Samson and Sunset

by Dorothy Annie Schritt

  Starling Darling

  Patty Cake's Home

  Shay and I decided not to tell the children that I was pregnant until we knew for sure. We wanted Patty to feel secure and adjust to her new family.

  How fun it was having our little girl home after thirteen years of thinking she was lost to us. I would just look at her and my heart would melt. But every day, I had this nagging feeling that I wanted to know more about her childhood and all that we'd missed out on. Shay was as concerned as I was, but as always, he seemed to know when the timing was right to deal with matters at hand. He told me that her past was not something he wanted me delving into right now, especially since he was sure I was pregnant. That Shay, what a man, he always knew the exact time in our lovemaking that I conceived. Well, he was always right, so who was I to dispute him?

  After five weeks, I woke up nauseated. This was the morning sickness I'd felt three times before in my life. Well, I was off to see Doc Sam and he confirmed it: Shay and I were having a baby. I knew that Shay was going to be ecstatic with the news that, once again, he was spot on! I never felt younger in my life. That man could take his boots off and I’d be pregnant.

  Shay was out branding cattle, but I just couldn't wait. I drove to the pasture, and I could see all the guys out roping and branding. I sat in my car a while just to watch Shay. I marveled at how he'd chase down a steer, rope it, and tie it down while someone drove the brand into its hide. As I sat there, my body started trembling at the sight of Shay in action. I could feel the pulsating throb. What a deal! Here my body was saying it needed Shay and he was out busy with the livestock. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea…

  It didn't take long for Shay to spot me and ride over to the car. I sat there looking up at him and said, "Hey cowboy, how would you like to brand this little filly?"

  Shay looked down at me, grinning. "I'd love to brand you, babe, but you'll have to settle for a little Shay Man love. Wait here a second." With that he gave me a quick, sexy wink and rode back over to the ranch hands. He got off his horse and handed the reins over to Joe. He took off his gloves as he was walked back to my car and I could tell my Shay Man was as turned on as I was. He opened the driver’s side door; I slid into the passenger’s seat as he got in, and we were off! Driving down the road, headed for our favorite spot by the lake.

  My Shay stopped the car right under a big oak tree. He jumped out and walked around to my side, opening my door and helping me out as usual. Ever since the first night I'd met him, he would reach for my hand and hold it sturdily while I climbed out of the car. I always thought that was so gallant. What a guy! He left the car door open and put in an eight-track tape—love songs by Lionel Richie, one of my favorites, he knew.

  The grass around the lake was lush and green. Shay put his arms around me and swept me away in that Shay hold I loved so well. He kissed me for about ten minutes and then gently worked those magic fingers to the front of my shirt, opening the buttons, moving as if in slow motion. It was so sensuous, so tender, and one of the most fulfilling liaisons we’d ever had. Every time was the best time with Shay.

  With every gentle stroke and thrust, I felt more loved. Shay was whispering in my ear, "Babe, I love you so much, I'm so glad you came out to the pasture, I was actually thinking about you, and babe you know what that was doing to me."

  "Well, Daddy, I came for a reason," I said to him.

  It took a few seconds and then he stopped, pulled his head back and braced himself on both hands, push up style. "You just called me Daddy,” he grinned. “Does that mean what I think it means, babe?"

  I looked into those warm, brown eyes and smiled. "Yes, Daddy, you were spot on. I'm seven weeks pregnant. You’re going to be a daddy again."

  "Well, King Shay rides again!" He spent the rest of our lovemaking session showing me how happy he was about the baby. As they say, actions speak louder than words.

  After about two hours Shay went back to work. We had decided we'd tell the kids that night.

  At supper, I said, "Well, Sterling, Maggie, Mom, my little bambinos; Dad and I have something we want to share with you.” I looked at Shay, who was beaming. “You tell them, sweetie.”

  "Oh, how did I get so lucky to do the honors?" Shay asked.

