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Copyright 2004

By Monday morning, Rob’s eye was indeed a palette of colors. The swelling was gone though, and so was the soreness. He had asked Chelsea to supervise his boys, so both Paula and Jenny could be at the arena with he and Bruce to meet their newest employees. He knew he had to establish control from the beginning, or all hope would be lost. He decided to include Sam for good measure. It never hurt to have a well-trained dog on the welcoming committee.

Ron drove up at promptly 8:00 and Rob made Sam sit quietly by his side. As the boys got out, he listened to see if Sam growled. He didn’t. That was a good sign. He had learned to trust Sam’s instinctive reaction toward people.

They were a motley looking bunch. All of them were overweight by Rob’s standards, especially for teenagers. None of them were any taller than Paula. They all wore the kind of baggie jeans and sloppy tee shirts that had become popular among kids. The kind of clothes his own sons had never even wanted to wear.

“Morning, Rob,” Ron greeted, “Good Lord! What happened to you?”

Rob smiled, “Squabble with my brother.”

“Terry, huh?” Ron chuckled, “Did you give him one to match?”

“I pulled them apart,” Paula informed, “Terry owes me big time.”

“Did you hear that, boys?” Ron looked at the three teenagers, “She pulled them apart. Don’t underestimate Paula.”

“So,” Rob looked at the line of boys, “Who have we got here?”

Ron introduced them, “This is Ross Wilson, Trevor Bates, and Austin Radcliff. Boys, this is Rob Jackson. You’re in his hands now and whatever he says around this place is the law. He’ll either be your best friend or your worst nightmare. I strongly suggest the former. Rob, they’re all yours.”

Rob walked along in front of them sizing them up as the sheriff drove off. Ross was the biggest, probably the oldest of the bunch. His jeans hung the lowest and his black tee shirt had the logo of some band Rob didn’t recognize. His hair was dark and cut with a razor above his ears and around the back, then long on top and left to flop down. He had an earring in one ear.

Trevor was the lightest of the trio. Still too thick in the middle, but not what Rob would have called a beer belly. His red tee shirt bore a sarcastic rude comment that Rob wouldn’t have used in mixed company. His blond hair was cut short and spiked on top with gel. He had a gold stud in his nose.

Austin definitely had a beer belly. He wore a blue tee shirt to advertise the product responsible for it. His red hair was thick with curls and his face covered with freckles.

Bruce, Paula and Jenny all stood patiently as Rob surveyed the boys. They were much as he had expected, and he could tell their silence was about to break. None of them could maintain this serious tone much longer.

Rob decided to spare them, “All right, guys, first things first. This is Bruce, he works here in the mornings. This is Jenny, my daughter-in-law, she’s here most of the time. This is my wife, Paula. All of these people have the same authority in this stable as I do. You will treat them with complete respect.

“Now,” he was pacing in front of them, hands clasped behind his back, “This is a business and a public place. It is a family environment. Many of our patrons are homeschool families and there are small children around quite often. There are several rules that I will enforce vehemently. We treat all women like they are ladies—which means we open doors for them and call them ma’am and show them the respect they deserve.”

Ross was rocking on his heels now and looking at the ground. The other boys were watching him. Ross was definitely the ringleader.

“We don’t use foul language,” Rob continued, “or the Lord’s name in vain. We don’t make obscene gestures or tell crude jokes. There’s no smoking or drinking on the grounds. And I shouldn’t need to tell you that drugs are illegal.”

The other boys were rocking on their heels now and Rob sensed they were about to show themselves. Time to get down to business.

“Ross,” he singled him out, “How old are you?”

“Fifteen,” he answered, “I’ll be sixteen in November.”

“You ever ride a horse?” Rob asked.

“No,” he confessed, then rolled his eyes as the other boys snickered.

“Trevor,” Rob turned his attention to the next boy, “Do you know how to muck a stall?”

“How to what?” Trevor grimaced.

“Austin,” Rob ignored him and moved on, “You ever throw hay?”

“Throw it where?” Austin laughed.

“None of you are dressed appropriately,” Rob observed, “And I would assume you don’t own attire designed for the kind of work you’ll be doing here. Jenny, run to the office, please, and grab a pencil and note pad.”

“Yes, Sir,” she ran to do as she’d been told, then reappeared quickly, “What would you like for me to do?”

“Write down these boys’ sizes,” Rob instructed, “Then take Jason with you and go shopping. Buy them each three pair of real jeans and three shirts. We’ll deduct the cost from their wages.”

“Hey, you can’t do that,” Ross objected.

“I most certainly can,” Rob stepped over to him, “And today, you will all turn your shirts wrong side out. The people who represent my stable do not endorse bands, beer or vulgarity. You will all wear the clothes I provide when you are working. You will leave them here and one of your duties will be to launder them when they need it. You will ruin your shoes mucking stalls, so we’ll provide boots also.”

“I think we probably already have some that will fit,” Paula spoke up, “Shall I go look?”

“Please,” Rob nodded, “And bring Jason back with you, so he can go with Jenny.”

Trevor said something under his breath and Ross snickered.

“Trevor,” Rob told him, “The only thing around here with nose rings are bulls. If you wish to wear something in your nose, I will be glad to accommodate you with a bullring. Otherwise, I suggest you lose it. And, Ross, you need to lose the earring too. Even the ladies don’t wear them when they work around here. It’s a safety issue.”

“Yeah, right,” Ross rolled his eyes.

“I’d hate to see your ear ripped off,” Rob said in a mocking tone, “When you’re old you might need something to hook your glasses on.”

“Lots of boots,” Paula returned with Jason. They each had their arms loaded with old rubber boots in various colors and sizes.

Jason looked at the boys, then grinned, “Hi, I’m Jason.”

They all looked at him wide-eyed. He was wearing faded jeans and a plain white tee shirt. He was taller than any of them and lean and muscular. He looked like he was at least their age, maybe older, yet his voice hadn’t started changing yet. Rob realized they must be wondering why someone their age sounded so young.

“Jason’s my son,” Rob introduced, “He’s twelve. Later, I’ll show you several of his inventions we incorporated into the stable when we designed it.”

“Mom says you want me to go with Jen,” Jason dumped the pile of boots, “Anything special you want?”

Paula started helping the boys try on boots and Jenny wrote down their sizes. Rob stepped back to talk to his son, while watching out of the corner of his eye.

“Just be sure she gets clothes appropriate for them to work in,” Rob told him, “And I thought you might like to help her. You don’t get many opportunities to do things without your brothers.”

