by A. J. Wells
After supper we go to Steve’s where he shows me to his room. He rummages through his drawers making room for my things. I tell him it’s not necessary, but he insists I unpack. He wants me to be at home when I’m here.
He asks me how I slept last night and I say okay. “Didn’t ya miss me at all?” I have to admit I did. “I didn’t sleep very well at all. The bed was too big without you in it. I finally slept when I got to the station. I’m afraid I’ve gotten used to sleeping with you too easily. I guess we just fit together.” He comes over to hold me.
I like the feel, but when he tries to kiss me I back away. “We can’t start anything now, I need to familiarize myself with the house.”
He comes toward me again, “What harm can one little kiss do?” I shake my head. “Aw, come on, just one little kiss?” I back away and shake my head. “Not even one?” He’s still coming toward me. I shake my head again and step away, falling on the bed. Damn. I’m not familiar with the room yet. Steve’s on the bed beside me in a split second and has me held tightly to him. “Just one kiss and I promise I’ll let ya go.” He kisses me then keeps his promise. Unfortunately, after the kiss we have to get dressed to go to the kitchen. I’d like to twist his ear to end the cocky smile on his face, but my smile might weaken my act of reprimand. Instead I poke him in the ribs, but his smile only spreads. I ignore it since I can’t stop it.
When we sit on the couch, Chaucee paws at my leg so I reach down to pick her up. Again, I have to juggle her while she wiggles and squirms in my arms. She’s licking my face so furiously I can’t speak. When I try, I get her tongue in my mouth. Steve’s laughing his head off at us and my sputtering. When I hand her over to him, she gets him in the mouth, too. I get up and across the room before I start laughing at him.
“Ya know ya can’t leave her at home when ya stay with me, don’t ya?”
Steve’s eyes widen, “If Bob stays at Maria’s and I’m at your place the dogs will be left alone most of the weekend. That’s not good. I need to talk to Bob about how we’ll handle this.”
“Don’t bother Bob. We’ll just bring the dogs out to my place. The floor space will suffer, but it’s only for a few days and Shay will get the wrong idea about the dogs. I’ve got wide open spaces for when they go out and Maria has a yard that’s geared to Shay. I think my way is best since its temporary.”
Steve nods and pats the couch beside him and pulls me closer, when I sit down. Then there’s another round of kisses from Chaucee and one or two from Steve for me. The phone rings and I answer it. It’s Miss Lili checking in. I’m suddenly nervous about staying the night.
They expect to be a Glen’s tomorrow afternoon. Wednesday they expect to see a few of the sights in Memphis, maybe even Graceland. Then tomorrow night she’ll be cooking for the family. She’d stopped Glen from catering Thanksgiving dinner. She’s hoping his daughter and daughter-in-law will help some. She’s glad I’m staying to keep the boys company. I don’t want to burst her bubble, but I’ll be at work when Bob’s up and asleep when he comes in. We’ll see how it works tonight, I guess.
Steve pops some popcorn and turns on a movie we watch ‘til the ten o’clock news. The same ol’ thing is on the news, except for rain and wind tonight. We go to bed. Steve has a doctor’s appointment tomorrow. He’s hoping to get off the crutches and into a walking boot.
Chapter 15
I feel strange sleeping here so I ask Steve if he felt this way when he stayed at my place. He had at first, but once my Dad had come over and made him feel like part of the family, he was fine. Once, in our amorous activities, we get a little loud and I shush Steve, but he reminds me we’re alone. He tells me later, that Thanksgiving Day they’ll be using a skeleton crew at the station. Dispatcher, only, but he or Bob will go over to relieve the dispatcher so he can go home for dinner with his family. There’s to be no alcoholic beverages at dinner for that reason. I agree, since my family has never had anything but iced tea or lemonade with Thanksgiving dinner. We snuggle and fall asleep easily.
At the office, Maria tells me her family, of twenty will come to dinner. They’d happily agreed to not cook and relax on Thanksgiving. I look at her and she looks at me. “Not cook? Does that mean we have to do ALL the cooking?”
