Second Chance:

[sewbeit221]

Totally addicted to Second Chance

OMG I am hanging on anxiously awaiting my next fix!! Every aspect of the story line is a cliff hanger !!

[Grand58742]

CHAPTER 64



“Is everything ready?” asked Rindo as they got to the perimeter fence of the community in New York. The overwatch team had already alerted them the guards were at the front gate and were busy watching TV. The typical roving patrol had parked at the gate for the time being and was getting comfortable watching an old movie.

“Everything should be ready. What was that racket going on over there?” asked the contractor.

“Sounded like a festival or something, but it’s over now,” said Rindo.

“Let’s head in,” said the contractor as he snipped the bottom layer of the fence enough for the two men to slide underneath. Both were dressed in black from head to toe and armed with a suppressed submachine gun and a sidearm just in case. Additionally, they carried other gear, distraction devices and less than lethal weapons in case of trouble. They had on night vision, but flipped the devices up since the streetlights gave off enough illumination to navigate the carefully laid out streets. They headed to the last known location of Stacy Grant and quickly went to the back door of the house. Not hearing any activity inside, they prepared to jimmy the lock. However, Rindo reached down and turned the handle before the contractor got his lock picks out.

“How did you know?” asked the contractor in a whisper.

“Always check the door first,” whispered Rindo as they entered the house. The night vision was flipped down, giving the home an eerie green brightness as several LED panels shined from the living room area. They checked the spare bedrooms, both empty before heading to the master bedroom. They were unsure of why they hadn’t located Stacy yet, but would ask the occupants when they found them. The master bedroom was closed and locked, but a swift kick to the door handle broke off the lock and the door slammed inward. The two flipped on the flashlights on the weapons and flipped up their night vision as they entered to find a man and a woman in bed.

“Do not move and you won’t be hurt. Do not scream or yell and you won’t be hurt. Do you understand?” demanded the contractor in a gruff voice.

The two were stunned at the pair of heavily armed men standing to their front shining bright flashlights in their face. The pistol in the nightstand was useless as was the rifle and shotgun in the closet.

“Do you understand?!” demanded the contractor in an elevated voice.

“Yes, what do you want?” asked the man.

“Where is Stacy Grant?” demanded the contractor.

“Nawar Hassan? She isn’t here,” said the man.

“And where is she?” asked Rindo.

“She was wed to the Imam tonight. He is with her at the mosque,” said the man, too afraid to lie.

“She is only ten years old,” exclaimed the contractor.

“Eleven,” corrected the man. “And showing signs of womanhood.”

“We must move quickly,” said Rindo.

“Roll over on your stomachs, now!” ordered the contractor. He and Rindo quickly took zip ties and cuffed the hands and feet of the man and woman. As a good measure, Rindo applied duct tape over their mouths just in case. Hopefully, someone would be along after they had departed to free them. While they were just as guilty as the Imam for the conditions in the community, they didn’t deserve to die. The contractor would make a phone call after they were done alerting the community to the bound individuals.

“The mosque is one street over and a block up,” said Rindo.

“Front or back?” asked the contractor.

“His quarters are in the back,” said Rindo.

“Let’s move before it’s too late,” said the contractor, having the same thoughts of child in danger men around the world had when faced with a situation as he was. They quickly left the house and moved in the shadows towards the mosque. Upon arriving, it was locked unlike the house and the contractor had to make use of his lock picks to jimmy the door. It wasn’t hard, but still time consuming until he felt the tumblers release and the door opened slightly. They moved inside, using the night vision once again until the lights in the central hallway flipped on. Stuck in the hallway with no cover, they saw a figure round the corner carrying a pistol and heading towards the front door.

Ramzi had heard a noise near the front and thought he heard the door open. He had taken a weapon just in case to check out what the noise was. Naturally cautious, he felt it was probably a false alarm until he saw the two men clad in black standing in the hallway. He started bringing up the shotgun towards them, but never made it as six rounds total found their mark on his chest and head. Both Rindo and the contractor raced forward to grab him and move him out of the hallway before others were alerted to his presence.

“Where to?” asked the contractor in a whisper.

“Probably down the hallway,” said Rindo as he headed towards the end. Arabic writing was on each door signifying what was inside. Once they reached the second to last, Rindo pointed with his weapon. “This one.”

“We go on three,” said the contractor as they prepared to enter the room.

********************

“It is time you took the next step into womanhood as my wife,” said the Imam. He was facing Stacy Grant so she could read his lips. She shook her head side to side and cowered in the corner.

