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 Chapter Nineteen



   Sunday mid-day saw us back at the airport, loading up to go home,
including an ice-chest with my precious stash of Louisiana smoked sausage.
After Elise dropped us at the plane, Tina giggled, "Louisiana is KNOWN for
good sausage..."

   "What's with you, my pretty young wife?" I asked.

   "Period's over.  We're gonna be in OUR little house tonight." She
smiled. "YOU'RE the one that started me on THIS." She walked purposefully
to the left side of the plane.  "I'm flyin' back..."

   "Okay, little one," I said, thinking to myself, 'Why not?" After all,
her pilot's license was one of the bright accomplishment since we'd been
together.  The flight back was absolutely routine.  Miles passed as we
chatted.  The wheels touched down in late afternoon and we were home just
before dark.

   It was just our little trailer in Tennessee, but it felt like our nest.
I was unpacking bags.  She flipped her phone out and said, "I'm gonna let
my sister know we're okay!" She grinned.  I mulled over that.  Sister.

   While she was on the phone I sorted laundry and started a load in the
little combo washer-dryer.  I heard her ending her conversation: "'Kay,
Sis! Love ya!  Bye!" She looked at me and grinned.  "Dinner?  Where?  Here?
Up the road?"

   "Choose," I said.

   "Catfish place," she said.  "An' I hope we don't have to fight our way
out of the parkin' lot."

   "Sheriff Department says our friends didn't make bail, so we're prob'ly
okay," I said.  "Let's go."

   She was in the driver's seat of her car, warming it up, as I locked our
trailer.  I slid into the passenger seat.  "Saves gas," she said.  We drove
off.

   "So what're you an' Cindy laughing about, baby?" I asked.

   "She's bein' recruited.  Somebody from Auburn is s'posed to visit her at
her school tomorrow..."

   "Oh, that'll tickle ol' Dan," I said.  "He always did have a sense of
the absurd.  A college recruiter at a middle school oughtta do it for 'im."

   "I sent an application to Auburn," she said.  "Can we do that?  I mean,
if that's where she goes?"

   "I think we can, baby," I said.  "Money's not a problem.  It'd be nice
if you got scholarships, but even without 'em, we can do it."

   We walked into the restaurant and got immediately recognized as the guy
who took on the Hossle brothers in the parking lot.  The manager and the
cashier that were at work the night of the incident were there tonight, as
was one of the waitresses.  We were greeted and seated amid quite a bit of
fuss, something that was amusing to Tina.

   "You're smilin' awful big tonight, hon," the waitress noted.

   "Uh-huh!  This is the second place Alan rescued me at..."

   The waitress looked at me.  "You?" I guess I didn't look like the 'ninja
warrior' type.

   Tina laughed, touching my arm.  "Hon, he's a BEAST!"

   The waitress walked off, shaking her head.  It was bad enough, I was
married to a seventeen year old girl, but to have that same seventeen year
old girl refer to me as 'a BEAST' might've been overload.

   Maybe not.  We got good service, although that was customary at this
little place.  And the manager came by and snagged the ticket.  "Just wanna
thank you for the other night," he said.

   "We appreciate it, but I'd'a fought off a grizzly bear in my skivvies to
take care a'her..."

   The old guy laughed.

   We drove home.  Period was over.  I had catching up to do.  I did my
very best.  Monday was back to work for me.  I answered the usual questions
about me and Tina's flying (literally!  Hah!) trip back to Louisiana and
went through the routines of bringing equipment on line for tests and trial
runs.  I ended up seeing where I was going to be running a bit late.  I
watched my watch and as soon as I thought Tina was on her way home, I
called her.

   "Hi, sweetie," she said.

   "Hi, cutie pie," I answered.  My technician made gagging noises.

   "What's that sound?" she chuckled.  She'd met Grady.

   "Me stranglin' Grady.  He's bein' an ass again." We'd been joined by
Grady on more than one occasion, meeting him at the breakfast joint.

   "Jealous, huh?" she giggled.

   I turned to Grady.  "Tina says 'jealousy is a terrible emotion.  And..."
I stuck my tongue at him.

   "Uh, dude... how'd she do THAT over the phone..."

   "You know how Tina is..." I returned to the phone.  "Babe, I'm gonna be
an hour or so late."

   "You're dyin' for another round of dump soup, ain'tcha!"

   "Either that or we go back to the catfish joint so I can be worshiped by
the waitstaff..."

   Does "I love you" count if it's proceeded by a raspberry?

