Savage Love

by Jodi Woody

  “It says on the bottle that you are supposed to let it soak in for fifteen minutes before swimming.”

  He held up the bottle as if she could read it from where she was at the end of his chair.

  “Oh… Well then I think I’ll sit here in the shade for a bit.”

  Samantha pulled a chair over to be included in the umbrella’s shade.

  “You don’t mind sharing?” she asked. “Now that was a stupid question. If you minded, we wouldn’t be here staying in your house and swimming in your pool. Forget I asked.”

  “So what do you usually do on the Fourth of July?” asked Daffyd trying to make her less self conscious.

  “Depending on how it landed during the week, we usually go to a big fireworks display out at the fairgrounds. They would have popcorn and snacks, play all that patriotic music and we’d lay on blankets with all our neighbors. Sometimes when it landed on the weekend, we’d take a little trip up to Door County by the Great Lakes. Richard would leave one of the employees in charge of the store.”

  “Was he able to get away from the store very often?”

  “He closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Years and the Fourth of July. Other than that he only took Sundays and Mondays off. He pretty much lived there.”

  “You sound a little bitter about that,” said Daffyd.

  “Do I? I suppose I am. Richard was a good man. There are just some things I wish could have been different. I don’t want to be bitter but some of the information I just got from his mother is still too fresh. I guess I am still trying to process it all. Trying to deal with this whole car thing and trying to keep a good attitude for Seanna makes it hard to figure out exactly how I feel,” said Samantha.

  “I am not trying to be nosy, but if you feel like talking about it…” Daffyd picked at some lint on his lounge pants.

  Samantha looked out over the mountains and thought about sharing her thoughts with this strange man beside her. Would it help to talk about it? Or would she just get all worked up again? She had decided it couldn’t hurt to tell him part of her story. Maybe it would do her good to talk to another adult about it, someone who was not too close to the whole mess.

  “Well to begin with Richard kind of rescued me from a lonely life of being a teenage mother. He isn’t Seanna’s birth Father. She was two when I met Richard in his little grocery store. I was on my own and in college. He was really nice to us and before I really knew it we were a couple. I so much needed someone to talk to. He was a good listener. I didn’t realize until years later that he never shared much about himself, his life or his past, but he would listen for hours to my problems and worries. We married pretty quickly. Richard was thirty-eight when we got married. I had just had my twentieth birthday.”

  “What did your family think about him being so much older?” Daffyd asked.

  “By that time my parents wouldn’t have anything to do with me. When their good Christian daughter got pregnant by her good Christian boyfriend in high school, they were mortified. They shipped me off to a girl’s school to get my diploma, and once I graduated I got a check for five hundred dollars, and a note asking me not to come back.”

  “Wow, that’s crazy. What about ‘Mr. Christian Boyfriend’? What happened to him?”

  “He denied it all. Said the baby wasn’t his. I think I realized then that he was just a jerk, a handsome jerk, but still a jerk.”

  “You could have done a paternity test,” said Daffyd.

  “I kind of figured there was no point in doing that. I’d have to deal with him in our lives, and what kind of a Dad has to be forced to take responsibility for his child? I decided we would be fine on our own. Only I wasn’t. By the time Richard came along I had lost all faith in God and myself. I was barely making it financially and mentally. He rescued me.”

  “But now you regret it?” asked Daffyd. Before Samantha could answer, a young man came bounding down the stairs to the pool.

  It was Daffyd’s nephew, Bryce. He was exactly what you would expect a college student to look like. He was tall and athletic with a messy hair style that kids his age loved. His hair was a sandy brown with a few blonde tips that looked like they were from the sun and not a salon. He had green eyes and the beginning of a summer tan.

  “There you are!” He said as he bent down and hugged Daffyd. “You must be feeling better.”

  “We didn’t expect you until tomorrow,” said Daffyd.

  “You know Grandma, she was worried about me traveling over the weekend. So I left last night.”

