Buzzard Bay (3 page)

“Who?” July asked, knowing full well what he meant but surprised at his perceptiveness.

“The girls,” he said. “I think they expected you to be a little nastier tonight.”

“Me?” she said, then laughed.

“Yeah, I guess I am pretty mellow tonight. Lucky for you.” He chuckled and then got up. “Well, I thank you for your time. It was really good of you to help me.”

July was beginning to understand this very complex man a little better now. He was actually, in a naive way, a gentleman and would never impose on her, unless she encouraged him, not by saying, “Come here boy, I want you,” but by being straightforward and honest.

“Would you walk me back to my dorm?” she asked, quickly adding, “I hate walking by myself in the dark,” which was true. There were still lots of people in the library, Charlie Parrs being one of them, that’s why he hadn’t asked; she knew that now.

For the first time, a look of genuine interest came to his face. Not a look of lust that some gave, not the look of, “Hey, July Hansen just asked me to take her home. I’m somebody!” It was just a look a friend might give you.

Her heart was racing. “Well, a friend’s a long way from being enemies,” she thought.

“Yes, I will,” he said. “In fact, I want to.”

Their relationship continued like this through the rest of winter, warming even more as spring approached, and then exploding. Every year just before final exams, it was a tradition to party at Red Lake, about one hour’s drive north of the city. The lake waters were still icy cold, but the students didn’t mind building huge bonfires, many of them bringing tents to spend the night. July had arrived early and by midnight, was feeling no pain. It was about this time that Bob arrived with some buddies from the hockey team. As they approached the fire, she could see that he too had been drinking and was in a jovial mood. Like so long ago, their eyes locked, only this time, he did not look away.

From across the fire, she beckoned him with her finger. He came, never taking his eyes off her.

“Come with me,” she said.

He could taste the sex in her voice as she grabbed his hand heading into the trees where her father’s car was parked. They stood beside her father’s car; it was pitch black, the leaping flames from the bonfire creating the only light. It would for an instant light up their skin, their hair, their eyes, and then just as quickly fade away, giving them a vanishing look. They stood this way for what seemed a long time, just drinking each other in, then she reached up and pulled his T-shirt over his head. He responded by grabbing hers and doing the same. He had only an instant to notice that she wore nothing underneath before she grabbed him and brought his mouth to hers. It was as if two lost souls had at last found each other, their tongues exploring. Her hand dropped to the front of his pants, undoing the button and unzipping the fly. His pants slid to his ankles never letting go of her lips. He kicked his runners off with his pants, and then proceeded to get rid of her pants. This was not as easy as hers were much tighter. He dropped his head to reach lower when he ran into her breasts. He had admired them before from afar, of course. He had also noticed a lot of other guys noticed them too, especially in the gym. There seemed to be guys there when she was playing who never went to the gym any other time.

Her breasts were magnificent. His head seemed stuck there, but July didn’t mind. She wanted him to see all of her, to be part of her. She reached down and pulled her pants off and as she did, his head went with her and he nuzzled her nipple.

“God, that feels good,” she thought.

His tongue began to stroke her other nipple and she grabbed his head and pulled his face to her chest. He placed his face between her breasts, his tongue exploring and making her groan with pleasure. Suddenly, she stepped back and as brazen as any woman he had ever seen, she pulled down his jockey shorts with one motion and grabbed his cock. He had been so engrossed with this woman that he had forgotten to get hard, but this action certainly took care of that. He felt himself growing harder as he stood there and looked at her. He had never seen anything so beautiful; her body was hard and well-muscled yet voluptuous. The flickering light teased, never clearly revealing, yet tantalizing. He’d never felt himself get so big before.

July was engrossed with what she held in her hand. She had been with enough men before to know that this was something sensational! It wasn’t that it was so long, but the head was huge. Her legs shook with excitement as she could think of nothing else now. Leading him by the cock, she opened the back door of the Caddy and literally fell in pulling his cock, and luckily him too, on top of her. She guided him in; she was a woman on a mission now, her passion so high her mind failed to function. She came on his first stroke, feeling him inside her farther than any man had ever been before. His strokes driving her crazy, she couldn’t stop cuming. Slowly, as she started calming down, she realized that his hand was over her mouth.

