Cracks in Their Shells

Logan's eyes grew wide at the change in Bud's usually jovial demeanor, and he looked for the right words to convince Bud that he had no reason to worry about him doing anything less than making Becca the queen of his world. Just as quickly as the storm clouds of Bud's attitude had gathered, however, they dissipated and the sun came out again.

"Sorry about that, Logan," Bud said sheepishly. "I didn't mean to be quite that harsh, but I think you got my point."

"Yessir. You have my word."

"Good! Now, when do you plan on asking her? I hope you won't keep Charlotte, I mean Becca, waiting too long."

"I'm not sure, Bud," Logan replied. "I don't really have a plan other than to be ready when the time is right." He chuckled a little and continued, "So Charlotte has this all figured out, I presume?"

"Oh, yes. She bet me a dollar Christmas Eve night that you would ask me for permission today. I went ahead and paid up in advance."

Logan laughed out loud this time. "Now I've got three women besides Becca waiting for me to pop the question: Mom, Charlotte, and Granny." He told Bud about running into Granny at the jewelry store while they got the chainsaws ready for the job they had come to do.

"It's a hundred wonders she hasn't let the cat out of the bag already," Bud quipped.

"I thought I was going to have a heart attack when I saw her that day. She promised not to ruin the surprise for Becca." Logan paused for a moment, then continued, "Your family is cut from good cloth, Bud. I can tell how much you love one another, and you have welcomed me into the family before I've even become a part of it. Laura's family was the same way with me, and I didn't realize how much I've missed that until I came here with Becca. Everything that has happened to me the past two months has been a blessing, and I don't take it for granted." Looking his future father-in-law in the eyes, he said, "I love you, Bud."

Bud wrapped Logan in a bear hug and said, "I love you, too, Logan. All of us do, and we're happy to have you as a part of our family. Now let's get to work."

*********

"Please, Logan," Becca pleaded with her boyfriend. "It'll be fun!"

"I can think of about a hundred other things we can do New Year's Eve that will also be fun, and they won't require us to dress up."

Some of Becca's friends were throwing a New Year's party and had invited her and Logan. More than anything in the world, Logan hated dressing up in a suit.

Becca's face showed her disappointment. Logan sighed and resigned himself to his fate.

"Okay, we'll go to the party." As Becca squealed and clapped her hands in victory, he continued, "But you had better wear steel-toed boots if you expect to dance with me. I'm horrible at it, and I haven't practiced just how bad I am in many, many years."

"Oh, I'm sure you're a regular Fred Astaire, but just too modest to admit it," Becca teased.

"More like Fred Flintstone," Logan quipped.

Two days had passed since Logan's conversation with Bud. He was getting antsy about popping the question, but if Becca had any suspicion that something was afoot, she hid it well. While Logan wanted the occasion to be a natural event when they were both at ease and she didn't expect it, he began to run through scenarios in his mind. The more he tried to plan, the more frustrated he became. For all his rough-around-the-edges charm, he was awkward, shy, and a little insecure. Finally, he told himself "fuck it," and continued to wait for the right moment.

He went to his closet and dug in the back for his navy blue suit. He took it to the cleaners since he hadn't worn it in five years. He found the black oxfords that hurt his feet and polished them. "She had better appreciate this," he told himself with a chuckle. Try as he might, he couldn't make himself angry about going to the party. In fact, he found himself looking forward to it because he knew it meant a lot to Becca. Her friends had often taken pity on her and invited her along on trips to amusement parks, movies, and camping excursions, but she always ended up feeling like a third wheel. This would be her chance to show off her man to her friends.

New Year's Eve night came with nervous excitement as Logan waited for Becca to show up to go to the party. He had offered to pick her up at her apartment, but she insisted on driving herself. This troubled Logan because he didn't want her to drive home alone with the likelihood of there being drunk drivers on the road. Still, she said that everything would be okay, so he didn't push the issue. He would soon find that she had her reasons.

Becca had sworn to herself that she would not wake up alone New Year's Day as she had Christmas morning. Martin and Mitchell had gone back to Raleigh to travel to NC State's bowl game in Memphis, so she and Logan would have the house to themselves. Damn what the neighbors might think. Her mind was made up.

