"Biologically - maybe. But we both know, it takes more than a sperm donor to be a father. Considering how he's turned out, you've done a helluva fine job."
Jake started laughing as he admitted, "As much as I would like to take full credit, I can't, in truth, Quincy raised him. All I did was buy the pampers and pay child support."
"Well, that stands for something, and it's sure as hell more than I did."
"Not if you had known." Jake interjected, and then checked his watch, "Well, man, I'd love to sit here and shoot the shit with you, but - I need to hop in the shower before it gets too late, mom and dad won't let me in."
"What's going on at mom and dad's?" Shawn asked.
"Vivian!" Jake clapped and rubbed his hands together, flexing his brows and grinning at his brother.
"Oh, yeah! Shanna told us that she was coming up, how is she? Is that where you took off to, today?"
"Sorry about that, but I was in the need to see her. Got there, and found out that some son'vabitch snatched her purse!"
"You need to quit bullshittin' around, marry that woman, and bring her ass here to live!"
Jake stood and smiled, and with mock indignation said, "Why you have to go spoiling things by mentioning the "M" word."
Shawn sat laughing, as Jake left the room to go shower.
He remained on the sofa a while longer, thinking about it all. Glad the air was finally cleared. Still, Shawn realized there was no hard proof as to the paternity. Only thing that they could all be sure of, and that is that he was without a doubt, a McPherson. He did realize, however, that Benjamin still wanted answers, that he wanted to know - by which McPherson? Should he come to him, Shawn wondered, what would he say? Was it up to him to give him answers, when he wasn't even sure himself? As was explained, Christine had called in a panic. At this juncture, was it really worth it, to go against her, by confessing that they'd been intimate, to her son? Right now, Benjamin's adrenaline was fueled by hearsay, gossip. To add support to all that was being said, Shawn wondered was it worth it? Nothing could be gained by that. The question was, when the time came, which way would he go? With that, Shawn put it out of his mind. He pulled himself to his feet and went to bed.
Lying in bed, he held his wife against him.
Softly she asked, "So, what have you two decided?"
"Nothing. I don't wanna think about it right now, I just want to lay here, and revel in the fact - that you - love me. And you know how I know?" He asked, squeezing her closer.
Sylvia giggled, "How?"
"You made my poor brother feel like shit... thank you."
"You're welcome. And anyway, it wasn't my intention to make him feel like shit, I just made it clear to him, that I wouldn't stand for anyone making you feel like shit."
"I think he got the message loud and clear."
"I heard him singing in the shower, where's he going this time of night, and why is he so chirpy?"
"Vivian."
"Ohhh, I see. Hmmm, okay - kind of late, isn't it?"
"Yeah, and it's a full moon, and the wolf is prowling. All damsels beware."
* * *
They hadn't been long returned from the Dells, when Gert directed Bart to take all of Vivian's things into Jake's old room. He smiled, shook his head saying, "One thing is for sure, he don't get her, it ain't gonna be 'cause you ain't done your part." And up he went, taking both her large bags up to his son's old room where he placed them on the floor by the bed. Gert had taken Vivian on a tour of their home, showing her where everything was.
"I'm telling you right now m'darlin' - when you're in this house, you're at home! Understand?"
Vivian only smiled and nodded, and of course, there was no way in the world she would just kick off her shoes there, regardless of what Gert invited. She wasn't raised that way. She was a guest in their home and she would give them and their home the utmost respect. While Gert showed her around, Vivian caught sight of pictures everywhere around the warm country style home. Her eyes would immediately seek out one of Jake. She couldn't help herself, she had to stop and look each group of photos over trying to find him. Gert always pointed him out.
"There he is, he was 4 years old in that one."
"Ohhh, look at all that blonde hair, its so white!"
"He was my only tow-head!"
"What's a tow-head?" Vivian asked.
"White, platinum blonde! Derrick was my ginger-head! And Shawn has always had dark hair, even as a babe." Gert explained as they went on, with Vivian reluctant to tear her eyes away from the picture of Jake and his two brother's. The next group again, Gert pointed him out, "That's him at 7." And in another, "He's right there, holding Shanna, he's 10 there!"
"Skinnieee! Oh my goodness!" Vivian laughed making a face.
