His Daddy's Car

Bobby went into the house for a tour by his sister Franc, and then joined Jason at the barbeque where he was preparing it for the burgers they would be grilling for dinner. JR went into the house to wash his hands and help Joey with his chores, which consisted mainly of feeding his fish and the family dog.

Bobby looked around their lot, which were actually two 3-acre lots combined. While they fenced the lots as one, they never joined the deeds and built and landscaped only one of them. They retained the second lot as a buffer from their neighbors, and in the hopes that someday in the future, Joey may want to build his own home on that lot. They had landscaped the front yard of their lot with grass and a few flower beds, but the back yard had seen considerably more effort in the form of an expansive wooden deck that led down to the in-ground swimming pool with adjacent hot tub. All of the new-growth trees evident on other lots had been removed, and only about a half dozen mature live oaks remained to shade the beautiful St. Augustine turf covering the rest of the lot. It looked better than virtually any city park that Bobby had seen in his travels.

Bobby accepted a beer from Jason and leaned against the deck railing, "How's the team this year, coach?"

Jason replied, "Good kids needing to learn the fundamentals. Problem I have is that almost every kid on the team has parents -- in particular fathers -- who commute to San Antonio for work. In most cases the drives take less than an hour, but it makes it hard for any of them to commit to assisting with the team. When I have a case that I'm assigned, my schedule isn't as flexible, and we end up cancelling a lot of practices during the week, which really impacts the games on Saturdays. We only have one game left this season though, next Saturday. It's really not fair to the kids, but Francis keeps telling me that "a little is better than none", and I guess she's right to some extent."

Francis brought a platter of burgers out and Jason started putting them on the grill. Francis returned to the house, leaving Jason and Bobby to continue their conversation.

"So Joey seems pretty tight with JR," said Bobby. "How does he know him, besides the team of course?"

Jason said, "JR is one of the Freemans from that huge house at the end of the cul-de-sac."

"I haven't seen the house, so I'll take your word for its size. So it's a family and not just JR and a single mom?" Bobby asked?

"Katie -- JR's mom -- and him live there with her parents," said Jason. "They were the first family to build here when the sub-division opened, so I guess they've been here about 9 years now. Nice folks, good neighbors. The parents aren't that old, but they are both currently in a nursing home in San Antonio for different medical reasons, and that's why we have JR here until his mom gets back from her daily visit to them. She should be joining us pretty soon. Her and Francis have become very close friends."

***

As Katie drove towards her house, she noticed something on the side of the road where she normally parked when visiting the Reids or picking up JR. When she pulled in behind it, she saw a relatively small car under a canvas cover. Obvious from the shape, it was a convertible, but not much else was identifiable about the make or model.

She then remembered that Francis had mentioned her brother had recently relocated to the area, and would be visiting them, but didn't remember if that was supposed to be today. While Katie knew that JR and Joey were friends, and the Reids were always genuine in their willingness to have JR at their home, she hated to impose on them as much as she had lately. Now it appears, she and her son were intruding on Francis' reunion with her brother, and Katie felt really bad about that. She would pick up JR and they would leave the Reids to their own family gathering.

Katie walked to the front door and rang the bell. JR answered and greeted his mom with a yell, "Mom, you're here!", and a warm hug. Francis hollered for Katie to join her in the kitchen, so she separated herself from JR and they walked through the house together.

When Katie entered the kitchen, she began to apologize to Francis about forgetting the visit from her brother, and that she and JR would leave them alone for their reunion.

Francis frowned, "Katie, you and JR are like family, so unless you want to be disowned immediately, you'll knock that nonsense off. I knew Bobby was coming today and if I didn't want you here, I would have told you so. So there!"

Katie's expression changed just for an instant, but Francis noticed it. "Is something else wrong? How are your parents?" she asked.

Katie replied, "They're improving, in fact Dad could probably leave and come home at any time, but he won't leave Mom there while she is still having the physical therapy sessions. Your brother's name is 'Bobby'?"

