An Unexpected Family Pt. 01

All Rights Reserved 2019

Part 1

Chapter 1

She is so beautiful, he thought.

Robert was leaning against the door jamb of his bedroom, peering inside. He had finished breakfast and had a hot cup of coffee in hand.

Inside his bedroom, lying on his bed, was a beautiful woman. Sleeping. The one he had known and loved since fourth grade.

She sat next to him that first day of classes and he fell in love. And that love only grew into what it was today over these many years.

As she entered the classroom and took a seat next to him, she didn't give any special note of him that day. She turned her attention to the day's lessons because, so far as she knew, he was just like any other silly boy that tried to get her attention through silly and childish stunts.

She was taller than the other girls. And the boys. In fact, she was the tallest fourth grader in the school. And may have eclipsed some of the fifth and sixth graders in height.

She had long, straight, hair held back with a headband and it hung on her back to her waist. It was as black as a moonless night. Robert thought it may have been the blackest black he had ever seen.

Her eyes were equally black. So black, one could not distinguish her pupils from her irises at normal conversation distance. Her black hair and eyes, along with her height, were what grabbed not only his attention, but, everyone in school. When she entered a room, everyone, including the adults, stopped what they were doing to admire her beauty.

All Robert knew was, by the end of the day, he was in love. He took the bold step to tell his mother about her and asked her what would be needed to get and keep her attention; for her to return his affections.

He remembered his mother smiling widely and told him he needed to be the boy who stood out from the others. And he may want to start by being polite, kind, and considerate. Open doors for her, make small talk, and try not to hover too much around her, unless she asks him to stay. Give her space when she needs it, he recalled his mother saying.

He barely slept that night thinking of her. The next day, he waited for her in the hallway outside of class. When she appeared and approached the class, his heart leaped nearly from his chest. A new sensation for him.

"Hello and good morning, Bérénice," he announced, with a wide smile and a surprised confidence in his voice. He immediately reached for the door and held it open for her.

She paused to allow the door to open, and, she was taken by surprise with Robert's polite gesture and greeting. She gave him a reassuring smile while she waited.

"Good morning, Robert," she replied, with her exotic smile.

It was then, while holding the door open, Robert got a good look into those black and exotic eyes. He was hooked.

As she turned to enter the classroom, he recognized she was a good three inches taller than himself. He followed her into the classroom and walked toward his seat. As he sat, he looked toward her with a subtle smile. She returned his smile and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. She gave him a single, gentle nod of appreciation for what he had done that morning. He smiled wider.

For the remainder of the day, they stole peeks toward one another, with each of them grinning when the other returned the peek.

Robert smiled when he reflected on that day. He sipped his coffee. They were boyfriend and girlfriend from that day until now.

Yet, they were married today. But, were still boyfriend and girlfriend. They also shared a family; a son and a daughter. And, were each waiting on a third child to arrive. Bérénice was 8 months pregnant.

Robert eventually overtook Bérénice in height, but, it took until their junior year in high school. When each of them stopped growing, Bérénice was nearly 6 feet tall. Robert stopped at 6 feet 3 inches.

"I can hear you breathing over there," she groaned, from her bed.

"That's impossible," he replied, with a smirk. "You take my breath away every time I see you."

"Flirt," she groaned, again with her eyes still closed.

"I can't resist flirting with you. I've been in love with you for sixteen years."

Chapter 2

As she entered the kitchen wearing her robe, she found Robert getting ready to leave for the day. He was on his knee kissing the cheek of Patrice, their 2 year old daughter, and telling her good bye and that he loved her. She noticed the wind was howling especially loud this morning. It had been blowing hard all night.

He stood and looked toward his wife, smiling as though it was the first time he had ever seen her.

"You are so beautiful."

"You're deranged," she replied, with a groan. "Look at me. I have a basketball in my tummy, no makeup, and my hair is a mess. I can barely open my eyes because our baby kept moving around last night. And, the wind howled all night, keeping me awake."

He crossed the kitchen and took her in his arms. "You're beautiful. Especially the basketball," he chuckled. "Yeah... This drought is especially bad. Some old timers say it's the worst they've ever seen. You going to be OK? Do I need to stay home today?"

