Something Old, Something New

by Linda Louise Rigsbee

  “Ahem!” Joan interrupted, waving a tablet over her head. “I’m ready to start the questions.” Her friendly gaze fell on Carmen. “There are no right or wrong answers to these questions. They’re just for fun. Are you ready?”

  “Ready,” Carmen said, grateful for the diversion.

  “One…what do you consider your fiancé’s best feature to be?”

  Carmen thought about the question a moment. There were so many choices. “Do you mean facial feature?”

  “Woooo…” went around the room.

  Joan produced an exaggerated sigh. “Yes Carmen, let’s limit it to his face. We only have two hours.”

  Everyone giggled.

  “I guess I should have asked whether you meant a physical feature or personality,” Carmen clarified and then paused, thinking. “I’ll say his eyes.”

  “Hmm, the window to the soul,” Mums mused.

  “Those eyes,” Alice sighed. “Why do men always have the long dark eyelashes?”

  Katie groaned. “Alice, you do remember you’re already married, right?”

  “Next question,” Joan interrupted again. “Two … what is your greatest fear about getting married?”

  Seven pair of eyes landed on Carmen as she considered the question. Finally she shrugged.

  “I guess my greatest fear is that he will be disappointed in me.”

  Joan used the tablet as a shield, as if hiding her comment from Carmen while informing the entire room.

  “He hasn’t sampled her…wares…yet.”

  Mary’s tone was sarcastic as she glanced up from the magazine in her lap.

  “If you can lie on your back for five minutes, he won’t be disappointed.”

  Carmen felt the flush start up her face again. “Actually, I was referring to the fact that he’s so sophisticated and I’m such a hick.”

  Much about Alex was shrouded in the past. When they met he was still a high ranking salesman for a large corporation. He was accustomed to being around sophisticated people, and she was anything but that. Any fears about sex were mostly restricted to the first time. At twenty-five, that kind of thing wouldn’t be an issue for most women. Maybe if she hadn’t been such a hermit…but no. Being ultra conservative and religious didn’t make her parents wrong. Sometimes it was difficult to know which virtues they taught her were worthy and which were simply outdated. Everyone seemed to have a different perspective on what was morally acceptable, especially when it came to sex. That was one reason why they never had a television when she was growing up.

  “Well,” Saundra said, uncrossing her long skinny legs. “I don’t think Alex is too impressed with sophistication.”

  Katie snorted. “I can guarantee that.”

  ”Number three,” Joan interrupted again. “If he were a tree,” she started to giggle and lowered the tablet. “What kind would he be?”

  Carmen crossed her eyes and then laughed. “A tree? Let’s see. She gave it some thought and then answered. “How about a hickory?”

  “Why a hickory tree?” Alice asked.

  Carmen turned her palms up. “He’s well formed, slender, not too tall, and strong - but bends with the wind.”

  Alice clapped her hands. “Very good! But I’d think a petite woman like you would consider him tall. He’s about 6 inches taller than you, isn’t he?”

  Carmen nodded. “Yeah, but he’s still only five-nine.”

  “And he’s slight of build,” Mary added. “The two of you together wouldn’t weigh 150 pounds soaking wet.”

  Actually, 250 combined pounds would be a fairly accurate figure. Carmen made a face. “He weighs that by himself. Anyway, he’s not slight of build. He’s perfect. Not too thin and not too heavy. I like the fact that he’s not all muscled up like a wrestler.”

  “Don’t get her going,” Alice said with a grin. “To listen to her talk, you’d think he was six feet tall and bullet proof.”

  “Oh, I love number four,” Joan broke in. “What is he … Rich man, poor man, beggerman, thief, doctor, lawyer or Indian chief?” She looked up from the tablet. “Remember when we used to chant that?”

  Mums laughed. “I do, but I bet Carmen doesn’t.”

  Carmen raised her brows. “Well, I know what you’re talking about, but I don’t remember pondering it as a child. I guess I’ll do that now.” She recited it in her mind. “Of course, we all know he’s a doctor, but I have to say Indian Chief isn’t too far off, either.” She giggled.