  "Enough already," Wes said, "just tell us! Am I getting a new car? Something I can wrap my arms around that will be my own special baby?”

  "Well, you got one word right in there, son: baby. Yes, you can wrap your arms around it. In fact, you can even babysit.” Shay stepped behind me and put his arms around me. "Mom and I are having a baby. My princess is pregnant," Shay said with such pride. Then he gently turned me around to face him and kissed me so sensually.

  Everyone was elated. Our little Patty was so excited, she kept saying, "My own real baby sister or brother! My very own! I'll babysit, Mom. I’ll take care of you like I did when you were in the hospital. Oh, I just can't wait!”

  "When are you due, Kathrine?" my Mom asked.

  "Around the middle of March," I said as I winked at Shay.

  It was our secret, but we knew the exact time Shay’s love had engulfed my body and produced that special spark of life: the late afternoon of Patty Cake’s birthday party, on June 16th, 1980. Shay had pinned me down in the circle drive, tickling me and asking, "Who's the King?” We had conceived this little life after Shay had carried me into our suite, with six wide-eyed teens looking at us like we were two loony teenagers.

  I noticed how quiet Kelly was, and then she excused herself from the table and went up to her room. I looked at Shay, and he saw my concern. I excused myself for a minute and went up to Kelly's room. I tapped on the door and, since it was always open, I let myself in.

  "Kelly, sweetheart, what’s the matter? Are you upset because of the new baby?" I sat down beside her on the bed.

  "Oh no. I'm excited about the baby.” She looked at me with concern in her eyes. “But, Mom, are you sure you’re not too old to be pregnant?"

  "Kelly, darling, I'm only 38 years old. Some people don't even have their first child until they’re 38."

  "But Mom, I remember when you were in the hospital with the lump in your breast. I was so scared—I didn't want to lose you. I couldn't lose you, Mommy. I couldn't handle that. I’m scared something might happen to you!” Kelly had tears running down her cheeks. I put my arms around her and rocked her back and forth.

  I stayed with Kelly until I thought she was feeling more secure about the pregnancy then I kissed her forehead and asked if she felt better and wanted to go finish supper. She nodded and we both went back down to the table with the rest of the family.

  Shay kept looking at me while we finished eating. I knew he was wondering what had upset Kelly. When supper was over, the first thing he did was pull me into our suite and ask what was wrong with Kelly.

  "Shay, she's happy about the baby, but she thinks I might be too old to be pregnant and she's scared of something going wrong. She's afraid she'll lose me," I told him.

  “Could that happen?” he asked, a flash of concern showing up in his eyes. “I never even thought about that.” He took me in his arms and rocked me like a baby. “But Callie, you’re so young!” We sat in silence for a few moments, while he smoothed my hair back thoughtfully. “I don't want anything to happen to you either, princess. Now you two have raised concerns in my mind, so I'm going in to talk to Doc tomorrow.”

  "Shay, I'm going to be fine. Honestly, I really am,” I assured him. “Think about it; we’ve done this so many times before. We know the drill. It’s not like it’s my first!”

  I know it was reassuring to Shay that I wasn't worried, but, much to my surprise, he still went to Hudson the next day to talk with Doc Sam. When Shay got home he was delighted to tell me that Doc said I was in great shape and being pregnant was probably a good thing for me, especially since he knew my love for babies. We reassured Kelly and finally got that little drama sorted out. I could see how thrilled Shay was—he did love me pregnant.

>   It was around the first of September and the trucking business was going great. Shay really stayed on top of it—plus he ran the whole Westover ranching operation. I’d taken to calling him my man and a half. He always did more than one man could do, but that was Shay. The next evening we were eating supper and Shay got a phone call from one of his drivers, saying he couldn't take a load to Missouri in the morning. It was a product he had to get there, so—you got it—Shay said he'd take the load. I was so heart- broken; sleeping without my Shay Man was torture. I could ask if I could go along, but with Patty starting a new school I knew I needed to be here at home to get her settled. It was so important for Shay and me that she always felt safe in her new family life. From the time we found her, for as long as we lived, we were going to make her feel secure and loved.

