Chapter 11: Into a New Year

I was incredibly happy to see Jeryl, or rather feel her naked body pressed along my back, but I could not believe she was actually in my bed, in Jim’s cabin, in Taos. Before I could ask a question, she pulled me over and locked her lips to mine. It was a passionate kiss that stopped any thoughts of conversation.

“Wow,” she finally said. “I guess you missed me as much as I missed you,” she whispered.

“I did. How did you get here?”

She laughed and hugged me. “Kelly said she owed me one. Evidently, she talked to Jordan and managed to find us a very nice ski-in ski-out condo down near the base of the mountain. Jordan told Mom and dad that a friend of hers at school owned it and offered it to us to use over the holidays. The first thing I knew about this was when we changed planes in Denver instead of going to the rental car place.”

I kissed her and ran my hands along her sensuous, silky skin. “And getting to the cabin, and my bed?”

She kissed me. “Kelly, of course. She told me some of their traditions and gave me the spare key. Jordan helped me slip out tonight and drove me up here. I can’t stay all night, but I really wanted to see you. Getting naked and slipping into your bed was all my doing.”

I ran my thumb over her erect nipple and kissed her. “I’m glad. Kelly’s cousins were trying to get me all excited, but they just made me miss you more.” I kissed her again and then slipped my head lower to tease her nipples with my tongue.

“God, I love that, but we can’t do much tonight. You guys took a lot longer coming to bed than I planned with Jordan.” She reached down to fondle my erection as I quickly explained why. “I wish we had time to do something about this, but Jordan is coming back by at 1:00 to pick me up. That’s only twenty minutes away, and I want a lot more than twenty minutes of you.”

“Me, too. How are we going to arrange that?”

“We’re skiing tomorrow. We have a family tradition of skiing together in the morning after exchanging gifts and then doing our own things in the afternoon. Mom has a spa appointment after lunch. Jordan, Jyl and I will keep skiing and then meet Mom and dad at the resort around three. If you are out skiing, we can just happen to meet up with Mom and dad at the same time. Then it will all be out in the open. I’m sure they will let us get together once they know you’re here.”

I wasn’t so sure about that, but kissed her and held her for the few minutes we had. We did not have time to do it right, but after all of the teasing by Chelsea, Robyn and Amber, I was going to make sure Jeryl was at least as frustrated as I was.

I kissed my way down to her lovely tits and spent some time kissing and licking her hard nipples before moving lower. I loved the taste of her sweet pussy and knew she was nearly as excited as I was. I lifted my head as she groaned in frustration.

“You need to get dressed, kitten. Jordan will be here any minute.”

“She can wait. I can’t.” She tried to urge my head back down her body, but I was quite a bit stronger than her. I laughed and kissed her.

“I’ll make it up to you, but if we get caught now, the next eight days will be wasted. Go home and I’ll see you tomorrow. I love you.”

“I love you too, Paul.”

There was just enough light outside coming through the window that I could admire her trim figure and smooth curves as she got into some clothes she had dropped by the door on her way in. The sight of her in the moonlight was enough to test my resolve, but I held firm. I wanted to spend the entire vacation with her, not just one night. As she finished dressing, I slipped out of bed and gave her another long hug. I walked her down to the door and gave her one last kiss before making sure Jordan was there to pick her up. Once I saw her safely in their rental car, I waved and headed back to bed. I’d need my rest for Christmas Day, I was sure.

Christmas morning was noisy with six women opening mostly boxes of clothes that only women can get excited about. I quickly retreated to the kitchen with Jim to mind the coffee and breakfast as a pseudo-fashion show occurred around the tree. Of course, Jim’s sister and nieces were excited by the ring on Mom’s finger as well.

Finally, gifts were taken back to rooms and trash was picked up and breakfast was cleared and it was time to relax. Mom and Jim were sitting on the couch as I came out of my room in ski gear. Mom smiled as I waved at them and then headed out to the slopes. I had four hours before I could make a grand entrance in the resort at the base of the mountain, but wanted to get some runs in beforehand.

