Chapter 16

We unloaded the car and put everything up. I pulled a Diet Coke and a Lemonade from the fridge and brought them into the living room setting the cans on the end table. Dollars was sitting on the couch. Intentionally with a little gruffness, I said, "There is one other thing for me to do right now." I pulled the key ring out and gave it to her. I gently said, "I'll have to show what they all do but this is yours."

Her eyes went wide. "Adeline and the farm?" I nodded and she pulled me down and kissed me for a long, pleasant time. We did finally come up for air.

Dollars had picked food for supper tonight. It was early but I asked if she needed to make any preparations. She told me that it would take her about forty-five minutes to prepare and cook supper.

I took her hand and pulled her to the barn. We went upstairs to the study. "Dollars, I've ordered a fob for your key ring but it won't arrive for at least a week. In the meantime, the keys will work. I want to show you the house and the barn computer. First, though, I want to show you some other items over here. I booted up my other computer and logged in. I will make you a user later. I want you to see this now."

"This" was my financial statement. It showed a liquid net worth of over a million dollars plus the farm, Sweet Adeline, and other items. It also included a list of weapons with values. "All of that are using appraised values about a year ago. There is no debt. Dollars, there has been no one to spend it on in the past. I enjoy spending money on you. Neither of us are extravagant but we don't ever have to say that we can't afford something."

"Abraham, I don't care that you have money. I care that I have your heart. Money isn't important without the heart. Yes, we can enjoy things because there is money but I enjoy working. I think you enjoy working, too. You have been building here and caring for it while you're going to school. Of course, you start after the first as the departmental firearms instructor. I want you to do the good job that I know you will do."

She smiled dreamily. "Our new main job together is for us to make a life together. You're a lovely man. You impress people just by being you. That's just one of the reasons I'm proud to be with you." She smiled. "We'll work the other computer later. I want to see your arsenal, as your future wife not as a cop."

We went downstairs and I used her key to open the door and verify it with the keypad inside. I gave her the code. "You can come up with a code and I will add it upstairs in that computer."

Once the code was keyed, the lights came on. She looked around. "Wow!" She looked a little more. "Shesh! Abraham, there are small countries that aren't equipped as well."

In the middle of the room was my antique guns collection. She was impressed. She looked at everything closely. "Okay, let's go back to the living room."

I closed up the gun room and handed her set of keys back to her. I followed her into the living room.

We sat down on the couch and Dollars snuggled into my side. I heard the cat door and, moments later, Ben came in the room and hopped on the couch to sit on Dollars' lap. She stroked him and he purred loudly. "Abraham, what do you expect from our marriage?"

I didn't know if it was a "trick" question but I knew the answer. "Just you, Dollars."

"Smart man." That got me a little hug. "You've shown me everything and given me the keys to the kingdom. I'm not worried. I'm a little shocked at the amount of money but you're bringing me around to your thinking on it. It's nice but not really important. I have your heart and that is what's important. I will not let it go." I leaned down just a little to give her a kiss.

We sat on the couch and enjoyed being together. It was, I decided, a worthwhile way to spend the afternoon. We dozed.

It was around four when I heard Dollars say, "Ben, you need to move. I want to start supper." Ben meowed but she picked him up and gently moved him to one side of her. She stood. I looked up her and then stood myself and followed her into the kitchen.

"When do you want to eat, Abraham?"

"Anytime after six. Perhaps around seven?"

"That's what I had in mind. Abraham, when are we going to have our first fight?"

"I hoped we got it out of our blood the day we met." I grinned.

"Someday, I want one where I win." She smiled at me.

"You won. You captured my heart, Love." I fingered her pendant. That got me kissed for a long, hot time.

We stayed entwined until hydraulic pressure forced us out of the kitchen and into bathrooms. From there, we went back to the kitchen because it was time to cook. Dollars fixed cashew nut chicken with a slight, though noticeable, kick. She stir-fried it in a frying pan. While she was cooking, she said, "I need to bring my wok. Teresa will never use it." She cooked everything together but the rice.

After prayer, we ate. "Dollars, this is delicious. I don't know if I will be able to eat this anywhere else now." I gave her a moderately sloppy kiss. When we finished eating and cleaning up, we went back to the couch. I turned on music as we sat together enjoying each other's presence. Ben was outside with his food so it was just us.

It was getting late when I asked, "What's the schedule for the week?"

"I'm on nights all this week through Sunday. You will be in the car with me Wednesday evening. That will be a long shift. We start at six and go until three. I will pack a snack. This will be my fifth New Year's Eve. I don't like them but we have only had one serious incident. An officer was wounded when a drunk shot him after the drunk ran off the road and hit a wall. The drunk was shocked to realize what he had done and dropped the pistol. The officer called for backup. Backup and an ambulance arrived quickly. The drunk was arrested and the officer was wheeled away in the ambulance. He was fine. He moved to Montgomery the next summer.

"The Captain requires two to a car and vests. He said that there were too many amateur drinkers out on New Year's Eve and we had to be extra careful."

"Dollars, I think you should wear a vest all the time you're on duty. Most departments would, I think, require it."

"We are supposed to wear them. It's so quiet in Notasulga that we rarely do. I am like most officers everywhere. I've never drawn my pistol except for target practice the entire time I've been a policeman."

I grinned. "My love, the last thing you have ever been is a policeMAN!" I laughed and she joined in.