Second Time Around
Chapter 25 - "Head 'em up, move 'em out!"
By Arli J
Edited by Radio Rancher
Based on Characters from Pinochle, by E Walk
We drove down the hill in silence, parked the car and went in the house. When we got to the kitchen, Gregg slumped into a chair and just watched me, as I put on a fresh pot of coffee. I sat down, facing him, and we just stared at each other with helpless expressions on our faces. What was going to happen now? How had the bottom just fallen out of everything?
The coffee pot burbled and gave the final gasps that indicated coffee was ready. Gregg started to get up, but I beat him. I went to the sink and retrieved the cups we had been using earlier. Filling them, I returned to the table and set Gregg's coffee in front of him. I sat down and looked at him; I had what felt like a million questions spinning around in my head, but I couldn't focus on any one long enough to ask it. He looked as if he might be in the same condition. Finally he spoke up.
"Are you dead set against the idea? After all, this is your home town, and it sounds as if Beau is saying that we'll be out of here for good."
"No, the funny thing is that I really don't mind the idea at all. Oh, I'm sure I'll miss some things—the scenery, the cosmopolitan makeup of the town, with all the foreign students—but, no, I don't think I'm set against the idea at all. How about you?"
"Well, I told you about my dream, and it was such a happy dream!" He reached across the table and took my hand. "And, Harley, if you're worried about memories of Jerry coming between us, don't be. I don't know where Jerry is, but he's not in Fremont any more. He's doing what he needs to do, and he told me before he left that I need to get on with my life. Harley, my life is with you. I don't know where we're going, or what we're going to do, but if I have my way, we're going to do it together." His smile was warm and loving. I could feel tears welling up, and I fought hard to keep them back.
"Then, that sort of settles it, doesn't it? I'll give Sally Lundgren a call and see if we can see her later today, and then I'm going to need your help to decide what I need to take with me."
We picked up our coffee cups and took a walk through the house. I realized that there was nothing here that mattered to me. Gregg just told me what I've been wanting to hear for so long, and I've got everything I need, just being with him. So this is what real love is like! Who'd have guessed?
I turned to him. "We're starting a new life in Fremont. Why should I drag the old life along with me? I think I'll tell Sally to sell the house furnished. The new owners can keep what they want, and theyhave to deal with getting rid of what they don't want!"
He grinned at me. "I wish I'd thought of that! I wouldn't have so much stuff to cart back to Fremont!"
"Well, that was different. You didn't bring anything but your memories with you. I don't have that many memories that I want to hang on to."
I went to the phone and called Sally. She answered on the first ring. "Lundgren Real Estate, Sally speaking. How may I help you?"
"Sally, it's Harley Gordon. Are you going to have time today to talk to us? We might have a little business for you."
"Harley! So good to hear your voice! Sure, I'm free most of today. I have a couple of places to show this evening, but nothing during the day. What's up?"
"Well, it's a long story, but the short version is that we're leaving Ithaca. I need to sell my house, and Gregg needs to sell the store."
"You're kidding! He just bought that store! What's wrong? Doesn't he like it?"
"He loves it, Sally, and you know how much I've loved this little house. But things are happening that we didn't expect, and we're moving to Nebraska, permanently. So, I really need your help."
"Harley, you know that I'll do everything I can to help you. This is really a good time to sell. School is starting, and there are a lot of new people moving into town. I'm not sure about Gregg's store. With this mess on the Commons, I don't know how easy it will be to find a buyer for his building. But I'm sure something will come up. It just may take a little time."
"Well, I know you'll give it your best shot! You've been a friend for a long time, and I trust you."
"Thanks, Harley. Now, when did you want to come in to see me?"
"Would one o'clock work for you?"
"Perfect!"
"OK, we'll see you at one. And thanks, Sally!"
"Thank you for thinking of me. I'll see you at one." She hung up, and I turned to Gregg.
"Sally will do everything she can to move the properties. She's heard about the mess on the Commons, but then, who hasn't? She said that selling your store may take a little longer."
"Harley, I'm not worried about it. You remember, don't you, that Jerry left me pretty well off. I can hold out very nicely until the store sells."
"Maybe I should give Hank Dolan a call, too. We're going to need his help, if we're in Nebraska."
"That's a good idea. He was so nice before; I'm sure he'll handle things the same way this time."
I called Hank and told him what we were planning to do. He was more than willing to work with Sally to handle everything for us. I did ask him not to mention anything about this to Kate. I didn't have any idea what Beau's plans were for her house, and I didn't want to get mixed up in his business.