Though she still had lots of doubts, Becca had come to grips with her fear of giving herself up sexually. She went to an adult bookstore in the next town over so she wouldn't run the risk of being seen by someone she knew. Once there, she chose a moderately-sized dildo to get used to the feeling of the intrusion into her pussy. A couple of practice runs with mind-blowing results left her with a hunger for the real thing.

Logan groaned at the tightness of his shoes as he waited impatiently for Becca to arrive. He forgot about the discomfort and sucked in his breath when she walked through the door. He stood there with his mouth open as he took in the sight before him. The straight hair he was used to seeing was pulled back in curls to reveal her delicate ears and gold earrings. Make-up suitable for a movie star on the red carpet adorned her face, and her new necklace from Logan encircled her neck. The little black dress she wore fit her breasts and hips perfectly, and the black heels accentuated her firm calves. Gone was the understated beauty Logan had grown accustomed to. Standing before him was a genuine goddess.

"Daaaayum," he said softly. "Ho-lee shit."

"I'll take that as your approval," Becca said with a nonchalant giggle.

"Becca, you -" Logan stammered as he looked for a strong enough compliment.

"You look nice," Becca interrupted. "Thank you for doing this for me. It means a lot."

Logan recovered his wits enough to speak coherently. "You won't have to worry about me stepping on your toes. I won't get a chance to dance with you with the line of guys you're going to create."

"Oh, I think we'll get our chance. I don't intend to dance with anyone but you. Are you ready to go? Oh, and let's take my car. I don't think I can get in and out of your truck without giving you a show." Her face gave him a wink and a devilishly mischievous grin. Her giggles turned to laughter as his eyes grew wide at her indication that she wasn't wearing panties. He remained stunned at Becca's transformation.

True to his prediction, Becca was the center of attention from the awestruck men at the party. More than one of them received disapproving glares from jealous wives and girlfriends. Logan secured a couple of dances with Becca, but graciously bowed out when someone cut in. He knew there was nothing to worry about and that he would be the one taking her home.

As he stood by the punchbowl and watched his lover dance with the fifth or sixth - he had lost count - different man that night, an attractive lady sporting a developing baby bump approached him. "You must be Logan. Becca has told me all about you. I'm Kelsey."

"I hope she didn't bore you too badly, Kelsey. It's nice to meet you."

"We've actually already met. You built some cabinets for us when we remodeled a couple of years ago."

Logan thought for a moment then remembered, "Oh, yes. The Boldens. How are you?"

"Well, I'm incredibly pregnant, and my feet are killing me, but here I am at a New Year's party."

"Same here," Logan replied. "Well, not the pregnant part. I'm not much of a party guy, but I know this means a lot to Becca. She's definitely made it worth the sore feet."

"That's my husband she's dancing with, if you hadn't noticed."

Logan took a step back to see what would happen next. Kelsey burst out laughing.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to kill her. Cal and I have known Becca for years."

Logan let out an audible sigh of relief as Kelsey continued to laugh. "Care to dance with me, Logan? We'll make them both jealous." Logan grinned as he offered her his hand and led her to the floor.

"Logan, do you have any idea how happy you've made her?" Kelsey asked as they danced.

"She's hinted that she might be okay with the situation. If she's half as happy as I am, then I'd say she has a reason to smile a little."

"You've given her the happiness she deserves, not to mention the stability. Seeing her come out of her shell the way she has is wonderful. I hope things continue to go well for the two of you."

"Thank you, Kelsey."

It was four minutes until midnight.

"I hope you're having fun dancing with my wife," a man's voice behind Logan said, followed by a familiar giggle.

"And I hope you're having fun dancing with this man's beautiful girlfriend, dear," Kelsey smiled in response.

The two couples separated and joined their respective partners as the deejay announced, "Here's my last song of 2023!" The Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody" began to play.

Becca squeezed Logan's hand and leaned into him for the dance. "I love this song," she whispered dreamily. "Thank you for doing this, Logan. I know this is out of your comfort zone, but tonight has been perfect. I love you, Logan."

"I love you, too, dearest, but tonight hasn't been perfect. It will be though..." He stepped away from her, took the ring from his pocket, and knelt in front of her "...if you will accept my proposal. Rebecca McQueen, will you marry me?"

"Becca's hands covered her mouth as she squealed her delight. Yes! Yes! Logan Mathews, YES!"

