CheapLit: Free ebook sample of "Bootstraps and Grease" by RGS

“I can’t have my boy going off to his first day on a new job on an empty stomach” He sat down at the table. She brought his breakfast over, sat down and watched him eat.

That scene would come back to him many times long after she was gone. He finished his breakfast, kissed her goodbye, and was off. He arrived at the yard at twenty minutes of three. Jim was already there thumping the tires with a hammer. He had a reputation of being able to tell within a couple pounds if a tire was up to pressure by the thump. Bill helped to check the lights and turn signals. Jim raised the hood, checked the oil looked around the engine compartment for anything suspicious.

“I know she’s brand new,” he said, “But I have a routine and if I don’t follow the routine I feel like I forgot something.” He closed the hood, latched it down and climbed into the cab. The big engine roared to life. Standing next to it was an exhilarating feeling. Jim let it warm up while he checked the gauges. You could hear the air compressor loading up the air tanks. He took his log book down from the visor, made a couple of entries and said, “Well I guess we’re ready to

go.” He pulled out of the shop. Bill closed the big garage door, and for the first time climbed into the cab. As they pulled out onto the road, Jim said, “Three o’clock on the dot.”

Bill was a bit surprised at how spacious the cab seemed. The view from this height was very gratifying. You could survey the traffic a long way up the road. “Cigarette?” asked Jim holding the pack in his direction.

He had tried smoking a couple times before and didn’t get that much out of it, but didn’t want to offend Jim by refusing. He took one saying, “Thanks,” and lit up. Little did he know it was the beginning of the end for him. As they proceeded, Jim produced a steady stream of information about the job, the truck, and the business.

Over the next few months Bill rode shotgun. Each trip Jim would let him drive more and more. Finally, after close to six weeks of training, they were preparing to make a run, when Henry stuck his head out the door and told them to wait a minute.

They both in unison pulled out a pack of smokes and lit up. Henry came out of the office and walked over to Bill and said, “You’re going to need this today.” He handed him his own log book and said, “Jim says you’re ready, so you’re the driver today. Jim’s ridin’ shotgun.”

Two days later when they returned, Henry called them into the office. They all sat down, lit up, and he told Bill of Jim’s decision to retire at the end of the month. Jim and his wife were going to move to Iowa where her family had a big wheat farm. They had been invited to move out there and become a paid member of the family. Jim joked, “I’m tradin’ my truck for a combine.”

Henry said, “The mill called today and they need extra truck, day after tomorrow. Bill, you take number five settin’ back there. She’s all serviced and ready to go.”

Chapter 2

Two days later, Bill left at two thirty. He got to the mill five minutes ahead of Jim and was second in line to get loaded. He headed for Muncie and Jim pulled in for his load. He started his run forty five minutes later.

Just outside of Pittsburgh the road followed along the river for several miles before making a charge into the Appalachian Mountains. As he made his way along the river, the driver in a Cadillac Elderado must have fallen asleep and crossed into Jim’s lane. The tire marks showed the tractor and trailer wheels all locked up, but it was too late.

They collided, and locked together rolled down the bank into the river. A Pennsylvania state trooper on patrol knew those tire marks were not there the last time he passed. When he investigated, he found the tangled mess nearly submerged in the river. It took almost a week to clear the wreckage.

For a long time after that, if you happened to be in the vicinity and a Lake Trucking Rig came by, you might wonder why the long horn blast as they called out to their lost comrade.

After the accident, their morale was quite low for a while, but the work that had to be done got done. As time administered its healing, they all found their own way of dealing with their feelings. Bill for his part concentrated on the job. He had taken over Jim’s slot in the rotation, two round trips a week, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania to Muncie Indiana. The trip took him through Ohio on route 30 through Canton, Massillon, and Wooster.

Back when he was still riding with Jim, he was introduced to the Wooster Truck Stop and pie shop. They were renowned far and wide for their homemade pies. He loved lemon pie. Every trip, he had a slice of lemon pie each way.

The waitresses took to referring to him as Lemon, and automatically brought it to him when he came in. He’d cross them up now and then and ask for apple instead.

He had been making these regular runs for about a year and was on a return run. He went in and sat down to wait for his usual. He liked to use the break to make log entries. He lit a smoke and was attending to the log, when instead of the pie being set before him, one of the sweetest voices he ever heard said,

“May I take your order sir?” He looked up to find him self looking into, in his opinion, the face of an angel. Her long dark brown hair was done up in a pony tail, and those eyes, deep brown pools of mystery.

