Chapter 6

The next day I had an appointment in Long Beach, so Holly stopped by right after 9 and picked me up. We had a soft kiss, then I got in her car. “This may be dull for you, they just want to check me over and make sure I’m healing alright.”

“It’s OK Pete, I don’t mind at all. I brought a book to read.” She said she really liked Becky and was glad I had found her. “You know, I was kinda worried when you came back, Mandy and I were both with others and I was worried you might mope about over us. But she really does suit you. You and Becky seem to make a great couple. Now it’s just Mandy I worry about.”

“Mandy, why Mandy?”

Holly sighed. “I shouldn’t tell you, but she’s kind of kicking herself now. She told me she knew she should have kicked Kevin out of her life ages ago but didn’t. Then you came back, and you got with Becky so fast. She told me that if she had done that you might be with her now.”

I sighed. “Oh Holly, it is not like that at all. I might have, I might not have. But I am with Becky now, and that is that.”

“Oh, I know that. And I told her that also, even saying that even if you had done that, you likely would not have gotten with her. You know what rebound relationships are like. Nice for some fun, but not a good prospect for a long-term relationship. You would have been her rebound, and that might have doomed things from the start. She agreed, but I have been a bit worried.”

“Well, she does not seem much like it. She spent several days with me, and even cuddled with me in her bra and panties as I slept on Cloud Codeine.”

“God, really? She really did that, inside Becky’s own house?”

“Yep, and she told me she had asked Becky first. Between you and me, I think they were testing me. I just told her to next time leave off the bra and wear her shirt. It feels nice caressing a bare back through a shirt, but not really through a bra.”

Holly laughed, and reached to squeeze my hand. “That is such a Pete thing to say. Pete, did she try anything?”

“Not a thing. If she had, I would have sent her out. We had a few soft kisses, and she just cuddled me as I zonked out. And I was half-zonked later on in the living room as the two of them talked, and it did seem like a bit of a test, and I passed for both of them. To be honest, I’m still not sure if I should be angry over it or not.”

“Don’t be angry. Realize, this must be strange for Becky. You being so close to two former lovers, and both experiencing you and hearing those stories. You do almost seem too good to be true sometimes. A perfect gentleman. Who can screw us silly, then return to just being our dear friend. We did talk about you for a while before Dee joined us the other day. I think it blew her mind that I had to make all the first moves.”

Holly sighed and squeezed my hand. “You and I have never had secrets. I even told her quite a lot about last year. How I had to be the first to push every next step. I was the first to jack you off, I was the first to take you in my mouth, I almost had to beg you to make love to me. I did not tell her about the three of us together that last night, but I said at the convention Mandy and I shared you. And she really did seem to understand. And she told me about you and her during that time. I told her I completely understood. It was like with us, except I pushed the envelope, as did Mandy. But she never really did.”

I sighed and asked if I was that predictable. “Only to those of us who love you, Pete. She asked me if she had pushed the envelope if you would have made love to her, and I honestly had to think about it. But I told her likely not, although things might have gone further. You are just one of those guys that really needs love in order to make love Pete.”

I chuckled. “Oh, not really Holly. Yes, I was entirely faithful until after Linda sent me the rings. But after that, let’s just say that on more than one occasion I rented my entertainment.”

“Pete, that’s not the same thing. That’s just fucking. I never said you needed love to fuck, just to make love. And yes, I could see you easily fucking a stranger. But there would be no love in it. You love me, you love Mandy, you obviously felt a strong attraction for Becky even then. And that is all the difference. Even then, you were considering the possibility of love, so you could never have just fucked her. Now finger her senseless maybe, but I doubt more than that.”

We both laughed as she pulled off of the 101 to the 110. “Yeah, you got me there. So, can I ask?”

