A New Life for Dr. Mitchel Ch. 04

When he had control again Marsh continued to read.

"The last box is the blue one. Marsh, I want you to have this for your new bride. I know that someday you will have one and I can only hope that both you and your new love will like this. It is much like Becky's ring that you designed. I put the other half of the emerald that I cut for your ring, on top with the tiny flaw. I put two more small sapphires on each side. I cut them from one as well. Your new love should know and share the memory of the love you once shared. I feel this in no way disrespects your new love, or cheapens her value. It only reminds her of the depths that your love has reached."

"Thank my sister for giving these to you from me. I pray I will get to see you happy again someday, my brother."

Carlos.

Marsh opened the wooden box again and slipped the chain over his head.

"Let's go Mita. The others are waiting. Is Carlos still in Durango, Mita? I need to see him and thank him in person. This gift is priceless."

"Si, Mi hijo. Carlos still makes fine jewelry for wealthy clients in his shop in Durango. His work is very good, and people pay him well to make their custom pieces. He was so proud that you asked him to make the first rings, and when he heard of your loss he wanted to offer you a gift to help you heal, Mi hijo."

"You tell him his wish is coming true, Mama. I will go and tell him as soon as I can. I love the new rings, and I think Becca will love her new ring, too."

Marguarita smiled at Marsh. "I knew when you got here and introduced her to me Mi hijo. I knew she was the one. That is why I did not want you to leave without the rings. When will you ask her, Marsh? Soon I hope. You need that girl beside you Mi hijo. Don't let her get away. Remember when you first met Becky and you let that other guy get a chance to take her out, because you were too busy? I wanted to blister your butt."

"What do you mean you wanted to? You did blister my butt. And remember how Becky laughed at me when you told her about it? You were always trying to get me in trouble, Mama."

Marsh and Marguarita laughed all the way up to the helipad. Jimmy and Rick had helped Becca get the helo out of the hanger. She could have just flown it out, but since they had time, they took it out and did a thorough walk around inspection while they waited for the two stragglers.

Marsh looked at Marguarita; he smiled and asked her, "Would now be a good time, Mama? What do you think about right now before we leave?"

"Oh yes Mi hijo. Now is a very good time." Marguarita beamed.

"Good time for what? Are we going to load up and make leaving sounds, now?" asked Becca.

"Soon enough," Marsh replied as he took Becca's hand and led her into the hanger. Marsh had a big overstuffed chair in this hanger, but no couch, and no area rug. He led her back to the chair, turned her around, and gave her a gentle push. Becca plopped down in the chair.

Marsh turned and looked at Trish, who was standing right next to Sue. "Would you two come over here and sit on the arms of the chair beside Becca?" he asked.

"OK." Marsh had everyone's attention. "It seems all of us here have had life bending experiences over the last few days. Most of them were pleasant surprises for several of us. Marguarita just pulled another one out of the hat for me, and I want to share it."

Becca was looking intently at Marsh. "What's with the new gold chain? You didn't have that on the last time I saw you."

"A little impatient, are we? I said I was going to share." Marsh reached up and pulled the lower part of the chain out from under his shirt.

"Marguarita' s brother Carlos is a jewelry maker. He works out of a little shop in Durango, Mexico." Marsh paused. "I asked Carlos to make me a custom set of rings for my Becky. He did. Then a few years ago I asked him to make a special little ring for Elise. She had asked her daddy for a ring for her seventh birthday. Carlos made a beautiful ring for a beautiful little girl."

"Last year Carlos asked Marguarita to send him those rings. He knew I had kept them. He took the rings and made this continuous gold chain for them. The chain has no opening or clasp, so it will never accidently come off. Mita gave it to me just before we came out of the house, and I plan to wear it most of the time. I can't think of a reason I would ever take it off, in fact. If anyone wants to see Becky and Elise's rings, you'll just have to get close to me. I'm keeping them close to my heart."

Marsh paused and took a couple of deep breaths. "Trish, Sue I want to ask the two of you if you're OK with me having Mita read the letter that Carlos wrote to me."

Sue and Trish got blank looks on their faces and Sue asked; "Why in the hell should we care?"

"Please tell me it's OK." Marsh insisted.

"It's OK with me, Marsh," answered Trish. "I don't know why you need my permission, but I've told all of these people that I trust you completely, so go for it."

