When the Time is Right

She was going to protest, but since she was hoping that's what he'd do, all she said was, "I wouldn't mind."

Brian got right behind her and once again guided her through the swing until she felt like she could do it.

Her first-ever tee shot wasn't much, but it did go a good thirty yards on the fly and was only about ten yards off center.

"All right! Not bad," Brian told her.

"Yes, it was. It was bad. It just wasn't terrible," Rita said, although she was quite proud of the shot.

She had a terrible time hitting the ball off the ground with an iron, and ended up dribbling the ball a few feet in front of her several times before connecting and sending the ball wildly off to her left.

"Oh, my gosh. I...suck!" Rita said.

Brian's eyes opened wide, but he didn't say a word. He saw her looking at him, and after a couple of seconds, she tried to sound indignant.

"That is not what I meant, and you know it," she told him as he tried not to smile.

Rik was up ahead standing by his ball, waiting impatiently for his mom and her 'new boyfriend' to catch up.

Feeling happy and playful, Rita moved closer and said, "Well, maybe I do, but you'll have to wait and see, won't you?"

Brian laughed loudly and Rita joined him as they headed out to find her ball.

"Go ahead, Rik!" Brian called to him.

He'd never chipped, either, but Rik got the ball up in the air and landed it within fifty yards of the hole. He turned around for confirmation and support and got a big 'thumbs up' from Brian and a 'woo-hoo!' from his mom.

After another whiff, a dribble, and another wild slice, Brian asked Rita if she has enjoying herself.

She put her club in the bag, stood right in front of him then said, "Yes. Very much so. Even though I su...stink. Totally."

Brian smiled then started sniffing around her.

"What are you doing?" she asked, knowing it was something silly.

"You uh, you don't stink at all. In fact, you smell pretty good to me."

She tilted her head and kind of pursed her lips and just looked at him before she started laughing.

"I have no idea why I like you so much."

"But you do, right?" he said as he put his arms around her.

"Yes. For some strange reason I do like you."

She stood on her toes and kissed him then added, "A lot."

"Hmmm. Must be my...boyish charm," he quipped with a straight face.

"Oh, great. You just had to bring that up, didn't you?" Rita said trying to be as serious as Brian.

He didn't smile or say a word for several seconds before he said, "Come on, Grandma. We better get started if we want to catch up to Rik before the sun goes down."

"Ohh! Okay! So that's how it's gonna be, huh?" Rita said as he started to walk away. "Well...see if I ever save your life again!"

Brian stopped, held out his hand, and watched Rita stand there with her arms folded as though she was debating whether or not to take it.

"Come on. Take my hand. You know you want to, so..."

She tapped her foot a few times then said, "Fine. You win," before walking over and taking it. "But you can carry my clubs. You know, since I'm sooo old."

The rest of the day was just as fun as that first hole, filled with laughter, light-hearted teasing, and some genuine praise for Rik's game.

Back in the clubhouse, they saw Don, who'd come over from his course to see if he could work out something with the manager of the course they'd just they'd just played on.

"Don. What brings you over here?" Brian asked when he saw the older man.

He explained why he was there then asked how he was feeling.

"Great, actually. I think having my heart stopped may have somehow rejuvenated me," he replied.

Don looked at Rita and smiled then told Brian, "No, I think there's another, more obvious reason you're feeling so good."

Brian put his arm around the beautiful doctor and said, "You may be right."

Rita looked up at him and said, "Ahh! That is so sweet!"

He looked back at Don then said, "Yeah, this course is...amazing!"

Rita did a fake gasp then pushed Brian away.

"Oh, you've been asking for it all day, mister," she said, trying to sound angry and tough.

Brian thought about pointing out this play on words, too, but knew better. Even so, Don got it and after stifling a laugh said, "Steady there, Mr. Wall Street. You're already on thin ice with Doctor Gordon."

In spite of all her education, Rita was a little slow on the uptake where innuendo was concerned, but she eventually got it, too.

"Oh, my. Well, it would appear someone won't be...getting it," she said quietly enough so only Brian and Don could hear as she went to see what Rik was looking at in the pro shop.

"She's freakin' gorgeous," Don said after she walked away.

"No kidding. And she's just as amazing on the inside."

"It's gotta be nice dating someone who doesn't care about your money, too, right?" Don asked.

