Christina and Diane weren't the only ones counting the minutes until the family cookout. Across the yard, Mary was doing everything in her power to focus on something other than her sister-in-law's mysterious dinner invitation. She tried to keep herself busy throughout the day, hoping to distract her overactive mind, but nothing worked. Time seemed to move at a glacial pace as each passing moment filled her with a confusing and ever increasing mixture of excitement and dread.
When it was nearly time to head over, she went upstairs to change. After stripping out of her house clothes, she took a moment to appraise her naked form in the mirror. She looked a lot more put together than she had earlier that morning, but she still felt insecure about how her brother might react to the sight of her naked body. She stared at her pendulous breasts, criticizing herself for their stretch marks and noticeable sag. Turning to the side, she looked at herself in profile, gazing at her rounded tummy, wide hips, and more than ample butt. Her body bore all the marks of having given birth to three children. Tim had never complained about her appearance, but it was hard for her to imagine that Ray would be even slightly interested.
She made a conscious effort to shift her thoughts to something, anything, but her feelings for her brother. Forcing herself away from the mirror, she put on a conservative blouse and shorts over her one-piece bathing suit and went back downstairs.
Danny was waiting for her in the kitchen, eying a plate of warm cookies she'd prepared for the cookout. He was wearing nothing but his blue swimming trunks, and Mary couldn't help but notice how much he'd matured over the past year. He was still slender and boyish, but there was an undeniable hint of muscle in his chest and shoulders that definitely hadn't been there last summer. Without any conscious effort, she found herself wondering what he was hiding under the loose fabric of his swimsuit.
She quickly admonished herself, feeling her cheeks burn with shame. She wished she could rid herself of her depraved thoughts, but the more she tried, the harder it seemed to get. Part of her knew the safest thing to do would be to skip the cookout entirely, but she had to find out what Diane was planning. Wrong as it may be, she couldn't bear the thought of missing her one opportunity to find out how Ray really felt about her.
With a quick shake of her head, she managed to bring herself back down to earth before stepping into the kitchen.
"You better stay away from those cookies," she said in a mock-scolding tone.
"Who? Me?" Danny replied, looking left, then right as if there was anyone else in the room.
She couldn't help but smile at his goofy antics. "Are you ready to head over?"
"I am if you are."
There was a nearly imperceptible hint of nervousness in his voice, and Mary found herself wondering whether he knew anything about what Diane was planning. She examined his face for any clues, but there was nothing there. He probably knew as much about what was going on as she did. Maybe even less.
Outside, it was a perfect late spring day, warm and sunny without a trace of humidity. Across the yard, Ray was using a wire-brush to clean his old charcoal grill, the same one he'd bought when they first moved in nearly twenty years ago. It was one of the few things in the families' shared backyard that hadn't changed over the years.
One side of the lawn was dedicated to Mary and Diane's garden, which was practically overflowing with colorful daffodils, tulips, and fresh vegetables that would be ready for picking any day now. For many years, the center of the yard had been taken up with a large playset, but when the kids got older, they decided to replace it with a pool for the teens and a hot-tub for the adults. The pool itself was ringed by a stone patio, which bulged out on one end to accommodate Ray's grill and the outdoor dining set.
As Mary started walking in Ray's direction, Christina and Diane stepped out of their patio door and joined the rest of the family. The first thing Mary noticed was that, much like Danny, the two of them were already dressed in their swimsuits.
Diane was wearing a navy blue tankini that put her generous cleavage on full display and contrasted nicely with the reddish hue of her hair. Mary's eyes went wide when she glimpsed her sister-in-law's bikini bottom under the hem of the tank-like top. It was at least two sizes too small. The tiny piece of fabric did little to contain Diane's well-shaped bottom, and the material stretched tightly over her mound, making the cleft of her pussy plainly obvious to anyone who cared to look.
Christina's swimsuit wasn't quite as provocative, but it was almost as revealing. She wore a small green bikini, the top consisting of two small triangles held in place with thin straps. They barely covered her small breasts and did nothing to conceal her erect nipples as they poked through the thin material. Her bottom was less revealing than her mother's, but still did a more than adequate job of displaying her supple features.
Danny gasped at the sight of them, and Mary found herself wondering which of the two he found more attractive. Given what Diane had told her the night before, she had little doubt that at least part of this erotic display was for his benefit.
