Power Corrupts

"Just don't make it a habit, cowboy," she said smiling.

I laid down and slept soundly, waking up to the smell of - BACON!

"Rise and shine," Ashley said, standing over me in a long t-shirt. "Breakfast is on, so come and get it!"

I got off the couch and headed to the kitchen table and took in the spread before me. Ashley had gone all out, fixing pancakes, bacon, sausage links, grits, toast, eggs and biscuits and gravy. My kind of breakfast. She even remembered to put peanut butter on the table. I was one of those guys who loved peanut butter on pancakes.

"A fella can get used to this," I said. Ashley came to the table with a fresh pot of coffee. "How long have you been up?"

"Not long. I hope you like it," she said. "It's been a while since I've cooked breakfast for a man."

"It sure smells good. You'd certainly get my mom's seal of approval for this," I said. "I'm impressed. Didn't you cook like this for your husband?"

"I said, for a 'man.' My ex-husband's idea of breakfast was an egg biscuit at a fast food place. Blechhh," she said. "Dig in, cowboy, we have a lot to do today," she added, smiling.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" I asked, savoring the feast on my plate.

"Well," she said. "I'd like to see your family today, then I thought we'd go see Jolene's mother. I thought she might be able to give some insight into Jolene's thought processes. Then if there's time, I'd like to go by the cemetery and get a picture of Jolene's final resting place.

"And by the way, if you expect breakfast like this tomorrow morning, we'll need to stop at the store. You're just about out of everything," she said.

I wolfed down my food like I hadn't eaten in a week, stopping long enough to sip my coffee and express my verbal appreciation of Ashley's cooking. Jolene hadn't cooked a breakfast like this in years and I felt like I had died and gone to heaven.

I finished my meal, feeling more satisfied than I had in a long time. I got up and gave Ashley a hug and a kiss, thanking her for the wonderful breakfast.

"That was absolutely fantastic," I told her. "Reckon I'd better go get ready."

"Please do," she said. "You're wonderful, but you need a shave."

I went upstairs and thought about Ashley as I showered and shaved. In less than 24 hours, I found myself falling for her, just like I had in school. Could it be, I wondered, that Ashley and I were meant to be together? For the first time in months, I felt content.

Ashley had used the other upstairs shower and was dressed in denim jeans and a t-shirt. She looked so much like she did so long ago. Grabbing her laptop bag and her purse, she urged me on.

We went to my parents' house and were greeted by the two kids, who ran out of the house as I pulled up. I introduced everyone to Ashley and we went into the living room. Ashley explained what she wanted to do and asked if she could speak to the everyone one-on-one in private. We all agreed, so my mom excused herself and went into the kitchen to fix lunch while my dad led me into the den.

Ashley started with Jessica and after spending an hour with her, spoke at length with Bryan.

Dad and I waited and spent most of the time talking "guy" stuff - hunting, fishing, football, you name it. We both avoided anything having to do with Jolene and/or Steve. After a couple hours, Ashley came into the den and asked to speak with my dad. I took the hint, grabbed the kids and went outside to toss a football.

It took a little more than an hour, but she finished with both my parents and came outside to join us until lunch was ready. The kids really seemed to connect with Ashley, and she seemed to enjoy spending time with us. We split into teams of two and played a short game of touch football. Jessica and I teamed up against Ashley and Bryan and we had a great time until Mom said lunch was ready. It felt good to relax with Ashley and the kids and for a time I felt like I had a happy family again.

We said our goodbyes after lunch and prepared to leave. Jessica caught up to me before I walked out the door.

"Dad," she whispered as she hugged me, "if you don't ask her to marry you, I swear I'll kick your ass." What could I say? I promised her I'd give it a lot of thought.

"So, how did your interviews go?" I asked Ashley after we left.

"They went very well, thanks," she said. "Bill, I know that trust is a real issue with you right now, so I'd like to explain why I interviewed everyone privately." She was quite perceptive - maybe a result of those reporter instincts.

"It's good journalistic practice to get independent corroboration, you know. Not that I didn't believe you, I did. And I do. I saw those videos with you, remember. But I wanted them all to feel free to express themselves without any outside influence. I hope you understand," she said.

Actually, I did understand, and the fact that she had volunteered her explanation without me saying anything meant a lot.