“OK, Dad,” he smiled, “They look like they’ve never even cleaned their room, let alone a stall, don’t they?”

“They’ll learn,” Rob winked and reached for his wallet to give him some money, “This should cover clothes for them. You and Jenny can stop and get lunch somewhere, too.”

“Dad?” Jason put the money in his pocket, “Can I get something too?”

“Like what?” Rob reached for his wallet again.

“I’m working on something special for the Fourth of July,” Jason explained, “If Jenny’s taking me to town, I could pick up some parts while we’re there.”

“How much?” Rob grinned.

“Fifty ought to cover it,” he informed.

“Fifty?” Rob handed him more money, “It had better be special. Is it legal?”

“I think so,” Jason mused, “At least out here it is.”

Rob laughed, “OK, now you two run along. Jenny, Jason has another errand to run while you’re in town. I gave him money to cover everything.”

“OK, Daddy,” Jenny ran over and kissed his cheek, “Tell Mitch I’m sorry I won’t be here for lunch. I miss him already.”

“I’ll tell him you’re out carousing with his brother,” Rob teased, “Have fun.”

“Everyone has boots now,” Paula announced.

“Good,” Rob had to stifle a laugh. The rubber boots with the baggie jeans and tee shirts turned inside out presented quite an image. “Bruce, let’s show these guys how to clean stalls.”

It was a long morning. It took forever to clean the stables with these three boys tagging along. Jason was right. None of them even knew one end of a shovel from the other. They were all huffing and puffing before even Paula had worked up a sweat. He was torn between working them to the breaking point and going easy on them so they didn’t collapse.

Mitch showed up at lunchtime and surveyed the lot. By that point they were all hot, sweaty and dragging. Bruce excused himself to go clean up and leave for the clinic. Paula had already left to go clean up and make lunch. The boys were all moaning and groaning, collapsed on bales of straw.

“So this is it, huh?” Mitch asked.

“Um-hmm,” Rob nodded, “I sent your wife shopping to get them some decent clothes. She said to tell you she misses you.”

“How cruel,” Mitch pouted, “I was expecting to sneak her into a dark corner somewhere while I was here and take advantage of her.”

“Did you talk to Terry?” Rob ignored him, “What happened when you took the car back?”

“He was shocked when I drove up,” Mitch reported, “But I just explained that it wasn’t wise and she no longer needed it. I didn’t give him a choice. I told him that I’m home now and I’ll see to it she’s taken care of.”

“Did Jenny find anything out when she talked to her?” Rob quizzed.

“I think our suspicions are correct,” Mitch told him, “Linda has set her sights on Terry and wants to be rid of Bob. She did tell Jenny point blank that they haven’t been to bed together, though. Jenny told her mom that she will not support her if she finds out they’re having an affair.”

“OK,” Rob sighed, “Thanks, Son. I feel better about it now. I’m glad you’re back to help.”

“Do we get a lunch break?” Austin whined.

“Get up,” Rob ordered, “This is my oldest son, Mitch. He’s Jenny’s husband. He’s my partner in this stable, so he’s your boss too. This is Ross, Trevor and Austin.”

“So can we eat?” Ross begged, “We’re hungry.”

“Did you bring lunches?” Rob asked.

They all looked at each other in dismay. Obviously bringing lunch hadn’t occurred to any of them. Now they were really moaning.

“I bet Mom will feed them,” Mitch posed, “What do you think, Dad? We could take it out of their wages.”

“Aw, man,” Trevor groaned, “Here we go again.”

“Would you rather work all day on an empty stomach?” Rob asked.

“No,” Ross answered for them, “Please feed us.”

“Hey,” Rob grinned, “You even said please. Come on, let’s go up to the house and wash up. We’ll see what Paula has to feed us.”

Rob marched them all into the mud room, showed them where to put their boots, and led them to the bathroom to clean up. He could tell they were genuinely tired and hungry. They had all passed the point of being cantankerous mid-morning and were now almost sheepishly following him around.

When they went into the kitchen, Mitch, Chelsea, and the twins were already eating. Paula had Rob’s place set and ready for him. She was still working at the kitchen counter.

“Boys,” Rob introduced, “This is my niece, Chelsea, and these are my twins, Kevin and Keith.”

“Hi,” everyone smiled.

“This is Ross, Trevor and Austin,” Rob indicated, “and they are about to perish from hunger.”

The twins giggled and Rob gave them a look that stopped them. Paula turned around with a tray. On it there were three glasses of water, a plate with three sandwiches and another plate with fresh vegetables and dip.

“Here you go,” Paula handed it to Rob, “There are other plates stacked underneath. They can eat out on the porch at that table.”

“Very good,” Rob took it and led them out, “Here you go, boys. You might want to tell her thank you before you go back to work. A word of gratitude goes a long way with Paula.”

“No complaints?” Paula asked when he sat down to his lunch.

“It’s hard to complain with a whole sandwich shoved in your mouth,” he chuckled.

“What are you going to do with them this afternoon?” She asked.

“Well,” he posed, “I wondered if you’d like them in the garden? Aren’t the green beans ready to be picked?”

“Oh yes!” Paula was enthusiastic, “Can I really have them pick beans for me?”

“Sure,” he grinned, “Give them ball caps, though. They’ll get baked out there in the sun. None of them are used to that kind of work. I’m sure they don’t have a clue how to pick beans.”

“We’ll show them,” Keith offered.

“Yeah,” Kevin agreed, “We’ve been picking beans forever.”

“All right,” Rob laughed, “I’ll hang around close to make sure they behave.”

“Any problems so far?” Mitch asked.

“Not really,” Rob shook his head, “Some whining and moaning. They don’t like getting dirty. It helps to have someone around like Bruce though, that always calls me Sir.”

“Is it all right if I go home this afternoon, then?” Chelsea asked, “I mean, if you don’t need me to help with your boys.”

“Fine with me,” Rob nodded, “Where’s Linda? You’re supposed to be training her.”

“I don’t know,” Chelsea shrugged, “I haven’t seen her.”

Rob looked at Mitch, then they both looked at Paula. She shook her head.

“I’ll go, Dad,” Mitch got up, “I’ll find out what’s going on.”

As he was going out, the three boys were coming in. They looked livelier now that they were no longer famished. Trevor carried the tray in and the other boys looked around the house.

“Thank you, Ma’am,” Trevor handed the tray to Paula.

