A Red Leaf & Ten Orchids Ch. 16

She ran back to the booth, sliding in beside Bart. A short while later, they were outside, as Bart showed an admiring Consuela his truck before they walked around back to look at her Nova. An hour after that, Josh was riding back to the ranch.

The next evening, Josh stopped by the cantina. Rita grinned at him. Josh looked surprised. "What? Where's 'Suela? Do you think they hit it off?"

Rita laughed, and then whispered in his ear, "She's in heaven. This is the first time she's had to take a night off. They did a bit more than hit it off, honey. She said she's never been nailed to a bed that hard in her life!

She told me that she was too stiff to walk today. Bart's like a locomotive, and apparently –" she took his arm by the wrist, and held it up to his face. His eyes widened. "Who'd have ever guessed?" Josh chuckled, "I suddenly feel inadequate somehow" he said with a grin.

Rita laughed. "You know we're kind of petite, her and I, and he's, well, you know, a big man. They had a bit of trouble hooking up uh, physically, but once they did,...

He's afraid that his neighbors are going to complain about the noise" she giggled. "She told me that they sort of finished with her on top of him. I'm still having fun with the pictures in my head. When they couldn't do that anymore, she just lay down on top of him under his big arms, and went to sleep on his chest.

She told me to tell you that now she understands you a lot better."

Josh stood there uncomprehending, his eyebrows knitted together. "What do you mean?"

She laughed, "Well, now that she's been to bed with a bear..."

Rita giggled, "She's so happy! Josh, you're amazing. How did you DO that?"

Josh shrugged, "Just dumb luck. My bike broke down and Bart helped me out. The only thing that 'Suela didn't tell me about that truck was the license number. I mean when we drove to the bike shop to get a filter, I kind of clued in. That's the only Apache I've ever seen. While I was talking to Bart, we kind of became friends; he's very likeable.

And in the middle of the usual bullshit that us Neanderthals talk about, the subject of women came up – like THAT never happens – and out of the blue, he mentioned that he'd spotted your sister several times. He thought she was fascinating, but never thought he'd ever get a chance to meet her, and didn't think that she'd give him the time of day if he did. So since he wouldn't take my money as payment, I thought he'd let me buy him a beer, and of course I knew exactly where to go. I hope this works for them both."

Bart and Consuela were instantly inseparable, and were married a month later. She continued to run the cantina with Jose and Rita, and Bart's speed shop got off the ground without a backward glance. He had to hire several staff as business picked up, and the glossy ads that ran in custom car magazines all over the country featured his lovely wife with some of the shop's latest works.

On the weekends, they campaigned her Nova at drag strips all over the state, and as far away as Arizona, and California if Consuela could get away from the cantina. Bart drove the truck there and back and Consuela drove once the Nova was on the track.

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Joshua stood in the shower of the bunkhouse getting dust out of his pores that he and Jillian had ground in with their play earlier. He felt better than he had for a long time about that day in the village. He smiled and thought that he and Kayla seemed to be able to work out each other's demons and ghosts for each other. It felt as though they got along like they'd already been together for years by intuition, when they weren't second-guessing each other, and most important to them both, they already felt like a family together.

That was a strange and pleasant thought for him. He realized that they were actually proud of one another. And then there was Jillian, the little girl who'd had no parents, and suddenly had found that a new family was sprouting around her.

He smiled. She was such a blast, and had already figured out that life is a contact sport. Though at her age and size, she looked as delicate as a dandelion puff, but he was sure that she was tougher than any 8 year old boy that he ever knew, and he'd grudgingly added himself when he was at that age to the list. She had great coordination, excellent reflexes, and demon speed for a little kid.

Then again, with those magic genes of theirs, her little legs would probably reach her ears in a week and a half, and she'd be running with him down the road in the morning before long. He couldn't wait for that. He wondered what traditional male sports he could get her into just to rock somebody's establishment.

She'd only been in his life for a week and some, and he felt such pride in her. He wondered if she'd like fishing. He decided to get her a baseball glove to work on her eye-hand coordination. What was really satisfying to him was that she was rapidly gaining self-confidence. That was so good to see...

The shower curtain was suddenly pulled aside. She was giggling at him impishly.

