Untrusting (Troubled) (35 page)

Steve brings lunch over and we let
the guests out.  Don’t want to do that again.  We have lunch and I
send the wrapped packages back with him.  I still have others to
wrap.  These are the ones that need to be delivered.  After supper
Maria and I are going shopping, leaving Shay with the guys.  We’ve decided
to take Glen’s suggestion.

Steve and Bob are off work today
because they’re delivering Christmas trees, gifts, tree decorations and food
baskets.  Miss Lili wants to get as much of the town taken care of as
possible before Glen’s family arrives.  Maria and I missed out on most of
that work.  Organizing the requests was enough to tell us there was a
lotta of work involved in getting it all put together.

Mom drops by to see what my
schedule is for the next few days.  Maria says she’ll let the dogs out in
the morning and at lunch, but I’ll have to let them out in the afternoon and at
night.  I agree to that, since Steve and I will be staying at my place
‘til the new part of the family leave.  Mom wants to know if I’ll have
time to spend some of Christmas with them.  I tell her I’ll find out when
Miss Lili is going to have dinner then I’ll know better when we can spend time
with them.  She’s not too happy.  She says she and Dad are feeling
left out and they miss me, but we’ll talk later, since we’ll be back out at the
house for a few days.

I let Maria go home early, after we
put a sign in the window saying we’re closed ‘til after Christmas to call the
alternative numbers if they need help.  I continue to wrap gifts ‘til
Steve comes looking for me.  Glen’s family has arrived and he’s finished
delivering Christmas to half the town.  Miguel comes by with Miss Lili’s gift
and I pay him.  It’s pretty grand for a suggestion box.

Steve’s confused about what it is,
but I don’t tell him anything about it.  I tell him, Bob and he are gonna
be babysitting Shay tonight while Maria and I go shopping for him, Bob, Miss
Lili and Glen.  He says okay.  “Will that be the last of the
shopping?”  I tell him I think so.  Miss Lili had said she and Glen
had shopped for his family for us.  He said the tree shows the increase in
family.

I ask about Yolanda and
Penny.  They’re doing well.  Penny’s happy, but preoccupied in taking
care of her mother.  Miss Lili had a Christmas tree set up in their living
room for them.  Then put all their gifts from everyone under it. 
They both cried when they saw it.  Yolanda’s doing better, but she’ll be doing
very little for a few more weeks.  She saw the doctor, today and she’s
still on a lotta of medication.

He has to go and I should meet him
at Grams.  She wants us to visit with Glen’s family for a while before
supper.  I tell him I’ll be along soon, I need to let the dogs out and
check their water.

I have a hard time parking in the
drive, it’s full.  When I get inside I find there’s no room here
either.  For only eight more people to be here, it’s wall to wall
people.  Glen’s family is sitting in the living room talking a bit while
Miss Lili and Maria are in the kitchen cooking.  Glen, Steve and Bob are
coming and going, serving Glen’s family.  I go in to be introduced and
notice the kids, they’re high school or college age, are bored.  I say hi
and go back into the kitchen.  “What do these people do for fun?”

Miss Lili hasn’t a clue and neither
does Maria.  I start helping in the kitchen.  Soon Shay comes in and
wants to go outside to play Frisbee with the dogs.  Maria tells him to ask
Bob to go with him.  He does and the next thing we know all the kids are
in the backyard with Bob, Steve and the six dogs.  The four adults are
sitting in the living room like the living dead.  Glen’s daughter comes in
to ask for another glass of tea.  I tell her sure and show her where the
refrigerator is when I fill her glass then I tell her to help herself. 
She says okay.

I follow her into the living room
and only the women are left.  “Where’d your husbands go?”

“They decided to sit on the
porch.”  Claudia and Betty say.

“You don’t have to sit in here by
yourselves.  You can join us in the kitchen, if you’d like.  At least
we can get to know each other if ya do.  We can talk and cook at the same
time.”

“That would be nice.”  Betty
says.  So they come in to talk and watch, I thought.  Next thing I
know they’re helping with the meal.

I step to the door of Yolanda’s
room and knock.  A nurse opens the door.  “Is Penny here and can I
see Yolanda?”  Nancy introduces herself and calls Penny.  I tell her
she needs to go out to play.  She doesn’t want to ‘til I tell her
everyone’s out playing and Nancy will take care of her mother for the time
she’s playing.  So she goes out.

