Bountiful Harvest

by Darlene Tallman

  “Dorrie-girl, I’m going home now. Before I can’t go home. Before I take this and us somewhere that we don’t need to go to yet. Make sure you lock up tight behind me, y’hear? And know that tonight is the true beginning of ‘us’ as far as I’m concerned. I want you on the back of my bike whenever the boys aren’t home, and someday, I want you by my side in all ways.”

  Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! With her brain completely short-circuited after the kiss to end all kisses that was tender yet hot and almost overwhelming, she looked up at him and simply said “K. Good night Frank. I’ll see you in the morning. Thank you again for a wonderful evening.”

  With one last kiss to her forehead, Frank headed out the door and toward his truck. “Lock up! I’ll see you in the morning bright and early! I’ll text you before I head over to see if you’re ready.”

  “Okay. Good night!” With that, she closed and locked her front door, but waited to turn off the outside lights until he had pulled out of her driveway and was headed on down the road.

  Grabbing a bottle of water, she headed into her room only to stop and burst out laughing. Her cats were sprawled out on the bed and had opened their eyes up to give her the stink-eye because she wasn’t home all night. Headed into her bathroom to get her make-up off and take a quick shower before bed, she found herself smiling, almost uncontrollably. Lord, that man could kiss! And it hadn’t even been what she and her friends used to call a “real kiss” with lots of tongue and stuff. Now blushing at where her thoughts wandered, she said to her feline audience “If that’s what a ‘simple kiss’ is in his book, I’m in trouble guys. Lots and lots of trouble. He made me feel more in that kiss than I’ve ever felt before in my life. And that scares me. I mean, I know I’ve gone out a time or two, but none of those men made me feel that zing that Nancy and Renee both said they felt with their guys. Heck, I didn’t even have that with Drew!”

  Showered and moisturized and lotioned, she sat against her headboard and opened up her laptop. Seeing that Nancy and Renee were both online, she started a group message with them so she could share her evening. She trusted them both; they had been there through high school and the whole marriage, sticking by her even when Drew got her isolated to the point where she rarely saw anyone else.

  Dorrie: So, I just got home.

  Nancy: And…come on girl, spill the beans! By the way, the boys were gold tonight.

  Renee: Yes! Tell all. Now. Dorrie: Well, we did a lot of talking. He told me about his marriage and I told him about mine. We both went through some serious hell, that’s for sure!

  Nancy: Go on... Dorrie: Oh, before I forget, we’re coming around eight to get the boys, take them for breakfast then go out to Lollipop Farms to see if we can find a dog! Ok, he made his intentions very clear. Said he’s been courting me for months! Said that based on how he feels, we won’t be alone so that we don’t take it where it doesn’t need to go until God deems otherwise. He said that tonight was the start of “us”.

  Renee: Oh.emm.gee. I KNEW it! That man has been hot for you for months and months and months and you’ve been completely blind!

  Nancy: Yep. I knew months ago when DJ got sick in the restaurant. Girl, I believe God is blessing you with a man. One who is a Christian and a biker. One who knows what he wants out of life. And one who will treat you like a queen.

  Dorrie: He wants me to check with my folks to see if they’re okay going to that restaurant we took the boys to a few weeks ago. Said he wanted me to get started on my R&R early and that meant no cooking. Oh, and….

  Renee: What?!??! You cannot do that to us! We’ve been waiting all night!

  Dorrie: He kissed me goodnight. It was unlike any kiss I’ve ever had before. Sigh. Nancy: WOOHOO!!!

  Dorrie: Nance, you’re a nut!

  Renee: Heck, I’m just about jumping out of my skin! I am so so happy for you. Now, don’t go getting all hung up on stupid shit. He’s just a man. Granted, he’s a godly HOT man, but he’s still just a man.

  Nancy: Hmm, wondering how soon the wedding should be. Dorrie: Um, hello?? I haven’t met his girls, tonight was our official first date, and while he said he IS courting me, I presume that is going to take some time. So don’t go marrying me off. Besides, he’s in the MC so he may have rules about that kind of thing. Wait, you two are “old ladies” so maybe you can fill me in on that protocol, yeah?

