Chapter 66

LATE THURSDAY EVENING — SEPTEMBER 19

Haplin and his son didn't leave, but stood by their pickup arguing.

When the deputy arrived, Joyce apologized for having to call him and explained the situation, saying that this certainly wasn't a serious incident, but it could have been had Arlene not been able to defend herself.

The on-duty deputy assured her that a copy of the incident report would be sent to the juvenile judge.

A few minutes after the deputy had left. Haplin walked up to Jeff. "Mr. Matthews, I have a problem, and I guess I've refused to admit it for too long now. Maybe it's the way I raised him after his mother died — I don't know, but I'm going to get him to a professional. I don't know whether that will do any good or not, but I've got to try."

"The deputy was aware of the other incidences that my son has been involved in and told me straight out that Kirk was a sexual predator. I've damn sure spent enough money on lawyers getting him out of trouble. I guess it's time I admitted that everybody else is right about him, and that I'm wrong. I apologize for his behavior, and ... for mine, I guess. If I could take a belt to him, I would. But I've probably waited too long for that. I should have done it years ago. Again, I apologize."

Haplin turned to go, but Jeff put out his hand. Haplin looked at it, then clasped it hard in his. "I don't know what you said to him, but he's scared shitless of you."

"I told him to never touch my daughter or any of these women again. I didn't threaten him per se, but it was the same thing."

Haplin stood for a moment looking at Jeff, then, "I might not be able to take a belt to his ass, but I've just made up my mind to sell that rifle. I'll take the money and put it on his psychiatrist bill. Maybe that will get his attention. I'm sorry for what my son did."

Abruptly he walked away, motioned for Kirk to get in the pickup, and was gone.

Everyone had already left, except the core group — the Matthews family, Carla, Jessica and Fred, plus Dave, Evie, and Linda, Jeb and Annie.

"We're not going to end this great day like this," Carla said loudly enough for everyone to hear. "Dave and Evie, would you please play for us so we can have another last dance?"

Dave smiled at her, "You bet."

The "last dance" lasted for another twenty minutes, while Jeff danced with each of his wives. At Evie's insistence, Dave danced a while with Linda as Evie continued to play. Carla and Jessica took turns with Fred. Jeb and Annie had already amazed them all with their dancing.

As Carla, Jessica and the other women were finishing up with the last of the cleanup in the kitchen, Arlene stopped before Carla. "I'm sorry to have spoiled your party. I should have done something a little less forceful..."

Startled, Carla looked at her for a second. "Good grief, Baby. You of all people didn't do anything wrong. As a matter of fact, I loved it. That arrogant asshole had it coming ... had it coming for several years. He's been in trouble since — I don't know — forever. Seeing him lying on the ground, whining, with you standing over him was the funniest thing I have seen in a long time."

Suddenly hugging Arlene, Carla laughed. "Oh, Baby. Don't you worry about messing up my party by bouncing that dipshit off the ground. That was a great ending to a great day."

Jeff walked in with a freezer of ice cream in his arms. "Looks like this one got set aside. It's a whole freezer of homemade ice cream that hasn't even been touched."

Fred laughed while going to the cabinet for bowls. "Well, there's a remedy for that."

Leaving was delayed for a while.

As the little caravan passed Martha's restaurant, Diana looked over at her husband. "It was nice to see Martha again, even though she could only stay for such a short time. We need to sit down with her and see if she will go with our idea about adding onto her place. Too bad it isn't already done. With the ski season coming on, people will be looking for a nice place to eat. This is a fabulous setting," she said, motioning toward the restaurant, although they could see little of the area in the darkness. "All she needs is a great building to go with it."

"And a chef. She's doubtless a good cook, but I'll bet the business would take off with a truly good chef. Maybe advertise his or her name as a come-on for the restaurant. Besides, Martha will have her hands full running the place; she doesn't need to be cooking, too," Jeff said.

Diana took a last look out the side window as they passed. "Oh, we never even considered that she would be cooking. The girls and I have spent some time with one of their programs designing a building. We've looked at pictures of restaurants, and borrowed some of their ideas to incorporate into our plan. We're not quite done, but it looks great. As soon as we finish, we'll print our mock up on some glossy paper and show it to Martha. She can make the changes she wants, and we'll go from there."

