And The Horse You Rode In On

"I knew you were conspiring against me. You knew I would want to go." She grinned at him. He grinned back. "I want gardening. I clean house here all year round and work with kids during the school year."

Gerald hit the reply button and replied to the e-mail. When he hit the send button, she leaned over and kissed his cheek and whispered, "You are a rat, but a really, really good rat."

By the Fourth of July, all of the details were set. Everyone was eager for the month to pass and it did pass quickly. Gwen had new questions almost daily for Gerald as she thought of something. Gerald had to admit that since he had never been there before, he didn't have many concrete answers. They agreed to just take things as they came up and follow the recommendations that the retreat offered.

Finally, the Thursday before Gwen and Gerald were to leave, Gwen's parents came down. Gerald was invited to dinner and met her parents for the first time. They liked each other instantly and the evening was lively and enjoyable.

On Friday morning, Gerald picked Gwen up at 9:00 so they could make the drive to the airport to catch their flight. Gwen didn't begin to calm down until the plane was in the air. She leaned over and whispered to him, "Now I believe that this is really happening."

Gerald whispered back, "I know what you mean. I kept expecting something to happen; but it is too late now."

Two weeks later on their flight home, they both reflected on their adventure. Gwen had been in total awe of the scenery and the environment of the state and the retreat. She had quickly adapted to the life of the village. She particularly enjoyed the evening meals and the vespers. She also enjoyed spending time in the craft shops during her off hours. She and Gerald had made pottery and learned to use a loom to weave fabric. She had a table runner in her suitcase that she had made. Gerald had similar thoughts. He loved working on the old buildings and the various projects that he was assigned to. He also found peace during the evening vespers. In short, they both felt tired but rejuvenated after their adventure.

As they neared home, Gwen asked him to turn into a roadside park for a minute. When he stopped, she took his hand and held it while she spoke.

"Gerald, these past two weeks have been about the most special time in my life. Thank you for thinking of it and making it available for us. I want to go back but this time, I want to take Cheri and maybe Jenny too. Could we do that? We could start saving now and...."

"I was thinking the same thing, Gwen. Next summer, Jim will be running for re-election again and I doubt that they will be able to get away. Let's talk to them and if they agree, we will start planning it now."

"Gerald, you are so special." Without thinking, she leaned over and kissed his lips. It took a moment for both of them to realize what had just happened. It made them nervous but neither of them regretted what happened. They finished the drive home silently. They were met with by two brown girls and two tired adults. Instead of trying to fix dinner, they all agreed to going to the Mexican food restaurant for dinner.

Cherilyn summed it up perfectly, "I like our tacos better than the ones in Mexico."

Over dinner, the girls regaled Gwen and Gerald about their time on the cruise. Gerald realized that about half of their talk was about the boys on the cruise ship. He turned to Jim and said, "About that shotgun.........." Jim just smiled. This time, Gwen nodded when she overheard what he said.

After dinner, the girls went to talk with one of their friends. Gwen brought up their trip and told about all of their activities and then brought up about taking the girls there, maybe the next summer. Jim looked at Gerald and asked for details.

"Jim, we went as volunteers this year and it don't cost us anything but transportation. If we went with the girls, I think we would want to go as guests and not have to work. So I was thinking about renting that RV again and driving up there and back. We could go through the Grand Canyon and other places. A week at the retreat will cost around $800 total for the four of us."

"If you don't want to rent the RV, you could take our van instead." Jim replied and Pam agreed.

Gerald and Gwen shared looks and smiled at each other. They had a plan for the next year and had plenty of time to save money and plan their trip. They decided to wait to tell the girls until things were firmed up.

When school started, both girls were now officially in high school as 9th graders. They easily made the transition and found themselves in several classes together. Cherilyn chose to take art while Jenny took music. The one negative was that the doctor advised Cherilyn to not play volleyball so that her leg would be sure to heal properly. She was disappointed but made a mature decision and went to the coach and asked if she could act as the trainer and assistant. The coach was surprised but was pleased to have a girl she was looking forward to coaching offering to help even if she couldn't play. Cherilyn proved to be a very effective assistant who took care of many details for the coach and was one of the best cheerleaders the team had.

