by Mlyn Hurn
Nick put his hand out to stop him. “You know, Reverend Hill is a pretty upstanding man. Somehow I don’t think he will go along with a fake wedding license.”
Jim glared down at the other man. Granted he had not had time to completely think things through, but it was still a sound plan. “I didn’t say fake. I figured we’d say we’d gotten married, and then after Tony and Angie’s wedding, we would go to San Francisco and get married for real. No one need ever know the truth.”
Nick was nodding his head. “Why do you need a forged license, though? Just say you got married and then do it later.”
“Because I am damned sure my mother will want to see tangible proof before she will believe it. Accepting it will be another thing altogether.” He shrugged and nudged the horse into a canter down the road to catch up with Julie. He was surprised when he didn’t see her on the road. He didn’t think she could walk that fast and felt a catch in his chest. Dear God, he prayed silently, don’t let her have fallen. He didn’t dare give rise to any other of his tumultuous thoughts just then. He almost rode past the turn off that led to the small creek, when something made him stop. He turned the horse and headed toward the stream.
Julie was seated in the grass, almost exactly as she had been earlier in the day. He saw her back stiffen as she heard him coming up behind her. He dismounted easily, tying the horse up, before he walked over and sat down beside her. He noted Julie never turned her head to make sure who it was, not even when he sat next to her.
“I’m sorry, Julie. I realize that I didn’t make myself clear back there.”
Julie turned her head slightly away from him. Obviously she was still miffed and set on ignoring him. But Jim was undaunted and went on. “I decided that if we just burst in like that, well, it would make you the target of some very nasty gossip. And you don’t deserve that.” He was sure he saw Julie’s head turn back slightly, and he thought he could see her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. He wanted to take her in his arms and comfort her, but he held off for now.
“I decided to take you back home and then go into town and get Reverend Hill to forge a wedding license for us.” He stopped as Julie gasped and turned to stare at him as if he’d lost his mind. He shrugged his shoulders. “I figured we’d say we’d gotten secretly married, and had had a fight before we told anyone. And then when the kids’ wedding is all over, we would go to town and get married for real.” He watched her face for signs of reaction. The last thing he expected was for her to shake her head no.
“Why not?” he asked her angrily.
“Because your plan is full of holes, my love. First of all, Reverend Hill wouldn’t forge a license for us. I mean, I really can’t see him doing that. And secondly, I don’t think people would believe it, least of all your mother, Jim. She’d probably grab a gun and try to shoot me.”
Jim chuckled and reached out to put his hand over her rounded tummy. “I’m counting on her not wanting to hurt her grandchild.”
Julie shook her head but reached out her hand to caress the side of his face. “You are living in a dream world.”
Jim pulled her close to kiss her. Just before he covered her lips with his own he muttered softly, for her ears only, “I don’t give a damn where I live or what kind of world it is, Julie. Dreaming is how I feel most of the time we are together.”
* * * * *
Jim reentered his home after taking Julie back to her mother’s. They had decided that they would wait until tomorrow to “announce” things. He made his way over to the bar in his den first thing. He had just helped himself to a glass of his most expensive brandy, which had been cleverly hidden away, when Nick entered the room, closing the door behind him.
“Is that a celebration drink?” Nick asked his friend wryly. Somehow he had known that no matter what Jim wanted, he knew his sister, and doubted the meeting had gone smoothly.
Jim turned and smiled at him slowly. Without a word, he poured Nick a glass of his expensive brandy. Nick took a sip, nodding his appreciation.
“So this is where the good stuff has been hidden all evening. I’m getting tired of drinking the cheap champagne, and that watered-down punch is awful,” Nick told the other man as he settled into one of the deep, fine leather chairs that faced the fireplace. Jim moved over to join him, his limp a bit more pronounced.
“Have I missed anything so far?” Jim asked quietly, sipping the brandy slowly. He stretched out his legs, staring at his boots that were no longer pristine and shining. His boots told the story of his busy evening.
