Riches to Rags to Riches Volume 3

[cutter]

The clan decided they missed us.  Here we go again.  Please, enjoy.


Chapter 1



(Saturday, March 27, 2021, Marshall homestead, Summer kitchen, 11 AM)



“MAMA! POPPA! POPPAAAA!”



“What’s wrong, Eliza?”



“Hunka Mark hurt!”



“Where is Uncle Mark?”



Apple garden! C’mon! Hunka Mark hurt!”



“Bobby, he and Stacy were going to prune the apple trees today. I hope he didn’t fall off a ladder!”



“Kitty, we better go check. Show us where, Eliza!”



Bobby and Kit hurry after their daughter as Eliza runs toward the orchard as fast as her little legs will carry her, her long black hair flying in the breeze. She’s a petite little thing, very slim and a little under three feet tall. She was conceived during a brutal rape, four years ago. The rapist who fathered her was killed when police tried to arrest him, though he had already received injuries that would have been fatal, before the police arrived. Bobby, the man she calls “Poppa”, fell in love with Kit before Eliza was born. Bobby is the love of Kitty’s life. They married very young, in their freshman year of high school, so that Eliza would be born to them both as their daughter. Eliza knows something happened before she was born, but Bobby is the only father she has ever known. Eliza was in a hurry to see the world. She was born five weeks early, just two days after her parents’ wedding. Bobby and Kit weren’t sure she would be healthy, but at three years old, their only child is a bundle of endless energy and curiosity. She’s strong and smart, with no problems from her difficult birth. She’s a fast little twerp, too!



When they get to the orchard, Bobby and Kit find Mark and his girlfriend Stacy circling each other. Their fists are drawn up and their expressions are serious. Their movements are fluid and subtle, born of years of training. These two are clearly fighting. Kit especially, can almost feel the deadly menace in the air. Mark was who gave her rapist the injuries that would have killed him, if the deputy sheriff had not finished the job first. Just as the little family arrives, Stacy attacks. Mark blocks several punches and kicks, just as Stacy blocks his. Finally, Stacy sees her opening. She throws a round punch with her right hand that Mark also blocks, only to have her sweep his legs out from under him with her right leg. Stacy continues pushing him with her fist as he falls. He lands hard on the ground as Stacy pins him there with her hand, laughing. She helps Mark up.



“Damn!”



“See! Auntie Stacy hit Hunka Mark. Him fall down! Hunka Mark said bad word!”



“Yes he did. Should we have Auntie Stacy spank Uncle Mark?”



“Yes, Mama! Auntie Stacy spank!”



“Kiddo, I think your Auntie Stacy just did. Come give me a hug, Ladybug!”



Eliza launches herself at Mark in a flying hug. She adores her Uncle Mark and Aunt Stacy.



“You K, Hunka Mark?”



“I’m ok. She didn’t hurt me; we were just practicing. What are you doing here?”



“I wan help!”



“You want to help Auntie Stacy beat me up?”



“NO! Wan help prunes!”



“What do you want to do?”



“Up! Wan help prunes!”



“I don’t know; it’s pretty high up. You might fall and hurt yourself.”



“Mark, when have you ever let any of us get hurt?”



“About four years ago. Seems like letting the people I love get hurt was all I did back then.”



“Mark, stop it. You were there when I really needed you. You were there for all of us. Let it go.”



“I wan prunes! Hunka Mark hold! I no fall! I wan prunes!”



Bobby chuckles as he speaks. “Go on, Hunkle Mark. You’ll keep her safe.”



“See! Poppa trust! I wan prunes!”



“Ok, Ladybug. Let’s climb up and I’ll show you how to prune the trees. You hold onto the ladder tight.”



Stacy just shakes her head as she smiles at Mark and Eliza. He can never resist the littles in anything. He’s going to be a great father. He’s the same way with her youngest brother and sister, twins who were born just a few months before Eliza was. All three of them always want “Hunka Mark” to do things with them. Even two year old William, the second son of Mark’s oldest brother and his wife, wants to do everything with Hunka Mark. One of Stacy’s greatest joys in life is watching him with the littles. He swells with pride every time they learn or accomplish something. When they get the least little cut or scrape, he’s right there to patch them up and cradle them in his arms to comfort them until they feel better. To anyone who didn’t know better, it would look like he was their father. She chose well; her man truly loves children. She just wishes she knew if he still felt the same about her.



Stacy turned sixteen last month and Mark turns sixteen next month. For the millionth time, she relives that night three years ago when Mark promised her he would propose to her on his sixteenth birthday. What had started as a romantic night alone, turned into an argument over not having sex and then into the lightning strike of realization that the only person Mark loved more than her is God.



It’s been a hard three years since. They’ve managed to build their dream of a cattle and horse farm into something real. They ended up joining forces with the farm trust and now run almost fifty head of red and black angus cattle, including calves. The herd is still growing. They have a herd of nine Tennessee walker horses they bought from a neighbor and six Belgian draft horses they bought from an Amish family in the area. They put some money into the trust to expand the hog operation and spent an outrageous amount of money for six alpacas. Those animals have bred well and they expect their herd of alpacas to grow to eleven this year. Their wool sells for a high price. The operation is more profitable than they ever thought it would be at this point. Even with the farm trust getting part of the revenue, they make a little over four thousand dollars a month after taxes. It let them buy eight acres of the old Overstreet section of the farm and build a house and garage. It came at a price though. Between school, and the cattle operation, and getting ready for their life together; they haven’t had much time for themselves. Stacy worries that things have changed between them. She worries that they lost something between them. When they have the time and Mark can stay awake, it’s good, but they don’t have the time often enough. He hit a growth spurt in their freshman year. At five foot ten inches, the muscular, handsome man Mark has become has drawn a lot of attention from other girls. She worries she can’t compete with them.



It’s used to be a lot harder to behave themselves too, back when they finished the house last summer, with a lot of help from their extended family. The weekend they got it all finished, they stayed there for the first time. There wasn’t a single piece of real furniture in the house. The only things they had were a mismatched service for four of plates, bowls, and silverware, a skillet and pot, a cast iron dutch oven, a cutting board and a Rapala fillet knife that Stacy absolutely loves to use for all her food prep, a coffee pot with a half dozen assorted Boy Scout coffee mugs, a folding table and some camp chairs. Stacy fixed supper for them that night and they ate on the patio on a blanket. They slept outside on the covered deck Mark built for her off their master bedroom on the second floor. As they lay there on an air mattress looking at the stars with the sounds of nocturnal animals and the smell of lavender in the air, the temptation was almost too much and they both almost gave in and broke the agreement they made to wait until their engagement night. These days, there’s not much romance between them. Whole days go by without Mark even giving her a real kiss.



If Mark keeps his promise, that night is coming in exactly thirty days. Mark has never broken a promise to Stacy, not once. Stacy went on the pill, by her own choice, six months ago. Mark’s conditions are that they are responsible and do not conceive a child before they are actually married, can support themselves and children, and then only after they graduate high school..



