Moving On

"Mandy Honey, we had a deal in Florida. You bought the food and I paid for the trailer space. You don't owe me any more than that. I would have spent most of the money I spent on the two of us if it had just been me anyway."

"Yeah, I know but I owe you for the trip home at least and I intend to pay."

Maria was staring at Amanda and her jaw was set, her eyes glinting. I thought I saw tears in the corner of her eyes. I could see a hint of that Hispanic female temper I had ran into a time or two in San Antonia. She turned and almost ran into the RV. Felicia looked over at me and she followed Mandy without a word.

Phil looked at me and Mandy shook his head and continued with his set up of his RV. Mandy looked at me then over at the RV. "Steve is something wrong here? I didn't mean to interrupt anything."

"I don't know Mandy. This is Maria and her family. I think I told you about them? They have an RV park near San Antonio. We became friends while I was there and I invited them up to visit. They just got here and I thought things were ok until you got here."

Mandy looked thoughtful for a moment then grimaced and said, "Awww Crap. This is the girl you were talking to all the time isn't it? The one you're sweet on? " I nodded my head yes and she continued, "Steve I'm sorry. I think I really blew this one for you. Crap! Hope I can fix it now."

Mandy went around the front of the RV and said, "Sir I think I made a big mistake here. May I go into your RV and try to fix the problem with your daughter and wife?" I didn't hear what Phil said but Mandy came back to the door, knocked then entered without waiting.

I was standing watching the door when Phil came back to stand beside me. About that time I heard Maria screaming inside the RV. I couldn't make out what she said but I knew she was NOT happy. I heard a smack and Mandy shouted then I heard Felicia's voice raised also.

Phil looked at me and said, "Well Son I think we got us some real trouble here. If you had another woman I think you should have told Maria about her before we got here. You know she's not even looked at another man since you left us. All she could talk about was coming up here and seeing you son. How long you been with this lady?"

I didn't know what part of Phil's conversation to address first. I was in shock. Hell, I knew Maria and I had been close in Texas and we had screwed like bunnies but crap. Hell, I was 40 and she was what, maybe 28 now? Crap, she wasn't much older than my children and it sounded like she was thinking we were a couple. Damn, what did I do now? I admit, if I got involved with another woman Maria or one like her would sure be a good catch but damn, she was just a kid!

I finally decided to cover all his questions but in reverse order. I explained about Amanda and that we were just good friends. I explained how we came to live and travel together then I said, "Dammit Phil. I had no idea Maria thought we were more than just great friends. I..."

Phil looked over at me and said, "Son do you think my Maria just jumps into bed with any of our guests? I thought more of you than that."

"Oh shit Phil. You know that's not what I meant. I just...Oh, hell, I don't know what I meant. I guess I really fucked this one up didn't I?"

The RV had been quiet now for some time. The door opened and Amanda came out. She had a red splotch on her cheek. Maria followed her looking chastised, her gaze downcast. Felicia was last in line and she looked sheepish yet satisfied. I heaved a sigh when I didn't see any blood, well not really. I did walk up to Amanda and touch her cheek. She took my hand and held it. "It's OK Steve. I think we have things settled. Now I have to get home. Walk me to my car?"

Mandy pulled me away from the group. When we got to her car she stood on her tiptoes and kissed my cheek again then whispered, "Steve that woman loves you to death. If you have an ounce of brains you'll lock onto her and never let her loose. Now I need to get home and you need to talk to Maria."

I hugged Mandy then closed her car door after she got in. I watched her drive off and then I turned and walked back to the Hardy's who were standing beside their RV watching me. Maria looked guilty and was watching me with what appeared to be fear etched on her face.

I walked up to the group and took Maria's hands in mine. I squeezed then reached up and raised her chin until I could look into her eyes. Neither of us said anything. I turned to her Father and said, "Look, I hate to be a poor host but could you and Felicia sort of relax for a few minutes. I think I need to talk to Maria please."

Maria looked fearful once more. When we turned and began to walk away I saw a slight wink in Phil's eye. I wondered if he was that confident or what? Hell, even I didn't know what I was going to say or do.

