Chapter 16

Going to tell everybody. "I know. I think I'm gonna lease the Goodyear blimp," I said.

"Can we get rings?"

"Yes, we can get rings," I said. "What does your taste in wedding rings look like?"

"I think I would like a simple band. Gold. Yours?"

"I shall match yours. You sure though? No large rock?"

"Oh, come on, Stoney. This is me and you. Married by the light of the full moon. I need to ask Mom what the appropriate Celtic take would be."

"She collected a Viking..."

Jo laughed. "I'll tell her you said that."

"Don't go pissing my father-in-law off now."

"Oh, Dad lets 'er lead him around more than you might think."

I looked at her against the background of the sun-dappled waves. "It's a shame it's not spring," I said. "A tiara of daisies would look good on you."

"And what else?" she giggled.

"See?!?" I said, "I wasn't even going there. I had that smiling face and a wreath of daisies."

"Bluebonnets. This is Texas," she said.

"They'll put you in jail for messing with bluebonnets in Texas. Daisies."

"Daisies it is, then... " she smiled, took my hand. Gave it an extra squeeze when a puff of wind caused us to heel sharply.

"We're okay," I said.

"We're more than okay, Stoney. We're together."

"You're liking this," I said.

"I'm loving this, Stoney."

We made the marina without any particular problems. As soon as the docklines were secured, she took off for the onshore bathhouse.

Gary was making his rounds. "Jo? The redhead with the flute?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said.

"First time I ever noticed you taking an overnighter with a girl," he said.

"Not just any girl. Wife."

"Seriously? Married?"

"Yessir," I said.

"How long?"

"Since Friday," I said. "This is the honeymoon."

"I'd've taken THAT girl to see the Wonders of the World," Gary said.

"I know ... And one day we will ... But she's got school. I've got work."

"Yeah ... I guess..."

"Anyway ... We're married."

"I wondered what possessed you to go out Friday evening. It was nasty."

"Yeah. Foul weather gear all the way out. Anchored about five miles down the bay. Spent the night. Woke up Saturday, went down to that last anchorage before the Narrows, spent the night. Made soup. Played music. And we're back."

"Played music?"

"Flute and banjo," Jo said as she walked up. "Hi, Gary!"

"You married this guy?"

"Mmm-hmmm," she said. "Wanted a banjo player all my life." Giggle. "Wanna hear us?"

"I'd like that," Gary said. "If you have time."

I shrugged. "Sure! We aren't on a schedule. Come aboard. Have a cold drink?"

"Got a coke?" he asked.

"Sure," Jo said. "Come aboard with us."

As we returned to the boat I heard the geese honking in the distance, but getting closer. "I brought popcorn," Jo said.

We pulled out the instruments and sat in the cockpit, with Jo tossing a handful of popcorn over the side between numbers, having a happy time playing.

"I noticed something," Jo said.

"What," Gary asked.

"You have frequency-sensitive geese."

"Wha-aaa?" he and I said almost in unison.

"While we were playing, they honk. But not the same ones all the time. Watch. Here's a G." She put the flute to her lips and a clear tone came forth. And a goose honked. "Now, let's drop to a C." Another note, another goose honking. "Now watch." She alternated from one note to the other and two geese honked in turn." She told Gary, "You don't have enough geese. We need twelve for a chromatic octave."

"I appreciate your love of music, but I'll stick to iTunes," Gary said. "Besides, what happens if they go out of tune?"

"Yeah, that's a problem," I said. "You can tune a banjo, but you can't tuna fish. Where do geese fit?"

"Stoney! I may rethink our marriage. I didn't know you were a punster when I consented!" Jo giggled.

"That IS bad," Gary laughed, shaking his head. "And you dropped it right into the middle of a civilized conversation."

"I'm just a poor ol' engineer. Lacking in social skills," I laughed. We played a couple more numbers to the accompaniment of the geese, gathering an audience of other marina denizens in the interim. Finally we begged off, loaded the car, secured the boat, and hit the road.

