Wedding Bell Blues Pt. 08

The disclaimers: Every character who matters is at least 18. A work of fiction (more or less). Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is coincidental (for the most part).

Part 8 picks up on Sunday morning as the couple wakes up. This installment has Tom and Hayleigh setting boundaries and ground rules, with a few frolics along the way.

I am so sorry for the delay in publishing these latest chapters. Too late I realized that I had written myself into an unacceptable corner, and that I would have to do a fair bit of reworking to fix my mess. And then real life and the need to keep my job intruded on my rewriting and editing time. And then I think I messed up submitting the previous chapter, so it sat in Drafts for four days! Fear not, I will finish this series, if for no one else's sake but my own. Thanks for your patience.

~~~@~~~@~~~

~~~ THE WEE HOURS OF SUNDAY MORNING ~~~

We abandoned the hot tub and took a quick shower to wash off the heavily-treated hot tub water and did the usual getting ready for bed stuff. I thought we were going to turn in until Hayleigh pulled back the sheets over half the monster bed and covered a smaller area with every bath towel we had left. I don't know what was going on with her, but she really was insatiable. Not that I minded! The last thing I remembered before drifting off after hour or so of inspired playtime was spooning while still buried inside, with Hayleigh clutching my arm tightly between her tits.

~~~ LATER SUNDAY MORNING ~~~

We slept in, well past breakfast. I awoke on my back with Hayleigh mostly on top of my chest and her limbs splayed out in various directions. I shifted to relieve a cramp, rousing Hayleigh from her slumber.

"That was quite a night," she said to my shoulder. "I may have overdone it. My bits are a bit sore."

I chuckled at that. "You too? Sorry about that. You were on a mission last night and I for sure wasn't going to complain."

"Something else about me you need to know," she said, blushing. "About a week before my period starts my hormones tend to go crazy, and I usually get insanely horny, almost as bad as I get in the middle of my cycle when I'm most fertile. Guess what should start in a few days. So brace yourself for sometimes having to navigate a witch's brew of cranky and unquenchable. You've been warned!"

"Forewarned is forearmed. It's nothing that my caveman forebears didn't survive."

She pulled herself from my chest and stretched out on her side, facing me. "So how are we to spend our last day here?" she asked, bright-eyed. "I'm good with anything, but I could be convinced to spend some more time on the beach."

"Beach would be great. I was thinking we grab lunch after cleaning up. I saw that the resort has bicycles for guests, so we could explore for a bit. Hit the beach, and if you're up for it, see if the concierge can suggest a night club for more music and dancing. But I'm completely flexible."

"I like that plan! I have an LBD stashed away that you haven't seen yet." She paused, contemplating. "Yesterday I was so anxious about today, knowing that it would be our last day together, and my love unrequited and all. Now I'm beyond joy and looking forward to so much. I know you had to do things in your own time, especially considering the circumstances, but thank you for telling me yesterday how you felt. It makes today perfect no matter what we do."

"What Danni said last night, she was right. It was about time I told you. Things were going so well I didn't want to upset the apple cart and ruin our last few days here. But it was time."

She took me into her arms. "I understand. I really do."

"What say we check in with our families, since they didn't hear from us while we were out sailing, and then get ready to go? I'll give you a free shampoo."

She nodded. "We need a good cleaning. We smell like chlorine and sex! If you get my nooks I'll get your crannies. I need a trim, too, if giving me a hand with that still interests you," she said luridly. "But calls to home first."

I went first, calling my mother. Danni had already filled my parents in on the sailing adventure. My father was out running errands, to it would just be Mom. She asked me to put the call on speaker so Hayleigh could talk, too. As I should have expected, the call quickly became mostly between Hayleigh and my mom. They eagerly went on almost without end about the boat, the food, the dancing, and of course Hayleigh's gown. I was listening to them bond in real time. It was a stark contrast between Jennifer and my mother. To an outsider it looked like Jennifer and Mom really liked each other, but if you knew them, you could see that they were mostly playing the parts they were expected to play. Hearing Mom talking to Hayleigh, I knew Mom would welcome her into the family with open arms. I doubted Julia would be so welcoming of me. One problem at a time, that's the ticket. The call ended with Mom inviting Hayleigh to have dinner with my family to give chapter and verse about our entire trip. I hoped Hayleigh could win over Dad, too.

Hayleigh's call was not so cheerful. We braced ourselves when Julia picked up. Like my father, Paul was out running errands. Hayleigh told Julia that she had her on speaker so I could talk, too. "If you must," said Julia, clearly uncomfortable.

"Good morning, Mrs. Fredrickson," I said as politely as a human can. It felt weird to address her so formally.

"Tom, even with everything that's happened, it's foolish to go back to addressing me like we just met. Please call me Julia." A chink in the armor? "So, what you two been up to? Having a good time?" She wasn't trying to be sarcastic, but that's how it sounded to the ear. So much for the chink.

"Yes, mother, we're having a wonderful time," Hayleigh said with an edge. "If you like, I can tell you about our three-day sailing trip on this big, beautiful yacht, the incredible food, a black tie dinner party, moonlight dancing with a live band, interesting people we met, and so much more. Or we can throw rocks at each other. Which will it be, Mom?"

"Hayleigh, sweetheart, you have to understand, this is hard for your father and me! Jennifer is our daughter, just as you are. She feels that she's being punished unfairly for making a few mistakes. Your father and I know she was in the wrong, but if we support you in this, this affair, she will be more upset and alienated. If we support her, you will be upset and our relationship with suffer. You shouldn't make us choose between you. Don't make us do that."

"Mom, Tom and I are in each other's lives now. Much more than you know. Don't make me choose between Tom and my family." Neither of them said anything for a long time. Me? I was a ghost. Julia broke the impasse. "So tell me about this boating trip," she said with feigned interest and forced enthusiasm.

Hayleigh asked me to send pics while she and Julia talked. Amazingly, after a while Julia's wall showed cracks. She asked questions with what sounded like genuine interest. Then she saw a pic of Hayleigh in her gown wearing the pendant. Looking back, I think it was a turning point for Julia. A moment of clarity at a minimum.

"That's some necklace! Where did that come from?" From the inflection in Julia's voice, I surmised that Julia assumed it was originally meant as a wedding gift from me to Jennifer.

"It's a gift from Tom, Mom. It's hard to see in the picture, but the emerald matches my eyes perfectly! He found it here in Nassau and surprised me! It's way over the top, but he kept after me until I agreed to accept it."

"That's quite a gift, Tom," she said cautiously, trying to draw me out.

"She's quite the girl, Julia. She's my best friend." Julia let that slide.

They continued to chat guardedly about the photos. Julia even made an effort to include me in the conversation now and then. Thankfully, when they got to the pics of Carlos and Rosa, and Hayleigh's recounting of how Rosa surprised Carlos with the news of her pregnancy, Julia said nothing. I half expected a refresher course in the birds and the bees, and how the Pill is not a magic shield. After a few more minutes of chatter Julia politely asked if she could speak to Hayleigh privately. Hayleigh nodded at me, so I stepped out the deck to watch the surf.

Hayleigh joined me about ten minutes later. I was on pins and needles, but to my surprise she wasn't upset. She reported that her parents had talked about Paul's declarations that Hayleigh should find another place to live, but they both wanted her to continue living at home. Paul wasn't quite ready to apologize fully, but he would at least meet Hayleigh half way and let things be. It was a truce, not a reconciliation. "I'm still going to keep a bag packed in case I have to make a quick exit," Hayleigh declared. "You can sneak me into your basement and I'll play stowaway."

