Chapter One

No one wants that call. The godparent notification phone call. So many things have gone wrong if it comes to that.

Clarice was lost to cancer a couple of years ago. Her parents were both lost to her when she was much younger. I’m pretty sure it was a plane crash.

Rodney is not coming home from Syria. Not alive, anyway. Sorry, officially he’s not coming home from Iraq. Just got that word today. This morning. From Edna. She was a mess. Rodney and his family were just about all she had left. Rodney had eked an education out of a bad situation and a worse neighborhood, seeing one older brother killed in a gang shootout and the other doing life without the possibility of parole for a botched armed robbery.

Rodney’s mother Edna was going to an assisted living home, lucid, but physically incapable of handling the needs of a sixteen-year-old girl.

Sixteen years and a couple of weeks ago, I stood next to him, looking into the nursery at the hospital. “Chuck, you’re gonna be there, right? I mean you’ll stand up with us at the Christening, won’t you?”

“Sure, Rodney, but what do you mean?” I asked him.

“Be her Godfather. Her Godparent. In case something happens to Clarice and me. You know, raise her the way she needs to be brought up. Real love. A real home. Not what I was brought up around. What we’re going to do our best to give her. Can you do that for me? You’re the closest friend I’ve ever had. Just promise me if we come up short, you’ll finish the job?” Of course, I said I would. It could’ve gone unsaid.

Funny thing. We met in a classroom at Washington University in St. Louis. Both engineering students. Seems like twenty-some years ago. I guess it was close to that, or more, come to think of it. We had worked on a couple of projects together in class and got to know each other. He needed a place to study, and I lived a block from the campus, so it worked out that he’d stop by and crack the books before he went home to his mother. He could study there at home, but the ambiance was off, what with people that wanted to be his ‘friend’ trying to get him involved with nefarious extracurricular activities, and drugs, and at least a couple of girls trying to catch him in a baby daddy way. He wasn’t interested. He wanted out, and the only safe way he knew was to study his way out.

My parents were paying for my education, and even bought the house, as an investment, for me to live in while I was in school. My game plan was to get my degree in electronics, do a stint in the military, and take over from Dad as the CEO of Connelly Enterprises, something my grandfather had passed to my father about ten years ago. All I had to do was study hard and then stay alive long enough to do that.

Rodney’s high school counselor found something in him and groomed him for an Armed Forces Engineering Scholarship, then landed it for him. All he had to do was study hard, get an engineering degree, either mechanical or civil, and give them back six years. Lieutenant Colonel Thomas gave them eighteen. When we had our degrees in hand, his finally settled into mechanical, and mine in electronics, we went in together. OTS, Officer Training School, United States Air Force, then got roped into being Forward Air Controllers. Fun, fun. Off and on, we were stationed together during twelve of those sixteen years. A couple of butter bar lieutenants trying to keep above the fray and learning to fly, then as first looies, working for a living, then as Captains running field ops in some pretty dangerous places.

I did it for twelve years, then Dad got sick, and I bailed from a life I loved to help out at home. Trust me, I didn’t want to. I hated leaving. Resigning my commission would have been as bad as cutting my wrists, fingers to elbow. I loved the Air Force, and I knew I was making a difference, but I really didn’t have a choice. I left it to Rodney to keep it going. BUT I checked into the possibility of staying on part time and got a lead on an assignment to the Kentucky Air National Guard, the 123rd STS, so I could at least keep my hands dirty. It was still pending back then, but it didn’t work out. Biggest problem was if we deployed. I had a pretty good-sized tech firm to take care of. I knew at one point I’d probably not be able pursue it and cry all night long when I made the decision not to join the guard.

A couple of years of corporate life later, I was feeling pretty good about being a civilian, but the earth shook when my godchild called me, and asked if she could talk. She’d called before, a lot actually, but never to ask if she could talk. She just talked. I don’t think she ever asked me permission for anything. She just did whatever, and it was all right with me. If she wanted to hold my hand, she did. Take me for a walk, we went. Needed to be in my lap, up she came. Board game? She got it out and we played. Now she asked if we could talk. The earth was still jittering a little when I answered her.

“Of course, Mel, I’m always here for you. Are you okay, hon?” She was fourteen at this point, and very self-sufficient. The few times I’d been at their place in the last year or so, she had helped with meals and all kinds of activities. She was going to make someone a great companion.

“No, Chuck, Mom’s got cancer. Bad. Dad’s here at home, now, but we don’t know how long we have. You might want to give them a call. I know they’d love to hear from you. I’d like to see you, too, if there’s any way you could break free and come visit.” Her sniffles were driving me nuts. No fourteen-year-old should have to face this. NO ONE should have to face this. At all.

“I’ll be there tomorrow, sweetheart. I’ll move a couple meetings and I’ll be there in the morning. Wait, is there room for me there, or should I get a hotel? Maybe I’ll come down tonight.”

“Please, Chuck, you can stay in the guest room, Mom’s cousin is here, but she can have my room, and I’ll sleep on the couch. Please come tonight. Please?”

“Okay, sweetheart, I’ll be there in a couple of hours. I need to pack and make some calls. It’s just before 5:15 there, right?”

“Yeah. Is that too late?”

“No, sweet pea. I learned how to fly in the dark, but it won’t even be dark when I get there. I’ll be at your house around seven-thirty or eight. Tell your mom and dad, okay?”

“Yes, Chuck. Thank you. I love you. I can’t wait to see you.”

“I love you too, sweetness. I’ll be right there. Bye.” I thumbed my phone off, closed some files I was working on with my computer, grabbed my jacket and my crash bag and made the trip to the airport.

I called the field crew at the airport and asked them to back it out for me, as I had to head for Pensacola in a hurry to visit a friend stationed at Hurlburt. They were a couple of old Air Force ground guys that our FBO company found, thankfully, who were looking for work. Really good people. It’s quite a hike from my house way out northwest of the city, but I got there, and the plane was out. After making a quick flight plan filing, conducting the preflight, and getting clearance, I was off to Florida. I texted Rodney on the sat phone letting him know that I was on the way, and I’d be landing at PNS, Pensacola International, about seven fifteen or so then be at his place before eight. I asked if they needed anything, thinking I could pick up food or something, but he said no, they didn’t need anything, and just to come on in.

Five hundred and twenty nautical miles with a 5-knot tailing crosswind, I could take it easy and make it in an hour or so. Add some time for departure and approach and my six o’clock wheels up and seven fifteen arrival times looked pretty good. A call to Innisfree Jet Center at my destination set up a rental car that should help me be able to make the half hour drive to Rodney and Clarice’s house, getting in before eight. If not, it’s not like anyone was timing me.

At their house, Melissa met me at the door. She gave me THE Hug, arms around my neck, then a somewhat emotional kiss, on the lips. Not uncommon for us, but not usually with that much of Melissa in them. Anyway, she took me inside where I found Rodney and Clarice in the family room. I hugged Rodney. It’s hard to do. I’m normal sized. Six one, two hundred. He’s big. I turned to Clarice. So small, so frail, so fragile looking. Why? Six months ago, she was the picture of health, well, except for the small part. She’s a little, tiny, half French, half Irish, thing, five two and a hundred five pounds soaking wet, on a good day. This obviously wasn’t one of those. She was looking like ninety, maybe. And losing muscle tone. ‘God, what have you done to this beautiful woman?’ I asked quietly.

They explained the situation, and the prognosis. Nothing could be done. Mayo, Cancer Centers, Siteman, no one could help. It was found a year too late in someone that normally wouldn’t have been checked more frequently for another few years. It’s like it started the second after her last pap smear then grew like hell on steroids. It had at least one full year to do its damage, and it had. She was holding her daughter when she told me she only had a month or so, and it was going to be ugly starting in a couple of weeks. Of course, I asked them if there was anything I could do, and they both simply said, “No, not now, but remember who Melissa’s Godfather is.” Cousin Lisa was not going to be able to help long term. She had problems of her own. Rodney’s Mom was coming down to stay with them but wouldn’t be there until week after next. I looked at them funny, but they told me it wasn’t a matter of flying or money, but a medical thing. Oh, silly me. I couldn’t fix that, I guess.

We stayed up late, drinking a couple of shots of Rodney’s finest Canadian. I felt them wanting to get Clarice to bed for some rest, so I bowed out to the kitchen after begging a sandwich. Melissa followed me and helped me gather some fixings, then proceeded to feed me.

“I’m scared, Chuck. Really scared.” She came and sat in my lap in the kitchen chair.

“I wish I could help you with this, Mel, but I don’t think I can. Your Grandma will be here, though, and she’ll stay with you and help out. You’re pretty much low maintenance, so I know you’ll be all right.”

“What about if Dad has to leave again? I know what he does, Chuck. I know what you used to do. It’s not like being an architect. It’s dangerous. You know I know that.” She tucked into my neck and cried.

I just pulled her to me and hugged her. “Yes, that’s true. It is. But he’ll do it anyway, because that’s who he is. He won’t be leaving for a while, though. Quite some time, actually. With your mom this sick, they won’t ask him to leave now. He’ll be doing plans and such, but no travelling. And if he has to leave for a day or two, Grandma will be here.”

“What about you?”

“Me? I can’t stay, honey. I have a company to run and all. I’d love to help out, and if you want to come stay with me for a while this summer, you can, but I can’t hang out here. Not that I wouldn’t do that for you, but that’s not what you need.”

“Yes, it is.” I could barely hear her, but I did.

“Melissa, look at me. You’re a strong lady. You’re going to be all right. I promise. You need to be with your mother. You have your father and your grandmother. You’ll have me when you really need me, but for right now, please be strong and help them through this. When all the world feels like it’s caving in, something will happen to prove that life goes on. I promise.”

“Okay. Finish your dinner and I’ll take you up to bed,” she told me. I finished my sandwich and glass of water, then she took me up to the guest room, reminded me where the bathroom was, kissed me softly, holding my cheeks in her hands, and told me she’d see me in the morning. She took my hand in hers and squeezed softly.

“Goodnight, sweet pea,” I told her as our hands parted.

“Goodnight, my love,” I barely heard as she walked away.

A fourteen-year-old girl, caught in the turmoil of a terminally ill and soon dying mother and a military father. I’ve known for a year or so, if we were all together, and Grandma wasn’t there, Melissa was the most mature person in the room. Her not so little innuendos tonight just proved to drive the point home. Geez, I hoped she’d be okay through this.

