Promises: Do You Know Where the Poison Toadstools Crow?

by Lori Beasley Bradley

  “Thanks, Danny. You’re so sweet.”

  Ivy had begun calling him Danny during lovemaking, and it had stuck during their private moments together. He’d asked her not to call him by that name in public as it had been his moniker in childhood and had taken him years to get his friends and family to use the more adult Dan.

  “I need a shower. You want to join me?” He taunted her by stripping off his sweaty t-shirt to reveal his toned, muscular upper body and tanned arms.

  Damn, he looks good for a sixty-year-old man. He has a little gray in his hair and the beginnings of a very slight paunch at his mid-section, but the rest of him still looks fine. Not a soft spot on that man.

  Ivy fell back into the bed. “I had one before bed. I’ll wait for you here.” She blew him a kiss.

  “Your loss,” he teased and let his jeans fall to the floor, exposing the large bulge in his tighty-whities.

  Ivy pulled off her long sleep shirt and stretched nude upon the pink sheets. “I’ve waited this long.” She raised her right knee and let it fall over to expose her vagina. “I think I can wait for another ten minutes.” Ivy moved her hand and began massaging her swelling clit. “I’ll get her all ready for you.”

  Dan stood silhouetted in the doorway open-mouthed. “You’re an evil woman, Ivy Chandler.”

  She watched him peel off the white underpants and laughed. “So cousin Peggy says. I’m an evil, godless woman living in sin and shameless.” Ivy heard the water begin running in the shower and the glass door slide shut. She made herself comfortable upon the pillows and switched the channel on the television. She found a creature feature on SYFY and waited for Dan to finish his shower.

  Ivy must have fallen asleep because Dan woke her when he flopped his damp body onto the bed, burying his cool, stubbled face between her breasts. His hand found its way to her crotch and probed.

  “Is she ready for action, or is she asleep too?” Dan laughed as he bit at a nipple. It hardened with his attention. “That’s awake.” He pinched the other, rolling it roughly between his thumb and forefinger. “That one’s awake, too.” He knew what she liked and pinched harder, pulling the nipple into his mouth between his teeth and biting.

  Ivy, her clit beginning to throb with his attention to her nipples, could feel his stiff erection sliding against her thigh. She reached down and grasped his balls. “He’s awake.” Ivy gasped as Dan bit harder but trailed a fingertip from his balls up the hefty shaft to circle the bulging head lightly. She rested it on the tender spot just under the spout.

  “Oh, woman,” he moaned and loosed her nipple from his mouth. “You keep that up, and I’m gonna cum all over your leg.”

  “You’d better not do that. I just changed these sheets today.” Ivy spread her legs wider, and he climbed atop her waiting body. Dan eased himself into her the way she liked, popping the head in and out a few times before going all the way in and slapping her ass cheeks with his heavy balls.

  “Oh, yeah, Danny,” Ivy moaned, “just like that.” She let out a loud groan when he finally shoved into her and kept up a strong, steady rhythm while she arched up to meet his eager thrusts.

  “I’m not gonna last long tonight,” he panted as he pinched her nipple to bring on her release. As her pulsing orgasm clasped his erection, Dan groaned out a loud, “Fucking Christ, woman.”

  Ivy pulled his face down to hers and kissed him, quieting him. “Not so loud, Danny. If Peggy hears that, she’ll have us both burned at the stake as blasphemers.”

  “She doesn’t live that close,” Dan chided as he rolled off to lie panting by Ivy’s side. “And I’m not that loud.”

  “Yes, you are.” Ivy pulled tissues from the box by the bed and stuffed them into her weeping vagina. “And the windows are open.”

  “Her house is a half-mile up the road.”

  “I know, and like I said, the windows are open. Sound travels up this hollow. I hear her yelling at those grandkids all the time.”

  Dan laughed, went into the bathroom to wipe off, and flipped off the light before returning to the bed. Their bed. Ivy smiled, listening to the sounds of the night coming in past the lace curtains, being moved about by a gentle, cool breeze. Crickets and katydids chirped, whippoorwills cooed, and coyotes yipped in the distance. The lowing of a cow registered in Ivy’s head along with the gentle snores of Dan beside her as she drifted off to sleep in the early morning hours of Labor Day.