"I do understand, Ashley. You're doing your job and you're a professional. So, did you learn anything new?"

"Actually, I did," she said. "Jessica told me that Steve had made advances toward her and had been for quite some time."

"That sonofabitch," I said.

"I also learned that your family loves you very much and thinks the world of you," she added. "They also loved Jolene, but they had issues with her and thought something had been going on. They didn't say anything because they didn't want to interfere with your marriage. I think if they had known anything concrete they would've said something."

"What else did you learn?" I asked.

"I learned what it's like to be part of a close family. And I loved it," she said. "I really enjoyed spending that time with you and the kids. Thank you for including me."

"My pleasure," I said. "The kids and I had a great time, too. I think you made quite an impression on them."

We pulled into the apartment complex where Jolene's mother, Myrna, lived, parked and headed for the door.

"You want to interview her privately as well?" I asked.

"I don't think that'll be necessary," she said. "Besides, something tells me you and her should clear the air on all of this."

Myrna Carter answered the door on the first knock and invited us in. She moved slowly, partly due to her health and partly due to depression. Her husband - Jolene's father - died a few years back in a mysterious crash and with Jolene's death, she was left alone with no direct family.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, giving her a hug.

"I'm managing, Bill, thanks for asking," she said. She hugged Ashley and looked her up and down. "Ashley Marks, you're just as lovely now as you were in high school. Thanks for coming out to see an old woman."

Ashley smiled as Myrna motioned for us to sit.

"So, what brings you here?" she asked.

I explained what Ashley was doing and Myrna nodded her head in approval.

"So what can I tell you?" she asked.

"Well, Mrs. Carter, I'm curious about something. This affair between Jolene and Steve went on for her entire marriage. You had to have known about it. I'm curious to know why you didn't say anything to Bill?"

Myrna looked down before answering. She looked embarrassed.

"Yes, I knew," she said. "I'm sorry, Bill, I should've said something to you. You didn't deserve what they did to you."

"How long did you know?" I asked.

"Almost from the beginning," she said. "You remember that year you spent in Okinawa? Steve practically lived with Jolene that whole year. They were careful to make sure he wasn't at the house when your folks were around. I told her she was making a huge mistake but she refused to listen to me."

"So," I began, "if Jolene wanted to be with Steve so much, why did she marry me? I would have let her go if she'd just said she wanted to be with him."

"She was a confused girl, Bill. She actually loved both of you, in different ways. You see, to her, you were stable, reliable. A good husband and father. Steve, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with raising kids. He was always a wild child and didn't want to get tied down. You were her rock and he was her sense of adventure."

"I'm sorry, Myrna," I said. "Jolene had sex with Steve the day we got married. She had two children by him and passed them off as mine. She ultimately plotted to kill us all. Those aren't the actions of a loving wife."

"I know it's hard to believe, Bill," Myrna said. "But she did love you, at least in the beginning. That's what she told me, anyway."

"So, what happened?" Ashley asked. "What changed Jolene so much?"

"Well, Ashley, people change over time, I guess," Myrna said. "Steve had his hooks in Jolene and before long, he controlled her. I said something once to her about it but she warned me that if I said anything to Bill, I'd come to regret it."

Myrna looked at me.

"That's why I quit coming over to see the kids, Bill. I'm sorry, but I just couldn't go over there and look you guys in the eye knowing what Jolene was doing. I knew that I would probably say something that would trigger them. They scared the living daylights out me sometimes."

"Did you know about her abortions?" Ashley asked. Myrna nodded.

"Yes, I did. Jolene did confide in me about that. I told her she was being stupid and would get caught eventually, but she just shrugged it off. Said it was her choice and Bill didn't have any say in the matter. I suggested she should just do the right thing and divorce Bill. She laughed and said she would never get divorced. Said it wouldn't be long before she inherited everything Bill had anyway."

"How long ago was that?" Ashley asked.

"I don't know, maybe a year and a half or so by now," Myrna said. We let that hang in the air for a few seconds. So, Jolene and Steve had been planning do do me in for a long time. "I wanted to say something, Bill, but I was so scared. You know how intimidating Steve could be." I knew.

Something nagged at me about all of this, so I spoke up.

"Myrna, did your husband know about all this?" I asked.

