Jelly Bean and Her Bail Bondsman

'We're going to Florida!' I was thinking as Danny picked me up and spun me around, 'September is a perfect time to go there as it won't be too hot. It will be wonderfully and gloriously warm and sunny to enjoy the sand and the surf.

Danny told the client on the phone, his ex-partner Duke Marion, and of course Danny wouldn't accept a fee, that he was bringing me, his fiancé, to meet him.

I adore thinking that, 'fiancé, fiancé, fiancé and fiancé!'

"Can we make it a vacation sweetheart?" I asked excitedly as I put my arms around his neck to kiss his lips, "We will dance on the beach in the moonlight" KISS, KISS, "but I have to buy a bathing suit and some sun dresses first," KISS, KISS, "I'd love to see manatees in the wild.

I know! We will visit the Everglades and ride on an airboat and........."

"One thing at a time, Anita," my grumpy bear said laughing, kissing my lips and then putting his finger on them to keep me from talking, "I love you and your enthusiasm is catching. We'll talk about it on the way home, deal?"

"Deal," I agreed kissing him again.

Mom, Dad, Aunt Joyce and Uncle Bart got out of the van taking this opportunity to stretch their legs and Dad asked me, "What was that telephone call about, Anita? Will you two love birds stop kissing long enough to tell us? Is it good news?"

"Were going to Florida on business; Duke needs Danny's help. He has a fiancé and I have a fiancé; isn't that fabulous, Dad?"

"It's fabulous for Duke Marion, whoever he is. Who is he?"

"Duke Marion is my old partner from my bounty hunting days, Pops. He taught me the thinking man's way of doing the job."

"Well, I hope you aren't going to chase down fugitives with him again; you might be hurt or killed!" Mom said alarmed, rushing over to put her arms around Danny to hug him, "I won't stand for it. I absolutely forbid it!"

"Yes ma'am, I won't. I promise, so please don't worry," Danny replied hugging Mom back.

"Thank you, but I'll always worry because that's my job," and Mom kissed his cheek, "What kind of business trip is it then?"

"Duke retired five years ago. He became bored with all the free time on his hands and started doing volunteer work to keep busy; however that's not the amazing thing about it."

"What's the amazing thing?" Dad asked.

"Duke found his "soul mate" his words, at sixty-one years of age while working for Literacy Volunteers of America." "What's so amazing about that?" Mom asked, "That's how it should be."

"You have to know the man, Mary. Although he's a gentleman, Duke is shy around women. He get's tongue tied in most one-on-one social situations with them.

My partner fell in love with a retired Librarian. Although I've never met the widow lady, I doubt Sarah McGovern is anything but shy. Poetry and her church are Sarah's passion."

"Well then, I definitely want to meet, Sarah," said Dad.

"I'm sure his fiancé must be a special woman to draw the shyness out of him," Mom added.

Duke is also a voracious reader; just about anything he can get his hands on to improve his mind and broaden his knowledge of the World. He reads Westerns for fun and some poetry."

"Poetry for the soul," Mom said knowingly.

"Yes, it is poetry that brought them together."

"That's all well and good but does he read the Bible?" my Dad asked, "Is Mr. Marion a religious man?"

"He can give you a run for your money there, Pops; Chapter and Verse. Let me put things in perspective. Duke was born in Oklahoma. His father, deceased, was a Baptist Minister of the fire and brimstone persuasion and they didn't get along well, although they did make their peace in the end. He now attends a Methodist church with Sarah."

"I'd like to meet both of them someday. Invite them to the wedding" Dad replied.

"Who's wedding?" Danny asked.

"Anita's and your wedding, son", dad replied putting his arm around Danny's shoulder and giving a brief hug.

"I take it I passed the muster, then."

"What muster?" Mom asked.

"That's between me and my future son-in-law, Mary. We men have our secrets too you know. You were saying about Mr. Marion, Dan."

"They are considering purchasing an established bookshop with a coffee bar located on prime real estate. There's a large four bedroom apartment above the mentioned store. There are shall we say some encumbrances. They want my legal advice on how to proceed."

"Encumbrances; now there's a thousand dollar word if I ever heard one," my Uncle Bart broke in, trying to make a joke.

"Encumbrances or as some may say, suspenders; or as the Brit's call them, braces; to hold up Tiberius's trousers underneath that ridiculous white tuxedo, ha, ha, ha, OK, don't laugh. I think it's funny, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha....ouch! What's that for Joyce?" My Aunt Joyce pinched his ear.

