Please, You Take Her

"It's early yet, would you like to take a walk? I can show you around if you'd like."

"Yes, I'd like that."

"I want you to know where the property boundaries are so you can feel free to wander where you want while I'm gone. I don't want you to spend all of your time indoors working yourself to the bone."

I laughed as I'd never been accused of doing something like that. I liked what I did for a living, but I had always found time to spend time outdoors with my sketch pad even if it were not work related.

He looked at me with a smile, "It's nice to see you smile. It becomes you."

"Becomes me? That seems a strange thing to say. I'm not big with words with my disability."

"That's the first time you've mentioned it to me. You know I figured out you have dyslexia while you were on the tour. If you had told us we would have helped you, I mean all of us guides."

"I don't like to do that as most often people treat me differently after that. I've learned to live with it for the most part, but at times it does cause problems. I didn't know you already knew."

"It's helped me to understand you better to be honest."

"But, I'm still a pain in the ass aren't I?"

He laughed, "Yes, but less of one now that I know you better."

"You're not afraid I'll burn the place down while you're gone?"

"No. Why would I think that?"

"Kevin always treated me as if I were a retard. That I would break something, or leave something somewhere and ruin it."

"Look, as far as I can tell Kevin was the retard. He didn't deserve you in the first place, and I'm glad you got that figured out."

I felt a cold shiver run down my spine. Yeah, almost at the cost of my life.

Dick

I took Bridget on the trail that bordered the 200-acre parcel the rail cars were on. I watched her face light up as we climbed the rocky slopes covered in ferns, rhododendrons, and wildflowers amid the deciduous shrubs. No other woman I had taken on the trail had been as enthralled as she was. Her smile glowed as bright as the sun in the shade of the woods.

"Dick how did you ever come to live here?"

I explained my grandfather was still living and the stories he told me of his days working for the Southern Railway had always fired my imagination.

"When my parents told him they weren't interested in the rail cars, or the property he was crestfallen.

"You mean this isn't your parents property? I thought when you told me they come out to check on everything it was theirs."

"No. A few days later he came to me, he asked me if I would be interested in living on the property when I finished college. There was only one answer, and when the deed to the property was presented to me he was elated.

"He was that happy, really!"

I laughed, "Yes, that is, after I paid the grand sum of five dollars for it. He always insisted he had gotten a good deal as it wasn't worth much more than a dollar."

"He sounds like quite a character," she laughed.

"Oh, you haven't met my grandmother," I chuckled.

In a way, my love for the rail cars and land sent me in a direction I hadn't considered after graduating college. Leading birding tours allowed me to live where I chose to live, not where a job dictated I live. I started leading smaller tours in the States and over a period of a few years gained experience elsewhere. I missed home when I was away, but it was always there as an anchor. Only the pain of losing Lisa had caused me to stay away these last few years. It was a poor way to handle the situation I realized now as I walked with Bridget.

We walked back and went inside. I got online and checked for the next flight to Belize. I would fly out at four in the afternoon. Bridget had been busy on her computer as I made the arrangements.

"Okay. I need to be at the airport by three to get through security. It shouldn't take long as I'll only have my carry-on. Will you be ready to pick up your car, or do you want to take me and use my car to come back here? We can get your car when I come back."

"I want to get my car. Leaving it at the apartment complex doesn't seem like a good idea."

I dropped Bridget off at her apartment, not leaving until she was in her car and on the road. I watched her get onto the interstate heading north as I went south. I felt a sense of relief knowing she was going back to where she would be able to work and relax without fear. I hoped Kevin was history cooling his ass in a jail cell somewhere. I hadn't filed charges so as to not to reveal information on where I lived, even though I used a PO Box with the police.

I was standing in line to board when it occurred to me I should send her a text message. It was short, telling her I was boarding and that I would be back in five days. As I placed my phone into my backpack I felt good knowing she would enjoy my home and the land it sat on. That seemed special to me as her expression that morning as we walked showed she appreciated the land as I did. Now, I wished I had at least given her a hug before I got into my car to leave for the airport.

