More straight talk

        “Do you want a long engagement or a short one?”

     He kissed her, “wanna get married now?”

     “How do you want to do our finances? Separate or joint?” She asked.

     “I assumed it would be joint. Isn’t that how most couples do it?” 

     “I guess that is tradition.”

     “How did you and Doug have it?”

     “Everything was separate. We were also business partners. It made it easier.”

     “Your house or mine?” He teased. 

     She pointed upwards, “you just?” She paused, “yours unless you want to move the barn?” She answered playfully.

     “Do you want to move all your security measures? Or get new ones?”

     “A little of both.” She curled her lip, “am I expected to get a respectable job to be the sheriffs wife?”

     Dillon stopped just staring at her. “What?”

      “You know people are going to say ugly things about what I do. Would it be easier for you if I got a regular 8 to 5?”

     He caressed her cheek, “let them talk.” Then kissed her.

 

     “Dillon, “ she sighed. “I’m not so much that girl you knew. Sometimes I wonder where she went. Other times,” she shrugged. 

     “I know I’m not the same little boy you left behind.”

     She smiled, “dad is so proud of you.”

     He blushed, “he’s told me a couple times.” There was a slight pause, “If I may ask, what kind of business did you two do?”

     “Doug is a computer genius. He could write software like you and I breathe. But he couldn’t sell it. That’s what I did. He could create and I would sell. A product isn’t any good if you can’t unload it. So we decided to split everything 50/50. He did his thing. I did mine. Everything was split. The bills and the income generated by his products. One day he announced that he was done. Burnt out. And I understood that. A friend more of his than mine, was talking him up about investing in this great start up. I was worried. He knew nothing about this new business. And I wanted no part of it. He liquidated everything he could get his hands on to invest. I started my little venture talking to people.”

     “How did it go?”

     “I have no idea. I was kept in the closet.” She smiled. Dillon knew she was trying to get past the hurt, making a joke like that. It stung him. “Wait just one minute sir,” he raised an eyebrow. “Am I living up stairs and you down, if I can do anything I want up there?”

     He laughed, “heavens no. You need office space. And whatever else you want.”

     “Just wondering,” she pouted.

     “I’m gonna wrap you in my arms every night you will let me.”

Sunshine Valley 

Serious talk

     A smile lit Dillon’s face when he saw Evie’s car in his driveway. He opened the front door to the wonderful smell of food. “Hello beautiful.” He wrapped her up in a hug. 

     “Hello handsome.”

     “A man could get used to this.”

     “Can we have a serious conversation about that?”

     They worked together to set the table. “Shore.” 

     “Tell me what you want?”

     “Point blank.” They sat down. 

     “I’m sorry. It’s a flaw I know. I function better with straight, honest, to the point information.”

     “What do you want?” He asked her back.

     “I’ve never been good at reading the room, so here goes.” She sighed, “the short answer, you.”

     It was all he could do not to jump out of his skin with joy. He held out his hand for her. She accepted, “you’re all I ever wanted.”

     “Dillon, I’m scared. Not of you. Doug is the only man I’ve ever been with. And I’m not saying you’re Doug. I can’t say that,” she paused. Her thoughts were running wild. Images flashed across her mind of all the e.r. visits, the bruises, the total blackness of being locked in the closet. 

     “That bitter liquid, is that what Doug fed you to keep you alive?”

     She looked up from their hands, “more or less. It worked. It was one of the few good things I got from him.”

     “Come with me.” He led her upstairs. The upstairs part of the house was completely empty. It contained 3 rooms and a bathroom. “When we get married, I want you to do whatever you want to up here.”

     She asked with a sheepish whisper, “when we get married?”

     “In 10 days or 10 years. I don’t care. Evie, all I know is that I want you in my life. The months since you’ve been home, they have been the most enjoyable,” he stopped. “Since dad’s funeral. We can work out all of our issues together. I work ungodly hours. That’s not going to be easy to adjust to.” They went back downstairs to eat. “What do you plan to do about church?”

     “Mrs. Ledbetter can have it. I might find me a new one.”

     “What about all your friends that go there?”

     “Will it hurt your reelection chances if I stop? Or move?”

     He dropped his fork, “what?” 

     “These are things you (we), she corrected, “need to think about. Everyone has an opinion about everything. Some people are more vocal about theirs. Your position is an elected one. Up until now, have you had the added stress of a female thrown into the mix?”

     “No.”

     “I don’t know if it’s a true depiction but when I go out, I feel like everyone is talking about me behind my back. Whispers in the aisle. Between the lettuce and tomatoes.”

     “I’m sorry you feel that way. Honestly, I don’t give a damn. Let them talk.”

     “But I do. What have you done other than try to be an upstanding human?”

     “Evelyn, you and I know the truth.”

     “For a moment, I forgot how hard small town life could be.”

     “Don’t let them steal your joy or your peace. You are giving them power that they don’t deserve. Take it away from them.”

      He was right. She was letting them live rent free in her mind. She was the one in agony while they flitted around on top of their pedestal. “I will try.”

     He kissed the top of her hand. 

Sunshine Valley

Waterfall

     Evie stretched, smiled, and played with her ring. When she patted Dillon’s side of the tarp, he wasn’t there. Coffee was perkin’ on the camp fire. A cup of coffee with steam still wafting from it was between them. She picked up the cup, sippin’, lazily strollin’ over to the waterfall. Dillon was taking a shower. She purred to herself, he was indeed a fine looking man. Should she just stand there and watch him or join him? Watching him was highly enjoyable. So, she sat on a nearby rock and watched, sippin’ dreamily at her coffee. 

