Blast From the Past

"I hope this is okay. It needs a ton of work, too," he said apologetically.

Emily was tearing up again and Jeff was confused.

"Hey. What's wrong?" he asked.

"Wrong? Nothing's wrong. I'm just overwhelmed by all of this. The guest house is perfect."

"Not hardly," Jeff said. "But it is livable."

He explained the situation with the bedding, and Emily assured him that was more than good enough.

"This is perfect, Jeff. And more than anything else...it's safe."

"It is that," he agreed. "Okay. Let's get these two little monkeys to bed, shall we?"

"I know 'Three Little Monkeys'," Charlotte said then immediately began singing.

"Three little monkeys, in that bed, one fell out and bumped his head!"

"I'm sorry if they're driving you crazy," Emily said as she unrolled the sleeping bags.

"Seriously?" Jeff replied. "I haven't enjoyed myself this much since...well, since you and I talked the other day."

"Hah! There you go making me feel good again," Emily teased without actually teasing. It was true. He did make her feel good. And safe. And right now, safety for her and her girls meant everything to her.

After sips of water and sitting with the girls until the fell asleep just minutes later, Jeff and Emily stayed in the guest house and talked quietly. Emily was too afraid to leave them alone even though it was utterly quiet and perfectly safe.

It was a little after midnight by the time they decided to call it quits. Emily finally opened up and shared her story about what had happened with her marriage, her decision to move back up here, and just how bad things were with her dad.

"You're a lot stronger than you're giving yourself credit for Emily," Jeff told her at one point when she confessed to feeling like she was not only a failure but ready to snap.

"I have to admit I feel a whole lot better now. Just being here. Or maybe not being there, makes so much difference. Again, I can't thank you enough."

Jeff glanced over at the girls then looked back at Emily.

"Just seeing those two little angels and their puffy red cheeks sleeping soundly is more than enough thanks."

Emily was once again taken with just how caring and kind this man she'd often thought of as her real dad was. And although he really was a lot older than her, she couldn't help but see how handsome he still was. She'd always thought he was a nice-looking man, but she'd never looked at him like this before. Then again, she was mentally and physically exhausted and he'd been so helpful that it made sense she'd see him in the most favorable light possible.

"Can I get you anything before you go to sleep?" he asked.

"No. I'm fine. But thank you for asking and well, thank you again for everything."

"It's my pleasure. If you do need something, the back door will be unlocked. Just come on in and get it. I'll have coffee ready by 6am, and we can do breakfast anytime. I don't know if what I have will work for the girls, but we can work on that later on."

"They'll be fine for one meal," Emily said with a smile.

She walked to the door with him then before he said 'goodnight', she reached out and hugged him again. Jeff held her back and Emily laid her head in the crook of his neck.

"I was so scared tonight, Jeff," she whispered.

"I'd have been scared, too," he told her.

She slowly pulled back, looked up at him, smiled then said, "Well...goodnight."

"Sleep tight," he said, returning the smile.

Both Jeff and Emily were early risers, and she was waiting for him in the kitchen when he walked in around 5:45. He knew she was there, as in the guest house, but not there, as in the kitchen, and when he saw her it startled him. Not because he was afraid but because he'd walked out wearing nothing but his underwear.

He stopped dead in his tracks when their eyes met in the dim light from the hood over the stove.

"Um...give me just a minute, okay?" he said, after glancing down at his briefs.

"Tidy whities. Who'd a thunk?" she said, almost enjoying his embarrassment.

"I'll be right back," he said without responding to her comment about his choice of underwear. He just didn't like the way boxers had to constantly be adjusted when he wore jeans. And he preferred having his ample 'package' held snugly in place. Nor did he care how many other guys liked the feeling of 'freedom'. He was a tidy-whitey kind of guy and always had been.

Emily had only...briefly...glanced down and only because it was impossible not to do so. In that very...brief...moment, she'd noticed just how ample the bulge was, and she couldn't decide what surprised her more. That she'd noticed or the way it caused her body to react.

It had been around a year and a half or so since she'd made love with her husband, and although she was managing to survive, not having sex was one of the more difficult aspects of being single. She'd willingly been faithful the entire year Mike was gone, and then after his return and the 'big reveal', there'd been no one with whom she could have had sex even if she'd been willing.

