She Took It All

  Chapter Three

  We had just made it to the brook when all three kids came running up to us. Kathy said, “Mom wants you back at the house. We kids are supposed to stay at the neighbors until you come get us.”

  “Why?”

  “Mom got a call from Grandma Waters about Daddy. I think he is coming here.” They ran down the path to the people next door. I waited until I saw them go inside the house.

  “Crap. Shelly’s ex is not friendly like mine is. She even had his pay garnished to get something for the kids. I guess you had better leave. I don’t want you to get mixed up in our problems.”

  “Naw, I think I will stick around. I would like to talk to your ex-wife. I am curious as to why you let her get away. She’s beautiful.”

  “She is attractive. In a way, she may be better suited to you than she was to me. Talk to her, if you want to.”

  When we reached the house I asked, “What’s happening, Shelly?”

  “Mom Waters called and said Ronnie isn’t taking me and you getting married very well. He went out, got drunk last night, and has been drinking all morning. His friend Benny, and Pam who Ronnie dates, may be headed our way. She called to warn me. Pam is driving.”

  “Who is Ronnie mad at, you or me? Do you know this Benny?”

  “I’ve met Benny. He is big, but not too bright. She said Ronnie has been cussing you out steadily since last night. She also claims Benny keeps saying, you can’t do that to his friend, and, he will fix you. John, I’m worried. I think I can handle Ronnie, but Benny is just too big for you. I think we should call the police.”

  “I hate to, Sweetheart. If they come here, let us see if we can handle it reasonably? Elizabeth can stand by with the phone if I can’t run away fast enough.”

  Shelly peered closely at me until I smiled and then she smiled too. “You’re not concerned at all are you? Well if you aren’t, then I’m not either. I remember how you handled that man who was pestering me on the thruway.”

  Elizabeth asked what that was all about. Shelly went into detail. My ex-wife could not believe what she was hearing about me. “John, you never let on about being trained to fight.”

  “I didn’t train to fight. I learned how to protect myself and any other who needed protection. The occasion never arose when I was married to you.”

  “Nine years I was married to you and I’m just now finding out things I wasn’t aware of. There wasn’t another woman was there?” She said this jokingly, so I knew she wasn’t serious. She would have been extremely surprised if there had been. As I say, we had been true to each other while married.

  “No, but there could have been. I took my vows seriously, and you knew that. Why are we having this conversation?”

  “No reason I guess.” Neil Fortier and Shelly had been listening to this exchange.

  “No dirty linen, damn.” Shelly laughed when she said this, and then we all did.

  Just then, a car came to a stop at the entrance to my driveway. I opened the door and we all went out. Ronnie came staggering up the drive. Shelly intercepted him. A big man, who I knew must be Benny, came around them and headed for Neil, Elizabeth and me. I guess he thought Neil was the man he was looking for and charged at him.

  It was for me to intercept. Neil ducked and made way for me to face Benny. Benny hadn’t got into his mind who he was after and still had his attention on Neil. I dropped down and balancing on my hands, I kicked with both feet as Benny came forward. I got him good, right in the center of the gut, which sent him back peddling. When he came for me again, I whirled and my foot caught him in the back of the thigh. He went down this time.

  Immediately he rolled over and started to puke. Tears were coming from his eyes. “You don’t fight fair.”

  “Well, what was I supposed to do, let you hit me?”

  In the meantime, Ronnie was screaming at Shelly, who was trying to talk him out of his belligerence. Finally, she slapped him. He raised his fist, but then became aware that there were four people facing him and his friend was rolling on the ground barfing and trying to get up. He backed off and quieted down.

  “Shelly, how can you do this to me? I love you.”

  “What about the woman driving your car? Do you love her? She believed you when you said you did. Ronnie, you have been drinking and don’t know what you want. You have to move beyond me. I’m getting married next week. Because of the girls, I still want to be friends. I haven’t tried to prevent you from seeing them and I will not.

  “Look at the woman standing beside John. That is his ex-wife and Jimmy is their kid. I imagine John and his ex still have some love for each other and I’m okay with that. You and I can do the same. I will still love you a little bit if you will stop being such an ass. We have two wonderful children together. It will have to be enough.”

