Family Reunion (13 page)

"They don't work."

"What dear?"

"The clothing, layers upon layers, frozen to my bloody body."

"Then let me remove them."

"No, it's okay, we'll thaw together."

He couldn't help grinning down at her as she spoke moving her lips only, he couldn't resist leaning down to kiss them.

"I hate the cold...-" She repeated as if he hadn't kissed her. "..-I hate the snow. It hurts my eyes, and makes the most dreadful sound when you step on it. My teeth ache when I hear it, do your teeth ache too? And my feet, my poor feet...my poor little toesies are the worst, be sure to clean them out of my boots when you remove them, I'm sure they've fallen away useless to me now." She whimpered softly.

"Come now sweet, bend your arm." He coaxed to remove her coat. "Now the other ...that's a good girl."

"Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!"

"What's wrong!?"

"My feet! The toes! The feeling's coming back and it’s brought pain with it."

"You poor thing. Here give me your foot."

"Oh don't! Oh, oh. Careful! My toes, oh my toes."

"Now the other foot…better yet?"

"Only if I could faint...oh, oh ...ah ah, aaah – oooh yeah."

"Keep that up and mother will think we couldn't wait. These stockings are soaking wet."

"Ohhh woe is me to be cursed as a woman, that fashion be more important than my warmth." She giggled, "Red-...Ooops! I mean Joseph, stop that, that tickles."

"I'm trying to warm your feet." He grinned.

She giggled again wiggling them. "Would you stop it, you're doing that on purpose. Take your hands from down there, their cold."

"Do you want me to warm your feet or not?!"

"Yes, but don't tickle me, do it right."

"I am doing it right." He tickled the soles again. Hope laughed out and tried to snatch them from him. "What!? What's wrong?" He asked fully aware and having fun.

"You know what! Move, I'll warm my own feet." She grinned sitting
up, pulling them to her lap to rub them herself.

"What about my feet, their cold too, will you rub mine." Joseph asked as pitifully as possible.

"Aaah poor baby, here, get up on the bed and turn this way, I'll take your boots off and rub yours, you can rub mine."

"Hmmm – sounds like fun." He turned in the bed to do so but kicked his boots off first to the floor, then went to place his feet in Hopes lap when he misjudged the space he had to sit on the end of the bed, which he promptly fell backwards off of. "Aa-a-a-ah!" He yelled, making Hope leap from her position in the center of the bed trying to hold in her laughter until she was sure he was okay. On her hands and knees, she looked over the end of the bed down at him.

"Joseph, are you okay? You didn't hurt yourself did you?"

"You know I might believe your feigned concern a little more if you weren't trying so hard not to laugh at me."

"I'm sorry, shame on me. You could have really hurt yourself." She grinned, straddling his calves and feet which were still on the bed. From his vantage point on the floor he realized the proximity of her lower body to his toes, moving them just a bit with a wiggle, she squealed shocked, giggled and then reached back and squeezed his big toe.

"Ow! That hurt."

"Well stop that and get up from the floor."

"No, I'm too tired, I may stay here just like this." He announced.

She lifted a brow, "Oh Yeah?!"

"Yeah! Just like this." Feeling mischievous, Hope twisted around, grabbed his feet and started tickling them. "Hope! Cut that out now!"

"NO!" she shifted positions, sitting on top of his shins to pin his legs down and continued to tickle him mercilessly. He did sit ups shouting with laughter trying to pull his feet away from her, but her weight kept them down, tears ran from his eyes as he shook his head because she would not let up. He howled so loud people in the hallway passing their room stopped and stared at the closed door.

"Hope! ... Hope! ... Please! ... Oh! ... No more! Please ...Hope!!" He shouted, roaring with laughter as he picked up his legs, despite her weight on them straight up from the bed, making her slide down onto his stomach, causing him to grunt with an
'Ooof!
'

Laughing, Hope looked back at him as he shook his head. "Oh I've got you now!" Reaching up to her rib cage, he began tickling her back.

Hope jerked her back in an arch as
she squealed loudly then tried to fall back on him and roll off, but he rolled with her and wouldn't stop no matter how she screamed with laughter begging him to stop. They were keeping up so much noise people stood in the hall looking at each other shaking their heads, having no idea what was going on inside the room, a few couldn’t help themselves and laughed as well.

Josey smiled to herself as she and Cesalia unpacked.

"No! No! No! Please, please have mercy!!" She heard Hope scream. "Never-never!! I am a man who gives nooo mercy!”

Cesalia looked up at her mother. "What is he doing to her?"

"Buttercup, there's no telling."

Two hours later, "Mmmm." Hope moaned as she snuggled closer into her husband's arms, they were under the heavy bedspread, cozy and warm, both replete, dozing in and out of sleep. The room was a mess and their clothes were strewn everywhere after their play had turned rough.

"Do you know - how good - you make me feel? I love you so much. You and this perfectly created body." Hope murmured sleepily and yawned. Joseph chuckled sleepily.

"Wouldn't it be nice if we could just stay in bed like this forever, making love like we just did, again…with – one thing less. You must learn to control your screaming, we're in the city now, and someone could hear ... my mother for instance."

"Do you think she heard me?"

"Hmm?"

"Was I really that loud?"

"Hmm?"

She drew her head away from his chest and looked up past his chin to his closed eyes. "Joseph you stop that, you heard me!"

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that, I seem to have gone deaf from your screaming."

Hope gasped and punched him in the side, making him draw up. exaggerating the blow with a grunt, "Joseph Avery, I was not that loud!"

Laughing, he pulled her back to his chest to rest his chin on her head. "Stop laughing, I was not loud, you quit teasing me." She pouted. "I'm sorry sweet, no - you weren't that loud." He lied, accepting her very vocal eruptions from the pleasure of his hands. "You know what?" She asked with a contented sigh. "What Love?"

