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Subject: {ASSM} JC:Ed Biggers I-02 (mf mmf ffm ff mm sci-fi)
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<1st attachment, "biggers02.txt" begin>

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. If you are offended by 
sexually explicit material or are under the age of 18, stop reading 
now. This material cannot be reproduced for commercial purposes 
without the consent of the author.

JC: Ed Biggers
Part 1: Epiphany
Chapter 2
By
Lazlo Zalezac
Copyright (C) Lazlo Zalezac, 2004

Morning came bright and early. Ed slowly staggered out to the 
kitchen and reached in the refrigerator. He pulled out a beer and 
twisted the cap off the bottle. About to take a sip, he realized what 
he had just done. Pouring it out in the sink, he decided that today 
he was going to clean all of the beer out of the fridge. There were 
still a couple of cases in the pantry as well. He wondered who 
would appreciate them.

It was a bit more work than he was used to doing in the morning, 
but he brewed a pot of coffee. Staring blankly at the coffee pot, it 
seemed to take forever for the coffee to brew. He poured a cup and 
went to the table. Sitting down, he stared at the house across the 
street thinking about the man that lived there. 

Despite the fact that he had gotten out of bed early, it still took him 
more than an hour to wake. Before long, it was time for him to 
head over to the hospital. He smiled at the thought of seeing Kelly. 
She was everything that he had ever wanted in a woman. He wasn't 
sure about the marriage thing, but he decided that he would keep 
an open mind.

When he entered the hospital, he saw Kelly at the nurses station. 
He went over there and said, "Hello Kelly."

Turning, she looked at him as though he was a total stranger. She 
had hoped for a telephone call last night and when he hadn't called, 
she had give up on him. She said, "Oh, it's you."

Surprised by the cool response, he slumped down and then said, 
"I'm looking forward to Friday. I hope it is still on."

His dejected look surprised her. She said, "I thought you were 
going to call last night."

"I worked late last night. We had an auction and I was there until 
ten. I didn't want to wake you," replied Ed. He had put her number 
on the dining room table to call her tonight. 

Kelly seemed to bloom like a flower exposed to the sun for the 
first time. She said, "Oh, I'm sorry. I had thought that you had 
blown me off."

"Never. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever met," replied 
Ed without moderating his words or thoughts. He was totally 
captivated by her. He added, "You're even more beautiful today 
than yesterday."

Laughing, she ran a hand through her hair as she answered, "Oh 
come on now."

Leaning on the counter, he looked at her and said, "I haven't had a 
drink since yesterday morning. It's the first time in years that I've 
gone a full day without a drink. I'm seeing things a lot more clearly 
today. When I say that you look better today, I really mean it."

The revelation shocked Kelly. She looked at him and noticed that 
he didn't look like he was going through alcohol withdrawal. She 
asked, "Did you have a drinking problem?"

He shrugged and answered, "I don't know. It wasn't like I ever 
craved it. I reached for a beer like it was a soda. I don't feel bad 
from not drinking."

Unsure of herself, she smiled and said, "That's good."

Ed could see that she was uncertain about him. He said, "I told you 
yesterday that I wasn't a very nice person. After watching what 
John did yesterday, well... I decided that it was time for me to take 
a little firmer control over my life. I'd like to be the best person that 
I can be for you."

This was tough for him and she could see that.  In a way, his 
honesty was refreshing. She said, "Will you call tonight?"

A smile burst over his face as he answered, "You bet."

Dr. Hayes was coming down the hall towards them and Kelly 
turned to watch her. She whispered to Ed, "I'm going to have her as 
a wife."

The doctor was a very attractive woman in a Nordic sort of way. 
Tall, blond, and light skinned, she really was very stunning. Ed 
wondered how he could ever get a woman like that interested in an 
old cowboy like him. He was about to reply, but the doctor had 
stopped at the station. 

Dr. Hayes looked at Ed and said, "You can take him home. All of 
those cuts are completely healed. I've never seen anything like it."

"Those cuts were deep. I saw him make them himself." 

She shook her head and replied, "I know, but they're all healed."

In shock, Ed stood there thinking about John. Some of those cuts 
had been a half an inch deep. He followed Kelly to John's room, 
his mind divided between the swaying of her hips and his curiosity 
about John. 

