14 comments/ 55426 views/ 53 favorites A Penny Saved is a Love Earned Pt. 01 By: MoogPlayer It's been a lot of fun writing stories here, and I wanted to say thank you to everyone who's written to me and/or commented on my work. I just wanted to let you know that I'm sorry for being gone for so long, but if you like what I write; it takes me more time these days, what with my second book getting ready to come out soon, but again, thank you all. Oh, one more thing, this story is a work of pure fiction as are all the characters, as well as some of the things mentioned. MoogPlayer ~~~~~~ "LOOK OUT, BOSS," someone shouted, as I walked across the construction site. All of a sudden I was hit from behind, and the next thing I knew, I was waking up in the Intensive Care Unit of one of Baptist Hospital. ~~~~~~ Hi, my name is Bryan Rogers, I'm a General Contractor, and I own the construction company I work for. I stand six feet, four inches tall, weigh somewhere in the vicinity of two hundred and forty pounds, and I have long dark brown hair with sky blue eyes. I'm forty nine years old now, but I was barely thirty five when what I'm about to tell you happened. ~~~~~~ Chapter One I was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee to two of the most loving people I know. I had a normal child hood and I have a sister, Megan, who is three years older than me. Most of my friends growing up all wanted to be professional musicians when they were old enough, but not me. Granted, I took piano and guitar lessons, but I never felt the calling to play for anyone but myself and that was good enough for me. Two of my friends became major stars, but this isn't about them so, they will remain nameless. ~~~~~~ I went to the University of Tennessee after high school and majored in Engineering, hence the reason I work in construction. I graduated Magna Cum Laude because my Mom, Linda, and my Dad, Jake, instilled a great work ethic in me that has stayed with me till even now. I married my college sweetheart, Vicky, a week after we graduated, but she left me two years later for someone who had more money, jeez, what a bitch. ~~~~~~ My English mother, who came from money, was an only child; and when my maternal grand parents were killed in a car accident when I was twenty-seven, they left Megan and I everything they owned. Needless to say, neither of us had to work again if we so chose, but Mom and Dad raised us better than that. My sister chose to open a boutique, which she now owns a nation-wide chain of, and I chose to open my own construction firm. Rogers Construction Incorporated (RCI) does work all over the country, but I was out on one of my job sites in Nashville when the accident happened. ~~~~~~ "Take it easy, Mister Rogers. You're in Baptist Hospital and you've been in a very bad accident," a female voice said to me, the moment I opened my eyes. "What happened?" I asked, once my vision began to clear and my eyes came into focus. The lady that was standing next to the bed I was lying in had a kindly face, and I placed her somewhere in her mid to late fifties. Her name was Joyce, and with a warm smile, she looked at me and said, "Your workers told us that you were standing too close to a truckload of two-by-fours, when the straps on the truck broke and the whole load came crashing down on top of you. You're very lucky to be alive you know." "If you say so," I groaned, realizing that I couldn't move, "How messed up am I?" "Let's see," she smiled, looking at my chart, "Your left leg is broken in two places below the knee, as is your left arm below the elbow. You've got six cracked ribs and your left hand is broken, too." "I guess it's good that I'm right handed then," I chuckled, and then groaned in pain because of my ribs. "Are you in pain?" Joyce asked. "Yes," I groaned, "You could say that." "I'll be right back, sweetie," she smiled, heading to the nurses station, "I've got something that will take care of it real quick." ~~~~~~ Two minutes later she came back with a half full syringe and needle making me ask, "You're not going to give me a shot, are you?" "Not in the hip," she grinned, grabbing my IV line at the entry port, "But you'll like this, I promise, Mister Rogers." I watched as she stuck the needle into the line and pushed the syringe down. Only a few seconds passed before I began to feel warm and fuzzy as I smiled and said, "You can call me Bryan, my father's name is Mister....." and then I was out. ~~~~~~ "Hi, sweetie," my Mom said, the next time I opened my eyes, "How are you feeling?" "Hi, Mom," I smiled, as soon as my vision cleared, "I've been better." "Jessica Clark, your office manager, called us as soon as she found out what hospital you were taken to," Mom smiled, "She was so sweet to do that." "What the hell happened, son?" I heard Dad ask, as he came into view. After I told my parents what had been relayed to me, I saw Mom's face go pale as she said, "Oh my God, honey, you could've been killed," as tears began to fill her eyes. "Take it easy, Mom," I smiled, "I'm a little banged up right now, but I'm going to be just fine, okay?" "Your mother's right, son," Dad replied, "You were lucky, damn lucky." ~~~~~~ "Good morning," said a bright cheery female voice, waking me the next morning, "How're you feeling this morning, Mister Rogers?" "My name is Bryan, dammit," I growled, feeling rather foul the moment I opened my eyes, "And my leg hurts, my arm hurts and it hurts like hell just to breathe." "Alright, Bryan," she replied, "My name is Doctor Penelope Brennon, and I'll order the nurse to give you something for the pain. Will that be better?" "Okay," I replied, my vision beginning to clear enough to see her. Dr. Penelope Brennon stood roughly five feet, seven inches tall, and couldn't have weighed any more than a hundred and twenty pounds at the most. She had her dark hair tied up in a pony tail that gracefully hung down her back, but her most distinctive feature was her eyes; they were such a dark shade of brown that they almost looked black. She was nice and slender with a very beautiful, almost Native American look, which made it very hard to tell her age. I would've said that she was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight at the very most. However, her body was difficult to distinguish because of the loose, baggy scrubs she was wearing, not to mention the long white lab coat she wore over them. But in my opinion, she was a very beautiful woman. "Your leg and arm will both heal rather nicely on their own ," she smiled, "However, I had to repair your hand, because three of the metacarpals were totally shattered. But after some physical therapy, it will be just as good as new." "So, tell me, Doctor," I said, "How soon before I get out of here?" "I'm having you moved out of ICU and into a regular room today," she smiled, "But to be honest with you, I don't see you leaving here for at least another eight to ten days, Bryan." "And what am I supposed to do about work?" I indignantly asked, "I can't be away that long." "Don't listen to him, Doctor," laughed my sister's voice from the doorway of my room, "He's a big baby, and he always has been." I looked to see my sister coming into my room with Samantha, or "Sam", my eighteen year old niece in tow. Let me take a moment to describe my sister, Meagan. She has the same eye and hair color as I do, and like me, she is also tall, especially for a girl, five feet, ten inches. She weighs about a hundred and thirty pounds and her measurements fit her height. She may be my sister, but Megan is as beautiful as they come, and Sam is well on her way to surpassing her mother in beauty, if that's possible. "What're you doing here?" I smiled, always pleased to see my big sis. "Mom called me last night and told me what happened so; we took the first available flight out," she sweetly replied, leaning down and kissing me on the cheek, "Are you gonna be alright, little brother?" "Hi, Uncle Bryan," Sam sadly smiled, also leaning down and kissing me on the cheek, "I'm sorry you got hurt." "Don't worry about me, you two," I smiled, "Doctor Brennan here says that I'll be outta here in no time." "Bullshit," Megan giggled, "We just heard you whining like a baby about it a few minutes ago." I heard Doctor Brennan snicker, indicating that she thought the way my sister was antagonizing me was funny. "Please, Doc, don't laugh at her," I grinned, "It only makes her worse than she already is." "I'll be back to see you once they move you into your regular room later on today," smiled Doctor Brennan, as she made her way to the door, "See you later," and then she left. "Ooo, she's pretty, Bryan," Megan said, after Doctor Brennan eas gone, "You need to ask her out when you get out of here. Besides, she likes you, I can tell." "Gimme a break, Megan, damn," I complained, "My left leg is in a cast from the ends of my toes, up to the middle of my thigh. My left arm is in a cast from the middle of my bicep to the second knuckles of my fingers so; pardon me if I'm not in the mood for dating advice right now, as if I ever listened to you to start with." "I've already apologized for introducing you to Vicky," she replied smiling and feigning innocence, "Stop being such a grumpy bastard," as Sam was giggling alongside her. ~~~~~~ Once I was in my regular room, there were chairs for both Megan and Sam. And as I was being moved, my sister let me know in no uncertain terms that the primary reason that she and Sam were here was because they intended to take care of me; even after I left the hospital, until I was able to get up and around, back on my own two feet. "Oh no," I teased, "That means I have to listen to you two nag me for the next two and a half months." "Oh shut up," Megan laughed, "You big baby." "That's right, Uncle Bryan," Sam giggled, "You better stop your whining before I tickle you like you used to do to me when I was a little girl." "Yeah," Megan laughed, "And that's serious shit with cracked ribs." "Alright," I smiled, "You two win.....for now." ~~~~~~ I was divorced from Vicky right before I turned twenty-five. And because he cheated on her, Megan divorced Mike Lambert, Sam's father, when Sam was fourteen. I always thought he had treated both Megan and Sam like shit from the time my sister got pregnant with Sam. I wanted to kick Mike's ass for him several times during their marriage, but because my sister begged me not to, he was given a stay of execution. However, the moment he got served with divorce papers, he tried to force his way back into the house and thrash my sister. It was then that she finally turned me loose on him; she had no choice, really. I beat his ass for a good five to ten minutes before I let him up off of the ground and told him that if he ever returned, I'd kill him. After that, my relationship with my sister turned from a not only a close sibling relationship, but to that of two very good friends who loved each other dearly, hence the reasons she got away with the shit she was saying to me in the hospital. ~~~~~~ Not too long after I was moved to a regular room, Doctor Brennan came back to see me. And when she walked into my room I realized that Megan was right about how pretty she was. I don't know why, but I was happy to see her....now how strange is that?" "Hi, Bryan," she smiled, "How're you doing this afternoon?" "I'm getting kind of hungry, Doc," I replied, "Please don't tell me that I'm going to be on some kind of restricted diet." "No," she laughed, "You can have anything you want." "That's good," I grinned, "Megan; go get me some Mexican food. You know what I like." "You got it, sweetie," she replied, getting up, "Come on Sam, let's leave so that your Uncle Bryan can flirt with the pretty Doctor," and with that, they were gone, leaving a trail of girlish laughter in their wake. "You'll have to forgive them, Doc," I sheepishly replied, "My sister and niece, both, love to embarrass me at every given opportunity." "I think it's sweet," she giggled, "I can tell that they love you very much." "Yeah," I smiled, "They're good girls and I love them, too." "I'm going to have a walking brace attached to the cast on your leg the day after tomorrow," she told me, "We want to get you up and walking as soon as possible." "Is it gonna hurt alot," I asked, already knowing the answer. "I imagine it's going to be real tender, Bryan," she soothingly replied, "But the sooner you start walking, the quicker you get out of here." "If it means I get out here sooner, then, I'm willing to give it a shot," I said, "Besides; you'll give me something for the pain, right Doc?" "I'll see what I can do," she smiled, "In the mean time, I want you to get some rest so those bones can mend, alright?" Okay, Doc," I grinned, "Thank you for everything." "You're welcome," she sweetly smiled, "I'll see you tomorrow, handsome," and then she slowly turned away, giving me a quick wink right before she disappeared from my room, and down the hall. ~~~~~~ "Have you decided where you're going to be staying while you're here?" I asked Megan, as we ate. "Yeah," she grinned, "We're staying at Mom and Dad's." "Bullshit," I said, "I'll call Jessie and get her to bring my truck so that you can stay at my house." "Really?" Megan wistfully asked, "You don't mind?" "Oh cool," Sam smiled, "Thanks, Uncle Bryan. Does that mean we can use the pool, too?" "Samantha Leigh," Megan scolded. "Of course you can, baby girl, the hot tub, too," I grinned, "My house is your house. You know that, sweetie." "Thanks, Bry," Meagan smiled, leaning down and lightly hugging me as she kissed me on the cheek, "While I love them both dearly, I really didn't want to stay with Mom and Dad." ~~~~~~ I called Jessie, who was thrilled to hear my voice, and had her come and get Megan and Sam and then take them to my truck. I thought Jessie was going to squeeze me to death when she hugged me, but I survived. She's only twenty-three, but she's been with me, my company, almost from the beginning, and runs my office like a ship captain...and nobody gives her any shit either. ~~~~~~ As the hospital's visiting hours drew to a close, Megan and Sam were ready to go home and get some rest. I received kisses on the cheek and promises that I would see them both the next morning. ~~~~~~ As I was getting ready to go to sleep, a nurse popped into my room with a needle and syringe in her hand and said, "Hi Bryan. My name is Sherry and I'll be your nurse tonight. Doctor Brennan ordered this to help you sleep." And after she put the needle into my IV and depressed the plunger on the syringe, I was out like a light." ~~~~~~ Per my orders before she left the previous night, Megan and Sam arrived with four scrambled eggs, two orders of hash browns, plain, and two waffles, from Waffle House™, at six-thirty the next morning "I wouldn't feed that shit to my dogs," Megan giggled, as she watched me eat, with Sam giggling as well. "Screw you," I replied, with a mouth full of food, ketchup running down my chin, "This is what I eat every morning." "Ooo, Bryan," Megan disgustingly replied, "That is so gross." ~~~~~~ "Good morning, Bryan," Doctor Brennan said, when she came in to examine me after I'd eaten breakfast, "How are you, this morning?" "I have two problems, Doc," I casually replied. "Okay," she replied, "And what might those two problems be." "I'd like to get this damn catheter out of me, for starters," I explained, "And I absolutely refuse to use a bed-pan." "I can take care of the first problem easily enough," she smiled, "But until you start walking, you're going to have to use the bed-pan, unless you can think of another way." "Uh oh," Doctor Brennan," Megan laughed, "You shouldn't have told him that." "Oh, really," Doctor Brennan asked, smiling suspiciously, "And why not?" "I don't know whether you know this or not," my sister devilishly grinned, while leaning over and patting my shoulder, "But my darling baby brother here, is a very brilliant engineer, and trust me when I tell you, he will think of another way, you can bet on it." "Jeez, Megs," I groaned, "Gimme a break." "I'm not giving you anything, Bryan," Megan giggled, "I know you, and I also know that even if you have to get two of your guys to come in here and haul your ass to the can, you'll do it to keep from using the bed-pan." I couldn't recall being anymore embarrassed in my life then I was at that particular moment. And no longer being able to suppress her laughter at my sister's comments, Doctor Brennan finally burst into a beautiful fit... (Did I just say that?)...of girlish laughter, which I somehow felt not only compelled by, but attracted to, both at the same time. "Don't listen to her, Doc," I nervously chuckled, "She's just yanking your chain." "Oh, I highly doubt that, somehow," she giggled, "And I think it was your chain she was yanking, not mine." By this time, both Megan and Sam were laughing so hard, they were almost in tears, while Doctor Brennan giggled right alongside of them. "You'll have to forgive those two, Doc," I chuckled, relenting, "Both my sister and my niece have, for a long time now, both become notorious shit starters." "I really needed to laugh like this," Doctor Brennan giggled, "Thank you." "I'm serious, Doc," I replied, with a smirk. "Okay, I believe you," she laughed, "Now back to business. How are you handling the pain today?" "I'm doing better than I was yesterday, I replied, "But my leg hurts worse than anything else." "What about your hand and arm?" she asked. "I've got a dull ache in my arm," I told her, "And I'm beginning to feel little twitches in my hand, kind of like little electric shocks, just not as painful." "Both your arm and leg are going to hurt for a little while," she explained, "As for the twitches you're feeling in your hand, that's to be expected. You had reconstructive surgery done on it less than seventy-two hours ago, your body is beginning to heal and your nerves are coming back to life." "Is it going to get any worse than it is now?" I worried. "You can relax, Bryan," she soothingly purred, "You're going to be fine, I promise." "Thanks, Doc," I smiled, relieved, "I was beginning to worry for a minute there." "You don't have a thing to worry about," she brightly smiled, "Trust me." ~~~~~~ Shortly after Doctor Brennan left my room to continue her rounds, a nurse came in and removed my catheter, and you can bet your ass that Megan and Sam both teased the hell out of me over that one. As far as how I was going to take a dump without using the bed pan went, my sister had unknowingly given me a solution to that problem when she suggested that I get a couple of my workers to help me back and forth to the bathroom. Little did she realize that I would be doing that very thing? ~~~~~~ After the affair with the catheter had run out of steam, as far as Megan and Sam were concerned that is, I got on the phone to Jessie and had her send Mark Anderson, my second in command of the company when I'm not there, and Tommy Clark, who is not only Jessie's younger brother, but also one of my best superintendents, to meet with me in my hospital room. ~~~~~~ While I awaited their arrival, as well as while Megan and Sam were watching some soap opera that was on the television, I borrowed, stole actually, a couple of blank sheets of paper that were in my nursing charts. After borrowing a pen from my sister, I sketched out a drawing that I thought would work nicely to suit my needs. All I needed now were the measurements, and that was where my guys would come in handy. ~~~~~~ Chapter Two "Hey, Bryan," Mark smiled, walking into my hospital room with Tommy coming in behind him, "How're ya feelin boss?" A Penny Saved is a Love Earned Pt. 01 "I've been better," I grinned, glad to see them, "That's for damn sure...Hey Tommy." "Hi, Bryan," Tommy smiled, carefully shaking my right hand, "Man, I'm glad you're gonna be alright. I was real worried when I heard about the accident." "Thanks, buddy," I gratefully replied, "Its good to see you guys here." "What're you talking about, boss?" Mark laughed, "It's good to see you period." "Megs, I need a favor, sweetie," I told her, "I need to talk about some business with my guys, and while I don't mean to be rude....." "I understand, sweetie," she interrupted me, smiling, "We'll go back to your house for a while and lay in the sun by the pool." "I appreciate it," I replied. And as they stood to leave, I noticed that my niece was blatantly drooling over Tommy. "Close your mouth, Sam," I teased, "You're gonna draw flies." She said nothing more than to give me a "Go to Hell" look right before they left. ~~~~~~ After showing my drawing to Mark and Tommy, Mark went into the bathroom and took some measurements. Once that was complete, Tommy got on the phone and called a mutual friend of ours, a guy named Earl Shannon, who was a pipe welder. And after a four or five hour period, Earl had given life to my drawing and brought to the hospital for my approval. What it basically was, was a light weight collapsible chair, that was made of sturdy stainless steel pipe, which, after I was hoisted into, allowed me to roll myself, through the use of a small electric motor, into the bathroom to use the toilet as opposed to the damn bed-pan. It worked well, too, because as soon as Earl brought it into my room, and with the assistance of Tommy and Mark, I wheeled myself into the bathroom and took a long overdue dump. It had a right; left, forward and reverse toggled steering controller, with a slide throttle, and, it even elevated my body up and down, as well as my broken leg so as not to get anything on the cast. I reminded myself to give Mark and Tommy a raise, as well as a nice bonus for Earl. ~~~~~~ My niece Sam had just graduated high school the previous January, she's a damned smart kid, and because it was now the middle of May; the weather was absolutely beautiful. Megan and I had agreed before she even started her senior year; that Sam would live here with me while she was in college. Sam had been accepted to Vanderbilt University here in Nashville, where she wanted to major in Genetics, with a strong minor in Forensics. DNA testing had just begun, and Sam wanted to work for the FBI as a Forensic Scientist. You see, a couple of years ago, a friend of hers was date-raped; and the guy who did it got away with it, because the prosecution lacked the forensic evidence it took to prove his guilt, the little bastard. While I live and operate my business out of Nashville, Tennessee, Megan's home base of operations for her business is in Dallas, Texas. That makes prefect since to me, Neiman-Marcus is in Dallas and my sister had always been a clothes-horse anyway so, why not live there. My female readers will know exactly what I'm talking about, won't you, ladies? Megan says that Neiman-Marcus is the Macy's of the south. Anyway, back to the story... Megan and Sam arrived back at the hospital around five o'clock that afternoon, just in time to find Doctor Brennan walking through the door at the same time as she and Sam. "Hi, Megan," Doctor Brennan smiled, "Hello Sam." "Hi, Doctor Brennan," Sam grinned. Hi, Doctor," Megan smiled, "Has my brother been a good boy?" "I haven't heard any bad reports from the nurses," she giggled, "But the day isn't over yet." The cacophony of female laughter that was emanating from my doorway made me turn my head to see the three prettiest women I've ever seen walk into my room. "Oh, hey, Doc," I grinned, inwardly happy to see her, yet still not wanting to admit to it, "What's going on?" After looking over at the collapsible chair on the right side of my bed, Doctor Brennan walked around my bed to get a better look at it, and then curiously asked, "What in the world is that thing?" "That, Doctor Brennan...is my salvation from the bed-pan," I victoriously gloated. "Really?" she asked, "How does it work?" After Mark and Tommy had previously helped me devise a way to get myself out of bed and into the chair, I proceeded to show her how it worked with a small demonstration, being especially excited about the interchangeable bottom seat cushion so that it could also be used as a motorized wheel chair. And when I was done, she looked at me, and in utter amazement, smiled and said, "That thing really works, wow, maybe you should get a patent on it. I know it would be very useful for many of my patients, Bryan." "Wow," I grinned, helping myself back into bed, "Do you really think this thing will sell?" "I don't just think it will," she grinned, "I know it will." "See? I told you, Doctor," Megan knowingly giggled, "My little brother is brilliant." "Yes," Doctor Brennan radiantly smiled, while looking into my eyes, "He certainly is, isn't he?" ~~~~~~ After the Doctor had left the room and Sam had gone down to the cafeteria to get a snack, my sister looked at me and asked, "Hey, Bryan, can I talk to you about something without pissing you off?" "I don't know, Megan," I teased, "It depends on what it is." "Dammit, Bryan," she said, "I'm trying to be serious here." "Okay, Megs," I smiled, "What's on your mind, sweetie?" My sister suddenly had big tears rolling down her cheeks as she rose from her chair to sit next to me on the bed. And then while taking my hand into both of hers, she sadly replied, "I'm so worried about you, Bryan." "Hey, hey," I said, trying to calm her down, "I'm alright, sis. I'm just a little banged up right now, but I'll be alright, sweetie." "I'm not worried about that," she sniffed, "I worry about you being all by yourself with no one to love you." I pulled my sweet sister into my arms, and hugging her as best I could considering the shape I was in, I quietly told her, "I'm alright, Megs, really, I am." "Don't lie to me," Megan cried, "We know each other better than anyone because we were so close growing up so; don't think for second that I can't see the pain and loneliness in your eyes. You work all over the country to try and hide from it, but you can't Bryan." Because the only two people in the room were me and my sister, and also because I was in the hospital, still sore from the accident, I finally let my guard down after so many years of keeping it up, and began to cry my eyes out, knowing Megan had been right. I cried because of what Vicky had done, and because I'd placed myself into an emotional exile as a result of it, but most of all, I cried because I felt like I lost my heart and didn't know how to get it back. But Megan simply sat next to me and held me while I cried, her arms wrapped around me like she used to when I was afraid as a child "I'm sorry, Megs," I said, once I'd regained my composure, "I haven't done that since I was a kid." "And that's okay, too," she soothed, "Sometimes it does a lot of good to let your emotions out every once in a while." "I guess so," I smiled, wiping my face with the back of my hand, "Thanks, sweetie." "Anytime, baby brother," she replied, hugging me again, "Any time..." ~~~~~~ "So, tell me, Uncle Bryan," Sam smiled, once she was back in my room, "Who was that guy that was here earlier?" "Do you remember meeting Jessie Clark, yesterday?" I asked, as she nodded, "Well, he's her younger brother and his name is Tommy. Why? Do you want to meet him?" "She broke up with her boyfriend a couple of months ago for cheating on her," Megan informed me, "And now she's ready to meet someone new I think." "Aw, Sam," I said, "I'm really sorry about that." "I don't care anymore," Sam strongly said, "Besides, one girl will never be enough for him because he's such a pussy hound." "SAMANTHA!" Megan screeched. "Well, he was, Mom," Sam non-chalantly replied, "Why do you think we broke up? He got mad because I wouldn't give him any so; he cheated on me with that slut Lisa Williams. After that, I was done with his no good ass." "Good Lord, Sam," Megan pleaded with her, "Please, try to watch your language, young lady." Oh, come on, Mom," Sam giggled, "I've heard you say things that are a lot worse than that, and you know it." By this time I was laughing so hard that it was literally killing my ribs, but I simply couldn't help it. And in the midst of it all, Megan shot me a playful glare and said, "Do you see what have to deal with?" "I think it's great," I smiled, winking at Sam and patting the bed beside me, "Come over here and sit next to your Uncle Bryan, baby girl. I'll protect you, sweetie" Sam squealed like a banshee as she shot across the room and planted herself on the bed next to me, and after kissing me on the cheek, said, "I love you, Uncle Bryan." "I love you, too, sweetie," I grinned, while making funny faces at my sister. "Laugh it up, asshole," Megan smirked, "She's gonna be your problem when the fall semester starts at Vanderbilt." ~~~~~~ When it was Megan's turn to go to the cafeteria, Sam looked at me and wistfully asked, "So, are you gonna introduce me to Tommy, Uncle Bryan?" "Do you really want to meet him, baby-girl?" "Oh, yes," she purred, "I think he's so cute." I'd known Tommy ever since he began working for me the moment he turned sixteen; and because I knew that he was a good kid that came from a great family, who were also like family to me; I looked at Sam and replied, "I'll tell ya what, kiddo, I'll see what I can do, how's that?" "Thank you, Uncle Bryan," she smiled hugging me, "Thank you so much." Let me take a moment to describe my niece. Samantha looks almost just like her mother with the exception of that bubble butt of hers. I remember my sister telling me of how many boys began to come around her house about the time Sam turned fifteen. She said that ever since then, there was always some boy calling the house wanting to speak with her daughter. "I think I know how Dad must've felt now," Megan once said, "But then again, it drove my ex crazy so; that's why I allowed it." ~~~~~~ I slept rather peacefully after Megs and Sam left, especially after the nurse gave me another shot to help knock me out....lol. ~~~~~~ "Good Morning, Bryan," Doctor Brennan replied, walking into my room only moments after I'd finished having breakfast (Again from the Waffle House™...lol), "Today is the day we get you up and on your feet. Are you ready?" "I suppose so," I smiled, again glad to see her, and still not knowing why, "Can I ride in my own chair out of here?" "I don't see why not," she giggled, "We'll leave as soon as you're ready." ~~~~~~ As soon as we were in the hall, I saw several different Doctors, Nurses, and Technicians, all giving my chair some interesting glances. "I'm really proud of the work you've done on that chair, Bryan," Doctor Brennan beamed, "You don't mind if I show it to a couple of my colleagues, do you?" "No," I grinned, feeling a little excited, "I don't mind at all." "Thanks, Bryan," she replied, her palm on my face once we were in the elevator and the doors were closed, "You won't regret this, I promise." ~~~~~~ We went up two floors and then took a right turn out of the elevator. After going down the hall to last door on the left, Doctor Brennan introduced me to another pretty, older lady, who I found out was also a Doctor, as well as the head of the Orthopedic Surgery Department. "Bryan Rogers," Dr. Brennan smiled, "This is Doctor Pam