Kelly
=====




Chapter 18
__________

Todd eased the Hummer onto I-77 heading south towards
Columbia.  Cara and Ami, having claimed the rear seat for
smooching and snoozing, started to sing, "Hit The Road Jack,"
and Laura and Kelly playfully joined in.  Todd just shook his
head.

The ride was smooth and traffic was light.  Kelly and Laura,
not being able to decide who would ride solo on the middle
bench, had squeezed in together on the wide 'shotgun' seat up
front.  As they left North Carolina, Laura had said, "Here I go
again!"

Todd slipped on his aviator sunglasses as the light from the
rising sun hit the driver's side window like a halogen
searchlight.  Even with the darkest legal tinting on the
Hummer's windows, it was a very bright morning.

"Celeste couldn't have asked for a nicer day to unveil the
Wheel," he said.

"I hope this is as big a success for her as the InterCoastal
project was for the others," said Kelly.

"I think anything any of the 'James Gang' does will be
successful," said Todd.  "Look at Regan.  They came in as models
and now run the place.  And I'll bet JulieAnn tied up a small
fortune investment wise on IC stock before the wing was
unveiled."

Kelly laughingly agreed.  "She's a smart cookie all right."

They rode for over an hour, clipping along at a good speed
listening to CDs, when a sleepy voice piped up from the rear
bench.

"Didn't you promise us a real breakfast, Todd?" asked Cara.

"Yes I did, Kiddo," said Todd.  "Can you hold out a little
longer?  Once we get to Columbia, we'll be more than halfway
there."

"Yeah, we can hold on," said Ami.  "Just wake us when we get
there.  There's nothing here to see except cows and cotton."

"Don't forget rice," added Cara.

"Yeah, lots of rice too," said Ami.

"I'm shocked to hear such nonchalance about the 'Okra Capital
of the US,'" said Kelly.

"Yes, mother," snickered Cara.  "We'll eat our okra and get big
and strong when we grow up!"

"You want me to sing again?" threatened Kelly.  "Just so the
ride isn't so boring?"

Cara and Ami both laughed.  "No, mommy.  Please don't.  We'll
be good little girls and go back to sleep!"

"Humph." said Kelly.  "  You'd think I sing like a banshee in
heat!"

Neither Laura nor Todd said a word.  They were trying to cover
their smiles.

"And thank you two for all the support!"  Kelly said, but she
couldn't hide her own smile.

"That sounds rather nice, don't you think?" mused Laura.

"What's that, Honey?" asked Kelly.

"The way the girls call you mom.  It suits you."

"God . I don't think it's really sunk in yet," said Kelly. 
"Either that or I'm really comfortable with the idea that I've
got a little person inside of me."

"Think Maurice's will be open this early?" asked Todd.

"It's Saturday, I can't see them not being open for business in
the morning," said Kelly.

"Who's Maurice?" asked Laura.

"It's actually Piggy Park / Maurice Gourmet BBQ," said Kelly. 
"People Magazine named it the best all-in-one Barbeque
Restaurant.  Maybe we can get a real breakfast of ham and eggs!"

The miles passed quickly and soon the road signs and billboards
were starting to crowd out the scenery.  At the juncture of I-77
and 20 Todd took the off ramp and drove to Devine.

True to their word, both Cara and Ami were asleep in the back
seat when Todd shut off the engine after parking in the little
shade there was.

"We better pick up some road supplies here too, before we head
out again," said Todd.  "We'll be heading east after this and
the sun is going to come right through the windshield."

Kelly woke the girls up as Laura stretched herself.  "It's a
great ride, Todd, but I'm not used to long distance road trips."

As they sat down to order, Kelly's cell phone rang.

"Now I wonder who the hell that could be," said Todd laughing. 
"Everybody who has that number knows Kelly isn't awake this
early!"

Kelly shot him a dirty look as she flipped the phone open. 
"Hello?"

"Sure, that's not a problem, JulieAnn.  No, Todd won't mind a
little side trip.  Just let me write down the address."

Kelly scrambled for a pen and scribbled on a napkin.

"Okay, I've got it, and I'm sure Cara or Ami can point it out
if we can get them to stay awake long enough," she said with a
laugh.  "So we'll see you in a while."

Kelly disconnected and put her phone back in her purse.

"We'll be picking up Erin before we get to the marina," said
Kelly.  "Seems she had a practice yesterday and everybody's too
busy getting the final details done to pick her up."