Kelly leaned over to Ed and said, "He's an interesting one. He was 
reading to the kids and playing games with them all day yesterday. 
I've never seen the kids so happy. This morning, we had a patient 
pass away and John talked to him about what it was like to die. 
The patient thanked him and then just slipped away without 
complaint. It was really amazing."

This was just strange and Ed didn't know how he felt about 
strange. When they reached the room, he went in. John was seated 
on the edge of his bed looking out the window at the view it 
allowed. He turned with a smile and glanced at the pair of them 
standing at the door. He said, "Hello Ed. Hello Kelly. My, don't 
you make a nice couple."

Blushing very slightly, Ed smiled and handed the clothes over to 
John. He said, "I brought your clothes."

 John grabbed the clothes and started getting dressed. The fact that 
he didn't seem to care if Ed and Kelly watched, made Ed a little 
uncomfortable. It wasn't until he remembered that both of them 
had seen him naked yesterday that he relaxed. He glanced at Kelly 
in time to catch her call me gesture as she returned to the nurses 
station. Nodding his agreement, he watched as her face lit up. 

John said, "I wouldn't let her get away if I were you. She's a good 
caring person. You should see her work with the patients around 
here."

Ed nodded his agreement. Looking at John's ankles, he realized the 
doctor was correct. All of the bites had healed, leaving behind little 
scars. It was miraculous. He replied, "I see that you've healed up 
already."

"It's a gift from the Goddess.  I heal very quickly," replied John as 
he pulled on his socks. He reached over for the hiking boots as he 
added, "To tell the truth, I would prefer not to have to use that gift 
so often. I spend a lot of time in hospitals."

Ed didn't really know what to say. He had seen all of the scars and 
knew the truth of that statement, but talking about the Goddess was 
a little strange. Deciding that a non-committal answer was 
probably the best, he said, "I can see where it would be a hassle."

"My last injury cost me my girlfriend," John said with a sigh. He 
missed Betsy more than anything. He added, "She saw me get shot 
on television and broke up with me because she didn't want to be a 
young widow."

The admission shocked Ed. He hadn't thought about how all of 
those injuries would affect others. He asked, "She broke up with 
you because you were shot?"

Fully dressed, John stood up and stretched, working out his 
stiffened muscles. He nodded and answered, "She felt that after I 
was shot, that I should have stopped trying to rescue people. I can 
understand her sentiment, but I wasn't even aware that I had been 
injured."

"Amazing," replied Ed. He couldn't imagine getting shot and not 
realizing that he had a hole in his body.

John looked over at Ed and said, "Please don't tell other people 
about my past. I don't really like to talk about it. It was just that 
seeing you and Kelly standing together reminded me of Betsy. 
She's a nurse, too."

"No problem." Ed realized that John really missed his girlfriend 
and wondered how long ago they had broken up. It was also at that 
time, that he realized he didn't really want to talk about his date 
with Kelly. That was odd, not too long ago he would have been 
boasting to everyone that a nurse had come on to him. He shook 
his head as though trying to clear it. He asked, "So are you ready to 
go?"

John looked around and realized that he didn't have any other 
possessions with him. He nodded as he said, "Yes, I am." 

After checking out, John followed Ed to the truck. When they 
reached the truck, Ed said, "I'm going to have to drop you off. I've 
got to get to work. We had an auction last night and the buyers will 
be there to pick up their cattle."

John was tempted to go there and watch, but realized that would be 
imposing. He asked, "I take it you're a real cowboy."

Adjusting his hat, Ed laughed and answered, "I guess so. I ride a 
horse and push cows around. Most days I'm at the auction house, 
but I do get some time out on the range. It doesn't make me a Clint 
Eastwood, though."

John laughed at the reference and asked, "Do you like it?"

The question really confused Ed. It was the first time anyone had 
ever asked if he liked his job. Jobs were just something that you 
did to pay the bills. He answered, "I never thought about it. It's a 
job."

John watched the scenery go past. He said, "There is so much 
beauty in this landscape. It must be nice to ride on the range 
surrounded by it."

Ed sighed and answered, "I guess that is what I like about my job 
the most. There are times when the sight just takes my breath 
away."

