Plans Change A Story Continues 8

I was almost forty eight when I started writing Christina, I knew the letters would be read by others but I did not care.  It would stop whatever I was doing when I felt the urge which was daily.  My letters were long as I tried to explain how I felt while I told her what I had been working on that day.  At times I would explain the math behind the engineering other times I would draw a sketch of my latest project.  I would also write about how sorry I was for not including her in on my life.  Many times I had to pause in my writing to her as there were more questions and things that needed to be clarified or there was something that needed to be seen to.  I would never fail to return to the letter and have it finished before I went to bed which was deep in into the night.  Sometimes I would not finish it until the first light but I never missed the mail.  It was not until I was almost fifty that the investigations came to an end I think part of it was I had taken up training horses and took a fall laying me up for almost two weeks but more so I supposed there was a changing of the guard in the halls of power and old war horses were being put to pasture,  One of the things I did not write about to Christina was during my time sitting on the ranch was I had unofficially adopted twins during the last six months of my imprisonment for lack of a better term as I had been kept from visiting my family.  They had come into this world by way of a teen daughter of one of the two marines who had watched over me in San Diego.  The fact that his wife had left him to finish raising his children meant that the children raised themselves.  There had been no paperwork just the question early on in her pregnancy when he was out visiting during his interview process on how I would deal with the situation.  I have no idea if what had taken place was illegal but the Marshall's had not said a word and just went about helping me feed and care for these two children when a dad and his daughter who was too young to raise children on her own took a weekend to drive them out.

I had told her to finish school and get herself established and visit as often as she liked.  It was a year into my letter writing that Christina began writing back; mostly they were short explaining how mom was doing and what the children were up to and how her new clinic was coming and how nice it was not to be in the rat race of medicine anymore and she told me about her newest hobby working with the Mercy Ships, and Doctors without Borders.  She began telling about how because of my opening a new world to her she had also become involved with wounded warriors providing her surgical expertise in reconstructive surgery.  She also told me the loneliness she used to feel at night which had driven her to others arms was much more tolerable living with mom there and Julie not far and she and Beth shared lunch almost daily.  I finally asked her when I was sure my time was short if she would marry me again.  It was the day the Marshall's told me they were leaving which was also the day I had just got back on my feet after taking a really bad tumble off a horse which I had neglected to tell Christina that she sent a letter asking when.  I had decided to take the train back home.  It was the same day the Marshall's were leaving and Christopher showed up with his fiance. I was also getting a ride from the Marshall's to the train station.  Having never actually packed for infants before they were helping me.  Having a schedule to keep meant my conversation with Christopher was in short snippets and when he realized the two infants I had pawned on him and his fiance to expedite the moving of equipment were a significant part of my life now he asked if there was something I needed to know.  I told him he was carrying Carrie Ann and his lovely bride was carrying her twin Carl.  As I hobbled through the house I told him as he looked that yes he was their older brother and I would love to talk more but I was on my way to get married and if he did not mind I was wondering if he could stay and see to the livestock until their grandfather showed up.  The two women on the team who had kept me company went through their checklists before giving both infants hugs and then a kiss on my cheek.  The train ride with two infants was pleasant even if I had to enlist the help of some of the other passengers and the porters as with me still using a cane and trying to pace the club car with two infants was difficult.  Arriving in South Carolina to be met by Christina who had an odd look on her face which grew to one of alarm as I was helped with the double stroller and getting the twins into it by a young mother who was very pregnant and on her way to see her husband who had been transferred to the Carolina's recently.

As I greeted her once all of our luggage was gathered and on the cart she mentioned Christopher had called and she was wondering if there was something to discuss.  I asked if she thought the preacher would be at the church, when she asked why I told her I was getting married.  She did not get mad but raised and eyebrow as the young mom walked by and wished me luck.   Smiling I told her thanks for the company and it was she that would need some divine intervention.  As Christina lead me to the car she asked who that young thing was; I looked at her and told her I had met her on the train and she not being able to sleep and me still needing the use of a cane was having trouble walking two infants whose schedules had recently been turned upside down was very grateful for her help in burping them and making those mother sounds as I sucked at them.  She nodded and said so those were mine and I told her yes.  She then asked where the mother was and I told her she was finishing high school and then would be going to college next year.  Christina stopped and looked around and asked if everything I had written to her over the last couple years was a lie and then she asked if I seriously got a teen girl pregnant.  I almost laughed until I thought what it must look like and told her no I did not get a teen girl pregnant and the only person I remember getting pregnant was her when she was a teen so I guess yes I did get a teen girl pregnant but it was not the mother of these two but yes they were now my children as she was too young to have to be worrying about school and raising children.  She told me she was relieved to hear that because Christopher did not tell her much but  we should have discussed it first and maybe I should have told her first.

