Chapter 25

Posted: May 22, 2006 - 02:23:48 pm

The week that the twins left for Ireland is when I met my "cousin" Tyler Tiplitski. I said cousin in quotes because Tyler is the grandson of my self-proclaimed aunt, Olga Swistak. In the circular logic of Olga and Nana, if Tyler is Olga's grandson, and she has declared me her nephew, then Tyler and I must be cousins. I met Tyler because Papa hired him as a favor to Aunt Olie. Tyler had just graduated from high school and was trying to decide on his future. Papa said he'd give the boy a try but there were no free rides at Pulaski Construction. Olie said she understood, and that Tyler was a hard worker, so that shouldn't be a problem.

I gotta tell you, Tyler Tiplitski was the most countrified person I've even seen not on 'The Beverly Hillbillies'. Tyler made Jethro Bodine look as if he were a worldly city slicker. My first clue to Tyler's nature was when he pulled up to the job site in a Black 4X4 Ford Ranger Pickup that was jacked up high enough to give you a nosebleed. The truck sported a set of serious off-road tires as tall as Cindi Frazier. Four spotlights were mounted on a roll bar behind the cab. A big aluminum dog box with a high swivel seat perched on top of it filled the truck's bed.

My second clue came when Tyler kicked open the truck's door and dropped to the ground. He was dressed head to toe in Realtree Mossy Oak camouflage. It was the first time I had ever seen a camo wife-beater t-shirt (I still need someone to explain the need for such an item.) The only splash of color on him was the Confederate Flag emblazoned on the front of his camo baseball cap and the words 'Get Er Done' stitched in red above the flag.

Tyler walked up to Papa and introduced himself in a most respectful voice.

"Mr. Pulaski?" When Papa nodded, Tyler continued. "Sir, I'm Tyler Tiplitski, thank you for hiring me, you won't regret it."

Papa shook his hand and introduced me. I stuck out my hand; Tyler grabbed it and pulled me into a crushing bear hug.

"Hey, Cuz, I've heard a lot about you from my Grammy."

Tyler was a stout young man; he stood about five-eleven and weighed over two hundred pounds. He had that blocky, weight lifters build.

When I could breath again I said, "Nice to meet you, Tyler."

"Call me Tater," he grinned, "everybody else does."

I liked Tater from the get go, he was a good guy. I'll bet you are wondering how a redneck like Tater could be from Palmdale, a city with the headquarters of two Fortune 500 corporations and the highest per capita ratio of millionaires in America. Easy answer, Tater wasn't from Palmdale proper, even though he had a Palmdale mailing address. Tater was from the small farming community of Spotsatula, about fifteen miles west of the city. Polish immigrants settled Spotsatula in the early twentieth century. Descendents of those settlers still farmed thousands of acres of cabbage, carrots, celery and onions.

Spotsatula enjoyed a special status with the county and state as an important segment of a diversified economy. Over two hundred square miles of that part of the county was zoned special agricultural. The Turner and Thornton (TnT) Ranch was on the eastern edge of Spotsatula. Thornton money and Turner political clout had kept land speculators and developers at bay.

Tater was the hard worker that Olga Swistak advertised. The boy was strong as an ox and had the stamina of a water buffalo. Papa was getting his money's worth. Tater was working for Papa because his parents were trying to get him to reconsider not going to college. That was why Tater ended up with all the hardest jobs; Papa was making sure he knew how hard some folks had to work. Tyler Tiplitski wasn't interested in going to college, he wanted to enlist in the Army and become a paratrooper. Even though he had a diploma, Tater couldn't enlist without his parents consent because he wouldn't turn eighteen until October.

Tater and Jethro got along famously, which made Papa like Tater even more. Tater had a couple of hunting dogs of his own and he thought Jethro would fit right in with them. Tater didn't know that the only thing Jethro would hunt was a place to lie down. Tater also met Cindi one day when she popped in to take me to lunch. Of course I invited Tater to lunch with us. The two became friends immediately, I think because they both had weird senses of humor, and because Tater loved Cindi's soft Tennessee drawl. Cindi told me later that she also made sure Tater only saw her as a friend by radiating that message using her empathic talent.

