Goerke's Corner Pt. 03

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Goerke's Corner part three

I'd left early enough for the airport that I hadn't eaten. I noticed they had fresh donuts at the convenience store where I stopped to get fuel. Two of those and a pint of milk would stop my stomach from grumbling. I was nervous and wondered if my concerns were warranted. She hadn't given me a reason to think I wouldn't be received with enthusiasm so why was I playing this game in my head. After all, I'm a Marine damn it. Get your head up and your shoulders back.

My F-150 Super cab had plenty of room in the back seats for the girls and enough space in the bed for however much luggage they had. That truck had been my one indulgence when I retired and now, I was glad I had opted for the Super cab feature. I had asked Hilda if I would need a booster seat for the five-year-old. She told me I was good without one. I knew that I was going to be an hour or more early, time which I planned to have the truck washed and vacuumed. I was in dress jeans, a short sleeve polo shirt and casual cloth loafers. I wanted everything perfect.

From outside the customs area I watched as people deplaned. After first class got off it was families. I watched with anticipation hoping I wouldn't somehow miss them. I watched three or four families deplane and then I saw them walking down the ramp. My heart was beating fast and my breathing was shallow. I watched with anticipation as they cleared customs.

Coming towards me was a woman around five foot seven or eight with a slim waist, long legs and a shapely body holding the hands of two little girls as cute as their mother. I thought she looked pretty in the few photos I had received. She was an absolute knockout in person.

A smile crossed her face when she saw me. I took that as an invitation to approach and greet her. I was both scared and excited. In my 21 years in the Marines I have been in more than a few tense situations. I had never experienced the feelings I was having at that moment. I was damned near standing at attention when I reached forth my hand to shake hers and introduce myself. She let go of the older one's hand, pushed mine aside and gave me a hug. A long hug, almost as if she was relieved the day was over.

Stepping back she said, "Hi Rob. It's been a very long time, hasn't it? Thanks for coming to get us. We don't have a lot of luggage, but it will definitely fill the trunk."

She held the girls to her hip on either side and nodded to the older. "This is Johanna, we call her Jo. The younger one is named Heidi. Girls, this is Mr. Rob, the man I've been telling you about for some time. He's come to pick us up."

I bent and gently shook their hands. Both smiled and appeared comfortable. I gestured toward the baggage claim area.

"Let's get your bags. Did you want to stop for lunch on the way?"

Slipping her arm through mine she walked stride for stride with me, the girls walking a few steps ahead. Walking by the restrooms both girls gave their mother that panicked look as if to say 'I gotta pee'.

She let go of my arm and gently told me, "Wait here, be right back."

I was leaning against the wall waiting for them thinking to myself that things were going well. All three seemed comfortable with me, I loved the attention Greta was showing me. I remembered what Hilda had told me, that Greta needed to know she was important. I am determined to make sure of that. I would make sure she knew I saw her as my number one priority.

As they walked from the lady's room I stepped forward ready to escort Greta. She and Johanna were hand in hand with Heidi right behind. Before I knew what was happening Greta and Jo had turned and were walking toward the baggage claim. I looked at little Heidi, she smiled, took my hand and started off behind her mom. The little imp wasn't going to need to crawl on my lap and call me daddy to win my heart. In less than 20 minutes she already owned it.

When we approached the carousel Greta motioned for us to go to it while she grabbed a luggage cart. In the heat of the moment I hadn't actually looked all that closely at Greta. From the backside I liked what I saw: nice figure, just enough butt to be inviting, a slender waist and long dark brown hair. I suddenly realized both girls had their mother's hair color. In a flash she was back standing next to me.

"How long was the drive for you Rob?" She asked.

"Just over three hours. How long was your flight? Five, six hours?"

She sighed, "Yeah a little over six hours. Thankfully I brought lots of things for the girls to do while we were in the air. I'm pretty sure they'll fall asleep as soon as we start driving. Ooo, I see the first of our luggage."

I stepped ahead of her, "Point it out and I'll get it."

"No, no. I can do it." She replied.

Chivalry took over, "It might be 1999 and close to the 21^st century, but there's no way I'm going to stand by and watch you lift heavy luggage. You point, I'll fetch."

