Coming Home - Book 2
Douglas Fox
Table of Contents
Title Page
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Coming Home
Book 2
by Douglas Fox
© 2013-2022
Prologue
Coming Home-Book 2 continues the story follows the coaching career of Kyle Martin and lives of his wife Penny and their four children, David, Jessie, Danny and Robbie. You will want to read Book 1 of Coming Home before you start this book. This picks up as the Martin family enjoys their annual vacation from football when the NFL almost shuts down before training camp. Instead of their normal vacation in Landenberg that they’ve done for the past fourteen years, this year the trip will be to Colorado, so they can reconnect with old friends out there.
I must thank HandyMan for his invaluable assistance with editing this story. The remaining errors that may have crept into the are entirely my fault.
Cover Photo: View of southern Chester County landscape in Franklin Township. This scene is similar to what I imagine Jeremy and Kathy North’s farm to look like.
Photo © 2021, Douglas Fox
Chapter 18
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Thursday, July 3, 2031 – Martin Residence, Landenberg, PA
“Danny, Jessie, carry all the luggage out to the car and load it,” Penny directed. The two older kids did as they were asked.
“Robbie, move it, it is almost time to leave,” Penny called up the steps.
“Coming, Mom!”
“Do you have your day pack?” Penny called.
“Oh! Yeah…” Robbie called back. After a long pause, she heard her six-year-old’s footstep scampering for the steps again. “I got it.” Robbie scrambled down the steps dragging his day pack full of puzzles and books to entertain him on the plane ride to Colorado.
“Did you pack Iceberg?” Penny asked as her youngest son reached the bottom of the steps.
“Um… no,” Robbie gasped, looking stricken. Iceberg, a plush stuffed penguin, was Robbie’s favorite stuffed animal, a birthday present from his Uncle Hunter three years ago. Bedtimes would not be pleasant for the next two weeks if Iceberg missed the plane.
“Go get him,” Penny said as she took her son’s backpack from him. Robbie raced upstairs and scrambled downstairs again, clutching the fuzzy gray penguin chick toy with a black and white head, a pink bill and two black feet. Iceberg had seen quite a few washes and some mending, but he was holding up so far. Hopefully the toy would outlast Robbie’s attachment to the stuffed animal.
Penny herded her youngest outside to her minivan. She doublechecked the count on the bags, seeing everything she expected in the back and that Robbie was seat belted into his middle row seat properly. Penny hopped in the van and called to her older children, “Seat belts on?”
“Yeah, Mom,” Jessie replied.
“I’m good,” Danny added. “I’m good too, Mom,” Robbie echoed.
Penny headed the minivan north towards Coatesville and the Chester County Airport. Getting her family off for a two-week vacation that morning would have been easier if Kyle was around to help herd everyone in the right direction, but he had gone in to his office at NovaCare early that morning to get some last minutes things done before the family left for two weeks in their old home area in Colorado.
Penny did not begrudge her husband his time in the office that morning. Kyle blocked off two full weeks of family time. He would have a precious few days between returning home from Colorado and the start of the Eagles training camp up at Lehigh University. Anything he did to prepare for training camp now, was that much less he would need to do after vacation and that much more time he could spend with his family before the three weeks of training camp.
Being a coach’s wife was challenging but she knew what she signed up for. Kyle had wanted to be a football coach since they were juniors in high school. Penny learned better some of the time commitments and challenges of being the partner of a football player and coach when they dated again in college.
Kyle was a man with a good heart who tried to do right by his wife, his family and his community. Kyle was a good provider too. Their family lived a comfortable, upper-middle class lifestyle, despite their significant wealth. Traveling by private jet was one of the few times the Martin family flaunted their wealth. It was necessary. Six-foot-four people do not fit well in commercial airlines, even when you sprung for first class tickets.
Penny felt it was her job to remind her husband to make family time in his schedule every week. By and large, Kyle was pretty good at putting his “big stones” in place before he allowed the smaller things related to coaching a successful NFL team to block out his family. Despite temptations, Kyle kept things in perspective and balanced between professional success and his family life. These two weeks without football would provide quality time for Danny, Jessie, Robbie and her.
[See near the end of Chapter 77 of Lost and Found (of the Life in Paradise series) for more details about “big stones” and the parable told to Kyle Martin by his first agent, Max Solomon. Putting his big stones first was the cornerstone of Kyle’s life. The story about big stones is not original to me, but it is an excellent guideline for living your life. Doug Fox]
The charter jet picked up Kyle in Philly and flew over to Chester County Airport, outside Coatesville. Penny, Jessie, Danny and Robbie met their father there. David was missing the vacation due to his job at Scout camp. Alex D’Antonio, the camp director, gave David a choice. He could take vacation for two weeks in Colorado or go for a week to Canton, Ohio to see his father inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. David chose the Hall of Fame trip.
The family loaded up two weeks of luggage onto the plane and headed west for Denver. It was a relief after the hectic week before they left for vacation. Danny came home from Scout camp on Sunday. The family also had a picnic with the Brintons and Conwells Sunday afternoon. Monday night, Kyle’s parents and Penny’s parents came down to Landenberg to help celebrate Robbie’s sixth birthday, a few days early. Tuesday and Wednesday evenings were devoted to packing for their vacation.
They landed three and a half hours later at the small regional airport near the Bronco’s Dove Valley facilities. Highland Park VW had a rental SUV waiting for them at the airport. Kyle had a long-standing promotional relationship with the dealership.
Penny arranged for them to stay at the Ramada Suites adjoining the airport. It was a good location for transplanted Lone Tree residents to make their base of operations for the two-week Denver stay. The family had three adjoining rooms, a suite in the center for Kyle and Penny, a room on one side for Jessie and a room for Danny and Robbie to share on the other side. The family grabbed some subs for dinner and headed into Denver to the Civic Center Park. A huge crowd was on hand to watch the 101st Army Band and a number of local bands play. The evening concluded with a huge fireworks display.
Sunglasses and a Pike’s Peak ball cap didn’t disguise Kyle sufficiently. Quite a few people stopped by to welcome him back to Denver and to get autographs. Kyle obliged his many fans. The family got back to their hotel late. They slept in on July 4th morning. They family grabbed brunch before heading north.
They drove up through Denver and Boulder for Estes Park. The town had a Fourth of July festival with lots of kid-friendly activities. Penny read through the Denver Post as Kyle drove the family north.
“We aren’t going to stay under the radar on this trip,” Penny commented as she looked at the local news.
“What?” Kyle wondered.
“The headline says, ‘Amish Lightning Returns,’” Penny replied. “They have a quarter page picture of you from last night.”
Kyle sighed, “I guess we couldn’t expect to fly under the radar vacationing in Denver.”
“Not very well,” Penny agreed.
“It will be fine, Dad,” Jessie said. “We lived here with your fame for a dozen years.”
