Chapter 10

Dan 1.0’s turn:

Interesting meeting – me, my redheaded pixie, Don Matzke ... And the interesting part – Teresa Hardesty.

Was supposed to be an informal get-together to see where things are in the circles of 3S Transport which is also the umbrella under which Don runs a charter jet service.

“I know Cindy’ll be in the middle of this,” Don told me on the phone. “Do you have a problem if I bring a date?”

“You know just how formal we are around here. Anybody we know?”

“Teresa Hardesty.”

“Don, you know we’ve been friends with the Hardesty bunch...”

“Yeah, Teresa’s given me the full briefing...”

“Then you know that if you hurt Teresa, I’m not your problem. Cindy’s your problem.”

“I know, buddy,” he said. “So are we gonna be discussing corporate secrets?”

“No, bring ‘er. For heaven’s sake, she might slow Cindy down.”

“Ain’t nothin’ slows that one down. Seriously, you’re gonna let ‘er do another transatlantic ferry flight?”

“Why not?” I asked. “Actually, she’s letting ME be the pilot-in-command this time.” (Auth. Note: ‘Pilot-in-command’ is legally in charge of the aircraft and logs those hours to his credit)

Don laughed. “You got a live one with her, Dan.”

“Don’t I know it, buddy.”

So why am I not surprised to see Don’s plane taxiing up with Teresa’s face smiling from the pilot’s seat.

Cindy and I are there to pick them up in one of the ATVs. Like many, if not most, meals where we haul in from outside the normal crew, this one suffered scope creep. We ended up with Cindy and me, Don and Teresa, Alan, Tina and Kathy, Dan 2.0 and Nikki and their little one.

“Hope steaks work, folks,” Alan said, tending the grill.

“Nobody complains about good meat,” Don said.

Nothing like a meal with friends, either. Conversation ranged wide, but kept coming back to a common denominator or two - family and flying.

“Here’s the deal,” Don said, “we’re carving a niche pretty deep with the rapid freight business.” He nodded to my wife. “Cindy’s not the only one to fly ‘em, and she’s done ‘em with her Pilatus and with our Citations, but every time I do a Citation, well, they’re not MADE for that.”

Alan snickered. “Lemme guess where this is heading...” He flashed a look at Cindy.

She does ‘outrage’ very good. “What’d I do?”

“I think you gave up engineering,” Alan said, “and you’re marketing for Pilatus...”

“Well, I ASKED you for that old DC-3,” she said.

Don shook his head. “It’s FAST freight, redhead. Not anachronistic, slow and stylish freight.”

Cindy kept on. “But man, the ‘style points’...”

Teresa patted Don’s arm. “Baby, she’s playin’ you. Don’t be such an easy target.”

“Look, guys, we’re not gonna get Cindy a DC-3,” I said. “So, Don, what do you have?”

“We sell one of the Citations, that liquidity secures our slot in the Pilatus production queue, and we hit the bank for the rest.”

“I got the business case,” Teresa said confidently.

“And I got me a Teresa,” Don said. “Nepotism. Keep it in the family.”

“Yeah,” Teresa said. “Two weeks. Married.”

The girls squealed.

Next question is big among this bunch. “Where?”

Teresa cut her eyes to Don. Yeah, that guy’s gonna do what SHE says. “We talked. We’re kinda connected here. If we could get Mom and Dad ... I’d like to get my old pastor, too.”

Cindy giggled. “Uh ... we ‘ll get everybody here. You call your mom, I’m sure she can work something. Your pastor, my pastor ... Somebody...”

There went the female contingent of our ‘meeting’.

We shook Don’s hand, offered the obligatory back-claps.

Alan mused, “Well, only one more to go and then we’re completely folded back in on ourselves, right, Dan?”

“One more?” Don asked.

“Yeah, has Teresa mentioned her little brother?”

“Uh, Bill, right?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Dunno if he’s Bill 2.0 or Bill 3.0. Cindy’s step-dad is Bill 1.0. Anyway, Teresa’s brother’s engaged to Vicki Duncan, the last un-attached Munchkin...”

“Munchkins,” Don said. “That’s Cindy’s robotics bunch, right? Thought they were all, like, early teens.”

“They are,” Alan said. “Also college grads and uh, ‘financially secure’ because of that robotics thing.”

“One reason Cindy’s plowing money back into 3S Transport. You provide her with toys...”

It was about that time that the OTHER Hardesty came in, accompanied, naturally, by Vicki and Kim and Tim.

Alan handled introductions all the way around. Tim and Billy stayed. Vicki and Kim took off to find the female contingent.

“Teresa called Kim and Vicki,” Tim said.

“My sister’s marrying...”