Nodding his understanding, John said, "I was reading about Ansel 
Adams once. He had described the feelings he had while watching 
nature all alone in the wilderness. As I read, I couldn't believe how 
well he captured the same feelings I get when I'm hiking. There's a 
connection that gets established between a person and the 
environment that is sensual. Reading what he had written, I 
realized that there was nothing wrong about the emotions I felt 
when in a natural surroundings. I realized that men could love 
nature like a woman."

Ed knew exactly what John was talking about. There were times 
when he was nearly moved to tears when he was on the range. 
Something about the majesty and power that nature had that made 
a man feel small in the grand scheme of things. Once after a rain, it 
was like the whole desert had bloomed. The smell of cactus 
flowers on the breeze tickled the nose even as the wind caressed 
the body. The sun warmed the body while the sounds of the desert 
teased the ears. The worn weathered leather of the saddle had that 
special feel under the hand that lent a sense of durability. He had 
been glad that he was alone that day, he couldn't have taken having 
anyone see him feeling so moved. Ed said, "I know what you 
mean. There are times out there that it just gets overwhelming."

John smiled and said, "There are times when it's good to be alone 
out there. Then there are times when it's nice to share it with 
someone special. Betsy would occasionally go hiking with me. I've 
always enjoyed sharing sunsets with people. It seems to me like it 
leads to a special quietness and closeness."

During the course of this conversation, Ed realized that he had 
shared more feelings with John than he had ever shared with 
anyone. The thought made him wonder what it would be like to 
share a sunset with Kelly. Maybe that's what they would do Friday 
on their date, drive out into the desert and watch the sunset 
together. It would be a very different experience than his normal 
date where he would take the woman to a bar and try to get her 
drunk. He noticed his surroundings and remarked, "I can't believe 
we're home. I'll let you out here and head on to work."

John answered, "That would be great. Thanks for the ride. I 
enjoyed it a lot."

Ed dropped John off at the house and watched him go in. Turning 
the truck around, he drove to work thinking about the conversation 
they had on the drive to the house. John confused him, in very 
subtle ways. Here was a guy that could run into a burning building, 
get shot, and bit by rattlesnakes. In his book, that guy couldn't be a 
wimp. On the other hand, he talked about his feelings with an 
openness that was unlike any man that Ed had ever met. 

He stopped at the convenience store and picked up a six-pack of 
Cokes. Of course, he had gone to the beer section first and caught 
himself grabbing a six-pack of beer. He put the beer back and went 
with the Cokes. He was about to go to the counter when he noticed 
the pre-packaged sandwiches. Picking up one, he decided that he 
would have a little picnic for lunch today. 

Work was boring, as he pushed cattle into the loading chutes. Once 
again, Nevada had not been aware that Ed was working until he 
came out of the office. He watched Ed deal with the customers, 
recognizing that there was something very different about Ed than 
normal. It took him a long time to put his finger on it, but he 
realized that Ed was quiet and not his usual loud bragging self.

When it was time for Ed to take his lunch break, Nevada was 
surprised to see Ed ride his horse over to the truck and remove a 
sandwich and Coke. Ed rode off into the desert behind the auction 
house. He found a nice high spot and dismounted from the horse. 
The view from there was nice. There were better places to look at 
the desert, but they were too far from where he worked.

Eating the sandwich and drinking his Coke, Ed thought about his 
life. There were a lot of people that feared him, but very few that 
respected him. A screech in the sky drew his attention and he 
watched a hawk drift overhead before plummeting to earth. 
Somewhere out of sight, a rabbit had just given up its life so that 
the hawk could live.

It was about that time, that Ed came to a very profound realization 
about John. John knew who and what he was. It wasn't necessary 
for him to boast to get other people to tell him that he was good, he 
knew he was good and that was all that mattered to him. Ed 
wondered why he needed people to tell him that he was good. Was 
it because he didn't know who and what he was? That was a 
sobering thought.

He finished his sandwich while watching the desert. The desert 
was huge, quiet, and didn't advertise itself. It just was and, in 
being, it overwhelmed mere mortals. For a long time, Ed sat there 
appreciating the view; then it was time to return to work.

He worked the afternoon, staying a little late when one customer 
showed up late to pick up his cattle. Ed didn't complain or make a 
comment, just went about the business of loading the cattle into the 
trailer. When that was done, he put up his horse, taking care to 
make sure that it was properly cooled down and combed out. 