She smiled at me and winked. “Yes, I have had similar fucks. Wake up the next morning with a hangover and wondering who it was leaking out of me. Hey, it was college. A time to let myself go and stop being the good girl I always pretended to be. I went wild, let’s just say on three different periods of time in those four years. The second was the worst, almost three months of parties, a little drugs, and almost random sex before I settled down again. The last, let’s just say that was only for about three weeks, but was the most intense.”

She paused then, and I squeezed her hand. “You don’t have to tell me, Holly.”

“No, it’s OK. It’s just that, well, I kinda had a girlfriend there for a bit. Just the one, she was an exchange student from Jamaica. She had the cutest accent, and this light coffee-colored skin. It was intense, but we both knew she was leaving at the end of the semester. She was a lesbian, had been for years. And she thought I was cute, and said she loved showing me the ‘other side’ as she said it. But in the end, she left and told me very kindly actually to return to my life. ‘Holly, you are amazing as a lover. But you are not really into girls, I can tell. I’m flattered and glad, but go back to your boys. Just please keep a happy memory for me,’ and I have. Unlike the almost times with Linda, those are happy memories. And helped me inside to know she was right. The curiosity was satisfied, and I went on with my life with no more looking back and wondering if I was bisexual or not. I’m not, I’m most assuredly very heterosexual. But glad I had the chance to see the other side.”

“Then you came back for leave, and shortly after I got with Dan. He was actually worried at first he was a rebound, but he finally understood that was not it at all. You and I were flings for each other, not actual lovers in the traditional sense. And the two of us have been together ever since.”

“I’m glad, I like him a lot. Oh, in my ditty bag I have a notebook I want you to read. It’s those screen treatments I told you that Jack wanted. There are two of them, one is if the movie is rated PG or PG-13, the other is if it is rated R. There is a highlighter and pencil in there, feel free to make any changes or suggestions you think I should make. Kaos is as much your creation as she is mine.”

She said she would, and soon we were pulling off the freeway and we walked into the hospital. I was directed to the Orthopedics department, and I pulled out the binder and handed it to her. She started reading, smiling and laughing at different parts. Then they called my name and I kissed her cheek and went in.

This doctor was much younger, and only a Navy Lieutenant Junior Grade. He went over the copy of the files he had been sent, and then examined my neck with gentle fingers. “OK, that is all healing nicely,” he said, then had me do a very slow rotation.

He then went over my shoulder and leg and was pleased with the progress there also. “Slightly less movement on the left shoulder, but nothing significant. You need more therapy there, though.” He sent me for more x-rays, then I was back in his office and he handed me a cup of coffee.

I asked if I was going to be doing Physical Therapy today, and he shook his head. “No, not today. But it’s nice to see you came prepared. This actually is for another reason. They asked if we would take your case, and the Commander passed you down to me. Just so you know, this is a voluntary administrative transfer, we are not required to take you on. But I can tell you have been taking it easy on your neck, and the range of motion shows you have been taking your physical therapy seriously. So yes, I am going to pass along my recommendation that we take your case on. When you first come down, I want you in the ward here for maybe your first week. That way I can evaluate you daily and closely monitor your progress. But after that, from what I am seeing I’m going to recommend twice a week. Monday and Friday, and on Wednesday to report to the therapist at the Sepulveda VA facility. One of their therapists used to work here, she said she would take you on then. And since that is probably where you will continue to go after you get out, it makes sense.”

I smiled and thanked him, and he said that would be a month or more at least. But that it made a lot more sense, let me finish it all out closer to home, rather than to follow the usual procedure of sending me back to Yuma.

He asked me about my medication use, and I said I had largely stopped, maybe once a day if the pain was real bad, Motrin most other times. He nodded, and said to call him if I felt the need to take the Codeine after the next weekend. “Oh, and go ahead and move back to the soft collar. The x-rays show the vertebrae are fusing nicely, so unless you think you might be in a situation where you get a sudden jarring the hard collar is no longer needed. But continue to sleep on your back for at least the next month.” I said I had not brought one, and he laughed and pulled one out of a locker in the corner and handed it to me. And I gratefully swapped to the soft one.

