4 comments/ 23989 views/ 2 favorites Connecting Rod Ch. 09 By: coaster2 Chapter 9: Michelle's Story February 22, 1961 My name is Michelle Dawson and up until recently, I had no hope of living a perfect life. According to my driver's license, I'm five foot six and weight one hundred and forty pounds. I am the daughter of Florence Toews and Walter Dawson, and I was an accident. My parents married when Florence discovered she was pregnant at age seventeen. Walter, a handyman with some useful skills, made a scrape-by living. We lived in a small rented house on the outskirts of Sedro Woolley, in Skagit County. I guess the marriage was a mistake from the beginning. My ma was too immature to raise a child and manage a home, and Dad wasn't ready to be a father himself. He spent his time working and drinking at the local tavern while Ma was left to tend to me. The marriage ended when she finally got fed up with doing all the looking-after and left, taking nothing more than her clothes and our little bit of savings. I was five at the time. My father was completely amazed that Ma would not only leave him, but leave me behind. It was a life-changing experience, and for the next ten years he did the best he could to provide for us. I had no idea why my mother left, but I grew to hate her and my memories of her. I had been abandoned by the one person I relied on to help me. My father did his best, but it wasn't the same. My teenage years were hell. With few friends and struggles at school, I saw my father sink further and further into depression and alcoholism. By the time I was fifteen, I was running the house by myself. I was interested in my father's work. He was a fixer. He could repair almost anything if he could understand it and was sober. It was interesting for me to watch him work on appliances, cars, farm equipment -- almost anything mechanical. He was naturally good at problem solving, something he passed along to me. By the time I reached my teens, I was good at a lot of my father's skills. I think what helped me most was my curiosity about how things worked. If I had a hobby in the little free time I had to myself, it was to read manuals for the equipment my father would be fixing. As Dad's drinking made him more unreliable, it was left to me to finish some of his work to earn enough money to get by on. I took pride in my talent, but I wasn't kidding myself that I could turn it into a career. One cold, wet February day, Walter Dawson, my father, dragged himself into our house, drunk again. The clock said it was almost six o'clock and there was no supper on the table. He bellowed my name as he staggered around. A few seconds later, I opened front door and stepped in, carrying my school books. I could hear his hollering from across the yard. "Where the hell have you been?" "School. Had some extra work," I said, getting past him. He grabbed the arm of my coat and yanked me back. "Where's my supper? You know it's supposed to ready now." "You'll have to wait. It's not ready yet." I'd had about enough of this. Smack! He backhanded me across the face. Luckily, as drunk as he was, he hit just a partial blow along my jaw, but just the same, it hurt. I looked at him but didn't say anything. He had never hit me before. Never! I turned and went to my room, putting my books on the little night table and took off my coat. There were tears now. Tears for all the frustrations of the last twelve years. All the pain I had bottled up inside. I dried my eyes and walked to the kitchen and began to make the supper. My father, slumped in his chair, watched me. Even in his drunken state, he must have figured out that something had changed. Something had happened when he hit me. He was too drunk to know why he had done that. I was a good daughter and had done my best to look after him. If that damn floozy he married hadn't run off .... When my father slowly climbed out of bed the next morning, he would have stumbled to the kitchen, looking for the coffee that should be made. There wouldn't be any. The pot would be sitting empty and cold. If he took the trouble to look for me in my room, he would find the bed made, but I wouldn't be there. I doubt he would think much more of it. I had probably gone to school, he would suppose. No doubt he'd be pissed off that I hadn't made the coffee like usual. When he arrived home that night, there would still be no sign of me. This time it was going to be different. This time I would not come home. This time I was never coming back to that tiny house again. Walter Dawson was now on his own, left to care for himself. I had broken free, and at age seventeen, I would never return. I had no relatives that I knew of. There was little point in returning to school. It had been my escape place, but now, with no place to live, I would have to make it on my own. I had a little money from babysitting jobs and other sources, but it wouldn't go far. One thing was stuck in my mind. I was leaving Sedro Woolley. I would make my way someplace else. I got a job as a waitress in a truckstop along the Interstate 5 in Ferndale. Midge, the dayshift head waitress, helped me find a place to stay with an elderly farm couple not far from the diner. I had never waited tables before, but it didn't require much more than a good memory and a thick hide. With my body, I got plenty of rude comments and more than a few gropes. Midge taught me to ignore them unless they got too personal, then Midge would handle it. A couple of months after I started, the big toaster died suddenly one morning, right in the middle of the breakfast rush. Midge was swearing like a trooper under her breath as she tried to handle the problem. Curious, I went to the machine and turned it over. I opened the bottom hatch and looked at the connection from the cord to the control panel. It was a simple problem. A wire had come loose. Within five minutes I had secured the wire using a knife blade and the toaster was back in business. "Where the hell did you learn to do that?" Midge said with a big smile. "I learned to fix a lot of stuff with my dad. I'm just happy it was that simple and not a burned-out element." "Well, girl, you just saved me a lot of grief. Thank you." I nodded, smiling at how much that little repair had meant to the girls. It reminded me of how much I enjoyed fixing things. The satisfaction was my reward. For the next few months, I was consulted on anything that wasn't working properly. My opinion usually was the decision-maker on what should be done. More often than not, the other girls covered for me while I worked on the repair. They also split the tips, not wanting me to be short-changed by volunteering my talent. As I lay in bed at night, I had dreams about my future. Or maybe they were nightmares. Would I end up like my mother, tied to a loveless marriage, kids underfoot in some dingy trailer park? I had preserved my virginity despite all the attempts of the young guys who chased after me. I knew what they wanted. I was damned if I was going to make my mother's mistake. I would only give myself to a man I could count on. Someone I cared about. Perhaps even loved. I didn't see it in myself, but others did. Midge often remarked in conversation how tough I was. Mentally tough, she meant. I had lived a miserable existence and yet I survived; an optimist without much to be optimistic about. Most of the guys thought I was attractive in a way, but not a beauty. Midge said it crossed her mind more than once that I would make the right guy a very happy man, but he'd better not cross me. I broke down and accepted some dates from a few of the regular customers I knew weren't married. It usually involved a movie or occasionally even a dance at the local tavern, but almost always ended up in the back seat of some car. When I finally surrendered my virginity, it was almost like I was giving up. I handed my date a condom and made sure he used it. It was painful and pointless. I had no personal tie to the guy, and today I couldn't recall his name. The sex wasn't scary, but didn't feel like what I expected or wanted. Disappointing, I guess you could call it. I tried with a few other dates, but again, never had any real enjoyment from the sex. It was just ... sex. It was often over with before I was even ready to enjoy it. After a while, I just quit worrying about it and would decide whether or not