So this is the chapter where things start to really heat up. I want to thank Meggie for all her encouraging words and support throughout all of my books. Without you it never would have happened. I love you Meggie.
The Schemer
When I woke, it was nearly mid morning and like yesterday; there were kids watching cartoons. Miranda was supervising. Burns was not around.
"Miss Wanda, Burns told me he would be back shortly. He said you should get some breakfast in the kitchen."
I grabbed a bowl of cereal. There were several gallons of milk in the big silver refrigerator. Milk was a rare commodity back at the caverns in the desert. I leaned against the doorway to the living room watching the cartoons as I ate. When I finished I returned to the kitchen and washed my bowl and the other dishes that were left in the sink. I assumed they had belonged to the same children now lounging on the couch. Just as I was wiping the table, I heard the back door slam. I rushed to see if it was Ian. It wasn't. My heart sank. It was Burns. He acknowledged the others before he approached me.
"How would you like to go on a road trip?" His voice was filled with anticipation.
"Road trip? For what?" I was skeptical.
"Nate says we need supplies." I immediately thought of the several gallons of milk in the fridge.
"This refrigerator is full!"
"Okay, well, the thing is, Nate says that you and I need to get away for the day so he and Ian can introduce the newcomers to the clan. They need to feel safe."
I was getting angry now. "So, you and I are dangerous. That is so ridiculous. We wouldn't hurt a fly, Burns!"
His voice was calm but firm. "Wanda, they've been on the run for seven years! Do you have any idea what that's like?" He forced my memories to revert to Mel's. I did know what it was like to be on the run. As a matter of fact, I knew what it was like to be caught. I nearly died. I would have preferred it to getting caught. I shuddered at the pain Mel's body had felt at the bottom of that elevator shaft. I resigned myself to give in to Nate's wishes.
"Okay." My whole body slumped.
"It'll be fun, you'll see." He was trying to be positive.
I stomped off to the bedroom and retrieved my toothbrush and my hairbrush and then headed for the bathroom. If I was going to go to town, I was at least going to look good. Applying my makeup took less time than yesterday. Burns made the appropriate
"you look pretty" comment upon seeing me. I was hoping to see Ian before we left but Burns told me they were going straight to the cave after he left them this morning. He added "Ian sends his love." Then he laughed and said "Nate sends his too." I blushed at the attention.
As we pulled out of the dirt driveway, I asked, "So, what are we going to get?" I tried to sound chipper.
Burns handed me a list that looked more like an itinerary than a shopping list. There were many items on the list that would require several stops because the items fell into several categories. "I thought we should go to Irving. It's about two hours from here. It's a good size city and they have one of the largest sporting goods stores in the area. They carry a lot of high end sports gear. Nate was adamant that I get the best that money could buy, so to speak."
I read the list. "So, I guess we are getting a pitcher's glove, a catcher's glove..."
"Mitt" he corrected me.
"What?"
"It's a pitcher's glove and a catcher's mitt." Did I care? Really?
I ignored him and continued the list. "A catcher's mask, chest and knee protectors, leg blocks? Cups? What do you need cups for?"
Burns started to laugh.
"I'm glad I'm so funny." I was annoyed.
"I'm sorry." He was still trying to get his laughter under control. "Leg blocks are used by the catcher. It helps him to squat behind the plate without killing his knees."
"And cups?"
"Protection. You know, so you and Ian can have children one day." Suddenly I understood and I was totally embarrassed that I didn't get it earlier. My embarrassment did not stop my mind from wandering to the possibilities of me and Ian with a child. I imagined ten years from now. A son, playing ball with his Dad. Ian, a dad, it made me want to burst with joy. He would be a great Dad. I could see him coaching a whole team of boys on the field I saw yesterday.
Burns spoke snapping me out of my dream, "After that I thought we could do some shopping for you. Maybe you could get some new clothes."
"I don't think it's on Nate's list." I teased.
"Look again." He was being smug.
I looked and there it was near the bottom of the long list. It said 'anything Wanda desires.' I wondered if this was Ian's doing or Nate's. "I don't really need anything."
"Now, Nate said to make sure you pampered yourself. He said and I quote 'Tell that beautiful lady to buy herself some new clothes so she can make them look pretty.'" Nate had managed to flatter me even from afar. Oh, he was good, but even so, he would still answer for his little plot of taking Ian away from me for two days.
The sporting goods store was huge. It had three levels. There was a section for just about every sport imaginable. We went to the section with the baseball gloves. There were about fifty types to choose from. Forty five minutes later, Burns settled on four he would purchase, one pitcher's glove, one catcher's mitt, andtwo other gloves. "Let's go look at some bats." He was obviously excited. The batting section was about thirty feet long. I thought to myself "Kill me now." He better take me shopping for clothes after this! I tried to be patient but I was bored out of my skull. He didn't seem to notice. Thankfully, it only took him about fifteen minutes to pick out three bats.