I stayed the day with them, then left the next morning. I had planned to bring Grandma Edna down if they wanted help, but she had that lined up and Clarice and Rodney were picking up the tab. Okay, then. I backed off a little.

A few weeks later, I got the call I was dreading. It was mid-morning. “Chuck, can you come down for the funeral? Mom died this morning in the hospital. Please come see me. Please?”

“I will, honey. I’ll be there tonight. See you in a little while. Tell your dad I’m on the way. I love you, Melissa.”

“OK, I love you, too, Chuck.” Click.

I showed up a little later this time. The house was a somber place. Rodney was sitting at the kitchen table staring into a plate. I just put my hand on his shoulder. Edna looked at me. Melissa squeezed my other hand and wouldn’t let go. “You hungry?” Edna asked.

“Not right now. Thanks, Edna. I’m not going to be silly and ask how everyone’s doing. I already know that. You’re doing shitty. Sorry, sweet pea. I will tell you though, a month from now, Rodney, you’ll be able to eat without trying to throw up. A month after that, you’ll know what you’re eating, and another month after that, you’ll actually be able to enjoy eating something you like. In the meantime, is there anything I can do? I’d like to help in some way, if I can make a difference.”

“No, Chuck, not now. Just don’t forget the little girl.” He looked up at his daughter and hugged her to him, both of them bawling their eyes out. Even Edna got pulled into it, wiping her tears with a napkin. I rubbed on both of their backs. Rodney’s and Melissa’s, ‘til they calmed, and Melissa hugged and kissed me, then went upstairs to get ready for bed.

The funeral was a beautiful devotional to a beautiful woman. Clarice was truly one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever met. An air brush wasn’t needed on her pictures. The only reason that anyone can explain their relationship and marriage was that Rodney was one of the most amazing, honest, trustworthy, caring, good men I had ever met, and he wasn’t chopped liver in the looks department either. He was a little, no, he was a lot bigger than her, but they made it work. She really was a model, and they met when she was working in a mall in Pensacola, some sixteen years before that while we were in training. An odd couple to say the least. He was six-four, two forty or two fifty, and she was five-two and a couple pounds over a hundred. He was a very light skinned black man, and she was not only a white, but porcelain white, being half French and half Irish, little girl. Her hair was a beautiful dark red. Auburn is probably the right name for it. Even in five-inch heels, she looked straight up at him with her princess smile while he looked straight down, lost in her eyes. It was amazing to watch. Her friends said he never had a chance, but I don’t think he wanted one. Those same friends were an endless string of dates for me, but I never did find one I wanted to keep around. I would cherish memories of Clarice, though.

With the funeral over, I headed back to Missouri, assuring both the father and the daughter, and of course, Grandma, that I was available, at a moment’s notice, should I need to fill in as… The Godfather. Things got back to normal, and I’d fly down for a weekend to be with them every couple of months. Once I got them all rounded up and took us all to Disneyland in California for a couple of days. That went over pretty well. Melissa sat with me in the cockpit asking extremely intelligent questions about flying and why I had the Cessna Citation X+ instead of something that cost about a fifth as much.

“Hon, remember when you called and said your mom was sick, and could I come down?”

“Yeah. You were there in a couple of hours. It would have been a day or two in a commercial plane and hours and hours in a prop job, right?”

“Right. Plus, believe it or not, this plane almost flies itself, and it has a potty!” She giggled at that. I love the sound of Melissa’s giggles, and they had been few and far between since they found her mother was ill. “When are you turning sixteen, sweetie?”

“A couple of months. Looking like boarding school, though, next year. Grandma’s having problems getting around, and Dad can’t play GI Joe and Daddy both. He’s actually got something coming up, but he can’t talk about it. It’s in the sandbox somewhere, but that’s about as much as we’re getting from him.”

“Do you want to come up for the summer or something? We could give Grandma a break, and your dad wouldn’t have to worry so much for a while.”

“Chuck, I would love that. Mid-May, I turn sixteen. School is out late May. I’ll talk to Dad and see what he thinks. But first, let’s go to Disneyland!”

We had a ball. Grandma didn’t care for the flight there or home, but she did like using the electric scooter in the park, and Rodney, Melissa, and I had as much fun as we were allowed by park rules.

When we got back their house in Florida, Rodney approached me about my offer to take Melissa to St. Louis with me. “Are you sure that would work, Chuck? I mean, you do work and all still, right?”

“Yes, Rodney. A lot of work is from home, and I travel a bit, but she’d be good company. It would help her too, I’m sure. We only live twenty miles out of town, and there’s plenty to do. I might even turn her into an engineer. How would that be? Huh?” He smiled, shrugged, and nodded. “Hey, I heard you’re taking off for a jaunt. Your paperwork is all straight, right?”

“Yeah. Looks like Momma will be headed to a physical therapy thing this summer while you have Melissa in Missouri. Hopefully they can get her back to par before school starts back up. I’m hoping anyway. If she could lose a few pounds and get her knees working better, it’ll be easier on her being here. Melissa does most of the housework and cooking anyway. She’s a Godsend. A dream child, I’ll tell you that. Look, Chuck, just remember, if anything happens…” I interrupted him.

“Don’t, Rodney. Don’t ask for trouble. I’m here. You know that. Where is the little fart, anyway? I need a kiss goodbye. MELISSA?!?!”

“Coming, Chuck! You’re leaving already?”

“Yeah, sweetie. Your Dad was just finalizing a price for me to rent you out as cheap labor for the summer. I think I’m coming out pretty good on the deal.”

“Sounds good. You do have a dishwasher, though, right?”

“You might want to go look in a mirror for that one.” She slapped my arm. “You’ve never been to my new house, have you?” She shook her head. “Yes, honey, it has one. You’ll like the place, I think. I hope so, anyway. I had it built with me in mind, but I’m sure it’ll appeal to you as well.”

She walked me to the door while Rodney and Edna stayed in the kitchen. “Call me when you get home, so I know you’re all right. Please?” She kissed me on the lips again, this one even more loving than the last. It had been a while, but it was reminiscent of the kisses when she was losing her mother.

I put my arm around her waist, just to judge her reaction. She melted into me. I told her I would call her just as soon as I got home safely, then kissed her nose. “I love you, Melissa. I’ll call you from the plane when I’m in the air and when I get to the house.” I lightly touched her lips with mine, got a moan that I shouldn’t have gotten, then turned and walked to the rental car, waving and getting a little finger wave back. I think someone was in love.

That brings us back to where we started. It was the end of May. Edna called. Melissa wasn’t home from school yet, but the Casualty Officer stopped by and left the bad news. Lieutenant Colonel Thomas was killed in action in Iraq. The details were sketchy, but they would provide more very soon.

Edna explained that school would get out for the summer break the next day, and asked if I could come down early, possibly before Melissa got home. She didn’t want to be so bold as to think I could do that, but she thought it would help if I was there when Melissa found out. Between the tears she talked about not being able to care for Melissa and wanting her to have a good life with me. It’s all Rodney talked about. Making sure she was well taken care of.

Once again, I called the field and had them back the plane out. I was off to Pensacola on another emergency. I really wanted to be there when she got home from school. Flight plan, preflight, clearance, and off I went. This time, I didn’t take it easy. I was on the ground an hour later, getting as close to the speed of sound as you can get in a private airplane.

But I made it, and when my Sweet Pea came in through the door to the kitchen and saw me, horribly sad look on my face, then her grandmother, crying, she knew. She kissed her Grandma, said she was sorry, then crawled into my lap while holding Edna’s hand, and just cried her eyes out. We didn’t move for over an hour. Then Edna got something out of the freezer to heat up for dinner.

“Baby, do you want me to take you in and clear you out of school tomorrow?” I asked, knowing we’d have to. She wouldn’t be back.

She nodded. “Yes, Chuck, I think that would be best. Do you know where I’ll be going to school next year?”

“Yeah. Grandfield. We’ll look it up in a bit. I’ll call them in the morning, as well.”

“Oh, GOD, WHY!!!” she screamed, and started crying uncontrollably, frightening Edna. She waddled over to us and put her hands on Melissa’s face.

“Look up. Look at me, child. Chuck told you two years ago. Something would happen to prove to you that life will go on. Remember you told me he said that?” Melissa nodded. “He’s here to take you home and start a new life. Many don’t get that opportunity. Most don’t. You do. Make the most of it. Make your momma and your daddy proud, girl. Make them proud. Be somebody. You come from good blood, girl. Learn and do. Oh, darling girl, I wish I could be there with you to go through this. You need to run. I can’t even walk. I’ve got a place here, though. Your daddy set it up for me. I’ll be fine. You come see me now and again, okay?”

She nodded. “I love you, Grandma.”

“I know, child. I know. I love you, too, darlin’. So, so much.”

I called a friend and got the lowdown skinny on the botched operation and what went down. It was in Syria, and they were found by a non-Syrian tank squadron. That’s what he called it. Non-Syrian. Rodney declared a big “Nyet” on that activity and called in one last air strike taking out six of their tanks and most of the personnel in the area. They were firing on civilians as well as Rodney and his backup when the strike came. Quite messy, but he died proving that very bad people are doing very bad things in a very bad place. Someday, I’d tell Melissa how big of a hero her father was.

That night, I slept in the guest room. Edna stayed in Rodney’s room downstairs. I was done in the bathroom and saw Melissa’s light on. Hearing sniffling, I knocked.

“Come in,” she said.

I entered, sat on her bed, and reached out for her arm. I rubbed it, just trying to soothe her. She reached out with her other hand and put it on mine. “Thank you, Chuck. Thank you for always being here when I need you.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Always. You gonna be okay, sweetie?” She nodded. I leaned over, kissed her cheek, petted her head, then left, turning the light out and going to the guest room. Sleep came quickly and soundly. Until the bed moved at about two in the morning. She just climbed next to me, backed in, pulled my arm around her, and said, “Hold me, love. Please, just hold me.” I did, and we went back to sleep.

Up in the morning, I was alone. I threw on some jeans and a tee shirt, hair a mess, and went down to the kitchen. Coffee sounded really good. I didn’t realize it was only five in the morning. I made a pot, as I had done in the past in that house. Melissa padded down the stairs and over to me, hugging me to her and looking up for a kiss. She got one.