Tater also met the twins and Nina right before they left for Ireland. Nina brought them by where we were working on their way home from shopping. The twins were friendly and nice to Tater but they made it clear who their man was. They were especially affectionate because they were leaving in a couple of days. When they drove off Tater looked at me and shook his head ruefully.

"Cuz, those are some special women, they ain't the prettiest I've ever seen but they have something that makes them beautiful anyway. Shee-it, You are some kind of lucky so and so."

Nothing much I could say to that.

Speaking of Nina, she was still glowing from the early stages of her pregnancy, her clothes were starting to get snug in the waist but she wasn't showing yet. She said she was going to go public with her pregnancy while they were all in Ireland. I spent one evening a week with Nina; we usually got together on Tuesdays, her housekeeper's day off. Sometimes she would cook for me and other times she'd take me out. Nina and I had a pretty cool relationship, we were friends with benefits and she was my mentor on things in life I was embarrassed to ask anyone else. I knew I was special to her because she put aside Tuesdays for me even though she led a very busy life.

But back to Cousin Tater. Tater knew I was bummed because the twins had left, so he invited Cindi and I out to the farm to go varmint hunting. Tater even convinced Papa that it was a good idea for Jethro to go run with his dogs; sort of let Jethro rediscover his roots, as it were. According to Tater, getting rid of varmints, rabbits especially, was a chore that had to be done. If left unchecked, the rabbits multiplied like - well like rabbits - and they could inflict considerable damage on crops if left unchecked.

Saturday morning, bright and early, I picked up first Cindi, then Jethro. Cindi sat next to me while Jethro occupied the passenger seat. Jethro curled up with his head on Cindi's thigh and went to sleep as soon as we were out of Papa's driveway. We arrived at the Tiplitski farm just before eight in the morning. The Tiplitskis' house stood back about a quarter mile from the highway and the area between the highway and the house was planted in a variety of trees: oranges, palms, live oaks and magnolias. I found out later that the trees qualified the Tiplitskis for some state designation that helped reduce their taxes. The trees were sold to nurseries and landscape companies when they reached about three inches in diameter and another tree was planted in the sold tree's place.

I really liked the house; it was large and square with a ten-foot wide porch completely surrounding it.

Tater answered the door and introduced us to his folks. The Tiplitski parents were a nice clean-cut couple without a trace of Tater's thick accent. After introductions, Tater went back out to my truck with me to get Jethro. Jethro bounded around peeing on everything in sight as Tater, Cindi and I walked around the house. Set at least fifty yards behind the house were a couple of out buildings for farm machinery and a six-stall horse stable. The stable had a corral like, fenced in enclosure next to it.

Two of those wrinkled up, sad faced bloodhounds were lying under a big leafy fig tree in the back yard. Jethro saw them and went loping over to where they lay, ready to sniff some butt and make some new friends. The two bloodhounds, one black and tan and one brown, didn't even look up as Jethro capered around. They were so still, I was afraid they were dead.

"That's Junebug and Ladybug," Tater said proudly. "Wait until you see them in action, they are the best huntin' dogs in the county."

Cindi and I nodded our acceptance of his declaration, but I had to wonder about that, given their total lack of animation. Jethro couldn't figure it out either. He plopped down on his stomach, put his head on his crossed paws and just looked at them.

"I'll get out the four-wheelers in a few minutes and we'll go chase rabbits but first I want to introduce you to my little sister." Tater stopped walking then and regarded us seriously. "I have to warn you that Tonya is a little different than most girls. She doesn't talk much and likes horses a whole lot better than she likes people. She is going to the University of Florida in the fall to study large animal veterinary."

Tonya had her back to us brushing down a horse when we walked into the stable. Tonya was Tater's little sister only by virtue of being born five minutes later than him. She was at least as tall as her brother and not much lighter.

