Date: Sat, 31 Dec 2016 06:07:29 -0600
From: Jack Schaeffer <jack.schaeffman@gmail.com>
Subject: Forever - Book Two - Chapter 25

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Website: www.JackSchaeffer.com
Comments welcomed: jack@JackSchaeffer.com


FOREVER

By Jack Schaeffer
Copyright 2014-2016. All rights reserved.

BOOK TWO - CHANGES

Chapter 25

I managed to slip out of bed the next morning without waking Sam. He was
exhausted. We had spent half the night making love again. We took our time,
with lots of tender kissing, whispers of forever love, and more than a few
tears.

I looked down at him in the dark now, sleeping peacefully, a thin smile
painted across his face. God, I loved him.

I fumbled around in the dark, tripping over a pair of shoes and knocking an
empty water bottle to the floor, and found underwear, a pair of sweatpants,
and a t-shirt. I nearly fell over putting the sweatpants on. I pulled one
of Sam's long sleeved cotton shirts out of his suitcase, in case it was
cool outside. I, of course, had packed everything I didn't need, and
nothing I did.

I scribbled a note on the back of a piece of birthday wrapping paper I
pulled from the bathroom trash, letting Sam know I was taking a walk on the
beach, and to come find me when he was up. I stuck it to the mirror and
hoped he would see it, first thing.

As I tiptoed down the stairs in the darkness, a pair of clean socks in
hand, I knew my relationship with Sam had turned a corner. Events not in
our control had propelled us to an even deeper level of commitment and
surrender. I didn't fully understand it all yet, and honestly, I didn't
care if I ever did, as long as I had Sam.

I sat on the bottom step and tugged on my socks, listening to the noises a
house makes only when void of human activity. I picked up my gym shoes from
the pile in the foyer, slipped them on, then headed for the back deck and
the beach beyond.

I checked my pockets for my cell phone and security panic device. The last
thing I needed was Ben reading me the riot act for leaving the house
untethered to his ever-watchful safety net. I suppose being surrounded by a
mostly invisible security team was supposed to instill some sense of
safety, but as I stepped off the boardwalk steps and down onto the sand, I
realized I wasn't so afraid anymore.

Fear had had the upper hand for most of my life. People discovering I was
gay had topped the list. But now, lots of people knew, and no one seemed to
care much, one way or another. I sensed no physical danger, anyway. There
was Aunt Myra, of course, and people like her. But their angst was beyond
my control, or understanding. I knew I would never be an activist or push
social boundaries, but I wasn't hiding from myself anymore.

I had conquered other fears, too - with Sam's help. My fear of never
amounting to much, or doing anything good with my life. Or of having no
value and never mattering to anybody. Sam made it plenty clear last night
that wasn't true.

Even my fear of never belonging anywhere was fading. Sam was my family now,
and his immediate family was starting to feel like mine, too. It had only
been a few days, but I cared about them. They were good people, and they
had been nothing but kind to me.

I was crazy about the twins. I would treasure their innocent acceptance for
the rest of my life. Seeing the world through their eyes made everything so
much clearer. And simpler.

The rising sun pushed the dark of night away. The horizon was now bathed in
a pale blue light, clouds taking shape in the low skyline far out at
sea. Birds were calling to each other, some soaring high above, others
diving into the waves for breakfast. Seagulls trotted along the surf line,
pecking at the wet sand, and fighting for discovered morsels. More power to
them. The muddy, fishy smell rising from stagnant tide pools turned my
stomach.

A man jogged past, nodding twice in my direction. I had no idea who he was,
but he clearly knew who I was - his assignment. I sighed. I felt a little
guilty, being the reason he had to be up this early and on the job. Ben
would tell me to stop worrying about such things. Easy for him to say, hard
for me to do.

I walked at a slow pace, shuffling my feet in the sand. I stopped a couple
of times to pick up shells, then threw them away. I didn't really need a
smelly souvenir - the main prize was coming home with me tomorrow. Which
made me feel guilty again, knowing I was taking Sam far away from his
family - our family.

