UNDER CONSTRUCTION, CHAPTER 2

 

          The book was finally finished and had been electronically sent off to the publisher. He was so grateful to have it done and decided he wasn’t going to wait until later to have his whiskey reward. As a matter of fact, he was going to celebrate and have more than his usual one shot, but it was going to be the good stuff tonight. He grabbed a glass and took the bottle out to the front porch. He loved to sit there and watch the lake and the varied wildlife it supported.

He sipped the excellent Glenfiddich and let the taste fill his mouth and the odor rise into his nose. If he weren’t so cheap, he’d drink it every single day, but it was so expensive, his Yankee ancestors would roll over in their graves. The way he was raised, it was anathema first to drink, but to spend lots of good money on such an item was unheard of. Of course, his ancestors had been parsimonious when it came to anything that could possibly be considered fun.

The glass seemed to almost empty itself, so he added a bit more. He didn’t want to get shit-faced because he’d decided he’d visit the building site once the noise ceased and he was sure they were all gone. It had been two weeks or more since he’d made his visit. He wanted to see what had been accomplished in that time, but he wanted to do it without running into the boss lady.

By the time he started for the construction site, he’d had a bit more to drink than he planned. Still, he could walk just fine and he wouldn’t have to interact with anyone who might think he was a bit tipsy. He laughed to himself at the word tipsy only because his foot had found a hole and he almost tipped. Ah, yes, he was a funny man.

He loved the peace and quiet of the forest now that the noise and the people were gone. At the construction site, he was amazed at how much had been completed, but even more amazing was how it was completed. It was undoubtedly going to be the oddest house he’d ever seen if the foundation was any indication. Rather than cut any of the trees down, the foundation flowed around them so there didn’t appear to be any real square corners. It kind of reminded him of a hobbit house.

As he meandered along the foundation, he found himself amazed at how it wove through the grove of trees. In some places, it appeared as though the eventual room would be large and in others, whatever was to be built on top had to be the size of a small closet. He rather hoped he’d be invited over for a preview once it was done.

“You do realize you’re trespassing yet again?” Charlie’s voice said quietly just behind him and he almost jumped out of his skin. He turned around and there she was, invading his space again. Didn’t this woman know anything about personal space?

He stepped back yet again. “Yes, well, but I jus….” Oh shit, he thought, it came out jus instead of just. I’d better not breathe on her. “What I’m trying to say is that I wanted to see how your project was coming. I didn’t expect to find anyone here.”

“Oh my, you smell like you’ve been imbibing.”

“Yes, well, I had a couple drinks because I finished my book today, Celebrating, you know. Anyway, I’ll be on my way.”

“That’s okay, you don’t have to rush off. Because of our first meeting, you’ll probably be surprised to hear this, but once the crew is gone, I always stay a bit to enjoy the quiet and wait for all the animal and bird sounds to return.” Charlie responded with a small smile.

“You said you’re building your house? You plan to live here?”

“Yes, I want to live here. I need to be out of the city, away from all the noise and pollution and everything that constitutes a city. It’s hard for me to think there. This is going to be perfect and I think that’s probably why my grandfather left it to me.”

“Your grandfather you say? My great grandfather built my cabin. I wonder if our grandparents knew each other?”

“I’ve no idea, in fact, I don’t even know your name. I know you sent letters, but I tossed those and can’t remember how you signed them.”

“Oh, apologies. I’m Adam Ferguson. Pleased to make your acquaintance.” And Adam held out his hand.

Charlie proffered hers and when their hands clasped, there was such a strong punch of feeling she felt as though he’d offered the raw end of the extension cord he’d held the first time she’d met him. She took her hand back and rubbed it against her thigh. She wondered if he’d felt what she’d felt. She wondered what the hell it was all about.

She cleared her throat and suggested they sit on the edge of the foundation. “I could hear you muttering to yourself as you inspected my work. Do you have any questions?”

“Actually, I do, but first, let me say how much I admire the fact you’re building to incorporate the trees instead of eliminate them. But I don’t understand how you’re going to change the foundation outline so it’s not all two feet this way and four feet that way and a foot or so the other way. It looks extremely odd. And, I noticed there’s chicken wire wrapped on some of it.”

“Have you ever heard of shotcrete?” As Adam shook his head, Charlie continued, “It’s a concrete product that’s shot through a hose. It’s used for all kinds of construction like tunnels, retention walls, things like that. It’s not usually used in the building of a home. The foundations I’ve laid aren’t as wide as normal plans would require. Instead, over the thinner foundation, we’re putting chicken wire, and in some places, some reinforcing rod. Once it’s ready, I’ll have the entire foundation shotcreted and smoothed. Eventually, it will be painted to match or closely match the surroundings it touches. Plantings will also help it disappear into the landscape.”

“So, it will be sort of a hobbit house, yes? I can kinda visualize what it will look like when it’s completed. Your design I take it?”

“Yes, and yes. I actually designed it a long time ago when I read the hobbit books and saw the movies, but never had the time or opportunity to actually try to build it. It’s kind of my pet project and I’m hoping the company doesn’t get so busy I have to take my crew someplace else without getting it done.”

“I have to admit I looked you and your company up on the internet. I gather your father retired completely after his heart attack? He doesn’t pop in and try to advise you on your projects?”

“Well, maybe in the beginning, but between my mom and I, we got him interested in seeing more of the world. They’ve been travelling pretty much full time for the last few years. They come home for holidays and my birthday, but otherwise, their house sits empty for the most part. I stay there most nights, but aside from that, I’m not there unless they come home.”

“I loved the tagline for your company. And, judging by the photos and explanations, you’re in high demand and keep a lot of folks in the area employed. I also noticed Terrance somebody is your chief architect most of the time.”

“Terry and I met at Georgia Tech and we’ve been friends since then. He understands what I want and how I want to do it. He’s as fanatical about environmentally safe products as I am. He married my best friend and they made me Godmother to their children. It’s my most sincere hope nothing ever happens to them because I really don’t know what I’d do with children.”

“You don’t want kids someday? I would think you’d want a passel of girls so you could raise them to be as smart and independent as you are.”

“Sheesh, you don’t waste any time getting personal, do you? As for kids, I think my mom has finally given up, at least the last time they were home, she wasn’t pestering me about a boyfriend or becoming a mom. I don’t know if I’ll ever meet the right man and if I did, maybe neither of us would want children.”

“Well, to share right back, my mom’s been waiting for me to marry and have kids for years now. Thank heavens my brother and sister gave her two each, so the pressure isn’t quite as bad. And, living down here now, she can’t invite me to dinner and spring her latest single find on me. I don’t miss that at all.”

Charlie laughed. “My mom tried that a few times and we had a little chat. Anyway, you said at our first meeting you’re a writer. What kind of scholarly books do you write?”

Adam, shifted uncomfortably and tried to change the subject, but Charlie didn’t let him ignore her question.

“It’s always a little embarrassing when people ask me what I write because I write what some folks call bodice rippers or erotic fiction.”

She gasped and said, “You mean those paperbacks I see all over the place with some big-chested woman practically exposing herself to the best-looking guy ever?”

Adam shrugged and said, “Yep, those are the kind of books I write. When I began, I planned on becoming the next Steinbeck or Hemingway, but it’s like they sometimes say, the characters took over and the next thing I knew, my first book was finished, I found an agent and the agent found a publisher and here I am about eight years later.”

Charlie was grinning and nodding her head. I gather you need all that peace and quiet in order to make sure the poor little dear can be saved by the swashbuckling hero.”

