The House across the Street

The House across the Street

 

happyhugo

copyright 08/14/16 

 Romance, unintended

34,813 words 

Readers score 8.43

Angie is in the hospital recovering from a beating
by her husband. Apparently she shot and killed him
when she roused up and he came for her again. Jack
bought the house across the street from her. So
begins a new life for both when he agrees to help put
her life and body back together.

Chapter One

I bought a house at the end of a short dead-end street. It was wooded back of the house and there was another house across from me set in the woods the same as mine. It was about the same age and style as the one I had just moved into. Beyond us there was a wide place in the street where you could circle your vehicle and return to the highway.

Whoever laid out the street sold double lots. These two houses were across from the other and the two empty acres at the end of the street had a common boundary beyond the turn-a-round. Beyond these there were woods and wilderness for miles. I agreed to purchase my property ten days ago and my new house was move-in-ready. I signed the papers two days ago.

The day I moved in, there were a large group of people across the street that arrived about three in the afternoon. They were all dressed in church clothes. I guessed they had just returned from a funeral by what they were wearing. I hadn’t met the next door owner thinking the house was empty. Even after keeping an eye on what was going on I couldn’t pick out who lived there.

I saw a nice car arrive and a man carrying a briefcase entered the house. Everyone followed him inside. An hour later he came out, drove around the circle and left. Soon everyone came out at the same time. Two of the men who were the last out of the house stood talking for a few more minutes and then one of them locked the door. They all got into the waiting cars and made the circle with all five cars leaving together.

I set about arranging my furniture and making a home for myself. I had a week to do this before I had to go back to work. I was employed at a factory about three miles away. I was an engineer doing product development for the tool factory. I was pretty much my own boss. How does a man get a job like this? Maybe if  your two uncles owned the factory it could happen.

A lot of what I did was done from my home office. I considered this was a cushy job for a person at my age of twenty-seven but it was a family business and I did work hard. I had been doing this since I had interned shortly after graduating college. After my internship was finished, I continued working for the family owned corporation and never considered working anywhere else. Counting my internship, I was now a six year veteran,

I most often worked at night in my home office. I would go into the factory office early in the morning for three hours to get orders and leave the work I had done the night before. I would be home slightly after ten a.m. and then my time was my own until I finished up my day in the evening. This was working in the laboratory I had put together in the upstairs bedroom. You could say my day was my own except for the three hours in the factory mornings. I could work any five hours before seven the next morning when I wanted to.

I was dedicated to my job and did put in a full day working on whatever the factory was manufacturing. If it was a new product, I might put in sixteen to eighteen hours. Only rarely did I receive a phone call during the day. I usually checked my email or phone for text a few times, but otherwise I worked.

I was satisfied with the interior of my home. It wasn’t new, but it had been updated just before I bought it and I was happy with all that had been done. Carpets had been removed and hardwood had been installed in all the rooms on the first floor.  There was laminate in the two rooms on the second level. The bathroom was tiled and all the rooms had fresh paint on the walls. The kitchen wasn’t that large, but for a single person or couple it was compact and easy to clean.

The garage had one large bay and it had enough space beside the car to store whatever tools and toys you might own. There was no window in the garage door, but one in the small door beside it.

The lawn in front was a half-acre in size and I bought a new riding mower to cut the grass. There were various flower beds scattered about the lawn and I set about rejuvenating them. Luckily they weren’t outlined with stones or borders and you could mow close and I didn’t have to worry about edging the grass. Under the flower beds was plastic for weed control covered by mulch and all were easy to care for.

My extra lot went half way around the turnaround circle. It had mature trees on it and there was some heavy underbrush. The acre home lot the house sat on comprised one half acre that had tall brush undergrowth behind the building. I knew if it would grow brush, the soil would support some fruit and nut trees. My first chore on the exterior would be to clear out the brush and plant whatever I thought I would enjoy.

The house across the street had basically the same layout as my own. The lawn hadn’t been mowed this spring and it was going back to the wild. The flower beds contained perennials so they did show a lot of different colors. One late afternoon after I had been here three weeks, I saw a car drive up and park in the driveway. It looked liked the man who had come three weeks before with a briefcase entering the house.

He walked around the house, looking at everything and went into the garage. He was inside that for fifteen minutes and then went inside the house. I’d guess he was inspecting all the utilities and systems. I was getting my dinner when there was a knock on the back door. I opened it and the man stood there. He looked to be about forty.

“Hi, I’m an attorney. My name is George Johnson. I was across the road inspecting the Simmons property. I noticed you have kept your home very nicely. Would you tell me what service you use to keep it in such beautiful shape?”

“I don’t use a service, I do the work myself.”

“You don’t work?”

“Yes, I work, but my hours are such that I have time to keep my property looking well.”

“What’s your name? I’m asking if you wouldn’t want to work on the Simmons property across from yours.”

“Name’s Jack Summers. No, I don’t think so. I want to get at clearing out the brush on the remainder of my lot and there is always the spare acre. I am though, curious about who owns the property across the street?”

“It is now owned by a woman, named Angie Simmons. She is in a hospital recovering from a beating that took place a little less than six weeks ago.”

“A mugging?”

“No, it was her husband.”

“Let him take care of it.”

“He’s dead. My client shot and killed him.”

“I guess I don’t want to get involved then. Maybe that’s why I got this place so cheap if things like that were going on in the neighborhood.”

“It could be. The woman didn’t just up and kill him she was protecting herself from further injuries.”

“I still don’t want to get involved.”

“The woman won’t be around for another couple of months. It would be a shame when she gets out of the hospital to come home and find it in worse shape than it is right now.”

 “How bad off is she.”

“Not good and it is a wonder she is still alive. She needs her left knee replaced. Her husband almost tore her leg off at the joint. She has a broken arm to go along with that. The worst damage is to her insides. He kicked her repeatedly and damaged her spleen. They didn’t find two cracked vertebrae for two days after she was in the hospital. It was a good thing the EMT’s followed procedure in transporting her.

“She’ll live, but will never be the same. She has scars on her face that will never fade to go along with the rest of her body. Her life is just about over in every sense of the word. Not only that, she may have to face a manslaughter charge. That hasn’t been determined yet.”

“Why did her husband do that to her?”

“Money is behind it all. She is quite well-to-do. Her husband was a philanderer and adulterer so she asked him for a divorce. He wasn’t going to let that happen. If she was dead, then the money would have come to him. The only problem, there are no witnesses to back up any of this.”

“What are your thoughts on her being charged? I suspect you will defend her. What is your gut feeling about where she is with this.”

“It won’t be me defending her because I’m not that type of lawyer. It is too early for any decision. She hasn’t been indicted yet. I’m almost sure they will determine that it was justified. The gun she used belonged to her father so she didn’t go out and buy one. She thinks her husband thought she was dead because she was knocked out from her injuries. She said he attacked her about ten in the evening and she called the police about four in the morning. This was right after she shot him.

“He evidently had gone to sleep after abusing her. When she woke up, she dragged her self across the room to a small bedside cabinet where the gun was. Think about the injuries she had and what it took to do this? He woke up when she tipped the cabinet toward her that held the gun. He must have heard the noise and came off the bed, reaching for her. She shot him once. She claims she had just enough strength left to reach for her cell that had been on top of the cabinet and fell within her reach.

“I’ve talked to the forensics investigator although I haven’t seen the photos. Between what she said and what I could pry out of the police detectives, I doubt she will be charged. I’m hoping someone will come forward to bolster the evidence that he was the one who smashed her up.

“Why would the husband lie down after beating her up?”

“His alcohol level was four times the level for impairment. He must have been passed out until he heard the cabinet fall on the floor. It would have taken time for him to be awake enough to realize how much danger he was in. This gave her time enough to get the gun from the cabinet drawer.”

“That sounds plausible. She sounds like a strong woman.”

“She is for a small woman. Remember she is only five foot two?”

“You didn’t say.”

“No, I guess I didn’t.” George was watching me put my meal together. I took some mint jelly from the fridge and leaned down to remove a lamb roast from the oven. I put it on a wooden carving board on the top of the stove to rest. I made gravy from the drippings. Potatoes had been boiling and were ready to mash. I took the steamed mixed vegetables from the microwave. Putting everything in serving dishes and sat them on the table.

“You must be hungry … eat with me. Beer, it goes well with a meal like this.”

“I will. This is better than you get in a first class restaurant.” We ate and I asked George to leave because I had work to do in my office.

He hadn’t let me off the hook about helping her. “So, Jack, do you think you could do a little work for your neighbor?”

“I’ll see. I won’t promise anything.”

“Keep track of your hours. Angie has money and will pay what you ask. When she gets a little better you can go visit her and I’ll introduce you. Plan on that in a couple of weeks.”

“George, was that her family or her husband’s I saw a few weeks ago after the funeral?”

“Both. She got on well with his family and of course her own. She won’t be seeing much of his family because they live more than half-way across the country. Her folks are three hours away. That’s part of what is holding up her getting out of the hospital. There is no one to look after her.” He paused and continued, “Here, would you take these keys and check out the house every week or so, I won’t be able to get out here that often.

I took them from his hand when he handed them over. “No promises, but I can do that much.”

“Okay, but give me leave to change your mind if I can. She is a fine woman, and it’s just that she is going through a tough time right now. I’ll leave my card in case you want to contact me. She was a beautiful creature and I feel so sad about the way she looks now. I knew both Brian, her husband, and her, but never suspected he was capable of something like this.”

                                                                 **********

I did work that evening, but I wasn’t too productive. Thoughts of the neighbor, Angie Simmons were in my mind. I didn’t know anything about her. I had learned she was of small stature and pretty badly smashed up. It was going to take her awhile longer to recuperate from her injuries. Even then, when she was healed, she would have to deal with a scarred face. And would she be able to deal with the added burden someday of facing the public over killing her husband?

When I returned from the factory the next morning I went inside the house across the street. It was nice and laid out much like my own. There was the usual kitchen, dining, and living area. What was different was an extra bedroom in the rear on the first level. This I didn’t have. There was still police tape across the closed door to this room. I didn’t disturb it at all. I wondered if the blood had been cleaned up. I went upstairs and looked into the two bedrooms. They were the same size as my own. The clothes in the closet revealed she dressed well. One bed wasn’t made up.

There was a better class of furniture than what I purchased when I bought my own. Now I just had a cheap bed without a headboard and bureau in one room. I used my other bedroom for an office and the laboratory.

In the kitchen I could see the dishwasher still had cleaned dishes from the funeral gathering still in it. Probably it was still running when they left. Everything in this house was of much better quality reflecting that the owners had more money than I had to furnish a house. I wasn’t into looks. I bought what was comfortable and what I needed, and strictly utilitarian

There were pictures of a man and woman, together on the bookcase. The woman’s eyes sparkled and he looked to be bored as if not interested in being with his wife. There were also other pictures of Angie … one of her doing a glam shot on the edge of a pool somewhere. She was beautiful.

I could tell the husband was big man standing many inches taller than she. He was an athlete according to the pictures. He also looked about the same age as her. There were pictures of him in a football uniform and of one on a golf course. There was one of him sitting on a horse. Angie was in some of these where she was paired with a group of female friends. One of the girls included in the picture of friends looked awfully much like my sister, Samantha. Hard to tell for sure, but I would ask.

I’d call Sammy and ask if she knew anyone from college named Angie. Christ, Sammy went to University in Minnesota. How in hell did this Angie end up living in Virginia? Well, how did I end up living here? My work, of course, or maybe Angie’s husband had a job here. People tended to be a mobile society.

I gave up thinking about this. I opened up her garage and looked at the mower. I checked the oil and found gas in a can. I had to back one car out of the garage so I could drive the lawn mower out. Both the car and mower started immediately. It was slow mowing because the grass was so high. The vacuum unit filled the container on the rear too often and I spent more time empting it than I did mowing. I found the place where the grass was dumped up a path in the woods. Grass had only been dumped once this year.

I did the front of the house and cleaned under the mower deck before returning it to the garage. I put the nice BMW back in its stall. According to the registration in the glove compartment it was two years old. There was a Subaru wagon in front of the BMW.

I called my sister, “Hi, Sis, how is the family?”

“Hey Jack, I was going to call you tonight. The girls are good. News for you. I’m going to have a boy this time. Three kids are enough. I’ll have my tubes tied after he is born. Are you all settled into your new home?”

“Yeah, I’m all settled in, and I love it. It is some different than that old apartment with all the noise from the other tenants and I put together a small laboratory to use in one room. I can see only one neighbor’s house and that is across the street. I haven’t met the owner yet. Actually I won’t meet him. The wife shot and killed him a few days before I moved in.”

“Oh, how awful! You haven’t met her yet, you said? I take it she is in jail, then?”

“No, she is still in the hospital. The husband was drunk and almost beat her to death. She managed to get to a gun and killed him. When I tell you all about her injuries you won’t believe it was possible.”

“Why are you telling me about her?”

“Because you may know her from the university. I was hired by an attorney to do some yard work around the property. I was given the keys to the house and I saw your picture in a photograph with her and a bunch of your friends.”

“What was her name?”

“I didn’t poke around enough to find out her maiden name. Her married name is Angie Simmons.”

“Ah, that would be Angie Driscoll while at Uni. How badly was she hurt?”

I listed her injuries. “The doctors didn’t find two cracked vertebrae for two days. If her back bones had moved out of line, she would be either paralyzed or dead. I’m told she will be horribly scarred too. She’ll have to live with that the rest of her life. That’s what the lawyer who hired me says, anyway.”

“You want me to go visit her, don’t you?”

“Just to tell her about me. I’ll look after her home and when she can be discharged, I can keep my eye on her some during the day. Tell her my hours are flexible and she won’t be too much of a bother. Find out where she works. I hate to bother her lawyer. Also, tell her I think she has a great attorney. I met him and fed him dinner.”

“Why don’t you go see her and tell her all of this?”

“Sammy, how would you feel if your husband had tried to kill you and pretty much wrecked you. Then you killed him before he could finish you off. Then an unknown man shows up to see you in the hospital and you’re laying there helpless. Think about it.”

“Okay, okay, I get the picture. Jack, why are you helping her? Why do you want to help her?”

“Simple, her attorney asked me to.”

“Yeah, right. You’re so full of it.”

“Sammy, I don’t know why, but I have a feeling I should help her. What do you remember about her?”

“She was rich and she was very pretty. If I remember correctly, she was more of a follower than a leader. Quiet, almost to the point of being submissive. That is until someone crossed her and then she could go berserk and put everything aside to defend herself. You’ve got me interested now and I will go see her. I want to see your new home, anyway.”

Sammy lived about thirty miles away from me. She adored her husband, Norm, who worked at the factory with me. I didn’t see him because of my weird hours and he was in a different department. He was a good guy and was totally into his family. We made arrangements to meet next week.

I put in the same hours at my job. I didn’t slack on those at all. I did often work longer at night, though. I finally got the neighbors lawn mowed and pulled some of the weeds out of the flower beds. It was time to mow my own lawn again by the time I finished across the street.

I called George, the attorney, asking whether the crime scene had been released back to the owner. He said he would check. He called me back and said it had been. He then asked me to hire someone to come in and clean up the blood. The next day I took down the police tape and opened the door.

There was much dried blood on the floor over by the bed which had to have come from the husband where he had bled out. There was some across the room where I assumed Angie had lain injured. A big part of the husband’s blood had seeped through a small scatter rug onto the floor. The rug was stuck down. I picked it up, and the floor being smooth, most of the blood came up with it. It had been so long since this had happened, the blood had dried. I found the blood would flake off and could be vacuumed up.

I ran the point of a knife along the seams of the laminated boards and vacuumed again. You couldn’t see any evidence of blood when I finished. I then called a commercial house cleaning crew to clean and disinfect the whole room. This included all the bed clothes because there were a few spots on the coverlet and also the rug that I had rolled up. I told them they might not want to unroll the rug because it was quite messy although dry and to get rid of everything.

Saturday morning I went the thirty miles to see my sister. My oldest niece, four, was my special friend and tickled to see me. The younger one, another girl about fourteen months was fast catching up in becoming aware that I was someone special. Sammy was showing her pregnant condition, very happy that the child she was carrying was going to be a boy.

I played with them until their father got home at 6:30. Sammy had made hamburgers and a salad. Both questioned me about why I was helping putting the house of my neighbor back into a livable condition.

“Look, I haven’t met the woman yet. So her attorney tells me, her family lives in a small town a hundred and fifty miles away. I will say I was pleased to learn that his folks aren’t holding the killing against her. She still has a couple of months in the hospital. She has to have a knee replaced and even then there will be some repair to the joint before this can happen. She has to be immobile for a few weeks more while the two vertebrae heal.

“She is wearing a cast on her left arm. That will be the first injury to be healed. And then they had to do some delicate surgery on her spleen because that was ruptured. Her attorney tells me that it has to be checked often for awhile to make sure the surgery that repaired it stays secure.” I paused for a minute before continuing, “And then there is her face. I understand she will have a scar that can’t be fixed. She’ll have to live with it the rest of her life. I think this is the saddest situation for a woman of her age.

“I wouldn’t think when she comes back she will want to live in her home. If I can keep it up, she should be able to sell it for a fair price. There was a crime committed in it and I suppose the agent will have to disclose what happened to a prospective buyer. I know I was surprised at how reasonable I got my home for, but then I found out what had happened a week before I agreed to buy and put my money down. I should have been informed. I would have bought it anyway, but I should have been told just the same.”

“Jack, you said you want me to visit her?”

“I think it would be nice, I’ll bet she needs a friend by this time. I wouldn’t think her family would travel that distance very often.”

“If you put together a barbeque, I’ll go tomorrow. Girls, we are going to go see Uncle Jack’s new home. Won’t that be fun?”

“Can we go see it today, Mommy?”

“No, not today. We’ll go early tomorrow, sweetheart.”

I didn’t stay long. I finished my second beer and that was my limit so went along home. I did stop at the grocery for steak and hotdogs. I got ice cream and chocolate syrup, too.

