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Copyright 2004

Apparently Ross shared enough with his friends to pique their interest. A week had not passed before Trevor and Austin each approached Rob and asked to talk to him. It made Rob feel good that they trusted him enough to confide in him, but he worried that he might be overstepping his boundaries as an employer.

“I don’t think you should worry,” Paula assured him one night, after he had told her the latest, “None of these boys have fathers. Not really, anyway. One of the reasons Ron asked you to hire them was because he thought they needed a positive male role model in their life.”

“Being a role model,” he thought aloud, “and explaining the facts of life are two quite different things, Paula. How would you like it if your sons asked another man about it?”

“Well, apparently one of my sons did,” she reminded, “But I don’t think he will again.”

“No,” Rob corrected, “He talked to another boy. There’s a big difference. And from what I’ve gathered, he really wasn’t asking for the information, or misinformation, he got. It was rather freely given.”

“Why are you worried, Rob?” She wondered, sliding into bed next to him, “I’m sure you haven’t given them bad advice.”

“No,” he sighed, pulling her into his arms, “But I have answered their questions. And believe me, they’ve come up with some doozies.”

“Rob,” she comforted, “Speaking as a mother, I’m sure that Sonja and Sherry would rather have their sons ask you than try to figure it out from magazines and other kids and experimenting. I have no doubt you encouraged them to wait until they’re married.”

“You know,” Rob divulged, “From what I’ve gleaned from all these boys, the girls are the ones who are pushing these days. And, of course, the boys feel like there’s something wrong with them if they don’t want to oblige.”

“Twisted,” Paula commented, “I worry about our boys. I sometimes wonder if there are three decent little girls out there for them.”

“Well,” Rob kissed her, “Mitch found one. So maybe there’s hope.”

~*~

As the dog days of August set in, business slowed down. Rob and Bruce began helping get the stalls done early enough that the boys could ride in the mornings. It was too hard on the horses to do it late in the day. The garden work was minimal now, so Rob spent the afternoons with all six boys working on projects that could be done out of the heat.

Paula had started schoolwork back up with their boys, so sometimes Rob included the teenagers in the math and science lessons he taught. He was amazed at how much more advanced his sons were in these subjects. He made a point to tell all the teenagers that when they returned to school, he would be more than willing to help them in their studies if they wished.

One evening when Sonja came to pick the boys up, she asked Rob if she could speak with him privately. He led her to the office and closed the door, apprehensive at what she might be about to say.

“Rob,” she began, “Trevor told me that you’ve been teaching him things…not just how to ride horses and clean stalls, or pick beans…”

“Sonja,” Rob was ready to defend himself.

“I just want you to know,” she went on, “how much I appreciate it. I can see such a change in him since he’s been here. He told me that you offered to help him with schoolwork this year.”

“Yes, I did,” Rob smiled, relieved at the direction she was going.

“He’s never been very good in school,” she confessed, “Neither was I…and I had to drop out because I got pregnant with him. Will you really help him?”

“Of course,” he nodded, “I wouldn’t have offered if I hadn’t meant it. I’ve told all the boys they are welcome to come here after school, or on weekends or days off. I don’t want them to feel like I’m washing my hands of them.”

“If you would tutor him,” Sonja offered, “I’ll scrape up the money to pay you for it.”

“Nonsense,” he waved his hand, “I’m doing it as his friend. He can help out around here in his spare time if he wants. I don’t know if he told you this, but he’s saving his money to buy a horse.”

“A horse?” She gasped, “But we can’t keep a horse!”

“I can,” he smiled, “And I told him I’d help him find one. We made a deal. He can board it here in exchange for us using it as a lesson horse. We’ve lost a couple over this past year, so it’ll be a good deal all around.”

“Wow,” she had tears in her eyes, “You really care about these boys, don’t you?”

“I can’t be around kids and not care about them,” he confessed, “It’s just the way I am. Ask my wife.”

“Thank you,” she smiled, “I’ll never forget this…and I’m sure Trevor won’t either.”

“It’s all right,” Rob patted her shoulder, “If he stays out of trouble, that’s thanks enough.”