     Did he know she was awake and was enjoying the show? A ping of pain raced through her, ‘don’t do anything. Treat him the way he treated you’! She looked down at the ring he had placed on her finger. 

     Dillon did his best not to jump when her warm hands slid around his waist. “Good mornin’. I was praying you would join me.”

     “I’m shocked the water isn’t as cold as I thought it would be.”

     “I might have something to do with that.” He teased. 

     “Do you want a long engagement or a short one?”

     He kissed her, “I’d marry you now if you want to.”

     They kissed and explored as they talked. 

     “How do you want to do our finances? Separate or joint?” She asked.

     “I assumed it would be joint. Isn’t that how most couples do it?” 

     “I guess that is tradition.”

     “Your house or mine?”

     “Yours, unless you want to move the barn?”

     “Am I expected to get a respectable job to be the sheriffs wife?”

     Dillon stopped just staring at her. “What?”

      “You know people are going to say ugly things about what I do. Would it be easier for you if I got a regular 8 to 5?”

     With a wet hand, he caressed her cheek, “let them talk.” He kissed her. She took matters into her hands. “We have the sexiest pillow talk.” He hissed, placing his chin on her shoulder as he melted with the water. 

     Evie woke with a start. Dillon was hunkered at the fire, pourin’ a cup of coffee. A look of concern filled his face, “you okay?” 

     She looked around patting her chest, “yeah.” She let out a long sigh, blushing, “I’m good.”

     “Promise?” He brought her a cup, sittin’ it next to her. 

     She took the warm cup, nuzzling it to her nose. “Thank you. I promise.” Leaning in, she kissed him, “I promise.”

Sunshine Valley

Hike

     Evie laughed as they sat down, “if we do this often, I’m gonna need a better pair of shoes.” She flopped her pack off her back, laying her head on it. 

     “We can do this as often as you’d like.”

     “I can’t believe you kept all this stuff. Aren’t the sleeping bags dry rotted by now?”

     “They still looked good when I packed them up.” He blushed.

     “Isn’t that cave around here? The one we hiked to on your 16th birthday?”

     He grinned, “yelp. Just over that ridge. If your feet aren’t killin’ you, thought we’d camp there.”  

     She opened her mouth with an O of surprise, “that’s why we didn’t bring a tent?”

     He just grinned.

     She was able to make it to the cave. It was cool and inviting. Even though the temperature outside was nice, this just had a different feel to it. They hiked back inside the cave to a waterfall. “WOW!” She sighed, “this hasn’t changed one bit.”

     “Do you think you will be okay in here?”

     She knew what he meant. A shy grin crawled across her lips, “I think so.”

     “You will tell me if you need to leave?”

     “Of course.” She touched his arm. 

     They worked together spreading a tarp, built a fire, and rolled out the sleeping bags on the tarp. She kicked her shoes off with a sigh. “Yes, must buy better shoes.” He put his shoes beside hers, laying his gun on top of them. “Do you pack a gun everywhere you go?”

     “It’s a habit at this point. Would you prefer I didn’t?” 

     “I’m confident in your skills.”

     A little stream flowed from the waterfall through the room created by the cave. They washed their dishes, had water to drink and for coffee. 

     With their stomachs full, Dillon closed the lantern. The waterfall had created a hole in the roof of the cave. Stars twinkled in the dark sky. They lay in the stillness of the night. The waterfall singing them toward sleep. 

     Dillon scooted closer to her, “why did you leave?”

     She got up to look at him through the light seeping through the hole. “Mom drilled lies in my head all my life. When you left to go to summer camp and didn’t write me, not knowing what I know now, she had me believing that you didn’t care. She had a bucking dying cow when dad let me go hiking with you for your birthday.” Evie took a deep breath. 

     “I saw you you know.”

     “Why didn’t you say something?”

     “I was too scared. That did things to me that,” he sucked air through his teeth. 

     “Coupled with all the lies she told me. In my adolescent mind, you didn’t care. If you cared or were interested, you would have made the first move. I felt so ashamed when I didn’t get a reaction out of you. As soon as I got my first acceptance letter, I ran toward it. When I came back for mom’s funeral, I was so focused on dad and taking care of that. Then when I came back for your dad’s funeral, I actually saw you again. For the first time since before you went to summer camp.”

     “Why didn’t you say anything?” He whispered. 

     “It’s tradition for the man to make the first move. Mom told me so.” She smirked.

    He rose up and kissed her. “I’m sure I have no idea what Lily said to you. I want you to know that the last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you.”

     “I know that now.” The light seeping through the hole highlighted her smile. “I know that now.”

     “I wanted so badly to be part of that waterfall.” He sighed.

Sunshine Valley

Still showing off

     Rebecca stretched, yawned, and smiled taking in the cool fall air. 

     Simon handed her a cup. “Well, I’ll be.” He drew her attention to the hot air balloon gliding over the little white house. 

     “Did you want to do it?” Rebecca asked softly. 

     “It is on my bucket list. Right now, we need to be preparing for winter when work isn’t plentiful for me.” He sighed. “You?”

     “No.” She looked up again. “Show off.” The silent morning was broken by what might have been someone shouting. “Do you think your high powered rifle would reach that?”

     Simon was stunned. She just didn’t say that. “That would be devastating.” He choked. 

     “Devastating for whom?” She walked back inside the house. 

     Simon followed her, “please help me understand what is happening here?”

     She smiled, flipping her hair. “Just voicing a thought.” She put her hand over her mouth. “Or should I sing it?”

     “What?” 

     She left the room. Simon was confused now more than ever.  

Sunshine Valley