Nancy Faireborn-Armbruster left the Faireborn farmhouse a quarter of an hour later, after making sure that her sister-in-law did not suffer any aftermath from the scorching heat, and made sure she swallowed plenty of water to keep hydrated. When her brother entered the house, his own skin looking more like a red tomato from the strong sun, she valued her sister-in-law's promise and did not say anything about the event. Though her heart wanted to ream her for covering up the small scandal, she remained quiet.
Heading to her own farmhouse on the other side of the large property, she stopped for a moment at the horse pasture, gazing at the animals, until her eyes caught her mare, who shouted out a greeting to her. Pegasus, her white Appaloosa, galloped her way, her white coat shinning with the sun's rays, with her long white mane and tail, making her seem as if she were flying.
"Hi, there, love." Nancy gently petted the animal's side, her fingers running up and down the short coat, feeling the horse's muscles beneath her touch.
A stallion called to the mare and the animal instantly left her mistress's side and raced back towards the herd.
She turned around and once again headed for her home— the white house with the dark blue shutters. A gift from her parents when both she and Ace had been married five years ago. It had been a nice wedding, not too elegantly, and not to simple. Just right for both of them. She remembered all their friends and Joes who had visited on the special occasion and her memory recalled his face, his hold, and his vow. She also recalled hers—for better or for worse.
A sigh came to her throat and she let it out slowly. Entering the homestead, she stopped at the kitchen table, where she had left the pile of bills which awaited to be taken care of by her husband. Ace had insisted that he would be the one taking care of all bills. And she had not denied his request. But the bills kept pilling up, and she knew why. Her heart felt heavy for a moment, while she picked up the bills and walked into his office, placing them on his desk, right on top of his horse racing section of the Wichita Gazette. Her eyes noted several horse names circled and other ones crossed off and she shook her head.
His betting— as always. He was quite known to the Joe world for his betting. He betted on anything and on anyone. The betting plagued him like a disease, wanting, demanding and out of control—in her standards. But she loved him, even with his betting pools and his poker games that went on throughout several entire nights.
Her eyes wandered to a picture of himself, right in front of his Sky Striker. A picture she had taken on the day he had left the Joes. Her brown eyes turned softer and a flash of sadness enveloped her. He had been retired, an honorary retirement at that. Ace had covered his real reason for retiring, not the one he let on to the Joes on settling down with his wife and raising horses, no, the real reason was his night vision—damaged from a mission—night blindness. That alone had clipped his wings. But she was there for him, and always would be. She loved him, she was his wings. And no matter what, she would survive this too—she hoped.
A door slamming closed caught her attention and she already could hear his boots entering the foyer, coming towards the back of the house to the kitchen. She scrambled away from his desk and rushed out of the office, nearly colliding with him in the hallway.
"You're back early," Nancy said, a smile on her features, glancing right into his sky-blue eyes that made her melt from their view.
"My last student cancelled at the last minute," Ace told her then bent down and kissed her soft lips.
Nancy wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him tighter towards her. Their lips parted and she contently sighed. "Hmm, that's odd that Geraldine Meyer cancelled on you."
He wrapped his arms around her. "Well considering her daughter-in-law went into labor, it's understandable." He nuzzled her neck a little bit.
"Hmm.." Nancy melted into his touch. "Harriet having a baby, I still can't picture it." Her voice went soft, her mind drifted for a moment until she returned to the present, hearing her husband talking to her, yet hadn't paid attention to the words. "I'm sorry, Brad. What was that again?"
"I'm headed for the track," he told her as he let go of her. "I should be back by dinner time."
"Again?" she asked him, her eyes glancing down to the floor. She hugged herself, needing his touch, but she knew that once those blue eyes gleamed, he had become lost, and even though she would be inches from him, she was totally invisible.
She glanced up and spotted him heading for the office. "Don't forget Dash and Allie are coming for dinner!" But she knew it was too late. His hunger was not food, but money.
"Yeah, yeah. I won't forget." Ace said as he grabbed his paper from his desk and came back out. He kissed her again before he left.
"You are going to forget," Nancy mumbled, turning around and headed towards the kitchen. She started cutting the vegetables and other ingredients. Pacing herself quickly, she tried to set her worries aside from going back to her husband and his problem. She sighed, almost completing the meal when two strong hands wrapped around her torso and lifted her away from her pots and pans. "Dashie!"
"Hey, little girl," Flint chuckled whirling her around the kitchen like a rag doll.
