16 comments/ 30159 views/ 12 favorites Two Young Broken Hearts By: PTBzzzz By now you know I try to write stories about loving couples. No cheating allowed. This story fits into the same vein. If it is not what you want to read don;t complain at the end. I have been here all along, since my last story. I have written and discarded a number of stories, I just was not happy with the outcome. The first chapter is based loosely on a song written by Louvin, Hill and Louvin I hope you enjoy this one. PTBzzzz xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Part one I learned about heartache at a very young age. I didn't know what a soul mate was but I knew there was something very special about the girl who lived across the farm lane from us. Her daddy worked for the man who owned that farm. We were just two skinny little farm kids. Everyone called her Sweet Pea. The name fit her just fine. Her Mom and Dad were Mr. and Mrs Johnson. My Dad and Uncle James, his twin brother, owned the farm we lived on. They inherited it from their dad. My name is John S Binder Jr. Everyone called me Spud. It seemed as though everybody had a nickname, some were of the sort that children best not be caught repeating. It was on a cloudy Friday late into the fall of the year when a group of men showed up in a truck. I didn't like their look nor the things they said. They were crude in the way they talked and their actions. One man decided to pee on the back tires of the truck, he saw me staring with my eyes wide and mouth open. He turned in my direction and shook it at me. Behavior such as that was frowned upon in our parts. Dad walked over and spoke to him. The man replied "Sorry Kid" in a loud voice, then turned around and walked away. Dad returned and informed me that they were from a town a ways down the road. The man who owned the farm was through with his crops for the year and couldn't afford to pay the hired hand through to the next spring. Their agreement was that he would pay to move them to their next job if one was found within a month after letting Mr Johnson go. If there was no job the family could stay rent free until the next spring, like they did the last two winters. The Johnson's had little money left from what they had earned that year and that house was bitter cold in the winter. The siding had gaps and holes and the wind blew right through. I looked at my dad and pleaded for him to buy the farm so they could stay there. Dad slowly shook his head and softly told me "...we don't have that kind of money." "Please Daddy!" I pleaded. "I can give their little ones all my toys and I have all the pennies in my piggy bank to help. Every time we find a penny we put it in the big piggy bank you gave me. Please Daddy, some day I'm going to marry my Sweet Pea! I may be young now, but soon I'll be a man, I love her Daddy! Please don't let them take my sweetheart away!" Sweet Pea and I had been friends for almost three years, that was how long they had lived across the road on the farm. We did everything together, we walked to and from school, attended Sunday School, we helped each other with our chores and when our work was done, weather permitting we would then play down by the gate until our mothers would call us in for supper. The neighbors all referred to us as "the twins". It was as if we were joined at the hip. Then, there was the hair. ...OH, yes, the hair. We both had flaming red hair. With the hair came the freckles, she had that a lot worse than me. There were about three hundred people on the farms and in the surrounding area. We were the only two in our world that had that flaming red hair. When the truck was loaded it went away. Soon my Mom and Dad went over and took a basket of food for their journey. A short time later I watched, heartbroken, from my bedroom window, as Sweet Pea looked up from her window in the car and waved through her tears as they slowly drove down the road. My world can crashing down around me. I picked at my supper that evening and went to bed soon after without being told. The next morning as Dad and I were doing chores he explained to me that life was not fair. "Sometimes through no fault of your own, your plans can come crashing down all around you, and all you can do is to watch as it happens." "Daddy, I may only be seven, but one day I'll find her and we'll get married. Just you wait and see." It was only a few years later when Daddy was caught up in a piece of equipment, he came close to loosing his left arm. He was right handed so he could still do most things, his hand took years and lots of therapy before it was close to normal. James took over the farm, he had to hire a hand to help until his children could do more. Later when we moved to a town Mom and Dad both had to take jobs. Dad took a job at the local feed mill while Mom was hired on as a cook at the diner two blocks from home. I was still an only child. I was told that my job was to do the very best I could in school. My job was to make it through college and get a job that paid well. My job was to become somebody: they didn't want me to be a dirt poor farmer. The poor rich they called it. Between both jobs, a small profit from the