Chapter thirty three
The house on Manatee loop was back to the pre-Proudfoot condition. Contractors had repaired the gate, replaced the garage door, and front door. The town car was replaced with a new Lincoln since it was necessary for Rick’s real-estate business and was in fact owned by the business. Rick had also insisted on replacing their bedroom set including not only bedding and furniture but carpeting as well. Sarah tried to convince him that the room would be fine with a little laundry and scrubbing but he was adamant. He had insisted on their sleeping in one of the guest rooms until everything was replaced.
“Rick now that this mess is over I think we should have a party, just a small get together. She told him about her promise to Henrietta. Maybe an afternoon party, we could take the boat out on the bay and later we could cook on the dock. Would you mind?”
“Of course not. I think it would be fun.”
Rick had a fleeting thought about the difference between his life here and the solitary life he lived on the ranch. He decided he liked this much better. He thought maybe if he had made an effort to have more company at the ranch, his first marriage would have been better. “Who were you thinking of inviting?”
“The Banks, José, Jackie, and of course, Henrietta.”
“Jackie? You mean the Jackie that works for me?”
“Why not?”
“This sounds to me like match making.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh come on. Jackie Martinez and José Rodriquez, about the same age, both single and have never met each other, at the same party.”
“So what’s the harm? Maybe they will hit it off.”
“They’re like Mutt and Jeff. He’s short and scruffy, she’s tall and a fashion plate.”
“Jackie’s not tall.”
“She’s at least three inches taller than José.”
“So what? Maybe they will hit it off. José needs someone and Jackie is very nice.”
Rick just shook his head and went back to what he was doing.
The party was on Saturday. They had drinks on the lanai to get acquainted before going out on the boat. Henrietta had two wine coolers before getting on the boat and was in high spirits. She couldn’t get over the changes on the river and Kings Bay since she had last seen them from the water. She told Sarah that she had lived in Crystal River all her life and couldn’t believe how much it had changed. She told about how she had lived on the river as a child. She said that it was mostly shacks back then, and many of the river people made their living on the water.
“My father fished and crabbed for a living like most of the folks we knew. We used to have fish boils on Saturday and people would come from all up and down the river. There was always dancing and many of the young guys would bring moonshine.” She giggled and said, “Those shindigs were responsible for a lot of shotgun weddings.”
She allowed as how she rather missed those days.
This talk of the past put Rick in a pensive mood.
“We all miss the old days.” he said.
The sincere way that he said this brought a raised eyebrow from the Chief. He wouldn’t think him old enough to even think about the old days let alone with reverie.
Rick would be the first to admit that he wasn’t the most observant person in the world. However, when Sarah asked him later that night if he thought that José and Jackie had gotten along well, he was at a loss for words.
“I think you are imagining what you hope will happen. I don’t think they said ten words to each other.”
“I think they liked each other. It takes a little time for these things, but I’m very optimistic.”
To Rick’s amazement, a week later Jackie said to him, “I kind of liked José, but he seems kind of shy. I doubt if he will ever call, do you think it would be all right if I called him?”
That night when he told Sarah about his conversation with Jackie she lit up like a Christmas tree.
“See, what did I tell you?”
“It’s not polite to say I told you so.”
“Can’t help it. I’m so happy for them. I hope this works out. José really needs someone and Jackie’s nice. I hope they get married.”
Rick just shook his head in wonderment. He thought how can women jump the gun like that. Then he had been wrong enough times to have learned to keep his mouth shut.
The next day when Rick came home Sarah greeted him at the door with a wide grin and short blond hair.
“What in God’s name have you done to yourself?”
She whirled around, and walked quickly away. He followed her into the bedroom and found her sitting at her vanity wiping her eyes with a Kleenex.
“I thought you would like It.,” she said, with quiver in her voice.
“I do like it.”
“You hate it.”
“No I don’t. It just took me by surprise.”
“You’re so beautiful you would look good no matter what you did to your hair.”
She immediately started sobbing harder and buried her face in her hands. Rick thought “what on earth did I do now.” He would be the first to admit that he knew very little about women, but he thought this is getting ridiculous. However what he said was, “Sweetheart I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. You look beautiful. Maybe I could just go back outside and we could start over?”
She got up and put her arms around his neck and said, “It’s okay, I shouldn’t get upset so easy. It’s just that I always want to please you and I want you to think I look nice.”
“Sarah, you have never displeased me in your life. It’s just that I’m so used to you as a redhead that it came as a shock. Hey, don’t I at least get credit for noticing?”
Sarah got an incredulous look on her face and said, “If you hadn’t noticed this I think I would be fitting you with dark glasses and a white cane, or checking your pulse. Anyway, this is the first time in my life that I have been to a beauty parlor, and I may never go again.”
“Now don’t start up again. What brought this on anyway?”
“Dot and I were having tea and I just happened to mention that I had never been to a beauty parlor. She immediately got on her phone and called around until she found one that would take us right then. I just kind of got caught up in the whole thing. It was fun though, I even got my toenails painted. Look at my fingernails.”
“Judas priest lady. You could hurt someone with those.”
She started to pout again, but he suspected that she was putting him on this time.
“You don’t like them.”
“Yes dear, I like them fine, just please tell me those aren’t real diamonds on them.”
“They’re not even real nails, let alone real diamonds. I can just peel them off if you’re afraid of being slashed to death in your bed.”
“I guess I’ll take my chances.”
“They wanted to give me a bikini wax too, but I told them that that’s where I draw the line. If I felt I needed something like that, I would do it myself. Don’t people have any modesty anymore? I also told them that where I do my swimming I don’t have to worry about that. Dot has been after me ever since to tell her where we go swimming.”
“I know I’m just a cowardly male, but don’t that hurt a lot?”
“A bikini wax?”
“Yes.”
“I guess it would. I’ve never had one, but I was shaved when I gave birth.”
“I would certainly think that would be preferable to wax, for more than one reason.”
“Well if I ever have it done I’ll let you in on all the gory details.”
“No Thanks. I think I would rather stay ignorant.”
“Men. You’re such wusses.”