Chapter 24

Tran came in wearing jeans and a sweat shirt. She was carrying a small bag and had a paper bag from the drug store. She handed me an ibuprofen and refilled my coffee cup so I could have fresh hot coffee. I had to admit, being home I felt a lot better and my head wasn't hurting. Mark came back in and sat down, sipping his coffee.

You would think we were at a wake the way they both were looking at me.

"All right you two. What's up?"

Mark laughed and looked at Tran and she nodded her head at his glance. This was getting more mysterious all the time.

"Harry, what are your future plans? I mean, will you stay on as my number two like all the men seem to want or are you going to quit like you keep saying you will? Before you say anything, I have to tell you that you have been awarded commissions for life from the FBI, ATF, State Police and the Department of Homeland Security. You have to be the most decorated Undersheriff in this state. I have given you your commission on a permanent basis and the commissioners voted to have it entered into the county laws."

"What brought that shit on, Mark? I was just doing my job like any lawman would do. I was trying to make sure you had a good department to start with. I left you with a good core of men and I really hope you kept them all."

"Harry, I have not let anyone go and have used Shorty's knowledge to further what you started. The casino is going up for auction in a week and will make the department a lot of money. The gun store has been bought already and with the stock, it made more money than the tax base of the whole county last year. There have been over a hundred federal arrests and several hundred state arrests. There is a State Police Sergeant that is now a Lieutenant, thanks to you, and he has been by almost every day to see how you're doing. I met Tran when I went to the hospital and she and the girls have been inseparable ever since. Now I find out she is an old friend of yours from when you were a Marshal. I have a felon running the county motor pool, thanks to you and several high ranking individuals. By the way, that's the cleanest motor pool I have ever seen."

"She didn't deserve what happened to her and her daughter, Mark. It was my fault she got charged so I felt she deserved another chance."

"By the way, Harry, having a safecracker and a professional CPA on staff was a good touch. Also, there was an ATF agent who called from Hawaii to tell you thanks for the boost. What the hell kind of a racket were you running? Also, after all the years in law enforcement, you should know better than to use your head to try to break someone's fist. It's almost impossible. I am going to bed now because unlike some, I have to go to work in the mornings."

I just looked at him with a stunned expression on my face as he went to the steps. I looked at Tran and she was smiling at me with that damned inscrutable grin again. I leaned back and rubbed my head and tried to absorb what I had been told when Mark called to me from the steps.

"Harry, thanks for being my friend. Any man would be proud of what you have done and I am. I am also proud that you tried almost to your death to give me a department I could be proud to run. Whether you think so or not, I have just that, thanks to you."

I sat there with my mouth open in shock. In all the years we had been friends, that was the most I had ever heard come out of his mouth when he wasn't talking about his x-wife. Tran came over and sat in my lap smiling.

"I think it is time for us old folks to go to bed. Since I am a visitor, where do I sleep Harry?"

I looked at her in shock and almost broke my own neck trying to twist around to hug her before she could get away.

"You are sleeping with me because I might have a relapse, and if you were too far away I might not recover."

"Remember Harry, we are sleeping and you are not well enough to think about what your dirty mind is already doing."

Well that put a dent in the libido but whether I would admit it or not, I wasn't thinking about sex. I was still trying to absorb all that Mark had told me as we cuddled under the blankets. (Oh, and for your information she made me wear sweats, and she wore a flannel straight jacket that would take a knife to get into) I thought about if for a whole five seconds before I passed out.

I woke up with the sun shining through the blinds and when I looked at the clock it was almost ten in the morning. Man I felt pretty good this morning. I hadn't realized how much I missed having a warm body next to me, even if she wore a straight jacket to bed. I wondered whose honor she was protecting. I got up and stretched, and went for my usual shower and shave. I got dressed and that's when I noticed my gun and badge sitting on the dresser. I just glanced at it as I went out and headed for the voices in the kitchen. I walked into the kitchen and just busted up laughing at the sight that greeted me. Dina and Dana were licking spoons and Tran was beating the hell out of something on the counter. She had flower all over the side of her face, and her hair which was usually in a bun, was hanging in her face. Every time she brushed it out of her eyes, she left more flower on her face and in her hair. I was totally ignored by all of them so I got my coffee and snuck back to the porch where I sat down in a chair. I had to admit, it was peaceful sitting here drinking my coffee and listening to the laughter and voices in the background.

