“By the end of this day, Mr. Neary, I’m going to have you so high on my love, you are going to propose to me again before we close our eyes tonight. In the morning, in that little journal of yours will be a note to Jesus, thanking him for the opportunity to love a woman like me as your own,” she told Gabriel. Her fingers lingered in his mouth, tempting him, as he sucked the residue of the eggs from her hand.
“Really?” he said, arching one eyebrow.
“Really,” she told him, removing the tray from his lap. “I am also a morning person,” she said, reaching for his lounging pants and pulling at the strings. When she maneuvered the pants over his hips, his readiness for her sprang up like the baby alien coming to life out of its host. Cabrina knew she was ready to get the day moving as she climbed onto the bed, straddling him.
“I going to write a thank you note, heh?” Gabriel asked, his eyes searching her face as he removed his glasses, preparing for whatever damaged she believed she was going to do to him with her sexy maneuvers.
“You may write the note and a whole lot more once I’m done getting this morning going,” she said as her mouth came to his, kissing him as she connected their bodies. A loud groan of satisfaction resonated from the back of his throat and sent her over the edge, increasing her pace as she moved against him, rocking her hips. Cabrina whispered in his ear how good he felt inside of her. Her fingers in his hair were tugging his head forward, her eyes now boring into to his as she held on, moving, drawing him under, taking him on a journey of pleasure.
“Good gravy, Mrs. Neary,” Gabriel said as she picked up her pace.
His hands gripped her hips. He tried to help her along, but he was too lost in the sensations she elicited in her movements as he growled loudly, gripping her tightly as he reached his moment. The things he thought he wanted to attempt to increase her pleasure were lost in the heat of the morning dance with a beautiful woman who was doing her best to own his heart.
In his estimation, she was off to a good start.
THEY SHOWERED, DRESSED, and loaded the car, ready for the next stop in Amarillo, but first Cabrina had a few stops to make in the artfully crafty city of Albuquerque. One of the stops she couldn’t wait to get to was Scraps Galore, a large craft store. The other was the Sandia Peak Tramway.
The first outing at the tramway could not have been a more glorious way to complete the morning. Purchasing tickets at the small booth, she held them in her hand, grinning like a kid at an amusement park. After asking another couple to snap a photo of them before boarding the tram, she entered the car, gripping tightly to his jacket. Panic flashed in her eyes as his arms came around her body, holding her tight. Confessing to him her apprehension of heights, she told him she’d always wanted to ride a tram up high, but her fear always prevented her from doing so.
“I’m right here, Mrs. Neary,” he whispered in her ear as the car started its ascent. She clung to him, her eyes closed, giving herself words of encouragement to not be afraid. Her husband was beside her. He wouldn’t let any harm come to her as the car squealed, squeaked, and eked its way up the metal guide rope.
The ride on the aerial tram transported them high above the deep canyons speckled in vibrant hues of reds and browns. Breathtaking views of deep chasms forged by nature painted dramatic images, and Cabrina snapped photos and selfies of her and Gabe as they rode the 2.7 miles, capturing vast arrays of colors. She never let go of his arm as the car climbed higher. Once at the top, standing in the observation deck ten thousand miles above the Cibola National Forest, they had a panoramic view of 11,000 square miles of the Rio Grande Valley.
“I see why this state is called the Land of Enchantment. I feel like this very instant has cast a spell on me,” she said, wrapping her arms around his waist.
“That, I understand,” he told her, placing a kiss on the cheek which was cold from the thin wind. Gabriel felt the same way about his new wife. “We need to get moving and can’t stay long so we don’t end up sick with the changes in temperatures.”
“Okay, but just one more minute,” she told him. “I want to record this moment in my brain for the rest of my life.”
