Spring came, indeed,
and with it came horses. Before the end of March, when the twins turned
nine, all the lesson horses were put in the pasture to make room in the
stable for the boarders. Chelsea moved in with her father, but she
abandoned her job search in response to a plea of help from Rob and
Paula. Maintaining the website, filling orders, and handling the
billing and record keeping of the stable became her responsibility. The
boys helped her as much as possible, so they could apply their math
skills to real world business.
By the end of April, the month when
both Rob and Paula celebrated birthdays of their own, giving lessons
and cleaning stalls had become a full time job. They split the duties,
so they could also share the responsibility of teaching the boys.
Paula gave lessons for beginners,
pleasure riding, and took on a few students who wanted extra coaching
on barrel racing. She taught the boys history and language arts. Rob
gave lessons for advanced riders, jumping and showing. He taught the
boys their math and science.
J & M Stables was a busy place
most days, bustling with family and patrons. The painfully long days of
winter had been washed clean by the spring rains and freshly dried in
the sunshine. It was one such sunny day in May when Paula and Rob were
cleaning stalls together, talking eagerly about their upcoming
anniversary.
“You know, Honey,” Rob reminded, “We
never did cash in on that weekend alone Mitch promised us at Christmas.”
“You don’t suppose we could swing a
whole week, do you?” She posed.
“We might,” he grinned, “I’m sure
Terry would come help out with the stable for us. You want to try for
Myrtle Beach?”
“I’d be happy with our cabin at the
lake,” she confessed, “But we can’t go on our anniversary. I don’t want
to be gone on Jason’s birthday.”
“I don’t either,” he agreed,
“Speaking of Jason…Hey, Son, what’s up?”
“Grandpa’s here,” Jason beamed, “And
he’s looking for you. He wants both of you up at the house; he said to
tell you.”
“OK,” Rob acknowledged, then to
Paula, “I’m 46 years old and still being summoned by my father.”
“You do the same thing to your sons,
Dear,” she teased.
“They’re just boys,” he excused.
“Mitch isn’t,” she argued, “And you
do it to him. Come on, let’s go see what he wants.”
~*~
They found him in the living room,
talking to Hazel. The boys disappeared into the study to help Chelsea
with filling orders.
“What did you need, Dad?” Rob asked,
sitting down on the couch. Paula did the same.
“Well, Son,” Bill paced as he spoke,
“Hazel and I have been talking and we’ve made a decision.”
Rob and Paula exchanged equally
horrified looks, then turned their attention back to Bill.
“Since I’ve sold my place,” he
continued, “and she’s sold hers…Well, we want to put that money
together and build that indoor arena for you. We’d also like for you to
design a duplex for us, to build here where we could have our own
space, but still live here with our family.”
Relief swept over both Rob and Paula,
followed by pleasure and gratitude.
“OK, Dad,” Rob agreed without
protest, “I’ll start the design work right away. I know a good
contractor I can get to do both projects. They specialize in metal
buildings, but they do residential work, as well.”
“Thank you both,” Paula hugged them,
“It’s so very generous.”
“Well,” Bill shrugged, “You know that
old saying about life giving you lemons. We figured with all the lemons
we’ve had this past year, it was time to make a big pitcher of
lemonade!”
~*~
“I was surprised you agreed to his
offer so quickly,” Paula remarked, as she got into bed.
“I was so relieved they weren’t
getting married,” he divulged, “I would have agreed to almost anything.”
“So you had that same thought,” she
chuckled.
“Oh, yeah,” he laughed, “When he
started out with ‘Hazel and I have been talking…’ Well, the images that
conjured up in my mind were not pretty.”
“I know what you mean,” she kissed
him, “I love them both dearly, but that would not be a match made in
heaven.”
“Not even close,” he rolled over on
top of her, “Should we celebrate our good fortune?”
“Absolutely,” she welcomed him,
“Who’s this contractor you know?”
“His name is Dutch Schwartz,” he told
her, as he began kissing his way down her body, “He took the company
over from his father a few years ago. He’s really easy to work with.
We’ve done several jobs together.”
“Shall we invite him out to look over
the plans and stay for dinner?” She wondered, struggling to keep her
train of thought.
“Mmmm,” he returned to her lips,
“I’ll call him tomorrow. Now, let’s stop talking, OK?”