Julie pulled up in a truck and looked at me and the infants in the stroller and then shook her head.  I told Christina maybe I was wrong to come without warning her.  Julie was near tears when she climbed out the truck and asked how could I.  I asked her to be more specific, when she pointed down to the twins I told her if she did not like them then she did not need to have anything to do with me or them.  I looked around to see how I was getting home as the truck was not big enough and at the moment I did not think my daughter wanted me riding with her.  Seeing a cab a shuttle I waved it over and with a stunned daughter and Christina who had raised and eyebrow I got the luggage and the children tucked into their car seats with the help of the shuttle driver.  Mom was waiting and she was all smiles winking she whispered she heard through the grapevine I had adopted a couple of little ones Seeing me with the cane she asked when I acquired the use of its services. I told her shortly after hurting my back and breaking my leg when I got thrown off a young filly.  Julie had walked in during the conversation and glared at me, mumbling it served me right.  Mom was going to say something to her but I touched her arm.  I asked where her mom was and was told she stopped at the store on the way home.  Julie finally asked if I loved mom and I told her yes I did in spite of myself.  She asked if this was my way to get back at her and I laughed and told her if she though my adopting two children was to get back at her mom she needed to talk to someone.but at the moment that was not me as I needed to get two infants fed, bathed and in bed so if she wanted to throw a tantrum go somewhere else as I was too tired and while she was at it she should call her brother and tell him to stop spreading rumors.  Mom picked up the boy and told me he did kind of look like me.  When Christina walked in with bags she asked why Julie was sitting outside and I told her the girl was throwing a fit and mad at me for having an affair.  Christina told me her fiance had just called it off.  I told her since I was not the fiance I was not taking the blame.  She watched as I bathed both children in mom's sink after first doing the dishes.  Handing first Carrie Ann and then Carl before hobbling over to the table.

She asked as I sat down how if I had all those babysitters did I get hurt this time.  I told her they had not been able to protect me from myself are that little she devil.  Christina asked which one that might be; I told her she was the daughter of The Beast and had a temper worse than her dad; she said she was assuming I was talking about that horse. I nodded and said yes I was talking about that horse and his daughter had decided at the last minute she did not want me on her back and sent after slamming me into the fence she threw me off and nearly ended my days of walking.  Once the children were in bed she asked if I wanted to come over.  Mom told me to go ahead and walk her home.  There was now a paver stone path from mom's to the old barn.  I commented on the pattern; she smiled and said that was Christopher and he had pulled it up twice because it was not perfect.  Walking to the back of her new SUV she opened it and told me she noticed I did not have cribs.  Smiling I told her I did but they were so dang heavy and not really all that portable.  I noticed the bags and she told me she also picked up a few other things; I told her they did have clothes; smiling she told now they had more clothes and toys and books.  I told her she did not have to as they did have toys and books.  She asked if I had brought them and I asked her if she ever tried stuffing a Great Pyrenees into a suitcase.  She asked since when did I get a dog; I told her since I had been stuck at home and needed someone to talk to.he had been gifted to me.  She shook her head and told me a dog was not a toy and I whispered she might want to keep that down as those two thought he was.

Smiling as I sat down on her porch swing she told me she just did not see me as playing daddy; I saw Julie coming down and pointed;  Christina told me she would give me that one as I had been the main care giver while she finished school.  Looking around at the still ongoing landscaping projects I told Christina I was sorry I put her threw what she had to go through.  As she took a seat next to me she put her hand in mine and waited for Julie.  Walking slowly she came over and looked at me, and finally asked why I had adopted twins,  I told her when I went to the bay store I had been looking for triplets but they were out and seeing twins were on sale I went with them instead.  She told me she was being serious; I asked what was really bugging her.  She told me I was not married and I told her last I heard neither was she.  She asked who was going to change their diaper and I told her the same person who changed her diaper.  she came back with mom would be busy and I told her when her diapers needed changing mom had been busy as was the case with another little girl and then I told her I was sad to say that by the time a little boy had come along I had found myself too intertwined with another mess to help out.  She asked what mess would that be and I shrugged saying my life.  Christina squeezed my hand.  Julie finally said she came down to apologize; I told her thank you but right now I was busy helping her mom plan a wedding.  When she asked who getting married I told her I was. I glanced at Christina who squeezed my hand when Julie asked to who and began reading me the riot act.  I could not help but smile as my oldest daughter only fifteen years younger than I acted like a six year old throwing a tantrum.  When she calmed down she asked her mom if she knew I was getting married.  Christina told her she had become aware of of my intentions recently; Julie asked if she was okay with it and was told by Christina that yes she was okay with it as I was a grown man who was now free to do as I wished.  I told her there were a few limitations on that freedom but since I was planning on ignoring them I supposed I was free,  She told my soon to be wife would have another set of limitations.  Smiling I told her depending on what they were I might ignore them as I planned on sneaking into my children's mothers bed as often as I like; she asked if I was speaking of my younger or older children.  I told her the older children's of course; Julie was incredulous and told me I could not sleep with mom if I was married.  I told Christina that in that case I will go check on my children and she could sneak into my room and sleep with me.

