RIDE THE TIDE

Chapter 5- Lunch Menu: 

Terry had been to the mailbox and stopped by Tom’s car sorting out the junk. Ah, there it was!He had been waiting for the papers to begin coming in.  School would be starting up in a few weeks and his work would start again.  Terry taught chemistry in Mt Airy at the high school.

Sticking a couple of bills in his back pocket, he stood looking at the car.  Jess had been hanging clothes on the line and came around the house with her basket. “Thinking of trading your truck in and get you a Jag, Terry?”

“Well, I was wondering if I could get enough out of it to buy me another Harley. Looks like mine’s gone.”

“You’ll probably be interested to know I had a call from Penny this morning. They’ll be here

for lunch.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? How is she, how did she sound?” Terry kicked the tire.

“She sounded absolutely dreamy and I would say she is the best she has ever been.” Then she turned and walked back into the house. Tom’s eyebrows were back down again.

Jess had been busy in the kitchen.  It would be chicken pot pie, lettuce and tomato salad and a lemon coconut cake for dessert.  She made sure there was enough iced tea made and went out

on the screened porch to set the table. As she shook out the blue and white tablecloth, she decided to use her yellow dishes.  The table needed flowers, so she went out in her garden and clipped some blue hydrangeas and stuck them in an old ironstone jug. Perfect, she thought.

Tom came through the screen door, remarking, “Who do you think is coming to dinner, the Governor?”

"I just want it to be nice," Jess smiled.  She went back to their bedroom, combed her hair, changed her shirt and decided on a little lipstick.  She heard the Harley coming and walked to the front door and out onto the porch.  Jess didn’t want to miss a thing.

The Harley was coming up the long drive and Terry walked out in the side yard to watch.  Tom knew how to ride, that was for sure. Not far behind him was Penny’s red Cherokee. When Tom had parked in front of the garage, Terry walked over to greet him. Tom offered his hand and thanked him for the ride and the men talked a little about the bike. Penny parked in the drive and came over to Terry.  She threw her arms around him and gave him a big kiss. As Terry pulled her back and had a good look at her,  Tom chuckled. "All is delivered...without dents or scratches."

Jess couldn’t stand it any longer and was off the porch to give Penny a hug.  Tom himself gave her a hug and a kiss. Oh, that was nice, thought Jess. Tom took Penny’s hand and they walked onto the screened porch. Penny took a look at the table and raised her eyebrows at Jess.  Straightening a fork, Jess put her nose in the air. Penny followed Jess into the kitchen.

Tom and Terry found their places at the table and talked a little about the cabin and the land. "The cabin has a good feel to it," Tom said.

Terry grinned. "Did ‘Ole grandma’ give you the evil eye?"

Tom laughed. "She did, indeed, when I first arrived. But I assured her my intentions were honorable."

Terry leaned his chair back and narrowed his eyes. They damn well better be.

Penny barely cleared the kitchen door when Jess turned and wanted to know if Tom was as good as he looked. Penny widened her eyes. “Yes, he is. And a lot more than that, so much more."

Jess noticed the change in Penny. She had lost that hard-edged look, had softened and her eyes were bright. She even moved differently. Jess wanted details, but had the sense not to ask.

Tom ate three helpings of the chicken pot pie and complimented Jess on her prowess in the kitchen.

"I've been starving him," Penny said. 

"I bet so!" Jess laughed.

The women cleared the table and went to the kitchen. Terry and Tom walked out to the barn.

After they found a suitable place to sit, Terry asked, “You said you had honorable intentions toward my sister.  I'm just wondering what your intentions are, Tom, because if you get in your car and drive out of here now, she’s going to be awfully hurt.  I saw her today and I was also here when she arrived.”

Tom lit a cigarette, that opaque gaze of his coming back.  He chose his words carefully. “I am going to be as honest as I can with you, Terry. I've been living out of a fucking suitcase too many years. Aside from my blood relatives, no one has ever really loved me. I've traveled all over the world, and I won’t lie, I’ve not been celibate. Yes, I was married for eight months about six years ago. I was in lust, not in love. When that cooled down there was nothing else. I’ve been wild; I’ve been crazy and done some stupid things in my life. I am 43 fucking years old now and I am tired of being alone. I don’t know how this is going to work out yet. With the way I have been working, it’s a problem. But it’s a problem that can be solved. I love your sister. I feel like she has been inside me and I have been inside her. We connect spiritually. Do...do you know what I am talking about?”

“Fuck, yes” said Terry. “Have you asked her to marry you yet?”

“Actually, yes, I did last night.  She turned me down. But I am a tenacious son of a bitch and I will make it happen when she is ready. I’m not going to rush her.  We talked last night and I think we understand each other.”

“Hell of a storm last night,” Terry remarked.

Tom stretched his arms over his head and smiled, “There was, indeed.”