Maria and I were quiet as we walked. After a few steps I felt her take my hand. I looked down at her and caught her glance up in my direction. I led her to a clearing I had opened up. I had my hammock set up there and a couple of yard chairs around a fire pit. The grotto was secluded. You could not see the RV Park from it but you could see out over the lake to watch the sunset and sunrise. There were some low bushes to protect you from direct sight of boaters unless you stood in just the wrong position because I sometimes lay in my hammock nude. I had a short path to the stream where I had a small swimming hole I used when I wanted to skinny dip.

Instead of sitting in the chairs I stopped and turned toward Maria. I pulled her gently into my embrace. I kissed the top of her head, took a deep breath and said, "Maria I suppose I'm just a clueless male here. I knew we were close and we had some great times in San Antonio. I felt closer to you than any woman I have found on this journey of mine. I think it was you that really began my healing and helped me move on from my wife's betrayal and death. You were my friend and lover when I needed both desperately. I have always looked forward to our conversations on the phone and I was very excited and happy when you agreed to come visit me.

"I just." I took a deep breath and continued, "I just never considered...Hell, I have a son 6 years younger than you. I didn't understand how you felt about me."

Maria began crying and said through her tears, "Steve how could you? Do you think I jump into bed with just anyone I meet in the camp that is handsome and chats me up? Do you think I'm some sort of Puta, a Whore? I thought you felt as I did. Your age means nothing to me. Nothing. I don't care about the age of your children. I care about YOU. When you left I thought we had an agreement. We agreed to stay in touch while you healed further and we agreed to see each other again. After I met you and we had our times together I saw no other man who made me feel the least bit interested. You showed me a man can be gentle, loving and caring and yet be muy Hombre, all man. Now you tell me you do not love me, that I was just a piece of ass?"

"NO. Maria, never that. I... You are so much more than that to me. You are a wonderful beautiful intelligent woman. I think about you a lot and I enjoy your company immensely even when we are not making love. I just never considered that you might think of me as more than just a great friend. If, no, when I marry again I would consider myself lucky beyond measure if I could marry someone like you..."

"But NOT me? Is that what you're saying Steve? Not a child like me?"

I tilted her head up and gave her a gentle kiss. "No Maria. That is not what I'm saying. I need some time to wrap my tired old brain around this...this wonderful gift you are offering me. I think of you many times even when we have not talked on the phone. I have become aroused many times just thinking about you and I have missed you terribly. Even when Amanda and I were living together I thought about you. Did she tell you we never became intimate?"

Maria nodded her head then smiled briefly before she whispered, "I'm not sure I believe her though. She is a beautiful woman and a good person I think. I am not sure any man could live in a small trailer with her for three months and not take her to bed."

I held Maria to me and said, "Honey even when I saw her partly dressed I rarely became aroused. I didn't think about it until just this evening but you were the last woman I made love to."

Maria pressed her lips together tightly then said, "That's good Steve but how many did you Fuck after you left me?"

"None Maria. There were many before you after Joan died but none after. I wondered about that at times but decided I was laying off because of Mandy..." Maria began to tear up and I could see the anger in her face. I hurried my speech and continued, "NO. Maria that is not what I meant. I meant I usually brought women to my trailer and since she was there I didn't feel...oh, hell. Anything I say now will be wrong. I admitted I didn't have any interest in other females after we parted. Oh, sure I admired a beautiful woman as any man will but I never even tried to take another one to bed with me. I just wasn't interested. Only one time has another woman been in my bed since I left San Antonio and that was Amanda. One night we were at supper and some college boys tried to accost her. She was upset and I held her in my bed part of the night. We were fully clothed though."

Maria smiled and said, "Yes. She told me about that night. She said her feelings were hurt when she woke and found you sleeping on the couch she usually used. She said she had wanted you to make love to her and you did not even attempt to do so. She said the next morning she found you in the bed she usually used with your morning wood and you were embarrassed and told her that was why you had left her bed." Maria laughed and said, "You know I think I believe you. I think you love me and just are too stupid to see it. We will see. Now shall we go back to Momma and Poppa?"

