The Ring of Fire Pt. 01

Both my grandparents saw the huge smile come over my face as I listened to my grandmother words.

"When I left five years ago," I said, "it was because I could not accept what they had done. In my mind I had written them off. I did not know you all had done the same. If anyone asks, we will just say that Dad had set it up for the suit to take place and wanted to be sure that if anything happened to him the suit would go on."

'If there are any questions about them or from them," Grandma said. "We will have to come up with one voice to handle it."

"That's easy," I said, "if there are any questions all we will say that until the estate is settled that its best that we stay out of it. If anybody else asks we should reply with no comment."

"Why that thought" my grandfather asked?

"Grandpa if you were checking out a reference because you were considering offering me a job and they said no comment what would that tell you?" I asked.

"That there was something in your character or that something grievous had happened that stopped them from voicing their opinion," he replied with a smile, "which would force me not to touch you with a ten-foot pole. Its brilliant because neither your mother nor your sisters will catch on to what we are actually saying."

"Driving back home gave me the time to reflect on everything that had transpired. It led to me concluding that dad was playing poker against a stacked deck. If I can do the same thing to them as they did to my father, they will never see it coming until the very end," I said, "I believe that in our state that bankruptcy will not remove them from the debt of a court ordered judgement."

It's a good thing that we have disclosed no details on what is in your father's will," my grandfather said, "Your sister's will believe that anything they will end up having to pay will be covered by their share of the estate."

********

The whole side of my grandfather's family showed up for the barbeque on Sunday when they learned I was home for a visit. The last to show up was my older first cousin with his date whom I knew very well.

Tammy Press was wearing a high cut pair of daisy may blue jean shorts with a loose-fitting tank top because the spring fed pond was going to be used a lot as a quick way to cool off from the heat of the day. She had her hair tied up in a ponytail. More than a few caught me looking including Tammy. The way she looked one would think she had modeled for a Norman Rockwell painting.

My mind went back to those summer days when she lounged around my family's pool wearing a white bikini that when was wet would leave nothing to the imagination. There were many frustrating afternoons because all I wanted was to be pressed tight against the sweet soft package that to me was so inviting.

With her long slender legs, horseshoe shaped thighs and tight tush in my eyes she was still worth dreaming about. Her slender waist was well defined, but it was the nice rack that finished off the package. To most men she would be an eight, but to me she had always been way above a ten. How I wished her date, and I were in the general lee with her between us. Like most young ladies in the south, she was not wearing a bra because of the heat she would be under during the day.

I spent the day explaining where I lived, what I was doing, and how good it was to be back home. Using the zoom feature on my cell I had been able to sneak a few images of Tammy without anyone noticing. Granddad and I did most of the cooking on the barbeque and flat grill with the ingredients that grandma had provided. Most of it was home grown pulled fresh from the huge garden that morning.

Both Tammy and she got a kick out of watching my knife skills as I cut the vegetables in preparation for the soft-shell tacos and burritos I was making. I would learn later that the two of them had a long discussion on how well I had done for myself over the last five years. Tammy had told her in confidence that I had turned out to be a nice-looking man. Grandma responded that she had felt the same way about her husband when they were our age and still did.

Granddad made burgers out of pulled pork and ground beef as I made soft shelled tacos and burritos for all depending on what they wanted in them. We were so busy feeding the over twenty that I did not catch the attention that Tammy was showing me. It was after all were fed that granddad stood up and whistled to get everyone's attention.

"We need to remodel the third floor of the house as soon as possible," he said, "so, I am looking for those who would be willing to give us a hand."

"Why?" asked David my father's oldest brother.

"As the executor of Clarence's estate," he said, "I have asked Branden because he is the primary beneficiary to come home until its resolved. My son in his will had arranged that a suit that he was starting had to be completed before it could be resolved. It took us a few hours of heavy discussion to come to an agreement."

That was when I noticed how attentive Tammy was to what my grandfather was saying.

"Branden has decided to move home because I have agreed to teach him how to manage the farm. Starting in the new year it once again will be a full-time operation. As the future owner of the property when the estate is settled Branden felt that we needed to update and modernize the farmhouse so that it meets current codes. The third floor when done will be used by my wife and I as we update the second. Both will have to be done as soon as possible as Branden's moving back as soon as he can get things settled on the west coast."

My grandfather's remaining three sons and his two daughters' husbands all said they were in.

Uncle George said, "Branden already has the basics as a kid he worked hard with us when needed. With the price of beef on the hoof these days he could make a damn good living."

I caught the smile on Tammy's face and wondered why. Her grandfather was a Cajun whose father had struck it rich. At his death he had split the estate between both of his sons, and part of her distant family were one of the biggest greenhouse growers in the state. Her father was a well-respected surgeon in the area, and her mother was a qualified physio therapist.

Her date for the day was soon involved in the discussion of the new family project in front of them. I took the time to help my grandmother by starting to clean up the wrap around porch by gathering up the paper plates and cups for the burning pile.

