Before Laura knew it it was Thursday. She had already confirmed it was fine to join Ace's family and had politely declined Mrs Anderson's invitation.
Now all that was left to do was to get dressed. She looked outside, the snowfall had really started now, and the trees were bending so far the looked like they were about to snap. Laura dived in her closet for her wool coat, getting cold just thinking about going outside. She found her hat and gloves and set the clothing down on a chair as she ate her breakfast. Mrs Morris had thankfully already left, back to where ever she came from.
She was just finishing her porridge when Ace walked into her house.
"Where's the crow?" he asked.
"She already left I guess," Laura replied, washing her dish in the sink.
"Good," Ace said as he turned her around and kissed her.
"Aren't we going now?" she asked.
"What and waste an empty house?" he smiled.
He took her hand and led her towards her own bedroom. As his bare skin began to make contact with hers she was reminded of just how cold it must be outside.
"You're freezing," she said taking his hands in her own and rubbing them.
"I'm fine," he said. Laura looked him over, he was looking just as sick as he had the day he had slept on her couch, perhaps even worse but she bit her tongue, she knew he would just deny anything was wrong. Plus it might just be the weather, she tried to convince herself.
She stood on her tip toes to make her face almost level with his and kissed him chastely. He grinned and responded by ramming his tongue down her throat and pushing her on to her bed, pinning her underneath him. He was definitely not in a rush to get to his Aunt's house and he had found an excellent way to dawdle.
He reached under her skirts to remove her panties, spreading her legs apart with his knee. He undid his pants quickly and entered her. This proved to be a far more effective way of warming him up, his skin getting hotter and hotter as he moved in and out. Likewise Laura was thinking less about the biting cold as her stomach grew tingly and her breathing became faster and faster.
He thrusted upwards one final time as he came and rolled over beside her. He fixed himself up quickly and dragged her torso across him so she was laying on his chest.
"Do you want to go now?" he asked as he softly stroked her hair.
She was very happy to never move again but nevertheless she replied, "I think we should." She didn't want to be rude by arriving well after everybody else when she had been kindly invited to share Thanksgiving with them.
"Okay babe," he said standing again and lighting a cigarette. Waiting whist she fixed herself up and dressed in her coat, gloves and hat.
"Oh one more thing," she said as she raced to the refrigerator to get a pumpkin pie she had baked the previous day. "Okay I'm ready."
The two drove out of Castle Rock to a town called Emeirdale, which was only thirty minutes away by car although the icy road was slowing them down. Ace parked in front of a house painted the colour of honey which seemed to warm them as they approached the door.
"Ah good you're here," an unfamiliar woman said as she opened the door. "I'm John's Aunt Helen but feel free to call me Helen," she said to Laura as she ushered them inside, "Let me take your things dear," she said before she hung her coat on a hook with Laura's gloves in one of her pockets and rested her hat on top.
"We bought this for dinner," Laura said as she handed her the pie.
"Oh how sweet of you," Helen said as they walked into what must have been the living room.
"Let's introduce you to everyone," Helen said enthusiastically as Ace slid his arm around Laura's waist. "This is my husband Ned," she started gesturing to a man who was listening to an old record, "Grace and Joe you've met, ah and this is my daughter Janice."
"It's nice to meet you," Laura said to the sullen looking girl in front of her, who in return ignored her.
"...and my son Harry and of course Grandmother Hawthorne," she finished.
The old lady had turned around when she heard her name and waved Ace over.
"John, when did you get here," she asked suspiciously.
"Ages ago," he said rolling his eyes. He didn't like talking to his grandmother, she didn't remember very much and was prone to throwing tantrums.
"Who's that?" she asked pointing at Laura, "where did she come from?"
"That's Laura," he sighed frustratedly, "she's spending Thanksgiving here."
"Oh that's right," his grandmother agreed, as though she had known all along.
Meanwhile Laura had been left to deal with two cousins, one of which kept shooting her threatening looks. "What was your name?" asked the boy who Laura figured to be about eight.
"Laura," she replied.
"Why are you even here?" the girl, who didn't look much younger than her asked. "Hey!" she called out to Ace, "did you marry her or something?"
Ace looked over at his two cousins, both of whom annoyed him greatly. "What's it to you?" he replied.
"This is my house," Janice said haughtily, "I don't see why she has to be here."
"Yeah, cause we're all thrilled you were able to make it," he scoffed, returning his arm around Laura's waist, noticing she was looking very uncomfortable.
He ran his other hand over her stomach, closing it around her back as he lent in and kissed her deeply and slowly. His ploy had the required effect as his cousin became embarrassed by his blatant display and stormed off. As Ace watched her leave Laura noticed another pair of eyes had been watching them. Ace's father averted his stare quickly as he realised Laura had noticed him and Laura felt her cheeks colouring.
She stepped away from Ace and went and sat down on the vacant couch. Ace followed her over and touched her warm cheek. "Don't worry about her," he said thinking she was still worried about his cousin.
"I won't," she said, not knowing how to say it was his father that had embarrassed her.