"Are we done?" I asked hopefully.
"I'm sorry Wanda. Am I boring you?" He was concerned.
"No!" I tried to fake my enthusiasm but he saw right through me.
"I promise I will try to be quick about it. How about you go explore the shops nearby? I'll be right here in the baseball section or if I finish I will stand right in front of the store."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure," he said casually. "It's not like there is any crime out here." He grinned and patted my back for reassurance.
Once I got outside, I saw a clothing store next door. I went inside to browse. There were a lot of cute tops for the summer that had just arrived. It seemed that eyelet lace was in vogue this year. I decided to buy a top for myself. I bought a top for Mel and Lily as well. Outside, Burns was still nowhere in sight. I walked across the street. There was a jewelry shop. The sparkle of diamonds lured me to the window. I admired the beautiful engagement rings. I wished that Ian would have the freedom to get a ring for me.
Suddenly, I felt a presence very close behind me. "See, anything you like?" Burns whispered.
"I like them all." I gushed.
"Would you like me to get one for you?"
I turned to him with sadness and I murmured, "If only Ian could get one for me."
"I know." He was sympathetic. He paused a moment and then he changed the subject. "You feel like having lunch?"
"Sure." He put his arm around my shoulders and I put my arm around his waist. We walked down the street like a real couple towards a little diner that had a fifties theme.
The waitresses wore poodle skirts, sweaters, and saddle shoes. There were posters from the movie 'Grease' adorning the walls. Instead of sitting across from each other, Burns and I sat next to each other in the booth. We held hands on top of the table. Our waitress was very nice of course. While we waited for our food, we flipped through the little jukebox at the end of the table looking for songs that we knew. I discovered that Pet had really enjoyed music because I knew a lot of the songs and the artists who sang them.
"Hey Burns!" I was excited.
He copied my excitement like he was a character in the 'Grease' movie. "Hey what?"
This took me by surprise because Burns always seemed so subdued. "I know what I want to buy!"
"What is it that you want?"
"I want a battery powered CD player with speakers and CD's."
"Is that all?" He was amused. "After lunch, it will be our next stop."
After we finished lunch, we drove to another part of the city. He pulled into a Best Buy. We entered the store again as a happy couple holding hands. I drifted towards the televisions. There was a whole room full of beautiful widescreen televisions to choose from.
"Wanda, I thought we were here to by a CD player?"
I wrapped my arms around his waist. "Oh, honey! We should get a new TV!"
He was beaming. He obviously liked being called 'honey' even if it was only pretend.
"Really, you think so?" He wasn't convinced.
"Absolutely!" I trilled.
So, we spent a lot of time in the electronics store, it was hours actually; choosing a television and a CD player that had the option of running on batteries. I chose ten CD's and I noticed that I favored the greatest hits CD's of the bands of the seventies.
The back of the truck was loaded with baseball equipment and electronics. It was already dinner time although we had eaten a late lunch.
I pulled out my list. "We need to go to Home Depot. It says here that we need lumber and nails. What do we need that for?"
"It's a surprise for Ian actually."
I was confused. "What kind of a surprise?"
"You know how Ian was a baseball player in college?"
"Noooo. He said he was an athlete but we never talked about which sport he played. Considering what a great soccer player he is, I assumed he played soccer. I did see a picture of him and his brother as children wearing baseball uniforms." Come to think it of it, Ian had a baseball hat back at the cavern. I felt stupid that I had never asked this direct question when Ian and I were discussing his life. I was too obsessed with his sex life.
"Nate told me this morning that Ian was slated to pitch during the summer of his sophomore year of college on a minor league team. If he had done well, he had the option to drop out of college and join the team with hopes of breaking into the majors." Again I felt so uninformed when it came to Ian's life. What an idiot I am. Maybe I should spend more time talking to him instead of trying to lose my virginity.
"Wanda, are you alright?" Burns broke me out of my trance.
"What? Yeah. I never knew that about Ian. Thank you for telling me. But what's the lumber for?"
"Nate wants to build a pitching stand. It will give Ian a target to aim at when he's pitching by himself."
"Huh." I thought it was nice of Nate to reward Ian after the two day sacrifice. It's too bad we would only be here a few more days.
Burns had a paper with the schematics drawn for him to use as a guide when buying the lumber and the plywood. One would think buying lumber would be easy, but again Burns was very picky about what he wanted. I couldn't help thinking to myself that it was no wonder he didn't have a girlfriend but I knew deep down that wasn't really the reason why. No human had ever given him the opportunity to be affectionate in that way. Maybe, that's why he was drawn to Sunny.
