Condoms and Pantyhose

I told her thanks but no thanks, while he didn't mind I did, so we would just go back to being friends. I wished her the best, but I never touched her again, except when we fished and I helped her land those monsters she was still reeling in. She had guys following her around on the water, trying to figure out how she was landing monsters and they weren't getting a nibble. They even went so far as to search her boat, but she kept the bait under lock and key in a small dorm type refrigerator in her dad's garage.

She ended up breaking her own state record, landing a seventy-seven pound monster. She sent me a picture of her with the fish, and it was taller than she was. A guy was standing beside her, grinning. Brad, I guess. They looked happy. She kept up her hot streak, winning several tournaments, until the bait hit local stores and she lost her monopoly.

...

By that time I was home, to ramble no more. I had taken some of my money and bought a nice house out in the country, on eight acres. It even had a decent sized pond on it. The property came with a small tractor and some equipment, so I kept the fields mowed, and planted a small garden.

I still dated, I was a pretty eligible bachelor for the size of the area I lived in. Got laid as often as I wanted, but had found none that I thought I could spend the rest of my life with.

That all changed when I came home one day to see someone sitting on my porch. Actually two someones. I was surprised to see Anita, and a little girl that looked about eight. The girl bore a remarkable resemblance to Anita.

"Hi," she said, getting them out of the porch swing. "I love your house, what I can see of it. I'm here to ask a favor. Not for me, but for Annie here. She wants to learn how to fish, and I can't think of anyone I'd rather have teach her. Please?"

She was giving me puppy dog eyes,and I was surprised at how much it affected me. Annie was just staring, looking hopeful. I noticed even as she smiled there was a sadness in her eyes and wondered what that was about. Well, what did I have to lose.

"Did she bring her rod?"

Anita almost broke her face with the smile. "No, we didn't know what to get. Don't you have some around here somewhere?"

I ended up looking like a pack mule by the time it was time to fish. We had to have chairs, a cooler for drinks, and of course, rods and reels. I gave Annie one of my standbys. It was just small enough for her to handle it.

I put a pretty heavy weight on it first and made her cast across the field until she understood how it worked. She looked so serious it was almost funny. Then I baited the hook with one of the worms we had dug up out of the garden, put a cork on it, and showed her where to cast. There were a lot of bream in the pond, so I knew she would catch something eventually.

Anita was rocking on the chair I'd brought her, smiling and sipping iced tea. She had that look I still recognized, and I wondered what her plan was.

She was twenty-eight now, just hitting her prime, and it showed. I idly wondered who would wear a sundress to go fishing when Annie squealed. She had a fish, a pretty good one by the way the rod was bending. I was instantly at her side, coaxing her on what to do. Anita was up beside us, cheering her on. She had caught a crappie. I didn't even know there were crappie in my pond. A good size, excellent eating. When I told her that she immediately demanded we keep it. I promised I would, IF she would eat it.

It seems little Annie was a natural born angler, because she ended up with nine big enough to eat. I asked when she would like her fish fry.

"Tonight?"

"Don't you have to get home?"

She looked sad again, and Anita hugged her. "She can stay a little, if you want to fry her fish."

There went the puppy dog eyes, but now it was in stereo. Annie didn't seem grossed out when I cleaned the fish, putting them into a little lemon water to soak while we fixed the sides.

Anita took it as an invitation to seize control of my kitchen, and soon had Annie standing on a chair watching her make hush puppies and tartar sauce I got to make the slaw, and I lit my gas grill, putting some corn on to roast, using the side burner to heat the oil.

Annie watched me dredge the fish in milk and egg wash before dipping them into the seasoning flour. When it got time to fry I told her to stand back because of hot oil. Anita let her set the picnic table and pour the tea while she pulled the corn off the grill.

It took very little time to fry nine crappie into golden brown nuggets of flavor. I had to show Annie had to avoid the bones. She ate like she was starved, four of the crappie, an ear of corn, and coleslaw. She also ate about six of the big hushpuppies I'd fixed. I wondered where she was putting it.

Anita sat her down on the couch while she cleaned up and I put the fishing gear away. I sat down on the porch swing, listening to her sing in the kitchen, watching the little angel sleep on my couch, and tears slid down my cheeks. This should have been my life, damn it!

