The Black Rose Legacy Ch. 02

Try as I might to keep a straight face, I stopped in my tracks and began to laugh, and soon was laughing so hard I had to stop and sit on an old log to catch my breath. Declan looked amused, while Seamus looked embarrassed and horrified. Finally, I was able to stop and breathe normally. "I'm sorry, Seamus, I truly am. Yours is a serious question, I shouldn't laugh." Finally, when I was able to stand up again, I walked over to him and put my hand on his shoulder.

"When you and Declan were scrapping with Julius, did you happen to notice what was dangling between his legs? That wasn't a tail, I can assure you." A look of understanding dawned on the two men simultaneously.

Declan asked softly, "You mean that great long thing was his pizzle?"

"It was indeed. And he was fighting, not coupling, so what you saw wasn't even up to full size! Despite being biologically built for it, when a Sasquatch female experiences a member that big for the first time, it puts her out of commission for a couple of days. I've not seen what's in your trousers, Seamus, but I'm guessing that no matter the size, it can't hold a candle to what Julius is packing. Or am I wrong?"

Seamus reddened again, "No, sir," he mumbled.

I clapped him on the back. "Good! Then you have nothing to fear, my boy! I'm sure Marigold will treasure whatever you bring to the celebration!"

Declan grinned and clapped his brother on the back as well, declaring, "See lad? You've naught to worry about! You already convinced her you're handsome, so the lass will love you!"

Seamus smiled sheepishly, but also looked relieved. Not that I would know, of course, but it would make sense that being born with an oversized tallywhacker (for a human, anyway) must bring its own set of problems.

As the path wound through the woods, about 60 yards from the plank house Declan pointed and said, "Oy! What's that then?" He pointed at a pair of golden-furred ass cheeks sticking out of the tall grass.

I responded, "It looks like Marigold on her knees, digging for herbs or possibly truffles. She's just like her mother in that respect, a good cook who also has a good eye for medicinal plants!"

At the sound of her name, Marigold jumped to her feet and looked around. Seeing Seamus, she gleefully shrieked, loudly enough to scare birds in the tree above her into taking flight.

Thankfully, she was wearing a sleeveless flannel shirt that covered up her breasts, so Seamus was spared more blushing. Many years ago, Daisy had worn one of my flannel shirts after tearing off the shirt's sleeves to bind my leg wound. She never stopped; whenever I went to the trading post, I picked up a new one for her; my girls picked up on the fashion habit as well, so I was always bringing one home.

Marigold immediately ran up and wrapped her arms around Seamus, exclaiming "SEAMUS! I thought I'd never see you again, I'm so glad you're here!" She hugged his face into her ample bosom, crying tears of joy.

I heard my wife's voice, "Mari, please let go, you're going to smother the poor man!" Mari loosened her grip and let him breathe, and Daisy walked up and held out her hand to our guests. "So you're the fellow my daughter can't stop talking about! After that unfortunate incident she must have cried a million tears, I swear."

Marveling at all 7 feet of my wife, Seamus dumbly nodded and shook her hand. Daisy then turned to his brother. "And this must be your brother Declan. My, you are a couple of handsome boys."

Ever the smooth talker, as Declan shook Daisy's hand, he quickly began to charm my wife. "I'd only heard tales of Miss Marigold and her beauty, Ma'am, but I can surely see where Marigold got it from!" Up to this point, aside from her father I'd been the only man ever to compliment my wife's beauty, so she got quite flustered at Declan's flattery. I jumped in to allow her a moment to recover.

"Would you boys like something to eat? We've got some pemmican and jerky handy, or if you want to wait around a bit, Marigold could whip up some rabbit stew in an hour or so."

Both boys shook their heads, and Seamus replied, "If you don't mind, Mr. and Mrs. Karpiak, I'd like to have a word with Marigold."

If Seamus thought he and Marigold would have a bit of privacy, he was sadly mistaken. Sasquatch families are not only close-knit, but we're also a bunch of busy-bodies. Given the limited entertainment available out here in the woods, there was no way Daisy and I were going to miss this! I replied, "Not at all, Seamus, go right ahead!"

The red-haired man began blushing again -- Seamus was one shy fellow, to be sure -- but summoning up his courage, he took one of Mari's huge hands in both of his and began his explanation. "I'm so very sorry, Marigold, I didn't want to leave that day, but being that Oakley was our boss, my father feared we'd be arrested so we took off straightaway, before a lawman showed up. We left town so fast I had no way of leaving a message at your hotel."

