Thoroughly Loving Nina Ch. 10

"Thanks for the advice, guys," Nina smiled. "You guys already have an investment in us – you gave us great management experience. Now it's over to us."

Late next morning Joe, Hannah and Nina went to the hospital lounge as Kevin was up and walking and due to be assessed that afternoon to determine when he might be discharged. Margo and Vic had gone off to fetch something at Robertshaw, the local town. They collected a big heavy package from a freight depot. Kevin loaded it in Nina's SUV.

"Don't get excited," Margo said kissing him gently. "You've had your reward. It's a painting for Nina – Kevin put up half the money and mom and dad contributed the remainder."

"Then it's not a print?"

"Oh no, it's not a print. I purchased it off the web from a southern gallery. Here take this and don't let Nina know. It's the documentation and insurance receipt. The painting is insured for $130,000. If you incorporate the insurance under your domestic policies you ought to get a reduction in annual premium."

"Jesus – many people live in houses and apartments that don't cost $130,000."

"We think that's a small amount to pay in honor of what Nina did to save my Kevin's life."

"Yeah, right. What price life?"

"We'll never answer that," Margo aid. "Thank you for my beautiful seduction. I'd like you to know that it's the only time I've strayed since my marriage and it was worth it, if only to find that Kevin measures up in all respects. Tension between me and mom and dad has all but disappeared – Nina contributed to easing that but it really was you who swung dad back to re-connect with me. I'll never forget that nor forget Nina. Never."

In the hospital lounge Margo made a small speech following by Kevin and Hannah.

Margo motioned to Vic who went to the doorway and beckoned in two male nurses who pushed in a lecture room easel mounted on wheels. The rectangular object on it, covered in bed sheet, faced Nina and appeared to be a blackboard. Margo and Kevin went to either end and unveiled the oil painting called 'The Cowgirl'.

"It's magnificent, Nina breathed. Is this for me?"

"Yes, from mom, dad and especially Kevin," Margo beamed. "It's very old, believed to have been painted between 1900 and perhaps 1910. It was purchased by the gallery from an estate and the signature of J.B. Meadows has been authenticated. He was an itinerant English artist in this country during that period. The artists' biography is taped to the back of the painting."

The background was indistinct, the entire focus on the rider, with the paint pony in a foot of water drinking. The woman was perhaps about thirty and wore a dirty white Stetson, cowboy shirt, black skirt and black boots with a leg hooked over her saddle horn and looking at a small bunch of wildflowers in her hand.

"Oh thank you, thank you," Nina said, walking up and kissing the family. Standing beside Vic she said, "I shall treasure this for the rest of my life. I feel the spirit of this woman. I just adore it."

The painting was rewrapped in its transportation packaging and Nina and Vic departed to an emotional farewell, everyone talking excitedly about being reunited again for the wedding. The farewell between Nina and Joe was poignant but was outshone as a tearjerker of the goodbye between Kevin and Nina; Kevin hugged her intensely and had difficulty letting go of her. "Our daughter will be called Nina. It's Margo's idea and I am wildly in favor."

"Grand-daughter?" Hannah asked, wide-eyed.

"Yes, I'm six weeks on and everything is fine. In my heart I know it will be a girl, mom."

Tears and congratulations followed.

* * *

"Well, what a long farewell but a beautiful, moving one," Nina yawned. "I want our first baby to be a girl."

"I wonder why that's no surprise to me. Stop taking your protection and I'll do my best."

"I want Kate to become pregnant first. You know that."

"Okay, you call the shots and I'll fire them."

They kissed happily. Nina became even happier when Vic said he was absolutely taken by the painting.

"There's already an alcove for a painting above the main fireplace – it may need to be made bigger."

"What alcove, what fireplace?"

Vic realized his goof. "Oh, it's just a sketch of a modern Western-style house that's floating around my mind." Well, that was true.

"We should start talking about the house. We need that sorted before we can properly plan the guest rancher operation."

"Leave it love, just after the wedding will be fine. We don't need to rush into everything.

"Oh, I forget – have you asked Shaun to be your best man yet?" she asked.

"Yes, it's all sorted."

Six hours later they entered The Town. "Stop Vic – reverse about fifty feet – we need to read that billboard.