"Yes he was, all were accept for Derrick. He was a bit on the chubby side for a spell. He soon grew out of it." They continued on until finally they made it to his room. "You gone ahead and unpack, I'll be back in a minute." Gert invited, before she could leave, Vivian asked, "Whose room is this?"
Gert smiled, "Guess!" And out the door she went.
Vivian turned around in the medium size room, decorated for a teenage male. Posters all over the walls of country stars and rock bands. Bikini clad girls, stretched across racing cars and trucks, school banners, pages from a yearbook, scattered about the walls, fitted into spots just right. Vivian couldn't resist. Curious she started reading them, forgetting her luggage and the need to unpack. She took off her shoes and climbed on the bed and read on one page he'd tacked up, messages, most all from girls, with names like, Barbara Ann, Sarah Cater, Debra Douglas, Judith Princely, Stacy McGrath, Nicola Waygrath, Paulette Stanky... Vivian laughed at that name; all of course came with their telephone number, some inviting him to their after school party. Many saying, different things,
"When you're ready for a real woman, you know where to find me!"
"Remember the Golden Eagles vs. Rapid Badgers? Bleacher 48? Following half time? The score was 28 to 7? Emmm, you were delicious." - "Ach! No way!" Vivian gasped, she knew what that meant and read on,
"Jake my rake! Mr. 17-11 - every inch of you I took, and found myself in heaven!"
"Oh my goodness! 17-11!? What the heck does that mean? Dawg!" Vivian shook her head and kept reading yet another,
"When you've gathered the wheat, and you've gather the corn, come park your tracker in my barn!" the next one made Vivian laugh, from someone named, Thelma Grouber - "Hey pretty boy - when you finish yo'chores - come on wrestle with me some in my back yard, promise I won't hurt you - bad!"
Vivian shook her head, thinking, 'Weird!'
"Bittersweet, I found the treat - and though I ache, I braced myself, I rode the snake! With some pleasure, there must be pain, call me Jake, I'll ride it again!" Vivian covered her mouth in shock - "OH - my God! Dawg! I can't believe him!" And she read on, because there was more, someone signed a page, and drew musical notes around verses to a song, as Vivian read, once again she could not believe it, when she realized the words were to go to the song, "If I had a hammer..." but instead, this girl wrote her own words, "Oooh Jake has a hammer, and he hammers in the mor - nin' - and he hammers in the eve - nin' - all over the la-a-and - and he hammered on Jordan - yes he even did Morgan - and he hammered on my sister, my cousin, on me and my mother - a-a-alll over this land!"
"ACH! On somebody's mother!? Oh my God! That cannot be true!" Vivian flopped down and around on the bed, deciding not to read anymore. Gert knocked before entering the room to see her sitting on the edge of the bed with eyes wide, as if in great surprise, she noticed she hadn't started unpacking.
"Is everything okay m'darlin? You haven't started unpacking yet?" Gert asked.
"Have you read any of this stuff he has on his walls!?" Vivian just had to ask.
"No! As a mother of three sons, I had my hands full enough with my girls! Rule - never read messages from girls to your boys, unless you want the shock of your life! Never listen in on their convers
ations, unless you want an even bigger shock of your life! I did it once with Shawn, and I learned my lesson! Jake? No way honey. Why? Have you been reading them?"
"Yes! I won't be reading anymore!"
Gert started laughing as she went and sat beside her, "Honey, the girls that were after my Shawn and Jake, Derrick as well, but he was too shy. He pretty much ignored them, had him blushing all the time. But that oldest boy and the baby boy... lord have mercy."
"If the messages on those yearbook pages are anything to go by, he was... oh my goodness! I can't believe the things girls said to him, did - echm... um, sorry."
Gert was still laughing, "Honey I knew the moment he was born! Lil'bastard was born with a boner - biggest of the lot he is!"
"GERT! Oh my God!" Vivian covered her face, she couldn't believe it.