"If it comes to it, I know my parents would take you in. They might balk at us openly sleeping together, but we have a guest room upstairs. Danni would love to have you with us until school starts."

"I'm not worried. It will all work out." She held out her hand to pull me off the lounger. "Let's get lunch. A bike ride will help burn off some of these extra calories we've been cramming in, and then we have an appointment with a beach."

We decided to bicycle around and find a place to eat. Hayleigh spotted a tandem bike, and that was that. "That looks like fun!" she squealed. "Can I drive?" I immediately nodded. "That was too easy." Wait--you just want to ogle my tush!" she exclaimed, laughing. I shrugged my shoulders. "You're incorrigible!"

We headed to the Sandyport area, where there was a good selection of restaurants, finally deciding to give Chicken in Da Bag another go. It was a good as the last time, when Hayleigh brought it back after her shopping excursion. We spent the next hour or so looking at the myriad array of boats docked at the countless marinas. "I'll make another deal with you," she offered. "You buy the airplane, I'll buy the sailboat."

After we returned the bike to the resort, it was into swimwear and onto the beach. We made the most of the deliciously warm water. The price was getting completely filthy, like the previous time. The payoff was another unhurried shower, followed by a shared bubble bath and brushing out her hair while she redid the polish on her nails.

"My mother would be very disappointed in me. The Girl Handbook says the guy is never supposed to see the preparations, only the final product. And here I am, letting you see how the magic tricks are done."

"But I so much enjoy the backstage passes."

We decided to get dinner at the resort's dining room because it would save time that we could better spend at that night club. Our dinner conversation somehow meandered toward Danni's love life, mostly because Hayleigh meandered it there. So far as I knew, Danni wasn't focused on any one guy in particular.

"There's someone she's interested in," Hayleigh confided, "but I can't say anything more. BFF Blood Oath. Pact of the Sisterhood. You'll have to get it from Danni."

"That sounds ominous. Someone I know, or perhaps someone I wouldn't approve of?"

"Sorry, my lips are sealed. Just out of curiosity though, how would you feel if it was someone you know? And before you say anything too protective big-brotherish or judgmental, I remind you that you're sleeping with your former fiance's sister."

"Would depend on the guy. Say it was Steve." I looked Hayleigh's face for a tell, but she was completely unreadable. "He's been my friend since forever, but the guy is an irredeemable pussy hound. I know he thinks Danni is cute-don't repeat that to her, please-but I don't see the attraction on her end. To my knowledge Steve isn't at all her type. And if it were Angel, good luck to her with that! He's been exclusive with this girl at school, Marci Pobleski or Popleski-something, since sophomore year."

"OK, so let's assume that even if it were one of them-and don't waste the effort trying to wheedle anything out of me, because I'm not confirming or denying anything about anybody-how would you feel about it? I'm really curious about the male thought process on this. As we see it, guys think it's OK to go out with a friend's sister, but not OK if it's his own sister."

"Not exactly, Hay. I don't speak for all men on this, OK, but there's a general code of conduct. The code varies, but it's generally OK to date a friend's sister if you treat her properly, and it's considered good form to at least mention it first if the guy is a good friend."

"So it's not necessarily taboo?"

"Again, depends on the circumstances. Aren't there rules in Girl World about not dating your friend's ex-boyfriend?"

"You don't even want to know! It mostly depends on the how and why of the breakup. If she dumped him then the chances of bloodshed go way down. But if he dumped her, and especially if he dumped her to go out with her friend, that can be popcorn worthy, particularly if they're good friends and she finds out after the fact."

"I see. But back to Danni, my own view is that so long as he treated her right, go and be happy. I'd hardly be in a position to criticize, given The Circumstances, as we've called them." Hayleigh's expression revealed nothing. "You're not going to give me any hints on this at all, are you?"

"Told ya, my lips are sealed. Don't fixate on it. I'm just curious about how guys think on this. Ready to go clubbing?"

And with that we went to our beach house to get changed for a night on the town. I also resolved NEVER to play poker against Hayleigh Fredrickson.

Hayleigh got out of her dinner attire and slipped into shorts and a tee-shirt while I got into my best suit. I asked why she wasn't getting ready and the only answer I could get was "Sorry, no preview." Once I was fitted with an appropriate tie, cuff links, and all the rest I was politely instructed to go take a walk outside and that I would receive a text when she was ready. She knew I was eager to see her in that LBD, and she knew how to generate anticipation. I pocketed my phone and wandered around outside for at least 30 minutes, until I ran into Robert and Denise entering the main building.

"Good evening," Robert said pleasantly. "You look like you're ready for a night on the town. Where's your friend Hallie?"

"Hayleigh. She's getting ready. She helped me get ready and then told me to get lost for a while."

That amused Robert. "Friend, in my experience that means she wants to hit you with it all at once. Shock and Awe. You best strap yourself in."

Robert's words of wisdom did not amuse Denise, who elbowed him subtly in the ribs. "Don't be a jackass, Robert." And then to me, "She's a nice girl. Show her a good time."

I was about to promise that I would do my best when my phone buzzed. "Ready!" followed by several heart emojis. She liked heart emojis. I bid Robert and Denise a good evening and headed back to our cabin.

I entered our beach house expecting to be impressed, but Robert's guess was spot-on. Shock and Awe indeed! Hayleigh's cocktail dress was black, of course. The hem came to just above the knee, except in the front where is swept upward to about mid-thigh. It was sleeveless, with a moderate plunging v-neck, and perfectly close-fitted to emphasize the curves of her bust, waist, and hips. Her emerald pendant blazed against her sun-darkened light butterscotch skin. I don't think she was wearing a bra because her nips made subtle bumps in the filmy fabric. I don't know what that dress was made from, but it shimmered even in the room's dim light. She changed up her hairstyle, too. Instead of wearing it down to fall around her shoulders (which I loved) she had it put up in large, loose semi-braids that appeared to naturally gather at the back. Very nice! To top it all off she had painted her nails with a sparkling green polish that matched her eyes. General Schwarzkopz's Shock and Awe show in Iraq was nothing compared to this.

"Remember when I told you that I would never see a woman as beautiful as you?" She smiled and nodded. "You topped that and then some. Wow. Just wow." And there it was again, the Hayleigh sparkle, level 10. I would never tire of seeing that.

"So I'm presentable?"

"I'll be the envy of every guy who sees us."

We took a taxi to a night club reputed by the concierge to have the better live dance bands. Hayleigh ate it up. She was a maniac. As soon as she recovered from a set she'd grab my hand for more. "Can we do this when we get home? It's so much fun getting dressed up and dancing." Of course we would! After all, she was right, it WAS fun. I never thought of myself as a dance club guy, but as with so much else, Hayleigh opened my eyes to new things.

We dragged ourselves into the beach house for our last night in Nassau. Of course we enjoyed each other, but our loving was different. Again. I couldn't put my finger on it at the time, but looking back, I think our mutual commitment to our relationship and to our future together changed how we interacted physically, too. Anxieties over what would happen once our escapist frolic ended were replaced by shared optimism. We were "all-in." We celebrated it without needing acknowledge it. It was there with every word, every touch, every glance, and every kiss.

