Levi went to the kitchen and Travis continued sipping his coffee, after a moment Levi emerged behind him and dropped an ice cube down the back of the man’s shirt, making him dance around to try and shake it out. Once the ice had passed through his shirt to the floor, Travis sighed in relief and moaned, “Worth it!”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
After breakfast, the boys retired to the front porch. Travis and Skyler were catching up by recanting old family stories. Levi and Dustin were discussing wedding plans; they had made a tiny list of to-dos. It was to be a very simple affair. They did need to call Dustin’s mother at the cabin and find out if they had the gas to make it down there.
Levi hopped up from where they were and went to grab the house phone to call their old friend Jeannie.
Jeannie was at her shop as always on the weekend, they were her busiest days of the week and she thrived on helping people look their best. She had been there for Travis and Levi on their wedding day. As the phone rang on her end, Jeannie glanced at the phone, she answered with a flamboyant tone, “Hello Darling, what can I do for you?”
Levi giggled, “Darling, we have a party emergency. Our dear friends Skyler and Dustin are getting married tomorrow here at Magnolia and we have nothing ready.”
Dustin watched the exchange nervously and Travis poked at Skyler, “Watch this, you are about to see magic.”
They could hear the woman’s shrill voice across the porch, “What time is the wedding?”
Levi glanced at Dustin who glanced at Skyler, “Evening?”
Skyler nodded, and Dustin shrugged at Levi who was looking at him inquisitively.”
Levi quipped to the eager woman on the other end of the phone, “Five-sh.”
Jeannie continued, “Casual or Formal?”
Levi answered, “Casual.”
Jeannie paused for a moment, “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
They hung up the phone and Levi smiled at Dustin, “She’ll be here in twenty minutes.”
Dustin exhaled a sigh of relief, and Skyler grinned at Travis, “She must really like you guys a lot.”
Travis nodded, “You could say that she became really attached to us after her fiancé left her for a guy.”
Skyler hissed through his teeth, “Ooh, that’s not good.”
Levi added, “She’s fine now, she has been going strong with a super hot guy named Tony for a few months now.”
Skyler smiled, “Well good!”
Levi joined Travis on the wicker sofa, and Dustin glanced at him inquisitively, “Don’t we need to do anything?”
Levi lit a cigarette and exhaled a cloud of smoke, “Nope, the best thing to do now is wait for Jeannie and hang on tight.”
Travis added, “That woman is like a hurricane, she will roll in here and when it’s all done, you will be all set.”
Jeannie peeled into the driveway of the farmhouse and popped out of the car. She was practically running up the walkway to get the boys.
Levi hopped up to greet her with a hug and Travis smiled at her frantic state,
She screamed joyfully, “Who’s the happy couple?”
Travis pointed to Skyler and Levi pointed to Dustin. Dustin hopped up from the porch and greeted her, “It’s so nice to meet you Jeannie, so can you really help us?”
Jeannie laughed sadistically and dug her fingernails into the boy’s cheeks and spoke in a patronizing tone, “Can I help you?”
She laughed again, then paused, and continued, “You don’t know me, so I’m gonna let that slide kid.”
Skyler laughed, and she walked across the porch over to where he was sitting. “You must be the groom?”
Skyler grinned, “Why yes ma'am, I’m Skyler, and that is Dustin.”
She sighed and smiled coyly at him, “The first thing to do is for me to make it clear if you call me ma’am again I’ll have your balls as earrings!”
Skyler bit his bottom lip trying to suppress a laugh and Travis had his hand over his mouth, he knew Skyler had made a mistake the second he called her ma’am.
She turned to Travis with a friendly smile, “Travis honey, I’ll meet you inside.”
She nodded her head for Levi and Dustin to follow her inside, and they did.
Levi pushed Dustin who was in front, “Hurry up, or she’ll yell at us!”
Once they were inside Skyler and Travis erupted into laughter and Skyler added, “Damn, she’s rough!”
Travis nodded, “Tell me about it, we better get in there or she’ll scream for us.”
