Read Easy Target for Free Online

highway or singing her dinner order at the top of her lungs in McDonald’s on a Friday night. Initially, these “challenges” had been Trey’s way of keeping Sassy in her place, since she was always hanging out with them. But over the years Bryan had adopted it, too.
    She’d been hanging out with Bryan by herself that day and taking turns playing on the Game Boy that they’d had forever. For once she wasn’t being dared to do anything. In fact, Bryan had been listening attentively as she’d been talking about a boy in her class who she had a slight crush on.
    “Bobby says he doesn’t like me because I don’t have ‘experience’ like Tracy Rave or Julie Milver,” said Sassy, inching closer into Bryan’s chest to see what he was doing on the game.
    “Tracy Rave is a slut. You don’t want to have a reputation for that kind of experience.” Bryan pushed back with his shoulder and hip a bit to keep Sassy from taking up too much space even as he scooted over on the sofa cushion to let her see the screen.
    In her innocence Sassy really hadn’t known precisely what Bryan meant by “experience.”
    “You mean she’s a good kisser?” she asked.
    “No, I mean she gives good—­” He swallowed and shook his head. “That’s right, she’s a good kisser. Among other things.” He sank lower into the sofa. “Geez, hasn’t your mom ever talked to you about this?”
    She rolled her eyes at him. Unless Sassy could fit herself into the bottom of Bess Smith’s bourbon bottle, there was very little chance she and her mother would ever be having a heart-­to-­heart conversation. Bess rarely said much of anything to Sassy beyond “Where are my smokes?” and “Is there any more Jim Beam in the cabinet?”
    Bryan’s Gran was more of a mom to Sassy than Bess ever was. For the first time Sassy didn’t mind so much, since she liked seeing Bryan uncomfortable and blushing as he tried to talk to her about what Tracy Rave’s “experience” meant.
    “Why don’t you show me?” she asked.
    “What?” He startled beside her as he turned on the cushion to study her face. “Are you nuts?”
    “No, I just want to know what it’s like to kiss a boy. And since you say Bobby’s a turd, I think my first time should be with someone who’s not.”
    Bryan almost looked relieved. “You want to know what it’s like to kiss . . . I thought . . . never mind what I thought.”
    “Would it be that horrible to kiss me? C’mon,” she said, tossing her head impatiently. “I dare ya.”
    She loved being the one to say it this time. He leaned back for a moment and stared at her through gray eyes that were usually a bit sleepy and sometimes a little sad. But there was nothing sleepy or sad in them right now. There was an expression there she’d never seen before and couldn’t identify.
    “You sure about this, Sassy?”
    “Absolutely,” she grinned, completely unaware of what she was asking for.
    Everything slowed to what felt like a standstill on that old ratty couch when he set the game down and put his arm around her. The air conditioner kicked off. It was unusually quiet. She held her breath without realizing, and the next thing she knew Bryan was kissing her.
    His lips were warm and soft against hers and his breath smelled like the Dentyne he liked so much. She leaned into him and sighed as he brushed his tongue against the seam of her lips, and she figured out fast that she was supposed to open her mouth instead of just grinding her lips against his.
    He pulled her closer and swept his tongue into her mouth. She felt funny with a flutter deep in her tummy and leaned even further into him. His tongue tangled with hers for just a moment longer, then she moaned into his mouth and he jumped back as if she’d bitten him.
    One month after that kiss on the sofa, Bryan had graduated from high school and joined the Marines. Sassy hadn’t seen him again for almost twelve years, not even for his grandmother’s funeral,