Edna came in and sat down. Melissa went back up to the bathroom. “You take care of her, Chuck. You be careful with her, too. You know she’s in love with you. Always has been from what I understand. Even Rodney’s Reecey told me that. Reecey knew. So did my Rodney. They approved. Love her, Chuck. She needs you. She’ll make you a happy man.” My jaw dropped. “Don’t let her see you confused like that. She’s a woman. She’ll take advantage.” Then Edna laughed and sat down. And cried. I made her some coffee and toast. “Take care of our baby, Chuck.”

“I will, Edna. I will. I promise.”

We took off for school, Melissa pointing the way. She went to a big school, not in the housing area. This housing was detached from the main base, anyway. In the office we explained the situation, and the outcome. I told them that the base legal department could answer any questions and provide them paperwork as soon as it was processed. I gave them the name and number of the Casualty Officer and the number for the Base Legal Office. Legal had copies of the last will and testament that Edna showed me from Rodney’s papers. They could answer any questions, then I gave them the information to send Melissa’s records to Grandfield Schools. The principal did call both numbers, just to make sure I wasn’t kidnapping anyone, and got the answers they needed. So off we went, back to her house to pack her things. We didn’t really have much of a limit, so she packed everything she wanted to take with her and set it all by the door. About a car full. I was sure glad I rented an SUV for this trip. Nice coincidence.

The last evening there went well, as well as it could, anyway. There were a few bouts of tears. Edna was telling us about the place she was headed to. Physical therapy and a close eye on her ‘conditions’. I had dinner delivered so no one had to cook, and we could clean up easy. That night we had the same arrangements, but no pretense was made. After Edna was in bed in Rodney’s room, which was downstairs, Melissa came to me, climbed in bed, and backed into me again. “Kiss me this time, then hold me, love. Just hold me. That’s all I need, Chuck. For now. Just hold me. Thank you.” I kissed her warmly and wrapped her up in a snuggle. We were asleep in seconds.

Melissa woke me with a kiss in the morning. “Let’s make sure Grandma doesn’t need anything before we leave. The home is sending a van for her and her things. She should be all ready to go.” After much hugging, whispering, and many kisses, Edna was loaded into the van, and we packed my rental car with Melissa’s clothes and keepsakes. The smiles and their glancing at me during the whispering frightened me more than a little. Any time two women whisper and smile, and look at a man surreptitiously, something is cooking, and it may be to that man’s detriment.

Base personnel took care of the house and belongings, turning everything of any general use over to a base charity and packing up the small personal things and sending them to St. Louis for later delivery to our house. I paid a contractor service to clean the house, with them guaranteeing it would pass inspection.

What little Edna had was disposed of a couple years earlier when she moved to Florida to help care for Melissa, just before Clarice’s death. She had no intention of returning to St. Louis. Her sister had died just prior to her leaving and she had more bad memories there than good. Rodney’s brother wouldn’t be leaving the prison in Potosi any time soon, so she decided to stay in Florida and enjoy the weather.

Melissa hugged me as we stood there looking at the house. They’d only been there a few years, and it wasn’t theirs, but instead belonged to the Air Force. Just another nice house in just another nice military housing area. She wasn’t attached to it, but said she’d miss some friends. Having their phone numbers and addresses would help them stay in touch.

We got to the plane, barely able to see out the windows of the rental car, but once we got everything loaded, it wasn’t that bad at all. Moving her belongings to the plane was a little chaotic looking, incongruous at best. There we were in a nice executive jet, appointed with burnished wood and butter soft leather, now inundated with plastic trash bags and mismatched suitcases strewn about. We used a cargo net over the couch and seat belts to secure everything. Some parcels even made it into the luggage compartment.

“I hope this is all okay, Chuck. I kept and still have most of Mom’s nice clothes. She had such a sense of style. Another inch, and I’ll be the same height as her. I can’t wait to show you some of them. You remember that green shiny dress she wore to the anniversary party you came down for?” I nodded. “I kept it. And the shoes. I kept most of her shoes. At least the conservative ones. She was a shoe hound. Some of them were a little gaudy for me, but she got most of the gaudy ones free when she did those photo ad shoots for that shoe store way back. Anyway, I’ll get my things sorted and maybe we’ll have a fashion show?”

That piqued my interest. I’d love to see Melissa dressed to the nines. With her mother’s good looks and wardrobe to build on, that was going to be quite a show.

“It’s all fine, sweetheart. You’ll have plenty of room at the house. Just wait ‘til you see it.” She walked with me on the preflight while our flight plan was being processed, then we boarded and climbed into the cockpit. “Melissa, sweetie, would you like to learn to fly?” She was looking around the cockpit and at the screens, like she was really trying to work it all out in her mind, what everything did, what the numbers all meant.

“Oh, gee, yes, Chuck. I’d like that so much.”

“Good. I want you to have a couple of hobbies, and this is one that will serve you well. Over the next few years, I’m going to make it a priority to make sure you can if you want. Sound good?” She nodded and beamed at me.

We got our clearance and took off for home. I took it easy flying north, dodging a couple thunderheads, and letting her actually steer the plane. Most of the time the autopilot was employed, but I disengaged it for a few minutes so she could actually feel what it was like to control it. Getting the go ahead from Memphis ATC, I let her take it up a little and then down where we belonged. With just a little instruction, she could turn the plane, keeping altitude. Once you can do that, the rest is just math and muscle memory. As I let the system take back over, I knew I had another pilot in the house.

Chapter Two

We landed in Chesterfield then I taxied to the service area where we were met by the air service company’s ground crew. They told me they’d fill it and asked me if the head had been used. I looked at Melissa, she shook her head. “No, guys, doesn’t sound like it.”

“That’s cool, Mr. Connelly. We can put it away when we get it refueled. You want a ride to your car?” One of them took me in a golf cart to my little SUV so I could bring it back to the plane. Thankfully, I could see out the side windows to the mirrors. The little X5 was packed to the gills with Melissa’s worldly goods. On that note, we headed to the house.

The drive home was somewhat quiet. Melissa mentioned that she thought I lived in St. Louis, to which I answered that it was more near the outskirts and suburbs than anywhere close to the city itself. The drive north to the place was full of scenery she was unaccustomed to, with hills, cliffs, and a quick glimpse of the Mississippi River. Climbing the gradually sloped lane up our hill, then arriving at our gated driveway, she raised her hand to her mouth.

“Not much further, honeybunch. It’s just inside the gate and around those woods.”

“Oh, my, gosh,” was all I could get out of her. Her eyes were huge. Seeing the gate and the woods got to her, but when we went around the bend and she saw the house, she squealed. “You live here?”

“No, darling, WE do. WE live here. It’s home. It’s only three bedrooms, but we also have a playroom or a gym, if you will. There’s a pool out back. You shouldn’t get bored.” I pulled into the second of four garage openings, with enough room that we could get her things out of the back hatch. My fun car was in the first parking place, and the truck in the last one. Behind door number three was my old motorcycle. She looked in amazement at all the trappings in the garage’s shop area then came back down to earth when I handed her a couple trash bags and told her to take them to the farthest bedroom down the rightmost hallway.

Once we got all of her stuff on the bed in there, I took her for the tour of the house. The guest bedroom, which was the closest to the entryway, the gym or workout room, living room, family room off the back of the house, the chef’s dream kitchen and the master suite with the office next to it. The first thing she did was open the appliance closest to the sink.

“Whew! I just wanted to make sure you had one, that’s all!” I laughed with her on that and made sure she knew how I felt about chores around the house.

“Honey, we’ll be sharing the chores. Cooking, dishes, laundry, all that. I didn’t bring you up here to be a slave. I brought you up here because I love you and your parents wanted me to care for you. Okay?”

“Okay, Chuck. I understand. Just know that I love you, too, and I’ll do everything I can to make you feel you are doing the right thing. I mean I really do love you. You do understand that, right?”

“Yes, sweetheart. I think I do. Grandma mentioned something to me yesterday, although we need to be careful until we get that all sorted out, all right?”

“Yessir. Understood. I don’t want any problems for either of us. Now, if you plan on being a good provider and a loving man of any caliber, turn over all your spare hangers, NOW! I’ve got stuff to hang up. Chuck, you have a really nice house.”

“It’s nicer now, sweetie. Much nicer now that you’re in it with me.”

“Awww, that’s sweet.” She pulled my collar to get me down to her level, then kissed me tenderly and licked my lips. A shock went through me. I was not expecting that! But I liked it. Then she took off down the hall, yelling over her shoulder, “Hangers… Now would be nice!”

“Yes, ma’am.” And off I went to get all the hangers I could find. I also added hangers to my shopping list and would make sure she was with me so she could get as many of whatever kind she needed. As I took them to her, I told her, “Also, if anything got messed up on the way here, just get them together for the cleaners. I’m sure they can press or straighten, or whatever needs to be done. I have a suit that needs to go in anyway, so we’ll need to make the trip. You need help?”

“No, but you could sit and talk with me while I’m hanging Mom’s things, if you don’t mind.” I didn’t, so I sat on the bed, reaching out and touching a couple of items that did not look like dresses. “Oh, those are camisoles and that’s a basque I found in her lingerie drawer. It has garters and I found stockings to go with it and another garter belt as well. I see a really nice fashion show in your future, young man.” She smiled and licked her lips, giving me a very uneasy, yet very wanted, very much desired, feeling.

“How long do you think I can resist your charms if you dress in lingerie for me, Melissa?”

“I was hoping for five or ten minutes, tops. Chuck, I love you. I want to be with you. Not just as a daughter, adopted or otherwise, but as your girlfriend, with all that entails. You know I’ve been wanting this for years. I was sooo looking forward to this summer. I was going to be here next week anyway, for the summer, even if Dad had been coming home. I was hoping to stake my claim over the summer. I was hoping that you’d fall in love with me like I have with you. I was hoping.”

“You don’t need to. Keep hoping, that is. I’m not going anywhere. I’m not looking anywhere else. I stopped looking years ago, and now, I reckon I don’t need to. Let’s just see how it goes, okay? Come ‘ere.” She dropped the dress she was hanging up and came to curl up on my lap. She laid her head on my shoulder, forehead in my neck, and took my arm in hers, hugging it firmly. She was wearing shorts, fairly short ones, that were made of some lightweight fabric. I was able to just move my hand on her leg, petting her a little. She cried for a few minutes, hugging into me harder, then eased off as it passed. “That’s going to happen once in a while, sweetie. Just let it out. Let it go. Let me hold you if you want when it comes on. They’ll get fewer and farther between as the months and years move on, but don’t fight it. Let it happen. It’s good for you.”

