Maple Sundaes & CIder Donuts

by Olivia Gaines

  “Shit, this might be alright,” Evan chuckled as he parked the car. He had a bit of A Game he was about to dish out to his wife, and he couldn’t wait to see her face.

  Chapter Fourteen – Good-Naturedness

  “Hey Donnie, this is looking pretty good,” Evan said, eyeing the layout and design of the start of the firepit. “How long do you think it will be before it’s done so I can use it?’

  “It should be complete tomorrow and I would say by Friday, it will be ready to go,” Donnie replied, “but I had to move it six feet this way because you may have oil on your land.”

  “Oil?”

  “Yes Sir, oil. I found a few rocks that gave me pause, so I put a magnet to them and got nothing,” Donnie said, “so more than likely if you look around, there are possibly oil seeps. You can find them on rocks or if you have vegetation that’s dying. You would need a geologist to tell if there are oil strata on the land, then hire a wildcat to verify.”

  Evan was familiar with the terms Donnie was throwing at him so casually. His work as the town clerk brought him into contact with a great number of companies who did land surveyance in the area, as well as landowners who allowed fracking on their properties. He didn’t want it on his.

  “Donnie, you sound like you’re very familiar with all of this,” Evan responded, looking at the bearded man.

  “I was a geology major before I had to drop out of a college to come home and help Dad with the lumber yard. Loads of people in the area are fighting the fracking companies, but with you having over ten thousand acres here, you could probably section off a part and be rich and not harm the natural flow of land,” Donnie said.

  “This lake is everything to me. I work a job that ranks high on my register of ways to slowly die so I can come home every day to this,” Evan said pointing at the picturesque view.

  “Well, if you allow some of the oil to be extracted, you won’t have to work the job,” Donnie offered. “I wish I had enough business or customers so Marisa could go back to school. I hate that she’s so bored that she’s hanging out with Jean and Darla. Those two hags make my neck itch each time I look at them.”

  Evan nodded that he understood. He knew better than to open his mouth and offer any commentary on the matter. Instead he stood still, waiting for Donnie to finish his thought. The wait didn’t take long.

  “Marisa told me she was at the diner today when your wife and a new friend of Ms. Eaton’s lit into both Jean and Darla. She told me it was a moment of empowerment to walk away from the two of those ladies...I know Marisa is not in the same age range or even social range as your wife, but I would take it as a personal favor, if maybe, Ms. Eaton would take her under her wing, guide her, you know...” Donnie trailed off as his cheeks pinked.

  “No, can’t make that promise, and I won’t speak for my wife, but I’m grilling steaks on Friday and will have some beer; bring a side and the little lady at 6:30 and find a spot,” Evan said, giving a small salute and heading for the house.

  “Thanks, Evan! Friday at 6:30; we’ll be here,” Donnie called out to Evan’s back.

  Evan had nothing more to say. The couple of people he was planning to have over for dinner had officially grown out of control in his estimation. Now he had to figure out a way to tell his wife that they were expecting a ton of people on Friday. And by the ton, he meant six, which also in his estimation was a heavy load.

  THE HOUSE WAS FILLED with the scents of cloves, brown sugar, and slow roasted pork. His mouth watered before he made it inside to the living room. The moment his eyes rested on Leta, they watered a wee bit more.

  “Good evening, Leta,” he said, watching her set the table for dinner. “I was going to ask how your day was, but it appears that I was pulled into every stop you made today on your sleigh ride though Meredith.”

  “Good evening to you as well, Evan. What are you talking about? I went to the library, had lunch with a lady I met named Sandra, met with Gerald McCraney and the insurance crew at 3, then came home and made this lovely dinner of ham steaks, baked sweet potatoes, and a green salad,” she replied with a bright smile. “I even browned some crusty rolls.”

  “Hmm hmm,” he said, walking over to provide a warm embrace. “Dinner smells fantastic, you smell even better, and somehow at the end of my day, I have been elected to be the President of the Husbands’ Club of Meredith. Also, we are expecting at least six people for dinner on Friday. I’m grilling steaks, everyone is to bring a side, and we’re having beer.”

