Chapter 70

"Why did you do what I told you to do?" I asked.

"We've talked about that, since, and what we believe is that we wanted to do it and you telling us to do it shifted the responsibility from us to you."

"Oh?"

"That's why we did it in that moment. We've done it a lot since then. Our idea. Our responsibility."

"What happens when you get back to Oakland?"

"We have two more days before we need to be back. We're talking about getting married and telling everyone at home we just decided not to wait."

Lunch arrived and was eaten with minimal attention to the food other than to notice it was good. After the dishes were gone we had tea and talked. Mike asked the waitress who brought the tea if there were ever weddings at Nepenthe. There were and she connected us with the wedding coordinator of the restaurant.

Forty minutes later the wedding was planned and the coordinator pulled a string she had getting a license faxed from her friend at the courthouse. Mike paid for it with the coordinator, Judy, and she would pay the person at the courthouse.

We agreed to meet back at Nepenthe an hour before the wedding, at one o'clock the next day. Colleen and I hugged them both and headed back for Cambria. Our helmets were connected and part way back Colleen said, "A dollar for your thoughts."

"I'm thinking about letting the impulsive Pete loose and asking you to do something outrageous."

"We've done sex at the beach, on the motorcycle, in public. What now?"

"Let me think about it a little while longer. OK?"

"Tell me before dinner, OK?"

"OK."

We still talked and enjoyed the changing scenery. Along the coast the scene changes as the sun traverses the sky. The colors change, the ocean sparkles differently, and Colleen commented about everything she saw.

In Cambria I rode past our cottage and into town. A parking space opened up and I slid the bike in and parked.

"Where are we going?" Colleen asked.

"For a walk. Maybe a little shopping." She took my arm and we walked. She had a sly smile on her face, like she knew what I was up to. We looked in the windows of a gallery, then a market, then another gallery.

"If I knew what you are looking for, maybe I could help."

"Do I look like I need help?"

"No, but I'd like to help anyway."

The next store was a jewelry store. I walked by without even looking. Then a gallery and I looked through the windows.

I'd been to Cambria before. The next jewelry store was the one I liked, and I walked in. I walked to the diamond counter and sat down. The sales person was there in a second, "May I help you?"

I motioned Colleen into the seat beside me. Looking at the sales person I said, "Wait just a second and I'll answer your question."

I turned to Colleen and said, "I'm sixty years old and I don't want to spend one day of the rest of my life without you. Will you marry me?"

Tears had been flowing down her cheeks since we had entered the store. She had a powerful grip on my left hand.

"We're crazy, you know that don't you?"

"Yes. Is there someone else you'd rather be crazy with?"

"No! Do you mean get married tomorrow?"

"No. I want to give you time to have the wedding you want. I'll rent a tux, or wear jeans. Weddings are mostly a statement of I love you so that everyone knows. I want everyone I know to know. Women generally think about weddings a lot more than men. If you say yes, you pick the time, the place and I'll be there."

"You want everyone you know to know what?"

"That I love you."

"I can say yes without a ring."

"The ring is another way to say I love you, she's taken and someone loves this woman. I would love it if you would wear an engagement ring and then a wedding band."

She turned to the jeweler and said, "Yes, you can help us. We'd like to look at a wedding set, size seven."

Less than an hour later we walked out of the store with a small box in my pocket and a ring on the third finger of her left hand. The small box held two wedding bands.

We had time to go to our cottage and clean up before dinner. We rode over to the cottage and when we closed the door Colleen jumped me. Her arms encircled my neck and her legs went round my hips. Her lips found mine and met in joy. Somehow we got undressed and Colleen held her left hand up by her right nipple and asked, "Do you like my new ring? I think it goes well with the tone of my skin, do you?"

I agreed and we snuggled on the bed until suddenly Colleen sat up and said, "Oh damn! I have a crisis! Pete, do you know of a store in town where I can get a dress?"

"A dress?"

"Yes! We're going to a wedding tomorrow!"

"Right! Yes, I think I know a place where you can get a dress. Can I go to a wedding in jeans and a western shirt?"