Chapter 40: Epilogue to Book 10

Dave came down the stairway of the Cessna Citation and broke into tears as he reached the ground. He got down on his knees and kissed the tarmac. He hadn’t been on Circle soil since June first, and here it was a Sunday afternoon a week-and-a-half before Thanksgiving. He’d been gone almost six months. He couldn’t imagine what some of the military men felt like when they got home after two back-to-back yearlong tours in some godforsaken place in the Middle East. He had a new appreciation for what they did.

Further, adding to how choked up he already was, most of the Circle had come down to the little airport to welcome him home. The crowd surrounded him in front of the sleek jet and it was another half-hour of hugs, kisses, handshakes, and tears by many before he finally made it up to his actual home.

There’d been seats on the plane, so Alice invited Ginger and Martha to come along for the trip. Zoey and the Circle, plus Ashley, Kyle, and her band, headed back to Nashville on a charter flight, also from Love Field. They were all going to be at the Circle in a little more than a week’s time for the Thanksgiving holiday and then for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

Most of the crowd walked back up Airport Road to get back to the Circle. Dave and many of the others rode up in some of the many golf carts that had been brought down for everybody. Some of the younger kids were driving the carts and acting as taxi drivers, taking three or four people back to the main Circle before turning around and getting more people from the airport.

Dave looked around to be sure no one was being abandoned as he got into one of the golf carts driven by Sean, his nephew. He saw that Alice and Rose were happily shepherding Ginger and Martha, along with their luggage. Martha had brought a few more things for Ginger to wear. They all looked very sporty and he was sure that Rose was giving them the dirty scoop on every aspect of the Circle. She liked to do that, especially for shock value.

Samantha and Taylor had brought all the kids down to greet the plane. Dave had hugged everyone of them, commenting on how big each of them had grown. Everyone had indeed shot up and inch or two over the six months. He was starting to rethink the second phase of his trip; he wasn’t sure he liked the idea of another six months on the road without a trip or two home in the middle.

The patio was decorated with a big ‘Welcome Home’ sign that again brought tears to Dave’s eyes. The mood was festive and there was lots of lively chatter. Only as things quieted down slightly did he start to notice more and more of the newer people he’d never seen in the Circle setting.

Sue Gaylord came up to Dave. They didn’t say anything, but they hugged and kissed. Her presence at the Circle said it all. Lila and Kami appeared next, bubbling over with how much they liked the Circle. Next, he saw Skye St. Clair waving at him; his friend Jim Hotch stood beside her smiling.

Jessie Parker came into his arms and they also kissed. She summed up the past few months for herself in a couple of sentences: “I work at the Club Ecstasy now with Jim and the others. I also got a new tattoo from Greg.” She pulled down the front of her nearly indecent shorts and there was the colorful round tat near her mons that most of the Circle women sported.

Gabbie Carson appeared, topless, for her kisses. Ken and Patty were with her and joined in welcoming Dave home. Ken said, “We’re planning to marry Gabbie and her friend Ellen whenever we have one of our ceremonies, and, yes, we know she also wants to marry you. We love Gabbie and Ellen dearly.”

Carli Winston, his equestrian friend from Kentucky, appeared with Patrick and Ellie eagerly in tow. She quickly told him, “I moved my business – Talentations – to Sarasota. Patrick and Ellie came, too. We’re a very loving group of people and we love the Circle. Please come and be with us when you can.” Dave marveled at how her entire attitude had changed from the stuck-up rich bitch he’d first met at her parent’s farm. She seemed like Miss Congeniality, and obviously had deep feelings for Patrick and Ellie.