He would be willing to give her as much time as she desired. The light which danced in her eyes sparked a new zest for life in him. They would learn a great deal about each other during the road trip, and he could see no better way to truly understand the person he had chosen to share his life. Optimism had returned to his spirit about women and what it meant to be loved for who he was and not what he did or how he looked. The idea of women knowing he was an ordained minister, although he was not actively standing in the pulpit, turning them on had shaken his faith in human nature. Cabrina was definitely a breath of fresh air in his stale life.
By mid-morning at the next stop at a crafting store, he watched with interest as his wife loaded up a shopping cart with items he didn’t understand but brought her so much joy. Several people asked her crafting questions and she answered each with time and attention to the small details without ever seeming to be bothered by their intrusion into her private shopping excursion. At the checkout, the cashier also had questions, which Cabrina answered with warmth and a smile.
“Did you get everything you needed?” He asked.
“Oh my gosh! This stuff, I would have to pay a small fortune to get it if I ordered them online. I can’t wait to get it home so I can take a closer look and create fresh designs inspired by these cutouts,” she told him with a large grin.
Cabrina also purchased two storage bins to separate the items. “I have a surprise for you as well after lunch.”
His stomach had begun to speak to him as the lunch hour approached, and they drove over to the eatery he wanted to check out The Cheba Hut. The restaurant shop offered a variety of tee shirts and promo items but the ones which caught her eye were the ugly sweater tees. The red tee shirt reminded her of an ugly Christmas sweater. She held it up as if she’d found a hidden treasure.
“That is ugly,” he said to her.
“Great! We will take two. One in a medium and the other in an extra-large,” she told the cashier.
“I’m not wearing that,” he said adamantly.
“It will be a fun story to share with your family when we come out wearing these,” she told him, grinning. Cabrina looked at her watch. They were behind schedule and she wanted to make one more stop before they reached Amarillo. It was also her turn to drive today. She took the keys, sat behind the wheel, and located a 90’s station on the radio, singing tunes that made his skin crawl. The popcorn and peanutty boy bands and catchy hooks in the lyrics made his eyes cross with irritation. It seemed as if she knew every song that came on the radio, and at the end of the hour, he wanted to roll down the window, chunk her and the radio out onto the I-40, and yell, “Bye, bye, bye!”
Thirty minutes later, she pulled off the interstate, following signs to the Blue Hole of Santa Rosa. The blue pond of crystal clear water stuck out like a big azure thumb in its surroundings of rich red mesas. The constant temperature of 62 degrees would be perfect for the hot summer months. It was cold outside now, yet it still beckoned Gabriel to strip down to his boxers and jump in. Anything would be preferable to hearing the syrupy songs of Brittany Spears and Cristina Aguilera on the radio. Not giving it much thought, he dove into the water, the cold hitting his body like a hammer to his pinky toe.
The water was deeper than he’d expected, especially once he noticed a man in a dive suit coming up next to him. Gabe wanted to point him out to Cabrina, who opted not to get into the water and instead sat on the side and watch her husband paddle about. All was going well until Gabe screamed.
Getting to her feet, Cabrina’s eyes were wide in concern as she searched the watering hole to see if a creature lurking underneath the blue serene waters had taken a chunk out her hunk. Something was wrong. His face registered intense pain. Yanking off her jacket and kicking off her shoes, she dove into the water, swimming as fast as she could to him.
“I got you, Gabe,” she said, hooking her arm under his neck. Keeping his chin up, she paddled her way back to the step, dragging his body behind her. She reached the steps while the diver she hadn’t seen before held his cramped legs, helping to lift him out of the water, scraping the back of his thighs on the concrete steps.
“Oh, that hurts like the Devil,” he groaned, rubbing his foot, which was contorted with his toes bent, almost stuck in a position with three toes down and two sticking up.
“What’s wrong? What happened?” she asked, looking at his feet, massaging the toes to get them to relax.
“Charley Horse,” he said, rubbing his calf muscle.
“He needs a banana or a baked potato,” the diver said, climbing out of the water. “Loads of people have gotten locked up in the cool water, but your potassium must be low. A banana will get you fixed up.”
“Thanks,” Gabe said to the man in the dive suit.