“You are now my wife under Allah. You will do your duty to your husband,” he said as he removed his shirt. She continued to cower in the corner before deciding she might be able to make a break for it out the door. Darting out of the corner, she almost made it before the Imam grabbed her arm and flung her back into the room. “You will be loyal to your new husband and do his bidding. Any attempt to resist will result in pain. I don’t want to cause you pain, but you will learn your place. Now get ready.”

Stacy again headed for the corner cowering in fear as he started to undo his pants. However, just as he started slipping them down, the door slammed open and two men entered the room, dressed in black and holding suppressed sub machineguns. They quickly looked around the room, found Stacy cowering in the corner wearing the traditional Muslim wedding robes covered in henna and the Imam half dressed. The contractor immediately determined there was only one threat in the room and he knew what was about to happen. The Imam was too shocked at the entry of the two violent looking men to hit the panic alarm and stood motionless in the middle of the room.

“Oh, you sick-” started the contractor as he quickly aimed and let two bursts fly towards the Imam. All four shots hit in the center of his chest and he gasped before falling down. Not content with letting him die slowly and the possibility of him screaming to sound the alarm, the contractor aimed another burst at the Imam’s head and the weapon sputtered once again. Rindo headed over to check on the Imam while the contractor went towards Stacy.

“It’s okay, we’re here to rescue you,” said the man and looked at her. She was afraid of everything at that point, but knew the man didn’t intend to harm her. She looked at him and didn’t say anything. He figured she was in some sort of shock and repeated the comment. She signed at message to him and he immediately called for help.

“You know sign language?” he asked.

“I do,” said Rindo as he walked up and removed the balaclava. His Arabic appearance made her cringe slightly, but she was puzzled by his bushy mustache. Hello, I am Rindo.

I am Nawar…no, it’s Stacy, she said to him.

Either one is a pretty name, he said. Nawar means flower, did you know this?

No, I didn’t, she said. Are you with these people?

No, I came from somewhere else to help you, he said.

From where, she asked.

From Nashville, he answered.

My sister went to Tennessee, said Stacy.

Where is the rest of your family, he asked.

I don’t have a family anymore, she cried with a sad expression on her face.

Where happened to your family, asked Rindo.

My Father told me my Mother was killed because she dishonored the family. My brother was sent away to a special school in Pakistan and my sister ran away a long time ago. She came back very briefly, but ran away again, said Stacy. Are you a Muslim?

I am a Muslim, but I am Kurdish. I do not believe in such things that happened to your family, he said.

I have heard this before. The Imam said your people were non-believers and hated us, said Stacy.

No, we just believe differently. We believe family is central to our lives, said Rindo. What is your last name?

My last name was Grant, said Stacy. But my father told me it is Hassan now.

Which name would you prefer, asked Rindo.

Stacy Grant, said Stacy.

“Where is her father?” asked the contractor. Rindo translated the question.

He went to look for my sister in Tennessee, said Stacy.

Do you have anyone you could go to, asked Rindo.

I don’t know, said Stacy.

Grandparents? Aunts or Uncles, asked Rindo.

My Grandparents are dead and my Uncle lived in California but was killed in a house fire, said Stacy. I would like to find my sister.

You can come with us. We’ll help you find a place to stay until we find your sister, said Rindo.

And my father, asked Stacy.

If he turns back up, we will talk first, said Rindo with cold eyes.

“Where are we taking her?” asked Rindo.

“Any ideas?” asked the contactor.

“She wants to go to Tennessee with me and hopefully find her sister. I can turn her over to the State and she can be reunited with her sister,” said Rindo.

“I’m sure they will ask some pointed questions,” said the contractor.

“They are good at keeping secrets. And the death of the Imam will eventually get out and they will put two and two together. But they will know it was for the better,” said Rindo.

“And the rest of the community?” asked the contractor.

“Let’s hope nobody worse replaces him,” said Rindo. “And the rest leave here quietly.”

“Can you swear the girl to secret?” asked the contractor.

“Possibly, but she will probably need counseling after tonight,” said Rindo.

“See to it she gets it,” said the contractor. “I’ll help if money is a concern.”

“I think the healing will start when she is reunited with her sister. Her mother is dead and her father is a soulless corpse walking around. Her brother is being brainwashed at one of the extremist schools in Pakistan and she has nobody in this country for the moment. It is best to get her to someone she can cling to and to a family which will love and take care of her,” said Rindo.

“But she’s probably going to need deprogramming,” said the contractor.

“Again, time will tell,” said Rindo. “But let’s discuss this another time my friend. I fear we have tempted fate long enough here and should leave now.”

“I’ll take lead,” said the contractor. “Let her know what we are doing.”

We are going to take a trip, he signed to her.

Where, asked Stacy.

To your sister in Tennessee. Do you want to go there, he asked.

Yes, I would love to see my sister, she signed back.

