“Ah, okay. Do you think we should let the dogs in now or wait? It feels a bit cooler out and they can, of course, come in themselves.”
“They’ll come in when they’re ready. Now, hop to it my sassy minx!” Going into her room, she took in a deep breath. She and Renee had talked a bit when the girls were not in earshot and Renee had told her to go with the flow. Easier said than done was running through her mind, but something deep within was telling her that it was okay, all was well. She grabbed a towel and the oils and headed out to the family room where she saw that Frank had already claimed the chaise lounge on the end. It was her favorite piece of furniture. A combination chaise lounge/loveseat, the back would recline, which made it the perfect seat when watching movies. Her other guilty pleasure, the giant flat-screen television mounted on the wall above the fireplace, was already queued up.
Patting the seat next to him, he said “Dorrie-girl, if you’ll sit on the other end and put your feet in my lap, I think you can still see the TV unless you want to wait until I’m done. The choice is yours.”
She handed him the towel and the oils and sat down sideways on the other side, placing her feet in his lap. “How about if we talk? I don’t want to miss the movie and if I’m being honest, would prefer to be sitting next to you when we watch it, if that’s okay with you.”
“Absolutely. So the girls were excited about the upcoming classes you’re going to hold, and have been combing the internet for ‘deals’ as Josie said. Have you had many folks wanting to sign up?”
“You wouldn’t believe it! We haven’t really had time to advertise or anything, just a quick post on our Facebook page, and already the book is full with the hair appointments, and the first two classes are set up! When I think of where our community was a year ago to where we are now? All I can do is thank God. He brought you here with a vision and it was enough of one that the town got onboard and with the help of the MC, I’m seeing folks who were downtrodden, hungry and scared becoming proud of what they are accomplishing again. Thank you, Frank, for listening. Oh…that feels wonderful!” she said as he began slowly massaging her foot and calf. Letting out a small moan, she closed her eyes and allowed her mind to wander. His hands. Strong, sure, knowing. She knew without a doubt that those hands would take care of her in any situation. Right now, though, she was turning into putty as he massaged first one foot, then the other.
“I can tell from the look on your face that any thoughts of being ticklish are long gone. Feel good, sweetheart?” “You have no idea. I had no clue how sore my feet really were, but I guess it makes sense because I’m on them all the time.”
“Well, any time you need my hands, you let me know, okay? Gonna go wash my hands. Do you want me to put any popcorn in the microwave?”
“Oh! I’ll get that. Do you want a beer or soda? We may as well load up on our movie snacks before we start watching, right?”
“Absolutely! Check that last bag, I brought some candy too.” Going into the kitchen, she made short work of making the popcorn, grabbing a couple of sodas and the snack bag that she hadn’t seen him bring in. Noticing twizzlers, she wondered who had told him how much she loved them, then figured that he likely noticed her preference for the licorice treats.
Settled back into the chaise, this time cuddled up to Frank, she asked “What are we watching?” He snagged the remote and got the on-demand movies pulled up and looking through them, asked “Have you seen this one? It’s the latest Nicholas Sparks and I have it on good authority that women like his movies.”
“No, I didn’t get a chance to see it but wanted to. The book was great.”
“Then that’s what we’ll watch.” Cuddling closer, it dawned on her that she had never done this before. Not with Drew, not with anyone she had dated the few times she went out after he died. It was definitely an intimate setting, and she was comfortable enough with him now that this felt right. Like they had been doing it for years. With the room dim to allow for maximum comfort, she could feel his arm across her shoulder, hand playing in her hair almost absent-mindedly.
“I can hear you thinking sweetheart. You okay?” “Yeah. Just realized I’ve never done this with anyone before and I like it. A lot. It feels right and like we’ve been together a lot longer than we really have.”
With this little nugget, he realized that it was likely that she had never done anything that most teenagers did, and he resolved that while he would be her last, there were firsts that he was going to give her. “So, it’s been a long time but I remember as a teenager necking with my girl whenever the lights were low. How do you feel about that, my sweet girl?”
