Chapter 36

Kay was waiting for me when I got home, and greeted me at the door with a kiss that absolutely sizzled, and a, "Hi cap'n, I been missin' you!" Then she nipped on my ear, "Arrrr!"

That, of course, caused a reaction that made me stop and rearrange certain items of apparel before I went inside. Loosened my belt just a notch, so I could straighten my khakis, and untucked my shirt so it hung down freely, blocking the view to a suddenly disconcerting protrusion. She giggled, "Ooops! Didn't mean to wake him up!" She kissed me again, then whispered in my ear, "Not yet, anyway."

We heard Suzy call out from inside, "Hey, you two coming in, or are you gonna keep messing around until you need a babysitter in order to go out tonight?"

"I'll have you know, Rob and I do NOT 'mess around'! I'm merely greeting my fiancé after not seeing him all afternoon!"

"Well, keep greeting him like THAT, and you'll have most of his face gone so we won't know exactly who it is you ARE greeting, girl!" She stuck her head out the door, "Hi Rob! Remember we've got a date tonight, and we're meeting Laurel and Jake in about an hour." She stepped back and twirled around as we went in, "I look okay in this?" I whistled, and got swatted, as she said, "Richelle's still getting ready." Lowered her voice a little, and said, "I think she's starting to get back to normal. Acts more like her old self, anyway."

I looked at Kaitlyn, and saw she looked all ready to go, too. "I'll just run under the shower real quick, and change clothes. Won't take long."

"That means he doesn't need any help, Miss Kaitlyn," quipped Suzy, "at least not right now. Oww!" She laughed, "It's HIM you're supposed to beat up on, not me!"

I headed to the bedroom, shaking my head all the way, and closed the door. Relaxed under the shower for just a few minutes, and that hot water made me realize just how tight I was from the day's activity. Didn't work all that hard, must have been the emotional tension.

True to my word, I was showered, shaved, splashed with aftershave, and dressed in less than fifteen minutes. I walked out into the kitchen in time to hear Kay say, "Okay, love ya, sis!" as she hung up her phone. She came up to me, "Mmmm! You smell nice! Kiss me and I'll tell you what your future sister in law just told me."

"I'd kiss you even without a carrot, sweetness," and I did. And she kissed me back, hard enough to cross my eyes. "Okay, what did baby sister have to say?"

"She's coming down a couple of days ahead of everyone else, just to help me out with last minute wedding stuff. Gonna drive down by herself, and she figured that would give them an extra vehicle to go back home in, since Laurel and Renee are going back with them."

"Smart sister! You should listen to her more!" I got swatted again. I'm thinking that we'd probably best not invest too much in a gym membership. They're bound to look at all the bruises from getting smacked around by the love of my life, and figure there's some domestic violence going on! I told her that. Ducked just in time! Oh well. "So when's she coming, and where's she gonna sleep?"

"We've been talking about it for a couple days now, and Renee says she can stay over at her house, so they can get to know each other. Her folks are good with that, and they're good people, too. And she's excited about meeting them, and Laurel and Jake as well!"

"Sounds like a plan, sweetness, and if your folks are okay with it, I am, too."

Richelle called from the other room, "Okay, are you guys ready to go, or are we gonna wait until the ribs are all sold out?"

"On our way, dear, on our way."

"Dear? He called me dear? Suzy, did you hear this white boy call me dear?" She went into her outraged black lesbo shtick, "Ain't nobody but my momma ever called me dear, so why'm I lettin' some tall, good-lookin, sweet-smellin', pale dude git away wid it?"

"'Cause you really love me?"

She giggled, "Yeah, but not in front of sweet Miss Innocence!"

Why did I get swatted again? "Okay, c'mon, I know when I'm outnumbered, let's go."

"Damn right, you're outnumbered, Kay's guy," she snickered, "and don't you forget it!" She looked over at Suzy, "They do make a sweet couple, don't they!"

Kay blushed yet again, I didn't dare say another word, Richelle grinned, and Suzy just said, "Yum!"

We got in my Escape and headed over to where we were meeting Jake and Laurel. Saw his truck in the lot as we approached, and he waited for us to pull up beside them. "You know where we're goin', just in case we get separated?"

"Yeah, I think so, besides, Richelle, here, says she knows a shortcut. But I'll follow you. Shouldn't have a problem, I can see that red truck from a long ways back!"