"Okay," said Todd, "It's not that far out of the way."

~~~~~ // ~~~~~

Forty-five minutes later, after a very satisfying breakfast of
steak and eggs with home fries, they climbed back into the
Hummer.

At Kelly's insistence, they had picked up a case of Maurice's
Gourmet Blend BBQ Sauce for Sara.  Todd loaded it into the back
of the Hummer.

"You realize of course that we'll have to pick up some for
ourselves on the way back, right, Honey?"  Kelly cooed in his
ear.

Todd just smiled.  He would do anything for Kelly or Laura, he
realized.

"I hope you guys don't mind," said Kelly, "but I think I'll
grab the middle bench and try to nap for a bit."

"I think I'll join you, Kell," said Laura.  "Todd wore me out
last night."

"Can you handle it by yourself, Honey?"  Kelly asked Todd.

"Sure, no problem.  There's just an hour left to go.  Grab a
few winks.  I'll be okay."

Todd put the other items they purchased in the front seat,
broke open a near frozen bottle of water, and pulled out of the
parking lot with both visors lowered and the air conditioner on.

Cara and Ami dropped right back to sleep again, and shortly
after Todd turned on to I-26 towards Charleston, he heard Kelly
and Laura's gentle breathing, fast asleep.

Todd was looking forward to seeing Chuck again.  While Vanetta
had told Gloria about the pregnancy, neither Todd nor Kelly had
any family to break the happy news to.  They had decided last
night to wait with telling others of the news until the company
picnic, but had made an exception for the "James Gang" and Chuck
and Anna.

Todd's thoughts of Chuck and his admiration for the older man
were interrupted as Ami crawled over the seats to join him up
front.

"Cara still asleep?" he asked.

"Like a log!" said Ami.  "You don't mind if I ride shotgun for
a while, do you?"

Todd chuckled.  "Not at all.  Glad to have the company."

Ami had her camera out and twisted in the seat till she sat
cross-legged focusing on Todd, her shorts riding up her thighs
high enough for Todd to see her panties.

She noticed him looking.  "You don't miss much, do you?" she
asked.

"Real photographers don't," he chuckled.

"I'll have to keep that in mind," Ami said with a smile, but
did nothing to change her position.

"Did you know that photographers are the most camera shy of all
people?"  Todd asked.

"Really?"  CLICK  "I would never have guessed it," said Ami. 
She adjusted her position a bit, exposing yet more of her
panties, placing her feet against the wide center console and
her back against the door, her knees wide apart so she could see
Todd through the viewfinder.

Todd chuckled.  "I guess you won't suffer from that problem."

"Well, you'll be seeing a lot more if you do the portrait of me
that Cara wants, the way she wants it, and you did promise to do
a series of pictures of me and Cara like the ones you did of
Kelly and Laura together."

"That I did promise, Ami, but there's a difference between me
behind the lens shooting a subject and you sitting there as a
person."

"Does it bother you?  Me sitting this way?"

"No," Todd said with a smile.  "Even if you were trying to hit
on me which I know you aren't, it wouldn't bother me.  Maybe I'm
just a bit curious."

CLICK  "I guess that after all these years of pent up
frustration and hiding my feelings in the closet," she giggled
at her own pun, "I just feel more like a woman now and I feel
very sexually liberated."

"It must feel good to finally be yourself," Todd said.

"Oh, it feels better than good," Ami laughed.

CLICK

Todd laughed again.  "What's your shutter speed set at?"

"250," said Ami.  "There's more than enough light to shoot at
that speed and still keep the F stop at 5.6."

"And you're taking your light reading from where?"

"I'm splitting the difference between the shadows on your face
and the light coming in through the window," she answered.

"I'll tell you a trick," said Todd.  "To get a sense of
movement, decrease the shutter speed to 1/60 and tighten up the
F stop to get a meter reading just from my face."

"Won't that over-expose the picture?" asked Ami.

"Not if you focus only on my face," said Todd.  "I'll be
perfectly lit and clearly focused, but it will blur the view out
of the window and increase the light outside.  A nice study in
contrasts."

CLICK!

Todd pointed to the Jerky and bottled water.  "Help yourself,
kiddo."

As Ami opened up a bottle of Evian, she mentioned that if they
took a right turn now, they would be at her home in ten minutes.

"Should I turn here for Erin?"  Todd asked. 

"No, James and Erin live closer to the other end of town.  I'll
tell you where to get off for the shortest distance."

"Are you homesick, Ami?"  Todd asked with concern.

"Nope, just making an observation is all.  We're used to being
gone for weeks at a time.  I know we've only just been with you
guys for a week, but you know. it feels like that was another
life, one that I remember but it seems like so long ago now."

"I think I understand," said Todd.  "Been a lot of changes eh?"

"To say the least.  When we were in training, we didn't think
for ourselves.  We were told what to do and when to do it.  Even
when we weren't competing or training, the time we had to
ourselves was still focused and to a schedule."

Todd laughed again.  "I know what you mean.  It's like the
military.  You have ten minutes of free time.  Have fun!  That's
an order!"

Ami laughed with him.  "That's it exactly!"

"Any plans on how you're going to deal with things when you go
home?"

Ami turned serious.  "Yeah, Cara and I were discussing that
last night.  We know we still have to finish the mandatory
classroom hours, but you got us thinking about our future.  We
think we can deal with things knowing that we are welcome at
Kelly's and both Cara and I are going to apply to UNC early. 
Our grades are good, and though it didn't earn us any money,
making it to the Nationals looks good on the application forms."

"I see you've given this a lot of thought," said Todd.

"Well, it's because of you guys.  We can't go back to our old
way of life now.  Too much has changed." 

The surrounding scenery was changing.  Heavy forest growth
crowded the road only separated by the occasional small town. 
Todd had been following the Ashley River and soon after passing
Magnolia Gardens, turned north on US-17.  Soon they passed the
airstrip where Laura had taken the girls for their flight to
Charlotte.

"Okay, turn at the next intersection and I'll guide you," said
Ami.

"Have you and Cara decided if you're going to tell Erin about
your new relationship?"

"Well, we think that the fewer people who know, the easier it
will be to get through the last year at school," said Ami, "but
we think we're going to tell Erin."

"Smart thinking.  People want to think that we've evolved and
we're more open-minded, but the truth is, there are still a lot
of people uncomfortable with their sexuality.  But just out of
curiosity, why tell Erin?"

"Cara and I think she'll be able to handle it cause of the
situation with her brother and all his girlfriends.  She knows
they keep each other 'company' when he's not with them. 
Besides," Ami added with a laugh, "Erin has known us too long
for her not to catch on that something has changed." 

With Ami giving specific directions, they arrived at the
Mitchell house in minutes.  Erin was sitting outside with a
small travel bag at her feet.  "I thought you guys would never
get here," she said to Ami after saying hi to Todd.

"Well excuse us," said Ami, "we had to stop and eat, you know!"

Erin laughed as she climbed into the front seat with Ami after
seeing Cara asleep in the rear and Kelly and Laura cuddled on
the middle bench.  "How did you guys like your first week as
models?"

"Well, we haven't been doing any real modeling yet," said Ami. 
"We've been planning and prepping for the poses, and Kelly has
been working at taking years of wear and tear off our bodies. 
Look at my hands!"

"Wow.  I noticed the haircut right away, and your face has a
glow to it.  You'll have to tell me what you use."

Ami laughed.  She wasn't quite ready yet to tell her friend
that the glow was not the result of anything that Kelly had
found in a bottle.

As Todd got back on the freeway, the girls guided him to the
quickest route to the marina.

"Just keep your eyes out for the Dam Road," said Todd.

Ami laughed.  "Which damn road do you want?"

Todd couldn't help but laugh with her.  "It's called the Dam
Road because it leads to the dam just outside of the Marina."

"I knew that," said Ami.  "Remember?  I grew up in this neck of
the woods."

Twenty minutes later they were following the Dam Road on the
left.  It was as narrow as Todd remembered, and heavily wooded. 
He was thankful he had ordered three layers of clear coat for
the Hummer as branches brushed against the vehicle on this
stretch. 

Even moving at a much slower pace than he had maintained on the
highways, and with the Hummer's excellent suspension, the ride
was just bumpy enough to wake the other three.

"Where are we?" asked Laura.

"We're on the Dam Road," said Ami.

"I know that!" said Laura, "which damn road?"

Todd, Ami, and Erin laughed.

Todd pulled over to give the girls a chance to stretch and
freshen up before he pulled into Max's Marina.

Cara, Ami, and Erin moved away from the truck and did some
stretching from their warm up routines.

"How much further?"  Laura asked.

"Another five miles from here to the marina," said Todd, "and a
bit more to the village."

"Are we going to the village?"

"No, Honey, we're going to spend the night on a boat," said
Kelly.  "Julie-Ann has arranged it for us."

"Oh, kinky sex!" gushed Laura.

Todd looked up with surprise, the water he had been drinking
dribbling down his chin.  "What's so kinky about sex on a boat?"
he asked.

"It's like on a water bed, I guess," said Laura.  "All you have
to do is stay hard and Kelly and I can just ride you to the
rhythm of the waves!"

"And ALL I have to do is stay hard?  That's not so easy with
you two!"

"Don't worry, Sweetheart," said Kelly.  "What goes down we can
always blow back up!"

Laura laughed as she climbed back into the Hummer.

"Rock me gently . Rock me slowly," Kelly was softly singing as
she climbed in after Laura.

With Kelly and Laura riding shotgun again, Cara, Ami, and Erin
climbed into the rear seat so they could talk quietly and catch
up.

"The coaches all said to say hi to you guys," Erin said as Todd
eased back on to the road.  "God, I can't get over the change in
you two in just a week!"

"Well," said Ami, "aside from the vitamins Kelly has been
forcing down our throats we've been to salons and spas."

"It's amazing what good clean living can do for you," added
Cara.  Ami snorted in amusement, causing a puzzled expression on
Erin's face.

Changing the subject before Erin could ask what that remark was
all about, Cara asked if she was going to be competing in the
Southwestern Friendship games.  She herself had been twice and
Ami had gone last year for her first time.  Erin had still been
just a bit too young to go last year.

"Yeah, the last week in August," Erin said, "the coach thinks I
will be ready to introduce the 'Mitchell' there cause it'll be
the last meet of the season.  If I don't screw up or break
anything, it'll be the talk of the meet, and something a lot of
people will want to learn before the next season starts."

"You'll pull it off, Erin," Ami said. 

Cara nodded in agreement, adding, "I'm glad I won't have to
compete against you!"

"Amen to that," said Ami.  "I really don't want any more
sprained or broken bones!"

"Uh, will you be bunking with us tonight?" asked Cara.

"No," Erin said regretfully.  "James wants me to stay at the
cottage, though why he wants another girl there is beyond me. 
You'd think he has his hands full already!"

"Yeah," said Cara with a meaningful look at Ami, "We've sort of
got something to tell you about a similar situation."