  Ronnie stood there with his head down. His thought processes had been slowed by the amount of drinking he had done. “Now introduce John to your girlfriend. John is always willing to spring for a beer. Benny needs one to sweeten his mouth, and I really would like to tell Pam about my wedding.” She motioned for Neil and Elizabeth to go get the woman from the car.

  I helped Benny up. He could only hobble, for the kick to the thigh had given him a leg cramp and I imagine it would show a good-sized bruise. We all went inside and I got beer for the men. Shelly offered wine and the girlfriend, Pam, said she would like a glass. Pam was a cute, petite woman with brown hair and older than Ronnie. Elizabeth and Neil ducked out the back door to get the kids when Shelly asked Ronnie if he would like to say hi to his girls.

  They came in and went to their father. He kissed them on the cheek. Kathy said, “Dad, you’ve been drinking. You’ve got to quit. You’re going to get into some kind of trouble if you don’t.”

  “I know, Sweetheart. This is the last beer I’m ever going to have. Your new step-dad gave it to me and I’m just drinking it to be polite.”

  “Dad, you’re just as funny as ever, but I love you anyway. Hi Benny, hi Pam, it was nice of you to drive Dad over to see us even if he is drinking.”

  I helped Benny out and into the back seat of the car where he could stretch his legs and stop the pain where I had kicked him. I had a word with Pam. “Don’t bring Ronnie here again in that condition. I won’t be as easy with him as I was this time.” She nodded that she understood. I didn’t say anything to Shelly, but Pam appeared to be too good for Ronnie.

  I invited Neil to come back again as he was leaving. “The women are all tied up with this wedding thing that is happening.”

  Shelly came up and batted me playfully. “Come by tomorrow. Come for dinner. I’ll cook up a pot roast.” I noticed that Elizabeth lingered beside his car and talked for several minutes before he drove away.

  Before she came in, Shelly said, “Elizabeth likes Neil. I am glad you invited him back. She is hoping he will ask her for a date.”

  “You know if it was the old Elizabeth she would have already asked him for one herself. I suspect her bad time in Paris has colored her outlook and she has given more thought to what and how she should do things.”

  “Could be. I do know she was impressed with your actions today. I was too, but then I was not that surprised. I do believe I have caught myself a wonderful man.”

  “I’m damned impressed with you too. I saw you slap Ronnie. Force is good when used as needed, but after that it is just unnecessary.”

  “My thoughts exactly. John, there is something that concerns the children I want to bring up. We haven’t discussed it, but we should.”

  “What is that, Love?”

  “Do you want to adopt the girls and have us all with the same name?”

  “It would be nice I guess. Girls though, are going to have a name change when they get married anyway. f they do change now, then they will have two name changes. Kathy is old enough to decide. Sandy wouldn’t understand, but we can explain and set an age when she could decide. We’ll talk to them. Let’s not get into that this week u
nless they bring it up.”

  “Okay. John, what do you know about Neil?”

  “Not much. I haven’t had much time to talk to him yet. I do know he, or rather his mother, Molly Fortier, own many of the old factory buildings where my warehouse is located. They have been looking for a way to find a use for them. Go search the internet for information about the Fortier’s when you have a minute.”

  Shelly went in and booted up the computer. Elizabeth wondered what she was up to when she came in and I just told her to go see. They found a bio on a Frank Fortier, former industrialist, now deceased, that was highly interesting to them. There wasn’t much about Neil, just his address and that he was the son of Frank and Molly (Baker) Fortier. It also stated that Neil Fortier had passed the Bar in this state two years ago.

  There was nothing on Molly Fortier, except that she was the widow of Frank Fortier, deceased, and had inherited his holdings. The two women printed out what they had found and showed it to me.

  Frank was more than three times Molly’s age when they married. She had been his third wife, the other two predeceasing her. He had inherited his holdings from his father and grandfather. As the demand for manufacturing had disappeared, Frank had to lay off his workers and then sold the equipment in the buildings.

  He had set up funds to keep the empty buildings in fair repair, which meant the roof and the foundations. He had in mind the buildings would at some future time would become valuable again. In the meantime, they were under the care of a real estate management company.

  I confirmed this as this was who I had approached to get my lease. I had only investigated deep enough to determine who actually owned the buildings.

