A Most Unusual Girl Pt. 01

"If you and Carl are able to stop over one evening soon, I have a gift for you. By the way, why are you here and not on patrol?"

"Had to bring some dipshit here to sober up, he was pissing in the fountain at the mall, the asshole puked all over my squad. Is tonight too soon, Carl usually takes me out for an ice cream sundae when we finish a shift on the same day. I get off at four, he's off at three, we could stop by your house about six."

"That would be okay. If I'm not overstepping my bounds the two of you are welcome to bring your suits for a swim. I'll do some brats on the grill, I have cold beer and I think there's a bottle of wine in the spare fridge. I'm not much of a wine drinker, if there's something special you prefer, you'll need to grab it on the way."

"That sounds great, if you don't hear from me, we'll be there at six. You got somewhere to change, or should we wear suits?"

"The guest bedroom has an attached bathroom, that should work."

"Sounds great Luke, see you at six if Carl doesn't have other plans."

Sydney and the girls spent the entire hour allotted for their visit, the girls were so happy to see their mama, especially since she'd be home in two weeks. It was just after three, I asked Syd if it was okay to take the girls for a sundae at Culvers, a place new to the Pace area and a place they'd never been. Their little faces were full of ice cream by the time they were finished with their kid size sundaes, it was fun to be around such innocence. After dropping them at home I drove the few hundred yards to my house, dug the brats out of the freezer, tossed them in a sink full of cold water and waited as they defrosted. I ran to Publix for some brat buns and chips, not knowing what they liked I got three or four bags of assorted chips.

At five fifty their truck pulled in, Carl led the way, shaking my hand and thanking me for the invite. Carl is an easy six one or two, stocky build, has one of those chiseled kind of faces and a perpetual smile. Miriam, well to be honest, I wasn't ready for what greeted me. Up until now I'd only seen her with her hair back in a bun, her body covered by a vest beneath her shirt, the solid slacks with a stripe down the side, her utility belt and pistol, topped off with some of the most unflattering footwear I'd ever seen. Today however was an entirely different Miriam.

Her long brown hair was loose and cascaded down her back, the t-shirt she wore wasn't provocative, but it did reveal a set of nicely sized knockers tightly contained within a sturdy looking bra. The shirt wasn't transparent but I could make out the impression of the lace across the cups through the shirt. The yellow shorts she wore were neither tight nor baggy, they hugged her frame nicely without exposing every nook and cranny of her nether region, they both looked fit and content with themselves. They changed right away, him in a common baggy set of trunks, she in a conservative two piece that accentuated her curves without exposing an untoward amount of skin. I noticed an errant pube hair on the leg opening and surmised she didn't shave.

They swam as I cooked and set the table, with the pool area screened in it was quite pleasant, no bugs, or leaves to get in the food. I was and wasn't surprised by Carl's appetite, he had three brats, two big helpings of chips and three beers. When I offered Miriam another beer she smiled and said no. One of them had to drive home.

I brought up kids, her answer was short, to the point and honest.

"We thought about it a lot at first. The more we considered it the more we realized we both enjoy being LEO's, it wouldn't be fair to children considering how erratic our shifts are. Besides, there's no guarantee you won't be in a pine box at the end of any given shift. Nah, it's better this way, we're okay with it."

Looking at me like a cop interviewing a suspect she leaned forward, her face a foot from mine.

"Okay mister Luke whatever your last name is, you said you have a gift for me. Time to pony up buddy."

"Last name is Cantrell." I was smiling and chuckling to myself as I walked to my office, I liked these people. Returning with a small box, a ribbon wrapped around it I handed it to her, a quizzical look flushed across her face.

Carl prodded her on, "Well go on, open it."

She kept giving me furtive glances as she untied the bow, when she lifted the cover she squealed and threw herself against me, arms around my neck thanking me over and over. As she sat back, I caught her attention.

"They're signed first editions of 39 and 40, not worth much monetarily, but also very rare. I typically don't sign more than fifty copies of any book, new or old and only to certain individuals whom have helped me along the way. I hope you enjoy them, when you've read those, I know somebody who can probably get you the remaining six in print, and maybe number forty-seven once I'm finished with The Aristocrat."