~~~~~ // ~~~~~

Brenda spotted them first and waved them over to where she was
standing with Nicole and JulieAnn.

Todd pulled the Hummer right up to her and Kelly jumped out and
gave Brenda a big hug and kiss.  Laura followed Kelly, who
introduced her to Nicole.

Todd shook Nicole's hand, gave Jules a hug, and then hugged
Brenda.  "Now if somebody can tell me where to unload this
stuff, I can get our ride out of the way."

JulieAnn laughed and pointed to the CL1, berthed less than
fifty yards away.

"Wow," said Kelly, "that's not a boat, that's a yacht!"

"The CL1, nothing but the best for our friends," said
JulieAnn.  "Of course the, ahem, 'Lady' who commissioned her
might not approve of your lifestyle, but she's currently busy
with a financial setback in her own company."

"Not to mention being investigated by the SEC for insider
trading," added Nicole.

Laura looked puzzled.  Kelly started to laugh.  "I get it," she
said.  "CL one!  Clone!  I love it!"

Todd shook his head in amusement and moved the Hummer closer to
the boat.  Cara, Ami and Erin went along to help him stow their
stuff, then Erin grabbed her bag and asked if it would be okay
to take her friends with her to find her brother.

"Sure," he said.  "Tell Kelly where you're going.  You've got
our numbers, right?" he asked Cara and Ami.  "Just give one of
us a call if you need something.  I'm sure there'll be a cell
close by wherever you go.  Have a good time."

Cara and Ami grabbed their bathing suits and tore off with Erin
to tell Kelly and Laura while Todd parked the truck.  By the
time he made it back to where Kelly and Laura were still
chatting with Brenda, JulieAnn, and Nicole, the younger ones
were out of sight.

"I've put all the stuff in the berth," he said, "I'll leave it
to you ladies to unpack it!" 

Laura gave him a playful punch in the arm.  "And where do you
think you're going?"

"Well, I was hoping to find Chuck.  I've got the pictures he
wanted, and this is a pretty crowded place."

Nicole laughed.  "You and Chuck are a lot alike.  He's not much
into crowds either.  He's staying up at the Marriott Inn in the
village.  He has the executive suite with a beautiful view of
the marina so he can keep an eye on what goes on while he stays
back and out of it."

"Looks like I'll take a stroll to town then," said Todd,
shifting the large mounted prints to his other arm.

"Let me give you a ride," said Nicole.  "JulieAnn and I need to
drop off some paperwork with him anyway, and I think these three
want to do a bit of catching up themselves."

Brenda and Kelly both blushed.  Laura looked a bit lost, a look
that did not go unnoticed by Brenda.  Wrapping her arms through
both Kelly and Laura's she said, "You go and shoot the breeze
with Chuck.  He really likes you, Todd.  And I want to give your
ladies a very detailed look at the sleeping arrangements.  Just
to make sure all three of you will fit in the bed."

It was Todd's turn to blush but Nicole just laughed.  "Just
remember to leave your phone on 'ring' mode, Brenda.  I don't
want to have to get another new battery for it just because you
turned it to vibrate and then asked all your friends to call
you!"

Everybody laughed as Brenda haughtily lifted her chin, deeming
the comment beneath her dignity to bother to reply.

Jules brought her car over and Nicole and Todd got in.

~~~~~ // ~~~~~

Todd knew there had to be a speed limit on the road from the
Marina to town, but that fact seemed to escape JulieAnn's
attention.  Within five minutes she had the car parked in front
of the Marriott and they were entering the lobby.

Nicole used the house phone and buzzed Chuck's room, who
promptly told them to come up.

"Is Anna here with her grandfather?"  Todd asked.

"She came with him last night," said Nicole, "but she's been
clinging to Amanda.  I have no idea where they are right now."

Chuck was standing in the doorway of his suite, bidding them to
enter.  Nicole said that she and JulieAnn couldn't stay, she
just wanted to drop off the paperwork on the project they had
discussed earlier and since Todd needed a ride.

"Anyway, I still have a thousand things to do, all small
details," Nicole said.  "I'm sure you understand, Chuck."

Chuck smiled at her, took the papers, and said he would read it
over carefully tonight.  Quick hugs and Nicole and Jules were
gone.

Chuck looked at Todd who was still standing.  "Son, you look
like you've got something on your mind."

Todd nodded and absently handed over the picture of Anna.

Chuck took it from him and closed the door.  "You want a beer,
son?  You look like you could use one."

Shaking his head to clear the cobwebs, Todd said, "Thanks,
Chuck.  A beer would be good right about now."

Chuck brought out two bottles of Corona and they moved to the
balcony to sit and watch the goings on at the marina.

Todd took a deep swallow and sat back.  From their position on
the hill, they could clearly see the marina, the people looking
like ants scurrying around.  Todd was soon transfixed in thought
again.

"Todd . I don't want to interfere or poke my nose where it's
not wanted but do you want to talk about what's on your mind?  I
haven't seen a look like the one you have right now since 'Nam."

Todd turned slowly, the enormity of his situation growing large
in his mind once again.  "Chuck.  I'm going to be a father."

~~~~~ // ~~~~~

"You're WHAT?" and a hot and sweaty Brenda nearly fell off the
bed.

The three girls had unpacked and stowed their clothes and Kelly
and Laura had started to strip down to change into their bathing
suits.  Laura had been a bit shy with Brenda in the room even
though she had felt at ease with Cara and Ami.  These were
confusing thoughts for Laura.  Why did she feel at ease with the
gymnasts and shy in front of Brenda?  Was it because Brenda was
the one who had made it possible for Kelly to love?  Or was it
because Kelly and Brenda had shared intimate pleasures?

Brenda noticed Laura was hesitant and knew what the other girl
was thinking.  She also knew that Laura was not jealous as she
shared herself with Kelly and Todd.  The outgoing vivacious girl
she had met at Regan's seemed to become demure, almost passive. 
Deciding to take a chance Brenda got up and moved closer to
Laura and with agile fingers slipped Laura's top off and had her
bra undone in a second.

