Chapter 3

That's what happened. I had thought to go but Dad said that I was to stay with Mom.

After everyone left, Mom said, "This is going to be different for you. Can you handle your girl friend living in the same house? You know the rules won't change. If anything, they will be more strictly applied."

"Mom, that's not fair. We haven't done anything wrong here. Why should we be punished?"

"You won't be punished. You will be exposed to the young lady a lot more than you ever thought about. If you have a real bond, it will get stronger. If not, then neither of you will enjoy this. We'll see. I think you really care for her and she cares for you. Whether that can last for a long time is still up for grabs. Neither of you have finished high school yet."

"That's true. Right now, it seems a long time.

"Mom, I have a question. What is the relationship among you, Dad, and Mitch? He's always been around but I didn't know he was Chief or that you had known him for so long."

She said, "I almost married Mitch. He and your Dad have been friends since before high school and I dated your Dad in high school. We continued to be good friends in college though I had long since gravitated toward your Dad. Your Dad dropped a bomb when he decided to go to law school. Mitch and I came back here after graduating and your father and I almost broke up. I went out with Mitch for two years finally realizing that your Dad was the one for me and not Mitch though he is and was a great guy. We have remained friends. Mitch married a good friend of mine who died of cancer quite young. He's never remarried."

"Wow! My Mom was a siren!"

"No, Son. I was just a likeable girl who was lucky enough to have two good men care for me deeply."

"I don't know, Mom. Some of my friends think you're hot."

She blushed. "No, not hot, just a normal temperature. Your Brittany is hot though I'm not sure she knows it."

"I know it. I appreciate that she likes me. She's a smart girl, too."

"Well, she will be in your sister's room for a bit. If this is going to go on for long and I think it will, we will convert the guest bedroom for her use including painting and decorating it to suit her if she would like that. Have you considered what happens if you two break up?"

"Not really. We have a solid bond. If that did happen, I would like to think we could be friends."

A second later, Dad drove up and I went out to help. Mom went to Dad to give him a kiss and a hug. Mitch got a hug and a kiss on the cheek from Mom. I went over and shook his hand thanking him for helping Britt and overseeing some of the situation. He chuckled and said that I should stick to the field with that bat in the future. Quietly, he said, "Chad, be careful. None of those three are particularly good people. They might try something. I will be watching them and we will have an extra patrol by here for a while. She seems to be a nice girl."

Britt came over and gave me a hug. She then went to Mitch and said, "Uncle Mitch, thank you for your help. You really made a difference." She gave him a fierce hug and a kiss on his cheek.

He hugged and kissed her back. He said, "If you ever get tired of this guy, give me a call!" He left laughing.

As he left, she said to me, "Chad, he has no children. He's such a nice man. I wonder why he isn't married.

"Remind me later and I will tell you."

I loaded up on clothes and she added a few other things for me to carry. All four of us carried things upstairs to my sister's room. Mom said, "If things work out like Charles and I think, we will move you to the room over there but we will let you paint and decorate it to suit your tastes first."

Britt hugged Mom and began to cry. Mom looked surprised until she heard Britt say, "I've never had a chance to have a room of my own that I helped do."

Mom looked at her and said, "Well, it's well past time that you did. Guys, is there any more to carry up?" We shook our heads. "Fine. Go find something to do until lunchtime. Chad, help your dad prepare something for all four of us."

Dad and I knew a dismissal when we heard it. We left and headed downstairs. We went into the kitchen and sat at the table.

Dad said, 'I haven't had much of a chance to talk with Brittany before. She seems like a bright, nice girl. She thinks the sun rises and sets on you. Don't get the big head though, it doesn't.

"What were you going to do for lunch?"

"Dad, we would have picked up some sandwich stuff keeping it simple."

"Okay. Is there anything she doesn't like?"

"Blue cheese." I chuckled. "I don't think anybody likes it on a sandwich except you and Mel. We can just get the fixings out and let everyone make what they want."

He nodded. "Get chips, paper plates, and bread. I'll hand you things from the fridge." We had everything set out in a few minutes and were waiting when Mom and Britt came into the kitchen. Britt had washed her face and changed into different clothes. I wasn't surprised. We weren't going to the lake today.

Lunch was fun. Dad knows more funny stories than anyone. He could tell the most outrageous stories with a perfectly straight face. He had Brittany sucked into his web until Mom said, "Charles, that's not so."

Britt was embarrassed until I said, "Don't worry, Britt. He does this to everyone."

She turned to me and said without a blink, "Just how many girls have you had living with you anyway?"

Mom and Dad thought my look was hilarious and I quickly joined in the laughter. I also remembered one of Dad's rules. "Sometimes, it's better to keep your mouth shut!"

After lunch, Mom said, "Charles, we need to do some shopping.' Dad looked at Britt and me. Mom said, "Chad knows the rules. He'll explain them to Brittany. Let's go."

They left and we started putting up the food from lunch.

Brittany said, "What are these rules?"

I said, 'First of all, of course, is no sex in the house. Mom and Dad aren't naive and they might assume we're already sexually active. They know I'm horny and you've been exposed to sex in their minds by your parents' actions since the divorce. They might also figure you were turned off to the idea but the rule still stands."

"I'm not turned off when it comes to you."

"Second, we'll have to hold back any passionate displays of our love. It would be too tempting and as Dad would say, 'See Rule One.'

"Third is that we have to wear clothes and underclothes. That means you can't go braless around the house nor can either of us go commando."

Britt said, "I know. See Rule One."

I grinned. "Fourth is that if I'm in your room or you're in mine, the door has to be wide open."

Britt grinned, "Does that mean that I have to leave the bathroom door open?"

I said, "Only if both of us are in there and it had better be for an innocent reason."

"Fifth is that you will have to go to church with us."

'That one's easy, Chad. I will be delighted to go."

"I know but it's a rule, too.

"Six is don't talk back. We are permitted to disagree but only civilly and without raising our voices."

"I wondered where your calm came from, Chad. That's one of the things that I love about you. You're calm and thoughtful even when I'm not."

"The last is to help around the house. You will be considered part of the family though you won't be my sister by any stretch of the imagination."

"I don't know. It might be fun, Bro." I chuckled. She said quickly, "I know your Mom might think it's funny, I'm not sure about your Dad. He's scary in a good way. You just don't want to cross him simply because he would be disappointed. You're a lot like him, Chad. Again, that's a reason why I'm with you.