“Well, it ain’t literary fiction, but it does provide me with a nice living.”  Adam replied, trying his best not to be affronted by her reaction and laughter.

“Now Adam, don’t go being embarrassed or upset by me. I’ve read my share of those kind of books. As a matter of fact, I think I read the first one when I was barely in my teens. I couldn’t believe what I was feeling as I read some of those erotic passages. I think whoever wrote that particular book was responsible for me learning the proper term for the feelings I gave myself. I didn't realize until that book that what was happening to my body was an orgasm. Oops, bet that was TMI...apologies.”

It was Sam’s turn to laugh and be very uncomfortable. He’d never talked about orgasms, even with the closest girlfriend he’d ever had. This Charlie didn’t seem to have any barriers when it came to saying whatever came into her head or invading personal space. He wondered about her and her lack of personal space and private thoughts.

“So, do you write under the name Adam Ferguson. If I go to the bookstore, is that the name I should ask for?”

“God no,” Sam replied. “My mother has no idea I write books like that. I’ve never told her about my writing career, nor my father neither. They’d probably suffer simultaneous strokes if I handed them each one of my books with those eloquent covers.”

“Okay, what’s your, what do they call it, your….”

“Pen name. My pen name is Anne Gabriel Foster.”

“Wow, you even went with a female name.”

“In most cases, my name is printed as A. G. Foster, but there are times when there is a need for a full name, so that’s what my agent and I came up with.”

“On my way home, I’m going to stop at the bookstore and pick up a copy of one of your books. I hope it doesn’t keep me up all night if you know what I mean?” Charlie nudged Adam with her shoulder and laughed again.

“Ah, come on, Adam, don’t be embarrassed. Surely if you can write erotic prose, you can take a little kidding. And, it’s not going to be long before it becomes completely dark. You want a ride to your cabin since I’m going to head out now?”

“Thanks, but no. I’d rather walk back.” Adam responded, standing up. “And, thank you for the tour and the information about your home. I look forward to seeing your progress.”

“Stop by any time Adam, as long as you don’t unplug everything. I’ve enjoyed our chat tonight. And, if you don’t want to come during working hours, you’re always welcome after the noise stops. As I said before, I almost always stay for a bit.”

“I just might do that and maybe I’ll even bring some food and drink. Now the book is done, I can spend a lot more time on my other passion which is cooking. I love to cook and if it weren’t for the months I spend writing that keeps me out of the kitchen, I’d probably be the size of a sumo wrestler.”

“That would be so nice. I can’t cook worth a lick. Make a sandwich, pour a bowl of cereal, or put something from the freezer in the microwave, but that’s about it. My mom despaired when I was growing up because I wanted to be outside doing guy stuff instead of inside learning how to be a young lady.”

Adam held out his hand again and Charlie once again clasped his. This time she was ready for the instant flash and sure enough, it was instantaneous. She felt like every single hair on her body was standing at attention. She wondered if Adam felt anything.

He pulled his hand back and wished her a good night before turning away and heading for the woods. He heard her wish him a lovely evening and he smiled over his shoulder and waved. He needed to get away from her and think. The first time he’d touched her, he’d been instantly aroused and he’d had to concentrate hard to keep his cock from bulging in his pants. That was the reason he’d held his hand out again. He wanted to see if it would happen a second time. It had and was even stronger after spending time with her. He wasn’t sure if he’d come back or not. He’d never had such a reaction to a woman before. It was just like something he’d written in one of his books. He seriously hoped she didn’t bother to stop and pick up a book. He didn’t want to see her again and know she’d read his words, words that now could have been about his reaction to her.

He stopped walking and took a deep breath. He hadn’t thought of it until now, but he wondered if Charlie had had some kind of reaction to him. He wondered what it would be like to hold and kiss her if her body had reacted as explosively and immediately as his own. He shrugged and started walking again, telling himself that kind of stuff only happened in the books he wrote.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION, CHAPTER 1

 

          Electric tools and a radio turned up high filled what had once been a very quiet and peaceful plot of land on the edge of the lake with noise, loud noise. The sound of human voices added to the cacophony that filled the air and spread out over the lake.

Suddenly, the sound of tools and music stopped. Everyone in the clearing looked toward the power pole that provided electricity. Standing there, the end of the extension cord in his hand was a stranger. He was tall and slim, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt with a head full of riotous blond curls. He wore sandals covered in mud that had splashed up his calves. The look on his face was grim and she initially wondered if he’d suffered an electric shock.

Into the silence, he began to shout and wave his arms about. “I demand to talk to Charlie Ridgeway. Of course, he’s probably not here, being the big boss and all, and if he isn’t, then I want to talk to the foreman. This has to stop. This unceasing noise has to end. Now, Today. Immediately. Now, where’s Charlie Ridgeway?”

One of the taller individuals moved toward him and came to a stop within his personal space. “I’m Charlie Ridgeway. Exactly what the fuck’s your problem?”

Shocked and surprised, the man stepped back. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. It was a woman wearing boots and jeans that looked as though they had been painted on. The tank top she wore, barely tucked in was wet with sweat. She wore sunglasses and a ballcap with a pony tail that fell out the opening in the back. He couldn’t think of what to say.

“So, what’s the problem. I thought you wanted to talk to me? Oh, I get it now, you thought I was a man. That must be why your fists are clenched. What were you going to do, belt me one if I’d had a pecker? Well, go ahead and belt me one. You’ll find yourself flat out on the ground before you can pull your hand back. I may be a woman, but you don’t want to fuck with me. Got it? Now, time’s money so What. Do. You. Want?” Charlie spaced the last four words out for emphasis.

“Oh, well, um, well. Now, I sent you several letters asking to purchase this property and you never responded. Now you’re here, probably planning to cut down the entire grove of these lovely trees and build some monstrosity. Why can’t you just sell me the property and move on somewhere else?”

“I got your letters and I didn’t respond because I don’t want to sell this land. I’m building my home here and it will not be a monstrosity. Of course, I have no idea what you think a monstrosity would be, but that’s what’s happening.” She turned away and called, “Okay Tom, go ahead and plug back in. I want to get those forms finished today.”

Immediately, the radio began to blare and her visitor moved over and yanked the plug again. “Look, you have to be a lot quieter if you’re going to work here. I’m a writer. I have a deadline and I can’t work with all this noise.”

“Well, that’s too fucking bad. Hey Tom, plug back in and give this guy a packet of earplugs.”

Once again, the plug went in only to be yanked back out. “Look, I only need another week or two of silence. Why can’t you leave and come back then?”

“Look, I’m not leaving. As I said, time is money. I have deadlines too. We’re here only eight hours a day, so why can’t you write the other 16 hours when it’s calm and quiet.”

“That’s not my schedule.”

“Really, you don’t look as though you’re so ancient and so set in your ways you simply can’t change.”

“That’s not the point. I write mornings, break for lunch and spend another four hours in the afternoon. I need quiet to do that.”

“Well, sorry, but there’s nothing I can do besides suggest you change your schedule. I simply cannot change mine because I have all these employees whose schedules are set for every day, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Majority rules.”

The man ran his fingers through his already mussed hair and tried again, “Look, I have to have quiet….”

“Look yourself. You’ve taken enough of our time. Now either leave, or I’ll call the sheriff and have you escorted back to wherever you came from.” Charlie pulled her phone out of her back pocket and held it up, poised to dial 911. “Well, are you going or not?”

