Chapter 29: Spring Break

Dave woke early the next morning, shared breakfast, and said goodbye to all of Anne's family. They wished him well and he thanked them several times for their warm hospitality. Anne drove him to the airport where he kissed her goodbye and promised to see her the following week at Wake Forest. Dave flew away with the sure knowledge that Anne had a wonderful family and a hard-working background.

The day was very long as he had to bounce around two countries trying to find connecting flights to get cross country during the busy Christmas rush. He ended up landing in Halifax, Nova Scotia at midnight. He could only get a nine o'clock flight in the morning to Edwardton; he booked that and checked into the airport hotel. He woke early and after a big breakfast he went to the airport. The forty minute flight passed quickly and he was soon in a taxi headed to his house - he was shaking with excitement.

He quickly paid the taxi then he literally ran into his house. When he opened the door, he was met by Julie who squealed and hugged him tightly. His mother ran to the door where she too hugged him and thanked him for coming home. Roger was the next one to meet him and he hugged his father before Beth ran down the stairs and a huge family hug followed. They led Dave into the living room and they talked for two hours. Dave brought them up to date on his wonderful visit to New Mexico and his experience with Anne's family.

Dave eventually was able to get on the phone and call Heather, Jennifer's mother. After a brief discussion to describe his fall activities, Dave asked Heather if she would arrange some time for him with Jennifer. He wanted her to pretend that she herself wished to spend some private mother-daughter time. He asked if it could be arranged for that evening or the next so he could drive over. Heather was happy to do it for him and said she would call him back. Within ten minutes she called back and said it was all set up for that evening. Dave thanked her and told her he would be there at seven o'clock. Heather said she would make arrangements with Ron to go out for the evening and leave them alone. Dave thanked her again.

Dave spent the afternoon with his family and he was happy to be home with them for Christmas. Late in the afternoon he drove to Charlestown. It was just before seven when he softly knocked on the door; Heather answered it. She whispered, "Jennifer is up stairs getting ready to go out. I told her we were going to a movie."

Ron walked up to Dave and they shook hands. Dave talked quietly as he outlined his plan to Jennifer's parents. They smiled happily and then walked out the front door. They made sure they slammed the door loudly as they left. Dave was standing at the bottom of the stairs as he heard, "Mom, who's at the door..."

She had just reached the top of the stairs and was looking down at Dave. He smiled up at his beautiful best friend and said, "Hi, Jennifer. Can we talk?"

She smiled down at him, rushed down the stairs quickly, and hugged him lovingly. She gasped, "I've really missed you, Dave. I'm sorry..."

Dave gently put a hand to her mouth to stop her from apologizing. He took her hand and guided her to the couch in their living room. When she was seated beside him, he took each of her hands into one of his and looked intently into her eyes as he began. "I've really missed my best friend. I'm sorry I left the way I did last summer and I want to beg you to forgive me and simply be my friend. I need you. I need to know you are still in my life and that if I ever need you, I can count on you for support. I love you and will never find a better friend than you. I feel empty inside because you aren't in my life; please be my friend."

Jennifer began crying as she heard his simple plea. She sobbed, "Yes, yes I want to be your friend. I've had a terrible fall without you as well and I desperately need your friendship too."

They hugged tightly and cried in each other arms. Dave felt wonderful again to be holding her and he was so very happy. He told her about his horrible fall and his stupid, reprehensible behavior. He then told her about Anne and how nice she and her family were. He told her about being a cowboy and how much he loved riding the open range. They talked for hours as they caught up on each other's lives. She asked how his courses had gone and he said he hadn't checked - he was actually afraid to look after the horrible mid-term results. She suggested they check together so they went to her computer and Dave logged on. He was pleasantly surprised to see three As, one A-, two Bs, and one C⁺. She congratulated him and he said he was happy with those marks but would work very hard next semester to get into the all As groove again.

She told him her average had dropped that semester as well - she too was distracted. She was confident she could rebound now that she had Dave's support. They talked a little about Mark and Dave managed to maintain a civil discussion as he fought his jealousy. Just before her parents were due to return home Dave presented Jennifer with the pendant and she cried again when she opened it. She kissed him lovingly on the cheek.

