Goerke's Corner Pt. 03

We ended the call with me promising to call that night.

Andy showed up a few minutes after I had. I'd been there long enough to know we were going to need lumber for the wagon and at least one new inner tube. As soon as Andy arrived I handed him 200 bucks and a list of what I wanted from the lumber yard. I made good use of my time while he was gone. I found the old tractor jack, had the wagon jacked up and the tire off within three quarters of an hour. I went home and rummaged through Dad's tools in the garage. I was looking for the old tire irons I had seen him use to break down a tire and replace the inner tube before tubeless tires came along. The old tires still had plenty of tread and weren't dry rotted, it made no sense to change them over to tubeless tires. Besides, those old tires had probably been around since I went into the military. They don't make them like that anymore.

I had just pulled the inner tube when Andy showed up. He unloaded lumber while I put the tire back together. The air compressor in the station still worked which saved a trip to the house. With the tire back on we set about making the changes necessary to insure the wagon was up to snuff and safe. With the sides attached and a few straw bales in place we were done for the day.

It was almost 5:30 when Andy headed home. Using the old Fordson Major I pulled the wagon under the lean-to that had kept the rain and snow off them for decades. I was surprised as well as pleased the old lean-to was still in good shape. Finally something that didn't need to be repaired or replaced. Considering the house was just over a mile from the orchard it took no time to get home, make a quick stop in the bathroom and prepare to call Greta.

She hadn't picked up by the third ring, I was going to hang up when I heard a 'hello' from someone sounding out of breath.

"Hi Greta, it's me."

She chuckled, "Well of course it's you silly. No one other than Peter, Sis and you know I'm home. How did the day go?"

"You sound out of breath. Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I was in the bathroom and forgot my phone. I'll ask again. How did the day go?"

I spent fifteen minutes or more detailing all we had done, that fuel was due to be delivered in the next few days and that I had an idea for the weekend.

Then it was my turn. "How did your day go? Did you have to fire Andre?"

"Oh. I didn't go in. I'll do that tomorrow. I spent the day catching up on financials, talking to my lawyer, getting bills paid. Stuff like that. Peter has appointments set up for two possible replacements tomorrow. We'll meet with them over lunch."

"Two. Why two? Are you that busy?"

Another chuckle, "If you really must know mister nosy. Yes, we are that busy. Secondly, if we make this relationship work I have no intention of living two hours away."

"What will you do with the business. Will Peter continue to run it?"

"I don't think so Rob. He's hinted about buying in for over a year now. Maybe he'll be interested in buying the business instead of just buying in as a partner. It would be to his benefit."

I needed to ask, "What about work for you? The hospital in Clairemont is closed."

"Oh I don't need a hospital to do physical therapy. And the rumor is the county is shutting down the two smaller hospitals and they're going to consolidate everything in Clairemont. It makes more sense, the two outlying places can barely stay afloat. Clairemont has a complete facility, it was foolish to shut it down in the first place."

I immediately started thinking nickels and dimes, "Yeah but that means they'll have to bring everything up to code. That's going to be a lot of money."

"Yeah, money they don't have to spend subsidizing the other two places. Clairemont can serve the northern half of the county, Two Rivers can serve the southern part of the county. Nobody will be more than 50 miles from a fully functioning hospital. There's even talk of bringing in surgeons once or twice a week. We may see more of Hil than we thought. Enough of that BS, what's your idea for the weekend?"

I laughed softly, "I think you're going to like this, or at least the girls will. The county fair starts Friday at noon. I thought we could take them on Saturday. The daily special is a ride bracelet for 20 bucks, you can go on any ride you want without buying tickets. It's been a while since I've had carny food, might be fun to try a funnel cake and some cotton candy."

She was suddenly very quiet.

"Hey. You there Greta?"

"I'm here. Do you remember many, many years ago that you, Hilda and I went to the county fair? I was only 12 or 13, can't remember. Anyway, you won a teddybear throwing darts at balloons. Hil didn't want it so you gave it to me. Do you remember?"

"Mmmm. I do and I don't. I remember winning the teddy bear, but I don't remember giving to you."

I could hear the smile in her voice, "Well you did."