Sue looked at Trish then at Becca. "I hope this letter explains this moment better than you have so far, Marsh. I trust you as well. I've known you longer than everyone here, except Mita and if she thinks the letter is suitable for mixed company I'm OK with it. I'm pretty sure she wouldn't read it if she thought it was bad for anyone."

Marguarita began reading the letter. Everyone nodded as she repeated her brother's words.

Mita paused before starting the second section of the letter. "This is going to be show and tell." Marsh said as he pulled the red box out of his pocket. He handed the box to Rick, and asked Rick to pass the box around, as Marguarita read.

There were several gasps, and someone said, "Oh wow! That's beautiful."

Jenni was the last person to get a chance to see the platinum ring. When she was satisfied she had seen enough, she handed the box back to Marsh. And Mita stopped reading until Marsh had his ring back in his pocket.

"If anyone had told me last week, that any of this would have been happening today I'd have told that person they were dead wrong, and crazier than a loon. Mita," Marsh said in a loving whisper. "Would you read the last part of the letter to Becca? The rest of you are welcome to listen in, but the last part of Carlos' letter is for me and to Becca."

Marguarita beamed back at Marsh. "You honor me Mi hijo. I am very pleased to read this to Becca." As Marguarita read the last part of the letter all of the females were crying.

When she finished the letter Marsh knelt in front of Becca on one knee, and opened the box. "Rebecca Marie Andrews, Will you marry me? Will you wear these rings and help me honor the memory of my lost loves while we build a new and lasting love?"

Becca had her head in her hands. Her mouth hung open and though she was truly speechless, she nodded her head.

Trish was the first person to catch her voice. "Daughter of mine," she said. "If you don't tell that man yes, I'm gonna beat you to a long and bloody death!"

Becca let herself fall forward out of the chair and wrapped her arms around Marsh's neck. "Yes, yes, yes, a thousand times YES!" she was finally able to say.

Marsh lifted Becca with him as he stood up. He took the engagement band out of the box and slipped it on her finger. It fit perfectly. "Did Carlos have some insight none of the rest of us had?" She asked. "How could he know my ring size, and fit me so perfectly?"

The only explanation I can think of is he made the ring to fit Becky, and figured I could have it sized if I needed to." Marsh answered.

The girls all gathered around Becca and pawed her hand looking at the ring.

Jimmy stepped over to Marsh. "Looks like my plan worked, eh?"

"Yer a dirty rotten scoundrel, is what y'are." Was Marsh's response.

Rick stepped over to Jimmy and shook his hand. "Don't ya just love it, when a plan comes together buddy?"

Marsh stood and watched the group mingle for a few more minutes, and thought to himself. I'm not sure Doctor Mitchel, but if you aren't the luckiest dude in the world, you're having one hell of a nightmare, 'cause when you wake up, if this didn't happen you're gonna really be screwed up in the head.

Marsh squatted down on his heels and motioned for Wolf. "Our lives just made a HUGE switch-a-roo buddy. We're gonna see some biiiiig changes."

Wolf cocked his head and whined. Then he got up, ran over to the helo, and hopped in the back door.

Marsh laughed. "So ya think we should run, while we have the chance 'ol pal? How far do you think we could get, before Jimmy sends out the Hornets my friend? We're roped in Wolf. Roped in, hog-tied and we're about to be branded. And ya know what? I'm pretty sure we're gonna love it. Look at that beautiful redhead over there Wolf. She loves me. Now all we gotta do is get ourselves home and figure out how it all works. "

Wolf watched Marsh intently, cocking his head back and forth, and raising his eye brows. When Marsh finished talking, Wolf whined again and let out a short friendly bark. "Yeah pal. I know. You've never lived this kind of life, but take my word for it. It's gonna be a sweet life." Wolf whined again.

"I pretty much hate to mention this my friends," Marsh spoke pretty loudly from the helipad. "I'm thinken maybe, we oughta load-em up, and head on outta here."

Becca was the first to respond. She came running out and threw herself into Marsh's arms. "OK my prince. I'll go anywhere with you. I'm your wench, and I'll be at your beck and call forever."

Marsh held Becca and turned just a bit so he could look at the rest of the family walking towards the helo. "Y'all heard that, right? My beck and call girl, forever."

"Ha!" was the first thing Marsh heard from Jenni. "I bet you're gonna be pussy whipped inside of a week, sucka. She's gonna put together a hunny-dew list as long as your arms can reach. I've seen what happens to an ugly man that hooks up with a beautiful girl. You're done for buckwheat. D-U-N F-O-A-R!"

