“Good morning, sweetheart,” James whispered as he watched Leah’s eyes flutter open. He had been awake for nearly an hour, marveling at his new bride—smart, beautiful, and his for all time. She had been dreaming, pleasant ones this time, and actually woke herself with a giggle.
Leah stretched out her arms and a little quiver ran through her muscles as the blood surged in to nourish the extremities. She turned to James and placed her hand lightly over her mouth to block her morning breath. Her eyes were shining as she blinked rapidly, trying to get the moisture back in them, “Good morning, my darling, sweet, and powerful husband. Or will be husband—as soon as we get the birth certificate, license, and preacher.”
James gently brought her concealing hand away and kissed it. “I am your husband now, at least morally. The legally bit,” he sighed in resignation, “will come after we get the birth certificate from Bibb.” He realized he was frowning at the thought of having to contact his newly discovered biological mother. He quickly turned his sulk into a smile. “Shower alone or together?” he asked brightly.
But Leah had seen the glower. They needed to address his attitude about her new mother-in-law right away. The shower could—would have to—wait. Instead of answering his question, she changed the subject.
“Bibb loves you, I know she does. I was in the bar with her while she waited for you to get off the plane last week. You should have seen the way she was pawing and gloating over those pictures of you.” Leah shrugged with a bashful admission. “I peeked over her shoulder and saw them. You were a cute kid. And what was that sash you had on you in the one picture? You looked to be about ten years old.”
“I was twelve and had just graduated from upper school.” James saw the look of confusion on her face. “High school. I was a bright student,” he added modestly with a slight shoulder shrug.
“With honors, right—that’s why the sash?”
James nodded, then reluctantly changed the subject back to the woman who irritated him just by her existence. “But she lied to me,” he snorted with exasperation.
“When did she lie to you? Didn’t you plan to buy her mill? Isn’t that why you came to America? Did she ever tell you that she wasn’t your mother?” Leah was now on a roll and relentless.
“No, but…but,” James stuttered.
Leah wasn’t letting up, though. They had to get this relationship issue resolved now. It was sure to fester and worsen if not addressed before they met with her again.
“Did you ever think that by not telling you who she really was—about her relationship to you—that she was trying to protect you? Maybe she just wanted the two of you to meet as regular people, for you to get to know each other as individuals. Maybe she thought by hiding the fact that she was your mother, she was sparing you from being burdened with emotional attachments that you weren’t ready to handle?”
James’s sputtering had stopped as soon as the word protect was out of Leah’s mouth. Now he was grinning at her.
“What?” she asked, confused about why he was suddenly so happy. James looked down his nose at her and dipped his head like he was Tramp the dog offering Lady the last meatball.
“Oh, shit. Just like you were letting me believe you were gay so we could, well, get to know and like each other on our own merits without sex—or the possibility of it—coloring our relationship.”
“Give the lady a sash,” he said, then placed a firm kiss on the middle of her forehead. “Shower time?” he asked hopefully.
Leah scrunched up her nose and said, “Let’s work up a good sweat first,” then reached down and grabbed him familiarly. “I’d hate to waste your good-morning-to-you cock salute.”
“You can have every one of them for the rest of your, our, lives, darlin’. Now roll over and get on your knees. I’m feelin’ a little cocker spaniel this morning.”
“Woof, woof,” Leah barked in playful reply as she rolled over. “Give me the bone, Sparky.”
**42 Lost Mama
August 13, 2013, a little later…
“Whoa,” Leah panted, as she leaned back against the tub enclosure. “I didn’t think my body could handle that many whoopees. We’re going to have to go out in public, just so my little tushie can get a rest. As it is, I think I’ll be walking funny.”
James laughed as he answered breathlessly. “Yeah, well with that grin you’re sporting, everyone will know why.”
“Yeah, and with your grin, they’ll know who caused it! Come on, let’s get dressed and go out for breakfast. I’ve worked up a big appetite, and bagels and cream cheese won’t cut it today.”