farm and odd jobs that I did we were able to purchase the "handyman special" house we were renting, and fix it up. The mill sold lumber and things as a sideline to the feeds and other animal products. Occasionally an order would come in wrong or an item would not sell, if Dad could use it he was allowed to buy it at cost, or it was just left in stock to be sold later. One day his car would not start after work. He really needed to pick up Mom and get her to the doctor. She was eight months along with our second baby. Tony, his boss, offered to drive him home and take them wherever they needed to go. When he pulled up in front of the house he saw the appearance. It was late summer and he knew the roof wouldn't make it through another winter. Dad was a proud man, he would not accept charity; not any way or any how. When Dad got to work the next morning he was asked if he needed help with his car. The garage next to the mill came over and determined it was the battery. Roy the mechanic replaced it, forty dollars he told Dad; his cost. You can pay me a bit each week for it. Now, Dad and I had a good reputation in town for carpentry skills. We worked most weekends with crews from one of the churches doing repairs for the elderly. His work was top grade every time. I was the apprentice. I was his left arm if you will. He spent as much time teaching me how to do the work as we did actually doing the job. Roy said "If you can come over to the house I have some repairs my wife has been after me to get done. We can trade work, hour for hour, to cover the labor on your car." The next week the materials were delivered and we went to work on the following Monday, it was a holiday. We were done with the agreed upon work by noon. We continued to work until four. The new wood was painted, caulked and all the rest of the wood that surrounded the new had a coat of paint and was re-caulked where needed. Roy had worked all day at the garage and was amazed at what we had completed. Before Roy could say anything Dad told him the way it was going to be. "A mechanic makes double what a carpenter would, therefore I need to work 2 hours for each one you do for me." "But I only worked about an hour on your car" Roy protested. "You can hold it in reserve in case I ever need another repair." That was the beginning of a wonderful friendship, each of them doing more than expected for the other. After some years they decided they both owed each other so much they couldn't afford to stop being friends. The week after the car repair Tony asked Dad into the office, "I seem to have forgotten to do your yearly review last year" he told Dad. "The company is just barely breaking even" Dad countered. "Oh, we are doing better than that" It went on and on for about ten minutes before Tony got to the main subject. "I should have paid you about four thousand dollars more over the last year, by my calculations. I just happen to have a load of shingles that should cover your house. I can give them to you at cost to cover the shortfall in your wages. You will also see the raise in your next paycheck. I know you can use it with the baby soon here."They argued for the next half hour about how Dad could not accept charity, and how dangerous it was for him to be on a roof. Dad was soon called to the yard to handle a customer problem, it took two minutes. When Dad returned to the office Tony was gone for the day. ...according to his secretary. On Sunday, church was unusually full, the sermon was on helping others and graciously accepting help in return. After the sermon was finished the preacher from the church with the home repair project walked up the aisle and joined our preacher at the pulpit. He spoke to the assembled; "In return for all the wonderful things John binder and his son Spud have done for our community we are declaring this week Binder family appreciation week. All of our workers are to be praised for their efforts and good work; we think it is right to repay them for all of their efforts...." I looked over and saw Mom tugging urgently on Dad's arm. He bent down to hear what she had to say. His mouth dropped open and his eyes went wide. He spoke up loudly; " I'm about to give birth, I mean my wife is pregnant, WE NEED TO GO!" With that Mom led him out of the church to the car. I could see him mumbling and fumbling with the keys, finally I read Mom's lips "Would you like me to drive?" she gently asked. "Yes, ummm, N, NO" he stuttered. "I know it is just beginning" she softly spoke, "We have a number of hours before it happens." Dad settled down and drove off at just a slightly higher speed than necessary. I went back inside to hear what they had to say, "Dad's just a little excited because Mom is ready to deliver." I said, as I returned to my seat. "Let's all join in silent prayer for John and his family " one of the preachers said. A little more than an hour later we still had not returned to "Binder Day". The program was put on hold for another day. Soon the service stopped again, I saw a lady leaning it toward the pulpit whispering. Our preacher, Rev Sam, pointed to me and called me up. He spoke to me quietly. He turned from me and announced "Spud has