~~~@~~~@~~~

~~~ MONDAY ~~~

I awoke to Hayleigh's fingers gliding through my hair. She snuggled closer when my hand ran across her waist and over her hip. The sun was barely poking over the horizon.

"Ready to return to planet Earth?" I asked. "Wisconsin and a several million questions await. Enquiring minds will want to know."

"If we must," she sighed. She abruptly changed course. "Actually, I'm ready," she announced with calm conviction. "This trip has been fairy-tale wonderful, but I'm ready to get home and get things squared away with everyone."

"Flight doesn't leave until 12:30. We have time for a last walk on the beach before breakfast and packing up, if you'd like."

"I would like that a lot," she replied. "Unless you'd rather start the day with some morning playtime." I couldn't resist chuckling. "Oh, stop!" she said as she lightly swatted my shoulder. "I know that technically 4 a. m. was in the morning!"

"Let's take that beach walk, and pretend that 'nail smoking hot babe in the shower' is still unchecked on my bucket list."

We dragged out of bed and threw on casual clothes suitable for a beach excursion. We walked hand-in-hand, letting the cold surf wash over our feet.

"Can we come back here again someday?" Hayleigh asked hopefully.

"To Nassau, or to this resort?"

"Either. Both. I'm getting sappy, sorry. It's just that I'm... I don't know how to explain it. I feel an attachment to this place now. You fell in love with me here. You became mine here. We became 'us' here."

"Absolutely we can come back! I'll even convince management to mount a commemorative plaque that says 'In this place Tom pulled his head out of his butt and recognized his soulmate.' You were hiding in plain sight all the time. I thank the gods that I recognized you in time."

"Goof! I don't care how we got together, all that matters is that we are. Now give me our last Nassau beach kiss for this trip, and let's get busy with that shower." In the annals of Nassau beach kisses, this one was epic, in my not-so-humble-opinion.

When we got back to our beach house the distance from the shore to the cabin was a mad dash. We tumbled through the sliding glass door into the main room and fumbled as we all but tore each other's clothes off on the way to the shower. After we got squeaky clean Hayleigh massaged me to hardness, then pushed me backward so that I was sitting on a ledge. I thought she was going to sit on my lap so that I would enter her from behind, but instead she faced me and slowly impaled herself.

"I don't know when we'll have our next chance to do this, so want to be able to see your face this time," she explained.

I wish I could have lasted longer, but no dice. At least I held off long enough for her to finish, and I followed almost immediately after. We toweled each other off, and I took every opportunity to check her out as we got dressed. She caught me doing it and laughed quietly to herself. "Never going to change, is it?" she teased. I shook my head no and smiled back.

Unlike the trip inbound, we agreed on comfy casual for the long trip back. She still went with a ribbon for her travel pony tail, of course color-matched for her Badger-red blouse. We grabbed a quick late breakfast at the resort's main building restaurant, and then on to Lynden Pindling by shuttle.

The flight out mirrored the inbound; Lynden Pindling to Miami International via an Embraer turboprop. Hayleigh's new flying bug hadn't abated; she watched every moment of our takeoff and climb-out to altitude with rapt attention. "You really are going to make me buy you an airplane, aren't you?" I teased. She squeezed my hand and enthusiastically nodded "Yes." My father was going to love her.

The Nassau-Miami connection was only about an hour-fifteen, so it seemed like we had barely gotten up before we where descending to the approach pattern. Hayleigh was mostly "Oh, look over there!" and "See those boats!" and "I love how it feels when we're turning!" Yeah, an airplane was in our future.

We didn't have much time to make our connection to MSP, so we had to dash to from Terminal H to Terminal D. We barely made it. The way the ticketing worked out, I had the window seat, but of course I made Hayleigh take it.

The Miami-MSP leg was about four and a half hours, so we had a lot of time to talk or catch up on sleep. Hayleigh chose talk, mostly about what I was looking for in a place in Chicago. Our tickets included in-air internet access, so Hayleigh went about searching the areas near the law school campus for candidates, bookmarking websites and making copious notes as we went. She was focused to the point of being driven. This wasn't a search, it was a quest. "I want you someplace where you can be comfy, but also where you can buckle down and study. I told you, you have to be a good lawyer so you can get us one of those Beaver things." She winked at me to signal that she was teasing, but in truth I don't think she was completely kidding.

In the end, "we" narrowed it down to about ten places that checked the right boxes and were listed as available for rent and in the price range. Then there were all of the questions about furniture. Would I be taking anything, or would I buy stuff once I got there? Was I going to set up from scratch or would I be taking dishes, kitchen stuff, linens with me? How did I plan to get everything there? I'm sure Hayleigh was going to make a fantastic nurse, but she missed her true calling as an Army logistics officer.

We arrived on-time in MSP in the late afternoon, with a more comfortable margin to make our connection for the hop from MSP to the regional airport near home. We grabbed a snack at the food court and called our families to let them know we were on schedule and would see them in a few hours. Danni was pumped--what a surprise. Hayleigh called her mother's cell, but she mouthed to me "It's my dad" when it answered.

"Hi, Dad....... Yes, we'll be home in about two hours............. No, it's OK. Danni is going to pick us up.......... That's sweet, but you and Mom don't have to............. I'm looking forward to seeing you, too.......... OK, love you, too.......... Bye-bye."

Hayleigh did the dramatic inhale-exhale with big eyes. "I didn't expect that!" she announced. He offered to pick me up with my mom, but he didn't put up a fuss about Danni doing it. And he said they're glad I'm OK, and eager to see me. And he says he loves me, so I guess he's not ready to completely disown me quite yet."

"I'm glad things are cooling down. But I meant what I said before. If things go sideways, call and you can stay with us. Will you promise?"

She nodded. "We'll get through all of this just fine," she said into my ear as she hugged me again. She suddenly pulled away. "Oh, I almost forgot! Can I borrow your phone for a minute?" I pulled it out of my pocket and handed it to her, asking what was up.

"You remember that I had a plan about dealing with my parents, but that you really really need to trust me?" I nodded and unlocked my phone for her. I watched her do a lot of scrolling and tapping. She finished doing whatever she was doing and handed me my phone back. "Tom, I'm going to bend trust to the breaking point," she said nervously. "Please don't try to figure out what I did, and even if you do...."

"Hay, I trust you. I'm guessing that it has something to do with the video I took of Jennifer and David having at it. You don't need to answer. But please remember that I promised your father that I wouldn't show that to anyone if he did what I said at the church. He did his part, so I need to keep my word."

"I won't break your word, promise."

"That's good enough for me." I checked the time. "Almost time to board. We better get to the gate." I was uneasy not knowing what Hayleigh had planned, but I reasoned that trust isn't really trust if you only trust on things that aren't important. Objectively, I knew that was a recipe for disaster and heartache, but I was all-in. I would let it play out.

Hayleigh detoured to the ladies room, giving me an opportunity to call Danni. I had a secret mission for her, if she chose to accept it. Danni was all over it.

