“I know what you mean, and that’s why Jody and I agreed not to reread ours. Once they’re folded and in the box, they’re off limits. They belong to our heirs at that point, not us.”
“So what are you going to say about Benji coming back?” I had heard the raised voices the night before. You definitely didn’t want to get between those two red headed giants when they disagreed. Theirs were the only two opinions that mattered, and arbitration or anyone else’s suggestions weren’t even a consideration.
“I was asked not to say anything. Benji doesn’t want Jody or me to write anything in our letters to his parents about him being here. I guess he’s afraid that those MacLeods will get our letters and will use them against his mother. It doesn’t make any sense to me. If I could just tell them that Benji was here, safe, and not to worry about him: that he was alive and didn’t die in a smelter accident when he was just a child…” Sarah put her head in her hands and started sobbing. “I can’t imagine the grief she must be going through; believing that her son is dead…”
“Sort of like when you thought that Jody had died in the war?” I asked. “You went on though, didn’t you? You had to let it go, as best you could, and raise Mona, I mean rear Mona, to be a good person. You had a full life even, with his loss.”
“No, I didn’t,” Sarah said with a heap of hostility in her voice.
I didn’t take her attitude personally. I could tell she was reliving her past life, or bits of it, in the 20th century. I stayed mum, and let her continue.
“I never got over the loss of him, never felt complete again until I was back here, in his arms, in the 18th century. If I had found out earlier…”
“Well, what would you have done? Would you have left Mona with Fl.., with your first husband?”
I gulped as I realized that I knew the name of her first husband was Floyd—and for no known reason why. She had never mentioned his name that I was aware of. I only knew his name because I had read about him and her and everyone else in her family in Lisa Sinclaire’s ‘Lost’ novels. I spoke quickly in what I hoped was a good cover story.
“Would you have come back, traveled through the stones with her as an infant or small child, and subject her to the intense pain?”
“Did I tell you how much it hurt?” Sarah asked. “And how did you know that I didn’t find out about Jody until much later?”
“Shit, I mean, shoot, I don’t know,” I said then bent over to take the lid off the Dutch oven to check on the bread, hoping that I would be able to continue this line of conversation without revealing my inside source. I already knew more about her, Jody, and their personal history than I felt comfortable with. I wasn’t lying when I said, ‘I don’t know’—I didn’t remember which book it was in.
“Well, the pain was indescribably horrific, all three times, and I know it hurt Mona and Gregg the first time they came through; they told me. Since they went back the same way, through the stones, I think they had to endure it again. I’m just glad there are other ways—or at least one other way—to travel that doesn’t cause you to feel like your liver is coming out your nose and your hipbones through your ears.”
“And you did that three times?”
“The first time was an accident. The second time was for my unborn child, Mona, to make sure I had modern medical help for delivery. The last time was to come back to be with Jody. I could do it for love, but there is no way I would have done it for anything, even anyone, else.”
“Well, you can’t write about Benji, but have no fear, you have a sneaky sister. Let’s just leave it at that, okay? I mean, I wouldn’t want to tell you anything you would have to keep from Jody. You can keep your word that you won’t write about Benji being here to his mother or father, okay? Now, the bread is ready, but the crock is empty. Would you go out to the springhouse and bring in some more butter and another wedge of cheese? Oh, and don’t hurry,” I added with a grin.
Sarah sniffed, wiped away her tears, and let a smile of hope escape. “Did I ever tell you that you were my favorite sister?”
“Nope, but if you’re saying it now, back at ya, sis. Oh, and you might want to see if you can scare up a little jam, too.” I looked up at the cupboard where Sarah kept her writing supplies and the dishes. “I’ll set the table,” I volunteered, “and do anything else that needs doing.”
“I’d appreciate it. I’ll be back in a while,” she added with a nod and a wink, and took her leave, humming brightly as she closed the door behind her.
I opened up the cedar chest in the corner and pulled out my 21st century jacket from the back corner. I dug into the front pocket and found it: my ballpoint pen. I kept it stashed along with the zippered coat to keep questions from my middle daughter down to a minimum. Jenny was just a little too perceptive at times.