Her smile went from ear to ear as she softly mouthed 'thank you' and pointed to two bags. Ten minutes later the cart was full and we were on the way to the parking facility. Once again it was Greta and Jo walking together while Heidi 'helped' me push the cart. Standing in front of me between my arms and her hands on the push bar with mine next to hers she was actually more in the way than a help. I grinned, my first lesson on how to be a dad. Greta glanced back, chuckled, and winked at me.

The girls thought the third door on the truck was, to put it in their vernacular, 'Like totally cool'. With the luggage loaded and the four of us ready to hit the road I asked.

"Do you want to stop for lunch on the way? You'll need to tell me where you live."

Greta turned, "Are you hungry girls?"

Both shouted, "Pancakes."

With that settled I made my way out of the city stopping at a diner on the outskirts of town. As the girls plowed into their bounty Greta and I picked at our food around conversation. Simple small talk. When I asked about directions to her home she told me she wasn't going home.

"Where am I taking you then?" I asked.

"We're going to Hil's, I'll fill you in on the details when they crash. With full tummies and a warm truck they'll be out like lights in no time."

I asked inquisitively, "Hil's? You mean Hilda's?"

Her mouth was full so she nodded in the affirmative. Back on the road she was asking about the latest in regard to the station/store and the orchard. I filled her in on all the particulars as we rolled along in light traffic. We hadn't been on the road fifteen minutes and the girls were out, and by girls, I mean all three including mommy. That was alright with me. I was able to watch them and study their faces without looking weird.

Greta was turned sideways to me with her head against the back of the seat. At that angle it was easy to determine two things, she was as pretty as the pictures she'd sent and her bust was perfect for her body. Not too big, nor too small, my imagination was telling me they were very likely a lovely handful.

I didn't see the girls reach into their backpacks, but each had a stuffed animal of some sort snuggled under their chin. I had already decided I could easily fall in love with those angelic faces. They seemed well behaved and were sweet as honey. What's not to love? Greta woke after about 30 minutes, looked back at her girls, sighed and sat facing forward.

"Wow, Sorry Rob. I didn't mean to nod off. I see the girls found their stuffed animals. How are you doing?"

I decided to be a smart ass and take note as to how she responded. "Oh I fell asleep twice, we rolled the truck once and went into the ditch but now we're back on the road."

Not missing a beat she laughed, "Well the truck certainly held up well. No dents, no scratches, no missing paint. And these seat belts must be the best in the world because I could swear my body didn't move an inch."

She reached over and touched my arm. "I like your sense of humor. It's refreshing. My ex had none at all."

It was time for the talk. "You mind if I ask what happened?"

"Nah I don't mind. I married the wrong guy thinking I was in love. Then had two children thinking it would make his love stronger."

"Hilda told me that he abandoned you and the girls. Is that right?" I asked.

I watched her face set like stone. "Yes he did, the jerk. He left in the dark of night while the three of us were sound asleep. Feigning being sick he wanted to sleep in the guest room, I never heard a thing. He was obviously packed and ready to go when all of us went to bed."

"Hilda said it took you a long time to find him."

"It did. He must have thought his money and a lawyer could make him invisible. What the fool didn't count on was that I also made decent money and had a lawyer of my own. Who had an investigator on retainer. It depleted nearly all my savings but was well worth it in the end. Not only did I recoup all that money, but I added a hell of a lot more when I divorced him for abandonment."

Being nosey I asked, "Was he wealthy?"

She laughed, "He used to be. He was in real estate and made a killing on a few big deals. Oh yeah, he was mister big shot when it came to business, he was a coward when it came to being a father. As far as I know he didn't cheat, he just didn't have the balls to raise a family. Said it cramped his style. I make him pay alimony. When it came to child support it didn't take him long to do the math. His remedy was to relinquish his parental rights if I would forego the child support. I thought about it for a few days and decided to accept his offer."

That surprised me. "Wait. Do you mean he signed away his rights to call the girls his daughters? I mean legally?"