  Elizabeth asked the question, “So, is Neil worth anything or not? I don’t want to get involved with another person like Brian was.”

  “Who knows? You might date him until you discover if he is.”

  “He asked me for a date just before he left. I said I would see what my schedule was. What do you think?”

  “Do you want to go out with him?”

  “Yes.”

  “So, you were never timid before. You certainly weren’t when you convinced me to go out with you and I ended up married to you. That hasn’t turned out too badly has it?”

  “Is that the way you really feel about me, John?”

  “Now I do.”

  “Thank you John.” I’ll be damned, Elizabeth got immediately emotional and we watched her go down to the back apartment.

  “John, kiss me. That was the nicest thing to say to your ex-wife.”

  “If I’m so nice, how about feeding me? I’m hungry. I have to keep up my strength for what’s to come, you know?”

  “I’ll feed you, for I guarantee you will need your strength tonight and every night from now on.”

  Elizabeth was done up as only she knew how to when Neil came for dinner Sunday. I suppose class showed for there was no anxiousness or gushing by either party. You could tell though, that Neil wanted an answer to the question if she would go out on a date. She made it easy for him. “Neil, I’ve secured tickets to a play this evening. Would you like to attend with me?”

  “Certainly, I would love to escort you. John and Shelly, that was a wonderful dinner. I must return the favor soon. If not this week then after you are married. I meant to ask you. Will you be going on a honeymoon?”

  “No honeymoon for the present. I’m too busy right now. Elizabeth has invited us all to her place for the Christmas holidays. Shelly and I will get away a few days at that time. She has a large home and there is plenty of room for the kids and any other guests she happens to invite.”

  Elizabeth could enter her apartment by the outside door, so Shelly and I didn’t know what time she returned from her date. It must have been late, for she did not come to breakfast before I had to leave in the morning. I informed all of the people who worked for me that I was taking Friday off from work. I was getting married, for which I had to endure some kidding and ribald jokes.

  Most of these people had become acquainted with Shelly over the last few months and were genuinely pleased we were to wed. I was informed that evening when I reached home that all the plans were set. We would say our vows in a little chapel of a nearby church.

  My grandparents had insisted on paying for a wedding party dinner Friday night. Shelly’s parents were paying for dinner after our vows were said. There was to be no reception as such. Both dinners were in the same room at a restaurant that Shelly and I had often frequented.

  Elizabeth had wanted big, with live music for us, but Shelly, said no way. This was our wedding, and thank you for getting our guests here, and reserving places for them to stay, but that was enough. We just wanted a place to celebrate with the kids being in a comfortable setting.

  Elizabeth and Neil had another date on Wednesday. I laughed as he and I were supposed to talk sometime about the empty factory buildings and what I thought would be the best use for them. They weren’t mentioned and I didn’t know when they would be. It was eight o’clock in the evening when the phone rang. Shelly answered. “Hello.”

  “May I speak with John Rheingold, please?”

  “Whom may I say is calling?”

  “My name is Mrs. Molly Fortier. I have some questions I would like to ask him.”

  “Just a minute. He is relaxing in the living room.”

  I picked up the phone. “Yes, this is John Rheingold. What can I do for you?”

  “I understand you have met my son recently.”

  “I have. He was here for dinner last Sunday.”

  “I also understand he and you have discussed some old buildings I have title to.”

  “That is correct, but not in depth yet. I rent one of them myself, through your management company. Why is there some question about the lease?”

  “No. Actually, this is something more personal. It concerns your ex-wife.”

  This surprised me. Then I thought she must have been trying to protect Neil from falling into some woman’s vile clutches. “I don’t think I should discuss my ex-wife with you. It just wouldn’t be right.”

  “Don’t want to trash her, is that it?”

  “Why would I want to do that? She is the mother of my son. A very good mother, I might add.”

  “Did she cheat on you?”

  I didn’t answer her. Then I said, “You’re good. Look, I tell you what. I’ll meet you for an hour any place you want. We will be meeting eventually. It might as well be tomorrow. I’m tied up after that for the rest of this week because I’m getting married on Saturday. I will leave you with this truth. Both Elizabeth and I lived up to our vows while we were married. Now would you like to meet with me and where?” She would be expecting me at ten in the morning at her home.

