Chapter 68

Linda was sitting on a couch with Evie when Dave walked over and knelt before Linda. "It seems there is something else that Evie and I would like to give you, too." He held a small black box toward Linda. "Will you marry us?" Dave quietly asked.

"Oh, my gosh," Linda squealed, her hand shaking as she slowly reached for the box that obviously contained a ring. Starting to open it, she glanced at Evie.

"Go ahead," Evie coaxed.

Linda opened the box and gasped. As she stared at the engagement ring, Evie held out her hand so Linda could see. "It's identical to mine. I wanted to get you one with a bigger diamond, but Dave..."

"Oh, no," Linda broke in. "I want it to be the same. Oh, that's so sweet. Oh, I don't know what to say."

"Well, it's usually appropriate to say yes," Evie teased.

"I've already told you both that the other night, but yes, yes, yes," she laughed through her tears of joy. Launching herself into a kneeling Dave's arms, she knocked him over backward to land on his butt with her in his arms. Soon her mouth was locked to his and she forgot that everyone was watching.

A few moments later as Dave sprawled on his back with a giggling Linda sitting on him, he slipped the ring onto her finger.

Laughing, Diana said, "Well, I've never seen it done just like that before."

Linda didn't even seem to hear them as she turned and took Evie's hand, holding hers beside it to compare the rings. "Oh, look, everybody. I'm engaged." She gently rubbed a fingertip across Evie's wedding ring. Grabbing Evie in a hug, "I want one exactly like that one, too" she whispered to the older woman whose face showed every bit as much excitement as Linda's.

A little later, Bill Madison sat near the fire as Linda went through her presents again, this time making sure her father saw each one. In addition to her surprise last present, she had received jewelry, and ... a number of sleepwear ensembles, several blatantly into the risqué category. Seeing the grin on Kathy's face and the blush on her father's, she grabbed up another box.

This time she thrust the opened box onto Bill's lap. Taking the red satin negligee out, she held it up in front of her as she watched his eyes. "It's almost see-through," she said unnecessarily, "and check out the panties," she added, laying the negligee across Bill's arm as she grabbed the panties out of the box and held them up. There was a tiny little matching red heart attached to a g-string.

Kathy, now standing behind Bill's chair, leaned down and put her arms around his neck, hugging him, her cheek close to his as she oohed over the negligee that Linda was displaying

"Read the card," Linda said, an unfathomable tone in her voice.

Bill, knowing that something was up, carefully folded the negligee and placed it in the box, his mind racing. He even put the "panties" on top. Is she just trying to embarrass me? I've bought Jill plenty of negligees over the years. Linda has seen me give a lot of them to her — including thong panties. Why would she make a production of this set that someone has given her? And why does she want me to read the card? I don't like the look on her face.

Mentally shrugging, he opened the card.

From your husband and sister-wife to be, happy sixteenth birthday. We offer our blessings with our gift to be worn on the night you spend with your dad. We love you.

Dave and Evie

He vaguely heard Kathy whisper something about that being sweet, and felt her arms tighten about his neck.

Despite himself, the hand holding the card shook and his vision became strangely blurred. Time passed. He didn't know how much. When he started to speak, he realized that Dave and Evie were now standing behind Linda. Linda was leaning back a little against Dave's chest and his arms were wrapped around her just below her breasts.

Even though Linda, he and Jill had used the Jacuzzi together nude, he had always tried to not look at his daughter's breasts. When the image of her glanced-at breasts would drift into his mind, he would quickly reject the image. Now, Dave's arms seemed to almost display Linda's breasts for him, and Bill's mind for a second superimposed the image of her nude breasts upon the clothing-covered ones. It didn't help one damn bit when Dave grinned at him.

Dave cleared his throat. "Uh, Pop, suppose you and I go and get shitfaced?"

Kathy giggled in his ear.

Bill mock glared up at Dave. "Number one: I'm never going to be 'Pop' to you, and number two: I don't drink, so shitfaced is out. I never know when I'll have to fly."

"Well, once every few months, I drink one beer. So let's go drink a beer, and say we got shitfaced."

Bill laughed in spite of himself. "Just my kind of logic. And as you obviously know, that beer would be long gone from my system before I could get to the airport."