"Yeah," Francis said. "He's the baby of the family, but he and I were always the closest. While my older siblings were both girls, they came first and had already paired up by the time I was born. So, even though he was a boy, Bobby and I always were paired together. His work has kept us apart, but we talk on the phone more than Jason and I do. I am so glad he has moved close by so Joey can get to know him as well. This is the first time they have met."

Katie was getting some strange intuitive feelings starting to rise from foggy memories trying to push themselves to the surface of her mind, and she tried to ignore them.

Francis interrupted Katie's thoughts when she said, "Come on, grab that tray of condiments and follow me. I'll introduce you to my baby brother."

With increasing trepidation that she couldn't understand, Katie took the tray and followed Francis out onto the back deck where Jason and Bobby were discussing little league baseball.

Bobby noticed the back door open and watched Francis coming towards them with a plate of corn on the cob and buns for the burgers. She paused to yell for Joey and JR to come out for dinner, and then continued towards Jason at the barbeque.

Francis was followed out of the door by a relatively tall woman that Bobby assumed was JR's mom. She had the same blonde hair, and even behind the stylish glasses that she wore, Bobby could see that her eyes were the same green-hazel color as her son's.

She was looking down to watch the slight step down as she exited the door, but as soon as she cleared the screen door and it swung closed, she raised her eyes and immediately found Bobby's looking back at her.

It was almost like a cartoon or movie special effects to watch the color drain from her face -- literally from the top of her forehead and then down her face, neck, and arms -- as she turned ghostly white. Her eyes rolled up into her head as she collapsed to the deck just as JR and Joey were coming out the door.

The tray of condiments dropped, with jars and bottles rolling in every direction. Bobby was first to her, but Francis yelled at him not to move Katie as she dropped her load onto the table and rushed over to her friend.

JR hollered, "Mom!" and knelt down beside her asking what was wrong.

Francis told Jason to get the first aid kit out of the kitchen and he was back within seconds. By this time another man had appeared beside JR and put his hand on his shoulder.

JR looked up, "Something's wrong with Mom, Uncle Kirby."

Kirby Wallace patted JR's shoulder and said, "I think everyone should stand back and let Francis check Katie out."

While he said this to the crowd in general, his eyes never left Bobby's when he spoke the words. Bobby, Jason, and Joey all moved back to give Francis space, while Kirby pulled JR back with him in the opposite direction from everyone else.

Over Kirby's shoulder, Bobby could see another man, positioned almost as if he was covering his partner with a weapon still concealed, but readily available.

After quickly assessing Katie for neck or head injuries, and seeing no other open wounds or injuries evident, Francis removed some smelling salts from the first aid kit, cracked the vial beneath Katie's nose and waved it briefly. Katie recovered rather quickly, but it took her a second or two before where she was and what had happened reached her consciousness.

With the help of Francis, Katie sat up and looked around.

Kirby spoke to Katie, "I'm here to take you and JR home as soon as you're ready."

Francis told Kirby that she wanted Katie to recover for at least half an hour so that she could further assess her condition and why she may have fainted. Francis asked Katie if she thought she could walk, and when Katie nodded, Francis helped her to her feet and led her into the house.

Francis directed Katie to the downstairs guest room and had her lie on the bed while she went to get a cool rag to place on her forehead. When Francis returned with the rag and placed it on Katie's head, she then sat down on the bed beside her and started asking questions.

The first were standard, "Do you know where you are? Do you know what day it is?" et cetera.

The next question made Katie gasp, "Is it possible that you might be pregnant?" Francis asked.

Katie didn't know why she answered as she did, but it must have been the recent shock of seeing Bobby that started her down that path.

"You may not believe this Francis, but I haven't had sex since JR was conceived. When I had to unexpectedly desert his father, and the love of my life, I took a vow of celibacy as my penance for the pain in my heart, and I'm sure in his as well. He has no idea why I disappeared, where I am, or even that he has a son. While I can't change that, I can honor the love we had by remaining forever true to him."

Francis was stunned. Not only by Katie's confession, but also by the similarities to the ordeal that her brother had been through with that Patty girl he was dating in high school.

