A Romance Slowly Sets Sail

"Why didn't your dad discuss this with me."

"Because I brought it up last night, pushing for your retention."

"You want me to stay?"

Dyan felt her face color. "For the company yes; for me personally add a big yes."

"Well the idea appeals."

"You'd have responsibility for sales and administration, planning and new ideas."

Bernie smiled and said he liked that last bit and what would be Dyan's responsibility.

"Production, from securing materials through to distribution."

"Where would your office be?"

"Alongside yours. The replacement plant manager's office would be overlooking the floor of the plant."

Bernie grinned.

When that discussion finished Dyan said, "I suggest we go away for a long weekend to get to know one another better. Also dad said to tell you he's commissioned the work you recommended by done on the boat plus what the boat-builder suggested. She is to be fitted with two near-new turbo diesels taken from a bigger boat because the owner had decided to down-power for more economical performance."

"I hope he had them checked out carefully?"

"Yes and they will remain under guarantee, with thirteen months of a 24-month guarantee left to run."

"Excellent."

"Ohmigod, here comes mom and that's not dad she's with."

Dyan called over the waitress and paid cash. They left via the other side of a room dividing screen.

"Is that Leigh being a naughty girl?"

Looking sheepish, Dyan said she was not prepared to pass judgment.

* * *

Each evening after work and on Saturday afternoons, Perry went to inspect progress on the boat, believing that kept pressure on the guys at the yard to finish on time. On most occasions Bernie accompanied him and they would stay for a beer with the guys. Through that Bernie and Perry became very close and finally Perry said, "What have you decided about staying on here after you finish your contract?"

"I've decided to serious consider the offer but please don't mention that to anyone, especially your wife and daughter. As you know Dyan and I are going away this weekend to stay with my parents."

"Oh yeah, well don't get your clothes covered with cow shit and remember Dyan's never been on a ranch let alone ridden a horse."

"My folk's cowhands round up cattle on quad bikes and carry dogs on the trays."

"God where had the glamour of herding with real cowboys gone?"

Bernie smiled and shook his head. "Perry I seem to recollect that when I was a boy cowboys got all-found and about three hundred bucks a month and had to be out in all weather at all hours at times. The glamour associated with cowboys was generated well away from the ranches."

"Yeah, I suppose so. We like our myths don't we? Well I want you aboard son and I want you married to my girl."

"Aw take it easy Perry. That sounds like putting a noose round my neck."

"If she's a good-looker I'll have her," said the cabinetmaker. "My one is losing her looks and running to fat."

"You keep your dirty mind off my daughter Alf and concentrate instead on my new galley."

* * *

It was only a three-hour flight to meet the parents, plus an hour's drive of just over two hours to get to the ranch. As soon as they were seated on the airplane Dyan asked, "What will your parents think of me?"

Her voice sounded a little shaky so he decided not to tease.

"Mom will think you are lovely and well-mannered, so please watch your language. Dad will think you are a high-powered business woman and your skirt and dress lengths are too high."

"Ohmigod, I haven't brought any longer stuff. Oh I know I'll wear jeans all the time."

"Dad doesn't like women in pants."

"Bernie, if I find you are teasing me I'll squeeze them until they turn purple."

"She means my fingers," Bernie said to the elderly woman seated next to him and he heard Dyan groan in embarrassment. When Dyan had the first sip of her drink he asked, "Relaxed."

"Yes. I've decided to just be myself and not worry about what your parents think of me. It's not as if they are expecting you to marry me is it?"

There was no reply so Dyan said, "Bernie?"

"He finished his beer, slowly, and asked Dyan did they get a meal on this flight.

"I am waiting for you to reply to my question."

"Um mom probably thinks this is why you are coming to visit."

"But why would she think that?"

"Because I've never brought a girl home since college days."

"Oh Jesus Bernie; you could have told me."

"Um sorry."

Dyan gave him a dark look. "It's okay mutt-head; I have decided to be myself."

The woman alongside Bernie dug him in the ribs and said, "Young man I think you should teach your young woman not to speak so coarsely."

"Yes ma'am," he said and heard Dyan growl, "Oh Jesus. I'm being persecuted."

Bernie's mom and dad and his two brothers, Caleb a pastor and Luke who managed the ranch, met them at the airport.

As they approached them and Bernie had said there were his mom and dad and brothers, Dyan hissed, "You didn't tell me you had brothers."