Gert was guffawing, the look on her face had her holding her stomach, "Girl please! I told Sylvia the same thing! All my boys were born, hung like stallions! That last one, when the doctor delivered him, I asked, is it a boy or a girl. Ol'doctor forbes, laughed and said, "So far, its just a cock! We're still waitin' on the boy!" Gert rolled while Vivian sat burnin' with embarrassment, which spurred Gert on, she was laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes, enjoying the pleasure of shocking Vivian. "Honey the stories I could tell you about that boy! Even as a baby, he was playing with it every chance he got, you take his diaper off, he'd reach right for it. I'd be, "Landsakes Jake - leave it alone already, its still there!" - give him a bath, he was content as he could be to sit, let you bathe him, long as he could play with his pecker."
"GE-E-ERT!!" Vivian squealed out mortified.
Gert was dying.
"Gert - trude!" Bart called from the bottom of the stairs. Gert stood from the bed, still laughing and opened the door, "Yes dear?"
"Leave that lil'gal alone with your stories about that Jake! Behave yourself!"
"I am behaving Bart! Just tellin' her the truth!"
"Never mind that, leave'er alone!" He called up.
Gert was too tickled closing the door, "I guess I bes' behave, he's always pissin' on my bonfire! No fun!!" She grinned, "You need some help unpackin' m'darlin'?" Gert asked wiping at the moisture hovering at her lashes. The look on Vivian's face as she stared up at her almost made her dissolve into tears of laughter again.
Vivian had thought herself crazy! She also thought no one was more shocking than Sheila. But Gert... she was not ready for Gert. She made Sheila sound like a novice nun. Just then Gert walked to the bedroom window when lights shined up to it from the yard. "Ohhh my Lord... and here I thought I was gonna have to call him and tell him!" She announced.
Vivian's eyes got big. "Who is that? Somebody here?"
"Honey he must have sniffed you out from clear over in Camp Daniels!" Gert grinned at her.
Vivian's heart shot up into her throat practically, cutting off her air supply, "Oh my God! He's here?!"
"Sure enough! We ain't seen him in days, now all of a sudden, here he is! 'Cause he knows you're here! I knew it! I know my boys! 'Specially my Jake! Get yourself ready girl, my son's out to get you!"
Vivian was a nervous wreck. "Gert! I haven't even unpacked yet! Oh no! Maybe he doesn't know I'm here! I'm just gonna stay here up in his room! Don't tell'em I'm here! I'm not ready to see him yet! Don't say anything please?!"
Gert shook her head grinning, "You poor thing, you've got it really bad for him, don't you?" Just how bad hadn't sunk in to Gert until that moment.
Vivian was shaking, she couldn't catch her breath, breathing in and out to calm down. She felt dizzy, and sad. She hated being so much in love. Never having felt this strong, so overwhelming before, it shook her from deep within.
"Please don't tell him I'm here?!" She was almost begging.
"Honey, I'm willing to bet all I have, that he already knows it. Now you pull yourself together! Don't you go showing him how much in love with him you are!"
"I think he already knows." Vivian confessed.
"How, have you told him?" Gert asked gently.
"Not directly, but - in so many words - I guess I have. I've never felt so intensely gripped by it before Gert. It scares me to death, because - well - he doesn't feel the same way about me, and I know he doesn't. To be perfectly honest with you, he just wants me, well - to go to bed with."
"Have you? Ever?" Gert asked.
"No... as I told you before, but he has tried. The last time, he came to where I live now, trying to get me in bed. I fought it. But I'm not gonna lie, sometimes, often - I wanna give in... I do."
"You fight it, you hear me! Make him work for you! Make it so that when he finally does get you, he'll never forget how hard it was to get you there!"
"He's a man Gert, not a little boy. He has needs. He's already told me if I let him walk away, that he wouldn't be back."
"He's here now ain't he?"
"Not for me! He doesn't know I'm here."
"Bull! I'm telling you this here and now! You're special! And he knows it! Just like he knows you're here! You pull yourself together, and come on down! I'm telling you now, that's the only reason that truck has just pulled up outside!"
Bart heard the truck pull into the yard, and holding a glass of lemonade, he walked out onto the porch to see his youngest son parking it by the 80 X 80 pole barn garage. He cut the engine, turned off the bright head lamps and opened the door, climbing out. Bart took a deep breath with the slamming of the truck door; curious to see why he was by there. It was late, going on close to eleven. It was only due to company that they were still up, otherwise, they'd been in bed over an hour ago. His son knew their habits, so his arrival meant only one thing, he knew the young woman was here.
