“Yes, go ahead and light the lantern and bring it over here, please.”
I rummaged through our gear and produced our Coleman lantern. I turned the knob, but nothing happened. “Hmm,” I mused aloud. I tried again, with the same result. And again—this time, I saw a flickering of gas at the bottom, but it was quickly extinguished. “Oliver…”
“Bring it over here so I can get some light, babe.”
“Honey…”
“What?” He voice was exasperated and sharp.
“It’s not working.”
“What do you mean it’s not working? I checked it before we left.”
I shrugged my shoulders. What more could I say?
“Bring it over here.”
Obediently, I stepped toward him and handed him the lantern. He promptly twisted the knob, as I had, with the same result.
“Damn it,” he swore. “It needs to be replaced. Get a flashlight, please.”
I promptly procured a flashlight and started toward him. Thinking better of it, I doubled back and grabbed the spare, just in case. It was a good thing, too, because the first one was in need of new batteries and flickered once before shutting off completely.
“Not off to a great start, huh?” Oliver remarked as I handed over our backup. When he pushed the button and it lit with a steady stream of pale golden light, I could have kissed the ground in relief. “You know what? Why don’t you go turn the car on? The headlights will give me better light so I can see what the hell I’m doing.”
I arched an eyebrow at him, but he couldn’t see in the dark, even if he’d been looking at me instead of the tent poles. It wasn’t like him to get so frustrated. Still, I thought it best to do as he asked, so I found the keys and walked toward our blue Minivan. Once there, I got in the car and switched the headlights on. Oliver sent me a thumbs up sign, and I decided to take advantage of being out of the line of fire, at least for a few minutes. I turned the radio on and began humming along with the music while pulling my cell phone out of my pocket.
A quick check showed me that I had one text from my son: Where do we keep the matches?
I felt my heart leap into my throat, and immediately pressed “Call”. Jonah picked up on the third ring. “What would you need matches for, young man?”
“Chill, Mom,” he said, laughing. “I was just kidding. You got there OK?”
“Yes, we’re fine,” I replied, trying to catch my breath. “Your father is having some issues with the tent.”
“Ugh,” my son groaned. “Not again. Mom, seriously, you should have stayed in a hotel.”
“Why’s that?”
“You know how dad gets with the tent. He can’t do it by himself, but he won’t let anyone else help, so…it’s kinda sad to watch.”
I scrunched my brow. “What are you talking about?”
“Boy scouts,” he prompted me, “OK, Mom?”
“Ah,” was all I could say. Suddenly, I remembered with astounding clarity the litany of complaints Jonah had made the few times his Boy Scout troop had gone camping and Oliver had come along. I winced.
Almost as if he could see it, Jonah said, “Yeah.”
“Well…”
“Good luck, Mom! Oh, and one more thing: no matter what happens, just remember, he loves you.” He cackled as he threw the same words I used to say to him back at me.
“Thanks a lot. Don’t give your grandma a hard time, OK?”
“I know, I know. Bye, Mom.”
Before I had a chance to reply, the line went dead. I turned my attention back to Oliver, watching as he fumbled with the flashlight. I saw his frustration in a whole new light now that I remembered the things Jonah had told me.
Better face the music, I thought to myself, opening the car door. I walked down to where Oliver stood, cursing underneath his breath. “Hey,” I said brightly. “Need some help?”
The look he turned on me was mutinous. He thrust the flashlight in my direction, and I took it hesitantly. “Hold it there.”
I obeyed, crouching beside the tent until both of my legs fell asleep. It took what felt like an eternity, but finally Oliver had the tent set up. Once it was up, some of the tension started to leave his hunched shoulders.
“There. Why don’t you go shut off the car? I’ll start unpacking.”