"Don't mind me," Brenda said to Laura.  "I've been dying to see
what Kelly is so hot about."

Kelly laughed and Laura blushed.

"Damned if I know," said Laura, "but she never seems to get
enough of me!  And I know I can't get enough of her!"

Kelly had moved in behind Brenda and undid her top, leveling
the playing field.  Brenda got goose bumps as Kelly's hands
cupped her unfettered breasts.

"Look, Laura," Kelly exclaimed.  "Ever see freckles on goose
bumps?"

Laura had to laugh, breaking the tension.  She looked closely
at Brenda and then gave her a deep, soulful kiss, "Thank you
again for what you did for Kelly.  If it wasn't for you, I
wouldn't be the luckiest girl in the world!"

"Well, I'm not sure who's the luckiest," said Brenda as she
kissed Laura back, "but you are most certainly very welcome!"

True to her word, Brenda made sure that three could fit
comfortably on the bed, and they were into a very serious smooch
and grope fest when Kelly had said, "Mmmm, Brenda, guess what?" 
When she saw she had Brenda's attention, she went on, "I'm going
to have a baby!"

Brenda's mouth fell open, and then she squeaked as her knee
slipped over the side of the bed.  She caught herself and looked
at Kelly  "For real?"

"Yes, for real!" Kelly smiled.

"Oh Wow!  That's wonderful!  Congratulations!  Ooo!  I have to
tell the.  Please don't tell me I can't tell the rest of the
gang," she finished, pleadingly.  "I can't keep this a secret! 
I just can't!"

Kelly smiled.  "It's not a secret from our friends," she said,
"we just wanted to wait until we got here to tell you the news. 
We just found out ourselves."

Brenda grabbed her cell phone and punched a speed dial number.

"Amanda?  Listen!  Kelly's going to have a baby!"

~~~~~ // ~~~~~

Chuck saw the tears forming in Todd's eyes and quickly moved to
embrace the younger man, with the thought that he would be proud
to call this man his son.

"I know, Todd.  I understand." Todd cried silently for nearly
five minutes, his shoulders shaking in Chuck's arms.  Chuck had
his eyes closed for fear of tears himself.  He really did
understand what Todd was feeling.  The joy of fatherhood coupled
with the anxiety of bringing a new life into this world and the
uncertainty about being up to the job.  Chuck had listened when
Todd had spoken about his own parents, and knew what was
troubling Todd.

"You're going to make a great father, Todd.  I think I know you
well enough to say that without any hesitation.  You're a kind
person, you have a real heart, and you care.  You are not your
father or mother.  I've seen you with Anna and I've seen how
happy Kelly and Laura are.  This is going to be one lucky baby."

Todd sniffled and looked at Chuck.  "Thanks, Chuck.  When I
first heard the news all I could think about was how happy Kelly
was and Laura got caught up in it, and I was overwhelmed.  Then
we decided we would tell you and Anna and the 'James Gang,' but
it wasn't until I saw you that I realized I have no family to
give this child."

"Maybe not a biological background family, Todd, but you
certainly have family.  I'd be right proud to fill in as a
grandfather, and the baby will have more aunts to fuss over it
than most babies!"

Todd's eyes threatened to mist over again.  Chuck smiled at him
and said, "You think about that, son, and I'll get us another
beer."

~~~~~ // ~~~~~

Powered by cell-phones, Kelly's news spread through the James
gang from Brenda's single call to Amanda just short of the speed
of light.  Jules and Nicole caught the call while JulieAnn was
breaking yet another land speed record, Celeste heard it while
checking the ribs on the smaller wheel they were taking to the
Eyrie later that afternoon.  Sara heard the news from Sherri who
was molesting her.  Within minutes return calls of
congratulations were flying to both Todd and Kelly.

Todd looked at Chuck and smiled as he received more
congratulations from yet another member of the "James Gang."

"I guess you were right, Chuck.  Friends are the family you
pick out for yourself.  That was Amanda, she and Anna are headed
back here to share the news personally.  They're going to pick
up Kelly and Laura on the way."

"That's probably just as well," said Chuck, "I see the media
wolf pack starting to converge on the parking lot.  It must be
getting close to show time."

Todd looked down and watched as various TV news vans gathered
around the marina parking lot, satellite dishes unfurling and
rotating to point at their unseen targets.  He was trying to
read some of the names on the news vans when Chuck handed him a
set of high-powered binoculars.

"Try these, Todd.  I've learned from experience that if I want
to stay out of the crowd, these can help me still get a bird's
eye view of the action."

Todd laughed.  "I used to use my camera with the 800mm lens to
do the same thing."

"Todd."

"Yes?"

"I'm not sure how to put this delicately."  Chuck said.

Todd put down the glasses and turned to face the older man. 
"So just say it, Chuck."

Chuck grinned.  "It's funny but I've always been accused of
saying exactly what was on my mind and damn the consequences,
but this is . well, it's about you and Kelly.  I wasn't going to
say anything, but seeing you today, how you felt about your
'family,' well, damn it, after you left my place I made a few
phone calls."

Todd was looking with interest at Chuck, whose smile had
disappeared.

"So, you made some phone calls.  As far as I know that's not a
crime," said Todd.

"No, it's not a crime, but I don't want you or Kelly thinking
that I've been snooping into your personal affairs either."

"Oh?"

"You suggested that I call one of the TV 'talk show' people to
get in touch with somebody to help me find my daughter.  I took
your advice, but damn it, I'm not without means, Todd, and what
you said about beating kids really bothered me.  I called on an
old friend from my days in the service who has established a
really good private investigation agency in Hollywood.  He's
already got a lead on Deanna and told me that he would probably
have an agent talking to her this weekend.  I only asked him to
pass a message on to her."  Chuck sighed and gathered his
thoughts.  "Kelly was the one who suggested that I try to let
Deanna know I love her and miss her, so that's what I told the
agent to say:  I love her, and I miss her so much and if she can
forgive a stubborn old man I really want her back in my life and
especially in Anna's."

Todd was nodding in agreement, his eyes misting.

"This way I'll be sure she got the message, and if she wants to
have contact with me, she'll call.  If she doesn't then the
agent will just confirm that she is alive and well and knows I
miss her."

"That's a good plan, Chuck, but what does that have to do with
Kelly and me?"

"Well, when I was talking to my friend, I remembered what you
said about a real horror story, that if I wanted to hear one to
ask Kelly.  I didn't want to dredge up any bad memories for her,
so I asked my buddy to do a background search on both of you."

"Ah, I see," said Todd.

"I really hope you won't be upset at me," Chuck said.

"If you hadn't said anything about it, Chuck, we wouldn't even
know.  I suspect you have a reason for telling me this.  But
before you tell me, just let me say that I'm not upset and I'm
sure Kelly won't be either.  Most of our lives are public
knowledge anyway."

"Thanks, Todd, but I doubt if what I found out is common or
public knowledge."

Todd tilted his head with an enquiring look but said nothing.

Chuck took a swallow from his beer and began reciting from
memory the report he had received just two days ago.