Ingles. She's my boss and I told her about your chair and she wanted to see it." "It's nice to meet you Mister..." "Please, Doctor Ingles," I politely interrupted her, "Call me Bryan." "Alright," she pleasantly smiled, "It's nice to meet you, Bryan. I've heard about this chair of yours and I appreciate your letting Doctor Brennan bring you here and allowing us see it." "You're welcome," I proudly smiled, "And it's nice to meet you, too, ma'am." "So Bryan," Dr. Ingles, asked, "Would you show me how your chair works." "I'd be pleased to," I replied smiling. As I gave her a demonstration, I explained the workings, and the materials used in its construction. She was especially amazed at the fact that the chair had an adjustable height controller attached to a small electric motor on the side. I explained to her that my company had an electrical department that was full of geniuses who'd designed the motor capabilities and operations unit in the back. When I was finished, Dr. Ingles looked at smiling and asked, "Doctor Brennan told that you guys built this thing so that you wouldn't have to use a bed-pan, is that correct?" "That's right," I proudly replied, again gloating. "I guess Plato was right," Dr. Ingles giggled, "Necessity truly is the mother of invention." "You know what they say," I grinned, "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do." "I must say," Dr. Ingles commented, "This is really an amazing piece of equipment you've invented here." "Thank you, Doctor Ingles," I smiled, "I've got some really amazing guys in my company that helped me with this so, it's not all mine." "Your sister said that you designed it, though," Dr. Brennan commented. "Yeah, well, my sister talks too much sometimes," I grinned. ~~~~~~ Once we'd finished talking with Dr. Ingles and were in the cast room, Dr. Brennan placed a warm wet cloth over mt face to protect my eyes from any dust, and then proceeded to take a cutting saw and trim the cast on my leg down to just below my knee. The same thing occurred with my arm as well. She trimmed the cast until it was just below my left elbow. When that was done, Dr. Brennan then tookk the cloth off of my face, and then with the help of an orthopedic technician, added a walking brace onto my leg. After their work was finished, and once the technician had gone on to other things, she wheeled me into the Doctor's lounge on that floor and sat down to talk with me while the cast was drying. ~~~~~~ "So Bryan," Dr. Brennan smiled, "If you don't mind my asking, I'm curious to know how a guy who's as young as you are, owns his own construction company?" "Young," I asked smiling, "Jeez, Doc, how old do you think I am?" "Well, according to your chart," she smiled, "You're just barely thirty-five." "I could ask the same thing about you, Doc." After a questioning look, she smiled and said, "I don't think I understand what you mean." "You can't be any older than twenty-six, or twenty-seven at the very most," I told her, "Damn, Doc, you must've gone through medical school at a young age." Once again, the soothing yet wonderful sound of her laughter filled the room. And once she'd regained her composure, she gently took my hand and softly replied, "Just so you know, I'm a year younger than you, but thank you for the compliment just the same, Bryan." "You're welcome, Doctor," I smiled, blushing profusely. ~~~~~~ The time came that my cast had dried, and once we were out of the Doctor's lounge; Doctor Brennan led me, via the elevator, to the floor where the physical Therapy room was. "Alright, Bryan," she said, "I'm not going to lie to you, this is going to hurt at first. But it will only be that way for a short while, I promise." I was feeling very apprehensive about it at first, but after I took my first step, my apprehension turned to fear as I felt the pain shooting from my leg into my brain. Still though, for some reason I wanted to make Dr. Brennan proud of me, I don't know why, and I ended up walking across the room and back. I can't begin to explain how badly it hurt, but suffice it to say that if I had to do it all over again; I would've told them all to kiss my ass. "You did very well, Bryan," Dr. Brennan replied, once I was seated back in my wheel-chair, sweat dripping down my face by the bucketfuls, "I'm very proud of you." "Thanks, Doc," I grimaced, "I hope I won't have to do that again today." "No, you won't," she smiled, "But remember what I said about getting out of here quicker." "I haven't forgotten," I groaned, still smiling though, "Trust me, Doc." "Okay then," she sweetly smiled, "Let's get you back to your room, and then I'll give you something for the pain that I know you've got to be feeling right now." ~~~~~~ "So, how did he do, Doctor?" my sister asked, when I got back to my room. "He did extremely well," Dr. Brennan replied smiling, "You should be proud of him, I know that I certainly am." After Dr. Brennan had explained to her what I'd done in the physical therapy room, my sister looked at me, and tenderly smiling, she leaned down and kissed me on the cheek then said, "Way to go, Bry. At the rate you're going, you'll be outta here in no time." "I sure hope so, Sis," I smiled, "I sure hope so." Shortly thereafter, a nurse came in and gave me another shot for the pain; and before I knew it, I was drifting comfortably off to sleep. ~~~~~~ "Your brother is the most amazing guy I've ever met," Dr. Brennan told Megan; as she, Megan and Sam sat down together in the cafeteria, as she had extended an invitation to them to eat lunch with her, "Tell me about him...please." "Why do you want to know, Doctor?" Megan pointedly asked, "I love my brother very much and I don't want to see him hurt." "First of all, please call me Penelope," she smiled, "And I wanted to know about him because, like I've already said, I think he's the most amazing man I've ever met, not to mention the fact that I think he's very handsome." "My Uncle Bryan has always been amazing, ever since I was little," Sam girlishly grinned, "And he's so sweet, Penelope, he really is." "I can tell that he certainly loves the two of you, very much," Dr. Brennan smiled. "He got married right out of college," Megan sadly began, "Her name was Victoria Harrison, and she never loved my brother to begin with. I was told that she once said that the only reason she married him was because he looked good. She ended up leaving him for an older man with more money, after only two years, that little bitch. Ever since then he's been a mere shell of a man. Oh, he puts up a good front, mind you. But I can feel the sadness within him," by now tears were falling from her eyes as she continued, "And it's killing me. I'm fairly sure that you're attracted to my brother, aren't you, Penelope." "Yes," Dr. Brennan replied, "But he's my patient, and if I were to...." "I understand about ethics, Doctor," Megan conspiratorially grinned, "But after he gets out....." ~~~~~~ I had been in the hospital for going on eleven days now. The soreness was beginning to disappear and I no longer needed my chair to get around. I was walking everywhere, all over the hospital, with either my sister, my niece, or sometimes both, coming with me to keep me company. "Good morning, Bryan," Dr. Brennan smiled, as she walked into my room that morning, "How're you feeling today?" "Hi, Doc," I grinned, "I'm feeling great, and more than ready to go home." Sitting down in the chair next to my bed, she opened my chart, and smiling, said, "Well in that case, I've got some good news and some great news. Which would you like to hear first? "Are you kidding?" I grinned, "I want to hear the news that says I'm going home, first." "You know that I'm releasing you today, silly," she giggled, "But I wanted to tell you that the Board of Directors here at the hospital, as well as my department are both very interested in your chair. And I was wondering if you wouldn't mind giving one more demonstration before you leave?" "Sure, Doc," I smiled, "I don't mind at all." ~~~~~~ A Penny Saved is a Love Earned Pt. 01 "How many of these can you produce?" smiled Dr. Nathan Michaels, Chairman of the Board, after I'd just given him a demonstration of my chair, "And how soon can we have them?" "What're you saying?" I cautiously asked. "What we're saying, my friend, is that we want to buy as many of these chairs as we can get our hands on," Dr. Michaels grinned, "And we don't give a damn what they cost either. This work is pure cutting edge genius, my boy, and I want Baptist Hospital to be the first in the world to have this technology." "I'll have to talk to my guy that built it," I replied, "But I don't foresee any problem with the manufacturing, but then again, I'll have to talk to my people." "You draw up the contracts and we'll sign them," Dr. Michaels excitedly grinned, "Is there anything we can do on our end to help speed the process?" I suddenly had an idea, and in doing so, I smiled at Dr. Brennan, and then to Dr. Michaels replied, "Well sir, I'm going to need the assistance of a Doctor who is familiar with the patients that will need this particular type of hardware." "Can I ask why?" he smiled. "You're a doctor, sir," I pointedly replied, "And you know that every case is different. I'll need a doctor present in the event that we have to make any modifications to our product, sir." "That's a good point," he knowingly smiled, "Is there any doctor in particular that you had in mind?" "I was thinking of Doctor Brennan here," I replied, grinning from ear-to-ear, "After all, this particular type of hardware was designed for patients with the types of injuries she specializes in, yes?" ~~~~~~ Chapter Three "You ought to be a politician, Bryan," Dr. Cameron smirked, as two orderlies loaded my chair into the back of my truck, which Megan had pulled up to the front entrance of the hospital, "You had those guys eating out of your hands." "Come on, Doc," I laughed, "You can use a little time away from here for a while, can't you?" "I wouldn't mind," she wearily sighed, "But I still have patients to care for, don't forget that." "I won't," I smiled, handing her a piece of paper with my phone number and address written on it, "Be at this address tomorrow morning around ten o'clock. That way, you can sleep late for a change." "You are such a brat," she giggled, patting my arm, "Okay then, I'll see you tomorrow." "See ya then, Doc," I grinned, then climbed into my truck to let Megan drive me home. ~~~~~~ "SURPRISE!!!" was the first thing I heard, the moment I opened my front door. I looked into my living room to see a big banner stretching across the far wall that read "WELCOME HOME BRYAN!" "Hi, Sweetie," Mom grinned, as she hugged me, "Welcome home, baby." "It's good to see you up and around, son," Dad smiled, standing behind Mom. "Thanks, you guys," I smiled, as I hugged them both, "It's good to be home." "So, what are your plans while you're still healing?" Dad asked. "I've got a couple of things going on," I knowingly smiled, "But I've still gotta work out a few details first, Dad." "Good man," Dad laughed, patting me on the shoulder, "You're a chip off the old block, kid." "Whatever you say, Dad," I smirked. ~~~~~~ Because my mother was born and raised in London, England, she made my most favorite meal in the world for me that night, Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding, and a side of mashed potatoes with butter, garlic, salt, and pepper. I ate until I could hold no more and when the time came to clear the table and do the dishes; Mom, Megan and Sam, all three pitched in and had it done in less than half the time it normally takes me. See? I told you how sweet my family was and I hope that now you believe me. ~~~~~~ That night I slept good, but I had dreams that were different from any I'd had ever had before. Although I couldn't remember them the next morning, I couldn't shake the feeling that Dr. Brennan had somehow been a part of them. But as opposed to continue dwelling on something I couldn't remember anyway, I shook it off and began my day. ~~~~~~ The house was empty when I came into my living room. I found a note taped to the refrigerator that told me Megan and Sam had gone shopping with Mom, and wouldn't be back until sometime around noon, or so. I hadn't said a word to Megan about my deal with the Hospital yet, and I anxious to see how everything would play out. I also found myself becoming excited at the idea of working with Dr, Brennan; but for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why. I had a bowl of cereal with some toast and grape jam, which Mom had made, and after taking my shower, called the office. ~~~~~~ "Hi, Bryan," Jessie chirped, on the other end of the phone, "How're ya feelin, boss?" "I'm still a little sore, but I'll be alright, sweetie," I smiled, "I need you to send Mark, Tommy, and Earl to my house today. Tell them to be here around ten o'clock, okay?" "You got it, Bryan," she happily replied, "Is there anything else?" "Yeah," I replied, an idea suddenly coming to mind, "Call Morton's and make a seven-thirty dinner reservation for two tonight, would you?" "You know I will," she teased, "You got a hot date tonight, or something?" "No," I grinned, "Well...maybe...I don't know...I'll let you know, bye Jess." "Bye, boss," she giggled, and then abruptly hung up. "Silly girl," I laughed, placing the receiver of the phone back into its cradle. ~~~~~~ I had a hell of a time washing myself, being able to only use my right hand; but I still got it done. However it took twice the time it normally takes me. Shaving was a bit tricky, too, but like the washing, I still managed, even if I did get the cast on my hand a bit wet. And then after I was dressed, I took care of a couple of very important phone calls that needed to be made before my morning began. ~~~~~~ My doorbell rang ten o'clock that morning, making me rise from my chair to answer it. And when I opened the front door, what I saw literally took my breath away. Dr. Brennan stood on my front porch in a pair khaki shorts and white tennis shoes, wearing a tight gray tee shirt. I never realized how sexy her legs were before now, not to mention that her breasts were so big. But what had the biggest effect me, as always, were her eyes. They were dark and alluring, yet they sparkled, lighting up her face as she smiled and said, "Are you going to stand there and stare at me all morning, or are you going to invite me in." "Sorry, Doc, "I laughed, opening the door wider, "I've been stuck in the hospital for so long that I almost lost my manners, please, come on in." "Why, thank you, kind sir." she smiled, as she entered my house. As I closed the door behind her, the first thing she did was to look at her surroundings and say, "You have a beautiful home, Bryan." "Well, then," I proudly smiled, "Let me give you the nickel tour." I built my house after Megan and I received our inheritances, which, thank God, was also after my divorce from that money grubbing whore, Vicky. I built a four bedroom house which was roughly twelve thousand square feet, all on one level. I also had had a basement which I used as a wine cellar. There's also a living room, with a dining room that connects to the kitchen, and a den, with a kitchenette off of it, which is where I eat all of my meals, well, most of the time anyway. Oh, and I can't forget the pool either. She was impressed to say the least, but the thing that sparked her interest the most was the nine foot Steinway & Sons™, grand piano that sat in the living room in front of the sixteen foot, by sixteen foot front window. "Do you play?" she asked "Not right now," I smiled, holding up my left hand, showing her the cast, "Maybe we'll see after the cast comes off." "You'll have full range of motion in your hand when that cast comes off, Bryan," she politely replied, "I promise you." "I sure hope so," I worriedly replied, "Or all the years I spent learning to play that damn thing will all be for nothing "Trust me, sweetie," she softly spoke, placing her soft palm against my cheek, "You will play again, I assure you." "I believe you, Doc," I gently replied, knowing she was speaking the truth. "So, did you build this house by yourself, Bryan?" she asked, changing the subject, as well as breaking the tender moment we were sharing. "Not all by myself, Doctor," I teased, "The guys who work for me helped out a lot, too." "Speaking of which," she suddenly said, "When I'm not at the hospital, I'd really like it if you called me by my first name, Penelope." "Alright then, Miss Penelope," I chuckled, "Oopps, it is Miss, right?" "Yes," she giggled, "It is." "Okay, Miss Penelope," I smiled, "Would you care to join me for a cup of coffee? I just made it right before you arrived." "Please," she smiled, "I'd love a cup." "Well then," I grinned, heading to the kitchen, "Follow me, if you would." ~~~~~~ I fixed her a cup of coffee with cream and sugar, which is just the way she likes it, and as we sat down in the den, she looked at me with fear in her eyes and said, "Bryan, there's something I need to tell you, and I'm not really sure you're going to like it." "Come on, Doc," I laughed, "It can't be that bad, can it?" "Not really," she smiled, "And what did I just tell you about calling me Doctor when I'm not at the hospital?" "Okay, Penelope," I gently replied, "What is it that you need to tell me?" "I took Megan and Sam to lunch once because I wanted to ask your sister about you" she told me, all in one breath. "Why would that make me mad, Penelope?" "I wasn't sure whether you would've liked me nosing into your affairs," she softly replied, "I hope I haven't pissed you off." "No," I quietly smiled, "I'm not mad at all. But the next time you want to know something about me, why don't you just ask? I promise that I won't bite you." And by this time I found myself drowning in the dark richness of her eyes, not caring whether I ever made it back from wherever I was headed. I would like to tell you something else, too," she sweetly told me, "If you don't mind." "Tell me, Penelope," I smiled, "I'm all ears." "Well," she uncomfortably began, "Ever since I met you, I thought that you're of the nicest, most handsome men that I've ever known, and I hope I haven't ambarrassed you just now, by saying that." "I'm not embarrassed at all," I softly spoke, "I'm honored that a beautiful lady like you would feel that way about me." "Thank you, Bryan," she tenderly cooed, "That was a very sweet thing to say." "You're welcome, pretty girl," I replied, gently touching her hand. Before she could say anything, though, I heard Mark's loud ass truck pulling up in my driveway; and I assumed that Tommy and Earl were with him, or at least I hoped they were anyway. "Excuse me, Penelope," I grinned, "My fabrication team is here." ~~~~~~ Before I even left the kitchen I could hear Mark stomping through the house looking for me. "HEY BOSS," he shouted, "WHERE ARE YOU, DAMMIT?" "I'M IN HERE," I yelled back. "WHERE THE FUCK IS THAT?" Mark hollered. "IM THE KITCHEN, YOU ASSHOLE," I loudly replied, and then I looked at Penelope and whispered, "Sorry about that." She simply shook her head, giggling. ~~~~~~ "I'll be damned," Mark chuckled when he saw me, with Tommy and Earl in tow, "It lives." "You're insane," I laughed, standing up from the table to hug my three friends, "It's good to see you guys again." "You, too, Boss," Tommy smiled. Earl, being the oldest at forty-five, slyly smiled at me the same way he'd always done ever since the first time I met him, and said, "Welcome home, clumsy ass." I began to laugh and said, "Ain't that the damn truth." After explaining to them why I'd called them there, I allowed Penelope to explain just how well our invention had gone over with the Board of Directors, as well as some of the modifications that were going to be involved. All three men were ecstatic over the news that the hospital wanted as many of them as they could get there hands on. Although Earl was not an official employee of my company, I still used him as a subcontractor for all of the specialty items I'd had to install over the years. However, for this project, he was going to have to expand and completely upgrade and renovate his shop to be able to take on the workload that was about to befall him. And when I brought this to his attention I saw a crestfallen look pass over his face, as he said, "I guess that takes me out of the equation then; because I don't have the money to do it, Bryan. I'm sorry, buddy." The smile that spread across his face was more than priceless when I replied, "What do you say we form a partnership, and call it B&E Medical Specialty Supply? That way, I can cover the cost of refitting and upgrading your shop, and then bring you in as an entity of RCI so that you'll be bonded and insured." "Holy shit, Bryan," he stupidly grinned, "That would be great." "Good," I smiled, "How soon can you be up and running?" "Let me think," Earl said, momentarily pondering the situation, "It's gonna take at least sixty to ninety days to refit and upgrade the shop. Then I have to find a reliable source of quality materials, and that can take a little time; but overall, I'm fairly sure we can be on line in as little as sixteen to eighteen weeks at the most." "Alright then," I smiled, "I'm fairly sure that will be acceptable to the hospital's Board of Directors. Then I turned to Mark and said, "I want you to be in charge of Quality Control, Mark. I'll double your current salary if you'll do this for me, Buddy." "Are you nuts?" he grinned, "Of course I'll do it. You're gonna have to train me, though." "Thanks, man," I smiled, "And don't worry, I'll teach you everything you need to know, bro," "Now for you, Tommy," I smiled, looking at him, "You're one of the best I've ever seen when it comes to mechanics. That's why I'm going to double your salary, too, and appoint you as the new Chief of Maintenance for B&E Medical and to sweeten the pot; I'll even introduce you to my niece. Oh, and just so you know; she thinks you're hot." "Really?" he glowed, "Hell, yeah, count me in, boss." "Where do I fit in to this?" Penelope suddenly asked. "You, Penelope," I smiled, "Are going to help me design the new modifications that were discussed at that last demonstration." What about my patients?" she pointed asked, "What am I supposed to do about them?" "You're not to worry, my dear," I chuckled, "Nathan and Pam are handling your caseload until we're up and running." "Oh, so, it's Nathan and Pam now," she lopsidedly grinned, "And just how did you pull that off, I wonder?" "Oh, I told Nathan that I'd make a small contribution to the Children's Cancer Research Center," I knowingly grinned, "He told me he'd see to anything I needed." "How small of a contribution did you make?" she playfully asked. "That's for me to know," I teased, lightly touching the tip of her beautiful little nose, "And for you to find out." "Oh, God," she giggled, "You really are a brat." ~~~~~~ It was close to noon, and before I could ask Penelope what she wanted to do about lunch, Megan and Sam came through the front door chattering like a couple of Magpies. "Well, hello there, you two," Megan smiled, "How're you feeling today, little brother?" "Considering that my casts come off in a couple of weeks," I smiled, "I'm feeling pretty good. Thanks for asking, Sis." "So, what have you two been up to this morning?" my sister slyly asked, glancing back and forth between Penelope and me. "Do you remember the electric wheel chair I designed to use while I was in the hospital?" I asked, "The one that kept me from having to use that damned bed-pan?" Megan nodded her head as I continued, "It seems that the Board of Directors at Baptist Hospital wants my company to manufacture as many of them as they can get their hands on." "Oh, wow, Bryan," she excitedly replied, "Can you pull it off?" "What do you mean, can I pull it off?" I laughed, "We built the prototype in a matter of a few hours so; this isn't going to be as difficult as it might sound." "You've forgotten one thing, Bryan," Penelope smiled. "Is that a fact?" I grinned, "And what, pray tell, might that be?" "Although you might feel well, you're still not at one-hundred percent...yet," she giggled, "So, if I were you, I'd try and take it easy, at least until the casts come off." "Yes, mother," I teased, "I promise to be a good boy, too." Looking at Megan, Penelope giggled and asked, "Has he always been such a brat?" Oh my God, yes," Megan laughed, "Ever since he was little." "Yeah," Penelope giggled, "I can believe that." "Alright, you guys," I smiled, "That's enough of that." "So, Penelope," Megan smiled, "Ya fee like going swimming?" "I didn't bring a swim suit," Penelope replied, "Maybe next time." "Oh come on, girl," Megan grinned, "I'm sure that I can find something that will fit you." "I've got a better idea," I interrupted, trying to save Penelope from the embarrassment that was showing in the color of her cheeks, "Why don't we go out on the boat? It's nice outside." "Oh, cool," Sam cheered, "That sounds like a great idea, Uncle Bryan. Wait a minute, what boat?" ~~~~~~ I have a seventy-five foot Searay™ that is moored at Rock Harbor Marina, on the Cumberland River, which also provides access to the Gulf of Mexico from Nashville. It has two Cummings engines, and a generator with four fuel tanks that hold more than enough fuel. It also came equipped with two large staterooms, one forward and one aft, a full bathroom with a shower, and a galley that would rival even the best of the boats of today. "Damn, Bryan," Megan gasped, "When did you get this thing?" "Oh, about a year ago," I grinned, "Right after your divorce from shit head was final." "My father is not a shit head," Sam scowled, her frown suddenly melting into a warm smile, "He's a fucking asshole." "SAM!!!" Megan scolded, "You shouldn't talk about your father like that." "It's true, Mom," Sam giggled, "And if anybody knows that, you sure do." "You still shouldn't talk about him like that, honey," Megan replied. "That's enough, you two," I laughed, "Jeez, ya'll are so much alike." "Bull shit," Megan laughed, "She's just like someone else I know when he was little." "I know you're not talking about me, big sister," I chuckled, Penelope giggling as she stood beside me, "Everyone climb aboard while I untie the boat." ~~~~~~ Megan and Sam were lying in the sun on the aft deck while Penelope and I sat in the flying bridge while I navigated the river. "It sure is nice and peaceful out here," Penelope replied, as she lounged in the chair next mine, "Thank you, Bryan. I've needed this for quite some time now." "Good," I smiled, "Sit back and enjoy it then." "Can I ask you a rather personal question?" she inquired, "If you don't mind, that is." "Ask me anything you like," I grinned, "I'm an open book." "Why have you never remarried, Bryan?" she gently asked, "I mean you're one of the most handsome men I've ever seen." "Nah," I teased, "I'm just a regular guy." "Are you trying to tell me I have bad taste?" she teased, with mock indignation. I simply shook my head smiling. "Alright then," she giggled, "Answer my question." "Okay then, I guess I'm kind of gun shy when it comes to women these days," I solemnly replied, "I just don't want to screw up again, like I did the first time." "Not all women are like your ex-wife you know," she sweetly said, "At least I'm not." "I know you're not," I softly replied, gently taking her hand, "You're one of the nicest ladies I've ever met, not to mention that you're more beautiful than any woman I've ever seen." A Penny Saved is a Love Earned Pt. 01 "Thank you, Bryan," she tenderly smiled, softly squeezing my hand, "That was a very sweet thing to say." "I wasn't trying to be sweet," I told her, "I was just telling the truth." "So, you're saying that you'd lie about something like that, then?" "Only if it was to avoid hurting someone's feelings," I frankly replied, "I see no need to be mean to someone just because he or she might not be as attractive as the next person." Suddenly Penelope leaned over and softly kissed me on the cheek, then said, "That was to thank you for being the sweetie that you are, and also for being such a good person." "In that case, "I chuckled, "You're very welcome." We traveled down river for about twenty miles and then turned around, and by the time we made it back to the marina; it was getting close to dinner time. Of course I'd already had Jessie make reservations for us at Morton's earlier that day so; I made sure that we were back in plenty of time. ~~~~~~ When we got back to my house, I smiled at Penelope and said, "I want to you to go home and get all dolled up, because you and I are going out to eat tonight," much to Megan and Sam's pleasure. "Come on now, Bryan," she protested, "You don't have to do this." "I refuse to take no for an answer," I smiled, "Besides, I want to do this so, don't argue with me." ~~~~~~ "My God," I gasped, when I saw Penelope back at my front door that evening, "You look so beautiful, Penelope." "Thank you," she cooed, her cheeks turning slightly pink, "You look pretty good yourself." "All for you, M'lady," I smiled, extending my arm, "Shall we go, then?" ~~~~~~ Penelope was dressed in a pair of white slacks and a white silk blouse, both of which fit her like they were made explicitly for her. Her long silky and shining dark hair now flowed all about her shoulders and elegantly down her back. Her make-up had been perfectly applied, and although I wasn't willing to admit it back then, it was when I looked at her that night I began to realize that my heart would eternally belong to her...and her alone. ~~~~~~ "I've always wanted to eat here," Penelope smiled, as we were seated, "But I just never had the time." "You do now," I happily smiled, "I want you to eat and drink anything you want, because tonight is a night of celebration." "Oh really," she girlishly giggled, "And exactly what is it that we're celebrating?" "Me getting out of the hospital in one piece to start with," I teased, "But moreso for my getting to meet you, and for the invention that we've come up with." Because she was much closer this time, Penelope leaned in and briefly, but tenderly kissed my lips. Then she looked directly into my eyes and said, "That was to say thank you for this evening, in case I forget to tell you later." I kissed her back, only I held it slightly longer than hers, and then leaned away and softly replied, "Any time, beautiful lady.....anytime. ~~~~~~ Chapter Four After our drink order had been taken, I decided that I wanted to know more about this intriguingly beautiful woman so; I looked at her and said, "Can I ask you a rather personal question now?" "I don't see why not," she sweetly replied, "After all, you answered mine." "Okay," I smiled, "Do you have Native American blood in you? I mean, the first time I saw you I thought you reminded me of a beautiful Indian Princess." "You're pretty good. Most people ask if I'm Asian," she grinned, "But in answer to your question, yes; I'm half Cheyenne. It's on my mother's side of the family." "Oh, wow," I replied, "I'll bet your mother is