"AHA!" She said triumphantly. "Now we're even! Now I get to see YOUR pink butt-"

Josh was trying to figure out what she was talking about. He looked down at her face as she began to look lower on him. The look of triumph faded, as her mouth fell open, and her eyebrows went up. He suddenly realized that this just might be the first look that she'd ever gotten at a naked male of any age. He had no idea, and certainly had no frame of reference.

"KAYL-..MOM!" And she was off, running out of the bathroom, and colliding with Kayla as she was walked by. Josh didn't know what would happen next, but this family life stuff sure appeared to have its moments for entertainment. He pulled the shower curtain closed and began to chuckle as he rinsed the soap off the back of his ears and neck.

"Jilly! I think you were spying on Joshua! That's not nice at all." Josh could swear from the sound of her voice that she was having a tough time keeping a straight face. Jillian was protesting her innocence, but Kayla reasoned out loud that if the bathroom door had been closed, and the shower curtains had been closed then it would have been impossible for her to have seen anything, unless of course she had been peeking again.

Peeking again? Josh wondered what that was about. Their voices came into the bathroom. "Anyway, since you seem to suddenly be that interested in your dad, I also seem to remember that you had gotten all dusty too from running around outside with him an-."

"I was waiting for him to finish so I could have a bath," Jillian said solemnly, "I guess I got tired of waiting."

That sounded a little sniffy, he thought.

Kayla gave Jillian a knowing smirk, "Well, Miss Pointy-Nose, since you're feeling nosy AND you're in such a hurry, why don't you just get in there with him, then?"

Kayla's hand appeared at the edge of the curtain. What was she doing? Josh couldn't believe this.

"No..." Jillian sounded aghast.

"We'd be saving water...." The curtains began to slide open.

"NOOO!!" Now she sounded terrified.

"You know, I ought to toss you in there with him just because you've been such a snoop. I could get your clothes washed at the same time, and you could tickle his feet."

"n-n-NO ...Is he ticklish?"

Kayla laughed, "Oh, NOW you're interested."

Josh shut the water off. Nobody was going to tickle his feet.

"Aww, I was having a lot of fun with this," Kayla protested.

Josh chuckled, "I know. But if it had gone on much longer, Jilly wouldn't have enough hot water for her bath, and by the time you got her fingernails pried off the doorframe to toss her into the shower with me, which by the way, I'd feel uncomfortable about, we'd still have run out. Never mind the effect on me. That would be the same as tossing a cat into a full bathtub. I'd have bled to death."

"Whew," breathed Jillian, "that was close."

Josh reached through the shower curtains to grab a towel. Jillian shrieked and fled out of the room. Kayla collapsed on the floor in laughter.

"What's that about? All she saw was my arm! She can't see my arm, now?" Josh was getting uncomfortable. "Look Kayla, maybe I ought to just use the shower in the loft from now on. She's obviously not ready to have me around."

Kayla smiled at him. "Give me a minute. I think her prank just didn't go the way that she wanted it to. Now she's just getting silly. Dry off, and put something on."

Jillian's voice sounded sad and reproachful from her room where she sat with a pillow to her face. "Stop laughing at me!"

Kayla got up and followed the moans. Josh began to towel off. He put the plug into the tub, and turned the water on for her bath as he heard Kayla's voice sounding conciliatory.

"You should stop freaking out all the time, Jilly. It's only a big deal if you make it one. If we're going to live together as a family, we're all going to have to adjust. Give him some space when he's in the bathroom, and he'll give you some too.

By the way, what did you think would happen if you saw him naked? Did your hair catch fire?" Kayla asked.

"No."

"Did your skin melt?"

"No."

"Did your eyeballs fall out?"

"No." Jillian giggled. Josh was in the bedroom pulling on a pair of jeans as Kayla led Jillian back to the bathroom.

"You shouldn't have opened the curtain with him in there. It's really not polite. He would never have done that to you. He's having to adjust to having a little girl in his life all of a sudden. That's very new to him just like it's new for you to have him around. He's the still same great guy that you've had fun with all day, just cleaner for once."

"Thanks." said Josh from the bedroom.

"It's just that he looks so...weird." she said.

"Thanks," said Josh.

Kayla chuckled, "Well I've seen him naked a couple of times, and I think he's kind of cute, actually.