  Leta pulled back to look at her husband’s face. “Excuse me? You do know my brother is arriving on Thursday. Wait, what six people?”

  “You met Sandra at the library, right?”

  “Yes,” Leta said, not clear on the connection.

  “Well, she called her husband Officer Virgil Greybar, who took upon himself to come to have lunch with me today,” Evan said, releasing his hold on Leta.

  “No way! A random police officer showed up on your job at lunchtime to have lunch with you because I was having lunch with his wife?” Leta said, going to the stove to plate the dinner. “I’m not understanding.”

  “Leta, Virgil wanted to make sure he and I got along before you and Sandra forced us to be in each other’s company. Evidently, this is some kind of married man’s rite of passage that I knew nothing about, so I invited them to dinner on Friday,” Evan said.

  “Okay, that’s two, who are the four other people?”

  “Rufus and his wife Mai Ahn.”

  “Who the hell is that?” she asked.

  “The insurers meeting you attended at three...” he said, going to the bathroom to wash his hands and come back to the table. “The one black dude in the room. He also wants to talk to us about insurance policies, annuities, and some other shit. So, I invited him and his wife.”

  “Okay that’s four,” Leta said.

  “Donnie’s wife, Marisa, was in the diner today when your new friend put Darla and Jean in their place, so there’s that,” he answered, pulling out a chair for her at the table. “Evidently, Donnie wants you to take her under your wing, plus he mentioned there might be oil on this land.”

  “Good grief! Can we just have dinner? My head is spinning after all of that,” Leta said, shaking her head as if to remove the cobwebs from her brain matter. “I went to the library, had lunch, and went for a meeting. Honestly, that’s all I did today.”

  “No, Mrs. Eaton, you showed up and gave others hope. The hope of what could be, a vision of a different life, and the potential to matter in this world of spinning impossibilities, and you saunter in and show us that with a bit of faith, anything is possible,” he said, standing next to her chair.

  Evan lowered his body down to one knee.

  “I never had the chance to ask, nor have I ever had an opportunity to see if you would go on a date with me. If I were to be honest myself, I haven’t had a chance to bring my A-Game or any game since I’m simply waking up every day in awe of having you as my wife and partner in life,” Evan said, looking deep into the brown eyes which were slowly ruling his heart.

  From his pocket, he extracted a small black velvet box. Using the arm flair of a magician’s assistant, he presented the ring to Leta.

  “I’ve got to work on my husband game because I know hardly anything about you—your birthday, birthstone or favorite color—but you look so pretty in blue,” he said, pushing the ring towards her. “I bought this ring today to go with that plain wedding band on your finger. Lord, I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I sure am thankful.”

  “Oh, Evan,” Leta said, leaning forward to allow the ring to be placed upon her finger. “We want the same things, a family, a person who loves and cares for us, and a warm home filled with love. I came to bring you those things.”

  “I opened the front door to receive everything you brought. I accept. I accept all of it,” he said, pulling her into his arms. The kiss wasn’t sexual but held purpose as if to seal a promise. “I shall be a good husband,
father, and friend.”

  “And I’m going to be a great wife, mom, and lover...I meant friend,” Leta replied, giggling at the Freudian slip.

  “I’ll take it, Mrs. Eaton,” Evan said, kissing the side of her face.

  “Oh hey, speaking of being Mrs. Eaton, I need new IDs with my married name. I have to do a legal name change, and I need a bill in my name so I can get a library card,” she said, looking at the dinner that had grown cold.

  “Leta, I know the Town Clerk,” he said, “and I can put in a good word for you and get that library card.”

  “Ooh, I love it when you talk all powerful and stuff. It makes me all tingly,” she said. “I love a man with power.”

  “Ah, shut up and let’s eat,” Evan said, getting to his feet and kissing her once more. He was opening up again. His heartfelt as if it were bursting and he was ready to love the little lady with everything he had. Life was finally going in the direction he dreamed. “I guess I need to call my parents. Maybe you should too.”

