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Silence.
The silence in the room was deafening as she woke to an empty bed. The 1200 thread count sheets felt like silk against her skin as she pulled back the covers to find her body complete missing a stitch of clothing. Her hand reached across the soft sheets, feeling for her husband. Two days. She’d been married for two whole days and her husband was not in bed next to her.
Quickly turning her head, she stared at the bathroom door, thinking maybe he was inside taking care of his morning routine, but the door was open. Pressing her head backward into the pillow, she didn’t want to call out for him, seeming ridiculously needy after only two days. The alone feeling wasn’t keeping her company this morning, but a new sensation of excitement coursed through her, creating an urge to throw back the covers and seek him out in her naked form.
Listening for him as she tip-toed through the hotel room, her feet sank into the deep pile carpet, not making a sound when she entered the formal sitting room and located him on the floor. Gabriel’s form rested on his knees, a Bible in front of him with a journal next to it, reading, making notes, focusing on the words he scribbled in the notepad. Jotting a few comments, he lowered his head in a moment of reflection as if he were meditating. Is he praying? She wanted to clear her throat to let him know she was there, but instead, she backed up, retreating to the bed.
“I know you are there,” he said, his head still lowered.
“I didn’t want to interrupt your morning studying...meditation...prayers,” she said uncertainly.
He looked up, staring at her face, not the nude form. “Good morning. Breakfast should be arriving...in five...four...three,” he said before the knock came at the door.
“We get to enjoy breakfast in bed this morning, Mrs. Neary. However, you might want to get back in bed and cover up all my goodies before the room service man believes all that loveliness is for him,” Gabriel said, bounding to his feet. He used his hands to shoo her back to the bedroom. Once she was safely under the covers, he answered the door.
“Good morning, Sir,” the waiter said, pushing the cart into the room. “I have breakfast to serve you both in bed this morning.”
“Come in,” Gabriel said, running to the bed and diving in like a kid. Cabrina giggled as he propped the pillows against the headboard. Getting comfortable in the bed next to her, he didn’t get under the covers but remained on top of the bedding. His long hairy legs were well-shaped with muscles as if he were a marathon runner. His stomach rumbled as they watched the server prepare their morning meal.
The entire setup was lavish, and each was given a tray to cover their laps while the server prepared bedside fresh omelets loaded with the toppings of their choice. She tried not to appear enthralled as oranges were cut in half, and the server squeezed fresh juice into both glasses. He offered Champagne to mix with the juice, but Gabriel instead offered the free bottle of sparkling cider to mix in with the freshly squeezed oranges for an additional kick. Strawberries drawn in hot melted chocolate accompanied the meal, but one thing was missing from the perfect morning surprise.
“I hate to be a bother, but could you please snap a photo of the two of us?” She asked, forgetting she was completely nude under the covers and sitting up for the photo. It would be later in the evening when she realized her breast had been center stage in the happy shot. The server did not comment as he placed the warmed plates in the serving trays. The omelets, perfectly cooked, were plated with slivers of fresh cut fruit under metal servers. The waiter slash chef only nodded his head as he left the room with his cart of morning joy.
“This is amazing,” Cabrina told Gabriel, sipping gingerly on the juice. “I don’t know how I am going to top this.”
“No need,” Gabriel told her. “It is my goal to make you fall head over heels in love with me. By the time we reach your place in Cleveland, you are going to want to marry me all over again in your family’s church.”
Cabrina’s cheeks warmed with nasty thoughts on how to wrap him around her finger and make him slobber every time she walked past him. The omelet was going to have to wait. She had a better idea for breakfast. She moved the tray to the side as she flung back the covers, standing next to the bed, sticking her fingers into her plate, lifting a handful of fluffy egg concoction into her hand. Walking around the bed to his side, she nibbled on a mushroom, the eggs flopping between her fingers, and then she leaned forward, sticking part of the omelet between his lips.
“By the end of this day, Mr. Neary, I’m going to have you so high on my love, you are going to propose to me again before we close our eyes tonight. In the morning, in that little journal of yours will be a note to Jesus, thanking him for the opportunity to love a woman like me as your own,” she told Gabriel. Her fingers lingered in his mouth, tempting him, as he sucked the residue of the eggs from her hand.
“Really?” he said, arching one eyebrow.
“Really,” she told him, removing the tray from his lap. “I am also a morning person,” she said, reaching for his lounging pants and pulling at the strings. When she maneuvered the pants over his hips, his readiness for her sprang up like the baby alien coming to life out of its host. Cabrina knew she was ready to get the day moving as she climbed onto the bed, straddling him.
“I going to write a thank you note, heh?” Gabriel asked, his eyes searching her face as he removed his glasses, preparing for whatever damaged she believed she was going to do to him with her sexy maneuvers.
