Page 51 of Half Blind

“Good enough,” Lemon said, picking up the envelope. It was then that Helen noticed the ring on Lemon's left hand as well as the one on Jared's. She looked left and she looked right.

With a bit of snark in her voice, Helen inquired, “What did I miss over the weekend?”

“He's now my husband,” Lemon said, walking over to the man and puckering up for a kiss. “Later.”

“Later,” he replied, returning the affection. “I'll get out of you ladies’ way.”

He left without another word. Helen looked at Colette. The girl's blue eyes pierced into hers.

“Her bedroom is below mine. He’s noisy.” Colette said frowning while shaking her head. “Seriously, can I come live with you?”

Helen hugged her again. She couldn't wait for Lemon to get home from work to explain and elaborate on how Jared Bane had become her husband. In the meantime, she unpacked her suitcase. Rarely did she climb the stairs to living space for the girls, but the gifts for them she left on the bottom of each of their beds. She spoke with Jared about moving the bed in Colette’s room to the room with the twin beds, so no one would be over their master bedroom. When he realized Colette could hear them at night, he moved with haste to relocate Collette’s sleeping quarters. The girl seemed pleased with the change.

The lessons with the Collette went well, and her reading made progress with consonants and verb conjugation. At three o’clock, she began to prep dinner. The ground beef she seasoned, adding in bread crumbs and an egg along with more ketchup as she’d seen Ruth Neary do for the meatloaf. At five minutes to four, she pulled the cornbread from the oven. Resting it on a trivet. She made two cups of tea before heading to the front porch.

All day she fidgeted, wanting to know. The excitement almost overwhelmed her at the four o'clock hour when Lemon returned from campus, to find Helen on the front porch holding a cup of tea, and an extra one sat on the table for Lemon. She walked up, taking a seat.

“So,” Helen said, “Dr. Bane, a chick needs to understand what happened, how you like him, and the calmness I see in your spirit. Most of all, does the Sheriff know?”

“Girl, I am still too in shock to process any of it. I will tell you what happened, as best as I can, because it is all a blur,” Lemon confessed.

Helen sipped at the tea, ready for the juicy details. She hoped Lemon didn't leave out too much. Jared Bane was a hell of a specimen, but he also said he started work on Monday. She also wanted to know what that meant.

“Okay, start from when he arrived on Friday and leave nothing out,” Helen prodded. “This is going to be good!”

****

FRIDAY... OXFORD, OHIO

Jared Bane sat in the cab of a brand-new Ford F-150, wondering how his life had gotten off course. At times, especially on days like today, he felt it was veering headfirst into a tree. He didn't plan to yank the steering wheel out of fear of over-correcting while in the midst of hydroplaning and end up kissing an electrical pole. He wasn't in a tailspin but heading in a direction in which he wasn't mad in the least at where he'd ended up. When he parked the truck, Jared Bane would be home with his family.

The small condo he owned in Louisiana, he'd rent out to one of his nieces or nephews since there wasn't a mortgage on the place. The address of record for him was actually in Texas, and no place really was a home to him until now. He'd felt more at home with Myrtle and the girls than he had in a long time. Myrtle would now be his wife.

He'd called a few days ago to let her know the Archangel pretty much had decided he was the only man worthy of Myrtle's hand. In any form of a life, well-lived or poorly planned, that form of an endorsement went a long way. Myrtle trusted the Archangel with her life. For the past ten years, if not longer, technically, Jared had also trusted the Archangel with his. Now, instead of being the man behind the trigger and the boots in the muck, he would be the voice on the other end of the line. He would be the one calling in orders. In a week or so, on Monday night, his new watch would begin. Now, he simply had to explain it all to his wife, then to their kids.

“What in the actual hell am I doing?” he said, pulling into the driveway. “Yeah, we need a garage for the vehicles.”

The vehicle for the girls wasn't there; neither was the SUV driven by “Cousin Helen.” He and Myrtle would be alone. For good measure, he'd stopped at a family-oriented roadside stand to brush his teeth and freshen up, just in case she wanted to get the marriage underway by truly becoming his wife.

Jared cut the engine and eased his way out of the new truck. It had all the bells and whistles with satellite radio, hands-free calling, and even a backup camera. An iridescent silver on silver icon of a Seraphim emblazoned the tailgate as a warning to all those who understood what it meant. He didn't need to be told what it meant; however, the woman who would be his wife would soon find out.

He reached the front door and knocked lightly. He offered a smile as Dr. Myrtle Kainker stood in the entryway of the home they would share and raise a family. A deep sigh left him at the thought of finally having a family of his own.

“Welcome home,” she said with a smile.

“It's good to be home,” he said, stepping across the threshold. He opted to play it safe by first passing her the manila envelope with the needed documentation inside. “All the paperwork is in order, including your new social security card, and your bank accounts under Myrtle Kainker for the household expenses have been changed to Myrtle Bane. The other stuff stays in your maiden name.”

“You're now my husband on paper. Also, I like the haircut. It makes you look totally like a different person,” she told him looking down at the paperwork which brings changes to her life. “You say it all with such ease, as if none of this is odd to you.”

“No, it’s not too odd, I guess,” he said, taking a seat. “Thanks for the compliment on the haircut. I need to look at the role of the Chemistry professor’s husband, and not like a side project when I escort you to the faculty holiday gathering. Once we get clarity on roles and moving forward, I plan to be your husband in every sense of the word. We can finish what we started on this couch.”

“Funny and speaking of roles, I am the Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry,” she added pausing, “How do you know I'm not a dud in bed?”

“Doesn't matter.”

“What do you mean it doesn't matter,” she said. “I could lie there like a petrified fish, barely moving. Are you telling me a warm hole will suffice for you?”

“You don't need to be good at that aspect,” he told her. “I am. I will ensure it is enjoyable for us both.”

---