Romance: Seducing The Quarterback

by Stacie Duncan

  The waitress came over and the three ordered lunch. Kate fidgeted with her napkin in her lap. Jonathan remained preoccupied with his bear, not looking at either adult.

  “Where is your house from here?” Kate asked.

  “Orangevale is about an hour north and east from here. It’s a cute town. I think you and Jonathan will like it.” Michael smiled at Jonathan. The child stared at his food, not looking up.

  “I have made arrangements for us.” Michael continued, looking at Kate.

  Kate shook her head “No.” “Can we talk about this in private?” Kate asked.

  “Of course.” Michael sipped his coffee.

  “How old are you,” Jonathan looked at the man across the table.

  “Jonathan!” Kate scolded.

  “It’s okay. I’m 50.” Michael answered.

  “Oh.” Jonathan thought the Michael looked ancient. His grey hair and the grey suit, along with the crow’s feet around his eyes made him look as old as Jonathan’s grandfather. “How do you know my mom?”

  Michael looked Kate for help. “Like I told you before, Michael is a family friend. He has agreed to help us out since Daddy died in the war.” Kate lied. She didn’t think it was appropriate to tell her son that she had answered an ad in the paper for a man looking for a bride.

  Michael smiled at Jonathan. Jonathan looked back and pulled his bear into his chest.

  “What is your bear’s name?” Michael asked.

  “Simon.” Jonathan stroked the bear’s head.

  The three finished their lunch and little small talk. Michael paid the check and the three walked back to the car.

  Chapter Two

  The Chevy pulled into the driveway of the two-story house. Two large orange trees and several camellia bushes filled the large front yard. A rope swing hung from one of the orange trees.

  “Home, sweet home,” Michael proclaimed as he turned off the engine. “Let’s go in and get settled. I will bring the bags in the house later.”

  When Michael opened the door and Kate stepped in, she stood in the foyer and took in her new home. It was simple, but not without its charms. Michael had nice furniture and a television in the front room. There was a lack of photos or anything on the walls. A cross breeze through the windows cooled the living room. “Nice,” Kate smiled at Michael.

  “Let me show you the rest.” Michael led the two strangers through the kitchen, dining room, den and then upstairs to the bedrooms. There were three. The smallest one had been painted light blue and had a small twin bed. Wooden letters spelling out J-O-N-A-T-H-A-N hung along one wall. “This is your room,” Michael swept his are wide and looked at Jonathan for acceptance.

  “Thanks,” Jonathan said.

  They walked down the hall, “This is the master bedroom.” Michael opened the door to a large room. There was a double bed with a quilt in the middle of the room. Two night tables flanked the bed, a large, heavy dresser lined a wall, and the closet was cracked slightly open. Kate scanned the room. “And the other one?” she asked.

  “I use it as a guest room occasionally.” Michael walked down the hall. “Bathroom is here,” he pointed out on the way.

  Kate swallowed. The guest room was not made up. This meant Michael was assuming that they would sleep in the same bed starting tonight. They hadn’t discussed this in their letters. They had talked about other things: How Matthew was killed in the war, how Kate struggled to support her and Jonathan, how Michael had never married, how they were both lonely, Kate’s fears that she would have to put Jonathan in an orphanage if she couldn’t find financial help, how Michael had wanted a wife but never met the right girl. But they hadn’t talked about sleeping arrangements or sex.

  “Can you get the bags? I want to change.” Kate asked. She would get them herself, but lifting the trunks in her suit and heels would be difficult, at best.

  “Of course,” Michael descended the stairs and opened the front door. Kate stood in the upstairs hallway, just looking at thing.

  “I need to go to the bathroom,” Jonathan whispered.

  “Of course, sweetie. It’s right there.” Kate indicated the bathroom in the hall. Jonathan closed the door.

  Michael reached the landing carrying the two duffle bags. He walked right into the Master bedroom and set them on the floor. “I have cleared three drawers in the dresser for you. There is also space in the closet.” He exited to get the trunks.

