14 comments/ 28436 views/ 26 favorites Two Letters By: GatorRick The following story has been kicking around in my heard for quite some time. It is purely a work of fiction. Things don't always happen the way I've portrayed them in real life. But heck, it's my story and I wrote it the way I wanted. It's a love story with a happy ending. Thanks for reading and be gentle with criticism as I do my own editing and spell checking. I finally managed to get to the hotel shuttle waiting curbside some 100 yards from the airport terminal. It was slow going for me carrying my suitcase in one hand while using the other to hold the cane I used to support myself. I had been discharged from the naval hospital in San Diego that morning after spending three months there recovering from injuries received on my last assignment. My right leg was a mess from the shrapnel that had been removed by the surgeons. I had to have my knee replaced because of the severity of those wounds. My other wounds had somewhat healed, but still bothered me. After climbing on board and putting my suitcase in the luggage rack I saw there was only one seat left empty in the rear of the shuttle bus. As I moved toward it a young woman slid over to the window freeing the aisle seat next to her for me. I must have winced noticeably as I sat down. She turned slightly toward and asked. "Hurt badly?" I nodded my head as my thoughts turn inward. Yeah. I was hurt. Both physically and emotionally. The physical hurt would fade over time but the emotional hurt I wasn't too sure about. Reflecting back to the time I was six years old and sitting in my first grade classroom when the principal came to the door and spoke with my teacher, Miss Anderson. She walked to my desk, knelt down and with tears in her eyes told me to collect my belongings and go with the principal. As I stood to leave, she gave me a big hug and walked me to the door. Arriving at the principal's office I was surprised to see my grandmother and grandfather waiting for us. "Ricky." Oma Hauff said holding me tightly on her lap. "You must be very brave. Opa and I have very bad news for you. Mommy and Daddy went to live with Jesus this morning." That's how I found out that my parents had been killed in an accident by a driver of an eighteen wheeler who was spaced-out on amphetamines. I went to live with Oma Marie and Opa Karl. Opa Karl died ten years later and it was just me and Oma Marie living in that big old house on Maple Street on the St. John's River. Oma was everything to me and I was everything to her. She never missed a single event that I participated in all those years. When she died two months ago, at the age of eight-nine, I was in the Naval Hospital in still recovering from the injuries incurred in my last 'ops'. It was nasty and I came away from it with a shot up knee and several fragmentation wounds to my lower body. Thank God for my Kevlar vest and helmet or I wouldn't be here. In my uniform jacket I had a letter from Reynolds, Mitchell, Robinson and Scott, Attorneys-at-Law. The letter notified me that my grandmother's estate had been filed with the court and it should clear probate shortly. It was signed by Jack Reynolds, my grandmother's long time attorney. Attached to the formal letter was a handwritten note signed 'Uncle Jack' in which he expressed his heartfelt sorrow to me of her death. I had a second letter in my pocket as well. Written on the pale yellow stationary, my fiance, Carol Anderson used. It was short and to the point. She was calling off the wedding and ending the engagement. She said she didn't want to be a Navy wife, moving every few years to a new posting. Besides my salary would not be sufficient to allow her to live in the manner she thought was befitting for her. Two letters. Both causing immense emotional pain. "We're here." A voice in my ear snapped me out of my daydream. "I'm sorry." I replied. "My mind was elsewhere." Standing up I allowed her to exit the shuttle in front of me. As we stepped off the bus the driver told us he would bring all the luggage into the hotel. Standing in line in front of the check-in desk I saw the clerk looking up nervously at the number of people waiting for room assignments and then back down to her computer terminal screen. Finally, the young woman in front of me stepped up to the counter and requested a single room. "I'm sorry, miss. All I have available is a two bedroom suite for five hundred dollars a night." The clerk told her. Sighing heavily, the young woman said. "I can't afford that. Are you sure there is nothing else available?" "No, I'm sorry. With this horrible storm every hotel in the city is booked solid." The clerk answered. "OK. May I stay in the lobby until I figure out what to do?" "I'll take the suite." I announced. "Look, you don't know me. But I'm really an ok guy. If you like you can have the second bedroom. I promise you will be safe." "I guess I have no choice but to accept your offer." Holding out her hand she introduced herself. "I'm Susan Olivia Riley. I'm trying to get home to Orange Park just west of Jacksonville, Florida." "I know where Orange Park is." I said. "My name is Frederick Hauff, but everyone just calls me Rick. I'm going home to Jacksonville as well." After signing the registration paperwork and giving the clerk my American Express card I received the key card and turned to her and said. "Come on let's get our luggage and head on up to the room. I'm beat and my leg hurts like hell." Walking over to the suitcases that the driver of the shuttle had deposited in the lobby close to the elevators I grabbed my bag. Susan went to the only remaining suitcase and looking at the name tag exclaimed. "This isn't my bag. It belongs to someone named S. O'Reilly. Oh damn. I know what must've happened. My bag tag reads S.O. Riley. It happens all the time. They mixed up the two names. What am I going to do now. I've no clothes, no nothing." Returning to the desk I explained the problem and asked if they could contact the airline and find out where her bag was delivered. The clerk said she would do that for us and that complimentary toiletries were available in both bathrooms of the suite. I rejoined Susan and a member of the hotel staff who was to escort us up to the suite waiting by the elevators. Placing the key card in a slot on the elevator control panel the staff member explained that this would allow us access to our rooms. When the doors opened I stepped back to allow Susan to exit first. There was no corridor. The elevator doors opened directly into the suite. CHAPTER TWO As the elevator doors opened Rick stepped back allowing me to enter the suite first. It was magnificent. A gas fireplace surrounded by stone lined one wall. A soft leather love seat and two leather chairs were placed in front of it. Another wall was made up entirely in insulated glass and overlooked and outdoor terrace. It was free from snow due to under floor heating the staff person explained. The view would have been breath taking except for the raging blizzard outside limiting visibility to just a few feet. A hot tub sat next to the window and we were told that water was kept at a cozy one hundred degrees. Other assorted sofas, chairs and tables completed the room. Off to one side was a small kitchen, a fully stocked bar with a wine cooler. A short hallway led to the two bedrooms each with a marble en-suite bath complete with toiletries, towels and terry cloth robes. Rick allowed me to choose one of the two bedrooms and the staff person placed his suitcase and carry on luggage in the other. After showing Rick how to turn the fireplace on and asking if there would be anything else we required he left. Rick helped me remove my heavy winter coat and I watched him lean his cane against the arm of a nearby chair and remove his uniform overcoat. The first thing I noticed was the six rows of ribbons attached to left breast of his uniform jacket. Those campaign ribbons were not awarded for pushing paper from one desk to another. One ribbon represented a Purple Heart awarded to those wounded in combat. Another was for the Bronze Star and another representing the Silver Star. My God! The man is a hero. On his sleeve cuffs were two broad bands of gold separated by a thin one indicating his rank as a Lieutenant Commander. I knew