"No," she sighed. "Go to work. I'll nap when John and Patrice nap."

"You sure?"

"Yes... Go," she snipped.

He adjusted Bérénice in his arms and kissed her like he would never see her again. She took the back of his head and pulled him into her lips with the same passion.

"I love you so much," he moaned. He paused, then released her. "It's so hard to leave you. After sixteen years of loving you, it's still hard." He paused again. "I will be..."

"I know," she interrupted. "You're going to the Trudeau pasture to feed their cattle and make sure there is plenty of water. Then, you are going to Waco to pick up supplies and groceries after a Farm Bureau meeting. And, I love you, too. And, it is equally hard to see you leave every day. I will miss you, along with John and Patrice. Be careful today. Please?"

He smiled and gave her a wink. He turned, grabbed his straw cowboy hat, opened the front door and paused at the entrance to give her one more look.

Bérénice smiled as he passed through the door, holding his hat on his head because of the 60 mile per hour winds they'd endured all night.

He is the most handsome man, she thought. Not anything like that day in fourth grade. He was so dorky. But, a cute dorky.

Chapter 3

Jack groaned when the sunlight pierced his bedroom window and stuck him between the eyes. He groaned again when he tried to roll over to avoid the eye plucking beam. His left knee was sore from the slide he made into second base last night.

He laid in bed a few minutes more, then, rolled out of bed, a little sore from the game against the Oakland A's. He glanced at the clock next to his bed... 11:09 am. The game was a late start, caused by a short rain delay, and went 10 innings. The Kansas City Royals won.

He rubbed his eyes and ran his fingers through his thick, dark, well-groomed hair. When he rose from the side of his bed, his left knee was really sore. More so than last night. He made a stop in the bathroom, and then, he shuffled into the kitchen in his boxer shorts, no robe, no shirt, and started a pot of coffee. He looked into the refrigerator. Left over pizza... Meat Lovers style. He tossed three slices into the microwave and pressed start. He saw a Royals hat on the countertop and slapped on his head.

He grabbed his phone and sat at the breakfast table and checked for messages.

One was from the team trainer informing him to come to the stadium 3 hours early so she could evaluate his knee.

The other was from his on again, off again girlfriend, Diane. She asked him to call her. She saw him on TV last night and saw he injured his leg. She wanted to know if he was seriously hurt and invited him over after the game tonight.

He got up, poured a cup of coffee and called the team trainer.

"Jack Caron (Ka-roan)," Karen answered. "How's the knee this morning?"

"Sore... More so than last night. Do you think I tore anything?"

"Not likely. If you did, you'd been restless all night. Was that the case?"

"No, I slept pretty well. I got in last night about 1 am... Straight from the stadium. Fell in bed and didn't get up until after 11."

"Is it terribly painful? On a scale from 1 to 10, what is it this morning?"

"It's just sore. Sharp pain? ... not really. Just sore. I'd say... maybe a 4 or 5."

"Hmm." A pause. "When can you get here? I know I said 3 hours early, but, I want to make sure your knee is still stable."

"I can be there in an hour and a half," Jack replied.

"Good. Have you taken anything for the pain?"

"Just the ibuprofen you gave me last night. Nothing since."

"Good. It's 11:30 now, I'll see you at 1:00 sharp. Don't be late, I have other things I need to do today. OK?"

"Yes, Ma'am. I'll be there."

As he ended the call, he slurped the last of the coffee from his cup. He rose, taking note of the soreness in his knee, and strolled to the microwave for the pizza. As he sat at the table with a plate full of pizza, he considered Diane's phone call and her invitation.

He had met Diane not long after arriving in Kansas City late last year. Jack had been traded from Miami to Kansas City during the off season. The Royals liked his ability to get on base, his hitting, and his sharp eye, which gained him an advantage in base on balls. He also had speed on the base paths. He currently was sixth in steals in the American League.

Diane was a beautiful and personable woman. Brilliant, he thought. At times, she could be intimidating with her brilliance. She was an attorney and many of her clients were players from the Chiefs and Royals. She had graduated first in her class from the University of Missouri Law School, and, because her parents were highly successful lawyers, she was able to establish her own law practice instead of working for an established law firm. Within two short years, she was well respected and sought out in her field. She was a little less than a year older than Jack. She was 25, soon to be 26, and Jack was 25.