Then her voice changed, "Robbie. I still have that bear. I thought about tossing it several times but couldn't. It's in my dresser drawer along with some of my unmentionables. That old teddy bear has been perving on my panties and bras for decades. Oh, if only he could talk, your ears would be burning."

We laughed, talked more, and made plans to meet at my house Saturday morning by eleven. It was assholes and elbows for the next two days. I needed to give the house a good cleaning, I wanted the bathrooms spotless, the yard needed to be mowed. Remembering that I had the 60" zero turn mower used to mow the orchard I opted to use that instead of Dad's old rider. Using that huge mower would cut my time by two thirds.

I had the girls' nightstands done except for varnish. I made sure there was time in my schedule to take care of that as well. We talked each morning and night. The conversations were beginning to be deeper and more comfortable.

I was ready when they arrived Saturday morning. The girls wanted to go outside and as they put it, 'explore'. Greta gave them boundaries and out the door they went. She hadn't been in my house since she was a child and remembered very little. As I gave her the nickel tour she would make quiet noises like she was storing away things she wanted to talk about.

It was time to talk turkey. I made her a cup of coffee and poured myself some apple juice. I was anxious to know what she thought.

"Do you think you could live here Greta?"

She smiled, "I can live anywhere as long as my babies are with me and I'm with a man I love. As far as living here. Sure. An upgrade here and there, change some things around, set up the kitchen so a woman can work in it. Yeah, I could live here."

I stiffened, "What's wrong with the kitchen?"

"She scoffed, "You mean other than it's set up for a man by a man? Or the ancient appliances? Or the cupboards and cabinets that were on the Ark with Noah? Flooring that hasn't been replaced since God knows when? No dishwasher or garbage disposal. Shall I go on?"

I took a gander as she spoke and dammit, she was right. The kitchen looked like it came out of a 50's movie.

"We could change those things. Once the stations open and apple season is done. If you can wait?"

Moving her hand across the table as she leaned toward me she took mine, "Are you asking me to wait Robbie? Now that you've met the girls and become acquainted with the adult me, are you sure this is what you want? By that I mean us? We come as a package."

I needed to assure her without asking her to marry me on the spot. "I think so. No, I know so. Yes, I'm asking you to wait if you can. As far as the girls, they've won my heart, you'll never need to wonder if I can love them. And the adult you? What can I say? You're everything I dreamed a wife would be. Please forgive me, I don't want you to think I'm rushing into something. I'm not, all I've thought about for weeks is you and the girls."

Her next move floored me. She stood and walked around to where I was sitting. She wormed her way onto my lap and said in not much more than a whisper.

"I think this is where we kiss."

What a kiss. There were no tongues, no gaping mouths, no drooling all over each other. It was a long sweet kiss, then two, and three before the backdoor opened. In came two girls out of breath and smiling.

Johanna spoke, "Mama, were you kissing mister Robbie?"

Heidi said "ewww."

Holding her free arm outward both girls snuggled under her wing as she cooed, "Yes honey, I was kissing mister Robbie. Is that okay with you guys?"

They looked at each other and nodded, Jo spoke for both of them.

"Yeah it's okay if you like him. Will he run away too Mommy?"

It took every ounce of Marine training to not shed a tear at that comment. I turned toward them.

"I could never leave you girls. I will always be there if you need me."

It was obvious that had been settled because they both asked, "Where's the bathroom?"

We did lunch at the fair grounds. Greta made sure they kept their intake to a minimum before they went on any rides. I was learning as I watched her interact with the girls. There were a few of the rides mommy absolutely said no. Heidi was on the verge of tossing a fit when Greta took her little arm and asked, "Do we need to go to the truck for an attitude change?"

All I heard was a faint, "No Mommy."

And that was the end of it. After the rides they were hungry, we tried numerous things knowing we were going to leave afterward. Funnel cake, cotton candy, fried cheese curds, freshly made lemonade, finishing with one of my all-time favorites, made from scratch onion rings. The girls were in sugar overload, we strolled through the dairy barn and the 4-H building to burn up some of that energy. The girls were asleep in less than five minutes once the truck was moving.

I asked if she would like to stay the night and not have to drive all that way home. I could see that she was rolling it over in her mind.