beautiful, too." "Yes," Penelope replied sadly, "She was." "Was?" Bringing up what had to have been a very painful memory for here, Penelope looked at me with tears threatening to spill from her beautiful dark brown eyes, and bravely replied, "My father was a U.S. Navy SEAL and was stationed in what was once Saigon during the war in Vietnam. Mom and I lived there with him, and while I was at school during the day; my mother worked at the American Embassy. She was killed when the Viet Cong attacked the embassy during the Tet Offensive in nineteen sixty-eight, and then Dad was killed a year later." "Oh, God, Penelope," I replied, my heart literally breaking as tears rolled down my cheeks, "I'm so very sorry." "I was only seven at the time so, Dad's sister, my Aunt Vivian, took me in and raised me like I was her own," Penelope sweetly replied, taking her napkin and drying the tears from my face, "She's a kind and caring soul...just like you." Thankfully, the waiter made it to our table and broke me from my reverie, as well as the sadness I felt for this most beautiful of all God's creations. He took our orders, and after making sure our refreshments were full, he again left us to ourselves. Dinner with Penelope that very first evening was something that will, and forever shall, be one of my fondest memories of her. ~~~~~~ I still had my casts on and wasn't able to drive so, Penelope had driven us that evening. And when we stood on my front porch that night as she dropped me off, I smiled at her warmly and said, "I really had a great time with you tonight. I wanted you to know that." As opposed to answering me vocally, Penelope placed her arms around my neck. And after gently but firmly pressing her body against mine, I tasted her soft lips. Thus began the start of something so wonderful, that I could tell you what I was feeling in a thousand different ways, but I would never truly be able to give the perfect description. "Good night, Bryan," Penelope breathed, once the kiss was broken, "And thank you, for such a wonderful evening." "Thank you, too, beautiful lady," I softly replied, "I can't wait to do this again." She slowly pulled away from me, and as she turned to leave, Penelope looked over her shoulder at me and purred, "Call me tomorrow, handsome," and then she got into her car and drove slowly down my driveway, and then away. ~~~~~~ I was awakened the next morning by the sound of my sister's voice telling me to get up if I wanted some breakfast. And after getting out of bed and taking my morning ritual pee, I came down the hall from my bedroom in just my boxers and a tee shirt and then sat down at the kitchen table. "Jeez, Uncle Bryan," Sam teased, "Don't you think you should've put some clothes on before you came in here. There are women in the house ya know." "Who, you and your Mom?" I laughed, "Give me a break, little girl." "And just who're you calling a little girl?" she defensively bristled. "You," I teased, "So, don't give me any more shit, little girl!" "You know what, Uncle Bryan?" "No," I chuckled, "What?" Slamming down the magazine she was holding onto the table, Sam glared at me and said, "You can be a real asshole sometimes," and then turned and stomped away. "IT'S MY HOUSE," I yelled after her, "I'LL BE AN ASSHOLE IF I WANT TO." "You do it rather well, too," Megan said, from behind me. Then as she sat one of the two mugs of coffee she was holding, down onto the table in front of me, she asked, "What did you do to piss her off now, Bryan?" That's easy," I chuckled, "I called her a little girl." "Oh, you shit," Megan giggled, "She hates that, too." ~~~~~~ I had a meeting later that day with Mark and Earl, but before I left the house I called Penelope. "Hello," she said, answering her phone. "Hi, beautiful lady," I smiled, "How're you today?" "I'm glad you called" she tenderly replied, "I was just thinking about you." "You keep doing that and you won't get anything done," I grinned, "Have you got any plans for this evening?" "No," she giggled, "Why do you ask?" "My sister is making her world famous lasagna tonight, " I smiled, "And I was hoping that you'd come over and join us for dinner." "Really?" she wistfully asked, "What time should I be there?" "Oh, I'd say around six-thirty," I grinned, "That'll give us some time to visit before we eat." "I can't wait," she sweetly replied, "I'll see you tonight, bye, sweetie," and then she hung up before I could respond. "Silly girl," I smiled, placing the receiver back into its cradle. ~~~~~~ "We've got a problem, Boss," Earl said, the moment I walked into my office after Megan dropped me off. "What is it?" I asked. "With what it's going to cost us to refit the shop," he began, "I doubt we'll barely break even." "I don't understand," I replied, "How can that be?" "I've already talked to Doctor Michaels, and we're guaranteed to sell at least a hundred chairs to Baptist Hospital. However, it's going to cost us ten thousand to make each chair with the new upgrades and modifications that Doctor Brennan talked about," Earl explained, "And in order to make any kind of reasonable profit, plus being able to meet payroll we're going to have to charge at least eighteen thousand per chair." "What's it going to cost us to refit the shop?" I asked. "Just a little over seven hundred and fifty thousand," Mark replied, "And that's without insurance on the machines. So, if any one of those suckers break, we're screwed." "Shit," I cursed, "I'll figure out something. I don't know how or what, but I'll make it all work out somehow, I swear." "Hell, boss," Earl replied, "We don't have to do this ya know." "BULLSHIT," I yelled, then after calming down, I looked at Earl and said, "I'm sorry for snapping at you, old friend, but we're on the threshold of something great here. I'm gonna figure out a way, I promise. It's just gonna take a little time so, you two stay on track and I'll deal with the rest of this shit, okay?" "You got it, Boss," Earl grinned. "Yeah," Mark smiled, "We trust you, Bryan. ~~~~~~ "Hey, Jess," I asked, walking out of my office and into hers, "I need a favor, sweetie." "No problem, Bryan," she happily chirped, "What can I do for you?" "I need a ride back to my house," I replied, "If it's not too much trouble." "Come on, I'll take you," she giggled, "We've known each other way too long so, don't ever worry about asking again." "Thanks Jess," I smiled, "I appreciate it." "Oh, one more thing," she smiled, "My little brother is over the moon about meeting Samantha, and I wanted to say thank you, Bryan." "That reminds me," I grinned, "Tell Tommy to be at my house around six o'clock tonight." "You got it, boss," she smiled, with tears in her eyes, "I haven't seen him this happy since before our Mom died." That's a good thing then," I smiled. ~~~~~~ After Jessie had dropped me off at my house, I discovered that no one was home when I walked through the front door. So, considering the fact that it was only one o'clock in the afternoon, I walked back to my bedroom and did something I haven't done since I can't remember when; I took a nice long nap. ~~~~~~ I dreamed that I was in a forest somewhere, walking at a leisurely pace down a slight incline. All at once I heard screams emanating from somewhere behind me and drawing ever nearer. All at once I found myself running amidst a screaming horde of Native American people dresses as their nineteenth century ancestors, all in buckskin clothing. Suddenly there came another noise from behind me. It was like the ground was rumbling beneath me. As it drew closer, I could make out sounds similar to those of riders on horseback. I felt the adrenaline fueled fear raging through my consciousness at a rapid pace, and then came the gun fire. The ground began exploding all around me in every direction I ran. All at once I heard myself screaming and watched as my body fall forward onto the ground, wracked in burning pain, and then everything went black After a moment or an eternity, I wasn't sure which, I saw the darkness fading into light, a warm healing, almost tender light. When my eyes came back into focus, I found myself lying on a bed of soft pine needles, no longer hurting, and no longer afraid. And then I saw someone walking toward me from out of the light. She had dark eyes and long black hair that fell past her waist, almost to her knees. She wore a long bluish white gown that flowed like spun silk, reflecting the warm light as she drew nearer. When her face came into focus, she reminded me of someone I knew, but at the time I couldn't remember who. And then looking into my eyes, she smiled and said, "Hello, Bryan." "Who are you?" I asked. "I am called Nala," she smiled, "And I am part of her past." "Part of who's past," I asked, "What're you talking about?" "You know of whom I speak, brave one," Nala gently replied, "Love her, my son because you are the only one who can take away her pain. You two have always been a part of one another, each the same as the other, but in different ways. Take her unto you and she will bear you a son and a daughter, the three of which shall love you for the rest of your life. Go now, Bryan....Bryan....Bryan......" ~~~~~~ "Bryan...Bryan, wake up sweetie," was the first thing I heard when I opened my eyes. I was pleased to find Penelope sitting beside me on my bed, gently rubbing her palm against my cheek. "Hi," I sleepily replied, "What time is it?" "It's time for you to wake up, silly," she softly smiled, "But it's five-thirty, now that you ask." "I guess I'd better get up then, huh?" ~~~~~~ "Good morning, Sunshine," Megan teased, when Penelope and I appeared in the kitchen, "I sent Penelope in to wake you up, I hope you don't mind." "Nah," I laughed, sticking my nose over the pan she was cooking in, "Is it ready yet? I'm starving." "You know how long it takes me to make this stuff," she giggled, "Oh; and your niece wants to talk to you, too." "Where is she?" I asked, "Is she still pissed off at me?" "I don't know," Megan knowingly smiled, "But she's out on the back patio by the pool." "Why is Sam pissed off at you?" Penelope asked. "Because he called her a little girl," Megan giggled, "And now that she's eighteen going on thirty, she hates that, and Bryan knows it." "Bryan," Penelope playfully scolded, "You should know better than that." "Yeah, yeah, yeah," I groaned, "I'll be back in a minute, you two." ~~~~~~ I walked out of the kitchen to the den, where the sliding glass doors that led to the patio and pool were. Looking through the glass door I saw Sam sitting in a deck chair with her back to me. I quietly slipped out the door, and then walking to where Sam sat, I gently placed my hand on her shoulder and said, "You wanted to see me, baby girl?" Suddenly Sam stood up, turned around, and then throwing her arms around my neck, cried, "I'm sorry I called you an asshole this morning, Uncle Bryan." "Aw, it's okay, sweetheart," I soothed, gently patting her on the back as she we hugged. Then I pulled back away from her, and with one arm still around her, I smoothed her hair from off of her face and smiled, "I've got a surprise for you." "Really?" she girlishly giggled, knowing she'd been forgiven, "What is it, Uncle Bryan?" "Do you remember the two guys that brought me my chair while I was in the hospital?" I asked, as she excitedly nodded her head, "Well, Tommy is coming over for dinner tonight, and he should be here any minute." "OH MY GOD," she screeched, "I need to go and get ready. Gosh, Uncle Bryan, why didn't you tell me sooner," and with that she disappeared back into the house, while I simply smiled and shook my head. ~~~~~~ Little did I realize that my sister and Penelope had been watching me from the kitchen window and had seen and heard the whole thing? "He's good with her," Penelope smiled, as they watched. "Oh, honey," Megan proudly grinned, "That girl worships the ground he walks on, and always has." "I'll bet he'd make a great father," Penelope said, "He's such a sweetheart." "That he is," Megan replied, "Ya know, when he was in college, the girls liked him because he was good looking, the nerds liked him because he was smart; and even though he was nice to them as well, the jocks didn't mess with him either because they knew that they would get their asses kicked if they did." "And I'll bet that he never let any of that go to his head," Penelope giggled, "Did he?" "No," Megan proudly smiled, "He really didn't." "Can I ask you a question about Bryan, Megan?" Penelope inquired, "You can tell me it's none of my business if you want to." "Come on now," Megan smiled, "I know that my little brother cares for you, but I know that you care deeply about him, too, because I can see it in your eyes every time you look at him, pretty girl so; what is it that you wanna know?" "Tell me why he and his ex-wife got a divorce," Penelope asked, "And why hasn't he been with anyone since?" "He met Vicky while they were in college," Megan began, "At first we all loved her to death. Then after they got married, Bryan went to work for a friend of Daddy's, with beginning yearly salary of seventy- five thousand dollars." "That's not bad," Penelope smiled, "Especially coming right out of college." "There's something about Bryan that not a lot of people know," Megan softly replied, "He's a genius, literally. When he was in the fourth grade, the school wanted to move up to the ninth grade, but Momma and Daddy wouldn't let them. They said that they wanted him to mature emotionally with his own age group." "Holy shit," Penelope replied, in amazement, "No wonder he was able to design that chair so quickly and so easily." "Ya see what I mean?" Megan chuckled, "Anyway, Vicki got a job in Franklin around all of those snobby rich assholes that live there. One day she came home and told Bryan that she wasn't happy with where they lived, and demanded that they move to Franklin into a new house." "God," Penelope disgustedly said, "She sounds like a real bitch to me." "She's the biggest cunt I've ever known," Megan spat, "Hell, poor Bryan went in debt up to his ears to pay for that fucking house for her. After two years, she comes home one night and tells him that she's leaving him, because she claimed that she'd accidentally fallen in love with someone else, and that this person was able to provide her with the luxuries that Bryan wasn't." "How in the hell do you accidentally fall in love with someone?" Penelope sneered, "Jeez, I hate this fucking bitch and I don't even know her." "Oh, that's nothing, "Megan continued, "The asshole that Vicky left Bryan for turned out to be a scam artist, and when he went to prison, she tried to get Bryan to take her back." "What did Bryan say about it?" "If I tell you something," Megan said, "You have to swear to me that you'll never say a word to my brother about it." "You have my word," Penelope quietly replied. "Well after Bryan told her to fuck off," Megan continued, "I caught up with her and kicked her ass. Then I told her that if she ever came around my brother, or my family ever again, that I would put her little ass in the hospital for a very long time." "Damn, Megan," Penelope giggled, "Remind me to never piss you off." "I'd never do that to you though," Megan smiled, while hugging her, "I can tell that you love him very much.....don't you?" "Yes," Penelope suddenly sniffled, tears beginning to fill her eyes, "Ever since the very first time I ever laid eyes on him. I think he's such beautiful man." "That's good, sweetie," Megan smiled, tears beginning to fill her eyes as well, "Just don't ever hurt him, okay?" "Never," Penelope cried, "Never, ever, ever....." ~~~~~~ Chapter Five I came back into the house to find Megan and Penelope happily chatting and giggling in the kitchen, Penelope having been enlisted by my sister to help her in the preparation of dinner that evening. I was about to start playfully aggravating those two when the door-bell rang. I knew that it was more than likely Tommy who was at the door so; with a knowing smile, I went to answer it. A Penny Saved is a Love Earned Pt. 01 "Hey, Tommy," I smiled, ushering him into the house, "I'm glad you could make it tonight." "Thanks for inviting me over, Bryan," he smiled, "Is there anything I can do to help?" ~~~~~~ Let me take a minute to describe Tommy Clark. As I've already said, he's Jessie, my office manager's younger brother, who is not only a hard worker, but a great kid. He's twenty years old, stands just a little over six feet tall, and if I had to guess; I'd say that probably weighed somewhere in the neighborhood of two-hundred pounds or so. He has shoulder length brown hair and hazel eyes, and as I've already said, is a good looking kid. Tommy went to work for me part time after school, about a month after his mother died from uterine cancer when he was sixteen. And because my mother is still alive, I can't even begin to comprehend how he felt at the time. However, I do know that it had to have been very hard on the poor guy. But still, he's never once missed a single day of work, nor has he ever been late in coming to work. Now, back to the story... ~~~~~~ Tommy and I were sitting in the living room having a beer and talking, when suddenly he began to stare across the room. I looked over to where he was staring to she Sam enter the living room looking more beautiful than I'd ever seen her look before, which also made me proud. As Tommy and I stood up, I smiled and said, "Tommy Clark, allow me to formally introduce my niece, Samantha Lambert." Then I smiled at my beautiful niece and said, "Sam, sweetie, this is a very good friend of mine, Mister Tommy Clark." "It's nice to meet you, Samantha," Tommy grinned, his eyes dancing like a candle flame in the wind. "You can call me just plain old Sam," she bashfully smiled, "And it's very nice to meet you, too." "I almost forget about something I promised to do for your Mom," I knowingly smiled at Sam, "Why don't sit down over here and keep Tommy company until I get back?" "Okay, Uncle Bryan," Sam sweetly replied, kissing my cheek as she walked past me on her way to the couch. "I'll be back in a little bit, Tommy, " smiled, "If you need anything, just tell Sam and I'm sure she'll be able to take care of it." "Okay, boss," Tommy grinned, "Thanks." "You're welcome," I grinned. ~~~~~~ "So, how are the two love birds doing in there?" Megan quietly asked, the moment I came into the kitchen. "They're stupid over each other," I softly chuckled, "Actually; I think it's kind of sweet." "That's because you're a sweetie, too," Penelope giggled, tenderly kissing me on the lips. "So, tell me about this kid," Megan protectively replied, "What kind of background does he come from, and what kind of...." "Whoa, Sis, wait a minute, "I interrupted her smiling, "You think I'd introduce my niece to just anybody? Relax, Tommy's a good kid and I trust him with everything I have." "He sure is a good lookin thing," Megan laughed, "I'll damn sure give him that." "I'll second that motion, your honor," Penelope giggled. "You girls are silly," I chuckled, "But I guess I can handle it." ~~~~~~ Once we sat down at the dining room table and the blessing had been asked, Megan made sure that everyone had a plateful of food before she sat down to eat her own dinner. I could tell that Sam and Tommy really liked each other by the looks they shared between them. I thought it was great, because now Sam was with someone who was just as attracted to her as she was to them. And the good thing about it was that Tommy was really a good boy. His parents had raised him correctly and I knew for a fact that he'd always lived his life by a set of unimpeachable morals and principles. "So, tell me Tommy," Megan smiled, "How do you like working for my brother?" "He's the best boss a guy could ever have, Missus Lambert," he grinned, smiling at her while he spoke." "Oh, and he's such a gentleman, too," Megan gushed, "From now on, Tommy, you can call me Megan, like everyone else does, sweetie, okay?"" "How about if I call you Ms. Megan instead?" Tommy smiled, "That way my Dad and my sister won't kick my butt for being disrespectful." "If that's what you want to do, then that's fine, sweetie," Megan giggled, smiling her approval at Sam. "Alright then, Ms, Megan," Tommy respectfully replied, "Can Sam come out with me for a little while after we're finished eating? I'd like for her to meet my father." "Wait a minute, Tommy" I teased, "Don't you think you should be asking me? After all, I'm the man of the house." "No offense, Boss," Tommy said, then nodded his head toward Megan, "But she's Sam's Mom, and I fear her anger a whole lot worse than I do yours." Megan burst into a loud fit of laughter, as did Penelope, and after she'd regained her composure, my sister reached across the table, and taking Tommy's hand giggled and said, "You're a very smart young man; and if you want to take my daughter to meet your father, then that's fine. You just make sure you have her back here no later than midnight, okay?" "Yes ma'am," he politely replied, "Midnight it is." Thanks, Mom, I love you," Sam sweetly said, "You, too, Uncle Bryan....and Aunt Penelope," and then she girlishly giggled. I simply shook my head and laughed, while at the same time taking Penelope's hand into mine. ~~~~~~ Once we were finished eating, Sam took her's and Tommy's plates, glasses, and utensils to the sink in the kitchen, then rinsed them out and placed them into the dishwasher. Once that was done, she came back into the dining room, and then taking Tommy by the hand, she politely smiled and said, "We're going to take off now. I promise I'll be back on time." However, right before they left, Sam made sure that she'd hugged and kissed not only her mother and me, but Penelope, too, before she was gone. "What a sweet, sweet girl," Penelope smiled, once Sam and Tommy were out the door and gone. "Yeah she is," I agreed, "She's always been a sweetie, even when she was a baby." "Yeah, and she's got her Uncle Bryan wrapped around her little finger, too," Megan giggled, "And it's been that way ever since she was a baby." "I think she's a very fortunate young lady," Penelope sweetly smiled at me, tenderly holding my hand while she spoke, "Especially having been surrounded all of her life by people who love her so much." "That's nothing," Megan knowingly giggled, "You should've seen Bryan crying like a baby himself the moment I placed Sam into his arms." "Oh, my God," I smiled at the memory of that day, "She was the most beautiful baby I'd ever seen, and yes, I cried my eyes out. I couldn't help it." ~~~~~~ We all pitched in and helped Megan clean off the table, as well as helped clean up the kitchen, too. And when we were finished, we went into the living room where I poured us each a brandy while Megan turned on some music. ~~~~~~ Megan was relaxing in my big La-Z-Boy™ recliner, while Penelope sat next to me on the couch. The enchanting music of David Sanborn gently wafted through the air, and I couldn't remember a time that I felt more comfortable and at peace. "I wanted to say thank you, Bryan," Megan said, smiling at me the same way she used to do when we were children, right before she told me she loved me, or was proud of me. "Thank me?" I asked, "For what?" "I like Tommy," she tenderly replied, "He very mature for his age, and I think he'll be good for Samantha, unlike those spoiled little fuckers in Lakewood. God, I'll be glad when I move back home next year." "So, you're going to sell your house and come home, huh?" I happily grinned, "It's about damn time, Megs. I've missed you more than you know, and so have Mom and Dad." Megan said nothing, other than nod her head and give me a loving grin. "I really like your parents a lot," Penelope smiled, "And I really enjoyed talking with them in the little time we shared when I spoke to them at the hospital." "Mom thinks your one of the prettiest girls she's ever seen," Megan giggled, "And so does Dad. He couldn't praise you enough for the work you did on Bryan's hand." "Oh, that reminds me," Penelope suddenly said, "How did the meeting with Earl and Mark go today, Bryan?" The look on my face must've given me away, because as I was about to speak, she looked into my eyes and said, "It went that bad, huh?" I explained, in detail, all that that we faced, and in doing so; pointed uot that even though the hospital was willing to buy at least a hundred chairs, we would still be in the red as far as our profit margin was concerned. "I might know a way out of this," Penelope cryptically smiled, "But you can't ask me any questions, Bryan, and you're going to have to blindly trust me." "I don't have a problem with that," I replied, "Hell; I'd piss on an electric pig fence if I thought it would do any good." "Then you leave everything to me, sweetie," "she warmly smiled, "Today is Thursday so, I'm going to have to leave town for the weekend. Have your presentation ready to go by Tuesday afternoon of next week, okay?" "I can do that," I happily replied. Suddenly Penelope stood up to leave, making me ask, "Where are you going?" "You promised me that you wouldn't ask any questions and you're already doing it," she sweetly giggled, "Trust me, Bryan, you're gonna love this. Come on and walk me out to my car." ~~~~~~ I was lying in my bed watching the television, and it was getting close to midnight when I heard a knock on the door. "Come in," I said. "Can I talk to you, Uncle Bryan?" Sam sweetly asked, showing up at my door already in her P.J's, and ready for bed. "Of course," I smiled, patting the bed beside me, "Come on, baby girl." She emitted a quiet but high pitched squeal as she dashed across the room and jumped under the covers beside me, just like she used to do when she was a little girl. "What can I do for you, sweetie?" I asked, as she snuggled up next to me, giggling. "I just wanted to say thank you," she sweetly replied, "I wanted to thank you for a lot of things actually." "What're talking about sweetie?" "I'm talking about how you took up for Mom and me, when my father was being such an asshole," she replied, "And now you've introduced me to a new friend who's really nice." "I see," I knowingly smiled, as I hugged her, "So, I take you like Tommy then." "Oh, Uncle Bryan," she swooned, "He's such a sweetie...and he's so cute." "I'm glad you're happy, baby girl," I grinned, "Now get out of here and let me get some sleep." "What about Penelope, Uncle Bryan?" Sam asked, with a knowing grin, "You like her, don't you?" "Of course I do." I replied smiling, "She's a nice lady." "That's not what I mean," Sam giggled, "You like her like a girlfriend, huh?" "Alright, that's it," I laughed, tickling her and making her squeal, "Get out of here. I'm going to sleep." "I love you," Sam smiled, hopping out of my bed, and kissing me on the cheek as she left my room, "Nighty-night." "I love you, too," I smiled, "Good night, baby." ~~~~~~ The next morning I awoke feeling refreshed, alert and better than I'd felt since the accident. I got out of bed, and now that my casts had been trimmed down to manageable sizes, I was able to, through the use of strategically placed plastic bags which were sealed with rubber bands, take a shower and was able to bathe myself, well, at least one-handed anyway...lol. After I was dressed I came walking down the hall and heard the sound of girlish laughter emanating from the kitchen. As I walked in to the kitchen I saw Megan, Sam and Mom sitting at the table having coffee and talking. "Good morning, sweetie," Mom smiled, standing to hug me, "How're you feeling today, baby?" "I feel good, Mom," I grinned, returning her hug, "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" "I can't come and see my own son?" Mom testily replied, "If that's the case I can always......" "Mom," I chuckled interrupting her, "I didn't mean it like that, I swear." "Gotcha," she giggled, with Sam and Megan bursting into laughter, "Gosh, you are so easy, Bryan, just like your father." "Yeah, yeah," I playfully complained, "Is there any more coffee left?" And before anyone could answer, Sam was up and gone to get me a cup. ~~~~~~ "Here, Uncle Bryan," Sam sweetly said, carrying a full cup of morning brew and handing it to me, "This is for you," and then she kissed me on the cheek right before she returned to her place at the table. God, I love that kid. "So, tell me about your new girlfriend, Doctor Brennan," Mom insistently asked, "She sure is a pretty thing." "Yes, she is pretty," I replied, smiling at the thought of her, "But she's not my girlfriend. We're just friends." "He's lying, Mom," Megan interrupted grinning, "You should see the way they act around each other." "Oh, that's a load of crap," I adamantly replied, "Don't listen to her, Mom; she's the one who's lying." "Oh, really," Mom knowingly smiled, winking at Megan and Sam, "And how do they act around each other, Megs?" "I not listening to this shit this morning," I spat, picking up my coffee cup and going out onto the patio. I heard Mom and Megan calling my name as I walked away, but I wasn't in the mood to listen so; I simply ignored them and kept going. ~~~~~~ I couldn't have been sitting down for more than a minute when I heard Sam voice yelling something I couldn't quite make out. A few seconds later, the sliding glass door came open and Sam walked out onto the patio and sat down in the chair next to me, looking like she was steaming mad. "You okay, sweetie?" I asked. "No," she angrily replied, "Mom makes me so fucking mad sometimes." "Don't worry darlin," I laughed, "She makes me mad sometimes, too." "That's what I'm mad about," she replied, tears now beginning to form in her eyes, "I told her and Nana to stop messing with you and Mom got in my ass for it." "Thanks for taking up for me, sweetheart," I smiled, putting my arm around her shoulders, "I love you." "I love you, too, Uncle Bryan," she replied, laying her head on my arm, "But can I ask you something without making you angry?" "Aw, sweetie," I grinned, "You know that you can ask me anything you want." "Okay then, here goes," she began, "Why haven't you been out on any dates since your divorce?" As I thought about what my niece had asked me, I began to remember the pain of my past. And in doing so, I realized that I was not only afraid of the unknown, where my heart was concerned, but afraid of getting it broken all over again. And to be totally honest, I was also afraid of taking another chance on love. "She loves you ya know," Sam softly said, breaking me out of my reverie. "Wha....what?" I stuttered, "Who?" "Penelope," Sam gently replied, "I overheard her telling Mom in the kitchen last night. She said that she thinks you're the most beautiful man she's ever known, and that she so glad that she met you. She even said that you were amazing, Uncle Bryan." "Really," I asked, dumbfounded, "She said all that?" "She sure did," Sam smiled, "Give her a chance, Uncle Bryan. I don't know how I know this, but something tells me that she would never ever hurt you. Please give her a chance...please?" "Let's see what happens," I lovingly replied, "I promise that I'll give it some thought, okay?" "Okay, Uncle Bryan," she