“Yeah, I know,” Kyle agreed. “Just some time I would like us to be a normal family.”
“A normal family who flies to their vacation in a Gulfstream?” Penny teased.
Kyle grinned. “There are perks to being rich and famous.”
The trip to Estes Park took about two hours. Parking was pretty far out of town, but they caught a shuttle bus to the Visitor’s Center. The town had paddle boats available on Lake Estes. Rental bikes were available. Games for kids were spread around the perimeter of the lake.
The Martins biked around the lake. Kyle took Danny and Robbie on a paddle boat tour of Lake Estes. They wandered through the downtown car show. The kids played games, and everyone enjoyed the street food that was on sale.
The evening included an open-air concert of patriotic music. The evening concluded with fireworks over Lake Estes. A very tired Martin clan rode the shuttle bus back to their car. The car was silent as Kyle drove his family back to Dove Valley and their hotel.
-----oooOooo-----
The next morning Penny had her family up in time to catch the breakfast buffet at their hotel. They headed south, arriving at the Air Force Academy in time to join the services at the Air Force Chapel. Jessie, Danny and especially Robbie marveled at the architecture of this building. They grabbed lunch and then headed for Manitou Springs. They caught the shuttle bus up to the top of Pike’s Peak. They grabbed dinner and then drove through the amazing rock formations in the Garden of the Gods. Another hour’s travel landed the family in Cañon City, where they spent the night.
Sunday morning, they headed over to one of the rafting outfitters. The family was booked for a half day ride through the Royal Gorge on the Arkansas River. Everyone was fitted with life jackets and booties for the trip down river. An old school bus hauled the Martins and about twenty other rafters upriver to the landing above the Royal Gorge.
The five Martins fit in one raft. The guide looked his group over and assigned Kyle and Danny to the front spots in the raft. Penny and Jessie went in the middle. Robbie went in the back beside the guide.
“OK, let’s do this!” the guide announced as he pushed their raft out into the river. “I’m Tipper and I’m your guide today.” Water rose in through the porous floor of the raft.
“Holy cow, Dad!” Robbie squeaked in a higher pitch than normal. “This water is cold.”
Tipper laughed and pointed towards the snow-covered mountains upriver of them. “This water was that frozen snowpack yesterday. It’s cold. Best not to fall out. Hang on tight, little man. We don’t want to lose you.”
“I will,” Robbie chirped.
“OK, everyone,” Tipper announced. “This is the front,” as he pointed towards the bow of the raft with his paddle. “This is the back,” pointing upriver towards the stern. Don’t worry if the front becomes the back or the back becomes the front and we bounce off stuff. It happens. We are a raft. Enjoy the ride.”
“OK, now let’s find out what kind of engine our raft has,” Tipper announced after a few seconds pause. “I want three strong strokes forward. Everyone… NOW!” Kyle, Danny, Jessie and Penny paddled forward three strokes.
“Sir don’t overpower your son,” Tipper said. “I want our boat to go straight when I want straight.”
“Got it,” Kyle agreed. “I taught rowing and canoeing at a camp when I was your age.”
“Excellent,” Tipper replied. “Let’s find out how well this raft turns. When I yell right, I want the people on the right to paddle forward. If you are on the left side, paddle backwards. Let’s try it. RIGHT!”
Danny and Penny paddled forward while Kyle and Jessie paddled backward. The raft spun around in a tight 180 degree turn.
“Excellent!” Tipper announced. “Now let’s try left. People on the left paddle forward. People on the right paddle backwards. LEFT!” The Martins dutifully followed the command, swinging the raft around so it faced downstream again. Tipper put the family through their paces with a series of rapid left and right turns interspersed with paddling straight ahead.
“Sir, when we are turning, put your back into it,” Tipper said. “You can’t overpower your son’s stroke when we are all going the same way. Also, when I shout left or right, it usually means we are about to run into something. I need all the power you have. Any questions?” No one asked anything.
“Excellent!” Tipper announced. “We are ready. Three strokes ahead. NOW!” The Martins paddled ahead as directed. Almost immediately they were drawn into the first set of rapids. Tipper steered the boat through the quarter mile of white water. Waves spilled over the front of the raft, drenching Kyle and Danny. Being in the middle didn’t protect Penny and Jessie. They got nearly as wet as the front two. Finally, the raft spilled out into calm water at the end of the rapids.
“That was cool, Daddy,” Robbie declared, grinning from ear to ear. “Will there be more like that?”
“I’m sure,” Kyle called back to his young son. “Tipper… class II?”
“With today’s flow…” Tipper responded. “Probably class III.”
“We will see bigger than that, Robbie,” Kyle added. “Some class III and IV today?”
“Most definitely,” Tipper replied. “The river’s running high today. We might see class V in places. I can promise you a great ride.”
“What we just did was kind of like the Yough’,” Danny commented. He had rafted the Youghiogheny River south of Pittsburgh a couple times with his Pittsburgh Scout troop.
“We saw bigger rapids this spring in the PA Grand Canyon,” Jessie added. “Maybe we got class IVs there.”
“You’ll have a good ride, Penny promised. “Your dad and I did this years ago when you guys were too little to come along. You stayed with Uncle Book and Aunt Sheree for the day while Uncle Brady, Aunt Casey, your dad and I rode this river.” Penny was referring to Antwaan and Sheree Booker. Antwaan Booker, or Book as his friends called him, had been a college and professional teammate of Kyle’s.
“We going to see Uncle Book and Aunt Sheree on this trip?” Jessie asked.
“They invited us to dinner on Saturday,” Kyle said.
“Who is Uncle Book and Aunt Sheree?” Robbie asked.
“An old teammate of mine,” Kyle said.
“I don’t remember them,” Robbie responded.
“You wouldn’t,” Danny added. “I barely remember them. Didn’t Uncle Book sign with the Raiders? I think I was three or four at the time. Uncle Book is a big guy but a real sweetheart. I remember how he grinned when he played with Davey, Jessie and me.”
“That’s Book,” Penny said smiling. The next set of rapids was on them. All hands paid attention to Tipper’s directions now, not reminiscences of the old days when they lived in Lone Tree. These rapids were more intense and required careful maneuvering to get through.
“That’s Three Rocks,” Tipper called out when they finished the rapids. “Probably class IV today.”
Rapids came in quick succession. The whole family enjoyed the wet thrill ride down the Arkansas. Tipper announced, “Here’s Kamikaze,” as they approached the next rapids. Kyle got overexcited when Tipper called for “Two strokes ahead,” and nudged the raft too far right just as Tipper aimed to maneuver their raft between two rocks. The raft bounced off one rock and then the other.
Penny glanced back to check on Robbie just in time to see him sliding backwards off the back tube. She lunged for her young son as Jessie turned around and saw Robbie sliding away too. Penny managed to grab an ankle and pull her son back inside the raft, with an assist from Jessie.