"I am so happy; I'm not sure how to handle it. I thank God
everyday for you." He stroked her arm and squeezed her to him, both arms holding her possessively. He loved to hear her say things like that, but asked, "Even when I make you mad?"

"Even then, Joseph, even then and now that we're here in New York, things will only get better. I just know it; I can feel it, after we rest up tonight, I want to go to my father's place of business, first thing tomorrow, oh Joseph! I can't wait to see him. You think he'll be happy to see me?"

He smiled. "Absolutely, oh but when he lays eyes on me, that is what I dread."

Hope rose to look down into his handsome face. "I will make them understand Joseph. I love you and I will let nothing or no one come between us ... not even ... my father." He knew she meant every word as frightened as she was of their meeting. She would make them see and understand how much he meant to her. He was her husband,
forever.
Joseph stared at her amazed.

"What a wonder it is to me how you can love me so after all I put you through, after losing our-…"

"Shhh! We promised to never bring that up, it's over."

He reached up to stroke her cheek and pulled her mouth down to his. Though she tried to hide it, he, at times, could still see in her eyes the pain of losing their child. She never blamed him or used it against him but her silence at times did more to add to his guilt. He turned her over and made love to her again. A desperate mating, one in which he prayed he would plant his seed within her once again to grow.

"Excuse me, can you tell me where Mr. Maynard Web-…"

"Sorry miss, you'll have to wait like the others. Join those ladies over there and you'll be seen by Mr Kipher, one at a time in the order that you came in." The receptionist cut Hope off mistaking her for a job seeker enquiring about the office cleaning job.

"Excuse me; do I look as if I'm in need of work?" Hope questioned confused.

"Good for you…now join the others." He continued not bothering to look up at her.

"Excuse me, but I'm not here for a job, I'm here to see Mr. Webster, I was asking for directions to his office."

"Oh - I'm sorry." The young man finally looked up at her.

"Unfortunately, Mr. Webster is out of town on delivery."

"Out of town!?" Hope repeated
feeling disappointed.

"Yes, I'm afraid so."

"Do you know when he will return?"

"I'm sorry, I wouldn't know. If it is travel arrangements you wish to schedule I can take care of that for you?"

"No, I'm not seeking travel arrangements." Hope said quietly.

'It's my father I seek.'
She thought with a sigh and asked, "Can you tell me where he resides? His home that I might find his family?"

"Madam I couldn't possibly give you that type of information."

"Oh please, can't you make an exception this time, he wouldn't mind in this case, you see I am his daughter." Hope pleaded.

"His daughter!?" The man returned doubtfully.

"Yes! He is my father; I am his daughter, Golden Hope Webster. Now if you would please…his address." Hope demanded. The receptionist stared at her and with each second that went by, his eyes narrowed.

"Oh ho, you must think me stupid to believe that one? His daughter! Really-..."

"
Think
you are stupid? Do you really wish me to answer that?" Hope snapped in frustration. "Now give me his address!" She demanded.

"Look here Miss! We have no such clearance for a daughter by Mr. Webster. Only his son Michael Webster and members of his family have a right to that information. He has never mentioned a daughter. I highly doubt if he had one, he would leave her out. Now, if you do not wish to make an appointment, our conversation has ended, now good - day!"

Done with the matter, the receptionist returned to his clerical duties, clearly dismissing Hope. She stood glaring down at him with a clenched jaw trying to gain control of her temper. Momentarily defeated she turned stiffly from the desk and walked from the office building. Standing in the doorway she looked to where her carriage and driver waited, then glanced at the sky wondering what to do as more snow fell.

She couldn't just walk away and wait. Waiting was not something she did well and with a defiant tilt of her chin she decided to wait it out her way. A smile came to her face as an idea formed in her mind. The driver of the coach looked at her, wondering why she hadn't come to the coach to be off. He groaned, disgruntled, when she turned and re-entered the building without waving him on. After all, it was only thirty some odd degrees he was waiting in, not to mention the snow and wind.

When Hope stepped into the building again, the receptionist looked up, saw who it was and emitted a tired sigh. Hope threw her nose up and turned, marching over to where the other women sat to wait her turn.

"Next?"

"Oh! That would be me." Hope called as she shot up from her seat and went quickly, following Mr. Kipher down the long corridor to his office. "Have a seat, and your name is?"

"Um, my name?"

"Yes, most persons are given one at birth."

"Oh…yes, well…O'Brien."

"O'Brien…is that your first or last name?"

"My last."

"Ah I see, is it alright with you if I have your first as well?"

Hope swallowed and took a deep breath, praying for forgiveness and the job. She was about to sham the man but it could not be avoided; she had to get this job. When her father returned, she had every intention of being there to meet him. After all, if she must wait for him, why not make some money as she did so? Of course she didn't need the job for the money; her husband had plenty of that. Yet it would be nice to have money of her very own, money that she herself earned, in addition to that, it would give her something to do. To insure that she get the job, she knew she must play her cards right.

There were too many others seeking it to leave it up to chance. With another deep breath to steady her shaky nerves, she gave him a look of apology.

"Please sir, accept my humblest apologies, of course you need my name. Goldie… Goldie O'Brien. Now when do I start?"

"I beg your pardon madam? I have not interviewed you, nor have I said the job is yours."

Hope expertly changed the look on her face to one of wonder and slight expectance. "Um, Goldie O'Brien." Hope repeated her name as if that should ring a bell, and she hesitated giving him time to react. When she had allowed enough time for him to stare at her, she took a nervous deep breath as if to calm a sudden panic that her widened eyes did much to emphasize. "Oh no! Please tell me that he talked to you?! He had to have, don't tell me you've forgotten, please don't frighten me this way."