a baby sister, I have been told her hair is even redder than his...As if that is possible!" What they didn't get to tell us was starting after church the men were meeting at our house to re-shingle the roof. I was driven to the hospital by a man who shook my hand as I got out. I thanked him for his kindness. As I walked into the hospital people were pointing toward me and whispering things like "I bet that's him, He's got to be the brother, and so forth." Everyone knew where I needed to go and helped me along the way. I was directed into a room, Mom was laying on one bed and Dad was on another with a big goose egg of a knot on his forehead. Mom pointed to the bundle in her arms. The red hair stuck out just a wildly as mine, the color was certainly bright, what there was of the hair. "Meet your sister." she said, as I looked at her. "What happened to Dad?" I asked. "When he saw the red hair he got excited and lost his balance." she said. I found out years later that he passed out during the birth. Three days later they named her Emily Rose. Mom, like her mom, was named Emily, the name Rose stuck with her for life, for obvious reasons. In the spring we planted a rose bush in the front corner of the yard, I had ordered it special because the color was so close to our hair. It is still there to this day. Part 2 Rose and I were well known in the community, for obvious reasons. As a result and because it was expected of us we were always on our best behavior. In high school I joined the football team and played baseball too. I was soon the starting quarterback and the best pitcher on the baseball team. Wherever I went Rose was there with me, just like a shadow. By my senior year I was big and strong. In football we went to the state championship game only to loose it by two points. I had three no hitters that spring; we went all the way to be state champions. I wasn't valedictorian, but came real close. I was awarded an academic scholarship to the local branch of the state university and graduated from there with high honors. My degree was in engineering. I soon found myself out looking to join the work force. Rose cried when I found a job about two hundred miles away. All throughout school I never forgot my Sweet Pea. I was always looking for her wherever I went. I especially thought of her when Dad and I returned to the farm each fall to hunt. I had been working for the same company, rapidly climbing the ladder and moving higher. Soon there was no place for me to advance without moving to another facility. I agreed to relocate to another facility about three hundred and fifty miles away. The new location was twenty five miles from the farm and was actually closer to home, this allowed me to get home more often. Over the years Rose had become a real stunner; she was going into high school the next year. The new job was in research and development engineering for the company. I was just getting my feet wet when they transferred in another person to the department. She was to be my clerk and assistant. The girl was terribly shy; she was also the most stunning brunet I had ever seen. She always had a sad look in her eyes that her makeup only partially hid. I did not understand why she always wore it so heavily. It took eight months before she could be alone in the same room with me for more than a few minutes. We slowly became friends. Her name was Ellen Sue Thomas, "call me Sue" she always said. I noticed she watched me closely when she thought I wasn't looking. I was still watching everywhere for my Sweet Pea. I hoped she turned out to be as wonderful as Sue was. After working together for another year we finally became good friends. Once I asked her to lunch, she shook her head "NO". Later she told me "You are a wonderful friend. I have loved another for a long time now. I lost track of him years ago. Can we still be friends?" I assured her "I could be fine with that." And so it came to be; we were the best of friends, but always looking for our other.... One day she didn't come in to work, I was beside myself with worry. Later that afternoon she called me to let me know her step father had died. When she returned she was much happier. A few months later we were asked to spend some time at another location nearer my home town. The company would pay for two hotel rooms and all meals while away. The project involved an item too large to move. We arrived on a Wednesday and were on site for ten days, twelve hours a day. On the second weekend we were there the entire team took both days off to relax. It remained that way until the job was completed; work one weekend and off the next. I asked if she would like to go for a ride to forget the stress we had been under. After some consideration we headed out into the country. Sue seemed to notice I had a destination in mind and began to question me on it "All in good time" I responded. After a while she sat up straighter and began to pay attention more. As we drove past an unusual rock formation she gasped slightly. "I sometimes dream about a rock that looks like that" she said. Coming around another turn I heard her mumble "OH, MY!" I asked "What?" She was holding her hand over her