"I uh, I haven't exactly mentioned that yet," Brian told him. "So far, she thinks I'm only a poor golf instructor, and she seems to be okay with that."

"Damn. What I wouldn't give to find a woman like that," Don said before adding, "but since I don't look like you, that's never gonna happen, but a man can dream, right?"

Brian chuckled, shook his hand, then wished him luck before going over to join his two favorite new people.

"Oh, I uh, I got the set of new clubs," Don told him. "Thank you."

"Are you kidding? You saved my life. That was the least I could do."

Don smiled as Brian continued walking away.

"What are we looking at?" Brian asked as he put his arm around Rita's shoulder.

"Check out this awesome driver!" Rik said.

"A Ping G400. That's top of the line," Brian said.

"Yes. And over $400 for one club," his mom said as she gently took it away and set it back. "The one in your bag is more than adequate."

The Pro Shop where Rita bought their clubs had used sets for sale, and Rik's entire set only cost a little more than that one club. Even that seemed outrageous to her, but they were in good condition and more than good enough to start out with. And if she ended up not liking the sport, he told her he'd buy them back for 90% of what she'd paid. As of now, it seemed to her she'd be returning her set at some point in the near future.

"How about for my birthday?" Rik asked.

"Um...we'll see," his mother said, knowing he might not want to even keep playing.

She was ignoring Brian who picked up on it immediately.

"Am I in the doghouse already?" he whispered.

She slid her arm through his then whispered back, "Uh-uh."

"So you weren't offended?" he asked, actually being serious for once.

"Uh-uh," she replied again.

"So...we're okay?"

"Uh-huh."

"You're not going to tell me what you're thinking, are you?" he said not quite as quietly.

"Uh-uh," she replied again only with a very sweet smile.

He raised his head up, raised one eyebrow, then looked down at her and said, "Okay. I got my eye on you."

She squeezed his arm then said, "Hmmm. What a coincidence. I can't take mine off of you."

She let go then went over to Rik and told him it was time to go.

"Check out these Titliest golf balls! Can we get a pack?"

His mom put those down, too, then said, "Let's go get something to eat."

Rik put them down and forgot all about golf and was suddenly all about food.

"Cool. Where are we going?"

"For what?" Brian asked.

"Someone is hungry," Rita said. "And so is someone else."

They'd played straight through without stopping for lunch, and everyone was starving.

"Have you been to Element 47?" Brian asked.

"I love that place!" Rik answered before his mom could say a word.

Rita gave him a look but couldn't help smiling.

"Yes, we have, and we both like it a lot."

"All right. Let's go get in our...element, shall we?" Brian said, knowing it was corny as corny could be.

Rita laughed in spite of the corniness. She knew she'd found this handsome, younger man attractive from the moment she met him, but he was slowly winning her heart, and even though she'd told herself she'd enjoy the ride, that scared her just a little bit. But as she put her arm back in his, she realized fear was the result of the unknown. She was taking a risk, and risks often went the wrong way, and if that happened, she could very well get hurt.

"Or you could fall in love," she told herself as she silently looked up at Brian as they walked.

Dinner was very good, but not as pleasant as the conversation which centered around their day on the links, a term Rik used several times as though he'd been using it all of his young life.

"Did you see my tee shot on six?" he said before stuffing his mouth with food.

"Oh, yeah. Best shot of the day," Brian told him. "And you chipped onto the green in one shot."

Rik smiled, chewed furiously, then said, "Yeah, but it took me four putts to get it in the hole."

"Well, putting is tough. Even the pros would have taken two shots to make that putt, so cut yourself some slack. You played really well today for someone who's never played."

As much as Rita was enjoying everything going on around her, she loved the way Brian interacted with her son. It was obvious he didn't see Rik as nerdy or geeky, but as a young boy trying to figure out who he was, and that was just one more thing she lo...liked about him.

School was starting the following week, and Rita needed to take Rik shopping for new clothes as he'd grown a couple of inches over the summer, and his feet were on the verge of busting out of all of his shoes. She mentioned it to Brian assuming he'd say something like 'oh, that's nice' but when he asked if she'd mind if he tagged along, she was thrilled to have him.

Rik was, too, and as they looked for clothes, Rita quickly bowed out and let Brian answer Rik's question about what looked good on him, mostly because Brian was the only person he asked.

