Chapter 30

A cellphone call had us meeting Ann and the kids at the catfish joint for dinner. Cindy recounted her day to Ann.

"You sound impressed," Ann said.

"I am," Cindy countered. "Last summer, I was just hopin' to get out of middle school, an' today I was talking to the Dean of the Engineering School at Auburn."

Teresa said, "Mom, is it okay if I'm a little jealous?"

"Ann," I chuckled, "Teresa's not the only one that's a little jealous."

Jim smiled at his daughter. "Jealous is okay, baby, just so you recognize that Cindy's got a gift and we're all very happy for it."

"I know," Teresa said. She smiled. "Cindy, you KNOW I'm happy for you. Really. But still..."

Bill looked up from his plate, swallowed a mouthful of fish, and said, "Cin, I'm good with it..."

We all laughed at that.

We were working on desserts, still talking about things.

"So what time at the airport tomorrow, guys?" Jim asked.

"It's a couple of hundred miles. An hour and a half, flying. There's gonna be a rental car waiting for us at the airfield. We go to the hotel, check in, change, do dinner, the concert. I guess we should leave a little leeway, so let's leave at noon," I said.

"That gives us plenty of time to get the kids to my sister's," Ann said. She looked at Cindy. "How do YOU dress when you fly in this thing?"

Cindy spread her arms out, tilted her head, and smiled, posing. "Like this! Believe me, it's not a 'skirt' kind of airplane!"

Ann sighed. "Oh, well! Dan, can you accommodate a pretty big suitcase? So I can pack my dress properly?"

"Baby, that's an Alaska bush plane. It'll handle the four of us and a whole moose."

She stuck her tongue at him. "But that moose didn' have to worry about dressing up in a wrinkled dress, Philistine!"

Jim laughed. "There she goes with the big words again. I do gather from her uppity tone that I've been insulted."

"Only lightly, dear," she giggled, patting him on the arm.

Teresa said to Cindy in a stage whisper, "My parents are comedians."

"Yeah," Cindy giggled. "Don't'cha jut LOVE 'em!"

Bill didn't comment. He just rolled his eyes and ate his pie.

Leaving the restaurant, Jim rode home with his family and Cindy and I drove off in our truck. She twisted in her seatbelt and leaned back against me, my arm wrapping her, holding her warmly against me in the January cold.

"Tired, baby?" I asked.

"Mmmm-hmmm, love," she said. "Today's been a little stressful."

"I think you did just fine, cutie. I didn't know what we were walking into. You did fine."

"D'ya think Alabama State's gonna be anything different?" she asked.

"I haven't the foggiest idea. One thing, though. We only know ONE Alabama State grad."

Giggle. "That was nice of Mister Bill an' Mister Charlie to write those letters. Seemed like Mister, uhhh ... Doctor Stebbins was surprised by that."

"Maybe so. It certainly didn't hurt," I said. "It's nice to have friends and family."

"That care," she added.

We pulled up to our trailer under cold, crisp, clear skies. I estimated twenty degrees. We stepped rather lively into the trailer.

"Brrr!" she went.

I wrapped her in my arms as soon as the door closed. "Cold?"

"Gosh, yes! I miss summer. Didn't miss it when it was here, but I do now!"

"Shower. Then hot cocoa," I said.

"You got it!" she grinned.

She was in the shower and I was whipping up a little pot of hot cocoa. I left the pot on low heat when she got out. She was drying her hair, finishing as I was shaving, and when I put my razor up and donned a pair of workout pants, our nod to pajamas in the cool trailer in January, she was standing there with a steaming mug for me.

We curled up together on the sofa, savoring the steamy liquid.

"So what outfit are you wearing for tomorrow evening?" I asked.

She turned her green eyes to me and smiled. "I seem to remember something you tell me about dark green. I have the sweater that matches that dress and shoes that you like."

"Perfect!" I said. "Atlanta hasn't been hit like that since Sherman."

"I hope I don't do as much damage," she giggled. My Cindy learned her history.

"Scarlett O'Hara doesn't hold a candle to my Cindy," I smiled.

