Chapter Six

Thursday came.  I took a half-day off, spent it with Nina fussing over a simple white dress she'd bought to get married in.
The "simple" wedding kind of mushroomed once word got out, and at five PM on a Thursday in late spring, Nina and me, her grandmother, Jannie, her husband, most of the office crew, and a good dozen of Nina's contemporaries were seated in a meeting room at the First Baptist Church to watch us exchange vows. 

It wasn't your classic wedding.  Let's see...  my buddies from work tended towards safety-toe shoes, khaki or jeans, and long-sleeved shirts.  Among Nina's party I saw a selection of carefully shredded jeans, logo'ed shirts, including one or two that had the Baptist minister shaking his head, a few pair of high-end sneakers, and one dress besides Nina's grandmother, Helen.

I wore my "Dan Gleason, respectable engineer" suit.  Nina, as I said, was wearing a perfect white dress, simple lines, ending just above her knee, a string of pearls that set like a pedestal to highlight that soft rounded face, and hair that was shiny perfection.  As I stood beside her in front of the minister, you could've paraded the entire female population of the planet in front of me naked and I would not have taken my eyes off this one (in my mind) perfect female.

In keeping with the rush and the informality, our reception was one door down in the church recreation building, and my credit card took a hit for a caterer to throw together finger foods, pizza and soft drinks.  Soft drinks?  Yep.  Baptist church in the South.  To the guys from work, I promised a barbecue with appropriate beverages at some indeterminate future date.

And we took off on honeymoon.  Airline flight.  Cruise up the Inside Passage to Alaska.  Yes, there were some marathons in the cabin.  But I married a fledgling engineer, and there was more than one tour of the cruise ship's engineering spaces, too.

And a week later we were home. OUR home. Inseparable?  I mean to tell you.  I bought a second kayak.  We went kayaking.  Her old bicycle went to a charity and I bought her a new one and weekends found us on the roads through the woods together.
But there's another thing.  Remember that "small town" thing about news travelling fast?  Well, the same network that spread the news throughout the town also had a tendril that reached ex-wife.  Nina and I were in a hotel room, waiting for our cruise to depart the next day.

I wasn't exactly on friendly terms with the ex.  She'd left me for an old high school boyfriend, and the departure was NOT on the best of terms.  However, we did have a daughter in common, one little Miss Sandra, commonly referred to as "Sandy", now ten, so we did stay in contact, and that's why her name was attached to phone number on my cellphone.
Which is why I made a face when my phone rang and I saw who it was.  My face must have given me away.  Nina looked at me.
"Ex," I said.

Nina wasn't threatened.  No, Nina was smug.  "Tell ‘er I said "hi"."

I smiled at Nina and took a deep breath.  "Hello, Jennifer," I said.

The voice at the other end was familiar.  Unfortunately, so was the quite perceptible edge of nastiness.  "Hello, Dan.  I just heard some interesting news."

Nina's ear was against mine so we could both hear the conversation.  Her hand touched my thigh.  I looked.  She smiled.
"And what news would that be, Jen?"

"It seems as though you've acquired a wife, Dan."  I pictured her face twisted in a sneer I was all too familiar with from the divorce.  Her face was actually quite pleasant without the sneer, but for some reason now, the sneer was the default picture in my head.

"Oh, good," I said.  "I was afraid it was another one of those gossipy rumors you've been repeating back to me.  So what did you hear, and I will tell you if it's true or not."  I felt Nina's thigh against mine.  That's all I needed for support.

Jennifer started in. I could picture the nasty smirk. "My sources say that YOU married some TEENY-BOPPER who's young enough to be your DAUGHTER, and that she just graduated from high school last month."

"Right.  WRONG.  Right."

"What'd'ya mean, Dan?"  There was an edge of venom.

"Well, Jennifer," I said calmly, "We, that's Nina and I, did indeed get married a week or so ago.  She is indeed eighteen, but she's far from a teeny-bopper.  She had a 4.0 average, National Honor Society, and third in her graduating class."  I breathed then continued before Jen could crank back up.  "And I already HAVE a daughter.  I married a kindred soul.  By the way, how's YOUR hubby doing?"

That was a little sprinkling of salt into a wound.  Jen's new husband was a notorious grand talker, perpetually just one step behind that One Big Deal of a Lifetime.  I don't think they were doing particularly well financially, and I suspected that the monthly child support checks I sent were a significant portion of their income at times.

"Jerry's doing just fine, thank you very much.  He's got a big used car lot now, and he's angling towards getting a GM dealership."

"That's gooood," I said.  I could do sarcasm, too, you know.  Nina slapped me on the thigh.

"Be nice," Nina mouthed silently.

I continued, "So how's Sandy doing?  She hasn't called.  School's out."

Jen sighed.  "Sandy's doing fine.  Straight A's.  Just like you.  Right now she's upstairs listening to music.  YOUR music.  Bugging me about PIANO lessons.  Wanna talk to her?"

"You know I do. In a second.  So what else do you want to talk about?  Wanna talk to my new wife?"  I looked at Nina.  I was smiling, because Nina was smirking.  "Because she's gonna be Sandy's step-mom.  Well, more like a big sister."  

I knew pretty much who Jennifer's "source" for news was.  The source was a long-time friend of Jen's (and mine, actually) who was a high-school teacher.  I surmised that the source knew exactly what was what with Nina.  Further, I actually trusted that person to tell Jennifer the truth even if it didn't particularly please Jen to hear it.  And the truth was that my Nina was bright and intelligent and moral and I was sure those findings had been given to Jennifer.

Jen snorted.  "Yeah.  Let me talk to your sweetie." Sarcasm dripped.

"Be nice.  Really. I KNOW you can do it," I said.

"I AM nice," Jen said.  "Lemme talk to her."

I handed the phone to Nina, who jumped in with both feet.  "Hi, Mizz Jennifer," Nina chirped, her voice dripping with youthful exuberance.  I was listening, ear to Nina's.

"You don't have to call me "Mizz," Jen said.  "You married my ex."

"Yes ma'am," Nina grinned, "But my grandma taught me to be respectful to my elders."

I almost choked trying to stifle my laugh.  My eyes watered.

"Babe," Jennifer battled back, "You married my ex.  You don't call him "Mister" do you?"

"I did, until, you know…" Nina countered with a decidedly girlish giggle.

There was a palpable pause. "Good one," Jennifer said.  "Good one.  Okay."  She paused.  I heard the sigh.  "Let's retract our claws, dear.  Is Sandy staying with you guys for a few weeks this summer going to be a problem?"

Nina looked at me.  I mouthed "okay".  We'd already had this talk between ourselves.

"Oh, certainly not.  Dan's told me about her, and I want to meet her anyway."

"But you and Dan being newlyweds…"

Nina's mouth straightened.  Her "serious" look.  "Uh, Mizz…  Sorry.  Jennifer, I am a person with a sense of propriety and decorum and morals.  Dan knows this.  Everybody around me knows this. With Sandy here, I will be her big sister or her step-mom, even, but she is Dan's child, and I would never do anything to hurt a child, especially Dan's."  She paused.  "And yours."  Another pause.  "And now, mine…"

"Did HE tell you to say that?" Jen asked.

"Nope.  He pretty much knows how I am, and if I wasn't like this, I don't think he would have married me."  Nina smiled at me as I stroked her shiny hair.

Jennifer admitted, "I actually heard nothing but good about you, you know, except that you married Dan…"

"Hold on there, cowgirl," Nina jumped in.  "I MARRIED Dan.  Like in "forever" and all that.  He's not a weekend or a summer or whatever.  I will be with him until the day I die.  Or he does."

I knew that the "forever" comment had driven a stake through the heart of my ex, and honestly, I don't think that Nina did it on purpose.

"I'm sorry.  You're right, uh… Nina?" Jennifer was reeling, losing the battle badly. "He was single.  It's his choice.  And yours.  And honestly, I heard nothing but good about you.  Can we be, you know, sort of friends?"

Nina took that hit.  "Uh… yeah," and then threw her own.  "Yeah, we have something in common."  Pause  "A little girl named Sandy.  'Friends' would be best for Sandy, I think."

"Yeah," Jennifer said.  "And be good to her dad, okay?"

"Absolutely," Nina answered.

"Can I talk to him for a second?" Jennifer asked.

Nina looked at me and then said, "Dan, Jennifer wants to talk to you," acting like I hadn't heard every word that had been spoken between them.

"Okay, Jen," I said.  "I heard you get a little idea of how Nina is."

"Yeah I did.  Dan, she's something.  At least that's what I heard."

"She had to be something, Jen," I said.  "She cracked quite a shell to get to me."  I paused.  "So when are we getting Sandy?"

Jen said, "How about a couple or three weekends from now?  We can meet you halfway."

"Last weekend in June sounds fine.  How long can we have her?"

"Three or four weeks?" Jen stated.

"Four, I'm thinking.  We'll see how Sandy and Nina hit it off.  I'm thinking it'll be fine."

"Okay, Dan," she said.  "Anything else?"

"Nope," I said.  "Can I talk to Sandy now?"

"Sure," Jen said.  

I heard her call Sandy's name, then footsteps, then "Hi, Daddy!"

"Hi, baby," I said.  "I heard you did all A's in school."

"Yessir," she said.  "It's not that hard." She paused.  "Mom said you got married."

"Yes, baby," I said.  "I did."

"Mom said she was young.  Like high school."

"She is, baby.  Her name is Nina.  And she graduated this year.  Do you want to say hi to her?"

"Sure."  That was my little girl. Sometimes I saw things that were purely her mother's and sometimes I saw myself at that age.  Her matter of fact tone?  That was me.

I handed the phone to Nina.

"Hi, Sandy," Nina said.

"Hi," Sandy said.  "Uh, what am I s'posed to call you?  Like "Mom" or "Miss Nina" or what?"

"Call me just plain "Nina", Sandy.  You have a mom already."

"Okay then, Nina.  Do you work?"

"I don't have a job right now, Sandy.  I start college in the fall.  Why?"

Sandy was thinking.  I could tell.  "'Cuz dad'll have like a week of vacation and we can ALL do stuff, and then when he goes back to work, I can hang out with you.  Can I?" Sandy paused.  "That's if you don't have, like HORNS on your head or something… "

Nina's laughter tinkled.  "I don't have horns, sweetie.  And I'd love to hang out with you."

"'Kay," Sandy said.  "It's nice meeting you.  Can I talk to my dad now?"

"Sure, babe!  We're gonna have a good time." Nina handed me the phone.

"She doesn't have horns, Sandy.  Her species has the scales and forked tail."

"Da-aad!  You were LISTENING!"  She sounded exasperated as only a precocious ten-year old ("ALMOST eleven!") could sound.

"I was listening to the two women I love most in life.  And yes, we will have at least a week of vacation time for all of us together, okay.   Maybe two.  And I've rented a beach house."

The squeal almost burst my eardrum.  "The BEACH!?!?!?  I LOVE the BEACH!"

"I know that, princess.  That's why I rented it."

"Okay, Dad!  I love you!" she squealed.  "Did you get us a sailboat, too?"

"I love you too, baby," I said.  "Yes, I got us a sailboat."

"Oh, good!  I love sailboats.  I can't WAIT!"

"Us neither, Sandy."

"Okay, Dad. Tell Nina bye," she said, then "Wait!  Mom wants to say something."

Jennifer's voice.  "Sounds like she's taking this better than…"

"Better than what?" I asked.

"Nothing," Jennifer said.  "Nothing.  I hope you and Nina are happy, and I'm happy that it sounds like Sandy is okay with it."

"Thank you," I said.  "Nina?"

Nina smirked.

"Nina says, "Nice to meet you," and all that," I said.  "Bye…"

"Bye, Dan."  Click.

As I sat the phone down, Nina slid into my lap and put her arms around my neck.  And smiled.  "Well!" she said, "That went better than expected."

I said, "I'm a little surprised myself.  She had her claws out when she called." I kissed Nina's nose.  "But YOU…" I laughed.  "When you said "respectful to my elders"?  I thought I was going to die…"

Nina giggled.  "Don't nobody mess with MY man, Dan.  Nobody.  Just because she's your ex doesn't mean I will put up with any crap."  She paused.  "Well, when it comes to Sandy…"

"Sandy's not going to be a problem?"

"I don't think so, Dan.  Not from what you've told me, and how she sounds on the phone."

"Good, babe.  She IS my daughter."

"I know, honey," Nina said.  "And I know you want to do your best with her.  And so do I.  So we will." Then Nina wiggled.  Her lip came out in a pout.  "What kind of luck is it that I start my honeymoon while I'm having a period?"

"No luck at all…"

She laughed.  "I know… established principles and parameters at work…"

I kissed her long and hard, her form melting into my arms.  She was completely nude except for panties.  I didn't let them deter my hands for feeling her butt.  Her teeth nibbled at my ear.

"I wish you were inside me, Dan," she whispered.

"Babe, I can be…"

"No," she said.  "I know you told me that some women do that, but not me.  Not on my period.  Her eyes locked into my own.  "A couple more days.  We'll be in the cabin, and, mmmmmm, okay?"

"Okay," I said.

She raised up and resettled astraddle my lap.  I lived and died in the beauty of her face, eyes twinkling, that smile, her arms encircling my neck, her small, firm breasts pressing against my hairy chest.  Another wiggle and I was hard.  Very hard.  Obviously hard to a young girl wiggling her butt in my lap.

This was considered to be a very good thing and her hands were planted against my chest, pushing me backward.  She was grinning, her pink tongue's tip protruding between her teeth as she slid down.  "You don't think I'm gonna, like, let you build up all that pressure, do you?"

"I could, you know…"  I was being truthful.  I could.  I wouldn't want to, but I could.  And I'd have to paddle that cute butt for parading around almost naked in front of me every time we got in a private venue.

"Well, maybe I'll let you charge up the night before this stupid period is over," she said.  She stripped my briefs off and her head bobbed down and I was in heaven as her mouth took me in.

"Oh, godddd, babe," I moaned.  "I feel like I'm taking advantage of you…"

"Nuh-uh…" she was looking up into my eyes, smiling.  "You're not forcing me.  I LIKE doing this."  Her grin made that quite believable, as did the enthusiasm with which teeth and tongue and lips worked on me, showing me with feeling from my dick and my balls and the insides of my thighs.  I don't know if it was just intuitive to her, or she was paying careful attention to the involuntary spasms of pleasure, or what, but she had me racing to orgasm in a matter of minutes.  As her fingers expertly squeezed and tugged at my balls, my dick spewed jet after jet of semen into her sucking mouth.

She was smiling when she crawled back up and kissed me.  "I love you, Dan," she said.  "You know, I was almost worried about the first time I was going to talk to your ex.  But I know that you're mine, and together we're up to anything."

"I knew we had to do that sooner or later, babe.  She can be quite the bitch at times.  I'm just glad she wasn't today.  I hate to think of anyone making you unhappy."

"We're gonna win, babe."  She kissed me. "We have each other.  You know, I'm actually looking forward to having Sandy over this summer."

"She's a good kid, babe.  Smart.  Like you.  I'm thinking that the two of you will hit it off well.  But me and you, we need to exercise some restraint and decorum, you know."

"Oh, I know that, babe.  No running around naked, no groping."
"Yeah, kissing and hugging is okay, though."

"Like this?" she giggled, wrapping me in long, slender legs, her hands grabbing my softened dick and balls.
"Maybe not quite THAT enthusiastic."

Giggle.  "I'll be good, babe.  That's what doors are for."

Honeymoon?  In a word, beautiful.  Nina's idea as much as mine for the destination, and we had a blast.  Interacting with other passengers, we were "that funny couple, older guy, young girl, that you can't pry apart".  We went ashore and marveled at the touristy things, devoured the spectacular scenery, shot endless amounts of video of orcas, and as previously mentioned, we wasted no time in locating the ship's engineer for a "show us how this thing works" tour.  And after he found out that I was an engineer myself, we REALLY got the tour.

Seeing Nina every day, the sky was a deeper blue, the scents of the breeze were more fragrant, food tasted better…  Can you tell I was in love?

And a day into the trip, the period was over and after dinner and a little time on deck marveling at the scenery, a soft hand grasped mine and tugged.  When I turned to look at that face, the eyes were twinkling and the smile was sublime and the reason was obvious.

I don't think that the cabin door was locked before her clothing was fluttering to the floor and she was helping me to undress and I was victimized by a wanton teen girl. Oh, the horror… two hours later I was drained, having come twice.  Nina?  Poor babe had to settle for…

"How many times did you come this evening, babe," I asked.

A sigh, an arm tossed across my chest, a purr…  "Gee, honey, five, six…" giggle.  "Does your tongue still work?"

That night we didn't go to sleep.  Instead, we slipped into a shared sexually dissipated coma.  Loving Nina was an exercise in a dimension of sexuality that my imagination never generated in even my most fevered, hormone-addled mind.  "Insatiable" is not the word for how things were between us.  We were mutually aroused and mutually satisfied.  At the end of the evening all we had left of each other was soothing caresses as we fell into sleep.

I woke first the following morning, propped up on one elbow, drinking in the disheveled beauty next to me, her dark brown hair splayed on her pillow, the roundness of her shoulder blending into her smooth, firm back, the sheets up to her waist.   My small movement, even though it didn't wake up my young beauty, did wake up my bladder.  I got out of bed as quietly as I could and went to the bathroom to relieve myself.  Concentrating on my task, I didn't hear Nina arise, so her presence at the door was a bit of a shock, but she smiled, kissed me quickly and pushed past me to unload her own pressure.

Awake, we showered.  For some reason our bodies smelled of sex.  Once cleaned up enough to be presentable, we dressed and went to breakfast and the day's activities, strolling around the deck hand in hand, greeting and chatting with people we recognized.

All too soon, the cruise was over and we worked our way back home.  Tired out, we spent a two-hour layover nestled together in adjacent airport chairs, her head on my chest, my arm around her shoulder.  In between snoozes we had a running discussion of the "wildlife". 

The last flight was short and half-empty.  The flight attendant, seeing us sitting side by side informed us that we could spread out and sit in less crowded comfort.

"Oh, no, thank you," Nina said.  "Last day of our honeymoon.  We kinda belong like this."  And I smiled.

The attendant bent over and whispered, "The last two rows are empty." And she smiled.  Nina looked at me and grinned.  

"Thank you," Nina said.  We got up and moved to the last row and were ignored for the forty minute flight. I guess a more adventurous couple might have tried the "Mile-High Club" but neither Nina nor I was THAT adventurous.  The idea, however, was subject of much giggling and laughing and ultimately a bunch of tickling and power hugging.  And a squeeze or two…

And home.  Of course, having been gone a week, the cat was guarding the door when we walked in.  Nina stopped to begin the slow process of catching him up on a week's missed skritches and I unloaded the bags and started stowing what needed stowing.  I was stopped in mid-stow by a pair of hands covering my eyes from behind.

"Guess who," she said, giggling.

"Katerina, Tsarina of All the Russias," I said, "and I am only Igor, your unworthy servant…"

Giggle. "Igor, I tire from my travels.  I require a bahth."  In a horrible fake Russian accent.

Grunt.  "Oh, Mistress, Igor says bath not good for Mistress.  Shower much better."  I turned around.  "Mistress" was completely naked and giggling.

"That's quite possibly the most horrible Russian accent I've ever heard.  Come on, babe.  Let's go shower and then…" Her eyes twinkled and her smile deepened to "dimple" range.  The laundry could wait.

"And by the way, lady, your Russian accent is horrible, too."  

She hauled my face to hers.  "How about my French?" Giggle.

After a long, hot kiss, I opined "Your French is perfect…"  We washed each other lovingly and retired to the bedroom.  Clothes?  Nope.  

Nina tossed the covers off the bed in a grand move and fell backward onto it, her arms and legs spread.  "Do you KNOW how much I need you, babe?"

I took her invitation and crawled into her arms.  Youthful, perfect, willing.  No, forget "willing".  Make that "excited".  Our mouths met and welded.   Then our bodies followed.  Mated.  Frantically.  Half an hour later we were lying back, her head on my chest, my lips brushing the shining beauty of her hair.  A planted kiss caused me to turn her face to mine.  There was that smile, full of life and promise, those eyes, blue wells that in mere weeks had pulled in my soul.

"I love you, Nina," I said.

"You'd better, Dan. Because these are the only man's arms I will ever be in…"

"I can promise you, little one," I said.  "From the first time I saw you, your face has been in my head."

"You silver-tongued devil," she purred.  She rolled over on top of me and kissed me, her hair hanging to frame her face and tickle my cheeks.

I stroked her head and brushed the hair away from her face and kissed her back.

"You're kinda the same way with me, babe," she said.  "Just so you know."

"I know, babe.  We're pretty much an "US" now, aren't we?"

"Yep," she grinned.  "And "us" Is hungry, aren't we?"  She smiled demurely.  "Let's order a pizza!"

"Works for me," I said.  I watched her shapely ass bounce out the door and into the office to fire up the desktop computer.  I molested her while the computer booted.

"Stop that," she giggled.  "You're gonna make me stain the chair."  She was right.  Her bare ass was on my computer chair and my Nina was very juicy when aroused.   I got up and came back with a towel.  She raised up and I covered the chair.  "Now you can molest me with impunity," she giggled.  I was nibbling on her neck a move that disintegrated and self-control she might have had, when the computer finished booting.

"Order pizza!" I said.

"Uh…  you beast!  Here I was thinking you were totally absorbed in my beauty, and you were watching the darned computer?"

"Got to have priorities, babe," I chuckled.

"Beast," repeated, giggling, turning to the screen.  A few clicks and keystrokes and she stood up.  "You can lick me senseless now, babe.  The food's on the way.

I put my hands on her waist and she hopped up, wrapping those long legs around me.  She was correct.  Fifteen minutes later she was bucking against my tongue.

"Good boy" she said, kissing my juice-covered face.  I donned a terrycloth robe to wait for the pizza's arrival.
She slipped on an identical one, followed me into the living room and knelt between my legs when I sat on the sofa.  She was grinning as her tongue and lips teased and played.  "You know," she said, "that the pizza's gonna get here before YOU do…"  
She moved up to straddle my now-hard dick and in one move sheathed it deep inside wonderful hot wetness.  A smile enlarged on her face.  "You know how much I love you inside me."

"Ohgodyes," I said.