  “Will do,” she said not sure how she would break the news, but in a few days they were going to know either way. She fully expected her brother Trevor to spill the whole pot of beans. Leta prayed she wouldn’t be the one to get burned.

  RASHELL FELDMAN WAS not playing with her eldest child Trevor, who was definitely hiding a secret that concerned his sister. She knew their games, and she wasn’t impressed with either of her children. He was going to tell her what was going on right now.

  “Ma, really? What are you going to do, ground me if I don’t tell you what Leta has been up to lately? When your daughter is ready to tell you what’s happening in her life, she will call and tell you,” Trevor Feldman replied, trying to hide the plane ticket.

  Larone Feldman walked behind his son, gently removing the ticket from his hand and looking at the destination.

  “New Hampshire? Who the hell is in New Hampshire? Trevor are you dating some white woman?” Larone asked his son.

  Trevor knew the turn in conversation would hinge on his love life or lack thereof, and he was not going to the sacrificial altar tonight, even if it meant saving his sister. She had a chance to come forward and let them know, but she chose to try and hide her actions. Therefore, saving her skin this time wasn’t his responsibility. Leta was a grown woman. She should have called her parents before traipsing off to marry some strange man in New Hampshire.

  “Leta!” Trevor blurted out. “She married some dude named Evan last week who lives on a lake in a lake house.”

  “Say what?” Rashell asked, placing her hands on both hips.

  “She married some dude named Evan in Meredith, New Hampshire, Momma, and she moved there last week,” he said. “I’m heading up on Thursday to hang out for the weekend.”

  “Then you keep quiet, Trevor, because we will be arriving on Friday,” Rashell said, grabbing her phone to call her personal travel agent. “Larone, did you know anything about this?”

  Larone Feldman had taken a seat. He was processing all the feelings coursing through him about his daughter running off to marry a man that he didn’t know. She got married without her father giving her away. He lowered his head, looking at his knuckles ready to sock this Evan in his solar plexus. What kind of man would marry a woman without meeting her parents first? It just wasn’t right.

  He was going to tell him so as well. The whole idea of his only daughter running off to get married to a man he didn’t know nor had met put Larone Feldman in a mood so foul that he didn’t feel like eating dinner. He wanted to fly to New Hampshire, throttle his baby girl, and shoot her conniving husband. The man had to be after her money.

  “Larone, stop sitting over there sulking and look up the weather forecast for the weekend for Meredith, New Hampshire,” Rashell said to her husband. She hoped in giving him a specified task that it would altar his funky disposition. It didn’t. His foul mood was just starting to bubble up and soon it would bubble over. Rashell prayed this Evan was a solid man that could hold his own.

  CLAUDIA WAS IN A FOUL mood. Her mother urged her to go home and be pissy in her own house instead of allowing her sour disposition to bubble up and over in their house. Her father handed Claudia his credit card to go shopping, and she refused the perky plastic playmate to sit and sulk. Leta was nowhere to be found. Claudia was bored, and she had no one to screw.

  “Why don’t you go and call Leta, dear?” Melody Tackett said to her daughter.

  “Leta doesn’t want to talk to me right now. She claims to be working through some things,” Claudia said.

  “Well, what happened to that nice young man in New Hampshire? Maybe you should call him?”

  “I did call him Mother, and he doesn’t want to talk to me either,” Claudia whined.

  Melody Tackett was blonde, looked ten years younger than her actual age, and had taught her daughter how not to take no for an answer. This was no different. She offered a piece of advice. “Claudia, it is easy to be brave over the phone. The story is a whole different pickle in person. You have nothing else to do. Buy a ticket and head to New Hampshire to speak with him in person.”

  Claudia sat up on the couch. “That is the best idea I’ve heard all day, Mom. I will do just that. Dad, pass me that credit card. I’m headed to Meredith, New Hampshire.”

  “Have fun, Pumpkin,” her father said without looking up. As she booked the trip, Claudia wondered about Evan’s parents. He’d mentioned them several times and even spoke of having them at the wedding. For a moment, she wondered how they were relating to their new daughter in law that wasn’t her. “Bitch. I’m coming to show you a thing or two!”

