by Nancy Hopper
Dana gasped and put her arms around Timothy in alarm. "Rick, please leave. It doesn't have to come to this. Please, go now."
"Oh, come on! Let him take a swing at me. He's been dying to let me have it, ever since he saw me making love to his woman. Tim, do you really think I'd come on to her without any provocation at all? Get real! She can’t wait to be alone with a man she’s set her eyes on."
Tim's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"How stupid can you be, Tim? I owe it to you to tell you straight. Sure; I took the bait. I couldn't help myself! She came out of her hot tub looking at me with those glittering green eyes, and I was lost. Her first question was to ask if I'd like to join her in the tub; and second, whether I'd like a drink. I took both. And that night she came to my room in that pretty little lacy nightgown, and she did me like I've never been done before. She's smooth as honey, and hot as a pistol!”
He licked his lips suggestively. "What a body! You know, I could hardly blame her. She was real lonely out there at that lodge in Idaho. And, she’s just too hot to be left alone and isolated; and rejected – the way you left her. She wanted a man, and I was very glad to oblige her!”
Rick grinned at him maliciously. “I even know where you screwed up, Tim. You made her just a little bit sore when you wouldn’t give her what she needed, that night at her place in Salt Lake. And she’s a woman who enjoys spite! I was happy to pay a mercy call, and keep her satisfied while you were away.
He sneered at Tim. “I just hope you enjoy her as much as I did, you sucker." He said spitefully. “That is, if you’re ever man enough to get her into bed. I do hope it doesn’t bother you too much to know that I’ve already been … everywhere you’ll ever go, with Tasha.” His leer was horrid.
With that, Rick turned on his heel and went out the front door, slamming it hard behind him.
"Timothy." Dana gasped in horror. "Oh, my God. Tim."
Tim just shook his head dangerously, and watched him leave. His face looked carved from stone. When he was sure Rick was gone, he closed his eyes.
Dana held onto him, but he was like a statue.
"Tim; darling, he was lying. Even I can see that. He just wanted to hurt you! He could see that he couldn't win, and he just saw an opportunity to try to make you miserable."
Tim let his breath out slowly. He opened his eyes, and looked at Dana. "I know. I’m going for a walk. I’ll see you later." He said quietly. He disentangled himself from Dana's arms, and went outside.
He walked for a long, long time.
Dana was beside herself with worry. "Mom, Dad!" she called. "What do I do? What do I do?"
"There's nothing you can do, honey." Jerome informed her sadly.
"Did you hear? Did you hear what he did to Tim?"
"We heard." Her father assured her.
"Oh, my God." Dana moaned. She sat on the couch, and cried.
"Jerome, go after him. He can't be out in this weather without a coat." Gloria urged her husband.
Jerome just shook his head. He knew better. "No, Gloria. It wouldn't do any good. You're gonna have to let Timmy deal with this one on his own. A coat ain't going to help a darn thing."
Tim went to his own house when he was done walking, half a mile or so from his parents' house. He didn't want to be around anybody, for awhile. He had the sense to run a hot bath.
When the water got cold, he got out and dressed, then he sat on the porch. He was still kind of numb. He'd held himself in check so hard with Snyder, that he’d kind of shut down. Now, he couldn't seem to pull out of it. He knew that when he did let go again, he wouldn't want anybody around.
He sat on the porch most of the night. He didn't answer the phone, he didn't do a thing. He just sat. He couldn't help letting the pictures that Rick Snyder had painted for him, come before his eyes. They came again, and again. Tasha in her hot tub with those inviting, green eyes. Tasha in that sweet, little lacy nightgown. Tasha in bed, with Snyder all over her. Having her. His mouth on her lovely curves, with his filthy, greedy hands, defiling -- his woman. Moaning in ecstasy.
Tim knew that these images weren't true. They couldn't be. Tasha didn't want Snyder, she had made that clear. There had been shock and disgust in her eyes when Snyder attacked her at the television station. And she hadn’t even known that Tim had been standing there, watching the whole thing.
