Running From Danger

We live in a dangerous world. I look at my grandchildren and wish they could have known the safety of my childhood, way back in the 1950's. Forget that we were taught to dive under our desks if attacked by atomic bombs. We could leave homes and cars unlocked.

--(--)--

I saw her running every morning as I drove to work, but it was where I saw her that worried me. Bad part of town. I began to worry about her safety, even though I knew nothing about her.

I left home at the same time every morning, and almost without fail, I saw her along a half-mile stretch of road through one of the worst parts of town, an area known for a high crime rate.

One morning she wasn't there. But the next morning she was back again. I was relieved but still concerned. I spent several days wondering how I might approach her without frightening her.

I decided I would leave early and park in a lot along her route. That morning, I walked toward her on the sidewalk. I smiled, held up my hands and stood in front of her.

"I don't want to frighten you, but I've been worried about your safety. I drive along here at the same time every morning on my way to work. Clearly you run at the same time every morning, because this is where I see you. This isn't a safe place. If you were my wife, I'd insist on running with you."

She gave me a big smile. This was the first time I had been close enough to see her face clearly, and she was stunning, maybe mid-30s, beautiful brunette hair in a pony tail.

"Why do you think I'm not safe here?"

"Fifteen years ago, I quit my job as a detective on the police force. I think I investigated a half dozen murders and I don't know how many rapes, all committed in this general area. I remember two women who were assaulted right along this stretch."

"I don't run at night."

"I know. There are evil people out there who don't care what time it is. They see a beautiful woman and decide to grab her. I don't want to seem nosy in any way, but do you live near here? Isn't there another area where you could run? My name's Josh, by the way."

"I'm Heather. I live in a fairly nice neighborhood a couple of miles away. Do you know the Lake Farms subdivision?"

"I know that one. Nice area, but surrounded on all sides by run-down neighborhoods and poor lighting at night,"

She finally looked worried. I could see tears in her eyes.

"Are you sure it's that dangerous here?"

"Heather, see that black Lexus? That's my car, and ten years ago there was a car parked about there one morning when two men jumped out and grabbed a girl who was out jogging. A couple of drivers saw them grabbing her. No one got a look at the car. We think they drove out of this parking lot in the other direction and disappeared. We found her body in a dumpster behind that store that night.

"I had almost no leads to go on and we never solved the crime. Her father's grief haunts me to this day. I'm not trying to frighten you, but to keep you safe. You're young and pretty, running alone, always on the same route. I've noticed you for a couple of months and I finally needed to warn you. I hope I haven't been out of line, but are you carrying mace or pepper spray?"

"I don't have anything. I guess I'm a disaster waiting to happen. You said you used to be a detective. What do you do now?"

"I left the force to go to law school. I thought I wanted to go into criminal law, but I didn't want to defend perps, and I wanted to enjoy life better than most prosecutors do, who are overworked and underpaid. During law school I loved contracts and business classes, so that's what I do. I advise businesses and everything that goes with it."

She was smiling. "I was admitted to the Bar about five years ago. I practice in family law."

"Are you with a law firm or practicing solo?"

"It's a small office. Four attorneys. What about you?"

"I was with a large law firm but decided on a solo practice. Big firm resources and economics are more designed for litigation, and I prefer being my own boss."

"You go in early."

"Earlier than I need to, but ... well, I have no reason to be at home longer."

"Josh, do you run?"

"I used to run ... I need to run. I'm out of shape and need to do something about it."

"Would you run with me? Maybe that's too forward. I'm sorry."

"No, there's nothing wrong with you asking. I didn't stop you this morning to intrude in your life though."

"I know that, but you need to run and I need someone to run with me."

"You'll have to be patient and run me into shape."

"That can be my challenge. Would it be too much to ask you to drop me off at my home now? I'm going to be late getting back there. Meet me there at 7 tomorrow morning, ok?"

"That's very trusting of you."

"I think I can trust you. Can't I?"

"Of course you can. Here, take my business card. Tell someone you're running with me. I'll be there at 7 tomorrow.

She looked at the card. "John Grierson. Thanks, tomorrow it is."

'I hope the run isn't too slow for you."

"It might be at first, but I'll get you into shape soon."

With that she gave me a big smile. A beautiful smile.

We walked over to my car, and I went to her side and opened her door. Then I felt a little embarrassed.

"I'm sorry. Habit."

"Don't be sorry. I just learned something about you that I like."

I drove her home and made a note of the house number so I would not make a fool of myself knocking on the wrong door the next morning.

She opened her own door and started to get out, then paused.

"Josh, thanks for caring enough to warn me how foolish I was to run here alone. I'll see you tomorrow."

--(--)--

I sat at home that night, thinking about meeting Heather and how that turned out.

"What was I thinking? Running with a woman who's about ten years younger and in shape from running. I might drop dead trying to keep up."

I hated the evenings, alone at home with my thoughts. Silence surrounded me. I often woke up in the middle of the night and reached over to her side, then remembered why that side of the bed was cold and empty.

I set my alarm for 6 am, took a Tylenol PM, and fell asleep.

--(--)--

The next morning at 7, I pulled into Heather's driveway, and Heather came out the door just as I was locking my car. If the running didn't finish me, those yoga pants would.

"Hi, Josh. It's going to be fun to have someone to run with. Are you ready?"

"I haven't stretched out or anything, but if we start slow, I'll loosen up quickly."

With that, we started jogging and by the time we were over a block away from her home, I told her I felt good and we could speed up a little. That was not the dumbest thing I've ever said to a woman, but the least survivable. Two blocks later, I was paying for it.

"Hey ... could you slow just a little? Unless you want to carry me."

"I was hoping to have to administer mouth-to-mouth."

"That sounds fun, but I'd rather be awake for it."

She laughed and gave me one of her beautiful smiles and slowed slightly. I figured that was enough and concentrated on my breathing.

We ran side-by-side for the most part. Now and then we needed to be single file, and she generally stepped in front of me. I liked that, because I felt that was safer for her. Besides, I loved her smile.

Oh, hell! Who am I trying to fool? I liked watching her ass.

Just past the spot where we met the day before, Heather turned a corner and I realized we were headed back. As I thought about that, I knew she was cutting our run short. I had seen her many times farther down that busy street.

When we got to about 200 yards from my car, she spoke up.

"Race to your car? Loser buys dinner tonight."

As I've later retold that part of the story, I've always insisted I didn't want her paying.

As we stood by my car, I was gasping, trying to breathe again. She sounded fine.

"Josh, come inside for a minute and drink some water. I'm not sure what your post-run drink of choice is, but I have a bottle of Gatorade. There's a store in town that carries my favorite flavor, passion fruit."

"Gatorade sounds good. For the electrolytes, of course."

I loved her smile as she handed me the bottle.

"Should I read anything into the flavor?"

She smiled and kissed my cheek.

