Part 19 (1/2)
”Pretty good. We have a couple of old-timers who've been coming here since before we built the cabins. Twenty-some years ago when I was about eight, I used to bring them a hot meal and check on them. Make sure they had coffee, bait. Mainly just so I could tell my family that they hadn't frozen to death. They'd pitch a tent on the riverbank and sleep out here in their sleeping bags, with it sleeting like h.e.l.l all around them.”
”Marilyn and I used to go camping with her mother,” Sam said. ”Her mom's idea of 'roughing it' was more than two people sharing a bathroom, but Marilyn's always been hardy. She likes the outdoors. But I guess you know that by now.”
Jack nodded then told Sam about her dunking him in the river.
”Never underestimate a woman,” Sam said. ”Particularly one from the East Coast. The rest of the country wouldn't have been settled if not for settlers and pioneers from back east. She comes from good stock.”
Jack chuckled, thinking how well Sam knew his daughter and how much he himself didn't. She'd already given him a few surprises. Her dad, however, was one of the best.
Wouldn't it be interesting to wake up in Marilyn's arms every morning and be able to have Sam over for coffee or take him fis.h.i.+ng?
”You want the whole truth?” Jackson asked.”Shoot. I can take it.” The older man narrowed his eyes.”I love her, Sam.””What are you planning to do about it?”A grin slowly spread across Jack's face. ”Well, it involves you, sir.””I hope you're not asking me to marry you!””Sort of. I know she's your only child. How would you feel about pullin' up roots and settin' 'em down here if your daughter decides she'll have me? Somehow putting distance between the two of you doesn't seem like a good idea. Besides, I'd enjoy your company.”
”What on earth could they possibly be talking about?” Marilyn fumed, lowering the binoculars and setting them on the picnic table.
”I can't believe you're spying on them,” Colette said, handing Marilyn a freshly made gla.s.s of iced tea and joining her on their front porch.
”Probably you,” Chuck said, coming out of their cabin to join them.
”What does that mean?” Marilyn asked defensively.
”Just what I said. If I know men, your dad is wondering if Jack is treating you right, and Jack is tap-dancing as fast as he can to keep from spilling his guts to your father about his predicament in the contest.”
”That friggin' contest!” Marilyn fumed. ”I wish I'd never thought of it.”
”Why did you?” Chuck asked, flinching when Colette jabbed him in the ribs.
”Pretty obvious, I'd say,” Marilyn murmured. ”I've been chasing a stupid pipe dream. I wanted to meet him, and the guy kept refusing to let me interview him. I figured that, short of showing up on his doorstep with no agenda, the contest was the next best thing.”
She shook her head and sighed. ”And all I've done is embarra.s.s him, challenge his integrity and put him in hot water up to his eyeb.a.l.l.s.”
”Oh, I wouldn't say that,” Chuck said. ”Jack needed shaking up a bit. I think you've been good for him.”
”Yeah?” Marilyn asked, daring to hope. ”We shall see.”
”Well, I'm off,” Chuck said. ”I have to prepare for tonight's dinner. I shouldn't have stayed as long as I have-just wanted to drop off that package you ordered for Jack.”
He nodded over his shoulder toward the item draped over the sofa.
As Chuck left, Chance Delacroix drove up and honked. Marilyn's stomach lurched as she saw the pa.s.senger step out of Chance's Jeep.
She plastered what she hoped was a confused but delighted smile on her face and whimpered as Colette mumbled behind her, ”Uh-oh, p.r.i.c.k alert!”
”Hey, gorgeous!” Ben yelled, setting down his luggage and opening his arms wide. ”Come give me a kiss!”
Chapter Seventeen.
Eastern Oklahoma Wild Onions & Eggs.
Ingredients (to feed 46 people):.
1 cup wild onions, cut into small pieces.
2 tablespoons of bacon drippings.
1/4 cup of water.
6 or 7 large eggs.
Cook onions in bacon grease on medium heat, add water. Once onions are tender and most of water evaporated during cooking, add eggs, scramble. Great side dishes include pork chops, fried potatoes, green beans, sweet potato pie, garden salad. Life on the river...simple, uncomplicated, relaxing. Wasn't that what Jackson's books depicted? Not this inferno of mixed emotions, cl.u.s.ter f.u.c.ks and unsettling, seemingly unrelenting upheaval. ”W-w-what are you doing here?” Marilyn stammered as Ben engulfed her in his arms and swung her around. ”I came to apologize for being such a d.i.c.k before you left.” His eyes searched hers earnestly. ”I'm sorry for not paying more attention to you and for not understanding that, of course, you want to work a while longer.” He took Marilyn's arm and ushered her toward the cabin's porch. Fis.h.i.+ng in a jacket pocket, he produced a small, velvet-covered jewelry box and knelt on one knee. Ben's fingers wrapped around Marilyn's left wrist and pulled her hand toward him, and Marilyn shot Colette a helpless look. ”Oh, Ben...no!” Marilyn cried, trying to ease herself out of his grasp. ”I want to do this right, while I'm thinking of it,” Ben insisted. ”Good G.o.d!” Colette exclaimed, rolling her eyes then retreating into the cabin. Marilyn frowned. ”While you're thinking of it? What's that supposed to mean?” Ben's smile slipped a little. ”I meant... You know, while I was in the mood, while we were alone...sort of. Why are you upset?” ”Because when a man asks me to marry him, I don't want his proposal to be a part of his daily agenda that he has to tick off on his calendar, Ben!” She stepped back. ”Meeting with new client-check. Lunch with the boss-check. Propose to girl who left me- check!”
”I thought you'd be pleased to see me,” Ben said, rising to stand.
She could tell that she'd hurt him, and for that she was immediately sorry. ”After I just broke up with you?” she asked. ”You should have called.”
”I did-you never returned my calls.”
Marilyn swallowed hard. ”I'm sorry-truly sorry, Ben, but...this just isn't working for me.”
She looked past him to see Chance helping her father and Jackson drag a canoe up the embankment toward Chance's Jeep. She could tell by the expressions on their faces that the three men had witnessed the whole proposal.
”Hi, Sam,” Ben said ruefully. ”I called your office and wheedled your destination out of your secretary. Sorry. I wanted to surprise Marilyn.”
Sam wiped his hands on his pants and nodded. ”Have a good flight?”
”It was okay.” Ben s.h.i.+fted his weight.
Marilyn bit back a laugh. Ben was uncomfortable, and she couldn't tell if he knew the others had watched him kneel before her or not. Chance was amused and kept turning his face toward the river, hiding his grin. Jackson's handsome face was stormy.
”I asked her to marry me,” Ben said.
”Get in line,” Sam replied.
What? Marilyn nearly dropped to her knees.
”This young fellow here just asked my permission to marry her while we were drinking beer,” Sam said, pointing to Jackson. ”Sorry, Jackson. I know that was your call to say it, not mine.”
Colette squealed from within the cabin, clearly having heard Marilyn's father.
”I don't understand.” Ben turned to Marilyn. ”You're having an affair with this man?”
”You did?” Marilyn peeked around Ben's body to stare at Jack.
He nodded, still looking like a thundercloud ready to erupt.
”Of course, he asked for a reasonable amount of time to convince her of it,” Sam continued, pointing this time at Marilyn. ”Seems first he has to learn how to cook, or the two of them will starve.”