The sign stated: 'This is an advance notice of the celebrity wedding of Prominent Cowgirl of TV fame, Nina Raymond to Victor Haig at the end of this month coinciding with the triumphant return of The Town's famous son, the legendary Joe Black, Joe is a former national rodeo multiple championship winner. Nina's wedding followed by Joe Black's welcome home will be celebrated at the Dome on Friday the 29th. A sell-out crowd is expected so reserve seats with $10 donations now! Nett proceeds will go to the Emergency and Welfare Fund of the organizers, the Ladies Town Luncheon Club.'

"They've got it wrong, it's next month, not this month, and it's a confirmation wedding at the Dome, not THE wedding."

"That's splitting hairs and anyways, it is this month – it's the 1st today."

"Oh God," Nina cried, "The wedding. So much to do, so little time to do it."

"There's very little to do," Vic smiled. "Kate has sent out invitations to the wedding at her house – she discussed the list with you."

"Oh yes, right. I thought I was to send out the invitations?" She received no reply, Vic wanting to keep the pressure off her.

Vic said on the coming Friday they were flying to the city to choose their clothes for the wedding. "You said you wanted traditional cowgirl, so you'll get the right fits straight off the racks. I reckon we choose black."

"White. Are you going cowboy as well?"

"Yes, we may as well establish our identity of who we think we are. Black."

"Victor Haig. Unless it's predominately white I'm keeping my legs crossed."

"White's fine by me Nina. We'll look great in white. Black trim for me." We'll put Joe in the same outfit – Hannah gave me his measurements."

"Will it be a charter flight?"

"No, there's a regular Friday shopper's flight, I've checked. Margo is paying for the flights and our wedding outfits as her thank you for you saving Kevin."

"Oh what a lovely gesture," Nina said, bursting into tears.

"Come on. You are over-wrought. On to the hotel – that was nice of them keeping our suite and not charging us, saying it was a quiet time of the year for them. I'll order you dinner in bed. No sex for you tonight unless you calm down."

"Yes dear."

* * *

Vic sat in the bar and sat in front of a beer, thinking. One month to go. Nina – incredibly brave Nina – was flirting with meltdown judging by her behavior this evening. He'd not expected this; neither of them could afford to hit a speed wobble as they wed in a small house and then to be thrust under the spotlight for their wedding re-enanctment and for Nina to be acclaimed locally for her bravery.

He know accepted a big crowed would be there. People had two celebrities to honor - Joy Black and Nina. The population of The Town was just over 18,000 and the Dome seated almost 30,000 and it was filled with people arriving from the hinterland for big events like night regional rodeo, regional football final, the annual interdenominational religious revival gospel convention and an occasional visit by a rock super-star. At least that's what Shaun had told him.

Shaun had also said "Who'd turn out to see you guys get married for the second time within an hour? Nobody but Kate and I know you, although some women would roll up being suckers for a wedding. And Joe Black – at least a third of the population weren't alive when he had his last big rodeo ride and another third are so old they don't attend big events any more. Of the third left, perhaps 20 percent will be women who used to think they were in love with Joe Black so their husband's won't want them to go and the husbands won't go without their wives, some people will be sick or out of town or unable to take time off work, so think of those thousands and thousands of empty seats."

Who to believe? Kate reckoned the Dome would be unable to satisfy the demand for seats. Nina was an overnight sensation because of her ingenious initiative in the rescue of Kevin Hazelwood but the combined event would be held a month after that dramatic rescue. Did most people have memories that long? Ask anyone over the age of thirty what they watched on TV the previous night and they struggle to remember with a few even not sure whether they have TV.

Well, does it matter? Vic thought, turning away a woman who enquired whether he wanted to buy her a drink. His bottle was empty so he held it up to be replaced. The bartender wobbled her surgically enhanced breasts as she opened his beer in front of him and smiled; an opportunity for a test.

"Are you going to the Dome at the end of the month to see Joe Black?"

"Who's Joe Black?" asked the thirty-something.

Well, well, Vic thought. Here's a woman working in an environment of hot gossip and she doesn't know of Joe Black.

"Every-one I know is going to the Dome late this month to see Nina Raymond marry some bloke."

That shocked Vic. So he tossed her another question to trip her up. "Who's Nina Raymond?"