"I like anything with passion ... fruit, I mean. Thanks for running with me, Josh."

"As the loser, I'm paying for dinner. Would you like to choose the restaurant? It can be expensive or cheap, casual or dressy. You decide."

"Would you object to a dressy dinner at that new French restaurant on 21st?"

"That sounds great. Pick you up at 7 tonight?"

"I'll look forward to it all day."

She kissed me on the cheek again. It may have been my imagination, but her lips seemed to pause there on my cheek.

As I showered, I knew I would need Ibuprofen later.

--(--)--

I thought a lot about Heather that day. Very distracting, but in a good way. She was certainly cute. Beautiful. I thought about those yoga pants.

What surprised me was the subtle way -- or perhaps she wasn't subtle at all -- in which she dropped hints about attraction. Mouth-to-mouth? I could see that, but while holding her in my arms. Challenging me to a race she knew she would win, with the loser buying dinner tonight?

I decided that run was the most fun near-death experience of my life.

--(--)--

I wore my best suit, a dark blue with subtle pinstripes and a light blue long sleeve shirt. Power red tie.

Flowers?

Wait! Is this a date?

Of course it is. She wanted to go out with me and set it up so I had to take her out.

I stopped by a floral shop just a few doors down from my office. I wandered around, clueless about what I should get her. A pretty young lady smiled and said I looked like I needed help.

"Am I that obvious? Ok, here's the deal. I'm going on a first date tonight for the first time in over fifteen years. We met yesterday and went running this morning. That's our history. She's at least 10 years younger."

"Great, so you should probably stay away from a dozen red roses."

"I suppose two dozen would be worse."

She laughed at that and nodded her head.

"Do you like her?"

"I do. I'm surprised at how I feel."

"How about a dozen roses of mixed colors, including one or two red."

"Nice. Suggesting but not committing. In a vase, too?"

"I'll have to remember that: 'Suggesting but not committing.' I like that. Give me ten, ok."

I was pleased with the decision, but while waiting, I picked out a card to attach with one of those pitch fork things you stick into an arrangement of flowers. A blank card, except for the sentiment on the front.

I considered "To a speedy recovery," and "Best Wishes," but finally decided on "Sympathy." I took a few seconds to write on it as I smiled.

The girl with the flowers saw my smile.

"Did you find a card to put with these?"

I nodded and handed it to her. She saw the sympathy greeting and looked up with a quizzical look. I motioned for her to turn it over.

Heather--if I drop dead running, you have my sympathy. Now call 911.

The girl put her head on the counter and laughed.

"If things don't work out with Heather, I'll be here."

"Is this your shop?"

She nodded.

"I'm Josh, and I might have to take you up on that."

She held out her hand to shake mine. "Kate."

"You know, Kate, it might be weird buying flowers for you here."

"You'd be guaranteed to pick out the perfect arrangement for me."

"Good point. It's probably fortunate you're not a jeweler."

"It would take the surprise away, but you could still include a sympathy card."

"Thanks, Kate. I promise. If things don't work out with Heather, I'll be back."

"If you want, give me her address. I know people."

I was still laughing as I drove home to get ready.

--(--)--

When I rang Heather's doorbell, I was treated to an incredible vision. Forget the yoga pants. I would be dreaming of her silk blouse and tiny skirt. And those legs!

I held out the flowers, and she blushed and thanked me. She plucked off the card and I saw her expression.

"Read the back."

She laughed out loud.

"Forget 911, that's my chance for some mouth-to-mouth action."

"I might have to fall at your feet."

"Josh, these flowers are beautiful. Thank you for picking them out. Not many red roses, I see. Well, it's early."

She put the flowers on her dining table and stood back to look. I looked, too, but not at the flowers.

--(--)--

I had not yet tried this new restaurant, but it was certainly elegant inside. Each table felt private and was covered with a long table cloth and decorated with beautiful sterling silver utensils: two forks on the left, a soup spoon and two knives on the right, with a bread plate and butter knife above the forks. On the right was a water glass above the knife, with two wine glasses to the right and down.

It was from watching Downton Abbey that I learned the bottoms of all utensils were to be 1 inch from the edge of the table. The placement was spot on. This was clearly a restaurant that understood the mechanics of a proper table.

"Have you ever dined at a French Restaurant, Heather?"

"I thought I had, but this is fancier. I really have no experience with the typical French dishes. Can you help me?"

"I highly recommend you try the Soupe à l'oignon, what we call French Onion Soup. It's incredible. Even if you don't eat it all, I strongly suggest getting that as a starter.

"For the main dishes, I see several that are quintessential French cuisine. Boeuf Bourguignon and Coq au Vin both come from Burgundy and are basically stews, one is beef and the other chicken. The French word 'Coq' actually translates as cock."

She interrupted me there. "I've been desiring Coq tonight ..."

"It might not be what you hoped. It's just chicken. Continuing now, I see they also offer the Confit de Canard, which is duck that is slow-cooked and preparation often lasts up to 36 hours, so they have a limited number each night.

"The last main dish you might like is the Ratatouille, which is a stew from Provence and features tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini and bell peppers. No rats, though.

"Do you drink wine, Heather?"

"Now and then, but I'm fine without it."

"I'm driving, so I'll pass as well."

Heather wanted to try the soup and the Boeuf Bourguignon, so I ordered Coq au Vin. We both had sparkling water.

"Heather, tell me about yourself."

"I'm from Ontario, Oregon, originally, and went to the University of Oregon in Eugene for my undergraduate degree in sociology. Then I went to law school in Boulder. My parents still live in Ontario, where Dad has a large farm where he primarily grows sweet onions."

"I drove through there once when harvesting was going on. I almost cried even though all the windows in the car were closed."

She was laughing. "It can be intense. I went to Gilroy once with a girlfriend who grew up near there. We went for the garlic festival. It reminded me of home."

"Brothers and sisters?"

"One of each, a brother two years older and a sister three years younger. My brother farms with Dad. My sister graduated in accounting, and also got her masters of accountancy. Now she's with Deloitte in Portland and studying for her CPA exam.

"Tell me about Josh Grierson."

"Twin Falls, Idaho. Oldest of four children. Dad has a large farm between there and Burley, where he grows alfalfa, wheat, corn and usually a few hundred acres of sugar beets. I went to Boise State for a degree in law enforcement and got an offer to move here and join the police force. My strong forensic experience as an undergrad led quickly to promotion as a detective. You know the rest from there."

"Not going to farm?"

"Not for me, but my next brother, Roger, is living there near Dad and is farming with him."

"Have you ever been married, Josh?"

I tried to fight it, but my eyes filled with tears. It had been three years, and I still struggled to talk about it.

Heather saw the tears and reached out for my hand.

"If you don't want to talk about it here, can you tell me later? Obviously it's painful for you, but can you share it with me?"

I nodded, feeling a little conspicuous and foolish.

"Josh, I'm 32. I've never been married, although I turned down a proposal a few years ago."