She didn't move a muscle and neither did I, except our mouths.  That's where we were when we heard a car pull into the drive.
She didn't have a hard-on to care for, so she answered the door.  Opening it while wearing her bathrobe, she saw the delivery boy.  "Oh, uh…  Hi, Brandon!"  "Brandon" was wearing the uniform shirt of the pizza company.  I could only imagine Brandon to be one of Nina's classmates.

"Uh, hi, Nina.  I heard you got married.  Is this where you live now?"  he asked.

"Yes, it is." She half-turned.  "Babe, come meet Brandon.  We went to school together."

I got up and walked to the door.  "Hi, Brandon.  I'm Dan Gleason."  He balanced the pizza bag on one arm and shook my hand.

"Pleased to meetcha," he said. 

Nina took the pizza from him and I signed the ticket, adding a healthy tip.  

"Thanks, Mister Dan," he said.  And he turned and left. 

I locked the door and went to the kitchen where Nina was putting hot cheesy slices on plates for us.  We sat at the table to eat.

"One of the guys from school," she said.  "Just a plain ol' middle of the class guy.  Now he's delivering pizza."

"Give ‘im credit for doing SOMETHING," I said.  "Even though running my own car up and down the road for tips might not be the smartest choice."

"What about me, Dan?  Should I try and get a job?"  She looked at me as she sucked on her straw.

"Let's think about that, sweetie.  First, you told Sandy that you weren't working and you'd be able to spend time with her when she came.  That's gonna be your month of July."

"You're right.  I remember that."

"And as far as spending money…  You have your own car and you've got a credit card and I trust you to spend our money wisely.  So it's not the money."

"Uh-huh," she said.

"And what kind of job are you going to go after?  Second assistant fry cook at Mickey D's?  Other than people skills, what's that going to do for you?"

"You're right.  I'm a fledgling engineer." Her brow wrinkled for a second.  That was her "I'm thinking" face.  "Uh…  library."

"Library?"

"Yeah, I can go help out with the summer reading program at the library.  I did that last summer."  She smiled.  "Grandma put me up to it."

"That'll get you out of the house a little.  Volunteer as much as you want.  And when Sandy's here, maybe she can go with you."

She smiled.  "That's what I'll do.  I can call tomorrow."

"Next summer, though, we can see about getting you an internship somewhere if you want."

She smiled.  "Maybe your assistant?"

"I think most of my managers would see through that ploy, angel.  And how would I keep my professional distance all day?"

"Just a thought," she said.  "And you're right.  It would be bad for workplace morale if they found you doin' an intern in a closet."  Giggle.  "Even worse if they found the intern doing YOU."

We finished our pizza and cleaned up our mess, then settled in for some quiet music and a game of cards.  Easing towards nine o'clock, we put the cards up and I followed a bouncy little ass into the bedroom. We shed the bathrobes and she pushed me backward onto the bed.  "Uh, I think I owe you an orgasm, baby doll," she grinned.  "How do you want it?"
I was erect.  I took her hand and guided her astraddle me.

"You know how I love this way," she smiled.  Kneeling over me she teased the head of my dick with the wet lips of her pussy, smearing her juices on me, mixing them with my own as I leaked in anticipation.  "It'll be…" she slid down over me until our pubic bones met.  "I'll come…"  her hands supported her as her back arched.

I bent upward to lick a nipple and her right hand left my chest to pull my face against her.

"OH god, Dan.  You drive me wild."

I had my hands on her hips, riding her pounding pussy as she worked us together towards ecstasy.  With her nipple in my mouth, all I could communicate was "Mmmmm".  I pushed upward in response to her active hips, matching her thrusts with my own.  I felt the head of my dick deep inside her colliding with her cervix as we mated.

My mouth left her tit and I saw her biting her bottom lip, her nostrils flaring.  I knew my Nina was close.  I could feel the tingling in the head of my dick that presaged my own orgasm.  "Come on, baby doll, let's do it," I hissed.  

"Mmmm, yeah…  ogodohgodohgad…. Dannnnnn!"  and he pussy slammed hard onto me.  I felt the ripple of her muscles and the first squirt jetted into her.  "Eeeee, I feel it, Dan!  Do it!"

I did it, thrusting short strokes into her as she glowed.  She collapsed into my arms.  I held onto her.

"Dan, I love you," she sighed.

"And I love you, Nina.  You're my perfect dream, you know."

She curled up into my chest.  "I didn't know WHAT to dream until we got together, Dan."

And that's the way to go to sleep.


Chapter Seven

Monday.  Double Monday, because it was the first day back from vacation.  NO, Make that a rare TRIPLE Monday, because it was also the first day of work after a honeymoon, and a guy just doesn't get that many honeymoons.

The alarm went off unsympathetically.  I got up and headed to the bathroom to wash my face, and I jumped a little in surprise when I felt Nina's arms wrap around me from behind.

"Babe," I said, "You could've slept in, you know…"

"No, baby," she smiled.  "You're up, and I wanna be up with you.  That bed's no fun without you in it."

I was glad.  We kissed, and then as I was getting dressed, I heard her in the kitchen.

"Cereal okay this morning, babe?" I heard her call.

"Sure," I said.  "That's fine." As I was pulling on my shoes, I flipped on the TV to catch the news.  I saw her set a bowl on the table for me and I sat down as she followed with one for herself.

"Coffee's on, too.  By the time you finish your cereal."  We ate, talking, smiling, then she collected the bowls and silverware and returned with two mugs of coffee.

"Babe, you don't have to wait on me."  

"I know," she said, "but you're going to go to work all day and I'm going to stay here until one and then go to the library and read books to kids.  I'd feel guilty."

"Don't," I said.  "but I appreciate this.  I really do.  And I love you for it."

She giggled.  "I would hope you love me for more than a nasty ol' cup of coffee!"

"I don’t have time for the whole list, little brown-haired girl," I said.  I finished the coffee and stood to leave.  She stood with me.  We walked to the door.  She kissed me before closing the door behind me.

I walked into the office to the good-natured jibes of my co-workers, right down to a smiling Jannie.  I found my in-box hidden under project files and paperwork and spent most of the morning alternating between catching up on email and sorting through the stack. An hour before lunch I couldn't look at paper any more.  I had to escape.

Walking past Jannie, she remarked, "I tried to keep as much off you as I could, but I can't do all that stuff, Dan."

"I know, Jannie," I said.  "I appreciate it.  I have to get out of the office for a while.  I'll be back."  I slipped out the door and took my golfcart out into the plant for see a couple of jobs I knew were in progress.

I found out that not only had word of my new marriage gotten out, but so had details like Nina's age.  And a few other things.

"My daughter went to school with that little girl you married, Dan," one older electrician told me.

"Your daughter graduated this year, too, Steve-o," I said.  "I got an invitation from her."  I smiled.  "Since there's only one school in town, I suppose that's sort of unavoidable that they knew each other."

He shook his head, "Yeah, you're right.  But I had to ask Britney anyway, you know.  Curiosity and all that."  He wiped his hands with a shop rag as we talked.  "She said your Nina was always sort of different in school.  Kids thought she was maybe, you know…"

I laughed.  "Yeah, I know.  Nina told me what the rumors were, so you saying it doesn't surprise me."

"Oh, don't get me wrong, Dan!  I'm happy for you.  Just, you know, kind of a surprise."  He rubbed the stubble on his chin.  "'Course, when I think of some of the boys that Brit's brought home…  I think I'd trade age for intelligence and a future…"

"Dammit, Steve," I said, "how do you think your father in law felt when YOU first waltzed in the front door with HIS daughter?"

"Good point, Dan," he said.  "But still…  Eighteen.  You know you're sort of a legend around the lunchroom now…"

"People need something to talk about," I shrugged.

"Yeah, but a forty year old engineer with an eighteen year old wife, that's GOOD!"

As I drove back to the office building I mulled over that thought.  Smiling.

Back at the office, a couple of my co-workers mentioned a run outside the plant for lunch.

"Any vendors around that we can squeeze for a free meal?" I asked.  We were a large, lucrative client for a whole lot of services and supplies and the salesmen from those companies frequently bought lunch while we "talked business".

"No," Harvey said.  "We're on our own."

"Well," I said, "let's go, then."  I had Harvey riding with me in the front seat and another guy in the back seat.  We headed to a nearby eatery that was set up for the lunch crowd from the local industries.

My phone rang.  I held it up.  Nina.  

Harvey smirked.  "Hmmphh!  Newlyweds!"

"Hey, Nina baby," I said.

"Hi, love," she answered.  "You said I could call around eleven-thirty.  How's your day?"

"Too long," I said.  "Me and Harvey and Dave are headed to Binky's for lunch.  Are you on the road somewhere?"

"'Bout a mile away.  Your buddies don't mind if I join you?"

"Nina wants to know if it's okay if she joins us for lunch," I questioned.  I heard no complaints.  Saw a couple of grins.  
"Come on, baby doll," I told her.

"See you in a few minutes, baby," she chirped.

"Okay, little girl!  I love you!"

"Love ya too, babe!" she said, and hung up.

"Gaggggg!" Dave said.

"Jealousy is a terrible emotion, bud," I told him, laughing.

"Dammit, Dan, I AM jealous.  She sure was pretty when ya'll got married."

"Your wife's a doll, too, Dave.  We all need to get together for a barbecue soon, you know…"

"I can make that happen," Harvey said.

"Nah, needs to be at my place.  Nina's rollout as a proper engineer's wife an' all that!"  I laughed.  "B'sides, Harv, I've had your barbecue."  That got a few laughs.  We were constantly competing over barbecue.

We pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant, went inside and got the second to last table.  Nina walked in just as we sat down and I motioned her over.

"Hi, Mister… uh…  Harvey?  And you're…"  She looked at Dave.  "Mister Dave.  You guys were at our wedding."  She smiled.  "So what's for lunch?"

Harvey patted his rounded gut.  "Plate lunch special.  Monday is Salisbury steak and gravy.  You get a vegetable and a piece of cake and a roll with it.

The waitress came up to take our orders.  Her eyes darted between me and Nina.  "Ya'll just got married, didn't ya?"
Nina fielded that one.  "Yes ma'am!"  And patted my arm.

"That's good, hon," the waitress countered.  She took our orders and left.

"Nina, you just broke a bunch of hearts, you know," Dave said.

"How's that, Mister Dave?"  she asked.

"You took a very eligible man, a single, successful engineer, off the market.  And you can drop that "mister" thing, Nina.  You're Dan's wife now."

"He told me he didn't like being on the market."  She looked at me, then back at Dave.

"Yeah, he didn't play that game.  If I was single…"

Harvey said, "It was something to see.  Some of them women would flirt, and ol' Dan would just smile and sip his drink and be polite, but he never took the bait."

Nina smiled.  "He's different.  That's why I chose him."

I changed the subject as gracefully as I could.  We talked about work stuff.  About Nina's library job.  And planned for a barbecue.  And we ate our lunch.

I'm the only one who got a kiss before going back to work, a detail mentioned mirthfully by Dave.

Funny.  Somehow that kiss helped me make it through the rest of Monday.

I didn't want to be too obvious about wanting to get home at the end of the day, but I wanted…  Still, I and the rest of the team sat in the lunchroom for ten minutes after the whistle signaled the end of the day, giving the hourly crew time to clear the roads a bit.  I'd just made it through the gate when my cellphone rang.  Nina.

"Nina, I can't believe this day was so long…" I said.

"Me too, sweetie," she said.  "Hurry home!"

I hurried.  Well, I hurried as much as I could through a little town with some zealous local law enforcement.  As I pulled into the driveway, the front door swung open and Nina came springing out.  The old man across the street waved as she threw her arms around my neck and kissed me in OUR front yard.  She took my hand and tugged me into the house, shutting the door.

"Would it be considered improper of me to want you to make love with me before we go to dinner?"

"Hmmm," I said, "I guess considering that we've been married for just over a week, that would be quite acceptable, my dear," I said.

Her nimble fingers were running down the front of her blouse, undoing buttons.  I was following her, engaged in my own version of the same plan.  We both sat on the edge of the bed, removing shoes and socks, and then she stood, pulling off her panties.  I stood to drop my own briefs and stepped out of them as she was tossing back the covers to OUR bed.

"Come on, baby," she said.  "I've been thinking of this all afternoon."

"Wow, this is strange.  Reading to pre-schoolers makes my baby horny."  I grinned as I gathered her into my arms.

"Not exactly, babe," she laughed.  "It was the blue sky, the sun shining, happy people, and I just thought that the happiest thing I could do today is make love with YOU!"

Further comments disappeared into silence as our lips met.  My hands traced down the perfect curve from her waist to her thighs, a bit of real estate incorporating what appeared to me to be the most perfect ass in the universe.  She was MINE.  What do you think I'd think?

Her lips pulled away from mine with a sigh and I moved my face to the juncture between her neck and shoulder and kissed.  She got all giggly at that move, then tugged my head down towards as perky breast.

Like I needed encouragement.

Her fingers sought a grip in my short hair as I nipped and tugged at a pink, erect nipple, then she sighed in the second it took me to move to its mirror image on the other side.  I kneaded her firm breast with my hand, then kissed downward towards the soft dark hair on her pubic mound.  I relished the tactile bliss as my lips pushed through the soft hair towards the wet, musky slit.

My movement to that goal performed pleasing geometry in that it brought her face near my own sex.  As I kissed the beginning of her sweet slit, I felt her fingers wrap my dick, sliding the skin over the shaft, tugging me to a hot mouth.

Her lips closing over the head of my dick brought a moan from my lips, and that moan was in direct contact with her pussy's moist lips.  She threw her legs apart, pushed me onto my back and presented me with a luscious hot, wet, tasty pussy.  Her head bounced down, pushing her mouth onto my hardness as my tongue found her hard, pink clitty.

One of her hands guided my dick into and out of her mouth as the other hand squeezed my ass.  I pulled her into my face and licked and slurped hungrily.

We didn't communicate with words, just purrs and moans as we drove each other to orgasm.  She pulled me out of her mouth as she came once, then twice, then sucked me back in, her teeth catching the skin of my dick on the wonderful edge of pain, her tongue dancing.  And I came.

She sucked on me until I was drained and soft, then turned around and kissed me.  I gazed into her eyes.

"God, you transport me to another world, little girl.  I love you."

"I love you too, honey.  I truly do."

We stayed in an embrace for a few minutes, then got up to shower before dinner.  The day's cares and stresses were gone, chased away by the cutie in my arms, soapy, giggly, trading caresses as hot water ran over us.

We were doing our post-shower rituals.  She was perched on a stool, drying that sassy hair and I was shaving.  “Dan,” she said, “we have to be careful, you know...”

“Careful of what, baby doll?” I questioned.

“That we don't forget to work off lunches like we had today.”

“Oh, that,” I answered.  “If you remember, I was out for a walk the day I met you.”

Giggle.  “Yeah, I know.  But we need to keep doin' something.  I don't want to be one of those plump little wives.”

“I don't mind the plump thing, but we need to stay healthy.  And you're young.  If I slow down, I'm gonna put on weight like crazy, and it'd be a lot harder to get off.”

“That's right, sweetie,” she said, standing, naked.

I was wiping the shaving cream off my face.  She handed me the aftershave.  “Use this.”

“You like that stuff?”

Another giggle.  “You don't know how crazy that made me when we first met.  That night you took me out to eat, our first date.  I remembered that scent all night when I got home.”  She smiled.

“I am glad I made you crazy for me, Nina.”  She spun me around and pressed her naked form against me.  “You're a dream that I hope I never wake up from.”

“Me too, baby,” she said.

"Come on, love," I said.  "Let's go see if anything's good on TV."

"Okay," she said, pulling on her nightshirt.  We went to the living room.  I stretched out on the sofa and Nina took her place at the opposite end of the sofa, our legs delightfully tangled.  She punched through the channels twice and neither of us expressed an interest in anything.

"Nothing?" I asked.

"Unless you just want a background noise.  D'you remember what's in the CD changer?"

"Nope," I said.

"It'll be something good."  She got up and pushed back against me, wrapping my arms around her.  "I know you've got "Pastorale" in there somewhere."  She punched buttons studiously until she found it.  The sounds were what I and my baby needed.  I nuzzled her and caressed her and she purred and made happy noises and we talked about our day, then picked up a deck of cards and laughed and played before bed.

And we settled into a blissful routine.


Chapter Eight

Two weeks of routine, anyway.  I'd go to work, just like I had for years, except there was this lithe female form catching me at the door for a kiss before I left, and she'd hand me a little paper bag with a couple of apples or a banana or grapes or something, and unless the gang at the office shoved me out the gate for lunch, I had Nina's snack.

Nina was at the library three days a week, reading stories and helping corral a bunch of rambunctious pre-schoolers.
And when I'd get home, if she'd had a library day, we ate out.  If she hadn't done the library, I'd walk in to the smells of food cooking on the stove, and a smiling, jeans-clad wife.  After dinner we walked or used a new membership at the gym.  I was serious about not wanting to gain weight and that required a bit of effort.  

Happily I had Nina.  And TWO bicycles.  And TWO kayaks.

Yeah, the kayak thing.  I wasn't a nut-case "take a kayak over Niagara Falls" kayaker, but I was plenty competent for the slow-moving rivers and lakes around the area, and I brought Nina along with me.  The first time.  After that, it was "Let's got take the kayaks to the lake."  And two kayakers can find some really secluded places to play.

And we were approaching the last weekend of June.  Time for Sandy to show up for her month with Daddy.  And Nina.
Nina, I'm happy to say, started prepping for the vacation at the beach two weeks in advance, making lists, showing them to me, refining, organizing.  We went shopping and bumped up both our summer wardrobes.  Included in hers, in addition to her normal, very conservative one-piece bathing suit, I watched her choose a couple of bikinis.  Not tiny bikinis, but bikinis nonetheless.

I threatened to buy a speedo.  It was an empty threat.  I bought baggy trunks.

At work I tried to get as many loose ends tied up as I could. Jannie noticed.  "I never saw you that excited about your vacation, Dan.  She's really got you, huh?"

I smiled at Jannie.  You don't work in the same office with somebody for years and not form a friendship.  "Yes, I guess she does, Jan," I said.

Jannie turned away from her computer.  "You know, all those times I tried fixin' you up, Dan?  And you didn't…"

I laughed.  "And you DID try, Jan.  And so did some of them."

"Oh, I know," she laughed.  "Women talk.  I know all about it.  But then Nina comes along…"

"Yes, she did," I said.  "I wasn't looking, Jan.  Really.  I was more surprised than anything else."

"Well, I ain't the only one who says you look happier since you're married." She smiled.  "So, you know,  good for you.  And Nina.  She's a doll."

"Thank you, lady.  So are you and Robert comin' over Saturday?"  Yes, the barbecue I'd promised was scheduled for Saturday.
"Uh-huh.  We farmed out the kids to grandparents for the weekend.  Robert figures that if we survive your barbecue we can have Sunday to recuperate.  Want me to bring something?"  she smiled.

"Your 'tater salad?"  Jannie's cooking was a frequent feature of our impromptu office 'feeds'.

"Done.  How many people?" she asked.

"Uh…  four couples from the office here,  Nina's grandma and her husband to be,  my brother and his wife, me and Nina.  Fourteen?"  I said.

"Okay.  Big batch," she said.

"Good!   I've got the meat covered.  Big brisket starts in the smoker, ribs, sausage…"

"No chicken?" Jannie questioned.

"Nope.  Texas style barbecue.  Texans say barbecue has FOUR legs…"

Jannie laughed.  "Yeah, you and that bunch of knuckleheads you work with, and their barbecue…"  An annual barbecue contest was a staple of our company's social season.  I was a participant with the other guys from our division.

"The barbecue will be memorable, lady," I laughed.  "And if you want, I'll toss a dead chicken on it for you…"

"Yeah, that's nice," she laughed.  "And  there'll be beer.  You know how that works…"

We both laughed.  I walked down the hall to my office, sat at my desk and fired up the computer.  While it was booting, I looked at the smiling picture, now framed on my desk.  I closed my eyes and replayed the kiss I'd gotten before walking out the door this morning, then went about my day's work, a mess of email, a couple of reports to review, the obligatory staff meeting, almost on autopilot.

That wasn't indicative of my lack of care, though.  Things were going pretty good right now.  My big projects were in the hands of an engineering company, and we were doing a good job on maintenance, staying ahead of problems by a careful regiment of inspection and testing.  I didn't feel bad about my mind wandering for a change.

Home!  And Nina!  "Come on, sweetie," I said.  "We need to go to the meat store."  The 'meat store' was pretty close to an old-fashioned meat market, with a couple of real butchers who took pride in their craft.  I knew that if I needed something special, they'd be the ones to set me up.  The barbecue was coming in a couple of days and I needed something special.  A phone call at the beginning of the week made sure that they had it waiting for me, and Nina and I walked out of the place with a couple of properly trimmed beef briskets.

Nina was giggling.  "I can't believe you're making this much of a production out of this, Dan."

"You need to understand, sweetie," I stated, "We've been goin' at one another over barbecue since I hired on.  You've seen my smoker."  The smoker, safely stowed in a corner of the garage, was hand-fabricated, microprocessor-controlled, electrically heated,  and I could stick meat in there and guarantee that the temperature in the box would track within two degrees of the temperature I chose.  It was the subject of much mirth, but I could turn out perfectly cooked, perfectly smoked meat.
"Yeah, I know what you say, but still…"  She laughed.

"Laugh if you want, but wait'll Saturday.  See if it ain't the best barbecue you've ever had…"  I told her how we'd have to start the brisket the evening before, low heat, smokey, all night.

"You're gonna wake up every two hours to check on that?" she asked.

"Oh,, no," I said.  "It's fully instrumented.  It's got a wireless transmitter that'll hit a receiver by the bed if it needs tending."

"Oh, come on…  You're nuts."  She smiled.  "And I just LOVE nuts…"  I got a kiss out of that.

"Just remember, cutie, if it's worth doin', it's worth overdoin'…

Girlish giggle.  "Just remember that after we get out of the shower, baby!"

"Oh, I'll remember, doll!"  We pulled into the driveway.  "All we need to do is put this meat in the fridge.  Where do you want to go for dinner?"

"Italian?" she asked.

"Excellent choice."  I ran inside with the meat and returned to the car.  "Let's go!"  Back on the road, as soon as my right hand was freed from driving tasks, it was being held by her left hand.

"And one week until summer with Sandy," I said.

"You know, Dan, I know you're nervous about that, but don't be.  We'll do just fine.  I mean, Sandy and I are talking twice a week now.  She calls you and talks to you, and then she talks to me.  Honestly, I think I'm looking forward to that whole 'big sister' thing.  You know I like kids that age."