For some reason, I didn’t sleep well that night. My thoughts were on Angie. I didn’t know why either. I mean I had never met the woman. Sammy said she was two years older than me.

                                                               **********

I was lying on the couch asleep when my sister and family arrived at ten the next morning.  “Jack, you look like hell, are you sick?”

“No, I didn’t sleep well.”

“Angie?”

“I guess. I can’t get her out of my mind. I just feel so sad for her.”

“How am I going to explain my visit? I mean how did I learn of her mishap and know she was in the hospital so I could visit?”

“Just tell it like it is. Her attorney, George Johnson, asked me to look after her property. I also was asked to go into the house and make sure everything was okay. I recognized you posing with a group of friends in one of the pictures scattered about the house. The picture was on a shelf in the bookcase. That should take care of it. So, I saw your picture and questioned you about her because she is my neighbor.”

“I guess that will work. I’m going to go over to the hospital now. You and Norm watch the girls. Take them for a walk in the woods if they get bored.”

It was nearly one before my sister returned. “Jack, Angie was so pleased to see me.  She doesn’t have many visitors because her family lives so far away. She has to be immobilized for two more weeks. Her arm is healing well. They haven’t done much with her knee yet. It was torn up terribly. They have been in and done some repair work on it, but when the rest of her body gets well, they will have to replace the joint.”

“What about her spleen? I’ve looked it up on a health site and that is an important organ.”

“It is, but it has been repaired and seems to be healing well. It is being closely monitored though. Jack, you haven’t asked about her face and what happened to it.”

“Tell me.”

“Her nose was broken when she was knocked to the floor and one nostril is torn and the small piece was lost. It tore much of the flesh from one cheek at the same time. She did tell me some repairs can be made after everything else has healed. There are so many things damaged, they say it will still be two months before she can get around by herself comfortably. They are putting off the repair to her face beyond that, saying it is only cosmetic.”

“The poor woman. Is she depressed?”

“Of course. She said she wishes she had never woken up after being battered so badly.”

“Did she mention her husband?”

“Yes, but she didn’t dwell on him. I took it she has been battered several times previously. Her heart goes out to her husband’s family. They are not blaming her for what she did to him. I guess she knew her husband’s family since she was a child. She didn’t say, but I deduced he might have been her first lover. Both sets of parents thought it was a good match. It wasn’t until the police contacted them after his death that they found out how miserable her life has been.”

“Was she happy to see you?”

“Very much so. She asked if I had kept up with our mutual friends after college. I told her what I knew of some of them. I’m going to contact one I know who lives not far away and maybe we can give her support. That was such a fun and happy time of our life when we were in school.”

“That’s great of you.”

“Angie mentioned her attorney fairly often. He has told her about asking you to watch her property. She wants to meet you sometime.”

“I guess that’s good. I wouldn’t know how to go visit her on my own. I wouldn’t know what to say.”

“Let her talk. She might shed a few tears and she probably will whine a little about what happened to her. Give her some sympathy. I’d like to see her back like she was when we were in college. I would hate to have her slide into depression deeper than she is now.”

“I’ll take in some of her tea roses. There is a beautiful flowering bush by the end of her house.”

“You’ll figure it out, Jack. That’s a great way to start.”

We put speaking about my neighbor aside for the rest of the day. I loved my sister and her family. Living only thirty miles apart, we could jump into a vehicle, be together within less than an hour and visit. We did this often since I began work at the factory. Sammy made me promise to call her after I visited Angie, which I agreed to.

                                                            **********

I went to work at my regular time in the morning, putting in three hours. I came home with a folder with two projects to work on this evening. I went across the road and picked four dark red roses and hunted until I found two white blossoms for contrast. I tied them together with a yellow ribbon. I attached this to a folded piece of white cardboard so it would stand by itself.

I was shown into Angie’s room. The nurse said it was almost lunch time. “We’re very busy and shorthanded today. Would you feed her? “

“I can, but make sure it is okay with her. This is our first meeting.”

“Why are you here to see her?”

“Her attorney engaged me to watch her home so I think she does know my name.”

“Okay, but if she gets upset, please leave. She has had a bad time and you will see she has a long way to go.”

We entered her room. Angie was asleep. The nurse swung the table around over her bed so that when lunch came it could be placed on it. I put the card of roses on it where it would be the first thing she would see when she opened her eyes.

I looked around and finally got up to look out the window. I could look down over what appeared to be the emergency entrance. I watched the attendants rush to open the back of a vehicle and pull a gurney out. The wheels were dropped and two attendants rushed it through the waiting doors. Another person in trouble.

Behind me, Angie spoke, “Hi, the roses are beautiful. Did those come from my bushes?”

“Yes, they did. They began blooming a couple weeks ago. I wanted you to see them before they faded.”

“Thank you.”

Just then we heard dishes rattle and a server came through the door with Angie’s lunch. “Hi Angie, here’s the stuff you are supposed to eat. No better than yesterday and probably won’t be improved on by tomorrow. We’re short of help today. This gentleman offered to feed you. Wow, pretty flowers. You must rate. No one has given me flowers for years. See you tonight. Have fun.”

“Bye Berta.” The server was gone.

“Okay, let’s see how I can do feeding you. I have all the time in the world so take your time. I see you have hamburger steak and mashed potato. Must be this is your heavy meal of the day. Do you prefer catsup or mustard?  There are peas for a vegetable. You have to eat those with a knife. That’s so they can roll off at least twice before they get to your lips. I’ll butter your roll. I see you are a tea drinker. Me. I prefer coffee. I don’t drink much either. A couple of beers now and then and I don’t like hard stuff. Maybe a glass of wine when out to dinner.

“Look today, I’m going to tell you about myself. I can do that because I have a captive audience. Tell me to shut up if you get sick of listening. Let’s see, I moved into my home a month ago. There were a lot of people across the road that day and I didn’t know why. I found out later it was the day of your husband’s funeral. George came by and asked me to look after your property and explained everything and why you are here in the hospital. That was the day I became curious about you. I’ve learned a lot about you and much of it good.”

“Yeah, like I killed my husband.”

“I won’t go there, but listen to me a minute. George told me that both your family and your husband’s parents were together in the group of people I saw walking and talking together. I didn’t see any bitterness or I didn’t hear any recrimination and I was close enough to hear and observe. That tells me that they don’t hold what you did against you. Oh, I know, probably they don’t condone what you did, but it was something necessary.”

My eyes bored into hers. I held a forkful of food before her lips. “Jack, you just answered something I was worried about. I haven’t seen anyone of Brian’s family since before that day. I couldn’t understand why I haven’t. I was as close to them as I was my own. It has hurt me and I just knew they were waiting for me to get out of the hospital and do the same thing to me as I did to Brian.”

“I very much doubt that. I would guess they haven’t come to see you or contact you because they don’t know what to say.”

“What should I do, then?”

“If you were at all close to his mother, send her a note saying you are sorry you took Brian from her. If you know her well enough, ask for her forgiveness. That should be sufficient. Keep it simple.”

“I’ll do that. Luckily I can use my right arm. I feel so useless. I have to have my food cut up into small pieces. All in all it would have been better for me if I hadn’t made it to the hospital.”

“If that had happened you wouldn’t have reconnected with Sammy. She only lives thirty miles from here as she told you.”

“I was so surprised when she came in. She told me that her brother was looking after my house. She tells me you are a pretty good guy for a brother.”

“Yeah, and I love her too. George gave me the keys to your place. I’ve mowed your lawn and perked up the flower beds. I’ve checked out everything in the house. That’s how I found out you and Sammy were friends.”

“The house is a mess isn’t it?”

“Your parents and in-laws put everything away before leaving.”

“I’ll bet there was one room they didn’t go into.”

“No they didn’t. There was a police tape across the door so of course they didn’t.”

“You must have been in the room. The only picture I had of Sammy was in that room.”

“I saw the one in the bookcase first, but I have been in. The police were done with it and George asked me to take care of everything. Do you want me to save the furniture?”

“Get rid of the bed. I’ll get a new one. I’ll probably sell the house furnished. I need to get rid of the memories of my husband.”

“I’ll see that the bed is removed. Now, more about myself. I’m single, but that’s just because I haven’t found anyone to make my life with. I work three hours every morning at a local factory and then I have the day free to do what I want to do. I usually go back to work in my home office from seven till midnight. I get eight hours of work in anyway.  If I go out in the evening, I work during the day or work five hours after I get home. The hours are flexible except for the three hours at the factory.”

“Those are weird hours.”

“Yeah, but it works for me. So Angie, tell me about your hurts.”

“You can see my face. I’ll have to wear a mask the rest of my life.”

“I doubt that. What else?”

“My arm is healing nicely and my spleen, so the doctors say, is out of danger. I have to lay here like this for another two weeks. If my broken back hasn’t healed in that time it may be a lot longer. My knee is a mess and they have stabilized it. The knee cap was just hanging when I came in here. They tell me they can’t repair the joint and it will have to be replaced. I have that to look forward to and I’m dreading it. I wish I had died.”

“We don’t always get what we wish for.”

“I know that, but then nobody has a face like mine.”

“You know, a good cosmetic surgeon could fix your looks. A little cartilage from one of your ears for your nose should fix it. Where your cheek has been gouged, they will find some material and skin from your butt to round out what you lost. Then if anyone notices it you can tell them to stop looking at your ass. You’ll have to explain and by the time you finish you will have made a friend. Who knows that friend might be the one to make you happy for the rest of your life. I’m sure you are going to be as beautiful as you were before and maybe even prettier.”

Angie didn’t smile and it looked as if I had gone too far. I guess I had better leave. “Angie, I’m leaving. If you don’t want me to visit again, just leave word at the desk. Before I leave, though, is there anything I can bring you?”

“No, the nurses are good about seeing to me. Jack, thank you for what you are doing for me.”

“I’ll be in again, soon. Take care.”

My face was red when I thought about what I had said to Angie. I wish I had never mentioned cosmetic surgery. I went home and got busy. I put off until tomorrow making a decision whether to face her again.

Chapter Two

Work again in the morning and then I had to decide whether to face Angie. I stopped at a deli and bought some tapioca pudding. This was fresh made every day and I always bought it when I was in the area. I went up to the nurses’ station, “Will Angie Simmons see me today?” There were three nurses and a couple of doctors standing there looking at files. They all turned and looked at me.

“Yes, she will. She has mentioned you several times. She actually smiles and she burst out laughing while the doctor was examining her when she related what you said to her yesterday. You definitely may see her.”

“I was a little worried my comment was out of line.”

“It wasn’t. It was the best thing you could have said to her. Go right down and open the door. She’ll be tickled to see you.”

I opened the door and looked at Angie. Her eyes were closed much like yesterday. Again I looked out the window. The emergency entrance wasn’t busy today. I turned around and Angie lay there with a smile on her face. “Jack, you came. I was worried you wouldn’t. You left so suddenly yesterday.”

“I did. I said something and you didn’t react so I thought I was over the line.”

“You weren’t. I thought about what you said and knew you were making a joke. When I realized that I smiled. When the night nurse came on last night, I rang the bell and told her about it. We had a great laugh and I had to tell the doctor. Look on my chart; the doctor put it on my chart of a way to fix my face.”

“I’m so glad you can smile again.”

“Jack, I haven’t smiled in months. I was so afraid of my husband. I won’t go into details and I know I was foolish for not leaving him. I even thought about using the gun to shoot myself. I think that is what he wanted me to do.” Angie wasn’t smiling now. “Let’s not talk about him. I would like to get serious, though.”

“Sure Angie, please do.”

“It’s about my home. Yesterday, I had almost decided I couldn’t live in it any longer. Today, I feel different about it. Have you removed the bed yet?”

“No, I did get rid of all the bedclothes, though. The mattress looks new.”

“It is less than a year old.”

“I’ll leave it then. I had the room painted to a light rose color with a faint gray trim. It wasn’t really necessary, but I thought a soft color would go better than the dark colors that were on the walls before.”

“That’s great. Jack, I hate to ask, but what about the floor. Has that been cleaned?”

“Yes, George had me do that the first thing.”

“I feel like I’m imposing on you.”

“No you aren’t. George hired me to put the property back together, waiting on what you decided to do with it. It’s just across the street and I do have the time.”

“You both are amazing. I’m going to owe you both big-time. I should worry about it, but for some reason I don’t. It’s good that I have enough money to pay both of you.”

“My bill goes to George and he is happy with what I am doing. There isn’t much left to do. I’ll keep the grounds looking good so when you come home it will be nice.”

“You will keep coming to visit, won’t you? Up until yesterday I didn’t care if I got well or not, but now I look forward to seeing you. I couldn’t wait for lunchtime today. Are you going to feed me like you did yesterday?”

“Depends on what the meal is.”

“Jack, just cut my food into small pieces, I’ll feed myself today. I’m going to do something different every day. I want to be able to take care of myself and not have to rely on others like I have been doing. I’ve been such a baby.”

“Okay, but I will sit close and hold your dish from moving when you try to scoop some onto your fork.”

“I’d like that. Jack, could you do one more thing for me tomorrow? My Mom and Dad are coming for the weekend. Would you take them shopping for sheets and blankets for the bed, then they won’t have to sleep upstairs?”

“I can do that. They won’t mind sleeping in that room?”

“I shouldn’t think so. Dad is a farmer and has to deal with mishaps to his animals around the farm. He also butchers the animals he raises for food. Mom is right in there helping with everything all the time too. I helped until I got married and moved away.

“You are really close to your parents?”

“Yes, my father especially. He has always been there for me.”

“Did they have any idea that you were being so abused?”

“Not until just before it happened. I talked to Mom a couple of days before, telling her I was worried. Brian was drinking and that was when I was the most worried. I called her again the afternoon I got hurt. A couple times before when he was like this he would hit me until he passed out.”

“Why didn’t you just leave?”

“I had no place to go. You must realize how isolated we are out here at the end of the street. Brian hid the keys to both cars. George found them after I was in the hospital.”

“You should have called the police.”

“At the time I couldn’t because my phone was in the downstairs bedroom. He caught me upstairs and I couldn’t get to it. Jack, I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Please change the subject.”

“Sure, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

The food came and I cut up a boneless pork chop. I ended up feeding her everything on her plate. I got ready to leave. “So I’ll be in to see you on Monday. That way you can spend all your time with your parents.”

“You could come in while they are here. I’m sure you will find something to talk about.”

“No, you need to be with them, but I will take your mom into town to find bedding. I hope they approve of what I have done in cleaning up the room.”

“They will. I wish you didn’t have to leave. It seems like Monday is such a long time away.”

“You’ll survive. Rest when you can and get well. You did say the cast was coming off your arm next week. That’s a real milestone.”

“Maybe, but then I’ll have to feed myself and you won’t come to see me.”

“I’ll be in, that I can promise.” I turned and walked out the door. I felt sorry for the woman, but it almost seemed as if she was flirting with me. I didn’t want to get involved with her and I almost regretted taking on what George asked of me. I got my own lunch and went to work in my office and put Angie from my mind.

                                                              ***********

I heard a car. I looked across the street and saw a car parked there. It was a Cadillac a few years old. I could see a man and woman sitting in it. They talked for a few minutes. The man got out and walked around the front of the house. He stopped on the far corner, leaned down and turned over a small rock. I thought to myself that he picked up a key. He disappeared from view and I suspected he was going inside by way of the back door.

He was absent about fifteen minutes and when he came out he put the key back under the rock. He paused and stared at my house. I don’t think he knew I was home because my car was in the garage and I had been working upstairs in the back bedroom I used for an office. Under his arm he had a folded up piece of clothing.  He went around to the passenger side of his car and handed what he had under his arm through the window to the woman.

He then got into the driver’s seat and they sat there. I could see occasionally the two would speak. It was nearly a half hour later when George Johnson drove up and parked on the street. All three were now out of their cars and headed for my front door. I bounded up the stairs and into my office. Soon there was hammering on my door. They had to rap several times and were turning away when I opened the door to them.

“Hi Jack, this is Mr. and Mrs. Driscoll, Angie’s parents. We need the keys I gave you to go into the house. They are staying here tonight.”

“Sure, George, I’ll get them. Won’t you come in? How about coffee or something?”

“No thank you, we’ve just arrived. We want to see Angie before it is too late.”

“I was in at lunch time. I think she is coming out of this just fine. They will be taking the cast off her arm this coming week.”

“We’ve talked to her by phone. She says you have been a great help to her. She’s not worrying about her property. I’m so glad that ass hole is dead. I wish someone had killed the bastard long before this.”

“Now, Sadie, he doesn’t have to hear this. It’s not his business. Will we be seeing you this week end?”

“Angie wants me to drive you into the city to get new sheets and blankets to cover her bed. I got rid of everything but the furniture and had the room painted. I cleaned and washed the bedclothes upstairs too, so you can pick a room. They are ready.”

“Too bad Angie wasn’t married to someone like you instead of that bastard.”

“Sadie, enough.”

“Say hi to Angie for me. Why don’t you come for breakfast in the morning? I stocked up when I heard you were coming. Make it for eight-thirty if you can. I am finishing up my week’s work tonight so I’ll be late getting to bed. That will be late for you if you are a farmer.”

Mr. Driscoll spoke, “I am, but that’s about time I usually eat. ’Course I’ve been up and milked the cow herd by that time.”

“That figures.”

Mrs. Driscoll, spoke again. “We will join you for breakfast. Maybe we can go shopping early and spend the rest of the day with Angie. Come on Pa, let’s get going. Remember I haven’t seen her since the bastard’s funeral. You saw her right after she was hurt.”

“Okay, okay, we’ll go. Are you going with us, George?”

“No, not tonight. I will see her tomorrow when you are in with her.”

Mrs. Driscoll spoke a last word to me, “Bye, now, young feller.”

“Bye, Mrs. Driscoll.

One fact stood out, Angie’s parents loved her. Angie was favored by her father although he didn’t say much. Sadie Driscoll had hated her erstwhile son-in-law. It sounded as if she always had. I had another feeling; George was in love with Angie. Where this came from, I couldn’t say. Maybe it went back to our first meeting.

