Chapter 29

The weekend was spent rehearsing for the Christmas show that had already been contracted for CBC. Gwen, Jordan, and Steve were up at four. They were in the van, and riding to the studio by five AM.

"If people think making movies is an easy job, they should follow us around for a few days. Charlie, Ashley and Charlotte wanted to sleep in. They decided last night that if they arrived at the studio by seven, they'd be in plenty of time for everything and still get some sleep," stated Jordan as she tried unsuccessfully to stifle a big yawn.

By Sunday evening, Clyde was satisfied that his stars were prepared to tape the Christmas show the next weekend. "I've completed some negotiations with CBC earlier this week. They spent around half a billion dollars for the rights to broadcast pro football on Saturday nights. They want Jordan to sing their opening song. And they want Charlie and her to write it, if they can. They have a mediocre one written already, but they're hoping for something with more pizzazz. Jordan, you've become a hot commodity. CBC wants you to do their morning show concert on Labor Day weekend. You're on top again and bigger than ever!"

"I don't know what to say, except thanks to Gwen, Steve, and Charlie. I'm still going to attend Lisa's school this fall and try for a business degree. I'll do concerts and recordings around my schedule. I hope I get to do more TV shows and movies, too. I'll do anything that includes Gwen and/or Steve. This time, I'm going to keep my head straight and make it last. I owe it all to you, Clyde, for making me enter rehab and then putting me with Gwen's family. Thanks!"

"That isn't all. I have a few of the glamour magazines asking about using you and Gwen on the cover. I just need to work out the details, but can I assume that you're each fine with sharing a cover with the other?"

"I'd be honored to appear on any cover with Jordan," replied Gwen quickly. "She's really helped my career and been like a sister to me. That was one of the luckiest days of my life when you sent her home with us. It started rough and got worse fast when Steve poured soap down her throat, but look where we wound up."

"I feel the same," agreed Jordan. "Gwen's my best friend and the sister I always wanted. It'd be great!"

"Good! I thought you'd feel that way. I don't know if you two have been following your press, but you're at the top, or near it, of every poll about the most beautiful, sexiest women in the world. Considering your ages and that you're still in high school, that's amazing. Do you still want your paychecks going to the hospital fund? You've given them more than they could have dreamed of. If you want to start putting it in your own bank account, they couldn't complain."

"I hope to work at that hospital someday and I want to keep channeling everything I get to them," responded Gwen immediately. "I can understand Jordan wanting to build up her bank account, so I won't blame her if she keeps her share."

"No way! My old songs are making me more money than ever now that I'm making hits again. I really believe that I've been given this second chance because I'm helping the hospital," confessed Jordan.

"Did you hear that, Steve? I'm considered one of the sexiest women in the world. I bet you never thought that would happen when you first saw me sitting at the mall."

"You couldn't be more wrong. The first time I saw you, I knew you were the sexiest, most beautiful woman in the world. It just took a while for the rest of the planet to realize what I already knew," boasted Steve.

"You have a knack for saying the right thing at the right time!" grinned Gwen as she hugged Steve. "I knew you were a real hunk long before you sat down with me that day. I had watched you walk by the food court earlier. At that time, I never thought we'd be sleeping together, but I sure daydreamed about it."

"Not to change the subject from sex, but did you kids get some family lined up for next week's taping of the show?" asked Clyde. "This is a show about an old fashioned family Christmas, so we need some family!"

"I seem to be responsible for getting family to attend. So far, I have my parents, grandparents on Mom's side, Kate, Lisa, Lisa's beau, my Aunt Diane, Uncle Will, and Cousin Stephanie.

"I asked Ashley and her sister, Becky, to be in it since they're close friends, along with Charlotte and her boyfriend, Billy. I called Jordan's mother, which pissed Jordan off for a few days, and she's agreed to come.

"Then I contacted Steve's Aunt Janice and her daughter Jen. They're coming, but his grandmother declined. Janice said that her mother is feeling pretty guilty about her treatment of Steve's mother years ago. The really good news is that Steve's grandfather, William Patterson, is coming. He said he'd rather not be on television, but he wants to meet Steve, as well as watch Jen and Janice when they tape the TV show.

