Chapter 8

My body was hurting, I was moving slowly to the kitchen where Mam handed me the glass of water and saltines. Back in the bathroom holding Lana my body still hurt. She felt as good as ever maybe better, but I still hurt. Lana helped me up when she was feeling better, and I took more than my usual time to finish. I didn't get in the shower. I simply washed up and hoped I would smell okay given from that. When I opened the door Lana was there smiling at me. "Good morning Angel I love you."

"I love you too, but I didn't hear the shower baby. Do you need some help?"

"I tried to clean up."

"Tried is a good work for it. You smell like the devil still. I should have stayed to help you."

It took awhile longer but I came out smelling better and feeling cleaner that I did when I had tried myself. I wanted to help Lana, but she saw the devil in my eyes I guess and sent me packing.

I went to the kitchen and got a cup of coffee and headed out to the porch. Pap was there just taking in the morning I looked over and there was the burned-out wreck, and I flared inside. Once I was sitting down, I asked Pap "When can we get that taken away?" I said pointing to the Ford.

"We can call after breakfast. Should be gone be this afternoon. You're movin' a might slow this mournin'."

"I feel real sore today. Worse that when I was in the hospital or yesterday."

"Seemin' you always do once the excitement wears off." He replied.

"I don't think I want anymore excitement for a while."

Shana came out and called us in for breakfast. I saw that Cletus and the rest were on their way. Pap came over and offered me his hand which I took and got a little help out of the chair. We finished breakfast and were out on the porch again when Mom and Dad drove up.

They came up to the porch, and I gave Mom and then Dad a hug. "You missed breakfast but I'm sure there is something in the kitchen still."

"We didn't miss breakfast Rachel would not let us out of the house until we were properly fed as she put it." Dad said.

"Just ignore him, Rachel and Hap are wonderful people, and they have not had anyone at their home is a long time, so she wouldn't hear of us not having breakfast with them." That's Mom's take on it.

"So Dad were you properly fed?" I asked.

"He was overfed and then some. Couldn't put his fork down." Mom added.

"I had to make a good impression for her." Dad said rubbing his stomach.

"So do you have plans for today then?" I asked.

"Well now that we're certain that you're going to be around for a while. We did leave a lot up in the air at home. We're thinking about flying out later this afternoon. It all depends on if the plane can get here today." That's Dad, back to the grind stone.

"When will you know?"

"I have to call back to my office in a couple of hours. There is no cell reception here."

"I know and once you get use to that it is pretty nice." I said.

"If you gentlemen will excuse me, I am going inside." And off Mom went.

"So son, what are you going to do about a new car?"

Pap added. "I was kinda wonderin' about that myself."

"I need to call the insurance people back in California who I forget to call and tell I moved. And then I should talk to Lana about what she wants; another one like we had or something different."

Dad spoke up. "The insurance will all get worked out. You should speak to Lana and see if she wants something else. If not then maybe the three of us can use the time we have and go to get a new vehicle."

"Thanks Dad, Let me get up and go speak to Lana, Pap said he would call someone to come and get the old one." Dad helped me up this time, and I went in the house both of them following. I spoke to Lana and she was fine, with whatever I chose. Pap called and Dad talked to Mom about going to get the new vehicle.

I sat in the back and Pap directed us out to the Ford dealership. I was a bit tired after the drive and asked. "I just want another Expedition, I am not up to haggling over every dollar at this point. Either of you care to?"

It was like, I found a common bond between the two of them. Dad is the master of the deal and Pap loves to haggle with the best of them. Dad got me to agree to act like the sales manager acts with the salesmen. They would bring every deal that they worked on to me for my approval. Those two had the dealership salespeople reeling. They came back to me four separate times. I was getting additions thrown in every time they came back. The price was already lower than I had brought mine for in California. Finally, I called a halt to this as it was almost lunch time, and we needed to call the house and let them know we weren't going to be home for it.

I was writing the check and finishing with the paperwork while Pap called to the house to tell them we would be having lunch out. Dad came back from is cell call and said the plane would be there tonight at 8:00. I gave Pap, the keys and told him to find us a place for lunch. He found some hole-in-the-wall that had the best BBQ pulled pork sandwiches. Since it was the three of us. We each had a beer to boot and sat back. Dad asked then. "So son what's this about a fourth mate?"

"Dad, I am having a hard enough time just now accepting the three of them, that I am just not even sure about having a fourth."

"From what I understand do you have that choice?"

Pap felt incline to add in. "He's got the same choice he had when he got here."

Dad was looking confused so I enlighten him. "I am just working on the terms of my surrender."

"How do you feel about her and having her as a mate?"

