by Phillip Johnson
Chapter One Hundred Sixty
Buck found Kali still dressed and half lying on the couch. He went over to her and sat her up, dropped onto the couch and then brought her back across his lap. "You okay, hon," he asked?
"I'm okay. I just wanted to be in here where it's warm and comfortable. How are you doing, Buck? You have an awful lot on your mind right now."
"Yeah I have. Damn, I hope I did the right thing."
"I really believe you did. If I was your wife and you came to me with that, I'd say buy it, so that's why I say that."
"So you really see Nita and me drifting apart?"
"I'm afraid I do. Not because of this argument. That's all understandable and can be worked out. I don't know, maybe I'm nuts. Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. Could we just talk about something else?"
It wasn't long before Buck was sitting at the table drawing some sketches of how the land could best be used. Mitch's ten acres were at the back of the development and he had to keep that in mind as he drew different rectangles and then put in homes and streets. Then he'd put that aside and draw a new one with a different layout. Kali finally went over to him bent down and kissed his cheek. "Honey, let's go to bed. I'm sure you'll think much more clearly in the morning. You look so tired right now." They went to bed and held and kissed and lay close to each other, but lovemaking was far from Buck's mind right then. Buck didn't last ten minutes before he was sound asleep.
When he woke in the morning, it was like no time had passed. He opened his eyes and saw Kali looking at him. With a smile she said, "Morning, hon."
"Morning. Kind of died last night didn't I."
"You hardly moved all night. Coffee is ready."
"You've been up?"
Long enough to make coffee and come back to bed for a few minutes, oh and it's raining." Buck was just sitting up when she said that, but he dropped back down and said, "Oh shit. That field will be a muddy mess and we don't have raingear. I have to get the acreage staked off today."
"Then I suggest we take Wendy's car and go to Ethel's for breakfast, and then buy raingear as we get the tools we'll need. Have you figured out how you want to shape the land?"
"I think so. There are so many options, but I'm going with one that will allow development in six sections. Ten properties per section, more if some of them are apartments." They took quick showers, dressed and made their run to Renovo and back. The rain had all but stopped, but it was still going to be a muddy mess as they plodded around measuring, staking, and tying string to the stakes." Then it was back to the apartment, strip and leave their muddy shoes and gear outside and went in for another shower.
There was a message waiting so Kali hit the button and heard Anita said, "I'm on my way up to get you two, and I should be there by three o'clock," and that was followed by the click of the disconnection. That was the total message. No, I'm sorry, or even any pleasantries.
Kali looked at Buck and said, "Well, she's either still very mad, or she's embarrassed by her actions. One thing for sure, she won't arrive smiling and jovial."
Buck was stuffing his dirty clothes into his small suitcase when Anita came into the apartment and he heard Anita say, "Hi, Kali." Her voice didn't sound cheerful, but there wasn't that note of bitterness he expected to hear either. Rather than go right out, he stood there pretending to finish what he was doing as Anita asked Kali, "Where's Buck?"
"In the bedroom getting ready to go home."
"Buck," she called out, "I'm here." Again her voice sounded neutral so he said, "Be there in a sec, Nita." He paused for another moment and then went out bag in hand. "I'm as ready as I'll get," again no small talk. They locked the apartment and headed home with Buck in the backseat, content to look out of the window and not talk. Kali and Anita shared some conversation because Anita wasn't mad at Kali, but overall it was a quiet ride home. They stopped in Wilkes-Barre for dinner, and then dropped Kali off at her apartment and in a short time they were home. It was time for their discussion because what Anita had done had to be discussed.
Buck unloaded his bag in the laundry room and put the suitcase in the cupboard behind him. He found Anita sitting in the chair in the living room so he sat on the couch and said, "Well, let's get on with this, Nita."
"Buck, before anything is said, I have to apologize for leaving you stranded there. That was childish of me and I'm sorry."
"Thank you, so let's put that behind us. The real issue is the land as I see it."
"That's a big one that's for sure." She was looking at him and there wasn't an edge to her voice so perhaps they could have a calm discussion about everything.
"Nita, have you thought anymore about what I said about not having any time to consult you?"
"Yes. I think Faith was just being Faith and just showing her power over you, or at least that no doubt was her perception of what happened. If they are there tomorrow to survey the farm, I'd be very surprised."
"But remember, we had no way of knowing that. My only option was to say yes I'll take it, or no I'll pass. I asked her for fifty acres and even that was more than would be needed, but that's the number that jumped into my mind right then. I'd have been just as happy with fifteen acres, just enough to put a few more houses on. My hope and plan is to just develop a small square of that land and then sell the rest. Of course if that square did great I'd want to do one more section before selling out."
"But don't you see, you are gambling not just with your money, but our money. I'm an equal partner in this mess that I didn't want. We were doing fine as we were. We're far from poor you know."
"I know."
"So you think you can sell that property just as it is for twice what you paid for it."
"I already have an offer," but he wasn't going to tell her it was from Mitch. "I'm smart enough to know that wouldn't happen overnight, but it's worth more than that even."