Luck was in my favor and I caught up with three cute Midwestern girls in matching black ski pants and white jackets shortly after lunchtime. I watched them together on a lift two chairs ahead of me. They were standing near the top of a run as I dismounted.

“Imagine my surprise at seeing three such beautiful women here in New Mexico on Christmas day!” I said jovially as I stopped next to them.

“Paul!” Jyl squealed. Jeryl and Jordan smiled. “How did you find us?”

I shot a glance at Jordan who shook her head as Jeryl laughed. “I thought you found me.” I moved closer to Jeryl and gave her an awkward hug and quick kiss. “You guys were supposed to be in Colorado.”

“Jordan had a school friend with a condo here and talked Mom and dad into trying someplace new.”

“Well, it just so happens this is where Jim wanted to propose to my mother, so we were here at his cabin.”

Jeryl evidently had not spilled those beans to her sisters and both Jordan and Jyl were excited by the news. We chatted for a few more minutes and then decided to head down the mountain. The rest of the afternoon flew by as we skied and enjoyed the scenery and each other’s company. I was tired and relaxed when we finally took off our skis around 3:00 and headed into the lodge for a warm drink.

Janet saw us enter the lounge and had a frown ready for me by the time we arrived next to her chair. “Paul Taylor, just how did you end up at the same resort we are at?”

I was ready to face the bear in her den. “I should ask how you just happened to end up at the resort Jim has a cabin at,” I countered. “After all the insistence that you not change your family vacation plans, it’s strange that you chose to follow me to New Mexico. I do thank you for a wonderful Christmas gift, though.” I said as gave Jeryl a hug.

Janet Salaway was flustered by my response and the girls jumped into the breach to defend me.

“We just ran into him on the slopes, mother,” Jordan insisted. “I had no idea this was where Jim’s cabin was when my friend offered us the condo.”

“And this is where Jim wanted to propose to Paul’s Mom,” Jyl added.

Janet was surprised by this tidbit of information. Her features softened as I nodded confirmation.

“It was very romantic. Jim proposed last night and Mom has been walking on clouds ever since. They’re up at the cabin making a huge Christmas feast for everyone. Jim’s sister and her daughters are here as well. They have a cabin next to Jim’s.”

Fortunately, Janet could not stay angry in the face of such good news for my Mom and the obvious enthusiasm of her daughters. Her frown turned into a small smile. “Well, I guess it’s a lucky coincidence for everyone, then. Please give your mother and Jim my congratulations.”

“Why don’t you give it to her in person? I bet we have enough food to invite you all over for dinner tonight, if you’d like to join us.”

“Oh, we could never interrupt a family Christmas dinner.”

“Nonsense. Let me call the cabin and make sure, but I saw how much food Jim and his sister had laid on. I could bring half the football team and still have plenty.”

I went to the bar and asked to use the phone for a local call. Luckily I had written down the cabin phone number and kept it in my wallet for emergency contact information. Jim answered the phone on the third ring. I missed mobile phones.

“Jim, can I bring another family to dinner? Jeryl and her family happened to pick Taos for skiing this year and I just ran into them at the lodge.”

“Of course. You saw how much food we have. With another five people, maybe we can put a dent in both the ham and turkey,” he said with a laugh.

By the time I got back to the Salaway’s their father had joined them, along with someone I had not expected; Cynthia Morgan, Jeryl’s grandmother.

“Hello, Paul,” she said in a tone that made the snow outside sound warm.

“Mrs. Morgan, it’s a pleasure to see you again,” I lied.

She nodded as the girls filled her and their dad in on our meeting.

“And I just talked to Jim and he insisted I invite you all to dinner. He hoped you could all make it,” I interjected. “Mrs. Salaway, I know Mom would love showing off her new ring to you, even if she would never admit it. I don’t think an engagement is official until you share it with a friend outside the family.”

That seemed to melt Janet’s resolve. Cynthia’s lips were pressed together firmly, but she nodded her agreement. She had too much class to put a damper on an engagement, at least.

I gave them directions to the cabin and then glanced at the clock. “I had better get going. The lifts stop in fifteen minutes and I don’t want to have to walk up the hill in ski boots. I’ll see you all at six-thirty.”