Tom plugged the cord in again as the man turned and stomped away. His hands were again clenched and his back so straight and rigid, Charlie was sure if she had been a man, he might have decided to take a chance and punch it out. She glanced at him one more time before turning back to the project. She did have to admit that he was extremely attractive, but so full of himself. Like the world should just stop because he was writing. She wondered what kind of stuff he wrote, but since she didn’t even know his name, it didn’t really matter. She shrugged, smiled at Tom and Doug and picked up her hammer. Time for her to add to the noise she thought with a wicked grin.

Stomping wasn’t actually the best way to walk through the woods at the edge of the lake. He was so pissed off on his way over he hadn’t paid any attention, but, now, on the way back, the first time his foot landed in a pool of water, the resultant splash soaked his thighs and shorts all over the front. He looked down and was grateful it hadn’t happened on the way there. It appeared he had peed himself.

Back at his cabin which was small and old, originally built by his great-grandfather and updated by himself, he stripped by the back door as his outdoor shower water heated up. By the time he’d soaped and rinsed and grabbed a towel, he wasn’t quite as pissed off as he had been, but he was curious, very curious.

Dressed, he filled a big container with water from his very own well. It was always so cold that sometimes his teeth ached if he took a huge mouthful. Then, he sat at his computer, thankful once again he’d been able to pay for having a great connection to the outer world and in particular to the internet.

He opened his browser and typed in Charlie Ridgeway.  He wondered why he hadn’t done that before and then realized why. He’d thought it was a man and finding a woman, his curiosity was aroused. What came up first had nothing to do with construction for the most part. She was apparently tied into every social media app possible. He clicked on the one he thought would give him the most personal information and choked on his water when the photo filled his screen.

He wouldn’t have mistaken her for a man ever. It was a full-body shot that showed every single thing about her. The dress was red and fit like the proverbial glove with small spaghetti straps over her shoulders. He didn’t understand how such small strings could possibly hold up the bosom displayed. The dress ended just above her knees with a side slit that almost reached her hip. The heels she wore were red too and must have added another three or four inches to her height and she was already tall. Her dark hair fell in waves and curls over one shoulder and must have reached the middle of her back. Her mouth held a wicked little smile, as though she had a secret she was dying to share. And her eyes, good God, her eyes. He hadn’t seen them earlier, but here, they were beautifully made up with long dark lashes surrounding eyeballs the color of good turquoise. They were so unusual, he wondered if she was wearing colored contacts.

The photo held his attention for a time and then he paged down to the written information. He wondered if she’d written it herself or if someone else had.

“Charlotte (Charlie) Marie Ridgeway was born in Atlanta Georgia, the only child of Simon and Althea Ridgeway. Her father was a contractor and her mother a homemaker. Ms. Ridgeway excelled throughout her school career both academically as well as socially. She attended Georgia State College for one year before transferring to the Georgia Institute of Technology where she majored in Industrial Engineering with a minor in Business and Social Sciences. She graduated with honors and was preparing to study for her Masters in Industrial Engineering when her father suffered a serious heart attack.

“It was at this point Ms. Ridgeway gave up her studies and took over her father’s construction company, The Ridgeway Construction Company: Only one way to do it right, the Ridgeway Way. Over the last seven years, she has brought the company into the 21^st Century with the utilization of environmentally friendly designs and construction products as well as providing the company’s employees with a very beneficial pay structure, health and pension plan and the opportunity to become a shareholder in this family-owned business.”

There was more information about the various organizations she belonged to, projects she supported and the usual variety of information found in a report like the one he’d chosen to view. Next, he turned to Facebook, then Instagram and finally Twitter. Charlie posted something almost every single day on one or all of those sites. Usually, her post dealt with her company’s current construction project. Many times, the posts contained information about the products she was using and/or endorsing.

Finally, he looked up the company itself and was amazed by the wide variety of projects she and her company undertook. The photos of homes and business buildings were stunning and he found he could click on the photo and obtain information about the design and the products. The same architect, a Terrance Field, appeared to be Charlie’s favorite choice, and in most cases, she herself was listed as the designer.

No where could he find any information about Charlie’s marital status or personal life. Everything he’d found was related in some way to the company. He wondered if she had a personal life. He wondered what it would be like to take her to dinner. Would she talk construction the entire evening? Would she dress up and look more like the photo he’d first seen? Except for that one photo, most of the shots he’d seen showed her as she’d been dressed that day.

He drained his water bottle and pushed away from the computer. Here he’d wasted hours trying to obtain quiet and then ended up devoting time to finding out about his neighbor. He’d just have to suck it up and try writing after the noise ceased. He wasn’t so old he couldn’t change his habits. He’d just have to put off his whiskey reward until he’d gotten some writing done. And sure, he’d be eating and drinking late, but he could always sleep late. At least if the noise didn’t wake him, but he’d always been a good sleeper. His mother used to say the world could end and he wouldn’t wake up. He guessed he’d see if that was true come the morning. The world wouldn’t end, but the interesting Charlie and her crew would be back and fill the air with the same racket he was hearing right now.

As he refilled his water container, he gazed out the window and wondered what kind of a house she was building herself. He seriously hoped she wouldn’t be cutting down any of the gorgeous trees. He didn’t know anything about construction, but he kind of thought if any trees were coming down, they’d be taken down before any construction began. Maybe once he’d finished his latest book, he could make a little surreptitious trip over there in the evening to see exactly what she was doing.

COVID AND THE OLD WOMAN

 

COVID had been really hard on the old woman. So hard she no longer felt like an actual person. She felt as though she were some kind of wraith floating around her home. Sometimes when she saw herself in the mirror, she was so surprised it took her a few seconds and sometimes more to figure out who was actually being reflected back. More and more she thought perhaps her life had ended and no one had told her she no longer existed.

          It hadn’t been like that before COVID. True, she was a widow, but her husband had passed away a decade before and while that had been extremely difficult since they were so close and did everything together, she had learned to adjust, to build a new life for herself. She had even learned to enjoy her life post husband and had been looking forward to many more years of exploring the world as well as the many friendships she’d made in his absence.

And even though her favorite saying after her husband’s death had been, “one and done,” she had managed to become very good friends with a man her age. He wasn’t bad looking for an old guy and still had all his hair, as well as a snowy white mustache and beard. He'd also managed to keep his weight down and had kept his figure even though six-pack abs were a thing of the past. They’d had lots of fun together, travelling, exploring, and every now and then some delightful sex. They hadn’t talked about living together although now, after months of being alone, she would have welcomed his presence in her home.

          When COVID first came on the news, it hadn’t seemed as though it would be such a big deal. Then came the closures. No more exercise classes. No more swimming. No more golf. No more eating in restaurants with friends. No more having people over for cocktails and dinner. No more visiting with neighbors while working in the garden. No more social life of any kind. Even grocery shopping became something to avoid. Instead, she ordered what she needed and or wanted on line and then had it delivered. Even then, she was careful to wear gloves and swab each and every item that came out of the bags. It was terrifying to think one little teeny-tiny germ she couldn’t even begin to see with a magnifying glass could render her ill, in the hospital, on a ventilator and dead.

          Of course, the world found ways in which she could adapt. Often, she wondered how anyone would have managed without television and the internet. There were undoubtedly thousands of people who couldn’t have used a computer, found information on the internet or participated in Zoom meetings. Fortunately, she wasn’t a total idiot, so she was able to participate as much or as little as she wished in the various offerings received in her email most days. Unfortunately, it also allowed her to do what was now being called doomscrolling. If she didn’t watch the news, she could always go online and find as much negative information as she could absorb at one time.