When Christina asked if we were going to sleep sleep or not sleep I smiled and said a little of both as the twins were teething as if it was planned I heard the scream of Carrie Ann, smiling I mentioned yet another woman to scream at me.  Christina looked at me with a twinkle in her eye and then told me she had to be up early for a procedure.  I nodded and headed up to mom's house, reminding myself my boots and the walkway did not go together.  Mom was doing her best with my second oldest looking on holding her little brother who though he cried he did so silently.   Saying hello as i fetched the little girl who toned down her screaming once I had her tucked into my arm and started my slow rhythmic pace.  My number two daughter wanted to know what I had done.  I told her to hush as I began reciting cowboy poetry which I had become fond of over the last few years.  I had settled Carrie Ann down when I heard a car pull in down at Christina's and then Christina tell someone to please leave and then a male voice ask if he was here.  Julie was at the back door winded.  She had a look of fright, not outright terror but fright.  I just kept pacing when a man walked into the back door I asked if I could help him; he asked if I was him.  I told him to lower his voice or he would wake up my daughter and asked if he was related.  He looked confused and I asked if he was related, when he asked what.  I told him he was in my mom's house and at the moment it was family only so I wanted to know if he was family.  He shook his head and I told him I would walk him back to his car.  I kept Carrie Ann, now sleeping again, tucked into my arm as I used my cane to back the man out of mom's house.  He asked if I was a cousin and i told him no I was a son but right now he needed to concentrate and hush so he did not wake my daughter. I began walking down and saw the huge 4x4 and told him that was a nice truck reminded me of one owned by a good ole boy I once new before I dropped out of school.

When he asked if I was actually Chrissy's brother, I told him it was something like that.  Christina was up in her room looking out the window and did not look happy.  I asked the man what his relation to Christina was.  I could smell the alcohol now, and he got loud as he told me the old girl and him got back together after all these years.  I opened the door and told him it seemed more like he was living out a fantasy in his own child like world; when he went to speak I put my cane to his mouth and told him to keep it down as the mother of my sleeping daughter had to get some rest.  Pointing to the truck I told him to get in and be careful as the local officers were very good at their jobs.  When he looked toward the old barn I asked if he needed some help with the instructions.  To appease him I told him when  he was sober to stop by and we would chat about old times but my guess was his wife was wondering where the hell he was at.  When Carrie Ann started screaming again he left and I read the his personalized license plate.  The one time superstar of the local ball team still went by Bubba.  I looked up and could tell Christina was standing behind the curtains.  I took up my stroll and poetry reciting again, it took almost until local bar closing before the girl fell back asleep.  I continued to walk for another couple of hours before heading back to moms where I took over her brother who was actually making noise, not as loud as his sister but the boy had lungs.  Thankfully he quieted almost immediately when we went outside I sat up rocking him in the swing in front of the barn.  Christina woke me there; I did not ask but she told me when she started going back to church she ran into Bubba again and had lunch with him a couple of times and now he thought they were an item.  I told her men were like that, married or not as were some women.  She asked how I knew he was married, I told her the tan lines where his ring should be kind of gave it away.  I changed the subject by asking if she was driving herself to work.  Just then Beth pulled into the drive, she almost flipped a lid when she saw me and then seeing the infant in my arms she asked when I became a grandfather.  I looked down my nose and told her watch who she was calling grandpa; but to my knowledge I was not yet a grandfather but I was the proud father of paternal twins.  She asked if my fiance new what she was getting into.  I told her since she just found out right before her boyfriend stopped by we really had not had time to talk about it.

She looked at Christina and asked if he really had come over and when she looked away I told her he did and demanded to know if I was here but I sent him home to his wife and if she was still the secretary at the church I might just see her before he comes by.  Christina looked at me with that odd expression and I asked if she really did not know he had married the girl who replaced her as captain of the cheerleading squad and had six urchins not that I believed they were all his.  Beth told me Steve told her the same thing at the last church picnic so we either got our gossip at the same doughnut shop, I cut her off and told her actually we both just very observant and then I told her I did know Steve had to put him in the drunk tank a few times and the last time I had spent any real time at home he had been on  six month vacation which is when I am pretty sure she went out and got her self knocked up with the last one.  Beth handed Carl back to me and told Christina to get a jump on it.  When she went back in and came out with her attache case, her coffee and her white lab coat she came by and gave me a peck on the cheek and told me thanks for not starting something last night.  I smiled and told her I did not start stuff and gave her a kiss on the lips and then told her she had to go.  I walked back up to mom's after they left and found Carrie Ann in a happy mood and could smell the brandy.  My second oldest was feeding her and I asked how was school these days; she looked up and then told me she had taken some time off after our last little adventure and went on a mission trip to Australia and when she came home she got a job working for Beth.  I asked if she should not be going and she yawned and told me she had called Beth to tell her she had been up all night with her little brother and sister as they were crying and making a fuss and she was just trying to keep the peace.  I asked what her job was and she told me right now she was just a secretary but there was room for advancement as they were a growing company.  Mom took Carl off my hands and told me just so I did not get any ideas there was nothing between Bubba and Christina; I told her at least not since junior high.  Mom held Carl's ears and I told her he might be stopping by later so we could talk.

