Leaving the Navy Ch. 10

"You have my number. If you need to call, do it! I like these ladies and I thought of you when I met them."

He hugged me, took his suitcase and went inside. I got in my truck and headed home. Half an hour later my cell rang. It was Donna.

"How can we thank you? He's like being with you. Bette is already gone. Right now he's driving the rhino around checking everything and he has a clipboard with him so he can make notes. Bette is riding with him as tour guide."

"Be gentle. He's had lots of hospital time and he's going to want to do more, faster and sooner than he should. He's been a monk for almost a year."

"We'll be careful. I think he already knows he's getting lucky tonight."

"Remind him tomorrow that I'd probably like a call."

"Ok."

Mark was sitting by the gate when I got home. He smiled and opened the gate for me. When I stepped out he said, "Where's Mike?"

"I took him to meet some friends about a job."

"I was worried."

"I know. I'm back."

"I know that!" He ran into Sandra's house.

At dinner Sam wanted to know if Mike was coming back. I said I hoped he would, but that would be up to him and his new friends. She ate some more and then said, "He's gonna marry those sisters."

"Maybe." I said.

She finished her dinner and said, "It's Ok. I know he'll be back for me later."

I nodded and she took her plate to the sink.

He didn't call the next day, or the next. I wanted to call and speak to Bette or Donna but I didn't. I waited. The next morning I couldn't stand it any longer and I called. The answering machine answered.

"You've reached the Shady Acres Naturist and Nudist Resort. We are closed until the nineteenth. Donna is getting married and Bette is maid of honor. Come and visit us after the nineteenth and meet Mike! Free wedding cake for everyone who visits on the nineteenth or twentieth!"

That answered all my questions. I hung up and called for a family meeting. We discussed the event and decided that Della and I would truck up for the nineteenth and come back the next day.

We were honored guests and I ate more cake than I should have. Mike was happy and so were Donna and Bette. In a semi quiet moment I asked how they decided which of them married him. Bette blushed and said, "Donna got married in Atlanta. I got married in Pensacola."

Mike took me aside and told me he was overwhelmed by the two women and really did love them both. He couldn't be happier. It impressed him when they both told him to keep his Navy money; they preferred to live off the business not off him. I told him that I spent most of my money on taking care of pampering my wives. He smiled.

We didn't stay the night. We got home near midnight and went to bed. The next day I went back to my Honey-Do list and had a great day.

Della got a good deal on plane tickets for all of us. Margie bought warm clothes for us. Sandra packed and sent me to the post office with the packages for Christmas. We decided that most of Christmas for us would be the trip. Some things for the kids and lots of stuff for the Montana family, but the wives and I would count the trip as Christmas. Every day Margie posted the weather report for Montana on our calendar page. Four days before our flight it snowed ten inches and went down to fifteen degrees. None of my southern women had ever been that cold. Mark was excited. He wanted to play in the snow. I was glad I wasn't driving.

Pat saw her doctor the day before we left. She said everything was fine. Pat didn't know it but Della had bought her a first class seat. She needed the room. Her Momma came to visit the day before our flight. There were tears when I drove her home. Pat stayed at the house.

We got all the suitcases in my truck the night before. Early the next morning we were loaded in Sandra's SUV and my truck. Pat rode with me. So did Mark. We got to the airport in Atlanta two hours before our flight. Mark was an explorer. I let him take me all over the airport and he had a wonderful time. Sam was as excited but didn't let it loose like Mark did.

Pat cried when she saw her seat. We all felt better with her getting the extra room and care. Mark and Sam checked on her four times each during the flight.

We were met by Mr. Whitcom and his wife Carol as we exited the airplane in Butte. We got hugs and Carol had three coats, in case what we had weren't warm enough. We gathered our bags and went to their big full sized van. We got in and Mr. Whitcom drove. Carol rode shotgun. She turned and started to talk.

"Krystn and I have become very close. She is such a wonderful woman. Each of you should be very proud..."

"Of them both!" Mr. Whitcom added.

Carol went on, "They asked us to keep a secret, and we have, but we can't keep it any longer."

I was worried. Was Krystn pregnant?

"I'm with Paul today because we didn't think we should bring everyone. We were right. You all fill the van."

"What Carol is trying to not blurt out is that our family is a lot like yours. Carol is one of three sisters and I'm their husband."

None of us spoke a word. Finally Pat spoke up.

"Is there a place where we can stop for a few minutes? I need to go."

