"Are you nervous, Sally?" Kim asked as the teens took their seats in the limo.

"I'm very nervous. I hope I don't make a fool of myself," Sally replied. She held her notebook computer case on her lap. Sally twisted so she could talk to her friends in the back of the bus like vehicle.

"We're all there for you-you know that," Jenny said. "If you'd like, we can stand up front with you.

"Maybe, we'll have to see how things go after we talk with the club president," Sally said.

The teens chatted during the drive to the Bahia Mar hotel. Jack paid attention to the road, but joined the conversation.

"Sally, I have all the confidence in the world that you'll do fine tonight. You've worked hard on this and we all know that you have a strong argument for changing the rules," Jack said. Sally grinned at Jack.

The teens arrived at six thirty. They asked for directions to the meeting room when they entered the hotel. The concierge showed them the room on a map of the first floor of the building.

Sally walked next to Jack. He held the door for her as well as the rest of the group. They noticed the podium and took a table near the front of the room. Sally looked around, trying to find the current club president. She saw him sitting at the membership table.

"Will you come with me?" Sally said to Jack.

"We'll all go," Jack said.

The Lady Guinevere fishing team members walked over to the membership table. They stood quietly, waiting for the club president to acknowledge them. When Mr. Nance looked up, he smiled at the teens.

"Hello, kids, can I help you?" Mr. Nance said.

"Yes, Sir. I would like to address the members tonight please. I want to talk about fish mortality and how we can improve the fishery by allowing heavier test line for our tournaments," Sally said in one breath.

"No problem, Sally. I'll call you up after I read the news and take care of the normal items," Mr. Nance said.

"I would like to have a projector that I can connect to my computer too, please," Sally said.

"We can arrange that. I'll have it set up before the meeting starts," Mr. Nance said.

"Thank you, Mr. Nance," Sally said.

"You're welcome, Sally. By the way, Tom Gordon called me earlier to tell me you planned to ask for some time tonight. This has worked out well because our guest speaker is a no-show," Mr. Nance said.

"Does that mean I'm the program tonight?" Sally said.

"It appears that you are. Is that okay?"

"Sure, I just hope I don't make the members fall asleep," Sally replied with a giggle.

The team returned to their table. The boys went to the bar to get sodas while the girls sat down. Kim, Molly, Kathy, and Jenny reassured Sally. They told her that they knew things would go well for her.

"It looks like we're going to have a good turnout tonight," Eddie said. He stood at the bar waiting for the bartender to put the cans of soda on the counter.

Brad, Jack, and Tom glanced around. "It sure does. I wonder if some of them are here because we're meeting in a new place," Brad said.

"This is a lot nicer than the other building," Jack said. "I'll bet it costs more too."

"I don't know how much the hotel charges the club. We'd have to go to a board meeting to find out. They don't cover the club's expenses at the general membership meetings," Brad said. "Jenny is a board member. She represents the youth division."

"She probably knows how much the rent is then," Tom said.

"I don't think so. We were in Michigan for the last board meeting," Eddie said.

The boys took the sodas to the table. They handed cans to the girls and sat down. As the room filled, Sally watched for Judy Mansfield from Ande Line. Ten minutes before the meeting began, Sally saw Judy walk in along with another man. Sally stood up and waved as she walked over to meet her guests.

"Hi, I'm glad you could make it," Sally said. She extended her hand, shaking hands with Judy.

Smiling, Judy said, "I told you I'd be here. Sally, I'd like you to meet Glen Mansfield. Glen is the president of Ande Line, and my father."

"Hi, Mr. Mansfield, I'm pleased to meet you. Come over and meet the rest of the team," Sally said.

"It's nice meeting you too, Sally. I wanted to meet the fishing team that didn't jump at the opportunity to have my company sponsor them." Mr. Mansfield chuckled. "Judy tells me you and your teammates are a rare group."

"I don't think we're rare, Mr. Mansfield. We're very cautious about who sponsors us though. We don't want anyone telling us how to fish," Sally said.

"I promise you that Ande Line Company won't try to influence your team. We know you're successful and we don't want to try to interfere," Mr. Mansfield said.

"That's great. Now, as long as your company is willing to put it in writing, we might be able to reach an agreement," Sally said as she led Judy and Glen to the table.

Glen Mansfield chuckled. Judy smiled and said, "I told you, Dad." He nodded and then he smiled.

Sally introduced Glen Mansfield to the rest of the team. Brad, Jack, Tom, and Eddie stood up to shake his hand. Sally told the others about her conversation about the sponsorship. The entire team nodded in agreement.

"It looks like our speaker didn't show up tonight. We're putting on the program," Sally told Judy.

"That's no problem. I have enough information to put everyone asleep," Judy replied with a chuckle.

"I'd like to begin, state my case, and then introduce you if that's okay," Sally said.

"That's fine, Sally," Judy said. "Dad and I are going to go visit with an old friend. I saw Tom Gordon come in."

Judy and her father left the teens. Sally watched them walk over to Tom Gordon, greeting him.

Sitting down, Sally said, "I'm glad they came. I hope she can help us convince the club to change the rules."

"Can't hurt," Jack said with a smile.

"Who's that with Sid?" Jenny said as she pointed at the door.

"It must be Sid's grandson. He said he was planning to bring him tonight," Kathy replied.

The teens looked toward the door. They watched Sid and the tall, sandy blonde haired, boy walking with him. Sid saw the group. He waved and started walking toward the table.

"Hi there, how are you doing tonight?" Sid said to the table of teens.

"Great, Sid, how are you?" Eddie replied.

"Kids, this is my grandson, Trent. He's interested in off-shore fishing," Sid said.

Jenny stood up. She shook Trent's hand and introduced herself. "Hi, Trent, I'm Jenny. This is my brother, Eddie." Pointing, Jenny continued. "That's Kathy Waters and her brother Brad. This is Jack Graham and that's his sister Kim." Tom stood up, moving toward Jenny. "This is Tom Lewis and that's his sister Sally. And last, but not least, that's Molly."

The boys stood up to shake hands and greet Trent. He glanced around the table, nodding at each of the girls.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you guys. My grandpa said that you guys like fishing," Trent said nervously.

"Yeah, we love it. Would you like to join us?" Jack said.

"Um, I don't know," Trent said looking at Sid.

"Go ahead. I'll be over there. I saw Judy Mansfield and her dad," Sid said.

Trent nodded. Kim got up and said, "You can sit here. I'll get another chair."

Kim took a chair from another table. She pulled it over, placing it next to the one she vacated. Trent sat down, scooting the chair closer to the table. Grinning, Kim sat next to him. The teens began talking.

"I just moved to Florida. My family and Tom and Sally's families used to live in Michigan," Kim said.

"I just moved here too. My mom and I used to live in Iowa," Trent said.

"Does it get cold there?" Jenny said.

"Yeah, it gets real cold."

"If you like warm weather, you'll love Florida," Kathy said.

The president of the club stood at the podium. He turned on the microphone, calling the meeting to order. The teens stopped talking so they could listen.

"For those that don't know me, I'm Gill Nance. I'm the current president of the club. I'd like to welcome our members and guests. I'm pleased to announce that we have several new members. We also have several new members of the youth division�"

Gill Nance talked for about fifteen minutes. Reading from his notes, he told the members about the past news as well as about upcoming events. He pointed at a poster, drawing attention to the tournaments listed. Gill also talked about the 'captain and mates' program.

"For members that don't have boats, we have a sign-up sheet. Many of our captains welcome anglers that otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity to fish in our tournaments. The list is on the membership table for anyone that would like to add their name," Gill said.

"We want to thank the Bahia Mar Hotel for hosting our meetings. The hotel has also agreed to allow us to use their marina when we have tournaments in the area. Our old venue asked us to find somewhere else to meet because of a conflict with their meeting room. We enjoyed our years there, but we welcome our new digs.

"Does anyone have anything they'd like to present for the good of the club?"

No one stood up. Gill glanced around the room and then he said, "Okay. Our guest speaker is unable to make it to the meeting tonight. However, we have a program. Let's take a break before this evening's presentation."

The room became noisy with members talking to each other. Tom asked if anyone wanted another soda. Jack, Eddie, and Brad went with Jack to get sodas for everyone.

"Have you ever been fishing?" Molly asked Trent.

Shaking his head, Trent said, "Not on a boat. I went fishing a few times in Iowa, but only from shore. I didn't catch anything."

"Sid said you're interested in fishing. Would you like to come with us sometime?" Kathy said.

"Yes, I'd like that," Trent replied.

"Cool. Maybe you can fish with us in the tournament," Jenny said.

"You said you've never been on a boat. Do you think you'll get seasick?" Kathy said.

"I don't know. I guess I won't know until I try," Trent said as he shrugged his shoulders.

Kim sat next to Trent watching him talk to the other girls. She smiled when he looked at her. Kim gazed into Trent's dark eyes. "Would you like to go for a boat ride?"

"Sure," Trent said, returning Kim's smile.

"Cool, what are you doing tomorrow?" Kim asked. The other girls giggled at Kim's boldness.

"Um, I don't know."

"You can come with us tomorrow if you want to. We're going out on a boat," Kim said.

Jack and the other boys returned with the sodas. They passed the cans around the table and took their seats.