sweetly giggled, "I love you." "I love you, too, baby girl," I smiled, hugging her, "I love you, too." I used that weekend to catch up on some much needed rest and relaxation. Hell, I really didn't do anything, other than sit around the house and watch movies while I ate my sister's cooking, which by the way, is as good as it comes. Tommy and Sam went out every night, and from I understand, Tommy soon became the toast of all of his friends. That's because he was dating my beautiful niece, but she enjoyed it as much, if not more than he did. Although I didn't want to admit it at the time, my mind, or should I say my heart, was involved with deep thoughts of Penelope, and how I found myself surprisingly missing her. ~~~~~~ I went into the office on Monday to take care of some paperwork which required not only my approval, but my signature as well. And after that was complete, I called my father to see if he felt like going fishing. ~~~~~~ "So; how're you feeling these days, son?" Dad asked, as we were floating in his boat on the lake. "I'm feeling stronger every day, Dad," I replied, "But I need to ask you something." "Does it have anything to do with that pretty Doctor lady?" "Yes," I chuckled, "As a matter of fact it does." "Okay then," Dad smiled, casting out his line, "What is it, Bryan?" "Well, I'm not real sure," I began, "But I think I'm starting to fall for her. Megan and Sam both say that she's crazy about me." "So, what's the problem then?" he pointedly asked, "I mean, if you two like each other and....." "I'm afraid, Dad," I interrupted, "I'm afraid of getting hurt again." Dad looked at me and smiled, letting me know that he understood without even speaking, exactly the same way he used to do when I was small. And then after reaching over and patting me on the shoulder, he simply replied, "Look son, you can't live your life in fear because of the actions of one selfish little girl. If anything, this woman is very highly educated, and to be totally honest here, she makes a hell of a lot of money. So, you won't ever have to worry about that." "I know what you mean," I said, "But what if...." "No, Bryan," he interrupted, "There are no what if's in life. From what I understand from your mother, your sister has talked to Doctor Brennan at length about you. And if I were you, I'd give the lady a chance. That's just my opinion, though. You do want you want to." "She sure is a pretty thing," I replied, smiling at the mere thought of her, "Isn't she?" "Yeah, she is," Dad grinned, "And I think that if the two of you took the time to really get to know each other, you might even surprise yourselves." "Thanks, Dad, "I smiled, "I really appreciate it." "No problem, kiddo," he replied smiling, "No problem at all." ~~~~~~ "Penelope called," my sister said, the moment I got home that afternoon, "She said that she wants you to call her." "Thanks, Megs," I smiled, "I appreciate it." "Anytime, little brother," Megan knowingly grinned, "She's at home waiting for you to call her back." ~~~~~~ "Hi, sweetie," Penelope warmly replied, after answering her phone and discovering it was me on the other end. "Hey," I smiled, "How was your trip?" "I've got a real big surprise for you," she happily chirped, "And I'd like to come over and tell you in person. Is that alright?" "Of course it is," I grinned, "You're always welcome here." "Good," she impishly giggled, "I'll see you in a bit then," and with that said, she quickly hung the phone up before I could reply. "Silly girl," I said aloud, as I placed the receiver back into its cradle. ~~~~~~ Chapter Six My sister and I were sitting on my front porch enjoying the late afternoon breeze when I saw Penelope's car come down the driveway, and stop in front of the house. "Hi," she warmly smiled, getting out of her car and looking more beautiful than anything I'd ever seen. She was dressed in a pair of white shorts that showed off her long smooth legs with white tennis shoes on her feet. She also wore a short-sleeved, cream colored blouse, which with her olive complexion, made me realize that she was the woman I'd always wanted, yet never realized it until I saw her that day. "Hi, Penelope," I smiled, "It's good to see you." "It's good to see you, too," she grinned, as she walked onto the porch, placing her arms around my neck and hugging me the moment she was within my reach. Suddenly looking like something was amiss; she grinned and then giggled, "Oopps, I almost forgot." Then she turned around and quickly went back to her car and retrieved a small gift wrapped box from her front seat. A Penny Saved is a Love Earned Pt. 02 I hope you liked the first part of this story. It's something I've been working on for a while. Like I said before, I've had a lot of fun writing on this site and I hope to continue doing so for a long while, thanks again. MoogPlayer ~~~~~~ Chapter One "Why do you say that, Missus Rogers?" "Penelope asked smiling. "Oh, I don't know," Mom giggled, snapping her out of her reverie, "And you can call me Linda, sweet girl. Missus Rogers makes me sound so old." "Duh, Nana," Sam teased, as she and Tommy came through the sliding glass doors, "It's because you are old." "Hmph," Mom derisively snorted, "I'm still young enough to spank your ass, little girl." "Yeah, yeah, yeah," Sam teased, going to the kitchen while Mom playfully swatted her butt on the way by. "Thank you for the compliment Linda," Penelope sweetly said, hugging Mom. "You're very welcome, pretty girl," Mom tenderly replied, gently placing her palm on Penelope's cheek, "And when my son asks you to marry him, and he will, it's going to be the happiest day of my life." "Hey wait a minute," I indignantly said, "Don't I get a say in this?" "NO," said Mom, Megan and Penelope, all at the same time, loudly giggling as the three of them made their way to the kitchen. "Well, hell," I said, to no one as I sat back down on the couch watching a football game on the television. ~~~~~~ After a few moments Tommy came into the den and sat down in the chair beside the couch and said, "I need to talk to you, Bryan." "Let me guess," I knowingly smiled, "You're falling for Sam. Am I right?" "Yeah," he groaned, "I am." "Damn, Tommy," I laughed, "You almost sound like you're disappointed." "No, no, it's not that," he hurriedly replied, "I just don't want you to be upset with me because of it." "Let me tell you something, Tommy," I gently told him, "I've known you since you were a young teenager, and I couldn't ask for a better man than you to be with my niece. Besides, you've got a good job, and I know for a fact that your boss has no plans of ever terminating your employment so, don't sweat it, kid." "Thanks, Bryan," he smiled, clearly relieved, "There's something else I need to ask you, too." "Damn, boy," I chuckled, "Don't you know by now that you can ask me anything?" "I'd like to take Sam to Gatlinburg this weekend," he replied, "And I wanted to ask you if it was alright." "I don't know," I said, "Maybe you should be asking her mother instead." "I did," he replied, "And she said to ask you." "Aw, man......SAM;" I yelled from the den, "WOULD YOU COME IN HERE, PLEASE?" ~~~~~~ Two minutes later, Sam, as well as Megan, Mom, and Penelope, all came into the den as Sam asked, "What is it, Uncle Bryan?" "So," I began, "I understand that you two want to go to Gatlinburg for the weekend." That's right," Sam smiled, walking over and sitting in Tommy's lap, "We're going to rent a small chalet." "Well, you're eighteen and I can't tell you what to do," I replied, "But I will tell you that you've been raised to be responsible. Do you understand what I'm talking about?" "Relax, Bryan," Megan giggled, "Sam's been on the pill for almost two years now. Besides, they're both good kids and I trust them to do the right thing." "Yeah," I smiled, reaching over and gently pinching Sam's cheek, "That's true. Okay you two, have a good time and stay out of trouble." "Oh, thank you, Uncle Bryan," Sam excitedly smiled, as she suddenly hopped out of Tommy's lap to throw her arms tightly around my neck, "I love you so much." "I love you, too, baby girl," I grinned, hugging her, "I love you, too." ~~~~~~ That evening, Tommy and Sam had gone to the movies while Mom, Megan, and Penelope and I sat around the dining room table talking after just finished having dinner. I could tell by the way she was acting that Mom was enjoying talking with Penelope. "You're going to have to make Bryan bring you over to our house for dinner soon, sweetie," Mom smiled, "I make a great Chicken Scaloppini." "I'd like that very much, Linda, thank you, "Penelope grinned, "Can I ask you something? It's about Bryan." "Of course, pretty girl," Mom giggled, "I'll tell you anything you want to know." Because my dining room adjoins my living room, Penelope nodded toward my piano sitting in the window and impishly asked, "Can he really play that thing, or does he just have there to show it off?" "Bryan Lane Rogers," Mom scolded, "You mean to tell me that you haven't played for her yet? What's the matter with you?" "It's not like I haven't wanted to, Mom," I told her, "I've had my left hand in cast for almost two months, remember?" "Oopps," she giggled, "I'm sorry, I forgot, sweetie," then turning back to Penelope, she smiled and said, "He really plays beautifully, honey." "What about it, Bryan?" Penelope teased, "Are you going to play for me, or not?" "Oh, alright," I chuckled, as I made my way to the living room, with Penelope, Mom and Megan following me. I sat down and lifted the cover off the keys, and then warmed up for a few minutes to work the stiffness out of my left hand. And once I was ready, I played my all time favorite song; the title cut on the soundtrack of the movie, "Somewhere In Time" by John Barry. I also included the track of "A Theme by Paganini" by Sergey Rachmaninoff, also on the movie soundtrack And when I was done, I turned around to find not only Penelope, but, as usual, both Mom and Megan in tears, as well as Sam, had she been there, too. "See?" I teased, "Now you know why I don't like to play for you, Mom. It always makes you cry." "That's the music from the movie, Somewhere in Time," Penelope smiled, "That's my favorite movie of all time." "I'm glad you liked it," I gently replied, "And just so you know, it's one of my favorites, too." "Play something else, Bryan," Megan grinned, "Play something by Rick Wakeman." I began the introduction of Rick Wakeman's "Night Airs" album, and continued doing so for the next ten minutes. However, I began to realize what Penelope meant when she said that I wasn't one hundred percent healed, as my left hand began to cramp, making me suddenly stop playing. Penelope immediately knew what was happening as she simply looked at me and said, "I think that maybe you've played enough for one evening. What do you think?" "I think you're right," I smiled, rubbing the top of my left hand where an angry red scar had not yet begun to fade, "My left hand is beginning to cramp." "That's to be expected," she pointedly replied, "And while I think playing the piano is a great form of physical therapy, as your Doctor, I suggest that you try to not overdo it." "But I'm no longer your patient," I devilishly replied, "Am I Doctor?" "No," she giggled, "But I can always sick Linda and Megan on your ass, oh, and let's not forget about Sam." "You wouldn't dare," I good naturedly teased, "Besides, that's not fair." "No, it isn't," she smiled, making her way to sit beside me on the piano bench, "But there aren't any rules when it comes to love and war," and with that said, she leaned over and softly kissed my lips. Because of the fact that she did that in front of my mother and sister, of course my face turned beet red in embarrassment. Megan drove the point home even further when she pointed at me and giggled, "Ooo, look at him blush," causing Mom and Penelope both to burst into a cacophony of female laughter. "Blush this, Megan," I curtly replied, showing her the gesture involving the middle finger of my right hand, "You can be such a bitch sometimes, I swear." "That's Ms. Bitch to you, Bryan," she spat, "Besides, I was only teasing you, you fucking asshole." "HEY," Mom quickly shouted, and then calmly said, "Why don't both of you be quiet if you can't be any nicer to one another than that?" Then she turned to Penelope and giggled, "You'll have to excuse these two, they've been like this ever since they were both old enough to talk, but I guess it's my fault for spoiling their little asses." From the moment Megan started her normal shit with me, up until the moment that Mom intervened, Penelope had worn a tickled grin on her face. And then being no longer able to contain it, she burst out laughing and said, "I'm sorry for laughing, Linda, but I think it's as cute as it can be." "Oh, honey, don't laugh at them," Mom sighed, "It only makes them worse." ~~~~~~ When Mom got up to leave, she took Penelope's hand and said, "It was so nice to able to spend some time with you. I can't wait until we can do it again," as she placed her palm on Penelope's beautiful cheek, "Our pretty Penny..." She placed her hand on Mom's hand, and then leaned in and kissed Mom on the cheek and sweetly replied; "Now I see who Bryan got his beautiful heart from." ~~~~~~ Mom had been gone for about thirty minutes when I looked at Penelope and Megan and said, "I've got a couple of bottles of wine that I've been saving for a special occasion. Do you two want me to open one?" "Why not?" Megan grinned "You know I'm always ready to drink some wine." "I don't know, Bryan," Penelope replied, "I have to go home before it gets too late." "Why?" I asked her, "You can stay here tonight." "I couldn't do that," she objected, "It just wouldn't be right." "Why wouldn't it be," Megan sweetly teased, "You're not a screamer, are you?" This time I couldn't help but laugh and received a playful slap from Penelope as she laughed and said, "No...well...maybe sometimes, but that's not the point. What would Sam think about seeing me here in the morning?" "Samantha is a big girl," Megan knowingly chuckled, "And while I'm fairly sure that's she's still a virgin, don't think for a second that she doesn't understand the nature of certain things." "Don't you think that if Megan and Mom already knew about us, Sam did, too?" I smiled, holding Penelope's hand, "Besides, if I know anything about my niece, it will tickle the hell out of her to wake up and see you here in the morning, knowing that you spent the night." "Why don't you go get that bottle of wine," she grinned, "I'll go out to your truck and get my bag." "That's my girl," I replied, quickly kissing her lips. ~~~~~~ Once I'd moved Penelope's bag into my room and showed her where everything was, the bottle of wine I'd opened twenty minutes earlier had had ample time to breathe. So, after I'd poured three glasses and headed back into the living room, Megan's idea, I was again talked into playing some more music, only this time I played my guitar, also Megan's idea. I played a couple of classical pieces, one by Mozart, and the other by Chopin, and then ended on piano with Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata". It was strange at first, I don't know why, but it seemed that I was playing that night, better than I ever had before. However, it wasn't until later that I discovered that it was Penelope, my pretty Penny, from whom I drew my strength. But then, I'm getting ahead of myself..... ~~~~~~ "You should've been a professional musician, Bryan," Penelope sweetly said, "God knows that you're certainly good enough." "Nah, not me," I contentedly smiled, "Don't get me wrong, I like to play, just not for a bunch of strangers. I'd rather play for the people that I love the most." "He's good, isn't he, Penelope," Sam said from behind us, and then joined us in the living room and sat down next her, "He used to play for me for hours on end when I was a little girl." "I think he's very good," Penelope cooed, "I could listen to him play all the time, too." "You guys are in love, aren't you?" Sam tenderly asked, "I can tell by the way you look at each other." "I don't know," I teased, winking at Penelope, "She ain't too bad for your average white girl. I might keep her around for a while as long as she acts right." "God, Uncle Bryan," Sam tersely replied, "Don't be an asshole all your life." "Samantha, I'm warning you for the last time," Megan scolded, "Watch your mouth, young lady." "Aw hell, Megs," I laughed, "Leave her alone. Besides; she acts just like someone else I know." Penelope was laughing like a little kid by this time, and before I knew it, we all joined in, making Megan simply shake her head and reply, "That child is incorrigible and it's all your fault, Bryan." "And that's alright, too," I smiled, pulling Sam off of the couch and into my arms, "Ain't it baby girl?" "It sure is," she happily squealed, "I love you, Uncle Bryan." "I love you, too, sweetheart," I smiled, hugging her tightly. "See what I have to deal with," Megan said to Penelope, "And he was even worse when she was little. It was like having two children instead of one." By this time I was seated back on the couch next to Penelope with Sam sitting on the other side of me. Still though, I was content to be around three of the four women I loved more than anything in the world. ~~~~~~ "Are you going to spend the night with us, Penelope?" Sam asked, as the evening drew to a close. "Yes, I am," she smiled, "Are you alright with that?" Sam looked at her and smiled as her eyes began t fill up with tears. And then throwing her arms around Penelope, she happily cried, "I'm so glad that you two found each other." "Aw, thank you, sweetie," Penelope smiled, hugging her, "But if you're happy, then what's with all the tears?" "Because I've been worried about my Uncle Bryan," Sam continued to cry, "He's been so unhappy for so long; but ever since he met you, he smiles like he used to when I was little, and I've really missed that part of him. Thank you, Penelope." "She's right," Megan began to cry, putting her arms around both Sam and Penelope, "My brother was so lost until you came along, and I wish you knew how happy and grateful we all are that you're here." "You're very welcome," Penelope now began to cry, "And I swear to both of you that I'll do whatever it takes to keep him happy." "Jeez, come on you guys," I groaned, "You three keep crying like that and I'm gonna end up having to get my carpets shampooed." "Oh, you shut up," Megan giggled through her tears, "Sam was right. Don't be such an asshole all your life." ~~~~~~ "I love you, Bryan," Penelope said, as we got into bed that night, "And I love your family, too." "I love you, too," I smiled, leaning over and gently kissing her lips as she snuggled up next to me in bed, "My sister and my niece absolutely adore you ya know." "Yes, I know," she contently sighed, "And I love them, too, especially your Mom. She's so sweet and kind." "Yeah, she is," I smiled, at the thought of her, "She thinks you're one of the prettiest girls she's ever seen." "What about your Dad?" she asked, "I haven't seen him since the hospital." "Dad thinks you're hot," I chuckled, "But he gets real uncomfortable around pretty women. We all think it's funny, too." "Your Mom is a beautiful woman," she replied, "And he's married to her." "That's because Mom was the one who did the proposing," I smiled, "Mom said that she fell in love with Dad the moment she laid eyes on him. The only problem was that he was painfully shy, and he still is to some degree." "We'll just have to see if we can't love that out of him then," she playfully purred. And then after kissing me again, Penelope looked into my eyes and said, "I meant every word I said to Megan and Sam when I told them that I'd do whatever it took to keep you happy, Bryan." "I know you did, beautiful," I smiled, gently pulling her to me and kissing her lips, "And I love you with all my heart." ~~~~~~ We slept the whole night through in a lover's embrace that night, and not once did Penelope wake up. I like to think that it was because I had silently asked God to watch over her right before I went to sleep; and to be honest, he's still the only one who really knows how much I truly love her." ~~~~~~ The next morning I awoke to an empty bed, and for a moment, it felt like a part of me was missing. However, that all faded away the moment I heard the sound of female laughter ringing through my open bedroom door, emanating from down the hall, and being followed by the aroma of something heavenly. ~~~~~~ "See," Megan told Penelope, the moment I appeared in the kitchen, "I told you he'd wake up the minute we started cooking." Penelope stood at the stove wearing a pair of sweat pants and a small tee shirt, with my bathrobe over it, and looked sexier than I ever recalled her being. Of course Megan and Sam wore their pajamas and robes while I wore a pair of boxers and a wife beater tank top. "Good morning," I smiled, kissing Penelope's neck as I hugged her from behind, "How did you sleep?" "Mmm," she purred, leaning back against me, "I slept great." "Uncle Bryan," Sam started in, "Do you always walk around in your underwear in the morning?" "No," I impishly grinned, "Not always." "So, you do put clothes on then," Sam said, as a question. "No," I teased, "I usually walk around here naked, Sam, if you must know." With a horrified look on her face, Sam shook her head and said, "Ugh...that is so gross." ~~~~~~ We spent the rest of that day by the pool; again, Penelope looking stunning in her bikini, until the time that we were to meet with Richard Boles drew near." ~~~~~~ Chapter Two "It's good to see you guys again," Rich smiled, when Penelope and I picked him up at his hotel that evening, "Where are we going?" "To a place out in Donelson that I go to from time to time.....It's called Darfon's," I grinned, "They've got great food, and the drinks are always nice and rich, if you know what I mean." "I guess that means that I'll be driving us home tonight," Penelope smirked, "That's okay though...this time." ~~~~~~ "Hi Bryan," chirped Tiffany, the hostess at Darfon's, "It's good to see you again...table for three?" "Hi, Tiff," I smiled, "Yes, that would be nice, thank you." ~~~~~~ We followed her to a secluded corner table in the bar. Our bartender, Stephanie, was a girl I'd known for about four or five years at the time, and we had always been nothing more than just good friends. She was an attractive girl with pretty blue eyes, blonde hair and a great figure. Stephanie had, in the past, always gotten a kick out of making me blush when she'd flirt with me, and tonight was no different." "Hey there, cutie," she giggled, when she came to take our order, "I haven't seen you in a long time, Bryan. What's the matter, don't you love me anymore?" "Hi, Steph," I smiled, my face turning bright red, "How are you?" "I'm great, handsome," she tittered, "What would you guys like to drink?" She took our orders, and as she walked away, her hips swaying from side to side, Penelope leaned in, and placing her palm on the inside of my thigh, right next to my groin, lightly purred, "My, my, but you do get around, don't you, baby." "Oh, hush," I chuckled, "It's not like that at all." "Okay, Bryan," she lightly teased, "What ever you say, baby." "You know, Bryan," Rich smiled, watching us, "I've known Penelope ever since she was a little girl, and I haven't seen her smile like this since before she lost her parents. I know that you're the reason for it so; please, allow me to say thank you." "There's no reason to thank me," I smiled as I looked at Penelope...my pretty Penny, "I'm the one who's been blessed." "That's the reason for this meeting tonight," he said, getting right to the point, "If you'll take care of manufacturing of The Strong-Arm, then I can handle the distribution." And then reaching into his inside coat pocket, he pulled out an envelope and said, "And to show you that I mean business, here's a check for three million dollars to help get this project up and running." A Penny Saved is a Love Earned Pt. 02 "I already have a partner," I told him, "What am I supposed to tell him?" "I'm not doing this because I want to be your partner," Rich smiled, "I'm doing this because I believe in you and your product. All I want in return is two and a half percent of each chair sold, at the price that you want to sell them." "That's only four hundred and fifty dollars," I replied, "Are you sure about this?" I hold the controlling interest in three of the four major shipping corporations in the country," he grinned, "So, don't worry, I'll be recouping my money back through them." "Alight then," I smiled, retrieving a business card from my pocket and handing it to him, "If you'll send the contracts to my office, I'll sign them and then have my secretary overnight them to you. That way, they'll be waiting for you in your office in New York on Monday." "I don't think you understand, Bryan," he chuckled, "Like I said before, I've known Penelope almost all of her life. She trusts you fully and so do I. In other words there will be no contract between us other than a handshake, okay?" "You betcha," I smiled, shaking his hand, "Thank you, Rich, this will help more than you know." "I'm glad," he smiled, "Now...I need another drink. How about if we get your pretty little friend back over here so we can order something to eat, too?" ~~~~~~ "Bye, Uncle Rich," Penelope smiled, hugging him as we dropped him at his hotel, "Thank you so much for everything." "You're welcome, sweetheart," Rich grinned, and then he turned to me. "Bryan," He said, "I know that we're going to do great things together, but where Penelope is concerned; all I ask of you is one thing." "What's that, sir," I respectfully asked, knowing exactly what he was about to say. He sadly smiled, and then after reaching over and putting his hand on my shoulder in a somewhat fatherly gesture, he quietly told me, "Promise me that you'll take good care of Penelope. She's been through enough in her life." "You'll never have to worry about that," I replied, looking him in the eyes to let him know that I was dead serious, "I'd give my life before I'd ever let anything bad happen to her." I believe you, son," he kindly smiled, and then with one last wink at Penelope, he turned and walked into the lobby of his hotel. ~~~~~~ Penelope drove us home and on the way, she grinned and said, "Ya know, I really enjoyed myself tonight even though we didn't really do anything special." I began to laugh and said, "I love you very much, I do, but if you call getting handed a check for three million dollars not really doing anything special....then you needed this time away from the hospital a little more than I thought." "Oopps," she giggled, "I forgot bout that part." "Silly girl," I laughed, gently caressing her beautiful cheek with my hand, "What am I gonna do with you?" "Hmm," she purred, "I can think of one thing...." ~~~~~~ We ended up at Penelope's condominium which was located in the Music Row area, and although I'd picked her up there a few times; this was the first time I'd seen the inside of it. She kept her home spotless and the moment I set foot inside, I could feel her everywhere in the house. "There's only seventeen hundred square feet," Penelope smiled, as I looked around, "But I like it here...especially now that you're here with me." "Thank you for having me," I smiled, "And I feel very comfortable here, my beautiful Penny." ~~~~~~ "I don't have a pool, "Penelope smiled, as she began unbuttoning my shirt, "But I have a nice hot tub out back." "I didn't bring any shorts," I said, "I'm sorry sweetie, but if I'd known that we were...." "Have I told you how much I love you?" she asked, giggling as she pulled my shirt off of me, "And I never said anything about wearing clothes, now, did I, silly boy?" "No, you didn't," I laughed, unbuttoning her clothing as she was removing mine. After we were both naked, I took a moment to admire Penelope's body, and in doing so; I realized that God had given me a second chance to love again...and to be loved by something so very beautiful in return. ~~~~~~ As we lay in the hot tub together, Penelope wrapped her body around mine, and with the feeling of her silky smooth body pressed tightly against me, my cock was iron hard in no time. "Mmm," she purred, while she slowly stroked my cock with her hand, "Is this for me?" I answered her by sucking her hard nipple into my mouth as my tongue licked its rubbery texture, making her hiss as she sucked the air into her lungs. "Oh, God, yes," she panted, "Yes, Bryan, suck my titty, baby...oh yes, that's it." Penelope suddenly pulled away from me and with her eyes glazed over and a look of pure lust on her face; she took me by the hand and led me to her bedroom, also providing me with the opportunity to drink in the sight of her beautiful tight ass wiggling in front of me with every step she took. ~~~~~~ I'd barely had a chance to get comfortable when Penelope climbed on top of me and placed my stiff cock at the entrance of her now dripping (not from the hot tub) pussy. As she slowly lowered her body down onto me, she looked into my eyes and whispered, "I love you, Bryan, and I always will." Then once she'd lowered herself all the way down, Penelope took my hands and placed them onto her big round tits and smiled, "We've already made love, Bryan. Now I want you to fuck me, baby, and fuck me nice and hard." "Oh, God, yes," I groaned, rolling us over until I was on top of her, gently lodged between her long legs with my cock stuffed deeply inside of her. For a moment I simply took the time to enjoy the absolute and pure beauty of her before I began to move. And as I looked at her and she at me, it was then that we began to understand the bond which, although neither of us knew it at the time, was something we had always shared, even before either of us were ever born. "Come on, baby," she urgently groaned, wiggling and thrusting her hips up at me, "Show me how much you love me by giving me that beautiful cock." I began to move slowly in and out of her, her tight pussy gripping every inch of my shaft as it moved within her. "Oh, God," she began to wail, "Faster, baby, fuck me faster, harder." "How does that feel?" I asked, pumping my hips up and down as fast as I possibly could, "You like that?" "Oh, yes, Bryan," she groaned, pulling my head down and placing her lips close to my ear, "I want you to fuck my wet pussy, baby. Fuck it, oh God yes, fuck that pussy harder with that beautiful big cock...oh fuck yes, that's it, make me your bitch, baby." "I'm gonna cum, baby," I urgently told her, "I can't hold it....NOW, I'M CUMMING, UNNNNGGHHHH," and then I released what felt like were gallons of hot scalding sperm deep within the velvet confines of warm vagina. "OH YES BABY, I'M CUMMING WITH YOU. OH GOD I LOOOOOOVE YOOOU," she cried, throwing her legs wide open while her hands grabbed and pushed down on my ass, trying to get me as deep into her as I could possibly get. ~~~~~~ "Whew," she giggled, as we lay back regaining our breath, "That felt so