“Do you have time for a drink?”

“Yeah, that would be great. You were working, weren’t you?”

“I was, but I only have another hour to put in and then I’m done for the weekend.”

“You enjoy what you do?”

“Very much. I especially love the hours I am able to work. I would have been finished today except for the fact I went in to see Angie. “

“You like her?”

“Sure what’s not to like? Damsel in distress sort of thing. You know she is going to come out of this great. With the right cosmetic surgeon she’ll be fine. But she will most likely develop some extra aches and pains throughout her life, she being wracked up the way she was.”

“How would you know anything like that?”

“My company makes health instruments. Part of what I do is I write copy for what we make. I’ll show you the catalog we put out. I do a lot of research. Not much I use but some of the things I read stick in my brain. You know I’m one of those men who know a little about everything, but not much of anything I can use.”

“You’re a little weird.”

“I guess, but I’m happy.”

“Ah, are you going after Angie when she is well?”

“Nah, I’ll leave her for you.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Oh, come on; tell me you don’t have feelings for her. I’ll bet you were Brian’s lawyer before you were Angie’s. I’ll also bet you aren’t putting in very many billable hours either. Look, I feel for the woman, but that is only because she is hurt. I think she is strong too. What woman would be able to shoot her husband when as badly injured as she was?”

“She doesn’t see me as someone she could love. I have been around the two of them a lot. Brian did get into a scrape or two on occasion. He thought he was a wheeler-dealer, but treaded too close to the truth sometimes. He didn’t always win either, but I did my best.”

He stopped speaking for a minute. “I never knew that he beat Angie, but I did get the feeling she was submissive. What I mean, he ordered her around and she took it without pushing back. He showed her no respect at all even when they were in a gathering.

“Have the police made the determination if the death was justifiable?”

“Not yet. I’m a little worried about it.”

“I wouldn’t be.”

“Well, I am. Why are they taking so long?”

“Who knows, but think, there was the call to 911. A woman says she just shot her husband and they went to the address and found a woman severely injured. The man is dead with one shot. I’m guessing the police will feel that is with the last strength she had. The gun was in the house because it belonged to her father and he gave it to her. She manages to make the call from a phone which is right beside her along with the gun. What more is needed?”

“There is one piece of evidence missing. The police wanted to test a robe she said she was wearing for evidence of powder residue. Somehow it went missing. Rescue claims they don’t remember her having it on when they loaded her into the vehicle. The police don’t remember it being in the room. They took pictures and it doesn’t show in any of them. Of course the hospital had cleaned her up as soon as she got to emergency. She wasn’t tested for residue for 48 hours so no evidence was on her. That’s what is holding the police from closing the case.”

“I would think that was enough to button everything up.”

“You would think so, but it has been shoved aside, claiming that it will be looked at sometime in the future. I never was trained to be a defense lawyer. I work with deeds and property. That is where my interests lie. It is more complex and I think I am good at it.

“Much of what I do concern wills. Most wills are pretty simple and boring. If Angie had died instead of Brian it would have taken a lot to get the will through probate because her will is much more than complex. It won’t take long to settle everything because Brian didn’t even have a will. Of course it can’t be completed until after the cause surrounding his death has been determined.”

“You have two years to settle, don’t you?  I’m sure you can get an exemption or an extension?”

George smiled. “That’s another one of those things you know a little about, I take it?”

“Yeah, I guess. Are you going to hang around until the Driscolls get back from the hospital?”

“I thought I would. Okay to hang out here?”

“Sure, how about another drink. I have an unopened bottle of Rye. It’s not my favorite drink and it was a gift.”

“That would be good. Rye is much better than Bourbon.” I stayed with beer. George had one drink and said that was enough. We both were light drinkers.

Two hours later the Driscolls returned. I walked across the street with George to find out how Angie was this evening.

Pa Driscoll answered, “Maggie is fine. She said with the help she is getting from you two she can get through this.”

I was puzzled at the “Maggie,” but didn’t say anything.

                                                            **********

George decided he would leave. I invited him for a barbecue late tomorrow afternoon. I was going in to see Angie after I had finished shopping with Mrs. Driscoll, (Sadie) but just to say hi. Mr. and Mrs. would be there all afternoon and I would have them over for supper. George promised to visit Angie at the same time in the afternoon.

After he left, I asked if there was anything I could do tonight for the older couple. “No we’re good. We’ll sleep upstairs tonight. Thanks for putting Angie’s house together. I don’t know as we will get back to see her before she is able to come home. When I get the bedding tomorrow, I’ll make up her room so it will be ready. If we only lived closer we could come more often. That’s life on a farm.”

“Pa was able to visit Angie in the hospital when she was hurt. I had to stay and manage the farm for the three days he was here. It is unusual for us both to get away at the same time. We had a neighbor that’s helps us out some, but he has his own farm to take care of. His farm is bigger than ours, so he sends some of his help over.”

“That’s what neighbors are for.”

“I know. That’s what you are doing for Angie.”

“Well, she is hurt and just went through a traumatic experience. She needs a little support. I’m able to give it to her.  Besides that, she and my sister are friends.”

“We didn’t know that?”

“They were in college together. While I was cleaning the house, I spotted a picture of a group of girls in it. One of the girls looked like my sister so I asked Sis if she knew an Angie. Sammy is going to notify some of the others friends about what happened to Angie, so Angie may be seeing a few of them.”

“That’s very nice of you.”

“My sister and I think alike and that’s why I contacted her. Say, I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Good night, Mr. Summers.”

“Jack, I only answer to Jack.”

I looked at the clock and thought I would be busy the next two days, so went up to my office and completed the hour that rounded out my week. I had a couple of things to think about. My conversation with George was interesting. I just knew he was in love with Angie. I laughed to myself because I knew that Sammy would want me taking up with her friend.”

I thought George and Angie were a good match. I hoped he had enough bravery to ask her for a date and push to become more than a friend. I liked George very much. In a way we were both a little laid back. Angie could become a good friend, but I wasn’t interested in pursuing her. In the back of my mind I knew I would meet a woman someday that I would want for a wife. I’m sure I would recognize this when my first meeting whomever it would be. I even felt the time for this to happen was getting closer. It could happen any day now.

In the morning, I had bacon and sausage cooked and keeping in the warming oven. There were homemade hash brown potatoes about half done. I’d turned the heat up when the Driscolls arrived. I had everything ready prepared for cheese omelets when they came in. They lived on a farm and I hoped this would satisfy them. They were old enough to appreciate a meal of this size.

I poured coffee for Pa Driscoll. I couldn’t pour for Sadie because she was at the stove with me. Finally I poured myself a coffee and let her take over. When she turned the omelets over to finish melting the cheese, I took the platters of meat and hash-browns out of the warming oven.

“God, Jack, that was a mighty fine meal. Better than I ever got from Angie. You better give her lessons when she gets home and able to get around. That would be a good way to become familiar with her.”

“I don’t think so. Oh, I’ll teach her, but there isn’t the spark that I need to make a life with her.”

“That’s too bad, Ma and me were kind of hoping after listening to her go on about you.”

“Well maybe, but I doubt it.”

“Well she needs someone better than she had.”

“What about her lawyer friend, George?”

“We’ve known him for years. I guess he would be okay. At least he wouldn’t be beating her up.”

“I think he likes her. Somebody should light a fire under him. Better yet, Angie should take a second look at him and go after him.”

Sadie spoke up, “I’ll talk to her if you’re not interested. We knew Brian before he married Angie, but he turned out no good.” She loaded the dishwasher and we made ready to leave. “Jack, did you pick out the colors for the bedroom we are buying blankets for?”

“Yeah, do you like them?”

“I love it. The walls are more pink than rose and the shade of gray is perfect. Do you have any idea for the bed spread?”

“Of course. I think a nice warm tan would be perfect. The room was too dark and masculine before. She needs something to relieve the darkness she has gone through.”

“You do care about her, don’t you?”

“Sure, someday we’re going to be friends. My sister will get her group back together that split up after college. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them will show up tomorrow.” I wanted to cut Sadie off, but I didn’t want to be rude. “Hey, I think we should get going.”

“Yeah, I want to see how Angie is this morning. Do you want to ride with us?”

“No, why don’t you ride with me. I’ll stop and say hi to Angie, leave you, and then get something going for this afternoon. I’ll come back and get you. Maybe George will be in like he said and you can ride with him.”

“That sounds good.”

It was ten-thirty when we went into Angie’s room. We were carrying the spread Sadie had bought for the bed so Angie could see the color. She was bubbly. “The cast comes off my arm Tuesday and my spleen is totally repaired. The doctors think I can sit up for short periods by next weekend if my back can stand it. They also said I might get into a wheel chair in another couple weeks, but I’ll have to have someone push me around until my arm is strong enough to do it myself.”

I spoke up, “Ask about a motorized chair.”

“Wow, that would be wonderful! If I got one, you could come get me and I could be home during the day.”

“If I couldn’t, maybe George could help.”

“I’ll ask him, he is coming in today.”

We had been there about an hour when my sister, Sammy, showed up with one of their friends, named Rita. Angie asked her friend, whom she hadn’t seen for years how she was.

“Not, happy, but happier than I was a year ago. I’m divorced over a year now. I’m looking for a job change and as long as I have friends in the area, I’m thinking of moving here to be near you guys if I can find work.”

“Oh, I hope you do. We had so much fun when we were in school. I’m pretty well messed up, but according to Jack, people will still look at my ass.”

Rita looked shocked until Angie explained. She went on to rave about me, George, and then included her father. “Dad has done more for me than anyone will ever know.”

Pa Driscoll didn’t look happy that he had been included. “Angie, that’s enough. You promised you wouldn’t speak about what I do for you.”

“Okay Dad, but you are a wonderful father.”

Angie went on to ask Rita what kind of work she was trained for. “I put in three more years of school after we graduated together. I’m a trained system engineer. I told them I was thinking about moving when my divorce became final. Where I work now, they have offered me a lot more money to stay. I haven’t really looked yet, but I do want to get away from my ex-husband and he lives in the same town.”

Sammy said, “Get Jack to take you into the factory where he works. He does have some influence. If that factory needs your skills, he can make it happen.”

I said to Rita, “We can talk. Maybe this afternoon, I’m having friends in. No promises though. You must know how Sammy is? She is always offering my services.”

“Jack, the only reason I’m all the time offering those services is to find you a woman. You don’t hear me offering them to the male species. Right here in this room there are two viable women for you. All you have to do is pick one.”

“I’ll do my own picking, thank you.”

“You’re hopeless.”

“Hey, I’m taking off. Sammy, are you coming by later?”

“Yeah, Jack, I heard you say you were having friends in. Can I bring something?”

“Just you and Rita would be good. George, Angie’s lawyer may be coming. I’ll feed anyone who appears. I’m leaving Mr. and Mrs. Driscoll here and someone will get them later.”

I paused at the door, “Angie, I’m still on for Monday.”

“Great, I’ll be looking forward to seeing you.”

                                                              **********

I stopped at the store and stocked up. I hadn’t asked what time people were coming but I knew Sammy wouldn’t be staying too late with Norm watching their kids for the day. I figured by two everyone would be here. I made potato salad and I had plenty of munchies to go along with the hamburger and hot dogs. Sammy came with Rita and she also had Sadie and Pa with her. “George said he would be here after an hour. He hated to leave Angie alone while we were around outdoors and able to walk around.”

I spoke, “I’m not surprised. George loves Angie. I think he has loved Angie long before she married Brian. I’m trying to give him a chance. He needs to tell her, but it isn’t my place. Hey, not my problem. Rita, have Sammy take you through the house. My bedroom is upstairs on the left and my office is on the right. Please just look inside, but don’t disturb anything. Just one paper out of place will screw me up.”

“We won’t, Jack.” Sammy turned to Rita. “Jack is an old maid sometimes. That’s the way he has always been.”

Sadie was the most help. Pa Driscoll stood over the grill giving advice. I decided I would let him grill the dogs and burgers.  George came just as we had decided he wasn’t going to show up.  He ate cold dogs and wouldn’t let us put burgers on.

Rita sat down beside me. “So Jack, I see you have a 3D copier in your office. Is that something you play with or do you use it in your work?”

“Everything I use in the office is work related. Has Sammy told you about the weird hours I work?”

“Yes, but she claims you are happy and that’s all that counts in life. How come you never married?”

“Just never found the right woman I guess. I will know the right one when I meet her.”

“I hope that works for you. It certainly didn’t work for me. I thought my husband loved me, but he was running around on me before the first year was up. I looked at myself in the mirror one day and I asked myself why I was letting it continue. So we settled up and with no kids to worry about we walked away. I’m on the hunt for a new husband just as soon as I get a new job. It wouldn’t be fair to a man if I didn’t come to a marriage at my age with some assets.”

“That’s admirable.”

“So, can I depend on you to introduce me to your human resource department?”

“Sure, Monday would work for me. Just come to the front door and I’ll have someone take care of you.” Rita got up and walked away from me. She was tall. Her hair was a stringy, mousey, brown and she didn’t have much shape, but there was something about her that was interesting. Maybe it was her voice or her eyes? Nah, it was her butt. That had more life in it than a bag full of puppies. The intelligence she exhibited was a plus too.

Sammy took off for home. The Driscolls went across the street to Angie’s house. George said he was seeing Angie tomorrow so he left. Umm, this left Rita. She was using the couch in my living room for a couple of nights. Sammy thought that was a better arrangement than Rita getting a motel room, so she unloaded Rita’s case from her car. The two women hugged and whispered before Sammy was pulling away.

                                                              *********

It was a little awkward at first. I wasn’t used to having a woman in the house. Rita asked, “What do you watch on television?”

“Rita, I don’t watch very much. I get the early morning news and the early evening news. Weekends, I watch the Discovery or History channels. During the week I’m in my office, working. That’s about it.”

“That’s not very exciting. I’ve watched a lot more since I was divorced, but I don’t care for it much. Is there anything I can do?”

“I can’t think of anything. I changed my bed this morning.”

“You must have washing?”

“I usually do that on Sunday.”

"I’ll run it through and then it will be done.”

“Suit, yourself.”

Now what, I didn’t feel as if I could go up to my office and leave Rita alone.  I was done for the week, anyway. I ended up staring at the TV. When Rita started the washer, she came and sat on the couch with me. “I’ll find something to watch. Do you like Porn? I see you have all the channels.”

“I never have, but if you like it, I’ll watch.”

Rita hunted for something and then chose an old movie with Meg Ryan. Something about leaving her boyfriend and going off to France. It was pretty good.”

“Jack, you aren’t much for bragging are you?”

“Why do you say that?”

“Sammy told me this factory you work in actually belongs to your family. You work there and your brother-in-law works there. You invent things and that’s explains the 3D printer upstairs. You pretty much can write your own ticket. You do it with the crazy hours you work.”

“Sammy can’t keep her mouth shut, but that’s okay, I love her. Yeah, my uncles own the business and they were the ones to send me to college. I’ve helped the business in a lot of ways with things I’ve invented. I’ve also helped the medical profession with some of the tools they now use that I had a part in creating.”

“This scares me, I thought I was pretty good, but here I am sleeping in the same house with a genius.”

“Hey, don’t let it bother you. Maybe I’m gifted in one area, but basically I’m not any different than anyone else. “I’ll bet there is some work in the factory where you will shine as much as I do. Let’s watch the movie and then go to bed.”

It was a good movie. You knew how it was going to turn out, but how the characters got there was funny in many ways. When it was over I found blankets and helped Rita make up her bed on the couch. I went upstairs, showered and got into bed. I was almost asleep, when my door opened and Rita asked, “Jack, if I get into bed with you, is that going to influence you in a good or bad way?”

“Neither, at this point but I warn you I sleep naked.”

“Good, I’m lonely. I haven’t slept next to a man for over a year.” Rita was naked when she slid in beside me.

Later: “Jesus, Jack, you’re good.  Did you invent some of those moves?”

“I am an inventor, you tell me.” It had been a long dry spell for us both … Problem solved!

I awoke with the bed empty. Rita was just coming out of the shower. “I’ll make breakfast. What have you got and what would you like?”

“One egg on toast, one slice bacon, and one sausage link, one extra toast with strawberry jam and I’ll have perked coffee. I use K-cups if I’m in a hurry, but I really like coffee brewed.”

Rita came toward me. “I just wanted you to see what you had last night.” She leaned down and kissed me on the lips.

“You look fine to me. Everyone is different. It is the person who is satisfied with the way they look that goes a long way to make other people think they are beautiful. You are beautiful.”

I stretched and relaxed for a moment before getting into the shower myself. I dressed and went down to the kitchen. Ma and Pa Driscoll were there. They had come along while I was in the shower, intending to take me out to breakfast. Rita had already begun breakfast, so she and Sadie cooked more.

The Driscolls were going in to see Angie, stay for lunch, and leave soon after for the three hour trip home. When they found out Rita was applying at the factory where I worked, they suggested that maybe Angie would rent a room to Rita. It was a thought and depended on whether she became employed in the area. Pa Driscoll said he would drive her to a dealership so she could lease a vehicle.

I mentioned to them that Angie had two vehicles in her garage and maybe Rita could use one of those. She should ask because it would be a long time before Angie could drive herself. I wasn’t going in to see Angie until tomorrow, so Rita was on her own.”

Pa Driscoll turned the keys to Angie’s house over to Rita when they left for the hospital. I wouldn’t be seeing them again this visit. I walked across the street with them. I happened to glance to the back seat of his caddy as they got into their car. That was the robe I had seen Pa put into the car Friday before George arrived. It was folded and ironed so they must have washed it last night.

It was one that afternoon when Rita called me to come pick her up. She was going to use one of Angie’s vehicles. She was also going to have the use of her house until Angie got out of the hospital. It might be even longer, because Angie would need some help for the first few weeks she was home.

When I got to the hospital, George was there. He was taking my words to heart about going after Angie, hanging on her every word. Rita was ready to leave so I said goodbye to everyone and Rita and I left for home.

There was a small conversation, “Jack, I didn’t mention to anyone about where I slept last night. I was hoping you wouldn’t either.”

