Four Seasons Of Summer

CHAPTER ONE: SPRING

I stepped out of my pickup truck, dust billowing out in all directions from under my feet.

I was home.

They say you can never go home again. There's definitely something to that statement, something that holds true when reflecting on time passed. A sad nostalgia, maybe.

I looked at the old, weathered house on the hilltop amidst some tall trees. The fields surrounding it were dry as a bone.

Someone was waving from the driveway.

It was spring, and I had recently found out that my dad had passed away. This was the catalyst that reunited Summer and I, after almost two decades apart. Actually, we'd never been together in the first place.

I walked up the road a little, and I was waiting for some kind of instinctive recognition to kick in, but the young woman before me was a total stranger.

I'd never even seen a photo of my sister before, and only a single shot of the house in a box of tattered Polaroids. Both were standing before me now.

She was a very shapely girl, with sturdy arms and legs, and wide hips. Her sandy blonde hair was tied in a ponytail. She had faded freckles from last year's sun. She wore overalls. and a white shirt.

"Wow," she said, wiping dirt from her hands, "this is super weird, huh?"

She had a rustic accent, something I kind of expected from a girl who grew up on a farm.

"Hey, Summer," I said, still several feet from her.

"Hi...Daniel?" she said, tilting her head.

"Dan," I said, smiling awkwardly.

She approached me first, wrapping her arms around me, hugging me close to her.

"Good to meet you, little brother."

I laughed. I was two years older than her, but she did stand a few inches taller. I was also pretty trim.

She let me go. "Comin' inside?"

I followed her into the house, surveying the surroundings of my distant past, not that I was old enough to remember. A dilapidated shed, an old outhouse, and a sandbox, still intact. Nothing felt familiar.

Other things were a newly renovated, like the barn. An outdoor pool looked new except for the hole in the side of it. More than twenty years had passed since I was born here.

Walking into the older house, I found nothing that jogged my memory. That made sense, given how young I was back then. Summer and I sat down at the kitchen table, and she poured me a glass of milk.

"Cows are all gone, so we buy from the grocery store now." She poured herself a glass, downing half of it.

"Gotcha," I said. I drummed the table with my fingers.

We both knew the backstory by now. Dad divorced Mom was I was two. He got custody because of a recent fender-bender Mom caused while drinking one night. I wasn't with her, fortunately.

So, Dad left Mom, and took me along with him. Mom never told him she was pregnant before he left. Dad used to tell me that Mom lived in Mexico. Mom actually stayed in the same farmhouse, the only thing he had left her in the settlement, and she had raised Summer alone. Mom never called Dad, and that went both ways.

Summer and I never knew about each other until after Dad died.

Mom reached out, finding me through Facebook, and brought me up to speed on the fact that A: she existed, and that B: I had a sister. I decided I wanted to see my family, and so I drove across two states to meet them.

"Where's Mom?" I asked.

Mom. It still felt weird to say, as if I knew anything about my own mother. Like she and I were close.

"Out with her boyfriend, Pat. They spend a lot of time at his place, in town."

"Oh," I said.

"But she'll be here this weekend. Probably tomorrow. Don't take offense, she's a creature of habit."

Summer finished her milk, and leaned towards me.

"I cannot believe I have a little brother," she said, grinning.

"I'm two years older than you," I stated plainly. I was 21, and she was 19.

"But I'm like, bigger than you." She kept her eyes locked on me. They were a muddy green.

"Fair enough...big sis."

She beamed with pride.

"So, you guys have crops?" I wasn't really sure what kind of farm this was.

"We're selling the farm next year," she said, looking out at the fields. "Land's gone to shit, a factory up the road fucked up our water source. Animals gone too."

"Wow, that's terrible," I said.

She looked back to me, and sighed.

"I'm okay with it. Been here a long time. Looking forward to moving away, probably next year. Mom gets on my nerves. Drinks too much."

"Where would you go?" I finished my store-bought milk.

"Anywhere," she said. "So, I appreciate you coming to meet us. Sorry about your dad. Our dad."

"Thanks. He got sick pretty fast. I'm still processing."

"For sure. Are you working right now? How long you thinking of staying?"

Summer had an interesting look. Sure, she was on the heavy side, but she was strong, and seemed pretty confident in her body. I didn't see any resemblance to me or my dad.

"Well, I just finished a semester of college recently. I took time off when Dad..." I trailed off, lost in thought.

