Johnny Pulaski Chapter 13

Posted: March 22, 2006 - 11:05:33 pm

The next day was Tuesday, December 21^st , 2004; I slept in until after

nine. I was in bed alone when I woke up. I gingerly climbed out of bed

and tested my leg. It held my weight with only the pulling sensation

from the stitches. I brushed my teeth, threw on some shorts and headed

toward the wonderful aroma of breakfast coming from the kitchen. When I

got there Jane saw me and smiled.

"Good morning Sleepyhead. I was just about to come get you. Breakfast is

ready."

I went over to where she stood by the stove still in the red chemise,

covered by a loosely belted red silk robe. Here hair was perfectly in

place and her light make up flawlessly applied. Jane had clearly been up

a while. I kissed her thoroughly and sat down. She brought me a cup of

coffee and the paper then I almost fell out of my chair when Jane

whistled though her teeth and Jethro came trotting into the kitchen. She

told him to sit, he plopped his big goofy ass right to the floor and she

gave him a piece of bacon. He gobbled it down and she sent him out of

the room with a word and a gesture. Now Jethro was as smart as he wanted

to be, which most of the time wasn't very. So seeing him act as if he

were Jane's trained poodle threw me. I asked her how she did it.

"Jethro and I came to an understanding this morning while I was making

biscuits. He stuck his snout in my crotch so I whacked him on the nose

with the wooden spoon I was using. Since then he's been an angel."

I nodded my head in understand. Damn this was one amazing woman. And I

don't mean just about Jethro, I meant about the biscuits, too. When I

finally settled down in about a hundred years, figure the odds of me

finding a wife that would be making me scratch biscuits, while looking

as if she just stepped out of */Playboy/*.

So there I sat, stuffing my face, my hand high up on Jane's thigh. I was

somewhere beyond hog heaven when the front door opens and my Mom breezes in.

"Johnny," she called, "Katrina and I are going shopping but I thought

I'd check on you first. Whose car is that... ?"

She stopped mid sentence when she saw us sitting in the breakfast nook.

I was scared shitless and started to jump up. Jane put her hand on my

arm and gave it a little squeeze to keep me in place.

"Er, um, uh, hi Mom," I gurgled.

Mom was still staring at us open mouthed as Jane rose gracefully and

extended her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Pulaski. Won't you join us for

breakfast?" Jane sounded as cool and composed as if she done this a

hundred times.

Mom, still speechless, mechanically stepped forward and allowed Jane to

sit her at the table. Jane got Mom a cup of coffee, returned to her seat

and took my hand again. It was surreal as Jane calmly talked to my mom.

"I'm sure this is a shock to you, Mrs. Pulaski, and I'm disappointed we

met this way. But I'm not one to try to sneak around, so perhaps this is

for the best. Your son is the finest young man I've ever met but you are

in no danger of me trying to steal him. My husband died two years ago

and I think I died inside. Johnny helped me regain my life and

reconnected me with my daughter, I'll love him forever for that but it

will be as a friend. Understand?"

Mom looked back and forth between Jane and me then cleared her throat.

"My son seems to be a lot more than I ever suspected. All these amazing

things he does while practically raising himself. I can't judge you,

Jane, or be upset with Johnny, I think I lost that right when I put my

career before my family."

I stood up, pulled Mom out of her chair and hugged her tight.

"You are still my mom and I still love you."

Jane excused herself, so Mom and I sat and talked for a few minutes. We

cleared the air between us. I told her how proud I was of her but how I

had thought she had left for more reasons than just her work. She

recoiled at that statement and vehemently denied any such thing. In the

end we agreed that we both needed to let the other know just how much we

loved each other every chance we got. When she left I felt great about

our relationship and I think, so did she.

Jane came back into the kitchen right before Mom left. The two women

hugged and Mom thanked Jane for taking care of me. Jane said it was her

pleasure. Both women giggled at the double entendre.