~*~

The loan went through for Mitch to purchase the practice and Rob felt one burden taken from his shoulders. He knew his son could keep the clinic thriving, so he didn’t worry about ever having to help make the payments. It also meant that Linda went back to work at the clinic. He was glad to have her off his hands. She had never done well working for the stable. It was a job that required self-motivation, something Linda sorely lacked.

One evening when Mitch came by to pick Jenny up, he came into the office to find his father. Rob had just sent the boys on their way, so he was alone, catching up on paperwork.

“Is it that late already?” Rob looked up, “Paula’s probably holding dinner for me.”

“Think she’ll hold it a little longer?” Mitch closed the door and sat down, “I need to talk to you, Dad.”

“Sure, Son,” Rob put his pen down, “What’s wrong?”

“Did Jen talk to you today?” Mitch asked.

“About what?” Rob wondered.

“She and I had a fight last night,” Mitch confessed, “Well, more of a disagreement, I guess. I mean, it wasn’t a screaming and yelling, throwing stuff fight.”

“She’s been up at the house all day,” Rob told him, “She didn’t say anything to me. Is that why you didn’t come for lunch?”

“Yeah,” he admitted, “Dad, I need some advice. I know that I messed up and I need to fix it, but I also feel pretty strongly about this and I don’t want to back down.”

“Maybe you should tell me what ‘this’ is,” Rob urged.

“This is all about me making an assumption,” Mitch explained, “Last night we were talking about kids…our kids. Jen and I did talk about this before we got married. We both want kids and we decided together that we should wait a while because of the practice. Anyway, I made some passing reference to homeschooling. Dad, I made that decision so long ago. Before I ever met Jenny. I guess I just assumed that she knew I wanted our kids to be homeschooled. I mean, I have talked about my brothers and how I want to raise my kids the way you’ve raised them.”

“But Jenny didn’t deduce that homeschooling was part of the package?” Rob asked.

“No,” Mitch sighed, “Dad, I don’t want to send my kids to public school. Even I went to private school. I know I should’ve talked to her about it before, but I didn’t. I can’t go back and change that.”

“Mitch,” Rob told him, “I think you both have a point, OK? I obviously agree with your stance on education. However, I also can see Jenny’s point of view. After all, she’s the one who has to teach them, so she should have some say in the matter.”

“I know that,” Mitch conceded, “So how do I make her see it my way?”

“You don’t,” Rob chuckled, “Welcome to marriage.”

“What that supposed to mean?” Mitch frowned, “Mom always agrees with your decisions.”

“You think so, do you?” Rob grinned, “Not really. We don’t always agree. We do our best to display a united front for the boys to see. We try to work out our differences behind closed doors. And yes, in the end, she will do what I decide, but I know when to let it go and let her have her way, too.”

“So you think I should just let this go?” Mitch asked, “Surely you don’t mean that. This isn’t about picking out carpet, Dad. It’s a major issue.”

“I know it is, Mitch,” Rob nodded, “But let’s just take a breath and step back for a minute, OK? This is not an emergency, Son. You don’t have children yet. You have some time to work this out.”

“She doesn’t want to work it out,” Mitch revealed, “She doesn’t want to talk about it. Won’t even consider it.”

“Right now she won’t,” Rob stated, “That could change. Look at Chelsea. She was raised in the People’s Republic of California, attended extremely socialist schools, and yet after spending some time with us, she wants to homeschool. Maybe Jen just needs some time and exposure.”

“I don’t know, Dad,” Mitch shook his head, “She seemed pretty dead set against it.”

“Is it the concept of homeschool she’s opposed to?” Rob asked, “Or is it the responsibility of it?”

“We didn’t get that far,” Mitch confided, “She was so mad that I thought I could tell her what to do, that all rational discussion ended.”

“Tell you what,” Rob suggested, “Why don’t you two stay for dinner tonight. Maybe we can all sit down and talk about it afterwards.”

“Dad,” he looked down, “She wouldn’t even speak to me this morning. We rode over here in complete silence. I’ve got to fix it first.”

“Well,” Rob reminded, “She’s had all day to cool down. Let’s go up to the house and you can go give her a hug and a kiss and tell her you’re sorry and you love her. You’d be amazed how much mileage you can get out of that. Then tell her I invited you to stay for dinner.”