"For some reason, I never even thought about asking him. Jen told us she had a grandfather, but he wasn't with them in Paris and I forgot all about him. Imagine forgetting a grandparent. I didn't even know their last name was Patterson! That was embarrassing. The good news is that he was very cordial and warm on the phone. I think Steve and I will like him."

"Great! Now, you kids will have to put in long hours this week. I want to get as much of the movie filmed as possible before the weekend. Then we'll tape the TV show before you all go back home for your graduation on Tuesday. We'll be headed to Florida a couple days after your graduation for all of the beach and outdoor scenes.

"I'm negotiating the movie rights about the terrorist attack with a major studio. Forget HBO or Lifetime. We'll get a lot more than a TV network will pay. I'm working on getting some money for the families of the kids that died, as well as those badly wounded, and some for the school. Your portion will go to the hospital fund. They could technically make the movie with no permission, but that usually causes resentment, and litigation, so they are paving the way with cash. I expect to reach an agreement on compensation for all the parties. The story's mostly about you two, and they want to use your names and endorsement, so they're negotiating. The hospital will get the lion's share of the money. You don't have time to be in it this fall, so it'll be interesting to see who they get to be Gwen and Steve."

The next week was a grueling one for the actors, and their PA's. Steve and Gwen spent a lot of time separated since many of the scenes they were in did not include the other. Jordan spent time filming with each of them separately and they did a few scenes where the three appeared together.

Ashley constantly watched after Steve, making sure he was at the right place at the right time, knew his lines, was dressed appropriately for the scene, and made time to eat his meals and drink lots of water. She would argue with the crew if she felt they were demanding too much from him. She had the make-up people keep Steve prepared for his scenes.

As Steve became comfortable with Ashley, he relied on her more. By Wednesday afternoon, they were frequently laughing and joking with each other.

Wednesday evening, Ashley approached Gwen after the group had finished dinner. "I want to thank you for taking me on for this job, Gwen. It's been a real learning experience, a lot of work, and a lot of fun. As you know, I really enjoy being with Steve. He's just amazing. He works hard, is always polite, never complains, and looks fantastic.

"I have to keep the actresses away from him. They're attracted to him like moths to the flame. I understand how they feel, but I still have to keep him away from them so he can concentrate on his performance. He's a very good actor. He's good at everything, now that I think about it. I still have dreams about that love scene you two did. That was amazing. You're a lucky girl to have him. He's devoted to you."

"He's amazing alright. I'm constantly pinching myself to see if this is a dream. Jordan, Charlie, and Charlotte are joining Steve and me in the hot tub in half an hour. We'll drink some sodas and talk about the movie, so why don't you join us? I know Steve and Charlie would like that."

"You've no idea how intimidating it is to be next to you and Jordan," responded Ashley. "Like Clyde said, you're two of the sexiest, most beautiful women in the world. I'll don't have the curves you two have."

"Let me tell you something Steve told me, although I always suspected it," began Gwen. "Guys like pretty girls. They like girls' boobs. They like big ones, small ones, and medium sized ones. They seldom meet a breast they don't like. You're extremely attractive and have a great figure. Men like looking at you. Never feel like you're an also-ran. Come on down and relax with us. You'll get to watch Steve's chest muscles ripple when he moves, and see his washboard abs."

"Since you put it that way, I'll be there!" laughed Ashley.

She joined the group half an hour later just after they had settled into the spa. She wore a modest one piece suit. Ashley wasn't surprised to see Jordan and Gwen in very small bikinis, but was stunned when Charlotte stood up to retrieve a can of soda that had rolled away. She was wearing a thong bikini that revealed a surprisingly shapely derrière. Her breasts were small compared to Jordan and Gwen, but looked perfect on her narrow, thin frame.

"What? You didn't think I'd wear a thong?" asked Charlotte when she saw Ashley's surprise. "Gwen convinced me that I have a nice ass and I should flaunt it. Since I have no boobs to speak of, I decided to show off the only real mounds of flesh I have. What do you think?"

"You surprised me. You were always so prim and proper in school and now you're like a different person. Not every girl can wear a thong, but you look great in it. How does Billy like it?"

"He hasn't seen me in it, yet," admitted Charlotte. "He's seen me without any clothes at all and seems to like what he sees. I used to worry because I wasn't built like you, Jordan, and Gwen, but I've finally come to realize that I'm very acceptable to a lot of guys. It's more about attitude. Smile, be happy, compliment people, and see the light side of things. I'm no supermodel, especially compared to you three, but I'm very much a woman and I can satisfy my guy. I'm good with that."

