Chapter 55

Dan's turn:

So Friday we're in the air headed to Tennessee. Yes, Cindy's in the pilot's seat. I've just about given up the seat entirely. I just wish I could get some kind of waiver to let her get licensed, but she's only fourteen. She has to wait three years.

"Tina's giving us her car for the weekend," she said. "So we won't have to rent. It's not like we're going to tour the countryside, exactly."

"You and your sisters seem to have us scheduled out pretty well," I said.

Giggle. "They're something, aren't they, darlin'?"

"Yes, they are. D'ya know how excited I get, thinking that I have friends like them?"

"D'ya know how scary it is, seeing the three of you together and knowing how much brain power is wrapped up in all that teen-aged cuteness?"

"We're all perfectly normal, thank you," she smiled.

She turned her head. Baseball cap. Headset. Red hair. Green eyes. I didn't ever accept that I just might have a fetish. Seeing that package, I admitted it to myself. It didn't need it to be a fetish, though. She was just cute.

We burbled along at altitude, the Continental engine not missing a beat as miles passed underneath us.

"This is just a get-together, right?" I asked.

"Uh-huh. Tomorrow me and my sisters and Susan's mom are going to Nashville to get Susan a dress to get married in."

"One of those 'Princess Di" things?"

"I was wondering if that was where this was going, but I should've known that Susan's more level-headed than that."

I was thinking of the Susan that I knew, and 'level-headed' wasn't on the short list of descriptors. I said so.

"Susan's kinda funny, baby. She comes off as kind of an airhead, but underneath that is a very well balanced and intelligent person," Cindy said. "Me an' her an' Tina talked the other night. Susan thinks those big weddings are silly. Says it's the people, friends and family, and the couple, that make a wedding, not all the show. She says it's ostentatious."

"That's a 'Susan' word. Or Tina. Or Cindy."

"So she says 'weekend after graduation informal, but she does think a new white dress is called for."

"White?"

Giggle. "Yeah. In the classic reference. She and Jason haven't..."

"Seriously?"

Giggle again. "Really. I take her word for it. She tells Tina the same thing. But it's gonna be at the recreation hall at their church, and friends and family are invited. So we're going to shop together tomorrow and buy dresses and whatever. First time I've met her mom."

"Does 'er mom know how old you are? And me?"

"Susan and Tina have explained it. They say her mom thinks I'm a curiosity."

"Your sisters will take care of you, I'm sure. And knowing Susan, I can't see her mom being a bad person."

"Me neither," she said. "It'll be a good day. And you and Alan and Jason and Susan's dad, you guys get the whole day to hang out and grunt or what ever guys are supposed to do when the women are gone."

I thought about that. "You know, I haven't spent a day without you since last fall. I don't think I like that."

"Oh, you'll be fine, baby."

"It's true, you know. Since we moved in together ... No, since back in August, there's not been a day without you, and since we moved in together, the only night we haven't spent together was my night in the hospital."

"We'll be together in the hotel room tomorrow night. Big shower an' all!"

"Mmm-hmm," I said. "I'll survive. And you'll have a good time."

"We're ALL gonna have a good time this evening," she said. "Susan's dad's doin' ribs. She says he's got trophies from barbecue cook-offs."

"I do love me some ribs," I said.

"We have 'em lined up!"

We flew on. Eventually we closed on the destination. I knew she wanted to do it, so I let Cindy pick up the mike. "Hobart field, this is Cessna five five two three uniform, five miles south, for landing." Her eyes twinkled.

We heard the reply. "Cessna five five two three uniform, this is Cessna four eight seven five three, on the ground at Hobart, waiting on your arrival. " Tina's voice. Including the squeal at the end.

Cindy turned to me, her grin accentuated by her tongue tip just protruding from her smile. "It's great to have friends, Dan. Some nights I wake up and think of what all has happened to me since I met you..."

"My sweet kitten," I said. "I feel the same way."

"But baby, you had friends. You had work. You had family. I almost didn't have anything. Nothing like that. Mizz Helen. That's all."

"I've got the best thing ever. I have my Cindy," I said.

She executed a very satisfactory traffic pattern and put the wheels on the ground with only the tiniest of bounces, then taxied to the ramp, to a reception party awaiting our arrival. She braked to a stop on the flightline and killed the engine. As she was securing the cockpit, I got out and went to her side of the plane and opened the door. She turned sideways in her seat and and I lifted her out and to the ground, getting a little kiss in the process.