It was shortly after eleven when her parents arrived home and they were pleased to see Dave and Jennifer talking like old friends again. They suggested Dave stay the night but he simply smiled and said he couldn't. He thought about the last time he had stayed with Jennifer and how she slipped into his bed naked. He had to cover the raging hard-on that suddenly developed at the memory.

Jennifer walked him to the door and she said, "Goodbye, Dave. I love you."

He hugged her for as long as he could, "I love you too. I'll send lots of e-mails."

She giggled, "Me too!"

The drive back to QAI passed quickly as Dave thought about having Jennifer back in his life. Part of him wished she were more than just a friend but most of him knew it was time to move forward. He really liked Anne and he was ready to find out if she was 'the one.'

The rest of Christmas vacation passed quickly and it was soon time to fly back to Wake Forest. Dave had managed to book a flight for the Saturday before classes started and he arrived in Greensboro at three in the afternoon. He called Alec and they spent Saturday evening together at Alec's. Alec was pleased to hear Dave had mended his wounds with Jennifer but he was still concerned about Anne. He had met the basketball player at the request of their common therapist and he had found out for himself that Anne did in fact dump her former boyfriend the minute his earnings potential plummeted. The basketball star was doubly crushed by the loss of her as he had blindly thought they were permanently in love and she would become his wife.

Alec knew he couldn't keep the information from his friend and they had a very long discussion about it. Dave was shocked to hear what Alec said but he listened carefully. Dave thanked Alec and told him he would keep a very close eye for anything suspicious but after meeting her family he had to give Anne a chance to show that she was true in her feelings for him.

Dave slept over at Alec's house; the next morning they checked back into their apartment. Dave then drove to the airport and picked Anne up. She was relieved to see him there and they kissed passionately before getting in his car and driving to campus. They went directly to Dave's apartment and made love. After, as they lay together, she asked what had been so important that he had to go home. He explained about mending fences with Jennifer and their renewed friendship. Anne pretended to be happy but she was immediately very worried about Jennifer being back in his life; Anne was not into sharing. She was confident she could overcome Jennifer.

After going to dinner together, Dave took her back to her dorm and said he would see her the next day. As soon as he got back to his room he called Jana and Kyra's room. Jana answered and he asked her if he could come over and talk to both her and Kyra. Jana said he could so he grabbed the last two presents and rushed over to their room. Jana invited him into her room and he sat down on the lower bunk bed. Kyra sat beside him and cuddled into his side. Jana was about to sit in one of the desk chairs but he asked, "Will you please sit here beside me?"

She looked at him quizzically then sat beside him making sure she kept at least a foot between them. He took Kyra's hand in his left hand before he took one of Jana's in his right hand. He kissed Kyra on the cheek before he turned to Jana. He knew he didn't have to convince Kyra of his love for her. He looked intently into Jana's eyes and whispered softly, "I've really missed having you in my life this past fall and I want to forget everything that happened last summer and move on. I really love you as a friend and I'd like to have you back in my life, as a friend."

Jana was shocked by his heartfelt confession and she suddenly began to cry. She sobbed, "I'm so sorry..."

Dave moved his hand toward her mouth to softly silence her. "That's in the past; we can't change it - so let's just move forward. I need your friendship and I hope you'll give me another chance to be your friend."

She hugged him before she impulsively kissed him passionately on the lips. When she broke the kiss he glanced over at Kyra and she was smiling from ear-to-ear. She hugged his arm as he pulled the two gifts from his pocket. The twins tore them open simultaneously and kissed him with appreciation and enthusiasm. Jana started to kiss him passionately and he felt her hand go for his pants. He truly wanted to be intimate with the two sisters again but he knew that couldn't happen. He slowly and gently pushed her hand away as he softly said, "Jana, I'm with Anne now, so I can't make love to you, no matter how much I'd like to. I hope that won't hurt our friendship."

Jana kissed him on the cheek and replied, "Sorry, I guess I was just hoping I could be with you again. I'll try not to make too many passes at you - but you're pretty irresistible, especially when you are your old self."

He smiled at her then said to Kyra. "Are you really okay with our new relationship?"

She kissed him on the cheek. "Definitely, I just love spending time with you."

Jana then asked, "Have you talked to Jennifer lately?"

Dave chuckled. "Yes we had a similar heart-to-heart last week and we're friends again as well."