We need to be very quiet now as we leave. You will walk with me and if anything happens, run to the nearest hospital and ask for help. I will protect you as we go away, he signed to her.

Thank you for helping me, she signed with a brief smile.

It is my pleasure, he signed back and readied his weapon to leave. They departed down the hallway towards the main mosque area before checking the exit. The guards were still sitting at the front gate, bored and watching TV. The contractor and Rindo made a dash for the perimeter once again and slipped under the fence into the woods. They were slowed slightly by Stacy, but Rindo ended up picking her up and carrying her part of the way. The support vehicle met them at the pickup point and whisked them away from the scene.

It took nearly six hours for the community to find the Imam and Ramzi. They never detected the two men entering or leaving. And once they started taking accountability, they found the other family bound as well. But most startling was the fact Nawar Hassan was missing. The most senior member of the community sent a message to Abdul Ali notifying him of the situation. He requested instructions and waited patiently for a reply.

********************

“Your other daughter has been taken from the community,” said Abdul Ali.

“To where?” asked Mohammed Hassan.

“We don’t know. She disappeared in the middle of the night. The Imam and Ramzi are also dead, both of them shot,” said Ali.

“What?!” demanded another in their group.

“Apparently two barbarians broke into the mosque last night, killed them and abducted Nawar,” said Ali.

“What do we do now?” asked another member of the group.

“We stay the course and assist our brother with restoring his honor,” said Ali. “We have laid low long enough for interest to die down in you and can move a little easier now.”

“We stay the course and let our brothers be slain by infidels? Just like that?” asked Hassan.

“It is Allah’s will,” said Abdul. “But we will have our time.”

********************

“Why are we over at the Sheriff’s office?” asked Cindy as she sat in the conference room.

“I don’t know and Mitch wouldn’t say,” said Charlie, who had been alerted to the meeting, but not the particulars. Possibly her father had been found, but there was nothing on the news about it. So he had to wait like everyone else. He fumbled with the small package in his pocket, nervous about the situation he was in today. But he knew it was best. A visitor walked into the room, completely unexpected by Charlie and Cindy.

“Agent Anderson!” exclaimed Cindy.

“Hello you two,” he said as he shook both their hands.

“What are we doing here?” asked Charlie.

“I have a present for Cindy,” said Agent Anderson.

“What?” asked Cindy, wondering what the agent could possibly get her.

“Hang on,” he said and headed into the adjacent room. Coming back in, he held the door open for another person to walk in. Cindy’s eyes bugged out of her head and she was out of the chair like a shot, running to Stacy. However, she was met halfway as her sister darted towards her as well. A tear filled reunion happened right there in the middle of the conference room as a small part of the Grant family was able to reunite itself.

What happened? How did you get here, asked Cindy.

Some men rescued me and one brought me here, said Stacy.

I’m so happy you are safe, exclaimed Cindy as she gave her little sister another hug. While she was smiling, the tears flowed down her face and the rest decided to give the two an opportunity to be alone for a moment. They headed out of the room towards the adjacent conference room where they could watch the two and not disturb them.

“So what happened?” asked Charlie.

“We aren’t sure. We know the Imam is dead, don’t know how, just that he died and suddenly Stacy shows up at our doorstep,” said Anderson, lying to protect Rindo. He had traveled from New York on a private charter aircraft to Nashville and deposited Stacy with Anderson. He had given the story from his perspective and let Anderson draw his own conclusions. However, he had framed the story right as he had felt a threat to Stacy Grant’s life and well being from the Imam. And he had stopped the threat.

Stacy had been debriefed and it was determined she was suffering from mild Stockholm Syndrome and would need some time with the psychologists before she could return to the “normal” world. There were few details about what happened in New York, but the passing of the Imam had made the news, although reported as “natural causes.” Anderson supposed lead mixing with selected human anatomy at high speed was natural enough.

“Just fell over dead huh?” asked Charlie, not believing a word of it.

“Something like that. The Lord works in mysterious ways,” said Anderson.

“And her sister?” asked Charlie.

“Her name is Stacy and she’s going to need some help before being able to rejoin her sister. She was in there for a while and was starting to get the brainwashing like the others. But we have a special hospital that can help,” said Anderson.

“Who’s footing the bill for that?” asked Charlie.

“Some lady in New York. Her husband was murdered and she wanted the inheritance spent on children with psychological problems. I have friends in New York and they said Stacy was picked for the sponsorship,” said Anderson.

“Awful nice of her,” said Charlie.

“And Cindy can have full visitation rights during that time. It’s at Vanderbilt, so it’s not too far to go,” said Anderson.

“How long and what happens to her when she gets done?” asked Charlie.