"You keep comparing me to Jordan and Gwen, but I'm not as beautiful, or sexy, or voluptuous as they are. I'm pretty average. Jordan and Gwen are incredible," stated Ashley.

"You seem to have vision problems, Ashley. What size cup is your bra. A C? What is your waist, 22 or 24? Your face is beautiful, your figure is perfect, and yet you tell me that you're average. If you were average, where would that leave me? Billy thinks you're hot. He told you so. Steve isn't saying much, as usual, but I've seen him looking and he approves of what he sees. But then, I've seen him sneaking peeks at my ass, so what does he know?" laughed Charlotte as Steve blushed.

"The truth, as I see it, is that men like women. They like friendly, smart, attractive women the most, but almost all of us women have what they like and want. Embrace it! I don't know why you feel the need to play down your figure, looks, and brains, but it isn't a very good idea. You're not having much fun that way.

"Your sister is very similar to you physically, but I heard you tell her several times how sexy she looked and how pretty she was. When you tell Becky that, you're saying it to yourself, since you're so similar. If you think she looks good, than you have to believe that you look good, too. Are Becky's boobs too small? Is she too fat? Too thin? Too tall? You know she's pretty close to perfect, which means that so are you."

Ashley had no response for Charlotte's observations. She did wear the same size as Becky, and Becky had a wonderful figure. They were the same height and weight and Becky was beautiful. Maybe she'd been a little harsh on herself. Maybe she didn't have to date such losers.

"Thanks, Charlotte. You've really changed a lot since last year. I remember how quiet and shy you were and how you never seemed to date. Now you're telling us that you feel desirable and have a boyfriend that agrees. You've matured a lot and have wonderful self esteem. When I'm with you guys, I feel like I'm the student and you're the teachers. This has been a great experience for me!"

The next evening, the group again made plans to meet in the hot tub. Gwen and Jordan exchanged glances when Ashley appeared in a bikini. Charlotte simply laughed.

"Wow! To think I was trying to build up your confidence last night. Gwen used to try to wring testimonials out of me about how good she looked, back when she had some doubts about being the sexiest woman in the world. If you have any doubts about how good you look in that bikini, look at the faces on Steve and Charlie."

Ashley blushed as she stepped into the tub, looking for a place to sit. Steve reached over, placed a hand on each of her hips, and lifted her onto his lap. Unable to conceal her surprise at Steve's actions, Ashley quickly looked to see Gwen's reaction.

"See what happens when you get too close to that guy, especially when you're looking so hot and wearing so little," pointed out Jordan. "Now he'll force you to sit on his lap and you'll feel those abs and pecs pressed against your back and side. He'll sneak peeks down your top and pretend that he doesn't even realize he's still holding your hips. I'm lucky Charlie's here to protect me, or I know I'd have fallen prey to that awful man's sick desires."

"It takes some of the pressure off me," teased Gwen. "Now I can relax and feel the jets ease my tired muscles. You'll find that it's much tenser sitting on Steve's lap. No muscles get to relax when he has a beautiful woman in his grasp."

Ashley grinned as she made a production of getting comfortable on Steve. "You're absolutely right, Gwen. I do feel some tense muscles, but they don't belong to me. Mine are all rubbery and weak right now. This boyfriend of yours is quite bold, and very hard ... to resist!"

That evening was the ice breaker for Ashley. She finally felt comfortable with her relationship with Gwen and Steve. She often repeated in her head the things that Gwen had told her about Lisa's flirting and teasing and how much Steve enjoyed it. Gwen seemed totally fine with it, so Ashley decided that she was going to take a page from Lisa's book.

Relatives began arriving Friday afternoon for the weekend taping of the Christmas show for CBC. Clyde kept his stars working on the movie while he had a couple of stretch limos pick up the new arrivals at the airport. It happened that Gwen's family arrived at nearly the same time as Steve's, so they wound up sharing a ride to the hotel in a limo.