“I almost went swimming,” Robbie laughed, not realizing the middle of a class III rapid is a bad place for a six-year-old to swim.
“You good, little man?” Tipper asked as he steered their boat through the rest of Kamikaze.
“I’m OK,” Robbie answered. Kyle and Danny didn’t get a chance to check on the six-year-old until they popped out of the bottom of the rapids. Kyle barely had time to reassure himself his son was OK before they hit Spinner, normally a class II rapid.
The river went to backwater and their raft lazily floated down past a boat launch. The hills around the river rose closer to vertical as they entered the gorge itself. Rapid followed rapid in quick succession. Kyle, Penny, Jessie and Danny were busy paddling according to Tipper’s directions. Robbie held on, so he could stay in the raft. The gorge walls rose steeply. The Royal Gorge Railroad sight-seeing train chugged up the gorge to their left as they paddled.
They could see the Royal Gorge pedestrian bridge above them when Tipper called out, “Strong stokes forward, everybody. We need power to get through Boat Eater.”
Tipper hit the four-foot drop at Boat Eater perfectly. The Martins powered their way up and over the roller at the bottom. Go through Boat Eater too slow and that roller would eat your raft and dump everyone in the river. The Martins’ raft popped up out of the hole and floated downstream.
The raft in front wasn’t as fortunate. They bounced on a rock and lost a man overboard.
“Grab him, sir!” Tipper yelled as the yellow helmeted rafter floated to the surface near their raft. Kyle grabbed the man’s life jacket and tried to lift the man from the water. “Grab him and roll backwards into the raft.” Danny grabbed another shoulder, and both rolled backwards, dragging the man with them until he was in the raft on top of them.
“Welcome aboard,” Kyle said, laughing as the man rolled over.
“Thank you…” the man coughed. “Thank you so much.” He rolled onto his butt in the bottom of the raft and finally got a good look at his rescuer. “Holy shit!” the man gasped. “You’re… you’re Amish Lightning.”
“Guilty,” Kyle agreed. “Like I said, welcome aboard our raft.”
“The guys at work will never believe this,” the man said. “Fished out of the river by Amish Lightning. Thank you.”
“Sir, let’s get you hooked up with your raft,” Tipper interrupted. Fortunately, the drop wasn’t too far from the end of Boat Eater rapids. His raft was floating in the calm water at the bottom of the rapids. Tipper had the group paddle over to the other raft. They easily made the transfer. The first raft paddled ahead while Tipper allowed his raft to relax and return everyone to their proper positions.
“Amish Lightning? Sir, I take it you are somewhat famous,” Tipper commented as they allowed time for the other raft to get ahead.
“You aren’t a Broncos fan?” Kyle responded.
“I was raised in Ohio and used to watch the Cleveland Browns when I was little,” Tipper answered. “They weren’t much of a football team. I was more into outdoor activities such as hiking, canoeing, skiing and things like that.”
“Activities I enjoy too,” Kyle said. “I used to play for the Broncos. That’s how he recognized me.”
The family got re-situated in the raft and paddled downstream towards the next rapids. They enjoyed four more sets of rapids, none quite as intense as Boat Eater. The gorge widened out into a canyon. The raft floated lazily down the river for the last mile or two, before they took out at the boat landing on the west end of Cañon City. An old, retired school bus was waiting to take them back to the rafting outfitters. Kyle and his family grabbed some lunch from the outfitter’s snack bar and then drove over to the Royal Gorge bridge. They took a walk across the bridge, staring down the 955 feet to the river they rafted below them. The family grabbed dinner in Cañon City before heading north to their hotel in Dove Valley.
-----oooOooo-----
The Martin family relaxed over breakfast Monday morning. They headed over to visit old friends at the Bronco’s training center. Kyle parked in the mostly empty parking lot and escorted his family inside. A familiar face from their past greeted them at the front desk.
“Kyle!” Christina Mueller, the admin at the front desk said as she spotted the long-time Bronco. “It’s been too long. You brought the family too. Penny! Oh… my… God, Jessie you’re nearly grown up. You were a tom-boy in pigtails the last time I saw you.”
“It’s good to see you, Christina,” Kyle said.
“It’s been too long,” Penny added. “You look lovely.”
“Little old me?” Christina responded. “You got your front teeth back, Danny. You weren’t any bigger than this one here when your dad retired.”
“Of course, I have my front teeth,” Danny said. “I was six back then. I’ve had them for a while.”
“Who is the sweetie with you?”
“I’m Robbie,” Robbie asserted.
“This is Mrs. Mueller,” Kyle said. “She is an old friend of our family and has kept everyone straight here at the Broncos.”
“Nice to meet you,” Robbie said after his dad introduced him to the receptionist.
“How old are you, Robbie?” Christina asked.
“I’m six,” Robbie said. “My birthday was last week.”
“Well, happy birthday,” Christina said. Turning towards Kyle and Penny, she asked, “You seem to be missing one son. Where’s Davey?”
“He is working at Scout camp this summer,” Kyle responded. “He had a choice. He could do the vacation in Colorado or do the week at my Hall of Fame induction. David chose the induction ceremony.”
“That is the right choice,” Christina agreed. “Watching your father get inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame is a once in a lifetime thing. Colorado’s wonderful but you can vacation here most any year.”
“Exactly what David thought,” Kyle said.
“Are you here to see old friends or is there some business involved?”
“Here to see old friends mostly,” Kyle answered. “I planned to start with John, if he isn’t busy.”
“It’s July,” Christina said. “No one is busy for the next couple weeks.”
“As I expected,” Kyle said.
“Do you see any of the old gang?” Christina asked.
“I hired a couple of them to coach for me,” Kyle responded. “Brendan Hayden is my special teams coach. Zane Bell coaches my defensive line. I hired Ryan Reynolds to be my offensive coordinator.”
“Reynolds? Reynolds?” Christina repeated. “Oh yeah… receivers coach… he was here near the end of your time with us.”
“Actually, Ryan and I go back much further,” Kyle said. “He was a grad assistant at Penn State when I was a freshman. He taught me the Nittany Lions offense and put me on the career track I am on.”
“Do you want to wander around and visit or do you want me to page anyone in particular?” Christina asked.
“I thought we would start with John [Elway],” Kyle responded. “If he is available.” Christina checked. John asked her to send the Martins upstairs immediately.
“You remember the way?” Christina asked after she told Kyle to head upstairs to John Elway’s office.
“It’s only been six years,” Kyle teased as he pointed his family towards the steps. “I’m not senile or anything yet. I can find John’s office.”
The family trooped upstairs and down the hallway. John Elway waved them into his office as soon as they arrived at his door. John, Penny and Kyle had a good conversation catching up on old times while the kids watched and listened.