I retrieved a hard suitcase from the under-bed storage and we carefully stowed her dress and my suit and shirt. Our normal, informal attire went into the duffel-style overnight bags we each carried on our weekend outings.

After packing, we went to bed, cuddling in the cool air of the trailer, listening to the north wind howling outside. The cuddle started something because a little redhead pushed me from lying on my side, facing her, onto my back, and her mouth fastened to my chest.

I felt teeth. And a giggle as her hand slid down my belly to find me hardening. Fast. "You're not THAT tired, are you, sweetie?" Giggle. "Part of you just woke up!"

Some pleasant while later, that part was ready to rest, an act made far easier by a purring redhead curled up beside me.

Moring came with pleasant pause. I felt her stir, and I got up and turned the thermostat up to warm our little trailer from 'snuggle' to 'breakfast', then went to the bathroom. I walked back beside the bed, finding a pair of green eyes in the gap between red bangs and the edge of the bedclothes.

"Bed gets cold FAST without you," she said.

I slid back under the covers and got wrapped in a tangle of arms and legs. Bright eyes and soft lips only added to the delights.

More giggles. "I wanted to get warm. Tee-hee ... Now I AM!" And we found out exactly HOW warm.

She lay back in my arms. "Whew! That's good before breakfast!"

"Mmmm-hmmm," I agreed. "Wanna dress warm and go up the road?"

"Pancakes," she smiled. "And coffee. Not as good as OURS, but still good."

"Then get that cute little butt dressed, cutie! I shall give you pancakes!"

I got up on one side of the bed, she on the other, and we bumped pleasantly getting clothes out of compact drawers and closets. She finished tying her shoes and stood up, a doll in jeans and an orange Auburn sweatshirt. The dark blue watchcap she pulled down to her ears set her hair off.

"Oh, that's CUTE," I laughed.

Twinkly eyes and a grin. "Mister Bill would like it," she grinned. "An' Mister Charlie bought it for me."

"Let's go, baby doll. Pancakes await!" I opened the door and saw our truck's windshield coated with frost. "Never mind. Let me start the truck and let it defrost." I dashed outside, cranked the truck, and turned the defroster on high, then dashed back in.

"Cold?" she asked.

"Twenty. Maybe."

"BRRR!!! Sit!"

I sat. she climbed into my lap and we wrapped up together.

"I like doing things with our friends, baby," she said. "Makes me feel like you really care about me!"

"You don't know how deeply I care about you, angel," I said.

She giggled. "That, baby, could be taken as a suggestive comment."

"That, too," I chuckled. We kissed each other like new lovers for a few minutes.

She held my face in her hands, gave me a pert little kiss and said, "Check the truck. I have an overriding urge for pancakes now." Her eyes danced with delight as she slid off my lap.

I peeked out the window. "Let's go," I said. The cab of the truck was warm when we climbed in. My partner punched up the stereo and we listened to a little music on the short drive.

Walking into the restaurant, Cindy spotted Bill Carmody about the same time he spotted us. He waved us over.

"Hi Mister Bill," Cindy chirped.

I pulled her chair out to seat her, then sat beside her.

"Cindy, I like your sweatshirt. You folks are out in THIS?" he grinned.

"Either that or one of us had to COOK breakfast at the trailer," Cindy said.

"So here we are," I laughed.

"By the way, Mister Bill," Cindy said, "Thank you SOOO much for the letter to Auburn!"

"Awww, sweetie," he grinned, "The dean an' I went to school together. Been a bunch of years. I oughtta go see 'im. I just thought he needed to get another idea about our Engineer's Apprentice."

Cindy giggled. "Well, thanks!"

The waitress came with two mugs of steaming coffee without asking. That's what we get for being regulars. She looked at Cindy. "Pancakes, sweetie?"

"Yes, ma'am," Cindy said.

"Me too," I added.

"So what's on tap this weekend for you two?" Bill asked.

Cindy laid out our plans.

He smiled and nodded. "Hey, I been meanin' to ask you, somebody told me that you an' Miss Cindy and some other folks've been playing' music out there where you're stayin'."

"I guess I could've said something," I replied. "Ain't much, really. Me, Jim and Ann Hardesty. Jim's Cindy's guidance counselor at school."