"Where would we sleep?"

"There's a bed in the guest room and I have some sleeping bags if you think the girls would like that? They could sleep on the floor in your room. I'll put some blankets down so they aren't laying on that old carpet."

We were sitting in the driveway as she mulled it over in her mind. "I think that would be okay. Do you have a toothbrush we can use? Oh, and we'll need to leave in the morning. I didn't bring a change of clothes."

She sat in the truck with them as I got the spare room ready. I carried the girls in, mama got their teeth brushed and into the sleeping bags. She said they felt like they were camping. Sitting on the couch we talked of how much the fair had changed in twenty years. I yawned, she did as well. Moving into my side she put her hand on my chest and looked into my eyes.

"I wouldn't mind some more of that kissing before we call it a night."

Which is what we spent the next twenty minutes doing. We met in the hall after using two separate bathrooms, with her arms around my neck we kissed goodnight. It wasn't until I laid down that I realized she had taken her bra off in the bathroom. I had wondered why it felt so nice as we kissed goodnight. Though I was ready to jump her bones I knew the smart thing to do was wait until she let me know she was ready to be intimate. If the weeks ahead were going to be anything like today, it wouldn't be that long before we started knocking boots.

I had returned from my morning run and had bacon in the pan when I heard the first rumblings. It was Greta talking to one of the girls.

"No. Potty first, then breakfast. Do it young lady."

Rounding the corner from the hallway into the kitchen she smiled as she tried to fluff her hair.

"I must look a fright. I have a comb but no brush. Now that you've seen me with bedhead are you still so sure?"

I decided to step up to the plate and swing for a homerun. I reached my hand toward hers, she took it and I pulled her to me. Without hesitation I pulled her lips to mine, her hand went to the back of my neck and she moaned slightly as we embraced.

Breaking the kiss I looked in her eyes. "Good morning beautiful."

She was about to step back when we heard Heidi say to her sister, "They're doing it again. You know, kissing. All grown-ups must do that?"

I couldn't contain my laughter, Greta was laughing as well hugging the girls reassuring them that's what adults did when they really liked someone. I caught it when she almost said 'loved' someone. Yeah, that lady had me by the heart strings already. I had no intention of thinking otherwise. I would be a man, but I was also wise enough to realize she was the other half I'd been looking for, for years.

With breakfast done we talked a bit more before they had to leave. The girls were outside which made it easy to talk about whatever we wanted to. I finally got around to asking about the business.

"I'm sorry. I intended to fill you in and then forgot. Be patient with me. I'm used to calling the shots without regard to anyone else. I'll do better at keeping you informed. I offered to sell the business to Peter right away when I got to the office. The only thing he said was, "I need to call Martha." And he was gone."

I gave her the look, and then?

"He popped back into my office fifteen minutes later with a huge smile and blurted out. 'We accept your offer to sell it to us. Martha says the sooner the better because the baby is due in January and she'd like everything to be done before that'. Hell, I didn't even know she was pregnant. Then again, I haven't been around for months."

"And what about the people you were going to meet over lunch? Did they show up?"

She had a smirk on her face, "Yup, Peter hired them both on the spot. They were going to give their two week notice when they went back to their respective jobs that day. I'm excited for him. It'll take a month at least, in the meantime he won't need me there so I can help around here a bit more."

"And what about Andre? Did that get straightened out? Did you have to fire him?"

"Nope. He quit as soon as he found out Peter was buying the business and I was involved with you. Easy peasy."

It was time to go out on a limb. "What if I got beds for the girls? They could sleep in one room and you could sleep in the guest room. Then you wouldn't have to travel as much. While you're here you can inquire about the school you want the girls to attend. I would love to have you close, please give it some thought."

She didn't give me an answer before they left but she did promise to think about it. Which was good enough for me. At least it wasn't an answer of 'absolutely not'. I slept well that night. Content in knowing she had strong feelings for me.

It was five fifteen and I was ready to head out the door for my morning run when the phone rang with her name on the screen.

"Hi Greta. You're up early. What can I do for you?"

There was a long pause. "I didn't sleep much last night. I kept mulling over what you said about moving in with you. I love the idea, I'm just not sure it's the best thing. Not yet."

