Love Letters From the Grave(48)

Charlie’s bold expression took her breath away, and he held her hand for a moment. ‘Leave it with me, my darling girl,’ he said, and Molly forced herself to hold on. Hold on to that hope, and his love.

He found a cabin, somehow. It belonged to Danny’s uncle, and rested by a lake not too far away where his uncle and others would go for fishing outings.

‘We could fish all day, and be together all night,’ whispered Charlie. ‘My two favorite pastimes!’

‘I’m not sure I like being put on the same footing as a trout,’ Molly told him.

Charlie laughed, and cupped her face in his hands. ‘You are not on the same footing as anything or anyone on this earth,’ he said earnestly. ‘Just a pedestal, up with the angels.’

‘You’re a smooth talker for a tools and supplies man.’ But she kissed him, nonetheless. ‘Just a few hours, to begin with.’

Charlie nodded. A few hours would be Heaven. Heaven by the lake.



On Tuesday after work, Molly parked her car about a block away and waited for Charlie, and they drove to the cabin, silent with anticipation. Charlie held the door open for her and then kissed her as the door swung closed behind them. Then he led her to the bedroom, and they walked directly to the bed.

‘We should get undressed,’ said Charlie, tugging Molly’s blouse free from her skirt.

‘No.’ She felt unaccountably shy, more nervous than she had been with either of her husbands. ‘Let’s just lie here. I don’t want to move too fast.’

They were both shaking with excitement as they laid down, side by side, and began to exchange eager kisses while gently caressing each other. The kissing grew more intense, and Molly felt heat rising up her torso, her neck, her lips feeling scorched with passion. Charlie’s hand lighted on her stockings and began to push her skirt up toward her waist, but she gripped his wrist urgently.

‘Not any higher, please,’ she whispered.

Charlie groaned, but immediately lowered his hand down her legs, stroking the tender insides of her thighs until she felt she might explode. She writhed beneath him, feeling his desire escalating and taking a hold of him in a way that George had never been able to show. She held herself apart from him as long as she could, wishing that she were no longer married, that she could permit her lover to become one with her. His hands rose to her blouse, reaching beneath it to fondle her breasts through the delicate silk of her brassiere. He moved to push it upwards but again she stilled his hand.

‘I can’t, Charlie,’ she told him.

‘It’s fine,’ he returned. ‘Whatever you want to do or not do, that’s fine. I’m just so happy to be here with you.’

And they continued this way for nearly two hours before they reluctantly broke away. This time, they’d agreed, Molly would go home to Jesse’s and get a good night’s sleep before going to work in the morning. She doubted, somehow, that she would ever have a good night’s sleep again.

For the entire day after their tryst Charlie peppered her with love notes and letters, all expressing awe and joy at what had happened the night before. Molly felt herself blushing more with each note, and eventually had to visit the stock room.

‘You have to stop,’ she hissed to Charlie. ‘I must look as guilty as anything.’

Charlie closed his eyes, remembering. ‘No. I know exactly what you look like.’

‘Charlie, please stop. Your notes are turning me tomato red. We’re still married, and I don’t want to cause any gossip.’

At last, Charlie nodded. ‘All right,’ he said, ‘but only if you agree to meet me again tomorrow night.’

And she knew that nothing on earth could stop her.

Now that she knew where she was going, Molly drove herself to the cabin and let herself in, walking around dreamily as if this was her home, and she was just waiting for her husband to arrive.

Then he did arrive, and they walked to the bedroom like newly-weds, holding hands, locking onto each other’s eyes. It was difficult to remind herself that they were both close to forty years old, and married to other people.

They caressed each other, moving together as if they were one. Molly had never experienced anything like it, and this time when Charlie’s hands reached for the clasp of her brassiere, she didn’t stop him, relishing instead the heat of his lips on the delicate skin as he kissed and fondled her breasts.

‘Molly,’ he moaned, ‘I can hardly hold back. They’re the most beautiful breasts I’ve ever seen, ever imagined.’

His words ignited her passion still further, until she simply had to push him away.

‘I can’t, Charlie,’ she gasped. ‘Not while we’re married. Not like this.’

Charlie’s head sank to her shoulder.

‘I know,’ he said. ‘I understand. You know I would never have dreamed of stepping out on Muriel. I just can’t seem to help myself.’

She understood that exactly. It was precisely how she felt herself.

Charlie stood abruptly and pulled on his trousers. ‘Okay,’ he said resolutely. ‘Then that’s decided. Come on, Molly, get dressed.’

‘Where are we going?’

Charlie’s actions had surprised her. One moment he’d been lying in her embrace, the next he was almost out the door.