Nick shook his head. “Just the usual party nonsense. Your mother and my mother have been corralling people all evening, moving them from room to room. All right, so what happened?” Nick finally asked, exasperated at Jim’s lack of communication, whether it was by choice or inability.
Jim smiled. “She didn’t kill me or maim me.”
Nick laughed. “That’s good, anyway. Are you getting married?” he asked, cutting right to the core of the matter.
Jim nodded his head. “I was inclined to head to town and get the next train to San Francisco, but Julie is harder to convince. She is coming to the wedding, though. And we will announce our engagement then. She still wanted to wait until after, but I think she really wants to go to the wedding.”
The door flew open behind them, letting the party sounds intrude on the quiet conversation. Both men turned to see Angie silhouetted in the door. They stood as she walked farther into the dark room.
“Why are my brother and future brother-in-law hiding away from the party?” Angie walked over to loop her arm through Nick’s. She smiled over at Jim. “You know, I haven’t seen you around much tonight, Jim.” She didn’t wait for him to answer. “And to be perfectly honest, I’ve had the dickens of a time keeping your mother from noticing your absence.”
Jim flushed, which surprised him. “I’m sorry—”
Angie waved her hand, cutting short his apology. “That’s all right. I figured you were back at my house, arguing with a certain someone.”
Her words fell into a stunned silence. Finally, Angie laughed at the two men. “Of course I knew. And no, it is not because Julie confided in me, even though I gave her plenty of opportunity to do so. I suspected almost from the beginning, but when Julie came back this time…well, I was sure.”
Jim shook his head at his future sister-in-law, wondering if she had some kind of psychic powers. “How could you know? Even Nick didn’t know…”
Angie released Nick’s arm and started for the door. She turned back, shaking her head. “It is simple, really. Julie would never be pregnant with any man’s child but yours, Jim.”
She smiled slowly. “You men,” she said in exasperation. “Julie has been in love with you, Jim, probably her entire life. But you were too blind to see it. And she was too stubborn to admit it.” Angie turned after dropping that verbal bomb and left the room.
Nick shifted around to look at Jim and was relieved to see that Jim was just as surprised as he had been. Nick certainly never would have guessed.
Jim sat back down in his chair and downed the rest of his brandy in one gulp. “Impossible.”
Nick laughed softly and patted him lightly on his shoulder. He breathed out heavily. “You know, with women, you never really do comprehend.” And with that, Nick left his friend alone with his thoughts.
Jim reluctantly left the solitude of his study a few minutes later, returning to the throngs of circulating people throughout his home. He felt like he didn’t belong in his own house. He realized that it had nothing to do with the party, but that he would rather be with Julie than anywhere else, or with anyone else. He shook his head ruefully, not fully comfortable with this revelation. He walked over to where one of his brothers was tending bar. He took a beer, rather than some of the champagne. He had only been standing there a few moments when Angie and Tony walked up to him. He didn’t like the saucy knowing look he saw in the young woman’s face.
Angie just smiled up at hi
m, hugging Tony’s arm close. “I’m glad to see you decided to come out of your cave, Jim.” She reached out and took a glass of champagne. She sipped, wrinkling her nose a bit.
Jim shrugged. “Blame your future mother-in-law, Angie; she is the one who picked out the champagne for the party.”
Angie shrugged back. “Oh, it’s all right. I was really wondering whether you were planning on sneaking off again.”
Jim caught the startled look his brother gave him. Obviously, he had been pretty successful in hiding his absence from almost everyone else. He shook his head. “I’ll stay put for now.”
“Hmm,” Angie murmured thoughtfully. “I think you should drag her over here. It certainly would stir things up!”
Jim frowned at his nearly tipsy future sister-in-law. “Somehow I would have thought the party was lively enough for you.”
Angie grinned, downing her champagne. “Oh, I’m fine. I was just thinking of everyone else, like your mother…my mother…mother cats and watching fur fly.”
Jim just shook his head at her, but Tony was getting tired of the innuendos his future bride was tossing around. “What the devil are you going on about? The last thing we need is to stir up any trouble. Mother is already driving me crazy.”