Dave just grinned at him.

As Bill stood, Kathy kissed him for a second and smiled. The men slapped each other on the shoulder and walked out the door joking. Just before Dave stepped into the hallway, he turned to wink at Evie.

"Men," Evie said to Linda, but there was a smile on her face. "They're just like big kids, sometimes. Women would just sit down and talk, maybe drink a cup of coffee and eat something chocolate. Men have to get shitfaced before they can communicate about something they're upset over, even if they have to pretend that they're shitfaced," she laughed.

Diana, who had stood there, but had not participated in the conversation, hugged Linda. "You did good. And you too, Evie. If it's going to happen like you two have told me, then better out in the open between the two men. I would like to be that infamous little fly on the wall right now though, so I could hear what those two say. But you do know, that despite all their shenanigans about getting 'shitfaced, ' they might very well never even mention the subject they went there to discuss, although they will probably come back closer friends. And men say that we're unpredictable."

Turning to Linda, she continued, "And you, our pretty little addition to the family, I hope you realize how much Dave must love you to even consider this, let alone go off with your Dad to 'discuss' it. And don't be too upset if that night with your dad is just that, a night in his arms. You might have a big job seducing him, no matter how much you try. My husband had a fit, to put it mildly, when Arlene seduced/raped him. I strongly suggest that if you really intend to do this — and understand, I have no problem with it and I think it's wonderful — but some intimate conversation with Bill before it happens, might smooth things a lot."

Glancing at Evie for a second, Diana turned and took Linda's hand. "Evie is becoming your Queen Bitch, Linda. I know my friend. She will help, and already has helped, to make this happen. But Dave is giving up a lot of — for want of a better term — his self-esteem for this to happen. Unless all five of you involved in this are behind it one hundred percent ... I'm not trying to dissuade you from this, on the contrary, just follow the guidance of your Queen Bitch. This should, and will be accomplished only with love."

Nodding toward the doorway, Diana continued, "Those two have just taken a giant step toward this happening in a very special way. But remember, even if only one of the five of you is hurt by this, then the whole thing fails." Diana put her arm around Kathy for a moment. "And remember too, that Kathy is just as much a part of this as any of you."

Evie looked at her friend and smiled, "I think we need to take your hint and the females should sit and talk, and ... plan."

Evie suddenly grabbed Diana in a fierce hug. "I know that all that was hard for you to say. I love you. We'll talk — all of us. Linda wants this badly, and we're going to make it happen." Looking around her to catch Kathy's and Linda's eyes, she finished with, "and we'll make sure it adds to both marriages. I think we'll all wind up loving each other more in the end if we go about this in the right way."

Kathy, a little embarrassed, cleared her throat. "Uh, if everyone agrees, I guess ... What I mean is, I think it would be a good idea if Diana sat in with us when we have our talk. Uh, if that's okay with you two."

Evie laughed at Kathy's stumbling. "Well, she's my best friend, and that's the only reason I didn't mention it to start with. Is it okay with you, Linda?" Evie said, turning to the teenager.

Linda's face flushed. "Yes. And I just realized while Diana was talking that I was being selfish. Being with my dad is something I've wanted ever since I knew what sex was, and that feeling is way stronger now that Mom is gone. But when I jumped Dad I didn't stop to think about anything else, even though Dave and Evie had already said they could live with it. But it's going to have to be something a lot more than just being able to live with it."

Tears welled up in Linda's eyes as she looked at the others. "I don't want to hurt anyone. Oh, I'm so mixed up," she choked out running out of the room.

"Oh, crap," Diana whispered. "I didn't mean for this to happen."

Evie started after Linda, but stopped and turned. "Diana, would you come and make some coffee. I've got some chocolate cake on the counter. Kathy, would you..."

"Sure," Kathy said. "After all, Bill is going to be shitfaced, anyway," she kidded. But she was talking to Evie's back. "Time for some girl talk..." the young pilot said, taking Diana's hand.

A little later, cleanup from the party was about done. Jeff was trying to hook a finger on the tie of the fifth trash bag when Joyce walked up. "Just got a call from dispatch. Uh, I had my phone forwarded to your number. The lieutenant on the night shift is desperately looking for another warm body. I'm about all that is left. We were already short in the department, especially night shift. Now they have people out with the flu, and apparently it keeps getting worse. It's going through the department like the chicken pox does in schools."