“Well, she technically isn’t a ward of the State yet as her father is still sole guardian. But, since her sister is here, I think New York won’t mind letting her stay,” said Anderson.

“And afterwards?” asked Charlie.

“She’ll need a foster home until a determination can be made on her status,” said Anderson. “And of course access to Cindy would be very helpful as well.”

“Are you setting me up?” grinned Charlie.

“Would I do anything like that?” laughed Anderson.

“I think I know a family, or close enough, that might be willing to take her in,” said Charlie.

“Best start on your sign language now,” said Anderson with a chuckle.

Who is that man, asked Stacy as Charlie wandered back into the room.

That’s Charlie, he’s a good man. I’ve been living with him, said Cindy.

He is the one that helped you, asked Stacy.

Yes, him and another woman, said Cindy.

Can I stay there too, asked Stacy.

“Charlie? Can Stacy stay with us until…whenever?” asked Cindy.

“I don’t know, it depends,” he replied.

“Depends on?” asked Cindy.

“She has to go into a hospital for a while, but afterwards-,” he started to say and was cut off.

“Hospital?!” exclaimed Cindy.

“Your sister needs to be put into a hospital for a while. She has some psychological issues that need to be worked through before she can move on,” said Charlie.

“Will I be able to see her?” asked Cindy.

“She’s going to be in Nashville, so anytime you want to go, we’ll go,” said Charlie.

“And afterwards?” asked Cindy.

“Depends on how quickly you can teach Erica and me sign language,” said Charlie with a smile.

Cindy bounced up and gave him a hug, thanking him for helping and promising to teach them both sign language before she got out of the hospital. She and Stacy talked more while Charlie headed out to let Erica know the news. But as he called her from the outer room, she informed him she was already walking in the door and why didn’t he call her when he found out Cindy was going to be reunited with her sister. I wanted to see that, you’ve got to remember things like that Charlie they mean a lot and continued on as she walked towards the conference room, guided by a deputy and still giving him down the road over the phone. However, when she arrived, she dropped the phone on the floor and her mouth quickly followed.

“Erica Vivian Chase, will you marry me?” asked Charlie, down on a knee and holding up a box with a beautiful engagement ring.

She was speechless as tears formed in her eyes. But the smile on her face told him the answer he needed to hear. Cindy and Stacy had quietly moved to the back of the room and Cindy was happy as well. Stacy didn’t know exactly what was going on, but figured her sister would fill her in later. But still, Erica didn’t reply and stood there with the tears and huge smile.

“Well?” he asked.

“Yes, yes, yes, a thousand times yes!” she cried and observed the ring. He slipped it on and found it was a perfect fit. She rewarded his act with a long passionate kiss and earned a “woo hoo!” and catcall from Cindy in the back of the room. They broke off the embrace momentarily, although still in each other’s arms.

“Guess that certificate might have to have a date change,” she winked at him.

“Reckon so,” he said with a grin.

“I love you Charlie,” she said and gave him another peck on the lips.

“I love you Erica,” he said and pecked right back.

********************

“I Mohammed Mohammed Hassan with Allah as my witness do hereby disown my daughter, Haseena Hassan because she had become corrupted by this world and has become impure. Additionally, my former wife was defiled and has been dealt with as shari’a law would dictate. My former daughter, Haseena Hassan, will additionally be judged as shari’a law would decide as she has dishonored my family and me.”

“I do hereby renounce all ties with Haseena Hassan as well as Nawar Hassan and declare them to be orphans until such time as Allah judges them,” said the Governor of Tennessee as he finished reading the announcement from the New York Times. “What is this and what does it mean?”

“An official announcement in a paper. Not exactly legally binding, but enough so that it could be,” said the Attorney General.

“Okay,” said the Governor with the unspoken message to continue.

“This technically makes Cindy Grant and Stacy Grant orphans and wards of the State if we push it through the courts. And there’s no reason why we couldn’t contact a judge and let them know how we feel about it,” said the Attorney General. “And since they are in Tennessee, under our legal purview, they are ours to do with as we please.”

“Which means?” asked the Governor.

“They would be officially foster children and can be adopted,” said the Attorney General.

“With families lined up around the corner waiting for them both,” said the Governor.

“Including your wife?” laughed the Attorney General.

“She’ll probably be right behind yours,” he laughed in return. “Seriously, get that lady from child services, what’s her name, and let her know about this. Have her assigned to the case file.”

“Are we thinking of the special circumstances and offering her to Charlie Gray and Erica Chase?” asked the Attorney General.

“If they so desire,” said the Governor and followed with a laugh. “Raising a teenager isn’t easy.”

“True, but they’ve done a pretty dynamite job with Cindy so far,” said the Attorney General. “And I’ll work out the details with New York. They’ll probably agree outright since it relieves them of a problem.”

