Bobby Does Dallas: Hill Country Heart (16 page)

 “And you work for Passion Publishing?”

 “I do.  I love my job, but it’s not as glamorous as you might think.  I don’t have anything to do with the eroticism of the story – I edit and market.  Basically, I fact check, format, correct grammar and sentence composition and then make sure the book is promoted effectively.”  Laying her head over on him, she rubbed her cheek on his shirt, enjoying the clean, sexy smell that was uniquely Bobby Stewart.  “Most people think my job makes me a sex expert, but as you know there’s nothing farther from the truth.” 

 “I think you’re perfect just the way you are,’ he squeezed her knee.  “Now, tell me about your marriage,” it was going to hurt him to hear it – but he needed to.  He wanted to understand.

For a moment, Cecile covered her eyes with her hand, as if hiding from the truth.  “Are you sure you want to hear this – I’ve told you more than I ever intended to tell anyone.”

 “Come on baby,” he encouraged her.  “I want to know it all.”

Letting out a long breath, Cecile plunged in.  “I met Carl in college – I guess you could say that he swept me off my feet.  I hadn’t dated much in high school, a couple of double dates and some chaperoned parties.  My parents were super strict and rarely gave me the freedom that other teenage girls enjoyed.  So, when I finally got away from them, I was hungry for attention and affection.”  She stopped and looked at him closely, wondering how much he really wanted to hear.  He met her eyes, watching her intently.  She continued.  “When we married, I was a virgin,” at that she laughed and so did Bobby.

He was glad that she could laugh about it.  It was his new life purpose to make her smile and before he could do that he needed to battle and defeat all of the demons that plagued her dreams.  “No?!?” he said comically, pretending surprise.  She slapped him playfully. 

 “The first year of our marriage wasn’t so bad.  We were both building our careers and working a lot of overtime, so the amount of time we were together was limited.” Her voice dropped, as if she were reliving painful memories.  “Carl changed.  At first, he had seemed to enjoy touching me, sleeping with me – kissing me.  Like I told you – there was always pain.  Knowing what I know now,” she elbowed him gently, “it’s clear to me that Carl didn’t know much about sex when we got married.  He was from a big family – the only boy – the youngest.  His folks were Mennonite, but I don’t think Carl was ever into the religion too much.”  She felt like she was trying to make excuses for him – maybe she was.  “I tried to get him to participate more in our lovemaking, that sounds funny – but he just wanted to dive right in, he didn’t do anything to prepare me and when I tried to be affectionate toward him, he pushed me away.  I didn’t understand.”  She pulled her hand away from his leg and began to weave her own fingers together, as if what she had to say was painful.  “I asked to go to a therapist or a marriage counselor.  Before that, Carl had told me that our sex life was normal, that I had unrealistic expectations.  But when I pushed to get some help, he began to tell me that it was entirely my fault.  I’m not sure why he didn’t ask for a divorce.  Maybe he enjoyed ridiculing me – I guess some people get off doing things like that. 
Anytime that I touched him in the night, or asked him to kiss me, he would tell me that our unsatisfactory sex life was due to my lack of appeal and my inability to orgasm.”
  Cecile let out a shuddering breath.  “He told me that I was frigid.  Gradually, we stopped touching one another, we still slept in the same bed – he on his side and me on mine.”

 “I’m sorry,” Bobby hated that she had lived a life of doubting herself, especially since she was as sweet as spun sugar.  Carl was a fool and his loss was Bobby’s gain. 

 “But, I knew that I felt things.  When I would read the erotic romance novels by
Annalise
and the other authors – I got turned on.”  She stopped talking – telling Bobby all of this was humiliating.  “And sometimes I would touch myself – and it felt good.  After spending some time with
Annalise
at a writer’s conference in Houston, I knew that my life had to change – so our visit here to Lost Maples was a last ditch effort on my part, to save a marriage that was not worth saving.  Carl wouldn’t even give me a chance…”  She huffed out a cleansing breath.  “And I’m glad it’s over with.”