In all the time that Patty and Bobby had been together, she had met every immediate member of his family except the youngest sister, Francis -- or "Franc" as Bobby called her. When Patty and Bobby first met, Francis had just finished high school and was on a youth tour of Europe with her church group. Immediately after that year-long tour, she had gone off to college here in San Antonio. Fate would have it that every time Francis came home for a visit, Patty was previously committed to some event with her family and they just never actually met.

Francis told Katie, "Katie, I'm so sorry for you. I have no first-hand experience with a love loss such as yours, but I spent years trying to bring Bobby out of his funk when a girl he loved just disappeared. He never has gotten over her and continues looking for her to this day. I think that he could move on if he ever understood why she had left, and if she was okay. He's never really had closure to what happened."

Francis looked closely at Katie, "How this related to you fainting as you walked out onto the deck a few minutes ago."

Katie said, "Please close and lock the door to the room."

Once Francis did, she turned back to return beside Katie on the bed.

"Not one word of what I tell you can leave this room," Katie began. "The safety of mine and your families depends on that. Are you okay with keeping my secret, Francis?"

Francis saw the fear in Katie's face and readily agreed.

Katie took Franc's hand. Katie had tears in her eyes as she said, "Bobby's lucky to have you, Franc. I wish you and I would have met years ago."

"What did you call me?" asked Francis.

Katie said, "Franc, did you ever wonder what "JR" stood for?"

Francis told her, "Joey has mentioned that it stood for 'Junior'."

Katie said, "Well that's only part of the meaning. While he is named after his father, and he is a "junior", they are also his initials. His name is James Robert Brandt, Jr. Bobby is his father."

"Oh my God!" whispered Francis, and now she felt like she was about to faint.

Katie scooted over and let Francis lie beside her on the bed before she could fall to the floor. Lying on her back, Francis turned to Katie and said, "You're Patty?"

"I was Patty," said Katie.

"What happened?" asked Francis.

"I can't get into it all right now because Kirby is sure to be freaking out and I better let him get me and JR home before he goes nuclear."

"So what do you want to do?" asked Francis.

"Don't let anyone know what I have told you. I doubt that Bobby recognized me because my appearance is quite different than when we were together. If we can keep things as they are for a little while longer, the need for secrecy will be over and I should be able to tell Bobby everything. You can help me to keep Bobby in mine and JR's lives, even if it is only by seeing him here for barbeques or at baseball games. However, we must not let Kirby know or suspect that any of us have a history."

"JR is my nephew... he's Joey's cousin," moaned Franc. "Alright Katie, let's work together and we'll be a secret family for now."

As Jason, Bobby and Joey scurried around picking up the condiments that dropped when Katie fainted, Kirby kept his hand on JR's shoulder a safe distance away from the others.

When Bobby had picked up the last mustard bottle and placed it on the table with the rest, he approached Kirby extended his hand and said, "We haven't been introduced. I'm Francis' brother Bobby".

Kirby shook his hand and replied, "Kirby Wallace". Kirby turned to the man waiting behind him and nodded. The man abruptly turned and returned to the black Suburban that Bobby had seen earlier.

Jason walked over and shook Kirby's hand, "I never know when to expect you to drop by Kirby. Care to join us?"

"I think it would be better if I got Katie and JR home and take a rain check on the barbeque," said Kirby.

"Oh Uncle Kirby, can't we stay if mom says it's okay?" asked JR.

"No," was the only response from Kirby, but he was looking directly into Bobby's eyes as he said it.

Jason said, "Well, I better go check on Francis and Katie to see how things are going and if they need anything. Keep an eye on the burgers, will you Bobby?" then he walked into the house.

Bobby headed over to the barbeque and checked the burgers. Not knowing how everyone wanted theirs cooked, he decided to try for medium and he could adjust from there if needed.

Jason and Francis came out of the house after a minute and then were followed shortly by JR's mom.

Francis took Bobby's hand and led him over to where Katie was now standing beside JR and Kirby, and then said, "Katie Freeman, I would like to introduce my baby brother Bobby. Bobby recently relocated to the San Antonio area, so we hope to see him around here on a VERY regular basis."