to allow the guy to finish the date that way or not. It really didn't matter to me very much. I guess Midge was watching what was going on with me. She had taken an interest in me, keeping me on the dayshift to make sure that my repair skills were always available when needed most. But she also watched the parade of guys I dated, knowing full well they weren't all gentlemen. She decided to talk to me one afternoon when there was a lull at the diner. "Shelly, you know I care about you and I think you're the best thing that's happened to this diner since I got here," Midge began. I looked at her, a bit worried. "Are you going to fire me?" "No ... or course not. It's just ... these guys ... the ones you've been goin' out with. I don't think they're right for you. You're too good for them. You need to find a guy that you care about." "Yeah ... I know. But those kinds of guys don't grow on trees. I guess I just have to bide my time. But you're right. I'm tired of just goin' out with some guy just have a date. Most of them just want one thing anyway. About all I get out of it is a free movie," I complained. "Well, if I see a likely candidate, I'll let you know," Midge smiled. "In the meantime ... just be careful ... OK?" I grinned and nodded. Midge was in her middle thirties, but acted older. I respected the woman because she respected me. We were fast friends at work, but Midge had a husband and a couple of kids in school, so we didn't see much of each other beyond work. Bart Towsley was a sometime regular at the diner and friendly with Midge. I'd heard her mention my repair skills more than once when Bart commented he was looking for a mechanic to work at his station in Bellingham. He admitted it wasn't a great place like the ones up on the interstate, but he had a steady trade and needed a second mechanic to do the usual service station jobs. When I heard that, I was almost afraid to say anything, but sucked up my courage one afternoon. "Bart, I can do that job. I know how to lube and do oil changes and change tires. I'm strong enough to work in the shop." I tried to sound as confident as I could. Bart looked up in surprise. "Where'd you learn to do all that?" "My daddy taught me. You'd be surprised what I can do. Just ask Midge." "Well, I don't know. You don't have any papers, I s'pose?" "Nope. But I can do the work and you don't have to pay me trade wages 'til I can prove it to you." I was gaining some confidence. "I don't know, Shelly." He looked doubtful. "Is it because I'm a girl?" Bart looked at me for a moment, then nodded. "I ain't never heard of a girl mechanic." "What you got to lose by givin' me a try?" "Nothin' I suppose," he said, nodding slightly. "Alright ... I'll give you a try." "Well, I'm not quittin' this job on a hope, so since I get Tuesday and Wednesday off, I'll come down there and you can decide." Bart smiled. "Fair enough. See you then." That was over five years ago. It hasn't been easy and more than once I thought about going back to Ferndale and the diner. I was forced to leave the farm and move to Bellingham. All I could afford was a basement suite in an older home on the north side of town. I kept hoping that Bart's job would amount to something more, but after a couple of years, I could see it was never going to get any better. I liked the job and Bart was fair enough, but the place was a mess. I had my application in all over town. There had to be something better. Jurgen had come along, but he was in no better situation than I was. I had just about given up hope when the Williamses showed up. It's funny how things can change in a hurry. I was lubing Mr. Waterford's old Pontiac when this good-looking young guy wanders into the shop. He had sort of a swagger, I guess you'd call it. Not cocky-like, but confident. I wandered over to see if he wanted something but he said he was just looking around. I noticed him because his truck had Montana plates and ... well ... he was good-looking. When he came back the next day, he was with an older woman and a short, fat guy I'd seen around the station once or twice. They went into Bart's office and talked for a while before the young guy came out to the garage. Turns out he was thinking of buying the place, and cleaning up the mess it was in. I have to admit, I was excited. If he was going to do what he said, this would be a lot better place to work. Turns out he spoke German, too. He and Jurgen got along great, but in the end, I told him if he didn't buy this place I was going to head for greener pastures myself. He was dangling that better job in front of me and if it got snatched away, I'd be gone. He told me to hold tight for a bit while he tried to make a deal, and by golly, he did. Turns out he was a cowboy on his daddy's ranch and the woman he was with was his mother. Eleanor was her name; Eleanor Williams. The handsome cowboy was Rod, but I heard his mom call him Roddy now and then. He spent some time in the Army learning about mechanics and such, so he was well prepared to run a service station. The first thing he did was call a meeting at his house and his mom cooked the best dinner I'd had in my whole life. The reason for the meeting was to let Jurgen and me know what he was going to do and what he needed us to do. I couldn't wait to get started. It was the best thing that had happened to me since I was hired by Midge. I don't think I ever worked as hard as I did when we went about cleanin' up that station. But two weeks later, when we were done, it was somethin' to behold. It looked brand new and the special floor that we put in the shop was amazing. You could clean it with a damp cloth. Jurgen had figured out how to make it so it wasn't slippery and Rod had him show us how. That was when I figured the boss was one smart guy. He listened to other people. He didn't pretend he knew everything. That last Friday when we were almost done cleaning and fixing, I was beyond beat. I remember sitting in the shop floor, leaning against the wall and wondering if I had the energy to stand up. Rod came along and slid right down beside me. He and Jurgen were just as tired as I was. He told me what a great job I'd done and I think that's when I started to fall in love with him. A couple of days later, Eleanor came to see me. You could have knocked me over with a feather. She was offering room and board at their house. At first, I thought I better say no. I mean, it might not be proper. But she kept after me, telling me it would be better for my health and everything. I guess Rod had told her about my place when he took me home that Friday night. I don't even remember it, I was so tired. So I said OK, and packed up my stuff and moved into their big mansion in town. At least, it seemed like a mansion to me. It had more rooms on one floor than our whole house did in Sedro Woolley. I had my own private bedroom with a big closet and I only shared the bathroom with Eleanor. Rod had his own bathroom. I'd never heard of a house with more than one bathroom, but this one had three. Two upstairs and one downstairs. The downstairs one didn't have a bathtub. I was even more surprised when a week later, Jurgen moved in too. Eleanor and Rod said they wanted our place to be like a family, so having us all together like that would make it better. It was fine by me. I pitched in and helped with the cleaning and cooking so that Rod's mom wouldn't be burdened with it all. I know they appreciated my help. It was the least I could do, they being so kind to me. Besides, it would keep me close to Rod. Things kind of went along well after that. I was working steady and it was a pleasure to walk to the station every day. It looked so good and everybody said so when they came by. After a while, Eleanor started giving me clothes that she said didn't fit her right or didn't look good on her. It was amazing how they seemed to fit me just fine. I finally figured it out that she was trying to help me, but it didn't feel right. One night when there was just the two of us, I had a long talk with her. She admitted she was buying stuff for me. She said I deserved it and she just wanted to help out. I told her that I felt bad about that, but she wouldn't hear of it. She said something that nearly knocked my socks off. She said she thought of me like the daughter she never had. I was so shocked, I started to cry. Eleanor gave me a big