“You were screaming,” he said with a beautiful smile. “I was scared someone would hear you.” She didn’t answer, she just grabbed his hair and pulled his mouth to hers; her eyes were full of tears, her body was full of him. Her senses cleared enough to realize that he hadn’t come yet. He was still hard and stroking her very hard. She hung on for dear life; he was driving her now. She lost complete control, her legs kicking, her body convulsing under him. She heard an explosion and her mind left her body, entering his. She was now a part of him. July Hanson, Queen of the Campus, Miss Minnesota, in the throes of passion, had just kicked the window out of her father’s Cadillac.

When she woke, there was twilight in the sky and it was almost morning. They had a sleeping bag thrown over top of them which he must have gone and got during the night. The scent of sex aroused her, and she nibbled at his nipple then bit it, getting no reaction the first time. This brought a “Hey…” and his face came into view. He expected a kiss but was surprised with a question.

“Why did you make me wait so long for you?”

“Because I didn’t trust you and I still don’t,” he said. “You’re a rich bitch who could have me and throw me away any time you want. The first time I saw you in the rink, your eyes told me that you could have me at any time, and I vowed that you wouldn’t have me. Well, now you have me, heart and soul. You can always throw me away, but you’ll always have my heart and soul.”

“Yes, I will, Bobby Green,” July said. “I want your heart, your soul, and your cock, so don’t you ever fuck me around, Mr. Green, or I will throw your heart and soul away and hang your cock on my mantelpiece.”

“Maybe that’s what you’ve already done,” he said.

“Maybe,” July said. She reached up to rough up his hair, her big boob bouncing up to his face as she did so. He immediately began to suck on it.

“I think you love them more than you love me,” she said pouting.

“Well, maybe it’s because I can trust them to always stand up and respond to me,” Bob said.

“Look at this,” she said, “One night and we’re already talking like old lovers!” Her breast was stimulating more than his mind, and she felt his cock begin to stir beside her leg. The thought of it made her gasp. She felt the wetness between her legs and took his hand and placed it between her thighs. He quickly found her wet spot and went to work on it. She lifted his head, her blue eyes full of passion. “Give it to me, please.” So he did, this time letting her go until her screams seemed to bounce off the hills, roll off the trees, and fill his ears with beautiful music.

Bob was to go back to Canada to work on his father’s farm that summer, but he could not bring himself to leave his golden vixen, as he called her.

“If you’re going, I’m going with you,” she said.

He knew his mother would not approve if he came home dragging a girl to live with him, so he called and told his parents that he was going to stay, telling them he was going to study and that he had a job for the summer. His father had said that this was fine as the farm was okay and if he could work, all the better, as there wasn’t much to do around the town from where he came.

He did have a job; July saw to that and he worked driving a truck at one of her father’s plants half an hour from the university and about an hour’s drive from July’s home. He rented a small cabin up by Red Lake and for the first week of summer, they commuted. By the end of the second week, July had moved in.

It didn’t take long for her parents to get wind of what was going on and the first time she was home, her mother asked her to sit down for a moment and talk. “I’m hearing stories, July. It’s not like you to keep things from me.”

July sighed and decided to tell it the way it was. “I’m in love, Mother, and I’m going to get married.”

“July, you and I have been together for nineteen years now, and I’ve learned to trust you to know what you’re doing, but you haven’t even brought this boy home yet. Are you ashamed of him?”

“No, Mother,” she hesitated. “It’s just that he’s shy and, oh well, what the hell. I’ve only been going with him for a month, and I just haven’t gotten around to it!”

“This just doesn’t sound like the July I know,” her mother said.

he took her mother’s hand. “This isn’t something that happens every day,” she said. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and I have to grab it. It’s not perfect timing… it’s definitely not the way I planned it, but I do know that he’s my man, so whatever happens, I’ve got to stick with him.”

July’s mother remembered making a similar speech to her parents many years ago. “Your father will not be happy. I don’t think that your young man quite lives up to his expectations, but I’m sure that between the two of us, we can handle him.”

A couple of nights later, July brought Bob down to her parent’s house for supper. Bob was very nervous at first, but anyone who came to Ole and Irène Hanson’s house was soon made to feel welcome. They found him to be a very pleasant young man, very respectful, and very hard not to like. He told them of his growing up on a small farm in Northern Saskatchewan, a province to their northwest in Canada.

“We live on the tree line,” Bob said. “We are as far north as you can go and still farm. We farm in the summer and work in the bush cutting logs in the winter.” This gave him and July’s dad something in common to talk about; they compared logging in their respective areas.

Time flew and July was very pleased at how things had gone. Then July dropped the bomb.

