Chapter 1

Confirmation

At the hospital, the doctor had finally given everyone a going over, but not before he griped, grumped and grumbled about the number of bodies in the rooms. He was doing far more complaining than doctoring until Beth shouted, "Student Loans," loud enough to be heard from the Big Bend to the Caprock.

That set the good doctor off into a tantrum that any two year old would have been proud of. When he finished she responded, "And what has interfered the most with their treatment, them being bunched up in two rooms, or your tantrum? Treat them and let them go home, it's been a long hard day."

Don's burns were for the most part minor, those that weren't were treated accordingly. They were being held up by some blood tests that the doctors had insisted on all of them having. His fear was that some of them might have inhaled some of the flames and received burns to their lungs. It was over an hour later that the doctor approached Don and his six lovely girlfriends with some welcome news, "Well the good news is that none of you have any internal burns. You're all free to go home."

"Thanks Doc!" Don replied and stood up. Don for one was starving and he was thinking about going out for something to eat when he remembered his cousin. They walked down the hall and to the lobby. Out in the ER lobby with the rest of the family members was Jack Rimes, "Jack have you talked to our house guests, have they had supper yet?"

"Yes, but you lot are on your own. Look Don, I need to ask the girls a lot of questions and the FBI will be here tomorrow. Can we all come out to your house and then get this taken care of?"

Don looked at his ladies and after getting winks and nods from all of them, "Yeah, we're going to loop by the Drive In and pick up some burgers and then we'll be there."

Ann turned to tell her aunt where she was going only to find her sitting beside the highway patrolman. They were just sitting there staring at each other and not saying a word. Susie interrupted her sister's thoughts, "I've never seen Aunt Sue like that. In fact I was beginning to think she was a lesbian." Ann looked at her little sister and started to speak, "She's in love. She's been like that ever since he showed up. He was supposed to ask us some questions but he can't get past staring at Aunt Sue," Susie interrupted. "You see that man," Susie pointed to Jack Rimes, "he's a Texas Ranger, he knows your dream man, he said..."

Ann knew that Susie would chatter like a magpie all night if she let her so Ann put her finger on her lips just like their mother used to do when she wanted a word in edge or any other wise. "Aunt Sue," Ann waited, "Aunt Sue," she called a little bit louder, but still no response other than everyone in the ER waiting room was now watching her. Ann walked over to her aunt and touched her on the shoulder, still nothing. "AUNT SUE!" Ann screamed making everyone in the room jump.

Sue's head turned ever so slowly, "What is it Mary ... I mean Ann?"

Ann smiled at her aunt, "You got it bad Aunt Sue."

Sue sighed, "I know, isn't he wonderful?"

Ann laughed, "How on earth would you know, you two haven't spoken three words."

Thinking she had better ask her aunt while she was again among the living, "Aunt Sue, I'm going with Don and the girls. We're going to get something to eat and then head to his house."

"What about your sisters?" Sue asked. Ann rolled her eyes and sighed annoyed at the thought of babysitting, "There won't be room we'd have to have a..."

"Van, you would need a van." The man interrupted Ann. He went to throw a set of keys to Don then he saw his bandaged hands. "Will that fix you up Jack?" Kiesha had stuck her hand out for the keys and he gave them to her.

Jack Phillips eased Jill and Shelley off of his knees where they had been playing horsey, "I'm sure Don and the girls are going to need another vehicle or two and Sue, will you be needing a car of some kind?"

"She can use my personal car, well pickup," Mike responded.

"Don," Jack's gruff voice caused Jill and Shelley to giggle so he reached down and picked the two little imps back up and they immediately wrapped their arms around his neck, "Sue can stay at our place and the girls can stay at yours for tonight.

Will that work?"

"No Papa Jack, we want to stay with you," little Jill emphasized her demand by kissing him on the cheek.

"Yeah, Papa, we want to stay with you. Forever!" Shelley added and sealed it with a kiss like her sister had. If anyone was waiting on Jack to say something, well, if they were they didn't know him. Those that did know him already knew that those two little girls would never want for anything again in their lives. "Papa, why are you crying?" Shelley asked.

"I'm happy. Very happy," Jack replied.

Jill reached a finger over and caught the tear as it trailed down the big man's face, "Me too Papa, this is the happiest I've been since mama died."

Shelley caught the tear on her side and replaced it with a kiss, "I love you Papa."

Ann smiled and felt the tears start to form in her eyes, "Come on, Susie, you too Jane and Nancy. We'll be at Don's, Aunt Sue."

Sue nodded and smiled, she had a lot to do tomorrow, she suddenly realised that she needed to call the lawyer. A cell phone was handed to her before she ever spoke a word. She looked up to see what she thought was a forced smile.

"Use my phone for now, we'll have to get you one tomorrow. My name is Amber by the way. This is Missy, Rose, Kim and Kiesha, we're very glad that you are here and safe. Okay Mike, you can have her back and you two can go back to staring at each other."

Everyone was standing so they started moving towards the parking lot. Just outside the door was a big red GMC Savanna. Rose opened the doors for Don. He was surprised when his dad and the two little girls got in first. Jack whispered something into Shelley's ear, she smiled, "Don, would you please take us to get a hamburger, Papa is hungry."