Writing with the ballpoint pen was faster by far than the dip, stroke, stroke, dip of the quill and inkwell. I absconded with a piece of Sarah’s precious homemade paper—an odd shaped remnant of the batch of paper made by Mona when she lived here with her parents and Benji was a baby.
I hastily wrote out:
Mona, Gregg: Benji will disappear, but he’s fine. He’s here with his Grandpa and Grannie. Do NOT look for him or you will endanger him and yourselves. Take care of each other, Evie (your sister-in-law).
“There, that ought to do it,” I said softly. I folded the note and stuffed it inside the second to the last epistle that Sarah and Jody had written. This way, the script wasn’t obvious. The steady flow of ink made by the ball point pen made the format look glaringly different, but now it was enclosed inside another letter. If Jody did happen to go through the folded letters, he wouldn’t see it. And, since Sarah said Jody didn’t reread his letters, mine was as safe as if it was inside a double sealed envelope. Integrity is such a wonderful concept, and I hoped I wasn’t compromising mine with the little deception. Nah, probably not, since I didn’t feel guilty about it.
33 Bust of buddies
“A re you sure it’s okay with James?” Jane asked cautiously.
Leah nodded her head and answered, “If Benji’s chosen you, you’re family. I mean, you are going to be married just as soon as Sarah or Jody or someone figures out how to do it legally, right?”
Jane felt her face warm suddenly with the glow of happiness, “Aye,” she replied with a new emotion for her—family pride. “But, I hope it doesn’t take too long. I’m sorry; I shouldn’t have said that. What I mean is that you just met me and I haven’t even spoken to your husband. Are you sure he won’t mind?”
“Here, take Bibby Liz and we’ll all go have a chat. If you don’t feel like he wants you to keep our daughter for the night, to keep her here in the same house with her grandparents—which just happens to be a four minute run up the hill from her mother and father—then I’ll cancel my much needed night’s rest and, um, quality time...” Leah subconsciously twitched with anticipation, then shuddered as she quickly composed herself and continued, “With my husband, all right? Come on. Meet my husband, James Ignatius Melbourne, although I suggest you just call him James.”
Leah handed her daughter over to her new kin. Bibby was all too eager to be held and reached out for Jane. Her infant eyesight wasn’t the best, but this dark-skinned, milk-sweet smelling companion was welcome to hold her anytime. She wasn’t hungry, but knew that dinner was close by when this warm person was holding her. She stuck her fist in front of her nose and sighed as she nestled into a comfortable position.
Jane followed obediently behind Leah, a little bashful at being given such a wonderful and honorific trust by these people she had just met. Family, she reminded herself. These people were her family of a different color, but still family. Leah looked back and gave her a ‘look’ to tell her to catch up with her. Jane nodded and widened her pace so she was walking beside her kin.
Family. Kin. How wonderful to have them she thought as the tears welled up. This moistness wasn’t from grit or sawdust in her eyes, and there wasn’t
any pain or sadness involved. Happy tears: she’d never had them before that she could recall. Yes, she had experienced many new wonderful emotions these past few days spent with Benji. These happy tears falling right now, the warm flush and joy of nursing a baby, and the other kind of joy—the wetness and tingling between her thighs when Benji kissed her all over. And she was going to having even more exciting feelings as soon as she and Benji could be married. A momentary fear stopped her smooth smile of peace. What if they couldn’t be married and he couldn’t be with her? She shook her head and put that horrible thought back in the dark place in her mind where she buried all of her other bad memories and fears. “Not today,” she said softly to herself, “hopefully, not ever.”
Ж
“Jane, this is my husband James. James, Jane,” Leah said in an abbreviated introduction. “Jane has volunteered,” Leah grinned and shot both of them a wink at the word, “to watch Bibby Liz for us so we can be alone tonight. Is it okay with you, dear?” Leah asked, her eyelashes fluttering away provocatively at her now wide-eyed mate.