good, baby." "I loved it," I smiled, turning on my side to face her, "And I love you, too." Penelope suddenly gave me a look that I'd never seen from her before, and with an almost childlike expression of fear slowly making its way across her face; tears began to fill her eyes as she looked at me and cried, "I've felt so alone for so many years, Bryan, and now that you're in my life; I feel whole again and I'm so happy." "I feel the same way," I softly replied, gently placing my arms around her and pulling her against me, "And if you're happy, then why are you crying, baby?" "Oh, I don't know," she suddenly giggled, "I guess I'm just being silly." "No, you're not," I smiled, gently leaning down and kissing her nipple, "You're just being human." Penelope leaned over and turned on the small lamp that was on her bedside table which bathed her bedroom in a soft and gentle light. Then after making sure that our naked bodies were pressed gently but tightly together, Penelope tenderly kissed my lips and sweetly smiled, "I haven't felt this loved in a very long time, Bryan." "Good," I softly replied, after tenderly kissing her lips, "You'd better get used to feeling like this all the time." "Can I ask a favor of you?" she smiled. "Of course you can." "I would love to go see your parents tomorrow, Bryan; would that be alright, baby?" "I don't see why not," I yawned, then quickly kissed her lips right before covering us up with a sheet, "I'll call Mom in the morning." "I already did," she impishly smirked, "And she said for us to be there around eight-thirty in the morning for breakfast." ~~~~~~ "Good morning, baby," Mom chirped, with a knowing smirk across her face, "How are you this morning." "Yeah, yeah, yeah," I teased, after receiving the perfunctory kiss on the cheek from Mom, accompanied by a playful smack across the butt. "Hi, Sweetheart," Mom cooed, pulling Penelope into a hug, "It's so good to see you again." "Hi, Linda," Penelope smiled, "Thank you for having us." "WHO'S IN MY HOUSE?" Dad playfully bellowed from the kitchen, and then appeared from around the corner with a smile on his face. "Well, hey, you two," Dad smiled, then smirked at Penelope, "Did you come to cook breakfast, girl?" She smiled widely, and after turning to wink at Mom and me, Penelope strolled up to my Dad, and after taking his arm; she kissed him on the cheek, making his entire face turn beet red in embarrassment, and said, "Only if I can talk you into helping me, handsome." The look on my father's face was priceless, to say the least, and I thought that both Mom and I were going to pee in our pants because we laughed so hard. However, after the laughter had died down and Dad had regained his composure, he grinned at Penelope and said, "Don't laugh at those two, pretty Penny, it only makes them worse," and then led her into the kitchen leaving both mine and Mom's laughter in their wake. ~~~~~~ After refusing all offers of help, with the exception of allowing Mom to stand in the kitchen while the two of them talked, Penny, as Mom and Dad both called her now, made western omelets cooked to perfection. "Damn, girl," Dad teased, as she set his plate in front of him, "We may have to just keep you around here. Whadaya say, Mom?" "She's welcome here anytime she wants to come over," Mom smiled, as Penny sat down beside me, kissing my cheek, "But I think she already knows that." ~~~~~~ After breakfast, as we all sat around the table talking, Mom smiled and said, "I saw your picture in the paper, Penny sweetheart. Gosh, that was a mighty big fish." "Oh, that reminds me," Dad suddenly said, hopping up from the table and disappearing down the hall. "Where in the hell is he going?" I asked Mom. "Just you wait and see," Mom knowingly smiled, "It's a surprise." ~~~~~~ Dad returned carrying a picture frame, which, after closer examination, had the newspaper article featuring a picture of Penelope and that monster catfish, which I almost broke my back hauling into the boat. "This is for you, pretty girl," Dad proudly beamed, handing her the framed article; "Linda and I want you to have this." "Thank you, Jake," Penelope sweetly cooed, hugging Dad and kissing him on the cheek again, also eliciting a bright red color in his cheeks...again, "Thank you so much." "You're welcome, sweetie," Mom tenderly replied, and then teasing, playfully elbowed Dad, "Besides; Jake needs to understand that us women can catch big fish, too." ~~~~~~ "You love her," Dad smiled, as he and I sat out on the back porch talking that morning, "Don't you son?" "Yeah," I grinned, "I sure do, Dad." "You could do a whole lot worse," Dad knowingly smiled, "I'm happy for you, son." "Thanks, Dad," I happily replied, "Penelope's half Native American ya know." "Really?" Dad asked smiling, "I didn't know that." "It's true," I proudly said, "Her mother was full blooded Cheyenne." "Wow," Dad grinned, "No wonder she's so beautiful then." ~~~~~~ While Dad and I sat out on the back porch that morning, I later found out that Mom was inside showing Penelope my baby pictures. And had I known at the time, I would've most definitely put a stop to it..... "How old is he in this picture, Linda?" Penelope asked, holding up an old photo. "Let me see, darlin," Mom grinned, looking at the picture, "That was taken just after his first birthday. Wasn't he just the cutest thing?" "He still is," Penelope quietly whispered, "But don't tell him I told you so." "Look at this," Mom smiled, handing her my college graduation picture, "Isn't he handsome there?" "Oh, my gosh," Penelope smiled, "I wish I had known him back then. I would've kicked that Vicky bitch's ass for her." "You two have each other now, sweetie," Mom cooed, hugging Penelope, "And that's all that matters." ~~~~~~ "I really love you family, Bryan," Penelope told me, on the way back to my house, "I think you look like your father, and that's why you're so handsome, but you have your mother's heart and that's why you're such a sweetie." All at once tears began to fill her eyes, making their way down her cheeks, and in turn making me ask, "Hey, what's wrong, baby?" "Oh, nothing," she sniffled, still smiling, "I'm just so happy that we found each other." "I am, too, pretty girl," I grinned, placing my hand on the inside of her thigh, "More than you know." ~~~~~~ We came home to find Megan lying out by the pool in her swimming suit and with one of those big floppy straw hats on her head, which women like to wear when they're sunning themselves. "Well, hello there, you two," she happily grinned, "How was your night last night?" "Are you kidding?" Penny teased, winking at Megs, "He wore me out so bad last night that I can hardly walk today." "What the hell," I replied, perturbed, "What are you doing talking about that?" I suddenly found myself surrounded by the sound of female laughter, and in doing so, Megan reached over and smacked me on the ass and howled, "Don't you know by now that I'm gonna bust your balls every chance I get, especially now that you and Penny are in love." "That's right," Penelope conspiratorially giggled, "Besides, I always wanted a sister and now I've got one so; quit your whining." "Have you heard from Tommy and Sam?" I asked. "Yes, I've heard from them," Megan replied grinning, "They called as soon as they got settled in last night." "I hope they're having fun," Penny smiled, "I've only been to Gatlinburg once and I had a blast." "Are you kidding me?" I teased, winking at Megan, "As long as there are shops to spend money in, which, there are more than enough I assure you; then you can be certain that Sam is having the time of her life." "Oh no, I just thought about something," Megan mischievously giggled, "I'll bet you that poor Tommy got stuck with carrying all of Sam's shopping bags." "I wouldn't worry too much about that," I mused, "I'm fairly sure that Tommy is just exactly where he wants to be, as is Miss Samantha." "I know," Megan smiled, "Isn't it cute, the way they act around each other?" "They're absolutely precious," Penny sweetly said, "And they look so good together, too." "Yeah," Megan knowingly giggled, "They act just like a couple of other people I know." "That's a good thing though," Penny chirped, winking at Megan while slipping her arms around my waist, "Besides, I think Tommy is a cutie. What do you think, Megs?" "What're you talking about?" Megan laughed, "If I were twenty years younger, he would most definitely have his hands full." "That's for damn sure," I laughed, aggravating my sister, "He'd need more than two hands, though, especially with the size of your ass." "Oh Bryan," Penelope replied, shaking her head, "That was so wrong." "Yeah, it was," Megan hatefully replied, "And you can kiss my ass, too, you fucker." "What's wrong, big sister," I chuckled, "You can dish it out, but you can't take it?" "Take this, dickhead," she viciously spat, flipping the middle finger of her left hand at me, "You can be such an asshole sometimes, I swear." "I agree with her, Bryan," Penny added, before I had a chance to reply, "You shouldn't talk to your sister like that." "She's right," Megan angrily growled, "Don't be such a fuckhead all your life, Bryan." I knew I shouldn't have let it happen, but....by this time I was extremely pissed of at both Megan and Penny, and in doing so, I looked them in the eyes and angrily spouted, "You know what? I was just kidding so; why don't both of you kiss my ass, God dammit," and with that said, I walked into the house, grabbed my keys, and then without saying a word to either one of them; I walked out the front door, got into my truck and then took off. ~~~~~~ I knew that I shouldn't have gotten so angry with them, but Penny and Megan pissed me off to no end. Granted, I was used to putting up with Megan's shit, as I'd been doing it my whole life, but Penny was only doing what she thought was right, and therefore I had no right to be angry with her. Still though, I threw a fit because I thought that Penny should've stayed out of it at the very least, and if she did decide to choose a side; it should've damn well been my side of the argument and not Megan's. I drove around for a bit, and then after my temper had cooled down somewhat, I decided to go to the marina and spend the night on my boat. ~~~~~~ The galley had been fully stocked with food and drinks, enough for at least three weeks, maybe longer. I had decided on my way to the marina that I was going to Old Hickory Lake with the intention of "camping out" on the lake. And once her engines had warmed up, I cast off all lines, climbed aboard, and then the moment I was on the river and clear of the marina's "No Wake Zone; I took off down the river at roughly fifteen knots. ~~~~~~ Chapter Three I had gone through the locks at the dam, and after a short while; was anchored in a secluded cove that I'd stumbled upon a couple of years earlier. There was no access to the lake from the highway for at least six to eight miles on either side, which pretty much guaranteed complete and total privacy. My boat fit in the cove perfectly, even to the point that I plenty of room on both the port and starboard sides, as well as plenty of room forward and aft, man, it was great. There was no current so; I didn't have to worry about drifting out too far and/or running aground. I'd always thought that having a mobile phone installed in my boat was a wise decision, in the event of an emergency or something at work that required my presence. Of course that train of thought lasted until the moment it began to ring and I saw my home phone number being displayed on the caller ID, letting me know that it was either my sister, Penny, or both....more than likely both, knowing my sister. Not only was I not in the mood to talk to anyone, I sure as hell didn't want to talk to either one of those two. (Yeah, so what if I was being an infantile asshole back then, sorry about that...yeah, right.) I turned the phone off and popped open a nice cold corona, but not before cutting up three limes, accompanied by a pint of tequila that I'd stashed aboard the boat during the previous fall the year before. ~~~~~~ It was still rather early in the day and it was nice and sunny, not too hot at all so, I went below deck and changed into a pair of shorts. Once I'd come back on deck, I grabbed another beer and then put Emerson Lake & Palmer's "Tarkus" album on the CD player, (which were still fairly new back then) and then laid back and enjoyed myself as I relaxed in the sun. A Penny Saved is a Love Earned Pt. 02 The longer I lay there, the more I thought about the reasons I'd gotten angry with Penny. To be totally honest, I was throwing a childish fit, which made laugh at my own dumb ass. However, while I wasn't holding her totally responsible for the argument; she wasn't about to get away with being totally blameless either. Part of it was because of Megan, whom I've already informed you of the fact that not only was she a consummate shit starter, but relished in the fact that she was pretty damn good at it, with her silly ass. I had a fairly decent selection of music aboard the boat, and once the Emerson Lake & Palmer album was finished, I put in the "Some Girls" album by The Rolling Stones, which is a great album by the way, and soon thereafter, was rocking right along with them. ~~~~~~ As I lay there on my stomach in order to get some sun on my back, my thoughts drifted back to Penelope, well, actually my thoughts of her were never far away. With that in mind, I finally admitted to myself that I was not only fully and totally, but very sweetly and tenderly in love with her, and that together; we'd begun a voyage from which there was no return, well, no return at least as far as I was concerned anyway. I knew that I should call her and apologize, but something inside of me told me to at least wait until the next day; that way, I felt that she'd have more time to cool off...if she was pissed off at me. I'd been sitting in the sun for almost two hours by this time, and while there was no current in the secluded cove, it also meant that there was no breeze either. And after raising the anchor, I moved the boat out onto the open lake and cruised from one end and halfway to the other before turning around and heading back. Traveling at speed of about twelve to fifteen knots was more than fast enough to cool me down, as well as dropping anchor in different places in order to be able to jump into the water and swim for a little while. ~~~~~~ I hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast at Mom and Dad's that morning, and because I knew my way around that lake like the back of my hand, I also realized that, much to my delight I might add, I was near one of the marinas that I liked to eat at on occasion. The restaurant within the nearby marina was a small place called "Blue Sally's Pub", and the reason that I liked to eat there was because they served southern fried pork chops that were a little over and inch and a half thick and as big around as my hand. The owner of the restaurant, who was a very sweet little old gal named Sally (Imagine that!), double breaded each pork chop, as a mater of fact she did it by hand, and then dropped into a deep fryer. After cooking them until the crust was a nice rich golden color, Sally gave the chops time to properly drain, as well as cool off a bit. And then she would serve two pork chops per serving as well as three side dishes, my favorites being a baked potato with tons of butter, salt and pepper, and then red beans and cornbread. It was just enough to fill me up without leaving me feeling "stuffed" if you know what I mean. All of that was chased down with a cold glass of unsweet iced tea, served in a frosted quart sized "Mason™" jar; and for desert I had a chocolate brownie with a giant scoop of home made vanilla ice cream on top of it, man, talk about good, Mmm. ~~~~~~ The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency (TWRA) took on the responsibilities of, and was considered to be the same as a game warden in many other states in the U.S. Over the years of fishing, skiing and SCUBA diving in and around Nashville, I befriended three or four agents within the TWRA, and could pretty much fish and dive in many places that were "off limits" to other sportsmen. However, this particular evening I was at the fuel docks topping off my tanks, when Agent Michael "Mike" Hatcher, who was also one of my afore mentioned friends in the TWRA, as well as a long time family friend, pulled his boat up across the dock from me. And after shutting off his engine, he tied off and waited on the dock attendant to begin fuelling his craft. "Hey, Bryan," Mike smiled, "How're you doin bro?" "I'm a lot better now, man," I grinned, "Thanks for asking." "Your Dad told me about the accident," he replied, "He said you were lucky that you didn't get killed." "He's right," I said, "It sure got my attention, that's for damn sure." "Oh, that reminds me," Mike suddenly replied, "Your sister called our office a couple of hours ago. She asked us to keep an eye out for you, and if any of us saw you, she asked us to tell you that she wants you to call her." "Thanks, Mike," I smiled, while handing the dock attendant the money for the fuel, "I appreciate you letting me know." "No problem," he smiled, as I cast off, "But you better call her, because if you don't she'll be pissed off at me." "I wouldn't worry about her," I grinned, "Her bark is a lot worse than her bite." ~~~~~~ I'd had enough time to cool off by now, but I still wasn't going to call Megan or Penny for that matter. I know that Penny was only trying to be nice, but my sister had been a total bitch even though I was only kidding with her. I figured that I'd give them both time to think about our previous conversation before I said anything to either one of them...and God knows how long that was going to be. ~~~~~~ That night I chose to anchor in a cove which, while it wasn't small or secluded, was big enough, yet shallow enough to firmly hold my boat in place once the anchor had taken a bite into the lake bottom. ~~~~~~ That night as I slept, I dreamed that I was back in that forest in my past dream, only this time everything was quiet and serene. I came upon a small stream and I bent down and took a drink of the cool, clear water. When I looked back at the stream I saw the reflection of someone standing behind me. In fright I spun around, my butt in the dirt, to find Nala once again standing before me. "Hello, Bryan," she smiled, dressed the same as before only this time her voice was like music to my ears, "I feel conflict within you, my son." "Nala," I said, rising to my feet, "What're you doing here?" "Come," she smiled, taking my hand, "Let us walk trough this beautiful forest while we talk." "You look like someone that I know but can't remember," I said, "Who are you, Nala?" "I was once a mother," she began, "And my life was taken from me before I could fulfill my destiny. That destiny was to see that Penelope grew into a woman. While her mind and body certainly grew up, she lost her soul along the way. You are the only one who can help her find it now, Bryan. She needs you more than you know. I feel with my own heart, the feelings you have for her in yours, and this was destined to be long before any of us were ever born to Mother Earth. You see, Bryan, I was her mother, and because I can't be there for her anymore, it is up to you to be there for her now. She needs you....and you need her....you know I'm speaking the truth....don't lose her, Bryan.......You are her destiny, and she is yours....." and then everything faded into white. ~~~~~~ I opened my eyes to find myself back aboard my boat, just as the sun was beginning to rise, and feeling more refreshed than I could ever recall feeling...ever. The first thoughts that came to mind were those of my beautiful Penelope, and that I should call her. As I've always done since I was in college, I put my coffee maker on a timer the night before so; as soon as I walked into the galley, the rich smell of brewed coffee filled my nostrils making me smile as I poured a cup. And as I sat out on my back deck that morning listening to the sounds of Mother Nature, my soul quietly spoke to me, allowing me to find peace within myself once again. I thought of my dream and how I'd seen Nala again, only this time it dawned on me that she'd previously reminded me of someone I knew. She was Penelope's mother. My God, how could that be? I mean, Penelope had told me that she was killed a little less than thirty years ago. It was then that I decided to call Penelope and settle this shit once and for all. However, I don't know how, but I somehow knew that I was going to have be very gentle with her when it came to talking to her about her mother. And I was very sure that Penelope would think I was crazy if I told her that I'd dreamed about her as well. Man, how did I manage to get myself into this shit? I loved Penelope with all my heart; that much was certain. But I found myself in a conundrum in which both mine and Penelope's hearts...and her soul, were hanging in the balance. Because I knew that he would be up at this hour and also because I'd confided in him in the past and was never once ridiculed or made fun of, I decided to call Dad's brother, my uncle, Marshall Rogers. He was the only person in the world that I'd shared everything with, and had always been given his wise counsel. "Hello," he cheerily answered his phone. "Hi, Uncle Marshall," I smiled, "It's me, Bryan." "Well, hey boy," he grinned, "What in the hell are you doing up at this hour, aren't you supposed to be at home taking it easy? "That's the thing, Uncle Marshall," I replied, "I really need to talk to you about something, but I need to tell you in person, because it's really important." "Okay," he smiled, "Where are you?" "I'm in my boat," I replied, "I can meet you at Saunders Ferry park in forty-five minutes. Is that okay?" "Okay, Bry," he chuckled, "Ill meet you there. But you better have some coffee ready when I get there." "It's already done," I grinned, "I'll see you in a bit." ~~~~~~ Let me take a moment to tell you about Uncle Marshall. He was a Navy SEAL that served four tours in Vietnam, and was the wisest man that I've ever known. He stood an even six feet tall, weighed somewhere around two hundred and twenty pounds, and had come back home from Vietnam for good in nineteen seventy-one when I was eleven years old. He'd been a positive influence on me as a boy and helped me through the angst of my teenage years. But most of all, the moment I left Vicky it had been Uncle Marshall that had been right there for me before anyone else. I loved him as an Uncle, but even moreso as a friend, a very wise friend. ~~~~~~ "Hey, kiddo," Uncle Marshall smiled, waiting for me on the dock when I pulled in, "It sure is good to see ya, boy." "Hi, Uncle Marshall," I grinned, "Climb aboard." I drove us back out into the lake not far from the park and weighed anchor. And then after retrieving a cup of coffee from the galley, I brought it back up on deck and handed it to Uncle Marshal, who said, "What is it you need to tell me, Bryan?" I told him everything, including the dreams of Nala, as well as every word she'd said to me in both dreams. I also told him how much I'd come to love Penelope, as well as telling him everything that had taken place between us since I'd known her. However, when I told him about her one nightmare I'd born witness to, as well as the fact that Penelope admitted me that she'd been having those nightmares for years; he looked at me and said, "It sounds to me like she suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or as it's now called, PTSD." "What can be done about it?" I asked, "Is it something that can be cured?" "Not really," he solemnly replied, looking out across the lake, "But you learn to live with it for the most part." Then he turned to look me in the eyes and asked, "Do you love her, Bryan, I mean, do you really love her?" "Yes," I said, "I love her with all my heart, Uncle Marshall. I think, no, I know that I'd die if something were to happen to her," tears filling my eyes at the thought of such a thing. "Alright then," he smiled, "This is what I'd do if I were you......." ~~~~~~ After I'd taken Uncle Marshall back to the park, I headed toward the dam and lock where I would be making my way down river to Rock Harbor Marina. It was while I was on my way to the dam that I decided to call Penny. "Hello," she sleepily answered the phone. "Hi, sweetie," I humbly replied, "I'm really sorry about the way I acted yesterday." "Don't worry about it," she sweetly said, "Besides, Megan said that you don't stay mad very long, and that you would probably be back sometime today." "Is it alright if I come over there?" "Of course it is," she giggled, "Where are you?" "I'm on the lake," I grinned, "And I can be at your house in about an hour or so." "I'll be waiting," she purred, "I love you, Bryan." "I love you, too, and I'll see you soon." ~~~~~~ "Hi, baby," Penelope warmly greeted me at her front door, "I missed not being able to sleep next to you last night." "I know," I smiled, holding her closely to me, "I missed you, too." "Have you talked to Megan yet?" she asked, "I called her right after I talked to you earlier. I hope that's alright." "Its fine," I replied, "And no, I haven't talked to her since yesterday." "You should call her, Bryan," she smiled, "She loves you very much." "I will," I grinned, "I promise." "I need you to do something for me, Bryan," she said, suddenly stepping away from me, "And I want you to do it without asking me any questions." "I'll do what ever you want, "I told her, "What is it." "Why don't I do this first," she seductively grinned, as she opened her robe and dropped it on the floor, revealing that she was naked beneath it, "And I think that you can figure out the rest on your own," and then she ran giggling down the hall to her bedroom." ~~~~~~ As I walked into her room, I beheld the most beautiful vision I'd ever seen. Penelope was lying on her back, her arms reaching out to me and her legs spread; and I was mesmerized just by simply looking at her. She had turned the overhead light off and the room was illuminated by her small bedside lamp. Three large candles placed in strategic locations throughout the room emitted a soft glow, making for a sensual atmosphere. "I need you, baby," Penny purred, "Take off those clothes and come make love to me, Bryan. I love you so much." Needless to say, I was out of my clothes and into her bed in half a heartbeat. And the moment my skin touched hers, I also felt the love pouring out of her and into me. She looked so beautiful and her body was perfect. And like I've already said, I could try to explain what I was feeling, but there are no words that could even begin to describe it. I tasted her lips and my already hard cock felt like it was growing in both length and girth. I kissed my way down her throat and onto her chest, and the moment I took the rubbery hardness of her nipple into my mouth, I heard her hiss as she gasped from the pleasure I knew she was feeling. However, when I began to kiss my way down her stomach, toward her pussy, she pulled up on my shoulders and whispered, "I want you to fuck me, Bryan. No foreplay, baby, just put that beautiful cock in my wet pussy and fuck the shit out of me." I placed the head of my cock at the entrance of her vagina and then slowly began to put it in no deeper than the head, slowly moving it in and out. And when I pushed back in, Penelope grabbed my ass with both hands, and then pushing her hips up to meet mine as she pulled me toward her; she looked into my eyes and groaned, "Fuck me, baby, Ooo, Yeah, I want it hard and fast." I gave her what she wanted when I shoved the entire length of my cock into her molten pussy, eliciting a loud groan from the both of us. "Damn, baby," I moaned, as I began to pump my cock into her at a more rapid pace, "You're so beautiful, and you feel so good." "Oh, Yesss," she wailed, her orgasm beginning its approach, "OH, GOD, YEEESSS. FUCK ME, BABY. YEAH, OH, FUCK YEAH. OOOOOHHH, GOD, I'M CUMMING BABY, GOD YES, FASTER, FASTER, YEAH OH SHIT HERE IT CUMS.OH, OH, OOOOOOOOOHHHH FUUUUUCCKKKK MEEEEE." "Oh, shit," I groaned, "I'm cumming, too," and then my cock began to squirt shot after shot of scalding hot sperm deep inside of her, splashing off her cervix as I filled her womb with my seed." ~~~~~~ "Holy cow," Penny smiled, as we cuddled together after making love, "You made me cum so fast. Damn....that was good." "Now that you mention it, you did cum awfully fast," I chuckled, "What was that all about?" "I get so worked up just thinking about you, baby," she bashfully admitted, "I had to masturbate three times last night before I could get to sleep, and then when I woke up this morning I was dripping wet." "Mmm," I sighed, pulling her naked tits against my bare chest, "I think I like the sound of that." "That's because you love me," she sweetly giggled, "And because you're a dirty boy, too." "You're right, I am a dirty boy sometimes, I guess," I playfully teased, "But I love you with all my heart, Penny, I swear by all that's holy that I do." I know you do, baby," she tenderly replied, placing her arms around my neck and kissing my lips, "You're the best of everything I've ever known." "If that's the case," I said, "Then there's something I need to talk to you about." "What is it, baby?" she sweetly asked, "You know that you can tell me anything." "It's about your dreams," I solemnly replied, "Or should I say...your nightmares." "I don't think that's any of your business, Bryan," she flatly said, "And if you value these beautiful feelings we have for each other....then you'll never speak about this again. "I do value our love, baby girl," I softly said, "That's why we need to talk about this. Please try and understand." "Oh, I understand just fine," she now angrily replied, tears beginning to fill her eyes, "And like I've already told you, I don't want to talk about it, God dammit." "You're in denial, and you'll never be free of the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder you're suffering from," I heatedly told her, "But until you deal with it, you'll always be a prisoner....a prisoner of your own stubbornness...Doctor." "That's such bullshit," she seethed, "And it's called PTSD, stupid ass." "Who're you calling stupid," I angrily spat, "You're the one who won't listen to reason, you hateful bitch." "You don't know what the fuck you're talking about," she viciously growled, "So, why don't you get the hell out of my house, you fucking asshole, and don't ever come back?" "That's fine with me," I quietly said, as I dressed myself, and then as I turned to leave, I looked back and said, "I'm really sorry, Penelope. This could've been something so sweet and beautiful, but..." and then my own pain began to overtake my heart, leaving me speechless, with neither the strength nor the ability to turn and walk away....But I did it anyway..... ~~~~~~ As I drove back home, all of the shadows of my past came boiling back to the surface of my heart. And