by Tate Jackson
“Don’t do that! That’s not why I’m leaving. I’ll be back soon,” he said, kissing her before running out the door.
“Where are you going, Pop?” she heard one of the boys call out.
“I’ll be back,” he called across the yard.
A minute later, she watched him drive off in one of the big pickups. She had no idea what he was doing, but she knew them calling him ‘Pop’ had floored him. When he came back an hour later, he had the truck bed full of bags of concrete. He unloaded them and left again. He came back with another load and left again. When he came back again, he had a third load of concrete.
“What are you doing?” she finally had to ask.
“You’ll see.”
After six more loads of concrete, he pulled in with six basketball posts and two goals.
“You’re building them a basketball court?”
“Yes, but don’t tell the boys yet. I want to surprise them. Where are they anyway?” he asked, looking around.
“On the other side of the creek with everyone else.”
“Good, go tell them to spend the night there and not to come home until one of us comes and gets them.”
When she came back, he’d already stripped a 60’ by 30’ spot flat in the side yard and was putting wood forms together for the concrete to be poured into.
“It’s awful big for a home court.”
“For them, it has to be.”
“Do you want me to go get Potter and Leso to help you?”
“No, I want to do it myself.” He said, and continued placing the forms. “Why?”
“Because they’re my kids, and I want to build their basketball court.” She smiled. “Okay, be my guest. Since you don’t want any help, I’m going to go watch a movie.”
“Okay,” he said, picking up all the goal posts and going around the back of the house.
***
When she came back out three hours later, it was nearly dark, and he was done. She had expected to see six basketball goals, what she found was two, one on either side of the court, and each one thirty feet high. “What did you do?”
“I welded three posts together for each goal.”
“Why?”
“Because, regulation height is only ten feet. What are our boys going to do with a ten foot goal? I had to make it higher for them to be able to really play.”
She noticed that he had called them ‘our boys’.
“You really put some thought into this, didn’t you?”
“Yes. Do you think they’ll like it?”
“They’re gonna love it,” she said, kissing him.
“What did you cook? The smells have been driving me crazy.”
“I made two pans of chicken pot pie. I can’t smell it out here, though.”
“Well, I can smell it like its right under my nose. Is it ready?” he asked, walking with her into the house.
“Yes, it’s just cooling.”
“It’s cool enough,” he said, scooping up as much pot pie as he could onto his plate. “I love actually being hungry again.”
“So, you don’t miss the blood thirst?”
“Hell no, I don’t miss it! What I missed was food.”
He shoveled the pot pie into his mouth and refilled his plate.
“You weren’t kidding about being a big eater,” she said, watching him start on the second pot pie.
“I told you I was a big eater?”
“Well, the first Richard I met told me that.”
Before he could say anything else, Potter walked through the door.
“I know you’re not eating my pot pie too,” he said, grabbing a plate and sitting down.
“I didn’t know Jenny made the pot pie.”
Putting food onto a plate, Potter said, “Beck made it.”
“Exactly. My wife, my pot pie.”
“Beck’s not actually your wife,” Potter corrected him.
Richard reached across the table and punched him.
“Stop hitting him,” Beck insisted.
“Then he needs to shut up. We’ve gotten married twice.”
“No. Another Richard married another Beck in a different past. This Beck married a different Richard in an alternate time, but you two have never been married.”
Taking a bite of her food, Beck agreed. “He’s right.” She had never thought of it like that.
“Yes, he is right. So, will you marry me?”
When she looked over, he was holding a ring box out to her. In the box was a beautiful diamond ring. He slid his chair back and got down on one knee.
“Beck, I have loved you for 120 years. When I lost you to the future, something in me died. When I found you again, you literally gave my life back to me. Will you do me the honor of spending it with me?”
Her heart was racing in her chest. “Yes.”
He took off her wedding band, and slid the diamond ring onto her finger. “Thank you, Little One,” he said pulling her into his arms.
“You two set me up,” she said, wiping her eyes when Richard released her.
Potter smiled. “Just a little bit.”
“I can’t believe you two did that to me.”
“I can’t believe you agreed to marry him again,” Potter laughed.
Watching the diamond sparkle in the light, she asked, “When did you get the ring.”
“I bought yours forty years ago in Paris. Leso bought his at a jewelry shop in the mall when we went the other day.”
“Leso’s going to ask Bev to marry him?” she squealed excitedly.
“He’s asking her tonight. He wanted to ask her the same day I asked you.”
“That’s so sweet.”
“So, how do you want to celebrate our engagement?”
“I’ll show you. Come on. I’ll race you to the cliff,” she said, and ran out of the house with him right behind her.
Chapter Sixteen
Bev screamed when Beck came into the kitchen the next morning, “I’m getting married!” She danced over to Beck and showed her ring.
“Oh, it’s beautiful,” Beck said. “Congratulations!”
“Leso said Richard was asking you, too.”
“He did,” she replied and showed Bev her ring.
“Beck, we have to have a double wedding.”
“That’s a great idea.” It would be fun to have a double ceremony with Bev.