“Uh, uh, I uh, I’ll have a slice of lemon pie,” he finally managed to say.

“Yes Sir, coming right up,” she said. His eyes followed her as she floated toward the big pie safe. Two of the other waitresses were also at the pie safe and as she reached them one leaned over and said something to her and they all began to giggle. She shot a quick glance in his direction, and then proceeded to get his pie.

“Here you are sir, can I get you anything else?”“No,” he said tentatively unless you would consider telling me your name. She was wearing a name tag but being very well endowed it was at such an angle that he couldn’t read it.

“My name’s Lorain Shehan, everybody calls me Lory.”

“How do you do, Lory, I’m Bill Emerson.”

“Pleased to meet you,” she said sweetly.

Bill had not been the dating kind in his high school days. He was always working at the coal yard from the time he was fourteen. He had gone out with a few girls, but didn’t find it that much fun, and it was expensive. This was different. He never felt anything like this before. He had to get out of there. He quickly paid the bill and headed for the door. As he exited, her voice followed him.

“By-y-y Bill Emerson.”

As he climbed into the cab he realized he was sweating, and it was November. He made three runs before he worked up the courage to stop again. He wasn’t sure whether the pie, or the girl was calling him. When he finally did stop, he sat down at the counter and Rita came over with a slice of lemon pie, just like before. He was looking around trying to not be obvious.

“She’s working second shift,” she said, and gave him a wink.

“Well there it is, he thought, Busted!!” While eating his pie he realized it was the girl. The next trip, he made sure he rolled in during the second shift. When he walked in he quickly surveyed the restaurant. His heart fell, no sight of her. He sat down and opened his log book, lit a cigarette and started making entries.

“Hey stranger,” she said as she set his pie before him. “It’s nice to see you again.”

He looked up into those big brown eyes and knew he was lost forever. She stood there and they talked about, he couldn’t remember what. She would go off and take care of her customers but she always came back. He was quite sure she was interested. Whenever he stopped, she always waited on him and stood there talking to him.

Once he was lingering over the last of his pie, not wanting to leave, and knowing he had to, when a driver, who looked like he hadn’t showered or shaved for a couple weeks, came in and sat right next to him. Lory stepped up and said, “Can I take your order sir?”

“Yah I’ll Have a cuppa Joe,” he said.

“Anything else?” she asked

“Yah, one of those,” he said pointing at her breast.

“You better watch it, friend,” said Bill in a low menacing voice.

“What I’m just makin’ a little joke here,” he said.

Without a word she set off to get his coffee. When she returned, she had exposed one breast and held a saucer under it. The room exploded with laughter as she confronted him. She set the coffee down and said.

“Now what?”

The man stood up, threw a quarter on the counter and stalked out. She calmly replaced her breast and said to Bill,

“The customer is always right, Right?”

“That’s the damndest thing I’ve seen in a long time” said Bill.

“What my breast?” she asked.

“No o o, how you made him run out of here with his tail between his legs”

“That’s probably the only thing, of any importance, he has between his legs. If you call their bluff right off, they always run out of here like that.”

“What if they don’t?” He asked.

She hooked a thumb over her shoulder and said, “there’s always Charley.” She was referring to the cook who looked seven feet tall and three hundred pounds.

Three months passed before he had the courage to ask her for a date. Her answer was, I didn’t think you were ever going to ask.

He timed his next trip so he would hit Wooster during his mandatory down time. He parked the rig in the designated area dropped the trailer and went in through the truckers lounge entrance. He showered, shaved, and dressed in his best suit, and emerged into the restaurant. When the other waitresses saw him, they started whistling and making those embarrassing remarks that are poured on gentlemen who come a courtin’.

Rita came over and said, “Don’t pay any attention to those barbarians, you look great, if I was a few years younger I’d go after you myself. Lory will be out in a sec.”

He sat down and lit a cigarette. It was more than a sec. but the wait was worth it. She wore a long full, tan, brown, orange, and light green plaid skirt, a white scoop neck, off the shoulder sleeveless blouse, with a large ruffle around the neckline.

