Chapter 6

She reached for that tiny bit of trash clogging the gutter and muttered. She'd agreed to help clean these stupid gutters, egged him into allowing it even, but she didn't mean for her to be up here alone. She stretched a little more, her fingers sliding to grab at the offending bundle of leaves and junk that had eluded the brush. The ladder wavered slightly and she stilled, a muffled "fuck!" rushing from her.

Shannon sat a few feet away pulling weeds from between the marigolds and watching her sister perched precariously on the ladder as Richie tried to help her. Her sister was so stubborn, yet when working, the two of them seemed almost in harmony. She’d only called him Dork twice so far anyhow.

She watched as he rattled the ladder a bit, causing it to shake slightly. What the heck is he trying to do? Shannon stifled a gasp as Mel slipped, then sighed in relief as Richie moved faster than a cat to catch her sister. And while he most likely meant to steady her by the waist, her sister’s ass landed firmly in one large out stretched palm. Shannon had to smother a giggle as she watched the awkward scene. Mel's color went pink and Richie's ever present grin seemed to widen even more. Well hell, why'd he wanna make her fall just to do that?

Melanie startled and glanced down, her brows furrowing at the glint in his eyes, then snorted as the other hand lifted to brace the other side of her ass. Shaking her head she tried to remember how breathing worked as she turned back to the gutter. Damned if she'd say a word, she'd die before she let him know how that touch was racing along her skin like fire.

Shannon glanced towards the driveway as a car pulled up, and even before the driver stepped out she knew who he was. He was the voice that lulled her to sleep every night. The voice who soothed her senses and told her everything would be alright, with nothing more than the notes streaming from her head phones.

Jon shut the car off, a tired huff blowing his bangs from his face. His mom had kept him running all morning. This was vacation? Above all that, how had Richie managed to talk HIM into helping of all people? As he cut the car off he glanced at the front of the house and started to laugh. Trust Richie to find a girl, and have her on the ladder. Slipping from the car he started to clap, his voice reaching out to tease. "Figures I’d find you with your hands busy with a girl and not work."

He shook his head, his gaze falling on a dirty little raggamuffin sitting in the marigolds. "Child labor too King? You can afford better."

She stiffened at the teasing voice from somewhere behind her, and damn near fell in her haste to get down. "Lemme down Scarecrow, NOW."

"Shit" Richie mumbled as he slid his hands deftly to her waist and planted her feet gently on the ground before turning to face his best friend. Trust Jon to show up just in time to curtail what was starting to be really fun. "And just like you to show up late man! I thought you were blowin’ me off!"

Jon strolled up and punched his arm. "Man, Mom had shit for me to do too ya know." He glanced over at the girl in the flowers, who was intently pulling both weed and flowers up. "Hey only supposed to pull the weeds, you leave the colorful ones in the ground."

She'd taken in everything about him in the minute or so he'd been there. The wild wind blown hair frosted locks, the dark shades pushed back to reveal bright baby blues, his tight fitting t-shirt and snug denim jeans, the lack of any frills that were so prominent in any picture or poster she'd ever seen of him.

She looked up to his face searching for some reply but her mind was blank, overwhelmed by the surreal fog of disbelief. Even knowing her sister knew Richie, well it had never connected that she’d ever see HIM of all people. Yet there he was less than three steps away and she was struck dumb.

Mel shook her head as she studied the glamor-puss that was clapping and making fun of them. Damn if his hair wasn't longer, wilder and even poofier than Rich's. She pushed down the momentary ire at the poofy one who was throwing verbal jabs at Rich her head nodding in his direction. "So who's the mouth piece?"

"Aw.... he's nobody" Richie grinned. "Just Jon... nobody" He grinned even more, "Jon this is Mel and Shay .. old friends of the family," he winked.

Jon's gaze went over Mel appraisingly, taking in her slender form with curves in all the right places, the long straight sun dusted hair, legs that went on forever, and yahbows to die for. Well at least she looked like the type Rich was inclined too, tall, blonde and stacked. Only thing he didn't get was why she was standing there so stiffly with fire in her eyes directed his way. What the hell had he done? His attention returned to the kid tugging at the weeds near the flowerbed, blinked a couple of times and whistled as she stood, not a kid, fuck him no, dirty maybe but nothing about that body was childlike.

Shannon wiped her hands on her already smudged clothes as she stood and simply nodded a hello to Jon, not quite trusting her voice to not betray her nervousness.

Mel watched as Rich's nobody friend’s eyes went hot when looking at her baby sister, and felt the urge to kick him in the balls starting to rise. It was bad enough he was teasing Rich, but now he was ogling her baby sister. She managed a choked "nice to meet you," before turning back to the ladder. "Shan, you need to finish up so we can ...." She took a step up the ladder and missed the rung completely.

Richie caught her just in time "That's twice Mellie, need some glasses to go with that metal mouth?" He grinned cheekily, thoroughly enjoying the feel of her long slim form against him.

She huffed and pushed away, as that old familiar flutter of aggravation was fueled. "Ain’t been metal mouth in a lot of years Scarecrow.Hell crawl up there yourself, your arms are longer dammit. You get that clog."

She turned to glance down at Rich only to see Jon still ogling her sister and like a flash of lightening she was off the ladder , her fist connecting to Jon’s shoulder."Stop that."

Jon stepped back to avoid being hit again. She’d hit him? Why the fuck had she punched him? He was just LOOKING at the chick, not like he was doing anything with her. Yet His brow beetled as he watched the older one start to advance threateningly. "What the fuck?"

"Melanie!" Shannon hissed as she saw Jon’s eyes go dark. Her sister’s outburst was enough to shake her out of her stupor and make her finally speak. She turned to Jon, pasted on what she hoped was a relatively calm expression said "I'm so sorry, I don't know what's gotten into her today. Ever since Sambora showed up on our doorstep her manners have been out the door...."

She stretched a petite and rather dirty hand out to him, willing it to remain steady and not tremble. "I'm Shannon."

His gaze flicked to the one called Melanie and winked as he took the slight girls hand. "Well nice to meet you Shannon, I'm Jon."

"I know..." Shannon cussed herself silently and her cheeks turned bright red as she stammered, "I mean... it's nice to meet you."

Richie stared at Mel knowing her anger was the rise again. Hell she’d always went off if someone teased him or messed with her sister. Instead of egging it on, like he usually did, like he WANTED to just to see her mad, he simply climbed up the ladder hoping to forgo a livid outburst. She'd put a hurting on Jon if I don't stop it now. A grin slipped onto his lips though. Only Mel would be unimpressed with his Bro. He reached in to yank at the clogged leaves and they gave way a little too abruptly dousing Melanie with dirty stagnant water and deteriorating leaves. Glancing down at the now dirty soaked woman he fought the laughter, his normal voice squeaking out a tiny "oops?"

She spluttered as the dirty water soaked her clothing and the once stuck clog adorned her head like a cock-eyed hat. "You.... you... Did that on PURPOSE you DORK!" She lifted a hand, brushing the offending soggy hat of gutter trash from her head, her lips twisting into a smirk as shewhirled and raced to the corner of the house. She picked up the garden hose and with a flick of her wrist had the nozzle aimed in his direction. "Take THAT Scarecrow!!