"I asked Trent to go on the boat tomorrow. He's never been on a boat," Kim said as she looked at her brother and cousin Tom.

"I have to check with my mom first," Trent said.

"Ask her if she wants to come too. If you start fishing with us, I'm sure she'll want to meet our parents," Jack said.

"That would be cool. Mom doesn't let me do much," Trent said. "How can I get a hold of you?" Trent looked at Kim when he said it.

Kim grabbed her purse. She took out a piece of paper and a pen. Kim wrote her telephone number, her cell number, and her email address on the paper. "Here, you can call me or send me an email. We're going at one o'clock tomorrow. If your mom says you can go, I'll give you directions," Kim said.

"Thanks," Trent said.

"Do you drive?" Brad asked.

"Yeah, I have my license. I have a car too," Trent said.

"That's cool. What kind of car do you have?" Eddie said.

"I have a fifty-six Chevy. My dad and I restored it," Trent said. He took a breath and went on. "Dad died two years ago. I finished the car myself."

"Sorry to hear about your dad," Kim said softy.

"Thanks, Kim. He had cancer," Trent said.

Everyone at the table sat quietly, not knowing what to say. Trent glanced around and said, "Dad and I were close. I miss him, but it's getting better. Mom lost her job and we had to move down here. We live with my grandparents."

"Do you miss your friends?" Kim said.

Trent shrugged his shoulders. "I guess so. It's only been a few days since we moved. I didn't have many friends. The guys I hung out with the last year aren't friends, not good friends."

Gill Nance stepped up to the microphone. He asked everyone to quiet down so he could continue the meeting. A few moments later, the room quieted down.

"Okay, I would like to invite our guest speaker to come up. She has a presentation she would like to show us tonight," Gill said. Smiling, he pointed to Sally.

Taking a deep breath, Sally stood up. She picked up her notebook computer and glanced at Jack. He smiled at her and said, "You'll do fine, Sweetheart."

Sally moved up to the podium. She stretched up to the microphone and said, "Hi, I'm Sally Graham. I'm one of the members of the Lady Guinevere Fishing Team."

"We know who you guys are-you're the ones that whip us all the time," a man said from the audience. Everyone laughed.

"We try," Sally said and then she giggled. "If you'll give me a moment, I'll get started."

Gill helped Sally connect her computer to the projector. He lowered the microphone so Sally wouldn't have to stand on her toes to reach it. Sally started her Power-Point presentation. The screen filled with a black and white image of a dozen sailfish hanging from a beam on a pier.

"Not too long ago, this is how people treated bill fish. They harvested them. Over the years, sportsman realized they were decimating the fishery. Before anglers adopted the idea of catch and release, the sport fishing in this area was all but dead.

"It took years of careful regulation to return the fishery to its present conditions. The department of fisheries passed laws setting size and catch limits. Anglers learned that by returning the fish to the ocean, the fishery improved."

Sally changed to the next slide. It showed a picture of a sailfish floating in the ocean.

"We've learned, but I think we can do more. I feel that by making a few changes to our club rules, we can continue to improve out fishery and our sport."

Changing slides, Sally showed the members compelling statistics. The statistics displayed how using a fishing line with a higher weight test, fish mortality went down. Fifteen minutes after she began, Sally finished her slide show with a photograph of a large marlin tail-walking on the surface of the ocean.

"What we, my team members and I, are proposing is to change our club rules to the same rules the International Game Fish Association have adopted. We think that by using heavier line weights, we can reduce the fish mortality. As my information showed, releasing fish faster reduces their mortality. By using heavier line, we can reduce the amount of time we have to fight a fish in order to tag it.

"Does anyone have any questions?" Sally said.

"Won't increasing the line weights reduce the challenge?" someone asked.

"I don't think so. Isn't the challenge locating and hooking the fish? The real difference will be shorter fights. Not only will shorter fights increase the chances of survival for the fish, it will give us more time to catch more fish," Sally replied.

"We've used the line weight rules since the beginning of the club. Most of us old timers like the long fights," a man said.

Sally brought up the slide of the dead fish hanging on a beam. "Yes, but there's always a need for change. If anglers hadn't adopted catch and release, there might not even be a billfish fishery today."

"It's going to cost us to change our line and buy the reels for the heavier weights," someone said.

Sally grinned. She unconsciously cocked her head and said, "I don't think having to spend a few dollars for line or reels, if you need them, is too big a price to pay for the future of our sport. Most of our members are able to pay for what they'll need. After all, we're not fishing for bluegills in a farm pond."

The room exploded in laughter. Sally stood still, grinning. "Are there any more questions?" No one said anything. "Thank you for your time. I'd like to introduce Judy Mansfield. Judy is the vice president of Ande Line Company. If I haven't convinced you, maybe she can."

Judy walked up. She stood next to Sally and said, "Thank you Sally. I came here tonight because Sally and her team members asked me to help them give you a compelling reason to change the way you fish. Frankly, her presentation was better than the one I prepared. I can tell you that Ande has done a lot of research into the subject of fish mortality.

"As Sally's presentation showed, shorter fights means healthier fish. I speak with the board of the IGFA on a weekly basis. We at Ande use the data they provide to improve our products. At the beginning of this year, the IGFA made it mandatory for all the tournaments they sanction to use the test weights Sally showed you.

"Ande wants to sell more line, that's why we're in business. As Sally said, we are the future of the fishery. If we adopt changes it will help to improve our sport," Judy said.

Earl Mansfield walked up to the podium. "My name is Earl Mansfield. Many of you know me. For those that don't know me, I'm the president and owner of Ande line." Earl turned to Sally. "I'd like to thank you for your presentation. When my daughter said that your presentation was better than what we've produced, she wasn't kidding. I am very impressed.

"Our products, as well as our competitors, are sold in most of the tackle shops in the area," Earl continued. "If you decide to adopt the suggested rule changes, my company will offer a twenty percent discount to all the members of your club. I will send an email to all of our vendors in the morning explaining the discount. If you show your membership card, the tackle shops will extend the discount.

"Thank you for the time, Sally," Earl said.

"Thanks for offering the discount, Mr. Mansfield. I know that Sid at Sid's Tackle Shop will take care of any member that goes over there." Sally giggled. "Sid is one of our sponsors."

Everyone laughed. Tom Gordon came up, standing with Sally, Judy, Gill, and Earl.

"Thanks Earl. I've been trying to get you to one of our meetings for years. I'm glad you finally decided to come," Tom Gordon said.

Laughing, Earl said, "It wasn't you, Tom. I had to meet Sally after Judy told me about her. All kidding aside, I'm glad to be here. This issue is very important."

"Okay, we've seen Sally's presentation. I feel she has presented the information in a manner that requires us as a club to consider her suggestion. There are enough board members here to hold a vote. Would all the board members please stand," Tom Gordon said.

"Thanks. Now, all those in favor of adopting the rule change that will mirror the IGFA rules, raise their hands." All the board members raised their hand. "All opposed?" No one raised their hand, but they laughed at the protocol. "The motion passes. Beginning with our next tournament, we'll use the new rule. I will have the changes made to the bylaws. I will mail the new bylaws, along with a copy of the IGFA rules tomorrow morning."

"Thanks, Tom. I'm sure everyone is looking forward to seeing the information. Sally, I want to thank you for your great presentation. I think we should give Sally a round of applause," Gill said.

Jack was the first person out of his seat. He began clapping with his hands over his head. The rest of the team jumped up, joining Jack. They cheered Sally and whistled. Jack felt his heart swell with pride and love. Tears formed in his eyes as he tried to catch his breath. Jenny noticed Jack. She put her arm around his waist. Looking up, she smiled.

"She's quite a girl, isn't she?" Jenny said over the roar of the group. "She's always amazing me."

"Yes she is," Jack replied. He wiped his eyes on the back of his hands.

Sally stood in front of the membership. She shifted her weight from foot to foot and giggled. Disconnecting her computer, Sally headed back to the table. The moment she put her computer down, Jack wrapped his arms around her. He swung Sally around and told her how proud he was.

"Be careful, you're making my skirt ride up," Sally said to Jack.

"What's the matter? Don't you want anyone to see your panties?" Jack said.

Sally giggled and said, "What panties?" Jack laughed as he hugged her.

Sid came over to the table. Laughing, he said, "Thanks for the plug, Sally. I hope I'll have enough inventory to fill the orders."

"I'll make sure you're well stocked," Judy said as she and Earl walked up. "The team's line is on us."

A man came over to the table. He moved closer to Sally and then he said, "Hello, I'm with Southern Sportsman magazine. I wonder if you'll grant me an interview."

"You can interview the team," Sally said. "All of us are in this together."

"Go ahead and do it, Sally. You're the one that put this together. We just agreed with you," Kathy said.

Sally giggled and shrugged her shoulders. The man waved and a photographer walked over. "If you're going to take pictures, you have to take them of the team," Sally said.

The photographer changed lens. He began gathering the group, posing them so he could fit them all in the photo. Kim grabbed Trent's sleeve and pulled him closer.

"I'm not on your team, Kim," Trent said.

"You will be. Once we get you out fishing, you'll want to fish with us," Kim said with a giggle. "You can stand behind me because you don't have an outfit like ours."