"Allie!" Nancy screeched towards her sister-in-law, wiggling her legs in the air, trying to escape her brother's clutches.
Jaye chuckled. "Dash, put her down."
Flint continued to torment his sister. "Make me," he challenged his wife, winking at her.
Nancy only saw the blur of the kitchen racing by. "I'm going to puke!" she cried out, getting dizzy.
"If she pukes you're going to have to clean up her puke as well as mine." Jaye warned him as she sat down on a kitchen chair.
"DASHIE!!" Nancy cried out, feeling nauseated to her stomach. She closed her eyes, tight. But felt the whirling slow down to a stop.
Flint chuckled at both of them. "All right, no more whirling, since it gets you both sick."
"Gee, thanks." Nancy held her stomach, looking a tad green in the face.
"Need some help with dinner?" Jaye asked as she looked around the tidy room.
"Actually, I'm about done, but thanks for the offer Allie, you know how I take after my mother.." Nancy snickered.
Flint rolled his eyes. "You cooked for an army. Huh?"
"What gave you that idea?" Nancy narrowed her eyes at him.
"All the pots and pans," Flint laughed, pointing at the dishes.
"Allie, you may become a widow tonight!!" Nancy vowed, taking a step forward.
Flint screeched like a woman and raced behind his wife for protection. "Help me!"
"You two play nice," Jaye said in a mock reprimand.
They turned to her. "Yes, mom," they both snickered.
Flint chuckled, wrapping his arms around his wife, and kissed her cheek. "Maybe later us two will play nice," he whispered in her ear sending small sparks down both their bodies.
"Is that all you think about?!" Jaye grouched at him quietly, not really meaning too.
Flint tickled the base of her neck. "No, I also think how lovely my wife is, and how lucky I am married to her."
Nancy rolled her eyes and turned away, already knowing her flirtatious brother.
"Suck up," Jaye said to him and let him kiss her softly.
Flint wrapped his arms around her neck, pulling her closer, deepening the kiss. His heartbeat pulsed madly in his chest, wanting more.
Nancy simply walked to the phone and picked it, without dialing it. "Hello, Barbeque, this is Nancy, I need you to come over and put out a fire in my kitchen. It's burning a hole on my floor."
Flint broke the kiss quickly and turned to his sister. "Hey!" he defended himself.
Jaye chuckled. "Good one, Nan."
"Thank you, Allie," Nancy stated proudly, walking over to the stove. "I made your favorite, stuffed crab cakes."
"Excellent, right up her alley!" Flint chuckled, pivoting away from her swat.
"Oh, come on, Mrs. Faireborn, got all heated from my comment?"
A crashing sound came from the other side of the kitchen, followed by a Greek muffled curse, which was hard to decipher from Nancy's mumbling in several different languages. They noticed the large pot of white sauce had fallen to the ground, the liquid spreading everywhere.
"Nancy!" Jaye exclaimed. "Are you all right?" She rushed over, grabbed some towels and started to help clean it up.
"I-I'm fine," Nancy replied, grabbing some more towels for the mess.
Quickly both women cleaned the disaster. "Well, there goes the sauce."
"It's all right." Flint walked over and hugged her tightly. "I like whatever you cook."
"Flatterer," Nancy scoffed at him, slapping him on the arm, her features all flushed. She had to get him out of there before she really made a mistake and let lose the secret they were keeping from him. "Can you be a dear and set the dinning room table?"
"Anything for you," He kissed her cheek and walked out of the kitchen. "THUMPER!!!" he cried out, heading for the back of the house. "Oh... THUMPER!!!"
"He's such a smart ass," Jaye said, shaking her head.
Nancy nodded, picking up the fallen pot and placed it in the sink.
"THuuuuuuuuuuuuuuumper!!!" Flint called out again, passing by the kitchen. "Brad, bud, where are you?"
"Dash! He's not here!" Nancy called over her shoulder, while she continued to wash the pot.
"Where is he?" Jaye asked as she took another wash cloth and started to clean the floor where the sauce fell so that it wouldn't be sticky.
Nancy slightly stiffened, and walked briskly toward the dinning room. "He's helping Victor with his horse." It wasn't a lie, was it? He was with Victor—a co-worker of his, and the horse— a racing horse. Only betting instead of helping. Her heart pounded in her chest. She had to be careful. She couldn't have her sister-in-law suspect anything. And she knew that the ex-Joe agent had been trained to read one's features for any false tenseness. For that alone, she had to be very careful what she said and acted in front of Lady Jaye.
"Is he going to buy Ampitrion?" Flint asked, starting to set the table.