"Maybe this is a little personal for a first date, Heather, but do you want children?"

"I do. We can talk about that later. I see our food is here."

The food was wonderful. Truly top shelf. I watched Heather and her eyes lit up as she tasted the soup. I had a few spoons of it as well. We loved our main dishes and Heather raved about the rich flavors. With the tip, I paid about $150 for our dinner. A little expensive, but it was clearly one of the best restaurants in the area.

We went to my car, and I held the door for her.

"Josh, would you feel comfortable coming over to my house and talking for a while?"

"I'd like to. I owe you an answer."

--(--)--

Heather invited me in and we sat on her sofa. She kicked off her shoes and sat next to me with her legs curled under her, causing her to lean toward me. I took the hint and put my arm around her.

"Heather, this is hard to talk about, but you need to know. I was married for 15 years to a woman named Colleen. I wanted children, she didn't. She had an IUD and refused to take it out. Our intimacy became less and less frequent, but in the last year, it was non-existent."

I started crying, which frustrated me. Why can't I just get over it?

Heather leaned over and kissed my cheek.

"Something happened, didn't it?"

I nodded my head. "Can I get some water?"

"Of course!"

She jumped up and ran into the kitchen.

When she returned, I took a drink and then a deep breath.

"One day I came home from work to find the house emptied out of her things. There was a letter on the table."

I'm leaving. I have no choice, because I no longer love you. I'm also pregnant, and you know it's not yours.

"Oh, Josh. How mean! She had her IUD taken out and avoided sex with you, didn't she?"

I nodded my head and wiped away some tears.

"I don't know why this still bothers me so much. I should just get over it."

"You wanted children. You asked earlier if I do. I didn't realize how important that is to you, so I want to reassure you. It's a priority for me. I still have time, but I'm worried that my opportunity to bear children might pass me by."

"I'm sorry to insist on talking about this tonight, but I wasted 15 years with Colleen. I'm 42 now, and I'd like to play with my children before arthritis sets in."

That made Heather laugh. "You aren't on the verge of arthritis, but I am wondering how you feel tonight after our run this morning."

"I feel pretty good, but I'm on drugs."

"The hard stuff? Ibuprofen?"

"I think I'll be fine in the morning. Just need to avoid an overdose."

I got up to leave and pulled her to her feet. For a moment, I thought we were going to kiss, but she hugged me tightly and then took my hand and walked me to the door.

"This has been a wonderful night, Josh. I love the flowers you gave me and dinner was fantastic. I'm grateful you trusted me enough to share something so painful."

"Are you still planning to run me into the ground tomorrow?"

"Of course. No more short courses. Get your sleep, Josh."

--(--)--

The next morning at 7, we began our run. I actually felt a lot better and even led part of the way. When she challenged me to a final race, I took off without waiting. She accused me of cheating.

"Heather, did you play softball in high school?"

She nodded her head. "And in college."

"Tomorrow's Saturday. How would you like to visit the batting cages tomorrow?"

"Do the machines pitch softballs?'

"They do both. Shall we crown a batting champion?"

"You're on! What time?"

"I'll pick you up at ten, and we can do lunch as well"

--(--)--

When I picked up Heather, I was surprised to see her come out with her own bat and batting gloves. She was serious about the game!

She also wore yoga pants. I tried not to stare, but I knew I would be checking her form in the batter's box. Wanting to offer a little expert advice, of course.

I wasn't sure what to expect when we stepped into the batting cage. I set up the machine for softballs and triggered a couple of pitches to check the speed. I looked at Heather and she nodded, then stepped into the batter's box.

She lined the first pitch straight back. She did the same with almost every pitch, scattering line drives to each outfield direction. She made contact with each pitch. Although there were a few ground balls and a couple of foul tips, she sent the majority back as line drives. Then the last five pitches, she tried lifting them a little more. I was certain a couple of them would have cleared the fences at most softball fields.

Following the last pitch, she smiled and walked over to me.

"Who the hell are you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, come on. You crushed most of those pitches. You told me you played in college. Time to tell all."

She smiled. "Ok, I went to the U of O on a softball scholarship and started all four years. I played outfield at first, but the last two years I was at third or shortstop."

"And your hitting?"

"I typically batted third or fourth. My last two years I led the team in home runs and hits. There. Now you know."

"That explains a lot about your confidence running alone."

"Are you going to hit now?"

"I'll try."

I set up the machine and grabbed a random bat. I swung at and missed the first pitch, then fouled off the next. Then I hit six in a row, Solid, meat of the bat hits. Line drives mixed with might have been fence-clearing blasts ... or long outs.

When I finished, Heather applauded.

"It seems someone else has a little more experience with a bat than he let on."

"I played ball at Boise State. Outfield, all the way. I usually batted second or third in the lineup. I had good stats, but not the team-leading kind of stats you put up."

"Maybe we should try out a rec league and play co-ed ball together."

"That might be fun, but it's slow pitch. Some other funny rules. Male and female alternating batters. Walking a man results in him going to second base and the woman batting behind him can choose to hit or take an automatic walk. Makes sense, when you think about it. Let's do it."

"Ready for lunch? I think it's my turn to pay."

--(--)--

We went to dinner the following Thursday. Just a casual meal at a family-run restaurant that's one of my favorites.

On my way to pick her up, I went by Kate's floral shop. She looked up as I came through the door.

"Done with Heather already? Good. I never thought she was good enough for you. Just so you know, I love gardenias."

I laughed and told her we were going to dinner and had been having a wonderful time dating.

"Josh, I'm happy for you. Time for red roses?"

I paused. "You know, I think so. A dozen."

While she worked on them, I looked at the cards again.

I still liked Sympathy the best.

When I handed it to Kate, she read the back.

Red means something important. If I'm wrong about your feelings for me, please offer your sympathy for my embarrassment.

"I love it. Just remember, Paul Simon may have had 50 ways to leave, but I still know people."

"Kaye, I love your humor, Thanks again, but rest assured, if Heather drops out, I'll drop in."

--(--)--

When Heather opened her door, I handed her the dozen roses.

"Does this mean what I think it does?"

"Yeah. She was out of everything but red. Actually, Heather, I wanted to tell you I'm falling in love."

Her eyes filled with tears and she hugged me. "Is it with me?"

"Yes, silly girl. Of course it's you."

"I was thinking today I wanted to tell you I love you, but I chickened out."

"Ahhh, still thinking about the Coq au Vin."

She looked directly into my eyes. "Always thinking about the Coq."

We talked and joked throughout the meal.

--(--)--

On Saturday, I dug out a basketball, and Heather and I went to a local gym I had access to. We played a little one-on-one, but I wasn't allowed to block her shot. I discovered she was a good ball handler and sneaky.

We laughed a lot and didn't keep score.

