Chapter 3

It was a few weeks after school started, when I asked the coach if I could have Sandy for a couple of days and told her why. She thought it was a fun thing and felt it wouldn’t hurt anyone too much. The backup catcher needed some time behind the plate, and there were enough practices before the next game that it wouldn’t be a problem to miss a couple. So, Thursday morning, I took my wife to Wichita, Kansas, to see a plane ordered by another defense contractor. The company was caught up in a massive fraud, waste, and abuse investigation and went belly up. That proved to be a windfall for two reasons, but the first had wings.

We landed at the Textron Aviation facility in my little rented Socata 900 and taxied behind a ‘follow-me’ truck to the parking ramp where they wanted to greet us for introductions. I introduced my wife to the salesman meeting us and followed him directly to the hangar where they had the plane stored. It was gorgeous. Blue and white, it was a King Air 360ER with the 360i forward cabin for six passengers, the galley, the lavatory in back, and room to play, or I should say work, in the middle. Beechcraft had several options already installed in it that the contractor was going to use for testing. They had installed a few things most people would never think of or need, including several through hull ports and mounting points. They have lots of cool add on options for military and research use.

We wouldn’t have use of the storage behind the engines, since in the ER version that was where they put the ‘extended range’ fuel tanks, hence the ER designation, but with all that room, who needed them? The best part was that this aircraft could fly around the world. It wasn’t all that fast, at about three hundred and sixty miles an hour, but it would make it and make it comfortably.

Another huge plus was that it was ready now, and in order to keep from marketing it with the options no one would want, they’d let me have it for five and a quarter, a half million off that the contractor had on a nonrefundable deposit, and a two-hundred-fifty thousand discount for a cash and carry sale.

I called Roger, the Socata owner and airfield manager back home, and asked him if he could come get his airplane. He laughed and said, “I thought this might happen. We’ll be over tomorrow afternoon. I can use the time as a check ride for a student, but you’re picking up the fuel, right?”

“Of course I am, and thanks, Roger. I may still need your help one of these days. My wife’s eyes are glowing as she looks at the controls.”

“Oh, my. Another one bites the dust.” We laughed, then Sandy did the same when I told her what he said about her.

The salesman asked if we wanted to take it up, to which I nodded. I had no intention of going to bed that night without having flown this beautiful machine, and we had planned to fly it again the next day. It would be a very fun trip. I was taking my honey to lunch on Saturday in Alabama after spending the weekend there, both Friday and Saturday nights, then home on Sunday and back to the real world. A mini honeymoon, if you will, since we hadn’t even had one yet. With school starting, I was thinking the Christmas break would be honeymoon time, and since it would be less than a year since we’d been wed, it could still officially be a ‘honeymoon’.

We flew from the facility, down over and around some lakes in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri, then headed back. The salesman was a pilot and checked out on the plane, same as I was, but he got up and let Sandy sit in the co-pilot’s seat for a while. I let her fly the plane, holding it and having her turn it a bit, just to feel the controls. Her grin was contagious.

“Do you want to fly, princess?”

“Yes, Charlie, I really do. This would be so much fun to do together.”

“Done. I’ll have you start as soon as you don’t think it will affect school and sports.”

“Monday!” We laughed again, then she traded places with the salesman.

Back on the ground, I went over the gauges, hour meters, all that, then traded numbers with them and had my accountant wire five million two-hundred and fifty thousand dollars to their accountants. When his people said they had it, we shook hands and he drove us to the Marriott for the night. They’d send a company car to collect us in the morning after we called for them and I’d arrange for them to have Roger, his assistant, and his student land there, collect the TBM Socata 900, and take it home. It was a private airfield and not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry, could land there, normally. After taking a six-million-dollar problem off their hands, they were more than accommodating and willing to help in that way.

That night, after I fed her, we were up in the room, snuggling. She asked me, “Charlie, are you serious about me flying? Honestly?”

“Yes. Absolutely. Then when you hit the workforce, after college, I can hire you on in a menial labor position as my chief pilot and you can help me get done the things I need to get done. It’s fun, and it would make me happy, if it makes you happy. If, at any time, though, it’s not fun anymore, stop. Immediately. I don’t want you doing anything that you don’t enjoy. Especially if you’re doing it because you think I want you to. Please remember that, sweetheart. I want you to be happy. For you. Not for me.”