"Hey Skeeter, these are my friends I told you about," Tater said.

The girl stopped brushing and turned around. She was dressed simply in jeans and a plaid shirt, a curled up straw cowboy hat on her head. She had big, big sky blue eyes and dirty blond hair. Her cheekbones were high; her nose small and up turned and her mouth was wide and full lipped. She was big but she had a womanly figure. Tonya made me reconsider the term big beautiful woman, because up to that moment, I always thought the term referred to the big old gals grazing at the all you can eat buffet down at the Western Sizzler.

Tater continued his introductions, "This is my friend Cindi and our cousin, Johnny Pulaski."

Tonya nodded toward Cindi and then turned those baby blues on me. She fixed me in her gaze and it felt as if she were looking into my soul. I don't know how long I was lost in her eyes, but it felt like hours. Tater finally broke the spell.

"We're going hunting, can we borrow your four-wheeler?"

Tonya flicked her eyes towards her brother, "I'll go with you, grab my rifle while I finish brushing Star."

Tater looked surprised but quickly nodded. "Come on Johnny, you can help me carry the shooting irons."

When we were out of earshot of the barn Tater slapped me on the back.

"Damn Cuz, you are the first guy Skeeter ever joined when we went hunting. All the guys I ever bring out here moon over her but she just ignores them. She doesn't date, says all that boys want to do is get their hands on her ta-tas. You best be careful, she broke Billy Kessler's finger just for poking one of them."

"Don't worry Tater, I wouldn't do anything like that, I have girlfriends, remember. I like her for some reason though, she's very pretty."

"She ain't fat neither, us Tiplitskis' is all stout like that."

We came back out with two rifles and a shotgun. Tater and his sister had .22 automatics and Tater was lending me a single shot .410-caliber shotgun. (Why is a .410 barrel bore measured in caliber instead of gauge? Beats the hell out of me.) When we hit the porch Tater's two comatose dogs spotted the rifles, jumped up and started running around in circles baying loudly. Jethro thought that was more like it and enthusiastically joined them.

Tater led me out to another building and rolled up the overhead door. Inside the building were a few pieces of farm equipment and two all terrain vehicles, one small and sporty looking and one big heavy-duty model with a winch. Cindi and Tonya came in right behind us as Tater was securing the rifles and shotguns in scabbards attached to the ATVs. Tater climbed on the smaller machine and turned to me.

"You are going to have to ride with Skeeter because her 700 can carry more weight."

I nodded as Cindi climbed up behind him and they drove off. Tonya was still looking at me speculatively but she didn't say a word as she fired up her machine. I could tell just from the sound that her rig was a brute. Once she was backed out of the stall and turned around she stopped and I climbed on the back. If everything had stopped right there, it would have been great. Of course, it didn't, though, and the next few minutes turned into some of the most embarrassing of my life. I know that I redefined 'idiot' that day. Forever after then, some guy is going to do something indescribably stupid and every one around him is going to say, "Man, what a Pulaski that dude is."

So I'm astride the comfortable big seat of the big four-wheeler, my feet firmly on the ridged floorboards and my hands lightly on Tonya's waist. Tonya put the beast in gear and slams the thumb lever throttle wide open. We took off as if we were an F-18 being catapulted off an aircraft carrier. I yelped as I started falling backwards and grabbed on to Tonya to keep from falling off. Unfortunately, the easiest thing to grab on Tonya was her big old casabas, the very ones that cost poor Billy Kessler his finger. I realized my mistake immediately and let go of them as if they were radioactive. I let go just as Tonya released the throttle and hit the front brake. My head reversed direction and smacked nose first into the back of her head.

My proboscis had bled easily since Arturo Mendoza flattened it for me, so of course, I spouted blood like a stuck pig. At the same time my nose erupted, I fell side ways off the ATV because I wasn't holding onto Tonya anymore. I fell off the left side but my left hiking boot hung up on the grated floorboard and I twisted the crap out of my ankle. Then for good measure I landed on my left elbow, whacking my funny bone so hard my whole arm went numb. I looked and felt as if I'd been in a train wreck.