He stood and I followed, and he shook my hand and said he looked forward to seeing me in the near future. I went back out and rejoined Holly, and she kissed my cheek and we headed out. We stopped in Long Beach for fish and chips, then headed on home. I squeezed her hand, and told her I had really missed her. She felt the same, and we were both glad to have our best friend back. I told her that in a month or so I would most likely be back, for good. I would be in the ward there for about a week, then released to home, and only there on Monday and Friday.

She dropped me off at home, and it was early enough that I went to work with Cliff for about two hours. I had finished the initial checks of all the XT machines, and was now going through the 286 ones. As I got ready to go Cliff asked me what I wanted in exchange for working that day. I just laughed, and said that unless he had a 286 to 386 upgrade card, I was good. He actually thought for a moment and said he did not have one. I laughed and said I was joking, I did not need anything else.

That night we had dinner with dad and Dee, and we all made a call to Kim. She said her and Grace were doing great, and she was at least getting out for an hour or so a day and taking care of the horses. “I can’t ride though. I am still so sore, and these udders just wanna flop around everywhere!” Dee laughed, and said that was just the way things are, she felt the same way after Georgie was born. She then smiled at dad and me, and said she was going to give Kim some advice in the other room. Becky joined her, and we laughed. “I saw your mom feeding you, and Dee feeding Georgie. I doubt there is much about the process I don’t know, but some things women seem to think need to be a secret just between them.”

We went outside, and I finally got a chance to look over my other car. It was so much like my old one, and it looked great. It looked funny with the black shell on it, and dad said he was going to take it in and get it pained next week. The interior was the same blue as the stripe on the side, and dad said the soft cover was the same color. “Pete, it was in really bad shape. A few tears, all the windows were milky, and it was badly faded. Apparently, this model only comes with that top, not the hardtop. So I am actually going to have this one pained the same blue to match. The soft top is already at the place that fixed yours, so in a few weeks we will get it back good as new. And there is a reason for that. We did not know this, but they released two versions. This is the ‘Spirit’ version, that came with the blue convertible top. They also sold a ‘Patriot’, that came with a white hardtop. I want people to know this is a Spirit, even if it has the hardtop on. Most will not care, but if we run across another Scout fan, they should love it because it shows we are trying to keep it original, even if we change the top.” I nodded and said that sounded great to me.

He then asked me if I was going to use it while I was back, and I smiled. “Well, give me the keys, and let me see how rough it drives. I will take a fast spin, but it may be too rough on the neck.” He nodded, and I only had to drive up to Sherman Way to know I would not be using it unless I really needed to. It in no way rode roughly, but it was still a truck and not a car. I got back and went in to hand him the keys. “Maybe if I need to get some things and Dee needs the van, but not any time soon I don’t think. It’s smoother than I remember, but still rough for me at the moment.” He nodded, and the girls came back out and we all said goodbye. I then took Becky out and showed her my new old toy.

She was actually impressed but said the top looked funny. I laughed and said the soft top was in getting repaired, and that dad was going to get this one painted soon. “So, this is going up to Idaho?” I told her that plan was still on hold.

“Dad and Dee want to take this and the UAV up to Idaho. This is going to be the ranch truck, the RV will be stored there unless it is needed. But it’s just too heavy to be towed, so more than likely they will go there in a month or so in the RV, then in the summer take up the truck. Each time one will be in the van, and they will use that to get back.

She nodded, then looked at me and smiled. “You have some vacation time saved still, right?” I nodded, my last Leave and Earnings Statement said I had over 20 days still on the books. “Well, I have about a week and a half saved. How about we take that sometime and head on up there? We can tow one of our cars, and drive that back. That way I can finally meet Kim, and see this Ranch I keep hearing about. What’s it called?”