Tammy came over to help me and quietly asked for my phone number. I asked her before giving it to her what was the status of her relationship with my cousin. Getting no response, I grabbed four of the bags full of paper trash and headed towards the burning pile which was out a few hundred feet behind the barn. Tammy without saying a word grabbed two and joined me. When we were behind the barn she spoke.

"Now that we have privacy I can explain. Gary's gay and hasn't come out because he's afraid of how the family will react to that new reality. Since I am not in a serious relationship, I help him at times to keep up appearances. We been friends since grade school and would do anything for each other," Tammy explained.

"You know for years as I was growing up, I had a crush on you," I said as I handed her my cellphone. "Set your contact information on mine and text yourself."

"Your sisters teased me about that for years, even though you are only three years younger," Tammy said with a smile as she did as I asked. "In middle school I would have been ridiculed unmercifully if I had shown my interest in you to anyone. It's going to be interesting seeing if I can change your mind about how you feel about women in general. It's a good thing I love challenges. So do you, so what's the real reason behind you moving back."

"A wrongful death suit against all those who interfered with my father's life," I said. "I came up with idea while I was driving back. Granddad and I plan to use the estate to make it appear that neither one of us is directly involved."

"I always had the impression that you were more mature than your years. Your approach to the situation shows that to be a fact. Your Grandmother is impressed by how well have done for yourself and says you're a man who has learned to be comfortable in just being. I was pretty sure you were you, but the difference in your height and facial hair caused me some doubt," Tammy said. "When you grew up you grew up. I told the girls I was with when I returned to the table after our last chat that I had met my next boyfriend. I'm going to enjoy proving to them that I was right."

Tammy caught the smile on my face. As a result, she leaned her head towards me. I responded in kind. Without thinking about it we shared our first French kiss. It led to a few more before we decided we had better get back for being away so long. Both of us had to fight our natural body's desire to hold each other's hand even though she had come as my cousin's date. Before I had ran away, she had always towered over me. If I had hugged her my face would have been happily buried in her breasts. Now with our heights we were about two inches apart with me slightly taller.

On the way back to the rest of the family while we slowly walked, I explained to Tammy how we were going to organize the suit going forward and how I saw my current relationship with my mother and my sisters. She thought the way my grandfather and I were going about it would save us from a lot of confrontations with the rest of my family.

Gary saw us walking slowly back and sensed something between us had changed. As I grabbed myself a cold beer before joining the group he came up and said, "Branden let me grab a cold beer then let's go look at the third floor since Grandpa has assigned me the job of being the site supervisor. That way I will have a better picture of what you're mentally seeing."

When we reached the third floor where I was currently sleeping in Gary got serious and said, "Just so you know Tammy and I are just very close friends. If when you return you want to start something with her it won't be a problem. To most of the family of course it will be."

"Why," I asked?

"Half of them believe that once we get our wild hairs worked out and we have settled down that we will be married. To most we have had a on again off again relationship for years," Gary explained. "Let's just say for personal reasons we will never be anything but friends."

I handed him my cellphone and said, "Add your contact information. Tammy and I have started to connect already. It seems there's been a mutual attraction to each other for years. Now that were both adults the age difference no longer matters."

"She told you, glad to hear it," Gary said. "I think the world of her so respect her enough not to take advantage of her until you are sure where you want the relationship to go. Hurt her and I don't know what I wouldn't do to you."

"Gary let me frame it this way I am not my mom and never will be," I said.

Gary got a smile of relief and said, "I think cous you have said it all."

Tammy was waiting for us as soon as we got out of the house. By the look on her face, we both knew that she had been concerned about us talking in private with each other. It was funny because both of us said, "don't worry everything's cool."

The three of us ended sitting on the back porch with Tammy sitting between us getting into a great discussion about life in general. Anyone looking at us would feel that we were having an interesting conversation. What they did not know that the three of us were conspiring how our behavior would be exposed to the family once I had returned. It was decided that until Tammy and I became serious we would be seen by all as becoming a trio. We all thought we had gotten away with something, but we hadn't.

It was after everyone left when Grandma and I were sharing a pot of tea as Granddad had already called it a night and had crawled into the bedsheets.

"Branden, I don't know if you know the full story about Gary's and Tammy's relationship but if their a couple then your grandfather is not my husband," my grandmother said. "Gary's been gay for years and Tammy could not keep her eyes off of you all day."

"Tammy told me that Gary is afraid to admit it to the family," I explained. "Out of friendship she comes to provide cover for him whenever she can. He knows it will stop when she develops a serious relationship. As I understand it, they have been friends since grade school. But tell me how you knew?"

"My brother who lives in California is gay. Growing up with him left me with a lifetime of knowledge of how ones with their sexual preferences hide their feelings," she explained. "Even to this day when he comes home to visit, he still hides it. That's why I have always said I love you unconditionally to him as he was growing up. Until he comes to accept it within himself, he will have no inner peace."

"Then you should be aware that Gary has given his blessing on Tammy and I exploring a relationship with each other when I have moved back," I said before going on. "Growing up I watched her with my sister, I guess she knew I had a crush on her but what I did not know was that she had felt the same way towards me."

