"That's it." His mother looked his way, then handed him the water bottle. "We need to meet Logan out front. Can you stay here with her and make sure she finishes this?"
"S-sure." Swift nodded before sitting next to Starlah and accepting the water bottle from his mother.
He wasn't sure if she wanted him to actually pour it in her mouth, but she sat there, her mouth slightly open, taking deep and slow breaths.
"Want to try for a little more?" She glanced at him, giving a subtle nod. "I got you,"Swift assured Starlah.
His hand, twice the size of the bottle, almost touched her skin when he leaned closer and placed it against her lips. Her smell, the scent of lemon, wafted under his nose. He smelled it often when she was around. He didn't know that lemon was one of his favorite scents until Starlah wore it on her skin.
After a few gulps, Swift used just the edge of his pointer finger to wipe the excess water that rolled down her chin.
"Sorry," he whispered. "I didn't mean to."
"No. It's me. I just…"
"Hey, it's fine. Want to try again? If you haven't noticed, my moms is a damn drill sergeant. After this, you'll be eating plates the size she feeds me and Pops," he teased. "You've been skating, but don't say I didn't tell you."
"I'm not that hungry, but I'll try." Star took a deep breath and squeezed her thighs. "Restroom?"
She looked around. This wasn't their family church, but once they realized that a large crowd would show up, Endea and his mother worked with the funeral home to find a larger location.