They had met at a charitable fundraiser for the children's hospital. Many of the Royals players were in attendance and they had invited Jack to attend also. Diane found him quickly after his arrival that night and she introduced herself, highlighting to Jack that many of her clients were Royals players.

He thought she was beautiful when they met. She was 5 feet 3 inches tall, a full foot shorter than himself. Beautiful long, very straight, blonde hair, pulled into a messy pony tail with strands of hair along the sides of her face and neck. Her eyes were the bluest eyes he had ever seen. They were wide and full of excitement. She was petite, likely not weighting more than one hundred pounds and that evening she was wearing a black cocktail dress that he thought was the sexist he had ever seen. She was showing just enough modest cleavage to excite the prospects of any man for what was underneath the dress.

After a few polite comments to one another, they found themselves in pleasant conversation, which seem natural to him. She was easy to talk to and she seemed truly interested in his baseball career and his Texas roots. He thought maybe her petite frame may have looked odd against his 6 feet 3 inches, 240 pounds, but she didn't seem to care about it one bit.

She all but asked him on a date before the evening was over; the annual formal at the country club where she was a member. Within two weeks, they were seeing each other once, and sometimes, twice a week. It also wasn't long before he found himself in her bedroom on several mornings. He knew he was not a very good lover when it began, but, she changed all of that in a very short period of time. She taught it all to him. It didn't take her very long of instruction before she had him giving her orgasms all night long. She was a good teacher on his staying power and technique, he thought.

Jack found out weeks later, through other players on the team, that Jack was not the only man in Diane's life. She had quite a few lovers. When Jack found out, he cut back on seeing her so often. But, he was grateful he met her for the bedroom training she gave him. He was no longer a one and done lover.

Jack decided to give her a call on the way to the stadium in reply to her invitation.

Chapter 4

It was still morning and the wind seemed to intensify in just the last hour or so. The house moaned. The doors and windows began to whistle at the jambs and sashes. The empty fireplace howled. Bérénice become concerned, but, John and Patrice were oblivious there was any wind at all... going about playing, for once, politely with each other.

She walked from the laundry room into the kitchen and decided to call her mother.

"Mom? Is the wind strong in Reims (Rheems)?"

"Yes, honey. The radio is telling everyone to stay indoors. Stay off the streets. Trucks are being blown over on the roads and highways and the roads are a mess with downed trees and power lines." Bérénice's mother paused on the line. "Don't get out today until the wind dies down. The radio is reporting this is a record wind storm. You stay in that house."

Bérénice began to panic.

"Robert left an hour ago. He went to the Trudeau pasture to check on their cattle," she said. Her mother heard the panic in her daughter's voice.

"Bérénice... Robert's a smart man," her mother offered. "I'm sure he found shelter somewhere. You take care of John and Patrice. Don't get out. Do you hear me?"

"OK... But, I can't stop worrying about Robert! I'm going to try and call him! Thanks, I'll call you later!"

She hung up her mobile phone. Just as she was about to press the button to call Robert, she smelled an unfamiliar odor. She walked briskly to the kitchen window to peer off to the northwest of their 160 acre pasture and 90 year old home.

If there was panic in her soul, it intensified when she glared out the window. Brown and white smoke was blowing toward the house. Because of the heavy smoke, she had no idea how far away the range fire was from her home. She looked to the left and to the right and there was nothing but smoke.

Bérénice shook herself out of her paralyzing panic. She had to leave with her children, she thought. She had no choice but to leave.

"John! Hold your sister's hand! We have to leave now! Go to the front door and wait for me! I'm getting the keys to the car!"

She ran into the bedroom and grabbed the keys. Just as she got to the front door, loud and forceful knocks came from the other side.

Chapter 5

"Jack! Are you OK? I saw your slide into second base last night on TV. You took a while to walk it off."

"It's OK, Diane. I'm going to the team trainer now. She wants to look at it again before the game tonight. How have you been? I haven't seen you in some time."

Jack tried to change the subject from his sore knee.

"Will you tell me what she says? About your leg? Which part of your leg?"

