Bountiful Harvest

by Darlene Tallman

  “This morning,” Dorrie said, laughing a little. “He proposed before we left and since Kentucky doesn’t have a waiting period, we went before taking off on this run!”

  Edna felt another little nudge. Hmm. Okay, she’d roll with it. “Honey, you toss out any garbage you have in your head and know this - your man is going to more than take care of you.”

  Good grief – was this woman in her head? “Thank you. Please excuse me, I waited almost too long to go!” Edna let Dorrie go and headed to see how the food was coming. As she started pulling the orders and putting them on the trays to take back to the table, she saw one of the other women walking by and got yet another nudge. Dadgum it, how was she supposed to get everything done? Sighing, she followed the woman into the restroom and tidied up while she waited for her to come out of the stall.

  As Nancy came out of the stall, she saw the waitress who was taking care of them standing there. Strange, she thought before washing her hands.

  “Honey, congratulations. You and your man better have a big house, though!” What?!??!?! She hadn’t told anyone her news yet; Dorrie’s impromptu wedding this morning had sidelined that and she was okay to wait, holding the news that she and Joey had received close to her heart.

  “What do you mean?” she said. “Why honey, you’re going to have twins! At least this time around. Not sure about the others, but this time? You’ll have two healthy babies,” Edna responded.

  Nancy was just about floored. Either this woman had some kind of ESP shit or was batshit crazy. Instead of saying it out loud, she merely said “Thank you.”

  Edna could tell she thought she was full of shit so she said “Honey, been getting nudges all my life and everything I’ve ever been nudged about has come to pass. Since your group has walked in, I’ve had more nudges at one time than ever before. You don’t believe me and that’s okay. I just have to act on these when they come.”

  Okay, so maybe just crazy, not batshit crazy Nancy thought. Grinning, she said “Well, I’m not sure I believe you about the twins part, but yes, I’m pregnant. We’ve been trying for a long time and it’s finally happening.”

  Edna embraced the woman in a quick hug. “It’s going to all work out and they’re going to be healthy and you’ll all be very happy,” she said before washing her hands and leaving the restroom.

  Walking back to the table, Nancy laughed to herself. They had obviously entered the Twilight Zone or something, so she was just going to roll with it all.

  “So Nance, what news did you have?” Dorrie asked as Nancy sat back down. “I think my quickie wedding to Mr. Patient here kept you from sharing it.”

  “Ah she’s got jokes today,” Frank said, pulling her close and placing a kiss on her temple. “I wasn’t giving you a chance to change your mind,” he joked, which had the whole table laughing.

  “Whatevs. Okay, c’mon Nance, spill. Don’t make me pull out ‘the look’ for you!” Laughing, Nancy put her hands up in mock horror saying “Not ‘the look’! Whatever you do, don’t do that! Actually, it’s mine and Joey’s news – we’re pregnant!”

  Gasps of surprise melted into a flurry of activity as Dorrie and Renee left their seats to go and hug their friend. They had been trying for so long, only to be disappointed time after time. “How far along are you?” Renee asked.

  “Mm, about 12 weeks, give or take a week,” Nancy said. “Oh Nance, I’m over the moon thrilled for you both!! Yay, more babies to love on,” Dorrie said. This was truly turning into the best day ever.

  As their orders arrived, they began eating the delicious food. It had been a good idea to stop here.

  Seeing that the group was finished, Edna went back into the kitchen and got the cake, and had Sherry bring out plates and clean forks. “I figure that since you folks just got married today, you deserve some cake,” she said brightly.

  “Oh that was so kind of you” Dorrie said. This time, everyone waited to be served and then Frank stood and addressed the two tables. “I wasn’t looking for love but God had other plans when he drew me to Jessup. I have never been more grateful than I am today that He brought me to the town so I could meet my forever love.”

  Cries of “Cheers” came from the other adults before they started eating the cake. Frank sat back down and taking his fork, he lifted a piece to Dorrie’s mouth. “Here, Dorrie-girl. It’s traditional for the groom to feed the bride some cake and vice versa.”