Just then, Tony and Jim’s mother came to join them.
“Whatever are you two doing over here in the corner?” Phyllis accused the engaged couple. “You must get out and circulate. After all, the party is in your honor.” As soon as Phyllis and her oldest son were alone, she turned to him. “I’m so glad that Angie’s sister chose not to attend. Victoria told me she was ill, and that is why she didn’t come. I don’t mind sharing with you, dear; I couldn’t care less why she isn’t here. I am just relieved that she isn’t.” She reached over and took a glass of champagne from the bar top.
“Look, Mother, there is something you should know,” Jim told his mother softly.
Phyllis turned to smile at her eldest, but the smile faded as she saw the intensely serious look on his face. “My goodness, Jim, are you feeling all right? Is your leg bothering you?”
Jim shook his head. He wasn’t sure just how to tell his mother that tomorrow was likely to be the worst day of her life. Or at least, it would seem that way to her. Before he could come up with a good way to start, his father interrupted them.
“I’ve come to steal this lovely lady for a dance, son.” And with that, Jim’s parents twirled away to the music. He watched in silence, feeling a pang of unhappiness that he couldn’t hold Julie in his arms and dance with her like that. Of course, he smiled slightly, they had no trouble at all dancing together horizontally. He realized that he was wishing the night away, and looking forward to the new life tomorrow’s dawn would bring.
Chapter 9
The next morning her sister, Angie, rushed into the room and jumped onto her bed, awakening Julie from her deep, dreamless sleep. Julie groaned at being torn from her sleep so abruptly. She frowned at her smiling sister and attempted to pull the covers back up over her head. But Angie would have none of that. She dragged the sheets and blanket back down. For a moment, the sisters paused. The soft morning sun poured into the room as Angie reached out and touched her sister’s rounded belly.
“Have you thought about whether it will be a boy or a girl?”
Julie shook her head. “No. I’m afraid I’ve been too consumed with my own troubles to think that far ahead, Angie. Now, why are you not sleeping in, like all good brides should do?”
Angie laughed and jumped off the bed. “Because I’ve decided that between the two of us, we can fix your dress to fit you in time for the wedding.”
Julie sat up in the bed. Shaking her head no, she swung her legs out to stand up. But Angie wouldn’t hear of that. She lightly pushed her sister back onto the bed.
“Yes. This is my day, and the bride gets her way. And the bride wants her sister to walk down the aisle as her maid of honor. Got that?”
Julie laughed at her sister. “There is very little honorable about me anymore, Angie.”
“Pooh!” her sister told her sternly. “I know you too well for that, dear Julie. Now…” Angie found the bridesmaid dress in the closet and pulled it out. It was a lovely pale pink. “We need to have you put this on and see what needs to be altered.”
“Other than my body, you mean?”
Angie shook her head and took the nightgown from Julie as she pulled it up and off. Julie really wasn’t thinking this morning. And when Angie gasped a moment later, she realized that her sister had seen her shaven mound. She looked up at her, flushing. Angie was staring at the smooth juncture at her sister’s lower abdomen and upper thighs. “Uhm, Julie, what happened to your pubic hair?”
“I learned about shaving when I was in Europe, Angie. I was curious, and so I tried it. I found that I really liked it.”
Angie couldn’t seem to stop looking, even though she knew better. “How do you do it?”
Julie smiled at her sister, relaxing, as she didn’t see the expected rejection in her sister’s face after all. “Well, you need to trim it off short to start, and then it is best to shave the first few times in front of a mirror. After that, you can manage it in the tub, if you want.” Julie took the bridesmaid’s dress and continued without really thinking. “Of course, if you can, it is easiest to have someone else shave you the first few times.”
Angie gasped, looking at her sister, all kinds of thoughts going through her head at that. “Did you have someone?”