"Buck, I want a divorce." Buck just sat there looking at her. "I'm sorry. I still love you, but not enough anymore. You've changed."
"Don't look now, but so have you. You've changed a lot in fact. I still love you too, Nita, but now that the shock has passed, I have to say I'm not that surprised."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because you've been seeing handsome Doug, and I mean behind my back. Seeing him and not telling me in advance or even after the fact. Here and other places." He didn't know about the other places part, but he decided to throw that in and see what she said. It was her turn to be surprised. She studied him and then looked away as she tried to decide what to say in response. "Nita, look at how our lives have changed. We go to Phoenix Lane and at the drop of a hat we fuck other people. No romance, no checking with each other. Oh, we might be together, so it isn't a secret, but there is no hesitation. I'm just as guilty of that as you are and it's taking its toll on both of us. How in the hell can we continue to live that way and not experience big changes in the way we think and respond to others?"
"Buck, what do you mean I've been seeing Doug?"
"Nita, it wasn't hard to spot. Even Kali figured it out and was going to tell Doug it was over between them."
"Then why didn't you say something?"
Buck was dancing on a thin line between truth and lies. "I hadn't decided what to say or do. I wanted to talk to Kali about it, just on the off chance I could be wrong, but of course I wasn't." He wanted her to believe he knew everything in the hopes she might share more information with him. "When we were swapping with Layla and Mitch, I was sure that if we got a divorce, it would be so we could marry them and, for Layla and me at least, that came fairly close to happening. We weathered that, but not without cost. It was just one more pull, one more thing to nudge us farther apart. At the time, we blew it off as a grand experiment that we survived and moved on with no damage done. We were wrong, of course."
"Buck, I'm sorry. I really am."
He wiped tears from his eyes and asked her, "So how do you want to go about this?"
"I don't know. That damn land purchase really complicates thing though."
"So that's part of the reason you got so raving mad. You were afraid that would utterly destroy your plans, yours and Doug's." She didn't deny that. "So you knew even then that you were going to divorce me."
"No, I didn't know then."
"Nita, you had to be very close to it, because that happened less than forty eight hours ago and I don't think you came up with this idea and acted on it in that short span of time."
There was a defensive tone in her voice as she replied, "No, of course not. I've been thinking about it for months, but I hadn't decided." Now she was crying as she let her tears slip down her cheek and said, "Buck, this is the hardest thing I've ever had to do. We've done so much together, shared, and endured so much together. But we both know you and Kali will be together soon."
"We may be, but I just don't know right now." Buck's head was tipped back against the high backed couch and he looked at the ceiling. There was no hope of thinking clearly and making objective decisions at that point.
"Buck, neither of us has to hurry and move out. We need time to sort this out and come to an agreement on the property and money and so forth."
He was still looking at the ceiling as he said, "I can't believe we're having this conversation. I'm going for a walk to see if some cool air will help me to think. I'll be back in a little bit," and he went out through the front door and disappeared down the sidewalk.
Chapter One Hundred Sixty One
Buck and Anita never did lose their temper with each other over the coming days. She finally admitted that her reaction to Buck's announcement to her about buying the acreage, was fueled by how it would complicate, and possibly delay, going through with the divorce, but it was much later before she would admit that she and Doug planned to be married. They continued to live together as they sorted through possessions and finances, but Buck now used the guest room instead of them sharing a bed.
Anita told Layla and Mitch, and the two women had some heated conversation over that, but in the end, Layla had to admit that what Nita was doing wasn't any different than what the four of them had planned to do at one point.
The thing that helped Buck over the next couple of weeks was talking to Mitch almost every night about what could and should be done with the land that Buck now owned.
At first, when Buck told Kali about the divorce she cried, because she thought she might be the cause of it, or at least a major contributor, but she and Anita finally talked and they worked that out. Buck had lunch with Kali and they talked about where Buck was going to live, because it was decided that Anita would get the house and contents, and Buck would have the acreage and future profits from it. That meant that Buck could lose his ass, or come out of it in good shape, and it could be a long time before he would know which it would be. As he and Kali talked she said, "I wish I could tell you to come live with me, Buck, but I don't think that would be a good idea until you better know your feelings. You and I have shared too much, and without a doubt that would interfere with your decision making."
"I know. That idea came to me early on and I'm still not sure it would be a bad idea, but hearing you say it that way, I can't argue with you."
"Do you really think the divorce thing came about because of her being with Doug?"
"I doubt I'll ever know for sure, hon. I know she cares for him a lot. I know you were right that day when you said Nita and I were drifting apart. I know that things in our past damaged our relationship more than we ever realized or would admit to each other or ourselves. I really don't think it was any one thing, is what I'm saying I guess. She did love Mitch, and she still does, but not as intensely now. That took a toll on her.
"So you and I being together in Discovery, contributed to the divorce too then."
"I'm sure it did. She put on one hell of a brave face. I was in awe of her strength. But now I'm convinced she was trying to bury her feelings and pretend it never happened. Now add those damages to her issues with Mitch. It had to pile up on her. I loved you just a little too much. Had she known how much I really did love you, it would have been over right then."
"So you don't love me that much now, is that what you're saying?"