          It would have been much better if she'd had children, but she and her husband hadn’t wanted to bring any children into such a world even before the pandemic had turned everything upside down. She wondered sometimes what he would have thought of all this. Even when they were young, the world and life as they knew it seemed to be on a downward spiral. Still, having a child or children and grandchildren who would have called on a regular basis to check up on her would have been a huge blessing. She wouldn’t have felt so alone.

          True, she had friends, but her friends had lives of their own and while they checked in now and then, it wasn’t like they held daily conversations or zoom talks. She wasn’t even sure why she bothered to keep her cell phone charged. When it did ring, it was usually a wrong number or some kind of sales call. Maybe once a week, it was a friend checking in. In the beginning, she called all her friends on a regular basis, and her special guy every day.

Unfortunately, the longer COVID continued, the less she wanted to reach out, especially after several of them living in apartments in senior facilities caught COVID and died. The first one had been her special male friend and she found herself mourning him more than any of the others, but she did mourn them all. Her social circle had diminished at an alarming rate, so there were fewer phone calls to make or receive.

          Sometimes when she felt particularly wraithful, she thought perhaps it would be best to dig out her husband’s pain medication which she’d shoved to the back of the closet. After so many years, she didn’t know if it would be any good, but it would at least allow her to choose to become a real wraith. She wondered if an actual wraith felt the things she felt; loneliness, despair, misery, sadness, depression. Some days it was so hard to just get out of bed.

          Now, there was a vaccine. She could sign up to get the inoculation. They were saying that in a few months, for sure by the end of summer, life could return to normal. But, seriously, what would normal be after such a pandemic, after so many deaths, after so much loss? She had no idea and wasn’t really looking forward to getting the shots or finding out what the future would bring.

She was tired, so tired, and each day made her feel more and more like a wraith drifting from room to room of her home. She had come to the conclusion that if the absence of physical and social contact didn’t cease soon, one morning her physical body wouldn’t rise from its bed. Instead, she would wake as a true wraith and continue to glide through all the rooms of her home until the neighbors or someone realized that while she hadn't become infected, she still had become a COVID victim.

WATER RIGHTS, CHAPTER 28, FOREVER AFTER

 

          On the way back from the waterfall, Luke and Hannah had talked about an engagement ring. Hannah told Luke she didn’t particularly want one, that a simple gold band on her finger when they married would be perfect. They also talked about a date and neither one wanted to wait too very long. It was decided they’d see if the church was available the Saturday before Halloween. WFR Treks would be done for the season and the preparatory work for the next year wouldn’t have begun.

None of the staff were terribly surprised at the news and all were pleased to be invited to the wedding at the church or the reception they’d have back at WFR. For the next couple of weeks, Luke and Hannah talked about what kind of wedding they wanted to have. Once they’d established what was important to them both, Hannah talked to the minister and made arrangements for a late morning wedding service.

They’d decided that Stevie would walk his mom down the aisle to Luke and Luke would be waiting with Calli in his arms. Stevie would then sit with Miz. Lionel and Luke would hand Calli to his best man, Joe. They both felt it was important to include both children, to show each other and their family and friends they were definitely a family.

Hannah asked Celia to be her matron of honor and the two of them went to the larger town an hour away for lunch and to find a dress. Hannah didn’t want white and finally found a soft, new-leaf green dress. It was a very smooth tightly-woven wool with long sleeves and a sweetheart neckline. It cinched her waist and the full skirt flowed down to her knees. She felt gorgeous just standing there in the dress and her boot socks. If she braided just some of her hair away from her face and let the rest flow down her back and over her shoulders, it would be perfect and even better than a veil.

Dale and Miz. Lionel took over the reception plans. It would be held in the dining hall and between the two of them and Miz. Lionel’s cadre of church women, they’d have more than enough food to celebrate. Anita and Emily asked to set up and decorate the dining hall. All in all, it seemed as though WFR’s entire staff and many of the town folk were going to help with Hannah’s and Luke’s wedding.

Now they were officially engaged, they were spending more and more time together, especially once all the guests had departed. It was extremely hard to keep their hands off each other, but sitting together, hugging, kissing and carrying on the way two new lovebirds would made both of them so happy. It was torture having to wait, but both knew from their experiences in the beginning that it would be worth it after they were married.

The days seemed to both fly by and move with the speed of a snail, but, the day finally arrived. Celia helped Hannah dress at the church and she had never felt more beautiful or feminine. Stevie wore his new little suit and looked adorable. Hannah had found a little dress and shoes for Calli that were a dark green that would match Stevie’s and the men’s ties. Hannah could hear the organ playing and was more than ready to follow Celia down the aisle.

Luke stood to the left of the minister, holding Calli who kept trying to pull on his tie. When he saw Hannah start down the aisle with Stevie, it was all he could do to keep tears from forming in his eyes. She looked so beautiful as did his daughter and Stevie was so handsome. Luke felt his heart swell with joy, love and pride.

When Hannah reached Luke, she knelt and hugged and kissed Stevie. As practiced, Stevie held Hannah’s hand out to Luke and took his place by Miz. Lionel. Luke waited until Hannah stood and kissed Calli before he too kissed the little girl and handed her off to Joe. They turned and faced the minister, huge smiles on both their faces.

The minister began the wedding ceremony, “We are gathered here today to celebrate the relationship of Hannah and Luke and to be witnesses and supporters of the commitment they will hereby make. We are the most important people in their lives and they invited us hereto publicly recognize that we, each of us, have played and will play some part in their lives.

“Hannah and Luke asked me to thank each of you for being here and to recognize how important each and every one of you are to their lives as well as how grateful they are for your love, friendship and support. Now, Hannah and Luke will recite their vows.”

The minister stepped back and Hannah and Luke turned to face each other. They clasped hands, looked into each other’s eyes and began to speak simultaneously.

“I Hannah/Luke take thee Luke/Hannah to be my lawfully wedded wife/husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better which we have had and now share with each other, for worse which we have already endured and forgiven,”

Suddenly, Calli decided it was time to practice the new word she’d just discovered, “Dada, dada, dada” carried throughout the church. She bounced in Joe’s arms and reached out for Luke. “Da, da, da.” Calli was getting impatient because Luke was ignoring her. Their guests were either smiling or laughing a bit at the interruption.

Both Hannah and Luke smiled and stopped their recitation so Luke could turn to Calli and say, “Shhhhh, Dada’s busy.” When he turned back to Hannah, he said, “Now, where were we?”

Together, they began to speak again, “For richer although we don’t believe life could bring us more riches beyond what we already have in our children, family and friends; for poorer and again with the love and support of our children, family and friends, it’s unlikely we’ll experience poorer; in sickness which will find us at each other’s side or in health, which we will endeavor to maintain for and with each other; and forsaking all others, we hereby promise to love and to cherish each other and our family for as long as we both shall live.”

The minister stepped forward and Hannah and Luke turned to him. He asked for the rings and said, “These rings which you will now exchange are made of precious gold metal that was formed into a circle. This circle has no beginning or end and is therefore a symbol of infinity. It is endless and eternal just as the love you share should be.”

He turned to Luke and handed him one of the rings. Luke took Hannah’s left hand and slid the ring on her finger as he said, “This ring is a symbol of my undying love and in giving it to you, Hannah, I promise to always love you, support you and share my life with you.”

The minister handed Hannah a ring. She took Luke’s left hand in hers and slipped the band onto his finger as she said, “This ring is a symbol of my undying love and in giving it to you, Luke, I promise to always love you, support you and share my life with you.”

“As you have both vowed to take each other as wife and husband, as you have pledged your love, faith and commitment for all time with the exchange of rings, I now pronounce you wife and husband. You may kiss each other.”