Stacy finished sewing her wedding dress a week ago. Mark doesn’t know about it. He doesn’t know about the formal gown she sewed for the night he proposes to her either. On the night he proposes, she wants to be the Lady Anastasia Elizabeth for him that her Mom made her into, the night she and Mark unexpectedly reunited after his two year stay with one of his brothers in Germany. The last time he saw her like that was the day her Mom graduated from High school, almost four years ago. She hopes she can take his breath away like she did the first time he saw her like that; maybe it will rekindle the romance they used to share between them.



A small branch falls at Stacy’s feet. “HEY! Watch it!”



“Sorry, Auntie Stacy. I no mean hit!”



“Hey Stacy, me and Ladybug are trying to work here! Get out of the way before you get hurt.”



Stacy just shakes her head again and steps over to Kit and Bobby. “So why did you two come running up here? I thought you were working on the Gator and Kit was fixing lunch for everybody.”



“Apparently, Eliza saw you two’s little sparring session and thought you were trying to kill her uncle. I can’t believe you managed to put him down!”



“I don’t very often. Mark’s just too damn good. I was on a roll today; that was twice I got inside his guard. He’s going to get his revenge. He’s talking about putting me up against Aunt Morgan. She’ll kick my ass and never break a sweat!”



“I’m not so sure about that, Sister. She can hold her own with Mark, but they’re pretty evenly matched. You might take her. Why were you sparring anyway? I thought you two were pruning the trees in the orchard.”



“We had just got finished. You know how little time we get to just have some fun together. I’m glad we didn’t go with my other option, since Ladybug was around.”



“She would have just said her Auntie Stacy and Huncle Mark were being yucky again.”



“We start early enough in this family anyway. No sense giving her ideas yet, not that Mark and I are likely to give anybody any ideas anymore.”



“I’ve about got lunch ready. Think Mark can spare you to give me a hand putting everything out?”



“Hey Mark! I’m going to go give Kit a hand putting lunch out. You two hurry up and get done.”



“Go on. We’re going to get these last two and then we’ll be along.”



“Yeah, we hurry! I hungry!”



“Spoken like a true member of the family. Let’s go.”



“You girls go on. I’m gonna’ hang for a few to make sure they get down ok.”



“Thanks, Darlin’.”



As Kit and Stacy head back to the summer kitchen, they talk. They’re not really sisters. Kit was adopted by Mark’s oldest brother, Brian and Brian’s wife, Morgan, while Stacy and her two brothers were adopted by Morgan’s sister, Erin and her husband, Larry. Kit’s twin sister, Kat was killed in a terrorist attack almost four years ago. The bond she built with Stacy and Mark in the aftermath of her twin’s death and the events surrounding her rape that followed, brought them together so tightly that she thinks of them both as siblings. Brian and Morgan are also the legal guardians of Mark, since his parents’ deaths.



“So, only a month to go. Are you excited?”



“Kit, I’m scared shitless! The buildup to this has been going on for four years! You can’t believe how much pressure and tension there is! I’m liable to throw up on him when he comes to pick me up because I’m so nervous. If I manage not to do that, I’m afraid I’ll faint when he pops the question before I can say yes. That’s if he even pops the question. If I get through all of that without screwing up, I’ll probably forget where our noses go and he’ll give up before we ever get to the making love part! What if I don’t do it right? What if he decides Mary would be a better lover? She’s been trying to cozy up to him for months! I mean, look at me!”



“Yeah, let’s look at you for a minute. You’ve managed to hang onto him for four years now. You two have been together that whole time. Sky broke up with Sam for a year. She’s damn lucky he took her back after she hurt him like she did. Alan and Jen split up last year. Billy and Stephanie are still going strong, thanks to you and Mark. You two built a business together. You built a home together. You’ve already built a life together. You’ve carried Mark through some of the darkest times of his life. In the middle of Hell, you wouldn’t leave him behind. When he didn’t know if he would ever walk again, you wouldn’t leave his side. When he started getting feeling and movement back in his legs; you were right there with him, pushing him and cheering him on, every step of the way. When he watched his mother take her last breath, you were the one holding his hand. It was your shoulder he cried on that night; you who helped him to let it all out and held him until dawn. You were the one who was out alone in the woods all night looking for him when things got to be too much for him and he totally flipped out. You have never let him down.”



“But nobody else was trying to steal him away from me then!”



“You know, me and Mark still talk, a lot! You have nothing to worry about, but you better eat a LOT of breakfast that morning. That boy’s all about you! It’s driving him insane to wait, and not just for the sex! That’s the least of his worries! He’s chomping at the bit to marry you! You know as well as I do that Mary isn’t the first girl to try to steal him away. There was Tammy, Kate, and let’s not forget that little slut Ashley! She flashed him and all he said was that he hoped someday she grew some boobs! She’s stacked! He doesn’t want anybody else, you’re it. I’m telling you, in one month, he is going to rock your whole world!”



“Doesn’t seem like it. Kit, what was it like when you and Bobby did it the first time?”



“It was...It was heaven. Bobby was so gentle, so careful with me. I started it. He was asleep when I did. He was hesitant at first. Stacy, he was so worried I wasn’t ready. I don’t know if he would have ever made the first move. When he finally did put his hands on me, his touch was so light, it was like being held by air; but he had me and I wasn’t going anywhere. I don’t guess it was too romantic, but I literally wept through our first time, I was so overwhelmed with the emotions. It was slow, and gentle, and comforting, and oh so powerful. I knew in the first minute that my whole life had led me to that moment. I was exactly where I was supposed to be, with the man who I would share the rest of my life with. The sun was coming up when we just couldn’t anymore and finally fell asleep in each other’s arms. Anastasia, it’ll be that special for you too. You and Mark have been married in fact almost since you were both twelve years old; you’re just waiting for the consummation and the paperwork. Really Sister, it’ll be ok.”



“Mark hasn’t called me Anastasia in four months. I hope you’re right. Nothing against Bobby, but there isn’t another man like Mark in the world.”



“Not for you. All of us girls in the crew got the best man for us. Jen was a fool to leave Alan. Now if we can only get Sam off his ass so he’ll pop the question to Sky.”



“One lost cause at a time. Ready for me to ring the dinner bell?”



“Tell ‘em to come and get it.”



Stacy rings an old fashioned triangle dinner bell, then she pulls out her phone and makes a conference call to a few family members who are too far away to hear the bell. “Let feeding time at the zoo, begin!”



Later that afternoon, Erin catches Stacy as she walks into their kitchen.



“Hi, Sweetheart. You feel like going to town?”



“Yeah, what are we going in for?”



“The twins and Noah all need new shoes. I thought you might want to drive.”



“With the Jedi twins and Noah in the truck?!? Mom, are you sure?”



“Yeah. Stacy you’re a good driver. You were already a good driver when you got your permit. You have more night driving hours than you need, but you haven’t hit your sixty yet.”



Well, sure then. Where are we going?”



“I thought we’d go to Walmart for their shoes and then maybe go into Bowling Green to see if we can’t find you a new dress.”



“Mom, you know I sew all my own clothes now.”



“Yeah, but this dress is for a special occasion.”



“What did I miss?



“Nothing yet. Your big night is coming up, and you’ll want to look radiant.”



“What big night? What do you know that I don’t?”



“Nothing. Mark’s birthday is coming up. You two have only been waiting for that night for three years! I want my eldest daughter to look her best on her night to remember.”