She told me not to start something and I told her if Christina was not smart enough not to go to lunch with that fool I was going to make sure he was smart enough to say no.  Mom told me one of those lunches did not count as they only sat across from each other at a church picnic.  I asked if his wife had been sitting with them and she had to stop and think about it before she told me that she had never paid attention but they never sat together at church or on any of the outings.  I asked if she was still the secretary and was told yes but enough talk I needed my shower and a nap.  I took the shower but not the nap as I started pulling the prefab furniture out of the Range Rover; I stopped when I realized how cheaply made they were and seeing she bought them at a local furniture store I after a little time of shut eye on the swing went and round up the children or the three that were at the house.  Returning the crap furniture was as simple as explaining my fiance had gotten overzealous when I showed up with my children to surprise her and she did not realize I had already made cribs, changing tables and had started on their bunk beds and had to pause when I was thrown from a horse.  I told the sales man to just put the money back on the card.  We drove all the way up to our new office complex or what had been new the last time I was home and that is where I found Christina had opened her new medical practice.  Steve had not known I was even coming home and was surprised to see me and asked if I was ready to take over and I told him only if he changed diapers while I went for a two hour lunch and a nap.  When Christina came up our daughter told her I returned all that baby furniture and told the man i had already built them beds.  Christina was the doctor right now and looked over her reading glasses at me; I told her she was cute when she was mad and then gave her a kiss.  She sighed and asked if I had kept the clothes and I told her that stuff and even the toys which would soon find there way into the ancient toy burial grounds had been saved.  She told me there was no such thing and her second oldest told her yes there was and that was where all the deceased toys had been buried or at least the ones dad could not fix and it was out back in the woods.

She asked whose idea was that and i told her it was dads idea as a way for me to deal with losing everything that had been taken from me when I came home and it had been a good place to sit and reflect and for someone to play doctor.  She went red and then put her hand to her mouth; I asked if she was okay and she told me she had that old amphitheater bulldozed when she put in a riding trail.   Beth asked if that was everyone went back in high school to be alone.  Christina gave her a look.  I changed the subject and asked if she was ready for lunch.  She told me not a two hour lunch as she had more patients to see.  I told her I just needed to change little ones.  Someone from the back called out and said she heard a familiar voice.  I was holding both the twins as I hobbled down the hall.  When she saw saw the children she asked whose children were they and I told her mine.  She asked why she wasn't invited to that party; and realized real quick what she said.  I found the conference room and shoved some papers out of the way and began the process of changing two children.  I was done in rather short time and Beth told me I could always hire myself out as a babysitter.  My lawyer asked where the mom was and Christina told her she was probably sitting in her high school cafeteria day dreaming.  The look I got from both Steve and my lawyer were not pleasant so I added that the biological father was probably trying to start the process over with some other unsuspecting dreamy eyed girl and the mother of these two who had been dreamy eyed was anything but these days and when she was ready and settled after deciding her career path she may decide it was her turn to finish raising them.  Christina was the first to realize I was telling the truth and asked what about her parents;  I looked up and told her dad a career marine was now facing the prospect of raising his own children on his own as if wife decided it would be more fun to go row someone else's boat and spend her evening's out dancing and romancing and when he asked for help I offered as really how much did I really have to do these days besides trying not to get killed training that lithe little hellion filly.  Christina said that would be the daughter of that stallion.  When Carrie Ann began fussing I apologized to Christina but I would have to pass on lunch after all.  Beth told me nonsense she could handle it; I told her she could try and as soon as I handed off the girl the screaming started bringing everyone out; almost immediately when I took her back she calmed down.  I was at that point wondering if coming had been such a good idea but once we were along the river both the children saw the ducks and heard the waterfall so I started my slow walk while I recited poetry.  Walking the whole park and back without use of the cane and carrying both the twins had been challenging but my leg was not as sore as I thought it would be.  I made use of the office to feed and change them again and then as I was getting ready to leave after taking a look at a report for a security analysis which I said I would need more information to weigh in on I began to leave and found Christina waiting with all three of my children.  Christina told me she hoped I liked Chinese as that was what Julie and Christopher were picking up.  We made it to the church just before the office closed the long legged now in her fifties brunette recognized me immediately and then saw Christina; she lost the excitement in her smile and I asked what she and her husband were doing later.  She told me he just called and was actually getting off early saying he was going to see an old friend I nodded and told her last night when he stopped by to talk  I had been busy with the teething.