"Confused. I like her but she is just shy and quiet one moment and aggressive about being mated up with me the next."

"She has made up her mind and is just not skilled about how to get you to be Makin' up yours" Pap added.

"I admit she has me at a loss. And with all of this happening, I would like to let it lay for a while but now that I have agreed to mate up with Shana and Jana who know what she will want to do."

"We be knowin' what she will be wantin' to do. You're just not ready to be acceptin' it yet."

"Interesting"

"I'll interesting you Dad. Maybe she likes older men and California." Dad was laughing.

"Sorry Son, we don't live the clan life and your mother is all I need."

"You, Pap, Cletus and the trips are all no help at all about this."

"Your dealin' with matters of the heart here. Ain't one of us going to tell you what to do one-way nor ta'other. The only thing I feel for sure is that if you reject her. She won't be stayin'."

"Thanks Pap, nothing like adding more pressure."

"Ain't meanin' for it to be pressure just my gut feeling is all."

"So dad any ideas?"

"You are not getting me in the middle of this. You're the one who accepted being head of the clan. This is your decision but I think that William is correct in his assessment."

"I think it's time, we headed back. The women will be wonderin' if we went shopping without them if we stay out much longer." Pap laughed and then we joined in.

I rode back with Dad with Pap leading us back to the house. The old Ford was gone when we pulled up to the house. Everyone came out to look at the new Ford and sit inside it to get their new car smell quotient. After Lana had gotten out, she looked and me and promptly took my arm and marched me back to our bedroom. Shana and Jana appeared and I was put to bed after I had taken my pills.

It was Tammy that came and woke me up for dinner. She was sitting on the bed when I opened my eyes. "It's time for you to come down and eat."

"Okay, can you hand me my clothes."

"Oh, I'll help you get dressed."

"Tammy I'm working through what you told me."

"You agreed to be mated up with Jana and Shana. You know I want that too." She lowered her eyes.

"Tammy, Look at me. Since you told me what you wanted, I have been through a lot. I am not saying no but given all that has happened, I am asking for some more time. And while I have expressed my love for both Shana and Jana, I have not mated up with either of them. Right now I have no idea when that is going to happen."

She handed me my clothes and left the room. It took a while but I got to the kitchen after I stopped in and took care of the beer from lunch and brushed my teeth. Dinner was delightful as always and the discussion was about how getting the new Ford was actually shopping. The emphasis was, that since they went back and forth so many times that it was shopping.

Dad announced "Well, I want to thank you for all of your hospitality. We are flying back to California tonight. We stopped in and got our bags from Hap and Rachel's earlier and said our thanks to them. So everything is ready to go."

Mom said her thanks also and we all hugged and kissed or shook hands. My folks promised to come back to see us when they had more time to stay. Lana and I walked them out to the car and said our goodbyes again. They drove off and we went up to the porch. Pap and Cletus were there so I joined them. There was an iced tea already waiting when I sat down. "Cletus, I haven't had an opportunity to thank you for the other day. You put yourself in harms way for me."

"Steve, it was for all of us. You're my clan now and they wanted to kill you. It wasn't going to happen if I had anything to say about it. I feel for Harry having killed both of them, but it was them or us."

"You still have my thanks. How is Harry? I saw him at the hospital but have not talked to him."

"He is having a hard time. He heard what you said, but at the same time he has killed two men. I'd have a hard time with that, at sixteen it's just that much more."

"I think that it would be good for him to see someone about it then. I don't want him to suffer about it more than he has too. Pap we should call the Sheriff and see if they have some resources where we can get some help."

"I'll call him in the mourning. Are you going to be gettin' some help too?"

"Why do I need to be getting some help?" I asked.

"Because in the next few days you're about to be gettin' angry."

"Why would I be getting angry?" I was short with Pap.

"Look at how all of this came about and what happened, Ain't nothing for you to do but get angry about it."

"That still does not mean I am going to get angry." I was getting angry at the idea he was telling me I was going to get angry.

"Steven, you did nothing but come here for love, and you nearly got killed. If you don't get angry you will be going crazy."

"How would you know?"

"I learned that when I was in the penitentiary back when they had rehabilitation in prison."

"What, when were you in prison, why? For how long?"

"I killed a man, they were going to try me for second-degree murder but that was plea-bargained it to manslaughter. I was nineteen when it happened. He hurt Mam to the point she lost our baby, she was carryin' and I spent seven years as a guest of the state."

"To say I am shocked is an understatement."

"I don't be a braggin' about it none."

"Do you mind telling me about it?"

"No, you're clan and it is public record, plus I did what I did and paid for it."

"So what happened?"