~*~
Paula and Chelsea were working on
dinner when a red truck with “Schwartz Construction Company” on its
side arrived. Rob was at the stable to greet Dutch and show him the
area being considered for the new building. The boys had already set
the dining room table when Mitch drove up.
“Hi, Ladies,” he came into the
kitchen, “Need any more help?”
“We’ve got it, thanks,” Paula smiled,
“Did you see your father and Dutch?”
“Only at a distance,” he reported,
“Looked like he and Dad had blueprints out, so I thought I should leave
that to the experts.”
“What?!” Chelsea faked awe, “There’s
something you’re not an expert
at Mitch?”
“Only a very few things,” he grinned,
“Is your dad coming, Chels?”
“He was going to,” she informed, “But
he’s got a cow ready to calve and she’s had problems in the past. He
may have to pull it. He said not to wait for him.”
“Guess he knows to call here if he
needs me,” Mitch commented, as the front door opened and they heard
loud, laughing voices.
Rob came into the kitchen, followed
by a man of equal height and similar build. He was much younger,
though, and his tanned body rippled with muscles. He was clad in tight
jeans and a plain red tee shirt. His eyes were almost as brown as
Paula’s. His dark brown hair was long and pulled back like Rob’s, and
his broad, handsome face wore a tantalizing smile.
“Everyone,” Rob introduced, “This is
Dutch Schwartz…Dutch, my wife, Paula. My niece, Chelsea. My oldest son,
Mitch.”
“It’s a pleasure,” his voice was
smooth and rich and his eyes danced as he looked at Chelsea.
Paula noticed Chelsea blush and
Dutch’s smile broadened. Mitch shook hands, but Paula thought she could
see the hackles raise on the back of his neck.
“So you’re Paula,” Dutch looked her
up and down, “I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s good to finally meet
you.”
“Don’t believe everything you hear,”
Paula joked.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Dutch told her,
“I kind of like Rob’s version…It gives a man hope that there really are
good women out there. You certainly make him a happy man.”
“Thank you,” Paula felt herself blush
at his suave manner. “Rob, Honey, why don’t you show Dutch to the
table? Mitch would you mind helping us bring out the food?”
“I’d be glad to,” Mitch replied.
As soon as they were out of hearing,
Chelsea let out a sigh, “Did you see him, Aunt Paula? Isn’t he
gorgeous? And he’s not married…he wasn’t wearing a ring! I think I’m in
love!”
“Whoa, Girl!” Mitch grabbed her by
the shoulders, pretending to hold her back, “Settle down, now. Take it
easy.”
“He’s definitely handsome,” Paula
chuckled, but cautioned, “However, a lot of married men don’t wear
rings if they work around heavy equipment. It can be a safety issue,
you know.”
“He’s not married,” Chelsea was
certain, “I could just feel it from him. The way he looked at me…do I
look OK?”
“Jeez!” Mitch shook his head, “And
you all gripe about men basing things on looks! He could be a real
jerk…You don’t know anything about him.”
“I know enough…” Chelsea defended.
“Quiet, you two,” Paula warned,
“They’ll hear you. Now let’s get the food and go out there.”
~*~
Fortunately, the Jackson’s had a
large dining room and table. Meals had become a major gathering over
the past year and the small table in the kitchen was rarely used now.
Even with the large table, dinner was crowded with the three younger
boys, Mitch, Rob, Paula, Chelsea, Hazel and Bill. Adding Dutch was
pushing the limit. Paula was silently grateful Terry had been detained.
As the meal progressed, it was
apparent from the friendly banter between Rob and Dutch that they knew
each other fairly well. He seemed at home in the large family setting
and he also appeared to be quite enamored with Chelsea. Mitch was even
cockier than usual, obviously disturbed by the attention Chelsea was
showing Dutch.
“Dutch thinks the ground we picked
out is a good choice,” Rob reported, “Says it looks level, so it won’t
need much work.”
“How big is your company, Dutch?”
Bill asked.
“It’s big enough,” he smiled, “We can
usually handle several jobs at one time, depending on the project of
course.”
“Rob says it was your father’s
business?” Paula decided to fish on Chelsea’s behalf.
“Yes,” he nodded, “He decided to
retire. I’d been helping him since I was in my teens, so he handed me
the reins.”
“Speaking of reins,” Mitch
interrupted in a challenging tone, “Do you ride?”
“Yes,” Dutch burst his bubble, “As a
matter of fact, I have an Appaloosa stud at my father’s farm. Rob was
showing me Dancer, Paula. She’s a real beauty. If you’d like to breed
her, I’d be glad to put her with my stud.”