Paul found a truck stop and we got Pat inside. Sandra and Carol went with her.

"I wonder why they wanted you to keep it a secret." I asked.

"Jim was worried that you might not come."

"Ok."

The ladies came back and held onto each other as the snow blew around them. Back inside the van we traveled on.

Sandra asked, "Tell us about your sisters?"

"Oh, sure. I'm the youngest. I'm Carol and I'm thirty-seven. My sister Cassie is thirty-nine and most people who know us think we're twins. Our older sister is Cindy and she's forty. Paul is forty-three. We usually have three kids living in the house, not counting Krystn and Jim. They are off visiting their bio-families for the week. We have two other hands besides Jim; Frank and Pablo."

"How big a ranch?" I asked.

"Not too big. About two hundred thousand acres. A thousand head of beef and two hundred bison."

Mark asked, "When will we get there?" He was looking out the side window.

"We've been there for fifteen minutes already." Paul said. An hour later we saw the buildings. Two barns, two smaller buildings near the barns and a big ranch house. Smoke lifted from both chimneys on the house and from one of the smaller buildings by a barn. Off a ways I saw a man on a horse. When he saw us he nudged the horse and they came to meet us at a full run. As they got closer Mark said, "I see Jim!" All the women watched as he and the horse came to meet us.

Paul stopped the van in front of the house. Jim already had the horse tied to the railing and he opened the side doors for us. He kissed each Momma and Sam. He helped Mark out and Paul said, "Would you take their stuff to the bunkhouse, Jim?"

He paused for a second and added, "After we get them all inside and greeted properly?"

"Yes, Sir." Jim responded. He held the door to the house for us and we went inside. The women were standing in a row, waiting for us. Krystn stood next to Cindy and to her right was Cassie. She looked just like Carol and I only knew it wasn't Carol because Carol was still with us.

Della said, "I need a hug, daughter!" Her arms opened and Krystn flew to Momma Della. They hugged and Krystn introduced each of us to the women of her new family. They came to us and were greeted as family. Tears and hugs. Then the women all went into the big kitchen and brought a huge meal to the table. Sam stayed quiet for almost half the meal.

"Are all of you Mommas too?"

"Yes."

She pointed at Paul and asked, "And he's Daddy?"

Paul nodded. Sam looked around and said, "I didn't bring enough presents."

Cassie was closest to her and touched her arm as she said, "All I wanted was to meet you. That's plenty for me."

Carol added, "Me too. I also wanted snow and you brought that too."

"Ok. Is tomorrow Christmas?"

"Would it be Christmas at home?" Paul asked.

Sam nodded. "Then it'll be Christmas here too."

Krystn answered lots of questions from her mommas and got some assistance from her new sisters. Jim ate more than I had ever seen him eat. When I asked him about his work he told me about his duties. His mommas were impressed. It was also obvious that both Jim and Krystn loved their new lives.

After dinner was cleaned up we sat and I asked, "What about school?"

"We started in October. We both go on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. On Tuesday nights we stay with Jenny. She and the kids will be here tomorrow if the snow stops."

"They are both doing well at both work and school." Cindy said.

Pat dozed off and Sandra noticed. She caught my eye and pointed at Pat.

"I think we need to go to bed. Momma Pat is taking care of twins and needs some sleep." Jim and Krystn led us to the bunkhouse and showed me how to take care of the fire so it would keep us warm all night. He kissed all his Mommas good-night and left us. Krystn kissed all of us and left holding Jim's hand.

Four queen beds in a row. Pat took the one closest to the bathroom. Margie took next, then Sandra and Della at the end. Sam looked and said, "Who do I sleep with?"

Della lifted the covers and Sam joined her. "And what about me?" Mark asked. Margie opened her bed to him and he smiled as he went. I looked at Pat and Sandra. Pat pointed at Sandra. I smiled and joined her. Mark watched as I sat on the side of the bed and started to undress. I kept the boxers on. He closed his eyes and went to sleep. The glow from the fire was warm and soothing. So were Sandra's hands. I kissed her and we went to sleep.

Sometime near dawn Sandra shook me and said, "It's getting cold in here."

I got up, built the fire up and hurried back to bed. I noticed Mark's briefs on the floor by his side of the bed. I snuggled with Sandra and fell back asleep.

When I woke up Mark was still asleep but Sandra was awake, as were Della and Margie. I leaned over and lifted Mark's briefs up so Margie could see them. She lifted the covers and looked. When she looked at me she smiled.

