I didn't sleep that night but I did rest peacefully ensconced in the center of a meadow of delicious females. I spent the time thinking and planning. When the ladies finally stirred and we showered together before emerging from the bedroom to discover we had company. Gail and Angie had breakfast ready for us. We were greeted with a hug and a kiss before we thanked them and sat down to eat. After the assurances that I was fine, I got around to asking about any homework I had missed.
I was stunned to discover that after the announcement that Teri and I had been shot academic activity had virtually ceased at school and Tuesday had been much the same. The news spread quickly that we were being released from the hospital and that caused even more talk.
It looked like not much would be accomplished today either. I could barely make it to classes on time. People I didn�t even know were stopping me to talk in the hall and ask how I was doing.
More talk started when Teri glued herself to me as I emerged from 1st period and gave me a kiss that caused an obvious and uncomfortable bulge in my jeans while my friends (and wife) looked on with a smile.
It didn�t get any better when my teammates discovered that I intended to play on Friday. At practice after school the coach tried to insist that I sit out but he couldn�t ignore the medical release I gave him.
He could ignore even less the fact that I was better than ever. In order to convince him that I was capable I went all out. I usually held back most of the time, even in games.
The only concession I made during practice was to take it easy when I hit somebody. I didn�t want to hurt one of my team mates. I might have overdone it a bit. The coach asked to see me in his office and asked me what got into me all of the sudden. I stretched the truth a bit when I said getting shot had made me angry. It had, but I wasn�t about to tell him I had been holding anything back.
Jackie, Rhonda, and Connie were waiting for me afterwards and I greeted them all with a long hug and kiss. It wasn�t something I usually did in public, especially since the marriage.
It surprised them and they asked what was up. I explained �I love you all and I�m not going to hide it anymore. I don�t care if anybody else doesn�t like it as long as it doesn�t bother you.�
From the smiles and hugs I got in return I don�t think they minded at all. Getting shot was a turning point for me. I resolved that from now on I would not hold anything back physically or emotionally as long as it wouldn�t hurt anyone, if people resented it that was their problem.
We walked home with our arms around each other occasionally switching positions and grabbing a kiss. None of us cared about the stares or comments. Strangely enough, the comments were mostly positive even when Beth and Faith joined us.
When we got home I discovered that Adam, Tina, and Nina had begun work on my EMP idea. With their combined knowledge it had actually been quite simple for them to design it.
I hadn�t known it when the idea came to me but it turns out that the technology was almost ready to deploy when the terrorists had struck, though it wasn't quite as advanced as what they had come up with. They showed me what they had and suggested companies to farm the parts fabrication out to. I thought using several different vendors was a great idea. The individual parts would never be connected to the final device.
After we finalized our plans Tina and Adam walked me to the barn and showed me the progress on my surprise. Dad had managed to find enough �65 Mustangs and had them all painted, upholstered, and detailed as I had asked.
Each one had been freshly painted black with white trim and also had new black interior. They weren't exactly original though. They all had air conditioning and hood locks. The ac unit would be in the engine compartment with the new power plant. Over half of them were complete and the rest would be done within a month.
I had thought they were identical until Adam pulled the cover off one of the only two hidden ones. It almost took my breath away when he unveiled a beautiful 1965 GT-350 convertible. This one had the original white paint with the blue LeMans racing stripe.
Tina laughed at my expression and hugged me �I remember you drooling over a car just like this one a long time ago. Happy birthday babe, I hope you like it.�
I still couldn�t speak but I think my kiss got the message across. I had taken Tina to a car show when I was seventeen and she was correct in her assumption that I had lusted after a car just like this one.
She wasn�t done yet though and explained �the only difference is the engine. The original only had a little over 300 horses. I figure this one is over 550 so be careful, ok?�
I told her I would and Adam handed me the keys. I about shit when she told me that it was one of only 516 produced. I got behind the wheel and started it. I was amazed at the sound and complimented them on the throaty rumble it made. I couldn�t wait until I got my license! Only three more months and I could drive it!
Curiosity got the best of me and I asked about the other tarp. They laughed as they unveiled the masterpiece concealed beneath it. When I saw the AC Shelby Cobra SC, I flipped completely. They assured me that it was not a replica. It had been in pretty sad shape (totaled, actually) when dad found it but had been restored to showroom condition. This one was also powered by hydrogen and had the original 427 engine (completely rebuilt and modified) and instead of the original 500HP it would be faster than the GT-350.