  “Neither is rich man,” Mary supplied, her lips twisting into a wry smile.

  “Number five,” Joan said. She laughed “His pet nickname for you.”

  A chorus of “Heidi” filled the room before Carmen could speak.

  “OK,” Joan said, shifting in her chair as she read the tablet. “On the next five questions, you’re supposed to tell us how Alex would respond.”

  “This should be good,” Carmen remarked in a dry tone that sent another bout of laughter around the room.

  “Number six. What physical feature does he like best about you?”

  Warmth ran up Carmen’s neck again, invading her cheeks. Considering the number of times she had pushed his hands away, it must be her breasts.

  “I don’t know,” she said.

  “Her eyes,” Katie supplied. “He’s always talking about her amethyst eyes.” She laughed. “I keep telling him they’re violet, but you know how men are. He says blond hair and amethyst eyes are a killer combination.”

  Joan laughed and her response was sarcastic. “Yeah, that’s what I’ve observed him looking at the most…her eyes.”

  A ripple of smothered laughter circled the room.

  Actually, Alex did look into her eyes a lot, and his gaze wandered over her face sometimes in a way that left her wondering what was on his mind.

  “Number seven. What does he fantasize doing with you?” Joan dropped the tablet to her lap. “Well, duh!”

  Carmen laughed nervously. “Riding horses on the beach all day.” Of course, Alex had added: and making love all night. Joan was right. That was an obvious question.

  “Number eight. What is his favorite thing to do?”

  Carmen laughed. “Where did you get all these questions?”

  “Alice found them on the Internet.” Joan said, giggling. “So what is his favorite thing to do?”

  Carmen sighed. “I guess taking care of animals.”

  Katie smirked. “Well, for a veterinarian, that’s bound to be in the top ten.”

  “Number nine. This is a good one. Even I know the answer. What would he say was your greatest character trait?”

  It was a good one alright…a good one to stump her. Carmen lifted her palms again. “I still don’t know what attracted him to me.”

  Katie’s tone was dry. “It must be modesty.”

  Lori glanced at Carmen. “Beauty is obvious, but beyond that, I’d say innocence.”

  “Her kindness,” Alice said. “That and her beauty…but that’s not a character trait, is it?”

  “Hardly,” Mums said. “My guess would be her integrity.”

  “Geez you guys.” Joan said with an exasperated sigh. “It’s staring you right in the face. She wants the man to make all the decisions. What man wouldn’t like that?”

  Carmen frowned, her face growing warm. “I don’t want him to make all the decisions. I just want him to have the final say.

  Mary rolled her eyes. “Splitting hairs again.”

  “OK, last question.” Joan broke in. “Number ten. As your husband, what will he consider his most important function?”

  “Protecting me,” Carmen said instantly.

  “Well, that’s probably not what most men would say,” Joan said with a shrug, “But I think we all agree that Alex isn’t the average male.”

  Lori lifted her brows. “He’s not that different.”

  Carmen looked down, pushing an indecent thought away. If Lori and Alex had been intimate in the past, it was none of her business. She had accepted the
idea that she wouldn’t be his first. Maybe his experience would come in handy on their wedding night.

  “Well, I don’t know,” Alice said. “I sure can’t picture him bungee jumping.” When Carmen glanced at her, she quickly amended: “Not that he isn’t brave enough. He’s just so conservative…like you. He’s so serious.”

  “Hmmm,” Joan mused. “I don’t know. I could picture him bronc-busting.

  Saundra nodded. “Me too. He really relates to horses, and I hear his riding skills are very good.” She glanced at Alice. “He’s not all that serious, either. You should see him at work. He has a quiet humor that goes unnoticed if you’re not paying close attention. Everyone adores him.”

  Mums put aside her yarn. “It would be hard not to.” She groaned as she pushed her large frame from the chair. “I’ll get the cake ready. You girls put the presents over here close to Carmen.”

  Lori stood and followed her. “I’ll help you with the cake.”

  Joan tossed the tablet on a table behind her and turned her attention on Carmen. “Aren’t they building that buffalo shed on your land?”