I glanced at the bright-eyed happy-looking redhead sitting beside me. "How do we do this? Your old apartment first?"

"Uh-huh," she said. "Gotta get some stuff. It'll take a few trips to get it all."

"Uh, how's Key gonna take this. Weren't y'all splitting the rent?"

"Got it paid through the end of the month. And there are a couple of other girls who've been wanting to get in there. She won't have a problem as far as that part is concerned."

"But losing you?"

"She's not losing me, Stoney. We'll still see each other at school and it's not like you're hauling me off into the wilderness."

"Well, you two live together..."

"Since the beginning of the semester. Two months. I'm not married to Key. I'm married to you."

"Okay," I said. "I was just wondering what kind of drama we're in for..."

Drama ensued when we got to Jo's apartment. Jo knocked on the door, not knowing what she'd find inside. "Come in!" came Key's voice and we found Key and a light-skinned black guy sitting at the table sharing a pile of chips and a bowl of dip.

"Jo, Stoney, this is Hutch," she said. Hutch stood up. My height. Not fat. Nicely dressed, in fact, as was Key.

"Actually," he said, "I'm James Hutchinson. But everybody calls me Hutch. I recognize Jo. You must be Stoney. Key talks about Jo's white boy all the time."

"I'm guilty," I said as I shook his offered hand.

"Watch, Stoney, Hutch ain't a trumpet player." Key chuckled.

"Key, darlin'" Hutch said, "Be nice!"

"Oh, I am nice," Key said. "This is Jo's boyfriend..."

"Not any more," Jo interrupted.

Key's face fell. "You're not breakin' up, huh? Jo, he's..."

"My husband," Jo said. "Stoney is my husband."

"No joke?!?!"

"Congratulations," Hutch said.

"Yeah," Key added. "But when?"

"Since Friday, unofficially," Jo said.

Key cocked an eye at her. "Unofficially. What's that mean? Wait! I don't wanna know..."

"It's not exactly like, that, Key. You're the one majoring in sociology. You know about the marriage customs around the world."

"Uh ... ohhhhh, so what'd you do, jump a broom?"

"No, went with the Celtic thing Mom told me about. Swore by the full moon."

"Girl, you know that Texas is a common-law state. What you did, telling US that you're married, you're married. It might take a lawyer to make it stick, but I know people..."

"Oh, you're not telling me anything I don't already know, Key. But Saturday Mom and Dad are coming back to town and they're going to see us do it officially. And I need witnesses. You up for it?"

"Oh, it'll be a kick. We'll be there." She looked at Hutch for affirmation. He nodded assent.

"Uh, Key, I'm gonna go live with Stoney."

"That's how that's supposed to work, I understand," she said. "So, like, today?"

"I'll get some stuff today and we'll move the rest out this week. What's that girl's name that wanted to move in?"

"Heck with HER," Key said. The way she leaned against Hutch finished the idea without the need for additional words.

"Oh, so THAT'S how it is," Jo giggled.

"Well, I really like this place," Key said, "but this latte'-lookin' dude has decided that we should be married after graduation and we were looking for place to co-habit."

"Co-habit?"

"Key's way to avoid sayin' 'shack up'," Hutch said.

"Hutch! I'm gonna have to teach you some decorum," Key said. "But I didn't want to ask you to move, Jo."

"So it works out, then?" Jo said. "See," she told me, "you were worried."

"You need to learn to stop worryin' around Jo," Key said. "Girl's got her stuff together."

"I'll learn. I see more of it every day," I said. I did. There was a side of Johanna that was organized and assured and competent. There was also a side, though, that was a bit of 'scared little girl', too, and that got me into the caring and protective mode really fast. But this was also the girl who caught me sitting straight up in bed the first night we spent together, recognized that I was reacting to dreams, and softly brought me back down to earth.