He snuffed the smoke and met her in front of the cash register. He took both her hands in his and they stood there appraising each other for seconds. She smiled and said,

“You’ll do.” She handed him her coat which he clumsily helped her into.

“Goodbye everybody,” She said, and headed for the door. Bill dutifully fell in behind her and they were gone.

Wooster, like most of the Midwestern towns, rolled up the sidewalks around ten to ten thirty in the evening, but, there was always the area roadhouse somewhere within a distance of ten to fifteen miles. Such was the case with Wooster.

He helped her into the shotgun seat and as she settled into the seat she asked, “You looking up my skirt?”

He smiled despite himself. “Only a little bit, why do you think truck drivers take their girl friends for truck rides?”

“Oh I’m your girlfriend, am I?”

“I sure hope so,” he said.

“So do I,” she said softly.

He closed the door and as he walked around the front of the truck, he did his interpretation of a little jig. Watching him, she smiled to herself.

They drove to the roadhouse where they spent several hours of blissful enjoyment of each other. They ate 12 inch hot dogs and drank root beer and much to Bills chagrin he was induced to dance with her.

After a little instruction and coaxing he found that it wasn’t that hard after all.

Before either one of them was ready it was two a.m., closing time. They went out to the truck and when he helped her up, he took a good look up her skirt. “Ah beautiful,” he said. He went around and climbed in and she said, “I think I’ll have to wear slacks when I ride in a truck with anybody from now on.” He said, “I hope I’m the only one you ever ride in a truck with again.” She looked at him for a long moment, and then said, “So do I.”

Then he said, “And, I hate slacks.”

“So do I,” She said.

Chapter 3

Lorys’ job was a swing shift scenario, so he would co-ordinate his runs so he could see her as much as possible, which was not enough as far as he was concerned. After about five months of this twice a week romance he decided to pop the question.

He knew Henry was curious about his continually changing his departure times, so he decided to tell him the whole story. He poked his head in his office and asked if he had a minute.

“Come on in an sit,” he said “what’s on your mind?” Bill pulled out a cigarette, offered one to Henry and they lit up.

Henry would chuckle now and then, when he said something which flooded him with memories of his own courtship. Bill finished his confession with, “I’m seriously thinking of getting a ring to give her tomorrow.”

Henry looked at him for a long moment, held up his forefinger and said, “Hold on for a minute.” He picked up the phone and dialed. He swiveled his chair around so Bill couldn’t hear the conversation, but he could tell he was talking to Lois. He hung up the phone and turned back to Bill.

“Don’t you think we ought to tell Sylvia?” asked Henry

“I suppose so,” answered Bill.

“Mind if I call her in and enjoy the scene?”

“Ok,” said Bill.

Henry Buzzed Sylvia and she entered.

“Bill’s got a news flash for ya.”

She looked at Bill and said, “When’s the wedding?”

Surprised, Bill said, “How did you know?”

She said, “Oh I’ve seen a few cow-eyed, lovesick guys in my time.”

Bill turned to Henry and asked, “How long?”

Henry said, “Oh, a couple months now.”

He shook his head and said, “It showed that much, huh?”

“It always does,” said Sylvia.

Just then Lois burst through the door.

“Who is she? Where is she? When do we get to meet her?”

“Whoa, Whoa, there, mother, give the boy a chance,” said Henry.

“This is wonderful news. I may get a grand baby yet.”

“Hold on there, mother, the boy is only getting’ engaged. You got him married with kids already.”

“Oh yes,” she said. “that’s why I came over.”

“Here Bill, we want you to have and use this.”

She gave him a green ring box and stepped back beside her husband. He put his arm around her, and the three of them watched as Bill opened the little ring box. His eyes widened when he saw the locking engagement, wedding ring set.

Henry said, “That was the set I bought when we got engaged. We got new ones when we renewed our vows on our twenty-fifth anniversary.”

Bill was overwhelmed. He embraced this woman who had been there for him when his father died and then within two weeks his mother followed him.

“Thank you so very much,” he said. “If mothers and fathers were something a person could choose, I would choose you two.” On that note they all stood up and after hugs all around they went their separate ways.

As Bill left, he said to Sylvia, “I’m going to lay over a day in Wooster.”

“Oh, that’s where she’s from,” she said “Have fun.”