  Shelly thought this was hilarious. “You know, I bet if Elizabeth had cheated on you, you would deny it. In good conscience, you cannot hurt anyone. I wish I could go meet her with you.”

  “You can. The kids will be in school. Elizabeth can fend for herself for a couple of hours. Why don’t you come with me?”

  “Okay, I will.” We were both curious about a woman we were to meet. Neil was a handsome looking man, a little taller than I was. We surmised from what we had found on the internet, Molly Fortier must be in her early to mid 40s. Other than that, we had no description of her.

  I was in bed already. “Another one of those anniversaries tonight, right?”

  “What do you mean?” Then she screamed, “You proposed to me a week ago tonight. Oh my God, how could I have forgotten? I’ll make it up to you!”

  I left Elizabeth a note that we would return about noon. She was having late nights out with Neil. Shelly and I went by the store before our meeting with Mrs. Fortier. We received good wishes and hugs from all those present again when we shared we were planning to marry.

  Frank Fortier and his ancestors, who had built the factories, evidently didn’t want to be far from the center of their activities for they built homes close
by. There were three of these large, stately, stucco, homes grouped in a little cul-de-sac. Built today, they would be considered ugly, but in the previous century they would have been considered modern and in style for these manufacturing barons.

  There were two workers removing screens and putting up storm windows on the center one. The house we were looking for had already had this done. We drove up the circular drive and stopped before the front entrance. “Do we go in the front door?”

  “I don’t know. It doesn’t look as if it gets much traffic. There is a bench with some painting supplies almost in front of it. I guess we had better find a side entrance. There is a walk around on the left.” We got out of the car and started around.

  Just then, the front door opened, catching the corner of the bench and tipping it over, spilling cans of paint and tools. A doll of a woman came out and looked our way putting up her hand to wait. She scurried down the veranda and screamed at one of the workers next door. “Billy, get your lazy ass over here and clean up this fucking mess. What in hell were you thinking blocking the door like that? I got guests to tend to and you’ve gone and made me look bad in front of them.”

  She came back and beckoned us up the steps. “Hard to find good dependable help now-a-days. Come in, I was watching for you. Neil hired that prick and didn’t do too well at it. It takes a lot of looking at a man before I would hire a person.

  I couldn’t determine how old this woman was. I knew Neil was twenty-six. She was a petite woman, only a little over five feet. She had on a short blue dress, form fitting on top that flared out slightly and stopped two inches above her knees. Her legs were well formed and would look good on a twenty-year old.

  The skin of her face was smooth and unwrinkled and her bust was just right for the size of her. Not overly large and on a woman of Shelly’s stature it would be minuscule. She had light brown curly hair and as we came up to her, I could see it was sprinkled with a few gray hairs. I thought she was a doll and I upgraded that to sexy doll when we were close.

  “Come in. Call me Molly, and I’ll call you John. This is your soon to be wife, I take it.” I made the introduction. “Let’s go into the nook where I spend most of my time. Most of this old ark is depressing after a bit. More like a mausoleum. Frank’s ancestors had money and wanted to show they had a bank full, so they built big.

  “It is kind of early, but would you like whiskey or something. That bullshit about not drinking before noon is just that I can make a pot of coffee or tea if you prefer?”

  “Coffee would be fine.”

  “Good, I was trying to gauge if you were a drinking man. I have a coffee ring to go with the coffee. Frank liked his sweet things so he made sure I learned after I came here. I knew from nothing, you know. I was an orphan peddling my pussy on the streets when he found me. He brought me home, knocked me up with Neil and then proceeded to educate me.

  “I slip back sometimes, and I guess you have seen that this morning. Frank’s wife before me sucked sour pickles and when he found me, he was looking for happy times. God was he ever a good man and did I ever love him. He made me happy and I know I made him happy. I wish he were alive today. He’s been gone eleven years now.

  “He took a time dying and set everything up so I would have an easy time of living for the rest of my life. ’Course he didn’t know the world was going to speed up and what we had set up back then wasn’t going to last forever. That is why I’m interested in your ex-wife. Is she going to take what Neil has and dump him, leaving him with nothing? Neil has only a couple million left and I will tell you this, that boy needs some looking after.