“You may write the note and a whole lot more once I’m done getting this morning going,” she said as her mouth came to his, kissing him as she connected their bodies. A loud groan of satisfaction resonated from the back of his throat and sent her over the edge, increasing her pace as she moved against him, rocking her hips. Cabrina whispered in his ear how good he felt inside of her. Her fingers in his hair were tugging his head forward, her eyes now boring into to his as she held on, moving, drawing him under, taking him on a journey of pleasure.
“Good gravy, Mrs. Neary,” Gabriel said as she picked up her pace.
His hands gripped her hips. He tried to help her along, but he was too lost in the sensations she elicited in her movements as he growled loudly, gripping her tightly as he reached his moment. The things he thought he wanted to attempt to increase her pleasure were lost in the heat of the morning dance with a beautiful woman who was doing her best to own his heart.
In his estimation, she was off to a good start.
****
THEY SHOWERED, DRESSED, and loaded the car, ready for the next stop in Amarillo, but first Cabrina had a few stops to make in the artfully crafty city of Albuquerque. One of the stops she couldn’t wait to get to was Scraps Galore, a large craft store. The other was the Sandia Peak Tramway.
The first outing at the tramway could not have been a more glorious way to complete the morning. Purchasing tickets at the small booth, she held them in her hand, grinning like a kid at an amusement park. After asking another couple to snap a photo of them before boarding the tram, she entered the car, gripping tightly to his jacket. Panic flashed in her eyes as his arms came around her body, holding her tight. Confessing to him her apprehension of heights, she told him she’d always wanted to ride a tram up high, but her fear always prevented her from doing so.
“I’m right here, Mrs. Neary,” he whispered in her ear as the car started its ascent. She clung to him, her eyes closed, giving herself words of encouragement to not be afraid. Her husband was beside her. He wouldn’t let any harm come to her as the car squealed, squeaked, and eked its way up the metal guide rope.
The ride on the aerial tram transported them high above the deep canyons speckled in vibrant hues of reds and browns. Breathtaking views of deep chasms forged by nature painted dramatic images, and Cabrina snapped photos and selfies of her and Gabe as they rode the 2.7 miles, capturing vast arrays of colors. She never let go of his arm as the car climbed higher. Once at the top, standing in the observation deck ten thousand miles above the Cibola National Forest, they had a panoramic view of 11,000 square miles of the Rio Grande Valley.
“I see why this state is called the Land of Enchantment. I feel like this very instant has cast a spell on me,” she said, wrapping her arms around his waist.
“That, I understand,” he told her, placing a kiss on the cheek which was cold from the thin wind. Gabriel felt the same way about his new wife. “We need to get moving and can’t stay long so we don’t end up sick with the changes in temperatures.”
“Okay, but just one more minute,” she told him. “I want to record this moment in my brain for the rest of my life.”
He would be willing to give her as much time as she desired. The light which danced in her eyes sparked a new zest for life in him. They would learn a great deal about each other during the road trip, and he could see no better way to truly understand the person he had chosen to share his life. Optimism had returned to his spirit about women and what it meant to be loved for who he was and not what he did or how he looked. The idea of women knowing he was an ordained minister, although he was not actively standing in the pulpit, turning them on had shaken his faith in human nature. Cabrina was definitely a breath of fresh air in his stale life.
By mid-morning at the next stop at a crafting store, he watched with interest as his wife loaded up a shopping cart with items he didn’t understand but brought her so much joy. Several people asked her crafting questions and she answered each with time and attention to the small details without ever seeming to be bothered by their intrusion into her private shopping excursion. At the checkout, the cashier also had questions, which Cabrina answered with warmth and a smile.
“Did you get everything you needed?” He asked.
“Oh my gosh! This stuff, I would have to pay a small fortune to get it if I ordered them online. I can’t wait to get it home so I can take a closer look and create fresh designs inspired by these cutouts,” she told him with a large grin.
Cabrina also purchased two storage bins to separate the items. “I have a surprise for you as well after lunch.”
His stomach had begun to speak to him as the lunch hour approached, and they drove over to the eatery he wanted to check out The Cheba Hut. The restaurant shop offered a variety of tee shirts and promo items but the ones which caught her eye were the ugly sweater tees. The red tee shirt reminded her of an ugly Christmas sweater. She held it up as if she’d found a hidden treasure.
“That is ugly,” he said to her.
“Great! We will take two. One in a medium and the other in an extra-large,” she told the cashier.
“I’m not wearing that,” he said adamantly.
“It will be a fun story to share with your family when we come out wearing these,” she told him, grinning. Cabrina looked at her watch. They were behind schedule and she wanted to make one more stop before they reached Amarillo. It was also her turn to drive today. She took the keys, sat behind the wheel, and located a 90’s station on the radio, singing tunes that made his skin crawl. The popcorn and peanutty boy bands and catchy hooks in the lyrics made his eyes cross with irritation. It seemed as if she knew every song that came on the radio, and at the end of the hour, he wanted to roll down the window, chunk her and the radio out onto the I-40, and yell, “Bye, bye, bye!”
