Three Cheats to the Wind

"What are you saying, that we give up?"

"I'm saying that you deserve someone you can trust with your whole heart, and that I deserve to find someone that looks at me the way you used to before my stupidity. I'm saying we both need to move on separately."

Back at the Bar

Linda's emotions were on the edge. Tears were streaming down her cheeks in a silent cry. I had a few of my own from just reliving that nightmare

"After I left Sam at the house, I came here to the pub. I walked in and Kaylee knew just by looking at me."

Kaylee wiped away her own tears as she recounted that evening. "I noticed Luc come in and I could see he was about to lose it. I yelled to Pete to watch the bar and whisked Luc into the office. The door barely closed when he collapsed into my arms and cried his eyes out."

Linda locked her gaze onto her beer. "I know that feeling. I know that pain."

"Kaylee soothed me and talked with me for several hours. She eventually got me to laugh a little and that's when she came up with my nickname."

"Three Cheats to the Wind?"

"Yeah," Kaylee said. "I told him he would survive this and eventually he could just toss this pain away and let the wind take it the way he did two times before. He swore he'd never put himself in that position again. I knew him too well to believe he would live alone, but I figured he needed time."

Linda placed her hand on mine with a slight smile on her face. "But you look okay, now. In fact, you look more than okay. You give me hope. I just moved here to get a fresh start, and fate seemed to put us together, I think so you could share your story with me. You seem happy now."

"I finally realized that I was making the same mistake over and over again. It went back to high school when I decided that sex, image, and a sure thing were more important than shared values and respect. I'd had the perfect woman and let her slip through my fingers and never stopped looking for the wrong things."

"You were thinking of Aubrey."

I closed my eyes and smiled. "Oh, yeah. It took a few months before I was ready to move on from Sam, but I knew the woman I needed and wanted was the one who had always been my best friend."

"So you went to Dallas and swept her off her feet?"

Kaylee grinned and gently slapped the bar. "You'd think he'd do something that simple, but no. Luc the genius managed to screw that up, too."

"Thanks, Momma Kaylee."

Linda's face fell as if she were watching a tragedy unfold. "You didn't go after Aubrey?"

"Sure I did. But I was walking on eggshells with her because I didn't know if she was ready to move on herself from Dennis' passing. We kept in touch and I was trying to sense when it would be the right time to confess my love. Kaylee, here, was my sounding board. I was ready to tell Kaylee that I had tickets to fly down to see Aubrey. Of course, I was planning to sweep her off her feet when I got there."

"So, what happened?"

Four Weeks Earlier

I woke up after a sleepless night. Actually, I guess you can't awake if you were never asleep, but I sat up with a new sense of purpose. I tossed and turned all night until, somewhere around 3 a.m., I made up my mind. I was going to Dallas to tell Aubrey how I felt. If things went as planned, I'd come home engaged to the woman I wanted for as long as I could remember. Once I reached that decision, I couldn't sleep because I had to fight my fears, and embrace my excitement. I was a mess, but I was determined to find out if she felt the same way I did.

It was Friday morning and I had to get some work done, so I went to the office and frantically did what absolutely had to be done, and managed to buy an airline ticket for the next day to get my butt to Dallas. It took longer to finish my tasks than I had hoped, but I managed to finish by 4 in the afternoon and I came to the pub to tell Kaylee my plans.

"Three cheat Luc, you're early today."

"I know, and I can't stay long, but I had to tell you that I finally decided to go see Aubrey. I've got to tell her."

"Well, you don't..."

"Listen, I gotta run and get ready. I want to go to the jewelry store so I make sure to show up with a ring in hand."

"Luc, listen..."

"Kaylee, thanks for all your help. I couldn't..."

"Luc, shut up and listen. I gotta deliver these drinks, but if you'll be quiet a moment and turn around, I think you'll find you don't need to go to Dallas."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Look in the booth by the rest rooms. I'll be right back."