"Oh didn't I? I also have a sister who is a missionary in New Guinea."

That should have warned Dyan that Bernie must have had reasons for not confiding that information before but she whispered fiercely she'd talk to him later.

Dyan was ignored as his family greeted him, rather formerly and at some distance, the furious Dyan observed. And then she observed more: the father looked stooped as if he wouldn't be able to lift a box of groceries let alone a kicking calf; the mother was wearing a long granny print dress, her hair was tied back severely and she was devoid of make-up apart from a smear of lipstick. Further, the farm manager was lean like his dad and the clergyman was pasty-faced and overly fat. God what a bunch of misfits.

"Folk I'd like you to meet Miss Taylor."

"Good afternoon Miss Taylor," the family chorused without emotion. They now stared at Dyan curiously.

Dyan wondered if there was still time to get back on the airplane. It was a through-flight but then she heard it thunder down the runway. Oh god, would she ever come out of this uncontaminated? Contaminated with what? She didn't know but thought it was would tainted with religion. She smiled in response to the chorus of greetings.

"You'll wear longer dresses in my house," said the mother, gently but firmly and without smiling.

"Pardon my but this is my choice of dress length. Accept it or otherwise you reject me ma'am."

Dyan was ready to strangle the bitch. The air around them appeared electrified but she knew that was only her imagination. The rest of the family inspected their shoes but the rancher son said, "She can stay with Sue and me."

"Very well."

The father said rudely, "And wear less make-up when you are around us."

That did it. Dyan cut lose. "Are you aware I'm fucking your son and brother?"

Poor Bernie appeared to be looking for a hole to hide. Dyan's blood was racing as she stood firm, wanting her showdown here on the prairie, er inside the airport terminal. But she was astonished. The family just looked at her and the pastor guy actually displayed a shadow of a grin.

The rancher son said gravely, "My Sue displayed similar hostility when she first met my family except for Bernie who acted protectively towards her.

Oh good old Bernie, Dyan gritted, thinking she'd befriend Sue and then run away with her.

They was a lull as their bags were put into the 7-seat SUV. Dyan whispered to Bernie, "I'm going to murder you" but he mumbled, "You never would have come here had I attempted to paint this picture."

"Too fucking right," she hissed.

"A guy can be responsible for his family only to a point."

She fumed how the fuck could she answer that and was told to watch her mouth. "Bad language round these parts can be a hanging offence."

Dyan felt blood drain from her face despite being hugely suspicious Bernie was lying.

They traveled mostly in silence apart from unanswered declarations including, "The wind had dropped" and "Looks like rain but maybe not" and "There's talk that beef prices might rise up to two cents a pound."

Oh god. "Could someone turn the stereo on," Dyan pleaded.

The son the rancher said, "Sorry Miss Taylor but heathen music and the obscenities and disobedience distributed via the airwaves are not for us. We are without radio in our vehicles and without radio and television in our homes."

Aghast Dyan said, "So what do you do for entertainment?"

"We talk, sing and pray."

Dyan slumped back into her seat, tears flowing and knowing she was already a broken woman except a slight miracle occurred: Bernie reached out and pulled her against him. The mother who was driving looked into the rear mirror and said, "Take your hands off that woman Bernie."

"Shut up mom."

"Please do not talk to me like that."

"Then don't be a bitch. You have no right to interfere in the way Dyan and I behave."

There was silence.

"And if you don't like that stop and let us out. We'll hitch a ride back to the airport."

The vehicle accelerated forward.

Dyan reached down and squeezed Bernie's right thigh appreciatively. He grinned and removed her hand. The clergyman brother sitting alongside Bernie leaned forward and said, "So your name is Diane. I guess that's with an 'i' and one 'n'?"

"It's spelt D-y-a-n."

"Oh how pretty. My name is Caleb, brother of the black sheep of the family."

"Oh what is your older brother guilty of?"

Caleb smiled. "I meant my young brother Bernie. He spurned our traditional way of living and spiritual beliefs and ran off to the city."

Bernie cut in: "Actually I mostly walked/ Because of my funny dark suit and side-whiskers on a half-drunk truck driver stopped to give me a lift."

"Mom said he'd come crawling home on his belly next day but that was sixteen years ago when he was eighteen. This is the first time Bernie I mean Brahim has been back here with us."