The next day he left for Pittsburgh at two a.m. hoping to be first in line to get loaded. He turned into the mill just ahead of a rig coming from the other direction. He pulled up to the gate and shut off the engine. He looked at his watch, an hour and twenty minutes to wait.

He lit a cigarette and sat there lost in his thoughts. Suddenly the cigarette began to burn his finger. He put it out and crawled into the sleeper knowing they would wake him when they opened up.

He rolled into Muncie and was the last to get unloaded that day. He made Wooster a little after nine in the evening. He went into the restaurant and Rita brought his pie.

“I think I’ll have dinner tonight,” he said.

After he finished dinner and smoked a cigarette, he showered then went out to the truck, crawled into the sleeper for a good nights rest. Lory would meet him in the morning. She said she had the day all planned.

“I don’t think she has all the plans,” he said to himself as he dozed off. About two in the morning he woke up freezing. He fired up the big diesel to get some heat and saw that it was snowing. He let the truck idle and went back to bed.

The alarm went off at seven. He got dressed, shut the truck down, and went into the restaurant to wait for her. She was waiting for him.

“I know I said eight,” she said, “but I couldn’t sleep.”

“I slept like a log,” he said.

“I know,” she said, “we, pointing at Rita, checked.”

“As soon as you finish breakfast, we’ll go,” she said.

They said goodbye to the gang and went out to her car. She drove a Rambler Cross Country station wagon. They got in and she headed down the road.

“Where are we going?” he asked.

“You’ll see” she said.

“Mind if I smoke,” he asked

“Ok,” she said.

He cracked the window to suck the smoke out. The morning was crisp. The sun was shining and last night’s snow was all but gone. They rode along making small talk both just a little uneasy about their first full day together.

After about twenty minutes she turned into a long lane. At the end of it was a very big two story farm house with a large porch all the way around it. There was a large barn with a whole gang of grain silos, a couple machinery sheds and some smaller out buildings.

As they drove up, the front door opened and a large group of people came spilling out. There were her mother’s parents, her father’s father, her mother and father, her three oldest brothers and their wives, two single brothers, and four brothers and three sisters younger than she, Lory was number six, and nineteen children, including the five toddlers in the house.

All of her brothers on worked the farm. The three married ones had their own homes, which were built in strategic locations around the farm. Everyone was there to see Lory’s beau.

Mr. Shehan’s great grandfather obtained the fifteen-hundred acre farm through a presidential land grant. Their primary crop was corn. They also harvested corn for other farmers with their fleet of combines.

Bill had a sudden attack of sadness when he saw the combines. They brought on thoughts of Jim.

“ Would you like the grand tour of the compound?” She asked.

“Sure,” he said. He lit a cigarette and they started out.

The place was in a constant state of organized confusion as children were everywhere. They walked around and there were always a couple children running around them. Lory pointed out the different things that had specific impact on their life, one of which was the old dinner bell near the kitchen door.

Time passed very quickly as he was continually introduced to new things and suddenly the dinner bell began to ring. Everyone’s attention turned toward the kitchen then they heard, “Billy, that’s not funny.” It was only ten thirty.

“Would you like to go for a tractor ride?” asked Lory.

“Sure,” he said.

They went out to one of the machinery sheds, climbed up into the cab of a big John Deere, with four rear tires two on each side and two front tires on each side. She fired it up as Bill climbed in and they were off. The big tractor, with all those mammoth tires just floated over the rows of corn stubble. When you are in the middle of a one hundred-acre field, everything feels so far away.

It was like they were the only two people on earth. She drove toward the tree line at the far side of the field. The heater had warmed the cab to a comfortable temperature. Bill thought to himself how great it was to be alive. When they reached the trees she entered the wooded area and stopped.

“Let’s go for a walk,” she said.

They climbed down and followed a well-used foot path through the trees which led to a lake where her family had created a small private park on its bank. Next to the park was a large pumping station.

“This is where we have family picnics,” she said, and pointing at the pumping station, “that supplies the irrigation system.”

Ice was beginning to creep from the bank especially in the shaded areas under the overhanging trees. “The lake freezes over in the winter,” she said. “We have ice-skating parties with big bonfires.”

It was so peaceful and quiet. They sat at one of the picnic tables. He lit a cigarette and they sat gazing out over the water. She snuggled up next to him. The only sound came from the water lapping at the shore. He put his arm around her and pulled her close. She turned her head to him and he kissed her long and passionately.