Jana snickered. "I knew she seemed awfully happy about something when we talked just now, but she wouldn't tell me what. Now I know; don't I?"

Dave simply smiled as the twins hugged him lovingly. They all talked about their Christmas breaks for over an hour before Dave went back to his room. When he crawled into bed he felt wonderful. He only had one more hurdle to deal with but he was confident the two worst hurdles were cleared. The next day was confirmation day for classes and Dave confirmed his full load of seven new courses. He was positive he was ready this time and wouldn't fall behind again.

At lunch time he went to the cafeteria instead of eating at the dorm the way he had for the last three months. He saw the practice group sitting together and sat down with them. They talked about their Christmas vacations for a while before Dave finally found a break in the conversations and apologized, "I'd like to apologize for being a total jerk during the fall semester. I really wasn't into my golf game and I know I didn't help you guys very much. I'd like to change all that this semester. The men are ranked number one but I'd like to see all three of us get nominated for the Hogan award." He was staring right at Devin and Darcy - they nodded agreement. He then looked at Jarad and continued, "And I want to see you play at least three tournaments. I'm probably only here for this year and both Keith and Alec are seniors so you'll have to get your game in stride if you want to be a regular on the team next year." Jarad smiled then nodded agreement.

Dave then looked at Danielle, Leanne, and Rachael. "I'm sure you three can lead the women's team to a number one national ranking and that will be our goal, together." They all smiled at him excitedly. He spoke to Keisha and Mia, "You two have tremendous potential and I know you can break into the top ten the way the other three have. If you'll give me a chance I'll work with you and Wake Forest will have the best damn men's and women's golf teams for many years to come." He looked at all of them and asked, "Are you with me?"

The four veteran players raised their glasses and when all nine glasses were raised they all chanted together, "DEAMON DEACON GOLF!!"

Within seconds the entire room boomed with, "DEMON DEACON GOLF!!!" The four freshmen were shocked as they had never heard the booming support of the cafeteria crowd before. Without Dave around the cheers had disappeared.

Dave looked at them all and said, "Enjoy the next week because starting next Monday we are practicing four days a week from three o'clock to six o'clock. Rain or shine. We'll use the indoor facilities when necessary - but we're going to work very hard; we are going to get better and better."

Dave looked at the eight smiling faces. After he finished eating he said goodbye to them and promised that from that day forward he would eat lunch with them every day. When he got back to his room he called Anne and she said she would be right over. Dave explained his conversation in the cafeteria to Alec and Alec was pleased to hear the old Dave was back. Dave smiled and said, "You're going to have to work harder because I want you on the team when we win the NCAA Title and that's not up for debate - get ready to work your ass off."

Alec put out his hand and as they shook, Alec said, "Deal!"

When Anne arrived she asked what he had been up to and asked why he hadn't called earlier. He winked at Alec and took her to his bedroom. He told her about the conversation he had with Jana and Kyra and he could see the sudden concern on her face. Competition seemed to be springing up from every direction. He quickly assured her, "You are the only woman for me. I want to be with you and only you. I promise I will never be unfaithful to you. Jana and Kyra are very good friends but that is all they are."

Anne seemed a little happier after his explanation so he told her about his renewed commitment to both golf teams. She asked why he felt he had to work with the women's team and he simply said because they are friends and he wanted them to be the best they could be. Anne looked upset so he asked what would make her happy. She smiled and said she would love to go to a special restaurant. When she told Dave the name he immediately knew it would be very expensive but he simply smiled and said, "Whatever my little cowgirl would like."

He was surprised when she got very angry, "Don't call me a cowgirl. I don't ever want to live my life like that. I've already done a lifetime of ranching and horses."

Dave was surprised by her outbreak but he didn't say anything. He himself had loved New Mexico and wouldn't hesitate to go back there for another vacation. He thought about Alec's comments the previous night and he knew he had to make sure he remained objective about Anne's feelings for him.

That night Dave and Anne had a wonderful meal; while Dave still wasn't crazy about the fancy food, Anne loved the special service and the fancy décor.

The first week of classes went very well and Dave quickly got ahead of all his courses - he studied hard every night.