“Uh, nervous, excited, all of those things.”
“Nothing to be nervous about, sweetheart. Nothing’s going to happen that you don’t want, y’hear?”
Realizing that she trusted him, she simply nodded and raised her face toward him. “So, necking, huh?” Finding the lever that would let the back recline, he got them situated the way he wanted and looking at her, said “Yeah. Necking. Like two teenagers. You should know, though, that I’m kind of hoping to make it to second base with my girl.”
Grateful that the room was dim because she remembered what her girls said when they explained the bases to her, she smiled and said “We’ll see. Can’t have my guy thinking I’m easy or anything, don’t you know?”
“Ah, there’s my sassy minx. You have no idea how much I love it when your sassiness comes shining through.” And with that, he curled her into him and set about showing her how teenagers throughout time had spent their energies while watching a movie. He watched her close and could see that the kissing and minimal touches had her flustered. Another nugget to file away. His girl was responsive, at least to him, and he couldn’t wait to explore it further. For tonight, he was content to kiss her repeatedly and show her exactly what getting to second base was. Her modesty delighted him, even as he could tell that she had a passionate nature.
Two movies in and she honestly couldn’t tell what they had watched. She knew he was being careful not to go too far, but she also realized that he was all man and she was going to have to make a decision. The girls and her mom had told her that there was nothing wrong with two consenting adults becoming intimate, but she knew down to her bones, that even as worked up as she felt inside, she wasn’t one of those who could just sleep with someone. Yet. That could change if he kept kissing her as if she were the finest meal and he hadn’t eaten in years. Goodness. She knew she had no real experience to compare it to, but if this is what she had been missing, she almost wanted to dig Drew up and smack him upside his head!
With her curled up alongside him on the chaise, Frank could feel the contentment down to his soul. He knew she wouldn’t go further, but he also knew that he was going to continue to show her how beautiful she was to him so that when it did happen, she would be ready. Seeing the time, he carefully eased his arm from around her, and seeing she was lightly dozing softly said “Dorrie-girl, it’s late and I think I need to go home. As much as I want to hold you all night, it’s not wise to put ourselves in that tempting position.”
Softly sighing, she sat up saying “Yeah, I think you’re right. For the record, I enjoyed tonight.”
Grinning and holding out his hand to help her up fully, he said “Me too, sweetheart. Me too.” He helped her clean up the snack mess and then get the puppies in and put up before he headed to the front door. Before opening it, he pulled her into his arms again and kissed her her thoroughly. “Good night, sweetheart. Be sure to lock up behind me, okay? Love you, Dorrie-girl. Have fun tomorrow night with the girls.”
“Good night Frank. Thank you for tonight. I’m sure we will, although it concerns me with the group we have going on exactly what the topic of conversation is going to be!”
Laughing, he said “I’m sure you’ll hold your own.” Kissing her forehead, he let himself out after reminding her again to lock up and set her alarm.
Chapter Seventeen
Fri
day Night All the old ladies were assembled at the club uptown, dressed in whatever they wanted, although Dorrie and her posse were dressed to the nines. Drinks and food had been free flowing, and everyone was in a great mood. Looking around, she could see how adding new friends to the mix was a good thing. After all, these women were part of her family now.
“So Dorrie, how was last night? Did you guys have a good time?” Renee called out.
“Um, yeah, we did, although I don’t remember much of the plot of either movie!” Dorrie responded. “Hahaha, I bet! So, the boys are coming home tomorrow, right? I don’t remember if you were working or not, but if you need to stay home, I think the girls and I can handle it” she said.
“Naw, they’ll be in a few hours after we’re done and the house is beyond clean so I’m good to come in unless I can’t see straight when I wake up! These margaritas are packing a punch.”
“We’ll muddle through. Not a bad thing to cut loose every now and then and heaven knows, it’s been awhile since we all went out and there’s no better reason than to celebrate you becoming an old lady!” Nancy called out.