Jane and I finished breakfast then I had her for dessert. She made

another one of my little fantasies come true when she let me take her as

she leaned over the countertop. With her long legs it was a nice

experience as neither of us had to contort. We did the same trick two

hours later, only this time Jane was dressed in a black skirt, garter

belt, stockings and high heels. The second time was even better as the

sight of her dressed up always made me hot. When we finished she pulled

up her panties, cleaned me off and we went Christmas shopping. For Jane

it was last minute stuff, mostly for coworkers and such. For me it was

early shopping, as I usually waited until the twenty-third to really get

motivated.

Jane dropped me off at two. She was as much fun shopping as she was

anywhere else. Jane even took me with her to Victoria's Secret. It was a

big turn on for me to pick something and have her model it. Jane loved

red so I ended up buying her a red bustier and a matching pair of

panties. I swear it was all I could do to keep from ravishing her. She

rewarded my restraint right there in the mall parking lot with an

exquisite blowjob.

I was sitting in the living room, Jethro sleeping on my feet when the

doorbell rang. Jethro and I both went to answer it. When I pulled open

the door I thought at first glance that it was Shelia Cavanaugh. Then I

noticed that this was a grown woman.

"I didn't know Shelia had an older sister," I said.

The woman gave me a dazing smile. "She doesn't, I'm her aunt." She stuck

out her hand, "you have to be Johnny. I'm Nina."

I shook her hand and invited her in; curious as to what in the world she

could want. I offered her something to drink, she asked for a glass of

water. When we were settled, her on the couch, me in Papa's recliner, I

asked what I could do for her.

"Johnny, Shelia called me crying about what my sister did to you and how

you wouldn't talk to her. I came here to talk to you; not at her

request, but because she is my goddaughter and I'd do anything for her.

I need to tell you about my sister Donna, so you'll know what you are

dealing with. I also need to make you realize that Shelia is nothing

like her mother."

"Okay," I replied.

"Good. Johnny you must not think our family is like my sister, because

we aren't. My father was a cop in Boston until he retired. He and my

mother had seven children and he was an honest cop, so we were not

wealthy by any stretch of the imagination. Things got better when we met

my cousin Jacob. Dad retired and we moved down here. He took a job as

chief of security for Turner-Thornton Holdings and for the first time we

were financially well off. I was twelve then and Donna and her twin

brother, David, were ten. For some unknown reason Donna grew up thinking

that, because of the wealth of our extended family, she was royalty or

something. It surprised no one in the family that she married the son of

an Italian Count, the heir apparent to a vast fortune.

"They were married three years and she was in her element then he was

tragically killed in a skiing accident. Donna came home a very young,

very wealthy widow. A year and a half later she married Thomas, he was

ten years her senior and also from a wealthy family. Donna is a good

mother and wife, though, despite outward appearances."

"That's about what I expected to hear, Nina. I know that neither Shelia

nor the twins want to be like their mom. I really like Shelia, but if I

dated her it would cause friction between her and her mother. I'm not

willing to put up with your sister's crap and I also don't want to come

between Shelia and her."

Nina regarded me for a few seconds and shook her head.

"You are just as everyone describes you, Johnny."

I didn't know if that was good or bad but I had a couple of questions

for her nonetheless.

"Nina, why do Sheila and the twins look like you and not so much like

their mom?

She smiled again, "that is a simple question with a very complicated

answer Johnny. In my family, including my extended family on my mother's

side, the women are mostly all redheads with green eyes and the men have

black hair and blue eyes. But in each generation at least one girl is

born with the black hair and blue eyes. My cousin Jacob's mother was the

one in her generation; Donna is the one in ours. My sister Claudia has a

daughter that looks just like Donna. I think one reason Donna believes

she is so special is because of the way she looks."

"I was always curious about that. Last question, can I touch you please?"

She looked at me as if she was reevaluating anything nice she might have

said.

"I mean just touch your hand for a second," I explained blushing furiously.

She grinned at my discomfort and held out her hand. I took it in mine

and felt that familiar connection that seemed to be special between most

of the females in her family and me.

