Free Blood and Sympathy by Lori L. Clark

stuff, they'd stop arguing with me.  
    I'm marking the days
off on my calendar until graduation. Also, graduating means that summer is
almost here.
    A bucket list is a
to-do list of things we've never done before but would like to do before we die.
You should make a list, and I'll make one, then we can compare the two. If
there are any of the same things, we can do them together. How's that sound?
    Devil's Fork Lake has
a lot of interesting stories. It's a fun place to hang out most of the time.
    I'm sure I'll like the
music box. I'm looking forward to seeing what you've created!
    I'm going to make you
come with me when I get my tattoo. You'll probably have to hold my hand to keep
me from passing out.
    See you soon,
    Claire
    Nervous didn't begin to describe the way I felt.
My mouth was dry, my hands were sweaty, and I was too antsy to sit still. I
paced back and forth while I waited for Uncle Jeb's familiar face. He was a
tall man, built like a tree trunk, and hard to miss among the cluster of
visitors.
    As soon as I saw Claire, my stomach knotted up and
I forgot to breathe. In some ways, she still resembled the little girl I
remembered from church. The same sad eyes, the same dark hair and olive skin,
but with a grown-up body to wrap everything up in a neat little package. Her
legs were long and she wore her jeans well. Fuck me . She was beautiful.
My pulse sped up, and I sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves.
    I wiped my palms down the front of my pants while
Jeb put his hands on Claire's shoulders and urged her forward. "Braden,
say hello to Claire Copeland."
    "Hi, Claire," I said softly.
    She smiled up at me through lowered lashes.
"Hey, Braden."
    We sat at one of the round tables in a big room.
She probably thought I was some kind of pervert, with the way I couldn't seem
to take my eyes off of her. I wanted to memorize every inch of her face. Her
lower lip had been split open, and there was a faint purplish bruise on her jaw.
    "Thank you for coming." I pushed the
music box I'd made for her across the table and said, "Here, this is for
you."
    Her eyes widened and she ran her finger over the
cutout sun on the lid. "It's perfect." She turned it over in her
hands and wound it up. It began to play "You Are My Sunshine."
    "I hope you like it."
    "I love it. Thank you so much."
    She smelled like I knew she would--sweet cherry
pie. She was quiet. I didn't know if it was because she was shy or because she
didn't have anything to say to me now that we'd met. She was a whole lot easier
to talk to in a letter than she was sitting in the same room.
    Uncle Jeb cleared his throat and started talking
about the things we'd normally talk about when he came to visit, putting us a
little more at ease. "It won't be long now, and you'll be back in
Hensteeth. You'll need to get your driver's license. Maybe Claire can teach you
how to drive."
    Both of us zoned in on Claire and she blushed.
"I don't have a car of my own, but maybe Olivia will let us use
hers."
    Jeb winked at her and said, "Maybe if you ask
permission first, she'll be more likely to let you do that."
    I didn't think it was possible, but Claire turned
an even brighter shade of red. "Maybe," she murmured.
    I shifted in my seat, and it had nothing to do
with nervousness and everything to do with the arousal she caused me from sitting
so close that I could feel the heat radiating off her skin, threatening to
suffocate me. I tucked my fingers beneath my thighs in my chair and tried to
come up with something clever to talk about.
    I'd never been at such a loss for words in my
life. Before I knew it, visiting time was over and I watched her walk out of
the room, figuring I'd never hear from her again. She'd probably come to the
conclusion I was the biggest loser she'd ever met. There was no way in hell
she'd want anything to do with me after that awkward situation.
    When they left, I went to the gym and worked out
my frustrations by lifting weights. I stayed there until I