As the night wore on, and the talk turned to racier topics, Dorrie found herself laughing and blushing frequently. Feeling a twinge in her left side, she put it down to the stress of the past few months and decided she was fine. Absolutely fine. When they closed the bar down, she and Renee and Nancy headed to the cab they had called. Safety first and since she hadn’t wanted any of them to play designated driver, they had had Cory drop them off and then called a cab when they were ready to head home. “Girls, can’t remember the last time we cut loose like that! I think I’m courting the hangover of all hangovers, but hopefully not.”
“Yeah, lots of fun and I’m thinking my guy is gonna get lucky when I get home,” Nancy said. “Cory too, unless he fell asleep. He’s been working pretty hard lately, and the MC has had them looking at other properties they can purchase and make into viable businesses to further build up the town. But then again, he knew I’d be drinking tonight so…” Renee drawled out.
“Well, I had fun even if I’m going home alone to my dogs and cats,” Dorrie said, rather emphatically, or as emphatically as a boatload of strawberry margaritas allowed.
“Someday girlfriend, some day,” they both sing-songed. “Whatevs” she replied. Being that she was first to be dropped off, she handed the cabbie some money along with a decent tip for her portion, hugged them both and got out and into the house in relatively short order. That pain was worse and she was beginning to think it was going to be a long night. Ugh. Right before the boys came home, too. Not exactly on her list of things to do, she still gathered her things and put them in easy reach because previous experience had taught her that she was usually too weak to make it to get fluids, something she knew was critical. Letting the dogs out and then deciding to leave the puppies loose for the night, she made her way to her room and made short work of getting ready for bed, taking her meds and also some ibuprofen in an effort to ward off the hangover she knew was lurking. She sent off a quick text to Frank to let him know she was home and safe and sound, then settled to read for a little bit before sleep claimed her.
Two hours later, awakened by the unmistakable pain in her side, she barely made it to her bathroom where she proceeded to lose what felt like the contents of her gut for the past month. When the double whammy hit, she was grateful she had had the foresight to put bags in the trashcan. There was nothing worse than trying to clean that in between bouts of vomiting.
Three hours later, she knew she was in trouble. She’d already given herself one emergency shot and downed Gatorade and ginger ale. Glancing at her phone, she saw it was too early to text anyone, but she was going to need the ER and soon. Just another hour. If she could hold on, she could text Renee or Nancy, both had seen her in this condition before and knew how important it was for her to get medical help. She set up a group text in preparation in between bouts. An hour later, as she was slumped on her bathroom floor, she pressed send before losing consciousness.
Chapter Eighteen
Frank Hearing his phone ring woke him, and he reached to his nightstand and answered before opening his eyes. “I know it’s early so whoever is on the other end better have a good reason to call,” he said, sleep making his voice deeper than normal.
“Frank, it’s Cory. Listen man, there’s no good way to say this, but Renee got a text from Dorrie a while ago and we got over there and well, the ambulance just left to take her to the hospital. It’s not looking too good right now. We’re cleaning up the bathroom and headed there, but we wanted you to know. Can you call her parents? They’re going to want to get there and quick. Brother, when we got here, she was unconscious and barely breathing and right before EMS got here, Renee had to start CPR. Pray, Brother, pray hard.”
Now wide awake and throwing clothes on, he jotted a quick note for the girls as he grabbed his keys and headed out the door. His girl needed him and he hadn’t known. “Do you know what happened? I know she got home okay from their night out.”
“No clue, man. The text simply said she was in trouble, needed medical intervention. We’ll be up there soon, okay?” Trying not to speed, he ended the call and then brought up her parents’ number. He knew from talking to John that he was an early riser, so he called him instead of Margie. “Hey John, it’s Frank. Sorry to call so early but apparently Dorrie has gone to the hospital by ambulance and it’s not good. Renee and Cory said y’all need to come on quickly.”
