Surprise Chance for Love Ch. 02: Saturday

This is a fictional story with all characters over eighteen and all rights reserved to the author.

*****

I turned right and drove the short distance back to Elly's house. It was about 11:30 Saturday morning, and there was a strange car in the driveway. I paused at the entrance to the driveway and asked myself whether I should just leave since she had company. The vehicle was an older model Ford pickup with tools like shovels and rakes in the back. Was it a relative or a friend, a worker, or someone else? I dismissed the first two, thinking the car was too old and dirty to be family member or friend. Of course, anything was a guess, but I took the chance and drove forward.

Getting out of the car, I listened for any signs I would be interrupting anything. Hearing none, I walked to the front door despite the garage being open. I rang the doorbell and the two dogs immediately started barking. They kept at it until I finally heard Elly yelling at them to calm down. I could see a figure, presumably her, coming toward the front door, through the thin curtain covering the small window on the door.

Elly opened the door with the dogs still barking around her. "Oh, Jack."

"Hi, Elly. I'm sorry to trouble you again."

The dogs brushed around me looking for petting, which I gave them, but soon bolted into the front yard to go potty or just check it out.

"It's no trouble at all. What's up?" Elly said.

"Well, I just wanted to say goodbye again, and thanks for everything."

"Did you like the Martin place?"

"Not sure. It needs lots of work and the beachfront was not quite what I expected or hoped.

"Oh. Does that mean you're leaning towards passing?"

"Maybe. I haven't decided, and I told the realtor I'd think about it over the weekend."

She looked at me and the original smile she had when she first came to the door faded and I worried I might have said something wrong. Could she be mad at me for wasting her time?

"Jack, please walk around back with me for a second," she said, stepping outside and pulling the door shut behind her.

I followed her, trying not to stare at her butt. She had on short denim cutoffs and a sleeveless small flowered white shirt. Obviously, it was the heat of the summer's day influencing her choice of dress.

The dogs bolted by us as we headed around the side of the house toward the back deck. They chased each other and ran up to an Hispanic looking fellow standing by a running tractor. He looked to be in his forties or so, as he bent to pet the dogs. He stopped and looked up as we neared.

"Miss Elly, I'm ready to head out."

"Jose, this is Jackson Thompson and he is looking at the Martin place. Let me talk to him for a bit and I'll drive out in the 4-wheeler with the boys."

"No hurry, Miss Elly. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Jackson."

Jose climbed up on the tractor and started off into the corn fields, pulling a trailer with fencing material.

"He's a great worker," Elly commented. "He really has weekends off, but he is so dedicated he wanted to get a start on fixing the fence over on the Martin property border."

"You're fixing a fence between their farm and yours?"

"My farm is only thirty acres, and I raise a few cattle over there to supplement our food supply and make a few extra dollars."

"Is raising cattle a good way to go, versus farming?"

"I need to check on Blaine and Blake. Can you come inside with me?"

I followed her again, as she called the dogs to come. Blaine and Blake were in the family room, behind a kid's gate blocking the way out. They were playing with different things in separate parts of the room. It was probably why everything seemed peaceful.

"Keeps them corralled," she whispered over her shoulder. "Have a seat at the table and I'll get us a couple beers."

"Sounds good. Thanks."

I couldn't help but watch Elly as she moved around the kitchen. Her blonde hair was once again in a long bouncing ponytail. I caught glimpses from the side of what was probably a sports bra under her shirt as her arms moved. I averted my eyes to look outside just as she turned from the kitchen with the two opened beers.

"Cattle ranching is okay, but it's not for the faint of heart. I find it better to spread my acres between cattle and crops."

"Interesting. I guess I'd have a lot to learn about all of this."

"That's why you hire help like Jose to work for you."

"That makes sense."

Elly looked at me thoughtfully for a second, she then added, "I have a confession."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I was hoping you'd come back here after your appointment."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I wanted to hear what you thought of the Martin Place."

"Like I said, I'm still thinking about it."

"You did. I was just about to make lunch for the boys. Stay for lunch?"

"You already fed me a bigger breakfast than I'm used to, but I suppose I could. I need to borrow your phone once more, though. If I don't call the hotel soon they might sell the clothes I left in my room."

"Sure. It's plugged in over there on the bar."

"Thanks."