"Uh-huh," I admitted.  "You get what, a dozen, dozen and a half every day at the library?"

Giggle.  "And some of them are, uh… 'unrestrained' is a kind choice of words.'

"Yes, sweetness, but you've got Sandy's daddy.  That's…"

She interrupted.  "That's something that she and I have talked about at length.  And she understands that adults have mates.  Her mom…"

"Yeah, her mom walked right out of my house into her new hubby's," I said.  Nina knew the story.  She'd asked me and pried out some manner of detail.

"Oh, don't think about that.  You're with somebody who loves you more than anything else in the world, and we've got each other."

"Okay, princess," I said.  I glanced away from the road to that pretty face, framed by dark hair, blue eyes smiling.  For me.  I felt much better.  This was helped along by a great presentation of pasta alla putanesca for me and a veal scallopini for Nina, and we split the customary tiramisu for dessert.

Walking out into the humid gulf Coast summer evening, she stopped in front of me and I wrapped her in my arms from behind.  She tossed her head back against my shoulder and I nuzzled her ear, eliciting a giggle.  "What?!?!?" I asked.

"Well, hon, if we're going to have the First Annual Dan 'n' Nina Barbecue Blast Saturday, and we had Italian tonight, we better do a salad something tomorrow.  And Sunday we'll take the kayaks to the river."

"You're wise beyond your age, my dear," I said as I pushed her to the car. She had her door open as I opened mine, and we both entered at the same time from opposite sides.  And met in the middle for a kiss.

"Let's get home, love," she said.  "If it's worth doin', it's worth overdoin'"

We hurried home, straight in the door, and as soon as it locked behind us, clothing started fluttering to the floor.  And we hit the shower in a tangle of naked arms and legs and our arms tugging us together under wonderfully hot water, enjoying the tactile symphonies of soapy skin and excited partners.  Our ardor toned down a little as we shifted back to the pre-bed routine, me shaving, her drying and brushing her hair to sassy brown exuberance. 

THEN to bed.  I was pushed backward onto the mattress, my arms spreading to receive an eager, laughing vision.  Her hands clasped the sides of my face, her blue eyes inches from mine.

"Darn you and your blue eyes, Dan," she sighed.

"Darn me? I thought I was being all adorable and things…"

"Yeah, that too.  Sometimes I just NEED you…"  Her lips brushed mine, finding the angle she wanted and then she pressed mine with ardor.  Our tongues met, dancing.  I slid my hands down from her shoulders, caressing her waist, then feeling her hips, finally resting at the juncture between her legs and her butt, tugging her against me.

Giggle.  "I feel that," she said.  "You make me lust, Dan.  For YOU."

"I love you, Nina.  You're still a dream to me."  I kissed her, then kissed her neck, causing her to wiggle delightfully.  She moved sideways off me and her hand slid down my stomach to grasp my erection, giving it a squeeze, then her fingers curled under my balls in a perfect motion.  She slid her torso away from me as her head moved downward.  I let her suck me for a moment then gently tugged, indicating that I wanted to taste her delights.

"Oh, yeah," she said.  "I love this…" she lost the capability for coherent speech when my tongue slid between the moist lips of her youthful pussy, savoring musky, juices.  We worked each other joyously for some minutes until her hip motions took a rhythmic motion that I knew signaled an approaching orgasm.  She gave my erection one more langorous suck then pulled it out of her mouth and held it against her cheek as her breath came in gasps and little mewing sounds, and then "Ohgogohgodogod… Dannnn…. Nnnnnggghhhh!  Ahhhhh!" and then a collapse.

I slowed my play, my tongue gently lapping her pinkened lips, gathering juices for my own pleasure.

Then she raised a leg to roll off me.  I reluctantly let her go.  She turned in the bed, her face near mine again, then kisses.  And she was back atop me, this time her hot, wet pussy searching for the head of my dick.  It wasn't a long search at all, ending in me sliding into nirvana.  I raised up to a sitting position, holding her in my lap, those long legs of hers wrapping around me, us coupling with playful kisses.

The smile on her face was angelic.  "I love you, Dan," she said, then her hips moved.  

My turn to moan.  "Mmmmmmmmbaby…"

She silenced me with her lips covering mine, her body moving against mine, driving me towards orgasm.  When she pulled her lips from mine, her eyes had changed from giggling to serious, and she was biting her bottom lip, the corners of her mouth turning up ever so slightly,  her 'I'm getting ready to come' face.

I could only add slight movements to hers as we mated, her hips pushing down on my hardness insistently as I spurted deep inside her.  I held her as her own orgasm surged and ebbed, her eyes squinched shut.  When her eyelids fluttered, I kissed her on the nose.

"You are so absolutely perfect, little one," I said.

She took her arms from around me and gently pushed me back onto the bed, then slid down between my legs, her mouth receiving my soppy, soft dick.

"Oh, no, little girl.  I get to do you…"

"Okay, lover," she said, turning around so we could enjoy a post-coital sixty-nine.  Finishing for me was matter of her cleaning me.  Finishing, for her, was recovering from a third orgasm.  And we were in each other's arms, as it should be.
She sighed.  "And all that and it's not even eight-thirty," she giggled.  "Living room?"

"Sure!" I replied.  We got up and walked into the living room after donning our sleeping clothes.

"Your recliner," she said. "And some music."

I sat in my recliner, knowing that this was going to gain me an armful of Nina.  "What's your pleasure tonight, little angel?" I asked.

"How about that album with the trumpets.  What's that one we both like?  Haydn?"  She shook her bangs sideways off her forehead.  "I need a trim, sweetie," she said.

"I don't mind them the way they are.  Your bangs drive me nutty."  I picked up the remote and started shuffling through the music selection.  Found Haydn.  We listened together, her head resting on my shoulder as I held her against me.

I'd like to say that the rest of the evening was more cuddling and loving, but part of it was unwrapping a couple of beef briskets and coating them with my secret dry rub recipe, preparatory to the barbecue.  Then I sealed them in vacuum bags and put them back in the fridge.  Now, when you use your hands to apply something containing lots of pepper, you want to be careful.  I knew I couldn't wash it off my hands completely, so I wore rubber gloves.

The cat watched me carefully through this whole procedure.  I rewarded him with a bit of lean beef, sans red pepper, for his help.  That took care of the cat.  Nina was amused by the whole thing.  I peeled off the gloves, carefully washed my hands anyway, and kissed her nose.

"Now it's bedtime, baby…" she smiled.  I followed her into the bedroom and we crawled into the bed together falling asleep to soft music and gentle fondling.

And Friday morning.  We sat at the table for breakfast and coffee together and I left for work. Leaving her instructions to put the beef on the counter before she left, and "Oh, by the way, close the kitchen door so Sam doesn't help himself to tomorrow's menu."  And out the door I went.

Part of the day was verifying the expected participation from my co-workers. The rest of day was nothing earthshattering.  I was kicked back in my office, drinking a soda and eating a sandwich with one of the other engineers when the phone rang.
"Hey, baby," I said.

"Hi, guy," Nina chirped. "You having lunch?"

"Yep!  Just me an' Harvey," I answered.

"Tell Harvey I said 'hi'," she said.  The head librarian and I are having salads at The Treehouse."

I knew 'The Treehouse', one of those almost too cute little bistro restaurant things that actually had good food, but if you went there at lunch, you'd look out of place wearing steel-toe shoes and khaki pants.  Place was downtown, crawling with lawyers and government workers, most days.

"Harvey, Nina says 'hi'.  They're eating at The Treehouse," I said.

Harvey laughed.  "Tell'er to avoid the tofu…"

"I heard that," Nina giggled.  "Just wanted to see how you day's going.  Love you, babe!"

"Love you too, doll,  bye!"

Harvey grinned.  "Ain't that sweeeeet!"

"I think so, bud," I said.  "And I like it!  She's a whole lot better company than Sam the yellow cat."

"I won't touch the obvious comment, Dan," he said.

I grinned.  "That's admirable self-restraint," I said.

Friday afternoons are noted for avoiding any activity that might run over into the weekend, and this one was no different.  The four o'clock whistle blew and I and my co-workers gathered in the lunchroom for our daily post-whistle chat.

"Okay, I'm doing two trimmed briskets," I said.  "Harv, you're bringing ribs, and uh… Dave, you're bringing sausage.  And Steve is bringing baked beans and garlic bread and Jannie's got tater salad covered."

"Beer," Harv said.

I got a heavy stock of Shiner and Sam Adams.  If one of you pervs wants that 'lite' crap, bring your own…"  that comment got general chuckles.

Dave patted his ample gut.  "what about my diet?" he laughed.

"I don't wanna hear it, Bub," I retorted.  "All diets are suspended on arrival."  We dissolved into small talk and filed out the door.

The short ride home was occupied by mentally  running down the list of things to do.  I pulled into the driveway alongside Nina's little car and walked inside.  She was on the sofa, her Kindle in her hand.

"Hey, baby," she said, standing.  She laid the Kindle down and met me with open arms to greet me with kisses.

"How were your kiddies today?" I asked.

"Oh, pretty much the same.  There are a couple that really need some intervention.  I mean, there's this one little girl, if you look up 'brat' in the dictionary, her picture's there."

I laughed.

"Don't laugh," she said.  "Working with some of those kids makes a good case for celibacy."

"You know, you don't HAVE to do it," I said.

"Yeah, but I volunteered, and the librarians really appreciate me, and there's this one little blonde girl that's sooooo cute and sweet and she smiles for me."

"Then you've found your reward, cutie.  So, you had salad today for lunch.  I thought we were supposed to do salad for dinner."

She giggled.  "Yeah, I thought about that when Dana mentioned The Treehouse for lunch.  But they're GOOD salads, and I kinda think we ought to go there for dinner.  I can recommend something for you…"

"If you're up to it. Lemme change shoes."  I was wearing my safety shoes, and while they didn't LOOK like safety shoes, I thought my feet needed a break.  I changed shoes.

"One more thing, dearest," I said.  "I need to put the smoker on the patio and plug it in so it can come up to temperature."
"Okay," she said.

That task took five minutes and then we were headed to an early dinner consisting in a couple of delightful interpretations of salad, mine topped with spicey lump crab meat, hers with grilled shrimp, and then we headed home, stopping on the way to pick up some necessities at the grocery store.

Back at the house we busied ourselves prepping for the Saturday event.  Nina put finishing touches on a house we kept inordinately neat, supervised by Sam the cat from his perch on the back of the sofa.  I unloaded another couple of six-packs of bottled beer into the recreational cooler on the patio, arranged my estimated requirement of hickory wood (chips in a bucket) for the smoker, pulled out my supply of folding chairs ("Bring your own chairs, guys,"  I'd told everybody.) and arranged them.

I looked at the readout for the smoker, the digits showing exactly the temperature I had set.  I opened the door and left it open, listening for the digital control to sense the temperature drop and to turn on the electric heating element.  I heard the click, punched a couple of buttons and was rewarded with a readout of the amount of electric current being consumed.  That was the box temperature.  A couple more keystrokes and I watched the reading for the smoke pot temperature climb to my optimum range.  Guys laughed at my smoker, but I turned out some good 'cue.

I walked back into the house just in time to hear the vacuum cleaner shut down.

Nina brushed a strand of hair away from her cheek.  "There!" she announced.  "Ready for our guests."  She smiled.  "So you put the meat in that…  that THING at eight, right?"

"Uh-huh.  And the first load of wood.  Then I need to check on it in an hour to make sure it's tracking right, and that's it until tomorrow morning.  If something goes wonky, it'll give me an alarm on this little thingie."

"That's neat," she allowed, "now, you wanna shower now, or after you put the meat on?"

"Let's wait'll we get the meat in there," I said.  "We can watch TV, play cards, whatever…"

"Okay," Nina said.  The card playing went okay.  We didn't find anything worth the time on TV, so we hit the stereo instead, watching the clock as she beat me a successive hands of rummy, giggling and laughing as we played and talked.  

Mercifully eight o'clock saved me from a complete rout.  I retrieved the two briskets from their vacuum packages and put them on a tray, carried them out to the smoker and slid them inside, depositing a couple of cups of hickory chips into the smoke unit, then closed the door and checked the indications.

Back inside, Nina took me by the hand.  "Shower now?"

"Shower, I guess.  With a friend.  Saves water.  Ecologically responsible and all that."  Her eyes twinkled.

"And you're telling this to a guy who just started a couple chunks of dead cow over a smoky fire?  But 'shower with a friend'?  I guess that's a good place to start…"

Long, playful shower. Wet, nubile female form, tittering with glee as we washed each other, kissing, fondling, enjoying the hot spray on our bodies.  Once out, she was drying her hair while I shaved.  I finished shaving in time to brush her to dark brown, shining perfection.

"Go check the smoker, hon," she said.  "and then we can play around…"

The smoker was doing fine.

I took off the pants that I'd donned for the quick trip outside, and in doing so, my nakedness was then equal to hers.  The fact that she was on her hands and knees in the middle of the bed, grinning led me to think that my ardor was equal to hers, too.

We playfully attacked each other.  She knew what made me happy and I knew her as well, and that's what our couplings were about:  mutual happiness.  After a couple of minutes of playful biting and nipping, she had me on my back, pressed up beside me, her leg thrown over mine. Those sky-blue eyes, dimples punctuating that grin,  I couldn't resist placing hands on the sides of her face and tugging her down to kiss me.

"You're some kind of beautiful, Nina love," I said.  "I get lost in those eyes."

"You're not the only one, baby," she cooed as our lips parted.  "I think your eyes were the first thing I noticed about you…"

I stroked her hair and kissed her again.  I felt the wiggle of her pubic mound against my thigh.  Her fingers wrapped around my hardness.

"Beauty," I said, "You drive me crazy."

"Why?  Because I discovered that YOU make ME complete.  Like this?"  and she pulled herself astraddle me.  Smiling down at me.  "I keep finding my happiness and YOU'RE the key."

I looked over twin, rounded mounds of her breasts, nipples erect, goals for my hands. "You're just perfect, little one," I said.

"Nuh-uh.  Almost perfect."  She rose up slightly, my dick popped up and was captured in a tight opening, then enveloped in hot wet ecstasy.  "Now it's perfect!"

It was.  I curled up to sitting with her in my arms.  She arranged herself, wrapping her legs around me, mating us completely together when our mouths met and fastened.  One of her arms clasped me against her, aiding my own wrapping around her.  Her free hand stroked my head and face.

"I love you, Dan.  Completely!"

"I love you, Nina…  you make me whole."  I was totally taken.  Who could've told me that in a mere matter of weeks I would be so head over heels in love, and that it would be returned so wonderfully.

I struggled to hold back my orgasm despite the surges I kept feeling, letting Nina work herself against me until she sucked her bottom lip into her mouth.

"Oh, Dan…push me.  Hard!"

I knew that she was close.  That was a good thing, because I knew that one or two hard pushes would be all I could manage before I exploded.

"Push!" she demanded.  I did.  Once.  Twice.  "Gaahhhh! Yessssss!"

I couldn’t talk.  Too much of my brain was employed in handling the sensations brought upon me by mating with Nina.  Her face buried into my neck.  She took a deep breath.

"Lay back, baby," she said.

I kept her in my arms as I fell back onto the bed.  We uncoupled with a soft plop.

"Don't move, sweetie," she said.  "Just hold me…"


Chapter Nine

We awoke on the morning of the First Annual Dan 'n' Nina Barbecue Blast.  I dressed immediately and went out to check on the smoker.  Temperature was exactly as I'd set.  The same technology that monitors huge furnaces was monitoring my little box smoker, cooking meat.  I opened the door, couldn't resist an exploratory poke with a finger, and grabbed the chip tray.  I dumped the expended wood chips and replaced them with new ones and returned it to its position.  I noted the controller sensing the low temperature of the chip tray and kicking in the heat to generator smoke.

I walked back into the house and Nina was setting a bowl of cereal on the table for each of us. “Coffee's on, dearest!” she said.  “How's the meat doing?”

I gave her an exaggerated leer.

She retorted with feigned outrage.  “Uh!  Don't be coarse!”

"You started it! But since I think I know what you really mean, those briskets are doing just fine!  They're right on schedule.  And I just put Jannie's chicken on."

Nina giggled.  "Special treatment?"

"You bet," I said.  "Jannie can make life miserable at work!"

We ate our breakfast, sat out on the patio together, drinking coffee, then I made another pass with a broom over the patio and did a police call of the yard, watched carefully by Sam through the glass door.

Nina and I set up folding tables to augment the patio table, and spread plastic table covers and that was pretty much the sum of what we needed to do, except wait. 

Wait?!?!?  With Nina?  Eighteen and eager?  Oh, well, another shower before noon wasn't going to kill us…
Noon!  Set out the bowls of crunchy snacks.  Haul out a couple of trash cans to catch debris.  Invite the curious neighbor and his wife.  Make excuses and plan something for the kids when Sandy gets here.

Somebody had to be the first to arrive.  That was Harvey and his wife.  Harvey was pushing sixty, and had almost forty years with his wife and they fit together, he being grey, balding and overweight, and his wife being grey and plump and smiling  Harvey introduced Nina to his wife Becky.  I already knew her from previous socials, so I just shook her hand.

"Well, Dan, you've done very well.  Married up, I see!"  She smiled at Nina. "Harvey, go get your ribs.  Nina, I hope you're carnivorous.  These guys DO like their barbecues."

I accompanied Harvey to retrieve a big foil-covered tray.  Ribs!  I'd never admit it in a group, but Harvey was the preparer of some fine ribs.  He was a beneficiary of my temperature controller design on his own smoker.  

The ribs went on a table, covered to keep their heat.  A few minutes later, Dave and his wife Sherry, and then a steady stream, until the complement was on board.  We started uncovering food and the feed was on.  And good.

Conversation flowed well, lubricated just a teensy bit by the beer that went missing at a wedding reception in a Baptist church's social hall.  The summer heat wasn't too cloying and with this bunch,well, I knew everybody, but that didn't matter.  There were no strangers.  Engineers being shy and introspective?  Do a barbecue and add beer.  Those from outside the work crew, my neighbors and Nina's grandmother and her (announced, now) fiancée, they were dragged into the mix and enjoyed themselves

The neighbors were the first to leave, amply supplied with plates to feed their kids.  The rest of the gang hung around, nibbling, sipping and talking and Dave dragged his guitar out and we played and sang a few songs, talent enhanced and sensitivies dulled, no doubt, by ethanol.  Late in the evening we shook hands with the last of the work bunch, leaving us with Nina's grandma and her guy Ed.  It was nice having help securing the place.

I was proud to see NOTHING left of my two briskets.  Okay, to be honest, there wasn't any meat left.  We had a trashcan full of empty beer bottles.  No fights.  No injuries.  I count that as a success.  Next party, though, we're gonna work on the music.  Dancing with Nina to the dulcet tones of Dave's guitar left a bit to be desired.  Not Nina.  Dave.  Like his barbecue, Dave's music was a whole lot of enthusiasm to make up for what small shortage of skill that existed.  Still, there wasn't any of Dave's sausage left, either.

After the cursory clean-up, we retired to the living room and spent a while doing the small talk thing.  One of the first topics was Helen's.  "Dan, ya'll are getting your daughter this weekend, right?"

Nina took that one.  "Yes, ma'am.  I'm looking forward to it.  You know we talk a couple of times a week now."

"I know," Helen said.  "Just step lightly, honey.  Little girls and their daddies, you know, and divorces.  You never know how that is going to play out."

Nina patted my knee.   "Me an' Dan will be just fine, Grandma.  Really.  And Sandy will fit right in with us. It'll be interesting.  And fun!"

Ed smiled.  "Well, then that means the THREE of you will be at our wedding.  We're getting married in a month."
Squeal!  Nina was kissing her grandmother and I was shaking Ed's hand.  We checked the date against our calendar on Nina's cellphone and made sure that we'd be set up for attending.  I wasn't going to miss that wedding.

"Nina," I said.  "We need to make sure that Sandy has a dress for the wedding!  We need to tell her mom."

Nina smiled.  "Or me an' Grandma can take 'er to the mall and buy one!"

I grinned.  "That might just be a better idea!"

Ed chuckled.  "Like you need to give women a reason to shop!"

We laughed at that, but truthfully, Nina and I seldom went shopping.  It usually happened when she or I determined a need.  For purely recreational purposes, we had a wide spectrum of activities we choose from.

One of them was apparently advanced cat petting as Sam ambled into the living room and hopped up between me and Nina.  Her strokes started him purring.

That changed the conversation to pets and cats versus dogs, and then ten o'clock was here and Helen and Ed left.  We stood outside the door until their tail-lights disappeared around the corner.

Once back inside, Nina locked the door behind her and backed against it.  I trapped her there for a kiss, a kiss that was returned with a sigh.

"Okay, babe," she said.  "The First Annual Dan 'n' Nina Barbecue Blast.  Success?"

I kissed  her perfect nose.  "Success.  Maybe next year, more music though."

Giggle.  "You surprised me when you pulled me out there to dance, honey!"  She smiled.

"No quite as surprised as I was that you danced so well," I countered.

She pushed her face against my chest and bit me lightly.  "Thank Grandma for that.  She said that a young lady would be well served, her words, if she could waltz."

"Remind me to thank your grandma again, my sweetness," I said.

"Honey," she retorted, "I love you to pieces, but YOU smell like smoked meat and sweat.  I need to put your butt in the shower."  And she smiled sweetly.  "And just on the outside chance that you may need help, I will join you."  And she tiptoed to kiss me on MY nose.  Bedtime was particularly satisfying afterward.

Sunday morning after breakfast we finished up the post-party cleanup then loaded up the kayaks and drove to a favorite stream for a bit of recreational exercise.  One of the exercises involved pulling two kayaks up on the bank while the occupants disappeared into the woods.  And came back out smiling and adjusting their swimsuits.

The exercise did us good, and a light dinner went a little way toward balancing caloric intake from the big pig-out the day before.

And then it was Monday.   Amid good-natured ribbing (about barbecue!  Hah!) we talked about the party.
Dave said, "You know, I must be getting' old.  I got home before sunrise Sunday and I remember everything I did."

"Yeah," I said.  "We're all responsible and everything."

"Says the guy who married an eighteen year old…"  he laughed.

I leaned back in my chair, laced my fingers behind my head, and smiled.  "Yep!  VERY respectable."