  “He’s my son and I love him to death. He’s intelligent and handsome and talks good, but someone needs to light a fire under his ass. Why’d you and your wife split, anyway? Tell me about yourself.”

  “Not too much to tell. I’m working class and met a woman who wanted to change me into a rich person. She gave me every chance to become what she wanted me to be. I have to say I gloried in it at first. I mean if we felt like going to the Kentucky Derby or skiing in Colorado or wintering in Aruba, we did. However, over time, I realized this year was just like last year and all we had done was make someone else a living.

  “Once you have done one thing, why return? A repeat is never as good as the first time. It took Elizabeth nine years to realize I wasn’t happy, so she cut me loose. She was good about it, understanding where I was coming from.”

  “How’d you make out in your divorce? You take her for a bundle?”

  “No, we had a pre-nup agreement we both agreed too. When we parted it made it easier for both of us.”

  “How so?”

  “I was ready to walk away with nothing just to get my freedom. That really impressed her and made her realize how serious I was when we first talked about divorcing. In the end, I opened an account for her to deliver what we had agreed on. When I got my first statement, she had doubled it. I can’t dislike a person who does that for me. I’m using that money in my business.

  “Also she is the mother of my son. I was bitter when she demanded Jimmy live with her. I thought I could give him more attention than she did and I could have. However, it also constrained her by having to care for him, so at the end of the last school year he came to live with me. Right now, she and I are getting along just like brother and sister and that is about the way we feel about each other. She certainly has been a big help arranging Shelly’s and my wedding.”

  “I haven’t met her yet, but Neil has talked about her. What is she worth?”

  “I haven’t the slightest idea. I never knew. Mostly, because I wasn’t interested in taking any of it. If it ever gets serious between Neil and her, tell her your concerns and ask. A couple of things have happened lately where I’m sure she will know where she stands before getting into a long term relationship. Just talking to her will let her know your situation. I guess I have passed along enough information. Change the subject if you would.”

  “I like you. What do you want to talk about?”

  “The old factory buildings. Neil was going to fill me in, but he has been too busy to tell me about them. Do you own all of them?”

  “Yep, all eight of them. When Frank first brought me here, they were all up and running and producing. He had over twenty-seven hundred employees. Originally, they were clothing factories, but then that industry went south and he had different types of manufacturing in, but they didn’t last. Do you have any ideas on how to make them profitable again?”

  “I’ve thought some on it.”

  “Tell me. To be honest, they are costing me a bundle in taxes and liability insurance. I have them on the market and I have received some offers, but it would be cheaper to walk away and disappear. It would save me money. Your warehouse lease is the only income from all eight buildings. You lucked out on that.

  “The management company leased it and I didn’t read the fine print. I find if I wanted to break the lease, it will cost me another bundle. How’d you get so damned smart to tie it up that way?”

  “That came from my association with my ex-wife. While she was partying, I was bored and off in a corner somewhere picking the brains of some of these industry giants she associated with.” I grinned as I said this. Molly was looking at me with speculation.

  “I think I had better get closer to you. I want to get to know you. Give me a hint of what you had in mind and I’ll let you get on. Come to think of it, I might cut you in.”

  “Oh I guess I would make a couple of the buildings into low cost housing. That is for the workers to live in. Small one and two room apartments would do it. Make a mall shopping center out of a couple buildings hitched together.

  “Get a grocery chain in here and maybe a couple of discount store chains. Do you have any money to get it started?”

  Molly started laughing. “You said to me last night I was good when I asked a question I thought you had to answer so I would know more about something. You turned it back on me and I thin
k you are better at this than I am.”

  I laughed with her and continued, “It might not take that much money in the end. There are grants and financing out there that could be had. You would have to hire someone to go after them and it, that is all.”

  “Okay, I guess I can let you go. You’ve given me a million things to think about. Congratulations on getting married. I know you both will be happy. I can remember back twenty-seven years to my wedding night. It certainly wasn’t the first time I got fucked, but it was the first time I had love.” There was just a hint of tears.

  Shelly and I sat in the car before we started it. I asked, “What do you think of her?”

  “She’s pretty coarse some of the time. I have no idea how old she is. She looks thirty, but she has to be at least forty-one or two. Between her street smarts and what she learned from her husband, I suspect she would be hard to fool.”