"Jen!" yelled Kate when she spotted Steve's cousin rolling her bag toward the limo. "Isn't this cool? We get to be in a TV show. None of this would've happened if your handsome cousin hadn't fallen for my beautiful sister so hard. Look what's happened already. Movies, concerts, TV shows, and there'll be a lot more, I'm sure.

"Hello, Mrs. Bennington. It's nice to see you again. I'm glad you came for the show. It's great that Steve finally has some family to share these amazing accomplishments with!"

"Young lady, are you my grandson's girlfriend, Gwen Anderson? You look different on TV. I'm William Patterson, Steve's grandfather, or so I am led to believe."

"I wish I was Gwen! She's my sister, and Steve's girlfriend. I'm Kate. This is my mother, Paula, my dad, Ted, my Aunt Diane, my uncle Will, and my cousin Stephanie. The two older people getting into the car are my grandparents. Steve is your grandson? You must be really proud. He's the best looking, strongest, bravest guy I've ever met!"

"I'm sorry I didn't get to introduce everyone," apologized Jen. "It's hard to get many words in when Kate's wound up. This is my grandfather, William Patterson. He came to meet Steve and see what the fuss is all about. Gwen invited us to their graduation next Tuesday, so you'll be seeing a lot of us the next few days. I'm so excited! All my friends are so jealous that I get to hang out with Steve Hammer, Gwen Anderson, and Jordan Quick."

Eventually everyone managed to find a seat in the stretch limo and get under way. Paula broke the brief silence. "Mr. Patterson, your grandson is a very fine young man. My family has had the pleasure of being around him for the past eight months. He's saved our lives. He's taught us about honor, sacrifice, and determination. You really need to show him some love and respect. He was extremely lonely when we first met him. He was quite sad about losing his parents. He had no idea he even had relatives. I may seem to be overstepping my bounds here, but his happiness is very important to everyone in my family.

"You stated that you were 'led to believe' that Steve is your grandson. That statement implies some doubt, at the very least. If you have any doubts about Steve, I suggest that you forgo meeting him. He was hurt badly when your wife and Janice rejected him. He knew his mother had died, but when he saw Janice, he reverted back to the boy that loved his mother more than anything on earth. He picked her up and hugged her, somehow believing that his mother had come back to him. Janice scolded him and demanded to be put down. When your wife arrived shortly afterward, she was even colder.

"That wonderful young man was suddenly in pain, rejected by his own family, much like his mother was years before. My daughter is young and idealistic, so she asked you to take part in this show, thinking it would be nice for Steve to have family around him for what is supposed to be Christmas. I'm older and I've seen more. I won't stand by and see any of you treat Steve with anything less than complete acceptance and love. If you cannot, or will not do that, I think you should board the next jet back home."

"Mrs. Anderson, I now see why Steve was so taken with your family. That was well said and straight from the heart. Your warning will be taken under consideration. I'm a wealthy man, so I spent some of my money on investigators to find out if your young knight was a descendant of mine. He is my grandson. Of that, I am now certain. I didn't mean to suggest otherwise.

"I fear that he may not care to see us, or warm to us in any way. Jen assures me that he likes her, but who wouldn't? As you can easily see, she's a beautiful young lady. Janice assures me that she can see his mother, her sister, in his eyes. She has also told me of her regret that she was so unfriendly when she first met Steve. In her defense, she had no idea who he was, nor why he was hugging her.

"This horrible mess falls on my shoulders. I should have put my foot down when my wife gave her ultimatum to Jen that fateful evening. I knew it was wrong. I knew Jen was a loving, loyal girl that would never turn her back on the man she loved. I just didn't know that she'd act so quickly and so permanently. It's been a source of shame and pain for me ever since. Your staunch defense of the lad is very heartening. I wasn't there to help him, to guide him, to do the things that a grandfather should. The fact that he somehow found a family like yours is a source of great joy to me. Madam, please accept my apology for any slight, real or imagined."

"Okay! We cleared the air. I'll do my best to make up for my less than warm behavior to Steve that day in Paris," promised Janice. "I'm very impressed with the depth of your emotions, Paula. Steve is obviously more to you than your daughter's beau. He's very important to you as well as the rest of your family. That much is apparent. This isn't about his success or fame. All of you genuinely love and admire him, so I'm certain he is even more impressive than we are led to believe from the press reports.