mouth. Soon we came alongside a tractor being driven at the edge of the fields. I slowed to a stop, as did the tractor. My cousin Elroy jumped down and ran over shouting "Is that you Spud?" I got out and we shook hands. "Pa is down at the barns" he said. I got back in, only to see her looking out the window on the other side. Was she looking for something or just trying to hide her eyes. I could see her chin as it trembled slightly. What was wrong? She wouldn't tell me. Just before we turned in the drive she turned back to face front and sighed. We spent the day visiting. When Uncle James saw her he said "You sure know how to pick-um. This one is almost as pretty as the little red head years ago." I shook my head to indicate not to continue. We had a good time and she relaxed to enjoy the day. I noticed Sue would slip deep into thought from time to time. She was all smiles as we drove back to the hotel. "Can we stop at a store on the way back. I need a few things." I allowed her to go in on her own as she requested. Back at the motel I escorted her to her room and she said, "I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow. Call me before you head down." And with that I was dismissed. In the morning I called and went down. Soon after sitting, I heard a voice behind me softly saying "I will always be your Sweet Pea!" I turned to see the most beautiful red head in the world. The makeup was gone and the freckles were back too. Her smile lit up the room. I was so stunned I forgot to breathe. She reached around and pushed my mouth closed. "It's not very becoming to stare like that." Then she slid into the booth beside me. The waitress came over and she announced "We will both have our usual." Stunned? Not me. I had trouble catching my breath. Then the tears began. She reached around me to hold me. We stayed that way until the food arrived. "Eat it, we have another long day ahead." When we left the cafe she took my keys. "You're not in any condition to drive and I know where I am going." As she drove I heard the story of her life. "Dad went to work for a cruel man when we moved from the farm. He was forced to work long hours in all weather. He became weaker and weaker as the years went by. Soon he was down in the bed too weak to do anything. Then he died. Momma and the rest of the family were heartbroken, I was devastated for the second time in my life. The boss came around, even before Daddy was buried and demanded we move out. He came back the next day and asked why we were still there. Momma told him we had nowhere to go. He took her aside and said to her that the only way we could stay is if she married him. Four weeks later it happened. We moved into his big house. Being the only child with red hair he said I had to either dye it brown like his or keep my head shaved. The red hair angered him because, he said, it proved I was not his. I heard rumors that after I turned eighteen I was to join him in his bed. I graduated on June fourth and turned eighteen on the ninth. Between the two dates Momma told me to get away. A neighbor, Mr Pete, took me in for a few weeks before sending me to live with his daughter. He paid my way to school to learn the secretarial skills necessary to support myself and do the work I do with you. For years I have been communicating with my family through him. My stepfather died not too long ago as you know. He left no will, the law said Momma got everything. Over the years she watched everything he did. She restructured his company, the workers are happier and it is now more profitable than ever. I have been in love with you since we began working together. I was amazed that I fell so fast for you. While we were working together I grew to love you as John, not knowing you were the same man I was looking and holding out for. I think I understand why now." I listened to her story in stunned silence. Shortly after she finished her story we slowed and turned into a long drive. It twisted and turned through the trees that lined it on both sides. As we crested the hill I saw a house off to the right. It was a modest rancher, nothing like the driveway might have led you to expect. Two Young Broken Hearts As she parked the car I recognized her mother, the beautiful face and smooth skin gave her away. I had remembered her because I felt that is what Sweet Pea would look like now. I realized that Sweet Pea was even prettier than her mother. I also recognized her voice when she spoke to her daughter, "You always said you would find your boy, I don't know why I ever doubted you. My, my; Spud you look even better than your dad!" At that statement a car came around the last corner on the drive, I instantly recognized it was my family. Why were they here? I was finally introduced to Mr Pete. As the day continued, more people arrived; most were relatives of one family or another. Others were important local people. Early in the afternoon Mr Pete announced, "Lunch is served out near the pool." A special table was setup to the left of the serving line; we were invited to eat with Mr Pete, our parents and his other special guests. I was amazed to find myself seated next to the owner of the company we worked