  “I agree. Do you like her? I’m talking woman’s intuition here.”

  “I don’t know. I am drawn to her. Someday I’d like to hear her whole life’s story. I did get the idea she doesn’t think Neil applies himself enough.”

  “I got that too. It is noon, let’s get lunch. Are we going to warn Elizabeth that she is being investigated?”

  “No, let her fly alone.”

  When we got home, Madie and Will were just driving into the yard and we pulled in behind them. Madie jumped out and came running back to me. She came into my arms and kissed me, hugging me as tight as she could. She did the same to Shelly. My ex-wife had heard the cars and stood there watching this display of affection. Not to be outdone, Elizabeth got to Will, hugged and kissed him, before continuing on to Madie.

  “You’re a day early. I’m so glad you are here. It is a terrible long tedious trip, isn’t it?”

  “Oh, we left yesterday and drove part way. We decided this morning we just had to see John and his bride, so we came along, not stopping as we first planned. We wanted to see you too Missy. And little Jimmy, where is he?”

  “He’s in school. He and the girls will be home in another hour.”

  “Are you staying here in the house with John?”

  “Yes, he and Shelly have been really gracious to me. I have a room reserved in a motel for you. Maybe we will leave Will here and you and I can bunk together in the motel. I never stopped long enough when I came home from Paris to tell you all about how I was treated by Brian. I just came crying to John. I got here and he didn’t let me cry for long. He just told me to be smarter next time. It was just what I needed to hear too.”

  “Oh, I don’t know as I need to hear about Brian. It isn’t my place.”

  “Please don’t feel that way, Madie. I have always treated you as a servant when I should have been treating you as my friend. I can only ask you and say please again.” Madie flicked her eyes toward me. I smiled back at her and nodded.

  “Okay, but don’t get upset with me if I tell you that Brian man was no good for you and I should have spoke up.”

  “I’m afraid if you had, I wouldn’t have listened. Madie, I have met a new man and I want you to meet him. This time if you don’t think he is in my best interests, I’ll listen.”

  I talked to Will, asking about his trip out. I also inquired about the house that was my former home. “About the same. I’m slowing down some and the missus lets me hire a little more help for the heavy stuff. Madie doesn’t change and keeps the house as spotless as ever. It hasn’t been bad with Elizabeth not being in residence very much. She must have taken a hit from that fellow. She’s acting a lot different.”

  “I think she has. It is hard to believe just how much she has changed. I thought when I was there last summer to get Jimmy, she was going to be a bitch the rest of her life. Now she has pretty much bonded with Jimmy and with the two girls who are soon to be my daughters. She treats the girls no different than she does him in fact. Shelly and I have made a sister of her and she appreciates it, I do believe.”

  “No regrets about being divorced from her?”

  “Not at all, and I don’t think she has any either.”

  “That’s good.”

  The kids came home and Jimmy had tears in his eyes when he saw Madie. He hugged her and I didn’t think she was ever going to let him go. Neither said anything. They didn’t have to, the hugs said it all. Kathy and Sandy were looking on to all of this display of affection. When Jimmy went to Will then it was the girls turn for hugs. It made Madie’s day when Sandy said to her, “Jimmy talks about you all the time and how much he misses you. I’m so glad you came to Papa’s wedding.”

  I had never heard myself called “Papa” and I would have to ask where that came from. The kids started begging to stay home from school tomorrow. They were rewarded. “It has all been arranged. No school for you tomorrow. I expect your Grandma and Grampa Beals will be here by noon and John’s grandparents promised to be here fairly early in the morning.”

  By noon the next day the house was a madhouse. Three kids raising hell and as excited as all get out. All of the adults came to believe this was going to be a match made in heaven just because of the way the kids talked about Shelly and me. Finally after lunch, I took my grandfather, Shelly’s father Burt, and Will around to my business, just to get out of the house. At the last minute, all three kids decided to go too.

  Burt had come in a van so we took that. I wasn’t going to show them the convenience store, but they wanted to see my whole operation. It was busy and full of customers. I then took them to the warehouse. A load of bakery bread came in and was being sorted. The good items were put into trays and the old, out of date stuff were tossed onto a conveyor.

