Chapter 9

9:11 PM:

Cheyenne, Wyoming:

Matt:

I ran over to the KFC to get dinner with Marybeth. I ordered two bucket-meals with multiple side orders for all of us. While we were over at KFC, the girls had run into Wal-Mart and picked up a few items. I felt my cell phone buzz in my pocket as I paid the bill, and we carried the food back to the RV. We enjoyed a good meal, and I booted up the laptop. I brought up the news and started checking to see what we had missed in the last few days. We watched the war going on in Pakistan and India and shuddered at the death toll.

"They have gone nuts," Judy said.

"Yes they have, and it's a war of revenge for the Indian Government. I just pray they keep their agreement on the nukes they made with the UN," I said. Privately, I didn't think it was going to happen so I wanted to get a second eighteen-foot trailer and put it on the RV and fill it with dry food. Turning I picked up one of the throwaway phones and walked outside. I dialed a number from memory, and it was picked up on the other end.

"Whitman residence. How may I help you," said a woman's voice on the other end.

"Marylyn Whitman please," I asked.

"I'm sorry, Miss Whitman isn't here. May I take a message?" replied the voice.

"This is ... a friend she helped just recently, I was told to call her and give her an update. Can you tell me when she will be available?" I asked.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot say. Why don't you try back tomorrow, or I can have her call you at your number," the voice replied.

I closed the phone and disassembled it. Going back into the RV, I grabbed a second phone and disposed of the first. "Marybeth, come with me, please," I said as I walked out of the RV.

Marybeth looked up from her IPod and replied, "Coming," she set the machine down and started to walk to the door.

"Mary, when you're done with Matt, can you run into the store and get some tampons?" Judy asked.

"Sure, but I need some money," Mary replied.

"Ask Matt, he will give you some, and thanks," Judy said as she walked by heading for the back.

"Welcome," Mary replied as she walked outside and walked over to Matt, and asked, "What did you need Matt?"

"Marybeth, I want you to do a favor for me. I want you to call Judy's grandmother on this cell phone," I said holding it up, and then continued, "I want you to ask for Judge Whitman, say you're calling for Judge Morris and must speak with her. When she answers, let me have the phone."

Handing her the phone, I gave her the number to call.

"Hello, I am calling for Judge Whitman, for Judge Morris. May I please speak with her," Marybeth said.

"Look, Judge Morris wishes to speak with her, it's about a former case that has come in front of him for review," Mary added with a smile on her face.

"Thank you, I will hold," she said after a few seconds.

"Judge Whitman, please hold for Judge Morris," Mary said as she handed me the phone.

"Judge Whitman, how are you doing tonight," I asked.

"Judge Morris, it's good to hear from you. What may I do for you," Marylyn replied.

"Marylyn, I wanted to know if you were up and around yet. Are you able to get out?" I asked.

"I am doing better, and no, not at this time," she replied.

'Shit!' I thought, as I said, "Ok, then, I will ask you on the phone then. I have a case of a Mathew McGuire coming up in front of me. I wanted to know if the repairs to the house he vandalized have been completed. Also, I need to know if the restitution has been paid to the Fbiens, who are the owners of the items or to the landlord Robert Russ. I know how much they were watching the case."

"Yes they have, and his family even restocked all the foods that were destroyed as well as the pantry items they burned. Everything is ready for the Fbiens to move back in," she replied.

"Thank you Marylyn, and sorry to call so late," I said as I closed the phone.

"What was that all about?" Marybeth asked.

"It means that the FBI is watching Judy's grandmother and everything is ok there. She also told me that the place we're going to is ready for us," I said.

"She did?" she asked as she scratched her head, and continued, "Can I have some money?"

"Why?" I asked.

"I need to get some things from Wal-Mart," she replied.

"Sure, no problem," I said and pulled my wallet out and opened it. I pulled out the twenties I had in it and was about to hand some of them to her when she snatched them out of my fingers.

"This will do," she said as she walked away.

"What?" I said as I looked at my empty wallet and then put it away, "Oh well more where that came from."

Marybeth:

I counted the money as I walked to the front doors of the Wal-Mart and I had just under two thousand on me. I was going to have fun buying clothes and whatever else hit my fancy. Putting the money in my purse, I pushed the doors open and grabbed a cart as I looked around and spotted the clothing section. I spent the next thirty minutes trying on clothes, and then put five complete outfits in my cart. I then went to the electronic department and started going through the music section. When I was finished, I had forty CDs and twenty-nine DVDs in the cart.

"What next?" I said and then walked over to look at the portable cd players. I looked at all of them and then picked up one from Sony. Putting it back, I looked at another from JVC and put that one in my cart. Walking around to the headphones I looked at them, and settled on a set of wireless ones from Sony and added them to the cart. I went to the bathroom supplies and grabbed me three boxes of tampons, a couple of containers of body soap, and shampoo. I then walked around the store and was just looking at items when Matt walked up.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Came to escort you back to the RV, you have been here for over an hour," Matt said.