  Smiling, she took the bite of cake and then reciprocated, feeding him a piece of cake off her fork. Wow, she thought, what an intimate act.

  Edna brought the bill over to the table and watched, somewhat amused, as the men attempted to argue over who paid for it. The club president won, pulling that particular card. Not to be outdone, the other men tossed money on the table for a tip. As they headed out the door, Joey stopped, seeing a table sitting there with a small American flag decorating it. “Edna, what’s this table for?”

  “For any vet who comes in, if they sit there, their meal is on us in thanks for their service.”

  “Do you get a lot of vets?” Cory asked, having come up alongside his friend.

  “Yes, we do. We’re not too far from a base, so we see them regularly.” The four men shared a glance and before she could say “hello” they had all handed her money, telling her to put it towards the meals the vets would be provided. As they walked out the door, she finally found her voice. “Thank you. Come back again the next time you’re in this neck of the woods!” Holy shit. What the men had given her exceeded how much she wrote off annually for the vets’ meals! And that tip! She had never received that much, even from a large group. Feeling a nudge, she nodded her head and walked up to Sherry and pressed the money they had just given her into her new waitress’ hands.

  “What’s this for?” Sherry asked, seeing the small wad of bills.

  “You’re in a bad space right now. Hopefully, this will help you get back on your feet again.”

  Sherry burst into tears. “But how…how did you…how did you know?” Edna looked at her – she was young, but the weight of the world rested on her shoulders. “Because I was there before in a not-so-good situation. I didn’t have anyone who could help me so I stayed longer than I should have, but you don’t have to do that. And, I’m sure you need a place to go to as well; I have a garage apartment. It’s not much, but it is safe.”

  “Thank you, Edna! Yes, things have been bad. My ex beat me up and threw me out and I’ve been living in my car.” “Then it’s settled. You’ll follow me home after our shift is done so you can move in.” Still sniffling, Sherry nodded her head and Edna could see the hope that crossed the young woman’s face. “Now, we best be getting back to work, you never know what the road will bring us!”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Dorrie looked around in amazement. She had never been to a rally before. Of any kind. And this one? Well, it was definitely eye-opening. Tented gazebos covered the field, with biker clothes and accessories and even a HarleyDavidson dealership! There were tattoo and piercing tents, games, and food. As they made their way across the field, stopping whenever it struck their fancy, she was grateful again for Josie and Jessie. Declaring that “the ‘rents” were on their honeymoon, they had taken the boys and were now tagging along with the other two couples, James and his old lady having separated from the group once they arrived at the rally.

  She glanced up at her husband and squeezed his hand. He looked down, asking “Dorrie-girl, you okay?”

  “Mmhmm. Incredibly happy, my husband. Incredibly happy. But I have a concern.”

  He raised an eyebrow at her when she didn’t say anything else. “And?” he prompted. “Well uh, I wasn’t expecting to get engaged and married on the same day. I had originally planned to share a room with the boys, but now that we’re married, um, how can we…when will we…I mean, the boys are…” she stammered out, unable to get her thoughts to behave and come together.

  He pulled them off to the side and out of traffic b
efore drawing her into his arms. “Sweetheart, the girls will stay in your room with the boys; you and I will be in the room that I had with the girls.”

  Ah. That made sense! “Shit. You know I don’t have anything pretty to wear to bed!” He couldn’t help it – he burst out laughing. She looked so disgruntled by that fact when in reality, she could come to bed covered in a trash bag and he would think she was beautiful. But, he understood her concern and giving her a quick kiss, led her to the tents where clothing was being sold. He remembered from experience that several had lingerie of varying degrees for sale and if his bride wanted a pretty nightgown for their first time – then he would find her somewhere to get one!

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  As Dorrie looked at herself in the mirror, she smiled. Frank had been true to his word and they had found a tent that sold pretty lacy lingerie. She didn’t think she’d be wearing it long based on the gleam in his eyes when he saw what she had picked out, but she didn’t care. She wanted to look good for him. And, he gave that to her. Giving her hair one last stroke, she took a deep breath and blew it out before heading for the bathroom door.