 “Darling,” Bobby spoke from the bottom of his heart.  “I regret that you had even one momentan>s pain or self-doubt.  But I can’t help but be grateful for the way things worked out.  There’s a simple answer, you know.”

Cecile wiped the back of her hand over her eyes, removing the faint trace of tears that was caused by nothing more than nerves.  “What’s that?”

 “The reason it didn’t work out for you and Carl was that it wasn’t supposed to – you never belonged to Carl.”  At the confusion on her face, he leaned over and kissed her, giving her that lethal, sexy smile.  “You belong to me.”

~ Chapter Six ~

They had one more stop before they reached the Austin City Limits.  Bobby took her by his practice field.  It was getting old and rundown.  The bleachers were warped and the announcer’s box was getting rickety, but it was still an important part of his history.  “Look up there; we painted the Dallas Cowboy star over the old mascot.”  They held hands as they walked across the small field.  “This used to be the home of the Bulldogs, but the little school was shut down.  They consolidated a lot of the smaller schools into mega-schools, it might be financially smart – but a lot of communities lost their pride – their school spirit.

“So you’ve played football?” Cecile tried to imagine him.  It wasn’t hard – he would be good at anything he set his mind to do.

“I’ve played football since Junior High.”  A thought occurred to him and he couldn’t resist asking.  “Tell me what you like to do – what makes
Ceelee
happy?”

Tugging him over about ten feet, she sat on the grass and brushed at her feet and legs.  “Fire ants,” she explained.  “They were biting me, but
good
.”

Bobby knelt with her, knocking off the little pests.  “Damn!  I’m sorry, doll.  With these old shit-kicking boots on, I never notice anything like that.  You don’t have anything on your little feet but a couple of straps of leather and some sexy pink polish.”

She started to get up; satisfied that she was ant free.

“Sit back down, we’re in the shade.  Talk to me.”

Arranging her sundress around her, she chose her words carefully.  “Well, I enjoy my work and I’m grateful for
Annalise
, but she’s my only close friend.  I would have to say that I find my happiness in causes.  I’ve never owned a pet, but I volunteer at the local animal shelter – the no-kill one – I’m too much of a crybaby to work at the other kind.  And I also spend time at the nursing home a couple of nights a wee I do the ladies fingernails.”
Bobby put a finger under her chin. “I knew it.  I’m a good judge of character – you’re an angel.” 

With her eyes sparkling, she teased him.  “Since I met you, I think my halo’s become a little tarnished.  I find myself wanting to do really bad things with you.”

Pushing her backwards, he pinned her to the ground.  “Don’t you know you’re supposed to save comments like that until we’re alone?  You’re right, you are a little devil!”  Bobby stared deep into her eyes.  “I’m happy with you – just doing nothing – I’m happy with you.”  He said it like the revelation surprised him.  “Are you happy with me?” 

Cecile sensed a need in Bobby for unconditional acceptance.  Her talents were small and her possessions were few, but that was one thing that was in her power to grant him.  “You have made me happier that I ever expected to be.  Remember when you asked me to give you a gift?”  When he nodded, she made his day.  “You have given to me, also.  The gifts you have given me are the most precious I have ever received:  you have given me acceptance, my self-confidence and – you.” 

*****

Austin was a beautiful city.  Cecile had not spent a great deal of time there, so she was intrigued by the beauty and the uniqueness of the city.  “Look over there,” Bobby told her pointing to the Congress Street Bridge.  “Every day at dusk from March to November, a million and a half bats emerge out from under that bridge.  It’s an amazing sight; I’ll bring you back one night to see it.”  Her heart jumped at the thought that he fully planned on seeing her after this week was over.

She smiled at his enthusiasm, “I’d like that.  Will you drive me downtown? I’d like to see the Capitol and Sixth Street?”