When they walked in together, Jenny was in the kitchen with Paula. It was obvious they had been in the middle of a serious discussion by the way they both stopped mid-sentence when the men appeared.

“There you are,” Paula observed, “I invited Jenny for dinner, is that OK with you, Mitch?”

“Great minds think alike,” Rob grinned, then realized he needed to pull his foot from his mouth, “I just invited Mitch.”

Mitch walked over to Jenny and reached out for her, “Hi, Princess. Is it OK with you if we stay?”

She nodded, but remained silent and left her arms folded. She wasn’t going to fly into his arms voluntarily this time.

“Hey,” Mitch put his arms around her anyway, “I’m sorry, Honey. I love you. Please forgive me.”

Paula retreated with Rob to leave them alone for a moment. When they were out of the room she whispered to him, “Did Mitch tell you?”

“About their fight?” Rob whispered back and nodded, “I told him after dinner we could all sit and talk about it.”

“I told Jenny the same thing,” Paula smiled, “She’s been worthless all day, she’s so upset. Of course, I can see both sides of it.”

“So can I,” Rob confessed, “I told him it was a decision they should make together.”

“Maybe we can help them make it,” Paula winked, “After they patch things up between them.”

“I don’t even remember our first fight,” Rob remarked.

“I do,” Paula told him.

“What was it about?” Rob tried to recall, but it was lost somewhere in space.

“You accused me of throwing away some of your plans you’d brought home from work,” she reminded him.

“Oh yeah,” he winced at the recollection, “And you told me if I hadn’t been working on my own time, it wouldn’t have happened.”

“And then you found them in your truck,” she smiled.

“And felt like a total idiot,” he chuckled, “No wonder I forgot. Not something I want to remember.”

“What’s going on?” Jason came down the stairs, the twins behind him, “Isn’t it time for dinner?”

“Mitch and Jenny are in the kitchen,” Rob informed, “They need a few minutes alone.”

“Did they have a fight or something?” Jason wondered.

“She was really moping around here today,” Keith reported.

“Yeah,” Rob nodded, “Let’s not make a big deal out of it, OK?”

“OK,” Jason agreed.

“You can come back now,” Mitch appeared in the doorway, “We’re staying for dinner.”

“Great,” Paula went to put dinner on the table, “You want to give me a hand, Jen?”

“Sure,” Jenny nodded.

After dinner, they all moved to the living room. Jason seemed to sense they wanted to talk, so he asked if he and the twins could take the horses for a ride down to the creek. Rob agreed and gave him a radio to take along, leaving the adults alone to converse.

“So,” Paula asked, “how are things going at the clinic with Linda there?”

“Good,” Mitch informed, “She’s doing really well. Lucy was getting pretty burnt out on the phone, so Linda is working the front desk and Lucy is helping me in back now.”

“Isn’t that almost too many people?” Rob asked.

“Not really,” Mitch explained, “Bruce passed his boards, so I’m actually using him as a technician now. Sheila assists him and Lucy helps me. We can see more patients with just one doctor that way.”

“No complaints?” Paula wondered.

“Not so far,” Mitch shook his head, “We’re offering appointments with Bruce to do the vaccinations at a reduced fee. Instead of a full exam, he just checks them briefly to be sure they’re healthy enough to vaccinate. So far, the farmers love it, because it saves them money. And if Bruce finds a problem, I’m right there where he can come and get me. That frees me up to see the sick animals, and the geriatric or juvenile patients, and I can do more surgeries. The stuff he can’t do.”

“I bet Bruce likes it too,” Rob smiled.

“He loves it,” Mitch grinned, “It’s the closest he’s going to be able to get to actually being a vet. He’s able to do a lot of the treatment after I’ve diagnosed cases too. And he can do some of the work-ups like x-rays and bloodwork. I think as long as he’ll stay, I can keep from hiring another vet.”

“Are you going to take him away from me in the mornings?” Rob wondered.

“I’ll try not to,” Mitch promised, “At least not for a while.”

“Kevin’s been asking when he can start working with you,” Paula told him, “So keep that in mind, OK?”