The back of the truck was pretty full, so we decided our last stop would be the mall. We ate at the food court and then shopped for some clothes. I found the most adorable 'baby doll' dresses. I bought two. One was a soft purple and green box plaid. It came to mid thigh. I knew it was the right dress when Burns' face turned pink at the sight of me. The other was gray and white and it was tiered all the way down giving it a bounce when I walked. I dragged Burns to the men's department and I talked him into buying some new form fitting knit shirts. He had a nice upper body but he always hid it under a loose fitting t-shirt. I grabbed a shirt for Ian as well.
By the time we got back on the road to head home it was nearly ten o'clock and we still had a two hour drive. Burns reached across me and pulled the cell phone out of the glove compartment. "Three missed calls," he muttered.
"Maybe we should call them and let them know we are on our way."
He tossed the phone onto the dashboard. "OR … we could leave Nate uninformed the way he did with you." He pulled his lips back into a wicked grin.
"Burns, you are a genius!" I settled in for the long ride. We stopped at a fast food joint on the way out of town and got milkshakes.
"Burns?"
"Yes?"
"How come you never tried to get close to a human? You know, like a girlfriend?"
His expression turned serious. "You see how they are. They won't even allow you to sleep in the cave." There was sadness in his voice.
"Yes but maybe if you flirted a bit, the girls would come around."
"I'm not really good at flirting." He stated defensively. "Nate has the market cornered on being the ladies' man."
I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but … you flirt okay with me."
"That's because you start it. You have a way of making me feel comfortable." He paused and then added, "Besides, I know you love Ian."
"I guess." We were quiet now. I started to plot in my mind. I was trying to figure out a way to get him closer to someone other than me. I laughed to myself after a few minutes when I suddenly realized I was Nate. Maybe his plotting wasn't so evil. Then again maybe it was.
I started to get drowsy after about an hour of blackness, nothing but the road ahead of us. I slid over and leaned across the console and put my head on Burns' upper arm. He lifted his arm over my shoulder and cradled me against his side. I promptly fell asleep.
The next thing I knew, Burns was gently shaking me awake and Nate was screaming at him through the open window of the truck. Nate ripped open the door. "Where the hell have you been?" He was hopping mad.
I was still cradled in Burns' arm and he looked down at me as I looked up at him. He turned to Nate and in the most calm voice he replied, "Shopping." I giggled. It was funny.
Nate was speechless, which was a first. He stared at us incredulously. He seemed to be equally irked by our closeness. "You couldn't call? I called you three times!"
Burns was still calm as he helped me sit up. Then he replied, "Call? … Right. No, we couldn't call."
Nate realized that Burns was being defiant and so he decided to go for the Achilles heel. "Ian was about to take off looking for you. He's worried to death."
In my effort to defy Nate I had completely forgotten about Ian. "Will you take me to him?" Now, I was fully awake..
"I don't know why I should. He's probably asleep by now." I knew better. Ian would never go to sleep until he knew I was home safe. The three of us stomped off through the peace and quiet of the night towards the root cellar. Nate was still trying to make me feel bad for coming home so late. He was argumentative even though I wasn't answering his questions. Burns sped off ahead of us to open the door before Nate's tirade woke the girls sleeping inside. I don't know how long Ian was standing behind me. I only know that Nate pushed one too many buttons. I lunged in his direction and tried to push him away from me.
"What gives you the right to judge what Burns and I do?" I shoved him again. This time he grabbed my wrists to restrain me. "You are not my boyfriend. I like you but you keep trying to screw it up. Why? Why can't you just accept …" That's when I pulled my wrists free and turned to see Ian staring at us … at me. I needed to do some damage control. Now! I ran to Ian and threw my arms around him.
He pulled my arms off of him and pushed me away. "What happened with Burns today?"
I knew he had a jealousy thing about Burns which was so ridiculous because Nate was much more of a threat than Burns. "Nothing. We hung out."
He looked up at Nate. Nate just shook his head and walked away.
I continued. "You have to trust me. There is nothing between me and Burns except friendship."
"I want to believe you, Wanda, I do. But …"
How could he not see that Nate had allowed this to escalate. Nate could have set things straight, but he didn't. I snapped. "You know what? Maybe you and Nate can just kiss each other good night!" I turned around to walk away. Ian grabbed my elbow and pulled me back.
"Wait. You kissed Burns?" He interpreted the meaning all wrong.
"No. I didn't. But what if I did? Would you even care?" He started to object.
"I'M NOT DONE TALKING! You are so worried about Burns when the guy you should be …" I changed direction quickly. He and Nate would be spending the night locked in the root cellar. I didn't want to be responsible for murder. "Why do you and Nate think that you own me? I love you Ian but you are making it very difficult." He started to speak again but I cut him off. "I had so much fun today. I can't even remember when you and I had fun like that and all we did was shop!"
