Chapter 58: Vermont Vacation

March 15, 1991, Apple Orchard Bed-and-Breakfast near Montpelier, Vermont

“Welcome!” Katy said as she let us into the house.

“Katy!” Birgit squealed.

She’d done well on the flight, only fussing a bit as the plane climbed to altitude and again as it descended for landing. The change in air pressure had clearly bothered her, but there wasn’t much we had been able to do about it except to comfort her. I’d been happy that she hadn’t cried, just complained.

“Hi!” Katy said, holding out her arms to take Birgit from me.

“Miss you, Katy! Love you!” Birgit cooed as Katy hugged her tightly.

“I miss you too! Come in and see my place! Well, I suppose ‘our’ place, given that Steve is here! Drop your bags, and I’ll give you a quick tour.”

She walked us around the entire house, including her ‘private apartment’, as she called it, in the converted attic. She’d done an amazing job, with mostly ‘Early American’ style furniture, though her private space was simpler, and more like the Scandinavian style I’d adopted for most of the rooms at my house.

“It’s gorgeous!” Kara said when we finished the tour. “I love how homey and cozy it feels.”

“I tried for something that proclaimed ‘New England’ because I believe that’s what people would expect here.”

“I love the canopied, four-poster beds,” Jessica said. “Though ‘queen’ is going to be a bit of a tight fit!”

“I LIKE tight fits,” I chuckled.

“I see Steve can still be a pig at times!” Katy observed mirthfully.

“No!” Birgit protested. “Daddy is not a pig! Daddy is good!”

“Oops,” Katy laughed. “I forgot about his number one fan!”

“Let me take our bags up to our room. Which one?”

“The ‘Ethan Allen’ Suite,” Katy smirked. “It’s the former master bedroom. It’s the one with the private bath. There’s a rollaway bed for Birgit in the storage closet at the end of the long hallway.”

“Did you give all the rooms names?” Jessica asked.

“Yes. The plaques will be here on Monday. My first guests, after you, arrive on Thursday. Two couples from Chicago who Barney booked for me.”

“How are bookings going?” I asked as I picked up our bags.

“About 30% of capacity for the next two months. I’ve just started really making a push with a few more travel agents, and I’m running an ad in The Boston Globe this weekend. The following weekend, I’ll run more in Philadelphia, DC, and Richmond. All of that lines up with the business plan I sent you.”

“Great!” I said, heading up the stairs.

I was back downstairs a moment later and found the girls in the kitchen, where Katy was preparing tea.

“So what other names?” I asked.

“Calvin Coolidge, Chester A. Arthur...”

“Wait! You named the biggest room after Ethan Allen, and smaller rooms after presidents?” I challenged.

“So sue me!” Katy laughed. “Those aren’t exactly well-known Presidents.”

“Calvin Coolidge is one of my favorites because he said that he’d know he was doing the job properly if nobody knew who he was!”

“I’d say he was successful, then!” Katy laughed. “Anyway, the rest are: Admiral Dewey, Rudyard Kipling...”

“Wait! Rudyard Kipling?” I objected. “How does THAT fit?”

“I guess you didn’t know he lived in Brattleboro when he wrote The Jungle Book.”

“No, I didn’t! Sorry. Continue!”

“As I was saying,” she smiled, “Maria von Trapp is the last one.”

“Not bad. Did you have any that you didn’t use?”

“Vermont is not exactly a populous state, so there weren’t really too many choices! I rejected several, such as the Mormon leaders Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, the playwright David Mamet, and Carlton Fisk.”

I chuckled, “I’m shocked you rejected that last one! Why?”

“He’s still alive. It just didn’t seem right. The same with David Mamet. I kind of ran into a brick wall because I wanted names that were at least reasonably recognizable. That made President Arthur a stretch because, besides you, I don’t know anyone who even knows who he is!”

“Who’s helping you?” Jessica asked.