Jeff slowed for a curve as they began their ascent. "Yeah, but what if she won't go for the idea?"

"Oh, I think she'll go for it. If not, we'll have you talk to her."

"Doggonit, Di, why do you keep saying things like that? Why should I be able to convince her if you can't?"

Diana smiled sweetly at him. "You didn't seem to have any problem convincing Kirk."

"That was different..."

"Sure it was," Diana broke in. "But you can have her eating out of your hand in no time. Heck, she already thinks you're the greatest from helping Carla and Jessica."

"Bull," Jeff answered, glancing at her. "And besides, why do I get all the credit? You were in there just as much as I was, maybe more."

Diana was quiet for a moment, thinking. "We do make a good team, don't we? When we left Georgia on the way to the meeting with Wainwright, I thought my world had ended after all I had done. Now we have more money than we can spend. I have six sister-wives, with two more in the wings. I'm the happiest woman on Earth."

Jeff glanced in the mirror, but decided that everyone was asleep. "I'm still amazed that you're not jealous. You certainly would have been a year ago," he quietly said.

Diana put her hand on his leg, gently squeezing it. "I know that I've changed. But I've never been more satisfied. I look forward to the day each morning when I get up, and so do my sister-wives. She," Diana said, nodding toward the healer under Jeff's shirt, "has made a tremendous difference in our lives." Chuckling, she added, "Well, I guess that's a major understatement. Not only are we healthy now, but also there's no telling how long we will live from what you've said. So why should I be jealous?"

Diana turned to look at her sisters. (Joyce and Caitlin had volunteered to drive Jeff's truck back. Jeb, Annie and Linda were riding with Dave and Evie) "It isn't physically possible for me to love them any more than I do, and I think they love me the same way. How could I ever be jealous of them? And besides, I'm still the boss bitch," she chuckled.

"Looks like you're going to be 'boss bitch' to a couple more," Jeff said, reaching down and putting his hand over hers on his leg. "My Queen Bitch will soon have two more wives to break in."

Diana quietly giggled. "I don't think it will be me doing the breaking in. They are going to have some wrecked pussies after their wedding night."

Jeff grinned as the Escalade forged on through the darkness.

Jeff awoke at four and eased from between Diana and Helen. After a short run in light snow, almost busting his butt twice, he took a quick shower, then walked into the kitchen to find Helen sitting at the table drinking coffee and working on a lesson.

"Didn't swim this morning?" he asked as he sat to sip his freshly poured cup of coffee.

"Oh, yes. I got up just after you did, swam, showered and dried my hair. You did pick up her gift?" she questioned.

Jeff, proud of himself, said, "You know I did."

"She was grumbling that you hadn't noticed when she hinted about the necklace. And if she has any conception of the other, she is doing an excellent job of hiding it."

Jeff took a sip, then set the cup down. Looking back up at Helen, he smiled and said, "Well, surprising any of you has become an iffy thing, lately. And I'm not sure that she isn't pretending, even to you. Heck, surprising people that know where I am every instant of the day isn't easy. If it can be done at all," he morosely added.

"Oh, poor Baby," she teased, sounding almost like Diana. "You have it so rough. All you have to do to get any of us to orgasm is to suck on a nipple or play with us for a few minutes. Not to say anything about screwing us all unconscious every night. And if you kiss us long enough, and do whatever it is with your mind, we have orgasms that way as well."

"You're beautiful," he suddenly said. "I swear you don't look a day over thirty. And your swimming does delightful things to your body."

Helen put her cup down and squeezed his hand. "I never dreamed that any of this would happen when I drove up that damned driveway with Arlene. Jeff, I'm so happy. All of your wives are. Oh, I like to hear you tell me that I'm beautiful — any woman would, but I don't stand a candle to Diana. I'm not even jealous of her beauty. She's the best friend I ever had, and more; she's my sister-wife. I never thought I would have again what I had with Martha, but if anything, this is even more."

Jeff leaned over and kissed her. "You are beautiful. If you ever doubt it, just look objectively in the mirror."