  19

  Ivy woke to the aroma of coffee. She sat up, stretched, and pulled on her long t-shirt. After a quick stop in the bathroom, she shuffled into the kitchen, where Dan stood over the stove, cracking eggs into a skillet. She went to the cabinet and took down cups.

  “Smells great in here.” Ivy stood on her tiptoes and kissed Dan on his stubbled cheek. “Who taught you to cook?”

  “My mom. She always said a man needed to know how to take care of himself, so we learned how to cook and do laundry just like the girls.”

  “Smart woman.” Ivy poured them both some coffee after checking to make sure Dan hadn’t poured one for himself already. “You want your coffee over there?”

  “No, just put it on the table. I’m about done over here.” He walked to the table with the skillet and scraped cheesy scrambled eggs onto their plates.

  Ivy reached over and gave his firm backside a swat. “I’m so glad you’re home.”

  Dan took the skillet to the sink and filled it with water. Back at the table, he took Ivy’s hand and kissed it. “Me too.”

  Cheshire, generally shy with new people at first, avoided Dan, but the smell of food and Ivy’s presence lured the cat into the kitchen. He rubbed up against Ivy’s leg and twined his sinewy body around her ankles. Ivy scooted her chair back and picked up the cat. “Dan, this is Cheshire Sandwich-thief.”

  Dan reached over, petted the purring feline, and offered him a bite of the savory, cheesy eggs. Cheshire sniffed at it before snatching it from Dan’s fingers. “Hello, Cheshire. We’ll be friends, but if you try snakin’ my sandwiches, I’ll probably boot your furry ass off the porch.” Dan rubbed his hands on his jeans before returning to his food.

  Ivy dropped the cat to the floor, used a paper towel to wipe her hands, and picked up her fork.

  “These eggs are great. Your mom did a good job.”

  “They’re much better when you use Velveeta, but all you had were Kraft Singles. These were actually my dad’s specialty.” Dan took a big bite, followed by a drink of coffee. “He made breakfast every Sunday morning to give my mom a break.”

  “I promise to remember Velveeta the next time I stop in at the IGA if you promise me more Sunday breakfasts like this.” Ivy laughed.

  “Only if you promise me Saturday nights like last night.” He grinned and held out his right hand for a shake.

  Ivy took his hand. “Deal.”

  They finished their breakfast, chatting about their plans for the next week. Dan needed to take the big truck in for a new tire and wanted to get the lumber to build the carport next to the cabin.

  “What would you think about extending the deck on around the end of the cabin to connect to the carport? Cindy showed me a picture in a magazine once that had a deck like that, and we always talked about building one, bu—” His face clouded a little.

  “That sounds great, Dan. Cindy had great taste, and if she thought it would look good, I’m all for it. What would you think about a hot tub?” Ivy offered tentatively.

  He looked at her and smiled. “We could put it in the spot where the porch turns the corner. Then we could get to it from the front door or the back.”

  “Wonderful. A hot tub would be great in the cooler weather. I love to soak in hot water.”

  “Me too, but would you want it right out front where anybody driving by could see?” Ivy knew he meant Peggy and her nosy friends.

  “Good point. Why don’t we build the deck all the way down to the rear edge of the house beyond the carport and put the tub back there. We’d be restricted to using t
he back door, but that’s alright.”

  “Great.” Dan grabbed a pen from the counter and a paper towel. He made a rough sketch of the planned deck and carport with the hot tub at the rear. “I’ll put a lattice cover over the tub to keep out the worst of the leaves in the fall and shade it a little in the summer.”

  “We could plant a flowering vine to grow up over it or maybe some grapes,” Ivy added with an enthusiastic smile.

  “That might defeat the purpose if we end up with leaves and dead flowers floating around in the water anyway.” Dan laughed.

  Their discussion was interrupted by a loud knock at the front door. Ivy heard a vehicle driving away but couldn’t get a good look at it by the time she got to the door. She looked down to see a basket with a wicker handle. A red gingham cloth covered the contents. Ivy picked it up and carried it back into the kitchen.

  “Someone left us a gift.” Ivy set the basket on the table and lifted off the cloth. The scent of spicy muffins wafted up into her nose. “There’s a note.” Ivy opened the little piece of paper folded and tied to the side of the handle with a red ribbon.