She looked at Christina and told her she missed those days; Christina pointed to me and said that had been my job on the first one and then on the third the older girls took the brunt.I told her the reason I had really stopped was to talk to the pastor she told me we had a new pastor now.  I nodded and said I hoped he knew how to talk when he was awake because, both women laughed when I said never mind.  When I was asked about what I told her I had these twins and figured they needed a mom so I was looking to settle down and get hitched and I might as well see if he could do the dedicating thing while he was at it.   She asked who was the lucky woman and I looked at Christina and she caught herself before she groaned.  I told her we were having Chinese and bring what ever of her rugrats she could dig up over.  When we got back into the Range Rover Christina called Julie and told her buy enough food to feed the state.  She then looked at me and asked if she knew that she and Miss Tuffet never got along and knowing now who her husband was kind of put her attitude toward her in a different light.  I told Christina what I needed to tell that man was for his woman as well as she should really know what he was doing.  Christina looked in the back at the now sleeping twins and asked me if I was serious about being a mom.  I smiled and said for all intensive purposes they would know who there mom was but I would really like for them to see something other than a broken down old war horse and think that was what a family was.   She told me they were rather attached to me; I nodded and said since they were a week old they had been with me and before I got busted up this time they had even gone on rides and slept down by the creek with me.  She told me they were too young to go camping and I told her they never once complained and seemed to prefer life outside and all the books said dirt was good for a kid.  She asked since when did I read books on parenting; i smiled and told her lately not at all but when she was pregnant with Julie and dad pulled me out of school did not mean I was off the hook from studies even though he allowed me a lot of leeway in what I studied. beyond math, reading, the Bible and history.  She looked at me and asked what were my favorite subjects and I told her to be honest sexed and human anatomuy and of course I used books on human reproduction and sex like the Kama Sutra as my study guide.and because I had real life specimen in my bed every night learning was so much more alive for me then the others sitting day in and day out in class listening to lectures.

Looking at me she told me if it had not been for me she would have quit school and probably would have become a secretary or a bar maid.  I told her don't knock either of those professions as some of the best people I knew did both.  She use her foot to give me a little kick on the leg, I caught it and removing her shoe I began massaging it as I drove which caused her skirt to ride up her leg.  I almost went off the road twice stealing looks. After the second time she told me that was enough and should use both hands meaning on the wheel.  Pulling into the drive to the barn I already knew Bubba was already there.  Luckily so was Steve and Beth along with their youngest two who should be leaving soon or already left, then I remembered we were in the south and mostly no one ever left.  Because mom and dad ran a decent sized company these young adults had seen the world or more of it than any of their peers, that alone in the south would set them apart and open opportunities not otherwise available.  Bubba was studying the construction of the house barn.  When his wife pulled in behind us I saw he looked a bit confused.  Getting out I limped and I watched as Christina busied herself with helping me with the twins; she whispered that I owed her big time for inviting her fan club and her not very secretive admirer over.  I told her as Beth came over to take the twins to grandma and let her help them develop their taste for bourbon,  She told me they were too young to drink; I nodded as I made the teeth cleaning motion and told her it worked.  I took a seat on the swing with my cane handy when I heard the vehicle at  Mom's house I told Steve's children to go see how they could help.  When they were gone Bubba asked if I really turned the barn into a house; his wife told him that was why I dropped out of school as a freshman so I could build my wife a house.  I could here the sneer in her voice.  I told her yes and know as actually dad wanted to teach me a trade as he knew I was not one for sitting in school listening to some teacher drone on.  Bubba told me he built houses and this was nice work; I told him my son and few of his friends had to remodel it a year ago as aunt and termites had gotten into it over the years of no one living in it.

I let him jabber on for awhile and then told him I wanted to know why he barged into my mom's house last night after drinking.  His wife's eyes got big.  I knew when he got home the storm would come down.  He told me he was just stopping it to see how things were going and I told him when Christina told him to leave he should have and I was wondering who he met when he asked her if He was here.  Steve looked at me, I stood up slowly just in case and told Bubba if he wanted to check to see if I was home to go home first and call from his house and if I was not at home to please refrain from coming over drunk or otherwise and it might help folks know his marital state if he kept his wedding band on when he was not at work so that a jealous fiance would not think awful things about him when he found out he had lunch a coupe of times with his betrothed and the mother of his children.  That set his wife off and I stepped in before it got physical on his part and when he decided to push with nothing more then a couple of moves with the cane I tripped him up and put him on the ground and told him he really needed to take a long look at his lovely bride and realize he had something and someone no one else had and to stop treating her as one of his dammed mongrel dogs  and then he should sell that ridiculous truck and by his wife a really nice SUV and get himself a point a to point b vehicle as he no longer had to impress the women as he had a perfectly good one at home.  He told me if Steve was not here; I told him if Steve was not here I would have already put a world of hurt on him since his daddy never did or at least not properly and if he ever came over and scared my children again or their mother or my mom; he better pray as i would not be responsible for what happened.  When mom rang the bell for dinner I reached a hand out and told him I was hungry and knew he was too and as far as I was concerned this was the end of the conversation but if I happened to actually show up in church and see a bruise on one of his children or his wife was wearing too much base to cover up the bruising I would tan his hide in front of the whole congregation and then turn myself into the sheriff.  Looking at his wife I told her I knew she thought she got the short end of the stick but I also knew he was not the only one to blame in their marital spats so she needed to cool it on the flirting with other men and start flirting with her own husband like she did back in high school.  She asked and how was that; I looked at Steve who told me she could always open the door when he came home the way she did for him in the janitor's closet at homecoming their sophomore year.  I asked if I had not heard she once called him in the middle of the night and invite him to play two hand touch with her on the fifty yard line.