“I love you,” he said.

“I love you, too,” she said.

“Will you marry me?” he asked.

She threw her arms around his neck, “Oh! yes, Bill Emerson, Yes! Yes! Yes!”

He reached into his pocket and retrieved the little ring box and handed it to her. She took it, jumped up danced around with it spinning in circles until she nearly fell down from dizziness. She came over to him, sat down in his lap and slowly opened the box.

“Oh, isn’t it beautiful,” she said.

She thrust the box at him and said,

“You put it on my finger,” she said. He took it out and slipped it on. It fit perfectly. She held her hand up to the light in admiration, and then she looked at him with those big brown eyes, leaned over and softly and longingly kissed him.

He opened the little box once again, took the ring holder out and showed her the wedding ring which made her ring complete. He had hidden it there so she wouldn’t mistake the pair as one.

“I want to give this one to you as soon as possible,” he said

Sitting there on his lap she laid her head on his shoulder and they then just sat there in silence. Each filled with thoughts of the future.

Their revelry was suddenly broken by the faint sound of the dinner bell.

“O my goodness,” she said, “it’s lunch time.”

“They sprinted up the path, climbed into the tractor. She turned it around, got it rolling, shifted into its highest gear and they fairly flew across that field. The lugs on all those tires were throwing dirt and corn stocks twenty feet in the air.

Rolling back into the compound, she said, “Come on, I’ll put the tractor away later.”

They went in and entered a large dining room with a table. “Almost as long as my flatbed trailer,” he thought to himself. Lunch for the whole family was traditionally served in the big house, as they called it. The daughter’s-in-law came over to help with the preparation and they would have what amounted to business meetings over lunch.

Everyone was already seated and was passing the food around. Bill never saw so much food on one table before. As they came in Lory with a radiant smile on her face said, “Guess what.”

Everyone turned to them and she held up her hand showing her ring. The women in unison let out a squeal of delight and jumped up to get a closer look. The men and children went on eating.

Lory’s father pointed with his fork to an empty chair and said, “You might as well sit down and eat son, this will go on for a while and by the way, welcome to the family.” The rest of the men all nodded their approval.

The women finally calmed down and came back to the table and conversation became fashionable again. Of course it consisted primarily of questions directed at Bill. Lory kept smiling like she was enjoying his third degree.

Finally the meal was over. Everybody except a few children went to tend whatever was on their agenda. Lory and her sisters cleared the table and washed the dishes. Bill wandered into the living room. One wall was covered with family pictures.

He didn’t hear her mother come up behind him until she said, “I hope to put you and Lory’s wedding picture right here.”

She pointed to a place on the wall reserved for wedding pictures only. It had pictures of her and her husband’s grand parents down to her three married sons with spaces for the rest of her children all in order of age, including her youngest who was eleven.

They were looking at them and she was proudly explaining them when Lory came in. She sidled up to him and they put their arms around each other’s waist and listened to her.

Suddenly she said, “I’ve rattled on long enough. I’ve got some things I must tend to,” and she was gone.

Lory led him to a large overstuffed chair. He sat down and she sat in his lap with her legs over the side.

“It’s been quite a day,” he said.

“It’s not over yet,” she said.

“I wish it would never be over,” he said.

She explained that she had dinner reservations at the Country Club. She kissed him and the conversation turned to wedding plans. After a while she said. “We should get ready to go.”

He brought his suit like she had asked him to. He went out to her car and retrieved it. They went up stairs. She ushered him to one of the four bath rooms, where towel and wash cloth had been laid out for him.

He opened his kit, washed up, shaved, and got dressed. He gathered up his things and took them out to the car. He smoked a cigarette then went back into the living room to wait for her. He didn’t have to wait long.

She came into the room, her hair piled up high and held in place with fancy combs. She wore a simple black dress, scoop neckline, knee length pleated full skirt, gold high heels, and a gold heart-shaped necklace and gold ear rings. He was blown away.

They said goodbye to everyone and were off to an intimate dinner at the club. They talked about many things that evening.

At one point she asked, “Do you know when you decided?”

He looked at her mischievously and said, “That day at the truck stop when you demoralized that guy with the saucer. I thought I want to see the other one and without the saucer.