There were hardly any other passengers on the 38 minute flight into our town's regional airport. Being mid-June in our neck of the country, it was still a lot of daylight left in the day, so Hayleigh got another chance to revel in the smaller plane experience.

As expected, Danni was waiting for us at the airport. Despite the conversation Hayleigh had with her father, I half expected to see him and Julia there too, ready to make a scene in the terminal and snatch Hayleigh away. Instead it was just Danni, grinning ear-to-ear and waving like a loon at us from the public access side of baggage claim. When we crossed the no-return doors from the terminal to baggage claim, Danni all but ignored me and bee-lined directly to Hayleigh for a stereotype girl-hug & giggle-fest. I finally got a welcome home hug from Danni before being told to make myself useful by getting the luggage from the baggage conveyor return loop. My life was back to normal in 60 seconds flat.

We bundled into Danni's Kia and headed toward home. Hayleigh and I shared the back seat, and Hayleigh and Danni launched into machine-gun Q & A about the trip. Everything about the trip--the resort, the food, the flightseeing, the boating, the beaches, and on and on and on. It was both odd and a relief that the elephant in the room--what happens next in our new romance--did not come up. When Hayleigh wasn't talking to Danni she would lean over to me for a smooch, which didn't escape Danni's notice.

"Hey, driver," I told her, "keep your eyes on the road!"

"Tommy and Hayleigh sitting in a tree!" Danni sing-songed. "K--I--S-S--I--N--G!!" She laughed exuberantly before repeating it. Twice.

Danni's teasing only emboldened Hayleigh. She leaned over to me and gave me a tongue-kiss that would have made Aphrodite blush.

"Ewwww," exclaimed Danni, blushing. "Get a room already!"

Hayleigh scanned the interior of Danni's car. "Gonna have to. Not enough room in this back seat."

We eventually pulled up into Hayleigh's driveway. The tension was palpable. We didn't know what to expect. I envisioned Paul storming out of the house and pulling Hayleigh bodily from the back seat while cursing up a storm. We all were relieved when no one came outside to make a scene as it turned to dusk. I helped Hayleigh get her bags from the back of Danni's car and to the front door, waiting for the door to fly open and Paul skewering my with a fireplace poker. She threw her arms around my neck in a monster hug.

"I love you, Tom. I promise I'll call right away if things go sour. And I'll call you before I go to bed to say good night."

"Love you, too, Hay. We'll talk tonight." I looked over my shoulder as I walked back to Danni's car, still expecting some eruption. To say my fingers were crossed was an understatement. Hayleigh got her bags inside and closed the door. Danni and I drove on in silence for a few blocks before Danni piped up.

"Just so you know, the parentals are on pins and needles, especially Dad. He only got snippets of information from me and Mom, but he put together that you and Hayleigh bonded big time. Then Mom said that she thought you were falling hard for Hayleigh and all that, and Dad got worried that you'd do something massively stupid like get hitched in Nassau." She started laughing.

"He was so freaked that I caught him checking out on the net what it took to get married in Nassau. When he saw that you only needed to be in the Bahamas for one day before you could apply for a license, and only two days to get the license and do it, he nearly melted down. He paced around the house like he was waiting for the roof to cave in."

"I wish I knew. I would have said something to reassure him."

"You know Dad. He doesn't handle it well when he's not in control. Mom and I got him settled down OK. Just be aware when you talk to him. He's worried that you will abandon law school or put it off. He's really invested in your future."

"Got it. Thanks. My future includes Hayleigh now, too. Hay and I want to talk to them together about what's up with us. And before you ask, yes, you get to be there too."

"Don't wait too long. They want to invite her to dinner for tomorrow night. I'd do it then. Do I get a preview?"

"Nope. And don't pout! You already know a lot more than they do. Thanks for not blabbing, by the way."

We pulled into our driveway. "Jerk! You owe me! I'm only letting you get away with not telling me first because we're home now and I can't use torture to force you to talk."

We barely got my stuff inside before I was swarmed. My parents tried to pry info from me as soon as the welcome home fawning petered out, but I held them off with assurances that everything was great and Hayleigh and I wanted to talk to them together ASAP. They relented, but insisted on inviting Hayleigh a cookout dinner the next day. Dad's lit up like a spotlight when I mentioned that Hayleigh was now a flying freak, and hoped for an invite to go up in the Cessna.

It was getting late, so I decided to turn in. I hadn't heard from Hayleigh yet, which concerned me. I was about to call her when she called.

"Hiya Babe!" She sounded OK. "Sorry for calling so late. Everything's OK for now. They've been pumping me for info, but I finally convinced them that we decided to talk to them later together. They didn't like that, but they agreed to wait."

"Same thing here. By the way, you're invited for dinner tomorrow. Be prepared to tell it all. Hay, I love you. It's going to be tough falling asleep without you next to me."

"No kidding. How could I get so addicted to sleeping next to you in only a week? Love you more! Good night." So somehow avoided that silly teenager thing of neither wanting to be the first to end the call.

I slept fitfully. Exhaustion eventually prevailed, but I awoke before the sun came up. I decided that since I wasn't going to be able to fall back asleep, I might as well keep myself busy. I unpacked my bags and started laundry. I hadn't spoken to Steve or Angel, and I needed to see if Angel's dad had any work for me, so I called Angel and gave him the Cliff Notes version. Oddly, he wasn't as surprised as I expected. Turns out that he called Danni to see how I was doing, and Danni being Danni, she just had to let on that Hayleigh and I were getting along VERY well. He was happy for me, and what's more, his father ad already told him that I could have me all the work I wanted. Another summer of drywall, plaster, and paint for me, and I was grateful for it.

I kept up with doing odd jobs around the house until lunch. I was telling my parents and Danni about how Hayleigh had become a flying freak when the doorbell rang. My father answered the door, then announced that I had a visitor. Hayleigh was chatting vigorously with my father, who was doing his best to maintain eye contact instead of letting his gaze wander downward. Not that I could blame him. She was wearing white mid-length shorts that showcased her freshly tanned legs, and a stretchy green halter top that was a bit too snug. She had gathered her hair in her trademarked ponytail held together by a matching green ribbon. When she saw me she broke away from my father and almost crashed into me, taking me into a full-body hug before giving me an embarrassingly long kiss. She broke away suddenly, turned, skip-ran back to her car in that way that only girls can do, and was gone without a word.

"Interesting young lady," my father remarked with a shit-eating grin. I smiled and shrugged my shoulders.

Danni stuck her head out the door. "Was that Hayleigh? She texted that she was going to stop by to say thanks for the roses."

Dad chuckled. "Quite a thank-you for a dozen reds."

"Uggh! Men are so unimaginative. They weren't red roses, Dad. Not all of them."

"What's so wrong with red roses?" Dad shot back. Danni rolled her eyes. "OK, what were they?" he asked.

"Well," Danni explained, "some reds, to express affection and passion and romance. And a burgundy, for devotion. An Orange, for admiration or also for passionate romance. A purple to say adoration and mystery, and a blue for big-time desire. Don't make that face, Daddy! Some whites for the hopefulness of new love, a pink for grace, and a peach for gratitude. Oh, and a dozen yellows, for friendship." My father cocked an eye at that last. Something big registered with him.

