An adult stories – Life in a Small New Hampshire Town Pt. 08 by NorthernNewEnglandGuy,NorthernNewEnglandGuy This chapter is complete as a standalone story, but reading the earlier chapters will give you a fuller understanding of the characters and their development, motivations and interactions with others.
While this is fiction, it does represent aspects of small-town life. There’s drama, normal daily interactions between the residents, growing romance for certain couples and of course, sex. Please, take some time to relax and enjoy this taste of small-town life!
Everything portrayed in this story is a product of my imagination. It was conceived, written and edited by real live humans. No AI involved.
My gratitude and thanks to both my anonymous friend and Pepere for their editing skills and perceptive suggestions. Any and all errors are mine and mine alone.
Saturday, July 6, 2019
Chris
Tom came over to The Beat about an hour before closing. He enjoyed a beer at the bar, chatting with me as business slowed for the night. He was joined by Zack a half an hour later. Tom came behind the bar and helped me with my closing duties once I announced ‘Last Call’. Zack joined Amy who was busy clearing tables as customers left. We finished my bar closing and helped Amy with her duties. We were ready to leave once all the tables were wiped clean, the chairs placed upside down on the tables, and the floor cleaned.
Amy asked, “Are you guys doing anything fun tomorrow?”
I looked at Tom and said, “We haven’t discussed it yet.”
Amy responded with, “It’s supposed to warm into the mid-nineties. We were thinking of going swimming.”
“Maybe we should go to Myer’s Falls, Tom. I’ve been intrigued by it ever since we hiked up there last fall. It’s going to be hot and tomorrow is Sunday.”
“Are you sure that you’re up for it, Chris?”
“Myer’s Falls? What’s Sunday got to do with it?”
“Ask Zack about it, Amy. If I can convince Tom to go, and you want to come after Zack explains what’s involved, call me in the morning.”
I glanced over at a deeply blushing Zack. “Why are you blushing, Zack. You have been there before, right?”
“Not for years and not on a Sunday.”
Amy asked, “Will someone please tell me what I’m missing here?”
“Tom took me up there last September, but it was too late in the season to swim then. It’s about a 20-minute hike up a trail to a beautiful little waterfall. At the base, there is a sizable pool that is used for swimming, specifically skinny dipping. If I remember, Mondays and Wednesdays are for boys, Tuesdays and Thursdays are for girls, Fridays are co-ed older teens, Saturdays are family days with swimsuits required, and Sundays are for adults. The odd thing is that that falls are owned by the town of Appleton. Rules, including no cameras and no ‘spying’ are self-enforced. Did I get everything right, Guys?”
Tom and Zack both nodded yes and Zack said, “The only thing I’d add is that it is clothing optional, but clothed voyeurs are definitely discouraged.”
I said, “I’d like to go, with the caveat that if there are not similar numbers of males and females, I may not want to stay, Tom.”
“I’m game.”
“Amy?”
“I’m also game. You never told me about Myer’s Falls, Zack.”
Zack was blushing again. “We’re still in the early stages of our relationship. I didn’t want to put you in an awkward position if skinny dipping wasn’t your thing.”
“Thank you for being so considerate, but you needn’t have worried. I’m comfortable with my body. I agree with Chris, though. I may not want to stay if there’s a disproportionate number of men.”
Tom responded with, “I don’t think that’ll be a problem, at least I’ve never heard that it was. You would hear about inappropriate behavior rather quickly in a small town. Another unwritten rule is that single males are discouraged although two gay males are not. Actual sexual contact is not only actively prohibited, it will usually be followed up with a visit from the Sheriff’s office. Everyone wants to keep this tradition safe and comfortable for all to enjoy.” There were affirmative head nods all around. “I’d suggest that we only take one car, as there is limited parking.”
“Amy and I have to be at work by 3:00, so can we be ready to leave by 11:00? Why don’t we pick them up at her place at 11:00, Tom?” Everyone agreed again. “Good night, Amy, Zack.”
Tom said, “I remembered that you said we should go there this summer last fall,” while we were walking to our apartment. “I guess that I was feeling a bit like Zack in that I didn’t want you to feel pressured into going.”
I stopped walking, embraced Tom, and gave him a lingering kiss. “That’s one of the things I like about you, you’re so thoughtful. I’ve never been skinny dipping. It seems a bit like a rite of passage, and there’s safety in numbers by going with Amy and Zack. It’s also going to be hot tomorrow.”
“I think you’ll find that the water will quickly cool you down.”
“That cold, huh?”
“Yep.”
I took a shower when we got home, then we sat on the couch and enjoyed a glass of wine. Although Tom works a normal day job, I had just finished a busy Saturday night shift at The Beat, so a shower and some time to unwind always feels good.
There are some nights that Tom is already in bed and asleep when I get home since he has to leave for work by 7:30. Those are the exceptions. He usually waits up for me. I’m off Mondays and Tuesdays, so we are able to enjoy dinner together, usually at home but occasionally in Greensboro. He comes over a little before closing and walks me home most Fridays and Saturdays. We have some together time Saturdays and Sundays until I start at 3:00. I was concerned that our different schedules might lead to conflict when I started working evenings, but both of us seem happy with what we have. I know that I am. I’ve never been in a relationship before, and, therefore, haven’t experienced the emotions that I have with Tom. He’s opened up the world of sex to me, and I worry that I enjoy it too much, but given that sex is, and should be, a part of almost every adult relationship, it’s a bonus when it’s so good. There’s fortunately so much more to the rest of our relationship for me be too worried. I like Tom. He’s kind and gentle, loyal and protective, good looking, smart, has a good job, is a great cook, is fun to be with, and enjoys many of the same things that I do. What’s not to like? I think that I’m falling in love.
“You’re looking contemplative, Chris. Everything alright?”
“Yeah. Just thinking about us and how much I like you.”
“I feel the same way about you.”
“It’s getting late and I’m tired. Let’s go to bed.” We did, but didn’t fall asleep until we made slow, passionate, and ultimately satisfying love.
Sunday, July 7
Chris
We woke up, made love again, though maybe a little more energetic this time. It was morning after all. Tom took a shower while I made coffee, Tom then made French toast while I showered. He suggested that we leave our phones at home. We dressed in shorts and tee shirts, packed water, some wraps and towels, and headed over to pick up Amy and Zack who were waiting outside for us.
“Morning, Guys. Ready for an adventure?”
Amy seemed enthusiastic. “I’ve not been skinny dipping as an adult, not since high school, but I do want to assess the situation before shedding my clothes.” Zack nodded agreement.
I was having second thoughts, but didn’t want to back out as I was the one who first broached the subject. It’s one thing to swim naked with a couple of friends, quite another to have dozens, maybe hundreds of others I don’t know, especially if there were leering ‘dirty old men’ amongst them. Giving myself an out, I agreed with Amy. “I second that thought. I’m a bit nervous.”
Tom chimed in with, “Let me know immediately if you get uncomfortable at any time, and we’ll leave. My experience in high school was that the ones who are already there notice new arrivals, greet them, and then return to what they were doing. The exceptions were that close friends may come over and chat, but remember that they’re all already naked.”
