A Soldier to Love

by HUNT, EA

  “You are not serious. One she’s huge. Two she’s a ni-”

  “Julia, you will not speak about my wife like that do you understand me,” his mother’s views had always been shut down by their father growing up but after their father died their mother had joined several groups who believed like she did and she had taken Julia to a few meetings. While his Aunt Jan had kept him away from it by working the farm.

  Julia shook her head, “Momma is not going to accept her.” Julia said as she folded her arms over her chest.

  “Mom has no say in who I marry. Not after what she’s done.”

  “She was only trying to protect you.”

  “Yeah, right; she was trying to protect herself.”

  “Maggie was turning you against us.”

  “She was not. She was just supporting me in my life. Something Mom has never done.”

  “You make Mom sound like a horrible person. She’s not, Eric.”

  “Maybe not to you but to me”

  “I’m not going to argue with you about this. All I will say is that” she point towards the station “will not be accepted by me or Mom.”

  “I’m all done,” Elsie said interrupting Eric’s response to his sister’s comment. She walked over to him. “Is everything ok?” She questioned as she looked at Eric. He was upset and staring at the woman before him like he wanted to harm her. Something Elsie knew he would never do.

  Eric calmed before he looked at his wife he didn’t want her to be afraid because of his temper. “Everything is fine Eli.” He told her as he wrapped his arms around her waist, “honey this is my sister Julia,” he faced Julia “Julia, my wife Elsie.”

  Elsie held out her hand to the young woman, “nice to meet you Julia.”

  “Sure,” she looked at Eric. “I’ll call Momma and tell her you’re in town,” Julia replied as she turned and walked over to the truck.

  Elsie lowered her hand there was no need to be rude she faced Eric “that was”

  “Rude.” Eric released a breath, “I’m sorry she treated you like that.”

  Elsie placed a hand on his chest “I’m fine,” she smiled at him, “come on your Aunt is waiting.”

  Eric placed a hand over hers; he smiled at her, “thank you for understanding.”

  “She gets one pass if she’s rude again. I will let her know in no uncertain terms that it is unacceptable.”

  He bent towards her “do what you must,” he said before he placed his lips on hers.

  ***

  Janelle wiped her brow as she walked from the barn she would need to call Carl, the town mechanic, to come and check out her tractor. There was something stuck in the machine which she could not reach causing the machine not to run properly and she needed the darn thing for the harvest which was coming up. She headed towards her house if Eric was back in the States she’d call him to come and check out the machine but her nephew was in another country placing his life in danger for the freedoms in which we all enjoyed. She wished her sister-in-law could understand that. Every time she, Janelle, saw the woman all she would do was sneer at Janelle and blame her for the fact Eric had joined the Army.

  Janelle stepped onto her porch what had Joanna expected her, Janelle, to do. Continue to watch Joanna try and lead Eric down the wrong path. She had already corrupted Julia she was not going to let the woman do the same to Eric. Janelle shook her head no she wanted Eric away from Joanna and Julia before they got him in trouble he couldn’t get out of. Janelle turned when she heard someone coming down her drive. She shielded her eyes as she watched the small SUV approach she hadn’t been expecting anyone she wondered who it was.

  She stepped off her porch and walked slowly towards the car which was parking. She swallowed hard when she saw her nephew exit the driver’s side. She raced towards him as he walked around the front of the car. “Oh Eric!” She cried as she wrapped her arms around him.

  Eric wrapped his arms around Janelle. As he had gotten closer to her home he had gotten nervous. She hadn’t seen his Aunt Janelle in almost a year. He kissed her temple, “I missed you Auntie.”

  Janelle pulled back slightly she sniffled as she wiped at her tears, “not as much as I’ve missed you.”

  “I doubt that,” Eric said with a smile. He sniffled then released his Aunt, “there are some people I want you to meet.”

  “Really?” She questioned him with confusion marring her face.