The tears flowed, followed with nose blowing and blubbering about how thankful she was. I looked at Carl, he was all smiles with a thumb's up sign. Then he spoke with a laugh.

"You're slick Luke, slick. You've made my wife a happy woman, and you know what they say, *happy wife, happy life*. She may have gotten the books, but I'll get the reward in our bedroom later tonight."

She slapped his arm, "Carl, shut the F up, he doesn't need to hear about how often you get laid. Men, what the hell is wrong with you?"

The evening was wrapping up when Miriam suddenly got serious.

"Luke, you know Joann, the mom of the little girls you help. She's done nothing but talk about you since she met you, she's a sweet girl, no doubt, just be kind to her please, she doesn't need another guy crapping all over her. She isn't looking to nab someone for her girls from what I can tell, but she's always had a thing for white guys, who knows, maybe you'll be the mister right she's been looking for. That jumper suit we make them wear doesn't flatter her either, that gal has a nice figure. Don't be surprised when you see her in civvies."

They made their way to the truck and headed home, it was only eight thirty, still early. Walking into my office I hadn't intended to write much, as I was reading what I had already written the creative juices began to flow, it was 4:18 in the morning when I finally shut down my computer. I'd gotten two more chapters done and felt good about it. I woke around eleven, had a bite of breakfast and went back to the computer where I set about re-reading and editing the last four chapters I'd written, by the time I'd finished making corrections the juices were flowing again. Other than bathroom breaks and an occasional snack I stayed in front of the monitor until ten thirty that night. It had been two long tedious days, but they had been productive days.

Between writing and puttering around in my shop the next two weeks flew by. Joann was due to be picked up by Syd and the girls at noon on Sunday. The girls were used to drifting to my house with grams permission after school. I always had simple snacks and juices when they stopped in, or a popsicle on the hotter days. With their mama coming home they wanted to know if we could all do something together to celebrate her homecoming. Syd had gone on ahead once they reached my house knowing I'd watch out for them, I walked the girl's home around four and talked with Syd.

"The girls want to do something special for mom Sunday afternoon. They missed being with her Mother's Day, school will be out soon and summer upon us, do you have any ideas? I'm open to about everything as long as you're comfortable."

Syd stared at the floor a long time, then asked me in. I'd never been in the house before, to say it was sparsely adorned with furniture would be a kind statement. There was little more than a beat up kitchen table and some rickety chairs, a couch that looked like you'd hit the floor if you sat in it and a few older recliners that looked as though they'd been dragged from a junk pile. I could only imagine what they were sleeping on.

Syd finally spoke, "Mr. Luke, you been really nice to us and all, but I aint got no way to ever pay you back, maybe we should let it be."

"Not a chance Syd, what I do for you I do because I want to. I'm under no obligation, it's simply who I am. Now ... what can we do to help these girls celebrate their mama coming home?"

Syd smiled, "When I told her about the girls swimming in your pool she almost burst into tears, I could hear it in her voice, I know she would love to do that if you're okay with it."

"Okay Syd, how about I plan an afternoon at my house. You guys pick her up at noon, don't let her eat, take her home to change into a swimsuit, come to my house and we'll make a day of it. I'll cook some burgers, fry up some onions, I make killer baked beans and I'll grill some pear halves for dessert. Those are delicious. We'll eat, swim, snack, whatever they'd like to do. Let me know what kind of soft drink you all prefer and I'll make sure it's in stock."

It surprised me when she stepped forward and hugged my neck, holding on for fifteen or twenty seconds before stepping back.

Syd was beaming, "I like that, Jo will be excited when I tell her what we're doing after I pick her up, but I won't tell her until we're on the way home. You know Luke, I aint ever had very good dealings with white folks, but you're erasing that image real fast. My little girl is gonna like you, she has always preferred white boys, please don't lead her on and break her heart. She's had enough of that already."

"Well if she's as pretty as everybody tells me she is I can't promise I won't take an interest in her, what I can promise is that I won't lead her on and hurt her."