She nodded and hugged me. “I love you so much, Charlie. I’m sure that’s one of the big reasons, but there’s so many, I just lose count.” She climbed on top of me paying attention to the part of me that fit so perfectly into a part of her and made us both very happy lovers. She squealed as I was coming in her, my spasms setting her off for her second one.

“I love you, Sandy. More than you will ever know, but I love you so, so much. Thank you for being mine.” We slept well that night, even though I was excited about the plane, I was able to fall off into a slumber. Probably because my doll had just sucked the life force from my body. Oh, and what a wonderful job she did.

She woke me up by tracing circles and figure eights on my chest with her finger. “How long does it take, Charlie, to be able to fly?”

“Not long, doll, but remember, you have school and all that. You could probably solo before Christmas if you work at it, have your license before you gradate and be able to help me before you start college. It’s different with different people, but I imagine it won’t take you long at all. I’ll bet if you put your mind to it, you’ll be flying the Feral Princess before you start at the university.”

“The Feral Princess?”

“Yes, I’m naming my airplane after you. You are my true feral princess. I’ve always thought so. Wild, crazy, unkempt, but not caring, and free spirited, but when the time came, a real live princess. I love you. I’ve always thought of you that way. Since you were ... A lot younger. Let’s leave it at that.”

“Why did you think...”

“Sweatshirts, baggy jeans, ratty Converse high tops. Your hair in clumps of wavy curls. You know why. Then, the night I picked you up for our first official date, good God, Sandy, baby, you set me back on my heels. A vision. I’m probably a bit prejudiced, but easily the prettiest woman I’d ever laid my eyes on. I think so, anyway, because I’ve loved that young woman for so long, but ... You are my feral princess. Remember, though, the operative words there are ‘my’ and ‘princess’ and don’t you forget it.”

“I won’t. I love you. Come wash me. I’m hungry. Are we going home when we get the plane?”

“No. I’m kidnapping you, my princess, and running away with you. I got you a reprieve from practice, told your mother to fend for herself, and we’re on our own for a couple more days.”

“Might I ask where, man of mystery, kidnapper of young wives and princesses?”

“Please take note, young one, that it’s only MY wife and princess and is not some dark habit grown of loneliness, despair and abuse. Only you, my prisoner of love. I like that. Prisoner of love. I have a bit of a little surprise, but I’m pretty sure you’d know we were heading south if I let you look out the windows of the plane, so, I’ll tell you my pretty little captive, that we’re headed south. Not directly, though, so don’t try to chart our course based on the ramblings of your love interest.”

“You are a cornball. You know that?”

“Wanna know what’s worse, princess?” She nodded. “I’m your cornball. MWAHAHahahah. But I love you, babydoll.” We finished in the shower, saving a more erotic and romantic liaison for later that night ... Down south. I smiled to myself as I dried her back and patted her cute little bottom. “Thank you, baby.”

She dried mine then tiptoed up to kiss me, then kissed my chest. “Thank you, Charlie. I love you. Let’s get dressed and eat. All this excitement is making my metabolism scream.”

We dressed, packed our stuff in our little bags and went downstairs for breakfast. I called the salesman and told him we were eating and taking our time and that an hour would be great, if that was all right with them. It all worked out well. Once out at the airfield, I passed on the information about Roger and his folks coming in, then my feral princesses and I took off for our mini honeymoon.

We flew into the Jack Edwards National airport, a small executive strip on the Gulf coast with some pretty nice facilities. Platinum Air Center took very good care of us and even hangared the plane, calling a car to take us to the hotel. It was clear these folks wanted repeat business. The Crystal Tower hotel was pretty close and very nice according to the write-ups. I just wanted a place to walk around and spend some worry-free time with Sandy. That was my goal.

That evening we walked to Bahama Bob’s for an early dinner, and just walked afterwards, not going anywhere specific, just moving here and there as our eyes caught something, holding hands, or walking with our arms around each other. It was romantic. Simply a wonderful, loving time. We needed it, even if we wouldn’t admit it.

