Darcie's Messy Holiday

Welcome back everyone! Mom and Ashley initially laughed when I suggested mud volleyball for the Fourth of July, but Ashley came around first and then Mom decided she was on board. I went home and called Dad back later that evening to give him my idea.

You want to do what now? was his response.

We're just going to go ahead and play in the mud, I replied. We want to set up the volleyball net out in the silt for mud volleyball. We'll have an area where people can play and slide through the mud and you can swim in that soupy stuff out by the raft. You don't even sink!'

Speaking of the raft, Dad said, I hear it was your idea to dive into the mud and swim out to get it and the slide all muddy.

Well I just dove in the mud, I replied. It was Ashley's idea to get on the raft and use the slide. And Mom enjoyed herself out there too.

That's what I hear, Dad stated. I could hear his voice lightening up. Dad cared as little about us getting wet and muddy as kids as Mom did and thought we were just as funny. Well, this little idea of yours is sure to get it even muddier out there than it is right now. The three of you better be ready to swim out with scrub brushes and wash it down once the water fills back in.

So we can plan on having a mud party for the Fourth? I asked.

Just as long as you don't expect all of the women to wear business suits, he replied. He'd been waiting to spring that line on me. Mom must have shown him the videos we shot.

Unless they want to, I shot back once we both stopped giggling at the idiotic thing I'd done. But you only live once, right?

That's up to them, but if you show up and dive in the mud dressed that way again, I'm pretty sure you'll be the only one, he said and added, Oh, by the way, since it was you who started all of this, you and Ashley get to wade out there and set up the net.

Mom gets out of it, huh?I asked.

Rank has its privileges, he replied.'

' After we hung up, a scene that would make a funny wetlook video came to me of Mom, Ashley and me having to swim out there in skimpy French maid's costumes to clean the raft. I figured it best to keep that to myself. Well, maybe I'll tell it to Jim, or maybe I'll act it out for him by myself!

The First of July was my last day at work for a week. I was officially on vacation, but as usual, being part of management meant I was on standby to come in and help man the desk if things got busy.

Jim and his girls, Paula, Carly and Bailey flew in on the 2nd. He was really getting the frequent flier miles. Mom, Dad and Ashley took the girls to Hurricane Harbor so we could have some alone time and find a use for the fifty cream pies I made!

Jim dropped part one of the big development that I mentioned in the last chapter on me. He was moving here! His company had an opening in its training center and they offered it to him. I asked if he had anything else he wanted to say to me, but he would only say, Maybe later.

Dad made me call everyone and tell them not to dress up for the Fourth, as if anyone did anyway. The whole family always ended up in the pond. Brad's wife, Danielle, thought the mud volleyball idea was great. She and Brad met at a mud run. He still had that old extended cab and they still take their kids, Brad and Lizzy, to the Louisiana Mud Fest every Labor Day.

Jacob was on board immediately, but his wife, Samantha took some convincing. She was a city girl and had some of the same ideas about proper swimwear that the control freak had. She was the one for whom pushing it was going in the pond without taking her shorts off that she wore over her swimsuit. Jacob had been able to get her in the pond dressed before, but it took a lot of convincing on her part and a lot of peer pressure from the rest of us once all of us were wet. She told me firmly that Mud is not for swimming in.

I told her, That's okay. If you don't want to get all the way in, you don't have to, but at least promise you'll play volleyball with us. It's just family. You already know we're nuts. She promised me that much. I also told her that there might be some playing with the hose or sprinkler and that we all probably would go down to the creek to swim too.

It looked like the silt was going to dry up on me, but a heavy thunderstorm the night before the holiday got everything nice and gooey again.

Jim and his girls checked out of their hotel on the 4th. Mom and Dad made everyone sleep over at their house when they came for Independence Day. Why? Because it's a summer holiday barbecue and we live in Texas so to say that there was going to be a lot of drinking was the height of understatement.

I'm not going to dwell too much on what happened during the day. The story of what transpired during and after the mud volleyball tournament in college was so much better anyway as will be my follow up story on that. Needless to say we all got muddy playing volleyball, but somehow Samantha managed to stay the cleanest of all of us. The kids couldn't wait to jump in the soupy mud and swim out to the raft. Jim pulled me in. Brad pulled Danielle in and Dad threw Mom in and jumped in after her. Ashley didn't have anyone to throw her in so Jim and I caught her and did it. That left only a relatively clean Samantha standing in the yard with a pretty muddy Jacob who had been an aggressive volleyball player we'll say.

The thing that surprised me was that Sam usually showed up for our backyard picnics in her bathing suit with a t-shirt or tank top and running shorts or maybe a knit mini-skirt over it. Today she was wearing a pair of khaki cuffed shorts and a camisole tank with no sign of a bathing suit. I had told her that we'd be playing in the water as well as the mud.