Tonya jumped off her Polaris and knelt beside me. Her big expressive blue eye were still captivating even through all the pain I had going on right then.

"I'm sorry Johnny, you startled me when you grabbed my puppies," she said.

I nodded. "Billy Kessler syndrome," I said.

She smiled for the first time; she had a beautiful smile. "What's hurt besides your nose?" she asked.

"My ankle, my elbow and my pride," I replied.

"Okay, squeeze your nose and tilt your head back. I'll go get my mom."

Mrs. Tiplitski, a shorter, more loquacious version of Tonya, came rushing out with a couple of large zip lock bags filled with ice. Mrs. Tiplitski was as efficient as a trauma surgeon, the result of treating farming accidents I guess. My nose had stopped bleeding and we were icing down my ankle when Tater and Cindi roared back up, Jethro right behind them, well ahead of Tater's hounds. Cindi was off the seat and kneeling beside me before Tater had come to a full stop. I assured Cindi I was all right then I stood up to test out my ankle. I had known enough not to take off my boot, and that coupled with the ice reduced any swelling. I took a couple of steps, and while it hurt enough to get my attention, I could still walk on it.

"See, I'm fine, nothing is broken so you don't have to shoot me," I said lightly.

Anyway, we mounted up and tried it again. This time I wrapped my arms firmly around Tonya's waist and away we went. We threaded our way between green fields on narrow dirt tractor trails until we came to an area where the tended fields abutted piney woods. Tater pulled over and turned off his machine, Tonya pulled up next to him and did the same. Tater explained that this worked better at night but basically what we were going to do is sit right there and let the dogs chase the rabbits out of the fields and into the cleared firebreak between us and the woods. We would then pick them off when they were out in the open. I nodded that I understood and he sent his dogs into the field.

Jethro looked confused about this turn of events. He followed the other dogs for a few yards but when he saw we weren't going too he came back and sat down next to me. Jethro thought it was great fun chasing after the ATVs so he was waiting for us to get moving again. He looked disappointed when we dismounted and started taking out the rifles and shotgun. Then he heard the other dogs baying and hauled ass after them. In minutes the dogs jumped a rabbit and Tater's trained hounds drove it towards us. Tater's dogs got the rabbit moving in the right direction and went to find more.

Jethro, however, saw a critter that resembled a cat and zoomed after it on full afterburners. No one had a shot at the rabbit because Jethro was dead on its ass as it bolted across the firebreak. The rabbit slipped through the fence and Jethro sailed over it. Tongue and ears flapping in the breeze, Jethro disappeared into the woods. I thanked my lucky stars for Jethro's GPS collar; if he didn't come back at least Papa could come out and track him down. As soon as Jethro disappeared, Junebug and Ladybug flushed out another rabbit. Tater took a shot at it when it hit the clearing and missed, but Tonya downed it mid hop.

Jethro returned after about five minutes, hopping the fence with a rabbit in his mouth that he deposited at Cindi's feet. We bagged four more rabbits that morning; I even managed to shoot one that both Tonya and Tater missed with their rifles. Tater collected the rabbits and we headed back to his house at about eleven-thirty for lunch. Tater said he'd skin and dress the rabbits, freeze them, and then cook them up for his dogs later. Tater was truly amazed that Jethro had run down that rabbit in the woods; he'd never seen a dog do that before. I didn't tell him that Jethro learned the skill chasing cats. He was disappointed that Jethro was gun shy. When the shooting started Jethro hid behind Cindi and wouldn't chase any more rabbits. I guess that's why he ended up in the animal shelter in the first place, not many hunters wanted a gun-shy dog.