Back at the room, she grinned at me inside the door and told me, “Charlie, love, when you told me a short trip, I brought two outfits. You need to take your kidnapped princess shopping. I need two more outfits. One for Sunday on the way home and one for tomorrow night. What would you say if I told you I want to wow you and make you want to ... Make you want me?” She giggled. I laughed.

“Like every other minute of every other day? No problem. Tomorrow morning we’ll get a ride to the nearest mall, and you can knock yourself out. Anything, short of a mink coat. It’s way too hot out here for that.” We both enjoyed the humor in that, knowing she’d minimize, not go the other direction.

She rode me to sleep, catching two orgasms herself, one with my lower lip between her teeth, and almost causing a problem, then when I got a bit rough with her at the end, she came hard, cutting loose and having a little squirt on me, and passed out on my chest. I followed her, resigned to the fact that there was no need to do anything about it until morning.

She took me on a shopping whirlwind, finding everything she needed in about an hour and a half. It was dress casual, she said, sort of in between but she wouldn’t let me see it until that night. She said she wanted to be casual enough to not be overdressed where I wanted to feed her, yet dressy enough to not look out of place in the dance club later on, should we make it that far. She also picked up a little makeup kit so she could try to make herself look a bit older. Some places would let an underage wife in, some wouldn’t. It kind of depended on the local laws.

That was for later, though. Today was for enjoying today. We needed to catch some rays and play some, out in the hotel’s pools, so we donned our suits, and went out into the warmth of the big yellow orb. She was wearing a scandalous, yet legal and attractive, bikini, and I was in fairly short swim trunks. Certainly not Speedos like I choose to wear at home, but not long board shorts, either. Without making it too awfully sexual, we spread oil all over each other, her doing me first, then me spending way more time oiling her than necessary. We were in public, so I had to be careful, but the area of the patio we were in wasn’t highly populated while I was playing masseur on her backside. The gentle, and not so gentle, manipulation with copious amounts of the hot slick oil was appreciated, I found, with her giving me her clear and concise vocal approval, without saying a coherent word. Mostly groans, moans, whines, whimpers, and one grunt. I think she concentrated on what I was doing so intently that she had a little orgasm under my hands. I’m pretty sure of it, actually, since she napped for a bit afterwards. I had to be the luckiest guy in the world. Still am.

After soaking up quite a bit of sun, and probably creating a few more freckles on my gorgeous redheaded princess, we went for a walk on the beach picking up a few shells to remind us of our trip there. After that, we swam for a while to cool off and headed back up to the room, hand in hand, spending most of the way glancing and smiling at each other. She was truly enjoying our little trip, which made me ecstatic.

In the room we showered together once again, using most of a boiler full of hot water and enough soap to clean the deck of a battleship getting the suntan oil off us. I wasn’t complaining, not one little iota, don’t get me wrong, but the oil tried to stay behind a bit. We shared more mutual manipulation in the shower, once again, her pulling me off onto her chest, and me on my knees pinning her to the shower wall with my lips and tongue. I had to catch her and could feel her vibrate as I held her. The kiss afterwards told me I did good.

“Thank you, Charlie. I love you. So, so, much. I do. You are so special.” Another kiss then she just hung on me in the running water until she was relaxed a bit, and her legs were working again.

We were able to regroup and get ourselves dressed for the evening. Several kisses and touches were shared as we moved about the room. My honey was looking so grand, while at the same time casually dressed, in cute, cuffed khaki short shorts and natural leather high heeled sandals. Her top was both sexy and conservative, revealing nothing immodest, yet showing enough freckles to make me drool. It had cut outs and was laddered in places most blouses shouldn’t be, but the bra underneath made sure she was covered appropriately. Too sexy. It got me thinking, so I started singing to her... “I’m too sexy for my shirt, too sexy...” I caught a pillow in the belly and a kiss with a smile behind it.

“Thank you. I thought it was too cute to pass up. I’ll assume it was a good buy now.” She struck a pose as I nodded.

“Gorgeous, honey. Seriously. Come on, I want to show you off. Jesus, you’re pretty.” I got another kiss for that and off we went for dinner and dancing.

