If you recognize it, I did not come up with. All the credit belongs to JE.
Chapter 9 – Meet the Parent's Bobby Style
When we arrived at the house, no one was home. Bobby took our luggage up to what would be our room and allowed me to explore the downstairs on my own. The house was built in a log cabin style with high ceilings, exposed beams and an open floor plan where the rooms flowed into each other using furniture to break them up instead of walls. The porch wrapped around the entire house offering views of the mountains, the woods or a stream depending upon which side you were sitting.
We were sitting on a bench swing laughing when four cars pulled in. Bobby grabbed my hand and asked if I was ready for the female inquisition. I nodded my head hoping it conveyed more confidence than I felt.
Before we could get to the front of the house we were met by the sound of female laughter. It was a beautiful sound and set my mind at ease that perhaps the natives would be friendly. But, when we came around the corner and the four women laid eyes on me the laughter stopped and their faces looked strained. Perhaps I was too quick to relax.
"Sweet Jesus!" the tall woman at the front exclaimed.
"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes," the one at the back said.
"Bobby, where…who…?" was all the third could get out.
Finally the woman in the middle came forward and smiled at me. "I'm Emma, Bobby's mother. It is so nice to have you both home." Then she grabbed me in her arms and hugged me tightly. I am not accustomed to such public displays of emotion, so I'm not an expert on hugs. I do know that this was more than a welcome to my home embrace, there was a reluctance to let me go.
Bobby finally came to my rescue by putting his hand on his mother's back and telling her, "Mom, you have to let go. Honestly, you are starting to make me look bad. Stephanie is going to think I've never brought a girl home before."
Emma pulled back and was wiping her eyes. She pulled Bobby to her and gave him a similar hug. When she leaned away she held his face in her hands and looked in his eyes. "Bobby, you haven't brought a girl home before." At that they laughed and the tension was gone.
Introductions were made to Bobby's aunts: Loddie, Essie, and Nell. We walked in the house together as they picked on Bobby making me think this weekend could be a chance to get some dirt on him to take back to RangeMan. The conversation was easy and after the meal had been cleared away Bobby announced we were tired and would be turning in. He sent me upstairs to freshen up and change and he stayed down to say goodnight to his family.
It only took a few minutes for me to get ready for bed. I waited for a bit and when Bobby didn't come upstairs I walked to the edge of the stairs and listened. I could hear him talking to his mother in the kitchen.
"Surely you see the resemblance Bobby. She is the spitting image of her." His mother said.
"Mom, I don't know what you are talking about. They both have curly hair but that is about it. Are you going to keep bringing this up all weekend? Are you trying to make a problem?" Bobby asked sounding a little angry.
"Of course not Bobby, I just wondered if you had noticed the similarities. Honestly it nearly scared us all when we first saw her. She seems like a wonderful girl and I can understand why you enjoy being around her. I just wonder if you love her for her, or if you are just drawn to her because of Liddy." Emma explained.
"I think that is completely ridiculous. Stephanie is her own person and in no way do I see them as the same. I'm going to bed and I hope in the morning you will get over this crazy obsession." With that I heard Bobby on the stairs so I dashed into the room and sat down trying to look casual.
Bobby came in a fell on the bed. He reminded me of a little boy in the middle of a temper tantrum. I waited for a minute and since he didn't move I laid down next to him and ran my fingers through his dark hair. When Bobby still didn't move I ran my hands down his back for a few minutes.
He finally took a deep breath and signed.
I decided I would keep rubbing his back to see if I could get him to relax and talk to me. "Bobby, what's wrong?" I began.
He waited a moment before answering and finally rolled over pulling me to his side. "Nothing is wrong Honey. It is just hard to be here and my Mom has decided not to make it easier."
"Does she not like me? Have I done something wrong?" I asked wondering if I was making this worse.
Bobby sat up gracefully and looked in my eyes. "Listen, Honey, you haven't done a thing wrong. My mom isn't used to seeing me with a woman. She likes you. She is just not used to having a young female here. She'll be herself tomorrow. Don't worry." I felt like there was more he wasn't telling me, but I knew not to press it with Bobby. Just like all the Merry Men, he would talk only if he wanted to.