He was heading to his truck when Nevada called out, "Hey, Ed. 
Hold on a minute."

Ed turned and walked over to Nevada saying, "Sure thing. What do 
you need?"

Nevada watched as Ed came over to him. Normally, he'd be 
chasing Ed to the truck. He said, "Ed, I'm worried about you."

With a surprised look on his face, Ed asked, "Why? I'm feeling 
fine, sir."

"You just don't seem to acting like yourself lately." Nevada was 
wondering if Ed was ill. He'd seen Ed work with an incredible 
fever and boast about it. This quiet version of Ed was not normal.

Ed replied, "Don't worry. I'll be here tomorrow."

Unsatisfied with the denial that anything was wrong, Nevada said, 
"I'd appreciate it if you would get checked up by a doctor."

A worried expression crossed Ed's face at the idea of being sent to 
a doctor. He replied, "I really don't need to see a doctor, Nevada. 
I'm in better health than ever."

Afraid that Ed would drop dead on the job, Nevada insisted. He 
said, "I'd feel a lot better if you would visit a doctor. I might have 
to keep you off the lot until I get the results of a physical."

Rather than argue, Ed decided to comply with Nevada's wishes. He 
shrugged and said, "Okay. I'll talk to Dr. Hayes tomorrow. That'll 
give me a chance to see Kelly."

The easy compliance was just as shocking as anything Ed had done 
lately. Nevada frowned and said, "Good. I'll see you after your 
physical."

Just about to leave, Ed paused and said, "I have a date tomorrow. 
Is it alright if I leave a little early? I'd like to wash the smell of cow 
off before I pick her up."

"You have a date?" asked Nevada, the incredulity in his voice very 
clear.

Looking off to the horizon, a small smile came over his face. He 
answered, "Yes, I do. It's our first date and I'd really like to impress 
her."

Nevada shook his head in wonder. Ever since had taken that guy to 
the hospital, Ed hadn't been himself. He didn't know what to think 
about it. Confused, he just said, "Well, have a good time. Leave 
when you need to go."

Ed held out his hand for a handshake. Slowly, Nevada took his 
hand and shook it. Ed said, "Thank you, Nevada."

Ed went to his trunk and drove off leaving a confused Nevada 
standing there watching him. On the drive home, Ed noticed a 
truck by the side of the road with a flat tire. Not having anything 
better to do, he pulled over to help. Jorge Mendosa was jacking up 
the truck. He flinched when Ed pulled over. 

Ed got out of the truck and strolled over to Jorge. Kneeling down, 
he looked at the spare tire hanging under the truck bed. It looked 
pretty bad. He asked, "Do you think that spare will hold up?"

There wasn't much confidence in his voice when Jorge answered, 
"I can only hope so."

Nodding Ed said, "Well, why don't you finish jacking up the car 
and I'll check out the tire. If we're lucky, it'll be good enough. If 
not, I'll run you over to the tire store and we'll see what they can do 
for you."

Speechless, Jorge replied, "Sounds like a plan."

Removing the tire from under the truck, Ed lifted it and then 
dropped it. It fell with a dull thud and no bounce. He shook his 
head and turned to Jorge saying, "This tire is shot!"

"I was afraid of that," replied the small Hispanic man. He felt the 
money in his pocket and knew that he didn't have enough money to 
pay for a new tire. 

Ed threw the tire in the back of the truck and waited for Jorge to 
finish pulling the old tire off the truck. When Jorge finished, he 
helped carry the tire over to his truck and threw it in the back with 
the other. Jorge followed behind very embarrassed and concerned 
that Ed would laugh at him when he didn't have enough money for 
one tire much less two.

Ed climbed into the truck and waited for Jorge. Climbing in, Jorge 
apologized, "I'm afraid that I may not have enough money for new 
tires."

"Don't worry about it," replied Ed. He added, "I'll take you over to 
the tire store. They may have some retreads that won't cost you 
much. They'll be good for ten thousand miles or so, but by then 
you'll have the money to get some new ones."

"Gracias," replied Jorge. Ed was being very gracious about this and 
it was very surprising. 