“Well,” Mitch offered, “He can start coming to the clinic in the afternoons sometimes. I can pick him up at lunch. I don’t ever mind having him there. Just let me know what days work out best. He’s good help and I can just explain what I’m doing while I do it.”

“I’ll tell him,” Paula agreed, “I appreciate it. As long as you’re teaching him, it can be counted as schoolwork.”

“It can?” Jenny asked.

“Sure,” Paula informed, “He’s learning, so it’s school.”

“That’s the beauty of homeschooling, Squirt,” Rob seized his opportunity, “You can customize a child’s education to his needs, interests, and goals, without compromising his basic skills.”

“You know that’s what we had our fight about,” Jenny confessed.

“Honey,” Mitch was sitting next to her on the sofa. He put his arm around her and spoke softly, “Why don’t you listen to what they have to say about it? They speak from years of experience. They’re experts.”

“I don’t think we’re experts,” Paula laughed, “but we have been doing it for a long time. Jenny, why are you against it?”

“I’m not against it,” Jenny defended, “I just don’t know that I want to do it. Mitch just took for granted that it was part of the deal. He never mentioned it before.”

“I told him that he was wrong to make that assumption,” Rob was in his recliner, “Paula and I didn’t make the decision overnight. We researched it and studied it and came to our decision together. It is a huge undertaking and it’s not for everyone. And unless you are both committed to it, it can be a total disaster.”

“So you don’t think I’m being unreasonable?” Jenny brightened.

“Of course not,” Rob grinned, “I don’t think your husband believes that either.”

“I’m sorry I said that, Princess,” Mitch reached over and kissed her, “You’re right. I can’t make you do this if you don’t feel comfortable with it.”

“Jenny,” Paula posed, “Why don’t you do what Chelsea did? She spent some time just sitting in with me and the boys to see how it worked. Before long, she decided she wanted to help and took over teaching them their chemistry.”

“I didn’t go to college,” Jenny shook her head, “I don’t know how to do any of that stuff.”

“I didn’t either,” Paula reminded, “I only teach what I feel capable of teaching. That’s why Rob handles the science and math now. I was fine with the basics, but the boys have surpassed me, so Rob teaches them. Like he said, that’s the beauty of it. There’s no rules that say I have to teach them.”

“But Mitch isn’t going to be home to help,” Jenny explained, “I would have to do it all.”

“Oh no,” Paula corrected, “Chelsea has the same situation. Dutch isn’t really home enough to help either. She and I have been talking and she’s planning on bringing her kids here everyday. My boys will be almost in college by then, so I’ll help her and so will Rob. There’s no reason you couldn’t do the same thing.”

“You mean it doesn’t have to be at home?” Jenny asked.

“No,” Rob explained, “The law in Missouri requires a minimum amount of hours per year. Of those hours, a certain percentage must be in core subjects and a certain number of hours must be at your designated homeschool location. You are the one who designates that location. If you’re an over-the-road trucker, it can be your truck.”

“So it could be here?” Jenny smiled.

“Sure,” Paula confirmed, “Like I told Chelsea, I’ve been doing this for so long now, I’d be lost without kids to teach. As long as you don’t charge for it, Missouri law allows you to take on up to four students that are not your own. So between you, me, and Chelsea, that would be twelve kids.”

“How do you know all this stuff?” Jenny asked.

“We learned,” Rob explained, “From friends who homeschool, from books, from web-sites, from conferences. I bet we could find some books on it if you’d like to read them.”

“I know right where they are,” Paula nodded, “Chelsea just returned them.”

“OK,” Jenny agreed, “I’ll read them.”

“Does that mean you’ll consider it?” Mitch asked.

“Yes,” Jenny smiled, “If you promise to help me.”

“I promise, Sweetheart,” he kissed her, “Everyone in the family will help. They all help with my brothers.”

“OK,” Jenny hugged him, “I’m sorry I got so mad at you.”

“It’s OK,” he held her, “It was my fault.”

“So,” Rob chuckled, “Now that you two are speaking again, can I ask a favor?”

“What kind of favor?” Mitch laughed.