  Kate sat on the bed and took off her heels. Stress flowed from her body. She had been in those heels for three days on the train from Kansas. She rubbed her feet on the rag tied rug. Michael entered the room with a trunk. He set it at the foot of the bed. He was sweating. “Thank you. The other trunk and the box have Jonathan’s belongings,” Kate smiled weakly.

  “Okay. I will bring them up for him.” Michael puffed and wiped his brow. They heard the toilet flush down the hall. Jonathan appeared. “I will have your stuff in your room in just a minute, buddy.” Michael smiled at him then walked back downstairs.

  Jonathan came in to the master bedroom and hugged his mother. “It’s okay,” Kate stroked his head. “This will take some getting used to, but Michael is a good man. He will take care of us.” Kate stroked her son’s hair, trying to comfort him as much as herself.

  When she heard Michael set the trunk in Jonathan’s room, Kate stood up. “Go get changed,” she instructed. Jonathan walked back to his new room. Kate closed the door and opened a duffle bag. She dug around looking for a housedress. She pulled one out and laid it on the bed. She took off her traveling jacket, unbuttoned her blouse, and slipped out of her skirt. She stood there in her slip, sticking to her hips and breasts with sweat.

  There was a soft knock on the door. “I’m changing.”

  “Can I come in?” Michael’s voice was soft.

  “Just a minute, please.” Kate pulled off her slip and pulled on the housedress. She ran her fingers through her hair. “Come in.”

  Michael entered. “You are more beautiful than the photos you sent.” He said as he stood there admiring his new bride. “I brought you a glass of water.”

  “Oh, thank you. Thank you for both.” Kate smiled sincerely for the first time since arriving in Sacramento. She took the hobnailed glass and sipped the water. It was cold and tasted wonderful in this heat. “Thank you.”

  Michael smiled. “I assume you and Jonathan might need a bit of rest before dinner. You have had a long journey.”

  “Yes, that would be nice.” Kate was relieved. It was overwhelming to meet Michael in person, see the new city she would be living in, move into a new house and try and keep herself together in front of her son.

  “I will leave you be.” Michael said. He took the empty glass and closed the door behind him.

  Kate hung up her traveling suit in the closet. She crossed the room and sat on the bed. This was her new life. This meant Matthew must really be gone. She had received the Army’s telegram four years, seven months, and five days ago. It said Matthew had been killed in Japan while fighting for his country. The Army did not have the body to return because of the way he died, but they left details vague. She had a flag and a telegram from her country as a thank you for her husband’s service.

  She held a funeral six weeks after the telegram arrived. A picture of Matthew sat on an empty coffin. His service was praised. She sat in the front row, dressed in black, holding Jonathan on her lap. She listened to the eulogy. It didn’t seem real. There was no body. There was no one to bury. It couldn’t be real.

  The military was supposed to provide a small payment for Matthew’s death, but it had been delayed. There was some confusion about social security numbers. His death certificate had been delayed because there was no body. Proving she was a war widow became difficult. Eight months after she received the telegram a check showed up in the mail. They had printed the wrong name: Matthew G. Summers. Her husband was Matthew Summers, no middle name. The bank didn’t argue with the extra G when she cashed the check. She needed
the money and didn’t want to fight for another eight months to get the “G” deleted.

  That pension carried her and Jonathan for two years. She found ways to stretch her funds: planted a small garden for fresh vegetables, canned for the winter months, took a part-time job at the local diner in town to help pay bills. It hadn’t been enough. Three and a half years after her husband died the money ran too short.

  Her mother had passed a decade before. Her father lived in the home for veterans from the first war, surviving on the small pension from the government. She had no siblings. Her husband’s family had become distant since Matthew’s death. She had run out of options.

  One afternoon after her shift at the diner, she stopped by the local VFW and picked up a paper. In the back there were advertisements from men looking to marry war widows. She answered three of the ads. It felt low-class and dirty to her but she couldn’t look for a husband in Avondale. The men were friends of Matthew’s or her family. They knew she was a war widow. Any marriage would be seen as an act of pity by the potential groom. She scanned the war widow ads and selected men as far from Avondale as possible.

