I sat by my fire ring with a simple fire burning on this cool November day. My fire ring was hidden by bushes from the street twenty five feet away in two directions and privacy fence on the third side. The south side was open to my front yard. Most people didn't even know it was there if they didn't go out at night. Like most evenings, I burnt a fire just to fulfill the tradition of the fall hunting and camping trips I use to make. Now I am disabled and unable to walk through the woods anymore, it hurt not being able to do those things. I now sat here inside the city limits, by a fire and dreamed of the bygone days.
She ask if she could set by my fire, I wasn't about to turn her away. My wife was gone, do to cancer. I was lonely and my friends and family had failed me. I never had company; no one had been to see me in over six months.
"Yes, I would welcome the company." I said.
She sat in one of the other lawn chairs I had out, just waiting on someone to park their butt in them. She was blonde, about five feet, four inches. She weight maybe one hundred thirty pounds, thick but not overweight. Her large breast pushed up and out of the deep V neck collared tee she was wearing. Her denim jacket tailored to her slim flat belly; the faded jeans she wore were skintight and showed her lower curves, the wide hips and thick thighs right down into her boots. The over the knee leather boots with the spiked heels added to her sexiness.
"I'm Sassie." She said.
"Joe," I said, "Before you get comfortable. I have to ask, "How old are you?"
"Settle old man, I am eighteen, my dad and I just moved in down the street. I was out for a walk and seen your fire. I miss my friends; we use to burn a fire every night after school till it got to cold. I hope you don't mind the company?" She asks.
"No, I don't, I am alone here, someone to talk with would be good. You are welcome here anytime I am burning wood." I said.
"Thanks, I haven't seen many other people my age around here." Sassie said.
"Most of them work and drive now. I couldn't tell you just how many older teens there are around here." I said.
"Joe, what do you do?" She asks.
"I am disabled with bipolar disorder, partially blind. I write short stories, and novels. I've had a few stories published but still working on the novel to sell." I said.
"Wow, a writer, could I read some of your stuff" She asks.
"Do you have "Word"?" I ask.
"Yes" She said.
"I will load a flash drive for you. I must tell you some of my stuff is erotic in natural." I said.
"That is good, something to remind me of you." She said.
"Me, an old man, why would you think of me?" I ask.
"Old man, I like my men mature, these boys have no idea what a girl wants." She said.
"Your right there, but I remember those days, we have to learn the hard way." I said.
She smiled and poked at the fire with a stick then she added several more pieces of wood. I sat there watching her in the firelight. If I was just thirty years younger, I would have her. I shook my head clearing those thoughts away. Hell, I had daughters ten years older than her. She looked over at me and smiled. I smiled back at her. The fire reflecting off her golden hair making it look reddish. We talked and kept the fire going for another three hours that night. I didn't watch TV so that was no problem.
The next day I loaded a couple of dozen stories onto a flash drive for Sassie. I done my house and yard work for the day, about four in the afternoon I went out and started a fire. If this kept up I would have to find some more firewood. Just after dark, Sassie showed up.
"What's your father think of you staying out after dark?" I ask.
"He works second shift, he leaves at four, I have chores to do then I am free till bedtime. I choose to come here rather than sit in front of the TV and veg, you are far more interesting." She said.
Tonight since it was still in the fifties, she was wearing the jacket and what looked to be nothing but a bra under it. She had on different jeans and the same boots. She wore a blue bandana over her hair.
"Where are you from?" I ask.
"A place you probably never hear of." She said.
"Try me, I have been around." I said.
"Williams Center, Ohio" She said.
I choked on my drink, "I know Williams Center. I grew up half way between Sherwood and Ney, about a mile west of the high school. What is your last name?" I ask.
"Frost" She said.
'You're Elias Frost's daughter?" I ask.
"No, his granddaughter" She said, "You know my grandfather?"
"Yeah, we went to school together. I haven't seen him since. I didn't get along with my classmates. Don't let that stop you from coming over. I have changed some since then. I also know your great uncle, Gray." I said.
"Yeah, I don't know him to well. He and grandpa had a fight many years ago and they don't talk to each other." She said.