Zack confirmed what Tom had said. “I haven’t been here as an adult, but that’s how it was back then. If anything, teenagers who were probably just beginning their exploration of the opposite sex were more likely to gawk. I think that you’ll find many older, married couples here today.”
“Really?”
“I know that my parents occasionally come here.”
“I’m not sure that I’m ready to be naked in front of your parents, Zack”
“Relax, Amy. First, I have no reason other than it’s hot to believe that they’ll be here today. Second, they already like you if they are here, and thirdly they’re dancers like you and are comfortable with their bodies. You may get a couple more glances from others because you’re young, attractive, and female. Just quickly shed your clothes and jump into the water, but fair warning, the water is likely to still be cold. Everyone will be back to their conversations or greeting the next arrivals when you come back out. The same goes for you, Chris.”
Zack’s little speech somehow relaxed me. The parking lot already had about a dozen vehicles there. We found room, but there weren’t many other spaces left in the little parking area. We hiked in for 20 minutes or so, and found that there were 25 to 30 people there. A few were in the water. The rest were sitting on some of the boulders or lying on towels on the narrow sandy beach or on the grass above the stream’s banks. The grass had been mowed somehow. There was one group of four who had carried folding beach chairs and a beach umbrella in and were having a picnic.
There was a diversity of ages. We were on the younger side, with several couples in their 30s and 40s and the group with the chairs must have been in their 60s or 70s. Everyone was naked. I expected to see naked people swimming, but hadn’t expected all the nudity lying around. I guess that the water is too cold to stay in for very long. I realized that Dr. Kate was approaching as we were undressing. I must have looked surprised because she said, “Chris, Amy, Tom, this is my husband, Joe. Isn’t it a lovely day to enjoy one of Appleton’s little treasures? Don’t look so shocked, Chris. You young folks don’t have exclusive rights to appreciate skinny dipping and an all over tan. I was talking with your mom this morning to see if they were going dancing at The Beat next Tuesday, Zack. She mentioned that they may be up here later today.” Amy cringed at this.
“The fact that they’ll be here is explicit acceptance that they enjoy nudity, Amy. Besides, I can let you in on a little secret: they like you and think that you and Zack make a lovely couple.” This caused Zack to blush. “Well, enjoy your swim,” she said.
We finished stripping and waded into the pool. It is a mountain steam in New Hampshire, and while it was over 90 today, the water was definitely cold. Not cool, cold. We stayed in for about ten minutes and returned to our towels. We had new neighbors who were just disrobing to our left.
“Deputy Hinsdale, hi.”
He turned to me and said, “Hi, Chris. Let’s go with Al under the circumstances. This is my wife, Maryanne. This is Chris and Amy, Honey. They both work at The Beat. I met them the night of the Russell incident. Amy’s sister, Alicia, runs the daycare where Elyssa goes. I’m afraid that I don’t know your friends, Chris.”
Introductions were made, then Al and Maryanne headed for the water. Sunscreen was applied before we settled down. We didn’t want to burn the parts that don’t usually see the sun. It surprisingly didn’t seem sexual at all. Looking around, I noticed a minority of people had all-over tans. I couldn’t help but notice how much men’s penises and testicles bounced around as they walked or ran by. I’ll have to ask Tom about that later.
Samantha and Brian, proprietors of the Appleton Country Store, arrived and setup to our right. They stripped down after a bit of small talk, and headed for the water. We dipped into the pool two more times before we had to leave. Amy and I unfortunately had to work, so we headed down the trail.
Amy
We met Zack’s parents about halfway to the parking area. I was glad that Dr. Kate had given us a heads-up, but appreciative that we met them on the trail. Seeing other Appleton residents naked was one thing; seeing your boyfriend’s parents would have been on a different level.
“Dr. Kate said that you may be coming here today. Sorry that we can’t chat, but Chris and I are headed to work.”
“Nice to see you, Amy, Zack. You too, Chris and Tom. We should get together sometime when you don’t have to work.”
“Sure. I understand that we may see you at The Beat Tuesday night. Enjoy the afternoon meanwhile.”
“Are you okay, Amy?” Zack asked after we started walking again.
“Yeah. That was easier than I expected. It was better meeting them fully-clothed on the trail than bare-assed naked up there. It sounded like there was an invite to join them here another time.”
“I believe that you’re right. You saw several people you know up by the falls, however, and you seemed to handle that okay. Besides, they’re my parents and I’ve never seen them naked, nor have they seen me naked since I was a toddler. Yikes! I was worried about you, but I’m now worried about my own reaction.” Chris, Tom, and I all chuckled at him.
Chris
I contemplated the day’s events during a slow time at work. I was surprised at how comfortable I was with all the nudity. Tom and Zack were right. No one seemed creepy. I did feel a couple of men looking at me and did see several discretely checking Amy out, not to mention a couple of women also casting long glances at her, maybe even with longing glances. It just seemed normal for the situation since everyone was nude. Who knew that there were so many nudists in Appleton: the town shrink; a Deputy Sheriff and his wife; the town’s storekeepers, and many I didn’t know but recognized from my job. I’d only seen one other penis before Tom, and that was in high school and only briefly. I admit that I was, hopefully discretely, checking out the males. Just like bodies in general, penises come in as many sizes, shapes, colors as the bodies they are attached to. I didn’t see a single erection, which helped to settle my discomfort.
Thursday, July 18 5:05 PM
Tom
I was on my way home from my job in Greensboro. The weather forecast this morning predicted rain with the possibility of severe thunderstorms and the potential for hail this afternoon. The rain started just after I turned south onto NH 34, the main north/south route through Lake County. It began as a gentle rain, but it transformed into a deluge by the time that I was a couple of miles north of Appleton. I had been following an 18-wheeler and we both slowed down as the storm peaked and the road became awash with standing water. I noticed the winds picking up and started to pull over to the side when the winds dramatically increased, shaking my car. The semi started sliding left, then flipped on to its left side and slid into a northbound charter bus, knocking the bus onto its side.
A 911 Operator 5:38 PM
“911, what is your emergency?”
“My name is Tom Tyndall. I’m on State Highway 34 just south of Sand Hill Road in Appleton. The wind just flipped an 18-wheeler onto its side, which then slid into a charter bus, flipping the bus onto its side. Both lanes are blocked and the contents of the truck are strewn everywhere. There’s also a couple of trees down.”
“Do you know if there are any injuries?”
“This just happened and…….”
“Mr. Tyndall? Mr. Tyndall? Tom? Can you hear me?……”
911 Dispatch 5:39 PM
“Attention all first responders: We have multiple reports of a potential mass casualty event on NH 34 in Appleton, just south of Sand Hill Road. Multiple vehicles involved, including an 18-wheeler, a charter bus, multiple trees down across the road, and at least one car trapped under a downed tree. The road is blocked in both directions. All available responders proceed to NH 34 south of Sand Hill Road. Use caution approaching the scene.”
Sheriff Farnsworth 5:40 PM
I was about 20 minutes south of the accident site and asked for the current locations of my Deputies and their ETAs.
“Hinsdale here, Sheriff. I’m approaching from the south, ETA 1 minute.”