  Traveling got the best of her. Kate lay down on the bed. This felt like a betrayal to Matthew. She was lying on another man’s bed. A bed she was supposed to share with someone who was not her husband. Tears ran silently down her cheek. She drifted off to a fitful sleep.

  Chapter Three

  Kate heard a soft knock on the door. She stirred. The clock on the bedside table read 6:30. Michael entered. “How are you feeling?”

  Kate raised herself to a seated position. “Better, thank you. I didn’t sleep much on the train.”

  “I have dinner ready if you and Jonathan are hungry.” Michael gently touched her shoulder.

  A soft smile came over Kate’s lips. “Thank you. We will be down in a moment.”

  Michael left. Kate felt her body slowly awaken. Her hips and lower back were still sore from sitting the coach train seats for three days. She stood and looked for her brush in her purse. She walked to the bathroom and combed her hair. Looking at her reflection, she softly spoke to herself, “You have to do this. This is the only way to keep your son. Matthew is dead. You need to be a grown-up.”

  She walked to Jonathan’s room and walked in. He was sitting on the bed playing with Simon. “Dinner is ready,” she said.

  “Ok. What are we eating?” he asked.

  “Whatever Mr. White has prepared. I don’t know.” Kate said. Her look told her son that he was to be thankful for whatever was on the table.

  * * * * *

  That evening, after Jonathan was in bed, Kate and Michael sat in the living room. The delta breeze was cooling off Orangevale and it was pleasant. Kate was relieved. Arriving when it was 85 out in April made her fear a long summers of nights too hot to sleep. The coolness soothed her.

  “I have made an appointment with the county clerk in Reno on Monday. We can leave Jonathan with my sister and drive up on Sunday. That way, there is no waiting period and no physical exam required for the license. We can be back Monday night.” Michael looked at Kate, wondering what she thought of this.

  “Ok. Thank you.” Kate’s eyes passed from Michael to the floor and back.

  “Is this what you want?” Michael asked. Kate’s demeanor in person was not matching her letters of the last few months. When Michael suggested she move to California and they wed, Kate’s letter seemed very enthusiastic. She had talked about wanting to marry him, to make a home, and her skills as a homemaker. Michael had expected her to show up and be overjoyed at finally meeting in person. The woman he met today at the train station seemed quiet, reserved, and unhappy.

  “Yes, yes I do.” Kate smiled and made eye contact with Michael.

  “You seem… unsure.” Michael replied.

  “I’m sorry, I guess I am just tired from a long journey. I am sure after a good night’s sleep I will be more myself. I am glad to be here and I do want to marry you.” Kate smiled and placed her hand on Michael’s knee.

  The two finished their decaf and ascended the stairs together for bed. Michael followed Kate into the master bedroom and shut the door. Kate felt the click of the door run through her body.

  “We don’t have to have sex right away. I just thought we should get in the habit of sleeping next to one another,” Michael looked apologetically at his bride-to-be. He had vacillated about setting up the guest bedroom for Kate. He wanted her in his bed and decided it would be easier if they just started there rather than have to change sleeping arrangements down the line. Seeing her standing in his room, shoulders stiff and face drawn taunt with concern, he began to think he had miscalculated. “Of course, if you want, I can set up the guest bed tonight.”

  Kate thought about this. She would prefer a private bed tonight. But she knew if she was to ever sleep with Michael that she had to start somewhere. It had been five years since she lay next to a man and drifted off to sleep. In Kansas, there were so many nights she got herself to sleep by envisioning Matthew wrapped around her, holding her close. For a while after she got the telegram about his death she believed that she felt his spirit wrapping around her at night.

  “No, no. It’s okay. It will just take a little time to get used to all of this,” Kate said. She rifled through a duffle, looking for a nightgown. She pulled one out. “I will be right back.” She walked down the hall to the bathroom and changed. She was not ready for another man to see her naked. She washed her face, brushed her teeth, and returned to the bedroom.