Anyway Jilly, now you've made him feel bad, and he didn't do anything wrong. You started all of this. Don't do that again, ok? You're just going to have to get used to having him around here."

She helped Jillian undress and get into the tub. "Ok, so relax. I know he looks all weird and everything without his clothes, but he's your dad now. That's what you wanted was a dad, I remember, and pretty soon you're going to be stuck with him. He's ok, you know? I know he's still in training to be a father, but I think he'd be the best father that you could ever want. Don't forget this is strange for him too."

Jillian nodded a little uncertainly before Kayla went on, "You should apologize to him when you get out of the tub."

"No." Jillian said determinedly. She looked around and decided that there were enough bubbles and toys to keep her hidden. "I want to do it now. Jo- uh, Dad?"

Josh walked to the doorway with just his jeans on. He looked at Kayla who nodded.

"What, Jilly?" he said as he walked into the room.

"I'm sorry for peeking," Jilly said before she sighed, "and for freaking out."

He sat cross-legged on the floor by the tub. "It's ok, Peaches, I just felt bad for you. I know I'm not a very pretty sight. And you can call me either name, whatever you feel comfortable with. It's fine with me." he said.

She held on to the side of the tub facing him. "What are those?" she asked pointing to his chest.

"Just some scars. My skin got torn up, and when it healed, those marks were left." he said.

"Will they always be there?"

"Yes."

"Um... what was the other thing I saw?"

Kayla stepped up to the plate. "Jilly, I don't think any of us are ready for that talk yet."

She rolled her eyes, "I know he's not.

You and I can talk about that later. For now, since I guess you've never seen a boy before, it's just what all boys have. That's what they pee with."

"Ewww. I hate boys." She wrinkled the other prettiest nose he'd ever seen.

"I'll remind you that you said that one day." Josh grinned, as he started pushing a plastic boat around.

Kayla smiled at her. "I think he's trying get you to play with your bath toys. He's such a big kid." She rubbed the blonde stubble on his head.

Josh and Jillian got into pushing the toys around, and making noises, while Kayla sat on the toilet lid laughing at them until the water began to cool. She thought that they looked so good together.

It was such a strange thing. None of them had started out with each other, but they sure felt like they all belonged to one another anyway. They were becoming a family, and she felt very thankful for that.

She handed Josh a towel, and he did his best to inspect the ceiling while holding the towel open.

"What are you looking at, Josh? Jillian asked him.

"I'm looking at anything BUT you, Peaches" he said.

Kayla fished Jillian out of the tub. He wrapped her up in the towel loosely, and Kayla began to towel her off as she leaned into Josh and she hugged his neck tightly. He kept his gaze on the ceiling.

Kayla wrapped her up again before she ran out on the way to her room. "Thanks, Daddy!" she giggled.

Josh sat in amazement. He was always thrilled when she hugged him. It was the greatest feeling in the world to have her call him her dad. He didn't notice that she'd soaked him.

"You weren't actually going to put her in the shower with me, were you?" Josh asked as he stood up.

"No way." Kayla said quietly, "But I did want to introduce a possible consequence to her actions this one time. I also wanted to use the opportunity that she provided to get her to loosen up a little. She's learning from us that she's really wanted; that she's a part of us, and we don't want her to stay in the corner.

You go out of your way to include her. That's a huge thing for her," she said quietly, "Her father was always distant to her. That's why you as a male are such a strange new animal to her. I'm sure that you've already given her more human contact than he ever did.

For my part, you can keep it up because I can see her self-confidence growing by leaps and bounds in such a short time. There's nothing wrong with being shy, but I was afraid that she was becoming painfully shy because of me, and she had no father figure in her life to give her a safe spot to work outward from. By the way, you look like you peed all over yourself thanks to her hug" she smiled.

"That's ok, it'll dry quickly" he said.

"Let me get her ready for bed. Would you read to her again? She loves that."

Josh nodded, smiling. "I love that too."

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"So what's with Kayla? What did she tell you?" Rita asked, as they hit the outskirts.

"Check this out," Consuela said as she coaxed the dual carbs open with her foot. The rear tires chirped for a second, and they shot ahead, hitting the posted limit in a few seconds. Rita nodded her approval. "So? Did you hear anything?"

