To Walk a Mile

Grabbing the cooler from the trunk Ed followed the group down to the sand. He looked around and realized they had the place to themselves. The only sign of other people was a sail boat quite a distance across the lake.

He laid out his towel and headed over to the washroom facilities with his new swimsuit in hand to get changed. Jillian walked with him carrying her bikini. He glanced at her uneasily as the bikini looked too small to contain her... gifts.

They ducked into their respective washrooms and emerged shortly afterwards dressed to swim. Ed tried not to stare but Jillian's bikini was struggling to contain her bounty, upstairs and down. Ed thought perhaps the suit was a few sizes too small. His face flushed and he looked away but not before he saw the smile on her face.

As they walked back to the towels he thought back on their first interrupted conversation. "You never did tell me what a gigolo is."

"It's a male prostitute."

Ed's head whipped around to face Jillian. "NO! I'm NOT one of those!"

"A gold digger then?" she asked tilting her head to look at him quizzically.

Ed blinked at her again. "What's a gold digger? I assume it's not someone who digs for gold in a mine."

She smiled and shook her head. "It's someone who pretends to care about someone else to be rewarded with money and gifts."

"No! I could never do that!" Ed said in shock.

"Well, you're awfully young to be having an affair with my aunt," Jillian said with a frown.

Ed smiled as he finally understood her confusion. "Ah, I'm not having an affair. I love Stephanie and she loves me!"

She looked at Ed in confusion as Jack approached on his way to the washroom to get changed.

"Jilly! What are you doing wearing Jamie's swimsuit! It's too small for you! You're gonna wreck it!" Jack complained.

"Hush you! I- I couldn't find mine," Jillian said as her face flushed a little.

Jack shook his head and rushed off to get his swimsuit on.

When they got back to the towels they saw Stephanie was finishing tying her bikini straps.

"You got changed out in the open?" Jillian gasped and Stephanie snorted.

The lovely brunette gestured to the wide open spaces around them. "Do you see anyone who could be spying on us? When Jack headed off I had enough time to change with all the privacy I needed. Besides, that's how we did it when I was here the last time." She smiled at Ed's blush. "That's quite the revealing swimsuit you have on there."

"It's her sisters. She couldn't find her own," Ed provided helpfully and it was Jillian's turn to blush at Stephanie's knowing smile.

Ed pulled his shirt up and off and Stephanie's smile turned into a grin as Jillian's eyes widened in awe when she saw his muscular torso.

"I think I'd better help you with your lotion Ed." Stephanie said and he smiled happily and nodded to her.

Ed started with his face and ears as Stephanie worked on his back starting at his neck and moving over his broad shoulders. She worked the lotion into his thick muscles and felt herself begin to tingle in an intimate place. When she glanced over at her niece the young woman jumped as she'd been a little mesmerized. Jillian moved to put her own lotion on but Stephanie saw she couldn't stop herself from looking over at Ed from time to time.

While Ed moved to putting lotion on his arms Stephanie finished his back so she ran her hands around his torso to rub the lotion over his hard stomach muscles. A tremor went through her body and she pulled her hands back reluctantly. She added more lotion to her hands and ran them down his legs as she knelt on the towel behind him. She bit her lips as his ass looked good, even in the relatively loose swim trunks. She pulled her hands back and began adding lotion to her own body.

"Can I return the favor?" Ed asked with a smile as he finished rubbing the lotion into his lower abdomen.

Stephanie nodded and stretched out on her towel on her stomach. Ed knelt on his towel at her feet and began rubbing the lotion in deeply as he made his way up her legs. She was biting her tongue to keep from moaning as his hands felt so good on her body. So strong! He spent much too little time rubbing lotion on her ass but Stephanie forgave him because of their audience.

She spared another glance over at Jillian who was struggling to put on her own lotion with the distraction of Ed's muscles flexing and bunching only a few feet away. Stephanie turned her face away as she smiled in amusement. Her smile turned into a yelp as she felt Ed tug loose the knot in her bikini top.

"Ed! What are you doing?" she gasped, looking over her shoulder as she pressed herself flat against the towel.

"You don't want tan lines do you?" he asked with a cheeky smile as he plucked the knot loose at the back of her neck, evoking another squeak. Before she could protest he began kneading her back muscles, working the lotion into her skin.