You're lying to yourself man. You wanted to kiss her and hug her.

Bridget

I was glad Dick was with me as I picked up my car. I felt the fear grow as I pulled into the parking lot even though I was certain Kevin was nowhere nearby. My car and contents were untouched and I got in as Dick stood next to my car. I watched in my rearview mirror as he followed me to the entrance to the interstate and then disappear onto the southbound ramp as I made my way to the northbound ramp.

It occurred to me I was going to hide myself away. I would call my parents after I arrived and tell them what had happened and that I was in a safe place. Then I remembered I hadn't thanked Dick again for all that he had done for me since we arrived back from Brazil. It all seemed a lifetime ago now, even though it had been almost a week. I felt a tinge of sadness that I hadn't taken the time to give him a hug or a kiss on the cheek to thank him before he left for the airport.

Girl you had a chance to show him how much you're changed and you blew it.

I arrived at the gate and found it unlocked. I was puzzled and decided to leave it open as I drove up the driveway to the house...eh...what do you call it when you live in a pair of rail cars anyway?

I pulled in and saw a pickup truck parked next to the baggage car and a man pulling a plastic bag out of the bed. The man looked up and waved, then a woman got out and looked at me with a smile. I was glad I had looked at the family photographs Dick had hanging in his office space as I recognized his parents immediately.

"Howdy, howdy!" His father called out as I walked up.

"Hello. Dick told me you would be coming this week. I'm Bridget O'Brien."

"Nice to meet you Bridget, this is Dick's mother Louise. I'm Raymond. Please use our first names. We tend to be informal here."

Louise smiled and extended her hand while Raymond took two bags and disappeared behind the end of the baggage car.

"I understand you're staying with Dick for a few days. He didn't tell us much, only that you're from Spartanburg, and you needed a place to stay until you find another apartment."

"Yes, that's pretty much the case. I hope to find a place before the end of the week so I don't wear out my welcome."

We climbed the stairs and I pulled out the key to unlock the door. I stepped inside and took my shoes off immediately. It was strange in a way, as I immediately felt myself relax as I looked down the length of the room before me. It had a charm unlike any other room I'd ever been in.

"Shall I make you coffee or tea?"

"Oh, that would be wonderful. Coffee please, black is the way Raymond and I like it."

We walked to the kitchen together and I turned on the coffee machine and pulled out three cups. A few minutes later we sat down at the dining room table waiting for Raymond to come in. He came in a few minutes later saying the water softener was filled with salt. As we talked I sipped my hot chocolate as they drank their coffee. His parents seemed a lot like my own, just regular people who put their children through college, or trade school. They were comfortable to be with, but I could tell they had questions.

"Dick had to leave again so soon? That must have upset your plans?" His mother suggested.

"We didn't have any plans other than my working and trying to find a new place to live. I'm not even sure what Dick was planning to do. I've been packing my belongings for the move and when Dick suggested I could work from here on my computer it made sense to do it. He has been a great help."

"So you work for a company that lets you work on your own from home?" Raymond asked with a dubious expression.

"Not exactly. I work for myself so I work for a number of companies and a few individuals to produce brochures and marketing materials. I also create and sell my own artwork too."

Louise looked at me with a puzzled expression. "I don't understand how you know Dick. He has hardly spent time at home over the past two years ever since Lisa...

"Now mother, I don't think it matters that much."

I saw the glances they traded and an awkward silence followed until I offered an explanation.

Lisa?

"I met Dick on the Brazil tour a few weeks ago. I had some problems and he has helped me out by offering me a place to stay until I get resettled someplace else."

"Well, I'm glad he was able to help you," Raymond said amiably.

"We should get going and let you get to your work. If you need anything our number is in the notebook on his desk. Please, if you need something feel free to call us."

"Thank you. That's very kind of you."