“Never did find that agent from up there did they?” asked the Governor.

“Nope, never did,” said the Attorney General.

“And the search for her father?” asked the Governor.

“Nothing yet. They are searching all over the Northeast, but who knows,” said the Attorney General. “He’ll pop up eventually; they always do.”

“Keep an eye out just in case,” said the Governor. He still had an uneasy feeling about the whole affair since the father still hadn’t turned up. But dismissed it to the back of his mind while he got back to running his State.

[610Alpha]

I smell a fight a brewin'

[Pop_45]

I smell a fight as well. I'm for sure it will be Charlie and Erica, as well as Mitch and Sarrah. Toby's family as well. I wouldn't rule out Jeff Tillman (I think that was his name) either. So many possibilities Great story Grand. Thank you for increasing the posts to daily. I don't think my heart could have stood waiting a week between posts. LOL

[Yeti]

I'm just wondering what other fallout out from the states realizing that the 37 that withheld funds that they actually put in more than they were getting back.

[hua man]

I know of a judge in Juvenile Court who would be instrumental in this. Nice to the children, but as an adult, you would need to watch your P's and Q's and the rest of your letters. Want her name?

[610Alpha]

@hua man - FYI this is a writing of fiction.

[610Alpha]

@Grand -- 37K+ views on this thread...I hope that makes you feel good about your story, I know it would me. Thanks again for sharing your talent.

[Grand58742]

I know of a judge in Juvenile Court who would be instrumental in this. Nice to the children, but as an adult, you would need to watch your P's and Q's and the rest of your letters. Want her name?

LOL, I was thinking Judge Judy for the Agent (not so much now) and Judge William Young for the Imam (never mind lol), and Judge Milan on Rep Harley Waters.

[Grand58742]

CHAPTER 65



Mitch rolled up into the driveway in his truck as Cindy and Charlie were outside working in the warm spring day. Cindy was busy raking up the remainder of the leaves which fell and blew in from the winter and Charlie was busy cleaning out the gutter around the porch of the house in anticipation of the spring rains.

“Howdy Mitch, what brings you down this way on a nice Saturday?” asked Charlie turning slightly on the ladder and grabbing another handful of the gunk in the gutter.

“Hey Charlie, came by to grab a bale of hay. Is that okay?” asked Mitch after getting out of his truck.

“Sure, just one?” asked Charlie.

“Yeah, shouldn’t need more than one. The ruts where I parked my trailer got fairly muddy this past winter. Dug them out and smoothed them over, but I need something to put down before I sow some grass,” said Mitch.

“Go ahead and grab two. Cindy? Want to give him a hand?” asked Charlie.

“Sure, c’mon Sheriff sir,” she said and propped the rake against the mail box. The traveled the short distance around the house to the barn and opened the main door. Mitch took a look inside at the interior and it looked different for some reason.

“Something’s different here,” he remarked.

“Besides the twenty tons of hay I moved by hand the past winter?” she laughed.

“No…something’s missing,” he said and looked around.

“He put the engine back into the Firebird,” said Cindy.

“He what?” asked Mitch.

“He’s been working, well, we’ve been working on the Firebird lately. An hour here and there, but it’s been adding up,” said Cindy.

“You don’t say,” said Mitch with a smile and a laugh.

“What’s the big deal anyway?” asked Cindy.

“Honey, Charlie ain’t touched that car since the day Annie died. She bought it for him a few months before she passed on,” said Mitch.

“She what?” asked Cindy.

“Charlie always talked about restoring an old car, rebuilding it from the ground up. She bought the car for him as kind of a project since he was driving her nuts worrying over her and the baby. When she died, he pretty much stopped work on it all together and hasn’t touched it since. I haven’t seen or even heard of him going near the darn thing since he put it up on blocks and pulled the engine about a week before she died,” explained Mitch.

“Wonder what made him start back on it?” asked Cindy.

“Yeah, I wonder what,” said Mitch, but in a knowing tone.

“What?” asked Cindy with a confused look on her face.

“Nothing,” he said with a smile.

“Did I do something wrong?” she asked.

“Nothing at all,” he said and grabbed a bale of hay. She grabbed the other and walked back over to Mitch’s truck and tossed it into the bed. It was a far cry from when she could barely move one bale by herself when she first started. She had toned up and gotten stronger since Charlie met her and was getting even more so. It was something the local boys noticed as well as they shot approving glances her way every time they were over. It fretted Charlie slightly, but she had a good head on her shoulders and was a very proper young lady around the boys. And she still had Toby coming around every so often attempting to court her, but shying away when she showed even the slightest attention.

“So Cindy tells me you’re working on the Firebird,” said Mitch after he put his own bale in the bed of the truck.