“You’re welcome, Trevor,” she took it and sat it on the counter, “Would you boys like some desert?”

They all snapped to attention at that prospect, “Yes, Ma’am.”

Paula pulled a large bowl from the refrigerator and sat in on the table. It was filled with chunks of watermelon. She sat out a stack of plates and watched them all dive in.

“You boys are going to help Paula this afternoon,” Rob told them, “Her green beans need to be picked. Have any of you ever picked beans before?”

They all shook their heads, still devouring the watermelon.

“Well, my boys are experts,” Rob bragged, “So you do just what they tell you.”

Rob left the boys and Paula with their beans and went to the apartment. Mitch hadn’t returned, and he was beginning to worry. He knew Mitch had to get back to work.

When Rob rang the bell, Mitch opened the door, “Hey, Dad, come on in.”

“What’s wrong?” Rob asked, glancing around and seeing no sign of Linda.

“She was still in her robe, watching TV.” Mitch reported, “I told her she needed to get off the couch, get dressed and go help Mom with the beans. She’s feeling sorry for herself.”

“Did Jenny do everything when she lived at home?” Rob asked.

“I think she must have,” Mitch told him, “And I think Terry needs to know some of this stuff before he gets in too deep.”

“You know what I think?” Rob got a sly grin on his face, “I think Chelsea and Dutch need two televisions.”

“Good idea,” Mitch went to unhook all the cables, “Have Chelsea pull her Jeep around here and I’ll load it all up for her before I leave. Let’s see, we’ve got a TV. DVD player, and tape player. I think she needs it all, don’t you?”

“Absolutely,” Rob agreed, “I’ll go get Chelsea.”

By the middle of the afternoon, Linda was snapping beans along with the twins. Ross was digging potatoes. Trevor was shucking corn. Austin was learning how to use a hoe.

Jenny and Jason returned and Rob went to meet them, “Success?”

“Success,” Jenny beamed, jumping out of the truck and grabbing bags.

“Here, Dad,” Jason handed Rob his change, “This is what’s left.”

“Very good,” Rob put the money back in his wallet, “Show me what you got.”

They went into the office and Jenny pulled out nine pair of plain jeans, stacking them by size for the boys. Then she pulled out plain tee shirts in gray, blue and red.

“Perfect,” Rob hugged her, “Thank you, Squirt. By the way, Mitch was heartbroken when you weren’t here for lunch. Accused me of hideous cruelty for sending you away.”

“Can I go home now, so I can fix something special for dinner?” She asked.

“Sure,” he grinned, “Ask Paula for some beans and corn before you leave. Potatoes too.”

“Dad?” Jason had been patiently waiting.

“Yes, Son?” Rob sat on the edge of the desk.

“Is everyone coming over for the Fourth?” Jason wondered.

“I guess so,” Rob shrugged, “They always do.”

“Can we launch the shuttle again?” He asked, “If we move the cows this time?”

Rob chuckled. It had taken days to get the fences all fixed after their first launch of the space shuttle. They had calculated all the scientific variables perfectly and it had gone up beautifully. However, they hadn’t considered the effect such a launch would have on a group of young heifers.

“Why do you want to launch it again on the Fourth?” Rob asked.

“I have a plan,” Jason told him, “It’s a surprise. Please, Dad. I’ll help you move the cows somewhere else.”

“OK,” Rob smiled, “I guess we’d better talk to your mother about it, hadn’t we?”

When Trevor’s mother drove up in her Chevy Impala, the boys all looked glad to see her, but they didn’t greet her with any complaints from the day. She parked and got out, glancing around the place. She was blond, like her son, and a bit heavy set. Rob judged her to be no more than thirty. Must have been a teenager when he was born. He couldn’t keep from thinking of Mary. If she had taken a different path, Mitch might have ended up in a situation like Trevor was in now.

“Hello,” Rob met her, “I’m Rob Jackson. You must be Trevor’s mother.”

“Yes,” she smiled, her teeth were those of a smoker, “I’m Sonja Bates. I hope the boys weren’t any trouble for you today.”

“Not at all,” Rob reported, “They did fine. Listen, while you’re here, there’s a form I need for you to fill out and sign. Since Trevor’s 14, it requires your signature. Do you mind?”

“Of course not,” she followed him into the stable office, “Wow. This is quite a place. The sheriff said you had a good set up.”

“Thank you,” Rob dug out the form, “We like it. Do you ride?”

“No,” she shook her head, “I always wanted to but…”

“Well,” he offered, “Come out some time and we’ll let you ride one of our horses.”

“Really?” She seemed surprised.

“Of course,” he nodded, “If Trevor stays the whole six weeks, he’ll be riding like he was born on a horse.”

“You’re going to teach him to ride?” She gasped, “I didn’t know that.”

“Unless you don’t want me to,” he told her, “He is your son.”

“No,” she shook her head, “I mean, yes…I mean…Oh, please do! I just thought the sheriff had him here to keep him out of trouble and he’d be doing dirty work.”

“Well,” Rob chuckled, “That part’s true. But I don’t expect any of these boys to work their whole summer away. I’ll teach them all to ride. I’ll teach them everything I can. Today, my wife taught them to hoe a garden, and dig potatoes. My ten year old twins taught them to pick green beans and corn.”

“Hello,” Paula walked in, “I’m Paula Jackson.”

“Hi,” Sonja smiled, “I’m Sonja. Trevor’s mother. Thank you for doing this. Both of you. I can’t tell you how worried I’ve been about my son. I hate leaving him on his own all day, but I have to work. Ever since he took up with Ross, he’s been in trouble.”

“Well,” Paula reported, “He wasn’t in trouble today. Now he knows all about shucking corn. I thought you might like a few ears, so I gave him some to take home.”

“Thank you,” Sonja’s eyes were big, “Really…I mean it.”

“It’s OK,” Rob put a hand on her shoulder and walked her out, “Don’t be surprised if he’s sore tonight. He worked hard today and used muscles he didn’t even know he had. He’ll get over it, though. And Austin’s mother is bringing them tomorrow, is that right?”

“Yes,” Sonja went back to the car. All the boys were sitting on the hood, waiting, “She said she could have them here by 8:00 every morning. She works in Springfield too, like me. But I have to be there at 7:30. So I have to leave early.  She doesn’t get there until 9:00.”

“Very good,” Rob opened her door for her, “Austin, tell your mother to be here a few minutes early tomorrow to sign some paperwork, please.”

