A Simple Life: Chapter 154 (Patreon)

We abandon our bowl of soupy ice cream after just a few more nibbles into the lump that was still frozen. Riding high on love and buzzing from our clandestine BJ we were far more interested in each other than anything else.

Nuzzling my cheek Winona kisses me and says. “Dance with me, Sprout?”

“N-Now?”

“Mmm.” She nods with a glowing grin.

As if I could say no to that smile. And so, right there beside our table, Winona and I dance and sing along to the golden oldie Sugar Sugar. She belts out the guy parts and me the girl parts, when I wasn’t giggling, as we do our best impression of 50’s sock hop style dancing. I really liked the parts in the song where Winona called me her ‘candy girl’. Boy, does she ham it up! So caught up in the moment she even breaks out some super cool Lakota moves I’d never seen her do before. She was so BEAUTIFUL! Normally I would have been horrified to make such a public scene like this but today I just didn’t care. The looks and stares that were no doubt coming my way I don’t even notice as my smitten eyes could only see her.

We boogie from the shiny black and white tiled floor right out the door onto the gray sidewalk. Through the puddles and drizzle we prance and whirl all the way back to the truck, singing the whole way.

“WAHAAAA!” Scooping me up under the arms Winona spins me through the air before pinning up against the side of the truck, at which point she plants a hard kiss into my lips. “MRRMMMM!”

“Hmmmmm.” Against the truck’s door I turn to jelly.

“Where to now?” She asks when the kiss eventually breaks.

There were a half a dozen things I probably ought to do but right now there was only place I wanted to be. “C-Can we go home?”

I can see the precise moment the meaning of my words hit her by the way her face lights up. Stroking my hair she whispers. “Let’s go home, baby.”

She opens the door for me and helps me in before dancing her way around the front to get in the other side. The truck revs to life and soon we are on our way out of town.

As the houses of Point Haven give way to the coastal scrub with the mountains and forests of Ehkolie looming up before us my already soaring heart rises above the clouds. I had agreed to move in to be with Winona. For her I would have gone anywhere. But as we zoomed down the highway it was hitting me for the first time that soon I would be living out here. Away from people and buildings and noise and chaos my new home would be out here in the fresh air and calm of nature. Whenever I needed to find my peace all I would need to do is step out my back door. And the opportunities for nature photography would be endless! What a blessed life I had, thanks to her.

“This is s-so exciting.” I say, unable to contain my glee.

“I KNOW!” Winona practically shouts before bringing her voice down to indoor levels. “I know. I’m gonna make you so happy out here, baby. You’ll see. I’ll build ya a nice house…bird feeder…garden…whatever you want, you’ll have.”

I chuckle. “Us. B-Build us a nice house.”

“YES!”

“I just w-want to be with you.”

She looks over at me nearly bursting with joy. I knew exactly how she was feeling.

As we near I see the big red letters of ‘Win’s Garage’ comes into view. Home sweet home. With no other cars in sight she runs straight through the intersection like most of locals did and zips up the driveway. In the office I can just make out Amos on the phone. When he sees the truck he is quick to end the call. We pull around back into the covered stall Winona parked. My feet had barely hit cement before the back door of the garage flings open.

“Did ya do it?” He says. “Did he accept it?” He pulls up to stop when he sees me rounding the truck. “Oh! Hi Avery.”

“Hi Amos.”

Grinning from ear to ear Winona was proud to report. “Of course he took my ring. Like he was gonna say no.”

Stepping forward I show the big man my pretty ring. Grabbing my hand bends down to take a close look at it. “That’s it? You spent HOW much on this little thing!?”

“None of your damn business.” Winona shoots back. I then catch some shrapnel as she fixes me with a glare too. “Or yours.”

He chortles then gives me a heavy pat to the shoulder. “She talks all big now but you shoulda heard her before she left. Ohhh, I hope Avery likes it…”

“DAD!” She kicks him square in the shin.

“OW!” His daughter fuming and him loving it he turns to invite me enter the garage. “I thought you were working, Avery.”

