An American Relocates

"No I wouldn't have a problem with that. But why not sell the stuff to secondhand shops?"

"Jesus Terry, can you imagine how Loretta would react if she saw another woman wearing one of her mother's dresses?"

"Oh yeah," Terry said. "Loretta would probably strangle that innocent woman and strip the dress from the body. You're real brainy Harden."

In the guest bedroom Harden said, "Was this your wife's wedding dress?"

"Yes."

"Put it in the wardrobe along with a couple of dresses you remember as being Loretta's favorites and the jewelry stays on the dresser, all of it. Loretta might decide to wear it as it the items were heirlooms."

"Are you sure? I'm beginning to lose confidence in you."

"Are you wishing to steal your daughter's memories? She may decide to wear that wedding dress to her own wedding."

"I don't think so. She shows no interest in marriage. Well she had become a little dotty over you. Do you intend marrying her?"

"First things first Terry. I have yet to make up my mind about you."

Terry bellowed in laughter and told Harden he was all right, quite a guy.

"Where are the photos of your wife and your wife with your guys?"

"In the basement."

"Well tomorrow you get a selection of framed photos out of storage and hang them on the walls of the passage. Your wife is only dead Terry; there is no need to obliterate her. Loretta wants to remember her mom vividly and I'll suggest your first reaction in grief was to bury everything about that although I reckon your thinking like than changed some time ago."

Terry sniffed and dabbed a thumb and finger into the inner ends of his eyes and ran the thumb and finger down the side of his nose. "You are probably correct. Let's load the pickup and get this clean out over with."

"With this stuff mostly gone from the house other women may not feel like intruders when visiting here. It will no longer look like a dead woman's house."

"Yeah may be. Perhaps it's time for me to think about sinking a length into a woman."

"Now you're smoking Terry. Loretta will be delighted."

"Now you are fucking clawing at the impossible."

Harden grinned and said it appeared he already knew Loretta better than her father.

"Get away with you," Terry chuckled, grabbing an armful of clothes. "At the very least you are entertaining."

A couple of hours later the two men were in a restaurant looking at two large steaks.

"We did good this afternoon thanks to you pal," Terry said. "And it's a real pleasure having a meal with a guy without having greens dumped on the plate to half blot out the look of fries nestling against a juicy steak. Women just don't understand food."

Harden smiled, "You're right Terry. Another beer?"

From that day Terry began acting very much like a father-in-law to a guy who responded, well, much like a son-in-law. For four days there was no woman in the triangle but the two guys talked as if she was there with them but in another room or out shopping.

The day after the burial of his late wife's disposals, Terry phoned several people to set up a meeting with 'an experienced American 'marine pile-driving contactor', mentioning what he had in mind. He also called up his retired older brother, a formal naval hydrologist who agreed to come a thousand miles to spend a couple of days inspecting the washout area and to study data on river flows and upstream engineering works to counter erosion. Frank agreed to do that for the cost of return air tickets and to be hosted by Terry and to have any research expenses reimbursed. Frank said he'd arrive next day. Meanwhile under pressure from Terry, Harden visited Neville McEwan's yard to re-inspect the pile-driving equipment. It looked better than he remembered.

"I reckoned you'd be back so I had everything steam-cleaned, a bit of maintenance done and everything given a protective coat of oil."

"What so you can charge more for this useless stuff?"

"Fair go mate," Neville whined. "I'm entitled to get back what I paid, holding and maintenance expenses and to claw in a bit of profit. It may interest you to know your father-in-law called to warn if I attempted to chisel you he'd be over to sort me out."

"Terry's not my father-in-law."

"I know but his gorgeous Loretta who unofficially is my god-daughter needs a husband and Terry says she's infatuated with you and he figures you'll buckle under the pressure."

Harden was too smart to reject that statement amid business negotiations. The way Loretta was ignoring him indicated she had really gone cold on him and as the Kiwis say, he was dog tucker as far as she was concerned.

"Well yes the wedding is taken for granted by Terry and I guess with you being the unofficial godfather if the wedding does occur we'd have to add you to my attendants to partner the maid or matron of honor."

"Fair go?"

"Is the very least you'd expect isn't it?"

