Some Things Change Pt. 02

"Please, call me Nancy."

"Nancy, I had no idea. I'm so sorry." I wrapped an arm around her.

She cried into my shoulder. "How did I end up with a terrible man?"

I couldn't answer that. The best I could say was, "I don't think he was terrible at first, right?"

She sat back and thought about it. "He was my friend at first. But do you know how he got me to go out with him?"

"How?"

"He threatened any other boy who looked at me. He made it so all the other boys were too afraid to ask me out. I didn't know that at the time. He was the only one asking, so I went out with him, and then married him." She looked at me. "I think that must sound familiar to you."

I nodded. "Lara tried the same thing."

"But you left." She put her hand on my shoulder. "I think you did the right thing. And now you're still doing the right thing. If you had dated Lara back then, you'd both be unhappy. But now things have changed, and you're both better people for it." She paused, then added, "And now you love her."

"I do love her," I confirmed. "And I love Zeke. I know we haven't been dating long, but it feels right, and they make me happy. And I think I want them in my future."

Nancy smiled. "I was hoping you'd say that."

"What about you?" I asked. "What are you going to do?"

She inhaled and exhaled, clearing her tears away. "I'm going to do the right thing. And I'm going to be happy about it."

----

It was a big scandal that Nancy Hammond filed for divorce from her husband. She freely stated her reasons to anyone who asked. I was glad for it, as Nancy had lots of friends, and her stories would only help my campaign.

I also found out something extremely interesting.

I felt sorriest for Lance, Lara's teenage brother. He had been kind of a prick, already taking after his father, but the ending of his parents' marriage shook him. He hadn't spoken to Lara for years, at the insistence of Jim, but now he finally contacted her. He spent a Sunday afternoon with Lara, Zeke, and myself, and caught up with her. He was good to his little nephew, and I hoped that he'd turn himself around like Lara had previously.

It was through Lance that I learned two very interesting bits of information. First, the diner that Nancy managed was also owned by her, as it had been passed down from her parents. I, along with most people, thought it was one of the many things Jim Hammond owned. I think he also thought he owned it, as he was going to try to claim part ownership in court, though Lance related that his mother wasn't worried about that one bit.

The other piece was that Nancy had moved out, and was staying with a friend. The mayor had argued that, since Lance was a minor, he should stay in the house with him, so he didn't have to move anywhere. The court had agreed to that tentatively, so Lance was stuck for now. Apparently, Jim had told him, "You're the mayor's son, and you'll live in the mayor's house."

"He said it like that? Those exact words?" I asked.

Lance seemed confused. "Yeah, why?"

I visited Betty in the town hall the next morning. "What can you tell me about the mayor's house?" I asked her.

She furrowed her brow at me. "You looking to buy more property? Is business really doing that well?"

I shook my head. "Something I heard, probably just a rumor, but it made me think. Who owns that house, exactly?"

Betty's eyes widened. "Oh. OHHH." It took nearly half an hour for Betty to find the paperwork. When we read those yellowed documents together, I nearly fell over.

"This is big," Betty said. "I never even realized this before."

"I know," I agreed. "This is going to sound wrong, but I don't think we need to share this information just yet. It would, um, affect the election results."

Betty saw what I was saying. "I think you're right. We should keep this quiet. We wouldn't want voters to be unfairly swayed."

----

We were able to find out, through our little spy Lance, that the inspector assigned to Pop's farm was Mr. John Trace, one of the mayor's close friends. He was a regular visitor to the mayor's home. We weren't surprised. We knew Hammond would pull his strings and make his puppets dance.

On the Saturday morning of the inspection, Mr. Trace went out to his truck and turned the key in the ignition, but it wouldn't start. He tried again and again, but no luck. He would later find out that his alternator was shot and his battery was dead. It's a common thing that happens to many cars at some point, but not usually to a truck that's only two years old, and hadn't shown any problems the night before.

Someone like the mayor might think the car had been sabotaged. It would take a very trained technician to destroy an alternator like that, especially overnight, in the dark. But I had been seen at the local bar the night before. It was Steve's 21st birthday, so Amanda, Frank, and I took him out for some drinking. We were partying there until closing time, around 1:00 AM. Then I was at the diner for breakfast at 5:00 AM, showered and shaved and ready for the new day. And Trace's home was well over an hour away from Gideon, on the other end of the county. There's no way I'd be able to drive there, do the work, and drive back in time. Not unless I was driving at 100 MPH.