"Todd Ayres, born September 29th 1974, to Adrian and Betsy
Vanden Ayres.  Born in the town of Helmond in the province of
North Brabant.  Moved to the US in 1981 supposedly to find
better employment opportunities for Adrian."  Chuck paused for
effect.  "However, the real reason for the sudden move was
because the Dutch version of the Child Protection Agency had
followed up on a complaint made by a neighbor about abuse of
their son."

Todd's head snapped up.  This was news to him!

"Though there was evidence that abuse had taken place, the
neighbor had been afraid to testify and the case was dropped
with a severe warning.  Three months later you landed in a
suburb of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  Raised in a very strict
Catholic home, your parents moved from state to state when the
church couldn't protect them from the constant calls to the
CPA.  By the time you were 14, you had a record with the Child
Protection Services that was over an inch thick.  People did
really care about you, Todd, and your mother and father soon
discovered that Americans seeing a young boy beaten were much
more willing to give statements and testify.  Seeing they might
be deported, your parents eased up on the physical punishment,
but according to the report I read, you had already discovered
your love of photography.  You moved out of your parents' house
when you were 17, already earning a good living with your
creative eye.  You attended University with a partial
scholarship, and paid your own way through obtaining a
Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts.  By 20 you were in therapy, had
legally changed your name to Ayres and though you had earned
your first million by the age of 22, you didn't seem to get
focused in your work until you did a certain swimsuit edition of
a popular Sports magazine in 1995.  I guess I don't need to tell
you what happened at that shoot in Jamaica."

Todd shook his head in wonder.  "That's amazing, Chuck.  I
didn't even know all that.  So, you think that Kelly had a lot
to do with the direction my life took?"

Chuck laughed.  "Well, after that shoot in Jamaica, your work
load started to gear more towards runway and fashion shoots and
you turned down more work than any living photographer today. 
You seemed very selective about which models you would work with
and gained a reputation for bringing the best out in each of
them.  Most of the top models in the 90's had you listed for
'preferred photographer' and were willing to wait or pay.  If
you like I can look up the paperwork and tell you how much you
earned during those years."

Todd laughed.  "No, that won't be necessary, Chuck.  That's a
hell of an investigation service your friend runs!"

Chuck nodded.  "That's why I know they will find Deanna and
pass my message on to her.  But let's get back to your life. 
It's very interesting.  You quit straight fashion photography
when you and Kelly opened your own agency in '98.  You're still
a long way from the biggest, but your clients are big
corporations and you supply over 300 models with regular work. 
You changed from fashion photography to a very diverse field but
the results, as seen in the IC shoot last month, have been
fantastic.  You only take jobs now that interest you and your
interests are very diverse.  You do as much photography for free
or at cost as you do for the big bucks.  And it came as no
surprise to discover you were a card carrying member of Mensa."

Todd blushed.  "It's not something I advertise," he said.

"So, when I say you are going to make a great father, Todd, I'm
basing it not only on personal observations, but on documented
facts.  I can understand you not wanting any relationship with
your parents, but you still have a rich cultural history to pass
on to your child."

"This was eye opening and fascinating, Chuck, what did you find
out about Kelly?  She rarely mentions anything about her life
before she became a model."

Chuck rubbed his face as if thinking.  "I guess I can tell you
about Kelly.  After all she is carrying your baby, but unless
she asks, I won't ever mention this to her.  What I'm about to
tell you might surprise you.  Are you sure you want to hear
this?  It's a pretty gruesome story."

Todd thought about it for a minute and then said, "Yes,
please.  I know her so well, yet I don't really know anything
about her at all other than who she is today."

"Okay.  Kelly Jennsen was born October 15th 1977 in Buffalo,
New York.  Her birth name was Kelly Melissa Johnson.  Her father
never married her mother and earned money in every shady deal
possible.  He had a criminal record that consisted mostly of
petty theft and assault.  Her mother, Melissa Johnson, also had
a record as a prostitute and for petty theft.  Both were heavy
drug users.  Though there is evidence to support allegations of
abuse, Kelly managed to keep clear of them from the age of six. 
Quite a smart child, she took care of herself for the most
part.  There is nothing really outstanding in her early life
until shortly before her twelfth birthday.  One day, she was
spotted in a local mall by a model scout.  He managed to get her
name and address from her friends, and he approached her parents
about her becoming a model.  They said they weren't paying for
any pictures, and he saw an opportunity.  The bastard bought
her.  He paid her parents twenty-five thousand dollars, and
became her legal guardian.

Todd interrupted.  "Her friends remembered this?"

"No, they got it from records.  I'll explain in a moment. 
Anyway, Kelly made her modeling debut at the age of twelve.  She
was making good money and it should have paid for any kind of
education she wanted, but her 'agent' was taking almost all her
earnings.  By the time she was fourteen, she had figured out
what was going on, and filed an emancipation suit against her
parents for selling her into servitude, and another against her
agent.  Her father did three years; her mother got a good
behavior bond.  The agent ended up with worse.

Chuck paused.  "This is where the story gets nasty.  Are you
sure you want to hear the rest of it?"

Todd sat back breathing deeply, slowly nodding his head.

"Aside from selling her as a model, there were allegations that
he was forcing her into sex from the age of 12 till she figured
out a way to escape his clutches and avoid being returned to her
parents.  Kelly never did find out that her father went to jail;
those charges and the ones against the agent were made after the
hearing by the state.  The agent made a plea bargain with the
New York Assistant District Attorney.  All of his assets were
liquidated and placed in a trust fund for Kelly.  He lost
everything and aside from not admitting his guilt in the rape of
a minor, pleaded no contest to all the other charges.  Kelly
soon found a reputable company to represent her and became one
of the more popular models on the circuit.  The judge at the
hearing who allowed her to gain her independence had placed one
condition on the release of her trust fund.  As it was a very
sizable amount - they recovered over half a million from the
bank accounts and the agent's assets - the judge didn't want a
14 year old living on her own with that much money so he
appointed a financial investment banker to keep her on a living
allowance but not to release the entire amount until she turned
21 or had finished school.  Aside from the obvious reason of
age, Kelly had to meet with a psychiatrist for a number of
sessions to see if she was mature enough to handle life as an
emancipated minor.  The psychiatrist's report to the court was
that she was stable, but had a borderline personality disorder. 
She could turn into a full blown bi-polar personality but at the
time and up to the present she has shown no further signs of it
other than her OC traits."

Todd tilted his head fixing Chuck with a quizzical look.

"Yes, that's well documented too, Todd.  Her smoking habit is
probably the most noticeable, but she is also obsessed with
justice and fair treatment, which in the case of your agency
works to the advantage of your models.  Unlike many Obsessive /
Compulsives, she's managed to avoid drinking to excess and
gambling, and the only other obsessive trait she has shown is
her fixation with vitamins and health food supplements.  I'd say
she's made some healthy choices."

Todd nodded his understanding and agreement.