Cherilyn had also grown the couple of inches that Gwen had predicted. Jenny had topped out at 5'8" and Cherilyn had come up to 5'6". Both girls continued to fill out and become more womanly.

Gwen returned to school refreshed and Gerald continued tutoring two days each week. They continued going to the Saturday market and were recognized by all of the regulars as one of their own.

As the holiday season approached, Gwen and Cherilyn were very secretive and spent several afternoons shopping. Gerald had already decided what he was getting them and just continued doing his things as usual. On Christmas morning, he woke and went outside and found a brand new grill complete with smoker and rotisserie. He couldn't understand how it got there until he saw the tire tracks from Jim's van and the note that said "from Santa Claus." When he went to their house for breakfast with them and her parents, he brought in two large boxes and set them in front of the surprised girls.

Cherilyn squealed loudly when she dug through a pile of paper and found a new tablet computer. She could take this to school and use it during class and still use the laptop at home to do her work. Gwen was hesitant to open her box until her mother prodded her to open it. Hers wasn't filled with paper, it contained a new computer and printer. Her old one had been having problems to the point that she frequently had to come over to use Gerald's computer. His thoughtfulness earned him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

After breakfast, Gwen's parents left to return home and work the next day. Cherilyn was busily downloading apps and talking to Jenny. Gerald and Gwen sat on the porch with their coffee and talked.

"I can't believe how you got that grill to the house without me hearing you."

"While Pam and I were picking up Cheri and Jenny, Jim unloaded it and walked it down. It was dark and we figured that you wouldn't go outside until this morning. I hope that you like it."

"Like it! I have been thinking about getting another one. The old one has too many holes in it to be safe."

"We noticed."

They sat silent for a few minutes. Then Gwen began again but very nervously, "Um Gerald, I have something I would like to talk to you about. It's personal."

"You know I will talk to you about anything. What's up?"

"Gerald, we have been friends for six years and I couldn't ask for a better friend, neighbor, and supporter than you. But, um...this is harder than I thought it would be." She took a deep breath." Gerald, it has been three years since my divorce was final and frankly, I'd like to go out sometimes like on a date or something. I get asked often by guys at work but none of them appeal to me. Do you....I mean, would you...Oh crap, I'm ruining this; would you like to go out with me on a date sometimes?" She hid her eyes.

When he didn't answer, she started to fear that he was going to say "no." When she peeked, she saw him with a very red face and struggling for words. "Gerald, just tell me what you want to say. I don't want this to be something that comes between us."

He kept looking down as he began to speak. "Gwen from the day I met you, I have thought that you were one of the most beautiful and intelligent women I have ever met. But you were still married and I felt that it was wrong to think of you as anything but a friend. I was worried about what you thought when Cheri started calling me 'daddy.' After your divorce, I was afraid to say anything because I valued our friendship so much that I didn't want to say or do anything to hurt that. I have wanted to ask you out socially for a long, long time but haven't felt that the time was right. And now, you bring it up and I feel like I am a blithering idiot for not asking you out before now. I guess I am not much of a lady's man or a social animal."

"Gerald, if you were any way other than the way you are, I might not be interested. I can't say that for sure because I can't imagine you any other way than you are. Honestly, I have thought about you as a date since before the divorce. I'm not sure how much of a relationship I am ready for but I am ready to start finding out if you are ready."

"I'm not sure of what you will find but I'm willing if you are." He took a breath and then asked, "Gwen, would you like to go out on New Year's Eve?"

"I would love to Gerald. There is a party I'd like to stop in for but other than that, I would love to go anywhere with you."

From the living room they heard, "Gerald, now is time to kiss her."

Gerald responded, "Of course, we can go to the party but I think we need to find a babysitter first." He grinned.

"I don't need a babysitter, doofus. Besides, I am spending the night with Jenny."

Gerald continued, "We could take her with us and drop her off at the pound."