all this because my dad was in the Navy and I grew up living on bases all over the world. When daddy retired he and mom bought a house in Orange Park just down the road from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, which was his last duty station. Rick walked over to the bar and asked what I wanted to drink. I told him a white wine. He poured himself a bourbon over ice and brought the drinks over to the seats in front of the fireplace. Sitting in front of the fire he asked me why I was going back to Florida. I began explaining what had happened to me. "My boyfriend, Paul, had moved to LA to try to break into the film industry. He asked me to join him and I agreed. I'm a surgical trauma room nurse so I had no trouble finding work." "Everything was fine at first." I continued. "Then I began to see some troubling signs in our relationship. Since I was the newest person in staff I got stuck with the 4 to 11 shift. One night about five days ago we had a really bad accident victim arrive around 10:45. As luck would have it the nurse assigned to the 11PM to 7AM shift was late that evening. I found myself assisting in the operating room until well after 2AM." "The following day she came in to work at eight in the evening and told me to go home early. She would cover the remaining part of my shift since I had stayed so late the night before. I went home hoping to surprise my boyfriend. Long story short. When I walked into the apartment I was the one who was surprised. He was on the floor of the living room pumping away on top of some blonde haired bimbo." "Stepping around them I went into the bedroom, packed a bag and left. The following day after he left to meet with his agent I went back and removed the rest my belongings and had them shipped home. I went to the hospital, gave my notice and using my accrued vacation days left to go back home. And so here I am." I concluded. "What about you?" I asked. He explained to me that while he was in the hospital recovering from the injuries and wounds from his last mission he received word of his grandmother's death. He told me all about his childhood and how much she meant to him. As he told me this I saw his eyes fill with tears. I don't know why, but I went and sat next to him and hugged him. He cried on my shoulder for a few minutes. Then he continued and told me that it wasn't too long afterward when he got the letter from his fiancee canceling the wedding and breaking the engagement. "You know I was upset and hurt at first." He said. "Then I realized that she never really loved me. Everything revolved around her and what made her happy." Then he told me that yesterday was the first day he was well enough to be released from the hospital and permitted to travel. To top it all off the Navy was forcing him to leave the service as being medically unfit for to serve due to his injuries. "What will you do now?" I asked him. "Well, I have some money in a trust fund that the trucking company had been forced to pay after being sued, on my behalf, by my grandfather. That, coupled with discharge pay and allowances, it should be enough to get me by until I can find a job." He answered. Finishing my wine, I stood and said. "I think I want to take a bath and I need to wash out my panties and bra for tomorrow. I wish I had something to sleep in tonight though." Standing up and walking into his bedroom he returned after some minutes with a long sleeved T-shirt and a pair of thick woolen socks. "This might help." He said handing them to me. "Just roll the sleeves up. It should be long enough to cover . . . . ah . . . the necessary parts." He stammered. I had just finished rinsing out my undergarments and stepping into the tub when I heard the phone ring in the other room. Thirty minutes later I was finished bathing. Putting on the T-shirt, socks and wrapping myself in the bathrobe provide by the hotel I returned to the living room. Rick was no where to be found. I looked into the bedroom he was using saw his opened suitcase still on the bed and glancing toward the bathroom in his room I saw no light on in there. I was just about to pick up the phone and call the front desk when I heard the chimes ring signaling the arrival of the elevator. Rick emerged pulling a suitcase . . . my suitcase. The first thing I saw was him shivering uncontrollably. I reached for his hands and they were ice cold. He had to be warmed up quickly or he would suffer irreparable harm. I removed his uniform jacket and tie. His hands were so cold he couldn't even unbutton his shirt so I had to do that also. Walking him over to the hot tub, I removed his shoes, socks and started to remove his pants. He mumbled something that I couldn't understand but I reminded him that I was a nurse and he didn't have anything I hadn't seen before. Once he got into the hot tub I bumped the temperature up as high as it would go. I hung his uniform up after removing his wallet, key ring and two letters placing them on the night table next to his bed. His cell phone I brought out to the living room and placed it on a table. After several minutes his body temperature began to rise and he was able to speak. "What happened?" I asked. I sat on the side of the hot tube with my feet in the warm water as he began to tell me what had transpired over the past forty-five minutes. "Shortly after you started your bath, the front desk called and told me they had located your bag. I went down to retrieve it. When I asked for it they told me it wasn't there but they knew where it was. It had been delivered to the Sheridan Hotel which was just down the street." "The owner of the bag had called the airline when he received your bag. His name was Sean O'Reilly . . . Father Sean O'Reilly a Catholic priest. He was here to perform a wedding for his niece. All of his robes and vestments were in that suitcase and he was quite concerned about it." "So I thought. . what the heck I'll just walk over and exchange the suitcases. The hotel was less than one hundred-fifty yards away. What I didn't count on was how cold it was outside. Anyway, I went and exchanged the bags and met with the Father. He is seventy-four years old and he thanked me profusely for bringing it to him." "Walking back here was brutal. The temperature had dropped to least minus 20 degrees and, with the snow blowing in my face, it was slow going. I did slip once or twice on the icy sidewalks. Fortunately I didn't fall." "Why?" I asked. "Why did you go in the first place to retrieve my suitcase?" With that he launched into a long rambling explanation of his reasons. I had to stop him from continuing. "Really, why did you go?" Grinning at me he confessed. "I know women don't want to be seen wearing the same outfit two days in a row . . . so" Splashing water in his face I got up saying. "Get out of the tub. I took the liberty of ordering dinner from room service and it should be arriving shortly. Hope you like what I chose." I said, throwing him a robe to put on. Ten minutes later we were sitting across from each other enjoying an excellent meal. Midway through it he sat back in his seat and chuckled. "What so funny?" I asked. "Oh." He replied. "I was just thinking that just a few short hours ago we didn't even know each other. Now here we are sitting next to each other, dressed in nothing more than bathrobes, having a late supper just like an old married couple." I sighed and muttered under my breath. "Don't I wish it were so?" "What did you say? I couldn't quite hear you." Before I could reply his cell phone began to ring. I reached over to the end table it was sitting on and handed it to him. He answered and began talking to someone he called Uncle Jack explaining to him all about the flight delay and having to spend the next few days holed up waiting for the storm to pass. Listening to the other person talk for some minutes he answered. "Yep. I know it will take at least that long to clear up the back log. So go ahead and make the arrangements, but for two. Great! I'll be expecting his call. Have him call me here at the Hilton Airport Hotel. We're in 'Suite A'. Yeah. I did say 'two' and I did say 'we'. Thanks, Uncle Jack. Give Aunt Beth a kiss and a hug for me. See you in a couple of days. Bye." Ending the call he looked at me and said. "Let me tell you about Uncle Jack." He's