We stopped to get burgers at In-N-Out to take to my house and eat. She wanted to see the house, so I pulled into the garage, insisted she wait for me to open her door, and we entered in through the kitchen.

"It's a three-bedroom custom home, with a pool in back. I plan to add a hot tub next Spring. Let's eat, and then I'll give you a tour."

This was another meal that took a while, because we talked and laughed so much. Her sense of humor was delightful.

"Can I see your bedroom?"

"Are you planning to move in or evict me?"

That made her laugh. "One can learn a lot about a person by the style of the master."

Mine happened to have double doors. I opened both.

"Impressive doors. Is there anything else impressive here?"

"Only when I'm here."

"I wondered whether you would catch the double entendre. I hope you know I like suggestive talk, but I'm all talk."

"I've caught on to that as well. I think you're hilarious."

There was an awkward moment as we stood there, looking at each other. It was one of those moments when time stops as two people draw closer. We kissed like there was no tomorrow, both of us out of breath when it ended. We stood there with our foreheads touching, until Heather began laughing.

"I did not see that coming. Imagine, an old fart like you kissing like that."

"Old fart? I should pick you up and toss you in the pool for that."

"You wouldn't dare."

I picked her up and put her over my shoulder, caveman style. She giggled and kicked all the way. I opened the patio door and headed toward the pool.

"Is your phone in your pocket?"

"No, I left it on the table."

I ran at the pool and jumped in with her holding on to me and screaming.

I stood in the pool, still holding her. She came up and pushed her wet hair back from her face.

"You jumped in the pool! I don't have any dry clothes."

We kissed again, and as we kissed, I moved and put her back against the side of the pool. I held her there with my body, pinning her there. Her arms were still around my neck.

I knew she had to feel the massive erection that had formed, but I pushed insistently between her legs, and she whimpered as I rubbed against her. Her mouth was by my ear, and I could hear her breathing and little cries of pleasure. She sucked on my ear lobe and spoke.

"You feel so good, Josh."

I pushed a little harder and she cried out again. I lowered my hands to grip her ass and pulled her against me as she cried out yet again.

For some reason I can't quite understand, I suddenly felt I was betraying some level of trust. I hugged her again and slowly eased away.

She looked into my eyes, clearly questioning why I was stopping.

"Heather ... we're at a crossroads, aren't we?"

She nodded, still breathing hard.

"Maybe I am an old fart, but I don't want our first time to be like this. I don't want to disrespect you or take advantage of you. We've only known each other a couple of weeks, and maybe someday, sex in the pool will make perfect sense. Will you be offended if we stop?"

"I won't be offended, just disappointed. Oh, and wet."

That was the release of our tension, and we stood there laughing and hugging.

"I thought you were going to throw me in the pool, but you jumped in while carrying me. Were you trying to steal me away from my father?"

"My captive woman? Let's go inside and I'll find some clothes you can wear while we put yours in the dryer. We can sit and stream something while we wait."

We got out of the pool and ran to the house, leaving a big swath of wet floors back to my bedroom and into the bathroom. Heather stood there dripping. I handed her a towel.

"Take off your wet clothes and dry off. You can wrap this towel around you. I'll take this towel and go in my closet and do the same."

When I opened the door, she was standing there looking incredibly sexy in that towel. I motioned for her to come into the walk-in closet. I grabbed a pair of boxers and a dress shirt of mine.

"Will those do?"

She smiled. "I get to wear my boyfriend's clothes? "

She headed back to the bathroom. I slipped on pajama bottoms and a golf shirt. When I came out of the closet, she was coming out of the bathroom, buttoning up the shirt. She had left the top two buttons open.

"Ok, that's even sexier."

Heather smiled and slipped into my arms. We kissed, and that kiss became a river of fire.

"Josh, I appreciate what you said in the pool about wanting to wait and not disrespecting me. I really do. From the moment you approached me to warn me about the dangers around me, I've been impressed by your gentle concern for my safety.

"If the answer is still no, I'll accept that, but I'd like to spend the night with you. I want you to make love to me. Will you do that?"

I looked down into her eyes and saw tears there. I gently wiped them away and kissed her forehead. I slowly unbuttoned the shirt she wore. When it was loose and hung slightly open, I reached inside and cupped her breasts as I kissed her.

I slipped the shirt off her shoulders until it fell to the floor and slowly moved her back against the bottom of the bed. With a little push, she laid down on the bed, her feet now dangling toward the floor.

I pulled off my golf shirt, baring my upper body, and knelt between her legs. I pulled the boxers slowly down her legs, leaving her entire body exposed to my view. With my hands behind her knees, I slowly lifted her legs up and apart, opening her so I could dine there.

"You're beautiful, Heather, but I don't have a condom. I'm sorry."

"I'm not at all sorry about that. I'm safe, and I trust you. I want to feel that beast of yours split my lips open and find a moist, warm place inside me."

She tried to pull me up, but I resisted.

My tongue reached deeper. Looking up, I saw she was cupping her breasts. Her eyes were closed, her mouth open. I reached up and squeezed a nipple as my tongue continued its work. After a couple of minutes, she froze.

I loved watching the delicious agony of her orgasm. She held my head in place as she cried out. I waited for her to relax again and stood, about to take off my pajamas.

"No! I want to undress you."

She stood up, facing me, and caressed me through the pajamas.

"Oh, I want this. You'll feel so good sliding into me."

She knelt between my feet and slowly dragged the pajamas down. I had nothing on underneath. She held me in her hand, her fingers not quite reaching all the way around, and stroked slowly.

"This is going to stretch me."

She licked the crown a couple of times, then took that much in her mouth. It was like bathing in pleasure. I finally had to force her to stop.

"I want to explode inside you."

She crawled up on the bed, spread her legs, and welcomed me with her arms. I was beyond hard and didn't wait to insert the tip inside her. She looked at me and smiled, then nodded.

I slid back and forth a little, spreading her juices, and then plunged steadily into her until I bottomed out. Her head rolled back and she wailed during my descent. I paused, fully sheathed inside her as her arms held me tightly.

I pulled back and slid in again. And again. A little faster now. Harder. She whimpered with each impact and pulled on my back, urging me on, faster and harder.

"I'm close."

"Inside me, babe."

I roared and felt furious throbbing that continued until I was exhausted and collapsed on her. She wrapped her arms around my neck and held me there. I finally raised my head and looked into her eyes.

"Josh, that was amazing. You're the first man to go down on me without me asking, and that orgasm was shattering."

I kissed her cheek. "I know it's only been a couple of weeks since we met, but I wanted all day to just hold you and tell you I love you."

Her eyes filled with tears. "I love you, Josh."

We lay there in bed talking for a while, but then passions stirred again and I entered her from behind, her pelvis resting on a pillow for elevation. I loved bumping into her ass, and she cried out at my depth on each thrust.

Heather slept naked in my arms that night. I remember waking at about 3 am and reaching for her as she rolled into my embrace again. I kissed her forehead and she mumbled something and snuggled against me.

