The further south they got, the warmer it was getting, and the scenery was getting increasingly barren. “Paige said they were still experiencing a drought down here,” Flack muttered as they drove past several miles of dead pine trees.
Taylor shifted and put her feet up on the dashboard in front of her. “A drought is good for me. Danny was complaining about the rain again in the last text he sent. You want me to drive?”
“I’m fine. We’ll be there in an hour or so, traffic permitting.”
“What’s your sister like?”
“Smart. She’s a history lecturer,” Flack told her, a small smile appearing on his face. “She can tell you anything and everything about the history of immigration and migration. Can’t teach her to programme a video recorder to save her life though.”
“What about her husband?”
“Damon?” Flack asked, frowning. “I don’t really know him all that well, but he’s a good guy. He’s an anthropology lecturer. And he’s into golf.”
Taylor frowned. “You’re not close to your sister then?”
“We were pretty close when we were kids, but just grew apart as the miles between us grew,” Flack shrugged. “I still talk to her regularly though.”
Twenty minutes later Flack was on the phone to his sister, navigating them from the interstate to her house just out of the east gate of the Louisiana State University campus. Flack’s sister’s house was a large, white, mock-plantation style home, complete with porch and hanging bench. They had barely parked when the door was flung open and a blur of auburn hair was dashing down the drive, sending the small stones flying as it leapt onto Flack with a squeal.
Taylor stood to one side, waiting for the pair to finish hugging. Finally, Flack turned. “Taylor, this is my exceeding clever, but somewhat crazy sister, Paige. Paige, this is Taylor, my equally as crazy girlfriend.”
“I see we have something in common already,” said Paige with a grin as she gave Taylor a hug to rival the one she had just given her brother. When she let go, Taylor noticed the man standing just behind them. “Taylor, this is Damon.”
Damon was easily ten years older than his wife, with wisps of grey hair peaking through at his temples, but he just as welcoming as he also wrapped Taylor in his arms.
Taylor was about to say hello to him when she realised that there was something attached to her leg. She looked down and found a small child clutching tightly to right leg. “I, uh, I seem to have grown a small child.”
“Quite an accomplishment,” Damon told her. “It took Paige nine months to get something half that size.”
“That’s Jesse,” Paige told her swiping at her husband. “He’s the shy one,” she explained as she dropped to her knees, “Hey Jesse, want to leave the nice lady alone and attack your uncle instead?”
“Hey!” Flack objected, but his indignation was ignored.
“No,” said Jesse, clutching tighter.
“He’s the shy one?” Taylor repeated in disbelief.
“Yeah, Ellie over there would be the über-shy one hiding behind the porch screen.”
Taylor glanced over at the doorway just in time to see a female version of the child attached to her leg disappear behind the door frame. She turned her sights to Flack who was not making any attempts to hide his amusement.
“I’m sorry about this,” Paige told her in between trying to coax Jesse away. “He doesn’t normally ever take with anyone this quickly.”
“He doesn’t normally ever take with anyone,” Damon corrected.
Seeing that she was getting nowhere, Taylor bent down and scooped Jesse up, hoisting him onto her hip. “Hey there kiddo.” Jesse just buried his head into her shoulder.
“Right, well, Damon, you can give Don a hand taking their bags into the guest room. Taylor, we’ll head for the kitchen. I’ve just made some lemonade.” As Taylor followed Paige into the house there was a small scuffling noise, and Taylor turned her head just in time to see a small figure dash into the front room and behind a bureau. “You get used to that,” Paige told her when she realised that Taylor had stopped. “We’re trying to get this shyness out of them, but it just doesn’t seem to be working.”
Taylor followed her into the kitchen and took a seat at the large oak table, shifting Jesse to her lap. “So you’re the devil reincarnate, gold digging, cheating journalist who is trying to kill my brother?” Paige asked, as she poured some lemonade into the glasses she had pulled out from the cupboards.
Taylor’s mouth dropped open as she struggled to find a polite response to the question. Paige laughed. “Sorry. That’s what my parents are saying. But don’t worry: you should have heard what they said about Damon.”
Taylor continued to stare at Paige until a glass of lemonade was thrust into her hands. “I, uh… what did they say about Damon?”
“Oh, the usual overprotective parent routine. You know, he’s not good enough, he probably has children from six previous marriages… oh, and they loved the fact he was my teacher.”
“You were his student?”
“Yeah,” Paige laughed. “But we didn’t start dating until I was on the faculty here. He was my Anthropology 101 professor at Penn State. He transferred to LSU the year after I got my job here. Of course my parent’s didn’t see it like that. They didn’t like the fact we had Jesse before we got married, either.”
“So how long did it take for them to like him?” Taylor asked, leaning back against the counter.
“When they heard about you,” Paige offered with a shrug. “Dad has thing against reporters. He thinks they’ve either been bought by the mob bosses, or that they’re determined to ruin the careers of every police officer. Mom doesn’t like them because she thinks they’re dangerous.”
“So you’re saying that if I would probably have gotten a better reaction from them if I sold my body for a living?” Taylor asked, pulling a face.
