Chapter 12

Jessie grinned and winked at me.

The big man came out and we were behind him. Jesse continued with the charade by telling him he was covered and not to move. The man didn't start making excuses. He just said he'd like the chance of a fair fight. Jesse broke out laughing and the man turned to look. He stepped forward when he caught sight of my friend and cuffed Jesse on the back of the head.

"What a stupid ass thing to do, Son. You know that coulda got you blowed away? You's lucky it's me who you was playing with. Other man might just put you out of his misery!" the big man admonished.

"Yeah, I know" Jesse said, "It's just that I love to see your reaction."

Jesse then proceeded to introduce me to the man. His name was Sam Bridger. He's been around working big ranches, small ranches, he'd even worked with his brother, Jim, trapping in the Rockies. If you needed to know something about running a ranch, Sam Bridger was the man to see. He just about done it all, and done it well. We talked for a while getting to know each other, and I hired him in the end. I especially liked the fact that Sam was married, too. I knew he was it when I met his wife.

His wife was a real contrast. He stood about six foot six without his boots on. She was lucky if she reached four and a half feet tall. Her figure was amazing, and I knew that all her clothing would have to be altered to fit on top if she lived in my time. That was all the better for me as I wouldn't have to worry about any straying.

I asked him when he could start and he said anytime I liked. He was just day labor and was done for the day. I asked if he wanted to come by and see the place first, and he said that wouldn't be a problem. He said if Jesse recommended me, then that was good enough for him. He did ask about lodging. I told him that there was a foreman's house ready and waiting for him whenever he was ready to move in. He asked if he could use a wagon, and I said that wouldn't be a problem.

Sam got his horse and we all three rode out together back to my homestead. It was an easy ride and I got to know the man and his humor much better. He gave as well as he got. Jesse would get him on something, and Sam got him right back. The thing about it was, it was quite funny. I was in stitches from the laughter that was acquired on our little trip by the time we got back to the house.

We rode into the homestead and Sam was duly impressed. I showed him around the spread. We went over what the duties should be and he suggested some things that I hadn't even thought of. We discussed his salary and settled on a generous amount. I could be generous with my good fortune anyway, and he would basically be running the place. My wives would tend to the day-to-day handling of the household, and he would see to cattle and other livestock, including haying if that was necessary, and all other needs for the ranch. The gang of six (my wives) on his recommendation, would approve purchases.

Since he was willing to immediately get started, I gave him leave to take the buckboard and mules back into town to gather up his belongings and his wife. I asked him if he wanted any help, but he declined. I had to laugh when I thought back to that offer. There I was, asking if that huge man needed any help. He could probably load a whole house on that wagon, and then push or pull it over here himself. I sent Jesse home, thanking him for the assistance. He told me any time he could help, he would.

I spent an enjoyable afternoon with six smart, witty, beautiful, and sexy women. All of them looked to me for protection and as the father figure for this family. We spent much of the time attempting impregnation of those who were in the proper portion of their cycle. They were in a hurry to really make me a father figure, and not figuratively speaking, either. Those famous words 'I got a bad feeling about this' rang out in my head.

Well, wouldn't you know it? Here I was just poking fun, and they all took me seriously. Each one had a bun in the oven by the next month. Each one except Jackie, that is. Her implant was still working fine, and it was all right with her because she wasn't ready to become a mother just yet. She wanted to explore some more. I'm sorry to say it, but I also had an itch to explore. I could go and come as I pleased, thanks to the watch.

Sam turned out to be the perfect choice for ranch foreman. He got things going, and hired a crew of cowboys to ride herd over the cattle that I had purchased. Sam and I went to Fort Worth. The stockyards there allowed us to purchase a small herd from various buyers to give us a good mix of bloodlines. We also rode to several ranches that Sam knew to find breeding stock. This stock was better than what we found at Fort Worth, and the price proved that out. We were both satisfied with the animals that we purchased, however. This would be a good start for a brighter future for my women and children.

Jackie came up to me one day with a request about six weeks after the last of my wives, Ginny, turned up pregnant.