Marsh held Becca in his arms as he turned towards Wolf again. "Didja hear that, buddy? She seems ta think we're in a spot of trouble. Does this look like trouble Wolf? Do you think I made a big miscalculation? I think she's too pretty to be that much trouble, right boy? Way too pretty."

Becca planted about a half dozen kisses all over Marsh's face. "Let's go home my love. Take me home!"

Marsh set Becca back on the concrete. "I think I should point out the obvious. There's eight of us going back to the Gulfstream. That's no problem for the Gulfstream, but there's only seven seats here in the 407. A couple of us are gonna be real cozy for the trip to the airport. If Jimmy wants to sit up front and fly this thing, Becca and I can sit in the back and scrunch tight with Mita."

"Marsh," Rick immediately responded. "You and Becca are the pilots in this family. You two take the front seats and take us to the airport, then fly us home. Jimmy and I can cuddle up with Marguarita just fine. If Jimmy doesn't want to help me, I'll keep her all to myself. I don't think this pretty little lady will be a burden at all."

Marguarita smiled up at Rick. "You smooth talker, you. I bet you say that to all the girls, don't you? What? You think you might get lucky? This old gal's got skills, you dirty old man. You better be careful. How's your cardiac output doing these days?"

The group broke into a fit of laughter again. Jimmy looked at Rick, then at Marguarita, then back at Rick. "I think she's got your number, my friend. That little lady just called your bluff."

Rick shook his head. "Marsh, I think I can figure out where you got this gal from, but how on God's Green Earth did you secure the services of this firecracker. We're gonna need a stronger fort!"

Marguarita had climbed into the cabin of the helo. Now she turned around and faced Rick, who was standing on the concrete pad. She put her hands on each side of Rick's face and planted a loud sloppy kiss on his lips.

"You just keep it up Meestar Rickky! Mita's gonna make you reeelly glad your mama brought you into theece world!" Marguarita drug that statement out for all she was worth, and accentuated the mis-pronouncement of her words. Her hands were lightly patting Rick's cheeks, and the look on her face was priceless.

The look on Rick's face was even better. He was an information specialist. He knew his way around personnel details, and he was a wiz at figuring out what people were capable of. Marguarita Rosario was like no one he had come across in his life.

Everyone loaded themselves into the helo, and Marguarita snuggled down in Rick's lap. Rick was tall and thin, and Marguarita was just a tiny slip of a thing. The seat belts snugged up around both of them together with strap to spare.

Marsh wound up the rubber bands, and the rotors began to turn. Marsh lifted off the pad, and turned towards the hills. He flew over to Elise's rock, and hovered in place to show it from the air. A little alteration in the pedal pressures and the helicopter turned first to the right, then to the left so everyone got a good look. Marsh took a deep cleansing breath, and then put some back pressure on the cyclic as he lifted the collective. As the chopper lifted and backed away from the hillside, Marsh whispered, "Bye, bye for now baby girl. I'll be back to see you later."

"Are you OK to fly?" Becca asked softly.

"I'm fine." Marsh replied. "I didn't tell all of you yesterday, because I couldn't. Becky and Elise's ashes are buried under that rock. It was a special place for us. This was my first time back since they were put in there. Marsh felt Marguarita's hand on his shoulder.

Marsh took another deep breath, and blinked his eyes a couple of times. He spun the helicopter a hundred and eighty degrees, leaned forward on the cyclic, and flew out of his valley. There was a long day ahead, and Marsh didn't know the half of it.

The flight to the airport was quick and uneventful. Morgan was turning the Gulfstream around with Marsh's NMC 60 tug. He'd topped the fuel tanks off, and had the interior serviced yesterday afternoon, so all that was left was for Marsh and Becca to pre-flight the aircraft, and fly it home.

Marsh and Becca walked around the plane and talked about the points in their preflight inspection. Morgan disconnected the tug and drove it back into the hangar. Jimmy and Rick had taken the suitcases out of the 407, and Jimmy opened the baggage door under the Gulfstream.

"You realize those could go in the cabin with us?" Marsh reminded him.

"Yeah, but this is easier than carrying them up the stairs." Jimmy replied. "Not like it's a big deal either way." Jimmy finished as he threw his own and Rick's bags in with the suitcases.

