Heather and Jerry were first cousins. Neither one of them would profess to know much about genetics but it wouldn’t take a genius to figure out that they would be pretty close in the gene pool. Their fathers were identical twins, big strong good-looking athletic guys with reddish-brown hair and they had married a pair of sisters. Their wives weren’t twins, but they were born a year apart and looked very much alike: slim, blond and pretty.


The families lived as next-door neighbors in houses that were mirror images of each other. Holidays and other special occasions were celebrated together, and the brothers jointly owned a house at the beach one block from the ocean and both families would vacation there, separately, together and in various combinations thereof. Both families had two children: Jerry and Heather each had a younger brother. Understandably the families were close.



Heather was one year older than Jerry, and they were very close growing up. Aside from sharing their family experiences, holidays and vacations, they also participated in many activities together and shared many of the same friends. They were pretty tight until midway in Heather’s senior year of high school. Then Heather went off to college and they lost touch.



They went to two different universities in two different states. Heather majored in elementary education and Jerry studied business. Throughout the college years they’d see each other at holidays and occasionally in the summers, but they each had separate lives and different agendas.



They reconnected somewhat when Heather graduated from college. She came back home and the family threw a big party for her. Then a year later when Jerry graduated his family threw a big bash down at the beach house. Both families and assorted friends crowded the place, it was partly a celebration of him getting his degree but mostly a big family reunion and massive beach blast. Everyone kicked back and had a great time. This is when Jerry and Heather started to catch up on lost time.



Most of the people in both families and the horde of guests stayed for the weekend and then went back home. But by this time Heather was a Kindergarten teacher and was just beginning her summer vacation so she was planning on staying at the beach for a good part of the summer. And Jerry was three weeks away from starting his new job as a management trainee for a manufacturing company, so he was planning on hanging around at the beach for a while as well.



Jerry couldn’t believe what a stunning woman his cousin Heather had grown into. She’d always been attractive--a slim, blonde, shapely boy magnet--but now she had matured in a very secure and sexy way. She was relaxed, loved to laugh and was comfortable in her own skin. Throughout the weekend Jerry found himself stealing glances at her when he thought she wouldn’t notice.



But of course she did notice because she was having similar thoughts of her own, and taking peeks of him whenever she could. She admired his tall stature, his slim, athletic body, his strong chin and cheekbones and neat brown hair.



Most of the revelers, friends and family alike, left on Sunday, and a handful of others stayed over until Monday before heading home. By Monday afternoon Heather and Jerry had the place to themselves.



Over the next few days Heather and Jerry relaxed and played house. They both did their own thing separately--reading, resting, walks, runs, whatever--but they also shared a fair amount of time together, going to the beach, preparing meals, talking and just hanging out around the house. Much of that time was spent catching up and reminiscing about their younger days. Jerry found himself admiring Heather’s sexy body more and more and he often wore sunglasses so he could check her out without getting caught. Her shoulders and arms and legs were tanned and toned and her stomach flat and taut. Whether she was lying on the sandy beach in her black two-piece or bopping around the house in shorts and a halter she sure looked hot and unlike any kindergarten teacher he’d ever seen.



On Thursday evening after heating leftover pizza for dinner they were sitting on rockers on the back porch together talking and drinking beer. Behind his shades Jerry was ogling Heather’s long, trim, stretched-out legs and her painted toenails resting on the railing. She wore short denim cut-offs and a sleeveless white top. As they drank the cold beers their conversation heated up.



“Hey, guess who I saw the other day?” Heather blurted, wiping beer from her chin.



“Who?” Jerry asked.



“Remember that prom queen you went out with in eleventh grade?”



“Jenny?”



“Yeah, Jenny, that’s her. I ran into her at my school. She has a son in one of the other classes.”



“How’s she doing?”



“Divorced. Looked pretty rough to tell you the truth. She still has a good body but she looked a lot older and stressed-out. I guess being a single mom can do that to you. And I think she came on to me.”



“Get out!” Jerry said.



“I’m serious. I heard her life story in under a minute and then she started hitting on me.”



“What did she say?”



