Disclaimer: The following is a work of fiction and any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental. The story contains graphic descriptions of sex between men. Anyone who is forbidden by law to read such material must stop now. This story is being posted to the Nifty Archive solely for the enjoyment of its readers.
David's Initiation: The Recovery 04
Dave's plane landed at DFW on schedule and he quickly found his way to the short-term parking lot where he began searching for his car. It was right where Art said it would be, so he threw his bag in the trunk and unlocked the car door. When Dave slid into the front seat, he found a note taped to the steering wheel.
"Dave, Change of plans. Come to my house. Art"
`Okay, I'd rather not drive down town if I don't have to,' Dave thought. He remembered the route to Art's house because it was so easy and he was there much quicker than he remembered when Art drove. Dave parked in the driveway, walked to the front door and rang the doorbell.
"Hi, Dave," Beth said in a voice that sounded like they were old friends. "Come in. Art's a little under the weather and had to stay home today. He's in the family room and wants to talk to you before you go to the Roehl's."
"Hi, Beth, it's nice to see you again. Is he going to live?" Dave joked as he stepped into the foyer.
"Oh, yes, he seems to have a twenty-four hour virus of some sort; he'll be out on the golf course as soon as his health and the weather cooperate," Beth said as she led Dave through the house and into the family room. "There he is; doesn't he look just horrible!"
Art was dressed in pajamas and bathrobe, sitting in a large, over-stuffed chair looking uncomfortable. A box of Kleenex was on a nearby table and Art was sipping on a cup of some hot liquid.
"Sorry for the change, Dave, Mother Nature seemed to have other plans for me today. How are you?"
"Let me get you some hot tea, Dave, that's what Art's drinking," Beth jumped in before Dave could answer Art's question.
"Thanks, Beth, that sounds good. One spoon of sugar, please." Dave didn't really want the tea but felt he should accept Beth's offer just to be polite.
"I asked you to come here," Art began, "because you need these maps and directions to get to the Roehl ranch..." Art held up a manila envelope, "and since driving down town is a little out of the way I thought it best you come here."
"Thanks, Art, you're right, I have no desire to go all the way down town if I can avoid it. And to answer your first question, I'm doing fine. You, on the other hand, have looked better."
"That's my Dave, always finding a way to cheer me up." Art chuckled. "I just hope you don't get this from me."
"Here you are, Dave," Beth said as she set the cup of hot tea on the small table next to the chair Dave was sitting in then she left the room.
The two men continued to chat about various topics, including Dave's drive to the Roehl ranch. Having finished most of the tea, Dave stood and told Art he wanted to get started, then he found Beth on the way out and thanked her for the delicious tea.
The drive to the Roehl Ranch would take about an hour and a half. Dave used the time trying to anticipate what awaited him. `How am I supposed to act? I'm meeting my dead lover's family, what should I say? They know he was gay so they have to know I am too. Do I say anything about it or keep quiet and let them bring it up, or not? Will they be friendly? Hostile? They want me to spend the night so they can't be too hostile. What will I do to fill all that time, watch TV?' Those and many other thoughts raced through Dave's mind. Before he knew it he noticed a mile-marker on the side of the road and realized he was only three miles from the Roehl Ranch. He became more alert to his surroundings. As he passed the last mile marker before reaching the driveway, Dave began looking off to his left. Soon, as he topped a rise in the road, he could see a large house with several out buildings. He took his foot off the accelerator and the car began to slow.
The house set back about a quarter of a mile from the highway and the driveway made a gentle descent to a wooden bridge over a fast moving stream and then climbed on the other side to the house. Upon reaching the house, the driveway split, part of it continuing straight ahead and another part curving to the left in a wide circle in front of the house. Dave decided he ought to take the circular drive because he had no idea where the other route would take him. Besides, he was a guest, not a family member or hired hand.
From the road, the house appeared to be quite old but as Dave stopped in front of it he could see that only the front section appeared old while other sections were rather new. The main section had a porch that stretched the full length of the front of the house and above that was a covered balcony that matched the porch. On the ground floor, only the main door opened onto the porch and there were six windows on either side of the main entry door. Above that, four sets of French doors opened onto the balcony, obviously providing access from second floor bedrooms. To avoid looking too much like he was checking into a hotel, Dave decided to leave his bag in the trunk and go ring the doorbell.