"Eugene," she cajoled, "I want to take another trip. Let's go someplace exciting. You choose this time."

Jackie placed her body in close proximity to mine and began rubbing on my back. Her arms snaked around my torso as she held me close. I was having trouble thinking, let alone make decisions, but she had a point. I decided that we should take a trip and get our brains aired out just a little. Then we could come back or we could do whatever else we wanted to do.

We discussed our plans with the wives and they were okay with us leaving. They wanted to know when we would return, of course. I told them not to worry, to keep safe, and that we would be back soon.

We decided to spend the night and leave in the morning, of course. This gave us time for one more big party before we left. We enjoyed each other's company and I was exhausted by the time I finally was able to get some rest. I thought I would die from exhaustion, but that was not to be. Yes, I was tired, but I still managed to take care of everyone.

Jackie and I held hands as I activated the watch after a hearty breakfast the next morning. We were instantly transported back to the house. The fatigue and hunger hit us like a ton of bricks again. We stopped at the kitchen first. Jackie made some ham and cheese sandwiches and I fixed a pitcher of lemonade. I ate three of the sandwiches and Jackie had two all by herself. Then it was nap time. We cuddled together in a spooning position on the bed with Jackie in front of me.

I'm not sure how long we slept, but I was gently shaken into wakefulness sometime later. I opened my eyes and was greeted by a vision of loveliness. Mom bent over and passionately kissed me. She repeated the process with Jackie and I was just a little jealous for their greeting went on longer than ours had.

"Your trip must've been a long one," Mom said, "You've been asleep for quite a while. Tell me what's going on in Waco."

I took the next hour or so to relate what we had been doing. Mom was surprised that we had been gone almost two months. She of course knew that we were only gone from our time period for fifteen minutes. Our state of exhaustion, however told her that we had been gone for quite a while. She remembered what it was like on the first trip that she took. I thanked her for the Uberti. I retrieved it on the second day we were there by setting the watch for late at night.

"But I just put it up there a few minutes ago," Mom explained.

I reminded her that the watch can go to any time. I wouldn't meet myself coming and going since we'd be in bed. Mom seemed to understand. I told her we had come back because we wanted to take a short trip to visit Wendy Too and Junior. Mom thought that was a good idea and she decided that she wanted to go with us. Jackie got excited about this and hugged Mom tight. I'm glad that they get along so well together.

Mom suggested that we rest some more and go tomorrow afternoon. She had some work to do at the office, but she could get it done in the morning. She would be ready to leave once that was done. I agreed with her and so did Jackie. We went downstairs and turned the television on. It was interesting because this was the first time we'd seen the TV in two months, and yet we were right up to date with our programs. I thought it interesting that we could travel all we wanted and still not miss out on some of the routine things that we'd gotten used to doing.

After a well-deserved rest, Mom served us breakfast when she got home from work, just after noon. We got dressed in nice clothing and made the jump once that was done.

"Welcome," Wendy Too said, as we entered her house. "What brings you here? It hasn't been all that long since you were here last."

"Well, Your Highness," I replied, "I wanted to touch base with you again, and get more information on the workings of the watch. I want to make sure I have everything down, so I don't get into trouble. I'm sure you understand where I'm coming from."

"Ah, yes, I can see where there might be some concern," Wendy Too replied.

13-year-old Wendolyn Junior came in the room just then. She looked at me, then at Jackie, and then back at me. "Not bad," she commented. She finished entering the room and flopped down on the sofa across from us. The Princess scowled at her. Although there was no verbal confrontation, I could tell that the Princess had asserted her authority and Junior had been put in her place.

"Say, how would you guys like to take the boat for a little sail on the lake?" the Princess suddenly asked.

"That sounds just lovely," Mom said, "What would we have to do?"

"Yes," Jackie said, "That sounds like fun."

Wendy Too proceeded to describe what we would be doing. It sounded like fun, so we agreed. I asked about how we were dressed, and was told we were fine. Junior jumped up and asked if she could go, too, and her mother agreed. There was no reason to wait around so we were off.

