Monday Night

Once the groceries and other items were put away, Virgil and I walked into town. We stopped by the post office, the general store and finally the diner for my miniature apology tour. I was pleased that no one seemed too put out with me; quite the opposite, Queen Fi was delighted I was back, and she was absolutely enraged that someone would come to my apartment and try to hurt me. I knew word would get out in no time, but for once, I was almost maliciously glad about that. Devola gave me a big hug when she saw me. Joe and Aubrey sent us back home with a bag full of pastries as a “thank you” for mentioning them in the article. Joe actually came out of the kitchen, and it was the first time I saw more of him than his eyes and nose through the little window behind the counter. He was a huge man, with shoulders so wide I thought he might have to pivot slightly to get through the door. At the post office, Ms. Lucille told me that she shared the article with her online knitting club, and now they were planning a group trip to visit.

We stopped to chat with still more townsfolk, some I was starting to know by sight if not yet by name, and many already knew of the incident with Mr. Grose. I was grateful for Ms. Fiona’s gossip network, because most of the folks I spoke with seemed fiercely protective of me now.

“We appreciate what you did with that article,” one blond woman said. I recognized her from the festival the week before but couldn’t remember her name. “And what you did to help with the festival. We all saw you hanging lights and streamers, sweetie. It meant a lot.”

“I am happy to help,” I said earnestly.

“The town is having a meeting at the end of the summer to tally votes and count the money. I hope you’ll stop by so we can thank you proper.”

“I don’t need any more thanks, but I would love to come to the meeting,” I replied earnestly.

Back at the house, Virgil put together CB’s new tower while I perched on the arm of the couch, watching him work. He truly did work fast, and in no time at all, the tower was constructed and in place. CB wasted no time climbing to the top and staring down at us.

Virgil joined me on the couch, putting his arms around me.

“I’m going to call my boss tomorrow and talk about the future,” I said. “Are you absolutely certain that you’re okay with me staying here?”

“Yes, why do you keep asking?”

“I don’t know… I guess maybe…” I tried to collect my thoughts. “I guess part of me feels that it’s all too good to be true, that maybe you don’t really want to do it.”

Virgil gave my knee a squeeze.

“I told you Ella, I’m not a teenager. I’m coming down the back slope of middle aged. I know what I want, and I want to be with you.” He put an arm around me and pulled me closer to him. “I’ll say it as often as you need me to.”

I smiled and let myself melt into him, wrapping my arms around his solid reassuring center. We spent that evening playing with CB, and then talking and laughing until my face hurt.

Two weeks ago, I didn’t know Virgil, or anything about LaCera. Now I was thinking about moving here and falling in love.

Love… The word echoed around in my brain. Was it love? It couldn’t be. Love takes time, or so I thought. If you asked me two weeks ago if I thought I was too old for fairy tales, I would have laughed and said most certainly too old… but my tune was certainly changing now that my handsome prince rescued me.

“What’s circling around in that pretty head of yours?” Virgil asked after a long silence passed between us.

“Marveling at how fast this has all been,” I felt Virgil stiffen slightly, as if preparing for me to fight him on it again, but I just hugged him tighter and said: “I’m all in.”

“Me, too.”

Tuesday

The next morning, I was shut up in Virgil’s office at the garage when I called Mel. I let out a deep breath before dialing his extension. I wasn’t sure what I was going to say, but I hoped that he was in a good mood.

“I didn’t expect to hear from you until next week,” he said after I said hello. “You’re supposed to be on vacation.”

“I wanted to see how things were going with the donations.”

“It’ll be a nice tidy sum, looks like we might hit fifty thousand before it’s over.”

“I can’t believe it,” I said.

“Me either,” Mel admitted.

“I’ve been thinking about all these stories people have sent in,” I said. “Could we put together some kind of… I don’t know, like a coffee table book or something? The proceeds could go to the town.”

“I like where your head’s at,” Mel returned. “Paired with your pictures? I think it’s an outstanding idea. Let me talk to the Chief and get his thoughts.” 

“Awesome, but that’s not the only reason why I called.”

“Uh-oh, am I about to get some bad news?”

“Depends. How would you feel about me taking a step back from out of town assignments? I still want them, but I’d like to slow down a little bit.”

“Steven might have a grumble about it, but I think that’s fair. You’ve been working really hard,” Mel said. 

“That’s not all,”

“Oh?”

“When I’m not on assignment, I would like to be remote for a while.”

“I knew it,” Mel sounded smug. “LaCera worked her magic on you.”

“She did that,” I said, looking out the window at Virgil bent over, hands on his knees, talking to a little girl with a balloon tied around her wrist. She was a teeny thing, probably no more than five or six. I could see her parents were at the gas pump, filling up their tank. Virgil’s face was alight as she regaled him with a story. “I want to stay for a while.”

“I think we can work something out,” Mel said warmly. “I’m really happy for you Ella.”

“Thanks Mel.”

We talked specifics for a while, and after we hung up, I slipped out of the office into the workshop.

“Hey you,” Virgil said. “What are you up to?”

“I thought I might walk down to the diner and get lunch. Would you like to come with me? Or I can bring you back something if you don’t want to step away.”

“The day’s been pretty slow, even by LaCera standards. I’ll walk down with you.” He scrubbed his hands in the utility sink next to the door. “How did the call with your editor go?”

“Really well,” I said. We fell into step alongside one another. “You’re stuck with me.”