Group practice started the next week as planned and Dave enthusiastically worked with each team member. He worked particularly hard with Jarad, Mia, and Keisha. He tweaked Jarad's swing and convinced him to start hitting the ball a little more inside-out, which would change his current fade to a draw. Jarad worked extra hard and Dave saw quick improvement. Dave also convinced Jarad to start going to the gym and working the weights five times a week instead of just three. Dave even offered to go with him. He made the same suggestion to Mia and Keisha who eagerly accepted.

By the end of January the team practices had increased from two to five times per week and with the cold dark mornings, group practice was reduced to twice per week. But all ten group members worked extra hard.

Anne was disappointed that Dave didn't have as much time for her as she expected; and she got very angry when she would drop by the apartment and see Jana and Kyra there eating diner with Dave, Alec, and Shauna. Anne tried to convince Dave to go on a vacation for spring break but Dave knew the team had a tournament that week; but he eventually agreed to buy two tickets for them to go to the Dominican Republic for a week in February. Coach Dawes wasn't overly excited about Dave taking a week off practice and classes but Dave assured him he would work hard on his game in the Dominican - the resort they were planning to book had a golf course. Coach Dawes hesitantly agreed.

A week before the first tournament Will hurt his back during practice. The team trainer said he needed at least a month off. During the qualifying round, Alec shot a seventy-one and Coach Dawes put him on the team for the Florida Gator Invitational. The Thursday before Dave left for Florida he went on-line to the Masters website and downloaded an application for the first Major of the year. He completed it and mailed it to the tournament chairman. He then called his father and told him he had registered for the Masters and asked if he and his mother could take some vacation time and go see him play. Roger said he would make the arrangements immediately.

The Florida Gator Invitational marked Dave's return to top form as he absolutely dominated the tournament by shooting three rounds under sixty-five. He won by over twelve strokes with Darcy finishing second and Devin finishing fifth. Alec had a solid tournament and finished even par and in fifteenth place. He was very pleased with his results. Keith finished solidly in twentieth place and Wake Forest won the team title by fifty strokes, a substantial margin.

The week after the Florida tournament, Dave and Anne left for vacation in the Dominican Republic. They flew into Puerto Plata and Dave was surprised by the amount of poverty in the small country. The bus ride to the hotel was an adventure as dozens of small motorcycles raced along the edges of the very roughly paved roads. There were no lines on the road and the buses would simply honk their horns as they pulled out to pass the small motor bikes or small cars. Dave was sure the bus would kill someone on the bikes. He was also shocked to see up to three or four people on a single small motor bike.

As they pulled onto the resort Dave immediately saw the golf course and was pleased that the practice range was only two hundred yards from the entrance to his hotel. When they checked into the hotel Dave and Anne each had a plastic bracelet put on their arm. The bracelet allowed them unlimited food and beverages for the week. The front desk staff had strong Spanish accents and were difficult to understand at times but Dave received a room key and map of the resort. Dave and Anne found their room and quickly unpacked. They changed into bathing suits and went to the beach. There was a bar on the beach and Dave drank soda while Anne drank pina coladas. The beach was very clean and beautiful; after a few drinks Anne and Dave walked along the sand.

After spending several hours on the beach, they went back to the front desk and booked dinner for several nights at the four specialty restaurants that were available: Italian, Mexican, Brazilian, and Oriental. They would have to eat the balance of the dinners in the hotel's main restaurant. Dave wanted to walk to the golf course but Anne didn't feel like it so he agreed to wait until the next day. They went to the main restaurant for dinner and were pleasantly surprised by the large selection available at the buffet. Dave ate a very large dinner then smiled happily at Anne; he was enjoying his time with her. They went back to their room and made love all evening.

A well-relaxed Dave woke early the next morning and walked to the golf course with his clubs on his back. He bought two large buckets of balls and practiced for two hours. The driving range didn't have very many fixed targets so Dave simply created his own by hitting a ball to a spot on the range and then hitting all subsequent shots as close to the first as possible. He returned to the room at eight o'clock when Anne was just waking up. They went to breakfast before going to a meeting put on by the travel company they had booked with. The meeting outlined some do's and don't's which Dave had already investigated on the internet before he and Anne had left Wake Forest. He knew not to drink the water or even brush his teeth with it. He had brought several large bottles of water with him. He could get them refilled at the bar, which only used treated water.