Nobody

Like a Crazy Person

"Oh, I brought your mail," She said, pulling it out of the bag.

Bank statement from Blue Creek Credit Union, confirmation of address change from the VA, confirmation of my direct deposit from the VA, confirmation of my paperwork by the Army and DoD, electric company validation of hooking up my power as well as the massive deposit I'd put down, county notification my septic, well, and drainage field had passed inspection, the title to the trucks as well as the plates.

The plates made me stare.

One was a Kentucky Purple Heart Combat Wounded plate with a disabled marker, the other was a Kentucky Silver Star Valor plate with a disabled marker.

"Oh my god," Miss Lily-Rylee said.

Gary at the gas station also did vehicle registrations. He'd asked for my military ID and a copy of my DD-214 (before I'd turned it into the county seat), as well as my VA rating letter when I'd gotten it. He must have ordered them for me.

Wow, they only cost a total of about fifty bucks for both plates. Damn.

"You earned that?" She asked me.

I nodded dumbly, sliding them under the envelope they'd come in.

She gave me a look I found uncomfortable. Like she was judging me by some criteria I didn't understand, one that mattered.

One that didn't take in the Bomber Family Legacy or the Bomber Fortune into account.

It was a look that judged just me, Samuel English. Widower. Veteran. Texan.

"You done eating, Tex?" She asked me. There was a sparkle in her eyes I didn't recognize.

I nodded dumbly and she pointed at me. "Off with the shirt. Let's put the cream on your back."

I got up, stretching and yawning, and my back popped. I smiled down at her. "Instead of ruining your back, I can lay on the bed and you can put it on," I told her.

Her eyes opened wide in shock and she blushed.

It was my turn to laugh at her. "Ya'll 'tucky gals shure do blush easy now," I drawled.

Miss Lily-Rylee laughed. "OK, I deserved that," she looked at me challengingly. "Fine."

I led her down the hallways to the big master bedroom. She stopped and looked around. "My God, Samuel, you did all this?"

I just shrugged, looking at everything. "Needed to take my mind offa thangs," I told her, taking off the flannel and dropping it on the footboard.

She shook her head, a quick snap, and then looked at me out of the corner of her eyes. "Get undressed, Samuel, let'd get the cream on your back."

I stiffened, my hands on my shirt.

she'll see the scars

Almost angrily I tore off my shirt, tossing it on top of the flannel.

"Lose the pants too, cowboy," She said.

That made me stop. I looked at her, aware it was my turn to blush.

"Well?" She challenged, her hands on her hips. "You wearing underwear, or you got something you figure I've never seen?"

"Tentacles?" I suggested, working on my belt.

"Do I look like a Japanese school-girl to you?" Miss Lily-Rylee asked. That made me laugh and I let my pants fall to the floor, sitting down to unlace the desert combat boots and pull them off.

"Lay on your stomach," She commanded. She sighed when I laid down, stretching out. I'd bought a California King and turned it sideways to give me more room, putting a King sized headboard and footboard down. I was tall, and the CA King was wider than the King was long, and it gave me a few extra inches to stretch out.