“Me,” Don said. “Damn, boy! You’re big!”

“Uh, don’t abuse my sister...”

“He’s harmless,” Tim said. “Just aim for his knee...”

“Look, Bill,” Don said. “I have been threatened by everybody that if I mess up, they’re gonna cut Cindy loose on me.”

“Sir,” Billy started.

“Don’t call me ‘sir’, Bill. I’m gonna be your brother-in-law.”

“Okay, Don. Cindy could make it painless, but if Teresa cries...”

“Slow and painful,” I said.

“Ouch.”

“Of course,” Billy said, “You’re buying into this bunch ... Only a fool would walk out of paradise...”

“How old’s Vicki?” Don asked.

“Fourteen. And Judge Charlie’s got the paperwork...”

I laughed. “There it is, buddy. So, when?”

“Vicki just smiles. So does Kim.”

“They have a plan,” Tim said.

Teresa’s turn:

“It’s your second wedding, baby,” I said to Don. “My first.”

“Westminster, here we come,” he sighed, rolling his eyes.

One of the things I love about him is that he communicates with more than words.

I punched him in the arm. “Donnnn...”

“Baby,” he told me, “I want to be married to you in an official and socially acceptable manner. What do YOU want?”

I know what I want. I’ve been to a bunch of weddings of the industrial variety, and make no mistake, it IS an industry – manufactured events that do little to solemnize a major event in the formation of the family. I’ve seen that whole ‘princess for a day’ thing where a church is turned into a London cathedral and the son of a used car salesman and the daughter of a middle manager at WalMart play like European royalty. I’ve seen the multiple thousands of dollars spent on dresses and flowers and cakes and costumes, and I’ve seen the divorce being final before the bills are paid off.

And there’s my friend Cindy – married by a judge, and by that act, completely and eternally married. I’ve seen a step up from that, too, the way they do it at that crazy community in Auburn.

“I wanna be married in Cindy’s community.”

“You know what they do? I haven’t...”

“I have, baby,” I told him. “Trust me ... and it’s a mid-point – halfway between us here in Birmingham and Mom and Dad in Beanpole. The drive is a screen. I’ll invite, and whoever thinks it’s too much of a drive to see us get married, that’s nice to know...”

“When?” he asked.

“How long do YOU wanna wait?” I teased, kissing his ear.

“Uh ... No longer than necessary to meet scheduling...”

I know ... we’ve already mated. This is a formality in some ways, but we have responsibilities.

So there’s me, Vicki, Cindy, Tina, Nikki all huddled up over this.

“When do you wanna do it?” Cindy asked me.

Did you ever get one of those flashes of insight? I got one. Looked at my future sister in law. “Vicki, when are y’all gonna?”

Those blue eyes, the ones that captured my brother, sparkled once. “You know, in the interests of conservation of the resources of Mother Gaia, why don’t we do the same day?”

I just wrapped her in my arms and kissed her cheek. “Sisters!” I said.

“Your mates’ll buy off on a double wedding?”

“Billy’ll do anything I tell ‘im,” Vicki said.

“I trained ‘im that way,” I added. “And Don’s good with anything I decide.”

I looked at Vicki. “Sis,” I said, “I have a dress in my bag that fits me really well. Can you handle getting one made like the ones y’all usually use?”

“You betcha, Sis,” she said. “I’ll pass it on to Mizz Beck. She knows the seamstress.”

“You’ll need to get here a day or two before for a final fitting,” Tina said.

“We’ll do that.”

“So tell us how far along you are on your flying...” Cindy prodded.

“Soloed,” I said. “Dad’s proud of me. Vicki, is Billy?”

“He’s good with ultralights. Cindy’s just getting started with his private license.”

“Two weeks. Saturday, two weeks from now,” I said. “Vicki? Honeymoon?”

“We can fly everybody up to Montana. It’ll still be brisk, though,” Cindy said. “All we have to do is ask Anders and Bridgette.”

“The other alternative,” Vicki said, “is to do like Terri ‘n Jerry and hit the beach on the Gulf. Still too cool for water stuff, but...”

“Terri didn’t spend a whole lot of time worrying about aquatic activities,” Kim said.

Tina’s eyes. Yes, Terri’s HER daughter, in truth, despite what vagina downloaded her. “No, I don’t think she did. Susan asked if I had to contend with a tearful Terri crying over the nasty things Jerry’s forced upon her. If anybody’s got reason to complain, it’s a dehydrated Jerry Stengall.”

“Should I be hearing this?!?” Vicki squeaked.

“You’re the one who wants to get married, dear,” Kim said. “Know the arena and the rules.”

“Like you haven’t talked with Terri and Rachel about it, anyway, right?” Cindy added.