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"We can look at this one," she started to say, "but I think its overpriced unless there's been some serious work done."

"Might as well," he answered, pushing open the car door with his cane as he got out. He was wearing tan slacks and a blue pullover because the day was already warm. Susan was wearing a light blue skirt and blouse. "Against the wind..." he sang to himself as they walked up to the front of the house and rang the bell.

A few moments later the door opened and an elderly lady asked, "Yes?"

"Hi," said Susan. "We're interested in seeing the house, if that's all right with you?"

"Of course, come in. I was just fixing lunch. Would you like something?"

"No, that's all right. Have you lived here long?" Susan looked at the living room which seemed so similar to the homes they already had.

"I'm an original owner... I mean, my husband and I were, he died five years ago and my daughter wants me to live with her and the grandchildren at Castaic."

"May we walk through?"

"Yes, go ahead," the old lady said, stepping back from the hall door, granting passage to the couple.

The front bedroom had been turned into into a sewing room, the back bedroom into a guestroom and the main bedroom she had kept for herself. The kitchen had been updated recently, probably before her husband had died, and the backyard had a cement patio.

Jerry didn't want to cheat the woman but he knew the house had been priced just a tad high for the market. He was at a quandary at what to do then realized that the difference wouldn't mean that much to him so he offered her the asking price. She quickly sat down on the sofa, surprised that he was so accommodating.

"I don't know what to say," she said, starting to cry, looking around the room at what she was leaving behind, her whole married life.

"Please, don't cry," he asked, taking the woman's hand for a moment. "It'll be all right, you'll see."

On the way back to her apartment, Susan said, "That was a nice thing you did for that lady, but you can't do that for everyone."

"I know," he answered, "it just seemed the thing to do," letting the eight speed automatic transmission do all the work as the car rumbled down the street.

"In the last year, you've made four hundred thousand on paper due to the rise in property values. It averaged about twenty thousand per home, not as great as it could have been but not bad for the lot."

"There's been a downturn in the market. But then, these houses would have been too expensive to buy." He sat behind the wheel, his hands tapping out a rhythm that only he heard. "Say, would you like dinner tonight, with me?"

"I'd love it. Is seven too late?"

"No, that'll work. Dress casual, we'll go to Lucille's in Torrance. It's a bar-be-que place. Don't forget your mask."

She got out of the car after kissing him on the cheek and walked to her house, waving goodbye.

*****

"My dad liked going here," Jerry said, "the beef ribs are wonderful. They give you a lot."

"OK, that's what I'll have," she replied, setting her menu down. She reached for his hand. "I like being with you."

"I like being with you, too. Here," he said, passing her two latex gloves, "you'll need these for your hands."

Susan put them on, laughing. "We look like a couple of doctors." She buttered one of the biscuits and took a bite just as the server brought their meals. "Oh, my, this looks like a lot."

"I love this place," he said, taking a big bite from the rib and getting sauce on his face.

They ate quietly for a while, she intent on her food, he watching her. "I'm full," she said, putting the last bones down on her otherwise empty plate. Susan removed her gloves and placed them on the dish. "No dessert for me." She wiped her face with the warm towel the server had brought.

"Me, neither," he replied, waiting for the check. When it came, he put a hundred dollar bill down with it and they put on their masks and left. He was able to open her door for her and walked around to his side of the car.

Just as he opened his door, a man ran over with a gun. "Give me your wallet," he shouted. Jerry looked at the man, made a spontaneous decision as his training came forward and slammed his metal cane into the man's stomach and knocking him down, the gun sliding away across the ground as Jerry then broke the assailant's wrist. Using his cane like a baseball bat, he hit the man in the jaw. Putting the bottom of the cane on the man's face Jerry said, "You move and you die," but the man kept moving so Jerry took his cane and struck the man in his throat.

Calling to Susan, he said "Call the police before I kill this guy." The robber held his wrist, tears falling from his face from the pain and tried to move, getting hit in the head again for his trouble.

Ten minutes later, a squad car pulled up and arrested the criminal, pushing him into the back seat. Jerry showed them his retired military identification, figuring it would work better.

"Well, Major, it looks like you've caught a bad one. Thanks," said the first officer.