“Good,” he said, looping his arm around me as we walked. It didn’t seem to matter that he did this any time we walked anywhere together, I still felt those flutters in my stomach. 

“So, Virgil Baker, what do you do with yourself when you’re not off saving kittens and distressing damsels?” I asked him as we walked.

“This and that; I tinker with stuff, I fish in the Aurora River.”

“With Bob and Francis?”

“Yes,” he replied with a smile, seemingly glad I’d remembered. “There’s not a lot to do here, but I keep busy. There are a lot of places I’d like to show you. Maybe after lunch, I’ll show you my favorite spot if you’re up to it.”

“I thought the place you took me to see the stars was your favorite.”

“It’s my favorite spot that I thought a woman I just met would feel comfortable going with me alone, after dark,” he teased. I smiled, thinking back to my own thoughts about that. “My real favorite place is a little bit more of a hike… but it’s worth it.”

“Then I would love to see it.”

“Then we’ll head up after we eat.” He kissed my forehead lightly and we went into the diner. Aubrey was there, and she smiled wide at the sight of us.

“Hello you two,” she said. “The usual?”

“Yes,” I said, still smiling.

We ate in the sunshine, watching the few cars that passed by. Virgil pointed people out to me and told me anecdotal things about them.

“In the blue Pontiac, that’s Billy Horseman, he’s got two little girls. His wife teaches Sunday School.” I followed his gaze. “And over across the way, that’s Lemuel Fischer. That’s who I pulled out of the ditch up in Verona.” He sighed. “That was the day I was a fool, I should have told that silly old goat I’d be along when I was along.”

I took in Mr. Fischer, who had to be at least ninety, as he toddled across the street from his car to the general store. Ms. Fiona shouted a greeting at him.

“Huh?” Mr. Fischer called back loudly. I ducked my head to hide my laughter.

“I don’t think you were a fool,” I said when I composed myself. “And I’m here now.”

“I’m glad. But I promise to talk to you the next time something’s eating at me… If you promise not to run off to New Oxford again.”

“Deal,” I said.

He resumed his commentary on the small comings and goings and we sat long after we finished eating. A few people he didn’t know, wildflower enthusiasts probably, parked behind Mr. Fischer’s crookedly parked boat of a car. A family with a few kids piled out and went into the store. Virgil smiled watching the older boy help his younger siblings up the steps into the store. I could have watched him smiling like that for the rest of the day.

“What?” he asked when he caught me staring.

“I like watching you; you really like kids, don’t you?”

“I do,” he admitted. “My sister never married or had kids, and I never had kids, but I think about what might have been from time to time.”

I nodded.

“Anyway, ready to head out?” he asked.

“What about the garage?”

“There’s a sign on the door with my cell phone number, but most local folks know where I live if they need something.”

I chuckled, shaking my head.

“What?”

“It’s a different pace of life, for sure.”

We walked up the road, beyond the Wildflower trail, beyond the game trails and winding driveways that led to houses secluded from the road by the thick trees. After about two miles, we came to another game trail, and Virgil led me deep into the woods, high up into the hills. Finally, we came to a small clearing. Wildflowers grew here, but not quite to the same splendor of Peabody’s Meadow. Virgil took my hand and led me towards the far end of the meadow and to my surprise, I could see out over a small valley, down to a wide clear river running through it.

“That’s the Aurora River,” Virgil said. He pointed off into the distance, to the far end of the valley. “Verona’s on the other side of the valley. Up that way,” he went on as he pointed in the opposite direction. “Is Quinn’s Orchard.”

“It’s spectacular.”

“At night, you can really see the stars. I’ve camped out here a few times.”

“Really?’

“Yeah, I like sleeping outside sometimes. It just feels… I dunno, right somehow.”

I giggled.

“What’s funny about that?” he asked, but his eyes were twinkling with laughter, too.

“You’re very manly,” I said when I could speak.

“And that’s funny?”

“Not exactly, it’s just… You’re this good lookin’ small town guy who works with his hands, and I’m the big city gal with the fancy big city life,” I tried to explain. “It’s a little on the nose, don’t you think?”

He kissed the tip of my nose.

“Yes, and I like it. Because that means we get a happily ever after out of this.”

“You think so, huh?”

“Absolutely.”

He took me in his arms and kissed me, that slow burning kiss that built in intensity. After a moment I dropped to my knees and undid the fly of his jeans.

“Speaking of happy endings,” I said in a salacious tone.

“I’m all ears.”

Later, when we were back at the house, Virgil got ready to take a shower. I slipped in after him.

“Well, hello there,” he said, slicking his hair back from his face.

“Howdy,” I said softly.

“It’s been a long time since I had someone to help wash my back,” he teased.

“I’ll let you know if I find anything growing back there.”

He laughed and we spent quite a long time kissing beneath the hot water before we scrubbed one another. Once we were squeaky clean, we practically sprinted to his bed. He pushed me down, and then climbed on top of me, kissing a trail that started at my lips and ended where my thighs met. He licked me softly until I couldn’t hold back any longer. I cried his name as I came, and then he was inside of me and as our bodies came together, I let myself float away on a cloud of bliss.

Laying in his arms afterwards, I felt his hands in my hair. His tender touch on my scalp sent pleasurable shivers down my spine.

“Are you okay?” he whispered.

“That feels good,” I whispered back.

“Good,” he replied. We lay there until I eventually fell asleep.