I turned around and my heart leapt in my chest, but just as quickly it fell into the abyss. I saw enough of her profile to recognize Aubrey, and she was sitting with some guy while holding his hand across the table. They smiled at each other like two people who shared a common love.

The pain in the pit of my stomach was overwhelming. I quickly left the bar before I made a fool of myself, and vomited in the bushes beside the front door of the bar.

I was in shock. My brain was total mush and I couldn't put two simple thoughts together. I turned off my phone and drove around feeling sorry for myself. I just kept driving with my mind shooting off in tangents until the tears made it difficult for me to see. I realized I had driven all the way to West Seattle, so I drove down to Alki Beach to stop for a while. My eyes were burning when I finally found a parking spot. I pulled in and just sat there and cried like a baby. Finally getting control, I walked out to the sidewalk along the beach and just sat while the sun set over the water. Thoughts of all kinds flooded my head, but I still couldn't focus and I felt completely lost.

It had to be around midnight when I was able to drive home. I took a shower, dressed, then drove to the office at about 1 a.m. hoping to fill my mind with something else. Besides being the middle of the night, it was Saturday and I knew I'd be alone during the day, and that was just what I wanted at that point.

Other than cancelling my flight, I accomplished nothing. I caught a few hours of sleep on the couch in my office, then just sat in my desk chair looking out the window for answers that seemed beyond my grasp. Should I let her go? Should I fight for her? I couldn't make myself decide on what path was right and what was wrong.

Finally, about 2 in the afternoon I went to the pub to see Kaylee. I realized I left the previous night without talking to her after she warned me about Aubrey being there with a date, so she was probably worried.

I walked in and Kaylee immediately saw me, but the look on her face wasn't what I thought I'd see. I expected she'd be concerned about me, but she was clearly pissed.

"You damn fool! What the hell were you thinking runnin outta here like that?"

She plunked a beer in front of me, and without letting me get a word in, she decided to start ripping me a new butt hole.

"You jerk! You had me worried you idiot. I gotta finish delivering some drinks, but you stay in that damn seat until I return."

The words she actually used were changed to protect the innocent. Kaylee never cursed, much less at me, so I decided I better stay quiet. What was she so worked up about?

She kept scowling at me and shaking her head while she muttered horrible names at me. She texted someone, then took care of the other customers, all the while giving me her evil looks. It took Kaylee about ten minutes to finish what she needed to do when she finally stood in front of me glaring like a demon trying to pierce my soul. She obviously was trying to temper her mood before she spoke. I was frozen silent in fear.

"What a damn moron. I thought you were going over to Aubrey's table, but like a complete fool you ran out the door instead. What the hell came over you? What did that simple mind of yours think you were doing?"

"I...I couldn't..."

"Shut up! You spent months... no, years telling me how Aubrey was the woman you loved, and then you run out without talking to her?"

"But... you warned me. You showed me where they were."

"Warned you? About what?"

"Damn it, Kaylee. You know I love her more than life itself. I told you I was going to Dallas to finally tell her how I felt and ask her to marry me. In my mind I had already committed my life to Aubrey, the woman I loved with all that I had in me. I've loved her since we were kids and I would do anything to make her mine. When you warned me by showing me where she was sitting with her boyfriend, I realized Aubrey probably had other plans with that guy."

Kaylee's face softened considerably, but then I noticed she wasn't looking at me, but just over my shoulder. Then I felt a tender hand on my back and heard the voice of an angel.

"Is that how you really feel about me, Luc? I've been waiting close to 20 years to hear you say those words."

I spun around on the bar stool, and Aubrey pulled me to her. Our lips met and tongues danced with fury and passion like I've never experienced. I could feel our hearts and minds fuse into one love-bound life. Our spirits soared in a new dimension as if we could leave our bodies and look down on a heaven-blessed joining. After three marriages and a number of other relationships, it only took one real kiss to make me understand what dad tried to tell me all those years ago. It was confirmed without a doubt in my mind—Aubrey was the one. She was the true love I've always wanted and needed.