We were surrounded. Alan, Tina, Jason, Susan, squeals, hugs, kisses, handshakes and here we were. Tina handed me the keys to her car. "Solves the transportation problem. You an' Cindy have wheels. EVERYBODY has wheels."

"So what now? Everybody coming to the hotel while we check in?"

"Apparently that's the plan," Jason said.

We convoyed up for the trip to the hotel, Jason and Susan leading the way, then us, and finally Tina and Alan. We checked into the hotel. I got to drop our bags in the room, then us guys got hustled out into the lobby while the girls giggled and caught up on events.

Alan, Jason and I did the male equivalent in the lobby. There was a LOT less giggling.

I jumped right in on Jason. "Bud, you've been up here a month and a half and you're already engaged?"

Jason turned to Alan. "Are you gonna take up for me, or do we let the girls do it later?"

Alan looked like he started to say something, but Jason spoke up in a falsetto, imitating Susan. "And how long did you know Tina before y'all got married? Or Cindy 'n' Dan? Or my mom and dad? Hmmm?" He laughed. "Dan, ol' buddy, already been through this one."

"Her mom and dad?" I asked.

"The answer to that one is six whole weeks, first meeting to married. For nineteen years."

"Maybe it's genetic," I laughed.

He reverted to the falsetto. "You wanna talk about AGE? Really? What about Alan 'n' Tina. Or better yet, Cindy 'n' Dan."

I laughed again. "Jace, if she's got all THAT figured out, you might oughtta be running for the state line..."

"Not a chance," he smiled. "She's IT!"

The three of us chatted. Alan and I had already decided that if Jason was going back to school, we'd do our best to accommodate his schedule, and his response was that he'd figure out the best way to work with us while he did.

"Especially since I get a wife out of the deal," he said.

"So what do you think they're talking about in there?' I asked.

"Wedding plans," Jason said.

"The week after she graduates, right?" I asked.

"Yep," Alan said.

"Gonna be a busy week," I said. "Cindy's graduation on Wednesday, Tina and Susan on Friday, then a week later, the wedding."

"Yep," Jason said.

"We wouldn't miss it for the world. Cindy's just giggy about it."

"About the wedding? Me and Susan?"

"Yeah," I said. "My little cutie thinks you'll make Susan happy. You'd better. Cindy can shoot."

Alan looked at me. "I've never seen anything but a happy Cindy."

"Me neither," I said, laughing. "Except in the aftermath of gunplay."

"I can't believe you laugh about that, Dan," Alan said.

"Compensation mechanism, buddy," I said. "It's how I handle it. Cindy still has episodes when it gets to her. My only concern is her. I was a whole lot more motivated to protect her than I was in Iraq."

Before he could comment, Alan's phone rang. He answered it. "Hey, baby!" Pause. "We'll be in there just as soon as we run the adoring women off." He broke into a grin. "We're on the way."

When we knocked, Susan opened the door. It'd been a while since the last time I saw her and I can honestly say she has a perceptible glow about her. Good!

Susan retired to one of the queen-sized beds, sitting. My Cindy was laying on the other on her stomach, one leg bent at the knee, foot in the air, swinging in a circle.

Alan sat on the room's sofa and Tina slid in beside him. Jason sat next to Susan. I sat down beside Cindy and put my hand in the middle of her back. She purred audibly.

"So what's our dinner plans," Alan asked.

Jason gave Susan's hand a squeeze, broadening her smile. "My future father-in-law is doing ribs. We can go over there any time we're ready."

Susan giggled. "Yeah, Cindy. Mom wants to meet YOU!"

"What about me?" I asked.

Still giggling, Susan answered, "Oh, you're optional. Just an accessory." Tina and my Cindy joined the giggle.

Cindy rolled back against me. "Don't worry, sweetie," she said to me. "I'm your biggest fan." I squeezed her back against me. She sat up and kissed me, just a peck, and then grinned. "So! Ribs!"

Susan smiled, her arm around Jason's waist. "ALL the trimmings, too! I think we should go."

We all marched out as couples and convoyed to Susan's house.

Cindy's turn:

Sisters! ALL of us in the hotel room! Susan looks like she got a new coat of 'happy'. I mean, the first time I met 'er she was skipping across the apron at the airfield to hug me after me and Dan had flown in for the weekend and I thought 'What a happy girl!" Susan's a hoot! But that was all sort of overshadowed by me having Dan and Tina having Alan and Susan hanging out there with us, but needing somebody to balance out the situation.

