Hannah didn’t cry for her son tonight, no she celebrated his accomplishments and drank to his full life. She had wanted more children but that unfortunately never happened. They never really knew why, the doctors simple explanation was that things like that just happened. They poured all their love into Jonah and, by the time he was eighteen, he was a man to be proud of. He met Tilly shortly after his nineteenth birthday. He hadn’t looked at the girls much in school and claimed he was going into the Church. Then he had one glance at her vibrant red hair and had fallen hard. He was ready to give up his life’s dreams and become a husband and a father.
Hannah and Tilly were cold to one another at first. Hannah had been proud of her son for wanting to follow in her brother’s footsteps and join the seminary. Hannah associated his change of heart with the arrival of Tilly so it took a while, a few years actually, for them to first warm up to one another. Hannah and Tilly were polar opposites, where Hannah tended house and took care of everything for her men, Tilly had Jonah help cook and clean. Jonah seemed to like that they were equal but it just felt wrong to Hannah. She eventually saw past the flaws and chose to be happy her son had someone to love. The best thing Tilly had done was provided her with a grandchild. Lucy was the pride and joy of every O’Toole. They doted on her every chance they had till Jonah moved them to the States.
Hannah eventually drifted to sleep on the couch while thinking of these memories. The fire crackling in the background gave her a soothing comfort as she spent her first night alone in over two years.
* * * * *
Bud opened the car door for Lucy as they stepped out onto his drive. She looked at his lawn, the brick siding of the cottage and the well-kept concrete of the drive, every nuance was tended too. It was obvious Bud took time and effort in the things that mattered to him. He opened the side door to his cottage and they walked into his kitchen. He had tiles floors, not the tile looking vinyl but real tile blocks. The molding along the floor boards was accented in a light blue while the walls were painted an off-white color. He had dark blue curtains pulled along the windows of the kitchen; they clearly had been washed and pressed recently, the seams of each section were still neatly creased.
Bud watched Lucy look around his home, an appreciative expression on her face. She roamed though the kitchen, he watched her hands dust the counter tops, her gaze traveling the walls.
“Your place is spectacular, simply beautiful. Did you design this yourself or was this set like this when you moved in?” Lucy’s asked when she looked up at him and noticed he was smiling at her.
“I built this home with me father. He and I laid every brick, tile and did all the spackle that ye see. T’was our last project we did before he retired. He owned the local construction company before selling out. Me mum, she helped pick the colors. She said a good lass will appreciate all this. I’ve lived here for just over three years.”
Lucy walked to the table and ran her hands along its side; the place settings were out and correctly placed in each of their proper locations. She touched the cotton napkin that felt fresh and clean. She laughed for a moment thinking back to a commercial she used to see in the States that used that slogan, “Fresh and Clean”, she loved soap commercials.
“I am glad you approve of me home. Me father always said ‘One’s home is his castle so maintain it as such.’ That’s what I’ve done.”
“I do approve, it’s wonderful, and what you are cooking smells especially great.” She felt like she was in sensory overload. Everything she saw and touched was creating a reaction within her. Her nose was just now catching a whiff of all of the delicious smells that were all through the quaint kitchen.
“It’s not quite ready, let’s take a tour and when we return I shall give you a feast.”
Lucy watched as he extended his hand and took hers in his grasp. He pushed open a swinging door and they walked into the living room. The layout of the room was perfect, not too big but definitely not small. He showed her the hallway where pictures of his family decorated the walls. He had his living room and hallway painted in a light yellow with the windows covered in light green drapes. Everything felt open and spring like. Bud moved them toward the back of the cottage where the two bedrooms were located.
“Do you want to look inside them? I would hate to insult ye and presume ya do.”
Lucy laughed and nodded, “Of course, I’ve come this far, I want to see the rest.” She didn’t know what to expect the rest of the house was perfectly quaint and charming.
“Aye, once I show ye me bed lass, ya will not want ta leave.”
He had a wicked smile on his face that for some reason warmed Lucy to her core. She knew he was teasing but couldn’t stop smiling at that comment.
“I think I’ll risk it.”
Bud opened the door to his room and Lucy mocked her bravery as she crossed the threshold. She saw his elegant oak bed frame and matching dresser and television stand. The fireplace in the corner with fresh flowers on the mantel was a nice touch. “You are right, I don’t want to leave. This is the best room in the house.”
Bud smiled and walked her over to the chair next to the fireplace and motioned for her to sit. Lucy did as he wished and, when she sat, she sank into the leather. It was as soft as sheepskin.
“I want to thank you, Lucy, for giving me this chance. To show you I’m not like they say I am. That image isn’t me. I’m a simple man who has done nothing but craved you from the first moment I saw you at the airport.”
“Bud.”
He held his hand up to silence her.
“No Lucy let me finish. For what, almost two years now, ye have been serving me my drinks. Every night I come in there. Do ye think I am really the town lush? I have two drinks at most and I never have women. I come there to see you and to interact with you. I would listen to ya granddad talk about stories of ya when he was healthier and he told me you were just the lass for me. And he was right! He never let me go a day without telling me about his wee lass.”