Maria nods. “Unless, we can get my family to bring some Mexican dishes to go with the typical American Thanksgiving dinner, the cooking is all up to us.” I have to sit down. Thanksgiving dinner for thirty people, our first time cooking one, is monumental. Maria leans against the counter, folds her arms across her chest and stares straight ahead, as if lost in space.
Mom comes in, takes one look at us and asks, “Thanksgiving dinner’s become a problem, I assume. What can I do to help?”
“Can you drive the get away car?” I ask. She laughs, but I’m serious.
“No such luck. We’ll make a menu from both Maria’s family and ours for Thanksgiving and we’ll start preparing the dishes tomorrow night, leaving only the hot dishes for Thanksgiving. Maria, call your mother to come help so we can get this done. The sooner the better.”
Two hours after Maria makes the call to her mother the menu is set. The recipes discussed and offers of help by preparing some of the dishes from Maria’s mother, who will employ the help of an aunt or two since they always bring something to the dinner anyway. We now have a shopping list, too. Steve and Bob come in just in time to help the mothers with cooking utensil information.
He and Bob had doctor’s appointments today so he got off early and they went together. Steve offers to take the mothers over to the house so they can go through the kitchen to see what they’ll need to supply, if anything. Steve has on a hard walking boot and has a cane.
Steve takes the mothers to check out Miss Lili’s kitchen while Bob and Maria go out back. They haven’t had much time to see each other this week. Bob has a soft cast under a more solid splint and still has both crutches. When they come in Maria says we need to add fifteen more dinner guests. Bob’s family is coming, too. Okay. I wonder if Mom’s changed her mind yet, or if I can change it, about driving. Maybe I can convince her, but I’ll have to wait for her to get back first.
Mom just laughs when I ask again. She says Miss Lili has everything we need. Including double ovens and all the utensils we could want. We need enough plates and silverware for the forty five now expected. We decide to use paper plates and plastic flatware. Bob’s mother is going to see to most of the desserts. Mom will bring two pumpkin pies. We’ll need more tables and chairs. Steve and Bob say the garage has folding tables and chairs for fifty. Miss Lili uses them for the Easter Egg hunt for the needy families with children.
Okay, we’re organized for dinner. The appointments are through and its time to clean the office and close. We have some shopping to do tonight. Tomorrow night we’ll be cooking from closing time to…dawn. Maria agrees to spend the night tomorrow so we can work late and get up early. I tell Maria and Bob to take some time to themselves before Bob has to go to work. We take Shay shopping with Steve and me.
Sam’s Club and Walmart make a killing with us. Four hundred dollars later, we stop at Burger King for supper and head home. Maria’s waiting for us when we get home at nine. Shay, poor guy, is asleep in his car seat. Unfortunately, there’s no capable man to help us get him into Maria’s car. So we struggle through and get the job done, without waking him up. Maria says the dinner has become enormous. I agree, then say see ya tomorrow and she goes home to bed.
I have food to find places for. Steve reminds me there’re two refrigerators in the garage. I’m trekking back and forth between the house and the garage for about an hour. I’m, finally, able to sit down. “Hey, honey, did you know it’s supposed to rain Thursday night?” He hollers this over his shoulder just as I find him relaxing with a beer and a bowl of popcorn.
“Who’re you talking to?” I have to ask. He’s never called ME that before.
“You. There’s no one else here.” He’s watching the sports part of the news now. “H
ey, the Cowboys are playing Thanksgiving. That oughta be a good game. Do you like football?”
“I guess. I haven’t seen a football game since college. Dad likes it, tho’.” I’ve come around the couch and start to sit down when he grabs me and pulls me into his lap. He’s fast and he’s good. The bowl of popcorn that was in his lap when I started to sit down is on the floor with the beer bottle he was drinking from and not a kernel or drop was spilled. “How’d you do that?” I ask. He just smiles and kisses me. That must’ve been answer enough, or I forgot the question sometime during the kiss. He asks if I’m ready for a shower and I say “yes” so the TV goes off and we go upstairs.