  “Yes, come” Eric turned her towards Elsie and the girls, while he was holding the only person he considered a true parent his, his wife had gotten out of the car. “Janelle Artson. My wife Elsie and our daughters Mara Ella and Raelyn Janelle.”

  Janelle smiled at Elsie, “nice to finally meet you Elsie. I’ve enjoyed our conversations,” she said as she recognized the woman she had been talking to for the last six months.

  Eric looked from his Aunt to his wife. What had he missed?

  Elsie chuckled as she walked over to Janelle she embraced the woman. “You look just like your picture.”

  “So do you,” Janelle said as she returned her hug she had seen her picture online also and thought she was a lovely young woman. She pulled back, “I never knew you were writing to Eric.”

  Elsie shrugged, “And I didn’t know he was your nephew.”

  Eric walked over to both women, “either of you want to tell me what’s going on.”

  Both laughed a little. “We have a lot to tell you,” Janelle said as she released Elsie “but first we have dinner to prepare. Come on inside. I can’t wait to spend time with my new family.”

  ***

  Mara walked into the room she would be staying in while visiting her new Aunt it was quite lovely with light yellow walls and a queen size bed with a lace and cream comforter on it. She walked over to the bed and placed her oversized bag on it. Her life had changed so much in the last week. Not only did she get a new sister but a Dad too. She knew she was too old to call Eric Dad but she would so Raelyn would know that he was both their Dad.

  “So do you like the room?” Janelle questioned as she walked into the room. It had been so long since she had had a teenage girl in her home.

  Mara looked at Janelle; she seemed nervous about her, Mara, being in the room “it’s very nice.”

  Janelle walked over to the bed and placed the clean sheets she had in her hands on the bed “I’m glad you like it. My daughter Avery painted it before she left for California.”

  “Oh” Mara said, as she removed her bag from the bed and pulled the comforter off to start making the bed.

  “Yes she has very demanding job which means she doesn’t visit much.” She said as she helped Mara make the bed. “If you like you can change the color in here. I’d like for you to think of this as your second home.”

  Mara stilled, “are you sure?” She had just meet Janelle she didn’t want to come into her home and change things especially something which belonged to her daughter.

  Janelle finished making the bed she nodded, “the room needs some updating and who better to do it than my new niece.”

  Mara smiled at her, “thanks. I’ll talk to my Mom and Eric about it.”

  “Good. Now I’m going to go check dinner.”

  “Are my Mom and Eric still walking around the farm?” Mara questioned. Once Eric had shown them around the house he had pulled her mother outside. Mara knew they wanted some alone time so she had stayed in the house with her Aunt and sister.

  Janelle chuckled slightly, she was positive; Eric was doing more than showing Elsie around the farm. “I believe so. Now you settle in and don’t worry about Raelyn I’ll see to her.”

  Mara nodded wondering what her mother and Eric were up to.

  ***

  “That is Henry Jack. I learned from my Uncle Avery how to ride on his father Jack Henry” Eric said he stood behind Elsie. He had her caged between the horse coral and his body. “He’s a sweet horse I will have to saddle him up and we take a ride,” as he pressed his body closer to hers. God, sh
e smelled so good.

  Elsie licked her lips as she turned her head slightly having Eric’s hard body pressed against her was making her wet in all the right places, “I have no clue how to ride.”

  Eric pressed closer to her, “then I will just have to place you on the horse than sit behind you with this lovely,” he placed his hand on her butt, “ass of yours pressed against me and we’ll have to ride together,” he finished as he lowered his head towards hers, “you smell so good,” he told her before his lips connected with hers.

  Elsie lifted her hand and placed it on Eric’s cheek he was the one who smelled and felt so good against her. She turned fully facing him God she wanted him so bad. She moaned into his mouth as his tongue passed over her teeth.

  Eric gripped her ass cheeks and lifted her. He wrapped her legs around his waist he’d waited six months to have this woman in his arms. He knew she couldn’t do anything for another five weeks but he wasn’t going to pass up a chance to make out with her. He pressed her back up against the fence he lifted his head slightly; “do you have any idea what you do to me.”