“You’re welcome, but your dick is hanging out,” the man informed him, pointing at Gabe’s Johnson, which had snuck out of the opening of his boxers.
“Oh, my!” Cabrina said, reaching for his boxers trying to close them up.
“The park requires you wear a swimsuit, but luckily today, there are no kids around or you could have been arrested,” he said. “Indecent exposure is not handled lightly in these parts.”
“My apologies,” Gabe said, leaning forward to cover his lap.
“Next time, swimsuit, hydrate, and get some potassium in you,” the man said, going back into the water, inserting the mouthpiece and going under.
Gabriel brought his hands to his face, ashamed and feeling rather stupid. It was a moment she couldn’t bear to allow to pass without capturing it on her camera phone. Slyly reaching for her jacket resting on a nearby rock, she snapped an image of him in his skivvies along with the blue water in the background.
“Great. A photo to remind me of my stupidity,” he said somberly.
“Mr. Neary, you had no way of knowing you would get a Charley Horse,” she said, helping him up. “Let’s get into some dry clothing and hit the road.”
“Thank you,” he said softly.
“For what?”
“Jumping into that water to rescue me,” he said.
“I had to,” she offered with a smile. “We haven’t done the insurance paperwork yet. If I let you drown, I would get nothing. Then how would I run the farm, care for the chickens, and milk the cow?”
He threw a small rock at her that she dodged, laughing at him.
“You are just all kinds of clever, aren’t you? This would be funny if it wasn’t so sad.” He spoke softly, getting to his feet. The soreness in his leg prevented him from putting any real pressure on his foot as he took a step.
“No, what was funny was that strange man telling you your peter was poking out of your underwear like it is now,” she said pointing.
“Good grief,” he said, trying to tuck it back into the wet underpants. “This is just embarrassing.”
“No, embarrassing is that I just snapped of photo of your turtlehead poking out of the shell,” she said, running to the car, trying to avoid him throwing another small rock at her.
Gabe hobbled behind Cabrina, wincing through the pain, trying not to laugh as she grabbed the overnight bags to secure dry clothing. A nearby bathroom offered showers and a changing station. With some effort, he made it to the bathroom and changed into dry boxers and a fresh tee shirt. Tonight, they would definitely need to do laundry.
Standing in front of the mirror, he took a good look at himself. She jumped into the water to save me. I never called for help, just screamed out in pain. She never asked the stupid question of what was wrong or considered her own danger. Without a second thought, she jumped into that water, swam over, and rescued me.
Getting his jeans on took some effort as a new pain hit him in the back of his legs. He shifted his weight to look in the mirror, spotting the scratches on his legs where she’d dragged him out of the water, up the concrete steps. Even if the man had not been there to lend a hand, he was confident that she would have managed to get him to safety on her own.
Competent.
Strong.
Loving.
Funny.
“I am lucky to have her as my wife,” he said, making a mental note to add those words to his journal.
Chapter 7 – Coupling Up in Amarillo
The ride into Amarillo took less than three hours, but Cabrina wanted to stop at the Cadillac Ranch. It wasn’t a ranch really, but six graffiti painted old Cadillac car butts sticking up out of the ground. People posed with the old cars, snapping selfies and photos, and acting, in her approximation, like jackasses. She and Gabe stood back, wondering how this could be considered an attraction to anyone but the dim-witted.
“I say next we stop and see the world’s biggest ball of yarn,” he said with some facetiousness.
“Don’t be snarky. We were drawn here for a reason. Plus, it will make a nice addition to our photo album,” she said, posing him for a photo.
“Hey there, good-looking couple,” a woman said. “How are y’all doing on this fine Sunday morning?”
“We took a break from the road for a minute to stretch our legs. I need to find a local market to pick us up some fruits. Do you know of one close by?” Cabrina asked the woman.
“Oh sure, right down the road a spell. It’s just on the side of the interstate, a farmer’s market. They are open every day until about six. You can Jew him down on the prices,” she offered. “I am Judy, and this here is my husband Paunch.”