“You’ll meet them all tomorrow. There’s Emma, who works full-time Thursday through Monday during the day so I can run errands, and that kind of thing. She’ll act as housemistress when I’m out, and help with pretty much anything that needs to be done. She worked for a hotel in Boston until I hired her. She wanted to get away from the big city, and this was perfect for her.

“There’s Blackie, who’ll cook breakfast those same days. He works for a restaurant which only serves lunch and dinner, so he’s free in the mornings. The other two days, I’ll do the cooking. I expect Tuesday and Wednesday to be the least busy days. I have someone lined up to fill in if Blackie is on vacation, too. And I can always draw a student from the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier if I need someone.

“Finally, there’s Laurie, who will come in on Tuesdays to clean. Obviously, Emma and I will take care of any major issues during the week, but Laurie will scrub the floors, wash the windows, and that kind of thing. Guests change their own bed linens, and we do laundry as needed. I bought two commercial-size washers and dryers so we wouldn’t run into any trouble with laundry. And all of that fits in our budget. We’ll be profitable by the end of the year for sure, probably by the start of the Winter season. I already had two inquiries from cross-country skiers about January of next year, and that’s just from the few travel agents I’m working with.”

“Sounds like you have it all together!”

“Do any of you need anything to eat?” Katy asked.

“I think we’re fine,” I said. “We grabbed burgers on the way to the airport, and Kara packed snacks for Birgit.”

“Daddy?” Birgit asked. “Sleep with Katy?”

“You or me?” I chuckled.

“Me! Daddy sleep with mommies!”

My wives and Katy laughed hard.

“It’s OK with me if it’s OK with Katy,” I said.

“I can set up a bed for her in my room. I have another rollaway up there.”

We finished our tea, and Katy took Birgit with her to the third floor, while my wives and I went to the ‘Ethan Allen’ suite.

“Was that her idea or yours?” I asked Kara.

She smiled, “Was it THAT transparent?”

“No, just a guess! And I know what that means,” I sighed. “I have to do my duty.”

“Because sex with us is such torture, Tiger?” Jessica asked, an eyebrow arched.

“Now that you mention it...” I teased.

The two girls tackled me onto the bed, and, despite lots of giggles and token resistance on my part, we ended up naked, sweaty, and satisfied before we fell asleep.

March 16, 1991, Apple Orchard Bed-and-Breakfast near Montpelier, Vermont

“Is there anything you need me to do?” I asked Katy as we finished eating breakfast.

“There are eight cords of logs out back. They’re cut into the proper length, but they need to be split.”

“I’m not sure you want to give Steve an axe,” Kara teased. “He’s not very handy with tools!”

“I’m handy with the ONE tool that matters!” I protested.

“He has a valid point,” Katy laughed. “But there’s a hydraulic splitter in the shed. Just load the log, pull the handle, and it’ll split it in half. Then split each half again.”

“That sounds like a couple of days’ work,” I said.

“Just do one cord, and stack it in the shed. That’ll last for some time.”

“I can do that,” I said.

“Kara and Jessica are going to help me make up the beds, clean the rooms, and finish off a few other things so we’ll be ready on Thursday. This afternoon, we’ll make some homemade apple pies and churn some homemade ice cream. Those are going to be two signature things we do here.”

“You’re a natural at this, Katy!” I said.

“I’ve only been thinking about it since I was about fourteen. Remember, I told you I wanted to do something like this when we first met.”

“I do remember. I suppose I’ll get started on the wood.”

“Come with Daddy?” Birgit asked.

“It’s a bit cold outside, Pumpkin, but you can come with me for a bit. Then you can come back and help Aunt Katy.”

“OK!” she agreed.

I spent the morning splitting the logs, though Birgit only stayed with me for about twenty minutes before she started to feel cold, and I sent her inside. By lunchtime, I was tired and sweaty. Working the splitter wasn’t hard, but carrying wood certainly wore me out. It was very different from running, but still good exercise.

“You look beat!” Jessica said when I went in for lunch.

“Running four or five miles a day is easy compared to lugging firewood around the property!”

