Laura Ray (Ray Series) (19 page)

He walked across the floor and faced her again. “Haven’t I tried in every way possible to show that I love you? I’ve done everything except take you to bed. What more do you need from me to prove my love?”

Laura spoke barely above a whisper, “Art, you have been perfect. I couldn’t expect more from you.”

Laura turned as if to go to the kitchen, but turned around, “I’m the problem.” She
placed her hands against her hot cheeks, “Remember how happy I was to get my own room decorated back there?” She pointed toward Nora’s old room. “That was the first time I had ever been able to paint a room just for me. Any color I wanted.”

Art cocked his head wondering what that had to do with him.

“Art you released a beast in me when you asked me if I was happy. For the first time in my life I can make my own decisions and do what I want to do. There’s no body standing there telling me what I want to do or not anymore. This is a pretty heady experience for me. I have found a new world that never existed before!” Laura exclaimed with amazement.    

Art began to see where Laura
was coming from. He walked back to her new bedroom. He had to admit that it was a little more feminine for his tastes but even he had to admit it looked pretty. He decided to take the gamble, now or never. We walked in and sat down on the bed and removed his boots and socks.

He motioned for her to come to him. When she came willingly he hoped he was getting his cues right. He began undressing her. He looked into her eyes and saw no rejection or fear.

He kissed between her breasts and down her stomach. He stood and picked her up and laid her gently on the bed. He knelt beside the bed and kissed her from her forehead to her toes.

Laura reached for his shirt and began unbuttoning the buttons.

He knew he read that cue right. It was okay for him to undress.

As soon as he laid down bedside her, she surprised him when she swung over and sat straddle of him. She was through with the timid lovemaking she did with John. Art presented a new format. She could go after what she wanted and at this moment, she wanted Art.

When they finished, Laura flopped over on her back and panted, “Wow! I don’t think I ever enjoyed sex that much.”

Art teased back breathlessly, “I hope I heard love mingled in there somewhere among that sex.”

“Give me five minutes and I’ll try again to see if it is love next time around,” she teased back.

An hour later, Art rolled over to run his fingers down the center of her body. He amused himself as he watched the goose bumps spring up.

Laura slapped at his hand and through a leg over him to pull herself up to kiss him again.

She noticed the serious look on his face when he said, “Laura, did you notice how much the colors in your bedroom affected our lovemaking?”

She furrowed her brow wondering what he was getting at.

“Please, don’t take this the wrong way. I have enough self confidence in my manhood that no matter what color my wife might decide to paint the bedroom, I’m okay with it. Do you understand what I mean?”

She sat up cross legged in the bed to better concentrate.

“I believe that a marriage is a partnership. We both should be able to pursue our dreams but we are joined to enjoy and inspire each other as we endeavor to live our life to the fullest.
That doesn’t mean that we disrespect or destroy each other in our various pursuits.” Art stopped and asked, “Does that make sense?”

He glanced at her to see her reaction. He could tell she was taking his words to heart and studying what she thought about them. He continued, “With that being said,”
He rolled over on his tummy and rose up on his arms to watch her reaction, “Have you ever wondered why I have never bought a house yet?”

Laura nodded
chewing on her bottom lip.

“I haven’t found a woman who loved me enough to marry me to pick it out?”

He rolled over on his back and put his hands behind his neck, “Of course, if the woman of my dreams wants to live in a small house with a lavender bedroom, I’m okay with that, too.” He let out a long sigh.

Laura leaned over on her elbows and slid up to his face, “Art, will you marry me?”

“Aah, I thought you’d never ask.” Art lifted his lips to hers and responded with, “Yes!” He sealed it with a kiss.

Large grumbly sounds echo
ed from Art’s stomach. Laura had been feeling little nagging hunger pains from her stomach for a while a well. They laughed and got out of bed to see what leftovers might be in the refrigerator.

A large tee shirt lay on the floor that Art pulled off, so Laura donned that and Art pulled his jeans up.

A search of the refrigerator for some leftovers revealed little that was interesting but they both agreed that nothing sounded as good as eggs and sausage. She popped half a dozen sausage patties in a skillet and scrambled six eggs in another skillet. Art started some coffee in the coffee pot then pulled plates and cups from the cabinet. He had watched Danny so many times that he knew where she kept most everything. Next he placed plates and silverware on the table.

She turned around and saw what all he had
accomplished while she stirred the eggs. “You are as handy as a pocket on a shirt,” she commented.

He kissed the side of her face and replied, “Your welcome, my dear.”

After they had eaten and drained the coffee pot, Laura called Mary, “Is Danny there?”

“No, Harold thought that you and Art needed some alone time so he took the boys fishing at the creek. How are you? You sound happy.”

“Mmm, I am very happy,” Laura said with a small giggle.

“Congratulations! I promise I won’t breathe a word. I’ll let you tell Danny your news.” Mary hung up the phone. She whispered, “Thank you, God, for answering our prayers.”

“Harold took the boys fishing,” Laura looked at Art dreamily. “We still have some time,” she said as she slipped her arms round his neck and sat down straddle of his lap.

By the time Danny got home, the two lovebirds sat happily on the sofa nestled against one another watching TV respectably dressed.

Danny paused when he entered the room, the last time he saw them they weren’t speaking.

“Hi, Danny,” Laura said with a big smile. “Art and I have something we want to tell you.”

“Yeah?” he said hopefully.

Laura placed both of her hands around one of Art’s hands. “I have asked Art to marry me.”