"Be careful Tammy and Wren used to be as thick as thieves," Grandma noted. "Before the families conduct became public knowledge."

"I know," I replied. "The first night in town I ran into her at one of the local restaurants. She told me then that Wren and she were no longer best female friends. Her whole conversation with me centered on the fact that there was now a great divide. It looks like whatever Wren said to explain it just did not carry the weight."

"Do you think she was being honest to you, "Grandma asked?

"She was the one that told me that Gary is gay, and she made sure she told me in private," I disclosed after pondering her question for a few. "At the same time, she revealed that she had told her friends that first night I was in town that I was going to be her next boyfriend."

Grandma seemed to get a genuine smile on her face before saying, "Another plus is that she's not after you for your money because her family's net worth is already way ahead of what you're inheriting from your father's estate."

I don't think Grandma realized the power in her thoughts. With my family's history we all knew that it was the need for money and the control of it that made my mother, and my sisters do what they did. Grandma by her insight had given me the freedom to trust Tammy.

********

After breakfast Monday Morning I set up the computer in the sewing room and began laying out the detail of events in order as they were revealed to me in my dad's logbooks and mine on a day-to-day basis. Trying to work as much as possible in as short as time on possible because on Thursday or Friday I would have to head back.

At times I would have to sit back and review some of the things we both had noticed and shake my head because now looking back made me realize just how complicated they had tried to make things. Seeing it laid out before me painted a picture that the legal minds would have a hard time arguing because it clearly showed how one thing led to another. An added plus was that the investigators report verified our observations.

During a morning break while I was waiting for a fresh pot of coffee to brew, I called my father's lawyer and set up an appointment for Wednesday at two. I then called the office of the investigators my dad had hired and was able to book an appointment for Friday morning at ten.

At four o'clock Tammy called and after chatting for a few we decided to go out for dinner at Bythia's on Bythia a privately owned non chain restaurant bar that had a stellar reputation for its Irish food. Since she worked until five as an insurance broker, she asked me to pick her up at her parent's place at seven. Before I left to go pick her up Grandma gave me a set of keys to the farmhouse.

"Branden, enjoy your dinner and be open to discovering new things about each other," she said, "remember it has been five years since you saw each other on a daily basis, things have happened during that time that has changed both of you. Your maturity level is years beyond what would be considered normal for most young men your age. Be honest enough to yourself to let these new differences come out. Take the time to discover the new and be willing to accepting them."

Tammy still lived with her parent's, so I expected the ninth degree from her parents but surprisingly they were not there when I knocked on their front door. Tammy's younger brother who was near my age answered the door.

"Hi, you must be Branden," he said, "Tammy will be right down. I'm Hunter by the way and you don't look like a living legend."

"Nope not much older than you," I replied. "I've just been on my own for a few years which helped me mature a bit faster."

"You must be something because you're all my sister has been able to talk about since you arrived back home for a visit," Hunter said. "Last night when she found out you are moving back, she kept us all up for half the night because of her excitement."

Before I could respond Tammy came down the stairs saying, "Branden my brother likes to exaggerate things so take what he says with a grain of salt."

The look on Tammy's face was leaving me with the impression that he was not. As she walked by him, he mouthed "told yah."

As we drove towards the restaurant, I learned a bit more about Tammy's and Wren's relationship going off the deep end. Tammy described Wren's husband as being her sugar daddy. An older man who was loaded with money that had been happily married without children until Wren got her fingers on him. She revealed that she was already carrying their first. When I asked how long they had been married Tammy said about three months.

"Was it a rushed wedding because she was expecting," I asked.

"We won't know for sure until after she gives birth," Tammy answered.

I asked, "how long do you think their relationship will last before she dumps him at the curve?"

"If she keeps her word she will wait until she has at least two children that she can use to milk him for support for years," Tammy said without any hesitations. "That's when I learned that your mother had openly discussed doing the same to her new husband. Your dad ended up having to pay for support for the three of you until you all turned the legal age of nineteen."

"I didn't know that" I said. "That makes what he was able to do even that much more impressive."

"So, your mother wasn't able to leave him broke and desolate," Tammy said, "like she claimed she had."

"It's a fifty/fifty state," I said. "He started rebuilding by investing in tech and had bought into the crypto coin market which is where he made most of his money. When he got a computer, he started using his building equity to purchase commercial revenue producing properties. When the estate is settled, I will be able to sell it all and live quite comfortably if I want to. One of the properties I will own is at the second exit off the freeway so I'm going to start researching the cost of putting a gas bar convenience store on that location."

"Good when I tell my parents that, it should settle their concerns that you might be interested in me because of my family's money," Tammy said in laughter.

"Better than that tell them that we both agreed to have a pre-nuptial agreement to protect our assets should we get serious," I said. "If they pressure you to explain why tell them I own the farm my grandfather lives on along with about forty other pieces of revenue producing property. An added plus for us is that when my great grandfather sold the land to build the interstate they agreed to build us an off and on ramp to it when we requested it. "