Chapter 2:
Rain started coming down as Oliver drove them home. Shane began to take off Oliver's jacket. Oliver looked over at her in the passenger seat and knew what she wanted him to do. He pulled into the driveway and parked the car. He grabbed his jacket from Shane and quickly exited the car, letting his coat billow out like a parachute above his head. He ran around the side and got Shane tightly tucked under the rain jacket with him. He kicked the passenger door closed with his foot and they ran up to the front porch - laughing the whole time. When they reached the safety of the porch, Oliver laid the jacket on Shane's shoulders as he unlocked the door. He stood fumbling with the key in the lock as a pale, delicate hand laid itself over his own. He stopped and let the key sit in the keyhole. He looked up to find Shane giving him a provocative smile. She grabbed his hand and pulled his arm, dragging him down the porch steps as she let his jacket fall off her shoulders. She took him onto the sidewalk as the rain poured, and pulled him into a kiss before he could protest. Her hands caressed his wet hair as he ran his hands along her back. Shane released from their rather wet embrace and jogged up the porch steps and in the front door like nothing had happened. She knew how to make her husband wait.
Oliver entered breathless a moment later and hung up his jacket in their front coat closet. Shane was nowhere in sight, and thinking she was probably already upstairs, Oliver went to go prepare the warm bath he had promised her. Oliver entered the master bedroom disappointed when he saw no sign of his wife. He decided to prepare her bath while he was already up there, secretly hoping that the sound of the water would lure her up to him.
The bathtub was now full of warm, bubbly water and Shane had made no appearance. As Oliver began to make his descent he saw his wife waiting for him below. She glowed in the light of their foyer. He walked over to her as Shane purposely backed herself against a wall, and kissed her. He ran his hands through her hair as she massaged his arms and chest.
"Go take your bath love, before it gets cold and I lose my willingness to let you go - for now." Oliver gave her a flirty smile that only his features could muster. Somehow this smile still gave Shane goosebumps and made her internally squeal while she outwardly blushed. Never in her life did she think that a man could make her feel so warm and fuzzy inside, yet Oliver never failed to do this. Shane put a hand over his heart as she passed by him and went upstairs. A few steps up she looked down and met Oliver's eyes - knowing that he would still be looking a her. Especially since she was still in damp figure hugging jeans. She blew him a kiss and Oliver blushed, knowing he had gotten caught staring at his wife as she ascended the stairs.
"You're torturing me my love," he whispered. Shane smiled and went to take her bath. Oliver went to the kitchen and started preparing their hot chocolate. He put on a Billy Joel record which included their song "And So it Goes" and then braved the cold as he headed into the backyard to retrieve some firewood.
Oliver gathered a neat stack of firewood and came upon the side door to find it locked. He set his logs down and shook the door, pulling harder and harder, but it wouldn't budge. He sighed and his breath blew out in the cold and formed a mini, foggy cloud. Oliver began to think some very sincere thoughts. Shane is taking a bath - a warm bath - after a long traumatic day. Who knows when she'll be done! I know how long my wife can take sometimes. This stupid door needs to be fixed. It just locks by itself! Oliver was growing more angry with every passing stroke of the clock. He had only intended to be outside for a minute to grab some firewood to make Shane a nice fire so they could cuddle together, and now he was trapped in a cold, windy abyss. He only had a t-shirt and khakis on. I should not be freezing my…. butt off in my own backyard, Oliver thought. I definitely should've listened to Shane when she told me to fix the door as soon as it broke. Will I never learn?! Oliver stood there shivering and contemplating what he could possibly do to alleviate the horrible situation he was in. Could he somehow signal to Shane? Could he pry the door open with something? All his tools were in the garage and the back door from the backyard to the garage was locked. What the Sam Hill! Oliver knew he was running out of time before he became too cold and numb to think. He would surely catch a cold if he stayed out here too long while the temperature continued to drop. He went to his last resort and began banging on the side door, hoping and praying that Shane would hear him.