I stopped. Someone was sitting on the sand a dozen yards further on. It was
David, his knees pulled up to his chest, staring out to sea. He hadn't seen
me yet, and I debated whether or not to turn around and go back. He picked
that moment to look in my direction. He acknowledged me with a nod. I
walked up to him and looked down, hands in my sweat pants pockets.

"Morning, Jack," he said, looking up at me.

"Morning," I replied. "I didn't mean to interrupt. I'm just taking a
walk. I'll let you get back to whatever you're doing."

He patted the sand next to him. "Have a seat if you want. I'm not doing
anything, just sitting here. Can't sleep...and I didn't want to wake Kat
with all my tossing and turning."

I sat down next to him, leaning back on my hands in the sand with my legs
stretched out in front of me. We looked out at the ocean and the incoming
tide. Two seagulls fought over a tiny crab plucked from the sand.

"You and Sam doin' okay?" he asked.

"Yes, we are," I replied with a smile. "Better than okay. Sam seems to
think something changed yesterday."

He laughed. "I'll say. You were a big part of it."

"Part of what?"

He looked at me. "Are you joking?"

"No, I'm dead serious. What do you think happened? I mean, aside from me
opening my big mouth and Myra and Gene leaving."

"For starters, you stood up for Sam. And stood up to the rest of the
family, really. That took balls, and it had to make Sam feel good," he
said.

"I don't understand. How did I stand up to the family? Other than Myra?"

"Surely you've noticed."

"Noticed what?"

David sighed and squeezed a handful of sand through his fingers. "That the
family doesn't really stand up for Sam much. Hell, Sam doesn't even stand
up for himself at times."

"What do you mean?"

He turned to me. "Sam's been out to the family for years. His parents are
nothing but loving and supportive - to him. But the subject is not talked
about outside the family. And we tend to not challenge people who say
derogatory things about Sam behind his back. I guess everybody thinks it
won't matter if Sam doesn't find out." David threw a small pebble at a
seagull. He missed.

"You mean people like Aunt Myra?" I asked.

"Her. And others. Friends of the family. I realize now how much we've all
failed Sam. Thankfully he isn't around much to overhear it, but I have to
wonder if maybe he doesn't know anyway."

"How so?"

He shrugged. "I'm not sure. I could be wrong, but...well, you saw what
happened with the rooming situation. I mean, is there anything more
ridiculous than Aunt Myra's refusal to sleep on the same floor as Sam? What
did she think was going to happen? And yet, everybody acquiesces to the
bigotry to keep the peace, including Kat and me." He shook his head in
self-loathing. "I mean...it's gotta hurt, knowing your family is allowing
people to think and say bad things about you. Then again, Sam's too good of
a person to push back. He probably sees it as overcoming evil with good."

"Yeah...he's big on that."

"You don't agree?"

"No...I do. He's just better at it than me, obviously."

David chuckled and bumped his shoulder against mine. "Sometimes good needs
to stand up and say enough is enough."

"It didn't feel so good."

"Doing the right thing often doesn't. Doesn't mean you shouldn't do it."

"Now you sound exactly like Sam."

David nodded, and we were quiet for a moment, staring out at the dark blue
water. He was right. It did hurt Sam when his family didn't stand up for
him. No wonder he was so upset after the dinner with his parents. It left
him unsure of where he stood with the very people he loved the most.

"Can I ask you a question?" I said.

"Sure," said David.

"Sam says Kat is the protector of the family. So why doesn't she stand up
for him? She certainly made it clear I'm not getting a free pass."

He laughed. "That sounds like her. Sorry about that."

"No. It's fine. I'm glad she's not a pushover. I just hope I pass muster
this week."

"Believe me, Jack. You're in," he said, looking at me with serious
eyes. "After we went to bed last night, she went on and on about how great
you are for Sam. You've got nothing to worry about with Kat. And as for
standing up for Sam, inside the immediate family she's a rock of
support. It's the extended family and friends where things get tricky. She
has to bite her tongue to keep peace with her parents."

