One Old Man and a Barmaid Ch. 02

That is all it was to me at the time, anyway.

But that can cause stories, of course in a small town they got back to Bill in no time. He had turned to me, ready to fight.

Maybe it was my dropping him that did it, or perhaps the discussion outside with a couple of regulars in the bar that changed him back, I don't know.

Sober, Bill seemed to be a pretty nice guy, and an attentive father to his kids.

One day Bill called and asked if he could come out for a visit. It was off schedule but I didn't mind and neither did Kathy. He arrived with some toy balls and he and the kids played out in the yard until both of them began to show signs of needing a nap.

I was watching some show on the history channel when they came in. That was a bit different, Bill seldom actually came into the house. His visits were usually outside playing with his kids or they would take off to the ice cream shop or something like that. I noticed he had really slimmed down, got himself into better shape. I asked him if he wanted some tea, Kathy had some kind of black tea she made for me. At first she almost had to force me to drink the stuff but I got used to it and now I liked it.

I called out to her, asking if she could bring some. She came into the living room, not realizing Bill was standing there. All she had on was one of my T-shirts, obviously naked underneath.

"Oh, sorry." She said, quickly turning to leave. I thought that was funny considering they did have two kids together. Then I spotted the expression on Bill's face, he didn't like the idea of Kathy being partly dressed with me in the room one bit.

But hell, we were living together. So I knew there was an undercurrent of resentment going on.

Kathy came back out wearing jeans and a blouse, she poured us some tea, then left to get the kids to bed.

Bill sat down, took a sip and screwed up his face. I laughed, it was the same reaction I had had the first time.

"I don't know how you drink this stuff." He said, sitting the cup down carefully on a coaster.

My house now had those coasters on every coffee table, Kathy spent quite a bit of time training me to use them. But then my entire house was neat as a pin, everything was always where it should be.

"There are some things I want to know, Dan."

I just nodded.

"Kathy and I had two our kids together, and we did love each other."

"I figured that."

"We hooked up in high school, it always was just us, together for years."

I gave another nod.

"I really fucked things up, I got to drinking and one thing led to another. Then we were always fighting."

I took a sip of my tea, I had a feeling I knew where this was going.

"What I am saying is I know you have been real good to her, but I want my wife back."

"I can understand that, Kathy is a fine woman and deserves to be treated well. But she is also grown up, and she can make her own choices." I told him.

"Yes. I really messed up. But you have already lasted...." He realized what he was about to say and let the sentence break off.

"That's true, I have already lasted a year longer than they said I would." I took another sip of my tea.

"You guys sleep together, don't you? Kathy has never said, but I assumed...?"

I didn't answer him, I figured that was none of his business.

"I am going to ask her to come back to me." He told me flatly.

"Ask away." I told him.

"You won't mind?"

"That doesn't matter. Kathy can decide for herself."

He got up, damned if he didn't come over and shake my hand. I sat there thinking as I heard his car start and head off down my driveway.

There seemed to be several people waiting for me to die. That struck me as funny, I started laughing.

Kathy came in, looked at me still laughing.

"What's so funny?" She asked.

"Bill was telling me he still loves you. He actually asked my permission to talk to you about that."

"Oh. Yes, I know he does."

"Two kids together mean a lot, honey."

"I know that too. Bill has been nice lately, a lot like he was when we...."

"So what are you thinking?"

She came over and slid into my lap, let her fingers slip inside my shirt.

"I am thinking the kids are both asleep." She grinned, nuzzling my neck.

I guessed Bill would just have to wait his turn.

I also suspected there was trouble brewing.

Two weeks later I found out I was right. Kathy sat cuddled up with me on the couch, we were watching a chick flick on TV.

"Danny, I have something to tell you."

"Here it comes." I thought. Kathy would be better off back with Bill, they were both young and could have a lifetime together. It would be important to the kids, too, they would be better off. I had no idea how much time I had to offer her, I was already on borrowed time.

All of that had been in my mind for a few weeks now, anyway.

"What's that, honey?"

"I am pregnant."

Now that is something that just never crossed my mind. The last 40 years with Dotty it had not been a concern. I should have thought of that, I just didn't.

I pulled her close, hugged her.

"What are we going to do?" She asked.

"We have lots of room." I told her with a smile.

"Really? You aren't unhappy?"

"Quite the opposite, I am tickled pink!" I reached down and rubbed her stomach, still flat as a board.

"I guess my old cannon was loaded after all!" I wisecracked.

Kathy giggled, then snuggled up as close as she could get. I held her happily, hell, I was a bit proud of myself. Besides, now I really had a good reason to stick around.

"Plus now I have the perfect excuse to ask you something, Hon." I told her.

"What's that, Danny?" Her eyes were already damp, I think she knew.

"Will you marry this old coot?"

"Yep! Sure will!" She snuggled up even tighter, kissed me.

In the back of my mind I knew that there were some others that weren't going to be happy about that.