"And Cindy sings," he said. "Don't'cha think that some of us might've been interested? I mean, Cindy's like everybody's daughter or little sister out there." He shook his head. "'Cept you, Dan!"

"And for me, she's my best friend and..." I paused. "Bill, the music, it's a step up from a jam session. We're not that good..."

"Not what I heard," Bill said.

Cindy said, "Dan, we're getting a LOT better. Mister Bill, next time we decide to do a show, we'll tell you. I'll make sure!"

"Please do," Bill said. "Makes the job more pleasant, ya know."

Cindy and I attacked our pancakes and Bill demolished a plate of grits and eggs and bacon. When we stood up, he grabbed the check. I started to protest.

"No way," he said. "My treat! Ya'll go off an' have a good time!"

"Thanks, Mister Bill," Cindy said over her shoulder as we left.

In the truck, Cindy said, "We can talk to the Hardesty's about that, like maybe next weekend."

"They might get tired of doing that, baby," I said.

"I think they'd tell us if they were, don't'cha think?"

"Well, let's ask them if it's too soon..." I sighed.

"Oh, I was going to be tactful," she smiled. "I can be, you know..." She punched on the stereo and found us some music.

We killed time back at the trailer for a couple of hours before leaving for the airport. I wanted to be a little early. As it was, we got there five minutes before Jim and Ann. Cindy and I were just finished pushing the plane out onto the apron when they arrived.

"Back your car into the hangar," I said to Jim. I did the same thing, and we closed and locked the hangar door.

Cindy stood beside Ann as Jim and I stowed the bags in the cargo compartment and preflighted the plane.

Climbing in, Ann said, "I can see why you said this isn't a 'skirt' situation." Cindy giggled.

Jim and I climbed into the front seat. I turned to Ann. "There's a barf bag in the seat pocket."

"Dan," she said, "I'm SURE!"

"Just sayin'," I said. I turned to Jim. "You wanna read the checklist?"

Jim laughed. "One page ... got it!"

We fired up the engine and got some heat going and I watched until the oil temperature started climbing into the green before we taxied out. "Jim?" I asked.

"I'll follow you," he said. "It's a tail-dragger and I'm too rusty."

After the run-up, we checked for traffic, called on the radio, then lifted off the runway, cruise-climbing on course to fifty-five hundred feet, angled into Georgia.

The intercom and headphones made conversation possible and good friends made it pleasant. Ann said, "I forgot how much fun this is."

In a bit more than an hour we were winding our way thought the air traffic nightmare that is Atlanta, headed to a general aviation field outside the city, watching commercial jets in and out of the big airport that we carefully avoided, and I was pleased to do a real squeaker of a landing. No hop, no bounce, no little sideways wiggle. The wheels kissed the concrete and stuck, and we were in Atlanta.

With the plane tied down, we retrieved our rental car and transferred our luggage, headed to the hotel and checked in.

Jim said, "Wow, baby! Us. A hotel room. No kids!"

"Beast!" Ann giggled. To us she said, "See ya'll at about five?"

Cindy closed our door behind us, smiling. "Me and you. And a big bed. And a big shower. And a couple of hours..." she giggled.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"Mister Jim an' Mizz Ann. They looked almost TOO happy..."

"It's probably a rare treat for them to get out like this, baby," I said.

She said, "Still ... you know ... I think about US doin' it, because we DO ... but it's kinda funny to realize that other people ... get excited about it..." By this time she was pressing up against me. "'Course, we COULD sit in the bed an' play cards..." She peeled that watchcap off her head, loosing that outrageous hair and shook it.

"C'mere, you! I have a better idea!"

By four-thirty we NEEDED a quick shower. By five, she was a little red-headed bit of perfection and I was wearing my 'respectable engineer' suit.

The phone rang. Cindy answered it. "Okay," she said. "We'll meet ya'll in the lobby."

Actually we met them in the elevator. Jim I'd seen in a suit before. I'd not seen Ann dressed up, and she did herself well in dark blue, her blonde hair in place, and looking like she was MEANT for Jim, her blue eyes sparkling, make-up an enhancement, not a cover.