"Must have worked. I thought she was going to smother him with that kiss."

"Maybe you should try it with Mom. You might get lucky!" she teased.

We didn't know that Mom was within earshot. "Danielle, really!" she said blushing. "Though some roses would be nice now and then," she teased at my father.

I decided to rescue him. "Hayleigh told me she'd love to join us for dinner tonight. She'll be here by five to help in the kitchen. She insisted, Mom."

"I knew I liked that girl!" proclaimed my mother as she walked back inside.

Hayleigh arrived right on time, with a homemade cherry chocolate cheesecake in hand. I helped Dad with the grill while the women huddled in the kitchen. That was Danni's idea. She wanted Hayleigh there to help nudge my mother into helping managing my father.

We had dinner in the screened-in sunporch. No one wanted to be the first to tackle the elephant in the room. Danni finally cracked when the table was being cleared for dessert.

"OK, out with it, both of you, before we all have a collective stroke!"

Hayleigh took my hand. "Right then," she began. "John and Susan, Tom and I are in love. I've been in love with him for a very long time, but he didn't know it until a few days ago." She looked sideways at me. "He finally came to his senses, and realized he felt the same way."

No one said anything, so Hayleigh continued. "We know this whole thing is sudden and pretty much absurd, but we are committed to each other. We know we have a mountain of obstacles ahead of us. Being away from each other and the issues with long-distance relationships, dealing with my sister and Tom's history with her, all of it. We're going in eyes wide open." She looked at me, passing the baton.

"Mom, Dad, that's it exactly. You're probably worried that I'm on the rebound from Jennifer, and this will fall apart when I fully get past her. I have given that a lot of thought. I'm not on the rebound. I am over Jennifer. Call it a cleansing fire. The anger is gone, and I'm working on forgiveness. Not for Jennifer's sake, but for my own and for Hayleigh's. Hayleigh is my very best friend. We were friends long before we became... before we became more than friends. She's my soulmate. I know that absolutely and without reservation."

My father rustled in his seat so I stopped talking. I thought he wanted to say something, but he told me that he was still listening and to continue.

"We're not oblivious to the fact that our romance blossomed in a fantasy world of Nassau beaches and fancy restaurants and sailing trips and nightclubs and dancing and so on. Hayleigh and I are going to work regular jobs over the summer. We're going to go on regular dates, like to movies and shows and ball games, like normal couples do. We're completely sure of our commitment, but we're going to be sure that we're sure."

My mother was tearing up. "I'm so happy for both of you!"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here," interjected my father. "Hayleigh, I don't doubt that you love Tom and that you sincerely believe what you say. Other than agreeing to join Tom on that trip, you're probably the most sensible, level-headed young lady I'll ever meet. And I genuinely like you. It's easy to see why Tom has fallen for you. You're pretty, you're charming, you're smart, and you have a maturity about you that belies your age."

"I'm more concerned about you, Thomas. How do you reconcile the certainty that you had about Jennifer and the mistakes in judgment that you made about her, with the certainty you claim to have now about Hayleigh? And what are you going to do about Jennifer? She's the wild card in all this," my father stated gratuitously. "Sooner or later both of you will have to resolve that issue, or you'll always have that history intruding in your relationship with each other and with her family."

"I can't reconcile those things, Dad. I don't think they can be reconciled. I made immature, superficial judgments about Jennifer. I didn't question things that I should have. I ignored red flags. I didn't listen to my gut even when it was screaming to be heard. Frankly, I had no business getting married to Jennifer, or anyone else. This is so different. Hay and I are friends before anything else and above all else. We're partners." I looked away from my parents and turned toward Hayleigh. "I love Hayleigh for all the usual reasons that a man loves a woman, but more than that, I genuinely like her as a person. She is The One."

"And what about Jennifer, kids? Any thoughts on that?" he asked.

"Yes. She's always going to be Hayleigh's sister. We're going to work together to reach some kind of accommodation with her. We don't expect a miracle. It will take time and work, but Hayleigh and I are committed to giving it all we have."

My mother looked expectantly at my father. "Well John, say something."

My father leaned back into his chair, exhaling loudly. "It's a lot to process. You two have big hills to climb. For all that, I see something between you that I can't quite my finger on, but it's something special, that will endure. To be blunt, I think it would be a crime for you not to give it a go. What's that line, There are just so many summers, and just so many springs. In the end, it really doesn't matter how you got together, or what I think about it. All that matters is whether you're happy together. I've never seen Tom happier. If my approval matters to you, you have it."

Hayleigh leapt out of her chair to my father, throwing her arms around his neck. "Thank you, John, thank you! Your approval matters so much, even if you don't think it does."

When she finished nearly choking my father she and my mother did the obligatory girl-hug, followed by Danni. The three of them stood together wiping away nascent tears and laughing when my father piped up again.

"Tom tells me that you've discovered a fondness of flying. I have access to a Cessna 310 if you'd like to go up sometime."

Hayleigh looked like a little girl who was told she was getting a pony for her birthday. She actually did a fist of victory salute in the air. "Yesssss!!!"

We spent the rest of the evening looking at cell phone pics from the trip, narrated mostly by Hayleigh. She had already curated the collection to remove shots that overtly suggested intimacy, such as a discarded negligee heaped on the floor next to the bed. When it approached 10 p. m. my parents announced that they were going to call it a night. I saw my mother silently get Danni's attention, darting her eyes toward the door to urge Danni to follow and leave Hayleigh and me alone. My family said their good-nights and after a final round of hugs departed. It was perilously close to a live-action Norman Rockwall.

Hayleigh and I agreed that things went far better than expected. The next hurdle was Paul and Julia. The Plan was to see if they would sit down with us together in the next few days for a heart-to-heart. Finally alone we enjoyed the cool night air and snogged for a while before Hayleigh went home. No more carefree sleeping in past breakfast; we both had jobs waiting in the morning.

***@***@***

Hayleigh called me Thursday around lunchtime. "I have good news and bad news." I told her to start with the bad. "It's a brick wall getting my parents to sit down with both of us like we did with yours. They still think that Jennifer has been punished enough, and that we had no business rubbing her nose in it by going to Nassau together." Damn, I hoped that they'd at least agree to hear us out. Hayleigh was resolute that she had to go with the nuclear option, though she emphasized that she would keep my promise to her father. And the good news? "Oh, by the way, you're not a father. Not this month anyway." I told her that she should grace them with that news today, to at least put their minds to rest. We both had to get back to our jobs, and decided to see a movie that evening. I was now dating a girl who I honeymooned with. How weird was that? Even with the dial-back to a simpler existence, we savored our time together.

