Chapter 12

Deciding to do something completely crazy is one thing. Making actual preparations is something else. More than once, as I put plan B into action, I thought I must be insane.

Some things went very well. I talked to one of the local realtors, who hooked me up with one of her colleagues in Lubbock. Both of them worked their end of things. My house sold almost immediately. The buyer wanted to move in right away, but I put in the contract that I'd pay them rent until I found a new house. Luckily the realtor in Texas found me something soon after. The details took two months to work out, and the process was interrupted by me having to fly to California to be there at my niece's high school graduation.

That went pretty well too. Having put plan B into action, that injected both of us with some patience and control. Which is to say that we didn't take any chances, in terms of trying to have sex while I was there. Since my flight left California at 10:30 PM, the day she graduated, that wasn't really so hard.

There were bumps in the road, of course.

Such as when, in June, Caitlin couldn't go surfing any more because if she put on a swim suit the bulge in her tummy was obvious. At that point, she had to come clean. She told her mother first, privately.

Hannah was furious. Some of that was aimed my way, but most of it was because Caitlin had known for months that she was pregnant, and her unwillingness to tell anyone had, as a side effect, avoided prenatal care. That was what Hannah was most upset about. Plan B came out in the process of them talking things out. Hannah reacted the same way I did. It is possible that Caitlin's arguments in favor of the plan won her over. I sort of suspect the thought of her daughter trying to go to college pregnant and alone was what got her fully on board.

Luckily, the timing was obvious, to both parents. But as unhappy as Hannah was, she didn't blow our cover, and let Phil assume that "the boy Caitlin met while she was hiking and camping during spring break" was responsible. He was pretty unhappy that she couldn't identify this boy as anyone other than "Josh". When pressed, Caitlin got all teary-eyed and said, "We only did it once, Daddy. I didn't think anything would happen. All I know is that he's from San Francisco."

Hannah rolled her eyes.

The road continued to be bumpy when Phil said, "Well, obviously you can't go to college in that condition."

It was good that Hannah knew what was going on, because she got to play the bad guy. She later told me she had a lot of fun as a co-conspirator.

"Stop right there!" she barked at Phil. "She made her bed, and now she's going to lie in it. She will go to college, and she will take care of this baby while she studies and graduates."

"She can't do that," said Phil. "It would never work."

"Well she's going to have to make it work," growled Hannah. "She's not living here. I will not raise my own grandchild while my foolish daughter goes out with her friends and works at some minimum wage job."

That argument went on for more than a week, until Hannah called me and "found out" I was moving to Texas. The house they'd found me was in a suburb called Ransom Canyon, which was about ten miles from Lubbock. That was fine with me. I don't like crowds or traffic and a nice, peaceful setting is perfect to work in. Anyway, when Hannah "discovered" her brother was moving to Texas, Phil got on the phone and said "Where in Texas?"

"It's a town called Ransom Canyon," I said. "I got a big contract down there and it's easier to just move there than commute."

"Yeah, fine, whatever," said Phil. "How far is it from Lubbock?"

"I don't think it's that far," I hedged. "Why?" I wasn't ready to tell him I was moving to a suburb of the town his little girl was also moving to.

"We have this little situation, Bob," he said. "Caitlin is going to school in Lubbock."

"That's a situation?" I responded, sounding confused on purpose.

"No. The situation is ... well ... hang on." He covered the microphone, but I still heard him ask Hannah, "Does he know about Caitlin?" I heard Hannah say, "Of course not." They had a little discussion, in the middle which Phil came back on the phone and said, "Just a second longer, okay? Don't hang up." Hannah played her part flawlessly and, in the end, Phil sadly informed me that his step-daughter had used some bad judgment and gotten herself pregnant. Then he asked if, at all possible, since I would be a lot closer to her than they would, might I be willing to sort of keep an eye on her, just for a while, until she got her feet under herself. His voice got lower. I later found out he left the room before he said the next thing he said.

"Bob, she's not going to be able to make it down there in Texas. Not with a baby and going to college and all that. But they're both stubborn and I can't make them see that. She'll probably figure it out within a week of having this baby, though, and come running home. I just need somebody to keep an eye on her while that happens. You know what I mean?"

"She's a pretty determined girl, usually," I pointed out.

"She's like any other woman. She has no idea what having a kid is going to be like. I don't want her to do something stupid when reality hits her in the face."

"Like what?" I asked.

"Like give the baby away," he said. "That would be a disaster of the highest magnitude. Her mother is already knitting booties for her grandbaby."

"Seriously?" My voice rose. "Hannah knits?"

"Not literally," said Phil, sounding exasperated. "But you know what I mean. She wants to be a Grandma. And she'll get her chance once Caitlin comes to her senses. I just need somebody to keep an eye on her until then."

