Chapter 4

My phone rang as Benjamin and I walked back into the lower level of the new house. It was Nanette from Mr. Bell's office. She wasn't a scatter brain by any stretch of the imagination, but she could be off the wall, just for fun, and at the drop of a hat. "Hey, Dave ... I mean Brian. Crud! I've got to learn your name. You'd think I could remember Brian, since we had a Brian before, but not me. Nope. I've got to keep making the same mistake, over and over again...

"Well, anyway. Mason Pendleton called from the big team, and said to have you call him when you get back in the office. I explained that your first child was just born, and you were taking a little time off to be with Colleen, and he got all excited. So expect to hear from them, soon."

She rang off without really checking to make sure I got the message, but with the size of our trust she was probably way over head and needed to get back to work.

Mason Pendleton was the G.M. of the parent club. If he was calling there had to be a very good reason. We were schooled to expect to be aggressively ignored at the Double A level by anyone associated with the big boys. We just weren't considered very important to them.

Benjamin looked thirsty, so I got us both a cold drink of water and because ... well ... just because, I got him an afternoon snack. My boy loved his snack but I wondered if he needed a girl collie, the same way I wanted Winnie, now that Colleen and Rebecca had thrown her at me.

It was something to think about...

Both things.

When I called the parent club offices, I was immediately put through, which made zero sense. Mason was talking a mile a minute when he picked up. "Brian. I hear congratulations are in order. Nanette says it's a boy. Congratulations. I called my wife and she is very excited.

"Barbara LOVES an excuse to go shopping so be prepared for her to send you something totally inappropriate as a baby gift. My wife is a trip. I can't wait for you and Jim to make a trip into town with Colleen and spend some time outside of work, together." He said that as one long, run on sentence. I don't think he stopped to breathe, so when he finished, I heard him suck in a big lungful of air so he could continue.

"Well! I bet you wonder about my call. Here's the thing. We need to be building a better bridge between the farm and the big team.

"Let's say, I wanted you to spend some time understanding our entire development system better, to give you a bigger picture of the importance of development at the Double A level.

"If I did, where better to start than with our scouting and slotting people. Scouting finds talent and we try to draft and sign them. Slotting evaluates and places those rookies at the proper level for developing future major league players.

"Buddy Keats is the director of Slotting. He works out of our Arizona hub, but he'll be in Branson to meet you and bring you into the family properly, next Thursday. His staff will be with him. We're putting them up at a Sheraton. My girl will get the details to your girl.

"What I'm hoping is that you will take a strong interest in the development of young talent, and learn that end of our business from Keats. He knows my intentions on this and has agreed to mentor you through the whole process. We NEED good, young talent, in that area of our club, and I think you are the perfect person to bring along as another spoke in our development wheel.

"Listen, the owner is here for a briefing. I'll let him know that you are on board and talk to you soon..." He was gone and I hadn't said a single word. I guess that makes us 'best friends.'

Since I had the phone in my hand, I called Rebecca and got her voice mail.

Undeterred, I called Yolanda and got hers.

Still undeterred, I called Millie and got the same thing.

Then I felt somewhat deterred...

My next call was to Jack. He answered talking a mile a minute. "I was just picking up my phone to call you. Rebecca is having serious labor pains. Millie and Yolanda are with her, and I have all I can do to keep Colleen in bed. She wants to be beside Rebecca, the same as Rebecca was with her.

"I need you, boss. Get here as fast as your team can move you. I called Winnie and she is organizing your ride right now. Gotta go, Colleen is getting feisty again." Bam - he was gone as fast as Mason.

When I turned to grab my keys, Winnie was at my side. "We need to go. NOW!" She spoke into her lapel mic. "Brian is with me. Bring the cars around and be quick!"

The level of anxiety was way too high for a simple case of birthing pains. Something had to be wrong to generate this kind of reaction. Winnie literally shoved me into the back of the closet Suburban and dove in behind me, waving for the driver to get moving.