~~~ SATURDAY, LATER THAT WEEK ~~~

I was supposed to meet Paul Fredrickson at the diner at noon, so I was there at 11:30. Being late would be an unintended insult on top of too many injuries already inflicted. I had to square things with him, if not for Hayleigh's sake, for my own antiquated sense of personal honor. Hayleigh assured me that Paul would show up, but I wouldn't fault him if he called me an asshole and walked away.

Paul arrived early, too. I couldn't make out his attitude as he made his way to my table, but he offered his hand before he sat down. That was a good sign, wasn't it?

"Thank you for coming, Mr. Fredrickson."

"It's still Paul, if you want it to be."

"I would. Very much." We took our seats.

"So, you said on the phone that you needed to talk with me." Not friendly, also not snarky. Neutral, like his tone.

"Yes. To apologize, actually. I behaved terribly at the church. I was furious with Jennifer, and I let my anger take control. I lashed out at people who didn't deserve any of it, mostly at you. I wasn't angry at you, you were just the closest available punching bag. She agree to receive me this Sunday after services, by the way. But no matter what Jennifer may have done, it cannot begin to excuse how I treated you and Julia. You all deserved better from me, and instead I wronged you, horribly. I ask for your forgiveness, but I understand if you can't. Maybe you'll accept my apology, maybe not. All I can do is offer it and try to make up for the hurt I caused."

Paul took his time before answering.

"I do accept your apology, Tom, and there are a few things I need to say to you. At first I wasn't going to come here, unless it was to wring your neck. But Hayleigh cornered me and Julia. She made us watch the video you took of Jennifer at the church. All of it."