hug and told me just to let her do what she wanted to. She didn't have anyone else besides Roddy, Jurgen, and me, so she considered it like helping a relative. I didn't know whether I thought of her as a mother or as an older sister. I know one thing for sure. I thought she was one fine lady. Turns out, she was doing the same thing for Jurgen. He'd get a new sweater or shirt or something on the pretense that it didn't fit Rod or wasn't the right color. It didn't fool anyone, including Jurgen. I think Eleanor had a talk with Jurgen too and it seemed like pretty soon he was OK with her gifts. In fact, I got the idea that they were getting pretty friendly. We had a nice Christmas and I got gifts from everyone. That was something I had never had before. A real Christmas with a real Christmas tree and a real Christmas dinner. It felt good. Then I heard we were going to some New Year's dance in town that Rod was invited to and the next thing I know, Eleanor is hustling me over to the new Bon Marché and buying a bunch of clothes for me. She just couldn't keep from helping out. Then again, she bought a new dress and shoes for herself, too. When I tried on the dress, I nearly fainted. You could see almost all my titties hanging out when I bent over. And the dress was real short, too. I told the girl that I couldn't wear this. What would people think? But Eleanor and her said it was what everyone was wearing and I shouldn't worry about it. They said I looked real good in it. I wasn't sure they were telling the truth until Eleanor and I walked downstairs on New Year's Eve when we were getting ready to go to the party. I thought Rod's eyes were going to bug out of his head. Anyway, he said I looked great and that's all I needed to hear. If he was OK with it, I was OK. We had a real fine dinner and even some wine. There were a lot of people at the dinner and every once in a while I'd recognize one or two who'd been in to the station. When the dinner was over, the band started up and pretty soon Rod wanted to dance. I was a bit nervous. Jurgen had given us some dance lessons -- you know, the waltz and foxtrot and such. It took a bit to get going, but after a couple of numbers, I was feeling better and relaxing. Rod and I were back sitting at the table when Jurgen and Eleanor came off the dance floor. Right away, Eleanor says we should go to the washroom. I didn't know why, but I followed her anyway. When we get there, she starts telling me about getting closer to Rod when we're dancing, just like all the other young people are. Well, I wasn't so sure about that, but Eleanor said she was sure Rod would like that. Well, turns out she was right. Pretty soon, we were so close I could feel his thing against me. I knew then that he was interested, so I just let it happen. He tried to get back from me, but I wouldn't let him. I wanted him to know I was OK with it. After a while he figured that out. At midnight, we had some champagne at the table and I ended up kissing Rod for the very first time. It was good. No, hell, it was great. He's a really good kisser. Not slobbery or rough or anything. I thought I was going to faint, it felt so good. We'd been dancing real close and he had his arms around my waist and we were telling each other how much we liked being there. I was pretty sure I was falling in love with him. Connecting Rod Ch. 09 The next day was the big football day. When I saw Rod sitting in front of the TV about to watch the Cotton Bowl, I went right over there and sat beside him. For one thing, I love football. For another, I didn't want to lose that good feeling I had last night. I had some nice dreams about my cowboy last night. Real nice dreams. I guess I was tired from being up so late, because I fell asleep sometime during the half-time show. I didn't really care who was playing, I just wanted to be close to Rod again. I woke up just as the game ended. The next thing I know, Rod was kissing me and I was kissing back. That went on for a while, then I asked him if he thought that maybe something was happening between us. I was hoping he's say yes, but he kind of dodged the question and said he wouldn't rush it. Just the same, I was pretty sure I was in love with him and I thought that he had feelings for me too, so I was happy. The only trouble was I was having these dreams of me and him together. I'd wake up in the middle of the night, all squishy from thinking about him. I was going crazy trying to decide what to do about it. Should I just come out and tell him? A few days after the New Year's party, I woke up in the middle of the night. It was pitch black and I couldn't see much, but I could hear something. I got up and went out into the hall. I could just make out some sounds coming from Jurgen's room, but I couldn't tell what they were. I snuck down the hall and got closer and I could hear voices. It was Jurgen and Eleanor talking. They were laughing a bit too. There wasn't any light coming under the door, so right away I knew they were fooling around. I darn near laughed out loud. That did it. If Eleanor and Jurgen could get together, then Rod and I could too. I tip-toed down the hall to Rod's room, and as quietly as I could I opened his door and went in, closing it behind me. I just stood there for a while, trying to work up my courage. I knew what I wanted to do, but I wasn't sure I had the nerve to do it. When Rod snorted and rolled over in his bed, I nearly jumped out of my skin. I got myself under control again and waited until I was sure he was sound asleep. I could just make out his shape in the bed from the little bit of light coming under the blind. I tip-toed over to the bed, lifted the sheet and blanket, and easy as I could I slid in beside him. I was holding my breath, but I don't know why. I was there and he was right beside me and I could touch him. So I did. He didn't wake up right away. I heard him groan a bit and it sounded like one of those satisfied sounds guys make. I think he might have been dreaming. Maybe about me, I hoped. Finally he woke up, reaching for me like he wanted to make sure it was real. He was surprised, but when I told him I was lonely and wanted him to hold me, he pulled me to him and it felt so good I almost cried. I was scared I might have done the wrong thing and messed it all up between us, but I was wrong. He felt the same way about me that I felt about him and he said he wanted to make love to me. I wanted that more than anything. He went and got a French safe from his dresser and we both got naked and the next I know, he was kissing and playing with my titties and I was feeling so good I could hardly stand it. I couldn't wait. I told him I wanted him now and I climbed up on him and took his thing and aimed right where I wanted it. God that felt good as I pushed down on it. I had a feeling that this was going to be something special. The best ever. I was right, too. Rod was so gentle, and yet so strong. I had never felt anything as good as this before. He was talking to me, asking me if I was OK and if I was getting what I wanted. All I could do was keep saying yes! It was everything and more than I ever wanted. We made love three times that night. In between, I think I surprised him when I helped him get hard again using my mouth. I don't think he'd ever had a blow job before. He didn't complain, mind you. It was my pleasure and I told him so. I hope he didn't think less of me, but he said he didn't. We fell asleep in each other's arms that night, but woke up early. I was a bit worried about how he would feel in the morning after I snuck up on him like that, but he was happy and telling me how much he liked my being there. He didn't know what happy was compared to how I was feeling. I had just made love to the man of my dreams. Really, my dreams were about Rod. My cowboy lover. I never did tell Rod about his mother and Jurgen. He really didn't notice that they were so close, I guess. I mentioned it to him a couple of times, but I don't think he put two and two together. For the next few nights, I didn't go to Rod's room, wondering if I'd be welcome again. I shouldn't have worried. Later that week, he sat beside me at lunch and asked where I'd been and when I was coming back to his bed. I fibbed a bit and told him I was having my period, but that night, I was back to his room after making sure Eleanor had already