Leah sighed as she walked out of the bathroom wearing nothing but the towel wrapped around her head. “This feels so good! I don’t have to hurry up and get dressed. I can run around naked and air dry while I brush my teeth and hair.” She bent over and shook off the towel, and ran her fingers through her hair.
“Here,” James chided, as he handed her the hairbrush, “It may feel good, but just because we’re married doesn’t mean you get to leave here without any clothes on.”
Leah turned her back on him and started brushing her hair. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it,” she replied, then gulped as she felt his hands on her behind. He was caressing the outside of her hips, then cupping the bottom of her butt cheeks. “Oh no, no, no, no,” she giggled. “Let’s eat first.”
“Hmm,” James grunted suggestively, then moved in closer so she could feel that he was ready again.
“Okay, I mean, not okay. Let’s go to a restaurant for eggs and sausage.” James wiggled his stiffness against her backside, as he nuzzled her neck. “Not that kind of sausage and huevos,” she said. “Do you need to go back in the shower? I’ll even turn it to straight cold for you,” she offered playfully.
“Nah, I’ll be fine. Down boy,” he said in a thick, western cowboy accent. “This here lady needs a break. And you do, too. If you don’t settle down, you’ll wind up snapping off at the root!”
Leah laughed at his antics, totally at peace with herself. Everything felt so perfect. “How about going to that little cafeteria where we had our first breakfast together? That way I know I’ll get enough to eat.”
The two of them eyed each other, sending a visual, not really telepathic, message that this was a race to see who could get dressed first.
“I won!” Leah declared as she thrust both arms straight up in the air like she was signaling a touchdown.
“Well, that’s because of the shoes. I had you beat until I had to put on socks. Let’s go before they run out of food.”
The rest of the short trip was made in comfortable silence, neither one of them speaking nor feeling the need to. At least, it was that way until they got close enough to see the open sign on the café’s door. Leah suddenly declared, “We’re going to Billy’s, right now. No passing go, no collecting $200, no getting out of jail free,” then made a fast, body slamming U turn in the café’s parking lot.
James pulled himself back up in the seat and stared over his left shoulder at her. It looked like breakfast was going to have to wait. “All right,” he said, “whatever that’s supposed to mean. Are you okay?”
“I am, but I feel like there’s something wrong, and I want Billy to check it out for me. He should be off work,” she paused to look at the clock set in the dash, “and back home fixing his breakfast right about now.” Leah finished her little dissertation on Billy’s morning routine after working his midnight shift, then didn’t speak, hum, or smile. She even turned off the radio, frowning at the distraction of the music.
“Okay,” James said softly. Now her something’s wrong feeling was bleeding over to him, too.
Leah squealed the tires as she pulled into her old parking space at the apartments. She jumped out of the car, leaving James and her purse and keys behind, sprinting across the grass that used to be her front yard, bounding up to Billy’s front door. She knocked three quick raps, then turned the knob and pushed to go in. Her body hit with
a thud as the door refused to open. “Oof,” she grunted and backed away, embarrassed at her impetuousness. Unbeknownst to her, Billy had started locking his door.
James walked up behind her as if nothing had happened and knocked again, harder this time, then handed her the purse and keys.
Billy answered the door, dressed in a bath towel. “Hi, come on in,” he said, and backed away from the doorway to let them enter. He could see that Leah was frowning and silent, not her usual animated and perky self.
“What’s going on?” he asked James. James shrugged his shoulders and looked over at Leah, shifting his gaze sideways twice in quick succession to let him know that she was acting a bit strange.
Billy joined Leah in the kitchen as she helped herself to a cup of coffee. “Hey, honey,” he said, as he took her cup and set it on the counter. He gathered her into a big bear hug. James looked over at the pair and hoped the man’s towel didn’t fall off. Did he ever wear clothes in his own home?
“I…I,” Leah began, but was interrupted by a call from the back of the apartment.
“Can I borrow a pair of your socks, hon? I forgot to bring another pair.”