"Feel that? That happens very rarely with other women but I seem to feel

it with all of your family except Shelia. Wonder why that is?"

Nina did not release my hand as a gamut of emotions flickered across her

face. Intrigued I sent her just a little bit of arousal. Her eyes widen

when I did that and she involuntarily moistened her lips. Then just as

quickly she pulled her hand back.

"Sorry," I apologized, "I don't usually throw that last part in with

married women. But the feelings I get from you are really strong and I

couldn't help myself."

"I'm widowed, but don't do that again Johnny. I came here for my niece

remember?"

"Yes ma'am, I remember just fine. I just don't think there is a future

of any kind for Shelia and me. I don't think Mrs. Cavanaugh is going to

have a sudden change of heart and I'm not going to wake up suddenly rich

and famous."

Nina gave me another one of those looks. She sure spent a lot of time

appraising me. As I gazed back at her I thought of one more question.

"Nina, what's the story on the twins? I've never met anyone like them in

my life."

That got me a genuine laugh. "No one has. They stand out even in our

family of unique women. Maybe someday I'll tell you all about us Buckley

women, Johnny. I do know that the twins' IQ is off the charts and so is

their talent to cause mischief. They probably have other talents we

can't even imagine." She stopped talking as an idea hit her, and then

resumed. "You know Johnny; they could be your allies in dealing with

Donna. They seem to be about the only ones who can get her to do

something she is set against."

I walked her all the way out to her silver Mercedes. I was holding the

door open for her when she unexpectedly kissed me and shot me a jolt of

sex so strong I reeled back from it. She gave me that sultry laugh again.

"I see that it works both ways, Johnny Pulaski, that's a good thing to

know."

I took my first shower in three days at five. It felt great to be

standing under the pelting spray. I was startled when the door to the

shower opened and whooped when Katrina threw a glass of cold water on

me. She laughed maniacally as she retreated to the bathroom door.

"You said you wanted me to help you when you finally got to shower," she

giggled. "Now hurry up and get those cute buns out of there, Mom and I

are taking you to supper."

"I am so going to even with you for this," I threatened her retreating back.

When I got to the bedroom Katrina was sitting on the bed waiting for me.

She looked very pretty in a skirt, sweater and heels. I decided to

extract a measure of revenge and dropped my towel. Instead of blushing

Katrina took a long look. Then she started talking as if me being naked

was perfectly normal.

"I told Mom I had to help you rebandage your calf and arm," she said as

I was pulling on my underwear.

I pointed out where the new gauze squares were and went back to the

bathroom for the ace bandages that held them in place. I laid face down

on the bed as she first applied Neosporin then gently bandaged me up.

She talked as she worked.

"Mom told me about her visit here this morning, I would've loved to have

been a fly on the wall to witness that! She said you two had a good talk

afterwards though. Mom said the woman was very attractive and seemed to

think you were God's gift to women."

Katrina finished the bandages and swatted me hard on the ass.

"Okay stud, all done."

She jumped off the bed and ran from the room before I could grab her.

That was two I owed her. I dressed and went out to the living room. Mom

stood up when I came in and gave me a big hug. I kissed her cheek and

told her she looked very pretty. She did too, in an outfit much like

Katrina's. Katrina drove us to the El Cantina, a Mexican restaurant on

the beachside. We had a really nice meal and an even more pleasant

conversation. After the meal, Katrina dropped me off. She said she was

going out again that night and would talk to me later. I took Jethro for

a walk, fed him and then plopped down to watch the tube. By ten my eyes

were drooping so I hit the hay.

I woke up around one when someone was crawling into the bed with me. I

tuned over and saw it was Katrina. This was going to be a problem

because I usually slept in the raw.

"I'm naked under here Sis," I said in warning.

"No problem," she said.

Then she whipped off the t-shirt she was wearing and climbed under the

covers. Once under the covers she wiggled around some then handed me her

panties.

"We're even now," she giggled.

I could smell alcohol on her breath. "You've been drinking, Trina," I

said brightly.

