Pamper Yourself

“No, no, no you’ve done enough Jan today you stay in and pamper yourself,” Travis insisted.

“But I’m not through in the cow sheds, I…”

“Yes you are, I got people in to do the work now I won’t have my wife out mucking cow shit.”

“Travis…”

“No Jan I’m sorry you had to work in the mud and mire, , I’m going to take you out to dinner tonight at Andy’s.”

“I’m not it sort of put me in touch with this place.”

“You’re through touching,” he smiled and kissed her forehead, “unless it’s me you’re touching.”

“Have they scraped the road out yet?”

“Honey we got bulldozers all over the place scraping everything, you don’t worry.” Travis picked up his hat and headed for the door.

“Travis, I love you.”

“I know, ain’t I a lucky son-of-a-bitch.” Then he was gone flashing that smile that melted her knees.

Jan hadn’t said anything about her knee but two days of working had taken its toll. She went back to her bedroom and slipped on the brace she kept in the closet. She didn’t want Travis to see it or know that she had any pain. He wasn’t aware she had a brace but then she hadn’t needed it in a long time.

Travis was back in a couple of hours after seeing everything was being taken care of. Jimmy Kelp had given him some figures and he walked into his office tossing his hat in a chair and sat down at his desk. They ended up losing two head of cattle but the winter feed loss was the worst. That meant he was going to have to truck it in. His phone rang and he ignored it for a moment before picking up. It was Miss Peeg from his solicitor’s office. He absently held the phone to his ear only to hear her come back and say Mr. Roberts would have to call him back. Travis threw the papers on his desk and ran his hand through his hair that was another lurgy waiting for him, Tee’s natural father. He would deal with that as he had to because he wasn’t giving up Tee.

Jan’s laughter trailed down the hallway and he got up and stuck his head out the door. She was going toward their bedroom with a stack of laundry. He had been surprised at how she had taken to country life, he thought he might have a few problems there. Something about the way she was walking caught his eye and he followed her down the hall.

“Jan, you okay honey?”

“Travis I didn’t know you were back, yes I’m fine.”

“Hmm, well if you were a horse I’d say you were going lame, have you hurt yourself?”

“I’m obviously not a horse nor am I going lame, just a little soreness that’s all, I’m not used to physical labor.”

“You shouldn’t have been out there you know, do you miss your yoga classes?”

“Yes actually I do, I was going to ask you about that, there doesn’t seem to be anything going on in The Glen, perhaps in Coffs.”

“Why not get your own instructor and have them come out here?”

“I hadn’t thought about that, I suppose I could.”

“Do it, and Jan, put the laundry down and go get in the whirlpool, you don’t have to do anything here.”

“Yes I do Travis, I have to do something and taking care of our clothes and linens is my job.”

“Jan, get in the whirlpool and soak your sore muscles, you’re supposed to be pampering yourself today.”

“I will,” she said putting away their clothes.

Travis sat down in one of the easy chairs in their room and watched her move around. She was obviously favoring her left leg, he remembered her injury. “Your knee is bothering you isn’t it?”

“You don’t let go of a thing do you? Yes it is a bit.” Jan walked over to the alcove in the corner and started the water in the whirlpool. “Are you going to join me?”

“I might.” He was waiting until she undressed so he could get a look at her knee, it was like her to hide pain. The last place she ever wanted to go again was to a doctor’s office or to therapy. Jan slipped into her dressing room thinking she’d get the brace off before he saw it but he followed her.

“So what is it you’re trying to hide from me?” he asked softly.

Jan looked up from the bench by her dressing table, “This,” she said opening her robe. “I hardly ever need it, in fact it’s been months almost a year Travis.”

Travis knelt down and unstrapped the brace and held her knee in his hands, he could see it was swollen. He kissed her knee and looked up at her, “Don’t ever be ashamed of this Jan, I know you like to project perfection and you are perfect, as perfect as I’d ever want you to be. You have to recognize the fact you can’t always do what you want to, mucking out the barn and the cow shed was just too much for you. You should have stopped or said I can’t do this. Nobody expected you to do that kind of work, I pay people for that.” He smiled a sideways smile, “you’re a little hard headed aren’t you?”

Jan nodded her head, “I guess I am, I don’t like to be told I can’t do something.”

Travis pulled her to her feet, “you can do anything you want as long as it’s not going to hurt you, but I’ll tell you right now you won’t be mucking out here on the farm ever again so you can get pissed at me or get in the whirlpool with me.” He said brushing her lips with his.

Jan met his eyes for a moment and a slow smile began, “whirlpool.”