“OK, Sir,” he agreed.

Sonja looked at Austin, then back at Rob, who just grinned. He waved as they all went home tired, hot, and hungry.

~*~

The week progressed and the boys responded well to Rob. He and Bruce had them mucking stalls on their own in a couple of days. They never remembered to bring lunch, so Paula always fed them along with everyone else. After their initial reaction to the clothes Jenny had bought them, they complied and wore them. Rob noticed immediately how much better they walked in jeans that actually fit.

Each day after lunch, they helped Paula in the garden or with yard work. Then in the middle of the afternoon, Rob began teaching them how to ride horses. He started by letting them watch his own sons ride. They ran barrels, went over jumps, cut cattle, and roped. Rob wanted these boys to see that even ten year olds were capable of doing these things and doing them well. Then he assigned one son to each boy and let them demonstrate how to groom and saddle their horses and how to groom them after riding.

He put them on the calmest horses and let them all ride in the indoor arena. He left his boys and Jenny to supervise when he saw Paula come in. She motioned for his attention.

“What is it, Honey?” He asked.

“I wanted to run something by you,” she told him, “You know the Fourth is day after tomorrow and all the family will be here for a cookout at dinner, and then we’ll shoot off fireworks…”

“And?” He prodded.

“Well,” Paula shared, “I overheard the boys talking. It seems none of them have any real plans. They were talking about meeting somewhere and shooting bottle rockets at cars.”

“Not good,” Rob shook his head, “So you want me to invite them to join us?”

“Yes,” Paula nodded, “They could bring their parents, if they want. It might be good for all of them.”

“As long as Terry and I don’t get in a fist fight,” Rob chuckled, “And Bob doesn’t show up for a shoot out.”

“You don’t think that’ll happen, do you?” She asked in all seriousness.

“No,” he laughed, “I’m just teasing. I think it’s a fine idea. I’ll invite them all when we finish up here. And I’ll be sure to tell both Sonja and Sherry.”

Sherry Radcliff was also somewhat overweight. She was in her mid-thirties and shared her son’s red hair color and curls. She had been pleasant to deal with thus far, just like Sonja. When she drove up in her minivan the next morning, Rob flagged her down.

“I won’t keep you,” he greeted, “But I wanted to be sure Austin told you about our invitation for the Fourth.”

“Yes, he did,” Sherry smiled, “He’s all excited about it. We’d love to come.”

“Great,” Rob stepped back, “We’ll see you then.”

~*~

The Fourth of July started out hot and promised to only get hotter. Rob and his boys went out to clean stalls and feed cattle early, so they could come back and clean up for the festivities. Paula was up preparing food and he noticed that Bessie had joined her.

Rob expected people to start showing up in the middle of the afternoon, so he and the boys got the tables and chairs set up before the hottest part of the day. Jason had informed him that he wanted to set the shuttle off as soon as everyone arrived, so they got the shuttle and rocket launcher all set up and ready to fire.

Linda eventually emerged from her apartment and went to see if Paula needed help. Hazel had already made her way up to help. Bill was the first to arrive and Jack showed up soon after. He had become a permanent fixture at family events now. Mitch and Jenny drove up shortly before Dutch and Chelsea.

When Terry didn’t follow them in, Rob grew concerned. He hadn’t seen or spoken to Terry since their fight. He had assumed it would just blow over and Terry would show up. Maybe he had assumed wrong. Bruce drove up and immediately joined in with the rest of the family. Rob decided he’d better talk to Chelsea and see if Terry was on his way.

“Hey, Sweetheart,” he put his arm around his only niece, “Where’s your dad?”

“Home,” she grew sullen, “He’s not coming.”

“He’s still mad at me, huh?” Rob sighed, “Do I need to call him?”

“Just let him sulk,” Chelsea advised, “He’s being very childish. If he wants to sit at home and feel sorry for himself, just let him.”

“Hey,” Rob squeezed her shoulders, “Did you two have words?”

“I don’t know what’s gotten into him, Uncle Rob,” Chelsea started to cry, “He’s like a different man. I’m starting to see why Mother gets so angry with him.”

Rob pulled her into his arms, “Shhh, Honey. Don’t let this all get to you. Just because your dad and I have a little disagreement, doesn’t mean you should be upset with him. We’re brothers, things like this just happen. We’ll get it worked out, I promise.”

“Do you know what he told me?” She looked up, “He told me he intends to marry Linda! He thinks I begrudge him and don’t want to see him happy. Can you believe he said that? That’s not it at all.”

“Oh boy,” he pulled her close again, “No, of course that’s not it. Honey, I don’t want you to worry about all this, OK? It’ll get straightened out. Try to just put it aside today and have fun, OK?”

She nodded and wiped her eyes, “I’m trying.”

“Let’s go find your husband and see if he can make you feel better, OK?”

Rob left Chelsea with Dutch, then went to greet Trevor and Sonja, who had just arrived. After taking them around for introductions, he started over with Austin and Sherry. He had been debating how to handle the situation with Terry while he made the rounds. He went to find Mitch.

“Hey, Dad,” Mitch was sitting with Jenny on the front steps, “What’s up?”

“I’m going to leave for a bit,” Rob told him, “I think I’d better go patch things up with your Uncle Terry. He’s got Chelsea all upset over it.”

“Yeah,” Jenny told him, “I just found out that he’s asked my mother to marry him when the divorce is final. Ain’t that just a fine kettle of fish?”

“Sounds like you share Chelsea’s sentiments,” Rob observed.

“If he wanted to marry her,” Jenny complained, “He should’ve done it when I was little and needed a decent stepfather. It’s a little too late in the game now, as far as I’m concerned. And I really don’t think it’s even remotely appropriate for them to be discussing these things while she’s still married to Bob.”

“I agree,” Rob nodded, “But I need to go smooth things over with him anyway. We’re brothers. We don’t have to agree, but we don’t need to be feuding either.”

“Sir?” Trevor ran up to them, with Austin close behind. They both wore baggie shorts and tee shirts today, but he noticed the shirts were plain and Trevor didn’t have his nose ring in.

“Yes, Trevor?” Rob replied.

“We were talking and …well…” Trevor stammered.

“We think Ross is just sitting home alone,” Austin explained, “His mom is a nurse and she’s working…”

“And there’s no telling where his old man is,” Trevor finished, “He really wanted to come today.”

“So why didn’t he come with one of you?” Rob asked the obvious.