I wasn't sad exactly, but it was a lot, dealing with his absence. We weren't the best of friends, but we had some good memories.

Summer reached out, and grabbed my hand.

"So," she said, guiding me, "You took time from school, which makes me think you weren't working before, and you're not rushing back to anything?"

"Pretty much," I said, surprised at her intuition. If I was honest, I hated school. I never wanted to go back.

"Got a lady back home?"

I shook my head.

"I ride solo too. Not a lot of selection around here," she said, laughing at some truth only she herself knew.

"Mom mentioned you needed help around the farm. Said I could stay as long as I wanted. Guess you're fixing things up to sell it off next year?"

She nodded her head, and let go of my hand.

"You don't have to pay rent, but you have to earn your keep. Mostly cleanup and maintenance. You could stay here until next spring if you wanted to."

I pondered this. I had moved out of my small apartment already. I had no furniture of my own. I had no prospects back home.

"I'll stay for a bit," I said, offering a weak smile. I felt aimless. My whole life was ahead of me, but I didn't know where I was heading.

"Okay, Danny," she said, crossing her arms, and leaning back in her chair. "We're gonna have some fun."

We spent the remainder of the day wandering around the farm, cleaning up debris from a recent and unprecedented storm. It wasn't fun, but it cleared my head.

I had filled a couple buckets of shingles, scrap metal, and other random bits. My arms were getting tired.

"We'll call it a day soon," said Summer. "I don't want you useless for tomorrow. Lots to do."

I was trailing behind her. I looked up, immediately glancing away from her wide backside. For someone who did labor all day, she sure had a full figure.

"I can take it," I said, almost wheezing.

"Naw, let's go inside. Sun's setting. We can watch a movie."

I wasn't upset about the promise of rest and relaxation. The drive was a good twelve hours straight, and I was drained.

We went back to the house. Summer said she was going to shower off first, and that she'd save some hot water for me.

I looked around the first floor, inspecting my surroundings. Cupboards full of canned food. Tools and equipment scattered around. Clutter everywhere.

The pipes rumbled as Summer started her shower. I definitely needed one myself.

I checked my phone, and realized there wasn't any service. No Wi-Fi either. Huh.

Summer came downstairs wrapped in a big beach towel, her hair dripping.

"All yours, I left it running. Better hurry, it's getting cool."

I smiled, doing my best not to size up my own sibling, and I hurried up the stairs. I stripped, and hopped into the old tub and pulled the curtain behind me.

The water wasn't very warm, so I cleaned up quick.

I toweled off, but had to put my dirty clothes back on. I had left my duffle bag of clean clothes in the truck.

I joined Summer downstairs, and she had changed into a pair of grey sweat shorts and a clean shirt, one with Elvis on the front.

"Same clothes?" She looked unimpressed.

"I just need my bag from the truck, be right back."

"Watch out for wolves," she said solemnly.

I paused by the door. She shook her head, grinning.

I faked a laugh, and walked outside.

It wasn't totally dark out, but the stars were so vivid and numerous that I stared for several minutes. I went to the truck, got my stuff, and came back inside.

"Stars are cool," I said, watching her walk to the couch which sat in the small living room. Stacks of magazine surrounded the leather couch. An old wood stove sat dusty next to the stack. She sat down, and the couch grunted a little.

"Indeed," she said. "So, there's no cable, no internet, and barely any cell service. But we got hot water, power, and an alright DVD collection!"

She patted the couch.

"Just gonna change, so..." I looked around. "Where do I sleep?"

"I'm sitting on it," she said, raising an eyebrow. "It looks rough, but it's long enough, and with a blanket on it, it'll do the trick."

"Oh," I said. It looked like hell.

"Kidding. Yours is down the hall to the left. Spare room just for you. I'm upstairs next to Mom."

"Funny," I said, dragging my stuff to my new room.

It was an old room, with a small bed and a window. There was a table, a lamp, and a stack of boxes that took up half the room.

I changed into jogging pants and a clean shirt, and came back to Summer.

"Join me," she said grimly. "Let's watch something scary."

She put on a copy of The Mothman Prophecies. I had seen it before, but it was a good choice.

The couch was indeed long, but there was a stack of magazines on one end, which left a spot right next to Summer.

I kept fighting a weird disconnect in my head. I felt awkward, because she was a curvaceous, confident women in thigh-high shorts. But, she was also my sister, so what was I worried about, really? I just wasn't used to being around an adult woman that was off-limits.