“Hey, I just had an idea,” John said. “I have tickets to tonight’s Rockies game. Would you be interested in coming? I have plenty of room in my box.”
Kyle looked at Penny and the kids. The kids were all smiles at the idea. Penny shrugged her shoulders and gave her husband a nod.
“Sure, that’d be cool,” Kyle replied. “We have no heavy-duty plans for the evening.”
“The game is at 6:40 PM,” John said. “Why don’t you and your family meet Paige and me at the Taproom Eatery? I’ll get you one of the VIP parking passes so you don’t have to hike a mile from your car to the stadium.”
“That would be great, John,” Kyle agreed. “Who are the Rockies playing tonight?”
“The Giants are in town,” John replied.
“The Giants? Really?” Kyle pondered. “I wonder if I could get word to a certain third base coach on the Giants?”
“You know Utley?” John replied.
“We go way back,” Kyle replied. “We met when I was still in college and he was a young player on the Phillies. I helped get his nephew into Penn State.”
“Kid’s name was Kerr, wasn’t it?” John asked. “We had him tagged for the third round when he finished at Penn State. We thought he had potential as a wide receiver to put beside you. The Saints grabbed him ahead of us. He didn’t work out as they expected. Was it booze?”
“It was,” Kyle agreed. “He’s clean, sober and selling real estate today.”
“That’s not a terrible way to make a living,” John said. “We will catch up tonight at the game. You and your family are welcome to look our training center over and say hello to old friends. Everything’s open to you…” John chuckled. “…except for the playbook.”
“Of course,” Kyle agreed. “Not that me looking at your playbook would matter. We don’t play each other for another two seasons. I doubt anything I see today will look the same by then.”
“I would hope not,” John agreed. “I will see all of you tonight.”
Kyle took his family on a tour of the football complex. They stopped to say hello to many of the business and facilities staff, who were working. Most all the players and coaches were on vacation, just like Kyle. They needed to recharge their batteries, so they were ready for the long football season that started in just a few weeks.
Kyle and his family did run into one player, Tariq Bell. Tariq was starting his eighth season in the NFL but was on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. He blew out his right ACL in the middle of last season.
“Coach Martin!” Tariq called as he spotted his old teammate. “It’s been too long.”
“Tariq, it is good to see you,” Kyle responded. Kyle introduced his family to Tariq. Tariq was a cornerback who the Broncos drafted near the end of Kyle’s playing career. Tariq had faced Kyle on the practice field a few times, with something less than full success.
“How is your knee doing?” Kyle asked.
“Good,” Tariq answered. “I have full range of motion. The trainers have me working on strength and flexibility. They think I should be ready about Week 4.”
“That’s what? About a year after your injury?” Kyle asked.
“Eleven months,” Tariq answered.
“That’s about normal,” Kyle agreed. “It took me about that amount of time to get back to 100% when I blew out my ACL in high school.”
Tariq glanced down at Kyle’s knees, exposed by the shorts he was wearing. “I forgot you dealt with this same injury.”
“A long time ago,” Kyle said. “Work hard at rehab. You’ll be back on the field next fall. Send Janel our love.”
“I will do that, Coach,” Tariq agreed. “It’s nice to see you again.”
------oooOooo-----
The Martin family had dinner at the Taproom Eatery with John and Paige Elway. They all walked back to the stadium with plenty of time before the 7:05 PM start of the game. Danny and Robbie wanted to go down in front to see the players close up and perhaps get an autograph or two. The family headed down to the rail to watch the players warm up.
Kyle spotted an old friend across the field. He waved over a security guard. The guard did a double take when he saw Kyle.
“Kyle Martin!” the guard exclaimed. “I didn’t know you were in town. What can I do for you?”
“Can you get the Giants’ third base coach a note for me?” Kyle asked. “We’re old friends and haven’t seen each other in a few years.”
“Certainly, sir,” the guard responded enthusiastically. “I will get this note over to him immediately.”
Kyle watched the guard jog around the batter’s box to the visitor’s dug out and hand the note to the coach. The coach looked over and Kyle gave him a wave. The coach waved back and then jogged over to the wall where Kyle and the boys were standing.
“Hey man, it’s good to see you again,” Chase Utley said, grinning from ear to ear.
“Good to see you,” Kyle agreed. “It’s been too long.”
“Penny, you look lovely as ever,” Chase added. Kyle introduced the kids to Chase, whom they hadn’t seen in years.
“How’s Jen?” Penny asked.
“Doing well,” Chase replied. “You find work since you moved to Philly?”
“I did,” Penny replied. “I am working for UPenn out at the New Bolton Center.”
“The horse place?” Chase said. “That must be a long commute from Philly.”
“We kept our farmhouse in Landenberg,” Kyle said. “You remember it. We had you, Jen and the kids out to visit a few times when you still played in Philly. How are your boys?”
“Ben is going to Cal Berkley,” Chase replied. “He’s on the ball team, of course. Max turned sixteen last fall. He’s had his driver’s license about two months. He’s hell on wheels now.”
“I know how that is,” Kyle agreed. “David got his license last summer.”
“Where is Davey?” Chase asked. “Is he too embarrassed to vacation with his parents?”
“No, he’s back in Pennsylvania at his summer job,” Penny answered. “He is working at the local Scout camp.”
“He had to choose,” Kyle added. “He could come on vacation now or get time off and go to the Hall of Fame Induction at the end of the month.”
“Hall of Fame Induction?” Chase said. “He made the right choice.”
“We shouldn’t hold you up,” Kyle said. “You’ve probably got work to do. Maybe we can hook up some time, the next time my team is plays the 49ers. Not this season, but next.”
“Or when the Giants come in to play the Phillies,” Chase responded. “We’ll keep in touch.”
“Yes, we will do that,” Kyle agreed. Chase headed back to the field. The Martin’s headed back up to the Elway’s box.
“Was he a famous guy like you?” Robbie asked as they stepped into the elevator.
“Chase was a great ball player,” Kyle said. “We’ve been friends since I was in college. He and his family live in California and we live in Pennsylvania. We don’t see enough of the Utleys.”
Kyle, Danny and Robbie headed up to the Elways’ box and settled in to watch the ball game. John and Paige Elway warmly welcomed Kyle and the boys to their box. Jordan and Austin Asher, John’s middle daughter and son-in-law were there to with their kids.
The game was fun and a close match. It was tied to start the ninth inning. The Rockies sewed things up with a solo homer to conclude the game. Kyle and Penny thanked John and Paige for hosting them at the game. The family headed back to their hotel near Dove Valley.
------oooOooo-----
Wednesday, July 9, 2017 – Dove Valley, Denver, CO
“Let’s go everybody,” Kyle insisted as his family got ready to head down to Castle Pines for a quiet birthday dinner with Brady and Casey Rasmussen and their kids. “I don’t want to be late.”