I was still embarrassed by my earlier meltdown but no one seemed to be bothered by it besides me. Tonya didn't mention what really happened to anyone, I was relieved about that. I had an even healthier respect for her now after seeing her shoot; she was some woman. Even as we got to know her better she still didn't talk much. I don't think she initiated a single conversation with any of us the entire time we were ambushing rabbits. When we left, Tater, Cindi and the dogs went one way but Tonya took a different trail. She wanted to check on a couple of her horses that were grazing in a pasture on the other side of the farm.

When we parked next to the pasture fence, a mare with a small foal ambled over to us. Tonya opened up the front storage bin of her ATV and took out a baggie of carrot slices. We fed the mare carrots as the foal nursed on her. We stayed there about ten minutes. Tonya spoke gently to the horse and her foal but didn't say two words to me. I certainly saw what Tater said about her liking horses better than people. Still, she was a nice person and I didn't figure it was any sort of crime that she didn't have much to say. Heck, I've heard say that she was half way to being a perfect wife, you know: a big boobed nymphomaniac that doesn't talk much and owns a liquor store.

We were about to climb onto her four-wheeler and head for her house when our eyes locked up again. She was standing on one side of the ATV and I was on the other. She reached across the seat, grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me towards her.

"You feel it, too, don't you?" She said almost fiercely.

I nodded never breaking eye contact. She pushed me back upright and let me go.

"We'd better get back before this gets out of hand; it is a bad idea for us to be alone together."

We climbed on her ATV and roared back to the house. When we parted at the equipment building, Tonya disappeared into the stable without even saying goodbye. She was steadfastly renitent in the face our mutual attraction and I resolved to be the same.

I was fine with staying away from tempting Tonya, after all: out of sight, out of mind. The problem was that our families didn't hold the same opinion and surprisingly, that even included Cindi. It all started with Aunt Olga and Nana. Olie told Nana what a good impression I had made on her daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter. Then she casually mentioned how lovely it would be if I took Tonya to the big Gala the PNA (Polish National Alliance) lodge was throwing. Papa and Nana were active members and strong supporters of the PNA since their days in Milwaukee.

Nana took up the cause with Papa and Olga recruited Tater. Tater told Cindi how important the event was and how nice if it would be if I took his sister to it so she'd have an escort when she received the scholarship the lodge was awarding her. I don't know what else Cindi had on her mind because she jumped on the bandwagon with both feet. Cindi told me she had spoken with the twins on the phone and they had seconded her motion that I go. Cindi said she'd go to the function with Tyler if I went so she could protect me if I needed it. She said it with a laugh but I could see something else mischievous in her eyes.

So on the last Saturday of June 2005, I whipped into the Tiplitskis' yard. The whole thing was pretty old world in that I was here for an arranged date orchestrated by our grandmothers. I hadn't even called Tonya to ask her if she wanted to go with me. I just showed up at the time I was told to be there. Tonya answered the door herself; the first time a first date had ever done that to me.

"I'm ready, lets get this over with," she said tersely as she started out the door.

I held up my hand and stopped her. I told her I wasn't raised like that and I was at least going to say hello to her parents. She stepped back inside the house and called her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Tiplitski were just about to head out the door themselves. They were somewhat surprised that I'd asked to greet them but, hell, this was Olga and Nana's show, so I was going to use the manners I'd been taught. Tonya looked good in black slacks and a red top. The top was loose yet it still failed to mask that she was seriously packing.

The PNA lodge in Spotsatula had evolved over time into a community center for the now diverse population of the area. It still had strong Polish fraternal roots, but nowadays anyone could join. The women of the lodge had cooked up a feast for the event and a local band was set to play after the festivities.

Cindi, Tater, Tonya and I shared a table all evening. I behaved myself like a gentleman with Tonya, my grandmother could be proud of me. Tonya and I sat there in silence most of the evening. She surprised me by accepting my invitation to dance and compounded the surprise by dancing really close. She actually grinned when she saw my startled look.