"I'm sorry I can't take you shopping!" He was desperate.
I suddenly got quiet again. "I know."
I paused in the moment and took a step towards him. "Tomorrow, things need to change." I shouted into the night. "DO YOU HEAR THAT, NATE?"
I stepped up close to him. I was still angry but I wouldn't let my anger keep me from kissing him good night. "I still love you." I put my hand on his cheek and kissed his lips tenderly but quickly. As I pulled away, he pulled me back and tried to kiss me again. I blocked him. "I'm sorry, Ian. I can't kiss you like that and then go back to an empty bed. It's too hard. Talk to your friend Nate. Tell him …" I thought about what I wanted to say. "Tell him I need you." I kissed his cheek and walked away. Burns was waiting for Ian to return so he could lock up the root cellar. I looked back and Ian was still standing motionless like a statue. I walked slowly in the direction of the house. Before long, Burns caught up to me.
"Wanda, I …" I interrupted him.
"It's not your fault."
Once we got inside the house, I plopped on the couch. "I'm going to sleep here if you don't mind. I can't go into that empty bedroom."
He sat on the couch with me. "Come here." He pulled me to his chest. I curled up on the couch and he cradled me in his arms. He turned off the light on the coffee table. He put his cheek on the top of my head. "You know what?" he whispered.
"What?"
"You make me miss my little sister." A lump formed in my throat. He pulled me closer and we didn't speak anymore.
I woke up in my own bed. Burns must have put me to bed after I fell asleep. I looked out the window. It had rained overnight and it was still cloudy. The weather seemed to be mirroring my life. I got up and grabbed my bag. When I opened the door to the bedroom there were two things different from the last two days. The first was there was no one else in the house. It was as if Burns had deliberately made everyone stay away. The second thing was my bags with the clothing I had acquired on our trip were lying on the floor outside my bedroom door. I took them back to the bedroom and chose the dress that had Burns blushing when I modeled it for him. I slung it over my shoulder and headed for the bathroom. I showered quickly and when I left the bathroom, Ian was sitting in the living room.
He jumped up when he saw me. He shoved his hands in his pockets. He shrugged his shoulders. He looked so nervous. "I'm back." He said timidly. I noticed his bag of clothes was lying on the floor next to the couch.
"Where are you sleeping tonight?" I was unusually calm.
"I don't know. I know it won't be in the root cellar." He was frozen in his spot; his hands still rooted in his pockets pushing them down until his arms were straight and his shoulders were hunched. He looked so cute I wanted to run to him. I was determined to stay in control instead. I wasn't going to let anyone own me today.
"Do you like my new dress?"
"Are you kidding? Why do you think I have my hands in my pockets?"
"I don't know. Why?"
He took one hand out of his pocket and rubbed his chin in thought. "You know, I never could understand why women wear lingerie. It makes men so crazy they just want to rip it off to get to the girl inside. It's like that for me right now."
I nodded my head. "I see." I wanted to move but I didn't. "And this jealousy thing you have about Burns?"
"Under control," he said raising his free hand.
"Good." Silence followed.
"Ian?"
"What?"
"Are you going to make me stand here all day?"
I never saw anyone move so fast in my life. I blinked and he was on me, lifting me above his head. I giggled as I put my hands on his shoulders to steady myself while I hovered in the air. As he lowered me to the ground I pulled my arms around his neck.
"I missed you."
"I missed you too." He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. The kiss was just heating up when the back door slammed.
It was Burns and Nate together. "Sorry about that." Burns murmured.
"Good morning Burns." I smiled at my kind, sweet, 'big brother'.
Nate whined. "What. I don't get a good morning?"
"Would someone please tell him that I am not speaking to him?"
"Come on, pretty lady. Ian's back, isn't he?"
Ian blurted out. "As if you could have stopped me."
Nate shot me a look. I took it as an acknowledgment that he could have stopped him had he chosen to do so. "Look, I hate to break up your little party here but you have a lecture to give."
"WHAT?" I was shocked. The look was not that he could stop us from being together but that he would stop us from being together. "You son of a …"
"Hup Hup. You're a lady … and your class awaits."
"Ian!"
"Don't worry. You'll knock 'em dead. I'll be right there in the front row." Ian assured me.
"Um. Actually, I had something planned that I think you will like." Nate said to Ian.
"Sorry. I'm staying with Wanda." Ian seemed adamant.
Nate turned to me. "Wanda do you want him to sit and watch you give a lecture he's already heard?" I bit my lip. The baseball equipment. Ian would have the chance to throw a pitch like he hasn't done in seven years.