She sat in the chair watching him. The sincerity in his voice, the words he said, and the look in his eyes when he spoke about her granddad made her stop and think, did he really only have two drinks a night? How had she not noticed this before?
“Please Lucy, give me a chance, one night ta show ye that I can fulfill ya dreams and give ye everything that ya could imagine ya needed. Everything ye could ever want.”
“I said yes, I came here tonight.”
“Aye ya did Lass, but ya were to have ya grandmum with you, I hadn’t planned a night of wooing with ya grand mum here. I’ll need one more night.”
“She’s not here now though, you can have your night.”
“Ever so stubborn aren’t ya lass. Just like ye granddad.”
“I did learn from the best,” she beamed at him. He loved how she looked when she smiled. He would watch her at the bar when talking with others. The way the lights shimmered in her hair, her teeth pearly white, smiling for everyone. She was everything a man thought of when he pictured the perfect maiden. Except for that stubbornness, that was all her granddad.
Lucy stood up and grabbed onto his hand and pulled him towards her. “I can smell the food, let’s go eat and maybe I’ll let you woo me tonight.”
Bud reached around her and placed his hand at the small of her back and then leaned over and put his arm behind her legs and lifted her up in the air. She laughed and kicked her feet a bit in protest.
“The food can wait. You cannot. I can’t let ye leave till ya know how much I care.”
* * * * *
As they lay there, Bud holding Lucy’s body tight to his own, she felt his whiskers run across her skin as his chin moved up and down along her neck. She had never felt that before, not with anyone. Bud was exceptional in more ways than one. There was something about him that made her tingle, aside from his whiskers. There was something magical about this time spent with him. She couldn’t explain it but she could feel it.
Her tho
ught turned to her mother who had always told her that a woman’s first time should only be with a man who was deserving of her.
“Are ye still awake?” Bud asked softly as his hand ran down her leg, tickling her skin.
“Yes I am.” She felt him running his whiskers down her back and then kissing her skin, again those whiskers, she could get used to that feeling.
“Lass, ye should be asleep with me. What’s keeping ya up?”
“Nothing I was just thinking about tonight. You made my first time special; My mom always said it was supposed to be special.”
“Lass, how many times must I tell ya, I care about ye and will keep showing ya I do.”
Lucy smiled and pulled the covers up toward to her chin, she let her body settle against his as he put her hand with his, intertwining their fingers.
“Goodnight Lass.”
“Goodnight Bud.”
And with that Lucy let herself fall asleep.
Part Three
“Wake up sweet lass, time for a surprise.” Bud said while kissing Lucy’s ear. He heard her murmur something incoherent, as he tried stirring her again. “Lucy, wake up, we need to get going so we aren’t late.”
Lucy turned her head to the side and cracked her eyes open, the clock indicating it was 4:15 in the morning; she’d only been asleep a few hours. “Bud, it’s early, come back to bed.” She pulled the covers over her head trying to tune him out. What was he thinking waking her up before the crack of dawn?
“I said up!” Bud smacked her on her butt playfully, right before he removed the covers from her body. “We donna want to be late. C’mon.”
Lucy grumbled under her breath but got out of bed and dressed; slipping her shoes on and pulling her shirt over her head she went to meet him in the kitchen. She watched as he put a basket together full of different kinds of food. She could smell the strawberries and instantly perked up at the smell of hot chocolate.
“What are we doing Bud, a picnic?”
“You’ll see lass, just put ya coat on, we donna want ya to get sick do we?”
Lucy went to hold the door open for him when he went to pack his car with the basket but he swatted her hand away.
“Aye, lass, stop that. Let me handle the door. You just go warm ye self in the car.”
“Always the gentleman Bud.” She said smiling at him. She went and sat in the car, it was already running and warm. She saw a camera in the console and two scarves on the dashboard.”
Where is he taking me? She thought to herself.
“Alright, all packed we are, let’s go!” Bud said as he sat in his driver’s seat and smiled at Lucy.
“And where is it we are going? It’s not even sunrise yet.”
“Precisely sweet lass, precisely. We are going to watch the sun come up like God intended it to be seen.”
“What’s that mean?” Lucy said with a nervous laugh.
Bud grinned at her, “Why sweet Lucy, do ya no’ trust me? I would never do something ta hurt you.”
“It’s not that it’s just…I’ve learned when men get that look in their eyes, no good comes of it.” She said in a playful tone.
“No good eh? That is exactly what I planned.”
He backed out and drove for about an hour out into the country side. Lucy continued to smell the fruit and her stomach grumbled, reminding her that they had forgotten to eat dinner last night. She was about to ask if she could get a bite when she saw what they were approaching. Standing tall and beautiful was a hot air balloon.
“Oh my” she said, her breath wispy and shocked.
“Hope ye aren’t scared of heights.”
Bud parked and grabbed the scarves, camera, and basket as Lucy got out of the car. They walked up to the balloon and an older gentleman smiled toward them and opened the basket door. Bud guided Lucy inside and she sat on the bench that was against the far wall. She watched as Bud paid the older man and watched as he walked away.
“Are you ready to watch the sunrise? It will be up in about half an hour.”