Then again, after the huge slap-in-the-face finding out had been, lovemaking was way, way in the back of her mind. Survival and getting by day to day took center stage.

But seeing his...well, his...manhood, and also seeing his very hard, very muscular otherwise-naked body first thing in the morning, she had to admit he was in far better shape than Mike had ever dreamed of being. And he was a kind, decent, caring guy on top of it all.

"Sorry about that," she heard Jeff say. "I honestly didn't expect you in here this early."

"No. I'm the one who should apologize. I couldn't sleep and thought maybe I could make the coffee for us, but once I got over here I realized I had no idea how strong you like it or how much you drink. So I just sat down and enjoyed the silence."

"It really is peaceful out here," Jeff said. He was now wearing athletic shorts and a tee-shirt, but Emily could still the outline of the muscles in his shoulders, arms, and chest as he filled the coffee pot.

"As you might suspect, I like mine pretty strong. But I can make it a little weaker if you'd prefer."

"No. Not at all. I like mine to be closer to battery acid than coffee," she said with a smile.

"Ah! Now I know why I like you so much," Jeff said with a smile. "Two cups of battery acid coming right up."

As it brewed he asked her if there was anything she else wanted.

"No. I'm fine," she told him truthfully. Well, with the exception of wanting to be loved in the worst kind of way, that is.

"Did you sleep okay out there?"

"I did, actually. I have to admit it was almost too quiet. The apartment complex always has people coming in and out, and that most often means with a car stereo thumping away at full blast regardless of the time."

Jeff laughed in agreement then asked what kind of things she might need for the girls in terms of meals.

"Oh, wow. I think it would be a lot easier to just let me to pick it up than try and spell it all out for you," she said politely.

"Why don't we all go together then?" Jeff suggested.

"I...I just need to figure out what to do about work. I'm supposed to be there by 8 o'clock, and I don't think I can go in today."

She paused for a moment then said, "Or maybe ever."

"Then don't," Jeff said immediately. "I can go back there and let your dad know. I still owe him an apology anyway, and while it's none of my business, I really hope you won't go back there. At least not until you feel comfortable doing so."

"I don't see things changing as long as my dad's there. His drinking is so out of control it's scary. And I don't see that changing, either, so I'm not sure how I can go back."

Jeff went to say something but Emily kept talking.

"The problem is I can't afford to miss work. Just one day means the difference between having some money left over by payday or not."

The coffee was ready, so Jeff poured two cups, and set one in front of Emily as he sat down across the table from her.

She thanked him, took a first sip, then said, "Oh, yeah! This is the real deal right here!"

Jeff laughed quietly then said, "Money is important, but I think being alive is far more important. I know staying here isn't a longterm solution, but you really are welcome to stay here as long as you need to."

Emily looked down at her cup for quite some time then said, "Would you really do that for me? Talk to my dad, I mean?"

"Sure. Of course I would."

"Maybe I'm just concerned he might try and find me. Or rather...us."

"I don't work so I'll be here pretty much 24/7 except for maybe when I'm running or going to the gym. I understand your concerns, but if you feel reasonably safe here I can protect you while you're at the house. If not, I have two handguns in the house. You can keep one with you if that helps. Going to work is another story."

"You know, until yesterday, I always thought of my dad as nothing more than a mean drunk. But after what happened, I...I just don't know anymore."

"I was pretty sure he drank a lot, but that's none of my business. As far as going back to work, it's your call, Emily. I'd prefer you stay here for a couple of days, at least, but just let me know what you feel comfortable with."

"Okay. I will. And...thank you," she said sincerely.

The 'rush' or whatever she'd felt earlier had worn off, but the memory of what had caused it hadn't. She must have been daydreaming because the next thing she was aware of was Jeff asking her a question.

"Is there something else you wanted to say? You look like you have something on your mind. Something important."

"Oh. Well, I was thinking about money," she said, unwilling to tell him what she'd really been thinking about.

"Well, as I said, money's important."

"I...I just can't afford to pay you much. I have a little money in my bank account, but...."

Jeff held up a hand and said, "Hold on. Enough of that kind of talk. You're not paying one red cent. If Jen was still alive she'd say the say thing. So no more talk of money. I'll take care of everything, and you'll let me."

He smiled then said, "Got it?"

He noticed Emily's eyes getting glassy, but before they watered up, she blinked a few times then forced a smile and nodded.