Wednesday we have five check in’s for the boarding house. I check all the animals before they’re accepted for their stay. The cats like their areas and the dogs seem comfortable in theirs. We’re also going to have to check on them tomorrow. The cats are stationary because of the way the kennel is set up. But the dogs will need to be let out and the kennels cleaned before dinner is served at Miss Lili’s and there’s only Maria and me to do it. Life’s becoming complicated.
Steve didn’t stop by after work today. When I get home I find him in the kitchen cooking supper. He’s making spaghetti, garlic bread and salad. I come in behind him and hug him. He puts his arms across mine and says, “Sally, you gotta leave, the woman I’m living with is gonna be home any minute.” I try to break free, but he holds on, laughing. He manages to get turned around and holds me tight against him. “It was a joke, honey. I like teasing you. Now kiss me ‘hello’ and get ready for supper. Hopefully Maria and Shay will be here soon. Your Mom and Maria’s Mom will be over to have dinner and help you two for a while tonight. By the way, what’s your mother’s name?”
“Lucy, and Maria’s mother’s name is Beth, short for Elizabeth. And who’s Sally?”
“’Sally’ was the first girl’s name I could think of. Next time I’ll have to come up with something like ‘Bambi’, or ‘Helga’, or ‘Heidi’. Are ya jealous?” He still has a big smile on his face.
“No. I just thought I should leave so you and ‘Sally’ could have a little time together. I seem to have kept ya outta circulation these last few weeks.” I struggle slightly trying to get away.
“If you’ll stop squirming I’ll kiss ya ‘hello’ before everyone arrives. I won’t tease ya like that again if your inclination is to runaway.” His hold on me is loosening and his smile is gone.
“You didn’t like my joke, either, I see.” I pull him closer and look up at him, “Kiss me before we’re invaded.” He smiles and kisses me so well the garlic bread almost burns. I go upstairs to change out of my “doggie” clothes and come back down in shorts and a tank top.
Maria and Shay are coming in the back door with their suitcase. Steve shows them to their rooms because I don’t know which rooms are whose yet. He’s getting around much better with the new foot wear.
When they get back to the kitchen, Mom, Dad, Beth and Miguel are here for dinner. Maria and I set the table for all of us and put dinner on it. We sit down to eat and when we’re finished Steve, Maria and I clean up. Steve loads the dishwasher since we’ve never used one before. We relax for a little while then start on the cold dishes. At seven we have ice cream for dessert and Shay’s gets a bath and put to bed.
Then we get to work. At midnight the two turkeys are ready to put into the ovens at eight o’clock and the ham’s ready to go in at ten. Mom and Beth will be over by ten to help. Everyone leaves and after a cup of coffee, Maria and I go to bed. Steve went to bed at eleven, he has work from four to eleven today. Bob has to work from eight to four. Maria’ll be glad to have some time with him when he gets home.
I’m getting into bed just before Steve has to get up. He rolls over to snuggle with me and when he kisses me the fire takes over and he’s late for work. I, on the other hand, sleep very well, with his scent and the warmth his body left in bed.
I wake to the smell of him and realize I’m happy with him. I hum as I shower and dress and go down the stairs to heat the ovens. The ovens on, I start coffee as Maria and Shay come down for breakfast. We have breakfast, just the three of us. Bob’s sound asleep. After breakfast, we run to the office and take care of the “guests” at the boarding house. We’re back before the Moms arrive.
Chief, José and Chaucee keep Shay busy for most of the morning. At noon Maria and I leave Shay with the Moms and go take care of the animals. When we get back the house is full of food and people. Steve, off for dinner, organized the men and older children so the tables and chairs are being set up. We’re shown where the tablecloths are kept and start dressing the tables and get things moving so we’ll be ready for dinner. Maria goes up to get Bob moving so he’s ready when dinner is.
Thanksgiving at Miss Lili’s, without her, was one Steve can’t remember ever enjoying more, but I don’t have anything to compare it to. The football game, the food, the people that are soon to be relatives and the people he loves and cares about, minus one. Sher, has been more fun than she ever has. I wonder if she’s ready for what I have to say to her. Maybe, I should wait, or maybe, I should tell her now while her spirits are high. Maybe, I should talk to Bob before I say anything. People have been leaving since five, when the girls went to check on the guests. Lucy and Dave and Beth and Miguel are still here. I’ll talk to Dave since Bob’s getting ready for work.