"I don't think I can do that," I said quietly, fearing all progress with
Sam's family was slipping through my fingertips.

"I hope you don't."

"But...I can't make a habit of ruining family get togethers."

"Ruin it? I think you saved it," he said, looking back out at the water. I
stared at the sand in front of me. "We were headed for a major blowout
anyway. Kat was talking to me about leaving early, which would have upset
her mother for sure."

I tensed. "Why? Because of me?"

"No, not you. She didn't want the kids around Aunt Myra anymore. Carter is
sensitive to adults' emotions. If he thinks people are upset, he right away
assumes it's his fault. I have no idea why he does that."

"You were great at the birthday party, when he shared his wish. Quick
thinking to get the presents going."

He smiled. "I gotta tell you, the little bugger shocked me with that
one. But I think it's cool my boys latched on to you so quickly. You and
Sam are perfect together."

"Thanks, David. That means a lot."

"I'm glad for me, too."

I looked sideways at his profile. "Why?"

He sighed. "Kat and I have been together for going on ten years. The
Wainwrights are awesome people. They love me, and I love them. They really
are like second parents to me, which is great. But I still sometimes feel a
tiny bit like an outsider. With you here, I'm not the only one," he said,
looking at me sideways.

"I can't imagine you having any difficulty being accepted into the
family. Curtis and Caroline adore you."

He laughed. "Yeah, they were pretty easy, once Kat cleared the way."

"Oh?"

"Let's just say, I had a few hurdles to overcome before I was allowed to
meet the parents."

"Like what?"

"Well...ironically...it was mostly about Sam."

"Sam? Why? Did he have to approve of you first?"

"No. Kat did."

"I'm not following."

"Right. See...like you said before, outside the family, Kat will defend Sam
to the death. Hell, Kat told me about Sam on our second date. And made it
very clear that if I had any problems or issues with gay people, I should
just keep walking."

"And did you? Have problems with gay people, I mean," I said.

"To be honest, I had no idea if I did or didn't. Up until then, I didn't
know anybody who was gay. I come from a very small family, and as far as I
know, no one is openly gay."

"But you were in college, right? So you knew what she meant."

"Sure. And I'd heard all the talk in school over the years, or seen stuff
in movies or TV, but never paid much attention to it. Honestly...I had
never really thought about it."

"So what did you say?"

"I was really falling hard for her. I didn't want to lose her before I even
had a chance, so I tried to trick her."

"You what?" I said, looking at him with my mouth hanging open.

He laughed and looked back at me with a sheepish grin. "I told her the only
way I could answer her question was to meet Sam for myself."

I smiled. "I'm surprised she fell for that."

"She didn't. She told me I had to do better than that. She gave me a week
to figure out where I stood. We finished our meal, and when I stood up to
walk her out, she stopped me. Said she'd wait to hear my response, then she
turned and left me standing by the table, all alone."

"Wow! Sam said she was tough, but yikes! Wait...you're married now, so what
happened?"

"I went back to my apartment, thinking I'd probably never see her
again. Asked my roommate what he thought. I remember he shrugged and said
something like as long as a gay guy didn't come on to him, he was cool with
it."

"So you decided to adopt the same attitude?"

"Nope. It would have been too easy. Kat would have seen right through
me. And I knew she was going to ask me for my reasons, whatever I
decided. So I called my dad."

"Oh boy," I said softly, looking down again at the sand.

"Yeah, oh boy is right, though not for the reason you might think."

"What happened?"

"I asked him what he thought about gay people. He was silent for a minute,
then asked me how long I'd known I was gay and why hadn't I ever said
something sooner."

"You're kidding. He thought you were gay?"

"Yeah. It took a while to convince him I'm not. But then it hit me - he
wasn't mad or freaking out about the idea that I might be gay. So I asked
him what he would do if I did decide I was gay. You know what he said?"

"What?"