"I figure we are safe enough here, so why not?" She said lightly. Then in one minute she said more to me than all of the hours we'd spent together before. "Listen, I want you to know that the only problem I have with you is the timing. You'll know what I'm talking about in a little while. Plus I know you are a good guy and you aren't going to cheat on your other women. But here's something to think about next time you are with one of those skinny little waifs: I'm as good as I am big and I don't have one single inhibition in me. It just takes the right man to bring all that out; if things were different you'd probably be that man."

By the time she finished her little speech I was so hard I had a lump in my throat. She smiled knowingly at me and led the way back to our table. I found out what she meant about timing when she received her scholarship from the lodge. The lodge awarded her a scholarship for a thousand dollars, a nice little gift but nothing as extraordinary as she had made it sound. Tonya stood there and the lodge president called Jake and Melissa Turner forward. I hadn't even seen them sitting across the room. Melissa took the microphone.

"As you all know, Tonya is planning on going to veterinary school, and you also know she has worked for our vet, Doctor Stiles, since she was fourteen. Jake and I have great respect for her ambition and abilities. After speaking with Doc Stiles we made her this proposal: If she will stay here and work with Doc Stiles with the objective of taking over his practice when he retires, TnT Ranch will pay her tuition, room, board and expenses for as long as she is in school."

Holy Cow! A six or seven year free ride at the University of Florida had to be worth a quarter of a million dollars and a practice to walk into as a partner on graduation would set her up for life. No wonder she didn't have time for my tired Bohunk ass. Deafening applause followed about five seconds of stunned silence. For the next fifteen minutes Tonya was surrounded by well wishers, chief among them her dumbfounded family. Tonya had not let slip a word about what was coming up to anyone. When the band started back up I asked Tonya to dance. She accepted and we made it out to the floor. The lights had been dimmed and the mood on the dance floor was intimate and relaxed. Then a hand tapped me on the shoulder.

"Hey Johnny Pulaski, mind if I cut in?"

I turned my head and was startled to see Jake and Melissa Turner standing behind me. I glanced at Tonya and when she nodded I stepped back and released her.

"Sure Mr. Turner," I said.

"It's Jake to you, Johnny," he said as he extended Melissa's hand toward me.

I took her hand and gave one of my grandfather's patented little bows. I thought I was being gallant as hell.

"No problem, Jake'" I said breezily.

He laughed and he and Tonya danced off.

"I hope I can keep from stepping on you toes," I said.

She tossed her thick mane of midnight black tresses and gave me a throaty laugh that made Kong lurch in my pants.

"Somehow, Johnny, I don't think that will be a problem for you. From what Nina and my nieces tell me, you are quite coordinated."

She didn't dance with me in the formal way I expected, instead, she put both hands on my shoulders and moved close enough to be intimate yet not plastered against me. I instinctively put my hands on the flare of her womanly hips. She maintained a lot of eye contact as we danced and chatted, she had a way of making me feel as if I was the only guy she cared to talk to in the entire world.

"So, Johnny, you have definitely made an impression on my nieces and cousins. You know with all the unusual abilities that my husband's family has, I'm modestly informed of the empathy connection that the Buckley women seem to have. Some of the men have it too, but it only seems to affect Buckley women. Elaine and Nina said you can make a connection with almost anyone, is that true?"

"Yes ma'am, although I can feel almost immediately how strong a connection will be. For instance with Shelia it was almost imperceptible, with the twins, it is huge."

"Really? How would our connection be?"

"Stronger than most, you have an exceptionally vivid aura."

"So send me something."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea, Mrs. Turner. You have a strong affect on me for some reason and I might embarrass us both by what I sent you."

She gave me that throaty laugh again and kissed my cheek. "What a marvelously sweet thing to say. No wonder you shook Tonya up last week. Jacob and I are very, very fond of her, you know. But back to my 'tingle' I think Elaine calls it. After what you just said I am more curious than ever, so do it... please?"