But -- wanting a woman for so long did strange things to a man. Tim had had pictures in his mind for so long, of Tasha inviting him to do the very things Snyder had talked about; he'd fantasized about her so many times, that it was easy to see Snyder doing them – and it was almost as bad as if he really had.
He couldn't argue that he wasn't a sucker. He was the biggest sucker on the face of the earth. He didn't have any choice! He was madly in love with the sexiest, hottest woman he'd ever laid eyes on, and he knew that just about every other man that looked at her, was thinking the same things he was. He dropped his head in his hands miserably.
Sometime that night, he heard a voice inside asking, "How deep does the root of your faith go, son? Can you stand?"
"I don't know. I'm really not sure anymore." He answered miserably.
"Timothy; son. What would it matter, if all these things were true? You'd still love her. Could you forgive and take her, anyway?"
"I don't know." He lied. He knew darn well he'd have to! He couldn't live without Tasha. The realization hit him hard. He had to have her. He had to marry her, and love her, no matter what hell he had to go through. He'd given her his heart, and his pledge. His life. He wept until he was empty, and then he went to bed.
After a cup of coffee the next morning, Tim began to get his head on straight, again. He kicked himself for leaving Dana alone, but he thought she knew he couldn't have done anything else. He would have simply exploded, if he'd stayed.
He shook his head and sighed. "Lord, what do I do?" he asked wearily. "I don't know what to do anymore."
"Timothy, I told you I'd give you this desire of your heart. I tried to prepare you for all that you'd have to go through. But you gave this woman your heart, and she has given you hers.”
"Give no place to this nonsense. Go to Salt Lake and go right on, as if nothing had happened. Buy her a beautiful ring; take her roses. Do all the romantic things that mean so much to a woman's heart, and do it properly. Go to your knee. Kiss her hand. Make her feel special."
Tim chuckled. "So it's romance she wants, is it?" he mused. "That, I can provide." He promised.
Jerome, Gloria and Dana were all relieved to see Tim's Cherokee pull into the yard that afternoon. They were more than elated to see a smile on his face.
"Hey. Where is everybody?" he called.
"We're here, son. How are you?"
Tim joined them in the kitchen. "Never better. Listen, I have to go to town. Anybody need anything?"
"No, I don't think so, but let's make sure about Dana." Gloria suggested.
Dana bounded down the stairs, and threw herself into her brother's arms. "Take me with you, Tim. I'm dying to get out of the house." She begged.
Tim was relieved to see that she was almost herself, again. It almost seemed that Snyder’s filthy diatribe about Tasha had shaken Dana out of her melancholy. He grinned at her. "All right. Hurry up, then."
Dana ran back upstairs, and Tim took off his Stetson and his sheepskin coat. "I wanted to apologize to you both, for yesterday." He said with embarrassment staining his cheeks. "If I'd thought he was going to behave like that, I'd never have allowed him in the house."
"He was not the Rick I thought I knew." Jerome admitted. "Son, we didn't mind, except that we knew he was hurting you. If you'd tried to take him outside, it wouldn't have been pretty. I was proud of you for not losing your head."
Tim shrugged. "It took all I had." He admitted readily.
Gloria looked up at her handsome son. "What now, Tim?" she asked worriedly.
Tim shook his head. "Now, I go to town and buy the best ring they've got. And when I'm sur
e Dana can handle it all, I'm going to Salt Lake and get on my knees."
Gloria just looked at him, and grabbed her throat.
Tim laughed at her, his eyes twinkling. "Mom, you don't think I'd let Rick Snyder send me off with my tail between my legs, do you?" he chided. “Tasha is mine. Nothing anybody can say will ever change that.”
He put on his coat, hearing Dana coming down the stairs.
"Well, son; no. But are you sure the things he said aren't true?"
Tim put on his hat and kissed his mother on the head. "To tell you the truth, it wouldn't stop me if they were true. But I know very well in my heart, that slug has not had my woman in bed. Don't you believe it for a second." He admonished her with narrowed eyes. “She loves me, and nobody else. You'll know it too, when you've met her.”