They jumped up from their seats and hustled inside. Before they could make it to the door Jeannie’s shrill voice rang throughout the farmhouse, “Trav, we need wine and stat!”
She softened her tone as she spoke to Dustin. “You are such a sweety, how did y’all meet?”
Dustin blushed, “Why thank you. I actually tended bar at a pub up in Shenandoah and Skyler was regular there for two years. One night my car broke down outside of his cabin, and it’s all history from there.”
Jeannie gushed, “Aw, that is so sweet! So you just want a small little affair then? A couple of suits, some pretty flowers, and dinner here at the farmhouse?
Dustin smiled, “That would be perfect!”
Jeannie scribbled down some notes in a pad and turned to Levi, “Do you still have the tux you wore to your wedding?”
Levi quipped, “Of course, I do.”
Jeannie added, “Well he is about the same size as you, can he borrow your tux?”
Levi glanced at Dustin, “If he doesn’t mind, I don’t.”
Dustin turned away slightly embarrassed, “I don’t want to put you out like that.”
Levi quipped, “Oh please, like I will be wearing it again any time soon.”
Jeannie smiled at them, “Well great! We have that part settled, now for Skyler. He’s a lot more muscular than Travis, so we have to get him something from the shop.”
Travis and Skyler entered with glasses of wine, and Jeannie snatched one, “Thanks loves!”
Skyler offered Dustin a glass and Travis did the same for Levi. Jeannie chugged half of her’s and sat the glass firmly down on the table; she fumbled through her purse and pulled out a tape measure.
She yelled, “Skyler, is it? She pulled the tape from the dispenser like a dominatrix pulling a whip from her boot and grinned. “Stand still; I need some measurements.”
Travis took a seat on the sofa near Levi, who turned to him with a smile. Travis made a kiss face at the boy, and Levi met his lips with his. Dustin grinned at the two, “ I want us to be just like you guys.”
Jeannie finished her measurements, and wrote them down on her paper; she finished her glass of wine and sat the glass back down. “Now, I’m heading to the shop to find something in his size. I will call the Reverend, and I will see you guys tomorrow.”
Levi asked her as she headed to the door, “Aren’t you coming back tonight?”
Jeannie cackled wildly, “It’s Saturday night, I have a date with Tony, plus mama has worked enough for today.”
They all shared a laugh, and she exited with a “to-da-lou.”
Once she was gone, Skyler took a seat behind Dustin who was sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table. He craned his head back to look at Skyler, “I like her, she’s funny.”
Skyler quipped, “Oh she’s funny alright, she’s crazy!”
Travis and Levi laughed, and Levi added, “You get used to it after a while.”
Travis replied to Levi’s comment, “She has actually mellowed quite a bit over the past couple of years.”
Skyler shot a look of disbelief their way, “You have got to be kidding me?”
Travis finished off his glass of wine and shook his head a silent yes.
Dustin changed the subject, “We better call Ma and make sure everything is okay at the cabin, and see if she and daddy are coming to the wedding.”
Skyler kissed the boy’s head and unclipped the cell phone from his belt loop. “Take your
time baby, send her my love.”
Dustin stood and nodded as he headed out to the front porch to talk to her.
Back at the cabin, Trisha was recovering from another day of tending to the animals in the pasture and fighting with Hilda. She was watching TV as the phone rang from the table. She answered, “Hello?”
Dustin spoke, “Hi Ma, it’s Dustin, is everything going okay up there?”
She was happy to hear from him; she couldn’t wait to dish about all her encounters with the animals. She gushed, “Hi baby! I hope you are having fun; everything’s fine except that damn horse has it out for me. Every time I get out of the chicken coop she stalks me, and when I run she chases me!”
Dustin rubbed his face from stress, “Ma, didn’t you read the note we left you?”
Trisha mumbled, “Uh-huh, but I don’t trust that horse, she is shadier than a willow tree!”
Dustin giggled, “Tell me about it, I can’t be too long, but I wanted to let you know that Sky and I are getting married here at Magnolia. Travis and Levi are helping with the whole thing. They have a friend who owns a thrift store in town and she’s putting together everything.”