“Dad, can Jyl bring a bag for me and I’ll go with Paul to help them get ready? It’s the least I can do to help.”

Her mother looked to protest, but her dad had already nodded. “Sure, pumpkin,” he said.

Jeryl grinned, gave her dad a quick kiss on the cheek and then grabbed my hand to get me out of there. We laughed together as we collected our skis and headed to the lift. The sun was sinking toward the ridge as we came down the run by the cabins. I heard girl’s voices as we drew next to Cecilia’s cabin. Robyn and Amber were in their smaller hot-tub.

“Hi, ladies,” I said as we stopped outside. They waved and I introduced Jeryl. They were not about to come out into the snow to chat, so I just said we’d see them at dinner and we headed down the slope and next door.

The cabin was quiet, but delicious aromas filled the house. I helped Jeryl out of her ski boots and hung her jacket up before leading her up to the main floor. Kelly and Mom were sitting in the living room and quickly jumped up to welcome Jeryl. She was quickly pulled into the girl talk as I headed to the bathroom to get cleaned up. I was a little disappointed she didn’t try to follow me into the shower, but knew it would not have been a smart decision on either of our parts. Soon, I was cleaned up and dressed in a comfortable pair of khakis and a new shirt and sweater.

Jeryl gave me a hug as I came back into the living room. “You look nice, cutie.”

I gave her a kiss full on the lips and then waved at Kelly and Mom. “What do I need to do before dinner?”

Jim came out from the master bedroom and shook his head. “Not a thing. The turkey and ham are in the ovens and the side dishes are all next door. You’ll have to help carry things in a couple of hours, but until then, everything is set.”

“Will we have enough space for everyone?” I asked.

“Well, it will be tight, but I built this place for get-togethers. We have ten seats at the big table and then six at the small one in the kitchen. I figured all the old folks would be at the big table, along with you and Jeryl, since you two are the lynchpins bringing three families together.”

I wondered how Chelsea would feel being relegated to the “kids” table and then decided not to worry about it as Kelly dragged Jeryl away and offered her a shower and some clothes to change into.

“You have a lovely home here, Mr. Daniels. Thank you so much for inviting us,” Cynthia Morgan said as she took in the view of the moonlit slopes outside the dining room.

“Please, call me Jim. It was such a surprise when Paul called, I could not imagine not inviting you all over for dinner. I know Jeryl well from her work and hear enough about Jyl and Jordan that they seem like family. While I’ve only spent a little time with Janet and Jerry, I know they are delightful people as well. I’m glad you all found your way to our secret little ski getaway here.”

Cynthia could not help but admire Jim’s innate charm, I could tell.

“Have you owned your cabin here long?”

“I was fortunate enough to get in on the early stages of development here. I bought forty acres in the initial round of development and have twenty or so still remaining, not counting this cabin. When the price and people are right, I find myself selling a parcel.”

“What makes the people right?”

“I want families to be able to enjoy this area. I won’t sell to a development company or corporation. For the right price, I’d sell some back to the resort itself, but I’m happy to hold it for the future as well. It’s not like I need the money.”

“You mentioned Jeryl’s work. What does she do for you?”

Jim chuckled. “Not for me, for Paul. Jeryl took it upon herself to begin transcribing Paul’s working notes for patent filings and some other ventures he is starting. She has done as much to help organize his patent filings as Kelly or I have in the past year. We would not be nearly as far along in the process without all her work.”

Janet seemed to straighten at the praise being given her youngest daughter.

“It’s not just typing and filing, either,” I added. “She is a great sounding board for my ideas. She’s made me better at getting things documented while they’re fresh and then making sure I follow up on them. She’s the reason I’ll have a new test-bed car in the summer for some endurance work.”

“What’s that mean?” Jerry asked as I took another bite of my ham.

Jeryl jumped into the conversation. “Paul’s re-built a stock car with some of his inventions built into it. He needs better data on the durability of some systems along with testing his new suspension system. Using a stock car, he can have a driver put serious miles on it in a short time-frame on a closed course. Based on the test plan we’re working out, we should be able to get ten thousand miles on the systems within a couple of months. We need that data to take back to the manufacturers so they can adjust warranties and marketing materials.”

