Love, Texas Style 09

Amy turned away from Michael and squinted her eyes at Bill. "Just friends?" she slurred her words, implying she didn't believe the explanation she received and that more was involved than friendship.

Bill nodded. "Since third grade. We're going to ride the pasture Dad bought and catch up with each other. Where ya'll going?"

"To Brenham," Michael replied. "I have some shopping to do in town."

"OK, I'll see you at supper tonight."

*****

"A lock?"

"Of course he's going to buy a lock," Terry replied in a whisper, to his lover's incredulous tone. He watched his son and his girlfriend disappear as Michael made the turn beyond the oaks for the highway.

Terry turned and took her hand with a smile. "Either Amy hasn't told him or Michael is OK with what I told you about Amy. But, I know Michael... He's been told and his tone a few minutes ago tells me he's going to set ground rules about our relationship. The father son relationship."

"But what about the lock?"

Terry gently nodded his head with a smile, took her hand, and said...

"Come with me. I have something to show you."

*****

"The courthouse?"

"Yeah," Michael replied, as he placed the truck into park and exited the cab. He rounded the front of the truck, opened Amy's door and offered a hand to assist her onto the sidewalk.

"I'm confused, Michael," Amy asked with concern in her tone. She accepted Michael's hand as he led her to a bench just a few steps away. He sat down and gestured to her to sit with him. The passerby stared them down with a huge and knowing smile. Amy watched as the man continued on his way.

"Amy, you and I are, hopefully, about to make a promise to each other," Michael began, as he squeezed her hand gently and offered a loving smile. "A promise to be more than lovers. A promise to work together for the purpose of being with each other for a long time. This isn't an offer of marriage. It's a promise from me to work hard to love you more. For the goal of potential marriage to one another. I'm going to ask you if you are willing to strive for a relationship with me. With the goal of someday... me... coming to your home and asking you to marry me. Do you want to make a promise to me? Because, I'm ready right now to tell you I want to make our relationship a more committed relationship. I promise I will do anything to keep you for my own. To love you for the purpose of someday coming to you and asking you to marry me."

Amy was stunned. She had never heard of such a thing. A pre-proposal proposal? she thought. She blinked. She watched as a young woman passed them with a knowing smile.

"I don't understand. You are basically asking me to go steady. Like a promise ring thing. Right?"

"Yes... I am asking you for a commitment. Because, I'm committed to being with you, exclusively."

"Of course, but, I thought we were already going steady? I haven't dated anyone else because of you," she asked, with confusion still in her tone.

"That's right," Michael offered with a grin. "And I have done the same... for you." He paused as an elderly couple walked past them, with again... knowing smiles. "But, now. I'm making a formal offer to go steady. A promise to give myself to you for the purpose of asking you to marry me some day."

"I promise, Michael. To be exclusive with you. Am I doing this right? Because, this seems like something..."

"That's all I need," he interrupted with a whisper. "The 'I promise' is what I needed. I promise, too."

He leaned over and kissed his lover. She placed her arms around him and kissed him back. They stood together, continuing their kiss. She stood on her toes to reach his lips and hold his face with her hands.

Applause from a few bystanders erupted. The lovers broke their kiss and smiled to their audience.

Michael pulled his lover down back into the bench.

"We have just completed a long tradition in my family. A tradition that has evolved into a town tradition. Thus the smiles and applause we just received."

"Oh, my," Amy answered, with an appreciative grin. She kissed him again.

"Now," he began. "You and I going across the street into that jewelry store." He pointed directly across the street. Amy turned... Timken Jewelry was the sign painted on the windows. "And, I'm going to buy a ring which has my name on it. And, you are going to buy a ring with your name on it. And then, I will show you the rest of our visible promise."

"OK," Amy chirped, with excitement. "I'm glad I brought my purse!"

He stood, offered his hand to her, and they jaywalked across the street.

"Michael Woods!" came the feminine voice from behind the counter. Amy stepped inside as she passed her lover. She smiled her smile at the young woman.