"You like tomato soup and grilled cheese?"

"Sounds great. Can I help with anything after my call?"

"Just keep an eye on the boys, please."

"Ok, done."

The hotel was cooperative and agreed to store my suitcase until I returned. I found that if I needed to stay again they had rooms open.

Blaine was playing with wooden toy trains. I sat down on the floor cross-legged with him and watched for a little and talked to him about what he was doing before I touched any piece or made any suggestions. He seemed happy to have someone to play with, so I helped him build a different track set up. Not to be left out, Blake joined us and soon we were all working together to set up the trains. I lost track of time until I spotted Elly watching from the entrance to the family room. I had no idea how long she'd been standing there.

She saw me notice her and said, "Lunch is ready, boys."

"Not now, Mommy," Blaine said.

"I'm not hungry," Blake added.

"Come on boys...let's eat lunch," I said getting up.

They looked up at me, discouraged I'd stop playing with them. Then Blaine came running saying he wanted to sit by Mr. Jack. Blake claimed me too. Elly smiled at me as we pulled the boys' chairs close to mine on either side.

As we started eating the soup and grilled cheese, the boys watched me eat and tried to duplicate what I was doing. They weren't bad with a spoon, either. Elly must have done a good job training them.

"Mommy, can Mr. Jack come to the movie?"

"Ah...I don't know, Blaine. He might want to get back to Chicago," she stated, but her eyes seemed to question that.

"Can he, Mommy?" Blake added.

"It's up to him, boys."

"Um...the movie?" I queried.

"There's a new Pixar Dinosaur movie at the drive-in theatre I promised I'd take the boys to tonight. It's followed by the new Star Wars movie, but we might not stay for all of that. It depends on them."

"Sounds like fun," I agreed.

"Really?" Elly asked, sort of surprised I'd consider it.

"Great," Blaine yelled, as he pushed his mostly finished sandwich away. "Let's play more trains, Mr. Jack."

"I get the red one," Blake yelled, referring to a train. He also pushed his plate away, with his sandwich half-eaten. He'd eaten the middle out of it, but left the crust of the bread untouched.

I'd finished eating, so with a smile to Elly I let them pull me out of the chair and back to play. We played trains, then colored, and then played with cars in a toy parking garage. I was beginning to wonder what would be next when Elly called them for naps. They fought the idea until I offered to help put them to bed. So up the stairs we went, with Elly freaking out the whole way, apologizing that the beds weren't made.

It took a few minutes to get the boys into bed and somewhat calm. Elly and I went back downstairs and turned on the monitor. I helped her clear the table and put the dishes in the dishwasher.

"You don't have to stay if you don't want to. I appreciate your playing with the boys, but you probably have better things to do."

"It was fun for me too," I replied. "My sister has two little girls. Not quite the same for me."

Elly laughed, "I suppose not, playing dolls."

"They're very cute and sweet, so I do like being with them,"

"You have any pictures?"

I showed her several pictures of the girls, my older sister, and my brother-in-law. She also got to see my parents, as the pictures were from my younger niece's fourth birthday.

"Beautiful girls,"

"Thanks."

"You have a nice family," Elly stated.

"Yeah, they're cool. How about you? Did you say you were at your parents' the other day?"

"Yeah, they live up in Appleton and pitch in with the twins when they can. My father has arthritis pretty bad so he doesn't get around well, and as you can see keeping up with the boys is a full-time job."

"That's for sure. Siblings?"

"I have two older brothers, but they both live out in California. They're each married with a son and daughter. We don't get to see them as often as I'd like."

"That's too bad."

"Want another beer?" Elly asked.

"Sure, but are you trying to get me drunk and take advantage of me?"

"Is it that easy?" Elly joked with a very cute laugh.

Elly got us two more beers and put another twelve-pack from the garage into the fridge to cool. I followed her out onto the deck and we sat at a picnic table opposite each other. She put the monitor on the table between us. The sun was bright and warm, and the long khakis and short-sleeve dress shirt Elly had given me for my meeting with the realtor were too heavy for sitting in the afternoon sun.

"Hot out here, huh?"

"Sure is," I agreed.

"Wait here. I think I have some shorts and a tee shirt I can get for you."

"That'd be great."

