“Hell, no.She doesn't need to know where I live,” she said.“Trust me, it's easier for everyone.”
He didn't say anything, and Helen didn't need him to, but she could tell he had something on his mind.She rose to refresh her coffee and did the same for him.She offered a soft smile.
“I got a letter from Oscar.He enclosed a picture of him in two chairs pretending he was canoeing,” Jay said.
“I bet that is simply adorable,” Helen replied.
“Yeah, there is this thing next month at the job,” he said.“I was thinking about, I don't know.My thoughts centered around reaching out to Apple, seeing if he wanted to bring the boy to take part.”
“What kind of thing?You know Apple was a Seal Team Commander; he might have flashbacks of missions or some shit and go ballistic on those mouth breathers you work with at the office.What kind of thing?”
“He was?I didn't know that!”
“Yeah, Annapolis grad too.I think he said he's an electrical engineer by trade,” she said.
“You don't say!”Mustang’s mind was working, and the idea he had simply got better the more he thought about it.“Helen, there is a father and son camping trip with the job.I was thinking about taking Oscar.I also need a shit ton of electrical work done in your new office.Do you think if I asked nicely, Apple would come and help?”
“Or you could ask Ricky,” she said, laughing.
“And hell no.I still think he wants to fight me, not for you, but to see if he can take me down,” Mustang said.“I would stomp his ass just to watch him bleed.”
“Good grief; that was all aggressive and all alpha male,” she said, scowling, “and it turned me on.I mean really on.Tell me again, how you would stomp him.”
“Listen here, lady,” he said, standing up.“I would grab him like this, around his neck, choke him out, until his eyes rolled up...”
He allowed the words to drift off as he made his way down the hall towards the bedroom.Helen followed behind him, swaying in the long maxi dress, her hands in the pockets of her sweater.She was home for good; the office would get set up, and she would begin to work on her wedding.
“Sir, where are you leading me?”she asked playfully, knowing it was to the bedroom.Saturdays were their quiet time to sleep in, snuggle, and love one another.Now that she was home, they could begin to set a routine closing a chapter on the instability of her training regimen as a Technician.
****
“HEY,” JAY SAID IN THEline to Apple, “I'm sorry to bother but I have two things I want to run by you.”
“Go ahead,” Apple said.
“Next month, there is this father and son camping thing on my job.It's at the lake.I'm taking my canoe, and I was wondering if I could maybe take Oscar.”
“He'd love that, Mustang,” Apple said, “but that's one.What's the other thing?”
“I wanted to know if you'd be willing to bring him down because I need your professional help,” he said.“I'm more than willing to pay for your time.”
“What do you need me to do?”
“I have these outbuildings on the property.Well, not really outbuildings because they were used for residences I guess,” Mustang said.“Helen is converting one for her Technician office, and the wiring is shit.It has to be rewired, plus I'm not sure how I feel about her being here alone, especially with me being gone for the weekend.I don't know.I feel like something is coming, and I can't prepare for it.So, I want to err on the side of caution.She's comfortable with you.If I'm away and you're here with her...I don't know.Is it too much to ask?”
Apple was smiling.“Not at all.I also wanted to see what you guys’ house looked like and how it smelled.”
“What?”
“She's, you know, Helen,” he said.“The pink chairs in my house are her doing.I love them stupid chairs and sit there often to have tea.I didn't even know I liked tea until I started having it with her in the afternoon with them little foofy ass sammiches.Yes, before you ask, Stephen makes an awesome cucumber sandwich.”
“I thought you were going to say pimento cheese,” Mustang chuckled.
“I'm not that Southern,” Apple replied.“But I'd be glad to lend a hand, so send me some dates.Did Cranberry mention to you the tracker we found on her vehicle?”
“Yeah, that's part of my concern,” Mustang said.
“Mine too.Did she tell you what she did with it?”