I could certainly see why Melissa Thornton Turner was such a success; that please was accompanied by this look that could have gotten me to rob a gas station. I agreed and told her we needed to get a little closer. She moved tighter against me unhesitatingly and didn't flinch when I put my cheek against hers. I put my lips next to her ear and sent her a medium sized signal of how sexy I thought she was. At least I thought it was medium sized but judging from how Melissa sucked in her breath and shivered in my arms, I might have overdone it. She was still for a few seconds them leaned back and gave me some more of those smoldering, almost purple colored, eyes.

"You did that with Tonya? No wonder she is hot for you."

"No ma'am," I said emphatically. "I do not do that to women to seduce them. That would suck! Besides, even though there was a lot of attraction between Tonya and me, I am in a committed relationship."

"I wish you had been around when our daughter was sixteen," she said somberly.

At the mention of her daughter, I could feel the waves of sadness rolling off Mrs. Turner. Reflexively I countered her sadness by sending her a bigger dose of calm and contentment. I think sending her feelings of calmness surprised her more than the dose of arousal. She pulled my head down and kissed me on the cheek.

"Thank you for that, Johnny, and thank you for doing the right thing with Tonya. And while I'm at it, thanks for being so good to the twins and Nina. I know all about your plural relationship with them and Cindi. I think relationships like that are the best."

Before I could reply the song ended. I escorted Mrs. Turner back to her table and seated her as Mr. Turner did the same with Tonya. Mrs. Turner dug a tiny tape recorder out of her purse and asked me for my cell phone number; I gave it to her then went back to my table. Melissa Turner's comments about Tonya and then her remark about plural relationships had me thinking. Could it be that the Turners were having some sort of relationship with Tonya? It sure explained a lot of things if they were, and I knew from experience that Jake's family was very opened minded about sex. I knew it wasn't really any of my business, but you know how curiosity is. I decided to try a little experiment, so the next slow song I pulled Tonya back onto the dance floor.

When we were out on the dimly lit hardwood I held her like I had Melissa Turner and pulled her even closer. She gave me this look.

"You know this can't lead anywhere, Johnny, so don't start something."

I sent her a small dose of trust and told her I just wanted to dance and chat. She nodded and then she snuggled closer. I continued to send her increasingly strong feelings of trust. Then with my cheek pressed against hers, I started talking.

"I really like the Turners and I think Melissa is incredibly sexy," I said.

She didn't reply but I could feel a little sexual blush from Tonya when I said that. Hmmm. I sent her some more trust and a little something to help her arousal.

"I wonder if she is as sexual as she seems?"

A fairly strong wave of lust flowing out of Tonya answered that question. I was enjoying this because I was not only learning about Tonya's relationship with the Turners, I was also learning more about my little gift. I upped the ante just a little, Tonya unconsciously held me tighter, her big breasts pushing firmly against my chest for the first time.

"Just think, I had my hands this close to the ass that American men have lusted after for three generations. I wonder if it is still as nice as it looks in her clothes?"

Tonya's big hips swished and her groin pushed against mine. If I hadn't been listening closely I'd have missed the barely perceptible "yes" that she breathed near my ear. I started replacing Tonya's arousal with feelings of contentment and comfort, despite how much Kong was enjoying having Tonya pressed against him. She noticeably relaxed in my arms and we drifted apart slightly. Her head was resting on my shoulder when she finally said something.

"This is nice, Johnny, and you are a really nice guy. I hope we can stay friends. Like I said, the timing's wrong now, but who knows about the future, could be we still have our day coming."

I told her that I would always consider her my friend, just like I did Tater. Then I joked that I was just sorry that I missed getting to have my very first set of big un's to play with.

She rubbed her upper body against my chest a couple of times and said, "You don't know what you're missing, I have big nipples and they are very sensitive."

I gave a mock groan and slipped my hands up her sides until my thumbs were pressing lightly against the undersides of her breasts. She grinned and pulled back a little. "Naughty, Naughty, ' she said, "Remember poor Billy Kessler."

