I could have married into the Pedernales Falls Winery up river, but did I listen to Dad, no." Jana puffed at sweat soaked blond bangs, hefted bushel basket of peaches into the back of truck. "I could have married the rich lavender farmer down the east rapids, but did I listen to Mom, nope." The former Stonewall Peach Jamboree and Rodeo Queen grunted under the weight of yet another peach basket. "And did I listen to my best friend Amy to for sure not marry that poor peach farmer smack dab in the middle, nooooo!" That last basket did not hit the truck bed lightly.
"Be careful," Daryll warned," or my Tuetonic warrior princess will bruise the peaches." He loaded basket of peaches next to hers.
"Bruise the peaches? Bruise the peaches!" Jana unleashed arched right eyebrow in Viking berserker stare, grabbed and jerked Daryll off the ground into her arms.
In her zealous embrace the squished and squirming, boot dangling Daryll managed to squeak out, "You... are... bruising the peach."
"I'll bruise my peach if I want to," Jana matter of facted, gave Daryll one hard and long kiss. Daryll quit squirming. Jana sat him down on truck tail gate, had to steady him to keep him from falling over. "I see my peach is a bit fuzzy," Jana smiled at a kiss well done.
"Yeah," Daryll croaked, "passion and lack of oxygen will do that to a fella."
"Just exactly what are you saying, Daryll?" Jana's brain teetered on edge of... was that a compliment or a too often as usual Daryll dig? Affection or affliction hung in precarious balance.
"Precious Lady," fortunately Daryll's mood swing radar activated, "you take my breath away just like the day we first met."
"Fifth grade, what a calamity," Jana giggled, "you were out of breath alright. Those Beasley brothers were kinda kickin' the air out of your lungs for defending my honor."
"They should never have made fun of you for being so tall," Daryll frowned.
"And they shouldn't have skinned up my fuzzy little peach." Jana sat down beside him on tail gate. She took Daryll under arm, hugged him to her.
"Yep, once the scent of my blood stained my Tuetonic warrior princess' nostrils, you sorta lost it." Daryll glowed awe and admiration of his wife. "Was that a one or two week suspension Principal Haney gave you for whuppin' those two boys?"
"Just a week that never happened, cause when their dad, Mr. Beasley, got the truth out of them, he whupped them again." Jana reminisced.
"And the next day Mr. Beasley took them to school and told Principal Haney, then Haney whupped 'em the third time," Daryll slapped knee, chuckled, "but I guess its better, much better to be whupped now than eternally forever later. They did sorta straighten up after that, been good neighbors ever since."
"And we've been together ever since." Jana looked into the eyes of her man, leaned in, gave him kiss. "But we better get busy. These peaches are not going to load themselves," She sighed, stood, was about to lift her man from tail gate...
"Well looky here," Daryll smiled, "I think I might just see two truckloads of reinforcements driving through our orchard front gate. Kinda looks like our wealthy neighbors, that winery fella and lavender farmer you were lamenting about earlier."
"The Beasley brothers!" Jana retightened her pony tail, straitened her blouse. "You knew," Jana accused, "you knew they were coming, didn't cha, Daryll!"
"I'm a peach!" Daryll grinned, admitted, "All I did... was pray."
"Yeah, every peach has its pit." Jana arched that right eyebrow... just before she hugged him tight... and said, "That's why I married you, Daryll, because the heart of my little peach is the seed of Jesus."
In silence the Beasley brothers and their families gathered round Jana and Daryll. And as all, as one, gazed out upon the hills and hills and hills of ripe peach laden trees, Daryll quoted Jesus: "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth laborers into his harvest." (Luke 10:2 KJ)
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