Ed drove over to a tire store and pulled up in front of it. The tires 
from the truck were pretty standard and they shouldn't have any 
difficulty getting them replaced. Entering the store he looked 
around and noticed a salesman getting pushed out of the way by 
one of the others. He went over to the one that had been pushed out 
by the more aggressive salesmen and said, "I need a couple of 
retreads. What kind of deal can you make us?"

"Fifteen each," replied the salesmen. 

Jorge looked at the ground for a minute. He had about twenty five 
dollars with him. At least he could get one tire. He looked at Ed in 
shock when Ed said, "That's too much. How about ten each?"

The salesman looked at Ed for a minute and realized that 
bargaining any higher would be useless. He said, "Okay, it'll still 
cost two bucks each to mount them."

Glancing at Jorge and the relieved look on his face, he answered, 
"Do it. The old ones are in the back of my truck."

As the salesman walked away, Ed leaned over and asked, "Have 
you got enough to cover it?"

Jorge pulled out two tens and a five from his pocket. He said, 
"Yes, I do."

Ed smiled and asked, "Need a little so that you aren't left with 
nothing?"

Very surprised by the suggestion, Jorge politely declined. He 
answered, "No, I am fine."

Deciding that if Jorge didn't want a loan, then it wouldn't be good 
to push the issue. Ed watched as the tires were mounted on the 
rims. It was hard to ignore that Jorge kept looking at him out of the 
corner of his eye. Ed winked at him and said, "They'll be done in 
no time. You'll be heading home to your family anytime now."

"Thank you very much," replied Jorge. Bewildered by the 
situation, he stood to the side watching Ed. If anyone had told him 
that he would be here with Ed, he would have considered them 
insane. Now he was here and had no idea what to say or do.

While Jorge paid for the tires, Ed carried them to the back of his 
truck. Jorge was left with fifty cents after taxes. He threw the tires 
into the back of the truck and watched Jorge accept his change. 

The trip back to the other truck didn't take long. Jorge was quiet 
the entire trip wondering how he was going to pay for Ed's help in 
the long run. He was afraid that he would be held up to ridicule. It 
was impossible for Ed not to notice the tension in Jorge. He said, "I 
have a couple of cases of beer that I'm throwing away. Are you 
interested in them?"

"No, thank you," replied Jorge. 

"Suit yourself," replied Ed. He pulled up behind the truck and 
parked it there. Getting out of the truck, he helped Jorge carry the 
tire over to the truck. Together, the two men quickly replaced the 
tire. Ed walked around the truck checking out the other tires. He 
called over to Jorge, "It looks like this one is about to go. Let's put 
the other tire on here and use that one as a spare."

"I can do that myself. No need for you to waste your time 
anymore."

With a sigh, Ed said, "I have nothing better to do, Jorge. Nothing 
better."

Together the tire was quickly changed. Jorge stood beside his 
truck, the new spare in the back. Shuffling his feet nervously, he 
said, "Thank you very much for all of your help."

Ed slapped his back, lightly rather than the normal hard pound, and 
said, "Think nothing about it. I rather enjoyed it."

Jorge drove away very confused. He didn't know what to say about 
the events of the afternoon. It was so uncharacteristic of Ed to 
actually help someone out. He knew that from personal experience.

Ed returned to his truck and drove home. Pausing outside the door 
of his house, he watched the sun set thinking about the date the 
next evening. The sky turned a thousand colors as the sun slipped 
below the horizon. It was one of the best sunsets he had ever 
watched and he realized that he really had wanted to share it with 
someone.

After calling Kelly and getting directions to her house, he made his 
way to town. He could see that John was busy at work in the house 
and didn't want to disturb him. In town, he stopped at the 
restaurant and ate dinner.  Siting alone, he ate his meatloaf and 
drank iced tea. People steered clear of him out of habit, but he 
didn't notice. He was lost in thought. Who and what was he? He 
wasn't a hero like John Carter. He wasn't needed like Kelly. That 
left the question unanswered.

The waitress refilled his tea surprised by his lack of interest in 
what was going on around him. The time went slowly and Ed 
realized that he was just sitting there drinking the iced tea. He 
looked at the bill and paid it leaving a good size tip. As he left, the 
waitress called after him, "Ed, you forgot your change."