“He asked your and Dad’s permission!?!”



“Not yet, but he will. You know he will. We might as well get a jump on things.”



“Mom, I need to show you something. Come up to my room.”



“Should I be worried?”



“No, I’m worried enough for the both of us. I hope you’ll be proud.”



“I’m always proud of you. Let’s go!”



Erin and Stacy climb the stairs to the attic bedroom where she has lived since the twins were born. The other half is her brother, Jordan’s room. Their old rooms were needed for their brother and sister twins, Al and Roni. When they get there, Stacy turns to her Mom.



“Sit down, I’ll be a few minutes.”



“Ok, but the suspense is killing me.”



Stacy goes into the walk-in closet her Dad was so nice to build for her. She closes the door and quickly strips down. She then pulls a dress from a hanger and steps into it. It’s an elegant evening gown in midnight blue. It matches her eyes and the accessories she made for the double breasted, dark grey tuxedo she gave Mark for Christmas. He had mentioned he wanted a tux, but couldn’t find any that were double breasted like he liked. He said he didn’t care they weren’t in style anymore. His Dad favored them and he liked them too. She had made it for him and tailored it perfectly. He loved it. She had to admit, with his sandy blond hair, strong jaw, piercing brown eyes, and well muscled build; he made for a striking sight in it.



“Dammit! What was I thinking? I can’t wear a bra with this! What a pain! Ok, now to put it back on again! The things I do for that man!”



Stacy gets her dress readjusted and zips up the back. She sits down and pulls on her stockings and a pair of four inch blue heels.



“Did you get lost in there? Do I need to come pull you out?”



“One more second, Mom.”



Stacy adds the gold necklace with the diamond pendant Mark gave her for her birthday to the heart necklace she never takes off. It was a gift from her mother, the first day she and her two oldest brothers came to live with Erin and Larry. Her Mom wears an identical heart pendant. The matching necklaces are something special they share between them.



“Close your eyes, Mom. I’m coming out.”



“Ok, they’re closed. Hurry up, I’m dyin’ here!”



Stacy picks up a matching clutch purse she made and steps out of the closet. She stands in front of her mother.



“Ok Mom, open your eyes. What do you think?”



“Oh my God in Heaven! Oh Stacy, you’re, you’re breathtaking! You’re so beautiful! You look like an angel! And that dress! Where in the world did you get that dress?!?”



“I made it, and the purse. Do I really look ok? I’m gonna’ do my hair different and put on makeup.”



“Oh Stacy! Oh...oh…”



“Why are you crying, Mom?”



“Because my little girl’s all grown up and you look so beautiful and you’re about to get engaged and, and…”



“Mom, it doesn’t matter how old I am; I’ll always be your little girl. I love you, Mom.”



“I love you too. Are you planning to make an entrance?”



“Is there another way to show up in a dress like this for a date like that?”



“Well, I guess we could rig up a spotlight and hire an orchestra for a background score.”



“Mom, now you’re just being silly.”



“Sweetheart, in that dress, you could pull it off. I just hope you don’t break your neck in those shoes!”



“I’ve been practicing. I can even walk outside in the grass in them. If I wear flats, Mark and I will both break our necks trying to kiss. Besides, they make my legs and butt look really sexy.”



“You can’t see them in that dress.”



“No, but I know they are. I don’t plan to be wearing this dress all night either, assuming it even happens.”



“Anastasia! You shouldn’t say things like that to your mother!”



“But it was ok for you to tell me that you and Dad were ‘doing some plumbing’ out at the firepit?”



“That’s different. You were twelve years old.”



“Yeah, and I was still twelve when you came clean with me. Mom, we both know how I want this to go. Engagement night sex is a family tradition that goes back to at least Mark’s Mom and Dad. Grandma Sue and Grandpa Bert too. You and Dad did it.”



“Yeah, we did. I hope you and Mark have all the passion and none of the trouble we had.”



“Mom, we’ve had enough trouble of our own. You and Dad got through yours. That’s part of being married; you take on whatever comes, together.”



“Sweetheart, you and Mark are ready. Dad and I are going to gain a wonderful son in Mark. He’s a good match to our wonderful daughter. As far as your dress, I’m more than just proud.”



“When we get back, I’ll show you my wedding dress. If you like this one, you should love that one. Oh, Mark doesn’t know about either one of these dresses. It probably won’t matter to him, but I want to try to surprise him.”



“I won’t tell him or Dad. Stacy, are you and Mark having problems?”



“I don’t know, Mom. We aren’t like we used to be. I don’t know why it happened, but there’s no romance anymore. All we do is work. The last time I woke up in his arms was the Christmas campout with the crew.”



“Y’all have been busy. The romance is still there; it just hasn’t had much chance to work it’s magic lately. It’s nice to see the Lady Anastasia Elizabeth out for some fresh air again.”



“She never went in. She’s just been wearing jeans while she tries to help her future husband build a life for the two of us; at least I hope he’s still my future husband. Let me get out of this thing so we can go. Do me a favor and unzip me.”



“Sure. You can’t get it unzipped yourself?”



“I can, but I look like a cartoon character doing it. We don’t have time for all that.”



“There you go. I’ll go get the Jedi twins ready and round up Noah.”



“Just call him. He and Jordan are up at the pond putting some new boards on the dock. Why don’t you see if Jordan wants to go too? He said something about getting Sherry a new sketch book and some new drawing pencils.”



“And there’s another budding romance.”



“Mom, they’re twelve.”



“So were you and Mark when you two started.”



“Yeah, and look at us now. He barely even kisses me anymore. Give me a few minutes.”



“Ok, don’t forget to put your bra back on.”



“You noticed that, huh?”



“One less thing to confuse Mark.”



“No worries there. He knows how to work ‘em; I just wish he would.”



“I don’t need to know that. Go change.”

[darkwolf]

Thank You

[papaof2]

"The clan decided they missed us. Here we go again."

Yeah, it's hard to resist when the characters in your head start getting loud ;-)

[catspaw65]

YAY!!! I missed this bunch.

[cutter]

So did I. I just hope Mark and Stacy work things out.

[biggkidd]

Thank You SIR!

[gipsy]

Great return, and suspense building here

[biggkidd]

Mar 3, 2018 1:44:51 GMT -6 cutter said:

So did I. I just hope Mark and Stacy work things out.

Hopefully there's not actually a problem other than Mark trying to be responsible. 

[cutter]

Oh, there's a problem. History is trying to repeat itself. I just hope neither Stacy nor Mark follow in Morgan's footsteps.

By the way, was anybody else as excited as I was to see Eliza again? Also, does anybody else see the irony of her "Auntie Stacy spank!" comment, given the mouth on her Auntie Stacy?

One more thing.  I have a new voice in my head, several actually, but this one in particular is being pretty demanding.  I think he's going to take a little while to come crashing into the family like a bull in a china shop, but when he does, I see all kinds of problems and possibilities.  I think things will turn out ok, but not quickly or easily.

[papaof2]

"I have a new voice in my head, several actually, but this one in particular is being pretty demanding. I think he's going to take a little while to come crashing into the family like a bull in a china shop, but when he does, I see all kinds of problems and possibilities. I think things will turn out ok, but not quickly or easily."