“We are going to be early,” Penny insisted. “Chill out and relax. We have plenty of time.”
“I’m set, Dad,” Danny added.
“I can’t wait to see Kaylee,” Jessie added.
“Me, too,” Robbie chimed in.
“Let’s roll,” Kyle urged.
“We are going to be way, way, WAY too early,” Penny said, giving her children disapproving glances. They should have known why the family couldn’t show up early at the Rasmussens. Kyle and the kids headed for the car, ignoring Penny’s disapproving looks.
Out of habit, Kyle turned east onto Broncos Parkway, passed the Broncos’ Dove Valley training facility and headed south on East County Line Road, like he did every day of the dozen years he lived in Lone Tree and played football for the Broncos. The route gave Penny an idea of how to slow down her headstrong and perpetually early husband.
As Kyle turned onto Lincoln Avenue, Penny asked, “Why don’t we swing by and see the old house. Wouldn’t that be fun, kids?”
“Yeah!” and “Cool!” came the responses from the back seats. Kyle passed the on-ramp for I-25 and headed west for their old home. A few minutes later Kyle turned into the development and then onto their street. He drove to the cul-de-sac. The four parking spaces in the center of the turn-around were empty. Kyle pulled into one of the spots and turned the car off.
Their old home was directly in front of them. The place looked the same, except the trim paint was a light shade of yellow, rather than white, the way it had been six years ago. A man was standing in the adjoining driveway of the house attached to their old place, trimming the shrubs separating the two driveways. Kyle and Penny looked the man over, both having feelings that he looked familiar.
The man glanced up at the car parked in front of his house. He did a double take before smiling and giving the Martin family a wave.
“It’s Matt Waldron!” Penny exclaimed.
“It is,” Kyle agreed. “We have to get out and say hello.” The family piled out of the car. Matt set down his hedge trimmers and walked across the cul-de-sac, grinning widely.
“The Martins!” Matt exclaimed. “It’s been too long.”
“Matt! It’s so good to see you again,” Kyle said as they shook hands. “I can’t believe you still live here.”
Matt gave Penny a hug before responding. “Live here again. Rebecca and I bought the place from my parents two years ago. They’re sunbirds now. They moved to Phoenix.”
“Rebecca… how is she?” Penny asked. “I take it the two of you married. I remember you were engaged when we moved to Pittsburgh. Do the two of you have kids?”
“We do,” Matt responded. “The second kid on the way was why we jumped at the chance to buy this place when my parents were ready to sell. We had a toddler in a tiny apartment and then Becca got pregnant again. We needed the space.”
“I understand how that is,” Kyle said.
“Wow! Look at your kids,” Matt said. “You must be Jessie. You’ve grown into a gorgeous young lady. And you…” he said, staring at Danny. “You look exactly like I remember Davey, but you must be little Danny.”
“Not so little anymore,” Danny said. “I’ll be thirteen in a few weeks.”
“This one is Robbie,” Penny said. “He was born after we moved east. Say hello to Mr. Waldron, Robbie.”
“Hi,” Robbie said. Robbie could have a shy streak at times. He held onto Kyle’s leg while he was introduced to this stranger.
“Do you guys have a few minutes?” Matt asked. “Becca will kill me if I don’t let her see you, too.”
“We have plenty of time,” Penny answered quickly. Visiting old friends was a perfect way to slow her husband down.
“Come on in,” Matt offered.
“Just a couple minutes,” Kyle said. “We’re on our way to a cookout and can’t stay too long.” Turning to
Penny, Kyle added, “Maybe I should call and warn Brady we might be a few minutes late.”
“I got it,” Penny replied. “We have plenty of time and it will be nice to see Rebecca again.” Penny pulled out her phone and called the Rasmussens. “Hi, Casey, it’s Penny,” she said. “We’re going to be fifteen or twenty minutes later than expected. We stopped off at our old place in Lone Tree and are visiting old friends.” She listened for a bit. “I’ll give you a call when we are ready to head over to your place. See you in a bit.”
“All set,” Penny said as her family followed Matt back to his house. Matt let the Martin clan inside. Matt’s house was familiar, a mirror image of their old place next door.
“Hey… Becca… I found some visitors outside you might want to see,” Matt called out as they passed the entryway and headed into the great room. A boy’s toys were scattered around the floor. Nothing strange to the Martins, who had four kids to keep their house cluttered. A small boy, looking to be three or four, came running when he heard his dad.
“Daddy… Daddy…” he yelled. He stopped short when he found the strangers. He sidled over to the safety of his dad.
“This is…” Matt started.
“Who’s visiting?” Rebecca asked as she walked from the kitchen area, a baby on her hip.
“It is Kyle and Penny Martin… and their family, most of them anyway,” Matt answered.
“Penny? Kyle?” Rebecca gasped. “Oh my, this place is a mess. We weren’t… you know… expecting…”
“It’s fine, Rebecca,” Penny answered. “We have four kids. Our house usually looks like a bomb went off. Your place looks fine.”
“It is so good to see you again,” Kyle said.
“I was about to do introductions,” Matt interjected. “This bashful boy hiding behind me is my son, Kyle.” The boy looked out from behind his dad at Kyle Martin. “Kyle, this is Mr. Kyle Martin.” Kyle Martin knelt down and grinned at the shy boy.
“We have the same name!” big Kyle said, grinning. He looked up at Matt.
“There are a lot of Kyles in Colorado,” Matt said. “It is a very popular baby name. Similar in popularity to Brady with young families.”
“This is Tessa,” Rebecca offered. “She will be a year old in a couple weeks.”
“She is such a cutie,” Penny cooed. “Aren’t you a sweetie?”
“You know most of my clan,” Kyle said as he stood up. I am sure you remember Jessie and Danny. They shouldn’t strangers, even if they have grown a bit since you last saw them.”
“Where is Davey?” Matt asked. “You seem to be missing a son.”
“David is working at Scout camp,” Kyle replied. “I know you wouldn’t recognize him. He was Danny’s size the last time you saw him. Now he is as tall as me. He starts his senior year in high school next month.”
“Time does move fast, doesn’t it?” Matt commented. Penny and Kyle both laughed.
“You have no idea how true that is,” Penny commented. “Enjoy all the time you can get with them while they are little.” She shook her head in wonder. “My little Davey will be leaving for college in a year.”
The four adults reminisced about the good times they had living next door to each other. Jessie and Danny listened politely to the adult conversation. Robbie and Matt’s son Kyle colored pictures while the grown-ups talked.
“How are the Hollands doing?” Kyle asked. Don and Pat Holland had purchased Kyle and Penny’s condo when the Martins moved east.
“They are doing well,” Matt said. “They’re sunbirds too. They have a condo near Mom and Dad in Phoenix.”
“Who lives in our old place now?” Penny asked.
