Chapter 4

Going back to work today, Shipley wasn't thrilled. First, because she was on desk duty, something that she hated more than anything, and secondly, she was having to fill out reports for the reason for her having to be on sick leave. However, she was very proud of the things that she'd gotten done for her sister and her new home that she would share with Dusty.

"There's a call for you on line two." Picking up the phone, she was still reading the report's information when she said hello. When no one spoke, she said her name and rank and asked who was there. She knew immediately it was Scott when he asked her where she was.

"I'm working. What are you doing?" He asked her why she was working. "Because I have a job. Why are you asking me questions that are none of your business? I have shit to do, and you're not helping me get shit done."

"I want to talk to you." She told him to talk. "Can I come to you? I don't want my momma to hear me. She's got herself spies everywhere, and I don't want her to be pissed off at me while I'm speaking to you."

"I'm in DC. Are you even close to me?" He asked her again what she was doing working. "We are not going over this again. Tell me what you want to say then get off the phone. I have two stacks of paperwork here that I have to get finished up before I can get my ass home."

"Do you have…never mind. You won't tell me. I don't want to be married to you." She started to be flippant with him, telling him that she didn't want to be married to him either when he spoke again. "Momma wants it on account of you being strong and a doctor. I don't want to be married to anyone that is stronger than me. She's making me do all kinds of things that she thinks will make us have to get married. Also, I don't think that she gets around like some people. She thinks, first of all, that I can simply knock you around. You'd kill me, I believe, if I tried that." Shipley told him that he was correct on that. "I thought so. And secondly, you'd also kill my momma if she were to call you spoiled if I was able to sleep with you. You'd probably kill me for that, too. Wouldn't you?"

"Yes. I don't like you, Scott. I have never liked you." He told her that he knew that, too. "Then why aren't you telling your mother that? You're a fucking grown man and should have stood up to her a long time ago."

"I don't know what to do about her." She asked him what he wanted to do. "Leave town. Just up and leave town and never look back. She's not nice to me at all. And when she is, I keep looking for the knife that she's going to be stabbing me with when I didn't do something that she thinks that I should have."

"Your life is your own. If I were you, I'd collect my shit and get out of there. I'm betting that you still live at home, don't you?" She started taping on the keys of her computer, looking for places that he could hide at should he leave his mother. "Do you have any money?"

He said that he didn't because his momma made him pay back what she had to pay for him to get out of jail the first time. Scott told her how he had community service that he had to do in order to have gotten out of jail. She could easily take care of that for him. As she was doing her search, she sort of half listened to Scott and his woes about his momma.

"You do know that you're a grown assed man, don't you? Stop calling her momma. Call her mother or mom, but stop…you're older than I am, Scott. Grow a set of balls and call her mom. Christ, she must have been so proud of the way she raised you." He cried. Just like a kid, he started crying about how she was being mean to him. "I'm going to kick your ass if you don't straighten up. What is the matter with you? Stop whining and listen to me."

She told him of the house that she had not too far from where her sister lived. Shipley thought about sending him to her sister's home, but Mandy would tear his ass apart if he started on that momma shit again. Not to mention crying like he was five instead of what his age really was.

"I want you to pack you some clothing. Not a lot. Only enough that you can carry in a duffle. Do you have one of those? Like from high school?" Scott told her that he had two of them. "You don't need two. Just the one. Pack it full of your clothing and shit that you're going to need for the next week. Any money that you can lay your hands on, too."

"What about my momma…mom?" She told him that he needed to cut the strings before she did. "All right. See? I knew that you'd be mean to me if we were together. We're not even getting married—we're not, are we?—and you still treat me badly." She decided to ignore his question about them getting married.

"You're going to leave the house within the hour. Go to the library and stand there waiting for someone to come and get you. It will either be one of the Erickson men or my sister. Just keep your mouth shut and do what they tell you." He asked her if she was going to tell on him. "No, dumbass. You're going to be leaving home so that she doesn't know where you are. So I want you to get your shit together and be there in an hour. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, I'm packing my duffle now. There isn't much you can put in one of them, is there?" She told him that was the point. He was just going to leave. "All right. I'm going to walk to the library. I won't say anything to momma…mom because she's not home."

"Good. Go there, and I'm going to make some other phone calls. Just wait for one of them to come for you." He said that he would. Then he thanked her for her help. "You'll be able to thank me when you get out of town and never return. You don't need your mother any more than I did mine. Get your shit together is what you need to do."