“I w-was…”

“His piece of shit brother got him suspended at work.” Winona cuts in. “Fuckin cops came and made a big scene right there in the store! Assholes!”

“Oh.” Amos looks back to me, concern in his hazel eyes. “Is there trouble, Avery?”

“Oh, there’s gonna be trouble.” Winona growls. “There’s gonna be a whole lot of fuckin trouble one of these days.”

“Winnie!” Amos snaps. “Cool it.” To my shock, Winona actually settles. “What’s goin on, Avery?”

“Um…f-family trouble.” I say softly. “I r-reported my brother J-Jack to the police last night.”

“Cause he hit ya?”

“Mmm.” I nod. “And b-because he h-hurt his wife. I saw it y-yesterday after leaving here.”

Amos’ warm face goes stony cold. “I see.”

“I h-hope the p-police do something but…um…it d-doesn’t look good right n-now.”

“Mrm.”

“Typical.” Winona says. “Same everywhere ya go. And he’s white, even!”

“Winnie. Take it easy.” Amos says, his deep calm voice lulling his daughters emotions back down again. “I’m sorry to hear that, Avery.”

“Thank you.” I say. “M-My f-family is always full of d-drama I’m afraid.”

“Heh. Welcome to the club.” He pats my shoulder again.

Together we stroll into the garage where we find Brutus playing with his brothers and sisters near the one bay door that was open. “Ah!” I gasp. “They showed th-themselves?”

“With a bit of coaxing.” Amos says with a proud grin. “The mom’s watching from the grass just out there. She’s a flighty one.”

“That’s Mama. She’s n-not so g-good with people.” I say as I scan for her among the stalks. “She’s been w-wild her whole life.”

“So just like Winnie’s mom then.”

I giggle as I kneel down and let the mass of kittens pile in around my knees.

“So, anyways!” Winona says. “Since Avery’s on unpaid suspension and maybe even getting fired he’s going to be moving in.”

“What!?” Amos turns to her.

“Yep. It’s all been planned already.”

"Here!?"

"Yep."

“When!?”

“Today.”

“Today!? Winona…”

Just itching for a scrap Winona is already in his face. “It was gonna happen anyway! We’re in love!” Looking up, nose to nose with her giant dad, she jabs a finger into his chest. “If you think you can stop us you just try it and see what happens.”

“I just…”

“We know it’s only been a week and we don’t care. You don’t understand what we have. Nobody understands what we have.”

“I underst…”

“And we don’t give a DAMN what you or anybody else thinks about us.”

“What about…?”

“Mom? I’ll deal with her. You just tell her when she wants to have it out I’ll be ready.”

“But it’s…”

“It’s too soon? Who are you to say that? Huh? Who is anybody to tell us our own business!? It’s nobody’s business how we live or what we do, right Sprout?”

“Um…”

“That’s right!” She nods, agreeing with a point I never made.

“I was just…”

“You were just, nothin.” Winona interrupts her father yet again. “Avery and I love each other and we’re going to live together. Here! Now! Forever!” She stamps her foot to punctuate her point. “So there!”

As a stunned Amos looks back and forth between us I was trying and mostly failing to hide my smile. It was the morning of the breakfast noodles all over again. I was coming to realize that Winona argued with her dad not out of any sort of hostility but because she knew he would take it. With him she could safely vent and pop off all she liked and no feelings would be hurt. I think it pleased her to be seen rising to my defense as well, even if it was against someone who bore me no ill will. Just like Grandpa was the person I could be myself around, Amos was that person for Winona.

After a bit Amos just throws up his hands and shakes his head. “Why do I even try to argue sense into you?”

“Good question.” Winona crosses her arms. “Sucker for punishment?”

“Ha!” He looks at me with something like amused pity in his friendly eyes. Thumbing at his daughter he says. “You sure you’re ready for this, Avery? It’s too late for me but there’s still hope for you. Take it from me, it don’t get any easier with the wild ones.”

I laugh and nod. “I’m r-ready.”

“Ohhhkay.” He holds his hands up in surrender. “Just don’t say I didn’t warn ya.”

Chapter 155