“A younger couple… our age,” Rebecca replied. “Mike and Jessica Comstock. They have an eighteen-month-old boy.” Rebecca chuckled. “Their boy’s name is Brady.”
“They would love to meet you,” Matt added. “They are both huge Broncos fans. How busy is your vacation schedule? Maybe we could invite you and them to a cookout over the weekend.” Kyle and Penny looked at each other and smiled.
“We have a dinner with the Bookers on Saturday night,” Kyle said. “Would Sunday work?”
Rebecca and Matt exchanged glances. “You do travel in a different world than us,” Matt said, grinning. “Dinner with a Hall of Fame player? I guess Saturday is taken. Sunday would be great. I probably can’t compete with the fare at Antwaan Booker’s house. We’ll be serving hot dogs and hamburgers, if that isn’t too plain for you.”
“Hot dogs and hamburgers sound great,” Kyle said. “Don’t make a big thing about Antwaan. He’s my college and professional colleague and a dear friend of long standing, just like you.”
“We will be here Sunday afternoon,” Penny confirmed. Kyle glanced at the time.
“We will catch up some more on Sunday,” Kyle said. “We need to get moving. I am afraid we are going to be late for our dinner tonight.”
“Another Hall of Famer invite you over?” Matt teased.
“No, it’s just Brady and me and our families,” Kyle said. “I think Brady deserves the Hall of Fame, but he hasn’t made it yet.”
“I wouldn’t argue with you there,” Matt said. “I look forward to seeing all of you Sunday.”
The Martins said their goodbyes and headed south for Castle Rock. “I hope we aren’t late,” Kyle commented as he pulled onto I-25.
“It’s 5:47 and it takes about fifteen minutes to get to Brady’s place from our old house,” Penny said. “We will be just about on time. Anyway, I called Casey and warned her that we stopped to talk with Matt and Rebecca. It will be fine.”
“I hate to be late for things,” Kyle said.
“We’re fine,” Penny promised. “It will be a fun evening with old friends.” Kyle didn’t see Jessie and Danny trying to suppress smirks. Everything their mom promised their dad was true. They wouldn’t be late. It would be a fun evening. They were going to see lots of old friends from their time living in Colorado.
-----oooOooo-----
Kyle pulled into the entrance road into the Castle Pines Golf Club’s complex. He followed a winding road up the hill past part of the course before turning onto a long cul-de-sac street. Brady and Casey’s spacious home sat at the end of the cul-de-sac. The home sat on top of a pine covered hill, overlooking fairways to the east and the west. It was a beautiful setting for a well-to-do family that valued privacy.
Kyle parked beside Brady’s Jeep, the only car in large driveway. The Martins trooped up to the Rasmussen’s front door and rang the doorbell. Brady answered the door. Kyle, Penny, Casey and Brady exchanged greetings and hugs.
“The kids are out back,” Brady announced. “The grill is fired up and we can throw the steaks on now that you are here. Let’s head to the back.”
Kyle, Penny and the kids followed Brady and Casey through the house to the back yard. Penny and the kids stepped outside first ahead of Kyle. Kyle stepped outside last.
“SURPRISE!” a huge crowd of friends cried out as Kyle appeared. Stunned, he gazed at around seventy-five of his Colorado friends. The big banner strung between two trees read, “HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAY KYLE.”
“Oh… my God!” Kyle stuttered. “How did you pull this off? There aren’t any cars around. You really didn’t need to do this.”
“We did,” Brady said, clapping Kyle on the back.
“Of course, we did,” Casey confirmed. “Everyone parked down the road at Cielo’s Event Center. We lined up shuttle vans to bring everyone up to our house.”
“Did you know about this, Penny?” Kyle asked.
“Of course, I did,” Penny replied triumphantly.
“Your wife set the plan in motion a couple months ago when you guys decided to do a Colorado vacation this summer,” Brady said.
“Thank you all so much,” Kyle exclaimed. “This is unbelievable.”
Casey pulled out her phone and called. “Tell the caterers to bring the food out of the garage, it is time to serve.”
A small army of caterers appeared from the back door to the garage, carrying out large bowls of food or wheeling out carts laden with food. The guests surrounded Kyle and Penny to welcome their old and dear friend and teammate.
The guest list was a who’s who of the Broncos over the last two decades. Antwaan and Sherry Booker made it. Christian Powell, Devon Ford and Gabe Reed came. All were drafted with Kyle in 2013. Charlie Taylor flew in from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where he retired to, after playing for the Broncos for eight seasons. Simeon Thomas, Kellen Brown, Tommy James, Andre Villegas and Mark Mueller made it. Coach Baldwin drove up from his retirement home in Tucson to join the party. Brian Kovacevic, now head coach at Washington State University, flew in too.
Brady and Casey chose the caterer well. They were a local outfit that specialized in barbecue style events. The tables were filled with pork ribs, beef ribs, brisket, smoked turkey, barbecued chicken, sausage, and beef tips. Sides included baked beans, mac and cheese, green beans, corn on the cob, potato salad, macaroni salad and a delicious green apple and pear slaw.
Jessie and Danny sought out the Rasmussen children, old friends from when they lived in Colorado. Robbie hung out with his brother, since the guest list didn’t include any other kids near his age. Jessie and Kaylee Rasmussen were both fifteen and had been best friends when Jessie lived in Lone Tree. Danny had played with Jason and Justin Rasmussen, Brady and Casey’s eleven-year-old twins, friends from the time all of them were in diapers.
The evening’s weather was perfect. The afternoon high temperature was around 86 degrees, on the cool, pine-shaded hill. The sky was a brilliant Colorado blue with a crescent moon hanging just above the roof of the Rasmussen home. The air cooled down to the sixties as the sun slowly sunk into the west.
Kyle and Penny held court as they enjoyed the food. They made time to talk with every guest, thanking them for attending the celebration. Zane and Mary Bell and Brendan and Rebecca Hayden came over together to sit with Kyle and Penny.
“Aren’t you two supposed to be back at NovaCare getting the Eagles ready for the season?” Kyle teased.
“No, our boss gave us a couple weeks off and told us to relax, have fun and to forget about football for a while,” Zane replied.
Brendan gave his college and professional teammate and now boss a wink. “It never hurts to come to the boss’ birthday party and suck up.”
“I am so glad you came,” Kyle said. “Just for me? I am surprised you flew all this way for a party.”
“A Colorado vacation is in the cards for me,” Brendan replied. “That is pay back for marrying a Denver girl. We get to spend time with Rebecca’s parents.”
“Same for me,” Zane agreed. “Mary’s parents complain that we don’t get out here nearly enough.”
“Where are your kids?” Penny asked.
“My parents are busy spoiling them tonight,” Mary answered.
“Mine too,” Rebecca agreed.