Trent ran his hands through his hair. He stood behind Kim, trying to hide himself. The photographer took several shots. He told the reporter that he was all set.

The reporter sat with Sally. He asked her several questions about the team. He also asked why she felt that the rule changes would be good for the fishery. The reporter took notes as Sally responded to his questions. While they talked, several club members came over to talk to the team. Sally told the reporter that she needed to talk to the other people. She said that if he waited for a little while, she would talk to him again.

The reporter nodded. "I'll wait. I have a few more questions for you." He and the photographer walked away.

Sally tried to answer questions from the members. She giggled every time one of them complemented her. Jack stood at her side, beaming with pride.

Gill announced the end of the meeting. He told everyone that he looked forward to seeing them a week from Saturday for the tournament. Realizing that very few members paid attention to him, Gill chuckled and shut off the microphone.

Trent kept moving away from the team, but Kim hauled him back. When the excitement died down, the teens sat at the table again. The reporter came back to finish his interview. He thanked Sally after getting her address.

"That was great, Sally," Tom said. The rest of the team agreed.

"I'm just happy they decided to change the rules. I know it's going to be better for the sport," Sally said.

Earl and Judy came back to the table. "I hope you will agree to let Ande sponsor your team," Earl said.

"We'll show the agreement to our attorney when he comes back to town on Friday," Sally said.

"That's fine. Have him call me if he has any questions," Earl said. "Judy and I look forward to seeing you again."

"Thank you, Mr. Mansfield. Thank you, Judy. We'll talk to you soon," Jenny said.

Earl and Judy left. The teens cleaned their table, tossing the empty soda cans in a recycle box near the bar. They went around the room, stopping to talk to the other youth members. Sid stopped the team to thank them for letting Trent sit with them.

"We asked Trent to go for a boat ride tomorrow and to go fishing on Saturday. Do you think his mom will let him go?" Kim said. "We invited his Mom to go on the boat ride tomorrow too."

"I'm sure that Trent and his mother will be able to make it. Do you want to go, Trent?" Sid said as he looked at his grandson.

"Yes, I'd love to go if you can talk Mom into it," Trent replied.

"Do you guys need new reels for the one thirty class line?" Sid said.

"Yes, we have reels for the eighty, but not for the one thirty," Eddie said.

"Okay, I'll give Andy at Shimano a call tomorrow. We'll see what we can do," Sid replied.

The team left the meeting. They climbed into the limo for the ride back to the house.

"I wonder if Trent's mom will see the marks on him," Kathy said with a giggle.

"What marks?" Molly said.

"The marks Kim left from sinking her claws into him. I thought you weren't looking for a boyfriend," Kathy said.

"I said I wasn't looking for a committed relationship. I never said I didn't want a boyfriend-or two," Kim said with a giggle. "I wasn't that bad, was I?"

"No, we could hardly see the drool on your chin," Jenny said.

"Stop it! I wasn't drooling!"

"Trent seemed nice," Molly said.

"I think he's shy," Kim said.

"Poor boy, he won't know what hit him," Tom said. Everyone laughed.

"Maybe he doesn't even like me," Kim said. She giggled. "Maybe he doesn't like girls."

"Well for a boy that doesn't like girls he sure spent a lot of time staring at you, Kim," Jenny said.

Kim giggled. "Um, I think he was looking at all of us-well, the girls anyway."

"It was nice of you to include Trent in the pictures," Jack said.

"No one wants to feel left out," Kim said.

"So, is he cute, average, or he'll do for now?" Sally said.

"Definitely cute," Kim replied with a giggle.

"Yup, I agree with Kim. Trent is cute," Jenny said. "Maybe I'll give you Brad and go after him."

Faking a pout, Brad moved into the seat next to Kim. "I guess that Jenny doesn't want me anymore." He batted his eyelashes. "Will you take me home?"

Kim laughed. She plopped on Brad's lap and gave him a hug. "Sure, as long as you're house broken," Kim said and then she giggled.

"He needs training," Jenny said. Kathy laughed as she nodded.

Jack pulled into the driveway. He parked the limo and everyone climbed out. They stood outside, talking for a few minutes.

"I guess we better get going," Eddie said.

"Why don't you guys stay here tonight? We have two spare rooms," Sally said.

"We'll have to call our moms and see if we can," Jenny said.

The teens went into the house. Sally asked her mom and Aunt Marge if their friends could stay. Anne and Marge told Sally it was okay as long as their parents agreed.

Kathy called her mom first. She talked for a few moments, grinned, and hung up. Handing the telephone to Jenny, Kathy said, "Brad and I can stay."

Jenny called home. Ellen told her that she didn't mind as long as it was all right with Marge and Anne. After hanging up, Jenny told the others that she and Eddie could stay too.

"Do you want to call your mom, Molly?" Jenny said as she passed her the telephone.

"Mom knows I'm staying tonight," Molly said.

The teens went to the boat to change their clothes. Before dressing in their street clothes, they all decided to go for a quick swim. Naked, they left the boat and headed for the pool. They tossed their clothes on chairs. Laughing, they all jumped into the pool. The teens swam around, enjoying the cool water. They stayed in the pool for a half hour and then got out.

The group took showers, dried off, dressed, and headed for the house. On the way through the house, they told Marge and Anne goodnight.

"Getting dressed was kind of silly, wasn't it?" Jenny said. "Does anyone have a tee shirt I can wear?"

Jack and Tom went to their rooms to get tee shirts for the girls. They changed into the shirts and then everyone gathered in the living room. They talked about the meeting and their plans for the weekend. At midnight, they decided to go to bed.

"Do you want some company?" Jenny asked Kim as she put her arm around Kim's waist.

"Thanks, but not tonight," Kim replied. She said goodnight and went into her room.

The rest of the teens went to bed. Sally stripped before climbing into bed with Jack. They cuddled, trading soft kisses. "I'm so proud of you, Sweetie! You did great tonight," Jack said.

"Thank you, Baby. I'm glad I've pleased you," Sally replied.

"If I wasn't so tired, I'd see what I could do about pleasing you," Jack said.

"I'm happy being in your arms."

Each of the couples snuggled. They all talked to each other about Sally's presentation and the meeting. Soon they all fell asleep. Kim tried to sleep, but she couldn't get Trent out of her mind. She didn't know why, but she felt attracted to him. Finally, Kim was able to sleep.

Kim woke up first on Friday morning. She got up and made coffee. On the way back to her room to shower, Jenny came out of the room she'd shared with Brad.

"Hey, Kim, did you sleep well?" Jenny said.

"Yeah, how about you and Brad?" Kim replied.

"I slept like a log. Brad's snoring didn't keep me awake like it usually does," Jenny said with a giggle.

"I don't snore," Brad called out from the bedroom.

Jenny giggled. "Yes he does. What's up this morning?"

"I'm going to take a shower. If this is like most mornings, Molly's mom will be baking some goodies for us," Kim said.

"That's cool. I'm going to get ready too."

"The coffee should be ready in a few minutes," Kim said. "I just made a pot for us."

Jenny smiled. She moved closer to Kim and gave her a hug. "I'm so happy you guys moved down here. We're going to have a blast!"

"I know we are," Kim replied. "I'll see you in a few minutes."

"Kim, Sally and I are going to workout this morning. If you want to come with us, you should wait to shower," Jack said from his doorway.

"I'll workout with you guys. Should we wake everyone else up too?" Kim said.

Jack grinned and nodded. Kim went to Tom and Molly's room to wake them up. She bounced on the bed, shaking Molly and Tom. "Wake up, we're going to workout," Kim said.

Tom threw his arms around Kim. He pulled her down between him and Molly. Molly giggled and sat up. They horsed around for a moment before climbing out of bed.

Jenny woke Kathy and Eddie. The teens gathered in the kitchen and poured coffee for those that wanted it.

"Do you guys always get up so early?" Eddie said. "It's only six thirty."

"We get up early because we don't want to waste the day," Kim said.

Molly put her arms around Tom. She pressed her body against his back and said, "I like getting up early too. The last two days, I was up at four thirty."

"Yeah, but you went back to bed when you got here," Sally said.

"Only for an hour or so," Molly said.

Kim and Sally lent shorts and tops to Jenny and Kathy. Molly wore a pair of shorts she kept in Tom's room. The teens drank coffee and juice before they headed out to exercise. They paused in the house to say hi to Laura. She told the teens that she was making muffins.

They went out to the new building. Inside, they began to stretch and warm up. Sally and Kim helped Molly when they learned that Molly had never worked out before. The teens developed a routine for their exercises. Because it had been a while since any of them had exercised, they took it easy. An hour later, they left the building. They stopped at the pool, stripped, and began swimming laps.

After showering, Molly, Sally, Kim, Tom, and Jack went to the guesthouse. Eddie, Brad, Jenny, and Kathy went to the boat to get clean clothes. The teens met in the main house for breakfast.

"We need to put the television in the gym," Kim said. "I like warming up with aerobic videos."

"We can put it up later today," Tom said.

Marge and Anne greeted the teens. Everyone sat around the table, eating cereal and fresh blueberry muffins. The group repeatedly told Laura how good the muffins tasted.

Jack told his mom and aunt about the meeting. He told them how Sally made her presentation and that the club voted to change the rules.