“I appreciate your honesty, Tom, and if there is any way I can help the situation, let me know.  Lord knows she's a headstrong girl, has been all her life. I just want to see her happy for a change. If you are the man to make it happen, then I wish you all the luck in the world.” Terry

smiled at Tom. "You like a drink?"

Tom nodded. "I'd like that."

When they  had headed for the barn, Tom wasn’t sure what he was in for. After their talk, he felt like he had been given Terry’s blessing; now if he could just convince Terry's headstrong sister.

Jess had a good soapy sink full of dishes going. “Oh, lord, Terry’s taking Tom to the barn.”

“I wouldn’t worry, Tom can handle himself,” said Penny.

Jess, soap running along her arms, grumped, “If you aren’t the most exasperating person I know!  Are you going to make me ask?”

Penny laughed. “What is there to tell, Jess?  Do I love him?  Hell yes. What is going to happen?

I haven’t a clue. Does he love me?  Yes he does. What are we going to do about it? I don’t know. Last night during the storm we laughed, we cried, we argued and we made love. He’s asked me to marry him, Jess.”

“AND…AND oh, Penny, you turned him down. Well, I’ll tell you right now the Tom Cox’s of this world are  scarce as hen’s teeth. He’s a good man, Penny.  He loves you and can give you a life that can only be imagined.  Don’t be so hasty.”

“Jess, it’s that life I can’t see right now. He travels all the time, has to for his work. Regardless of what he says, I just can’t see myself there. I'm just an old country girl, Jess. What would I do in Paris, France?  He speaks at least four languages as far as I know. I think he may be just too much for me. I didn’t even finish college. Do you know he actually has taught at Oxford?”

Jess slapped her dishcloth down on the counter and turned around. “Now you just wait a minute, Penny! You know what I'm hearing? You think you aren’t good enough for him. You have been beat down for so many years with that asshole of a husband you had that you've forgotten who you are. You’re a woman in love and he is a man in love and that's what matters. You can hold your own anywhere in this world and I know it. You weren’t jerked up by the hair of the head, girl. You’ve been educated in what matters in this world. And if you think I am going to stand by and let you throw this away, you got another think coming! You reach back there and straighten up that backbone and get your head straight!” Jess was red in the face.

Penny had never heard Jess raise her voice. Tears were sprouting. “Oh, Jess, I think you're just what I needed.”

Jess put her arms around Penny. “There now, I didn’t say more than your mama would have done. I think we need a glass of wine, don’t you?”

Tom and Terry came in the screen door and headed for the den.  Terry had a small bar set up

on the bookcase and he poured them a whiskey. Penny and Jess joined them with a glass of wine.

Terry chuckled, "I don't know what's going to become of us, boozing before five o'clock".

Jess, eyeing Tom, remarked,  "At least Terry didn’t take you to the woodshed."

Tom, rubbing a hand across his jaw, replied, "I rather thought that was the intent. But  everything's good."

Penny stood on the far side of the coffee table looking at Tom, unable to read his eyes. Tom, too, found Penny's unreadable at the moment.

They finished their drinks and were making their goodbyes.  Tom wanted to transfer some things from his car to Penny’s so he went out to take care of that.  Penny took her brother and sister-in-law’s hands and told them how much she appreciated everything.  "And a special thanks for sending Tom to my door," she added.

Hugs and kisses and as Penny turned to go, Jess whispered, "Remember what I said!" 

Penny nodded.

Beside the Jeep, she asked Tom if he would like to drive and offered him the keys. He looked into her eyes and took the keys from her hand. It was a strangely quiet drive back up the mountain.

Jess and Terry sat down on the sofa. “Well, Terry, what do you think?”

Terry said, “I think he’s a fine man, Jess. He speaks from the heart and I’m not sure I could be as honest as he was today. I’m not sure I’d want anybody to know that much about me. One thing I do know, he loves Penny. You know he asked her to marry him and she turned him down? I told him if I could help in any way to let me know.”

“I know she turned him down.  I’m afraid I jumped right in her shit, Terry. But it’s what your mama would have done and she needed somebody to talk straight to her. She has such a low opinion of herself." She frowned. "We know where that comes from.”

“Let’s don’t go there, Jess. How about a cup of coffee?” As Jess headed for the kitchen, Terry picked up Tom Cox’s latest book from the end table. Maybe he would start it tonight? Looked like Jack Brandon was in Australia this time. He knew it would be a good read. Terry began thinking about the character Jack Brandon, who was in all of Tom’s books. Was Jack actually Tom?

Tom parked the Cherokee in front of the cabin and opened the trunk to get out his bags. His cell phone started ringing and he pulled it out of his jeans. “Hullo, Janey.”  He leaned against the side of the vehicle and dropped his head. “Where is he?…How bad?…Yes, of course I will…ta.”

Tom turned to Penny who was standing on the porch. “Have you a passport?”

ON TO PART 6

BACK TO LIBRISCROWE

BACK TO PART 4

BACK TO INDEX