Chapter 10

The farmer sat on the veranda in a comfortable chair with his feet up. His dirty boots were lying next to his chair.

"Hello," he called out and hoisted his glass as Jeremy and Emma approached.

Jeremy waved and felt a flagging of strength in his limbs that he didn't expect. He tucked that issue away for examination at another, more private moment. He heard several goats bleating from over by the barn for the first time. Their calls reminded Jeremy that dinner would be served soon. He was hungry.

"I'm Luis Trujillo," the farmer said. "Welcome to my humble house. Pull up a chair, Mr. De Luca, and join me in a drink of wine. Maria could use a hand inside, Emma. She is bitching up a storm over something and I'm pretty sure that I didn't do it."

"I'm pretty sure you did," Emma said. She turned to Jeremy. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I don't need a nanny," Jeremy said as he climbed the stairs to the porch. "I do need a drink though. What're we drinking," he said to Luis.

"Local vintage and at least three years old. The cheap bastard tried to sell me last year's batch which tasted like seasoned rabbit pellets and charge me the same price. He learned the hard way not to cross me."

"I'm afraid to ask how you know what old rabbit pellets taste like?"

Luis laughed as he handed Jeremy a full glass of the dark red liquid.

"You ask a good question. I will need a few more glasses before I can answer you well and fully. Let us leave it as every young farmer has his share of mistakes."

Jeremy raised his glass in a toast before he took a sip. "To a good harvest!"

"To happy women!" Luis replied as he took another drink of his glass.

Jeremy looked at him waiting for an explanation for his words.

"A happy woman means a happy man. The happier they are, the happier I am, and I want to be happy all night long!"

Jeremy had to agree and he took another swallow. The wine was dry and full of flavors he didn't remember tasting in wine before. He was no connoisseur but he had appreciated a good bottle now and then. The taste wasn't delicate but it certainly fit the time and place.

"Who are 'they'?" Jeremy thought to ask.

"I can't speak for your Ms. Emma. She is a little cold and scary, no? Maria is my wife and I understand you violated the invisible boundary and stepped in her kitchen. Not to worry, she just hates to admit that a man can cook. Then there is her sister, Lucinda. Lucy's husband left her three months ago — for another man. Maria said, 'Why don't you come and stay with us for awhile?' and she came. The first days were hell and then I set her up as foreman over the olive pickers. All the venom she had for her husband she is using on those poor bastards in the bunkhouse. She is happy now. Maria is happy now. And I, now that we are well into the olive harvest, am happy, too."

"I like stories with happy endings," Jeremy said as he drained the last of his glass.

"Stories, hah!" Luis said. "I like days with happy endings."

The screen door opened and Maria stuck her head out.

"He talks big, but when he crawls into bed, he falls right to sleep. Big head, little head: they're both dead to the world. He is happy in his dreams and I am left wanting."

"Ma-ree-ah —" Luis began.

Maria interrupted saying, "Dinner's ready."

Her head disappeared.

Jeremy tried not to laugh out loud but he couldn't stop his abdomen from shaking. Luis filled his glass and they both walked to the table together. Jeremy assumed that the unknown woman was Lucy. She did look tough, with her hair pulled back in a tight ponytail, hiding none of the sharp planes of her face. Her figure wasn't delicate; she was tall and sturdy. Jeremy didn't think she had much fat on her but she was definitely strong.

Dinner was more leisurely than Jeremy expected. Maria ladled out a thin cold soup of finely chopped tomatoes with onions and other vegetables that Jeremy couldn't identify. Luis poured more wine. Then came the stew and a shot of a citrus brandy to wash it all down. The conversation swirled around the day's numbers, the accident, and local news of the day.

Luis and Maria limped off to bed. Lucy yawned as well but picked up a book, joining Emma on the couch. Jeremy briefly considered the unused T-unit but it held no real interest. Tired but not ready for bed, Jeremy went to his room and shut the door. Physically he was feeling better after a good meal. With the light still on, he lay in bed and stared at the ceiling. He had several issues with which to contend and no clear direction on how to set his priorities. In some areas, he hadn't asked enough questions yet. He started to list in his head the questions he needed to ask.

A quiet knock on the door disturbed his thoughts.

Jeremy opened the door. Lucy gave him a smile and pushed her way inside. Shutting the door quietly with her hand behind her back, she blocked his only escape route.

"It's been awhile for me, and Emma says it's probably been awhile for you. I could use some personal exercise to help me sleep tonight. Maybe you could join me?" Lucy said, running her index finger down his chest.

Jeremy didn't answer because he was unsure that his vocal chords would work. The smell of her skin was earthy, reminding him of the surrounding fields and their fruits. His arousal was instant and the sensations of her finger tickled his skin. He leaned in and kissed her softly on her thin lips, slowly. Straightening his spine, he looked her in her eyes.

He saw fire. Then he felt arms crushing him from behind as lips and tongue assaulted his mouth. It was full frontal attack. Survival instincts kicked in and Jeremy responded in kind, with a bear hug.

She moaned with desire.

Then she manhandled him, wrestling him down to the bed. Sitting on his stomach, Lucy pulled her loose-fitting blouse over her head and unstrapped her industrial strength bra. Her breasts were not so big and they sagged appropriately for a woman nearing forty. Jeremy's smile broadened as he brought his hands up to caress her brown, hanging breasts.

"Uh huh," she said knocking his hands away and waggling her index finger. "If you want these, you're going to have to win them from me."

Jeremy tested his pinned hips once and without further ado, brought his legs up under her arms and hooked his feet over her shoulders. She went backwards and he fell forwards until she smacked her back against the rug on the floor. With her legs still around his torso, she began tightening her thighs, squeezing.

Jeremy gave her his best evil smile and starting pinching her nipples, hard.

"Ai" she cried, briefly loosing the grip of her legs.