  Renee: Well, let’s take it one step at a time. I know you’re still working on a few things from Drew. Write down any concerns you have and talk to your therapist about it. Does he seem like he’s open to taking it slow?

  Nancy: Slow? SLOW? For heaven’s sake, she’s practically been alone for all of DJ’s life, since that jackwagon started stepping out when he was a baby!

  Dorrie: Bahahhaha. Um, yeah, this chick needs to go slow. Why? Because there has only ever been Drew. Plus, we all know how badly he messed with my head. So, I have some issues that I need to work on before “stuff” could continue along those lines, you know? But you both know I’ll get there. Frank said that we can talk about anything. Nothing’s off limits. So I’ll suck it up when the time is right and talk to him about all my concerns, okay? In the meantime, I need to wind down so I can get up nice and early because I have Date #2 coming up!

  Renee: Yes, yes you do. Go get some sleep. Love you girl and am very happy. He’s a good man, down to his soul. Nancy: Love you both. I’ll see you and your man bright and early. Only telling Joey it went well. You know that both of our men are going to be watching.

  Dorrie: Yeah yeah. Love y’all too. Good night. With that, she shut down her laptop and powered up her kindle so she could read. She had a guilty little secret; she adored some of the racier romances even though she found herself blushing and wondering if “that” was really possible. She was currently working her way through a series by an author she had found. Man, that woman could write some seriously steamy scenes! Holy moly! Hearing a chime, she realized it was her phone and picked it up to see a text from Frank.

  Frank: Hey Dorrie-girl, just wanted to thank you again for tonight and tell you to sleep well.

  Dorrie: Hey yourself! I really enjoyed myself. You do the same. I told Nancy we’d be there around 8; is that too early? Frank: Nope, not at all. I’ll let you go. Sweet dreams. Dorrie: Good night Frank. See you in the morning.

  Setting her alarm, she snuggled in for a bit more reading. Right now, the characters in the book she was reading were going crazy over some woman or another that they had to rescue.

  Chapter Nine

  Saturday morning Up before her alarm, Dorrie got ready, figuring that a trip to Lollipop Farms would likely be best done in jeans and a tshirt. She had just gotten her diet soda in a travel mug when she heard her phone chime.

  Frank: Good morning! Are you up and ready to go? Dorrie: Yes, sir! Just got my diet soda in my travel mug. Frank: Okay, beautiful, be there in a few minutes.

  Deciding it was easier to wait on her porch, she grabbed her purse and mug and headed out the door. She couldn’t wait to see the boys’ faces when they told him where they were going. Seeing Frank pull up, she started walking to his truck as he got out and rounded the front.

  “Good morning, beautiful! Did you sleep well?” Frank asked her, with a smile playing across his face.

  “Why yes, yes I did, thank you very much! I hope the boys are as excited as I am about our day trip!” she replied. Walking her over to the passenger side, he leaned down and kissed her forehead then rested his against her. “God keeps telling me patience and I told you last night I was letting Him lead me in us. But that doesn’t mean I won’t be kissing you, or holding your hand, okay?”

  Grinning up at him, she simply said “Okay.”

  Kissing her lips quickly, he helped her into the truck and told her to buckle up while he went around to the driver’s side. “Do you know where Nancy and Joey live? It’s not too far from the pizza place. That’s the positive side of living in a small town. The downside is everyone knows everything.
Plus, since all the mills closed in the surrounding towns, the area has gotten poorer and poorer. I’m so glad that your MC has stepped in to help the community. It was killing me seeing so many kids hungry. Oh! I have an idea that Nancy and Renee and I were tossing around and wanted to give it to you to see what you think.”

  “Yes I know where they live. How much caffeine did you already have?”

  Giggling, she looked over at him and said “Um, well, this is my third glass already.”