Luke and Hannah turned toward each other and took one step each. Hannah’s right hand came up to Luke’s cheek as his right hand sought her waist. Their kiss was simple and very sweet, a perfect finish to the wedding they had designed.

Together they turned toward their family and friends. Luke said, “You all know we’re having a party to celebrate this wonderful occasion back at the ranch. We hope each of you will join us and look forward to seeing you there.”

Luke turned to Joe and retrieved Calli while Hannah held her hand out to Stevie. Arms around each other’s waists, they walked back down the aisle as a united family to the church doors and out.

There hadn’t been such a gathering at the ranch since Thomas had passed away. This time, it was a real party and not a wake. Hannah and Luke stood at the door to the dining hall and welcomed and thanked each guest for coming. In their invitations, they had requested no gifts be given because they already had pretty much everything a newly married couple would need. Some people didn’t pay any attention and brought colorfully wrapped gifts that Luke and Hannah would later find held some special meaning and would always bring at least one of them, and usually both a smile or happy memory over the years.

A few hours later, everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time. The buffet had been replenished several times, the wine and beer flowed freely and the music had been turned up at some point. Hannah and Luke cut the cake, had their first dance and listened to the toasts offered by not just Celia and Joe, but some of the other friends in attendance.

Finally, they had a moment to themselves and leaned against the dining hall wall. Luke snugged Hannah close to his side and whispered in her ear, “Have you had enough party? Wouldn’t you like to sneak out of here with me and go some place private? How about where it all began, how about the waterfall?”

Every cell in Hannah’s body had come alive with Luke’s breath in her ear. “The waterfall. Isn’t it a bit cold for the waterfall? But yes, I’d love to be alone with you, just the two of us.”

“Then, let’s go. We can slip out, dash for the house, put on some warm clothes and disappear like a new bride and groom are supposed to.” Luke responded, pulling Hannah toward the side door.

Somehow, they managed to get away. Luke had planned ahead and asked Joe to saddle their horses. Hannah didn’t know how they were going to manage at the waterfall. It was October and while some days were fairly warm, the nights were too cold for skinny dipping and anything else that involved taking your clothes off. True, they were hot for each other, but she didn’t think they could generate that much heat.

She shouldn’t have held any doubts about how her wedding night would be and she actually hadn’t, she’d just thought it would happen in the house in what was now their bed. When they arrived at the waterfall, she was surprised to find Luke had somehow managed to get up there without her knowing. There was a tent waiting for them, a fire ready to be lit on the rocks by the pool. She couldn’t believe how romantic it all was. When she looked inside the tent, there were big sleeping bags zipped together, with small firefly lights around the perimeter. Luke had also shared his plan with Celia and the saddlebags on his horse contained wedding food and drink, including champagne and actual glass glasses.

Luke lit the fire and then took care of the horses, bringing their saddle blankets back to lay upon the rock beside the fire. Hannah sat down and held her hands out to the fire. Luke sat beside her, turned her to face him and gently kissed her mouth. Immediately, they both lost control, kissing and touching and pulling on the layers of clothes that covered the skin they so badly wanted to touch. They’d barely begun when Luke’s and Hannah’s pants were open and sliding down their individual thighs.

So great was their need, their want for each other after such a long time, that Luke was on Hannah and in her and she welcomed him eagerly, hot and wet and beginning to orgasm almost as soon as he finished his first thrust. Luke could feel the pulsations of her orgasm and it was barely another thrust or two before he plunged into her as hard as he could and emptied himself. They lay there together gasping and breathing hard while the last ripples of their orgasms slowly dissipated.

Then, they both burst out laughing. “Oh my God, that was so good. I’d forgotten just how good a mutual orgasm could feel.” Hannah managed to say between giggles.

“I know exactly what you mean. I really wanted to make this night special, to love you slowly and completely; but once I kissed you, knowing we didn’t have to stop, I just couldn’t keep from getting inside you as soon as possible. But I promise to make it perfect before the night is over.”

“Luke, it was perfect. You don’t need to prove anything to me or do anything to make it extra special. I’ve waited and wanted you for so long. In case you didn’t notice, I wasn’t exactly holding back when it came to getting you naked and inside me.”

“There was a part of me that was afraid it wouldn’t be as good as it was back when we were first together; but you know what Hannah, my lovely wife, it’s even better than I remembered.”

They kissed and touched a bit more before Luke withdrew and they set their clothes to rights. Luke built the fire back up and they shared the wedding feast and champagne Celia had packed for them. Replete, they lay on the saddle blankets and watched the fire die down. Hannah was almost asleep when Luke shook her and suggested they get inside the tent.

Inside the tent, the double sleeping bag opened to reveal rose petals scattered over the bottom and the pillows. Kneeling and facing each other, they kissed and touched and licked and hummed and murmured as they removed each other’s clothing slowly piece by piece until they were both completely nude.

Luke kissed Hannah slowly and gently, determined this time would be last longer than the few minutes of the first time. In turn, Hannah kissed and touched and stroked Luke until they both lay down upon the sleeping bag, the rose scent coming up to surround them as their warm bodies crushed the pale petals. Luke kissed and licked his way up and down Hannah’s body, but avoided the hot wet confluence of her thighs. Hannah raised up when he returned to her mouth and did the same for him, avoiding his huge member pulsing against his belly.

Finally, Hannah lay back and Luke covered her body with his. Her thighs parted and allowed his cock to touch her wet entrance. She reached down and opened herself while guiding Luke’s penis inside. He moved slowly, so slowly and Hannah wanted to grasp his ass with her legs and ram him inside. Luke resisted and soon he filled Hannah completely. He rested, barely moving while they kissed and told each other how much love they shared, how being together like this made them happier than they’d ever been in their lives. 

Slowly Luke withdrew and slowly he slipped back inside. They set a leisurely rhythm that gradually caused their arousal and need to deepen and grow. Eventually, the pace began to quicken and Hannah’s legs came up around Luke’s ass, pulling him tightly to her each time he thrust. Their breathing began to quicken and Hannah began to moan as the feeling intensified. Luke panted and grunted with effort as he tried to control himself and Hannah, tried to prolong the agony and ecstacy of their union for as long as possible.

Finally, Hannah could hold back no longer and when her legs drove Luke as far into her as possible, she raised a bit and rubbed against the base of his penis. She could feel the orgasm she’d been holding back rise up and demand release. She let herself go. Luke lost control at the same time, pumping himself into her, letting his own climax sweep him away.

It was a bit of time before their breathing and heart rates slowed, and once again, they hugged each other and laughed. They agreed it had been even better than they had imagined and tangled together, began to fall asleep.

Luke was almost gone when Hannah giggled one last time and whispered, “Just think Luke, we’re going to be able to do this as often as we like for the rest of our lives.”

Luke smiled sleepily, pulled Hannah closer, and murmured. “Yes, for the rest of our lives.”

WATER RIGHTS, CHAPTER 27, A DISCUSSION AT LONG LAST

 

         July 4^th came and the ranch decided not to hold a fireworks show. It was far too dry to be safe. Instead, the festival that had been held in town for time immemorial was touted to the guests and most of them decided to attend. Luke and Hannah took both the kids and went themselves.

The town folk had finally stopped ignoring Hannah or acting as if the Whore of Babylon were walking down the sidewalk. Most stopped to look at and admire Calli and ask Stevie if he liked being a big brother. They wanted to know how she was doing, if Calli was a good baby; pretty much all the usual give and take that had permeated Hannah’s life since she’d arrived all those years ago. Of course, there were a few who turned their backs or looked right through her, but it didn’t bother her because they weren’t the people that really mattered to her.