The door opened and Dave found himself being greeted by a Hispanic looking lady, about 5 ft. 4 in. tall, wearing an apron over her floral dress.
"Good morning. My name is Dave Baker and I'm here to... at Mr. and Mrs. Roehl's invitation."
"Good morning, Mr. Baker, they are expecting you. I'll tell Mrs. Roehl you are here. Please come in," Lucia said as she stepped back and opened the door wider.
Dave stepped into a very wide entry hall with highly polished wood plank floors. Looking straight ahead he could see a wide stairway to the second floor where the railing curved around indicating that there was another large hallway up stairs. On the first floor, the stairway reduced the hallway width by half, and beyond that point there were at least two more doorways on either side but it ended about thirty-five feet from where he stood. Dave also noticed French doors on either side of the entryway/foyer but before he could get a better look Lucia spoke again.
"Please have a seat in the living room; Mrs. Roehl will be here soon." The woman spoke with a heavy Mexican accent like the one Mike uses when he's trying to silly.
"Thank you." Dave replied as he turned to his right and walked through the open French doors; they closed behind him. The room was beautifully decorated and one wall had the appearance of a well-equipped library. The ceiling of this room was so high, anyone wanting to reach books on the upper shelves would need a ladder; then he saw one. The living room floor, like the one in the foyer, was made of attractive wood planks, undoubtedly tongue-in-groove. Dave walked over to a club chair covered in comfortable looking tapestry fabric and sat down. He was struck by how quiet the large house was. The moment he looked up his breath was taken away. There on the wall before him was a life-sized portrait of Paul. He was dressed in his Army officer's uniform with gold bars on his shoulders, a Second Lieutenant. The artist had captured Paul's eyes so that no matter where you were in the room they appeared to be looking directly at you. Dave was so captivated he did not notice someone approach the other side of the French doors.
So that is Dave Baker!' Alexis Roehl thought as she watched unobserved through the windowpanes in doors. She could see that Dave was entranced by Paul's painting and noticed a flicker in his eyes as though he might have tears in them. He's stunningly good-looking, rather cute. I can certainly see how Paul could fall in love with his looks. The way the fabric of that suit drapes over his body makes him appear both delicate and masculine. Knowing Paul's judgement of people, he probably also has a charming personality. Well, here goes.' Alexis opened the door and walked into the room.
Dave heard the door open and his attention was immediately drawn to it and watched as a very beautiful, confident looking woman of 45 to 50 years old and dressed in an elegant floral pleated dress approached him with her hand extended. Dave instantly rose out of his chair to greet her. The moment he looked at her hazel eyes he saw Paul.
`And he has excellent manners.' Alexis thought. "You must be Dave, I'm so happy to meet you."
Dave felt as though he was being swept off his feet by this exceedingly confident and charming lady as he took her hand in his and gently squeezed it. "Yes Ma'am." He said as he tried to compose himself.
"Is it Dave or David?"
"My family all call me David but everyone else calls me Dave."
"Is it all right if I call you David? You strike me more as the David type than a Dave."
"Yes Ma'am." Dave smiled. She made him feel like he was with a true friend.
"Please, sit back down," Alex said as she moved and sat in the adjacent chair. "It's a very good likeness, don't you think?"
"Yes Ma'am, it is. I can see where he got his eyes, they're his most attractive feature."
"Oh, I think you're full of it, David Baker," Alex said with a chuckle; she was obviously pleased with the flattery. "You must have made good time. Art called and said you were on your way and we didn't expect you for another fifteen minutes." Dave had this awful thought that he could go wait in the car for fifteen minutes. "My name is Alexis but everyone calls me Alex. Paul's father will be along shortly, he's out on the ranch towing a broken down truck back to the garage. His name is Alexander Steven but he goes by Steve. As you can imagine, that helps avoid confusion if we called him by his first name."
"Yes, I suppose so."
"Is your luggage in your car, I didn't see it anywhere."