"That's for never taking me to Fort Lauderdale Florida!"

"Oh, really, I see... so obviously I deserve that pinch," Uncle Bart replied and grinning from ear to ear.

"You certainly do, Bart!"

My Uncle Bart put his arms around my Aunt Joyce's waist and kissed her lips. I've been watching them act silly like this from the time I was a little girl and noticed such things.

"So, Blondie," Uncle Bart tugged her thick long blonde braid, "you want to go where it is warm and there is sunshine and lots of water?"

I noticed that Danny was watching them intently so I squeezed his hand. Danny leaned over and whispered, "Do you want to invite the family to join us?"

I whispered back, "Later, just watch."

"Yes, and you know what that means, Bart; lots of amore'.

"Well then, Joyce my love; your wish is my command."

Uncle Bart scooped up Aunt Joyce in his arms and started walking down the road with her.

"Bart! What are you doing?" Aunt Joyce shrieked laughing but not struggling as she put her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek, "put me down; do you hear me?"

"There's a secluded pond up the road surrounded by trees and it is sunny and warm out," Uncle Bart explained walking away and winking, "I'll see you folks in a bit; I'm going to throw Joyce in to get some amore'."

"Give me a hand with the ice chest will you, Dan?" my father asked as he opened the back doors of the van "They're going to be gone for at least an hour and we might as well have a bite to eat while we wait."

Danny lifted it out by himself saying, "It's all right Pops, I've got it."

After Mom and I put down a blanket on the grass to sit, Danny put the ice chest down and asked Dad, "Are they always like this?"

"They have been this way for as long as I can remember; Palmer women!" Dad explained throwing up his hands kiddingly, "Don't you get any ideas, rubber duck; you're not married to my daughter yet......"

Danny and I landed at the Fort Lauderdale Florida Airport with a rental car waiting for us. Actually it was a Jeep Wrangler 4 x4 with a removal hardtop. Think of it as a go anywhere convertible when the top is off.

I chose this model so we can drive right down to the ocean if need be. As Mr. Skinner's personal secretary I'm in charge of scheduling his appointments and making our travel plans.

Aunt Joyce and Uncle Bart will be driving down in the van to meet us in five days and spend three more. We will then all drive back together. This means five days of making love anytime we want too...... or at least until they checked into the room next to us.

Dad is planning to have it out with my Uncle Bob and we also heard something through the grapevine about Danny's mommy dearest. We heard that Susan Douglas left her husband and is filing for divorce now that their son is married off.

We won't be meeting with Duke until Wednesday afternoon and I wanted to go to the beach which incidentally is a few minutes' walk from the first floor patio of our hotel room.

There is a small beautifully landscaped upscale mall close by with interesting boutiques that I want to explore for my bathing suit. There is also a shop selling diving equipment. Danny promised to get us masks and fins to do some snorkeling.

I went into the bathroom after we checked into our room to change into one of my sun dresses. I wanted to surprise Danny.....actually I have a few more surprises in mind for my love...............

One of Anita's surprises for me as she walked out of the bathroom was the dress. It's white with pink roses and green leaves with a v-neck that buttoned partially down in the front. It has a white lace collar and lace on the short sleeves.

Anita's dress is form fitting without being tight to enhance her five-foot-five-inch dancers figure. My beautiful Anita is also curvy and round in all the right places besides being quite strong for such a petite woman.

Anita's thick auburn brown hair was put up in a loose sexy curly bun with stray tendril curls strategically hanging down. My precious jelly bean was wearing little or no makeup except to enhance her soft brown eyes.

Anita's beautiful eyes make my heart melt, as does her laughter that I liken to the tinkle of little silver Christmas bells.

"How do I look, Danny?" Anita asked putting her arms around my neck to kiss my lips, "do you like my new dress?"

"You look beautiful, jelly bean. Of course I like your new dress; you're such a girly-girl," and I put my arms around her trim waist to crush her to me gently to kiss her sweet lips long and deep, thinking, 'sunshine and little silver Christmas bells.'

"You forget to say, Sir grumpy bear, that I'm a tough girly-girl," Anita said in deep voice like the Papa Bear of a well know children's fairytale. She messed up my hair vigorously and then smoothed it back, "not to mention I love you... and you love me.... and we're engaged!"