We went to sleep side by side after Bobby read a chapter of Sherlock Holmes to me. The bed was comfortable and I drifted off to sleep quickly.
I woke up startled and it took me a minute to remember where I was and realize why I had woken. Reality came to me when I felt Bobby thrashing around next to me calling out to someone saying, "Stay with me. Don't give up."
I tried to softly say his name but he only got louder. Finally I straddled him and shook his shoulder calling his name. Bobby began to wake up and when he finally came to, he sat up and pulled me roughly into his arms. I rubbed his back waiting for his breathing to return to normal.
When he began to relax I asked, "Do you want to talk about it, Bobby?"
He shook his head no. We continued to sit in silence with me in his lap, his arms clinging to me and my hands rubbing his back. Finally he shifted me to the side and stood up. He reached back for my hand and I stood up to take his.
We walked across the hall to the closed door. "It will be easier to show you. Please don't freak out though, okay?" He asked as though he were pleading with me.
I shook my head to show I would be good and we walked in the room together. He flipped the light on and picked up a picture off the dresser. The print was a young Bobby in Army fatigues standing next to a girl with long curly brown hair, and blue eyes who could easily be my twin. If I hadn't known better I would have said it was a picture of me with Bobby. "Who is this?" I asked once the shock wore off.
"That is Liddy." He said in a soft voice.
"In the whole time I've known you I never saw it until tonight, but you two look so much alike. I have always seen you as your own person; I don't have any weird misplaced emotions. But my mom was pressing the point. She said when she saw you it was like looking at a ghost and then reading to you tonight brought back the memory of her here and how I would take care of her."
I put my hand on Bobby's cheek and asked, "You miss her don't you?"
"Every day honey. Every day." He answered before shifting his face to press a kiss in my palm. "When we were kids she used to call me Pooh and so I took to calling her Honey as a tribute to how much Pooh bear loved his honey. I should have realized how much you reminded me of her when I started calling you that name."
"Why did you use that as a pet name for me?" I asked genuinely curious.
"You had been manhandled by a skip and were unconscious with a concussion. You were asleep in the hospital and Ranger stepped out to deal with Morelli and your parents and asked me to watch over you. You started to wake up and you were agitated so I sat next to you and rubbed your hair. It calmed you a little, but you were still stirring and sounded so scared. Without thinking about it I started talking to you and called you 'Honey'. At the time it struck me as strange, but it fit you and you calmed down instantly so I thought you liked it. After that it just stuck." He explained.
He turned off the light and led us back to his room. In the dark he pulled me back to the bed and next to him. When I woke up the next time it was to the wonderful scent of coffee and sweet rolls. I dressed and made my way downstairs to the kitchen. Emma and her sisters were at the breakfast bar laughing. When I walked in Bobby's Mom stood up and greeted me.
"How did you sleep dear?" She asked in a mothering way.
"Very well, thank you." I answered hoping I was not intruding.
"Don't be ridiculous," Emma said raising a hand to my hair and tucking a curl behind my ear. "You are very welcome here." Apparently my mute wasn't working this morning.
She got me a cup of coffee and a giant cinnamon roll dripping with cream cheese icing. I took a bite and could not stop a moan from escaping.
Nell was the first to speak, "Girl, if you can appreciate good food like that then we are going to get a long just fine."
I was relieved to see I had not offended anyone and finished my breakfast as quietly as I could manage.
Just as I was finishing breakfast, a sweaty Bobby came in the kitchen and dropped a kiss on my head. "Hey, I protested as he used his finger to wipe some icing from my plate and lick it."
"It's the least you can give me for letting you sleep in instead of running with me this morning." He joked.
"Good. I'm not sure I could handle running up the mountains." I replied honestly.
"I thought about that too, Honey, so I figured we would take a hike instead this morning."
I wasn't too happy about a hike but he interrupted my thought by promising we would be back in plenty of time to get ready for the party.
Three hours and several miles later we made it back home. Emma was sitting on the couch reading when we walked in. She was struggling to stifle her laughter at the sight of me.
