12

Please read the chapters in order. None of the chapters are stand-alone. There is a very important message prior to Chapter One... please read it. Thanks.

Chapter 11

I didn't know what we were crying about.

*

The door from the garage opened and a smiling Pam and Rudy walked in. "He liked the car, Tom."

"No, I loved the car. That is some machine and she even let me drive."

"We took Angel down to I-75 and up a couple of exits and back. Two guys wanted to race us but I did what you said."

"She sure did, Tom. We only got up to 140 before the other guys gave up."

"RUDY! You promised not to tell Tom. Darn your hide!" They both started laughing so I knew it was a joke. At least I hoped it was.

"Pam, its 6:00. When do you want to eat? I need at least 20 minutes to grill the meat."

She looked at Ruth and they agreed that 6:45 would work. Pam was planning baked potatoes, asparagus and a tossed salad. I invited Rudy to join me outside on the patio and grabbed two beers and our jackets on the way. It was a very cool night, as Novembers normally have, and the sun had set. After several minutes of small talk about the city views, I turned on the gas grill and cleaned the grate.

Rudy asked, "How did you manage to get one of the McLarens? I know they were on allocation, even though they cost a half-million dollars."

"My dad went to school with a guy who's a dealer in Atlanta. Dad has bought many cars from him over the years. When the McLaren was announced, Lydia read a review and fell in love with it. Later on, when we found out she had cancer, I asked Dad to call his buddy and see what could be done. The dealer pulled some strings, I suppose, and he called Dad one morning and said he had one coming. The neat thing was that it was the paint color she wanted.

"We drove down and picked it up. She was so nervous that she refused to drive it home. I remember how cute she was debating with me her reasons for not driving it. I also remember the first time I heard that engine and felt the power under my foot. There was nothing like it."

"Pam surprised me when she stopped at a gasoline station and told me to drive. That car really scared me. The accelerator is very sensitive and it almost jerks your head off when you tap it too hard. I'm not familiar with the specs on that engine but it must have massive torque. Pam has learned to handle it well. I was impressed with her driving."

"Good, I worry about her every time she has it out. That car is a beast."

After several minutes of small talk, I said, "Ruth and I had a talk while you were gone. She told me about the baby she gave up for adoption."

"Yeah, she told me last night. It's a real shame she had to make that decision so young and live with it forever. But I think she did the right thing. I told her I was very proud of her for thinking of the baby first. I wish all pregnant mothers did that."

I replied, "She asked whether or not she should tell Pam and Jerri and I said to do it. Ruth needs to share the burden she's been carrying and know that others support her decision. It sounded like Richard wanted to keep the baby and that added to her feelings of guilt."

"I know. That must have been painful."

We sipped our beers and continued with small talk until Rudy said, "We're planning to get married in late March. It'll be just a simple wedding at the church. Would you consider standing with me?"

"Absolutely. I'm honored you asked."

"My brother will as well. We'll just wear normal suits, not tuxes or anything like that. Ruth wants it to be a simple affair."

"Sounds good. Let's get these steaks on. How do you and Ruth like them?"

"We both like medium."

"Pam likes medium also but I like mine a little rare." I put three of the filets on and waited a few more minutes before adding mine.

"If you'll watch them, I'll grab some more beers," I said.

I walked in and saw Pam and Ruth sitting in the library talking. I could tell it was a serious discussion and assumed it was about the baby. I pulled another Bud Lite and Stella out of the fridge and walked back to the grill.

"Rudy, we were trying to decide what you might like to see this weekend. We have a very nice aquarium. Of course, there's Rock City, made famous by all the painted birdhouses and barn roofs. We have two Civil War battlefields close by, Lookout Mountain and Chickamauga. There's Ruby Falls, a tall waterfall inside a cave. Also the old train station has been restored and it dates from 1909."

"All of that sounds interesting. Let's let the girls decide."

The steaks were ready in just a few more minutes. When I entered the kitchen, I saw the girls working on the salad and the potatoes were out of the oven and cooling. I glanced at Pam and our eyes touched. She winked at me and smiled.