"Yes Ma'am, I left it in the trunk."
"Why don't you go get it and put it in your room."
"Yes Ma'am." Dave said as he stood and waited for Alex to lead the way out of the room so he could follow.
On the way to the car Dave was talking to himself. `You're doing okay. She's really nice, just relax. I wonder how many people I'll have to meet this time. I wonder if Paul's sister will be here. This place doesn't look like rich people live here. She said Paul's dad was out on the ranch towing a truck to the garage; I'd think he'd have people to do that for him.'
Once back in the house, Alex led Dave up stairs and into a large bedroom with two sets of French doors that opened onto the front balcony. Dave instantly knew it was Paul's room just by looking at all the photographs, tennis trophies and other telltale signs of memorabilia that boys like to collect.
"I hope this is all right; this is Paul's old room," she said.
"Oh, yes Ma'am, this is just fine. Thank you very much." Dave had a strange feeling, like here he was, he was going to be sleeping in Paul's room, in Paul's bed. But what was also strange was that it didn't seem to be upsetting him. Even more strange, Paul's mother seemed quite at ease with it. He had more or less assumed the family would still be in mourning, certainly not ready to let some strange man take over Paul's room, even for one night. Dave sat his bag down on a luggage rack then stood quietly as his eyes scanned the room one more time.
"We can head back down stairs now, lunch will be ready shortly, I hope you're hungry. Lucia has fixed some nice been soup and sandwiches." Alex led the way back down stairs.
I'll bet this is Dave." Steve said as he extended his hand. Steve had returned from his chore and was walking down the hall behind them as Alex and Dave walked down the stairs. Taking hold of Dave's right hand with his, Steve placed his left hand on the underside of Dave's forearm and grasped it firmly then looked directly into Dave's eyes. That move put Dave very much at ease and he could feel himself relax. Paul's parents were good people and they seemed to like him very much. "I'm Steve, but I suppose Alex has already told you that," he said with a smile.
Alex may have given Paul her eyes but Steve had given him everything else. Steve appeared to be a perfect body mold for Paul except he was about two inches shorter and about twenty-five or thirty years older. Dave's eyes glanced back and forth between the two about three times and they noticed.
"Yes," Steve chuckled, "there's a great deal of similarity, isn't there?" he said as if reading Dave's mind.
"Yes Sir, there certainly is," Dave said as he felt himself struggling to speak. "It's amazing really, in my family you can tell we are related but this is...."
At that moment Lucia stepped into the hallway and announced that lunch was ready. Alex showed Dave to the bathroom so he could wash before lunch, which was served at the kitchen table. Alex and Steve began asking Dave about his trip, his family, and how he liked college. All of their questions were phrased as diplomatically as possible so as not to make Dave feel threatened. Dave willingly answered all the questions but he withheld the fact that John played pro football. Perhaps he didn't want anyone to think he was bragging just to inflate his own worth. That was of no consequence because Art had already shared the results of the background investigation he had commissioned. Also during the lunch conversation Dave continued to relax. The more he talked with Paul's parents the more relaxed he became. They were so easy to talk to.
As Lucia cleared away their plates, Steve stood up and asked, "Dave, could I interest you in a brief tour of the ranch?"
"Oh, yes Sir. I'd like that."
"Have you ever ridden a horse?"
"Yes Sir, I have." That was as much as Dave was willing to answer, he felt no need to explain his trips to the ranch with Paul.
"Good. Now, I have to make one request."
"What's that, Sir?"
"That you start calling me Steve' instead of Sir'." Steve had a very kind smile on his face when he said that.
"Oh, yes S... Steve." Dave almost said `Sir' but corrected himself rather adroitly and returned Steve's smile.
"And that means you have to call me `Alex' too, Dave." Alex chimed in.
"Yes, I can do that too... Alex." They all laughed at the charming way Dave handled the moment.
At Steve's suggestion Dave went to his, Paul's, room and changed into the Levi's Art had suggested he bring. As Dave was standing in his room wearing only his boxer briefs and about ready to slip into his Levi's, Steve walked in carrying a pair of boots that he thought might fit Dave. Steve couldn't help but render a judgement that Dave had a very nicely developed tight, hard body with a flat stomach, one that Paul would certainly be attracted to. The boots weren't a perfect fit but they did nicely.