As I hung up from talking to Hank, a thought struck me. "Damn! Now what am I going to do?"
Gregg looked at me in concern. "Do about what?"
"Boxes! I'll need boxes to pack things, and I thought I'd just run over to the UPS store on the Commons and pick up what I needed. But, guess what! The UPS store, like all the rest of the stores on the Commons, is closed! Now what do I do?" I mumbled several obscenities under my breath, hoping that Gregg couldn't read lips. He just grinned at me.
"We'll find some. There's got to be another place where UPS operates in Ithaca. They're not going to shut down just because that store is closed."
"Wait a minute; you're right! The main UPS office is up on the hill, Warren Road, I think. I'm sure they'd have boxes, too."
I looked up the phone number for the UPS office and called them. They did have the boxes, tape, and anything else I might need. I double checked the address, and turned to Gregg, who was grinning at me.
"See? Problem solved. No need for that kind of language!"
I could feel my face getting hot. "You knew what I was saying?"
"No, but I could make a pretty good guess! Now, let's have another cup of coffee and get started. We've got a lot to do, if we're going to be ready to leave tomorrow afternoon."
I started toward the kitchen. Gregg was close behind me. "Gregg, do we have to fly out there? I'd almost rather drive the whole way by myself than have to get in a plane again." I jumped when he tickled me in the ribs.
"Don't be such a wuss! You're supposed to be the strong one here, remember?"
We were both laughing now, but I still had some lingering anxiety in the back of my mind. If God had meant me to fly, wouldn't He have given me wings, instead of arms? I quickly decided not to share that thought with Gregg.
We got ready and drove up to the UPS office. I bought boxes and all the supplies, and we headed back down to town. We spent the rest of the morning going through my stuff and packing everything I wanted to take. That didn't take too long. My life was rather simple, and I've always tried to keep the clutter to a minimum.
We stopped for lunch, a sandwich and a bowl of sliced peaches. The peaches really tasted good; in fact we each had a second bowl. Then we got ready to go to talk to Sally.
She greeted us with open arms—and coffee. Sally has known me for a long time! It was a little tricky, trying to explain to her that we were moving because of the problems on the Commons without mentioning Beau's role in the whole thing. But Sally, bless her heart, didn't ask any embarrassing questions. She was very optimistic about finding a buyer for my house, but she was rather hesitant in talking about the possibilities for selling the store.
Gregg suddenly looked up and asked a strange question.
"What about the Business Owners' Association? They own all the buildings on the Commons that Mr. Petrillo had. I wonder if they'd be interested in buying my building. After all, they got all that money through the courts."
Sally looked at him. "Mr. Garrison, you have a future in real estate! That's a great idea! I'll get in touch with Marcia Bittner and see what I can do with her. I've known Marcia ever since they came to Ithaca. She's a very reasonable lady, and I think she might go for the idea."
We chatted for a few minutes more. Sally was looking forward to working with Hank Dolan again, and she assured us that they could handle everything here and fax any papers we needed to sign to us in Fremont. She gave me a big hug, as we were leaving. "I'm gonna miss you, Harley. You've been a good friend." Then she turned to Gregg. "I'm so glad to have met you, Mr. Garrison. See if you can keep this nut out of trouble, will you?"
When we got back to the house, we were greeted by a pile of taped and labeled boxes in the middle of the living room floor. Gregg looked at it and sighed .
"Not much to show for a lifetime, is it?"
"I guess not, but I'm tired of living in the past. I'm really looking forward to making some new, happy memories—with you."
He gave me a hug and a kiss that went on and on, and that somehow wound up in the bedroom. He is the most passionate person I have ever known—not that I have much experience to compare! But he's all I need. That thought went round and round in my mind, as I drifted off to sleep in his arms. He's all I need.
The phone woke us. It was Beau. "Hey, guys, aren't we going to dinner tonight?"
I looked at the clock. Six thirty! Oh, no! I mumbled a quick apology, and we agreed to meet at the State Diner. He knew the way by now.
Gregg was just as upset as I was. Beau doesn't like to wait for anything! We hurried around, got dressed and jumped into the car. Fortunately, there was very little traffic, and we were just pulling up in front of the State Diner when Beau's rental car pulled in behind us.
Beau started to say something, but Becca put her hand on his arm to stop him. She must have seen from our faces why we were late, and she just smiled and winked at me. We went into the diner, and I hoped my blush would go away before we had to order dinner.