Now she's got Jason. Before he moved up here on this project, I'd met Jason a time or two when he worked with Dan. I always thought he stood out a little because he was a technician and he was in HIS arena at work. I saw him an' Dan bantering back and forth, so I knew that Dan liked 'im. Jason's good looking enough, like THAT'S important. (Not THAT important, but still nice, you know) although he's a little overweight. Not gross. But then Susan's carrying a few extra pounds herself, although SHE looks good. Just a little more soft and rounded than, say, Tina or me.

So Jason and Susan sort of match. At least standing side by side. Or with HIS arm around her waist, like they were, sitting on the bed in the hotel room right before we left to go to her house for dinner. He's even got that sandy hair, blonde, sort of. And Susan, she's BLONDE blonde!

I'd sometimes wish I had that color hair, you know because Mom always tried to be blonde because she said it was every man's preference, but Mom was just so wrong about that. I met my Dan and he tells me that my red hair is like a fetish to him. I giggle every time he says that and tell him he's weird and then I revel in him wrapping me in strong arms and loving me and I know that I can smile and shake my head and he melts. If I was one of those manipulative women, I'd have a blank check with Dan Richards. But all I want is my Dan.

So we're in Tina's car. Tina's car! I get so aggravated at not being able to drive, and Alan bought Tina a car before they were even mated, married, whatever. Yeah, I know the official story about them going to Louisiana to get married, but Tina and I have shared EVERYTHING about our histories and I know that they were sort of like me and Dan, you know, they mated and married waaaay before there was a document making it legal. But before she and Alan were even a couple, he bought her a car, just to make life easier for her.

But I can't drive. I can fly. But I can't get that license either. Sometimes these stupid laws based on age are just WRONG!

But we're in the car. Tina's car. Just for curiosity, I punched the 'On' button on the stereo. Bach! I giggled. "My sister's genuine, you know," I told Dan.

He laughed. "Alan's smart enough not to be snookered by some bimbo who sneaks off and listens to hip-hop," he said. "So Tina says Susan's mom is curious about you?"

"Says I'm a curiosity."

"I can see that. Like if somebody made a little porcelain statue of 'cute'."

"Susan assures me that her mother won't be rude, baby. And I promise that she already KNOWS that I'm fourteen, so it won't be a shock like it was for YOUR family last Thanksgiving." I giggled. Poor Dan. He worries so much about me, and THAT day, I thought he was gonna die. I thought for a minute then that I'd really messed up what he has with his family, but now they're MY family too, and so I really don't see a problem with Susan's mom. After all, if she's decent enough to bring Susan up the way SHE is, then the lady has to have something going for her.

So we're following Jason and Susan. I pointed out to Dan how close she was sitting to him.

"She's working at it," he laughed. "He's got one of those consoles in the way."

We pulled up in their driveway and got out and assaulted (Dan's description) their front door. Susan went right in. After all, it's HER house. "Mom! Dad! We're HERE!"

That's the first time I met Susan's mom, Mizz Kathy. I can see where Susan got a lot of her looks. Mizz Kathy's hair was mostly Susan's color, and Susan was actually an inch or two taller. Both of 'em had blue eyes. And a lot bigger titties than mine. And Mizz Kathy was a little more plump than Susan, and since she was shorter, she was more rounded. But still pretty.

And she was looking right at me, out of the whole bunch.

Susan grabbed my hand and said, "Mom, this is my sister Cindy!" and she pointed her finger at Dan and said, "An' 'er husband, Dan."

Dan got a handshake. I got a hug.

"See, Mom," Susan giggled. "He doesn't have horns growing out of his head."

Mizz Kathy gasped. "Susan! I said NOTHING of the sort. Y'all come back to the patio. The sun's got it just perfect out there." She gave Susan an exasperated look. I think Susan and her mom have a great relationship. With Susan already eighteen and getting ready to graduate and get married, I think her mom sees her as an adult as well as a daughter.

Susan's dad, Mister Mike, was tending the barbecue. When we walked out the door, Susan did the introductions again. He smiled when he saw me. "I've seen too many pictures not to recognize you, Cindy," he said. "Not like you're some little mousy brown-haired thing getting lost in a crowd."