By the time the police and the paramedics left, Jerry's heart had finally slowed down. It had been awhile since he was in combat and had almost gotten used to living a normal life.

"Sorry about that, Susan. Are you all right?" He looked at his companion, hoping that she was feeling well.

"Wow, you're really something." She touched his arm tenderly, amazed at how he had taken control of the situation, and slumped back onto the comfortable black leather car seat.

It was a slow drive up the boulevard back to their home town, he slowly breathing once again now that it was over.

She put her hand on his cheek. "I'm glad you're OK, it happened so fast and... what if something had happened to you? I..."

"It's all right, Susan. It's all right."

*****

"I've got to go to the hospital," said Crystal, holding her stomach with both hands, the contractions coming quickly.

Jerry grabbed the girl's travel bag while Susan ran outside to start her car. It was a fast thirty minute drive to the hospital and he went inside to get help. A short hour later Crystal held her daughter, the birthing pain all but forgotten.

"I'm naming her Susan Geraldine," she said, holding the baby tightly to her, kissing the child's cheek.

A knock at the room's door brought in Jerry's mother, holding a stuffed brown teddy bear for the newborn. She had changed her opinion of the young woman as time had passed and decided to be an impromptu grandmother. She was impressed with the serious work the girl had accomplished for her son, although she knew his heart belonged to Susan.

"How long will you be in the hospital?" Jerry asked.

"Four days," answered Crystal, looking at her baby. She quietly rocked her, amazed at what she had. "That is, if nothing goes wrong, you know, with the virus and all."

"God forbid," said Jerry's mother, Clara. "God forbid."

The floor nurse came in, saying that visiting times were over and they left Crystal and her baby to themselves as they went down to the financial office. Jerry wanted to settle the bill but it was closed. "Should have thought it would be too late," he said to himself as he rattled the glass door. "Tomorrow, it is."

They walked together to Susan's car and then Jerry and his mother watched her drive away. "Dinner, mom?" he asked.

"I could go for dessert," she answered, getting behind the wheel. Jerry had not told her about the attempted robbery and he wasn't about to. He figured she had enough to worry about without adding to it.

She drove to Marie Callender's for pie, luckily finding a spot close to the door. Jerry took her arm and walked her in, getting a table after a few minutes. "I'll have the pot roast, double cream blueberry pie, please, and she'll have the lemon meringue, thank you." He knew his mother's likes and dislikes after all these years, especially when it came to pie.

"So..." she started to say, "what are your plans for Susan?"

"Plans? What do you mean?" he asked, smiling at her.

"You know full well what I mean," Clara answered, twirling her own wedding ring on her finger. "That girl is in love with you."

"She's not a girl, mom."

"No, she's not, and you better hurry up and give me some grandchildren. You're not in the Army anymore, thank God."

Jerry listened to his mother speaking, wondering what had brought that on. "Are you feeling unwell? Are you sick?"

"No, of course not, just getting older, is all." She picked at her pie. "Listen, it's time to make up your mind with this girl."

He put down his fork and looked at her. "Look, I'm... just... oh, I don't know... I like her a lot..."

"Like her, or love her?"

"I guess you could say I love her, I'm just... I guess you could say I'm shy, that's all." He continued to stare at his mother.

"The war hero is shy?" She laughed and reached for her son's hand. "Listen, son, you got that from your father. If I had waited for him to say something, you wouldn't be here."

"What?"

"That's right. He was the shyest person I'd ever met and here you are, number two. Tell this girl you love her and get married... have babies... be happy."

*****

"This diamond is flawless, E color and three and a half carets, emerald cut."

"It would have smaller diamonds accompanying it, right, similar quality?"

"Yes, sir, we could do that easily enough, total cost depending on what you decide, of course."

"I'd like two rows of diamonds on each side, let's say ten on each side."

"Let me show you what we have," said the saleswoman, anxious for the sale. She brought up an image on the computer screen, showing Jerry what he had imagined. "Total cost for something like this, all diamonds of the same quality, $150,800 but I'm sure we could work something out."

Jerry looked at the image and smiled, liking what he saw. His mother was right... time was passing by. He pulled out his Amex card.