“Maybe I’ll come see him,” Paula
smiled, “Does he have a good temperament?”
“Very good,” he nodded, “And good
color, too. He’s a lot like Dancer, only bay. They might throw a really
fine foal together.”
“So, Dutch,” Chelsea asked, with a
lilt in her voice that probably sent shivers up and down his spine,
“Any brothers to share the reins with?”
“No,” he looked at her, mesmerized,
“I have five sisters. I grew up in a house full of women.”
“Talk about being outnumbered!” Bill
laughed.
“It wasn’t so bad,” Dutch reflected,
still looking at Chelsea, “It gave me a lot of insight.”
“Well, with all that insight,” Mitch
provoked, “Why aren’t you married?”
“I’ve been waiting for the right lady
to come along,” Dutch’s gaze at Chelsea didn’t waiver, “Someone with
that special touch and a smile that makes me willing to walk through
fire for her. You know what I mean, Mitch?”
Rob suddenly sensed the tension and
jumped in to the rescue, “Well, I know exactly what you mean, Dutch.
There aren’t many of them out there like that, but they’re certainly
worth waiting for.”
“Chelsea,” Paula broke in, “Why don’t
you come help me get dessert?”
Once they were alone in the kitchen,
Paula turned to Chelsea with a plea, “Honey, be careful, OK?”
“What do you mean?” Chelsea flashed
her an innocent look.
“I mean,” Paula expounded, “I’d
rather not have a duel in the dining room.”
“Oh,” Chelsea rolled her eyes, “You
mean Mitch and Dutch.”
“Yes,” she scooped dump cake into
bowls, while Chelsea topped them with whipped cream, “I see no harm in
you flirting with Dutch, but please don’t be so blatant about it in
front of Mitch.”
“I can’t help it if Mitch has a
problem,” Chelsea shrugged.
“Yes, you can,” Paula snapped,
“You’ve spent months toying with his feelings, Chelsea. Knowing full
well he’s your cousin and can’t act on those feelings. The least you
can do is be considerate of them now.”
Chelsea stared at her, shocked by her
tone, “I never meant to…”
“I don’t care what you did or didn’t
mean to do,” Paula scolded, “The case remains the same. He cares about
you. You can’t expect him not to be hurt. Chelsea, there’s not a man in
this family that wouldn’t die to defend you. That is an honor and a
privilege, don’t abuse it.”
Paula walked out with the dessert
tray in her hands, leaving Chelsea reeling from her words. Paula rarely
exhibited her fierce side, but when she did, there was no room for
doubt as to her meaning.
“Here, Mom,” Mitch jumped up and took
the tray, “Let me give you a hand.”
“Thank you, Dear,” she smiled and
began passing out bowls.
Chelsea returned, looking a bit
flushed, but subdued. Rob caught the change in her demeanor and glanced
at his wife. He knew Paula well enough to assess the situation properly.
“Aren’t you going to have some
dessert, Honey?” Rob asked his niece.
“No thank you,” Chelsea excused
herself, “I was thinking I should maybe call Dad and see if he needed
help with that cow.”
“Tell him I can stop by on my way
home if he wants,” Mitch offered.
“OK,” she smiled weakly, “I’ll tell
him.”
~*~
They were just finishing desert and
getting up from the table when Chelsea came back in. She had regained
her composure and Dutch was eyeing her closely.
“What did your dad say?” Mitch
wondered, “Has she had it yet?”
“Not yet,” she shook her head, “He
said he’ll call you if he needs you.”
“Well,” Rob patted Dutch on the
shoulder, “Thanks for coming out. It was good to see you again.”
“Thanks for having me,” Dutch smiled,
“Paula, dinner was great. If you’ll feed me like that all the time,
I’ll bid the job really low!”
“You’re welcome anytime, Dutch,” she
smiled, “There’s always room for one more at our table.”
“I’ll get a bid together by the end
of the week,” Dutch told Rob.
“Here,” Rob handed him a business
card, “You can just email it to me.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Dutch looked at
Chelsea and smiled, “I might have to deliver this one in person.”
Chelsea blushed and Mitch rolled his
eyes. Paula and Rob exchanged looks, silently speaking volumes.
“It was nice to meet you, Dutch,”
Chelsea had that same lilt to her voice again.
