“I’m in a mood, too,” he whispered, pulling her closer, moving his hand from her waist to her butt. He nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck and nibbled on her earlobe, sending a spark of pleasure down her body. She hoped her parents weren’t looking out the window, but it felt so good, she didn’t want him to stop. “I want you,” he said, finally kissing her and biting her bottom lip.
She could taste his last cigarette, and he could probably taste hers. He slid his hand up her neck into her hair, tugging at a few of her ever-present knots, and probably causing a few more. She moved her hand under his shirt slowly, feeling his stomach. It was smooth, save for the line of hair that led to his belly button. She knew exactly where that trail ended.
Cash slowly pulled back, pecking her on the lips. “I’ll see you tonight. Ten p.m. at the Sea Shack.”
Madison just nodded. Before she could form words, Cash and his motorcycle were already out the driveway and down the street.
3
claire
@Pastor_Gavin: “Today’s a new day. Show gratitude for the joyful things in your life & seek God’s strength. You got this!”
CLAIRE THIBODEAUX SQUINTED at her iPhone, rereading her tweet to make sure she hadn’t misspelled any words. Last week, one of their church’s youth group members had replied, “Don’t you mean ‘MESSAGE?’?” to Claire’s tweet about the importance of God’s massage. It still made her blush.
Claire held her phone out to her husband, Gavin, who was sprawled across their navy sectional couch. “Do you like this one?”
Gavin glanced up from his iPad. “Love it, hon. Thank you.” He smiled at her, his blue eyes crinkling adorably behind his thick-rimmed glasses, and went back to typing away. She glowed with pride.
Managing Gavin’s personal Twitter account was just one of Claire’s many jobs at the church—their church. She worked behind the scenes, building up Pastor Gavin’s national following and bringing his message to the tens of thousands of fans he had on social media. The demand for her—er, Gavin’s—words of wisdom was so huge that she was even writing a book in his name. Well, it was an ebook, but still, she had been staying up until midnight every night working on it.
She pressed TWEET and waited for the notifications to start rolling in; with their large following, each missive from @Pastor_Gavin got tons of retweets, favorites, and replies. Though she knew it was prideful, Claire couldn’t help enjoying the flurry of activity.
Her phone buzzed and she picked it up excitedly, but it was just a text from her cousin Madison:
Take a break from ur perfect life and come out w me tonite? 10pm Sea Shack?
Claire frowned, the words “perfect life” rubbing her the wrong way. When Claire was Madison’s age, she was already engaged to the love of her life and working a full-time job at the church. Her cousin, on the other hand, seemed to take a more impulsive approach to her future—oftentimes, to her own detriment. Claire didn’t want to encourage that kind of behavior.
C: It’s a school night sweetheart.
M: Since when are u in school? :/
C: You know what I mean . . .
M: Boo . . .
C: How’s your dad doing BTW?
M: :(
C: So sorry, Mads. Praying for him.
Claire placed her phone down on the beige carpet and sighed. “Uncle Allen isn’t doing well,” she said, fighting a wave of sadness. Her uncle was practically her substitute dad. He was the one who had taught her the important things in life, like how to ride a bike and suck the head of a crawfish. “We need to send prayers to him and Madison and Aunt Connie.”
Gavin looked up from his iPad, his eyebrows furrowed with concern. “Of course.”
Sadie started whining, flailing on her fleece blanket in the middle of the living room. She wasn’t crawling yet, but she seemed determined to try. “What’s wrong, little girl?” Claire asked her daughter in a soft voice, scooping her baby into her arms.
Claire rocked Sadie. “I just can’t imagine what Mads is going through right now. She’s so close with her dad. Like you and Sadie. What you have with her just stops my heart.”
Gavin’s eyes lit up. “This is good,” he said.
“Good?” Claire’s voice cracked with confusion.
“I’m writing my sermon on family matters,” he said, setting his iPad down. “What you’re saying—it’s really interesting to think about. Why does it take these life-altering moments to look at what you have and appreciate it? If your dad was dying, would you feel differently about him?” He picked up the device from the side table and started typing furiously.
Claire’s father was only fifteen miles away, but he hadn’t seen her more than five times in the last year. She resented him for walking out on her and her mom when she was six. Resented him for forgetting her birthdays, for never coming to her school plays when she was younger, for not coming to see Sadie very often now. But at the thought of him dying . . . “I’d be devastated,” she admitted. It made her wonder if she should make more of an effort.
Gavin typed something. “Do you think that sometimes we take what we have for granted? Family-wise, I mean.”
“Of course,” Claire said. “But you’d never do that to me and Sadie, would ya?” she teased.
Gavin missed her playful tone. “Never.” His head was still down as he continued to write.
Claire stood up, bouncing a now-fussy Sadie on her hip. It was her bedtime. After putting her daughter down, Claire lingered in her bedroom, staring at the collage framed on the wall. It was filled with pictures of Claire and Gavin before they had Sadie. Her eyes went immediately to their wedding picture, the two of them standing under the arch of two large oak trees on Gavin’s family’s property. They looked like bride and groom cake toppers—she in a heavy, poufy white gown from David’s Bridal, Gavin in his freshly pressed suit. She could just hear the Ziggy Lou Zydeco Band performing at the barbecue reception. Gavin had insisted that an accordion would go better with brisket than a cello would. She’d been skeptical but had to admit he was right . . . as he usually was.
That day was incredible, although their beaming smiles in the picture hid just how nervous they were about that night. It would be the first time they would see each other naked, or do more than kiss. Claire had secretly researched what to do, Googling until she came across a Christian relationship blog that gave her some vague tips:
1. Ask your husband or wife what pleases them. Just like in your relationship, communication is important in the bedroom. This is a surefire way both of you will have your wants and needs met.
2. Be creative and have fun! Keep things spicy and playful—it’s important for both of you to enjoy this special time. Maybe you can even buy some books on techniques or classy lingerie that will liven up the routine.