"Oh crap! So you saw it? She made you watch?" I had guessed right about that part of Hayleigh's plan. I feared it would include something like that, but I didn't expect her to show it to her father. I mother I could understand, but....

"Yes, the whole outrageous, disgusting thing. Hayleigh's a force of nature when she sets her mind. I suppose you know that by now." I had to suppress the urge to smile. After all, I had experienced the Haylstorm up close and personal. Paul continued. "She told us that we could watch and still have a daughter, or not watch and she would move out that next day and we'd never hear from her again. We believed her."

"I wish she hadn't done that. Just so you know, I have erased my original, and there are no copies, except the one Hayleigh has."

"Interesting," Paul remarked. "Hayleigh erased her copy right in front of us after making us watch it. So that wasn't planned between you?"

I shook my head to say 'No.' "When she copied it from my phone I suspected that it involved showing you or Julia some parts of it, and she promised me that she would honor my promise to you that I wouldn't make it public. I suppose technically she kept her word and mine. I still wish neither of you saw it."

"It was torture to watch," he acknowledged, "but I've given it a lot of thought, and I truly think Hayleigh did the right thing. Julia and I didn't know the depths of Jennifer's betrayal. All we knew was that she had sex in the church with Hayleigh's ex-boyfriend. That was bad enough, but what I saw and heard shocked me, and I've been around long enough to have seen a few things. I was appalled. Disgusted. Not by the physical acts, but that she would do them with someone other than you. What you did makes sense to me now. Your anger sure as hell does. If it had been me instead of you getting blindsided like that, I probably would have ended up in jail for a very long time."

"And what about Julia?" I asked. "Where does she stand now?"

"It nearly made Julia physically ill. "She kept saying, 'That is NOT my daughter!' Even so, it took a lot to make Julia understand. Julia gets the cheating part of course, and she understands the betrayal part, too. But I don't think she fully gets the depth of it from a male perspective. Maybe no woman ever could." He was lost in thought for a moment. "Point is, a lot of things about your actions that truly baffled us make sense now. Now that the blanks are filled in my family can try to put the pieces back together."

"I hope you do."

"We will, but it'll take some time." Paul's demeanor suddenly changed for the better. Feigned perhaps, but I welcomed the change to a brighter mood. "Well then, Hayleigh says you two have fallen in love." He didn't say it derisively, which I welcomed as a good sign.

"Yes. I know that sounds unbelievably stupid and adolescent, but we have."

"My very persuasive daughter has convinced Julia and me to let this thing play out without interfering. We agreed to that. But here's the thing." He leaned forward and locked eyes with me. "I speak for both myself on Julia on this. We accept your apology, but if you want our forgiveness, you must earn it. Tom, don't torture Jennifer, and don't hurt Hayleigh. She swears you two are committed to each other. Don't make her doubt your commitment or regret hers."

"You have my word on it."

"Your word has always been good. It still is."

"Thank you for that."

"So then, what are you two going to do about Jennifer? She's not going to go poof and disappear."

"Yeah. Jennifer. Hay and I talked a lot about that. We're not going to rub her nose in it. We're banking on 'time heals all wounds.' We don't expect Jennifer to be happy for us, but maybe she'll come around to accepting the situation for her family's sake if not for her own. That's probably naive, but we don't know what else to do."

Paul pondered. "Let's call it 'hopeful' instead, and hope for the best. Julia and I will do our best to nudge things in that direction."

We had a light lunch, with the conversation jumping from topic to topic, but consistently winding its way back to Hayleigh and me. Paul was understandably concerned about the survival rate of long-distance romances, and how a breakup would affect Hayleigh. He had a fair point. That had been nagging at me, too.

"It's less than a three-hour drive between Chicago and home," I offered, pointing out the obvious. "In addition to holidays, we can make weekends. At least some of them."

"I hope that will be enough," Paul said uncertainly.

"Me, too. Know this, Paul. I will move Heaven and Earth for that girl. Did you ever see the movie Rob Roy? Well, the love I had for Jennifer is but a mooncast shadow of the love I have for Hayleigh."

We finished our lunch, and parted with my accepting an invitation to spend the Fourth of July holiday with his family and his brother-in-law's family up at the lake house. Jennifer wouldn't be there. Apparently Jennifer had already vowed she would remain in Eau Claire before she would breath the same air as Hayleigh or me.

Hayleigh and I kept with our Grand Plan toward normalcy. We went to movies, to Shakespeare in the Park, and on bike rides. Good weather kept me employed full-time with Angel's dad, so I was rebuilding my bank somewhat. I got a decent price on Jennifer's engagement and wedding rings, though not as much as I hoped. Hayleigh insisted on paying for some of our dates, on the grounds that she was working too, and that meant sharing expenses. "Get over to it. We're partners, you troglodyte Caveman!" she'd tell me.

"OK, but just because you buy me dinner doesn't mean you're entitled to sex," I once said in mock rebuke. That night we checked the "Doing It In the Back Seat" box.