The Beach House had a reserved table set up in a far corner for us, a bit quieter than the rest of the place, just as I’d hoped. We were able to talk without raising our voices and could hear each other pretty well. We discussed our marriage, our relationship with her mother, her academic plans, our new airplane, her desire to fly, and lots of other things, but it kept coming back to her being happy to be my wife and me being more than ecstatic about being her husband.

After dinner, we called for an Uber to take us to the night club where I was able to sneak her in under the watchful eye of a bouncer with a Semper Fi tattoo up his arm. My retired Air Force ID got us right in without any further questions. I thanked him for his service, and we talked a bit after he asked me how I retired so young. I let him know I didn’t do much except collect a little bullet from a dipstick with an AK while in the cockpit of my F16 and since I can’t pass a flight physical, they let me go on my merry way. He shared a similar experience of an IED causing an early knee replacement and basically the same deal. We shook hands, laughing about being broken soldiers leading worthless lives. He was a deputy sheriff for his day job looking to earn extra money moonlighting as a bouncer to buy his wife and daughter a nice little house they had their eyes on.

“I want one of those pretty soon,” Sandy said, pitching in to the conversation.

“What,” the Marine asked, “a nice little house?”

“Oh, no, I have one of those. A daughter would be nice, but ... Soon, maybe. Not now, but soon.” She hugged the guy and thanked him, then we went inside the club after him wishing us well.

“That was fun,” she said. “He was a lot nicer than he looked. He looked like he eats puppies for breakfast. Live ones.” She laughed and continued, “but he’s just a little puppy dog himself. Nice guy.” We found a table and ordered drinks, her sticking to ginger ale for now, but telling the waitress she may get a wine later if they had any Moscato on hand.

The waitress checked the back of her hand with a little flashlight then told her they had “Barefoot, Sutter Home, or Risata, which is a sparkling variety for a bit more. Just catch me passing and I’ll get whatever you need, ma’am.”

When she’d walked away, Sandy whispered in my ear, “Ma’am? I know I don’t look twenty-one, but the doorman didn’t stamp my hand, so I guess I am tonight. I’ll be your ma’am tonight, though. Sound good?”

“I like the way you talk, ma’am!” I whispered back in her ear. We got up and danced a few songs we could hold each other during, then sat back down. She caught the waitress, ordered some bubbly Moscato, got me another Stoli and lime juice with a glass of club soda. I was feeling a bit different tonight for some reason. My drink proved that out. We stayed for a while, my wife letting me know in no uncertain terms that she really liked my little citrusy cocktail and might try one at home. After we finished them, then danced a couple of more slow numbers, we called for an Uber and headed for the hotel.

We were back in the room fairly early, by night clubbing standards, but I didn’t want to be out all that late and I had to have her back home the next night for school on Monday morning. Senior year and all that, we didn’t want any problems. Plus, she had practice on Monday afternoon and a game on Tuesday. I really didn’t want her coach to be upset with me.

We made slow warm love that evening, just enjoying being close and me being in her. She didn’t even want any foreplay, just me laying on her, my hard as a board erection in her with her using her muscles to squeeze and play with it. “I love you, sweet man. Help me over the edge, Charlie. Love me. Hold me. Push, honey. Come in me. Charlie. AANNNNGGGHHH. Oh, God, I love you, Charlie,” she talked us right through it, telling me exactly where she was. Perfect timing. Just when she said ‘Oh, God, I love you’, I came, hard, buried all the way to her cervix, emptying into her when she got to ‘Charlie’. I held her to me wrapped in my arms and squeezed gently but firmly. She knew I was holding her very tightly. She knew why, too.

“You are fantastic, my love. Simply and utterly fantastic.” I moved to get up after holding her for a few minutes.

“Stay. Try to sleep on me, hon. I’m comfortable. Pull the sheet up and try to sleep here. Please.”

I pulled the sheet up over us and using my elbows and arms next to hers, pulled in tightly to hug her, I was able to fall asleep listening to her purring under me.

I woke up next to her, looking at her looking at me. I could tell, just in the way our eyes met, that we were made for each other. “Good morning, my lovely Missus Carter.”