"That's not all that happened. Kim met a boy," Jenny said.

Kim gave Jenny a look, but then she laughed.

"Who did you meet?" Marge asked her daughter.

"His name is Trent, Mom. He's Sid's, the man that owns the tackle shop, grandson. Sid brought him to the meeting to meet us because Trent wants to go fishing. He's never been on a boat before so I invited him to come with us today. I told him he should bring his mom so she can meet you guys," Kim said and then she took a deep breath.

Marge and Anne chuckled. "That's nice, Honey. How old is Trent?"

"He's sixteen. He'll be seventeen in July. His dad died from cancer about two years ago," Kim said.

"When will you know if Trent and his mom are joining us?" Anne said.

"He's supposed to call me this morning. I told him not to call until after nine," Kim said. She looked at her mom, brother, and cousins. "You guys don't mind that I asked him, do you?"

"I don't mind, Kim," Tom said. Jack and Sally agreed with Tom.

"It's up to you who you invite. The yacht belongs to you kids," Marge said.

"Good morning," April said. She and Jeri came into the kitchen. "Do I smell blueberry muffins?"

"Yes you do, April. I made a batch this morning," Laura said.

"Well, are you guys ready for today?" Jeri said.

"Yes, is Tomiko ready?" Jack said.

"Tomiko has been ready. I'm sure Mr. Shockley will be glad to get it out of his slip," Jeri said.

"Not really, it shows well when potential customers visit the boatyard," Harry said.

"Dad! When did you get back?" Jenny said. She got up to give her dad a hug.

"We landed about forty five minutes ago," Harry said.

Don, Marc, Joel, and Jack Waters came in behind Harry. Everyone greeted each other and asked about the trip.

Don and Marc kissed their wives and sat down. Harry told Jenny, Eddie, Brad, and Jenny, that their mothers would be there soon.

"We decided it would be easier to leave from here. That way we only have the limo to ferry back," Don said.

Joel gave Laura a hug and a kiss. She told him that she missed him and that she was glad Joel was home. Molly came over to give Joel a hug and show him the collar Tom gave her. Joel smiled and told Molly it was pretty. Laura had called Joel to inform him about the new relationship between Molly and Tom. She didn't want to shock him.

Ellen and Sarah came into the kitchen. Harry and Jack Waters hugged their wives. Laura started fussing in the kitchen. She made a fresh pot of coffee and put more muffins on a platter.

"What are our plans for today?" Don said.

"You guys should go to the boatyard at twelve thirty. We'll leave the boatyard at about one," Jeri said. "Everything is ready to go."

"Jeri and I are going to head over there as soon as we finish breakfast," April said.

The telephone rang. Kim almost knocked over her chair when she jumped up. Marge glanced at the clock, chuckling when she noticed it was nine on the dot. Don looked at his wife, raising his eyebrows.

"I think it's the boy Kim met at the meeting last night," Marge said.

Kim stretched the cord around the corner so she could talk to Trent. They talked for a few minutes and then Kim called for her mom.

"Mom, Trent's mom wants to talk to you. Please talk her into coming today, but don't tell her too much about the yacht," Kim said.

Marge talked to Trent's mother. She assured the woman that she and her son were welcome to come with the families. They talked for a few moments before Marge handed the receiver to Kim. Marge winked at Kim, causing Kim to giggle. She talked to Trent for a while. Kim gave the phone to Eddie so he could give Trent directions to the boatyard.

When Kim returned, she grinned at her friends and brother. "Trent is going to be there," Kim said.

"You guys should bring some clothes over here if you're going to workout with us," Tom said as he used his hand to point at Brad, Eddie, Jenny, and Kathy.

"We have things on the boat," Jenny said, "but it's not a bad idea." She giggled and looked at her mom. "We should have clean clothes when we spend the night too."

Ellen smiled at Jenny. "Yes you should," Ellen said, surprising her daughter.

"Why don't you kids go outside for a few minutes? We want to talk," Don said.

"What's up, Don?" Marge said after the teens went out to the patio.

Chuckling, Don reached over his wife's shoulders. He began massaging her breasts. Leaning over, Don kissed Marge's neck. "Damn I missed your tits," Don said.

"I missed having you play with them," Marge said. The couple completely ignored their guests for a moment. After giving his wife's breasts a firm squeeze, Don sat down.

"We wanted to catch up with what's going on here. We didn't seem to have enough time on the telephone," Don said.

"Tom and Molly have entered into a dominant / submissive relationship. He gave her the collar yesterday," Anne said.

"How do you and Joel feel about that, Laura?" Marc said.

"I'm fine with the relationship, Marc. Tom is good for Molly. We've talked about it and I think things will be fine," Laura said.

"I guess I don't understand the relationship enough yet. It seems weird to me," Joel said.

"I wouldn't worry about it, Joel. I think you'll find things will be about the same as they were," Don said. "Have you talked to the kids about their schedule this summer? I think they're going to be very busy."

"They'll be busy if they try to do everything they plan to do. I think it's great. It doesn't give them any time to get into trouble," Harry said.

"Do you and Harry think we should limit the amount of time Jenny, Eddie, Brad, and Kathy spend together?" Sarah said as she looked at her husband.

"No, I don't think they need to have their time together limited at all. If you think about it, they're going to be spending quite a few nights on the boat," Jack Waters said.

"Jenny mentioned that she felt envious of Jack and Tom because they're able to spend nights with Sally and Molly," Ellen said.

"It's up to you, but they're always welcome to stay here when they want to be together," Marge said.

"That's not a bad idea. The four of us work everyday. The kids are home alone," Sarah said. "If they're here, we know that there's someone that can help them if they need it. I'm not suggesting they stay here all the time, but a few days a week wouldn't hurt them."

Jack Waters chuckled. "This from a woman that didn't like her daughter wearing short skirts not too long ago."

"Don't remind me, Honey," Sarah said.

"I've left where Molly stays up to Tom. I think she'll be here more often than she'll be home," Laura said.

"It sounds like we're all on the same page. I don't think the kids will take advantage of the freedoms we're giving them. So far, all of them have displayed level heads," Don said. "There is plenty of room in the guest house for Eddie, Brad, Jenny, and Kathy if they want to stay here once in a while."

"Are you going to tell them?" Marge said as she looked at Sarah and Ellen.

"Yes, we'll let them know in a few minutes," Ellen said.

"Did you get everything accomplished in Michigan?" Anne said.

"No, but we made headway. The subdivision is coming along fine. I hired painters to paint the house so we can list it. Sam has made a few more very good investments so our portfolios are doing well. Jack and Harry invested some money through Sam too," Don said.

"If we do as well as Don and Marc, we'll be in great shape," Harry said.

"Okay, what is the plan for today? What time are we going to the yacht?" Marc said.

"Jeri said that we should be there by twelve thirty. She plans to get underway at one," Anne said.

"Good, that gives us time to go home for a while," Harry said. "I should be there by noon at the latest."

Ellen and Sarah smiled. They went outside to talk to their kids before heading home.

"Your fathers and us have decided that if you kids want to stay here once in a while, it's fine with us," Sarah said.

"That's great, Mom," Kathy said. She turned to Kim and Sally. "Is that okay with you guys?"

"Sure, it will be fun," Kim said. Sally, Tom, and Jack agreed.

"You guys can use the two guestrooms," Jack said.

"Thanks, Mom," Jenny said. "We won't make you sorry you guys are letting us do this."

Ellen smiled and said, "We know you won't. We're going to head home for a while. Do you kids have clothes for this afternoon?"

"We have what we need on the boat, Mom," Jenny said.

"We're going to need new things to keep here," Kathy said.

"When you have time, you can come to the shop. We have a bunch of things going on sale," Ellen said.

"Is it all right if I come too?" Molly said.

"Yes, Molly, you're as much a part of our families as anyone," Ellen said.

Smiling, Molly said, "Thank you."

Ellen and Sarah went back into the house. They chatted with Marge, Anne, Don, and Marc for a few minutes before leaving.

"Why don't you and Joel take off, too? We'll see you when it's time to go to the yacht," Marge said to Laura.

Laura grinned. She thanked Marge and Anne. On her way out with Joel, Laura asked if someone could tell Molly that she and Joel would be back in a couple hours.

Marge stuck her head out the door to tell the kids that they should be ready to leave by noon. She went back inside, took Don's hand, and pulled him to his feet.

"I don't know about you, Anne, but I'm as horny as a hoot owl. I'm taking this stud upstairs so he can fuck me," Marge said.

Laughing, Anne said, "Why don't you tell us how you really feel?"

Anne, Marc, Don, and Marge went upstairs to their bedrooms.

"Wow, I can't believe our parents are going to let us spend nights here with you guys," Jenny said.

"I know, isn't it cool?" Sally said.

"We should make sure we have clean outfits for this afternoon. We might have to wash something," Kathy said. "What are you guys going to wear?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Kim said, "Tom, Jack, what are Molly and Sally wearing today?

All of the girls giggled. Tom smiled, looked at Molly, and said, "Molly is going to wear a skirt or sundress."

"So is Sally," Jack said.

Eddie chuckled and moved next to Kathy. She grinned at him. "I'll wear a skirt too if you want me to."