   Later, as soon as I got in the truck, I called her.  "Tina, I'm on the
way home."

   "Okay, baby," she said.  "I'll be waitin' for you..."

   I hurried home.  Well, NOT too much of a hurry.  Several of my
co-workers had contributed to the coffers of local government, courtesy of
a local police officer whose girlfriend had moved in with a construction
worker.  It was dark when I pulled into the park.

   When I unlocked the trailer door, Tina was ladling soup into bowls for
us.  "Talked to Cindy after school, baby," she said.  "Sounds like she's
goin' to Auburn."

   "She met the recruiter?"

   "She did.  An' Dan."

   "Might still change 'er mind, baby," I said.  "It's a big step."

   "So what'd you have to work late on?" she asked.

   I explained.  We finished our meal.  That left showers and then...

   On Friday we had a chance to meet with Mike and Kathy, and of course,
Susan at a local restaurant.  That made for a pretty good evening.  Mike
and Kathy were a happy couple, and bright, genial, blonde Susan was an
added amusement.  Two couples?  Tina and me, Mike and Kathy?  And Tina
filled in the conversation between us, her friend's parents and her teen
contemporary friend.

   Of course, there was a second purpose to the evening: another concert
and permission from Mike and Kathy to bring Susan along with us again. 
These weekend jaunts were fun, and one night in a hotel in a city a mere
two flight hours away was fun, even though Susan cut into the 'alone in a
big room' time for me and Tina.

   I regarded it as part of the cost of marrying a seventeen year old girl,
and I didn't want Tina to miss out on having friends in her own age group.

   Tina and Susan left the table for a girls' room visit.

   Kathy waited until they were around the corner.  "Alan, you don't mind,
do you?  I mean, ya'll live in that little trailer, an' I KNOW you wanna
get out every now an' then.  Susan's not a bother?"

   "Not in the least.  Tina loves havin' her around.  And I want Tina to
have friends.  It's weird enough that we're married.  She needs friends her
own age, too, you know..."

   "Susan talks about you an' Tina all the time.  Mostly Tina," Mike said.
"I think that Tina having a plan for her life, Susan's tryin' to figure out
one for hers now.  At least college." He smiled.  "That's a good thing, we
think."

   Kathy stepped in.  "And what I was worried about," she cast eyes
downward momentarily, "that Tina being married at seventeen, well, seems
Tina and Susan talk about THAT too."

   "I've heard about some of that," I said.

   "I was worried," Kathy said.  "I don't think Susan's ready for anything
like that.  I was afraid..." she sighed.  "I was afraid that Tina might
influence Susan the wrong way.  Not intentionally, of course, but just by
example.  But Susan says that Tina is the most sane and chaste girl she
knows..."

   "Sane.  And chaste.  That's my Tina.  You have to understand, Kathy...
Tina was... well, I was her first..."

   "I didn't mean to be nosy, Alan..."

   "I wasn't trying to say otherwise, Kathy.  Just that Tina is a GOOD
girl. Like your Susan."

   Mike looked almost amused.  "Susan hasn't been falling in love ever' two
weeks since her an' Tina started hangin' out."

   "Tina told me that.  Said Susan still has friends, guys AND girls, but
she seems to be handling herself better."

   "More confident," Mike said.

   "Well, good!" I said.  "Susan's Tina's best friend at school, and I LIKE
her myself.  I want things to go good for HER sake."

   We saw Tina and Susan approaching, so we switched the conversation back
to college choices and school issues.

   "It's beginning to look like I might be goin' to Auburn," Tina said.

   "Go ahead,' I said.  "Tell 'em how you arrived at that decision."

   "I decided I wanted to be an engineer, like Alan, but I wasn't sure what
college.  And then we took that trip to Charlotte." Tina told the story of
her new 'sister'.

   The Carters listened, somewhat amused, until they heard Cindy's age. 
Tina read the expressions on their faces.  "Oh, Mizz Kathy, sometimes age
isn't more than a number." And both parties let the topic drop.

   "You knew about this Cindy?" Kathy asked Susan.

   "Of course.  Tina's my best friend.  We talk about ever'thing.  She
showed me pictured of their trip, and the group, an' how WONDERFUL the
concert was... I wish I coulda gone with 'em."

   "You should know that Dan and I worked together on a big project.  He'd
lost his wife and daughter in a car wreck.  He's a nice guy.  They make a
great couple.  Kinda strange-looking though."

   "And ya'll're talking about going into business?" Mike asked.  "I mean,
you can do that?"