I laughed. “Actually, it never really had a name. Just the ‘Peterson Ranch’, then I guess the Culver Ranch. I have been calling it ‘Rancho del Mañana’.”

“Ranch of Tomorrow, I like it. Of course, you know that ‘Mañana’ can have two meanings, right?”

I looked at her in surprise. “Oh? Do I want to know the other?”

She giggled. “Oh, not a bad one you pervert. No, among Mexicans, mañana can often mean more like ‘whenever’. ‘Pedro, when are you going to get a job and make some money?’ ‘Mañana hombre, mañana’. In other words, almost never because Pedro is lazy.”

We both laughed. “Well, dad and I may move up there to be lazy, that is mostly for retirement in many ways. But we will still work, and it will be a working ranch. Oh, and we gotta get an ice chest or something. I can promise when we come back, we will have a lot of beef.”

When we went back in I asked dad if he still had any meat from the last trip. I smiled as he went into the freezer, and pulled out two packages. “Here, some hamburger and a roast.” I was almost salivating and smiled. I had him stick it back in the freezer, and said we would take it home with us.

Becky asked what was so special, and I think my dad looked at her like she had grown a second head. “Dad, she has never really had angus beef before. Becky, what is the price for a roast normally?” She said around $1.25 a pound. “Baby, this stuff is $5 a pound, easy. If you can even find it, that is. Stuff like this goes to restaurants most times, out here if you look in the high-end meat department you might find an angus steak next to the filet mignon.”

She whistled, and said she had no idea. “Uncle Dave does not raise many cows anymore. When he switched to renting grazing land he moved to angus. It gave him more money to offset the higher expenses. He used to only raise about fifteen, too many for the acreage but he supplemented it with fodder. Then the last month or so with grain. I imagine he will do the same thing now, so probably be raising around 20. One per acre for beef is high, but workable so long as they do not need to survive on grazing alone.”

“Oh, his herd is at fifty head now Pete. He is going to keep the bulls on the leased land, and the breeding stock. But the ones he intends to slaughter he will move to the ranch. To be honest, I bet he will even increase his herd, but will be making more because his beef stock will get better attention. Oh, and I got this last week for you, one second.”

Dad went into the office and came back with a large blue folder. And inside was a proposal similar to what he had shown me earlier. And the house was almost exactly like what I had asked for. Red brick, a highly pitched roof, and by the way it was raised with a basement. An attached two car garage on the side making an L shape, much like a typical “Los Angeles Ranch Style” house that could be found in most of the valley. But I looked closer, only the lower half was brick, the upper was of wood siding. “Dad, what is this?”

He looked and laughed. “We are getting the same thing. Provides all the benefits of brick for the lower half, where the snow would be. But wood upper, to decrease the cost and weight on the load-bearing parts. They said it also lasts longer and has fewer issues with cracking than all brick construction.”

Becky and I looked through the plans, and they looked great. They had even laid out some basic layouts for how to finish the basement. I finally took a pencil and made a checkmark next to one. “There, this one. A large den area, an office, and a laundry room. Just as I hoped. Just make sure that they make the doors wide enough for the appliances.”

Dad laughed out loud, then told Becky about how a neighbor of ours had a house built, with the same idea in mind. “Idiot never thought to check the measurements when he bought a washer and dryer, they would not fit through the door or down the stairs! He finally sold them and lost about $100 and had to buy a new set that did fit.” Becky laughed and agreed.

I looked again, and took the pencil and drew lightly over the floor plan. “Dad, ask them if this is possible. Off-set the garage farther out, extend the house behind it. Adds more space to the house. And in that extension, we run a double door to the garage, and also to the basement. Keep the other stairs from near the kitchen, move the laundry room in the basement to this area. I know it will cost more, but having a second exit would be a good idea in case of an emergency. And the double-width door and stairs would be a huge help for moving things in and out.”