"No, all that she told me was that they had a problem that you and I could maybe help them with. I was afraid that something serious had happened, but she told me to relax, and that they just need our advice and maybe some help with something else. I don't know what to think. She told me nothing's wrong between them, so I'm relieved at that. What did she tell you?" Consuela asked, the bright plastic bangles on her arm clattered as she removed her sunglasses as the sun hit the horizon.

"Same thing pretty much. I've been worried for them a bit too. They're just so perfect. I don't want anything to go wrong for them."

They swung out to pass a sleek black Jimmy pickup with a couple of imitation cowboys in it. The reaction was instant and the truck pulled alongside as the guy in the passenger seat lowered his window to try to convince them to stop – or ask where they were headed – or about a half-dozen other things which the wind took away as fast as he said them.

"Fuck." Consuela exclaimed as she reached to arm the nitrous system and open the exhaust dumps. The light on the dash came on, and she hit the pedal.

The Chevy roared as it wound out, and the guys suddenly found their jaws in their laps, breathing blue tire smoke as Consuela lifted her arm from the top edge of the door and extended a single finger. Rita laughed.

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They didn't get far into the book before Jillian faded out. She'd spent another day screaming around and she was tired out. Kayla stood admiring the two of them on the couch, Jillian's head was against his chest, and he had his arm around her. Kayla crouched down, and nudged the little girl. "Hey, Josh is going to put you in bed now, ok?"

Jillian nodded contentedly as Joshua carefully picked her up and carried her to her bed, where they both kissed her goodnight. They were about to walk out of the door as the girls pulled in.

Rita ran over to the man sitting at the porch table. He had turned around at their arrival, his back washed in the soft glow of a laptop screen. "So what's so urgent and important that you need our help? Have you both forgotten where to stick that thing already?"

Kayla began to laugh, and Josh cleared his throat. "Hi guys. Had your vision checked lately?

They spun around and stared. "Who? –"

Turning back, they saw the man stand up, as a very amused Rose emerged through the kitchen screen door with two more cups of tea.

Josh chuckled, "Rita Gonzales, and Consuela Smith, I'd like to introduce you to Jim Brisebois, my best friend."

The girls recovered quickly, but Rita's face felt a bit of heat from her blush. Jim walked off the porch and extended his had. "Joshua has told me a bit about you. I'm so glad to meet you both."

The introductions out of the way, Josh explained what Jim had come down for and Kayla related why she and Rose had been concerned about the possibility that Josh might have been recalled as they stepped onto the porch. Rose turned on the porch light, and the sisters stared at Jim.

"My God, Josh. You guys look like you're related. For a second, I thought that Josh looked suddenly bigger across the back and had shaved his head."

Rita laughed. "Hey, really, what was so all-fired important, anyway?" Josh looked at Kayla. She smiled, "Well, it's looking like I'm not going to be needing that old pistol anymore. Josh has asked Jim to be his best man, and –"

The twins literally lost their minds for a few seconds. "You're getting MARRIED?" 'OH MY GOD!"

They hugged Josh, and Kayla, and even Rose and Jim couldn't escape their joy and excitement. After several minutes, Jillian wandered over sleepily, and Rita even picked her up and hugged her too.

"We're sorry that we woke you, sweetheart. We just got carried away because you're going to be a family now. That's such good news." She kissed Jillian, and put her down so that Kayla could lead her back to bed. Rose led the way back to the porch.

When Rita returned, the twins smiled over at her. "So if you're getting married, what's the problem that you wouldn't mention?" Rita asked.

Josh shrugged, "I'd have thought that getting even a simple wedding together in a matter of a couple of days would be a problem."

"Pfft, no," Rita snorted, "We can handle it."

"Yeah," Consuela said with a soft look on her face as she stepped a little closer and turned Josh's head with her light touch on his chin, "We love you guys, but there's the other thing."

"What other thing?" Rita asked.

"This marks the end of an era," Consuela said solemnly and with just the right amount of wistfulness, "the passing of an age. Our Viking's getting hitched. I can't let that go by without something to mark it."

"Uh-uh," Margarita smirked, "No funeral pyres, Brunhilda, and no smashing of glasses either."

"How about a roast boar then? Give me about a half hour and a phone and I'll fill the joint with shieldmaidens." Consuela laughed, "C'mon Rita, Jesus where's your sense of ceremony?"