Chapter 14: Just the Way She Planned It

It was easier for Mike to find a couple of potential buying groups for a building supply operation than it was to decide if the old Farnsworth property was the right opportunity for him. There was no point in talking to the companies until he had a location and a plan developed. The business plan would be pretty straightforward based on the purchase of the property, redevelopment costs and the cost of inventory.

The more he looked at the Farnsworth site the more he was convinced that he could pretty well clean up and refurbish the building without incurring major expenditures. With Freddie Lindberg's help, they took detailed measurements of the building which allowed Mike to draw up potential floor plans for the operation. At long last Freddie was beginning to smell the possibility of a sale and he was very cooperative.

In the back of Mike's mind was the acreage that his parents had inherited. A talk with Tom Reichart convinced him that the best short-term option for him would be to lease the land out to a farmer. Brenda's father assured him that the land was excellent for a variety of crops and the soil was deep and rich. He already had been given the understanding from his mother that the property was his to do with as he wished. It could be collateral on a loan as well as an income producer.

The first order of business was to visit various towns in the area to see what other lumber yards looked like. How big they were and what kinds of products did they carry? It took almost a whole week to survey eight similar type operations in order to satisfy himself that he had enough property and space to do what was needed. In fact, the big covered lumber stacking shed in the back of the Farnsworth store gave him a facility most of the others didn't have.

He and Freddie put their heads together and wrote up an offer to Mr. Farnsworth for the property. It was well below the original asking price but it would be an all-cash offer. Freddie suggested they make the offer together. Old Charlie Farnsworth considered himself a bit of a horse trader and would probably respond better to that approach. Mike thought about it for a bit before agreeing. It would be something different from a normal real estate negotiation.

He had already secured financing for the venture from an associate in Boston. The interest rate was at least as good as a mainstream bank would offer and he was sure the ceiling on the debt was enough to keep the business operating long enough to sustain itself. He was going to have to build it up from nothing and that meant that there was a lot of work ahead of him.

It was a full two weeks before they were ready to talk to Farnsworth and Mike was anxious to get the deal done. He had room to move on the price but not a lot of room. It was the last piece he needed in place before he talked to the buying groups.

The meeting with Charlie Farnsworth was quite something. He turned out to be delightful old man with a quick wit and a keen sense of business. They were on a first name basis almost immediately. Mike couldn't resist asking him why he didn't try going the buying group route.

"Aw, hell, Mike. I'm too old to start all that stuff again. I could see where it made sense but I just didn't have the energy or interest in changing everything. The only thing I felt bad about closing down was the employees. I was down to five people including myself when I gave it up. Those buying outfits wanted all kinds of changes to the store to bring it up to their standards. I couldn't see the sense in it so I just gave it up."

"You've had a look at our offer, Charlie. What do you think?"

"Well, it's a lot less than we listed it for three years ago but then that's no surprise. There hasn't exactly been a line-up of possible buyers since then. You think you can make a go of it?"

Mike nodded. "Yes. I think it can work if I can get the right kind of costs. We don't have to be as low as the big boys but if we're close, I'm pretty sure the local people will support the business. Naturally, I'll go after the contractors too."

"That makes sense. Well, I'm not getting any younger and that place ain't getting any prettier so let's agree to do this. I'd like to see you succeed, Mike, but I do have one condition. This store has been Farnsworth Lumber for a lot longer than I've been alive. I'd like to see the name survive if nothing else. This is a fine town to live in and we worked hard to carve out a good reputation. That's the only thing that we had left at the end. Can you agree to that?"

"I think that's a hell of an idea, Charlie. It would give me some instant recognition and maybe a little bit of credibility. I can tell you I won't do anything to blacken your family's name. You can rest assured of that."

Mike held out his hand and the two men shook on it while Freddie Lindberg looked on in relief. Mike Wilson now owned a piece of property that was once and again to be Farnsworth Lumber and Building Supplies. Now it was time to find a buying group that would make the business viable.

The problem wasn't finding a group but finding the right group. He'd done some preliminary searches and they all promised the moon with little in the way of details on how their businesses operated. Mike was aware of some of the pitfalls that could appear if he chose poorly. Tom Reichart had given him some tips on what to look for and what to look out for. For the rest of it, he would have to call on his business education and common sense to make a choice.

In the meantime, he had been seeing Brenda at least twice a week, if not more often. On the days when he couldn't be there he called her just to hear her voice. He always got the sense that she was happy to hear from him and that encouraged him to keep up the daily contact. He wasn't in any doubt that he had once again fallen for the statuesque redhead. He felt it was only a matter of time before she would make a decision on him. He kept his fingers crossed that she was feeling the same way about him.

"You look like you're a million miles away," Vera Reichart said to her daughter.

"Hmmmm? Sorry Mom, I wasn't listening."