Julie shook her head quickly, pulling the dress over her head and letting it drop into place over her body. She had to adjust the bodice, and noticed that her breasts mounded above the low-cut neckline. Luckily the lower part of the dress skimmed her body with a little more room for movement than she’d thought. If she could sit down in it, they probably wouldn’t have to alter it after all. She walked over to a chair, lifted the lower part just a bit and sat down. She took a deep breath, in and then out, but nothing popped out. She relaxed a bit and stood back up. She pulled the dress off.
“I guess it will be all right after all, Angie. Though there will no hiding my condition.”
Angie nodded. “True, but who cares?” She hung the dress back up. And again she looked at her sister’s naked body. “Julie?”
“What, Angie?”
“Uhm…what did Jim think?”
Julie turned sharply, surprised at her sister’s question. How could Angie possibly know? “Jim? Why, whatever do you mean?”
Angie shook her head at her sister. “I’m not that naïve, Julie. I can’t imagine anyone else being the father of your baby but Jim!”
Julie sat down abruptly on her disheveled bed. “I never said anything—”
Angie sat down next to her sister. She wrapped an arm around her sister’s shoulders. “Sweetie, you didn’t need to. I’ve known you were crazy for Jim for as long as I can possibly remember.”
“How? We were always fighting and yelling at one another.” Julie felt the need to protest.
Angie shook her head. She reached over with her other hand and patted her sister’s naked belly. “Well, it appears to me you stopped yelling long enough at least once.”
Julie flushed brightly. So much for being clever, she thought to herself, but Angie’s words drew her attention again.
“Well…what did Jim think?”
Julie took a deep breath, not used to being this intimate with her sister since they were small girls sharing a room. “He was surprised at first, but he liked it. Or, at least, it sure seemed like he did.” She laughed and then stopped when Angie laughed also. “Oh, my god, Angie! I shouldn’t be talking to you like this…I mean about things like this. You aren’t married!”
Angie laughed softly. “Neither are you, sister.”
Julie frowned. “Yes, but I’ve been to Europe and…stop!” She tried to keep her frown as her sister kept on laughing. “All right. He liked it enough that he let me do it to him.” Julie bit her lip as she realized what a
n intimate secret she had just blurted out.
Angie blushed brightly, her thoughts getting quite rampant. “Ooh. Julie?”
“What, Angie?”
“Will you do me?”
Julie jumped up from the bed. “What? You mean shave you?”
Angie nodded. “I really like how it looks. May I touch you, though?” she asked her sister softly.
Julie paused, thinking of a thousand reasons to say no. Instead, she nodded her head. She took a deep breath and watched as her sister reached out. A moment later, she felt her sister’s soft fingers stroking along her shaven mound. She had never felt another’s fingers there, save Jim’s and her doctor’s. She glanced down and saw Angie was smiling. Her sister sat back and looked up at her.
“Please, Julie. Do it for me, as my wedding present?”
Julie paused, thinking of the exorbitantly expensive silver tea service she had purchased and shipped home already. She barely shook her head once, and then changed her mind and nodded. “All right, but if anyone for any reason should ask, this was your idea. Got it?”
Angie nodded and hopped up and hugged Julie tight. She then pranced over to Julie’s bedroom door and turned the lock. She looked back over her shoulder, smiling. “We don’t want anyone surprising us.”
“All right. We need some water, soap, lotion and scissors. I’ll get my razor.” Neither woman spoke for the next few moments as they gathered everything together.
Julie directed Angie to strip her nightclothes off and lie on the bed. Julie positioned herself at the edge of the mattress and had Angie turn sideways and scoot to the end, her legs bent and widespread. Julie sat in the chair she had pulled close and arranged everything on the nightstand. Slowly, carefully, Julie began snipping little tufts of her sister’s blond pubic curls off. She set some aside, on a small handkerchief.
Finally, she had her trimmed to a quarter inch. She told Angie she needed to be very still, and if she needed to move, to try and give her some advance warning. Angie giggled, promising she would. Julie used the soap and made some lather. As she smeared it over her sister’s mound and lips, Angie giggled. Julie paused and lightly slapped her sister’s thigh.