"Oh yeah, yeah pal. You two will breed great kids."

"Neville why is you status unofficial god-father?"

"I'm not married. Women spurn me because of my lifestyle. The regard me as bottom of the heap only just above rag and bone collectors, toilet cleaners and funeral directors."

"Do you have money?"

"More than you'll ever see in your lifetime young man."

"Then the maid of honor we pick must by a juicy woman who can cook, doesn't mind living in a junk yard and likes spending money."

"J-juicy?"

Looking around furtively, Harden looked back at Neville and whispered, "A babe who likes her sex hard and messy."

"Jeepers bring it on," wheezed the 50-year-old unshaven man who looked as if he never showered or even washed. "How soon will you marry?"

A few whiskies later Harden returned to Terry's office with a done deal. Neville had settled for everything Harden wanted at cost price plus 5%. Although Harden was convinced Loretta would never marry him and for that matter never allow him to shaft her again, he didn't believe it was a poor deal from Neville's perspective. The three barges, set up for piling work, were in poor condition and that would make them uneconomic to convert into cargo carriers. The other equipment that had been kept in old sheds was in good nick but who would be lining up to buy it?

On Tuesday Harden walked along the street to the Blake's home at number 7 where he was due for dinner and to assure the parents and nervous daughter that going to Chicago to study on a student exchange scheme for a year would not see the kid returning to New Zealand completely programmed and feeling like a foreigner in her own country.

Kim and Shirley met him at the door, and Kim held out her hand in greeting but Harden grinned and said wouldn't she prefer a kiss and kissed her lightly on the mouth.

"Oh I'll have one of those," Shirley cooed, brushing aside her daughter and kissing their guest full on the mouth, very firmly, and pressing hard against him.

"Mom," Kim said weakly and the two adults pulled apart as if they'd been shot.

Inside the beautifully restored wooden house of the 1930s, Ross was attempting to fix one of his 14-year-old's pendant earrings and called, "Hi mate, grab a beer from the fridge. I've already started.

"I'll get it," Shirley and her elder daughter said in unison but Kim was already halfway to the fridge by the time her mother reacted further.

"Dad you're an engineer, you ought to be able to fix a fiddly thing like a much-metal ear-ring."

"Hush Lesley, I'm concentrating. Nah I'll have to get a pair of pliers from the workshop."

"May I take a look?" Harden asked and Ross handed him the bent coated wire that went through the pierced lobe and the tiny chain that attached to a silver elephant.

"Yeah, muck metal. It's too soft for this purpose. Do you have a pair of scissors Ross?"

"Here you are," called Shirley, opening a kitchen drawer and rushing over to hand Harden the scissors, spewing French perfume in his direction.

"I don't want my ear-ring I bought in Fiji cut," Lesley cried as she watched Harden use the eye rings of the scissors to gently squeeze close the offending open metal ring to join the two pieces.

"All done, Harden smiled and bent over and expertly hooked the ear-ring through the young teenager's ear.

"Do you do your wife's ear-rings?" Lesley asked, apparently surprised he'd done that so deftly.

"Mr Domboise is not married darling but I guess he gets plenty of practice... with ear rings if he has girlfriends," Shirley said.

Ross coughed on his beer and wiping his lips with the back of his hands said, "You ought to be an engineer Mr Domboise."

The guest smiled and patting Lesley on the shoulder said, "Please everyone call me Harden and that includes you Lesley."

Harden was appalled to watch Shirley look at his crotch quite leisurely. She then said, "Where's my drink Ross?"

"I thought you'd had enough this side of dinner."

"I'll be the judge of that Ross," Shirley said coolly. "Come girls we'll show out guest through the house."

Carrying Shirley's gin and tonic, Ross caught up with them in the main bedroom to hear the guest say, combining two bedrooms like this to provide a larger bedroom with a walkthrough dressing room to the bathroom and adding glassing to follow the original roofline has been expertly designed and accomplished. There is no sign of the steel joist supporting roof where the former bearing walls were removed to enlarge area."

"Did Shirley tell you we incorporated another bedroom to end up with this result?" Ross asked curiously.

"No Ross but doesn't everyone know family homes of the 1930s didn't incorporate dressing rooms and en suites?"