“We’re getting married, Dad,” she stated. Even Bob seemed taken aback by this.

Ole had been in some tough situations in his time, but this was something he was not prepared for. He looked over at his wife. “Why didn’t you warn me?” he seemed to say.

“What have you got to say about this, Bob?” Ole asked.

Bob took his time answering. “This is a surprise to me too, sir, but as you know, July sort of knows what she wants and goes and gets it. I have no idea why she wants me but I do love her, so as long as she wants me, I’m hers.” This honesty made Mr. Hanson sit back in his chair.

“Good for you, July,” her mother thought. He may not have much but he has potential; he’s honest and he loves you very much; the rest is up to you.

The wedding in ’73 was a gala affair, with dignitaries and friends from all over attending. Once Mr. Hanson knew his little ‘Minou’ was sure of what she was doing, he wanted nothing but the best for his only daughter. The occasion was held in Minneapolis, being that it was the only place with a church and ballroom big enough to hold everyone. Bob was a little overwhelmed by all this but with July at his side, he felt like a king. They made a beautiful couple. Bob’s mother had never ever in her wildest dreams seen anything like this. His father had not attended; his harvest was underway and with the short northern season he dared not leave.

In a way his mother was relieved; he would have been totally out of place. He hated crowds and too much attention. She, on the other hand, loved it. She was so proud of her son and July she adored. They had become very good friends, first meeting when Bob and July had visited last summer and again now at the wedding. They all rode together in a horse-drawn carriage from the church to the hotel ballroom.

Bob shook hands at the reception until his hand ached. His head literally spun from all the people he met. There was many an envious glance thrown his way. “Well, I’ve got her,” he thought. I don’t know for how long but right now she’s mine. He still had trouble understanding why a girl who could have anyone she wanted would want him. He also realized that a girl like July did not move around the world unnoticed. As long as he was with her, he now knew that neither would he.

FOUR

J
ULY’S FATHER GAVE
the newlyweds a two-week vacation in the Bahamas as a wedding gift. Bob was worried about his work, but strings had been pulled. “Just phone in when you get back,” they had said. It was as if he didn’t even exist.

Things will definitely have to change when I get back,” he thought. He was too much in love right now to dwell on it, so off they went, landing in Nassau and whisked off to Paradise Island. It was the air that he first noticed, the soft breeze that blew off the ocean. For a farm boy who had spent much of his life in snow, the ocean had always had a special place for him. As a youngster, he had been on several trips to visit relatives in Vancouver. He had developed a special bond with the coast. On the other hand, he had hated the desert. “Might as well be in a snow bank as a sand bank,” he had once told his parents on a winter vacation in Arizona.

For the first few days, they didn’t leave the huge hotel much except for a swim in the pool. Actually, they spent a lot of time in the room, rising late, sometimes not at all. After a while, they ventured over to Nassau town, seeing the sights and sounds of the busy tourist port. Bob was feeling more and more at home with this place all the time, and he wanted to see more.

“July,” he said one morning, “let’s fly out to one of the outer islands today.”

July thought it would be a great adventure. They hired a small plane at the airport. Everything was cash on the barrel, Bob had learned, and he instantly knew that if this was the case, you could barter on the price. The excursion was already becoming fun! Their first trip was to Abaco. They found it quiet, much more quiet and laid back than Nassau. The people were friendly, helping them find their way around, the men definitely admiring July.

For her, traveling had been to big hotels or trendy tourist spots. This was the first time she’d ever done something like this, and she was having the time of her life. They flew back to Nassau that night. The next morning, they woke up bright and early, wondering which island to visit next. They decided to ask their pilot, who was waiting by his plane.

“About half an hour from Nassau, there is Andros Island,” he explained. “It’s the biggest island of the Bahamas with miles and miles of beaches and no one around. The north island is built up enough to have an airport and there’s a decent hotel there. It will take you a while to see it all. Why don’t you stay over?”

Bob and July thought this was a good idea. They not only spent the night on Andros Island, they spent the rest of their holiday there. The second day, they found a small hotel on the beach. They spent the day exploring and cavorting, coming back to the hotel only to eat and join in on the entertainment that the local people put on each night. They found a secluded beach where they spent their days. Any clothing they did wear was put on only to and from the hotel. Their last day, they lay on the beach, their skin black from the sun. July’s hair lay spilled over his belly while she gently sucked on his erect phallus. The sun had turned her hair almost the same color as the sand. She pulled her head back with a mock frown.