gone to Jurgen's room. We went along like that for four months. I was sleeping with Rod three or four times a week unless it was my time of the month. I don't know where he bought all the French safes, but someone was doing a land-office business. I should have realized Eleanor knew what was going on. Near the end of April, she sat down with me in the kitchen when no one else was around. "Shelly, I know you are in love with Roddy. I also know you two have been together at night. I'm not going to give you a lecture or tell you not to be with him, but I wanted to talk to you about your feelings for my son." "I am in love with Rod. I have been almost from the start, last September. He's so perfect and so good to me. You and he gave me a new life. I never expected that. I would die if I had to leave. Do you want me to stop seeing Rod?" I was praying she wouldn't ask me to. "Heavens no! I want Rod to make up his mind that you are the best thing that ever happened to him too," she smiled. "You are a fine young lady and I meant it when I told you that I think of you as the daughter I never had. We just have to get Rod to realize it and do something about it." I was shocked. I didn't know she felt that way about us. It made me feel very good, of course. "I'll talk to him, Shelly. He just needs a little push. I'll talk to him tonight." She did, of course, but I didn't know about it 'till much later. After the accident. I remember taking the oil pan and walking down the steps into the pit. After that, I don't remember a thing until I woke up in the hospital and Rod was there, sleeping in a chair. He looked so worn out and older. I didn't have any idea I'd been out for four days. My head felt like my eyes and my brain were loose and rolling around inside. I could hardly focus and I couldn't reach Rod to touch him. I called to him. It hurt even to call his name. It took three or four times before I saw his eyes flicker and he started to wake up. As soon as he did, he jumped up and came to me. He kissed me and I could see tears in his eyes as he looked at me. I wondered what was wrong with me and why was I in the hospital, but I figured it was because of the way my head hurt. Rod told me what had happened when I fell in the pit. As quick as that, a young doctor came into my room and gave me a big smile, happy to see that I was awake. He asked me a bunch of questions about me and my family and when he decided my memory was OK, Rod said something to him about not being my boyfriend for long. I was scared for a moment, and then Rod took my hand and asked me if I remembered what we were going to do that Saturday night. Of course I remembered. We were going out to dinner, just the two of us, and we were going dancing. I was going to wear that nice dress again. That's when he told me what he was going to do that night. He took a little blue box out of his pocket, opened it, and showed me a beautiful ring. A diamond ring. He told me he was going to ask me to marry him. I don't really remember much after that except probably saying yes. When I finally came down from the ceiling, the ring was on my finger and tears were in my eyes. My dream had come true, just as Eleanor had said it would. I had to stay in the hospital for a few more days. I had a lot of visitors, people that I knew from the station as well as Matti and Duke. Even Stumpy and Ted Reynolds. I didn't think they knew who I was. Some of the people from the New Year's dance even came by, including that nice Pastor Ford. It seems Eleanor and Rod had been going to church, and a whole lot of people had been praying for me. A week later I was pretty much OK. I wasn't back to work yet, but I was close to it. Rod and Duke are working on getting another building to use just as a shop and Rod told me he's going to let Duke run it. He'll get some help from Eleanor in keeping the books, but it'll be his to operate. He'll do the hiring and firing, if there's to be any. I expect Rod will have some say in it, though. While I was getting better, Eleanor and I were walking around the neighborhood and doing the shopping as well. The walks were good exercise for me, and it gave us time to talk. We'd already started the planning for the wedding in September. I can't wait. I can feel the tingling in me every time I think about becoming Mrs. Rod Williams. "I can tell you're getting excited, girl," Eleanor said one afternoon as we walked back from the grocery store. "Yeah. I am. It's still three months away, but sometimes it feels like three years ... and other times ... like three minutes. It's only been a year since you came to town. I still can't believe how my life has changed." "Mine too, Shelly. When I lost Frank, I wasn't sure about anything any more. Rod saved me from that by bringing me with him. He needed me ... and I needed him. Now, I'm going to have a family once more ... maybe even some grandchildren," she smiled, looking at me. "I'm plannin' on it," I said, nodding my head in agreement. "Roddy will make a great dad." "Yes. I'm sure of that." "He keeps surprising me, Eleanor. He's still so young to be running his own business, and yet he doesn't act young. It's like he's thirty going on forty or more." "I think the Army had a lot to do with that. He told me that when they made him Sergeant, he was given a group of men to operate a section of the motor pool. He said he had seen what some of the officers and NCOs acted like when they had command, and knew what he liked and didn't like. He wasn't going to just sit around and give orders. He wanted his guys to be a team. "According to a couple of his men, he was the best boss they ever had. He respected them and they respected him. One day, two of his guys showed up at the ranch to say hello when they were passing through. Roddy was out somewhere, and I got to talking to them. They couldn't say enough good things about him. They told me he had received two commendations from his Captain for running the best shop on the base. The first thing he did was to turn around and give them to his men, telling them they had earned it." "Yeah. That's Rod all right," I said. "He's the first guy to tell someone when they've done a good job. Mind you, I bet he didn't slap them on the butt when he was tellin' them like he does me." Eleanor laughed out loud. "No, I don't suppose he did." "You must have been the best mom and dad a boy could have. I just wish I could have had that too." "Well, I think we did OK, but all we really did was teach him right from wrong. I think it was how we lived ... I mean Frank and me. I loved him and he loved me and I don't think a day when by when we didn't tell each other that. Roddy couldn't help but notice. I think that has a lot to do with who he is today. That ... and the Army." "Well, I can tell you that he's never going to go a day without me tellin' him I love him and he's everything to me. I feel the same way about you too, Eleanor." "I'm glad, Shelly. I think I'm pretty lucky, all things considered." "Now that Rod and I are settled, what about you?" "What about me?" she asked in surprise. "You and Jurgen, I mean." She stopped walking, turned and looked at me carefully. "What about me and Jurgen?" I thought for a moment before I said something I would regret. "That first time I snuck into Rod's room ... way back in January. I was having dreams about him. Real ... intimate dreams. You know what I mean?" She nodded, but said nothing. "One night, I was awake, thinking about him and I could hear voices. So I snuck out into the hall and then followed the sound down to Jurgen's room. I could hear you and Jurgen talking, but I couldn't hear what you were saying. There wasn't any light on in the room, so I just guessed what was happenin'. I guess that gave me the courage to sneak into Rod's room. That's how it all started." Eleanor had turned bright pink. Right away, I felt bad. I had embarrassed her and it was the last thing I wanted to do. I was about to apologize when she put her hand on my shoulder. "I should have guessed I couldn't keep it a secret, any more than you could." She appeared to have recovered and didn't look upset or angry. "I could tell at the New Year's dance that you were gettin' close. You just seemed to be so easy with each other," I said. "Yes ... that's a good way to call it. We were ... easy ... comfortable ... natural together." "When