  Bryce sat on the edge of Daffyd’s lounge chair and nodded towards Samantha sitting right next to his uncle.

  “You have company…” he said wiggling his eyebrows.

  “Oh, sorry…Samantha this is my nephew, Bryce. Bryce, this is Samantha Shepperd, and that is her daughter in the pool.” By that time Leal and Trisha were out of the pool and on their way over.

  “Hey, where’s our hugs?” asked Trisha.

  Bryce got up and hugged them both, even though they got his clothes wet. They all just laughed and grabbed some towels. Seanna, feeling like the odd man out, also came out of the pool and grabbed a towel. While she was drying her hair, Bryce walked over and stuck out his hand.

  “I am Bryce.”

  “Hey Bryce, it’s nice to finally meet you. We’ve been hearing a lot about you,” replied Seanna. “I am Seanna.”

  “So you’ve been bragging about me again.” Joked Bryce as he turned back to the others.

  “I have to be able to brag about something,” teased Daffyd.

  “Are you hungry? I can fix you something to eat,” Trisha asked.

  “No, I grabbed a burger about an hour ago. To be honest, the pool looks pretty inviting. Were you guys getting out?”

  “I think I am done,” said Trisha. “I have some work to do inside.”

  “I’ll give you a hand,” Samantha offered.

  “I’ll stay out here and supervise,” said Leal.

  “I am good right where I am. I may even take a little nap out here,” from Daffyd.

  “I’ll run and put on some swim trunks and be right back,” said Bryce as he literally sprinted up the stairs.

  Leal pushed Seanna into the pool and dove in after, while Samantha and Trisha followed Bryce back to the house. Daffyd snuggled into his lounge chair happy and for the first time in a long time feeling pretty content. He was glad that Bryce was here early. He always enjoyed having him around. His nephew was the only real family he had left. Of course there were his parents, but he only sent cards at holidays. They pretty much stopped calling after he was ‘too busy’ to talk time after time. It did him good to see him.

  After a little house work and some garden weeding, Samantha headed off to take a nap. Between swimming, the sun and the fresh air she had become sleepy. Daffyd had long since retired to his room and Leal had run to town on some errands. Bryce and Seanna were in the game room shooting pool and getting acquainted. Samantha lay down on the comfortable bed facing the window. The views from the house were breathtaking. The sky was so blue in Montana. It’s beautiful here, Lord. We have met some good people, very friendly. I’ve had few close friends over the years. It always seemed to be just the three of us. Why didn’t we let people in? Were we afraid that others would see that our lives were less than perfect? Was it me Lord? Was I too proud to let others see the real me? Finally weariness took its toll and she fell into a dreamless sleep.

  Chapter 6

  A Day of Rest

  At the breakfast table early Sunday morning Bryce asked the girls if they would like to go to church. Daffyd was still sleeping. Trisha usually took a tray up to him a little later with toast and a cup of herbal tea. She was going to stay home with Daffyd and Leal would be going in to town with them. The girls quickly ate and then Samantha asked Trisha what they should wear for church.

  “Most of the women wear dresses or slacks. In the summer some come in shorts. They are pretty casual there,” she answered.


  “I’m looking forward to going to church. Seanna and I haven’t gone in a couple of weeks,” said Samantha.

  “I try to go as much as I can,” said Trisha. “You better hurry and get ready, it takes awhile to get into town.”

  Seanna and Samantha quickly headed upstairs to change. Being that the girls were both very simple in their beauty routine, little make up and easy hairstyles, it didn’t take them long to get ready. It also helped that they had very few clothes to choose from. When they had packed in Wisconsin, they hadn’t planned on staying any length of time. They both wore the dresses that they had worn to Richard’s father’s funeral. Both were simple summer dresses. Though they were both short, they preferred flats to heels. They looked great for church and would be comfortable if there was no air conditioning.