not really my uncle. When my mother and father were killed my grandfather sought out an attorney to find out if there was any legal action he could take against the driver and the trucking company. Uncle Jack, Jack Reynolds, was fresh out of law school and agreed to look into the matter on a contingency basis. He would only be paid if he sued and won the case." "He impressed my grandfather with his tenacity and thoroughness. He managed to win a substantial amount of money for me. When it came time to settle on his fees he told grand dad he was only charging ten percent of the award and not the customary thirty to forty percent most attorneys did." "My grand dad and Jack became quite good friends despite the difference in age. When my grand mother found out that Jack wasn't married she introduced him to the daughter of one of her friends. They hit it off really good. So good that eight months later they were married. Now he and his wife, Beth, were included in all of our family activities. They were unable to have any children of their own so I became the child in their lives. Mr. Reynolds became Uncle Jack and Mrs. Reynolds became Aunt Beth." "Anyway, let me tell you about this call I just had with him," he continued. "Uncle Jack reminded me that when this storm passes it will be several days, if not longer, before flights resume to anywhere near normal. That means I could be here as long as ten days. So he is arranging alternate transportation for me. You heard me tell him to make the arrangements for the two of us." "Why would you do that for me, I asked? With a kind of goofy look on his face he replied, "I didn't want to see you lose your suitcase . . . again." "Oh, come on be serious with me." I responded slapping him gently on his arm. With a straight face Rick replied. "Well, I wanted to make sure, ahhh, make sure I got my T-shirt and socks back." "Really. You're not going to tell me. Are you?" "OK, ok." I'll tell you." Grasping both her hands he continued. "Because . . . I . . . ahhh . . . I . . ." Just then the hotel phone rang again. "I better answer that." He said dropping my hands. The call was from Uncle Jack's contact at the airport. He explained that the storm was expect to blow itself out by late tomorrow afternoon. The plan was for him to arrange for us to be picked up early the day after. He would be sure to have an early departure time with flight operations. If everything went according to plan we should arrive in Jacksonville by late afternoon that day. After telling all this to me. He just blurted out. "Because I won't abandon you here. I care about you. I'd like to make you a part of my . . . " He didn't finish his thought when I launched myself at him with such force that he lost his balance and fell back on to the sofa with me on top me of him. "I am so sorry. I must have tripped on the carpet or something. Are you all right? I didn't hurt you, did I?" I asked. Quickly scampering from his lap to sit next to him. We spent the rest of the evening talking. Actually, it was mostly me. I told him about growing up in a military family. Always moving from base to base, losing friends and making new ones along the way. He sat and really listened to me. Only interrupting to ask about something I said before encouraging me to continue. Finally, about two in the morning, we went to bed each in our own room. Two Letters Chapter Three The following morning when I woke up I saw that it was still snowing, but not as hard. After showering and shaving I dressed in some sweats and walked into the little kitchen. As I made some coffee I thought about what Susan had told me the night before. One thing stuck out in my mind. She hardly ever mentioned 'I' or 'me' in her conservation. She was totally different from Carol who always talked about herself as if there was no one else in the world as important. That was just one of the things that impressed me about her. About thirty minutes later I heard stirring from her room so I called room service and ordered breakfast for two. Just as it arrived she emerged from her room. "Oh, how thoughtful. I'm starving," she said. After we finished eating she continued where she had left off the night before. She told me about going to nursing school at UF. She really wanted to be a doctor but couldn't afford to pay for the additional schooling. Then she told me about her boyfriend, Paul, Paul Morgan. He had gone to LA to try to break into the film industry as an actor. He asked her to come with him. At the time she thought she was in love with him and agreed. After several weeks he began to change. Staying out late, coming back to the apartment after drinking with his friends. Then he stopped looking for work altogether and relied on her salary from the hospital where she had secured a position as a trauma nurse. Twice he had hit her but offered a half-ass apology, promising never to do it again. Then when she found him with another woman she knew it was time to severe the relationship. When she went to the bank the following morning she found out he had emptied her savings and checking account and had almost maxed out her credit card. She just had enough left on her VISA card to buy a ticket back to Florida. When I heard this I was furious. It was then I decided to make things very, very uncomfortable for this guy. Excusing myself for a few minutes I went into my bedroom and made two calls on my cell phone. When I returned Susan, again thanked me for everything I had done for her. "With only twenty dollars in my purse I was desperate." She said. "And then I met you, my knight in shining armor. You allowed me to stay in your hotel suite. You fed me and most importantly you listened to me. I will repay you as soon as I find job when I get home. Believe me, please." We spent the rest of the day talking, using the hot tub and relaxing. At dinner time we went downstairs to the hotel's dining room for an excellent meal and afterward spent some time in the lounge and shared a few dances. About eleven we went back to the suite and went to our separate rooms. Chapter Four The next morning our transportation to the airport was right on time. The main roads had been cleared but a lot of snow still remained on the side streets. The airfield was back up and functioning and as promised our flight on the private business jet left around 10AM. When we arrived in Jacksonville later that afternoon we were met by my Uncle Jack and another man he introduced as Mike. They brought me a rental car and Mike would be driving Uncle Jack back to the office in his car. Uncle Jack took me aside and told me that the situation I called about the previous day had been resolved. "Your buddies said to call them and they would fill you in on all the details." He told me. "Here take this." Thrusting an envelope into my hands. "It's her bank statements as of 2:00p.m. this afternoon. I would recommend that she change her on-line passwords today. I put a laptop with 4G connectivity in the rental. She can use it while you take her home." As we rejoined Mike and Susan he asked me about Carol. I took her letter out of my jacket and handed it to him. After reading it and handing it back he said, "Your Aunt Beth never really liked her. She found her shallow and too self-centered. You are better off without her." "I know, Uncle Jack, I know." I replied. Placing the letter back into the envelope I ripped it in half and then in half again before dropping it into a nearby trash container. As I did it I couldn't help but notice the smile that appeared on Susan face. Grabbing both our suitcases I placed them in the rental car Uncle Jack had secured for me. Turning to him I embraced him and said. "It's great to be home again. Thank you for everything." Patting me on the back he responded. "Your grandmother was very, very proud of you. Come by and see me tomorrow at the office." Turning to Susan he said. "I am so glad to meet you. I hope we get to see more of you. I know Beth would love to get together with you." Nodding toward me he continued. "Rick bring her over to the house on Friday evening around seven for dinner. OK?" With that he and Mike were off. After settling Susan in the rental car I got in and asked for directions to her parent's home. "Just take I-295 south to exit eleven and then go north past the