Bountiful Harvest

by Darlene Tallman

  “Alright guys, what say we get everything all ready to go to the Market so we can finish cleaning up and let your mom relax for what’s left of today?” asked Frank.

  “Okay.”

  “Sure!”

  I smiled to myself; Frank was really good with the kids. In fact, he was all-around a really good guy if I was truly honest with myself. I said a silent prayer to God asking for His will to be done in all of this, whatever “this” was, since Frank and I hadn’t even really gone out on a date or anything, then got up to help my boys and Frank get things done.

  Chapter Seven

  A Week Later Dorrie turned around as she heard the bell ring. Seeing Frank, her face broke out in a smile, and she quickly went over towards him. “Frank, what a nice surprise! What’s up?”

  “Well, I needed to pick your brain about something, so I figured I would grab a mid-morning snack for us both and head on over and hope you were between clients,” Frank answered.

  Dorrie smiled as she saw he had her favorite cinnamon muffins. Well, they were her favorite next to blueberry. Ah, who was she kidding? She pretty much liked them all. “Thank you! What did you want to know?”

  “One of the guys in the MC has been looking into becoming a beekeeper. He has heard about the benefits of locally grown honey, but wasn’t sure what else could be done with it. Do you have any clue? Because I have none,” Frank replied.

  “Well, we could make homemade lip balms, body balm and candles for starters. I’m sure there are some women who could or would be more than willing to do that for the Market, aren’t you? A great bartering tool for sure!” said Dorrie.

  “I like it. Yes, our goal is to ensure that every family in this community has enough of what they need so that their families are well-fed and taken care of and this would add to items available,” exclaimed Frank.

  “So, now that we have that out of the way, I’ve wanted to ask you something for quite some time. Would you do me the honor of going to dinner one Friday night soon? I enjoy everything we’ve done these past months with the boys as well, but would like the chance for some one-on-one time with you.”

  “Frank, I would love to! Uh, the boys are leaving Sunday for a two week stay at my parents’ house, but I’m sure that Nancy would be happy to have them. Now that baseball is over and summer has begun, they’ll be doing that on and off all summer long.”

  “Then how about this Friday? How late do you work?” “Last client is at three, I should be out of here by four-four thirty-ish, and can be ready by six, I think.”

  “Then it’s a date. I’m looking forward to it,” Frank stated. Just then, her next client walked in the door, so Frank said his good-byes and headed back across the street.

  ***

  Later in the day “Oh my God, Nance!!!! He finally asked me out! What am I going to wear? What should I not talk about? Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve been out on a date! I don’t know the protocol anymore.”

  “Girl, slow it down. Take a deep breath. I’m presuming by ‘he’ you mean Frank. And, if you didn’t catch where you were going, then I would say anything except jeans unless you wear those designer ones you have and maybe a cute top. And, I would take cues from him on what to talk about if you’re unsure. I mean, you talk to him a lot already, is there anything you haven’t told him yet?” queried Nancy.

  “Well, I’ve never really talked about my marriage. I think he probably already knows from local gossip what happened to that man, but no one except you and Renee know what else I endured,” Dorrie replied.

  “Look, Frank has always only ever shown interest in you from what I can tell. So, perhaps a date won’t be the best place to discuss your marriage, but again, take your cues from him, okay? I think the fact he has spent so much time with your boys, and with you and the boys definitely shows he likes you. Stop worrying!”

  “Okay, okay. You’re right. I’ll just be this calm, cool, collected female,” laughed Dorrie.

  Nancy laughed as she said “There’s my girl!”

  Chapter Eight

  Friday night Frank approached Dorrie’s front door, hoping she was ready to go. She had texted him when she left her shop so he thought she would be. Then again, sometimes it took women awhile to get ready to go anywhere. He wasn’t nervous, per se, but realized that she was the first woman in a very long time to interest him. Knocking on the door, he heard her call out to come on in.

  “Hey Dorrie, wasn’t sure if you’d be ready yet or not...” and then he stopped, catching a glimpse of her in some sort of maxi dress that was feminine and modest at the same time. “You look beautiful.”

