One of the boys had shoved Lily out of the way to say something ugly to Del, and he’d thrown a punch while Del was trying to help her up, sending them both sprawling to the ground. She’d been seeing red when she rose from the ground. Lily had always been a bit taller than the other kids and never had a problem defending herself.
Unfortunately, the crowd had grown and the kids began chanting, “Special Ed! Special Ed! Special Ed!” Some were also chanting, “Short Bus! Short Bus!” That had seemed to really set Del off, but when the kids had also started chanting, “Chubby! Chubby!” Del had gone ballistic.
The three of them had always stood up for each other. Clay had come running, fists flying, right into the middle of the fray as Del was knocked to the ground again. Lily had been able to hear several girls chanting in a singsong voice, “Special Ed and Chubby sitting in a tree k–i–s–s–i–n–g!” She’d known her mom would be disappointed in her, but she hadn’t been able to ignore it.
She’d slugged one of the boys who had been kicking Del where he was curled up on the ground and helped him back up as another boy kicked her. She turned and gave him a punch in his flabby gut and had laughed at the “ooph!” sound he’d made.
Being shorter than the others, Clay had waded in and was doing his best, but she’d been able to see his tearful frustration at being smaller than the others. Finally the principal and one of the custodians had dragged them apart and broken up the fight. They’d all been hauled to the principal’s office, their parents called, and punishments meted out. If she’d known that would be the last time she’d see them, she would’ve said something besides, “Sorry we got our butts whooped.” Her father had told them that night that they were moving to Durst the next day. When it was all boiled down, the day she left Divine had been the worst day of her life.
“Lily Bell? You in there?”
“I was just thinking about that last day, when we got in trouble.”
Del grinned widely. “Oh, yeah. I had a shiner from that fight that lasted a whole week. You know that one big kid, Durwood Willoughby?”
Her lip curled in disgust. “That jerk? The one with the stinky armpits? I hated him.”
Del chuckled. “Yup, that’s the one. Clay told me he’s the town veterinarian. Cleaned up his act and has become a model citizen. He was an asshole all through school, though.”
Recalling how big a jerk Durwood was, she licked her lower lip. “He busted my lip in that fight. I got in even more trouble when I got home. Then we had to move. I was not happy. So, what happened after I moved away? Your letters were spotty…understandably so.” She’d known that writing wasn’t one of Del’s strong suits, so she’d never expected him to be very wordy.
Del grinned sheepishly. “I never was one for sharing lots of details, was I? I went into the army after graduation. I was in for about ten years before going on to that private gig. I’m done now. I figured I’d try my hand at ranching.”
“Did they pick on you all through school?” That thought made her heart hurt because Del had always been kindhearted.
“Well, I got…not so helpless anymore. I became eligible for the football team, and you can see both me and Clay filled out a bit.”
She could most definitely see that he’d grown into a solid, tall, muscular man. Thinking of Clay brought the night before to mind, which made her feel a little flustered, and Lily nodded. “Yeah, I noticed that you were a little more…structured.” The heat in her cheeks increased when he grinned as she gripped his bicep and lightly squeezed. Her pussy contracted with a slutty wave of wanting. To distract herself from that feeling, she added, “The last time we saw each other we were eye to eye, literally.”
“Yeah, and I think Clay was still shorter than you.”
“Yes, but not so much anymore. You’re both like mountains now.”
Del scrutinized her and finally said, “You grew up beautiful, Lily.”
Looking up at him, her lips were just inches from his, and for a second she felt as if she were being pulled toward him. His lips were curved in a slight smile, and he actually leaned in to her just an inch or two.
The spell was broken by the clatter and crash of someone dropping a plate in the kitchen. “Oh, stop teasing.” The heat rose quickly in her cheeks.
“I’m not pulling your leg. You’re gorgeous. Clay says you’ve been working really hard at the shop, schoolwork, and everything else. I can tell how proud he is of you. I am, too. Will you tell me?”