We went around the cove to where the boat was docked. The sailboat was huge by anyone's standard and I didn't see how the six of us could handle it. Junior told us not to worry, because the twins would be there to help sail the boat. We climbed aboard and sure enough, identical twin boys were working on polishing the brass. They cheerfully greeted us and got the boat ready to sail when told of our plans.

The boat was set up so that she could be sailed by one person, if need be. That, in and of itself, was amazing. However, the most amazing thing was the rich appointments and decor of the cabin below. I doubted that a boat of this quality had been made in the last thirty years. Junior could see my questioning look, and confirmed that the ship had been built before I had been born. Wendy Too had directed the twins to cast off the lines, and had headed the boat out into open water during the time that we were talking. They confirmed to me that we were located on Lake Huron in the Great Lakes.

We were headed south towards the thumb and Saginaw Bay. We were specifically headed for Sebewaing. Wendy told us she knew of a great little restaurant and we were going to go there for lunch. Now I knew a little bit about geography, and questioned her about that. It seemed too far for us to make it for lunch. She said not to worry because she had everything covered. I felt the little twinge that came from shifting in time.

The air was warmer and I looked at the Princess.

"When are we?" I asked.

"1964," came the reply.

"If you'll take a look in the cabin below, you'll find appropriate clothing for our luncheon," Junior chimed in. "You will enjoy the lunch. I love going to Geoff's place."

"Our reservation is for an hour from now. Make sure you wear your good dress, Junior!" Wendy Too demanded.

I was directed to a stateroom and was told there would be something in the closet that I could wear. I was told a light-colored tie would be suitable. This indicated to me that I should find a suit to wear. I found a walk-in closet full of clothes once inside the cabin. The rack was categorized by type and size. I found the suits, and then found my size: 40R. I looked them over and selected two. I held these side-by-side and asked Mom to check them. She was in the next room and had already changed into a tight, form-fitting, little black dress. A single strand of pearls accented her features. It drew attention to the massive cleavage evident by the dress's plunging neckline. Her four-inch heels brought her close to my height. Only close, though.

She looked at the two suits and immediately selected the light-gray on the left. Then she looked at the pockets. The one on the right was labeled 'Calvin Klein', while the one on the left was labeled 'Armani'. She instructed me to put that one on. I quickly dressed and Mom helped me tie the tie. We just stepped out of the cabin when we bumped into Jackie.

'Stunning' is too subtle a word to describe how she looked. I stood for a moment staring, slack-jawed. Mom gently pressed her fingertips on my lower jaw and lifted. That closed my gaping mouth. Jackie noticed and wrapped herself around me, profusely thanking me for my comment on how she looked. We heard Junior call and we returned topside. She had also changed and was wearing a fabulous looking dress. It fit her perfectly, too. The Princess wore a little black dress that was to die for. She would be turning a lot of heads with it.

The boat docked and we had twenty minutes to get to the restaurant. Wendy Too pondered for a minute, trying to decide on the best course to get there. She finally broke her reverie and said it was time to go. We all looked at her for our destination. She told us to hold hands, then she activated her watch and we were whisked away.

Most of the patrons ignored us when we entered as a group.

One diner who didn't whispered out for others to hear, "The Princess and company."

The room fell to a hush as the diners stopped what they were doing and rose. They respectfully bowed. Wendy just held her hand up and indicated they should be seated again. Everything went back to normal at that point.

Geoff came up and welcomed us to the restaurant just then. Junior did the introductions.

"Geoff, this is Eugene, Jackie, and his mom. Guys, this is Geoff. Eugene and his wives are visiting Mother, Geoff, and she decided to bring them here. I told them the food was outstanding. Do I get the finder's fee? Oh, yeah, Eugene had Mrs. Tandy's watch. It was the Powers' watch before the one Andrea has. Mrs. Tandy passed away for real a couple of months ago. She couldn't stave the inevitable off any longer, even with the travel effect."