I turned to Ian. "Ian, you have to go with Nate."
"But …"
"Trust me. It will make your day."
"You make my day." He was pleading.
I sighed. "This will make your year." I glared at Nate.
Nate was looking innocently at me but I knew better. The master planner.
"Well, at least you can walk me to my class first." I put my arm through Ian's arm and led him through the door and down the steps. Dragging Ian along, I caught up to Burns and put my other arm through his so I had Ian on my left and Burns on my right. Nate would just have to walk alone. Damn Nate, he was good.
Jared, Aaron, Mel, and Lily were waiting for us in front of the cave. It suddenly dawned on me that I had forgotten the gifts that I had acquired for them. Mel and Lily rushed towards me. Burns and Ian both dropped their arms and backed away as if in fear of the female onslaught. "We were wondering what happened to you." Mel called out.
"When you weren't back by nightfall we thought you and Burns had taken off." Lily chimed in.
"You know me better than that. I couldn't leave my family and I certainly couldn't leave Ian." I hugged each of them to give them reassurance.
"What time did you get in?" Lily asked.
"About midnight."
"Crap! What did Ian say?" Mel kept her voice low because he was nearby. Lily pulled her head into our little girl circle.
"He was not happy, but it's okay now … Oh! I forgot to tell you. I have something for each of you. Are you going to be here after my class?"
Lily replied. "We're coming to the class. We love hearing about your adventures."
"Good." I was relieved to have them support me. "We can go back to the house afterward."
Ian interrupted our little clutch. "Mind if I say Good-bye?"
"Of course not."
Ian pulled me aside. "Are you sure you want me to go?"
"I'm one hundred percent sure."
He still looked hesitant as he pulled my face to his and kissed me. The kiss lasted just a bit longer than it should have considering we were in public and others were starting to arrive at the cave. One thing I could say for sure about Ian; his slow burn kisses always left me a little woozy.
"I'll see you right here for lunch?"
"Absolutely."
I didn't know where to start with my stories today, so I asked if anyone had any questions. It was Lily who threw out the first question and it was a doozy. She wanted to know about the planet that Burns had come from and if I had ever been to it. I told the group that Burns' real name was 'Burns Living Flowers' and that he came from the Fire World.
"I have never been to the planet. It is only one of two planets that my kind has inhabited that I have not spent time on. I can tell you that there has been much controversy due to the violence used by the fire taster to acquire sustenance." I didn't like the subject simply because I felt that Burns was not a 'typical fire taster' and I felt that he did not enjoy his life on that planet, although I have to admit that I never asked his opinion.
"It seems the fire tasters are not the only intelligent life form on the planet. The Walking Flowers, also intelligent creatures are murdered to feed the fire tasters. The irony is the flowers themselves are not eaten. They are burned alive and it is the smoke that is ingested." This opened up a whole gamut of questions and discussions. The topic of humans being taken against their will was brought up and at some point, I was being verbally attacked. Luckily Melanie came to my defense. She was able to provide 'inside' information having been a prisoner in her own body. She was able to describe what it was like to share her body with me. She told them we became friends and that if she had to share her body again to save my life she would. I was glad when the end of the class finally came. I grabbed the girls and rushed out of the cave.
"That was intense," Mel commented.
"I know." It was good to be out in the fresh air again and to take deep breaths. "We still have two hours before lunch. Let's go to the house so I can show you all the stuff I got on my shopping trip."
To my surprise, Burns and Aaron were at the house in the living room installing the new wide screen television. I couldn't help but notice Burns' and Lily's eyes lock on each other for just a moment. Was it possible they liked each other? They were both the shy type. I had to find out. Suddenly, it all fell into place. I had a plan, a plot, a 'Nate maneuver'. "Sit here while I get the bags." I saw Ian's clothing bag still sitting on the living room floor by the couch. I scooped it up and tossed it on the bed in my room. I returned to the living room, bags in hand.
"Well, I bought this dress." I twirled for them to get the full effect. Burns and Aaron both stopped what they were doing to look at me.
"It's adorable!" Melanie trilled.
"I got this one too." I pulled out the multi-tiered gray and white number and held it up to my body. They both replied with enthusiasm. I moved on to the bag with the eyelet lace tops. I pulled mine out first and held it up.
"I love lace!" Lily chirped.
"Mel? You know that Jared loves you to death. He asked me to please get something nice for you. So, this is really from him." I handed her the blouse and she jumped up and danced about with it against her body.
"I love it! Thank you."
Now, I turned to Lily. My plan was about to unfold. "Lily? You see that big guy over there? The one with all the cute freckles?" Burns dropped the tool he was using on the floor. "He got this for you." I pulled the blouse out of the bag and handed it to her.
