Chapter 19

Sunday mid-day saw us back at the airport, loading up to go home, including an ice-chest with my precious stash of Louisiana smoked sausage. After Elise dropped us at the plane, Tina giggled, "Louisiana is KNOWN for good sausage..."

"What's with you, my pretty young wife?" I asked.

"Period's over. We're gonna be in OUR little house tonight." She smiled. "YOU'RE the one that started me on THIS." She walked purposefully to the left side of the plane. "I'm flyin' back..."

"Okay, little one," I said, thinking to myself, 'Why not?" After all, her pilot's license was one of the bright accomplishment since we'd been together. The flight back was absolutely routine. Miles passed as we chatted. The wheels touched down in late afternoon and we were home just before dark.

It was just our little trailer in Tennessee, but it felt like our nest. I was unpacking bags. She flipped her phone out and said, "I'm gonna let my sister know we're okay!" She grinned. I mulled over that. Sister.

While she was on the phone I sorted laundry and started a load in the little combo washer-dryer. I heard her ending her conversation: "'Kay, Sis! Love ya! Bye!" She looked at me and grinned. "Dinner? Where? Here? Up the road?"

"Choose," I said.

"Catfish place," she said. "An' I hope we don't have to fight our way out of the parkin' lot."

"Sheriff Department says our friends didn't make bail, so we're prob'ly okay," I said. "Let's go."

She was in the driver's seat of her car, warming it up, as I locked our trailer. I slid into the passenger seat. "Saves gas," she said. We drove off.

"So what're you an' Cindy laughing about, baby?" I asked.

"She's bein' recruited. Somebody from Auburn is s'posed to visit her at her school tomorrow..."

"Oh, that'll tickle ol' Dan," I said. "He always did have a sense of the absurd. A college recruiter at a middle school oughtta do it for 'im."

"I sent an application to Auburn," she said. "Can we do that? I mean, if that's where she goes?"

"I think we can, baby," I said. "Money's not a problem. It'd be nice if you got scholarships, but even without 'em, we can do it."

We walked into the restaurant and got immediately recognized as the guy who took on the Hossle brothers in the parking lot. The manager and the cashier that were at work the night of the incident were there tonight, as was one of the waitresses. We were greeted and seated amid quite a bit of fuss, something that was amusing to Tina.

"You're smilin' awful big tonight, hon," the waitress noted.

"Uh-huh! This is the second place Alan rescued me at..."

The waitress looked at me. "You?" I guess I didn't look like the 'ninja warrior' type.

Tina laughed, touching my arm. "Hon, he's a BEAST!"

The waitress walked off, shaking her head. It was bad enough, I was married to a seventeen year old girl, but to have that same seventeen year old girl refer to me as 'a BEAST' might've been overload.

Maybe not. We got good service, although that was customary at this little place. And the manager came by and snagged the ticket. "Just wanna thank you for the other night," he said.

"We appreciate it, but I'd'a fought off a grizzly bear in my skivvies to take care a'her..."

The old guy laughed.

We drove home. Period was over. I had catching up to do. I did my very best. Monday was back to work for me. I answered the usual questions about me and Tina's flying (literally! Hah!) trip back to Louisiana and went through the routines of bringing equipment on line for tests and trial runs. I ended up seeing where I was going to be running a bit late. I watched my watch and as soon as I thought Tina was on her way home, I called her.

"Hi, sweetie," she said.

"Hi, cutie pie," I answered. My technician made gagging noises.

"What's that sound?" she chuckled. She'd met Grady.

"Me stranglin' Grady. He's bein' an ass again." We'd been joined by Grady on more than one occasion, meeting him at the breakfast joint.

"Jealous, huh?" she giggled.

I turned to Grady. "Tina says 'jealousy is a terrible emotion. And..." I stuck my tongue at him.

"Uh, dude ... how'd she do THAT over the phone..."

"You know how Tina is..." I returned to the phone. "Babe, I'm gonna be an hour or so late."

"You're dyin' for another round of dump soup, ain'tcha!"

"Either that or we go back to the catfish joint so I can be worshiped by the waitstaff..."

Does "I love you" count if it's proceeded by a raspberry?

Later, as soon as I got in the truck, I called her. "Tina, I'm on the way home."

"Okay, baby," she said. "I'll be waitin' for you..."

I hurried home. Well, NOT too much of a hurry. Several of my co-workers had contributed to the coffers of local government, courtesy of a local police officer whose girlfriend had moved in with a construction worker. It was dark when I pulled into the park.

When I unlocked the trailer door, Tina was ladling soup into bowls for us. "Talked to Cindy after school, baby," she said. "Sounds like she's goin' to Auburn."

"She met the recruiter?"

"She did. An' Dan."

"Might still change 'er mind, baby," I said. "It's a big step."

"So what'd you have to work late on?" she asked.

I explained. We finished our meal. That left showers and then...

On Friday we had a chance to meet with Mike and Kathy, and of course, Susan at a local restaurant. That made for a pretty good evening. Mike and Kathy were a happy couple, and bright, genial, blonde Susan was an added amusement. Two couples? Tina and me, Mike and Kathy? And Tina filled in the conversation between us, her friend's parents and her teen contemporary friend.