She knew it was silly, but she couldn't help but feel a little envious of the two of them. Mary knew that men found her attractive, but she'd always wanted a slender, athletic figure like Christina's. On the other hand, she had Diane beat in the curves department, but she'd never be able to match her sister-in-law's confident, easygoing nature. She wished that she had the courage to flaunt her body the way Diane did, but she knew she was far too shy to ever do such a thing.
Her spirits lifted considerably as the evening progressed. Despite all of the exposed flesh on display, she couldn't help but notice the way Ray kept stealing glances in her direction. She thought she sensed something not entirely innocent in his gaze but quickly convinced herself that she was imagining things.
Ray wasn't the only one with with a case of wandering eyes. Danny seemed constitutionally incapable of stopping himself from staring at his aunt's exposed cleavage, and Diane seemed to be doing everything in her power to encourage him. When they gathered around the patio dining set to eat, Diane made a point of leaning precariously forward every time she passed something in his direction, giving him the opportunity to gaze longingly at her hanging breasts. At one point, she intentionally let her fork slip out of her fingers and onto the grass below. She took her time picking it up, making sure that Danny got a nice view of her barely-covered rear-end.
Mary couldn't believe her sister-in-law was being so forward. She quickly glanced in Christina's direction, expecting to see an expression of annoyance or jealousy, but her niece seemed to be enjoying the show nearly as much as Danny was. Ray, for his part, seemed to find the whole situation highly amusing and gave no outward indication that he was bothered by the way his nephew was ogling his wife's barely-covered exposed assets.
Despite the mounting sexual tension in the air, the family conversed about normal topics while they ate, each of them pretending that there was nothing else on their mind. Mary did her best to keep up with the conversation but had little success. She couldn't stop thinking about Ray, wondering why he seemed to be totally fine with his wife acting like a complete slut in front of Danny. Why wasn't he upset? Was it possible that he was actually okay with the idea of Diane sleeping with his nephew?
After helping to clear the table, Diane said, "I don't know about the rest of you, but I could use a swim. Would anyone care to join me?"
Within minutes, the whole family was in the water. Christina and Danny splashed around, playing water tag while Mary, Ray, and Diane treaded water and made small talk with each other. Eventually, the teens separated from their parents and made their way to the shallow end of the pool. They sat on the edge, with their feet dangling in the water, talking in low tones that Mary couldn't quite make out. She couldn't help but smile when she saw Christina take Danny's hand in her own as they spoke. It was such a casual gesture, but it spoke volumes about their close bond. Mary still had misgivings about their relationship, but she felt a pang of maternal pride at the realization that her son had found someone who loved him every bit as much as she knew he deserved.
"Aren't they adorable?" Diane asked, noticing Mary's repeated glances in their direction.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but yes-they really are. I still have some concerns, but I have to admit that over the past few days, Danny's been happier than I've seen him in years." Turning to Ray, she asked, "How do you feel about all of this?"
"I was surprised at first, but I'm happy for them," he replied, flashing Mary a warm-hearted smiles that made her heart flutter. "I have to admit that I do worry a bit about the challenges they'll face in the future. I'm not sure how they'll deal with the fact that what they're doing will always have to be kept secret. I also hope this doesn't keep them from forming normal romantic relationships down the road. But for now, there's no one I'd rather my only daughter be with than Danny." With a sly grin, he added, "Besides, if I ever need to get out my shotgun, I know he'll most likely be in range."
The sound of the word 'shotgun' seemed to instantly grab Danny's attention. He stared back at Ray with a look of wide-eyed terror that made the adults burst into peals of laughter.
"Don't worry, Danny," Diane said. "If he comes after you, he'll have to get through me first." This seemed to make Danny even more confused, and soon he was beet red with embarrassment.
"Me too!" Christina added, doing her best to contain her amusement. "Besides, you don't even own a shotgun, Dad."
"Not yet!" Ray replied with a good natured laugh. "Something tells me I won't need one, though. Right, Danny?"
"Yep... Wait! I mean-No, you won't... sir," Danny replied, fumbling over his words.
"Alright, you've had your fun, Ray," Diane said. "Leave the boy alone."
Ray flashed a friendly smile at his nephew, before allowing the conversation to shift to more conventional topics. Somehow, the knowledge that Ray had accepted Christina and Danny's new relationship made it easier for Mary to accept it too. He'd always had a way of making her feel comfortable and at ease, even in the strangest of situations. It was one of the many things she loved about him.