They weren�t done yet. They escorted me to the driveway, where dad was waiting to take us to the small local airport. He unlocked the door to a hangar I hadn�t even known we had rented and flipped on the overhead lights.
Inside was what probably used to be a small commuter jet. There were subtle differences in appearance to the original. The engines appeared small for the size of the plane, and were close to the body. It looked large enough to seat over a dozen (18 and luggage, I found out later) and they explained that with Angie�s help what I was looking at was more like a Harrier prototype than a conventional jet.
He laughed when he told me Angie had said it was "partial payment" for her new boobs.
It was slick looking and now we wouldn�t need to worry about the length of our landing strip on the island. We could land anywhere a helicopter could. I got angry when dad told me he had tested it a few times. I didn�t want him to risk himself as a test pilot.
He was quick to remind me who the parent was and suitably chastised, I thanked him. He informed me that I had a lot of people to thank. It seems I had too many people to keep track of. Everyone had been sneaking out to help on both the cars and the plane. Rhonda and Jackie had both proven themselves to be excellent mechanics and had done most of the work on the Cobra themselves.
Everyone was at the house when we returned to rub in the fact that the tables had been turned on me. I had intended the cars to be a surprise gift for everyone and instead they had done all the work behind my back.
Tina suggested that I should thank them privately for their work on the Cobra. When we made it back to our place I found out they had saved the best surprise for last.
Connie had achieved her goal on the honeymoon and was definitely pregnant. Our child would be born in February. She asked if I minded if we named him Wes, after her father. She had told me the story of his death when we had been together the previous time.
He worked as a security guard and had the misfortune to be in a bank when it was robbed. The robbers mistakenly thought he was a cop and had shot him when he turned toward them. He wasn�t even armed.
I knew how much her family missed him and immediately agreed. It took several hours of celebration in our special way before we finally fell asleep. That only lasted an hour or so before they were ready again. I was walking a bit funny as I staggered my way to school the next day.
As another uneventful day of classes was ending I began to morph into my football mode. I told only Tina how serious I was taking this game and only then because she noticed a difference.
I didn�t make a big production about it. I�m not one of those people who need to get visibly psyched up to perform. On the outside I was calm. I joked around as much as I usually did and even made it a point to kiss all of my main girls on the sidelines before heading out to play.
The only obvious difference was the look in my eyes. I think the coach was shocked when I asked to play on the return teams along with my usual positions but after one look at my face he just nodded and made the change. The team we were playing was one of our rivals. They were pretty good but we had handled them easily last year.
Our entire team huddled up before the game started and I did something I hardly ever do. I talked. I�m not a cheerleader normally. I just do my best and hope others follow my example.
This time I asked the guys to listen and said �I just wanted you to know that I�m pretty fired up today. I�m kind of pissed about the whole getting shot thing and need to take it out on somebody. Since the little fucker who pulled the trigger is a maggot happy meal now, I guess I have to use these poor suckers. I just don�t want you guys to think I�m doing some kind of Prima Donna shit out there. I�ll try to leave some for you.� I don�t know why but this seemed to psych them up as well.
We kicked off to start the game and I targeted the guy with the ball. He didn�t even see me coming as I nailed him full speed and sent the ball flying. It was scooped up immediately by one of my teammates and carried in for our first score.
We kicked off again and I was triple-teamed from the start. I sent one guy flying out of bounds and pushed the other two off easily. I had barely been slowed but it had been enough to let several others tackle the ball carrier on the 12 yard line.
They tried two running plays and lost eight yards. Third down was an attempted pass that I batted down. I barely missed blocking the punt but I bothered the kicker enough to make it a weak attempt and we started on their 30 yard line.
Jeff didn�t waste any time and on the first play hit me over the middle. I ran over two guys and carried another one with me ten more yards for a score. The coach wouldn�t let me stay out anymore on special teams and pulled me for the kickoff.
I picked their first down pass off and ran until I had too many people hanging on to stay vertical before tossing a lateral to Nick, who carried it the last 20 yards to the end zone.