Saturday I stayed busy making sure the lawn, pool, and outdoors were all they should be for our guest. I wanted to impress without being openly blatant about it. I vacuumed the house, dusted, something I hadn't done in weeks, went to the store for some ground chuck and other items needed for Sunday. Once I was home I made up the beef patties and put them in a container for the fridge, then started on my cheater beans. I call them cheater beans because I don't bake them from scratch, when it's short notice like this I use canned pork and beans and doctor them up.

I fried up a pound of bacon and moved it to a cutting board, poured the chopped onions into the bacon grease and let them brown. I opened two large cans of beans into a larger Corning Ware porcelain baking dish, added some brown sugar, then the chopped up bacon and last but not least, the very thing that made them so good, I emptied the bacon grease and onions into the mix. I gave them a stir and tossed them in the oven for an hour and a half at 325. All I'd need to do Sunday is bake them long enough to heat them thoroughly and serve.

That evening I remembered where my mom's recipe for cherry bars was, checked to make sure I had all the ingredients and set about making them. By the time I was done and all was cleaned up it was after ten, time to hit the sack. I watched from the yard as Sydney and the girls drove by on their way to the jail, waving and smiling, excited to be bringing their mama home. It was a warm day with a nice breeze coming off the gulf, I was sitting on the front porch nursing a beer when they drove by on the way home, Sydney honking the horn and the girls waving. I noticed Joann hadn't waved, she looked at me intently but showed no other emotions.

With the beans in the oven and the burgers ready for the grill I went back to the porch, a half hour later I could hear the little voices as they permeated the quietness of our neighborhood. Strolling behind them was Sydney along with a taller slender woman with long soft curly hair, a pair of sunglasses and a sarong wrapped around her lower half, from a distance she appeared to have a lovely figure. As they got closer it was obvious her breasts fit the shape of her body quite well, I estimated a solid B or a smaller C, jiggling a bit in her bikini top as she walked.

Trina and Tracy ran to me for a hug and climbed on my lap as they normally did. As Sydney and Joann walked across the lawn, I could see that Joann wasn't very pleased with the girls showing me so much attention. When they were closer, I put the girls down, stood and extended my hand to Joann.

"Hi, I'm Luke, it's a pleasure to finally meet their mama. And they were right, their mama is a pretty lady."

Her handshake was pleasantly firm without being overboard, so many women just stick a soft lifeless stub at the end of their arm out for a handshake, how she shook my hand told me about her before she'd said a word.

"Mr. Luke, nice to see you again, this time in different attire. Mama and the girls talk about you a lot. I hope we can be friends and good neighbors."

"I have fresh towels ready for after we swim, the girls water wings are waiting and I see you're all in your suits so let's get wet."

I jumped in with them initially, then got out to start on lunch once everyone was comfortable and familiar with their surroundings. The burgers were on the grill, buns toasting on the upper rack and the beans were ready to be eaten. Sydney asked if I was doing pears as well, I looked at her with surprise.

"Oh my gosh, that's right, I was going to grill pears. I made some cherry bars last night, hopefully you'll like them as much as you would have the pears. Tell you what, next time it'll be pears for sure."

I called out that the burgers were about five minutes from done for those who liked them medium well, if so, it might be time to leave the pool and dry off. Jo helped the girls move from the pool and get them wrapped in towels, I noticed her suit clinging to her skin as she exited the pool, the little bulge at the V of her suit told me she had a nice mound, I loved the way it was pushing against her suit. As she bent helping the girls her breasts swung gently in the cups of her suit, there wasn't enough exposed to show the nipples, but I was able to see a fair amount of breast none the less. When she turned away, I looked at her ass and loved what I saw, it was like looking at Crystal in a different color skin.

I keep a smaller picnic table inside the lanai which I had set and waiting as I put the plate of burgers in front of my guests. Jo went about getting the girls plates ready, garnishing one burger and cutting it in half, things a mom knows that I didn't think of. We enjoyed our time with a minimum of conversation. Both Joann and Syd commented on how they liked the flavor of the beans, it made me smile, cheater beans had done it again.

Following clean-up, which both ladies insisted they help with, we jumped back in the pool for a half hour or more, the girls remained playing while the adults exited and retreated to the lounge chairs keeping an eye on the girls. Syd and I conversed more than Joann and me, mostly about her home and family in Mississippi. By three o'clock the girls were like prunes and waterlogged, mama got them dried and went inside to change them, Syd and I waited on the front porch sipping an Arnold Palmer. I watched as they walked down the road, Joann's hips seemed to be a bit more exaggerated than I remembered, was she actually flirting with me indirectly?