"Sure," I finally said. "No problem. I'll invite her out to the house. I'll tell her it would be a good place to study or something."

"Perfect," said Phil. "Okay. Thanks. I don't know how this happened. She had such a bright future."

"She still has a bright future, Phil," I said, seriously. "She is a determined girl, and she's smart. Don't count her out yet."

"She wasn't smart enough to keep her legs closed," he said. "But that's water under the bridge. I'm going to give you back to Hannah."

"Sure," I responded.

Hannah came back on and asked questions about my move to Texas. When I told her what Phil had asked me to do, she folded that into what was now her plan B. Or maybe it was still her plan A. I don't know. The point is, she asked how close Ransom Canyon was to Lubbock, and what kind of house it was, already knowing that it was big enough for a family. Eventually she went much farther than her husband had.

"Bob? Let me ask you a question. And be honest with me, Bob, okay? If Caitlin is having a hard time, can she come stay with you sometimes? Just for a while? It's going to be stressful for her, in school, with a baby. You can say no. I'll understand, but I'd feel so much better if I knew she had someplace to go where somebody might help her out a little."

Hannah missed her calling. She should be on Broadway, or in movies, because she's a consummate actress.

I thought about saying, "Hell, Hannah, she can live with me if she wants to," but I remembered that I had to be her boyfriend before she moved in with me, later to become my wife.

"Of course she can come visit," I said. "I'll take good care of her."

And that was that. Plan B was perking along fine. Phil was convinced she'd come crawling back home, and he was willing to be happy with that outcome. I don't think he'd thought out what would happen after that, but he was willing to let her go. Hannah, of course, knew there would be a different outcome, one that also might be a rough road, but it at least had the potential for a lot happier outcome.

I had the new house set up when Kat parked the new (for her) car her dad had gotten her as a graduation present. She'd driven it all the way from California, driving more or less nonstop, as she had done before ... as young people can often do. She had a lot of motivation, of course. There was school, which was new and exciting. But there was also me. I was old and exciting, I suppose.

She came to my house first. She didn't knock, which is why I was so glad she got the right address. It might have been a bit awkward had she barged in some stranger's house, pulling her T shirt up and off her obviously pregnant belly to expose bare breasts that were now larger than ever.

But it was the right house and, by the time she called out for me and I got there, she was in the process of pushing her shorts down over smooth hips that had widened since I saw her last.

"I need a shower!" she gasped. "I've been driving for the last... " She checked her watch, which was the only thing she was wearing. "Seventeen hours," she said. She was talking fast, like people do when they're on speed, and I wondered if she'd found somebody to sell her a little help for the drive. Then she crushed her naked body against me. "But I want you in bed," she moaned. "But I must stink, so I need a shower first!"

I disengaged and gave her an almost chaste peck on the lips.

You go take a shower and I'll get your suitcase out of the car," I said, gently. "There's plenty of time for getting frisky later."

But it's been so long!" she whined. "And I want you right now! It's so good to see you, to finally be here. I almost can't stand it."

"Patience, patience," I said. "Where is the suitcase?"

"Which suitcase?" she asked.

"The one with your clothes in it," I prompted.

"There are four of them," she said. "I don't know which one to have you get. I wasn't thinking about clothes. I was thinking about bed!"

"Go take a shower. I'll go bring them all in. We can take them back later."

"One of them is for here," she said, suddenly no longer manic. "It has the clothes in it I 'm going to leave here."

"I see," I said.

"I can't believe I'm finally here," she sighed. "Oh, Uncle Bob, I'm so horny." Her hand went to stroke her clit.

"Shower!" I barked, just to get her moving.

When I got back in with the last two suitcases, one of which had been buried under a clothes hamper full of books and about six boxes crammed with all the other indispensables a girl has to take to college with her, I stuck my head in the bathroom. I heard the shower going and humming.

So I got naked and joined her.

I suppose you could say the first socially acceptable time I slid my prick into Caitlin's hot sheath, was that day in Texas. At least it was socially acceptable in Texas.

It wouldn't be the last, of course.

Caitlin would have done well on Broadway too. Maybe she got that from her mother. She played the role of poor, young, pregnant freshman well. Some of the friends she made were quite possibly because she was pregnant. She was invited to a support group, for example. Turns out there are more poor, young pregnant girls going to college than one might think. And these days, of course, there are resources for such young women. We won't argue the merits of tax dollars going to support girls who make mistakes early in life. I won't, at least. It was my fault, but I pay my taxes too.

We "met" for the first time at the South Plains Mall. She had called to tell me she was going with some girl friends to the mall and told me to sit down at a table in the food court. When they got there I was sitting, sipping my third cup of coffee and reading the paper for the fourth time. I was surprised I hadn't been approached by the mall security guy who had walked by me a dozen times.