I go in to see Yolanda’s looking
much better.  I ask how she is and she says she’s feeling much
better.  Nancy says she’s still short of breathe and can get around some
on her own, but not for very long.  Her strength will come back a little
at a time.  I tell her to feel better and leave her to rest.

I ask Claudia to ask the ones in
the backyard if they want something to drink and I go to ask the self exiled
husbands if they want a drink.  Then ask them to come in for it.  The
next thing that happens is they hear the shouting and laughing in the
backyard.  Claudia comes in saying drinks would be appreciated out back. 
I load two trays up with disposable cups filled with iced tea and have the
husbands take them out.  Miss Lili keeps looking at me and sorta
frowning.  But nobody’s complaining about being included.

We ladies finish getting supper
ready, the tables set up and set.  Then I holler out the back door, “Come
and get.  Don’t forget the cups and trays, guys.”  It worked. 
They all come in laughing and talking, to each other.  The dogs come in,
go lay down and go to sleep.  I tell Miss Lili I have to check on the dogs
in about thirty minutes.  She tells me to go, they’ll wait for me to get
back and she smiles at me.  Maria goes with me so we’ll get done faster
and we’re home in time for supper to be served without any delay.

The talk at the tables is almost deafening,
but we’re beginning to mesh as members of a newly formed family.  Glen and
Miss Lili are smiling and laughing.  I suggest at supper that the men
should barbecue tomorrow and give the ladies a break.  It’s received very
well.  Miss Lili looks at me like I’m a brazen hussy suggesting such a
thing.  But I smile at her like it was a compliment.  She frowns and
I smile bigger.  I’ll have to talk to her before I leave.

After supper, which everyone
complimented, Maria and I go back to let the dogs out and leave Betty and
Claudia to help Miss Lili clean up.  It serves them right for sitting
while Miss Lili worked so hard to feed them.  We get back in time for
dessert and we help clean that up.  We don’t want to act like the
others.  I excuse Maria and I, telling them we have a few more gifts we
have to get before tomorrow night.  Betty, Claudia, and Miss Lili want to
come with us.  So we ladies leave it all in the men’s hands.

We take Miss Lili’s Caddy and have
a great time.  When we get back, we stop at the office to check on the
dogs.  Betty and Claudia are impressed with our ventures.  Betty, an
interior designer, loves the boarding house design and recognizes it as the
brothel from “Cheyenne Social Club.”  Claudia, an efficiency coordinator,
loves the space and time saving design.  Now, we’re making points with
them.

We get back to Miss Lili’s and
separate our purchases, say goodnight to Betty and Claudia and Miss Lili walks
us out to our cars.  She asks me why I’d suggested the men do the cooking
tomorrow.  “Because they did nothing tonight.  You did most of
it.  Let them take some responsibility for being part of this. 
Tomorrow night’s Christmas Eve.  You’ll be working your butt off in the
kitchen Christmas Day, so let them give ya a break tomorrow.  Besides,
they liked the idea.”

She smiles and hugs me, “You’re
right.  Thanks.  I’ll see you girls tomorrow after lunch.  I’ll
have two meals to make for a crowd tomorrow, I don’t need you girls and the
boys to add to it.  Okay?”

We both laugh and say “Okay” then
we’re off for home.  I holler at Maria, “If Steve’s at your place tell him
to come home and not to forget Betty and Barney.  That’s where I’m
going.  See ya tomorrow.”

Steve and the puppies are home when
I arrived.  I made a quick stop at the clinic to leave the gifts
there.  Tomorrow Maria and I have to go to the hardware store to get paint
for Miss Lili’s box.  Then I need to talk to Mayor Cal about
placement.  This all has to be done tomorrow.

 I help bring in the suitcases
Steve indicates need to come in.  Steve asks where we’ll put our tree and
I look at him and laugh.  “It may be a small tree, but we need a tree of
our own.  At least, ‘I’ think so.”  He’s serious.

I stop laughing and suggest the end
table would hold a small tree.  He goes out to the truck and comes back
with a tree then goes after the ornaments.  “I hope you like angels for a
tree topper.  I went shopping today after the deliveries.  These are
just ours.  Let’s set it up so it feels like Christmas, ‘our’ first
Christmas.”  He’s almost too much when it comes to romantic, but I get in
the spirit.  “Then we can make love under the tree.”