We were all chanting Mud, mud. Samantha begged him not to dunk her, but it fell on deaf ears, or maybe they were just clogged up. I know the feeling. He threw her over his shoulder and started running for the drained out pond. Samantha was screaming at first, but then I heard it. She was laughing, finally accepting the inevitable. Jacob sloshed across the silt and fell face first off the drop off, taking Samantha with him. She popped up in the viscous mud sputtering and made her way out to the raft where most of us had congregated.

Are you all happy now? she asked, trying to sound annoyed but the laughter cracking through gave her away.

I keep telling you, Sam Mom began, you have to learn to live with that sort of thing if you're going to be part of this family.

Samantha snorted mud out of her nose and shoved her hair back. Even through the muck covering her face, I could tell she was grinning. I think I've finally learned my lesson, Kate, she said. My life just isn't going to be normal anymore.

I never heard Sam grumble or get mad about getting thrown in the pond or anything like that ever again. In fact, she and Jacob actually went to Mud Fest with Brad, Danielle and the kids this year. We were girl-talking later and she finally told me that it was the whole mud volleyball thing that finally got her to loosen up. Jacob had told her to just understand that our family does crazy stuff together a lot. She finally met him halfway. She would join into the silliness whenever the family was together and that sort of stuff started up. Any other time, they decided on a safe word that meant whatever he was trying to do to her, he had to stop. That meant he could ignore her pleading NO. It made watching him do things like carry her into the mud that much funnier because she always screamed. Once she'd loosened up, she realized that letting go and acting like idiots together was a great stress relief.

After we rinsed most of the mud off, we had a big food and pie fight. Danielle, Ashley and I had made up simple pies with crust, Kool Whip and food coloring. Jim nailed me several times, (Yippee!) but I got him back with a bowl full of dark chocolate. Sam was the one who shocked us since this was before anyone knew about her new agreement with Jacob. She let herself get absolutely covered! She kept acting like she was going to pie one of the guys, but would always end up getting plastered in the face. She finally gave up and nailed herself. In any case, we were glad she enjoyed herself. I think we may have an addiction to getting pied in common. After the food fight, we all went back and jumped in the creek.

We had to call off the fireworks because it started raining. It wasn't a storm, just a steady, warm rain so most of us and all of the kids went back to playing in the mud. We added grass stain to the mud stains and food stains on our clothes by sliding through the wet grass in the yard. Samantha even joined Mom, Ashley, Danielle and me in a five-way mud-slide on video!

Dad had found the old outdoor shower and we used that to get initially clean before taking turns in one of the real showers inside. I thought it was hilarious: Taking a shower outside, only to sit out there in the pouring rain waiting to take a shower inside.

It was cramped quarters sleeping that night. I was in bed with Ashley, which ironically was my old room since she and I shared it from the time she left the nursery to when Jacob left for college and I took his room for one year. Other people were scattered around the house except for Brad and his family who were in their camper he pulled with his truck. Jim and his girls were in the basement.

I lay there awake in my panties and white t-shirt listening to the rain fall outside, (Mom still liked to open up the house at night in the summer time.) knowing that my one true love was two floors under me. I slipped out of the bed and quietly found a pair of gray running shorts in my bag and pulled them on. I made my way to the basement, carefully stepped over Paula, Carly and Bailey who were in sleeping bags on air mattresses on the floor and found Jim on the basement futon.

Want to go for a walk with me, lover? I whispered in his ear.

He rolled over and gave me a sly look, then tenderly kissed me, the most passionate kiss either of us had ever had Oh wait; I've used that line.

It sounds like it's pouring out there, he said.

It is, I replied, and I'm wearing a white t-shit with no bra underneath.

Well then I'd love to go for a walk, he said.

Jim was sleeping in a pair of knit boxers and an old muscle shirt that he'd cut the collar out of, so it doesn't choke me when it bunches up. He put on a pair of army green cargo shorts, but I saw him rummaging through his bag and put something in his pocket. We stepped out of the back door into the rain. Even at night the rain was warm and inviting.

I can't get over how good being out in the rain feels down here, he said. I'd be getting the chills up home if it were raining like this, especially at night.

Soon you'll be here full time and able to experience it whenever you want, I said and took his hand. We headed down the lane toward the woods and creek and were soaked through before we even got out of the backyard.

My shirt was totally transparent of course, and my nipples both protruded out at attention. I saw Jim staring down at them. Go ahead. Second base is waiting for you to steal it. I giggled as he spun around in front of me, pulled me up into a kiss and gave my boobies a good feel. It wasn't the first time he'd done it this trip, but it was the first time he'd been able to today.

Walking through the rain was so romantic. We made it to the clearing and the creek. Totally drenched already, we waded right into the deep swimming hole our neighbors had created with a small dam. The cool creek water made my nipples really stand out through my transparent shirt. Jim pulled me in close for another long kiss. At first I wondered why two hard things were against me and then I realized that there was definitely something in his pocket.

Want to go up to the waterfall? I asked.