I only got to play one half. I didn�t want to come out but I could see the coach�s point. We were up 56-0 by then. In one half I had 5 sacks, 2 interceptions, 3 forced fumbles, and had caught 12 passes (4 for touchdowns). The team wasn�t mad at all. They gathered at the end of the game and asked me to get pissed every week. I felt better but of course that wouldn�t last.
Being the defending state champion meant more media attention, and there had been a crew at the game. The story was blown up even larger because of the shooting. I was forced to watch the news with everybody in the house present and was almost amazed myself.
The spot amounted to a one man highlight reel but at least there was no interview, just some talk about us being favored to repeat. The story on the shooting pissed me off. Somebody at the hospital had a big mouth and the extent of my (and Terri's) initial injuries was mentioned. Oddly enough this time the notoriety on the game part of it didn�t bother me. I figured if I could perform like that when being double and triple-teamed like I was sure would happen starting next week I might even deserve some of the attention.
If I couldn�t I figured the more people paying attention to me on the field the better. Every man on me was one less on my teammates. Maybe I should suggest some plays with me as a decoy. It might be useful.
I was more sore than usual and at least I got to rest at a reasonable hour. As my wives and I were taking a playful shower, Tina suggested something that had been on my mind. She thought it might be a great idea to play both pro football and baseball �you know, like Deion Sanders or Bo Jackson, only better. If you could make the hall of fame in both sports, imagine the name recognition you�d have then!� she said.
I told her I�d think about it but only if I had company on the road. After the toe curling kisses I got for not wanting to be without them I added �and only if it�s not as a pitcher. I want to play every day, not twice a week. It would be nice if both teams were in the same city, too. It would be too big a hassle to move all the time. That could be a problem if somebody tries to draft me in baseball out of high school. Maybe if coach puts the word out what my conditions are on the baseball side it will work itself out. Nobody wants to waste a draft pick.�
Tina displayed her creative thinking again by reminding me of my goals. �Maybe it would be a pain to move, but if you have two houses it wouldn�t be that big of a deal. I think two cities is a great idea. If we could arrange it so you played them both in states that were close in the 2000 election you might win both of them. Spread out a little and get as many followers in as many states as you can. You�re running as a third party candidate and if people don�t think you can win, they won�t vote for you. Even people who would love to have you as President won�t want to risk wasting their vote.�
I was awake all night again for some reason and couldn't figure out why for a while. Finally, the thought surfaced. I had been very impressed with what the group had accomplished in restoring and converting the cars. What if we were to make our own from scratch?
It had possibilities that grew the more I thought about it. If they were hydrogen and people purchased Tina's fusion unit for their house they could produce their own fuel. Then again, if they were fusion powered there would be no need to find a refueling station away from home. Definite possibilities there, all right.
I hadn't liked the designs on many of the vehicles produced before either. They had started to get a serious case of the uglies. In my opinion this had been a major factor in the American car maker�s loss of market share to foreign competition. With better designs and unheard of fuel economy we'd be unbeatable. Not only that, but the global warming and environmentalist nuts would go ape shit over the product. Finally, after that I slept for an hour.
Saturday was the day. I was going to get my learner�s permit, and woke up early and eager. The girls woke up when I did and were eager too, especially when they saw that it was 5:30 and we had plenty of time to play. I figured a better way had never been invented to pass the time and was more than happy to participate.
We made love for an hour before jumping in the shower and starting over again. I hoped my legs would work the pedals on the way home.
Mom drove us over to the driver testing office and I finished the test in 10 minutes, acing it. I drove home and was pleased that after almost five years I didn�t have any problems. If anything, I think I drove better.
I had always been a lead foot but resolved to watch it this time, especially with what I�d be driving. It would be ridiculously easy to get carried away.
We talked to Angie when we got back and she agreed to ride with us to and from school in the GT so I could drive. There were too many people to fit though and some were going to ride with Gail in her Camaro. They had a little lottery to decide the ones that rode with me first.
As soon as I got my license the Cobra was going to be my choice of vehicles. By then, Kathy and Faith would both have their permits and ride with Gail or Angie as the required adult. That presented a problem though. The Cobra was a two seater and I had five wives and a fianc� who would want a ride. At this rate I�d need a bus before we graduated.
Dad asked for a spin in the Cobra and I was happy to oblige. It handled like a dream and had more power than any machine that size would ever possibly need.