Harvey laughed.  "Dan, Dan, Dan…  You gotta quit smiling like that…"

We floated through the week, facing Saturday plans to drive two hundred miles to meet the ex-wife halfway and retrieve Sandy for her summer stay with me.  I came in from work on Wednesday to find Nina in Sandy's room, cleaning, dusting, setting things right.  A bowl of potpourri was on the dresser.  I noted it, and she giggled.

"Just makin' an effort, sweetie," she smiled.  "I really want this to work for us.  But Sandy's almost eleven.  Some of this stuff is just a little too, uh, LITTLE girly, I think."

I stroked my chin.  "Maybe so.  I'm mostly clueless about what little girls want.  Last summer was almost a disaster.  I took two weeks' vacation and basically did everything she could think of."

"We'll do better this time, guy," she said. "I think I can make things easier for all of us."

"I hope so, sweetie," I said.

Friday we made sure that we did the grocery shopping, adding a few snacks and items that I remembered as Sandy's preferences.

Saturday morning we were on the road early, having arranged a rendezvous for one o'clock at a MacDonalds just off the interstate, a little on her side of halfway.  I knew the drill.  I'd done it before several times in the past four years. I hated the procedure, especially the return trip.  Equally hurting too was the fact that I could look at Sandy and see so much of the ex in her.  It took everything sometimes to convince myself that Sandy was just the happy component of an unsuccessful phase of my life.

Nina and I'd had the discussion at length.  Nina is my love, my soul, and I wanted her to know everything in my life.  That included the triumphs and tragedies, including my failed marriage, having that discussion with a head of dark brown hair laying on my shoulder, arms wrapped around me.  Catharsis comes in many forms and I had to find it with Nina.  It wasn't easy, but with Nina, I couldn't imagine it being any easier.

So on this summer Saturday morning, we were tooling down the road listening to Haydn concertos and talking.  Two hundred miles passed easily as time always seems to do with me and Nina on the road. Ever the pessimist, I made sure we had plenty of room for traffic problems, so we were at the location with plenty of time to spare.  We ate up the excess by taking a little loop through the countryside.

We were in the parking lot ten minutes before the appointed time.  Jennifer and her husband showed up in a Cadillac.  That was always the case.  He was, at his best, a used car dealer, and every time they showed up, he was in what he thought was the part of his inventory most likely to impress.  The dealer plates gave it away. Sandy was waving happily as they passed us in the parking lot.

Nina and I got out of our car.

"Daddydaddydaddy!" A squeal and a leap and I gathered two arms full of ten year old energy in a t-shirt and shorts.

"I MISS you!" Sandy said, kissing me on the cheek.

"I miss you too, punkin'," I said.  "I think you're growing too fast!"

"Not too fast, Daddy!"  Her eyes shifted.  "Are you Nina?"

Nina smiled.  "Hi, Sandy!"  I think that Nina was uncharacteristically nervous.

Sandy fixed that.  Another squeal and a bounce and she was wrapped around Nina like a long-lost friend.  "You're pretty!"

I looked past that scene, one that was producing happiness, to see my ex-wife Jennifer and her husband Harry.  Harry had two suitcases and Jennifer had a cardboard box, headed our way.

"Hi, Jenn, Harry," I said.  I opened the hatch on my SUV to accept Sandy's baggage.  When Harry freed his hands, I extended mine to shake.  I always thought he was a smarmy bastard, as evidenced by his handshake, like he'd gone to "shake hands like a REAL man" class, and needed remedial training.

"Hey, bud," Harry said, putting on his "Have I got a deal for you" smile.

"Anything else she needs to bring?" I asked.  I didn't like the bastard when he was in high school with me and Jennifer, and I wasn't going to start now.  Civil. That's all, the best I could work up.

Jenn said, "No, that's about it, Dan.  She's been excited for a week now.  I hope you and Nina live up to her expectations."

By this time Nina was at my side, Sandy next to her.  Nina was half a head taller than Jennifer, and in the last year or two, Jennifer had taken on a decided bell shape.  This trip her hair was mostly blonde, teased, and nailed into place solidly.  
I'm glad I didn't have to deal with that.  I rebelled against hairspray while we were married, and I guess ol' Harry was impervious to it.  When she turned her head, her hair didn't move.

I introduced Nina formally.  "Jennifer, this is my wife, Nina.  Nina, this is Jennifer, Sandy's mom."

"Hello, Mizz Jennifer," Nina said.  "Sandy's dressed really cute!"  If you can't say something nice, don't say anything.  Jennifer wasn't smiling.

"Hello, Nina," Jennifer said.  "My friends' description didn't do you justice.  Dan, she's quite striking."

"Thank you, Mizz Jennifer," Nina said.

"Oh, Nina, please drop the 'Mizz" thing."  Her face finally broke the beginnings of the smile that I once found so charming.  "Sandy's been going on about you.  She likes talking to you."

Nina looked down at Sandy, who was grinning.  "Thank you, Sandy.  I enjoy talking to you, too.  I never had a little sister, you know…"

"Come on, gang," I said.  "We have four hours of driving to do."  I turned back to Jenn and Harry.  "We're going to be at the beach starting Monday, for a week."  I noticed Sandy tugging Nina closer to me.  She succeeded.  We made one of those modern 'blended' family units.  "Sandy'll call you often.  Or you can call her."

Harry spoke up.  "You folks have a good time."

Sandy made a quick bolt to give her mom a kiss.  "'Bye, Mom!  Love ya!"  She gave Harry a cursory hug, and bounce-skipped back to between me and Nina.  And waved.

We mounted up.  Nina was starting to get in the back seat and Sandy stopped her.  "Nuh-uh, Nina!  You're Daddy's wife.  You're s'posed ta sit by 'im."

Nina smiled.  "You sure, sweetie?  I can ride in the back seat so you can sit by your dad."

"Nope.  That's okay!"  A whole five feet of ten-year old blonde girlchild got in the back seat and buckled herself in.  We pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road home.  Once on the highway, I allowed Sandy to unbuckle her seatbelt so she could hover between Nina and I.  Sandy's blue eyes were mine, as was the blondish hair.  And listening to her talk, I wanted to take credit for the intelligence, too.  She and Nina chatted along.

"Does Dad still listen to the GOOD music, Nina?"

"You mean like this?"  Nina punched the power button on the stereo and restarted the Haydn concerto CD.

"Uh-huh!  Mom calls that 'your dad's music' but I like it.  I've been trying to get Mom to let me take piano lessons, but she wants me to do softball instead."

"I wish I'd taken a musical instrument," Nina answered.  "It just never got off the ground when I was living with my Mom.  And when I moved in with Grandma, I was almost sixteen, and I thought I was too old to start."

"That's why I want to start now.  I got this friend at school an' she's been doin' it since she was eight."  Sandy was smiling.  She leaned over a bit further and kissed me on the shoulder.  "I've been waitin' for this for so long, Dad.  An' since you married Nina…"  her hand stroked Nina's short, dark pageboy.  "I like your hair, Nina.  Dad, can I get mine cut like Nina's?"

'Oh, here we go,' I thought.  I wasn't going to make move like that without her mom's approval.  "Baby," I said to Sandy, "You'll have to ask your mom."

"'Kay," Sandy said matter of factly.  "Can I use your phone?"

"Okay," I answered, passing her my cellphone.  "But if she says no, don't start fussing."

"I won't," Sandy smiled.  She sat back in the seat and dialed.  I looked at Nina, who was smiling.  She winked at me.

"Hi, Mom!" Sandy said.  "I wanna get my hair cut for the summer!"  Pause.  "Like Nina's."  Pause.  "Nooooo, Mommmm.  It's MY idea!  Nobody said nothin'!"  Pause.  "Just a second…"  My trepidation was validated when she passed me the phone.

"Hi, Jenn," I said.

"So it starts already, huh, Dan!"  Jenn was that way about Sandy because she could get away with jerking my chain.  It was one of her small 'control' pleasures.

I sighed audibly.  "Jenn, nothing's starting.  Sandy said she liked Nina's short haircut and wanted to get hers cut like that.  I told her that she needed your permission.  You know how I feel about that." She knew exactly how I felt.  Jenn was one of those moms who wanted their daughters to be little extensions of their doll-play years.  I wanted my little girl to be able to play and live without the tedium of caring for masses of long hair messed up by swinging upside down from a swing set or a tree branch.

"Her hair's just getting long enough so I can do things with it, Dan."

"And I'm going to take a ten year old girl to the beach, in salt water and sailing and kayaking and she's not going to have time to work on long hair.  It makes sense to me to cut it.  And SHE asked.  I think we oughtta do it."

Jenn's breath was a hiss.  I could picture the face.  "Okay, Dan.  She's with you, and I'm not going to fight with you about it."

"So that's a yes, then?"  I asked.

"Yes.  Let me talk to her."

"Okay, Jenn.  Thanks."  I passed the phone back to my daughter.

"Thanks, Mom!" Sandy squealed.  "Yeah, I know…  but Nina's hair is so NEAT!  It's soft an' pretty!"

I was adding "and doesn't look like Satan's Brillo pad" but I kept my thoughts to myself.  I glanced at Nina.  She was smiling through a little bit of 'smug'.

"Okay, Mom!  Love ya!  Bye!" and Sandy handed me back my phone.

My daughter was grinning.  "So can we get me cut today?  Before we go to the beach?"

"We can see if they can take you at where I go at the mall, Sandy!  I'm sure we can!"

Squeal!  "The mall?  That's great!"

I resigned myself to the mall.  Solved one problem, though.  Dinner at the Food Court.

"Then we'll hit the mall when we get back to town," I said.  "Sandy, your mom wasn't jumping for joy, though…"

"I know," Sandy said.  "She's always wanting me to do stuff to my hair, and I want it to be pretty and all that, but she makes such a production.  And I hate hairspray." 

She touched Nina's hair again.  Nina smiled.  "Your dad says he likes my hair just like it is, Sandy."

So there was step one on a journey that I didn't even recognize as a journey yet.

The rest of the trip home was all about kayaking and sailing and bicycling and music and I remember what it was like talking with a precocious ten year old with a quick mind, but I had recent practice with an intelligent eighteen year old, and it was some amount of preparation.  Besides, Sandy was just as happy talking to Nina as she was to me.  This was shaping up nicely.

We pulled into the mall parking lot at dusk on a summer Saturday.  I expected to find the place packed, and I wasn't disappointed.  We were pleasantly surprised that the hair salon was able to work Sandy in as a walk-in as soon as we arrived.  Half an hour later we were seated at a table in the food court, each with our own idea of a meal, and Sandy was a blonde, abbreviated image of Nina, bangs and all.

"Dad, what'd'ya think?"  Sandy shook her head.

"Perfect, little girl," I said.  "Nina?"

Nina shook her own head and smiled.  "See, Sandy?  It just goes back where it's supposed to go!"

"I like it," Sandy said.  She and Nina stuffed down a pair of hamburgers and I did a dose of mediocre Chinese: meat of indeterminate origin in brown sauce.  We went to the car and went home.  

Nina and Sandy unloaded the suitcases and between the two of them they did an inventory while I took care of some laundry.  I was just coming up the hall when they popped out of Sandy's room.

"Dad, Nina and I think we need a few things for our trip."  Sandy's grin was reinforced when she turned to Nina and Nina was nodding.

Nina said, "She needs another bathing suit.  This one is okay, but it's getting small.  And another couple of shorts and shirt outfits.  And another pair of shoes.  And some flip-flops for the beach.  We can go get all that tomorrow."
The junior set of blue eyes asked, "Dad!  Cook us something tomorrow.  I miss your cooking.  Really."

"What do you have in mind, sweetie?"  I asked.

"Oh, some of that stuff like YOUR mom used to cook.  You know."

"Gotcha, punkin," I said.  "Nina, you think you and Sandy can do the mall tomorrow while I cook?"

"Not a problem," Nina said.  

Shower time.  I wasn't going to shower with Nina tonight.  I mean, we were going to do that.  After all, we were married, but this was Sandy's first night in the house in months, and I just thought that either Nina or I ought to be there with her.  
Sandy was the first in the shower, then Nina, and Nina took care of drying Sandy's hair along with her own.  Then it was my turn.

When I came out of the bathroom, the two of them were sitting cross-legged in the middle of the living room floor playing cards.

"Three-handed rummy, now, sweetie," Nina said. And we did.  Had fun.  I think they conspired against me, because I came in last.  And they were giggling and exchanging glances the whole time. We finished the game of rummy and it was a little late to start another, so we all sat on the sofa to see what was on TV.  I had my feet propped up and had my young, happy wife on one side and my happy daughter on the other, and life was good.

An hour of TV and we'd watched whales migrate and talked about why we never saw whales in the Gulf of Mexico, but I promised we'd see a lot of dolphins while we were out on the water in the upcoming week.

Bedtime.  Nina and I tucked Sandy into her bed and each kissed her on the cheek and then we retired to our own bed.

Nina giggled and whispered, "This is the most clothes you've worn to be since you and I…  you know, the first time…" 

"I know," I said, "and you…  sexy in your panties and nightshirt…"  Our lips met.  "Mmmmmm," I moaned.  My hands slid underneath that silly cotton nightshirt.

"Mmmmmm, yourself, guy!"  She rolled me onto my back and lay on top of me.  She crossed her arms and rested her chin on them.  "So, did we do okay today, babe?"

"Perfect, I think.  You and Sandy, you seem to connect pretty good."  I kissed her forehead.

"She's a neat kid, Dan.  And she's more than half YOU."

"More than half?" I asked.

"Yeah.  I see YOU in her smile, the eyes, her attitude, her mannerisms." Nina smiled at me.

"Uh-huh.  And you…  That whole, 'I want my hair like Nina's' thing.  I thought Jenn was going to go ballistic, but she backed off.  And Sandy just seems to attach herself to you."

"Yeah," Nina said.  "That was sweet.  Maybe she just wants a big sister sort of thing…"  I got another kiss as she slid up on me to put our faces together.  "And we've talked. About me and you being married."

"Uh-huh, you told me about some of that."  I said.

"I told her that you and I became an 'us', and that you and her were already an 'us', so now there's three of 'us'.  She said that made her happy, thinking about her dad being happy."

"Her dad is very happy, Nina.  Very." My hands explored and savored the feel of her butt through her panties.

"Pull 'em off," she whispered.  "I want you."

"I want you, too," I said, sliding her panties down, feeling her kick them off.  Her hands started sliding my shorts down. I was erect.

"We can be quiet, baby," she said, her lips landing on my face.

"Why would we want to be quiet, sweetness?"

Giggle.  "Don't want to wake your daughter.  Uh… OUR daughter."  She slid down, her head disappearing under the covers.  What happened next was happily familiar yet never ceased to take my breath away.  She purred.  I felt it like it registered on the Richter scale.

That brown head popped back up, smiling and I kissed her like we were exchanging souls.  Her back arched and I found myself entering her to the sounds of her purrs punctuated by little giggles.

"Just a little bit, baby," she whispered.  "I would like to be eaten, if you don't mind."  Giggle.

"I would love to, sweetness," I groaned as her pelvis writhed, moving me in and out of her.  She pulled away from me and twirled around to put us in a sweet sixty-nine.  In a few delicious minutes I had her softly whimpering through an orgasm.  When she recovered her composure, she treated me to one, her sassy head bobbing in my lap, giggling as my muscles lost control.

After I was drained, she cuddled into my side and we drifted into sleep together.

Her gentle kisses woke me the next morning.  My eyes focused to see her face.  "Babe," she said, "We need to feed Sandy."

We got up and got dressed and Nina gently pushed open Sandy's door.  My little blonde child was laying half on her stomach, her butt pushed up at an improbable angle.

"Sandy," Nina said, just above a whisper.  "Let's go get breakfast."

Sandy twisted and sat up, rubbing her eyes.  She saw Nina and me and smiled.  "Oh, yeah.  I'm here!  Good morning!"

I let Nina deal with Sandy's wardrobe selection and was rewarded with seeing the two females I loved most in the world presenting themselves in shorts and cotton blouses and athletic shoes.  No, the colors weren't identical, but they definitely belonged together.  We loaded up in my SUV and headed off to a little restaurant that I knew would do a good job on our breakfast. 

"Whose car is that?" Sandy asked, looking at Nina's little Honda.

"That's mine," Nina said.  "My grandma bought it for me when I lived with her.  Before I met your dad."

"Oh, that's neat!  It's really yours?  No dealer plates?" Sandy said.  "Can we use it to go to the mall today?"

"Sure," Nina said.

We arrived at the little restaurant and I watched Sandy demolish a stack of pancakes as I and Nina ate omelets and drank coffee.

Returning to the house, I started packing for the upcoming week.  Nina worked on her own preparation and we both pitched in to help Sandy.  I spent a bit of time in the kitchen, too, but we did sandwiches for lunch.  

Nina sidled up to me in the kitchen.  "You don't mind us going shopping without you, do you?"

"Nope!  I think Sandy wants this to be just you two."  I smiled.  "I think that's wonderful!  Get what she needs."
Nina smiled.

"And if you see something you like for yourself, get that too."  I smiled.  A month into marriage, Nina hadn't shown herself to be extravagant.  She had our credit cards now, but we worked on the household finances together, too, and talked about how things worked when it was just me, and how it ought to be with the new 'us'.

Sandy walked into the kitchen, looking to see what I was doing.

"Working on a special dinner for my special girl," I said.

She tossed an arm around my waist and squeezed me.  "I like being special to you, Dad!  Me an' Nina are going shopping."  Her cool blue eyes met mine.  She smiled.  "We're bonding."

"What do you know about bonding, little girl?"  I asked, laughing.

"'S when you strengthen a relationship," she said.  "Right?"

"Right," I admitted.

"See!" she said.  "You don't want me bein' dumb.  And me an' Nina are bonding."  She swung her hip to bump Nina who was standing there amused by the exchange.  "Right, Nina?"

"You betcha, Sandy.  Let's go to the mall!"

Squeal!  And off they went.

By the time they got back, I'd already put two kayaks on top of our SUV, one single and one two-holer, and I'd loaded up my own bags.  I was sitting on the sofa watching TV in between visits to the kitchen to tend the pots when the door opened and the pair bounced in carrying a rainbow of plastic bags.

"Wait'll you see what we got, Dad!" Sandy chirped.

Nina stopped long enough to bend over and kiss me.  "We didn't go overboard, but wait'll you see HER idea!  We'll be back."
"We're modeling, Dad," I heard from up the hall.

Nina disappeared and in five minutes they both returned, looking like bookends, matching shorts and t-shirts and shoes.

"Oh, that's nice," I said.

"My idea, Daddy," Sandy said.  "But Nina thought it was neat."

"I did, baby.  And look!"  she held up another matching T-shirt.  "We got one for you, too."

Sandy bounced up on my lap, hugging me.  So everybody can see we're a family."

"Yes we are, darlin'," I said.  Nina smiled, adding to the hug.  "Yes we are."

The pair showed off a few more outfits, including a couple of bathing suits each, one conservative one-piece, one bikini.  
I'd seen Nina in a bikini on our kayaking forays.  It was a pleasant sight.  Seeing my ten year old (Almost ELEVEN, Dad!) daughter in one…  

Apparently God designed dads with parts made to be torn off, because I was torn.  Five feet tall, sassy blonde, blue-eyed, she was a cutie.  I knew that I'd have to kill a few young men in the coming years.  No, no breasts yet, and curves were strictly straight pre-teen variety, but the foundation was there.

I swallowed.  Nina caught the expression on my face.  "We'll be careful where we wear these, Dan."

"Uh-huh," I said.  "Wear 'em near where I have a gun."

"Da-aadddd!" Sandy whined.  "Everybody wears these."

"Yeah," Nina giggled.  "Everybody!"

I sighed.  Such is the lot of the man who has daughters.

Nina said, "We saw Mizz Jannie at the mall, too, babe!  We talked a little bit.  She said Sandy has grown."

"You have, punkin," I said.

The fashion show completed, they packed their bags for the vacation.

Dinner was a success, at least according to Sandy.  "Mom never cooks like this any more," she said.

I remembered Jennifer as being an adequate, if somewhat unadventurous cook, but she was always ready to let me take over the kitchen.  Sandy told us about fast food and boxed meals and quick prep foods that seemed to be staples of life with her mom.  A day into my daughter's visit, I was beginning to see a pattern developing.

After dinner, Nina told Sandy, "Since your dad cooked, it's our job to clean up."

"'Kay," Sandy said, and the pair made short work of turning the kitchen pristine while I got my shower out of the way.  Sandy was waiting at the door when I walked out.

"Mmmm, you smell good, Dad!" she smiled.  The door closed and I heard the water running.

"So everything's still going okay, babe?" I asked Nina.

Nina's eyes laughed.  "She's a hoot, Dan.  I mean it.  I'm glad she's a sweetie, because with that mind, she could be a holy terror."

"Like somebody else I know," I laughed.

Nina poked me in the ribs.  "Uh-huh," she giggled.  "I know a guy like that!"  She straddled me on the sofa and we lavished kisses on one another.

"Plus," Nina stated, "I'm finding out stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"  I questioned.

"Like, her mom and step-dad fight quite a bit.  She asked if you and I ever fight.  I told her that we haven't yet, that we talk about things instead of fighting."

"Oh, yeah?"  I said.  "Her mom was famous for getting crossways over something and storing it for an opportune moment."

Nina continued.  "And her mom has to go to the doctor a lot, too.  Sandy doesn't know what she's going for."

"Oh," I said.  "Jenn hasn't said anything to me.  I don't know how to ask, either, without jeopardizing Sandy's confiding in you."

We heard the shower stop.  Nina said, "My turn."


Chapter Ten

I was sitting in my recliner when my daughter came bouncing back into the living room.  She zeroed in on my lap.  

"I've been looking soooo forward to this, Dad," she said.

"Me too, Sandy.  Nina, too."

"I like 'er, Dad," she admitted.  "She talks to ME.  Like, she calls me to talk to me, just like that."  She sighed.  "An' it's kinda like she's a grownup, but she's kinda not.  She's fun to talk to."

"That's why I married her, baby," I admitted.  "She's very smart and good."

"Pretty, too," Sandy said.  "I like her smile."

"Like your smile, little one.  You use your whole face."

She batted her lush eyelashes, a guaranteed 'melt your daddy's heart' move.  "I'm glad you married 'er, Dad.  I wanted you to be happy."

"I am, Sandy.  And even happier with you here."  I smiled.  "I love you, little girl."