   "We're both professional engineers.  Both have good reputations.  We're
looking at how to make it work.  I have some ideas."

   Tina smiled.  "And that way we can have it ALL!  Dan an' Alan can do
their engineering thing, you know, if they have to be on the road, an' me
an' Cindy can stay home an' stay in school."

   And Susan was smiling, too, and darned if I didn't think I saw a wink
between her and Tina.

   We parted ways in the parking lot after our meal, promising to pick up
Susan for the concert in the morning.  Arriving at the airport, we rolled
the plane out of the hangar.  Tina smiled all TOO sweetly as I was securing
our baggage.

   "Whaaa-aattt?" I asked.  I love my Tina, but I can recognize when I'm
getting ready to be manipulated, too.

   "Can YOU sit in the rear seat for this one, baby?  So I can let Susan
try flying up front?"

   "Okay," I said, "but don't you think you'd be better off doin'' that in
the little plane?" We hadn't sold her little 152 yet.

   Susan smiled.  "I don't have to, Tina..."

   "No," Tina said.  "My first time was in THIS plane, just like this..."

   At least they let me drive the rental car.  Tina pointed out that the
rental agreement didn't allow for drivers under the age of twenty-five.

   We enjoyed the concert and the late night snacks afterward, then retired
to our room.  I was the last one out of the shower, and when I marched my
pajama-clad self out of the bathroom, Tina and Susan were sitting
cross-legged on one of the two queen beds, giggling.

   "Okay..." I said, "Tina, I've been married to you for six months.  I can
tell when you've got something up your sleeve.  And Miss Susan, you
couldn't lie if your life depended on it.  So one of you needs to spill the
beans."

   "YOU tell 'im.  He's YOUR husband..." Susan said.

   "No, YOU tell 'im.  I'm his wife.  He may beat me..." Tina giggled.  She
grinned at me.  "So, okay, don't say anything until you hear us out."

   I sat on the chair next to the bed.  "This is gotta be good..."

   "I present to you Miss Susan Carter, Student of Engineering at Auburn
University..."

   Susan's rounded face was smiling.  "D'ya think **I** can do that, Mister
Alan?"

   Tina continued, "Since she won't be livin' with family, she'll be in the
dorm her first year, anyway, but her an' me an' Cindy..."

   "Oh, come on," I said.  I looked at the TWO of them, both bright, happy,
and EXPECTANT.  "You two are SERIOUS!"

   Susan giggled.  "Me an' Tina's been talkin'.  I mean, I work with Dad in
his business, so I'm NOT ignorant about how things work, an' Tina tells me
about YOUR stuff, an' how she wants to be an engineer..."

   Tina interjected, "Uh, Alan, baby... Know who ELSE thinks it's a good
idea?"

   "Lemme guess..."

   "Cindy!  All three of us talked." She smiled.  "An' Dan's gonna find out
from Cindy."

   "Oh, this oughtta be GOOD!" I said.  "Susan, have you talked to your mom
and dad about this?"

   "Not in any sort of detail.  But I have talked about where Tina was
applying and said that I wanted to apply too.  I think I'm gettin' a couple
of scholarships that'll help... Plus, Grandpa an Grandma put back some
money in a fund for my college."

   "Neat!" I said.  I looked at Tina.  "You don't have to ALWAYS be so
right, you know..."

   She bounced across the gap between the two beds and kissed me.  Susan
was grinning too.

   "See!" Tina squealed, "I told you he'd understand..." She looked at me.
"You DO understand, don't you?"

   "Yes, I do, baby, but realize that college is going to put both of you
in contact with a lot of different people.  It is likely that you will meet
new friends and your world will expand." And when I said, that, a dark
cloud drifted across my own mind... Tina... meeting all those people,
including a horde of young, intelligent males.  That was ONE way I didn't
want her world to expand.

   At the same time, though, I looked at the smiling, plump blonde Susan
and hoped sincerely that she'd find somebody who matched her and deserved
the obvious gem she was.

   Tina, though, is a perceptive little thing.  "You, dear husband, had a
dark thought."

   "No."

   "You did.  I saw your face.  Tell me.  If it's not too personal to tell
in front of Susan." Blue eyes.  Loving blue eyes.  Her hand touched my
face. "Okay?"

   I sighed.  "I just had a thought that I was turning the love of my life
loose on a campus full of men her age who'd love to..."