Calling her sister, she said that she had company over and that she'd pick him up as soon as she could get the person to leave. It was Mrs. Landry. She told her what she was doing, and her sister laughed.

"I'll keep her here all night if that's what it takes to get him away from her. You just let me know what else I can do to help out." She said that she was going to call Dusty and see if he could help. "He just called here. I think he misses you. Anyway, he asked me if he could have dinner with me and the kids. I, of course, told him yes. So I know that he's not too busy right now."

After telling her sister thanks, she called Dusty. After explaining what she was going to do, he was all for it. She told him, too, that her sister was entertaining Mrs. Landry, so that wouldn't be an issue.

"I'll give him some money too. I'm betting that he doesn't have anything on him." She told him that she was going to do that. "I will enjoy this. Just to get him out of our hair."

After hanging up with him, she called Scott back. He was at the library and was terrified that his mom was going to show up. Telling him where she was and that Dusty and Amanda were going to help him, he cried again. The damned man was driving her insane.

"Dusty is coming to you. Don't give him any shit, and get into the car. He knows where to take you. If you call your mom and tell her where you are, so help me, Scott I'll never help you again. In fact, I'll help your mother beat you up. Do you want this or not?" He didn't say anything for a few minutes. "Scott?"

"I see your Dusty. He's about here." When he was silent for a few moments again, she started to scream at him. "Thank you for doing this for me. I know that I need to get away, and you've no idea…I've tried before, but she pulls me back. I'm glad that I didn't marry you either. You're mean, as I've said, but I don't think that we would have made a good couple. You're just too bossy."

The line went dead, and she had to laugh. She supposed that was the only way that he could get the last word in was to simply hang up on her. Putting the phone back in the cradle, she waited to see if Dusty would get back with her. She was going to have to jump his bones soon or have to find her a battery-operated boyfriend. Spending her nights alone was for the birds when she had a perfectly healthy man who wanted her right where she could get to him.

Plowing through the rest of the paperwork, she was only interrupted once more when she'd gotten a call from Dusty telling her that he'd gotten Scott where he needed to be. That was good, she told him.

"He gave me his cell so he'd not call his mom when he realized that she was going to be pissed at him. Scott, like a lot of people, had no idea what her number was because it's been stored in his phone. I don't know that I'd know anyone's number if I was asked. I even put the one for your office in the phone so that I'd not have to remember it." She told him that she'd made it so that he could get through to her whenever he wanted. "I did wonder about that. All I had to do was to say my name and that I wanted your number and they connected me right away. Thanks for that. When are you coming home? I miss you."

"Friday." She looked at the calendar on the wall in front of her. "That's only a couple of more days. You can hang on until then, can't you?"

"I'm not sure. The house is a bigger mess than I thought it would be. August is asking me all kinds of questions about how we want things. Do we want tile? Carpet? I told him no on the carpet, so I hope that was all right." Shipley told him that it was perfect. "Good. I thought that you'd say that. Also, while I'm talking to you, what do you think about a pool? My brother has one and I think that Zander does as well."

"I'd love a pool. Also, a hot tub. I did notice that you didn't have one when I was wandering around." She decided to tell him the good news. "I have fifty-seven days until my retirement. I didn't realize that they would count my boot camp time in that. Yay for us. Also, I'm to see the president in a couple of hours. He wants to talk me into staying on. I'm so finished and want to be home all the time. Have babies with you and shit. I guess we should make plans to have sex, too. I mean, that is the best way to have kids, I've heard."

"Seriously? The best way?" Dusty laughed. "I would love that more than anything right now. I've been taking cold showers since you left."

"So have I." The two of them laughed. "I have to go. I need to get this shit finished so that I can go out instead of staying inside all the time. My time off was good for me getting around but now I'm stuck here with paperwork."

When she hung up with Dusty, she buried her head in the work to get it finished. She really did have a lot of it to finish up and was glad to see that the last file on her desk wasn't that complicated. Looking up, she was startled to see Vice President Hayden sitting across from her.

"You do know that you talk when you work, I guess." She said that she didn't speak in English. "No, I noticed that too. Latin, if I don't miss my bet. I'm to understand that you're going to be leaving us soon. Is that correct?"

"Yes." She didn't say anymore, but he nodded with a sly smile. "I have an appointment with the president later this evening. Or am I meeting with you now?"