Looking over his shoulder, he answered, "Keep it."

The waitress watched him as he walked down the street to the bar. 
Others watched him leave the restaurant. Discussions broke out 
about him as he passed. It was obvious to everyone that he had 
changed since the morning that he took John Carter to the hospital. 
A small town was not the place to act differently, even if the 
difference was positive. Ed was now the subject of conversation 
among all of the towns people. It took less than four hours for the 
story about Ed helping Jorge to make its away through the rumor 
mill. The bar was quiet when Ed entered. 

Looking around the room, Ed stopped at the bar. He said, "Shirley, 
I'll take a coke tonight."

Staring at Ed, Shirley filled a glass with Coke. She set it in front of 
him and said, "Here you go."

"Thank you, Shirley." Ed went to the corner table and sat down. 
Sipping his Coke, he tried to decide what to do on the date the next 
night. He hadn't taken a girl out on a date since high school. His 
date was with Linda and he had taken her to the prom. At the time, 
that was a big deal. He remembered that they had both gotten 
pretty drunk and he had slept with her that night. She was angry 
with him the next day and left town shortly after that. She felt that 
he had taken advantage of her drunken state. He shook his head 
realizing that she had been right. 

He didn't notice when Shirley placed a full glass in front of him. 
Somehow, the bar wasn't nearly as much fun when he wasn't 
drinking. He took another sip of Coke and looked around the room. 
He had spent too many hours at the pool table, shooting pool and 
drinking beer. Dissatisfied, walked over to the bar and asked, 
"Shirley, how much do I owe you?"

She said, "Two dollars."

He pulled out three and set them on the bar. As he returned home, 
he noticed that many of the neighbors seemed to head indoors 
when they spotted him coming. That was a far different response 
than when he had watched John walk down the street. The 
realization hurt far more than he would ever have admitted to 
himself in the past. Today, he faced the truth that most people 
didn't like him.

Arriving home, he pulled one of his books on mineralogy out of 
the bookcase and started to read. When ever he was down, he 
returned to reading those books. He liked the dry factual way in 
which rocks were discussed. Before he knew it, he had spent three 
hours reading and it was well past his normal bedtime. 

The next evening, he pulled up in front of an apartment complex. 
He was worried about finding her place, but he spotted her 
standing by the mailboxes. She looked good wearing jeans and a 
shirt. Driving next to her, he stopped and rolled down the window. 
He called, "Hey, Kelly."

She turned and saw him. A smile spread across her face as she 
approached the truck. She answered, "Hey, Ed. I see you found the 
place. You're a little early."

"Sorry about that. I left early expecting to get lost,"  said Ed. 
Laughing, he added, "It would have taken me forever because I 
wouldn't allow myself to ask directions."

Kelly laughed and shook her head. She answered, "I was going to 
get dressed up a bit. You want to wait?"

"Actually, I'd love for you to wear what you have on," replied Ed. 

Surprised at his answer, she wondered what he had in mind. In a 
way, she didn't feel very pretty dressed like this. She had planned 
to really dress up to impress him. She asked, "Why? Don't you 
want to see my legs?"

"Of course I do, but I have plans where jeans are more 
appropriate," answered Ed. 

Frowning, Kelly had an idea of what a date in jeans meant and she 
wasn't pleased with the idea. She asked, "Are you taking me to a 
honky-tonk?"

"No, I want to take you someplace where we can talk and get to 
know each other," answered Ed. 

Doubtful, she said, "Well, let me put this stuff up and I'll be right 
back."

Ed said, "Sure thing."

He waited in the truck patiently for her return. He checked the 
back of the truck to make sure that everything was still there. 
Satisfied that all was okay, he looked around the apartment 
complex. After about fifteen minutes, she returned. Not quite 
trusting Ed, she had taken the time to tell a neighbor what she was 
doing. 

Ed was outside the truck holding the passenger door open for her. 
Impressed by his manners, she climbed into the passenger side. 
After closing the door, he got into the truck and pulled out of the 
parking lot. An uneasy silence descended on the pair. Ed finally 
spoke up by saying, "The other morning when I took John home 
from the hospital, he was telling me about sharing sunsets with his 
previous girlfriend."

Kelly looked at him with a question in her eye. She said, "John is 
an interesting man."