Beau had his usual steak, Becca tried the baked chicken, Gregg had the meatloaf, to nobody's surprise, and I decided that I wanted their delicious macaroni and cheese at least one more time. When the waitress had brought our dinners, Beau started.
"So, guys, what do you think?"
"Well, Beau, we talked it over, and we both want to go to Fremont. Gregg is comfortable with the idea, and I think I really fell in love with that town!"
"Glad to hear it. So, all you need to do is pack up, and we'll call a moving company in the morning to take your stuff. Then we're out of this town!"
Gregg spoke up. "Harley's all packed, at least what he's planning to take with him. We talked to the real estate lady, and she's going to sell the places for us. We talked to Mr. Dolan, and he'll work with the real estate lady. So, it looks as if we're just about all ready to go."
Becca grinned. "You guys don't let any grass grow under your feet, when you've got something to do, do you?"
Our dinners arrived, and we settled down to enjoy them. When we finished, Becca looked across the table at us. "You know, I'd really like a piece of that baklava you guys had the first time we came here. I had the rice pudding then, but the baklava really looked good!"
Gregg grinned. "It isgood! I think I'd like that, too." We all decided to have baklava. It was a perfect ending to the meal and a perfect farewell to Ithaca.
As we left the diner, Beau said, "Why don't you guys figure out what you have to do, and we'll meet for breakfast at nine at the hotel. Then we can get everything set up, so we're ready to leave by two."
I had a sudden thought. "Beau, what about Gregg's car? If we're flying, we can't just leave it here."
"The movers can tow it, when they take your other stuff. Or, if you want to, you can fly back and drive it out." He gave me a really evil grin.
"I'll do it, if I have to, but I'd really rather not!"
"That's what I figured! Well, let's get going. You guys have things to do, and I'd like to get a little rest. As soon as we get back to Fremont, we're going to the dude ranch for a last family vacation, before the boys leave for college. Oh, and Gregg, Grant will probably be coming with us, so that will give the two of you some time to get settled."
We said our good nights on the street, and Beau and Becca headed back up the hill to the Statler. Gregg and I went back to my house. We had both had enough coffee for a little while, so I got out a pad and started making notes, with Gregg's help, of all the little details I needed to take care of.
When I wrote 'Call to shut off utilities,' Gregg sat up straight.
"Do you realize that I haven't even received my final bills from Fremont, and I'm going to have to call the phone company and the cable company, to have them turn service back on? They're going to love that!"
"That reminds me!" I added another note: 'Go to post office and change address.' I looked at Gregg. "I know how to get to your house from Beau's house in Fremont, but I have no idea what your address is!"
He dictated the address slowly, as I wrote it down on the pad. Then I added another note: 'Clean out cupboards. Call Salvation Army about donating canned foods for the needy.' Gregg was watching, as I jotted down the notes. He gave me a worried look.
There's almost half a watermelon in the fridge, and the other one is still sitting on the back porch—if the raccoons haven't stolen it!"
"Well, we can eat the rest of the one in the fridge tonight, but you're not planning to carry the other one on your lap in the plane, are you?"
"If I have to!" He had the determined look of a crusader.
"Gregg, you worry me sometimes! What isthis thing with you and watermelons?"
"I like them!"
"I got that idea, but don't you think you could find another watermelon in Nebraska?'
"Probably, but we already have this one. I can't see leaving it behind!"
I printed a note in big capital letters: 'DON'T FORGET TO TAKE WATERMELON FROM BACK PORCH!!!' Gregg gave me a satisfied grin.
It didn't take long to finish the list of things we needed to do in the morning to get ready. I went to the fridge and got out the cut watermelon. I pulled a platter out of the cupboard and got a knife to slice up the rest of the melon. I stacked it on the platter and looked over at Gregg.
Ok, fella, let's go! You're eating this in the back yard. I don't want to have to clean house in the morning!" He just grinned at me, and we went out to the back yard. We sat down at the picnic table, and grabbed slices of the melon, which was dripping with juice. We had to lean over to eat it, so that the juice didn't get all over us. I had a couple of pieces, and Gregg finished the rest of the melon. His hands and face were a sticky mess, but he had such a happy look at his face that I couldn't help smiling at him. He really can be such a kid at times! That's one of the most charming things about him.
I picked up the platter—after Gregg tipped it up to drink all the juice left on it!—and we went back into the house. I warned him about touching anything until he got to the bathroom to wash up. He really was a mess! But such a happy mess! How can you get upset by someone like that?