"Really?" She looked at Burns. "Really? You did this for me?" She turned her attention to him and in that moment I mouthed the words to him "Go to her!" I was gesturing for him to go forward towards her with my hands. Thankfully he responded. She met him half way and she put her arms around his neck and she hugged him. He hugged her back. The look on his face was priceless! The seed had been planted. Now, I just had to nurture it so it would grow.
Once the television was hooked up, we all sat on the couch and watched a movie. We didn't catch it from the beginning but none of us really cared. We were just having fun. Burns and Lily sat next to each other on the couch. After the movie, it was already lunch time. We ran to the cave because we knew we were late. I had promised Ian I would be there. He was already there and he was beaming when he saw me.
"Thank you! The stuff you got is awesome!" He hugged me for a long time. It was like being caught in a vice.
"It was all Nate's idea and Burns picked out all the equipment. Apparently I don't know the difference between a glove and a mitt. And don't even ask me about cups!" I smiled at Burns.
"I threw a few balls with the guys. Nate and Jared are helping me build the pitching stand. This afternoon we are going try and hit a few. You should come and watch."
I leered at Nate, but I spoke to Ian. "I would love to watch. I don't think I have any plans for this afternoon."
Nate responded for me. "No she has nothing planned but the laundry room is free this afternoon in case you have laundry to do."
Of course I had laundry to do and probably Ian's too. "Tell you what. I'll come watch for a little while and then I'll run up there and do a quick load of laundry."
Our group was quickly growing into a pack. We sat in a big circle at lunch. Everyone was talking over each other. Conversations were flying in every direction. It was like being in a high school lunchroom. Everyone was having … fun.
After lunch we all decided to go to the field and Megan and Sarah tagged along. I was on Ian's arm. Mel was on Jared's arm. Sarah, the stalker, took the initiative to grab Nate's arm which left me laughing. Burns took Lily's arm and after much prodding by us all, Aaron took Megan's arm. The girls all got comfy on a bench that was not there yesterday when I was here. The guys lined up and were playing catch. They were in a big circle and they threw the ball randomly to each other. I wanted to see Ian pitch. After a twenty minute warm up, Jared put on the catcher's gear. The other guys went over to where the bats were lying on the grass. Ian marched out to the pitcher's mound. Jared got set in the catcher's stance. Ian took a moment. Jared was flashing fingers at Ian from between his legs. Ian nodded. He went into his wind up, lifted his knee, and I swear I never saw the ball leave his hand. All I heard was the 'thud' as the ball hit Jared's mitt.
Aaron whistled. "Damn! You expect me to hit that?"
Jared bellowed. "Five bucks to the first guy to hit off him."
Nate retaliated. "We don't need your stinking money!" He was always in character. This time it was from an old comedy show.
Burns grabbed a batting helmet. "Let's do this!"
Burns came up to the plate. He held out his hand to keep Ian from pitching. "Now, Don't you hit me! You might kill me!" He was trying to be funny but he probably could kill him if he hit him in the right place. At least he was wearing a helmet.
The first pitch whizzed right past him. "Strike one!" Jared boomed. Burns swung at the second pitch, and the third, and the fourth. He hit the fifth pitch but it popped up and went behind him.
"Foul ball." Aaron bellowed. Burns looked determined. It took another four pitches before Burns belted one to right field.
Megan got up and began running as she called "I'll get it!" Jared threw Ian a new ball.
"I think I got this figured out," Burns yelled out to Ian. Ian shook his head and smiled. Ian's next pitch wasn't as fast as the others but what it did was amazing. Just as the ball was about to cross the plate it dropped about six inches in the air. Burns was already swinging and there was no way he could compensate when the ball sank.
"What the hell was that?" Burns groaned.
Ian was still smiling. "Sorry I just had to try it. I can't believe I can still do it. I'll go back to throwing the fast ball again."
Burns hit the very next pitch. "Yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" He was satisfied with himself.
Next up was Nate and obviously Ian felt the need to prove something. It was the only explanation that made sense for what he was about to do. "Tell you what, Nate. I'll give you twenty pitches. You hit just one and you can kiss my fiancé." He was being cocky.
My reaction was swift. "Ian? Are you out of your mind?" I screeched. What was he thinking? I was panicked. I stood up. "You can't tell me who I can kiss!"
He ignored me. "BUT … if you don't hit anything, I sleep in the house with Wanderer for the rest of the time we are here."
"Deal!" Nate called out.
Pitch after pitch … .Nate swung … Nate missed. Nate never came close to hitting that ball. I was angry with Ian even though he had won the bet. Again the two of them were acting like I was property. Ian came over to me, leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. "At least I know where I'm sleeping tonight."
Don't bet on it. I thought to myself.
