Roller Coaster Ride Ch. 16

It's nice that Katy has a new friend; I'm impressed with her husband as a track coach, and I like his work in the strength and conditioning program, but he hasn't proven to be the kind of open-minded football coach I need. This could get tricky; I decide to have a heart to heart with him when we get back to get a better reading.

Friday, April 22

We are off to a great start in the field events, with every athlete having made a distance or cleared a height that will qualify. Our shot putter is in a battle with a mountain of a kid from Sinton, and Cuero has exceptional athletes in the long jump, triple jump, and high jump. Our pole vaulter looks like he will medal, so all in all we're in good shape going into the running events.

I had set up a big sun shade in the bleachers for my wife and Carolyn to get out of the south Texas sun, which is already brutal in April, and it is filled with fans cheering our kids. Off to the side I see our police chief sitting with a couple of other law enforcement types; his son is on the sprint relay and runs the 200, and he's a big sports fan, so that isn't a surprise.

As I survey the stands I see a couple of cowboys wearing jeans and straw hats; they look familiar, but I can't see them well enough to place them.

We win our heat in the sprint relay, place 2^nd and 4^th in the 800, and grab second in the highs. The 100 is close from the start to finish in both heats, so we wait anxiously for the finals placings. I think we're in 2^nd or 3^rd and 5^th or 6^th, but it's too close to call until they announce; 3 & 5. That's fine, because we didn't push the start at all; getting DQ'd is not what we want.

The 4x200 relay is 2^nd in the heat, with two alternates running to save some of the guys in multiple events for tomorrow, and the same situation and same place with the 4x400 relay. Our tight end wins his heat in the 300 hurdles, we place 2 & 4 in the 200, and our miler is 5^th on cruise control. We look like strong contenders for the region championship, but Cuero is loaded with seniors, including a UT football signee, and they are the favorites.

Coach Tate and Coach Vickie Miller, the head boys and girls coaches, and their assistants, are taking the kids to eat and to a movie before they get ready for bed. Carolyn is going with her husband, so I call Kings Inn to check on the wait, which is an abnormally quick fifteen minutes: "We added extra staff for the regional track meet" she tell me proudly.

We quickly shower and change into shorts and polo for me, a modest sundress for her, "But not my new one - I'm saving it" she explains.

There are a lot of other couples from our town and area there, so Katy and I have a grand time with the family style meal and happy, excited, and optimistic conversation. Many compliments are exchanged, with me thanking them for being good parents who are raising good kids, them complementing me about the wonderful 'offseason' program and the excellent coaching the kids are getting in track.

Katy gets her share of gushing compliments from parents who have or had kids in her classes, and she is gracious in acceptance.

After the nice meal and companionship, I take her to a nearby park on Baffin Bay with a nice pier and great walking trails. The sun is setting and a light breeze is blowing in off the gulf. We both have slight sunburns in spite of our efforts to avoid them, making the breeze seem cool. We detour by the car to don light windbreakers on our walk.

It's an idyllic setting, and we walk until it is fully dark, then turn back and walk out on the pier before returning to the car. This is one of the best saltwater fishing areas in the state, and there are boats all lit up heading to the east to the best fishing grounds. The two fishermen on the pier are leaving when we walk out; they had a good but not great day, and are hurrying home with their catch.

We lounge on the pier with my wife snuggled against me on the downwind side, and carry on a casual conversation. It's pleasant and relaxing, but like all of our time together lately, something is missing. Our bound-at-the-hip closeness doesn't overcome the distance I sense. It seems we're both withholding something from our relationship. I know I am; I'm afraid to give her my heart, because I don't trust her. I think she may feel the same way, for more complicated reasons, but knowing I've pledged to 'get even' can't be helping. I need to talk to Peter and find out what his friend/consultant thinks; I'm not sure how, or even if, I want to reestablish the entwined-souls closeness we had before the shit hit the fan in December.

She's chilly, so we drive back. She wears a cute baby doll nightgown, and halfheartedly offers sex, but I can tell she's not really into it so I just cuddle her, and we fall asleep.

Saturday, April 23

Our fans are out in force for the finals, and I learn that Clarence put together a 'fan bus to regional' that left early this morning full of kids and adults. He's here too, as is the high school principal and most of the board members.