Mari answered softly, "I thought after what I did at the restaurant, you'd never want to see me again!"

Seamus lovingly lifted his hand to her face. It was good that he'd done that without any coaching; touching faces was a big thing with the Sasquatch females. The morning after Daisy and I had coupled for the first time, I'd awakened to Black Rose lovingly caressing our faces. Over the years, she'd done it many times, and I still missed that about her.

While Marigold savored his touch, Seamus answered her. "Oh, no, Marigold, 'tis I who should be apologizin'. When that fella said those awful things, I just froze up. He was our boss, see, and I was afraid of what would happen if I laid him out. As it turned out, I lost me job anyway, but since Silas Oakley wasn't in no shape to return, our Dad was promoted into Oakley's job and for a better wage to boot! So you did a good turn for both Dad, and meself as well. I swear, though, I never stopped thinking about you."

A grinning Declan interrupted, "Take it from me, 'tis true! Ruined him, ya have, Miss Marigold. He used to be such a quiet fella until you two met, now he never shuts up about ya!"

"Shut yer yap, ye useless scalawag," Seamus scolded. Then he returned his attention to Mari. "Pay him no mind, Miss Marigold, he's just jealous that I'm in love and he's not."

Now it was Mari's turn to put her hand on Seamus's face. She spoke very quietly, but of course Sasquatch hearing is very good, so Daisy hung on every word. "Seamus, you love me? Really?"

"I do," Seamus whispered back, "very much so. I want us to be married, Marigold."

Declan chimed in, saying out loud what everyone else was quietly thinking, "Kiss her, ya great eejit, before ya lose her again!" Needing no further urging, Seamus reached up and pulled Marigold's face down to his, and kissed her for all he was worth. I, Daisy, and Declan all applauded.

Then a loud voice rang out from the edge of the clearing, "Hey! What did I miss while I was picking berries? Who are these new people?" It was our daughter, Tulip. I couldn't help but notice that when Declan feasted his eyes on our light-brown haired 6'7" youngest, he appeared to be gobsmacked.

As she sauntered up, I heard Declan mutter, "Bloody hell, I must be dreaming!"

I spoke up. "Tulip, the fellow kissing your sister is Seamus Bohannon. He just announced his intention to marry her." Tulip bounded -- our youngest daughter had limitless energy and never just walked -- up to Marigold and Seamus, joyfully encircling her arms around the two of them.

"Mari, this the boy you talked about?" Marigold nodded, and Tulip squeezed them even tighter. I saw a splash of red hair in between the gold and brown fur, so Seamus was in there somewhere. I hoped he appreciated how rare of an occurrence it was to be trapped between two happy Sasquatch females.

Tulip pulled Seamus out of the clinch and carried on, "Marigold told me you were strong and brave and handsome, and she didn't lie! You ARE handsome!"

Before I could introduce Declan, he interrupted her and did it himself. "Excuse me, Miss Tulip, is it? I'm Declan, Seamus's brother. May I say, you're quite lovely yerself, you are."

Tulip turned to Declan, and her eyes lit up. Like her mother, no human male outside of her grandfather Haggerty or me had ever complimented her looks. Marigold gave her sister a little push. "See, Tulip, I told you!" For once, my little chatterbox -- come on now, at 6'7", she was little compared to her mother and sisters - Tulip was speechless.

Then she shocked me even further by walking over and standing to the side of and slightly behind Daisy. In a scared voice, she said, "Momma, that boy! He said...I was lovely!" I couldn't believe my eyes; for the first time in her life, Tulip was being shy!

Daisy chuckled and put her arm around our youngest and addressed Declan. "I have to apologize, Declan, Tulip's usually quite outgoing. You seem to have put her into a bit of a tizzy."

I had to admit I was getting pleasure watching this whole thing play out. Sensing he had the upper hand, Declan took the initiative. "Allow me to apologize, Miss Tulip, I meant no harm. Would you object to me shakin' your hand and makin' your acquaintance?"

Tulip extended her hand, and Declan delicately took it in his like a baby bird. "It is indeed my good fortune to be meetin' you, Miss Tulip. Why, had I not been accompanying my brother here, I might never have met you, and been the lesser for it!"

Declan was really laying it on thick, and my youngest was eating it up. He still wasn't letting go of her hand as he pushed his advantage. "It just so happens, I have a deck of cards with me. Would you like to see a trick?"