Chuck continued, "They were good years investment wise, and the
bank earned substantial interest on the money and they were left
to tend most of it because Kelly turned out to be a model in
high demand.  She made it a point to get her education though
and when she graduated High School in 1993, the bank turned over
control of her portfolio which at that time had grown to just
over $800,000.  Kelly had also accumulated a huge bankroll on
her own during this period as she needed nothing fancy in the
way of a place to live because she was constantly working and
staying on location.  Then in 1995 she landed the center spread
in a swim suit edition wearing little more than a smile, and her
career really moved ahead and her fees tripled."

Todd was smiling as he recalled meeting Kelly that first time
in Jamaica.

"Then in 1998, Kelly, who had officially changed her name to
the one the agent had given her, Jennsen, retired from the
runways and opened up an agency of her own with a photographer
friend she had met in 1995."  

"Now if you like, Todd, I could tell you how many visits you've
made to various dentists and doctors, but I think that you see
the picture."

Todd sat for a few minutes both absorbing the information Chuck
had uncovered and wondering about Kelly's past.  She had never
told him anything about the abuse from her parents and had only
hinted that her relationship with her agent at that time was a
very unpleasant experience.

"Chuck, I appreciate you telling me all this, and I understand
why you felt the need to know more about us.  I agree it would
be better if we don't tell Kelly about what you uncovered about
her parents or the man who bought her.  She's really happy with
life now and has kept this a secret to the point where I think
she's blocked out the past in her mind.  I don't think bringing
up her past would accomplish anything positive or healing to her
life."

Chuck nodded and said, "I agree, Todd, the only reason I told
you was because you felt the need to give your child a family,
and the truth is, neither you nor Kelly really has any family
except the family the two of you have created for yourselves.  A
family I hope you will allow me to be a part of."

Todd stood and embraced the older man.  "You're stuck with us
now, Chuck!" he said with a smile.  "Thanks for understanding
and thanks for filling in the blanks."

They were still in an embrace, a tear of relief and happiness
rolling down Chuck's cheek when the door opened and Amanda,
Anna, Kelly, and Laura walked in.

"Grandpa, why are you crying?"  Anna asked.

Chuck wiped away the tear and smiled at his own precious gift. 
"We were celebrating the good news, Sweetheart."  Then he turned
to Kelly and gave her a sweeping big hug and a kiss on the
cheek.  "Congratulations, Kelly."

Kelly smiled, blushed, and then kissed him back.

Chuck next turned to Laura and gave her a hug and a big welcome.

"Hey," said Amanda, "when do I get the royal hug treatment?"

~~~~~ // ~~~~~

Twenty minutes later, after they had devoured most of the fruit
and snack foods in Chuck's suite, they were seated on the
balcony.  Amanda claimed Chuck's lap while Anna had managed to
climb on to Todd's.  Kelly and Laura took a chair each and
blocked Todd and Anna in.

Chuck no longer seemed uncomfortable with the displays of
affection he received from Amanda, and lightly held her when the
noise of an arriving helicopter stopped all conversation and
drew their attention to the marina parking lot.

"This is what I like," said Todd.  "I get to see it all and yet
don't have to be in the middle of it."

"Look at all those reporters trying to fight the rotor wash,"
said Chuck.  "Seems like too close isn't close enough for them."

Amanda picked up Chuck's binoculars and watched the reporters
being held back by Celeste's crew.  "They're going to be pretty
upset," she said.  "The best view is going to be from.  Hey! 
Erin and her friends are on the roof of Sandy's!"

"What?" said Todd.  "Where's Sandy's?"

"Sandy is the owner of the restaurant.  The one facing the
marina," explained Amanda.

Todd took the glasses from Amanda and swept the area then
started laughing.  He handed the binoculars to Kelly and said,
"Looks like Ami might get the best shot of all!"

As Kelly looked through the glasses, she could see Ami sitting
on her heels with the camera glued to her eye and her elbow on
Cara's shoulder.  She laughed as she passed the glasses to Laura.

"Looks like you were right about her, Todd," said Kelly.  "She
found the perfect spot to see it all."

"Yeah, she's in the right place for the picture," said Todd,
"but I don't know yet what's going to happen.  I thought the
'Wheel' was finished."

"It is," said Amanda.  "That's the first one over on the side
of Max's.  It's now our office.  This is a smaller one that
Celeste had her cubs put together for us to go where Mueller had
originally planned it to stand.  Out by the cottage on the
island.  It's got a large bedroom, a bathroom and an indoor /
outdoor Jacuzzi and a wedge for a front patio with a high-diving
board!"

"Celeste's cubs?" asked Laura.

"Yeah, her construction crew.  She was a bit of a bear with
them when they first started.  Didn't think a girl could be
hands-on contractor, but after she growled a few times they took
her seriously.  Since then we've called them her cubs."

"So, how come you got a military helicopter?"  Todd asked.

Amanda fixed him with one of those, 'how dense are you' looks. 
"Duh.  We need to get it out there!  It's not exactly something
we can carry over on a boat and lug up the cliff."

"Duh yourself, Blondie!  That much I had figured out myself. 
That thing in the parking lot has a hook on top of it, and I
didn't think you'd build something so floppy to stay in the
parking lot.  I was just curious as to why a military
helicopter!"

"Oh," said Amanda blushing. 

Chuck was roaring with laughter.

"I understand that Mueller's widow had something to do with
that," said Chuck.

"Yeah," said Amanda.  "Marjorie contacted the military and told
them about the project and how Mueller's design could be used
for deploying pre-assembled quarters to any area no matter what
the terrain.  And when they're done, they can just pick them up
again and put them someplace else."

"Hmm," said Todd.  "So I take it that the limp form is
intentional."

"Right.  You'll see in a minute," said Amanda.

The big cargo helicopter moved closer to the wheel and
hovering, lowered a large hook down to the structure below.  It
was easy to spot Celeste and one of her workers on the roof of
the 'Wheel.'  Celeste appeared to be talking into a radio while
the worker pushed the heavy hook into place.  The cable
tightened and for a minute it looked like Celeste might fall
off, but after a last minute check to see the connection was
secure, she quickly scrambled off the building.

Slowly the helicopter started to rise, drawing up the cable as
it did.  The sides of the wheel started to close upwards like an
umbrella.

"What about the worker still on top?" asked Laura, "isn't he
going to get off?"

Amanda took the glasses.  "That's not one of Celeste's cubs .
That's James!"

As the sides of the wheel kept climbing higher and higher,
everyone stood to see when James was going to get off, but with
a rush of power, the helicopter started to pull away.

"It's quite an ingenious design," said Chuck.  "Folded like
that, I can see where the military would be interested.  It
would be easy to store and easy to deploy.  I think they'll find
an easier way of hooking up to it and releasing it."

"But James is stuck in there!" wailed Amanda.

Chuck placed a calming arm around her.  "He's not stuck, he's
only going along for the ride.  Somebody has to unhook it at the
other end."

They watched Celeste as she got into one of the boats.  The
driver kicked the throttle wide open and in just minutes, they
had passed the helicopter and were on their way to the Eyrie.

As they sat back down watching the helicopter make its way
across the marina, Chuck said, "I'd sure like to see the support
structure on the other end."

"Why's that, Chuck?"  Todd asked.

"Well, since it's not going to be sitting on flat ground,
Celeste must have designed it to sit on a pedestal of sorts. 
Probably something like a support column."

"You'll get to see it unfold, Chuck," said Amanda.  "You
couldn't hear it because of the helicopter, but look up there." 
Everyone turned to look at where she was pointing.  Up above,
but out of the way, was an Ultra-Light.  "Jules is video taping
it from the ground at the Eyrie and Sara and Sherri are taping
it all from the sky.  Once it's up and assembled, we'll be
making copies of the video available for the press.  James
bought a multi copy burning unit and we'll burn CDs in bulk
while the press is quizzing Celeste and stuffing their faces."

"Smart thinking," said Todd.

"And everybody will get to see how quick and easily these units
can be set up," said Chuck.

Laura raided Chuck's fridge and brought out bottles of Evian as
everybody sat down again.  Amanda returned to Chuck's lap and
Anna planted herself on Todd again.

It only took the helicopter crew 15 minutes to get the 'Wheel'
in place and from their vantage point, they could see the
'Wheel' slowly open up just as it had closed, like an oversized
umbrella, the arms and ribs slowly started to expand until it
was completely opened.

"Celeste has part of her crew out there now with the smaller
pieces that will lock it into place after it's all level and the
cables are tightened," said Amanda.  "She figures it will take
them about half an hour and then Mueller's dream will have
become a reality."