While Luke took Stevie on the rides that were appropriate for his age, Hannah moved through the various displays of home-canned goods, quilt-making and other fair exhibits. She particularly liked the floral exhibits and decided she was going to have a flower and herb garden. She made note of some of the names so she could ask for their advice later on.

When she met up with Luke and Stevie, her son was carrying a rather large plush bear. His dad had tried his luck at the various games and managed to win the thing for Stevie. Hannah figured it would become Stevie’s new bed partner that very evening.

They moved on to the fair food vendors. Hannah stayed away from her favorite hot spicy fare since it gave Calli indigestion, but found more than enough, you can only get it like this at a fair, food. She was stuffed by the time they were finished. Luke also made a wide variety of choices and Hannah didn’t believe he’d actually be able to eat the entire turkey leg and everything else. He had to be miserable when he’d cleaned all those plates. At the same time, Luke allowed Stevie to have all the junk food he desired from cotton candy to some kind of shaved ice. Hannah hoped Stevie wouldn’t upchuck in the truck on the way home. Hell, she hoped she wouldn’t upchuck on the way home.

Hannah wanted nothing more than to unbutton her jeans, but that wasn’t a possibility. They wandered around and finally found a place that would allow them a view of the sky over the lake that was some distance away. The town fireworks would be shot off there because it would be safer than anywhere else. Finally, it got dark enough for the show. All too soon as far as Stevie was concerned, it was over and time to head for the ranch.

Finally, Hannah thought as she unbuttoned her jeans and drug a pair of pajama bottoms out of the drawer. She was almost back to the size she’d been before Calli’s birth, but there were enough pounds to go that her jeans were still way too tight, especially when she made a pig out of herself. Stevie had fallen asleep on the way home and Luke had carried him inside. Hannah assumed Luke was putting him to bed. It had been a very long day for all of them and she herself was very tired.

Ready for bed, Hannah was almost there when Luke appeared in her doorway.

“Stevie’s sound asleep. I didn’t bother with jammies, just took off his shoes and jeans. Did manage to get him to pee even though I had to hold him up, so he should be good for the night.”

“That’s great. I just hope Calli isn’t too fussy tonight. I’m really tired.”

Luke walked into her room to stand before her. “You know no one else is back yet. It’s just us in the house. God, how I want you Hannah. Don’t you think I could join you here instead of having to be upstairs all alone?”

Luke’s arms had gone around her as he spoke, and Hannah leaned into the warmth of his body. He felt so good pressed up against her and she could tell he was very aroused. His lips found the sensitive place just behind her ear that he knew made her tremble and tremble she did.

Hannah could barely breathe for wanting Luke. She was more than ready to rip his clothes off and her own as well and give herself up to the delights she knew he could give her. Luke was slowly walking her backwards toward the bed as he kissed his way from one side of her neck to the other and finally to her mouth. They were both breathing and wanting so hard. For an instant, Hannah thought about pulling back, but Luke’s tongue found its way into her mouth and all thoughts of anything but having him inside her disappeared.

They would have fallen on the bed and ravished each other except for Calli. As if she knew Hannah was being sorely tempted, the baby woke up and began to cry. It was her I’m wet and hungry cry. She wasn’t going to settle back down until she’d been changed and fed.

Luke groaned as Hannah slowly pulled away. Hannah felt like groaning herself, but knew the two of them had to talk about the future before they had sex again. Thanks to Calli, she’d been spared another mistake, although maybe it wouldn’t have been a mistake. Still, she couldn’t know until they had a conversation about the future. If Luke was going to leave, then she didn’t want to get any closer to him than she already was.

Hannah smiled at Luke and said, “Good night. See you in the morning.” And turned to pick up Calli. It was then she noticed her sexual arousal had also caused her milk to let down and both her shirt and bra were soaked. She figured as close as she’d been to Luke, his t-shirt had to be wet as well. She’d have put on dry clothes after she changed Calli and before they climbed in bed to nurse.

Finally in bed with Calli latched on, Hannah allowed herself to remember all the wonderful times she’d had with Luke in the past. She was so horny now that she figured once Calli was finished and asleep, she’d have to take care of herself and was sure it wouldn’t take long at all. Fortunately, or unfortunately, Hannah fell asleep before she could summon the energy for self-pleasure.

The next morning things were back to normal with neither Luke nor Hannah talking about the night before or making arrangements to have a serious discussion. That was just fine because the ranch was busier than ever with guests who wanted to participate in as many of the activities as possible. Their lives remained just as busy all through Labor Day.

It wasn’t as though they ignored each other or spent less time together, it was just conversations were pretty much limited to staff and activity schedules, supplies, guests arriving and leaving, how Stevie and Calli were doing and the wide variety of the various aspects of business on a daily basis. There really wasn’t time to spend reflecting or planning or anything that didn’t involved either the ranch or the kids.

Hannah knew if they were a couple it would have been different. They would have had at least the nights together. Instead of saying good night at her bedroom door before she entered and Luke went upstairs, they could have said that in a much more personal and pleasurable way. Hannah didn’t know about Luke, but she was feeling extremely sexually frustrated. And, yes, she knew how to relieve herself, but it wasn’t the same as having Luke as a partner. She wished the season would come to a complete end. She hated the fact they’d even booked a couple of weekends in October.

Luke was also feeling the strain of their relationship. He often fantasized about throwing Hannah across his saddle and riding off into the hills where they could have their way with each other. There were times when he wanted to snap and had to actually stop and take a deep breath or two before he responded to Stevie, Hannah or one of the staff.

The only time Luke actually felt calm and centered was during the time he spent with Calli. He and Hannah had continued the daily habit they’d established at the very beginning. While she was with Stevie after dinner and put him to bed, Luke took care of Calli. He had been amazed on almost a daily basis at how quickly she grew and changed. The first time she giggled instead of just smiling, he thought his heart would melt. Her vocalizations made no sense, but they were always accompanied by the smiles and laughs. She loved to stand up while he held her hands, her little knees bending and straightening. That always made her giggle. The first time she rolled over when he was changing her, he thought his heart would stop because she was so close to the edge of the table. From that point, she seemed to take off and was almost sitting up on her own by Labor Day.

During their time together, Luke did it all. Besides changing her diaper, he gave her baths and was careful to make sure he was always right there. It was then he realized just how strong Hannah’s genes had been in the development of this little person. She had Hannah’s smile, her eyebrows were slowly growing as was her hair and it looked as though it would be the red-gold that Hannah’s was. Calli also had her mother’s long fingers with perfectly formed fingernails. The arch of her foot was high and her toes were also long and even just like Hannah’s. No matter how hard he looked, Luke could not see anything in Calli that wasn’t Hannah. He was grateful for that because it would have been just a little bit harder to love her so completely if she’d looked more like the father, whoever that was.

Because of the drought, WFR had stopped the treks to the waterfall even before the end of summer. The waterfall was more of a trickle and didn’t provide enough water to completely fill the pool. As it was, some of the places downstream were having difficulty getting enough water to meet their needs.

Toward the end of September, it was still hot and Hannah was tired of practically every single thing in her life. She decided what she needed was at least an afternoon away from all the guests, staff and kiddos. She asked Emily if she would mind looking after both Stevie and Calli and then invited Luke to join her in a ride about the ranch, just the two of them. She hoped they’d have an opportunity to talk, and suggested they go first to check on the waterfall and pool.

“Well, the flow hasn’t increased or decreased since I was here mid-August.“ Luke said when they arrived. “It’s a good thing it keeps flowing since the pool would be horribly stagnant if it didn’t.”