"You still look like you want to say something or ask me a question."

Emily took another sip then decided to ask.

"I guess maybe I do," she admitted.

"Okay, now we're getting somewhere," he said with a smile. "Shoot."

"Don't say 'shoot', okay?" she asked, her face making a wincing expression.

"Yeah. Bad choice of words. Sorry. Um...go ahead," Jeff said with a wink.

"I'm not trying to say my situation is the same as yours. Lord knows it isn't. But, well...how do you deal with the loneliness? I mean, it's been well over a year and a half since I really had a husband, and you've been without Mrs. Crisler for twice that long."

"She'd want you to call her Jen," Jeff said quietly.

"Wow. That's even harder than calling you by your first name," Emily told him.

"Sorry. I interrupted you," he told her.

"It's just that...even though I have my girls, not having someone to be there for me; someone to hold me and...."

She looked down and Jeff quietly said, "Make love with?"

"Well, yes. That, too. But that aside, how do you deal with not having that special someone...Jen...just to talk to and share with and...okay, everything else that goes with being married?"

He sat up straight, took a deep breath then said, "You have to promise not to tell Abbie this, okay?"

"We haven't talked in person since Okinawa, and we haven't even spoken on the phone. Our communication is limited to commenting on the other's Facebook posts. So no worries there," she said with a sweet smile.

"The short answer is—not well."

"And the long answer?" Emily asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I run and work out. A lot," he told her.

"Okay. That takes care of an hour or two each day. What about the other 22?"

"Whew. I've never talked to anyone about this before. You're tough, you know that?"

Emily laughed then said, "No. I'm not tough. I used to think I was, but I know better now. I'm actually pretty fragile and barely holding on most of the time. I put on my best face for my girls, but I'm not tough, Jeff. Not even close."

"Yeah, well that makes two of us," he said. "Abbie started bugging me right after Christmas last year to start dating again. Dating. Jeez, I hate that word!"

"If you've dated, you're way ahead of me. I'm still waiting on my divorce to be final, I'm a mental wreck, and I've got two girls. So yes, the thought of 'dating' is...daunting."

The brief alliteration made him laugh.

"The good news is you're young, you're pretty, and you have two beautiful girls."

Emily was taking a sip and nearly spewed when he told her she was pretty.

"Please!" she said after just barely managing to keep the coffee in her mouth. "Pretty? Me? Get real!"

"Whoa! Hold on right there," Jeff countered. "You can't possibly believe you're not a very nice-looking young woman."

"There was a time when I considered myself 'okay-looking' but lately I just feel...hideous."

Jeff sat there and shook his head. Emily wasn't gorgeous by any means. She wasn't what most guys would even call 'hot'. But she had this kind of understated beauty about her; this...natural wholesomeness that he found very appealing.

"I can assure you you're nothing even close to that...hideous word."

He smiled at her and waited for her to smile back before continuing.

"You're a very attractive young woman, Emily. You have all these really...I don't know...um...desirable qualities about you that work together to make you all the more...desirable."

Before Emily could reply Jeff said, "Wait. That didn't come out right. I wasn't trying to imply I find you desirable...like that. What I meant was...."

They heard the back door handle turning followed by a little girl's voice.

"Mommy, I have to go potty!" Charlotte called.

Emily jumped up and opened the door for her.

"Hi, honey. I'm so sorry. You just never wake up this early. Come on. Let's go find the bathroom."

"Down the hall to your left," Jeff told her.

"Hey, there's that man from last night," Charlotte said as she walked by.

"Yep. He's still here," Emily said with a wink of her own. "It's almost like he owns the place or something."

"Is this our new house, Mommy?" he heard Charlotte ask as they headed for the bathroom.

"No, we're just staying here for a few days. Is that okay?" he mom asked.

The last thing Jeff heard was her little girl say, "Yes. This house is very big. I like it a lot."

He smiled then decided to check in on Ava. She was still fast asleep, but he sat next to her where she lay on the floor using a soft towel for a pillow. A couple of minutes later, Emily and Charlotte walked in.

"Oh, there you are," she said to Jeff.

"I just wanted to make sure the little one was okay."

"Mommy? I'm hungry," Charlotte said.