Jack shook his head a little. She's a lawyer. He never could successfully change the subject with her.

"Sure. I'll call you tomorrow. The knee is a little sore. Karen doesn't think it's serious, but, she wants to give it a 'make sure it's OK' look right now. I have a one o'clock appointment with her."

He heard her sigh on the other end of the line.

"I was wanting to buy you lunch today. I guess another time, huh?"

Jack paused to measure his words. "I enjoy having lunch with you every time, Diane. I just can't today and I'm not sure tomorrow either. It depends on what Karen wants from me."

He heard her sigh again.

"I don't suppose you could come over after the game tonight?" she asked.

Jack paused to measure his next spoken words.

"Diane, you and I have spoken about me coming over. I really have fun with you. I really do and I think you're an incredible woman. I just can't... well... The thought of other..."

"I know," she interrupted. "I just miss you. Much more than the others. You're an incredible lover, Jack, and... You make me think seriously about giving up the others. You're not like the others. You're so sincere away from the bedroom. You treat me like I want to be treated. When I'm around you, you make sure I'm the only woman around. You give me your full and undivided attention. The others won't do that. At least, most of them won't. And..." She paused. "You're the best lover I've ever had, Jack. You're so much better than the others. You really know where my switches are." She giggled.

Jack had heard this before. She's a good lawyer outside of the courtroom, he thought.

"I'll tell you what, counselor. If Karen doesn't want me to come in tomorrow, I will take you to lunch. Anywhere you want to go. But it can't end at your house or my house." He paused. "Or your office," he chuckled. "I've told you before. I get off on your conversation. I really, really enjoy your company. You and I, for some reason, are comfortable just talking over drinks or dirty laundry. I enjoy what you have to say, and, you seem to enjoy what I have to say. Lunch date tomorrow, if Karen lets me. OK?"

"Yes," Diane sighed. "You know... Our conversations you like so much? It's what makes me horny for you."

Chapter 6

Bérénice opened the door in panic. There, about to the pound the door again with his fist, was a Texas DPS Trooper. Tall and about her father's age.

With assertiveness and confidence, he said, "Is there anyone else in the house?!"

"NO!"

He reached down and grabbed Patrice. "Do you have a car?!"

"Yes! We were about to leave! There's a fire coming this way!" she cried.

"Listen to me carefully. When you leave here, go to county road 72 and turn right. NOT LEFT. Do you hear me? Turn right. Go all the way to Highway 6 and turn left. Take the long way to Reims. When you get there, go to Sacred Heart Catholic Church. That is the evacuation gathering area. Make sure you check your family in when you get there. Let's go!"

"My husband!" she cried.

"Where is he? What's his name?"

"Robert Caron! At the intersection of county road 1476 and county road H! Southeast corner! In the pasture checking on cattle!"

"I'll call it in! Let's go! Don't you dare return here for any reason! Once you leave, you don't stop until you get to Reims. Do you understand?"

With that, he snatched John into his other arm, ran to their car, buckled the children into their seats and gave Bérénice a reassuring smile.

"Go! Don't stop!"

Bérénice could barely drive the car. She worried the whole way to Reims. Was Robert OK?

She forgot her phone.

Chapter 7

"What did it feel like when you slid into second? Did you twist your leg on the base?"

"I'm not exactly sure," Jack replied. "It was so quick."

"Is the soreness on the inside of the knee or just around on the outside of the knee?" Karen asked, as she manipulated his knee.

Jack pondered her question. "Outside, I think?"

"Jack, I don't see any instability in your knee. Perhaps you just bruised the tendons and muscles. Ice. Go over to Pete's table and tell him ice. If after tonight's game, and, you get up in the morning, and, it is still sore... more than today, call me. We'll take it from there."

Jack leapt from the examination table and Karen watched him walk away, evaluating his gait for any sign of instability. She also evaluated his cute athletic ass, too, with a smile.

"Ice," Jack proclaimed, when he got to Pete's table.

Pete nodded for Jack to get on the table. "Knee? Left?"

"Yep."

Chapter 8

The crowds and traffic around Sacred Heart Church were unbelievable, she thought. In this tiny town, she had never seen so many cars, pickups, and people at once. She had to park 3 blocks away.