In reality, I had trained my apprentice Joey to do the work. He slipped out of his window after dark, around 11:00, and Greg (who was supposed to be out of town on business) met him down the street. Greg drove Joey to Trace's house, and got him back by 3:00 AM.

And we didn't really destroy Trace's alternator, we just swapped it out for one that was bad. I showed Joey how to do it, then made him do it five times. Then I blindfolded him and made him do it ten more times. He could now do alternator work in the dark, which is exactly what the mission called for.

Upon finding his car out of order, Trace had to call in to his office, and they sent another inspector. This one was more of a rookie, and operated by the book. Pop and Steve were able to point out that everything on the farm was clearly met the requirements of the written code. The rookie inspector was happy and gave them a passing review and a warm handshake.

----

A few days before the election was Halloween. Kids in Gideon don't go house to house, as most farms are a mile or more away from each other. So there's always a fall festival in town to make sure the kids (and adults) get plenty of candy. Kids walk with their parents around the town square and stop at participating businesses like mine. Mom suggested I wear my military uniform, but I told her that's not a Halloween costume. I did find a cheap black cape and plastic teeth, so I slicked my hair back and went as a not-very-scary vampire.

I watched Lara and Zeke across the square, adorably dressed as matching ghosts. They didn't have much money for costumes, so Mom found an old white bedsheet and its matching pillow case. Rather than cut holes just for the eyes, Lara cut holes for their whole heads to stick out, like a poncho. Mom agreed it was safer for Zeke that way.

I continued to watch them as they strolled and met with other townspeople. I was a little surprised with other peoples' reactions to them now. Six months ago, Lara was a bit of a social pariah, especially among the more religious folk. Now, as she'd come out of her shell a bit, people seemed more glad to see her and talk to her, and to see little Zeke as well. She claimed I had something to do with it, but I told her I couldn't take the credit.

I also saw the mayor, sitting on the steps of the town hall, giving out candy. The kids got fun-sized ones. The adults got full-size candy bars with his face and campaign slogan on it. "Vote Hammond: Traditions and Values." As if voters would be interested in his cheap candy and cheaper words.

A man walked up to me as I watched the mayor. "You picked a tough battle, soldier," he said. I turned to see Reverend Jones. "He's not going without a fight."

"I know." I handed a Hershey's bar to a little girl who walked by in a fairy costume.

"I'm glad you know. It's a lesson I learned too slowly," he said.

"Reverend, sounds like you have a story behind that lesson," I inferred out loud.

"Not a sermon, I promise. Can we talk inside?"

I nodded and handed the candy bucket to Prudence. She'd been faithfully helping out at the garage, while Steve had been helping Pop at the farm.

I took the Reverend upstairs into the sitting room of the apartment. "Have a seat, sir," I beckoned.

He sat in the big arm chair and I sat across from him on the couch. "Let me tell you a story from about thirty years ago. Back then, there were two young men in school together. Best of friends for most of their schooling. Went everywhere together." He sighed. "Then one day, one of those boys realizes he loves his friend."

"I assume it was not a love-thy-neighbor kind of love."

"You assume correctly," he said. "That boy tells his friend how he feels. Well, not only does that friend not reciprocate, but he says very hurtful things in response. Keep in mind, this is in a time when that kind of love is extremely rare, at least in public. So then the first boy is blackmailed with his secret."

"It's still a secret?"

"Yes."

"How many people know this secret?"

"You, me," said Reverend Jones, "and Jim Hammond."

I took in a deep breath and came to the realization of the story. Reverend Clyde Jones was buried deep in the closet. Jim Hammond, Clyde's former best friend, had been blackmailing Clyde for thirty years. In a conservative little town like Gideon, Clyde's homosexuality would have been a huge issue, especially when it comes to him being the minister of the church.

"I promise that no one else will hear it from me," was all I could think of to say. "But Reverend, why tell me?"

"Firstly, I'm sorry for what I did to Lara. I certainly have no right to dismiss a teen girl for her unmarried pregnancy. Heck, the baby Jesus was born the same way. I only did it because Jim demanded it."

I nodded in understanding, but the reverend continued. "Secondly, I'm retiring. No one else knows it yet, but I've decided I'm done with living here, and living a lie. I'll be staying on through next Easter, then I'll leave."