He rose to his feet amid the cheers and clapping of the crowd. He drew Becca close to him, looked into her moistening eyes, and kissed her tenderly as the deejay began "Auld Lang Syne." If any pieces of their shells remained, they were shattered into oblivion.

*********

Logan had barely closed the door behind him when he felt Becca's arms around his neck. He leaned back against the wall to brace himself as his newly-minted fiancée jumped into his arms. She squeezed her thighs around his hips to help him hold her up, placed one hand behind his head, and kissed him passionately. Logan embraced her firmly with one arm around her back and the other under her bum. He felt the heat from between Becca's legs as she writhed against his stomach. Their cuddling sessions on the couch had never reached this level of intensity. This was new territory, and there would be no turning back this night.

Becca unclamped her legs as Logan gently lowered her to the floor. Still locked in a kiss, he awkwardly led her to the couch, where they stumbled and tumbled into a heap with Becca lying atop Logan. She broke the kiss and pushed herself up, using his shoulders for leverage. Straddling his lap, she feverishly worked on his necktie as she ground her pussy against Logan's growing manhood. She succeeded in removing his tie and began working on the buttons of his shirt.

Logan kicked off his shoes and then began working on removing Becca's heels. He suddenly came to his senses and sat up, knocking Becca backwards. She sat up on his lap awkwardly, stunned by this sudden change.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she caught her breath.

"Becca, are you sure...?"

"Logan, I've never been more sure of anything in my life. Now, take me to bed."

She stood and took his hand, then pulled him towards the master bedroom. The room was dark and a few degrees cooler than the living room. There was enough light from the living room to make it possible for them to find the bed. Logan threw his coat on a chair while Becca worked on the buttons of his shirt. She found his belt buckle and loosened it. Logan, meanwhile, slowly worked down the zipper in the back of Bacca's dress. The silky material fell to the floor, leaving the future Mrs. Mathews completely bare. Logan ran his fingertips from her shoulders to her hips, then pulled her body closer so he could take one of her nipples into his mouth. He felt her shudder at this new sensation, then again as he roughly worked his hands between her ass cheeks and inserted the tip of his finger into the slippery folds of her pussy.

Becca had succeeded in undoing Logan's belt and zipper, and his pants joined Becca's dress on the floor. She dropped to her knees and yanked down his boxer shorts, then shuddered again at the sight of his fully erect cock in her face. Even in the dim light, she could see that it was larger than the toy she had been using for practice. She took it in her hand as she stood and pressed her naked body into his as their making out resumed.

Logan found the edge of the duvet and top sheet and pulled them aside, then picked up Becca and set her down gently on the cotton sheets. She pulled him on top of her and grunted at the feel of his weight pressing against her until he used his forearms to remove some of the pressure. She felt so tiny underneath him that Logan was afraid he would hurt her. He pushed himself up with his hands to let her get used to having him on top of her.

Becca spread her legs and once again Logan felt the searing heat of her sex against his chest and abdomen. She hooked her arms under his and tried to pull him up her body until he helped her with the task. He tried to slow the pace as she thrust upwards, but her need for him was too much for him to resist.

"Logan, don't make me wait. Make love to me. Now." Becca's voice was raspy with uncontrollable lust.

He moved his dick to the opening of her pussy and slowly inserted the tip to give her a minute to adjust to the intrusion. She grabbed his ass and pulled him forward, and her wetness made further resistance on his part impossible. He impaled her to his full length and was startled by her sudden scream. He instinctively knew that this was not a scream of fright or pain, but of pleasure. Logan soon found his rhythm, matching the thrusting of her hips, and the wet tightness of her pussy caused him to groan. He wasn't going to be able to last long at this pace, but he sensed that Becca was getting close to the edge of orgasm herself. She wrapped her legs around his and thrust upwards frantically. Logan's rhythm became erratic as he continued to thrust into his lover, then burst into an all-out pounding into her pleasurable depths. Becca's head jerked back, and a wail of release threatened to deafen Logan as she came. This pushed Logan over the edge, and he grunted as he emptied his balls into her.

