The Greatest of These is Love Pt. 01

"This victory calls for a celebration," Josh declared as the family descended from the bleachers. "I'm going to pick up some steaks on the way home and we can cook them on the grill."

"That's a great idea, Daddy," Dawn babbled. "I'll help Mamma make some potato salad; you know how Junior loves Mamma's potato salad!" A plan was quickly formed and John rode with Josh to pick up the meat. Once they were alone in the truck, Josh started talking.

"John, do you love my little girl?"

'Wow! That was point-blank,' John thought. He was quiet for a moment, then answered.

"Yes, Mr. Taggart, I'm pretty sure I do love Dawn. She and I have a couple things still to discuss on our way back to State tomorrow, but I can answer you here and now: I would do anything to keep her happy. This weekend has been important for us, as has your family's approval of me. It's just Danny and Junior that I need to win over."

"Well, don't you worry none about those two. Danny's probably just jealous of you, having so much of Dawn's time and attention. Junior's pretty laid-back unless you get in his face. You haven't done that, have you?"

"No, sir. My contact with Junior has been rather limited. I haven't had the opportunity to get in his face. Besides, he's close to five inches taller and a hundred pounds heavier than I am. He'd snap me like a twig. No sir, I'm not a complete fool, except in regards to Dawn." That drew a very big smile from Josh.

"I'm glad to hear that, John. I do have a word of advice for you, though. Treat her like a queen, but don't let her treat you like her subject. If she's your queen, you need to be her king. Choose your battles carefully and consistently and hold fast to your position. I know she's got a fantastic body; she wasn't the head cheerleader for four years for nothing. Just don't let her make you wear the skirts."

Josh turned into the butcher's parking lot and soon returned with a dozen inch‑thick steaks. John goggled at the amount of meat Josh purchased.

"You obviously have no appreciation for my sons' appetites, John," Josh chuckled. "We won't eat all of these tonight, but they won't even last the weekend. I guess it's a good thing my father left us financially secure." This was the first time that Josh had raised the point of his family's financial status with John, and it was seemingly an off‑hand remark. John glanced at Josh out of the corner of his eye and saw a flicker of shrewdness appear and quickly disappear. John decided he would pretend cluelessness for the time being.

"I understand that the price of good beef cuts is rising. So many people are having to opt for lesser cuts or shift to chicken or pork. So, thank you, Mr. Taggart, for splurging on this for your family, to celebrate the victory, and my first visit," John stated. Josh just pursed his lips and the rest of the drive home was spent in companionable silence.

Getting out of the truck, Josh asked John to carry the steaks to the kitchen.

"Em will probably want to trim some of the fat on the edges. That's too bad, 'cause that's where much of the flavor lives. But there are just some battles you learn not to fight, and that's one of them for me. Once Em trims them, bring them downstairs and out the patio doors. I'll get the big grill fired up in the meantime."

Nodding, John carried the bags into the kitchen. The womenfolk were busy getting the meal prepared. He cleared his throat to get their attention, and Dawn quickly relieved him of one of his burdens.

"Mamma! Daddy's done it again," Dawn called to her mother.

"Lemme see," Emily sighed and swapped places with Dawn. "Yep, these need to be trimmed."

"Mamma T, can we try something different this time?" John asked.

Emily looked at him, puzzled, and John continued.

"Mr. Taggart told me that the fat's where much of the flavor lives. Can we try cooking the steaks with the fat attached, and then trim it before serving them? Despite being from near KC, my family doesn't eat a lot of beef, so I may be talking out of turn here. If we wait to trim the fat off, then he can have his flavoring and you still get the fat removed."

Emily and Dawn both blinked in surprise. "Now why hasn't he ever asked me that?" Emily stated.

"I guess it's just one thing he didn't think disagreeing with you was worth," John supplied.

"Very well, John. We'll try it your way tonight. You're our guest; I think you ought to have some say in the matter. Dawnie, fetch down the two big platters and we'll get these slabs of cow laid out. Here, John, take this shaker with you along with one of the platters. Josh's gonna want to teach you how to 'properly' grill steaks. It's useful knowledge, even if you don't get to put it into practice very often. Dawn, take the other platter and lead him down the stairs and out to where your Daddy's fired up the grill."