“The pleasure was all mine,” he
smiled, taking her hand in his and kissing it like something from a
fairy tale, “I hope to have that pleasure again soon.”
“Thanks, Dutch,” Rob said, trying to
speed his exit.
“Thank you,” he waved as he walked
out.
“ ‘I might have to deliver this one
in person’,” Mitch mocked in a whiney voice.
“Oh shut up, Mitch!” Chelsea spouted.
“Chelsea!” Rob used his captain’s
voice and pointed his finger at her, “We don’t tell each other to shut
up in this family.”
Her jaw dropped and tears flooded to
her eyes. She ran down the hall and slammed the study door behind her.
Mitch was equally shocked at his father’s outburst, standing with his
mouth open.
“Mitch!” Rob turned on his son, “We
do not mock each other’s feelings in this family, either. Go apologize
to her now.”
“Why? You want me to be a hypocrite?”
Mitch shouted back. “I’m not sorry. I can’t believe the way she was
throwing herself at that jerk!”
“Mitch!” Rob yelled, as his son
walked out the front door, slamming it.
“Wait,” Paula grabbed Rob’s arm, “Let
me. You go talk to Chelsea. I already had words with her once tonight.
It’s your turn.”
“So I gathered,” he nodded, “OK, you
go talk to Mitch.”
Mitch was opening the door to his
truck when Paula caught up to him and grabbed his arm. He jerked away,
angry, then saw the hurt look in her eyes. His expression softened and
he stood there looking at her.
“Mitch, please,” she did have that
magic touch, “Don’t leave like this. Talk to me, Honey.”
“Why does he think he can just order
me around like that?” He shut the door and leaned against the truck,
arms crossed.
“Did you notice who he scolded
first?” She pointed out, “Look, Mitch, you and Chelsea are going to
have to deal with this.”
“Why?” He snapped, his anger rising
again, “Why do we have to deal with anything?”
“Because,” she spoke calmly, “You
have feelings for her, Mitch. I know you do. But you can’t act on those
feelings, and you know that. I’m sorry, Mitch. I wish it weren’t that
way, but it is. No one can change it.”
“Well, it stinks,” he complained,
looking at her with pain in his eyes, “And he’d better not hurt her, or
I’ll kill him.”
“Then why did you just hurt her?”
Paula posed.
He looked at her for a moment then
dropped his head, “I didn’t mean to.”
“Are you sure about that?” Paula
challenged, “Are you sure it wasn’t because she was hurting you?”
He didn’t look up, but she could see
his jaw tighten, “It’s not fair, you know.”
“I know,” Paula reached out and took
his hand, “There are a lot of things in life that aren’t fair. But
there’s still a reason. Please, Mitch, go back in there and talk to
her. Just be honest with her. I don’t think she was hurting you on
purpose. I really don’t.”
He looked up finally, tears in his
eyes, “It sure felt like it.”
“I know it did, Honey,” Paula opened
her arms and he went into them like a child, “And that’s just what you
should tell her. She needs to understand what an effect her actions can
have. You telling her is going to have a lot greater impact than my
telling her did.”
“You mean you told her?” He pulled
away, wiping his eyes.
“Yes, I did,” Paula informed, “That’s
why she lost her appetite for dessert.”
He smiled at the thought, “OK, I’ll
go back in and talk to her. Will you keep a rein on Dad?”
“Don’t worry,” Paula rubbed his back,
“He’s in your corner, really. It just doesn’t always seem that way.”
They walked in to an empty living
room. The boys could be heard upstairs, talking with Bill. Hazel was
nowhere in sight. As they approached the study, Rob’s voice was
speaking gently to his niece.
Mitch knocked, opening the door,
“Dad? Can I have minute with Chelsea, please?”
“Of course, Son,” Rob got up from the
sofa and left them alone, closing the door.
“Well?” Paula asked, as they headed
down the hall to the kitchen.
“Well,” he reported, “It seems we’ve
all been cast as villains tonight. Everyone except Dutch, of course.
He’s the white knight in all of this. You’ve become the evil aunt, I’m
the overbearing uncle, and Mitch…well, you can gather where he falls in
the script.”
“She’ll think evil aunt,” Paula
predicted, “If she keeps this up.”
“You really let her have it, didn’t
you?” He chuckled, helping load the dishwasher.