At the barn, two horses were ready to be saddled and Steve told Dave which one was his. "You know how to saddle a horse?" Steve asked.
"Yes S... Steve," Dave caught himself, "I think I can remember." They went into the tack room and Steve pointed to the saddle Dave was to use. Dave immediately saw the initials PAR' stenciled on it. Paul's saddle,' Dave thought as he picked it up and carried it to his horse. `This is probably Paul's horse too.' Dave moved around the front of the horse, looked into its eyes and stroked its forehead like it was his friend. The animal lowered his head and nudged his nose against Dave's chest as a gesture of acknowledgement and friendship.
Steve was watching Dave closely. Lightning, that was the name of Paul's horse, had never let anyone but Paul pet him like Dave was doing. The horse was not dangerous to ride, he just didn't seem to warm up to other people, until now. Steve saddled his horse and, simultaneously observed Dave saddle Lightning.
"Good job, Dave," Steve commented when they were finished.
"I had a good instructor."
"Yeah, I thought I recognized the technique; it's the same one I use. Imagine that!" Steve chuckled and Dave joined him with a chuckle of his own. Steve also noticed the ease with which Dave mounted Lightning; they were ready to go.
Steve led Dave on a three-hour tour of the ranch, pointing out that this was a small working ranch by comparison to the one that joined Paul's property. At one point, when they topped a hill and could see miles in all directions, Steve reined his horse to a stop; Dave followed suit. They sat quietly for several seconds as Steve considered the best way to start the next conversation.
"Dave, you're probably wondering why Alex and I invited you here. I'm sure I would if I were you. It's quite simple, really, because we wanted to meet you, the man our son said he loved. You see, we could always trust what Paul said; he never said something he didn't mean. And once he made a commitment you could take it to the bank. We have no doubt that he loved you very much. Is it fair to assume you felt the same way about him?"
Dave turned and looked directly at Steve. "Oh yes! And I can't imagine... I don't know if I'll ever be able to love anyone again... not like that." Tears began to well up in Dave's eyes.
Steve was on the verge of asking Dave to confirm they were lovers but decided that was unnecessary.
Dave lowered his eyes to the saddle horn then lifted his head and looked at Steve. "Yes, we were in love... and we were lovers. Not a day goes by that I don't think of him hundreds of times." Dave thought he'd better shut his mouth before he said too much.
"I hope this doesn't shock you but Alex and I are very happy that you and Paul found each other. We're happy that he was able to experience true love and happiness before he died. And after watching you and listening to you I'm convinced you two were truly in love. And another thing," Steve paused and they made eye contact again, "returning Paul's ranch to the Roehl family was an act of such incredible generosity and I can't begin to describe how we all appreciate it. That one act demonstrated your love for Paul more than anything else you could ever do and it speaks volumes about the depth and honesty of your character. Your parents should certainly be proud of their son."
Dave instantly thought of new distance between him and his father and sighed. "Thanks, Steve, no one ever said anything like that about me before. But the land was never mine, I only wanted Paul back. And that's not going to happen."
"Yes, you're right..." Steve paused, "so I'm going to make a request." Dave looked at Steve. "Someday you're going to have to let him go, Dave." They continued looking at each other. "You are a fine young man. I want to believe there is someone out there just waiting for you to find him. And I'm sure Paul would want you to find him and honor Paul's life by sharing yours with someone who deserves you. Now I've probably said more than I should so I'll shut up but think about it. And if you ever want to talk about it please don't hesitate to call me."
They continued looking at each other and finally Dave replied, "I will... think about it, I promise."
After a few moments, Steve broke eye contact. "Come on. We'd better be getting back so we can clean up before dinner." He pressed his horse into a gallop and Dave followed.
The hot water ran over his head and flowed down his smooth, tight runner's body. It felt so good. `Paul must have learned so much from his dad; they seem so much alike. Paul always seemed to do some of his best talking while sitting on the back of a horse, just like his dad. And watching Steve move in the saddle was just like watching Paul. Scary!'