I saw it in his eyes first and then he asked how I knew about that and I pointed out back and asked where did they end up and since that old amphitheater was on my parents property and someone was as loud as a banshee that night I thought someone was getting murdered.  His wife covered her mouth and I told her it was okay she was not the first I had found in the throws of passion and not the last.  As he looked I told him it was gone now, having been recently replaced by the riding trail but if he was bent on keeping his boy toy he should at least stick his wife in the skimpiest bikini he could find her and drive her up to some lake in the mountains to help remind  her why he married her in the first place.  When the bell rang again I told them that marriage counselling session was over and I was hungry and I know at any minute one of the twins was going to let out a war cry.  When Carrie Ann started in it did not take long for one of their children to come running. I told them to go ahead and I would catch up.  She asked what if she did have a bikini; I told her I would lend her a towel and as soon as they got on some deserted dirt road she could rip it off open that sun roof of his and stand up and scream.  Looking at him I said since he was driving he could not drink and since she was about to do the craziest thing in her life I would give her a bottle of wine.  When he asked if I meant tonight I looked at her and she said hell yes tonight.  I told her first get something to eat and we would figure out how to get her children to bed on time.  She told me good luck; I held up my finger and told him if he would mind please apologize to Christina for any causing her to have any misconceptions.  As they went ahead of us Steven told me that had been the craziest thing he had ever heard; I told him it was either that or beat him with my stick and that did not seem all that manly and would make me feel like a grandpa.  He asked who tried to kill me now and I told him some half crazed lunatic filly who did not want me riding her.  He told me he was hoping I meant a horse.  Bubba and his wife ate real fast and I had to ask if Christine had a bottle of wine and a large beach towel she did not care if she got back.  Julie went to get them and when I handed them to Bubba I told him the wine he could not touch.  She told her children to do what the man with the stick told them to do.  The oldest daughter tried to leave almost as soon as they left and I asked when I blocked her with the cane if she was in such a hurry to ruin her life.

I spent an hour haggling with her until I told her I had an idea she could invite six of her closest girlfriends over and sleep out by the campfire and roast marshmellows and listen to cowboy poetry and then I would not have to tell her mom and dad when they got back from their anniversary celebration what a twit she was.  She looked at me strangely and told me it was not their anniversary and I asked if was not then what were they celebrating for.  She told me fine and asked then what was the towel for and I told her so that she would not get arrested when they drove through town to get to the mountains which she would not have had to worry about if she had a bikini.  Thankfully her siblings were otherwise occupied but Christina spewed her wine when it dawned on her what I had just said.  The girl said it was a school night and I told her than maybe she would like to have a rain check and i could tell them stories about their parents when they were in high school.  When she thought about she asked what she had to do, I told her she needed to be responsible and help get those critters she calls brothers and sisters to lay down and go to sleep and she could either do it hear outside and or at home but they all had to get up in time to go to school.  She told me her mom told her I had dropped out; smiling I told her actually I just transferred to and Independent Study program which was more hands on.  Christina was by the sink having cleaned herself up from the last spewing of wine and did it again.  I asked if she was okay; as the girl went to talk to her brothers and sisters all of whom wanted to camp out which brought Steve and Beth's son and daughter, who had been telling stories of their adventures in the west and beyond to offer to stay,  I told them by midnight all had to be quiet so as no to annoy the lions; when I was told there were no lions by one of the boys in need of a haircut I told him how would he know with all that hair always getting in his way.  I told him if he happened to go on a hike I hoped it did not get in his way from seeing the talons of the owl when they reached out.  I saw Steve's sons eyes catch my meaning and he smiled.   As they all left I said I hoped he knew enough to stick to the riding trail.  Christopher told me that was almost two miles long and i told him then they should be very tired and ready for bed so we needed to find sleeping bags or bedrolls for them to sleep on around the campfire.  Mom asked what about the twins I told her the bourbon seemed to be doing the trick so I thought we would sleep inside tonight.  Thankfully that night there was not much of a fuss beyond the feed me now and change my diaper so mom and Beth took to getting them ready for bed but neither would fall asleep until I held them and recited poetry.