“Yes, I did,” she confirmed, “But she
needs to understand that she’s playing with fire. I honestly don’t
think she realized what she was doing. At least, I hope she didn’t. I’d
hate to think she could be that cruel on purpose. But it really doesn’t
matter, you know. If you drive around trailing gasoline long enough,
whether you poured it out yourself or just had a leak you didn’t know
about, when a match is struck it blows up all the same.”
He was laughing at her analogy, “Come
here.”
“Why?” She smiled, going into his
arms.
“Aren’t you glad we have three more
boys to go through this with?”
“Better boys than girls,” she
laughed, “I definitely deal better with sons.”
“Me too,” he kissed her, “Apparently
girls don’t appreciate being ‘barked at like a dog’.”
“Is that what you did?” Paula raised
her brows, “Well, Mitch is suffering from a lack of fairness by life in
general.”
“Oh well,” Rob nodded, “You know,
it’s fair for everybody else.”
“Um-hmm,” she kissed him again,
“Sweetheart, I hate to say this, but I think our week alone just went
sailing out the window.”
“I think so too,” he sighed,
“Especially if Dutch is wandering around loose, supervising the
construction. We might end up with a scene from the OK Corral.”
“What do you know about Dutch?” Paula
asked, returning to the task at hand.
“Professionally,” Rob answered, “We
work well together. Personally, I don’t know much. He’s about 30, I
think. Never been married, as far as I know. Seems like a decent guy.
What did you think of him?”
“He seemed courteous,” she assessed,
“He was pleasant and friendly. Acted like he was comfortable in a
family setting. I’d say your guess about age is close. He seemed more
mature than either Chelsea or Mitch.”
“He might be good for her,” Rob
observed, “I don’t think he’d put up with a lot of nonsense.”
“You’re thinking what I’m thinking,
aren’t you?” Paula asked.
“That with the wrong man,” he
surmised, “She could turn into Karen.”
“Yes,” Paula flipped the dishwasher
on, “I think that’s what Mitch brought out in her tonight.”
“Well,” he confessed, “Her
overbearing uncle told her as much.”
“You did?” She gaped.
“Yes, I did,” he explained, “I told
her she could end up like her mother or she could end up like you. She
needed to think long and hard about which way she wanted it. Between
the two of us, we hit her pretty hard tonight. It’ll either do some
good or destroy everything.”
“Poor Mitch,” Paula moaned, “I may
have just sent him into the lion’s den.”
“Well,” Rob shrugged, “They need to
own up to their feelings and deal with them. It’s only going to get
worse if they don’t.”
“Hey,” Mitch stuck his head around
the corner, “I’m heading home now.”
“You OK, Son?” Rob asked.
“Yeah,” he nodded and smiled at
Paula, “I’m OK. Thanks, Mom.”
“Goodnight, Honey,” she winked, “See
you for dinner tomorrow night?”
“Yeah, I’ll be here.”
They went into the living room and
met Chelsea coming down the hall. Her eyes were red and puffy from
crying.
“Uncle Rob,” she sniffed, “Aunt
Paula, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to act like a spoiled brat. I really
didn’t.”
“Come here, Honey,” Rob hugged her,
“It’s all right. I’m sorry I was so gruff with you. I’m used to
reprimanding boys.”
“No, it’s OK,” she told them both, “I
deserved it. I had no idea Mitch felt that way about me. I just thought
he was being nice. I really didn’t mean to hurt him.”
“I believe you, Honey,” Paula hugged
her, “I’m sorry I was so rough on you, too. I’m pretty protective
of my boys…And, as far as I’m concerned, Mitch is one of my boys.”
“I know,” she smiled, “And he thinks
of you as his mother, too. I told him I’d like for him to think of me
like his sister. Do you think that was the wrong thing to ask of him?”
Paula looked at Rob for an answer,
knowing her request must have been another stab to Mitch’s heart. Rob
gave a half smile and confessed, “I think he’d do just about anything
for you, Chelsea. If that’s what you asked him for, then I’m sure he’ll
do his best.”
~*~
Paula refrained from asking Mitch
questions about what had transpired between he and Chelsea. She noticed
a marked change in their behavior toward each other, though. Chelsea
seemed more conscious of her movements and words around him and he
seemed much more aloof.
When Dutch drove up Saturday to
deliver the bid, she saw Chelsea light up and run to his truck to talk
to him. She also saw Mitch watching from the barn, his heart obviously
still breaking.
After talking to Rob about the arena,
Dutch came into the stable searching for Paula. She was cleaning out a
stall when he found her.