“Assess the situation and let me know the status, Al.”
“Roger that.”
Deputy Hinsdale 5:50 PM
“Hinsdale here, Sheriff. No casualties, but multiple injuries, one serious. Male, in his 20s is trapped in his car which was hit by a falling pine tree. We need someone with a chainsaw and the jaws of life to extract him. Unconscious, but breathing. Location: North of the accident site. The bus had 40 teenagers, ages about 13 to 18, with 4 chaperones and the driver. There appears to be several broken bones, but my initial assessment is mostly traumatized kids otherwise. The truck driver is shaken up but okay. He said that he was hit by a windshear that flipped him before he could stop.”
Sheriff Farnsworth 6:01 PM
Every available ambulance and EMT in Lake County north of the accident was on their way by the time I arrived at the site. The Appleton Rescue Squad was already on site with their single ambulance from the south. They were triaging the bus occupants and stabilizing the broken bones. The Town Highway Department had two trucks and several men clearing the tree off the car, as well as other trees blocking the road. I could hear sirens approaching from the north. As it was still raining, I had one of the Appleton school buses enroute to get the kids who didn’t need hospitalization out of the rain and eventually to a shelter.
Shelter may be a problem as the Appleton School, the largest capacity building in town, was closed for renovations. I called Olivia’s and reached her. I explained the situation, and asked if we could temporarily bring the kids to either the restaurant or The Beat until the road was open and we had a plan for them.
“Of course, Sheriff. I’ll also make sure that they get something to eat.”
“Thanks, Olivia.”
Sheriff Farnsworth 6:15 PM
The children on the bus who collectively had 2 broken legs, 3 broken arms, 2 dislocated shoulders, and a concussion, were on their way to Greensboro Hospital, accompanied by one of the adult chaperones. One of the broken arms, a 13-year-old boy, insisted that he wanted to ride ‘up front’ in the ambulance and was allowed to. The male in the car that was hit by the tree had been extracted and was being rushed to the hospital. He was still unconscious but breathing, had a broken arm, and possible internal injuries. It was at this time that I learned the identity of the male, Tom Tyndall, Olivia’s son. I had one of my Deputies wait on the northside of the accident site while I rushed back to find Olivia.
“Come with me, Olivia.”
“Sheriff Farnsworth?”
“Tom’s car was hit by a falling tree. He’s alive, but unconscious on the way to the hospital, has a probable concussion, and a broken arm. That’s all I know at this time.”
“Oh, God. No!”
We started for the door when Olivia said, “Wait,” and ran into The Beat. I saw her approach Chris and they both came running back towards me. I said, “Buckle up. This is going to be a fast ride,” when we got to my cruiser. “I’m going to be tied up with this accident for a few hours. I’ll come up to the hospital as soon as I can.” I transferred them into Deputy O’Brien’s cruiser when we got to the accident site, and sent them on their way.
I went back to The Beat. Derrick was there and I filled him in with what I knew. He was leaving for the hospital, taking a long detour around the still blocked road. I found out that the bus was from the Manchester area and was headed to the water park at the Alpine Glen Ski Area. The chaperones had reached at least one of each of the kids’ parents, and all the kids here had spoken with a parent. Because of the limited lodging in Greensboro, it was decided that only parents of the 8 hospitalized kids would come up. The charter bus company was sending another bus that was bringing the eight kids’ parents and would eventually pick up the kids and continue up to Alpine Glen.
Dr. Kate was there and had been talking with all the kids. I got her aside and asked how the kids were dealing with the crash.
“Most of them surprisingly seemed to regard it as some kind of adventure, Elmer. Those at the hospital may obviously feel differently. I called Kaitlyn Jankowski to give her a heads up.”
Kaitlyn is the hospital’s Social Worker. I noticed that Alicia was also there talking with the kids. Everything seemed to be under control here, so I headed back to the accident site. There was another 18-wheeler there which was being filled with the contents of the overturned trailer. Four heavy duty wreckers were on site and were preparing to right the truck. The trees were all moved off the traveled part of the road and Tom’s wrecked car had been removed.
Sheriff Farnsworth 9:35 PM
Both the truck and the bus were upright. The bus was just about to be towed and the truck also looked like it was ready to leave. The truck belonged to one of the big nationwide trucking firms and the driver was based in Ohio. I asked him what his plans were. He said, “I normally sleep in my truck. I’ll try to find a place for the night. The company will fly me home once I can get to Manchester Airport.”
“Let me see If I can find a place for you to stay tonight.”
I went back to my car while the driver watched the final steps of his rig being towed away. I called Laura, explained the situation to her, and asked if she minded his staying in one of our unused bedrooms. I had asked for a background check on the driver as part of my accident investigation. He worked for the company for 17 years with no accidents, and had no violations of any kind. I felt that he was a safe guest. I waved him over to my car as his truck was being towed away.
“Hop in, my friend. I’ve found a place for you for and a hot meal to boot.”
“Thanks, Sheriff. Where are we going?”
“My place. It’s the next driveway.”
He looked astonished as we pulled into the driveway. I led him into the mudroom where Laura greeted us.
“Laura, this is Stan, the unfortunate victim of today’s windshear.”
“Laura will feed you. I probably won’t see you until the morning as I still have a few details to attend to. There’s a 10:30 AM bus to Manchester which stops at the airport. We’ll get you on it. I have to go to the hospital, Laura. I’ll call when I’m leaving.”
I gave her a kiss and headed back out.
Laura Farnsworth
“Let me get dinner re-heated, Stan. In the meantime, I’ll find a pair of Elmer’s sweat pants and a shirt. I suggest that you take a shower and put my husband’s clothes on while I’ll wash yours. I assume everything you travel with was in your truck? ”
“Yes.”
“I also assume that you will be more comfortable and more welcome on the plane tomorrow if your clothes were clean and dry. ”
“I don’t know what to say. Thank you.”
I collected the clothes and handed him a clean towel.
“Follow me. The bathroom’s here. The room you’ll use is at the end of the hall on the left. Take your shower and bring your dirty clothes back to me. I’ll have your dinner ready.
Sheriff Farnsworth
The road had been cleared of debris and reopened by the time that I returned to the accident site. I paged Kaitlyn Jankowski to see if she was still there upon arriving at the hospital. She was.
“Can you give me an update on where we stand, Kaitlyn?”
“The broken bones are all set and should heal well. The concussion kid is alert and seems like he’ll be okay. The parents are due here in about 15 minutes, so there should soon be some joyful reunions. I’m not sure of the current status of the Tyndall male. The family is in the waiting room outside the OR.”
“Thanks, Kaitlyn.”
I made my way to the OR and found Olivia, Derrick, and Chris.
“Evenin’, Folks. Any news?”
Olivia responded with, “Tom has a broken arm and is in surgery for a ruptured spleen.”
Doc Watson entered the room as she finished talking.
“Good news, Folks. Surgery on his spleen went well. His arm is in a cast, but should heal just fine. He had regained consciousness before we started surgery, and between talking with him then, and the battery of diagnostic tests that we did, we don’t believe there are any other internal organs involved or damaged. No guarantees, of course, but we’re guardedly optimistic for a full recovery. He’s in the recovery room, still a bit groggy from the anesthesia. Let’s give him a few more minutes to recover and I’ll come back and get you.”