  Welcome, New Neighbor,

  Please accept this small token of welcome. We hope you will feel free to join us for services on Sundays.

  Your friends at The Mount Pleasant Methodist Church.

  “Isn’t this sweet,” Ivy said and picked up one of the big, heavy muffins. She put it to her nose and inhaled. “Zucchini, I think. I hope they have walnuts. Shall we have one with the rest of our coffee out on the porch?”

  “I’m stuffed.” Dan rubbed his belly but picked up his cup and refilled it. “But sitting outside sounds nice.” He followed Ivy out onto the porch to sit in one of the cushioned wicker chairs. “Enjoy your muffin. I’ll have one later.”

  Ivy bit into the moist muffin. “Umm,” she moaned with pleasure as she chewed. “Walnuts and raisins. This is divine. Don’t let me forget to send them a nice thank-you note.”

  Dan grimaced as he watched her devour the muffin followed by coffee. “Am I your secretary now, Ms. Chandler?” He finally broke into a smile, watching her finish the muffin, picking crumbs from her lap and popping them into her mouth. He stood.

  “I don’t know where you’re gonna put it, but I’ll get you another.” He walked into the cabin and returned with another heavy, moist muffin in one hand and a fresh pot of coffee in the other. “You’re gonna get fat if you eat all those muffins. Why don’t you put a few of them in a Ziploc and throw them into the freezer.” He refilled Ivy’s cup and set the pot onto the table.

  The muffin spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg filled her mouth and delighted Ivy. She crunched into a nut and chewed a sweet raisin.

  This is the perfect combination for a muffin. I’m going to have to beg the baker for her recipe.

  When they finally emptied the pot of coffee, Dan suggested they run into the nearest town with a Home Depot to price the lumber for the porch and carport.

  “Wouldn’t it be better to buy local? Is there a building supply store here in town?” Ivy asked as she picked up their cups and the coffee pot.

  “Yeah, but their stock of inventory isn’t good, and they’re pretty pricey.”

  “I’d rather spend my money locally if you don’t mind,” Ivy said. “Those big-box stores have put so many little local vendors out of business.”

  “It’s your money, Ms. Chandler. You’re more than welcome to spend it where you like,” Dan said in his exaggerated Southern accent.

  “Don’t patronize me, Danny,” Ivy chided. “I have several old friends back home whose parents went bankrupt after Wal-Mart came into our little town, undercut their prices, stole their employees, and drove them out of business. I’ll always shop local in a small town, especially if it’s my small town.”

  “Guess I can’t argue with that. I don’t know if the local lumber yard is open today, but we can check it out.”

  Ivy finished the dishes with Dan pestering her, slapping her behind and nibbling on her neck every time he passed. It had been a long time since Ivy had someone to play slap and tickle with while she tried to work. She found it distracting but enjoyable.

  The local lumber yard was open for business, to Dan’s dismay, and quite busy. The aroma of new-cut lumber filled Ivy’s nose as they walked in, and Ivy took a deep breath. She loved that smell. One of her former husbands had teased Ivy that if he wanted to get a little, all he had to do was take her to the Home Depot because she always left horny after shopping. Ivy wasn’t certain that was true, but she did enjoy home design and shopping for paint, wallpaper, and trims.

  She related that story to Dan, and he gave her a lascivious smile. “I’ll test that out, and if it’s true, we’ll have to make this a regular thing.”

  “Yeah, right.” She gave him a playful swat on the shoulder. “The cabin is perfect the way it is. I don’t need new paint, wallpaper, or cabinets.” Ivy furrowed her brow in thought. “I would like to look at cabinet pulls, though. I want to get some round white porcelain ones to match the ones on the pie safe.”

  “You see,” he chuckled, “I knew there would be something. I was married to the queen of home design for thirty years. I’d come here for one thing, and if I brought Cindy along, we’d leave with the truck loaded fully.”

  “How are you at plumbing?” Ivy giggled. “I’d like to change out the faucets for those black Victorian-looking ones to match the towel bars.”