“I brought a picture of Cloud,” he
handed her a photo of an Appaloosa stallion, “I thought you might like
to see him.”
“He is pretty,” Paula stopped to
look, “But I’d be more interested in his temperament. Looks aren’t
everything, you know.”
He looked at her with a half smile
for a moment, deciding whether or not to pursue that line of
conversation. She met his eyes with a message that got through loud and
clear.
“I’m well aware of that,” he finally
stated, “Perhaps you’d like to give him a chance…get to know him for
yourself.”
“Perhaps,” she agreed, “Dancer’s
pretty special…”
“I’m sure she is,” he smiled, “And
I’m sure Chelsea is too.”
“If you hurt her,” Paula warned,
“You’ll have every man in this family to answer to.”
“I gathered that,” he confessed, “And
I assure you, I have only the best of intentions.”
“Good,” Paula stated, “Then we
shouldn’t have any problems.”
~*~
Days passed and construction began on
the arena. Quite predictably, Dutch chose to supervise this job
personally. Just as predictable, was Chelsea’s ability to find excuses
to hang around the construction site. In less than a week, Dutch was
joining her in the kitchen for lunch on a daily basis.
Rob and Paula kept a close eye on the
pair, partly because they felt responsible for her, and partly to run
interference for Mitch. He and Dutch only crossed paths at the end of
each day when Mitch arrived for dinner as Dutch headed home. So far,
they were cordial, but the tension between them was obvious.
Whether by word of mouth or sheer
instinct, Terry began putting in an appearance daily, as well. He
seemed to get along with Dutch, but he also was more attentive to his
only daughter. Paula was quite certain Dutch was keenly aware of the
wrath he would face from every direction if he so much as made a wrong
step.
Dutch seemed to bear the close
scrutiny well, though, and at the end of the first week, he invited
Chelsea to join him for dinner and a movie on Saturday night. Chelsea
was walking on air all day Friday, and stayed home all day Saturday to
get ready.
Saturdays were always busy lesson
days, and as Paula said farewell to her last student of the day,
leaving the arena to Rob and his next pupil, she noticed Mitch’s truck
in the drive. After a brief search, she realized Dakota’s saddle was
missing and assumed he’d gone for a ride.
She decided to look for him, and
whistled for Chief. He was still the only horse she had that would come
running when she called. She jumped on his back and headed out. She
didn’t even need a bridle with him, he was so accustomed to her touch,
she could guide him with only leg pressure and voice commands.
She spotted Mitch riding Dakota down
by a pond and urged Chief to catch up. The old horse responded, eager
as ever to please his loyal friend.
“Hey,” Paula called as Mitch saw her
and waited for her to ride up.
“Done with lessons for the day?” He
asked, “I hope you didn’t need Dakota. I didn’t even think to ask.”
“No,” she waved her hand, “He’s your
horse. You don’t need permission to ride him. Would you like some
company?”
“Just as long as you don’t make me
look bad,” he teased, “With your old short legged cow pony.”
“Not today,” she smiled, “You’ve been
kind of quiet lately, are you OK?”
He looked off into the distance as
they rode side by side, “You know, maybe I should just get a dog.”
“Is there anything I can do?” She
asked, understanding his comment completely.
“Mom,” he shook his head and she
could tell it was hard for him to talk, “Did you know she asked me to
think of her like my sister?”
“Yes,” Paula admitted, “She told us
that. I know she didn’t say it to hurt you worse.”
“I know,” his voice was breaking,
“And I’m trying to do it for her. I do want her to be happy, you know.
I promised her I’d do anything to make her happy.”
“Oh, Mitch, Honey,” Paula could feel
his pain, “I wish I could fix it for you. If it’s any consolation, I
made sure Dutch knows he’d better not hurt her. I told him you’ll all
come down on him if he does.”
“She’s going out with him tonight,
you know,” he remarked.
“I know,” Paula nodded, “And I think
she’ll be fine. Your father would never bring anyone into our home that
he felt presented a danger to his family.”
“Yeah,” Mitch informed, “He told me
that, too. It’s just that…Well, I’m worried about her.”
“She’s a grown woman, Mitch,” Paula
reminded, “She’s quite capable of taking care of herself.”
He stopped his horse and looked at
her, “Can I tell you something? You’ll keep it between us?”
Having already crossed this bridge
before, she forged on, “Yes, what is it?”