I next woke up at about 7:30. I rolled over to her, put my arm around her and cupped a breast. I heard her moan, and then she rolled toward me.

"Put your hand on me again. I like that."

I held her breast and she reached down and held me. As I got hard again, she turned her head and looked up at me and grinned.

"Make love to me again. Like our first time."

I was soon between her legs, feasting on a nipple and squeezing the other. While I sucked on the nipple, she climaxed softly. I slid up and kissed her as I entered her. This time, she raised her legs and hooked her ankles behind my back and used that as added leverage to urge me deeper.

It wasn't long before she drained me again, taking with it my strength.

"I love it when you lay on me and recover."

I finally stirred.

"Come on, babe, let's take a shower together."

--(--)--

We resumed running the next Monday. As we ran, I told Heather I was scared to have her move in, after my disastrous 15 years with Colleen.

"Heather, I'm not ready to live together, but would you please spend weekends with me, in my bed?"

"Just to be clear, 'in your bed' includes kissing me, holding me and wonderful sweaty sex, right?"

"All the above, plus whatever fun things we do together on the weekend. Maybe especially that."

"Josh, I looked up info online about the rec league. We could sign up now for co-ed basketball, but it starts in about two months. I'd like to find an existing team we could join."

"Are you any good?"

"I hope you mean am I any good at basketball, because if you're asking whether I'm any good in bed I'm going to be very hurt."

"You know full well what I meant."

"I played varsity basketball in high school. I started for three years at either the 1 or 2 guard. I was more of the shooting guard my last two seasons. How about you?"

"I was 6'1" in high school and played mostly forward. Obviously, I could never have played there in college, although I did grow a couple of inches taller. I played intramural basketball, until the baseball coach caught me and banned me from that sport."

"Oh yeah. My coach made me sign as a condition of my scholarship that I would not play another organized sport."

"Well, in answer to your question, let's try it out. Softball probably starts registrations about March, right?"

"I think so, but I'm going to look online and get the names of the top teams. I think they have contact info, too. They might get excited about a couple more former college scholarship athletes."

I stopped running and pulled Heather into my arms.

"Thank you for spending the night this weekend. It was nice to wake up and pull you close again."

"I loved our naked bodies together that way. It felt right. I like your idea of weekends together. Maybe someday, ... well, maybe it will lead to marriage."

--(--)--

That was the beginning of several months of dating and recreational sports together. We still ran every morning, and, true to her word, Heather ran me into shape. I lost almost 20 pounds and felt great.

We went out for dinner every Friday night, and she came home with me and stayed until Sunday evening.

One of those Fridays, I stopped to see Kate and asked for an arrangement of gardenias.

"I knew you'd come around! You finally dumped Heather and you remembered gardenias are my favorite."

"Sorry, Kate. Yes, I remembered gardenias are your favorite, so I decided to give some to Heather tonight."

"Good choice. She'll love them. Don't forget the 50 ways, though."

Heather found a team that had finished 4th the prior year and needed a couple of players, so we registered and started practicing with them. The first games were the first two weeks of December and started again in the first week of January.

The league required a minimum of two women on the court at all times, so it was always 3 men and 2 women. After a couple of practices, it was clear Heather and I would likely start most games. They had a couple drop out from the previous year due to pregnancy.

The rules prohibited a man from blocking a woman's shot. Doing so meant an automatic bucket for the woman, so we tried to run plays for Heather because she was the best female player on our team. Usually on the court, also.

My favorite though was one where I set a high pick for her and then rolled to the bucket. Heather was great at passing, so I collected some easy buckets.

We had more fun than we expected and dropped back to running only three mornings a week. That was also better due to winter weather.

I was in my office one day when Heather called. She was crying.

"Did you see the news?"

"No. What's wrong?"

"A woman was sexually assaulted in that parking lot by where we met the first time. She's in the hospital and her life isn't in danger. That could have been me, but thanks to you, it wasn't. Have I told you recently how much I love you?"

"Hmmm, probably not often enough, but I'm glad I stopped you to warn you. I didn't expect to fall in love with you."

--(--)--

In March, Heather contacted the top team from the previous baseball rec league season and asked about openings. We learned there was almost always turnover on at least two-thirds of the teams, often because of pregnancy, a job change, or just wanting to do something else. The organizer of that team was excited to hear we were both scholarship athletes in college.

We discovered fielding positions were a little tricky. It was clear enough that two men could not bat consecutively. The burning issue was who would play third and short.

We played with ten on the field, adding an extra outfielder. Most teams played a man at third, due to the length of the throw to first, but Heather turned out to have a rocket of an arm and wanted to play the hot corner. I played centerfield. Men were also at shortstop, left field, right field, and first base.

When the captain of the team watched Heather in batting practice, he batted her third. I ended up batting fourth.

League play started in April, and we had either one or two games a week through May. It was a 12 game schedule for everyone, and a couple of playoff games the last week of May for the top four teams.

Heather was amazing to watch. One advantage of slow pitch ball is the ability for good hitters to punch the ball down the lines. Heather led the team in doubles. I led the team in home runs. We won the championship that year.

Once the season was over, Heather and I decided to buy camping gear and go for one weekend a month. The first time, we discovered how much we liked zipping our bags together and sleeping in the nude. In the mountains, the air was often cold at night, so Heather liked cuddling with me after sex.

I liked spooning and kissing her back as we made love.

It was there, along the shore of a lake, where I knelt and proposed to Heather. I told her it was still frightening for me to take that step because of my disastrous first marriage, but my love for her conquered my fear. We talked a lot about children. We both wanted to start our family right away.

All four of our parents were alive, but they didn't live near us, so we planned our own wedding.

When I asked Heather where she wanted to go for a honeymoon, she said "to bed."

I told her there were a lot of beds in the world and asked whether she could narrow it down.

"One with you in it."

I planned the honeymoon and kept it a secret.

--(--)--

Heather flew to Boise and her mother met her there to shop for a wedding dress. She was only gone two nights, but we talked both nights. I was surprised by how much I missed her.

I was at the airport when she returned, and I took her to my home and bed. We made love and I wiped tears from her eyes after I entered her.

"I missed you, Josh."

She stayed there for the remaining month before our wedding.

--(--)--

On our wedding day, I got up early and made breakfast in bed for Heather. She cried easily that day, but even the breakfast provoked tears.

"If you feel that way about marrying me, you can call it off."

"Come here," she said. "If you think I have any doubts about me becoming your wife and the mother of our children, you need your head examined."

I laughed and said I doubted I could get an appointment in time, so we should just go ahead.

When Heather finished eating, I took the tray into the kitchen. She followed me and kissed me.

"My dear, I'm so happy today. In just a few hours, I'll be Heather Grierson. Now you have to run with me. You have no choice."

That unexpected conclusion was exactly why she made me laugh so often.

--(--)--

"I do."