Hannah dismounted and let her horse’s reins drop. “It sure doesn’t look like it did before. Everything’s so dry and brown, practically no green at all except for right at the edge of the stream and pool. I sure hope we have a very wet fall winter and spring. I’d never dam up the flow, but the idea of jumping into that water is so inviting.”

“Well, there’s nothing stopping us.” Luke responded. “It’s not likely anyone is going to be riding up this way.”

Hannah found some shade and sat down, leaning back on her hands. “I don’t know about that, but I do think it’s time we talked about us and the future, don’t you?”

Luke walked over and sat beside Hannah. “Yes, I think it’s way past time we had a conversation about us and our future together. You know how sorry I was and am over the whole Jamison thing. I can’t apologize any more than I already have. I also think since I came back, we’ve been as honest with each other as possible. I know I’ve held nothing back and I’ve tried to show you just how much I love you.”

“Yes, I know,” Hannah said, sitting up and turning to face him. “You’ve been absolutely amazing with Stevie and Calli as well. You moved right back into helping with ranch business and Joe, Dave and Dale have nothing but positive things to say about you and your efforts.”

“That’s good to hear, but the only positive opinion I want or need is yours, Hannah. I think you still love me and I want to stay here. I want us to be a family.”

“Does that include Calli?”

“Are you kidding me? I mean do you really have to ask me that question? Haven’t you noticed how much I value my time with her, how much she delights me each and every day?”

“Yes, I have, but I need to know, to make sure you aren’t just acting a part so you can be with me and Stevie.”

Luke reached out and took Hannah’s hand in his. “I’ve never told you this, but being at Calli’s birth was just about the most meaningful experience in my entire life. When the doctor handed her to me, she opened her eyes and it was as though she could see right inside my head. And, even though I knew babies that young don’t smile, I swear, she smiled at me as though she knew me. Hannah, I fell in love with her that very instant and nothing about her, Stevie or you has changed that. It’s only grown as has my love for Stevie and you.”

Hannah covered Luke’s hand with hers. “Luke, you have no idea how happy I am to have you tell me this. I too want us to be a family, but there’s no way I could have Calli’s life be unequal to Stevie’s or any other child’s in any way. I have watched you with her and could see how much she means to you. I just needed to hear you say it.”

 “So, Hannah, does that mean you will marry me?” Luke asked. “I’m not on bended knee and I don’t have a ring in my pocket, but will you please marry me?”

Hannah’s face lit up with a huge smile. “Yes, yes, yes. I can’t wait to be your wife.”

Luke stood up and pulled Hannah to her feet. “How about we shed these clothes and jump in the pool? Maybe we could make love in the water like we did in the beginning, you know, to celebrate our future? You have no idea how long and how much I’ve wanted to be skin-to-skin with you since I came back. God, Hannah, let me love you, please let me love you.”

Hannah stepped back. “There’s nothing I want more in the world right now than to strip, get all wet and have you love me while I love you, but we went about it the wrong way the first time. This time, we’re going to wait until our wedding night, or afternoon or whatever, so if you plant another seed, there won’t be anyone talking behind our backs. So, no, no lovemaking right now. But please know I want to so very much.”

Luke pulled Hannah into his arms. “Okay, we’ll do it your way. I can wait if it means we’ll be together, that we’ll raise Stevie and Calli and however many more we have together.”

“Yes, we will, Luke. But we’d best mount up and head back before I lose my grip on my desire for you and throw caution to the wind, or into the pool.”

They shared a long and passionate kiss before mounting their horses. As they rode through the meadow back toward the ranch, they rode side-by-side, holding hands.

WATER RIGHTS, CHAPTER 26, CHOOSING A NAME

 

          True to his word, Luke and Stevie were back at the hospital before her doctor showed up to release her and the baby. When the doctor did arrive shortly after they had, he overlooked the fact Stevie was on the bed with Hannah, quite engaged with watching his little sister nurse. He did ask Luke to take Stevie into the hall while he did his examination.

“Well, Hannah, everything looks just fine this morning, so I’m going to send you home. The baby can go as well provided she’s been checked out too.  And, have you chosen a name for her yet?”

“Yep, they came in first thing and told me she’s perfect. As for a name, I think her first or middle name will be Grace. But I feel like I should talk to Stevie and Luke and see if they have any ideas about a name. We’ll do that once we get home and I’ll mail in the birth certificate once it’s filled out.”

They discussed Hannah’s check back and her doctor left, telling her he knew she’d call if she had any problems or questions.

When they left the hospital, Hannah, had, of course, to ride in a wheelchair. Stevie wanted to ride in her lap, so she passed the baby off to Luke who walked alongside as the nurse escorted them to the door. Luke had checked out the new baby car seat and very carefully put the little girl in place. Then, he buckled Stevie up next to her, saying, “Now Stevie, you’re the big brother, so you know it’s your job to look after her back here, right. You let your mom know if you think there’s any kind of a problem, okay?”

“You bet, dad, you bet. How can I tell though? She’s all wrapped up and I can barely see her nose.”

“Well, son, she may not be able to talk, just yet, but I know she’ll let you know if there’s a problem. She’ll cry big time. That’s what babies do.”

As Luke pulled out of the hospital parking lot, Hannah looked in the mirror at Stevie who was very attentively looking at his little sister. He wore his concentration frown. She leaned over to Luke and very quietly asked, “Since when did you become so knowledgeable about babies and such a great dad?”

Luke glanced at her and said, “It’s amazing what you can learn from a book or ten. Plus, I think every single woman I’ve come in contact with the last couple of months has offered a ton of advice. How could I not be prepared?”

Hannah smiled and responded, “Well, if my opinion matters at all, you are doing a bang-up job. Gold stars, gold medals, whatever you’d like in recognition, all you have to do is say the word.”

“Hannah, you know what I’d like. I’d like us to be a family. I love you.”

“We should talk about that at some point, but not right now. I think it’s a subject that deserves our undivided attention, just the two of us.”

“You’re right, but I don’t want to wait forever, okay?”

“Okay.”

At the ranch, it was just like when Stevie came home, except everyone gathered in the dining hall instead of the house. All the staff exclaimed and ooohed and aaaahed over the little pink bundle. A couple of them asked Hannah about the name and Hannah put them off saying she wanted to talk to Stevie about the choices. She didn’t mention Luke as part of that, but she had already decided to include him. She didn’t say anything because she didn’t want staff to think she was putting any pressure on Luke to be the baby’s daddy.

“Okay, everybody needs to get back to work and this baby and I need to head for our room. It will soon be time for the little miss to eat again and I could certainly use something softer than this chair on which to put my own bottom.”

Luke swung Stevie up in his arms as they escorted Hannah and the baby to the house. In Hannah’s bedroom, Stevie watched as the baby was changed and wanted to know why the baby didn’t have a penis like him. “Well, Stevie, that’s the difference between girls and boys. Boys have a penis and girls don’t.”

This led to a bit of a further discussion about how girls peed and pooped and from where. Hannah looked up once to see Luke doing his best not to laugh out loud.

Ensconced in her comfortable nursing chair, Hannah put the baby to her breast and asked Luke and Stevie to get comfortable because they needed to have a discussion. Once they were settled, Hannah continued, “This little girl needs a name. I’ve already decided that Grace, after my grandma, should be either the first or middle name. I thought the two of you might like to talk about the baby’s name. And, Luke, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. It’s entirely your choice.”