Fortunately, the steaks were fine. During dinner, the ladies decided they wanted to go to the aquarium and then have lunch at The Meeting Place, one of my restaurants. We would do that on Friday and then decide what to do about Saturday. Ruth and Rudy planned to drive home Sunday after going to church with us.

The rest of the evening was devoted to the movies. Rudy wanted to watch "The Unforgiven," a 1960's western starting Burt Lancaster and Audrey Hepburn. I had forgotten I had that old movie on DVD. Dad must have given it to me. He liked the old westerns and gave me a box of them one time for Christmas.

It was fun to see a production from those years and how they had to do the photography without all the special effects they now use. We all cheered for the good guys and booed the bad guys. It was a real hoot and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it with them.

When we decided to call it a night and retire, I was a little surprised when Rudy and Ruth went into the same bedroom; but that was fine with me. When Pam entered, she immediately walked into my arms and kissed me like there was no tomorrow.

"Pam, I need some air girl. What's gotten you all turned on?"

She smiled and giggled, "They're sleeping together now. I think it's so cute and Mom was so embarrassed to tell me."

"There's no reason to be embarrassed."

"I know. She and my dad were old school, conservative and proper. At least I always thought so. But she told me tonight about having the baby before they were married and how she decided to give it up for adoption. So my dream was real. She told me she had asked your advice about telling me."

"How did she break it to you?"

"After you guys went outside, she asked if we could sit and talk. We went to the library and she started crying as soon as we sat down. Of course, that started me crying too although I didn't know what we were crying about.

"She eventually was able to tell me about the tough times they had growing up and how she and Dad fell in love when she was a freshman in college. They had unprotected sex a couple of times and she got pregnant. Since he was a much older guy, her parents never supported their relationship and made it known to them. They felt very alone but they decided to put their faith in God and ask for wisdom.

"Mom believed that God helped her decide to have the child and give it up for adoption through one of the Christian run adoption services. The service paid for all her health care and the doctor and hospital expenses. She and Dad were so poor they never could have paid that bill.

"After they eloped, which I never knew about, they moved in with his parents. Their finances improved when Dad got a good job in town and she was able to work in a local supermarket. She later tried to find out who had adopted her daughter but the adoption service refused to provide any details. She has always carried a heavy burden of guilt about giving away her baby and didn't want to let me and Jerri know it happened."

"Did you tell her about your dream."

"No. I didn't think that would add anything to our discussion. Maybe it was some sort of premonition I had. This world of dreams and messages is so difficult to understand."

"I know."

"Anyway, Jerri and David are planning to visit Mom and Rudy for Christmas and she wants us to come as well. She'll tell Jerri face to face about the baby and wants us not to say anything to Jerri until then."

"And you didn't say anything about Niki Lee?"

"No. But we do need to go to Atlanta and try to meet her. I'm now excited about that possibility."

"I understand. I asked your mom if the opportunity came to meet her daughter, would she want to do it."

"I hope she said 'yes'."

"She did."

"Tom, I'm just dumbfounded. I always thought my parents had the perfect marriage and that they never did anything out of the ordinary. Now I find just how difficult it was for them. I always wondered why we were closer to my dad's family than to Mom's. Now I know, her father never supported or helped them. That must have been terrible for Mom and Dad. They had to elope because her parents wouldn't attend her wedding. Can you imagine such a thing?" Tears welled in her eyes once again.

"No I can't. But none of us ever know what others have to go through until they give us a glimpse of it. Your parents obviously loved you two girls more than anything and they were always trying to protect you, even though you didn't know it."

"Sweetheart, I need your love tonight. Just soft and tender loving. Can we do that?"My answer was to slowly start removing her clothing a piece at a time and stopping to kiss her body as it was revealed. She stood there and gazed at me as each piece was laid aside. When she was undressed, she removed each piece of my clothing and kissed my body. We embraced and I slowly rubbing my hands up and down her back as our tongues touched.

I took her by the hand and helped her into bed. We continued to caress the other's body and look into our lover's eyes. Everything was in slow motion, just gentle loving touches and caresses.