“Chelsea and I were pretty close, you
know,” he shared, “Before Dutch arrived on the scene, she talked to me
about a lot of things. There’s a lot more to Chelsea than meets the
eye.”
“I know that,” Paula commented, “And
I know she’s still young, too.”
“A lot younger than Dutch,” Mitch
observed, “He’s older than I am. There’s got to be six or seven years
difference between them.”
“Sometimes that’s a good thing,”
Paula told him, “There’s four years between your father and I.”
“Mom,” he confided, “Chelsea’s never
been with anyone. I’m worried that Dutch will take advantage of that.”
“I was never with anyone before your
father,” Paula divulged, “And he didn’t take advantage of it.”
“Will you talk to Chelsea?” He asked.
“I can’t. She’s not going to listen to me. It just looks like I’m
jealous.”
“Mitch,” Paula wondered, “What do you
want me to tell her?”
“Look, when she told me about it,” he
explained, “She said it like she was ashamed of it. I told her not to
be. I told her to keep it that way…Wait for her husband, whoever he
might be. She doesn’t want to wait, Mom. I’m afraid she’s going to do
something really stupid. She might not even tell him until it’s too
late.”
Suddenly all the pain in Mitch’s eyes
took on new meaning. Paula saw him maturing before her very eyes. He
was putting someone else first, and his own feelings last.
“I’ll do what I can, Mitch,” she
promised, “And don’t worry, I won’t let her know you talked to me about
this. I don’t think you need to worry about tonight. I don’t think
Dutch will do anything that soon.”
“He’s a man, Mom,” Mitch started his
horse toward home, “How can you be so sure?”
“Because he has five sisters,” she
pointed out, “I’m guessing he’d kill any man who hurt one of them.
Trust me on this, Mitch. Just ask your father, I’ve never been wrong
yet.”
“OK, Mom,” he smiled, “if it’s good
enough for Dad, it’s good enough for me.”
~*~
Paula was in the kitchen, cleaning up
after lunch when Chelsea came in. She was smiling brightly and humming
to herself. Everyone else had gone off to the stable, so Paula decided
to seize the opportunity.
“I take it things went well last
night?” Paula observed.
“Oh, Aunt Paula,” Chelsea was
glowing, “He’s a dream come true! I can’t wait to see him again!”
“Well,” Paula reminded, “I’m sure
he’ll be here tomorrow. You’ll see him then.”
“That seems like ages!” Chelsea
pouted, “I was thinking of calling him today.”
“Don’t,” Paula advised, “He doesn’t
strike me as the type who likes to be chased.”
“Calling him isn’t the same as
chasing,” Chelsea argued.
“Yes, it is,” Paula corrected, “If
you don’t believe me, ask the men around here…Rob, Terry, Mitch, Bill…”
Chelsea sighed, “My dad already told
me I shouldn’t call.”
“Patience is a virtue, Dear,” Paula
told her.
“Oh, please! You’re almost as bad as
Mitch,” she moaned.
“Excuse me?” Paula raised her brows.
“Never mind,” Chelsea started to
leave.
“Chelsea,” Paula stopped her, “Honey,
I think you and I need to talk.”
“If you’re going to give me a
lecture,” Chelsea became flippant, “I’m a big girl…I don’t need it.”
“You told me once upon a time,” Paula
recalled, “That you wanted what I have. If that’s still the case, I’d
think you might listen to how I got it.”
“Things are different now, Aunt
Paula,” Chelsea informed her, “Times have changed since you were my
age.”
Paula smiled, “Times change, people
don’t. Men and women have been the same since Adam and Eve, Chelsea.
Didn’t you hear what Dutch said at dinner that night?”
“About what?” Chelsea was trying to
act uninterested.
“About waiting for the right lady to
come along,” she reminded, “Did you notice that? He said ‘lady’, not
woman, not girl. Lady. You know, men divide females into those
categories. You need to take care which one you fall into. And he also
said she’d have that ‘special touch and a smile that would make him
willing to walk through fire for her’.”
Chelsea sat down at the table a bit
reluctantly, “You think I’m going to mess this up, don’t you?”
“Are you?” Paula quizzed.
“I don’t want to,” she answered, “I
want this to be the real thing. I want it to last.”
“Chelsea,” Paula told her, “I know
you’re a grown woman and you are capable of taking care of yourself. I
also know you grew up in a very different world, almost a foreign
culture to ours. I don’t want to see you learn lessons the hard way.