“Rita, that is your business. I’m kind of a secretive person and don’t share much.”

“I know. I wouldn’t know how you were connected the factory if Sammy hadn’t told me. George and Angie don’t know either unless you have told them.”

“Rita, I haven’t said much about what I do. They all can’t figure out why I work such weird hours. Not their business even though it is no secret to be kept.”

“You make me feel special. I know things about you that others don’t.”

“After last night you are special.” The rest of the afternoon, I got the Subaru out and checked it. It would need gas before many miles. The oil was fine and wouldn’t need changing for another fifteen hundred miles. Rita chose the smallest of the bedrooms upstairs in Angie’s house and made it up to make her own.

“Jack, may I take you out to dinner this evening. You are being so good to me.”

“Okay, let’s do it. I haven’t been out with a pretty lady for awhile.”

“You make me feel so good even if your eyesight is poor. Let’s not dress up. I don’t have many of my clothes here. If I get the job, I’ll call a mover I know and have them bring stuff from my condo. All my boxes are marked. I haven’t unpacked since my divorce. I’ll have them pack what is in the bureaus and the closets in some boxes. The rent is paid for another two months, so maybe by that time I will have a place of my own.

“You’re pretty organized.”

“That’s because I don’t have blonde hair.”

“You’re funny. I like your hair. I know just the place for dinner. Not too fancy, but the food is great. Do you like Italian?”

“Always. Is it okay in this place to tuck a napkin into your collar so you don’t get sauce on your breasts?”

“It is advised.”

We reached the restaurant at seven. There was quite a crowd and it being a family establishment there were a lot of kids around. I was known there so we didn’t have to wait long and ushered into a quiet nook. Rita chose the house red wine. I stuck to a lager that was on tap.

Chapter Three

Rita was telling me about different friends of my sister in the picture where I recognized Sammy. I learned about Angie too. Angie was quiet, and one of the richest in the group of friends. “Angie wasn’t really a party girl. Her problem was she attracted the opposite sex that wanted to control her and ultimately her money. Brian was the alpha male who captured her heart. I’ll learn more about what happened when I become her confidant like I was when we were in school.”

“What was my sister like?”

“Sweet and a good friend of everyone. She talked about settling down and raising a family. I’m not surprised she has done just that. Geez, two kids and another on the way at thirty.”

“What about you. You’ve been married and divorced. What are you looking for going forward in your life?”

“I don’t know as I ever want to get married again. If I make it working in your factory, I’ll concentrate on doing well. I’ll find someone to slip into bed with occasionally to satisfy my needs. I’m the same age as your sister and it is a little late to get started raising a family, hence the idea of not getting married.”

“You don’t have to have kids. But a bout in the bedroom whenever you want it is always nice.”

“I’ve found it doesn’t work that way. Most likely I’d end up with someone who didn’t care about sex or cuddling the way I do. I’m giving you a lot of thought, though.”

“Maybe, but somehow I’m going to be married and have at least one child started by the time I am thirty. That gives me three years to get it done.”

“You mean if I slid into your bed on occasion, you’d kick me out. I knew I was taking a chance last night, but I had an itch and needed it scratched.”

“I tell you what; you can slip into my bed until I become interested in someone else. By the same token, if you become interested in someone, tell me so I won’t be expecting you … pact?”

“Pact. On that note I think we should christen the bed where I’m going to be sleeping until I find a more permanent place.”

“Angie may want to have you move in permanently.”

“No, I wouldn’t feel right about doing that. Besides it would cramp my style. Angie might get jealous if I had a man in and I want to keep her as a friend.”

“We’ll take it one day at a time then. Are we on for tonight though?”

“I don’t want dessert. Can we get started now? Will you be embarrassed if I give the waiter my credit card?”

“Of course. In my world, the man pays. After all it is a dinner among friends.”

“You’re sweet. I did want to go out to dinner. I couldn’t very well ask you to take me.”

“You could have and please remember that.”

“I will.”

I had to remind Rita I would be up at five. I was always at the factory at six-thirty. I didn’t go to my house across the street until midnight. “I’ll talk to human resources before you get there at nine to apply for a position.”

I did just as I said I would, informing Human Resources that there was a woman coming in looking for work this morning. I was always busy on a Monday morning and put her out of my mind. It was a little after ten when I left the factory for my vehicle. I had about six hours work to complete before tomorrow. I couldn’t spend time being intimate with Rita tonight.

I did go to the hospital on my way home to visit Angie just like I said I would. She wasn’t in her room because she as off getting some of her injuries checked for healing progression. Not wanting to wait, I left word at the nurses’ station that I would try to see her this evening. I picked up some groceries at the store and headed home.

I went up to my office and laid out work for this evening. I was a little tense and instead of just organizing my work I looked at it. I got involved immediately. This was something out of my routine. I realized it when my stomach growled telling me I hadn’t eaten lunch. I made a cold meat sandwich and had a dish of ice cream deciding if I was going to see Angie today I had better leave for the hospital now.

When I arrived there, I met George coming across the parking lot. “Hey Jack, Angie has her cast off and she also can sit up for short periods of time. She is some happy person this afternoon. She has been wondering if you were coming in today.”

“I left word with the nurses.”

“Maybe they didn’t tell her. What do you think of Rita?”

“Why?”

“She has been with Angie all afternoon. She thinks she has the job she applied for.  I guess they are checking her work history. They told her if everything was in order, she could start work next Monday.”

“George, that’s good to know. Rita stayed at Angie’s house last night. I left word at the factory she would be in looking for work, but didn’t see her this morning.”

“She is not as beautiful as Angie.”

“George, I think she is attractive enough. Maybe a little too tall for some people’s taste. You can’t really say Angie is attractive, scarred up as she is.”

“Jack, no, maybe not, but she was before this and will be again someday.”

“I agree about the last part of what you just said, but as you say, I didn’t know how she looked before.”

“Let me tell you, she had a beautiful face and a hot body.”

“Okay, but what’s inside is what counts with me. I’ll get up to see her. I have work to do tonight. Are you able to come in every day?”

“Yes, but it will have to be evenings. I’ve been taking time away from the office and I promised I would get back on schedule.”

“I wondered.”

I could hear girl’s laughter as I was coming down the hall to Angie’s room. I knocked softly on the partially open door. “Hi, sorry I didn’t get here earlier but I had some work for this afternoon.”

Rita turned and almost charged me, kissing me boisterously. “Jack, I got the job.  I start next Monday and I thank you for putting up my name.”

“That’s great. I really didn’t do anything. I just said I knew someone we might use.”

Angie, spoke up. “Hey, I need a kiss too. George is the one who hired Jack to go into my house where he saw a picture of Sammy. I now have two of my friends here with me. I think that rates a kiss for me. You had better before I get my face fixed. If you wait until after, you’ll be kissing my butt.”

I sobered, and leaned down when she put her face up. I kept my eyes open. Hers weren’t, for she closed them just as our lips met. I pulled back and whispered, “Before or after, makes no difference to me.”

Rita couldn’t hear. She demanded, “What did Jack whisper?”

“You may be my friend, Rita, but I’ll never tell. He is a good kisser, though.” I went on to ask how Angie’s day went.

“Jack, better than I expected. They ran me through the MIR machine and did X-rays and it looked like my vertebrae were healed. It has been six, almost seven weeks. My arm is knitted well. It still aches, but I’m getting there. The doctors are going to decide when I can have my knee replaced. I’m not looking forward to that. I understand it is very painful and it seems like I have had enough pain. It isn’t fair.”

“But you are alive.”

“Yes, but, I won’t be able to leave the hospital for a week after and then they say it may be as much as three weeks in rehab at a different facility. I really am discouraged. I try not to be. If my friends and you hadn’t rallied around I would wish I had died. You know how I felt the first time you were in. It was only a short time ago wasn’t it? I can’t remember because I seem to have known you forever. George has been wonderful through all of this, too.”

“Well, yes, it is difficult, but look back to a week ago, or think back to when you first woke up here seven weeks ago. You are gaining all the time aren’t you? Look ahead for the same amount of time. All you will have left for injuries at that time is your face, and I tell you that can be fixed.”

“Oh, I know I’m getting well. I guess that’s good. George asked when I get my wheel chair to get around in he is taking me out to dinner. I look forward to leaving the hospital.”

“Will you be coming home before your knee is operated on?”

“I’d like to. I have been exploring hiring someone to be with me during the day. Rita will be with me at night. I think that will be only for a week before the operation, and then I’ll be in rehab. By the time I get out of there I should be able to take care of myself.”

“And what about your face?”

“I won’t consider having that done until after everything else is working perfect.  Maybe I’ll just be a recluse. I have enough money to live on so I won’t have to go out into public if I don’t want to.”

“That won’t work. You will want a mate someday to make your life complete. The only way you can find one is to get out of the house.”

“There is always George. He says he will always take care of me.”

“Is that what you want? I do know he loves you.”

“I guess so. It is the best option I have at the present.”


                                                              **********

Angie had up and down days. She did get into a wheel chair and was home for a week before the knee operation. This was a serious operation. There was a lot of repair work to be done when the replacement joint was put in. The week Angie was home, I spent a lot of time with her even though she had a hired care giver.  Rita and George were the ones to take over when the woman left at six in the evening.

I was curious as to why Angie was apparently well off and one day she explained. Her money came from a maiden Aunt Maggie who had died prematurely. Aunt Maggie was a twin sister of her father and Angie was her only heir. Angie’s husband, Brian was spending it at a fast rate until Angie stopped this and only gave him an allowance. That is when Brian began to abuse her. George was a friend of the couple which complicated matters when Brian realized that George had feelings for Angie.

Maggie … I remembered Pa Driscoll referring to Angie as Maggie. I wondered about it at the time. He must have been thinking of his sister when he spoke.

I didn’t see much of Rita. There was twice that Rita had come knocking on my door late in the evening. This was before Angie’s knee operation. While Angie was recovering from the replacement, I saw Rita even less. She told me she was dating someone and she wouldn’t be over to see me to spend an evening again. That was okay, it was just sex, anyway.

By the time Angie had recovered enough to be home alone Rita was going out on dates several times a week. George wasn’t in evidence as much either. I only ran into Rita at the factory occasionally. She was happy working there and my uncles where well pleased that she was working for the corporation.

George was at Angie’s one evening. Rita and Angie had invited me and George in for dinner. During the course of the meal George informed us he was going on vacation in two weeks and would be gone for two weeks. He asked me if I would look out for Angie’s needs while he was gone. I said I would.

Turning to Angie, I said, “I guess you will have to come visit me in my office if Rita is out on a date. I can’t keep rearranging my regimen for my friends.”

“I have never seen your office and I wondered what you do. If you are working, I can sit in the corner and watch you work.”

“You’ll be bored.”

“Jack, half my life I’ve been bored.”

“That’s because you aren’t being productive.”

“How can I be productive with a face like mine?”

“Angie, you need a hobby. Take up painting or writing or dress design. All those things can be done without going in front of the public. When are you going to get your face fixed, anyway?”

Tears appeared in Angie’s eyes. “I told you I was going to be a recluse. You’re mean.”

“Maybe, but you’re lazy not finishing up getting your body back together. You’ve done well in the last four months and I don’t see any reason to not finish it. But then, if you are resigned to having a face that will scare little kids, so be it.”

George and Rita both were shouting at me how awful I was to Angie. It was so bad I folded my napkin and got up and headed for the door. No one said anything as I left. I went upstairs into my office and began where I had left off before I went across the road to dinner.”

The next morning I was in my office at the factory when Rita came in. “We have to talk.”

“Okay, but if it was about last night, I don’t want to talk about it. I was just telling the truth. We all in one way or another want Angie to get well. I don’t want Angie to be a recluse and that was my way of waking her up.”

“Bullshit. You were just being mean. But I want to ask if I’m out on a date, and Angie needs you, will you see what it is if she calls you?”

“Of course, that hasn’t changed. I’ll be there for her if she needs me.”

“Good, that restores my faith in you. Your way of treating your friends are almost as bad as the way you do your work. You’re just plain weird.”

Rita whorled and was leaving when I shouted after her, “And I love you, too.”

I looked across the road when I came home. Should I go see Angie this morning? What were the results in the future of what I had said to her last night? Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut. Screw it, I ate a ham sandwich and went upstairs.

My phone rang at one. “Jack, I need a hand. I was hoping you would come over when you got home, but you didn’t.”

“I’ll be right over. Can I bring something?”

“Just yourself. That’s all.”

Angie was draped over the couch when I came in. She was wearing a sweater and a skirt. Over that she was covered with what appeared to be a beach robe.

“Hi, Jack, I’m feeling lonely. I had a cramp in my leg and Rita has gone out on a date. I need someone to massage it. That always helps.”

“George isn’t visiting tonight?”

“No, he said he wasn’t, did you hear from him today?”

“No, but I did hear from Rita. She came into my office this morning and blasted me about what I said to you last night.”

“I don’t doubt it. She is more upset with you than I am. The truth hurts, but I realize it is the truth so how can I be upset with you? You may start rubbing my leg anytime. There is a terrible knot in it.”

I sat down on Angie’s left and she laid down full length on the couch so I could pull her leg across my knees. I could feel the tightness, and I began kneading it. Angie sighed with relief. Slowly her robe parted and her skirt, which was knee-length, rose up baring her thighs. I reached up and pulled it down.”

“Chicken.”

“Angie, are you trying to seduce me?”

“The thought has crossed my mind. I was seeing how far I could get.”

“Angie, maybe someday, but it is too soon after losing your husband.”

“I didn’t lose him, I got rid of him.”

“I know and that is some of what bothers me. I realize it was necessary and I’ll get beyond that in a few more months. Give it more time. Have you worked on George the same way?”

“Yeah, but he won’t even rub my leg. I’m not surprised he never found a mate. I swear he is afraid of women. I know you aren’t. I’ve watched you gaze at Rita. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if you haven’t already been intimate. Have you?”

“This is something I will not discuss with you. Your seduction has failed and I’m not going to tell anyone you even tried. Rita is a good friend to both of us. Look how she went to bat for you this morning?”

“You’re sweet. Let me up and I’ll get us some coffee. I did bake a coffee ring today.”

“Cinnamon and raisin? I love that.” I swung Angie’s leg off my lap and stood and raised her to her feet. I opened my arms for a hug and she came into my embrace.

“Jack, just so you know I took your words to heart. I have thought about them all day. I will find something to do that will hold my interest. I also called my doctor and told him to begin looking for someone to make me look a little more like a human. Even if it doesn’t come out too well and I’m left with visible scars, you will know I tried.”

I leaned down and kissed Angie. I received one back, but she didn’t hold it overly long. I watched her head for the kitchen. I couldn’t at the moment figure her out. I followed her out to the kitchen and sat at the table watching her. I could tell she was just going through the motions of living. Even when kissed the emotion had been minimal.

Thinking back to when I was massaging her leg, outside of the joy of having the pain relieved, there was little emotion showing. She called me chicken when I didn’t follow up coming on to her when I could have easily have; not much there either. There was just no purpose in her life.

“Angie, lets visit your father this weekend. We’ll leave Friday evening, spend all day Saturday with them and come home early on Sunday. You said it only takes three hours to get there. We can surprise them. We’ll get there an hour before they go to bed. I’ll bet they would like to see you.”

“Oh, Jack, can we? They can’t get away from the farm that often and Mom doesn’t drive long distances alone. We’ll take my BMW. What time can we leave?”

“I’ll make it a short day at work if you want to leave before five.”

“Oh I do. Can we leave at two?”

“Sure.”

I had a bag ready, packed the night before. I took a quick shower and got into some loose traveling clothes. I walked across the street and threw my case into the back seat. Angie’s was already there. She came out and I held the car door open while she slid in. “Hi, Jack, This is such a treat. You know I haven’t been anywhere since I got hurt. I haven’t been home to see the farm for ever so long either. Mom and Dad are going to be so surprised to see us.”

We pulled onto the road and started talking. “I’ll bet they will be surprised. How old are your parents?”

“Dad is sixty-one and Mom is fifty-five. The farm was left by my grandfather to Dad and my Aunt Maggie was given an equal amount of assets to compensate for leaving the farm to Dad. I was Aunt Maggie’s heir. She and Dad were twins. When Aunt Maggie was killed, Dad transferred all of his affection to me. I felt he was a little too controlling so I escaped and got married.”

Angie hesitated before going on before telling me more, “You know how that turned out. A girl should always listen to her father. Dad hated Brian. That’s why I didn’t tell my folks how I was being treated.”

“Angie, you’ll have to meet my parents sometime. I’m not as close to them as you are to yours. Of course I work with my two uncles. Still, it is a good working relationship. Both are much older than my father. Dad is the youngest of the three brothers and I came along late. We only all get together once a year. That’s usually at Christmas.”

“That’s nice, at least you get together.”

“Yeah, but they all gang up on me. Sammy and Mom lead the charge trying to get me to find a woman so Mom can have more Grand kids. Jesus, Sammy has two and counting, you’d think that was enough. Oh, Sammy is due this coming week. I hope I’m back in time. I’m almost as excited as my two little nieces.”

“Well, maybe I’ll join in and see if we can’t find someone for you.”

“Are you putting yourself forward?”

“No, I have too much baggage. I value you as a close friend, and I’m not going to inflict myself on you. It is too soon for me to be even thinking about finding someone. I’m going to wait and see how my face reconstruction turns out. My face could end up worse than it is now.”

“Well, you can count on one friend to see you through this.”

“I know and I love you for it.”

We stopped at a McDonalds and bought sandwiches and a sundae eating it in the car. We both bought coffee to drink on the way. It began to rain so Angie curled up in the seat and napped for awhile. She said for me wake her up when I reached the town her parents lived in, she would direct me to the farm. I found a station with bluegrass on it and sang along with the ones I knew the words to. I woke up Angie and we pulled into the farmyard at quarter past eight.

Angie was telling me chores would be done for the day and her dad would be watching PBS that had a farm show on at this time. Sadie was all over Angie while Pa Driscoll shook my hand. He clung to Angie with tears in his eyes he was so glad to see her.