“And, the new durable mounting process will be added to the portfolio they can license from,” Kelly added, “Along with the suspension system he’s developed.”

Cynthia looked to be at a loss for words for the first time.

“Jeryl, I had no idea you were so involved or interested.”

Jeryl blushed and reached above the table to squeeze my hand. Cynthia’s frown returned for a moment. “I got interested because Paul was interested. I want to help him. You may not believe it, but he is going to change the world. I’ll be a small part of that.”

It was my turn to blush as Cynthia turned her gaze my way.

“What about school, Paul. Or do you think you can change the world without further education? Last summer you mentioned mechanical or electrical engineering, I believe?”

“Both, actually. I’m thinking I’ll double major. The math is common between them, and if I plan out my core education requirements properly I’m pretty sure I can complete a double in less than four years. Next year I’ll have to be looking and talking to some different universities to see exactly what I would need to do in their programs.”

“Where are you thinking of going? I might have some influence if you need assistance.” She said it politely, but I sensed the threat hidden within.

“Stanford, MIT, and Georgia Tech are my current short list.”

Cynthia nodded. “And what about you, Jeryl?”

“I’ve really begun enjoying some of the business aspects I’ve been exposed to by Kelly, Jim, and Paul. I’m thinking about doing a BA in business or accounting.”

“And what schools are you thinking about?”

“Well, it depends on where Paul ends up going, but Stanford and Georgia Tech both have great business programs, and if he went to MIT, I’d look at either Harvard or Boston University.”

“What do you think of those choices, Janet,” she asked her daughter.

“Well, it is a couple of years away, but all of those are fine schools, you have to admit. An education at any of those schools would be worthwhile, don’t you think? Harvard might be a stretch for admissions, but I’m pretty sure Jeryl can get into all the others if that’s her goal.”

“It is. I actually want to take the SAT and ACT early this year to make sure I’ve got the scores I’ll need and help me focus where to improve.”

“Those are all expensive schools,” Cynthia commented.

“If I can get accepted, I’m sure I can get scholarship money. Jordan’s been a great example for me.”

I refused to look at her and give things away but smiled to myself.

“It’s not always as easy as that.”

“Let’s not worry about it now. We’ve got time to sort all that out, grandmother.”

“So, Paul, how are building different cars going to change the world?” The condescension was back in her voice, but I chose to ignore it.

“Cars won’t, but my current work is a good way to finance some longer-term projects.” I went on to describe the coming energy crisis, being careful to extrapolate from currently known facts.

“I can scarcely believe we won’t be able to drill for more oil when we needed,” Cynthia said dismissively.

“Oh, I’m sure people will, but at what price? The world’s appetite for energy doubles every seven years. It takes that long just to get a new oil find into production, if not longer. It’s also unlikely that new finds will be conveniently located in the US or even North America. We need alternatives.”

“And what makes you think you can find those alternatives?” she asked.

I shrugged. “Maybe I won’t. But fear of failure won’t stop me from trying. In the meantime, I can make our current resources last longer by increasing the efficiency of our cars and making them safer at the same time. I think that is good work even if my long-term goals become infeasible.”

She seemed nonplussed for a moment. “You are a surprising young man, Paul,” she finally said. Jeryl squeezed my hand and smiled.

The remainder of our vacation was filled with skiing and fun. With Kelly’s cousins around it seemed Jeryl and I never got any real private time, but we still enjoyed being able to spend time together away from work and school. Our families got together for New Year’s Eve, which was interesting and awkward when kissing in the New Year occurred. Kelly set the stage by planting a non-platonic kiss on my lips right after Jeryl and I ushered in the New Year. Jordan then decided to try and out-do Kelly, and some sort of competition was underway amongst the women while the mothers and grandmother were upstairs in Jim’s cabin leaving us all alone by the outdoor fire place. I was afraid Jeryl was going to explode when Jyl followed Jordan’s example, but instead she just motioned to Chelsea, Robyn, and Amber. “You ladies might as well get a little sample,” she said, “because he is all mine after you get one kiss each.”

