Searching For Satisfaction

Toni Scott

Chapter 1

The sun broke through the blinds in her room, and she stirred, trying to hide her face from the light. She was not ready to get out of bed yet. Feeling lazy, she might stay in bed until her husband returned from his new job. Besides, she didn't think she could face up to spending the day alone with her new father-in-law. He was still a stranger to her!

Karen Lind… she had been Karen Thompson until last week. The courtship had been fast. She was working as a librarian in Oceanside, a military base on the California Pacific Coast just north of San Diego, when she met Jerry. Tall, handsome in his uniform, waiting there for his discharge, so he could return to his home and run his father's hardware business.

At twenty-five she had committed her life to that of a spinster. Men were all so strange to her. When her mother had finally died after being bedridden for ten years Karen felt a sense of relief. She realized then that instead of spending her young years learning about boys she had run straight home from school to take care of her mother.

And her mother had been no help in teaching her about sex.

Since Karen's father had fled the coop years before, her mother hated all men. They were beasts, brutal, always craving sex… Karen was frightened to death of men… until Jerry came along.

He teased her into going out on their first date, even letting her pay her share of the movie and the late supper afterward. Since he had been a perfect gentleman on that date, Karen consented to see him again. It was the fourth date in as many days before he even kissed her goodnight. Although the kiss was tight and brief, Karen decided he would probably be the only chance she would ever have at a man.

They were strolling along the Oceanside beach when he proposed. "Karen, I like you very much. You are nice, easy to get along with, and attractive. My life is cut out for me. My father wants to retire, even though he's only fifty. He wants to get some traveling in, and he wants me to take over his business." He kept talking, and Karen wondered if he was ever going to get around to his proposal. Later on, he finally did, "I'm going to be working about seven days a week, and I need somebody to take care of the house and to raise my children."

For a minute Karen was tempted to ask, "What children?" but she knew he was talking about the children they would have together.

"I want to marry you, Karen. I can't offer you much excitement, but I will be a good provider."

And that was it… no on-the-knees proposal, no champagne, no bells.