  We spent an hour there watching my employees open the bread, remove the wrappings, and put it in a trash bin while the bread went up another conveyor to be ground and mixed with the beet pulp and run through a pellet machine. It was bagged automatically and loaded onto pallets. A sample was taken from each run and tested for food value. This governed what I would charge for a particular pallet.

  “When Shelly and I get this wedding done with, we are going to be expanding. I’m going on the road to be selling. I have a contract for a lot more stuff coming in. That means I am going to need more employees and a lot more customers. I have contracted for the beet pulp and corn on an as needed basis locally. I have done a comparison on how much the animals will gain feeding my product versus regular feed, which gives me my selling point.

  “I grew this business slow to start and thought through every step along the way. My capital was limited and I had to be careful I didn’t outrun it. I’m at the point now where I would feel comfortable going to an investor for backing.” We walked to the end of the warehouse and all could see the pallets of bagged feed stored neatly in rows. “All but this last row has all been sold and the money is in the bank. I guess I’m bragging here, I’m pretty proud of what I’ve accomplished.”

  “You should be.” This was Will speaking. My grandfather’s eyes were shining and Mr. Beals was thinking, I hope, that Shelly was going to be well looked after.

  “Let’s go out to the pig farm I have an interest in. It will be feeding time by the time we get there. It is a sight to see.”

  Mr. Beals was in his middle fifties and had his own moving and storage company. He was gregarious and looked like he loved his two granddaughters immensely. “I’m going to be your grandson after tomorrow.” This was Jimmy making an announcement.

  “That you will be son, and I’m proud to welcome you as one. Let me tell you about a funny story that happened to my mother when she was about twenty-five. She hadn’t been married too long and her and my Pa raised a few squealers. I wasn’t on the horizon at that time. Anyway, she took a big pail of slop down to the pen and let herself in.

  “I think she said they had five good-sized hogs when this happened. The slop was made of cooked up apples and potatoes that had corn meal in it for it was fattening time. Pretty slimy, t’was. Well those pigs come a-running and as she was filli
ng the trough, one of them clipped her and she fell right into that slop-filled trough.

  “She was right on her back and couldn’t get herself out laying right in there in the slop. The slop was under her and those pigs wanted it ferociously. They were slobbering all over her and squealing all to beat the band. Pa heard her and he headed for the pen. Just as he got there, one of them pigs got his snout under her shoulder alongside of her head and flipped her right out. Ma was bruised up some when the pigs crowded in to eat and stepped on her.

  “Pa got to her and helped her into the house and got her into the bathtub and cleaned her up. She wasn’t hurt much, but that isn’t the end of the story. When the neighbors came by some time later, Pa was telling what happened. He ended the story by saying he saw Ma with pigs all around her and couldn’t get out of the trough, so she leaned up and kissed a pig and that pig went around and boosted her right out of there.

  “Ma didn’t speak to Pa for two days it made her so peeved. I tried getting smart one time when I was mad at Ma and I asked her if she had ever kissed a pig. Well she exploded all over me and that was the only time I ever asked her that, let me tell you. Anyway that is my pig story and it is all true.” We were all laughing as we pulled into the pig farm.

  ———————

  “Come on kids. Get dressed. You’re late. John what were you thinking going out to the pig farm this late?”

  “Mama, Mama!”

  “What is it Sandy?”

  “Mama have you ever kissed a pig?”

  Shelly turned on her father, “Damn it, Dad, why did you have tell that story to the kids? You know Grandma wanted that story to die with her. Now another generation has heard it and it will go on forever. I hope she is waiting at the gates to paddle you again just like she did once before.” We all broke up laughing and Shelly did too.

  We had a room reserved in the restaurant. This was where we were eating tomorrow as well right after the ceremony. We had a choice off the regular menu of fish, beef or chicken. “We do have a couple servings of roast lamb that can be ordered. Not everyone’s favorite, I know.”

  That is what I ordered because it was rarely served and I enjoyed it immensely. This was a small wedding party and no one drank too much. I had been informed that Elizabeth had a date tonight, but would sleep at the motel with Madie and dress and go to the services from there.

  Jimmy was going to escort Elizabeth in to her seat and then stand at my side while the vows were uttered. Kathy and Sandy would be standing by Shelly. When we left the chapel, we would be one family.