“We think he was afraid to ask,” Trevor guessed, “He made it sound like he’d be with his old man today, but we both know better…”

“Can you boys tell me how to get to his house?” Rob asked and they nodded, “OK. Mitch, you’re in charge here. If Paula needs the meat cooked before I get back, you’re on the grill.”

“Yes, Sir,” Mitch saluted, “As you wish.”

Rob’s first stop was Terry’s farm. The old house was really starting to show its age. He hated to admit it, but one of these days it was just going to fall down. The original part of the house was well over 100 years old and the rest had been added by his grandfather bit by bit as the family grew.

Rob parked out front and went up the creaking porch steps. He knocked, then let himself in. Terry was sitting on the sofa, watching the television.

“You come to finish me off?” Terry challenged.

“No,” Rob walked over and sat in a chair, “I came to apologize.”

“Why? You’re not sorry,” Terry was sarcastic, “You’re infallible.”

“Hardly,” Rob smiled, “Listen, Terry, we need to both be men about this and put it aside. Chelsea’s upset, Jenny’s upset…I’m sure Linda’s upset. I was out of line when I made that comment I made. You had every right to punch me.”

“How is Linda?” Terry asked.

“OK, I think,” Rob reported, “I really haven’t talked to her much this week. Now that Jenny and Mitch are home, they’ve been handling things.”

“Yeah,” Terry sighed, “Your son is definitely a chip off the old block. He brought the car back and told me in no uncertain terms to leave Linda alone.”

“Chelsea says you intend to marry Linda,” Rob told him.

“Even my own daughter is mad at me,” Terry complained.

“Terry,” Rob reminded, “Chelsea wants a baby so bad. She’s certain she lost one over all this. She was terrified when you whipped out that gun on Bob and then she and Dutch barely got home before I called you two in for back up and he pulled out a gun too. Don’t forget, she was raised in California where only the bad guys carry guns. She’s not used to everyone keeping them and knowing how to use them. She didn’t grow up hunting and shooting targets like my boys or like you and I did.”

“Rob, am I really being a jack ass over this woman?” Terry asked.

“You look at Linda and see all her gifts,” Rob mused, “I look at her and see all her faults. Who am I to say? I’m sure you see faults in Paula that I don’t. Let’s just set this aside for a while, OK? My sons want their Uncle Terry there for the Fourth. They’ve never done fireworks without you, Bro. What do you say? Forgive me?”

“OK,” Terry got up and shook Rob’s hand, “You always were a thorn in my side. Why should that change now?”

“Just keeping you on your toes,” Rob pulled him over and hugged him, “Now, go join the party. I have another stop to make before I go back.”

The directions Trevor had given him were easy to follow. They led Rob to a doublewide mobile home on a lot that he would have judged to be an acre. There were no trees and the grass was in bad need of mowing. The trailer looked like it was fairly well kept, but there was an old Chevy truck out front that only had three tires and the grass growing around it proved it had been there for a while.

Rob parked and walked to the door. The rail on the small deck was off and propped up next to it. He could hear loud music coming from inside, so he knocked fairly hard on the door. He heard shuffling sounds, some giggling and felt the trailer shaking a bit before the door opened. The first thing that greeted him was the aroma of marijuana.

“Uh,” Ross opened the door and stepped outside, “Hi.”

“Hello, Ross,” Rob smiled. He knew he had caught him red-handed, “You here alone?”

“Uh, yeah,” Ross had on baggie shorts and no shirt. His arms were showing the sun from working the past week, so his chest looked very pale.

“Can I come in?” Rob pressed.

“Uh, well, uh…” Ross stalled.

“Your friends thought you might like to join us today,” Rob informed, “They thought you might need a ride. If you’d like to grab a shirt and leave a note for your folks, I’d be glad to take you over.”

“Oh,” Ross glanced backward, “Well…”

“Your friend can come too, if she’d like,” Rob offered, taking satisfaction in the reaction that got from Ross.

“My friend?” Ross gulped, “I told you I’m here alone.”

“But you’re not,” Rob grinned, “She can come, but the pot stays here. Those are the rules.”

Ross looked at his feet, “How did you know, Sir?”

“I was young once, Ross,” Rob chuckled, “Now, go grab a shirt and bring her out, OK? And leave a note for your mother, so she knows where you are.”

“She won’t care,” he started back in.

“Leave one anyway,” Rob advised, “It’s a good habit.”

Terry’s truck was there when Rob returned. Ross got out and led his girlfriend out behind him. Her name was Heather and she seemed a perfect match for him. Her skin was ghostly white, her hair died a purplish red and she had loop earrings all the way up her ears. She wore low-cut shorts and a cropped shirt that revealed a not-so-flat stomach with a bellybutton ring.

When Paula caught sight of him, she immediately approached. He could tell she was not happy about something. He briefly wondered if Bob had shown up.

“Rob,” Paula smiled in a cold way that only she could manage, “You need to talk to your son. Hello, Ross. Who’s this?”

“Oh,” Ross nodded, “This is Heather. This is Paula.”

“Hi,” Heather was looking around with wide eyes, “Wow…I love this place.”

“Excuse us, please,” Paula grabbed Rob’s arm and yanked him out of their hearing, “Why did you leave?”

“To go talk to Terry and give Ross a ride over here,” he explained, surprised by her anger, “Which son?”

“Jason,” Paula’s eyes were like fire and she was talking through clenched teeth, “He’s very upset, Rob.”

“Why?”

“Because you promised him he could set off the rocket,” she was almost spitting at him, “And then you disappeared without a trace. Why didn’t you tell me where you were going?”

“I’m sorry,” he shrugged, “I told Mitch and Jenny. I wasn’t gone that long. It’s no big deal.”

“No big deal?” She was absolutely fuming, “Tell that to your son. And why did you let Ross drag that bimbo here? They both reek of pot!”

“I know,” Rob defended, “But she was with him and I thought it was only polite to invite her. Where is Jason?”

“In his room,” Paula informed, “You and I are going to talk about this later.”

Rob sighed and nodded. He went into the house and upstairs to the boys’ room. Paula rarely got really mad at him, but he had obviously ruffled her feathers pretty good this time. When it came to her boys, Paula was like a mother bear. She would defend them even against their father. He knew the first step in appeasing Paula was to smooth things over with Jason.

He knocked on the door, “Jason? Can I come in?”

“I guess,” Jason almost croaked, “It’s your house.”