Washing dishes and putting away the remainder of the cherry bars which everyone loved and devoured with gusto I got to thinking how pretty I found Joann to be. Her long slender body, soft hair done up in ringlets, perfectly symmetrical face with dark mysterious eyes and full lips, a long torso accentuated by lovely firm breasts, a smaller waist that flared out into a love cradle, her hips. I could see myself laying between them being kept in the saddle as I rocked my dick in and out of what I was sure was a sweet pussy. The long legs ending at an apex with a protruding mons and what seemed to me a pussy with no bush, don't misunderstand, I like them both ways. Yes, I found her attractive.

I was in the office trying to get more thoughts on paper with little success when I saw her walking down the road, then turn into my driveway headed toward the house. By the time she had reached the door I had it open inviting her inside. She was hesitant then spoke.

"How do I know you aren't some kind of rapist or something. You hear about that stuff all the time on the news."

"Well Joann, you don't, you'll have to trust your instincts. Are you coming in or should I come outside so I don't lose all of my cool air?"

She reached for the screen door as I stepped back to let her by. I asked if she'd like a drink, she replied *a beer* if I had one. I invited her into the room I most frequented, the one I called the TV room, I seldom sat in the living room. It was my office or the TV room for the most part.

She started the conversation, "So, Luke. Is it okay if I call you Luke instead of Mr. Luke?" I nodded. "What's with you wanting to help mom and the girls, what are you expecting in return?"

"I'm expecting nothing beyond friendship, it's the way I was raised. If I can help, I want to."

"What about the car, that had to cost a pretty penny, surely you expect something in return."

"Okay Jo, since you're pressing there is something I'd like."

She frowned as she threw her hands up, "I knew it, I knew you were full of shit, just like my asshole boyfriend was."

"Here's what I want in return. This and nothing more. I want you to stay clean and raise your little girls with no more stints in jail."

"That's it? No sex, no midnights with me in bed suckin your dick? Just me staying clean, that's hard to believe."

"I won't pretend I don't find you attractive and if the opportunity arises where I might take you out I would love that, but I'm not gonna jump your bones or try and extract sexual favors because I helped you. If I wanted to, I could have my pick of many willing women, I've chosen not to live that lifestyle. I was married once to someone who wanted another man more than me, now I'm waiting for the right woman to come into my life."

"You can forget about a date with me. I've had enough of white boys it'll be black men from here on out. If I date at all. As for staying clean, that won't be an issue, I'm never going back to that life again, I nearly lost my girls over that stupidity."

I was disappointed to hear her answer, "Thank you for being honest, at least I know where I stand."

"Don't get me wrong Luke, you're handsome as hell, my granny would have called you a panty dropper. It's just that I've always had white boyfriends and each one was a disaster. I'm gonna try going black and see where that leads, maybe I'll find a guy who'll take Trina and Tracy as their own, although that's not likely."

"If it doesn't work out Joann, please keep me in mind, I'd be flattered to have a beautiful lady like you on my arm. Oh, as for someone taking the girls as their own ... that guy is out there, don't give up hope. My offer to help is still active, anything, and I mean anything you need you let me know. If I can help I will."

She stood to go, I walked her to the door and bid her goodnight. I was conflicted, on one hand I wanted the dating thing to work out for her, on the other hand I didn't hoping I might get a chance to be with her. I'm not one for love at first sight, but this was a close second and I wouldn't fight it if the opportunity arose.

I continued with my book and watched as one car after another drove to Joann's house over the course of the next two months, several returning within an hour. I hadn't seen a car go to her house in days when out of the blue a brown Escalade made its way toward her house, ten minutes later it was headed away from our neighborhood. I'd gone to bed before I ever saw it come back but saw Jo and the girls walking the next morning, I walked out to greet them. She was pretty sure mister right had taken her out the night before, he had pushed for sex, but she hadn't relinquished. I noticed the Escalade on three more occasions and then nothing.