worthwhile.
"Now, isn't that sweet," Aunt Lollie said. "Kissing beats ham and eggs for fixing things."
Ellen wasn't so sure about that. As much as she despised ham and eggs, she thought they would be considerably less dangerous than kissing.
Dirk chuckled. "I like the way you think, Aunt Lollie."
She rose from her chair and seemed to notice her apron for the first time. "Will you just look at me? I look like I've been dumped into the flour barrel. Will you children excuse me while I tidy up?" She patted Dirk's cheek. "As long as you love our Ellen,
that's all that matters. Your breakfast is in the oven, dear. I’ll be back as soon as I change my apron." With that she left the kitchen.
"That's a good-hearted, simple woman," Dirk said. "On the other hand"—he reached out and circled Ellen's waist—"you, my darling, are complex."
She couldn't bear his touch. It brought back vivid memories of last night beside the creek. It made her forget that their love was fantasy. She removed his hand as she turned the subject away from herself.
"And you need a shave before we say good-bye to all the relatives."
"You disappoint me, love."
She knew she should let the remark pass, but she couldn't. "In what way?"
"Didn't you miss me last night?" The way he asked it, with a little-boy appeal in his voice, made her want to take him into her arms and smooth his tousled hair.
"No," she said. "I slept like a log."
"On the featherbed?"
"Yes."
"Aren't you curious about how you got there?"
"I don't want to know."
"I put you there. I picked you up and held you in my arms—"
“I don't want to hear any more."
"I looked at your beautiful body in the moonlight-"
"Please, Dirk."
"—and I wrestled with my conscience. You see, I've also discovered that I have a conscience."
"I'm sure you 11 get over it," she said dryly.
She didn't want to hear these things. Last night she had come too close to going off the deep end with him. She had come too close to forgetting what her life was all about. It was about language research with Gigi and a mountaintop compound. It was about long hours dedicated to science and sometimes a bone-weariness that sought nothing more than an empty bed. It was not about black-eyed men who hid an endearing vulnerability underneath a tough-guy facade.
"Your breakfast is waiting," she said. "We leave in an hour." She whirled around and left the kitchen before she could change her mind. She was afraid of what she might say if she stayed.
o0o
Aunt Lollie and Uncle Vester were standing on the porch, arm in arm, as they watched Dirk and Ellen load the car.
"Don't drive like a hellion going home," Uncle Vester called to his niece.
"And don't forget to write," Aunt Lollie added.
Ellen turned to smile at them. "I won't."
"And bring that man of yours back real soon," Uncle Vester said. "I want him to teach me a few card tricks."
Aunt Lollie glanced coyly at her husband. "I want him to teach you how to kiss."
Uncle Vester roared with laughter. "Lordy mercy, woman. You’ll be the death of me yet."
"Humph. I never knew a soul that died of too much lovin'," Aunt Lollie said.
Ellen and Dirk had returned to the porch in time to hear the exchange between the two old lovebirds. Dirk winked at Uncle Vester and hugged Aunt Lollie. "I never did either," he said. "Goodbye, Aunt Lollie."
She squeezed him to her ample bosom. "Just for a little while, son. We’ll be at your wedding with bells on. You take care of our Ellen, now. You hear?"
Ellen thought that Dirk had a funny expression on his face when he released Aunt Lollie. He was probably glad that the charade was finally over. She supposed that he could hardly wait to get back to the mountains and forget the whole thing. She blushed at the way she had practically thrown herself into his arms last night. She would be happy to put this whole thing behind her too.
She kissed her aunt and uncle good-bye, promised to write,
"Now, isn't that sweet," Aunt Lollie said. "Kissing beats ham and eggs for fixing things."
Ellen wasn't so sure about that. As much as she despised ham and eggs, she thought they would be considerably less dangerous than kissing.
Dirk chuckled. "I like the way you think, Aunt Lollie."
She rose from her chair and seemed to notice her apron for the first time. "Will you just look at me? I look like I've been dumped into the flour barrel. Will you children excuse me while I tidy up?" She patted Dirk's cheek. "As long as you love our Ellen,
that's all that matters. Your breakfast is in the oven, dear. I’ll be back as soon as I change my apron." With that she left the kitchen.
"That's a good-hearted, simple woman," Dirk said. "On the other hand"—he reached out and circled Ellen's waist—"you, my darling, are complex."
She couldn't bear his touch. It brought back vivid memories of last night beside the creek. It made her forget that their love was fantasy. She removed his hand as she turned the subject away from herself.
"And you need a shave before we say good-bye to all the relatives."
"You disappoint me, love."
She knew she should let the remark pass, but she couldn't. "In what way?"
"Didn't you miss me last night?" The way he asked it, with a little-boy appeal in his voice, made her want to take him into her arms and smooth his tousled hair.
"No," she said. "I slept like a log."
"On the featherbed?"
"Yes."
"Aren't you curious about how you got there?"
"I don't want to know."
"I put you there. I picked you up and held you in my arms—"
“I don't want to hear any more."
"I looked at your beautiful body in the moonlight-"
"Please, Dirk."
"—and I wrestled with my conscience. You see, I've also discovered that I have a conscience."
"I'm sure you 11 get over it," she said dryly.
She didn't want to hear these things. Last night she had come too close to going off the deep end with him. She had come too close to forgetting what her life was all about. It was about language research with Gigi and a mountaintop compound. It was about long hours dedicated to science and sometimes a bone-weariness that sought nothing more than an empty bed. It was not about black-eyed men who hid an endearing vulnerability underneath a tough-guy facade.
"Your breakfast is waiting," she said. "We leave in an hour." She whirled around and left the kitchen before she could change her mind. She was afraid of what she might say if she stayed.
o0o
Aunt Lollie and Uncle Vester were standing on the porch, arm in arm, as they watched Dirk and Ellen load the car.
"Don't drive like a hellion going home," Uncle Vester called to his niece.
"And don't forget to write," Aunt Lollie added.
Ellen turned to smile at them. "I won't."
"And bring that man of yours back real soon," Uncle Vester said. "I want him to teach me a few card tricks."
Aunt Lollie glanced coyly at her husband. "I want him to teach you how to kiss."
Uncle Vester roared with laughter. "Lordy mercy, woman. You’ll be the death of me yet."
"Humph. I never knew a soul that died of too much lovin'," Aunt Lollie said.
Ellen and Dirk had returned to the porch in time to hear the exchange between the two old lovebirds. Dirk winked at Uncle Vester and hugged Aunt Lollie. "I never did either," he said. "Goodbye, Aunt Lollie."
She squeezed him to her ample bosom. "Just for a little while, son. We’ll be at your wedding with bells on. You take care of our Ellen, now. You hear?"
Ellen thought that Dirk had a funny expression on his face when he released Aunt Lollie. He was probably glad that the charade was finally over. She supposed that he could hardly wait to get back to the mountains and forget the whole thing. She blushed at the way she had practically thrown herself into his arms last night. She would be happy to put this whole thing behind her too.
She kissed her aunt and uncle good-bye, promised to write,
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