Sam got out of bed and yelped. She danced to the bathroom and said, "The floor is frozen!" Mark was awake.

He looked at me and I was still holding his briefs.

"When you sleep with Momma Margie you sleep nekked."

I tossed him the briefs and said, "When you sleep with your wife, you sleep nekked. Not when you sleep with my wife! Put them on and keep them on."

"Yes, Sir." He put them on.

Christmas was different from any Christmas any of my family had ever had. We bundled for the walk to the main house. Mark and Sam loved the crunch of the snow when they walked. We all ate a big breakfast and then were joined by Paul, Jim, Pedro and Frank. They had already been out working and taking care of animals that didn't know or care that it was Christmas. The four men talked ranching while they ate, then cleaned up after themselves without any reminders.

Chairs were moved and everyone sat near the big Christmas tree in the corner of the living room. There were lots of boxes under the tree. Paul spoke to all of us.

"We were very excited to have you join us for Christmas. It is tradition that the youngest gives the presents and that has been Carol for too many years. Now there are two young ones here and I'd like them to take turns picking presents and delivering them, one at a time, to people. Mark, would you pick a present and give it to the person it goes to?"

He stood before the tree and looked at lots of presents. Then he picked a box wrapped in green paper with snowflakes on it. He looked at the tag and struggled, then he carried the box to Paul and asked, "Would you read this for me?"

Paul laughed and said, "Sure. It says Paul." Mark smiled and handed the box to him. He stayed close and Paul opened the box. Inside was a warm coat made by Pendleton. He looked around and said, "Thank you. Thank you all. I love it."

Sam went to the pile and found a box she liked, looked at the tag and read, "Krystn." She delivered the box.

"None of the boxes have more than one name on them. The tradition here is that we know who gets the gift but not who gave it. That way we get to be thankful... to everyone."

She opened the box and blushed as she realized it was a sexy nightgown. She got a gentle teasing from the mommas, all the mommas. Jim blushed too.

Box after box was passed and each time it was Mark's turn he took the box to someone to help him read the tag, it was for them. Many of the gifts for the Whitcom's were practical gifts, for people living on a ranch. Jim got a pair of boots, work boots. And gloves. Krystn got some pans and a cook book. Carol got some spring form pans. Pablo got gloves and new jeans. Pretty soon Mark looked and said, "No more presents."

Jim said, "I think you're wrong. Look carefully."

Mark went down on hands and knees and crawled all around the tree. When he came back out he had a box about three inches on a side in his hand. He crawled over to Krystn and handed it to her. "Who's it for?" He asked.

"It's for me." Krystn said. She tore the paper and opened the box. Inside was another box. She lifted that box out and lifted the top. Inside was a smaller, hinged top box. Tears started falling. I watched and they started falling from Sandra first, then from Margie and Della. Then tears fell from Krystn, Carol, Cindy, Pat and Cassie. The lid was opened and inside were three rings. Krystn looked up and found Jim on his knees next to Mark, right in front of her.

"If you'll agree to marry me, I'd love to put one of those rings on your finger." He said.

She handed him the box and he withdrew the engagement ring. He held it towards her and hesitated. She held her hand out for him.

Mark whispered, "Why are you waiting?"

Jim leaned to Mark and said, "She didn't say Yes!"

Krystn said, "Yes! Yes, I'll be your wife! Yes, I'll marry you!"

As he slipped the ring on her finger Jim said, "Whew! I was worried. I got the rings on sale and I can't take them back."

That broke the tension and the family laughed, hugged and admired the rings.

Cassie asked "When is the wedding?"

Jim looked at Krystn and she said, "We're going to wait a year. Next Christmas day we'll get married."

While all that happened and the ladies made a fuss I noticed Paul turn and look out the window. I joined him. Off in the distance we saw a car slowly making progress on the white road towards the house. We could see the snow blowing across the road and the car struggling to stay on course.

I grabbed my coat and Paul put on his new Pendleton and we went out. Jenny stopped her car and she got out with her two kids. Her daughter Denise ran to me and said, "You're my Daddy's friend! Merry Christmas!"

The boy shook my hand like a man and headed inside. Jenny stepped into my arms and held on tight. Her mouth was very close to my ear and she said, "I had to come see you again. I see you every day."

She turned and gave Paul a kiss and hug too. Maybe it was my screwed up perceptions but I believed there was more in the kiss and hug I got. Paul got some of the packages from her car and I got the rest.