"I noticed," Vera grinned. "What's on your mind? Mike maybe?"

She nodded without looking at her mother. That was exactly what was on her mind. It wasn't like her to be confused like this. Usually, if she was in doubt she knew it wasn't likely to be right. In this case, how she felt about Mike wasn't uncertainty but rather puzzlement. She couldn't think of a single thing about him that she didn't like. She couldn't remember any time that they had been together back at Coddington when she was even annoyed at him, much less angry or distrustful. So what was holding her back?

In the back of her mind it was the belief that no matter who she chose, she had to be right. There was no room for error. There was too much at stake this time. The children, first and foremost. It had to be right for them. And Fairmount too. This was her chosen home and it was where she wanted to live the rest of her life.

She had tried to verbalize these feelings to her mother but felt she'd done a poor job of it.

"Brenda ... there's really only one question that matters. Do you love him? Is he the man you want to spend the rest of your life with? The remainder of those other worries will not matter if you are sure."

"I do love him, Mother, but it feels different from the way I felt about Pete. I'm not sure why. It just isn't the same."

"Of course it isn't. He's not Pete. He's not anything like Pete. He's his own man with his own strengths and weaknesses. If there's one thing I feel sure of, he loves you. I think he's been carrying a torch for you since you first met. He's never married because he never found anyone like you. Isn't that what he told you?"

Brenda nodded. Her mother was right. He wasn't anything like Pete. And yet, he was everything she could want in a husband. If he made the building supply store go he would be home every night. He'd be tied to the community. So ... at the heart of it all was something she didn't want to admit to herself. She was feeling guilty because of Pete. She was betraying his memory with another man. A man who would take his place with her and the children.

"I guess I'm hung up about Pete, Mom."

"Brenda, Pete's gone. He's gone and he's never coming back. You don't have to compare Mike to him and you don't have to feel badly that somehow you've spoiled Pete's memory. You're too young to think that you can't be happy again with another man. Mike is a fine man and he will make a good husband and father to the children. I'm not trying to push you into his arms but I think you already know what's in your heart. Let that be your guide. Trust your heart."

Her mother was right, of course. It seemed she was always right. She was truly the only confidant that Brenda had ever had who would listen and suggest or comment. Most of her advice was common sense when common sense wasn't always apparent to Brenda. As she thought about her mother's advice, she knew once again that she was right. There really wasn't any reason to beat herself up about this decision any longer.

"How did we get from there to here?" Mike asked as he lay back on the bed, basking in the afterglow.

"I seduced you," Brenda grinned.

"Yeah ... I know ... but how did we get from just trying to get to know each other first to me being in your bed?"

"I told you, I seduced you. I wanted you and I know you wanted me ... so I just decided to make it happen."

"I ... I couldn't ... couldn't handle an affair, Bren. I can't see myself being able to walk away sometime thinking that it was just a fling ... or something like that."

"What made you think that was what I had in mind," she said seriously.

"Nothing," he sighed. "I just wanted you to know. If we're not meant to be, then tell me. I can handle it. I won't like it, but ... I can handle it."

"No you can't," she said, draping her arm over his chest. "I know you well enough now, Michael. You're too much in love with me to be able to walk away unhurt. That's not my ego talking. That's just a fact. That's who you are and that's who you've always been."

Another deep sigh from him produced a silence between them. It had been a slow and emotional rejoining of the two of them. Brenda had made it possible by having the children stay with Grandma and Grampa Reichart for the night. She had come to a decision about Mike Wilson and once she had she knew there was no reason to put off the inevitable that would spell out the future of the rest of their lives.

He had barely got in the door and removed his coat when Brenda encircled him in her arms and kissed him passionately. He responded almost immediately, smiling at the greeting. It hadn't registered on him that the children weren't there and he was a bit surprised at her familiarity.

"That's a lovely greeting, Bren. To what do I owe the honor?"

"It was time to quit dancing around each other, Michael. I want you and I know you want me. We don't need to prolong this torture we've been inflicting on ourselves."

"I was hoping you would tell me what you've just told me. You have no idea how long I've waited to be with you once again. It's been so long and the memories have been all I've had to live on."

"Come with me, Michael. I want you to make love to me just the way you did our first time. I want to remember how special that was and how good I felt about you."

Mike was careful to try and recreate the gentleness that he portrayed that evening years ago. He spent more time on foreplay as he gazed in wonder at her now naked form, lying open to him on the bed.

"It's hard to imagine that you are even more beautiful now than you were then," he murmured as he kissed his way down her body. He took his time and Brenda showed no signs of impatience, unlike their first time. He lingered on her magnificent breasts, teasing her areoles and nipples with his lips and tongue. Her tummy was slightly rounded now, a result of childbirth no doubt. But it added to her voluptuous shape and if anything, increased the arousal Mike was feeling as he progressed with their lovemaking.