Naval Air Station into Orange Park." I gave her the envelope from Uncle Jack. She opened it and quickly scanned the contents. "How . . . how can this be? I don't understand. I have all my savings and the money in my checking accounts back. More, in fact." "Two of my team members paid him a visit and he was given an attitude readjustment. Let's just say that Paul Morgan had a change of heart after their little talk. But right now you need to change your account passwords." "May I use your cell phone? I would like to call my parents and let them know what's happening." During the conservation she told them everything that had occurred over the past 72 hours. Twenty-five minutes later we entered an older neighborhood just north of Jacksonville Naval Air Station. Her mom and dad's house was surrounded by other well maintained homes. Their home was nestled in amongst several large oak trees. Walking her to the front door, wheeling her suitcase behind me, we were met by her mother. Susan was immediately embraced by her mother and her father had his arms around both of them. For several moments no one spoke, there was just tears. Finally, Susan was able to break their embrace and turning toward me she said, "Mom, Dad this is Rick, my knight in shining amour. Rick, this Patrick and Maureen Riley, my parents." Her father looked at me in my uniform and a huge smile broke out on his face. "Commander, please come inside. Welcome to our home. Please just call me Pat." Taking her suitcase from me he said, "I cannot begin to tell you how much my wife and I appreciate all you have done for Susan." He led me into a sunroom overlooking a screened-in pool. "Can I fix you a drink? I have everything . . . bourbon, scotch, gin you name it." "I'll have whatever you're drinking," I replied. "Great. 'Wild Turkey 101' over some ice coming up. How about you girls, white wine?" I settled into a comfortable rattan love seat and Susan promptly sat right next to me. We chatted about this and that for a while and then Susan and her mother, Maureen, excused themselves and left us. As soon as the women were out of the room he leaned toward me and asked. "How did you manage to get that asshole to return her savings and checking account money?" "Well, I phoned one of my former SEAL team mates and told him what had happened. When I mentioned that he also had hit her a couple of times . . . " "What! He hit my daughter. Wait until I get my hands on him. I'll kill that son-of-a-bitch!" He exclaimed. "That might not be necessary." As I continued. "My buddy and a couple of his shipmates paid him a visit that night. I know them all pretty well and they most likely 'touched' him up a little bit. Well, maybe not just a 'little' bit." I said with a grin on my face. "Anyway, Mr. Morgan decided it was in his best interest to comply with their suggestions regarding her money." Draining his glass, he asked. "How about a refill?" "I'd better not. Haven't had much to eat today and I still have about a half-hour drive home. Thanks anyway." As I stood to leave Susan reentered the room. "You are staying for supper." She stated, twirling the car keys to the rental on her finger and tucking them in the pocket of her apron. "Mom and I prepared one of her special dishes for us, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans and apple pie." "Since you have my keys I guess I'm staying and I'll take you up on the offer of a second drink, Mr. Riley." "Please, it's Pat." He said again, returning with another drink. Twenty minutes later we sat down to one of the best fried chicken meals that I could remember. Later that evening after saying good-bye and expressing my thanks for a truly great meal Susan walked me out to my car. "You know they really, really like you. I've never seen daddy take to one of my boyfriends so quickly." "Ahh . . boyfriend?" "You better believe it." She said throwing her arms around my neck and giving me a long, lingering kiss. "I plan on us seeing a lot of each other." "Whew." I said gasping for air. "I could get use to this real fast . . . girl friend. How about tomorrow night for dinner? I'll pick you up around seven and dress casual." "I'll be ready." She answered, kissing me again. I drove to my grandmother's house a large two story home with wrap porches on both levels. Located on four acres of land that abutted the Saint John's River the house needed renovation and upgrading. Unlocking the front door I stepped into what had been the place where I had spent some of the happiest years of my life. It was then that I knew what I wanted to do. The following morning I had several errands to run. Driving to my Uncle Jack's office I stepped up to the receptionist's desk, told her my name and asked to see Mr. Jack Reynolds. "Do you have an appointment?" She asked. "Without an appointment, I'm afraid it will be impossible to see him." Just then my Aunt Beth walked up to me. Throwing her arms around me and hugging me tightly for several moments telling how sorry and devastated she was with the death of my grandmother, her long time friend. Turning to the receptionist, she said sweetly. "Sally, this is Marie Hauff's grandson and he never needs an appointment to see Mr. Reynolds. Please call Jack's secretary and tell her we're here." Two minutes later we found ourselves in Uncle Jack's office. He quickly brought me up to speed on what was happening. The will had been filed and he expected it to clear probate in a matter of a week or two. "You are the sole heir to your grandmother estate and just as soon as we clear any and all claims against the estate I see no reason why you cannot legally take control of her bequest. As you know Beth, your Aunt Beth, was your grandmother's financial advisor and she will be able to give you a ball park estimate of Marie's holdings." Aunt Beth opened her briefcase and withdrew several documents. Glancing at them she said to me. "Right now, and I haven't finished tabulating all of your grandmother's holdings, I would estimate that her liquid assets to be in the neighborhood of 150 to 160 million dollars. The house, land and other tangible properties add approximately another twenty to thirty-million to that figure." Sitting back in my chair I took a large breath and exhaling slowly I asked. "Can you repeat those numbers, please?" Aunt Beth replied. "One hundred and fifty upward to one hundred and sixty-million dollars plus the real estate and other tangible properties. I may have been her financial advisor, but I must tell you Marie was a wizard when it came to investments. Everything she touched turned to gold. For example, she bought Apple at twenty-five dollars a share and sold it at over fifteen hundred dollars a share. She invested wisely in real estate and made a killing, selling out just before the bust. She was a truly amazing women. I learned a lot from her." I sat in my chair trying to come to grips with what I had just been told. "Why didn't she spend some of this money on herself? I mean we were comfortable, I never wanted for anything while I was growing up, but . . . . . " "She did it all for you, Rick." Uncle Jack replied. Taking all this in all I could do was sit there and try not to cry. Grandma, Oma Marie, meant everything to me. Now that she was gone I realized just how much I meant to her. I resolved that I would do everything in my power to keep her memory alive. "Now this girl you met, Susan, have you told her anything about this?" "No, she thinks that I'm living off the remainder of my trust fund and mustering out pay. I don't think she is anything like Carol." "Well, sooner or later you are going to have to tell her." Aunt Beth said. "I would recommend sooner rather than later." "I know, I know." I replied. "I just don't when." Returning the rental car was the second on my to-do list. I then walked across the street to the Ford dealer and looked at their offerings. The Mustang GT was a sweet looking ride and I was sorely tempted. Then I saw a F-150 XLT super crew cab. It would be the practical choice for the plans I had in mind. Ninety minutes later I drove away from the dealership in the F-150. On the drive back home I began to make a mental list of what I wanted to do with the house. Up graded electrical service with solar electrical capability, new energy efficient air conditioning and heat, new plumbing fixtures, complete new kitchen, additional insulation in the attic and walls, restore all the wood floors through out, and the list went on and on. I would put the degree in building construction I earned in college to good use. I planned on subcontracting out the work I couldn't perform. When I arrived home I sat down at my computer and committed all my ideas and plans to writing. Around four o'clock I started getting ready for my date that night with my new 'girl friend'. Leaving a little after six in my new truck I drove to Pat and Maureen's home to pick up Susan. With the afternoon traffic it took me almost fifty minutes to make the trip. When I rang the doorbell it was six fifty-five. Pat welcomed me at the door and explained that Susan would be ready in just a few moments. "Where are you heading? If you don't mind me asking?" He said. 