“Thank You, Dr. Watson.”
***
“Come with me, Folks. Tom’s alert now. I should warn you that he’s pretty tired, so this should be a short visit.”
It seemed that my night was done, so I walked out with Doc Watson after he left the others with Tom.
“Quite the night, wasn’t it, Elmer?”
“I feared for the worst when I heard the ‘mass casualty event’ broadcast and it involved an overturned bus. I’d say that we were pretty lucky today considering the possible outcomes. What’s the status of the of the eight kids admitted here?”
“I didn’t have anything to do with them directly, but I understand that they’re all doing well and their parents are here. They should all be discharged tomorrow. How are the rest of the kids in the group?”
“Good question. Let me check.
“Amy, ….. Sheriff Farnsworth. What’s the situation with the kids from the bus? ….. Uh huh…… Really? …. Okay….. Thanks, Amy. Bye. Due to the lack of other accommodations in Appleton, it seems the decision was made that the kids would have a sleepover at The Beat tonight. Olivia’s Restaurant fed them, and Shiloh and Erik, two of the owners, managed to scrounge up sleeping bags and cots from the Boy Scouts and other sources. Erik, the DJ, played music up until a few minutes ago. Alicia and a couple of the other daycare staff helped manage them.”
“Well, it’s been a long day, Doc. I’m heading home. Good night.”
I headed out to my car and called Laura.
“Everything is under control at the hospital. The kids and Tom Tyndall are all doing well. I’m leaving the hospital for home. Think you can rustle up some dinner? Thanks, Laura. Love you. Bye.”
***
Chris
Dr. Watson led us to Tom’s room, then left with the Sheriff. Olivia went over, held Tom’s hand and kissed him on the forehead. She said, “I knew something was wrong when Sheriff Farnsworth came into the restaurant. The last few hours since he told me that you were unconscious and were being transported by ambulance, status unknown, have been the worst of my life. I’m so glad that you’re going to be alright.”
Tom smiled weakly and said, “I don’t exactly feel ‘alright’ just yet. ”
“Give it a little more time.”
“No one has told me what happened.”
Derrick had the most complete story and explained it to all of us. I burst into tears and rushed to Tom’s side when I heard the actual details, giving him the most awkward hug of our lives.
“Easy, Chris. You’re going to drown me.”
“You goofball. I was so afraid for you, not knowing what was happening. I thought that I was going to lose you. I love you so much.”
“I love you too.”
“I think that’s our cue to leave, Derrick. We’ll be back in the morning, Tom.”
***
Tom was moved from the recovery room to the nearby post-op surgery floor just after Olivia and Derrick left. His nurse left after he was settled, and returned with a hospital style reclining chair.
“This is the most comfortable chair that I can offer if you’re planning on staying the night, Miss. I’ll be back with a pillow and a blanket.”
“Thanks. I’m Chris.”
“Erica.”
Erica returned a few minutes later, rolling in a cart with meds and medical paraphernalia on the top, and a blanket and pillow on the lower shelf.
“Time to give Tom a mild sedative. He needs to get some sleep after the day he had.” After that was accomplished and she entered the information in her computer, she said,
“Hospital rules require me to document names and relationships of any overnight guests. Only family members are technically supposed to stay in the patient’s room, but their definition of ‘family member’ is quite loose. You are…..?”
“Chris Mathews, Girlfriend, Partner?”
Tom mumbled, “More than that, Lover.”
I blushed; Erica grinned.
“Meds sometimes reveal innermost thoughts. I’ll just enter ‘Partner’.”
Erica turned off the lights as she was leaving, and said, “I sorry about the constant beeping. Try to get some sleep. I will be stopping in periodically, but I’ll try to be quiet. Good night, Chris.”
I contemplated what my actual relationship with Tom was after Erica left. ‘Girlfriend’ seemed too high-schoolish, partner seems the best fit, but he did say ‘more than that’. This day made me realize how much I like Tom, that I’m in love with him. I was emotionally and physically exhausted from the day’s events. All these thoughts were swirling through my mind as I slowly succumbed to sleep.
Friday, July 19 6:00 AM
Chris
I woke up stiff and cramped. Tom was still asleep as I walked around the room, trying to stretch the stiffness away when Erica walked in and handed me a coffee, setting cream, sugar, and a stir stick on the table.
“Complements of the staff. The coffee here is pretty good.”
“Thanks,” I said as I questioningly looked at her.
“I thought that I recognized your name last night. I googled you during a slow period. You’re a heroine to all the female staff here, protecting your friend and disabling three men, one with a knife. I wish that I could do more to show our appreciation, but coffee is the best I can do.”
I was blushing deeply. “Thanks for the coffee. ”
Tom began to stir about that time.
“Hey, there. How are you feeling?”
“Like a truck hit me.”
“No, it was just a big ol’ pine tree.”
Erica took his vitals and said, “Dr. Watson indicated that you can have a light breakfast today, toast and apple juice. You can probably have a real meal for lunch if you can keep that down. He will be in later this morning. How are you, Chris?”
“Tired, stiff, and feeling grubby. Sheriff Farnsworth shuttled us past the blocked roadway yesterday, so I don’t have my car. I’ll see about getting home later.”
“I get off at 7:00 and will give you a ride. If you want, you can take a shower to freshen up and let the hot water relax your stiff muscles. I’m sure that I can borrow a set of hospital scrubs for you. You can either reuse your underwear or go commando until you get home.”
“Thanks, Erica. I have a spare set of undies in my purse. You never know when you may need them.”
Erica laughed as she left the room, returning a few minutes later, and handing me a set of scrubs, a towel, a facecloth, and bottles of shampoo and body wash. “These are normally for patient use, but here you go. I’ll show you to the staff shower.”
The shower felt delightful. I returned to Tom’s room just before 7:00. Tom seemed alert, so I said, “I’m going to pick up my car and some clothes, talk to Erik, and be back as soon as I can.”
Erica walked in just as I was kissing Tom. She said, “Get a room, you two,” with a giggle.
We passed the accident site as we approached Appleton. There were cut up trees on both sides of the road for only a couple hundred feet, nothing before or after. Tom, the truck, and the bus were all just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Erica dropped me off at our home.
I changed out of the scrubs and into my own clothes, packed an overnight bag with a few days’ necessities, and went down to my car. Samantha was just getting out of her car.
“How’s Tom?”
I told her what I knew and headed over to Olivia’s to get some breakfast. I was surprised to see Olivia there.
“Better to keep busy. Tell Tom that we’ll be up after the lunch rush is over. You should go over to The Beat after you eat.”
I ate and headed to The Beat. Amy and Peggy were serving breakfast to the kids and the chaperones. Erik was Djing, and Ed, one of the part time bartenders, was doing magic tricks. Alicia was talking with some of the younger kids. Shiloh was taking pictures of the activities. There were sleeping bags everywhere. I approached Erik.
“Sorry for bailing on you yesterday.”