I ask Dave to go with me to watch the dogs, as I opened the back door to let them out. “Dave, I want to ask Sher to marry me, but she’s been so edgy I can’t tell when I should approach her. Today she seems to be in a better state of mind and I thought….”
“Ya thought you’d find out if now’s a good time before ya say something and scare her off. I can’t really say if it’s a good time, or not. I can say she’s in a better frame of mind than any time before. She’s been skittish and unpredictable about relationships for some time. Maybe, you can feel her out a bit about the subject. I know that if ya wait for her to be completely ready, you’ll be backing up. You can talk to Lucy, but I don’t think she’ll be able to help ya approach Sher with that subject. We’ve talked about her a few times and neither of us understands her moods anymore.” Dave’s not much help and I’m not really encouraged.
Maybe, I should feel her out about marriage, kids and living here. I’ll have to wait for the opportunity. “When would be a good time to talk to her about what she wants, like marriage and kids?”
“I know with Lucy the best time to ask about those things is in bed. We’ve decided many important things in bed.” Dave smiles, “We decided to adopt Sher during pillow talk.” I can only nod.
The dogs are ready to go in so I thank Dave for the help and we go in. As we go in I hear thunder and see a few faint flashes of light, looks like we’re going to get the rain that was forecast.
I find Sher and wrap my arms around her to keep her still so I can mention the rain and ask if the boarding house is buttoned down. She said they had put the rain shields down over the cats outside area when they were there at nine. She talked Maria into staying here tonight after Shay fell asleep while the guests were leaving. Now that we’re the only ones still here, Maria goes upstairs to shower before she goes to bed. She hollers goodnight down the stairs when she’s through.
I ask Sher if she wants to shower with me, to save water, and she does after she elbows me in the ribs for using the excuse of “saving water.” She has no idea how she affects me and I don’t know how to tell her. I like her next to me in the shower and how she responds to my touch. And I like her gentle touches on my shoulders and chest…and any place she touches. She’s not as experienced as some of the women I’ve been with, but she’s more in tune to me, instead of showing off how much she knows.
After our extended shower, we snuggle in bed and I notice how well she fits against me. “Sher, have ya ever wanted kids?”
“Yeah, when I was engaged, we talked about having kids. I wanted two, he wanted four.” Sleep is in her voice.
“I haven’t given it much thought since then. Why? How many kids do you want?” She adjusts her pillow.
“I’d like to have two or three. We’re both only children and I think that’s pretty lonesome.”
“Yeah, but ya get more than ya would have if ya had brothers or sisters.” She’s settled down and her voice is fading.
“Are ya saying you were a spoiled child?” She’s almost asleep.
“No, but I didn’t have to share my toys. Nor did I have anyone to share the chores with, either.” It’s barely a whisper.
“Sher, do you trust me, yet?” I’m talking close to her ear, her head’s under my cheek, tilting my face so I’m inches from her ear.
“I must. I didn’t walk out when ya called me ‘Sally’, did I?” She’s sounds like she’s coming slightly awake.
“No ya didn’t. Sher, can I tell ya something without ya getting mad?”
“Depends. If there’s really a ‘Sally’, then no, but anything else should be okay.” She’s a bit more aware.
“Sher, I love you. I want ya to marry me and live here with me.”
“I love you, too. Can we be engaged for a while, or do ya want to get married soon.”
She sounds like she’s almost asleep and she didn’t respond except verbally. Does she know what she said? I turn her toward me. “Sher, did you say you love me and will marry me?”
“Yes. You’d better get some sleep. Ya have to be at work in a few hours.”
“Honey, if ya mean what ya said, kiss me.” I need her to show me she means it and it’s not the sleep talking. She puts her arms around my neck and pulls me into a gentle, sleepy kiss. I pull her to me and hold her while we fall asleep.
“Sher, wake up. We have to go to work.” Steve didn’t reset the alarm for me. Maria’s starting to shake me when my eyes open to slits. “Come on, Sher, or we’ll be late opening the clinic.”
My eyes pop open. “What time is it?”