“Can you two come over this Saturday evening and stay with the boys? I’d like to take Paula out for dinner,” Rob requested.

“I guess,” Mitch looked at Jenny, “Is it OK with you?”

“Sure,” she nodded.

“I’ll be on call though,” Mitch reminded.

“I know,” Rob confessed, “And you can take the boys with you if you need to go in. I know there’s other adults around here now, and the boys are really old enough to be left on their own for a few hours, but with Bob still on the prowl…”

“I understand,” Mitch smiled, “Don’t worry, we’ll take care of them.”

Paula got up and crossed over to sit on Rob’s lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and grinned at him mischievously. He loved having Paula on his lap. He put his arms around her and pulled her closer. He could feel his jeans tighten as she rubbed against him.

“I don’t recall being asked out to dinner,” she told him, “What makes

you so sure I’ll go?”

“Will you go out to dinner with me Saturday night?” He asked, looking into her eyes, “It’s months past our anniversary and we never got a chance to go out. I’ll let you pick the place.”

“I’ll think about it,” she teased, pretending to consider it, “OK, I’ll go.”

“I’m honored,” he winked.

~*~

Rob was surprised by Paula’s choice in restaurants. He had planned on a nice seafood or steakhouse, but instead she chose what he considered a hole in the wall bar and grill. It was a place they had gone occasionally before they were married and they did have excellent steaks and fried mushrooms. He suspected it was her weakness for the latter that contributed to her choice.

After hearing her decision, he put on jeans and a red polo shirt. No sense getting fancy. He expected Paula to put on jeans, as well, but instead she came out of the walk-in closet in a short black dress that took his breath away. It was open-backed, and fastened around her neck like a halter-top. The neckline plunged low and she was wearing the pearl pendant he had given her a few years back.

She wore her hair down and had on black pumps that made her legs seem even longer than usual. He let his eyes travel all the way up and down her a couple of times and felt himself getting harder by the second. She walked over in front of him and looked up with a smile.

“I take it you like the dress?” She asked, placing one hand on the throbbing bulge in his jeans.

“I like the dress,” he swallowed hard, “And I love what’s in the dress.”

“Well later tonight,” she promised, “You can have what’s in the dress, but right now, let’s go to dinner, OK?”

“Whatever you want, Baby,” he ran his hands over her bare shoulders and down her arms. He wanted to rip the dress off and plunge deep inside her right then and there. No woman had ever affected him the way Paula did. None before and none since. Just her touch did more for him than sex with another woman. That’s all it had ever been with anyone else. Just sex. With Paula it was even more than making love. It was a little piece of heaven every time.

“Rob?” She drew him back to reality, “Did you hear me, Honey?”

“I’m sorry,” he pulled her close against him, “What did you say?”

She chuckled, “I said we need to get going. I’m hungry, aren’t you?”

“Yeah,” he tipped her chin up and bent to kiss her, “I’m starving.”

~*~

“So,” Rob put his hand on Paula’s back as they walked across the parking lot, “Why did you pick this place tonight, Honey?”

“I heard an ad a while back,” she shared, “Apparently they’ve expanded and have a band on the weekends. I thought maybe we could stay long enough to dance a little. Is that OK?”

Gee, he thought, dance with Paula in that dress. He could definitely sacrifice some sleep for that. He opened the door for her, “Sounds fine to me.”

They had expanded, indeed. It was double the size it once was. The original half was still dimly lit with enclosed booths and a few tables. The other half had a dance floor and a place for the band with a few more tables. There were still pool tables in the back and the bar was in the center.

Rob was greeted by the aroma of beer and cigarettes. He realized long ago that his urge to smoke would never totally die. He had overcome the desire during the normal course of a day, but the smell or sight of them still evoked that craving sensation he knew so well. He could endure it for Paula, though. He could endure anything for Paula.

“Where shall we sit, Honey?” He asked, glancing around at their options, “Do you want a booth or a table?”

“Why don’t we get a booth for now?” She suggested, “We can always move to a table near the dance floor later.”

“Paula?” A voice called across the room.