“No worries. The Beat was closed last night and this crowd didn’t exactly need a bartender.” He chuckled at his own joke. “Don’t worry about coming to work for the next few nights. We’ve got your shifts covered until at least next Friday. We’ll see where we are at that time.”
“Thanks, Erik.”
I went up to Amy, who greeted me with a big hug. “How’re you doing, Chris? I hear that Tom’s doing okay.”
“We’re both better than yesterday.”
“I understand that the 8 kids in the hospital will be discharged this morning. The bus will bring them here, pick up this group and they’ll head home rather than continuing up to Alpine Glen. Alicia and I’ll come up to see you and Tom after the kids leave and we get this place back to normal.”
There were two people in Tom’s room when I arrived back at the hospital, a man about 40 and a young, attractive woman in her early 20s. The man introduced himself.
“Hi, I’m Scott McKenzie, supervisor for the software teams at work.”
“I’m Jennifer Boswell, friends call me Jen. Tom and I work on the same team.”
“Chris Mathews, Tom’s partner.”
“Oh! You’re the lucky one. All the women at work are so jealous of you. Tom talks about you all the time. Always good things, by the way.”
I glanced over at Tom. I’ll have to find out what the ‘good things’ were after they left. I was initially concerned that Jen, attractive as she was, might have designs on Tom, but her comments relaxed me.
Scott said, “We’re so happy to hear that you should make a full recovery, Tom. The information that we got yesterday was not very promising. Company policy has been to pay our employees their full salary in situations like this, so you don’t have to worry about that. Management has been toying with the concept of allowing employees to work from home in certain situations. We’d like you to consider being our guinea pig when you feel up to it, Tom. It’ll give you a chance to start at your own pace. We hope for a speedy and full recovery in the meantime.”
Jen and Scott left, but they were just the first of a seemingly never-ending stream of visitors.
First were a couple I vaguely recognized from Olivia’s wedding. The woman rushed over and gave Tom a big hug, saying, “I was so upset when Mom called yesterday. Michael and I took today off after she called back with an update that you were going to be okay, and drove over from Portsmouth this morning.” She turned to me and introduced herself. “I’m Beth, Tom’s twin sister, and this is Michael.”
Thus, our day began. Amy and Alicia, Olivia and Derrick, Shiloh and Erik, Sheriff Farnsworth, Samantha, Tom’s grandparents, Mary and Jack Tyndall, Zack and Michael, several more from Tom’s work, some who I didn’t get a chance to be introduced to, presumably Tom’s old friends from the area, all came to offer their good wishes and engage in small talk.
***
Dr. Watson scheduled some follow-up diagnostic tests in the afternoon. He stopped by when the results were in.
“Everything looks really promising, Tom. Your arm should heal well. We can’t see any other internal injuries or abdominal bleeding at this time. You had a Grade I spleen rupture, which is the mildest category, the surgery went well, you’re young and otherwise healthy, so we expect you’ll make a full recovery. Any abdominal surgery is considered major, so you’ll be our guest for a few more days. You’ll be restricted in your physical activity for about 6 weeks assuming that all goes well. Sorry to spoil your summer, and it probably doesn’t feel like it now, but you are a very lucky young man.”
***
Erica came on shift at 11:00 PM.
“I hear that half of Lake County visited you today. How are you doing, Tom?”
“Tired, but okay otherwise.
“How’s your pain level?”
“Mostly not bad, but noticeable if I move.”
“So, don’t move. Seriously though, I can give you something for pain and something to help you sleep.”
“I’ll pass on both for now.”
“I see you’ve been eating solid food for lunch and dinner. How have you tolerated that?”
“No problems.”
“I’ll be checking in on you all night. Use the call button if you want or need anything.”
Erica left the room with that, but returned a short time later, wheeling a second bed in. She removed the chair from last night and rolled the second bed tight against Tom’s.
“This is for you, Chris. You can hold hands, but nothing more. More explicitly, don’t even think about moving onto his bed. I’m already stretching the rules as it is.”
“Understood. Thanks, Erica.”
She smiled. “You’re welcome. You’ll have plenty of time to snuggle soon enough.”
***
Sunday, July 14
Chris
Tom was making good progress. One major milestone was when his Foley catheter was removed. Bedpans were a thing of the past, and he could use the toilet. Getting from the bed to the bathroom was a major production, however, still needing a lot of support to move even that short distance. The stream of visitors remained steady all weekend.
Beth and I had a several conversations over the last couple of days. Getting to know her was, perhaps, the silver lining of the week. She said to Tom, “Hey, brother of mine. You’ve got a winner in Chris. She’s a big upgrade from Anita. Make sure that you treat her right once you’re up and about or you’ll answer to me,” as she was preparing to leave.
“I’ll do my best, sister of mine. Love you.”
“Love you, too, Bro.”
With that, Beth gave him a careful hug, then gave me one, and left for Portsmouth.
Wednesday, July 17
Chris
Dr. Watson made his rounds while Amy was visiting, and said that they would do another set of tests on Friday, and Tom would be discharged that afternoon if they all came back good. He continued, “I realize that you probably need to get back to work, Chris, but it would be ideal not to leave Tom alone for an extended time, at least for the next week or so. Is there anybody who can either stay with him while you work, or can you periodically check up on him?”
“I hadn’t thought about that. We’ll work something out.”
“I’ll also schedule a daily visit from a Visiting Nurse Association nurse and a Physical Therapist for the first week that Tom’s home. We’ll reassess at that time.”
I said to Amy, “I’m not sure how to do that after he left. We live close to work, but I can’t run home multiple times on a busy night.”
“You could check in by phone.”
“Possibly, but it’s not the same.”
“Maybe I could alternate with you. Let me talk to Erik and Alicia.”
***
Thursday, July 18
Amy
“We have a solution, Chris, Tom. I talked with Erik and Alicia. You two will stay in my apartment for the time being. Michael had invited Alicia to stay at his place last weekend, but those plans changed after the accident. She’s talked with Michael and will stay there tomorrow night and Saturday night. I’ll either share a bed with Alicia on Sunday and the rest of the week, or stay with Zack. Alicia and I had to share a bed as kids, so it won’t be weird. She is my sister after all.”
“Erik said that between himself, Olivia, Chris, Alicia, and I, whoever is least busy can briefly run upstairs to my apartment and check on you Tom. The only problem I see is that my apartment is upstairs, so you’d have to deal with that, but you’d also have to do that at your place.”
Tom replied, “We can’t impose on all of you like that.”
“It’s all set up, Tom. All your friends want you to make a speedy recovery. It’s about the only thing we can do that is actually useful, and it’s only going to be for a short time.”
Chris embraced me in a big hug.
Chris
“Thank you, Amy. Don’t argue with her, Tom. Amy can be notoriously stubborn when she wants to be.”
I noticed Amy smirking.
“Thank you, Amy.”
Friday, July 19 Morning
Chris
Erica was just finishing up her shift and said, “It looks like your vacation ends today, Tom, and you’ll be checking out of our lovely resort.” She looked at me and continued, “Like most doctors, Doc Watson doesn’t like to address a patient’s sexual needs, so I will. In his discharge advice, he will warn you, with some variation of the following, to ‘avoid all strenuous activities, including lifting, twisting, exercise, etc.’ Buried in that advice is ‘don’t have sex’. I know that this will be hard to hear, much less adhere to, but don’t do it. Doing anything that requires using your abdominals too soon will land you right back here for additional surgery to repair your self-inflicted damage. As much as I like you two, I’d much rather see you anywhere but here in the future.”