“Yeah, I am. Can you, fly this thing?” She looked around the basket very cautiously.
“Aye, my family used to take us flying constantly as children. You’re in good hands.” He smiled at her then gave the signal. The old man began releasing the ropes as Bud started the hot air balloon’s ascension into the sky.
“Open the basket lass; there is a thermos of hot chocolate and two mugs. It’s going ta get chilly the higher we go.”
“And strawberries I see.”
“Aye, and some grapes, nothing heavy just a bit of things to snack on.”
She poured the hot chocolate out and carefully stood, Bud laughed at her light heartedly watching her take nervous steps toward him. “Why Lucy, this basket is solid you donna have to move carefully lass. Ya are safe.”
“I’ve just never been in one before, I don’t know these things.”
He chuckled to himself again as he took a drink out of his mug. There was a little light off of the horizon starting to break the blackness. He pulled Lucy over to him, wrapped his arm around her and pointed with his finger out to the horizon.
“There she comes lass, are ya watchin?”
“Bud I’ve never seen the sun like this.”
They watched as the rays soared across the black canvas, the perfect mixture of red and yellow molding into the orange horizon that developed. Bud leaned his head down and kissed her neck, her soft skin tantalizing his senses. His lips brushed up to her ear where he nibbled lightly. He kissed along her jaw and finally turned her around. She faced him and, as the top quarter of the sun encroached on the sky, he leaned down and kissed her. His tongue breaking through her lips and tangling with hers. She wrapped her free hand around his neck and he held onto her tight as the sun rose in their background.
“Thank you for finally saying yes lass.”
“Anytime Bud, this was wonderful.”
They watched the sun rise and, as the bottom of it broke free of the ground, he began their descent back. Lucy felt a bit of her heart warm as this man kept overwhelming her. She was unsure of herself sometimes but this seemed like it could be real. The old man was at the landing site when they touched down. Bud threw out the rope as the man secured the balloon. They walked to the car and Lucy looked back over her shoulder taking one last look at the trip of a lifetime.
He pulled into her driveway and reluctantly let go of her hand to shut the engine off and put the car into park. His left hand lingered on the gear shift wanting to touch her again. The smooth silky feel of her skin drove him wild. He wouldn’t forget how she felt under him last night, how their bodies moved together in a synchronized pattern. It was as if they were meant to be together mixing their two bodies as one.
“Thank you for everything, it wasn’t um….. what I was expecting…. but it was really breathtaking.” Lucy said with a sweet smile on her face and a lot of hesitation in her voice. He liked seeing her stumbling for words. He knew he caught her off guard and that was how he wanted to keep her.
“Would you like to come in for breakfast? I mean, I know how this looks but grandmum won’t care.”
“I would love ta come in. Thank ya lass.” Bud opened his door and quickly raced around to the left side of the car and opened Lucy’s door. “Careful, its slick, the snow’s turned ta ice overnight.”
Lucy took the hand that he offered and smiled up to him as she stepped out of his car. She hadn’t felt this carefree and happy in a long time and, as they approached the house, her face started to flush thinking of running into her grandmum.
As if her grandmum knew her thoughts, the front door opened and there she was smiling back at them.
“Well good morrow ta ya. Had fun I take it?” Hannah was never one to hold back, she always said what she was thinking even if it embarrassed Lucy.
“Grandmum!”
“What? I told him ta keep ya out. Come in, ye both will catch ill.” Hannah opened the door and motioned them inside. She was
grinning from ear to ear knowing that this was the best sign she could have that Lucy finally cut loose and had fun.
“Bud may I get you a coffee?”
“Actually Mrs. O’Toole, Lucy promised me breakfast, didn’t ye.” He smiled over at Lucy whose cheeks blushed at the mention of breakfast.
“Yes, I did.” Lucy said with a soft laugh.
“Now now, ya two just sit down and get warm. I have ye breakfast already prepared.”
“How did you know we would be back now?”
“A grandmum knows these things lass. Sit, warm ye self. I’ll be back.” Hannah rushed out of the room, her skirt flowing in the air as she moved faster than Lucy could remember her moving in months.
“Is ya grandmum always this excited about breakfast?” Bud asked while reaching over and taking Lucy’s hand in his.
“No, I think she is this excited over the fact I brought a man home.”
“Progressive grandmum she is.”
“She’s just simply afraid she will die and I’ll not have anyone around to take care of me.”
“She doesn’t need to worry about that.” Bud said with a soft and serious tone.
“That’s what I’ve told her but she wants me to find a man. I tell her I don’t need one.”
“Would it be so bad if ya had one around?”
She looked at him and thought for a moment before speaking. “It isn’t that it would be ‘bad’ it is simply not what I am putting my energy towards right now. My concern for the time being has to be her. She needs someone to help care for her.”
“She looks like she is doing fine as it is. Ya deserve a bit of fun and excitement don’t ya?”
Lucy smiled up at him, his words made her stomach tingle setting off her anxiousness. She knew what he was meaning but wasn’t ready to address that just yet. Thankfully her grandmum came back in the room and signaled for them to join her in the kitchen.