"I think he did," she said. "I know he and Steve had words shortly before the accident." Myrna's husband was well known as one of, if not the best, mechanic in the area and he took very good care of all his vehicles. Investigators called the accident a fluke, but were never able to explain how one brake line mysteriously failed and how a tie rod mysteriously got loose.

"I guess that's all water under the bridge now, isn't it?" Myrna asked.

"I don't blame you and the kids for not coming to the memorial service, by the way. Especially after the way she did you guys. I had hoped a few of her old friends would show up, but it was just me and the minister," she added, wiping a tear from her eye. "I do want to thank you, though, Bill, for paying for the cremation. I thought it was interesting that you had them put her in her wedding dress, though. I had hoped that maybe Jessica would have wanted it."

Ashley looked at me. "You cremated her in her wedding dress? Really? Why?"

"I told you I burned her wedding dress. I just didn't tell you that she was in it at the time. I also made sure she was wearing the wedding ring I gave her. Truthfully, I thought it was fitting. I figured she had no use for our marriage, so..."

"A final bit of revenge. I get it. You cremated her wedding ring, too?" Ashley asked. "But not the engagement ring." I nodded. She seemed halfway amused as she made notes.

"Anyway," Myrna said, "I want to thank you for making sure I got Jolene's IRA. It really helped, being on a fixed income and all."

"Jolene had an IRA?" Ashley asked.

"Yes," I said. "She had about $350,000 in it when she was shot. I didn't even know she had it at the time. She also had another $200,000 in a savings account I didn't know anything about. I put that into a trust fund for the kids' college. Don't ask me how she did it 'cause I don't think I really want to know."

"Interesting," she said, going back to her notepad. She turned to Myrna.

"Mrs. Carter, is there anything else you can add?" Myrna shook her head.

"Nothing that jumps out at me right now. I think y'all know pretty much everything else." Myrna looked at me. "I'm so sorry things turned out the way they did, Bill."

I hugged her. "It's okay, Myrna. Look, feel free to come by and see the kids any time you want, okay? I'm sure they'd love to see you." She nodded and thanked me before giving Ashley a hug.

"Thanks for coming by," she said as we prepared to leave. "And please, don't be strangers, okay?" We promised to stay in touch and left.

"You cremated her in her wedding dress and her wedding ring?" Ashley asked as we got in the pickup.

"It seemed like the thing to do at the time," I said. Ashley went back to her notes as I made the short drive to the cemetery. We wound our way through the well-kept grounds until we got to the columbary that held her ashes.

The short granite marker had a plaque that simply read, "Jolene Carter," and listed the year she was born and the year she died. Nothing else on the plaque gave any indication of who or what she was.

"At least you treated her remains with a bit of dignity," Ashley said.

"Well," I said, "that was mostly for Myrna's sake. If it had been up to me, I would've just flushed her ashes down the toilet."

"Interesting you had them use her maiden name," she added.

"Yeah, I figured that since she had no use for our family in life I wouldn't burden her with the family name for all eternity," I said. "They tried to get me to put something on the marker, like, 'loving wife and mother.' I figured they wouldn't inscribe 'cheating slut whore' or 'lying, scheming bitch' so I just kept it simple."

Ashley took her photos and turned to me and placed a hand on my chest.

"There's a lot of anger there, still, isn't there? Tell me, Bill, did you ever mourn her? At all?" she asked.

The truth was, I hadn't. In fact, I hadn't shed a single tear since she was shot. All the love I had for her had been burned away by her lying and cheating. Her threats against the children and myself pretty much did away with any feelings I had for her. A part of me was ashamed and that brought a tear to my eye. Dammit, I didn't want to do this in front of Ashley. I shook my head and started to turn away so Ashley wouldn't see me cry. She stopped me and made me face her.

"You need to get this out of you, Bill, before it eats you up," she said. "Let it go so you can move on with your life."

"What life, Ashley?" I asked. "Everything I thought I had all these years was all a lie. Everything." I shook my head as tears began to roll down my cheeks. Ashley wrapped her arms around me and held me tight. That did it. I sobbed, uncontrollably, for quite some time. Ashley said nothing, but held me tight the whole time, planting kisses on my face from time to time.

I finally settled down and looked at Ashley. I wiped a tear from her face as it traveled down her cheek.

"What's this?" I asked.