was the first time you went to his room?" I asked, immediately wanting to take back my nosey question. "Christmas. I could tell he was a little down ... maybe thinking of his family or something in the past. I didn't know. I didn't want him hurting at that time of year. I took a chance and went to his room after you and Rod had gone to bed. We had stayed up a little longer. The light was on in his room, so I knocked on the door. "He opened it and I went in, closing the door behind me. I took his hand and we sat on the edge of the bed. I told him I could feel his sadness and he didn't say anything, but he smiled at me. I took another chance and kissed him. Then I told him how important he had become to me. Someone I could talk to. Someone who understood about losing loved ones. Someone I had a special feeling for." "How did he respond?" "Like a gentleman, of course. He was very formal. He told me he had feelings for me too and he asked my permission to kiss me. Of course, I said yes. We did that for a while, then I said goodnight and went back to my room. I didn't want to rush him or make him feel I wanted more, even though I did. "We started meeting that way and by the end of the week, I took another chance. I told him I wanted him to make love to me. I think I startled him. Maybe even frightened him. He said he had not been with a woman for many years and he wasn't sure he would be very good. I told him that I had more confidence in him than that and I would help him any way I could. That night, we made love for the first time." "Was it good ... I mean ... oh ... sorry ... I shouldn't have asked," I said. "That's all right. He was very excited to begin with and also very nervous. But I expected that and I guess I said the right things and helped him calm down. The second time was much better and the third time was wonderful. I had never made love three times in one night. I guess we were both so excited that we were able to, even at our age." "I'm glad for you ... and for Jurgen. He's such a nice man. I think you'll both be happy together." Eleanor smiled and kissed me on the cheek. I don't think we could have become any closer friends. We were sharing our secrets about ourselves and our men. If I ever had a real mother, I would have wished her to be like Eleanor. * Again, my thanks to Erik Thread for his helpful and insightful editing. As always, any errors are mine. Connecting Rod Ch. 10 Chapter 10: Unexpected Events September 5, 1970 My head was still swimming from all the events that had happened since Shelly had her accident and we got engaged. I was still having trouble coming to grips with it. The previous four months saw us open a new shop not far from the service station. Duke was running it, and almost right away I could tell he was going to be a success. Shannon was right there beside him, helping him in every way she could; answering the phone, ordering parts, mailing out invoices, taking the checks to the bank, and a dozen other things that would otherwise keep him from working on the cars and trucks. I said trucks because we earned a contract to service and repair all the district telephone service trucks. The opportunity had come up suddenly. The company decided to have the work done outside its own shop when they looked at their costs. We bid on the contract and were awarded it against two other firms. Immediately, it meant we needed two more mechanics. Luckily, some of the guys from the about-to-be-closed shop came by to see if there were any jobs. Duke and I interviewed them and hired two guys who we thought would do a good job and stick with us long-term. I'd no sooner got Duke settled than I had a visit from Martin Williston and Tom Humphreys. Tom was the real estate agent that had negotiated the rental of Duke's shop for us. Martin was a member of the city council. They had come to see me about another piece of property and wanted to know if I might be interested in it. The property was about six blocks from our service station and until a couple of years ago it had been a Studebaker/Packard dealership. It closed due to lack of business. No surprise there. What made me pay attention were the service bays, four of them, all with hoists, plus a body shop, and a paint booth. The owner had held onto the property with the hope that someone would want it, but in two years there had been no offers and it was time to force the action. If the offer had come along earlier, I might have jumped at it. As it was, we were up to our necks in work for the facilities we had, and once again working our people very hard. On the other hand, I was curious about what it would cost and I decided to at least listen to them. Looking back on it now, I'm glad I did. You never know what can happen when you least expect it. Jurgen, Duke, and I had gone over to the abandoned dealership on a Sunday just to have a look. What we saw made our mouths water. It was everything you'd want in a shop. On top of that, it wouldn't take much to put it in the kind of shape I expect any of our properties to be in. When we left the building, Jurgen suggested we sit down for a moment. Jurgen had been purchasing a copy of a German language newspaper once a week, just to keep in touch with the happenings in his former country. He said he had just read in the newspaper that NSU and Audi were about to merge. I didn't get why that would be interesting until he told me. Audi was a successor to the old Auto Union company. At any rate, the newspaper reported that Audi would replace NSU and begin an aggressive marketing campaign in North America. They would be looking for dealerships to represent them. Jurgen had once more planted a seed and then stepped back to see what would happen. I could hear the gears turning in his crafty mind. Auto Union was his old employer many years ago and now there was a chance to see them reborn here in America. I have to admit, I was interested. I wanted to explore the idea, but I didn't know how to go about it. First things first. I sat down with Martin and Tom and discussed what it would take to buy the property. Martin suggested that the owner was not in desperate need of cash, but did want to liquidate the asset. Tom suggested we make a lowball offer and see what the guy came back with. We didn't have to commit to buying it, but we needed to know some hard-dollar costs. Next, Jurgen made an overseas phone call to Audi in Ingolstadt to get some more information, finding out if they would be willing to talk to us about a dealership. Apparently they were and had already set up a U.S. operations base in New York. Volkswagen had bought the rights to Audi and it was they we would have to talk to. It turned out the local VW dealer would have first right of refusal on the Audi brand, but he turned it down. He was anxious to get his feet wet with Porsche as the natural complement to the air-cooled Beetle. So part two of the strategy was available; a franchise. Part three was the business plan. Before we put out dime one we needed to know that the business would produce enough revenue to sustain itself. There was no point in ending up like the Studebaker guy did. This was the sticking point as far as I was concerned. The more I thought about it, the more I figured we needed an additional brand to sell. The next-to-final step was financing. How were we going to finance this project? My gut told me that we could probably find the manpower, but where would we find the cash? It was time to call Stumpy once more. He was over in a flash. "So, let me get this straight. You want to get into the car business, right? And you are thinking about buying Ray Pollard's old dealership and bringing in foreign cars to sell, right?" I was nodding my agreement as he spoke. "Well, I don't know nothin' about selling cars, but I know someone who does." "Who's that?" "Ray Pollard," he grinned. I laughed. The simple answer was usually the best. I shrugged and clapped Stumpy on the shoulder. "I should have thought of that. He wants to sell the property, so naturally, he'd want to help us. Can we trust him?" "Yep. Old Ray is as straight as they come. He'll tell you what you need to know. But, one thing ... don't be surprised if Ray doesn't want to come in on the deal with you if he thinks you've got a winner. He told me he hoped someone would pick the property up and make it go." "Well, Stumpy, I