She rubbed the man’s hardened belly as she said his name. Dark tresses covered his head with a healthy thick mane of wavy black hair. The couple didn’t look to be older than 35 years, but Paunch seemed a tad bit off. He wore a pair of workout pants that hung below his rounded belly, which almost hid the fanny pack nestled underneath like a joey peeking out of its kangaroo mother’s pouch. Judy looked normal with deep brown hair, dancing eyes, and a warmth that radiated from every pore. Dressed like her husband, she also wore a fanny pack that hung loosely around her mid-section. Her thin body defied gravity to hold up the oversized breasts that could not have been real on such a small frame. There was a story behind those two, and Cabrina was intrigued.
“I am Cabrina and this is my husband Gabe,” she offered, much to her husband’s dismay. Gabriel pinched her arm for giving the lady their names.
Paunch shook Gabe’s hand and offered a nod to Cabrina as his eyes went back to the colorful Caddies. “Where you folks headed?” Paunch asked.
“Kentucky,” Cabrina stated. “Just left Flagstaff and rolling leisurely to get home.”
“Great! We are camping out tonight in Oklahoma City on our way to Nashville. Maybe we can convoy it out,” Judy suggested. “You know, to have some backup on the road in case we run into any trouble.”
Gabriel didn’t have anything to say to the couple. They seemed friendly enough but so were many serial killers. He opted to remain quiet as Cabrina chatted with the woman, who offered a friendly suggestion.
“We are staying at a quaint little hotel owned by my friend. It is right in the heart of town but sandwiched between the 800-pound hotel chain gorillas. If I give her a call, she will get you guys a room for the night real cheap in exchange for a positive review on Yelp,” Judy said.
“What’s the name of the hotel?” Cabrina asked.
“The Dew Drop Inn,” she said. “It’s right off the 40 on Houston Street, next to the Marriott.”
Cabrina pulled out her phone and checked the hotel. She also went to the Yelp site to check reviews. Thus far, nothing odd popped out at her. The regular rate was much less than the hotel she planned to book, and they could stand to save a few dollars especially after her brain had been washed over with a severe case of Girl, buy me now at the craft store.
“Sounds good,” Cabrina said. “Maybe we can have dinner together after we get checked in.”
“I have an e
ven better idea. I have a great bottle of wine I picked up in Abilene that I am dying to get a glassful, especially after driving up from Odessa and spending the week with my in-laws. I need a good drink and a bit of fresh company,” Judy whispered, looking over at Paunch. “He is a good man, but he and his whole family go at about that speed. I need some fresh blood to remind me I’m alive.”
Cabrina understood how Judy felt. A few times she’d attended the wacky Robinson Family Reunions with her father’s side of the family that left her craving people with real conversation skills. As focus driven as her father was, it amazed Cabrina how he could be so normal growing up in a house with a bunch of drunken lunatics. That was the exact opinion Gabriel had of Judy’s husband. Paunch, now standing intimately close with one of the butt end up Cadillacs, acted as if he wanted to stick out his tongue and taste the paint colors.
“Go ahead and put in the call, but how much would the stay be for the night?”
“Only about $50 with the good review. It is a nice place, and she is fighting constantly against the corporate devils,” Judy said. “What you save, we can spend on a decent steak with some Texas fries. A great little eatery is right across the street from her place.”
“Sounds good. Make the call,” Cabrina said.
“Fantabulous!” Judy added, looking back for her husband, who had moved closer to the cars. “Paunch! Paunch! Don’t you lick that dirty car! Look, we have made two new friends.”
Paunch, caught in the act of his misdeed, jumped back with his tongue stuck out of his mouth like Veruka Salt questioning the existence of a Snozzberry. Gabriel wandering around the car and keeping his eye on Paunch, held his comments until they’d reached the privacy of the vehicle.
Buckeye and the Babe Page 6