The ones that stew and brew for a while tend to be VERY interesting. This should be good (or maybe BAD),

[headlesshorseman]

WELCOME BACK MARK AND STACY! Bobby and Kit did good with Eliza.

Thank you.

[9idrr]

Hard to improve on perfection, cutter, but I think you're doin' it. Thank you.

[cutter]

We will see and I will try. Thanks for the vote of confidence.

[udwe]

So glad the crew is back!!!!!!!! More please!

[cutter]

I'm sorry, but I don't plan to post new chapters daily like I tried to do for the first two volumes. It was driving me to distraction trying to crank out a chapter a night and I think the story might have suffered a little for it. I took a page out of the other guys' books and wrote a few chapters ahead before I started posting this one. If I get to a point where I'm around ten chapters ahead, I'll accelerate the posting schedule. You guys have been so great and this story and these characters have become so special to me that I want to deliver the very best story I can. Thanks everybody for coming on the trip with me again.

[papaof2]

Take your time. Some of us will be checking for the next chapter at least every other day. Others might check a bit more often ;-) There are reasons to use a handle and not your name on a forum. If you signed in as Elmer Q. McIntosh, someone might search for a phone number for every Elmer they could find ;-)

[cutter]

Things are gettin' real with Mark and Stacy. I don't know what they'd do without Kit. Hope she can pull their butts out of the fire one more time. Please, enjoy.

Chapter 2

(Wednesday, April 21, 2021, Franklin High school, Lunch)

“Hey Kit? I need to talk to you a minute.”

“Sure Mark. What’s up?”

“I need a favor. I need Stacy out of her house and busy for a while tonight.”

“You’re gonna’ ask Larry and Erin, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, and I don’t want her to know about it. My birthday’s on Monday. I promised her I’d propose on my birthday, but with school the next day, we won’t be able to really enjoy it. I’m taking her to The Bistro on Friday. Friday’s close enough to me being sixteen that I can live with it. I don’t want her to know I’m proposing. I’m going to play it off that we’ve been too busy and need a break.”

“You don’t have to play that off. You two are nonstop! I don’t even know when you sleep! You two haven’t been up to the back forty or the fire pit since Christmas! When’s the last time you two spent a night together? Mark, she’s freaking out right now. She’s thinks you changed your mind.”

“Don’t you think I know that? She’s been about as subtle as a bulldozer with her hints. I know I’ve been messing with her head a little. I can’t make her wait anymore. She’s either going to kiss me or kill me, but I hope she says yes.”

“You’re a dumbass. She’s going to say yes! Mark, she’s been counting down the minutes for the last three years! I’ll keep her busy for at least two hours tonight. How do you want to play Friday?”

“I’m going all out. I’ve already booked a limo and made the dinner reservations for 7:00. Bernard is ordering the flowers so Stacy doesn’t find out that way. I’ve had her ring for two months. I’m going to wear the tux she gave me for Christmas. Try to get her to buy a new dress for that night. Hell, I’ll give you the money and you buy it for her. I’m going to make up some excuse why we can’t go out on my birthday.”

“I may have to talk a little trash about you, but I think I can manage to get her looking presentable. She may end up beating us both over this. You really weren’t thinking when you were teaching her how to fight, were you?”

“I was thinking, but not about this. When I started teaching her to fight, I was thinking about her being able to stomp Bobby and CPS caseworkers into the carpet. Kit, this is the most important thing I’ve ever done. Talk all the trash you want about me, call me Troy if you have to, just help me make this an unforgettable night for her.”

“Don’t you ever mention that bastard’s name and anybody decent in the same sentence again! Mark, you could propose to her at McDonalds with both of you in dirty sweats and it would be unforgettable for her.”

“Yeah, but I want it to be a good unforgettable.”

“Here she comes! I’ll take care of it. About seven?”

“Yeah.”

“What are you two up to?”

“Nothing. I told Kit to ask Bobby if he was free this weekend. We have to get that new shelter built in the west pasture. The herd’s getting too big for the shelter we have. I’ve got to see about getting another well sunk too. If we can get started on the new shelter Saturday, we should be able to get it done by Wednesday night, if we work on it Saturday, Sunday, Monday night, and Tuesday night.”

“Monday’s your birthday! We were supposed to go out and celebrate that night! You promised!”

“I know! I’m sorry, but the cows need that shelter! This is important!”

“I used to be important to you too! Fine! Build your damn shelter for your damn cows!”

“Stacy, come on! We’ll go out Friday. We need a break anyway. We’ll get some supper somewhere and maybe catch a movie or something.”

“Whatever! I’m going to my locker! See you in class, if you aren’t too busy!”

Stacy storms off toward her locker. She tries to hold them back, but Mark sees the tears in her eyes. Several guys are laughing at Mark.

“Well Romeo, you played that well. Why didn’t you just slap her; it would have been quicker.”

“Because she would have beat me to death. Kit, did I just really screw up?”

“Yeah, but don’t worry about it. I’ll talk some sense into her tonight.”

“I owe you one.”

“Nah. You bailed my ass out enough times.”

“Hey Mark, if Stacy doesn’t want to go out with you Friday, I’m free. I’d love to go.”

“Mary, if all I wanted was a whore, I have the money to hire a professional. Stacy’s the only woman for me. She’s all I want or need. There’s nothing you’ve got that I want to catch. Leave me the hell alone!” Mark walks away. He’s pissed off at Mary and really angry at himself. Very few things upset him as much as seeing Anastasia cry, and he just made her cry.

“What a dick!”

“If it’s anything like the rest of him, I’ll say! Give it up, Mary; you’re out of your league.”

“What’s that little bitch got that I haven’t?”

“Other than boobs and money and her own business and really nice clothes and perfect hair? Mark.”

“Shut up!”

“And she’s nicer too.”

“I said shut up!”

“Hey, I’m the only friend you’ve got. If that’s the way you want it. Nice knowin’ ya’.”

“You don’t mean that, Savanna.”

“Yeah, I do. You’re a complete and total bitch. They don’t really like me much either, but they are at least civil with me. That’s more than I can say for you most of the time. I’m done with you.”

That afternoon, as Bobby drives them home, Mark tries to talk to Stacy in the back seat of the truck.

“Stacy, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you mad.”

“You didn’t make me mad; you hurt me. All we ever do anymore is work. We barely take time to have any fun together anymore and you haven’t taken me for a weekend away in months! There’s no romance with us anymore; it’s all just work. I’ve been waiting on your promise for three years, and now you tell me you can’t because some cows need a shelter built. It doesn’t matter. Just take care of your cows and horses; don’t worry about me.”

“We’re trying to make a future for ourselves. Let me make it up to you, Friday. Let’s go on a date and have a little fun.”

“You want to go out Friday, then go with Mary. I saw you talking to her. Just leave me alone.” Stacy turns away from Mark and looks out the window. She can’t keep the tears from falling as she feels the love she and Mark once shared slipping away. She wishes she had given in after Bobby and Kit’s wedding three years ago when Mark asked to make love with her. She thinks maybe if she had, he’d still be hers.