"Why ever would he come back?"

"Good question and we await the answer. I think it is to show us what a wonderful woman he has found."

"You have to be joking," Dyan laughed. "I speak coarsely, I raged at times and throw the dummy and I just love to fuck."

Dyan felt Bernie shift nervously as if wanting to climb into the space behind them.

"You misunderstand," Caleb smiled. "I meant your intelligence, your awareness of your purpose in life, perhaps you have demonstrated your preparedness to stand by your family which means you are family-oriented and will also stick by your man, You will have exhibited compassion and tenderness to him and probably Bernie has at last had his wanton propensity towards sexual intercourse fulfilled."

Dyan slumped back into her seat, her mouth stuck open.

They traveled along in silence.

Thank god it was only 120 miles from the airport and not the 200 Bernie had mentioned. Dyan had the feeling the oppressiveness of being in that vehicle had been slowly suffocating her. But when she got out she felt like reaching over and kissing Caleb. But with the eagle-eyed mother watching she just turned slightly and gave him a huge wink and she caught the faint smile.

They stood with the bags watching the vehicle continue on and the rancher's son said with a little bit more life to his voice, "Dyan I'm Luke."

"Oh hi Luke. May I kiss you now your mother has gone."

"Yes," he said simply turning a cheek.

"Has that bitch gone," called a female and Luke smiled and said, "Yes Sue. Come out of hiding. We have two guests."

Dyan's mouth was hanging open again. Out of the house came a young woman carrying a baby and with three shy children in tow. She wore lipstick and her skin was perfect, her hair long and blonde. She was quite the prettiest woman Dyan had seen for a long time.

Sue's mouth fell open. "Oh Christ, a woman to stay with me. Thank the lord or you handsome man, the black sheep son Bernie. Kiss me but don't go for my breasts, they leak easily.

"Sue," Luke said shuffling.

"Oh sorry darling. I was misbehaving to show your brother that after seven years my spirit remains intact and I remain 'the Devil's daughter' as your mother still calls me."

"I-I apologize for this intrusion but your m-mother-in-law took exception to my dress length."

"Oh and she didn't say anything about you exposing all that tit?"

"Sue."

"Oh you must excuse Luke miss. He remains eighty percent under his mother's oppressive influence and she has her husband's devout support."

"I'm Dyan."

"Oh hi Dyan. A kiss please. This wee one is Kelly, next in line is Megan, and the twin boys are Harry and Tyler."

"Megan said "Hi" and smiled and the boys said "Hi" and ducked behind their mom.

"We often have guests but usually males and sometimes an older woman but never in all my years here have I had a younger woman to stay but of course I make sure that happens when I take the kids home for a break."

"You are allowed out of here?"

Sue grinned. "You have a wicked tongue Dyan and it doesn't surprise me the Renegade found you. Bernie you had guts walking out of here. Your mom has awesome power over your brothers, your father and everyone else on the ranch."

"Blame Mr Lyons, our senior master at our school who in answer to my enquiring mind exposed me to the philosophy of liberty and democracy and that led to discussion about personal freedom. Whether of not he knew it his elder daughter, a couple of years my senior, taught me her version of sexual copulation."

"Oh you lucky boy. I always believed the youngest of any family usually gets the best education. Come in guys. Tonight we party. Go into town and buy liquor Luke?

"But darling."

"Luke!"

"I'm on my way. Come on boys."

"Just red wine for us thanks Luke," Dyan smiled.

Twice during the three-day stay Dyan came within a hundred yards of Bernie's mother. She waved but the only response from the mother was a stare. However she had a wonderful time with Sue and by the time she left the ranch they were acting like sisters.

On their last night Caleb, who lived with his parents, came over for dinner and said, "Where's the wine?"

Guiltily Luke brought out a bottle and when Caleb poured half a glass for himself he looked at Luke. "Come on, just half a glass to show there's at least a flicker of defiance in you to oppression."

Luke poured and sipped away as if he could get to like evil liquor, at least wine.

Before driving the visitors to the airport next morning Sue took the boys to school and showed the visitors around. It was a private three-classroom school funded totally by the Bader Ranch and these days operated entirely under the federal school system. The twins kissed the visitors and their mother goodbye and scampered off, obviously happy to be at school.

The two women stood silently before getting back into the vehicle, watching Bernie who'd turned to look back at the school and was lost in thought.