“Sure,” I agreed, relieved that we could move on and enjoy our mini vacation. I went to the car and pulled the key out of the ignition. In the time it took me to get back to our tent, Oliver had unpacked the sleeping bags, where he’d laid out a sexy, lavender lace negligee that I’d brought with me, and his boxers. “What’s this?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
Oliver looked up from lighting the lantern and I barely made out his wink in the dim lighting. “It’s simple, really. You’re going to put yours on, I’m going to keep mine off.”
A giggle escaped my lips, and he finished lighting the lantern, bathing the tent in a warm glow. He looked up at me, and my hands hurried to comply with his request. I heard the sound of him unbuckling his belt, and when I’d pulled my shirt over my head, I saw that my husband was naked from the waist down. The site of his hairy, muscular calves was enough to propel me toward him, and in moments, I was in his arms.
He met my mouth with enthusiasm, embracing me hard against him, kissing me so fiercely I lost my breath. I was still in my bra, and Oliver was in his t-shirt. He reached a hand down and caressed my bare thigh, making me shiver. In one fluid motion, he pulled my panties down my thighs before pulling me over his lap.
“Hey!” I protested with breathy laughter.
“Did you just bellow at me?” he growled playfully. “Now, is that any way to speak to your loving husband?”
“Oh, is that what you are?” I teased.
I was rewarded—and I do mean rewarded—with a hard slap to my upturned rear. Another followed it, and another. I writhed on his lap, arching my back, every inch of my body begging for more.
“You really like this don’t you?” he asked in a voice as soft and rich as velvet. “Are you really such a naughty girl?”
The way he said it made me groan. I was becoming slick with my juices, and I was horny to the point of grinding on his lap. “Just fuck me already.”
“Language, young lady,” he scolded, swatting me again.
“Don’t make me beg.”
“Would it hurt you to beg a little?”
I laughed at his seductive tone. “Oliver!”
“All right, woman,” he said in mock-anger, flipping me over. “But remember—you asked for it.”
He took me to new heights that night. By the time we climaxed together, I was nearly hoarse from calling his name. I found myself very grateful that we weren’t near any of the other campsites.
“Have I ever told you you’re beautiful when you blush like that? What are you thinking about?”
“Doing it again.”
Oliver chuckled at me, and when he turned around and reached for his boxer shorts, I saw that I’d scratched his back to the point of welts. I reached out and touched them gently, noting that they’d already scabbed over, but Oliver just grinned at me. “Oh, come on, don’t look at me like that. That’s how I know you like it.”
He pushed a lock of hair off my cheek, running his finger down my cheek, to the curve of my mouth. I kissed his finger and was rewarded with the warmth of his smile. Turning my head, I caught sight of my lingerie still folded on the floor. “Oh, no! I forgot!” I exclaimed, pointing.
“Not to worry,” he replied. “You can always make it up to me.”
I shook my head at him, pretending to be irritated with his antics, but in the end I put on the lavender silk nightie and did exactly that.
* * * * *
I wasn’t anywhere near ready to wake up when I felt my shoulder being shaken the next morning. I grunted and tried to bat the hand away, but it was persistent. When I opened my eye a slit to glare at Oliver, I saw that it wasn’t even light out yet. “What do you want?” I groaned.
Couldn’t he see I needed my beauty sleep? Seriously, all he had to do was look!
“The car battery’s dead.”
“Well, what do you want me to do about it?” I demanded, less than graciously.
“I was going to go fishing,” he said, ignoring my question. “My pole is in the car.”
“Break a window,” I suggested, turning away and closing my eyes.
“Alicia!”
The sound of his sharp bark had my eyes flying open, despite the sleep crusted in the corners. “What?” The word was more gasp than whine this time.
“Did you hear me? The car battery is dead.”
“Go fishing tomorrow,” I pleaded. “I’m so tired.”
“Baby, I can get my fishing pole. My key still works the old fashioned way, you know.”
“Then what?”
“Our car won’t start.”
I blinked at him, uncomprehending. “So?”
“Did you turn the engine on last night when you were in the car?”