   "And they don't stand a chance.  None of them risked their life for me.
Twice.  None of THEM risked jail for me." She turned to Susan.  "Susan,
excuse me for a second.  My Alan needs a GOOD kiss." And she kissed me.  "I
remember a conversation once, about the meaning of 'forever'..."

   Susan said, "Gosh..."

   "We LOVE each other, Susan," Tina said.  "Doesn't mean we're perfect, or
that we always get along, but Alan's my best friend an' husband, an' you're
my best friend, who's not my husband, and..."

   Susan giggled.  "Cindy's your sister."

   "Yeah," Tina said.  "An' I guess we're all gonna be a community. 
Together.  Right, babe?" she looked at me and kissed me lightly.

   "Looks like it."

   Tina fished a deck of cards out of her bag and we played a game of
rummy, three-handed, laughing at each other's misfortunes, at least at
cards.  I struggled and got pretty soundly trounced.  Bad luck, more than
lack of skill, but beaten is beaten.

   We finally turned out the lights and went to sleep.  The next day, we
checked out and ate breakfast on the way to the airport.  We turned in our
rental car and got a courtesy trip to the flightline.

   Susan started into the rear seat but Tina tugged the rear of her jeans.
"No.  You do front seat.  Let Alan talk you through a take-off..."

   Two and a half hours later we were back in the car, driving Susan home.
It was early afternoon.  "Come on in," she said.  Her cell phone had
notified them of our impending arrival.  She barged through the door.  I
got the idea that Susan had been barging through that front door for most
of her eighteen years.

   "Mom!  Dad!  I'm BAAAACK!  Got Tina 'n' Alan!"

   Mike was the first one to show up.  "Come on in, buddy!  Let's have a
beer!  How was the concert?"

   Classical music wasn't Mike's thing, but he was personable enough to
want to hear about people enjoying themselves.  Kathy came in right behind
Mike, and she wanted details.  I let the girls (girls?  ONE of them was my
WIFE!) take the lead in talking about every detail.  Well, MOST details. 
Including the drubbing I'd taken at cards.

   And I charged in afterward.  "Has Susan said anything concrete about her
college?"

   Mike took on a knowing expression.  "Uh... Auburn, right?"

   "How much do you know?"

   Kathy said, "'Nother thing about her hangin' around with Tina.  I didn't
say much the other night because she said THEY wanted to tell you..."

   I sat back.  Tina knowingly slid a little closer and patted my knee.  I
looked at her, then Susan.  "I guess that makes me the LAST to know..."

   "'Cept maybe Dan," Tina giggled.

   I sighed.  "So you two are..." I asked Mike and Kathy.

   Kathy said, "Y'know, Alan, we knew that next fall, Susan was goin' off
to school somewhere.  Mike's been just dyin' that she was gonna major in
Medieval Literature or somethin', and me, bein' a mommy, I thought about my
baby girl goin' off to college somewhere by herself, a sheep among wolves."

   Mike grinned.  "When these two popped this idea out on us, we actually
felt relieved.  I mean, man, YOU are a 'responsible individual' that'll be
right there in town for our Susan.  And she'll have Tina right there, too.
And she seems to indicate that your friends Dan and Cindy will be there for
her.  Best world I can build, man!"

   "You make it sound like it makes sense." I stammered.

   "It does.  Really," Kathy said.  She stroked her daughter's hair. 
"She's eighteen.  I can't keep 'er forever.  And I don't think she'd
appreciate us moving to whatever city she's goin' to college in, just so we
can watch 'er."

   "Mooo-oommmm!" Susan whined.

   "Don't whine, dear," Kathy chided, smiling.  "You'll ALWAYS be our baby.
Alan.  Tina.  Susan.  Works for us.  She gets away from mom and dad, but
she's got a safety net.  Ya'll."

   Tina said, "That's what Cindy said when we came up with the idea.  It
was her that popped up with it first, and it just made sense.  We have a
little community.  Sure, we'll meet other people and make friends, but
we'll have us a core support group.  From Day One."

   "There she goes again," Mike said.  He'd heard Tina get on a roll
before. He smiled.

   "Oh, Mister Mike, I don't mean..."

   "'Sokay, darlin'," he said.  "I been livin' with two women tellin' me
how to live for long enough that another one won't matter.  An' me an'
Kathy're okay with this, if that's the way it goes down."

   "You know Susan gave your shop as one of the reasons she decided on
engineering..."

   He smiled like a true doting dad.  "Yeah, she's all sweet 'n clean now,
but Kathy used ta yell at me..."

   "For turning my precious little daughter into a grease-stained
tom-boy..." Kathy laughed.