“Yeah, got the motor finished up and put back in. Body work is still coming along, but it should be finished in the next few weeks. Not much to fix on it,” he said.

“Want to show me?” asked Mitch.

“Sure, need a break anyway,” said Charlie as he hopped off the bottom step of the ladder and wiped his hands on the rag in his back pocket. The car was still without the body panels and the interior was still barren, but the heart of the vehicle was already set back inside and bolted down to the mounts. “Any reason you decided to start working on it again?”

“Just felt like doing it,” said Charlie. “Sat there long enough. Listen to this.”

Charlie started the motor and a hearty rumble came from the exhaust. It purred like a kitten at idle and he tapped the accelerator several times to gun the engine. It roared each time as the vehicle rocked back and forth from the torque in the engine.

“Oh that’s nice,” remarked Mitch. “Right purty sounding.”

“I’ll give you county boys a run for your money when she’s done,” said Charlie with a grin.

“Cindy helping out?” asked Mitch.

“Yeah, swapping tools, holding parts and whatnot. She doesn’t really know much about engines yet, but I’m kind of teaching her along the way,” said Charlie.

“Uh-huh,” said Mitch in another knowing tone.

“Oh, now don’t you even start with me Mitch Brewer,” said Charlie.

“I think it’s great Charlie. You going to keep the original color or something else?” asked Mitch.

“Dunno. I kind of like the original black idea, but Cindy thought the red might be nice. I’m inclined to agree,” said Charlie.

“How about both? Red with the black racing stripes?” asked Mitch.

“That could work as well,” said Charlie. “But Erica also mentioned the blue color. It’s kinda growing on me.”

“Well, you have to let me give it a whirl when you get done,” said Mitch.

“No problems,” said Charlie as he saw the look on Mitch’s face. “You got something on your mind?”

“Just kind of strange. That car sat in pieces for seven years and you all but ignored it except to move the parts around and clean the rust from time to time. And all the sudden you felt the urge to start working on it again,” said Mitch.

“Just felt like it. I’m allowed you know,” said Charlie defensively.

“Charlie, it’s not a big deal. I’m glad you two found something to do together,” said Mitch.

“Don’t give me that father daughter bonding crap. Your psychology and Jedi mind tricks won’t work on me,” laughed Charlie.

“Well, she ain’t your daughter bud, so you can’t exactly bond with her,” laughed Mitch.

“Not stopping me in your mind,” laughed Charlie.

“No, but you have to admit, you two have clicked from just about day one,” said Mitch.

“Yeah, like the daughter I never wanted. And I’ve still got boys coming around eyeballing her,” sighed Charlie.

“You sound like a worried father,” laughed Mitch.

“She put the stop sign out without my help. She’s really got a good head on her shoulders,” said Charlie.

“Still worries you though,” laughed Mitch.

“I know how I was at their age,” laughed Charlie.

“So there always is that possibility of her being your daughter,” said Mitch.

“Come again?” asked Charlie.

“Well, since her father is nowhere to be found and gave up all rights anyway, she’s legally up for adoption,” said Mitch.

“And you think I should go that route?” asked Charlie.

“Couldn’t think of a better person myself,” said Mitch.

“I’m still not legally married,” said Charlie, thinking the matter through somewhat.

“That could be fixed as well,” said Mitch. “I can think of at least one person who would marry you in a heartbeat.”

“Yeah, she’s been waiting patiently,” said Charlie. “But we haven’t set a date yet.”

“And how is Mary Worthington these days?” asked Mitch with a twinkle in his eyes.

“You’re killing me,” said Charlie with a laugh and a roll of his eyes. “If you weren’t my best friend, I’d probably say something rude about now.”

“Where is Erica anyway?” asked Mitch.

“Grocery shopping,” said Charlie.

“Pretty stable home life if you ask me,” said Mitch, suggesting more to it than that.

“What are you two monkeys talking about?” asked Cindy as she came around the house.

“Oh nothing, just catching up,” said Charlie.

“Mitch, you sticking around for lunch?” asked Cindy.

“Reckon I could. You cooking or will we have to suffer through Charlie’s inept skills in the kitchen,” said Mitch.

“No, I’m heating up the leftover chicken and dumplings from last night. My first try,” said Cindy.

“Maybe I should skip out on lunch,” said Mitch with a twinkle in his eyes.

“Might save you a trip to the emergency room later on,” said Charlie as he nudged Mitch.

“Hey!” exclaimed Cindy.

“It ain’t half bad for a first time. She did a good job,” said Charlie.

“See if I cook for you again. Half bad?” said Cindy as she threw her nose in the air.

“Might want to smile when you are eating it and compliment it continuously,” said Mitch.