Looking to the left staring at me she answered, "That's exactly what it means. The first thing I did when the divorce was finished was to take back my maiden name and change the girls' last name to Friedrich. They barely remember him. Heidi doesn't remember him at all, she was only two when he skipped. Jo remembers very little."

It was silent another ten minutes before I inquired about going to her sister's instead of her house.

She sighed, "Two reasons. First. My house is leased for another month and a half. Second. I intend to know whether this thing between us will work. I can't do that two hours away. Listen, we know each other socially via the phone calls. I'm not sure about you but I like where this can go. Now we need to find out if we're compatible. I'm not talking about jumping in bed compatible, although that too will need to be determined, in time. I'm talking about 'do we get along' other than during phone calls?"

She was right, there needed to be a period of time to find out if our burgeoning romance was meant for the long haul, or just emotions. From what I knew at that point I was personally opting for a lifetime together. She was friendly, well educated, had an intact career, and was good looking. *What's not to like?* I asked myself. I needed to ask though.

"How do you propose we do this? I mean getting to know each other better? You'll be in Two Rivers, and I need to be in Goerke's Corner."

Taking my hand off the seat where I'd been resting it she held it loosely, "It's only 30 minutes away. I'm planning to spend as much time with you as possible. The girls are going to want to be with their cousins and play most of the time. I'll pay Hil's nanny to watch them, and I can help you"

I said, "Yeah, I'd like that."

She continued, "Besides, I need to check out Nevell Academy in Nelson. I've read great reviews. It originally started, almost 20 years ago, as a K-12 Christian School in the Baptist Church. Since then it has moved into a larger separate building with numerous classrooms and a small gym. All the teachers are state certified. I'll have to pay tuition, but I would have to do that anyway. I don't plan to send the girls to public school. If we start living with you that will only be 12 miles away to the north. I had read they were going to extend the school bus routes this year, maybe that will include Goerke's Corner."

Wow. Her plans were far more advanced compared to mine, and to be honest, I liked that. I had always been more of a doer than a planner. I could plan, when necessary, but it didn't come naturally. For her it did. I remembered Mom's words when she talked about how married life should be two people completing each other. It had been a theory all my adult life, perhaps I was going to witness the reality of that theory firsthand. About an hour away from Hilda's the girls began to stir. Greta leaned close and whispered.

"Better stop soon. They're going to need to go potty."

Lesson number two about being a dad. Girls need to pee a lot. Or should I say, little girls. I stopped at a Love's Truck Stop to top off the tank, get some snacks and a chance for the girls to use the bathroom. The more I thought about it the more I realized I needed to go as well. It was sort of funny because as I was coming out of the men's room they were coming out of the lady's room across the hall. It was like a magic moment when the girls quickly got in front of us and Greta's arm slipped through my right arm. I reached across with my left and put it on top of her hand.

She looked at me, smiled and chuckled softly. "Look at us. We're like teens on a first date."

"Does that bother you?" I asked.

"Oh heavens no. I love it. I like the fact that you make sure we're safe and protected. AND. I like that you stay close to me."

There it was. Her first acknowledgement of me paying attention to her. It certainly wouldn't be the last. Doting over someone, anyone, wasn't something I was used to. I knew it wasn't always going to be as easy as today's lessons seemed to be but come hell or high water I was going to learn. The girls would one day grow up and leave, it was imperative that I love, protect, and provide for them until then. It was equally as important that Greta knew she would always be my number one if we decided to do life together.

Conversation with the girls was mostly chit chat between them and Mom. I listened but didn't speak unless I was asked something. Greta had texted Hilda ten minutes from her house, she and her girls were out front waiting when we turned into the driveway. As soon as the doors were open two screaming, squealing, vibrant kids raced into the embrace of their aunt and cousins. Hilda and Greta stood back a minute for the mayhem to subside before walking to one another. They stood in the driveway hugging for a full minute before separating.

I started unloading the bags. Greta turned to help. I shooshed her away.

"Go with them, I've got this."

"Are you sure?" Greta asked.

"Positive. Go be with your sister and nieces. I'll get everything in the house."

