Chapter 17

[West Georgia]

We got out of bed and Shirley was beautiful naked in the morning. I went around the bed and pulled her into my arms and kissed her thoroughly. My excitement was quite evident.

"Keep that thought for later." She said as she pulled away gently. "We need to be seen and not heard. Your mother is going to be busy making plans and will need some help."

"Okay, okay, slave driver." I kidded. As I turned she popped my butt just enough to get my attention.

She smiled. "Get dressed." We dressed and left our room. We found my parents in the kitchen drinking coffee and talking quietly. I got cups as Shirley went over to my mom and gave her a hug and then my dad. We sat down with our coffee.

"Annie, it sure was noisy last night, wasn't it?"

"Robbie, you be quiet. They're newly married and are supposed to be noisy."

"Thanks, Mom." I interjected.

"You might pull the headboard a bit from the wall, though." Mom said. She actually blushed. So did Shirley and I.

"What is on the list for today?" Dad said. "Other than moving the bed a bit." He grinned.

Mom said, "I will get Shirley to help me make a few calls. Jack, what are you going to do?"

"I thought I would get the truck ready for another trip to Atlanta. Shirl and I will need some help for the trip."

"What are you planning, Son?" Dad said.

"Shirl thinks we should raid the ham radio store in Atlanta. She wants a number of us set up with radios and that is a quick and easy way to get things working. Ed didn't want to go again. He claims that Janice is scared."

"Like as not, he's as scared as she if not more. Ed never was a hunter type." Dad commented.

"That still leaves me needing another person or two as backup for the trip."

"Are you going straight up and back?"

"I hadn't thought about it but could."

"If we do that, I bet Marshal or Jack would ride with me. We could pick up a bit more with two trucks."

I looked over at Shirley and said, "Is that okay with you, Shirl?" She nodded and went back to talking with my mother. "Dad, we could use one more. Four would be best."

"I know Jack will come. Marshal's wife is better though is still pretty sick. Your grandmother is staying over there to help. Marshal should be available. If he comes, that would give us four. Otherwise, I'll call your Uncle Andrew."

"Granddad would come. He's still able and would probably like to get out."

"Okay, tomorrow work for you?"

"Let's see what the ladies have planned first."

After talking with the ladies, their planned event would come first. We could go to Atlanta the day after that. Shirley also informed me that she was going with me so my dad just needed one person to ride with him. She said, "We don't go off separately now any more than we did after we met until our marriage. Our being together will not change."

Hearing my dad chuckle, I decided to enjoy it and said, "Yes, dear. Whatever you say, dear."

That earned me a glare until I grinned. Shirley hugged and kissed me and said, loudly enough to be heard by all of us, "And don't forget it either, Jack."

My dad sat down and laughed. He loved it. My mom smiled and then went back to her planning.

That night was another glorious night as Shirley and I continued our exploration of each other's bodies. We did move the bed out from the wall a bit first. Married life was agreeing with us.

Late that next afternoon, we had the family reception that no one missed from Dad's side and only Mom's younger brother on her side. It was a joyous occasion particularly since the unhappiness of the Day. Ted even made it over to smile and kiss my bride on the cheek. The only slight flaw was Janice. Ed had not asked to marry her though they had been sleeping together nightly. Something was wrong there but I didn't know what. I thought that maybe she wanted Shirley's joy with a formalizing of her relationship.

Talking to Shirley later, I found that I was partly right. We had some time to ourselves in the early evening. I asked her, "Do you think Ed will ask Janice?"

"Ask her what?"

"To marry him, Shirl."

"No, I don't. Your cousin is not the same as you. They have been having sex since the beginning and I don't think he is thinking about love at all."

"That's sad. But, I don't think she's in love with him either. They're just ... convenient. She'll have to break it off to find someone else. Would you talk to her?"

"Whatever you say, dear."

"Don't try that line on me, Shirl. It's not fair."

"Whatever you say, dear." I did have good enough sense to turn my body to keep her knee from pushing my genitals inside it. She knew that she still gave me a Charley horse and grinned fiendishly but kissed me. We went back out to the family. A while later, Shirley took Janice to one side and talked to her. When it ended over a half hour later, they hugged.

Much later that night, Shirley told me. "She doesn't love him. She just wanted to be sure that she wouldn't be left out and alone. She, of course, has had sex with him. Apparently, he isn't real good in that department."

I chuckled. "I remember seeing him in the locker room in high school. He didn't have the largest pencil in the pack!"

"Oh, well. At least your pencil is adequate."

"Only adequate?"

"Okay, you're very adequate. Anyway, she was afraid to leave. Now, she's not. I expect her over here in the morning, or she'll call us to come get her."

"I hope she gets here by herself. I don't want to start anything with Ed or his family."

"The most you would have to deal with is Ed. Mary knows Janice is being coerced and is not happy about it."

"Okay, we'll deal with it when we must."

"Whatever you say, dear."

"Shirl, we weren't going to do that anymore." I warned.

"I know, but I couldn't resist kidding you." Then she rolled over on top of me and began to kiss me passionately and I forgot everything except her delicious body and the feeling of it rubbing against and with mine, as we made love.

Sure enough, the next morning, there was Janice in the kitchen with my mom when Shirley and I came in to get breakfast.

Mom said, "Shirley, show Janice the guest bedroom and get her settled after we finish eating."

"Mom," I asked, "is she going to stay with us?"

"Yes," she answered, "Mary was not happy with either her husband nor her son over the situation. She brought Janice over here."