After we got back (dad drove, he couldn�t wait) he suggested we try the GT. I mentioned my problem of car space with him and made the comment about the bus. He seemed to get a kick out of my dilemma.
Tina and Faith came along and we had a blast. We ended up stopping for lunch since we were so far away from home. The car got looks and comments wherever we were. Two people asked if it was for sale when we pulled in the restaurant.
We even called home and got the grocery list before we headed back. Dad had decided to have another barbeque (big surprise) and delegated the inviting to the three of us.
We managed to get hold of quite a few people, to his delight. I even had the word passed out at the precinct that we�d fill orders to go for officers on patrol. Jack and Judy were on the day shift and would be over at 5:00. Most of the football team, cheerleaders, soccer team, and coaches would be there as well as Sensei Timmons and his family.
I helped direct traffic and got waylaid in the garage by Mrs. O�Shea. She pulled me out of sight and laid a kiss on me that had me hard as stone. She made sure to check by molding her fabulous body to mine before purring �that was even better than the first time. I think you like me!�
I noticed then that my hands had automatically dropped to cup her ass as we kissed. I left them there and squeezed her tight buns, pulling her closer for another round. I could tell she hadn�t bothered with a bra because her nipples were practically drilling holes in my chest as our tongues dueled.
I finally managed to get a word in. �Frieda, if we don�t stop now I�m going to have to bend you over a hood and ravish you. I�m not sure how Paula would deal with that.�
She panted �I do, I asked her and she said it turned her on. It�s been a long time, Matt. I haven�t had sex in two years and I can�t stand it anymore. Please don�t stop!� I was so horny it was either finish or look for one of the girls. I didn�t want anyone to walk in on us so I led her to a storage room and closed the door.
I turned the light on and she grinned �ooh, kinky are you?� It took me a moment to realize what she was talking about before I replied �I like to see what I�m getting into.�
She kissed me and moaned again while we undressed each other. Frieda was only 35 and still had a great body. She shaved too, which made my mouth water. I lifted her onto the work bench and after nibbling on her still firm 34c�s I worked my way down for a taste. All it took was one lick up her channel and a light suck on her protruding clit to send her over the edge.
I kept up my attack as she thrashed and moaned before pulling me up by the ears for a kiss. As luck would have it my dick was in perfect alignment and when Frieda felt it bump her pussy she grabbed it and guided me in. She came again before I was half way home. As her orgasm took her I slid the rest of the way in and started to fuck her. This wasn�t making love. I reserved that for my girls. This was pure unadulterated lust. I drilled her hard and she begged for me to go faster still.
The angle was wrong so I disengaged. She protested until I lifted her off of the bench and turned her around to lean on it. From this position I could maul her tits and fuck her as hard as she wanted. She grabbed her top and shoved it in her mouth to muffle her screams as she came again. I felt her clamp down on me four times before I warned her I was ready.
She asked me to pull out and turned around, sinking to her knees and engulfing my cock in her talented mouth. She bobbed up and down several times before starting to hum. That sent me over and I unloaded a copious amount of semen down her throat as she sucked for more.
When she finally let my limp member escape her lips she stood and kissed me again �thank you Matt. That was wonderful! I�m sorry I didn�t get to feel you cum inside me but it would be hard to explain semen running down my legs at the party. Maybe next time, I hope there is one because I haven�t felt anything that nice since college.�
We dressed as she explained that her husband had some medical problems and couldn�t seem to get an erection. This was before the days of Viagra and the like so I could sympathize. What she didn�t know was that this hadn�t been necessary. If I had known this sooner I could have fixed the problem before now.
The first thing I did (after a quick shower) was to look up her husband and shake his hand. It was a piece of cake and after some of the girls decided to swim and changed into bikinis it wasn�t long before he dragged his surprised wife home.
I hoped the growth spurt worked too. I wasn�t going to do it but the poor guy only had 5 inches. No wonder Frieda enjoyed our garage adventure so much!
