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“I know, sir, and her burdens are mine. There’s nothing I won’t do or be for her, and I’m not afraid to challenge anyone who tries to take advantage of her.” Silence fell over the barn, and we went back to work.
Helping with chores was a great way to see what I needed to get done. We worked together with ease. Nora was a lot like Ray. They went about their business with no fan fair and just got things done.
“We better go see if those girls surfaced,” Ray said when we were done. We walked to the house and the smell of bacon wafted out of the kitchen. “Well, there you two are,” Ray bellowed all chipper and loud.
“Big Daddy, keep your voice down,” Lena groaned, pointing her spatula at him, Nora gagged and put her hands over her ears.
“Seriously, you two, still?” Squeezing her eyes shut she shook her head. “I can’t hear this.” I laughed but turned it into a cough when she opened her eyes and stared me down. Dropping her hands, she slumped down into the chair.
“Baby child, your daddy and I are not ashamed of the love we share.”
“No Mother, that's enough.” Nora raised her arms in surrender.
“Oh, and you think you and Big Man over there are any different?” She flicked her spatula in my direction.
“You’re so okay talking about it, but I can’t sleep in the same room as the father of my child?”
“Listen here, we don’t care where you sleep, dear.” Lena smirked and looked over to me. “We just wanted to see if you would both abide by the rules. Go ahead and move your things into Nora’s room, Kipp. It’s far enough away from ours that we can't hear anything.”
“Thank you, Ms Lena, but I assure you there won’t be anything happening except sleep.” There was no way I would be making love to Nora in this house. Ever. Nora glared at me and rolled her eyes.
“Yeah, and it’s not as sound proof as you like to think either, Mamma.” Nora folded her arms and stared at the floor. Lena looked over at Ray and they burst out laughing, to which I followed suit.
“I think I need to be drunk for this conversation,” Nora grunted as she stood and tried to get past me down the hallway. I reached for her and pulled her to me, wrapping my arms around her.
“It’s good to have you home again, girlie.” Lena smiled as she turned back to the bacon on the stove.
It had been years since I’d been to church. My collar was done up as far as it could go, and I felt like I was being strangled. Walking into the white building with Nora and her family, every eye turned to us. The whispers grew as we shuffled to an open pew and then there was a full on murmur. Part of me wanted to stand and shut everyone up, but the other part of me didn’t want to add to the gossip fodder.
“It’s okay, just breathe,” Nora said and like magic she moved her arm around my shoulder and opened the top two snaps on my shirt. “I can’t have you suffocating, besides; I like when your shirt is undone,” she whispered as she let her fingers glide along my chest.
Closing my eyes, I shook my head. “Nora, we are in church,” I huffed, and she moved her hand to my shoulder.
Cooper was sitting between his grandparents and loving every minute of it. I don’t think they paid attention to any of the service, and I discovered just how well my fiancé could sing. It was my turn to put my arm around her and I whispered, “So you dance and sing?” She smiled and turned to look at me.
“Only in church or when nobody’s around.” She leaned into me.
“Do you sing at home when you’re alone?”
“Yes, I put on quite the concert.” Rolling her lips together, she tried to hide her grin.
“I might need to see that next time, instead of just hearing it again,” I whispered in her ear.
“It’s a husband only exclusive show.” She nodded and shrugged, sighing sweetly.
“Think that guy up there would marry us now, in the middle of church?” I traced circles on her bare shoulder and she let out a giggle, before turning to look at the preacher. A woman behind us cleared her throat, making Nora turn and glare at her.
“What do you mean again?” She quizzed.
“One morning I heard you singing to the radio.” I pulled her closer to me. “It made me get out of bed, and all I wanted to do was listen to you all day.”
“You shouldn’t eavesdrop on people.” She frowned and side eyed me but couldn’t hide her grin.
When church was over, we managed to make it to the truck in half an hour. I’d met almost every teacher Nora had ever had, about ten best friends and their moms, and countless women who thought of Nora like a granddaughter. I wanted to slap every one of them. Falling all over themselves now that she was home, but gossiping about her every step of the way before now. The window was down and we were just waiting for Ray, when the group of “best friends” walked by.
“Did you see that man she was with?” the blonde said, covering her chest.
“How did the likes of her end up with that hunk of a man?”