  Elsie licked her lips, “I can feel what I do to you” she swallowed “Eric-”

  “Mom, Eric? Auntie Jan-” Mara stilled she was not prepared to see her Mom and Eric like this. She turned her back to them thank goodness she hadn’t walked in on them doing something else “Auntie said dinner is ready and that Rae is getting fussy.”

  “Here we come,” Elsie said as she lowered her legs. She slide down Eric’s body making sure to touch him very slowly.

  “You were so wrong for that,” he said on a groan.

  Elsie winked at him “coming?”

  “Yeah, in a minute,” he kissed her then turned and started walking he needed to cool down before he pulled her into the barn and had his wicked way with her.

  Elsie sighed deeply as she watched him walk away his ass was something people wrote songs about. She bit her lower lip oh how she wished she could find a secluded spot and suck him dry then beg him to take her. She turned away from his retreating back and walked over to her daughter, “is your room nice?” She questioned needing something to think about other than her husband.

  Mara nodded, as she and her mother headed towards the house she was willing to change the subject and not talk about what she had just seen. “Yes. It’s Aunt Jan’s daughter’s room. It’s pretty,” She replied.

  “Well, that’s nice,” Elsie stated as she stopped at the back door of the house. She faced her daughter “Mara before we head in I want to talk to you.”

  “Ok”

  “Are you ok? A lot has changed in the last week. From the baby to my marriage, I just want to make sure you’re ok.”

  Mara gave her mother a half smile, “yeah a lot has changed but all of them have been happy changes. Eric is cool and he makes you happy which makes me happy.”

  Elsie nodded; she took her daughter’s hand in hers “at anytime you don’t feel ok you will tell me right?”

  Mara nodded knowing her mother would always be there for her just like Eric.

  Chapter 4

  “Eric did what?!” Joanna questioned, as she got out of the bed. She had been partying most of the night with her new man Eddie. She never thought her daughter would be calling to tell her, her son was married; “when did all this happen,” she questioned as she picked up her dress off the floor she needed to get home then head to Janelle’s she knew that was where her son would be.

  “He didn’t say but Mom there’s-”

  “I can’t believe that boy. I get rid of one whore only to have him marry another” Joanna said with distain.

  “Mom I know.”

  “You should if it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t have had the leverage I needed to get the woman out of Eric’s life.” Maggie was a pill and Joanna didn’t want to be bothered with the woman. She pulled her dress over her head and stood she headed towards the bedroom door.

  “You know I was eager to help; especially when Maggie convinced Eric that he needed to move away from us. She was just like Aunt Janelle wanting to control his life and cut us out of it.” Maggie had thought Eric was placing his career and future on the line pulling her and sometimes her mother out of one situation after another. Julia thought it was his duty as the man of the family to help her and her mother.

  Joanna walked into the living room and picked up her bag off the coffee table, “I’m headed home to shower then I’m heading over to Janelle’s. Its time I meet my new problem,” Joanna said as she headed out of the house.

  ***

  Janelle chuckled as she watched Elsie remove Eric’s hand from her behind. All through dinner Eric had been staring at his wife. Giving her the kind of looks her husband Avery had given her until the day he died. “So the county fair opened tonight and I think Mara and Elsie would love to go.” A little family time would be good for them.

  “Can we go?” Mara asked her parents. It had been so long since she and her mother had done anything as fun as a county fair.

  Elsie looked at Eric over her shoulder dinner was put away, the dishwasher was running and Rae was already fed and placed in her portable crib “sounds like fun.”

  Eric stepped behind Elsie he placed a hand on either side of her trapping her between the center island counter and himself he bent his head and kissed her lightly on the lip he lifted his head, “do I get to ride on the Ferris Wheel with you?”

  Elsie smiled at him, “yes,” she moved back a little and ground her amble bottom into his groin.

  “You are so going to pay for that,” he replied.