All this news at once was stunning to me. "I understand, Reverend, more than you may know. That's why I had to leave Gideon myself. I needed to see the world."

He smiled at me. "And I'm glad you did. People around here say that nothing ever changes. But you're proving them wrong. You're going to be a great mayor. I wanted you to know I'm throwing my support to you." He held up a finger. "And, I'd like to make it all up to Lara."

And he did. That next Sunday, two days before the election, I brought Lara and Zeke back to the church, despite her confusion as to why. Reverend Clyde Jones preached about love and compassion, especially to those desperately in need of it, and he publicly apologized to Lara. Then he baptized Zeke, and Steve and Prudence were named his godparents. Lara's mother sat next to mine in the service. Jim Hammond was not present, and not missed.

After church, my family had a big dinner at my parents' house, and of course Lara, Zeke, Nancy, and Lance were all there. We celebrated Zeke's baptism with dinner and cake, and my hopeful election as mayor with beer. Jenny and Jilly played games with Zeke. I caught a moment when Lara was holding June's baby, Eliza, and she and I shared a look.

As I drove Lara back to her trailer, with Zeke fast asleep in the back seat, I had to ask about it. "Saw you with Eliza. You ever think about having another baby?"

"Maybe. Not the same way as the first time, of course."

"Of course. This time, you should know the guy's name."

She hit me. I wondered if I'd have a permanent bruise on my shoulder. "Why are you asking? You want to be the guy?" she asked with a smirk on her face.

"Not right away," I said. "But maybe someday."

"How soon is someday?" Lara asked. By her tone, it wasn't really a demand, it was more of a rhetorical wondering. But it did make me think she was hoping for sooner rather than later.

We got to the trailer and Lara put Zeke in his bed, which was in the living room, as there was only one bedroom. "I'm not sure when soon is," I finally answered. "When I find out, you'll know." I bent down and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around me.

"Come with me," she said, and led me to her bedroom. "Someday may not be today, but that doesn't mean we can't practice."

I closed the door and hoped the walls were thick enough to avoid waking Zeke. Lara slid my shirt off me and kissed my chest. I unzipped her dress and helped her shimmy out of it, letting it fall to the floor. Then I pulled her in to kiss her again, simply enjoying the feel of my bare skin on hers. I moved my lips to her neck and she sighed in my arms. "God I love when you do that."

I kissed her neck and shoulder while I got rid of her bra, then I led her to the bed and went to work teasing her nipples with my mouth. She gasped when I first made contact, and I gently put my hand on her mouth. "Shh," I warned her quietly. "Don't wake the little guy."

My other hand slid down her flat tummy to her white panties, which were already wet. When my hand fingers slid inside and found her shaved smooth again, and so soaked it was like my fingers were invited inside. "Oh God, Charlie," she whispered, "Charlie, I need you in me."

I sat up and removed my pants, and she slid off her underwear. I found the condom in my wallet and slid it on as quick as I could. Lara sat up and watched, then pushed me onto my back. "I need this," she said, grabbing my dick, "in here, now." Then she slid it into her warm wet tunnel, and both of us groaned in delight. "Ohhh, I love you, Charlie," she said as she started to ride me.

"I love you too, Lara," I said, holding both her hands in mine, giving her stability as she slowly rocked both our worlds. She couldn't go fast, that would shake the trailer and potentially wake up Zeke. But we didn't need that right now. We watched each other lovingly, as we made passionate love together.

When she got a little fatigued of that position, I had her lay down beside me on the bed. I spooned right up behind her, and slid into her pussy from that angle. "Oooh," Lara exclaimed, "I like this."

I thrusted gently from behind her, holding her close to me, playing with her breasts with one hand. I kissed her neck again from there, and she gasped again. This was driving her wild, and I was loving it too. I slid my hand from her breasts to her clit, and rubbed it while I continued to drive into her. Lara started making small sounds, but she was trying to muffle them with her hand. I felt her noises get louder, and her breathing get shallower, and knew she was close. I sped up my thrusts a little more, and got her to cum. She would've been loud, but she kept it nicely muffled.

I hadn't cum yet, and she knew it. She rolled over to face me. "Let me take care of this for you," she said sweetly. Then she peeled off the condom and engulfed my erection into her mouth.