She kissed my jaw. “Thank you. For everything. But mostly just for being here for me. I love you.” She hugged my arm very tightly once, then climbed up, picked up the dress, put it on a hanger and walked it into the closet. “I can’t imagine what life would be like for me now if not for you. Two more years of worrying about Grandma and probably in and out of foster homes of some kind or another. I want to go to school. I want to make Mom and Dad proud of me.”

“Did your father talk to you about any of this before he left?”

She shook her head. “He told me when he got back we were going to make some plans for the future. School and all that. How does that song go? ‘But tomorrow never comes.’ I can’t believe Mom and he were so into old country music. Anyway, I know he’s got Grandma set up at the home, so she’s all right, and I can probably get scholarships if I work at it, but I’ll need help, Chuck.”

“Well then, this will work out fine, because I’m here to help you. But first, let me give you a little background on where we are and where I’d like to see you going. You have a lot of money now. Your mother had a fairly substantial insurance policy on herself because of the modeling career. Different amounts for different things, but her life policy was not small. Neither was the one for her face or her legs, believe it or not. I talked to her about it a long time ago, for the same reason you mentioned you were afraid for your father in his line of work. In any case, you had a lot of money BEFORE you lost your father. He’s probably leaving at least a couple hundred thousand in his Serviceman’s Group Life Insurance policy, and I’m pretty sure he had a lot more than that, at your mom’s insistence. We’ll find out next week if the paperwork your grandma left with me is accurate. Whether it is or not… and you might want to sit down for this… In any case, you’re worth somewhere north of 7 figures, and the first number is not a one, but a two.”

Her hand came up to her mouth and her eyes opened wide. “So, I can go to school without worrying about money?”

“Yes, my sweet, and buy more hangers, too. You have enough for that as well. I’ll take you to town tomorrow for a grocery and hanger run. Sound good?”

She giggled and came back over to hug me, putting her arms around my neck and squeezing tightly. Then she kissed me on the nose. “Thank you, dear, sweet Chuck. Thank you. Yes, that sounds good. I probably need some things for myself, other than hangers,” she giggled, “as well. Girl stuff. You know, unmentionables.”

“You’d better be able to mention them. You are currently hugging on your Momma, your Poppa, your Godfather, and any sundry number of other titles I could fit into. Please, Melissa, please feel free to talk to me about anything. From sex to tadpoles, periods to apple tarts, tampons to trailer hitches. We need to be able to discuss anything.”

“OK! It’s a deal. Therefore, I proclaim, I don’t need any trailer hitches at the store tomorrow!” She laughed and kissed me square on the lips again, then backing up and working on a few more dresses to hang up. “Chuck,” she said from the closet door, “just love me, okay? I’m spoiled for that. I’ve always had lots of love from my parents, and Grandma, too. I’ll need that from you.” She blew me a kiss and went back into the closet.

“I’m getting a drink. You want anything? Anything at all?”

“Seriously?”

“Yes. Anything. I know your mom let you have wine and stuff. We talked quite a bit before she passed, you know. I’ll bet your father didn’t care, and I’ll bet your grandma loved you too much to even question it.”

“Pretty smart for a man. That’s exactly like it happened. Do you have any soda water?” She heard me holler ‘Yes’ back at her. “White wine and soda, half and half. Or Moscato would be better, if you have any,” she hollered back.

I was in the family room behind the bar when she walked down the hall, into the room, and sat at the bar, crossing her legs on the stool. You could’ve knocked me over with a feather. Her legs in those white strappy sandals with four-inch heels made her whole body, her long legs, her butt in the shorts, her torso in her tight top, look amazing and grown up. Her legs looked long, despite her only being an inch over five feet tall. Her poise was that of an adult. An adult model. I’m thinking she got it from her mom by osmosis, but I’m not going to question it. If this beautiful angel was in love with me, I was going to do everything I could to make her next seventy or so years on this planet the nicest they could possibly be. If I was honest with myself, I’d been in love with her since she was about nine or so. Why haven’t I been looking for a girlfriend? Maybe because I had one in the wings. I had one. A girlfriend waiting to happen.

“Has anyone told you yet this week how stunningly beautiful you are, Melissa? If not, the world owes you an apology. Especially me. You are a wonder. I’m so happy you love me. I am a lucky, lucky man.” I handed her a glass with chilled soda and Moscato, as she requested. She sipped and smiled.

“Just like Mom made for me. Dad never did. I made his, instead, and made my own of these. This is good. And yes, my dear man, you tell me I’m beautiful all the time. One day, I may start to believe it. Now that I know how you feel about me in high heels, get used to them. I plan on wearing them a lot. For you. I hope I get along in school here. Being mixed is a blessing at times, and a curse at others. We’ll see how tolerant this Grandfield place is. We had enough military at my last school that I didn’t catch much of a problem, but I did some. Especially as a sophomore. Kinda like not the lowest rung on the ladder, but not far from it? Anyway, with my skin a shade or two darker than my mother’s, kinda like if she had a nice dark tan, and curly auburn hair, I don’t get too much of a hard time. I got kidded more for being so young, a year ahead, than I did for having curly hair. Fifteen-year-old juniors don’t happen that often.”

“I don’t think most people will know or care around here, unless they ask. Your age or being biracial. You don’t look like you just turned sixteen. The reason your classmates knew and thought about you being mixed was because your dad went to all the school functions with your mom. He stood out like a sore thumb. He’d do that in an NFL lineup, though. It was because of his size, not because of his light skin. Plus, it was obvious they were together, and loved each other, and the way you hung on both of them indicated that you were their daughter. Who knows what people will think here, but if you even get an inkling of a problem, I need to know about it. I know you won’t want to tell me, but you really need to. For a few reasons.”

“Okay. I can do that. Chuck, what’s it like being a rich girl’s boyfriend?” She laughed.

“Probably not a question you should ask, my dear. You do know why I left the Air Force, right?” She nodded. “I had to run the companies. There were four of them then. We sold two of them. One of them to some people who could do it justice and integrate the primary line with a platform they were designing. That alone made me, personally, worth three hundred times as much as your cute little tushy, and the other sale garnered almost as much for me, and much more for the two companies remaining. So, ‘rich’ (I made air quotes) is a relative term. Anyhoo, you, my precious one, in relation to your Godparent, are not rich, by any means.” I reached in a tray on the bar back and pulled out a penny. I handed it to her. “That is you.” I pulled a five out of my wallet and laid it on the bar. “That is me.” She looked, wide eyed. “Gimme your penny.” I set the penny on the five-dollar bill. “That is what we look like together in two or three years or so, when you’re of age, and if you still want me.”

“Holy shit! Of course, I’ll still want you. I’ve always wanted you. But seriously? That’s the kind of money we’re talking about?”

“Yep. Heck, my plane cost thirty-nine million. That’s almost twenty times your net worth. And it costs a chunk of money each minute it’s in the air. It takes money to run those things. Anyway, my point is if I find a rich girlfriend, I’ll tell you if it’s any different, but for right now, I love the poor, extremely beautiful one sitting at my bar.”

Her eyes started to water, so I went around the bar just to hold her. “I’m sorry, Melissa, honey, I didn’t mean to tease you like that. I’m not looking for a girlfriend right now. Certainly not another one, and most, most, certainly not a rich one. Most rich women aren’t nice to be around. You’re only decent ‘cause you didn’t know.” She playfully swatted at me. “I love you, honey. I didn’t mean to hurt you or scare you.”

“It’s all right. I just need to learn when to keep my big mouth shut. That really wasn’t a very good question to ask, even though I meant it as a little joke, it kinda backfired on me.”

“No, sweetie, it’s okay, and it didn’t bother me a bit. Remember, we can talk about anything. Anything at all. And we can joke about anything. Anything except you driving the Roadrunner. Not happening until you have your license and can reach the pedals. NOT HAPPENING!!” She laughed and took a sip of her wine.

“Okay, then, no driving the Roadrunner. I take it that’s it in the first stall? It’s pretty for a dark green car.”

“It’s nothing special to anyone else, but it was my dad’s. His second, actually, or third, counting his old beat-up Chevy truck. But he thought it was nice, and I do, too. Bench seats, automatic on the column, and all. Stick with me, girl, and you can snuggle up to me driving in to town.”

“That sounds fun. Any drive-in movies around here?”

“Don’t think so, my dear, but we’ll look. In any case, we’ll have a ball. I plan on going through life happy, and with you in it even more now, I’m sure to do just that.”

“Me too, Chuck. Me too. I’ve been dreaming about you and thinking about us since I was in grade school. A little girl’s dream fantasy fairy tale, and now it’s here, and it’s real, I need to be careful not to blow it.”

“Don’t worry, hon, you’re not going to blow it. Even if you find someone else that makes you happier, you’ll still make me happy by being happy. You’re still a little girl in a lot of ways. You don’t look like one, and you don’t feel like one, I know, but you’re still growing up. Give yourself a chance. Maybe it’s not me. That would break my heart in one way and make me happy in another…” She interrupted me.

“STOP!! I will NEVER break your heart, and there will be NO ONE ELSE! On that, I stake my life.” She looked at me, took a sip of her drink, and set the glass down. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for yelling. I’m sorry for interrupting you. I’m not a child, Chuck. I’m really not. I’ve tried a few things to make sure I was going to be happy with you. I’m a virgin, but that’s it. Everything else, I’ve tried. I wanted to know if anything made me think twice about something, someone else. Nothing. Nothing does it to me like just thinking about you.” She looked up at me. “Still love me?”

“More than ever. I just want you to be sure. To be positive. When we decide, WE, when WE decide it’s us, it will always be us. I won’t ever leave you for another as long as your heart is beating. Tell me when you know, beyond any doubt, with no other possible outcome or choice, that you feel the same, and we’ll drop the subject and move on with our lives. Together.”

This time, she pulled my ears. Both of them. Pulled my face right down to hers and kissed me like I’d never been kissed before. It was like she was delicately eating me from the inside out. Savoring me and taking me as hers. “Do you want me barefoot and pregnant before or after I have my engineering degree? I plan on minoring in business management.”

“Well, I guess that pretty well ends that conversation. After, by the way. Definitely after. We need to live and love and laugh and grow together before we add more members to our live, love, laugh, and grow routine. Onward with our lives then, my princess?”