for. After we all had taken our fill and many of the guests had departed a story began. Part three Our host began; "Sue, um...excuse me...Sweet Pea, I am truly sorry for the abuse your father was subjected to by a member of my family. I had no idea. I am heart broken to admit I was related to your step father. He was my older brother. He managed to drive my soon to be wife away from me. By the time I found her she had married another man. When she finally found out what he had done she was too far in love with the other man to leave. She admitted she still had strong feelings for me, but it was too late. She said she did not have it in her to destroy another man's life. I have spent time with them and agree with her. Because I loved her so much I was more concerned with her happiness than my own. I could never destroy her marriage and happiness. I told her so. My brother wanted to steal my wife from me. She listened to his words and decided that she needed to get away from the entire family. If one person was as corrupt as he said I was, then the entire family must be the same. He bashed me too well to ever have a chance to win her. The week before we were to marry she slipped away with only an overnight bag under the cover of darkness. She drove five hours in the wrong direction. She spent the night in a motel charged to a card in my name and reversed course the next morning, dropping off of the end of the earth and out of sight. Her first job paid her as a contractor for two years before she met her current husband. After she left me I was persuaded to sell my share of the family company to my brother. Frankly I did not like what I was seeing of him and didn't want to be financially ruined when he drove it out of business. I invested my money wisely and now live well for my efforts. I returned from my quest to find my wife the week after your father died, your mother had already agreed to marry him by that time. I tried to talk her out of it. Your mother, Nancy, has always been a woman of her word, you should be proud of her. She did what she felt she had to, to keep your family together. She also made sure to never have a child by my brother, if she had one she felt that her children with your father were in danger. Sweet Pea, when she sent you to me she knew I would do everything in my power to protect you. My brother never found out that I had impregnated my high school girlfriend. Her parents forbid that we marry. I have dutifully paid child support and visited my daughter every chance I dared. I willingly paid triple what the court ordered, to be sure she did not go without. I put money aside for her to go to whatever school she wished. Her mother died when she was sixteen, by then her grandparents were sorry we had not married and to this day welcome me into their home with open arms. I was so impressed by your determination to find Spud that I took steps to be sure you had the best shot ever to return to each other." Then he handed us a penny "You will know what to do with this when the time comes." Another man took over at that point. I am William Armstrong. I am a retired state trooper. I now run my own detective agency. There were rumors for months that a person was looking for the best detective money could buy. When Pete came to interview me I was honored to speak to him. Three months later he returned to me and asked me to work for him. He explained that no one was to know who he was searching for; that would be you, Spud. He explained that a young girl he knew claimed to still love her childhood friend. He wanted me to find that friend so he could get them together and see what happened." He spoke of the search and he too handed us a penny when he was through. A number of others spoke on their parts of the investigation. Each handed us a penny when they were through. The owner of our company, Mr Hanson spoke last. "It's funny how life works. I personally made the decisions to hire both of you. My decision was without any input from anyone else in this room. I was most impressed by your academic records, I was proven correct when you both exceeded my wildest expectations as separate workers. I wondered what the results would be if I stuck you both together to work as a team. I have watched from the sidelines to see if the results were what I expected. Three weeks ago Mr Armstrong came to me with a wild story about two of my best employees. I was intrigued by the story. When he finished he asked if there was some way to get you two together to see what happens. He must have thought me to be insane as I about fell out my chair in laughter. I pulled a folder out of my drawer and threw it to him. As he read the details in that folder his eyes became wider and wider, before long he began to laugh too. This was the week before we sent you to the special project together, it was already in the planning stages. I could see it in your eyes how very much you both wanted to be together, but you held onto a hope and a prayer that you would find the love that was taken from you as a child. Your actions this weekend resolved our task to get you back together. I guess we won despite our best efforts. We, as a company, wish