"I-I'm not sure," Nancy stuttered, opening the cabinet and taking out her favorite dinner set.
"Dash, can you get those plates down for her and set the table. I'll help Nan in the kitchen," Jaye grabbed Nancy's arm and pulled her back into the kitchen.
"Honeycomb, that's what I'm doing!" Flint called out to the women, placing another glass in its place.
Nancy turned, stuck her tongue out at him, then turned to her sister-in-law. She fanned her face, already knowing the kitchen had become hotter under her nerves. "I need to turn on the air conditioner," she calmly stated, trying to flee.
Jaye gave her a skeptical look. "Fine, I'll let it go for now."
"Allie, thanks for caring, and I love you for it, but there's nothing to worry about," Nancy murmured at her best friend.
Jaye gave her a hug. Since Scarlett had stopped calling her ever since their fight five years ago, Nancy had became her best friend as well. "When you're ready to talk I'm ready to listen."
"Thanks Allie," Nancy said, returning the gesture. Her heart pounded in her chest, praying that everything would be fine. It had to be! She wanted to spill her heart out, tell her best friend everything, but if she did, she would tell her brother and her brother will probably send her husband to and early grave. Very early.
"And what you tell me will only be between you and I. Your brother will not find out from me unless you want him too," Jaye vowed.
"What are you two up to in here?" Flint asked, popping his head in the kitchen, startling both of them. "Did something happen today I need to know about?"
Nancy turned ghostly white, and hastily turned towards the stove, not wanting her brother to find out their little secret of Jaye's fainting spell from earlier in the day.
"No, honey," Jaye said. "She's just upset about the sauce is all."
"Nan," Flint said sweetly, walking over and giving her another hug. "It's all right, just ask Allie how many things I spill everyday!" He kissed her forehead, then peaked a kiss on his wife's cheek. He headed back to the dinning room where he finished setting the table, while listening to the two women mumbling about something in the kitchen. Yes, something was up. He could feel it in his G. I. JOE blood.
Nancy and Jaye came out, carrying the two main dishes for the dinner course.
"Should we wait for Brad?" Flint asked, helping his wife with the large platter.
"I-I'm not sure how long he's going to be," Nancy answered, setting the crab cakes in the middle of the table. "I hope these taste well without the sauce."
"They will taste better than I would have made them," Jaye said to her as she went back into the kitchen to get the vegetables.
"Allie, your cooking is good too!" Flint called out towards his wife. "I'm still alive, ain't I?" He grinned.
A long thin wooden object flew out of the kitchen and smacked his head with a thud, before it landed to the floor.
Nancy burst out laughing, bending over and picking up the wooden spoon. "Dash, you really need to learn to think before you say anything!" She covered her mouth and swallowed the other giggle wanting to burst out of her throat.
Jaye walked in carrying the veggies. She sat them on the table and gave her husband a grumpy glare.
"Someone owes someone an apology!" Nancy giggled at her brother's expense.
"No, she doesn't!" Flint joked, walking over and wrapped his arms around his wife's waist, and held her close against him.
Jaye wrapped her arms around him and a lone tear went down her cheek as she buried her face into his still very muscular chest.
"Oh, honey," Flint held her tighter against him, kissing her head, then resting his hands over hers, gently swaying her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get you upset."
"It's alright," Jaye said, regaining her composure.
"I know the heat is bothering you." He kissed her on the forehead, his warm lips touching her warm skin. "Maybe you should fly to Scotland for a few weeks?"
Nancy made herself scarce by walking to the window and looking out, hoping her husband would return. She knew he lost himself when it came to gambling, and sometimes forgot little things like dinner and even her. She wrapped her arms around herself, letting her right hand over her left, feeling the golden ring underneath.
"No. I can't," Jaye told him, she lifted her head from his chest. "There is to much to do right now. I'll be fine."
"All right, but take it more easy," Flint said to her softly, playing with one of her curls from her chestnut hair. "I don't want you to get overheated and pass out on me, now can I?"
Nancy hiccuped, her eyes widened, and covered her mouth. 'Don't breathe one word.' she thought, continuing to look out the window, hoping she would see her husband's jeep, but no sound of an approaching engine came, none.
"I'll try to take it easy," Jaye promised.
"Good," Flint bent down and sealed the promise with a passionate kiss.
Nancy rolled her eyes. "Brother, are you trying to make me all nauseated?"
Flint glanced up. "Who me?" he asked, acting innocent. "Nah, but be your brother. I just love kissing."