'I thought we would go to Joe's Crab Shack. It's on the ocean at the end of Beach Boulevard." I answered. "I know it well. 'Reen' and I both like eating there. It's not fancy but the food is good and you can actually hear yourself talk without having to yell. I would offer you a drink, but it looks like Susan is ready to go." We ate dinner together, sharing a large order of crabs and two whole lobsters. I began telling her of my plans to renovate a house. I didn't tell her it was mine now after my grandmother's death. She asked a few questions about the house and sounded enthused about my project. Chapter Five Two weeks just flew by. The house now had a new metal roof and I had all the windows replaced with high efficiency ones. Right now there was a crew doing lead paint abatement to the interior. They were to finish in a few days then I could start painting and then sand and refinish the wooden floors. Meanwhile the air conditioning/heating contractor as well as the plumbing and electrical contractors were ready to start just when the lead paint abatement crew finished. Susan had found a new position at Shands Medical Center in Jacksonville as a trauma nurse working in the emergency room. She was on the 11PM to 7AM shift and had to work weekends with Wednesdays and Thursdays off. I made the adjustment and managed to find the time to be with her those evenings. Somehow she wasn't the same person she had been just a few short weeks ago but I chalked it up to the crazy hours she was working. When my grandmother's will cleared probate I was called to come to Uncle Jack's office to finalize the terms of her bequest. So on Friday morning I went over to his office to sign the necessary documents. Aunt Beth was there with the final tabulations of my grandmother's estate. After taxes I stood to inherit over one hundred and seventy-five million dollars. This included the liquid assets as well as the real estate and other tangible property. I was flabbergasted with the news and couldn't wait to share it with Susan and her parents. As I walked from the office Uncle Jack and Aunt Beth accompanied me to the parking lot. Aunt Beth told me they were leaving for the airport right then to start a long extended vacation in Europe. I told them I was finally going to 'come clean' to Susan and disclose my true financial position. Also, I was going to 'pop' the question to Susan that afternoon. Giving me a big hug and a pat on the back they extended me and Susan their congratulations and best wishes before getting into their car. Checking the ring box to be sure everything was in order I left for Orange Park. As I drove down her street I noticed that Pat's SUV was not in the driveway. An old beater Chevy Vega, with a California plates, was parked along the curb in front of the house. Pulling behind the Vega I walked to the front door and, finding it unlocked, went inside. Standing in the living room were Susan and a man locked in an embrace kissing each other. A half-filled bottle of champagne with two empty glasses was on the coffee table. The top of Susan's scrubs lay on the floor and her bra, while not off, was opened in the back. I turned and walked out of the house. As I headed back to my truck I was met by Pat and Maureen just returning home. "Hi Rick." Maureen said. "What are you doing here on a Friday afternoon?" "Nothing now." I replied handing her the ring box. "I won't be needing this anymore. Tell Susan that I hope she's happy." I left them both standing there with a look of puzzlement on their faces as I got in my truck. Leaving I drove around aimlessly for a couple of hours trying to put everything into perspective before heading home. My cell phone rang once and seeing it display the Riley's home phone number I turned it off. As I drove over the St. John's River I lowered the passenger side window and threw it out. It hit the top of the guard rail before continuing its journey into the water. For the next three months I threw all my energy into completing my grandmother's house . . . . my house now. The days were fairly easy to get through without thinking about Susan. Working with the subcontractors and doing much of the painting and refinishing of the wood floors myself took my mind off things. But the nights were horrible. I couldn't sleep. Every time I closed my eyes the replay of that afternoon swam before me. When I did manage to fall asleep the nightmares kept waking me up. I was lucky if I managed three or fours of sleep a night. Finally, everything was completed. The new kitchen cabinets, marble counter tops and new stainless steel appliances had been installed the week before. The punch list of little odds-and-ends to be corrected was finished. The only thing left was to have grandmothers antique furniture brought back from storage. I only kept the best of her things. The rest was donated to the Salvation Army, Wounded Warriors and Vietnam Vets. New furniture for my office, bedroom and the remaining bedrooms would be delivered the next day same as Oma Marie's antiques. Her bedroom with its antique furniture would remain the same as when she left. Rising well before dawn, after another sleepless night, I carried all of my personal items, desktop computer, scanner, printer/fax machine and other electronics to my new home from the trailer. My metal desks, filing cabinets, draftsmen table and roll away bed I was giving to the guy who rented me the trailer. He was to come by and pick it up early that afternoon. Two Letters A little after nine in the morning the first truck arrived with my new furniture followed by the truck from the storage facility with the antiques. By noon everything was in place. The fellow that rented me the contractor trailer showed up just before one. He was really surprised, and very appreciative, when I told him the trailer was now equipped with furniture for his next customer. He was hooked up and gone by one-thirty. Just before two o'clock the lawn service crew arrived for their regularly scheduled maintenance. Ramon was accompanied by three of his sons and one of his many grandsons. Ramon had taken care of the place ever since I could remember. Oma had told me shortly after Opa Karl's death how it all came about. Ramon Garcia was a Cuban refugee, arriving in the US in 1960. He, his mother and two younger sisters had escaped Castro and the new communist government in a small boat. His father had been killed in the attempt to flee. At age fifteen he became the man of the house. One day he was riding down the street on his bicycle pulling an old rotary mower behind him looking for work. Seeing my grandfather struggling to cut the grass on a hot July afternoon, he stopped and offered to finish the job. Opa took one look at all that remained to do and said sure, go to it. Two and half hours later the job was completed. Not only had Ramon cut the grass he found Opa's hedge clippers, trimmed all the hedges and ran the edger along the sidewalks and driveway. When my grandfather asked him how much he owed the young boy replied. "Would five dollars be too much?" Your Opa told him five dollars was not what he had in mind. The job was worth at least twenty-five dollars. He asked Ramon to stop by once a week during the summer and once a month in the winter. One day, shortly after I had returned home, Ramon finished my grandmother's story. Ramon went on to tell me that when he reached his eighteenth birthday my grandfather led him