“Doc won’t tell you this, but you can attempt to make love once you can stand up from a sitting position without pain. I warn you that this may not be for 4 to 6 weeks. Don’t rush it, and you should initially be on your back and Chris on top, Tom. Be careful, slow, and gentle the first time. In the meantime, after 2 or 3 weeks, Chris can give you a hand or BJ if you guys are into that, as long as you try to minimize your movements and don’t thrust, Tom. I’m afraid that you’ll just have to take care of yourself, Chris.
“I can see that you’ve been thinking about this by the fact that both of you are in full blush. Attempting to have sex too soon is one of the leading causes of relapses and repeat surgeries in abdominal patients. Just wait. You’ll thank me in the long run.”
Chris
Erica finished up her duties and said her goodbyes and good luck.
“Thanks for everything, Erica. Thanks for that lecture. We’ll try to behave.”
“I didn’t say that you can’t sleep together, but keep it to sleeping. You can snuggle, but Tom should stay on his back, at least initially. Ask the nurse or physical therapist when you can start sleeping on your side if that’s your preferred position, Tom, and do wait a couple of weeks before you….. do anything.”
Erica left with that. Tom was taken for his battery of tests after breakfast. Dr. Watson showed up around 11:00.
“All good news, Tom. You’re free to go home today, with restrictions.” Dr. Watson handed both of us both a sheet of discharge instructions, a long list of dos and don’ts.” The most important thing for you to have a rapid and successful recovery is to take these instructions seriously and to limit your physical activity.”
“I gather from your expressions that Erica gave you her normal discharge advice. I can’t disagree with anything that she said. You should get a call this afternoon from both the VNA and the PT department to schedule daily appointments starting tomorrow. I’ll see you back here next Friday. Best of luck to you.”
The day nurse came in with a wheelchair and took us to the main entrance. I stopped at the hospital pharmacy and picked up the scripts that Dr. Watson had ordered, then retrieved my car and we headed to Appleton. I parked close to the entrance and called Amy and Olivia. We arrived at Amy’s apartment working together and, stopping every few steps, we got Tom upstairs. I convinced Tom to use the bathroom before getting into bed. Olivia left the room while I helped him strip down to his boxers. Amy and I assisted him settling into the bed.
I went to our apartment while Amy and Olivia stayed with Tom, piled a week’s worth of dirty clothes in the washer, and packed clothes for the two of us. I waited until the washer finished and transferred everything to the dryer and left. They may be a wrinkled jumble when I can get back here, but they were mostly shorts, tees, panties, bras, and socks, so I wasn’t worried.
I stopped at the store downstairs to pick up some food for the next few days.
Samantha asked, “How’s Tom doing?”
I gave her the current optimistic outlook and returned to Amy’s place. She helped me carry the groceries and suitcases upstairs, after which we both started to prepare for work. While Amy may not be sleeping in her apartment, it was logistically easier to leave most of her clothes here.
***
Olivia stayed until 6:00, then headed home. Either Erik, Amy, or I managed to check on Tom about once an hour. It almost seemed unnecessary, but doctor’s orders. Alicia and Michael came in after work, had some food, and danced most of the early evening before leaving around 9:00.
Michael
We went up to Alicia’s apartment, grabbed her overnight bag, and started to drive to my place. She had explained about Tom and Chris using Amy’s apartment. Alicia was staying at my place for the first time.
I spent most of Thursday evening cleaning my house. I normally am pretty neat, but I definitely wanted to make a good impression on Alicia. My house is actually a log cabin that came as precut logs. Unlike traditional log cabins, the outside of the logs was milled to look like clapboards and the interior surfaces looked like tongue and groove boards. I contracted the site work, foundation, and standing seam roof. Zack, my father, and I did the rest of the work to finish it.
It has two bedrooms and a bath upstairs, a kitchen, dining area, living area, and half bath on the first floor. I’m located at the end of Oak Hill Road, a dirt road, up in the foothills above Appleton. Because of challenges of snow, ice, the steep climb, and/or the condition of the road bed in winter, my car is a 4×4 pickup, which I also use for work. I had spent time cleaning its interior Friday afternoon. I didn’t waste time washing the outside since I had to drive over two miles on a dirt road that was going to be rain-soaked tomorrow.
Alicia said, “I’m glad that you drove today,” while we were driving up Oak Hill Road.
“It’s not usually a difficult drive except after a heavy snowfall.”
Although it was dark when we arrived at my home, Alicia exclaimed, “It’s cute.”
That was probably not the description I’d use. I grabbed her overnight bag and we headed inside. I gave her the nickel tour, described building it, and ended up in my bedroom where I left her bag.
“The bathroom’s there if you need it.”
“Not now. Michael, I’m impressed that you built this yourself.”
“I did have help from Zack and Dad.”
“It’s still quite an accomplishment.”
We went to bed and made love.
Chris
Friends approached the bar and asked how Tom was doing all night long. We finished our closing duties and I went up, took a shower, and crawled into bed next to his already sleeping body, totally exhausted and immediately fell asleep myself.
Saturday, July 20 Early morning
Chris
I sensed Tom stirring.
“Sorry to wake you, but I really need to pee.”
I asked, “Ready for some coffee?” after we accomplished that and got Tom back in bed, propped up with a couple of pillows.
I made a pot after getting an affirmative response, and brought two mugs back to bed. I sensed him looking at me once I finished mine, and turned towards him. “What?”
“We’ve only known each other for less than a year, but I’m feeling deeply in love with you. We seemed to have been forced to deal with the ‘in sickness and in health’ so often part of the marriage vows although we are not married. That’s supposed to be for old folks, not someone our age.”
Wow! In love, then marriage and marriage vows all in the same couple of sentences. What does that mean, does he …. is he …. is this just an emotional reaction to his nearly dying? “You can’t believe the emotions I felt when Sheriff Farnsworth told us that a tree had crushed your car, that you were unconscious and on the way to the hospital, Tom! The next few hours, until Dr. Watson came out of surgery and gave us his guardedly optimistic prognosis, were the longest and most terrifying of my life. The longer we waited, the more I dreaded what I might hear. I love you so much, I’m so happy to be here with you.”
I started to reach over to hug him, but stopped myself. I reached over and held his hand. “Don’t move. Remember what Dr. Watson and Erica said. I want to hug you, hell I want to make love to you, but overriding those things is that I want you to recover. Quickly.”
He smiled and held my hand, probably the greatest gesture of love that he could make under the circumstances.
Michael
We got up to a rainy day, had breakfast, and planned for the rest of the day
“Do you think that you may be up for a movie tonight? Any outside activities will be limited with the rain. My offer to make dinner is still there, or we can eat out.”
“I want to see what Line Cook Bradford can do, so yeah let’s eat here. I wonder what’s playing?”