Elly left with her beer and I took off the dress shirt before it got soaked with sweat. The sun felt good on my bare skin, but I could feel myself perspiring from the waist down in the khakis. I took a few good pulls on my beer. The cool liquid felt good in the sun. I was just sitting back looking off into the fields when Elly returned. She'd changed into a bikini with thin white cotton shorts covering the bottom. She handed me a bathing suit.

"See if this fits you."

"Right here?" I joked.

"Your call," Elly quipped back.

"I think I'll use the bathroom again."

I returned just wearing the swimsuit. Elly had grabbed two new beers for us and was just finishing her first. Mine was empty, too. We clicked cold beers and toasted.

"I'm lucky you had all these clothes," I stated.

"Actually, you are lucky. I'm pulling most of these out of boxes I'd prepared for the Salvation Army. If it's okay for me to say, though, I'm kind of glad you got that flat."

"Me too."

"My god, you look great," Elly commented, looking at my chest. "You must work out a lot."

"Not really. Actually I don't work out, so to speak, I hate it. No, I play tennis at least three times a week in the summer and squash all winter."

"That keeps you looking like you do? Wow!"

"Well, I confess to liking sit-ups, too. I try to do a hundred most nights before bed."

"Whatever you're doing, keep it up," she encouraged.

"Thanks. I should say the same thing. You're incredible looking."

"Really?"

"Yes! You must realize that you're gorgeous."

"You're very kind, but I haven't done anything special for years. I guess I keep weight off running a farm and carrying two three-year-olds around. They weigh about thirty pounds each, so carrying them is quite a chore. As you've seen, keeping up with them is not for the faint of heart, either."

"I bet."

"Your girlfriend is a lucky gal."

"No girlfriend."

"Really?"

"No. I was slow to date after Beth died, and honestly most of them were of the one night stand type. I did date one woman for several months, but that was never meant to last. How about you?"

"I haven't dated at all. I'd try to convince you it's because of the lack of good potential suitors around here, but the truth is I just haven't even had the time or interest in looking."

"I guess we're fairly similar in that regard."

"True, but you've at least started stepping out."

"Yeah, but I measure everyone against Beth and I'm afraid I've set the bar high."

"Me too. Ben was the love of my life, and with two young boys I'm probably not the ideal candidate for most men."

"I don't know about that," I argued.

"I think it's probably true, but you could be an exception, with the way you play with them."

"Thanks. They're great boys."

"Hey, let's move over to those lounge chairs so I can get the sun on my front."

We moved across the deck, from the picnic table to two white lounge chairs. I sat down first and took a drink of my beer. I watched Elly take off her white shorts to expose the small bikini bottoms that barely covered her sweet ass.

"I like tanning when I can," Elly said.

"You won't find me complaining," I quipped.

"Am I painting a good picture for you?" Elly asked with a cute giggle.

"Like a Mona Lisa."

"Good," she added smugly, taking her chair. "That's nice."

"If I didn't know better, I'd say someone planted nails on the road so I'd get a flat and meet you, all to get me to buy the Martin Farm."

"Oh, really? Would that work?" Elly prodded jokingly.

"Maybe," I replied and chuckled too.

"Mmm. You're doing a great job stroking the ego of a woman who hasn't had male company in many years. You trying to push my buttons, Jack?"

"If I could."

"Ha. Are you looking for another fast fling?" Elly joked.

"I'm just looking and liking what I see."

"Good," Elly exulted, as she took a pull of her beer and settled back, looking up into the sun as if absorbing its rays.

We talked for the next hour, mostly of our pasts and our likes. We talked of places we'd been and where we'd like to go. She brought up a place to eat on the way to the drive-in theatre, which got us into talking of food. I think we were both enjoying the company and the conversation when the monitor crackled to life. Elly said it was Blaine waking up.

After getting the kids up, I agreed to play with them while Elly quickly drove out to see whether Jose needed anything. When she came back about half an hour later, I was playing whiffle ball with the boys in the backyard. I was teaching them to swing the bat at the ball, letting them take turns at batting and playing catcher. The boys were thrilled when they hit one of my close underhand pitches.