With her words, we were declared husband and wife. I kissed her and whispered in her ear.

"Too late to run away now. You belong to me, and I belong to you."

Her wedding dress was incredibly beautiful. It wasn't at all ornate. The design was simple and on her body, simply beautiful.

Our reception lasted a long time, but finally it was time for us to change into traveling clothes. Her parents had stayed in Heather's home, so her mother took the wedding dress and hung it in Heather's closet.

We changed and left for the airport, where we boarded a plane for Chicago. I had arranged for two nights at the Langham Hotel, in a one-bedroom suite that looked east along the Chicago River to where it met Lake Michigan. It was August 2nd, and we were staying two nights.

Heather ran to the window and stared at the beauty of the scene. The sun was setting behind us, and the warm glow along the river and the lake was worthy of a fine painting.

She turned to me and we held each other.

"Josh, I had my IUD removed, but I probably can't get pregnant until about a week from now. By the way, where are we going?"

"It's an airport with a three-letter code, but we're flying home from a different airport. It also has a three-letter code."

"They all have three letters!"

"What a coincidence!"

"You have to tell me."

"Oh, no. I tried to get you to help me decide and plan, but you refused. Too late to join the planning committee, Mrs. Grierson."

She laughed and hugged me.

"Am I still invited for the honeymoon?"

I kissed her deeply. "Just you and I having a wonderful couple of weeks together."

"I want to get ready for our wedding night. Do you want the bathroom first?"

I showered and put on a hotel robe. Heather was in the bathroom for about 25 minutes. When she came out, it was nearly dark outside. But for the city lights our room would have been dark as well.

She stood a dozen feet away and slowly dropped her robe to the floor. She stood before me in a black set, featuring a sheer bra, garter belt and stockings, a tiny thong and black stiletto heels.

I realized my mouth was open.

She smiled. "Do you see anything you want?"

I smiled and shook my head. "I want you. All of you."

She smiled and slowly walked to me, falling into my embrace. I had one hand on her bare ass and the other around her back.

"Hmmm, your hand feels nice on my ass."

We kissed for several minutes.

She pushed my robe to the floor and took me in her hands, slowly stroking me as we kissed again.

I interrupted her play by scooping her into my arms and placing her on the bed. I crawled over to her and dragged her thong down her legs. She had put it on last, making it possible to leaving her stockings and garter belt.

I lay next to her and held her familiar form in my arms.

"Babe, can you remove my bra? I want your lips on my nipples."

I was pleased she knew she could depend on me to meet her needs.

I have loved her breasts since that first night we made love, and our wedding night was just as wonderful. She moaned and cried softly as I pleasured her breasts. I knew she could climax that way, and that night, she did. Loudly.

I had one more destination in mind. Another place of huge sensitivity for her. As I nestled in, she spread her legs, eager for my access, I joked with her that I planned to dine at the Y, and she knew what location I meant. She wanted me there now.

I kissed her inner thighs and slowly made my way to her center, where my tongue delighted, teased and tormented her through another climax.

When she relaxed again, she looked down at me and extended her arms.

"Come here, my love. Come and sink deeply into my warmth."

I have always enjoyed what I can only describe as a wail as I descend slowly to her depths. We had made love enough by that night that we knew better how to please each other. She loved deep slow thrusts that gradually became faster. She became more vocal and her breathing ragged as another wave of pleasure broke and washed away her control.

I groaned as I pushed as deeply as possible, exploding and then throbbing through my own summit. Heather held me tightly, not wanting that moment of sheer ecstasy to pass.

We made love once more that night and fell asleep in each other's arms.

I woke up with the light and went to the window. The sunrise was spectacular, so I went over and gently woke Heather.

"Grab the blanket around you and come look at the sunrise."

I stood behind her, my arms wrapped around her in the blanket, as we watched the colors of a new day spread across the sky. It was magical to watch, a metaphor for the magic I felt about our love for each other.

--(--)--

We spent that morning relaxing and ventured out in the afternoon to explore the Miracle Mile. It was a hot day in Chicago, so sweltering humidity finally drove us back to the hotel, where we had a fun shower together.

"Babe, my period started today, so let's take a couple of days off. I feel too self-conscious about it to enjoy sex."

I was about to protest that I didn't mind, when she dropped to her knees there in the shower. I leaned back against the shower wall for support as she drove me relentlessly to a climax, allowing me to explode in her mouth and then letting it all run out and down her breasts.

She may not feel like intercourse, but she is still incredibly erotic, and I was just as powerless when she held me in her mouth.

--(--)--

That night, we lay in bed, and I held her close. We kissed as we did before we had sex the first time. A lot of passion.

Her arm was across my chest, her head on my shoulder. I kissed her forehead.

"Mmmm, that feels nice.... I love you with every fiber of my being, whatever that means."

Then she started laughing.

"Isn't it funny how we use language that's stock phrases we've heard, but we have no idea what it means."

"I heard someone say about language that we don't assemble sentences a word at a time, but by memorized phrases."

"What about creative writing?"

"I wondered that, too, but I decided the creative part is taking the time to replace some of the stock phrases with carefully thought out new ways of saying something. That's too much work and too inefficient for normal communication, though."

"I think there's a lot to that. Great speeches aren't spontaneous, but the products of hours of painstaking revisions. I mean, how many ways can we describe the act of love? Every time feels different, but we lack the variety in language to express those differences."

We kissed. That's another wonderful thing that is impossible to describe.

--(--)--

We slept in each other's arms again. I woke the in early morning hours to go to the bathroom, and Heather moaned some sort of protest.

"I'll be right back."

"K."

When I returned, she was asleep again, but as I got into bed she put her arm around me and her head on my shoulder again. She kissed my cheek, but I'm not convinced she was awake.

When we woke up, we showered together, washed each other's hair, and then she stroked me until I ejaculated against the shower wall.

"That was a lot, babe. Save some for a couple of days from now, when we're in ..."

I completed it for her. "In another place."

She stood, smiled one of those fabulous smiles of hers, and kissed me long and hard.

We went downstairs for breakfast, took a walk for a couple of hours, and returned to pack.

We were on the flight to Munich when I explained we weren't staying there.

"Well, where are we staying?"

"Hard to say. A lot of different places. Constantly changing."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Babe, we're taking a train to Regensburg, and the day after tomorrow we are boarding a river cruise down the Danube to Budapest, with several stops in between. I got us a suite with a private veranda."

"Seriously now? You're not toying with me?"

"Here's the itinerary."

I handed her my phone.

Her mouth was open. I helped her close it, but then she cried and leaned into my embrace.

"Oh, Josh! I've never cruised, but when I've seen the commercials for a river cruise like that, I've longed to do it someday. Did you know I felt that way?"

"Sort of. I was trying to think of something unique and one day we were streaming something on YouTube. It paused now and then to run an ad. You watched one about these river cruises, but I noticed your face. I could tell you wanted to go."