I had trouble crossing a stream with wet stepping stones and managed to fall in and get soaked. Then I lost my footing while making our way down a ravine and got covered in leaves and mud. Finally, no more than ten feet from the house I tripped over a rock and managed to skin my knee. I was filthy, wet and bleeding. This was not my finest hour.
"Stephanie, how about I help you get cleaned up?" Emma offered.
"Mom, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of her." Bobby interjected.
I showered and Bobby put some antiseptic lotion on my cuts and scrapes. "No stitches this time Honey, but you are probably going to be sore tomorrow."
"Well then you have to find a way to make this up to me," I kidded without thinking.
Bobby pressed himself between my legs and his voice dropped an octave. "I will be glad to consider myself in your service for what ever you need. Just name it and it is yours."
I shivered and he pulled away with a chuckle. Then I pushed him away threatening him. "I only have an hour to pull myself together for the party, now get out."
Bobby had brought my dress bag in that Ella packed especially for the night. I had no idea what she had in store for me but since she had proven herself up to the challenge of shopping for me for my other trips I was not worried.
I curled my hair and it cooperated into loose curls. I put on a light layer of make—up and only two coats of mascara. This party wasn't for me so I figured I wouldn't need as much courage to survive the night. I unzipped the bag and found a gorgeous sapphire blue dress with delicate straps and a low cut neck. The bodice was fitted and then flared out in a loose skirt that fell just at the knee. There were strappy 4 inch FMPs that were silver and blue to perfectly match the mood of the dress. I looked at the finished product and was pleased at my appearance. I figured at the very least I wouldn't embarrass Bobby.
When I opened the door Bobby's mother was walking by. She stopped and looked at me for a moment and her eyes began to glisten with unshed tears. I wanted to ease her suffering in some way but did not know what to do.
Finally, I took a step toward her and said, "Bobby showed me Liddy's picture last night. I know we bear a remarkable resemblance to each other and I'm so sorry if I am making this night harder on you."
She smiled instantly. "I won't lie to you. I was caught off guard when I first saw you. It was like looking at a healthy version of my Liddy again. I even accused Bobby's of only falling for you because of the love he had for his sister. But, I've watched you this afternoon and I can see you are definitely good for him. He laughs more with you than I have seen in years. In fact…" she stopped mid sentence.
Taking my hand she pulled me back into Liddy's room and opened a drawer in her dresser. She pulled out a set of hair combs that were made with sapphire and onyx stones. She held them up for me to see.
"They're beautiful." I said watching them shine in the light.
"They were a gift from Bobby to Liddy. He got them in Italy on one of his trips." She loved them very much but refused to wear them. She said they needed to be worn on a special occasion when she could get all dressed up, but because of her health, such an occasion never happened."
Then, pulling my hair back with each of the combs, she pushed them into my hair. They were gorgeous and my hair was thick enough to hold them securely.
"I can't accept these. They were a gift to his sister, not to me." I objected as I raised my hand to remove them.
Emma stopped me and pulled me back to Bobby's room and knocked on the door.
Bobby opened it immediately and my breath hitched in my throat. There before me was Bobby in a black tux. It was obviously custom made for him because every muscle in his body was framed perfectly.
He looked me over from my shoes up to my head. When he saw my hair his face lit up.
He looked to his mother and she nodded. Obviously they were capable of the silent communication thing too.
He touched a comb gently and said, "They are beautiful, just like you." Then he took my hand from his mother and pulled it to his mouth for a kiss.
"Well, I'll leave you kids to finish up here and I'll see you at the party." Emma commented as she went downstairs.
The ride to the club was quiet and I tried to be patient and let Bobby enjoy his zone, but after three minutes I'd had enough. "I hope it is okay that I'm wearing the combs. Your mother saw me when I came out of the bathroom and she put them in for me. I know they were a gift for Liddy and I don't want to make this any stranger for you."
"Honey, it is the first time I've seen them worn and I was surprised, but I loved it. My mom had a look of peace on her face I haven't seen in a while. I really appreciate you letting her do that. I think it helped her in some way." He said as he pulled into a parking space on the front row. Even far from home the Merry Man parking karma was in full swing.