“Yes, my prince. Onward and upward. I do look forward to working with you some day. I don’t know doing what, but I’d like to be useful to you as the company as well as to you as the Prince of All Sunlight.”

“We’ll make that work. I like that idea. Prince of All Sunlight? Laying it on a little thick there, my love?”

“No, my prince. Toning it down so as not to give you too big of a head! You are so much more to me than that.”

I just hugged her to me and kissed the top of her head. “I love you, darling girl. I love you.” Let’s grab another of these and get your room done so we can have a snack. I’m getting a little tired, sweetie.”

I made a refill for her, and a couple fingers of Crown Special Reserve with a few ice cubes for me, then we headed back to the room. I actually helped her this time instead of just watching. Sorting and laying things out. I ran across some more lingerie that was going to shorten my life by way of stress induced myocardial infarction. Making sure to handle them as much as possible, I folded them nicely and placed them in a pile on her dresser.

“Chuck, can we be serious about us for a minute?” I nodded at her. “I’m hanging my clothes up in here, but are you going to make me sleep back here, while you’re alone in the other end of the house? That doesn’t…” This time I interrupted her.

“Babe, you sleep where you want. I’m not going to make you do anything. I will never force you to be away from me, or to be with me. It will always be your decision. I hope that’s clear enough. You are your own person. That does not in any way indicate what I want, as I will want you with me, within touching distance of me, every second of every day from here forward. What we’re talking about is you. What you want. If you want to sleep in my bed and make me a happy man, that’s your choice. If you want to sleep back here so you can think about something besides me or us, that’s fine, too. I’ll miss you, but that will be your choice. I hope that came out right.”

“Oh, it did. I know what you meant. I love you.”

“And I love you. This room is yours for now, though. Until we need it for something or someone else, anyway. Even then, you can leave your finery hanging back here. Some of those dresses won’t get worn but once a year, and they don’t need to clutter up your closet in our bedroom.”

“SQUEAL!” She rushed me and hugged me. “You said ‘our bedroom’. But why this one, too?”

“Refuge. Study place. Me time. Well, you time. Melissa time. Hideaway. Call it what you want, but if you need a place to go, this is it. Desk, bookshelf, dresser, etc. Bring a mini fridge like we have in our bedroom if you need one. All the comforts of home. Right here at home. You don’t have to use it, either. It’s just here if you need it. Hurry, I’m hungry. I want to go stick one of those little frozen pizzas in the oven and rest before we hit the sack.”

“I’ll finish tomorrow. Let me pull some things out to take to our room for tomorrow, then we’ll go together.” She grabbed a small bag and a handful of panties and a bra, then headed for the door. She turned around, went back, and grabbed a chemise off the pile of lingerie then headed to the other end of the house. Hmmmmm.

I turned the oven on and went to the freezer in the garage and grabbed a pizza and a pork roast. The pizza went in the top oven, and I laid the roast in the sink. Getting the slow cooker out of the pantry, I turned around, and there she was, my princess, in that chemise and heels. Mules with a feather puff to match the lace on the gown. Oh, Lordy. She was naked underneath. Totally. The fabric was so slinky I could tell her hips were bare. I could see the puffy areola and peaked, hard nipples poking at the silk. Had to be silk. Manmade satin wasn’t that soft. Neither nylon nor rayon wouldn’t hang that limp and beautiful on her frame. OH, MY, she was gorgeous. I set the slow cooker down and reached out for her.

“God, honey, you are so lovely. So beautiful, so precious, so pretty. I’m so lucky you want me. So lucky.” I just held her and felt the softness of her under the silk. Never have I felt anything so… So beautiful. The saying, ‘it felt like silk on silk’ gets used a lot, but I have to say, it did. It was soft, smooth, sensuous, and very arousing. She pulled my ears again, bringing me down to her mouth for a kiss.

“It’s yours. All of it. I belong to you now,” she whispered, then kissed me with her mouth open, tongue hungry, her lips full and hugging mine, wet, so erotic. I was standing and just received the most luxurious and sensual kiss I had ever gotten. Even better than the last one. And from a sixteen-year-old girl, no less. My knees were turning to Jello. “Sit. On the stool. Better yet, get me another wine soda. I’ll get the roast ready. We’ll put veggies in with it tomorrow.”

She did. She donned an apron, then unwrapped the roast, seasoned it with a run through my spice rack.

“Have you got a shopping list going, and if so, what’s on it?”

“I do, and right now, it’s ‘all the hangers my sweetie wants and needs’.” She giggled.

“Add Lawry’s Black Pepper seasoned salt. And a pork roast. This one is being devoured soon. Show me your veggie bin. Onions and baby potatoes. Let’s look in the fridge. Aha! Baby carrots. Ooops, no celery. Celery on the list. And more carrots. And more baby potatoes.”

She fired up the broiler and pulled a sheet cake pan out of the cabinet after looking around for it. She set the roast on it and threw it in the lower oven, then asked and was shown how to turn it on so the broiler was on high. I was dumbfounded at this point. She was a machine. Asking very little and doing very much. She was breezing through the kitchen looking for and finding most everything she needed. If not, she’d ask, and if I didn’t think I had it, it went on the list. She browned the frozen roast under the broiler on all sides, throwing it around with a carving fork, keeping her seasoning mix on it as well as possible, then dropped it into the slow cooker. She added a half cup of water with a little beef bouillon mix, put the lid on and set it to low.

I helped her out of the apron, letting my fingers roam a little. Her smiles were telling. We ate a few slices of the pizza, and she threw the remains in a baggie and into the fridge. Then she cleaned up the mess in the kitchen, washed her hands and came to me. She took my hand and her drink, taking us into the family room.

She then backed me up to the couch so I could sit and placed my drink on the end table, put hers next to mine and sat gently in my lap, straddling my legs facing away, but leaning on me completely, her entire back on my stomach and chest. Then she took my hands in hers and raised them to her thighs, then let them down. Palms down on her thighs, moving them back and forth on the silk, back and forth, up and down her legs. She moaned into my ear and kissed my cheek, then my neck. Again, she whispered, “It’s all yours. I’m yours to do with as you please. Be gentle but be firm. Love me. Take me. Make me yours. It’s what I want most in the world. To be your woman. Only yours. Forever. Do this and I will never forsake you. You will own me.”

I literally couldn’t take it anymore. I held her with one arm, stood up and undressed myself as best I could. I toed off my shoes, pulled my socks off, undid my belt and let my pants drop, then my boxers do the same. I stepped out of them. Using both hands, I turned her so that she was facing me, straddling my legs and pulled her tight to me. Looking her in the eyes, I asked her, “I need to know, now, are you positive I’m the one?”

She answered me with a nod, a kiss, and a “Perfectly sure, sir. Perfectly sure. Make love to me. Make me your woman, my love.” She raised herself on her knees, reached down and lined herself up with my cock, then lowered herself onto me. She was wet, slippery, and very, very, warm. She was able to move, back and forth, to and fro, a little at a time until I went in more, more, then hit bottom. The little, “Eeeep” scared me, but she smiled and kissed me. She whispered, “Just touched the end. I’m fine. Move a little, love. Move for me. Oh God. Oh God.”

I froze. “Are you safe?”

“As safe as I’ll ever be. Never something for you to worry about. I’ll take care of that for us, okay, love?” I nodded, then moved for her. In her. As I did, I felt a warm, trusting feeling then I poured my soul into my love for her. “You must know, Chuck, I want your baby. Babies. But not now. That needs to wait. Now, love me. Take me. Chuck, love me. Fuck me. Fuck me, honey. FUCK ME! AAARRRGGGCCHHH. SHIT! OH, God. Oh, God. Oh, my. Oh, honey, which was something. Hold me, honey. Your time now. Your turn. Come in me, Chuck. I want to feel you come in me. Now, honey.” She cocked her hips back and forth rubbing her clit on the base of my cock until I just couldn’t hold back and exploded, grunting into her neck. She came again, “UNNGGGHHHH!! DAMN!! FUCK! CHUCK! SHIT! Oh, God Almighty. What was THAT?!? Never twice, never. Jeez. Oh, my. I love you so much, Chuck.” She wrapped her arms around my neck and just started bawling. I held her tight and cried a little myself. Tears of joy. We were one. Together. Forever. “Thank you, you sweet, sweet man. Thank you for you. I love you so much. Kiss me. Kiss your wife, baby. Kiss me.” We kissed. Another kiss like the one in the kitchen. Hot, wet, passion in a moving lip hug, tongues twisting, touching, love. Nothing but love. We didn’t move for about five minutes. Pulling her back just a bit, I pulled my shirt off and used it under her bottom so when I pulled out we wouldn’t have too big of a mess. She understood, grabbed it, and held it to herself, then ran to the bar for a towel and came back for me. We got it cleaned up with very little mess on the leather, which cleaned up nicely. She laid another towel down, sat me on it and climbed back into my lap, sideways this time, and hugged my arm like she does. “Thank you, Chuck. That was wonderful. You made my first time so nice. So strong, so loving, so full. Thank you.”

“No pain, no blood? Are you okay?”

“I’m more than okay. More than fine. Like I was saying earlier, I was a virgin. No man, or boy, has been in there, or been anywhere, actually, before. I have played with toys, though, and with girls. I kissed a boy once. Didn’t do anything for me. Just sayin’. But you were marvelous. That was well over and above anything this little girl expected or has ever felt before.”

“Well, I will share with you that, of the very few times I have actually made love, that was hands down, the most loving, the hottest, and the most likely to turn me into mush you can keep in a bag with you forever. Never has sex with a woman been that exciting or fulfilling for me. Ever. And that was on the couch in the family room. What are you going to do to me in our bed? Huh? Will we even live through it?” We both started laughing at that. How incongruous. Tears streaming down our cheeks and laughing. It was a beautiful experience.

We did try to find out. First, we finished our drinks while we hugged and cuddled. Then we got a couple of bottles of water from the bar mini-fridge and left for the bedroom. She was still wearing the silk chemise. Even the whishing sound of it rubbing on her skin was erotic. We pulled the covers down, entering from either side. When I laid back, she snuggled to my side, laying her hand over my chest.

“Am I terrible for making love to you so soon after leaving home, knowing my father is gone?”

“No, doll. I don’t think so. You’re doing what you feel is good for you right now. It’s a way to recover, to work through it, to grow out of it. Inviting me to help you grieve, as well. I think it’s all right. I think it’s healthy. Do you feel bad about it?”