"You're a genius. This is so perfect."

"What can I say. I love you."

"So, we land tomorrow and we're taking the train to Regensburg. What time do we get there?"

"About 1 in the afternoon. By the time we get to the hotel, about 1:30. I've already arranged for us to check-in then. Then it's one night there and then we board the ship. Seven nights on board. We get off in Budapest and catch a flight to Paris. We have two nights there and then fly home."

"This keeps getting better. You're amazing."

"You just figured that out?"

"Yeah. All of this joy in my life because you were worried about my safety."

"Let me remind you, you are not the only one here who has found joy."

We kissed again and held hands through much of the flight.

--(--)--

When we arrived in Regensburg, we took a taxi to the Hotel Orphee. My travel agent recommended it because of the location in the old part of the city. She said it was a hotel with Medieval origins and beautifully restored.

She secured us one night in the Salon Jerusalem, and when Heather saw the old cast iron tub, separate from a modern shower, she was about ready to strip down and get in. I suggested food first. She pouted.

"Fine. Don't eat."

That incredible smile. She was hungry after all.

We found a place for lunch facing the cathedral and had a great, although late, lunch. It was Bavarian food and frequented by local business people.

Afterwards, we visited the cathedral and walked the streets back to our hotel, where we sat on our sofa and explored the online information about our cruise. At some point we fell asleep. Not surprising, since our bodies were probably on something like 7 am by then, and we hadn't slept.

I woke up and she stirred.

"May I treat you to a bath for two?"

"Who else is invited?"

"If we were in our pool, I would dunk you."

"I live to sit in a bath with you."

"That's more like it."

"How's your arthritis?"

I just shook my head and walked into the bathroom as she laughed at her own humor.

A few minutes later, we were sitting in a warm bath. My back was against the foot of the tub, and she was between my legs, leaned against me. I had my arms around her.

She held up her hand. "You may kiss my hand, sir."

I kissed it, and she giggled. My hands were on her shoulders, but now I reached down and played with her nipples. The joking ceased as she moaned.

"I love it when you play with the girls."

She had small breasts, perhaps even an A cup, but I loved their shape and feel, and I figured they wouldn't sag badly. She liked having me explore. I leaned down and kissed her neck. A lingering kiss.

"Oh, babe, I want you. My period has almost run its course. Take me to bed and have your way with me."

"How about right here? Stand up carefully and turn around, then straddle me."

It took a little maneuvering, but I was soon deeply imbedded in her and sucking on a nipple as she held my head in place. Thrusting was challenging at first, but she figured it out, and soon I filled her.

She had not climaxed yet, so I put my hands on her tush and pushed down as I thrust up. It wasn't long before she cried out and shuddered through an orgasm.

After a few minutes, I got out carefully and helped her out. That's when we discovered we had splashed a lot of water on the floor. We dried each other and then ran to the bed, pulled back the covers and got under them, snuggling together. It wasn't long before we had sex again. It was tender, slow lovemaking. Until it wasn't.

Afterwards, the covers were too warm, so we had only a sheet over us as we slept.

--(--)--

We were scheduled to board at 1:30 the next afternoon, so we began the day with breakfast downstairs, then relaxed and packed. We learned it was about a 15 minute walk to the boat, but we each had a medium-sized case plus a backpack. Most of the surrounding streets had cobblestones. The hotel ordered a taxi.

After checking in as Mr./Herr Josh Grierson and Ms/Frau Heather Thomas (her passport name), we were personally escorted to our cabin. It was surprisingly spacious, and we quickly checked out the veranda and took a couple of selfies there with Regensburg in the background.

The ship sailed at 5 pm, and we sat on the veranda until dinner.

That night, we opened the veranda door to listen to the sounds of the river and made love.

The next morning, Heather woke up first. When she came back from the bathroom, she snuggled up next to me.

"It's official. My period is over, so figure about four days from now, you can begin sending your hordes of swimmers to prepare for the future appearance of my egg."

I smiled and hugged her.

"You're sure you're ready to be knocked up?"

"Such a romantic!"

"I thought you would prefer that to me breeding you."

"Awful."

"How would you say it?"

"Make a baby with me."

"I'll like making a baby with you. Our baby."

"Yes, I want that."

--(--)--

The cruise was a great experience. We visited places we had never heard of, such as Melk and Mauthausen, as well as notable places such as Vienna and Budapest.

We'll never know which lovemaking resulted in the conception of our daughter. We made love every night on the boat, as well as the two nights in Paris.

When we returned from our honeymoon, we had a full day before returning to work. We had already moved all of her things to my home, now our home. Heather decided to sell her home, so she arranged for a deep cleaning, and contacted a realtor to meet her at the property the following week.

We settled into life together as a married couple and had our first fight. It was about that stupid issue of which way the toilet paper goes on the roller. We apologized to each other and then had make-up sex, leaving us breathless in each other's arms.

We began running again, a very different route from the one that started at her old home. Since we were both in good shape, we limited our running to three times a week. We had returned home from our honeymoon in the middle of August, and a couple of weeks later, after Heather rode me to a great release, she snuggled next to me and casually mentioned her period was late.

"Let's go buy a home test."

"Relax, I bought a three-pack yesterday. I have two left."

I was about to ask, but she reached over to the nightstand and opened the drawer. She held it for me to see.

Yes

We both cried, and then made love again, but this time, I looked into her eyes as we came.

A month later, she had the pregnancy confirmed. Our daughter was due on May 11th. A couple of weeks later, we saw her on an ultrasound. We sent that to our parents and contacted the captains of our basketball and baseball teams to tell them we were expecting.

My--our home--had the master bedroom plus two more. One was a guest bedroom, and the other was a study, with a big easy chair I had fallen asleep in many times. More recently, I had plowed Heather's furrow after I put her over the arm of the chair.

We decided to leave the study alone, because the easy chair might be perfect for late night baby duty.

We took the mattress off the bed frame and sealed it in a plastic mattress bag. That went into a storage unit, along with a few items of furniture from Heather's house. That house had sold, and she cleared a little over $95,000 after the mortgage was paid off. Not bad for a minimum down payment and less than two years of home ownership.

We made a list of baby furniture we wanted, and I soon spent way too long one night assembling it and swearing at the horrible instructions, poorly translated from Chinese. Heather laughed a lot and kissed me. I finally took a break and took her instead. Right there on the floor of the baby's room.

Both mothers let us know they were coming for the birth. Not together, but they had at least talked. They knew we didn't have a guest bedroom, so they planned to stay in a local hotel.

Heather's first trimester was rough. Her morning sickness often respected the morning part of the name, but not always. Sometimes, in the oddest of places, she would get a whiff of some strange smell, and off she would go, in search of a bathroom. She had the stores memorized that had good bathrooms.

More than once, I had to pull over so she could open the door and puke.