Paige shook her head. “You’re dating their son. You weren’t really going to get a brilliant reaction anyway. Don’t worry too much. They’ll come around eventually.”
“Even though they blame me for the bomb which nearly killed Don.”
Paige sat down opposite and took a large sip of her drink. “Well, maybe eventually is going to be later, rather than sooner.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Taylor muttered.
“Well, Jesse likes you. And if Jesse likes you, than that’s good enough for me.”
“I don’t think that will be good enough for Don,” Taylor sighed.
“Meh,” said Paige, wafting her hand. “He doesn’t bring many people to see me. Besides, Donnie is Mom and Dad’s pride and joy. They’ll not want to risk losing him.”
“So,” said Taylor, changing the subject. “Don’s not told me much about you.”
Paige laughed. “Nope, he’s told me next to nothing about you, either. That sounds about right for him.”
“What sounds about right for whom?” came Damon’s voice as he entered the kitchen followed closely by Flack. “You see that,” he said, addressing Flack. “We leave the women alone for five minutes and they’re already comparing notes.”
“Damon, darling, we have better things to talk about than you two,” Paige told them with a discreet wink at Taylor.
“And what would be more interesting than the strapping young men in the house?”
“Socks,” Taylor deadpanned.
“And ice cubes,” Paige added.
“Socks and ice cubes?” Flack repeated. “I told you they were both crazy.”
“And on that note, I’m sure you and Taylor would like to freshen up, maybe have a nap, before supper. Damon’s going to get a barbeque going, seeing as it’s so nice out.”
“Don’t worry,” Damon added. “You can make as much noise as you want. The guest room is at the far end of the house. We can’t hear anything.”
“Ew! Damon!” Paige cried. “That’s my big brother there. Don’t be so gross!”
“And that’s my wife,” Damon joked as Taylor handed Jesse back to his mother and joined Flack. “Twenty seven years young and a mother of two.”
Taylor shifted and put her feet up on the dashboard in front of her. “A drought is good for me. Danny was complaining about the rain again in the last text he sent. You want me to drive?”
“I’m fine. We’ll be there in an hour or so, traffic permitting.”
“What’s your sister like?”
“Smart. She’s a history lecturer,” Flack told her, a small smile appearing on his face. “She can tell you anything and everything about the history of immigration and migration. Can’t teach her to programme a video recorder to save her life though.”
“What about her husband?”
“Damon?” Flack asked, frowning. “I don’t really know him all that well, but he’s a good guy. He’s an anthropology lecturer. And he’s into golf.”
Taylor frowned. “You’re not close to your sister then?”
“We were pretty close when we were kids, but just grew apart as the miles between us grew,” Flack shrugged. “I still talk to her regularly though.”
Twenty minutes later Flack was on the phone to his sister, navigating them from the interstate to her house just out of the east gate of the Louisiana State University campus. Flack’s sister’s house was a large, white, mock-plantation style home, complete with porch and hanging bench. They had barely parked when the door was flung open and a blur of auburn hair was dashing down the drive, sending the small stones flying as it leapt onto Flack with a squeal.
Taylor stood to one side, waiting for the pair to finish hugging. Finally, Flack turned. “Taylor, this is my exceeding clever, but somewhat crazy sister, Paige. Paige, this is Taylor, my equally as crazy girlfriend.”
“I see we have something in common already,” said Paige with a grin as she gave Taylor a hug to rival the one she had just given her brother. When she let go, Taylor noticed the man standing just behind them. “Taylor, this is Damon.”
Damon was easily ten years older than his wife, with wisps of grey hair peaking through at his temples, but he just as welcoming as he also wrapped Taylor in his arms.
Taylor was about to say hello to him when she realised that there was something attached to her leg. She looked down and found a small child clutching tightly to right leg. “I, uh, I seem to have grown a small child.”
“Quite an accomplishment,” Damon told her. “It took Paige nine months to get something half that size.”
“That’s Jesse,” Paige told her swiping at her husband. “He’s the shy one,” she explained as she dropped to her knees, “Hey Jesse, want to leave the nice lady alone and attack your uncle instead?”
“Hey!” Flack objected, but his indignation was ignored.
“No,” said Jesse, clutching tighter.
“He’s the shy one?” Taylor repeated in disbelief.
“Yeah, Ellie over there would be the über-shy one hiding behind the porch screen.”
Taylor glanced over at the doorway just in time to see a female version of the child attached to her leg disappear behind the door frame. She turned her sights to Flack who was not making any attempts to hide his amusement.
“I’m sorry about this,” Paige told her in between trying to coax Jesse away. “He doesn’t normally ever take with anyone this quickly.”
“He doesn’t normally ever take with anyone,” Damon corrected.
Seeing that she was getting nowhere, Taylor bent down and scooped Jesse up, hoisting him onto her hip. “Hey there kiddo.” Jesse just buried his head into her shoulder.