"He told me his best friend growing up had a couple of sons, and one of
them came out to his father when he was like sixteen. The guy was horrible
to his kid. Totally disowned him, threw him out of the house. Forbid his
mother and brother from talking to him. The kid called my dad because he
didn't know who else to call. My dad picked him up off the street with just
the clothes on his back. He tried to talk to his friend, to get him to
reconsider, but the guy refused. Said his son was dead to him."

I pulled my knees up and rested my cheek on them, looking at David. "That's
awful. I hate stories like that," I said.

"I know, right? My dad said he never spoke to the guy again. Just cut off
the friendship. It caused some trouble at the golf club, so my dad let his
membership lapse."

"Your dad sounds awesome. What happened to the kid?"

"He's fine, I guess. My dad gave him some money and helped him contact his
grandparents. They right away said he could come live with them, so my dad
got him on a bus to some place south, and as far as I know, he survived it
all. I do know his parents divorced not long after that, and his mother and
brother moved away, presumably to be with him."

I sat up straight and looked at David. "So...obviously your dad wouldn't
disown you if you told him you were gay."

"Nope. Said I was his son, and nothing could ever change that, least of all
who I chose to love. But he did ask if I would please pick a Patriots fan -
male or female, he didn't care which," said David with a grin.

I smiled. "So what did you do?"

"Kat agreed to meet for lunch the next day. When we sat down, she looked at
me hard, just daring me to say the wrong thing, and I remember thinking,
damn, I am totally in love with this woman."

"I would have been trying not to pee my pants," I said.

David laughed. "Yeah...my wife can be a challenge. But that's a big reason
why I love her."

"So what did you say?"

"I looked her in the eye and said, "Kat, Sam is your brother, and he will
always be your brother. You obviously love him very much, and since I love
you, I promise you, I will always love Sam like my own brother, too."

"Wow. What did she say?"

"She didn't. She started crying. Then she got mad and told me I was never
allowed to make her cry again. Then she invited me to Thanksgiving with her
family. I met Sam, and he and I have been like brothers ever since."

"So you clearly survived the big family test."

"Just like you did."

I sighed, looking back up the beach toward the house. "I hope you're
right. Curtis is still a question mark, I think. He keeps looking at me
funny and asking odd questions."

"If I know Curtis, he's trying to figure out exactly who you are and where
you came from."

"We told him all that at dinner the other night."

He turned to me. "You might have left out a few details."

"Like what?" I said, avoiding his eyes by looking at the foliage bending in
the wind behind us.

"Like how you could afford a vacation in Hawaii. What the two of you doing
in Denver for work...or exactly where you live, for that matter. We all
thought Sam was still in some dinky apartment, cleaning pools. Where is the
money coming from for fancy car rentals and camping trips and expensive
birthday presents?"

"Oh...that? Really? Did he say something?" I said, looking at his profile.

He grinned. "It might have come up on the golf course. When he asks, and he
IS going to ask, are you and Sam going to have straight answers?"

I turned back to the ocean and sighed. "It's complicated."

"It usually is," he said.

I wasn't sure what else to say, so I didn't. We sat there in the sand,
listening to the waves roll in and watching a few beach walkers pass by. I
figured at least two of them were part of my security team, from the way
they looked at us. It annoyed me a little, being in this invisible bubble
with watchers, but I tried to let it go. According to the man sitting next
to me, I had bigger problems.

I debated trying to explain it all to David, but decided I should wait to
talk to Sam first. David was preoccupied anyway, squeezing handfuls of sand
through his fingers. His knuckles were white. Someone was suffering some
serious stress.

"Can I ask a personal question?" I said, hoping to change the subject.

He shrugged. "Sure, I guess so."

"Why can't you sleep?" I asked.

He sighed, but didn't answer. I remained silent, letting the question float
on the salty air between us.

"Can I help?" I asked.

He sighed again, then glanced in my direction. "I doubt it." He looked back
out at the ocean, his eyes focused on something far beyond the visible
horizon.