She kicked him under the table. The evening was waning and it was time for him to go. He had to pick up a load in Pittsburgh the next morning. They drove back to the Truck Stop and entered arm in arm with Lory waving her ringed finger in the air.

While she enjoyed her engagement with her friends, he went in the truckers lounge and changed his clothes. He came out and accepted their congratulations, and then they went out to the truck. He started it up then climbed down, took her in his arms and kissed her long and hard. He slid his hand down to the back of her skirt and he gave her a little squeeze.

“Maybe I’ll let you see them both next trip,” she whispered.

He laughed, “Promise?”

“I said maybe,” she teased.

He kissed her again, helped her back in her car then leaned through the window to kiss her again. He said, “From here I can see a lot of both of them.” She feigned a slap at him and he jerked back smacking the back of his head on the window frame.

“That should teach you to get fresh with me,” she said. She blew him another kiss and drove off.

He climbed into the truck cab and was headed for Pittsburg.

Chapter 4

He drove straight through to Pittsburgh. Picked up his load and was back at the compound a little before noon. As he pulled in Henry, Lois, and Sylvia came out of the office and met him at the truck. Lois could hardly contain herself.

“Well, yes or no?” She asked, as he opened the door.

He gave them the thumbs up sign. The two women joined hands and jumped around like school girls. Bill stepped down and said to Henry,

“You would think they were the ones getting married.”

They went in the office and sat down. He lit a cigarette and he recited the previous day’s adventures. Finally he went home to get some rest.

The next morning at three a.m. he climbed aboard, lit a cigarette and had the big KW heading for Muncie. He liked driving in the wee hours of the morning. The traffic was minimal. All the crazies were still in bed, and it was pleasurable to watch a new day dawn.

He made the run in record time and was back in Wooster just before Lory finished her shift. When he walked in, he was greeted by several regulars, truckers and locals, with congratulations and comments like

“You’re a lucky man,” or, “signed up for the old ball-n-chain huh.” Lory came over and stood by him which helped deflect some of the more explicit innuendoes. He sat down at the counter, and Lory brought his pie.

Her boss came out of the office, sat down beside him and said, “Bill, I don’t know if you realize it or not, but it’s not easy to find good waitresses and I’m getting tired of you truckers coming in here and hauling off my girls.”

By the time she finished her speech, the woman was grinning from ear to ear. She put her hand on his arm and said, “Congratulations, you got a good one.”

Lory was ready to leave, He snuffed his cigarette and they left.

“I been thinking about a lot of things since our life changing day, and we need to make some decisions,” she said as they walked across the parking lot.

“I imagine,” He said

She was wearing her waitress uniform, a thigh length black dress, white collar, with little short puffy sleeves with white trim, and a little jacket. The weather had turned cold and was headed for the first hard freeze of the season so he suggested she start her car to let it warm up and they get in the truck where it was still warm.

He helped her up into the cab and as she leaned over to step in he was treated to a full view of her pastel green panties. He came around and climbed in the driver’s side.

“Did you get a good look?” she asked.

He could feel his face flush, but he wasn’t about to let her control the situation.

“Light green panties on the cutest little bottom I’ve ever seen,” he said.

“Oh, and how many have you seen?” she asked.

“Hundreds and hundreds, after all I am a truck driver.” he said.

“Well maybe I shouldn’t show you what I intended to, since you’re going to be a smart ass.”

“Ok, I’ll be good,” he said.

“I just bought these yesterday, see.” She pulled up her skirt to reveal a lace front panel with two embroidered hearts and an arrow through them. He could feel his body fill with fire.

“Cute,” he said. She giggled. “Tease,” he said again. She giggled again.

“When I saw them, they made me think of us.”

She smoothed her skirt back down and asked, “Have you thought about a date?”

“Ever since you said yes,” he answered, “but I decided I’d let that up to you.”

“Well I was thinking June twenty-sixth, that’s two weeks after my Mom and Dad’s fiftieth anniversary.”

“Suites me,” he said. “Though it sure feels like a long way away, especially if you’re going to continue to be a tease.” She just smiled mischievously. Then he asked, “How long are you going to work?”

‘Why?” she asked.

“Well I’ve got some people at home who are dying to meet you. If you are going to keep working, maybe you could take a couple days off and make a run with me.”

“Why do you think my boss lady came out to talk to you in there?” She was half serious you know. Rita said this is the third time it’s happened.” Then she said, “I gave two weeks notice this morning. I’d love to make a trip with you then.”