Mark just stares at Stacy. Surely she can’t really believe he would want Mary; he can’t stand Mary! He wants to surprise her, but this is too much. He can’t stand to see her hurting like this. He has to tell her the truth and forget the surprise. She’s right; they haven’t had much time for anything but work in almost the whole three years since that night in the cave when he promised to propose to her. He still loves her more than anything or anybody in the world. He doesn’t know where he went wrong and made her think anything is more important to him or that he could ever want anybody else. Everything he’s done, he’s done for her. He doesn’t want her to have to worry and struggle like his Mom and Dad did when they first got married. His Dad told him how hard it was for them at first. He told Mark how his Mom used to make his Dad go to bed so he could get almost enough rest to go to his job and then come home to do all the work he did to build up the farm again; while she stayed up late into the night, sewing and washing clothes for people for money and worrying over the bills. His Dad told him how his Mom had lied to him so many nights. She said she had already eaten when she put his supper in front of him. Dad found out years later that most of those nights, Mom had gone to bed hungry so Dad would have enough to eat to keep him going. When Brian was born, the hospital bills almost cost them the farm. Dad worked so long and hard to pay those bills that he got sick. Pete Frakes, Greg Phillips, and a few other men and women had tended the farm until Dad got well. The stress from those tight early years has almost broken his Mom and Dad’s marriage several times. He doesn’t want any of that for Stacy. For the first time in a long time, Mark calls Stacy by her full first name. She used to tell him it sounded magical when he said it.

“Anastasia?”

“Don’t. Please, just leave me alone.”

Between what Stacy just said and Kit shaking her head as she looks at him over her shoulder, Mark decides the best thing for him to do is just shut up before he makes things worse. They’re so close. If they can just hang on a few more weeks, all the hard work will be done and they can relax some. He prays silently that Kit can convince Stacy to go with him Friday.

When they get home, Stacy doesn’t get out of the truck. She just sits staring out the window.

“I’ve got to change and get to the garage.”

“Be safe, Darlin’. See you for supper.”

“Stacy, we’re home. Stacy? Stacy, what do I do?”

“Don’t you think you’ve done enough already, Mark? Go change your clothes and give Bobby a hand so I can see my husband sometime tonight. Stacy needs to talk to somebody who’ll listen, and you ain’t it. Go on, before you stick your other foot in your mouth!”

Mark looks over at Kit. Kit winks at him.

“Kit, take care of her for me. I’ll do anything.”

“Fine, then do something. Go, dumbass!”

When Mark gets out of the truck, Kit starts working on Stacy.

“Sister? Sister, look at me. You can talk to me.”

When Stacy turns away from the window, Kit almost tells her what Mark’s planning. Her makeup is wrecked. She’s cried so much that her blouse is wet. Kit has seen the tortured look on her face only once before, almost four years ago. That time, she really was losing Mark, because he didn’t want to cause problems between her and her brother. Kit hopes she can help Stacy hold it together like she did then.

“Four years. We wasted four years. He promised me, Kit. He promised me he was going to propose to me on his sixteenth birthday. Now he’s going to spend it with cows. All he cares about is the farm, and the house, and the furniture, and the money. He used to care about me. He doesn’t care about me anymore. All he cares about is making money and stuff. I don’t care about the stuff. I don’t care about the house, or the furniture, or the damn cows. He promised me he’d always be there for me, that I’d always be the only one for him. I want the old Mark back, my Mark. I want my husband I’ve been waiting for, for the last three years. Where’d it all go wrong?”

“Stacy, Honey, you still have Mark. Mark loves you more than life itself. You told me what he said to you that night. All of that stuff had to happen. You have to be able to support yourselves. You have to have a place to live that isn’t with your Mom and Dad or my Mom and Dad. Sister, he’s keeping his promise to you. He cares about all that ‘stuff’ to make you happy, to be able to marry you. So what if he doesn’t propose exactly on his birthday. What does it matter if it’s a couple of weeks either way?”

“Kit, he hasn’t asked Mom and Dad. He’s not going to.”

“Did he tell you that?”

“If he was going to propose, he would have asked their permission already.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I asked Mom. He hasn’t asked them. He isn’t going to. It doesn’t matter anymore. I’m going home.”

“Don’t go home yet. Come with me. Let’s get Eliza and go up to the apartment. It’s been too long since we spent time together, just the two of us. Come on.”

“What the hell, Mark doesn’t want me and nobody’s home yet at my place. At least Eliza still loves me.”

“I love you too.”

“You know what I mean. Kit, the man I love isn’t the man I loved anymore. We used to be the center of each other’s world. I’m not sure I’m even in his world anymore.”

“You’re wrong. Why don’t you go out with him Friday and talk to him about it. Just get away from here and all the work and be like you two used to be. Get his attention.”

“How do you suggest I do that? I’ve worked side by side with him for the last three years! I’ve done everything I know to do to keep him and look where we are now! He doesn’t have time for me anymore and Mary’s caught his eye anyway.”

“Well, for one thing, wear that dress you’ve been hiding for the last two months. Another thing, get your head out of your ass. Mark’s got nothing for Mary. He was talking to her, alright; he told her you are the only woman for him. He told her if he wanted a whore, he would hire a professional. He told her to leave him alone. He didn’t even talk to Ashley as bad as he did Mary.”

“I sewed that dress for the night he was going to propose to me. He isn’t going to, so I’m just going to burn the damn thing when I get home tonight.”

“NO! Stacy, you go out with Mark on Friday and you wear that dress. Dress, purse, shoes, the whole bit; wear it!”

“He’s probably going to just take me to some cheap, bullshit place like Taco Bell, if he doesn’t decide he’s too busy between now and then.”

“Then you’ll be the best dressed girl there. You put your heart and soul into that dress. Don’t wear it for him; wear it for you. You made it and you deserve to show it off. Mark won’t change his mind about Friday. If you really believe you’re losing him, go all out and get him back then.”

“I don’t know.”

“Please Stacy; wear it for me.”

“Might as well. I stand a better chance of getting some lovin’ from you than I do from him.”

“Yuck! That’s just gross!”

“You know what I mean. Let’s get Eliza and I’ll come up and put some supper together for you three. At least I can be useful to somebody.”

“One condition, you stay for supper.”

“I don’t want to be in the way.”

You’re never in the way! You’re my sister! Eliza will love to have supper with her Auntie Stacy. Come on, please stay?”

“Ok. When will Bobby be home so we can have it ready?”

“He’ll be home about seven. He’s having to put a head gasket on that damn John Deere. I don’t know for the life of me why they don’t just put the Case in service with the company.”

“Because Mark’s been using it too much to build shelters and dig ponds for his precious damn cows!”

“Anyway! What do you feel like for supper?”

“Two beers and a bottle of bourbon.”

“Get serious.”

“I am serious. I don’t care. Whatever we can come up with that’s easy is fine.”

“Since when have you gone for easy in the kitchen?”

“Since Mark stopped meaning it when he thanks me for supper, not that we even have supper together much anymore.”

“You are so wrong about him.”

“I don’t think so. Come here, Ladybug.”


“Why cry Auntie Stacy?

“It was just a hard day. I’m better now that you’re here.”

“Luv you Auntie Stacy.”

“I love you too, Ladybug. I love you so much. Let’s go home and help Mama with supper.”

“You help supper?”

