For the Love of Suzanne (34 page)

When he’d entered the house, she went
through the same explanations as to why the house was so much cooler
than it was outside and gave him some water out of the tap. He’d
gone to the faucet while she was putting some ice in his glass and
had turned it on and off repeatedly, sticking his hands in it as it
poured into the sink. “This is really cool,” he’d
said with a wide smile.

She’d shown him how to use the shower and
after his first one, he took one every day, sometimes twice. She’d
explained the toilet and toilet paper, Kleenex, and showed him how to
brush his teeth with toothpaste and a toothbrush. She’d brushed
his hair with her brush after his first shower where she showed him
how much shampoo to use and taught him about body wash and scrubbies.

She’d let him use a pair of Beau’s old
blue jeans that she’d kept and an old t-shirt that had the
Budweiser logo printed across the front before buying him his own
clothes, socks and underwear.

She’d taught him to use the stove and oven
and that certain things needed to be kept in the refrigerator so they
wouldn’t spoil. She’d taught him how to use the vacuum
cleaner and a broom and mop then showed him how to use the washer and
dryer, which he took to despite her teasing that it was considered
woman’s work.

He’d learned it all and very quickly and had
told her it was easier in her world. But it hadn’t been so easy
teaching him to drive a car. He hadn’t wanted to get behind the
wheel. It had taken her weeks to get him to do it and when he finally
did, he liked it and had fun with it.

He’d driven for a couple of months without a
license, but now that he did have one and some money, he drove a new
big black pickup. He’d bought Suzanne a new SUV of the same
color and had grandly announced to her that they matched. “Well,
sort of,” he’d added sheepishly, making her laugh and hug
him.

She’d been astounded at the time, but his
business was doing well and he didn’t spend money frivolously.
His first job had been working for a livestock auctioneer where he
learned the ropes and the speech pattern involved with it and then
moved onto another auction company that sold everything. From there,
he took over and got his own company going and had worked hard to do
it.

Oh yeah. They got married six months after their
reunion. It had been a process since Suzanne’s stepfather had
somehow gotten Cody a fake birth certificate and had come up with a
social security card for him. But once those were acquired, John
Dillon, Beau’s father, was more than happy to perform the quiet
ceremony in a small church close to their neighborhood with just
Suzanne’s family there and Beau’s drunk mother, Darla,
who thought she’d never get to see her grandson again despite
everyone’s assurances that she would. She’d passed out in
the pew.

Everyone was curious as to just where this Cody
guy had come from and why he had no records of any kind anywhere.
Both Suzanne and Cody knew if they were to tell the truth, they’d
look like lunatics. But they did it anyway. Of course, everyone
thought they were kidding …or crazy and they didn’t
care.

“Wanna go for a ride?” Cody asked his
wife with a playful wink and a smile as he sat on the back of a big
black stallion that strongly resembled Titan, holding his sunglasses
loosely between his fingers.

She smiled back at him. “I don’t think
that’s a good idea right now.”

“Why?” he asked curiously and slipped
off the horse with grace and ease. He lifted little Cody off the back
of the horse with an affectionate pat to his back and set him on his
feet. “Go get some water, partner,” he told him and
watched the boy dash into the house. He sat beside his wife on the
steps. “Is Emily sick?” he referred to their toddler
daughter who was sleeping in the house.

She shook her head. “No. It’s because
I had to do it with little Cody and I don’t want to do it
again.”

“What are you talking about?” he asked
with confusion.

She rested her hand on his denim-clad thigh and
looked into his dark eyes. “Because, my dear husband, you are
going to be a daddy again.”

His face lit up with joy. “I am?”

“Yes,” she said with a laugh.

“Oh, wow,” he said happily and hugged
her tightly then kissed her on the cheek. “That’s great.”

“What’s so great, Dad?” Little
Cody asked as he stepped onto the porch with a plastic cup of water.

He looked at the boy. “Your mom is going to
have another baby. Isn’t that great?” he asked with
excitement.

He nodded. “I guess so as long as this one
leaves my stuff alone. Emily wrecks everything I make.”

Suzanne put her arm around him and pulled him onto
her lap. “I know, honey, but she’s two. We have to cut
her some slack sometimes.”

“I know,” he said simply. He set the
cup down and looked at Cody. “Are we ready to go again, Dad?”
he asked casually, sliding off Suzanne’s lap and heading to the
bay mare that his dad had gotten him a long time ago.

“Give me a minute,” he said patiently.
He leaned over to his wife and kissed her softly for a long moment.

She caught his long hair as it blew in her face
and kissed him back, never tiring of his affections, kindness or
patience. “Are you really happy?” she asked him in a soft
voice.

“When I’m with you, I’m always
happy,” he murmured, gazing into her blue eyes and kissed her
again. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she told him
sincerely kissing him.

“Come on, Dad,” Cody said impatiently.

He kissed her again and went to the boy. “You
need to learn some patience, son,” he said casually, lifting
him onto the mare.

“I know,” he muttered.

Cody went back to Suzanne and gave her another
kiss before getting on the black stallion that reared a little behind
the mare. “I am happy, honey. This is so cool,” he said
happily, smiling with pride.

She smiled and gave him a wave as he followed
their son out of the yard. She laughed a little when she heard him
give a sharp yip and a whoop and watched him raise his arms toward
the sky, a gesture she’d seen him do many times when he was
thankful.

She was thankful, too.

Kristi Hudecek-Ashwill is a wife and stay-at-home
mom who loves reading and writing. She has ghostwritten a novel and
writes reviews for the books she reads. These reviews have been
posted on various websites. She is also part of Advanced Reader Copy
groups (ARC) for several authors. She was first published in the
statewide poetry anthology, Prairie Winds, in South Dakota. Her most
recent publication was in the short story anthology, Holding Fire, in
2015.

She makes her home in Kansas where she lives with
her husband, two sons, and their Pug, Percy. In addition to her
reading and writing, she loves working with her family and friends
running a time station for Race Across America (RAAM), where she
meets ultra-cyclists and crews from all over the world. She quips:
“Where do my kids get to play soccer with Brazilians and
Italians plus meet some rock stars of the cycling world? In my front
yard, of course!”

Connect with Kristi on Twitter:
@khudecek