She expected nothing of me, except my company. I shrugged off the confusion, and sat next to my little sister.

"Grab that blanket," she said, pointing to the one slumped over a chair. The house was cooling down a little.

I passed it to her, and she threw it over both of us. Our proximity to each other was shrouded.

We watched the movie in silence for a bit before she turned to me.

"Danny," she said, "I hope you stick around for a while. I know it's weird, and I'm a total stranger, but it's really nice to have a brother."

Her eyes reflected the TV screen. Her face was soft, and I loved how her cheeks were freckled. I only now realized that she had a little gap between her teeth, but it added to her character. Her tangled, sandy blonde hair was stringy and still damp.

"I'm glad we found each other," I said earnestly. "I'm glad I'm here."

She smiled, turned back to the movie, and leaned against me, just a little. It was subtle, but a charge ran up my arm. It was a troubling, wonderful feeling, but I pushed it down.

We didn't talk much during the movie. Horror wasn't an ideal choice for setting my mind at ease in an old farmhouse that creaked and groaned.

I was brushing my teeth when Summer popped her head in, whispering menacingly, "Ch-ch-chapstiiiick."

I winced. "Not cool." That part of the movie always creeped me out the most.

"Sorry. Hey, so, we get up early tomorrow to run into town, need a few things. You okay getting up at 7, or...?"

"Sounds good." I smiled.

"If you need me, you know where I am. Have a good sleep Danny," she said, and disappeared from the doorway. I heard her footsteps echo throughout the old house on every step of the staircase.

I was in bed later, charging my phone for no discernable reason other than habit. I lay back into the not quite old, not quite new bed. It was comfy enough. The room was cramped, but cozy. The cooler night made it easier to fall asleep.

The next day, we drove into town. Nothing to sneeze at, save for a grocery store, a liquor store, a gas station or two, and a couple of family restaurants. Mostly it was a pit stop between bigger towns, and honestly, I was okay with that.

I grew up in a real city, which I always found a little stifling. This seemed quaint, and laid back.

"I hate it here," said Summer behind the wheel. We had stocked up on groceries, and we were headed home.

"I like your truck," I said, "Raptor. Not bad."

"I'll probably sell it in the new year," she said, grabbing a piece of gum from her glove box.

"How did you afford it?"

"We used to make bank at the farm. Cows, corn, and other stuff during our heyday. Mom bought it for me. I worked my ass off. For free. For years."

"Crazy," I said. "I worked a year before college, at an oil change place."

"So you can change oil on my truck later," she said with a little bit of sass.

"Only if you ask nicely," I said, watching short rows of corn pass us by.

She offered me some gum. I took it.

"I think when we get home, I should show you the pond at the end of the farm." She flicked her gum out the window.

"Cool," I said.

After unloading the groceries, we took a walk down a path on the far side of the property. It was shaded by trees, and pretty scenic as far as walks go.

The forest that bordered this end of the farm was a little more mysterious than the barren, open side.

"Mom and I used to swim down here, but she doesn't bother anymore. The water is fine in the pond, since it's not the same as the stuff from the stream that comes from the factory. I think it has a natural spring. But it's too far from the field, and too small a source to be used as a long term..."

She suddenly swung a punch, landing her knuckles in my bicep.

"Dude, are you even listening?" she asked with a chuckle.

"Jeez!" I rubbed my arm. "Sorry, I was zoned out a little, but I--"

"Race ya," she said suddenly, sprinting ahead.

This girl was a lunatic, but she was fun. I followed her down the path, watching her thick legs pumping in her thigh-high shorts. Once again, I flinched away, fully aware it was not something to stare at. Not her. For obvious reasons.

I caught up with her, barely. She was fit, even if she wasn't thin.

"Pond," she said, waving her arm dramatically.

"It's smaller than I thought," I said, surveying a pond that was three times the size of her ruptured outdoor pool.

"But, it's clean. Wanna go for a dip?" She raised her eyebrows, and bit her tongue.

It was enticing. The day was warm, and the sun was at its peak. The jog had made me sweaty. And it was only spring.

"I just have my underwear," I said.

"That's all I'm wearing," said Summer, with nothing in her voice to indicate something inappropriate was happening here. It was a "family change room" situation, and nothing more, by her tone.

"Sure," I said, stripping off my shirt. She watched me, but didn't react. She turned away, peeling off her own shirt. I took off my sweats, and left my clothes in a pile.