“Damn, girl, you look like Maggie more and more every day.”

“Yeah, Dad except for my face. Don’t despair, though, Jack is on my ass to get it fixed. I talked to my doctor yesterday and he is looking for a surgeon.”

“That’s great, Angie. I was afraid you were going to give up and try to live with how you were.”

“No chance of that. I get a little depressed and Jack comes along and slaps some sense into me.” She realized what she said, “Dad, that was a figure of speech. Three days ago I had a knot in my leg and he dropped everything and came and massaged it until it was gone. I was a little down, and he told me to get going and get my face fixed, so that’s what I’m working on.”

“I was worried for a minute. I was afraid he was another one of those, like Brian.”

“Pa, Jack is so unlike Brian, it is unbelievable. So how are things here? That’s part of Jack’s therapy for me to get well. He suggested I haven’t seen you and Mom for too long and it was time I did. So here I am.”

Sadie looked at me. “Jack, thank you for watching out for Angie. We wanted her to recuperate here, but she said her friends were taking well care of her. Angie what about George, you haven’t said much about him lately?”

“I know, I guess he is busy. I thought he was rushing me at first and I’m not ready for that. You must understand? I don’t see as much of Rita. She still lives with me and we have a lot of fun talking and laughing. She has a man she dates quite often, but I haven’t met him yet. She has been divorced for over a year, now and she is ready to move on. I’m happy for her. She tells me she wants a family and the clock is ticking.”

“It is for you, too Angie.”

“I know, Mom, but I’m thinking I should pass on getting married again. I would like a little girl of my own. I would teach her how bad the world is out there and how she has to be aware. There is more than one Brian preying on us women.”

Pa made a noise and said, “Angie you were warned about Brian and you didn’t listen. If you had a child she might ignore you like you did me.”

“You’re right, Dad. I pretty much screwed my life up all by myself.”

“Don’t give up, Angie. Have you heard anything more from the authorities?”

“Yes, they called yesterday morning. They still can’t understand where the robe I was wearing went. They wanted to test it for gun residue, but they came to the conclusion that it wasn’t that necessary because I admitted shooting Brian. The case is closed and I’m on record of a wife killing her husband. That won’t help much if I wanted a new mate. If I did find someone who I fall in love with, he would always wonder if I was going to shoot him.”

“Love could surmount that.”

“Maybe, but I’m still keeping the option open that I will remain single the rest of my life.”

No one said anything, I think feeling sad for Angie and the situation she found herself in. Pa spoke to me, “Jack, I usually walk through the barns before going to bed. Would you like to join me?”

“Sure, I’d like that.” The barns were behind the house. We went out a back door.  Before we left, Pa got a small plastic drinking cup from a shelf. He paused and took a plug of tobacco from his shirt packet and took out a small knife cutting a sliver from the plug.

“Chew?” I shook my head, no. “This is a nasty habit, but I’m addicted. I don’t chew in the house. Sadie made me promise I wouldn’t before we got married. If I’m behind the cows I spit in the gutter. We’ll be in front where we feed the cows, so I use a cup. Just because it is a nasty habit doesn’t mean it has to be that messy.”

We entered the cow barn, walking down the cement aisle between two rows of animals facing us. Most were lying down contentedly chewing their cud. “I have 102 cows here. The heifer barn is beyond this one. I raise my own replacements and that barn is harder to keep clean because they are different ages and of course sizes. I won’t take you in there.

“I pride myself on keeping my place clean and orderly. This is a small operation compared to some, but Ma and I do pretty well. It would have been nice if I had a couple of sons to help out and someone to leave the place to when I’m too old. I’m good for another ten years and then we’ll sell out and do some traveling. That’s one of the faults with farming because you are tied down so much.”

“Too bad Angie didn’t marry a farmer’s son.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t push it. Ma has given up a lot, but she is happy. I don’t think Angie would have been so we let her get away from us. I’ve had some sadness in my life. I lost my twin a few years ago in a vehicle accident. That almost crushed me. I loved her like I do Angie. It’s like losing half of me. Luckily Angie survived and I’m glad I helped in that.”

“What do you mean?”

“I made sure there was a weapon in the house. That saved her from being killed, although before it was used she was badly banged up.”

“She was lucky.” We didn’t tarry and soon returned to the house. Pa spat in the paper cup a few times as needed and disposed of it in a trash can, sitting on the stoop as we entered the house. Pa was getting ready for bed. He would he up early to milk. He had help, but they lived off site.

When Sadie started to yawn, Angie took me up stairs to the back of the house where there were two bedrooms with a bathroom between. “Jack, take your shower and I’ll be in when I finish mine to say goodnight.”

I was waiting for Angie. She came through the door, leaving it open, with the hall light behind her. “Please slide over; I’m getting into bed with you. I have my night dress on, so I’m covered.”

“So what is this? Do you have a cramp in your leg, or something? Or maybe this is just to tease me?”

“None of it. I’m here to thank you for being such a good friend. Except for the way I look. I’m almost well again. I need contact with a body that is kind and gentle. Would you hold me?”

I put my arms around Angie and she snuggled into my arms. We stayed that way for a few minutes and then she pulled away so she could tip up her face and kiss me. “Jack, that is so wonderful. It makes a person hunger for more.”

“Do you want more or to stop?”

“I don’t know how we could stop even if we should.”

“Do we have to? You know I always was a good boy scout.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means I’m always prepared.”

“Prove it. I’m not that trusting of men yet.”

I reached over to the night stand and lifted the condom that was lying under my wallet. I pressed the foil packet into her hand. She was impressed or pleased or something. “Okay, but that is for later. You’re better at planning than I am. Let’s explore each other first. We have to talk about this a little. I don’t want to feel pressured and I don’t want you to either, and we have to face each other in the morning.”

“I know.” We explored and talked, getting closer to the final act. We decided this would be a onetime thing and Angie was just thanking me for all the help I had been to her in the last few months.

Angie was still in bed with me when we woke up in the morning. “Kiss me and then I have to shower. I smell coffee and I’m awful hungry. Jack, you gave me a wonderful night. I’ll treasure and remember it always.”

“I will too.”

After breakfast Sadie asked what we were going to do today, “I’m going to take Jack down into the woods and show him what I had done when I was in high school. The thought just came to me. Jack tells me I need something to occupy me. I have an acre and half of woods. I could hire a couple of men and do the same to my land like I did twelve years ago here.”

“Angie, take the ‘gator and let Jack drive. You might not be strong enough to handle it yet. Be back for dinner at noon and maybe we’ll all find something to do together.”

“Good idea.”

We were soon going by some massive fields that just had stubble on them. “Those are corn fields. The chopped corn is all in the silos.  We’ll come to another field that still has corn stalks on it. The corn hasn’t been picked yet. It soon will be and the corn is ground up and mixed with other grain for feed.

Finally we were entering woods. “I did this when I was sixteen. I had a crew of workers and the services of a forester. I had him mark all the weed trees and when I found the over-story was too tight I had the trees marked to open it up. See how straight and valuable the trees are now for saw logs. I can do that at home.”

“Angie, I have woods too you know?”

“Yeah and they abut together. Thanks. Jack, just think in fifteen years we will have some great lumber.

“About three acres of woodland won’t produce very many logs.”

“You will be surprised.”

“Wow, I can look forward to being surprised in fifteen years.”

“Jack, don’t laugh, you wanted me to take an interest in something. Maybe you haven’t noticed, but there are woods beyond the house lots we own. Maybe we can purchase it. The land is pretty rough, but it will grow trees.”

“Okay, I’ll go halfies with you.”

“Do you have enough money to invest in something like that?”

“I think I can dig up a few pennies.” Hell, I knew I was fully as rich as Angie. I had been asked to take care of her house, hadn’t I?

Angie now hesitated, “Maybe we should think this through before we jump into a partnership. You said you were looking to get married to someone by the time you are thirty. You also have given me hope, and if my cosmetic surgery turns out as I hope it will, I may be looking for a mate too. Those we are married to, might object if they find you and I are in a partnership owning a piece of land together.”

“That’s true. Let’s only go forward with the land we each own. It will give you something to think about while recovering from your surgery. I won’t interfere, but I want to see results. Wanting to see is different than expecting to see. You have to show me results.”

“That’s decided then, I have direction in my life. Come, I want you to see a little glade that I have kept open. There are a circle of fir trees that were original around a grassy patch of short grass. I have charged my father to keep the trees pruned so the trees don’t get too big and cut off the sunlight that shines on the grass, and shade would slowly make it disappear.”

We walked along through the woods, leaving the ’gator on the edge of the field. It was natural to hold hands. Angie was dealing with knee replacement and hadn’t fully recovered from the surgery yet. We didn’t go far until we came to a bunch of trees. They were some kind of spruce I thought, but they were far from growing naturally. You could tell they were pruned.

We brushed through the edge into a grass-covered glen. It was about fifty feet across. There were a few boulders in a row that had been placed for something to sit on. On the inside of the circle next to and barely under the trees, the ground was moss covered. Four or five inch tall grass was taking over, it being lush in the center of the circle.

“Mom sent us down here to get rejuvenated. She says there is something holy about this place and a person should come here as often as possible. When my Aunt Maggie died, Dad disappeared and we found him here. He was looking for peace and finds a measure of it when he is here. Mom told me last night while you were in the barn with him he still tries to get here once a week at least. Let’s spend a half hour without speaking just letting our minds float.” There was no need to answer.

I almost was asleep when I felt Angie’s hand search for mine. “What are you thinking?”

“I was thinking it would be nice to have a place like this at home. Could you build us one right on the border of our two properties?”

“I could, but which one of us would own it?”

“Both of us together. If one of us sold our lot, it would go to the person who still owns the remaining lot. I’m sure George could figure out a way to have it owned and deeded to reflect the common ownership. If you would build it, I would pay for the paperwork.”

“Sounds like a plan. Jack, would you kiss me to seal the deal?”

I was hoping Angie wouldn’t ask for more. This didn’t feel like a place I wanted to be intimate. It would be like having sex in church. It just wasn’t the place for it. I brushed my lips over Angie’s.

“Thank you, Jack. I’m looking forward to snuggling up close to you again when we go to bed.

We went to bed early that evening about the same time as Angie’s Pa did. We snuggled together for awhile and then went to sleep. I was up for the bathroom along about one-thirty. When I returned, Angie had turned the light on and had thrown the covers off. Arms and legs were open, blocking the whole bed.

“You must pay to enter this bed, for the rest of the night.”

I didn’t answer. I reached with one hand to the junction where her legs came together and the other curled it around her neck. I dragged her body to my side of the bed, leaving both hands where they were. My right hand lifted her head to be kissed. The left hand didn’t stay motionless. I kept kissing and soon she was begging me to get into bed.

“You want me to stop kissing you?”

“Yes … no … please stop moving your hands and get into bed. If you don’t, I’ll have to scream and my parents will think you are assaulting me. They don’t like it when I’m being assaulted. Look at what happened to Brian?”

“Okay, but I’ll bet they can tell the difference between screams of pleasure and screams of pain.”

“I know, but I need you.” I stopped kissing her and leaned down, taking first one nipple and then the other between my lips. Her legs were first trapping my left hand between her legs and then opening wide. Soon, one of her hands came and covered her mouth and I could tell she really was screaming. Finally, she sank motionless into the bed and I crawled in next to her after pushing her aside to make room for myself.

“God, you’re mean.”  This came after Angie had calmed down. I suppose you want me to take care of you?”

“The thought did cross my mind.”

“Well, snuggle with me for a bit. I’ll get to it.” It didn’t happen, for soon Angie was making snoring sounds. I didn’t bother her and soon I was sleeping myself. I got an apology and a promise when we woke in the morning. Good enough for me.

Chapter Four

Sadie caught me alone for a minute when Angie wasn’t present, “Jack, are you and Angie going to be a couple?”

“I don’t know. There isn’t much reason not to be on my part, but she hasn’t said anything and neither have I. We’ll discuss it sometime. I think she is waiting to see how the surgery on her face comes out. Her looks don’t bother me that much, but I can see how it does to her.”

“You’re a good man, Jack. You may have to convince her of that. Don’t hesitate. Pa and me think well of you. If love doesn’t develop between you two, we’re okay with that too. We know you will be friends. We want you for a friend either way.”

“We’ll always be friends. If it doesn’t happen, I’d like to come back sometime and spend an hour down in God’s glade in the woods.”

“You’re welcome. Please come anytime, with or without Angie.”

I hugged Sadie and just then Angie and Pa came in and saw us. “Are you making out with my mother?”

“Yes, Jack was, and it was at my invitation.” We laughed.

Soon it was time to leave. Not much had been said on the way home. I did get a chaste kiss when I took Angie’s into her house. I went across the street to my house.

Rita came across the street on Wednesday, reminding me that she was going to be on vacation next week. I wondered about that because she hadn’t been working in the factory that long a time. Not my business.

“What’s up Rita, you haven’t been over for awhile?”

“No, I haven’t been. I just wanted to ask how you and Angie are getting along.  I understand you took her to visit he folks last weekend?”

“Did she tell you all about it?”

“Some. She said you were a nice guy. I pressed her for details, but didn’t get much of an answer. Jack, you didn’t come onto her and she rejected you? She just didn’t seem to want to talk about the trip or about you except for saying it was nice of you to drive her.”

“Rita, as far as I know we are still friends, and no, I didn’t come onto her. I haven’t seen her since Sunday when we returned. I thought you and I were enough of friends where you wouldn’t think I would do that. Let’s change the subject. When am I going to meet the person you have been dating?”

“Soon … maybe within the month after I get back from vacation,”

“Where are you going on your vacation/”

“I have a cabin on a lake in the West Virginia Mountains. It is pretty primitive. My boy friend’s uncle owns it. I’ve only seen pictures of it.”

“Sounds like fun.”

“I’m sure it will be. Jack, take care of Angie while I’m away if you would.”

“I will. You and your boyfriend are serious, I take it.”

“We are very serious. He is a good guy. You could have been him, you know. The trouble is you never followed up on my advances. I left enough openings for you to come after me, but you never did.”

“That’s true. I was some surprised when you began dating. But you were giving me signals you were only interested in me for sex. When I meet someone I think I can live with for the rest of my live, I won’t hesitate. As far as sex is concerned, I’ll take it and enjoy it when offered. There seems to be enough around. Remember it was you who crawled in with me the first time.”

“It was me who made the mistake then?”

“No, you didn’t make a mistake if you enjoyed the times we had together and that is if I satisfied you?”

“Jack, you were the best I ever had and every woman that you make love to would say the same. It was just that you seemed to want to keep to your weird hours at work.  I didn’t see where I compete with that.”

“Umm, you may have been right. I do get involved in my work. I’ll have to watch out for that when I meet the person I want to make my own for life.”

“You had better. I guess I’ll leave now. Maybe I can find out what Angie’s problem is before I go on vacation. Give me a hug; you are a good friend to have.” I watched Rita cross the street. She had given me a few things to think about. Rita was still a friend. For a minute I regretted I didn’t pick up on her signals back weeks ago … but that was only for a minute. Being friends with her was enough.

                                                              **********

The next day before lunch, I went across the street to see Angie. “Hey, there, friend of mine, let’s go on a picnic? I’ll stop and get a bucket of chicken and we’ll go somewhere and eat it. I feel like lying out in the sun. I have blankets and a six pack of beer.”

“Are you sure you can leave your work long enough? I can remember when I saw you almost every day and it has been four days.”

“You could have come across the street.”

“I know, but I hated to interrupt you.”

“You know, you sound just like Rita. She basically said the same thing about me not keeping up in seeing my friends. So?”

“So, what?”

“So … picnic. I just asked you if you would enjoy one.”

“I guess so. I need to talk to you, anyway.”

“What about?”

“Just some things I’ve done this week you should know about.”

“Good, Rita was saying you were acting weird and I’m the only one that is allowed to act that way.”

“You are weird, not just acting. I’m not going inside a store for the food you know. I haven’t been inside a store since I was injured.”

“I know and I’ll do it until you get your looks improved. I’d probably be the same if I had your problem, but then maybe not. I’m just weird enough to force people to deal with a man whose face was all fucked up.”

Angie laughed, knowing I spoke the truth. We drove into the city to a mall that had a Fried Chicken outlet. “I’ll get the chicken and after that I’ll walk down to the bake shop and get us a small cake. It’s busy so I’ll be awhile. There are some novels in the back you can look at. Pick one to read.”

It seemed to take forever getting my order of chicken. It was fragrant so I headed back to the car to leave it. Angie wasn’t there. This worried me because I feared she wouldn’t have left on her own. I turned and scanned the parking lot.

I was just about ready to call 911 to report her missing when I saw a woman walking down the front of the mall. People were staring at her, some even coming to a stop and looking after her. It was Angie carrying a cake box by its string. She came across the parking lot and I could see she was almost staggering. I went to meet her.

“Oh God, Jack, talk about walking the last mile I just did it. I’m so weak, I’m trembling all over. Get me into the car so I can sit down.”

“In a minute, people are still watching. Kiss me and let them know someone doesn’t feel sorry for you.” I held the kiss and then we started toward the car with my arm around her.

“Jack, that was the most difficult thing I have ever done.”

“Now you know how it is to be weird. Quite a charge isn’t it?”

“Shut up and drive. I’m hungry and I think I’ve paid my dues.” There was a quirky smile on Angie’s face. I was just as proud of Angie as she was of herself.

I found a place to put our blankets down in the park. Angie was soon gnawing on chicken bones. Every few minutes she would look at me a giggle. Finally, when the chicken and the potato salad were gone, I asked, “Pretty proud of yourself, aren’t you?”

“Yes I am, and I didn’t get hurt a bit.”

“Angie, I’m just as proud of you as you are. I’m wondering why you did it. Can you tell me why?”

“Jack, I did it for only one reason. I wanted to get your attention. I have to say this and I may be sorry when I tell you, but it is for the same reason as what I did earlier. Jack, I’ve been in love with you ever since I opened my eyes the first time you came into the hospital to see me. I’ve tried seducing you and although you gave me what I needed, it wasn’t what I wanted. What I want is your love.”