Shane's eyes blinked open in an instant as she heard a huge bang downstairs. Then they started coming repeatedly. When the loud bangs refused to stop Shane became alarmed. She stepped out of the tub and wrapped her towel around herself. Why wasn't Oliver responding to whoever was obnoxiously pounding on their door? Couldn't a woman take her warm bubble bath uninterrupted? Was that too much to ask? The only interruption she wouldn't have minded would've been Oliver. Shane called from the top of the stairs."Oliver? Who is it? Can you get the door? Is everything okay?" She was answered with silence and then more banging. It sounded desperate. She carefully walked downstairs with her wet bare feet and shivered as they met the cold tile. She tiptoed in her towel and saw that no one was at the front door. "Oliver?" Shane followed the sound of the banging to the side door in the kitchen, and found Oliver out there banging desperately on the glass. He had a pile of logs behind him and he was shivering tremendously. Shane ran over and opened the door for him. "Oh love, what happened?" Shane couldn't help sounding sarcastic as she realized the door had locked on Oliver. "Love, did the door lock on you?" Shane covered her mouth as she began to giggle. "I told you Oliver." At first Oliver looked quite unamused at the fact that his wife was laughing at his expense. Then he realized he was shivering like a bunny caught in a blizzard, Shane was in a towel, and his hands were sore and red from all the banging. It was pretty funny. Oliver engulfed Shane in his arms as they chuckled together.
"Thank you for saving me my love. You go finish your bath that I so rudely interrupted you from, and I'm going to go out the garage door and retrieve my pile of logs."
"You're welcome Oliver. But you are also going to book yourself for an appointment with that red tool box of yours and this door for tomorrow, so this doesn't happen again. Got it?" Shane tried not to smile.
Oliver kissed her head. "Got it." Shane raced her freezing self back upstairs in her towel and climbed back in the lukewarm tub. She refreshed the water and closed her eyes.
Twenty minutes later Oliver settled himself on the couch in front of the fire as he heard Shane's footsteps on the stairs. There were two steaming mugs of hot chocolate on a tv table for them. Oliver was about to take a sip from his, when Shane enterted the room. She was wearing her plaid pajama pants on the bottom, but the top is what caught Oliver's eye and rendered him temporarily speechless. She had on a tank top with one of Oliver's long sleeve, button-up, plaid shirts over it. It wasn't buttoned up, but rather acted as a coat. Oliver almost dropped his mug. Shane was really getting to him tonight. She rarely borrowed his clothes anymore.
"Beautiful, why are you wearing my shirt?"
"It's just a comfort after a long day Oliver. I promise I'll wash it and iron it before I give it back. It's just keeping me warm and it smells like you, so... I love it." Shane winked at him.
"You look stunning in it. Don't worry about how you return it love. It looks better on you than me." Oliver walked over and took Shane in his arms. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. With their lips still intact, Oliver gently dipped Shane, making sure to support her head. As they came back up Shane released first and held her head. "Woah, hold up. I'm dizzy." Oliver's heart sunk. He had hurt his wife after she just started to feel better. Why could he never control his impulses to love on her?
"Shane, I'm so sorry. I got carried away. Sit down."
"Oh, why do I have to sit down? I don't think either one of us wants to sit down until we've had at least one more dip." Oliver looked at her confused.
"But you got dizzy Shane."
"Yes, you make my head spin Oliver." Shane gave him a sultry smile as he punched her in the shoulder.
"I will get you for that tomorrow. For now though…"
Shane made put a finger to his lips and whispered "You don't need any words to make me dizzy again." Oliver happily obliged in pursuing Shane and her lips.
God smiled down on the happy couple as they finally decided to call it quits on the passion and cuddled up on the couch together with rewarmed hot chocolate. Oliver had an arm around Shane and they both talked happily about the day's events. Their laughter was quite loud for the time of night it was, but the crackle of the bright orange fire helped to drown them out, as if it were telling the eavesdroppers to stop listening. Tonight was for only Shane and Oliver. It was a gift and a blessing from heaven. A small miracle perhaps? Divine intervention? Guardian angels? No doubt. Marsha went home that night to find her boyfriend on her doorstep, down on one knee. After her divorce a few years ago she had found a good father for her kids - a man they all adored. He treated Marsha and her two daughters with so much respect. Marsha had been meant to live that day. Her life was just beginning.
Shane went home that night and found comfort in the small things; Oliver's smile, the glow of the fire, the extra marshmallows Oliver put in her hot chocolate. They all made her extra happy tonight. God wasn't done working on his letter writer. She had only just found her happily ever after with a good man, and the right man. Shane laid her head on Oliver's shoulder as she settled into the crook of his arm and closed her eyes. She sighed deeply and whispered, "Thank you for everything today Oliver. Remember, you're stuck with me and I love you."
"I love you my beautiful Shane. We will sleep here on the couch together tonight, but as long as we sleep together for the rest of our lives, then it doesn't matter where." Shane gave a faint nod as her breathing became more even. Oliver kissed her head and closed his eyes as God gently laid a protective hand over the slumbering couple - a blanket of love.