"I love you too, Dad," she said, arms around my neck.  She released me and sat back.  "So I guess since you're married, I won't be able to crawl in your bed in the middle of the night if I get scared, huh?"

"Do you still get scared, baby?"  Nightmares used to wake her up crying.

"No, but that doesn't mean that I wanna sleep by myself all night."  She sighed.  "But you're married, and a husband's s'posed to sleep with his wife…"

"A husband and wife are supposed to have private time together," I said.

"I kinda know about that, Dad," she said matter of factly.  "But…"

"But why don't we talk with Nina about this, okay?  She's my wife.  She gets to help decide, right?"  I smiled at her.

"Yessir," she agreed.

I heard the shower stop, a brief period of bumping around, then the hair dryer started.  Normally I'd be in the bathroom starting my own shower now, if indeed we hadn't showered together, a more likely occurrence, but I decided to wait so Nina would be there with Sandy.  Not that I didn't trust Sandy.  I just thought she'd be happier if one of us was with her.

"So what's this about you wanting to take piano lessons, sweetie?"  I asked.

"Dad,  I want to make music, don'tcha think?"  She gazed into my eyes. "I like our music.  I wanna be able to play some of it."

"Baby, it takes years of lessons and practicing a lot, not just a lesson a week, you know."

Exasperated.  "I KNOW that, Dad.  I have a friend who takes lessons.  For TWO years.  And she's starting to be able to play stuff I can recognize."  She got her serious look on.  But Dad, I think I can do better than her.  I tried on her piano.  And I just think I could do better."

"So what's your mom say, sweetie?" I asked.

"Mom an' Harry BOTH said we don't have enough money to do that right now."  She sighed.

I filed that bit of information for further consideration as I heard the hair dryer shut off in the bathroom.  Nina swept in, her nightshirt ending just at mid-thigh.  I could see the traces of panties underneath it.  But then I looked, okay?  Close.

"You got it now, Dan," Nina chirped.

Sandy got off my lap.  I stood and Nina kissed me, a quick little peck.

"You don't get away that easy," I laughed, catching her waist with my hand and stealing a longer kiss.

"Go get your shower!" she said.  "We wanna get a game of cards in before we go to bed.  We need to get up early in the morning!"

"Yeah, Dad," Sandy added.

I was done in twenty minutes.  I joined them in the living room.  They were sitting cross-legged on the floor and Nina was shuffling cards, smiling.

I joined them on the floor as Nina started dealing cards.  "Sandy wanted to know how I felt if she crawled in bed with us, Dan."

I looked at first one, then the other, one dark brown, one blonde, one a half a head taller, two sets of blue eyes.  "Yeah, she talked to me about it.  I told her that you got to sleep with me."

"Dad," Sandy said, "I told you that I understand about people bein' married an' stuff, but I used to…  When you were still with Mom…"  She glanced at Nina.  "I'm sorry…  I didn't…"

Nina smiled at Sandy.  "Sweetie, I know your dad was married.  I know how you got here, you know…"

Sandy said, "Uh-huh, but like, you know, when it's time to go to sleep…  Last night I wanted to.  But we didn't talk about it, so I didn't."

"Sandy, do you still sleep with your mom?"

"No, Daddy…" she said.  I knew when she shifted from 'Dad' to 'Daddy' I was being manipulated.  "But I don't get to see YOU very often…"  Big blue eyes. "An' I miss you…"

Nina said, "Dan, I don't think it'd hurt, once in a while, honey."

"I guess not."  I was beat.  And not just the conversation.  I lost the card game, too.

Sandy skipped off to the bathroom.

"Babe," Nina smiled, "we'll have our time.  I don't want you to be deprived, you know…"

"Do I still get to see you smile?  Then I'm NOT deprived."

Nina continued, "But she misses her daddy, and it's okay, babe!  Really!  We just have to wear clothes, okay?  Just go with it."

I reached over and pulled her to kiss.  I heard footsteps.  Sandy.  Caught us kissing.  And she was smiling.

"Baby," I said to her, "If you want to sleep with us, it's okay.  But not every night, all right?"

Squeal!  Group hug.  "Dad!  I know you an' my Nina get time together, 'kay!  But I miss you!"

"Okay, little princess.  I guess I get the middle, then.  Tonight."  We retired to the bedroom, me, Nina, Sandy and Sam the cat.  I got in the middle.  Since we started sleeping together, Nina was always on my left, so that sort of set things up.  I got the middle and Sandy crawled in on the right side.  And Sam crawled in between my feet.  I'd tolerate him there until I needed to roll over, and then he'd begrudge me a move before re-anchoring himself.

Nina reached to the bedside table and set the radio for an hour of late-night classical music.  I got a chaste good night kiss from her, then another little hug and kiss and "I love you, Dad," from Sandy.  And we went to sleep.

By this stage of the game, Nina and I had found a way to sleep together, adapting to each other's movements without waking up too much.  We seemed to exchange touches and caresses as we moved while we slept together.

Adding Sandy to the bed, though…  When I rolled in the direction of Nina, I felt her butt push back against me and I wrapped her in my arms and she reacted by purring.  I was cuddling my lover.

When I rolled in the opposite direction though, it was a smaller form, and I was a father again, protecting my offspring.  I think Sandy was doing calisthenics all night, though, and the elbows and knees of a ten year old girl are BONEY.  

In spite of that obstacle, we slept.  The alarm went off at six, we filled Sam's food and water dispensers, hauled out the trash, loaded the rest of the bags into the car, and off we went. 

First stop was the McDonalds drive-through, and then it was onto the open road, looking at four hours of driving, good music on the car stereo, two passengers who had the astonishing habit of READING, and I had to start a conversation or two on the way.  An hour out from our destination, I called the manager of our week's domicile and arranged to meet her upon our arrival.

Wasn't a 'beach house'.  Was a condo.  With a boat dock on the canal behind the building.  And moored at the dock was a twenty-six foot sailboat.  And the beach was a short walk across the beach road from the building.  And my two passengers were excited.  Nina and I'd talked about what to expect, but she still acted almost as giddy as Sandy.

The manager showed up, a lady a few years senior to me,  hair somewhere between blonde and platinum, unquestionably enhanced, and just little too tan, but she was a businessperson and she smiled and took us through the sign-offs and took my money while Sandy and Nina unloaded the car.

"Are you familiar with the boat?" she asked. 

"Boats in general.  I have a certification for bare-hull in the Caribbean," I said.  "Is there something fancy?"

"Oh, no," she said.  "Little diesel inboard.  After that, it's just a little sailboat.  The forty-four footer tied up in front of 'er is mine and my husband's."

"Nice," I said, peering out the balcony doors overlooking the canal.

"You're welcome to come visit this evening.  We'll be there for drinks.  You can bring the girls along."

"Okay," I said.  "The tall one is my wife.  The short one is my daughter.  From first wife."

"Oooo-oohhh!" she said.  "Kinda young, huh?  Not meanin' to be nosey…"

I ran my hand over my short hair.  "Yeah, I'm amazed sometimes myself.  She's some kind of dream, though."

"Oh, I suppose.  Seriously, come visit us…  Our granddaughter will be there.  The youngster?  Ten?  Eleven?"

"Almost eleven.  Just ask 'er," I laughed.  "We'll come visit," I said as I was joined by Nina and Sandy.

"Hi," Nina chirped.  "I'm Nina!  Dan's wife!  And this," she said, putting her arm around Sandy, "is Sandy.  Dan's daughter.  My stepdaughter and new best friend."

Sandy's grin was trophy grade.

"I'm Brenda Haslett.  My husband and I own this building.  And those boats.  I just invited ya'll to come visit our boat this evening."

Nina didn't miss a beat.  "Why, thank you so much!  We'd LOVE to…"

Brenda left.

"She seems nice, Dan.  Uh, lunch?"

"Yeah, lunch, Dad!"

Part of the load included the starter package of snacks and groceries and we fixed sandwiches for lunch.

Naturally, the next thing on the agenda was to change into beach attire, slather on sunscreen, and head out the door to the beach.  We walked onto the hot sand with me in the middle, holding hands with a five-foot blonde Sandy and a five-seven dark brunette, Nina, and headed straight for the cool sand at the edge of the water.  We 'frolicked' in the surf, because that's what you do with warm surf:  frolic.  

Naturally, the appearance of two bikini-clad females attracted a stream of feral males who had to get close enough to check out the scenery.  Okay, when you got close, it was obvious that Sandy was a little girl.  Blonde, laughing.  Promising, but still, "Dude!  She's TEN!"

Nina, on the other hand… healthily tanned from our kayaking and biking, activities which coincidentally toned her curves nicely.  She wasn’t one of those top-busting D-cup bikini babes, and her bikini was conservative, but every time I saw her I thought she was a doll.  However, the presence of a gold band on her finger, coupled with her hand in mine and a sweet kiss in the Gulf sunlight announced to the predators that the prey was off limits.

Inwardly I was glad I'd maintained my own healthy lifestyle.  I wasn't one of those 'chiseled muscle' types, but I had avoided the 'engineer spread' and love handles successfully.  The three of us made a nice-looking set.

By late afternoon we'd had enough and headed back to the condo, taking turns in the shower, rinsing the salt off our bodies.  That left us pushing five PM and dinner, and naturally, beach town, that meant seafood, and then we were back at the condo, walking down the dock to alongside a brightly lit boat.

My ten year old daughter joined a couple of similarly aged kids, a boy and a girl, playing in the lush green grass on the banks of the canal, and Nina and I approached the boat.

"Hi, ya'll, come on aboard," Brenda said.  

I held Nina's hand to assist her over the rail, and then followed her.

Brenda said, "Ya'll introduce yourselves.  This is my husband, Jake!"

"Hi, Jake,' I said, "I'm Dan Gleason and this is my wife, Nina!"

Jake stood and shook our hands.  "Brenda says ya'll are renting the condo?"

"Yessir," I said.  "Vacation, for a week.  Here from Louisiana."

"Ah," he laughed, "then the heat's not a surprise, is it?"

"Oh, no sir," Nina said.  "but this breeze is so nice."

"Yeah," he said.  "it gets pleasant when the sun goes down."

Brenda asked, "Would you like a glass of wine?"

I looked at Nina.  "You?"

"Why not?" she smiled.  "I'm eighteen.  And married."

"Eighteen?"  Brenda said, eyebrow raised.  "I thought you looked young…"

"We've been married a month.  It's a short, happy story."  Her smile was dazzling.

"I'm sure it is, darlin'," Brenda said.  "So, you're goin' to college?"

"In the fall," Nina said.  "Scholarship.  Electrical engineering."

"Wow," Jake said.  "That's a step!"

"Yeah," I said.  "She was number three in a graduating class of over three hundred."

Jake cut his eyes toward his wife.  "Your niece…"

Brenda said, "Jake's upset about our niece, my sister's kid.  Sixteen.  Bright.  Pretty…"

"Stupid!" Jake spat.  "Sophomore in high school.  And pregnant.  Hid it from her mom and dad for four months…  She was an honors student.  Was."

"Jake, sometimes people recover from stuff like that."

"Sorry," he said.  "Found out about it yesterday.  It disturbs me." His shoulders heaved a sigh.  "Last year we took a dozen of 'em, her and her friends, out for a sail.  I know what you're sayin, Dan.  It's not necessarily the end of things, but that's not the way to bet."

Nina said softly, "Mister Jake, I'm sorry to hear that, but it's tough on kids these days.  They get fed so much stuff that messes with their ideas of right and wrong and smart and stupid.  It's hard and  some of them make mistakes…  I saw a lot of 'em."

"I'm sorry, ya'll. Didn't mean to get all serious." He took a deep breath.  Brenda patted his shoulder.  "So, are you plannin' on takin' the little boat out?"

"Yeah, I was thinking of a little trip out and back, one day, you know…"

Thankfully the conversation relaxed into discussion of sailing and the local waterfront and things that might interest the family.  Next thing I knew, Sandy and a similarly sized brunette were hanging over the rail.

"Grampaw, can we get a coke?"  asked the little girl.

"Our granddaughter, Shellie.  Actually, Michelle, but nobody calls her that," Jake said.  "I suppose her little blonde friend is…"

"My daughter, Sandy," I said.

Brenda said, "Why don't you bring Sandy and show her the boat, baby?"

Squeal!  And the thud of two pairs of ten year old feet on the deck.  We heard Sandy's voice, "Wow!  That's neat!" as Shellie gave her the tour of the unusual surroundings of a sailboat cabin.

"Don't open those drinks down there!" Brenda admonished.

"Yes, ma'am," came the reply, followed by two young girls exiting the companionway.  Shellie said to Sandy, "This is my Gran'ma Brenda and my Gran'pa Jake."  To them she said, "This is Sandy."

Sandy waved shyly.

"Come on, Sandy!  Let's go up front!"  Bounce!

"Forward!"  Jake said.  "You're on a boat, Shellie!  It's 'forward'!"

"Lost cause, Jake," Brenda laughed.

"I know, baby," he whined, "but she calls everything 'ropes' an' stuff…"

Nina rubbed salt in the wound. She lifted the loose end of a loop of line coiled neatly over a cleat.  "Like this rope?"  She smiled.

"Baby, what Jake is saying is the properly speaking, that's a line.  There are no 'ropes' on a boat unless they're still coiled on a spool."

"Oops!  Sorry!  I need to learn this stuff, then, I guess…"

"Oh, I get nutty about it, Nina," Jake said.  "I sail, we sail a lot, and it makes a lot of sense to say 'halyard' or 'mainsheet' or 'topping lift' to another sailor, because he'll know exactly what you're talking about.  But for a weekend…"
I laughed, "Yeah, for a weekend, you can say, 'NO!  Not THAT rope!  The OTHER rope!  The one with the green stripe!' when your crewperson is standing within an arms' reach of six different things that look like 'rope' but do six different things.  And one of those functions is important at the time."

Brenda patted Nina's knee.  "And if you REALLY wanna get 'im going, refer to something as a 'thingie'…  He'll positively turn COLORS!"

And then "Dad!  Dad!  Can Shellie come sailin' with us tomorrow?"

I looked to Brenda and Jake.  "I don't mind," I said,  "If you don't…"

"We make her wear a life vest at all times when she's with us and she's outside the cockpit."

"Good rule," I said.  "We'll all do that," I said.  "Nina and Sandy have never been on a sailboat, and I don't mind wearing one myself, especially if I'm out of the cockpit underway."

"Tell you what," Brenda said, "You take Shellie with ya'll tomorrow and we'll return the favor if Sandy wants to go with us one day.  Give you an' Nina a little day together…"

Nina smiled demurely.

"Uh-huh…" Jake grinned.

We stayed out in the gulf breeze until well after dark, talking, listening to the kids play, joined by a couple or three more kids of similar age.  Sometime around ten I saw Sandy appear, looking a little bit tired.

I stood.  Nina said, "We have had a lovely evening with ya'll.  I think Sandy's just about done in, though."

Brenda asked, "What time are you folks leaving in the morning?"

I said, "Oh, it's vacation.  I figure we'll be on the dock at eight."

Jake said, "Shellie'll be there.  She's staying with us for the week."

Sandy nodded enthusiastically.  "Yeah!  I got a friend!"

I took Nina's hand.  "We're gonna go in.  We enjoyed it!  It's wonderful meeting you both!"  I saw Sandy and Shellie.  "And Shellie, too!"

I herded my little family into the apartment, recommending quick showers to rid ourselves of the perspiration that coated us despite the relatively cool breezes of the evening.  I took advantage of that shower time to shave.  Nina made three cups of herbal tea for us before bedtime.  We sat in the little living room sipping tea and talking about the day's adventures and the next day's plans.

Sandy slept in her own bed this night. Nina and I engaged in a very pleasant stress reduction exercise that had us very relaxed when we went to sleep.

The alarm went off at six-thirty.  Breakfast.  Prepare an ice chest with a day's worth of drinks and a bag full of easy to eat snacks and we were out back at the dock, loading onto the sailboat.  I opened up the companionway and started the little diesel engine to let it warm up, and just as I expected, Miss Shellie showed up ten minutes early.

We all boarded and I singled us up to a single looping breastline to the dock, put the transmission in forward and we motored off.  Ten minutes later I had Nina on the tiller as I raised sails.  We secured the engine and headed out on a close reach, just a little bit further off the wind than absolutely necessary, because I knew we wanted an easy sail out.  More importantly, though, I wanted us on the best possible leg when we turned around to come back in.

We weren't a half mile offshore when the dolphins showed up by the dozens, surrounding us, cavorting in the sparkling waves.  I'd seen it before, and I still marveled.  I gathered that Shellie'd seen it before also.  Nina and Sandy, however, were enchanted by the spectacle of dozens of dolphins breaking the surface in twos and threes, some almost within touching distance of the sleek little sailboat's fiberglass hull.

I had Nina back in the cockpit with me, asking questions, wanting to learn what I was doing with the sails and why I was doing it.  Shellie and Sandy were forward seated at the base of the mast safely inside the lifelines.

For half the day we beat to windward, then when I figured it was time, we turned around onto a broad reach back.  The boat's motion settled down, we took a decent heel, and the stern squatted as we picked up speed.  Closer in-shore, the dolphins rejoined us bringing happy squeals and laughter from my crew.  The sun was getting low in the sky when we moored our boat back at the dock.

Brenda and Jake were on their boat.  Jake called, "Come on over and get a drink!"

That was an invitation that I wasn't going to pass up. Sandy and Shellie bounced off with the unlimited energy possessed by kids and joined another group up the bank of the canal.  Nina and I joined Brenda and Jake.

Conversation started off about the day's sail.  I recounted Nina and Sandy's glee over the visiting dolphins.  We talked about work and life and the area's attractions that didn't make the tourist brochures, giving Nina and I more fodder and making us wish we'd rented for more than a week.  I said so.

"We don't have it booked next week," Brenda said.  "If ya'll want it…"

Nina looked at me.  I winked.

"We want it," she said.

So two weeks of beaches and sailboats and kayaks and sun and water.  

Two days later, Shellie invited Sandy on a day's outing with her grandparents, leaving Nina and I a day all to ourselves.  
Sandy bounced out the door, beachbag in hand, with Shellie.

Now, you have to understand that we had not been avoiding physical contact in Sandy's presence.  Of course, we kept it "G-rated", but we always hugged and kissed and cuddled.  Sometimes the cuddling was the 'group hug' variety, with Sandy a happy inclusion, and other times they were me and my happy wife, and Sandy saw two people who she loved, engaged in a physical expression of that love.  But all that was G-rated.

We'd managed to make love, too, taking advantage of Sandy being in her room.  But  you have to know that having Sandy around did somewhat limit our exuberance.  I hadn't had my 'naked Nina on the sofa' time.  And here we were, with the condo to ourselves.

Nina turned to me.  "You have clothes on, sir…"  Her eyes were twinkling.

A condition easily rectified, given the proper incentive.  Five feet seven inches of happy eighteen year old falls soundly into the category of 'incentive', especially when she's stripping out of her panties.  I do believe I was raped on the sofa.  Accosted in the hallway.  Molested in the kitchen.  And in bed, I gave in…  Hands and mouths merged into mechanisms of sharing love and pleasure and when our mouths clamped together, our nether regions were merged in delightful moisture.
After I allowed myself release, we lay in each other's arms.

"I love you, baby," she said.

"I love you too, brown-haired girl.  You bring new dimension to my life."  I kissed her sleek, although somewhat tousled head.

She sighed.  "I love us having Sandy, but I've been wanting to just cut loose with YOU for days…"

"Me, too, baby…"  I looked at her pretty form and started kissing my way over her body, headed downward.

"Oh, yessss," she said through clenched teeth.  She liked this.  So did I.  I loved her scent, her taste, the way she reacted, that final little quiver at the end of her orgasm, the flush over her face and breasts.

I was holding her freshly pinkened form in my arms afterward.

"Goshhhhh!" she sighed.

I rocked with her in my arms.

Finally she said, "Why don't we, uh…  go out for a swim, then eat one of those horrible hotdogs they sell on the beach, then come back here and spend the afternoon right here…"

"I think you have wonderful ideas, dearest," I said.  "Come on!"

Clad in our bathing attire, we walked across the street, onto the beach, and into the warm gulf waters.  Surf.  Frolicking.  This time with longer, more adventurous gropings.  After a time we strolled out of the water and per our plan, each had a horrible, over-priced hot dog and a cold drink and then walked back into the condo.  Showered together.  And back in bed.
In the early evening, we slipped out for dinner.

"You know, Dan, it's really working out well with Sandy around," Nina said.

"I know," I said honestly.  "Not a bit of friction.  I worried that there'd be some little girl jealousy or something…"

"But none of that happened, baby," she said.  "Sometimes she seems so mature about things, then she takes off like a ten year old kid… and then she comes back and sounds like YOU…"

"I'm just glad you two hit it off."  I was.  Even with Sandy being a part-time daughter, I dearly loved her and wished I could be more of a daddy to her.  Nina knew this, and she told me that she'd had phone talks with Sandy about it.  "But," I said, "I'm starting to hear some bits of Nina creeping in…"

Giggle.  "You say that like it's a BAD thing…"  she grinned.

"Nope,  I am very happy about that.  Ever since the haircut thing.  Her mom might not be, though."

"She'll be okay, Dan.  She's smart and she's got a strong personality."

We ate our dinner, chatting, watching the beachgoers walking by our location on the sidewalk.  After dinner, we went back to the condo.  Well, after one or two little dances to the live music at the beachside bistro.

Sandy came back a bit after dark.  She showered, we played cards and then went to bed.  All three of us.  Me in the middle.  Sweet Nina on one side.  Little Miss Knees and Elbows on the other.

Friday of the second week we woke up with most everything packed.   The three of us were tanned several shades darker than we were when we arrived.  Nina's hair had definite sun streaking.  But it was time to go back home. Reluctantly.

We made our good-byes with Brenda and Jake.  Sandy exchanged phone numbers and addresses with Shellie and a couple of other kids with whom she'd formed summer friendships.


Chapter Eleven

The trip home was good, the post-vacation mixture of satisfaction, sadness and fatigue.  Nina and I talked.  Sandy started off talking, but got quieter and quieter and then I saw her curled up in the corner of the back seat, belted in, sound asleep in one of those positions we all can do when we're young but we lose that ability with age.

"I thought it was good trip, darlin'," I told Nina.

"Oh, me too!  I liked linking up with Brenda and Jake, and Sandy had plenty of friends her age."