hadn't even thought of a partnership, but with Ray already owning the property, that might solve some of our financial worries." "Exactly what I was thinkin'," the round little man nodded. I was getting to like Stumpy more and more as time went on. He was smart, knew everybody, and was a good idea man, especially when it came to finance. I called a business meeting on Tuesday evening and invited Duke and his number one man, Tommy Nakano. Duke had been praising Tommy to high heaven, and I wanted to see how he handled himself in this situation. We were letting him in on the inside of our family business. If he was as good as Duke said, then he could be an important man in our future. Mom, Jurgen, Shelly, Duke, Shannon and Tommy all sat down with me in the living room just after seven that evening. Mom had baked a nice big chocolate cake and made sure everyone got a piece before we started the meeting. I had already told Mom and Shelly what I was thinking, and of course Jurgen knew as well. It was a big step and maybe a dangerous one. I needed everyone to buy-in to make it work. I began by laying out how this had all come about, blaming it all on Jurgen of course. That got a laugh all the way around. Then we got down to serious business -- how to make it work. I'm an optimist by nature and I tend to look for ways to win rather than how not to lose. Luckily, we didn't have anyone in the room that was really negative. I could see the worried look on Mom's face, but that was natural. I think she was worried I was biting off more than I could chew. My one real concern was whether we could develop enough volume with Audi to make the business a success. While foreign cars were continuing to rapidly gain popularity on the West Coast, it was still an unknown brand and new business wouldn't be automatic. I was really hoping we could team it with a non-competing brand and give ourselves more volume opportunities. I thought about Jeep, but I was leery of them for quality reasons and their ownership stability. There was a rumour going around the trade that they were for sale again. Tommy Nakano had sat quietly, listening intently. He was acting very interested, but so far hadn't participated. I decided to draw him out. "What do you think, Tommy?" He sat quietly, composing what he wanted to say I suppose. He was nodding his head, in agreement with something? I couldn't tell. "I agree that we would need another brand. One that would not compete directly with Audi. One that we could have confidence in for quality and factory support." He spoke in flawless, unaccented English. Duke had said he was very thoughtful and deliberate. Duke also told me he had a wicked sense of humor. What interested me was his use of "we" when talking about the business. I liked that. "Would you be willing to entertain a Japanese brand?" he asked me directly. "Yes. But Honda and Toyota are well established. Datsun is the only major brand not well represented locally." "True. Perhaps you can merge that dealer into ours. Another partner, perhaps?" I was impressed. This was an original idea, not unlike what we discussed for the property. "We would have to get Datsun's OK for that," I suggested. "Actually, it's Nissan Motors. Datsun is just a brand name," Tommy noted. "OK. You seem to know something about this. Do you have a suggestion?" "I have a friend, Kenny Hayashi. He's a graduate engineer who speaks and reads Japanese. I was about to recommend him to you, since he is a car 'nut.' I was going to suggest we contact Nissan, North America, and see if we can negotiate a local franchise. Kenny could act as translator, if that is necessary." "Great. But, isn't there a Datsun dealer in Bellingham already?" I asked. "Yeah ... but I'm not sure he isn't just a re-seller. I've been to his place asking about the new Fairlady sports car and he didn't know what I was talking about. I think he's buying cars at wholesale in Seattle and moving them up here. It would be worth it to find out, anyway," Tommy suggested. "You're right. It would be worth it. Why don't you and Kenny make the call on my behalf and see if there's any interest. If there is, we can go from there." That settled, we seemed to have created an action plan for the immediate future. It was Shelly that asked a very pertinent question. "What's going to happen to the ARCO station?" That stopped me for a moment. I had thought about it, but I wasn't sure I wanted to share my thoughts yet. On the other hand, I had revealed some of my ambitions to them, so it hardly seemed fair to hold back on them. "I'd probably sell it. It will be worth a lot more today than when we bought it a year ago. The cash from that would help us with the dealership set-up. We could retire the lease on Duke's shop next year and roll everything into one location." "I might want to buy my shop," Duke said, speaking up for the first time. "That's an option too, Duke. We'd have to figure out what a fair price would be, but it wouldn't be too much. The property and a lot of the equipment is rented or leased. I'd be willing to discuss that with you," I said. The discussion continued for another hour as we debated the ins and outs of establishing an automobile dealership. Since none of us had any experience in the business, it was looking like Ray Pollard was going to be an important element in this plan. I made an appointment to meet with Mr. Pollard to have an informal discussion about the property he had for sale. I said nothing about wanting to revive it as a dealership. Ray didn't look anything like I imagined him. He was tall, at least six-four, lean with an angular kind of build, white-haired, and dressed like a very successful businessman. He wore a big, friendly smile and stuck out his hand in greeting when I walked into his office. "Mr. Pollard, I'm Rod Williams." "It's Ray, Rod. I'm retired ... sort of ... and I'm more comfortable without the formalities." "Sure, Ray. Stumpy Jorgensen suggested I talk to you about your property, the former dealership. I might be interested in buying it." "What do you want to use it for?" he asked, obviously very curious. "I'd rather not have his become public knowledge. Can we keep this confidential?" "Of course. Go on." "I'm thinking of reopening it as a dealership for imported cars." "I see. Well, there's no doubt import cars sell well in this part of the world. That is, if they get decent factory support." "Yes. I think we have a good chance to get what we need from the companies." "Well, the property is for sale. Do you have an offer in mind? "Well, to be perfectly honest, we ... I ... don't know very much about selling cars. Stumpy suggested you might be interested in helping us out with your know-how." "Know-how is the only thing I've got that's worth anything, son. What are you willing to pay for it?" "Would you be interested in a partnership?" "I'd listen to what you have in mind. No promises, mind you," he said affably. I laid out the plan and told him about the opportunity with Audi and possibly Datsun. He listened carefully, asking a pertinent question now and then. When I finished telling about our discussion the other night, he was nodding. "I think you've got a decent chance, son. It sure sounds better than hanging on to the Studebaker dealership as long as I did. Guess I fell in love with the name and not the product. Old loyalties die hard," he laughed. "I guess we've got a couple of ways to look at this, according to Stumpy. You could be the landlord and I would pay you rent for the property. Or, you could become a partner in the business and we could work out what the profit split would be between us," I said. "That assumes there is a profit," he grinned. "Yeah. That it does." He leaned back in his old oak chair and stroked his chin as he thought about what I had suggested. I didn't really expect an answer then anyway, so I was about to excuse myself and let him call me when he'd thought it over. He surprised me. "OK ... I'm in. Let's get together with Stumpy and work out a partnership we can both live with. This sounds like fun and I'd like to be in on it." "Just like that?" I said in surprise. "Just like that. You've got a good reputation in this town, son, considering you haven't been here very long. Word's out that you can be trusted and that you do good work at fair prices. I like that. I like that because that's