  “You two do know I’m sitting right here, right?” Mara questioned, hoping her parents would cool down some.

  Eric looked at his daughter, “sorry kid.”

  She nodded, hoping they could go to the fair so she could give her parents some time alone. She was old enough to wonder around the fair by herself plus her mother kept her, Mara’s, phone’s GPS on so she could find her no matter where she was.

  Eric looked at his Aunt, “I would love for us to go but Rae is still so young.”

  “Oh honey, I’m not going. The fair at night time is for the young and married. An old woman like me is going to stay at home and babysit,” Janelle told them.

  Mara clapped excitedly, “please. Please can we go?”

  Eric chuckled, “sure kid we can go. Go grab a jacket.”

  “Yes!” Mara stood she was about to head out of the kitchen when a woman walked in blocking her exit.

  “And you are?”

  Eric stepped away from Elsie, he walked around the counter and over to Mara “sweetie, go get your jacket.”

  Mara nodded, she rushed passed the woman who was staring at her. She had a feeling she didn’t want to be anywhere near this woman and anything she had to say.

  “What are you doing here mother?” Eric questioned; he had not expected to see his mother so soon. He knew Julia would call her but he’d hoped he would have the evening before he had to deal with her.

  “Well my son has gotten married and I have to hear it from others instead of hearing it from you,” Joanna said as she walked into the kitchen. When she had walked into the house she had heard the conversation, the laughter and become furious. That should be her hosting her son not Janelle.

  “Well the last time I called you didn’t answer.”

  “Jimmy and I were heading out and I didn’t have time to talk.”

  “I was in a war zone. I didn’t call to shot the shit. I called because I needed to hear a voice from home and I was concerned about you” his mother had gotten deeper and deeper into her club and because of it she was doing things she had no business doing.

  “I was fine and what kind of psycho babble are you spouting? I needed to hear a voice from home.’ You’re an Army Ranger you don’t need anything. What you need to do is your job, which I don’t condone, and come back home. Something you obviously did because you are standing before me. Plus you were calling Janelle that should have
been enough.”

  “She is not my mother.”

  “She acts like it; especially since you are in her home with your wife.” She shook her head, “I can’t believe you got married and I knew nothing about it. I hope the young thing that just left this room isn’t who you married. There are laws against something like that.”

  Eric shook his head he turned from his mother and walked over to Elsie. He took her hand in his “please come meet my mother.”

  Elsie nodded, she was not sure she wanted to meet this woman.

  Eric turned and with Elsie by his side walked back over to his mother, “Joanna Reynolds this is my wife Elsie.”

  Joanna looked at the woman before her. “Are you serious?”

  “Mother”

  “Have you lost your mind? I don’t want half breeded grandchildren,” she shook her head, “I will not be grandmother to -”

  “Say one more word and I will beat you down right here and now,” Elsie said. She had never heard such vile words from someone a day in her life.

  Eric wrapped his arms around his wife; he kissed her temple “mother I think you should leave.”

  “I’m not afraid of this overweight low budget-”

  “Low budget?” Elsie seethed, “you look as if the last time you had a shower was three weeks ago. You smell of weed-”

  “I figured you’d know what weed smelled like.”

  “And I should have known you would know where to get low budget weed from; because you are definitely not smoking the good stuff.”

  “Who-”

  “Don’t!” Elsie held up her hand she was done with this conversation and this woman, “who I think I’m talking to is a woman who cares nothing about her son or his wellbeing.” Elsie removed Eric’s arms from around her body, “I’m going to check on my children. I know this is not my home but I don’t want to come back down and you be here,” she said as she walked around the woman and headed out of the kitchen.

  “I can’t believe you allowed her to talk to me like that,” Joanna told Eric.

  Eric shook his head his wife had stood up for him just like he had stood up for her in the hospital. He walked towards his mother, “yeah, I did and I’ll let her do it again anytime you disrespect her or our children.” He said as he rounded her and headed out of the kitchen.