“Good morning, Mr. Carter. Center of my universe for eternities to come. Kiss me, shower me, and feed me, or I’m leaving you, at least until I’m clean and no longer hungry.” She kissed me quickly, pulled out from under me and held my hand while climbing off the bed, tugging on me. “Come on, good lookin’, let’s get cleaned up. Making love makes me hungry, and after last night, I’m really, really, hungry.”

“OK, gorgeous. Here I come.” I grabbed her, picked her up and carried her into the shower, squealing like a kidnapped princess the entire way. A little horseplay out of the way, we got down to business, got each other as clean as we’d ever be, then dressed and I took her to breakfast at a little restaurant down the road from the hotel. Good food. We talked again about flying. I doubted anything would get in her way.

Her phone rang. She looked at it, then at me, stating, “It’s Mom.” She tapped on the screen. “Hey, Mom. How goes it? (Pause.) Really?” Her voice had dropped substantially in tone. (Pause.) “OK, we’ll be home pretty soon. We can talk then. Sorry. I don’t really know what else to say. I loved him, too. I did, but lately... (Pause.) I know. (Pause.) Understood. I love you. See you tonight.” She pushed the button on the phone. “Dad’s dead, Charlie. He was found in his cell, door open, stabbed to death.” She got up and came around the table to me. “Hold me for a bit?” She sat in my lap, and I rocked her. The waitress stopped by, and I asked her to get us some more coffee but when she questioned if we were all right, I explained there was nothing to be done. All would be well. In time. Time heals all.

We had gone back to the hotel, packed, caught a ride to the airport and were taxiing before she said much else. “I didn’t want it to happen, Charlie. I wanted him to change. I didn’t want him hurt.” I held her hand and let her talk. She did, too. She talked mostly about how nice he was a long time ago before the drinking and the cheating and all this started. Then she sat up straight, cleared her throat and said, “Show me how to fly the Feral Princess, good man. I want to learn something today!” So, I taught her as much as I could to keep her mind off things back home. It worked. Until she and her mother hugged when we got back home, then she broke down. They both did.

I held them and herded them to the family room couch and just put them together to hold each other and talk. They did, quietly, not hiding anything, but just solemnly and in low tones, went through how they felt and how sorry they were things turned out the way they did. Despite the last couple of years, they agreed, he was the father of Sharon’s child, Sandy’s father, so there was a change in their lives now. I was called into the room.

“We were just talking about him and how badly he treated us lately, Charlie. Sorry to be such a downer, but it just shows me why I love you so much now. Even though he was a better person early on, he was never the warm, loving, caring, sensitive, respectful person you are and have been since I met you. It’s no wonder that my daughter fell in love with you. Or that I did, for that matter.” I knelt in front of them and hugged them together. It didn’t take long until they were back up and walking around the house, Sharon fixing dinner, and Sandy unpacking and getting ready for school the next day.

They seemed to normalize a bit over the next week, the grieving and talking about “what ifs” replaced by “we’re fine” and “a chance at a new life” without the shadow of the fear of Pete doing something stupid again.

A bit after that mood-changing week, I got a call from a government contact of mine on the west coast, asking if I had just bought a plane that almost belonged to a defunct electronics firm. When I answered in the affirmative, he asked if I had some time to meet, even offering to do it at our place, instead of the usual, me traveling to his office. I let it happen, because I could tell he was trying to get out. Office jobs can be like that sometimes.

I told the ladies we were going to have company then thanked them for playing hostesses, in advance, should they choose to help me with that chore. They both knew the drill, that these guys were the business end of what I did, and that it was a good thing to let them know we weren’t the bad guys, in a manner of speaking.

Lt Col Driscoll, Matt Driscoll, showed up at the house in his rental car early afternoon on a Sunday. I’d known Matt for quite a while. He had worked with my father and met me that way, as he’d done a stint with the same organization as a Captain earlier in his career, then got called away as a Missile Control Officer for an assignment in Europe, then one as an aide to a General at NATO Headquarters, then back with the Programs Office in San Diego. We’d met up several times, mostly for business, but a few times just to talk. When he called and asked to talk, I told him to plan on dinner here Sunday night, talks at the plant for however long he wanted to stay, then the ladies and I would take him to dinner as long as he was here. Of course, he was staying at a hotel about halfway between our house and the plant, so he could spend some quality ‘Matt’ time with Matt. Alone, by himself. That’s what I could sense that he needed as much as anything.