Danny relaxed, “Yeah? Alright!” He danced a little jig while they laughed at him. “Now, we can be a real family again.” Realizing what he said, he anxiously tried to retract his statement, “I mean, uh…”

“It’s okay, Danny. I know what you mean.”

“Well, It looks like Uncle Art had enough sense to say yes, instead of no like you did,” he stated derisively.

Art stood up and hugged Danny, “You’re right, I didn’t say no, but you have to give your mom credit, because at least she got up the nerve to ask
me
this time.”

“Right
!” Danny agreed. He took up his little dance again all the way back to his bedroom. Suddenly Danny popped his head back around the edge of the kitchen doorway, “Doesn’t that make me and Aaron cousins now? Or, soon anyway?”

“Aaron and I,” Laura automatically corrected. “Yes and no, but sure. You can call each other cousins, if you want.”

He frowned and twisted his head. “That’s makes it as clear as mud. Thanks Mom. I’m callin’ Aaron.”

Monday morning Laura arrived at work early and had her bundles prepared to begin a successful
and good quota day, when Lori Mae walked in and took a double take at Laura.

“Wow! Laura,” Lori Mae yelled, “You look like you got some this weekend!”

Laura glared up from under her eyebrows and hissed, “Get out of here, Lori Mae.”

Lori Mae laughed loudly and yelled across the room at one of her friends, “Hey, guess what happened to Laura this weekend
. She got some.”

Laura couldn’t hold her head up all morning. Every time Lori Mae turned around which was often, she let out another big belly laugh.

Laura finally decided she would give Lori Mae some of her own medicine. Sort of like ‘hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil.’
Yep
! Laura decided
I can live by that rule.

Chapter Twenty

Laura thought she was a busy person until Art explained his schedule to her. Not only did he work ten to eleven hours a day at the garage many days, he also spent two evenings at a week at the karate class dojang, the name of the karate room. Fortunately, for Art he had hired qualified men who were capable of running the garage in his absence. That’s how he had been able to take off those two Saturday’s to help work on her house. She was feeling a little embarrassed about that. She began to understand how many sacrifices Art had made for her.

T
here were so many decisions to make. Art suggested that they needed to buy wedding rings. He reminded her that he wanted her to help buy a house. However, if she would rather that they live in her house for now he would be okay with that. Whatever she wanted, he would be okay with it. When and where would they have their wedding? Then, that brought up the question of the wedding dress, the flowers, etc. So many decisions, Laura thought. Most of the time when she got home from work she only wanted to rest. Worrying about all these problems arising was the last thing she wanted to do. Then there was the matter of work, which in itself brought another problem. Art told Laura she could quit work which would make her really dependent again. Having a check coming in every week was a piquant, delicious feeling. Could she give that up? It was up to her, her decision, Art told her.

Laura sat at the kitchen table running all this through her mind again, wishing that she had someone who could swish a wand and all of this would be taken care of. She remembered Nora
’s wedding, how Samantha organized most of it. She knew that if she called Samantha, she would take the bull by the horns and set everything up for her and be happy to do it.
Yea,
she thought,
I just created another decision for myself. Do I really want to have somebody else do this for me? Somehow, it seems a little childish of me.

The easiest thing would be run away
, like elope. No wonder people take off to Vegas or marry on a cruise ship. It saves so much work.

A plan began to form in her mind
. First she needed to see what Art thought about it when he came in.

She went to her new art studio and stood in the middle of the room looking around. Funny
, two days ago, setting up this room seemed like the most important and urgent thing in her life. Then, the whirlwind weekend with Art happened. Walking back into this room seemed like trying to pick up the pieces again of her real life.

She went to the kitchen and took all her pictures off the wall. She brought them all into the new room and tacked them across the wall next to the living room. Now, she stepped back and placed her hand on her hip. She nodded her head in approval. That small contribution oriented the room.

She sorted through all the supplies she and Danny had bought on their buying spree to Tulsa. She began organizing and placing items on shelves and in drawers. She set up her easel in the corner so she could get natural light from both east and south windows. She took the wrapper off a canvas and placed it on the easel. Now she could feel the adrenalin began to pump. She brought out the small folding table that she bought for the purpose and placed it next to the easel so she could place her immediate necessary supplies on. She placed an extra kitchen chair next to the easel for her to use as she painted or drew. Someday, she decided, she wanted an office chair which would allow her to adjust its height, but for now, this chair would do.

She leaned up against the door facing to admire her new setup. She took a deep breath. The next thing on the agenda would be to learn how to use this stuff.

She heard Art drive up in the driveway. Her heart skipped a beat and a warm flush swept through her body. She luxuriated in his big warm hug.

When he turned her loose, he stepped back and she still stood there with her eyes closed. He wondered if he had done something wrong until she sighed and said, “That’s one of the finer things in life.”

He grinned and said, “If it’s all that good, I’ll do it again.”

As he embraced her again she smiled smugly, and uttered, “Aaah.”

Danny brought her back to reality when he entered the room with, “Anybody hungry?”

After the supper dishes were cleared away, Laura sat down at the table to talk to Art.
“I have some ideas that I would like to run by you and get your opinion.”

He leaned back and grinned. “Okay, what do you have in mind?”

She grinned back and wiggled in her chair, “Well,” she began, “Is it okay with you if we have a very small wedding?”

“Yes.”

“Is it okay with you, if we don’t have fancy wedding dresses and tuxedos?”