   On the way home, Tina poked me.  "It's gonna be good, baby.  LIFE is
gonna be good." She paused for a second, thinking.  "Alan, you really
worried that I'd meet somebody ELSE at college?"

   "I worry, baby.  I love you more than the air I breathe.  I... a year
ago, I didn't know you existed.  Now I can't imagine ever living without
you."

   "Oh, Alan, I'm THAT way with you... You're the only man I know that
really loves me for ME!"

   "I do."

   She snuggled against me as we drove home.

   As I watched her naked form go into the bathroom, I heard her say, "Only
BAD thing about the weekend was I missed us showering together."

   "Could've sent Susan down to the hotel gym," I said.

   "We couldn't do THAT," she said.  "But I miss our showering together."

   "Me too, baby doll.  Me too."

   "Then don't put any clothes on after your shower." Giggle.  She came out
of the shower quickly, wrapped in her bathrobe against the chill, and
started drying her hair while I showered and shaved.  I finished shaving
and finished brushing her hair out.  Yeah, uh... playing with her hair was
approaching a fetish for me now as she threw her head back to assist me,
and I got to see those bright eyes and that smile.

   Her hand reached behind her and found me naked.  She spun around on the
stool and wrapped her arms around my waist, burying her face in my chest.
"MmmmmmI love you, Alan!"

   "I love you, Tina.  Wanna play cards?" I smiled.

   "Nope.  Not even close.  Wanna keep ya nekkid and have my way with
you..."

   Wasn't gonna argue with that one.  Not a bit.  Lusty, happy,
enthusiastic, orgasm lovemaking ensued.  Final score, Tina - 3, Alan - 2.
And of such things is nirvana achieved.

   I guess I was smiling inordinately broad the next morning.  Comments
were made, some rather lewd comments.  One of my more extroverted
co-workers said something.  "Louis, ol' buddy, d'ya know the most fantastic
sex you ever imagined in your feeble little mind?  Hmmm?  Well, it's BETTER
than THAT!" And applause was heard around the coffee counter.  I would've
shown him the picture of me standing between Tina and Susan, but I think
his head would've exploded.

   My two technicians disappeared and returned with a donut carefully
centered in a plate.  "In recognition of Mister Alan Addison, Chief
Engineer, for a put-down, above and beyond the call of duty!" Mackey said,
making a flourish of a presentation.

   Seven o'clock.  Tina and I were just leaving a restaurant after dinner.
Cell phone rang.  I looked.  Dan.

   "Hey, brother-in-law," I said.

   "Don't start," he said.  "I'm used to it now..."

   "Me too.  So what's new?"

   "Three more weeks on the project.  We do our forty-eight hour full load
run starting tomorrow.  After that, it's nothing but paperwork."

   I knew my buddy.  His fun stuff was almost over.  "I have at least
through May," I said.  "I get to see Tina graduate."

   "Yeah, I'm staying here until Cindy graduates, too.  But that's not what
I called about."

   "Lemme guess.  Cindy has introduced a girl named Susan..."

   "So you already know..."

   "You should've seen the two of 'em giggling over their bright idea."

   "I get the feeling," Dan said, "That somehow, Cindy's at the front of
this."

   "I dunno about 'front', but definitely in the middle," I said.  "If it
helps, Susan is Tina's best friend up here.  Terrific kid.  Every bit as
bright as you'd hope.  Gonna be in the top ten of her class."

   "Engineer?  Another one?  Do we, like, have a QUOTA?"

   I heard Cindy giggling in the background.  "I guess we just go with the
flow here, buddy."

   "Hi, Mister Alan," I heard Cindy's voice.

   "Hi, Cindy!" I answered.  It was easy to picture her snuggled into Dan's
side.  After all, Tina would be welded to mine if we didn't have a table
between us.

   "Hi, Mister Dan!" Tina said.

   "Tell 'er 'hi!" Dan said.  "Then you know that Cindy's leanin' real hard
towards Auburn," he said.

   "So I've been told," I said.  "Have you SEEN a picture of Susan?"

   "Yeah."

   "Evil-looking little thing, ain't she," I laughed.  "Her mom and dad are
great people.  And THEY know about it." I snickered.  "Found out before YOU
did..."

   I heard movement over the phone and then Cindy's voice.  "Mister Alan,
me an' Tina are makin' plans for us all to get together.  And Susan's
s'posed to come with ya'll."

   "Tina," I said to her, "your sister needs you to get with her for
planning again."