Everyone laughed, but they wasted no time switching places on my left side and giving me passionate kisses as Jeryl watched from my right. Once I had kissed each girl, she swung onto my lap and ground her crotch against me while giving me another toe-curling kiss.

A little later, we were snuggled together under a blanket watching the fire when I mentioned I was surprised by her attitude.

“I love you, Paul. I knew that no matter how well they kissed you or you kissed them, you were mine and I was going to end up in your arms, not them. Did I need to be jealous when they’re going to be envious of me?”

I laughed and kissed her. “Of course not. I’m just glad that’s how you feel, because I love you too. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to encourage you to kiss other guys.”

“Good, because I don’t want to kiss other guys; just you.”

We snuggled closer under the blanket and sat in peaceful silence. A little later, I noticed Jeryl was asleep in my arms. I smiled and kissed her head and enjoyed a feeling of peace I had never felt before.

“I quit!” I said as I dropped my notebook on the counter and grabbed a soda from the refrigerator in the break room of the shop.

“What’s the matter?” Jeryl asked from the table where she was going over some drawings I had made.

I pointed to the drawing. “Until I can get the car on a track and get some data, I can’t tune the dynamic suspension system. I’m tweaking guesses at this point.”

Jeryl stood up and gave me a hug. “Then we better get some track time scheduled. I thought you were getting close and talked to Kelly about it last week. Spring break is almost here, and we have track time scheduled in Tennessee. Will six days be enough?”

“Really?”

She kissed me and nodded. “Jim bought a used trailer from a small race team, but we’ll need a truck to pull it.”

“What do you mean by we? There is no way your folks are letting you come with me over spring break.”

Jeryl blushed. “Well...”

I could tell she had something cooking.

“I might have told them I needed to go for work. Your Mom and I will drive your car down. You and Jim will tow the other car once you find a truck. The drivers will meet us there.”

“And?” I knew there had to be more.

“And Mom and Dad will be coming down with Jyl. Dad was pretty interested in your car concepts over the holidays and wants to see it run on the track. They may not stay the entire time, but they also won’t tell me when they will be there, so I’ll have to be good.”

I grabbed her and gave her a hug and a kiss.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“Holy cow, that’s a good time,” Jerry Salaway said as my rebuilt Dodge Charger stock car completed another lap.

It was our third day of running at the Bristol International Speedway and the first time I had given the driver the okay to open it all the way up. The first two days had been shorter, slower runs to tune the electronics of the drive-by-wire and dynamic suspension. The best split of the prior two days had been the last run yesterday with a speed of 89 mph. This morning, John the driver had kept speed below 100 for the first three laps. On his fifth, he hit 115. Considering the short track (1/2 mile) and high bank left hand turns, it was pretty impressive.

“Let’s see if he can hold it for five,” I said as I continued to track his progress from the top of our trailer in the pits. Sixteen point six seconds later, John crossed the starting line again.

A little over a minute later, he completed the five lap sprint and began slowing to pull into the pit. Jerry was shaking his head. “Paul, I did not really appreciate how serious you were about these cars. That is truly impressive.”

“Thanks, Mr. Salaway. I appreciate it. Let’s go see what John thinks of the handling.” We climbed down from the top of the trailer and walked to the pits as my car pulled in. John Evanston, one of the drivers we had hired was climbing out of the car as we walked up.

“Damn, that is a sweet ride after the tuning we did yesterday. I can’t believe I was able to handle her in the turns at that speed. Normally Bristol is a slow track.”

I smiled. “That’s what I like to hear.” I hopped into the car and began collecting some data from the bank of LED displays. This car was for research, not show. Instead of the plush interior I had built in the beast, this car was stripped bare except for the racing seat and roll cage. I had sound mounted and insulated the engine, which both drivers had commented on. Bristol was supposed to be a loud track, but they said it was little more than highway level noises, even at speed.

Jerry was acting as the test coordinator this morning after watching Jeryl and I for the past two days. While I collected data to ensure the tuning was correct, he was going over the next test run with John.