  Shay left very early the next morning, so I woke up with him to enjoy the last few minutes wrapped in the warmth of my perfect husband's arms. He didn't pack much, he was going to drive all day, sleep somewhere, and unload the next morning. He'd pick up a back haul on return and be home the third day. He always took his briefcase, so when he ate at a truck stop he could do his logs and get some farmstead paperwork done. I walked him to the truck. He pinned me to the trailer and kept kissing me.

  I thought he'd never get this little trip underway—the sooner out, the sooner back, I told him. Then I watched the red metallic semi go down the “little road,” as we called the driveway from the farmstead to the highway. He turned left and then it was just me standing there with my eyes filled with tears. Three nights without Shay, how could I handle that? I went back in and tried to sleep a couple more hours. Well, that was fruitless.

  It was the first day of school and Kelly was driving. Wes was excited because he knew next year he'd be 16 and be doing the driving every day. Patty was a little shaken, but Kelly helped her pick out a great outfit, and having her and Wes as her siblings, who were both very popular in school, would help her adjust quite well. Everyone in the whole area knew we had found our long lost, biological daughter who was switched at birth. It took 13 years of searching and never giving up, but it paid off when we found our little girl, our Patty Cake. Finally our family was complete.

  Kelly told me not to worry about Patty. She told me she and Wes would take good care of her. Patty was the only one of the three who was crying when they left. She hugged me so tight, saying, "Mommy, I'm going to miss you so much, and I miss Daddy too. I wish he was home, but I'm going to do real good, Mommy, and get good grades. You and Daddy are going to be so proud of me." Wes got in the back, giving up shotgun for Patty. Now that amazed me. When it came to family, Wes was a big softy, just like Shay.

  That same morning Shay called around 11:00 am. He had just left, but I think he was already homesick, and he wondered how the kids were dealing with getting ready for their first day of school, namely Patty. I could hear him choke up when I told him about her tears, and wishing Daddy was home. He called again at 3:30 pm to see how their day went, and much to his disappointment they weren't home from school yet. "You can call later, darlin', when you stop for supper. Where are you going to stop to fuel and eat?"

  "Well there's a little town, Pesterville, Missouri. It's not a very big town—it's smaller than Hudson. But they have a truck stop, so I'll probably stop there, eat and sleep. It's only 50 miles up the road to my drop off. Callie, I'll call after I eat,” said Shay. “I love you and miss you so much, princess. I want to put my lips on that juicy body of yours and devour it."

  "Shay, is this phone sex? ‘Cause I think you could do me over the phone. You’re turning me on. So stop with the sensual talk, you’re making my body pulsate—I'm getting off the phone. I have kids due home very soon. I don't need to be in this condition! I love you, Shay. You go to Pesterville and pester someone there. Gee, what a ridiculous name for a town!” I laughed.

  "Okay smart mouth,” said Shay, “you think I'm in Hicksville, I get the message.” And with that we said our goodbyes and finally hung up. We had a hard time getting off the phone when we were talking to each other.

  The kids got home about 20 minutes after Shay had called and were disappointed that they had missed Dad. Their day was really fun according to them and they were lucky enough to get all the classes they'd requested. I told them Dad was going to call again during supper and they could all take turns telling him about their big day.

  We sat down to eat at 5:00 pm to a wonderful meal, but I was never able to eat when Shay wasn't home—I'd get a lump in my throat. So I had some tea and orange juice, and few sips of my soup. Everyone was having a fun time at the table, chatting away to Grandma Marie and Hulda about their day. I kept watching the clock and waiting for the phone to ring. Supper was over and the kids asked me if I was sure Dad said he was going to call at supper. "Yes, I'm sure," I said. The one thing about Shay was his dependability.