I didn’t say anything and the hope in Angie’s eyes was fast disappearing. “Just a minute, Angie; let me go to the car and I’ll be back and we’ll discuss this.” I stepped to the car and retrieved a ring box from the glove compartment. I came back and opened it in front of Angie. “Angie, will you marry me? Will you love me forever and ever?”

“Jack, oh my God, I didn’t expect this. It is too soon after the death of my husband. What would people say if I jumped from one husband to another is such a short time?”

“Question; Angie, how long before your husband died did your love disappear?”

“I wouldn’t be lying if I said two years or more, and that I would swear to.”

“Think about Rita and when she lost the love she had for her husband. It would be about the same amount of time. Think back to your marriage. There must have been some incident that made you accept the fact that love was gone. Use that for a date that you were free to look for some happiness. I would accept that date.”

“It is entirely different. Actually there is much more stigma attached to a wife who kills her husband than for just getting a divorce, even a messy one.”

“Angie, it was justified!”

“I know, but I don’t see how I can marry you even as much as I love you and want to. It wouldn’t be fair to you.”

“I’m the weird one. I can do whatever I want.”

“In this case I would have to agree to stand beside you when the ceremony is performed. I can’t do it.”

“Angie, if not, give me time to try to change your mind. In the meantime, would you accept this ring? Wear it or keep it in a treasured place. I would be so honored.”

“Jack, I want to. My life is so screwed up I can barely stand it.”

“That’s true, but there is also a man who loves you. That should be something to think about.”

“It is, Jack, and I’m going to have some sleepless nights thinking about us.” She was silent for a minute and then she brightened. “Now, I agreed to this picnic so I could talk to you. I called a forester to talk about my land. I told him what I wanted done. He is coming early tomorrow morning. I want him to mark the trees. I also asked if he knew someone I could hire to cut the trees and get rid of the brush and he said he does.”

“That’s great. Have him do the same on my wooded acre. I’m putting you in charge.”

“I thought you might. There is something more to tell you. I’m having a consultation next week about having my face restored to something a little less unsightly.  That’s on Wednesday. I made the appointment for eleven in the morning. Can you get the time free to go with me? Rita is on vacation and George has been telling me how busy he is.”

“I’ll be there.”

 “Thank you, I can always count on you. Jack, may I take this ring out of the box? It is so lovely. You know I believe I will accept it and wear it on a chain around my neck. Would that be okay with you?”

“Certainly, again I’m honored.”

“Jack, I know we are out in public, but may I kiss you?”

We talked about the future. Angie was adamant that we keep our engagement a secret. It was decided for the present we would maintain two households. With my weird hours that had me home for several hours during the day, we would see much of each other. Until Angie had the reconstruction on her face she wouldn’t be going out much anyway.

Angie called Rita’s cell as soon as we had finalized the plans for the lots to be improved. This was on Wednesday following the picnic when we became engaged. The phone was answered, “Mrs. George Johnson speaking.” A conversation commenced and went on for more than an hour.

Angie was waiting for me when I came home. “Jack, I found out who Rita has been seeing. In fact she married him last Saturday while we were thinking she was shacked up in some cabin in the woods. I guess you could say she was, but with her new husband and not with someone we didn’t know. How do you feel about that?”

“I’ll have to think about it a little before I can say. I thought for a long time it would be you who George would ask. But I could see that in the last month he wasn’t interested. That’s when I bought a ring, just in case.”

“What do you mean, just in case?”

“Just in case you were free to present a ring to.”

“Jack, you surprised me. I never really considered George for a husband. He was Brian’s friend and at times he defended Brian when I thought he should be considering my feelings. Also, I had thought you were making love to Rita until she began talking about dating someone else. I even went so far as to watch your house across the road to see if she left the area and came back and saw you later. I would have been crushed if she had.”

“Jealous?”

“Yes, damn it, I was jealous. Remember I told you I fell in love with you the first time we met.”

“Angie, you are over here and we are talking about our friends. Would you stay for a while?”

“Yes! Maybe we should call George and Rita later just to bust their butts for keeping their love a secret from us.”

                                                              *********

Our two lots consisted of a lot of weed trees that needed to be taken out. There was a lot of underbrush as well. When this was all removed, we ended up with three oak trees, four maple trees and some small ash saplings trees on each lot. When the work was finished we had some cord wood for sale. Angie brought in a wood chipper and had the brush and tops chipped.

There were bare spots and she was advised if we wanted to keep the brush clear we should plant ground cover of different sorts. We ended up with an almost park-like area of two acres. This was all done under Angie’s oversight with hired labor.

A month after the work on the lots began and almost done, I took Angie to Philadelphia for the surgery on her face. I stayed with Angie four days. She was then going to a facility to recuperate for a week or ten days. I would pick her up when the doctor said she could come home and then be under her own doctor’s care. If the procedure went as expected, her doctor’s care would be minimal.

Angie had a choice to have her nose and her face done in two separate operations. No, she wanted it completed at once so she wouldn’t have to return the second time. When she came out of surgery, her face was totally encased in bandages. I had no clue how effective the surgery would turn out to be.

Some soft tissue and skin was used from the inside of her thigh to rebuild her left cheek. The surgeon promised that this would look fine and would hardly be noticeable. The missing part of her nostril that couldn’t be saved was a more difficult problem. A section was removed from part of her ear and attached. It was less than 1/2 inch long, 3/8 inch wide and only 1/8 inch thick.

I was there when the bandages came off. I was amazed how much her looks had improved. The colors of her skin didn’t match on her cheek, but the scar itself was hardly detectable. Cosmetics could take care of the difference. This might have to be applied for the rest of her life, but the shape was good. The nostril was shaped well, but there was little blood or nerves feeding into the edge, so here again, Angie had to rely on makeup to make it less noticeable. I thought the surgeon’s work was amazing. I did have to keep reminding Angie of this fact.

“Sweetheart, it has been seven months since the incident when you were injured. Outside of your left knee, which has a permanent limp, but getting incrementally better as you continue to exercise, you are doing wonderfully well. It only takes a few minutes to put on your make up.”

Angie halted me, “What’s this leading up to?”

“Angie, you have been wearing my ring around your neck for two months now, don’t you think you should bring it out and let me put it on your finger?”

“No, Jack, but maybe I will someday. You forget that I murdered my husband. People won’t ever forget that. I will concede that I would like to live with you and not have to travel across the street when we have needs. I have a proposal. Would you move in with me? I have one more bedroom than you do. That would be a nice Christmas present for both of us.”

“What am I going to do with my house?”

“Keep it and enlarge your office if it needs it. Then if my or your family wants to visit, you can continue to work your weird hours if you wish or need to. My mother and father are coming after the first of the year for a few days. I would like to have your parents visit. I’ve only met your mother once and I really would like to get to know her better. Sammy and her kids can come and stay with her.”

“Angie, you didn’t answer my question about putting my ring on your finger.”

“Jack, I’m still going to say no at this time. I really have considered it and I will come to it. Would you give me since we met until a year has passed? That is only another five months.”

“Of course I will, and I will move across the street to be with you. We still have one thing more to do this year. I want to get our green grotto built. It isn’t too late to get it done before winter sets in permanently.”

“I’ll get it started. In fact I’ll call today and see if my former handymen will do it.  They did such a wonderful job on clearing our two lots.”

“I’ll move in today, if you so desire.”

“Right now is good.”

Angie and I went to Sammy’s for Thanksgiving. Sammy had her boy three weeks ago.  This was the first time Mom and Dad had seen their grandson. Dad didn’t have much to say about his grandson, but you could tell he was pretty proud. “Jack, you had better find yourself a woman. It’s okay to have friends, but I’m telling you, you need a wife.”

“Someday, Dad.  I’m thinking about it.”

“What about the woman you brought with you today?”

“Asked and turned down. I do like her a lot. She is a good friend though and keeps me from being too lonely.” Dad just shook his head, figuring I was hopeless.”

Angie overheard me tell my father this. She understood that I had lied to my father and that I wanted to level with him rather than tell an outright lie.

She came and sat down beside him, “Mr. Summers, do you know my story?”

“Your story, what do you mean?”

“I mean why I’ve been in the hospital so much, although I’ve mostly recovered now?”

“No.”

“I’ll tell you what happened, then. My husband began abusing me and had for the last three years. It was getting worse as time went on. The more he drank the more he beat on me. One evening I was upstairs and he came up and started in on me. He was really knocking me around and before he was done he threw me down the stairs. I broke my arm, had my leg almost torn off at the knee, and hit the corner of the bottom post with my face.”

Angie paused before continuing, “He wasn’t finished with me. He dragged me into the downstairs bedroom and kicked me repeatedly. I passed out. When I came to, I could barely move. I tried to get up and I knocked over the nightstand. The gun that my father had given me fell out of the drawer when it hit the floor. Brian had been lying on the bed. He got and up was coming for me again when I shot and killed him.

“My cell phone was on the floor and I struggled to dial 911. The police and rescue came and took me to the hospital. Two days later the doctors also found out I had two cracked vertebrae and I was immobilized for weeks. The District Attorney finally ruled it justifiable, but it doesn’t take away the fact that I killed my husband.”

Tears appeared now, “My lawyer hired Jack to take care of my property and clean up in the house. I had a picture of a bunch of my college friends and Jack spotted it in the room where this happened. Sammy was one of them and that’s when Sammy came to visit me in the hospital. Jack came the next day to visit.

“I fell in love with Jack the day I met him and he has with me. I have held off us getting married because of what I did earlier. He has given me a ring, but I don’t feel it is fair for him to marry me. A few weeks ago I asked him to move in with me and he has. I’m going to decide when a year is up whether it is fair to burden Jack with a murderess for the rest of his life.”

“Well, that’s quite a story. I guess it is up to you two to decide about your life. Are you two happy together?”

I spoke emphatically, “I am and now that we are living together it is even better.”

“Mr. Summers, I couldn’t love a person more than I love Jack.”

“Miss, wait your year if you have too, but I don’t see that it is necessary.”

Dad wanted out of this conversation, so I said, “Dad, you carve the turkey. Sammy just motioned to me.” My father headed for the kitchen. Angie and I followed after pausing for a kiss.

                                                              **********

Christmas Eve, Angie and I exchanged presents. We had decorated a small tree that we had found while hiking on the land back of our joined lots. Probably fifty years ago this land had been cut over by loggers and there were still some wood roads open enough to hike on. It was pretty rough terrain. Here and there these roads had washed in places so it was impossible to drive ATV’s on them.

At one time right after we had been to see her parents and I had met them, Angie explained what she had done on the family farm when she was young. We mentioned this plot of land and wondered if we should purchase it. Unbeknownst to Angie, I had investigated it. I did buy the lot comprising of 517 acres. It seemed like a great investment.

At the time, fifty years ago, woodland was being logged off, not adhering to good forestry practices. I had watched and listened while Angie was making our two lots into the attractive park-like area. She had used a forester at first and he had explained to both of us what made a forest healthy. I wanted to see this accomplished on this plot of land. This was to be my present to Angie at Christmas.

When it came time for Angie to give me a present, she said, “Jack, I’m giving you no great gift in the eyes of others. I do hope you will receive it using the thoughts behind what I have said not long ago in the past. There are several parts to my gift.

“I’m sure I will love your gift sweetheart.”

“Okay; first, please observe my ring finger? I have taken the ring you gave me and have placed it on my finger. Second; please read this card. It announces the twenty-third of May, which is the date I would like to have us married. Third; I found out when I went to purchase the land north of our lots that it had already been sold to one, Jack Summers.”

I started to break in to what Angie was saying when she held up her hand. “Wait, Jack, there is more. I want to use the income that I receive from my assets to make the land you bought into a show place for good forestry management. I know there will be some income from the land, but more needs to be done to improve the old trails and roads where people can hike and walk and enjoy nature at its finest.

“Fourth; I would like to have you bear with me while I go back to school to earn an associate’s degree in forestry. I would like it to become my life’s work.”

“Angie, you have given me wonderful presents. Here is the deed to the land. You have satisfied me in so many ways. I have been telling my sister and mother that I would be married to someone I love dearly by the time I am thirty. “

“Oh, I feel so old next to you. I’m thirty already. But to go along with that, I hope I can give you a baby by the time you are thirty.”

“You’re going to be one busy woman, in the next couple of years.”

“I know, but I know it will make you happy, so where is the problem?” We soon went to bed. “Jack, I’m stopping my pills, so it won’t be long before I can get pregnant. Maybe I’ll be pregnant at the altar the day we marry.”

“Fine with me.”

                                                             **********

We were up early and headed for Angie’s parents. Pa and Sadie were waiting for us to arrive. Sadie was excited about having me for a son-in-law. They also approved of the plans that we had set forth concerning my land purchase and what Angie was going to do with it. Sadie said to Angie, “Dear, I’m so glad you are going back to school. Pa and I were so disappointed that you have never used your education. We now feel you have some direction.”

“I know, Mom, but Brian was so jealous, he didn’t want me out with other people.  Jack gives me so much freedom to do what I want with my life. Brian didn’t want children and that is the first thing Jack talked about when I agreed to marry him. There is so much difference in having to make someone happy or to want to make someone happy. It’s like going from hell to heaven for me.”

We spent a wonderful day but happy to get home living as an engaged couple with a date set to be married.

Rita came into my office the first day back from the holidays. “Can George and I visit Wednesday evening?”

“Sure, I’ll have Angie whip up something. You two haven’t been over for awhile. Remember it was me who got you together. You are our two closest friends. Angie was going to call you this week, anyway. We made some decisions over the Christmas Holidays you should know about.”

“What, decisions did you make?”

“Not my show. She will tell you Wednesday,”

“You’re mean.”

“But you love me anyway.”

“I guess.” Rita tried to look mad, but she ended up smiling. I’ll see you Wednesday.” She started to open my office door to leave. “Jack, I would have hung in with you longer than I did, but I could see how much Angie loved you. I couldn’t tell how you felt about either me or Angie. You still aren’t that easy to read.”

“I know, just say it must be because I’m a weird one.”

“That may be, but I will leave you with this thought; you did give me some of the best sex I ever had. Sex with you was great, but George really loves me and I love him.”

“That’s the way it should be,” We grinned at each other and went to work.

We hadn’t got together with Rita and George that often. They lived in a different area of the city. They had bonded with the neighbors in the community they moved into. They still did count us as friends. Because of Angie’s looks and my weird hours she and I hadn’t followed that route with our neighbors. Plus with Angie doing what she did to her husband we feared rejection.

 Angie was a good cook and had cooked a pot roast that was out of this world. After dinner Angie explained our plans for getting married, where and when.

Rita exclaimed, “I knew it. George and I could see it. Isn’t love wonderful? I can’t wait to see what the New Year will bring. I guess I can tell you that I’m pregnant. Jack, this may make me lose the job you arranged for me, but I’ll be thirty-one when the baby is born. We want one more after this one. I do plan to work as long as I can and I may return to work after a few months if the job is still there for me.”

“Talk to Human Resources soon. They may help you with your plans.”

“I will, Jack, thanks for telling me.”

We were a very happy couple. I still kept to my weird work hours. This allowed me to work and plan with Angie as she organized what she wanted to do on the plot of land we owned. Yes, I had my name with hers on the deed on the advice of George. He was interested in the land and when we hired someone to work for Angie he made sure the contracts were in order.

Angie said she didn’t want to tackle the project as a whole but do about fifty acres at a time. By completing a small portion, she felt she wouldn’t be overwhelmed by having logging going on forever in such large land mass. Pa Driscoll came several times as the work began. We didn’t see Sadie as often but she came occasionally. She had a friend who would help her drive. Sadie always stayed home when Pa came. I looked forward to welcoming whichever one arrived.

Angie had on occasion had heard from Brian’s parents. She sent her former husband’s family Christmas cards, not really knowing how it would be received. They had sent a card in return with a long note enclosed. There was sympathy for her and Brian wasn’t mentioned. The note did let her enjoy Christmas. This one with me was better than the last few she had had. Those she dreaded because Brian invariably got drunk.

It was the first week in May on a Friday when the Simmons’ called Angie and said they were in town and could they visit. Sadie, her mother, happened to be here arranging our wedding later in the month. Sadie had of course known them. It could have been an awkward situation. At one point while the police were investigating Brian’s death they learned just how abusive their son had been to Angie.

Angie told me they were arriving and I said I would be across the street working upstairs in my office. I was involved in the design for a new tool that would be used by a dentist. “Hello, anyone here?”

“Up here at the head of the stairs. Come on, up.”

I hated to be interrupted, but I knew this had to be Angie’s former father-in-law. I saved the file as I heard him mounting the stairs. He came in with his hand extended.  “Hi, I’m Paul Simmons, Angie’s ex father-in-law. Angie sent me over to meet you.”

“Jack Summers, I’m pleased to meet you. I’m glad you came to visit. She has mentioned you several times and is sad that you have gone out of her life. She also feels terribly guilty that she took your son from you.”

“Yes, but in her case, I can see that to protect herself, it was necessary. We just never knew how badly she was being treated. We regret that she didn’t feel she could come to us and tell what was going on. Let’s not talk about it. I understand you two are getting married this month?”

“That’s right. I know it is soon, but we have fallen in love. I think at first some of Angie’s attraction of me was transference brought on by a bit of kindness. I was there to get her mind off what had taken place.”

“You don’t have to make any excuses. I’m happy that you were able to help her while she healed from her injuries. I understand it took four months to put her back together.”

“It did. She still has a limp, but overall she is quite well.”

“My wife noticed she had some work done on her features, and asked if she had before and after pictures. Angie showed us what she looked like before the reconstruction. How could one person do to another like my son did to her is beyond me. I want to thank you for being there every minute for her. She told us about what you said about using a slice of her butt to repair her face. Angie said that was the moment she fell in love with you and would make the effort to get well and pay you back for being so kind to her.”