"Yeah, last time, I felt like I had to entertain 'er.  It was tough."

"I can see where it might be.  She's constant.  Active.  And smart.  Got her daddy's brain, I think."  Nina smiled.  "You know, sometimes I wonder…"

"Wonder what, dearest?"

"Me and you… what ours would be…"  

Bang!  The sound of my blood pressure spiking.  She knew about the vasectomy. I turned to glance at her.

"Just idle thought or two, baby," she said.  "You know how much I love you.  And we've had that talk about kids before we got married.  But seeing Sandy.  You know she's more than half of YOU."

"I watched you and her playing, Nina.  Can't say that I didn't get thoughts myself. But our own?  Full-time is a lot different than baby-sitting or even summer weeks.  And Sandy's fun right now, but when she was born.  Little darlin' didn't sleep a full night until she was three."

"Just idle thoughts, baby," she said.

But I could see the eyes.  "So, Miss Idle Thought, when was this injected into the "Dan & Nina's Plan For Life"?  And don't tell me you haven't' thought THAT far into it.  I know my Nina."

She cast her eyes down momnetarily and came up smiling.  "College out of the way, maybe, and my first job.  You'll be forty-five.  Is that asking too much?"

"Nothing you could ever ask would ever be too much, dearest."

"Don't rush off yet, baby," she said.  "We need to think about how this all works."

A million tracks were playing out in my head.  My Nina…  Sandy…  and a possible fourth, to be determined later.

The countryside passed almost without visual impact, as is often the case when travelling down the interstate.  Nina's hand grasped my bicep.  She twisted in her seat and put her chin on my shoulder.

"You and me.  I want US to have everything life can give us.  We love each other."

"Yes we do, little one," I said. 

"Are you up for adventure, Dan?  'Cuz I AM!  Since I met you, it's been an adventure.  Not the 'fighting off crocodiles' kind of adventure, just the kind where every day you seem to open the door on something happy and exciting.  I like OUR life."  
She jerked her head in the direction of the little blonde in the back seat.  "She's part of it.  I was worried that I married her daddy and she'd hate me.  Now I feel like some weird combination of big sister and friend, with only the tiniest bit of step-mom thrown in."

"I can see that.  I probably wasn't as worried about the 'hate me' part.  Mine was 'you abandoned me for this girl'.  Didn't see that, either.  But it IS a lot easier being dad with you as a pleasant distraction."

"Distraction in WHAT way, sir?" she giggled.

"Bunches of 'em," I said.  All good.  "You must've been one HELL of a baby-sitter."

"Uh, those were brats compared to Sandy, Dan.  Mommy spoils them to make up for pursuing her career."

"On Saturday afternoons?  What kind of career is that?"  I asked.

"Upper  tier hairdresser."

"I thought daddy was a lawyer?"

"Is," she said.  "Mommy's one of those people with stunning hair that go about trapping men with odd tastes."  Giggle.  "You know how some men are."

"I've seen some striking hair in my day."

"Some people, babe," she said, "LIKE what they do, even if it means leaving their kids on Saturday afternoon."

"Still odd," I said.

"But Sandy doesn't act spoiled.  I mean, she DOES try to push the limits, but you push back, and she stops."  Pause.  "Or I push back, and she stops.  And smiles like she knows what she's doing and I know what she's doing."

The conversation continued twisting its way from one branch to another and the miles passed.  Sandy woke up, rubbing her eyes.  "Yall finished talkin' about me?"

"You?  Why would we talk about you?  You're a horrible child…" Nina giggled.

"I woke up, you know, just a little bit."

"And that's why we didn't talk about your truly horrible characteristics, Sandy," I said.

"Uh," feigning outrage, Sandy popped, "I have NO horrible characteristics.  At least that is what Nina thinks.  Right, Nina?"

"She doesn't know you like I do," I picked.

"So what's for dinner?" Sandy said.

"See!  That's one, right there.  You're devious."

Nina said, "Where do you wanna eat, baby?"

"Pizza," Sandy said.

I was thinking, 'god, not another pizza', but then Nina fixed that.

"We'll order pizza when we get home, and then it'll get here while we put our stuff away."

Squeal!  Sandy said, "See, Dad!  She's smart."

"Why?  Because she agrees with YOU?"

Blonde hair.  Blue eyes.  Big smile.  And smart mouth.  "Yeah!  That would be one of the signs."

Nina didn't help by giggling.  We had The Plan.  I came to find out that in the presence of Sandy and Nina, The Plan was liable to pop up at random times, solutions for various questions in life.

The Plan was carried out.  Pizza arrived, just as the first load of clothes went into the washer.

Sam the cat was on the dryer supervising when the doorbell rang.  Apparently large yellow cats mimic the curiosity of ten year old girls because both of them followed me to the front door.  Pizza went on the dining room table, informal, but somehow perfect.  We sat around the table eating.  I ignored Sandy sneaking tidbits to Sam.  Little girls and cats.  Neither needs a reason.

We stayed up late watching a couple of movies and catching showers and Sandy was asleep on the sofa until I carefully scooped her up and as Nina turned down the covers, deposited the little form in her bed.  Sam formed a kitty loaf beside her and stood watch.

Nina gently pushed our door closed behind her as I turned down our covers.  Apparently there was a Plan for Dan and Nina to gently make love, urging each other to orgasm before falling asleep.

I eased out the bed in the morning, taking care not to wake the pleasant form beside me.  Fifteen minutes later two night-shirt clad girls were in my kitchen.

"Pancakes," I said.

Nina smiled.  "I love pancakes.  Yours are better than the ones at the restaurant, too."

Sandy agreed.  

We ate stacks of pancakes, chased with cold milk, and the two of them cleared the table while I brewed coffee.  Three mugs.  Nina's and mine were lightly tinged with cream.  Sandy's was lightly tinged with coffee.

"So what's the plan today?" I asked.

"You didn't take the kayaks off the car yet, did you, Dan?" Nina asked.

"Nope.  Why?"

She said, "I'm tired of salt water.  We could go to the river…"

Sandy was nodding enthusiastically.

Forty-five minutes alter we were on the road.  "Six!" I said.  "We're on the road back at six.  I have to go to work tomorrow."

We spent the day on the water (again).  "Next year I want my own kayak, Dad.  Don't'cha think I'm old enough?"  Sandy said.

"Yeah, if you think you're old enough to keep up.  Half the time you let ME do the paddling."  Sandy and I had the tandem kayak and Nina had the single-holer.

"If we both paddle, we go faster than Nina.  She has to work to keep up.  I'm just thinking of Nina, Dad!"

"Your argument is invalid.  Neither of us has to paddle as hard, that's all."

"Whatever.  Can I have my own kayak?"  

I looked.  Nina was giggling.

"Oh, YOU'RE a lot of help," I said.

"Well, she wants a KAYAK, for pete's sake.  Would you rather buy her that or what?"

"I hate it when you're logical…" I laughed.

Sandy's smile was rife with smugness.

"I guess if we're gonna do this again next weekend, we should have one.  But THREE?  Now we can't do a roof rack.  I'll have to get a trailer."

We were back home before seven, dinner being a run through a fast food drive-thru.

Back home, I unloaded kayaks and stowed them under the rafters of the garage.  When I got inside, Sandy was in the shower and Nina was moving laundry around.  

She turned around and tiptoed to kiss me lightly.  "Another good, day, babe!"

"Yes, it was.  Reminds me of a Heinlein quote:  "What a wonderful world it is that has girls in!"  And YOU come to bed with me at the end of it."

Giggle.  "Only because I can badly abuse you!"  she smiled.  "Maybe not tonight though.  If Sandy wants to sleep with us…"
"I suppose."

She grinned.  "You know I'll make it up to you. 'Sides, it's period time again."

"I thought we were close," I said.

"Yeah…  But give me five minutes with your pants down." Evil grin.
I hardened at the thought.

"Sandy has sense about that, don't'ch think?  She's let us have our time alone…"

"Yes, she has," I admitted.  Nina and I agreed about the need for decorum, but Sandy seemed to understand about the need for us to have some alone time, too.

A little bump from the waterpipes told us that the shower was off.  That meant Sandy was finished.  Nina went into the bathroom and helped Sandy dry her hair, because in her own words, "I want my hair all pretty like yours."

A few minutes later Sandy was there beside me, smelling clean, and oh, yeah, a hint of Nina's perfume.
"Whatcha doin', Dad?"

"Folding laundry.  Somebody's gotta do it."

"I know," she said.  "Sometimes I fold mine at home.  Uh…  at Mom's.  Otherwise they just get washed and stuffed in the drawer."

That was an interesting revelation.  Jennifer, when we were married, was never an immaculate housekeeper, but she did manage to fold clothes.  Well, sometimes I did it, helping out where I could, when Sandy was little.

"Mom doesn't feel good sometimes.  I know she'd do better if she felt good," she admitted.

I handed Sandy her stack of clothes.  "Here!  Go put this in your room!"

Smile.  "Yes, Daddy!"

I started the last load of clothes in the dryer and went into the living room, easing aback in my recliner.  I heard the shower stop, and the air dryer start.  I waited a few more minutes until Nina appeared, and then I took my turn bathing.
I came out to see the two of them leaned in against my cellphone, listening, faces somber.

Nina spoke softly.  "Sandy's mom is in the hospital.  Sandy's talking to Harry."

"Harry.  Daddy's here."  She passed me the phone.

"Harry!  What's up?"  I said.  Now I wasn't talking to the slimy bastard who ran off with my wife, I was talking to a guy whose wife was in the hospital.

"Jennifer's in the hospital.  Had to go to the emergency room a little while ago.  They admitted her."

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Dan, she didn't want to tell you anything, and Sandy doesn't know much, but Jenn's got cancer.  Pancreas or something.  She's been on chemo.  It ain't working."

"Oh, hang on…"  I walked to the bedroom and shut the door. "How bad?"

"I…  we were hoping the chemo…  there's still a chance.  They can adjust things, but she's out of her head right now. All her stuff is out of whack."

"Oh, shit!  I'm sorry, Harry.  Really."

"I know you are, Dan.  But Sandy, she's okay?"

"Yeah, but…  what do we tell her?"

"Nothing yet.  The doctor's in there with her right now, and maybe tomorrow she'll be able to think good enough to talk.  And the specialists are coming in.  Maybe we'll know something tomorrow or the next day.  To tell Sandy.  I guess, right now just tell her that her mom's sick."

"Okay, Harry.  Look, if I need to bring Sandy…"

"Thanks, Dan.  But right now, no.  Her mom's pretty much out of it.  We'll call you, okay?"

"Okay, Harry.  Keep us posted."

"I will."

I closed my phone and went back into the living room.  Sandy was in Nina's arms.

"She's getting sicker, huh, Dad.  Really sick this time."  Sandy's eyes were wet.  Nina's were, too.

"She's pretty sick tonight, baby.  They'll know more tomorrow or the next day.  Things might very well get better."

"This happened before.  She went to the hospital, Dad.  She said not to talk to you about it.  But she got better that time."

Nina was mute.  She held Sandy and rocked back and forth, stroking her blonde hair, hold her cheek against Sandy's head.

"How about some hot chocolate,' I said, desperately trying to lighten the situation up.  "And then a game of cards."

Nina looked up, followed by Sandy.  "Okay, sweetie," she said.  "That'd be good."

We were in bed before ten, watching a nature show on the TV.  I set the timer, and we went to sleep in an unwieldy knot.
The alarm went off in the morning.  I got up to get dressed and Nina and Sandy got up and went in the kitchen.  I heard the noise, then smelled bacon.  And coffee.  Sandy brought a mug of coffee to the table.  "Two sugars, one cream, Nina says," she smiled.

I sipped at the steaming mug and a plate appeared before me.  I ate, kissed the two of them, one a little bit more ardently than the other, and then left for work.  I left Sandy and Nina to their own devices.

Mid-morning things got horribly worse.  My cellphone, on 'buzz' so as to not disturb our staff meeting, shook angrily in my pocket.  Since everyone I worried about at work was in the same meeting as I was, it had to be an outside call.  I looked at the display.  Jennifer.

I stood and said, "emergency" and left the meeting, answering the phone as I cleared the room.

Harry.  Voice cracking.  "Dan…" sob.  "She's… she's GONE!"

"What?!?!" I blurted.  "Last night you said her chemo was off track.  What happened?"

"I dunno.  A nurse said that sometimes when things get all wonky, the body'll toss an embolism, whatever THAT is.  She stroked out.  Dan…  MY WIFE!  She's gone!"

"Hang on for a second, Harry…"  I stuck my head back through the door.  All eyes turned to me.  "Sorry, folks!  Family emergency.  I'm outta here! Harvey, I'll call you and let you know what's going on."

"Do what ya gotta do, Dan!  Let us know if you need any help."

"Thanks," I said.  Walking away, I said, "Harry?  You still there?"

"Uh-huh…  Dan, Sandy…  you gonna tell 'er?"

I shrugged inwardly.  "Yeah.  Not a pleasant thing, but a dad's gotta…"

"I'm sorry," Harry said.  "She was talking, asked if Sandy knew, then, like, blink!, and her eyes rolled back in her head, and that's the last thing.  About an hour ago."

"I'm on the way to the house.  I'll tell Sandy."

"I'll call Jenn's folks.  I think she'd want to be there in the family plot."

"Yeah," I said.  "I think so."

"I'll call you about arrangements for the funeral."

"God, I'm sorry, Harry…"

"Thanks, Dan."  And the phone clicked.  I punched Nina's number.

"Hey, babe," she said brightly.

"Are you with Sandy?" I asked.

"No!  She's dragging a string around for the cat.  Why?  You sound funny."

"Not funny.  Shocked.  Don't go anywhere.  I'm on the way home."

"Jennifer?" she whispered.

"Yes.  About an hour ago."

"Omigod!"

"Don't say anything until I get there."

"Okay."

After weeks of dashing home in happy expectation, I dreaded the sight of my front door.

I walked in.  Sandy met me.  "Something's wrong," she said.  "Nina was all happy and excited, and she changed."

"Come here, baby," I said.  I gathered her in my arms, Nina joining us.

"I have something very sad to tell you," I said, tears welling up in my own eyes, first because I was getting ready to tear my little girl's heart out, and second, honestly, there, deep down inside, there was still some feeling for Jennifer, divorced or not.  I was holding the good part of that era of my life.

Sandy was no fool.  "Mo-ommmmm…."  She started crying.

"Baby, I'm sorry.  But your mom is…"

"Momma's DEADDDDDD!!!!"  Her tears welled up.  I was crying.  Nina was crying.

"I'm so sorry, baby," I said.  "Mister Harry called me.  Said the last thing she talked about was you, baby!  I'm so sorry!"

Sandy cried, "I want my…" sob!  "Mommyyyyyy!"

All I could do was hold on.  Nina stroked Sandy's head.  The three of us held onto each other for Sandy's sake.

Finally she stopped sobbing.  "Daddy…  You love me?"

"Of course I do, baby.  Why?"

"Where am I going to live?"

Nina fielded that one.  "Here, of course.  You're still your dad's daughter and you're my daughter, too, you know…"

Sandy's wet eyes, bluer than ever augmented by tears, looked at first me, then Nina.  "We're a family, too, huh?"

"You're my little girl.  Family is forever, baby.  Me, you and Nina."

"I love you too, Nina.  I hope me bein' here doesn't mess things up for you an' Dad."

"Of course not," Nina said.  She sounded convinced.

Me, I was running a whole new set of factors through my head now.  Sandy slid off my lap.  I stood.

"I need to call my boss," I said.  I dialed up Harvey's office.  

"XYZCorp.  Harvey Weldon.  Can I help you?"

"Harv, this is Dan."

"Dan!  You okay?"

"Not exactly.  Jennifer passed away."

"Your ex?"

"Yeah.  Sandy's here with us for the summer.  Her mom's been battling cancer, and she never told me.  When I saw her the other day, I just thought she looked worn out.  She's been doing chemo and went to the hospital yesterday…"

"My god!  I'm sorry, Dan…"  He paused.  "Look, do what you need to do.  You know the three day funeral leave thing, but forget that.  We'll take care of you.  You take care of your little girl.  At least you have Nina to help you…"

I'd told the bunch this morning before the staff meeting about how well things had worked out on my vacation, about how Nina and Sandy hit it off.

"Yeah, thank god for that," I said. "Thanks, Harv.  I'll update you when I find out something.  Funeral's probably gonna be here."  They knew Jennifer from when I was a happily married man four or so years before.  Maybe some of them would show up.  Maybe not.

I returned to my sad little girl.

Logistics.  Nina took her shopping for a suitable dress and shoes.  I considered the idea of moving Sandy's belongings from her mom's house.  I determined that if needed, a rental trailer would suffice.

We sort of stumbled through the next three days.  Sandy, Nina and I stood at the funeral and got cried over by a myriad of Jenn's relatives.  Honestly, they cried over Sandy.  I got pats on the arm from people who'd been very happy when Jenn and I got married, and who'd been very happy when Sandy popped out, and were as bewildered as I was when Jenn left me.

Harry got perfunctory nods and hugs.

Sandy did a better job than I thought she would, maintaining composure until the casket went into the grave, then sobbing in Nina's arms as I held them both.  

In the aftermath, I met Harry.  I WAS sorry he lost a wife.

I promised him we'd be there on the weekend to collect Sandy's stuff.

The drive home was a somber as one might expect.  I went to work on Thursday afternoon  and Friday.

Home Friday.  I asked Nina, "How's she doing?"

"Okay.  She cried once today.  I held her."

"What else can we do?"

"I know," she said. "Tomorrow's gonna be a bad day, I think."

"Probably.  When she sees her mom's house, and no mom…"

Sandy came around the corner, lacking her normal exuberance.  I hugged her.

"Hello, Dad," she said.  "We goin' tomorrow?"

"Yes," I said.  "we have to do this."

"I know.  Is it okay if we bring my kitty home with us?"

"Mister Mittens? Of course.  I'm sure he and Sam will work things out."  Mentally I added the cat carrier to the load.  I knew she had a cat, but I didn't know that she was bringing him home.  I should've known better.

We went out to eat at a seafood joint.  I could see that she was returning to normal, but she was still subdued.

The house routine was pretty solid, now, and went into play when we got back.

She was cuddled in my lap after Nina went to shower.

"Dad," she said, "I loved Mom 'n' all that, but I was gonna ask 'er if I could come live here anyway.  Not 'cuz I didn't love 'er.  Just that Mister Harry wasn't, I dunno, I think I made 'im uncomfortable…  an' since I met Nina,  I know she's not my mom, but I think she's nice, an' she's smart, an' I think I wanted to come here.  I was gonna talk to ya'll about it."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh.  Me an' Nina talked about it.  I told 'er not to tell you."

Nina hadn't said a word to me.  "Nina's your friend, baby.  She kept your secret."

"Dad?"

"Yes, little one?"

"That doesn't mean I didn't love Mom."

"I know, baby.  Divorces make things awfully complex for kids.  I'm sorry."

"I know it wasn't your fault, Dad.  I love you."

Nina came walking out to the hall wearing her nightshirt.  "You!" she said to me, "Shower!  I'll make us hot chocolate!"


Chapter Twelve

You know, back to the funeral…  Jennifer's mom and dad.  I saw them there.  They were cordial, as always was the case, and they hugged on Sandy and stood with her between themselves and me during the service.

After the graveside service, Jennifer's mom, Glenda Garrett, bent over to speak to Sandy as we were leaving.  "Sandy," she said.  "We love you, child.  We want…  Well, keep in touch."  Glenda stood and looked at me, unsmiling, her expression something I couldn't parse.  "Dan, we'd like to see a lot of Sandy."

"I think that's a good idea, Mizz Glenda.  My parents are gone.  Grandparents are good for kids."  I was being honest.  Yes, Glenda was one of those 'difficult' personalities.  I can't help but believe that it was her influence, her strange idea of status and entitlement that screwed up Jennifer in the first place.  But that wasn't enough to keep a little girl from visiting her grandma.

Andrew Garrett, Sandy's grandfather, he was probably the most hen-pecked guy in the state.  However, I do know how he survived.  He and Glenda used to do a mixed drink every evening when he came in from work, or after dinner, now that he was retired.  She thought it somehow genteel and sophisticated.  He saw it as an excuse for the smell of alcohol on his breath.  He kept a half-gallon of bourbon in his workshop, replenished frequently.

Jennifer had a sister, too, but she was out of the picture.  Actually, the sister was out of her freakin' mind, living with some sort of spiritual guru or guide or whatever on a farm or ashram or whatever scam he was running.  She didn't even come in for her sister's funeral, and I'd seen her exactly twice in the years I was married to Jennifer.

So that's where we were.  Me.  Nina.  Sandy.  There are crazier 'blended families' in the world today.  This one is ours.
Friday after work I visited the local rental emporium that gets a significant portion of business from the facility where I work, a fact that I mentioned (TWICE.  Pointed out my name on a couple of purchase orders) and rented an enclosed trailer.  As in, "Ten bucks to cover the paperwork and we'll call it good, Mister Gleason!"

We went to dinner Friday night in Nina's little car, rather than tug that trailer through parking lots.

Saturday morning we were up early, on the road at six, through the McDonalds for a bag of breakfast, then we were back on the road with a piano work on the stereo, a fact not unnoticed by the ten year old in the back seat.

"Dad, can I take piano lessons?  I wanna play stuff like that."

"Are you gonna be serious about it?  I don't like that 'flavor of the week' thing, little girl."

"I know, Dad."  She huffed.  "I'm serious about it."

"You have to be.  There's a pretty long road from where you are today to playing Mozart."

"Yes, Dad, I know…" she sounded slightly exasperated.

Nina walked up to the little bonfire we had going between me and Sandy and dumped gasoline on it.  "Dan, I'd like to take lessons with her.  We're BOTH beginners."

Apparently there was another Plan being implemented.  I thought I'd test to see if I was right. "So where did you two decide to put the piano?"

Sandy said, "That short wall between the door to the kitchen and the hall.  You'll have to move a bookcase."

I'd been had, and what's worse, I was actually happy about it.  "Nina, do you think you two can look into who might be a suitable teacher?"

Squeal!  "Thank you, Daddy!"

Nina just looked at me and smiled.

The actual trip, one way, was almost four hundred miles.  Somewhere along the ride we changed the CD to something else.

Nina laughed.  "Oak Ridge Boys?  Are you KIDDING!"

