Rogers Retreat

One evening just over a year after Ramona began working with Bert and Lee they were in the office alone. Lee walked up to Ramona and wrapped his arms around her from behind. He felt her relax and lean back into his embrace before he said, "Ramona, I enjoy being with you more than anyone I have ever known. I would like to know you better. Would you like to quit early Friday night and go out to dinner and a movie with me?"

Ramona said, "Mmmmm." She turned her head over her shoulder and gave Lee a quick kiss and continued, "Yes, I would love to go out with you. I was beginning to think you were never going to ask me."

This began a new chapter in Ramona's and Lee's life. From then on, at least one day a week they went out. After Ramona and Lee had been dating for two months she went home with him for the first time. He was still living under the bluff on Roger's island. Over the months since he came home he continued to improve the little shack until now it was a very cozy little cabin although it still didn't have running water or electricity.

The first night's sex was mind blowing. After they were finished and lying in bed together Ramona rolled onto her side and hooked a leg over Lee's thigh. She put her arm over his chest, laid her head on his shoulder, and said, "That was wonderful Lee. I never knew it could be so good. I guess you learned a lot from all those women you used to screw. Or did you learn that while you were in the Marines?"

"Oh, a little of both I suspect, but the best part of it was the inspiration you gave me. I get almost as much pleasure making love to you and watching you enjoy yourself as I do when I cum. I could watch you cum all day long. You're beautiful when you do that."

Ramona blushed slightly and gently slapped her hand on Lee's chest before she said, "Oh, you, I'm not beautiful at all. I'm just plain as I can be and I can't believe you think I'm beautiful when I scrunch up when I cum."

Over the months since the four began working together they began a habit of eating several meals together. Someone usually brought some kind of lunch, usually sandwiches, and Ramona or her mother would actually cook many of the evening meals on an old stove Burt had. The meals were a time for them to visit and relax at the end of the day. They acted more like family than anything else and each had come to enjoy the evenings they all ate and visited together.

Three months after Ramona's and Lee's first night together all four of the friends were visiting once again as they had supper in the shop. Lee looked around the table and leaned back in his chair. He said, "Hey, Ramona." After Ramona and the other two quit talking and looked over at Lee he continued, "Ramona, I've decided I don't like the way things are right now with us. You are the best friend I have ever made. We go together like two well machined parts. We just fit somehow. Ramona, will you marry me?"

Ramona grinned and looked over at her mother and then her grandfather. She turned her gaze to Lee and said, "Yes. I would like nothing better than being married to you." Ramona and Lee were married on the first day of June the following summer. They moved into her grandfather's old house and he purchased and set a small older house trailer in the yard beside it. Sylvia continued living in a small apartment over his garage as she had been doing since her divorce was final.

Just after Christmas the year Ramona and Lee married, Bert passed away. When the will was read, Lee found he was bequeathed 52% of the business and Sylvia and Ramona 24% each. Ramona and Lee were bequeathed the house and ten acres. Sylvia was bequeathed the remaining 70 acres of Bert's land not otherwise disposed of along with his small trailer.

Except for the actual days of the funeral and church services the three partners kept the businesses open after Bert's death because it helped them deal with the grief of losing a close relative and good friend. They continued operating the business and growing it, making it into a very successful business.

During their admittedly rare time off from work Lee and Ramona kept going back to his family's island in the lake. They continued to improve his small cabin under the cliff overhang and turned it into a very comfortable weekend and vacation dwelling. They began calling it the retreat because they retreated there to get away from the problems of their daily lives. As time progressed their friends began calling it Rogers' retreat. Eventually the whole island was called that by those who lived nearby.

One Sunday morning Ramona was reading the paper when she looked up at Lee and said, "It looks as if Sandy and Andy are finally going to get what is coming to them. There is an article in the paper that says the Chevy dealer is bankrupt and General Motors has taken it over pending sale to another owner. When the books were audited after old Mr. Blessant's death they found several accounting discrepancies. It says here Andy has been selling cars and not reporting them as sold to GM then keeping the money he should have paid the company longer than he is supposed to do. They are also over withholding employee's taxes and not paying the government timely. The bank accounts have been emptied and there is not enough capital in the bank to pay all the taxes and arrearages to GM. Andy and Sandy were caught by the Highway Patrol trying to leave town. They were arraigned and bound over for trial for embezzlement. Now maybe they will believe I didn't take the money like I was accused of."

Lee looked up at Ramona, smiled, and said, "Couldn't happen to a better couple, but ya know, everything worked out pretty good for us in the end even without that. This is just icing on the cake. I always like it when assholes get their due."