"Gerald, you love me and you know it; so quit messing around. Everyone in town thinks that you two are all but engaged anyway. Just kiss her and get it over with."

Both Gwen and Gerald were various shades of pink but he leaned over and was met by Gwen and their lips touched.

"That is too cool. I can't wait to tell Jenny that both of you finally woke up." They heard the patter of feet running away from the window.

"Gerald, I think that we are in trouble."

"I agree but for our sake, let's just take things slowly."

Gwen grinned and said, "I agree."

That night and on into the future, most people noticed very little change between Gwen and Gerald. Those who noticed, saw that they often held hands or had their arms around each other. They seldom took two cars anywhere except when Gwen met him directly after school. They each honored their commitment to each other and took things slowly. They limited their intimacy to good night kisses and occasionally longer ones at tender moments. When they took the girls to the retreat that summer, they shared a room although they each had a twin bed while the girls stayed in the adjacent room.

At the retreat, the two girls took advantage of every class that was offered and tried every adventure they could. They attracted other kids, which ate as a group and did things as a group, something that the leaders and counselors noticed and appreciated. This left Gwen and Gerald to concentrate on the skills they had learned the year before and Gerald stayed busy in the pottery barn while Gwen happily wove place mats and runners for them and her parents. Both of them also made time to work on village projects with some of the people from the year before. The one constant was the evening vespers. All four went and sat together except when Jenny joined the choir that reformed every week. She even sang a solo at one evening service.

All of them wanted to extend their stay but they had to get home before Election Day to vote. Jim's job was not in danger as he only had one opponent and he only ran because he believed that every elected official ought to have an opponent. Both girls were excited because they were told that when they got to college, they would be eligible to volunteer or to stay the summer as a counselor. They both swore that they would be back.

Back at home, Gwen and Gerald continued the pattern they had been following which was frequent exchanges of meals and also at least one date each week. These were not extravagant dates by many standards. They went to an occasional movie, or one of the many festivals at one of the neighboring towns, and a concert or two. For these, they usually took the girls who quickly disappeared leaving them to themselves. Neither of them felt slighted and thoroughly enjoyed each and every event and moment together.

For Thanksgiving, Gwen's parents invited them along with Jim, Pam, and Jenny for dinner. So they all piled into Jim's van and drove the two hours to one of the suburban communities where they lived. Gerald brought two loaves of bread, a bag full of buns, and a special batch of dinner rolls he had made for the dinner. They watched the football game while dinner was being finished and everyone sat down to a prayer of thanks and a hearty meal. The drive home was quiet as everyone was stuffed from the meal and there were two platters of leftovers going with them. Gwen parents were regular buyers of Cheri Buns from the store but were especially complimentary of the freshness and taste of the originals.

Christmas morning found Gerald entering the house for breakfast with one large box with Gwen's name prominently displayed on it. Cherilyn eyed him suspiciously and tried to tease him into telling her what he had brought. After breakfast, Gerald casually told her to go out to his truck and get something. She went outside quickly but was silent until she came back inside with a strange look on her face.

"Gerald, your truck isn't out there. There is a Jeep or something there. Whose is it?"

"Oh, didn't I tell you; that's your Christmas present."

Her eyes popped open and she looked stunned. When what he said sunk in, she ran back outside and was gone for awhile. Gwen and Gerald grinned at each other. He and Jim had found two Jeeps in very good condition but needing tires and some engine work. The price was very attractive for the pair so they decided to get them for the girls now, even though they wouldn't have their licenses until summer.

She came back into the kitchen and said, "Where are the keys?"

Gerald put on his most innocent look and said, "What keys? It didn't come with any."

"Liar. Give." She held out her hand.

"Nope; the keys are your mom's Christmas present. You don't get them until you are 16 and have your driver's license."

"But I have my learner's permit. You know I am a good driver; you taught me."

"I know, but how would it look if Jim stopped you and arrested you for driving without a license."

"He wouldn't do that."

"Yes, he would and he should. I don't want to meet up with some crazy 15 year old driving around these roads without a license. That is an accident waiting to happen."