"Yeah, Roxanne, Sarah and I went to a kegger. Sarah was the designated

driver so I had a few. I almost had to kick Roxie's ass to keep her from

taking my place as your nurse tonight. She and Sarah both want a piece

of you after I told them about Mom catching you today."

"Sure Trina, whatever you say," I said sarcastically. Roxanne Fulmer was

a knock out. She also won a soccer scholarship to Auburn. Girls like

Roxanne wouldn't give a sixteen-year-old guy like me the time of day.

And Sarah Gauthier was no slouch either. She was one of those bookish

smart girls you just knew seethed with unreleased lust.

Katrina turned on her side to face me and put her hand on my face.

"You think I'm kidding don't you? They saw you on television Monday and

couldn't believe how you had grown and matured. They'd jump you in a

second if they weren't my friends."

"Well thanks for defending my virtue, Trina," I teased, "but if Sarah

mentions it again I'd go out with her in a heartbeat."

"You can call her after I go back to Colorado if you have the nads, I'm

not going to pimp my friends for you. Besides, if you took one of them

out before I left I'd be jealous."

I laughed and hugged her to me forgetting we both we naked. To my utter

astonishment she kissed me and stuck her tongue in my mouth. I loved it

and it scared the shit out of me at the same time. Finally she broke the

kiss and sighed heavily.

"You are forbidden fruit Johnny, I guess that's why this is so exciting.

Now turn over and let me get dressed again or we are going to be in big

trouble."

I was both relieved and disappointed as I did what she said. When she

had her t-shirt and panties back on I got up and put on my underwear.

When I fell back asleep she was softly snoring, snuggled up against my

back. When I woke up the next morning she was right where she was when

we fell asleep. I silently slipped out of bed and dressed in the bathroom.

When Katrina finally staggered into the kitchen moaning that her head

was about to fall off, I handed her three aspirins and a glass of OJ.

She sat down at the table and dispatched the pills then asked for a cup

of coffee. I got it for her and offered to make her breakfast. She made

a gagging noise and declined. Instead she took the mug of coffee and

headed for the bathroom.

Katrina returned to the kitchen twenty minutes later. She was much more

chipper this time. She made a couple of pieces of toast, refilled her

coffee and cadged part of the newspaper from me. We had been sitting in

companionable silence for a while when she cleared her throat.

"Johnny, I'm sorry about last night. I guess the beer lowered my

inhibitions."

"It's okay Trina. I like the way we are now so don't get all prim on me

just because you feel guilty. You did the right thing in the end, and as

much as I hated to, so did I. And for what its worth, that was about the

best kiss I ever remember getting."

"Jesus, Johnny, you're no help at all, now I'm even sorrier I stopped

last night."

"Well as long as we are both dressed I sure wouldn't mind getting more

of those kisses either."

Katrina zoomed off shortly after that. She gave me a chaste kiss on the

check and laughed at the sad face I made.

It was a nice sunny day so I took Jethro to the park. He was miffed that

I kept him on his leash but still seemed to enjoy his walk. I took him

home then headed for Toys R Us. I wanted to buy a Christmas present to

give little Emma Thorpe. I looked around and finally settled on this

fatly stuffed panda bear that was almost as big as I remembered her

being. The bear was wearing a red t-shirt that said 'hug me'. I liked it

so much I bought three of the dang things. I hoped that my favorite

twins would like them, too. When I paid for the bears I was shocked at

how depleted my funds were.

My grandfather had given me five hundred dollars before they left and I

had a little over a hundred of it left. Over two hundred of it went to

the vet who treated Jethro, but, yikes, I still had major Christmas

shopping to do. I cruised over to the bank and took five hundred out of

my savings account. I sure hoped Papa had some work for me when he

returned because my cash flow situation was starting to suck. While I

was at the bank I had an idea about a present for my Mom. I called Dad

and Katrina and ran it by them. They were enthusiastic so I went and

made arrangements for the next day.