"Evening dad." Jake greeted walking up to his parents porch, watching his father walk to the top of the stairs as if to cut him off. He leaned against the porch banister column, his body language saying without words, that it was late.
"Evenin' son, you know what time it is?"
"Yeah uh - close to eleven ain't it?"
"I figure that's about right. What brings you here at this time o'night?"
Jake gulped. He wanted to see Vivian. He wanted to know that she was indeed there! That she was with his parents, safe and sound. He wanted his eyes to take her in with the knowledge that she was in Wisconsin, at his home, where he grew up. He needed that mental picture taken of her there, in that setting, made to feel at home. He wanted her to see him. To see that he knew she was there. To see that despite him saying he wouldn't be back, he was back. He wanted her to understand, without words... that he would always... always come back to her. No matter what.
"Cat got your tongue son?"
"I ah, found out that - well - Vivian is here. Is she? Here?"
Bart hesitated to answer. Having spent some time with Vivian, he liked her. He liked her a lot. So much in fact, that he wasn't so sure about her being at the mercy of his son, especially not this one. This one was trouble! This one was unstable. This one was without a doubt, the worst sinner of them all! He believed Jake couldn't safely carry morals of right, in a sealed lead safe with no way in and no way out. Leave it to him, some how or someway, all morals would be gone upon the journey's end. With him standing there looking stunned, shrugging and lying as if to say, he hadn't a clue of how they got out.
"Is she here dad?" Jake asked again.
"She's a good lil'gal Jake - that one is. Your mom and I have spent a while with her. She's solid she is. Strong, good head on her shoulders. Good heart in her soul. Smile sweet as an angel. Don't figure as how she's your type. What'a'you think?"
Jake's jaw clamped tight, making the pulse there tick with his growing resentment. "Trying to say I'm not good enough for her dad?"
"I don't know son, are you? Bit soon ain't it? Was it not just a bit back we return from a funeral where one topped herself for you? What you got planned for this one?"
Jake stood staring at his father with his heart pounding away in his chest. They were both sil
ent when Gert stepped out on the porch. "Hi son, what's going on? You visitin' mighty late aren't you?"
Jake hesitated, tearing his eyes from his father, he looked at his mother and smiled. "Hi mom, it is kind of late, maybe - I should go, come back - tomorrow sometime." He answered softly. Gert knew something was wrong. She could feel the tension between father and son as she stood there. There would always be tension between them. No matter how they seemed to progress in their relationship, something always happened to make it digress. Usually something Jake did.
"Son, you just happen by, or - you come all the way here from Shawn's?" She asked.
"I came from Shawn's. After returning from Chicago. Finding out that Vivian was here. Came because -..."
Vivian appeared in the lit doorway, sucking the air right out of Jake.
Everyone was quiet.
He felt queasy, ill in his stomach at the sight of her there; almost making him bend over. Right there, at that moment, he knew beyond any doubt, that for the first time ever, he was in love. The world tipped crazily on him, making him grab the banister ball to steady himself as his soul shook with the physical impact of being - deeply in love.
Gert saw it. Gert actually saw the reality of it light up in her sons eyes when Vivian presented herself.
"Well seein' as how late it is, we best get on up to bed Bart." She gave the first hint, walking to take her husband's arm. He stood from the post, and looked down at his wife. Her eyes penetrated with enough meaning to let him know, 'Not now... not now.'
"I suppose you're right. Don't keep her up late you hear me Jake?" Bart ordered turning from him.
"I - I won't... promise." Jake answered, unable to take his eyes from Vivian. As dark as she was, she was a soft silhouette with the kitchen light shining behind her.
Bart stopped in the door beside Vivian, "Don't you let him keep you out here too late, you hear? Make him respect visiting at decent hours." And he walked into the house.
Vivian couldn't believe it. The whole set up was so incredible. Very reminiscent of an old time, old fashioned courtship. Where her father was warning her to end it quick and get on back in the house, sending her suitor home. Only problem was, it wasn'ther father! He was Jake's! Not once had she been in such a scenario at home with herown father, because she had never really dated as a young girl. She'd been too busy, or always into too much trouble.
BOMAW 7-9 Page 10