"My father and I have come here to love him and to try to earn his forgiveness. My mother has been ashamed and embarrassed since we met you in Paris. She'll never forgive herself, and she has no expectations of Steve forgiving her. That's why she refused to come. Jen simply adores Steve and Gwen, and she has spoken of little else since she spent time with them in Paris. We appreciate that Gwen was so thoughtful and pray that Steve will eventually learn to tolerate us, if not love us."

Steve and Gwen were finished for the day and changing into fresh clothes when there was a knock on their door. Gwen opened the door to find the hallway filled with people.

"Mom! Kate! Stephanie! Come on it. Dad, give me a hug! Uncle Will and Aunt Diane, it's so great that you came!" welcomed Gwen to her family. "Jen! We're so glad you could make it! Janice, it's really nice to see you again. Grandmother! Thanks for coming!"

Then Gwen went silent as her gaze fell on the older, tall man behind Janice. "Grandfather Patterson? It's so good to meet you!" cried Gwen as she threw herself into the man's arms.

William Patterson had spent a lifetime keeping his emotions in check. He had been very successful at business, and keeping his feelings to himself was a big part of his success.

When the beautiful young woman greeted him so warmly and referred to him as 'Grandfather', tears suddenly filled his eyes. He didn't need his years of experience reading people to know that he held an exceptional young woman in his arms. He responded by hugging her tightly as he closed his eyes to prevent others from seeing his emotion.

Gwen finally stepped back and led the older man into the room. The women had been hugging and kissing Steve in greeting. As Gwen approached, her family stepped back away from Steve.

"Grandfather Patterson, this is your grandson, Steve. This is your grandfather, Steve, so show him respect," directed Gwen as she noticed Steve shrinking back.

Steve recognized the tenor and import of Gwen's greeting. Not wanting to disappoint Gwen, he offered his hand to the older man. "Sir, it's nice to finally meet you."

William Patterson studied the young man as he took his hand. He had Jen's eyes. That was obvious. He carried himself like a military veteran, tall and straight. His eyes were clear and unblinking, His grip was strong, and his voice was even. Going against everything he had promised himself, William Patterson began to break down.

After he released Steve's hand, he stepped closer and embraced the younger man, much as he had Gwen. Gwen watched closely as Steve's arms slowly moved up and wrapped around his grandfather. She turned to Jen and winked. When the two men parted, Steve turned to Gwen and pulled her to his chest and hugged her tightly.

Everyone watched silently as Steve finally released Gwen far enough to reach down and kiss her. The two remained with their lips locked until Kate began to complain.

"Hey! Why don't you two get a room? Wait! This is your room, isn't it? Maybe you'd like us to leave. We only flew a million miles to see you. Why worry about us?"

Gwen extricated herself from Steve and apologized. "Sometimes Steve has to express his feelings nonverbally. He was feeling pretty emotional and he needed me to help him with those feelings. We're absolutely delighted that you all came to be with us at Christmas, in a manner of speaking. Charlotte checked you all in and has your room keys. I'll call her and get them. Didn't Billy come with you?"

"He booked a later flight. Charlotte knew about it. He'll arrive in an hour or so," responded Kate. "This is way cool! We get to stay in a real nice hotel and appear in a TV show. Gwen, you're the best sister ever!"

"Thanks, Kate. We appreciate that all of you took the time to come. We really want this to be a family Christmas, even if it's six months off. Let's meet in the restaurant in an hour for dinner. Clyde told us that everything's paid for, including meals, tips, and room service. Let's have a nice meal and catch up on everything. We have a private dining room reserved for dinner so we can take as long as we want and be as noisy as we want. See you in an hour!"

Lisa had joined up with Jason when he landed in the capital to switch flights. The two of them flew in to LAX on the same flight as Billy. As they were shown to their waiting limo, an attractive woman called to the driver, asking if he was supposed to drive Cindy Quick to her hotel. As the driver was responding to her inquiry, a very pretty girl approached the car.

"I know who you are," stated Billy. "My girlfriend's Charlotte. She was at your house a couple weeks ago. You're Ms. Summers' sister, Becky."

"You're Billy? Charlotte told me about you! It's nice to meet you. Pardon me, but are you Gwen's sister, Lisa? You're so beautiful. Gwen showed me your cover for 'Shape' magazine. You sure have an amazing sister, and her boyfriend is... , well, he's..."