I was disappointed but not heartbroken. "Okay, I think I understand. I felt like we were doing good, but if you need more time I get that. We'll still see each other though? Right?"

She chuckled, "Robbie, sometimes you can be thick. Hilda told me you tend to overthink most things. She's obviously right. I'm not talking months Rob. I'm talking days, maybe a few weeks. Can you come to town tonight? I'm making a chicken pineapple Terriyaki dish that I think you'll like. Hilda called to say she won't be home until Tuesday, we'll have time to talk without interruption once the girls are down for the night."

That needed no thought from my point of view, "Of course I can be there. What time?"

A smile overtook my face as I pulled into Hilda's driveway just after 5 that afternoon. Sitting on the front step were the two cutest wee girls I had ever seen in my life. To top it off they were smiling and waving at me. As I got out of the truck they were already at my door hugging me and telling me how much fun they had at the fair. I found out in the midst of that speedy conversation that it was the first fair they had ever been to. With their little hands in mine, one on each side, they dragged me to the house and into the kitchen.

I mockingly said softly, "Honey, I'm home."

Greta laughed, gave me a peck on the cheek and stated, "Yeah, I got that impression from the welcoming committee. You do realize that this is how it will be every night don't you?"

I gave her an odd look.

"When you get home. This is what it will be like every night. Two munchkins telling you all about their day."

I needed to maintain my man card in good standing so I refrained from crying. Even though I could feel the tears welling in my eyes. Greta saw it as well and came to my rescue. Quickly grabbing my arm she told me to help set the table and make sure the girls washed their hands before we ate. Five minutes later she had the girls' plates served and was standing next to me. Bending over she said softly.

"Are you better now?" I nodded. "Okay, go ahead and serve yourself, I'll get your milk."

Watching her move across the kitchen I found myself wondering, *is this really what married life with the right one is all about?* Because if it was I had missed out on a lot. With supper over the kids wanted to play until it got dark. Greta shook her head.

"You try this every night and every night I tell you no. Jo, you have a watch. You can play until 7:30 and then you need to come in. It's either that or go to bed early. Your choice."

Yeah, it was plain that they'd played this game before. It was also plain who won the game each time. Mommy. She and I cleared the kitchen, put dishes in the dishwasher, wiped everything down and adjourned to the family room.

I wasn't sure where to start and she knew it. Taking the bull by the horns she began.

"About this morning's conversation. I need to clarify a few things. To start with I'm ready to move in and play house anytime you are. My concern is the girls. They need a little time getting used to a man being in their lives. Don't misunderstand, they like you. Oh my, how they like you. Now don't freak out but Heidi asked if she could call you daddy. Jo, she's thinking the same, I think it will take her a little longer though."

"You said there were things you wanted to clarify. Anything else?"

Smiling she scooted to me and put her hand on my cheek. "If we move in, you and I won't be sleeping in the same bed, at least not right away. Are you okay with that?"

I nodded, "Yup, I'm good with that. I figure you'll let me know when you're ready to share yourself with me."

She sat back and grinned, "Thank you for those affectionate words. I like that you said I would be sharing myself with you and not just fucking. I don't mind raunchy talk in the bedroom. Outside the bedroom is another story. I noticed that you don't cuss a lot and that's important. Those girls are always watching and listening. They're going to imitate us. Are you getting my drift?"

I nodded again wondering if I looked like a bobble head doll. "Yeah, I got it. I want to do this right Greta. I will say in all honesty that I don't know how to be a dad beyond what I watched my father do. You're going to need to point out stuff if I'm doing it wrong. Okay?"

Moving to me she looked up and kissed me. "Yes, I'll say something if I think I need to. However, there are going to be battles you'll have to figure out on your own. The biggest thing is learning which battles you must win and which you can let slide. How's the saying go, lose a skirmish but win the war. Or something like that."

We were snuggled together sharing a kiss or two when two bodies bursting with energy came through the back door. I caught up on phone calls while she bathed and readied the girls for bed. With their hair still damp and in fresh jammies they sat on my lap informing me that I was going to read to them before bed. I looked at Greta, she raised her eyebrows and nodded.