I felt a tug on my sleeve. Annie had gotten up and was standing in front of me. Without thinking I scooped her up and put her on my lap, swinging gently. She wiggled around until she got comfortable and went right back to sleep.

I felt her rather than saw her. Looking up, I could see even through the screen door she was crying. She didn't say a word, just turned around. Ten minutes later she was back with two cups of coffee, setting them on the side table and sitting in the swing, snuggling against me while she played with Anita's hair. It felt really good. I savored it for a moment before I spoke.

"Wanna tell me what's going on here?"

"Remember my sister Jan? This is her little girl. Her and her husband split, and he disappeared about seven years ago, right after Annie was born. Jan had a good job, so she stayed where she was, raising her little girl. Then her husband came back after all those years and wanted to reconcile. She was engaged, and laughed at him, saying he would never get to be Annie's dad, because she already had one waiting. He tried for a few weeks until she got a restraining order. He got high one night, kicked open the door, and shot Jan and Tommy while Annie slept. She heard the gunshots, and got up. Her father had already run out, so that precious little girl had to call 911. Social services were about to take her when we stepped in. Mom can't handle taking care of a little girl, so I petitioned and got accepted as legal guardian. She's my little girl now, Bud.

I thought about it for a while. When I found out you had quit traveling, I had it, the perfect solution. She needs a Daddy, and I can't think of a better man to fill those shoes. She already trusts you more than anyone I've seen her with since I got her. You could have knocked me over with a feather when she came out here and crawled into your lap. You look so good together, natural, you know.

So I'm asking, not just for me but for both of us. Be a part of our lives, share a little bit of your heart, at least with her. I know I can never get you back, but if I have just a little role in your life it would make me very happy. Please, Bud."

I don't know exactly when my arm went around her shoulders, but I snuggled her as much as I could with a child in my lap. Sometime during the snuggle we went to sleep. I woke to see Annie looking up and grinning. "I need to go potty."

I woke Anita, and she took her to the bathroom. I looked at my watch, surprised to see it was almost midnight. Bet that was going to wreak havoc with the little girl's sleep schedule.

Nita came out of the bathroom grinning. "It's too late to go home. Annie's in the bath. That is one huge freaking tub. I need some tee shirts for night gowns, and you need to get the guest bedroom ready. She's all excited about having a sleep over."

I fluffed the pillows, made sure there were plenty of blankets, turned down the bed. Annie came in, my shirt almost reaching her ankles, and demanded I tuck her in and tell her a story wile she waited for Anita. "Gotta kiss me goodnight," she mumbled sleepily, so I did. Anita took that exact moment to enter, and her grin was huge. I felt like I was one of those catfish, caught on a hook I couldn't get off of.

Her tee fit her a lot better, coming down to just a couple inches below her bottom. I could see her nipples, and they seemed glad to see me. She may have preened a little, slipping under the covers to snuggle Annie. "I know she got a goodnight kiss. Where's mine?"

It was surprisingly sweet and gentle, no sexual overtones of any sort. She brushed my cheek when we finished. "You're still the best man I ever knew, honey. Good night."

I bet I didn't sleep two hours that night, thinking of the two angels in the guest bedroom. I had to admit, deep down, that I had never let go of my love for Anita. Would it be worth it to try again? All these thoughts swirled through my head until I finally dozed off.

...

I woke to an empty house, that disappointed me a bit. Ah well, time to return to reality. I was working in my garden when they came back up the drive. Annie was out of the car like a shot, running to me. I just barely caught her when she launched herself at me.

"We're here for the weekend! Isn't that great? What are we going to do? Mom says we might go to the zoo if I'm a good girl. I'll be a very good girl, I promise. What's that? What are you doing?"

I looked up to a grinning 'Nita. "Well, can we stay."

"You're not playing fair."

Her grin got bigger. "I take that as a yes. And honey, all's fair in love and war. And this ain't war. I'm going to go unpack our bags. Want to go with me, Annie?"

"NO. Uncle Bud is going to teach me about gardens."

"All right sweetie. I'd say don't get too dirty, but why bother."

She turned, walking to the house. I could hear her singing softly before she had gone three steps. It was one of her tells, when she was happy she sang.