"We should take the reels we want to reline with eighty pound test line to Sid's. We'll want to practice with the heavier line tomorrow," Eddie said.

"Why don't you guys take the reels to Sid's while we get our clothes ready for this afternoon?" Jenny said.

The boys agreed. They headed for the boat to get the reels. Jenny and Kathy went with them to gather the dirty clothes they left in the staterooms.

Tom drove his Expedition to Sid's Tackle Shop. The boys took the box of reels inside, placing them on the counter.

"Hi, Sid, we have a few reels we need relined," Eddie said when Sid came over to them.

"Hi, boys, it's good to see you. I enjoyed your meeting last night, Sally sure did a great job," Sid said.

"Yeah, she put a lot of work into her presentation. I'm glad the club decided to adopt the new rules. I hadn't realized that reducing the length of a fight could have such a positive effect on the health of the fish. After seeing Sally's information, it made sense to me," Jack said.

Sid nodded. He looked into the box and said, "What do you want on these?"

"Eighty pound test. We need to look at reels for the one thirty, too," Brad said.

Sid led the boys to a case of large reels. "I talked with Andy Nester this morning. He wants you to use these," Sid said as he put a reel on the counter. "This is Shimano's top of the line reel for the line class. It will hold a thousand yards of one hundred thirty pound test line."

Tom, Jack, Brad, and Eddie examined the reel. "What do you think? Should we get these or look at other reels?" Tom said.

"I like this one, Tom. We've had good luck with Shimano. What do the rest of you think?" Brad said.

"Andy told me to give you six of them if you want to use this model," Sid said.

"Yeah, I think these will do fine," Jack said.

Sid grinned. "Okay, six it is. I'll tell Andy so he can send me the reels. I should have them in a couple days. When they come in, I'll spool them with Ande one thirty tournament grade."

"Great, Sid. When will the reels we brought in be ready?" Tom said.

"I'll have them finished this afternoon. You can pick them up in the morning," Sid replied. He put the reel back in the case. "I want to thank you for being so nice to Trent. He's very excited about going for a boat ride today and going fishing tomorrow."

"No problem, Sid. We like teaching new fishermen about our sport. Do you know if his Mom is going today too?" Eddie said.

"Yes, she wants to meet your parents. I told her that all of you come from good families, but she still wants to meet your parents before she lets Trent go fishing. Are you taking them out on your fishing boat?" Sid said.

"No, we're going out on Tom and Jack's new yacht. They're taking delivery today," Eddie said.

Sid looked at the boys, raising his eyebrows.

"We, our sisters, Tom, and I are starting a charter business. Eddie's dad built Tomiko for us," Jack said.

"If you don't mind me asking, how can you kids afford a yacht?" Sid said.

"We can't, but our parents can. They made it possible. From what they've told us, it has something to do with tax breaks," Tom said.

"I see. How large is the yacht?" Sid said.

"Tomiko is one hundred forty five feet," Jack said.

"What did Trent say when you told him about the yacht?" Sid asked.

"I don't think anyone told him anything except we were going for a boat ride," Eddie said.

"I think my grandson is going to be surprised. How long will you be out?" Sid said.

"We're taking her down to Key Biscayne and then back to our house. We're serving dinner on the yacht," Jack said. "I'm not sure what time we'll be back, but it won't be too late. We want to get an early start tomorrow morning."

"I have received several calls from your club members. Thanks for the plug last night," Sid said.

"That's cool. I hope you get some business from the club," Eddie said. "You should think about advertising in our newsletter."

"I'll look into that. It can't hurt," Sid said.

The boys left. Sid smiled as he took the box of reels to the backroom.

When they got back to the house, the boys went to look for the girls. They found them in the guesthouse, sitting in the living room. Eddie told the girls about their trip to Sid's and about the new reels.

At eleven thirty, the teens went to the bedrooms to dress. The girls put on their sundresses while the boys put on the slacks and shirts the girls put out for them. Eddie, Jack, Tom, and Brad met in the living room. They sat down to wait for the girls to fix their hair and put on their makeup.

"We're ready to go," Kim said to her mom as the teens walked into the main house.

"We'll be ready if a few minutes, Honey," Marge said.

Jerry, Liz, Sam, and Joanne came into the kitchen. The teens greeted them and then Jack looked at his dad.

"They flew down an hour ago. We thought it would be nice to have everyone there for the delivery," Don said. "Joanne and Jerry were instrumental in bring the yacht to fruition."

"That's cool, we're glad you could make it," Tom said.

The group went out to the limo. They all got in, sitting on the leather seats. Don drove to the boatyard, parking near the office. Harry, Jack Waters, and their wives came out of the building to meet the group. Joel and Laura pulled up as the group exited the limo.

Everyone stood by the office. Harry told the group that they would head to the yacht in a few minutes. Kim kept looking toward the driveway, waiting for Trent and his mom to arrive. She chatted with her brother and the rest of the teens. They noticed that Kim watched for Trent and teased her about it.

A few minutes later, the throaty sound of a hot rod caused everyone to look at the driveway. A bright candy-apple red Chevy rumbled into the lot.

"Take a look at that car," Don said.

"I think that's Trent, Dad," Kim said as she watched the car pulling into the boatyard.

Trent pulled up near the group. He got out, waving to the teens. Trent went around his car to open the door for his mother. Laura did a double take as the slim, auburn haired woman got out and stood next to Trent.

"Jodie? Jodie Forester?" Laura said as she walked toward the woman.

"Oh my God! Laura!" Jodie said.

The two women stood close looking at one another. Then they hugged. "You haven't changed since high school," Laura said standing with her hands on Jodie's shoulders.

"You look the same too. Well, maybe a bit older, but don't we all?" Jodie said. She turned to her son. "Laura, this is my son, Trent."

"Hi, Trent. Your mother and I went to school together," Laura said.

Kim walked over to Trent. She smiled, shifted on her feet, and said, "Hi, Trent. I'm glad you made it."

"Hi, Kim. Yeah, I was able to talk Mom into letting me come," Trent said.

Laura put her arm around Jodie's waist. She led her over to the group and began introducing her. Moving to her daughter, Laura said, "This is my daughter, Molly. Molly, this is Jodie Forester. She was my best friend in high school."

"It's Jodie McBride now. I'm pleased to meet you, Molly," Jodie said.

Laura led Jodie over to Joel. "Jodie, this is my fianc�, Joel."

"Hi, Joel," Jodie said.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Jodie," Joel said.

"Your car is boss!" Eddie said. He and the other teens moved over to where Trent stood with Kim.

"Thanks." Trent opened the door so the teens could look inside. "My dad found it in New Mexico. He brought it home and we restored it together. He taught me to drive in this car."

"What year is it?" Tom asked.

"It's a fifty-six," Trent said. He walked to the hood, reached into the grill, and opened it. "We put a new 327 in her. It's been bored, stroked, and balanced. We also put the dual-quads on the engine."

The teens stood around the open hood looking at the red and chrome engine.

"Maybe you'll take me for a ride someday," Kim said to Trent.

Trent blushed as he nodded.

Once Laura finished introducing Jodie to the adults, Harry stepped toward the covered slips.

"Folks, it's time to go," Harry said.

Kim, Jack, Tom, and Sally walked over to Harry when he asked them too. The group walked across the yard toward the door to the slip. Pausing with his hand on the handle, Harry said, "Is everyone ready?"

Everyone nodded. Harry opened the door, letting Jack, Tom, Kim, and Sally into the shed. As the rest of the group filed in, the teens stood on the pier. Harry led them amidships to the hatch leading to the deck.

Jeri, April, Yoshi, Frank, and Erin stood on the deck in their smart uniforms. The teen followed Harry aboard, giggling as they passed the crew. One by one, the rest of the group went aboard. Harry led the group into the main salon. He waited a moment while everyone came in.

"Jack, Kim, Tom, Sally, I present to you Tomiko," Harry said. He handed each of the teens a set of keys to the boat.

Jeri, April, Frank, and Erin picked up trays of champagne. As they moved through the crowd, they made sure everyone took one of the fluted crystal glasses.

"I would like to propose a toast to the new owners. May you always have fair winds and following seas. Bowman Boats is pleased to have you as clients," Harry said. Everyone cheered and sipped their champagne.

"Now, that's what I say to all of the new owners. However, you are different. Not only are you valued clients, you're friends. Friendship is much more important than almost anything in this world.

"I have to tell you that when I found that I would be building a custom yacht for a group of teenagers, I was skeptical. Commissioning a yacht of this caliber is a daunting task. Most owners are so involved in the phases of design, construction, and finish that it makes our jobs difficult at best. The four of you are nothing like most owners. You didn't try to make decisions about things you knew nothing about. Building Tomiko was truly a pleasure for Bowman Boats.

"I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Jeri, the captain, April, the chief steward, and Jack Waters whose expertise has moved Bowman Boats up several notches with his eye for detail. Joanne's flair for decorating brings a new look to Tomiko. She managed to meld the Japanese d�cor with a traditional nautical theme. All of the employees of Bowman Boats have been a part of the construction of Tomiko and share in the success equally.

"Finally, I want to thank our new friends. You all know who you are. I could go on for an hour or more, mentioning each of you, but I think I've said enough.