We come out of the field events just behind Cuero, but we have a lot of PBs (personal bests) so we can only be happy. Our shot putter ended up second, behind the man-mountain from Sinton; he's a sophomore who just threw 53'! Our sophomore was 6" behind, and Ingleside's kid was 2 inches behind him. When they announced the results I was helping the girls' relay stretch their marks and didn't catch all of Mountain's name, but it sounded familiar.

Our relay teams practice taking handoffs at full speed, because the competition is so strong we need every inch and micro-second to have a chance to medal. That's a hit-or-miss strategy that pays off in the 4x100 as our girls win by a stride, and, for the boys, we get four clean passes to jump ahead a little at each exchange, and our young anchor holds off Cuero's star to win by inches!

Our fans go wild, and we've got more fans than anyone, so it's loud. I look in the bleachers at Katy and Carolyn, and they are hopping around and hugging people. Katy looks scrumptious with her white shorts and team tee shirt.

I turn around and then glance back while I walk toward our camp on the other side, just outside the track. I notice the same two cowboys making their way down toward Katy and Carolyn, but think nothing of it; they probably want to squeeze into the shade, as hot as it has to be in those jeans and boots.

Coach has the 100-meter sprinters and the high hurdlers warming up, so I find a cool spot in the shade and watch idly as the 800-meter dash for girls goes on; we don't have anyone in it, but we have a contender in the boy's race, which is next. Surveying the stands again I notice that Katy and Carolyn are turned around talking to the cowboys, who are sitting directly behind them. No surprise there; who wouldn't want to sit behind them with their short shorts; but something seems off.

I borrow Coach Miller's little binoculars and take a closer look; the cowboys' faces are obscured by the cover, but Carolyn looks mystified and Katy looks upset. I give her the glasses back and wander around to find a vantage on that side, where the 100 and high hurdles will take place. I ultimately climb into the bleachers, and watch the girls win first and third in the hurdles, and the boys take second and third, behind Cuero. The 100 meters are battles, but our girls and boys both win 2^nd and 4^th.

I go back to the fence to encourage the 2x200 relay members. The girls are bouncing with excitement, and the boys just finished their warmup and checked in at the staging area.

We are in jeopardy in both these events as we have the third best times, and only the top two go to state. I'm worried, but the kids are confident, and they prove their confidence is warranted when they win both events! Now I'm jumping around, and run around to the camp to greet them when they arrive for a mini-celebration, before reminding them we have a lot work more to do! By my count the girls just moved into first place, and the boys closed the gap on Cuero, which finished fourth after a bad exchange.

'No rest for the weary' they say, and our female and male 400-meter runners just finished the relay, so they don't need to warm up much more. Again, they represent with PBs, finishing second in both races. The girls increase their lead while the boys pick up six more points in their battle with the Gobblers, whose runner finished 6^th.

Our big, tall, fast tight end that colleges like, even as a sophomore, burns off in the 300 hurdles, winning in another PB. Our female hurdler, a basketball star, competes well but finishes 4^th. Our 200 girl is super-fast, and she proves it, winning by a whopping two-tenths of a second. Our boys finish second and third behind Cuero's star, but we actually make up four points.

We are now in striking distance, and I'm confident in our freshman miler, whose confidence borders on conceit. We don't have a girl in the event, so I take a break to look around. The cowboys are gone, and Katy leaves the bleachers, I assume to go to the restroom under the stands. I need to go too, so I head that way to talk to her before the next race.

I see her walk down the stairs, under the bleachers, and out the other side; that's odd, so I follow. When I get to the other end I hear her voice, look around the corner, and see her talking to the cowboys: Bud and Frank! WTF?

"You two need to leave me alone! Carolyn is picking up on your innuendo, and, one of the parents sitting below me asked who you are when you left, in a very suspicious way!"

"Come on, sweetie" says Bud "We have time for a quickie before your husband gets through; we're in my Mega cab that you enjoy so much! You can say you watched from the curve, where they can't see you. Or, you can just go with us and we'll take you back to your cuck husband after we get through celebrating Frank's son beating your husband's shot putter."

"Bud, you two are going to destroy my marriage; please leave, and leave me alone!" Katy implores. Frank takes her by the arm and tugs her toward the parking lot; she breaks away and says, "I told him the truth about Christmas Eve, so you can't hold that over me anymore; go away!"