“You’ll be right there with me, old and dear friend,” laughed Charlie.

“Bout ten more minutes,” said Cindy.

“Give me time to wash up. I’m trying not to get too dirty,” said Mitch.

“Big date?” asked Cindy.

“Yeah, dinner with Sarah’s folks tonight,” said Mitch.

“Any date Mitch has is going to be big,” laughed Charlie. “But with the in-laws, it’s even worse.”

“That I can understand,” said Cindy. “But I wouldn’t worry too much. You’re a decent guy, sort of, so you shouldn’t worry.”

“Sort of a decent guy?” asked Mitch.

“Well, being the law and all. I mean, everyone had their faults,” she said with a grin.

“You let her talk to public servants like this?” Mitch asked Charlie.

“She doesn’t do it with me,” he laughed.

“Course, I remember when you had a few choice words to say about the law as well,” laughed Mitch.

“Can I go for a run before lunch? I’ve got my chores finished,” she announced.

“Got the raking done?” he asked.

“And the composters turned and the firewood stacked and the coops cleaned and-” she continued and was cut off by Charlie.

“Go, go. Use that energy from your mouth on something else,” he laughed. He and Mitch headed into the house where the leftovers were finished warming. Cindy came bounding back down the stairs and headed out of the front door on her run. Mitch and Charlie ate and caught up on other things while discussing the upcoming baseball season. As they finished eating, the phone rang and Charlie answered it. He spoke for only a few moments before hanging up and heading back in. They walked back onto the front porch and looked out over the yard.

“Like the new fence,” said Mitch.

“Erica picked out the design,” said Charlie.

“And the flower beds?” asked Mitch.

“She did that as well,” said Charlie.

“And I see your plans for redoing the kitchen over there,” said Mitch as he stretched out his neck to see the doodles Charlie had made on a piece of paper.

“She made a comment the cabinets were kind of bland and I agreed,” said Charlie. “I was taking some measurements and figuring out what was needed for the job.”

“She’s getting you trained just right,” laughed Mitch. “She’s moving in when?”

“Nearly moved already,” said Charlie. “Already put her house on the market.”

They spoke for several more minutes and came to the decision turnabouts were fair play and Mitch agreed to being Charlie’s best man at the yet to be determined wedding. Again, he prodded at Charlie as Charlie had prodded at him, but knew there wasn’t anyone else in the world that should be standing at the altar with Charlie. They continued talking about this and that when as Mack Reynolds’ truck was seen pulling into the driveway. “Looks like Toby.”

“Yep,” said Charlie.

“And it looks to be somewhat serious,” said Mitch. “He has that look on his face.”

“Yep,” said Charlie.

“Well, I’ll be heading out then. Give me a yell later,” said Mitch as he departed. “Toby, nice to see you.”

“You too sir,” said Toby as he walked towards the porch.

“Toby, what brings you out here?” asked Charlie as he stood on the porch. He had already been alerted to the visit by Mack who had called ahead.

“I came by to talk to you Mister Gray. Wanted your permission on something,” said Toby nervously.

“And what’s that?” asked Charlie, figuring he was going to ask Cindy out on a date.

“Well, prom’s coming up and I was wondering if Cindy was available to ask as my date,” he said quietly.

“Don’t you think you should be asking her this?” asked Charlie.

“Better to ask your permission first sir,” said Toby.

“Your Daddy put you up to asking?” asked Charlie.

“Yes sir. Told me I should check in with you first before asking her,” said Toby.

“Can you think of a good reason for me to say no?” asked Charlie.

“No sir. I’ll treat her right and proper. She’s not like the rest of the girls I know. She’s really grown up and not into the whole who’s popular and who’s not. A real down to earth kind of girl,” said Toby.

“Any other reason you want to ask?” asked Charlie.

“Well sir, she’s really pretty and doesn’t play games with me. I mean, lots of the girls just won’t take the hint I’m just not interested in them. She doesn’t pay me any mind when I come around. Kind of makes me like her even more,” said Toby.

“You think she’ll say yes?” he asked.

“Dunno sir. Figured I would give it a shot,” said Toby, worried that Mister Gray wouldn’t give his permission.

“You can ask her. I can think of far worse folks for her to go to prom with. You’re a good kid and your Daddy would skin you alive if you did anything improper,” said Charlie.

“No sir! I wouldn’t do anything like that!” protested Toby.

“I know you wouldn’t. She’s out for a run right now, but should be back anytime,” said Charlie.

“So I have your permission sir?” asked Toby.

“Yes, you have my permission, but it’s her decision to make,” said Charlie.