“I checked the Bijou Theater’s website. Their lineup this week is: Rocket Man, an Elton John bio-pic; Wine Country, a road trip movie; Echo in the Canyon, a documentary about 1960s music coming out of LA; and The Sting, the Newman and Redford classic. The Bijou often features oldies on one screen.”
“Let’s see The Sting. Times?”
“5:15 and 7:40.”
“We can relax afterwards, have some wine with dinner, and not worry about having to drive if we take in the early showing. Would that be too late to start dinner?
“The early show will get us back to my place around 8:00. I was originally planning to grill steaks on the BBQ. I could still do that depending on when the rain stops. They will be oven broiled otherwise. They won’t take long to cook in either case. I’ll prep the rest before we leave.”
***
We arrived at the Bijou and got seats nearly dead center of the theater. I don’t know if it was the rain, the early showing, or a lack of interest in The Sting, but there were only about a couple of dozen other people watching it with us. Alicia who was to my left, leaned in to me and left her hand on my thigh for most of the show. I had my arm behind her, resting my hand on her shoulder. We were comfortably close, but not engaging in anything at all intimate.
I was happily surprised to find the rain had stopped as we exited the theater. Alicia remarked again, “I’m glad that you’re driving,” once we were on Oak Hill Rd.
“It’s not so bad once you know the way.” I said, “Dinner will only take about 15 minutes from start to sit-down,” after we arrived home. “Are you ready now or would you like to sit on the front porch with a glass of wine?”
“The rain’s stopped, it’s in the mid-seventies, so let’s enjoy a glass before dinner.”
I fetched a hand towel to wipe the two Adirondack chairs off, uncorked and poured some wine, and we settled in beside each other. I said, “This is one of my favorite Zins. I hope that you like it. Cheers!” as I handed the wine to her.
Alicia observed, “It’s really relaxing here. Your house is lovely, it’s quiet up here and the view is very pastoral,” after we clinked our glasses.
The land in front of my home slopes down towards the valley. The first 20 or so acres are fenced in as a pasture, with about a dozen cows grazing.
“Those are either first calf heifers or dry cows put out to pasture until they are ready to freshen.”
“Freshen?”
“Give birth and start milk production. The older, dry cows get about a two-month break at the end of their pregnancy to recover before their next calf is born and milk production starts again.”
The mosquitos and black flies arrived, so we returned to the kitchen after I started the grill. I got the broccoli and its sauce going, the steaks grilling, and the salad and dressing out. We sat down to eat when the food was ready.
***
Alicia
We cleaned up the dishes, Michael poured the last of the wine, and we moved into the living room, settling down on the couch.
“That was good, Michael. I can put a good word in with Olivia for your line cooking skills if your woodworking business ever fails. Good cooks are always in demand.”
I realized I didn’t know how his business is doing and my little joke may have been inappropriate, but his quick laugh reassured me.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence. Business is strong right now, but maybe we could start a dance studio together if it did fail.”
I didn’t see that one coming. Is he trying to tell me something or did he speak before thinking like I did? I decided that my best course of action was to lead the conversation in a different direction.
“Tell me more about your business. What do you make?”
“We design and manufacture wooden items. Furniture, kitchen cabinets, front doors, bar tops, wooden fixtures for offices and businesses, basically anything wooden for the home or business. We generally don’t do production runs. Most of our business is for unique, custom-made items.”
“There’s a market for that around here?”
“Not really. I grew up in Lake County and liked it here enough to come back after college. There is an abundance of furniture quality lumber produced locally, and generally in neighboring areas of northern New England. We primarily work with one sawmill run by one of my oldest friends. He sets exceptional logs aside for me when he notices some come in. He’ll process anything that we want or need from what’s on offer, to our specific needs.”
“To answer your question, two of my best friends from college are an architect and an interior architect who work together. They are located in the Boston area. They design higher-end homes and have been the source of many jobs, especially when we were starting out. We’re getting referrals from friends of some of our earlier customers at this point.”
“Where did you go to school?”
“The Rhode Island School of Design.”
“Wow, Michael. I’m impressed.”
“I was lucky. My grades were decent in high school and I had a wonderful guidance counselor who encouraged me to apply to RISD. I told her that my parents could never afford tuition there. She apparently had a friend in admissions there and was aware that RISD was trying to build up their woodworking program. She also knew that there was some scholarship money available to accomplish this goal. She guided me through the application process, as well as encouraging me to apply for additional local scholarships. I graduated with very little student debt.”
“You’re business partners with Zack. How’d that get started?”
“He’s two years younger than I am. We always got along well as kids. I think that there was enough age difference between us that we didn’t compete with each other. Anyway, it worked. While I enjoyed my time in Providence, Zack preferred going to a smaller college in a smaller town. He graduated from Johnson State, over in Vermont, with a degree in Woodworking & Fine Furniture Design.”
“We got together after college and started our business. Zack’s easy to work with, to be with.”
‘So are you’, I thought. At this stage of my life, I approach relationships carefully, if that’s where this is headed. There’s just something about Michael that I’m comfortable with. Nothing that he has done has raised any red flags so far. Au contraire, everything about him says ‘Keeper’.
There certainly is the physical attraction, no denying that. We make very compatible partners on the dancefloor with our similar heights and dancing backgrounds. I’ve realized, over time, that we share many common interests. I don’t usually sleep with a guy so early in a relationship but I have known him for a couple of months. It was pretty much a sex-based relationship when I knew Tyler a few years ago, but I like to think that I’ve matured from that high school girl, am making better choices now. My last partner spoiled me for mutually satisfying sex, but the relationship evolved into so much more. I was sorry when he moved for his job.
As a 28-year-old woman who matured in the late 20-teens, I recognize both my desire for sexual fulfillment balanced with the need to be in a well-rounded relationship. I know it’s early with Michael, but I can see a future for us.
Michael
We engaged in more small talk while we finished the remaining wine. We placed the wine glasses on the table and I moved closer to Alicia. She must have been having the same thoughts as I was, as she turned her head towards me and pulled me into a kiss. I said, “Would you like to take this upstairs?” when we finally came up for air. “It’s getting late, and must be around 11:00?”
Alicia stood up, reached down for my hand and said, “Let’s go.” She stated, “I’d like to freshen up with a shower,” after arriving upstairs.
Alicia
I used the toilet and returned to the bedroom.
“You didn’t tell me you had such a big shower. Join me?”
“It was one of the things that I splurged on.”
“Why don’t you use the bathroom if you need to, then come back and undress me.”
While I’m comfortable with my body, and actually enjoy my partner admiring it, I feel that there are times when a person needs privacy. Using the toilet is one of them. It’s just the way I am.
Michael
Alicia had turned down the bed and was sitting on the edge of it when I returned. I removed her shoes and socks, after which she stood up. I undid the button on her jeans, unzipped them, and shimmied them down and off with her help, revealing bright purple panties.
“Purple?”
“Why be boring? Are you complaining?”
“No! No! And you’re right, they aren’t boring.”
I knelt down in front of her, slipped my fingers into the edges and worked them down her long, beautiful legs. I couldn’t help but to nuzzle into her hair, inhaling her aroma.
“Time for that later, Michael.”
I blushed a little. “Sorry, you’re just too tempting.”