*****

A week later, Jerry took Susan to a nice restaurant in Redondo, the ring in his pocket. Several times he touched his pants, making sure it was still there. He was nervous, more so than being in the Middle East war zone. He sat there, looking at her, hoping for the best although he was sure she felt the same way about him.

"Susan... uh, I mean to say, well, I'd like to spend my life with you, forever, you know, and..."

"Yes, Jerry, I'll marry you."

He reached into his pocket for the ring, bringing out the small box and opening it, showing it to her. She put her her hands to her face, shocked at what she was seeing, the shining diamonds reflecting the subdued lighting of the restaurant as he held it to her, reaching for her left hand to put it on her finger, claiming her as his own.

Several of the nearby diners had noticed what happened and applauded, soon joined by the rest of those in the closer tables.

Susan got up and kissed him deeply, so glad that he had come into her life months earlier. Her dream had come true.

*****

Six weeks later, the trial for the unsuccessful robbery came about, the defense lawyer trying to paint a picture of mistaken identity or mistaken something, grasping at straws.

"He had a gun... pointed it right at me," Jerry testified in the Torrance courtroom, tired of the defense attorney's tactics.

"You threatened to kill him." The defense lawyer bounced from one foot to the other, nervously.

"He had a gun, I had a cane... what's your problem?" 'What a fool,' thought Jerry.

The court gallery erupted in laughter, the trial having gotten a lot of coverage in the news. The judge gavelled for order.

It wasn't long before the jury returned with a guilty verdict and the judge handing down a six year sentence without parole, angry that someone would try to rob a war hero, especially one that needed a cane.

*****

A week later, the governor reinstated mandatory masks for everywhere in California.

"Do you like Santana?" Jerry held up the CD of Santana's greatest hits and passing it to Susan.

"Ah, Black Magic Woman... I really like that song."

"It's around fifty years old!" he laughed.

"It's your CD," she replied, laughing as she pushed it into the player.

"I would have taken you to Souplantation but they're all gone now, so... Red Lobster?"

"OK, we can go there. I like the biscuits."

Jerry pulled into the parking lot, finding a parking spot easily since the Souplantation next door was now only a memory but then found out Red Lobster was closed for dining.

*****

Susan spent more time with Jerry now that they were engaged, the late nights evolving into passionate kissing sessions, strangely enough ending up on the kitchen floor while the food cooked.

Jerry, true to his shyness, was going to wait until they were married before going to bed with her. She didn't seem to mind, respecting his wishes without asking. It was nice, she thought, to have the honeymoon night mean something.

He put on the Temptations' "My Girl", and reached for Susan to his arms as they slowly danced in the living room, swaying to the music as the slow beat enveloped them, using her for support.

His mother was right, it had been stupid to wait to ask her and he wondered what he was thinking, taking on the robber, but then, who knew what would have happened, anyway?

He kissed Susan, their lips caressing as only two lovers could. It was a month until the wedding and things were progressing nicely, a five-piece band, dinner and an open bar for the night. They were going to spend the night in Manhattan Beach and then drive down to San Diego to the Del Coronado the next morning for a week.

*****

The day finally arrived and Susan was as nervous as could be, wishing her parents could be there but they were gone years before. Crystal was her maid of honor, holding the bouquet as she took her vows before everyone, repeating the words after the priest.

After the ceremony, there was a procession from the church to the hotel in Manhattan Beach where the reception was to be held.

There were less than a hundred guests present, all their renters, the people from the bank and friends of his mother, each wearing a mask until it was time to eat. The band was playing mostly beach tunes from the 60s. "Do you love me, my little surfer girl?" he whispered.

"Forever and ever," she answered, giving him something to lean on while they slowly moved around the dance floor. She wanted him to be ready for the night ahead.

After the dance, they sat down at the head table to eat. His best man had been in the Army with him, both of them on the helicopter that fateful night.

"A year and a half ago, we were flying over the sandbox when we came down hard in the mountains and had to fight our way back. If it wasn't for Major Jerry, a lot of us wouldn't be here tonight, we fought our way out over twenty klicks. May Susan and he have many years together and all the love in the world. I will always consider him my brother and now Susan my sister. Let's lift our glasses to the loving couple and wish them the best life anyone can have."