“You have tan lines on your dick,” she said alluding to the fact that he had never been circumcised.

“I’m surprised at that,” he said, shading his eyes. “You’ve had it standing at attention so much lately, I can tell time by its shadow.”

“I guess I’d better shade it then.” She stood up and mounted him, her smile turning to pleasure and agony. He lay watching her huge breasts bouncing, shedding the sand from them like a dog sheds water. He closed his eyes, his body going limp as she drained his very soul. He felt her move and opened his eyes.

“I’m lucky to be alive,” he said.

“You feel pretty dead to me,” she answered, referring to his limp dick. “I’m going for a swim.” She climbed off him, being sure to slap his face with her boob as she did so. He smiled and watched her disappear into the water.

“What would happen if we just stayed here for the rest of our lives,” he thought. Many people have thought that on a tropical holiday, never to return again. This was not the way it was to be with Bob and July; they would return to their island, as they liked to call it. They had no idea at the time how entwined it would become in their lives.

The next morning they watched their island disappear, sparkling on the horizon as their plane headed for Miami. They’d stayed as long as they possibly could, missing their connecting flight to Minnesota and had to travel standby the rest of the way home.

They decided to rent a house in the university town where they had met. It was about half an hour’s drive for Bob to get to work. July soon had a job managing a large lady’s fashion store in the mall downtown. July had never had a job before, finding it much more difficult than she thought. This motivated her, she always needed a challenge. She found herself enjoying work much more than she thought she would.

Upon returning from their honeymoon, Mr. Hanson offered Bob an executive job in his company. Bob thanked him but refused. “I’ll never get any respect unless I earn my own way,” he said.

Ole was angry but July told him, “Leave Bob alone. If he needs help, he’ll ask for it.”

Bob quit his job at the Hanson mill, and a few weeks later took up a job with a small competitive plant just on the outside of town. Within a year, he became a foreman and within two years he was in management. They both worked very hard, having less and less time for each other. In their second year of marriage, July came across an ad in the paper; a real estate company was selling lots on their island. The company had bought up an old estate and was subdividing the property into lots. That night she talked with Bob.

“They fly us down,” she said. “If we don’t like the property, we don’t buy it.”

“We don’t have much money,” Bob answered, “but we really do need a break, don’t we…”

His mind was wandering back to those carefree days on the beach. Oh, I expect you to do a little work while we’re there,” she said, a glint in her eye.

A week later, they were gone. They found that the island had not changed at all in the two years they had been away. Even some of the hotel staff were still there, instantly remembering July and her blonde hair. This time, they saw much more of the island. The real estate agent not only showed them the property, he escorted them around the island, showing them its many attributes.

On the south end of the island, they discovered a large military base run jointly by the U.S., Canadian, and British governments.

“It’s a naval base and used for training submarine technology and surveillance,” they were told by the proprietor of Skinny’s bar. Skinny was a tall black man who ran the main bar in the little town surrounding the air base. “The rest of the time they spent trying to stop the drug runners from flying their stuff into the islands.”

This was the first Bob and July had heard of this and were quite interested.

“Yes,” Skinny said, enjoying being the center of attraction, “a lot of the drugs come from South America and are flown in here and then hauled by boat to the U.S. mainland.” He brought them another beer. “It’s very big business in the islands, very bad for the people.”

It was the people that made these islands for Bob and July; they were so friendly and happy. In a couple of days, the stress oozed out of them and they found themselves slowing down and relaxing. If any problems showed up, they became like the people on the island. “No problem,” they would say to each other.

The lots were far inland and covered with trees, so they decided to wait before they bought any land. They spent most of their time on their secluded beach; July became pregnant.

The next few years were very stable and secure for the Greens. The coming of a baby girl, Mindy, only strengthened the bond between them. They worked hard and prospered. However, their lives were not meant to be lived this way; fate would keep throwing a twist into it.

It was Sunday evening and July’s mom and dad had come over for supper. They did this often, Ole grudgingly admiring Bob for what he had done. To Irène Hanson, Bob was her favorite. If she had a problem in the family, it was Bob she went to. And of course they loved to see their little granddaughter, the biggest brat you ever saw.

The phone rang and Bob picked it up. It was his mother, nothing strange about that, she quite often phoned on Sunday evenings, but what she said was not the usual.

“Bob,” she always came right to the point, “your dad has cancer.”

A deadly chill passed through him. “How bad is it?” he finally said.

