Samson and Sunset (13 page)

  The cherry wood desk had been facing
the wall, so I angled it to face out into the room, sat it on one
of the smaller rugs, put a beautiful antique gold lamp on it and
used the tufted leather chair that was already there—it made the
tufts really pop. There were built-in bookcases behind the desk,
and I placed books with gold embossed lettering on the covers so
they would stand out. On the other side of the room under the large
picture window, I placed two sage and gold striped wingback chairs
with a table in the middle. Maggie was with me when I bought the
five matching lamps. The shades had little gold braid fringe
hanging from them. I know at the time Maggie was scratching her
head, wondering what I was doing. One lamp went on the table in
front of the window. I had purchased two sofa tables, one for
behind each sofa. This house was built so wonderfully that there
were floor plug outlets, so no cords would be showing, and I placed
two lamps on each table to off-set the balance. Then I put in
beautiful red and gold crystal glass accents, and bronze horses to
accent the sofa tables. On the ottoman I placed a cherry-wood tray
with a tall gold china teapot, sugar, creamer, and four stacked
cups and saucers. Hanging directly down above the center of the
ottoman was a beautiful crystal chandelier. Then I finished with
greenery, ferns with one big fern draped over a cherry pedestal. I
stepped back, and it was stunning, everything just came
together.

  The master bedroom had cherry-wood
Queen Anne furniture, and the floors had white, not beige, but
white carpet. I simply bought a new spread in gold, green and navy
stripes, with matching accessories. The Queen Anne armoire was
angled in a corner and the two bed-side tables had beautiful lamps
with gold fabric shades. I had a vanity bench in the same fabric
made to run along the foot of the four-poster bed. The draperies
matched and the puffy valances were trimmed with gold braid. I
picked up small splashes of red to make it pop, and we had two navy
wingback chairs in a little sitting area under the window with a
lamp and a floral arrangement in red, golds and greens. A crystal
chandelier hung over the bed close to the foot of the bed. It was
wonderfully stunning, and the two rooms flowed with each other,
because of the matching wallpaper. There was a set of beautiful
French doors that led outside to the veranda adorned with lovely
furniture. I had Shay put a lock at the top of the doors so Kelly
couldn’t reach it. I never wanted her out there without us. I was a
paranoid mother. It also helped that I could pull the drapes over
the doors and she’d not see the lock.

  ***

Back in the 60s you could get butter yellow
carpet so that’s what I had in the nursery. Since I simply fell in
love with the striped wallpaper, I had mom paper the nursery in a
yellow, pink and mint green stripe on three walls and I painted one
wall butter yellow, accented with a children’s Victorian border.
The nursery furniture was a dark rich wood, two chests of drawers,
changing table, crib, small bed for Kelly and a bassinet that had a
yellow hood and skirt in ruffles. I drove around down by the river
where I found the perfect dead tree branch that was about seven
feet tall. I had Shay go get it with the pickup.

  “We’re not putting a dead tree in the
house,” he said. “Yes, we are,” I said.

  The ceilings in the suite were about 9
feet in high. The tree had lots of branches and I had Shay
power-wash it, then I stained it dark brown, and put a sealer on
it. Then he mounted it in plaster of paris in a large flower pot
I’d painted to match the room. I think he was getting paranoid now
as he toggled it to the wall so it could never tip over. This made
a perfect clothes-hanging tree—I put little hangers on it with
little baby outfits and I placed stuffed animals on some of the
branches. We had attached some fake greenery vines to soften the
room. We finished it off with nursery pictures and a wall shelf
with cute toys on it. It was precious.

  ***

I had to give some thought to the bathroom.
So I followed my theme—same drapes as the bedroom, tie back
curtains over the tub, the same fabric on a skirted chair for the
dressing table. I had Shay remove the old light fixtures, and drop
two small crystal chandeliers on gold chains, that I had covered
with plain gold fabric. With navy throw rugs, gold and red accents,
wow—it was fabulous! Anyway, Shay was amazed—he loved it. He said
he needed to put me back to work interior decorating. Now, he was
kidding—he was not letting me go back to work.

