'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 6

The pickup truck pulled into a long gravel driveway. The trio exited the vehicle. Buck followed Roger as he walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. He heard a muffled “Coming!” eek its way through the door. After a minute the door swung open, revealing a tall, slender woman wearing an apron, her dark hair pulled up in a bun.

“Roger, Buck! It's good to see you!” she said, her eyes moving from one to the other. “Shirley Sue, it's been ages!”

“Hi Emma!” a chorus of voices echoed.

“Come on in!” Emma said. She motioned for them to enter. “Kick off yer shoes and join me in the living room.”

The trio followed Emma into the living room. Buck watched as Roger took up the seat on the couch near Emma's recliner. Shirley Sue sat down onto the loveseat and he followed suit. He placed a hand on her bare thigh and watched as Emma's forehead crease and her eyes narrow. She flared her nostrils as an audible jet of air whooshed out of them.

Emma cleared her throat. Buck felt her eyes burning a hole in his hand, but he refused to budge. He was not a kid anymore. No way was he letting her boss him around like she used to. “What brings you celebrities all the way out to here to my humble abode?” Emma said.

“Well,” Roger began. “You know Patty McDowell?”

Emma nodded. “Yes, I was friends with her older sister.”

“She moved out this way and is getting married in a couple days,” Roger said.

“Right in the middle of the blueberry festival? I can't say I would have done the same thing, but each to their own,” Emma said. “Well, it was awfully nice for you to drop by for a visit while you were in town.”

“I know it's short notice,” Buck said, “But we were wondering if we could crash here for a couple of days? We had reservations at the Chester Inn, but-”

“Stay here?” Emma interrupted. “We only have one guest room.”

“I could sleep on the couch and Buck and Shirley Sue could share the guest room,” Roger said.

“Oh no, I will not let this house fall into depravity,” Emma said. “Shirley Sue can stay in Rachel's room. You boys can share the guest room.”

“But,” Buck protested. “We know how shy Rachel is. It's not fair to make her uncomfortable. It's really not that big of a deal if Shirley Sue stays with me.”

“That's funny,” Emma said. “I don't remember going to your wedding and I don't see a wedding band on that finger of yers.” She glared at the hand Buck had on Shirley Sue's thigh.

“I could always take the couch,” interjected Shirley Sue. “It would really be no trouble.”

Emma scoffed and fixed her gaze on Shirley Sue. “That would be like letting the fox guard the hen house. There would be nothing to stop Buck from sneaking down here in the middle of the night. No way, no how. Besides, I'm sure you and Rachel will get along like two peas in a pod.”

Buck glanced at Shirley Sue and she nodded. “Okay, fine,” Buck sighed.