“Relax and have some fun out here,” Kyle said. “Work starts again on the 21st. We’ve got to pack up our offices and move up to Lehigh before training camp starts. We have a big job ahead of us turning the Eagles into a decent football team again.”
“We’ll be ready, boss,” Brendan promised.
At eight o’clock the caterers wheeled out a huge birthday cake, aflame with forty candles. Kyle managed to blow all the candles out with an assist from Robbie. Ice cream and cake was served to all the guests. Kyle and Penny made a point to thank every guest before they headed home that evening. Kyle and Penny drug three very tired kids back to their Lone Tree hotel that evening.
Chapter 19
============
-----ooooOooo-----
Penny and Jessie were in seventh heaven on Thursday. The family visited three malls to do some shopping. Kyle, Danny and Robbie dutifully trooped along, slowly going out of their minds. Friday was golf day for the families. Kyle, Penny, Brady and Casey Rasmussen made up the first foursome. Ethan, Jason and Justin Rasmussen joined Danny to make up the second foursome. Jessie and Kaylee stayed at the Rasmussen’s home to watch Robbie for the afternoon. Neither girl had any interest in golfing.
-----ooooOooo-----
Saturday, July 12, 2031 – Dove Valley, CO
The Martins slept late, had a late brunch and swam at their hotel for a relaxing vacation Saturday. After lunch, the Martin family met Brady Rasmussen at one of Brady’s outdoor stores. Brady outfitted Kyle, Penny and the kids with everything they would need for the five-day backpacking trip the two families planned. This trek would be Robbie’s first extended backpacking trip. This would also be Danny’s first family trip where he was expected to carry his share of the crew’s gear, along with his personal items.
Robbie would carry his clothes, a super lightweight sleeping bag and enough water for the day in his junior sized backpack. Kyle, Penny, Jessie and Danny would carry food and any extras Robbie might need on the trek.
The family headed up to Longmont mid-afternoon for their cookout with Antwaan and Sherree Booker. A tall, husky teen answered the door. His skin was somewhere between bittersweet chocolate and black, just like his father’s. He had a noticeable fuzzy mustache on his upper lip.
“Uncle Kyle, Aunt Penny!” the boy called. “Come on in.”
“A. J., you’ve grown so much since we saw you last,” Penny said.
“You look good,” Kyle said as he shook the fourteen-year-old’s hand. “Going to make varsity this fall?”
“My dad’s been bragging?” A. J. Booker, properly Antwaan Frederick Booker, Junior, agreed. A. J. stood for Antwaan Junior.
“You know he has,” Kyle responded.
“Coach Swinton says my chances are excellent,” A. J. replied. “I’ll be in ninth grade in the fall and I am up to 220 pounds. Coach says I am big enough to handle varsity offensive linemen.”
“You’re big enough to handle college offensive linemen,” Kyle teased.
“My dad says that too,” A. J. added. “Jessie, you look great.”
“Good to see you A. J.,” Jessie answered.
“Danny my man,” A. J. said as he and Danny exchanged an elaborate handshake, fist bump with a twist. “You’re gonna start eighth, right?”
“I am,” Danny confirmed.
“Gonna sneak into JV for your school?” A. J. asked.
“Maybe,” Danny replied. “I’m new to the school and they don’t know me. I’ll find out how things work out next month, once training starts.”
“Where is your mom and dad?” Kyle asked
“Dad’s in the backyard, firing up the grill,” A. J. replied. “Mom’s in the kitchen getting the sides ready.”
A. J. led his guests through the house to the backyard. Antwaan “Book” Booker, Sr. was cleaning the grill with a wire brush when his guests appeared. He put the brush down and hurried over to greet his friends. The big man gave Kyle a bear hug as he greeted his former teammate.
“Coach, it is so good to see you,” Book exclaimed. “It has been too long.”
“It has been, Book,” Kyle agreed as he was released from the bear hug. Book engulfed Penny with a hug next. The big 6’-3” former defensive tackle towered over her.
“It is so good to see you Penny,” Book gushed before releasing her from his gargantuan hug.
“It is nice to see you too,” Penny agreed. She wasn’t too rumpled from the retired defensive lineman’s boisterous embrace. Kyle and Penny introduced Robbie to Book and Sherree, who appeared from the kitchen carrying a veggie tray and dip for their meal.
Penny and Jessie helped Sherree and Jade finish preparations inside while Kyle helped Book at the grill. Jade was Book and Sherree’s eleven-year-old daughter. Kyle and Robbie hung out with Book as he grilled up seven big steaks and half a dozen hot dogs. Neither Robbie nor Jade cared for steaks.
“You’ve been a head coach for six months,” Book commented as he flipped the big slabs of meat. “You worked towards this job for over half your life. Is it what you expected?”
“I guess,” Kyle said. “I like being the guy in charge and directing and coordinating everyone in their tasks. Still, the Eagles are in such a big, deep hole. They had almost no talent when I arrived last February. The new kids we drafted or picked up in free agency will improve the talent level, but… how quickly?”
Book let out a deep belly laugh. “You weren’t with the Broncos when Coach Baldwin and I showed up. Rebuilding a team is a bear, no doubt about it. You don’t know the Broncos from when I started there. They were dreadful when I started. Coach Baldwin, me, Jonesie [Raymond Jones, linebacker], Brownie [Kellen Brown] and [Dan] Sellars were about all the guys left from that team I joined when you came to town.”
“I never got to play with Raymond Jones,” Kyle said, “… though I do remember him rehabbing when I was drafted.”
“Shit! Yeah, I forgot that,” Book said. “Jonesie never could get his knee right again. He retired that summer you started, didn’t he?”
“He did,” Kyle agreed. “From what I hear, he was a hell of a middle linebacker for a dozen years for the Broncos.”
“He was,” Book agreed. He looked off in the distance for a moment, before repeating, “That he was.” He looked away again before turning back to Kyle and the grill. “Get your head ready for some losing. You’ve played and coached nothing but winning teams, right?”
“I’ve been blessed.”
“Ain’t gonna’ happen no more,” Book said. “Get ready for a whole lot of losing for the next couple years. You’re bringing in a bunch of kids to turn your team around, aren’t you?”
“I am,” Kyle acknowledged.
“Them kids are gonna make a bunch of stupid-ass mistakes and there ain’t nothing you can do to stop them from doing it,” Book said, deadly serious now. “Them kids are going to make you want to crawl the walls with the dumb shit they’ll do. Count on it.”
“I know that intellectually,” Kyle said.
“You’re gonna feel the losses in your bones,” Book replied. “Endure what is to come. Teach them. Bring them along. Teach them football the right way… the team way. You’re smart. I know you will learn how to put them in positions to succeed. You were the polish as we rebuilt the Broncos machine years ago. Now you get to get your hands dirty building your machine from the ground up.”
“I know you are right,” Kyle said.