“Why don’t you take a quick shower, then we can have lunch, and you could soak in the tub if you want,” Katy suggested.

“Is that an offer?” I teased.

“Go shower!” she ordered with a laugh.

I went upstairs and took a quick shower, then put on sweatpants and a flannel shirt, and joined the girls for lunch. When we finished lunch, I did soak in the large bathtub in the ‘Ethan Allen’ suite, and then went back downstairs to see the girls putting the pies in the oven.

“Got any energy to turn the ice cream churn?” Katy asked.

“Ugh. More manual labor!”

“I’m teasing. I do have a manual churn for guests to experience, but I bought an electric one so I could make enough ice cream for dessert without having to spend all day turning a crank! Would you get some ice from the freezer downstairs, please?”

I nodded and went to the basement, found the chest freezer that had bags of ice in it, and took one upstairs. I watched as Katy prepared the ingredients, then loaded the ice and rock salt, and turned on the machine.

“Maple?” I asked.

“What else? It’s Vermont! I trade apples for maple syrup. I’ll make vanilla as well, but maple is going to be the one I advertise.”

“I can’t wait to taste it. Or the pies!”

“How was your bath?” she asked with a smirk.

“Lonely!” I teased. “How are things going for you?”

“Actually, they’re very good. I’ve made friends with Washington County Sheriff Edson, and a couple of his deputies. They’re pretty handy to know, and given that this is a rural county, that’s who my police response would be, if I ever needed them. I also met a couple of people in Northfield whom I’ve gone out with. As friends, mind you. There’s no romance in my near future.”

“Did you ever read Lauren’s letters?”

“Yes, and they were exactly what I thought they’d be. She’s so confused that I wonder if she’ll ever manage to be happy.”

“But you’re doing OK?” Kara asked.

“I’ve come to terms with what happened. Your husband’s support has been crucial. This place has kept me hopping for the past two months, and right now, I’m exactly where I need to be.”

“Kara and I were wondering...” Jessica said.

“No. For a bunch of reasons, but mainly because I’m content. I think we’re in a very good place right now. Is that OK, Steve?”

“I had no intentions one way or the other, Katy,” I said. “I planned this weekend with my wives.”

“He’s always left it up to the girls,” Kara said.

“Very true,” Katy agreed. “But I think, as much as I enjoyed being with Steve, that we need to put that in our past. I need to close that chapter of my life now that a new one has started.”

“I know the feeling,” Jessica said.

“As long as you’re happy, I’m happy,” I said.

“I think all that’s left is the Red Sox winning the World Series!” Katy said.

“I suppose it could be worse,” I said. “You could be a Cubs fan! I was VERY happy with the results last Fall!”

“I bet you were!” Katy laughed. “A sweep? As underdogs? I see the Penguins are making a run for it as well.”

“Hopefully, I’ll get to see at least a game during the first round. I have Mario, my manager in Pittsburgh, working on tickets.”

Katy served us hot chocolate while we sat and waited on the pies, with the quiet hum of the ice cream maker in the background of our conversation. We had a nice relaxing afternoon, and after dinner, we sat in the great room with a roaring fire, fresh apple pie, and maple ice cream.

“Amazing!” I gushed after tasting the dessert.

“That’s the ice cream from yesterday. Today’s isn’t quite ready.”

“You only plan to serve a communal breakfast, right?” I asked.

“Yes. I’ll have apples available as snacks all day, which shouldn’t surprise you! And I’ll offer dessert in the evening, just the way we’re having it now. For other meals, there are enough country inns, ski lodges, diners, and restaurants in a twenty-mile radius that it won’t be an issue. I’ll consider changing if need be, but I’d really prefer not to.”

“If you needed to do lunch, you could simply make fixings for sandwiches available. That wouldn’t take a lot of work, though it would add to your expenses.”

“Exactly. And right now, that’s the big thing to worry about. Speaking of which, I’ll send you monthly financial updates.”