  “Thank you, Frank. I wasn’t really sure where we were going, so wasn’t sure if this would be alright or not,” she replied, blushing slightly.

  “Oh, these are for you. Beautiful flowers for a beautiful lady,” Frank said, holding out the bouquet of flowers he had gotten her.

  “Calla lilies! One of my favorites! Thank you; let me go put them in water and then I’m ready to go,” Dorrie said, already walking toward the kitchen to find a vase.

  As he waited while she locked up, he heard clearly in his Spirit once again “She’s the one.” And then, helping her into the passenger side of his truck, he felt it on a more visceral level. Not sure how he should proceed, he chose patience. “So, how do you feel about surf and turf?” Frank asked her as they headed out to the highway.

  “Mmmm, sounds good. I can never eat it all at once, but sure enjoy trying!” Dorrie responded.

  “Worst case scenario, we bring back leftovers. So, what are you going to do while the boys are gone to their grandparents? I know I’ll miss them popping over to the Market. They love to help over there and I appreciate all they’ve done.”

  “Well, whenever they go, I usually do my best to book out every day so I don’t have to think about an empty home. I know, in my mind, that someday they’ll go off to college and their own lives, but that’s a long way from now. I consider these practice runs, if you must know, and I fail miserably. But, other than that, Nancy, Renee and I will likely have a few girl’s nights out, maybe a few movies that are not cartoon-oriented, lots of sleeping and reading,” she replied.

  “Have you booked out fully yet? If not, perhaps we could spend some time together, just the two of us, getting to know one another better?” Frank asked.

  With her inner girl cheering loudly, Dorrie managed to serenely answer “You know what? I think I’d like that a lot, Frank.”

  “I know it’s our first official date, Dorrie, but it cannot have escaped you that I’m interested in you and I see something building. I’ve been letting God lead me in this, and think we are on a path toward being a couple-couple,” Frank said.

  Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! With that ringing in her head, Dorrie looked over at him, before saying “But…but you don’t…I mean...well…gosh, Frank, you have me speechless! If you’re laying your cards out there, then I will as well. I’ve never been good at beating around the bush. I have been attracted to you for a long, long time, but didn’t think you would be interested in anything serious because let’s face it, the boys are still young and you’ve already raised your kids. Why would you want to go through those teenage years again??”

  Laughing, Frank glanced back over at her, then reached his right hand over and grabbed her left, draping them over the console. “Dorrie, did I fluster you? I sure didn’t mean to do it at all! Like I said, I’ve been letting God lead me where you are concerned. I’ve been attracted for a long time. The boys? They are a bonus if you want the truth. I know there are things we haven’t talked about yet, but am hoping that now that you know my intentions, we can do so.”

  Very conscious of her hand in his, with his thumb caressing her palm, she answered “Yes. Yes, I would like that a lot. I know there are things you need to know and while it may not be easy for me to talk about it, I know I can do it.”

  “There’s honestly nothing you can tell me or say to me that wi
ll make me change my mind,” Frank said, rather emphatically.

  “I’m not so sure about that one. Wait, isn’t this kind of a heavy subject for a first date?” she asked. “Dorrie, in case you missed it, I’ve been courting you for months now. Every time I came to your salon and brought you your muffin and drink, or picked up the boys, I was showing you how I felt. I’ve even spoken to my daughters about you, not to get their blessing but to let them know I was moving on. And, after talking to the girls, I realized that they were well-aware of what their mother had become the last few years of our marriage,” Frank responded.

  “I…I’m not sure what to say! Nancy and even Renee tried to tell me you were interested and your actions were those of a man actively pursuing a woman, but I didn’t want to believe it,” she quietly said.