“I’ll call Rev. Bryce and find out what will be the best time for him to perform the ceremony.”
“You sure you want to do that? You know he’ll tell Mom and Dad.”
“We can’t have someone else do it. It would hurt Rev. Bryce’s feelings if he found out.”
“You’re right. Go ahead and call him.”
She would have to deal with her parents one last time. Bev went to call the reverend, and Richard came in from outside.
“The concrete is dry. Potter went to get the boys,” he told her and ran back outside like a kid. She got up and followed him outside. There were two basketballs sitting in the middle of the court.
“Here they come,” he said.
A few seconds later, Potter and the boys stepped into the yard.
“Cool!” the boys exclaimed.
Potter told them, “Richard built it for you.”
“Thanks, Pop!” they said, running to the court.
She could feel a thrill go through Richard when they called him Pop. She watched Tiarnán pick up one of the basketballs and slam dunk it into one of the thirty foot goals. She would never again be impressed by NBA players. They had nothing on her boys.
“Hey, Pop. Aren’t you going to play?” they asked.
“Yeah, sure,” he said happily, and jumped across the yard onto the court.
Soon Potter was playing, too. She watched them play for a while until Bev called her into the house.
“Rev. Bryce said he could do it in two weeks. I told him that would be fine.”
“That works for me. Do you need to do the wedding dress
thing?”
“Lord, no! It’s way too hot for that. I was thinking maybe just a couple of nice white dresses. What do you think?”
“Sounds great. We can go shopping for them today if you want to,” Beck suggested.
“Okay. Let me just go tell Leso where we’re going.” Bev ran out of the room.
Beck grabbed a pitcher of sweet tea and some glasses to take out to the guys, and she wanted to tell Richard she was leaving. The crowd on the court had grown. Now Christov, Gavin, Patrick, Gunner, Conor, Harley, Bruce, Jeremy, and Séamus were playing now, too. Charley and Susie were sitting by the court watching the game. Charley was all of 5’ tall with long, light brown hair and hazel eyes. Susie was much taller with blonde hair and blue eyes. Both of them were beautiful.
“Bev and I are going shopping for dresses,” she called to Richard.
Tossing the basketball through the hoop, he nodde, “Okay.”
“Do you two want to come with us?” she asked the girls.
“I would,” Charley said, popping off the ground.
Susie chimed in, “Me too.”
“Where’s Alexis?” Beck asked Harley.
“She’s across the creek.”
“Do you think she would want to go?”
Harley laughed, “Please! Watch this.” He yelled loudly, “Alexis! Beck is going clothes shopping. Do you want to go?!” Not ten seconds later, Alexis burst out of the path from the woods, purse in hand. “I’m here. I’m ready.”
“I knew you wouldn’t miss a chance to go shopping,” Harley laughed again.
“Be quiet, Harley,” Alexis said.
Jenny yelled, “Wait for us,” as she, Saphira, and Heidi came running out of the woods as well.
The three of them, along with Bev, rode in one car. Charley, Susie, and Alexis rode with Beck.
Beck started talking to Susie. “You know, I was shocked as hell to hear that Bruce got married. You do know what he use to be like, don’t you?”
“You mean about all of the brothels he used to go to?” Susie laughed.
“Yes, that’s exactly what I mean. I’m glad he finally settled down. Where did you two meet?”
Susie laughed again. “In a brothel.”
“You worked in a brothel?” Beck asked surprised.
“I did. Bruce came in one night, and we’ve been together ever since.”
“I never thought about vampyres working in brothels.”
Susie shook her head. “I wasn’t a vampyre then. Bruce changed me.”
“He did what?!”
“Calm down, Beck. He didn’t just jump on me and bite me. We were together for three years when I got sick. I didn’t know what was wrong with me, just that I was really tired all the time. I didn’t have any energy, and all I wanted to do was sleep. I don’t know how he knew so soon, but one day Richard came into my room and told me I wasn’t going to get any better.
“He said I was going to die and that I needed to make a choice: Did I want to die as a human or live as a vampyre? He said to really think about it, because once I had made the choice to be a vampyre that it couldn’t be changed. I guess that didn’t apply to him, though, since he’s a hunter now.
“Anyway, three weeks later, the pain in my stomach started. Bruce came to me a few days later and told me the same thing that Richard had told me weeks before. He said I was going to die and asked me what I wanted to do. I chose to stay with Bruce, and here I am.”
She knew how Richard had known Susie was dying before anyone else. Before he’d known he could feed on animals, he’d spent the first year of his life as a vampyre feeding only on humans that were dying. He had learned the scent well.
“You made the right choice, Susie. Bruce is a good man. How did you meet Harley, Alexis?”
Alexis was a stone-cold fox. She had a model’s body, cat eyes, and long black hair that fell to her waist. “He used to watch my sister’s kids. I knew him for a year before I even knew he was a vampyre. I had him change me for the same reason you became a hunter, so I could be with him forever.”
Beck agreed. “Always a good reason.”