  Stepping back into the bedroom, she let out a gasp. Frank had lit candles and they bathed the room with a soft, romantic glow. He was sitting in the chair in the “sitting area” and when he saw her, he smiled and said “C’mere, Dorrie-girl.” With strong, sure steps, she reached him and gave out a yelp of surprise when he pulled her into his lap. Kissing her softly, he said “I love you, sweetheart. Forever and a day.”

  “Forever and a day,” she whispered back. As he held her close, she thought back to their courtship. Others may think this was fast, but looking back, she saw that he had been courting her almost since DJ got sick that time in the pizza parlor. When Frank gave her an inquisitive look, she shared her thoughts with him and wasn’t surprised to hear him say “You’re right, Dorrie-girl. You had no clue but I knew and God knew that we would arrive at this point.”

  Then, clasping both of her hands in his, he softly said “Dorrie-girl, I wanted to start a tradition with you tonight, yeah? I want to pray for and over us before we go to bed every night. How do you feel about that, sweetheart?”

  Oh my God . This man. This.man. He was so precious to her and she determined that she was going to be the best possible wife to him she could be. “I’d like that, Frank. I’d like that a great deal.”

  As he held her hands in his and prayed, she silently added her own to the mix. For health. For protection. For future children. Once he was done, he stood her up and led her over to the bed. “Dorrie-girl, my sweet Dorrie-girl, I love you so very much. Nothing that happens between us is wrong, yeah? And if I’m moving too fast, you say something.”

  “O-okay” she said as he drew the covers down and helped her into her side before getting in on the other side. Face-to-face, she gazed into the eyes of a man who had captured her heart. She could feel her heartbeat accelerating at what was about to happen. Reaching up, she cupped his cheek and jaw with her hand before she placed a soft kiss on his lips.

  He kissed her back. Softly. On her lips. Her forehead. Her cheeks. Her jaw. Just when she was about to open her mouth and ask him to kiss her again, he pulled her close and tilted her slightly so he was partially laying over her before he drove one hand into her hair to cradle the back of her head while his other hand stroked the apple of her cheek and brought his mouth down to hers.

  Passion flared. The room grew warmer as he laid claim to her mouth. Over and over again, his tongue dueled with hers in a dance older than time. Her hands were stroking – his face, his shoulders, his back. Butterflies were dancing low in her abdomen and when he pulled back slightly, she looked at him in wonder. She had never felt like this before in her life. Ever. She could feel her nipples harden and knew that the tiny scrap of material she was wearing as panties was soaked. And he had barely touched her! Relief like she had never known washed over her as she was able to cast off a few more lies she had believed.

  As his mouth returned to hers once again, his hand that had been holding her head began moving. A stroke here, and squeeze there – up and down from her shoulder to her hips. Soft touches. Glancing touches. Still kissing her, he pulled the strap of her lacy nightgown down, exposing her breast. She heard his indrawn breath and looked at him. The look on his face was almost reverent as he gazed at her breast before he reached out and began stroking it, his thumb just grazing her nipple and causing her to jump just a little bit.

  “Beautiful, Dorrie-girl. Better than I imagined and I imagined quite a lot,” he breathed. “Mmm” she moaned as his mouth replaced his thumb. Licks, kisses, suckling – it all combined and soon she was writhing against him.

  “Frank,” she breathed out, not really knowing just what was happening. Well, she kind of knew, but it had never happened before during sex.

  “Shhh, I’ve got you, sweetheart. Let me make you feel good, yeah?” he whispered.

  “O-okay,” she stammered out, his hand having moved down to her hip with a gentle caress. Frank knew he was going to die. She was so responsive beneath him and in reality they had done nothing more than heavy petting. Time to ramp it up, he thought to himself. Sitting up slightly, he said “Let’s get this off, yeah” as he reached to pull her nightgown over her head. Laying her back down, now in just the tiny panties that came with the nightgown, in the flicker of the candlelight, he could tell they were soaked.