Then that ended, and she loved the second trimester and the first month of the third. After that, it was a downhill slide into discomfort and a desire to just give birth.

I learned to give her backrubs, which I fully intended would be only backrubs. After the first one, she looked at me and said, "Where's my happy ending?"

Of course, intercourse had to be restricted, and ultimately spooning was the only way she was comfortable. A lot of work for me, minimal effort for her,

I made the mistake once of pointing out that my work was done on our cruise ship, but I had fully recovered. The look she gave me said it all. I still thought it was funny.

The parents flew into town on the 9th and were staying in the same hotel, one I had approved of. They rented a car together and came to see us that night and the next day.

And the next. Heather's due date.

On the 12th, her water broke as our parents walked in the door, I had taken the day off anyway. It was not long before her contractions were coming at eight minute intervals. We had her bag in the car already, so I handed Dad the address of the hospital and hustled Heather out to the car.

In my haste, I went to my car door and got in. I had never done that since long before we married. I got out and opened her door, and her laughter was cut short by another contraction.

It was about two hours later that I stood by her bed as her midwife said she was fully effaced. I didn't want to process that thought. I had already told Heather if men had to give birth, the human race would have died out.

It was clear to me the moment was close, because Heather was getting slammed by the contractions and screamed her way through a couple. I didn't say anything, figuring I would say something stupid and pay for it later.

"One more huge push on the next contraction," said the midwife.

Heather screamed and bore down.

"There she is."

Her midwife, whose name I later remembered was Yvonne, handed Maya to another nurse who weighed and measured her and then cleaned her up. Maya was expressing her displeasure with the whole experience, which made everyone smile.

Another nurse had just about finished cleaning Heather.

I leaned down and kissed her forehead, but she wasn't paying any attention. She saw the nursed bringing Maya to her.

I got a couple of photos of Heather holding her baby and fired them off to the parents in the waiting area. A nurse came and checked Heather's vitals on the machines behind her delivery bed and made some notes on a chart.

"We need to observe Heather and Maya for just a few more minutes, then we'll take you up to your room for the night, and you can have family."

"We have four parents sitting impatiently in the waiting room."

I stayed with Heather and Maya until they got into the room. I was holding Maya when the parents came into the room. I handed Maya to Mom and told her I had a quick errand to run.

--(--)--

When I walked into the shop, a little electronic bell rang. Kate poked her head around the corner and smiled.

"Josh! I knew you'd be back."

"Actually, I just came from holding our first child, a daughter we've named Maya. I need a beautiful floral arrangement for Heather."

"Oh, Josh! That's wonderful news."

She came and hugged me.

"I'm so happy for you, and it saved me from having to break your heart. I'm engaged."

"Kate! That's wonderful news. When is your wedding?"

"Next month."

"Would you mind if Heather and I came?"

"I'd love that. I have invitations with me, so I'll give you one. You didn't wait long for a baby."

"No, she's a honeymoon baby. I'm 43 and Heather is 33, so we didn't want to wait."

"We're both in our 30's. We're not waiting, either."

"Kate, let's keep in touch. What I need right now is a big beautiful arrangement to take back to the hospital."

She pointed to one in her cooler. "How about one that size but a lot nicer?"

"Perfect."

"All right. Give me 15. Pick out another great card."

Kate brought out a gorgeous arrangement, one I knew Heather would love.

"You worked your magic again, Kate."

I handed her the card. It said "Mother's Day" on the front. She smiled and turned it over to read the back.

Dear Heather--You became a mother today and gave me the child I've wanted for so many years. Maya is beautiful. That means she takes after you.

Kate wiped away a few tears.

"Josh, that's so sweet. Heather's a lucky woman."

"Thanks, Kate. She'll love these. I left my card there on the counter. Thanks for the invitation. We'll be there."

I walked into Heather's room with the flowers. She was asleep, probably exhausted.

I noticed there was a hospital crib for babies. I went over and peeked inside. Maya was beautiful and asleep. I looked around and found a chair to sit on. I moved it by the wall so I could lean on something and sleep.

--(--)--

A nurse came in sometime later to check on her patients, but I was quickly back to sleep.

It was a couple of hours later when I realized Heather was speaking to me.

"Hey, Josh. Are you awake?"

I stood and went to her so we could kiss.

"How are you feeling?"

"Sore, but happy to have that ordeal over with. Why are you here?"

"Silly girl, I'm here because you're here."

"Where did those flowers come from?"

"Those are from me. I have to tell you about my friend, Kate, who owns the floral shop. We're going to her wedding next month."

"Former girlfriend?"

"Not at all. I met her when I bought those roses for you for our first date. I'll have to tell you sometime how funny that was."

"They're beautiful. Thanks for bringing better smells into this room."

"Have you nursed Maya yet?"

"Just a little. My milk hasn't come in fully, so we finished with formula."

I stayed there, sitting on the side of her bed as we talked. After a few minutes, Maya cried, so I went to get her. I loved holding her, but I didn't have what she wanted. I got to watch Heather nurse our daughter.

--(--)--

The next day, mother and daughter were discharged, and I got to drive them home. There were two grandmothers hovering for most of the rest of the week, so I worked a few hours each day.

As I drove to work each day, I passed that spot where I approached Heather to warn her of the dangers around her. I thought about all that had happened as a result.

On the way home, I stopped in to see Kate and to buy another floral arrangement for Heather. Of course, I had to show off photos.

"Oh, Josh, I'm so happy for you. I really hope Darren and I can get pregnant soon. Three weeks now, until the wedding."

"We're planning on it, Kate."

--(--)--

The parents left the next week, and we settled into life as parents of a baby. We were up at odd times, but I got used to diaper duty. Each time I held Maya, I tried to imagine what she might look like as she got older. I just wanted her to grow up safe in a troubled world.

As I sat, holding her on my shoulder, she fell asleep. I put her in her crib and slipped into bed with Heather. She sensed me there and rolled over and put her arm across me.

We knew within weeks we had a calm baby. She typically only woke up once a night and wasn't overly fussy.

--(--)--

I came home from work one evening to find Heather in tears. I put my arms around her.

"What's wrong?"

"Come sit down."

I followed her into the living room, and we sat on the sofa.

"Your friend who owns the floral shop. Her name is Kate, right?"

I nodded. Heather was nearly sobbing. "Oh Josh, look at this news on the web."

She handed me her iPad. It was the local newspaper. The headline caught my attention:

Store Owner Killed During Robbery

There was a photo of the floral store.

Heather and I sat there as we both cried.

A few days later, the day before what was to have been her wedding, Heather and I attended Kate's funeral.

The following week, I called her former fiancé, Darren Alexander, and offered my sympathies. No cleverly worded card, just tears as I told him what a delightful woman Kate was.

--(--)--

In the years that followed, Heather and I had a son, Matthew, and another daughter. We named her Kate.

Each year on the date my friend Kate died, Heather and I leave gardenias on her grave.

The End