Northern Proposals (18 page)

"Which of you wore my bathrobe?" Marcy asked quietly.

I looked over at her. "How could you tell?"

"It was washed. That meant one of you must have worn it."

"Jessica."

She nodded.

"Are you angry?" I asked her.

"No.
I told you, it is hard, but Jessica is very respectful."

"When we went up, we didn't have that kind of relationship, and Jessica had packed for a trip under the assumption she was bringing a girlfriend. She was trying to be kind to me by covering up more than a teddy and underwear."

"Like I said. She's very thoughtful," Marcy said.

Jon was quiet through all this. I didn't think
he was the strong, silent type, so I wondered what the dynamic was.

I started to wonder if Jessica and Marcy needed to have a proper conversation. And I started to wonder if Jessica made a habit of misunderstanding silent communication.

"Do you know a couple of guys named Matt and Mike?"

"Oh lord," she said. "Did they bother you?"

"A little. Mike seemed okay. Jessica dealt with them."

She looked at me. "Did she say you two were a couple?"

"No, we told them Jessica had a freshly-broken heart and we were up there to get away from guys for a weekend."

"Good. The townspeople are pretty nice, but some of them are total rednecks. If they found out you were a lesbian couple, I don't know how they would have treated you. Maybe forcing them to confront their own bigotry is the better choice, but I wouldn't have wanted guests at my cabin to come away with a bad experience."

I was going to have a long talk to Jessica about assuming what other people are thinking.

"What do you do for a living, Jade?" she asked me.

"I'm a technical writer. Right now that means I write a lot of business proposals."

"Does that pay well?"

"Everything is relative," I said. "Jessica and are about ten percent apart."

Marcy nodded in understanding.

"Food is almost ready," Jon said.

"Jade, will you help set the table?"
Marcy asked.

"Of course."

She led me back into the house. Sitting on the counter were plates, cups and silverware. "Those need to go outside. The girls will want to sit on either side of Jessica. I'm sorry."

I smiled. "It's all right."

"They're going to fight who you sit next to."

In the end, Dawn won that fight. Dinner was grilled chicken and vegetables with rice that Marcy made on the stove. Everything was lovely.

Throughout the meal, Dawn tried to draw me into conversations, but it was always about some topic I knew nothing about. Eventually Marcy said, "You're not used to little children."

"I'm sorry," I said. "Not this age. I'm a big sister though.
Allison, my little sister, is fourteen. I've been her sister since she was eleven."

"You have a little sister?" Jessica asked.

"It's the big brothers, big sisters program," I explained. "Basically I'm a mentor or role model."

"That's an excellent program," Marcy said. "It's very good of you to volunteer."

I nodded. "I'm better with young teenagers, I guess." I turned to Dawn. "But I hope to get to know you and your sister very well."

"You're pretty," Dawn said. "Are you Auntie Jessie's girlfriend?"

I looked at Marcy, unsure how she would want me to answer.

"Yes, honey, she is," Marcy said.

"Do you bake cookies?" Dawn asked. "Auntie Jessie's last girlfriend wouldn't bake us cookies. She said they would make us fat."

"Oh, I make totally excellent snicker doodles," I told her. "And my chocolate chip co
okies are pretty good." I looked her straight in the eye. "But I only make them when your mother says it's all right."

The rest of the meal went without any terrible incidents. Finally Marcy told the girls, "You may go watch one short movie."

"We want to play with Auntie Jessie," Dawn said.

"Yeah!" said Laura.

"Auntie Jessie and her friend Jade need to talk to Mommy and Daddy," Marcy said. "If you are good girls and let us talk, maybe they'll join us this weekend at the lake. Would you like that?"

"Yes!"

"Go watch your movie now. Auntie Jessie will say goodbye before she leaves."

The girls scampered off. Marcy waited until they were inside before she turned to us. "Well, now we can have the serious conversation. You want to buy the
Benson place. You will want Jon's help from time to time. I suspect more than time to time. You may want to borrow a boat from time to time as well. And if you want to write an offer tomorrow, perhaps you could use a place to stay, as driving up and back in one day is a long ride."

"Yes," said Jessica. "Marcy, I know you don't approve. We can find somewhere else if having me that close is going to upset you."

"If you are further away, it is more work for Jon to help," she said. Marcy turned to me. "You are being foolish."

"Excuse me?"

"My sister in law has a horrible track record with her girlfriends. They don't last. Now, I will be the first one to express glee in that, and I have good reasons for it. You have been together less than two weeks, and you are committing to an expensive purchase. Have you decided what will happen if you are not dating the day after you close?"

"We'll share it, fifty-fifty," I said. "Or one of us can buy the other out. We've talked about it.
"

"I suspect neither of you has the cash to do this alone."

"No," said Jessica. "But I could make payments against her down payment. We would share until I'd paid her back."

"So you've talked about this? You recognize the risk?"

"Yes," I said. "We recognize the risk."

"And you can both afford this?"

"Yes. It will drain most of my non-retirement savings, but not dangerously low," I said.

"I almost have enough to buy it alone," Jessica said. "But then I wouldn't have any funds to buy a boat or anything else."

"Is the cabin furnished?" Marcy asked.

"It was when we were there," Jessica said. "So I think so."

Marcy tapped a finger against her lips. "The cabin is small."

"Yes," I said. "And there's no garage. But it's an amazing lot, and we can expand. I want a garage first, and I want enough space to have guests."