Rob looked over to see a man, about Paula’s age, with long blond hair. He was lean, slightly shorter than Rob, and dressed in jeans and a long sleeved black shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His hair was loose and finer than Rob’s, but he was tanned and had a beaming smile on his long face.

“Brian?” Paula greeted as he crossed toward her.

Did Paula know every man in every bar? Rob wondered. Brian held his arms out for her as he came over and Rob scowled as he watched Paula hug him. He noticed his hands brushing across her bare back and suppressed his urge to throw the guy into a wall.

“Brian Wells,” Paula stepped out of his arms and put her arm around Rob’s waist, “This is my husband, Rob Jackson.”

“Hello,” Rob extended his hand and smiled.

“Nice to meet you,” Brian nodded and shook his hand, then looked back at Paula, “I didn’t know you got married.”

“A long time ago,” she smiled, “I have three sons now. So, what are you doing here?”

“You are out of touch,” Brian grinned, “I bought this place a couple of years ago. It’s my band that’s playing tonight.”

“You’re kidding,” Paula seemed happy about it, “That’s great!”

“You having dinner?” Brian asked, “I’ll tell your waitress it’s on me. Enjoy.”

“Thanks, Brian,” Paula gave him one of those big bright smiles of hers.

“Anything for you, Sweetheart,” Brian leaned over and kissed her on the lips.

Rob gulped and had to use all his self-control not to knock this guy’s teeth out. A hug was bad enough, but kissing her on the lips was going way too far.

Brian walked off and Paula looked up at Rob, “Let’s find a booth. I’ll tell you all about it.”

He took her hand and led her to a booth. She sat down and he waited to see if she was going to slide over all the way so he could sit next to her. She didn’t, so he sat on the other side. He took a deep breath and tried to push his anger down. He had really wanted this to be a special, intimate night out for them, but it wasn’t looking promising.

The waitress came up immediately, “Can I get y’all something to drink?”

“I’ll take iced tea, please,” Paula answered, then looked across at Rob.

“That’s fine for me too,” he smiled, deciding not to yield to the temptation of alcohol this time.

“Honey,” Paula offered, “If you want to drink, I’ll drive home.”

“Not tonight,” he tried to be pleasant, “I’m fine.”

“Don’t be angry, Sweetheart,” Paula leaned over and reached her hand across the table to take his, “I had no idea he’d be here.”

“I’m not angry,” Rob denied, “and who exactly is he?”

The waitress came back with their tea, “Boss says dinner’s on him tonight. What can I get you?”

“Let’s just start out with an order of fried mushrooms,” Rob answered, “While we make a decision on the rest.”

“Gotcha,” she left them again.

“I went to school with him,” Paula explained, “I’ve known him since we were kids, Rob. He always wanted a band. I had no idea he finally put one together.”

“He didn’t greet you like a childhood chum,” Rob reflected, “He greeted you like an old boyfriend looking to rekindle the flame.”

Paula got up and came around the table. She slid in next to him and he scooted over to make room. Rob knew his jealousy was childish, but he liked the idea that Paula was trying to make it up to him.

“We were never anything but friends, Rob,” she put a hand on his shoulder, “And it wouldn’t matter if we were. You’re my husband and I love you.”

“I love you,” he leaned over and kissed her, “I’m sorry. Let’s just enjoy ourselves tonight.”

Paula stayed next to him for dinner and Rob liked it that way. He decided to be diplomatic and not insist on paying. The food was just as good as he remembered it and filling his stomach improved his attitude.

The waitress cleaned away their dishes and refilled their tea. Rob was about to suggest they go play pool when Brian appeared and sat down across from them.

“So how’d you convince Paula to settle down and marry you?” Brian asked.

“I had no trouble at all,” Rob felt himself bristle.

“Funny,” Brian observed, “I always thought she’d give any man a run for his money.”

“I take it you never got married?” Paula asked before Rob could reply.

“I tried it,” Brian shrugged, “Didn’t work. Guess I should’ve snatched you up when I had the chance.”

Rob looked at Paula and frowned. Either she wasn’t telling him everything or this jerk was trying to start trouble. Paula had never been deceitful, so he suspected she wasn’t now. It couldn’t hurt, though, to encourage her to reassure him.