"Once again, thank you. Enjoy your new yacht," Harry said.

Everyone cheered and clapped. Jeri stepped forward and said, "If you'll follow me to the pilothouse, we'll get this show on the road."

The group followed Jeri up the spiral staircase from the saloon to the pilothouse. She led Jack, Tom, Kim, and Sally to the helm, pausing until the entire group was there.

"I have never done this before, but I've been on yachts at their delivery. It is customary for the owners to start the engines for the first voyage," Jeri said.

Jeri moved the teens closer. She pointed at the two keys in the dash. Tom and Sally put their hand on the starboard key. Jack and Kim placed their hand on the port key. Giggling, the teens twisted the keys. The engines came to life, causing the entire group to cheer.

Jack turned around to face the group. He pulled Sally closer to his side. "Thank you for everything. This is very exciting," Jack said.

Jeri went over the safety features. She told everyone where they would find the personal flotation devises, and gave them a brief description of the lifeboats. When she finished, Jeri called down to the deck. She told Frank and Erin to cast off. When the yacht began to move, everyone cheered again.

"I thought you said you weren't interviewing Frank and Erin anymore," Kim said.

"You're right, I did say that. When I said it, we'd hired them," Jeri said. "April and I thought we'd surprise you."

"You did. Thanks," Kim said.

"Once we're underway, I'll conduct tours of Tomiko. When we clear the shed, we'll move up to the sundeck where Yoshi will serve hors d'oeuvre. The bar is open for your pleasure," April said.

Jeri backed the yacht out of the shed. Using the bow thruster and engines, she turned the yacht in the canal. Jack and Sally stood on one side of Jeri. Tom waved Molly up to stand with him and Kim. Kim giggled and went to get Trent.

"We can go up to the sundeck now," April announced.

As the group made their way to the sundeck, Jeri said, "You should go up with your guests. When we get into the ICW, I'll go up and run the yacht from the flying bridge."

Jack, Sally, and the rest of the teens went up to the sundeck. They found their friends, joining them.

"Is this really your boat?" Trent asked Kim.

Kim giggled and nodded. "Yeah, it's all of ours. We have a charter business," Kim said.

"I didn't realize that we were going out on something like this. When you said a boat ride, I thought we'd be on something smaller," Trent said.

"I hope you're not disappointed," Kim said.

"Hardly, this is cool," Trent replied with a grin.

"Were you serious about taking this out and going swordfish fishing?" Jenny said.

"You bet we're serious. We can stay out for a couple days if we want to," Jack said.

"You can fish on a boat like this?" Trent asked.

"Sure, you can fish on almost any boat," Tom said. "I guess it would be hard on a cruise ship because of how far off the water you'd be, but we always planned to use this boat to fish."

The teens moved to the bar. They asked April for sodas. When Molly saw Erin, she asked Tom if she could go talk to her. Tom smiled, put his hand on Molly's waist, and led her over to where Erin stood.

"Hi, isn't this great?" Molly said to her cousin.

"It's wonderful. I understand you guys didn't know that Frank and I were hired," Erin said.

"No we didn't. Jeri and April kept it a secret," Tom said. "Do you think you're going to like working on the yacht?"

"We love it so far. Mr. Graham flew Frank down ten days ago. We've been on the boat every day since then. You wouldn't believe how much there is to learn. Jeri and April are great bosses," Erin said as she looked around. "Excuse me. I have to take care of a few things."

Erin walked over to the grill. She talked to Yoshi and then went to get plates and silverware.

The teens mingled in the crowd. Trent waved at his mom. Jodie sat with Laura, catching up on old times.

"How did you meet these people?" Jodie asked Laura.

"It's a long story. Molly met the kids and started fishing with them. Don, Marge, Marc, and Anne invited us to a dinner. At the dinner, I learned that they bought the kids a fishing boat. They've included Molly in everything. She's part of the fishing team.

"A few weeks later, I lost my job. The woman I took care of passed away. Marge and Anne hired me as their housekeeper. Now I work for them," Laura said.

"Trent wants to go fishing with the kids," Jodie said.

"Are you going to let him go?" Laura asked her old friend.

"I don't know. I worry about him being with a bunch of teenagers without supervision."

Laura chuckled as she nodded her head. "When Molly met the kids, they asked her to spend the night on the boat. She wanted to tell me she was staying with one of her girlfriends, but the kids wouldn't let her. They made her call me and tell the truth.

"None of the kids smoke. They don't do drugs and the only time any of them drink is when we were with them. Since Molly started hanging around with this group, her grades improved. She broke up with her loser boyfriend and began taking better care of herself. Molly is Tom's girlfriend now."

"Trent started smoking after his father died. He started hanging around with the wrong crowd too. The only thing he shows any interest in is his car," Jodie said.

"That's how it was with Molly, but instead of a car, she had a jerk of a boyfriend. Now she's into fishing of all things. We went to the Bahamas for a tournament. The kids won and earned thirty thousand dollars. They use most of their winnings for the fishing team," Laura said.

"Isn't that a long way to go fishing?"

"We went down a few days before the tournament. The kids stay on the boat and the adults stay in a hotel when they travel. I had a great time," Laura said.

"You guys let the kids stay on the boat? Are you afraid that they'll-you know?"

Laura laughed. "If you're asking if I'm afraid that the kids will have sex, I'm not the least bit afraid. We know they screw like a bunch of rabbits."

"You're kidding! You let Molly have sex?"

"No, I don't let her. Molly does what she does on her own. Think about it. Was there anything our parents could have done to stop us from doing the things we did when we were their age? If I remember, you were as wild as I was in high school," Laura said.

Jodie chuckled as she nodded her head. "Don't remind me."

"Why not? Are you sorry about the things you did? I know I'm not. I made mistakes, but I've managed to survive," Laura said. "Look, Trent is your son and you have to do what you feel is best for him. All I know is that when Molly started hanging around with this group she changed for the better. My daughter has never been happier than she is now."

"Do all the parents feel the same as you feel about the kids?" Jodie said.

"Yes, we all talk about our kids and the things they do together. We also talk openly with our kids. I've learned that if I'm open and honest with Molly, she's open and honest with me. Now she doesn't have to lie about the things she does. If Molly wants to have sex, she doesn't have to sneak around," Laura said. "Did Trent have a girlfriend before you moved?"

"He dated a girl for a short while, but it didn't last," Jodie said. "I don't know why they broke up."

Jodie and Laura changed the subject when Marge, Ellen, Anne, and Sarah came over. They pulled us deck chairs so they could visit with Jodie and Laura.

Kim stuck close to Trent. They sat near Jeri, watching her operate the yacht. Trent asked several questions that Jeri answered for him. Kim asked Trent if he would like a tour of the yacht. He nodded and got up with Kim.

"Hi, Frank, this is Trent. Trent, this is Frank. Frank is Jenny and Eddie's cousin. He and his girlfriend Erin work on the yacht," Kim said.

Frank and Trent shook hands. "I saw your car when you pulled in. I'd like to see it one of these days," Frank said.

"Sure, anytime you want to," Trent said.

"Frank, do you have time to give Trent and me a tour of the yacht?" Kim said.

"Let me check with April. If she says it's okay, I will," Frank said.

"Do you think we can see the engines?" Trent asked Kim while Frank checked with April.

"Sure," Kim said with a giggle.

Frank returned. He told Kim and Trent that he could take them on a short tour.

"Trent wants to see the engine room," Kim said.

Frank led Kim and Trent below. He took them to the crews' quarters, showing them the area that he and Erin shared. After giving Trent and Kim ear protection, Frank took them into the engine room. Trent looked around, but because of the noise, he was unable to ask Frank questions.

"The engine room is amazing," Trent said after they removed the muffs.

"She is powered by twin 16V2000 Detroit Diesel/MTU Engines, each developing eighteen hundred horsepower. There are twin Northern Lights generators, each of them rated at ninety-nine kW. The Watermaker will convert forty five hundred gallons of seawater to freshwater a day," Frank said. "The fuel tanks hold a total of ninety two hundred gallons. The water tank holds one thousand gallons. There is a five hundred gallon holding tank and a black-water processing unit. The black-water is the waste from the toilets."

"I'd like to be able to take a look around when the engines aren't running," Trent said.

"We can look at the engine room when we get home," Kim said.

Frank took Trent and Kim through the yacht. He showed them the master and VIP staterooms on the main deck and four guest staterooms below. After the brief tour, the three of them went back up to the sundeck.

"This yacht is so amazing. I never knew that boats could be so elegant," Trent said.

Kim led Trent to two deck chairs. They sat down, gazing out at the sights along the ICW.

"Did you have a girlfriend?" Kim asked Trent.

"No, I used to have a girlfriend, but she broke up with me," Trent replied. "We went together for a couple months. When my dad died, I went into a funk. She said I wasn't fun and we broke up."

"I'm sorry," Kim said.

Trent shrugged his shoulders. "Um, do you have a boyfriend?"

"No."

"It looks like the other kids are all couples," Trent said.

"Yeah." Kim told Trent the relationships between her friends.

Jeri cruised into Biscayne Bay. She stayed close to shore so the guests could see the homes and yachts.