“No, that’s why I was concerned. I feel terrible about Dad. And about Grandma. And about Mom. That’s coming back now, a lot. We talked about you. Mom and I did. We talked about how wonderful you were and how much you and Dad meant to each other. You really helped him get out, didn’t you?” I nodded, knowing full well that giving him space to study and get away helped him break that hold. “Did Mom know how well off you were?”

“To a point, sweetheart. We talked about insurance policies and the future and such. She knew the numbers were pretty high. She knew planes weren’t cheap. Did she know specifics? No. She did know that we all had insurance policies to protect you. I told you what you have now. There is one on me, too. Just in case. It would pretty much double everything for you, but naturally, I’d rather spend it with you. I need to contact my people to make sure we set up a trust and all for you to make sure you get through school regardless of what happens, but right now, you’ll never HAVE to do anything but breathe. I want you to help me, though. I want you to learn and grow and be with me to take over then give it to our kids. Is that something that interests you?”

“Oh my, yes. A dream come true. Working with you. Having your children. Growing old with you.” She leaned up and kissed me. “You ever going to take me fishing?”

“Come on, sweetie, cut me some slack. This is what, our second day together? Don’t count Wednesday. That was terrible. That wasn’t a day. That was hell. Our lives started the next day. When I bailed you out of school. Yes, I’ll take you fishing. But gimme a chance here. What kind?”

“All of them. Deep sea, trout stream. Everything in between. I want to do them all. With you. Until then, love me.”

She climbed on top of my chest, kissed me, then backed down until her pussy was touching my cock. Just barely. Her hands were on my shoulders. Her torso wiggling back and forth, inching me into her. No hands, just control of her middle, pushing her lips against my head, picking it up, then moving back putting it against herself. I flexed my groin muscles, PC muscle, whatever it’s called, raising my erection up off my belly when she struck. Straight back, putting me into her an inch or two. Then she moved further back, slowly, a little at a time until she sat up and I was all the way in. Scrunching her torso again, just like before, scraping her clit on the base of my dick. Flexing with me inside her, squeezing me, lifting, lowering, then scrunching again. So hot. My hands were all over the silk. She sat up, took my hands and placed them over her breasts. Oh, my Lord. So soft. Silk, breasts, nipples, thumbs rubbing them. She quaked like she was coming.

I reached under the silk and grabbed her by the waist. Holding her to me I lifted and turned her over then went nuts, just laying her back and fucking into her. She came. I kept going, hands on her waist, pulling her body up to mine, her long legs around my waist, then she came again. I held her, pulling her into me, legs up my chest, I bit her heel, fucking, pumping into her until I exploded. Rope after rope, surge after surge of come blasting into her. Her legs fell sideways. She looked at me with a feral, crazy look, grabbed my ears and pulled me down for another kiss. This one more than the last. She was licking me inside out. I wanted her inside me. My erection didn’t go down, it didn’t fade. I put one arm around her back, the other down to grab her ass cheek then pulled her into me again. Again, pushing into her. She screamed. “YES, YES, CHUCK, FUCK ME! FUCK ME, AGAIN, YES! AWWRRRRGGGHHHNNNNNN.” When she screamed the last unintelligible noise, I came. Hard. Again. Unbelievable. I felt like I was turning inside out. She passed out cold.

I carefully let her down, pulled out, and grabbed a hand towel out of the nightstand, gently placing it in her crotch, covering her pussy and under her ass to let my come drain out. I wiped myself off then lay next to her and waited. While I did, I thought to myself that this was not going to be a boring relationship. We were just getting started, and already the sex was incredible. The love making was incredible. I don’t think that was sex. That was two people, intimately joined as one.

She started to rouse. “I’m so sorry, Chuck. I didn’t mean to get carried away. It was just so nice. It felt so good. I can’t believe you screwed me into the mattress like that. I loved it. I love you.”

“Don’t apologize, sweetie. It was all wonderful. I can’t believe I went nuts like that. I’m sorry if I hurt you. I’ve never felt anything like that before. I’ve never done anything like that before. Never.”

“I won’t know until tomorrow if you hurt me or not, but trust me, I’m not going to admit it if you did. You made me come three times. You came twice. That’s not normal for a man, is it?” I shook my head. “Kiss me, then can we shower together and sleep? I feel like a warm wet rag right now. Wow!”

I picked her up and carried her to the bathroom. Taking the chemise off over her head, I threw it on the floor by, but not in, the dirty clothes basket. “We’re gonna need a delicate clothes basket.”

“Silly boy, I’ll sort the laundry. We’re fine.” She held her hand under her pussy, still leaking a little, then ran over and picked up and threw the chemise in the basket.

I tapped the faceplate for the shower sensor, starting the water, and walked her back to the shower area. It felt good. I asked her if any of the shampoo I had would work. I had a few there. She picked one with the conditioner in it and I went to work. She asked me to slow down at one point since her tummy muscles were teasing her a little. Even as an athlete, during our lovemaking, she said she used muscles she wasn’t used to using. Hair done, she asked for some extra conditioner, then I washed her, barehanded, all over. She bent for me and let me do her bottom, rubbing my thumb over her pucker and my fingers over her labia. She didn’t move or try to get away from my thumb, but I’d be careful there. I couldn’t wait to take her from the shower to the bed and eat her ass. It was beautiful, and I was looking forward to it. She was young, maybe too young to enjoy it, but I thought as well as things went today, it would be all right.

When I had her done, I soaped up a washcloth and got busy on myself. I let her wash my middle, but I could tell she was tired. Worn out. Beat. She played with my dick and some soap, then to my complete surprise, continued the favor on my ass. She soaped her hand up really well, then ran it under, behind my balls, and worked through the crack very completely. Only, instead of her thumb, she used two fingers to wash it and rub it very well. Using a circular motion, she got it clean, almost getting me started again. She held my cock with her other hand like a microphone. “Down, boy. Just cleaning a little. Nothing to get worked up about.” Then she giggled and told me to bend over so she could spray me with a shower wand. That felt good, too.

I dried her off, wrapped her up in a big fluffy robe, and carried her to bed. “Thank you, my darling Melissa. That was beautiful. You are beautiful. You make me feel so good. The love is obvious. It’s just overwhelming. Thank you.” I pulled her to me, and we snuggled.

“You don’t need to thank me for loving on you, baby. I enjoyed it so much. I thought it would be nice with you, but I never thought I would feel so complete, so part of you. I don’t know how to say it. I wanted to crawl inside you and love you from in there. It’s impossible to put into words.”

“You just did. Your kisses tonight changed me, I’ll tell you that. Your body, your lovemaking. You said you want me to own you. I may, but you own me, as well.” I cuddled her to me, pulled the covers up over us and we fell asleep. The robe came off at some point during the night. I woke with a beautiful naked creature against me, her leg over mine, softly purring in her sleep. I stayed as still as I could, for as long as I could, then carefully tried to move her off me so I could go pee. I accidentally woke her, but tried to keep her still, telling her I’d be right back. She followed me anyway and as soon as I was finished, she sat on the toilet, grabbed my softening dick and licked the end. She didn’t let go, and with the other hand on my butt cheek, pulled me toward her, into her mouth. Naturally, I didn’t stay soft. She took it back out, squeezed it, looked up at me and smiled, then got a couple pieces of toilet paper, dabbed her privates, flushed and stood.

Her kiss was a killer. “Come on. Coffee for my man and me. It’s Saturday. Maybe we can laze around and talk? Maybe get some sun? Anyway, for now, coffee and breakfast. What would you like?”

“Melissa, over easy!”

She laughed. “That’s dessert, silly boy!” Her head was in the fridge, ass poking out, showing me her gorgeous pussy and little puckered anus. I so wanted to lick that thing. She had slipped on her bedroom mules, making her legs look like they needed a good licking as well. “Bacon, eggs, and toast, okay?” she asked.

“Anything, but you don’t have to cook all the time, you know.”

“I know, but I need to get used to things anyway, and this helps.” She proceeded lay bacon on a sheet cake pan, then stuck it in the pizza oven, moving quickly to make coffee. The Bunn was done in a minute or two, so with mugs out, she made mine, just like she used to do at her house, then made hers, and we shared a sip while the bacon was cooking. Then she put a half-dozen eggs in a bowl with some milk and spices and whipped the heck out of them. She really did know what she was doing.

Breakfast was grand. I helped her with the dishes, then she grabbed my dick and pulled me back into the bedroom. “I never got around to this last night, but I wanted to. Lay back.” I did, and she took my cock into her mouth, then her throat. She was deepthroating me!

“Oh God, sweetie, I’m not going to last long like this. Oh, man!”

“Don’t try. Come in my mouth. Feed me your come, baby, come on.” She held my balls in her other hand, gently pulling, engulfing my cock in her throat again, then swallowing, setting me off like a rocket. Spurt after spurt, a couple into her throat, then she backed off, taking the rest in her mouth. She didn’t miss a drop. She did the little wipe with the finger and suck on it routine, so cute, then said, “Come on, big boy, time to go shopping. I really liked doing that, Chuck. I hope you did, too.”

I sighed. She laughed. “Yes, Melissa, dear, that was effing fantastic. Anytime. Literally. Any time you want.”

Chapter Three

We went shopping, first stopping at the phone store to get a chip from my phone plan put in her phone. No problem. Worked great. Their old phone plan was one of the bills we needed to close out with me as executor of their estate. I arranged for them to have a company rep go out to Edna’s nursing home and replace hers with one, too. Things like that are possible, if you’re nice and treat people well. And since Melissa was wearing short shorts, a midriff tied halter top, and natural leather three-inch high heeled sandals, she could’ve gotten anything she wanted anyway. Damn, she was pretty. Even when she wasn’t trying, but she definitely WAS trying today. She said she was going to wear heels for me a lot. She wasn’t kidding.

After we got grocery items and raided the health and beauty products aisles, I asked if she needed a bathing suit. She smiled and said, “No, I have a couple. I might wear them for you. I might not. Did Mom ever tell you she did a shoot for Wicked Weasel? The bikini people?” I nodded and smiled. She lit the aisle up with her own smile. Ahhhhhhh!

I let her know that since we were 20 minutes from home it was usually best to get ice at the checkout, and there was always a cooler in the back of the cars for the refrigerated stuff. We headed straight home this time, not needing or wanting anything else.