  When I stopped Christina was on the couch, Steve and Beth had already gone home; I could here my daughters on the back porch talking in a hushed whisper and Christopher's voice was reading a book or something to the crowd of munchkins down the hill.  Mom came out and helped me get the children back to the bed.  I woke up Christina and got her moved off the couch and into the bedroom; she smiled lazily as I helped her undress seeing the twins she asked where I was going to sleep and I told her not to worry about it for tonight as I changed into something more comfortable.  She traced the scar on my shoulder and told me the muscle seemed to be coming back nicely.  She saw the small incision where the doctors had gone in to look at my spine.  She asked if I knew Christopher had taken up yet one more hobby and I told her other than what she had told me in her letters I had been kept on a very close leash when it came to communications and I was not so sure when I wrote my first one if they would let me send it but his prison keepers kept him in a full supply of paper, pens and envelopes and kept taking them to the mailbox.  Christina told me to be honest she at first did not open them as after all those interrogations which she blamed me for she just wanted to hide away when she was not working and then got the opportunity to serve on a Mercy Ship and then with doctors without borders and the wounded warrior project all of which she had her numerous admirers.  I smiled and told her i could not blame a single one.  She smiled and told me the most frustrating part of all that was that it seemed everyone knew she was Mr.C's woman and they called her Dr. C.  I asked when she said they all what did she mean.  Smiling she told me every soldier she had seen was very courteous and most of the crew and many of the doctors on the ship new of me not to mention the numerous missionaries.  She looked up and told me even in the Middle East when she was helping with the women she heard the whispers and even though she could not speak the language Mr C sounds the same.  I told her she watched way to many movies.  She finally asked where the name came from and I told her my signature since every alias I had ever used had a name that started with  C in it I just had to modify the signatures only slightly and could use either hand.  She told me she never wanted to go through that again; I nodded and told her for me this may have been the longest investigation I had partaken of but it was not the first but hopefully it was the last but I kind of thought it might not be.  Before she could say anything else I told her to close the chapter and leave it behind.

She lay there for a long time drifting from the twins then to me before telling me thank you for tonight and asked exactly what the towel was for I told her like I said it was so the misses did not get arrested for indecent exposure on their way to the mountains and my guess she would like it under he backside when they remind themselves the night she invited that clown to play touch football at the high school and then ended up in the amphitheater to which someone had elbowed me to go find out what was the cause of the noise which kept her awake.  She asked why would they go there and I told her probably the same reason she had gone there her first time, it was secluded, her parents never went there and in her case he had already been there with someone else and in his minuscule mind it was probably romantic.  Christina realize I knew who her first time was with and the look of fear came over her; kissing her I told her i did not care and was still going to marry her and then wrap her in a towel so that when we got on some secluded beach she could rip it off and let her hair down a little before I reminded her of why we got married in the first place.   I was told she needed something more than a towel under her backside; as I stood to look at her I smiled and told her get some sleep as i would have my bedroll.  Walking around the bed I moved the pillows defining the area for the twins and lay down.  When they fussed a little I pulled them over to where I could keep a hand on them and felt their little hands on mine as I fell asleep to my reciting poetry. Christina was busy for the next two days so I saw her in short bursts and she told me she was scheduled to leave the following week for a month on board the Mercy Ship.  I told her my return ticket was for the following Monday as I agreed to let grandpa hang out with the twins before his leave was up.  She asked if she knew their grandpa and i told her he was one of my caretakers during my imprisonment on the base in San Diego but now that I had lost my help on the ranch I would be alone to do the chores and care for the twins.  She told me she was not giving up her career and I told her I was not asking her to and if she did not want to get hitched this weekend I was patient as it was not like sex was a necessity to live; she told me to speak for myself which must have caused my face to change as she told me there was on one else and had not been since Miriam.  That raised my eyebrow but I did not say anything as I began the slow process of packing   I blurted out we should invite her to the wedding and then we could have a co bachelor/bachelorette party; Christina had stopped and did not say anything for awhile and asked me if I knew that woman would still love to be the woman underneath me or on top or any way I wanted to have her.  I told her that was not going to happen and she asked me if I could honestly say if even if she gave me permission i would not let that woman make love to me.