“Great, they’ll be happy to hear that.”

Her car had to be plenty warm by now so he helped her down from the truck while she pretended to worry about keeping her skirt down. They both laughed as he escorted her to her car.

As she got in, she said, “My mother and sisters-in-law have, in their minds, our wedding planned, I think. I didn’t want to give them a date till I was sure it was Ok with you. You know it’ll be a big wedding, don’t you?”

“I figured,” he said as he leaned in to kiss her and slowly slid his hand under her skirt along the outside of her thigh.

“Stop that,” she said indignantly, as she slapped his hand. Then she kissed him back and whispered until the next time. Then she headed home.

He pulled out his smokes, lit one and watched until she was out of sight, then he mounted his four hundred and seventy horses and said out loud, “Gitty up.”

Chapter 5

When he got back, he went in the office and said,” Good news.”

“Wait,” said Sylvia, “June, ah, between the fifteenth and thirtieth.”

Bill looked at Henry and said, “How, does she do that?” Then he said, “twenty-third, but that’s not all, she’s coming for the weekend in two weeks.”

Henry called Lois and told her. Bill asked Sylvia if she knew of a good cleaning lady he could hire.

“Since Mom and Dad died, there hasn’t been much cleaning done. I just didn’t have the desire. With Lory coming to visit in a couple weeks I don’t want her to think I’m a slob.” Sylvia said she would find one for him.

The two weeks went by surprisingly fast. Sylvia found three cleaning ladies. He interviewed them all and hired the second one. She was a black lady who was the jolliest outgoing and nicest big old gal he had ever met, and could she clean, and cook, though, cooking wasn’t part of the job.

When she found out, he was eating in restaurants all the time, her exact words were, “That ain’t no way fo’ any man to live.”

She made some of the tastiest dishes, some of which he had never heard of. She would come at ten in the morning after seeing her four children off to school, and leave at two in the afternoon. Inside a week she had the whole house spick and span. After that she would come in once a week.

Lory compared his schedule to hers and he would be in Wooster the day after her last day of work. She would come to Alliance with him then.

The day arrived and the excitement began to build up when he crawled out of bed that morning. He loaded out of Pittsburgh the day before, stopped in Alliance got some sleep, then took it the rest of the way that morning. When he got up he lit a cigarette and sat on the bed thinking about his good fortune. He headed out at four a.m. and didn’t stop for pie this day.

He went straight on through, got unloaded and got back to Lory’s house at five minutes to five. As he rolled down that long lane, they heard him coming and all came out to greet him. He pulled the rig around the machinery shed and parked it heading out.

This was the first time they had seen him since she introduced him. After all the greetings and hand shakes were taken care of Lory’s mother said, “Let’s all go inside where it’s warm.”

As they went in, he could smell freshly prepared food.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt your supper,” he said.

“You didn’t,” she said, “you’re just in time to join us.”

The food was brought to the table and everyone sat down. They all joined hands and the children said a prayer of Thanksgiving. Bill was enveloped in the warmness and closeness of this family as they discussed the events of the day. Her father directed the conversation to include every member especially the children.

When the meal was finished Lory said to him, “I’m going to help the girls with the dishes and then we can go.”

Mr. and Mrs. Shehan retired to the sitting room, and invited Bill to join them. Mr.Shehan went to the fireplace and from the mantle filled his pipe, lit it and sat down in a straight back rocking chair, motioning Bill to the chair across from him. Bill sat down and lit a cigarette. Mrs. Shehan sat directly in front of the fireplace. She reached for her embroidery and began sewing.

“So,” said Mr. Shehan, “You’re taking my daughter away for the weekend. I am interested in where she will be staying over night.”

Bill explained that his employer and his wife, who were like his mother and father, offered to let her stay with them.

“Good choice,” he nodded. “I understand you have a home in Alliance.”

Bill told him about the house and that he inherited it when his parents passed away. He knew this was a test and he seemed to have passed as the conversation turned to other things.

Soon Lory came in, “All finished,” she said, “Shall we get ready to go?”

Everyone stood up and proceeded to the door. As they got into their coats, her father noted the full moon in the sky.

“Lovers moon out there tonight, very appropriate,” he said.