"Come on. Let's eat. You must be starving," Jaye told her husband and motioned for him to sit down.
Flint started to pound his chest. "Me, hungry man," he grunted in a deep sound, making the women chuckle at his antics.
"Allie, has this muttonhead ever grown up?" Nancy chuckled walking over to the table and sitting down.
"Ummm...no," Jaye said with a chuckle. "But I love him just the way he is."
"Thank you," Flint smirked at his wife. "And just for that you can have extra dessert!"
"Uhh, not on my table, please," Nancy joked, starting to serve them.
"Okay, how about the porch?" Flint suggested wiggling his eyebrows at his wife.
"Is that all you ever think about?" Jaye asked amused.
"I can think?" Flint asked, making his tone more comical.
"If you only had a brain..." Nancy started singing the Wizard of Oz song.
Jaye just shook her head as she filled her husband's plate.
"I hope Brad comes soon before I eat all this yummy food all by myself," Flint stated, making a drooling hunger sound from deep in his throat.
"Don't worry, Dash," Nancy smiled at her brother. "I have plenty for him too." She took several small bits. "It would had been better with the sauce, but figures the poor Faireborn side of me, got the clumsy part of the deal."
Just then Flint fell off his chair, his eyes wide and glanced up at the women who had gasped. "Umm, sorry." He hastily stood up and headed for the other end of the house. "Bathroom."
Nancy and Jaye kept looking at him, watching him almost dive from rounding the hallway.
"You know he just went into a closet!" Nancy pointed out, shaking her head. "If he gets my mops wet, I'll kill him!"
"I don't know what his problem is," Jaye said picking at her food.
"Is he acting strangely lately?" Nancy inquired, starting to play with her food.
"What the hell!!!" came a loud shout from the closet, making the two women glance towards it.
"He's been getting a lot of business phone calls on either one of our phone lines and on his cell and he has to leave either right then or early the next morning," Jaye said sadly.
"Maybe he's in the mafia," Nancy half joked, twisting her brown hair with her finger. "But I'm with you on this one. This sounds strange. I own half the farm and I don't get that many business calls—unless..."
"Unless what?" Jaye asked looking almost as if she were about to cry.
Nancy swiftly scooted over and wrapped her arms around her best friend. "No! No! Not what you are thinking! He would never do something so stupid like an affair," she stated truthfully. "I'm talking about Mrs. Geraldine! She's been after this farm for many years. Papa would never sell it to her and neither would I or Dash."
"Nancy, Ms. Geraldine is in no condition to do anything. She had a stroke last week remember," Jaye reminded her. It was obvious she thought he was having an affair.
"Allie," Nancy said soothingly, like an older sister. "You're thinking on Mrs. Hendricks. Mrs. Geraldine is fine. She is at the moment with her daughter, who is having her baby!" She glanced at her sister-in-law more concerned. "Are you all right?"
"Are you nuts!!!" came from the closet, followed by a few bumps, indicating that mops and buckets had fallen on the warrant officer
"Yeah, I'm fine." Jaye said. "Just a little tired I guess. I've been mixing up people these past few days."
"The heat can do this to you," Nancy stated, pouring Jaye a glass of ice cold lemonade. "Promise me you'll stay indoors tomorrow. I don't want a repeat of today's adventure."
"I have a few things to do around the farm and I have to run into town for a few things. But it doesn't matter if I'm inside or out. Remember? The air conditioner is broke and they can't make it out until Tuesday," Jaye said sadly.
"Then you'll come here until I get my husband to go over there and fix the darn thing!" Nancy proclaimed with defiance.
The closet door swung open and they heard Flint mumble something under his breath before he rejoined them at the table. "Is everything all right?" he asked, now glancing from one woman to the other.
"We're talking about the air conditioner," Jaye said softly and without looking up at him asked, "So when are you leaving?"
"I'll try to fix it," Flint replied gently, sitting down next to his wife. "And I'm not leaving. I'm going to stick around and wait for my son to come home."
"Yes, Cayden is coming in a week!" Nancy said with glee in her voice.
"So, are you going to make him dress the evil plastic things again?" Flint joked, rubbing Jaye's back up and down slowly with one hand.
Nancy's face turned a deep rose color. "I-I don't think so." she slowly answered him, keeping her eyes straight downwards at her plate. Her heart pounded in her chest. "He's too old for that anyway."
"He enjoys what ever you two do together, Nancy," Jaye said reassuringly.
"I think he dresses the girls just to make me happy," Nancy smiled. "Maybe this time, I'll take him riding down to the river and enjoy a picnic."