"Ugh. I'm going to do laundry." I was disgusted. I turned and stomped away.
"What?" He called out with his arms outstretched.
What kind of stupid bet was that? Who do they think they are? I'll kiss whoever I want, thank-you. Maybe I'll kiss Burns. That'll tick him off. I walked into the house. Maria and Kim were preparing chickens to put in the oven. Dinner was going to be good tonight. My new CD player was on the dresser in my room. There were fresh batteries lying next to it. I put the batteries in and attached the speakers. I grabbed a couple of CD's and threw everything into my bag of dirty clothes. I snatched Ian's bag off the bed and headed off to do our laundry.
The root cellar was deserted. The cots were folded up in the corner. I took the dirty clothes out of my bag and tossed them into the washing machine. I opened Ian's bag and dumped the contents onto the folding table. I couldn't tell what was clean and what was dirty so I shoved them all in the washer. Once the load was started, I turned my attention to the CD player. I chose a CD and put it in. I pulled one of the cots from the corner, opened it and put it against the wall. I sat in it with my back against the wall and started reading through each of the CD jackets. The washer finished at the same time the first CD ended. After transferring the clothes to the dryer, I put in another CD. I started to dance around the room. I was thoroughly enjoying my music when I was interrupted by someone clapping slowly. It was Nate. I stopped in my tracks.
"So, you like to dance?" He smiled.
"What are you doing here?" I asked suspiciously. Nate did nothing without a motive.
"I just came to make peace." He entered the room. "I want you to know that Ian didn't have to make that bet. I had every intention on letting him sleep in the house." He sounded genuine.
"Well, even if you had won, I wouldn't have kissed you."
He grabbed his heart. "You wound me fair maiden." Nate fell into character as he had done so many times before to lower my defenses.
"I don't mean to wound you." My ire had been diffused once again.
"Are we friends then?"
"Yes, friends. And thank you for the baseball equipment for Ian. I know he's thrilled."
"Ah. I just came up with the idea. You and Burns did all the hard work."
A song began playing that I really liked. It was a ballad and I couldn't help but sing it softly to myself. Nate put his hand out and still in character he asked, "Would you like to dance, fair Wanda?"
Before I could answer, he took my hand and pulled me gently to the center of the room. He slid his arm around my waist and drew my body to his. We began to dance slowly. I was conscious of my feet.
"Keep your head up. Look at me," he commanded. We moved slowly about the room as the words 'hold on, Baby, hold on … cause it's closer than you think, and your standing on the brink …' My eyes were locked on his. I was under his spell. He turned his head slightly. He was looking at my lips. My heart sped up because I knew that he was going to kiss me. Ian. I love Ian. I can't do this! I quickly let go and backed away. My embarrassment was apparent on my face.
"You lost that bet, remember?" It was Ian. He stepped into the doorway. He must have been watching. My heart sank. I was frozen unable to picture what might come next. My stomach was in knots. He ignored Nate and looked directly to me. "I went to get my bag of clothes so I could shower and they were gone."
I was too nervous to speak in a controlled manner. "I took your clothes. I washed them. I'm sorry," I blurted out. I realized that although I was saying I'm sorry to him for taking the clothes; I was really sorry for what had just transpired.
He turned back to Nate. "Nate don't you have something to do besides hit on my girl?" He was unusually calm. It absolutely scared me to death.
Without missing a beat, Nate replied. "Yes, actually I do, now that I know that Wanda is in good hands." Again, Ian did not speak but remained in quiet control. "Wanda you enjoy the rest of your afternoon." Nate bowed to me and slipped out the door. I found it amazing that Nate always seemed to be in control no matter what the situation with the exception of last night.
Ian looked at me. "You need some help?"
"Sure," I said timidly. I didn't know what else to say. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. He sat on the cot and tapped his hand beside him to beckon me to join him. I felt sick. I sat carefully next to him. He raised his arm and I flinched fearing he was about to pummel me, but he just placed his arm around my shoulders and held me tight to his side. I put my head on his chest. We didn't talk. The silence was worse than if he had just exploded. At least, then, I would have known how to react. Finally the buzzer went off. I jumped to my feet and sprinted to the dryer. I started pulling the clothes out and dropping them onto the counter. He got up slowly, still silent, and began folding.
"You know I love you," he said in a soft voice.
I couldn't look at him and the tears fell down my cheeks.
He turned and wrapped his arms around me. "No matter what, Wanderer, remember that I love you and I always will."
"Oh, Ian. I didn't mean to …" my voice broke and I was sobbing into his chest.
"I know." He kissed the top of my head and held me while I cried. When I finally had my emotions under control enough to look at his face, he kissed me once. It was a soft controlled kiss.
"Let's finish this laundry. I want to take a shower before dinner."