“I can’t seem to escape that kind of paperwork!” I sighed.

“It’ll only get worse when Jackie starts her firm a year from now,” Jessica said.

“In that one, I’m going to be a truly silent partner. She and Jamie are putting up most of the capital. They’ll get about 10% from Jeremiah’s dad. I’m only putting up about 20%. And my shares are the first ones they’ll buy back. Jackie’s plan is to have 50/50 ownership between her and Jeremiah within five years. I think they can do it. I’ll receive dividends from them similar to the ones I pay my dad and Joyce. The difference is that I have no plans to buy out either of my investors.”

“Can I get anyone a drink? I have wine, bourbon, vodka, rum, and soft drinks.”

“A bourbon would go nicely right now,” I said.

“I’ll have a glass of white wine, please,” Kara said.

“I’ll just have some more tea,” Jessica said.

I smiled. She’d decided to return to her original plan of having exactly one glass of champagne a year, on our anniversary. She’d used that decision to try to wheedle more concessions out of me about my pipe smoking, but I’d held fast to our previous agreement. If Stephie hadn’t given me the pipe, I might feel differently, but when I smoked it, I thought of her, and those were very good memories.

March 18, 1991, Apple Orchard Bed-and-Breakfast near Montpelier, Vermont

“Thanks for coming and being my first guests!” Katy said when I brought our bags down from the ‘Ethan Allen’ room early on Monday afternoon.

“And thanks for having us!” I said. “We really enjoyed our time here. And Birgit was VERY happy to see you!”

“Love Katy!” Birgit cooed.

“She’s going to miss you,” Kara said.

“Then you’ll just have to come visit again! Soon!”

I handed Katy an envelope with a check for our stay.

“I can’t accept this!” she protested. “You’re a part owner!”

“Yes, but the budget doesn’t allow for freebies! Jess, Kara, and I discussed this, and we want to pay for our vacation.”

She looked at me for a moment, then reluctantly took the envelope from me. We all hugged her, with Birgit giving her a very long hug. She walked us out to the car, and after we strapped Birgit into her car seat, my wives and I got into the rented Pontiac and headed for Boston’s Logan Airport.

“What do you think about coming back here for our vacation, instead of the UP?” I asked. “Not this year, but next.”

“With all the kids?” Jessica asked. “I don’t think it makes a lot of sense. At the cabin in the UP, we can cook for ourselves, and not have to worry if the kids are rambunctious. This would be a great place to come as a trio, if we wanted to do something without the kids.”

“I suppose that does make sense,” I said. “I just don’t see when we’ll get back here with all of our schedules.”

“I think we’d have to do a weekend the same as we just did,” Kara said. “And just bring Birgit. But then we need to find things to do with the other kids that are special for them.”

“I took Jesse and Matthew to a hockey game. Just the ‘big boys’ as they put it. The others are a bit young at the moment, but over time, we’ll find things to do with each of them that are special.”

“Matthew has his ‘dates’ with Abbie, too,” Kara said. “Not quite the same, but I think it fits what we’re talking about.”

“This is one thing I didn’t think through when I thought about having seven kids! It’s difficult to do things with all of them together.”

“Just wait until we go to Disney World!” Jessica added.

“We’ll have to take everyone, including Abbie, to manage that one!” I laughed. “But we’re going to do it!”

“That’s going to be quite the trip with seven kids and six adults!” Jessica said with a nervous laugh.

“Jess, when do you make up today at the hospital?” Kara asked.

“Saturday. I have a noon to midnight shift in the ER.”

“Do you know when Abbie will be home?” Kara asked me.

“No. The race was rained out, and I’m guessing it was run today, but I really have no way of finding out if it was run or what happened. ABC didn’t carry it, and there was no radio station that carried MRN that we could get at Katy’s place. So all I know is what Elyse told us when we called home last night — that Abbie was going to stay to see the race today. And that means I’ll stay home and watch the kids. I’ll put in some hours on Saturday afternoon while Jess works to make up the time.”