"Oh God, Lara," I groaned for her. I recalled she wasn't the most experienced - she'd been almost a virgin when we started dating - but she was certainly a fast learner. She knew just what places to tease to get me really going. With her talents, especially after a very nice fuck, I wasn't going to last long. "Lara, I'm gonna, I'm gonna!" I blurted out.

She did not relent. Instead, she remained clamped on my dick and sucked up every last drop of my jizz, swallowing every bit of it down. When she was done, she released my dick with a "POP" noise, then looked at me with a huge grin. "Was that good for you?"

"Damn, Lara, why'd I wait so long for you?"

She laid down with me and nuzzled into my shoulder. "Yeah, you tell me why?" she asked. I didn't have to answer. We'd both realized we would never have worked as a couple in high school. But now we were so in love, it was hard to think about those days three years ago.

"I love you, Charlie. You've done so much for me and Zeke."

"I did it because I love you too. I want you both in my life."

From the other room, we heard a little voice. "Mama?"

We quickly jumped up from the bed. The door was locked, but he was too young to understand what was going on in here. I put my clothes back on, and Lara threw on some sweats. "Time to return to reality," Lara said pensively.

I smiled at her. "Reality's nice too, as long as you're around."

----

That evening, I was feeling really good about myself. I had won the girl, and was close to winning the election.

All things considered, I was riding high at the moment. It's always at that moment that tragedy strikes.

I had parked my truck outside the garage, and was walking towards the door to the apartment when a shot rang out. My combat instincts went into alert mode, but they were too late. A sudden pain radiated from my left calf, and I knew I'd been shot. I fell down, crouching behind the truck, clutching my leg, and trying to stop the bleeding. "HELP!" I yelled, hoping someone would hear.

Thankfully, Steve came running out of the apartment, his rifle in hand. "Oh God, Charlie," he said, running up to me. "Someone shot you!"

"Do you see anyone else around?" I asked him, holding my leg.

He peeked his head up and took a quick look. "Nobody," he reported. "They must've run off."

"Give me your shirt," I told him, and he did. I wrapped it up around my leg to stop the bleeding. "Okay. Now get me to a hospital. Now."

----

Steve told Prudence to call the family, then drove like a madman into the city. The ER doctor told me I'd have to have some surgery to fix the wound. "You'll be alright," the doctor said, "but you're not going to be able to re-enlist, soldier."

They were leading me towards the surgery area when I heard Lara's voice. "Charlie!" she cried out. She ran down the hall to meet me.

"Miss, you'll have to step back, we're going to take care of him," the doctor was telling her.

The tears were streaming down her face. "Charlie, I love you."

I smiled despite the pain. "I love you too. I'll see you in a few minutes." Steve took Lara and held her while the doctors wheeled me away from her.

The surgery went well, I suppose. I woke up in a room with Lara sleeping in a nearby chair. My leg ached, but nowhere near what it felt like when I'd been shot. I considered it ironic that I hadn't been wounded while in the military, but somehow got hurt at home instead. I recalled what the doctor had said before the surgery. No Purple Heart for me, I guess.

"Lara," I whispered. She stirred, but didn't wake. "Lara," I said again, a little louder.

Her eyes popped open. "Charlie!" She stood up and took my hand. "You're okay!"

I managed a grin. "Okay is a stretch. But I'm alive. I'll be okay later."

She started to cry. "I thought I'd lost you."

"No way, you'll never be rid of me that easily."

Lara looked me in the eyes. "It was my father. I don't know who actually pulled the trigger, but I know he set this up. He probably meant to kill you."

"You're probably right," I said. "He knows he's going to lose, and he's desperate." I looked around. "Where's Zeke?"

"With my mom."

"Is my family here too?"

"They were here, all of them. But your mother took the twins home, and Frank took June and the baby home. Your dad and Steve and Prudence should still be outside." She ran to the door and poked her head out. "Y'all, he's awake," she called to them, and they entered the room.

"How are you, son?" asked Pop.

"I'll be okay, Pop. Just a flesh wound. Could've been worse." I looked at Lara again. "It could have been so much worse."

----

Even with me in the hospital all of Monday, word spread through the tiny town of Gideon. No one saw Jim Hammond at the time of the shooting, but there was no proof he was involved. Still, everyone came to the same conclusion that he had something to do with it.