It was a mild evening with us sitting on the back porch when he explained why. He’d found out that his wife had an affair with a German Air Force officer when they were in Europe. The rough part was that he found out about it from his daughter. His wife had supposedly gone back to Europe to visit friends they’d met back there, which his daughter knew as well, through their children. Well, the children found out that his wife spent the entire trip, except for a couple of afternoons, at the hotel with a certain German Intelligence Officer. His daughter’s friends told her what was happening. Evidently, he was not all that intelligent, but in any case the daughter ratted the mother out, the son went with her, the daughter stayed with Matt, and it was a mess.

I chose that moment to be a friend and told him off the record, if he needed a getaway, this was it, he could hide here, visit here, send his daughter here, do what he wanted. “Matt, Dad always liked you. He thought you were a really good guy, and I’ve seen nothing different. If you need it, it’s here.” He thanked me, shook my hand, and we downed our drinks when the girls called us in for dinner.

He had a couple more drinks with me afterwards, explaining how his daughter had grown apart from her mother, and now understood how and why. I felt for the man. Twenty years with a woman, then to find out she was screwing around. It put doubt on the entire twenty years. Doubts about the entire relationship. Doubts in oneself. I finally talked to him until he was talked out, showed him to our guest room and told him he could go to the motel tomorrow. He called the motel telling them to charge him for the same room for tonight and the next night, at least, so he wouldn’t lose his reservation for the rest of the week and went to bed.

Poor guy. Couldn’t have happened to a less deserving person.

We met in the hallway the next morning, Sharon offering to help with breakfast since she didn’t have an appointment until later in the morning. She had spent the night with us and tended to cling to me quite a bit while Matt was around. At first, I didn’t understand, but then, it became very clear. I asked her if she was all right being around him.

“Yes, hon, but I just want him to know I’m not available. I don’t want to make it obvious or be yucky about it, but I just don’t want...”

“Stop worrying, Sharon. I explained to Matt last night that we are three. He’d no sooner hit on you than on me, but considering what his wife did to him, I might not look all that bad.” She giggled. “Never mind. He’s hurt, but he’s not so vulnerable as to make a play for my girlfriend. Now, if you brought a friend from work to dinner with us tonight...”

“Hey, that’s not a bad idea. I wonder if Doris is busy. That way we can go to The Lakeside and stay a bit after dinner. That’d be great. Good thinking, boyfriend. Now, can I borrow your truck today? I have a country property to show, and I forgot to ask you last night when you and Matt got into your conversation. I darn sure didn’t want to be part of it. God knows relationships in my life haven’t been all rosy. At least not before you.” She kissed me.

“Not a problem, sweetie.” We heard “awww” from the peanut gallery. My wife had walked in on us. I pulled Sandy to me and kissed her, hugged her in front of me and finished. “I’ll take the silver bullet. It needs to get out some.”

Matt was coming back out of the guest room with his bag and saw the three of us talking.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

“Not at all. Just loaning Sharon my truck so she can act like a country girl showing property instead of a real estate agent showing a house. Seems there’s a difference.” I smiled at her and kissed her forehead and let her go back into the bedroom. Feeling any better?”

“I’m fine. I’m going to head in and get situated. I need to call the office in DC and let them know we’re going to be talking. Then around ten we can get everyone on the line together after you and I get some preliminaries out of the way.” He hollered toward the master suite, “Sharon, it was nice to meet you. Thank you for your hospitality,” then turned to Sandy and me. “Thanks, Sandy. You’re a lucky girl and he’s a lucky guy. Take care of each other. Charlie, see you in town. I’ll get one of the ladies to set me up in your conference room. Bye,” and off he went. Seemingly no worse for the wear, but down deep inside? No telling. I hoped Doris would make it to dinner. She’s an extremely beautiful woman. She’s about Sharon’s age, maybe a bit younger, but WOW! Like Sharon, she’s a looker.