you well and offer any assistance you need." Then he handed us a small stack of pennies, one each from himself and the entire board of directors. When we went to Mom and Dad's the next time I went and got our piggy bank. I had placed that one aside and began another when they moved. She was amazed that I still had it. I let her pull the tape off the slot and we slowly put all those pennies in it. We spent the time between deposits kissing and holding each other as if life depended on it. Part four Pete, as we were instructed to call him, pulled me aside. "Next weekend I hope to ask Nancy to marry me. I already spoke to Sweet Pea and her siblings, and have their blessings. If she says yes, will you be my best man? Think on it for a while, please. And don't let on." I promised not to tell. We spent a lovely evening with our families. Rose and Sweet Pea were not sure how they felt about each other now that they were face to face. After the excitement and revelations of the day I drifted outside for some fresh air. As I pondered the events of the day I felt a presence in the shadows. Softly I heard a question. Rose asked "Does this mean we can no longer be best friends?" I contemplated the answer and soon responded "Is there a rule prohibiting more than one best friend?" Somewhere on the other side, in the darkness, I heard a soft sigh and a voice said "Not that I know of, but you understand HIS BODY IS MINE!" The giggle from the first side was wonderful, and soon followed by "Can all three of us be best friends, I would like that!" Soon we were all laying together on the top of the steps watching the sky. A shooting star raced by as we lay back, arm in arm, in arm. The collective sigh filled our ears, then silence for a while. The next weekend Pete asked Nancy to marry him, she broke down in tears before she finally nodded yes. They were married the next month. As their reception was winding down Sweet Pea and I found ourselves wandering through Pete's gardens. We sat to rest on a bench in the rose garden. I reached over and held her hand for a bit before I finally calmed down enough to pull the ring box from my pocket and ask to marry her. Her response was : "I would have married you when we were seven, YES my love." We returned arm in arm. Rose immediately noticed the sparkle on her finger and raced over to hug us both. "I knew it was going to happen today!" she laughed. Soon, everyone else was surrounding us too; extending best wishes and commenting on how great it would be. We had all three made the same wish on the shooting star. Pete and Nancy used the time to sneak out for their honeymoon, she was soon carrying their first child. When the special project was completed we returned to our regular jobs. The second evening back we had dinner in my apartment. We sat on the sofa making plans for the rest of our life and fell asleep in each others arms. We woke the next morning stiff and sore from sitting there all night, still dressed in our clothes from the day before. As we untangled our arms and legs Sweet Pea began to blush and laugh "I guess we can now say we have slept together!" she joked. Her lease was soon to run out and she moved in with me. We slept together and held each other every night; but saved sex for marriage. Rose spent most nights in the second bedroom, our door was always open. Rose soon began to date the youngest of Sweet Pea's brothers, they were about the same age. They began when she needed a date for her senior prom. Soon they were inseparable. Part five We were in heaven. How could it get any better than this? Sweet Pea returned to visit her Mother and Pete to finalize the plans for our wedding. It was less than a month away. Everything was going to be perfect. Pete and Nancy had moved into the big house, This made Nancy happy, Pete...not so much. During the darkest part of the night Sweet Pea woke to a presence in her room. She began to scream, a rag was held securely in her mouth, there was a sweet smell and it felt cold. She was carried out of the house through a hidden stairway. The door did not close and her captor was in too much of a hurry to return and pull it shut. Pete arrived in the room seconds after they left and saw the door swinging wildly. Nancy was there just behind him. It took less than two minutes to return with a flashlight, dressed to pursue them. Nancy was on the phone calling the police. By the time Pete exited the passageway to the basement and into the backyard they had disappeared into a fog-bank. He knew there was a dirt road less than two hundred feet off to the right, he headed in that direction. As he approached the road he heard a vehicle start and speed off to the north. He had to return to the house to report what he knew. Sweet Pea woke in a cold dark room, it smelled musty like an old damp cellar. There was a single light-bulb glowing faintly in the far corner. Her leg was securely fastened to one leg of the bed she was laying on. She still wore her nightgown. She had enough length on her tether to just reach the toilet in the corner. Nothing else was close enough for her to reach and the bed was securely fastened to the floor. Hidden in the damp musty