  Bars

  Mom and I sat in the den, chatting, having coffee and tea together. I told Mom I was concerned that Shay hadn't called when he said he would. I didn’t mention the fact that another woman had entered my mind. I knew she wouldn't understand—Mom hadn’t seen how women still acted around Shay. I know women, and believe me; they couldn’t keep their hands off of my Shay Man. I hoped Shay remembered the promise he’d made me that he would never step out on me again.

  Mom tried to reassure me, telling me that things do come up. Sometimes you can't get to a phone when you say you’re going to. I dreaded going to bed that night. Going to bed without Shay was unbearable. I read for about half an hour, finally turning out my light and trying to go to sleep. I had no idea what time the phone rang. I know it was late. I grabbed it so fast that I wrenched my back, flipping over to get to the phone. Wow, I could hear my Shay Man's beautiful voice. "Callie, this is Shay, I need you to not talk. You just shut and listen to me," he said with authority.

  "Why? What do you mean?” I yelled.

  "Callie shut, please.” That was my Shay. He never said shut up. He always just said shut. “I'm being held in jail in Pesterville, Missouri. Callie, if you haven't heard from me by 10:00 tomorrow morning, I want you to call Sterling and have him get a hold of the family attorney, Willis Hock. Have Willis contact the jail in Pesterville. Missouri. Willis will take it from there.”

  "God Shay, what happened?” I cried out. “What did you do, were you speeding? What are they holding you for? I need to know, tell me!”

  "Murder, I'm being held as a suspect in a murder," Shay said.

  "What!" I screamed.

  "Callie, I have to hang up now, you've got my orders. You know what to do if you don't hear from me by 10:00 tomorrow. I love you, babe," Shay said, and with that there was a click, and he was gone.

  I sat there on our bed, holding the phone. I was frozen, I couldn't move. Did I just hear my Shay Man say he was being held on suspicion of murder? How could that be! This was Shay. Shay would never hurt anyone. I finally made my way up to mom's suite and woke her. I needed someone to hold me, even if it wasn’t Shay. My mother was as dazed as I was when I told her Shay was in jail on suspicion of murder. Mom and I were up the rest of the night. I was running on pure adrenalin. About 6:30 a.m. the phone rang. I ran to the formal living room to answer it. I was trying to keep everything from the kids. I myself didn't know what was happening.

  "Hello?" I said.

  "It's me, princess,” came that beautiful, low, sexy voice I loved and knew so well. “I'm out of jail. I just got to my truck. There's a pay phone right here, so I called you right away. Babe, don't call Sterling, everything worked out. I'm getting into my truck and getting the fuck out of this hellhole of a town. I'm going to go unload, deadhead over and reload then I'm driving straight through until I get home."

  "Oh darlin', please tell me what happened?" I begged.

  "Too long a story! I'll tell you when I get home, babe. I love you more than you'll ever know, Miss Callie. I'm going to blow you a kiss through the phone and I'll be home soon, then I can use my own lips t
o place that kiss where it belongs. I'll unload this morning, go load and then I'm driving straight thru like I said. I should be home tomorrow before 11:00 in the morning. I love you, bye babe." Click. With that he was gone. I sat there crying like a little child. My heart had been hurting all night for Shay. Slowly, I gathered myself together. I quickly went to our bathroom suite to wash out my eyes and freshen up before the kids saw me. I hurried up to Mom's room to tell her our Shay was out of jail and heading home to us.

  "Why was he in jail?" Mom asked.

  "Mom. I have no idea, I have to wait until he gets home," I told her with a huge sigh of relief.

  Another day of getting the kids off to school. Late afternoon and they were home. They did their homework, Wes did his chores, and then we ate supper. The kids asked if I’d ever heard from Dad, and I told them yes, and he’d be home in the morning—no need to mention he’d been calling from a jail cell.