Every 4th of July, it was the same thing: gathering by Gran'ma Martha's homestead, everyone bringing this and that for the potluck dinner; then down to Cold Creek, where watermelons had been floating in the icy water for most of the day. The youngest of the brood usually braved the breath-taking water of the creek, splashing and wading gleefully. The older crew lazed against its banks, carefully watching their charges while trying to cram a year's worth of conversation into a few short hours. Some came to this annual reunion to catch up on family, some came for the food, and some, like Jim Anderson, came to clear his head at the old family farm.
Later, everyone feasted on cold watermelon from the creek; it's sweet, frigid juices sliding down first one face then another. As darkness took over the farm, the fireworks were brought out, much to the delight of the children both young and old. As he watched the young peoples faces light up in awe at the rainbow of lights shimmering out from the loud claps, it never ceased to amaze Jim how each of his nieces and nephews grew from one family reunion to the next. One in particular: Megan.
She caught Jim's eye as she flitted by in her bright pink bikini, her girlish figure now sporting some rather womanly curves. He listened as her laugh floated on the air, and watched as she pulled a large t-shirt over her body, which was still shivering from the frigid water of the creek. She brushed her dark hair back, her green eyes shimmered with delight as first one and then another of her relatives remarked about how much she'd matured over the past year, despite the hardships she'd had to endure of late.
Megan was Jim's brother, John's, eldest. John had always been the family's golden boy, but when cancer took him a couple of years ago, it was Jim that stepped in to see that the family was cared for. John's wife, Trudy, had remained close to the family "for the sake of the kids", even though her life went rather swiftly on. Trudy married a ne'er-do-well construction worker named Rand within months after John's death, and had moved from the family's homestead there in the small town of Anderson Creek to the big city of Abilene. Jim hated Trudy's new husband, and it was that fact that was causing such a stir within Jim. It was that fact that caused him to come to the farm, for Jim had been offered a job in Abilene, not far from where Rand and Trudy lived. He wasn't sure he wanted to be that close, he wasn't sure he could keep his disdain in check.
It was mostly Rand's drinking and heavy-handedness with the children bothered Jim. Jim had been watching all day, his eyes narrowing, as Rand became drunker and drunker. Jim gritted his teeth as Rand continued ranting and raving at Megan over first one thing then another throughout the day.
Rand grabbed Megan by the arm as she headed to the creek to join her cousins: "C'mere you.... you slut. Look at that swimsuit... you can barely call it that. More like dental floss and bandaids. Why don't you just hang a "for sale' sign around your goddamn neck?!" She shook free of him, only to accidentally tip over the beer he had carelessly sat on the ground at his feet.
"GODDAMN IT GIRL! Can you be any clumsier?!" Megan mumbled a lackluster apology, feeling the stares of her relatives piercing her skin.
The tension between Megan and Rand built all day long. Megan did her best to steer clear of him, but finally, at the end of the day in one last slovenly rampage, Rand screamed, "I told you to bring me another fucking beer, you bitch!" and took a swing at Megan. Megan, confused, humiliated, and frightened, ran off toward the woods that were intermittently illuminated by the glittering fireworks that exploded in the nighttime sky.
It took all the willpower Jim could muster not to burst in between them and take Rand by the throat. He had wanted to throttle that man since meeting him two reunions ago, but more than that, he was appalled at the lack of intervention by anyone, especially Trudy. Trudy stood nearby, watching Rand treat her daughter that way and rather than step in, she turned away.
Despite his anger and disgust at his own family's negligence, the only person that was truly on Jim's mind was Megan. He suddenly understood why she shied away from the men in the family when they greeted her, why she seemed so reluctant to leave with her mother at the end of the gatherings of late. Jim decided to go find Megan and talk with her, since no one else seemed concerned enough to do so. He grabbed a nearby lantern and turned in the direction the young girl had gone, worried that in the darkness she might get lost.
Jim made his way carefully across the pasture toward the darkly looming trees. He softly called out, "Megan? Megan... it's me... it's Uncle Jim. Honey, it's okay..."
Straining to hear over the popping of the fireworks overhead, Jim heard faint sniffling. "Megan? Baby, is that you?"
"Over here, Uncle Jim..."
He followed her soft voice, only to find her curled against a tree, her face wet with tears.
"Oh, Uncle Jim... he's horrible! Why did Daddy have to die? Why did Mom have to marry that creep?! He... He..." She stifled a sob, trying to find the courage to go on. "Uncle Jim... he tries to touch me!"