Especially when it’s not necessary.”
“All right,” Chelsea challenged,
“Tell me what it is you think I need to know.”
“You’ve grown up watching your mom
work hard, no father in the house, and hearing all the feminist mumbo
jumbo about having it all, doing it all, being it all and not needing a
man around for any of it,” Paula pointed out, “You told me yourself
that your mother hates men, and hates women who like men even worse. I
really don’t think you want a life like your mother has, do you?”
“No,” Chelsea shook her head, “I
don’t.”
“Then don’t follow in her footsteps,”
Paula told her, “Those footsteps will lead to the same end, I guarantee
it. Men like to be men. They like women to be women. Relationships work
much smoother that way.”
“What exactly is that supposed to
mean?” She asked.
“The first thing it means,” Paula
explained, “Is don’t call him. Let him pursue you, not the other way
around. He can read the signs you’ve been flashing all over the place.
He knows you’re interested. Let him be in charge. If you can’t trust
him to be in charge now, then there’s no future anyway.”
“OK,” Chelsea was starting to pay
attention, “So, what else?”
“He said he’s looking for a
lady, so be one,” Paula advised, “Men will treat you the way you
behave. If you act like one of the boys, then that’s the way they’ll
treat you. If you act like a spoiled brat, then that’s the way they’ll
treat you. If you act like a princess, they’ll treat you like one. If
you act like a slut, they’ll treat you like a slut.”
“Well,” Chelsea remarked, “Not
everyone’s version of a lady is the same.”
“You know how to be a lady, Chelsea,”
Paula assured, “I’ve watched you do it.”
She was quiet for a few minutes, then
finally asked, “All right then, where do you draw the line?”
“What line?” Paula was unsure of her
meaning.
“That line you cross with a man,”
Chelsea went on, “Where it’s ok to be with him. When you’re no longer a
slut in his mind, but still a lady…just his lady.”
Paula sighed, “Are you asking me when
it’s OK to have sex with him?”
“Yes,” Chelsea blushed, “Obviously
Uncle Rob adores you, thinks you’re an angel. How long did you wait?”
“Until my wedding night,” Paula
shocked her, “And that’s my answer about the line, Chelsea. If he’s not
worth waiting for, then he’s not worth having. And the same is true for
you…If you’re not worth waiting for, then you’re not worth having.”
Chelsea’s eyes were wide, “But you
and Uncle Rob dated for years!”
“Yes,” Paula nodded, “And we’re still
together, aren’t we? He’d walk through fire for me, wouldn’t he? He’d
die for me without hesitation. He’d do anything for me. He was worth
the wait.”
Chelsea let her words sink in,
“You’ve never been with anyone else, then?”
“No,” Paula shook her head.
“Well,” Chelsea remarked, “Obviously
he has. How did you convince him to wait?”
“Honey,” Paula chuckled, “I didn’t
have to convince him. That’s my point, Chelsea. Don’t assume you know
what Dutch wants or expects. Let him be the man. Don’t rush things. If
he wants a lady he’d walk through fire for, then he’s certainly willing
to wait for her.”
“Oops,” Mitch walked in, “Sorry, I
didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“It’s OK, Mitch,” Chelsea smiled at
him, “I think we were done here, anyway.”
He looked at Paula, “Dad sent me to
get you. Buckshot’s limping and he wondered if you’d noticed it?”
“No,” Paula followed him out, “He was
fine yesterday. Did you check him out?”
“I can’t find anything obvious,”
Mitch told her, “Do you want to haul him down to the clinic for x-rays?”
“Let’s go have a look,” she headed to
the stable.
~*~
“So,” Rob asked as Paula curled up
next to him, “Did you have time to talk to her?”
“Yes,” Paula reported, “And I think I
actually made some headway. She seemed to be listening before I was
done.”
“Good,” he kissed her, “I know Mitch
is worried about her.”
“Did he talk to you about it?” She
asked, caressing his chest.
“A little,” he confided, “Enough for
me to see a different side of him in the whole matter. I think he’ll be
all right.”
“Do you feel like everybody’s
father?” She asked.
“Um-hmm,” he chuckled, “Do you feel
like everybody’s mother?”
“Everybody but yours, Dear,” she
kissed his chest.
“Well, that’s good,” he lifted
himself over her, “Because I much prefer to think of you as my wife…”