I had been home about an hour when Amanda and Caroline showed up. I got

a chuckle out of their outfits, as Amanda was dressed pretty much like

Caroline: tight jeans, belly shirt and all. It was a nice change from

her grunge costume. We hung out and just talked like good friends.

Caroline told me her father was very impressed by what I had done in the

park. He said I was a son to make a father proud. Amanda told me that

her mother was so much better it was amazing. She said Jane had a date

Thursday night with this really nice guy she met at work. And speaking

of date, the three of us made a play date for the Sunday after Christmas.

I took a shower and drove to the address Kayla Thorpe had given me. She

lived in an old but still fairly nice apartment complex just off the

causeway on the mainland side of town. My arms were full but I managed

to ring her doorbell, I was a couple of minutes early. Kayla opened the

door and showed me in: Emma was behind her peeking around her leg. I

gave Kayla the bottle of wine I borrowed from Papa and Nana and the

bouquet of flowers I'd snagged on the way over. Then I knelt down on my

good leg and held the big panda out for Emma. The little girl was gaga

over the bear; she carried him around all evening.

Kayla's face brighten at the flowers and Emma's gift, she had a

beautiful smile. For the first time I got a really good look at her as

she put the flowers in a vase she pulled from under the sink. Kayla

Thorpe was a woman best described as cute. She was about five-six and

well constructed. She had brown hair and wide spaced, intelligent brown

eyes. I kept my inspection circumspect and asked where Mr. Thorpe was.

"Good question," she said, unable to hide the bitterness in her voice.

"If I knew the answer to that I could maybe collect some of the ten

months worth of child support he owes Emma."

I backpedaled and told her how good supper smelled.

She gave me an embarrassed grin at her little outburst and said, "Emma

insisted we make you spaghetti and garlic bread, it's her favorite.

It'll be ready in a few minutes, so have a seat with Emma while I finish

the pasta."

Kayla's apartment was a small two bedroom with an open living area. The

kitchen was a small galley that overlooked the dining and living room

area. The apartment was sparsely furnished but decorated with some

splashes of bold color. A small artificial tree with a few brightly

wrapped presents under it was set up in the corner. I liked how

comfortable I felt there. I sat down on the couch next to Emma as she

watched television and she crawled up into my lap. Kayla gave me a

surprised look from the kitchen.

"She never does that Johnny, she's always very shy around men."

I helped Emma get her panda situated on my lap as well before answering.

"Little kids like me for some reason. I don't get to hang around many

but I like them too."

Kayla nodded and returned her attention to the boiling pasta. I asked

Emma what she was going to name her bear. She didn't pause a heartbeat,

"He already has a name, silly, it's on his shirt, his name is Huggy."

It was my turn to look at Kayla in surprise. Kayla was smiling proudly.

"She is learning to read in preschool, she's a very smart little girl,"

she added unnecessarily.

The spaghetti was as good as advertised. Emma sat on one side of me and

Kayla sat on the other. Emma insisted that Huggy occupy the empty chair.

Kayla had me open the wine and pour us both a glass. I enjoyed the meal

and the company. After dinner I sat at the table as Kayla and Emma

cleaned up after the meal. Kayla made a pot of coffee and we chatted in

the kitchen as Emma watched the Disney Channel. I liked talking to

Kayla, we had a lot of common interests and she was a bright woman.

Before I knew it was eight o'clock. Emma insisted that I help tuck her

in after her bath, then of course, I had to help tuck in Huggy.

Kayla seemed to enjoy talking to me as well. After we tucked Emma in we

sat on the couch and continued the conversation. As the night progressed

Kayla opened up to me about her life. It had been around eighteen months

since her divorce. Her ex was pretty much a deadbeat dad so she was

working and barely making ends meet. Kayla was unapologetic that she was

a waitress at the '*/Wing Thing'/* one if those */'Hooters'/* clones

that popped up everywhere. The girls at the */'Wing Thing'/* wore tight

purple shorts and even tighter tops. She worked three days a week then

Friday and Saturday nights. She said that the tip income from those two

nights was all that allowed her to keep Emma in the best

daycare/preschool in town.