Seeing her discomfort, Tim took his mother's hand and kissed it. "Mom, when you know her, you will understand. Please, just trust me. She's finer than I deserve, and she was totally shocked when Rick came on to her. That was no lover's embrace on her part, I can tell you. Don't let him paint pictures in your mind. Those things just didn't happen. She was a virgin when she married Gary Taylor, and she hasn’t had another man since Gary died. "That woman is mine, God promised her to me, and she's not giving what's mine to anybody else. So relax, and get ready for a wedding." He said with a grin.
When Tim and Dana were gone, Gloria just looked at Jerome, and visibly wilted.
Tim was glad to have the time alone with Dana. She seemed almost herself, as they drove into town. Tim smiled, and let her set the pace. He was pretty sure they still had a few things to talk about.
"All of this has been really hard on you, hasn't it?" she asked finally.
Tim gave her a sidelong look. "It's been about more than I could handle, actually." He admitted.
"Is she really as sexy and beautiful as the pictures make her seem?"
"She is." Tim answered evenly, keeping his eyes on the road. “The pictures don’t do her any justice. They only show the pretty shape, the outside. They didn’t show her inner beauty, her love, her sensitivity. She’s … Wonderful.”
"Tim, I'm sorry I've added to this for you. I had no idea that Rick would ever pull such a stunt."
"Me, either. Honey, it's just another day in the war. I’ve been going through this kind of hell ever since I first met Tasha. Don't give it another thought. We're all just living our lives the best way we can."
"Timmy, I ... I hope that I can be nice to her. I don't want anything to come between us. You and me, I mean. I love you so much." Dana said, with tears welling in her eyes.
Tim shot her a comforting look, and took her hand. "Dana, when you meet her, you aren't going to have any trouble erasing what the press has said, or what Rick said. She's as sweet as the day is long, and she doesn't have a treacherous bone in her body."
"She certainly seemed honest, and devoted to you, when she did that TV show."
"She is, Dana." He assured her. "Tell you what. Why don't you come on a little trip with me to Salt Lake, and meet her? Just the two of us."
Dana blanched. "Oh, Tim. I don't know. I think maybe I should lay low for awhile."
"And do what? Let the lies take hold? Nurse your wounds?" He gave her a long look. “You know that all that filth Rick spouted wasn’t just for me. He wanted to imprint your mind with pictures of him and Tasha, too. So that you’d hate her. So that he could continue to give us a bad time.”
"He’s good, I have to admit it. I sat up all night, with the pictures he painted, going through my head.”
Dana was silent, staring out the windows. Tim decided that bluntness was the only weapon he had.
“Over and over again, I saw those pictures -- seeing him in bed with my woman. With his mouth on her. Defiling what’s mine. Even though I knew he was lying, his words wouldn’t leave me alone. I had to just sit there, and let the torment run its course, before I could get over it. He did the same thing to you. I know he did, and he did it on purpose. He made up every word.”
Tim let the silence work on her. Finally, she started to cry softly. "Timmy, I don't think I can do it. I mean, it's so soon."
He sighed. "I know. But Dana, I've been thinking. We ought to rip the root out of this thing, before it has a chance to take hold and fester. I don't think we ought to give Rick Snyder or any of the things he's done to come between us, the time of day. I think we ought to link arms and go right through, to the heart of things. Come to Salt Lake with me. If you have a hard time with it, you can always come home. Tasha and I can live in Salt Lake for awhile, if it really comes to that. But I'm as sure as I'm sitting here, that everything is going to be all right."
"You're going to marry her no matter what, aren't you?"
He gave her a tormented look. "Dana, I have to; for sanity's sake. I gave her my heart a long time ago, and it's getting harder and harder for me to be without her. Dana, I'm asking you to try. Don't make me choose between the two of you; not without even trying to make it work."
Dana looked at him with haunted eyes. "Oh, man. It really kind of comes down to that, doesn't it?"
Tim tipped his head. He chose his words carefully. "It very well could, if we aren't careful."
"All right. Tim, you've given enough, and waited enough. I'll come to Salt Lake." She agreed. “I’ll … try.”
Tim's eyes shone with relief and thanks. "Good! Thank you, Dana. You won't be sorry." He promised.