  “Yes.” Carmen said. “We’re going to run the buffalo in the north pasture with the goats.”

  Alice laughed. “I hear he plans to get two of everything. Has he started the ark yet?”

  Carmen laughed softly. “I guess he figures if he starts with a male and a female, they’ll reproduce. Later he wants to fix the old house up and rent it to tourists. Needless to say, we have a lot of work to do.”

  Katie laughed. “What’s this about a new car he’s buying for you?”

  Carmen made a face. “He insists on that. I don’t know.”

  “What’s wrong with that?”

  “Well, for starters, we’re not married yet. Considering what happened to him before, with his fiancé leaving him after he spent all that money…”

  Katie raised a dark brow, her eyes twinkling with the very devil. “Are you planning on running…or do you think he is?”

  Mums walked into the room with two pieces of cake. Handing one to Carmen, she spoke gently. “You would do well to leave such things in the past.” She leaned down and handed the other piece of cake to Katie. “You think he dominates her, but here he is trying to give her the means to be independent and what does she do?”

  Katie accepted the cake. “I don’t mean to sound so negative about him. I know he’ll be a good provider, and I know he’s loyal. After Mom and Dad died, he made sacrifices to take care of me. But he was domineering.”

  Alice sighed. “I don’t know why you don’t just move in with him now. It’s only two weeks until your wedding. It seems kind of silly for you to get up every morning and walk over there to clean his house and do his chores, then go back to your house. I mean, you’re going to be back there again to fix his supper. What’s the big deal?”

  Mary’s laugh was more a snort. “I’m sure she’s the only one who cares whether she’s a virgin on her wedding day.”

  Carmen shrugged. “If you don’t draw the line at the wedding date, then when do you draw it?”

  “Back in the early 1900’s,” Mary said sarcastically. “If you keep leaving him sexually frustrated, he’s likely to start looking for a substitute.”

  Carmen sighed. “As Alice said, it’s only two more weeks. A man either cheats or he doesn’t. If he’s going to cheat, I’d rather find out now.”

  “Aren’t you ever tempted to spend the night with him?” Alice persisted.

  Carmen’s face flamed. Temptation had been pounding on the door with a sledge hammer lately. “I’ve been able to push temptation away.”

  Lori came in and handed cake to Joan, Mary and Alice. “I thought Alex was always a gentleman,” she said with a twinkle in her eye.

  Everyone laughed. Actually, Alex was a gentleman, but he was a man. Who was it that used the term ‘mature male’? Strange, but she had never thought of him that way. Usually, he was simply Alex, as exciting as that might be.

  “Well,” Katie said. “This celibacy thing is fine as far as it goes, but everything will change after they exchange vows. Then he’ll turn into the big bad wolf. He’ll huff and puff and hoe her blouse down!”

  Her transposed humor brought waves of laughter around the room.

  “Yeah.” Alice giggled, her large gray eyes seeking out Carmen. “He’ll carry you over the threshold and pretend to fall to the floor. Then, oops. It will be all over.”

  Joan laughed. “Is that what happened to you, Alice?”

  They were all joking, of course, but how much would Alex change once they exchanged vows? Would he still be gentle and respectful, or would he suddenly demand husbandly rights? Would he continue to consider her input, or would he simply take control?

  “Are you nervous about the first night?” Mary asked Carmen.

  Carmen hesitated, her face growing warm as all eyes turned to her.

  “It’s strange. I never gave a thought to the pain of childbirth, but here I am worried about pain the first time. I guess it’s because I’m afraid I’ll ruin everything with tears.”

  “It’s nothing,” Alice said. “I was worried about it too, but I didn’t have any pain.”

  “I did,” Lori said. “But then, I was so young.”

  Mary gave her a scorching look, but said nothing. It was general knowledge that Lori had been promiscuous in her youth. Maybe that was why Josh had never shown much interest in her then.

  Mums leaned forward. “The best advice I can give you is to try to relax. Getting tense will only make it worse. Talk to Alex about your concerns. He’s a doctor.”