around to the back of the house, by the garage, where a used Ford pickup truck complete with trailer stood in the driveway. On the trailer was a riding lawn mower, gas edger and a string trimmer. "Your grandfather gave me a piece of paper, the keys to the truck and wished me a Happy Birthday." "Patron, I told him. I cannot accept this from you. It is too much." "Do you know what he told me?" He said. "Ramon, I have watched you for almost three years ever since you started doing my lawn work. You never put forth less than one-hundred percent effort for me. This is my gift to you for your years for hard work and loyalty. You WILL ACCEPT this my young friend." "Patron Rick, I cried and thanking him I promised that I would take care of this house for as long as it stood. He gave me the start to build a business that has been very good to me and my family over the years. When your grandfather died it was if my own father had died. Of course, I continued to care for this property for your grandmother until she died and I grieve for her as well." "My sons know of this promise and their young sons as well. We will always be here for you, too. Your grandfather and grandmother were wonderful people and my family misses them. They, as well as you, are in our prayers every night." It was a few weeks after this when I noticed that Ramon's riding mower was giving him problems. The next time he and his sons showed up to work on the property a new John Deere X-700 lawn tractor was in the driveway with a big bow and a Happy Birthday sign attached to it. It wasn't his birthday but it was close enough. After some haggling he accepted it and, with tears in his eyes, he told me I was just like my grandfather. I could think of no greater compliment. Later in the afternoon, while sitting on the back porch, after having moved in, I heard a car in the driveway. Walking around to the side porch I watched Pat Riley get out of his SUV and stroll toward the house. Greeting him I asked. "How did you find me?" "It wasn't easy." He replied. "May I have a few minutes of your time?" "Sure. I've got nothing but time now. Come around back and join me on the porch for a drink." As we walked around to the back steps to the porch I quickly stepped into the house and returned with a bucket of ice, two glasses and a bottle of 'Wild Turkey 101'. After pouring both of us a generous amount of the 'Turkey' I repeated my question. "How did you find me?" "I tried to call in favors from some of my former shipmates but they came up empty. I called your Uncle Jack's office but was told he was out of the country and, no, they would not release any information about you. Your cell phone number is no longer in service. So it was tough." I thought about my new cell phone lying on my desk, turned off and probably needing to be recharged. I hadn't seen any reason to turn it on. "Anyway." Pat continued. "The day before yesterday I got lucky. I called one of my buddies in San Diego, explained what I needed, and he knew a friend who knew a friend that knew someone over at Coronado. He called me this morning with your address and made me swear not to divulge where I got it." "Rick, she is a mess. She can't sleep, won't eat and is on administrative leave from the hospital because she can't function at her job. She has lost over fifteen pounds, that she can't afford. Every time she looks at that ring box on the dining room table she starts crying hysterically. Her mom won't put it away. That box stays there to remind her of what she threw away." "When 'Reen' and I walked into the house that day and saw what you must have seen I was enraged. I took that bastard and physically threw him out of my house. Told him I better not ever see him again or he wouldn't live long enough to regret it. Then her mother and I started in on her." "She was pretty much unresponsive. Almost if she was drunk out of her mind. 'Reen' put her to bed and I went to check my surveillance tapes." "Surveillance tapes?" I questioned. "Yeah. About ten years ago I was stationed at Norfolk and our house was broken into a couple of times. The cops were no help. So I got some video cameras and set them up to record to my computer's hard drive whenever there was any movement in our living quarters. I'd activate the system whenever we left in the morning and check it in the evenings when we all returned home. Caught the little SOB's two weeks later." "When we moved to Orange Park I set up the system again. When I reviewed the recording I saw what happened. That son-of-a-bitch put something into her glass when her back was turned. I took the bottle and the two glasses to the cops along with a DVD copy of the surveillance recording. They tested it. The bottle came up clean but one glass, the one with her lipstick on it, came back positive for Rohynol, Ketamine and GHB." "That bastard drugged her and was going to rape her. But that is still not an excuse for her. She never should have let him in the house in the first place. I'm still pissed at her for that, but she is my daughter and I love her. Would you, could you, please talk to her?" Taking a big sip of my drink I said. "OK. My turf. Tomorrow night around six. All three of you come for dinner and we'll see if we can straighten out this mess." Handing me a DVD in a plastic case he implored me to look at it after he left. I said I would. Later that evening as I viewed the DVD it depicted everything as he described. I promised myself if I ever ran across Paul Morgan he would pay dearly for his actions. Chapter Six The following night Pat's SUV rolled into the driveway a little before six. He and Maureen each grabbed one of Susan's hands and gently led her up the steps to the front door. Attached to the wall just above the doorbell was a bronze plaque I had made. The dedication simply read. Opa Karl Frederick Hauff 1921 - 1999 Oma Marie Christina Hauff 1922 - 2011 A House Filled with Love After reading it, as I knew they would, Pat rang the doorbell. I opened the door to find Pat and Maureen standing next to their daughter a half step behind her. I extended my hand to Susan and welcomed her to my home. She looked so forlorn and vulnerable I immediately swept her up into my arms. "I've seen daddy's surveillance video and by watching it I can imagine how much hurt and pain you must have endured. I am so sorry." She softly cried onto my shoulder. I embraced her tightly and smelled the fragrance of her hair. Kissing the top of her head I responded. "We'll talk about all this later. Right now let's enjoy the evening together." Placing my arm around her I guided her into the family room which opened onto the kitchen. "Please sit down and make yourself comfortable while check on the progress of our meal. I'm making something special and it should be ready in about thirty minutes." I said. "What would like to drink? I know Pat would like a 'Wild Turkey', how about you girls? We are having a white wine with dinner, so a cocktail is probably more appropriate." Maureen opted for a rum and coke while Susan wanted just a coke saying. "Alcohol got me in trouble once and I'm not taking any chances tonight." After I served the drinks to everyone we sat and looked at each other. No one wanted to recognize the 800 pound gorilla in the room. Finally, I broke the silence. "Susan, I'm so sorry that I haven't talked to you for all these months." I started saying. "I was inconsiderate and hurtful to you and I sincerely apologize for that. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?" "I watched the first part of the DVD your father gave me. After I saw what that man did to you I couldn't continue past that point." I confessed. "I should have done something to protect you from . . . ." "Rick! Stop right now. You didn't know, how could have known, that he drugged me. I am just ashamed that I even gave him the opportunity. He had been coming by work after I finished my shift wanting to talk, wanting to say how sorry he was for treating me so badly and for stealing my savings. I accepted his apology and he asked if he could see me again." "I said I didn't know, that I would have to think about it. I was surprised when he showed up at the house that day. He had a bottle of champagne with him. He said he wanted to celebrate with me. That he had been offered a part in a film back in California and would be leaving to return there in a few days. I said OK and invited him inside. You know the rest." "What you saw must have crushed you and . . . ." "Stop right there, young lady," Maureen broke in. "Don't beat yourself up over what that, that bastard did to you." "Rick, there is nothing that I need to forgive you for. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?" Susan said I got up from my seat and went over to entertainment cabinet and retrieved the DVD in its plastic case. Walking back I sat next to her on the sofa and handed her the case. "Susan, what happen is in the past. Our future is ahead of us." I said handing her the case. She looked at the case and opened it. I had broke the DVD disk in half before replacing it back inside the protective case. With a small sob she broke the two pieces in half again and then wrapped her arms around me. I saw tears in both Pat and Maureen's eyes and I know they were flowing freely from my eyes as well. We all sat there for several minutes not saying a word. Just then the timer I had set alerted me that dinner was ready. "Let's eat." I announced. I had prepared baked grouper 'Bimini' style. That is, stuffed with crabmeat and shrimp. Accompanying it was a fresh salad, baked potato and a green bean casserole with fried onions. OK. I'll admit the recipes came from Ramon's wife, Isabella. But I did manage prepare it all by myself. After dinner we adjourned back to the family room for a generous slice of key lime pie and a cup of coffee. "Now I have a confession to make . . . well not really a confession but I want to share with you some news." "As you know my grandmother passed away some months ago." I said. "And I inherited her estate. Along with this house, she left me some money that I used to perform the renovations." I was not entirely sure that I wanted to share the true amount of my inheritance right at that moment. Everyone congratulated me on my good fortune and we continued speaking about the renovation of the house. Showing them what I had done in each of the other rooms took the better part of the rest of the evening. As they readied themselves to leave, I asked Susan if she would go out with me on her next evening off. "Any night you want to take me out will be fine. I go on the day shift tomorrow." She answered. So we started dating again. At first it was only one or two times a week. Soon we were seeing each other almost every night after she got off work. Sometimes I would pick her up from the hospital. Other times she would take the bus or a girl friend dropped her off at home. Dinner, movies, concerts, sporting events, we did them all. Several times we went to clubs that featured live bands. I could only dance the slow dances. Fast dances put a strain on my knee that caused it to swell and become very painful. So we sat those out. On more than one occasion some guy would come over and ask to dance. She always turned them down nicely. If they persisted she could and did become very blunt. Asking them, "What part about NO do you not understand?" One Friday evening we went to the Irish Pub on Jacksonville Beach. We had a small table and were enjoying the evening talking with each other. I had to use the men's room and excused myself. Returning, I ran into a couple of old friends that I knew from college sitting at the bar with their wives. I told them I had someone I wanted them to meet and would they like to join us at our table. As we made our way through the crowd I saw a man sitting in my seat talking with Susan. She did not have a happy look on her face and must have said something him. He abruptly stood up, knocking the chair over, and grabbed Susan with one hand and drew back his other as if to hit her. I reached him just before he was able to strike her and grabbed his arm, spinning him around. It was Paul Morgan. As he spun around he released Susan and took a wild swing at me striking me a glancing blow to my upper arm. I would like to be able to tell you that I then proceeded to beat the crap out of him for the next ten minutes. But the truth is it was all over in less than five seconds. I hit him twice. Once in the solar plexus knocking the breath from him followed by a right to the face. I felt a satisfying crunch as his nose broke and his lip split open. He dropped to his knees and pitched face forward, out cold, onto the floor breaking four of his front teeth. By the time the bouncer got to us it was all over and the cops were right behind him. My friends, as well as the couple sitting at an adjoining table, told the cops what Morgan was doing to Susan and that he swung at me first. With that they handcuffed him just as the EMTs arrived. They treated him for several minutes and he regained consciousness before the cops hauled him away. He would receive further treatment once they got him to the jail. After taking statements from everyone who witnessed the altercation we were released and allow to leave. We found out the next day that when they searched him they found several date rape drugs in his pockets. We also discovered that there were several warrants outstanding, charging him with attempted sexual assault and sexual battery. It took me a while to settle Susan down as she was quite upset with what had transpired. Finally, we did manage to have a friendly chat with my friends as they told her some of the crazy things we did while in school together. Susan was able, after a while, to join in the conservation but she never let go of my arm for the rest of the evening. A couple of weeks later, in early August, I went to a jewelry store and bought another ring. I was going to ask her to marry me on her birthday. On the evening of her birthday I took her mom and dad, Uncle Jack and Aunt Beth along with us to celebrate. I made reservations at a very exclusive restaurant on the riverfront in Jacksonville. I asked for, and was given, a secluded table overlooking the river. After the waiter took our drink orders and delivered them to us, he took our orders for dinner. It was then I asked Susan to marry me offering her the new ring. Susan looked at me and the ring and said, "I can't. I mean I can't except this ring when I have a very special one right here in my purse." Taking the ring, that I had purchased several months ago, still in its' tattered box from her purse she said. "This is the one I want. It will always remind me of what I might have lost every time I look at it and to make sure that nothing ever comes between our love for each again. YES! I will marry you. You have made me the happiest woman alive." The three women immediately went into wedding planning mode. What date have you chosen, have you thought about a guest list, flowers, bridesmaids, grooms men . . . Uncle Jack and Pat kinda just rolled their eyes at me with a silly smirk on their faces. Fortunately, dinner was served and the questions stopped for a short time while we ate. Over dessert Susan explained what she wanted. "When I was a little girl my fantasy wedding was to be married in a huge church with hundreds of guests. My wedding gown would have a train twenty feet long and I would carry a bouquet of white roses. I dreamed of a lavish reception with a live band and sumptuous food. But now I realize that those kind of weddings are best left as fantasies." She said looking at her mom and dad. "What I really, really want is to be married to a man I love with all my heart and who loves me for who I am. So what I want now is a small affordable wedding. Just family and a few close friends. For the reception, I want to keep it small and low key. No live bands or expensive foods. As for the date I have no preference. Tomorrow, next week, next month I don't care just as long as it's Rick I marry." She said kissing me. "Just as long as it's you." She whispered in my ear. The following day I called Maureen and asked if she and Pat would have lunch with me. I told them I had an idea that I wanted to discuss with them. She agreed and they would meet me at 'Joe's Crab Shack'. I, also, invited my Aunt Beth to join us. I got there first and secured one of the outside tables overlooking the ocean. After we had ordered our lunch, I began explaining my idea. "How can you afford to do all this?" Maureen asked me. "Oh, Rick." Aunt Beth exclaimed. "You