Of course, there was a second purpose to the evening: another concert and permission from Mike and Kathy to bring Susan along with us again. These weekend jaunts were fun, and one night in a hotel in a city a mere two flight hours away was fun, even though Susan cut into the 'alone in a big room' time for me and Tina.

I regarded it as part of the cost of marrying a seventeen year old girl, and I didn't want Tina to miss out on having friends in her own age group.

Tina and Susan left the table for a girls' room visit.

Kathy waited until they were around the corner. "Alan, you don't mind, do you? I mean, ya'll live in that little trailer, an' I KNOW you wanna get out every now an' then. Susan's not a bother?"

"Not in the least. Tina loves havin' her around. And I want Tina to have friends. It's weird enough that we're married. She needs friends her own age, too, you know..."

"Susan talks about you an' Tina all the time. Mostly Tina," Mike said. "I think that Tina having a plan for her life, Susan's tryin' to figure out one for hers now. At least college." He smiled. "That's a good thing, we think."

Kathy stepped in. "And what I was worried about," she cast eyes downward momentarily, "that Tina being married at seventeen, well, seems Tina and Susan talk about THAT too."

"I've heard about some of that," I said.

"I was worried," Kathy said. "I don't think Susan's ready for anything like that. I was afraid..." she sighed. "I was afraid that Tina might influence Susan the wrong way. Not intentionally, of course, but just by example. But Susan says that Tina is the most sane and chaste girl she knows..."

"Sane. And chaste. That's my Tina. You have to understand, Kathy ... Tina was ... well, I was her first..."

"I didn't mean to be nosy, Alan..."

"I wasn't trying to say otherwise, Kathy. Just that Tina is a GOOD girl. Like your Susan."

Mike looked almost amused. "Susan hasn't been falling in love ever' two weeks since her an' Tina started hangin' out."

"Tina told me that. Said Susan still has friends, guys AND girls, but she seems to be handling herself better."

"More confident," Mike said.

"Well, good!" I said. "Susan's Tina's best friend at school, and I LIKE her myself. I want things to go good for HER sake."

We saw Tina and Susan approaching, so we switched the conversation back to college choices and school issues.

"It's beginning to look like I might be goin' to Auburn," Tina said.

"Go ahead, ' I said. "Tell 'em how you arrived at that decision."

"I decided I wanted to be an engineer, like Alan, but I wasn't sure what college. And then we took that trip to Charlotte." Tina told the story of her new 'sister'.

The Carters listened, somewhat amused, until they heard Cindy's age. Tina read the expressions on their faces. "Oh, Mizz Kathy, sometimes age isn't more than a number." And both parties let the topic drop.

"You knew about this Cindy?" Kathy asked Susan.

"Of course. Tina's my best friend. We talk about ever'thing. She showed me pictured of their trip, and the group, an' how WONDERFUL the concert was ... I wish I coulda gone with 'em."

"You should know that Dan and I worked together on a big project. He'd lost his wife and daughter in a car wreck. He's a nice guy. They make a great couple. Kinda strange-looking though."

"And ya'll're talking about going into business?" Mike asked. "I mean, you can do that?"

"We're both professional engineers. Both have good reputations. We're looking at how to make it work. I have some ideas."

Tina smiled. "And that way we can have it ALL! Dan an' Alan can do their engineering thing, you know, if they have to be on the road, an' me an' Cindy can stay home an' stay in school."

And Susan was smiling, too, and darned if I didn't think I saw a wink between her and Tina.

We parted ways in the parking lot after our meal, promising to pick up Susan for the concert in the morning. Arriving at the airport, we rolled the plane out of the hangar. Tina smiled all TOO sweetly as I was securing our baggage.

"Whaaa-aattt?" I asked. I love my Tina, but I can recognize when I'm getting ready to be manipulated, too.

"Can YOU sit in the rear seat for this one, baby? So I can let Susan try flying up front?"

"Okay," I said, "but don't you think you'd be better off doin'' that in the little plane?" We hadn't sold her little 152 yet.

Susan smiled. "I don't have to, Tina..."

"No," Tina said. "My first time was in THIS plane, just like this..."

At least they let me drive the rental car. Tina pointed out that the rental agreement didn't allow for drivers under the age of twenty-five.

We enjoyed the concert and the late night snacks afterward, then retired to our room. I was the last one out of the shower, and when I marched my pajama-clad self out of the bathroom, Tina and Susan were sitting cross-legged on one of the two queen beds, giggling.

"Okay..." I said, "Tina, I've been married to you for six months. I can tell when you've got something up your sleeve. And Miss Susan, you couldn't lie if your life depended on it. So one of you needs to spill the beans."

"YOU tell 'im. He's YOUR husband..." Susan said.

"No, YOU tell 'im. I'm his wife. He may beat me..." Tina giggled. She grinned at me. "So, okay, don't say anything until you hear us out."

I sat on the chair next to the bed. "This is gotta be good..."

"I present to you Miss Susan Carter, Student of Engineering at Auburn University..."

Susan's rounded face was smiling. "D'ya think I can do that, Mister Alan?"