I turned around.

Summer was bent over, pulling off her shorts. Her butt was pointed directly at me, and my eyes darted away. But the image was burned in. Her bum was wide, and her underwear was...meager.

"Hey, ready bozo?" I turned back, and she was facing me, wearing that same pair of lavender underwear, and a matching bra. Her midsection was filled out, but her belly didn't stick out much, and her breasts were--

Shut up, shut up.

There were big, but they were just boobs. Boobs that didn't matter. Or, they just--

"Danny boy," she said, thumbing the water. "After you."

I tried to play it cool, like I was a guy unphased by a curvy 19-year-old in her underwear. Because that was my role right now. It had to be.

I decided that getting into the water was a good idea.

I ran into the shallow pond, which got waist-deep quickly. I plunged in, assaulted by the cold, but it was refreshing.

I turned, and watched Summer run towards me. Even with my eyes locked on her grinning face, I was still aware of her bouncing breasts.

I was treading water, my feet touching a muddy bottom at times.

Summer dove in, and surfaced right in front of me.

She spat water in my face, and I stared her down.

"So rude," I said.

"You'll live. Just watch for leeches," she said ominously.

And wolves, I thought. And mothmen.

"Was Dad...big...like me?" she asked.

"Um, no," I said awkwardly. "my height, maybe an inch shorter."

"I mean like..big. Like fat. Like me." There was something in her eyes. Was she testing me? Seeing how I'd respond? What could I say, if not the truth.

"No, he was a little thin." Would that suffice? Was that rude, not to challenge her? She wasn't unhealthy, but she wasn't a twig.

"Weird. Mom is skinny too. I'm the odd one out, I guess."

I made a noncommittal gesture, and asked, "Mom never mentioned me, huh?"

"Nope," she said, "and sounds like Dad pulled a similar move."

"I don't think he knew about you."

"Doesn't matter now, I guess."

"No," I said. "This is nice, but I'm getting chilly."

"Baby," she said, smiling with squinted eyes.

I backed out, staring her down dramatically as I exited the pond. I swore she looked down at my boxer briefs for a hot second.

"Not sure we're blood," she said, following me out. "You're athletic. Do you work out?"

I shook my head. With any other girl, this would be flirtatious talk. But it was innocent. Totally normal.

"Not fair. I work out all day long, and I'm still a fat-ass."

She was soaking wet, her underwear semi-transparent. I kept my eyes on her own, acting like we weren't both having a conversation while scantily-clad.

"You seem strong," I said, "and you can run like a cheetah."

She scoffed, but seemed to be pleased by my weird comment. "You know how to compliment a lady. Well, you wanna head back?"

We put our clothes on, and walked home. We talked a little less on the way back. She seemed lost in thought. I guess I was too. I felt weird about my responses, and I hoped I hadn't made her feel weird in turn.

Mom didn't come home that night. She called at dinner, and said she was staying with Pat again. I didn't exactly mind. I was having fun with Summer, and I wasn't ready just yet for another new person. Not just yet.

We made a stew together, which was a lot of fun. We ate our dinner while we watched Shrek 2.

"Was I weird today?" asked Summer, sitting close to me on the couch, with a small bowl of popcorn in her hand.

"Weird how?" I asked, putting my empty bowl of kernels down. I was starved before, but now I felt very satiated.

"I dunno," she said, leaning against me, "Just weird. Like...never mind."

She stayed like that, leg against mine, shoulder against mine, head against me.

"You weren't weird at all." I patted her thigh, immediately regretting it, because I had forgotten her thigh was mostly exposed. Her skin was so soft. I put my hand back on my own leg.

She breathed deeply, and rested against me a little more.

"Okay, good." she said, sounding sleepy.

"Bedtime soon?"

"After the hero song. And the giant gingerbread man part."

"Sounds good," I said.

Later, we said goodnight, and I was alone in my little room. I tried to sleep, but I had insomnia. I instinctively reached for my phone, for porn. As a single guy, it was routine. But without internet, I was cut off. Even my data didn't work out here.

I stared at the ceiling. I wondered if Summer was above me. I thought about our day, and about the pond, and...

I sat up, and slapped myself in the face, hard.

A half-thought was excusable. But there was nothing okay about thinking of THAT, on purpose. It was not okay.

It was not okay, and I wasn't going down that road.

No way.

Eventually, I slept.