I told her no, she told me she did not see how, I told her I had had the opportunity on more than once occasion because I realized it would not be making love but having sex for the sake of having sex and if that was all I saw in a woman I might as well pay for it. Christina asked if she wanted me to have sex with her right then would I; I told her that with her I would be making love and if that was really what she wanted i would ask her to wait for me to get the twins to sleep and then we should probably go to her house.  Smiling she told me she had bought a portable play pen.  The only reason we got of bed that weekend was to take care of the twins or to take a shower together which was when we also bathed the twins.  Carrie Ann thought the water falling was the best thing since the bottle her brother on the other hand got reminded what breasts were and kept trying to latch on the Christina's which were very tender.  Christina surprised me when she changed her schedule so we could go see the judge skipping out on the whole church thing and then grabbed a ticket on the train and snuck into our cabin.  She wanted to know how we were going to work the living situation and I told her I had already been planning on moving the livestock and letting Beth do whatever she was going to do with the place.  Once at the ranch with Grandpa and mom there along with her siblings I watched as Christina wandered through the changed property which I was forever working on.  She was thoroughly impressed with the guest cabins   By the twenty fourth trial as she called our activities I was wondering where her energy came from as she would be wide awake telling me how to improve on what I had built.  At the end of that first week she had somehow without our guest knowing to have sex in every building on the ranch and the day they said good bye and we found ourselves alone she gave up on getting dressed except when we went into town.  She did pace herself the second week as I was doing all the chores but thankfully she took on the twins as much as she could which she had to cut back as she spent a lot time on the phone and when she needed to make a video conference she would do up her hair, throw on a blouse, simple make up and a lab coat.  It was late toward the end of the second week and we had gone to the kitchen after a long spell of me walking the twins to put them asleep.

I thought she was getting out the making for a sundae until I remembered there was no ice cream, we had not done this since I could not remember.  Both of us were tired when we lay down on the bear rug in front of the fire.  I did not expect the three women who walked in with us laying there,  Miriam, my lawyer and a very tall actress.  I had started to get up when Christina told me to stay as it was not what I thought.  I got up anyways and told her I had to check on the twins.  She came and found me in the shower and told me she had not expected them until the morning; I told her I was not putting on a show for them and she said she knew that.  I asked then why were they here.  She did put on a robe that night and let me get dressed and then brought me out and stayed in my arms in the kitchen when she told the women the reason she asked them to go out was because during the last two weeks while on her honeymoon which she was sure her husband was wondering if it will ever end she realized there were a lot of wounded warriors whose families could use a place to come to away from every day life and this fellow she knew had been keeping himself busy during his time as recluse and had built this really awesome old west town which because he had this awesome night vision he neglect to put any kind of lights out so they could not see it until morning, but the twins were upstairs sleeping if they wanted to peak in.  All three women ran upstairs and when they came back down they studied me for a long time and asked if I as sure I had adopted them as they both had my nose.  I told them unless there was a sixteen year old me running around trying to get into the pants or skirts of every girl in San Diego County it was not me.  Christina stepped away as she turned to face me and taking a seat she told me she had never been introduced to my parents.  I looked at her like she was off her rocker and she told me not my our parents but my biological parents.  I told her funny thing was neither had I so I could not help her there.  I excused myself and told her since she had company she told me not a chance as her honeymoon was not over and just as soon as I got our friends settled in one of those nice big fluffy beds I better come right back and I had five minutes.  I hurried them out and down to the first cabin and told them they were all unlocked and the light switches were in the same place in each cabin and if I did not come up for air in three hours please feel free to feed the horses but do not try to ride the mare in the round pen or go into pet her.

Miriam asked what the rush was and I told her I was afraid of what that women would thing up as a punishment if I was late.  All three laughed and I heard someone tell me they could feel my agony.  Christina was sitting in a rocker with a cup of tea in front of the fire.  Using her finger she called me over and I looked dubiously at her.  She laughed and told me I was not the only one sore and tired so she needed a break as well but still I was overdressed for a man on his honeymoon.  I shook my head and she told me getting married was my idea and she had read a lot of books over the years which gave her a lot of ideas and we were making up for lost time.  Once I was sitting with her curled up on my lap she told asked if I was still planning on moving all those cows as she could use a  few and a few horses.  I asked her what for and would they be experienced riders. She told me probably not as many of the men whose families would be coming out here were missing limbs. I asked if she was planning on having the amputees round up cattle.   She said yes she was and for them to camp out under the stars with their families and to help pay for it she wanted to rent out the ranch for other camps or movies, retreats or whatever.  I had to smile at her ideas and asked since when did she become such an astute business woman.  She told me she was not going to run it on a day to day basis as that was my field of expertise.  I told her as much as I liked the idea I was not running anything on a day to day basis any more and in reality I had never been that great of an administrator.  She nodded and I told her my life right now consisted of twins who in the next months will not be content to just be held, my horses, that big old dog on the front porch.  She stopped me and said she had not yet seen any dog; I told her he was lying on the front porch right now as I suspected he was wondering why no one was at the creek.   When she opened the door he or rather it walked in as he was a muddy mess.  She told me he needed a bath as he shook mud and water all over the entryway.  I told her to have fun with that as I was going to bed and he or rather it was not coming and in the morning if she really wanted to give him a bath she could do so in the barn. The dog plopped down on the hardwood floors in order to try to stay cool.  I laughed when she gave him a bowl of water which he immediately dumped with his front paw and lay his head in the water.  I told her she could leave the front door open in case he wanted to go out.

I stood and watched as she shower for the tenth time in just over twenty four hours.  I smiled when it she told me she really was sore as I could help with that.