Chapter 145: Sandy and the Nursery

Thursday, June 17, 1971

“Why didn’t you come to bed last night?” Jenny yelled at me as she swatted my arm. She had said it playfully, but I knew she really meant it.

“Yeah!” her sister echoed. “Why didn’t you?”

“I did. You were both asleep,” I grinned as I told them.

“Then why didn’t you...” Jenny started.

“ ... wake us up?” Julie finished.

“You just looked so pretty, like twin goddesses asleep in my bed. I just didn’t have the heart to disturb you,” I told them. “Believe me, it wasn’t like I wasn’t tempted though.” I hugged both of them to me.

“You owe us!” they both said at the same time.

“And I always pay my debts,” I replied as we walked to where the others were seated.

Jenny and Julie were soon immersed in the discussion still going on about the new house. I clarified a couple of points, mostly about how three of the four master suites were for Catherine, John and Sarah, and Jeff and Debbie. When Jessica asked whom the fourth suite was for, I just smiled. I reminded her that Debbie was pregnant with triplets, and Sarah was pregnant with twins, so she needed to plan accordingly.

Debbie just looked at me, and smiled.

“I love you, too,” I thought back.

“Does anyone know where Catherine is?” asked Jessica. “And are John and Sarah coming?”

“Catherine and Sandy went up to the Reception Center to wait on arriving guests,” Anna replied.

I scanned and found them talking. “Good morning,” I thought to them. “What’s the status of our guests?”

“Kalani’s flight was delayed. By the time she and the young man you had sent with Mikeya met up with Natalie, David and Beth were almost there. They are escorting the Volkonsky’s, and so I asked Kalani and Natalie if they would mind waiting on them. Then I chartered a helicopter to fly them all together to the ranch. They should be here in a couple of hours. I hope they don’t crash. I don’t trust a flying machine without wings,” Catherine said.

“Michael?” Sandy asked.

“Good morning!” I told her.

“Are you busy right now?” she asked.

I glanced around me, as the girls were all talking. “Do you need me for anything else?” I asked Jessica.

“Nothing to do with architecture, if that’s what you’re asking,” she said coyly. “I may have a few other needs though.”

I smiled at her, lecherously.

“I’m all clear,” I told Sandy.

“Could you meet me at the Main House?” she asked. “I have something to show you.”

“I’m on my way,” I replied.

It didn’t take me ten minutes to jog back down the trail to the Reception Center. I had scanned her and so I knew what she wanted.

The Main House is Jaye and Buddy’s home. The original structure was struck by lightning and partially burned in 1965. They had razed the remains down to the foundation and then totally rebuilt from the ground up. It was a basic two-story structure, and had seven bedrooms and a mid-60s state-of-the-art kitchen.

Its best feature was the huge wrap around porch that circled the home on three sides. It was twelve feet deep and held an eclectic assortment of porch and patio furniture, including a wicker patio set of big chairs with deep cushions, a couple of porch swings, and rocking chairs of all sizes. There were small tables scattered everywhere and a couple of large rattan chairs that looked like cages with cushions, hung from the ceiling. It was in one of these that I found Sandy.

She jumped out of the swinging chair as I mounted the steps to the high porch and stood there absently twirling an end of her brown hair nervously as I reached the top. Then taking my hand, she said “C’mon.”

I didn’t move as her arm reached its limit and she jerked to a halt. Then as she looked at me in surprise, I quickly picked her up and twirled her around once, and then kissed her passionately.

“Did you know I loved you?” I asked her.

“Oh god, yes!” she exclaimed. “Especially after yesterday!”

“Okay,” I told her as I let her slide through my arms until her feet touched the floor. “Just checking. Now, where did you want to take me?”

“C’mon. I want to show you something,” she said, happier now. She led me into the house and immediately up the large staircase to the second floor. Then turning right she led me down a wide hall.

I stopped dead in my tracks.

Then quickly I stepped off the width of the hall. “Jessica?” I thought. “Is it too late to make a little change?”

“Not at all. What’s up?” Jessica thought back.

“I want all the hallways to be eight feet wide, okay?” I told her.

“That’s awfully wide, Michael,” she said.

“I don’t care. I am in one right now and I love it!” I replied.

“Okay, then. You’re the boss. Eight-foot-wide hallways it is!” Jessica answered. “Anything else?”

“Not right now,” I told Jessica.

“Sorry about that,” I said to Sandy who stood there looking at me with a grin.

She just giggled as she led me on down the hall, stopping in front of a closed door.

“I hope you like it,” she said as she opened the door for me to step in.

The first thing I saw was an old, hand carved baby bed with blue sheets and a little pillow. The white pillowcase had some beautiful old embroidery work on it. Above the bed was an old baby quilt. It was obvious to me that it was handmade as well. While I couldn’t remember the pattern, I knew enough about quilting to appreciate the handiwork that had gone into it. On another wall was another baby quilt, about the same age, but a different pattern.

“That’s a ‘Little Dutch Girl’ pattern, isn’t it?” I asked.

“I’m impressed that you know about quilting,” Sandy said. “But I’ve always heard it called ‘Little Dutch Doll’. Either way, will work, I’m sure. Do you know the pattern of the one above the baby bed?”