I walked out with them and watched as they drove around the bend out of sight. I pulled my clothes out of the car and carried them inside. They were nice and I could see his parents cared for him a great deal and that there was something they cared not to reveal. During my talk with his mother I could tell she didn't care to have him gone so much.

I spent the rest of the day working on projects, answering emails, and making phone calls to inform my customers I was back and to ask questions I needed answers to for completion of their projects. Before I knew it, it was time for dinner and I was hungry. I made a light meal and sat looking out the window as the shadows lengthened. I could hear a few birds singing in the trees next to the rail car.

It was peaceful here and for the first time I felt it would be nice to have someone to share it with. I wondered what Dick was doing at that moment knowing he was probably already on the ground. I was a little envious knowing he would be seeing birds I had yet to see, and enjoying another wild exotic place.

I prepared for bed after taking a shower and walked into my bedroom and sat on the bed as a vision of Dick came into my mind--his lean body and tight buttocks within his briefs, the bulge that...

I pulled my vibrator out and walked into his bedroom and lay down--my face buried in his pillow where I could inhale his scent. Visions of his smile and warm brown eyes filled my mind as my pleasure grew until I was satisfied. I cleaned everything up and crawled into my own bed to sleep. He was a fantasy again, only a fantasy.

Chapter 9 Reset

Bridget

I put in long days to catch up on deadlines the first three days after Dick left for Belize. On the fourth day I started an internet search for a new apartment starting in Spartanburg first, then moving outward when I didn't find something I could afford or didn't have the broadband service I needed to work from home. I really wanted to remain in South Carolina as otherwise it would cause headaches with my taxes. A problem I really wasn't up to dealing with given everything else I had to contend with.

The listing for an apartment in Landrum located just south of the South/North Carolina line caught my attention. I sent an email and made arrangements for that afternoon to drive down to inspect the furnished apartment and obtain additional details on the lease and utilities. It was about an hour drive from Dick's home, most of it on the interstate.

I met with the manager and after looking at the apartment knew it fil the bill. The town was large enough to offer the amenities I wanted and offered the advantage my bank had a branch there--one less thing to deal with as with my dyslexia. I found it better to deal with the bank in person rather than online. Experience had shown me I made too many mistakes otherwise.

I spent the rest of the day in Landrum getting my utilities and broadband set up, drove around to see where the stores were located for groceries, office, and art supplies. I ate dinner in a modest restaurant and drove back to Dick's home. It was getting late as I loaded the last of my plastic containers into my car in preparation for taking the first load to my new apartment the next day. I had to buy an inexpensive folding table for my printer and plotter as the small computer desk in the apartment wasn't large enough to hold them.

I was ready for the last load the next day that would take my office with me and as I got into the car I smiled--Dick had sent me a text message every day he was gone to check in on me. It was sweet of him and I replied in an upbeat tone each time not wanting to have him worry about me. His texts always came after I had gone to bed so I was always a day behind in getting back to him.

The following day I finished most of my outstanding projects and loaded my office equipment into my empty car along with my clothes. I locked the door behind me and felt a pang of regret as I drove off locking the gate behind me. I dropped the keys off at Dick/s parents house, talked with them for a few minutes, and told them how much I appreciated Dick's help.

That night I slipped into bed without the gentle sound of rustling leaves or an owl to relax me through an open window. The sound of cars and trucks on the main highway were new and harsh. I wondered what Dick would think when he returned home knowing I had moved out. I would send him a text in the morning to tell him--I felt empty as I was alone again.

Dick

I arrived home and saw the note on the dining room table Bridget had left for me. It brought a smile to my face both with the thanks it expressed, but also in the few misused words and backward letters. An hour later I received a text message from her telling me she had moved. I assumed she had gotten the dates mixed up and didn't recognize I had already left the day before--to her I was flying out at the end of today. I called my parents and decided to eat dinner with them knowing I had already delayed our meeting by over a week by going to Belize.

"You know the girl who stayed in your house seemed pretty nice," my mother said with a smile.

"She is what I would describe as an acquired taste," I smiled.