“That would be awesome!” James exclaimed, suddenly embarrassed at how unguarded his response had been. “Janie, I, we, would both verra much appreciate it.” James face suddenly fell as he remembered that Bibby would have to be nursed.
Leah had sensed his indecision based on their child’s nutritional needs and answered his unspoken concern. “Between Mom and Sarah, there are plenty of wet nurses around,” she said. “It’s just you and me tonight, dear. Do you think we can manage?”
“Just you and me? I’ll just time-trip back a year and remember how it used to be,” he purred as he slid his hand around Leah’s waist. “Just like the good old days. When do we start?”
34 A New Discovery
“O kay, let’s play the ‘what I miss most’ game,” Leah suggested as the moon peaked through the window.
“What I miss is not having to kill people,” James said sourly. He saw Leah’s face fall, then quickly amended his answer. “Other than friends and family I’ll never see again, there’s nothing I miss. I just wish there was a way to have everyone here at the same time. But, I want to stay here, now, even if I have to get rid of a mongrel every now and then to keep the rest of my family safe.”
“It could have been just as bad in 2013,” Leah suggested.
James snorted. “No, worse. The creeps would have had semi-automatic weapons and fast cars; drive-by shootings where I, we, couldn’t protect ourselves.”
“And they’d get off more than one shot…”
“Yeah, well I guess the odds were tipped in our favor there. I didn’t have to shoot more than once, but it was a comfort to know that if several of them had started shooting, Wallace and I had enough rounds to take care of every one of them without having to stop and reload.”
“Well, we’re safe and healthy here,” Leah sighed, “and mostly happy,” she added with an eye roll, referring to the earlier deadly row. “You know I love you, dear, and I’d follow you to the ends of the earth.”
“Well, I don’t think you’ll have to follow too far, sweetheart; I’m not planning on going anywhere, now or ever. And I don’t even want to think about what kind of event or power could separate us.” James sighed deeply. “I just hope the memory from today fades quickly.”
“Do you think you’ll ever get over it?” Leah asked cautiously as she snuggled into his chest.
James was trying to hide his uneasiness, but even if his wife wasn’t psychic, she would have picked up on the flashes of terror that riddled his whole presence. He tried to keep a calm demeanor, but couldn’t stop frowning. He tried to swallow the glowers as soon as he realized they were there, but they were dark and dirty and left a smear of a grimace on his face that wouldn’t go away. No amount of soap or scrubbing could remove the memory of having to kill a man to save another. Only time and a bright, healthy life with a loving family could help it fade. And tonight he had his wife’s attentions all to himself. Let the fading begin!
“I doubt that I’ll ever forget, but Jody did say that this,” James grabbed a handful of pubic mound and skirt and continued his report on suggested therapy to feel better, “was the best cure for me. But, do you think you can handle it? I mean, since we don’t have Bibby Liz here tonight, I won’t have competition, and you won’t have distractions. I might just wear this beautiful, fuzzy field of pleasure down to a bald patch.”
“Yes, and I might wear this,” she grabbed a fistful of his man parts through his trousers and whispered, “down to a nubbin…”
The couple walked awkwardly toward their bed, both of them clutching the other in the lower regions. “Well, you may wear it down for a half hour at a time, but give it a break for another half hour or so, and we’ll see. I’d like to see if we can set a personal best!”
Leah let loose and turned around to pull down the shade over the window. “I was going to do a little strip tease for you, but I hear voices over at Mom’s. I think the men are taking a walk. At least Benji and Jody were. I don’t want to perform for anyone but you, sweetheart.”
“Well, go ahead and get started. I’ll just have to watch the show in Braille,” James said, as he unbuttoned his pants.
“Are you sure?” Leah asked as she worked her shoulders out of her shirt suggestively. “I mean, is there anything else I could do to make you feel better? I mean, to help you forget?”