Field Marshal Emily Taggart got them all moving in the right direction and soon John was following Dawn down to the basement and out into the backyard. Josh gratefully took the platter from Dawn's hands and kissed her on the forehead, dismissing her back to the kitchen. Josh indicated where he wanted John to place his platter and then bent closer to John to speak conspiratorially.

"You go out here awfully quick, John. Did Emily even see these steaks? It doesn't look like she took a knife to them."

"Well, sir," John began but Josh stopped him.

"Please, John, don't call me Mr. Taggart or even 'sir'. I'm just Josh, and I ain't joshin' you." Josh smiled broadly at his little joke.

"O- oh, okay, J- Josh. I, um, I convinced Mamma T to let you cook the steaks untrimmed and then trim them up after they were cooked. That way you get the flavor you want and she gets the excess fat removed."

"How in the world did you manage that, son?" Josh's voice resounded with his incredulity.

"I just asked her, sir. Josh," John amended at Josh's stern look at the use of 'sir'. "Since a guest suggested it, she was willing to give it a go. That's a win for both sides."

"Hmmpf. Good enough, I s'pose. Well, John, I want to share a Taggart family cooking secret with you. This shaker you brought me contains my ultra‑secret grill mix. We'll sprinkle it on each side of the steaks quite liberally, and you won't believe your tastebuds."

"Ultra‑secret?" John asked.

"Yep. It's a 50/50 blend of granulated garlic and granulated onion. That's it." John smiled broadly yet again. "Big secret, huh?" John gave a little laugh and nodded in acknowledgment.

Even with the oversized grill, it still took two rounds to get all the meat cooked to Josh's satisfaction. Unaccustomed as he was to beef and grilling, John found that Josh's grill mix made the meat smell great.

Supper that night was a pleasure for John. He couldn't say for certain but he suspected the grill mix that Josh used was the primary catalyst of his joy. That, and feeling Dawn's hand on his left thigh frequently. At the far end of the table, Josh and Daniel kept discussing certain plays from the football game with Junior.

Even with the little bit of excess fat trimmed from the steak, it was going to be too much for John, so Dawn took half of the slab Josh had dumped on John's plate. This was the first time that they had shared their food in that manner. John ruminated on that sharing, noting how it was emblematic of sharing one's life with another as well as prophetic of how a parent would willingly give food off their own plate for someone they loved. He could never recall his mother or father doing that with him or his brother.

After supper had been eaten and the dishes cleared away, everyone gathered in the great room. Dawn and Emily had sandwiched John on the sofa; Josh was in his recliner; Jenny and Ginny were on the loveseat; and Junior and Danny were on the floor playing with Gypsy. John just absorbed the familial love that permeated the air in that space.

"So, John," Josh began, "what do you hope to do with your degree in ..."

"Business Finance," John supplied.

"Right. Business Finance. Where do you plan to go with that?"

"There are any number of avenues available to me. I want to help people plan the best use of what they have and help them to accrue more legally. I could work in banks and other financial institutions. I could work for accounting firms. I could work for the IRS as an auditor. What I would like to do is become a Certified Financial Planner."

"Hmmm," Josh responded. "It's good to know that you have an objective if the rest of Life doesn't get in the way." Emily hummed her agreement.

Danny looked up from playing tug-o-war with Gypsy and looked at John. "John, I'm sorry for saying you throw like a girl. It was unkind of me and that's not who I like to be."

"It's okay, Danny. The reason I throw like a girl is that my mom taught me, not my dad. It doesn't surprise me to hear you say that. It's true," John shared, and that caused Danny to flush a little more. "I know that your sister bringing a guy home is a new thing. It's totally new for me as well. We've only been going out for a month."

"But we see so much happiness in Dawn's eyes now," Emily spoke up. "I think you are a really good presence in her life. When she went back to State in August, she had a dullness in her eyes that is totally gone now." Emily looked across John at Dawn. "I was kinda worried about you, Sweet Pea. And now I'm not." She gave her eldest a big smile while patting John on his arm.

"Oh, there's one more thing. We're goin' to church in the morning. They're havin' a guest preacher come in, sorta like an audition," Josh shared. Before Dawn could say anything, he pre‑empted her with, "I know we don't go on a regular basis, Sweet Pea. But tomorrow's All Saints Day when we name and mourn those who have passed on in the last year. And you need to show off your boyfriend." Turning to John, he continued, "It's purely come as you are; even the usual preacher wears jeans." John just nodded his acceptance. Everybody then retired to their bedrooms.

