Excerpt:
“Has Harry invited his father? Or does he have parents?” Lil asked, working on the wedding list in her binder, December 1. She looked over from her chair to Russell’s, thinking through the necessities. “I’ve never heard anyone or even Harry allude to them.”
Planning for Harry Denton’s wedding to Mandy Howard wasn’t complicated other than weddings were always complicated. Family being the most operative problem. And, other than recently learning what her favorite nurse’s last name was, Lil knew very little about the young man whom she considered to be of good character. Perhaps slightly strange at times when he was laughing at her and Russell, but of good character. Of course, she could blame some of the antics on Batsy who seemed to exaggerate her relationship with Russell. Slightly anyway.
“His mother died about eight years ago but his father is alive,” Russell responded in clipped manner. “And won’t be invited.”
Lil looked over at the scowling brows on her handsome husband when he quipped, “He’s an alcoholic who beat on Harry frequently,” replied to her silent question. “And I put him in jail twice for it. Didn’t help.”
“So, I take it that he also doesn’t see Harry anymore.”
“Nope. If he tries, he’ll have to walk through not only me, but Batsy and a dozen other men in Libby,” her husband informed her then leaned forward in his leather chair, the sun shining in the two-story bay windows on the front of the cabin enhancing the sable in his graying hair. “He’s one of the few men that my son has actually used his muscles on. He carried Gordon almost a block in order to avoid breaking the man’s bones. It took Harry over a month to recover from the beating.”
Her heart panged for the young nurse she had met immediately after Russell had rolled her under a tree while protecting her from his Grizzly, Forty Nine. Admittedly, perhaps not so young since Harry was about Batsy’s age: thirty-three. And finally marrying as Batsy had recently. And, according to Harry, Batsy also being the instigator between Mandy and Harry.
“So you raised him, didn’t you,” she surmised thoughtfully.
Russell sighed. “Yeah. He grew up mostly on the mountains along with Batsy. His mother was a good woman, but she never gained enough personal strength to realize that Gordon didn’t love her. Harry gets his looks from Gordon which gives you an idea of why she kept taking him back. And back. And back.”
Russell leaned back and stretched his six-foot-two, Buffed frame, the silver flecks in his sable lined gray eyes looking directly across the arm of his chair at her. “It’s a good thing I didn’t know you when Lloyd was abusing you or I might have spent some time in jail myself.”
“No, you wouldn’t,” she replied, reaching across the arm of her chair to pat his sweater-covered bicep. “That isn’t how you operate, my Mr. B. But… you might have picked me up and kidnapped me until I divorced him…”
He laughed and grabbed the hand that was on his sweater. “You are so right!”
“I’m always right. And you know it,” came out with some confidence. “So, including Mandy’s parents, we have the list of people done?”
“I assume so!”
Finished, he stood and went to the fireplace to put another log in it while she wrote a few notes in her binder about the discussion. Her intent on the almost six foot, gangly, brown-haired Harry with his funny laugh one of giving both him and Mandy the very best Lil had to offer. Watching Russell stir the fire, she mused out loud.
“The problem might be Mandy’s physically abusive first marriage. She might have some problems being afraid. You will talk to Harry?”
Russell’s head wagged a little, the silver flecks soft. “Yup! He needs a Mrs. B just like I did.”
“If he tries to through her up over his shoulder I shall blame you!” was probably unwise so she looked back down at her binder to avoid the silver flecks that were now twinkling at her. Thankfully, other thoughts running around in her mind.
“When you look like that you’re hatching…” a bass voice chuckled.
“Oh! Nothing much…” she mumbled. “But... Have you ever thought about hiring someone to work out here in your forest instead of you?”
Somewhat startled by her question, Russell quickly stood erect. “Lil, I’m not really retired from my land. Is that a problem?”
“Oh, no! It’s just that… Well, Batsy is now running the corporate office for the Foundation – in fact, even needs Sarah to help keep it going because he’s gone so much. You review and decide on all the new research grants with Michael. Keeping the cabin in good shape keeps you busy and…” She paused while studying the silver flecks standing by the large circular glass fireplace, the lights in them flickering nervously now. “Then there’s me and some of the plans we talk about doing. That means being gone and…”
A log burst behind him and Russell jumped to close the glass door. “I guess I could hire someone,” he mumbled. “But I’d have to trust him with my life.”
“Harry.”
Russell whirled on her, his face coming to life. “Harry! Why didn’t I think of that before?! He’s perfect!” he exclaimed, grabbing her from her chair. Her binder went to the floor, the pen clacking on the wood while Russell Pecked her firmly. “You are brilliant, my wife!”
“Well, not so brilliant,” she stated, recoiling slightly from being grabbed. “He might not want to do it. His job as a nurse at St. Johns Hospital is something he enjoys. In fact…” Lil dared to look back up at Russell, her brain still in gear. “I’ll bet you arranged that little thing for him, didn’t you.”
“You be quiet about that, Mrs. B. Nobody other than Doc Wallace knows and I don’t want them to. Harry had the grades and the brains, just not the money, so I paid for a grant in his name.”
“I thought so…”
“Maybe I’ll just shut you up right now…” came at her from the lips that were now too close to avoid. He already had hold of her and she didn’t have a chance when his dangerous lips bent to find her mouth. Then said, “I’ll talk to Batsy, my awesome Mrs. B, but I can hire anyone I want…”
Landing, the lips painted his Rembrandt with firmness. She didn’t mind, but anything more would be dangerous because they were standing up. Too late, he was standing but she was leaning – his Van Gogh now painting with rough textures on her molecules.The persistent log in the fireplace burst again, causing Russell to jump. Which then released her mouth prior to full meltdown. Her eyes were crossed but she was still breathing while he held her against him.
“Mrs. B, I think you are hotter than the fire…”
Oh sure. And he wasn’t? crossed her mind just before the lips returned to her mouth with full force, removing her ability to formulate thoughts…