  “Water for the rest of the day? Because I’ll get whiplash trying to bounce from topic to topic.” Now laughing harder, she said “Normally I space them out better, but I was reading last night and the book was good and I stayed up a little later than I should have so I wanted to make sure I was awake!”

  “Mission accomplished. I think you’re bright-eyed and bushy-tailed enough for both of us.” As they pulled into Nancy and Joey’s driveway, she saw the front door open and two towheads come running out to stand at the top of the porch steps. Nancy came out behind them with their duffel bag, something they had totally forgotten.

  “Hey boys! Good morning Nance!” Seeing that Frank had stopped his truck, both boys came running down the stairs hollering “Momma! We had so much fun! Mister Joey played the Mario game with us and he showed us how to beat the level! And we had special pizza because he made it here and we got to create it. Then Missus Nancy made us banana splits! We watched a movie and ate popcorn too!”

  Laughing at the way both boys were tripping over themselves to tell her every minute of the time they had been apart, she looked at her friend and said “Thank you. They always have such a good time with you guys.”

  Nancy came over to give her a hug, saying “Anytime, chica, anytime. You know we love them to pieces.”

  “Mister Frank! What are you doing here?” Tony asked. Frank looked at Dorrie and seeing her nod, he said “Well, your mom and I wanted to take you boys to breakfast and then, we thought if you wanted to, we would go to Lollipop Farms before your grandparents got here to see if there were any dogs that grabbed your eye.”

  Ear-piercing screams of pure joy had the adults’ ears ringing as the boys jumped and hollered. “Oh Momma, really?” asked DJ.

  “Yes, sweetie, really. We’re going to eat first and then go see if there are any dogs who want to become part of our family.” “Alright boys, let’s load up! I promised your momma breakfast and I do what I can to honor my promises,” Frank called out.

  “Bye Missus Nancy! Thank you for having us,” both boys chorused as they climbed into the backseat of the truck. “Bye boys! Have fun at your grandparents’ house! I hope you find a dog or two today,” Nancy replied. “Thanks again, my friend. I’m sure I’ll talk to you in a day or two once they head off to mom and dad’s house so we can figure out a girl’s night out, okay?”

  “Sounds good to me. I’ve been looking for a reason to dress up. Bye Frank. Take care of my girl and those boys, y’hear?” Nancy said.

  Having just made sure the boys were buckled in and their momma was inside the truck, Frank looked over at Nancy and saw acceptance and simply said “Always.” And with that, he got in the truck so they could begin their day.

  ***

  Lollipop Farms Dorrie was astonished at the layout of this rescue sanctuary. Wide open spaces, with kennels that had inside/outside runs for the dogs, who were, according to Frank, grouped according to like temperaments, meant that they saw the dogs in action, not just cooped up in a pen.

  “Have you figured out what kind of dog you’d like? They have everything from puppies to seniors, but I’m thinking that a senior dog wouldn’t be the best choice with two active boys,” Frank said, while walking beside her, holding her hand. She noticed he kept doing little things like that, opening her door, holding her hand, occasionally dropping a kiss on her forehead.

  “Um, not really sure. I’ve been doing some research and I think a lab or lab mix would be good for the boys. They like water, are playful, loyal and smart,” she replied, while standing at yet another “yard” of dogs.

  “Momma, look at that black dog! He’s been following me and DJ around wanting us to pay attention to him” said Tony, coming up alongside her. Looking down, she saw that there was a black scruffy dog following DJ around and every time he stopped, the dog would sit next to him and raise his paw as if to say “Hi, will you shake my paw?”

  “Frank, what do you think? It looks like that little guy has decided who HE wants to take him home!” laughed Dorrie. Going closer to the little boy and the dog who, from the looks of his paws, wasn’t going to be little for too long, he crouched down. “Hey boy, let’s get a look at you, yeah?” The puppy, happy to have someone talking to him, turned quickly, got tangled up in his own feet and plopped down in front of Frank, tail wagging and eyes shining. “Well, look at you. You’re sure friendly. DJ? Tony? I know you boys have petted just about everyone here except the brand-new puppies who aren’t available to the public. Seen anything you boys like yet?”