All in all, the evening was much nicer than I expected. Our table was easily the most fun in the place with Tater and Cindi to amuse everyone. Even the Turners joined us for a few minutes. Cindi tried hard not to be awe struck by meeting them while Tater asked Jake about the Army and in particular about being a paratrooper. Everyone knew that Jake Turner was a former army officer, hell; the local National Guard Armory was even named after him. Jake flat out told Tater that if he joined Jake's old guard unit, he would guarantee that Tater went to jump school. And Turner mentioned that by joining the National Guard, Tater could also still attend college. Tater thought the idea had a lot of merit.

I drove Tonya home at midnight and walked her to her door. She told me she had had a wonderful time and gave me a little kiss before she slipped in the door. I drove home feeling good about the evening and myself. I had been a good boy. As I drove I also thought about the enigmatic Turners. They just refused to fit any category I tried to put them in. They were rich as Midas yet they didn't act it. They didn't flaunt their considerable financial and political clout either. Jake reminded me a lot of my father and grandfather in how he dealt with people.

And then there was Melissa; Melissa Turner was Aphrodite, redux, pure and simple. I thought she was the epitome of what a woman should be and she seemed to think highly of me as well. I knew now that Jake Turner was telling the truth in all those speeches when he pinned his success at anything squarely on her. I have had some more really interesting times with the Turners; I'll tell you about them later.

June finally departed and July swept in hot and sticky. My life was on cruise control, it wasn't bad; after all, I had Cindi, my luscious Lucy Lu look-a-like, but we both missed the other two people who completed us. Tater and I were still breaking our humps for Papa Pulaski but we both admitted that we were getting a hell of an education in the construction business. We didn't spend much time away from work together as he had met some little red-necked barrel racing hottie from Deland and he was seriously smitten. He said that keeping Sarah happy after working all day was a chore because she spent most of every evening riding him as if he were Smarty Jones. Yee-haw!

Most Saturdays or Sundays during the time the twins were gone were spent either fishing with Dad and Papa or hanging out with Kayla and Emma Thorpe. I was proud that, next to Jethro, I was Emma's favorite male. Emma was getting excited about starting kindergarten in August; I was excited about being on the list to pick her up from school. That Kayla trusted me that much made me feel very good. Ah, and speaking of Kayla, I guess dating her was one fantasy that wasn't going to happen any time soon. Why? Because she was dating the lawyer who represented her at the custody hearing, that's why.

I know it seems odd that Kayla would take up with a lawyer; given all the asshole attorneys she'd seen down at the wing place where she worked. However, Gary Wright was a whole other kettle of fish. For one thing, he didn't drink, smoke, curse or do drugs. For another, he was Mormon, and to him only three things mattered: Family, Church, and Work. Gary was a nice guy, he had a good sense of humor and best of all he didn't bludgeon you to death with his religious beliefs. As far as Kayla was concerned he might as well have had 'FUTURE HUSBAND' tattooed on his forehead.

I muddled through July with the help of my friends and family, and finally the Cavanaughs and Nina returned to Palmdale. Cindi and my homecoming with the twins was so achingly sweet it made us all cry. It was also incredibly sexy as the four of us made passionate love all naked and wrapped around each other. We held our homecoming at Nina's house, again using the guest room with the oversized bed. I hadn't even seen Nina yet as she had a ton of business stuff to handle. Cindi picked the twins up at their house and brought them to Nina's; I took the day off from work and met them there. By two in the afternoon we were blissfully asleep, happily sated from our marathon round of homecoming sex.

I woke up at about three-thirty and quietly slipped out of bed. I put on my shorts, stopped by the kitchen to snag a Diet Dr Pepper and then headed out to sit by the pool. Five minutes later Elaine wandered out, tousle-headed, wearing my Pulaski construction t-shirt and a cute smile. She dropped lightly into my lap and snuggled up against me.

"I missed you so much it physically hurt, Johnny, but we have a lot to tell you, Honey. You aren't gong to believe all we learned while we were over there."

Edited by Bert
Joe J
Chapter 26