~~~~~ // ~~~~~

"Well, I suppose we should go and mingle a bit," said Chuck.

"Yep," said Todd with a grimace.  "I'm not thrilled with the
crowd, but we should give Celeste and the gang our
congratulations."

"Just congratulate me," said Amanda who was nestled on Chuck's
lap.  "I'll pass it on to the rest."

"Somehow I don't think it will sound the same," said Chuck as
he untangled her lithe body from his.

"Hey, Kell, are you up for a walk?"  Todd asked.  "All I've
done all day is sit."

"I'm up for it," Chuck said.  "It's good and healthy so I'll
walk with you."

"Yeah," echoed Kelly.  "It's just a few miles.  By the time we
get there, the press should be done asking questions and feeding
their faces."

"I'm game," said Laura.

"Me too, Grandpa!"

"Damn it," mumbled Amanda.  "Outnumbered by health freaks.  Oh,
all right.  If you insist on slow motion."

Chuck laughed.  "Now Amanda, you can drive down if you want,
but sometimes it's good to take life at a more leisurely pace."

And it was a pleasurable walk.  Something about walking makes
conversation easier, and 45 minutes later, they entered the
parking lot, a ragtag group of smiling faces. 

Ami spotted Todd and came running towards him.

"Did ya see it?" she asked all excited.

Todd smiled at her.  "Yeah, we saw it and we also saw you had
the best seat in the house.  What made you think of going on the
roof?"

"When I heard that it was going to be lifted to the island, all
I could think about was going up, so I looked for the best spot
that was higher than the crowd," Ami said.  "I hope the shots
come out as good as they looked through the lens!"

"We'll know soon enough, Ami.  We'll process all your film when
we get back."

Todd spotted Sara and remembered the case of BBQ sauce in the
Hummer.  "You guys go ahead.  I've got something for Sara.  I'll
catch up to you a bit later."

"I'll meet you there, Sweetheart," said Kelly.

"Maybe we can all meet up afterwards at the restaurant,"
suggested Chuck.  "Say in about an hour?"

"That sounds good, Chuck," said Kelly.  "We'll meet there in an
hour, then.  I enjoyed the walk and the company, but I think
that's all the walking I want to do today."

Chuck laughed with her and gave her a hug.  "You take it easy,
little momma."

Anna was undecided as to who she wanted to go with.  She really
liked Todd and wanted to tell him about her latest visit with
her mother, but she also wanted to stay with her grandfather and
Amanda.  With a sigh, she gave Todd a hug and whispered in his
ear that she had something to tell him later, and then trotted
off to catch up with her grandfather.

Kelly and Laura headed to the open barbeque grill where Sara
was overseeing the racks of ribs.

~~~~~ // ~~~~~

Sara was talking with Kelly and Laura when she felt the back of
her dress lift.

"I see that you still don't believe in panties," Todd chuckled.

Sara laughed and gave him a hug.  "Nope, I've decided that I'm
never going to wear them again.  Every time I put a pair on,
somebody steals them, so I removed the temptation."

Kelly and Laura laughed at Sara's logic.

"But aren't you inviting more temptation going bare?" asked
Kelly.

"Maybe, but I like the attention it gets me as well," said Sara
with a big smile.

Todd picked up the case of Maurice's BBQ sauce.  "Kelly thought
you might like this," he said.

"Thanks, guys.  I love his sauce!  Mom and Dad used to take us
out there for Sunday dinners.  You know, that feels like another
life ago."

"I know what you mean," said Laura.

"We better get moving and congratulate Celeste," said Todd. 
"The news people are starting to pack up."

"I'll see you guys later?" asked Sara.

"You bet, sweetie.  We're going to be here all night," said
Kelly.

"Okay, have fun!"

Todd, Kelly, and Laura managed to find Celeste and
congratulated her on the successful media launch of the
'Wheel.'  As most of the gang was nearby, they stayed on
exchanging pleasantries and congratulations with all of them
until it was time for them to hook up with Chuck.

With all the free food outside, the restaurant was nearly empty
which suited Chuck and Todd just fine.  Brenda and Amanda joined
them for a while and they sat around talking about the changes
their respective lives had taken this year.

Chuck sat beside Kelly and repeated the offer he had made to
Todd to be the grandfather of her baby.

"Chuck, that is so sweet.  I really love you for that, and yes,
we accept."  Then Kelly asked how the search for his daughter
was going and the two of them headed out to the patio to talk
privately.

Brenda and Laura were in a deep discussion about Kelly.

"Are you sure you don't mind, Laura?"  Brenda asked.  "I'm not
trying to come between you guys."

Laura leaned forward and gave Brenda a tender kiss.  "How can
anybody ever get too much love?  The more you give, the more you
gain."

Brenda's face lit up with a big smile.  "Oh, yes!  We found
that out!"

Meanwhile, with Amanda helping to keep the details straight,
Anna was telling Todd about the lunch invite from her mother. 
"She misses him as much as he does her," Anna said, "but she's
still not sure.  I hope that she changes her mind soon.  I want
us all to be a family again."

Todd nodded and told Anna to keep holding on to her dream. 
"People do change," he said.  "Look at how much your grandfather
has changed this summer."

Soon though, Brenda and Amanda had to leave.  Chuck and Anna
stayed with Kelly, Todd, and Laura and shared a light dinner
with them.  They were nearly finished when Cara and Ami came in.

"You guys hungry?" asked Todd.

"Are you kidding?" said Cara.  "We've been eating all the free
food outside.  Erin finally had to leave with James and Amanda
told us we could find you here.  We were thinking of going to
the boat and sunbathing for a while if that's okay with 'Mom.'"

Kelly laughed and said as long as they put sunscreen on they
could catch some sun but not to overdo it.  "Can't have you
looking like lobsters when it's time to get your pictures taken."

After the gymnasts left, Chuck said, "I understand that Anna
will be staying on the yacht with you tonight.  Brenda and
Amanda set that up.  I hope she won't be an imposition on you."

Todd chuckled and gave Anna a hug.  "This little princess?  An
imposition?  Not in a million years."

Anna beamed from ear to ear.  "Can I go now, Grandpa?  I can
join Cara and Ami on the boat."

"Just remember your manners, young lady, and don't give our
friends a hard time," Chuck said with a smile.

"I love you, Grandpa.  I'll see you in the morning."  She gave
him a kiss and skipped out the door.

Kelly dug through her purse and pulled out a cigarette.  "I'm
really trying to cut down," she explained to Chuck, "but."

Chuck waved his hands.  "No need to explain, Kelly.  Sometimes
it's better to cut back than to quit altogether.  Stress is the
last thing you need.  I'll even join you for one."

An hour later, they broke up the party, and Todd drove Chuck
back to the Marriott while Kelly and Laura headed to the boat.

As he drove, Chuck told Todd what a lucky man he was.  "You've
got two beautiful women who obviously love you.  And I can see
that you love them.  Enjoy it, son, and treat them special."

"You don't find it strange that I'm with two women?"  Todd asked.

Chuck laughed.  "If you had asked me that a year ago, I would
have said that it was a very peculiar situation, but I've
learned a lot this year.  I think I've learned a lot more about
love and devotion than I ever thought I could, so no, I don't
think it's strange at all."

Chuck got out of the Hummer and wished Todd good night.

"Aren't you going to feel lonely all by yourself tonight?" 
Todd asked.  "You've had a pretty full house for the last few
months."

Chuck laughed.  "I've got a good book here with me and I know
that my friends are close by.  Who could ask for more?"

