Scandal (22 page)

I don't remember my dreams that night, but I know I was smiling when I woke up, feeling
relaxed and soft, unlike the stiffness in my shoulders when I thought of Len. Dang! I'd forgotten to
ask Len about knowing that Katie Heap woman. Probably didn't matter.

I had coffee and a bagel with cream cheese, and spent the day finishing the top. I took my
time pinning on the edging, a loud solid red, then looking at it for another long time. I took it into
the dining room to my big table where I spread it out flat and just stared at it some more. I liked the
red edge. It gave the quilt a bold finish. I finally gave in and sewed it on. Didn't take long, took
longer to take out all the pins. Too many, but like my life, I wanted nothing to shift, not without my
permission.

When I was done I called Magda and told her. She walked me through putting together the
sandwich of top, cotton batting middle, and back. The back was the maroon and cream check. She'd
had me buy safety pins to hold it all together. They were as large as a baby's diaper pins, but bent to
go through the layers with some ease. Odd looking pins, but as with so many objects in this new
quilting world, made to serve a purpose.

Lena had agreed to be my machine quilter. She was ready to go back to the quilt cabin and
do it on the longarm machine.

No way was I hand quilting this, I had neither the time, nor the expertise.

I was learning to know Dan better. Also rolling around in my mind was the possibility of
making a quilt for a new baby that a friend is having. A small one.

My quilt was nearly finished. Lena had returned the machine quilted body to me less than a
week after I handed it off to her. She threw me a curve when she gave it back, saying, "What its
name?"

I hadn't the slightest idea what she was talking about.

She must have understood my quizzical look. "Your quilt. This one, the one you and your
Aunt Sophie made. You should name it."

"Never thought of it."

"Well, do. Naming your creation is part of it. This isn't an already named pattern, so you
must give it life. A suggestion of what it's about, or represents, or whatever whimsy strikes your
fancy."

I paid her and took the quilt home to my sewing room. It sat overnight while I absorbed
that it only needed the binding to be ready to show. Next morning was Saturday and I called Dan to
come over and help me with it. I didn't need his help, but I was becoming quite fond of his
presence.

Coffee was ready when he arrived with the last of the summer fruits, a jar of blackberry
jelly from his mother and a loaf of herb and grain bread he'd bought at the Farmer's Market. I had
some boiled eggs in the fridge. He sliced the bread and made toast while I set the kitchen table.
Everything we did seemed to go so easy. He was wearing a green plaid Pendleton shirt and Levi's,
cowboy boots, and his hair was rumpled. He is a handsome one.

After breakfast I took the folded quilt to the one place in the house large enough for me to
spread it out. Holding the edges we laid it loosely on my bed and stood back.

"That is rather spectacular," Dan said.

"Do you think the red edge is too flashy? Magda talked me into making it mine and I'm
more flamboyant than Aunt Sophie."

"I like it. I really do." I'd left it with Lena before Dan and I really got in each other's pockets
as we were now.

But we'd not been in each other's beds, yet.

I had deliberately brought Dan, into my bedroom. Still, I felt fumbly.

My side of the quilt had large rumples that I reached over to pull straight. Dan reached
across from his side with both arms extended, smoothing past the middle. Our hands bumped.

He grasped my fingers, holding me to the bent-across-the-bed position. "Hey! It's
okay."

He had to know I was nervous, skittish that he would take advantage of where we were,
while hoping that he would.

But, this was our bed, mine and Roger's.

I could see the desire in Dan's eyes, and feel it in myself. He released my hands. We stood
straight on either side of the bed with the quilt between us, looking at each other. I hoped he
couldn't see the flush I could feel warming my face.

"It's just..."

"This is your marriage bed."

I made another swipe at the quilt. "Yes."

"I have an idea." He came round the end of the bed to stand by me. "You say you will finish
the quilt tonight, doing the what-do-you-call it?"

"Binding."

He put his arms around me and kissed me, a long deep kiss that took my breath. We
pressed together. He ran his hands across my back, pulling me even closer. "You need a new bed. I
need for you to have a new bed. You could donate this one to one of the charities. If you want." He
was being very careful.