Geoff nodded in understanding. He showed us to our table. I had prime rib, Mom and Wendy Too had the salmon, Jackie decided on the Alfredo, and Junior ordered the steak and lobster! That was a shocker. I was about to ask about that and she beat me to it.

"You look like you could use a little tail," she stated.

I blushed at the double-entendre. Junior got a stern look from Wendy Too. Jackie was laughing behind her hand.

Mom slipped her hand across my ass and knowingly whispered, "Don't you dare."

We found out that the restaurant only catered to watch holders. Patrons would suddenly appear as I watched near the door, others would finish eating and simply disappear. It was a fascinating experience, but that didn't hold a candle to the food! I had never tasted food so exquisitely prepared before. I am at a loss for words in trying to describe it. Mom and Jackie felt the same way. They tried to tell me afterwards, but they couldn't find the words either.

We'd finished and were just talking. Wendy told us more about the watch I had. She also explained its capabilities, some of which I'd already discovered. Unlike ours, the regular watches couldn't move sideways, for instance. That is, you always had to go to the same location. You couldn't start in New York, and end up in Philadelphia, in time. You'd have to go to Philly, and then time-travel or vice-versa.

We spent a little more time, but needed to vacate our table, so Wendy Too had everyone stand and hold hands, and we were back on the boat in an instant. We were instructed to hang the borrowed clothes up and leave them on the hanger hook on the closet doors. She would have them taken care of.

We returned to the deck when dressed. I was surprised, although I shouldn't have been, to see the dock at the Princessipality off the port bow. I'm sure Wendy shifted us while we changed. Indeed, that's exactly what she did when she explained it to us. We stayed with Wendy and Junior for two days before returning home. We finally did make the jump home. The three of us spent the rest of the day in bed, only leaving to clean up and eat a light supper, then it was back to fun and games. Adult games!

Senior year was starting next week and we decided that we should limit our trips to once a month, on the usual long weekends where the teachers have in-service or the school has a holiday. We could rest up from our exertions and be ready for school on Monday that way.

Our senior year was off to the usual start. I relentlessly got picked on again, that is until the weekend when I used the watch to get lessons in martial arts. I traveled to Netanya, Israel, in 1968. I looked up Imri Lichtenfeld, and entered into an agreement to study with him for three months of intensive study.

Intensive wasn't the half of it! My body hurt all over the first week. Sleeping was difficult because I couldn't find a part that didn't hurt. My body gradually grew accustomed, and I began to advance. I quickly advanced since I put all of my energy into study. My reflexes always had been good, and Imi (as he asked to be called) was even surprised at my progress. I did have good reason to learn, of course. My skill had advanced to the point that he decided to advance me to instructor status at the end of the three months.

"Instructor?" I incredulously asked. "But ... but..."

"Nonsense," he retorted, "You're better than anyone else training here. You manage to spar with me and hold your own. You deserve this. Take it."

He handed me the certificate. The ornate parchment was written in Hebrew and English, and was certified by the Israeli Ministry of Education. It identified me as Master and Instructor of Krav Maga. I was overwhelmed by the honor. There was only one other Master's certificate awarded, and that was to a Brit. It was rumored that he was a member of MI-6, but it wasn't confirmed. I didn't work with him much, so I only knew him by his first name, James.

I returned home very tired and hungry. Mom made her specialty for me. The meatloaf didn't go far. I think I ate half of it. I showed the certificate to my women and they were duly impressed. I looked at Jackie and she nodded her head only once. She knew the fecal matter would make contact with the oscillating air displacement equipment on Monday. Jackie didn't approve, but she knew that it had to be.

Gary Sewell was the biggest asshole in school. He pushed everyone around, including the coaches. There's no doubt that he was an athlete. Yes, he could do it all, football, basketball, and baseball. He had earned varsity letters in each, but He also had a mean streak that sent freshmen running, sophomores cowering, and juniors hiding in teacher's rooms. He had a special hell for me. I had been his whipping boy since fourth grade. Today was no different than any other day. I managed to avoid him all day. Let's just say we didn't travel in the same circles. I was in advanced classes. Enough said.