Nipping it in the Bud

Richie walked back from the mailbox opening their cell phone bill and stopped on the driveway as he glanced over it. It was what he suspected and he intended to put a stop to it.

“Toni,” he called, closing the door.

Toni was in his den with the duster, “I’m in the den.” She was busy dusting his shelves.

He tossed the bill at her and waited.

Toni picked it up from the floor and turned to him, “What are you throwing at me?”

“Have a look at it, who is it we know in Sydney Toni?”

Toni looked at the bill, six calls to Sydney but she reasoned they were…mostly…return calls. “Travis.”

“Yeah, a quick hello and how ya doin’ doesn’t take an hour does it?”

“No.”

“So what’s going on here, something I need to know about?”

“There’s nothing going on Richie, he’s in Sydney.”

“Yeah I know he is and burnin’ up your cell phone…want I should send him the bill to pay?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” She lay the bill on his desk.

“This is going to stop Toni…no more. Do you understand? I understand he’s having a rough go of it but it’s not your problem. Unless you want to make it our problem.”

“I don’t Richie, truth I don’t.”

“I don’t like him calling you, I don’t want you talking to him for hours on the phone do you understand?”

“Yes, what am I going to tell him next time he calls?”

“Hand me the phone and I’ll tell him. I’ll tell him you’re my wife, a woman I love more than anything else in this world. And I will tell him to leave you alone.”

“I’ll tell him, tell him not to call anymore, I can’t help him.” She met Richie’s eyes, the man she loved was right here in front of her. Tossing her duster down she went to him and put her arms around his neck. “I’ll tell him I love my husband because I do.” She kissed his mouth.

“Can I trust you to really do that or do I need to call him right now.”

“You can trust me love, you can, I will do it.”

Richie kissed her soundly and left her to her dusting. He walked out in her garden and called Travis.