Justin Thyme Ch. 19

Michael slipped his hands in his pockets and stood for a moment before turning to Susie. "Susie Collins, I love you." He dropped suddenly to one knee and pulled a box from his pocket. "Will you marry me?" and he opened the box so she could see that fateful ring that was the cause of all of his pain tonight.

Susie stood there wide-eyed and open mouthed as tears sprang from her eyes. "Oh, yes, Michael. Oh, yes!" Her voice was soft and low, but she was just close enough to the microphone that everyone in the room could hear her. A roar swept the room with cheering and clapping as Michael slipped the ring onto her finger and then stood and led her from the platform after a brief hug and the lightest peck of a kiss that hurt so badly, but yet felt so good.

It took them a few minutes to make it from the podium to our table, and I could see Michael was really struggling. He kept having to stop and shake hands with all of the guys in the area, while Susie was mobbed by all of the girls, who wanted to see the ring. Susie maintained a death grip on Michael's arm as if she was afraid someone would take him from her, but she also had a smile on her face that totally belied the tears on her cheeks.

I quickly made my way to him, seeing he was at the end of his string. "Excuse us, please." I kept saying over and over to the guys surrounding him. "Michael has to have a seat." Finally I got him back to our table where he grabbed his glass of water and drank it down as quickly as he could. I saw Dr. Meechum enter the room and stood and waved for his attention and he, with Mary closely following, made his way over.

"All right, Doc. I'll take your shot now," Michael said weakly. "Mission accomplished," and he held up Susie's hand for them to see the ring. Mary immediately had to embrace Susie and kiss her on the cheek.

"I'm so happy for you two! I wondered how long it was going to take, but I thought you would probably wait to get some school out of the way first."

"I had no idea," Susie whispered. She turned to Michael suddenly. "You talked to Daddy a few days ago, didn't you? That's what was wrong with him when we went up Mt. Lemmon!" Michael's smile was all the answer she needed. "Does Mommy know?"

Michael shook his head "No".

"Is that what was wrong with Daddy tonight? Did he know you were going to ask me tonight?"

"I think so. I didn't say just when, but I think he got the idea." Susie laid her head on Michael's shoulder and hugged his arm. "I can't believe I didn't even guess. You have made me so happy."

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We all decided we had had enough of the Prom. With Michael leaving it would leave me with the three girls, not that that would have been a hardship, but everything would have been a letdown had we stayed, so we decided to move the party to the Collins' house. Dr. Meechum agreed to wait until we got there to give Michael the shot so he could ride back with us in the limo. Our driver was surprised when I called him and asked to be picked up, but he wasn't disappointed at all to get to go home a lot earlier than he expected, especially when I paid him the full fare for the evening charter. After all, we had booked the time. I didn't think it would be right to him to cut him short of what we had asked for.

I thought Madge was going to come unglued when Susie shyly held out her hand to show her mother the ring. She started crying and laughing and hugged Susie to her, then reached out and grabbed Michael and gave him a hug, crying on his shoulder the whole while. I really thought he looked relieved at her reaction. I know Michael was worried about what her reaction would be. Tom stuck out a hand and gripped Michael's hand hard and looked him in the eye. I could tell he was happy, but it was easy to see how hard it was to give his daughter away. After a minute of gripping hands Tom let go and embraced Michael firmly. "I couldn't ask for a better man for my daughter, but you will have to wait a few years to give your own daughter away to understand how I feel." It wasn't intended for me to hear, but I did, and believe it or not, I think I understood.

Michael waited to tell us about his injury until we got back to the house so that he would only have to tell it once. Everyone got a laugh the way he described the "drug bust" trying to picture Michael as a drug dealer, and Joanne as a druggie. At first both Toms were ready to go up to Phoenix and have it out with the PD up there, but Michael finally got them to understand the obvious misunderstanding, especially when he told how Sargent Jimmerson took his own time to drive Michael down to Tucson.

"I bear him no ill will. He was doing his job the best he knew to do it, and with the circumstances what they were, he did it right. He just didn't expect me to cooperate so readily. We actually got along very well on the way down here, and as soon as I get this taken care of I plan to do a ride along with him one day so I can understand his job a little better. After talking with him and getting to know him a little bit I kind of think it would be good for a lot of people to see their job from their perspective."

I didn't have to babysit him after all. Madge insisted he was going to stay with them, and that she would be certain he was taken care of. She also insisted that she and Tom drive him up to the training camp to see the doctor, and of course Susie would go along.

Steph got permission from her Mom to spend the night with Rosemary, so the three of us rode home together in Steph's car. I noticed Stephanie looking at me funny a number of times as she held my hand while driving, but I wasn't ready to ask the question yet, although I know she is the one. Who knows? It might be soon. It would make things a lot simpler with all of the girls around the house if I had something official in place.

I also solved the problem with the Koala. It was the limo driver who gave me the idea. He had a WiFi hotspot set up in the back of the limo for anyone who wanted internet access, and it allowed Pandora to be played over the stereo. I just have to make a quick trip to Jim's to make the 'upgrade' I was working on when I had to leave to help Michael.

It got me a big hug and kiss with the declaration I was the best brother in the world, so why did it leave me feeling like a heel?

A note to my wonderful readers: Thank you so very much for the wonderful support, for the offers of help, and the very valued comments and criticisms. 99.9% were constructive and have been beneficial, and only a very few have been from trolls. I count myself blessed!

I made the determination to end Justin Thyme at this point. I know there are threads that are not completed, but that is the way life often works. There are so many things we wonder how they will work out in life, and we often don't get to find out.

Who knows, I may decide to revisit Justin at a later date, but it will have to be as book two if I do so. Otherwise, I'm afraid I will end up with a tome the size of War and Peace. If it was of that quality it wouldn't be a bad thing.

I recognize there was not a lot of sex in the last two segments, but that too, is the way life works sometimes. I will leave it to your imagination what may have happened overnight.

With profound gratitude for allowing me to hone my craft and try to learn to write, I remain

Callicious

As always I respond to all emails that have a return address. Occasionally I respond to comments as well, so check PM's. Anonymous emails are hard to answer! (I won't spam you, nor will I make them public.)