  “Okay, princess,” Shay said when we
stepped back to survey the project in completion. “I have to admit
that dead tree looks pretty good. How do you think of these
things?”

  I opened my mouth to respond but he
kissed it shut. “I don’t want to know. I just love that you think
of them.” He took me in his arms and you know what came next.

  ***

Shay loved everything I’d done, but that
wasn’t my worry. I was glad he liked everything, but the big test
was yet to come: Maggie had said she was going to stay completely
out of my way, and when everything was finished, I was to reveal my
masterpiece. (I think she had her doubts and didn’t want to take
any responsibility for the screw up that might come.)

  During breakfast that day, I told
Maggie that the suite was done.

  She looked surprised. “How’d you do it
so fast?”

  “Well, I do everything fast, as you’ll
learn, Maggie,” I said. “I make decisions and I don’t change my
mind. So,” I said, folding my napkin, “I would like to invite you
for tea this afternoon at 2 p.m.” I turned to Cookie, who was
setting a pitcher of orange juice on the table. “I’d like you to
come as well, Cookie.”

  Her face lit up and she accepted
readily. As did Maggie, with a little more reserve.

  When the clock struck 2 p.m., I heard
a knock on the door of the suite. I was nervous for Maggie to see
my work; she had very good taste. I was pretty confident, though I
can’t say I was calm. I answered the door and they both stepped in
and Maggie’s eyes widened and this great smile spread across her
face. Not her usual polite smile, but a genuine, delighted
smile.

  “Oh my gosh,” she beamed, “this is out
of this world!” She turned around, looking at everything. “I want
you to do the whole house! Will you? Will you, please?”

  I told her she really didn’t need my
help, her taste was great, but if she wanted help with anything, I
was but a few steps away.

  Cookie just loved it. She hugged me
and told me she expected nothing less.

  “You know, Sweetie,” she said, “this
is truly a show place. I knew it was, because one day when I asked
Shay how it was looking, he got this big grin on his face and said,
‘Cookie, that woman never ceases to amaze me.’”

  We had a lovely tea and Maggie just
couldn’t stop smiling and complimenting me on every detail. I have
to admit, it was like winning gold.

  ***

Soon after this minor but meaningful triumph,
Samson and Sunset arrived at the ranch. I was so excited. What a
big day for me. I ran to the barn to watch them being unloaded.
They were as magnificent as I remembered. When we first saw them at
the auction, Shay had said they looked like Arabians (though some
of the guys had speculated that they were Mustangs, while others
had said Pacing horses, none of which meant anything to me.) It
turned out Shay was right. When we got their papers we discovered
they were purebred Arabians. Shay told me Arabians were from the
desert. Wow, I wondered, how did they get clear to Nebraska!

  Shay said they were spirited, but that
didn’t scare me, I knew all about spirit. I found them to be gentle
and responsive to gentleness. Kelly loved watching them, so I took
her out to see them every day, and every evening that Shay got back
before dark we took them out riding by the river and around the
lake. The horses always got a rest halfway through, as Shay had me
down on the ground, rolling around. That guy never missed an
opportunity for sex. (Once I remarked to Maggie that I never knew
that sex could be so plentiful and her response was, “Like father,
like son. Get used to it. It doesn’t get better.” Well, I’d meant
it as a good thing, but I thought it best to let the conversation
end there.)

  ***

Life was good for the next few months.
Everyone tried to give each other space in the Big House. Though
there were a few incidents worth mentioning.

  One morning around 7:30, while Shay
was taking a shower, I went downstairs to get two glasses of orange
juice. I always wore this cute little smock robe that was about
four inches above the knee. I went through the dining room where
Maggie and Sterling were having breakfast. We exchanged good
mornings and I headed into the kitchen to get a couple of
glasses.

  While I was standing in front of the
refrigerator I heard Sterling say, “I’d give anything to get into
that just one time.”

  “Oh, you make me sick, Sterling,”
Maggie shot back. “You act like you’ve never had it before.”

  “Well, not with something like
that
I haven’t!”