Sandy giggle.  "Daddy sings the bass part!  Show 'er, Daddy!"

Okay…  Call it a weakness.  Apparently it's contagious, because I soon had the three of us singing along in harmony as the miles rolled by.

Lunch was a chain restaurant just off the interstate, and mid-afternoon, we pulled up on the residential street in front of Harry and Jennifer's house.  There was a car I didn't recognize in the driveway, and since it didn't have dealer plates, I surmised it wasn't Harry's.  We walked to the door. 

Sandy barged right in.  "Harry!  It's meeee…"

"Well, hello, Sandy," Glenda said.

That explained the unidentified car.

She looked up at me and Nina standing in the door.  The smile that was there for Sandy waned quickly.  "Do come in," she said.  "Harry's not here.  He had to be at work.  I've been helping him with Jennifer's things.  It's hard for him, you know."

"I can't see where it would be any easier for you, Glenda," I said.  I was honest.  The lady'd lost her daughter.  That had to be tough.

"One does what one must, Dan," she said.  "You're here to get Sandy's things?"

"Yes," I said.  "We brought a trailer."

"Dan, can I talk to you a minute?"  she said.

"Sure!' I said.

"In private?"

"Oooo-kay," I said.  We walked outside.  Sandy was sitting with Nina, holding a picture of her and her mom, crying.  Nina looked at me and nodded acknowledgement, and went back to stroking Sandy's hair, consoling a sobbing little girl.

I followed Glenda outside.

She turned.  "Dan, I know you're newly married… to that girl…"

The little twist of her tone changed my mode from friendly and sympathetic to wary.  Very wary.

"We want Sandy to live with us, Dan."  Her grey eyes were hard.

"Glenda," I said, "Sandy was going to ask Jenn about moving in with us, Nina and me, this summer.  She fits well with Nina and me.  We'll make sure she visits you any time she wants.  Whenever it's okay with you and Andy.  But she's MY daughter.  I want her with me."

"Dan, I don't think she should be exposed to you and your teen bride."

"Glenda," I said, struggling to maintain decorum, "We are decent people, Nina and I.  We ARE married.  I don't remember you objecting to what Sandy was exposed to when Jennifer hauled her out of our house to move in with her boyfriend six months before the divorce was final."

"That's immaterial.  History lesson.  Dan, I'm serious.  You'd have your freedom, you and uh…  Nina, is it?  You two could do whatever you wanted, when you wanted.  Sandy's just gonna be in YOUR way…"

I tried to defuse the situation.  "Glenda, I know it's tough for you right now, losing Jennifer.  Let's just let things go as they are.  You'll be able to think clearly in a few days…"

"Don't you DARE patronize me, Dan Gleason!" she spat.  "I know what I'm doing!"

"No, Glenda, I don't think you do.  Do you honestly mean that you were a bigger part of Sandy's life since Jennifer left me than I was?  Seriously?  I can't believe you think like that."  I was struggling now to keep civil.

"Okay, Dan," she said through tight lips.  "We'll leave things as they are.  I will help you locate Sandy's things.  I've found some photos and things of Jennifer's that Sandy should have."

"Okay, Glenda," I said.

Nina looked at me curiously when we walked back into the house.  We loaded boxes and bags and a raft of clothes on hangers and lastly, a cat carrier with a grey male tabby cat who was not happy with the disrespect being shown him.

Nina and I were rearranging the boxes in the trailer.  Sandy was inside with her grandmother, being shown photo albums.
"What went on out here, baby?" she asked.  "I couldn't make out words, but your voice…"

"Don't say anything to Sandy, sweetheart, but Glenda wants Sandy to live with them.  I told her 'no way'."

"You're serious?  What's she thinking?"

"Sweetie," I said, "She said that it would allow us to have our lives to ourselves, without having to worry about Sandy."

"How just too wonderfully admirable of her, Dan!  Yeah, I didn't expect to end up with Sandy a month and a half ago when we got married, but you know what?!?!?  I LIKE her!"  She paused and looked into my eyes, that ebony hair in delightful disarray.  "You aren't considering it, are you?"

"No.  Not really.  Sandy's lost her mom.  She doesn't need her dad dumping her off on grandma."

I got a kiss on the cheek.  "Good!   That's my Dan!  And OUR Sandy."

We went inside and retrieved Sandy.  Harry drove up, parking on his own lawn. Sandy ran up and hugged him.  "I'm sorry, Harry…" she said.  He bent over and she kissed him on the cheek.  I walked up to him as Sandy went to talk to her cat.
"Harry, I'm sorry.  Again.  And Sandy…  I know she's not yours, but she likes you.  Send her a card or talk to her every now and then.  This is hard on her.  Her whole life turned upside down."

"I appreciate that, Dan.  She's a good kid, but Jenn used to get exasperated at her.  Said, in her words, she was so much YOU.  But yeah, she's a good kid.  Smart.  Real smart.  I'll keep in touch, for her sake."

Nina came up behind me.  "We're ready to roll, Dan."

"I'll see you around, Harry," I said.  I got in the car without looking for Glenda, and we drove off with a pet-friendly hotel as a destination for the night.  We parked the SUV and trailer and the four of us, me, Nina, Sandy and one fuzzy Mister Mittens who was glaring at the world from his barred vantage in the pet carrier.

Bathing suits came out and we did an hour at the pool, then retreated to the room and enjoyed delivery pizza for dinner.  The three of us sat cross-legged on one of the two queen beds and played cards for a while, then the two of them located a nature show on TV and we went to sleep.

At six the next morning, we did the reverse of the previous day's trip.  Arriving at home, I backed the trailer into the drive and we started unloading.  After the first three boxes were inside, I did the unloading while Nina and Sandy started putting things away.  Mister Mittens was still in the pet carrier, having a stare-down through the bars at Sam, who was considering this NEW intrusion into his carefully managed household.

Once I got the trailer emptied, I walked into Sandy's room, interrupting a discussion about the order one uses to hang one's clothing.  "I'm gonna go turn in the trailer," I said.  "If you two come with me, we can go out to eat.  If you stay, I expect to see a meal in progress when I get back.

Sandy looked at Nina.  "Honestly, Nina, how DO you put up with 'im?"  Giggle.

"It's the price I pay to associate with his bright children," Nina quipped right back.

"Well I suppose one must make sacrifices…"  My precocious daughter.

We dropped the trailer off and went to the Italian restaurant for dinner.

"Sandy, this is where your dad and I went on our first date."

"Really?" Sandy said.

"Really," I answered.  "And I didn't even know it was a date.  I thought I was bringing a bright young high school girl out to eat after working with her on her trigonometry."

Dinner was a happy affair.  Maybe happier for them than me, because I had this nagging feeling that Glenda was going to be a problem.  I pushed it out of my mind and enjoyed dinner, and we went home.

Sandy walked in and went to the cat carrier.  "Dad, can I let Mister Mittens out now?"

"Sure, baby," I said.  "But they might not get along very well.  They're two cats used to having their own houses.  Now they have to share."

She opened the carrier and Mister Mittens walked warily out into his new home.  Sam observed from the arm of the sofa.  Okay.  That looked pretty good.  The next forty-five minutes was occupied by various showers and post-shower rituals.

We played a round of rummy, the stereo on in the background, and then what would become another ritual for us, three mugs of herbal tea, relaxing for bed.

Sandy kissed me and Nina good night.  "I'll sleep in my room tonight," she announced.  Maybe Mister Mittens will sleep in there with me.  Sam does."

I tucked her in.  "I love you, Sandy."

"I love you too, Dad," she said.

Nina and I retired to our bedroom, closing the door.  She turned to me, throwing arms around my neck.  "Long day, honey," she said.  "Now, is there anything that Glenda can really do about getting Sandy away from us?"

"Not that I know of, baby," I said.  "But all the same, I'm calling my lawyer in the morning."  I ran my hands down her sides, savoring her form through the cloth of her nightshirt.

"You could do better if this thing was off," she whispered.  I peeled her nightshirt off over her head, watching her sassy hair splay out, and she slid her panties down, kicking her feet free.  "Now yours," she whispered.

I complied.  We loved on each other with hands and mouths and she tugged me into her and she had a shuddering little orgasm and I filled her with my own.  

"We need to put our nightshirts back on, baby" she said afterward.   We did. She rolled on her side and I spooned up behind her.  I put my arm around her and she put my hand over her breast and whispered, "I love you, Dan."

"I love you, too, Nina."  And we went to sleep.

Monday morning.  Nina got up with me, despite my suggestion that she sleep in.  Apparently we made enough noise to wake Sandy because she walked into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes.

"Hi, sleepy head," I said.

"Mornin', Dad.  Mornin', Nina."

"How'd you sleep?" Nina asked.

"Two cats.  One on each side.  Ever time I move I have to move one."

"That means they'll do okay.  As long as there's a little girl between 'em."  Of course, I was immediately made to be a liar when two cats sauntered into the kitchen in close tandem.  I was out the door before seven and in my office before seven thirty.

After the staff meeting, I retired to my office and closed the door.  My computer gave me the phone number.  I dialed.
A pleasant female voice answered, "Grantham Law Offices.  Can I help you?"

I explained who I was, cited some work that Dodd Grantham had done for me and vice versa, added a remark about us being in high school together, and asked if he could call me back.  I figured, 'yeah, right…  that'll happen…' but was pleasantly surprised shortly afterward when the phone rang and I answered.

"Dan Gleason, XYZCorp, can I help you?"

"Hey, Dan.  This is Dodd Grantham.  Maybe I can help you?"

"Dodd," I said, "If I need to come to your office, just say so, but I got a question."

"Shoot," he said.  "I don't start chargin' until you make me do research."

I explained the situation.  "Can she take Sandy?  Court order or something?"

"Look, Dan…  Under the conditions of the custodial parent's death, the surviving parent retains custody.  That's you.  The only exception is if you're an unfit parent.  You're not.  And there's no judge in THIS town that would rule you as unfit."

"What about an eighteen year old wife?"  I asked.

"Oh, that might raise an eyebrow, but you could be the pole dancer in a transvestite bar and they wouldn't say anything these days.  You're not in prison.  You're employed.  You're not on drugs.  You're fit, as far as the courts are concerned."

"Good," I said.  "So what do you think the ex-mother in law is thinking?"

"Wellll," Dodd said, "If she came to me, I'd tell her that her only chance would be to get you to sign over custody voluntarily.  If it was me, and she'd already asked you herself, I think my final step would be to call you myself and make a few carefully crafted but idle threats to see if you'd fold your hand."

"My, you lawyers are a devious bunch, aren't you?"  I laughed.

"Law ain't like that electrical stuff you play with. Rules in MY game are what we choose to make them."

I laughed again.  "Well, they may pull your license for it, but you've actually helped me today."

Dodd chuckled.  "Glad to do it.  But hey, new wife, kid, you need to get your will straightened out.  Come see me. I'll fix you up, and won't screw you too bad."

"You know, I need to do that.  Thanks for reminding me."

"Yeah.  And if you get hauled into court over this, let me know.  We'll win.  And if they take you to court and they lose, they'll pay me, not you."

"Okay, Dodd.  I appreciate the advice."

"No problem," he said.  "You helped me on that suit last year."  I'd given him a professional report on an issue that showed up in an almost frivolous lawsuit.

I opened my door, considerably relaxed, and left the office in my golf-cart to survey my kingdom.

Lunch today was a sandwich, packed with love, so I was told, by Nina.

After lunch I had a roll of drawings spread out on the table in my office when my phone rang.  Nina.  "Hey, baby," I said.

"Hey, guy," she answered.  She didn't sound too happy.  "You're getting ready to get a phone call from a lawyer.  He called here looking for your work number.  I told him I couldn't give it out.  He said he'd get it anyway."

I recounted my earlier conversation with Dodd.  "Still, though, it seems like she's going to give it a try."

"We'll do okay.  In the meantime, I won't let her call Sandy.  But if Sandy wants to call her…"

"Discourage it," I said.  "I don't know how, but I don't want her playing games with Sandy."

"Okay, sweetie.  I'll have dinner on the stove when you get home, okay?"

"Okay, love ya, sweetie!  Bye."  I hung up.

Sure enough, twenty minutes later, the phone rang. "Dan Gleason, XYZCorp, can I help you?"

"Mister Gleason, I am Howard Smythe, attorney for Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Garrett, parents of your deceased ex-wife.  They are formally requesting custody of their grand-daughter.  It would be easiest for all involved if you'd sign a voluntary consent to this."

"Sir, I know who you are."  I did.  He was the go-to guy if you wanted to hit up Wal-Mart for tripping in the parking lot or wanted to claim you found a dismembered body in your new refrigerator or a mouse in your Pepsi or whatever.  Ambulance-chasers had to push HIM out of the way.  He was a joke, fighting against his payment of child support for his own kids who were living with their mom whom he'd divorced to marry his new legal assistant.  I continued.  "I see no reason to comply with that request.  My daughter has been with me for the last three weeks.  She's faced the trauma of losing her mom, and I'll be damned if I subject her to the feelings that her dad doesn't want her around."

"Mr. Gleason, I advise you that we may likely file suit for custody.  It could be unpleasant for you and your new wife."  Oily.  That's how he sounded.   Oily.

"Howard," I said, not giving him the honor of using his last name, "In the immortal words of General McAuliffe of Bastogne, 'Nuts!'.  Do what you have to do.  Good day, sir!"  Clunk.  I hung up.

My next move was to alert Dodd Grantham.  "Head's up," I told him.

I went home seething over the audacity of Glenda.  I pulled Nina aside and explained what had transpired.

"I think we should explain it to her, Dan.  She's smart.  She can grasp what's going on."

"Okay, baby.  Let's go have a family talk."  When we walked into the living room, she looked up.

"Uh-oh, looks serious," she said.

We sat down.  Nina was at my side.  "Come sit here," I said.

She perched on my knee.  "Dad?  You look serious."

"It is serious, baby.  Your grandmother wants you to go live with them."

Her eyes flicked back and forth between mine and Nina's.  "but I like it here.  Ya'll do want me, right?"  Her face was darkened with concern now.

"Of course we do, little one.  We're both very happy to have you with us.  We make a neat family."

"That's what I thought.  Nina and I had fun today.  Tomorrow we're s'posed to talk with piano teachers.  Nina's gonna learn with me."

I closed my eyes.  Why did anyone want to hurt my daughter now?

"I don't want to go live with gran'ma, Dad.  I dunno, she's… strange.  I mean, she's my gran'ma, and I love 'er, but I don't want to live there."

"Sweetie, the only way you'd go there is if YOU told me and Nina that moving there was what you wanted.  Not what your grandma wanted.  But there may be a fight.  With lawyers.  I…  we wanted you to be prepared."

She looked sad.  Now I questioned my wisdom in telling her.  I'd just added uncertainty to her life when she was already shaken.

"You're my precious little girl, baby.  Nina and I will do everything we can to keep you here.  Don't worry.  I talked with a lawyer today and he tells me we can't lose."

"Okay, Dad.  'cuz I doubt that Gran'ma would buy me a piano."

Nina said, "Come on, let's eat dinner.  I talked to my Baptist grandmother, and i have made us a casserole."

"What religion do I have to find to get pie in this house?" I joked.

We started settling into something like a routine.  Sandy went with Nina to the library and helped out with the kid programs, and of course, hauled back a bunch of books.  We added another laptop to the house stable.  I heard nothing from anybody for a couple of days.

On Thursday evening, we were just getting the table set for dinner when there was a knock on my door.  I got served.  Family Court.  In the case of Daniel Gleason vs. Glenda Garrett, re: custody of minor child, Sandra Gleason.

Nina and Sandy  sat beside me on the sofa as I read the legalese.  "Judgment of fitness."  "Best interests of the child."

In my engineer's mind I recalled the part of Dodd's advice that said, " And there's no judge in THIS town that would rule you as unfit", and countered that with " Rules in MY game are what we choose to make them."  

I preferred laws from people named Ohm and Boyle and Thevenin.

I did my best to reassure my family.  It's a difficult thing to do when you need reassurance yourself.

I called Dodd Grantham as soon as I thought I could get through.  He was incredulous.  "Can you fax it to me?"

"How about scan and email?"

"Even better."  He gave me an address.  "I'll look over it and call you back.  We'll know how this is gonna shake out."

Thirty minutes later the phone rang in my office.  "Dan Gleason, XYZCorp, can I help you?"

"Dan, this is Dodd.  Things move fast with these cases.  You've got a hearing next Thursday in family court.  These things don't look like courtroom stuff on TV.  If we're lucky, we can end the whole thing then.  If not, well, we'll just move to the next step."

"What are we talking about?  A hearing?"

"Yeah, family court judge sits.  They appoint a social worker on the child's behalf.  That's the sticky part, I guess.  The social worker is going to interview you, your child, your new wife, trying to determine the suitability of the home the child is living in.  They'll also interview the grandmother and grandfather and see what kind of home they have."  He paused.  "Now let me ask you something, and please understand, I'm your lawyer and nothing you tell me goes any further.  I just need to know what they might find to use on their side."

"I can't think of anything, Dodd," I said.  "I'm employed, financially solvent, substantial savings, own my house, haven't even had a traffic ticket in years.  I don't drink, other than socially.  No drugs."

"What about your wife?"

"Nina?  Graduated two months ago with honors.  She was eighteen before we really started dating.  We're legally married.  Same thing.  No drugs, no alcohol?"

"D'you understand 'moral turpitude'?" he asked.

"Yes I do."  I told him about Nina's mom, and her grandmother, and Nina's two incidents, one at school. "But she was a minor.  There shouldn't be any record.  She wasn't charged."

"Well, Dan," he said, "I know that, but this isn't a criminal proceeding, and if somebody has knowledge of either incident, they may bring it up."  He paused.  "Honestly, Dan, I still don't see us as having a problem.  I think our friend is just posturing, hoping that the weight of his name is going to scare you into giving up."

"Ah, for heaven's sake, Dodd!  It's freakin' Howard Smythe.  In a just society he'd be dead from a duel years ago.  He's the caricature of the 99% of lawyers that give the rest a bad name."

"I know, Dan," he chuckled.  "I don't think a sane lawyer would've taken this case.  But we still need to treat it as serious.  Can you and your wife and daughter come by the office Monday or Tuesday?  I need to talk with all of you, just to make sure we're all on the same sheet of music."

"Dodd, these two are the love of my life," I said.

"I understand completely, Dan.  I just want to give 'em a little guidance about what to expect, and to make sure we don't have any traps waiting. Monday then?  Four o'clock?"

"That works," I said.

That evening we had a family discussion about what I'd learned.  All of it.  Nina explained the high school incident to Sandy.  She glossed over the attempted molestation with 'a bad man tried to do bad things to me and I fought him off as best I could.'

Saturday we shopped for pianos.  A teacher had been selected, an older woman who played Sundays at her church and who'd actually had a little career in music.  She recommended a music store to visit.  Nina told me, "Mizz Lester says these people will do us right.  Just mention her name."

"Ah, Mizz Lester," the salesman said.  "She's been teaching for years.  Here's what will work.  It's used.  Older.  But it'll work until you come back to buy a Steinway.  Who's taking lessons."

"Me an' Nina," Sandy said.

"Oh, really?" he smiled.  "And you want the books Mizz Lester uses, too?"

"I guess," I said.  "I'm not packing this thing home by myself.  When can you deliver?"

"Monday afternoon?  Tuesday?"  

"Tuesday will work.  That gives me time to move things around."

"We have to move a bookcase," Nina smiled.  

The next stop was sixty miles up the road to an outdoor store.  We left there with a pink kayak on a trailer.  Yes, I was operating on the assumption that we were a family now, and a family we would be.

Sunday we made an event of driving to a park and spending the day bicycling and picnicking.

Monday I scooted off the job a little early and brought my bunch to Dodd's office.  I was in my 'engineer at work' clothes.  
Nina and Sandy were dressed almost identically in jeans and blouses and athletic shoes, two pair of blue eyes, identical haircuts, one blonde, and one dark brunette.

We were ushered into Dodd's office.  I introduced my girls to Dodd.  I think he was impressed.  Neither of them looked particularly abused.  Dodd said so.

"So let me tell you what's going on with this hearing, folks,"  he said, smiling his best smile.  "We have an advantage, I think.  Dan, Nina, they may question you a bit hard, but Sandy, they'll be very careful about how they talk to you.  All they want to know is how you really feel about things."

You don't give Sandy an opening like that.  "Mister Dodd, I feel like they're crazy.   I was gonna ask to come live with Dad this summer when I got home.  Before Mom…"  her eyes wetted and she suppressed a sob.  

"Even with him marrying Miss Nina?"  Dodd asked.

"Especially since he married Miss Nina.  Don't'cha think it would've been hard, I mean, with Dad workin', for me to stay by myself?  "But with Miss Nina…"

"Nina?  Your thoughts?"  He asked.

Nina sucked in a breath.  I knew that as a sign she was going into her 'soliloquy mode'.  "Mister Dodd, I knew that Dan had a daughter before we got married, and that she'd be part of our life together.  Yes, I was worried.  I've heard some bad stories about step-mom relationships, but I love Dan and I started talking to Sandy on the phone way before she joined us for the summer.  We hit it off.  Before we came back off vacation she and she brought up the idea of her wanting to move in with us, and  I know her, and I know Dan, and I know me, and I know it would work.  I don't know how to characterize our relationship.  Maybe sisters, sort of, but we worked it all out so far."

"You just tell 'em that on Thursday, young lady," Dodd said.  "Now, folks, I expect that in a day or two you'll get an unannounced visit from social services to determine the suitability of your home."

Nina giggled.  "Then Dan needs to move a bookcase for the piano we're getting tomorrow."

That put us back at the house.  Nina was in the kitchen.

"Something with noodles, Dan," she said, and she started cooking while Sandy and I moved stacks of books to get that bookcase to a movable state, helped tremendously by two cats who thought that every box needed to be tried on for size.

I and my diminuitive helper had the books out of the case and stacked in my office/spare bedroom.  Nina gave me a hand scooting the case into the space I'd made for it, and then she looked at the spot on the carpet that had previously been covered by the bookcase.

"Oh, now I KNOW we need a piano," she said.  "Or new carpet!"

"Next spring," I said.  "I was planning on it.  Now you and I and Sandy have to decide together on it."

The kitchen timer dinged and Nina pulled the casserole out of the oven, and it was dinnertime.