"The last time I was there, the dock was not in the water. Do they even have a dock that comes with the property?"

"Yes," I said. "Or something that looked like one, rolled up on shore."

Marcy pursed her lips. "I do not want Jon slaving away on your cabin all the time when we go up. He is going up to relax and slave away on our cabin." She smiled.

"Marcy, w
e don't want him to slave away," Jessica said. "We'll do the work. We just don't know how to do it all. We'd want him to be our foreman, I guess, and help us for those things that require his muscles. I won't ask for more than that."

"And my father will also help," I said.

"If the well breaks, you will fix it yourself or hire a plumber," Marcy said. "Jon hates plumbing and it ruins his mood for hours afterwards."

"You're saying yes?" Jessica asked.

"Jon, I presume you will let them use the pontoon boat when we're not using it ourselves."

"Actually, Marcy..." he said to her.

"Oh hell, you want to make another one." She was smiling at him, and it was a smile filled with love.

"I have some ideas I wanted to try. Is it okay if I give them our old one?"

"Yes, as long as we may use it until your new one is done."

"We can buy it," Jessica said. "And I'd absolutely love it. I love that boat."

"No," Marcy said. "Housewarming gift. Or cabin warming gift." She smiled warmly at Jessica. "I would have fought you about this when with your earlier girlfriends, Jessica. I did not care for them one bit, and I didn't want them around my children. But this one I like." She smiled at me. "You may use the cabin. I'll give you the key before you go. I hope you'll stay the weekend with us."

"Marcy, thank you," Jessica said, smiling.

"I do not want you using the ski boat," she said. She turned to me. "Do you water ski?"

"I've been once."

"If you like, we'll teach you when we get up there. Jessica is a very good skier, Dawn is learning, and Laura is upset we haven't let her try it yet."

"How about you?" I asked her.

"I have been water skiing since I was four," she replied.

We talked for just a few more minutes before Marcy said, "It's
a long drive. I'll get the key. Jessica, please don't get the girls all worked up before you go."

We all got up. I started helping to clear the table.

"No, no," she said. "I have a particular way I like it done. I know it's weird." She looked at both of us. "I expect you both to pack bathrobes if you intend to stay the weekend."

"Oh hell," Jessica said. "I didn't hang it up properly? I'm sorry, Marcy, but-"

"Jade already explained. It's fine."

Marcy led the way into the house, Jon taking the rear. Jessica went to find the girls and say goodnight. Marcy disappeared to collect the cabin key. This left me with Jon.

"Wow," I said to him.

"Marcy is amazing. She and Jessica are so much alike. That may be why I love her so much. Do you have any idea what you're getting into?"

"No."

He laughed.

"Jon, Jessica thinks Marcy hates her."

He sighed. "I know. She doesn't. But I can't get the two of them to just talk honestly with each other."

"Was she just playing nice in front of me?"

"No. You got a pretty good view of what she's like."

Marcy appeared with the key to the cabin. "Jessica knows all the normal things," Marcy said. "The well is still turned on. You only need to open the supply to the house. If either of you know how, check the LP tank. It was supposed to be filled this week. If not, I want to call the supplier and yell at him to fill it by Friday."

"LP tank?"

She smiled. "It's the big silver tank in the back yard. Call tomorrow during the daylight and I'll explain how to check it."

"I have so much to learn."

"We'll help with that," Marcy promised. "And Jessica knows a lot already."

Jessica reappeared.

"You didn't get them worked up, did you?" Marcy asked her sternly.

"Maybe a little, but that's just from walking in. I'm sorry."

Marcy looked at her for a moment. "I expect you to be discrete in front of the girls. If you have anything to get out of your systems, please finish it by mid-afternoon on Friday."

"We won't be staying, Marcy," Jessica said quietly.

"Yes, we will," I said. "I am looking forward to it. Don't worry, Marcy, you won't have any strange activities to explain to the girls."

"Jessica, the last time you were up with us with one of your girlfriends, I had to explain the contents of the nightstand. I did not appreciate the conversation."

"They snooped?" she asked.

"You should be used to little girls snooping through your toys," I told her with a grin. I turned to Marcy. "Don't worry. I will personally guarantee there is nothing for the girls to find that you will have a difficult time explaining." I
considered the implications. "We'll have to think about a solution for our own cabin. I do presume you will allow the girls to visit us."

"Of course," she said. "And thank you for understanding."

After that, Marcy and Jon ushered us to the front door. Jon tried to shake my hand, but I hugged him. Then I hugged Marcy. She was surprised, but she hugged me back. Jon and Jessica hugged too, but Jessica didn't hug Marcy. The two of them really needed a straight conversation with each other.

We got in the car and drove to my place. We'd gotten a block before Jessica said, "Man, she is such a homophobe."

I sighed. "No, she's not."

"Of course she is. You heard her lecture us."

"I heard her ask us not to expose her five and seven-year-old daughters to adult situations. If I were a guy, I can't imagine she would want you having sex with me in front of the girls, either."

Jessica didn't respond to that. I waited two more blocks and told her, "I liked your brother. He's quiet."

"Only around Marcy. He'll talk your ear off without her."

"Well, I liked him. I liked her, too."

"You better be on my side, not hers!"

"Hey," I said, reaching over and setting my hand on her leg. "Of course I'm on your side. But I'd rather all four of us were on the same side. Okay?"

She glanced over at me. "She intentionally embarrassed me in front of you, Jade."