Bud laughs, "I doubt you told him about the motel outside your little town though, so I think we have something we can hold over you!" "Damn it, you can't blackmail me into sex again! I'm not going to go anywhere with you!"

I need to pee and get back to the races, so I call police chief Davis and tell him two men seem to be bothering Katy just south of the bleachers, and ask him to intervene since I'm tied up. He says he will be right there, with reinforcements, and tells me to get back to the kids. I hit the head, run back to the track, and watch the 1600 as our freshman plays cat and mouse with strong runners from Yoakum, LaFeria, and Cuero, but my mind is on my wife's situation, and the conversation.

Shaking my head, I move to a better spot on the fence to yell support for our runner. With 200 meters to go all three start their kicks, only feet apart, and the race comes down the homestretch in a dead heat. Our kid pulls away, raising his hands in triumph as he finishes just ahead of LaFeria, with Cuero third. Ten points for the good guys, six for the Gobblers equals +4 in the team point count.

That sets up the 4x400 relay as the deciding race for the boys. When they update the standings the girls are 8 points ahead and have a strong relay team taking the track; absent disaster they will win the meet. The boys are 3 points behind, so the relay champion wins the meet.

I get a text from Chief Davis with a thumb up, so I focus entirely on the races. The girls cruise to a first place finish and are Region 4 Champs! They celebrate on the track and then on the field as only girls can, and the squeals can be heard in Alice and Corpus Christi!

The boys run a smart, strategic race, and give our anchor a 2-yard lead. He gets passed on the curve by the Cuero and Yoakum legs, but forces them outside to do it. He stretches out his stride and pumps his arms like I've taught him on the backstretch, keeping them on the outside as they enter the final curve. He comes out a stride ahead, and fights off the challengers time after time on the home stretch, winning by inches on guts and conditioning!

We just won BOTH Regional Championships, and our myriad fans go bat-shit crazy! They're even more insane when the medals are presented, and reach another level when we hoist the trophies!

Oh, crap: I'm on the hook for taking 40 kids and coaches to Kings Inn! I text Clarence in apology and he texts back "Don't worry; we have it covered up here in the bleachers!"

I spot Katy beside Carolyn again, celebrating with the rest, and send a thank you emoji to the chief. After the celebration on the field the kids rejoice with their parents, friends, and fans around the stands, and I go up to take down the shade, watching them make merry. Chief Davis walks up with the law enforcement type I saw him with yesterday.

Small world: it's the Nueces County Sheriff, who is grinning from ear to ear. I shake both hands, thank them profusely, and ask if there were any problems. The sheriff answers "No much of one. They bowed up, but Chief advised them of the peril they were in, so they skedaddled! I told him it was a shame you were tied up, because I'd have enjoyed watching you in action again. Those two wouldn't be much of challenge for a man with your skills, but watching you give them a beating would have been fun!" he opined. "Chief, have I mentioned that your young coach is a certified bad-ass?"

"You might have, Sheriff Kirk, although I'm mostly pleased that he knows when to call in the cops rather than handle things himself," answers Chief Davis. "Oh, and your wife did a great job, asking me who she needed to talk to in order to press charges for intimidation and attempted kidnapping. They burned out after that, muttering threats as they went!"

Chief Davis concluded, "I'd keep an eye out for them; they're punks, but vindictive punks, in my opinion. If they figure you'll kick their asses, the smaller one will use a gun on you!" I promise I will, and they help me disassemble and pack the sunshade. We part ways with another heartfelt 'thank you'.

When I enter the melee below I get pats on the back and hugs from dozens, and learn the two track coaches are crediting my work with the relay teams for the championships. I demur, shift the credit back to them, and find my wife standing to the side beaming with pride. There is a haunted look on her face, but she is happy for me.

We treated the kids to the wonders of unlimited seafood at Kings Inn on the bay. We were surrounded by our fans, who had taken over the huge Inn. Our east-central Texas kids, and some of their parents, were in awe of the food and of the setting. Quite a few had to ask what many of the seafood offerings were, and most had never seen saltwater before. We were on the narrow end of a bay, but it was still amazing to them. I wished we could take them to Padre Island to let them see the Gulf, golden beaches, white capped waves and all. Something to plan for next year, I decide.

