The Good Provider Ch. 01

This story was inspired by a single line within an e-mail. My grateful thanks to the "big brother" who wrote that line.

Colleen slid out of the driver's seat of her baby blue VW Bug and slammed the door shut. She was instantly regretful and quickly looked to be sure the car was fine. Geez Colleen, it's about the only possession of any value you have left, she chided herself. Don't take your frustration out on the car; it didn't do anything to you. The Bug was fine and she gave it a small pat before turning and hurrying up the driveway toward the side entrance of the one-story brick-lined house in front of her. In a short dress and high heels, she wasn't dressed for the wintry cold evening. She pulled her leather jacket tighter against her body, cursing as she slipped and nearly fell on a patch of ice just in front of the short flight of stairs that led up to the kitchen door.

Her life had come crashing down around her six months ago, beginning with being downsized right out of her job and ending when her one-bedroom condo had been foreclosed upon. Tears threatened again, and she angrily brushed them away. Thirty-one years old and forced to move back home!

Colleen had been supporting herself for the last eleven years. After graduating from high school, she was ready to move away from her small hometown in Nebraska, longing for the bright lights and excitement of a larger city. She and a friend decided they would pool their resources and move out together, maybe to Helena or Billings, go to beauty college during the day and waitress at night. Her mom and dad had freaked out, and even her big brother, who usually had her back, sided with their parents.

Colleen had given in to their wishes, continued living at home, and signed up for business courses at the local junior college. After obtaining an AA degree, she saw an ad on-line for an entry level position at an airline located in Billings, and submitted an application. No one was more surprised than she to be asked to come for an interview. She'd driven over to Billings, telling everyone that she was going to spend the week-end with a friend, had the interview and landed the job.

Saying goodbye to her small family had been the hardest thing she'd ever done, but she was longing to stretch her wings and fly. Her car packed to the gills, she and her mom nearly had to be pried apart, they were crying so hard. Her dad kept blowing his nose and telling her to be sure to call if she needed anything, anything at all. When it came time to say goodbye to her brother, they just hugged once awkwardly before muttering goodbye, and then she'd climbed into her car and drove off, still sniffling.

She found an apartment to share with another airline worker, and was still young enough and inexperienced enough to find her job exciting. Even when her supervisor stuck her in the missing luggage dept., and she got yelled at by frustrated passengers, she didn't lose her enthusiasm. At first, she was terribly homesick and ran up her phone bill calling friends and her mom nearly every night. But she was a young, single, attractive woman and soon her nights began to fill up. She didn't stop missing everyone back home, but as the strangeness of her new life faded, so did her homesickness.

The years passed quickly. She got promoted and her salary increased year by year. She made friends, had dates and a few boyfriends but no one serious, and she took advantage of the travel benefits her job offered and saw a bit of the world. All in all, not a bad life. Except that sometimes, as she lay awake next to her current boyfriend, or when she sat people watching in the park and a couple would walk by, totally engrossed in each other and oblivious to the rest of the world, a deep longing would hit her, almost painful in its intensity, a longing for that magic connection to one other person that a lucky few seemed to have.

* * *

Colleen unlocked the door and stepped inside the quiet kitchen. Light shone in through the doorway of the living room beyond the kitchen. The small light above the stove, normally left on if she was coming home late, was off. Of course it was, since no one was expecting to see her until sometime on Sunday afternoon! Colleen bit back a sob that rose in her throat. I will not shed a single tear because of that dumb ass! She could hear the TV in the living room, which meant that her brother was home. She really didn't want to see the surprise on his face when she walked in, the question on his lips --- "What happened? I thought you were going away for the week-end with your boyfriend?" Unlike a skinned knee, this was something that her big brother couldn't help make better.

Three years ago, their father died following a stroke. His death had been sudden and unexpected, and left their mother naturally distraught and easily overwhelmed. After the funeral, Colleen stayed for another week, to comfort their mother as best she could. Then she ran out of paid leave and had to return to her job. She had been torn, genuinely wanting to help but also anxious to get back to her own place, her job, and of course, to Brian. Brian, a pilot, was her first "significant other" in years, and she didn't want to risk his eye roving if she was away for too long.

As always, her brother Matt helped ease her fears. After graduating from high school, Matt had worked at various jobs until he saved enough money to buy into a franchise selling tools. Over the years, his territory had expanded, bringing him a very comfortable income. He promised to make sure mom was okay, stopping in every day to be sure she didn't get too lonely, and maybe even pester her into fixing him a meal.

That was the thing about Matt. He was dependable. Older than her by five years, he had always been there, taking care of things, from her earliest memory. From walking with her to school because she was afraid of dogs, to defending her against schoolyard bullies, he'd taken his role of big brother seriously.

* * *

"Matt!" Colleen called out loudly so brother didn't mistake her for an intruder; he might tackle her first and ask questions later. "It's just me."

"Colleen?" She could hear the couch shift as he got up. His big form filled the doorway. "What are you doing here?"

She turned away from him and reached into a cupboard, pulling down a glass. "My plans got changed," she replied shortly, still smarting from the angry words she and Brian exchanged earlier that evening. Matt didn't say anything but his eyebrows lifted as Colleen reached into another cupboard and took out a bottle of Bailey's, pouring a generous double shot. Adding a few ice cubes to the glass, she proceeded to drink down half of the booze.

"Did you and Brian have a fight?" Matt moved slightly into the kitchen, trying to catch Colleen's gaze but she kept her eyes fixed on the contents of her glass. I never liked the guy anyway. What she sees in him is beyond me.

Colleen let out a bark of laughter. "Yeah, you could say that." She finished off the drink, and reached for the bottle to pour herself another. Why not? I'm not driving anywhere tonight, and lord knows I won't be getting any action tonight, so why the hell not? She could feel tears just under the surface, ready to spill if Matt so much as looked sorry for her. Grabbing her now refilled drink, she began to walk out of the kitchen.

"Look Matt, I don't really feel like talking about it, if you don't mind. If you've got plans to have a hot date over, I can go sleep at mom's place." She tried to brush past him in the doorway but he didn't budge and she ended up squashed against him. It would have been funny, sort of a Moe and Curly moment, except that heat flooded through her entire body, catching her off guard and leaving her weak in the knees.

The soft press of her breast against his arm as she began to brush by him sent electric tingles to the pit of his stomach (and lower). Matt's hands came up on either side, catching hold of her arms. "Whoa, take it easy sissy. I don't have anyone coming over." He forgot what he meant to say next, as his eyes took in her dress, lingering over where the soft swell of her breasts were exposed by the plunging neckline.

Standing face to face, so close he could feel her body heat wafting toward him, he restrained himself from bending down and kissing her soft lips. He wanted to press her tight against him, kiss the nape of her neck, and savor the flavor of Baileys from her tongue. Just minutes before, he had been staring blankly at the television, trying to stop himself from wondering what Colleen might be doing at that very moment, and generally feeling like crap. His surprised relief at seeing her in the kitchen brought to the surface his suppressed emotions and for a long moment, he stared intently down into her wide eyes.

The moment passed and Colleen slipped from his grasp with a murmured "excuse me," walking down the hallway to her bedroom without as much as a glance back at him. Matt stood looking after her until she shut the bedroom door, and then he leaned back against the kitchen wall and let out a soft hiss, reaching inside his pants and re-adjusting his cock, now hard and swollen. Fuck! I was so glad to see her home that I almost totally blew it.

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