Ross grinned and saluted their guest with his beer bottle.

"Daddy designed all the alterations and supervised the construction," Kim said and added proudly, "He even sent the main steel beam back for replacement because it wasn't to specification. That caused a delay and he and the building contractor almost had a fight."

"That daddy would have won," Lesley said loyally.

"Yes good old daddy," Shirley said and looked at their guest, her lips parted.

Harden made an intelligent decision, deciding to not allow Shirley to get close to him. She appeared to be on heat. That worked successfully apart from her stroking his pants leg several times during dinner with her shoeless foot.

During dinner Harden talked about Chicago, found out where the family lived who would be hosting the Kiwi student. Kim and her parents showed their relief when he said he knew the locality and actually knew the school she would attend as having an excellent all-round reputation.

Glancing at Ross Harden said, "Actually Helen Merryweather graduated from that high school."

"Is she a film star?" Lesley asked and her mother hiccupped and said probably.

But Ross said almost reverently, "She is one of the world's foremost design engineers in suspension bridges and at present is a design team leader on some of the amazing construction development in Dubai."

When Harden was leaving he was farewelled as if he were the most important and influential guest ever to visit the family. Shirley was almost asleep on her feet so didn't attempt to molest him. Ross shook his hand and said they probably would be working together soon.

"How's that."

"I know who you are. I'm consulting structural engineer to Newcomb District Council. It's chief engineer told me he was at a meeting addressed by Terry Oblinger, you and a hydrologist and Eric said amazingly you guys appear to have all the answers to their dilemma over their flood-threatened land and offer the break-through to get our stalled project up and running. If the council agrees to the proposals of you guys it is likely I'll be commissioned to supervise the piling contract on behalf of the council."

"That's great news Ross. We've heard nothing about Newcomb Council's reaction."

* * *

Three days after Frank had returned home after delivering a very damning report to the meeting Terry had organized, Harden was walking down Pioneer Boulevard when a blonde rushed him screaming, "Darling!" and was all over him, flattening her tits over his chest, ramming her groin against his, pulling his head back painfully by his hair and crushing her lips against his.

It was Loretta.

He though jeepers, what sort of dope had she taken?

"Dad met we at the airport and we both reunited like a very happy father and daughter, both agreeing all was forgiven. He took me home and oh Harden, I'd expected to find every trace of mom vanished but the first thing I saw was the display of pictures of her in the passage, a true memorial. In the guestroom I her jewelry on the dresser where I'd left it and then he told me to open the wardrobe door and then I saw the unbelievable, her wedding dress, her two best dresses that I loved and her pair of battered red shoes that I used to wear round the house when I was a girl."

"Oh darling, I knew it had to be you. It would be impossible for him to think like that. He said you'd come up with all the ideas and then you guys destroyed everything else. Oh I'm so happy. Driving to Taupo I cried thinking of those red shoes and mom's wedding dress being tossed out and that night grandma had to come in to settle me. I had this nightmare of walking down this boulevard and seeing every second woman coming towards me wearing mom's clothes. Oh it was so devastating."

"Harden will you marry me?"

Now Harden was completely shocked. He asked was she on something.

Loretta looked down and said no, she wasn't standing on his feet.

"No I mean drugs?"

"Harden, I don't take fucking drugs."

Two women standing near them moved away, looking at Loretta a little anxiously.

Harden mopped his brow.

Loretta asked why was he sweating? It was cold not hot. "Omigod you're drunk."

"No just under pressure and mighty anxious. Look let's go somewhere for lunch. I can't give you a decision about marriage until we talk everything through. If I don't start pile driving work within the next couple of months I may have to leave the country for not meeting my terms of entry into New Zealand as an alien but possessing required skills."

"Oh god, what a mess," Loretta said as they began walking off, passing the two apprehensive women who eased farther away from Loretta.

"Not necessary. Your father has initiated talks to involve me in that piling contract across river, with you setting up your independent company dealing only in piling. I have move to possess barges and most of the associated equipment by provisional contract, due to expire in sixty days unless I complete the purchase. It is little use me purchasing the equipment if I don't have the contract."