Trisha shrieked with glee, “Baby that is wonderful, but you know me and Daddy don’t have the gas to come all the way down there!”
Dustin sighed, “I figured that.”
Trisha’s heart was breaking that she could not be there for her baby’s special day, and Dustin’s was breaking that she could not be there. As he hung up the phone, he turned and made his way back into the farmhouse.
Skyler smiled at him, “Well, are they coming?”
Skyler could tell something wasn’t right; he looked so sad for someone getting married. He knew the boy’s family meant a lot to him; they were all he had known for his whole life. Levi broke the silence, “What’s wrong Dustin?”
Dustin turned his attention to Levi and then to Skyler, “They can’t come, Ma said they don’t have the gas money to come all the way down here.”
Travis spoke up, “Well, we will just have to go get them and bring them down here, won’t we?”
He smiled at Dustin and then at Levi, who was staring at him biting his bottom lip to disguise his excitement.
Levi yelled, “Road Trip!”
Skyler interrupted his celebration and turned to Travis, “Oh Trav we can’t let you guys go out of your way like that for us.”
Dustin was ecstatic they offered, but inside he knew it wouldn’t be right for him to expect strangers to do something like this just for him.
Travis insisted, “Oh we don’t mind at all, it’s still early enough we can pick them up, be back in time to fix dinner.”
Skyler looked at Dustin inquisitively, “Is this what you want cowpoke?”
Dustin nodded with a smile; he turned to Travis, “It would mean so much to me if you could do that.”
Travis glanced at Levi, and then back at Dustin, “Well, then we will make it so!”
Dustin ran over to Travis and hugged the man, which caught Travis by surprise; he laughed, “Aw, it’s no problem kiddo, we will be back before dinner with mama in tow!”
Dustin lowered himself back to the floor, “Thank you so much, I’m going to go call Ma now, Dad probably won’t come, but Ma will!”
As he rushed back toward the door, Skyler stood with his arms open, “Hey where’s my hug?”
Levi walked over and threw his arms around him, “Aw what the hell?”
Travis laughed, and Skyler grinned as he lowered his arms around the boy.
Levi mumbled, “Mmm you’re muscular!”
Travis quipped, “Hey, Hey, hands above the belt mister.”
Skyler jumped, just before Levi released him; he had pinched Skyler’s butt and walked back over to Travis with a smug smile, prompting Travis to glare at him.
Levi quipped, “What? Did you think I would get that close to muscle bob over there and not cop a feel?”
Travis rolled his eyes in response and tousled the boy’s hair, “You’re a little punk!”
Dustin was smiling at their exchange, “I’m going to call Ma!”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Trisha had already packed her overnight bag and was awaiting the boys arrival; it had been years since she left the little town where they lived. Travis pulled up to the cabin in Shenandoah and Levi hopped out of the truck. He breathed in the fresh mountain air and spun around to look at the beautiful trees, their leaves showing a masterpiece of color in the early fall.
Travis joined him in front of the truck; the air was thin and crisp as it blew across their bodies. Levi shivered, and Travis looked down at him, “Why didn’t you bring a sweater punk? You know it’s chillier up here than down in the valley where we live.”
Levi chattered his teeth at him, and Travis wrapped him in a hug, “Aw, poor baby.”
Trisha emerged on the porch of the cabin with her bag in hand; she turned to greet them, “Well, aren’t you two sexy, I’m assuming you're my escorts to this wedding!”
Travis extended his hand to help the woman down the steps, and she smiled at him. Levi opened the door to the truck, “We sure are, Dustin and Skyler are at the farmhouse, house-sitting.”
Travis added, “They said something about your husband and daughter?”
Trisha frowned, “Oh please, Sissy can’t separate herself from that parasite from the trailer park she’s dating, and daddy is tired from work. So, you boys are stuck with me.”
Levi giggled at the animated woman as she stretched a short leg to try and climb up in the truck. She quipped at Travis, “Come here big boy, give mama a boost, these old legs ain’t as flexible as they used to be.”