I am certain we set the land speed record for the trip from home to the hospital. I counted seven county police cars clearing our path, and made a mental note to make sure gifts went out to the families of everyone involved. The front of the hospital was clear and our car slid to a stop. The doors flew open and Jack's guys surrounded me, hustling us through the lobby to an elevator held just for us.

When we were inside, Jack said, "Rebecca was fine. Everything was fine. Then she grabbed her stomach and moaned like everything wasn't fine. We reacted instantly with a wheel chair Larry kept just out of sight, and her water broke as we rolled her to Yolanda and Doctor Uvalde. He says they need to do the "C" section now.

"They were taking her in when I came down to get you. That's everything I know. Colleen is about to beat Jason half to death, because he won't let her run down and be with Rebecca while they operate.

"By the way, Rebecca refused to allow Colleen to be out of bed for that long, or we would have moved her in there.

"That's everything."

Jack looked scared to death. I guess men just don't handle baby birthing very well. Sure I was scared for Rebecca, but we hired Doctor Uvalde because he was the best "C" section guy in the mid-west.

I called Mr. Bell, but one of his team answered and said he was on the way to sit with me.

Winnie touched my arm, "Before you go to surgery, why don't you go settle Colleen down. Try reasoning with her. If that doesn't work, kiss her like you kissed me. I guarantee she will temporarily forget about berating our guys once you get your tongue in her mouth."

That sounded like a darn good idea.

Colleen reached for me as I ran through her door. "Brian! You need to go to surgery. Rebecca is having her "C" section and these Neanderthals won't let me go to her. What kind of troglodytes keep family members from comforting each other at a time like this?"

She was in tears from the excitement, fear, and uncertainty, so I took Winnie's advice and kissed her with all my heart. Colleen froze for a second, then gobbled my tongue and gave me the kissing of my life.

I felt her heart rate slow, while her respirations increased. She felt Mr. Johnson and giggled around my lips. When we were done, Colleen looked past me and said, "I think we have an audience.

Winnie came to Colleen and said, "Jack says Rebecca is having the baby right now. How about I stay here with you and Brian goes to be with Rebecca?"

Colleen's eyes flashed for just a second, and I feared an explosion. Instead, her look got soft, and she kissed me again, pushed me away and pulled Winnie in. When she got her where she wanted her, Colleen opened her mouth and sucked on Winnie's tongue like a Hoover.

It was total erotica, watching Colleen break down Winnie's resistance to kissing a girl. If Colleen hadn't just delivered my son, I would have raped her in front of Winnie and Jack. Mr. Johnson was screaming for release, but I knew now was not the time, and here was not the place.

Colleen released Winnie's mouth with a loud smack, as the suction broke, and Winnie softly touched Colleen's face with her hand. Her eyes were vey shiny as she stroked Colleen's cheek The look in her eyes was almost wild ... and very sexy.

Winnie looked at me as she stroked Colleen's face, then leaned in and kissed her like a lover kisses her beloved.

I almost came in my pants.

Colleen kissed and hugged Winnie with such intensity, I expected bones to start cracking, but instead of complaints, Winnie let Colleen slide her hand inside her blouse and touch her breasts.

Apparently Colleen knew precisely what Winnie needed, because her nipples stood out like grapes under her blouse as she moaned into Colleen's mouth. Colleen took Winnie's free hand and put it deliberately on Mr. Johnson. Her intention could not be any clearer.

I had to step away before they both got raped, and quietly went in search of Millie and Mr. Bell.

Rebecca was still in the operating room when Jack led me to Mr. Bell. We kept each other company while we waited for word.

Finally Yolanda appeared and beckoned me inside, where I was forced to wash, glove and gown up. Yolanda took one look at the tension on my face and smiled. "Everything went beautifully. Rebecca sailed through surgery and Millicent Jane is simply gorgeous. Congratulations Daddy," she said, and kissed my cheek.