Annie stayed with me for an hour, learning how to tie up tomatoes so the fruit doesn't lie in the dirt. She went into the shed and got the basket I told her to get, and I let her pick squash, tomatoes, and corn, taking only the ripest, leaving the others for later. I saw a little green snake in the corn, and showed it to her. She immediately wanted to hold it, but I told her it was a wild animal, and probably wouldn't like being held. I did let her carry the two turtles we found back to the pond. Turtles it seems, love tomatoes, another reason why I tied them up to where they couldn't be eaten.

She carried the basket back to the house, proudly showing Anita what she had picked. We washed up, and 'Nita made us ham and cheese sandwiches with slices of the tomatoes Annie had picked.

Then she took a bath, with the bubble bath she had brought, dressed in fresh clothes, and told us she was going to take a nap in 'her' room, but to wake her if we did something exciting. I wasn't sure what qualified as exciting for an eight year old girl, but I promised.

Anita was cleaning the kitchen, so I walked back out to the porch, and sat in the swing. I liked to rock when I think. Done, she joined me, rocking in companionable silence.

It was probably twenty minutes before she spoke. "I can't undo what I did, Bud. I wished many times I could. You were the world to me, and you have no idea how I felt when I thought you were cheating. You were my whole world, and then you weren't."

She sighed, rocked a little longer, and started again.

"I was stupid, Bud, a stupid little girl hurt and angry, and I chose the worst way possible to express it. I'm not a little girl anymore, honey. I'm a grown woman with a child to consider. I never got over you, and I never will. My child needs a father, and you're the best candidate out there. I need a husband, a strong, kind man who'll help me through any issues I have and love me for what I am. You're it, Bud. You were always it. I just forgot.

I know you've forgiven me, but I know you'll never forget. There will always be a tiny part of you that will wonder when I'll do it again. I can answer that for you. Never. I'll kill myself first. I'm not asking for a decision now, honey, I'm asking for a chance. If in the end you say no, I won't fight you. I'll leave and never bother you again. Don't say anything now, unless you want to. Just think about it."

I looked at her, my expression stern. I saw the first signs of fear in her eyes. "I do have something to say. Well, ask anyway. What time should we leave for the zoo tomorrow?"

Her eyes widened, and then she got a smug look she couldn't hide. "We need to leave early, honey. She's never been before, so she'll want to see everything. I'll pack us a picnic, the food there will mostly be junk, I don't know about you, but our daughter will be raised with her health in mind."

"What about a dessert?"

"Ice cream, if you're both well behaved. We need to go shopping when Annie wakes up, you don't have much in the way of food here."

I was about to explain the eating habits of a single man when Annie came out, rubbing her eyes. She came straight to me and crawled into my lap. I looked at 'Nita and the smirk was back. "What are we going to do now?"

"We're going grocery shopping. We need to lay in supplies if we're going to the zoo. You can stay here, if you like."

"Nuh-uh. He's going with us, aren't you Uncle Bud?"

"well, I'd put it to a vote but I suspect I'd lose. So grocery shopping it is."

I was suddenly glad now I'd bought that new SUV, thinking what a good family car it would be. "Nita got in and sank into the leather seats. ""Very nice, Bud. You must be making the bucks now."

I suddenly realized she had no idea what I was worth. I had a very nice salary for the times and the area, but I was making four to six times that a year off the bait business. "Oh, I do all right. Annie, stop playing with the buttons."

She was raising and lowering the windows. Apparently she'd never been in a car with electric windows. She looked guilty for a moment but giggled. "Yes sir, Uncle Bud."

The trip to the grocery store was eye opening, to say the least. I usually just shot in, grabbed what I wanted, and was out in fifteen minutes. Annie tried to shove every snack in the universe into the buggy while 'Nita comparison shopped every item for the best quality and price. I wanted to blow my head off after thirty minutes. Again she had the smirk. "You might as well get used to it, there will be times when it will fall to you."

"Now why would I have to shop?"

"Because I'll either be in the hospital having our babies or at home trying to recover."

Well, that stopped me dead in the middle of the aisle. She just giggled and kept walking. I finally came to my senses and rushed after them. "What did you say?"

"We'll talk about it later honey. Now, roast turkey club sandwiches be all right for tomorrow?