She made herself comfortable in the front seat and rocked her butt cheeks from side to side, “Ooh, this is nice and comfy!”
She looked at the boys inquisitively, “Well, let’s get this show on the road, we got a wedding to get to.”
Levi covered his grin with his hand, and Travis elbowed him with a whisper, “Get in the truck! Not a word out of you punk.”
Levi quipped, “I didn’t say anything,” and climbed in the back.”
Back at the farmhouse Skyler and Dustin were taking advantage of some alone time; they cozied up in front of the fireplace. It was nice for them just to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet of the lazy Saturday evening.
Travis, Levi and Dustin’s mother were almost home, the woman entertained them by recanting tales of what buildings used to be where down the interstate. She made up for the lack in conversation between the two of them, and by the time they had reached the farmhouse. Levi and Travis both could not wait to be out of the truck.
Trisha was a loveable and friendly woman who didn’t get out much. Although they found her endless babbling annoying, they were happy to be helping their newfound friend Dustin. Levi knew how much it meant to have his mom at Travis and his wedding, and he was grateful to be able to give this precious moment to Dustin.
Travis pulled into the driveway; he hopped out and made his way around the side of the truck to help Trisha down. As her feet touched the ground, she heard the sound of the Magnolias rustling above them, and the blissful silence. She could see the ridge in the distance and took a deep breath, “This is absolutely beautiful!”
Travis smiled, “Why thank you, we love it here.”
She placed her hand on Levi’s shoulder, “Be a doll and call my husband will you? Tell him I’ll be moving in here!”
A look of panic washed over Travis’ face, and Levi bit his bottom lip to suppress the urge to laugh at him. Trisha hobbled her way up the walkway to the house; Dustin and Skyler were on the porch awaiting her arrival.
Dustin ran to meet her with his arms open wide, “Mama!”
She grinned, “Dusty!”
Travis and Levi were following behind her with her bag, Dustin helped her up onto the big front porch and guided her to the wicker sofa beside Skyler. Skyler took her hand, “Hi Mama, How was the trip?”
Trisha
was beaming as she recanted practically every mile and everything they passed on the way. Travis and Levi slipped into the house while she entertained Dustin and Sky.
Travis made his way to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of wine; he popped the cork and took a swig right from the bottle. Levi came in behind him and laughed at his dramatic response to being home. “She’s a talker ain’t she?” Levi said nonchalantly.
Travis quipped, “That wasn’t a conversation, that was a hostage situation!”
Levi laughed, and Travis came up behind him to rest his head on the boy’s shoulder. “How could a two-hour ride seem like twenty?”
Levi scolded him, “Trav, it wasn’t that bad.”
Travis sighed, “Yes, it was, I don’t think I have ever heard anyone talk so much in my life.”
Outside on the porch, Trisha was still talking about their ride down. Travis and Levi had brought wine with them and offered the boys a glass.
Trisha grabbed a glass and took a big swig; she pursed her lips in satisfaction, “Now that’s good stuff right there! Two glasses of that and I’ll be skipping naked through the meadow out back.”
Dustin bowed his head turned a light shade of pink, “Mama, no one wants to picture that.”
Travis halfway choked, and Levi stared at him, “You okay over there?”
Travis squeaked, “Oh I’m fine.”
The expression on Levi’s face doubted what he said, and Trisha punched his arm to tease him. “Don’t you fret none, It would take me an hour to get this bra off, and by then I would be too tired to skip anywhere.”
Skyler winced, and Dustin giggled. Levi added, “I like you, Mrs. Trisha; you say what you think.”
Trisha laughed, “I’m too old to worry about what anyone thinks of me. If they hear something or see something they ain’t before, they can just suffer or learn.”
They all shared a laugh, the woman’s positive personality was contagious, and as the evening progressed, Travis and Levi excused themselves to prepare dinner for everyone. They had found out Trisha loved fried chicken, and they always liked making their guests favorite meal.
Everlonging Desires Page 9