He returned to the vehicle looking pensive until Sue said, "We have time to drop in and said hi to my parents and then call on your old teacher Mr Lyons, now retired. He lives on the way to the airport and is a member of the school board.

Bernie kissed his startled sister-in-law passionately while Dyan, in the back seat with the sleeping Kelly and Megan, said, "Don't be so rough darling. You don't want Sue expressing milk."

Bernie kissed above both nipples and Sue ruffled his hair and said, "Ah you are just like Luke with a bit of devil in you."

Surprised, Bernie said, "You don't mean our Luke?"

"Oh I do. You don't think a girl like me would marry an abstinence religious freak do you? Not only the size of his dick caught my attention but he slammed into me like no one had ever done and I like my sex rough."

Bernie rolled against his door in near hysterics. "God, that sly old dog. He always appeared pious. How did you meet him?"

"At a bible study camp his mom insisted he attend against his wishes. I was partnered with him and thought I'd cheer him up with a little diversion."

At the airport there were tears, although Bernie's weren't all that apparent. Just as they were about to part Dyan handed Sue an envelope.

"What's this?"

"It's $2000 from Bernie and me darling to use as your wish. But we'd like you two and the children to dress up in city clothes and come and visit us for a few days. My parents have a large house with a guest wing and would love you staying there and we can go out in the lake in dad's boat."

"God all this money. I only get a hundred a month from Martha to spend on the kids and myself."

"Well your mother-in-law will know all about economic enslavement darling. You decide how you use the money. I just hope to see you again because I'll never come back here again, not while she and Jed are alive."

"Ohmigod, I love you Dyan and you two Bernie. I can't imagine not seeing you two again."

"Then make sure that doesn't happen," Bernie said kissing her and took Kelly from Dyan so she could hug their hostess.

As the aircraft took off Dyan said, "Ohmigod you took me there simply to show me what growing up was like for you."

"Of course, what other reason would there be?"

Dyan sat quietly until the drinks trolley came reflecting on that comment.

CHAPTER 3

The first morning back at work after visiting the ranch, Bernie called Perry to arrange lunch but Bernie was committed to attending his Rotary Club meeting. They arranged lunch the next day and went to The City Club where Perry was a member.

They drank beer at a window table overlooking the river and from the position they were in could see the lake in the distance.

"Are you available for the launching of the boat on Friday week and come out on her for a champagne dinner, bringing Dyan with you?"

"Yeah count us in."

"They had her in the water Saturday afternoon to test the engines but she's back on the hard for fit-out to be completed."

"What did Harry say about performance?"

The engines are running beautifully. He reckons optimum cruising speed is between 19 and 21 mph and she's okay to 30 mph without two much noise and vibration but left it at that."

"Is that what you wanted?"

"One of the fastest motor yachts on the lake? Yeah, that was the plan and you knew that. The more economic way would have been to go with a single engine burning less fuel."

"Yeah there's a price to pay for speed isn't there?"

"Yeah. I'm a happy man. Now what is this you want to talk to me about?"

"It's about the proposal Dyan put to me. I believe Dyan is thinking about marrying me."

"She hasn't said anything to me or to my knowledge to her mother."

"Well I reckon if I go she'll decided to go with me. We haven't proposed that of course."

"Jesus. Are you negotiating?"

"Yes, not to rob you but for your to consider what we are truly worth under the proposed plan of becoming same-status vice-presidents."

Pulling out a piece of paper Perry said, "I've fixed your starting salaries at Dyan's salary plus twenty percent, an upgrade in cars, a company credit card with no limit on legitimate business expenses and identical medical and retirement plans. Take a look."

"Appears okay to me. I note the bonus formula needs to be worked out."

"Yes. Tell me this is on and I'll get that under way."

"What does Dyan think of this proposal?"

"I put it too her tonight with your comments."

"Well tell her I find the proposal very agreeable and would love working alongside her."

"I can't believe you have tamed her so much. I haven't heard her cussing these last two days."

"Well she's just had a big shake up about people, visiting my parent's ranch. You may see ever more change, like being grateful for what she has here."

Perry laughed and said that would be a change.

* * *

Dyan and Bernie set out together on the boat on Friday night to spend overnight on the lake. Perry and Leigh would drive to Cecil Landing to be picked up round midday to join them for lunch.