Back at the Bar

Linda couldn't hide her tears falling. "You almost missed out on the woman of your dreams again?"

Kaylee glared at me with a raised eyebrow. "That, he did. Once he recovered enough from their rather erotic display of affection, I asked him what he was thinking to pull a stunt like that.

"I told you. She was sitting with another guy."

Kaylee looked ready to scold me again, but I saw the twinkle in her eye. "Then I told him he was a damn fool for making assumptions without checking them out."

A smile spread across my face when I felt her hands on my shoulders before she spoke. "Kaylee, are you being mean to Luc again?"

I turned to see my love and pulled her lips to mine.

After a few seconds, Kaylee chuckled and cleared her throat. "Uh, you two wanna get a room? This PDA is embarrassing all the customers."

Aubrey smiled back at her. "We'll make excellent use of a room in a few days, right Sweetie?"

Linda smiled with moist cheeks sparkling. "You two are beautiful together."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Linda, I'd like you to meet my fiancée."

"Hi, Linda. Luc's manners are slightly outta whack. I'm Aubrey."

Linda's eyes were streaming with happy tears. "Aubrey, I'm so glad to meet you. Luc has been gushing about you all evening. I gotta tell you, if he ended up with anyone but you, this would have been the worst story I've ever heard. It's so great when high school sweethearts end up together."

"Luc, you been talkin' about me?"

"You're the only subject I find important enough to talk about."

She gently kissed me again. "Aw, you're so sweet." She raised her eyebrows and turned her attention to Linda. "I wouldn't say we were sweethearts. We were best friends, for sure."

I had to clarify. "I think we both wanted to be sweethearts, but we struggled trying to find a way to transition from being close friends."

Aubrey chucked and said, "Actually, Luc was a horny teenage boy and I was too serious to be the subject of his erotic experimentation."

"Okay, she's right. I sometimes wonder how things would have been if I had matured a lot earlier. I always loved her and settled for three women who had her outward beauty, but were hollow inside and could never match the person she was and still is."

"Well, Aubrey, Luc was certainly accurate when he beamed about how lovely you are."

"Oh, you two are too kind. All that matters is when I look into his eyes I can see how his heart is so intertwined with mine. I know he loves me unconditionally and I feel like the luckiest woman on earth."

Linda grabbed Aubrey's hand and scanned us both with a worried look. "Wait! What happened to the other boyfriend?"

Aubrey looked at her with an understanding smile. "There was no other boyfriend. That was my cousin, Paul. I was staying with him and his wife for a few weeks while I looked for a home in the area. I had already planned to move back and hoped Luc, here, would finally grow a set and ask me to marry him."

Linda grinned and wiped a few tears from her eyes. "You two are beautiful together. Damn, I was hoping I'd have a shot at Luc," she laughed, "but I can see that's a lost cause. I moved here from California for a new start and hoped to find some new friends and, maybe, a true soulmate. I hope there's a few more out there like Luc that are my age."

Kaylee reached across the bar and grabbed my shoulder and Linda's with her other hand. "Linda, you have three new friends right here."

Aubrey chimed in. "Yes, in fact, you must come to the wedding on Saturday especially since you're new around here."

"Oh, that's sweet, but I can't intrude."

"Shoot, girl. Coming to celebrate the marriage between two of your three friends in the Seattle area is no intrusion. We'll be offended if you didn't. Besides, almost everyone there will be from this area and I'm sure you'll come away with dozens of new friends."

"Okay, you talked me into it."

"Luc, honey, text her the details."

"You two really are the sweetest couple. Does it seem a shame you both had to go through such tough times to get here?"

"I can't totally speak for Luc, but I think he needed the experiences he had to get his head on straight. As for me, I wouldn't trade anything for my time with Dennis or with the joy our three kids have given me. I loved that man with everything I had. So wishin' we started differently with Luc doesn't matter, and in the end may not have worked at all. I think the timing was just right, and the good Lord knows what he's doing. My love for Luc never left me, and it's just as strong as the love I had for Dennis. I'm just fortunate to have two great men who have filled my life with love."