The second night Maria and her family were there she came to my trailer again. I had been asleep and the first time I knew she was there was when her warm naked body slid into my bed and she threw her leg over mine while she pressed her wonderful breasts against my chest. I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her tighter to me. She sighed and nuzzled my chest. We dropped off to sleep once more.

I woke before she did the next morning. We were still holding each other with her head on my shoulder. I looked down at her beautiful body and felt my cock rise. I moved slowly trying to get out from under her. Maria moaned and reached her arm completely over me pulling us tighter together once more. She woke and raised her head. She moved and gave me a gentle kiss as her hand found my stiff cock. Her eyes glistened as she looked at me.

Maria moved rapidly over me and held my cock. She scooted back slightly and guided me to her slick vagina. She gently set me into place then thrust her hips back taking almost half of my cock the first time. "Ahhhhh," she said. "God I've missed this."

We didn't do slow and gentle this time. Maria was a wildcat. She rose up to sit straight and slammed down onto me. She began rapidly rising and slamming down on me as she took what she needed. I watched her tits bouncing for a moment then reached up and grabbed them. I pinched her nipples between my index finger and thumb. I twisted slightly and Maria screamed and slammed down on me. I felt her cunt flutter and her hips twisted and rocked back and forth as she had her orgasm. The contraction and release of her cunt over and over combined with her hip movements pushed me over the edge. I groaned and grabbed her hips. I pulled her tightly against my groin as I thrust upward lifting us off the bed. I felt my seed pumping into her wonderful tight pussy.

Finally we both relaxed. Maria fell forward against me and lay on my chest as we resumed our normal breathing. She lifted slightly and gave me another gentle kiss. She giggled and jumped from the bed to rush to the small bathroom in my trailer. When she came out she dressed in her shorts and a crop top that she had apparently worn into my trailer. She grinned at me and said, "It's late Honey. Momma's fixing breakfast for us. If she's on time and she always is it will be ready in about five minutes."

She leaned in to me once more and I received another gentle kiss. "I'll see you there sweetheart." She turned and I watched her beautiful ass wiggle from the room and out my door.

The rest of the week we visited fished, lay around the camp or took in some shows they wanted to see. Sometimes we looked over the buildings and location. The more they saw the more Maria and Phil tried to talk me into reopening as a campground and RV park.

On Friday morning Phil and I went into town to buy some supplies and groceries. I was still doing a little work every day but very little. Mostly I was buying groceries and supplies I needed to entertain Maria and her parents. When we returned Maria and Felicia were working in the cabin that was in the best shape. They had torn off a lot of rotten boards, had the carpet out of the living area and were partway done with tearing out the ruined kitchen cabinets.

Maria turned when we walked into the cabin and smiled at me. She came bouncing up to me, hugged me and gave me a deep soul searing kiss. Then she stepped back and looked at me sort of guiltily. "Honey please don't be angry with us for starting this work before we talked to you again. We had been talking this morning after you left and decided this cabin could be renovated for very little money. Even if you purchase new appliances and cabinets I think we can do it for less than $5,000.00 if we do the work ourselves.

"One of your friends called while you were gone and wanted to drop by and visit if you were going to be home and had room for their RV. I told them to come on that there was plenty of room. Was that OK? Anyway after I did that we talked about the cabin like I said before and decided to start working on it. If we can get it done next week it will be finished for them to see while they are here. I know it will rent for at least $700.00 per week and I think in the heaviest vacation season you could get at least $900.00. If you do that you will recover your renovation costs before the summer is over.

"We can send pictures with them of the cabin and the Park itself for them to show others and I know Mom and Dad would display pictures at their Park when they go back home. We have heard several of the RV'ers who stay with us say they intended to come to Branson or they had been here recently. As beautiful a park as you have I am sure that some of them would come here to stay even as far from town as it is. A lot of people don't like the hustle and bustle of a large park in a crowded area. I bet you would get a lot of the sportsmen also. Please can we complete this cabin at least?"

I laughed and hugged her. Her enthusiasm was impossible to resist. "Ok, OK. We'll finish this cabin and I'll clean up a couple more RV sites. I'll call Alex this evening and make arrangements to keep the backhoe longer and have him send down some of the tools I'll need."