After the team meal we start north. Katy looks puzzled when I turn west on FM 624, and asks where we're going. "I have a surprise for you; we're spending the night at the ranch tonight, and going back tomorrow. I'll get you there in time for your dance practice in Bastrop, and I'll stay and watch. Is that okay?" She leans across the console and hugs me "You're just full of surprises lately! That sounds great!" We ride aways chatting about the meet, and I finally broach the topic on my mind "So, Chief Davis and Sherriff Kirk told me you had a couple of 'overly enthusiastic fans' today, but you handled it well."

Looking straight ahead she replies "Thanks to them! It was Bud and Frank..."

"Really! What were those jackasses doing at a track meet?"

"Frank's son is the big shot putter from Sinton; he lives with his mom, who wouldn't let them sit by her."

"So, did they come sit with you?" I inquire.

"No, they came and sat behind me and embarrassed me with crude remarks and innuendos about me and Carolyn. She finally told them off, and they left. But then I got a text from Bud that told me I better get my cute butt downstairs and talk, or they would be back and this time they wouldn't be so subtle."

"No shit! So is that how your confrontation with them came down? Did you tell them I knew all about them being with you and they didn't have anything to hold over you?" I respond.

"Yes, but they said maybe I did but they were pretty sure the other people in the bleachers didn't, and they would enjoy ruing my reputation if I didn't 'come across' for them" Katy explains.

"But you held out! That's being strong, and I applaud you. I'll need to figure out a way to disarm them. Did they say anything else I could use in plotting their castration? We can't have them threatening us!"

A storm cloud passes across her face. "Tim, remember the day you had the radio interview? I had taken the kids to Mom and I was working on the choreography when I got a call from Bud. He told me they were in town, they had a motel room on the highway outside town and they wanted to see me. I told them not only no but hell no, and hung up!

"They sent me a picture of me having sex with Frank and said you would get it next if I wasn't there in ten minutes. I called them back, cried, begged, and pleaded, but they just laughed and said the clock is running, so I went out there. I sucked and fucked them both, as quickly as I could; they said I was excused to go to my practice, but they would stop by every now and then 'to give me the good fucking every slut needs'.

"I went home, showered, dressed for practice, and left with Joyce as soon as you got there. I don't know how guilty I looked, but I felt like I had WHORE written across my forehead. You know what happened after practice, which proved I was a whore! I didn't tell you because I don't know how much more you could take before you'd leave and never come back!"

After several minutes of silence, I told her that I understand; they are bad men, and probably will have to be dealt with harshly. I drove in silence for the next ten minutes, watching a big black truck in my rear view mirror; it was still distant, but it had been there since we turned; what are the odds that is only coincidental?

We stopped at a convenience store to let her pee; I sent two texts, and we rode the rest of the way in conversation, but not a deep or troubling conversation. The outline of the truck remained in my mirrors.

When we arrived in my hometown I ran by the feed store and picked up the cubes and potash I had ordered and they had stacked on a pallet on the loading dock. We turned north on a FM road, and proceeded out to our ranch.

Katy asked where we were going and I told her with pride "To our new property. Mom and Dad divided the land among their three kids, and this is the place I wanted; it was my paternal grandfather's first ranch. You've been there a few times, but not often. I always loved it because of the big tanks, the creek, and the isolation, but the isolation keeps us from going there as often. It's only about a section - 640 acres - but I may be able to buy a half-section they sold off to a guy who is getting old and wants to get rid of it. I made him an offer, but he hasn't responded."

She was amazed and confused, but we talked it out; I explained I always wanted to have a Brush Country ranch for cattle and hunting, and we could afford the gift taxes, so here we are.

We drove down the dead-end dirt road, turned and drove straight through the cattle guards to the 'camp house' on the highest hill in the area, and went into the one-room camp house my grandparents built. I spent a lot of time here as a kid; it was just over 1200 square feet, not counting the screened porch extending across the southeast side, which is where the breeze normally comes from. There were four beds on the south end, a kitchen on the north with a big fireplace built into that wall, with a big dining table and a living area in between. A large bathroom and closet were on the west, which had only two small windows to reduce the heat in the afternoon. I had sent my sister the money to go buy a set of sheets and towels; she washed them, made the beds, and hung the fresh towels. She had sent me pictures, and I was fairly sure Katy would approve.