I stood up and grasped the edges of her tee-shirt, the Old Man of the Mountain one that she bought at the arts and crafts show, and lifted it up and off, exposing her bra.
“White? I expected purple.”
‘That would show through the tee shirt, Silly. Now it’s your turn.”
She made fast work of undressing me and we entered the bathroom. I adjusted the water temperature and we moved under the water stream. I started by washing her back and legs, spending more time then needed on her ass. She returned the favor. I started on her shoulders when she turned to face me, worked down her flanks and washed her abs. I worked back up and spent a lot of time washing her breasts, evidently too much, as she said, “I think that they’re probably clean enough.”
She smirked as I blushed. “Sorry.”
I moved down and did her legs.
“My bush and girl parts probably could use some attention. ”
I did as she asked, but limited my time and attention to actually cleaning her. Alicia then washed me. She did spend some time, probably more than necessary, cleaning my penis and balls, getting me half hard. I turned the hand shower on and rinsed her off. She did the same to me.
We headed for the bed after drying off. We just laid on top of the sheets and snuggled against each other since it was warm, and she had already moved the comforter down to the foot of the bed. I started by kissing her, then moved down to her breasts.
“You don’t have to be so tentative.”
Okay. I lavished attention on her left breast until her moans became louder, culminating in a mild orgasm. I moved over and directed my attention to her right breast. She responded faster and stronger this time. She said, “Lovely, Michael. Thanks,” after she calmed down.
I started to move down when she interrupted me with, “Make love to me.”
Missionary seemed the logical choice since she was already lying on her back. I positioned myself above her after donning the requisite condom, spread her hair and lips, then eased myself into her warm and wet vagina. I stopped to savor that divine and excruciatingly wonderful sensation that entering your lover enkindles once I was fully in. I lifted my hips up until I was nearly fully out after relishing the feelings for a few seconds, before sliding back in. Our pace picked up over the next few minutes, with Alicia thrusting up to meet my downward strokes. I was quickly approaching my point of no return when Alicia’s orgasm triggered my own.
“So good.”
“Yes, it was”
I turned the bedside lamp off and we managed to slip under the sheet.
Sunday, July21
Michael
I woke up first, not surprisingly, since I had worked on a farm when younger. Old habits are hard to break. I grabbed my bathrobe, went downstairs, used the bathroom, made coffee, and prepped the ingredients to make an omelet. I poured myself a cup of coffee since I didn’t know when she might get up, and sat down to enjoy it when I heard the toilet upstairs flush a half an hour or so later, and Alicia came down, only wearing her tee shirt.
“Do you always get up so early?”
“Early is relative. I’d probably toss and turn and wake you up if I stayed in bed once I was awake. I thought that you should sleep until your internal clock woke you up naturally. Besides, I had coffee all ready for you this way. Want some?”
“Yes, please.”
I poured us each a cup. “It’s already over 70. Want to sit out on the front porch.?” We headed out and sat on the Adirondack chairs.
“This is so nice and relaxing. You have a lovely place here, Michael.”
“Thanks. I like it.”
We were nearly finished with our coffee when Alicia jumped up, pointed towards the pasture and exclaimed,
“Michael, I think that cow is having her calf.”
“Which one?”
“On the left, closest to the fence.”
“She sure is. Let me call Jack, the farmer whose cows these are.”
We went in and I called. “Mary, it’s Michael Bradford. Is Jack handy? No, just tell him one of his cows is calving. Anything that we should do? Okay. I’ll call back if she looks distressed. I’ll see Jack when he gets here otherwise. Bye.”
“Jack is still milking. He’ll be here as soon as he can. Want to go help deliver a calf? Fair warning, you may get muddy with the recent rain.”
“I’m game. I do have a change of clothes to put on later if necessary.”
We got dressed and walked down to the gate and let ourselves in.
“That fence is electric, so be careful.”
We could see the calf’s legs protruding from her vagina when we approached the cow.
“You had a sharp eye to notice her in labor.”
“You said these were all pregnant cows last night. I saw her tail up and saw what we now know are the calf’s front legs. I am a female and know how babies come into this world. Elementary, my dear Watson.”
“The head should be showing shortly. If all goes smoothly, the calf should be on the ground and nursing soon. This is not a first calf heifer, so it should be an uneventful birth.”
“And you know this how?”
“I worked for Jack several summers. Jack Tyndall. His son, Greg, was married to Olivia. Olivia got pregnant with twins, Tom and Beth, then Greg was killed in the war shortly after. Jack comes off as a little gruff, a taciturn old Yankee farmer. He’s really a decent, hardworking guy once you get to know him.”
“Small world, isn’t it? Life in a small town. Look! There’s the head.”
The birth went smoothly from there. The mother was cleaning off her baby a short time later. The little one struggled to its feet and started nursing just as Jack’s old pickup and livestock trailer rumbled into view, stopping outside the gate.
“Mornin’, Michael, Miss.”
“Jack, this is my friend, Alicia. We were having coffee on the front porch when Alicia noticed the cow was in labor. The calf’s been nursing for about 5 minutes.”
Jack approached Alicia and shook hands. “Nice to meet you, Alicia. Thanks for noticing her. Kelly wasn’t due for another two weeks. She was early last time. We can name her Alicia if you want since the calf is a heifer, and you saw her first. Never had an Alicia in the herd before.”
“I never had a calf named after me, Jack. Thanks.”
“Let me go turn this rig around in your yard, Michael. It will be easier to load if I’m headed downhill. Would you mind giving me a hand loading these two?”
I said to Alicia, “Jack’s very particular in naming his calves,” after he left. “It may not seem like much to you, but that was a bit of an honor that he bestowed on you.”
Jack returned, parked the truck, and opened the trailer ramp. He brought two halters and lead ropes back.
“Would you open the gate, Alicia? That fence is hot, so only hold on to the yellow plastic handles. Just walk away from the fencepost, keeping the two wires stretched tight, until there’s enough room for us to pass.”
We got the two animals onto the trailer easily enough.
“Thanks, Michael. You could always come back and work on the farm if you ever get tired of your day job. Nice meeting you, Alicia, thanks for your help. You’re always welcome to come visit your namesake. You can even bring him along with you if you want.”
Everyone chuckled at his last comment. Jack left with that, and we returned to the house.
“I think that a shower is the first order of business.”
The shower was more to cleanse our bodies, rather than an opportunity to explore each other this time. I asked, “What’s your pleasure, Alicia?” after drying off. “I have breakfast prepped, or….?”
“I’m surprisingly hungry. It’s up to you afterwards. It’s too early for ‘an afternoon delight’, but we could engage in a little ‘late morning delight’.
“Breakfast, it is.”
We pulled shorts and tee shirts on, enjoyed our meal on the porch, and did engage in our ‘late morning delight’ afterwards, and it was delightful. I drove Alicia home. As we embraced in her doorway, Amy entered the hallway while we were kissing.
“I’d tell you two to take it inside, but that’s where I’m going. Sheesh.”
To be continued.
I sincerely hope you appreciate this story for what I intended: A place to relax and escape from the stresses of the modern world, at least for a little while.
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Guy
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