"Hi, Janet," Michael replied, as he closed the door to the shop. "We're here for a lock."

"Wonderful!" Janet squealed, as she rounded the corner of the jewelry counter. "And who is your beautiful lady?"

"This is Amy Masters. We have been seeing each other since July."

"Well, well, Amy Masters," Janet began, as she snatched both of Amy's hands and squeezed. "You certainly landed the best catch in Brenham. Every girl in high school wanted to be where you are right now. So, Michael and Amy... come right over here. This is where we keep the rings for the lock." Janet pulled Amy over to a counter.

Amy looked inside and found very simple gold rings. All the same size and they were made with flat face outer sides. She furled her eyebrows in confusion.

"Michael," Janet snapped. "You haven't told her, have you?"

Michael shook his head with a sly grin. "The lock?" he asked.

Janet left the couple and went into the back for a few moments, returning with a small padlock and a set of keys... Giving them to Michael.

"Amy," he began, "The tradition my five greats grandfather started is about to continue. You and I will get a ring... Janet will engrave our names on the outside of the rings, and each of us will place the ring into the shackle of this padlock. Together, you and I will lock the rings together, give the keys to Janet, and she will break them in half using a vise. The only way the rings can be removed is to cut the shackle. If our love endures to marriage, we will bring these rings and this lock into our marriage as a symbol of our commitment to each other."

"Oh, my," Amy whispered, with her hands over her mouth. "How wonderful." She turned to her lover. "And your father has one of these?"

Michael nodded. "Terry and Emilia, too. Along with many others from Brenham. You see, my ancestors started a tradition that many in this town follow, too."

"And that is why the people across the street kept staring and clapping for us."

Michael and Janet nodded in unison with smiles. Amy squeaked...

"Hurry... both of you! I want to hold the lock with our rings in it!"

*****

"Oh, my... What a wonderful tradition."

"It is," Terry replied to his lover, as he took the lock from her fingers. "I had to take this lock out of the living room after Mary died. I couldn't stand to look at it." He shook his head as he placed it back on the shelf in his walk in closet. "My children... They were disappointed I took it away. I explained why, but, it didn't make it better for them." He leaned his forehead against the shelf to reflect. Traci took him into a side hug.

"I'm the first, Traci. Of all my ancestors, I'm the first to lose my wife so young. All of them living into their 60s, 70s, and 80s."

Traci had no words to offer.

Chapter 127

"Michael! Come in here... It's great to see you!"

"Thanks, Grandma," Michael replied, as he allowed Amy to step past him into his grandparent's home. "This is my girlfriend, Grandma... Amy Masters."

"My, aren't you a pretty thing," she replied, as she hugged Amy.

"Thank you, Mrs. Woods," Amy replied, after the bear hug she just received.

"We came here to see the locks," Michael began.

"OK, but I need to see your lock. Do you have one?" Grandma smiled a sly smile and looked at Amy.

"Who's at the door?!" came a scruffy voice from the other room.

Michael leaned over and whispered to Amy, "Grandpa is a little deaf. Even with hearing aids. You may have to remind him of your name a couple of times."

Amy nodded with a smile.

"It's Michael and his girlfriend!"

"Who?!" he replied, as he entered the room. "Michael! It's great to see you. Why didn't you call?"

"I did, Grandpa. I called a few minutes ago and Grandma answered the phone. This is my girlfriend. Her name is... Amy... Masters."

"It's nice to meet you, Angie," he replied, as he offered his hand. "Come on in and have a seat." Amy giggled quietly.

"We're here to see the locks, Grandpa. Amy and I have a lock now."

Grandpa Woods furled his eyebrows and looked to his wife.

"The locks, John. Michael and Amy want to see the locks!"

Grandpa shrugged his shoulders and looked confused.

"Show him your lock, Michael," Grandma ordered.

Amy reached into her purse and presented the lock with two rings on it.

"Oh! The lock!" Grandpa barked. "Congratulations, you two. I suppose you want to see the locks."