  The church was just outside of town. It was an older building that had been well kept over the years. There were stained glass windows along the sides and a steeple with a bell on top. There were people streaming up the steps into the front door and people talking on the front lawn. The bell gave one ring and everyone began to make their way into the building. Some greeted Leal as they passed and there were a few who recognized Bryce as well and welcomed him back from college.

  Once inside they went through an entryway right into the old sanctuary. The room was large and had rows of wooden pews on either side of a walkway down the middle. The floors were also a rich hardwood and gleamed in the light coming in from the stained glass on both sides of the building. At the front was a simple wooden cross on the wall and a wooden podium on a raised stage. There were a few people in choir robes standing to one side and a grand piano on the other. The pianist was playing softly while they found their seats. Leal and Bryce walked up to one of the first couple of pews and the girls slid in beside of them.

  After singing a few old hymns and some newer praise songs, they all sat for the message. The Pastor seemed to be in his early fifties and gave a warm message of God’s love. Most of what he said was things that Samantha and Seanna had heard over the years in Church. But it was the kind of message that never got old and that really blessed those that heard it for the very first time. There was no great new revelation, but it was comfortable and uplifting. After he was finished he invited anyone up to the front that needed prayer. Seanna was up and on her way out of the aisle before Samantha had a chance to even think about it. With all that had been going on in her life, she decided that she would join her daughter at the altar. When it was her turn to be prayed for, she simple asked the Pastor to pray for direction and peace. He did just that in a simple heartfelt prayer. His wife was there by his side and laid her hand on Samantha’s shoulder while they prayed. She returned to her seat feeling lighter. Seanna was already there and took her mother’s hand as she sat down.

  On the ride home they chatted about the service and the Pastor and his family. Soon talk turned to what Trisha would make for lunch and what to do with the rest of their afternoon. Bryce suggested hiking and Seanna was game. Leal mentioned that he hadn’t gotten a chance to go since early spring and thought that Trisha would be game if Daffyd was feeling up to staying alone.

  “I could stay behind. I am not a big hiker. I love to walk, but on a flat surface, preferably in seventy degree weather. Do you think that Daffyd would mind having me around instead of Trisha?” she offered.

  “He seemed to be feeling pretty good. Really you’d only have to be there just in case he took a turn. We could take the walkie-talkies so you could reach us if you needed to. We’ll ask Uncle Daffyd when we get home,” suggested Bryce.

  Trisha had lunch all set up when they got back. She had made a pile of sandwiches and a big bowl of fresh garden greens with cucumbers and tomatoes. The table was long and would fit all six of them at once. The kitchen-dining area also had windows facing the pool. The sun was facing the opposite side of the house so the rooms stayed cool in the summer and warm in the winter. There was a low vase full of fresh flowers in the middle. Daffyd was at the table joking with Trisha when they came in.

  “Go ahead and change and wash up. I am just finishing up some soup for Daffyd.” Trisha shooed them towards the stairs.

  Soon they were munching away and Daffyd was sipping his soup. The talk was light and fun. It was obvious to the girls that their hosts all liked to tease each other. Trisha and Samantha were washing up the dishes while the rest were still sitting around the table. It wasn’t long before they were full and talking about hiking. Trisha and Samantha joined them again and Bryce told his uncle about Samantha’s offer to stay. Daffyd was more than willing to let Trisha and Leal both go hiking with the youngsters.

  “I really don’t need a baby sitter. Trisha just likes to smother. Besides I fully intend to go back to bed and catch up on some reading. I shouldn’t be any bother,” he explained.

  “Now you have taken away my excuse for not going,” said Samantha with a pretend pout.

  “In that case…maybe you should stay. You never know when I might get a sudden craving for ice cream,” he joked.

  “That settles it then, I won’t be here to ‘smother’ you and you might get that ice cream that the doctor’s say you can’t have after treatment,” Trisha said.

  “Well…if doctor’s orders are no ice cream, then I think I would have to back Trisha up on that one,” said Samantha.