After ten or so minutes of touching, stroking and probing, Pam straddled me and guided me into her. There was no erratic bouncing or the wild lust we often experienced. She sat on me for a full minute, just absorbing all the sensations of being one with each other. Her eyes never left mine. She gradually began to move up and down and I could feel the soft contractions as her body told her it was time. There was no moaning, no screaming and no grunting.

As her orgasm approached, she lay forward on my chest. I wrapped my arms around her and we kissed... slowly and tenderly. She suddenly closed her eyes and began gasping with shallow and rapid breaths. Pam stopped a couple of times and lay still; but I could feel her body continue to clinch and relax. The release of our passion was anything but slow. We peaked at the same time. I squeezed my arms around her and tried to get as close to her entire body as I could. I so wished that she could just become part of me forever.

We quietly lay there and experienced the afterglow before hearing some muffled screaming from next door.

"I think that was Mom." She started giggling quietly.

"You and she sound just alike," I said. The mood was broken and we climbed out of bed and walked to the shower.

****

Thanksgiving morning was a whirlwind of activity. Pam and Ruth were in the kitchen early, preparing the turkey and planning the desserts. When I walked in to get coffee, they were quickly looking through cookbooks and on-line to find likely recipes. The turkey was no issue at all, it was fresh, never frozen, and Ruth had roasted them dozens of times. The desserts were another matter as there were so many options. After much debate, they decided to make three of the old favorites: a pumpkin pie, a pecan pie and a coconut layer cake. Fortunately, Pam had purchased all the needed ingredients.

While they were pulling items out of the fridge and cabinets, Pam looked at me and said, "Why don't you and Rudy go do something? Mom and I have work to do."

This kitchen was huge and all I was doing was sitting at the far end of the counter and drinking coffee. Why did she want me to leave? But I knew better than to argue so I walked into the library and waited for Rudy. He came out about fifteen minutes later. We greeted each other and I told him to get coffee and go downtown with me.

We walked into the garage to Angel and I asked, "You want to drive?"

"Sure, but I'd like to see the engine if I could."

"Okay." I open the hood and Rudy broke into a big smile.

"That's a work of art. I like the way they designed the Mercedes logo to be the intake for that amazing breather. Just look at the precision design and finish. Tom, this is a world of engineering I know nothing about." He walked from side to side and tried to see where all the components were mounted and how the belts and pulley system worked. He then crawled under to see what could be seen from underneath. After a few minutes, he stood and just shook his head. "I've never seen anything like this."

I backed the car out around his. While he slid into the driver's seat, I gave directions to take us down the mountain.

"We are we going?"

"I want to go down to the Center City Shelter. Just turn left at the bottom of the hill."

"Why are we going there?"

"My restaurants always roast turkeys and bake hams for them on Thanksgiving morning. I just want to make sure our guys are on track and have what they need to get the job done."

"You do that every year."

"Yeah. Dad started doing that more than twenty years ago. It was one way he found to give back to the community. The people doing all the roasting and baking are our employees who volunteer to give up a few hours of their Thanksgiving to help out. Dad always felt guilty about letting them do it for nothing and one year he tried to pay them their regular wages for what they did. Every last one of them refused to take the money. One of them told Dad that he wanted to donate his time but he would never do it again if Dad insisted on paying him. Evidently, all of them felt the same way. They wanted to give back to the less fortunate just like Dad did."

We drove on in silence, or as silent as a 600 horsepower engine can be.

The shelter was a beehive of activity and dozens of community volunteers were preparing food and setting up for the expected crowd. Our people weren't there yet so I called Tim, who was the boss this morning, and checked on the status.

"Hey Tom. Our Bistro team left here about ten minutes ago. They have 18 turkeys and two hams. We're just cleaning up now. Bill's team called and they're leaving in about 20 minutes. They have 15 turkeys. They're waiting on the last of them to reach temperature. Judy's team is packing everything in their truck and will be on their way with eight hams in just a few minutes."

"Tim, give my thanks to all your guys. I'm at the shelter now and will be here when everyone arrives. I appreciate you, good buddy. Don't know what I'd do without you. Give my best to Laura and you guys have a great Thanksgiving."

Rudy asked, "Is Tim your general manager?"