"That's so sweet. It's a real miracle that you finally get to be together."

"It wasn't a miracle—it was a conspiracy," I said as Aubrey smacked me upside the head and laughed. "Kaylee and Aubrey worked it all out behind my back."

"That's sorta true," Kaylee added. "When Luc and Sam broke up, I called Aubrey. Luc had already told her, but I said that wasn't why I was calling. I asked her when the two of them would wake up and get together."

Aubrey snickered as she took over the story. "Dennis had been gone for eleven months at that point, and I wasn't quite ready to launch into a new relationship. I have to admit that getting with Luc was not a new concept to me. But I wasn't ready and I didn't think Luc would be ready either with his latest breakup being so fresh. Luc and I still talked at least once a week and I could hear the anger and hurt in his voice. So I told Kaylee to work on the healing process since I knew Luc was in here almost every night, and I would try to gauge his progress when Luc called. I already knew I wanted Luc, and I figured he'd be ready just about the time I was healed enough to move forward."

I jumped in when Aubrey paused. "It took about six months, and I found that I couldn't think of anything or anyone but Aubrey. I even contemplated leaving my job and moving to Dallas to start my own business with the hopes that Aubrey and I could make a future."

"Of course, he didn't know I was already planning to move back home to Kirkland."

"Shush, Sweetie. I'm telling this."

"Go on, hotshot."

"So, anyway, they had planned when Aubrey was going to show up in the bar to spring herself on me."

"And then the fool nearly ruined everything with his disappearing act."

"Kaylee! You ladies can't let a guy tell his story."

"Sorry. Go ahead."

"As I was saying, that's when I almost ruined everything. You know the rest. When Aubrey came up behind me after Kaylee reamed me out, it was as if I went from total darkness to glorious light. When Aubrey spoke, before I could blurt out a word or even finish spinning my seat around, I was getting the deepest, most passionate kiss of my life. I felt it... like a bolt of electricity jump started my heart to beat for the first time."

"That was some kiss, baby."

"Every kiss with you is like that. Anyway, we finally separated our lips, she looked into my eyes, and asked... you tell her, sweetie."

"I said, 'Luc, do you love me as much as I just heard you tell Kaylee?' He was talkin' so sweet about me."

"And I answered, 'I love you with all that I am, and I want us to be a family. Marry me, Aubrey.' That was four weeks ago."

"Wait! The two of you planned a whole wedding in four weeks?"

"Linda, I've wasted sixteen years getting the woman I've always wanted. I knew she was the right one for me all along, and I blew it by making too many stupid choices. We weren't gonna waste a second more than we had to."

*****

The wedding was glorious. No one will ever convince me that there is a more beautiful woman than Aubrey.

Linda did come to the wedding. She spent a lot of time getting to know lots of people, but she paid particular attention to Aubrey's older brother, who happened to be single. They've been a hot item for several months now, and Linda has become one of our closest friends.

I'm no longer Uncle Luc, but the kids now call me Papa Luc. They asked if they should call me Dad. I told them that I already loved them as if they were my own, but their dad was a special man and that they should always remember him as Dad. Papa, or what became Papa Luc would work just fine.

Before the wedding, Aubrey asked if I wanted any kind of prenuptial agreement.

"No way, Honey. You are my life and everything in the world to me. Trust me, there is no need for Plan B as far as I'm concerned."

"So, 'Three Cheats to the Wind' isn't going for the record?"

"No way. Being married to you is a joy that is so far beyond what I deserve. My days of marrying cheaters are in the past. Perhaps one of our kids will write a story about us someday. Maybe they'll call it... 'It Only Took Four Tries,' or something clever like that."

"Speaking of kids, Mr. Riley, we need to fix up a nursery."

My three cheaters from the past have most definitely been thrown to the wind and no longer rule over me. I can now say with every fiber of my being: "Oh, yeah. Life is good!"