I looked at his profile and decided to go for it. He was family, right?

"Work stuff?" I asked.

He turned. "How did you know?"

"Lucky guess. You seemed upset the other day after your phone call. And you
and Kat seem to be a little on edge."

"Damn. Kat was right. You do see stuff, don't you?" he said, smoothing the
sand he had been mauling a minute ago.

I shrugged. "I'd like to help, if I can," I replied.

"Not sure there's anything you can do. It's all work related," he said,
brushing his hands off against his shorts.

"What's going on?"

He didn't respond for nearly a minute. I watched him scan the waves rolling
in and waited. He swallowed hard, trying to make up his mind. Whatever was
bothering him was not a light matter.

"I'm probably going to lose my job," he said matter-of-factly. Then his
hands started to shake and his breathing got a little louder, like he was
struggling to keep it together.

"Tell me," I said, leaning in a little closer, hoping to inspire
confidence.

He glanced sideways at me and then back out to sea. He raised his knees to
his chest and wrapped his arms around them. "My company is in free
fall. We've lost half our business in the last year. Stupid management
decisions, mostly. We had a couple of projects not work out well for our
clients, and word spread quickly. You're only as good as your reputation, I
suppose."

"What does your business do?"

"Mergers and Acquisitions. I won't bore you with the details."

"M&A? I know a little. What happened with your clients?"

He turned to me, surprised. "You know about M&A?"

I held up my thumb and forefinger, indicating a tiny amount. "Not details,"
I replied. "But the big picture I can follow."

He nodded and relaxed a little, letting go of his legs. "In our case, the
lead partners in my firm recommended a couple of ill-advised mergers for
our clients. In one case, the acquired debt pretty much sank the combined
company right after escrow closed. In the other, there was a hidden lawsuit
which tanked a significant investment into a unique technology. They were
being sued for breach of intellectual property. Our client ultimately lost
the suit, and basically had to write off the entire acquisition for a major
loss. They'll survive, but they made it very clear it was our fault, to
whoever would listen. And it was. We should not have recommended the
merger."

"So why did you?"

He sighed and rubbed both of his temples. "Because our senior partner is
having an affair with the sister of the CEO of the acquired company. He
listened to pillow talk more than his analysts. Our summary recommendation
was to pass on the deal. We didn't know about the lawsuit - they buried it
very deep. Made it look like it had been settled. It's no excuse. We should
have known. Our legal team dropped the ball. But even aside from that, the
financials weren't strong enough. I was shocked when the executive team
pushed for the deal. A lot of people are going to be out on the street come
Labor Day if something doesn't happen soon."

"Do you think it can turn around?"

He shrugged and leaned over his knees again. "I'd like to think so. But to
be honest, what difference does it make? With leadership so tainted, our
corporate reputation is shot. I can't see any substantial deals coming our
way any time soon. My partner and I have one remaining project assigned,
and we'll be finished with it by the end of the month, if not
sooner. There's nothing in the pipeline after that."

"What are other people in the company doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are they leaving?"

"Yeah. Like the building's on fire. Mostly low level clerical staff who can
find other work quickly. Folks at my level - not so much. And the more
specialized you are, the harder it's going to be. Unfortunately, we get
personally tainted by the bad press. That's what sucks. These are good
people, and they're losing their jobs because some guy at the top couldn't
keep his dick in his pants."

"Yikes, that's tough. What are you going to do?"

"I don't know yet. I've kept the worst of it from Kat. I don't want to
alarm her too much. She knows things are stressful." He looked at me,
suddenly alarmed. "You can't say anything, Jack. Promise me you won't tell
her."

I put my hand on his shoulder for a second. "I won't, I promise. But don't
you think she can handle it?"

"Probably. But why should she have to? I mean, if Harry and I can find
something else before the bottom falls out, then we've avoided all the fear
and stress and what ifs, right?"

"Who's Harry?"

David let go of his knees again and sat up straighter. "Harry
Wolowicz. He's my partner. We've been working together since we got out of
college."