Her parents helped her when they could, but that mostly consisted of

them watching Emma while she worked on the weekend. Her father was

disabled and on SSI while her mother worked part time at K-Mart. Her

in-laws were nearby in Orlando but she wouldn't take anything from them.

Her mother-in-law had tried to get her ex custody of Emma, so she didn't

want them to have even a hint that she couldn't support her daughter. At

times like Christmas it was especially hard because she couldn't afford

much for Santa to bring Emma.

I left Kayla's at ten-thirty with a healthy respect for her character.

Even though I felt no connection to Kayla when we inadvertently touched,

I still asked her out.

"Johnny, even if you were older I wouldn't go out with you. I have a

horrible track record with men, and besides, I spend all my free time

with Emma."

'Well, that's a good thing then, because Emma wouldn't have much fun at

the zoo without you there. I can see how you could feel that way about

men, given that your ex is an asshole. But there are some nice guys out

there and I'd like to think I'm one of them. As for my age, think of it

this way, at least I won't be down at your work drinking beer and

talking trash."

She finally agreed, so we made a date for the next Tuesday. Kayla was

actually excited about taking Emma to the zoo for the first time. I

drove home thinking about Kayla and Emma and Santa Claus. Little Miss

Emma was going to have a visit from Santa; I just had to recruit a few

of his helpers. Santa was going to visit Mama Kayla, too. Anyone with

her grit and goodness deserved it.

It was almost eleven when I pulled into Papa's drive way. Jethro was all

over me when I went into the house. The Goofus had been lonely I guess.

I made amends by taking him out for a late evening stroll. Jethro was in

fine form as he peed every fifteen feet all the way around the block.

Katrina's car was sitting behind my truck in the driveway when Jethro

and I came home. I let us into the house but saw no sign of Katrina. I

walked down the hall and heard the shower running because the bathroom

door was standing wide open. I leaned against the doorjamb and admired

Katrina's soapy silhouette through the slightly steamed up glass shower

doors.

"I see you out there Johnny, so don't get any wise ideas," she admonished.

"The only wise idea I have is to stand here and finally see you get out

of the shower," I replied.

She laughed and turned off the water. "Hand me a towel, will you?"

I grabbed a clean towel out of the linen closet and stood next to the

shower door. When she slid the door open a crack and stuck her arm out,

I dangled the towel just out of her reach. She poked her head out the

opening where her arm had been and saw me standing there grinning.

"So that's the way it's going to be," she said.

"Yep, pay backs are a bitch, Sis," I replied.

She laughed and suddenly the door slid all the way open. Katrina stood

there, Amazon Warrior proud, little beads of water sparkling on her

flawless body.

"Okay, you've had your revenge, now give me that towel before I freeze

to death."

I stared dumbly and stuck out the towel.

"Jesus, Trina, your body is perfect," I gasped.

"It's okay, but it would be better if my puppies were a cup size

bigger," she said as she wrapped the towel around herself.

"If they had been I would have had a stroke," I said.

"I seem to remember you had a lot of strokes even when I was only an 'A'

cup," she giggled.

I laughed and left the bathroom before my hard-on ripped through my

zipper. I was lying in bed reading an old novel I found in my

grandparents' bookcase when Katrina came traipsing in. */Time And Time

Again/* was the title. James Hilton, the guy who wrote */Goodbye Mr.

Chips/*, wrote it. It was about this English guy born around the turn of

the twentieth century. If Hilton's description of the hero had any basis

in real life, those upper class English dudes back then were some tight

asses. The book was a slow read so I put it away when Katrina slipped

under the covers.

I turned off the lights and we lay on our backs talking about our day. I

told her all about my dinner with Kayla and Emma. I told her about the

tough time Kayla was having, yet how good a person and mother she was,

contrasting her with the evil (in my mind at least) Donna Cavanaugh.

Finally I told her my idea for getting some money to Kayla so she could

by presents for Emma. When I finished talking, Katrina rolled over on

top of me and gave me a soul-searing kiss.