The boys and I were still in our swimsuits. Elly had covered up to see Jose, but quickly changed back into her bikini to join us. Blaine and I played against Elly and Blake. Elly's rule was I had to swing with only one hand to make it fairer. I was delighted to see the progress the boys made and how they seemed to like the game. I was more observant of how athletic Elly appeared, and watching her swing the bat and run the makeshift bases in her bikini was a real treat. She was so good, she and Blake won the simple game we played.

By the time we finished, we all needed showers before leaving for dinner. It took over an hour for Elly and me to get the boys and us all ready. Elly provided me with shorts and a tee shirt, while she had on a print summer dress that fell to about mid-thigh. Her hair was down and combed like golden flax. It was six o'clock before we set out in my car. I'd volunteered my car since it was much bigger and there was room for the boys to sleep in the back if they got tired. Elly said they rarely both made it through the whole first movie, as it was late by the time it was dark enough for the film to be played.

The restaurant was on the way to the theater. It featured Italian food; Elly explained that the boys loved spaghetti and garlic bread. The place where we stopped was not much more than a local town's café, but the food was good and in large portions. I insisted on paying for the meal and movies, as payback for all her help and for letting me stay and eat with them.

It was nearly eight by the time we entered the drive-in theater. Having eaten so much, no one wanted anything for snacks. Also, Elly had packed a few healthy snacks like grapes, apples, and bottles of water in a carry bag. It was a warm summer night so I kept the Rover running for cool air much of the time till it got dark. As the dinosaur movie came on, the boys sat in the front with Elly and me. Blaine sat on my lap and Blake on Elly's, though I was never sure from just appearances.

The boys lasted through most of the first movie, but were falling asleep even before it was over. Smartly, Elly had packed pillows and small blankets in the back of the Rover after I had removed the flat tire. We put the guys down to bed and enjoyed a bit of her snacks before the new Star Wars movie started. The movie lasted well over two hours so it was past midnight before we got back home, a little tired but impressed with the movie and the fun evening. I enjoyed Elly's company and conversation a lot.

I helped Elly carry the boys to bed and get them tucked in. They only slightly stirred the whole time. When we were done, we went back downstairs. Elly asked if I wanted a small glass of moonshine. We sat down on the sofa in the family room and flipped on a late-night show. I sat down in the same corner of the couch as the night before, but this time Elly sat closer to me, in the middle, when she returned with the drinks. She had her exposed bare leg up on the sofa, pointing toward me.

"Thank you so much for agreeing to stay and go to the movies with us. It was definitely more fun for me and the boys. They like you a lot. I think you'll be a great dad some day."

"Thanks. You're already a wonderful mom."

"That's sweet. Thank you. So tomorrow you head back to Chicago?"

"Yeah. I need to be there for some appointments on Monday."

"Are you still thinking about the Martin Farm?"

"Yes, but I haven't decided anything."

"Well, the boys and I would love to have you as a neighbor. I know it's a lot of money, though."

"The realtor thought they might be motivated to move on the price."

"It has been on the market for a while, and the kids don't want to be farmers."

"That sounds good. Maybe I'll offer them a lower price to start, and see what happens."

"That's a good idea. Are you still doubtful about the property?"

"Elly, I really need to think it over."

"I know you do. Here's to a good ending, or beginning, as it were," Elly said, lifting her glass as if we should finish them. "Want some more?"

"Are you trying to get me drunk?" I mused.

"Yeah. I want to take advantage of you," she quipped.

"Hmm...should I be scared?"

"Maybe," she joked, as she got up to refill our glasses.

Elly came back and sat just like before, but maybe a bit closer. Her bent knee was nearly touching my hip. She handed me my drink and we toasted to meeting again. She leaned in and kissed me. It was a very soft and tender kiss. I wanted more, but she pulled back.

"Jack, I like you. The boys like you."

"I like you too. And them."

"As I told you, I haven't been with a man in a few years now."

"It's okay. You don't have to..."

"No...no...what I mean is that I'm horny as hell and I feel like raping you right now."

"So what's stopping you?"

"I don't want you to get the wrong impression of me, and a part of me is screaming wait, don't move too fast."

"It's not a problem..."

"I have to confess something else, too."

"What?"

"I know you've been with many women, and that's fine. But I've only had two lovers my whole life. I had a steady boyfriend all through high school, but that died with our going away to different colleges. Then I met Ben my freshman year in college, and we married soon after we both graduated. We waited a few years before having the boys and then, as you know, he got sick."