Of course she did, so, still not letting go of Tulip's hand, Declan reached into the small satchel he was carrying and pulled out a deck of playing cards. Emboldened by his attentions, Tulip stepped away from Daisy and closer to this red-headed charmer. Releasing her hand, he set up his demonstration on an old redwood tree stump. I immediately recognized it as the classic three-card monte hustle that I'd seen in many a saloon, but of course it was totally new to Tulip.

Declan showed my daughter the card faces and began his spiel: "Three cards here, two jacks and a queen. Follow the queen." He showed her the cards face up one more time, then placed them face-down on the stump. Using his thumb and middle finger to move the cards slowly around, Tulip paid close attention; when he finished, she easily identified what position the queen was in. "Well done, well done, you've got a keen eye to go along with those good looks."

Tulip giggled, and Declan took a shiny penny out of his pocket and placed it on the stump next to the cards. "I'll tell you what, Miss Tulip, let's make things more interesting. If you can do it again, you win this penny." Once again, he moved the cards around at a slightly faster pace, but still slowly enough where a blind man could find the queen, and of course Tulip did.

Before she could pick it up, Declan said, "Let's make it a bit more interesting. Let's do it again, and if you win, I'll give you two more pennies, but if I win, I get me penny back." Tulip agreed, and his hands went into motion, but at a much faster pace this time, and he won his penny back. I was amused; the hustle was now on.

Tulip's forehead furrowed, and this was not a good sign. Whether it was a footrace with her sisters or a rock-skipping contest on a pond, my youngest girl simply hated to lose; it put her in a pouty mood for hours. I wanted to warn Declan he was playing with fire, but he was a grown man, so I figured I'd let him learn from his own mistakes.

What he said next, though, made me realize what a sly fox he was. "I'm guessing you'd love to play again, Miss Tulip. 'Tis unfortunate that you've got no more pennies to bet, but there's something else you could wager, if you'd be willing. How about if you win, you'd be getting two pennies, but if I win...well, I'd be winning a kiss from you."

A butterfly could have knocked me over. When I heard Declan say that I exchanged wide-eyed glances with Daisy. I was in shock, but my wife looked amused. Declan had only just met Tulip, but this young roustabout was putting in maximum effort to win her over with his seductive words and his sleight-of-hand. What shocked me even more was my sweet and innocent Tulip whispered "Yes." She looked at her mother as she did so, and Daisy gave a consenting nod.

I turned to see if Marigold was still watching, but she and her paramour had most likely high-tailed it into the trees for some privacy now that Daisy and I were distracted by Declan's shenanigans.

Declan's quick hands made the cards fly once more, and sure enough, Tulip lost. Declan gave a quick whoop of joy, clapped his hands, jumped to his feet, and moved over to Tulip to collect his reward. Unsure of herself, Tulip bent over and pursed her lips. Declan reached up and gently pulled her face down to his, giving Tulip her first proper kiss.

Following her instincts, Tulip embraced her victorious beau and the two of them proceeded to a more passionate embrace. Her long arm reached downward, and her hand pressed Declan's bottom forward so he was pressed into her body. He didn't back away, instead pulled her more tightly into him as well. I thought to myself only a dead man wouldn't be erect at this point. Tulip may have been shy, but she'd lived in a shared plank house long enough to know what usually happened next.

Speaking of which, I felt my own hardness returning as I felt Daisy squeeze my bottom. She whispered, "Do you remember our first kiss, Adam?"

I reached around and squeezed her bottom in return. "I started off with your hand, then I kissed your lips." I felt myself now completely hardened at the memory. "Do you remember the first time I kissed your female parts?"

She shuddered at the pleasant memory, "Yes, you kissed me and pleasured me, then you took me hard, and made me swear I belonged to you. And after you were done, you told me you loved me."

"After all these years, it's still true." Suddenly, I didn't care that Seamus and Declan were romancing my baby girls, all I wanted was to couple with my wife. Taking her by the hand, I led her into the plank house and quickly stripped our clothes off, then pulled her onto the bed with me. I pushed her legs open and licked along her female slit, teasing her nether lips with the tip of my tongue before sliding it into her opening. Not trying to be quiet about her passion (no Sasquatch ever is), she gasped and moaned in delight, tilting her hips and pressing her femaleness against my mouth. It was plain that she wanted me as much as I wanted her.