She wouldn't meet his eyes, but Bobby took Katie's hand to shake it and he could actually feel his heart skip several beats and his mouth instantly went dry. Based upon the look on her face, Bobby sensed that Katie had a similar reaction to his touch, but he couldn't understand the cause.

Simply saying the four words, "Pleased to meet you" took more effort than Bobby would have ever imagined possible.

Katie simply nodded and smiled shyly. Once their hands separated, Katie seemed to recover her voice and while looking down, apologized for disrupting their family reunion. She agreed with Kirby that it might be best if her and JR went home now, but offered to have everyone over to her house after the game on Saturday.

Bobby couldn't understand the disappointment he felt as both Katie and JR left with Kirby. He hadn't been interested in or affected by any woman since he lost Patty, and knowing the intensity of the flame that still burned within him for Patty, he had resigned himself to a life alone unless he could finally find some answers to what had happened.

Katie's presence to him seemed unworldly, spiritual or at the very least strongly familiar, but Bobby couldn't put a finger on why that would be. Other than looking into her eyes and the brief touch of her hand, he had had very little sensory input from their meeting. He hadn't seen much of her movements or mannerisms, he hadn't heard much of her voice, and he didn't recognize anything particular about her smell. Then what was it that made him sense that there was more to this woman?

Bobby returned to the table to help Francis getting everything setup as Jason finished the burgers. After they sat down to eat and had the plates prepared, Bobby asked Jason, "What's the deal with Kirby Wallace and his back-up?"

Jason finished the bite he was chewing and replied, "I don't know all the details of the relationship, but Wallace is some sort of family friend or something. He showed up about a couple of years ago and keeps a pretty close watch on Katie and JR. He often has another guy with him, but Kirby is the only one that ever seems to hang out with Katie and JR directly. The others are always in the background somewhat."

"What does Katie and/or her parents do for a living?" asked Bobby.

Since Jason was working on another bite of his burger, Francis said, "Katie's parents apparently won a large lottery several years back, and that's when they decided to move here and build their home. As one of the first families here, her mom worked to establish the homeowners association, helped draft the covenants, conditions, and restrictions for the association, and headed the architectural control committee until recently. Her father got real involved in helping to establish the local volunteer fire department, helping to raise funds and so on, but he was never actually part of the department due to his age. Katie finished her art degree and now has her own commercial art company, doing things like artist renderings of buildings being proposed by architects... that sort of thing.

Bobby asked, "What about JR's dad?"

Francis kept her focus on the corn she was eating, praying that Jason would field that question before Bobby saw her panicked expression.

Jason jumped in, "No one knows. JR was born right before the Freemans moved into the house and there has never been any man obvious in Katie's life, except Kirby Wallace."

"So Uncle Kirby and Katie are an item?" asked Bobby.

"Not really," said Jason. "Katie has never shown any interest in Wallace other than as someone who looks out for her and JR. He helps with shuttling JR to school or practice if Katie is tied up... things like that. I've never even seen them touch each other, intimately or otherwise. JR calls him Uncle Kirby, and I guess he is more like a big brother to Katie than anything else."

"What kind of work does Kirby do?" asked Bobby.

"Have no clue," said Jason.

Well, Bobby decided that he might just try to find out.

***

Kirby was of a very similar mindset as he left Katie and JR at their front door and returned to his Suburban. He had requested information on the owner of the red Corvair as soon as he saw the California vanity plates, and he was frustrated that it was taking so long to get a response.

As he drove to his office he called in to check on his request and got even more frustrated with the wall he had just run into. The vehicle had a valid registration, but details on the owner were not available through the normal channels. Kirby would need to file a special request through the Department of Homeland Security and wait for review of his 'need to know' before the information would be released to him.

Kirby was astounded. Never before in his capacity as a U.S. Marshal working for the witness protection program had his request for details on any individual been denied. Who was this guy?

Well, there is more than one way to skin a cat, he thought. If Bobby was really the brother of Francis Reid, then getting a complete background on her would likely provide some details he could use to get around the vehicle registration roadblock.