"Mom, talk to him. He is being stubborn again."

"He will take you out to drive it after you get dressed and we have another cup of coffee."

Cherilyn realized that she was still in her night shirt and ran to her bedroom to get dressed. Gwen and Gerald smiled to each other.

When she came out, they were still drinking their coffee so she went outside and looked at her new car. Just then, another Jeep pulled into their driveway and stopped. Jenny jumped out and shouted, "Look what I got!"

Cherilyn replied, "Look what I got!' The two girls squealed and danced around together.

Jim got out slowly and went into the kitchen. "Do you have anything stronger than coffee? This old man is too old to teach a teenager to drive. I think I'd rather arrest them."

"I'll go and let them have a drive. Sit down and enjoy the coffee." Gerald said.

Gerald went outside to see the two girls comparing their cars. He went up to them and said, "Rule 1: if you hurt or damage someone else's property, you lose the car. Rule 2: if you wreck it, you buy your next one. Any questions?"

Both girls settled down as the impact of what he said sunk in. They both said, "Yes, Gerald." And "We understand, Gerald."

"OK, let's go for a drive. Cherilyn, you drive first since Jenny has already driven hers." They got in Cherilyn's Jeep and after giving her some basic instructions, she drove smoothly and carefully out onto the street. They drove for thirty minutes and then they switched drivers and Jenny drove them back home.

When they got back home, Gerald said, "Rule 3: you only drive it with a parent until you get your licenses. Got it?"

"Yes, Gerald. We are just so excited but we do understand. Thank you, daddy." Cherilyn said and gave him a big hug and kiss. They went inside and found Jim ready to leave. He and Jenny drove back home. This time, Jenny drove more carefully and Jim felt much more at ease.

Gerald finally prompted Gwen to open her box. She squealed and giggled loudly just like Cherilyn did as Gerald lifted the contraption out of the box and set it on the kitchen table. It was a table loom just like the ones she had used at the retreat. There were also a number of rolls of yarn for warping and the tools to get started. Gerald smiled as she caressed it and moved the arm back and forth. Then she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

At Gwen's prompting, Cherilyn went into the next room and brought out their gift to Gerald. It was a brand new chain saw. Gerald caressed it in the same way Gwen had touched the loom. He also gave them each a big hug and kiss. The smile on his face didn't leave.

Gwen finished Christmas dinner with Gerald's help and they had a nice, relaxed dinner. When dinner was over, both Gwen and Cherilyn noticed that Gerald had gotten quieter which was a sure sign that he had something else on his mind. They left him alone to prepare for whatever he wanted to do. After dinner, Gwen made coffee, Cherilyn went to her room, and Gerald went out on the porch.

When the coffee was ready, Gwen joined him and handed him a cup. He set it on the table next to him. Then he began.

"Gwen, the first six years with you were wonderful. This past year had exceeded that by I don't know how much. The truth is I think I have always loved you but after this past year, all I know is that I don't want to live without you. Will you marry me?" By some miracle, a ring appeared in his hand and he held it in front of her.

Gwen burst into tears and covered her mouth with her hands.

The omni-present voice from the living room came through the window. "Mom, you say yes, kiss him, and then cry. Don't you know how to do anything?"

"Go to your room and suck your thumb. I will do this my way. You aren't my script writer." She caught her breath and said, "Gerald, I think I have loved you for a lot longer time than you know. And this past year has just increased that to a level I don't even understand. Yes, I will marry you. I want to be with you more than anything else in the world."

Gerald turned to the window and said, "Does that work for you too?"

"It could have been better but it wasn't bad."

"Go to your room and do something creative."

"Fine. You two just sit there and slobber all over each other. I'm going to send a message to Jenny that the two of you finally wised up." They heard her footsteps recede to her bedroom.

"Did we wise up?" Gerald asked.

"I think we finally got over a lot of baggage and fears." She held out her hand and Gerald slipped the simple diamond ring on her left hand. She stood and came and sat in his lap and they kissed for a long time.