As they came down from the physical and emotional high of their orgasms, Logan realized that Becca was crying. He sprang up in surprise, fearing that he had hurt her in his passion. She quickly allayed that fear as she pulled him down into a deep kiss. He rolled onto his side and pulled her close. She broke their kiss and nuzzled her head into his chest, still sniffling a little.

Neither of them spoke for a while, but there was no tension in their silence. This was a perfectly comfortable, natural, contented silence. Logan played with Becca's hair and nibbled at her ear. A familiar giggle rose to his ears as she pressed her body closer to his. It was Logan who finally broke the silence.

"Becca? Why?"

"Why not?" she replied.

"That's reason enough for me, then."

"Logan, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. With my insecurities, I've wondered if I was capable of giving you the love you deserve. I can't change my past, but I can damn sure live the present and dream about the future. Our future, Logan. I love you, Mr. Kringle."

"And I love you, my darling elf."

*********

Becca awoke to the smell of coffee and frying bacon. She rose from the bed, still completely naked, and made her way to the master bathroom. She laughed at the mess that had been a beautiful makeup job the night before and took soap and a washcloth to remove it. As she toweled off after a quick shower, she remembered that her bag with extra clothes was still in her car. She looked around for something to cover her before she made her presence known in the kitchen, then thought of a better idea.

"Something smells good in here," Becca said to announce her presence to Logan, who had his back to her while he tended the stove.

"Thanks," he replied as he turned around. How many eggs...?" He stood with mouth agape at the sight before him, and dropped two eggs to a messy demise as they cracked on the tile floor.

"Looks like two to me," Becca giggled. "How about being a dear and getting my bag from my car while I clean this up?"

"How about I clean this up and get your bag after we eat? I'm enjoying the scenery."

"Not fair!" Becca pouted. "I'm stark naked and you've got a warm robe on."

"Okay, I'll make it fair." Logan dropped his robe to reveal that he, too, was naked. And sporting a growing erection. They laughed in unison and ate their breakfast in their birthday suits.

While Logan retrieved Becca's bag from her car (now clothed, of course), she went to the bedroom to collect her dress and shoes. She stopped and looked around the room. Of all the rooms in Logan's house, she had never paid close attention to the master bed and bath. In the sunlight that filtered through the closed blinds, she took in a room that didn't seem to fit with the rest of the house. The mauve paint, frilly curtains, shiny brass fixtures, and beige carpet stood in stark contrast to the wood floors, earth tones, and bronze fixtures in the rest of the house.

"This room was mine and Laura's." Logan's voice was soft, but still startled Becca. "I've held off on remodeling it, but the thought has crossed my mind a few times recently. Since you've shown your talent with decorating choices in the shop, I figured you could come up with some good ideas for in here."

"Logan, we can use the front bedroom if this is too painful for you."

"No, this room is good. It's just better when there's someone to share it with."

"I like that idea. In fact, I'd like to share the bed with you soon. As in now, Kris."

Logan's face broke into a wide smile.

"As you wish, Princess Buttercup the elf."

*********

Epilogue: 6 years later

The crowd was packed tightly into Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, and it was hot. This was made worse by the squirming 13-month-old boy in Marilyn's lap. She fanned herself vigorously with the commencement program and looked for Logan amongst the sea of black robes. Janice mercifully relieved her of George Logan Mathews so her mother could pay better attention to the ceremony. She spotted Logan near the front of the crowd with the other students receiving their doctoral degrees that day. He was likewise scanning the crowd for his family and spotted Marilyn waving from the crowd. He waved back and turned his attention to the keynote speaker.

The years since Becca and Logan wed had been filled with the ups and downs any married couple might face. Logan had passed his foreign language requirement and finished his masters in history at Appalachian State, then was accepted into the doctoral program at Tennessee. He took an assignment as a graduate assistant teaching intro to American history, and even fulfilled a bucket list dream of playing tuba in the Pride of the Southland Band for a semester. The undergrads teased him and called him the "old man" and even "dad." He loved it!

Becca became pregnant in their third year of marriage but miscarried at four months. Logan cursed himself for not being with her when it happened because he was away in Knoxville working on his thesis. He rushed home to console her and told her he was quitting the program. Martin and Mitchell had taken over the cabinet business, but he missed the work. Even more, he missed being home with Becca. Despite her emotional and physical pain, she insisted that he continue his studies. He agreed on the condition that she move to Knoxville with him.