  Rolling so that he was between her legs, he smiled inside at her wide-eyed look. She might be wide-eyed, but he could see the passion and lust burning bright. He cupped both breasts and then laved the tips with his tongue, drawing out another moan from her and causing her legs to move restlessly. Continuing, he placed kisses and licks until both nipples were distended further. Moving slightly downward, he continued to kiss, gently nip and occasionally suck the exposed skin.

  Torture. Holy shit, this was torture, Dorrie thought. She could feel a fire raging inside and every stroke of his hand or caress from his mouth stoked it that much higher. But it was a sweet torture. Her hands moved restlessly along his shoulders and back, sometimes just the pads of her fingers, sometimes lightly scraping her nails across his skin. As he reached her abdomen, she belatedly thought of the stretch marks and Csection scar that marred her skin and went to cover herself. Not to mention the scar left from her surgery earlier that year!

  “Shhh, Dorrie-girl. I’ve got you. I know what these are and sweetheart, they further show me just how much of a warrior woman you truly are to have carried two children right here,” he said as he placed kisses on each of the stretch marks, before laving his tongue across her scar. “I cannot wait until you are heavy with our children.” Moving his head slightly to the side and kissing the latest scar, which was still a brighter pink, he said “And this one…I’ll be forever grateful that Renee and Cory found you and got you the help you needed. This one reminds me that life is precious.”

  Cue the ovary explosion she thought. Dying and going to heaven. As his fingers lightly played around the edges of her panties, she moaned. “Mmmm, feels so good, Frank, please don’t stop.”

  “Not happening, sweetheart. I’m not stopping until I am buried inside of you.” With that, his caresses became bolder – down her hips, inside her thighs until his fingers were skating across the front of her mound, and her body responded by getting wetter.

  “Frank…I need…” Hell if she knew what she needed at this point, she thought. The girls were right; I’m definitely not a cold fish!

  As he deftly worked to remove her panties, he continued kissing and caressing her, stoking the flames ever higher. Beads of sweat started to form on his forehead as he fought to retain control. All he really wanted to do was plunge into her. Over and over again until she couldn’t walk and he couldn’t remember his name. But he knew from their talks that all of this was relatively new to her and he wanted it to be perfect. Absolutely perfect. “Oh!” she moaned as his fingers played lightly on her lower lips.
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  “Mmm, sweetheart, you are so so wet for me. Gotta get a taste,” he said, before lowering his head between her thighs. Oh my God she thought before all thinking vanished and she gave herself over to him, spreading her legs wider. His tongue. Those talented fingers. She may have just died and gone to heaven.

  “Delicious, my Dorrie-girl. Absolutely delicious,” he said as he continued to work her pussy over. He looked at her and saw her eyes glazed over with passion, her skin flushed and slightly dewy with sweat. She was so close and he wanted her to shatter beneath him before he claimed her. With that thought in mind, he increased the pressure of his tongue and lips and fingers.

  As her moans increased in intensity, he looked up again so he could watch. “Come for me, my Dorrie-girl.” With those words, she went over the cliff and was gone, spasms wracking her body as he continued to lap up her juices. Easing off the intensity, he still gently thrust his fingers in and out of her until her spasms all but stopped. Moving up her body, dropping kisses wherever he touched, he cradled her face with one hand while he lined his cock up at her entrance. Tangling his tongue with hers, he slowly entered her and captured her slight gasp with still another kiss.

  Ah. She feels like home Frank thought as he finally bottomed out. Giving her a few seconds to adjust to him, he waited until he felt her legs begin to move restlessly before he began to move. Ending the kiss, he now cradled her face with both hands as his forehead laid against hers and he looked into her eyes.

  “Home. You feel like home, sweetheart. So so good,” he rasped out, increasing his pace. “Not sure how long I’m going to last.”

  “Mmm,” she moaned, running her hands from his shoulders to his ass. So many muscles. So strong. As her body responded to him, she felt the beginnings of another orgasm overtaking her.