Brenda's hands were in his hair as he moved along the familiar path. She knew what was coming and she squirmed as his touches set their little fires in her. At last, he was there. His fingers gently probing her labia, his tongue pushing its way inside, working its way upward toward her tiny clit. There was no explosion when he reached his target. But the heat he produced in her loins was almost overwhelming in intensity. She was nearing the brink and all it took was one more flick of the tip of his tongue to push her over the cliff.

Orgasms come in all sizes and types. This one was like a slowly building wave that crested briefly before crashing on the shore. When Brenda crashed, she cried out his name in the twisted agony of ecstasy.

"Miiiichaelllllll!"

He knew instinctively that he hadn't caused her pain. Quite the opposite. This was different than their first time. That first time she was very vocal and crude in her encouragement. Those days were gone, it seemed. No surprise. She had so much more experience in these past ten years that it was expected she would respond differently. He was just pleased that she did respond to his touches.

He didn't wait for her to ask him to enter her. He knew for certain that she was ready and waiting. He moved to mount her and she helped him enter her in one smooth, continuous push. She gasped as he did so wrapping her arms around him, pulling him tightly to her.

He set off slowly but steadily with deep strokes. He wanted to extend this first time for as long as possible, knowing that it wouldn't be as long as he or she would wish for. She was kissing him now, covering his face with her lips in small, tender touches as he continued his long thrusts into her.

"Michael ... oh, Michael. It's been so long," she cried softly.

He understood the use of his formal name. It was a sign of something he hoped was love. It seemed so much more personal, so much more intense. He took comfort in it.

"I can't last much longer, Bren," he finally admitted.

"It's all right. It's fine. I'm fine."

He lost his control shortly after her assurances and came in her, gripping her shoulders as his spasms took control of his body.

Mike rolled toward her as she finished her pronouncement. She was right, of course. He couldn't just walk away. He wouldn't know how. God knows, he would never be able to forget her, especially after tonight.

"So," Mike began, his voice barely above a whisper, "that leaves three choices. One is a one-night-stand."

"Never," Brenda said immediately, bringing a smile to Mike's face.

"Two is an affair," he said, some hesitation in his voice.

"Nope. Not in the cards."

She could see the smile broaden on her lover's face.

"Then three has to be something more permanent," he tested.

"Not more permanent. Permanent!" she said forcefully, her finger jabbing him in his chest.

"You mean it, don't you?"

"Of course I mean it," she said with a wrinkled brow. "I didn't spend this long and this many sleepless nights making up my mind and then not mean it."

She acted like she was talking to a dim school boy.

"Come here," he said, gathering his wits about him.

She crawled across his chest, looking into his eyes with a smile. She didn't have to be clairvoyant to know he was trying to believe what she was telling him.

"Brenda Elizabeth Polson, will you marry me?"

"Yes, Michael Alan Wilson, I will marry you. Happily! Joyously! Unreservedly!"

"I can't quite believe it. I waited for so long and now it's happened and I can't bring myself to believe you've said yes. Tell me again," he teased.

"I ... will ... marry ... you ... Michael ... Alan ... Wilson ... so ... help ... me ... God. There! Does that satisfy you that I'm not fooling with you?"

"Yes, my love. It does. It does in so many ways. I don't know what to do next. Buy a ring, I guess. Then ... tell the world."

He was raining down kisses on Brenda now, almost laughing in joy at her acceptance of his proposal. They were rolling on the bed, Mike in complete happiness and Brenda in total relief that she had done what she knew was right for her. She was happy but more importantly she knew that she had made the right decision.

Mike was erect and aroused once more and he held Brenda on top of him until she realized he was ready again. She reached behind to guide him into her and this time, she took control. She couldn't kiss the smile off Mike's face and he couldn't help noticing she didn't lose her happy expression either. This was so right Brenda thought. They lasted quite a bit longer this time and when they concluded with Mike's second orgasm, they fell into each other's arms and were soon asleep.

Mike was the first to awaken and a look at the clock radio told him it was just after six in the morning and it was pitch dark. He rolled to his other side to see the vague outline of Brenda, sleeping quietly beside him. His chest tightened as he remembered the night before. It was over. The long wait to find the woman her really wanted and loved was over. She would be his after all. He had a reason to celebrate the coming Christmas as he had celebrated no other. He was home. His new home, Fairmount.

Mike was nervous as he entered the Reichart home late that morning. It wasn't that he was concerned about how Brenda's parents would react to his marriage proposal. Brenda had already relieved him of that concern. She was sure they would welcome it. It was Marietta and Pete Jr. that worried him. He needed to explain to them that he loved their mother and wanted to marry her but only if they approved. There was a significant risk attached to this moment.

He had insisted that he talk to the children on his own and after some arguing with Brenda, she reluctantly agreed. The children were in the den watching TV when they arrived.