Thirty minutes later, she pulled off the interstate, following signs to the Blue Hole of Santa Rosa. The blue pond of crystal clear water stuck out like a big azure thumb in its surroundings of rich red mesas. The constant temperature of 62 degrees would be perfect for the hot summer months. It was cold outside now, yet it still beckoned Gabriel to strip down to his boxers and jump in. Anything would be preferable to hearing the syrupy songs of Brittany Spears and Cristina Aguilera on the radio. Not giving it much thought, he dove into the water, the cold hitting his body like a hammer to his pinky toe.
The water was deeper than he’d expected, especially once he noticed a man in a dive suit coming up next to him. Gabe wanted to point him out to Cabrina, who opted not to get into the water and instead sat on the side and watch her husband paddle about. All was going well until Gabe screamed.
Getting to her feet, Cabrina’s eyes were wide in concern as she searched the watering hole to see if a creature lurking underneath the blue serene waters had taken a chunk out her hunk. Something was wrong. His face registered intense pain. Yanking off her jacket and kicking off her shoes, she dove into the water, swimming as fast as she could to him.
“I got you, Gabe,” she said, hooking her arm under his neck. Keeping his chin up, she paddled her way back to the step, dragging his body behind her. She reached the steps while the diver she hadn’t seen before held his cramped legs, helping to lift him out of the water, scraping the back of his thighs on the concrete steps.
“Oh, that hurts like the Devil,” he groaned, rubbing his foot, which was contorted with his toes bent, almost stuck in a position with three toes down and two sticking up.
“What’s wrong? What happened?” she asked, looking at his feet, massaging the toes to get them to relax.
“Charley Horse,” he said, rubbing his calf muscle.
“He needs a banana or a baked potato,” the diver said, climbing out of the water. “Loads of people have gotten locked up in the cool water, but your potassium must be low. A banana will get you fixed up.”
“Thanks,” Gabe said to the man in the dive suit.
“You’re welcome, but your dick is hanging out,” the man informed him, pointing at Gabe’s Johnson, which had snuck out of the opening of his boxers.
“Oh, my!” Cabrina said, reaching for his boxers trying to close them up.
“The park requires you wear a swimsuit, but luckily today, there are no kids around or you could have been arrested,” he said. “Indecent exposure is not handled lightly in these parts.”
“My apologies,” Gabe said, leaning forward to cover his lap.
“Next time, swimsuit, hydrate, and get some potassium in you,” the man said, going back into the water, inserting the mouthpiece and going under.
Gabriel brought his hands to his face, ashamed and feeling rather stupid. It was a moment she couldn’t bear to allow to pass without capturing it on her camera phone. Slyly reaching for her jacket resting on a nearby rock, she snapped an image of him in his skivvies along with the blue water in the background.
“Great. A photo to remind me of my stupidity,” he said somberly.
“Mr. Neary, you had no way of knowing you would get a Charley Horse,” she said, helping him up. “Let’s get into some dry clothing and hit the road.”
“Thank you,” he said softly.
“For what?”
“Jumping into that water to rescue me,” he said.
“I had to,” she offered with a smile. “We haven’t done the insurance paperwork yet. If I let you drown, I would get nothing. Then how would I run the farm, care for the chickens, and milk the cow?”
He threw a small rock at her that she dodged, laughing at him.
“You are just all kinds of clever, aren’t you? This would be funny if it wasn’t so sad.” He spoke softly, getting to his feet. The soreness in his leg prevented him from putting any real pressure on his foot as he took a step.
“No, what was funny was that strange man telling you your peter was poking out of your underwear like it is now,” she said pointing.
“Good grief,” he said, trying to tuck it back into the wet underpants. “This is just embarrassing.”
“No, embarrassing is that I just snapped of photo of your turtlehead poking out of the shell,” she said, running to the car, trying to avoid him throwing another small rock at her.
Gabe hobbled behind Cabrina, wincing through the pain, trying not to laugh as she grabbed the overnight bags to secure dry clothing. A nearby bathroom offered showers and a changing station. With some effort, he made it to the bathroom and changed into dry boxers and a fresh tee shirt. Tonight, they would definitely need to do laundry.
Standing in front of the mirror, he took a good look at himself. She jumped into the water to save me. I never called for help, just screamed out in pain. She never asked the stupid question of what was wrong or considered her own danger. Without a second thought, she jumped into that water, swam over, and rescued me.
Getting his jeans on took some effort as a new pain hit him in the back of his legs. He shifted his weight to look in the mirror, spotting the scratches on his legs where she’d dragged him out of the water, up the concrete steps. Even if the man had not been there to lend a hand, he was confident that she would have managed to get him to safety on her own.
Competent.
Strong.
Loving.
Funny.
“I am lucky to have her as my wife,” he said, making a mental note to add those words to his journal.