  Michael was in bed in pajamas. “Thank god he is not naked,” she thought to herself. Kate lifted the sheets and climbed between them. “Good night. And thank you,” Kate placed her hand on Michael’s thigh under the cover.

  “I am glad you are here,” Michael said as he turned off the light.

  Chapter Four

  The next four days consisted of settling into a routine and getting to know Orangevale and Michael’s sister. Ruth was two years older than her brother and lived about a mile from him. She was married to a charming large animal vet in town and they had chickens and sheep on their property. She welcomed Kate and Jonathan with open arms. The first day Kate and Jonathan went to meet Ruth she had just finished baking chocolate chip cookies. She had purchased a fire truck toy for Jonathan and a beautiful double-skirted apron for Kate. She was warm and welcoming and made Kate feel much better about her decision to marry Michael.

  Kate spent time familiarizing herself with Michael’s house. She learned the quirks of the stove, was instructed on how to use the microwave (something she never used in Kansas), and began to learn how Michael had organized his belongings. She began making meals for the family and began to figure out what Michael would and would not eat.

  Sunday morning arrived. Kate repacked a duffle bag with clothes for an overnight stay, the suit she would wear to the courthouse, and a small wrapped package for Michael. The three set off for Ruth’s house about noon. They dropped Jonathan off with Ruth and headed north to Reno.

  Monday morning arrived faster than Kate had planned. She and Michael got up, showered, and dressed for the courthouse. She wore a simple pale blue suit, a hat with a small veil which covered her eyes, and gloves. Michael was in a dark navy suit, a gold and blue silk tie, and highly polished wingtips.

  “Before we leave, I have something for you,” Kate produced the small wrapped box she had packed.

  “What’s this?” Michael asked.

  “I wanted to give you something on our wedding day.” Kate set the box in Michael’s hands. It was the first time she noticed how large they were. Large and strong and well-manicured.

  Michael smiled shyly and undid the bow. Inside the box was a small pair of cufflinks. They were silver initials, MW. “They are beautiful!” he smiled and hugged Kate.

  “Thank you. I thought you might like them. You said you liked cufflinks. I couldn’t afford gold, but I could get the silver ones,” Kate said apologetically.

  “They are
perfect,” Michael kissed his bride-to-be on the cheek.

  They both paused after the kiss. This was the first time they had kissed, even if it was only on the cheek. For the past five days, their physical contact had consisted of a hand on a thigh or shoulder and the incidental touching that occurred while sleeping together.

  Kate demurred and looked at the floor. She was a little embarrassed that the kiss felt good. She had not been touched by a man like this since Matthew deployed with his battalion. She knew in her head she missed this type of touching, but had forgotten how much she liked it.

  “I have something for you too,” Michael pulled a small box out of his pocket.

  Kate opened the velvet box. It had two rings: an engagement ring and her wedding ring. “Since I never got to give you a ring when I proposed…” Michael trailed off.

  The rings were stunning. The engagement ring was set on a thin gold band with a round cut diamond which had to be almost a carat. The wedding band interlaced with the engagement band. It was also thin and gold, and had two emerald cut diamonds which, when paired, flanked the big stone. The smaller diamonds had to be half a carat each. Kate had only seen things like this in high-end stores in Kansas. She had never thought about owning one.

  “Wow. Those are beautiful,” her voice was barely over a whisper. She stared at the rings in the box.

  Michael gently took the box from Kate and removed the engagement ring. “May I?” he asked, indicating her hand.

  Kate nodded. Michael took her hand and slipped on the engagement ring. It was about a half size too large, but not a bad fit for a first guess. Kate splayed out her fingers and stared at her hand. The diamond sparkled in the sunlight through the window. “Wow,” she smiled.

  “I am glad you like it,” Michael said. “Now, let’s go make this official.

  The two wed at City Hall with no pomp or circumstance. They left, ate at small diner on their way out of town, and headed back to Orangevale. Despite her misgivings and her continual gut feeling that she was somehow still married to Matthew, Kate found herself a bit elated at getting married.