And, we did just that. Ian took a quick shower while I offered to help in the kitchen. Dinner was delicious just as I predicted it would be. Our little pack came back together during the dinner hour and remained together after dinner. We assembled in the living room of the house and decided to watch the new big screen television. Mel and Jared were wedged together into one of the chairs. Burns and Lily were sitting next to each other on the couch. They may have been holding hands. It was hard for me to see from where I was sitting. Ian was sitting with his back against the end of the couch and I was sitting in front of him. I was leaning forward talking to Rachel about movies. Ian had been distant since the laundry room and I was cautious about being too touchy feely. At eight o'clock the movie we had wanted to watch was starting and Aaron turned off the light on the table next to him. About ten minutes into the movie, Ian reached out and slid me across the floor so I was between his legs leaning into his chest. His chin rested on top of my head and his arms were around my waist. I breathed a sigh of relief and put my hands on top of his. When the movie was over, the party went into full swing. There were beverages flowing and snacks being raided from the kitchen. Lily and Burns seemed quite focused on each other. This made me very happy. Ian and I split up and were talking with different people. Nate was standing with his arm around Sarah who was beaming at the attention. I noticed that Ian kept his focus on where I was even though he wasn't actively talking to me. I went to the kitchen to pop more popcorn and Nate came in. He leaned in to me. He looked concerned.
"Is everything okay with you?"
"Yeah, everything is fine." I didn't sound at all convincing.
"Look, I'm sorry about what happened this afternoon. I was out of line."
I felt as guilty as he did. "I didn't have to dance with you."
"I didn't give you a choice." He was right, he didn't.
"It's too late now. Let's just forget about it." The popcorn was done popping. Nate left the room ahead of me and I saw Ian's eyes as I entered the living room. He pretended not to notice acting interested in the conversation he was a part of, but I knew better.
At midnight, Burns announced it was time to clear out. He walked Lily back to the cave so I hoped maybe he had the nerve to kiss her good night. I'd find out from Lily in the morning. Ian and I went to the bedroom. I pulled on a pair of shorts for bed, then slipped out of my baby doll dress and pulled on my silky camisole. I had not worn a bra today. Ian turned his back and barely seemed to notice. He seemed distracted. When he took off his shirt, he stretched his arms out. The muscles in his back were taut. His upper body was stunning.
"I might have overdone it today." He groaned.
"What's wrong?"
"My muscles are sore."
"Do you want some 'No Pain'?"
"No. I like that my muscles hurt. It means I got a good workout." He slid under the covers. I just stood there. I didn't know if I should get in the bed or go lay on the couch. The tension in the room was thick like fog. He held the blanket up. "Are you coming to bed?"
I was still waiting for that other shoe to drop. It was like when we were at the campground. He was shutting down. I had to pull him back. I laid my head on his chest and wrapped my arm around his body. He turned out the light. He had one arm around my body and the other arm was cradling his head.
"Ian?" I spoke softly.
"What?" He barely spoke above a whisper.
"Will you tell me about your life?" I felt his body go rigid. "I don't mean the sex part. Tell me anything you want. Just tell me something."
"I'm really tired." He whispered.
I lifted my head to look at his face. The moonlight from the window cast enough light for me to see his eyes. "Please?"
He took a deep breath. "I was born in a little town called Renata in the California
hills. Kyle and I played sports from the time we could run. My dad was a huge sports fan and he got Kyle into tee ball when he was four years old and when I was four I started too. My mom, she was the best. She'd have a house full of our friends over all the time. We had a pool. It was above ground but it was one of those oval ones. We played water polo and crazy games we made up. She'd feed the whole damn neighborhood and never complained. She loved kids." The more he talked about his Mom, the more guilty I felt for stealing his life away from him. I tried to remain quiet but my tears eventually slid out of my eyes and down to his bare chest.
"Hey!" He lifted his head to look at my face as he reached to pull my chin off his chest. "Are you crying?"
"I'm sorry my kind took your life from you." I wiped the tears from my face.
"Hey! I don't blame you. You didn't do this all by yourself. You are just a tiny cog in the machine just like I am. Please don't blame yourself." He paused. "Come here."
He pulled my body up so my face was above his. "I fell in love with you despite everything." He pulled my head to his and kissed my lips. It was a slow burn kiss. He pulled his fingers gently through my hair. He gave me small kisses at first and then longer kisses. He caressed my lower lip with his teeth and I wished that I could just spend the rest of my life kissing him. We couldn't fight when we were kissing. He kissed my neck right along the jaw and then went back to my lips. I thought my heart would explode and then he slowed again. With a few final kisses, he stopped.
"We should sleep now." He turned to his side to spoon me. I heard the back door open and close. Burns was back. "I'll try not to push you off the bed."