"For buying dinner I should at least get two rounds!" she taunted. Good thing I kept a few thick towels in the trunk.

~~~*~~~*~~~

The Fourth of July gathering at the lake house marked another small turning point. Hayleigh and I both had July 2nd and 3rd off. Julia overheard us talking about having a picnic at home on the 2nd before we all headed up on the 3rd. To my surprise, Julia suggested that Hayleigh and I head up by ourselves on the 2nd "so we could get the place ready for everyone else's arrival and have some quiet time for ourselves." "Quiet time for ourselves" since we got back from Nassau had become scarcer than hen's teeth, so we jumped on the suggestion. By noon on the 3rd we were so sore it hurt to pee.

The holiday gathering itself was tense. Paul's brother Aaron and his family were there, as expected. They also were at the aborted wedding, and Julia and Paul had filled them in on the situation with me, Hayleigh, and Jennifer. Everyone did the sensible thing by not ignoring the elephant in the room, but instead acknowledging its presence and then leaving it be-for the most part. Hayleigh and I responded to questions about our affair with the truth: we had fallen in love, and we were taking things a day at a time. That was mostly true, wasn't it? We met questions about Jennifer with a deflection: out of respect for Jennifer's privacy and feelings, we preferred not to talk about her, but we wished her well. Those answers apparently satisfied Paul and Julia. They could always say more if they wanted. At times it seemed like things were back like they were pre-wedding, but Jennifer's absence loomed and cast a slight pall. We needed to work something out with Jennifer, but our numbers were blocked.

In late July Hayleigh said she had to go to Madison to talk to a professor to get special permission to enroll in a Fall semester post-grad level course in her senior year. She planned to kill two birds at once by also squaring away living arrangements at the sorority. A week's worth of intense rain sidelined me on the construction job, so Hayleigh invited me to tag along with her for a road trip. Her sorority house rules against overnight stays for men apparently were informally waived during the summer break, so the logistics worked. The few sisters who were spending the summer at the house decided to throw a mini-party, to which I and the few boyfriends who were in town were invited. That party marked our first non-family dilemma, one that I was sure was going to cause some damage or require major effort to repair.

I had gone to the bathroom in Hayleigh's room to take a leak and throw some water on my face when I heard Hayleigh come in. I was toweling off when she slipped behind me and rubbed my cock through my jeans. It took me a moment to realize that something wasn't right. The tits pressed against my back were too big and too high up my back, and the fondle just felt different. I looked in the mirror and saw a sorority sister I had met that evening-Karin I think her name was-peering around my shoulder at our reflections in the mirror.

Karin was a knockout. Hell, she was sex on a stick. But she wasn't Hayleigh. I spun away immediately, telling Karin that she shouldn't be in here, this isn't going to happen, and are you nuts???. "Look, Tommy," she said smooth as silk, "it's no big deal. We can have some quick fun and Hayleigh won't know. We can go to my room if you're worried that she'll catch us in here." She undid two buttons on her blouse. No bra. Those jutting cannons were almost falling out.

I saw my life flashing before my eyes. If Hayleigh saw us it would push the boundaries of trust to the breaking point. Then Karin upped the stakes. "Here's the deal," she said evenly. "My boyfriend isn't here and I want to play. If you get me off, I won't tell Hayleigh. Otherwise, I go downstairs and tell her you asked me up here and propositioned me. So why not have some fun? It's not a difficult choice."

This was fucking insane, and it made me mad as hell to be put in that position. Karin was right though, it wasn't a difficult choice. "Go to Hell," I told her. "I'm going downstairs right now to find Hayleigh, and I'm going to tell her everything." She grabbed my arm as I tried to push past her.

"OK, sorry! Forget it! But please don't tell Hayleigh anything. I'll deny it and you don't know who she'll believe. Even if she believes you it will ruin her relationship with me and wreck her senior year living here at the house. You don't want that to happen, do you?"

"No, I don't want that," I told her. "Just let me get out of here, please."

She let go of my arm and I nearly ran out of the room. Fuck! What do I do now with this shit sandwich? If I tell Hayleigh about it then I risk ruining her senior year. And that's the best case scenario. If I don't tell her, then it looks like I was hiding something, and I'm buried under a pile of shit when Karin's version becomes the narrative. In the end, I only had one choice.

I found Hayleigh in the kitchen eating pizza with a few others. I went to her side and whispered that I needed to talk to her privately, right now. She got a weird look on her face, and beckoned me outside to the patio deck. I told her everything, a blow-by-blow with as much detail as I could recall. As I told my story she got angry, finally half-yelling "Damn her! She was warned about that crap!" Then she hugged me.

Let's just say I was befuddled. "Tom, first off, you aren't in any trouble." The explanation was bizarre. Apparently, Karin liked to pull that stunt to test a boyfriend's loyalty, as some insanely ill-conceived favor to her sorority sisters. She tries to seduce the guy and reports the results to his girlfriend. If the guy bites, then he's a snake and the relationship is torched. If he doesn't bite but doesn't tell what happened, then girlfriend needs to watch out because he keeps secrets. If he doesn't bite and does tell what happened but leaves out details that in hindsight are deemed important, then he's still not completely trustworthy. It's a lose-lose-lose setup. Hayleigh said that some relationships had ended because the guy didn't think the girlfriend was worth having to deal with that kind of manipulative BS drama, or worse, that the girlfriend was the one really behind the manipulative test and didn't trust him.

"We all told her to knock it off, or else. Looks like she didn't get the message. There's something wrong with her. We shouldn't have let her pledge. She is going to be so gone this Fall."

"So we're OK?"

"Probably," she teased. "Admit it though-she does have incredible boobs, right?" I knew that look.

"Yes, she has terrific titties. But they're---"

"---not mine!" she cut me off, laughing. "C'mon Caveman. Let's get some pizza then go to bed early. I'm still hungry," she said before she licked her lips.

We were cuddling in the after-play when she asked an interesting question. "Were you worried that I wouldn't believe you about Karin?"

I had to think that one through. The answer was easy, but explaining it would not be. "It crossed my mind. But the issue for me wasn't whether you would believe me. It was whether I trusted you."

"That sounds backwards. Whether you trusted me?"

"That's right, did I trust you to know I would not cheat on you? Because I did trust you, the decision to immediately tell you what happened was the only choice."

"We trust each other about so many things. It's crazy," she mused. The consequences of losing trust are so huge that sometimes it scares me out of my wits," she admitted as she hugged me tighter.

"I know. We both got burned by people we trusted, and what did we do? We doubled-down! Add to it that we still have bigger trust issues on the horizon."

"How so?" she asked with a trace of concern.

"Assume our relationship continues along its current arc. That means marriage, a family of our own, juggling careers and kids, all of that. I won't be trusting you with just my heart. I will have to trust you with the care of our children, our family's security and happiness, all of that grown-up stuff. Same with you, Hay. You'll have to trust me to deliver for all of us. I want to take all of it on with you."

"We are so going to make it," she purred into my shoulder before drifting off. It was an inflection point for me in my love for her. I held off sleep as long as I could, savoring Hayleigh's rhythmic breathing and the fullness in my heart.

~~~@~~~@~~~

That-s it for Part 8. Part 9 is the final chapter of the journey. Again, apologies again for the long delay in publishing these last parts. To those who have followed me after my first submission, V is for Victory-Not!, and this series, thank you all for your generous words and support, and for your thoughtful critiques.