Dave dressed for dinner in his tan slacks and a light blue shirt open at the collar. He was to meet Steve and Alex in the living room at about 6:00 PM for a drink before dinner so that's where Dave went after he was dressed. Alex and Steve were already there when he entered the room and so was another person, a young lady with her back to the door talking to the Roehls.
"David, please come in," Alex beckoned. "You haven't met Connie."
Dave watched as Connie turned around and he could see how attractive she was. Her face was more of a beautiful combination of her parent's best features. She shared her father's eyes and her mother's charmingly warm smile. Dave guessed she was about an inch taller than he was then noticed she was wearing one-inch heels, they were probably close to the same height. He remembered Paul saying that his sister was two years younger than he was and that seemed to fit what he was looking at.
"Hi, Dave, we meet at last," Connie said as she closed the distance between them. "I've wanted to meet you ever since Paul told us about you." When they finally stood face to face, Connie surprised Dave by placing her arms around him in an embrace, kissed him on his right cheek and then stepped back.
Dave was somewhat flustered; he didn't quite know how to react. He'd never been in this type of situation before, had never met such open and accepting people. He just smiled, looked a little embarrassed and said, "I've always wanted to meet you ever since Paul told me what a wonderful person his sister was and how much he loved you." Dave's instincts had saved him again.
"We're all having a Chardonnay if that's okay," Steve offered.
"That's perfect." Dave smiled. He remembered Paul introducing him to that wine the first time they stayed at the Westin Hotel.
With the Roehl family complete, they began asking Dave questions about his family. Dave, feeling completely at ease opened up and confessed that he had just come out to his parents a few days ago and that his father's reaction wasn't what he had hoped for. Steve offered his regrets and encouraged Dave not to give up, that his father might eventually come around. Steve was speaking from experience. That's about the time Lucia came in and announced that dinner was on the table and they adjourned to the dining room.
Steve said a blessing and included thanks that Dave was able to join them. Dave wasn't as bothered as he had been at Thanksgiving at Kate's. Perhaps time was helping him and perhaps it was the company. The dinner conversation focused on Dave's commitment to become an architect and how much he liked college. Wanting to direct the attention away from himself, Dave began to ask questions about Connie, the Roehl clan and the house. It proved to be a stroke of genius. Connie was really `Constance', she had graduated from College last spring, and was now working as a coordinator for an entertainment booking agency in Dallas. Steve and Alex then launched into numerous tales of adventure, intrigue, humor, and excitement concerning their ranch. They talked about the bullet holes in the front wall of the house, many still contained the bullets, about when the house was originally built, about the historical contributions of the Roehl family, and much more. Eventually they left the table and returned to the living room where a fireplace was aglow with a hardy flame that warmed the room and gave it a nice cozy atmosphere. Steve poured him and Dave a brandy but Kate and Connie declined any more alcohol.
"Dave," Alex began once they were all seated comfortably, "We're very interested in how you and Paul met and got to know each other so well. And please don't misunderstand, we're not trying to pry, it's just that there is a six to eight month segment of his life that we know so little about and if you are willing, we'd love to know more about it.
Dave quickly glanced at three sets of eyes that were intently focused on him. How in Hell do I do this?' Dave thought. My only choice it to start and see where it takes me.' He began by describing Paul's near strangulation in the weight room and how he jumped to the rescue. Dave told it in such a way that it sounded funny and by the time he finished that little story everyone was laughing, including Dave. He skipped over the episode in Paul's BOQ room and went straight to the first trip to the ranch. He managed to inject so much humor in that event that they were all laughing again. They especially enjoyed his description of his first meeting with Miss May at the local restaurant/roadhouse. And so it progressed through the symphony, the second trip to the ranch, the Broadway musical, and the trip to the beech. At that point Dave remembered the picture they had taken in the little booth and pulled it from his wallet to show them. The three Roehls seemed a little speechless.
"Why were you making such a funny face, Dave?" Connie asked.
"Uh... well," Dave couldn't control his blushing, "Paul was acting silly and... well... he... uh..." Suddenly Dave wasn't so sure he should say Paul had grabbed his crotch.