"Why of course, baby," I replied, stroking the soft hair at the nape of my neck, "you are the sunlight of my soul......."

Danny was dressed casually when we left our room. I bought him two pair of tan cargo shorts for our little vacation to go with the muscle shirts that I adore seeing him wear; both are perfect for this climate.

Danny wears these shirts strictly to be comfortable; on the plus side they show off his barrel chest, lean ropey muscles and flat washboard stomach. Add his thick black hair and blue eyes; mix everything together and you have scrumptious eye candy and he's mine.

We went to the dive shop first to get our snorkeling equipment and then to the boutique to get a bathing suit for me.

Many people don't realize how much easier it is to swim with fins, or the distance one can cover with much less effort than without them. The mask and snorkel have their obvious advantages; particularly in salt water.

We also bought several maps and charts, planning on exploring the shoreline to look for secluded little beaches inaccessible from the shore.

The boutique carried some of the "Victoria's Secrets" line of clothing and a nice selection of bathing suits. I didn't initially intend to select a skimpy one that showed too much skin, let alone wearing one in public; such minimal garments are for Danny's eyes only.

Nonetheless, I'm a Palmer woman; therefore, I was going to tease my man to keep things interesting as well as keep him on his toes.

My handsome grumpy bear sat patiently in a cane back chair outside of the women's dressing room as I walked in-and- out modeling different bathing suits for him.

All of them were reasonably modest; his favorite was a one piece bathing suit in teal green. I didn't tell him it was mine as well; pretending I couldn't decide.

Now for Danny's surprise; I came out of the dressing room into the busy store wearing a scandalous two piece that might as well been two pieces of red string for all that it covered.

"Anita!" Danny exclaimed coming out of the chair like a cannon ball from a double charged cannon and grabbing an oversized beach towel from the shelf.

Danny wrapped the towel around me. He quickly ushered me to the changing room, closing the door and giving me little or no time to react.....wow, so far so good.

"There is no way you'll be wearing that in public. I'm surprised at you, Anita."

"But I look nice in it," I replied, trying to feign hurt indignation, "I'm just trying to look sexy for you."

I put my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing while imagining the look on his face.

"Of course you look sexy in it; too sexy!"

"Then what's the problem? My Aunt and Uncle won't be here for five days; when did you get so puritanical and prude?"

"Jelly bean, I don't want to argue with you. You're my fiancé and I simply won't allow it."

"Allow it! I hardly need your approval to buy a bathing suit, Danny. I'm buying it. Furthermore I'll wear it anywhere else I feel it is appropriate and that's final!"

"Anita," Danny said quietly, and I know that serious tone well, "Will you please be reasonable. There is nothing wrong with the teal one; you look lovely in it. I'll buy them both. You may wear the red when we are alone together."

"I am being reasonable? You're the one who is being unreasonable when all I need is one bathing suit."

At this point I had already changed into the teal green bathing suit when I heard a female voice on the other side of the door, perfect.

"Excuse me, you're not allowed back here, Sir. There are ladies waiting to use the other dressing rooms."

"Yes, of course you are correct and I beg their pardon and yours," Danny replied.

I was standing on a chair looking over top of the door watching them. Danny's back was to me as he turned on the charm with Debbie the salesclerk.

"Please give us a couple of minutes. This is our first trip together since we announced our engagement and we're very much in love. I'm sorry I got a bit carried away.

My fiancé' will take both bathing suits. Here's two hundred dollars," Danny gave her two one-hundred dollar bills; "we'll meet you directly at the register."

"But, Sir......."

Perfect....I threw my dress over the top of the door causing Debbie not to finish her sentence, bingo, it landed on Danny's head and he took it off not missing a beat as I quickly got off the chair.

"There you see, ma'am, my lady will be out in a minute. We will also purchase two of the extra-large beach towels on sale on the shelf to the right of the cash register. Any color will do and I thank you for your patience."

"I want red ones to match my bathing suit please," I said from behind the door.

"My lady prefers the red towels and again my apologies for any inconvenience I have caused."

"Well, I suppose it won't hurt to give you a couple of more minutes. I remember when I was first engaged to be married. I'll have everything rung up when you get there."

"Danny, I'm coming out," I announced sweetly; Danny put his hand on top of the door to keep me from opening it

"Are you wearing the teal green bathing suit, Anita?"