"What is it that you guys do?" I asked.

"Mostly business valuation. Harry and I dig deep into the financials and
pair those findings to current market analysis for the particular business
sector to develop detailed cost-benefit scenarios for the potential buyer."

"Sort of a thumbs up, thumbs down kinda thing?" I said.

He laughed. "Yeah, sort of. It's a bit more complicated than a movie
review, though."

"I'm sure. And why are you good at it?"

He looked at me and grinned. "Well...they don't call Harry and me the
dynamic duo for nothing."

I smiled. "You have financial superpowers?"

"I wish. No...although Harry is a wizard with forensic
accounting. No...we're just accurate and fast, two things you have to be in
this field. You get a very small time window for access to company
financials, and they try to hide things. Harry finds the hidden gold, and I
process it all into useful decision making."

"Certainly sounds like you know your stuff. So if you guys are that good,
there has to be a company looking for your skill set."

"There are plenty of companies doing M&A advisory work in New York. But
only a handful at the level we're at now. Harry and I feel like we're at a
crossroads in our careers. We could go with a different firm, but there's
the risk we won't get challenging projects. We'd likely start at the bottom
of the heap in terms of assignments. We've done our share of shit jobs. I
want to keep learning and growing. Is that too much to ask?" he said,
slapping the sand. I looked at him, taken in by the passion of his
convictions. "Sorry," he said. "I guess this is all getting to me."

I didn't know how to encourage him. He was frustrated, obviously, and more
than a little scared for his future. Carter and Camden popped into my head,
and I realized they were the real reason David was so upset. His kids, and
his wife, were counting on him. There had to be something I could do to
help, but my company was all the way in Denver, and that wouldn't work for
him. Then I remembered something.

"I'm sorry you have to go through this," I said. "I have an idea. Give me a
minute, I want to check something." I pulled my cell phone from my pocket
and texted Todd to call me when he got into the office. It was only a
little after five in the morning in Denver.

I turned back to David. He was a little calmer now, and very curious. My
own nerves were ramping up with what I was about to do. I hoped I wasn't
overstepping.

"David...um...would you...that is...um...I'd like to make a phone call on
your behalf, if that's okay."

He looked at me. "What are you talking about? What phone call? Why?"

"Just...look, I know we just met...but...I need you to trust me on this. I
won't betray your confidence to Kat, I promise. I won't even tell Sam if
you don't want me to. But I'd like to try and help."

"Look...Jack...I appreciate the gesture, but really...I mean, what can you
possibly do to help? I need a new job."

My phone started ringing. It was Todd. I might have known he'd be in the
office already. I pressed the button to answer and put the phone to my ear.

"Morning, Todd. Sorry to call so early."

"No problem, boss. What can I do for you?"

"You at the office already?"

"Nope, we're in the car, on our way. Margie wanted doughnuts for
breakfast."

"You don't have to tell him that," I heard in the background.

"I think she's eating for three today," said Todd. "Ouch. Hey, I'm drivin'
here. You want me to have an accident." Margie said something else I
couldn't make out. Todd came back to me.

"Sorry about that. Now...where were we?"

I laughed. "Breakfast sounds dangerous. Be careful."

"Yeah, no kidding. I'm telling you, Jack, you never want to be caught
between a pregnant woman and her food cravings. Things can get violent. Ow!
Cut it out! That hurts!" I heard Margie's laughter echo through the
speaker.

"Todd, before you get yourself killed this morning, can you reach out to
Mason and have him call me at his earliest convenience?"

"Sure. Anything I need to know about?"

"No, not yet. This one's personal. I'll fill you in after I speak to
Mason. Everything okay back there?"

"Yep. Fairly quiet. With the boss gone off on holiday, we can finally get
some real work done around here."

I laughed. "Well, whatever you do, don't tell him. He might decide to leave
more often, so you actually have to earn your keep, instead of faking it
all day."

He snorted. "Ha ha. Very funny. How's it goin' out there?"