The hall was lit low and a band was playing on the stage. There were tables of finger food laid out and people dancing at the front. Just as we sat down at his mother's table the speeches began. The mayor, several past patients of the clinic, and other employees spoke thanking Emma for her role in giving the area their own community health center. It was a fitting tribute for a grace filled woman whose care for others had obviously touched many lives. I was taken at how much alike Bobby and his mother were.
After the speeches were finished people began to dance again, and Bobby stood up and came to my side asking if he could have this dance.
The faces of all his aunts were glowing as they smiled indulgently at us walking to the dance floor.
He pulled me into his arms and I laid my head on his shoulder as he spun me around the floor. Bobby is a terrific dancer and I lost myself in the sensation of his arms. After the third song he placed a kiss on my curls and asked if I wanted something to drink. We each took a glass of champagne and stepped out to the deck to cool off. The moon was full and the stars were bright. Hollywood could not have picked a more perfect setting.
Bobby took my empty glass and set it on a waiter's tray as he passed by.
I turned to the railing and looked up at the sky. Bobby put his front to my back and pulled me into his arms. I was content to stand in silence feeling him next to me.
"Steph, do you think I treat you like a sister or like a girlfriend?" He asked.
"Well, I can't answer that easily because Valerie never treated me as well as you do. We do pick on each other, and you are always so tender when I need help, but that may just be who you are to everyone." I tried to answer.
"Until we came here I never made the connection that you and Liddy were so much alike. Your take on life is similar to hers and there is no denying your appearance. I think maybe I've been pulling you close to me to reconnect to my sister. There is a piece of me that only felt whole when she was alive and when I'm around you I feel complete. I can't believe I'm saying this, but in many ways you have become a new sister for me."
I absorbed what he was saying and in my heart I knew he was right. Perhaps there was a piece of me that was disappointed that Bobby thought of me platonically, the larger piece of me knew he was speaking the truth. We did act like siblings more than lovers. And, knowing he thought of me like a sister probably meant I would have him in my life forever which was a reassuring thought. I would always have someone who wanted to take care of me and watch over me.
"I don't know what I did to deserve you, but suddenly I'm aware of the fact that I am a very lucky girl." I confessed.
Bobby put a soft kiss on my lips. "No, Honey, I think I'm the lucky one. You came up here in the middle of the madness of my family and you healed me. I can't thank you enough for that."
"It's nice to know I can help you a little after all the aches and pains you've taken care of for me." I admitted.
He put his arm around me and guided us to the car. We were okay – more than that – I finally had the brother I'd always wanted.
The plane ride home was uneventful and I was shocked to see Ranger standing at baggage claim waiting on us. His smile quickly disappeared when he saw Bobby holding my hand. I tried to pull away but Bobby held tighter. He leaned over to me and whispered, "After this weekend you are always going to be a part of my life. Ranger is going to have to understand that."
I knew what he meant, but I also didn't think pulling the tiger's tail was a good idea either.
When we got face to face Bobby released my hand and I hugged Ranger.
"Babe," Ranger offered as his greeting.
"Ranger, one day you are going to have to give me a possible list of meanings for that word."
That garnered me a half smile and a head nod for Bobby.
We were two miles from the airport before Ranger broke the silence. "Babe, you have a week off before you have to begin work with Vince so you can set your own schedule this week."
"I'll probably keep running with Bobby in the mornings and practicing with Cal in the afternoon. I was starting to feel the effects of the hard work and would hate to let it go so soon." I answered.
I could see the smile in Ranger's eyes at my answer. "Proud of you, Babe."
I shivered listening to his words.
"Do you think you can squeeze in a distraction this week too?" He asked.
"Sure, anything for you Ranger." I answered with a yawn.
The trip and the emotions of the last few days were catching up with me. I felt Bobby press a kiss to my forehead when we arrived at my apartment, but I could smell the distinct scent of Ranger as he carried me into my apartment.
My last thought before giving into the darkness was wondering why Ranger was one the one to pick us up from the airport. Maybe I would find the answer in my dreams.