“He’s in no pain yet,” she said, fighting to keep her voice steady. “They give him a year at most, probably less.”

“Isn’t there anything they can do?” Bob asked in desperation.

July came over and stood beside Bob and put her head on his shoulder. “What is it?” she asked. There were tears in her eyes when he told her.

Bob took time from work and headed north. When he returned three weeks later, he had made up his mind what he was going to do. He had never really thought July would stay with him. He thought she’d get tired of him and move on. They’d been together almost three years now; he’d become so used to her being around and wasn’t sure what he’d do if she said no. This would be the big test. As soon as he saw her, he told her. She never batted an eye.

“Okay,” she said, “I think it’s time we had another child.”

They went right to work at it. The transition took about six months. There were many trips back and forth. Their assets were sold, and a new house was built on the farm. July was just nicely moved in when their son was born. They had wanted a boy and were rewarded. Bob was happy, July noted, the only sore spot being that his father was very sick now.

Bob had invested heavily in new machinery for the farm. His father’s equipment, though in good shape, was getting older. His father didn’t like to interfere, but reminded Bob that he had been away from farming a long time. “There’s not much money in it anymore,” he warned. His father knew the storm clouds were gathering for a full-fledged subsidy war. He had been through a few wars before and still bore the scars; the scars being memory of the depression in the thirties and World War II. But Bob had helped run a company that found it needed good equipment to be efficient in today’s market. With that and hard work, there would be no problem.

Bob’s dad died that winter. He had been very sick, but he always stayed happy, never letting anyone know how bad he was until he just laid down at home one day and died. He died with dignity, always a gentleman to the end. July now saw where Bob got his determination. If something had to be done, then you squared your shoulders and did it; even when you face death, you dealt with it.

July was busier now than when she had worked for a living. She laughed at this; the only difference was that she wasn’t getting a paycheck. There were two children and a big yard to look after. She helped in the fields; all in all, she loved it.

The years slid by, and she hadn’t even noticed how stressed Bob had been, but now the years had rolled off him. He loved working on the farm and the freedom it gave him. There was one area that bothered July; it was the books. No matter how hard they worked, the farm was losing money.

“Don’t worry,” Bob had said, “things can’t get any worse. They have to get better.” His attitude was he’d handled things before, he’d handle them now. A cold breeze made July shiver.

Things did get worse, much worse. Commodity prices fell through the floor. Bob worked like a man possessed; he mortgaged more and more of his dad’s land. The bank became more and more demanding. July noticed a change in Bob that alarmed her. He became scruffy, never caring about his looks. He snarled at the kids a lot, having no time or patience for them. She tried to talk to him, reason with him, but he was a man caught up in a situation he could not control. He was like an alcoholic, there was no use helping him until he admitted that he had a problem. One of his biggest problems was that he didn’t listen or ask for help. If he got out now, he could still salvage something.

The bank was now like a vulture, ready to take everything to save their own ass. They had lent far too much to too many farmers and were now after all the assets they could take to keep from going under themselves. The wolves were gathering. Bob, with his back to the wall, was doing the only thing he knew how: go down swinging.

They had been on the farm ten years when July finally talked Bob into visiting their island again. Once more, it had a magical effect on him. He mellowed out, and she was able to talk to him slowly, explaining to him what he was doing to his family, making him realize how much he had changed. Most importantly, he had to assess himself and his situation. Maybe, just maybe, they could negotiate some kind of settlement and salvage something.

They also caught wind of a new development which might be taking place on the island. “It would be nice to be involved in that,” he thought fleetingly.

The island cleared his mind enough that when he returned, he and July sat down and set out a course of action. He found wounds were hard to heal, especially between himself and his daughter who had completely rebelled. Mindy felt he had abandoned her when she needed him most. It would take years before they understood each other again.

“Patience,” July told him. “Things don’t happen overnight.”

He tried approaching the bank with a plan of attack for his debt, but they weren’t very receptive, knowing that they had the noose around his neck. They just kept pulling it a little tighter.

July went without Bob’s knowledge to see the bank too. Barry was the man in charge of Accounts in Arrears at the bank. The recession in the farm economy had hardened him, and he had little sympathy left for people who were stupid enough to try and stay on their land, starving themselves and their families. “Get them off and get on with life,” was what he thought best for them. He had always admired July, such a beautiful woman wasting her time with a man like Bob Green was his opinion. There were a lot of things going through his mind, a lot of them not on business, as she sat across from him.