  We didn’t stay late at the restaurant. The day had been busy and tomorrow would be likewise. Shelly was talking to her parents and the kids were all in bed. In just a few short months, my life had changed so much and for the better.

  I promised myself before going to sleep that I would someday write it all down just as I lived it. A four-month segment of one’s life and all that happened should make a good story. I listed all the issues I had with Elizabeth and had come to grips with them all. I guess we both had changed and matured. Now I certainly did not feel the resentment I had for her four months ago.

  Maybe it wasn’t she. It might just have been me out of my element. Oh well, time to sleep. Tomorrow I would be moving on, realizing Elizabeth hadn’t taken it all. In fact, I could look at myself in the mirror and declare I had all of my respect back.

  ———————

  We all made it to the chapel on time. Jimmy escorted his mother in so she could sit with Madie and Will. Shelly had dressed in Madie’s motel room with Elizabeth supervising. This was pretty informal. We would all be going down the aisle together. Jimmy came back and stood waiting while Shelly entered and came up beside me. The two girls and Jimmy followed us down the aisle behind us as Shelly and I walked ahead. The very few tears that were shed were all of happiness.

  Before the vows started, I leaned over and whispered to Shelly, “You are very beautiful this afternoon. And who are these two little ones with you? I think they are as beautiful as you are.” I guess this was the right thing to say for the love just shone from her face.

  The minister entered and asked if everyone was ready to begin. It was a short nine minutes later, I kissed my bride and my two new children. Jimmy got a kiss and hug from his new Mom. In addition, we turned to receive well wishes from Elizabeth and the three couples we had chosen to witness this event.

  We put our coats on and walked down the street three places to the restaurant. We were put into the same alcove room we had last night. Today we didn’t order off the menu. It was a turkey dinner with the things that would go with any Thanksgiving. We had champagne and the kids a sparkling cider.

  Someone wrapped their glass and suggested the bride and groom kiss. Sandy came around by my chair and asked if she could kiss her Papa.

  “How come you call me Papa?”

  “I have two fathers now. I don’t want to get them mixed up even though I love you both. So I’m calling one father, Daddy, and I am calling you Papa. Is that okay?”

  “I think that is so sweet. Did you think of it all by yourself?”

  “Yes I did. Jimmy is going to call you Pop and Kathy is going call you Dad.” We lingered over our dinner until Elizabeth said, “There is a family dance hall across from here. Everyone should dance at his or her wedding. Would you like to check it out?”

  We all thought it was a good idea. Our vehicles were still in the church parking lot and we figured it was a good place to leave them.

  There was a bar on the premises, but no alcohol was allowed in the dance hall. The dances were mostly waltzes with an occasional fox-trot and polka.

  Shelly knew the schottische and the bandleader came on the microphone and walked everyone through the steps before playing the tune without stopping. I had never danced it before, but was so attuned to my new wife, I soon had the steps.

  Actually, this was a circle country dance in polka tempo. More than half the dancers knew the steps already. There were three circles formed. The music played until the partner you started with had danced with a different partner around the circle until you returned to your own. Jimmy collaborated with Sandy for the first set and then with Kathy the next.

  Elizabeth was out of her element and could not quite put the steps together.

  She had been sidelined because she didn’t know the moves, but a man took her aside and was willing to teach her the steps. She danced with him the last dance in the set and several times after that. Why not? She was a beautiful woman.

  It was a surprise when Ronnie and Pam came in, which thrilled the two girls and they went running to their father and his girl friend. Shelly and I did dance one dance with them, but Ronnie was uncomfortable and they didn’t stay long. Pam looked envious at Shelly, now a married woman again.

  A little after nine, Elizabeth came up to Shelly and me. She smiled saying, “Mr. and Mrs. Rheingold. I think I will take the kids home. Madie will be with Will in the back apartment. You have the use of the motel room tonight that she and I used. Goodnight.”

  My grandparents bailed shortly after that. Shelly’s folks stayed until eleven and then they left too. The dances from eleven on were waltzes, so I had my wife in my arms the rest of the evening. Shelly and I stayed to the last dance and then went over to the motel room.

  We were shortly in bed snuggled as close as possible. We laid there and talked about our life up until this point. I don’t know who went to sleep first, but we awoke to the sun shining. We tenderly made sure our marriage was legal.