I rinsed off the platter and set it on the counter. I'd have to wash up the few dishes we had before we went to breakfast with the Bensons in the morning. While I was at the sink, I rinsed the juice from my hands and dried them off on a paper towel.
Gregg came back from the bathroom with clean face and hands and a big smile. "Thanks, Harley! That was fun!" I just shook my head.
"I don't know about you, but I think I'm ready for bed. I'm going to set the alarm, because we've got a lot to do in the morning." He nodded in agreement, and we went through the house, turning off lights. When we got into bed, he snuggled close to me. "I really do love you, Harley. You're so very special." I leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. We cuddled close and drifted off to sleep.
The alarm went off way too early! I shut it off and looked over at Gregg. He was sleeping peacefully. The alarm apparently hadn't bothered him at all. I got up and went into the bathroom. After a shower and shave, I felt almost human, if not a happy human. I got dressed and went out to the kitchen to make coffee. Then I got out the list and looked it over. I could take care of most everything after we got back from breakfast. I tried to think of anything we might have forgotten last night.
The big note about watermelon made me smile. I got up from the table and went out on the back porch to get the watermelon. It was cool, but it hadn't frozen. Gregg would be happy about that. And there were no raccoon toothmarks in its smooth skin. I just shook my head and took it into the house. I set it on the counter and poured myself a cup of coffee.
There was a low moan from the bedroom and the sound of bare feet hitting the floor. I got another cup and poured Gregg's coffee. I set his cup at his place and sat down to wait. In a couple of minutes he came shuffling out and sat down. He didn't look up at me; he just stared morosely at his cup. This was going to be one of thosemornings.
We sat and sipped coffee for a few minutes. Then he raised his head and looked around the kitchen. He spotted the melon on the counter and turned to me with a big smile. "Thanks, Harley!" We finished the first cup of coffee and I got up to pour a second one for each of us. He was looking at the 'to-do' list, upside down.
"Can we get all of this done today?"
"I think so. Except for the food, which I'm sure the Salvation Army will expect us to deliver, I can take care of most of it on the phone. And we're not leaving until two, so that should give us plenty of time. Are you all packed?"
"Yeah, I've just got a few things to toss into the suitcase after I get dressed and ready to go."
"I'm all ready to go to breakfast. While you get ready, I'll go out to the garage and see if I can find a couple of boxes to pack up the canned goods. Then, when we get back from breakfast, we can toss them in the car and deliver them."
"OK! Let's do it!" He got up from the table and headed for the bathroom. I went out to the garage and hunted around. I was sure I had saved some big boxes. I finally found them and took them back to the kitchen. I opened the cabinets under the counter and started unloading them, stacking the cans in the boxes sitting next to me. By the time I had everything packed, Gregg was back. He was looking a little more awake now.
"Wow, you've got a lot of stuff there! I hope they can use it all."
"They have a food pantry, where people who need it can come and get free food. They've run it for quite a few years now."
"That's really great!"
"There are a number of food pantries around the county. Grocery stores contribute to them, and people bring in things they don't want, or can't use. It really is a big help for people with families who don't have enough money to buy all the food they need."
I looked up at the clock. "I think we'd better get moving, so we get to breakfast on time this morning. I had the feeling that Beau wasn't too happy with us last night."
"You know what? I don't care if Beau was happy or not! I wouldn't change a minute of what we had together for anything in the world!" He hugged me. "I really do love you, Harley! I hope you believe that!"
I was close to tears again, as I hugged him. This is probably the sweetest person I've ever known in my life. I'll do anything I have to, to keep him safe and happy!
We closed up the house and drove to the Statler. I almost expected Beau to be waiting for us in the lobby with a stop watch in his hand. He wasn't.
We went to their room and knocked. Becca opened the door. "Hi, guys! Beau's a little slow this morning, but we're almost ready to go. I hope you're both hungry!" She led us into the room. Beau came out of the bedroom, muttering and fussing with the cuff button on his shirt.
"Becca, can you give me a hand with this? This damned button won't stay in the hole!" She got up and buttoned the cuff in a smooth move.
"There you go, Grumpy! Now, are you going to say good morning to our guests?" She smiled and patted his arm.
"Good morning, guests!" He really did sound grumpy this morning. He finished pulling himself together, and we went down to the dining room for breakfast.
Tony, the young maitre d' hotel, greeted us and seated us. He called a waiter and went to greet some other guests. When the waiter came up to our table, Beau just growled at him, "Coffee!" The poor boy's eyebrows shot up, but he recovered quickly.