"Me. He's been called away. Something that I'd like for you to do but I know with you getting out, if you get your ass hurt now, there will be hell to pay. I'm to understand that you're marrying into the Erickson family?" She told him that she was. "They're a good family. At least the sons are. Their father was a bastard, but he's gone now. Martha Grable, she would call us on occasion to let us know how much she thought of them. Martha was my great-aunt. I'm glad that she had them around when she needed them. My uncle was a shit to her."

"I didn't know she had more than one son." He winked at her with a short laugh. "I don't know why you think that is funny, sir, but I don't understand."

"She didn't have another son, but that prick that…well, she was my godmother when I was born. And when I got older, I lived with her for a time. After that, I considered her my aunt. It's a bit more complicated than that, but you understand." She didn't but nodded anyway. He pushed a file at her that she'd not seen until then. "There is all the paperwork that you need to be free of the army right away. It's been signed off on and filed. The president and I wish you a happy life and one that is as much as you wish to make of it. I'm to understand that you have a house here as well. If you would allow the government to purchase it from you, we'll give you a good deal. That way, when you come for a visit, and I do hope that you will, you and your family will have someplace to stay that is not too inconvenient for you."

"I don't want to sound greedy, but I'm staying the extra time because of my benefits. Those are too good not to have, as you well know." He told her that she was getting them as well as a promotion that started the month before she left to rescue a little boy from a car accident. "Seth calls me too. Just to tell me how he's doing. He's living with his aunt with two other kids his age. He loves it."

"The young man wrote to us as well. Telling us how he'd been terrified, but you stayed with him even though you were hurt as well." She said it really wasn't that bad. "No, but it was enough to impress upon us how much you're willing to give back even when you're on vacation. How is your sister, by the way?"

"She's happier than I've ever seen her. The kids and her are having fun. Looking forward to being a family again around the holidays. I think that she's having fun, too, without her mother-in-law barging in to take the kids from her, too." He told her that he'd heard that. "I'm also thinking too that she's going to be dating again, too."

"Really?" He didn't look so much surprised as he did happy. She asked him if he was going to ask her out. "I'm forever looking for a beautiful woman to take my arm when I'm working. And I'd love to talk to her about a future together. I've been in love with Amanda since you introduced us when you were out of boot camp, and I was a senator."

"I didn't know that. I'm glad to hear that, too. But you'd better hurry and ask her out. There are a few men around that want to take her out too when she's ready." He asked her if she'd mind him dating her sister. "Not at all. I think that it would be good for the two of you. But you have to realize that her kids will forever come first in her life. If you've got a problem with that, then I suggest that you leave her alone."

"I would love to have her children in my life. I've been sort of beating around the bush to get information about them from you since I met her. Obviously, you never noticed, did you?" She thought about what he said and was surprised that she'd never caught on. "Good, that's the way that I love it. I'll call her tonight, then."

When he stood up, she did as well. He told her that he was going to miss her, and she pointed out that if he became a part of her family, he'd be sick of her in no time. He was still laughing when he left her there.

~*~

Taking Scott to the closest airport to put him on a flight out of the state was an eye-opener—at least the drive-in had been. The man didn't shut up about the things that his mother had made him do over his lifetime, starting with his first day of school. Things that while not heinous, they were things that weren't the sort of things that would get him in good with anyone he was around. Dusty thought that Scott's mother was one sick woman.

She taught him how to cheat on tests in the classroom—even in kindergarten. The sort of people to hang out with, which he told him had been anyone that wasn't a true American. Which to him was all wrong. Scott told him that no one was a true American anymore. That we'd all come from someplace else. He was taught how to steal things from the store was another thing that she'd taught her son from a very young age. Dusty was glad that the man was getting away from his mother. He might have been a first-rate person if not for her influence.

Giving him enough cash that he could buy a one way ticket, he told him to pick a place and go there but not to tell him his destination. He didn't want to mess it up for the other man by letting it slip where he'd gone. The man was nervous enough as it was.

Leaving him at the airport after getting him some things to use on the flight—a book, some snacks as well as a bag that he could carry on as he had literally nothing to take with him but a couple of shirts and some questionable underwear that had seen better days, Dusty was glad that the man was going through with this. It might take him a while to get his life on track, but this was a good first step for not just Scott but with those people who were around him all the time.