"What was that for?" I asked when she came up for air.

"It was because you did good, Baby Brother. You seem to be trying to

save the world one woman at a time. I know you've already done wonders

for me. I just wish I could figure out a way that would make it right

for me to get some of the other benefits too," she said wistfully.

Katrina fell asleep on my arm, curled up against my side. Sleep eluded

me though, as I kept wondering if I was messing Katrina up somehow. I

mean our flirting was fun and I didn't take it really seriously.

However, I was beginning to wonder about Katrina's take on things based

on the comments she kept making. As I finally drifted off, I realized

one thing I did know for sure; it was going to stink when I had to start

sleeping alone again.

I woke up the next morning with Katrina's fine-spun blonde hair tickling

my nose. She was laying partially on top of me her arm possessively

across my chest. Who would have thought she was such a snuggle bunny? I

tried to ease out of bed again but my movement woke her up.

"Good morning Trina."

"Umm, good morning, Johnny. I sleep so good in your arms. I'm going to

smuggle you back to the academy."

I dragged my ass into the bathroom and emptied my bladder. Kong was not

cooperating in losing his morning stiffie but I managed anyway. After I

peed I hit the shower. While I was in the shower Katrina came in and did

her morning thing as well. When I exited the shower she was gone from

the bedroom. I caught up with her in the kitchen ten minutes later. She

had already let Jethro out and was warming bagels in the oven.

After breakfast we drove over to our house so we could get dressed up

for Mom's present. I had scheduled a family portrait at this new digital

photo studio and our appointment was at ten. I had secured the

photographer's guarantee that he would have a framed eleven by fourteen

portrait ready by one the following afternoon, the day before Christmas.

It was going to cost a few bucks but Dad thought it was such a good idea

he volunteered to pay for everything.

I called Dee-Dee on her cell phone right after her show. I told her what

I had in mind for Emma and Kayla and asked if she thought her station

might help. She said she'd go see the station manager right away, but to

consider it done. She also volunteered to deliver the check to Kayla

personally on her way home. I was happy that Dee was confident that her

station manager would fork out the five hundred bucks I wanted for

Kayla. I was prepared to get the money out of the bank myself but I knew

Kayla would never accept it from me.

We all cleaned up pretty well, even me. Katrina was wearing her dress

blues, Mom had on a nice dress and Dad and I were in suits. We kept our

destination from Mom until we pulled into the studio parking lot at nine

fifty-five. It was worth getting into the monkey suit just to see my

mother's joy as she picked out the picture she wanted enlarged from the

digital display.

We were out of the photo studio by ten thirty and home fifteen minutes

later. I changed into jeans and headed out to do my serious Christmas

shopping. I learned my shopping technique from my grandfather; you made

a list of your requirements, organized it by were the items could be

purchased and had a backup for everything you needed. Of course Papa's

system was mainly for building supplies but the concept was easily

adapted for holiday shopping.

I was buzzing towards the mall, loins girded to face the crowds, when my

cell phone rang. It was Kayla Thorpe.

"Johnny," she gushed, her voice excited, "Denise Drake from Channel 16

just walked up to my door and gave me a check for five hundred dollars.

She said it was money left over from the station's Christmas fund and

that I got it because of what happened at the park.

"She also asked me if I had met you yet. When I said I did she went on

for five minutes about how wonderful you are. How do you know her?"

"Her son Richie is one of my best friends, and that's wonderful about

the money, I guess Santa's is going to make it to your house after all."

"He is if I can find a baby setter, I am working a Christmas party

tonight so I'm free this afternoon."

"What if I picked up Emma and took her Christmas shopping with me? That

way you could do what you needed to do."

"You wouldn't mind? She likes you and after Ms Drake's testimonial I

guess I can trust you."

So I changed course and went to Kayla's. Emma was excited about going

shopping with me. Kayla sent us off with a kiss, pretty excited herself.

I fitted Emma's booster seat into my truck, turned off the passenger

side airbag and navigated to the mall.
Joe J
Chapter 14