“Yep, I’m going to help make supper.”

“YAY!”

“So, do you miss it?”

“Working in the office?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah, I miss it; but between Eliza and school and Bobby and the college courses I’m taking online, I just don’t have time during the school year. I’ll start again after graduation. That’ll work out good. Eliza stays in the daycare with Mama and I can have lunch with her. The timing couldn’t have been better either. Melinda’s last day is June 18th.”

“Where are she and Chris going? Boulder?”

“Denver. He couldn’t pass up the job. We’re all going to miss her in the office, but it’s the best for her. Dad talked to Howard and got her an interview with Blaine Aerospace out there. She got the job. I think Eliza’s really going to miss Clarissa. Mama said they’re inseparable in the daycare.”

“It’s a wonder I didn’t get pregnant back then, just from being around you guys. Melinda got pregnant with Clarissa; Aunt Morgan with William; Amy already had Marlee and then had Jed and now she’s pregnant again! Sarah and Todd had Tim and then adopted Callie and Josh. I swear, you and Mom were contagious!”

“You should be glad it didn’t go airborne.”

“I was, even more now.”

“Stacy, give the guy a damn break!”

“Mama say bad word! Auntie Stacy spank!”

“I’m sorry, Ladybug. I’ll be good.”

“Ok Mama. No bad words!”

“I think my niece just schooled her Mama!”

“It put a smile on your face, so I can take it. Speaking of which, you need to wash your makeup off when we get to the apartment. You look terrible.”

“How would you have looked if Bobby had run when you told him about Eliza?”

Where Poppa run?”

“He didn’t, Ladybug. Your Poppa didn’t run anywhere.”

“Ok.”

“Like he ripped out my heart. He didn’t run and neither is Mark. You’re not going to back out on me are you?”

“On Friday? I should, but I’m going and I’m wearing my dress. I’m going to break it off after supper and I want him to see what he’s losing, not that it’ll matter to him.”

“You’re making a mistake, but there’s no talking you out of it. You go Friday and after supper, break up with Mark if you still want to. Personally, I think you’re being stupid!”

“Auntie Stacy not stupid! Mama mean!”

“Thanks, Ladybug. What are we fixing for supper?”

“I wan cheeburger!”

“Cheeseburgers it is. We’ll make fries too. What vegetable do you want?”

“Don care! I like vegables!”

“I know! How about I cut up a bunch of vegetables and you mix up some ranch dip for them?”

“Yay! I like dip!”

“You spoil her too much, Auntie Stacy.”

“But she eats her vegables.”

[papaof2]

Always good when you can get them to eat their "vegables" ;-)

[cutter]

I thought you'd appreciate that.

[headlesshorseman]

Thank you.

[cutter]

I'm having to fight the urge to post everything I have written. It's a strange feeling of elation and a little stress to want to tell this story so badly. I had actually planned to wait until Friday night to post this. I still don't know where it's all going to go or where the clan plans to take us, assuming they actually know. Anyway, here's the next chapter. If you're worried, don't feel bad; so am I. I don't have the chapter after this one complete yet. I know where I want it to go, but Mark and Stacy seem determined to do things their way. I hope I can convince them that I know what's best for them for once. Please, enjoy.

Chapter 3

While Kit, Stacy, and Eliza are heading up to Kit and Bobby’s apartment in the animal barn, Mark goes to Rubycon’s garage where Bobby and Mark’s brother Todd work as mechanics for his oldest brother’s company. Bobby’s got half of his body under the hood of the ragged out John Deere backhoe that Brian’s trying to nurse through just one more job; the thing’s such a worn out piece of junk. Mark smiles, thinking that if Eliza could hear her Poppa’s cursing, she would have Hunka Mark spank the stuffing out of him.

“You cuss worse than Todd. What can I help you with?”

“OUCH! Dammit Mark, you scared me! Don’t believe it; Todd’s who taught me. You’re one to talk anyway. I’ve seen you peel paint off the walls with your cussin’. I’m trying to get this head gasket changed, but the head’s warped. I’m trying to get some measurements for when I send it to the machine shop tomorrow. I ought to just order a new head, but parts are getting stupid expensive and hard to get. Wonder if I could just use some high temp silicone.”

“Too much heat and pressure. That head will have to be milled.”

“That’s gonna’ take time we don’t have. Cheryl needs Tony and this piece of crap on the job by Friday. Hell, she needs it now!”

“So we load up the Case and send Tony out with it tomorrow. He knows the controls for both.”

“You’re done with it?”

“No, but this is more important. Screw this and let’s just load the Case.”

“Sounds like a plan to me. Anything I need to do to it before we send it out?”

“There’s a small leak on one of the lines to the front bucket. You might check it out, but it isn’t anything major yet. The most Tony will have to do is keep an eye on the hydraulic oil.”

“Go get it and we’ll take a look.”

“Will do. I need to be at Larry and Erin’s at seven.”

“I know. Kit sent me a text. Stacy’s having supper with us. I wish you luck and love, but there’s no way in Hell I’m kissing you!”

“That’s good. Your beard might get stuck in my goatee and we’d never be able to explain it.”

“Will you go get the other backhoe, you retard!”

The leak on the much older but better Case backhoe turned out to be a nick in the hose fitting. A few minutes with a MIG welder and a few more with some sandpaper had it fixed. By seven o’clock, Mark had cleaned up and was knocking on the door of his girlfriend’s home.

“Hey Mark! Stacy’s up at Kit’s. I thought you were there too.”

“I came to talk to you and Larry.”

“Come on in. We’re eating supper; you want to join us?”

“Too nervous to eat. I could use a double shot of bourbon if you have it.”

“I think I know why you’re here. You don’t need liquid courage and you never have a double shot of anything but coffee. Come on in and sit down.”

Mark goes inside and sits at the supper table in his usual chair. Even with the rest of the family here, the table seems a little lonely with Stacy’s empty seat beside him.

“Hi, Mark! Where’s Sis?”

“Bobby and Kit invited her to supper with them.”

“Why didn’t you go?”

“I wasn’t invited.”

“Hey guys, why don’t you take your supper and go watch TV.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, really. Your Uncle Mark needs to talk to me and Dad alone.”

“Come on, Guys! Good luck, Uncle Mark.”

“Thanks Jordan. I’m gonna’ need it.”

“Nah, this has been coming on a long time. I’m glad she has you. I’m glad we have you too.”

All four kids go to the living room. The old 20th Century Fox intro comes from the TV. Larry finally looks up from his plate.

“So this is it. You’re going to take my little girl away from me.”

“Larry!”

“Erin, it’s ok. Larry, you know better than that; she’ll always be your little girl. It isn’t like we’re moving across the country. You walk five minutes west and you’ll be at our front door. No guarantee she’ll say yes anyway. Guys, I want to marry Anastasia. Will you give me your permission to ask her? It’ll kill me, but I’ll walk away right now if that’s what you really want.”

Larry reaches out and takes Erin’s hand. He squeezes so tight that it almost hurts her. Erin understands. Larry loves all five of their children, but he has a unique and special bond with each one. Of all of their children, Stacy is the most like him. She’s stubborn and fearless and fanatically loyal, but she has a soft, vulnerable side she tries hard to hide; just like her adopted Dad...and her future husband. “Mark, I’m sorry. It’s just she’s been ours for such a short time. You two have worked so hard to get everything ready. You’ve built a life for yourselves and we couldn’t be more proud of you both. I’m just going to miss her being here.”