Several of the men present were in Army dress uniforms and stood and saluted to the applause of the rest of the guests. But everything comes to an end sometime and the reception was finally over, the guests saying 'goodbye' as they left. Crystal and her baby and Jerry's mother had rooms in the hotel as well as his Army buddies, courtesy of Jerry and Susan.

*****

He put his arms around her waist and kissed her neck from behind, then slowly unzipping her wedding gown, watching it fall to the floor as he stepped back and gathered it up.

He was in the shower when she came into the bathroom, opening the shower door and stepping inside. "Hello, husband," she said, reaching for him with both hands as the warm water covered both of them, washing away the suds from him as she stroked him gently, watching him getting hard.

"Oh, Jesus," he moaned as she touched him.

"You're clean enough," she said, laughing, and reached for a towel outside the shower to dry him off.

They were soon laying on the bed, his hand caressing her back as she touched his face. "Get on top," he said, moving her over him. Susan spread her legs, bringing him to her, sliding down and bringing him in, feeling him fill her for the first time.

They kissed again and again. They began to touch and explore with even greater boldness.

"Oh, that's so good," she whispered, starting to rock up and down, careful of his back when the first wave moved up to her mind, glad that they had waited.

Soon, she was moaning and shaking her hips over and over while his hands held her breasts gently squeezing and then she bent placing them close to his lips as his tongue came out.

"Please, Jerry, don't stop, don't stop..."

He guided her at first, moving her up and down in slow, sure strokes, but then he began caressing her breasts and she let instinct be her guide.

And then he erupted, flooding her all over. She collapsed onto him, her eyes closed. "Ah, that was incredible," she said quietly, now putting her hands onto his chest, touching the auburn hair there, surprised at how much she had come to love him.When it was over, they'd fallen into each other's arms and lay quietly.

"What time are we leaving?" she asked, looking at the nightstand clock.

"I don't know, maybe ten o'clock, after breakfast. Mom's going to pick up our wedding clothes with Crystal and take them home and we'll be on our way to Coronado in San Diego. I think I'm the luckiest man alive."

"Well, then, we better get some sleep, maybe, after this," she said, reaching for him again as she moved down and took him into her mouth.

*****

The next morning, after making love again and then showering, Jerry called the front desk for room service and then to have their bags picked up an hour later.

They were heading south on the San Diego Freeway, coming down to Capistrano when he asked if she wanted to see the old mission. "Maybe, next time," she answered.

Two hours later they pulled up to the Del Coronado and checked in.

"Yes, sir, we have you for one week, $1600 per night including tax, plus breakfast and private parking. Ocean view..."

Susan was surprised at the room's cost, wanting to say something but being quiet, not wanting to spoil the moment, accepting the new normal.

A few minutes later, they were escorted to their room and after tipping the bellboy, Jerry sat on the edge of the bed, placing his cane nearby. "Well," he said, "here we are."

"Yes, here we are... what do you want to do?" Susan laughed. "I know what you want."

"Do you, now?" He reached for her, sitting her down on his lap and kissing her deeply, then moving her over and pulling her dress up and her panties down and he began to kiss her thighs and then moving up, his tongue searching for her center as she began to quiver until it was too much and she lifted off the bed once, twice, three times.

"Oh, Jesus," she whispered, then moaned some more until he finally stopped.

"You OK?" he quietly asked, holding her legs now closed together as she came down from her excitement.

"Mmmmm" was all she could say, holding his head in her hands, his face resting on her legs.

"You want some lunch, now?"

"Ohhhh," she answered, still not back to earth yet but somewhere out in space orbiting the moon.

"Come on, there's a Brazilian steakhouse I want to take you to."

She went into the bathroom to freshen up and then came out, a smile on her face. They went downstairs and took a taxi to downtown San Diego. Forty-five minutes later they were at the restaurant and being served, the meat being sliced away from the skewers and onto their plates.

"This is so different," Susan said between bites, "have you been here before?"

"While I was still in college we came several times. I'm glad it's still here. We can try all the different kinds."