“I would say we have got beyond our initial feelings we had for each other. My feelings at first for her were pity, and you can’t build a relationship on that. Now what I have for her is admiration. There was no need for her to pay me back for anything. She has done something else that wasn’t connected to her injuries. That is her being able to understand me. I’m a bit of an odd person and considered weird by some. She doesn’t feel that I am and understands me fully.

“My being weird though, and the way I have arranged my life, has given me the chance to be there for her when she has most needed me. What we have seems to work well. Another thing, I worried that she would withdraw from life and in one way she has for some extent. That’s why I purchased 500 acres behind our lots and gave them to her.

“She has always been interested in forestry and this land needs managing. She isn’t going at it willy-nilly, but is going to school to learn how best to get the most out of this particular property. She will come out of college with a degree. It will be an unending project for the rest of her life. In the meantime she can take on other properties as a paid forester. She is planning on conducting seminars using our land so other owners can see first-hand how their land should be managed. I would guess you may have seen the difference in her yourself.”

“I have and I know my wife has, but we haven’t had a chance to discuss it privately. Angie used to be almost submissive, but I haven’t seen anything like that today.”

“Paul, give me a few minutes to wind up what I was doing and we’ll go over so I can meet your wife.”

We walked across the street. I walked in on Angie and Paul’s wife (Luella) laughing over what one of them had just said. I was introduced and was immediately congratulated on the fact that Angie and I would soon be wed. It was an easy meal with everyone not mentioning Brian at all. I could see genuine affection between the Simmons’ and Angie.

After lunch, Angie wanted them to see what she had done with our two extra lots. She led them into the enclosure she had constructed. Two simple marble benches were inside surrounded by tall shrubs. There was room to put blankets on the short grass so a person could lie down and look the sky in daytime and see the stars at night.

There was a marble stone with a bronze plaque with an inscription set into it. “May God forgive us who have transgressed and let us find peace with those whom we have injured?” Luella asked if that referred to Brian.

“Yes, in a way. These are my words and I necessarily kept it generic. All of us have done things we need forgiveness for. I’m hoping this grotto will outlast me and remind the world to forget his or her sins. When I am gone the words could apply to anyone reading them. I come here and just lie on the grass sometimes. I do find peace even when alone. But it isn’t just for me alone.

“Jack and I come here at night and look up at the stars. Jack has a difficult job and he says he can clear his mind and find a path to solve his problems. Me, my mind troubles me at times and I can lay holding hands with Jack and find the peace I need to go on with my life.

“Angie, you seem to be handling what happened to you very well. I realize how hard you have worked to get over your problems … those both mental and physical. I suspect that Jack is the one who is behind your success.”

“He is, Luella. I don’t know why he came into my life when I needed someone so badly. I can only give him my love by being a good wife to him.”

“Enough of this, Angie, tell them about your plans for the land.”

“Jack’s, right, but before I do, won’t you stay the night with us. We’ll give you a flashlight when it gets dark so you can visit the grotto.”

I had to work in the morning. Paul and Luella hadn’t got up when I went to work and were still there when I got back to the house at ten-fifteen. We had lunch and they left shortly afterward. “Jack, Paul and Luella won’t be coming to our wedding, but they do approve of me marrying again. That says a lot about the man I’m going to marry. Just think, in two more weeks my name is going to be Mrs. Jack Summers.”

“I guess we can put what happened to you behind us and we can go forward.”

“I’d say so. I’m so happy. Oh Mom and Pa are coming for an overnight Thursday. I was planning on visiting them Mother’s Day, but if they are coming during the week that’s fine. I was talking to Mother and I told her about Paul and Luella visiting. Right after that Mom called back and said they would visit. Kind of odd, but maybe there making sure you won’t skip out on me.”

I laughed, “Maybe making sure it isn’t you who is skipping out.”

“Nobody is skipping out.”

“I know.”

Chapter Five

Sadie and Pa arrived before dinner. Angie was an excellent cook. She served crusty fried chicken and a potato salad. She had always kept home-made yeast rolls in the freezer and these were almost as good as fresh baked. When it was almost dark, Pa suggested we all take blankets and go lay in the grotto. It was a glorious night. “Wait until full dark here, I have some things I want to say.”

It took awhile, but finally we saw a star directly overhead. “Jack, this may seem strange bringing what I’m going to reveal up at this point. It is something you should know about Angie. I’m not sure, but she may know it already. She was terribly injured the night Brian died and it would be a wonder if she remembered shooting him.”

Angie spoke up, “I was terribly confused, but I think I do. I do remember coming to and finding the gun by my hand. There was so much blood around him I knew he must be dead. I remember earlier in the evening trying to get to the downstairs bedroom where the gun was. I woke up and could see I had. The phone was at hand too, so I picked it up and called 911. I didn’t hear Rescue arrive but when I came to again, men were putting me on a gurney.”

“Angie, did you remember me coming in to see you?”

“I was pretty groggy, but I think it was while I was in ACU. It was late, I think.”

“I did see you in ACU at that time. I couldn’t tell that you were my daughter you were so enveloped in so many bandages.”

I knew Pa wanted to say something more, but seemed afraid to. My flashlight passed over Sadie and she was tense and, or scared … so scared she was trembling. It was full dark now and we couldn’t see the expressions on the others faces without the flashlight. I spoke up, “Pa, do you mind if I say a few words?”

“Go ahead.”

“Is everyone comfortable, this may take a bit?”

“What’s this got to do with what I was saying?”

“You’ll see if you give me a chance. I have to go back before Brian’s death. And at first this is how I came to purchase my house.” I paused to let anyone break into the conversation and stop me. No one did. I picked up where I left off, “I had been here looking at the property two times and I was ready to make an offer. Two weeks later the realtor said that the price had been lowered. I think this was the week that Brian died, maybe four days after his death.

“I did a walk though and signed that day. I paid cash and was given the keys. I set about getting my furniture and the following week I had help to move in.  In the afternoon there were people here and I deduced that it was because there was a funeral. It was three weeks later when George Johnson hired me to take care of Angie’s property. I was informed then that she was still in the hospital and would be for some time.”

“Yes, and you came to visit me and I fell in love with you.”

“And I fell in love with you. Pa, why are you bringing something up now just before Angie and I are married.”

“Son, Angie is tagged as a woman who killed her husband. That is a terrible thing for you to live with and even more terrible for her.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. Our love will survive. We have discussed this at length and the crime, if that was what it was, was determined to be justified.”

“I know and there is no way to change that.” It was he who paused now. “But I would like to add something to the facts neither of you are aware of.”

“Pa, maybe Angie isn’t aware, but I think I am aware of some of those facts you are referring to.”

“You can’t be, but if you are, maybe I shouldn’t have this conversation.”

“Dad, you started this and you had better finish it.”

“If Jack hasn’t said anything before this and knew some things and hasn’t said anything, then there is no need to go on.”

Angie wanted to know what we were talking about. “What about me. I need to know”

“Pa, I was going to tell Angie after we were married.”

“Well, Jack, tell me then.”

“Okay, but Pa, won’t this make you nervous about your future if everything is out into the open?”

“I consider you family. That’s enough for me. Angie does need to know, although you can tell I’m a little concerned, and some about you too.”

I was speaking, “Pa, you don’t need to be. To continue; about the first time I met Angie she told me she had called her mother that afternoon before she was injured. I believe you jumped into your car and headed here to protect her. You got the hidden key from the stone at end of the house and came in through the back door. You arrived too late to help prevent her injuries. I suspect Brian was drunk and passed out when you came in. I’m guessing you found Angie was passed out on the floor.

“I suspect she roused up and tried to get the gun out of the side table drawer, but she couldn’t make it and probably passed out again just as you arrived. She had, though, tipped over the table and it woke up Brian. The gun was on the floor and it was you who picked it up and shot him.”

“You’ve got it about right. She was so still and I thought she was dead at first because she was not moving. Yes, I did shoot the bastard and not sorry a bit. I guess when the gun went off she roused up for she started to struggle reaching for the gun that I had in my hand, but she thought it was still on the floor. She soon passed out again and I had to decide quickly what to do.

“When did you get her robe off her?”

“What about the robe? Nobody said anything about that.”

“Well, why did you come back weeks later and get it from where you hid it among the dresses upstairs? George said the police were looking for it. It was a detail that was needed to wrap up the case.”

“I had to do something. Any powder residue was on me and not on Angie’s robe.  I’ve read enough detective novels to know things like that and I watch NCIS on cable. I had to hide it. I didn’t want it with me in case I was stopped or investigated so I hid it upstairs on the rack sandwiched between two other robes. There was a lot of blood where her knee bled and there was a lot of blood on the front when her face bled all over it. As of now, they think she and Brian were the only two in the house. How did you get onto me, anyway, or that I was even in the area? How did you even know to look for it?”

“To be honest, I was curious about a woman who supposedly killed her husband and I looked at everything. No woman puts more than one robe on one hanger. I just went through looking at her apparel and when I came to a hanger that had three robes on it, I looked at it. I found it when I went through the house the first time. I didn’t touch the robe either, but I was damned curious how the bloody robe got hung in the closet.

“I looked at expensive clothes, all of Angie’s pictures, her cook books, what she used for wall decorations, and all kind of things. Her house is filled with top of the line furniture and dishes. I knew more about her than she knows about herself before I even met her. I even found out how well off she was.”

“Well, how in hell did you know it was me that was here?”

“I wasn’t positive at first and knew someone had to have been in the house. That is until I came to your farm to visit. I knew someone had driven a car into my garage and closed the door between the time when I did a walk though and when I took possession. There were tire tracks in the dust on the garage floor that weren’t there when I did a walk through after I bought my property just days before. There were footprints in the dust going from the car to the window several times as if he was someone was watching something going on across the street. You know, like cops, and ambulances, and things like that.

“You came up to my office the first time I met you. I looked at your tire treads when I went by your car, but that wasn’t all. There were a man’s footprints going to the corner of the garage where someone had pissed. Also, there was a plastic cup that had something black in it sitting on the foundation. The liquid in it was almost dry and I had no idea what it was until I saw you use a cup just like it to spit tobacco juice in. You’re just lucky the cops figured the garage across the street was empty.

“All my questions were answered at that time and I knew it was you who had been there during the time of the death of Angie’s husband. The part about the robe was a lot of supposition, and at first it took me time to put together until you brought it back to Angie washed. By the way, how come you parked in the garage, anyway?”

“I had to hide after Angie called 911. It wouldn’t do to be met coming down the street and be met by a couple of cop cars. I couldn’t leave for the same reason. I was there about eight hours. I waited until the police left, but then I figured I had better stay until everyone on the street had gone to work the next morning and would notice a strange car. I tell you I was some worried I would get caught.”

“You were lucky.”

“I know, but not just that way either: First Angie thought she had shot Brian and she did just as I wanted her to when she used the phone to make the call. I figured she wouldn’t turn me in if she knew the truth, but I couldn’t be sure. I was very close to my sister, Maggie, and just as close to Angie.”

“And why are you telling her, us now?”

“It just wouldn’t be fair to her or you to think she was a killer when it was me all along.”

“Sadie, I suppose you were home on the farm all along taking care of the cattle. Did you have any problem with all this?”

“A lot of problems. I had no word from Pa from the time he left the farm at about nine that night until nearly eleven the next morning. I got one phone call from the police about six in the morning telling me that my daughter was injured and my son-in-law was dead apparently by her hand. Pa didn’t call me and I didn’t dare call him. The cops asked for him first, but I was worried by that time and I said he was at the barn milking and for the cops to tell me why they called. No word from Pa and not knowing anything, I thought the worst had happened.”

“And what would that be?”

“You know, Pa in jail for murder or being searched for. I sure hated to pick up the phone when he did call me at last.”

“I should think so.”

“Pa went into the hospital to see how badly Angie was injured before coming home. He stayed in a motel room three days before he came home. She had some work done on her, but they told him she wouldn’t be able to speak until the next day. One of us was in to see her as often as possible. George Johnson kept us apprised. And then one day we began to hear about a man who lived across the street who had come to visit Angie. Some facts coming from Angie and some from George.

“We began to feel there was an improvement to the terrible times coming that had plagued our daughter’s life. We knew after a bit you two had fallen in love and we wanted to be no secrets in your life together. We just hope it hasn’t been too upsetting learning about everything at this late date.”

“Dad, I believe you did what you had to do when I was unable too. Also, I believe you had an unbelievable amount of luck.”

“I guess I did, didn’t I sweetheart? You know, I think we have been out here long enough. Angie, do you have something in your house to drink?”

“No Pa, but Jack does in his house across the street. Jack, I’m going to see somehow that you have a wife and a child just like you promised your mother by the time you are thirty.”

We went back to the houses. Pa and I split off to get the beer that I had in my house while Sadie and Angie went into Angie’s. “Jack, you ought to be a detective. I can’t imagine how you figured out what I did the night I killed Brian.”

“I don’t know either. It just seemed that the facts coming at me as I observed them added up. Behind it all, I just didn’t believe that Angie killed her husband. Not that it would have made any difference if she had, because it needed doing.”

“Jack, is this going to change how you feel about me and Sadie?”

“No, not at all, I’m proud of what you did to protect Angie. She would be dead by now if you hadn’t. We’re good in all ways.”

When we returned to Angie and Sadie, the two were discussing our wedding. “I’d like to have your wedding at the farm, but most of Jack’s relatives are here, so I can see that won’t work.”

“So, Angie, what have you come up with?”

“I’m going to ask Rita to me my maid of honor. Do you think Sammy will mind?”

“Of course not. She has three kids to watch. Are they being invited?”

“Yes, definitely! I would like your oldest niece to be flower girl or maybe the two nieces can go down the aisle hand in hand. That would be so cute. Who are you going to ask to be your best man?”

“George. I’m going to ask my brother-in-law, Norm to be an usher.  Do you have anyone in your family who would?”

“I don’t have anyone. You must have a cousin that would be glad to.”

“There’s Josh. He’s younger than I am. He’d fit right in with you, Pa. He went to Ag School and is saving his money. He wants to start farming someday. It takes a lot of money to get one going.”

“Jack, tell me about it. It takes a lot to keep one going, too. I’ll talk to him and tell him all about farming from my perspective.”

“He’d like that. Angie, where is our wedding going to take place?”

“Sweetheart, I have a suggestion, but if you want a church wedding, I’ll defer to you.”

“Tell me.”

“Jack, there won’t be more than a dozen people. How about removing a couple of the shrubs on the side of the grotto and have our wedding in there? We can put up an arbor, decorate it with flowers, and it will make a nice picture for us in our wedding journal.”

“That’s a wonderful idea. What about the reception afterward?”

“I’ll leave that up to you.”

“Angie, my uncles are going to put on a spring fair the day of the wedding for the workers. This date was decided after we set our wedding date. I would very much like to have you meet more of my family and some of the people I work with. Rita will want to be at the fair to introduce George around too. I can have  the wedding table set up, have our reception and maybe some of the people will join us. It is up to you, though.”

“I don’t know, Jack. What do you think, Mom?”

Pa didn’t give Sadie a chance to answer. “Angie, you’ve been almost a recluse for a year. It’s time you showed some support for the man you are marrying. He has done a lot for you. His family and the people he works with are going to want to know his wife. Especially since his uncles own the factory. It couldn’t be a better chance for you to get to know them”

“Do you think it will be okay with your uncles?”

“I’ll speak to my aunts. They have been after me to bring you to meet them. I don’t know as there is time before the wedding just to meet. They will all be at the fair, just like Mom and Dad. It will give Angie a chance to hold court. We are a little weird in one way in that we don’t visit around that much. I’m a good example of being weird, as you well know. We do respect each other and get along great when we have the chance.”

“Jack, are you going to be satisfied with a small wedding like this?”

“Yes. I would be happy to just go to a Justice of the Peace somewhere, but my mother and Sammy would never let me live it down.”

“We do need to make your family happy. I have had my big wedding and I don’t want another. This seems about right for me.”

                                                             **********

Our wedding came off extremely well. Angie was either with me or with Rita and we met a good portion of the two hundred employees that worked at the factory. I did introduce my cousin, Josh, to Pa Driscoll. An hour later the two still had their heads together. I didn’t get a chance to see what they were talking about before Angie and I left for Myrtle Beach on our honeymoon. We had two weeks. We planned on visiting Pa and Sadie on the farm the last three days before returning home.

When we pulled in front of the farmhouse at six I could see a huge tractor still at work in one of the fields baling hay. “That must be Pa. he’ll be working as long as there is daylight.” We went inside and Sadie said the supper was almost ready. Pa was sitting at the table already.

I offered, “I see your help is still in the field.”

“That’s not my help, that’s my partner. I’ve agreed to sell part of the farm to your cousin, Josh. I’m paying him wages for the next few months and then we’ll sit down and see where we are. From what I see so far, I’m going to make him manager and step back from a lot of the day-to-day work.

“When did this happen?”

“Jack, he threw some of his things together and rode home from your wedding with us. He and his girlfriend are living up stairs. She is out there in the field with him working at stacking those 500 pound bales with a fork lift. She’ll be going back to Vet School. There is a good one about fifty miles from here and she has already transferred her records.  She is studying to be a large animal veterinarian.”

“What’s her name?”

“Janice Bingham. She’s not very pretty. She’s big though and that’s a plus for what she is going into for her life’s work. I’d trust her to handle cows or horses.”

“Are they living together?”

“Yes, and are getting married when she gets her papers next year. Angie, I want to ask you if you mind me start selling off some of the farm. I should have asked you before, but you were all tied up with Jack. Jack’s family is all in the area where he works and you kind of made your 500 acres of woodland your life’s work.”

“I think it’s great. Would you promise us that you will come live near us when you retire?”

“I’ve already talked it over with your mother. The sooner you have Grand kids the sooner we will move. We wouldn’t have done this so early except I’ve lost my two farm hands. One has moved to Alaska and the other went to work for another farm. That one knew how hard it was to replace the first one and he was afraid I would be working him too hard shortly thereafter. I could have told you all of this at your wedding, but you left before I could speak.”