Larry chokes up. He can’t stop the tears forming in his eyes as he looks to a future where his eldest child isn’t talking with him over coffee every morning. He cherishes those few, private minutes they share before the rest of the family joins them at the breakfast table. He will miss her terribly.

“Love, it’ll be ok. Mark, you have our blessing. We really aren’t losing a daughter. Like I told you three years ago, we’re gaining a wonderful son. Ask her Monday and make her your own.”

“Thank you. Thank you both. I’m going to take her out and ask her Friday, so we have the weekend. At least I am if she’ll go with me. I don’t know what I did, but she wouldn’t even look at me on the way home today.”

“Mark, you two have worked so hard preparing for a rainy day you didn’t take enough time to enjoy today’s sunshine. Listen to your future father-in-law. There’s always going to be something that needs doing. Your honey-do list is never going to be honey-done. Make it wait. Make some time for Anastasia every day. Put your world on hold and make her the center of it for a while, every day. We only get one ride on this rock; make it count.”

Mark does something he’s never done before. He stands up and wraps Larry in a hug. It’s too much. Larry can’t hold back the tears anymore as they stream down his cheeks.

“Take care of our girl. Love her like there’s no tomorrow.”

“I always have, and I always will...Dad.”

The two men have always been close, but something’s changed between them in these last few minutes. Somehow, they both know that they are even closer now. It takes Larry a few minutes to compose himself. Erin just looks on silently as she touches both of them. Finally, Mark lets go and sits back down.

“Mark, have you picked out a wedding band for Stacy?”

“No. If she says yes, I thought she might want to pick her own.”

“She already has her wedding band; she just doesn’t know it yet. My wedding band belonged to Sue. I’m the fifth generation in the family to wear it. Stacy’s great, great, great grandfather made it and Larry’s for him and his wife when they got married. Family tradition is to pass them down to the first children to marry. One of the boys will wear Larry’s when he gets married. Mine belongs to Stacy when you two marry.”

“If she’ll marry me after all I’ve pissed her off, I’ll be happy to put that ring on her finger. I already have her engagement ring though.”

“That’s good. My engagement ring doesn’t go with it. Larry gave it to me and the next time it comes off my finger will be when I’m dead.”

“Thanks, guys. I better go. Tell the boys I said goodbye. Do me a favor and don’t tell Anastasia I asked you.”

“We will and we won’t. See you tomorrow.”

(Friday, April 23, 2021, Franklin High School, Lunch)

“So what time do I need to be ready tonight?”

“This is the first time you’ve said a word to me since Wednesday. You avoided me all day yesterday. I thought you were still mad at me and didn’t want to go.”

“Figures. Never mind then.”

“No! How about I come over about 5:30? We can go back to my place. Kit said they’d give us a ride. They’re going into BG tonight.”

“Where are we going?”

“Let’s get dressed up and go to The Bistro. Robert and Gary are always happy to see us. Maybe do a little dancing after supper, if you want to?”

“I figured you’d just want to go to Taco Bell. God forbid we spend a dollar on anything but the damn cows!”

“Anastasia, I said I was sorry. I haven’t paid enough attention to you; I get it. I’m sorry. I just want to make it up to you. Please, can we just go and try to have a good time?”

“Yeah, sure. Just like it used to be, until the damn cows need something again.”

“We’ll sell out. We’ll sell out our part of the operation to the farm trust and I’ll find a job. Will that make you happy? The ranch isn’t worth this.”

“Forget it. I said I’d go tonight. Let’s just go and see what happens. Maybe I can be good enough to make you want me again for a little while. I need to go. I’ll see you after school.”

The rest of the day turns out to be a living hell on Mark. Stacy ignores him all day. Every time he sees her, she looks like she’s about to cry. When they get in Kit’s truck to go home, Stacy spends the whole trip looking out the window. She doesn’t even look at Mark, much less talk to him. It’s a long, lonely ride for both of them. Stacy finally says her first words of the trip when they get to Mark’s house.

“Kit, will you run me home, please? I don’t feel like walking.”

“Sure, Sister.”

“Stacy, I’ll be over about 5:30 like I said. I love you.”

“Whatever. Kit, take me home.”

As the girls drive away, Mark can’t do anything but stand and stare. Stacy couldn’t have hurt him any worse if she had wanted to. He has a really bad feeling that tonight is going to be the last time he ever goes on a date with the love of his life, if she’ll even go. He has to try, though. He goes in and grabs a quick shower, then starts getting ready.

On the way to Stacy’s, Kit talks to her. She didn’t like how Stacy treated Mark just now, not one little bit. Kit’s angry.

“What the Hell’s the matter with you! You just ripped that poor boy’s heart out!”

“I doubt it. I don’t know why he even wants to go out tonight. Whatever he’s up to, he won’t have to worry about me being in the way after tonight. He can hire his hookers, screw Mary, whatever his precious cows will let him do; I don’t care. I really believed he was the one. I really thought we’d be together forever.”

“That isn’t fair, none of it! He doesn’t want a hooker and he doesn’t want Mary; he wants you! What if you two have a good time tonight? You still gonna’ stab him in the heart then?”

“Kit, it’s not like that. We might actually have a good time tonight. I might even be able to lose myself in the fantasy for a while and pretend everything’s ok between us. It won’t last. Tomorrow morning, it’ll be just like it is now; he’ll be gone again. He’s trying to hang onto something that isn’t here anymore because he doesn’t want to admit it’s over. Neither one of us will be happy if I stay, and it’ll only put it off anyway. I have to let him go.”

“I love you, but you are without a doubt the stupidest, most selfish, self centered, colossal bitch I have ever met! You heard him! He said y’all could sell out the herd and he meant it! He said he’d get a job to support you and he meant that too! What the everloving Hell do you want from him?!?”

That hurt. In all the time they’ve known each other, Kit has never yelled at Stacy before, and she’s never once cussed her. She has to let Mark go. She can’t keep holding him back, but she may lose both of them when she does. She hopes when Mark’s happy again, Kit will understand.

“I want him to love me, Kit! I want him to love me like he used to. I want him to love me like Bobby loves you! I want him to be here for me like Bobby is for you! IS THAT TOO DAMN MUCH TO ASK FROM THE MAN I LOVE? HE. DOESN’T. LOVE. ME. ANYMORE.”

“Stacy, he does. Everything he’s done for the last three years, he did so he can make you his wife. You don’t know what he’s afraid of; I do. You obviously have no idea what you mean to him. You should, but you don’t. If you really want to go and give him a chance tonight, I’ll help you get ready. If all you’re going to do is break his heart no matter what happens, you’re on your own. Anastasia please, don’t do something tonight that all three of us will regret for the rest of our lives. I told you four years ago; I can’t choose between you two. I love you both. You’ve both worked so hard for so long for this. Please Sister, give him one more night to make this right. He loves you more than life itself; don’t throw that away. If you still want to leave him tomorrow, I’ll help you both try to pick up the pieces for yourselves, but I don’t think either one of you could ever put yourselves completely back together; you’d both be each other’s missing piece.”