She went right to work as soon as we got home, prancing around the kitchen in her heels, cute little butt almost, but not quite, peeking out of her shorts. Just enough there to be proper. Just. Groceries got put away with a little guidance from me. She asked if she could move stuff. I was reluctant at first, but it made sense to her, so I caved, and was glad. It made sense to me afterwards, as well.

Veggies made it into the slow cooker with the roast, everything got cleaned up and put away, then she took my hand and led me to the bedroom. “I want to get some sun if it’s okay with you. Put on your suit, then I’ll meet you out back.”

I did that and grabbed some tanning oil on the way out. I was lying next to the pool when she came out. Almost eclipsed the sun. A very brief pink jungle print triangle bikini top with a matching string thong bottom. Crap! I got hard, almost immediately. She was stunning. An absolute knockout.

“Chuck, honey, if you love me, you’ll make sure I don’t burn by carefully applying this smooth, silky, warm substance all over my body. Do you think you could do that for me? I hope you love me enough to go through the trouble to do that. You know I love you that much, don’t you?” Her little girl giggle almost got her thrown in the pool for messing with my head, but I held off. She was trying to be romantic, not teasing in the true sense. I put her on a chaise with the back down and proceeded to fulfill her request. Happily so. She was such a delight to touch, and I touched her all over, making sure she was oiled in every possible place that the sun would see, and a few it wouldn’t. “I need to make sure I keep some tan lines for school, so people won’t think I tan naked in front of my Godfather. I hope you don’t mind. I think they’re sexy anyway. Would you like me with or without tan lines?”

“With, honey. Faint ones if possible. I like them, too, but with your skin that will be easy. God, you’re gorgeous.”

“Thank you, Chuck. You know you’re a handsome catch yourself, don’t you? I’ve never understood why you didn’t have a wife, or at least a steady girlfriend. You don’t owe me an explanation or anything, but if there’s a problem or something, I’d love to know.”

“Closest I ever got was a lady I went out with twice. The first time, I picked her up in the truck, just to see what she’d do. No problem. We enjoyed ourselves and I thought, nice lady. I can do this again. So, the second date, I picked her up in the Roadrunner. She seemed disappointed, so I asked her about it. She said she was hoping I’d pick her up in style, in the BMW. Well, I never told her I had a BMW, and asked her about that. Seems she worked for the county and had access to a lot of information about me. A lot of information. Before the night was over, she had decided we needed two kids, a spring wedding, she would drive the Beemer, and all would be well. I took her to dinner, then to a movie, where she tried to go down on me in the theater, which I stopped her from doing. I took her home and told her I had fun, and hoped she found someone she could be happy with, but it wouldn’t be me. She was not happy. She saw dollar signs, not my heart. You see my heart. Oh, she was going to hire a maid and a cook. So far, you’ve cleaned up behind yourself, after doing your own cooking. Now, do you see why I don’t have a wife or a girlfriend?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry that happened. I bet they’d love you for just being you, if they could forget about the other stuff. I know I do. I always have, though. Their loss, my gain. You know, Chuck, I remember being in your lap as a little girl and looking up at my husband. Silly, huh?”

“Not really, considering it happened. You know we’re married now, in a lot of people’s eyes, anyway. Probably God’s. We used his name enough last night. I’m pretty sure he knows what we’re doing. Would you marry me if we could?”

“Oh, God, yes. In a heartbeat. No kids for several years, but marry you? In a second. Was that a proposal or just feeling me out, after feeling me up?” She laughed.

“Just feeling you out on the subject. You could be a married woman in high school?”

“Not yes, but Hell, yes. No doubt in my mind that’s what I want.”

I took my phone out and punched up my lead legal beagle. “Sam. Sorry to bother on a Saturday. (Pause.) Sam, I have a friend. He wants to marry a sixteen-year-old orphan. Anything we can do to help him? (Pause.) Yes. Hang on. Melissa, is it OK to put my lawyer on speakerphone?” She nodded. “We’re good, Sam, it’s on speaker now.”

“First, Miss Thomas, Melissa. I am so sorry to hear that you are with Mr. Connelly. That means several bad things have happened. While I’m more than happy to have you in the area, and more so in my friend’s life, I’m sorry it happened. That said, welcome, and we’ll need to talk face to face soon. There’s a lot of paperwork we need to do for you and your future. I probably need to explain a lot as well, with you being sole heir of the Connelly estate now. Melissa, before we go any further, I’m a good friend as well as an employee of this ‘friend’ Mr. Connelly is talking about. This is not that farfetched of a request, but a judge is needed to supersede the parental permission. I must hear from you, though, is this something you desire? Is it your wish or his? Both? I know he’s not subverting you into this. It’s not his way, but the judge will need to know before any action is taken.”

“Sam, may I call you Sam?” He affirmed she could. “Sam, for six years, I have thought of nothing else, save Mom, Dad, Grandma, school and sports. He was my father’s friend and saving grace five years or so before I was a gleam in anyone’s eye. He got my father out of the ghetto and into the Air Force as an engineer instead of being a gangbanger. He has always been there for me, and for my parents. When my mother died. When I lost my father. He has always been there for me. I remember, I was just telling him, I looked at him as my boyfriend and future husband when I was still in elementary school. Yes, sir, this is my wish, and we have discussed it. It, I’m sure, is his wish, too, but we would both, simultaneously, like this to happen. Is it hero worship that causes me to feel this way? Maybe, but so what? I want to marry my hero. I hope that made sense.”

“It did, young lady. It did. Please accept my condolences on your father’s passing. Knowing of him as I do from Mr. Connelly’s tales, I’m sure he was acting heroically himself when he met his maker. Make sure Mr. Connelly puts our number, the legal department, in your phone, but make sure you have this one as well, OK?”

“Yes, sir. Thank you.”

“Chuck, text me her number in case I need to reach her, please. I’ll set up appointments for both of you for the trust papers and such. I’ll keep this marriage thing on the QT until I get the approval from the judge and such. Please do the same. We may not even need you to meet with the judge. We’ll see. I’m sure he knows you, or at least of you, so he may not need anything else. She’s over fifteen, right?”

“Yes, Sam, she’s recently turned sixteen. And thanks for that. I don’t want any flak until it’s too late to do anything about it.”

“Good thing you’re not publicly held. Stock would drop through the floor if this got out in a case like that, but as it sits, if we keep it low keyed, no one will care, I’m sure. Maybe except that one sales rep from Boeing. She always was warm for your form.” He laughed. “Sorry, Melissa, it’s a joke. Well, she’s a joke. Terrible lady. Wants Chuck’s money. In any case, don’t worry.”

“I won’t, Sam. I’m not jealous. I’ve loved him forever, and I know he loves me. Thank you for your help.”

“You’re welcome, ma’am. Let me get to work. Busy week for all three of us on these issues. Bye, Melissa. Talk soon, Chuck.” He clicked off the call.

“Well, that’s taken care of,” I said to no one and everyone. “Turn over so I can do your front. Don’t want to burn your little bum, do we?” I oiled her up then she had me take my trunks off and oiled me down as well. After a couple hours of hot, oily companionship, she asked me into the pool to cool off before we went inside. I held her in the water, gently, lovingly, then went to sit on the steps. She swam a couple laps showing a lot of form. She was a good swimmer. No way she could open up in this pool, as it was only about a 36-foot-long oval, but she could get going and turn very nicely. Coming up to me, I noticed that her suit was clinging to her, what little there was, showing the outlines of her pubic mound and her nipples. I grazed over a nipple with my finger. She giggled, then took the top off, pitching it to a chair. Then she backed up and took the bottom off as well, pitching it to follow the top. God, she was beautiful. Just a little patch of hair, right over her mons. So cute. I reached out, grabbing hold of a buttock with each hand, lowered myself one step, then brought her pussy to my face. This was my chance. I licked her from her ass crack, through her pussy, to her clit. I got a whimper for that. Then I went back, pulled her cheeks apart with my hands, using my tongue on her bottom and reached her anus, her little pucker, and tickled it, trying to enter just a little. She swooned that time.

“Oh, jeez, Chuck, baby, what are you doing down there? Oh, my. I want to tell you to stop, but I can’t. That feels delicious. OH GOD, CHUCK! COMING!!” She came on my nose. It was in her pussy while I was licking her asshole. She wet my face. I loved it. I held her steady with my hands, then lowered her to my lap. She straddled me, then giggled and licked my face clean. “Ickk, oil. I don’t care much for coconuts either, but I don’t taste too bad, do I?”

I shook my head and answered, “No, my dear, you do not. You actually taste quite divine. Thank you for not stopping me. I love you and I’ve wanted to do that since last night.”

“I quite enjoyed it myself. I’ve never felt anything like that. Come here.” I walked into the pool to her. She used her hands to rub my groin and ass clean in the water a few times. “Go back to the steps and turn away from me.”

“Honey, you don’t need to do this.”

“Yes, I do. How will either of us know, if I don’t do it? Just pay attention. Put your knees on the step and lean over the edge.” I did. She parted my cheeks this time and duplicated what I did for her, only from the back instead of from underneath. She also licked my scrotum and perineum. Then with one hand under the head and the other on my cock, she jacked twice, stuck her tongue in my ass and wiggled it. She evidently had accurately surmised the chain of events, because the hand under the head of my cock caught the semen so it wouldn’t just dissolve in the pool and go to the filter. Instead, she licked it off her hand. “Yummm.” Then she wrapped her arms around me and just hugged. God, I’m lucky.

“Melissa, that was awesome. Absolutely over the top. Thank you. I love you, young lady.”

“I love you, too, mister. That was fun. I could feel half the muscles in your body tensing up through that one little spot. It was neat. Anyway, we know now, right? And yes, it was fun, and no, I didn’t mind. There is something else I want to do before I age another day. I want you to lick my pussy while I suck on your peepee at the same time.” I looked at her funny. “I’ll get better at this, and someday be able to call it a cock or a dick without giggling, but until then, I wanna orally abuse your peepee tonight. Let’s go inside. The heat is getting to me a little.”

I stepped up and reached out for her. One arm under her back and one under her thighs, I picked her up and dipped her down near enough to everything we needed so she could collect and take things inside. Everything gathered and lying on her tummy, we went in. I ceremoniously dumped her on the bed, listening to her giggle, but before she could get up, I pulled her ankles over my head and licked her pussy a couple times. That got the giggling to stop and the squealing to start. I sucked and licked her to an orgasm, then picked her up again and walked her into the shower. “Oh my, Chuck, I love you. Thank you for today. I’m being treated like a princess and a prince asked me if I’d marry him. It doesn’t get any better than this.” We cleaned each other up, very completely and sensuously, I might add, then went out to fix dinner, her in just heels and me in boxers.