Kay leaned across me and asked, "Renee isn't with you?"

Laurel giggled back, "Naw, she's busy tonight, helpin' out at a church supper for the homeless. Give ya three guesses what church!"

Jake spoke up, "And Mom's helping too. Go figure!"

Kay squealed right in my ear! "Really? She never said a word when I talked to her earlier!"

"Didn't wanna get picked on, I think." Jake looked at his watch, "We better get gone, if we wanna beat the crowd."

I nodded in agreement, and he led us out of the lot and down the road.

Following that bright red Ford was easy, and I noticed several cars that passed us on the highway, then slowed down as they went by Jake's truck, just to appreciate it. One Highway Patrol car matched speeds with him for a mile or so, but the trooper evidently was just admiring the truck, and gave him a thumbs up as he went on by. We saw Jake wave back, and I caught myself relaxing a little. Maybe shouldn't think that way, I guess, but these days you never know. Mentioned it to Jake later, and he just nodded, and said he half expected to get pulled over, and has been, before. But he shows his military id along with his driver license, and that usually generates instant respect. Attitude matters, too, I guess.

A few miles further down the road, we passed a side road, and Richelle said, "That's the shortcut I told you about. Road's a little rough, but it comes out just a little ways past Jelly's."

"You from down this way, Richelle?" I looked in the mirror as I asked, and saw the shadow pass over her face.

She didn't answer for a few seconds, then, "Long time ago, Rob, a very long time ago." I saw Suzy snug up against her, and didn't hear what she said, but Richelle nodded, and half-smiled.

"His signal's on for the next exit," said Kay, "must be almost there."

We slowed down and followed them off the exit ramp, and turned down the two lane road that ran past Jelly's place. Pulled into the half full parking lot, and found a spot across from where Jake was parking his truck, right in front of the place. There were a few couples sitting around the tables on the porch, and we could see they were appreciating a fine set of wheels. Then Jake and Laurel got out, and I saw he was dressed in razor-sharp BDUs, looking good! And the whistles and catcalls started. I saw him smile as he said something to her, and she laughed and nodded in turn, as they made their way to the front step, where they turned and waited for us. I heard someone holler for Jelly to, "Turn that damn jukebox off, 'cause we got the real thing now!"

We got up the steps in time to hear Laurel say, "You'll have to wait your turn! He's buying me my dinner first!" She was laughing as she said it, and several on the porch laughed with her.

I heard a deep voice telling people to, "Move over and let these payin' customers in!"

I heard Laurel say, "Hi, Uncle Jelly!" Then she gave him a hug, and a kiss on the cheek, and several others lined up, claiming to be uncles and cousins, and sticking out their cheeks as well!

Jelly just chucked her under the chin, and said, "Jake, you better be takin' good care of this new little niece o' mine! Now c'mon in here so's your supper don't get cold, and we'll have us some good licks afterward!"

We got inside the place, and Uncle Jelly led us to a table just to one side of the small stage area. Jake introduced us all then, and there was nothing jelly-like about the handshake I got, and I noticed Jelly's eyes, clear, frankly appraising and approving of each one of us as we were introduced. He did linger a little, when he came to Richelle, as if he was trying to remember something, but then he smiled and said hello, just as he did the rest of us. I think we all felt genuinely welcomed. He left us there, and we chatted a little, then out came a waiter with a bucket of slaw and another with a humongous platter of ribs, and the feast was on! Yes, I'm saying good! A couple of pitchers of good cold beer to wash it all down, and yes, I'm comin' back here!

Jelly squeezed in between Kay and Laurel, and grabbed a few ribs for himself. "Quality control, y'understand." He licked his fingers and pinched another rib, and held it up. "You shoulda seen RayRay the first time he tasted these things. They was almost the end of him!" He cackled and slapped the table, and startled Laurel, who almost choked on the one she was eating, while the rest of us went dead still. I'd been listening to Jake, talking about his truck, and saw him grin and shake his head, and he nodded for me to pay attention to what Jelly was saying. I saw people at adjacent tables listening, too, as he continued, "Yep, damn near killed him." He looked around at the rest of us real serious-like, and said, real innocent-like, "We tied his hands behind his back and balanced one a' these ribs on his forehead, and his tongue damn near slapped his brains out, tryin' to get at it!"