“I hear you got some of the Broncos gang working for you,” Book commented.
“Kellen Brown… Brownie, he is my receivers coach,” Kyle said.
“I hear you got J. T. [Hill], [Zane] Bell and [Brendan] Hayden too,” he said, laughing. “You got some real workers coaching for you, not just them pretty boy receivers.”
“Probably my best hire was Coach C,” Kyle said.
“No doubt about that,” Book agreed. “SSsshhhiiiIIITTT! That man used to ride my ass when I started at Penn State. He taught me how the game is to be played and put me on the path to the Hall of Fame. You take good care of Coach C and his pretty wife.”
“I am renting them the summer house in front of my place,” Kyle said. “I am taking very good care of them.”
“Give Coach C and Phyliss my love,” Book said. Kyle could see his big friend working to control his emotions, while he remembered is college coach and mentor.
“I will do that,” Kyle agreed. The two old friends’ talk turned to their kids and how they were fairing as the steak continued to grill. Book called out for Sherree to get everything else out when the steaks were finished. The two families sat down to a meal of steak, twice baked potatoes, sweet corn on the cob and salad. Everyone enjoyed their meat, including Robbie and Jade, who loved hot dogs cooked on the grill.
The kids ended up in the pool after their meal. Their parents watched over them as they talked and reminisced about the good times they had together in the past. It was getting dark when the Martins climbed into their rental VW SUV and headed back to their hotel.
-----oooOooo-----
Sunday, July 13, 2031 – Waldron Residence, Lone Tree, CO
The Martin clan left a few minutes after noon as they headed for their next cookout. Kyle took a right after passing the Broncos’ Dove Valley training center. He followed the same familiar, 6.9-mile route he had followed nearly every day for his twelve years playing for the Broncos. He pulled off Lincoln Avenue into the development and turned back into the cul-de-sac street, parking in one of the guest parking spaces in the center of the cul-de-sac. Everything felt so familiar, except they walked past “their” old house and knocked at the Waldron’s door, next door to their old place.
“Kyle! Penny, come on in,” Matt Waldron enthused. “Kids, come on in.” Kyle, Penny, Jessie, Danny and Robbie followed Matt into the house. It was picked up and looked spotless today. Becca Waldron greeted her guests and directed everyone outside to the patio on the side yard of their house where a younger couple with a toddler were waiting.
Matt introduced Mike, Jessica and their almost two-year-old son, Brady to the Martins. Everyone exchanged handshakes and greetings before sitting down.
“Now I am sitting here with Amish Lightning,” Mike commented to Kyle. “I am in awe. In my head I knew you and Penny owned our house before we bought it from the Hollands, but it really never sank in.”
“I’m no big deal,” Kyle replied. “You have a great house for raising a family.”
“It seemed to work for you,” Mike answered. “You raised a big family yourself.”
“This isn’t all of them,” Kyle laughed. “Our oldest is back East. He couldn’t get off work to come along with the rest of family.”
Becca came outside carrying a tray of raw hamburgers and uncooked hot dogs. “Who wants what for lunch?” she asked. Jessica carried little Tessa in her carrier for her friend.
“Hot dogs! Cool, Dad,” Robbie enthused. “I get to have them again.”
“I am sorry I don’t have anything fancier,” Matt commented. “I am sure you ate better at Antwaan Booker’s cookout yesterday.”
“Don’t put Book and me on a pedestal,” Kyle laughed. “Book is a meat and potatoes man, plain and simple. Burgers and dogs will be great.”
When Becca was done taking orders, little Kyle, Brady and Robbie wanted hot dogs. Everyone else asked for hamburgers or cheeseburgers. Kyle and Mike “oversaw” Matt’s work at the grill. Little Kyle and Brady played together happily. Robbie, Danny and Jessie hung out, listening as the adults talked.
Matt and Becca served macaroni salad, a veggie tray with ranch dip and a fruit tray for the meal. The burgers were good, and the little kids loved their hot dogs.
The Waldrons and the Martins told the Comstocks stories about the two families association with each other. Kyle teased Matt about the time when Matt was in high school and showed up forty-five minutes late from a Saturday night date, only to find his house locked up tight. Kyle loaned Matt the spare key Mr. and Mrs. Waldron left with Kyle and Penny so he could get inside for the night.
Another time, Kyle was dragging trashcans out to the curb one evening, finding Matt’s car in driveway next door. The windows were steamed up and it was obvious Matt was making out with a half-dressed girl in the back seat.
“What ever became of that girl?” Kyle asked. This happened when Matt was in college but home on break.
“She was a special one,” Matt laughed. “I kept her and married her.”
“That was you, Becca?” Kyle smirked.
“It pretty much had to be,” Becca admitted, blushing. “Matt and I got together when we were freshmen in college.”
“This was two or three years before I retired and moved away,” Kyle said. “I guess it had to be you.”
“It definitely was you, honey,” Matt added.
“How’d you guys meet?” Jessica asked.
Penny and Kyle narrated the story about how they hired some laborers to help them move into their new home. They hired Matt and his friend Nick to help them move things from the car into their new house.
“What ever became of Nick Brewer?” Kyle asked. “I remember seeing him around for two or three years after I moved in and then he disappeared. You two have a falling out?”
“No, we stayed friends until the start of tenth grade,” Matt replied. “The Brewers moved to Fort Collins. I lost track of him after that.”
The Martins hung out with the Waldrons and Comstocks until close to four o’clock. Mike had a suggestion as everyone was getting ready to pack up.
“Would you like to see your old house, Kyle? Penny?” Mike asked. “Jessica and I would be happy to show you around the place.”
“That would be fun,” Penny agreed.
“We wouldn’t want to impose,” Kyle added.
“We would be happy to show you around,” Jessica insisted. “You can’t say no.”
“Done then,” Kyle agreed. “Thank you for your hospitality and a fine meal, Matt and Becca. Would you two be interested in tickets to a Broncos game when the Eagles play here next? I think your team will be on our schedule in two years.”
“That would be cool, Kyle,” Matt agreed. “Thank you so much.”
Mike, Jessica and Brady led the Martins across the driveway to their home. The inside was spotless, looking nothing like the home of a toddler. Obviously, the Comstocks had anticipated inviting the Martins over for a visit. The house looked much the same, even though the furniture and decorations were different. It was somewhat amazing for Danny and Jessie to look into their old bedrooms. Kyle and Penny expressed their thanks to the young couple before they headed west to their hotel.
-----ooooOooo-----
Monday, July 14, 2031 – Lone Tree, CO
Bright and early the Rasmussen clan and the Martin clan met at a restaurant near Dove Valley for a big breakfast before their trek. Kyle followed Brady north and west into the mountains when they were done with their breakfast. The Tonahutu trailhead in the Rocky Mountain National Park was about two and a quarter hours from Lone Tree.