"I'll be right back with it." He rushed over to the side counter and brought the coffee pot. Becca smiled at him, as he poured our coffee.
"Just ignore him! He got up on the wrong side of his cage this morning!"
The waiter grinned. "We get a lot of those in the morning." He brought menus and went to the other side of the room to pour coffee for other guests. When he returned, we ordered our breakfasts, and he went off to the kitchen.
Beau was looking a little more like Beau, as the caffeine began to move through his system. He grinned at Becca. "Wrong side of my cage, huh? I think we're going to have to talk about that later."
He turned to me. "We were talking last night. We had planned to leave about two this afternoon, but that might be crowding you guys a bit. How would you feel about leaving at seven this evening? With the change in the time zone, we should get there about half an hour after we leave here. So you still have plenty of time to get settled in." He took another sip of his coffee. "If you call the moving company as soon as you get home, they can probably be there early this afternoon to pick up your stuff and Gregg's. They'll hook up the car to tow it, and they'll probably leave tomorrow for Fremont. That way you wouldn't be without your stuff for more than a couple or three days. Don't put anything in the truck that you're going to need right away!"
The waiter arrived with our meals, so we dropped the conversation for a few minutes, while we enjoyed the Statler's good food. The waiter came back and refilled our coffee cups. He looked at Beau, who just grinned at him.
"Sorry about that!"
Now it was the waiter's turn to grin. "Sir, if I had a dollar for everyone who talks to me that way in the morning, I'd be independently wealthy, and someone else would be bringing you coffee!" We were all chuckling by now. "If you need anything else, just let me know. And it's been a pleasure serving you—all of you!" He grinned at Beau and went off to pour coffee at another table.
Beau had a big grin now. "Cheeky little sod, isn't he? I like that kid!" He took another sip of his coffee. Then he went back to our previous conversation.
"We need to be home tomorrow morning when the boys get there with Mickey Smith. They're flying in from England on Air Force One. Then we'll get the school thing straightened out, and we'll be ready to leave for the ranch on Sunday. You guys will have a week to yourselves to get settled in. Did I forget anything, Becca?
Becca gave him a big smile. "No, I think you got everything. But maybe we should let these guys go. I'm sure they have a lot to do today. And, anyway, I think I'm going to take a little nap after breakfast. Someone kept me up late last night, planning everything we're going to be doing for the next couple of weeks. I've really been looking forward to a quiet vacation. You guys have no idea what it's like, living with this guy!" She gave Beau a big smile and blew him a kiss. He grinned, and a faint blush appeared on his tanned cheeks.
They walked us to the door and arranged to pick us up to take us to the airport this evening, since, hopefully, Gregg's car would be on its way to Fremont.
Gregg stopped me, as we walked into the house. "Do you mind if I put a couple of calls on your phone? I thought I'd call and see if I could get the phone and cable hooked back up tomorrow, so we won't be totally isolated from the rest of the world. We won't have a car, but at least we could call someone, if we needed help. And evenings can get pretty long, if you don't have TV!" I just looked at him.
"Didn't we have this discussion once before? Go, make your calls!" He scurried into the bedroom and came back with his little phone book in his hand. I went out to the kitchen and put on a fresh pot of coffee, while he was making his calls. He was jubilant when he came into the kitchen.
"They're going to hook the phone and the cable up tomorrow! They were a little confused, because they just sent the final bills here, but they're going to do it, anyway." He sat down at the table with a satisfied grin, and I went to pour coffee for us.
As we sipped coffee, we looked over the 'to-do' list. It didn't seem quite as daunting as it had before. I went into the living room and brought the phone book back with me. I looked up the phone numbers I needed. Gregg heaved a big sigh.
"I'm so glad that Beau decided to wait until later to fly to Fremont. We were really going to have a tight squeeze, trying to get everything done this morning!"
"Well, we aren't going to get anything done, just sitting here. I'll go start making phone calls."
"Good! And I'll do up the dishes while you're on the phone. I might as well leave our coffee cups! I can't imagine the two of us getting through the day without more coffee!" He gave me a big grin.
Editor's Notes: I want to apologize for taking so long to get this chapter out to you. There have been some issues in the background that have kept us from putting all our ducks in a row quite as quickly as we would have liked, but hopefully we can get on with it now. This story has become one of my all time favourite stories, and I am so very glad to see it move along.
Gregg and Harley really do love each other and I know that no matter what life brings them, they will find a way to get through it, together. I am sure there will be a few bumps in the road ahead for them, but they are both ready for what ever happens.
Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher
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