"No. No way, dude," he'd say.

Then Rik would come back sporting something else and get two thumbs up.

"Yeah. Now we're talkin'!" Brian said. "That is you, my man!"

At one point, Rita found herself walking behind them and smiling from ear to ear when Brian put his arm around her son's shoulder as they walked and talked about guy stuff. She came close to tearing up again but managed to fight it off as she recalled how Jake had done this very same thing with their son the September being he died. He'd insisted on coming with them to buy school clothes, and if Kyle had brown hair, it would hard to not see the man she'd loved more than anyone else on earth walking right in front of her.

Rik saw a shoe shop that only sold athletic shoes and said, "Awesome! They have the new..."

Neither of them heard which shoe he was talking about, but both of them laughed. Brian turned around and realized where Rita had been and asked if everything was okay.

"Yes. Everything," she told him with a warm smile as he took her hand.

When they got to her house, Rita invited him in again, but he told her it might be wise if he didn't.

"Oh," she replied, trying hard to hide the disappointment which Brian read on her face.

"No. You don't understand," he told her as Rik ran inside while they stood on the porch.

"No. I guess I don't," she told him.

"It's you and me. Together."

The disappointment turned to hurt as she tried to make sense of this sudden change.

Brian took her face in his hands and said, "You're still not getting it."

Rita just shook her as if to so, "No, I'm not getting it."

"If I made a lighthearted comment about 'getting it', would that help?"

"No. Not really," Rita said, sensing she was indeed missing something; something that was clearly very important.

"Today. All the innuendo. All the teasing about...sucking and...getting it, and..."

"Oh!" she said, her smile returning.

"Yeah. See, you drive me crazy, doctor. And in all the best ways possible. So while I'd like nothing better than to come inside, I'm afraid if I did, things could get...out of hand."

Rita's heartbeat quickened as she realized what he was saying. He wanted to be with her, but the timing wasn't right. It was too early, and while he enjoyed being with her son, the fact that Rik was there meant...he couldn't be.

"I could continue the innuendo, you know," she said with a happy smile.

"Oh? How so?"

"Well, you just said you'd like nothing better than to...come inside...and then made reference to things getting...out of hand."

Brian smiled back and laughed a bit before he said, "I love that you're brilliant and also so playful."

She thought about reminding him he didn't say 'beautiful', but that might come across as needy, even though she was experiencing needs she hadn't felt in over two very long, 'needless' years.

In reply to his last comment, Rita said, "Relationships are many things. One of those things is love and intimacy. Without them, it's little more than a friendship."

"But we are friends, aren't we?" Brian asked as he put his hands on her waist.

"I'd like to think so," she told him. "But...is that all we are?"

"I'd like to think not," he said while trying not to smile.

"Same here," she said.

"So maybe...boyfriend and girlfriend?" he suggested.

Rita smiled and said she'd like that. Very much.

"I really do wonder if you know just how beautiful you are," Brian told her as he put his arms around her. When he spoke those words a bolt of...something...shot through her body.

"I haven't felt beautiful since Jake was alive," she told him as their eyes danced. "At least not until I saw you in that hospital bed. Alive and well and laughing and joking around. The way you looked at me when I walked in was a..."

She hesitated then asked, "Is 'game changer' too strong?"

"Not if it's what you felt," Brian replied. "And I can tell you, I felt the very same way when I saw you. The beautiful woman who saved my life."

Now he paused then put his hand on her face then told her, "The woman who's also...changed my life."

"Brian? If the golf course hadn't bought the defibrillator kit, I wouldn't be able to take any credit, but...thank you just the same," she told her, her eyes never leaving his.

Brian understood full well he wouldn't be around to give her credit, and her modesty only made him more appreciative of what she'd done.

"It's a lot harder to love a defibrillator kit," he said, also understanding the implications of the words he was using.

"I'd make another joke about everything needing love, but mine aren't as funny as yours, and this isn't the time for humor."

She smiled again then told him, "But I do...love...being with you."

"Yeah. I love...that...too," he said, knowing she'd get that subtle implication, as well.

"I...I wanted to let you know I'm very interested in getting to...know you...a lot better, Brian," she said, doing the same thing using the biblical sense of 'knowing'.

