Chapter 8

Thanksgiving dinner went off without a hitch. The family was happy and Ski was right at home with the rest of us. We ate turkey until we had to loosen our belts then it was into the living room to watch football. We didn't watch a lot of football in my family, but when we did it was college ball. Why watch guys already getting the big money. It's better to watch the guys that are still hungry, clawing and scratching their way to the top.

So that's how we spent the day watching the ball games, drinking beer and yelling at the TV. By evening we were ready for coffee and pie so we turned off the tube and made a pilgrimage to the kitchen. Kate and Aunt Judy had pie sitting on our place mats and were just serving up coffee.

We were eating pie and generally just jawing about nothing when I saw Uncle Hank looking at Steve.

"Steve, you need to let Judy take your measurements tomorrow."

"Excuse me," he said in mid stride of shoveling a piece of pie into his mouth.

"Your measurements so she can make some appropriate clothes for you. You can't just go strolling onto Romantic Earth in jeans and jump boots you know."

He nodded his understanding, "Gotcha Hank."

"Not only that, but we really need to get you boys feet cast before you leave to go back to Ft. Bragg. That way I can make boots for you while you're gone."

We both nodded. Steve had come around plenty to the idea of going off to another world once he was able to find a way to accept it. My little mission speech had helped a lot. Steve liked his promotion too. I had said unless they made me a general I wasn't going to re-up; Steve on the other hand was promoted to General of Rourke.

My Uncle had worn many hats when my father was in charge and General was one of them. He was more than happy to pass that job off to Steve's capable hands. Steve was happy enough to have a job title instead of just hanger-on.

Oh my Uncle had it all figured out, for sure he had been grooming John Henry since birth to be my adviser. John had never been in the military, no my uncle thought it more prudent to send John to college and have him take classes in drafting and engineering. So John eventually became a structural Engineer. He had pursued that career field and until this year was part of a design team. Then he was offered a job as a trouble shooter for a large construction company and decided to take it.

So it was up until seven months ago he had followed the path laid out by his father. That made him my senior man for Civil Engineering as well as for agriculture. When I asked Uncle Hank what he planned to do if he was giving all his jobs away he answered me like this.

"Adam, I always wanted to be a lawyer. Not so I could get rich at other peoples expense, but so I could stick it to the man!"

We all laughed so hard it brought tears to our eyes. Now it is kinda funny to hear a fifty year old guy talking about stickin it to the man, but the way he said it and the look on his face made him look and sound just a few cards shy of a full deck.

"Adam, I will be your adviser and steward as long as I live, but by delegating some of these other responsibilities I can focus on helping you rule as well as spend more time at the College of Druids. I really want to be able to spend more time with the law and philosophy. I am a usually absentee, but respected fellow among the halls of the collage. I want to spend more time with my fellow druids."

I nodded, "I guess I can understand that."

We talked a bit more about preparations and things that needed doing before it was go time. Then my uncle said those magic words that Kate had been waiting to hear for years.

"I think this Sunday will be a great day to have a wedding."

Kate screamed, jumped up and landed in her father's lap. Then she promptly sat right there and wept - Daddy's little girl.

I took a happy yet preoccupied Kate to bed that night. It was a night for slow tender loving. Mostly, after a quick servicing, it was a 'Hold me' night. I guess I didn't mind all that much. Save all the jizmo for the wedding night.

We had two days to get things around and ready because the ceremony would be held at sunrise Sunday morning. I was wondering what all we really had to do to have a small private wedding, but I dare not breath a word. I sure didn't want to come across as making small of the important morning. No No, Adam Rourke was no dummy I was saying very little during the next two days.

There was only one flaw with that plan. I didn't realize being quiet could be construed by those with unfounded fears as me being unhappy about getting married.

I was playing it cool forcing a smile onto my face. Doing not much more then smiling and giving one word answers, lots of yes', no's, and thank you's. I did just fine through breakfast. Kate was about as bubbly as any one person can be.

I thought lunch went fine, I didn't say anything stupid I kept my answers short and my smile on. There was a lot of talk about us guys getting our feet and calves cast in plaster so Uncle Hank could make our boots. I really hadn't notice any difference in Kate's bubbly mood.

After lunch Aunt Judy took Steve's and my measurements. Then we were shooed away so she could work. We headed back out to the shop where we men had been hanging out so as to stay out from under foot.

I gave Kate a little peck on the cheek on my way by so she would know I was thinking about her. Well I guess that wasn't near enough, but I wouldn't find out for a few hours yet.

Uncle Hank was working away on boots while we stood around the potbelly stove sipping beers and jawing about bullshit.

Suddenly John Henry says, "Hey look at that buck slinking along the back fencerow."

Sure enough a nice little eight was slinking along about six hundred out. I opened my rifle case and loaded two rounds into it. Ramming one in the pipe I handed it to Ski.

"My rifle, .300 Winchester, try five-eightyfive," I said as I opened the window about half way.

Ski braced himself on the work bench, let out a half breath and fired. The rest of us stood behind him watching as the little buck dropped like a bag of shit.

John Henry whooped, "Damn fine shot Steve!"

"Nice shot," Uncle Hank said patting Steve on the shoulder.

He stood up and shrugged, "It weren't so much, he wasn't even running."

That really set John off who was a bit further into the happy juice than the rest of us.

"What do you mean not so much? That's almost six hundred yards and with a gun you never shot before," John said almost yelling.

"Well that ain't quite true. That rifle is almost the same rifle as we use for sniping in the army. Our standard issue squad sniper rifle is almost a carbon copy of this 700 hundred Sendaro. And when Adam told me the caliber and that it was his rifle I knew it was set up perfectly. I have shot his rifles for years and know how he sets up, the exact same as I do."

John nodded starting to get a bit of a clue.

"As far as the range well that's about the minimum shot you need to make to get into sniper school and I'm good at my job!"

Uncle Hank laughed long and hard at the look on John Henry's face. "Hell somebody go tag that deer and get it dressed and hung."

John and Steve jumped into John's truck and drove out to retrieve the deer. I unloaded the rifle and put it away.

"That Steve is a pretty good shot," commented Uncle Hank.

"Yeah, Steve is pretty good. I trust his ability to keep my back safe. It goes the same the other way around," I said.

"I understand that Adam, if you'll remember your father and I were LRRPs in Vietnam. I know all about relying on your buddy to keep your ass outa the breeze."

I nodded listening intently. My uncle didn't talk about the Nam too often, but when he did, I listened.

"We were supposed to be a recon team that avoided contact at all costs, but we seemed to end up in our share of scrapes. Usually well behind enemy lines with no backup and not much ammo."