"Yes, Sir," Michael replied, with a smile of amusement.

They all went into the bedroom and on the wall was a shadow box... filled with locks, and rings, and the names of the past owners. All direct descendants of John, Terry, and Michael.

"It's beautiful," Amy offered in a whisper...

"Absolutely beautiful what your family has done."

*****

"Well, this is the secondary tradition."

"Secondary?" Amy mused, at the chuckled announcement from her lover.

"Yeah," he gargled, with a spoonful of chocolate ice cream in his mouth. "Since Blue Bell opened the parlor, we come here for a scoop of ice cream after the lock and rings tradition."

Amy giggled as she spooned off a bite of ice cream from Michael's cup.

*****

"Let's see it!"

Amy smiled her unique and happy smile as she entered Michael's family home... Emilia nearly jumping out of her shoes, begging to see the lock. When she pulled the lock from her purse...

An ear piercing squeal came from Emilia's lips. Emilia crushed Amy in a hug and then crushed her brother with a hug.

"Oh my God, Michael! You really did it!" Emilia offered in another squeal. "Amy, this is wonderful for both of you. Isn't it great?"

Amy nodded as she handed the lock and rings to Nicole, who looked curious about the fuss. "It is great," Amy replied, as she took her man's arm into a hug. "It's great, only because of Michael." She twirled in front of her man and took his face into her hands...

"Thank you for letting be a part of you."

*****

"I can't resent Amy for something I had no control over and before I met her."

Terry nodded at his son's statement while the two of them sat in his study.

"You have to admit, this is a little awkward. It is for me."

"It is."

"Amy told me it was brief and you ended the affair."

"Yes."

Michael gave his father an awkward pause.

"I was left with the impression there was nothing more than a sexual relationship and that there was nothing more."

"That's true."

Michael nodded. "You told me a few months ago to begin changing my lifestyle for my career. Things like unusual sexual activities and drinking and drugs. I have done what you suggested, though drugs were never an issue, I have begun to limit my alcohol. I met Amy not long afterward, so my past lovers didn't become an issue. She and I committed ourselves shortly afterward to be exclusive."

Terry nodded his approval.

"You're more experienced in this than myself. I need to know. Did you not think Amy, considering her age, was an unusual relationship as it pertained to your business?"

"I did. However, I'm human, Michael. As you know, Amy is a pretty woman. She made me feel better about myself as a man, and quite frankly, I was taken by surprise with her forward behavior with me. For two weeks, I was flattered a young woman considered me worthy of her time. By the time the third week rolled around, an incident occurred while she was with me and made me think this wasn't right and I needed to end it quickly. I have no excuse, other than being a man who was flattered with the company of a beautiful and willing woman."

Michael nodded his approval with the answer he received. "I've committed myself to Amy just as you and Mom have done. I still want to come back here... to my childhood home without any regrets, or, what ifs, hanging over me. From what you and Amy have told me about yourselves, I don't think I will have any issues with you or Amy. Do you agree?"

"I do. Traci and I began dating soon afterward and she distracted me from Amy very quickly, until I saw the two of you together in Kansas City. I'm pleased you and I can move on with our lives and with the women we truly care for."

Michael rose from his seat and offered a hand. Terry rose and took it... shook it... and then...

Embraced his son.

*****

Amy rose to her feet with a concerned look on her face as she saw her man leave his father's study. She was holding Ethan... Emilia's and Daniel's son.

Michael nodded as he approached. "We're good. I intend on being a happy man with you and my father. I need for there to be no further discussion about this... ever."

"Of course," Amy whispered, as a tear formed in her left eye. "I love you, Michael. And I love your family. Including your father. But, I need you more."

"And I need you, too, Pretty Girl."

Amy looked past Michael to see Terry standing in his study. Watching them with an approving smile. Traci stepped inside the study and had a few words with him. She turned and smiled at Amy... and nodded. Amy returned her gaze to her man's intense blue eyes.

"Thank you, Michael. For loving me the way you do."