"Mr. Levinson, I have a sponsor agreement we need you to look at for us. Ande Line wants to sponsor our fishing team, but I told them we wouldn't agree to anything until you review it," Sally said.

"I'll be happy to review the agreement for you," Joel said.

"Thank you. I'll show it to you later," Sally said. She smiled and went to talk with Jenny and Brad.

April took the guests on tours of the yacht. Yoshi kept the food plates full while Erin and Frank passed the tasty items to the guests.

"Come with me," Tom said to Molly.

Molly took Tom's hand. He led her down a level and into the master stateroom. After closing the door, Tom took Molly in his arms. He kissed her, holding her close to his body.

Tom kept kissing Molly as he guided her into the spacious head. He pulled up the back of her dress causing Molly to giggle. Tom moved his hand under the thin band of her thong. He slid it down between her legs, rubbing her vulva. Molly moaned in Tom's mouth as he fingered her.

"Take my cock out," Tom said.

Molly reached down to unfasten Tom's slacks. She lowered the zipper, reached through the fly in his boxers, and extracted his penis. Molly stroked Tom's hard member. He worked a second finger into Molly's wet vagina.

"Turn around, Baby," Tom said. "We're going to be the first ones to fuck on the yacht."

Molly giggled. She turned around, grabbing the marble counter with both hands. Tom flipped the back of her dress up on her back. He pulled Molly's thong aside, gripped his penis, and rubbed it against her labia.

"Oh yeah, that's so good," Molly said as Tom slid into her. He grabbed her hips, pulling her back against him. She looked up into the mirror, smiling at Tom.

Tom pumped his penis in and out of Molly. She bucked back against him, meeting his thrusts. Tom kept it up for several minutes. He reached around to diddle Molly's clit. She let out a moan.

"When I come, I'm going to do it in your mouth. I'll let you know so you can turn around" Tom said.

"Okay, Baby, whatever you want," Molly said as she wiggled her butt.

Their frenzied coupling went on for several minutes. Tom's attention to Molly's clit brought on an orgasm. He told Molly that he couldn't hold out any longer. She pulled away, turned around, and took his penis in her mouth. A moment later, Molly swallowed Tom's semen.

Tom pulled Molly to her feet. They hugged, kissed, and then broke out laughing.

"That was our first quickie," Molly said with a giggle.

"I couldn't last any longer," Tom told her.

"I don't care, Baby. It was great. You can do that anytime you feel like it. I hope you enjoyed it as much and I did," Molly said. She looked up into Tom's eyes. "Why didn't you come in my pussy?"

"I didn't think you'd want to walk around leaking all day," Tom said with a chuckle.

"It wouldn't have bothered me to have your come running down my legs," Molly said. She giggled. "Thanks for thinking about me."

Tom redid his slacks. "Molly, I always think about you."

Tom and Molly left the stateroom. They went to the sundeck to get sodas. Kim saw Tom and Molly. She excused herself and got up. Kim went over to Tom and said, "Can you help me round up the rest of the team please?"

"Sure, what's up?" Tom said.

"I'll tell you in a minute. Meet me over by Trent," Kim said.

Nodding, Tom told Molly to see if she could find Eddie, Kathy, Brad, and Jenny. He went to look for Jack. Tom looked around the main deck. He went below to check the staterooms. Jack and Sally came out of one of the guest staterooms, both of them laughing.

"Kim wants us for something," Tom said. "What have you two been doing?"

"We just christened the yacht in our own way," Sally said with a giggle.

Tom smirked. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "Molly and I took care of that a while ago."

"You're a dick!" Sally said.

"Why?"

"Because you and Molly beat Jack and me," Sally said and then she giggled.

Jack, Tom, and Sally went up to the sundeck. They went over to where the rest of the team stood waiting for them.

"Come with me please," Kim said. She took Trent's hand, pulling him to his feet.

Kim led the group to the group of adults. She found Trent's mom and stood near her. "Mrs. McBride, we want to take Trent fishing tomorrow. Can he go with us?" Kim said.

Jodie looked at the group of teens. She saw all of them smiling and nodding their heads.

"Yes, Kim, Trent can go fishing with you kids tomorrow," Jodie said.

"If he likes it, can he fish in our club tournament too? It's a week from tomorrow," Kim said.

Jodie chuckled and nodded her head. Each of the team members thanked Jodie before they left. Kim asked April if she would turn on the stereo. April said she would.

While the adults sat under the hardtop of the upper deck, the teens sat in the sun.

"Are they always so polite?" Jodie asked Marge.

"They damn well better be," Marge replied. "We allow them a lot of freedom, but that doesn't mean they can be rude or disrespectful. If they screw up, they'll find themselves fishing from shore and they know it. Trust is earned, not granted."

"Haven't they ever goofed up and made a mistake?" Jodie asked.

"When we lived in Michigan, Jack and Tom were expelled for fighting. They beat the crap out of two boys that weren't very nice to their sisters. That's about the only thing that Anne's and my kids have done," Marge said.

"We haven't had a problem with Jenny and Eddie. They value their fishing too much to get into trouble," Ellen said. Sarah nodded, telling Jodie the same thing.

"Um, Laura told me you don't mind the kids being intimate," Jodie said.

"We would rather know where they are than not. Let's face it; kids are going to do what they want when it comes to sex. I'd rather they were on the boat or the house than in the backseat of a car like I used to have to do," Ellen said.

Jodie chuckled. "The backseat of the car wasn't that bad."

"No, but things have changed in the world. I'm not concerned about what they do, but I am concerned about having some weirdo doing something," Sarah said.

Laura pointed aft. "It looks as if Trent is fitting in with the team, doesn't it?"

Jodie looked where Laura pointed. She saw the teens dancing and laughing. Jodie stared for a few moments before turning back to the other moms. She wiped a tear from her eyes.

"I haven't seen Trent laughing in a long time," Jodie said.

"Just to ease your mind, all of the girls are taking birth control. None of us want to be grandparents yet," Laura said. All of the women laughed.

Jodie couldn't help glancing at her son. She thought about the nights that Trent cried himself to sleep after losing his father. Jodie also remembered the nights she did the same thing. As she sat in the warm air, Jodie realized that it had been a long time since she'd allowed herself to have fun.

A slow song came on. Kim put her arms around Trent and asked him to dance with her.

"I don't know how to dance," Trent said.

"Sure you do. All you have to do is hold me and sway to the music," Kim said. Trent put his hands on Kim's hips. He moved gently while looking into her eyes. Kim grinned. "You can hold me closer if you want to. I don't bite-well, not too hard."

Trent laughed. He pulled Kim a little closer, but maintained a respectful distance. Kim sighed. She looked into Trent's eyes, smiling as they danced. When the song ended, Kim gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for dancing with me," Kim said.

Kim and Trent sat down. The other kids sat close to them.

"Sid said the reels should be ready in the morning. What do you think, should we go for dolphin, wahoo, or billfish?" Brad said.

"We should use the one hundred thirty pound test if we're going to fish for bills. We can target dolphin and wahoo tomorrow," Sally said.

"Okay, we'll head out about five miles. The paper said the Gulf Stream is five miles off shore," Brad said. "The baitfish should be following the warm water."

"How did you guys learn all this?" Trent said.

"We learned a lot by trial and error. Jenny and I worked for a charter captain last summer and he taught us a lot about fishing. We read books and fish too," Eddie said.

"I didn't know there was so much to it. My grandpa has been telling me about the things in his shop, but it's hard to understand what he's saying," Trent said.

"Don't worry, we'll teach you if you like fishing. We didn't know anything until we met these guys," Kim said.

"I'd sure like to give it a try," Trent said.

The teens all started talking. They told Trent that he was welcome to join them to see if he liked offshore fishing. They talked about seamanship, telling Trent the nautical names for places and items on a boat.

Don stood at the bar with the other men. They talked about business as well as the day. Jerry excused himself. He walked to the helm, taking a seat next to Jeri. "Jeri, I'd like to book a charter. I want to take my partners down to the Bahamas. Do you have any dates in July?"

"Yes we do. How many guests will you have?" Jeri said.

"There will be six couples."

"That's great. I'll contact you to set a firm date. We'll have our menu options available in a few days." Jeri smiled at Jerry Stone. "Thank you."

"You'll let the kids know?" Jerry said.

"You bet I will. I'm sure they'll be very happy."

"Jeri, I'm not looking for a special deal. My firm can afford the charter cost," Jerry said.

"I assure you it will be worth the price, Mr. Stone," Jeri assured him.

Jerry left. Jeri called April on the hand-held radio. When April came up from the galley, Jeri gave her the news. April screeched, causing the adults to look toward the helm.

"I think Jeri just told April that I want to book a charter," Jerry said.

Yoshi announced dinner was ready. He stood at the grill, waiting for the guests to line up. Frank and Erin placed bowls of salad, fresh vegetables, and other things on a buffet table. Yoshi served steaks, skewered shrimp, and marinated chicken breasts. The teens waited until their parents finished getting their food before they went to get theirs.

Frank, Erin, and April offered the guests folding tables. The teens sat around the table on the sundeck. They ate their meals, commenting on how good the food tasted.

"I guess there's something else you should know, Jodie," Laura said.

"What now?" Jodie replied with a chuckle.

"Tan lines," Laura said.

Jodie looked at Laura and furrowed her brow.