“I was already a vampyre when I met Jeremy,” Charley offered. “My family was in a head on collision in 1963. My parents and my brother were killed, and I was paralyzed from the waist down. I spent eleven months in the hospital. I was only eighteen when they released me. I didn’t have any family that was willing to take me in, so I was sent to a convalescent home.
“I was still there a year later when a nurse named Sarah came to work at the home. She was really nice. She would come in and talk to me every day. After a while, we became really close. One day, I was telling her how I would rather be dead than live like I was living, and she told me that it didn’t have to be that way. She told me what she was and that if I wanted her to, she could change me. I told her that being a vampyre had to be better than living in that home. She took me from the home that night and turned me.”
“If you gave it a little more time, you would’ve adjusted,” Beck said.
“I know that now, but it didn’t seem that way then. I was young and couldn’t see a way out from where I was. I’ve never regretted my decision, though. This life has been good to me. It brought me Jeremy and a new family. I’m happy.”
“Beck, Susie and I want to thank you,” Alexis said out of nowhere.
“For what?”
Susie looked at Alexis, who nodded, then told Beck, “For saving our husbands. If it weren’t for you, they wouldn’t be here, and neither would we.”
“Oh, well, you’re welcome, I guess,” Beck blushed uncomfortably. She hadn’t actually saved Bruce and Harley for them, but was glad they had found each other.
They met back up with the others when they got to the mall. “Bev said we’re shopping for dresses. Are you sure you don’t want to wear a wedding dress?” Heidi asked.
Beck said with conviction, “I’m sure.”
“It’s your wedding, I guess. Are you going to have bridesmaids?” Jenny asked.
Beck smiled, “I thought we could share all of you. You, Saphira, and Heidi can be my bridesmaids, and Charley, Susie, and Alexis can be Bev’s.”
“Is that okay with you, Bev?” Charley asked.
Bev smiled, “Yes, that’s what I was thinking, too.”
“Cool! Now let’s go get those dresses,” Alexis exclaimed happily.
***
“Do you know we’re getting married in two weeks?” Leso asked Richard when the basketball game was over.
“No, I didn’t know when it would be. Are you nervous?””
“No, I just wish it could be sooner, but Bev called their Reverend and that was the soonest he would be available.”
“Reverend Bryce?” Richard asked, startled.
“Yes, why?”
He recalled Beck’s memories of their last wedding and of her parents showing up. “He’s going to tell their parents about the wedding.”
“That’s what Bev said, too. Maybe they won’t show up since they’re not invited,” Leso said hopefully.
Richard shook his head. “They’ll show up. You can count on it.”
“Maybe we can just kill them,” Leso grinned.
“Don’t think I haven’t considered it.”
Leso was surprised. “Have you really?”
“Yes, I have. They’re horrible, cruel people. The way they treated Beck when she was growing up was deplorable.”
“I know Bev can’t stand them. She hasn’t so much as spoken to them in years.”
“Beck hadn’t either, until they showed up at our last wedding. It wasn’t exactly what you would have called a happy reunion.”
“We’ll figure out something to do with them. Don’t worry about it. By the way, it looks like you’re getting on well with the boys. They love that basketball court you built them.”
“I liked building it for them. They’re good boys,” Richard said.
“I guess they just needed a family structure. Maybe
they’ll be able to grow up now.”
“Not too fast, I hope.”
“I take it you like being a father.”
“I didn’t think I would, but I really do. They call me ‘Pop’,” Richard told him, pride ringing in his voice.
“That doesn’t bother you?”
“Not at all. I like it.”
Leso smiled. “You do know that they’re actually older than you, don’t you?”
“I know, but I was older than them when I was changed into a vampyre, so I’m actually twelve years older than them.”
“Whatever makes you happy, I guess.”
Richard joked, “Maybe you can steal a baby for you and Bev to raise.”
“Ha, ha…Very funny. No thanks. If it’s all the same to you, I’ll just stick with being Uncle Leso.”
“You don’t know what you’re missing.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
***
“Are you sure you don’t mind that all the bridesmaid’s dresses don’t match?” Jenny asked after they returned home.
“I couldn’t care less,” Beck said. “You all look wonderful in the dresses you picked out. It’s only going to be the family and the hunters anyway.”
“You’re right, and I do look good in my dress,” Jenny giggled.
Beck agreed. “Potter will love you in it.”
They’d shopped for so long that it was dark when they finally got home. She’d stopped and got them twenty pizzas on the way home, and everyone that could eat was out on the porch. She walked outside to get a piece before it was gone.
“I thought you and your flock of females must have been planning to spend the night at the mall,” Richard half-scolded, handing her a piece of pizza. “I tried to call you, but you didn’t answer the phone.”
“I saw that you tried to call. I ignored it. Don’t you know that you never interrupt a woman while she’s shopping?”
“What if it had been an emergency?”
“If it had been an emergency, you wouldn’t have called. You would have been there. I heard your voice message. That it was after 6:00 p.m. and there was no dinner does not constitute an emergency.”