“She told me how great I looked and asked if I was seeing anyone and would I like to meet for a drink and all that.”



“No shit? What did you say to that?”



“I politely declined. Told her I was going away for the summer. I never really liked her much. I always thought she was stuck-up. I felt bad when you started seeing her. I knew she’d screw you over.”



“You were right. But she was right about one thing though.”



“Oh yeah, what was that?”



“When she told you how great you look.”



Heather turned and stared at him for a moment. “Thank you,” she said.



“It’s okay for a guy to say that to his cousin, isn’t it? Without it being creepy or anything?”



“No, I guess not,” she said, finishing off her beer. She rose up out of her chair. “You look pretty good yourself. You want another?”



“Sure, thanks,” he said.



Heather returned with two cans of beer and handed one to Jerry.



“Thanks,” he said, and removed his sunglasses since the evening was now in deep dusk. “This reminds me of when we were kids, our families sitting on the porch in the evening. Only back then the grownups had the beers and us kids had cold lemonade or tea.”



“Can I ask you something?” Heather said.



“Of course,” he said. He took a big swig of his beer because he didn’t know what was coming.



Heather turned to face him and said, “When we were kids we were so close. We went swimming, to the movies, played games, played ball together…”



“Yeah, you were a better ballplayer than most of the guys I knew.”



“...And we were close most of the way through high school. But something happened the second half of my senior year. Something changed. You became angry, distant.”



“Bruce,” Jerry said.



“Bruce? What’s he got to do with it?”



“Yeah, Bruce. I knew Bruce pretty well and I regretted introducing him to you and was mad when you started dating. I didn’t trust him. I knew he didn’t have much respect for women and didn’t treat them very well. I knew it would end badly. He wasn’t good enough for you.”



“Well, I don’t disagree with that, he turned out to be a real jerk. But didn’t you trust me enough to figure that out for myself?”



“I knew you would eventually. But I didn’t want you to get hurt.”



“Aw, that’s sweet. My younger cousin being the older brother I never had.”



“I know, I was wrong, and I was too stupid to admit it. I’m sorry it took this long. But that’s not really all of it.”



“No? What do you mean?”



Jerry took a healthy gulp of his beer. “I was jealous,” he said, the breathy words nearly lost in his throat.



It was now dark but Jerry could feel Heather’s eyes glaring at him.



“Jealous?” she asked incredulously. “What do you mean, you were jealous? Jealous of what?”



“I was jealous of all your boyfriends. But especially Bruce. I was pissed that a jerk like Bruce could be dating you. You were one of the hottest girls in school…and my cousin…and it just irritated the shit out of me that he could be with you, and…”



“And what?” She was now on the edge of her rocker facing him.



“I’m sorry Heather, I’ve said too much already.” He drained his can and said, “I need another beer.”



He started to get up but Heather grabbed his forearm and pushed him back onto his chair. He was surprised at the cool, damp strength of her hand on his arm.



“And what?” she repeated.



Jerry leaned forward and rubbed his brow.



“I was jealous it was Bruce and not me,” he rasped softly. “There, I said it.”



After a moment of repose Heather responded. “But you’re my cousin, Jerry. We’re family.”



“I know that. But, as close as we were did you ever think about what might have happened between us if we had just been neighbors, and grown up together…and our fathers hadn’t been brothers?”



“But they are. And our mothers are also sisters.”



“Yeah, there’s that too,” he said with a sigh. “Somehow it just doesn’t seem fair. Two people could be a perfect match but it’s off-limits because their fathers are brothers.” He laughed and shook his head. He got up and went to the kitchen and returned with two more beers. He sat and tried to hand one to Heather.



“Nah, I’ve had enough,” she said, and wobbled up and out of her rocker. “And thank you, Jerry, I appreciate your honesty. And I wouldn’t be completely honest if I told you I’ve never given it a thought. I have. It was just too taboo and I forced it out of my mind.”



She leaned down and kissed him on the top of his head and said good night. Then she wobbled into the house and up to her room.



Jerry sat in the dark and nursed his way through both beers and the second one was warm as piss by the time he finished it.
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