Back inside Mark and Sam did their duty and passed out the final round of packages. Each of my wives got something personal and meant specifically for them. It was obvious Jenny had spent lots of time with Krystn and intentionally wanted her gifts to impact each of my wives. Her gifts to Paul and his family were as selective and pointed.

When Momma Pat opened her gift she burst into tears and hugged Jenny. Inside the box were two outfits of baby clothes. Sailor suits. One for a boy and one for a girl.

Jim spoke to Mark and Sam and asked if they wanted to go meet the horses. They did. Frank, Pablo and Jim took Mark and Sam out to the barn. I stood at the window watching them walk to the barn. Mark held Frank's hand and Sam held on to Jim.

A hand gave me my coat and led me out on the porch. It was Jenny. We stood out there in the cold and watched the kids enter the barn. "I love Jim and Krystn. They love you. When they talk of you it's how I imagined my kids would someday talk about Jack."

Inside the house four women held a family meeting. Krystn saw it gather and she fought inside herself over weather she was part of it or no longer. She joined them.

Margie was speaking. "I watched her when she got out of her car. She gave my husband a hug and she hugged Paul. She likes Paul and she loves our husband."

Krystn spoke. "In Jenny's house is a shrine to Jack, her husband. Daddy was his best friend. There are pictures of him, pictures of them when they got married and a picture of Jack and Dad standing on the gangway of the last ship they were on. As I cleaned her house I noticed a smudge on that picture. I cleaned it. The next week it was back. It was lipstick and it was on Dad's picture."

"I guess," Pat asked, "The question is, how big is our love?"

Margie asked, "Think she might like to move to Georgia?"

"Mark would love having a brother." Della said.

Sandra asked, "Where will we put them?"

In less than a minute they solved the logistics. Sandra looked out the window and said, "We need a family meeting, now, in the bunkhouse." She turned and spoke to Cindy. Cindy agreed to look after Sam, Mark, Denise and Lee while the family meeting happened. She didn't ask what it was about.

Jenny and I jumped a little when the door opened and Sandra, Della, Pat and Margie came out. Sandra hooked Jenny's arm and Margie got mine and we were led to the bunkhouse. As soon as we were inside I built the fire up. Sandra sat Jenny and herself on the side of a bed. Pat sat next to Jenny's other side. Margie put me between her and Della facing Pat, Jenny and Sandra.

"Husband, we have called this family meeting for a special purpose. I think it would be wise for you to just listen for a while. Will you?"

I smiled my best smile and said, "Yes, Dear." They all smiled back, except Jenny.

Margie spoke next. "When Jenny drove up you and Paul went out to meet her. What I saw, watching through the window, told me all I wanted to know. Jenny is like the rest of us. She loves you. That's Ok, we understand. We love you too."

Pat spoke, "It did present problems, however. Della's house will be full when the twins are out. If we want to keep a guest room for Navy buddies, then Margie's house has only one room extra. However, Sandra has three unused bedrooms in her house. So what we propose is that Jenny and her kids join the family and live in Georgia."

"All those in favor, raise your hands." Della said.

I didn't move. All the while my wives spoke I had looked at the floor, concentrating on what was being said and the implications. I didn't know Jenny loved me. I hadn't spent two days with her in my entire life!

I looked at her and her hand was up! Tears rolled down her cheeks and my heart cracked open, again. I raised my hand.

Sandra spoke. "I need to make a couple phone calls and Nick I think you and Jenny ought to spend some time right here. Some of the time you ought to talk." She stood and took the rest of the family with her.

When the door closed it suddenly was very quiet. She was sitting two feet from me on a bed. I was sitting on a bed.

"You raised your hand." I said.

"When you called me and said you were married, I felt my heart break. Jack wrote me so much about you and you shared so much with me that I realized I already loved you. I sent you away because I was afraid. I was afraid if I let you in, I'd lose you again like I lost Jack. Then you sent me Jim and Krystn. They told me about how you met, how Margie and Della opened to you and how you loved them. If you had picked up the phone and said, "Come to me." I would have been on the road that day."

"When I was at Bethesda I dreamed about you. I'd never met you, but I knew you. Jack shared you with me. Inside I knew I loved you when I bought the truck so it could take me to you. My focus in getting well was to go to Montana and find you. When you sent me away, I was lost. I wandered until Della and Margie woke me up."