"I'm going to tickle you, that's not what I told you to tell him." Jack grabbed the squealing Shelley and started blowing raspberries on her belly as her squeals echoed out of the van.

Don laughed, he had never seen his Dad act that silly, it made him wonder what he would be like when the grandchildren started to appear. Everyone was loaded into the van except Sue and Mike, when Mike's radio crackled calling him to another car wreck on the interstate.

Mike and Sue stared into each others eyes once more and then kissed. It was a loving kiss full of promise. It promised the end of Sue's loneliness and the end of grieving for Mike. They kissed once more and then Mike helped her into the van, "I'm off tomorrow I'll see you then." Mike closed the van door and Kim drove to the drive in. The twelve passenger van would have been out of seats except that, for Jill and Shelley, Jack's lap was much better than a seat.

At the Drive In they ordered burgers and fries, but elected to go back to Don's to eat. After getting the food Kim went back by the Hospital since Jack, Beth and even Don had vehicles there. Amber knew that it bothered Beth to drive at night so she told Beth she would drive her SUV back to the ranch.

Rose grabbed Susie and they got in the Tank over Don's protests. Rose simply kissed him "Sweetie, you can't drive till your hands heal, and Kim, since this doesn't have a radio, you better lead out and we'll all follow you."

At Jack and Beth's house, Jack dropped off the Truck and trailer and he and his two new best buddies got in with Amber and she drove the rest of the way to Don's Nancy and Jane had heard all night about the "Hobbit Hole", they were disappointed that it was dark out but were quite surprised when the SUV drove into one of the garage doors in the side of a hill. By the time they got inside Kiesha, Kim, Missy and Ann had the burgers on plates.

Beth and Sue were getting drinks for everyone as Don, laughing to himself, watched the glasses being shuttled to the big table. Amber walked up to Don and put her arms around him, "What are you laughing about?"

Don cupped his bandaged hand to his ear, "Listen ... it sounds like the school cafeteria."

"It does, doesn't it," Amber replied, "what time are we going to leave tomorrow for Odessa?"

Don swayed his body back and forth as he held Amber, "You have to be there at eleven, right?" Amber nodded her head as she stared into Don's eyes, "Well I'll see if Dad can feed, if he can, we should be able to blast out of here around seven. Will that work?"

"Yes, that should give us plenty of time. Are we taking the van?" Amber quizzed.

"I don't know why not," Don replied.

"I do," Rose added. "Does it have a trailer hitch and lights? With this mob we need to go to Sam's." Don started to head off to the garage to check the van, "Sit down Sweetie, we'll check it in a minute."

Jim, Sara, and Ann G. walked in, "Hey, we got extra burgers and fries if you guys want some," Missy called out.

"If I ever have to guard a witness again I want to do it right here," Ann G. exclaimed. "By the way Don, I love your movie theatre, well the whole house really. This place is just nice."

"Thanks Ann, I had six very special reasons to build it." Don stared at the burger cut up into bite sized pieces and waited as Rose fed him a bite of his burger and remembered something that could mess them up tomorrow. He swallowed and turned to the Lady Ranger, "Ann, we have to go to Odessa tomorrow, Amber has an appointment to get her braces put on. Is there any good reason why our Ann couldn't go with us?"

"Well Jack said that the FBI is going to be down here in the morning to talk to them, but their 'in the morning' is liable to be three tomorrow afternoon. If you ask them they'll tell you to wait and then show up late, that's been my experience with them. I say go, if you want to take Ann's sisters take them. I read Ann's statement and she's the only one that really woke after that animal drugged them, and she basically didn't see or hear anything. They raided the house of the man where they were going, it was bad, very bad. They were very lucky that jerk wrecked that RV."

Don reached up and touched the medallion on his chest as did all of Don's girls except Ann. Don looked at his Dad who had followed the exchanged looks and he got up and walked out to the garage where Beth's SUV was parked and retrieved the maroon velvet box and carried it inside. After everyone had eaten and the girls had pitched in and cleaned everything up Don stood up, "My wives and I would like to talk to Ann for a few minutes. Would all of you please stay seated at the table, we'll be back in a few minutes."

Don offered Ann his arm and led her into the formal living room and they sat down. After a second try at getting his chain and medallion out of the scrub shirt, he was about to hook his hands in the collar and rip the shirt wide open when Kiesha reached in and pulled it out. One by one the girls all pulled out their medallions, as they did Don was trying to come up with the right words when Ann spoke, "This is about the lady that was in the fire with us, isn't it?" Don nodded, "Ann, we, my family and now the girls here, follow the old Gods and Goddesses of the Celts. My Dad has always and now I follow Epona. That's who was there today and she kept us from being killed."

"I heard her say, 'Now you are complete, serve me well.' Don I'm ready. I don't need any more miracles. You guys, this house, all of you are more than enough to convince me."

Don looked at each of his wives and they looked at him, he reached again for his shirt, "Arggg, it's going to take a lot to get used to these mittens. Just when my hands were about healed from the dream burns."

Amber walked up to Don and started undoing his buttons and taking his clothes off. Ann noticed that the others were stripping as well so she began to remove her clothes. Ann looked around at the other girls. Because of her small size, Ann had always been very self conscious about her looks. Don and the girls saw her discomfort so before they got the others they walked over and hugged Ann. She finally relaxed when Don whispered, "You are very beautiful." to her as he held her.