My hardness couldn't wait any longer; I quickly climbed on top of her and began rapidly pistoning in her. "You're still mine," I gasped, "my perfect wife, who's given me so much." I increased the intensity of my efforts, and then I roared loudly as I released in her, shuddering with pleasure. Even though I was almost 50, Daisy still made me feel like the randy 29-year-old I'd been when I met her. To me, my wife was a furry fountain of youth.

We cuddled and kissed a while longer, until we heard Marigold come in. Since she'd slept in the plank house with us for years, she wasn't particularly concerned that we were naked on top of the bearskin. She'd witnessed us coupling many times before, just like Daisy and I had witnessed Black Rose and Haggerty coupling regularly when the four of us had shared the plank house. But something else was on our daughter's mind.

"Daddy, can you get dressed and come outside? Seamus and I would like to speak with you."

I kissed Daisy one more time, nipped her shoulder, growling to let her know her mate wasn't done with her. Instead of being exhausted after our mid-day coupling, I was invigorated and was already desirous of another go-round. I quickly pulled on my blue denim pants and one of Daisy's sleeveless flannel shirts. It was a slightly too big for me, but it served the purpose of covering my naked chest. Besides, it smelled like her, which just increased my desire to go back and couple again.

It was now late afternoon, so the shadows were long. In my semi-aroused state, I pulled back the beaver pelt flap and crawled out of the plank house. Marigold was there, standing behind Seamus with her arms around him, the two of them facing me.

I heard a noise, and Daisy came out as well, standing behind me to mirror Marigold's position.

Seamus began, "Mr. Karpiak, I been thinkin' about Marigold since the day we met. Couldn't get her out of me mind, ya see. She's such an extraordinary woman." Hearing that, Marigold squeezed Seamus even more tightly. I could see how much our oldest loved this man.

"Me and Marigold have been talking things over, and..." Given his state of dishevelment and the leaves and twigs scattered over the both of them, I suspected more than just talking had been going on, but I concentrated on what the boy was trying to tell me. "...and we decided we want to be married, same as you and Mrs. Karpiak. We'd like yer blessin'."

Internally I was thrilled, but as I was Marigold's father, I had an obligation to play devil's advocate, same as Daisy's father had once done for her. "Well, I think that's just fine, Seamus. Marigold has certainly held you in high esteem since she met you, I'm sure she'll be a fine wife to you." Reaching back into my memory, I recalled the phrases Haggerty had used.

"As Marigold's father, I have to say that life in the wilderness ain't easy. You've been to the big cities, with all their big buildings and fancy people. You may be tempted to go back. To that I say, my baby girl may be tall and strong, but she's young and sweet with a tender heart. She truly loves you, son. If you change your mind and run off and decide not to come back, it'll crush her."

I looked him dead in the eye, as serious as a hungry wolf. "I know you have good intentions now, but if you should even change your mind and hurt my Marigold, I swear Seamus Bohannon, by all that's holy I will hunt you down." Then I added, "My son-in-law Julius already doesn't much like you; if you hurt my little girl, you won't be getting out of the woods alive. Do we have an understanding?"

Seamus looked at me, his green eye gleaming. "Sir, I truly love Marigold. She's a fine strapping lass, fair of face and sweet-natured. What's more, she makes me feel like a whole man, despite my scarred face and ruined eye. She's the first woman since the accident who's looked at me with love instead of horror. You have my solemn vow by all that's holy that I'll never abandon her, and that I'll fight for her love and honor to me last dyin' breath."

I needed no further explanations. The words of the normally taciturn Seamus had convinced me that his heart was true. I extended my hand, and in a calm voice, uttered "Welcome to the family, son." Marigold spun Seamus around and commenced to pepper his face with kisses. Then I pulled open the entrance flap to the plank house. "You've said the words, now go make it official."

Seamus looked at me, puzzled, but Marigold knew what to do and scampered inside. "I don't understand, sir."

"You're not in a town or city, you're in the wilderness. The rules are different here. You said the human words to your bride, but as far as Sasquatch rules go, now you need to go claim your mate. In Genesis 2:24 it says, 'A man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.' Do I need to draw you a map? Go get to cleaving, son!"

A look of delight spread over Seamus's face, and quick as a bunny, he was inside the house. A few minutes later, the happy groans and howls coming from inside it testified that no, Seamus did not need a map at all. Marigold was now his for life.