Lead the way, sweetheart, he replied.

We got up there and Jim led me right underneath the cascade. I loved being under the falls. They were just the right size and the water never felt like it was going to knock you over.

I'm really happy you're moving here, I said. I can't wait until I can come over and have you all to myself whenever I want.

I wanted to talk to you about that, he said. I was going to do it tomorrow, but I can't think of a better time than now. They didn't just offer me that job, I've been trying to get in with the training center ever since the girls fell in love with you as much as I did.

My heart started beating faster. Was this going to be what I hoped it was?

After Sarah was gone, he went on, I couldn't imagine myself that happy ever again. Darcie, you've given me a second chance at finding my one true love and I don't want to ever think that we aren't going to spend every possible moment we can on this Earth together

I was beginning to cry. My tears mixed with the falling water and the rain. Jim reached into that pocket where I felt something before and pulled out a now rather water-logged ring box. Flipping it open he asked, Darcie Moore, will you marry me?

OH YES! I said and wrapped my arms around his neck to kiss him long and hard. What a totally romantic proposal: A rainy night under a waterfall!

He slid the ring on my finger. Sorry that the box is waterlogged, he said, offering it to me. I know some women like to keep them.

Who cares about a box? I said, tossing it over my shoulder. Holding up my ring I added, I'm NEVER taking this off and the water ain't gonna hurt it!

I didn't wait for him to make the first move. We were alone and I wanted him BAD! I yanked my shirt over my head and threw it to the bank. Jim was eyeing me with that I'm gettin' laid, smile that guys get when they know they don't have to work for it. What am I saying? He's never, ever had to work for it with me anyway. Oh, you are about to get SO lucky, I said as my shorts went the way of my shirt. Normally I would have let him catch up to me, but I caught him off guard and I was enjoying it. I yanked my panties down and threw my naked body at him. I pulled up at the bottom of his shirt. He was laughing at my anxiousness.

Hurry up and get out of those! I scolded, backing off and putting my fists on my hips. He complied, laughing even harder at me. I love clowning around and making him laugh during sex. As soon as he tossed his shirt down, I went for his shorts and underwear. I went right down on the rocky surface directly underneath the waterfall. It was rough, but Jim rolled up our clothes into a pillow for my head. Ladies, if you're listening and you ever get a chance to take it under a waterfall, do not hesitate. I'm not sure if it was the cascading water or the rain or just the fact that we were outside, where even though it was unlikely right now, anyone could have walked up on us, but something really charged us both up. Out in the woods, where I didn't have to worry about someone on either side of a hotel room or apartment walls, I cut loose with an orgasm moan that is still drifting over East Texas. We've set a summer wedding date and Jim said that going out there late at night and screwing my brains out is going to be a wedding anniversary tradition. Who am I to argue with that?

Even on rainy nights it never gets very cool at night in East Texas in the summer. We cuddled naked in the grotto behind the falls until nearly dawn when we finally put our wet clothes back on and walked out to the clearing to watch the sun rise together. I pulled him into the swimming hole for a quick dip, mainly to make sure my t-shirt was good and wet again. Won't be the last time my t-shirt gets wet for him.

We walked back to the house after sunrise, completely soaked. Mom and Dad were both early risers and were having coffee on the screened in porch when we got back to the house.

Figured when neither of you was in bed you'd come strolling in here eventually, Mom said. Did you enjoy your swim?

I'll say I did! I said and presented my left hand. Mom had that look of shock any woman reacts to an engagement ring with. Dad just smiled. I wasn't worried about letting the cat out of the bag with them. Jim told me on the walk back that he had already had the talk with my dad.

Mom woke everyone up to tell them the good news. Jim's youngest Bailey absolutely melted my heart when she asked if I was going to be her new mommy. Getting an instant family just meant that I was getting even more love.

Well anyway, I know you guys aren't that interested in all of this romantic stuff, that's why I kept this short. The family decided to make mud volleyball an annual Independence Day tradition, but we're not going to drain the pond to do it. Dad's just going to till up the yard in a couple of places and hose them down to make the volleyball court and a mud-slide.

After everyone else had gone home and Ashley had taken his girls down to the creek, Jim and I were sitting on the back porch. He was holding me and I was staring at that addition to my left hand, like I had been all day.

I'll have to say that this has nearly been the perfect Fourth of July, he said idly.

Nearly perfect? I asked. What could possibly be wrong?

He continued his playful banter. I have one regret.

And that is?

The sly grin on his face told me that I was in for it. I loved that look. He replied, I never got to see you mud-sliding in your business suit in person.

Well I asked for it, didn't I? I had one of my newer uniforms with me in case I got called in so I wouldn't have to drive to my apartment. I didn't even try to put up an argument, but I did make him buy me a new one. Jim said it was worth every penny!

Guys, one parting note: I'll be right back with my follow up to what happened the day after that big mud-volleyball tournament back in college. Don't miss it!