The roast was great. Her spice combination was excellent. I did the dishes afterwards and put the leftovers away. Lunch was going to be grand next time it was eaten here.

We went to the family room where she asked if I wanted an after-dinner drink. I nodded and said a couple fingers of the 16-year-old would be nice. “Redbreast whiskey, short fat glass,” I added when she giggled. She formed an O with her lips, pinched a nipple and giggled again. What a card. She brought it to me then went back and made a light vodka tonic for herself. Then she came over and climbed into my lap, with a kiss, and saying, “Thank you again, dear Chuck. Thank you for everything. Thank you for being my Godfather and keeping me out of the foster care system most of all. I am so happy you asked me today if I’d marry you. You know I will. It’s what I want. It’s what I’ve always wanted. I can’t believe it’s happening. Wearing your gold band on my finger will mean the world to me. Mom and Dad will be proud as well. They knew I wanted you. They wanted you for me, too. Maybe not this soon, but since we’re together, why not. No need to have a standoff with the inevitable.”

“I’m just glad I could make this happen. If I was a ditch digger in Lower Slablovia, or still in the Air Force, this would not have been so easy. Lots of things are occurring the right way to make it happen, come to think of it. I’m hoping Sam can get us fixed up with the judge. It will change everything for us, and yet nothing. You will become heir to the Connelly estate, regardless of us marrying, since I’m now your guardian and have so bequeathed, and us being together won’t change. My will already stipulates you as an owner if I die. That may be news to you, but it’s true. If we have to wait any length of time, the life insurance policy will be there, and the trust is being set up. So, you won’t do without while it’s being fought out in probate court. Once we marry, it’s just easier to get it to you. But I plan on being together, alive, for quite a while, so let’s talk about something nicer. Wanna watch a movie or something?”

She nodded.

“I just want to hold you for a while, if you don’t mind.”

She smiled.

“Grab that blanket and pull it over here. Oh, talented toes!!”

She grabbed it with her toes and footed it to me. I’d say handed, but… I covered us up with the blanket and just rubbed her body all over, gently, with my hands. I felt her shiver a couple of times. Good shivers, I hoped.

“One thing it will change, though, sweetheart. That is, if we get caught in an intimate relationship, it won’t matter because you’ll be my wife.” She smiled when I said that. “It’ll be legal. All else is just us being happy and being together. Kiss me.” She did. “You’ll be able to do that in public without me looking at a jail term.” She nodded in agreement that she wanted that. We settled into a cuddle and watched ‘Pretty Woman’ then went to bed.

She climbed up on my chest, kissed me lightly, turned her head to the side and said, “I can hear your heart. The most important sound in the world to me. Your heartbeat. Goodnight. I love you, Chuck. I love you more than you can imagine.”

I pulled the covers up over us, wrapped her in my arms and said back to her, “I can imagine, sweetheart. I can. I love you like that, too.” After a few minutes, I heard her purring in her sleep, then I went with her.

Waking up to someone playing with your penis is a startling but fun experience. She was sucking on the end of it and rubbing her hands up and down at the same time. “Good morning, my sweet man. How are you this fine Sunday? Don’t even think about getting out of bed this morning. It’s raining and I’m holding you captive. I forgot to suck your cock,” giggle, “last night, so I’m taking care of that little obligation…” I started to speak, but she stopped me, “obligation to myself. I know you’d never put me in that position, but Buddy, when I say I’m gonna suck your cock, your cock is gonna get sucked.” She couldn’t help it and broke out in laughter. “I’ll get used to it.” Then she lowered herself so that it was in the back of her throat.

This time, I recalled what she really wanted, so I reached over and grabbed her feet and lifted her middle over my head, hoping I wouldn’t cause her to bite me. I bent my neck and lowered her pretty little pink pussy to my mouth and began to work her over. She wasn’t quite ready for it, but acquiesced, and enjoyed my ministrations on her lower lips. I did find that she had a rather prominent clitoris, and I was able to worry it with my tongue until I had her right on the edge of an orgasm. She took a break from my cock down her throat, and I could hear her breathing, I bit it, gently but firmly, and lashed at it with my tongue. She came. Hard. Hard enough that liquid went in my mouth. Sweet, thick liquid. Lapping it up with my tongue made her come again, then she just lay on my stomach. “DAMN, you got me on that one. Chuck, you are amazing. You made me come, so hard. Now, hold still while I finish sucking this big ole cock up here.”

I had every intention of letting her do that, then getting her again, so I enjoyed the sensations of her mouth and her throat and her hands, and all three at once. I placed my hands on her ass cheeks, ready to come, then when I was ready, I hunched up into her mouth and came what seemed like buckets, and as soon as I could control my own muscles, leaned my head up and speared her asshole again with my tongue. “ARGHHHH!! OH GOD, COMING AGAIN! CHUCK! JESUS!” Her clit was riding on my neck being massaged there while my tongue was working her ass. We both settled after that. I kissed her inner thigh while she rubbed mine with her hands and kissed my pelvic area. I don’t have much body hair, so I was definitely feeling the sensation of her lips on my skin.

“More. I want more,” I growled at her, in a somewhat funny monster voice. I pulled her back to my mouth and went to town. She acted too weak to fight it, and just let me have her pussy. Licking, sucking, spearing her vaginal hole with my tongue. I tried really hard and centered on her urethra, tickling it, and was rewarded handsomely. She came one more time for me with my fingertip in her ass and my tongue tickling her clit and pee hole, letting loose a giant come with a spray of pee right into my mouth. One of the most intimate acts two people can endure. Then nothing. No movement at all. I licked up the mess, best I could, then carefully turned her over, brought her up to her pillow and pulled the sheet over us. I gently pulled her to me and held her. We were definitely going to have to change the sheets. It smelled like a sex club in our bed. Whatever a sex club smells like. Sounds like the problem we have, though.

She came to, reaching over for an ear and pulling me to her for a kiss. “Damn, you’re thorough. I feel like I’ve been run over by a train. Three times, that quick, Chuck, I’m going to be out of commission all day. Every muscle in my body feels like a plateful of overdone noodles right now. I love it. I love you. Can we keep this up forever?”

“I hope so, little one. I hope so. If not, it’s still gonna be good, huh?”

“Absolutely. Pancakes and sausage for breakfast?” I nodded then put my fingers a little bit apart to show I just wanted a little. “Me, too. Good idea. I’m gonna go make my stud muffin some coffee. Are we okay?”

I nodded again then pulled her in for a kiss. “Very okay, sweetheart.”

The day was dreary, but we sat together and read and browsed different items of interest for each of us. She was looking over information about the school she’d be attending. Week after next, we could see about what grade she’d be going in to. Having a sixteen-year-old senior is not unheard of, but not an everyday occurrence. At least not sixteen at the end of the year. Start, meh, maybe, but this was out of the ordinary. I just hoped we could keep her on task for entry into college at seventeen.

So, she was looking at school stuff. I was being a very bad boy and looking at boats. I’m thinking of getting a decent older boat, a used Tiara or something, so we can go fishing out of San Diego or Oceanside. That way, if we don’t care for it, we’re not out a lot of money, and if we want a better boat, we can upgrade pretty easy. There’s a couple close to San Diego I’ll look into and call about tomorrow. I have a friend there that can scope them out for me. Then I’ll look for waders. You know, for trout fishing. HA! If she only knew. We had a quiet several days. Quiet in a relative sense. Our lovemaking was not so quiet, but it would level off soon. It always does. I did some work in the office, telecommuted some, and made some appointments for meetings over the Polycom. A step up from Skype, if you will. She did laundry and read some more.

The week was more of the same, her putting stuff away, living, loving, swimming, sunning, mowing the lawn, and running, even. She wanted to stay active, telling me she needed to stay in shape. Softball was important to her, if that was okay with me. I couldn’t have agreed more. She also used the gym room we had quite a bit.

Friday morning, after we were up and about, and had shared an extremely loving and energetic shower, the phone rang in the office. It was Sam. He asked me to get Melissa and put the phone on speaker.

“Good morning, Chuck. Melissa. I hope all is well. How is your stay, so far, young lady?”

“It’s great, Sam. I love it here. I love Chuck. Looking forward to school starting, but I don’t want to wish my life away. I want to enjoy some more of this summer.”

“Glad to hear it. You still want to marry my friend there? I may be able to cut a deal.”

“Oh, gosh, yes, Sam. With all my heart I want to.”

“OK. Chuck, I have a judge friend, a couple of counties north of you, that will sign the papers for the license, sight unseen, based on my word and a favor. We can get you married next week by someone local or go up to see him. It’s only a couple of hours away.”

“Tell me about the favor. Am I smuggling drugs, money, or prostitutes?”

“A sick kid. Probably terminally so, but a hospital in San Diego will work on him for free. It’s an experimental treatment. The family needs to get him there, pronto, and they do not have the money to do it. It’ll be the patient, a frail 15-year-old boy, his 16-year-old sister, and his mother. For a week or so. They’ll need a ride back. A fund was raised to put them up at a motel close to the hospital, but they couldn’t come up with the air fare. Enter Chuck Connelly, Knight in Shining Armor, with his shiny white steed. Quid Pro Quo and all that, chap. You up for it?”

“And he’ll issue the court order to waive the parental permission, so I can marry my lovely girlfriend?” I asked. Melissa smiled.

“Yep!”

“Done. Can they get him to Chesterfield Airport in the morning?”

“Yes. One little call and they will be on the road in the morning. It’s less than a two-hour drive for them, straight down Highway 61. What time do you want them there? Nineish? Tenish?”

“Nineish. Make the call. I hate to say this, Sam, but you’re a peach. I was just shopping for a boat and found one in San Diego I want. I can do that tomorrow afternoon. You want to tag along with Melissa and me and go boat shopping?” Melissa looked at me with huge eyes and a grand grin.

“Yes, I do, but I can’t. That would be loads more fun than my wife’s family reunion.”

“Make the call to the judge and have him tell them to meet me at Metro Air Support whenever they can get there. Melissa and I will be there before nine, but make sure they don’t press the kid too much. She’ll play co-pilot and flight attendant on this run.” She smiled at me again. I could get used to this. “And Sam, tell the judge I said ‘Thanks’. He won’t be sorry. Guaranteed.”