Chapter 13

I came out of the bathroom after taking care of all the needs that pressured me and the trips were climbing out of bed. "Well Ladies, time for us to do some exploring." Lana came over and gave me one of those looks. "Will that be in here or on a road trip, baby?"

"Didn't get enough last night?" I grinned.

"We can't ever get enough of the head of the clan, especially when he is so wonderful. Thank you for getting the rings. I love you."

"I love you too and I meant that you're all equal." Of course right about then Shana and Jana were all over me, and we were not going to get out of the room, unless I led the way.

"Let's air out the room and have a road trip," I said. That got me a squeal, and they took off to get ready. I headed out the door to find Mabel. I searched around and found Sally who directed me outside to the garden.

So I headed out through the kitchen and found her in her garden. "Hello Mabel."

"Hello Steve."

"I was thinking of taking my mates out for lunch and some exploring this afternoon. Anywhere you think that they might enjoy?"

"If you just want to spend some time together I would go to Magnolia. Its' a nice place to spend a lazy summer afternoon. You missed the PurpleHull Pea festival over in Emerson this year, so I would go to Magnolia."

"I'll have to get some information on the festival for next year, sounds like I don't want to be missing it. For now, I'll take your advice and go to Magnolia."

"Sally can give you the directions." Mable said.

"Oh, do you know a really nice restaurant I can take my mates and can you make reservations for 8:00 tonight?"

"I'll take care of it, be back here by 4:00 so you can get ready. It's over an hour drive from here."

"Thanks." I walked back to the house and ran into Luke as I was opening the door to the kitchen.

"Hello Luke."

"Hello Steve, have any plans for today?"

"I was just picking Mabel's brain about that."

"Well she and Sally know some nice places to go and see."

"Luke, I didn't mean to challenge your rules or beliefs this morning."

"Steve, everyone has their own beliefs. While I don't agree with everything everyone believes we each have our own path."

"That we do. Thanks for not judging."

The trips came out of the door then. "So where are we going?" Shana asked.

"Magnolia, but I have to ask Sally to write down the directions."

Sally must have heard her name because she came out then with a pen and paper and wrote the directions out, handing them to Jana. We walked out the back and around to the Ford and our road trip began.

It was a quick ride and on the outskirts of one of the towns on the way to Magnolia, there was the yellow spinning light like you see on construction trucks. It was attached to a sign that read, "Warning speed limit 25, they will ticket you at 26!" It was obvious that someone had gotten a ticket, so I crawled along at 20 and made my way into town.

Magnolia is the county seat and an old southern city and had information not only about the PurpleHull Pea festival in Emerson but the Magnolia festival in Magnolia. Both events seemed to be a large part of the life there. So much so I even saw pictures of the World Championship Rotary Tiller Race. (If you're interested you can see them also at www.purplehull.com) ... purplehull.com).

We got out of the Ford and set off to explore the town. We had not gotten far before we passed Mules Cantina. I had not had Mexican food, since we had left California; that made up my mind where we eat lunch at. The girls did not share my desire for Mexican food, and I might have been better to pass on it also. When you're from the southwest the taste of southern Mexican just is different. I won't come out and hurt their feelings but let's just say that I will remind myself to have barbecued next time.

Over lunch we discussed tonight's plans for dinner. It was their mutual agreement that they did not have the proper attire to go this evening. So while they shopped for just the right look I was sent packing. It was something about them not wanting me to see until this evening. So I wandered the streets of Magnolia.

There are the murals and the one on the movies was interesting. It was one hundred feet long by twenty-five feet tall and had over seventy movies depicted there. Charlton Heston had even been at the dedication and signed it. They spend $40,000 creating it.

If you got the idea that I was a bored you just might be right but I was left with the choice of shopping for women's clothes, no matter how good the women looked, or wandering the streets. So I was bored and seeing the county courthouse didn't relieve that. After that I stopped at the bank, got some additional cash and then went off to see if I could find them.

When I found them. It was decided that I needed to have better clothes for dinner also, I was promptly taken shopping. We got back to the house just at 4:00. I was quickly scrubbed, shined up, dressed and put out of the room.

I was sitting quietly in the kitchen while Mabel was writing down the directions to Shotgun William's Highfalutin' Steakhouse in Fordyce. She had assured me, "It's is a very nice restaurant with excellent food even if it has 'peanut shells on the floor' name."

I was sitting in the parlor when they came down the stairs. They were Angels, beautiful Angels, descending that staircase just for me. Visions of beauty dressed in blue, red and green. I kissed each of them when they got to the bottom of the staircase. And off we went, Shana was the copilot, and we drove there in about an hour and a half.

The directions were flawless or maybe it was the skill of the copilot. The conversation we shared was light as the miles rolled on. We arrived at Shotgun William's Highfalutin' Steakhouse, and I got the look from all of them. "Don't ask me, Mabel said it was a nice place."