"Oh. That's my cue!" Jeff said as he stood up and faced the girls. "I don't have any cereal, but I do have some pancake batter and all the fixins'. Is that okay?"

"Pancakes? I love pancakes!" Charlotte said.

"Do you want to come help me?" Jeff asked her after bending down to her size.

"Can I, Mommy?" she asked excitedly.

"I think that would be very nice! I'll get Ava up and we'll be over in a bit."

Jeff couldn't help but smile when Charlotte reached for his hand and said, "Come on. Let's go make pancakes!"

By the time Emily came back to the house with her tired little sleepyhead in her arms, Jeff had several cakes in a stack.

"Mommy! Look! Jeff made me a Mickey Mouse pancake!"

Emily saw the 'ears' and smiled.

"He sure did. Did you tell him 'thank you'?"

"Thank you!" Charlotte said as Jeff buttered Mickey for her and poured some syrup on him.

She sat there looking at it for a few seconds and her mom asked, "What's wrong, sweetie?"

"I don't want to hurt Mickey Mouse," she said.

"But if you don't eat him, he'll feel sad. You don't want Mickey to be sad, do you?"

She looked at her mom to see if she was 'making it up', and when her mom didn't smile, Charlotte said very quietly, "No."

"Here, let me help," Jeff said.

He grabbed a fork and a knife then said, "Is it okay if we eat you for breakfast, Mickey?"

He did his best to sound like the mouse and answered his own question, "Of course! That's why I'm here. I'm your breakfast so eat away!"

Charlotte giggled then Jeff made several quick cuts and handed her the fork.

"There you go. Mickey is all ready for you."

She poked a big piece in her mouth then said, "Thank you, Jeff!"

Emily smiled at the way he'd handled the 'problem'. He was just as kind as she'd remembered from when she was about that age. In fact, she was wondering if he might have made Mickey Mouse pancakes for her and Abby at one time.

Ava sat on her mom's lap and ate maybe a total of four bites and declared she was full. Charlotte was done, too, and asked if they could go play.

"Well, I guess so," she said. "But we have to brush your teeth here soon."

"There's a ton of stuff to explore outside. If you're not comfortable with that, they can watch...."

He whispered, "Cartoons."

In spite of the whispering, both girls heard the word and together said, "Cartoons!"

"Well, I guess they'd like to watch cartoons."

They got the girls settled then cleared the table when Jeff said, "I think I'll go take a shower then head back out to Spanaway, it that's okay."

"Oh, right. Um...sure. That'll be fine. I'll shower later myself."

"Maybe when I get back we can all hit the grocery store?"

"I'd like that," Emily said with a smile that belied her anxieties about Spanaway and her father and her job and all that went with it. But she trusted this man and believed things would be okay so she agreed his going back out there would also be okay.

An hour later Jeff was pulling back into the apartment complex, and the first thing he saw were police cars; two marked and one unmarked near the far end. He pulled up closer and saw John being put into one of the cars. He was handcuffed and looked like death warmed over.

Jeff got out and joined the fairly large number of people standing around watching. He sidled up to a younger black man and asked what was going on.

"You know that old dude? The one that don't do nothin' 'round here?"

"Mr. Jensen?" Jeff asked to be sure.

"Yeah. That's him. Anyway, they done arrested his ass for shootin' somebody here last night."

"What? He shot someone?" Jeff asked, now extremely concerned.

"Yeah. That new chick. The one that works in the office. They say she be his daughter. I heard he done shot her last night."

It all made sense now. Jeff had wondered if the weapon being fired would cause someone to call the police. Evidently it had, but it must not have happened until a hour or so ago.

He thanked the young man then found someone a good 20 years older than him and asked the same question.

"Oh, I found him this morning out in the hallway. Passed out drunk with a gun in his hand. I thought I heard a gunshot late last night, but because of all the yelling, I didn't get up and go check. Besides, it was inside an apartment. Anyway, I get up early, and their front door was open, so I went on in, and there he was dead drunk laying on the floor with that gun."

The man looked at Jeff again then said, "Wait. Do you even live here?"

"No. I don't live here, but a friend of mine does."

"Oh, okay. Can't be too careful, you know."

"So...no one was actually shot?" Jeff asked.

"Nope. Not that I know anyway. I did see the bullet hole in the ceiling, though. I can show you if you want to see it."

"That's okay. Thank you for your time, sir."