"A hunk? A doll? A beautiful man? A dreamboat? Am I getting close?" asked Lisa as she took Becky into her arms and hugged her. "You're Ashley's sister? You look like her. You're both beautiful."

"Thanks! I went to my class formal with Steve. He called me 'Lefty' and made me feel great. He was the best date I ever had. He sang to me and danced with me. He was a gentleman, too. He looked great in his tux. He kissed me right after we met. He says I'm not handicapped and he's right."

"Wow! That sure sounds like Steve. He called you 'Lefty' and it was great? Only Steve could pull that off. It sounds like you had a good time with him. Gwen doesn't loan him out very often, so you were quite lucky. Somehow, I think you're going to be very happy to see him when we get to the hotel."

"My daughter's Jordan Quick. She hasn't spoken to me more than a couple times in the last year. I'm afraid that I made some mistakes and she's not very willing to forgive me. I've been reading about her though, and she's doing very well again. I was invited to this affair by Gwen Anderson, Jordan's best friend. You're Gwen's sister, and the rest of you are her friends? Have you met Jordan?"

"She was at my house a couple weeks ago and she's beautiful! So is Gwen. The best thing about her is how nice she is to everyone. You have to be very proud of her. I hope you can reconcile your differences," offered Becky.

"What about this Steve Hammer?" asked Cindy Quick. "Jordan got into some trouble with him. Her picture was all over the internet. Do you think he took advantage of her, or got her drunk so he could be photographed with her to help his career?"

"No!" stated Lisa flatly. "Steve was helping her. He has no career aspirations. At least not show business. He wants to be a SEAL and he's the bravest, kindest man I ever met, except for Jason. You'll not fare very well this weekend if you malign Steve in any way. It won't take you long to determine every woman at this event is in love with Steve, at least a little bit. Isn't that right, Becky?"

"It's embarrassing, but true. I know I fell in love with him when he kissed me and took me to the formal and made me realize that the loss of a hand isn't the end of my life. If he's like that with other girls, they're going to be in love with him, for sure!"

"Well, I'll withhold judgment," replied a skeptical Cindy Quick. "I've always found that when something or someone seems too good to be true, there's a reason."

"Everyone is already checked in and the rest of the group is waiting for us in the hotel restaurant. We'll have dinner first, and then see our rooms. This'll be a great weekend!" enthused Lisa as she snuggled closer to Jason.

When the final group entered the reserved dining room, Gwen and Steve hurried to meet Lisa and Jason. While Steve grasped Jason's shoulder and shook his hand, Lisa and Gwen hugged each other tightly.

"Jason and I are sharing a room. It'll be our first time together. Will Steve be okay with that?" whispered Lisa.

"I think you need to ask him, if it's important to you," replied Gwen with a big smile. "I think it's wonderful that you've found such a great guy."

As Lisa hugged Steve, she spoke quietly into his ear. "Jason and I are sharing a room this weekend. It'll be our first time together. Do you think less of me for wanting to sleep with Jason?"

"I'm surprised you have to ask," responded Steve with a big grin as he lifted Lisa off her feet and swung her around. "He's a great guy and he seems to love you. I've very happy for you both! I'd forgotten how beautiful you are!"

Lisa pulled Steve down for a kiss in front of Jason and everyone else. "Thanks, Steve. I wanted you to approve because I know you're way better than me at telling if men are the real deal, or jerks. You've confirmed what I believed already."

As the two couples interacted, Diane, Paula, and their mother watched. "Look at those two men," observed Carolyn. "Your daughters have picked the cream of the crop. Strong, handsome, loyal, and brave, are a few of the words that describe those two. You've done a wonderful job with your daughters and it shows. You'll have beautiful grandchildren with loving, protective parents.

"I love your dad, and he was a very good husband and father. We were delighted when you girls settled on Ted and Will. They've proven themselves to be fine men and excellent husbands and fathers. They helped you raise great kids. That said, what Gwen and Lisa have is beyond anything I ever dreamed possible. Those two men radiate masculinity, combined with intelligence and humility. Kate and Stephanie have tough acts to follow. The good thing is that Steve and Jason are the kind of men that will interact with other men like them. If Kate and Stephanie meet enough of Steve and Jason's friends, they'll wind up with some great men, too."