I got a piece of paper from the office and roughly sketched out my idea. He nodded. “Yes, that adds, oh, call it fifty square feet top and bottom. But I can’t imagine it would make a big deal.”

“OK, ask them please, and flip it. I want the back of the garage facing the highway. That will keep down the noise, and help protect our privacy.” He nodded, and the buzzer went off in the kitchen. Dee came out and pulled out a lasagna, and soon we were all eating. When Becky was in the bathroom I asked dad if he had a cost estimate done yet, and he nodded. “About $25,000.” I smiled and told him to have them start work so long as he thought the plans were good enough.

“Son, you are really serious about this.”

“Dad, you bet. This is an investment, in me. We both know in a few months I’m going to come into a lot of money. That, with the pension actually means that if I wanted to, I could live there for the rest of my life and never work again. I can’t see me doing that, but in the event I do it’s nice to have that to fall back to.” He nodded and said it was a good idea.

Becky and I went home, and I moved the portable to the side and we set up my computer there. I knew it would take a while to get used to it again, it seemed like a beast after using the portable for so long. I quickly printed off the first four games I wanted to release as a limited edition.

Becky asked if that is what I was going to give to Mandy, and I said it was. “Oh, but not like this. I’m going to go over them again, and have a bunch over so we can test them. But I can give these to her, and she will have a good idea what to draw, and get more ideas as we play. She really likes illustrating things she actually plays, that way she can create her drawings from actual gameplay and not having to make it up.”

“Yes, I got that with the drawing after Kaos died. I already told her to not sell that one. And if she ever does I want it. And I want to commission her to make a full color one, I will have a copy of that made for Holly.”

“Oh, she would love that baby! I could see her hanging it proudly for all to see.”

We both laughed, and went into the living room to cuddle a bit. She asked me the plan for the next day, and I suggested hitting the office place again. “We need something for the printer to sit on, look at the binding machines, and see if we need anything else. Then check in with Cliff, let you see the improvements we’ve done. I would also like your input, maybe see if we missed anything.” She smiled and nodded, giving me a kiss.

That turned into more kisses, then kisses and caresses. Then with us both in the bedroom, with my lover laying on her back with her thighs wrapped around my waist as I slid in and out of her body. At one point she actually put her arms down her sides and pushed against the bed, raising her midsection and arching her back at her belly, pressing it against me as she pushed her pussy down against my cock as she came, almost softly wailing as she held that position, only her voice and fluttering clenches of her pussy telling me she was in the midst of an orgasm. The second time about five minutes later was too much for me to hold back any longer. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders and pulled me down, whispering softly into my ear as I moved faster and faster. She started in English, how good I felt inside, and how she was wanting my cum in her so badly. Then she moved to Spanish, and I only caught a fraction it sounded incredibly sexy and dirty. I was almost there and moved so I could kiss her deeply, and we were both moaning as we both came at almost the same time, my spunk squirting deep into her as she held me so tight my back popped, her pussy milking my length.

We cuddled and caressed each other as we eased our way down, and Becky seemed to have a glow about her. She went to use the bathroom, and I followed, and this time it was glasses of banana juice. We sipped our drinks as we held hands, and she asked if I needed a pill. “No, but I could use some Motrin please.” She returned with one of my 800 mg horse pills, and I swallowed it with the last of the juice. She cuddled on my chest and we were soon asleep.

The next morning at the office supply store we got the binding machine and a sturdy wood three drawer file cabinet. They had a box of assorted three ring binders, and I grabbed that as well. And right before I left, I spotted a flatbed scanner, and next to it was a digitizer tablet. I again called over the salesman and had him tell me what I was seeing. This was part of a lot they had bought from a start-up that was planning on digitizing maps, only to fail because the software they were going to use never appeared, and they ran out of money.

I recognized the software, and there were not only drawing programs but two CAD ones. I asked the bottom line price for everything, and after consulting with his manager he said $1,000. “Wrap it up,” I said, and once again Becky gave me the evil eye.