as the tears began to silently rain down my face, I made a solemn vow to never open my heart to anyone ever again. ~~~~~~ I pulled into my driveway to find both Megan and Sam sitting on my front porch with cold drinks in their hands, almost as if they were awaiting my arrival. "Hi, little brother," Megan cautiously said, while slowly approaching me, "Are you still mad at me?" "No", I expressionlessly replied, "I'm not mad, and I'm sorry for getting in your ass like I did," and then I blankly turned and walked into the house, and then down the hall to my room, closing the door behind me. ~~~~~~ I felt tired, weak, and emotionally drained, and the only thing I felt like doing at that moment was to curl up on my bed and cry myself to sleep. ~~~~~~ When I woke up it was dark outside, and even though I'd slept all day long, I still felt tired and worn out. I decided to turn on my television so that maybe it would lull me back to sleep, but sleep wouldn't come due to my stomach growling, reminding me that not only had I slept the day away, I'd also not eaten anything since the night before. A Penny Saved is a Love Earned Pt. 02 "Damn it all anyway," I grumbled, getting out of bed. ~~~~~~ I walked into the kitchen to find Megan and Sam sitting at the table talking. The moment she saw me, Sam stood up and wrapped her arms around me and softly said, "Hi, Uncle Bryan. Are you okay?" "No," I replied, trying to hold back the tears and having no success, "I'm not, baby girl," and then the deluge burst wide open and I began to bitterly weep, with Sam, and now Megan, holding me in their arms as I cried. ~~~~~~ After I regained my composure, I sat down while Sam put a plate of homemade chicken and dumplings on the table in front of me. And just like she's done ever since she was able to talk, she sat down next to me and laid her head on my shoulder and softly said, "I love you, Uncle Bryan." "I love you, too, sweet girl," I replied, "And thank you for making me something to eat." "I hope you like it," she smiled, patting my knee, while Megan sat down next to me in the open chair on the other side, "This is the first time I've ever made chicken and dumplings." "Oh, really," I teased, "Is it safe to eat?" "Oh, you shut up," she sweetly giggled, playfully slapping my arm, "Mom and me already ate it and Mom said it was good so; there." My sister learned to cook from Mom, who is the best so; there was no doubt in my mind that Sam's cooking was just as good, and more than likely better, knowing Sam. And after I took a bite, with the wonderful flavor confirming my thoughts, I smiled at Sam, who was anxiously awaiting my opinion, and said, "I'll yell you what, baby girl. This is the best chicken and dumplings I've ever had." "Really?" she wistfully asked, "Even better than Mom's and Nana's?" "Better that your Mom's and Nana's put together," I grinned, "Absolutely the best." "I'm glad you like it," she proudly smiled, leaning over and kissing me on the cheek, "Thanks, Uncle Bryan." ~~~~~~ That night I tried to sleep, but I just couldn't so, as opposed to lying wide awake in bed; I went into the kitchen and fixed my self a very stiff mixture of Jim Beam bourbon, and Diet Coke™. Then I went through the back sliding glass doors, out to the pool and took a seat. I'd made sure when I built the pool, that the lights were wired to a mercury switch so they would turn on and off according to the rising and setting of the sun. In other words, the lights came on when the sun set, and then turned off as the sun rose. But then again, I also maintain the option of turning the switch on or off whenever I choose to. As I sat out by the pool, with the amber liquid in my glass scorching its way down my throat; I tried not to let it happen, but my mind always came back to Penelope. And even though she was mad at me I was still going to try and find a way to help her, regardless of the fact that our relationship might be destroyed because of it. The one thing I knew for certain was that I wasn't going to give up. Hell, the only thing in my life that had failed was my relationship with Vicky, but as I look back now; it was never my fault to begin with. Vicky was, and still is a selfish little girl, and she always will be. That was all in the past anyway and I'd moved on. However, I knew that come hell or high water, I was going to find a way to get Penelope to let me help her. I was going to have one hell of a time doing it, but I didn't care. I still loved her and I knew that I always would, regardless of the fact that I was probably going to lose her anyway. ~~~~~~ I'd been out on the back patio for about fifteen minutes when I heard the glass doors opening behind me. I turned around to find Sam coming towards me with a glass of chocolate milk in her hand. "Hi, sweetie," I smiled, as she sat down next to me in her pajamas, "What's the matter, can't you sleep either?" "I'm really worried about you, Uncle Bryan," she replied, "I know that something's wrong with you, and it's got something to do with Penelope. And the reason I know is because the last time you acted like this, was when you and Vicky split up." "You think so?" I smiled, placing my arm around her shoulders and pulling her to me, "Since when did you get to be so smart, pretty girl?" "Since the sperm donor tried to thrash me and Mom," she sadly replied, "I'm so glad that you kicked his sorry ass." "You better not let your mother hear you say that," I cautiously warned, "After all, that's your father you're talking about." "Father my ass," she hatefully spat, "He used to get drunk and then come home and beat the shit out of Mom. When I tried to stop him once, he broke my arm and I had to go to the hospital to get my arm reset so that the doctor could put it in a cast. I'll bet you didn't know that." "No, I didn't," I replied, getting angrier by the second, "And it's a good God damn thing, too. I would've killed the son of a bitch." "I knew that, and so did Mom," she quietly replied, "We didn't want to see you go to prison so; that's why you were never told." Then she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and then sadly looked at me and quietly said, "Besides, you've been more of a father to me than my real one, Uncle Bryan, and it's killing me to see you like this." I looked down at the ground, and with sad tears raining down my face at the thought of Megan and Sam having to deal with that jerk, I shook my head and began to cry once more. Sam hopped up from the chair she was sitting in, and then sat down in my lap, throwing her arms tightly around my neck and sniffled, "You go ahead and cry all you want to. I'm right here, Uncle Bryan, and I ain't planning on leaving either." I wrapped my arms tightly around this precious little angel who had come into my life nineteen years ago and wept harder than I ever recalled doing before. And true to her word, my darling niece Sam, remained right where she sat, trying her best to love the pain away. And although it helped a little, I still couldn't shake the darkness that had crept into not only my heart, but my soul as well. ~~~~~~ We'd been sitting there for a while when all at once I heard Sam begin to lightly snore, telling me that had fallen asleep in my lap. Deciding to carry her to bed like I used to do when she was little, I stood up with her in my arms. "What do you think you're doing?" she smiled, "Put me down, because you know that you're not supposed to be lifting anything heavy for another six to eight weeks, silly." "You're right," I smiled, putting her down, "I'm not supposed to be lifting anything heavy, and God knows that your ass weighs a ton." "Oh, shut up," she giggled, playfully punching my arm as we walked into the house, "So, are you going to call Penny?" "No," I unintentionally snapped, "And I don't want to talk about it either." "Oh, come on now," Sam replied, "You don't stop loving someone just like that." "It doesn't matter anymore so, leave it alone, dammit," I disdainfully growled, trudging my way down the hall to my bedroom, "Besides; that's the way she wants it so, that's how it's gonna be." "Is that so?" Sam giggled, once I was out of hearing range, "Well, I guess we'll just have to see about that now, won't we?" ~~~~~~ Chapter Four I opened my eyes the next morning after having a dreamless sleep the night before. And the wake of such, I remembered that I'd needlessly snapped Samantha's head off when she was only trying to help me through a difficult time last night. So, with that in mind, I made my way downstairs to apologize to her first thing that morning. ~~~~~~ I walked into the kitchen to find both Megan and Sam sitting t the table drinking coffee. "Good morning, Uncle Bryan," Sam happily chirped, as she stood up, "Can I get you some coffee?" "I'm so sorry for biting your head off last night," I said, wrapping my arms around her, "Please forgive me, baby girl, because I love you so much." "Aw, Uncle Bryan," she sweetly cooed, placing her arms tightly around my neck and tenderly kissing my cheek, "I love you, too, so; there's nothing to forgive, alright?" "Thank you, darlin," I smiled, kissing her cheek, "You're a sweet girl." "Sit down and I'll get you some coffee, Uncle Bryan," Sam excitedly said, "Would you like something to eat, too? I'll even make it for you." I could tell that she would've been disappointed had I said "No" so; I relented, like I always have where she was concerned, and then simply smiled and said, "Whatever's the easiest, baby girl." It always made me smile to see Sam excited and this time was different. I grinned as I hear her squeal and take off toward the kitchen at a fairly fast pace. "It's good to see you smiling for a change, little brother," Megan said, as I sat down at the table, "We've been worried about you." I proceeded to tell her about the dreams I'd been having and who was involved. I even told Megan about the fight that Penelope and I'd had, and the reasons for it, as well as what was said. And when I was finished, she looked at me, and as sweetly as always, she told me, "I know that you two love each other, Bryan. It's as plain as the nose on your face, but when a woman is afraid, she lashes out at those she loves the most." A Penny Saved is a Love Earned Pt. 03 This is the third and final chapter. I hope you all like it...don't forget to vote. MoogPlayer ~~~~~~ Chapter One I took stock in what my sister told me that morning, and in doing so, I'd realized that I'd used the wrong approach with Penelope. As opposed to confronting her head on about her nightmares, I was going to have to facilitate a subtler tactic; and the only thing that was going to work was love, pure, unadulterated love. And once I realized this, I knew that I was going to have to swallow my own pride and try and find a way to apologize. ~~~~~~ I spent the rest of that day at the office, alone, and set into motion, the process of getting everything ready to go. The "Strong-Arm" wheel chair was going to be a success, and I was going to do everything within my power to see it through. ~~~~~~ I had a hard time getting to sleep that night. And when I did, the dreams I had were of a dark and frightening origin. I dreamed that I lost everything that was precious to me in the most horrifying of ways. I won't go into any detail as I've forgotten over the years. However, suffice it to say that I kept searching anyway, searching for that which I would never find, lost in a cloud of despair, pain and agony, and destined to walk a wasteland of self-doubt, alone for all eternity. Little did I realize that these types of dreams would haunt me on a nightly basis for longer than I care to remember? ~~~~~~ I woke up the next morning feeling like I'd somehow lost a part of myself, and I experienced an emptiness inside of me the likes of which I'd never felt before. I decided to pour myself into my work to insure the promise I'd made to myself was kept. That's why I went into work that morning and called Richard Boles straight away. "Hey Rich," I said, "I thought I'd give you a call this morning." "Hey there, Bryan," he happily replied, "How're you doing?" "Not too good," I grimly told him, "It's Penelope, she..." He listened to what I had to say. I told him everything, omitting only the private moments between Penny and I, and when I was finished, He replied, "She's always been a headstrong girl, Bryan, even when she was little. It comes from being half Cheyenne; but if you give her some time to work everything out in her head, I think everything will be alright." "I sure hope so, Rich..." ~~~~~~ When I came home that evening, Sam was on a date with Tommy which left Megan and me alone in the house. Megan and I had always been close growing up, and while I love Samantha dearly, I was glad that I'd have the opportunity to spend some quality time with my big sister. "Are you hungry, Bry?" she asked, greeting me as I came through the back door, "I made your favorite, my chili." "Oh, man," I wearily smiled, "That sounds perfect, thanks, Sis." And as we ate, we reminisced about the past when we were younger. Our conversation for the first hour, or so, was spent asking things like, whatever happened to, and, I wonder where..." Finally Megan looked at me and said, "How's your heart? I'm real worried about you, baby brother." Swallowing the anguish and pain that was inside of me, as well as lying like a cheap rug, I smiled at her and said, "I'm fine, Megs, you're worrying for no reason." "Yeah, right," she snorted, "Why don't you tell that shit to someone who'll believe you, because I'm not buying it for a second, Bryan." "Come on, Megs," I groaned, "Look, you're right so; cut me a little slack, alright?" Megan rose from the table, came around to where I sat on the other side, and then after leaning down and warmly wrapping her arms around me; she put the side of her face to mine and said, "I'm here if you want to talk; okay?" "Okay," I smiled, "Thank, Megs, I love you." "I love you, too, little brother..." ~~~~~~ I walked out onto my front porch later on that evening and simply laid back on one of the two large chaise lounges that were on the porch to relax. I thought about all the things that had taken place over the period of the last couple of months and how profoundly I'd been affected by them, but most of all; I though of Penelope...my pretty Penny. My nights were filled with emptiness and my days were full of longing, longing for something I knew I'd never again have or hold dear, reducing me to a mere shell of a man. I couldn't help feeling like it was my fault for pushing the issue too hard. Perhaps I should've been gentler with her when it came to the issue of her nightmares. Who was I trying to fool? She was gone and it looked like she wasn't coming back. And if I was truly going to be honest with myself, she was more deserving of someone more worthy than me. Hell, this woman was a Doctor for God's sake. She needed to be with someone who would stimulate her intelligence, as opposed to being with me. Hell, I was just a dumb ass construction hand and a guy like me would only tarnish her image. ~~~~~~ I drifted off to sleep that particular evening under the starlit canopy of the night, and in doing so, I felt that I was floating on a cloud, looking down upon myself as I slumbered. All at once everything became so blindingly bright that I had to momentarily close my eyes. When I opened them again I found myself alone on a great plain, a mountainous backdrop on the not too distant horizon. The night was calm, the moon full, and I heard the howling of a wolf somewhere in the distance. I couldn't explain why, but I somehow felt at peace with myself in the same way a child feels in the arms of its mother. I closed my eyes again, only this time hen I opened them; I found myself lying beneath a bearskin, inside of a tipi. Suddenly I felt a soft palm against the side of my cheek, and when I looked up, I realized my head was lying in Nala's lap. "You are weary, my son," she softly told me, "You have grown into a strong yet, kind and gentle man. But in your heart; you are still a frightened Ka'escone, (Cheyenne word for child). Your heart is in darkness right now, but you will find your way back to the light through your music, my son. And through your music, she will find you.... she will find you...." ~~~~~ The sound of Sam saying, "Wake up, Uncle Bryan," brought me from my slumber, making me open my eyes to find myself back on my front porch again with her kneeling beside me. "Hi, sweetie," I sleepily smiled, "What time is it?" "It's well after midnight," she sweetly giggled, "And Mom told me to tell you to come back inside and go to bed." ~~~~~~ I awoke the next morning feeling at least a little better than I had been the past days. Over breakfast that morning Megan and Sam had both asked me, because the weather was so nice, to take them out on the boat. "What about work?" I asked, "What am I supposed to do about that, huh?" "I called Jessie at home this morning," Megan pointedly replied, "And she said that they could handle things while you were gone, and that there was nothing to worry about." "Aw, hell," I sighed, with Sam squealing and Megan victoriously smiling, the both of them knowing that I could never deny either of them anything they asked of me. ~~~~~~ Once we were underway and out on the river, Sam approached me intending to ask something of me, I could tell by the look on her pretty little face. "Okay, Sam," I grinned, "What do you want now?" "Why, Uncle Bryan," she gasped, feigning mock innocence," What makes you think I want something?" "Because I know you, little girl," I chuckled, "And I can always tell when you're up to something so; spit it out." "Well," she began, smiling at me the way she always had since she was little, "I have a friend in Dallas who's going to be attending Vanderbilt University, too. Her name is Sara Winston and she comes from a great family, but they can barely afford...." Yes, Sam," I interrupted smiling. "Yes, what?" she mischievously grinned, "You don't even know what I was going to ask you." "Yes I do," I chuckled, "You were going to ask me if she can stay with us while you two go to college, isn't that right? "So, you don't care," she wistfully asked, "I mean, it's really okay?" "Yes, it's okay," I smiled, "Your Mom told me that you two are going back to Dallas next week to get ready to move back home, as well as making the arrangements to put the house up for sale so; why don't you bring her back with you?" "Oh, thank you, Uncle Bryan," Sam squealed, throwing her arms around my neck, "I love you so much." "You're welcome, baby girl," I grinned, "And I love you, too." "Can I use your mobile phone?" she wistfully asked, "I want to call her and tell her the good news." "Go ahead," I grinned, handing her the phone, "But don't stay on too long." ~~~~~~ "She loves you so much," Megan smiled, as she and I sat on the stern while Sam floated in the lake on an inner tube, "You spoil her entirely too much." "Yeah," I laughed, "And I do it on purpose, too." "Hey, Uncle Bryan," Sam called from the water, "Can we spend the night on the water tonight?" "Sure," I replied, looking at Megan, "If your Mom wants to, that is." "As long as I get to cook," Megan smiled. ~~~~~~ Later that evening as we sat down to eat beneath a canopy of stars, three large citronella candles being our only source of light, I thoroughly enjoyed being with two of my most favorite people in the world. And even though my heart was breaking wide open at the time, the love of my family was what held the wolves at bay when I went to sleep that night...at least for a little while anyway. ~~~~~~ That night I dreamed of Penelope and all of the tender moments we'd shared in the time we'd spent together. While my dreams were pleasant, I still felt something beneath it all, something that I couldn't put my finger on, but something disturbing, none the less. I wasn't sure how long I'd been asleep when I suddenly awoke in a cold sweat. I looked over at my clock and saw that it was still early, four-fifteen in the morning. Knowing that I wouldn't be going back to sleep anytime soon, I got out of bed and put on a pair of shorts and a tee shirt. Then I made my way out and up to the galley and turned on the coffee pot that I'd set on a timer the night before. I fixed my coffee that morning with a shot of Jim Beam bourbon, for medicinal purposes of course; and then climbed up on the flying bridge to sit and drink my coffee. I thought about Penelope and how much my arms ached to hold her, and the fact that I thirsted for the taste of her soft and sensual lips; and in that fleeting moment, felt a longing need, accompanied by the hunger for her touch. "What's the matter, Bryan," Megan suddenly said from behind me, "Can't you sleep either?" "I slept for a while," I quietly replied, "And then I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep, that's all." "Are you ever going to call Penelope?" "I don't know, Megs," I told her, "I mean, she doesn't want to see me again, and she made that very clear the last time we spoke." "Come on now, Bryan," Megan insistently said, "I don't think she...I mean...haven't you ever said something you didn't mean when you were angry?" "Well, yeah," I said, "But when you love someone, you don't say the things to that person that she said to me." "Jeez, gimme a break," Megan sarcastically replied. "What the hell are you talking about?" "I'm talking about the fact that when it comes to relationships, there's always three sides to every story," she plainly told me, "There's her side of it. There's your side of it, and then there's the truth." "That's such bullshit, Megan," I angrily replied, "I told you the truth, dammit." "No, you didn't," she said, "You told me the truth as you see it," and then she continued further, "The real truth of the matter is that you're both so in love with one another, yet the both of you are also so dangerously afraid of getting hurt that now you've managed to hurt each other." It suddenly dawned on me that my sister was right, especially when she'd expressed it in those terms. And with that realization, all I could do was hang my head and say, "Shit, Megs.... what am I gonna do...I can't lose her, I just can't." Taking away my fears just like she's done ever since I was a little boy, my sister leaned over, and after wrapping her arms around my shoulders, she kissed me on the cheek and smiled, "It's gonna be okay, little brother. You just trust your big Sis, okay?" ~~~~~~ Later that morning after breakfast, Sam and Megan cleaned the galley while I prepared to get underway. As the engines were warming up I took stock in the things my sister had said to me earlier. And in doing so I realized that she had been right, giving me the impulse to do what was right and gently confront Penelope, regardless of the outcome. However, having the impulse to confront Penelope and the courage to do so were two different things all together. ~~~~~~ As soon as we got back to the house and were settled, Sam and Megan went to take showers, while I made some coffee. I had just finished and turned the pot on to percolate when the phone rang. "Hello," I answered. "Hey, Boss," Earl said, making me smile, "How're you doing to day?" "I'm good," I grinned, "What's up?" "I just called to let you know that the upgrade is almost finished," he excitedly replied, "And production should be on line in about two or three days, give or take a few hours." "That's great news," I smiled, "I'll be there in about ten minutes then." "I guess that means that you're going in to work then," Megan said, coming up behind me to fix herself a cup of coffee. "Yeah," I said, "For a little while anyway." ~~~~~~ "Hey, Earl," I smiled, walking into what looked now more like a factory than a shop, "Man, it looks like you've been a real busy guy." "Yeah," he grinned, "It looks good in here, doesn't it?" "You've done a great job," I smiled, "And I can't wait till everything goes on line." "Oh, I called Doctor Brennan and told her about this," Earl informed me, "And she should be here anytime." "What the hell did you do that for?" I gasped, then after quickly regaining my composure, I covered my sudden outburst and said, "I mean...that's fine." ~~~~~~ "Hello, Bryan," Penelope curtly greeted me in the factory. "Hi," I quietly said. And because Earl was standing right there, I got down to business and asked, "Why don't you show Doctor Brennan how everything works, Earl?" "Why don't you, Bryan?" Penelope icily glared. "Fine," I nastily spat, no longer willing to tolerate the shit she was silently giving me, "Earl, you go ahead with what you were doing so that I can get this the fuck over with." Then I looked at Penny with fire in my eyes, and half growled, "Let's get on with this, Doctor, I haven't got all day." I took her all throughout the factory, showing her what everything was and then explained what it did. And while I was doing so, I saw her satisfactorily smirking as I continued the tour. And when it was finished, she looked down her nose at me and snottily asked, "Would you mind escorting me to my car, that is if there's any gentleman left in you?" "Follow me, I hatefully growled. ~~~~~~ As soon as the door to the factory closed and I was sure no one else was out side to hear us, I turned around to look Penelope in the eyes and said, "Just who in the hell do...." "Don't talk to me," she hissed, "I'm still mad at you, dammit." "Fine," I seethed, almost ready to lose my temper, "I'm quite sure you can find your car from here," and then I walked back into the factory before I said something far worse to her than anything Penelope could've ever said to me. ~~~~~~ I can't recall ever being so angry with one human being as I was with Penelope, ever. I mean, I hadn't seen her in almost three and a half weeks and she was being such a bitch. "Well, fuck her," I said aloud, to no one, "She can kiss my ass." ~~~~~~ After letting Earl know that I was leaving, I got into my truck and simply drove around town, aimlessly wandering with no destination. I thought about Penny as I drove and wondered why she'd been so hateful...downright mean. I knew that I couldn't have possibly done anything to piss her off any more than I previously had. Hell, I hadn't been around her. Suddenly I came upon one of my favorite places, The Keyboard Gallery, over off of Harding Place. I've known the owner, Mike Shears, who himself was now a concert pianist, a number of years. We met right after I moved back to Nashville once I'd graduated college. He was also the guy I bought my piano from, and not only are he and his wife, Terrie, good people, but we've become close friends over the years. So, I pulled my truck into the parking lot then got out and went in. "Hey, Bryan," Mike smiled, the moment I walked through the door, "How are you, my friend?" "Not too good, old buddy," I quietly replied, "I'm trying to work some things out." I bought my piano when I went through my divorce from Vicky. And in doing so, developed a friendship with Mike and Terrie to the point that, whenever I needed to play to work out some frustrations and wasn't at home, I was always welcome to do it in the store. Mike led me back to the small demonstration hall, where they keep the nine-footers, and said, "I'll make sure no one bothers you so; take your time, Bry." I sat down and began to pour the anguish in my soul onto the keyboard of the piano, using my fingers as my fingers as conduits. I tried to purge myself of all anger I felt as I endlessly played, one song after another, trying to not break down but knowing that I would. And just when I thought I could no longer contain my emotions, I felt a hand touch my shoulder. "What the fuck?" I said, bolting off of the piano bench and turning around to find Penelope standing there, "What're you doing here?" "Megan said that I might find you here," she quietly replied. "Alright, you found me," I harshly said, "Now what do you want?" "I really need to talk to you, Bryan," she replied, with a shaky voice, "Can we go to my house...please?" "I'll go," I warned, "But this better not be some kind of fucked up trick." "It's not, Bryan," she softly replied, "I promise." ~~~~~~ "God, I've missed you," she softly replied, throwing her arms around my neck and hugging me tightly the moment her front door closed. "Wait a minute. I'm confused," I said, holding her at arms length, "I thought that you were still mad at me." "I am...I mean, I was...I mean...oh, I don't know I mean anymore," she began to cry, "But I never stopped loving you, Bryan." "I love you.... so very much," I smiled, pulling her toward me, and then holding her closely, "And I never stopped loving you either.... my pretty Penny." "I love you, too," she sniffled, "And I'm so sorry for the awful way I've treated you." I felt the love she had for me radiating from her heart and into my own, and with the realization of that came the rainfall of tears that were suddenly making their way down my face. "What's wrong, Baby?" Penny asked, as she leaned away from me slightly, "Are you alright?" "I am now, " I said, pulling her back into my arms, "I am now, my love." "You know what this means, don't you?" she asked smiling. "I think so," I smiled, "But why don't you tell me anyway?" "It means that we're bound to one another, Bryan," she sweetly replied, "And I can't think of anyone I'd rather be bound to than you, baby." "I love you, my pretty Penny," I tenderly replied, "I love you with all my heart." "I love you, too, Bryan," she cried, "And God knows that I'll love your whole life." We said nothing further, but only stood together, simply holding one another and basking in the renewed love we shared. A Penny Saved is a Love Earned Pt. 03 ~~~~~~ Chapter Two "There's something I want to show you," Penelope said, taking my hand and pulling me into her den, "I've never shown this to anyone else since my father died. Take a seat on the couch and I'll be right back," and then after a quick kiss on the lips, she disappeared down the hall. ~~~~~~ When she returned she was carrying a small box that gave no clue to its contents, as it was just a simple cardboard box. Sitting down next to me on the couch she looked into my eyes, and with a tender, loving smile on her face she said, "Before I show you this, Bryan, I wanted to tell you again how sorry I am about before, you know, the fight and everything; and I hope you can forgive me." "I'm going to tell you the same thing I was told recently," I smiled, "And that is..." "I'm sorry for interrupting you, baby," she smiled, "But who said it, Megan, or Samantha?" "It was Sam," I chuckled, "And when I tried to apologize to her for getting on her ass, she told me, "I love you so; there's nothing to forgive," so, that's it." "I love you," she cooed, reaching into the box and withdrawing a picture then holding it facedown to her chest, "I want to show you a picture that means more to me than anything in the world, okay?" "Okay, sweetie," I smiled, as she handed me the picture. When I looked at it I thought my heart was going to stop. In the picture stood Nala, wearing the