We both took deep breaths and stepped apart. I started folding the quilt. He went to the
other side. We did it together.

He handed it to me, and I held it close to my chest. "Sounds good to me. This bed has a lotta
miles on it and I'm ready for a new one.

"I'm gonna be spending the day with this. Get it finished. Tomorrow, I'll go shopping."

He started to speak.

"By myself.

"I'll let you know when I'm done...with the bed, and the quilt, too. You can come see."

He started to speak as we left my bedroom.

I ran over the top of his words, "It'll be a surprise."

As soon as he left I sat myself down in my sewing chair, and called Magda.

"Hello, Annie!"

"Magda. I'm in the home stretch."

"Wonderful. See, I knew you could do it."

"Not without you, and Lena, I couldn't have."

"Will you finish the binding with hand sewing? Or machine sewing?"

"By hand, of course. Only way I know to hide the seams out of sight. Mostly."

"Good. Of course whatever you do is your business, but I prefer the hand work for finishing,
myself.

"Have you picked up the entry forms for the show?"

"No. Haven't even thought of it."

"No problem. I can get them in the mail this next week. Be sure to send them back as soon
as possible. Lena and I have your back but it's good to get it entered on time. We have to figure
space and placement, you know."

"What do you hear from Sam?"

"Oh, that Sammy." Her voice softened, dropped the business tone, became more dreamy.
"I'm going down this week to pick him up. We've been back and forth since you were here. I went
down and we stayed in Sophie's Cabins for a few days. That sweetie, he served me honeydew melon
and toast for breakfast, I made us lunch, and we ate out nearly every night."

"How long were you there?"

"Not long. A week. I got a quilt made for our bed. Left it there for other people. Just a simple
squares thing. Black and white. Teri wants me to make more, so when I have the show over, I'll play
with that. Good to have work, and the beach is an inspiring place."

"Will the Willamina quilter have her beach quilt in the show?"

"Oh, yes. That's why you were interested in us in the first place. Judy will be showing it, for
sure." We left it at that, as I wasn't sure how long "Sammy" would be staying at Magda's.

I told Magda about deciding to buy a new mattress, giving her the little bit of lowdown on
Dan that I was ready to share. I knew she'd tell Sam. She could bridge my information to the family,
and I could avoid a direct inquisition.

As for naming the quilt, I was having an idea but it wasn't firmed down yet. I needed to talk
more with Sam. After all, it was his mother's quilt.

Had been.

I took some days saying goodbye to my old bed, moving furniture around, putting up new
curtains. Then I went shopping. I bought a new mattress and, in the same store, an oak bed frame
with a wide, flat, headboard.

It cost a pretty penny but was worth it. Deeper than my old one which meant new sheets of
good cotton, black and white stripes. Four pillowcases to match. New pillows. I squashed and fluffed
every pillow, inhaled the fresh smell of my new linens. A thick, fluffy new comforter of a snazzy
black and white check. Liberation linens.

The store delivered the new, and took away the old. Dan was there to help me. We put
together the frame, put on the mattress, and helped each other make the bed. On my side I tucked
with hospital corners. On his side he did military corners. We snapped the blankets on quick. Time
to embrace the new.

That we did with gusto. We finished the bed making, and then, as if we'd been waiting all
our lives to make love to each other, proceeded to tear it up.

We kicked off our shoes. The touch of his hands set me on fire. I pulled off his shirt, then his
pants, while he stripped off my blouse and jeans. In our unders we tumbled onto the bed.

Dan played his fingers over the tiny goosebumps on the tops of my breasts. "We must
warm you up." He stroked the chilly bumps with his tongue. He rolled me onto my belly, unhooked
the closures on my bra, dropped it to the floor. He rolled me over again, exposing my breasts to his
touch.

His urgency inflamed me as his hands explored the swell of my breasts, my belly, reached
to play with the elastic of my panties. Everywhere he touched, my body lifted to his palms, his
fingers. He kissed where he touched, his tongue moving smoothly over my nipples. I grabbed him
by the ribs, feeling his muscles ripple as I stroked.