As she smiled at him, his voice changed as he said, "Now, I've got to get busy."

"Busy? What are you going to do this time of day? And, by the way, you didn't stay out very long for your run."

"Yeah, I know. I came back in early so I could fix Diana breakfast in bed."

Helen slid her chair back. "Oh, that's a great idea. I'll bet she will love it."

"Well, I hope so," he answered as he stood and motioned for her to stay seated. "You sit right there and work on your lessons. I'm going to do this."

Helen grinned at him. "Nice idea, Husband. But she would probably like to eat her breakfast," she teased.

"Oh, my feelings are crushed," he laughed, "but even I can cook waffles. Besides, I practiced the other night when I couldn't sleep. They came out just fine. And we have fresh strawberries."

"If you burn them, she'll still think it was nice for you to try, anyway," Helen said, grinning.

"If I burn them, I'll throw them out and cook some more. Besides, the waffle iron has a timer and the directions are on the box of mix, Smartie," he said sticking out his tongue at her like a kid.

Helen dialed the bedroom lights up about halfway as Jeff walked quietly in with the breakfast tray. Diana awakened, her hair mussed and her nightie pulled to the side, a breast almost falling out of the front. Helen put a big pillow behind her so she could sit up comfortably as Jeff extended the short legs on the tray, putting it across her lap on the bed.

"Happy birthday, Beautiful."

The tray contained a half grapefruit in a small bowl, already sugared the way she liked it, and a waffle covered with strawberries, topped with whipped cream. Her coffee was fixed and sitting on the side next to a small glass of orange juice.

By now, all the wives were awake and wished their Queen Bitch a happy birthday.

Jeff tenderly kissed her, but couldn't keep himself from caressing the nipple that played peek-a-boo with him as Diana moved.

Diana pulled her mouth back from his. "If you don't stop, I'll have an orgasm, and while those strawberries and whipped cream look wonderful on the waffle, they won't look as nice on me."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Jeff teased. "We'll have to try it sometime."

Arlene snuck a strawberry, then made a production out of eating it by pursing her lips and sucking on it before popping it into her mouth, making sure that Jeff was watching, of course.

Someone said that they had to pee, and that started an avalanche toward the bathroom. Diana didn't seem to be bothered as she sat quietly eating her breakfast. Jeff wondered if she had already used the bathroom, then pretended to sleep while waiting for him. She had told him that sometimes she even knew generally what he was doing and whom he was with. If he had one of his wives with him, she certainly knew, then.

As the other women filed back in, he said, "Well, this is the big one. The big three oh. You've just joined the ranks of the aged and infirm," he teased, trying to keep his face straight.

"Bullshit," she mumbled around a mouthful of waffle. Swallowing, then taking a sip of orange juice, she continued, "If it hadn't been for the healer, that would have bothered me, and you wouldn't dare have said it, either, Buster. I was beginning to wonder when the regression would quit. I didn't want to be twelve, or look that way, at least. But the healer's work seems to have stopped at just the apparent age that I want to be. So your big 'three oh' doesn't bother me a bit. So there," she laughed.

The other wives left to start breakfast, leaving Jeff and Diana alone. "Happy birthday, Gorgeous. I guess I don't say it enough, but I love you with all my heart. I don't know what I did to deserve you..."

"You knocked me up, Silly," she interrupted. "And I'm still so very proud that you did. Even then, you were an Alpha, but I just didn't know to call you that. But the healer has enhanced it, just as she has the others. I'm very proud to be your wife, Jeff. More so than you will ever realize."

"Whoa," he laughed. "When did we get started talking about me? It's your birthday."

Diana set the tray on the bedside table. "So come here and make love to me. That will get me past the big three oh," she laughed, holding her arms out to him.

Dave sat at the table drinking coffee while Linda and Evie helped Jeff's wives prepare breakfast. Usually, he spent the time going over his to-do list for the day. Not paying much attention, he continued working until he heard a commotion. Arlene and Helen had walked into each other. His list forgotten, he stared in amazement as the women apologized to each other, then continued with their work. Suddenly it dawned on him: Where was the organization — the "machine" as Jeff called it?