Jim sat back on his heels, taking Megan's chin into his hand and turning her face up to his. "Honey... has he ever..."
"NO! But he sure has tried. Momma won't believe me. I've tried to tell her... honest, I have."
Jim cradled the sobbing girl, who sagged limply in his arms. The perfume of her hair wafted to his nose. It was a scent of both woman and child, and it made him almost drunk with desire. Pushing her from his arms, Jim struggled to find a way to be comfortable in his now-confining shorts.
"What, Uncle Jim? Did I say something wrong?"
"Oh, no, Honey! You didn't say anything wrong. I was just noticing what a big girl you are now!"
Megan blushed. "Gee, you think so? DUH, Uncle Jim! I mean... I AM 18... or didn't you remember that? I'm all grown up. Almost."
"Yeah, Megan, I remember and I can SEE that. That's probably why that idiot Rand thought he could get away with touching you."
"What do you mean?"
"Megan, you are a beautiful woman, full of life and innocence. There are some people that envy that innocence so much that they want to take it away. Like Rand does."
"You think I'm beautiful?"
"Oh, sweetheart... don't tell your cousins, but I always have thought you were the most beautiful and special of them all"
Megan hugged Jim close. She felt the light sheen of perspiration that had formed on his skin; she felt his heart pounding in his chest. She raised her head to look at Jim.
"Uncle Jim?"
"Yes, Megan?"
She pushed him away just enough so that she could look into his eyes. She took his face into her soft, warm hands and spoke clearly and softly to him:
"For most of my life, you have been there for me. You were the one that dried my tears after Daddy died, and you are the one that came to make sure I was okay tonight. I love you with all my heart and soul. I have been experimenting some with the boys I date, but I know it can't be like what Rand tries to do to me."
Jim blinked, and then blinked again. His mouth opened, but for a moment, only breath escaped. He was looking into the most incredible green eyes and the most innocent face, alive with anticipation and longing and hope.
"Oh, honey... I... uh... what do you mean, 'What Rand tries to do to you'?"
"Well, he comes in drunk sometimes, and he sneaks into my room, gets in the bed with me and slobbers all over me. His hands are like sandpaper and he pinches me. Then he starts to bite and growl like an animal... by then, I'm pushing and kicking so hard that he usually gives up. But every time, Uncle Jim, he says to me, 'Some day, you little slut, you're gonna know you've been had!' I'm not a slut, Uncle Jim... I swear I'm not!" She hesitated for a moment, all the fiery anger finally burned out of her. She took a big breath, looked Jim square in the eyes, and then quietly said, "I'm a virgin."
Megan's eyes welled with tears once again. Jim cradled her, feeling her warm, trembling body against his. But this time, it felt different. He noticed her curves, how she fit against him so perfectly. He noticed her heartbeat, her breathing, how sweet she smelled. She had always turned him on with that sly little grin and those flashing green eyes; but this time it felt deeper and more meaningful. As the anger over what she had to endure welled up in him, so did his resolve: he had to show her that real men aren't like Rand Ashland.
He pulled her body closer to his, and tilted her face up to him. Lowering his head slightly, he allowed his lips to brush hers in a soft kiss. Cradling her face, his mouth took gentle possession of hers, but yet he felt her hesitation, her fear as the reality of the situation hit him. He meant only to comfort her, but he felt her stiffen and push against him.
"Princess, I didn't mean to scare you. Oh, baby, I'm so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?"
He watched as a tangle of emotion clouded her face. He felt her hand reach to the back of his head instead of pushing him away as he was expecting, her fingers gently played with the hair on his neck. He barely breathed, watching and waiting for an affirmation of what was about to happen; he had to know if she was afraid... or interested. He stroked the hair from her forehead, running his hand through its silkiness as he inwardly wondered what she was thinking.
Momentarily, her hand gripped his neck in a gentle tug, her eyelids lowering in anticipation of his mouth meeting hers yet again. He held her to his chest, his hand in her soft chestnut hair, holding her mouth against his as his lips roamed hers. Finally, her lips parted in sweet surrender to his tongue, which flicked playfully against her own.
He broke the kiss, and cradling her in his lap, he took a moment to look into Megan's face. A look of love and lust fought for attention on her brow as she said, "Wow. That was better than any of those boys, and certainly better than Rand!"