“What?” I yawned.
“When I asked you to turn the lights on. Did you turn the engine on?”
Suddenly, I was more awake. “Um…”
He shook his head, understanding immediately. “If you don’t turn the engine on, it runs the battery down, honey. Here’s what we’re going to do: I want you to get up and call Triple A to come give us a jump.”
“Ugh,” I groaned, sounding more like a teenager than a grown woman. “Do I have to?”
“We need a working car, Alicia,” he said patiently, as though explaining to a two-year-old. “What if something happens?”
“Nothing is going to happen!” I exclaimed. Except that I might kill you if I don’t get some more sleep, I thought.
Oliver leveled me with a long, searching look. Normally I would have given in, but the birds weren’t even up for Heaven’s sake! I held firm, and eventually he nodded in acquiescence. “All right, it’s your call. Just remember that later.”
“Whatever,” I muttered under my breath, rolling back over. I barely felt Oliver’s kiss on my cheek before I nodded off.
* * * * *
Oliver
I was still fuming long after I made it to the lake. At first I was able to focus on the familiar routine of picking my spot, baiting my hook and casting my line. No sooner had I done this, however, than Alicia’s face came swimming into my mind. That woman—what was I going to do with her?
She was a good wife, I knew that. She was normally sweet, and loving, but there were times where I really believed she disregarded her own safety, such as when she got speeding tickets. Other times, she ignored my concerns as though they were nothing, like she’d done earlier about the car.
Now that I was thinking about it, I didn’t know why I’d given into her. I should have insisted she get up, make the phone call, and we would have waited together for Triple A, fishing be damned. Alicia needed someone to stay on top of her sometimes, for her own good. She needed someone who was strong, and unwavering. She needed discipline.
The thought brought a smile to my lips. It was funny to think about a thirty-eight year old woman needing discipline, but if ever one did, she was the one. I lived in constant fear that she would get in a wreck because of that lead foot of hers, and leave me alone, our son without a mother. The idea of losing her was unbearable.
And what if something did happen? It was well and good to say that it wouldn’t, but I liked to be prepared. If something did, we wouldn’t have any way to get anywhere. I’d given in to her because it was a habit for me. We’d been married over a decade, and I’d become used to letting her have her way. I’d always thought that telling your wife what to do was horribly old-fashioned, and I’d never wanted to seem like a brute. My father, like my grandfather before him, had been the master of his castle. I’d never felt the need for that kind of subservience, but damn it, some things were about to change as far as my family was concerned.
The more I thought about it, the more impassioned I became. Alicia would stop speeding, or maybe I would have to take her keys after all! If she couldn’t look out for her own well-being, then that job fell to me, and I wasn’t going to fall short. She needed to stop contradicting me all the time, too.
All in good time, I told myself. All in good time. I would talk to her soon, and we’d set down some ground rules. A part of me was still apprehensive, yes, but I’d promised to cherish and protect her, and those were vows I intended to keep, whether she liked it or not!
* * * * *
By the time that I headed back to our campsite the sun was high enough in the sky that I guessed it was about lunchtime. Well, that and the fact my stomach was growling. Fishing could be hard work.
I’d expected Alicia to be out and about, maybe unpacking and setting up around the tent. From the looks of things, she’d never even gotten out of bed. I felt a flash of irritation, but I stamped it back down. This was her vacation too, after all. If she wanted to spend it sleeping, then that was up to her.
“Hey, honey?” I called, entering the tent. “I got two—” I halted in my tracks, looking around. She wasn’t in the tent, nor was our gear unpacked. “Alicia?” I lifted the flap and walked out, looking around. Our car was still sitting on the pavement a few yards away, so it wasn’t that. Maybe she’d gone for a walk? Of course, I didn’t see a note, and she hadn’t called me. I pulled my phone out of my breast pocket just to be sure—maybe it was on silent. But no, I hadn’t gotten a phone call.