As soon as Dusty was out to his car, he looked at Scott's phone—having had it handed to him earlier, he saw that Scott had fifty-three missed calls and had twelve messages—all from his mother. There were text messages as well and after reading those, he was laughing as he found his way to the voicemails.

Each one that was there was from his mother. Christ, she got more and more angry as she went on and on. Twice, on the last few messages, she'd been cut off due to her rambling on about the things that she was going to do to him when he finally came back, and that seemed to piss her off more. The promises, because they were well beyond threats by the end, would have had the man running back home with his tail between his butt cheeks. He knew that it would him.

Pulling out his cell, he wanted to call Shipley to let her know what was going on now that Scott was out of their lives and working to get his own life on track. She was due home tonight, and he couldn't wait to talk to her. Just as he was going to call, she called him. He loved too that when it came up on his phone who it was, he had put "My Wife."

"I have some wonderful news for us." She explained how she'd been given her retirement for her help in things both domestically and on foreign soil. There was also the added bonus perks she was going to get. Which, even though she nor Dusty needed the money right now, it was something that she'd worked very hard for and wanted to cash in on it. "I have insurance, too, as well as money for whatever kind of funeral that we have. For both of us."

"What about your house there? You mentioned that they might well want to purchase it." Shipley explained to him how that was going to work. "So that is a good perk. We can have a house there and here at home so that we won't have to share with strangers. I think I like that one best of all."

"Getting any of the perks that he gave us is something that I didn't expect. So I'm thrilled to death that I'm going to be able to cash in on something that I worked so hard for." They talked about the different aspects of living here or there and how much nicer it was going to be to not have to worry about anything from now on. Then she asked about Scott. "Just so you're aware, my sister said Alma has been asking around town as to where he might be. It was said that she thinks that one of you boys killed him off because he was competition in my hand in marriage. I'm hoping that by the time she gets around to asking us where he is, we have a plan."

"Oh, I have a plan. I don't have the slightest clue where he is. I took him to the airport, and he took it from there. Not that I have any intentions of telling her about the airport but I will be honest when I say that I don't know where he went. While there, I handed over the cash that I took with me so I could tell him to just buy a ticket, and that's what he did." She asked if he'd asked for advice. "Not at all on traveling. However, he did tell me things about his childhood that makes me feel sorry for him. Also, he told me that he thinks that she killed his father. But as he has no proof, he…he told me that he had no idea why he was pursuing you. Scott said that his mother had told him what to do and that he did it without question."

"Yeah, I'm beginning to understand where he was coming from more and more." They talked a bit more about Scott and the way that he'd been brought up, and with Shipley adding her thoughts, it's a small wonder that the man had ever been able to hold down a job, much less try and find someone to love him. "I'm happy for him. I'm glad too that you were able to make sure he understood that if he returned, you weren't going to be so helpful to him again."

"I really believe that he understood that more than he did me. He'll not return. And if he does, it will only be on the death of his mother. Even then, I'm not so sure. Scott was giddy if you can believe it. Thrilled beyond words that he was getting this chance when he really didn't feel like he earned it."

He pulled into the driveway of their home and sat out in his car, talking to Shipley. He had to laugh when she asked him if he was going to continue to call her Shipley or use her first name. At her laughter, he was able to tell her that he didn't care what he called her so long as she loved him. That, she told him, was a perfect line.

"I have to get going if I'm coming home tonight." He said he'd wait up for her. "I wish now I would have told you to drop me off. Now I'm going to have to drive home to see you. Not to mention, we still need to have a few times getting down and nasty with each other. I want you in so many ways that I can't think when I see you out in the yard with your shirt off."

"You tell me that when you're hours away? That's so unfair." Teasing her a little, he told her how he'd been taking the coldest showers, and if she didn't take him to her bed, then he was going to break something on his poor, abused body. "A man can only stay hard for so long before he begins to not have any kind of brain cells left. You do understand that, don't you?"

"I'm taking cold showers, too, just so you're aware. I've never been one to use sex toys, but with things the way they are now, I really think I might have to purchase us one. It seems like forever since I've had sex." He asked her if she knew what she was doing to him. "I do. I have been in all the shops here in town today to see if I could find something enticing that I could lure you to bed with. So far, I'm not having a great deal of luck, sadly."

"Honey, you could show up in just your panties, and that would be more than enough for me. Nothing at all would be even better." She laughed, but it was a sexy one. Breathless like and so full of promise. He smiled cunningly. "You keep this conversation up, and I'm going to meet you at the door hard and naked. What will my family think if I just stand around all evening with a hard-on."