“Right, well, Damon, you can give Don a hand taking their bags into the guest room. Taylor, we’ll head for the kitchen. I’ve just made some lemonade.” As Taylor followed Paige into the house there was a small scuffling noise, and Taylor turned her head just in time to see a small figure dash into the front room and behind a bureau. “You get used to that,” Paige told her when she realised that Taylor had stopped. “We’re trying to get this shyness out of them, but it just doesn’t seem to be working.”
Taylor followed her into the kitchen and took a seat at the large oak table, shifting Jesse to her lap. “So you’re the devil reincarnate, gold digging, cheating journalist who is trying to kill my brother?” Paige asked, as she poured some lemonade into the glasses she had pulled out from the cupboards.
Taylor’s mouth dropped open as she struggled to find a polite response to the question. Paige laughed. “Sorry. That’s what my parents are saying. But don’t worry: you should have heard what they said about Damon.”
Taylor continued to stare at Paige until a glass of lemonade was thrust into her hands. “I, uh… what did they say about Damon?”
“Oh, the usual overprotective parent routine. You know, he’s not good enough, he probably has children from six previous marriages… oh, and they loved the fact he was my teacher.”
“You were his student?”
“Yeah,” Paige laughed. “But we didn’t start dating until I was on the faculty here. He was my Anthropology 101 professor at Penn State. He transferred to LSU the year after I got my job here. Of course my parent’s didn’t see it like that. They didn’t like the fact we had Jesse before we got married, either.”
“So how long did it take for them to like him?” Taylor asked, leaning back against the counter.
“When they heard about you,” Paige offered with a shrug. “Dad has thing against reporters. He thinks they’ve either been bought by the mob bosses, or that they’re determined to ruin the careers of every police officer. Mom doesn’t like them because she thinks they’re dangerous.”
“So you’re saying that if I would probably have gotten a better reaction from them if I sold my body for a living?” Taylor asked, pulling a face.
Paige shook her head. “You’re dating their son. You weren’t really going to get a brilliant reaction anyway. Don’t worry too much. They’ll come around eventually.”
“Even though they blame me for the bomb which nearly killed Don.”
Paige sat down opposite and took a large sip of her drink. “Well, maybe eventually is going to be later, rather than sooner.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Taylor muttered.
“Well, Jesse likes you. And if Jesse likes you, than that’s good enough for me.”
“I don’t think that will be good enough for Don,” Taylor sighed.
“Meh,” said Paige, wafting her hand. “He doesn’t bring many people to see me. Besides, Donnie is Mom and Dad’s pride and joy. They’ll not want to risk losing him.”
“So,” said Taylor, changing the subject. “Don’s not told me much about you.”
Paige laughed. “Nope, he’s told me next to nothing about you, either. That sounds about right for him.”
“What sounds about right for whom?” came Damon’s voice as he entered the kitchen followed closely by Flack. “You see that,” he said, addressing Flack. “We leave the women alone for five minutes and they’re already comparing notes.”
“Damon, darling, we have better things to talk about than you two,” Paige told them with a discreet wink at Taylor.
“And what would be more interesting than the strapping young men in the house?”
“Socks,” Taylor deadpanned.
“And ice cubes,” Paige added.
“Socks and ice cubes?” Flack repeated. “I told you they were both crazy.”
“And on that note, I’m sure you and Taylor would like to freshen up, maybe have a nap, before supper. Damon’s going to get a barbeque going, seeing as it’s so nice out.”
“Don’t worry,” Damon added. “You can make as much noise as you want. The guest room is at the far end of the house. We can’t hear anything.”
“Ew! Damon!” Paige cried. “That’s my big brother there. Don’t be so gross!”
“And that’s my wife,” Damon joked as Taylor handed Jesse back to his mother and joined Flack. “Twenty seven years young and a mother of two.”
* * *
Taylor was still smiling even as she got out of the shower some time later. “What’s got you so happy?” asked Flack from the bed where he had been napping.
“Socks and ice cubes,” Taylor murmured, lying down beside him.
“You actually are crazy, aren’t you?”
“Certifiable,” Taylor managed to agree before falling asleep.
It was Taylor who awoke first, her stirring disturbing Flack. He pulled her to him and began nibbling at her neck. “Don,” she protested. “We can’t.”
“You heard what my brother-in-law said,” Flack whispered in her ear.
“And I have no problem with that. It’s the two year old who is watching us from the closet.”
Flack stopped and sat bolt upright. “How did Jesse get in here?” he cried, spotting the brown eyes staring at him from the partly open door.
“Socks and ice cubes,” Taylor murmured, lying down beside him.
“You actually are crazy, aren’t you?”
“Certifiable,” Taylor managed to agree before falling asleep.
It was Taylor who awoke first, her stirring disturbing Flack. He pulled her to him and began nibbling at her neck. “Don,” she protested. “We can’t.”
“You heard what my brother-in-law said,” Flack whispered in her ear.
“And I have no problem with that. It’s the two year old who is watching us from the closet.”
Flack stopped and sat bolt upright. “How did Jesse get in here?” he cried, spotting the brown eyes staring at him from the partly open door.
Originally posted 05/05/2007