“It’s our home,” Rob told him as he walked in. Jason was sitting on his bed, so Rob sat down next to him, “I messed up, didn’t I?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Jason shrugged. His voice cracked again and Rob realized that it had begun. Jason’s voice was starting to catch up with his body.

“Of course it matters,” Rob put his arm around him, “I disappointed you. I’m sorry. We can still launch the shuttle. Everyone’s here now.”

“Whatever,” Jason was sullen.

“Jas,” Rob told him, “I had to go talk to your Uncle Terry. I messed up with him too. He was mad at me and wasn’t going to come today. He’s my brother. I had to go fix things. You wouldn’t want your brothers to be mad at you.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me that?” Jason asked.

“I’m sorry,” Rob apologized again, “I told Mitch. I didn’t tell your mother either. She’s mad at me too. I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry, Son.”

“Terry’s been here for a while,” Jason observed, clearing his throat, “You didn’t come back with him.”

“No,” Rob confessed, “I went to pick up Ross.”

“Oh,” Jason rolled his eyes, “I should’ve known.”

“Jason,” Rob tried to keep the stern edge out of his voice, “I know it’s been rough on you. You went from being the baby to big brother by the time you were two. And you never complained that those two babies came along and took attention away from you. You just jumped in and helped us take care of them.

“Then, just as suddenly,” Rob recalled, “You ended up with a big brother out of the blue. And you never complained about Mitch taking away your eldest son status. You just welcomed him into the family like he was the best thing that ever happened.

“And now,” Rob observed, “here come three more boys to take my attention away from you. You must feel like you’re always getting shuffled aside for someone else.”

“I am,” Jason half-grinned, “But that’s life. And now, I think I’m getting a cold or something too.”

“Why?” Rob asked.

“Because my voice keeps catching on me,” Jason reasoned, “So, I probably should stay up here so I don’t spread germs to anyone else.”

“Is that why you’re up here?” Rob wondered, “Not because you’re mad?”

“Well,” he admitted, “It did hurt my feelings, but mostly I thought I was getting sick.”

“You’re not getting sick,” Rob told him, “You’re growing up.”

“What?”

“Have you looked in the mirror lately?” Rob grinned, “Your body is that of a teenager. Now your voice is catching up. You’ll get used to it. Won’t be able to sing for a while, but it won’t last that long. And then you’ll be able to sing tenor or bass.”

Jason cleared his throat, “You mean my voice is changing? Is that what this is?”

“Um-hmm,” Rob nodded, “And let me tell you something while we’re up here alone, OK? I want you to know that I’m proud of you, Jason. That I do notice you and I know how much you do around here. You will always be the first son I had placed in my arms and no one will ever take that away. I love you, Jason.”

“I love you too, Dad,” he swallowed hard and hugged him, “Sorry I was pouting. Can we go launch the shuttle now?”

Rob got everyone’s attention and asked them to gather on the lawn for a special treat. He explained that Jason had designed a display just for the holiday and that they were going to set it off. Then he and Jason went up to the launch site.

“Can we come?” Trevor started after them, Austin and Ross on his heels.

“No,” Rob smiled, “You stay with everyone else and watch from there. Jason and I are doing this alone. It’s his project.”

“We can help, though,” Keith and Kevin were there too, “Can’t we Dad?”

Rob looked over at Jason, “Not this time, Boys. You go watch with your mother.”

Jason smiled, “Thanks, Dad.”

“Come on,” Rob patted him on the back, “Let’s see what you’ve got for us.”

They set the rocket off, then ran back to watch with the family. Jason had rigged the shuttle’s cargo bay doors to open when it reached a certain altitude and it released a huge parachute shaped and colored like the American Flag. Everyone cheered when the parachute opened and slowly drifted down onto the open field. Jason guided the shuttle back down safely, as well.

“Where did you buy that?” Ross came running up, “That’s a cool RC.”

“I didn’t buy it,” Jason laughed, “We made it.”

“Yeah, right,” Trevor mocked.

“He’s not kidding,” Rob interjected, “All the boys worked on it together. It was a school project. They built it from scratch. Even made the fuel.”

“No way!” Austin shook his head.

“Come on,” Jason motioned, “I’ll show you how it all works.”

They all followed him, the twins included, listening in awe as Jason explained the design in scientific terms they probably had never heard before. Rob couldn’t help but be proud of his son. He loved them all, but Jason was special. It didn’t seem possible that so many years had passed since he held him that first time.

“Well,” Paula came up behind him and put her hand on his back, “Looks like you’re out of hot water with him, at least.”

“What about his mother?” Rob asked meekly, “What am I going to have to do to get out of hot water with her?”
“I’ll get back to you on that,” Paula informed, “But I don’t think it’ll be anything for public display.”

He grinned and grabbed her, pulling her into his arms, “Does it involve rockets?”

“Fireworks, if you’re lucky,” she teased, “Now, go help Mitch with the grill. We’re going to have a riot if we don’t feed people soon.”

~*~

Rob was starting to settle into a comfortable routine. He was able to let Bruce supervise the boys of a morning while they cleaned the stalls. This gave him time to spend with his own sons that he wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. Each afternoon, they all worked together in the garden or yard, then went to ride horses. He liked ending the day on a fun note. It was good incentive to get work done early. The sooner work was done, the more time they had with the horses.

He noticed a change coming over all of the boys, his included. Even Ross seemed to respect Jason after the launch. Jason and the twins all seemed to gain confidence in their own abilities as they taught the older boys about horsemanship.

Rob realized that when summer ended, he was actually going to miss his new protégés. Maybe he’d talk to their parents about letting them come on weekends for lessons. They were all losing weight and gaining muscle, starting to look like the men they were struggling to become. Rob hated to think it might all be lost over another school year.

He and his boys were working on a fence one morning when Paula called him on the radio, “Rob, can you come up to the house?”

“What’s wrong, Paula?” He stopped working. Bob was always in the back of his mind. Like a bullet out there waiting to be fired at him.

“I need you up here,” she told him, “Can you come?”

“Yes,” he answered, “I’ll leave the boys to finish up.”

“We’re almost done anyway, Dad,” Jason told him, “We can do the rest. Go ahead and ride back to the house.”

“All right,” Rob handed him the radio, “You keep this, just in case.”

Rob climbed up on Dakota and rode him straight to the house. He didn’t like the sound of Paula’s voice. Whatever was going on, she didn’t want the boys to know. There had been no word from Bob, and that was beginning to concern him. It didn’t seem natural. Of course, he was also concerned for Chelsea. She was positively pregnant this time and the doctor had issued all sorts of warnings to her. The whole family was worried she might lose this baby, as well.