I got up and went to the garage and dug out the fishing poles and the tackle box and took them back to the porch with me. I was testing the poles and checking the line, changing what I thought was weak. I had bought several dozen small spinners in different colors and was storing them in the box. The girls came running out the door wanting to know what I was doing. I explained to them about fishing and how I was checking the poles and stuff for our first trip to the ponds. Dina was dancing from foot to foot like she does when she wants to speak, so I said they could ask questions if they wanted to. Since they were both very polite, this was the invitation they were waiting for.

"Uncle Harry, does it hurt the fish when you hook them?"

"I don't think so honey, at least I never heard them say it did."

Of course the little one had to put her two cents worth in and her question threw me for a loop.

"Is it easier to shoot a deer to eat or catch fish? I like the deer you cook but I don't remember you cooking any of these fish you're talking about."

I was saved giving her an answer by the arrival of Tran. I looked up at her and she was back to her usual clean self with no flower showing that I could see. I had to say something because my machoness made me a fool like most men when it came to beautiful women.

"Hey Auntie, what happened to all the white makeup you were wearing earlier?"

I thought it was a cute thing to say because the girls agreed with me by giggling at my remark. Boy, for future reference I would remember to keep my mouth shut.

"Would you like to eat today or would you rather sit out here and watch the girls and me eat moo goo gai pan for supper? You need to remember that I am cooking for all of us, and we heathens know all kinds of ways to starve big loud barbarians."

"Auntie Tran, what's a barbarian?

I looked at her and busted out laughing while she thought of an answer that she could tell the kids. I decided I would break in and do my thing.

"Honey, a barbarian is what Auntie Tran calls me because she is a lady, and can't say bad words in front of small children."

"Auntie Tran, don't you like our Uncle Harry?"

I watched with a smile as she took a deep breath to keep from hitting me over the head like I knew she wanted to. The girls were looking back and forth between the two of us, waiting to see if she was going to answer their question. I saw her take another deep breath as she tried to think of some way to answer without showing she was ready to clobber me.

"My little honeys, I love your Uncle Harry but sometimes he makes me so mad I could just clobber him."

"That's ok, Auntie Tran, dad says the same thing sometimes, but he knows we all love him too."

Now I don't know what Tran thought, but I was flabbergasted at their answer and felt like I was ten feet tall. Tran on the other hand had tears in her eyes and was hugging the girls while shooting daggers at me. Hey, what did I do? I was the one that was loved by everyone. I smiled at the roof as I looked up and felt the impact of a foot kicking me in the shin.

"Ouch, that hurt. Alright, who kicked the loved one?"

The girls started giggling and Tran was avoiding the glare that I was sending at her. I got up and pretended I was crippled, and the girls started giving Tran hell for kicking their poor sick Uncle Harry. I tried to keep a straight face but the look of guilt on Tran's was all it took to set me off. I was laughing my head off and the girls were laughing with me, and I was getting hugs and kisses and watching Tran the whole time. I could see she was fighting back a smile while watching us carrying on. I finally got an arm free and stretched it out toward her and she came into it and sat on the arm of the chair, laughing like the rest of us. The girls grabbed their ball and went to play catch and I waited for the chewing I knew Tran was going to give me.

"You know, Harry, this is a side of you that I would never have believed existed if I hadn't seen it for myself. You truly love those two, don't you? If I wasn't already in love with you, I would soon be, seeing how you feel about those little girls. Did you ever have any kids, Harry?"

"I have a daughter that refuses to speak to me. I think she is about twenty four years old now. We used to be really close until she had a mixed racial baby and I said a dumb thing. From that point on, she would never speak to me again. I was being my usual smartass, and I did it at the wrong time with the wrong word. I have a granddaughter that I will never know or get to see. I was wrong but it's something I will have to live with. It's just another black spot on my soul that I will have to answer for. Can I get the fishing stuff done now?"