The voice and the man attached to it came into the kitchen. “Oh, hi. Leah, right?” asked Peter Anthony who—James was glad to see—was completely clothed, at least down to his ankles.
Leah gave a quick nod of affirmation then froze. She didn’t want to let go of Billy, but realized that she had probably just barged in on a post-liaison breakfast. She looked around and saw dirty pans on the stove and two plates on the table with the remains of omelets. She started to pull away in shame at her intrusiveness, but Billy held onto her tighter, telling her with his body language that she belonged where she was and shouldn’t feel awkward. James saw the little non-verbal conversation, and was glad the man had reacted to her that way. He was definitely going to leave Billy in charge of his assets when they left.
“Help yourself to socks or whatever else you need,” Billy said over Leah’s head. “And don’t forget to pick up steaks for dinner, okay? Hey,” he said, as he turned to Leah, then James, “would you like to come over tonight at about 7 for a barbeque? All you need to bring is yourself and a bathing suit. Except you, James—I have a spare for you.”
James looked over at the couple in the kitchen and decided he’d start speaking for the two of them beginning now. Leah was pale and needed a man—or two—to take charge for her. “That’d be great. I’m afraid I’ve been monopolizing Leah’s time. I think she’s going through Billy withdrawal.” He smiled at Leah and she smiled back, brightening up a bit, which made him feel better, too. “Should I bring beer or salad or anything?”
“Iced tea for me, remember?” Leah volunteered, referring to her new status as the wife of a British man. Whoa, not just a British man, a British lord.
“Yes,” James said to Billy, then nodded to Peter, “I’ll bring beer for us and iced tea for my lady,” he gave a short bow, “Lady James Melbourne.”
“Okay, that’s four steaks, and James will provide the liquid refreshments. I’ll see you later,” Peter said, and put his hand on the doorknob to leave.
Leah turned her head away and James turned his back so the two men could have a bit of privacy for their goodbye look—or kiss, or whatever they wanted to do. As it was, they evidently settled on a look because the door opened and closed, and now it was just the three of them.
“Okay, honey, let’s go in the living room, and you can tell me what’s going on.” Billy led Leah to the overstuffed gray velour couch. “You, too,” he motioned for James to come sit with them. James pulled over the ottoman and took his position in the little three-way powwow.
Leah looked at James sheepishly then back to Billy.
Oh, crap—what did he do now to offend her? No, they were cool; stop being paranoid, Melbourne. Shut up, brain, and listen to what they’re saying.
“So, if it’s not too much trouble, would you see if you could find her? Her name’s Bibb Stephens.” Leah had been talking to Billy about Bibb, and James hadn’t heard anything except the last part.
“Hey, I know who she is. She’s a real firecracker, a real tough old broad. She must have been a real looker when she was younger. She’s kept that old place working for I don’t know how many years. Land developers have been trying to get her property and doing everything short of burning the place down to get the land. If you don’t mind me asking, why do you want to know about her?” Billy was all wound up talking about the local legend and had shifted forward on the couch, allowing his knees to spread apart.
James looked over and saw more than he needed to. At least, Leah was seated next to him and didn’t have the view he had. “Ahem,” James cleared his throat as if to speak, caught Billy’s eyes, then looked down at his own legs and brought his knees together as a suggestion that Billy do the same. Billy saw the cue and followed through.
“She’s my mother,” James said with heavy sigh. “And evidently, her future daughter-in-law is getting bad vibes about her. Is that right?”
“Yes, something just doesn’t seem right. I called her number several times, but I always got some man giving me evasive answers about how she’s out of town and won’t be back for a few days; no, she doesn’t have a cell phone, and he can’t get her a message. Billy, I didn’t know about the land grabbers after her place. This man was lying to me—I was calling her cell phone. Could you maybe check into her as a missing person?”
Billy nodded thoughtfully, put his hands on his knees, quickly brought them together tightly so he didn’t flash James again, and stood up. He grabbed his cell phone from the kitchen counter, pushed and held one button—evidently speed dial—and walked into the bedroom, shutting the door behind him.