While I carried baggage to the different rooms Greta and Hilda were snuggled together on the couch. Talking, laughing, a tear or two falling once in a while. Twenty minutes after I started, I was done and walking toward the door. I stopped and got their attention.

"I'm gonna let you guys be. I'll call tomorrow if that's alright Greta?"

Greta and Hilda both stood and walked to me. Greta smiled, kissed my cheek and said, "You'd better call. Jet lag will be kicking my butt, I should be up by noon though."

Hilda simply took me by the elbow and walked with me to the truck.

"You've made quite an impression Rob. I think that schoolgirl crush has returned. She can't get over how comfortable you are with the girls."

She stopped talking, put her hand on my cheek and said softly, "Don't fuck this up Robbie. You two are made for each other. I need to go in and you need to get back on the road before dusk sets in. It's rut season and deer are on the move after dark. We don't need an accident."

I don't think I had a straight face all the way home. It seemed all I did was smile and think about how wonderful things could be. I would need to figure out how to use that notepad thing on my phone to enter in reminders to call her. Hilda said it would beep an alarm if I programmed it right. I was beat when I got home, but not so tired that I didn't take the time to look online and find out how to use the notepad on my phone. It was a PBJ sandwich before bed, sliding between the sheets after my long day felt marvelous.

I woke with an excitement and energy level I hadn't experienced for a very long time. My excitement was derived from the joy I felt knowing Greta and the girls would add greatly to my happiness. Goerke's Corner is a place where both of us have fond memories, good and bad. It's also a place she and I have deep seated roots. It was apparent to me that we would have to draw from those deep roots if we were to survive as a family.

The world was changing at breakneck speed, and though we needed to change as well, there's no reason we can't go back to a simpler time in some ways. All the hype and hoopla about the year 2000, most of it utter bullshit. How did these supposed scholars think we did things before computers and the new smart phones. It was called pencil and paper, adding and subtracting, activating your memory, using your cognitive skills to figure things out. When the girl at the grocery store checkout can't figure out how to make change from a dollar bill you have to wonder.

I'd gone for my morning run, cleaned up, had a bite to eat and was about to call Greta when my phone rang. It had her name in the screen.

"Hi. I was just about to call you. What's up?"

She giggled, "You realize that question could be taken two different ways. Don't you? Ask me that question later when we know each other better and you'll get a different answer. As for today, I wanted to let you know I'll be gone until the weekend. I need to check in and see firsthand how things are with my business. The reports look good, I need to see it though. I also have a younger PT that I need to straighten out. He thinks he has more influence than he does."

That statement made me curious. "What do you mean by that?"

"I have given him no reason to think the way he is, somehow he has the impression I fancy him. Which is ridiculous. The fact that I've always been kind to him seems to have clouded his better judgement. Peter, the oldest PT and the one who's been running things said it's getting out of hand. So, Andre will either shape up or ship out, I really don't care which."

Though I wanted to encourage or somehow support her, I decided that I needed to keep my own counsel. She's a big girl, she can handle her own battles.

"Do you know when you'll be back?" I asked.

"Friday night. We should plan something for Saturday. The girls and I would love to see you. Hilda and hers will be gone. I'm not sure where but they won't be home until Monday sometime. Give it some thought and let me know."

"Okay. I'll see what's going on in the area. Maybe we can make a day of it. Is there a time of day that's better to call you?"

"You silver tongue devil, trying to get on my good side huh? Smart move. I'm up early so anytime after six is good. The second call could be after six in the evening if you've a mind to call me twice on the same day."

I liked what I was hearing, "Six am and pm it is then. I might not have much to say."

"That's alright. I'll probably have a lot to tell you once I get there. Will you be working at the station the rest of the week?"

"Yes, there and the orchard. Andy is coming today, we're going to go over the hay wagon. You know, make sure the tires are good, build short sides so people don't fall off. Old man Semrow has some straw bales he'll sell for a buck each. We'll pick those up. I have enough to keep me busy."

I heard her make the phew sound before she spoke, "That's a busy day for sure. Wish me well. I'm hoping I can keep Andre. He's good at his job, he just needs to understand that he works for me and those I have in charge. If not, he'll have to find a different employer."