Paula slid her hand under the table, across Rob’s thigh and over his zipper. He felt himself respond to her touch instantly. Sometimes he wished he could do that to her.

“Now, Brian,” Paula was saying, as she stroked Rob beneath the table, “You behave. Just because you gave me dinner, doesn’t mean you can make up stories. Be nice.”

He laughed, “Same old Paula. Like I said, you’d give any man a run for his money. I couldn’t have caught you if I’d tried.”

Rob only half listened to the banter between Brian and Paula. She had obviously told him the truth. That’s all that mattered. He leaned back, put his arm around her and enjoyed the attention he was getting out of view. He briefly considered reaching down and unzipping his jeans, but thought better of it. If he encouraged Paula too much, she might decide to finish him off right there and he wasn’t that much of an exhibitionist.

Finally, Brian said he needed to get ready to play and asked if they were going to stay for at least the first set. Paula looked at Rob for his approval and he smiled and nodded. She seemed pleased, which was all he ever wanted.

They moved to a table near the dance floor and he scooted his chair around next to hers. He was over his bout of jealousy now and able to just enjoy having his wife with him. When they were out together like this, he got to see a side of Paula that was normally packed away and put on a shelf.

After the boys had come along, she had so thoroughly assumed the role of mother, that she rarely indulged in any pleasure of her own. All of her joy in life was derived from either her husband or her sons. Rob greatly admired her for that, but he also missed seeing her laugh and smile simply for the sake of having fun.

Now, he watched her, as the band began setting up and getting ready to play. He couldn’t help wondering what she must have been like before he met her. Everyone made such an issue of how much he had changed to accommodate Paula, yet he knew that it had gone both ways. She had set many things aside for him. When they ran into her old friends like Brian and Jake, he got a glimpse of just how much she had changed too.

“Rob,” she leaned over so he could hear her, “I know we can’t stay for long, but please can we at least wait for a slow dance?”

“Of course, Honey,” he smiled, “You know I love to dance with you. I never was mad at you, Sweetheart,” he put his lips close to her ear so she could hear him. He could smell her perfume. She only wore it on special occasions. It was a fragrance he had picked out for her long ago, and she still kept some just for him. “I’m sorry if it seemed like I was. I just didn’t want to share you with anyone tonight.”

She put her hand on his thigh and squeezed slightly, “Honey, you never really have to share me. I’m always yours. Don’t you know that?”

“You know what I mean,” he put his arm around her, “There’s always the boys or someone else wanting your attention.”

She looked at him and got the most serious expression on her face, “But Honey, that doesn’t mean you’re sharing me. I’m doing those things for you. If I didn’t take care of those things, you would have to. Everything I do is to ease your burden, don’t you realize that?”

He knew she meant what she was saying. He had never looked at it from that standpoint. As much as he loved their boys, he’d always felt like they took a piece of his wife away. Now, when she said this to him, he realized that she was right. Everything she did, day after day, week after week, year after year, it all had to be done. If she weren’t doing it, he would have to. He suddenly felt a wave of shame flow through him for all the times he had felt slighted by a sick child or a pile of laundry.

“Rob,” she touched his face, “Are you OK?”

“Yes, Sweetheart,” he smiled, “I just…Paula, do you know how much I love you?”

“Yes,” she kissed him, “But you can show me when we get home, just to be sure.”

~*~

Rob got a slow start on chores Sunday morning and he was surprised when Dutch showed up. He had noticed a change in Dutch since Chelsea’s miscarriage. He had a feeling the loss had affected him more than anyone else realized. Rob had reason to believe that Dutch blamed himself for it.

“Hey there,” Rob stopped cleaning the stall he was in for a moment, “What brings you over here on a Sunday morning?”

“I need to talk to you about some things,” Dutch smiled, “I think maybe we should use the office.”

“OK,” Rob set his shovel aside and went with Dutch. He closed the door and motioned for Dutch to sit down, “What’s up?”

“First of all,” Dutch reported, “I got a call from Davey last night. You know, he asked his buddies to keep an eye on Bob for us.”

“Yes,” Rob sat on the edge of his desk, “What’s going on?”