same long light blue dress and looking exactly the same as she had in my dreams. Handing the picture back to Penelope, I took her hand, and right as she was about to speak, I gently interrupted her and said, "You might think that what I'm about to tell you is crazy, but I know who the person in that picture is." "I know you do," she warmly smiled, as she began, "And I've known for a while now. You see, I used to have terrible dreams about my mother and father, but about a week after I'd treated you so terribly for trying to be tender with me; my dreams began to take a different, no longer torturing shape. It was then that my mother..." "She's the woman in the picture," I smiled, "Her name is Nala." "That's right," Penelope tenderly replied, placing her palm upon the side of my face as she continued, "She came to me in my dreams to let me know that she was alright and that she loves me very much," tears began to spill down her cheeks, "She called you by name and told me the same thing that she'd told you in your dreams, Bryan." "That we were destined to be together a very long time ago," I softly said, repeating Nala's words, "And that we'll always be together...even after time ceases to exist." "My mother told me when I was a little girl that I would meet you one day," she happily, but tenderly spoke, "And she also said that without one another, we would both wither away and die." "I fell in love with you the first time I ever saw you," I smiled, "I thought you should know that." "I know," she giggled, "And your bark really is a whole lot worse than your bite. Your mother was right. "Is that a fact?" I smiled, "Well let me tell you something, young lady, neither my mother, Megan, or Sam for that matter, have any idea what they're talking about when it comes to me so; don't listen to any of them." "Bryan Lane Rogers," she openly laughed, "You're just mad because the three of them have got you all figured out. I dare you to deny it." "Well, maybe a little," I conceded smiling, "But I still say that all three of them have a tendency to give their opinions when it's neither needed nor desired." "Oh, come on now," she playfully cooed, wrapping her arms around me, "They love you, Bryan, and they only want what's best for you." "I know," I smiled, "So, what about you?" "What about me?" she asked, grinning devilishly. "What do you want, Penelope?" "I want to love you," she softly purred, nuzzling her nose into my ear, "And I want to be love by you." With that said, she rose from the couch, and leading me by the hand, I followed her down the hall to her bedroom; where we made love for the rest of the day. ~~~~~~ That evening as we lay in bed together watching the sun sink into the western horizon, Penny looked at me and said, "I want you to know that I mean it when I say that I'll never allow anything to come between us ever again." "I know you won't, baby," I lazily smiled, "That makes me love you even more, if that's possible." ~~~~~~ That night as we lay asleep and intertwined in one another, I thanked God who, through our dreams of Nala, brought us back together as my beautiful Penelope slept soundly. ~~~~~ "Mmm," Penelope purred into my ear the next morning, as she rubbed her naked body against mine, "Good morning, lover." "Hi, beautiful," I sleepily replied, "I love you." "Oh, God, I love you so much," she wantonly replied, grinding her wet pussy against my hip, "I need you to fuck me this morning, Bryan. I need it bad." By this time my cock was hard enough to cut glass so; I gently rolled her onto her back and slowly pushed my cock into her hot warm pussy, all the way until I felt my balls resting against the soft skin of her ass. "Oohh yes," she moaned, "Fuck me slow, baby, work that cock in and out of me." I slowly pulled my cock out of her until just the head lay in the confines of her wet folds, and then at the same speed as I pulled out; I slowly pushed it all the way back in. "God, Bryan," she groaned, "You know just how to fuck that pussy, don't you, baby? Ooo, yeah, I love you so much." "I love you," I breathed, "And I always will." This was the first time I'd seen the inside of Penny's house, and out of the corner of my eye; I saw that the outside of her closet doors were covered in mirrors. This allowed me the opportunity to watch us as we made love. It was very erotic watching her beautiful tits jiggling against my chest every time I pushed my cock into her, as well as the way her hips thrust up to meet mine. "So, do you like watching us fuck in the mirror?" Penny suddenly asked, turning her head to look at me in the mirror, "Well in that case...I want you to fuck me hard, Bryan." "Yes," I growled, pulling her to me and slamming my cock into her as hard as I could. OH, GOD," she yelled, "YES, BABY, PUMP ME HARD, BRYAN, PUMP ME FULL OF YOUR CUM, OH, AH, AH, AH, OH GOD, I'M CUUUUMMMIINNNGGG!" The moment she began to cum it pushed me over the edge which caused my to empty my balls deep within the wet, warm recesses of her pussy, leaving me totally drained. And as I pulled out of her and rolled to lie beside her, the only word that came to mind was, "Beautiful." ~~~~~~ "I have something I need to tell you, Bryan," Penelope told me, as we lay in bed together, "And it's very important that you pay close attention, because I'm only going to tell you this once, and then I never want to talk about it ever again, okay baby?" "Whatever you want, sweetheart," I smiled, laying on my side and leaning my head on my hand, "And I'm ready to listen to anything you want to tell me." She smoothed the hair from her beautiful face and then bravely began, "The day that my mother died was bad for everyone in Saigon. There were soldiers and what I now know were Viet Cong Guerillas everywhere. The American students were taken to a secure compound under close guard and protected until the threat was over. We had practiced the evacuation drill once every week so; we were used to it. And then afterward, our parents would always come and get us," then her eyes began to fill with tears as she continued, "But on that day my mother didn't come to get me. I remember waiting for her at the gate and the guards holding me back. I screamed for her at the top of my lungs until I couldn't scream anymore...." "...and then this lady, a nurse, came and took me to a quiet room with a bed.. She gave me a shot in the butt that put me to sleep. When I woke up my Dad was there to get me, and take me home. Then later on Dad was killed and I got sent back to the states to live with my Aunt. For the longest time, and I still don't know why, I blamed myself for my parent's deaths. I somehow felt like that maybe I didn't love them enough and that's why they died," and by this time she was openly crying, her voice a mere whisper now, "I swear that I loved both of them with all my heart, Bryan.... I loved them with all my heart." "Shh," I soothed, taking her into my arms, "How could your parents dying possibly be your fault? You were only a little girl back then, but what did you think you could've done to save them, fight the Viet Cong yourself?" "I know," she sadly replied, "But..." "But, nothing," I softly interrupted her, "There was nothing you could have done. Do you understand, baby? "Please help me through this, Bryan," she cried, "I'm so sorry that it took me this long to realize that I can't live without you, and I love you so much." "It's going to be alright," I softly replied, "We'll work through this together, my love." "I'm afraid, Bryan," she cried, "I'm so very afraid." "There's nothing to be afraid of," I calmly reassured her, "And I'm not going to let anything happen to you, I promise." "Is that right?" she sniffled, smiling "Since when did you get to be so tough?" "Ever since I fell in love with you," I smiled, "You and that beautiful Cheyenne temper of yours." "Oh, shut up," she playfully giggled, "You love it and you know it." "Yeah," I grinned, "You've got me there, sweetheart." "I know," she contentedly sighed, "And I plan on keeping you, too." I knew that she and I were going to be alright after that. I slept peacefully that night, as did my beautiful Penny. She slept so soundly that she didn't stir, not even once. ~~~~~~ The next morning I awoke to find Penelope looking at me with a smile on her beautiful face. "Good morning, baby," she cooed, leaning over to kiss my lips, "I love watching you sleep." "You do, huh?" I smiled, "Well, I love you, period." "Mmm, I love you, too," she purred, climbing on top of me and easing my morning hard-on into her hot little pussy, "And now I'm going to show how much." We made slow and gentle love that morning, relishing in the sensations of her slowly moving up and down while she rode me. ~~~~~~ After we showered together and got dressed, we loaded into m y truck and drove to my house for breakfast. Penelope sat right next to me with her left hand on the inside of my thigh the whole way there. ~~~~~~ Megan was gone when we got there, and according to Sam, wouldn't be back for the rest of the day. However, Sam was very glad to see us, so much that, with happy tears running down her face, she hugged us both and cried, "I'm so happy that you two are back together." "Me, too, pretty girl," Penny smiled, hugging Sam and kissing her cheek, "Me, too." After Sam had regained her composure, she looked at me and giggled, "You're such a softie, Uncle Bryan." "Me, a softie?" I teased, "You won't think so after I bend you across my knee and spank your mouthy little ass, will you?" "You've never spanked me," she grinned, "Not even once." "It's not too late to start ya know," I continued teasing. "Oh, I don't think so," she laughed, "All I have to do is tell Penny, and she'll kick your ass." "That's right," Penny giggled, winking at me as she hugged Sam protectively, "You'd better not spank her. Besides, according to your Mom, she's gonna be my niece, too, one of these days." "Is that right?" I snickered, "Well, sometimes the women in my family talk too much." "Ooo, Uncle Bryan," Sam giggled, "I'm gonna tell Nana and Mom what you said." "Go right ahead," I chuckled, "It's true and they both know it." ~~~~~~ "Well, look what the cat dragged in," Megan smiled, hugging Penelope as she entered the house later that afternoon, "It's so good to see you, Penny." "Hi, Megan," Penelope sweetly replied, hugging my sister as well, "It's good to see you, too." "It looks like my baby brother finally swallowed his pride," Megan teased, winking at me, "Thadda girl, Penny, don't take any of his shit." "Hey, Megan," I sarcastically said smiling, "You can kiss my ass, big sister." "Fuck off, asshole," she giggled, "You're just pissed off because you know I'm right." "Whatever," I laughed, "You keep right on believing that shit all you want to." ~~~~~~ That evening after supper, Penelope insisted on being allowed to help clean up while I sat out on the back patio enjoying a snifter of brandy. Imagine my surprise when Sam came out to join me and sat in my lap, lying her head on my chest. "I'm so glad that you and Penny got back together, Uncle Bryan," she quietly said, "I love her almost as much as I love you." "Aww, I love you, too, baby-girl," I smiled, wrapping my arms around her, "And if you can keep a secret, I'll tell you something." "What?" she excitedly replied, "Tell me, what is it?" "I'm going to ask Penny to marry me," I smiled, Now, do you think you can keep it to yourself until I do?" Sam's reply was to lay her head on my chest and cry almost uncontrollably. "Hey," I asked, alarmed, "What's wrong, sweet girl?" "Nothing really," she sniffled, "It's just that...I've been praying and hoping you two would marry and now I'm so happy that God has answered my prayers." "Thank you, baby girl," I told her, "That means a lot to me to hear you say that," and then wanting to tease her a little, I smiled and asked, "So, how're things with you and Tommy?" "Oh, God," she sighed, hopping off my lap and sitting in a separate chair, "He's so nice...and so hot, too. I can't wait until Sara meets him." "Good," I smiled, "So you guys really like each other then?" "Of course we do," she smiled, "I went crazy over him the first time I ever saw him." "That's good then," I knowingly replied, "Now you know how I felt the first time I saw Penelope." "She's so pretty," Sam told me, "One of the most beautiful women I've ever seen." "I'm glad you think so, Sam," I smiled, "Because I agree with you whole-heartedly." ~~~~~~ "Are you spending the night with us, Penny?" Sam asked hopefully. "Yes," Penelope brightly smiled, "And I'm taking tomorrow off so that you and I can go shopping. How does that sound?" With tears beginning to fill her eyes again, Sam threw her arms around Penelope's neck and happily cried, "That would be great...Aunt Penny." "Oh, so it's Aunt Penny now is it?" I chuckled "That's right, Uncle Bryan," Sam smiled, "And don't you forget it either." "Oh, well," I knowingly smiled at Penelope and Megan, "I guess I've received my instructions then." "Hmm," Megan chuckled, "It looks that way, doesn't it?" ~~~~~~ "I love your family so much," Penelope smiled, as we lay in bed together that night, "And Sam is such a little sweetie." "She sure does love you," I replied, smiling at the thought of Sam's earlier behavior toward Penelope, "She let me know, in no uncertain terms, how happy she was that you and I got our shit together." Is that right," she teasingly replied, "And just how did we get our shit together?" "You learned how to control that temper of yours," I grinned, "And I learned how to deal with you when you're like that." "Oh, God," she smiled, shaking her head, "You are such a brat." "Yeah," I chuckled, "I've been told that a time or two." ~~~~~~ We'd been asleep for about four or five hours when Penelope began to moan in her sleep, and I'd thought about waking her up. However, before I had the chance to rouse her from her troubled slumber, she began talking. "I love you, Momma," she whimpered, "Tell Daddy I love him, too." And then she fell back into what was seemingly a peaceful dream state until all at once she sat straight up in the bed, and in a terrified tone of voice, yelled, "MOMMA...NO..." and then her eyes shot open as she glanced around the room, looking like a frightened, lost child. "Hey, sweetie," I whispered, turning on the bedside lamp, "I'm right here, baby, and everything is gonna be alright. You just had another bad dream, that's all." "Oh, Bryan," she cried, as I held her in my arms, "I'm sorry about waking you up." "It's okay, baby," I soothed, "I love you so much." "I love you, too," she sniffled, hiding her face in my chest, "But now I'm afraid to go back to sleep." "Would you like me to make you some breakfast," I asked, "I will you know?" "I love you, Bryan." ~~~~~~ We had just sat down for our first cup of coffee when Megan appeared in the kitchen, dressed in her pajamas with a warm and tender smile on her face. Then as if Penny was her own child, my sister walked over to her, and kneeling on the floor so that their faces were even, my precious and caring sister gently placed her arms around Penelope and said, "Are you alright, baby girl?" It was almost like a dam had burst when my beautiful Penelope laid her head on Megan's shoulder and began to weep like nothing I'd ever seen before. And then before I even had the time to get out of my chair, Sam appeared from I don't know where, still dressed in her pajamas, too; and joined her mother in kneeling on the floor on the other side of Penelope, placing her arms around the two women while quietly holding the both of them. "Please don't cry, Aunt Penny," Sam sniffled, tears beginning to fill her eyes, "We love you so much, and I promise that we won't let anyone or anything ever hurt you again." "That's right," Megan softly said, "We love you, sweetie, you're a part of our family now and we take care of our own." I was about to join my sister and m niece in comforting this woman that I loved so very much, but a sudden and warm feeling arose from somewhere within me, bidding me to keep my seat. I watched in amazement as Penelope's burden, through the love and kindness of Megan and Sam, was slowly lifted from her and then temporarily put at bay. I knew that what was taking place before me had stemmed from something very kind, beautiful, and last but certainly not least; something very deep and spiritual. And after realizing beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was bearing witness to something that God had made, I silently bowed my head and thanked him for his greatness, and then quietly slipped away, leaving my beautiful Penelope in good hands. ~~~~~~ Chapter Three I stood in the hot shower that morning and thought about all that had transpired in my life over the past few months, and even though I damn near lost my life doing it; I was so very grateful to God for placing Penelope in my life. She had become the only person in the whole world that brought peace to my heart, and now it was time for me to do the same thing for her. Knowing what I had to do gave me an idea, but I would have to carefully plan it out. It was something that only I could know about until it was time to put my plan into action. However, to make sure that it the desired effect, I would need at least one ally when the time came, but who? Who could I trust to keep quiet about it?" ~~~~~~ As I stepped out of my bedroom, and this time I was dressed, I could hear the sound of female laughter emanating from the kitchen. I smiled as I came down that hall, because I knew that within the loving and tender embrace of my sister and my niece, the howling wolves within the soul of my beautiful Penelope, had been put at bay. ~~~~~~ "Good morning, my beauties," I smiled, walking into the kitchen placing a tender kiss upon Penelope's lips, "How is everyone this morning?" "Better," Penelope smiled, "Much, much better now." Before I could say anything else, the phone rang, making me walk over to the extension on the kitchen wall and answer it, "Hello," I said. "It's me, Boss," Earl said, "You need to come down to the shop." A Penny Saved is a Love Earned Pt. 03 "What's wrong?" I asked, "Is everything alright?" "Everything is fine, Bry," he chuckled, "But you still need to get over here as soon as you can." "Aw hell," I laughed, "Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes." "Well see you in a few minutes then," he smiled, "Oh, and bring Doctor Brennan with you." Okay, bye," I grinned, as I hung the receiver back on the hook. "Who was that?" Megan asked, concerned. "That was Earl," I replied, smiling at Penelope, "He said Penelope and me need to come down to the new factory." ~~~~~~ I walked into what was one Earl's shop, which now had been expanded and become the new "Strong-Arm Chair" factory. The roar of the assembly machines let me know that the factory was now online and ready to begin production. I'd left the staffing of the plant to Mark, who'd hired the people who were all now standing at different positions on each assembly line. It made me feel proud that production was about to start on something that we'd all hand a hand in creating, and in doing so, I sported a grin that stretched from ear-to-ear. Earl, Mark and Tommy all stood at the head of the first of three assembly lines, and with smiles on all their faces, Earl handed me a remote control and said, "Push the green button and the lines will start rolling, Boss." I pushed the button and all three assembly lines came to life all at the same time. I watched as every piece was set in place, and then put together with the other components, which were pieced together at measured intervals, similar to that of an automobile production line. I can't begin to describe the feeling of pride that welled up within me when I tested the first chair to come off of the assembly. And after showing her how to work the controls, Penny squealed as she wheeled the chair all over the factory floor as if it were some kind of go-cart or something. "Wow," she giggled, flushed from excitement, "That was fun." "I'll bet it was, Speed Racer," I laughed, "So, what do you think about the chair, Doctor?" "I tested all of the functions," Penny smiled, "And I think it's pure genius, sweetie." ~~~~~~ The moment we arrived home, I got on the phone to Richard Boles, in New York. "Hey, Bryan," he smiled, when he realized I was calling him, "How're things down in Nashville?" "Great news," I proudly replied, "The factory is up and running, and 'The Strong Arm' is now in production." "That is great news," he excitedly replied, "How about if I come down on Monday, a week from today, to have a look for myself, if that's okay with you?" "Are you kidding me?" I laughed, "You don't need my approval to visit the factory. You've got a standing open invitation so, come on down." "Alright then," he chuckled, "I'll see you then, take care," and then he hung up. ~~~~~~ "I have a feeling that the Strong-Arm is going to be a big hit," Penelope gushed, "And to think, you created it so that you wouldn't have to use a bed-pan, that's funny," and then she began to giggle. "Yeah, yeah," I chuckled, "You've never had to use a bed-pan, have you?" "No," she laughed, "But that's because I've never had to." "Well, I hope you have to either," I smiled, "But then again, you're a lot smarter than that, aren't you, my beautiful Doctor Brennan?" "Speaking of which," she softly replied, "You know that I have to go back to work next week, don't you?" "I'm trying not to think about it," I quietly replied, "Let's just spend what time we have left, together, please?" "Aw, don't look so sad, baby," she tenderly said, "It's not like I'm going anywhere. I'm just going back to work...and so should you." "I know," I smiled, "It's just that, well...I'm better when you're around me, that's all." She slid her chair across the floor so that she sat right next to me, and then placing her hand on the inside of my thigh, right next to my groin, leaned up to my ear and breathed, "I love you, Bryan. You're the light in my life that makes me shine, baby; and I'll always be near you from now until time is no longer time." "God, I love you," I softly replied, holding her tightly against me. ~~~~~~ "So, how did it go at the factory," Megan asked, as she came into the kitchen. "Holy shit, Megan" Penelope excitedly told her, "I got to ride in the very first one that came off of the line." "So, how was it?" Megan grinned, "Was it fun?" Are you kidding me?" Penelope giggled, "That fucker hauls ass." The next thing I knew, Megan and Penny fell into a fit of giggles, and when Sam entered the room and asked why they were laughing, I knew it was time to make an exit from the sea of estrogen that was about to flood my kitchen. ~~~~~~ That evening, Penny and I went to bed around eight-thirty, as Megan and Sam were flying back to Dallas, Texas the next morning. As we lay there, I held her against me as if I were almost guarding her. But in a sense, that's exactly what I was doing, and I didn't care who knew it either. ~~~~~~ "You two have a safe flight back," I said to Megan and Sam, at the airport, "Sam, I'll see you and Sara back here in a little over two weeks." "I'll see you soon, Uncle Bryan," Sam smiled, hugging both Penelope and I, "You, too, Aunt Penny." "Take care pretty girl," Penelope giggled, "You take care, too, Megan; and thanks for everything." "You're welcome, sweetie," Megan sweetly replied, as she hugged Penelope as well, "And I'll be back here in a couple of months." "Bye, Megs," I said smiling, "And thanks for looking after me, I love you." "I love you, to, Bry," she impishly replied, "But you don't have to thank me for something I've been doing your whole life." "Get on the plane," I laughed, playfully smacking her arm, "Silly ass girl." ~~~~~~ As we drove home from the airport, Penny looked at me and said, Bryan honey, there's something I need to talk to you about, okay?" "What is it," I smiled, "You can ask me anything, you know." "Do you remember when we hit that big fight?" she asked, I nodded my head and she continued, "I wanted to tell you how bad I felt about how one minute we were telling each other how much we loved one another, and then the next minute we were saying really terrible things to each other. I'm really sorry about that and I don't ever want us to do that again, please?" "You're right, sweetheart," I quietly said, "But I'm just as guilty of being that way, too so; I promise you that from now on I'll talk before I yell, okay?" "It was my terrible temper that started the name calling," she said, "And I was...." "Listen to me, baby," I politely interrupted her, "How about if we admit that we were both wrong, and that we promise each other not to let it ever happen again, okay?" Sounds good to me," she sweetly giggled, sliding across the bench seat of my truck, sitting right next to me the rest of the way home... ~~~~~~ We had just eaten a brunch of sorts and were sitting in my den as the music of Don Henley softly wafted through the air. "I think I know why you have bad drams about your parents, sweetheart," I told her, "And if you're willing to talk about this, I think you might be able to put this all behind you." "I know it's way overdue," she replied, as he yes filled with tears and her bottom lip began to quiver, "But I'm so afraid, Bryan." "You haven't made peace with their deaths," I tender said, gently caressing her face, "And until you do; you're going to keep having those terrible dreams." "Please help me, Bryan," she began to cry, "I don't know what to do." "I've got a plan," I smiled, "But you're going to have to blindly trust me." "Alright then, baby," she relented, "If you say that it's going to help me, then I trust you." "Great," I smiled, "Then here's what we're going to do...." ~~~~~~ I made arrangements for a private jet to take us to Washington D.C. while Penny was getting ready to go. Although she didn't know where we were going, and wouldn't know until we got there, she still trusted me to take care of her and that is exactly what I was doing. I even called a limo to pick us up at the house so that I would have to drive and could focus solely on my beautiful Penelope, She was going to need all the help she could get to deal with what she was about to face. ~~~~~~ "Hey, Bryan," said Sculley Hayes, our pilot, as we stepped aboard the Lear 212 jet aircraft, "Long time no see, bro." "Hi, Scull," I smiled, "It has been too long. I'll have to take care of that when we get back." "Very cool," Sculley grinned, "Climb aboard and we'll be on our way." ~~~~~~ "Where are we going, baby?" Penelope asked, once we were in the air. "I love you, sweetie, I really do," I grinned, "But trusting someone blindly means that you're not supposed to ask questions." "You've got a lot to learn about women, my beautiful love," she giggled, "Don't you know that we're the nosiest creatures on earth?" "I guess I do, don't I?" I laughed, "But then again, I'll just have to let you teach me, okay baby?" "Mmm," she purred, snuggling up next to me, "That sounds like fun." ~~~~~~ DULLES AIRPORT CHANTILLY VA. "What're we doing here?" Penelope smiled, once we landed and were in the limo. Once again," I smiled, "You're gonna have to trust me, my love." ~~~~~~ Our limo pulled up in front of the "Four Seasons Hotel" in Washington D.C., and as we walked into the lobby, a bellman was there to meet us. "Mister Rogers, Doctor Brennan," he smiled, "Will you follow me, please? "My, my," Penelope giggled, "You sue know how to treat a lady, don't you, Bryan?" "Nah," I teased, "You just caught me in a good mood, that's all." "Smart ass," she giggled, smacking me on the butt. ~~~~~~ "Oh, my God,' Penelope gushed, once we'd checked in and were in our suite, "This is beautiful, sweetie." "This is all for you, my precious angel," I breathed, taking her into my arms, "All for you." ~~~~~~ That night we made slow and tender love to one another, where afterward; we fell sleep in each other's arm. I still thank God this day that my beautiful Penny slept all night long, safe in the arms of the one who loved her the most. ~~~~~~ I awoke around six o'clock the next morning, and while Penelope was still asleep; I snuck quietly out of bed and into the main room of our suite. I opened the doors on our balcony and took in the morning air while the pot of coffee I'd set the night before began to brew. Today was going to be a very stressful day for Penelope, and I knew that she was going to be experiencing an emotional pain, the likes of which she'd never experienced before. However, I don't know how I knew, but I somehow knew that everything was going to be all right; I could literally feel it. ~~~~~~ Once the coffee had brewed, I called room service and ordered breakfast for us, and then took a cup of coffee into the bedroom to wake my sleeping beauty. ~~~~~~ "Wake up, baby," I softly spoke, sitting beside her on the bed, "Rise and shine, my angel." "Hi, baby," she sleepily smiled, as her big beautiful brown eyes fluttered open "I love you." "Good morning, beautiful," I smiled, leaning down and kissing her lips, "I love you, too." ~~~~~~ After breakfast, which was absolutely delicious, Penelope and I made love in the morning light, leisurely talking afterwards. "So, tell me my love," Penny sweetly smiled, "What's on the agenda for today?" "Today we start healing your beautiful broken heart, my love," I tenderly replied, "But I'm telling you now, it's not going to be pleasant, I assure you." The smile on her face suddenly vanished, leaving her with the look of a frightened child, as she told me, "I'm afraid, baby." "There's nothing to be afraid of, I promise," I softly replied, pulling her into my arms, "This is something that you're going to have to face in order to help rid you of your nightmares." "You're going with me, aren't you?" "Going with you?" I smiled, "Baby I'm never gonna leave you." "I love you, Bryan," she said, hugging me tightly, "I love you so much." ~~~~~~ Once we'd showered and gotten dressed, Penelope and I took the elevator down to the lobby. I made it a point to stop in florist shop that was there in the hotel, where I bought a red rose, a daisy and a white carnation, wrapped in baby's breath, then bound together with several small red, white, and blue ribbons. "What're those for?" Penelope asked. I simply smiled, and then handed them to her and said, "They're for you to hang on to for a little while, until we get where we're going this morning." ~~~~~~ Because everything had all been prearranged, the cab driver knew where to take us without my having to tell him. "Where are we going, Bryan?" Penelope asked smiling. "I told you," I grinned, "You're gonna have to trust me, sweetie." ~~~~~~ When we pulled up next to the Vietnam War Memorial, Penelope looked at me and asked, "What're we doing here?" "You'll see," I smiled, helping out of the taxi, "Come with me, baby." ~~~~~~ As we walked into the pavilion at the beginning of the wall, I read aloud the words on the placard there: "If you are able, save for them a place inside of you and save one backward glance when you are leaving for the places they can