Their parents didn't take the news lightly, but Dana settled it quickly. "Now, stop it, you two." She insisted. "Tim and I have made a decision about how to handle this situation. You don't need to protect me, anymore. Tim has given, and waited and suffered through this mess, and I haven't helped it. Going to Salt Lake is the best way. It will keep my mind off Rick, and keep me away from him, for awhile. And it will help all of us, if I meet Tasha and develop a relationship with her. So, just relax. I can handle myself."
The parents looked a bit abashed, and Tim had to hide a grin, but it seemed to be settled.
"When are you going?" Gloria asked her son.
"Unless you have an objection, I'd like to go soon. I want to get Tasha up here to meet you. Things will be much better, when all these questions are answered."
"Well, Timothy, I have to agree that there are a whole lot of questions." Gloria snorted.
Tim just looked at her pensively. She seemed extremely upset. Dana laid a hand on her arm, and the two women went out to the kitchen.
Tim gave his father a look of bewilderment and regret, and shook his head. "I sure wish that just once, I could do something right." He sighed.
Jerome put an arm around Tim's shoulders. "Son, just do what you have to do." He urged quietly. "The only thing you can do, is press on through this. If this girl is that important to you, you don't have any choice. We'll be behind you, no matter what happens."
Tim sighed. "She is, dad. And I appreciate your support. I know it must be hard for you to trust this."
"We trust you. If she's the one, then, go and get her." Jerome urged him. "We won't stand in your way. You've obviously helped Dana work through things, so just move on to the next step.”
He put an arm around Tim's broad shoulders. "Forgive your mother for not understanding. She’ll accept the girl, if she’s as sweet as you say. I know that she’ll give her a chance. Bring her home, son."
Tim smiled his gratitude. "Thanks, Dad. I think I'll go up to Salt Lake ahead of time and pave the way, before I send for Dana."
"All right. And, Tim; don't worry about your mother. She'll be all right, when this all blows over. She loves you."
"Yeah. I know she does. I wish I could make it easier on her."
“She hurts when one of you hurts." Jerome sighed. "We both do."
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
There was a knock on the front door of the Charles residence in Salt Lake City. It was a cold, icy winter afternoon. After answering the door, Lucinda rushed to the coat closet, and took out Tasha's red velvet
cape, and her white rabbit fur hat and muff. She carried them up the stairs at a run, and burst in upon her mistress.
"Miss Tasha! Miss Tasha! Come quickly, you have a visitor. A very special visitor!"
"Lucinda, what is the matter with you?" Tasha laughed, shrugging into the cape Lucinda was shoving on her. As timing would have it, she still had on her white boots, having just come in a short while before. So, she looked like a princess by the time Lucinda had her ready to go.
She couldn't fathom what could be happening, as Lucinda hustled her down the stairs and to the front door. She went out onto the porch, and stopped cold.
Below her on the street stood a pair of white horses, as beautifully matched as they could be. Their big, black eyes, dished faces, delicate bones and perfect conformation made Tasha gasp with delight. Their manes were braided with red velvet ribbons, and their harness was black patent leather, with silver bells jingling. They were hitched to a lovely, antique cart, with a red and white striped surrey cover.
"Hello, Miss. Care to take a ride?" a masculine voice drawled.
She whirled and found herself looking up at a man with adoring blue eyes, and a bright smile. He looked too good for words, in his black Stetson and leather coat.
"Tim!" she cried, and threw her arms around him. "How could you just show up like this?"
"It seemed the romantic thing to do." He mused, as though pleased with himself. "And I'm definitely in the mood for romance."
She laughed. "Let's go for that ride, then."
Grinning, he escorted her down the walk, and lifted her up into the cart. He settled a warm Indian blanket over her legs, climbed in beside her, and clucked to the team.
Tasha found Tim to be an excellent driver. They drew a few looks from the people in the town, but it was a quiet afternoon.
"So; tell me about Dana." She asked gently.
Tim shrugged. "Things were pretty dire when I first got home, but they are definitely improving. She's doing pretty good, now. She's going to make it just fine. After a good cry, she seemed to snap out of it somewhat. I've urged her to keep busy, get a change of scenery, and move on."