The idea of her going out walking alone brought my earlier irritation back to the surface. I didn’t like her going out in the woods alone, especially since we’d never been to this site before. It was very rustic, and God only knew how far away we were from any other civilized life.
With a sigh, I dialed her number and hit “call”. With each ring, I found myself getting more annoyed. If she was going out alone the least she could do was keep her phone on her! When I heard her chipper voicemail message come on, I ended the call, only to immediately redial her, with the same results. “Alicia Ann,” I began when the message ended and the phone beeped. “You better have a very good reason for not telling me where you were going. Call me back.”
I threw the fish down on ground. I’d been thrilled when I’d caught them, the thought of a fresh fish dinner making my mouth water, but I couldn’t worry about them now. Everything paled in comparison to finding my wife. The best thing to do, I decided, was to alert the staff that had checked me in, and start a search party. The problem was I had no clue had long she’d been gone, or if she was even missing. I knew she could have merely wandered off for a nature walk, forgetting that I would worry. She could be irresponsible that way, never realizing that she would have others concerned.
“That’s a habit I’m going to break,” I grumbled, heading for the car. Once there I hit my unlock button, and when nothing happened I realized that my wife had neglected to call Triple A like I’d asked. Sighing, I headed for the road and took a left, heading toward the camp office. It wasn’t much different than the route I’d taken earlier this morning to get to the pond. With each step, my apprehension grew. What if something had gone wrong? What if she was lost, or hurt?
By the time I was halfway there, my resolve to be a better husband, to take charge of our marriage was as great as the fear in the pit of my stomach. I was about to take a right, the path that would lead me to the camp office when a flash of blond hair caught my eye. My heart caught in my throat. I’d know that soft honey color anywhere.
Running as fast as my legs would carry me, I headed in the opposite direction. The nearer I got, the more certain I was that it had to be her. Sure enough, when I stopped I saw her familiar black and pink sneakers.
“Alicia?” When she didn’t answer, I leaned closer. Her eyes were shut, and they didn’t so much as flutter at the sound of my voice. I looked closer. She was sprawled on the ground, her hair fanned on the grass. “Alicia? Honey?” I knelt beside her and took her wrist in my
hand, searching for a pulse. It was thudding away, and I reached out to shake her.
She startled at my touch, her eyes flying open. She looked at me drowsily, like she was seeing me through a fog. “Ollie?”
“Alicia, what the hell are you doing over here?”
“I…I was looking for you.”
I opened my mouth to scold her for leaving when I saw the slim fishing pole lying in the grass. I turned to her with surprise. “You were going to go fishing?”
She shrugged, looking embarrassed. “I just wanted to spend time with you.”
I was touched, very much so. I had to remind myself to stay firm. She had worried me so needlessly. “What are you doing, passed out here on the side of the road? Decide to take a cat nap?”
“No.” When she moved her leg, I saw her wince. “I sort of tripped.”
I looked around and saw that on this side of the trail, there were a pair of jagged rocks partially hidden beneath the dirt. Any other woman, and I’d have my doubts, but knowing that my sweetheart was clumsy and paid scant attention to where she was going, I believed it. “Can you move it?”
“I don’t think so. I tried earlier, and…”
“Try,” I urged her. “I’m right here, I’ll help you.”
She nodded, gritting her teeth, and I crouched beside her, helping her to lean against me. She tried to stand, and cried out, falling into me.
I caught her easily, whistling. “It’s sprained, at the least. I’d go get the car, but…”
“I know,” she said, wincing again. “My fault. I should have listened to you.”
Damn right she should have! I was going to be making sure that in the future, she most certainly would. Given the current situation, I decided to keep the thoughts to myself for the time being. She was in enough pain. “Well, we’ll make do. Lean on me, OK? I can take it. Let’s head to the camp office. We’ll call Triple A from there, and they can tell us where the closest hospital is.”
Answering to Him (Old-Fashioned Husband) Page 6