“Are you okay?” James asked Leah. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It didn’t seem like anything was wrong right away. It kind of sprouted up all of a sudden. It was no big deal when I called her on the phone and she wasn’t there. But then, well, it just seemed wrong all at once, just before breakfast, and since we were already in the car and Billy was nearby, I figured it would be just as easy to tell him in person. I feel kind of dumb, though, busting in on him and Peter. God, what was I thinking? He has a life, and it doesn’t revolve around me.”
“No, that would be my life,” said James. He picked up her hand and kissed it. She rolled her eyes and smiled at his gesture. “And if Billy had something urgent and had burst in on us, I wouldn’t feel bad. He’s kind of like the brother I never had.” Leah looked down her nose at him, suggesting a correction. “Bruce was for all intents and purposes—and legally—my father, not my brother. It was only biologically that he was my brother. We were never pals, never looked at dirty books together, or put salt in the sugar shakers. Or would that be sugar in the salt shakers? Anyhow, I feel very comfortable with your friend, which is a good thing, or I’d be very jealous.”
“Jealous? Of Billy? Why?”
“Because you love him.”
“But he’s gay!” Leah whispered loudly.
“So, that doesn’t mean anything. I’m sure that you two could, you know…”
“Do it?” Leah suggested.
“Yes, do it if you wanted.”
“But I don’t wanna,” Billy said laughingly as he entered the room, “and neither does she, but if I weren’t the way God made me, I’d want her and want to do it with her as much as she’d let me. Now, that being said, I found Bibb. Or at least I think I found her. They have a Jane Doe at the hospital now. She just came in and... Leah, don’t you want to know which hospital?”
“It’s my hospital, isn’t it? Come on, James, let’s go.” Leah already had one hand on the doorknob and was fishing for her keys in her purse with the other.
“But, but, she’s in ICU and can’t have visitors. Besides, they haven’t verified that it’s her,” Billy argued.
“Well, he’s next of kin, and they’ll let him in if I have to lock those nurses in the chape
l and bar the door. I work with them, remember? I have rights and privileges, and for all I know, I would have been her nurse if my apartment hadn’t burned down. Ergh!” she screamed, finally finding her keys and rushing, not running this time, to the car.
James hollered, “I’m coming,” out the door to her, and then turned back to Billy. “Thanks. Let me know the backstory on this as soon as possible. Now I’m getting the bad feelings, too. I think all of this is connected, if you know what I mean.”
He ran after Leah at his last remark. She was already in the car and had it started, her fingers tapping out a rapid tattoo on the steering wheel, eager for him to get in so they could hit the road.
“Let’s roll,” he said. She slammed the shifter into reverse, squealing the tires as she left the parking lot, all fired up and for no known reason why.
ӁӁ
“Ho there, Madigan,” called the tall, good-looking black male orderly, “I thought they gave you a couple weeks off to get your life back together after your apartment got torched. How’s it going?”
“Good and bad—or maybe that’s great and shitty—I don’t know yet. I mean, the great I know about,” Leah said, turning and winking at James, “and the shitty is why I’m here. Do you think I’ll have any trouble getting into ICU dressed like this, or should I put on scrubs?”
“It wouldn’t hurt to grab a pair and put them on over your street clothes. Are you talking about the Jane Doe? She’s in pretty rough shape. Amazing. I’ve worked here over 8 years and never a Jane Doe. Now all of a sudden, we have two in one week. Unreal,” Neal remarked with enthusiasm.
“Yeah, unreal is right,” Leah replied dryly. He’s referring to mom’s visit last week, a musket ball lodged in her shoulder. No one ever found out who she was… She shook her head. Not now. “Come on, James, let’s go.”
“Oh, he can’t go in there, you know that—only kin, doctors and nurses. Are you trying to get yourself into some kind of trouble again?”
Leah stopped in her tracks. “What do you mean, again?” she asked.
Aye, I am a Fairy Page 32