"Never mind, Dave, I get the picture." Steve said with a knowing smirk. Steve could easily imagine his son grabbing Dave's crotch at the very moment the lens opened. That was so Paul.
Then Dave continued telling about their trip to the baseball game. Steve got a particularly good laugh when Dave described Paul's attempts to teach him how to play golf.
The laughter stopped when Dave reached the end of his story because without saying anything, everyone understood why the story stopped. Steve rose from h is chair and held his glass out indicating he wanted to make a toast. Dave stood and held his glass toward Steve's.
"To Paul and Dave. We love them both." Steve said and touched his glass against Dave's. Alex and Connie stepped up to Dave and kissed him, one on each cheek. Where wasn't a dry eye in the room.
"Ah... I don't know about the rest of you folks, but it's time for this old coot to hit the sack," Steve announced. It seemed to be just the right thing to say to change the subject.
"Me too," Alex said, "and Dave, breakfast will be served starting at about 7:00. Steve always cooks Sunday breakfast so be prepared for almost anything." She chuckled at Steve's expense. "Also, we'd like to invite you to join us at church later in the morning, unless you'd rather not."
"Uh..." Dave hesitated for just a moment. `These people have been so nice to me, I can't possibly say no.' "...Of course, I'd love to go. Any particular dress code?"
"Nah," Steve spoke up, "It's a just small town Episcopal Church, we don't dress up much. If you want to wear what you have on and add those boots you wore this afternoon you'll fit right in."
Connie was spending the night so she and Dave headed up the stairs while Steve and Alex turned off the lights and followed them a few minutes later.
Steve sat down on a chair next to the closet and was starting to remove his boots when Alex stepped in front of him with her back to him. "Unzip me, please." She had already slipped her shoes off and put them away.
"With pleasure." Steve said and he reached up and took hold of the tongue of the zipper to her dress. With his left hand, Steve slowly lowered the zipper and as the soft, pale skin of Alex's back became exposed Steve used the index finger of his right hand to trace the length of her spine. When the zipper and his finger reached the lowest point, Steve's right hand continued over his wife's hip, cupped her right buttock and squeezed it lovingly. Alex waited just long enough before stepping away to send the message that the attention was appreciated.
"You spent most of the day with him, what do you think?" She asked while she slipped out of her dress.
"Ya know, Alexis, he's not what I expected."
"What exactly did you expect?"
"Well, I thought he'd be more... more... UGH!" Steve said as he pulled the boot off of his left foot.
"More effeminate?" Alex continued as she removed her slip.
"Yeah, I guess that's it. If I didn't know better I swear he wasn't gay. UGH!" Steve pulled the boot off his other foot. "He's so easy to talk to, perhaps the most candid person I've met in a long time. He flat out told me he and Paul were lovers."
"And how did you deal with that?" Alex walked into the bathroom to brush her teeth. She could still hear Steve easily.
"I did my best to ignore it." Steve started unbuttoning his shirt." I sure would have liked to have seen those two young men together." He went to the bathroom and began brushing his teeth. Steve continued when he was finished in the bathroom. "I'm glad he brought that picture, they sure made a good looking couple." Steve sat back down on the chair next to the bed. "Dave really is a wonderful young man, he seems so grounded, so mature, exactly what Paul needed. And he has a wonderful sense of humor, a perfect match for Paul's."
Alex sat down on the edge of the bed. "You're reading my thoughts again. But I also see a sadness in his eyes; that sadness is there even when he smiles and laughs. I'd like to invite him back again, maybe develop a continuing relationship. What do you think?" She slid her legs between the sheets and placed a pillow behind her back so she could sit up and watch Steve.
"Do you think he'd let us adopt him?" Steve looked at his wife.
"He's a little old for that," Alex said with a light chuckle, "but we can invite him into the family." She could see her husband was still hurting from the loss of his son, as was she. "I know, you have a hole right here, don't you." She leaned over and placed her hand over his heart. Steve just nodded his head, not willing to speak because his voice would have failed him. "Okay, if you still feel the same way in the morning why don't you ask him, I'll support you."
"Yes... I'll sleep on it."