Nice is always a perspective and, while the ambience might have been lacking, the food was superb. I can't remember better steaks, and we ate our fill. They had a chocolate cake. What was piled high and met with firm approval. It was while we were eating dessert that I asked. "What are we going to call our new place? It seems funny calling it 'Hap and Rachel's old place'."

There was some discussion among them but nothing forthcoming, so I offered "Let's call it the BB and W farm."

Lana was quickest to the draw to take umbrage at my remarks. "Steve, are you insinuating, that Shana, Jana, and I are big beautiful women?"

"Now Angel, I did not call it the BBW farm, I called it the BB and W farm."

"And just what does that stand for?" Asked Shana.

"Why, bug, bird and worm of course," I replied and just sat back and grinned.

The inquisition was on seeking to discover how I knew their childhood nicknames and then who told me. Angry was not a kind enough word for it. Finally, it was Lana who spoke, "Steven, We want to know who told you those names."

"What names?"

"Don't sit there and play that game with us, you know what I am talking about."

"Lana Angel, I am at a loss as to what you're talking about. I just offered up a name for our farm."

"You mister are playing with fire here. Now tell us who told you those names."

"Angel, What's wrong?"

"Are you expecting to go home with us tonight Steven?"

"Lana dear, I have the keys so yes I am expecting you will want to be coming back with me."

"Are you saying you're going to leave us here?"

"Dear, I am just pointing out that I have the keys. Why are you so upset about me wiggle worm?"

"Oh you, you are so in trouble. You tell me now who told you that name!"

"I just can't recall if it was a canary or a lighting bug who told me." Well that got me going with Shana and Jana. The poor waitress looked at me and no doubt wondered who had dropped the hornet's nest at our table.

I got up and walked over to the waitress. "Do you have our bill?" She handed it to me; I looked it over and handed it back to her with my credit card. She scurried off to process the credit card while I headed to the rest room.

The bill and my card were back at the table when I returned but the trips were missing. I sat down and checked the bill, added the tip, put my card away and sat back. After ten minutes I decide that maybe they weren't coming back so I got up and went out to the Ford.

The three of there were standing there and when I got close they came running at me. Suddenly, it was kisses from every angle.

"Where did you go? We thought you had left us," Jana finally said.

"I went to pay the bill and had to use the rest room. I came right back and sat down waiting for you."

"We thought you left us," Shana said.

"Now why would I ever do something as stupid as that? I love all of you so much." I didn't get an answer but the multiple kisses let me know that for some reason they thought I was going to leave them here.

"You might want to use the bathroom before we drive back." They looked at me and decided that I wasn't angry with them so off they went to the rest room. They were back quickly, loaded themselves in, we pointed the Ford in the right direction and headed back.

It was silent for a little while when Lana finally said, "Name the farm anything you want."

"Lana, I wouldn't name it without all of you helping me and that will include Tammy, since she is going to be mated up with us. I didn't mean to get you all so upset. I'm sorry."

"You're such a goof you know that. We love you to pieces, and you're just having too much fun finding out all our secrets."

"You have secrets? I didn't know you would all have secrets. Plus, I'm just a city boy don't know nothing about being no goof." That got them all laughing and the trip back was easier from that point.

We stopped outside the house and swapped spit for a time before we walked into the house. We had just walked into the room when Shana found an envelope on the floor. She opened it and there was a note to call home. Lana went to the phone and called, and once she had she spoke to Mam and then she handed me the phone.

I said, "Hello," it was Pap on the other end.

"Hate to be calling you but the Sheriff stopped in and took the computer today. Something is a happenin' and you need to be here early. I got us an appointment with Bobby tomorrow. He said I should bring Harry and Betty Ann to his office."

"That sounds serious."

"He and I are a thinkin' better safe than sorry."

"Should we come there or just drive straight to Bobby's?"

"Likely shorter if you drive straight there."

"What time is the appointment?"

"1:30."

"Do the girls know how to get to his office?"

"We can talk in the morning and make sure that you have the directions."

That put a dampener on the rest of the evening. We spoke of what was happening and then just let it drop and slept the night away. We were all up early and I was helped to shower with each of them taking a turn having me scrub their back and wash their hair. Not a bad way to spend part of the morning even if I did end up waterlogged.

I was downstairs in the kitchen looking for my coffee when Sally walked in the back door. "Morning Steve. How was dinner?"

"Dinner was superb."

"It's a funny named place but the food sure is good."

"Where are Mabel and Luke this morning?"

"Mabel is in the garden and Luke is around somewhere."

The two of them came walking in at that moment, Luke was discussing something that he was planning on doing and Mabel was agreeing.

Luke saw me and Sally and offered his greeting and then Mabel did the same. I refilled my coffee and headed out to the porch as the women got down to some serious cooking. I knew it was best for me to be out-of-the-way. Luke came out and joined me.

"This is a nice place you and Mabel have here Luke. We will come back to it often if it is okay with you."