"They'll wonder what took you so long in figuring out what to do with it." They talked like that for the next twenty minutes of so. At least long enough for her to get into the shuttle that was taking her to the airport to come home in. While waiting for her, he decided that there were things that he wanted to do to the house before she came home.

It wasn't too late when he remembered to order her flowers. Someone would meet her at the airport with them, and she'd know just how much he loved her. Also, the rose petals that he sprinkled all over the bed were next. He had made up a cheese and meat tray so that they'd have something to munch on between bouts of lovemaking as well. Going to the wine cellar, which he thought all of his family had one in their homes, he pulled out the best white that he had. Making a mental note to himself, he was going to invest in some champagne so that they'd have it round for special occasions like today.

It was what caused him to pause a moment at the top of the stairs. All moments with Shipley were special, he realized just then. He also had other thoughts filtering through his mind. When she had their first child, a boy or girl. Christmases spent with each other and children when they came along would be the best. They should have had some special occasions when they moved into this house together, he realized then. He was able to have some special times because of her retirement, but he wanted to make special days that didn't have anything to do with special occasions.

Just plain old Mondays would be a day to celebrate. A Friday as well. Smiling as he carted things up to the second floor, thankful that this part of the house was finished up, he enjoyed shaving for her so as not to give her beard burns when she came to him.

Just as he was running out of things to prepare for her coming home, he realized that she would be landing soon. Once she disembarked and was on her way home, it would be another hour for them to get together. After thinking about how much fun he was going to have tonight, and hopefully her as well, Dusty was dancing a jig around his living room when the front doorbell rang. Like they were laying on the button to get his undivided attention.

Looking in the little camera he was dismayed to find Alma there. The crazy woman had her cane pressing the button while she leaned into it. Almost as if she were going to come through the door and right into his lap. Opening the door, not caring at all if she fell on her ass, he jerked the door open.

Barely catching himself when she came into the room head over ass, he waited until she weltered her way up off the floor and stood up. He didn't dare get close enough to help her. He might be in a very forgiving mood, but he wasn't stupid either. Dusty asked her what the hell she wanted, as he was too busy to mess with her tonight.

"Where is my son?" He just stared at her. "Are you stupid like that woman is that my son is going to marry? I asked you a question. Where is Scott?"

"Now, why the hell would you think that I should know. I barely know you, and that's too much for one person to put up with." She seemed confused, and he didn't elaborate. "Well? When are you leaving?"

"I asked you a question. And I'm going to stand right here until you answer me. I know that you took him. One of you did, anyway. He's not answering his phone, nor is he coming home when I leave him a message." Still, Dusty stood there, not saying a single word to her. When she raised her cane up, he took an aggressive step in her direction. She lowered it slowly then. "Where is Scott?"

"I haven't any idea where he is. I didn't know that anyone would care about a nearly thirty-five-year-old man. He's single, so perhaps he's out looking to get laid." She lifted the cane about halfway up but didn't put it down again. "I'm a grown man, too, and if you think I'm going to allow you to hit me with that cane and not retaliate, then you're a bigger fool than I thought you were."

"I want my son. I'm not going to ask you again." He told her that repeating herself was sort of trying anyway. "Damn you, boy. Tell me where he is."

"I don't know." He pulled out his cell phone and dialed the police. "You can leave now, and I won't have to have you arrested, or you can hang around here, and when my wife gets home, she can shoot you for trespassing. Again. Now leave—" The police answered, and he told them what he had going on.

"We're out and about that way anyway, Dusty. We'll swing by and help you remove the woman. You say she just barged in?" He didn't but thought it was funny that they understood the problem. "We'll just have to run her in again if she's there when we get there."

She was still standing in his living room when the police showed up. After telling her to leave his home, Alma told the police that he'd kidnapped her son. The men around started laughing and snickering when she asked what they were going to do about it.

"Nothing. He's a grown man." The third time that had been said to her today. "I doubt very much that anyone has him locked up in their home, Mrs. Landry. You go on home, and the rest of us will pray that he's finally gotten some balls of his own and that he's lit out of here and never returns."

She left after Shipley showed up. Not willingly, but she was gone all the same. It might have been because Shipley pulled her gun out and said that she'd help the police remove her from their home, but he wasn't sure. He didn't know but was thrilled to be able to lock the door behind that nasty old woman and be with his pretty new wife.