Chapter 25

Dinner that evening was Chinese from our favorite place. We'd ordered so much the owner personally delivered it to us. Kim Young was an older woman and very pleasant. We talked to her for a while and then our Fearless Leader began speaking to her in one of the Asian dialects I was not familiar with. She and he spoke for about three minutes and she giggled when they finished. He was a constant amazement.

We demolished the feast and sat back on the porch; of course Chinese food being Chinese food, no one passed up a late chocolate cake and ice-cream desert an hour later. Lana, Jana, and Shana came out to take me for our stroll; I had forgotten that I promised them I would take them for one.

I apologized in front of the accumulated masses on the porch and did my duty. They switched off as we walked and I kissed and hugged each of them as we enjoyed our evening stroll. We returned well before the sun was setting as that was a standing rule of the team.

This life of needing protection twenty-four seven was getting old. The lack of freedom was confining at times but, when you have three lovelies to keep your mind off the stresses, it was manageable. Speaking of that, there was no managing any of them this evening. I held on for dear life and enjoyed every moment of it.

I awoke to Lana coming from the bathroom. I got up to use it, and while I was washing my hands Jana came in and promptly started her morning sickness. I sat and held her on my lap next to the throne. Lana got me the washcloth and later Shana brought in the water and saltines. Finally we took our showers. Jana and I met the rest of the family at breakfast.

I strutted around for a while and then the attention turned from me to Jana. As they were all talking back and forth I spied Tammy; she was running her tongue over her lips in a sensual way. At that moment I got the feeling I was the chicken and she was the fox and she was quite the fox if I do say so.

We were back on the porch having a final cup of coffee when the base squawked. There was a car coming up the drive with a driver and a passenger. Irene and Sammy parked and got out of the car. The women came out of the house and I introduced those who needed introductions. That accomplished Sammy found Harry and they started a conversation that eventually took them for a stroll. Irene went into the house. Fearless Leader excused himself which left Dad, Pap, Cletus, and I on the porch.

"So Cletus, what is the state of the farming operations?"

"We're not making enough money from them yet for me to retire," He laughed as did the rest of us.

"Ya gotta be a workin' more than you bein' to get to be retired Cletus," Pap cackled.

"So Cletus, now that our morning jokes are over have you had any time to decide what you want to do about the farms?"

"Cletus runs the farms?" Dad asked.

"He is the Operations Manager Dad. I know nothing about farming, Pap is semi retired and head of the clan emeritus so it is up to Cletus to keep it all under control."

"That makes perfect sense."

"Of course once you move here..."

"I never take a job from a workingman, son," Dad said.

"Wasn't thinking of you taking his job Dad, just learning the ropes."

"I've been around Steven and I am not getting anywhere near Betsy." With that we laughed.

Shana came out of the house and told me I had a phone call. I excused myself and went inside. It was our Fearless Leader and he said "Tonight, you get to come." And the line went dead. I hung up the phone, stopped off to relieve some old coffee, and headed back outside.

I was sitting back down when Irene came out to join us. She came over and asked if she could speak to me in private. We left and went for a walk. Once we were away from the others she said, "Steve, my son Mark has gone missing."

"Gone missing?"

"Yes, he was here the day before yesterday and I have not seen him since. And his car is still parked at my place."

"Was he alone?"

"No his friend Brian was with him. They went into the woods and now they are gone."

Well, now I knew who it was that we had found. But that made my head spin about why Fearless Leader thought they were part of the moonshiners. "Have they disappeared before?"

"Not without telling me they were going to be gone. This time they just are gone. It has me concerned."

"I am sure they will be fine."

"I hope so, it has me scared them just gone like this, is all."

"I'm sure they will turn up just like Harry and Sammy will at some point," I said with a small smirk.

"Those two do seem to be enthralled with each other. I have heard more about his hair and eyes and how hot he is from her."

"He has been pretty tight-lipped but he is likely in the same boat."

We shared a laugh about that then she said, "I want to get the farm going again. Do you think you could help me do that?"

"What help do you want from me, Cletus is the one who handles the farming operations."

"I was not thinking of farming myself but of having it farmed."

"Well he can introduce you to the people who farm this place for us."

"I was thinking more about the same arrangement you have with Hap and Rachel actually."

"My arrangement with Hap and Rachel?" I asked.

"Steve, don't look so surprised. They told me what they were doing at the funeral. It's a good thing that you did, and there is no way I want to farm all of that. I think we could come to some arrangement."

"What arrangement?"

"You buy the farm and I keep the house to live in."

"I can do that but I will want to build on the land once I own it."

"It's yours to do as you wish once you own it."

"Have you thought of a price?"

"Hap told me what you paid an acre for this place and I am fine with that. I am more than fine with that. Your attorney told me that you could have just sued Clem's and Bob's estate and have gotten it all."

"I could have but you were in the picture and it didn't seem fair me taking advantage of you when you didn't do anything to me."

"Most folks would not have looked at it that way. Thank you, it is more consideration than we deserved, especially after they tried to kill you."

"Two wrongs don't make a right and if this is what you want then I'm sure Bobby can draw up the papers."

"I had him draw them up when he got the place for us. He might have mentioned that you wanted it at some point." We were interrupted by sounds of passion coming from the barn as we walked by.

"It might stay in the family after all if that is any indicator," I said with a broad smile.

"It just might," she said with an upturned lip trying to hide her smile.

"So you have three mates and Lana and Jana are pregnant."

"I'll have four before it is all said and done and Shana will be pregnant soon too."

"How did that happen if you don't mind me asking?"

"You have had children I'm sure you know how it happened."

She turned a delightful shade of red and then said, "You're bad, you know that."