"She was my friend, too, remember? The four of us - you, me, Steve, Jolene - the 'Four Musketeers?' I loved her like a sister back then," she said. "I hate what she turned into, but I still loved her. You loved her too, for a very long time. You married her, raised two kids with her. That's got to mean something."

"I guess you're right," I said.

"Damn straight, cowboy. I'm here for you, now, Bill," she added. "And I'll be here as long as you need or want me, got it?" I smiled.

"I got it," I told her. She smiled and patted my chest.

"We gotta get to the store before it gets too late," she said. "What do ya wanna do about dinner?"

I thought for a moment before answering.

"What about a trip to Charley's?" I asked. "They make a killer steak and there'll be a band tonight."

"Are you asking me out on a date? In front of your wife's ashes?"

"Why not?" I asked. She smiled, kissed me on the lips and looked at Jolene's marker.

"Bye, Jolene," she said. "Your husband is taking me out on a date."

I looked at the marker for a moment before getting back in the truck. "Bye, dear," I whispered. I thought I heard a quiet sob next to me, but no one was there. I figured it was the wind causing my mind to play tricks on me, but I wasted no time getting back to the truck where Ashley was waiting for me.

"You okay," she asked.

"Yeah," I said, starting the pickup. "Let's go stock up for breakfast and get ready for the evening."

We stopped off at the Farmer's market where we loaded up on eggs, bread, milk, bacon and whatever else Ashley thought we might need then headed home.

Home - what a concept. For some time I had thought of this place as just a house, a place where I slept. But being here with Ashley just seemed natural to me now. I showered, shaved and dressed, then waited for Ashley to finish doing whatever it is women do when they get ready to go out.

Finally, she came down the stairs in a denim skirt that fell a couple inches above her knees and a white blouse. She completed the ensemble with a pair of fairly expensive cowboy boots. A woman after my own heart. She was lovely. And tonight, she was my date. I offered her my arm and together we walked to our "chariot."

Charley's was well known in our area for serving the best steaks with all the trimmings. Potatoes, and green beans with soft biscuits completed the meal. Afterward, we enjoyed a beer and eyed the dance floor, where a few other couples had already begun dancing.

"Wanna dance?" I asked.

"Sure," Ashley said.

We danced. And danced. And danced some more. We did the two-step, some fast waltzes, several slow dances and even took part in some line dancing, something I hadn't done in a very long time. Ashley was with me the whole time but did take a couple breaks to the ladies' room.

We were dancing to a slow tune with our arms around each other when Ashley stopped and planted a soft sensuous kiss on me. Our tongues wrestled for a bit, causing me to get pretty excited down below. She leaned into my ear.

"I love you, Bill Jennings," she whispered. "I always have, and I always will."

There it was. And to tell the truth, I was falling in love with her, too.

"I love you too, Ashley Marks," I said. She licked her lips nervously for a moment.

"Take me home and make mad passionate love to me, cowboy," she said. "Otherwise, I'll have no choice but to jump your bones right here."

Who could pass that offer up?

"By the way," she said. "I have a confession to make. I'm not wearing anything under all this. Nothing. No bra, no panties. Nothing." She leaned in closer and I knew she could feel my growing erection.

"Then we'd better go get this situation under control, little lady," I said in my best horrible John Wayne impersonation. She smiled, took my hand and led me to the parking lot. By the time we got to my crew cab pickup, she had unbuttoned the first three buttons on her blouse. Getting inside, she unbuttoned the fourth button and opened her shirt, displaying her C-cup breasts.

"They're all yours," she said. I bent down and took one hard nipple in my mouth. She moaned, and pressed my head into her breast. She brought my face up close to hers and gave me a sloppy wet kiss.

"Take me home and fuck me, now," she purred.

"You got it, babe," I said.

I got up and made my way to the driver's side. By the time I closed my door, she had removed her top and was now naked from the waist up. She began pulling her boots off, something not so easy to do in the cab. She managed to get them off and tossed them in the back seat after taking her socks off. She turned her attention to her skirt and unbuttoned it, flashing her legs as she went. Lifting herself off her seat, she pulled the skirt off completely and tossed it in the back, leaving her completely naked.

Thank God it was dark and my windows were tinted as dark as the law would allow, I thought. Otherwise, we could get pulled over. Nevertheless, I was enjoying the show Ashley was putting on for me.