I found Paula after greeting her father and asked her why she hadn�t come to me first about the problem. She blushed and said �I figured you might be able to fix things but I�ve seen my dad naked by mistake and I know he�s what people might call challenged in the size department. I owe my mom a lot and wanted her to feel something that big in her just once. Especially when the fellow who owns it knows how to use it as well as you do, I�m sorry I didn�t ask first though.�
I assured her it was ok and told her that her mom might be smiling even more now. She giggled and kissed me �I saw you shake his hand. I hope it worked.� After I told her I believed it had and that her mom would have a lot to be happy about she pried the rest of the story out of me. I noticed her laughing so hard she fell out of the lounger when her parents left early.
I spent almost an hour talking to Sharon and trying to keep my eyes on her face. Even in a "regular" outfit it wasn't easy to do. She had painted on a t-shirt and jeans that only served to outline her perfect body. The only thing that kept me from embarrassing myself was the conversation. We still got along great and had a lot in common. Hel, she knew as much about football as I did and dissected the plays better than the coach did!
It turned out that most of the people there had been to the game and/or seen the news. I got comments from them all evening. I cornered the baseball coach and ran my idea past him about "draft dodging". He was skeptical but thought it might have a shot if he was able to talk to all of the teams interested.
He suggested that instead of that I should issue a statement that outlined my position as playing only football and hope I wasn�t drafted. That way I could choose which team I wanted to try out for. I confessed that there weren�t many cities I was enthusiastic about.
The ideal place for me personally would be Cincinnati since it was so close to home but I felt that for my long-term goal I should try for California, Texas, or the east coast. Overall, I�d have to say the best scenario would be Boston or Florida. Since Florida had loomed so important in the election I was targeting and I would be a third party candidate (not to mention warm weather and beaches). I did love Boston on the times I visited there though, as long as I didn't have to drive in the city. The streets there were still in their original layout. That had been for horses and they were a royal bitch to drive on. Traffic sucked.
I remembered that the Dolphins had the 13th pick the year I would leave college and I didn�t plan on going that late. That and the fact that there wasn�t a baseball franchise in Florida until 1993 would complicate things.
It would be the coolest of possibilities if I went number one. I would be playing with Al in New Orleans and that would make everything else secondary to me. I suppose it wasn�t worth worrying about since players didn�t have much of a choice as to who picked them. I�d just have to go with the flow.
We got up early to fly to Washington and watch Al play the first game of the season. He had warned us that the team pretty much sucked pond water and I remembered that it was around this time that the fans had begun wearing paper bags on their heads.
He was right. The only thing that kept the game close was Al. He had 3 sacks and a forced fumble along with several tackles. The Saints still lost 21-10 but when this game was played the first time they must have been murdered without him.
I had never paid much attention to the Saints so I don�t know what happened before. It was fun getting together afterwards with him and Joyce. They told us that Ellen and Linda would have been there but had a class they couldn�t miss.
I talked to my brother about possibly playing two sports and he was dubious about it. He went over how tough pro ball was and how hard it might be to do but perked up when I told him it had been done twice before. When I filled him in he said that if those guys could do it then I should be able to. I appreciated his confidence but wished I possessed some of it for myself. We got back to the house after midnight and crashed immediately.
The GT caused quite a stir in the parking lot and even more when the multitude of pretty young passengers got out of it with me. The only problem was the guys who just had to see the engine. It took a while before I could get the hood closed again.
The girls had gone wild with the chrome in there. Part of the reason the huge breather was installed was to cover the modified carbs. The changes to allow them to burn Hydrogen were slight but still might be noticed by somebody who knew engines. The other reason the breather was that big is it had to cover two offset four barrels.
I got razzed a bit about the news piece Friday morning but it was good-natured. Before classes started several of the people in our group were called to the office. We figured we couldn�t all be in trouble and weren�t worried about it.
Mr. Anders told us that the National Honors Society was having a meeting for the top students in the nation in Washington this year and he wanted to know if we were interested. When I found out it was during basketball season I was willing and everyone else thought it would be fun.
We spent so little time in the office that we still made 1st period with time to spare. I broached the idea to coach at practice about using me as a decoy and he agreed that after last week it might be necessary and he�d work on it. I had a feeling that Pete and Nick would be having a lot of fun on Friday night.
We were increasingly glad that the school had instituted the college prep courses. There were times that we actually had to think in class now. English had started out as the only boring subject since contemporary literature was decades old to us.
After demonstrating the fact that we could ace anything she assigned, Ms. Frank switched gears and had us write instead of read. We now had one assignment. We were all to complete a manuscript for a book by the end of the school year on a subject of our choice.