I look at the tree, the stand and
the puppies and can’t see the possibility.  “We’d have to be six inches
wide, together, to do that.”

He laughs, “Then by the tree. 
We need a fireplace and a bear skin rug.”  I poke him in the
stomach.  He grabs me and the tree had to wait.

Six o’clock in the morning I roll
over on the living room floor to find Steve has the tree up and is fixing
breakfast.  Where’d he get the food?  I forgot to shop.  I yawn
and Steve’s flops down beside me, kisses me and lays there propped up on his
elbows, over me.  “Move, I have to pee.”

“Only if you agree to come back and
lay here just like ya are.”

“Why would I do that?”

“’Cause I want ya to.”

“Why?”

“Come back and do as I ask and
you’ll see why.  Promise, or you’ll have a mess to clean up.”

“Steve, come on, move so I can go
to the bathroom and put the puppies out, please.”

“Won’t work.  Promise. 
And the puppies have been out.”  I shove at him and he rolls a bit then
grabs me as I sit up and holds me on top of him.  “Promise.”

“Steve, I’m going to wet myself and
you, if ya don’t let go.”

“Promise.”  He says a little
more sternly.  “Or I’ll tickle ya and make ya pee.”

He moves toward tickling me and
that’s all I needed, “I promise.” But he keeps coming.  “I promise, I
promise.  Don’t…” he kisses me and lets me go to the bathroom.  That
was close.

When I come back he’s standing
guard and points to the “bed” on the floor.  I head toward it, but dart
out the door instead.  He’s on my heels and has me wrapped in his arms and
held tight against his chest.  He’s carrying me back into the house. 
I think I spotted Mom and Dad out with Princess, laughing their butts off,
while I was shouting, “Steve your ankle, be careful.  Steeeeve!”

Back in the house he sits me on the
back of the couch, steps between my legs and pushes me back, kissing me and
falling backwards onto the seat of the couch.  Then he rolls me onto the
floor, laying on top of me to hold me in place.  “Now you’re where ya
promised you’d be.  Now stay put.”  He starts to move and so do
I.  He grabs me again.  “Are you gonna be difficult?”  I shake
my head, but as soon as he starts to move again, I do too.  “You’re a beautiful
liar.  I can’t trust ya to stay here, can I?”  I nod, but he smiles,
“if your breakfast burns it’ll be your fault.  I hope nobody calls the
fire department.  It could get embarrassing.”  He starts kissing me
and taking my night gown off and the puppies are yipping at us from beside the
bed.

The sounds coming from our activity
is deafening and incoherent.  The feeling is unfathomable.  Never
have I felt such feelings and excitement.  The abandon it creates is
embarrassing and inescapable.  It’s passed the inferno and the lightening,
back into the consciousness of an out of body of experience.  You feel and
are involved, yet you’re watching from a distance.  You’re shocked at your
own behavior, but unable to stop.  Its pure unadulterated and uncensored lust
and love.

When we, slowly, settle back into a
state of normalcy, still unable to breathe and gasping for air, we smell smoke
and Steve hobbles to the stove.  He grabs the pan of bacon outta the oven,
puts it out on the porch and comes back in to collapse next to me, gathering me
to him.  “Breakfast is burned,” he gasps out.  I start
laughing.  “What’s so funny?”  He’s looking at me like I’ve lost my
mind.

“I can’t thing of a better reason,
or way, to burn breakfast, can you?  But it can’t be any hotter than we
were.”  I snicker again and Steve has his Cheshire cat smile on
again.  I put my head on his chest and kiss it while he rubs my back and
we enjoy our final settling back to earth as the puppies come outta hiding to
hop on us to be petted.

When we realize the time we quickly
shower and go over to Mom and Dads.  I’d promised we’d spend some time
with them today.  We decide we’ll have breakfast with them.  Dad says
Mom’ll make the breakfast, he saw the smoke earlier and he likes to eat…too. 
We agree to their conditions, but have to leave right after we eat.  I
still have presents to wrap and some painting to do.

