Chapter 2

I heard voices as I swam back to consciousness. I'd spent the night in a chair - a reasonably comfortable chair, but still it was just a chair - beside Colleen. She had a restful night. Yolanda was an exceptional caregiver, and between us we fussed and pampered Colleen just enough, without making her crazy with our attentions. The nurses we hired solely to care for James, brought him to Colleen on a regular basis for feedings. He seemed perfectly happy and Colleen beamed every time she saw him.

Colleen and Yolanda were talking softly with Millie, while I caught a cat-nap in my chair, with my head on the edge of Colleen's mattress. As I awakened I could tell that they were deep in conversation, long before I was aware of anything.

Millie was explaining how we got a king sized mansion built in three months. "When those people bombed our homes, Brian was still unconscious. When he came back to us, we needed somewhere to live, and a contractor called to say he had built the infrastructure for a small lakefront hotel, quite near a marina Jim owns. The hotel owners went under in one of those property flip things, and the project just stopped. The contractor had a thought that we might see about converting the whole project into a private home.

"Judge Thorson had a hand in that, and it was hinted that our federal connections cleared the way like a knife through hot butter. Brian and Jim have really earned a little help from those people, so I think it was good use them to help us build our new home. Permits appeared right on time and the project never had a single major setback. Brian was determined to have our new home in time for our new family members to move in.

"Well, Brian and Jim figured out exactly how to layout the new place, using the original foundation, and the plans were drawn up over a weekend, by a firm in Springfield. The changes were approved in one day, and construction started the next. The basement is humongous. It's like a K-Mart down there. Jim and Brian had half built as garages and the other half as play room and rumpus rooms for the children.

"You won't believe it, but the contractor had over four-hundred workers going at one time. Construction was so slow around Branson. All those people were laid off and grateful that we decided to build. The contractors were ecstatic to be called back to work, and coordinated everything between themselves, because Brian and Jim promised a fifty percent bonus for hitting our move-in date."

Colleen put in, "It never is about money to Brian. He uses money to get things done, but never has a problem with greed. It's quite remarkable."

"The inspectors came out every night, and marked what needed changed, improved, or whatever, and the foreman had a special crew of people who worked all night to get ready for the regular construction. We really didn't lose a single day due to inspectors, or inspections." Millie was enjoying telling the tale of our new home.

"As it was, we were out there day and night checking on things. Jack's crew had to check out every worker, along with every contractor, and they stayed up nights getting it done. Of course, Judge Jones put his people on site to help. The government is so thrilled to have locked up so many mobsters. You have no idea, Yolanda. Or maybe you do, since you were in it for a time.

"It seemed like Rebecca, Colleen, and I spent every waking minute picking out fabrics, colors, and decorating schemes, so the interior people would be ready to go as construction flew along. It was really fun. You'd have been amazed." She sounded happy and rested. I loved that woman so much. Not the least because she gave me Colleen.

A strange voice spoke up. "So, you hadn't slept in your new house until last night?"

"Nope," Colleen said. "Brian and Daddy worked like slaves getting it ready for us, and I never imagined I'd miss our first night, but James came along, and last night was the first night for everyone but me and this little guy."

Millie interrupted. "That's why Brian refused to stay and sleep in the house last night, you know. He had supper, washed up, and came right back here to sleep in that lumpy chair, because you weren't there. He wants his first night to be spent in bed with BOTH of his ladies.

"He is so sweet about the little things..." She sounded wistful.

"I am amazed at how beautifully Brian takes care of you two. I've been around a lot of men and never seen one as totally devoted to any woman as Brian is to you two." That was Winnie. So my three ladies and one strange lady were taking a talk this morning. I still hadn't placed the fourth voice.

Colleen gently brushed my hair with her hand, "He is that. From the first time I saw him, Brian looked at me in a way I've never experienced before. His eyes touched me straight into my heart. It was all I could do to avoid embarrassing myself when we were introduced. As it was, I had to slip away and change into dry panties when he left." She was laying it on a little thick.

"I can't figure out what it is that makes him so different," Winnie was studying the 'Brian issue' like I was a geometry problem.

"Winnie you need to forget about understanding Brian, and just accept it that he is one of a kind ... a special one of a kind – and you'll probably never meet anyone quite like him, again," Millie said.

All my ladies were present except for Rebecca.

"He's right, you know," Rebecca WAS here. "Brian swept us off our feet and into his arms without thinking about it. We needed him in a way neither of us had ever experienced. The combination of kindness, sensitivity, and gentle strength had me imaging what it would feel like to have him between my legs, and that was just a few minutes after Colleen introduced him to me.