The fire was dying out when we finished up reminiscing about our hometown area. It was almost midnight, so I used a solar-powered LED flood light and walked her home. Walking beside her was erotic this time of night, the clack of her heels and her giggling was enough to send a man over the edge. I stopped, letting her walk out into the beam of the light. Her body was pear shaped from the rear, large thirty-six DD chest, slim waist and hips at thirty-eight to forty with thick thighs poured into those jeans. Her small feet set the shape off nicely. At the door, she kissed me on the cheek and said, "Good night, I will see you tomorrow."
"Goodnight, dear" I said. I watched her go into the house and walked back home.
This became my routine over the next few months. We had a mild winter again that year, the nightly fires were nice, I got out and she had something to do. We burned the wood I had and was well into the next load I had bought. We had started going for walks around the neighborhood for an hour every evening. We walked and talked. Through the winter into spring, I walked with this young woman. Watching her tone up, the little extra weight coming off her body, the way her jeans loosened. She switched to shorts and tights in late March as the weather started warming. Shit, I was finding reasons to stop and watch her walk or to stop and kneel so I could study her for a few seconds. After a night at the fire, she said she had to leave. I got up to walk her home, finally the evening came. I walked her to her door, she leaned in to kiss me goodnight. I turned my cheek to her; she pulled my face back to hers. She kissed me on the mouth, after a few minutes she backed away. "Joe, I think I love you." She said.
"I love you too, Sassie." I said smiling, she stood there watching me. I turned, "Sassie, think about this, we will talk some more tomorrow."
As I walked back home, I realized I had a problem, this girl was in love with me. Serious issue here, though I loved her too, this would be a big problem. Her folks, parents and grandparents would not like it. I know I wouldn't but how do I fix it. She is now nineteen, an adult. Her dad and I had met, I told him I would look out for her, I had by no means leaded her on. We would have to discuss this tomorrow evening. I returned and soaked the dying embers with water, gathered my stuff and put it away. I went into the house; it was one o'clock in the morning. I sat to write in my journal, I was lost in thought when someone started beating on the door. I looked at the clock, it was one fifteen. It could be one of two people, Sassie or her father.
It was Sassie; I held the door for her. She was carrying a bag, "I have come to stay." She announced.
"Sassie, I love you but not like that. Now listen before you react, I do love you that way too. But girl there is over thirty year's difference in our ages. I respect you too much to do this to you. I want you to know this, and consider what you are doing. I could die tomorrow, leaving you a widow. What will you do then? Marry the next man that comes along, I hope not. I want you to get out there and live. Go to college, meet guys your own age, settle down with one of them. I love you, but I won't do this to you, damn if you only knew what this means to me. I just can't ruin your life for my pleasure." I said.
"You don't think I have not thought about this. Thirty-three years and some months divide us, I don't care. We have spent the last six to seven months getting to know each other." She said.
"Sassie, just so you know, I am recording this. I want evidence of what I told you and how we both reacted. It is for your safety as well as mine."
"Yes, of course. Like I was saying, we have spent so much time together, more together than apart. There was no sex, you never hinted at it, but I could see the desire in your eyes. I felt that same desire for you. You never said a bad word to or against me. I could see your love for me, a love you never would admit too. Even now you deny it, something that is eating at your soul. Something you want more than life itself, but you refuse to disrespect me like that. That is why I love you. Your loyalty and respect for me, something I could never find in a guy my age. You know me, I am not like any woman my age, I am far beyond that. I love you, love me back like the man you are." She said.
"Sassie, it's not that simple." I started.
The knock at the door stopped me; I turned and opened the door. Sassie's father was standing there. "Tom, glad you finally showed up, come in we were just discussing what she wants to do. I just can't agree with her." I said.
"You can't. I thought this was your idea." He said.
"No, Sir, it was all hers, I didn't know anything about it till she showed up here this morning. Oh, I knew there were feelings and ideas, but I didn't know she was this serious." I said.
"Yes, Father, he has sent me home, but I refuse to go. He loves me enough to think I am wrong. He refuses to sleep with me, imagine that. An old man refusing a young woman sex, go figure. There are still a few gentlemen on the planet." Sassie said.