“Why did he tell you what scares him, but not me? We used to trust each other with everything.”

“He never told me flat out either. I won’t tell you what it is because it’s his. He told me some things about other people, people he loves. It wasn’t hard for me to figure out that he’s scared to death he’ll fail and make you suffer like they did. He told me because they’re my people too. He told me so that Bobby and I knew what to watch out for in our marriage.”

“God, I want to believe you. I miss the old Mark, my Mark. I don’t want to break his heart, but my heart’s been breaking every day for months. I wish I could fall asleep in his arms tonight and still be there when I wake up tomorrow. I want to stay at our special place and dance under soft lights and talk and laugh like we used to. I want to have a cup of coffee with him by the campfire. I want to lie back and watch the stars with him. Kitty, I want my man back, but he isn’t here anymore.”

“Your man will be here for you in about an hour. Unless you want to go to The Bistro naked or in jeans and a sweatshirt, I suggest we get busy.”

“Do you really think we still have a chance?”

“Yes I do. If the two of you don’t have a chance with the love that you share, none of us do. Let’s get you ready.”

(Stacy’s bedroom, 5:28 PM)

“I think you’re ready. Could we have cut it any closer?”

“I just hope I didn’t waste your time.”

“Anastasia, don’t. Mark will be here any minute. You hurt him really bad earlier. Don’t expect him to be all happy. He’s hurt and afraid and doesn’t understand what’s happening with you two. He doesn’t understand what he did wrong, and frankly, neither do I. I know you’re hurtin’; you both are. Sister, fix it tonight. Don’t abandon him. He’s depending on you. You’ve always been there for him, but he’s never needed you like he does right now. You can make him or break him with just one word tonight. Your future together is in your hands, not his. I pray to God you don’t throw it away. I know Mark; he’ll be at the bottom of those stairs, but he’s not sure you will come down them. He’s not sure you’re still his. You didn’t look back, but I did. He thinks you’ve already left him. Have you?”

“One more night, Kit. I want to be wrong about him, really I do. I want there to still be an us tomorrow, but I can’t see a future with us anymore.”

“Sister, this is for luck...this is for love...and this is for you; you’ll need all three tonight. Don’t give up the best thing that ever happened to either one of you over nothing. That’s your Mom. He’s here. Make your entrance. Go on; he’s scared to death you won’t walk out that door. Don’t keep him waiting.”

Stacy takes a deep breath and stands up. She nearly falls because she’s trembling so badly. She can’t make her feet move. She’s afraid of what’s going to happen tonight. Whatever he’s become, Mark was once the man who loved her most. If she didn’t love him, it wouldn’t hurt so much to let him go. No matter what Kit says, Stacy knows that tonight is the end. She hopes she can stay strong and not show how much it hurts her, so it will be easier on them both. If she shows him, he might say just the right thing to make her give in, and she knows she can’t survive doing this to him twice. It wasn’t anything Mark did. If she breaks his heart tonight when she says goodbye, she will just be finishing what she started a long time ago. She knows she made him the man he’s become. He doesn’t love her anymore and she just wants him to be happy. That night in the cave three years ago, they had talked all night. She had been so excited when they talked about the house they would build for themselves. She had been the one who wanted the covered deck that could only be accessed from their second floor master bedroom. She had wanted the garden tub in their master bath. The fireplaces, the large, professional kitchen, the five additional bedrooms for the big family she wanted to have. Looking back, she had demanded so much, and he had readily agreed, to make her happy. They had spent almost half of his trust fund and used most of their profits from the ranch operation to buy the property and build the house. He had worked himself half to death to build her dreams, and it changed him. She drove him to resent her. It’s her fault that Mark doesn’t want her, doesn’t want to hold her through the nights anymore. She pushed him away. When nothing else could, she’s the one who broke them. She has to go tonight. Mark deserves to hear it from her. Mark deserves to hear her admit it’s all her fault. The Lady Anastasia Elizabeth will never be seen again after tonight, and he deserves to know why.

“...Stacy? Stacy! Pull yourself together! Mark’s waiting! You can do this! What are you waiting for? GO!”

Downstairs, Mark’s been waiting for almost fifteen minutes. He’ll wait all night, but the emotions are crushing him. Where did he go wrong? He just wants to give Anastasia the life she deserves. She had giggled like a little kid when he showed her the garden tub in their master bath; they had joked about how it was big enough for two. When he showed her the drawings for their almost commercial kitchen, she had chattered for an hour about all the things she could cook there. The night he got the deck finished, they were standing at the rail, looking at the stars in the southern sky. The kiss she gave him took his breath away. The one that got to him most was her sewing room. He’d lied when she asked what that room was for. He said it was a “just in case” room. When he finished it and got all the things he had quietly ordered in it, he had covered her eyes and led her through the door. She had actually cried. She had never said anything about wanting a sewing room. He had picked Betty’s brain bare to make sure he didn’t miss anything. He even had a Janome sewing machine that he had mated to an antique Singer treadle base. He had enjoyed making her smile so much. Maybe that’s where he went wrong. He’d worked fourteen and sixteen hours a day, seven days a week to build the house and the livestock operation so they had enough paycheck to live on. He hasn’t been inside a church in over a year. He can’t remember the last time he and Stacy went anywhere on a date. They used to talk and cuddle and make out for hours. They used to take walks, ride horses, camp, fish, and even hunt together. These days, he usually falls asleep whenever they try to take a little time together. The last time they tried, he had fallen asleep as she was playfully kissing all over his face and neck. He’d been working hard all week and hadn’t gotten even three hours sleep a night. It hits him like a freight train. He left her a long time ago. Larry warned him too late. He was so focused on the future, he couldn’t see his precious Anastasia right in front of him in the now. He had been so worried about being able to marry her later, that he had forgotten all about keeping her now. If God will just give him this one night more, he’ll make it right, somehow he’ll make it up to her. He prays it’s not too late, but is afraid God might let him learn this lesson the hard way. He couldn't really blame Anastasia for walking away.

[udwe]

Please don't let mark & stacy end up each alone.

[cutter]

Listen, when I started all of this, I had no idea that most of it was going to happen. I didn't know about Morgan's one night stand. I didn't know about Joanna. Bobby kind of crawled out of the woodwork when I wasn't looking and I really thought he'd be serving five to ten right now at the Eddyville state correctional complex, instead of being a superb husband and father. I didn't know about Kit or that she had a twin she would bury. Troy and everything surrounding the two of them came completely out of the blue. Brian did mention to me once that Todd and Sarah were an item in high school, before he came home from Afghanistan. Until Morgan almost fired Jake, I had no idea Stacy even existed! I didn't even know Jake had kids until Larry told us.

When I started volume 1, I really thought the clan was going to be in the middle of the second American Revolution by the end of the volume and that would be the end of their story. I didn't have the first clue that around two thousand pages later, they'd still be taking us on this trip. I'm in the middle of writing it now and I'm still not sure how it's going to turn out between these two. I'm like you though; I hope they get their act together, before it's too late.

[biggkidd]

Oh Man!

[gipsy]

You are becoming much to good a writing cliff hangers.