“Sure,” he looked at her tenderly.  He did better than that.  Bobby pulled into a nearby parking garage and they spent the morning prowling the city streets hand in hand.  Cecile was fascinated by the unique shops and restaurants that peppered the downtown area.  “I can’t wait to bring you back and introduce you to the nightlife.”  They sat on a bench and ate a cone from Aimee’s ice cream, an Austin tradition.  He straddled the backless bench and she sat between his legs leaning back on him.  There were very few moments when he wasn’t touching her somewhere, forging their bond – cementing their connection.  When she got through with her cone, he wiped her lips tenderly and then kissed them for good measure. 

They walked along the banks of Lady Bird Lake, enjoyed
Zilker
Park and then headed back toward the parking garage.  “We’ve still got to get
Annalise’s
gifts, don’t forget.”  Cecile was so happy, she couldn’t remember ever being so content, or feeling so protected and cherished.  Bobby Stewart made her feel wanted – and there was no better feeling than that on earth.”

“We’ve got time for one more stop.  I need to run by campus and pick up some stuff out of my locker.”

Cecile heard what he said, but she didn’t process it.  
Campus?
  In their earlier conversations, she had done most of the talking, purging herself of her hang-ups and insecurities.  Not once had she asked him what he did for a living.  Could he be a teacher?  “Where are we going?  I feel so bad, I’ve never asked you where you worked or what your career is.  Why did you let me go on and on like that?” Now, she was embarrassed.

Bobby picked up her hand and kissed it.  “What are you talking about, treasure? I wanted to hear every little word you had to say.”  Then, as if he had just heard her other question. 
“And a job?
  I don’t have a job yet – except working at Los Maples.  I won’t graduate till May.  Then, if all goes well – I’m
gonna
be drafted by the NFL.  Hopefully, I’ll be playing for the Dallas Cowboys.”

Cecile’s feet refused to move. 
Dallas Cowboys.
  NFL Draft. 
Campus.
  Graduate. 
Words that right now, didn’t mean a thing.
  “You’re still in school?”  This couldn’t be happening.  “Graduate school?”  It had to be – maybe he was working on his doctorate.  But, what did he mean about being drafted?  Did he play football? 
For the Longhorns?

Bobby turned around and picked her up, cradling her close to his chest – her dainty feet in a pair of white strappy sandals some six inches above the ground.  “Yes, I’m still in school, doll face – I’m a
Senior
at the University of Texas.  I play football for the Longhorns and I’m twenty-two years old.  Not that it matters, a whit to me – but how old did you think I was?”

Cecile gulped, wishing that a genie would suddenly appear and grant her three wishes.  She’d ask for him to be four years older and
her
to be four years younger and – oh yeah – a spine would be nice, because if he asked her how old she was – she was going to lie like a dog.   “I thought
  you
were closer to my age,” she whispered.

Bobby looked around, backed into an alley and eased up to a wall until he had her back anchored gently against the brick.  “Don’t even go there,
Ceelee
.  Don’t you know that I realized you were older than me?  You’re out of college, you’ve got a job – I knew you had to be older than me by a little bit.  That doesn‘t mean you aren‘t the sweetest, cutest, sexiest little thing I‘ve ever had my hands on.” 

Cecile was quickly losing her ability to think.  His lips were everywhere.  He was taking little nips, little lick – branding her with hot, sweet kisses that were making her sweat.  “Bobby,’ she gasped. “Stop.  We’ve got to stop.”  She didn’t know if she were pleading for an end to the kiss or an end to the relationship.  Her body and her heart were telling her that ant herwas crazy to want an end to either one.  But her mind was playing havoc with her emotions – because Cecile knew in her heart that what they had could never go any further than where it was right now – and she had so hoped it could.  In just this brief time, she had felt closer to Bobby – more important to him than she had ever felt with her husband.  Tears were beginning to form behind her lids, and as he kissed a trail from her throat to her eyes, she valiantly tried to hold them back. 

“I would give you anything you asked for – flowers, candy, jewels – hell, anything – but don’t ask me to give you up, sugar.  Not now.  Not after I’ve had a taste of you.  Please.”