Sunday, November 1, 2020

In the wee small hours of the morning, John roused slightly as Dawn had to leave the bed. She soon returned and he sleepily pulled her in to snuggle. She pulled his free hand to her breast and sighed, holding it there and comforted by his embrace.

"Whassamatter, Dawn?" John mumbled drowsily.

"Just my period starting, John," she answered softly.

He kissed the back of her neck and pulled her a little tighter to him.

"It's okay. At least we know you're not pregnant," he murmured. "I love you, Dawn Taggart," he said and drifted back to the land of dreams.

'He said he loves me!' she thought joyfully and soon joined him in dreamland.

= [] = [] =

John's alarm on his phone began to play Dire Straits' "Money For Nothing", rousing him from his sleep. His arms were full of Dawn, still. Awkwardly reaching for his phone, he silenced the alarm and considered his situation.

His arms were full of a beautiful, intelligent (although she did not like to show it), and loving girl. His cock was understandably hard and safely trapped in his briefs. He had experienced more familial love since their arrival on Friday than in the two previous years. He felt accepted. And he had told the girl in his arms that he loved her.

At last, he had a definite answer for her father: yes, John loved Dawn. And it seemed that Dawn returned that affection, although he could not recall her saying, "I love you, John." But he wasn't worried about that.

Dawn stirred in John's arms. His hand no longer clasped her breast as she intended, but the warmth of his embrace made up for any disappointment. His morning wood poked her behind and she shimmied a little to make it comfortable. Aside from the usual first‑day cramps, this was nearly heaven for her.

She cocked her ear at a strange sound. It was a ... cash register. Then some coins. Then a drawer shutting. It repeated a few times, and then the bass kicked in. "Money" by Pink Floyd was coming from John's phone. It must have been an alarm song he had set.

John first snoozed then stopped his backup alarm.

"I love you, Dawn Taggart," he said again into her left ear.

"And I love you, John Wilson," she replied softly. "You make me feel like the most treasured thing in the universe."

"That's how it should be, don't you agree?" Dawn had no reply to his rhetorical question.

"Come on. It's 7:30 now. What time does your family go to church?" John inquired.

"I'm not entirely certain. I'm not certain which church they are attending anymore. It would probably behoove us to go upstairs, have some breakfast, and ask these questions of the others," Dawn replied. She sat up slowly and stiffly as if trying to move the fewest parts possible. John watched her with concern in his eyes.

"Is this going to be a hard period for you?" he asked.

"They usually start out this way. I'll probably have a better idea tomorrow morning."

John rolled off his side of the bed and scooted around to kneel between her knees. He gently took her head in his hands and tenderly kissed her. She kissed him right back, glad for the distraction from her physical condition. Her tongue tickled his lips, but this time he kept his lips closed. He wanted to send her a message without saying anything. He was going to take charge of things today. After half a minute of probing his pursed lips, she caught on that he wasn't going to be moved, and she relaxed and enjoyed his delicate embrace.

"We should get moving."

= [] = [] =

Jenny and Ginny were in the back seat of Dawn's car, enjoying the warm autumn wind blowing through their hair. They were the lucky winners of the "who gets to ride in Dawn's car" competition, and their smiles showed their glee. John was driving and Dawn was navigating them to the New Life Christian Church about fifteen minutes from their home. It turned out that the family had not changed churches in Dawn's absence.

They pulled into the parking lot and stopped next to Josh's extended cab pickup, leaving room for Emily and the boys to emerge safely. After assisting the girls' egress, the eight walked up to the doors of the church, which were open and the melodious sound of the organ greeted them. They were welcomed at the door by the pastor and his wife.

"Josh and Emily! It's wonderful to see you again!" the pastor exclaimed. "And the rest of the Taggart tribe as well! Junior, that was a wonderful play you made to block that screen pass!" The pastor cocked his head as he saw Dawn holding hands with a young man. He was struggling a bit to recall her name when his wife whispered into his ear.

"Dawn, are you all done with your studies at college?" he asked, knowing that she wasn't.

"No, Pastor Brown, I've still got a couple of years to go," she responded.