I looked at my watch, and was surprised that the time had flown by. "Wow, I have. Matt, where are we going? Do I have the right clothes," I asked.

"No, you need winter clothes, in fact, all of you do. I think this is a good place to get what we need, so tomorrow, I'm going to get another trailer, and then we are going to stock up on supplies. If we get the snowfall that I remember, we will be snowed in for at least four months, so we might as well hit Sam's club, Costco, and here for supplies we will take with us," Matt replied after he checked what I was getting.

"Four months..." I gasped out as I looked at the box of tampons and said, "That would have been nice to know. You do realize women have different needs."

"What?" he asked.

"Uhh tampons, you know those feminine items that we use every month, as well as toilet paper," I replied as I held up the small box.

I watched as he blushed, and then he stuttered an apology to me. I kissed his cheek and said, "That's ok. Now that we know, we can stock up. What about food? Will we have enough?"

"The woman I talked with on the cell phone said it was stocked, but that was before I picked up you and your sisters. We'd better stock up on more," he said as we walked to the register.

I stacked the items up and Matt shook his head at my music selection and I giggled as I told him, "Don't worry, I have headphones."

"Good, I don't think I could handle hearing some of the music you picked up," he replied.

"That will be fourteen hundred and ninety dollars and sixteen cents," the checker said.

I opened my wallet, and pulled out my money and started counting out the twenties. I had reached six hundred when Matt spoke up.

"I told you to change those at the bank."

"I know, I forgot," I said as I realized the woman was staring at the money.

"Just don't spend all your birthday money; we still have over a thousand miles to go."

I blew my hair out of my eyes and looked at Matt, "Jason, just because you're engaged to my sister, doesn't mean you can tell me how to spend my money. I like twenties because stores can break them. Hundreds can be a hassle if I want something small," as I continued to count.

"Here you go, fifteen hundred dollars," I said.

The woman counted the money out and handed me the change as Matt loaded the items in the cart. I took the receipt and we started walking out the door and across the parking lot. We reached the RV, and opened the door. We took the bags and passed them through the narrow opening. I took the last one while Matt pushed the cart away.

Stepping in, the girls yelled, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

I stood there in surprise as I looked at the cake that was sitting on the table. The bags hit the floor as I felt the tears start running down my face.

"Happy birthday Sis," CodieAnn said as she kissed my cheek.

Wiping my eyes, I smiled at her, and replied, "Thank you. I forgot."

"We know, and that's why we didn't remind you," Katie said as she kissed me.

"You planned it ... I mean sending me to the store that is," I asked.

"Yes we did, but we didn't think you would take almost two hours, doing so, you gave us enough time to get everything ready," Judy said as she hugged me.

"Happy birthday sweetie," she said as she broke the hug.

"Thank you," I said as I walked over to the cake and looked down on it. I smiled as I saw the Marmaduke image on the cake.

"When did you do this?" I asked.

"While you and Matt were at KFC, we ran in and picked up our order, now make a wish and blow the candles out," CodieAnn said.

I closed my eyes, thought of Matt making love to me, and I know I blushed as I leaned down and blew the candles out.

I smiled as I saw all the candles go out and said, "I did it!" and then frowned as they lit up again, and I snapped, "Not fair!"

They laughed and pulled the candles out and dipped them in the water, "We were just funning with you," Katie replied as she hugged me.

I pouted for a second, and then picked up the knife, "See if I give you any," I said as I started cutting the cake.

"We were kidding with them, now cut the cake, and I will put your stuff in the back," Katie replied as she took the bags and carried them to my room.

"Thank you," I said with a smile and picked up the butter knife. I sliced the cake and placed them on paper plates. Codie put ice cream next to the cake and passed them out as I levered the section of the cake that contained the picture of Marmaduke and placed it on my plate. I was reaching for the ice cream when Codie placed a scope of chocolate ice cream next to my cake.

"There you go," she said and kissed my cheek.

"Thanks, Sis," I said and picked up my plate. I was turning when Matt took my picture, and I smiled at him. Walking over to the couch, I sat down and started eating.

"This is good," Matt said as he scrapped his plate.

"Yes it is," Judy replied and Ana got up and carried her plate into the kitchen, she then went upstairs.

I was finishing my cake when Ana came down stairs. She had packages stacked in her arms as she walked over to me. I set my plate on the end table and reached up to take them, but she set them on my lap.

"Open the bottom one first, it's from all of us," Ana said as she picked up the other gifts and placed them to the side.

I looked at the box, and tried to figure out what it was. It was heavy, and I was going to shake it when Matt told me not to. He was holding the camera in his hand, so I started to peel the wrapping back.

"Just tear it open, we don't have to worry about wrapping paper anymore," Codie said as she smiled at me.

"But if I open it right, it can be used again," I replied.

"Just tear it, we know we used to save and use it again, but I have ten rolls of it stored away," Katie told me.

"Ok," I said and ripped the wrapping off, and then I screamed as I looked at the laptop.