It could be fiction or non-fiction but had to be at least five hundred pages long. She warned us that it was a two-edged sword. Our entire grade was one project and if we screwed up it would cost us big time. It didn�t take much arm twisting from my compatriots to convince me to write a book on my political ideology. The working title was �America First� and I had a feeling it wouldn�t change.
I intended to cover trade, security, immigration, foreign aid, tax reform, and technology as well as related concepts. I was leery of exposing myself too soon but I really wanted to know how well received my ideas would be.
Three weeks into my manuscript had me exceedingly happy that we pre-invented the PC and had me worrying that it would be too large for anyone to want to read it.
The other classes were unusual to say the least. It still looked like Tina was teaching Mr. Thompson in Physics instead of the other way around. We were taking 3rd and 4th year college courses in math, science, philosophy, and psychology as well as doing our tutoring sessions during study hall.
With all of this as well as football, I had little free time. I got home at 5:00 after practice (except Friday because it was game day) and spent 3 hours on my English project, 1 hour with the children, and 2 hours (and sometimes all night) on our joint projects. Mixed in with that was the cross-training we were doing in the group. I usually got to spend time with the girls after that finally.
There was no rest on the weekend either. We got up at dawn and finished at midnight or later both days with an occasional day off to see Al play or just hang out and rest. The laser was almost ready and the rest of the cars had only a tweak or two left. After that we could actually take some time off to plan our next project(s).
I also found out why dad thought my bus comment was so funny. He now had a �64 VW Microbus in the garage being rebuilt like the cars. Of course, Jane and Dee would be doing the decorating.
The kids just blew me away. They were so far ahead in their development that we didn�t know what to think. When I read to them they actually listened like they were following the story. I almost expected them to critique it and write a review.
Tuesday after practice I gathered Kathy, Gene, and George together to recruit them for a mission. I had a battle on my hands for a while but finally convinced Kathy with �we have to know what�s out there Val, the woods are too close to the house and our family could be in danger from whatever it is.�
After that, I had to talk her into letting me go with them. Finally I had enough and just flat told her �I�m going. You can come along if you want to� and started putting my shoulder harness on. She met us in the driveway after picking up hers. I had loaned the twins a couple of my spares.
Gene and George were pretty good trackers but after so much time they were having trouble. We had been at it a couple of hours and were about to give up. George was explaining for Kathy and me that it appeared to be a very large wolf. He and his brother could tell this by the height they found bits of fur in the brush and by the size and shape of the few paw prints they had shown us.
As we prepared to head back I heard �not bad, for a human� and spun around with my companions.
Gene stopped Kathy with �that�s only a .44 Kat. Don�t even try it. You�ll just piss him off.�
I�m sure he was right. Ten feet away and sitting on his haunches was the largest silver-gray wolf I have ever seen. Even sitting, his head was level with my chest. He also appeared to be smiling.
I thought it was funny and smiled back and said �my, what a handsome specimen of lupine perfection!�
I know I had heard him before but I was still shocked when I heard him say inside my head �thank you. If you promise not to get too excited with those nasty little toys of yours I�d like to introduce you to my mate. I may be biased but I think she�s more attractive than I am.�
I guess he took our shocked nods as a yes because I heard him chuckle and say �you can come out.�
He wasn�t kidding. The female wolf was just a bit smaller than him and solid white. She smiled as we heard �greetings two-feet. I�m impressed with your courage. Humans usually soil themselves when they meet this brute!�
I confessed that if he hadn�t spoken before we saw him I just might have before asking for introductions.
The male spoke, replying �our kind doesn�t really use names but I will let you label us for your convenience if it will help you.�
I laughed and said �how about Fenris? He might have been almost as large as you!�
I got another smile as I heard �I like it! I wonder how much the joker will appreciate it though.
What about my mate? We all looked at Kathy and she exclaimed �me? OK if you insist, but all that comes to mind when I look at her is Beauty!�
The bitch must have liked it because when she heard it she said �I like the large female, she has excellent eyes.�
We eventually got their stories. They were older and past their prime when the endless winter came. No food was to be had and they were huddled in their den and starving when a human appearing female form entered and asked them if they would be interested in a new existence.