As John hung up, he was already headed in to wake up his wife. They had two little boys whose momma needed them, and he prayed for his precious daughter and whatever was going on with her. “Margie? Honey, we need to get up and go now. Dorrie’s gone to the hospital and Frank said that it isn’t good. I’ll get the boys up and their stuff loaded if you’ll put something together for us to eat on the road. Don’t want to stop. Our girl needs us.”
Margie all but jumped out of bed, putting on the clothes she had laid out the night before while grabbing what she thought they might need to take with them. Thank goodness they had packed the bulk of the stuff for the boys last night. Hurrying into the kitchen, she pulled out some breakfast burritos she had made the night before and put them in the oven to warm up while she got travel mugs of coffee for her and John and cups of juice for the boys. They’d have to tell them what was going on, the only problem was she didn’t know. But God did, so as she was getting it all ready, she prayed. Hard. Her daughter had finally gotten to a good place in her life, had a man who obviously loved her, a growing business and friends who always had her back.
Once in the car and on their way, she allowed John to direct the conversation with the boys while she continued to pray. A text to Renee and one to Nancy hadn’t given her any more news other than that they had had to do CPR on her and now were waiting in the ER waiting room while the doctors worked on Dorrie.
“Boys? I have something to tell you and I don’t want you to be scared, okay” John started. “Yes, Grandpa. Grandpa? I thought we weren’t going home until later. Is everything okay?” Tony asked, with a trembling voice.
“You know how sometimes your Momma gets sick and needs to go to the hospital, right? It’s not often any more, but it has happened and I’m sure you remember,” he answered.
“It’s been a long time. Is that what happened? Is Momma at the hospital?” DJ said.
Hearing the tears in both boys’ voices, John prayed again and then said “Yes, I got a call from Frank a little while ago and apparently your mom got sick overnight, but was able to send out a text to her friends who got her help. She’s at the hospital right now and that’s where we’re headed. I don’t know anything else, but Grandma and I will stay with you boys while your Momma gets better okay?”
“Yes. Grandma? Can we pray out loud for Momma? Will you?” With tears in her eyes, she started praying out loud, thanking God for the medical professionals who were taking care of her daughter, and asking that health b
e restored. As John drove, methodically but faster than normal, she prayed. Sometimes the boys would add in their heartfelt prayers, but mostly it was her.
Chapter Nineteen
Frank
Three weeks
It had been three weeks since he had seen her beautiful eyes looking at him or heard her voice. Three long, harrowing weeks. Apparently, her lower intestine had finally perforated at a weak spot, triggering the GI nightmare that led to her collapse. The adrenal insufficiency had caused her body to be unable to keep up and she had gone into shock, and when Renee and Cory had gotten there, her body was trying to shut down. Divine intervention and a medical team that he reckoned could rival anyone anywhere had fought tirelessly to stabilize her vitals before performing surgery. The good news was she would never have to deal with the diverticulitis again, because she had had a re-sectioning done that had taken out the problem area. The bad news was she had still not woken up. John and Margie had the boys at her house and were caring for them and the animals, while his girls were helping Renee at the salon. He stayed by her side almost constantly, unless her mom was up there.
He thought back to that Thursday. How she felt in his arms. How responsive she had been to him. He prayed again that he would see those beautiful blue eyes looking at him. He knew she was in there, the doctors and nurses had assured him that her body had sustained a major shock, then surgery, and she was sleeping a healing sleep. She would wake up when she would wake up and not any sooner.
Hearing the door to her room open, he saw her mom come in. “Hey Margie. The doctor just came by. No change. Everything vital wise is where it should be. They said she’s in a ‘healing sleep’ right now and she’ll wake up when she’s ready.”
Looking at the younger man, her heart broke. She could see how exhausted he was, yet he hadn’t left her daughter’s side, allowing his girls to bring him a bag of clothes. He was pretty much there 24/7, only stepping away long enough to shower and grab something to eat, although most of the time, someone from the club brought him food. “Frank, do you want to take a break? I’ll sit with her if you need to go do anything.”
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