  “Okay, so to get it all out there from my side, my wife’s name was Madge. About five years before she died, we all started attending a new church in our town. The girls and I accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, but Madge didn’t. In fact, her behavior became very erratic. She began staying gone, hanging out with a whole new crowd of ‘friends’ and stopped sleeping in our room. She ended up contracting several nasty STIs, didn’t get treated, and the resulting septic infection killed her. I always thought I protected my girls from what their mother did, but they knew. They chose to forgive her and remember her as she was before she went wild. I raised the girls, worked and focused on making changes in myself that God showed me needed changing. While the girls are both off in college now, we remain close and they should be coming in about a week or so for their summer visit. I want them both to meet you and the boys because y’all are now an important part of my life here,” Frank shared.

  “Frank, I’m so sorry. No child should have to see their parent act in that manner or die like that; how heartbreaking for your girls! I guess we have some things in common then, hmm? My husband decided that he preferred someone else to me, after years of belittling me about every little thing. He died when they crashed into a tree. The hardest part, other than the emotional healing I had to do, was facing that woman’s husband, who didn’t realize she was cheating on him. Then he was angry with me, because it was my husband’s fault the accident happened. Thankfully, Joey and a few other friends made him see that I was as much a victim in the whole nightmare as he was and he finally left me alone. After Drew died, I started going back to church and reconnected not only with long-time friends I had pushed aside, but also with God. I’ve been tested every three months since I found out about his affair, because it apparently started when DJ was just a baby, and have always gotten an all clear. Oh! That was probably too much information,” she stammered as her face turned a becoming shade of pink.

  Chuckling to himself but presenting a calm face to her, Frank simply said “No, not at all. I have had to do the same thing myself. And, for the longest time, I didn’t have any inclination to ever get involved with another woman because I was so busy learning how to take care of the girls full-time. And, for the record, while I find you immensely attractive on so many levels, we won’t go ‘there’ until God tells us it’s time.”

  Now blushing furiously and getting her mind back on track, Dorrie said “I sometimes have a hard time looking you in the eye. I want you to know it’s not you, it’s me. I feel like you can see all my secrets, all my failures, and I’m sure my therapist would say that I have some residual stuff I need to address from before.”

  “Dorrie-girl, I’ve noticed you can’t keep my eyes. And, that’s okay. You’ll share your secrets when you want to share them, I’m not pushing. But you have beautiful blue eyes and all I ever see in them when I look at you is pure beauty.”

  “Frank, thank you. I’m honestly working on it. To be honest, I’m glad we got the heavy stuff out of the way, aren’t you?” she responded.

  “Y’know? I am. You know where I stand and my intentions, and I know where you are at in your head. I can say with all honesty that I will always be truthful in anything I say or tell you and I only ask the same. I also find you highly desirable, so it’s highly likely that we won’t be alone very often,” Frank told her.

  Eek! But he didn’t know about the stretch marks or the Csection scar or the old scar from when Drew had thrown her down and she cut her arm open. Out loud, she merely said “That’s probably a good idea because I’m attracted to you as well!”

  Over the course of dinner, they talked and laughed, Frank telling her about his two girls, Josie and Jessie, and some of the antics they pulled growing up. She could see the love for his daughters on his face, and looked forward to meeting them. After sharing a somewhat decadent dessert — death by chocolate — oh, what a way to go — they emerged from the restaurant and saw it was raining.

  “Oh I’m glad it’s finally raining! I know you and the guys have been worrying about the crops being okay,” she told him as they walked to his truck.

  “We were, that’s for sure, but a lot of the things planted were planted with the local weather patterns in mind. But we are fortunate enough that we have the reservoir and lake so close; we’ve got a water truck that we truck water in whenever we go without rain for any period of time.”

  As they dashed back to his truck, Frank reached over and snagged her hand and pulled her closer to him. He loved the fact that she didn’t care that it was raining and they were getting somewhat soaked. As he helped her in, he saw the laughter on her face and more importantly, in her eyes. Telling her to buckle up, he made his way to the driver’s side so they could head back home.

  “So, what kind of music do you like to listen to? I’ve noticed that you have a wide range in the salon every time I’ve come over, is there a rhyme or reason?” Frank asked.

  “Well, I love country music. But, I also love music from the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s, some pop rock and some rock ballads. But, I try to keep in mind who we will have in the shop that day. You have probably noticed that the ladies from the senior center come in each week; we usually play the oldies more on that day because that’s what they like the most” she answered.