"Wow, it's all likely to fall into place. Look I'm not hungry. Can we go to your place and you welcome me home? Um you'll know how. Your new furniture should have arrived."

"Yes it came yesterday and the drapes, curtains and blinds were installed yesterday afternoon and this morning."

"Good, let's go."

* * *

After fighting with her father about her mother's possessions being left out and displayed in guestroom and eventually they both backed off and then hugged. Both of them were crying and Loretta had felt a huge sense of relief, knowing it was she who'd screwed up on this issue from the moment they came back from the funeral. She saw it now, so clearly, that her mind about wishing to remember her mother physically she'd had gone off the rails a bit and found it impossible to let go.

Loretta had been acutely aware she was going against her father's wishes so she had avoided the conflict by shifting everything into the guestroom so she could isolate herself when grieving with her mother. Her grieving finally dissipated but she still had no wish to let go: sitting in that room talking to her mother and eventually only having thoughts about her mother but it remained a daily ritual. She knew it was awkward for her father but that he really wouldn't care. But then Harden pointed it out Loretta hadn't been aware her behavior had stopped her father getting on with his life.

Driving towards the lake-end town of Taupo she's cried, "I've stolen at least six months of life from dad, keeping him pinned down like that."

She knew of course that wasn't quite true and he'd been rutting around because she'd heard whispers and had even seen him with woman but not the type of female she would imagine him marrying. But did she really know her father? Loretta conceded that could be true because she'd always been mummy's girl. Since his wife's death he'd allowed his business to run down.

"God, I'm responsible for that."

Jessica Arthur her grandmother was delighted to see her.

"Sorry Gran, I should have called. I need to stay a few days."

"Family has no need to call," Jessica said fondly. "You father called so I know what this is about."

"Oh Gran," Loretta wailed and began receiving the hugs and whispered assurances she desperately required.

At breakfast on the morning after the nightmare Jessica looked at her granddaughter and said, "Darling you look more at peace. I believe you are over it. You know I loved my youngest daughter more than my other two children and so did Harold. We didn't mean to but your mother was that kind of woman; she had an infectious manner. We were appalled when she married your father, going away to live with him at that river town. He didn't appear to be her type, being rough and vulgar and for a while her spirit faded but then you came along on her life regained its old zip. When she died I suspected we'd have trouble with you."

"You did?"

"Yes, you gave up your teaching position to nurse her through that long sickness. You grandfather and I visited often and I remember Diana saying towards the end, "Where is Loretta, she gives my life."

"Well I did love her."

"And not your father?"

"I-I think so but in a different way."

Jessica took her granddaughter's hand and said softly, "Perhaps you ought to review your relationship with him. He must still be feeling terribly lost although being Terry he won't show it."

"But he doesn't care and never has."

Jessica just smiled and Loretta and shook her head and said, "That's not true darling and it never was."

CHAPTER 3

Loretta and Harden entered the house hand-in-hand. She looked into the kitchen and then walked him through the living-dinning room to the lounge and gasped. "You have been back to Megan to buy more things."

"Yeah but I didn't think you'd notice. Um Loretta, I did that after deciding to ask you to move in with me."

"Then ask," she said excitedly.

"Things are looking brighter. I think Terry has done enough to get Newcomb Council to let a piling contract."

"That's good but ask me what I want to hear."

"Loretta darling, I'd like you to move in here and share life with me."

"Yes, yes!" Loretta screamed, hauling Harden to one of the leather sofa's in the living room.

She slumped on to the sofa, hitched up the hem of her dress high and lifted her ass high, a clear invitation for Harden to remove her panties and get cracking.

Harden licked his lips, pulled the panties down over Loretta's knees and dove in between her legs.

Delighted to be caught by surprise, Loretta pushed off her panties with her foot and running fingers through Harden's hair cooed, "Oh my darling boy wants it."

Harden slurped and ginned, thinking that was an understatement.

They were both thirty-four and sex was a central consideration in their life and they both knew that and knew you got more sex and possibly sex of greater quality by teaming up with someone and extending their interests round that central focus that could only enhance such a union.

Harden looked up at her, juices running off his chin.

"If I'm kicked out of the county you can come to America with me."