"So far, so good. We'll see. I've got one more day to screw it up, so you
know..."

"Can you try not to do that, please. I like having the pool boy around."

"Well, in that case, I'll do my best, sir."

"See that you do. Hey, Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"I told you they'd like you."

I sighed. "I know. You were right, I was wrong. Don't let it go to your
already fat head."

"Too late," I heard Margie mutter in the background.

"You guys be safe. Tell Mason to call anytime when he gets a free
minute. Thanks, Todd."

"You got it, boss. Have a good one." He disconnected.

"What was that?" asked David, looking at me, puzzled.

"What was what? I just need a guy to call me, that's all. I don't know if
he can do anything, but it's worth a shot, right?"

"A shot at what?" asked David.

"I don't know yet. Maybe a job, maybe a connection, and introduction. We'll
know when he calls me later." David looked worried.

"Why do you look like your cat died?" I asked. "It's just a phone call. You
don't even have to do anything if you don't want to."

"I can't leave Harry behind, Jack. I can't do it. We've been through too
much. I appreciate you trying to help me with - whatever it is you think
you're doing. But maybe it would be better if Harry and I just figured this
out ourselves."

I looked at him, trying to understand his reluctance to accept my help. Was
it pride? Didn't feel like it. Fear? David was not the fearful type. Before
I could figure it out, my phone rang again.

"Hey, Mason. That was fast. You didn't have to call so soon," I said.

"No problem. What can I do for you, Jack?" said Mason.

"How's your dad?"

"He's much better. Itching to get back to work, but I'm sitting on him as
best as I can. Mom's trying to keep him preoccupied. I have my hands full
with this New York office."

"How's that going?"

"So far, so good. I found a top notch practice manager, so she's handling
the day to day triage of problems. I'm working the prospects. Landed two
new accounts last week, and I have a big meeting this afternoon uptown. But
you didn't call to talk about my company. What's going on?"

"Actually, I did. I have a favor to ask, and please, please, please feel
free to say no, okay."

"Jack, just ask."

"I'm with Sam's brother-in-law here in Rhode Island."

"Oh right, you're out there meeting the family. How's it going?"

"How do you know about that?"

"Todd keeps me up to date. I like to stay current with what the guys are up
to."

"Cool. Well...everything's fine, I guess. But something came up, and I
thought you might be able to help."

"Shoot. I'll see what I can do," said Mason. I told him everything David
had told me. Mason asked a couple of questions about where David currently
worked and his latest clients. I relayed David's answers while he paced all
around me, kicking up a sand storm. I stood up.

"How soon can I talk to this guy?" asked Mason. "It sounds like the project
I'm pitching today will need what this dynamic duo can offer."

"He's standing right here," I said. David's eyebrows perked up and he
stopped pacing.

"Put him on," said Mason. I handed the phone to David and stepped away to
give him a little bit of privacy.

While they talked, I worried. Maybe it wasn't fair of me to even ask Mason
to consider giving David and Harry a job. Was I being presumptuous?

"There he is," said a familiar voice behind me. I turned and Sam pulled me
into his open arms. He kissed me and I burrowed into his chest. He nuzzled
my head and I inhaled the intoxicating smell of him. There was no better
place in the world than to be wrapped in Sam's strong arms.

"I woke up and you were gone," said Sam.

"I was hoping you would sleep in this morning. We were up half the night,"
I said into his chest.

"In more ways than one, as I recall."

I looked up into his deep blue eyes. "You okay this morning, big guy?"

He leaned over and kissed me again. "I'm perfect," he said. I exhaled,
relieved of a worry I hadn't even acknowledged, and rested my cheek on his
chest again.

"Who's David talking to? And why is he on your phone?"

I stiffened. "Um...it's business."

Sam pulled my chin up to look into my eyes. "Talk to me, little man. What's
going on?"

"You need to ask David. I can't speak for him."

Sam looked deep into my eyes. I stared back, drawn in by the intensity and
full-on energy he projected. Finally, he nodded once, and said, "Whatever
it is, I know why you did it."