  Carmen laughed. “He’s veterinarian. Besides, I couldn’t talk to him about something like that. He already thinks I’m naïve. I don’t want him to think I’m a baby too.”

  Katie rolled her eyes. “Oh Carmen, you’re 25, not 16. In a few weeks he’ll know your most intimate secrets.”

  Lori’s expression was contemplative. “Well, he has told me on more than one occasion that he was fascinated with your innocence. Considering the fact that he makes such an effort at protecting you, I don’t think he’d take your concerns lightly or think any less of you because you had them. I agree with Mums. You should talk to him about it. And a veterinarian is a doctor.”

  Lori had been with Alex so much when she was helping him with his real estate needs that everyone thought they were interested in each other. Apparently Alex had spent a good deal of that time talking to Lori about another woman. Still, even knowing that Lori was interested in Josh, it was hard to imagine that she wasn’t attracted to Alex. Neither Lori nor Alex would have considered it inappropriate to have relations…as long as they weren’t engaged to anyone at the time. Even Josh had said something to indicate a relationship between the two of them existed. But, it was all water under the bridge. Surely Alex had been intimate with other women. It was a tough thing to swallow, especially since she had remained chaste. But again, if that were the most important issue, she should have married Josh.

  Putting the thought from her mind, she began opening presents. She was relieved to discover her request of nothing expensive had been honored. She relaxed and enjoyed the continuation of light banter. These people were as close to family as she would ever have.

  Carmen was alone in the living room picking up wrapping paper when the men returned. One minute they were talking in the kitchen and then they were gone. When she looked up, Alex was leaning against the kitchen door frame, watching her.

  “Why didn’t you call?” He asked, furrows between lowered brows.

  “I wasn’t ready yet,” she said, holding up a handful of wrapping paper. “Someone has to clean up this mess I made.”

  The furrows disappeared and he chuckled as he moved away from the door jam.

  “Then let’s work on it together.”

  They cleaned the room, folded the chairs and carried the gifts out to his truck. When the gifts were all packed in the truck, Carmen left Alex at the truck and went back in
to thank Mums and those who had remained at the house. As she walked through the screened porch, a tall figure stepped out of the evening shadows.

  She sucked in her breath quickly and then let it escape in a relieved sigh when she realized it was Josh.

  “You startled me,” she said. “I didn’t know you were there.”

  Josh towered over her, gazing down at her with those unreadable gray eyes. The shock of red hair on the top of his head was unruly, as if he had been running his fingers through it. When he spoke, his voice was low and tense.

  “Are you sure about this, Carmen? It’s not too late to change your mind.”

  Carmen frowned. “Why does everyone wonder if I’m doing the right thing? What is it that you dislike about Alex?”

  Josh shook his head. “I don’t dislike Alex…even if he did steal you from me.”

  “He didn’t steal me from you.”

  “Yeah,” Josh ran a hand through his hair. “Well, whatever. It’s not Alex that I’m concerned about. It’s you. I don’t want you to make a mistake. I never thought you’d marry a man who couldn’t give you children. I can’t figure you.”

  Carmen shrugged. “I love him. It’s as simple as that. I want to grow old with him.”

  He leaned against the wall with one shoulder and gazed down at her. “I always thought you wanted to grow old with me. I thought your children would be mine…or was it only me who wanted that so badly?”

  Carmen took a step back and reached for the door. “Don’t, Josh.”

  His gaze softened. “Don’t? Who’s going to take you up to the mountain now?” The right side of his lip lifted in distain. “Have you gone there with him yet? My guess is, no. He’d laugh at you.”

  She lifted her chin and glared at him.

  “No he wouldn’t.”

  His eyes flashed triumph.

  “Then you haven’t told him.” Her fingers closed around the screen door handle.

  “It’s personal, that’s all. After we’re married …”

  He grabbed her arm. It didn’t hurt, but his grip was tight enough to be uncomfortable.

  “After you’re married he’ll think you deceived him. Have you ever thought of that?”

  She jerked her arm from his hand. “I haven’t told him yet because he’d worry about me going up there alone.”