Leah pushed her skirt down then looked over at her now naked husband in the dim glow of candlelight. She cleared her throat as inspiration hit. “Ahem, so you just took a long, hot bath,” she said rather than asked and urged James over to the bed, gently shoving him so he fell backwards into its downy softness. She knew it to be true: he had told her when he apologized for using all of the hot water.
James wondered why she had asked for a whole second and a half. He didn’t even have a chance to answer when he realized why she had made the comment. “Uh,” he squealed when he felt her warm mouth on his semi-erect organ. “Uh, yeah, bath and, um, that’ll definitely get the fire go, go, going,” he stuttered as she nibbled in between kissing and licking.
James let Leah take him to the edge, then stopped her, putting his hand on her forehead, gently urging her away. “Now, you,” he said.
Leah wiped her slobbery mouth and grinned. “Oh, no you don’t. I didn’t get a bath today and I stink.”
“What, do you think I want to kiss and lick soap? No, seasoned Mama is just right, trust me. And if it isn’t, you’ll never know because I won’t tell.” He urged her to the top of the bed, grabbed a pillow, and placed it under her fanny. “Bottoms up!” he said, then made a comedic nosedive to her crotch.
Leah couldn’t help but giggle at their antics, then a lightning flash of memory from the afternoon’s horror burst in. She had peeked out at exactly the wrong time and seen James fire his pistol. Her eyes had zipped from the noise of the shot to the sound of impact, the young man’s chest exploding as she watched, then back to see the white pallor of her husband’s face. It was as if James’s spirit had left his body because the trauma was too much for it. A brief split second later, his soul was back, but very contorted and malformed. Leah thrashed her head to move the images away; now was not the time. They both needed oblivion, not recall or reevaluation of the incident.
James nuzzled his nose where he hoped another part of his anatomy would be soon. For now, her scent was heavenly, although a bit sweeter than normal. He brought his right hand up and patted her swollen vulva. They hadn’t been involved yet, but she was already puffy. He reached his hand to touch her dark, curly pubic hairs, pretending to play with them, but actually checking her in a clinical way. When she had first found out she was pregnant with Bibby, she had him feel the ever so gradual swelling of her uterus. He touched her pubic bone then slowly moved up toward her belly button, enjoying the sensation of her hair then her skin as he felt for the telltale firm womb under his fingers. Just as he had followed its increase in size along with her during her
pregnancy, he had also been privy to feeling the womb shrink back to the new normal size during the few weeks after delivery. Leah was the nurse, not him, but she loved to share her knowledge. “After all, it’s your body, too,” she would tell him.
James brought his other hand around and stroked her belly as he moved his kissing upward toward her navel, crawling and kissing his way to her chest. “Mine for tonight?” he asked, although he knew they were. Evie and Sarah had volunteered to nurse Bibby so the two of them could be alone. He would have full access to her swollen breasts.
“I’m all yours, aft to stern, top to bottom, inside and out! Oh, my!” she exclaimed as he accepted the invitation boldly. “You do not feel like a baby when you do that!”
James was sure now. He had tasted Leah’s milk before. No wonder their daughter was being fussy. Mommy’s milk tasted ‘thin,’ almost watery, instead of the usual honey sweet sustenance. Her womb was growing again, and the entrance to it had changed, too. “I sure love you, woman,” he said, and dove into a long, passionate, tongue thrusting kiss, clutching her to him as he rolled over so she was on top of him.
“Wow, what got into you?” Leah squeaked as she came up for air, “and is there any more?” she laughed.
The two of them shared the best kiss of the year, then progressed to what both of them hoped was the first of many finales for the evening. The joining felt almost like, no, better than the first time. The two of them now knew what each one liked; the little grabs and clutches that tonight were unrestricted by a baby in the bed or need for sleep. Even if the day had been long for both of them, they would be able to sleep late, assured that other family members would take care of their daughter and their critters. The two of them shared their moment of ecstasy and sighed in unison as they snuggled into each other’s arms for a nap.
James woke with a start. “Again,” he asked, although he already knew the answer: she had planted the question in his head.
The Great Big Fairy (The Fairies Saga Book 4) Page 29