Stevie jumped right in, “How about Minnie? Or Daisy? I love those names. If you don’t like those, maybe Tinkerbell. We could call her Tink, just like Peter Pan does. Wendy, Wendy’s good.”

“Well, Stevie, we know you love all the Disney movies, but maybe we could give your little sister a name that wouldn’t get her teased by other kids. What do you think?” Luke asked.

“Why would kids tease my sister about her name. I’d beat them up if they did.” Stevie said emphatically.

“Hang on there boyo,” Hannah said, “You won’t be beating anyone up because you’ll be too smart for that. And, you haven’t been to school yet, but some kids aren’t always nice. Anyway, let’s ask Luke if he has any ideas.”

Luke shook his had and said the first thing that popped into his head, “My favorite name is Hannah, but I don’t suppose you’d name the baby after yourself?”

Hannah laughed and responded, “Nope, not ever.”

“Okay, your name is a palindrome. What about a name like that. I happened to look up a few just in case you asked my opinion. Madam, I offer for your consideration the names Ada, Elle, Ava or Izzi. And, did you know the meaning of Hannah is Grace? Maybe you were named that for your grandma.”

“No, I didn’t know the meaning of my name. I never bothered to look it up. Do you know the meaning of the names you suggested, Luke?”

“Ada means Noble, Ava means Grace, Izzi stands for Mighty and there was no meaning for Elle.”

“What does my name mean, mommy? Does my name have a meaning?”

“Yes, Stevie, I looked up your name too and it means Garland or Crown.” Luke responded in lieu of Hannah.

“What about your name dad, what does it mean?”

Luke laughed. “Yes, I looked up my name too since I was browsing through a huge list. My name means, Bright, White, Light-giving.”       

“Okay, gentlemen, I think we’re getting a bit off topic. So, Stevie, what do you think about the names your dad suggested?”

“I don’t know mommy. This is hard. I still really like Tinkerbell.”

“Well, honey, we’re not naming your sister Tinkerbell, but if it has to be a Disney name, how about Calliope from the movie Tangled. You haven’t seen that one yet, but the name comes from there. We could call her Calli Grace for short.”

Hannah looked from Stevie’s face to Luke’s and added, “I really do like the sound of Ada Grace and Ava Grace, but Ava Grace would be like saying Grace Grace. Anyway, as I call off the names, raise your hand if that’s the one you want. This Little Mite needs a name of her very own.”

Hannah had used her free hand to write down the various ideas. Slowly, she called each one off with Grace as the middle name. When finished, each one of them had voted for a different name. Hannah heaved a big sigh and said, “I didn’t think this was going to be so hard. We simply cannot call her Minnie Ava Calliope Grace. That’s way too long of a name. Maybe I should just choose all by myself.”

“Why don’t you put those three names out to our staff?” Luke asked. “Give them a chance to vote for their favorite. I bet they’d love to be part of all this.”

Hannah looked at Luke with surprise and admiration. “What a good idea Luke. Why don’t you and Stevie make the list and put it in the dining hall. Once everyone has voted, we’ll name Little Mite. Meanwhile, both she and I need a bit of a laydown. I’ll see you both at lunchtime.”

With her Little Mite bundled into the cloth chest carrier, Hannah walked down to the dining hall. Sure enough, staff there for lunch were tossing the names around and talking about which one they liked best or which one had the best meaning. She had to look at the list Luke and Stevie prepared to find out what her choice, Calliope meant which was Beautiful Voice. She also saw Luke had looked up the meaning of Grace which was God’s Favor. She hadn’t known that either.

A number of staff expressed their appreciation for being included in the naming process. Luke did have a great idea, Hannah thought. It’s served to bring all the staff together and help smooth over the fact they have no idea who this baby’s father could be. She’d have to remember to thank him profusely for the idea.

The day passed with Hannah spending most of her time in the house with the baby, nursing and resting. At bedtime, Luke got Stevie bathed and into his jammies. Then, they both came to Hannah’s room and joined her on the bed. They brought the big jar with all the votes staff had cast. Stevie pulled them out one at a time and Luke read the name. He handed it to Hannah who put it in the correct pile. Minnie Grace did get a few votes, most likely to please Stevie, Hannah thought and wondered if Luke, like her had voted for that one. The popular choice was Calliope Grace, or Calli for short.

Stevie was disappointed, but went off to bed willingly after giving Hannah a huge kiss and hug and little Calli a very soft kiss on her head. Luke came back after he’d read to Stevie and the boy had fallen asleep. “So, Luke, did you vote for Minnie Grace?”

“Well, I couldn’t see Stevie’s favorite choice going vote-less. You must have been one of the other two, I’d say since you’re asking me about my vote.”

“Yep, I didn’t want his little heart totally broken. I’ll just bet Joe was the third vote.”

“Anything I can get you or do for you before I make my rounds and lock up?”

“Yes, Luke, if you could bring me another pitcher of ice and water. I’ve almost emptied this one. I don’t think I’ve ever drunk as much as I did when nursing Stevie and now, I’ll be drinking gallons more while nursing Calli.”

Luke brought the water and then stuck his head in the door again when he got ready to climb the stairs to his room. He really wished he was able to climb into bed with Hannah and Calli. Not for sex, but just to be with them. He hadn’t gotten his hands on Calli as much this day as he’d had yesterday and he missed the warmth of that little body. He’d have to make a bigger effort tomorrow to spend time holding her.

Hannah and Luke were grateful for the couple weeks before the high season began Memorial Day weekend. Staff did most of the work, but they both needed to do their share. Luke was amazed at how Hannah bundled Calli up in the material she wrapped around her body and went about her chores and business. When Calli got fussy, Hannah would maneuver her shirt and the material, allowing Calli to nurse on demand, no matter what her mother was doing. He asked Joe about that and was told Hannah had done the exact same thing with Stevie only it had been a bit harder because they didn’t have as much staff and she had to take care of more responsibilities than now.

After a couple of days, Luke asked Hannah if he couldn’t have some baby time with Calli after dinner. They’d all go up to the house and while Hannah spent time with Stevie, Luke would sit with the baby in a comfortable chair. First, he’d hold Calli next to his chest and look into her face. She always seemed to recognize him if she was awake. She still seemed to look directly inside his head and it left him with a feeling of awe and amazement and quite possibly love. If she was a bit fussy, Luke would put his feet up on the coffee table and place Calli on his thighs. He’d move his thighs back and forth, gently rocking her while he hummed some country song. Eventually, he’d bring her back to his chest and cuddle her tight while she either fell asleep or rooted around for something to eat.

This became an every-day habit for the four of them. Stevie spent time with Luke during the day and was usually put down for his nap by Luke. After dinner, it became Stevie’s time with his mommy. They’d play games, Hannah would give him his bath, get him ready for bed and once Stevie had said good night to his dad and sister Calli, Hannah would read to him until he fell asleep. After that, Hannah would scoop up Calli and head for bed herself.

The days seemed to fly by. Everyone was busy, busy, busy taking care of the guests, keeping up the ranch and all the various chores and schedules it took to keep everything running smoothly. Hannah and Calli slept in her room and Luke continued to bunk in the upstairs room. It was getting harder and harder though for both of them, especially once Hannah had recovered from Calli’s birth and her hormones sort of returned to normal. It was all she could do to keep from climbing the stairs to Luke’s room and she thought it might be all Luke could do to walk past her door and climb those stairs each night.

Luke and Hannah didn’t discuss their thoughts or feelings, but both felt and knew the time was coming when they were going to have to deal with each other in a more serious and quite possibly life-changing way. They both began to search for some time and space just for the two of them, because there was no way they could continue to live in the same house as they now were.