"And..." Jeff said, raising an eyebrow.

" ... And my comp time off just got cancelled. I've got to work a night shift. She said that the shift commander was trying to get me transferred temporarily to his shift until his staffing problems were better, and needed to talk with me about it when I got there. Sounds like I might even be going back to nights permanently."

Jeff frowned. "They're taking you off comp time to have you work more comp time. That sounds like a spiral with no end."

Joyce grinned at him. "Well, I've never heard it put just that way, but I guess it's descriptive. Except, I think that the sheriff has finally realized that he can't make his staffing problems go away with comp time. I'll get paid for this. And I can always use the money. I have no idea what my off days will be. Probably there won't be any for awhile."

Jeff grunted and frowned. "You don't need the money any more. Once you two say yes and marry me, your names will be on the checking account just like mine. This can't be a legal marriage. Our country won't allow it for some reason, but we are all partners — legal partners — with a binding contract. If something happens to me, you and Caitlin will still be rich, and still part of the partnership, for our marriage is to all of us, not just to me."

Jeff had let go of the trash bags. "But Baby, you can quit your job, as can Caitlin, any time you want. Not that I'm griping you understand, but lately I can't seem to spend money as fast as I make it. Between Frank Wainwright, the guy in charge of my investments, and a couple of companies that I bought ... well."

Jeff took Joyce's face gently in his hands. "Look, I uh, know this job is important to you, or I would have had this conversation with you before, but I thought we still had some time before your week of comp time was up. But..."

Joyce leaned her face into his hands. "To say that I'm flattered is an understatement. But this job is special to me. It isn't just a job. It's something that I'm good at, and although the money certainly isn't the best in the world, I still get a feeling of ... satisfaction. I get to do things that matter. Please, we'll talk about this later, but I must go. I can't let my fellow deputies go out tonight with so few people. If something happens, someone could die because they didn't have backup."

Kissing the palm of Jeff's hand, she took his hands in hers for a moment. "I always keep a uniform in the trunk of my car, just in case. We all do lately. And I had my gunbelt with me when I started out to my makeshift range, before someone I know — she smiled at Diana who had just walked over to them — invited me to lunch and the use of your range."

Pulling back from Jeff, "I've got to hurry."

As Joyce quickly left, Diana looked at her husband, "She's..."

" ... got to work tonight." Jeff took a breath. "I've fallen deeply in love with her, my wife. And this scares the crap out of me. It was one thing seeing her the first time in that spiffy uniform of hers, but now ... it's ... different." Taking another breath, he sighed, "I know that you probably don't agree with me, but I still don't like women going in harm's way. It scares the piss out of me."

Diana put her arms around her husband, hugging him tight. "She's going to be my sister-wife. I don't like this any better than you do. But we can't nag her. We have to, uh, suck it up and go with it, as you would say. We have to support her." But her chuckle sounded forced.

Jeff absently gathered his bags of trash and headed for the incinerator, his mind locked onto a problem that he could not see an answer to.

Jeff's reaction was mild compared to Caitlin's. As soon as Joyce walked into their suite with her uniform on her arm, Caitlin burst into tears. "They've called you. I was afraid that's what that call was about. You're going to have to work a shift tonight, aren't you? It's not even day shift. You're going to have to go out at night. You know damn well it's far more dangerous. Joyce I..."

Joyce threw her uniform on the couch and hugged Caitlin before she could really get started. After a moment, Joyce pulled back. Brushing the tears from a frustrated Caitlin's face, Joyce said, "Do you really want me to leave with you fussing at me. Now we both know that if that hospital called desperate for someone to work, you would be up and putting your uniform on in a second."

"But..."

"Let's not fuss. Come take a shower with me. We don't have time to mess around, but we can be together."

Caitlin nodded her head, sniffed and started removing her blouse.

A little later in the shower as Caitlin worked shampoo into Joyce's hair, Joyce raised her head enough to glance at her lover. "Jeff mentioned marriage again. He told me that as soon as we were married that our names would be on his bank account. He said that we wouldn't have to work. He acted like he was really frustrated about me going to work tonight..."