“Thank you sir,” said Toby and went over to wait for her by his truck. Charlie wondered if Toby was going to get too nervous in the meantime and leave, but knew he needed to man up and talk to her at the very least. He also knew there was enough mutual interest there for her to say yes and needed to rectify the problems associated with prom. Wandering back into the house, he got on the computer and entered some unusual search words into the engine. He was fairly surprised at the amount of hits he got, but got down to business as he usually did.

Outside, Toby was getting a little more nervous at the waiting. He had been brave on the way over, but with the waiting, he started to feel a little more nervous about the whole situation and wondered if he should call it off and head to his house. But just as he had decided to leave, he saw her coming around the end of the road jogging in to the house. When she saw the truck, she slowed to a walk and started cooling down.

“Hi,” she said with a smile as she past him to the porch where the water bottle and her towel were at. She wondered why Toby was here and heard him slowly walking up behind her.

“Cindy?” she heard him ask in almost a whisper.

“Toby?” she asked in return with a smile.

“I…I was wondering about something…are you…have you been asked to go to the prom yet?” he finally just blurted out.

“No, since I’m not in school, I haven’t been asked,” she said as she stretched out.

“Oh, so nobody’s asked you?” he asked.

“No, nobody’s asked me,” she replied.

“Oh,” he said and stood there nervously.

“Something you want to ask?” she asked after several moments of silence.

“I was wondering if you wanted to go to the prom,” he said.

“Well, I’m not really in school, but I think it would be nice to go,” she said.

“Oh,” he said with a shy smile and looked at her.

“You want to just ask and get it over with?” she stated after several more moments of silence.

“I uhh, I was wondering if you would…would you go to the prom with me?” he asked, finally getting the bravery to do so.

“How long did it take you to get up the nerve to ask me?” she asked with a grin.

“About two weeks,” he admitted with a shy grin.

“And none of the other girls want to go with you?” she asked.

“Don’t know, didn’t ask them. You’re different from all them anyway,” he said.

“Different how?” she asked.

“Not a bad different, I mean, you’re a whole lot more mature than they are. You’re pretty and have a nice personality and I was thinking it might be nice if I could take you to the prom instead of one of them,” he said.

“Awww, that’s sweet,” she said, toying with him a bit.

“So, will you be my date for the prom?” he asked, getting to the point.

“I’ll have to check with Charlie, but I think it will be okay,” she said.

“Does that mean you are saying yes?” he asked.

“Yes, I will go to the prom with you,” she said. “But only if Charlie says it’s okay.”

“I already talked to him and he said it was up to you,” said Toby.

“But I still need to ask him. It’s the proper thing to do,” said Cindy.

“Okay…can I call sometime and find out what he said?” asked Toby.

“Are you really going to call or get nervous and not pick up the phone?” she grinned.

“I uhh, I’ll call,” he said with a shy grin.

“Anything else?” she asked.

“No, I think that’s about it,” he said. Giving her another grin, he got back into his truck and drove off, watching her in the rear view mirror and almost running off the road. She laughed as he disappeared from sight and went into the house. She saw Charlie on the computer and figured she would get cleaned up before talking to him about her prom date. It really was his choice, but if he had already given Toby permission to ask, he shouldn’t have a problem with it should he?

Charlie heard her coming back in and heading upstairs to get a shower after her run. He chose the two day delivery option and hoped it would get there to surprise her. The shoes were an entirely different matter, but he felt he could pick a dress when it came down to it. He got an e-mail in his inbox from someone he didn’t expect to get an e-mail from. He looked it over and decided it would be for the best if he did go through with it. He had some other items that needed to be worked first with Erica, but she would probably encourage it. Making a decision in his mind, he dialed up Jimmy Kellogg.

“Jimmy…Charlie Gray here…good and you…need some legal advice…tomorrow sounds okay…oh you’re going to be in Erwin day after tomorrow, great…yeah, see you then instead…just something I think I can use some help on…okay then…bye.”

Charlie knew he was crossing a big line with his actions, but also knew it was for the best. He simply didn’t trust anyone else to do what he was about to do and made sure he was at the front of the line when it came down to it.

[CLT46910]

Not often I say something to a writer, but you Sir, are blessed with a good imagination and very talented skills as a writer.

[Bear4570]

I figured that the first 60 chapters were outstanding, the last five....extraordinary...you sir are a wonderful writer.

[Grand58742]

I know I don't say it enough, but I want to thank all the readers for their support and kind words. I appreciate the time you take to read the story and provide feedback.

[Ozarks Lady]

Well I finally got caught up with this great story. You've been busy Grand. Thank you so much.

I have always worried about Cindy and her going running. I don't think, knowing her father and his "friends" are looking for her, that I would let her out of sight to run a mile or two. Scary...... :-)

[MKIDAHO]

Wow! Finally caught up. Great read.