"Yes, he is," answered Ed. He continued, "Well, I thought about 
that and realized that I would like to share a sunset with you. The 
sunsets out here are often pretty spectacular. I thought that it might 
give us a little time to get to know each other." 

Kelly looked over at Ed like she was seeing a completely different 
kind of man. She said, "That sounds pretty romantic."

Her words filled him with relief. He had been afraid that the idea 
was rather corny and she would expect him to spend a bit more 
than that on her. He added, "I also brought some wood to make a 
fire and some swordfish steaks for dinner. I have some corn on the 
cob and salad as well. I'm afraid that I didn't bring any wine. I've 
given up drinking so I brought iced tea. I hope that's okay with 
you."

Impressed with the effort that he had taken in setting this up, she 
found herself saying, "It's wonderful."

Ed drove to one of the better places to watch the sunset and parked 
the truck. He went around and opened the door for her. Climbing 
out of the truck, she looked around. The view of the desert was 
breath-taking. She said, "It's very pretty here."

"It's one of my favorite places," he replied. Reaching into the back 
of the truck, he pulled out a blanket and a box. He noticed her 
looking at the box and said, "I'm afraid that I don't have a picnic 
basket. I've never done this before, so I'm kind of making it up as I 
go."

Following him, they went to a nice flat area of ground. He set the 
box down and spread the blanket next to it. He made a gesture and 
said, "Have a seat. I'll go get the rest of the stuff."

She watched as he made two more trips. On the first trip he 
brought some firewood over and on the second, he brought over a 
small grill. Digging a rather large jug from the box, he poured two 
glasses of iced tea for them. Handing her one, he said, "Here's to 
what I hope is a long relationship."

She clinked her glass against his. She added, "It's off to a good 
start. You really put some effort into this, didn't you?"

He shrugged his shoulders and said, "Well, I really wanted a 
chance to get to know you."

They lay there on the blanket watching the sunset. By the time the 
sun had disappeared below the horizon, he had an arm around her. 
He started the fire and they talked while it burned down to coals. 
When the coals were red hot, he shoveled some into the grill and 
put a couple of ears of corn wrapped in foil in the coals. A little 
later, he put on the swordfish steaks. While the food cooked, they 
talked about their individual pasts and feeling each other out for 
common interests. The meal was surprisingly good.

The evening passed quickly and they lay back on the blanket 
watching the stars overhead. When it was about time to leave, Ed 
said, "Kelly, John was right about sharing a sunset with another 
person. I'd like to thank you for making this a very special 
evening."

Kelly didn't know what attracted her to this old cowboy, but he had 
worked some kind of magic upon her. Maybe it was the fact that he 
actually listened to her when she told him about her childhood. It 
could have been his calm acceptance of her plans for a group 
marriage. What ever it was, she was hooked on him. She answered, 
"I enjoyed this evening a lot."

Ed was walking on heaven. It was the first time in his life that he 
had actually connected with a woman and she was a very pretty 
woman. He really wanted to see her again and was afraid of 
moving too fast. Clearing his throat, he said, "Well, let me pack 
this stuff up so that we can leave. It's getting late and you're 
supposed to work tomorrow, right?"

Kelly didn't want the date to end, but Ed was right. Tomorrow, she 
had a full day at work. She would have Sunday and Monday off. 
She sighed and answered, "Right. All day tomorrow."

He nodded and started to pack up the picnic site. When she went to 
help, he said, "No, just take it easy and enjoy the sky."

She was pleased to be treated so well. It didn't take him long to 
pick up everything and put out the fire. She did fold the blanket 
when his back was turned. He came over to her and guided her by 
the arm to the truck, once again opening the door for her. 

After a quiet drive, he reached her place. In front of her apartment, 
he asked, "Could I walk you to your door?"

She smiled and answered, "Yes, you may."

Taking her by the arm, he went to the door of her apartment. Once 
there, he fidgeted as nervous as a school boy on his first date. He 
finally asked, "Could I take you out again, Sunday?"

She smiled and stepped close to him. Planting a kiss on his lips, 
she answered, "I would be most pleased to go out with you 
Sunday."

Ed didn't remember the drive home that night. The only thing on 
his mind was the kiss.
<1st attachment end>


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