  “Oh, Mister Frank, this silly puppy has been funny! He keeps following me and sitting near me when I’m petting the other dogs!” answered DJ. “I like him a lot, but I don’t know if Tony likes him too. I think he has a brother or sister over there because they look the same.”

  Glancing over his shoulder, he saw another pup, almost identical to the one he was currently petting, laying under the tree. Standing up, he walked over toward the tree and the puppy took off and immediately jumped on what was most likely his littermate. “Dorrie, looking at their little collars, they look like they’re about 12 weeks old, they are from the same litter so they would be familiar with each other, and are already fixed. If you and the boys like them, we need to go find one of the workers.”

  Looking at the two puppies, she could tell that they were bonded and she definitely didn’t want to separate them if she could help it. The challenge was, could she keep up with two puppies, two little boys and the cats? Not to mention the shop and well, life? Thinking quickly, she realized that she could handle it, because the boys were old enough to help with the puppies. Plus, Frank had mentioned that he would help them train any dog they chose. Smiling at him, she said “If these two are the ones the boys want, then yes, we need to speak to one of the workers. Boys?”

  “Yes Momma! Yes yes yes!!!” they both shrieked, which got the puppies barking and jumping. Laughing, she turned to Frank and said “I guess we got our answer, hmm?”

  “Frank, if you’ll stay with the boys, I’ll go look for a worker, okay?”

  “Sure. Boys, let’s stay in the shade with these guys; it’s going to be a busy day for all of us.”

  Tony, sitting there with the boy puppy cuddled to his chest, said “Yes, sir. Mister Frank? Can I ask you something?” Frank, used to the twenty questions that kids asked, especially his Dorrie’s boys, answered him honestly “Tony, both of you can ask me anything you want to ask. I’ll always do my best to give you an answer, even if I have to look for it, okay?”

  “Why are you kissing Momma and holding her hand?” “Well, boys, I really like your mom. Someday, God willing, I want to ask her to marry me. When you like someone, you want to hold their hand and kiss them. Because I respect your mom, that’s as much as we will do until we are married. But, I haven’t asked her yet; I’m courting her. So, don’t let the cat out of the bag, okay?”

  With wide eyes, Tony looked at Frank. “Mister Frank, I remember my daddy. He never treated Momma the way that you do! DJ won’t talk about it, but daddy was mean to Momma and made her cry a lot, even though she tried not to do it around us. I don’t miss him. Is that a bad thing? And I like how you treat Momma; you open her door, you make sure that us boys are respectful and you don’t treat us like we don’t matter. Our daddy acted like we were a problem all the time and because DJ was always sick and momma was always taking care of him, he was mean to me. I didn’t tell momma though, because she would have worried more. Mister Frank? Can I ask you something else? Do you l
ove us boys or are we just in the way?”

  Completely floored by now, Frank reached out and gently pulled the little boy into his arms. He hadn’t missed the sheen of tears and knew how much it had taken him to ask those questions. Reaching over, he pulled DJ into his lap too, grateful that he was a tall man; although with these two, he would make room. “Tony, DJ, can you boys look at me?” When they were both settled and looking at him, with puppies cuddled to their chests, he said “I am sorry that your dad didn’t treat you the way daddies should treat their children, like precious gifts from God. I’m also sorry that your mom had to deal with whatever she dealt with while they were married. Sometimes, a person has so much hurt inside themselves that they lash out at others. I’ve always believed that ‘hurting people hurt people’ but children should know that they are loved and cherished. I believe your momma has shown you that 100 percent, I love you boys as much as if I was your daddy from the time you were born and I will do everything I can to make sure that you know how much you are loved and cherished from here on out, hear?”

  DJ, still looking at Frank but with tears streaming down his face, reached over and clung to Frank’s chest. “Mister Frank, we love you too. We love helping you and playing with the other kids from your club and it feels good when you call us ‘son’ as if you mean it.”