smell was a strangely familiar smell, it was slightly sweet like an old time brand of soap. A short time later she heard someone slowly descending a set of creaky steps, they were around the other side of a huge chimney. When she heard the voice she immediately knew who had taken her. "I have finally managed to return you to my side, where you are destined to be for all time." it said. "Chris, why have you done this to me?" she cried out. "Sue,I was assigned a task by my father. That task was to keep you safe until your eighteenth birthday. I was to keep you as a virgin. On your birthday you were to become his bride, and your mother disposed of. You ran away and father died before he was able to have you. I was to receive you as a present after you had 3 babies by him. I've watched you in private for many years from a secret passage that ran behind your bedroom." She was in total shock to hear the details of their plan. He continued "My father was a cruel man, you don't know the things he has done to your mother. I was to be the kind man who treated you well and won your heart. No one knows much of me, or anything of this house or this room. I can hold you here until you willingly give yourself to me." "I don't love you Chris, I love another. He will come looking for me. " She almost screamed 'will'. Then she suddenly stopped talking, afraid that she might have given away too much. Chris was too lost in his own dream to hear much of what she said. "You will grow to love me. I know you have it in your heart to do that. We will be the greatest lovers of all time. I will be your guardian and protector..." He continued on and on in his own dream world, not paying much attention to her protestations. Back at the big house the police and family were going over what they knew. There were the scream, the open door to the passageway and many idle scribblings on the walls of that passageway. After reading the prose and seeing the dried yellowing semen on the walls they were sure they knew the who and why of the case. And they had a better understanding of the situation. They just had no idea where to start What Chris had not counted on was the openness of Sweet Pea and Spud's relationship. One time he had asked her if she had any boyfriends as a teen. She answered that no one had seemed to be interested in her except for one boy who was very attentive in a creepy sort of way. She attributed this to the fact that the entire town seemed to hate her step-father. Of course she knew even better than they exactly how evil he was. She had been to the house a few times to have dinner with Chris and his mother. She had told him of the strange house that the boy lived in. She even remembered the sweet smell of the soap the mother used The house reminded her of one built for a horror movie. It was less than 500 feet from the edge of a quarry. The house was built over a hundred and fifty years ago by tradesmen who never showed in town other than to pass through on Mondays and Fridays on their way into or out of town. No one saw them then either as the windows were curtained over to conceal the occupants of the coach. The money was too good to complain about the insane demands on the workers. Spud managed to contact Mr Hanson who agreed to allow them the use of his plane to survey the countryside for the house. One flight over the only quarry in the region was all it took. Spud called his father and they decided to take in a hunting trip to relieve the stress. The day before the hunt began there was a meeting at the hotel where they stayed. The biggest problem was how to approach the house without being seen. The drive to the house was completely visible for over a mile coming up hill. A group, or multiple groups, would be sure to be seen over that distance. The walls of the quarry were about fifty to sixty feet straight up with occasional ledges and outcroppings. The decision was for John, his dad, to walk up the hill in plain sight as if he were a hunter who did not know it was private land. He might be stopped and sent back, but that would take any attention away from the quarry walls. The younger ones would scale the walls and come up behind the house and spread out. James, John's twin would take care of holding on to the bottoms of the rope and securing the equipment before driving to a point near the front of the house, out of sight. Early the next morning they drove to the wall in the abandoned quarry where people did recreational climbing on the walls all the time. In the photos that spot was about two hundred and fifty feet to the left of the house and came up into a wooded patch that would conceal them until they were ready to move. The first to climb was Edward, he was home on leave from the army. He was a superior climber. When all five climbers were at the top and rested they pulled the hunting rifles up on the ropes. It was decided to wait and see if there was any activity near the house. Every three to four hours Chris would take Sue for a walk. The men had spread out around the the yard area to better see what was being done and maybe hear parts of the conversation. Being closer they could see he had her on a leash.and in leg