He tied Dakota to the rail and walked in the front door, “Paula? What is it?”

She was coming down the stairs, an angry look on her face and something in her hands.

“We have a problem,” she announced, “And I’m officially handing it to you. This is not my department.”

“OK,” he walked toward her, “What is it?”

She handed him a pack of cigarettes and a magazine. He looked at it, then realized it wasn’t just any magazine. It was full of pornography. He got a lump in his throat and looked up at her questioningly.

“I found them under Jason’s mattress,” she explained, “I was changing his sheets.”

“Well,” Rob chuckled, “At least we know he’s not gay.”

“Rob Jackson!” Paula scolded, “How dare you make light of this! This is serious!”

“Of course it is, Honey,” Rob struggled not to grin, “Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.”

“You think this is funny!” Paula obviously didn’t.

“Oh, come on, Paula,” Rob walked up the stairs and into their bedroom, “Don’t tell me you never did anything like this when you were growing up. He’s just curious.”

“Well I certainly didn’t do it when I was twelve,” Paula rationalized, “And I never smoked, Rob. We can’t let him get that started.”

“They’re not open,” he observed, “And I would’ve noticed if he smelled like cigarettes. I doubt if he’s tried it yet.”

“Are you sure you’d notice?” Paula challenged.

“Yes,” Rob assured, “because the smell still makes me want one.”

“Then maybe I should keep them,” she reached for the pack.

“No,” he put them in his shirt pocket, “I have more self control than that. I’ll talk to him, Paula. Just let me handle it. Like you said, this is my department.”

“Rob,” she pointed out, “I want to know how he got them. It’s not like he goes shopping alone. Someone had to get them for him.”

“Well,” Rob sighed, “Frankly, that concerns me more than the fact that he has them. I have a pretty good idea where they came from.”

“One of the boys,” Paula guessed.

“I’d almost bet it was Ross,” Rob confessed, “He and Jason have spent quite a bit of time together. I guess you checked the other beds?”

“The twins?” Paula gasped, “No! Oh, Rob!”

She ran into the other bedroom and lifted the mattresses of the bunk beds. Rob helped her. Nothing there. He lifted Jason’s mattress to see if there was anything Paula had missed.

“Dad?” Paula’s radio called from her belt, “Are you there? Mom?”

“Yes, Jason,” Paula picked it up, “Your dad’s right here.”

“We’re done,” Jason reported, “What now?”

Rob took the radio, “Ride back and put the horses up. Wait for me in the stable.”

“What are you going to do?” Paula asked.

“Go be a dad,” he told her, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of everything.”

“Rob,” she got a sad look on her face, “he’s so young.”

“Paula,” he came back to her and took hold of her shoulders, “have you looked at him lately? He’s growing up, Honey. They all are. He’s not a little boy anymore. It’ll be all right. I promise.”

Rob rode back out to the stable and found the boys waiting for him. He dismounted and handed Kevin the reins.

“Kevin,” he requested, “you and Keith go take care of Dakota for me. Then go up to the house and see if your mother needs you. Jason, come into the office.”

Jason followed him in and watched as Rob shut and locked the door, then shut the mini-blinds on the windows. Rob only did this when he wanted complete privacy. Jason had a puzzled look on his face, standing with his hands on his hips.

Rob dropped the cigarettes and magazine on the desk where Jason could see them. He first turned beet red, then ashen. He swallowed hard and licked his lips.

“OK, Son,” Rob folded his arms, “Start talking.”

Jason closed his eyes. He knew better than to try to lie. Rob valued truth above all things and would not tolerate being lied to.

“I’m waiting,” Rob prodded.

“What do you want me to say, Dad?” Jason asked, “Yes, they’re mine. You already know that.”

“Where did you get them?” Rob asked.

“From Ross,” Jason confirmed.

“His idea or yours?” Rob questioned.

“Both,” Jason admitted.

“Do better,” Rob ordered.

“We were talking about my voice changing,” Jason explained, “I was complaining about it. He said there were ways to speed up the process.”

“And you believed him?” Rob shook his head, “Jason, you’re a smart boy. You know how to find things like that out. Aside from simply asking me or your mother, you could have gotten on the Internet or looked in one of your biology books to find that out.”

“I know,” Jason confessed, “but he brought me the magazine and cigarettes. He said if I started smoking, it would make my voice change quicker.”

“And what does the magazine have to do with it?” Rob pushed.

Jason looked at his feet. He had his hands behind his back now. He didn’t want to answer that question. Rob wasn’t sure he really wanted to hear the answer, but he knew he couldn’t let Jason off the hook.

“I’m waiting,” Rob reminded.

“He told me…” Jason stammered, “Well, he said that if I looked at the pictures and…”

Ross was creative, Rob had to hand it to him. He hadn’t heard that excuse before. He wondered how much he should make Jason actually tell him. He was already humiliated.

“And did something you shouldn’t be doing?” Rob finished for him.

Jason nodded. He couldn’t look Rob in the eye. Rob sighed and walked over to his son. He had always known this day would come. He just hadn’t known how difficult it would be.

“Sit down, Son,” Rob pointed toward the couch, then followed Jason over and sat down next to him.

“I’m sorry, Dad,” Jason sounded completely sincere. “Mom found them, didn’t she?”

“Yes,” Rob never lied to his sons. He knew if he expected the truth from them, he owed them that same courtesy. “Perhaps if you’re going to hide things under your mattress, you should change your own sheets.”

“I didn’t let the twins see, Dad, I swear,” Jason promised.

“Good,” Rob nodded, “Let’s just take this one thing at a time, OK? First of all, Ross is lying to you. Jason, you need to consider the source of information always. You know that, Son. We’ve taught you that not everything you read is right and that not everything you hear is correct and that you need to confirm facts through reliable sources. I wish you would have just come to me and asked me about it.”

“Me too,” Jason confessed, “I wouldn’t be in trouble now.”

“See,” Rob grinned, “I said you were a smart boy. So next time, you’ll come and talk to me first, right?”

“Right,” Jason gulped, “I just…”

“I know,” Rob patted his knee, “I never talked to my dad either. But, I learned a lot of my lessons the hard way because of it. I’d rather you didn’t do that. Believe me, I’ve made enough mistakes for everyone in the family, you don’t need to repeat them.”