“Dad, it sounds like you have your future well planned. Jack and I have been working on providing the kids Mom so wants. Jack’s parents are of the same mind, so maybe we will end up with both sets of parents living close to us.”

“You don’t have to hurry too much, unless you want to. It will be five years before Josh owns this place totally.”

“We’ll work it out.”

We heard the tractor arrive from the field. It was a few minutes before Josh appeared.  “Hey cousin, I recognized your car in the yard. How’s married life?”

“Great, you should try it.”

“I’m planning on it. You’ll meet Janice in a little bit. She wasn’t at the fair when you were married so that is why you haven’t met her yet.”

Sadie spoke to Josh, “Janice coming in soon?”

“She is here already. She is putting fuel in the tractor. Give her ten more minutes.” Josh went to wash up. Janice came in and did the same and Sadie had supper on the table. I liked my cousin, but didn’t know him that well. I saw him a few times a year at family gatherings. If we were playing games, we always tried to be on the same side. We were unbeatable together.

Janice Bingham was a couple of inches taller than him and weighed at least thirty more pounds.  She was a big girl. She told us about always wanting to be a vet and it looked like it was going to be possible with Josh on the farm. Pa had agreed to build an office and maybe a small stable and corrals for any sick animals.

After supper, Pa asked me to walk through the barn like we did the first time Angie and I were here. “Jack, I have an envelope to give you. It’s out in the barn. I don’t want Angie to know about it.”

“What’s in it?”

It is kind of like a will, but more like some explanation of how I want my property and assets divided if something happens to me.”

“Is something going to happen to you that we don’t know about?”

“Yeah, some, I have a heart condition. I’m on medicine, but you never know. I don’t want Sadie or Angie to worry.”

“Pa, I won’t do it. Those two women should know about your condition now. They’ll watch out for your health a little more than you would by yourself and it would hurt them terribly if you dropped dead suddenly and they didn’t have a chance to tell you how much they loved you. Is this the reason you decided suddenly to get a partner?”

“Yeah. I was so pleased when you introduced Josh to me. I think I can arrange to have Sadie live here in her own home if she so wishes. If she wants to move closer to you, that’s fine too.”

“How bad is this condition?”

“The doctor won’t give me an estimate. It could be a year or it could be ten.”

“That doesn’t sound too serious, but I want you to tell both Sadie and Angie tonight if possible.”

“Okay, I guess you are right.”

Josh and Janice told us they were going out for a walk. They appeared to be much in love. Pa said, “I guess I have something to tell my loved ones. Jack says I should and I’m following his advice. I went to see a doctor just before Angie and Jack’s wedding. He tells me I have a heart problem. That’s why I have taken Josh on as a partner. It wasn’t the reason I gave you, Sadie, about thinking I wanted to retire.”

“Pa … No, I’ll call you, Daddy! This is too personal! How bad is it?”

“I don’t know Angie, and the doctor doesn’t know either. He said all I could do is to watch my diet, not get stressed and to get plenty of sleep. I’m going in for more tests next month. I have been worried how to do this without Sadie knowing. I guess that won’t bother me any longer.”

“Damnit! Pa, we’re supposed to be partners in love and in health. Promise me you won’t keep anything from me from now on.”

“Okay, Sadie, I promise. You can thank Jack for objecting to the idea I had to keep this a secret from my loved ones.” Both Angie and Sadie thanked me profusely.

Angie and I loafed around the next day. It was nearly supper time when a vehicle drove into the yard. It was the hired hand who had quit the farm and gone to Alaska. He looked pretty sheepish when he came to the door. “Mr. Driscoll, I was hoping you might hire me back. I flew up to Alaska and the job wasn’t what had been promised. You know I’m a good worker.”

“You were a good worker. Things have changed in the last month since you left. I’ve taken on a partner. He is young and college educated. I’ll be making him my manager of the whole farm operation soon. I guess I’ll turn you over to him to talk to.”

I spoke to Josh later after he had talked to the former worker. He said he had hired him and would also have some work for his wife. “Jack, I’ve fallen into something good here. I have some money, not enough to buy all the farm and business at the moment, but Mr. Driscoll didn’t want to sell all of it yet, so I came in as a partner. I’m not surprised because it must be difficult for someone who has farmed all his life to let it go. I want to thank you again for proposing I talk to your father-in-law.”

“Glad to do it. My wife is their only heir, but she isn’t interested in coming back here to live. I’d be lost if the farm came to her. What I know about farming is only that a cow has a head and a tail and which end is which.”

“Yeah, right. Anyway this is working out great for me. My father wanted me to go into the factory and planned on that from the day I was born. When I was four I received a toy set of farm tools and little animals for Christmas. Farms became my obsession. From that day on I begged my mom for anything that pertained to a farm. Toys and books about farming made my day. I can remember the day vividly when Mom took me to visit a real farm.

“Dad went ballistic when I applied to the college where I could really study agriculture and he refused to provide money. Mom got on his ass and reminded him it was he who had given me the toy set of farm equipment and animals. At that point Mom sided with me and told me to go ahead with my plans. Ag school had a working dairy farm among other endeavors and that is the type of farming I chose to make my life’s work.

“Jack, I graduated at the top of my class and technology plays a good part of making farming successful now. Pa Driscoll has done well, but this farm is behind the times. I intend to have the best farm operation in this part of the country. Pa is pretty excited about what my plans are for this farm.”

“I’m glad you are here. Pa let me into the fact his health isn’t perfect, so I’m glad you are here working with him as his partner. Just don’t mention that I told you.”

“I’m going to make the most of what I consider was my lucky day when you introduced me to Pa and Sadie. I’m sure when you visit you will be able to see how I’m bringing this farm into the modern day world in the farming community.”

“We’ll be here often. Pa and Sadie are Angie only relatives.”

                                                            **********

We arrived home and I had one day to relax. I had to go to work in the morning. Angie didn’t have work in the woods for another week. I had to spend a full day in the factory. I think she spent her time thinking of what would make our life the most comfortable for the next fifty years. I started to say something about what I had found at the factory after being gone for two weeks, but she didn’t give me a chance to speak.

“Jack, I’ve decided we need a new house. I’m sure I’m pregnant already. We tried and I just know we were successful.”

“Angie, I don’t think I have time to see to building a new home for us.”

“That’s okay, I can do it. Let me show you what I’m planning.”

“Okay, but I need to talk to you about something.”

“But this is important, sweetheart.”

“Okay, what I have to say can wait, I guess.”

“You can tell me after we go to bed. Jack, together we have quite a bit of money. I want a big family. Being the only kid in a family is fine when you are young, but when you get old you should have kids to help take care of you. Probably if Mom and Dad had a couple of boys they would have stayed on the farm and could care for them. I’ve made my life with you and I don’t want to go back to the farm. You don’t know anything about farming anyway.”

“That’s my cousin’s job. I turned it over to him. Pa will think Josh is the son he never had.”

“That’s fine for them, but I’m thinking of our future. I’ve been looking at house plans all day and I think I’ve found plans of what I want. It’s a plantation house. It’s big … over 4,000 feet square with five or six bedrooms.”

“Where would you place it? Would you tear down this house and the one across the street?”

“No, we would probably sell them and set our new house up in the woodlot beyond our grotto. Jack, I’ll be right here working on our land and can oversee the construction. I thought one time when in school I wanted to be an architect. I’m smart enough to find someone to help me. Look what I’ve been doing in the woods and that’s working out great.”

“If this is what you want, I guess it okay.”

“You don’t seem too enthused. I thought you would be.”

“Angie, I have a lot on my mind. I told you I wanted to tell you some things.”

“Well, what is it?”

“It’s going to take awhile.”

“If it’s important, start telling?”

“First, I think we will have enough money to build us as big a house as we desire. I received a big increase in salary today. The only thing is I have to give up a lot to get it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m getting to that. I was called upstairs to meet with my uncles this morning. I was informed that the corporation was being reorganized. My uncle, Josh’s father, has decided he will never get Josh into the factory and I’m being blamed for him going to farming.”

“That’s not fair.”

“I know. Actually that was what they first said, but did admit that Josh wouldn’t have ever come into the factory in this lifetime. I was then asked if I was happy working for my uncles and if I intended to remain in the corporation. Angie, I told them the factory has been my life and I wouldn’t even consider leaving. I then asked why the question?”

“Well?”

“Josh’s father has been elected chairman of the board. I’m to replace him in his previous position as vice president. I guess my family has been watching me ever since I went to work in the factory. My two uncles are very pleased with me. Now that I’m married and have settled down with a wife, they made the offer.”

“How is this going to change for you? You said you have to give up something.”

“Yes, I have to join the mainstream and give up the way I have been working. I’m to have my uncle’s old office upstairs. No more leaving the plant at ten in the morning and coming home and working across the street anymore. I’ll be hiring some bright young college engineer to replace me. My laboratory across the street will sit there unused.”

“How do you feel about that?”

“I hate it, but this is a chance of a lifetime. The part I hate the most is not seeing you during the day and being able to lose myself in building something on my own.” I grinned, “Unless you give me time to play around in it.”

“What exactly will your duties be?”

“The same as I’m doing now except not the hands on items like I was doing across the street in my other house. My uncles still want to expand the projects I work on and have me create some teams to branch out into other areas. I suppose this was inevitable because I had suggested something like teams of workers together in the past. I just never entertained the idea I would be in charge. We are a manufacturing facility and any new invention should lead to our expansion in the number of people employed. This is great when many of our jobs are going out of the country.”

“Is this something you are capable off and will you be happy?”

“Yeah, and I’m a little bit excited about too. The extra $2,000.00 a month I get for the first year looks damned good to this married man of yours.”

“It looks good to his wife, too. Can I go ahead and begin building this house I picked out?”

“I don’t see why not. We have the summer before us.  Are you going to be working in the woods at all?”

“I have two men starting next week. On Monday, I’ll set out what I want accomplished and on Friday, I’ll check to see how it is going. I guess I won’t be taking a college course this year.”

“Do what you want. The woods will be there forever, so put school off for a year.”

“Good, that’s what I want. The forester I use will be happy with me not looking over his shoulder.”

                                                              **********

I missed working at home and it took it awhile to be comfortable in the factory all day long. I did step into the slot that had many more responsibilities without getting too stressed out. Angie and I had evenings together which got better when she informed me she was indeed pregnant. She was busy in the planning of our new house and busier yet when the construction on it began.

Angie, of course called her parents when she learned she was with child. Pa and Sadie came the following weekend and stayed a few days. Pa was interested in the new house plans and spent time up in the woodlot watching while a stand of softwoods were thinned out. The logs came down out of there to a landing and he went to the mill on the log truck to watch the logs being unloaded.

Finally he said he had to go home, promising that he would come back when the first corn was fertilized and the weed control applied. Josh was the one who set the timeline to do these things using modern technology. His corn was looking better this year by a certain date and Pa was well pleased. The day before he and Sadie left, I had Pa into the factory and gave him a tour. He was impressed with what I did and with how I was able to handle the details.

I asked him the morning they left how he was feeling. “I’m fine, I’m following a diet and I have a life-coach Sadie hired who tells me what to do in everything. That’s my doctor’s fault and Sadie laughs when I tell her it’s like having two wives. The only thing is I don’t get to take her to bed. I joked about it and this coach said it wasn’t in the cards.”

She said, “I’m supposed to be keeping you alive. If you went to bed with me, you might not make it ’til morning.  I’m pretty demanding.”

“While the coach and I were joking, Sadie spoke up and said if I did take her to bed and she found out about it she’d make sure I didn’t make it until dinnertime. Ain’t that a bitch?”

Pa grinned, paused and then changed the subject. “Jack, if Angie has a girl child, would you promise me that you would name her Maggie after my twin? I still think about her, I loved her that much. Of course, Sadie was there for me when I lost Maggie and I love Sadie with all my heart. Hey, maybe you will have twins and if they are girls you can name them after the two women who have been closest to me.”

“I’ll remember, Pa. You’ll be around and I know you soon will have a little Maggie to love again, if not this time, then next.” Sadie came out and got into the car. I shook Pa’s hand and he gave me a lopsided grin and drove away. I wondered if I would see him again.

                                                               **********

Our life settled down and we got comfortable with my new schedule. Angie and her mother talked about every evening, sometimes for an hour or more. As Angie got bigger with the baby growing inside of her, I figured Pa would live along enough to see his granddaughter. I called one day and spoke to him. “Jack, I’m fine, really. I’m feeling great and my coach tells me I’m going to live a long time.” I wondered, though, and couldn’t help but worry.

I didn’t dwell on Pa’s health. I worried some about Angie, though, because of the injuries she had to recover from previously. There again Angie, presented me with a beautiful daughter and my concern was for naught. We hadn’t moved into the new house yet, staying in the house across the street from where I bought when I moved here.

I didn’t have any time to do any extra work in my old house since moving up in the factory hierarchy. I came to enjoy my duties a lot more than I thought I would. I found my days were more than full after little Maggie Jane was born. We named the baby after a great aunt of Angie’s who had died long before I met Angie. My mother questioned if I was okay for my daughter having such a common name.

“Mom, you named me Jack. Pa had a right to hope we named the baby Maggie after his twin sister. Ask me why we chose her middle name of Jane. Jane was my grandmother’s name and I adored her.”

“I was just making sure, that’s all. The baby will go through life with it. Are you going to name the next one, Sadie?”

“I hope that the next baby will be a boy. Pa would want us to name another girl Sadie, but Sadie has already said we were off the hook. She never liked her name. I’m glad she is staying with us for awhile. Angie wants to finish the new house.  When it is, I want you and Dad to come and stay so you can get to know your granddaughter intimately.”

“I’m looking forward to the chance.”

“Good, we will have a house warming. I’ll invite all my friends and family to show off both Maggie and the new house. I want everyone to get to know Angie better than they do now. My friends and even Sammy told me Angie was quiet and almost submissive, but if she is, I don’t see it. Well maybe to me, but she handled the construction of this house and still kept a crew working on the plantation organizing the forest to be the most productive.”

“Is that what you are calling your woodlot … The Plantation?”

“Yeah, it’s the biggest plot of private-owned land in the area. It comes from Angie’s looking for the design she wanted for a home. The home was called a plantation dwelling. If you have a plantation home, you have to have a plantation to go with it.”

“Makes sense. What are you going to do with the houses that are across the street from each other?”

“I’m having my house renovated and I’m transferring it to you. I’m hoping when you retire, you will make use of it. Angie is doing the same with the house she owned for her parents to use. Now if I can get my uncle to help my cousin Josh purchase the Driscoll property from them, they can move here sooner. Pa isn’t well and I want him to live close by so he will know his twins namesake.”

“I’ll mention it to my sister-in-law. It might help. She knows Josh has no interest in the factory and she wants him happy.”

It did help. Josh asked Pa to give him a figure for what it would take to sell the farm for in cash. Pa came up with a price that he would accept. The sale would give Pa and Sadie a good living for the rest of his life if they spent it wisely. Just before we moved to the new house before Christmas we had the two moves.  We moved into our new house and Sadie and Pa moved into Angie’s.

At that same time I passed a deed to my father and mother to the house I still owned. My parents weren’t ready to retire and wouldn’t be moving into it yet and I still had the use of it. I still messed around in the room I had used for a laboratory with ideas that crossed my mind. Twice in the next year I came up with a tool that the factory decided to manufacture.

Sadie was our baby sitter, glorying in having something to do during the day. Pa was in the woodlot with Angie everyday she was. Cares of not managing the farm seemed to make him younger every day. We stopped worrying about his heart.

                                                               *********

We should have been worrying about Sadie. Two years after moving into the house we gave her and Pa, she had a stroke. She lingered for only two weeks before passing away. Pa spent every minute with her, coming from her hospital room the minute she passed away. “She was glad to go. She is with the Lord now. We followed the directions we both had in place if such a thing came about. I thought it would be me.”

Pa spent a week grieving by himself, seeing us for one meal each day. After that he was back in the woodlot with Angie. Angie was pregnant again. Work in the plantation woodlot was curtailed because Angie wouldn’t leave Maggie with someone she didn’t know. Pa was frustrated. Pa asked, “Can I have the use of the small room that is off the living room next to the kitchen?”

“Pa, what do you want that for?”

“I need an office.”

“Sure, we don’t use it and if you want it, but I don’t understand what for.”

“Good, I’ll get it equipped and set up just the way I want it.” Angie and I shook our heads, puzzled. Maybe Pa was going into his second childhood, but we hadn’t seen any indication of it except for this.

Two weeks later he informed us that he had hired a secretary and she would be working in his office every day. We met her the next morning. Pa and she came into the house the next Monday. “Jack and Angie, this is Gail Powers. She is and has been my life coach for the last three years. She is the one who brought me back from the brink of dying from a heart attack. She will be living in my house.

“She also loves children although she has never had any of her own. I thought maybe she could watch little Maggie so Angie and I can get back into the woods.  She will slowly pick up some patients and become their coach like she did for me. She is making her home with me and her hours won’t conflict with watching Maggie and the new baby.”

Gail became a part of our household during the day. She had hours on Wednesdays to see patients in the room off our living room and occasionally met some in the evening, informing us ahead of time. It worked extremely well. Angie and I never questioned Pa and Gail’s living arrangements. Pa was happy and Gail, fifteen years younger than Pa, was too. It wasn’t a need to know for us.

My Dad and Mom retired five years after Jack Junior was born. They immediately became close friends with Pa and Gail and often traveled on vacation together. Angie and I … We were both a little strange, but that was what made our union strong. We had a beautiful family. Who could ask for more?

I asked Pa one time if he had shared what happened a few years ago in the house he now lived in with Gail. “No, and I don’t know if she ever heard that the authorities are sure Angie killed her husband.  It was me that found it necessary to do the deed for her and I’m sorry Angie has this in her past. But she is okay with carrying the burden so it is best forgotten. I don’t believe Gail would hold what happened against either me or Angie.”

“Jack, I never told her about the weird man who lived in the house across the street from Angie at the time, either. I don’t think she would believe it … you are just so normal now.”

The End