On the way into town, I tell Steve
about Miss Lili’s Christmas gift.  He’s not enthusiastic about it.  I
remind him she asked me to hold her to her New Year’s resolution and it’s only
a suggestion box for the town’s people to use to have a voice in the
improvements in town.  Not some kinda arm twisting to get certain things
done.  He understands and asks how it’s going to be painted.  I tell
him I was thinking of a flower child type print because it reminds me of Miss
Lili.  He agrees and wants to help.

Maria and Bob meet us at the
office.  The guys look at the box and decide they want to choose the
paints.  I have gifts to wrap and a phone call to make.  Mayor Cal
was hard to track down, but I got his okay to put the box next to the sidewalk
at the entrance to the city offices.

When I get through, I find the guys
have already put the base coat on the box and stand.  It’s neon
green.  Maria’s looking at it doubtfully.  We let it dry while the
guys go after lunch and Maria and I wrap the final gifts and put them in the
trucks.

After lunch we go out to paint the
flowers on the box and the stand.  Bright pink, red, deep blue, green,
purple, black and white are the colors the guys got.  I look at Steve and
he shrugs, “You did say hippie colors and Bob picked them.”  We paint the
flowers and leaves on and Bob added a few touches to give them
definition.  Then he painted the words “Citizen’s Suggestion Box for City
Improvement” on the base.  It’s made to look like an oil rig and looks
very nice, very bold and bright.  It’ll draw attention.  I have the
key to the lock on the box in an envelope with Miss Lili’s name on it.

The guys want to make it a treasure
hunt type gift.  So they sit down and give five instructions that will
lead Miss Lili to the box.  They’re laughing at their plans and
instructions.  They won’t tell us, but they make up eleven other envelopes
to make it seem like a real treasure hunt.  The first thing they’re going
to say is no team is to let any other team see their list.  Then it tells
them to meet at the box.

When we arrive at Miss Lili’s she
has a ham and a turkey she’s preparing to cook tomorrow.  Betty and
Claudia are in the kitchen helping her and preparing some of their traditional
dishes.  Maria and I put on aprons and start helping, too.  Tonight
the guys are barbecuing so we only have to get this done.  We’re laughing
and talking while we work, like a family that’s known each other most of their
lives.  Miss Lili is lovin’ every minute of it.  There are tales
about Christmas’s past, birthdays and any special event in Glen’s family’s
life, with a few of ours thrown in to keep the conversation going.  The
kids are outside playing with the dogs and the men.  Shay’s to be dropped
off soon by Maria’s mother.  Bob and Steve come through the kitchen to go
out to join the others in the yard, they stop for a kiss that’s more than a
peck.  Miss Lili starts hooting and the other two join in.

When the kisses end, Maria turns
“We’re lucky women.”  I nod and the guys give us another quick kiss.

“It’s nice to appreciated,” Bob
says and Steve nods as they make a run for the back door.  Maria throws a
towel at them anyway.

“I could’ve told ya not to
compliment them unless you’re ready for the consequences, but I thought you’d
probably remember better if ya learned the hard way,” Miss Lili says.  I
threw a towel at her and we all laugh and got back to work.

I tell Miss Lili, Steve and I will
be over about noon.  I want to spend some time with Mom and Dad.  She
says that’ll be fine, we’re opening gifts tonight so Santa’ll have room and
there won’t be a mess to clean up before anyone can get through to the
kitchen.  She hands us a box of plastic garbage bags to put by the
fireplace for the wrapping paper, bows and boxes.  Then we put the food
away in the many refrigerators Miss Lili has and join the men in the living
room.

After supper, while it’s still
light Steve and Bob spring their treasure hunt on everyone.  The key is at
the last stop before the box.  Miss Lili and Glen are teamed up and the
rest of the couples are teamed up with kids.  I get Penny, Maria gets Shay
and the others got a niece or nephew.  The guys make a joke of giving Miss
Lili and Glen a ten minute head start, because of their age.  Then they
have to fill the rest of the group in on what’s going on and we leave to beat
them to the box.

Steve and I go by the hotel to let
the dogs out and check their water and food.

I don’t know how it happened, but
Mayor Cal and a few of Miss Lili’s friends are waiting for us.  Twenty
minutes after we arrive, Miss Lili and Glen arrive.  The guys had written
on the last envelope not to open it until they reach the next stop.  When
they see us all there, Miss Lili realizes it’s been a hoax.