"No, I'm wearing the red one and here's the tag," I replied, reaching over the door to hand him the price tag.

"Why don't you wear your dress and then you can change into your red bathing suit after I take you out to lunch?" Danny suggested as he draped my dress over the top of the door.

"No! You let me out right now, Daniel Skinner. We're in Florida now and all the women dress like this. We'll find a restaurant that has a patio and dine outside."

"Very, well, Anita," Danny said as he stepped away from the door, "apparently there is no reasoning with you," and he walked out of the boutique with our diving gear heading for the diving shop and if he was going to return them for a refund.... I quickly got dressed.

"Danny, Wait!" I shouted running after him with my packages and his change.

"I don't want to talk about it, Ms. Jones," He replied, raising his voice slightly as he continued walking into the dive shop.

"But Danny, I was just having a little fun with you, see, I'm wearing my dress. I'll treat you for lunch," I said now walking beside him; he wouldn't even look at me.

"Right, some fun," he replied eyes straight ahead, "you behaving badly and embarrassing both of us. What a reasonable way to start our first vacation together," he was angry and I felt terrible; apparently my joke and teasing went a little too far.

I dropped my packages and got in front of him to put my hand on his hard chest to stop him. My grumpy bear stopped however his face was very stern and uncompromising.

"Please Danny, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

Danny stood there studying me; contemplating to choose his words carefully as he always does. Danny hardly ever raises his voice to me even when I stretch his patience to the limit.

"Will you please talk to me," I asked while thinking, 'He's never been this angry with me before," I thought noticing some customers watching us very much amused.

"Fine, Anita, we will discuss this unfortunate incident here and now.... for the sake of our relationship."

I was thinking, 'Our relationship? Oh Danny, you're scaring me, what do you mean by that?'

"I'm....." I started to say, when Danny took his index finger and put it over my lips to silence me; as he did during my interview on the first day we met.

The day I spilled coffee on him and broke his crystal candy dish.... I dropped my hand from his chest looking down.

"A man can take only so much, Anita," Danny said sternly, lifting my chin with his thumb and forefinger to meet his blue eyes, but I didn't dare, not when he is like this. He used this same tone in the restaurant with those bikers. I closed my eyes waiting for him to admonish me.

"You almost had me, baby," he said laughing and my eyes popped open to look at him.

Danny wasn't angry at all; he was grinning from ear to ear with nothing but good natured mirth and love for me in his baby blue eyes.

"You...you....."

"Grumpy bear," he suggested in a deep gravely voice before he grabbed and tickled me to make me laugh and squirm, "Really, Anita, puritanical and prude? I wish I had a camera to take a picture of the look on your face a few moments ago."

"How did you figure it out?" I asked putting my arms around his neck to kiss his warm lips. Danny returned my kisses, crushing me to him gently....everything was perfect with the world again.

"When you stood on the chair, baby," I saw you out of the corner of my eye on the floor-to-ceiling-mirrors on the walls opposite the dressing rooms."

"Do you want to know what I think, Mr. Skinner, Sir?"

"I'd love to hear it, Miss Jones."

"I'm horny," I whispered as I messed up his hair and then pushed it back, smoothing it in place.

"What a coincidence, Miss Jones," he whispered back, "so am I, and since we're here I'll purchase the diving knife I've been contemplating....."

We returned to the hotel room and Danny unlocked the door to let us in, closing it and locking it behind us. As I was walking over to the bed, Danny playfully swatted my butt making me jump and drop my packages. I spun around to look at him as I rubbed my smarting bottom.

"It's my turn, Anita," he grabbed me and threw me on the bed holding me down on my stomach with my arms held firmly but gently behind my back.

Yes, Danny taught me how to defend myself, including how to use firearms; we practice weekly. Include every dirty trick in the book to use in a pinch if I can't retreat to safety; however this was just our usual playfulness.

"Yes, Sir", I replied meekly going along with the game, "Are you going to ravish me?"

"I am," Danny replied as he held my two small hands in his much larger left hand, pulling up my dress and pulling my panties down and off with his right.

What a scrumptious and saucy defiant little morsel you are Miss Jones."

"Yes Sir, I am, and you adore saucy and defiant."

"Yes I do," Danny replied letting go of my hands and getting off the bed," come here baby." I did getting up and walking to him to put my arms around his neck and kiss his warm lips.