the way I like to do business. I think we could have a lot in common." "Geez ... that's a surprise. I'm grateful for your support. You didn't take long to make your mind up." "Son, I'm nearly seventy years old and I'm still in pretty good health. I need something to do that might be interesting and fun. I have confidence in you and you come with pretty good credentials. You took that dirty old derelict station and turned it into a winner in no time flat. You also come with some pretty good recommendations, too." "Recommendations?" I wasn't sure what he was talking about. "Taylor McLaren. He seems to think you have a gift for finding good people." It didn't register on me right away. Who was Taylor McLaren? Then the lights went on. "Shannon's father?" "Yep. I can remember bouncing little Shannon on my knee when she was just two or so." "How does her father know about me?" "Shannon and Brian. I think Taylor is trying to figure out how Brian came to run that shop on his own. That had a lot to do with him accepting the boy, you know. I think he learned that appearances can be deceiving." "Duke's a great guy, Mr. Pollard ... I mean, Ray. He knows what he wants and he works hard to earn it. He'll do really well at anything he wants." Ray smiled. "I guess that's why Taylor and I are willing to listen to your business proposal." "Both of you?" "Yes ... Stumpy told me what you had in mind and that he thought you were pretty savvy when it came to running a business. He suggested I call Taylor and mention it to him. I didn't know about Shannon and Brian and you, but as soon as I did, you had someone willing to listen. I think Taylor would be interested as well." "Wow. That's a lot to think about. "I'll bet it is. But here's the thing, son. If you and your people think you can make a go of this business, I'd be willing to throw in with you, and so would Taylor. That would syndicate the risk for all of us. But I suspect if you think it's a good plan, then it's probably not much of a risk," he smiled. I let out a deep breath. I was almost dizzy with how quickly this little idea had formed into a hard plan. I was even more rattled by the confidence that Ray Pollard and Taylor McLaren had in me. I needed some time to think this over. "Ray, I'm grateful for your support and Mr. McLaren's too. I need to sit down and get some more details. You know, facts and figures. I could really use your help so that I don't make a mistake when I'm dealing with these car factories." "I'd be happy to. That's one thing that I can help with. Why don't we get a meeting together with your people and we'll talk about what needs to be done. I think Taylor should be at that meeting too." "Sure. Whatever you think. And ... thanks. I feel pretty good about this. I wasn't sure this was possible, but you're giving me a lot of confidence we can make it work. Thanks!" "You're welcome, son." My mind was swimming when I went home that evening. I was having a hard time not thinking about the car dealership when I still had a business to run. It might not be as fancy as a new dealership, but it was still our bread-and-butter, and I needed to make sure it was still running well. For the next few days, I concentrated on the ARCO station. We were busy and I was farming out any extra shop business to Duke. He was already getting new business from some of the other stations who couldn't or didn't handle repairs. I was quietly patting myself on the back for giving him the opportunity to manage the new addition. I had to start thinking about the future and my possible new venture. It had come about unexpectedly and much sooner than I was prepared for. Yet, when opportunity arises, you have to grab it if you can. I was pretty sure I would go for the dealership/partnership if I could be confident in the car companies and find the people I would need for the operation. Later that week I got fitted for a new suit for the wedding. As I thought about my future a little, I wondered if I hadn't put too much on my plate. I started to think I should slow things down a bit. The dealership was exciting, but complicated and probably time-consuming. Throw the wedding and running the station on top of that and I might be in trouble if I wasn't careful. I needed some advice. I called Ted Reynolds and asked to meet with him the next time he was in the area. The following Monday, we sat down in the station office and I laid out what was going on. "Damn, Rod. I hate to see you sell this place. It's the best station in my territory ... bar none. Is there anyway you can see yourself keepin' it?" Ted was obviously concerned. "I'm afraid I'm not going to have the time to look after it properly. The last thing I want to have happen is to see it go downhill because it isn't getting the attention it deserves." "Why don't you hire a manager? Someone you can trust to keep it up the way you want it. That way, you still have the profits and cash flow to help with your new venture. The only thing to concentrate on is hiring the right guy to run the place." I sat back and thought about Ted's suggestion. The key was to find the "right guy." "Any suggestions?" I asked. "I might have. I know a young guy in Boise who's looking for an opportunity to run his own show. You could always work out a partnership deal with him if he's good." Connecting Rod Ch. 10 I nodded. That might work. "Let me talk to Stumpy, Ted. I'll give you a call. In the meantime, why don't you sound out the guy in Boise and see if he'd be interested." "Done," he smiled. He seemed relieved that I wasn't about to abandon his best station. A couple of days later, we got some bad news. Nissan had already made an agreement in principle to set up a dealership in Bellingham with the current re-seller. But Kenny Hayashi hadn't stopped there. He had been talking to Fuji Heavy Industries, and they were about to launch a new brand of all-wheel drive vehicles called Subaru. Our first concern was if Audi would see them as a competitor. Would this be a conflict? I put Kenny and Jurgen together to work out the details. We needed to know if we could get full factory support for both brands, and would they stand still for competing vehicles in the same dealership. One week later, we had our answer. Both companies were agreeable to granting conditional dealerships, subject to financial stability. The first hurdle was passed. I sat down with Ray Pollard and let him know what progress had been made. "Fuji Heavy Industries is huge in Japan, Ray. If they're getting into the car business in North America, it won't be half-way. They've got the resources to make it work. Audi is something similar, but not quite a strong. Fortunately, they have Volkswagen backing. Just the same, I'd like you to join me in meeting the two principles and having a look at their product." "Fine. Where do we have to go?" he asked. "Seattle. I'm setting up a meeting with the Subaru people and they'll provide a car for us to drive and test. I haven't got a confirmation from Volkswagen about the Audi, but it shouldn't be too long in coming." "Great. I think we should take a technical person with us, and Taylor as well." "Kenny Hayashi is my tech guy and he's a qualified engineer. This is an all-wheel drive car and I want to make sure we aren't getting in over our heads on servicing it." "Fine. Why don't we take my old '56 Packard Executive. It needs a good run and it's plenty big enough for the four of us. Won't get any noses out of joint either," he grinned. "Great idea. I'll get Kenny to arrange the meeting and let you know. By the way, I've never met Mr. McLaren. I guess I'd better go introduce myself." I phoned Taylor McLaren and made an appointment to meet with him the following afternoon. If we were going to be partners, it made sense to get to know him better. I waited a few minutes in the outer office until Taylor McLaren's secretary showed me into his office. I was surprised to see Ray Pollard already in there. I hadn't expected that. Mr. McLaren rose and came around the desk to greet me, his hand extended. We shook and I sat in a chair near Ray. "I asked Ray to join us because I think it's important that if we're going to be in a partnership, we all know what each of us is thinking. I apologize that I haven't introduced myself sooner, Rod. I am very impressed with what you have accomplished in a very short period of