My Mother frowned, "You mean you don't like her? Then why was she there?"

"Mom, she needed help and I was there. It's a little complicated, but her ex-boyfriend was hounding her. I gave her a place to stay until she could find another place to live. As for liking her...well...she can be a real pain in the ass."

"Dick! That's not a nice thing to say."

"You asked," I replied evenly.

My father looked at me with a grin, "So, you're not going to see her again?"

"I don't think so. Maybe if she wants to I would. Otherwise, I think I'll leave well enough alone."

Yeah, having to deal with her ex was more than enough. Hard telling what would have been next.

"So, are you going to be home for a while this time?" My mother asked quietly.

"I'll be home for two weeks before going back to Brazil. I promise to see you as often as I can before I leave."

"You know you can't keep running away. Lisa is gone. You have to accept that it wasn't your fault," my father said gently.

There was an awkward silence. I knew he was right. That didn't mean the pain wasn't there.

"I know, you're right. After this session in the Amazon I'm thinking of coming home to stay for a while and do shorter trips in the States and northern Mexico, or maybe the Dominican Republic."

The day before I was to leave for Brazil I did something I hadn't been able to do before by visiting Lisa's grave. I placed a bouquet of flowers and remembered her beautiful eyes and radiant smile. I said goodbye, wiping a tear from my eye as I walked away knowing I would never come back--it was time to move on.

Bridget

After six months I was nearing burn out. Business had been hectic, actually, more than hectic. I had so much work I was busy every day of the week not leaving my apartment except to do grocery shopping and do some birding in the nearby park. My savings account was robust and I had gotten through the court appearance that put Kevin away for at least two years. I felt bad for him, yet didn't.

I needed a break to bring some balance back into my life so I hired a part-time assistant to handle some of the work. She was very capable and the money I spent on her turned out to increase my own productively as I wasn't dealing with shipping, billing, and taking phone calls all the time.

I was itching to work on my life-list and had looked online for upcoming tours. Several of them looked promising, but they weren't going to work for the time I wanted to take off. I went back over my bird list for the Amazon again and knew I still had almost a hundred species I had not seen yet at the Chistalino Lodge I had gone to previously. I smiled when I thought of Andy, Carl, and Dick and the good times I had enjoyed with them. Well, good times if I ignored some of the problems I had on my last tour while with Dick.

I picked up my phone and looked in my contacts, selected Dick's address and sent a text message. I wondered how much longer he would be there as a guide. It would be nice to see him again, though I wondered if he would feel the same way. I had brought trouble into his life even after we had returned home and I was sure he would just as soon forget.

It was the next day before I received a reply. I checked my calendar and realized the tour I had tentatively selected would be his last before he came home. My mind made up, I put in my reservation and payment in full with a push of the enter button. Brazil here I come! That night I started going over the plates in my field guide and double-checked my master checklist to see which species I needed to concentrate on this time. I felt excited again, the first time in a very long time.

I picked up my sketch pad from my last trip and paged through it enjoying the memories it brought back to me. It was then I decided on what I would do while I was there this time. I would draw a gift for Dick to show my appreciation for all he had done for me.

It took you all this time to think of this? Girl you are slow! He did right by you.

A week later I stepped of the terminal and felt the heat and humidity hit me as I walked to the shuttle that would take me to the lodge. I was excited to be back and the fact I had done this two times before made the trip routine in a way that relaxed me.

Dick

It had been three hours since our last tour group boarded the shuttle to the airport. Our new group would be arriving and we would begin another series of trips. After three years it was still exciting to be a guide as even if the questions from the participants were predictable the species I might see always seemed to produce a surprise or two.

"Andy, do you want to do the orientation this time?"

"Sure. Carl and you have done your fair share. You know I've going to miss you around here when you go home as you take some of the pressure off of me."

"Pressure, what pressure? The schedules haven't changed any."

"Not that, I have Pam to deal with and with you here the women glaum onto you in the evenings. Now that Carl is married, his wedding ring keeps him relatively safe."