"Steven, get undressed. You're wasting time," Alex said with an inviting smile. It was astonishing how fast Steve could strip when he was properly motivated.
Dave lay on his back staring at the dimly lit ceiling of Paul's room. The sky was clear and the room was bathed in a soft white light of a bright moon. Dave could look around the room and see all of Paul's things, things he grew up with, played with, enjoyed.
`I can't remember ever spending a more enjoyable evening with adults than I did tonight. Paul, if you're listening, I love your family. Now I understand that they are the source of everything I saw and loved in you. I wasn't sure if I should come here but I'm happy I did. Your father wants me to let you go. I understand what he means, but I'm not ready yet. So here I am, lying in your bed without you. I miss you; I'll always miss you.' Sleep eventually clamed Dave's thoughts.
"Dave... Dave..." "Paul. You're here." "I'm always here, Dave. I love you." "Yes, I love you too. Art took me to where you are." "I know, I felt your warm hand on my face. You're a hit with my family, Dave, the love you." "I love them too." "I love you, Dave. I'm sorry." "Paul... Paul, don't leave!"
Dave opened his eyes. He was sitting up looking at the foot of the bed where Paul had been standing in his dream. Then he noticed the clock read 02:18 AM. At that moment Dave felt a shudder surge through his body; 02:18 AM was the time of Paul's death. It was the same as 03:18 back home. Now he understood. He lay back down and slept soundly until he awoke at 06:30 AM.
Dave walked into the kitchen shortly after 7:00 AM and was momentarily startled when he saw Steve at the stove cooking something. From the back, he looked just like Paul. He was even wearing an apron and Dave instantly remembered that first morning at the ranch, except this morning Steve was fully clothed.
"Hey, morning, Dave." Steve said cheerily. "The glasses are up there," he pointed to a cabinet, "and the juice is in the refrigerator. I'm making pancakes, you want some?"
"That's my favorite. Any coffee?"
"Yeah, you'll find mugs over there," he pointed to the same cabinet where the juice glasses were, "and cups and saucers are behind the next door to the left."
"Where are the ladies?" Dave asked as he poured himself a glass of orange juice.
"They'll be here later, they have to put more effort into looking beautiful than we men do. Say, could you pour me a glass, I haven't had mine yet."
"Another juice coming right up." Dave couldn't help remembering how well he and Paul worked as a team in the kitchen and now he was doing the same thing with Paul's father. It made him feel good, comfortable.
"Remember last night, when you were telling about you and Paul playing golf?" Steve said as he loaded three pancakes on two plates and carried them to the table.
"Yes, I'm really bad at the game but I still think it's fun." Dave answered.
"Well, I remembered that Paul's clubs are in the storage room in the garage. I'd like you to have them, if you don't mind." When Dave looked up Steve was staring right into his eyes.
"I'm afraid golf is going to have to stay on the back burner until I finish college. But after that, if you still want to get rid of them, yes, thank you."
"What are you two cooking up?" Alex asked as she waltzed cheerfully into the kitchen.
"Pancakes! Want some?" Steve asked.
"Two, please." Alex answered as she removed two juice glasses from the cabinet and filled them with orange juice.
Connie soon joined them and they ate a leisurely breakfast while engaging in pleasant conversation. About 10:30, Alex suggested they should be leaving for church soon. Dave offered to drive, since his car was parked in front of the house, and Steve accepted with Alex' concurrence.
The drive to town was pleasant and Steve asked Dave to stop at the drug store where he bought the Sunday edition of the `Dallas Morning News'. The Episcopal Church was rather modest, typical of a small town, and Dave didn't feel as intimidated as he had when Paul had taken him to the large church last summer. Having already experienced the ritualistic service before, Dave remembered Paul's advice and just did what the Roehls did. Dave thought it was a nice service and the priest didn't talk too long. Dave also didn't feel the anger he had experienced right after learning of Paul's death; perhaps it had something to do with the company he was with.
After the service, Dave noticed that Steve and Alex seemed to be a very popular couple, as many of the parishioners seemed to make a point of greeting them. Steve and Alex also seemed to get a certain degree of pleasure at introducing him as Paul's best friend. It made him feel good, if not also a little embarrassed.