  “Okay, so what time were your parents due to arrive?” “Mmm, they are coming in tomorrow afternoon and staying overnight because my dad wanted to help me fix a few things that he noticed the last time they were here. They’ll come to church with me on Sunday and then head out after lunch, I think.”

  “Think your folks would like that restaurant we went to a few weeks ago with the boys? If so, I’d love to take all of you there so you don’t have to cook. That way, you can get started on that R&R a little bit early.”

  “I think they would like it; I’ll give mom a call tomorrow morning and check, and let you know for sure, okay?” “Sounds good, Dorrie-girl.” Inside, her heart warmed a little bit more. He was such a confident, outgoing man, with a strength of character that was evident in everything he did, no matter how small. Not to mention the fact that he was hot, something she had noticed right away. It wasn’t in the way where he was arrogant or cocky, but in the way that she just knew as he continued to mature, he would achieve a level of attractiveness along the likes of Sam Elliott. She didn’t want to get into the comparison game by any means, but she knew, even without any in-depth prayer or answers, that this man, this beautiful man, was nothing like her dead husband. She hoped it didn’t sound crass but she was glad. So, so glad. Because she knew that Drew was a cruel, narcissistic person. His abuse of her may have been mostly emotional and verbal, but he was a master at it.

  “What kind of day do you and the boys have planned for tomorrow? If you’re not busy, maybe we could go out to Lollipop Farms and see about a dog or two. I think Lily needs company.”

  “Well, because the folks were coming into town later in the afternoon, closer to dinner I think, I am actually off. If we went in the morning, we should have plenty of time, don’t you think? I’m sure the boys won’t object; in fact, I think two little boys will be over the moon!”

  “What time were you pickin
g them up from Nancy’s? I can swing by and grab you and we can head over and get the boys and then get some breakfast before we head over to Lollipop Farms.”

  “We didn’t really set a time but I can text Nancy when we get home and let her know of the plans and swear her to secrecy on what we want to do with them.”

  “Then it’s a plan,” Frank said, slowing down to pull into her driveway.

  As they walked up the steps to her porch, he felt his Spirit settle. Taking her keys, he unlocked her door and had her stay by the front door as he checked to make sure all was well. He knew he wasn’t going to stay long, but he wanted to be sure that her house was secure because she was home alone. Coming back into the living room and seeing her standing there, now barefoot with the light from the living room casting a soft glow around her, he walked towards her and stopped a few feet away.

  “Frank, I…”

  “Dorrie-girl…”

  With a smile, he motioned for her to go first. “Frank, I wanted to tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed tonight. I loved that you prayed over our meal, we never lacked for something to talk about, and honestly? Even the tougher subjects were not so tough.”

  Still smiling down at her, he lifted his hand and placed it along her jaw. “Dorrie-girl, you need to know there’s never going to be anything we can’t talk about. Even the tough stuff. Plus, from our little breakfasts every morning and the outings with the boys, I knew I would have a good time taking you out tonight. Now, unless you tell me otherwise, I plan to kiss you goodnight so there’s no doubt at all in your mind what my intentions are with regards to you and I.”

  With her inner geeky, dorky cheerleader completely spazzing out, she looked up at him and said “I would like that, Frank. I’d like that a lot.”

  Pulling her closer, he cradled her face in both hands and leaned in. Watching her eyelids flutter down and feeling the softest sigh escape from her, he sent up a quick prayer that they not get in too deep before things were of a more permanent nature. But he wasn’t prepared for the totality that was Dorrie. Capturing her lips with his, he gently but thoroughly kissed her, reveling that after all of these months, she was — almost — right where he wanted her. He knew that ultimately, he wanted her by his side as his helpmate and wife and old lady, but wasn’t planning on throwing all of that on her tonight. And, while he was all man, he appreciated down to his soul the sheer essence that was her. Realizing that he couldn’t take the kiss where he really wanted to, but wanting her to know just how precious she was to him already, he feathered kisses across her lips, finishing with a kiss to her forehead.