Mayor Cal takes the tarp off of the
box and Miss Lili looks confused.  Mayor Cal has her read the sign on the
front of the base.  Steve tells her to open the envelope to find the key
that fits the box.  There’s a piece of paper in it.  It says, “Merry
Christmas.  Now you can keep your New Year’s resolution.  Love, Steve
and Sher, Bob and Maria.”  She loves it, now the confusion is over. 
She makes a little speech about getting the town’s people involved in the
improvements around town and wants everyone to tell the rest of the town. 
We applaud then we break up to go home.

We get settled with a cup of eggnog
and Yolanda comes out to join us.  The gifts are handed out and opened,
thanks are given and hugs are exchanged.  We have more eggnog and Yolanda
goes back to bed and we take the gifts for them into their living room. 
We put our gifts into bags to be taken to the truck when we leave.  The
trash is taken out and everything is pristine.  Before we can leave, the
guys go out to get the things from Santa.  Penny’s is put in their living
room and Shay’s is put in the main living room.  Maria can’t believe how
much “Santa” brought Shay.  I had the same problem with Penny, but then
that’s the only “Santa” visit she’ll get.  Shay’ll have one or two more
visits.  That done, we go home.

Steve insists we decorate the
tree.  Since we’re going to have a tree I kept the personal gifts to be
opened tomorrow morning.  I have to admit the tree is pretty.  Steve
takes pictures of our first Christmas tree and me, and I take the same pictures
of him.  Mom and Dad come over with eggnog and we take more pictures.

After they leave, I put my gifts
for Steve under the tree and Steve gets mine out of the truck and puts them
under the tree.  We open a gift each.  His is a pair of boxers from
the adult store and mine is another teddy, smaller than the last one, but we
don’t wear them tonight.

Christmas morning there are a few
more gifts to open.  Steve got a couple of tee shirts, a pair of boots and
a hat.  I got ear rings, a belt buckle with our initials on it and a set
of keys to Miss Lili’s house and Steve’s truck.  We go to Mom’s for
breakfast.  When we get there, we open more gifts while having coffee
before breakfast.  Mom got Steve a bridle.  Steve thanks him and says
nothing.  We open the rest of the gifts, but that’s the only present for
Steve.  After all the gifts are opened, Dad insists we go out to the barn
to give Izzie a carrot or two.  That’s when Dad surprises Steve with a
buckskin gelding.  Steve calls him Apache, even tho’ there’s no
resemblance to an Indian pony.  Steve has tears in his eyes and so does
Dad.  They walk back to the house like father and son.

Mom and I trail behind them. 
“Mom, how’d Dad know to get Steve a horse?”

“They’ve talked a lot and I guess
it just came out, but he said Steve’d said he’s always wanted one. 
According to your Dad, now Steve’s family, he needs a horse.”  Mom shrugs
as we walk in the back door.  She and I make breakfast while Steve and Dad
talk, over more coffee.  Steve invites Mom and Dad over for dinner, but
they have to go to Aunt Nell’s for dinner.  They might drop by
later.  After breakfast we talk some more.  At eleven we have to go
check on the boarded dogs.  Mom gives me a bag of gifts for Miss Lili,
Glen, Bob, Maria and Shay.

We take some time at the hotel with
the dogs.  I have to clean the kennel and change the litter boxes. 
Maria, Bob and Shay come in as we’re finishing.  I give them the gifts
from Mom and Dad.  Bob gets a bridle, too with a note to come out for
dinner tomorrow.  Steve, nor I, say anything, Bob’ll have to wait.  I
ask them to come out early if they want to.  I know day after tomorrow
Glen’s family is leaving so we need to be here to see them off.

We go over to Miss Lili’s and go
into a house that smells so good ya start drooling when ya walk in. 
Dinner’s still an hour off.  The women are in the kitchen and the men are
outside with the kids.  Penny’s riding her bike and Shay’s riding
his.  Yolanda’s sitting outside for a while with Glen keeping an eye on
her.  Maria and I watch the kids play with their new toys for a while and
bring Yolanda in to put her to bed.  Miss Lili says Yolanda insisted she
go out to watch Penny on her new bike.