"With the evil plastic things, right?" Flint joked towards his sister, winking at her.
"Shut up, Dash!" Nancy snapped, without realizing it. Her face turned pale, realizing how the words had burst out of her mouth. "I'm sorry. This heat." She quietly stood up, grabbed an empty plate and headed for the kitchen. "I'll get us some more corn."
Flint watched his sister intensely, knowing that she had never spoken those words to him. "I guess I crossed the line, huh?" he whispered to his wife.
"We had a long day today. She helped me with all those cookies. She's just hot and tired," Jaye said with a shrug.
"You were baking in this heat!" Flint asked in shocked. His expression turning to worry. "Did anything else happen?"
"Walter collapsed and I had to go out to try to fix the pump which I didn't finish, so I'll have to fix it in the morning," Jaye said, hiding the fact that she also had passed out.
"Don't go out there again, " Flint warned, giving that look of his. "I don't want you collapsing on me too. You should have called me? Why didn't you call me?"
Nancy came out of the kitchen and placed the bowl of corn next to another bowl of corn. She shook her head. Her appetite already decreasing.
"I didn't call you because you were really busy in the south field. I can take care of it in the morning," Jaye said defiantly.
Flint went to protest, but Nancy cut him off. "Dash, I'll go with her, all right. And we'll take care of it very early, so we can avoid the scorching heat."
"Fine," Flint said defeated. "But I want both of you to carry extra water, got it?"
"Yes, Dad." Nancy stuck her tongue out at him.
"Sisters!" Flint rolled his eyes, while starting to tickle his wife's neck.
Jaye swatted his hand away angrily then got up and took her still full plate into the kitchen to scrape it into the trash.
"Allie, what's wrong?" Flint asked in a very soft gentle tone, from the doorway, watching her features closely. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.
Jaye sighed. "Nothing. I'm sorry."
He took two steps closer, slowly walking his way there, not to make her more uneasy. "Did I make you angry?" he asked gently, his eyes turning soft.
"No," Jaye said honestly. "I don't know what's wrong with me lately. Those stupid hang up calls are driving me nuts, they are calling on both lines now, and mix that with the heat..." She put her hands on the counter and leaned on them.
Flint took another step and wrapped his arms around his wife, holding her tightly. "I'll take care of the calls. From now on, don't answer the line. And if it's me, I'll ring three times then hang up, and dial again." He kissed the side of her head. "And as for the heat. How about I take you home and make you a nice cold bath, and maybe join you with all the bubbles."
"Mmmmmm..." Jaye said with a smile on her face. "That sounds great."
"Sure it does, it came from my brain, didn't it?" Flint whispered seductively, starting to trail kissing down her neck, very, very lightly, knowing he was sending little heat waves down her body.
"Let's go say goodnight to Nancy," Jaye said shivering slightly under his touch.
"Mhmmhmmm..." Flint mumbled, continuing the trail of kisses, lower and lower, slowly pushing down her white lightweight shirt.
"Are you two going to make out in my kitchen?" Nancy's voice came from behind them, making the warrant officer snap straight up, which caused both women to laugh.
Flint rolled his eyes. "Well, at least I love you both!"
"Both? What about Brenna? And Molly—"
"All right! All right!" Flint raised both hands in the air in defeat. "I love you all!"
Jaye wrapped her arms around Flint's waist and laid her head against his chest.
"Nan, I'm sorry to do this, but can we—" Flint started to say, wrapping his own arms around his wife.
"No worries, Dash, it's too hot to eat, anyway." Nancy smiled at them. "I'll bring some left overs tomorrow." She followed them to the door. "Have a good night, both of you."
"We will, say good night to Brad for us!" Flint called over his shoulder, while escorting his wife towards their home.
Nancy watched them until they disappeared behind the tall fur trees. A bark came from her right, and she spotted her collie rushing toward her, her tail wagging in greeting. "Good girl, Cassie," she petted the loving animal. The Collie had been a gift from Jaye several years ago and had bloodlines from the original Lassie. She turned around, sitting down on the rocking chair, gently swaying, and hoping her husband would come home. A sigh escaped her throat, and slowly her eyes drifted to sleep. What seemed a few moments later, a stroking feeling came on her hand. Her eyes slowly opened, waiting to see her husband's blues, but instead found two brown ones of one faithful dog's, nudging her awake from the night's heat. She scanned around, but already knew in her heart, he wasn't coming home, not that night anyway—another one lost to his battle with his bets.