Mary #48

This is a continuing story.  If you want to read from the beginning, please go to my side bar to the labels and click on story-Mary or click here.

48

“Sorry about that” Mary said when she came back into the kitchen. 

“No problem” Eli said.  “I remember what it was like with my mother-in-law.  It was tough.”

“What kind of cancer did she have?”

“Breast cancer, unfortunately, she didn’t make it.  I was hoping Elizabeth wouldn’t ask.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay.”

“I have some good news for you” she said cheerfully.

“What’s that?”

“I’m going to be able to rent that land to you for next spring to plant crops.  That’s if you would still be interested and we can agree to a price.”

“I’m assuming that you worked out whatever you had to with your brothers or am I making an ass out of myself” and he laughed.

“No you’re not” and she laughed with him.

“You’re pretty easy to talk to Mary” and he touched her hand briefly.

“I feel the same way” and she could still feel the warmth from his touch.” 

“So, are you just going to be renting the land and leave the house empty?”

“Well as a matter of fact, I’m going to be turning it into a bed and breakfast inn.”

“Who is going to be taking care of it while you’re in New York?’

“No, I’m moving back. I didn’t realize how much I missed home until I came back.  Elizabeth was the one who suggested turning the place into a B&B.  I don’t know if I can make a go of it but my brothers gave me the go ahead to try.”

“I like the idea.”

“Elizabeth and I have already been making plans on how to fix up the place.  After Christmas, we’ll start doing the renovations and I hope to open up by summer.”

“If you need any help let me know.  You know what farm life is like, I’ll have a lot of free time on my hands until it’s time to start getting the land ready to plant.   Until then I can be all yours.”

“Okay, another time we can talk about what skills you have to bring to the table.”

“You’d be surprised at what skills I have” and he gave Mary a wink.

“Are you getting cold she said” and she shivered.

“It is a little chilly in here.  I think I’m done eating do you want me to make a fire?”

“That would be great.  I’ll clean up in here and meet you in the living room.”

“Okay” and he left.

Mary got up and put the pizza box in the fridge.  She started putting the dishes in the sink.  She took a second and looked at Eli making the fire.  She then turned back, got a dishcloth out of the sink and started wiping the table off.  She went to the doorway of the living room and thought to herself how much she liked Eli and she knew the feelings were mutual.  She suddenly felt happier than she had in a long time. 

“Mary, are you okay” Eli asked.

“Yes, I couldn’t be better.  I guess I got lost in my thoughts.  Wow, that’s a nice fire you made.  I think something might be wrong with the furnace.  I’ve had to make a lot of fires already and it seems too early for that.”

“Believe it or not, furnaces happen to be one of my skills” and he laughed.  “I don’t know if I mentioned but my dad did furnaces and air conditioners for a living.  From the time I was little, he took me on jobs and I helped him. I could look at it for you.”

“Not tonight.  It’s too late.  You can come anytime as long as it’s before winter” and she chuckled.

“I’ll come and look at it tomorrow if that’s okay.”

“Great” she said.  “Let’s sit” and Mary sat on the sofa and Eli sat right next to her.

“You want to see if there’s anything on TV?”

“Sure.”

Mary turned the TV on and flipped through the channels.  There didn’t seem to be anything on but she stopped at a channel with a comedian on and Eli said “Let’s watch this.  He’s pretty funny.”

“Okay, I’m going to get a glass of wine.  Do you want a glass of water?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Mary came back with the wine, turned the lights out and sat down.  “I hope you don’t mind but I like to watch TV at night with the lights out especially when a fire is going.”

“That’s perfect.  I do the same thing” and they both started laughing at a joke on TV.

She was through with her wine and decided she was going to get up and get some more.  Suddenly, she felt Eli putting his arm around the back of the sofa and then around her.  She decided she would forget about the wine.

When the show was over Eli said “It’s 11, I better get going” and he took his arm off her and headed to the door.

Mary walked him out and said “Thanks for bringing the pizza.  It was a lifesaver.  I didn’t really feel like making anything.”

“No problem.  I’ll call you tomorrow when I figure out what time I’ll be over to look at the furnace.”

“That would be great.  Bye” Mary started to turn around. 

Eli touched her shoulder and she turned around.  He took her in his arms and gave her a long, lingering kiss and said goodbye.

Mary went in the house and lay on the sofa.  She put the afghan over herself and murmured "wow" feeling goosebumps but she didn't think it was from the cold.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.