irons. The conversation was mostly tense and forced by him, many of her answers were short, one word or even none at all. They decided to wait until the next morning. James and John went back to the motel for the night. The others spent a cold dark night about seventy feet away from the cliff. Their food consisted of survival rations and other things like jerky and trail mix. Early the next morning they were back in their places surrounding the house. At daybreak John began his long hike up the hill looking for small game to shoot. He was not alone as planned. They were not sighted as they walked toward the house. A little after nine Chris walked out the back door off the house on his own. He walked to the same point he had the day before. He was happy and smiling and singing love songs to entertain himself. Occasionally he would remark to himself that she was beginning to fall in love with him. She would soon allow him to make love to her. He didn't say WITH her. "...women only had sex to reward their men." was his thought. He could wait her out, she was soon ready to give her virginity to him. Without warning Spud stood up, slightly behind him and to his left. "She will never allow you to have her" he thundered. Chris pulled out his pistol as he turned to face him. His face was clouded over in rage. His first shot was way wide to the right. As he sighted in for his second a rifle sounded from his right and a bullet hit his hand, knocking the pistol from, his hand. He didn't see the shooter. He bent to pickup his weapon and began to aim it again and another shot sounded. He heard the bullet pass next to his ear. Chris began to run toward the house and turned to fire wildly and nowhere in particular. He was aimed near enough to one of the cousins that the man shot his right knee, at the same time another shot hit him center mass of his chest. Sweet Pea heard all the shouting and gunshots and her imagination was running wild. Who was shot? How badly was he hurt? She was sure she had heard Spud yelling at Chris just before the shooting began. Someone had called the police when the shooting began. Chris was waving the pistol around calling Sue to come to him. No one dared to approach, for fear of being shot. Just before the police arrived his arm slowly dropped to the ground. He was still alive when he was loaded into the ambulance. He never made it to the hospital alive. He had lost too much blood. Sweet Pea was beside herself with worry. Finally a trooper was able to take the time to check on her. She too was taken away by ambulance. She had little to eat or drink the entire time and was weak and dehydrated. Somehow Pete figured out that they knew where she was being held and was allowed to accompany John up the hill that day. When he identified himself as family they took his word. After interviewing all the parties involved; the police were pissed but did not charge anyone since Chris shot first. They wanted to charge all of them with trespassing; but the property was owned by the company and Nancy refused to press charges. Nancy was the first to arrive at the emergency room to be with Sweet Pea. All she could offer was that she was sure everyone would be fine. The phones and weapons had all been confiscated for the time being and no one was allowed to leave the scene of the crime; as the police called it. Two Young Broken Hearts Late in the afternoon Spud was finally able to make it to see his love. He liked the sound of that. His love. Nancy was sitting there when he sneaked into the room. He was able to get around the foot of the bed before Sweet Pea saw him. In a flash she was up and out of the bed knocking everything out of the way in her rush to hold him. She only had one IV in her arm and managed to pull the entire thing out in her rush. Spud held her tight and soothed her saying over and over "It's finished, it's finished...." Part 6 The wedding was held as planned. The only change was the honeymoon was spent at home. It took months for Sweet Pea to allow Spud out of her sight and then only for a moment. Their first child was born ten months after the wedding. He was named after Sweet Pea's father. Samuel grew to be a strong, smart and handsome red headed young man. There were six more before they stopped producing; though they never gave up trying for just one more. They all grew in the images of their parents, their hair was blond, brunette, and black as well as that bright red. Their children married a mix of spouses and their hair came out in all colors and textures. All totaled there were seven children, sixty two grand children and twenty four great grand children before they passed away in their late nineties. The total was over one hundred and fifty and counting. Rose and Sweet Pea's brother Robert were married and had one child with the flaming red hair; the rest were all blond. The house where Chris held Sweet Pea hostage was struck by lightning after sitting empty for years. It burned to the ground. The four hundred acres the house sat on were gifted to both couples and split. They built houses near each other so all three, make that four...we have to include Robert., could live as best friends forever.