“Like Mitch?” Jason grinned.

“Exactly,” Rob nodded, “And like smoking. Jason, I’m not going to lecture you about the hazards of that. You have a scientific mind. You know all about that and how it works. But I will tell you that once you start it is very hard to quit.”

“I didn’t start, Dad,” Jason told him, “I was afraid you’d smell them on me.”

“You’re right,” Rob confirmed, “And I’ll tell you that just seeing that pack makes me crave one. Do you know how many years it’s been? I quit smoking cold turkey when I met your mother. That was over 18 years ago, Jason. And I still crave them.”

“How old were you when you started?” Jason quizzed.

“I was 10,” Rob surprised him, “and I started because Terry was doing it.”

“Uncle Terry used to smoke?” Jason asked.

“Um-hmm,” Rob informed, “Until he moved down here to live with Gramps. My grandpa would have made us eat them if he’d caught us smoking.”

“Eat them?” Jason’s eyes got big.

“That’s what he did to your grandpa when he caught him,” Rob shared.

“What did Grandpa do to you?” Jason asked.

“Nothing,” Rob divulged, “He just pretended not to know about it.”

“I won’t start smoking, Dad,” Jason vowed, “You have my word on it.”

“Good,” Rob patted him on the back, “Now, that was the easy part.”

“Can’t you just take the magazine away and tell me I can’t watch TV for a month?” Jason proposed.

“No, Jason,” Rob smiled, “That would make it far too easy for both of us. And it would be too much like what Dad did with me. I know how well that worked. We need to talk about this. And if you have questions, you need to ask me. I promise I will be completely open and honest with you. And whatever is said between us now, stays here. I will not share it with anyone, not even your mother.”

~*~

Rob watched Jason walk toward the house. He hoped Paula held her tongue. Jason said he wanted to face her alone, though. Rob had to respect that. Jason said he owed his mother an apology and he wanted to do it by himself.

Well, on to the next interrogation. He went through the stables, following the voices until he found Ross cleaning. This would not be as easy. Ross did not put Rob on equal footing with God. Of course, Ross probably didn’t have much concern for God’s opinion either.

“Ross,” Rob called, “I need to speak with you in the office, please.”

“Yes, Sir,” Ross had started showing him respect over the past few weeks. He put his shovel down and followed, “What is it, Sir?”

Rob closed the door and pointed at the desk, “I believe these are yours.”

Ross looked down at the magazine and cigarettes. He surprised Rob by blushing. Maybe he had some concept of right and wrong after all.

“Mine, Sir?” He didn’t, however, understand about always owning up to your mistakes.

“Let me tell you something, Ross,” Rob clasped his hands behind his back and got into his ‘captain of the ship’ mode, “You can ask any of my sons, my daughter-in-law, my niece, or her husband, and they will all tell you that trying to hide something from me is futile. I have been around the block too many times myself not to notice what’s going on around me. So, why don’t we start over? These are yours.”

“Not exactly, Sir,” Ross still hadn’t quite caught on.

“Then you won’t exactly mind if I burn them,” Rob reached for them.

“Wait, Sir,” Ross stopped him, “I mean…I gave them to your son.”

“I know,” Rob informed, “And I don’t want you bringing these things on my property again. I know you smoke, but I told you the first day that it is not allowed.”

“I haven’t smoked while I was here, Sir,” Ross was telling the truth now.

“I will put these in a drawer,” Rob dropped the pack in the desk, “And if you still want them at the end of the summer, I will give them back.”

“And the magazine, Sir?” Ross wondered.

“Mmm,” Rob sat on the edge of the desk, “Well, that’s quite another subject, now isn’t it? Ross, you don’t really believe what you told Jason, do you?”

“About what?” Ross was fidgeting.

“Any of it,” Rob decided to play poker.

“It’s…well…” Ross looked at his feet and stammered, “I’ve just heard things myself and….”

“From who?” Rob asked.

“Guys,” Ross answered vaguely.

“Ross,” Rob sighed, “Perhaps you should change sources. Other guys your age can be a wealth of misinformation.”

“You mean it’s not true?” Ross must have genuinely bought into it.

“If you wanted to know something about your car, who would you ask?” Rob posed.

“A mechanic,” Ross felt good about knowing the answer.

“Exactly,” Rob agreed, “So if you have questions about being a man, you shouldn’t ask a boy.”

Ross blushed and looked down again, “Yes, Sir.”

“Look,” Rob softened his tone, “I know you do have a father, but perhaps you don’t feel comfortable talking to him about such things. I can understand that. I didn’t feel comfortable talking to my dad. I’m very fortunate with my boys. They do feel comfortable talking to me.”

“My old…my father,” Ross corrected himself, “He doesn’t want to talk to me about anything.”

“I’m sorry,” Rob was sincere, “I want you to know that you can talk to me if you like. And I will give you the magazine back at the end of the summer.”

“Thank you, Sir,” Ross gulped.

“You’re welcome,” Rob smiled, “You may go now.”

Ross started for the door, then stopped. He turned around and looked up at Rob. Rob saw the eyes of a scared little boy.

“Yes, Ross?”

“Could I talk to you now, Sir?” Ross asked, almost shyly. “Heather wants me to…well, she thinks we should…I’ve never…I don’t know what to do.”

Rob took a deep breath, “Sit down, Ross. Let’s just start at the beginning, shall we?”

~*~

“So,” Paula was snuggled up in his arms in their dark bedroom, “You ended up having to do the whole birds and bees talk with Ross, too, huh?”

“Jason had a better grip on reality than Ross did,” Rob remarked, “Having been raised on a farm, instead of watching stupid movies had something to do with it, I’m sure.”

“Well,” she told him, “Jason very sweetly apologized to me and then informed me that he would be responsible for changing his own sheets from now on. I didn’t press the issue with him but I hope that doesn’t mean you told him it’s OK to hide stuff there.”

“Only drugs and illegal weapons,” Rob joked, “Paula, you know better. I did promise him that what was said between us, stayed between us. He’s old enough now that there are things he simply doesn’t want his mother to know.”

“All right,” she agreed, “As long as he’s open with one of us, that’s all that matters. I don’t particularly want to discuss sex with my twelve year old son, anyway.”

“What about with your 47 year old husband?” He teased, caressing her breast.

“My husband doesn’t usually want to discuss it,” she reached her hand down and took hold of him, “He’s more a man of action, not words.”

Go To Chapter Five
Dog Days of August