Maria looked sheepish and said, "Thank you Honey. I know you won't be sorry. Uh, do you think we could put in a small shoppette to sell some items people would run out of rapidly? You know, dry groceries, sodas, some canned goods and so forth. If you advertise for fishermen you could even stock some fishing supplies. I bet if you got a liquor license you would make a killing selling beer to your guests too. We sell a lot at Dad's Park. Could we do that please?"

Again I laughed then said, "I'm not too sure about that Maria. Jolene is living in the old office and store and that is where we would have to put those things. We'd probably even have to replace the coolers too. I'm not sure she would like to have a store back in her home."

"Could we ask please? Or we could set up another cabin as the office and the store if she won't let us use her cabin. I hate to say this too, uh, Jolene is a nice person but you know she really isn't doing much around here to earn her free rent either. I think you should ask her to do more or maybe start charging her something..."

"I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that Honey. Let me think about that for a while."

Saturday morning Maria and her mother went into town to look for carpet, cabinets and so forth for the cabin. I think Phil was taking a nap. I was sitting in the shade resting when Jolene came out and sat beside me. I decided now was the time to broach the subject of the small store and some of the other points Maria had made.

"Jolene how're you doing this beautiful morning?"

"Guess I'm doin' ok Steve. Just feeling a little crowded or something. I guess I'm feeling guilty too. I know I've not been much help to ya around here evenings and weekends. Hell, you do everything during the week I used to do on weekends. Place's a little busier now than I was used to. Doesn't have the same feel if ya know what I mean. Steve I don't think I want to keep on here if you bring in a lot of folks always runnin' around poking their noses in things and always underfoot. I wanted to ask you what you were planning on doing here."

"Jolene I'm sorry. I guess I should have talked to you about that earlier. When I came down here all I wanted to do was pull my trailer in and live in the quiet like you were. Then I got some calls from friends that wanted to come see me so I made a few spaces for them when they visited. Now... Hell, I don't really know how to say this where it doesn't sound bad but I guess Maria and I..."

Jolene laughed and broke in on my conversation. She said, "Yeah, I know about that. Hell a blind woman could see what was going on there. When're ya going to make it permanent? I don't think that woman is planning on going home when her parents leave ya know. It aint right to keep her hanging on, not knowing how permanent ya want her to be.

"That aint what I was sayin' though. It looks like you're gonna make this a RV park here and I don't want to be livin' in one of those. Is that what you're doing Steve?"

"I hadn't planned on doing that but I guess I sorta fell into it Jolene. Maria is really excited about it and Phil and Felicia think it would work. I really don't want to quit working at my age but I don't want to go back home and take over the construction company again either. I guess I'll let Maria talk me into opening a small RV Park and see what happens. Hell, she even wants to put in a small line of groceries, snacks and beer to sell to our RV customers and fishermen that she thinks will use our dock."

"I was afraid that was what was gonna happen. Steve would ya be upset if I found another place a little more private and moved on?"

"No I understand. I can't say I really want to put up with the more rowdy folks either but I guess I will for Maria. Have to admit I have come to love that girl and if she wants an RV Park I guess I'll let her have it. She grew up in one so I know she knows how to run one."

Phil and Felicia were going to stay another two weeks. That would be long enough to help me get one cabin renovated and most of the heavy work done on the store and office. After Jolene moved out Maria and I would rebuild the living quarters in the office building and move in there. We had a large living, kitchen dining area and two bedrooms in the back of the office and small store building. That was plenty for the two of us. I have to admit I had plans to make it pretty fancy too. I did like my creature comforts in a house. When I was RVing it or camping things were different and I accepted a lower level of luxury but my home was my castle and I wanted it to be very comfortable.

One day while we were in town shopping before her parents left I bought Maria an engagement ring. I don't remember asking her to marry me but I can't say I was upset at the way things worked out either. She led me into the store and we picked out the ring. Her smile lit up the sky the rest of the evening. Every time I looked at her she was either looking at the ring again or her mother was.