I was outvoted again, but I won a minor victory by slipping back to the meat counter and picking up t-bones for dinner. 'Nita grumbled about red meat until I told her I wouldn't grill one for her, we could pick up salmon or something.

We were leaving when she looked over at the big box store beside the market. Suddenly we were inside looking at age appropriate car seat for Annie.

"Does yours need replacing?"

There was the smirk again. How come I never noticed that before now. "Mine is fine, honey. This is for your car. We'll be using it most for family outings, it's newer and has a lot more room."

I was carrying it up to the register when Annie suddenly bolted tot he side, 'Nita in hot pursuit. She had seen the swing sets, and was drooling over the most expensive.

"Annie, honey, we can't afford that. Even if we could, we have nowhere to put it where we live."

She grinned, and I saw the shadows of 'Nita's smirk. She was apparently training her already. "Uncle Bud has room at his house. We could put it there. We could even move in with him. How handy would that be?"

That face was going to freeze into that smirk if she wasn't careful. "Very handy, baby. I might just buy it if he would let that happen. But it's too early yet. We have to show him how much we love him before he would even consider it."

"But you already love him! You told me so. And I love him too, I think. We could try."

I picked her up, passing the seat to 'Nita. "You don't understand this sweetie, but it's a big person thing. You will when you're older, I promise. In the meantime, let's just say I'll take the swing set under advisement, and see what happens. All right?"

It wasn't quite a promise, but it was close enough. She relaxed and I had to carry her out to the car.

'Nita held my hand on the way home. "AmI pushing to hard?"

"You are for her," I said, checking on Annie in the mirror. "There's already been a lot of upheaval in her life. Let's not complicate things. All right."

"When you're ready, honey, when you're ready."

We grilled the steaks, corn and potatoes on the grill, eating outside again. 'Nita explained it to me. "There's not a lot of green space where we live, so she doesn't get outside as often as she should. Let her enjoy it."

That night, just after dark, I took them to the pond, set the lantern, ad tossed out the lines, having Annie sit on my lap. Fifteen minutes later she let out a big scream as her rod went down. I coached her through it, and she landed a nice catfish, probably five pounds at least. She was disappointed when i threw it back, but I told her we would come back later and catch enough to eat. She caught three, and 'Nita caught two before we stopped.

"I caught more than you!," she crowed as we walked back.

"You had help, sweetie. Next time I get to sit on his lap and he can help me."

"Nooo! I'm sorry Mommy."

"You don't have to be sorry baby, you just have learn top be gracious."

Then it was time for bath and bed. I read her a story from the book 'Nita had brought, and she was asleep in minutes. I went looking, and found 'Nita in my bed.

"No sex, honey. I don't think you're ready. But I want to be snuggled. I missed that almost as much as I missed the loving. Come to bed."

It was strange after all the years to hold her again. I was so confused I wasn't even sexually excited. She giggled and spooned to me, pulling my arms around her, out in minutes. I thought I'd have another sleepless night when I felt someone pulling my nose. I woke to the vision of Annie, giggling. "Mommy says you have to get up. Breakfast is ready, and we need to leave soon. Hurry up!"

She exhausted herself at the zoo, trying to see everything all at once. Once again I was carrying a sleeping child to my car.

We developed a pattern, they would show up on Friday and leave on Sunday. People got used to seeing us around town, recognizing us as a family. Zippy sealed the deal by inviting us over for a cookout. Annie would have several children her age to play with while the adults socialized.

He got me alone and congratulated me for getting 'Nita back. "I felt bad for her, you know? We all knew how hot her temper was. She made a bad mistake, but I think she's paid the price. Now, get off your ass and get her back. You both haven't been right since the divorce."

Momma Rosa chimed in. "That child is very lucky, coming from such tragic circumstances to have a loving mother and father. Do what's right for her too."

Billy and June agreed. I thought about it for a couple of weeks and decided majority rules. Luck helped me out.

'Nita usually got off early on Fridays, but there was an emergency and she called me in a panic to get Annie from daycare. Annie flew into my arms, babbling and trying to show me off. It was all I could do to get her in the car seat for the drive home. I took advantage of the ride to have a serious talk. Her eyes got wide and she started crying. I freaked, thinking I had read her wrong, but she was crying from happiness. She was calm by the time her mother got home, even though she was about to burst.