Chapter Thirteen


Tuesday I got a phone call late in the afternoon.  My home number showed on the display.  I picked up the receiver.  "Hey, baby," I said, a greeting that should work for either Nina or Sandy.

Nina's voice.  "Hey babe!  How's your day?"

"It's been a normal day.  So far."

"We had two visits.  One was a big truck with a piano on the back, and the second was a nice black lady from social services."

"How'd that go?" I asked.

Giggle.  "I gave her the grand tour.  She had to ease around the guys bringing in the piano.  I told her it was a medieval torture device and we were going to chain Sandy to it."

"Oh, baby, some of those people don't have a sense of humor."

"She did.  Actually, after the piano guys left, she sat down and played on it.  She's GOOD!  Plays at her church.  Knows our piano teacher."  She paused.  "I don't think we're going to have a problem with her report."

"Good!" I said.  "That's a load off my mind."

"You coming home at the regular time?"

"Yeah, sweetie," I said.  "You started cooking?"

"Not yet," she said.

"Good!  Let's go out and get something."

"'Kay," she said.  "Me an' Sandy'll talk about it."

"Do I get a say?"

Giggle.  "You get a vote.  But we'll outvote you, ya know…"

"'Kay, baby doll.  I'll see you in a bit.  Love you!"

"Love you too!"  click.

I leaned back in my chair and breathed a sigh of relief.

Harvey walked past my door and saw me with my eyes squinched shut.

"Somethin' wrong, Dan?"

"No…  well, yeah, if you've got a minute."  He sat.  I related the story.

"Is the woman crazy?" he asked, incredulously.

"Deluded, I think," I said.  "Like Sandy needs more turmoil."

"And the hearing is Thursday?  Look, just take the day off.  You've racked up enough comp time to more than cover it."

"Thanks, Harv.  I appreciate it."

"You need all the help you can get, buddy.  You got a new wife and a full-time kid now."

"Yeah, it's been interesting since the middle of May," I admitted, sighing.  "And you know, it's been pretty good, until Jennifer…  I mean, I was over her, but I didn't wish her dead, and now this…"

"You'll do okay, Dan," Harv said.  "Nobody in his right mind…"

"We're talking' about the courts, Harv…  'Right mind' has nothin' to do with it."

"Oh, I know, but this is waaay past crazy…  anyway, do what you need to do.  We got you covered."

"Thanks, buddy!"  Yeah, okay, 'boss' but we were engineers and he was first among equals.  "I appreciate you lettin' me cry on your shoulder."

Four o'clock came and at four fifteen I was walking through the gate to my car, chatting with my co-workers.

"Having your daughter around kinda cuts into your nookie time, don't it?" one said.

"Nina and I get our time, buddy.  Sandy knows people need time alone.  It's not like she's gonna walk in on us."
Another piped up, "Yeah, goofy!  He's an engineer.  He knows all about door locks and all that high tech stuff!"

Laughter.  I got in my car and drove home.  I pulled up in the driveway  and got out as our front door opened and Nina and Sandy came out to meet me.  MY neighbor was in his front yard and he waved at us.  We waved back and went inside.  New piano.  
Sandy said, "You should've seen that lady, Mizz Sheffield, play, Dad.  It was something."

Nina agreed.  "She gave it a workout!  Said it's a good piano but we need to get it tuned."

"Yeah," I said, "The guy at the music store said we needed to do that since it's been moved.  We need to make an appointment to have the guy come do it."

Sandy slid onto the bench and uncovered the keys and tried to do something.  Didn't work.  She turned to me.  "Mizz London's coming Thursday, and we'll get started."

"Okay," I said.  "But you have to remember, it's going to be long time of doing things that might not be exactly enjoyable before you get to where you want to be."

"We know, Dan," Nina said.  "and we're going to encourage each other."

I eased into my recliner and kicked the foot rest up, sighing. 

Sandy stood by me.  "Too tired for your daughter to sit in your lap?"

"I get 'im next, Sandy," Nina said.

"Come on!"  

Squeal!  "Dad, that lady was nice.  The one that  visited.  We showed her the house and the yard an' your office an' my room an' everything."

"She was interested in our bookshelves and your video and CD library," Nina said.  "I would've been, too.  She said you had too much good stuff to be faking."

"Well, I hope she's on our side," I admitted.

"I think she's s'posed to be on MY side," Sandy said.

"Smart kid," I answered, kissing the top of her head.

She wiggled and bounced up, turning to Nina.  "Your turn!"

"Just a little while, and then we'll make him take us out for barbecue," Nina said, sliding into my lap with smooth familiarity.  Her kiss was rejuvenating.

Wednesday morning I called the lawyer.  "Dodd," I told him, "A social worker came by yesterday to check out the place."
"D'you know who it was?"  he asked.

"A Mizz Sheffield," I said.

"Oh, good!  She's completely fair, Dan.  Who'd she talk to?"

"Sandy and Nina.  She got there while our new piano was being delivered.  Nina says she seemed satisfied."

"That's a big plus for us," Dodd said.  "Now, look, the family court business is strange.  You need to be there at eight, you and Sandy, and Nina, and prepare to wait.  They have you on the list, but there's no telling where you're at, and they won't give you a time to show up.  You just have to be there when they call."

"My tax dollars at work, no doubt."  I snorted.

"Uh, yeah.  But that's between you an' me.  Don't say that out loud," he laughed.

"I'll be good," I said.

"When they call you, I'll be there, and so will our sleazy friend.  I'm assuming that Mizz Garrett will be there also.  She'll be waiting like you folks.  Do NOT confront her, Dan.  That wouldn't be good."

"I will be the epitome of self-restraint and grace."

He continued.  "Now these family court things are kind of informal.  The judge will review the stuff on the case and might ask questions."  He paused.  "And then the judge'll pronounce his decision.  I think we'll be happy.  I will petition for our Mizz Garrett to pay attorney fees and court costs, and from that sum I will take you and your delightful family out for dinner."

"Isn't that…"

"Crooked?  Dan… Dan…  Dan…," he laughed.  "I'm an esteemed officer of the court.  Would I do anything crooked?"

I laughed.

"No, actually, I want to pick your brain about another lawsuit I'm involved with."

"Then that makes it fair," I said.

"Good!" Dodd said.  "I'll see you and your bunch tomorrow!"

I snuck out at lunch and met Nina and Sandy.  I repeated much of Dodd's conversation.

"So it looks good," Nina said.

Sandy's eyes watched me closely.  "Yes," I said.  "It sounds good for us.  Remember, if your grandma is there, we're NICE."

"I know," Sandy said.  "But I wonder why she's doing this…"

Nina handled that one.  "Baby, people are complex things.  Very often they don't do things that make sense from where we're sitting, but that's because they have things on the inside that we can't account for.  We don't know what your grandma is thinking, baby."

"I know, Nina," she said.

We finished our meal.  "Ya'll're doing the library today?" I asked.

"Uh-huh," Nina said.  "I talked to them and they said they'd be glad to have Sandy with us, any time they have the program."

Sandy smiled.  "I read to little kids.  One of the library ladies stays with me, but she says I read good enough to help."  
Her eyes rolled.  "Dad, they're little kid books.  Easy."

"Well, show 'em how much fun it is to read, baby."

I paid the check and kissed each of them and went back to work.  Very much routine, the afternoon was.

Thursday morning we rolled into a restaurant for breakfast and then showed up at the courthouse.  Cursing, I returned to the car with our cellphones.  Not allowed.  I locked them in the car and returned to the waiting room.  I found Sandy sitting between Nina and her grandmother.

I did greet her politely.  And her husband, who looked a little off kilter this morning.  

She returned my greeting perfunctorily, her lips tight.  She stroked Sandy's hair, that is, until Sandy slumped sideways against Nina.  She looked at Nina with thinly veiled anger.

Nina just smiled.  I knew my Nina, and she was pretty good at reading people, and I imagined that she didn't miss the look.  She patted Sandy's shoulder.  "Like my little sister," she smiled.

A bailiff called for us.  I entered the courtroom last.  Nina, Sandy and I stood with Dodd. Glenda stood next to the sleazeball who was her attorney.  The bailiff read the case off and then swore the whole bunch of us to oath.

"Mister Smythe," the judge said, "I have serious question as to why you see fit to bring this question before the court.  What do you say…"

The smarmy bastard played his best card.  "Your Honor," he said, "my client has limited knowledge of the suitability of the father to provide a proper home for the child, having had little contact with him since he and her daughter divorced.  She is petitioning to insure the best of homes for the welfare of the child."

I cut my eyes to Dodd, who was just barely smiling.

"Do you have evidence that her father is NOT a suitable parent, or that his life circumstances preclude him from giving her a proper home environment?"

I sensed that we had a judge who'd perhaps seen a little too much of the sleazoid lawyer.  I kept my thoughts to myself.
"He has recently married an extremely young girl, Your Honor…"

The judge raised his hand.  "Smythe, don't go there.  Last week you were in my court claiming that a kid needed to stay with her single, seventeen year old mom, no daddy known.  And Mister uhhh… Gleason here's her natural father, fully employed, and legally married." He paused.  "I have a visitation report from social services.  Very favorable. I have a background check on both Mister Gleason and his wife, Nina Sayers Gleason, and I'd have 'em babysitting my great-grandkids."  He directed his comment to Mrs. Garrett and her husband.  "Folks, I question your judgment in undertaking this quest.  You would be advised to reconcile with your grand-daughter's father if you wish to remain in her life.  I find no reason for awarding custody to you."

I felt Sandy tug my hand, barely suppressing a squeal of glee.  Nina touched my other hand.

"Mister Gleason, Miss Sandy, Miss Nina, "I'm sorry that you had to even show up her today.  Mister Gleason, did you incur any charges for retaining the services of Mister Grantham?"

"Yes, Your Honor," I said.  "I haven't got an amount, though."

"Mister Grantham, I see where you've counter-sued for fees and costs.  Mister Smythe, you are advised that if I have to pass judgment on that issue, I will find for the Gleasons, and I will attach substantial costs to it.  I recommend that you settle with them in an expeditious manner.  Custody remains with Dan Gleason.  This case is closed."

"Thank you, Your Honor," Sandy said.

"You're welcome, Miss Sandy," he answered.

We got out of the building as soon as we could.  On the courthouse steps, Dodd laughed.  "Boy, that's as close to a public butt-chewing as I ever saw from THAT judge.  Smythe would've been better off just dropping the issue before we walked in there."  He bent over to Sandy.  "Miss Sandy,  you don't have to worry about anything now, baby!"

"But I do have to worry.  If I don't learn to play piano, he's gonna chain me to it."  She smiled sweetly, eyes sparkling.
"Good kid there, Dan," He laughed.

We walked towards the parking lot, the three of us, hand in hand.  I heard a voice call my name.  I turned and saw Andy Garret hustling toward us.

"Dan," he said.  "Look, I'm sorry about all this.  I mean, we lost our only daughter, and that's hard enough, but Glenda kinda went off the deep end.  I'm tryin' to get her to go see a doctor or somethin' but she can be hard-headed.  All I'm askin' is that you still let us visit Sandy, okay?"  All in one breath.

"We'll visit, Paw-paw," Sandy said.  "I won't forget you."  And she held her arms out for him to hug her.  Glenda was nowhere in sight.

"We'll work something out, Andy," I said.  "Kids need grandpas and grandmas, too.  But she lives with us, okay…"

"I never wanted this," he admitted.

"I figured that, Andy.  We'll see you later.  And Sandy'll call, okay?"

"Okay, son," he said.

He turned and walked away.

"Wow," Nina said.

We got in our car and headed home.  It was lunchtime now, so we stopped and fought the crowd for a bite to eat, I dropped them off at the house and then went in for a short day at work.

Harv saw me walk in.  "You get things taken care of?"  he asked.

"Yep.  I am the proud possessor of a ten year old girl.  Just like we wanted."

"Great!" he said.  "Good for you!  We need to get together at my house soon.  Bring the bunch.  Pool party!"

"We'll do that."  Good people.  I worked with some.  A crew of them was swapping out a transformer the size of a pickup truck in the plant, and I took my golfcart over there to check on progress.

One of the electricians saw me coming.  "Uh-oh," he said.  "Look busy.  Here he comes!"  When I got closer, he laughed at his own joke.  "Hi!  You're smiling!"

"Yeah, I'm smiling," I laughed.  "Because that's the first time I've seen you in a month that you weren't sitting down with a coffee mug in your hand."

"He's got YOUR number there, Brody," one of the other electricians said.

"We didn't expect to see you here, Dan," Brody said.  "Ol' Harv said you had to go to court."

"Yeah, kid stuff," I said.  "Got it taken care of."

"So you an' that young girl are keepin' your kid?"  Everybody knew of my ex-wife's passing and my marriage to eighteen year old Nina.

"Yep!"

"Ain't that a kink?  I mean, If I had an eighteen year old wife…"  

The guy standing behind him said, "Brody, if you had an eighteen year old wife you'd have to spoon-feed 'er because she'd hafta be brain-dead to marry you…"

"And she'd STILL be your intellectual superior!" somebody else tossed in.

"Wow!  That conversation went downhill fast…"  I laughed.  Good crew. Insensitive and ribald humor was part of the schtick.  
"Since everybody's smiling, I assume that this swap is going good?"

"Yeah," Steve-o said, straightening up.  "All we have left to do is open the manhole an' stuff Brody inside."

"Don't do that," I chuckled.  "We'd have to change the oil, an' that's ecologically irresponsible."

I hopped back in my cart and rolled the perimeter of the switchyard, then returned to my office.  Jannie stopped me.  "Harv says ya'll came out okay over Sandy?"

"Yeah.  Judge ruled in our favor.  She lives with us."

"You're her dad, Dan.  I don't know why Glenda did that."  Jannie knew my ex's family.  Cousins or something.  Who knows these things?

"I don't know either," I said. "No reason for it.  Y'know, without that maneuver, Sandy'd be spending nights and weekends with 'em.  But now, I'm kind of scared to let her go over there unsupervised."

"Oh, I don't think she'd, like, kidnap 'er or something like that.  That's why she got a lawyer.  'Sides, Andy WILL get fed up after a while and put his foot down.  I've seen it."  She sighed.  "SO how's this sittin' with Nina?"

"Nina acts like she's got a little sister now.  They're starting piano lessons together.  First one's this evening.   She's good with it."

"She seems like such an angel, Dan.  Everybody who knows her…"

"She is, Jan," I smiled.  "I must've rescued puppies in a previous life to get this kind of Karma."

She laughed.  "And now you got Sandy. I hope ya'll are happy."

"Thanks, Jan.  I'm sure we will be." I returned to my office and ran through some email and a couple of voicemails, and it was time to go home.  I called.

"Hi, sweetie," Nina answered.  "We're celebratin'.  Grandma told me how to make chicken pot pie."

"Yum!" I said.  "I'll be there in a minute.  This has been a day."

"Oh, I know.  I was straining myself.   But it's over.  Here's Sandy!"

"Hey, daddy!" she said.  "ILOVEYOUSOMEBODY'SATTHEDOOR.  Bye!"

I pulled into the drive and walked in to meet Mizz Lester, the piano teacher.  She showed them some fundamentals and some exercises and then smiled, pushing her glasses up on her nose.  

"You have to see to it that they both practice, now.   Otherwise you're wasting your money and their time.  But they both seem eager.  I think we'll do well, and have fun."  She turned to the girls.  "Practice. Practice. Practice, until your fingers learn.  Don't be afraid to close your eyes and let your fingers do what they know how to do.  And I will see you Tuesday."

"Yes ma'am, thank you," Nina answered.

"Thank you, Mizz Lester," Sandy added.

Mizz Lester left.  I flopped into my chair and wiggled my feet.  Nina started taking my shoes off and Sandy slid onto my lap.  
"Dad, we're a family now!" she said.

"You and your dad were ALWAYS a family.  And then I married 'im and now WE'RE a family.  Even before…"

Sandy turned to Nina.  "I love you , Nina.  You make my dad happy.  And that makes me happy.  But the judge says we're OFFICIALLY a family!"

"Yeah, cutie pie," I said.  "Just remember how happy you are right now with you get mad because I tell you to pick up your clothes and clean your room or help out in the yard."

Sandy turned to Nina for support.  "Nina, don't I help out?"

"You do, sweetie," Nina said.  "That's how this works.  We all do a piece of it."

"That's fair," I said.  "And a lot of life isn't.  Now let's see what Nina can do for chicken pot pie!"

Nina did pretty good, actually.  I said so.

She smiled.  "We can't eat out or order pizza EVERY night," she said.  "And with you working and me an' Sandy staying home, we can cook.  Now I wish I'd paid more attention to Grandma.  And she invited us over for dinner tomorrow evening."

"Great," I said. "How're they doing?"

"Happy as can be," she said.  "I told 'er about Sandy and the mess an' everything.  She wants to meet my daughter."

Sandy giggled.  "I get to adopt grandparents," she chirped.

"How can they NOT adore her, Dan?"  

Sandy's eyes twinkled.  "Yeah, Dad!  I am adorable, you know…"

"I know," I said.  "And almost too old to tickle!"  I scooped her up and tickled her ribs, holding her as she dissolved into a giggly mess.  Two cats came running to view the commotion.  Nina sat and patted her lap and Sam, the big mooch, jumped up to be petted.

Sandy caught her breath.  "Dad, Sam never got in YOUR lap.  Look!"

"I know," I said.  "That's 'cuz Nina's part cat herself."

Nina smiled at me, blue eyes and freckled perfection.  I reached down to stroke MY cat, and all I got for the effort was his "leave me the hell alone" look.  I plopped down on the sofa beside her and the stupid cat left, an event noted with a giggle from Sandy.  Mister  Mittens sauntered over.  He was everybody's cat, a big ol' fluffball, and he gave me my kitty fix.

"So did we practice today?" I asked.

"Uh-huh," Nina said.  "both of us.  I can feel muscles in my arms that I didn't feel before."

Sandy flipped the cover up on the keyboard.  "This is what we're s'posed to do, Dad!"  She tried, tentative notes punctuated with "Oops!"  and "Not like THAT!"  She turned to me sheepishly.  "It's not as easy as it looks," she admitted.

"It doesn't look that easy, baby," I said.  "But it's first steps."

"Make me stay at it, Dad," Sandy said.  "I WANT to learn.  But if I…  just don't let me give up."

"We won't, Sandy," Nina said.

Saturday was Helen and Ed's wedding, a little more formal than mine and Nina's, but still at the Baptist church.  They made a lovely couple, too, very nicely dressed and obviously very happy and we were happy for them.

Helen had Nina and Sandy ("My new grand-daughter!") stand in as informal matron of honor and bridesmaid.  I stood on the front row as Ed's oldest son stood in as best man, and Ed's grand-daughter stood with Sandy as bridesmaid, too.  They made a cute pair, and I took as many pictures as I could of the proceedings. 

The reception was also slightly better than ours, but still in the church's recreation hall, so we sipped lime punch and ate finger foods and smiled and then watched two sixty-something year old people depart for a honeymoon.

Sunday was Sandy's day to try out her new kayak, and the three of us did just fine.  Sandy's kayak floated on the water like a cork with her ninety pounds.  She paddled along like a trooper, though, as we navigated the sheltered waters of the slow-moving river.  A quarter mile from the landing, on our return, I heard, "Dad, I'm getting tired…"

"We don't have far to go.  Just around this bend…"

"I'm really tired."  Right on the edge of whining.

"We'll make it, baby," Nina said.

"But I'm tired.  Really.  Dad, can you pull me?"

"Sandy, I could, but you can make it the little distance we have left, and you will have done the whole trip by yourself.  In the new kayak YOU wanted…"

"But I'm still TIRED."

And we kept paddling as we talked, rounding the bend, bringing the landing in sight.

"Okay, Dad.  I'll let you be mean to me…"  and a heart-rending sigh.  She turned her blonde head and looked at me with big blue eyes and I guess I was supposed to melt.  I almost did.  Then I saw a paddle blade flash downward.  "Race ya!"

She had a head start, and I didn't pull too hard, and Nina paced her, and we all hit the little beach simultaneously.  As we loaded the kayaks onto the trailer, I told Sandy her arms were going to be really sore.

"I can feel 'em already," she said. She looked at Nina.  "You're used to this, huh?"

"Yes," Nina answered, "But the first time we did this, I thought my arms were going to fall off the next day.  But it's good now!  Maybe we'll go after your dad gets off work during the week.  There's a spot closer to home that we could do before dark during the week."

"But I'll be sore," Sandy said.

"And that'll be the best thing for it.  Trust me," Nina said.

We got home and grilled burgers for dinner.  Two weeks into her new life with us, and Sandy had a handful of friends up and down the street, kids her age, and they came over.  A smart dad cooks extra.

I noticed that Sandy's two girl friends were running a bit toward plumpness, one a little more than the other, and made a mental note to make sure that we emphasized physical activities.

After dinner, the five of us, me, Nina, Sandy, and her two friends tossed a Frisbee around for a little while until it was almost dark.  They went home and we went inside.  

After showers, the three of us, clad in nightclothes, were in the living room playing cards.  I brought the subject up.
"They're not FAT, Dad," Sandy said.  "Well, just a little, you know…  I think they're cute, though."

Nina cut her eyes to me, raising an eyebrow.  I plunged on.  "I know they're cute, baby, but they're ten, uh?"

"Uh-huh," Sandy admitted.

"And if they don't do something now, it's much harder to do later.  That's one reason why we swim and kayak and stuff.  I'm older, and putting on weight at my age is worse than it is for your age.  So we do a lot of outside stuff."

"I know.  But I still like playin' my X-Box, too…"

"And your piano?"  Nina asked.

"That, too!" Sandy grinned.

After the card game,  we retired to the sofa, me in the middle, Sandy next to Nina, Nina next to me. Sandy slumped sideways, laying her head on Nina's lap.  Nina idly stroked the blonde hair.

"We're a family, right, Dad?" Sandy asked.

"Yes, we are, little one," I said.

"Me an' you an' Nina."

"Three of us, baby," Nina said.

"I miss Mom," Sandy said.  It'd been a couple of weeks now, a month since she last saw her Mom, two since losing her.  Nina was the one that seemed to end up with Sandy in her arms when the memory came flooding back, along with the tears, but I hadn't noted a breakdown in a couple of days now.

"I know you do, baby," I said.  "I know you do."

Nina bent over and kissed Sandy lightly on the top of her head.

"But Dad," Sandy said, "I love you an' Nina, and this is the family we have now.  And it's gonna be good."