Once back at the house, they all relaxed with a cup of coffee and scanned the newspaper until Lucia announced that lunch was ready. Dave knew he would soon have to say goodbye and start for DFW with a stop at Art's house to check on him. He had thoroughly enjoyed this visit and wondered how he could ever have dreaded coming here. Finally the time came.
Standing up from the dining room chair, Dave began, "Alex, Steve, I hate to say this but I need to think about starting back. The three of you have made m e feel so welcome here that I'd like to stay longer. However, I really need go bet back. Thank you SO much for inviting me; this has been wonderful."
"Dave," Steve began as he arose from his chair, "Alex and I, and Connie too, have thoroughly enjoyed your visit. We're happy you could come and we hope you'll consider coming back soon. Art told us you have accepted Paul's seat on the Board of Directors of the AANC, so when you have to attend board meetings, we'd like you to stay with us, if you can. Pure and simple, we'd like to see you more often."
"AANC? Oh, `The Foundation for Abused, Abandoned and Neglected Children'. Of course! Yes. Thank you. I'd like that. That's all so new to me I feel kind of lost; I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do but I guess I'll learn."
"Good," Alex spoke up, "We'll hold you to it," and she chuckled. "Connie, you're going to take your father with you when you go, aren't you?"
"Yes, Mother, we have plenty of time."
"I'd better get packing," Steve said, "this is not going to be a long trip."
"Where are you going?" Dave asked then wished he hadn't, it's really none of his business.
"Oh, I have a board meeting in Houston but I'll be back Tuesday night." Steve replied.
"Is it convenient for me to give you a lift to the airport?"
"That's okay, Dave, Connie's going to drop me off on her way home."
"My flight doesn't leave until 5:50 PM; I was going to drop by Art's place and check on him before going to the airport; I'd be happy to give you a ride if it's convenient." Dave offered.
"You know, that might work. I have a 6:30 flight and could use the time in the Cirrus Lounge to do some reading. What do you think, Connie?"
"If Dave is willing, that's great! That way I can spend the night here with Mother because I don't have to be at work until tomorrow afternoon."
"Then it's settled. Dave, you have a passenger."
The two men had a nonstop conversation during the drive from the ranch to Art's house. Dave asked about what he might be expected to do as a Director for AANC and Steve offered some of his own experiences. Dave also learned that Steve was the President and CEO of the corporation that ran all the Roehl properties and investments, including a couple of oil fields and oil exploration activities around the globe. He had graduated from the University of Texas and obtained a graduate degree in management from Yale. Dave asked Steve if he had ever used private planes and Steve said the corporation owned three but they were all busy at the time. Steve also didn't like to use them for the type of trip he was going on because they were too expensive to use for personal things and were needed for corporate business.
They arrived at Art's and found he had just returned from a round of golf. So much for being sick. Following a brief visit, Dave and Steve continued to DFW where Dave noted where he left his car then called Art so it could be picked up. They checked in for their respective flights and proceeded to the Cirrus Lounge. Dressed in their expensive suits they looked like two important businessmen waiting for their flights. While having a drink together the conversation turned a little more serious.
"Dave, about your father, don't give up on him. Speaking from experience, unless the two of you have some deep-seated animosity between you, the father-son bond is pretty strong."
"I'm hoping you're right." Dave responded. "He's always been important in my life; he taught me so much."
"I'd like to meet him some day and tell him what a great son he has."
"Thanks," Dave smiled, "I'll take all the help I can get."
"Mr. Baker?" a lounge attendant was standing before the two men.
"That's me." Dave said as he looked up at the attractive young lady.
"Your flight will be boarding in a few minutes so it's a good time to start in that direction."
"Thank you." Dave said as he stood up from the couch he and Steve were sitting on. Steve stood also.
"Dave, it's been a real pleasure." Steve said as he extended his hand. When Dave took hold of it Steve used it to pull him into an embrace. "Come see us again soon, son."
"I'll will," Dave answered as he allowed his arms to pull Steve into a tighter embrace. Then they parted.
(To be continued.)