He moved slow and gentle while desire built within me. I tugged at his shorts. He lifted his
hips to help me, took a few seconds to fit himself with a condom, then pulled off my panties. We
waited no longer.

With him inside me I wanted to move, but now he stopped and raised himself on his
elbows to look into my eyes, then as I whispered, urgently, "Dan," he began to shift until we were
equally lost in sensation and finally, mutual explosion.

I lay warm and naked beside him, feeling my body zinging with peace. Cooling, I reached to
lift the blanket. He pulled up his side. We tucked up under the covers, arms entwined, looking with
wonder at each other.

"Well, hello, Miss Annie," he whispered. "So nice to know you."

"Mmm." I had no strength for talking. I traced the planes of his face, his lips, over his eyelids
to close his eyes. With satisfied sighs his breathing slowed, and he slept. I watched him for a few
minutes, pulled gently at his hair, kissed his quiet lips, ran my hand over the length of his body
down to the round of his butt.

Prince Charming found his way onto the bed, walked over us, did a bit of purr-purr and
pat-pat at my shoulder. Moving to the curve of my back, he tucked in close, settled down.

Cozy, I fell into my own deep sleep.

When we woke, moving and shifting again, Prince jumped off the bed. Dan laughed.

Feeling my inner thermostat rise again, I said, "My turn, Danny boy."

He smiled. "Oh, you must have your way. I won't even try to stop you."

I began a gentle massage of his back, shutting my eyes while I traced the lines of muscle in
his shoulder, upper back, down through his legs. He was every bit as tasty as I'd thought he'd be, a
lovely, strong body.

Sated once more, we slept.

When we woke we were both were full of energy, needing to move, to walk, to drive
somewhere, together. "The beach!" he said. "You've told me about Sophie's Cabins, I want to sleep
with you there, with the sounds of the ocean close, and you in my arms."

I called ahead. There was one cabin open.

"It's yours," Teri said. "Bring your coat with a hood. We've got a stiff breeze blowing. It's
still got a little warmth in it, but not much. Might even spit rain.

"I'll make sure Sam's got some wood there for the fire. You might want to stop in town and
pick up dinner before you come. There's a good chips place in town.

"We're busy tonight with the football game. The weather's iffy but you know, that won't
stop 'em. Connor's starting, first time in a game. Frankly, I don't know who's more excited, Dave or
Connor. Maybe you can stop in before you leave tomorrow?"

I was glad they'd all be busy. We weren't planning to socialize.

We showered together, nearly sidetracking our trip, but I stayed on task. I packed in
minutes, filled Prince's water and food bowls, promised him we'd be back by tomorrow night. We
stopped by Dan's mother's house by the river. While he changed clothes and stuffed an overnight
bag with clean underwear and toilet articles, his mother and I sat in her living room, drinking hot
tea.

By now I'd met her several times and liked her forthright and accepting manner. Her hair
was dyed a soft red, her eyes were a lighter brown than his, carrying now a knowing look as she
watched him rush around. At seventy-two she was retired but, from her son's reports, busier than
ever with volunteering at the library and the animal shelter.

She switched to the subject of Dan. "I expect he'll be even busier now, and Lord knows, he's
always on the go. I'm glad you two are taking some time to play at the beach." I finished my tea and
we left.

Teri was right about the weather, and then some. By the time we got there the wind was
whipping around the cabin. Sam had left the key under the mat, so we didn't even have to talk to
anybody.

I set the food we'd picked up in town on the table by the picture window that faced the
ocean, searched the drawers and cupboards for table settings and glasses, while Dan worked at the
wood stove. He soon had a fire going to take away the room's damp. We weren't feeling the cold
much anyway, carrying our own heat as we were. It could've been an igloo and us naked and we
wouldn't have been bothered by the chill.

By the time we sat to eat, it was sunset, with no sun to be seen but enough daylight to make
a lovely black and white silhouette of Haystack Rock looming in the shadows of swirling sand and
fog. Rain had replaced the fog, making a cocoon of our cabin.