  Dan rolled his eyes as he followed Ivy to the plumbing department, where she stopped in front of a display of faucets and showerheads. “Aren’t these cool?” Ivy asked as she picked up a black shower head nine inches wide with bright brass fittings that set off the dull black finish. She pointed to a sizeable goose-neck sink faucet as well. “These are perfect.”

  Ivy was laughing when she suddenly doubled over in gut-wrenching pain and vomited onto the floor of the wide plumbing aisle. “Oh, my God, Danny.” She grasped his arm for support. “I’m so dizzy… I think I’m gonna pass out.” Ivy’s stomach heaved again, and she felt the bile coming up her throat. She took a breath but began choking.

  “Honey, what’s wrong?” she heard Danny asking, but his voice sounded so far away. He slapped her back as she tried to clear her throat of the suffocating vomit. Her body began to shake. She had no control. “Ivy… Ivy.” Then she didn’t see Dan’s face or the plumbing aisle any longer. Everything went black.

  20

  Ivy lost track of time. She thought she saw Dan’s face or heard his voice a few times. People she didn’t know asked her questions she couldn’t answer. Carrie was there holding her hand for a time. People tried to make her sit up. She couldn’t stay up. She fell over onto her side. Ivy just wanted to sleep. Why wouldn’t these people let her sleep? She pushed someone away and then drifted off.

  Dappled spring sunlight drifted down through the leaves of the big maple tree in her grandparents’ yard. Ivy looked up to see her grandpa sitting on his porch swing, a cigarette hanging from the side of his mouth. He sorted strawberries into quart boxes that would fit twelve quarts per cardboard flat.

  “Ivy girl, what are you doing here? You’re too early. You need to go back.” He continued to sort the berries for that day’s sales from the little stand he and her younger brothers had built by the edge of the drive. Ivy was confused.

  Why would he want me to go back home? We live ten miles away, and I just got here. I’m supposed to pick berries today. Why would he want me to go back?

  “I came to get an early start while it’s still cool, Grandpa.”

  “No, you’re too early, you need to go back.” He blew smoke from around the cigarette clamped in his lips. “Go on back now, Ivy girl.” The burning cigarette bounced up and down between his lips as he spoke.

  “Where’s Granny?” Ivy asked. Granny would understand.

  “She’s in the house.” Her grandpa pointed toward the front door of the bungalow built for her grandfather by his grandfather, the house her mother
had been raised in, and the house where Ivy’s parents had lived when she’d been born. Now her grandparents lived here again, having moved back from town some years ago.

  Ivy went to the door and twisted the big brass knob. It confused her that she found the door locked. Ivy twisted the knob again to no avail and then knocked. She soon saw her grandmother’s perfectly coifed red hair appear on the other side of the thick glass in the craftsman-style door. “It’s Ivy, Granny. Let me in.”

  “Iva Leigh, you are here much too soon. You must go back.” Ivy saw a bright light coming from behind her grandmother. That confused Ivy even more. Granny never had the kitchen light on during the day, saying it used too much electricity. The light was so bright, so warm and inviting. Ivy wanted to see where it was coming from. She’d never seen the light so bright shining in Granny’s kitchen. It added to her confusion.

  Ivy twisted the knob and pushed on the door. To her surprise, it wasn’t locked anymore, but her grandmother leaned against it, denying Ivy entry. “Go back, Iva Leigh,” Granny said in that stern voice Ivy didn’t dare to disobey. “It’s too soon for you to be here. Go on back now.”

  Ivy blinked fast to ward off tears but backed away from the door, as she’d been told. She turned to wave at her grandpa. “You go on back for now, Ivy girl, and I promise we’ll be here waiting when it’s really time for ya to come back.” Ivy didn’t understand but she did as her grandparents insisted and walked back down the stairs and into the deep, cool shade of the big maple tree.

  21

  The loud, angry voices of men arguing woke her. Ivy thought she should know the men talking, but she felt so fuzzy-headed. She couldn’t understand what was going on. A minute ago, she’d stood at her grandparent’s house, getting ready to pick strawberries. Now she lay in a strange bed. Ivy tried to talk but choked. A plastic tube filled her mouth and ran down her throat. Aside from the loud voices of the men, Ivy heard the beeping and chiming of machines. She tried to sit up. She needed to pee.