~~~~~ // ~~~~~

Kelly and Laura stepped on the yacht and were headed down to
the berths when they heard laughter coming from above. 
Following the sound they found Cara, Ami and Anna sunbathing
topless at the bow.

"Well, haven't we become the exhibitionists?"  Kelly asked with
a grin.

"Ah, Mom, it's nice and private up here," said Ami.

"And it's so warm and cozy too!" added Cara.

"Why don't you join us?" asked Anna.

Kelly looked at Laura who shrugged and stripped off her top and
shorts, leaving only her Victoria's Secret thong.

"Laura!"  Kelly exclaimed.  "You aren't setting a very good
example for the children!"

"Come on, Mom," Laura laughed.  "It was you who showed us how
nice this is!"

With an exaggerated sigh, Kelly peeled off her top and shorts
and joined the others on the gleaming hardwood deck, leaning
back against the pilot's cabin.  "Well, it does feel good," she
admitted much to the delight of the other four.  "But someone
will have to put some sun block on me!"

She closed her eyes, listening to the girls scrabble for the
bottle of sunscreen, until a triumphant "I win!" told her Ami
had beaten the others.

She felt the cool cream dripping on her breasts and stomach,
and then two warm hands cupped her breasts.  A moment later,
more hands were sensuously spreading the cream over her flat
stomach, fingers playing under the elastic of her panties, then
down her legs as they teased her inner thighs.  "Oh, that's
nice," she breathed.  "I'll give you about a year to stop that."

They finished by spreading more sun block on her shoulders and
arms, and then the hands left her, pleasantly aroused and
relaxed.

A half hour passed in the warm sun with friendly conversation
and long silences when Kelly heard Laura hum in pleasure, and
then sensed a shadow over her.  Warm lips pressed against hers.

"Mmm, hello, Honey."  She opened her eyes to see Todd leaning
over her, adoration on his face.

"I really should have my camera with me," he said as he
straightened up, "but I doubt that I could do justice to so much
beauty."

Five beaming smiles flashed back at him.

Todd sank cross-legged to the deck facing the girls.  "The
restaurant closes at 9:00," he said.  "I'm not really hungry
yet, and there's not much to do here if you aren't into water
sports."

"But, Honey," said Laura, "you love to play in the shower."

Kelly and Todd laughed.

"Well, I'm thinking we should grab something to eat before it
gets too late.  The galley is well stocked with fresh fruit and
cold drinks, so we could just order something to go from the
restaurant and eat it here on deck and watch the sun go down."

"Oh, can we?" asked Ami.

Kelly nodded.  "Why not?  We can have our very own private
picnic right here."

~~~~~ // ~~~~~

An hour later with the aid of a brochure they found in the
galley, the group had decided on steak and mushroom kebabs along
with crumbed butterfly shrimp and fries for the younger girls. 
Todd volunteered to get it so that the ladies could relax and
enjoy the gentle rocking of the boat and the setting sun.

"I'll go with you, Todd," Anna said, jumping to her feet.  "I
can help you carry everything back."

Todd smiled at the precocious youngster and kissed her on the
forehead.  "Thank you, Anna.  I would most certainly enjoy your
company."

Anna quickly slipped on her t-shirt and they walked to the
restaurant hand in hand.

It took a good thirty minutes for the food to be prepared and
Todd convinced Sandy to sell him a couple bottles of good
Australian wine.  Todd paid for the food and he let Anna carry
the wine.

"My mom said she would come but I don't think she is," said
Anna as they walked back to the boat.

"But," said Todd, "You've seen her twice in the last two
months, which is a lot more than in the last few years. 
Sometimes you have to give people a bit of time and a bit of
space to let them come to terms with big decisions like this."

"I know," said Anna.  "I just want Grandpa to be happy and I
want mom to be happy, too."

"And what about your happiness, Princess?"

"Seeing them back together would be the best thing in the
world," said Anna.

Todd stopped, and knelt down beside the little girl.  "You
really are amazing, Princess.  Thinking about others instead of
yourself.  I hope your dreams come true and we can remove that
look from your eyes forever."

Anna kissed Todd on the cheek and smiled at him.

They finished the short walk back to the boat, Anna quickly
shucked off her t-shirt again while Laura and Cara opened the
food, and Todd opened a bottle of wine.  The girls had put out
plates, cutlery, and glasses with cold drinks in a handy cooler
and soon everything was ready.

With soft music playing from the saloon and to the backdrop of
the magnificent sunset, they all relaxed with their meal.  The
steak and mushroom kebabs were done just right, and the girls'
butterfly shrimp quickly disappeared along with the large
platter of fries that everyone shared.

The gentle evening breeze puckered nipples all round as nobody
had bothered dressing, feeling comfortable in the company of
friends and good conversation.  Kelly finished her glass of wine
and leaned back on the rail to light a cigarette.  Laura was
drinking an Evian that Ami had brought her, and Todd was having
a second glass of wine as they all picked at a large bowl of
assorted fruit.

Laura bit into a mango, the juice running down her chin and
dripping onto her chest.  Todd pulled her to him and ran his
tongue up between her full breasts.

"Ewww!"

They all looked at him as he pulled a face.

"Mango juice and sunscreen!"

There was a roar of feminine laughter.

No one heard the car as it quietly stopped on the quay, nor the
footsteps on the gangplank.

~~~~~ // ~~~~~

"Who the hell are you people and what the hell are you doing on
my boat?"


To be continued.