“Something strange,” Dutch relayed, “We’re not the only ones watching Bob. Someone’s been tailing him for several days.”

“Who?”

“Not sure,” Dutch told him, “Davey said his buddy wondered if he should let it go or try to find out.”

Rob thought for a minute. He had been very uneasy about this whole thing all summer. Now, this just added to his growing concern. Finally, he asked, “Dutch, what do you think? What’s your gut feeling here?”

“That something ugly is about to happen,” Dutch divulged, “Something’s just not right.”

“I agree,” Rob admitted, “I think the more we can find out, the better. Tell him to learn what he can, but do it discreetly. Let me know if you need some money for this, OK?”

“OK,” Dutch nodded, “I’ll call Davey and let him know.”

“You said some things,” Rob remembered, “What else?”

“Do you remember my sister, Kathy?” He asked.

“Is that the one that’s married to the preacher?” Rob recalled, “Has a bunch of girls.”

“That’s the one,” Dutch smiled, “Well, one of those girls is horse crazy. She’s eleven and really wants to learn to ride. I’d teach her, but I just really don’t have the time and I don’t have a good place to ride year round like you do.”

“We’ll give her lessons,” Rob offered, “I take it money is an issue.”

“I’ll pay for it, Rob,” Dutch told him, “She’s a sweet girl and they just don’t have the extra money for frivolous things. I know once she starts she’s going to want a horse of her own and, well, you know the story from there.”

“Oh too well,” Rob laughed, “Don’t worry about it. We’ll work something out. Have her give me a call and we’ll get a schedule set up. I’ve got another favor to ask of you too. I’m going to have to give a lot of lessons to catch up for all the favors you’ve done for me.”

“What do you need?” Dutch grinned, “Another house?”

“Close,” Rob chuckled, “I need to get Dad moved back over here before winter. I don’t think things with Linda are going to get resolved in the near future, either. I’m going to draw up an addition to the duplex. Put another unit in, so Bessie can have one of her own.”

“You’re going to have to change your business cards to read Stables and Retirement Community,” Dutch teased.

“That’s about the truth,” Rob agreed, “Don’t forget Delinquent Rehabilitation Center. So can you put us on the schedule? I’d like to get it done as soon as possible.”

“Tell me when you’ve got the plans ready,” Dutch promised, “I’ll have a crew out as soon as I get the permits.”

~*~

“What did Dutch want today?” Paula asked, crawling into bed next to Rob, “Is Chelsea OK?”

“He wanted to talk to me about giving riding lessons to his niece,” Rob answered. He had already decided not to tell Paula about Bob. There was no need to concern her, at least not at the moment.

“He could’ve called for that,” Paula was fishing. She didn’t believe he was telling her everything.

“We’re talking about some more construction too,” Rob told her, “I’ve decided to add another unit onto the duplex for Bessie.”

“Oh,” Paula snuggled in close, “I didn’t realize you had asked him to come over. So, how is Chelsea doing?”

“So far, so good,” Rob reported. He couldn’t keep from feeling guilty. He rarely kept things from Paula, but this was just not a normal situation. He somehow felt the less she knew, the better.

“I miss having her around all the time,” Paula reflected, “But I know the doctor advised her to stay at home as much as possible.”

“I miss her too,” Rob kissed Paula’s forehead, “But think how nice it’ll be to have a baby around again.”

Paula fell silent and Rob realized he had said something wrong. All these years and it was still hard for Paula, knowing she couldn’t have any more children of her own. He had hoped when Chelsea and Jenny started having babies it would be a good thing for Paula, but perhaps he had been wrong.

“Sweetheart,” he lifted her face to look into her eyes, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“I know,” she whispered, “I don’t want to talk about it, Rob. It can’t be changed and even if it could, I’m too old now.”

“You’re not too old, Paula,” he comforted, “You’re just as young as you ever were.”

“You have to say that,” she teased, “because if I’m old, then you’re even older…and come to think of it, you didn’t seem too old last night.”

“Care to see if you can keep up with me again?” He rolled over on top of her.

“What is it you really want?” She taunted, “Me to keep up with you, or me to keep you up?”

“Both…”

 Go to Chapter Six
Emily