  “There is some raspberry sherbet in the freezer if you are a good boy,” offered Trisha.

  “Well, now that you’ve taken care of the details, can we go?” asked Bryce. “Do you have any hiking shoes, Seanna?”

  “No, but would a good pair of tennies work?” she asked.

  “That’s what I wear. It’s just too hot for hiking boots in the summer,” said Trisha.

  “We won’t go anywhere too steep. Just around the hills,” said Leal. “I better go find those walkie-talkies.”

  “Don’t forget sunscreen,” Samantha said to her daughter.

  “I think ours is gone…” she answered.

  “I have some you can use. We keep a lot around here. I am not supposed to go outside without it,” offered Daffyd.

  “I’ll go get some and you may want to change into some jeans, some of the brush is pretty gnarly,” said Bryce.

  The hikers scattered to get changed and grab supplies, leaving Samantha and Daffyd still sitting at the table. Samantha admired the view and asked a few questions about the property. Soon the hikers made their way through, grabbing water bottles and some granola bars. Leal and Bryce loaded it all into their backpacks along with the sunscreen. Leal gave Samantha a quick lesson on how to use the walkie-talkies and they were off.

  “Have fun and be careful,” said Samantha.

  “Call us if you need anything,” said Trisha.

  “Well I can hear that book calling me,” said Daffyd, making no move to leave.

  “What are you reading?” asked Samantha.

  “I am about half way through ‘The Two Towers’ by Tolkien,” he answered.

  “Oh, I love those books. I read them the first time in Junior high. Of course, most of it went right over my head, but I became hooked. I think I have read them probably a dozen times,” said Samantha.

  “Well this is my first time. I saw the movies a while ago. Bryce bought them for me. I kind of felt a little like poor Frodo. So for my birthday in April, Bryce bought me the whole set including ‘The Hobbit’. It seems like it is taking me forever to read them. I think they help me chin up when I am feeling sorry for myself,” he explained.

  “Me too. I have read them so many times, but I still cry when one of the little hobbits shows great courage or something sad happens. I liked the movies, they stayed pretty true to the story as much as they could in a short amount of time anyway. Last time I read them was about five years ago. I was having a hard time with my job. I know it is all make-believe, but they still encourage me to hang in there and be strong,” she said.

  “Well, I know you aren’t going to be here long, but
you are welcome to read my copies while you are here,” offered Daffyd.

  “I could probably finish the Hobbit. I’m a very fast reader. I have loved books every since I was little. I was reading college level by the time I was in fifth grade. I think that is part of the reason I thought I would like to teach.”

  “Why don’t you come upstairs with me and I will get it for you,” said Daffyd.

  Daffyd had to take the stairs very slowly. I should have had Bryce or Leal give me a hand before they left. I sure don’t want to ask this little woman to help me…He faltered on the next step and Samantha reached out and took his arm. All he could do was swallow his pride and allow her to help. She ended up being stronger than he thought. Her grip was tight enough to help, but gentle enough not to hurt. Some of those nurses in the hospital practically bruised him when they lent a helping hand.

  When they got into Daffyd’s room he went to a book shelf and pulled out the book for Samantha. His was on the table by his king sized bed. Daffyd’s room was done in dark wood, almost black. His furnishings were mostly navy blue. He only had one painting on the wall, and it was of a big ship with sails flung wide on a stormy sea. Off to one side of the ship there was a small break in the cloud with a feeble ray of sunlight breaking forth. Samantha could see a large bathroom off of one wall, and again there were the big windows with the view. Daffyd’s room was on the same side as the pool. The curtains were open and the room was bright enough without the lights on.

  “Thanks for the book. How will you get a hold of me if you need me?” she asked.

  “I guess I didn’t think of that. I should have asked Trish to leave her pager. You could read in here. That chair is pretty comfortable. Or I could yell like a banshee…”