"Well, then, who is this fine young man with you?"

"Pastor, this is my boyfriend, John Wilson. John, this is Pastor Jim and his wife Tracy."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," John stated, shaking their hands. "If you would excuse us, please?"

"Certainly. Please know you are welcome here."

John and Dawn pushed into the worship space and caught up with the rest of the Taggarts. Once seated, John looked all around at the other worshipers. Some were dressed in their "Sunday finest" while others were in khakis and polo shirts or even blue jeans. He began to feel a little more at ease. That Dawn was holding his hand didn't hurt matters, either.

The worship service seemed to flow naturally with the worship space about 2/3 full. There were two places in the service that caught John's attention. The first was "Remembering the Saints" where people would stand and call out the name of someone who had died in the past year. John was surprised when Josh stood and called out, "Millie Taggart." John looked at Dawn with a puzzled look, and she whispered that she'd explain after service was over.

The second departure from the norm was when Pastor Brown stood on the chancel and had his arm around a young man about John's age, maybe a few years older.

"Folks, this is Ben Stone. He's doing his ministerial studies at St. Paul's Seminary in Kansas City, and he'll be giving today's message, which is based on Paul's first letter to the church in Corinth. This is commonly known as the "Love Chapter" and you hear it often at weddings. Pastor?"

John was intrigued by what the younger man had to say. It caused him to think, to reflect on the words he spoke for the first time in the early morning hours. John was acquainted with the more "traditional" wording, but Ben cited an alternative translation, Eugene Peterson's "The Message".

"Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, doesn't have a swelled head, doesn't force itself on others."

These words struck chords within John that he had never realized existed, and they all pertained to how he felt about Dawn. He gently squeezed her hand and laced his fingers between hers.

For her part, Dawn was wrapped up in a fog bank of joy. Sure, John was a good fuck; no, he was a great fuck. But his actions and words that day when her period had begun told her far more about who John really was. Ben's words seemed redundant to what she was feeling.

Once the service was over, they all returned to the Taggarts' home for lunch. Emily made sure he was seated between her and Dawn once more.

"So, John, what did you think of our church this morning?" Emily inquired.

"I felt welcomed and comfortable, Mamma T. I did not go in with any expectations, so I was not disappointed in the least. I've been to church before. My folks would go for Christmas and Easter, maybe. I was puzzled when your husband stood and called out a name, though."

"That was Grandma Taggart, John," Dawn interjected. "She passed away last January."

"She was 85 and she passed quietly in her sleep," Emily added. "I think she missed her husband and was glad to be reunited with him. Theirs was a love for the ages. Rather fitting for the sermon's scripture basis, don't you think?"

"Yes, I believe so."

Despite the protestations of the ladies, John carried his plate to the sink once they were all done. He accepted a kiss from Dawn in thanks and a playful swat on his rear from Emily which hastened his exit from the kitchen.

"John, if you don't mind, I'd like to talk with you for a moment," Josh called from the front door.

"Sir?"

"Come and walk with me."

John started to walk down the long driveway and John hurried to catch up. Gypsy followed closely on their heels and walked at Josh's side without a leash.

"John, you said your folks live up near KC, is that correct?"

"Yes, sir."

Josh gave him a look, and John amended it with, "Yes, Josh." That drew a nod of acceptance.

"Do you recall our earlier conversation where I asked if you loved Dawn? After the football game?" John nodded. "I believe you said that you were pretty sure you did."

"I told her this morning that I loved her. What the preacher said this morning really confirmed that for me."

"I'm very glad to hear you say that. I want to extend an invitation for you to come back with her for Thanksgiving. Dawn has told us that your parents are not well off, financially, and that you have to take the bus back home. I like what I've seen of you, John. I'd like to get to know you even better if you'll allow that."

John was pleasantly surprised to be asked to come back and said so.

"I'm not asking for an answer right now. I figure you might need to work things out with your folks first. But I did want to invite you to return."

"Thank you, Josh. It means a lot to me."

"Like the word 'plethora'?" Josh asked with a smile. "Yeah, I know a lot of big, fancy words and how to use them properly. But the people I interact with on a daily basis might not, so I do what I can to fit in. Anyways, Emily and I would like to have you come back with Dawn at Thanksgiving."