It sounded intriguing so instead of eating her they had heard her out. Along with the size and other improvements they would be able to communicate with certain humans. They had been totally uninterested until she told them who the humans were and what their duty was.
In return for being reborn, they were to assist in any way they could. Fenris shook his head and looked down �sorry about being late the other day. We were hunting and too far away to see the bad one. We came as fast as we could when we heard the bang. He was pointing it again when we got there but lost interest when he saw us. He didn�t run very fast. I think he was lame anyway so it was past time he was cut from the herd.�
We invited them home for dinner and after assuring them we wouldn�t ruin the meat by cooking it, they accepted.
As soon as we could get Kathy to quit stroking them and scratching them behind the ear, we headed home. They were a big hit with everyone and when dad heard they were responsible for Derek�s demise he rushed out to the butcher shop for dinner. We simply did not have enough thawed meat for them.
After we ate dad asked how they came to be in Kentucky since wolves of their type were not very common here. It turns out they originated in Oregon and traveled to where they knew us to be. They were not happy when we told them it would be bad if they stayed.
Eventually we appealed to their vanity, explaining that most humans would naturally be afraid of them and either want to kill or cage them. Fortunately, we had a solution to the problem.
A large parcel of land we had purchased near Hazard bordered a national forest and there was plenty of deer and other game to hunt. When we explained that this would be our eventual home, they agreed.
They were more than a little amused when we told them our home would be imbedded in a mountain. �They�re smarter than they look� Beauty said to Fenris. �They will have a den like ours.�
It was more difficult to get them to understand that they should refrain from eating horses, cattle, and sheep (or humans, of course) but they saw our point when we told them this might cause them to be hunted down and killed.
Fenris eventually grumbled �OK, they don�t provide much of a challenge anyway. We�d rather work for our food and at least the deer are smart enough to run� and pop volunteered to take them there in the morning. He even knew of a large cave close to our future house that would make a perfect den for them.
After we got them settled, it was back to the routine. The coach used my idea in the next game and my stats were down in the first quarter. Everybody else had a field day because of the attention I was getting.
I was double and triple covered on offense so the ball went everywhere else. Pete was overjoyed and had three touchdowns and 150 yards while they worried about me. On defense I only had 1 pass deflection but had 3 interceptions because their poor quarterback was running for his life in the backfield.
They finally figured out our plan and devoted less attention to me. That worked out pretty good too. I finished the half with 120 yards receiving and 5 sacks. I even got to play the 3rd quarter and added some more before I was pulled. In 3 games we were averaging 550 yards of offense and allowing an average of 40 on defense. A team had yet to score on us and the margin of victory was 56 points.
After the game a guy I didn�t know congratulated me on my play. I didn�t think much of it until he introduced himself as Coach Carter from State. I hadn�t recognized him in his non-football coach attire.
I stopped to talk to him a bit and he quickly explained �this is not a recruiting attempt, ok? I�ll only say that I hope your brother wasn�t kidding when he told me you weren�t going anywhere but State. I�ve seen you play a few times and I�d be overjoyed if that�s the case.�
I assured him that I still felt the same and he smiled �I hope some of your teammates feel that way too. You guys are awesome to behold. Keep up the good work on the field and in the classroom. I�ll be in touch as soon as it�s legal. The baseball coach will, too. He�s drooling at the possibility as much as I am.�
I thanked him and headed to the locker room. I had toyed with the idea of committing to a school in a different part of the country for the exposure and had talked to Al about it. I ended up agreeing with him that since State was in a national conference I would get enough notice without moving.
I mentioned the meeting to Jeff, Pete, and Nick and told them I suspected that some of my teammates meant them. The consensus seemed to be that we should stay together if at all possible. Nick would be there a year ahead of us and I had a feeling the coach would be in touch as soon as the next season started.
I figured that all three of them would be interested in staying local. The girlfriend factor almost assured it. From my standpoint it was almost essential that I stay home. We had too much work to do for me to be very far away from the research and development facility we had constructed.
Tina had recreated her lab and Adam had set up his own area in the same space. I worked with them both and they joined me in mine from time to time. We had also expanded the library and it came in handy for my English project. The group had me almost convinced that I should publish it one year before I ran for president. It would be an excellent indication of what kind of support we could expect.
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