no longer go. Be not ashamed to say that you loved them though you may or may not have always. Take that they have taught you with their dying and keep it with your own. And in that time when men decide and feel safe to call the war insane, take one moment to embrace those gentle heroes you left behind." Major Michael Davis O'Donnell 1 January 1970 Dak To, Vietnam Listed as KIA February 7, 1978 By the time I finished reading the inscription, I found myself so deeply moved that I could barely speak. However, I was broken from my reverie when a member of the memorial staff told us, "Mister Rogers, Doctor Brennan, will you come with me please?" ~~~~~~ He led us to a place on the wall where we found an attendant standing beside a small stepladder, holding I small piece of paper in one hand, and a piece of charcoal in the other. "Hello, Doctor Brennan," he smiled at Penelope, "Please allow me to help you while you get a charcoal rubbing of your father's name." I was so proud of her that day as she handed me the flowers and climbed the ladder. Per the man's instructions, my beautiful Penelope placed the paper over her father's name, rubbed the charcoal across it, and then kissed her father's name on the wall before she came down. After thanking the both men, I watched them as they turned and walked away taking the ladder with them. Penelope stood silent as she simply looked at her father's name on the wall while tears poured down her face. And then after taking the flowers from me, she laid them on the ground at the foot of the wall. While placing her right hand against it, I heard her as she softly cried, "Goodbye, Daddy, I love you so much." After a moment's pause, she stood up, wiped her eyes with the handkerchief I'd handed her, then looked at me and sadly said, "Please take me away from this place, Bryan." ~~~~~~ Penelope was quiet for the rest of the day, saying very little, if anything to me about that morning's events, but it was perfectly understandable after what she'd just been through. Still though, I left her alone in order for her to deal with the turmoil that I knew she was feeling at this point. ~~~~~~ Around six in the evening, I was sitting in the main room of the suite watching television, when Penelope came out of the bedroom looking more refreshed that I'd ever seen her, and she wore a smile on her face that was shinning like the sun. "I love you, Bryan Rogers," she smiled, sitting in my lap and kissing my lips, "You're the best man a girl could ever want." "Hi, there," I softly replied, "It's so good to see you smiling." "I've got a lot to smile about," she lovingly said, "I'm in love with most wonderful guy on earth." "He sounds like a pretty lucky man," I teased, "Who is he?" Oh, you are such a brat," she giggled, "Come take me to bed and let's work up an appetite for dinner." "You lead and I'll follow, M'Lady." ~~~~~~ At the suggestion of the concierge, I took Penelope to a restaurant called "Two Quails". The food was excellent, and the atmosphere was impeccable, as was the whole dining experience. And when we got back to the hotel, we slept comfortably after having a small brandy before bed. ~~~~~~ That night as I lay sleeping, I dreamed that I was floating in a sea of something warm and tender. And although I couldn't really make out any distinctive color, I heard Nala's voice gently warning its way into my heart. "You are now on the right path, my child," she tenderly said, "Stay focused on your love for one another, and together, you shall find peace." "Thank you," I heard myself say, "Will I see you again?" "Perhaps so, perhaps not," she softly replied, "Once my daughter has found peace, my spirit will pass from this world to be with her father, but I'll always be in your hearts...always...I'll always be in your hearts." ~~~~~~ I gently woke to find my beautiful Penelope sleeping softly beside me, a cute little smile on her face as she slumbered, God, how I loved her. I looked at the clock on the bedside table to find that it was only four o'clock so; after gently sliding out of bed so as not to wake Penny, I wrapped a large towel around my waist and went out onto the balcony to look out at the stars. As I thought about everything that had taken place that day, as well as the dream that I'd had earlier, I felt the beginnings of a satisfied and peaceful smile making its way across my face. And it was then that I knew that the next part of my plan would now be a warm welcome for Penelope as opposed to the emotional inferno she'd dealt with the day before. Still though, she'd come out of t seemingly no wore for the wear, and because of that; I was very proud of her. ~~~~~~ Chapter Four The next morning found us back at the airport bright and early, and as I expected, Sculley was there, waiting for us in his Lear. ~~~~~~ "It's going to be nice to get back home," Penelope sighed, snuggling up in the seat next to mine. "Not yet," I smiled, "We still have one more place to go." "I'm not even going to think about asking where," she giggled, "Because I know you're not going to tell me, are you?" "You learn quick, don't you?" I chuckled, strolling her head as she laid it on my shoulder, "Smart girl." "Mmm, Hmm," she contentedly sighed. ~~~~~~ We landed at Billings, Montana's Logan International Airport four hours later, and the moment we stepped out of the plane and onto the tarmac, I immediately sensed feelings of excitement coming from within Penelope. in awe at her surroundings. "Trust me," I reassured her, "It's gonna be okay, baby." "Oh, I know that," she giggled, "I guess I'm just a little nervous about not knowing what's going to happen next." "I can understand that," I smiled, "But once we get where we're going I think you'll start feeling better." "And just where are we going?" she sweetly asked. "You're going home, sweetheart," Richard Boles gently announced from behind her so as not to startle her, pleasantly surprising her instead. "Uncle Richard," Penelope delightfully squealed, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him, "What are you doing here?" However, before he had a chance, I looked at rich and said, "Is everything good to go?" "You betcha," he excitedly grinned, "We're stocked, locked, and ready to rock. The horses will be waiting for us at the entrance trail tomorrow morning. I also made sure that we've got more than enough food to last us while we're up there." A Penny Saved is a Love Earned Pt. 03 "Horses? Trail? Up where?" Penelope insistently asked, "Do you think that maybe now you two could tell me what in the hell is going on?" ~~~~~~ Long before Penelope and I had gone to Washington D.C., I'd called Rich when I decided who the perfect ally would be in my plan to help heal my beautiful Penelope's heart. He and I discussed how to lovingly guide her, without making it look like we were, in any way; trying to make Penelope do anything against her will, God forbid. Facing one's fear has always been difficult, and the same would be for Penelope, as the next morning, she would take the first step onto the path that would lead her to her own fears. I was going to be right there beside her, and I'd pledged my heart to my beautiful Penelope, and would now gladly give my own life before I would ever let any harm come to her ever again. ~~~~~~ Once we'd been taken from the airport to the hotel, the three of us sat in the dining room of our suite, drinking coffee and talking with Penelope being the first to speak up. "Okay, you two," she asked, smiling at me and Rich, "Because of yesterday's events, I know that our being here has something to do with my mother, am I right?" "Damn, she's pretty smart," I teased, eliciting a chuckle from Rich, "What do you think, Rich, should we tell her?" "Tell me what?" she smiled, "Come on, you guys." "I don't know, Bryan," Rich grinned, playfully ignoring Penelope, "I'm not real sure about that, man. Besides, you know how women are." "You two are such assholes," she giggled, "Okay, you win, now tell me...boys." Of course her remark caused another round of laughter to burst forth from all three of us. After the laughter had abated, and we'd calmed down, still smiling though, Rich looked at Penelope and said, "Tomorrow we're going to a place that only a few people have seen. It is a seventy hundred acre tract of land cradled in between three mountain at an elevation of just a little under twelve thousand feet above sea level. Your father took me there once, a long time ago when you were just a tiny baby." "That's all well and good," Penelope replied, "And I'm not trying to be mean when I say this; but what does this have to do with my mother...or me?" "You are spiritually bound to this land," Rich told her, "You are the last female of your mother's bloodline." Okay, Uncle Rich," Penny smiled, "Now I'm really confused." "This may sound a little crazy, but I swear it's the truth," Rich began, "This particular piece of land has been in your family for eleven generations now. Your great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandmother, whew," he smiled, as he continued, "Was one of the few holy women in the Northern Cheyenne Nation at that time, and like you, was of the So'taa'eo'o People, and, she and your mother shared the same name." "Nala," I said. "That's right," Rich smiled, "Anyway, Nala would spend days on end at this place, meditating and seeking enlightenment. One night as she was preparing to sleep after a long days meditation, she heard voices coming from below an escarpment that stretches across the northern facing of the leeward mountain base. Out of curiosity more than anything else, she slowly crept down a hidden trail to find an Apache war party bedding down for the night. She knew that it had to have been a war party, what else were the Apache doing this far north?' "Holy shit," Penelope gasped, "She could have been killed." "Yes, she was a very brave woman," Rich smiled, "And even though it was very dangerous for her to do so, she still managed to ride back to the village and warn the people." "What happened after that?" I curiously asked. "Oh, that's easy," Rich chuckled, "The chief sent the Dogmen out after the Apache." "The Dogmen?" I asked, "Who were they?" Before he could respond, Penelope put her hand on my leg and proudly said, "The Dogmen, or, Hotametaneo'o as they're called in Cheyenne, were a militaristic society of very honorable, yet very brave and fierce warriors which existed within the tribe. And out of the six societies that existed within the Cheyenne nation as a whole, the Dogmen were not only the most respected, but also the most feared." "So, what happened to Nala?" I smiled, holding Penelope's hand. "She was credited with saving the village," Rich told us, "The chief gave her a warrior name, Hota'ma'ehoohe, which translated means; Sly Fox. Nala was also given the tract of land that sat in the mountains, and it was dubbed, holy land, forbidden to all but those who carried Nala's bloodline." "What does this mean?" Penelope asked, "Does this land belong to me?" "Yes, and no," Rich said, "It's still Cheyenne land, but you and your immediate family are the only ones who can set foot on it?" "Okay," Penny answered, "I think I understand, or at least I'm' trying to." After looking at his watch, Rich smiled and said, "We're going to meet with the head of the Tribal Council in about an hour. His name is Robert Crowhorse and he and your mother were good friends in school." ~~~~~~ "Oh, my goodness," Robert Crowhorse smiled, upon meeting Penelope, "You look so much like your mother, child." "Thank you, Mister Crowhorse," Penelope smiled, "That was very kind of you to say." "Not at all," he grinned, "You come from a long and honorable line of great women, all of whom possessed souls as pure as the fresh driven snow," he began to blush, "Not to mention beauty beyond compare, Miss Penelope, or is it Missus Penelope..." "It's Doctor Penelope Brennan, Mister Crowhorse," Penny sweetly giggled, "And thank you for the compliment." "Please," he smiled, inviting us into his home, "Come in and take a seat. I just brewed some wildflower tea." ~~~~~~ "I still can't believe how much you look like Nala," Robert Crowhorse kindly said, "We were all so very sorry when we heard that she had died. She was just as beautiful inside as she was outside, and...she was a good person and a great friend." He suddenly turned to Rich, surprising Penelope and I both; and then with a knowing smile across his face, he chuckled and said, "You were right to bring her here, old friend. She will find peace in the place that only her ancestors have gone before her." "What was she like as a teenager," Penny excitedly asked, "Did she have a lot of friends, Mister Crowhorse?" "Please Doctor Brennan, call me Robert, or just plain old Rob if you like," he chuckled, "Mister Crowhorse makes me sound even more ancient than I already am." "Okay, Rob," Penelope sweetly smiled, "In that case call me Penelope, or Penny to my closest friends." "Thank you, Penny," Rob grinned, "The answer to your question about your mother is yes. She had a lot of friends, and was very well liked by both the students and teachers alike." "How did she and my father meet?" she anxiously asked "It's funny you should ask," Rob now openly laughed, "I introduced the two of them to each other. "So, you also knew my father then," Penny asked smiling, "What was he like before he met my mother." "Silly as hell," Rich chuckled, "Wouldn't you agree, Robbie?" "Hell yes," Rob laughed, "But that all changed the moment her met Nala, your mother, Penny. I've never seen two people who loved one another the way those two loved each other." "Really," Penny wistfully asked, both Rob and Rich nodding their heads, "The only memories I have of them are very kind and loving." "The only other time I saw him cry before your mother died, was the day she put you into his arms," Rob said, "You should know that your mother and father loved you very much, Penny." "I do," Penny sweetly grinned, "But you still haven't told me how they met." "I was already in the Navy when I met your Dad," Rob smiled, and nodding at Rich, "He and Rich here were my instructors when I went through BUD/S." "So, the three of you were SEALs then," I asked, as up until now, Rich had never given any indication as to how he'd known Penelope's father; he'd simply said that he knew him. "That's right," Rob proudly smiled, "We were members of SEAL Team One, Underwater Demolition Team Eight." "Hoo-Yah," Rich quietly chuckled. "Anyway," Rob continued smiling, "I brought Rich and David, your dad, home on leave with me. Everyone here welcomed them with open arms, and were glad to meet two of several honorable men I served with." "I remember," Rich smiled, "That was a lot of fun." "Your grandparents were alive then," Rob told Penny, "And they absolutely adored your father. And per your grandfather's request, I took Rich and Dave to their first Pow-Wow the following weekend, which is where your parents met for the first time." "Yep," Rich chuckled, "And the two of them went crazy over one another the minute they laid eyes on each other." "Yeah, they did," Rob laughed, telling Penny, "Nala didn't allow us to go anywhere that she wasn't right there beside your father; and that was the whole time we were here." "I think it's sweet," Penny giggled, "It sounds like they loved each other very much." "That's not even the half of it," Rich laughed, "Tell him, Robbie." "He's right," Rob said, "Your mother had just graduated high school the year before, but couldn't afford to go to college so; what does Dave do? He pays for her tuition at the University of California in San Diego so that they can be together. They got married during her Senior Year and then you came along a year later. You were barely two months old when they moved to Saigon." "I only wish that I could've know them better," Penelope sadly replied, "Mom took me to my grandparent's funeral the year before she was killed herself. And then after Dad died, I just..." By this time Penelope's eyes were beginning to fill with tears, but as opposed to letting her feel anything but goodness, I placed my arm around her waist, pulling her to me, and said, "But think of how proud of you that I know they both are, sweetheart." "That man speaks the truth, Penny," Rob smiled, "And knowing your Dad as well as Rich and I did, I'd say that he would be very proud of the woman you've turned out to be," and then nodding at me, "And from what I've heard about young Bryan here, your father would've been very proud of the man you've chosen to be with." "Thank you, sir," I humbly replied, "That was very nice of you to say." "Hell, kid," Rob chuckled, Rich standing next to him snickering himself, "It's easy to tell the truth. Just keep loving Penelope the way that me and Rich can tell you already do, and you'll stay off of our shit list." "Thanks guys," I politely, but firmly replied, wanting them to know how I truly felt, "I swear that I'll never let anything happen to her, ever." "Hoo-Yah, kid," Rob smiled, patting me on the shoulder, "You're our kind of guy." ~~~~~~ That night back at the hotel, I could sense a feeling of calmness about my beautiful Penelope that had never before been there. She seemed to be relaxed, the feelings of apprehension that she once harbored now gone. However, according to both Rob and Rich, it was still imperative that she make the journey to that sacred place which had now become hers. "It will do her more good than you can ever know," Rich secretly told me. And as she and I lay down to sleep that night, I felt blessed in the realization that God had allowed me to be a part of all this...the healing of my beautiful Penelope. ~~~~~~ We were on the road by six o'clock the next morning, driving one hundred miles west to Lame Deer, where we would meet the guide that was going to lead us, on horseback, up the mountain to the opening of the path that led to the sacred land. "I'm getting excited about this," Penny smiled, seemingly in good spirits, "It's going to be nice to see something that was handed down through my family." "I'm glad that you're in such a great mood, Penny," Rich grinned, "And I want you to keep smiling, okay?" ~~~~~~ "Hello, Richard Boles," our guide smiled, "It's good to see you again." "You, too, John," Rich smiled, then turned to Penelope and I and said, "This is John Tobias. He's also Cheyenne and not only is he the best tracker this side of the Mississippi, but he knows these mountains like the back of his hand...and he's a good friend, too." Then Rich turned to John, and introducing us, said, "John, this young lady is the daughter of David and Nala Brennan, and the honorable young man with her is Bryan Rogers." "So, Bryan," John said, smiling knowingly at me, "You are the Great Ve'ho'notaxeo'o I've seen in my dreams." "What?" I stupidly asked, "The Great what..." "When Richard called me two days ago," John began, "I sought the counsel of one of our Shaman. He told me that you, Bryan, A Great White Warrior, would come to protect Miss Penelope on her journey to the sacred land. I saw your faces in my dreams, and in those same dreams a voice told me that the two of you have been together before time began...and will be together after time ceases to exist...and only the two of you can enter the sacred land...where you will both find peace." ~~~~~~ All was quiet during the first part of the ride, and it was only Penelope that noticed something the rest of us did not. It's awfully quiet here, don't you guys think?" she pointedly said, "I mean, I haven't heard a single sound since we started out, no birds, no animals, even the wind isn't blowing." "That's because the animals, birds and even the wind all respect the sacred ground we're going to," John stated, "It's been that way for well over two thousand years." "That sounds a little scary to me," I cautiously replied, "It's been my experience that birds and animals alike, all leave when something bad is about to happen." "You're right to be afraid, my brother," John forebodingly replied, "And if you're not afraid now, you will be, I promise...you will be." "I won't let anything happen to you, baby," Penelope replied, bringing her horse beside mine and holding my hand, "I love you, Bryan." "I know you do," I smiled, "And I love you, too." "Hold on tightly to that love, my children," John said, "For the strength of your hearts will be what guides through the mighty storm you're about to face." "Damn, John," I laughed, "You make it sound like we're never coming back." "Take what I've told you in there with you, my brother," John menacingly warned, "If you don't...you will never return." ~~~~~~ We rode for three more hours until we came to the snowline on the mountain. After the signal from John to dismount, we got off of our horses while he and Rich began to set up camp. "What's this?" I asked, as they continued setting up," I thought we were going to the sacred land." "Look there," John said, pointing to a dark and foreboding cave, some thirty yards up the snowline, "Soon will be the time that you and Penelope must enter that place. It is the way that leads to the sacred ground." ~~~~~~ After John and Rich had set up camp, we all sat around the fire drinking hot wildflower tea. "I can't get over how good this stuff is," Penelope smiled, "And it makes me feel so good, too." "It is called Ya'she'sha'me, my child, John smiled, "It takes away bad feelings and replaces them with good ones, especially if the person drinking it has a pure heart, like you do." "I don't know about all that," Penny smiled, "But thank you, anyway." "You are a healer, like your mother before you, little one," John told her, "And the great father in the sky only allows a pure heart into they that have the power you hold." "Okay," Penelope smiled, "I guess I can live with that." ~~~~~~ That night as we slept, I didn't feel the cold, as my beautiful Penelope lay closely against me, sharing her body warmth with me, and me with her. I know that I dreamed about her before, but this time Nala didn't come to me in my dreams, only her voice telling me, "All is well, my child, for you and my daughter shall see the light soon..." ~~~~~~ I was the first one awake the next morning, opening my eyes only seconds after the dawn's early light broke across the western horizon. I looked over to where Penny lay sleeping beside me and prayed, asking God for the strength that John said I was going to need on the arduous trek that lay before Penny and I. ~~~~~~ The next morning we set out to the cave entrance, trudging through the cold and deep snow until Penelope and I came up on it. It was dark and mysterious as we looked into the cave and saw that the darkness within only faded into an infinity of darkness beyond the entrance. "I'm scared, Bryan," Penelope whispered, taking my hand as we walked into the darkness before us. "Me, too," I said, pulling her closely to me, "But I've got a feeling that it's going to be alright, just you wait and see." ~~~~~~ We'd been in the cave for about twenty minutes, our flashlights on because the light from the cave entrance had long since vanished when all of a sudden; a strong wind began to blow within the passageway, almost knocking us off our feet. "Bryan, hold me," Penelope cried, "I'm really scared." "I'm right here, baby," I told her, becoming angry at whatever was making her feel afraid, "Hang on to me, I'll protect you." ~~~~~~ We walked further into the cave and all at once, the wind stopped. However, a neon green colored fog began making it's way to where we stood, staying primarily on the ground, until it finally reached us. Suddenly I heard a loud thundering BOOM coming from somewhere ahead of us. All at once I saw what looked like a huge opening appear before us, followed by what I can only describe as the most beautiful light I've ever seen. "Momma," Penelope suddenly said, looking into the light and walking ahead of me, "Momma, Daddy...I'm here," and then she took off at a dead run toward it. "PENNY, NO," I shouted, trying to run to catch her; but the faster I ran, the further away the light drifted. I kept running until I came to the edge of a great precipice, but when I tried to stop; the weight of my body with the momentum I'd built up from running pushed me over the edge and I was falling into what looked like a bottomless abyss. "PENELOPE," I yelled, to no avail, "PENELOPE, PLEASE HELP ME, I LOVE YOUUUUU..." I fell for seemed like hours through the cold darkness inside the mountain, until I felt something warm. I turned my body to realize that I was rapidly falling into what looked like an inferno of fire, lava, and molten rock. "AHHHH, GOOOOD,"I yelled in pain, as I continued falling through the molten earth, that had to be somewhere between two and three thousand degrees Fahrenheit, as it burned my skin, which was now dripping from my body to expose my bones. This went on for seemingly hours on end until, out of the blue it stopped. I could immediately feel the ambient temperature around me cooling off, when, without warning of any kind; my body fell into a cold, refreshing pool of clear water. I managed to swim to shore with what little bit of strength I had left, and then fell into a painful and dreamless sleep. ~~~~~~ Chapter Five When I opened my eyes again, I found myself laying face down on the floor of the same forest from my dreams of Nala. All at once I saw many Cheyenne people, dressed as their eighteenth century ancestors in buckskin clothing, standing around me in a semi-circle. And as my eyes came into focus, I saw Penelope laying on a bed made of soft pine needles and ferns with her eyes closed, almost like she were sleeping. However, I noticed something distinctly different about her. ~~~~~~ She wore a content smile on her face, and her body seemed to glow, emitting a kind of light unlike anything I'd ever seen before, almost similar to the light we'd encountered in the tunnel. A Penny Saved is a Love Earned Pt. 03 "Penelope," I called out to her as I tried to stand, "Penny, baby wake up." I attempted to take her hand until a female voice that I knew as Nala's stopped me, saying, "Touch her not, my son. She is not of this world." "What do you mean, not of this world," I asked, my eyes beginning to fill with tears, "She's not dead, is she?" "No, my child," Nala tenderly replied, "Her soul has momentarily departed from her body to find the peace she has lost." "She's going to be alright, isn't she?" I asked, tears now raining down my face at the mere thought of losing my beautiful Penelope. "You need to rest, great one," Nala replied, placing her palm to my cheek, "She will be here when you awake. Now, sleep, you've had a long journey." The moment Nala touched my face, I felt all of the pain and anguish that I'd ever known leaving my body, making me suddenly weary, and when I closed my eyes, I was out. ~~~~~~ I fell into a deep sleep in which I dreamed of long ago. I wasn't really sure when what I'm about to describe took place, but I was floating above a village somewhere on the banks of a river somewhere. It was morning and there were children playing and people gathering to simply enjoy the company of one another. The gathering and feasting went on until the early hours of the evening. I saw two people in particular, a man and a woman, that I thought I recognized. As I came closer to them, I could plainly see Penelope's and my face. The woman was pregnant and the man simply held her, smiling as they kissed before entering their tipi. Then my vision went blurry and when my eyes came back into focus, I saw the same village, only now it was very early in the morning. Suddenly and from out of nowhere, United States Calvary soldiers came thundering into the village. Screams began erupting from everywhere in the village as innocent people, men, women and children came out of their tipis only to be cut down by gunfire. "NO," I screamed, "STOP THIS MADNESS IN GOD'S NAME!" All at once I found myself standing in their midst, a rifle in one hand and a knife in the other. I ducked as a soldier ran by me, trying to cut me with his sword, and I turned and shot him in the head, knocking from his horse. "ENEOESTESE," I yelled at the top of my lungs, "ENEOESTESE." (Cheyenne word, meaning, "Stop") All at once I again heard the sound of gunfire as I felt the flesh being ripped from my body... ~~~~~ "BRYAN, BABY WAKE UP," brought me out of my nightmare to find my beautiful Penelope sitting beside me, still dressed in buckskin. "Hi," I cried, hugging her closely to me, "Are you alright?" "Yes," she happily purred, "And I love you so much." ~~~~~~ "Netonesevehe, (Cheyenne for, Welcome)" John shouted, as Penelope and I appeared at the mouth of the cave, she dressed in a buckskin gown, while I was shirtless, wearing only a buckskin loincloth, breeches and moccasins. "It is good to see you," John smiled, racing toward us with two blankets, one in each hand, "Welcome home, my brother and sister." ~~~~~~ I took joy in knowing that Penelope had finally gained inner peace when I laid my head down to sleep that night. And in doing so, I realized that together, we now shared the gift of being able to see ourselves through the eyes of each other. She saw me as a brave and mighty warrior, sworn to love and protect her, while I saw her a beautiful princess that my heart would forever be a servant to. ~~~~~~ Neither Penny nor I said very little on the ride back to Billings the next day; and had it not been for Rich singing along to the radio; the entire ride would've been silent. ~~~~~~ On the flight back home, Penny and I were snuggled together in seats next to each other while Richard took the big chair that folded out into a bed. "My mother told me what you went through to find me," Penny smiled, "And I wanted to tell you how much I love you for it." "That's what someone is supposed to do for the people they love," I sleepily replied, "And God knows, I love you." ~~~~~~ That was twenty years ago. Sam and Tommy were eventually married and now live in Penelope's old house. Sam's friend Sara, who came to stay with us while she and Sam were going to college, is now an attorney who fights for the rights of our Native American brothers and sisters, and is fighting to make the day of the Battle of the Washita River, and The Sand Creek Massacre, national holidays. Penelope and I were married three months after our return from Montana, and two years later we were blessed with twins; a boy, who we named Tyler, and a girl who we named Nala. With the money we made from the Strong Arm, we gave it to the Northern Cheyenne Nation to build a hospital where Penelope is now the Chief of Surgery. As we lay in bed one night after a busy day, I looked at Penelope and told her, "I guess after all we've been through together, I suppose it's safe to say that you belong to me so; A Penny Saved Is A Penny Earned." "No, baby" she giggled, "In this case, A Penny Saved Is A Love Earned." Oh, one more thing; Nala turns eighteen next month and with her mother, she will pass into the scared land just like the women of her family who went before her. THE END