still haven't told them, have you?" "Told us, what?" Pat asked. I sat there looking on sheepishly when Aunt Beth just blurted it out. "He can more than afford it. Even if he spent a half million dollars it wouldn't put a dent in his bank account." They were amazed when I finally came clean with them and told them how much I really inherited from my grandmother. I did ask that they not share this information with Susan. Aunt Beth interrupted me once more. "Actually, Rick, you need to add another two point two million to that figure. Return on investments and interest, you know. It adds up rather quickly." "Pat." I continued. "I don't mean to usurp your role as the father of the bride in paying for Susan's wedding. If I offend you, I sincerely apologize. I really would like to give Susan her fairy tale wedding. Pat sat back in his seat for a moment before speaking. "No, I'm not offended. I really like your idea, but I . . . we wouldn't feel right with you footing the entire cost for what you propose." Two Letters "OK," I replied. "Why don't you pay for Susan's wedding dress and the flowers?" "Deal!" He responded. "Great! Aunt Beth has agreed to help Maureen with all the details." Taking two debit cards from my shirt pocket I passed one to each of the ladies. "Take these to pay for all the expenses. There is one hundred thousand dollars on each of them. If you need more don't hesitate to tell me. Get the very best. Susan deserves to have the wedding of her dreams." Three days later Maureen and Pat called me to say that Susan had found the perfect wedding dress at one of the bridal shops down by the mall. They gave me the name of the shop when I asked. Later that afternoon I called and spoke with the manager. I introduce myself and told her my idea, asking if it were possible. She said it was and thought it was a very romantic idea. She promised to keep it a secret from Susan. Over the next two months Maureen and Aunt Beth worked tirelessly in pulling together all the details to make the wedding and reception a success. They asked once for some help in finding someone who could provide the tent shelters along with tables and chairs for the back lawn where we planned to have the reception. I immediately thought of Ramon. I called him and he agreed to meet with us at my house. After explaining what we had in mind he told us not to worry. He had a cousin who specialized in setting up events such as ours and he would take care of everything. Chapter Seven Finally the day of my wedding was here. Mom and dad had arranged everything but wanted to keep some of the details a secret to surprise me. Last night's rehearsal dinner went splendidly. The wedding party, my parents, Uncle Jack, Aunt Beth and all the out of town guests had a wonderful dinner at a great little place. That morning my mom and I got our hair done, a manicure and make-up professionally applied before heading to the church. My wedding dress was to be delivered there. When we arrived at the church my dress wasn't there. I began to panic as mom called the dress shop. "Not to worry." She told me after ending the call. "It's on the way. Their van had a flat tire and was delayed until someone came to fix it. Let's go next door to the coffee shop and wait." When we returned the dress was there with a note of apology for its late arrival. By then the guests had begun arriving and we had to scramble to get me dressed. As mom removed the dress from the garment bag I took one look at it and exclaimed. "That's not my dress!" I was almost in tears. "That's not my dress. Look it has a long train." "Well, dear." Mom answered. "It's too late to get yours here. At least try it on and see how it fits." I did try it on and it fit perfectly, absolutely perfectly. Looking at myself in the dressing room mirror I saw myself in the dress of my dreams that I had as a child. Just then there was a knock on the door and my father came in to tell us the ceremony was about to begin and mom had to go out to be seated by one the ushers. He took one look at me and a huge smile broke out on his face. "You look stunning, just stunning Susan." He said with a catch in his voice. "Are you ready? Let's get this show on the road." Grabbing my hand and leading me from the dressing room. As the strains of Felix Mendelssohn's 'Wedding March' filled the church I grasped dad's arm and began my entrance. When I looked up I saw the church was filled to overflowing. With everyone standing and watching me I couldn't even see Rick waiting at the altar. I finally was able to see him about half way up the aisle. He was in his full-dress 'choker white' formal uniform with all of his ribbons and medals. His best man and groomsmen were also in their 'choker whites'. I saw my mother standing in the front pew and Uncle Jack and Aunt Beth in the place of honor on the groom's side of the church. When asked by the priest. "Who gives this woman to be joined in holy matrimony?" Dad answered. "Her mother and I proudly do so." Placing my hand into Rick's he took his place beside my mother. After that everything was kind of a blur. I remember repeating my vows and hearing Rick say his and him placing my wedding ring on my finger. I do definitely remember the kiss we exchanged before heading back down the church aisle together. As we exited the church we passed under an arch of crossed swords held by other uniformed naval officers. It was my fairy tale wedding come true. After everyone had left the church and headed for the reception we went back inside for photographs. Thirty minutes later we were finished. The immediate wedding party had already left when Rick and I made our way to the limo that would take us there. 'There' being a surprise, as I didn't know where it was being held. One more secret withheld from me by mom and dad. When we arrived at Rick's house I was amazed and then dismayed to see the size of the event. "How can my folks afford a reception this large? They will bankrupt themselves." I said to Rick, almost crying. Rick looked at me and said to come with him inside the house. He wanted to show me something. Walking me into his home office he booted up his desktop computer. When he found the file he was seeking he sat me down in front of the monitor. On the screen was a series of accounts only identified by initials. Double click on the one labeled 'HH' he told me. I did and a bank statement showing both savings and checking accounts appeared. "Tell me to who do these accounts belong?" He asked me. I looked and then looked again. They were joint accounts with his and my names listed. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The savings account showed a balance of over one hundred-eighty million dollars. The checking account had over ten million dollars. "Now look at the expenditures in the checking account." He instructed. I saw expenditures for catering, orchestra, tents, staff and the list went on and on. Then I asked him what the other accounts were. He said they were accounts with businesses in which he, now us, had an ownership stake. "For example." He said. "Look at this one." He clicked on the one labeled 'G and H 20%'. It came up as Garcia and Hauff, Construction. "What does the 20% mean?" He answered me saying that it meant he, now we, had a 20% ownership in the company. I scrolled down the list of other accounts and clicked on 'R and H 5%'. I was shocked to see it was 'Riley and Hauff, Video Surveillance'. "I set your dad up with some friends of mine that needed state of the art video surveillance. I had told them about how your dad set it up in his own home. They got in contact with him and decided to have him design a system for them." He explained to me. "Your dad needed start up capital and I gave it to him to get his new business up and running. He wanted to make me an equal partner and I refused. We got into a heated discussion and he finally twisted my arm and got me to agree to taking a 5% share." "In return he had to allow me to pay for the reception and a few other incidentals. Did you know that business has gotten so good for him that he has had to hire ten employees to just keep up with the new orders?" "So, sweetheart, please don't worry about your mom and dad paying for our reception. We paid for it. Now let's go out there and enjoy ourselves with our guests."