It was crowded, but there were tables the three girls could have sat at. But Kat guided them to my table, where she stood, holding a tray upon which her wrapped tacos lay, and boldly said, "You remind me of my Uncle Bob. Is this seat taken?"

"Caitlin!" squealed one of her friends. She was a pretty typical college girl, cute, but not classically beautiful, in fairly good shape, and who knew better than to approach strange men. I didn't get much of a look at the other girl. I was looking at Caitlin.

"Well," I said, ignoring the outraged objection to Caitlin's forward behavior. "As it turns out, my name is Bob. But I'd be really surprised if you were my niece. I could only wish to have a niece like you." I looked at the other two girls. The second girl was Hispanic, and had lovely eyes. She was also a little pudgy, which I knew bothered her, based on the small salad on her tray. "And please, by all means sit and share the table with me. It isn't every day I get to eat with three lovely women."

"Caitlin!" Now the squealing one's voice carried a note of warning, instead of outrage.

"I'm harmless," I said, folding my well-read paper up and putting it on my lap. "Please. Sit. You can chat if you like, or simply eat. I won't bother you."

Kat sat, which pretty much put the other two in a bind. Eventually the outraged one sat down, gingerly, as if there might be a tack on the chair. The Hispanic girl sat down quickly, as if she felt conspicuous, standing alone.

"This is Shannon," said Caitlin, nodding her head toward the angry one. "And this is Marie. My name is Caitlin. We go to Texas Tech."

"I am not surprised," I said. "What course of study are you all in?"

This, too, was part of Kat's plan. When she said "architecture" I whipped out my card and gave it to her. The other girls leaned in to look at it. Shannon was majoring in music education and Marie didn't know what she was going to do.

"I'm the first one in my family to go to college," she said, shyly.

It was a rocky start, in some ways. Caitlin carried the conversation for a while, but eventually the other two decided I wasn't going to jump up and abduct them all, and relaxed a little.

That was when Caitlin started talking about what a terrible crush she'd had on her Uncle Bob since she was twelve and he accidentally walked into the bathroom while she was taking a bath.

"Accidentally?" said Shannon, who was apparently naturally suspicious.

"He was running away from my mother at the time," said Kat with a straight face. "They were having a water gun fight and he was out of ammo."

"You're kidding," said Marie, who looked fascinated.

"Nope. And he ran in and slammed the door closed and locked it. He had no idea I was in there. He started filling his water pistol at the sink and about had a heart attack when I said something."

"What did you say?" asked Marie, breathlessly.

"I think I just said his name. Things are a little fuzzy after that."

"I don't think I'd forget something like that," said Shannon, raising an eyebrow.

"What I remember is the way he looked at me when he turned around and calmed down," said Caitlin. "Nobody had ever looked at me like that before."

"How did he look at you?" asked Marie, leaning in.

"It's hard to describe," said Kat. "I saw approval in his eyes. And he smiled. It was like being naked in front of him wasn't any big deal, but I could tell he liked what he was looking at. It made me feel ... I don't know ... pretty?"

"What did he do?" asked Shannon, who looked like she expected Caitlin to say this mythical uncle threw her to the floor and raped her.

"He laughed," said Kat, her voice light.

"He laughed at you?" Shannon was incensed again.

"No, no. He wasn't laughing at me. It was more like he was laughing because he was happy the whole situation had happened. It was like he was saying 'Wow, how lucky am I?'. It made me want to laugh too."

"What happened then?" asked Marie, who had forgotten her salad completely.

"Mom started pounding on the door and he leaned down, right next to my face and put his finger to his lips. He whispered, 'See you later. You're gorgeous, ' and then he unlocked the door and started shooting through the crack as he opened it. He chased my mother back into the kitchen."

"What did she say when he found out he saw you naked?" asked Marie.

"I didn't tell her about it!" said Caitlin. "Are you crazy?"

"I would have," said Shannon. "What did he do next?" She said it like she assumed Uncle Bob stalked his niece after that.

"Nothing," said Caitlin. "Well, he still hugged me and stuff like that. And he told me I was beautiful all the time. He said I was going to be a heart breaker when I grew up. I loved him so much."

"Wow," sighed Marie.

Shannon took a bite of the pizza that had grown cold during the story, but said nothing.

"A man of restraint," I commented.

"Restraint?" Caitlin repeated.

"Well you are beautiful," I said, as if I were merely stating the obvious. "He restrained himself from taking advantage of you."

"There were times when I wished he would have done something," sighed Caitlin.

"Caitlin!" Shannon was shocked again.

"Well there were!" said Kat. "There's nothing wrong with a little fantasy now and then. Who else was I supposed to fantasize about?"