"Where have you been – on a trip to the Moon? Nina Raymond is the greatest cowgirl alive today. Listen to the talk, buddy, and radio and the papers are full of it. There's even a rumor that she will be nominated for the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame."

As the woman carted her over-size top to the other side of the bar Vic placed his hands in his face and groaned, "How will Nina be able to handle this?"

Three bottles of beer later Vic had decided he must accept that Nina was the best thing in his life and that he should be faithful to her and excel at being a great business partner. Neither of those commitments should be too difficult to maintain provided he could resist these other women who wanted him. Of course he had the obligation to Kate and there was no way he could give up Leigh.

A hand momentarily touched the back of his neck and a husky voice said, "Hullo Mr Haig."

"Oh hi, Britney. You're looking glamorous."

"Yes, just back from a cocktail party where I was a hostess. I guess Nina is back and is asleep, exhausted?"

Vic said she was right about that.

"Well, I guess I'll see her in the morning when I'm waiting tables. Well, goodnight Mr Haig...unless...We are prohibited from drinking with guests in the bar. Would you care to join me for a drink in my room?"

"I better stay here, although your invitation is very tempting Britney."

"I could make a visit very worthwhile."

"Why this sudden focus on me, Britney?"

"You're the fiancé of the famous Nina Raymond. I would be honored if you do to me what you do to Nina."

"I'm about to be married, Britney; I cannot blot my copybook."

"That's sad, oh so sad, Mr Haig. Good night."

Vic sighed as he watched Britney walk away not even thinking 'Nice ass'. His problem was he had too much time on his hands; the sooner he was buried in work the better. Working on Kate's house had sharpened him up a little as had riding on the Black's ranch.

An alarm sounded in his brain – house...birthday...Leigh. He slapped his forehead hard. Damn – he'd forgotten to go to Leigh's for lunch on Monday of last week; how could he have been so forgetful. Although he'd been working on Kate's house he could have slipped away for a couple of hours under the cover of any flimsy explanation.

He called Leigh, thinking she could be home now, or picking up her two kids from her mother's home. Dean answered, saying "Leigh's phone."

"Hi Dean, it's Vic."

"Vic!" So you two are back. We saw the news item about Nina's brilliant feat in rescuing that guy and then the documentary later that evening. Wow, what a babe. What she did stretches the imagination."

"You're so right Dean, I'm very proud of her."

"And so you should be. By the way, thanks for the wedding invitation and making Leigh part of the wedding party. I know she became your first friend after you arrived here. Look, you'll need to be stocking up when you take over Hunger Ranch. I'm a bit overstocked to be going into late autumn so could let you have fifty head from the herd I would be culling from – you can pick the ones you want at the fair price per head we agree on beforehand."

"Thank you Dean – I'll take you up on that; it's very neighborly of you."

"Good – here's Leigh coming in from checking on her horses now; I have the kids in the bath and dinner under way. Catch you later."

"Hello Vic, husband of the famous Nina. We thought she acted wonderfully and fully deserved the media attention she received. She's the resourceful type of woman to have beside you on a ranch. How's Joe Black?"

"Fine. Look Leigh, I'm calling with an apology and to tell the truth. I simply forgot to be with you for lunch Monday week ago."

"Forgot? Well, that's a novel excuse, almost believable."

"I was working on Kate Lovett's house extensions while she was giving Nina advance riding instruction. I was head down banging away and time just flew."

"Banging away - how interesting?"

Vic heard that comment with relief; it didn't appear he was going to be put over the rack. He laughed. "With a hammer."

"I just assumed something more important than lunch with me came up. Women in my position have to learn to understand exactly what that position means."

Vic felt humbled. Leigh was behaving magnificently under the circumstances; she'd chosen the option of letting him off the hook.

"I am truly sorry Leigh."

"Accepted, I can hear it in your voice. I'll take the tray liner to the office; you may call to pick it up any time you wish but call first."

Vic had an idea. "Look, bring it with you tomorrow night. Tomorrow is my birthday. Come with Dean to the hotel at 7:00 for a drink with Nina and me and I'll also invite the Lovett's and then I'll take you all out for dinner. Please say yes."

"Just a moment."

Vic stared dully at his beer bottle until Leigh was back at his ear saying yes, that Dean looked forward to the occasion.

"Leigh, you have melted my shame."

She giggled and said goodnight.

To be Continued.