Two trips to the car later, we left the parking lot in separate vehicles, mine and her little Honda. I gave up my numbered slot and parked my car in one of the more remote 'first come, first serve' slots, loaded myself up and headed to the door, stepping lively to catch up with Jo. I unlocked the door and let us in.

"Gotta get you some keys," I said. "It's your house."

"My house, too?"

"No," I said. "It's been a place for me to stay. Now it's your house." We dropped our loads and wrapped up in a long kiss. "And now you're finally home."

"I love you, Stoney," she said.

"My precious Johanna," I said. "I love you, too."

A couple more trips and I had everything inside. She walked into the bedroom. Turned. Smiled. "There's something I need you to do for me," she said.

In view of everything that had happened since we anchored Friday evening, that open-ended statement carried a wealth of pleasant possibilities. I practically skipped into the bedroom.

She caught the expression and giggled. "Show me which closet space is mine. And dresser drawers."

"Oh, I'm all about drawers right now. YOURS!" She squealed as a pinned her to the bed.

"Let go of my hands, darnit!" she said. "If this is what's happening, then I get to participate!"

"So you're willing to forgo the proper disposition of your belongings in order to..."

"In order to make this into our marriage bed," she giggled. "Don't you..."

"Yes, I do," I said. The activity that took place in that bed over the next hour was the first for it. I'd never missed it, really, in a total sense. Now, with Jo held close, cuddled in my arms, it seems so long overdue.

"You're thinking again, Stoney..."

"Only about you. About how my life suddenly acquired colors and music and light. How a redheaded angel has brought me life."

She smiled. "You think about me any time you want, Stoney. I love it."

"That's how I ended up here, Jo. I could not stop thinking about you."

Her finger idly traced the ridges and furrows of my scarred hip.

"Don't get grossed out," I said.

"Not even, Stoney," she said softly. "It's mine. All of you is mine. Just like I belong to you."

"But you're perfection. I'm beat up."

"Character. You earned who you are, Stoney. And who you are is who I fell in love with, okay? And I'm not perfect. I have freckles all over the place."

"Not ALL over. And each one is a delight." I kissed my way from her shoulder to her neck. She wiggled in my grasp, squealing in delight.

"You make me screamingly happy, guy," she sighed, catching her breath.

"Me too, girl," I replied. I slumped onto the bed, holding her beside me. "God, Johanna, it's crazy! I found you. You're so perfect!"

"Stop that, Stoney! You're gonna make me believe it."

"I believe it," I said. "Tell me I'm not dreaming."

"You're not dreaming and we have stuff to put away and we have to determine where dinner is coming from."

"Dinner."

"I'm thinking something light. Those burgers for lunch are plenty of calories for the day."

"Push me out of the bed," I said. "Otherwise they'll have to come search for us and find two dried up husks in the bed."

She gave me a shove, giggling. "Oh, no, baby! I want this to go on for years and years and years..."

"In the business world, we call that 'incentive'," I said, standing. I found my underwear and pulled them on, then pants and a T-shirt. She retrieved her panties.

"Which drawer has your T-shirts, Stoney?"

"Top right. Why?"

"I have wanted to be in one of your T-shirts for a long time. I was gonna ask you. But how's that supposed to work? 'Excuse me, but I'd like one of your shirts so I can go to sleep at night thinking about you?' So I married you instead."

"Thus guaranteeing yourself a lifetime access to T-shirts," I said.

"You are so wrong," she said pulling me to her as she stood. "Why do I need Stoney's T-shirt when I can have the whole Stoney?"

"Glad to see that you note the difference." We made short and happy work of putting her stuff away, starting a load of laundry, going through the kitchen cabinets.

"Do you wanna try and make something, Or do you know someplace close..."

"Soup and sandwich?" I finished for her.

"Exactly!" she answered.

"But as delightful as you look in a T-shirt and panties, I think you're gonna bust their dress code."