  I stood there stock-still, holding the
two glasses. I must have looked like a deer in the headlights. I
couldn’t believe I was hearing this at all, let alone between
husband and wife at the breakfast table. Maggie must have thrown a
cup at Sterling at this point, because suddenly there came the
sound of something breaking, and chairs scraping against the
floor.

  I filled our glasses in a hurry,
gathered myself together and slipped through the dining room as
quickly as I could. I bolted up the stairs, probably spilling some
juice in the process.

  “Shay, Shay! Do you know what your dad
just said while I was in the kitchen?”

  “No, what’d he say?”

  I told him.

  I could tell it pissed Shay off. He
didn’t say much, but there was no doubt in my mind that he would be
confronting Sterling when the time was right.

  He hugged me and said, “I know what
the guy means, now drink your orange juice. I’ve decided I want you
back in that bed.”

  He had me again in less than one hour.
Had what Sterling said turned him on? Or was it some kind of
territorial thing? I supposed the two things could intermingle.

  ***

A couple of weeks later, Shay came in around
7 p.m. and said he was going to take a shower and meet some of the
hands at the Larimer bar for a few beers.

  “Can I go?”

  “Just the guys, baby. It’s been a long
day. You stay home and keep the home fires burning. I won’t be gone
long. Probably be home by 9."

  Well, by 10:30, Shay wasn’t home and I
was starting to get a little fiery. I called over and asked Cookie
if I could drop Kelly off with her.

  She said, “Sure, sweetie, but Joe’s
not home yet either. Sometimes they lose track of the time.”

  “Well, I’ve had a long day and I want
some company from my husband, so I’m going to go get him, or at
least join him.”

  “Well, sweetie, now you be careful and
drive those roads slowly, ya hear?”

  “Yes, Cookie.”

  Off I went to Larimer, parked the car
and went into the bar. I saw a lot of the crew, but what struck me
instantly was Shay playing checkers with some girl. I don’t know if
it was my pregnancy hormones raging or just plain old jealously,
but I walked up to the table where they were sitting, grabbed the
checkerboard and flipped it in the air. Checkers flew
everywhere.

  “You bastard!” I yelled and ran out
the door.

  I jumped in the car and drove home. As
soon as I got there I called Cookie and asked if she’d keep Kelly
all night.

  Now, for the first time since I’d
known Shay, I was actually frightened at what I’d done. I knew I
was in big trouble and I was actually scared. Hell, I was
terrified! I’d only known Shay a year and a half, and I’d seen him
when he was angry—the back of his neck would get red, and remain so
until he decided how he was going to react to the situation. Shay
was one tough
hombre
.

  Okay, I had to analyze the situation.
I had humiliated him, not only in front of his friends, but in
front the help! I had sworn and he had told me never to use bad
language. Should I call my dad to come get Kelly and me? Would Shay
hit me? Back in the Sixties, there was no law against that stuff.
It was considered a matter between a man and his wife. Maybe he’d
want a divorce!

  I couldn’t shake the feeling that he
was going to hurt me in his anger. Boy, I hoped he had just been
drinking beer. Hard liquor could make him mean, just like his
father. Oh gosh, what should I do? I couldn’t wake Maggie; I didn’t
want Sterling to know. There would probably be a lot of yelling.
Still, the rooms were pretty sound-proofed. I just kept pacing and
pacing, my mind spinning; unraveling. I was actually trembling.
Then, through the window I saw car lights pull into the yard. I sat
down in the corner of one of the sage-green sofas and waited for my
demise.

  Shay opened the door quietly, as
usual. He walked past me, without meeting my eyes, through the
bedroom, into the bathroom. I sat waiting, wild-eyed, on the sofa.
After what felt like an eternity, he came out, walked over to the
floor-model black and white television, and turned it on. Then he
walked over to the sofa across from me and lay down, bracing his
head against two sofa pillows.

  He watched television for about five
minutes. Then he said, “You can change the channel if you want to
watch something else, Callie.”

  “No,” I said meekly, “that’s
fine.”

  Then he said, “Come here, Callie. Come
over here and lay by me.”

  I got up slowly and crossed the carpet
towards the other sofa. He put his arm up so I knew he wanted me to
lie in his arms. When he did that, I completely broke down. I
buried my face in his shirt and cried.