"I'm just as interested," he replied. "When the time is right."

"Yes. Exactly," Rita said.

"May I see you again tomorrow?"

"Yes. You may see me every day, if you like," she told him, deciding to take another small risk.

"I'd...love...that, too," Brian told her, making one last attempt at keeping the theme alive.

"Well, goodnight," Rita said as she ran her hands up and down the back of his upper arms.

Brian ran his up and down the middle of her back then kissed her softly before saying, "Goodnight."

When he got home, the first thing Brian did was text Rita and let her know he 'loved' spending time with her while reminding her how beautiful she was.

She replied within seconds, and told him he was so handsome 'it made her heart hurt'.

He laughed then wrote back, "Do you need CPR? Because I can do that."

"Yes. Your lips would be nice. Just don't do any...blowing. Okay?"

She added a bunch of smiley emojis then wrote, "I do all the...blowing."

She was a medical doctor and a 42-year old woman, but she giggled when she sent it. His reply caused her to laugh.

"I'm finding it...hard...to read your texts, Doctor. They seem to be causing a whole lot of...swelling."

"Oh, my," Rita wrote back. "That sounds like a medical emergency. Are you sure you don't need some immediate attention to um...relieve the swelling?"

Brian could have done that all night with her. For that matter, he could have done her all night. But he decided to stop the sexually-charged banter and tell her something directly.

"I can't stop thinking about you, Rita. I wake up and you're my first thought. I go to sleep and you're my last thought. And you know what? I've never been so happy in all my life."

Rita gasped when she read his words. She was expecting more playfulness, but this just floored her. Her heart was pounding as she realized the implication of these words, and her hands were trembling when she tapped out her reply.

"You have no idea what those words mean to me, Brian. I had the most magnificent rush of warmth course through my body when I read them. And I want you to know, I feel the same way about you."

His reply was short but sweet: "I'm signing off for the night, but I will be thinking of you as I...fall asleep."

He wasn't sure she'd make the connection with that, but her reply told him she did.

"I'm very happy to know you'll be using me to help you fall asleep. And it just happens to turn out, I'll be doing the same thing as I imagine you kissing me for the first time...when the time is right."

Both of them did just that as they lay there fantasizing about the other, imagining what it would be like as they made love for the first time. Brian imagined her wanting a 'slow hand' and pictured himself carefully undressing her and spending lengthy amounts of time pleasuring every area of her body from 'north' to 'south'. What he didn't know was that Rita was imagining him responding to her constant hints by tearing her clothes off and nearly forcing himself on her.

Both of them came in shuddering spasms of pleasure within an hour of the other having no idea that had happened let alone the specific thoughts that 'got them there'.

The following morning, Brian texted Rita a little after 8am knowing she was an early riser.

"Hi, beautiful. Hope you slept well. I was wondering how long it's been since you've been out to Ashcroft Ghost Town. More specifically, I was thinking it might be a nice place to spend the day. Maybe a picnic lunch? Brian."

Rita was up and reading an article in an internal medicine publication when she saw his text. She was enjoying the scholarly paper, but immediately gave it up in favor of her handsome, much-younger boyfriend, a word she found also made her smile.

She picked up her phone and smiled when she read his text.

"Hi! I slept quite well, thank you, and hope you did the same. I haven't been out there in about five years, but that sounds wonderful. Rik was only seven when we went, and I think he'd enjoy it, too. I can throw something together for lunch, so just let me know when, okay?"

She nearly hit 'send' then added, "Love, Rita."

Brian also smiled when he saw her reply.

"Is 10am too soon?" he asked.

"No. Not at all. I'll get Rik up right now then take a shower and pack up some goodies while my hair is wrapped up. We'll be ready by ten. Can't wait to see you!"

She didn't add the extra words, and even though he hadn't written them, she wasn't disappointed because she had no expectation he would.

As she made their lunches, she listened to a local station on the radio and heard the weather was supposed to be warm and sunny all day. That was the good news. The bad news was colder weather was on the way along with rain within the next 24-36 hours.

She was looking forward to enjoying the last real day of summer as she made sandwiches and put trail mix in plastic bags. She knew Brian would want bottled water just like her while Rik would want soda. As long as it was diet that was fine so she put a Diet Coke in the cooler for him along with several bottles of Dasani.