"Oh god Ed, that's goooood," she groaned as she felt her body relaxing under his ministrations.

Jack returned and watched Ed massaging the lotion into Stephanie's back. He saw the blissful smile on her face and shared a smile with Ed. He was beginning to like the big man.

"How did you get so big?" Jack asked.

"I started to grow fast when I hit puberty and the gym teacher and my football coach pushed me toward body building to get bigger."

"You played football? What position?" Jack asked curiously.

"Guard. I protected the quarterback," Ed replied as he worked the knots out of Stephanie's shoulder and neck muscles. He leaned down and kissed her cheek as she purred into a doze. He took another look and saw he hadn't missed any spots. He looked back at Jack.

"Do you play football?" Ed asked him.

"Before you answer that, Ed could you put lotion on my back too?" Jillian asked timidly.

"Uh, sure," he said and accepted the bottle from her.

Jillian laid down on her towel and reached back to undo her own ties. "I don't want the tan lines either."

Jack rolled his eyes and looked to Ed who was beginning at her feet. He looked like he was just doing a massage and not groping his sister so Jack felt a little more comfortable about it. "I'm a wide receiver."

Ed grinned at him. "Considering how quickly you caught up to the car I can see how that position would work well for you." Jack smiled in return.

Jillian was in heaven. Ed's big hands were touching her all over and her body was tingling like mad! This was the first time a man had touched her so intimately. If she could just ignore the sound of her brother's voice she could really begin to enjoy herself.

"Don't forget to put on lotion," Ed reminded Jack who picked up the bottle and began to apply it.

Ed concentrated on rubbing the lotion over Jillian's body and did his best to not think about how nice her body felt under his hands. It helped that he remembered the therapeutic massage techniques he'd learned for Shirley.

He was rubbing the lotion along the sides of her torso when his fingertips stroked across the sides of her rather squished yet exposed breasts.

He yanked his hands back as she moaned aloud. "Oh! I'm terribly sorry!"

She shook her head as she couldn't speak. She'd felt that touch in every cell of her body! "It's ok!" she finally managed to say with a tight smile.

Stephanie cracked her eyes open to look over at Jillian who caught her gaze. A worried expression passed over the young woman's face but Stephanie just smiled gently at her.

Ed finished up quickly and decided he'd go for a swim. It was easier to hide his erection under water. His discount bathing suit was turning out to be less baggy than he'd hoped. He stood and walked towards the shore. "I've never swum in a lake before. Just municipal pools when I was younger and recently in the ocean in Barbados," he remarked to Jack who had joined him at the edge of the lake. Ed looked at the sandy bottom and the lack of waves. "It's like a mix of both. The stillness of a pool but the sandy bottom of the ocean."

"I've never been anywhere other than here. No one I know has a pool," Jack remarked.

Ed nodded knowing that feeling. "It's only recently that I've gone anywhere. I've now been to Barbados which is a beautiful island and New York City which is..." Ed was momentarily at a loss for words. "...huge!" he finally blurted.

Jack grinned at Ed's expression of wonder. "Maybe one day I'll visit those places too."

Ed waded in and noticed another difference. The water was cold. He pushed himself to go further in and dove forward to get under the water in one sudden move. When he came up he was gasping and wide eyed. He looked at Jack who'd matched his moves and was wiping the water from his eyes with a smile.

"It's COLD!" Ed gasped in shock.

"Yes it is," Jack agreed with a nod.

They swam for a bit just trying to get used to the water temperature. Then Ed got curious about what Jack intended to do once he graduated in such a small town. There didn't appear to be many places to find work. Maybe on a farm?

"You graduate next year?" he asked and Jack nodded. "What then?"

Jack frowned as he thought about it. "Papa wants me to work with him on the farm but... I don't see myself being a farmer. I- I have something else I'm interested in doing." He looked cautiously at Ed but the big man just looked back at him with an open expression.

Ed waited for Jack to continue as the young man seemed to be struggling with something.

Back on the sand Jillian was having no trouble expressing herself.

"I'm not allowed to date. I'm not allowed to get a driver's license. I have to come home directly after school so I can't join any clubs or hang with my friends. He has so many rules and most of them only apply to me! He's a tyrant!" she growled.