"The kids don't have them," Marge said.

"None of us have tan lines," Ellen said.

"I guess that shouldn't surprise me," Jodie said.

"No, it shouldn't. As I remember you were always one of the first to shed her knickers when we went skinny dipping," Laura said.

Jodie laughed. "As I remember it, you were a close second when you didn't beat me. God, I'd almost forgotten about that. I remember the night the cops caught us. They took us home and told our parents. I thought my dad was going to tan my hide."

"Did he?" Anne said.

"No, Dad and Mom were pretty cool about the whole thing. I think Dad was upset because we got caught, not because of what we did," Jodie said. She laughed and turned to Laura. "I can't believe that in a few short hours, you've completely destroyed everything I knew about raising a child. I guess I can't be too hard on Trent for doing things I did at his age, can I?"

"Sure you can. The question is do you want to? No one is going to try to get Trent to do something he doesn't want to do. I guess the most important thing you can do is let him know that you won't get pissed if he does something. As we keep saying, don't force him to lie to you," Sarah said.

Jodie chuckled, but she also thought about the things the other women told her.

"Hey, Frank, when is your mom going to move down here?" Eddie said.

"Didn't your mom tell you? Mom moved down with me. We're living with Maria now," Frank replied.

"I'll bet Mom didn't tell us because everyone wanted to keep the fact you and Erin are working on the yacht a secret," Jenny said. She jumped up and went to her mom. "Mom, did you know that Aunt Sally moved down here too? She's living with Maria."

"I know she is, Jenny. We didn't say anything because Jeri and April wanted to surprise you. They didn't want you to know they hired Frank and Erin," Ellen said.

Jeri cruised around Biscayne Bay while the others enjoyed the scenery. Yoshi made sure the guests had snacks to munch on while they talked with one another. Erin and Frank moved through the group, taking and filling drink orders.

The teens stayed in the sun, dancing, talking, and drinking sodas. Kim and Trent danced together whenever a slow song came on. She helped him, teaching Trent how to move his feet in a simple box step.

"Come with me," Sally said to Kim. She grabbed her cousin's arm, pulling her from the chair.

"Where are we going?" Kim asked as she followed Sally.

"I have to use the head and I want to talk to you," Sally replied.

In the head, Sally sat on the toilet. She giggled and said, "So, how are things going with Trent?"

"Fine, we're getting to know each other," Kim replied.

"I think he's cute. Shy, but cute," Sally said with a giggle. She finished and got up so Kim could sit on the toilet.

"Trent is shy, but I think he'll be okay with us, Sally. I like him," Kim said.

Giggling, Sally said, "What happened to the girl that didn't want a boyfriend?"

"I never said I didn't want a boyfriend. I said I didn't want a committed relationship. Give me a break, I just met Trent."

"I know, but watching you makes me think you two are going to end up together. That boy can't keep his eyes off you. Has he tried to kiss you yet?" Sally said.

"No, but I'd kiss him if he tried," Kim replied with a giggle.

"Are you tired of sleeping alone?"

Kim shook her head. The two girls finished in the head and returned to the sundeck. Sally winked at Kim as she went to sit with Trent.

"Are you having fun?" Kim asked Trent.

"I'm having a blast, Kim. This is so cool. My friends aren't going to believe me when I tell them about your boat-I mean yacht," Trent said.

"Are you going to tell them about me?" Kim said.

"Yeah, if it's okay I will," Trent said. He fidgeted in his chair. "Can I tell them I went out with you?"

"Are you asking me for a date?" Kim said. She grinned, hoping that Trent would ask her out.

"Um, yeah, I guess I am. Would you like to go out with me?" Trent said.

"Yes, I'd like that. When?"

"I don't know. We could go out tonight if we don't get back too late. Would you like to go to a movie or something?" Trent said.

"I'll have to ask my parents if I can go. If I can, we can't stay out too late because we're going fishing tomorrow," Kim said.

"You guys are serious about fishing, aren't you?"

"Yes, very serious. We all love fishing and go as often as we can. Our team is good at it and we do great in the tournaments we fish," Kim said.

"Doesn't that make it hard to have a boyfriend? I mean if you spend all of your time fishing, there isn't much time to go out," Trent said.

Kim giggled and said, "Not if he likes to fish!"

Trent nodded and smiled. "I hope I like fishing."

"So do I, Trent," Kim replied and then she giggled. "We'll find out tomorrow. You aren't feeling sick or anything, are you?" Trent shook his head. "Our fishing boat isn't this big and it can get rough off-shore."

"I think I can handle it, Kim. Isn't there medicine you can take for seasickness?"

"Yeah, in fact, I think we have some on the boat. The trouble is, once you're sick, it doesn't help," Kim said.

"I'm going to try without taking anything. That way I'll know," Trent said. "What time are we going?"

"I don't know, let's go ask," Kim said. She and Trent went over to where Jack, Eddie, Brad, and Tom stood talking to each other.

"What time are we going out tomorrow morning?" Kim said.

"We should take off by eight or so. We have to pick up our reels from Sid first," Jack replied.

"I could bring them with me in the morning if you want," Trent offered.

"That would be great, Trent. Thanks," Jack said. "We'll leave as soon as you get to the house."

"Trent, you should come for breakfast," Kim said.

"Okay, what time?" Trent said.

"We get up at six or six thirty. You can come then if you want," Kim said.

"Wow, that's early! Why do you get up so early?" Trent asked.

"We like to get up early so we have the entire day to have fun. We work out every other day and swim every morning," Jack said.

"Brad, our sisters, and I are going to work out with them too. We want to spend as much time fishing as we can. I hope that we can go out almost everyday," Eddie said.

"I'm used to sleeping in until ten or so. Then I work on my car," Trent said.

"Isn't your car finished?" Kim asked.

Trent shrugged his shoulders. "There's always something to do on it. When I lived in Iowa, there wasn't much else to do. My friends used to come over and hang around at my house."

Kim grinned. "I hope you like fishing, Trent. That way you'll have us as friends to hang around with."

Trent smiled at Kim. "I think I'd like that."

"We don't fish all the time so you'll still have time to spend on your car. I'd like to watch so I can learn about cars," Eddie said.

"That's cool. You guys can come over anytime you want to. I'm always fiddling around trying to make it run better," Trent said.

Jeri used a handheld two-way radio to tell Frank and Erin she would dock in a few minutes. Frank and Erin went down to the main deck to wait for Jeri to pull the boat alongside the seawall. Jack and Tom went down with them.

"We've practiced this several times. Jeri and April have been teaching Erin and me for the past week. We even brought the yacht to the house so we would know what to do," Frank said.

"Do you two like working for Jeri and April?" Tom said.

"I love it so far. They are so nice and patient with us," Erin said.

Jeri moved the yacht toward the seawall. Frank and Erin took their positions, standing ready with large round fenders. As Jeri eased the yacht against the seawall, Frank and Erin positioned the fenders between the hull and the seawall. Tom and Jack watched them secure the fenders and grab the dock lines. Frank and Erin tied the lines to the cleats on the seawall, making sure to leave sufficient slack for the tide.

Frank opened the hatch and jumped off the yacht. Erin stood ready, waiting for Frank to place the ramp so the passengers could walk off the boat.

"This is a tide platform. The wheels at the bottom allow it to adjust when the yacht rises and falls with the tide. We have another one stowed onboard for when we go to other ports," Erin said.

"We have a few things to take care of. Erin and I will see you later," Frank said to Jack and Tom.

Jeri shut down the yacht. The guests disembarked, gathering along the seawall. They all commented on the yacht, food, and service.

"Jack, I need to have you and Tom shuttle the cars from the boatyard back here. See if Eddie and Brad will help you," Don said. "We're going to have a few drinks and sit outside."

Jack and Tom found Eddie and Brad. They told their friends what Don asked them to do. Jack called Trent over to ask him if he wanted to go get his car. Kim said she would go too.

Tom drove his Expedition to the boatyard. "Okay, I'll drive the limo. Brad and Eddie can take their parents' cars and Trent can drive his. We'll meet back at the house," Jack said.

Trent held the door for Kim. She slipped into the bucket seat, making sure her skirt didn't rise too high. He closed her door and ran to the other side of the car. Trent started the hotrod, waiting for the engine to warm up before taking off.

"Did you have fun today?" Kim said.

"Yes, I'm having a blast," Trent replied. He looked at Kim, returning her smile.

"Trent, I need to talk to you for a minute. I like you and I hope you like me." Grinning, Trent nodded. Kim giggled and went on. "I don't like silly games. If there's something you want, just ask. If I say no, don't get mad and don't stop asking unless I tell you to. Do you understand what I mean?"

Trent shrugged his shoulders. "I haven't gone out with many girls, Kim. In fact, I only dated one girl. What I'm trying to tell you is that I don't know what to do. The last thing I want to do is piss you off."

"You won't piss me off as long as you're honest with me. If I ask you something, don't lie to me. If you ask me, I won't lie to you," Kim said.

Trent shifted nervously in his seat. He tapped the accelerator, causing the powerful engine to roar for a moment. He looked at Kim and smiled.

"Um, ah, can I kiss you?" Trent said softly.

Giggling, Kim said, "I thought you'd never ask!"

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