Bill picked up Lory’s suitcase, shook the man’s hand, kissed her mother on the cheek and stepped outside. Lory kissed and hugged both of her parents. “Have a good time,” they said in unison.

As they walked to the truck arm in arm, her parents stood in the doorway, arms around each other knowing, though the wedding was in the future, at this moment the apron strings were cut.

Bill helped her up into the cab, went around climbed up, put her suitcase in the sleeper, fired up the KW. While the air tanks filled, he lit a cigarette. He put it in gear and with one long and one short blast on the horn they were off.

The run from her house to the compound took a little less than an hour and a half. They talked about the wedding and she rattled on about the details of the preparations. After about an hour she became quiet, looking out the side window into the dark. He looked at her a couple times as she sat there with her hand on her chin deep in her own thoughts.

“You all right?” he finally asked.

“Oh,” she said with a start. She looked at him and said, “It just hit me, how much my life will change. Farm to the city, big family too just the two of us. Wow!”

“You know you can visit your family anytime you want, don’t you? I come by there twice a week, if you remember?”

She cocked her head a little to one side, “You just took away the uneasiness I was feeling,” she said.

A few minutes later they pulled into the compound.

“That’s odd,” he said, “I wonder why the lights are on in the office.”

He parked the truck, put Lory and her suitcase in his car, started it up and went to investigate. The door was unlocked. He walked in and there sat Henry and Lois.

“Where is she?” asked Lois.

“You mean...” Bill started.

“Yep, we couldn’t wait,” he nodded toward his wife.

“She’s in the car,” he said.

“Well, why don’t we all go over to the house and get acquainted,” he said.

They stood up, he turned out the lights and they went out to the cars.

When he got in his car Lory asked, “Is every thing all right?”

He smiled at her, “They were waiting to meet you, and we’re invited over to the house. By the way I hadn’t considered it before and I know it would be all right with Lois. I told your parents that you could stay with Henry and Lois while you were here. Lois will probably invite you. My house has three bedrooms and you can have one of those, what ever you like, your choice.”

She giggled and said, “You’re so cute when you get embarrassed.”

They followed Henry over to the big farm house which was half the size of her home. They got out and Lois came over, introduced herself, took Lory by the arm and led her up the walkway. The men fell in behind.

Inside Lois said, “Let me have your coats.”

They gave her their coats and she said, “Go sit down, I’ll be just a minute.”

They went in the living room, Henry poked up the fireplace fire, added a couple logs and they all sat down. The men lit cigarettes and relaxed. Lory gave Bill “the look,” stood up and went over to Henry, held out her hand and said “I’m Lory.”

Henry chuckled stood up gave her a little bow, “I’m Henry,” he said, and looking at Bill he said “I’ve been known to get that look from Lois on occasion.”

Bill looked at Lory and apologized, then said, “This is all new stuff to me.”

Henry said, “Well the training has begun. Ya know, marriage is the life long schooling of the male partner.”

Just then Lois came in with hot chocolate and cookies. She set the tray on the coffee table and gave each one a cup, then passed around the cookies. She sat down and asked Lory about her family and they just generally got acquainted. The hot chocolate and cookies gone and conversation waning, Bill rose and expressed a desire to go.

They all stood up and Lois asked, “Would you like to stay with us tonight, Lory?”

Lory took the bull by the horns and said, “Thank you, but no. Bill says he has three bedrooms and I’m sure he’ll let me have one to myself.”

They all looked at him and he just held his hands out, palms up and sang, “Whatever Lory wants, Lory gets.” They all laughed and Lois went to retrieve their coats.

It was nearly ten o’clock when they arrived at his house, it didn’t feel very much like a “home” since his parents died. He parked the car, retrieved her suitcase, and they went in.

“I’ll go down and stoke the furnace,” he said. While he was gone, she wandered around looking in different rooms.

He returned and said, “We’ll have heat soon. It warms up pretty quickly. Would you like to look at the rest of the house?”

“Ok,” she answered.

They walked around the first floor. He pointed out different aspects and what he thought were points of interest. Then he picked up her suitcase and they went up stairs. He had never moved his things into the master bedroom. He was comfortable in his own room so he gave the master bedroom to her. It had its own door into the bathroom.

“Well what do you think?” he asked.

Continue reading this ebook at Smashwords.
Purchase this book or download sample versions for your ebook reader.
(Pages 1-40 show above.)