Stephanie watched the young woman and realized how much they were alike. It was obvious Jeff was repeating how he treated his sister with his oldest child. She jolted. "He hasn't hit you, has he?"

Jillian scowled and shook her head. "If he lays a hand on me he's going to prison. I told him as much the one time he raised his hand to me."

"You've talked with Jenny about this?"

"Yes, Mom knows and she tries to get him to be more flexible but the older and more independent I get the harsher he becomes. You heard him, he called me a bitch!" Jillian exclaimed and tears were coming to her eyes.

Stephanie saw the young woman's lower lip was trembling. She hated her brother at that moment. She reigned in that rage and gave Jillian a sympathetic smile. "Your grandparents did a real number on us when we were growing up. They pitted us against each other. As a young teen I rebelled from their treatment but Jeff went the other way. It sounds like he's treating you like he treated me."

Jillian struggled to keep her tears at bay. It was such a relief to speak with someone who understood. "I can't take much more! I have to get away from him! How did you do it?"

"I got a job in town. Then I got a second one and a third. I worked as much as I could to stay away from the house and to earn enough money to buy a ticket out and to get myself established someplace else. When he began his campaign to get me married off I knew I couldn't wait any longer. I took all my money, packed the few things I had, hitched a ride in town and bought a ticket for the first bus to New York City." Stephanie shook her head with a smile. "Thinking back on it now I realize how incredibly reckless my gamble was. The money I had was nowhere near what was needed to survive in that city. It was only by the sheerest luck I met someone I could rely on in those early years. If I hadn't met Victor on that bus I would have ended up homeless and starving within the first few weeks. We were both surprised by how expensive it was compared to our hometowns and he was going there for a new job and had income. I had no job and little training for anything that paid well. Without Victor's help I would have failed and probably would have returned home to suffer whatever fate Jeff had in mind. It's sad my husband became so unreliable at the end of our marriage. I love him for those early days."

Jillian was listening intently and her face was red with frustration.

"There are no jobs in town. I have no money. If it wasn't for Mom I wouldn't be able to afford clothes. She's not going to pay for a ticket to New York and I'm sure it's even more expensive to live there now."

"Heading to such an expensive place the live isn't the best option when you're just starting off. You should target someplace smaller but large enough to actually have available jobs. You should be going to college and taking a part time job or two to pay your own way. Take courses to learn some skills you can put towards a higher paying job. How good are your grades?" she asked.

"Mostly A's. Two B's," Jillian replied.

Sighing with relief Stephanie nodded. "Do you know what you'd want to do?"

Jillian sniffed as she considered her aunt's words. "I wanted to get into nursing."

"Have you spoken with your mother about this?" Stephanie asked.

The young woman shook her head.

"You should. Find a moment to speak to her alone. Let her know you need to take control of your life. Tell her you have a goal and you need their help to get it started." Stephanie reached out and took the young woman's hand and gave it a squeeze.

Jillian seemed to be pulling herself together as she contemplated her next moves. She looked out at her brother and Ed who were making their way back to shore. When Ed's broad shoulders and big arms emerged from the water a tremble went through her body. She looked back at her aunt who was watching Ed with a satisfied smile.

Stephanie caught her niece's look and shared her smile with her. "Yes, he's easy on the eyes, isn't he?"

Jillian blushed but nodded.

"He's very strong but he has a gentle heart and his kisses..." Stephanie trailed off with a dreamy smile as she watched Ed approach.

"I've never been kissed," the young woman sighed quietly as she looked at Ed's mouth.

Stephanie's eyes snapped back to the sad face of her niece. Once more her rage against her brother almost got the better of her. She realized she was holding onto the past too hard. She forced herself to breathe slowly. She watched Ed leave the water to distract herself from her angry thoughts.

Jack was smiling at Ed. "Thanks!"

"For what?" Ed asked in surprise.

"For being so easy to talk to. For not judging me or freaking out," Jack replied.

Ed shook his head. "I wouldn't do that. I had a hard time in school. I wasn't school smart. I struggled with almost every class and the teachers didn't like me much. The other kids weren't much better. If I hadn't been so big I think it would have been much worse for me. If I learned anything from that experience it's to be true to yourself. Live to your own expectations. If you don't want to work on the farm then don't. If you want to be a fashion designer, if that's what makes you truly happy, then put all your energy into that and don't give up on your dream."