“Next up is top comfortable speed for twenty-five miles,” I heard him say. “Paul wants you to pull in if you feel any change in the handling or get any warning lights.”

John nodded as he took a sip of water. I checked the fuel level with the dip-stick to verify the electronic readings and then motioned him back into the car.

“Everything looks really good after five laps at 115. It’s your call if you want to keep that speed or go higher or lower. I just need the data to be as consistent as possible.”

“It felt real good. I might back down just a little on the turns, but with its acceleration in the short straights and easy braking into the corners, I think I will probably keep the average close to that.”

“Okay, it’s your car again,” I said.

John got back in and started the car up. Soon he was building up speed before starting his fifty-lap run. Jerry and I headed back to the top of the trailer to watch after I took a little detour over to the fire crew lounging by their truck. Less than twenty minutes later, we were checking data again.

“John, how do you feel about going two-fifty?” I asked as I finished verifying my readings against my expected values.

“Sounds like fun. I wish I could run this car in some real races. I think you’ve got a winner here, Paul. It handles beautifully and has the right power and breaking profile to eat up small tracks like this.”

I grinned. “Well, maybe I’ll talk to Chrysler about it. I’d love to get some real endurance data from a whole racing season.”

As the next test got underway, Jerry looked at me. “Are you serious about giving this car to Chrysler to race?”

“Giving, no. Selling or partnering with them, sure. I don’t think NASCAR would allow it in a race, though. It would not even qualify as superstock given all the changes I’ve made to it.”

“I thought they were concerned about wheelbase and engine ratings. I looked under the hood, and you would be fine there.”

I shrugged. “It’s possible. Chrysler racing has been going downhill lately, so they might be interested. I’ll get this week’s data and some lap and distance times and talk to them.”

We watched a few more laps in silence. We both wrote down each lap-time on our clipboards as part of the data collection. The splits were staying at or slightly below sixteen and a half seconds.

“So, Paul, Janet and I have had several conversations about you and Jeryl since Christmas. I want you to know that I think you are a fine young man.”

“But?”

“No buts. Jeryl is our youngest child and we will always be protective of her. I think you’re almost as protective of her, and I appreciate that. I haven’t always acknowledged that, and I’m not sure Janet ever will, but I want you to know my thinking on the two of you.

“You’re both still young and in high school, and may not last through college, but as long as you two want to be together, you’ll have my support. Janet and her mother may argue about matters, but I stand by my belief that you and Jeryl are good for each other and may have a long future together.”

“Thank you, sir.” I said. “We both know we are too young for life-time commitments right now, but we both believe we will be together for the long haul. Neither of us wants to jeopardize our futures by doing something rash or immature that you or our mothers might take exception to. I won’t disappoint you.”

“I don’t think you will, either.”

We watched another couple of laps together.

“Mr. Salaway,” I said as John began decelerating after his final lap. “Thanks for coming this week and helping out. It’s been nice having you around offering a hand.”

He smiled and handed me his data sheet. “It’s been my pleasure, Paul. I’ve always enjoyed racing and not had much chance to watch it with four women in the house, but don’t let any of them hear that.”

I laughed and we headed down the ladder for the pit.

“Well that is just bollocks!” Jim said into the phone. He was in the office area of the garage, using the phone for a business call. “I’ve gone over all the documentation and it meets the specs of the rules as they stand.”

He paused to listen to the other person. “If you don’t want a twenty mile per hour advantage with a car that only needs to pit once in a two-hundred and sixty mile race, you’ve got stones in your head.”

Another pause.

“Yes, it beat the pole position qualifying time by seven miles per hour with a no name driver.”

“Yes, it meets every spec they have published.”

I watched him listen for a few minutes. He visibly relaxed and then smiled at me. “That’s better. We can have the car down to you guys by the first of June and you can run it all summer long. If you want to get it into a real race, we can talk some more, but are not opposed to the idea ... Good. I’ll mail the paperwork to you tomorrow ... Thanks.”

Jim hung up the phone and then laughed. “Paul, beware the sons of Martha who have no imagination.”

“Hey, I resemble one of them, you know.”

“You may make the world a better place, but you are never going to be a downtrodden engineer,” he replied.

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