"No, he's the chef at The River Bistro. He had volunteers in there starting very early this morning to prepare everything. The other two restaurants had either three or four volunteers each. It amazes me how they all love to do it."

The director of the shelter came over and shook our hands and thanked me for what we do every year. I told him about Gino's contribution this year, and he promised to write a note of thanks to him.

All at once I saw some activity at the back door. Tim's driver and helper had arrived, and everyone was helping carry in the turkeys and hams.

Once unloaded, the real work began to slice everything into serving sizes. Fortunately, there were other volunteers there to do that work. The driver and his assistant were free to go home to their families but I had a few words with them before they left. Both guys were as happy as could be to help out.

This was repeated two more times as our delivery trucks arrived over the next forty minutes. Our job was then complete and everything was on schedule for an 11:30 opening. The director said they expected to feed approximately 500 people that day. Not only the homeless who sheltered there but also others in the community who needed help came every year. It struck me as we talked that I should be doing more throughout the year to help. Maybe I could get Pam to brainstorm some ideas with me.

"Rudy, let's go home. I need a good cup of coffee."

After parking Angel in her bay, we entered the house and were greeted by the aroma all men love.

"Pam, my nose tells me that you remembered the biscuits."

"Yeah, I couldn't let your dad go hungry."

Ruth added, "I'm pleased you like her biscuits so much. Richard's mom always told me that you capture a man's full attention with your biscuits, not your makeup."

I smiled and replied, "Probably true, but both combined works even better." Everyone laughed.

Rudy and I walked to the coffee machine. I noticed that someone had also made sticky buns and the cake layers were baked and cooling. This was starting to look like a real feast. We helped ourselves to the sticky buns.

The beep on the alarm system warned me the front door just opened. Mom and Dad had arrived. I rushed to help them unload and Rudy followed me out.

"Hey Mom, Happy Thanksgiving!" We hugged and kissed around the large plastic bowl she was carrying. "Here, let me take this. Mom, this is Rudy. Rudy this is Sarah."

"It's very nice to meet you Rudy. I'm so glad you could come."

"My honor, Sarah. It's great to meet you and to be here."

"Rudy, why don't you take this bowl and introduce Mom to Ruth. I'll go out and help Dad." He had the trunk open and a few containers and a couple of platters were sitting on the driveway.

"Hey Tom. Happy Thanksgiving son."

"Thanks Dad. Happy Thanksgiving! It looks like you've been busy."

"Yeah, a few things needed to be done ahead of time. I see Ruth and Rudy made it. That's a nice car they're driving."

Rudy walked out and I introduced them. We carried all the containers and platters in and put them on the island.

"Dad, let me introduce you to Ruth." To my surprise, they actually hugged and he kissed her on the cheek. Dad was turning into a charming guy. What happened to him?

"Ruth, I'm delighted to meet you. I see where Pamela got her beauty." Mom and I looked at each other and I smiled. Where did this guy, who looked like my dad, come from? He'd never been this sweet to the ladies.

"Jim, it's a real pleasure. Pam has been telling me about you two this morning. I think she has a biscuit waiting for you."

"Oh, she does?" Dad reached for Pam and hugged her as she kissed him on the cheek.

"So you've been busy, Pamela?"

"Mom and I have, James. What would you like to go with it?"

"Not a thing. Great biscuits should always be savored, not hidden behind the sweetness of jam, honey or butter. He carefully chose one from the pan; but I had no idea how he decided to choose the one he did. He raised it to his nose. Then he broke off a piece and tasted the crusty top. He next put a larger piece in his mouth and closed his eyes. He slowly chewed and let the flavors sort themselves out on his taste buds.

Tension was running high. Pam looked at Ruth and shrugged her shoulders. Finally, a verdict was rendered.

"Pamela, this is the finest biscuit I've ever tasted." The audience erupted! It was like Tiger had just sunk an 80-foot putt. Pam looked at me with the biggest smile I had ever seen.

"Thank you, James. Mom taught me how to make them."

Dad looked at Ruth and said, "Do you by any chance run a bed and breakfast? We would love to come for a visit if you do."

"Jim, you two are welcome to come anytime. We would be honored for you and Sarah to visit us."