Jack's smile brought one to Jillian's face as her brother dropped down on his towel. When he shook the water from his head she squawked as the chilly drops splashed her. "You little twerp!"

He grinned back at her then flopped back to warm his chilled body in the sun.

Jillian hadn't seen her brother so happy and at ease for... a long time, she realized. She looked curiously at Ed but he just smiled back at her. He sat down on his own towel and laid back to bask in the hot sun. She looked more closely at his features. While they were closed now, he had beautiful pale blue eyes. His nose had a bump on it. Had it been broken? His mouth was what drew her attention the most. She imagined what it might be like being kissed by them like Stephanie hinted at. She wanted to experience that. Very badly. She rested back on her own towel and let her mind wander.

Ed woke some time later with the feeling of lips on his. His eyes opened to see Stephanie's smiling eyes looking lovingly into his. She pulled back from the kiss to grin down at him.

"Your stomach's groaning woke me up!" Stephanie said, poking him in the tummy.

His offended stomach took that opportunity to grumble in response. The rest of the group chuckled and Jack lifted the bag of snacks over to the towels. He looked inside.

"We have some small assorted subs and some chips." He handed out the food and soon they all agreed the subs were inedible. They finished off the chips and opened the drinks.

"Is there still a Chinese food place in town?" Stephanie asked.

Jillian's eyes lit up as she nodded.

"Why don't we go there for dinner tonight? My treat!"

"Yes, please!" Jillian and Jack said in unison.

Stephanie laughed and basked in the happy smiles from her niece and nephew. Family she didn't even know she had. If it hadn't been for Jeff she would love to get to know them better. As it was she and Jeff couldn't be in the same room together without heated words at the very least.

Speaking of heat Stephanie needed to cool off from the intense sun. She climbed to her feet and Ed followed her up. They walked to the edge of the water and she dipped her toe in.

"Oh my god! That's cold!" she gasped.

"It's not too bad once you're in. You get used to it fast," Ed replied.

"I'll take too long to get in! It's too cold," she moaned.

"There's no help for it then," Ed sighed before he scooped Stephanie into his arms and began walking into the water. She shrieked and clung to him as he strode out into the lake.

Jillian and Jack grinned at each other as they watched Ed carry their aunt into the cold water. She looked over at her brother.

"You seem happier, more relaxed today. Since you talked with Ed specifically," she probed.

He looked over at her suspiciously.

"I'm happy to see it. You're too serious all the time," Jillian said with a compassionate look.

"You're not the only one Papa has expectations for." He held up his hands to hold off her outburst. "I know he's way harder on you. I don't understand why he's like that. It's not fair. I keep trying to talk to him about it but he shuts me down every time."

Jillian didn't know Jack had been doing that. She looked at him in surprise and tears came to her eyes. Her brother was on her side!

Jack continued, oblivious to her tears as he was looking down at the sand. "He wants me to work on the farm after I graduate. I don't want to be a farmer."

"What- what do you want to be?" Jillian said, trying to get control over her emotions.

Jack heard the wobble in her voice and looked over, noticing the pooling tears at last. "Why are you crying?"

She shook her head but at his insistent look she sighed. "I'm just so happy you're on my side."

"Of course I am! You're my sister! I love you!" he said sternly and her happy tears could no longer be denied.

Jillian threw her arms around her brother and hugged him.

He hugged her in return then gently pushed her back. When she looked at him curiously she saw his face was red with embarrassment and he was looking away. "What's wrong?"

"I told you that swim suit was too small for you!" he said, his eyes locked on the horizon.

She looked down and one of her large breasts was no longer covered by the small triangle of fabric.

"Sorry Jack!" she said with a smile as she adjusted the fabric and he just nodded stiffly. She wiped her eyes and tried her question again. "What do you want to be?"

"I want to be a fashion designer!" he blurted.

Her eyebrows rose up and she stared at her brother. "You're-"

He looked back with annoyance. "No, I'm not gay. I just like drawing designs for women's clothes!"

"When did this start?" she asked in surprise.

"Last year. I was doing homework and I heard you talking with Mom about how there was nothing pretty to wear in the shops in town. I started doodling and I found myself drawing some dresses I thought would look nice on you. I really enjoyed it."