As they walked up the steps, Marsh asked, "Hey Mama? You gonna induct Uncle Ricky into the mile high club this morning?"

Marguarita stopped in her tracks, turned around on the step, and smacked Marsh right in the face. "You little snot!" She barked. "What I'm going to do to Uncle Ricky is none of your damn business. You just keep yourself busy up in that cockpit, and let mama be."

"Whoa, now hot shot!" Becca smirked. "I guess mama has got your number, too."

Marguarita cradled Marsh's face in both hands. "Not to worry. Mi hijo knows mama loves him." With that she planted a kiss on each of his cheeks and then a warm one on his lips. "I do love you baby." She finished as she turned back up the stairway and walked into the plush cabin.

Marguarita walked forward with Marsh and Becca, and checked out the cockpit. Then while the two of them got into their seats, and buckled up, she walked back through the cabin and checked out the aft cabin and the nice big bed. After sitting down and bouncing on the mattress a couple of times Marguarita came back up to the front. "Doktor Marsh!" She gushed. "This is very nice. Why you didn't get mama one of these sooner. Mama can travel very nice in this airplane."

Becca laughed. "Marsh was trying to keep mama locked away on the ranch so he could have her all to himself." She chuckled.

"You got that right, sweetheart. This boy knows a good thing when he gets it. Mama is MINE!" Marsh was watching the reaction on Marguarita's face.

"In your dreams, little boy child. In your dreams." She paused then continued, "I know, I know. Mama takes good care of her mi hijo. Now she has to add Rebecca and the rest of this crazy family, too."

Marguarita was the last one to take a seat, and buckle up.

Marsh and Becca went through their pre-start check list, then the preflight list. Becca rolled the plane onto the taxiway and over to the end of the runway. Both of them were especially observant of what was going on around them, since the control tower at San Bernardino International Airport (SBD) was not manned. Marsh advised local traffic on the Unicom frequency, and after Becca lifted off, Marsh called the radar center and activated a flight plan.

Flying home was mostly uneventful. Becca did a couple of barrel rolls while she was climbing out to her cruise altitude, and she cruised at almost Mach one, instead of the sedate .92 that Marsh had cruised on the way out.

Jenni and Sue sat at a table with Trish and peppered her with questions about Jimmy, Rick, the Turner ranch and the companies that they were going to be providing services for.

Trish plied them for all she could learn about Marsh and the daughter she had lost and would never get to know.

In less than three hours Becca was advising everyone to take their seats, buckle up, and get ready for landing. It was very obvious that Becca knew what she was doing. She greased the landing, and taxied over to her hangar like she had been doing it all day every day of her life.

Tommy had the Bell 230 out on the apron, and everyone got out of the jet and stretched a little before they climbed into the helo. Becca told Marsh she wanted to see if he could fly the larger helo, so he did. Landing it on top of the Turner office building, Marsh set the landing gear on the pad, and backed the helicopter into the hanger, before he shut down the engines. "Show-off!" Becca chided.

Jimmy didn't keep armed personnel on the roof full time, but there was always someone there in time to open the door and help with bags or whatever.

There were a few potted plants up on the roof, around the helipad. When he got out of the helo, Wolf went straight to one of those plants and proceeded to water it for an extended time. "What's the matter Wolf?" Trish asked when he finally made his way down into the penthouse. "Marsh won't let you use the airplane bathroom?"

Wolf put his head under Trish's hand and conned her into a little bit of lovin.

Jimmy had called ahead from the plane, and had one of the security guys bring some Chinese take-out to the penthouse. It had just arrived when they got there so everyone had a good lunch. There was pleasant conversation around the table, and plenty of joking around. Everyone kinda stretched out their meal, because they all knew it was time to get back to work, and that meant a whole bunch of new tasks.

There were electricians, A/V techs, and computer wizards working on moving all the electronics from the first floor executive offices to the new locations on the sixth floor. Marsh had given instructions to the right people before they had left yesterday, and the guys and gals were making great progress.

Rick agreed to take Marguarita on a tour of the building, and then he would give her a ride out to the ranch, and show her the new house where she would be living with Marsh, Becca and Trish.

Marsh walked across the lawn and the hotel parking lot with Trish as she returned to the Best Western Turner Inn, for the first time in four days. As they approached the side door Trish asked Marsh if he still had the card key for the room she had given him on Friday when he first checked in.