time. I'm also impressed at the confidence you have in Brian Davies. I'm afraid I totally misread that young man. I let appearances dictate my feelings," he admitted. "I almost made the same mistake," I grinned. "Luckily, I needed someone and quickly. He showed me he could do the work, so I took a chance." "If I could just get him to dress a little more like a businessman," he laughed. "Why don't you let Shannon look after that? I think she has more power over him than any of us." I was still smiling as Taylor McLaren admitted he was warming to Duke. "Ray tells me you have a conditional agreement from two manufacturers. He feels they are responsible and won't leave us hung out to dry for parts and technical support." I nodded. "That's the way it looks so far. I'll make sure my two "experts" go over the cars with a fine-toothed comb before we sign anything. Both companies want to break into the North American market, and the west is the strongest opportunity for foreign makes." We spent the next hour and a half working out the framework for the partnership. Taylor volunteered the services of his legal firm for the contracts. The Subaru passed the inspection and road-test without any problem. It wasn't a very big car, but the all-wheel drive and the flat-opposed engine gave it some unique features that would help sell it. Fuji, for their part, was rock-solid in backing this car. They had no intention of just sticking their toes in the water in the U.S.A. They had big plans, and we were just a starting point. Three months later, we received a visit from the Los Angeles based Volkswagen-Audi representative. He had brought a new Audi 100 featuring the newest option, a three speed automatic. Another feature that would help sell the car. The fit and finish on the car were very good, just as we expected. It seemed fitting that the first test-drive was given to Jurgen and he surprised the rep with a very aggressive run down Chuckanut Drive. Kenny and Taylor were a little more sedate and I think the guy was greatly relieved. In any event, we were pleased with the car and we signed our representation agreement as drafted. So, looking back on it, that's how Williams Automotive was born. It all happened so fast that I don't think any of us had time to ponder what might have happened if we didn't make it work. We were too busy making it work! August 12, 1989 I was sitting with my back to the picnic table, relaxing as I nursed a beer. It had been a long afternoon and early evening as we celebrated the summer with our family and staff at the annual picnic. It had been a perfect day, not too hot, but lots of sunshine. I lost count of how many kids were at this year's event, but easily more than thirty. After all, it was all about the kids and families. My grandchildren would be coming to this picnic some day in the not too distant future. Frank would be off to college in a few days, starting his second year at U. W. while Kelly would be entering her senior year of high school. They've grown up so quickly, I thought. They're making their mother and me old. At least Shelly doesn't show it. I would be fifty next year. The graying hair was proof. To me, Shelly looked more like thirty-five than forty-five. Frank reminded me of me. Girls were part of his life, but not a very big part. He was a serious student with goals in his mind that he placed in front of other distractions. Unlike his father however, he wasn't going to be very handy with a monkey wrench. On the other hand, he knew how to organize and delegate and convince people to follow him. That was a gift from his grandmother. Kelly was completely different. A good student, she had been attached at the hip to Sammi Numminen almost since birth. Big Mike's son was just as big and just as blonde and just as blue-eyed as he was. Kelly and Sammi were born two weeks apart and they might have been brother and sister they way they were brought up. But somewhere along the line, friendship was turning into love and their future seemed inevitable. I was three to five years away from stepping back and letting the next generation run Williams Automotive. The dealerships, the leasing and rental company, the service stations, the SCCA sedan race teams. They all required attention and it was good to see that we had the right people in place to manage each of them. Jurgen had retired and turned the reigns of the Audi dealership over to Tommy "Turncoat" Nakano. Tommy got the nickname from Kenny Hayashi when he decided he liked Audi better than he liked Subaru. Kenny was not impressed. But Kenny had his own responsibilities; Vice President of Operations, Williams Automotive Group. Four dealerships, the field service operations, fleet truck services, and vehicle rentals. It took an overachiever like Kenny to handle all that. Mike Numminen was in charge of the SCCA team, W2 Racing. We had four cars in two separate classes: two Nissan Skylines and two Audi Sport Quattros. Mike had found his passion and he thrived in it. He was far too big to fit into the cars, but he was anxiously awaiting vintage sports car racing in the Northwest. He was already race-prepping a '67 Shelby GT 350 with every known legal modification, and some that were questionable. His wife, Sarah, could only shake her head in mock disgust as he poured his soul into the white and blue money pit. Duke and Shannon Davies had brought their brood along; their oldest, Brianna, was sweet sixteen, while "Mac" McLaren's pride and joy, Taylor, had just turned twelve. Any time you name your only son after your father, you are bound to win "brownie points." Duke ran all the service operations. He oversaw field and fleet maintenance as well as service training at the dealerships. Naturally, he was "Big Mike's" technical consultant on the Shelby. Mom and Jurgen had left a little early. Now in their seventies, they didn't have the staying power they used to have, but they were both still relatively healthy and we are grateful for that. They will have been married twenty years this Christmas. After losing Dad, I was very happy that she had found a man to be with in her later years. They had a quiet passion about them, but it was a passion. They lived in a lovely bungalow up on the South hill, overlooking the bay. It was perfect for them. Stumpy Jorgensen had passed away earlier this year. It didn't seem quite like the usual picnic without him. I was going to miss the little, round man. He had been an integral part of Williams Automotive and its success. Ray Pollard was living in an assisted-care home in San Diego, but I still heard from him now and then. He never failed to thank me for reviving the old dealership and making his last years in business happy and successful ones. Ted Reynolds was retired and living in Arizona. He sent his regrets, but Molly was suffering from severe arthritis and getting around was become a big chore. Shelly and I missed them, but we would be down there later this coming winter and would visit with them then. I guess I must have closed my eyes for a few moments while I reminisced. I sensed her scent before I felt her presence. I'm sure I must have smiled, even with my eyes closed. She always had that effect on me. Twenty years had slipped by so quickly. So much had happened and yet, there was so much more for us to come. I opened my eyes just as I felt her soft lips on mine. "What are you dreaming of, lover?" "You. All the good times. Our friends. Our family." "Yeah. That's where the smile came from. My cowboy is happy." "Yeah. Your cowboy is happy," I agreed. Shelly sat beside me with arm around my back and her head on my shoulder.'' "It's been a great day, Roddy. Time to go home. We can have a nice shower and then we can play," she whispered seductively. "I like the sound of that. Is everything cleaned up?" "Yes. It's all looked after. Nothing for you to worry about until next year," she laughed. We walked slowly to the car, putting the big cooler in the trunk and preparing to drive the five minutes to home. Our big house in the old town was waiting for us and our children. But they weren't children any more. We were going to be on our own in the next year and I wondered how we would handle it. One thing for certain, we would handle it together. The End As always, my thanks to Erik Thread for his helpful and patient editing skills. Any errors are mine alone.