  “HEY, SWEETHEART,” LILITH Eaton said with a beaming smile, “it’s so good to hear from you. Any word on making us grandparents yet?”

  Evan found himself smiling back as he spoke to his mother, “I put in the work towards creating that life this past weekend. I also managed to get married. I’d like you guys to come meet her sometime soon.”

  All he could hear was the clatter and clang of the phone as it hit the floor. By the sound of the racket, so did his mother. In the background, he heard the rushing footfalls of Anderson Eaton, running to his wife’s aid.

  “Lord Lilith, we aren’t spring chickens anymore. You could break a hip or worse,” he warned, helping his wife to her feet.

  “Evan got married,” she told her husband as if their son was not still holding on the phone line. “He also said he was working on making us grandparents.”

  “Who got married?” Anderson repeated.

  “Our son, Anderson.”

  “Our son got married to who?” Anderson said, looking around for the phone. Locating the device, he held it to his ear, “Evan, you know they changed up your Mother’s meds so most days I can’t tell if she’s in the past participle or dealing with a dangling preposition. She said you got married and was trying to make an Eaton.”

  “It’s true. Dad,” Evan said. “Her name is Leta.”

  “Leta? Well bless my soul and row me out to the middle of the lake and drag me back riding a buoy,” Anderson said. “Son, is she a nice girl?”

  “You know me, Pop, she has to be pretty amazing for me to marry,” Evan said, blushing. “I can’t wait for you guys to meet her, but I have to tell you up front so you don’t walk in and say a dumb thing.”

  “What’s wrong with her? She got one cross-eye and her big toe hang over the edge of her sandal? You know that’s a deal breaker for me. Toes hanging over the edge of a shoe. Damn it woman, buy bigger shoes versus having your toes out in public hanging on for dear life each time you lift your foot, praying you don’t scrape the skin off the end of it. It’s nasty son, I tell you. It’s just plain nasty.”

  “Dad, can you focus, please?” Evan asked, chuckling at one of the many pet peeves his father loved to share with anyone unfortunate enough to be listening. “No, she is black.”

  The phone dropped again. This time it was his mother struggling to pick the phone up. Once more, the c
onversation ensued in the background. He heard his mother ask Anderson what Evan said. Anderson replied that Evan had married a black girl. Lilith wanted to know where he found one of those lying around Meredith. Finally, she came back onto the line.

  “Evan, where did you meet this young woman?”

  “Mail Order Bride, Mom,” he said, pressing his lips together to keep from bursting into laughter.

  “That was your selection? A black girl? In very white New Hampshire,” Lilith said, rummaging in the background. “Was she the last one on the shelf or is that the doll you, oh my word, umph, Anderson come on honey, use your legs; you picked this one for yourself?.”

  “Mom, what are you doing?”

  “Trying to get your shocked Daddy off the floor so we can pack. We should be there by Saturday morning,” Lilith said.

  “This weekend may not be that good. I’m having some work done on the house, and unfortunately, the family secret may be out,” Evan said.

  Lilith passed the phone to her husband, who put it on speaker. “Who found out about the oil deposits?”

  “Hazel’s boy, Donnie, but he may keep quiet about it. A lot of families have discovered the deposits on their lands too and a few fracking companies have moved in, but I won’t let them do anything that will harm the lake or the lands,” he said pridefully. “I just won’t.”

  “Is that why you married the black girl, to keep from losing the lands?”

  “Dad, I married her because she is all kinds of awesome. You’re going to instantly fall in love with Leta. Everyone else in town seems to be. She’s an amazing lady,” he said with more pride.

  “Saturday, son. We will see you Saturday,” Anderson said to his son. “We look forward to meeting our new daughter-in-law then. Mom and I love you.”

  “Love you guys too,” he said as they ended the call.

  It was an eleven-hour drive from Virginia to Meredith, and more than likely his parents would leave Friday morning, drive three hours, stop for lunch, drive three more hours, and get a hotel room. They’d do the same thing on Saturday and get to the house by midafternoon. This realization made him go and check on the work with Jake Foley.