"You do?" I whispered.

He nodded. "Because you care."

I was about to say something, but David disconnected and was moving fast
toward us. His arm stretched out, my phone hanging off the end of his
fingers.

"Here," he said. I took it into my trembling hand.

"So...what'd he say?" I asked. Sam was just watching us for the moment.

David started pacing back and forth, his eyes never leaving mine. He looked
angry, or maybe confused?

"How the fuck did you do that?"

I shrugged, afraid to say anything. That wasn't good enough for David.

"No," he said, waving a finger at me. "Un huh. No way. You just pick up a
phone...two minutes later he calls? What the...who does that?"

"Who does what?" asked Sam, looking back and forth at us, confused.

David pointed at me. "I told him. And he...he whips out his phone, makes a
call, and now Harry and I have an interview on Monday with a new company."

"Told Jack what?" said Sam. Then he looked at me. "Mason?" I nodded.

"How the fuck do you know who I was talking to?" asked David, getting
louder.

"David...man, calm down. You're gonna bust a gasket or somethin'," said
Sam.

"No, this is unreal, Sam. Nobody does this." Suddenly he stopped pacing and
took two steps to stand very close to me, his eyes boring into mine. "You
don't even know me. Why would you..?"

I swallowed hard. "David, you're...family. I just wanted to help. Mason's a
great guy. You can trust him, I promise. He's helping his father open an
M&A shop in New York. I thought it was worth a try. Sounds like he's
interested. Maybe it will be a good fit, maybe not."

His eyes searched mine. Then he shocked me. He grabbed my head with both
hands, leaned in, and kissed my forehead hard, then pushed me back a
little, pointing a finger at me again. He had a huge smile on his face.

"You...you are fucking amazing," he said. He looked at Sam, his finger
still zeroed in on my face. "Sam...don't you dare fuck this up. We need
him." David crossed his hands on top of his head like he thought it would
explode or something as he continued pacing. Sam was grinning ear to ear at
me.

"Holy shit, I can't believe this is happening. I have to call Harry," said
David. He dropped his hands, turned and took off running through the sand
toward the house.

We watched him run away from us in silence. Sam grabbed my hand and pulled
me closer to his side, then put his arm around my shoulders. I burrowed
under his arm and sighed.

"I decide to sleep in a little, and what do you do? You go and change the
world again," said Sam, smiling and happy. "I think you have a new brother,
Jack."

I spun in front of him and buried my face in his chest as Sam wrapped his
arms around me again. We stood there for a few moments, just being
together.

He made a noise and I looked up. He had tears in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked, reaching up to push away a tear from his cheek.

"I'm fine," he whispered. "I'm just happy, Jack. I feel like...I don't
know...I feel like I have my family back. I didn't even know I'd lost
them. And I have you to thank for it."

"Sam...I just made a phone call."

"It's not just what you did for David," he said, sliding his arms down
around my waist. "It's everything. The twins, Kat, my mom. I still can't
believe she told Aunt Myra off. I've been waiting for her to do that for a
long time."

"I know," I said, pulling him closer. "I love you so much, Sam. I'm sorry
you had to deal with her for so long."

He sighed and smiled. "Well...it's over, and I have you now, so it all
worked out for the best. Come on, let's go see what the family wants to do
today."

We walked hand in hand back to the house. I stopped on the boardwalk to
empty sand from my shoes, and leaned on Sam for support. I realized I'd
been doing that since I met him. It felt good to maybe be a real support
for him, too.

Sam pulled me into his arms again, clearly wanting me in his personal
space. I was thrilled to be there. My man was happier than I had ever seen
him. He stared at me with his sparkling, deep blue eyes and stroked my
cheek lightly with his knuckles.

"All that I am, Jack...it's yours," he whispered. "Forever."

"Forever," I said, laying my head on his chest and squeezing my arms around
his waist. We stood there, locked in our embrace, enjoying the special
moment together. Neither of us wanted it to ever end.

Until Sam's stomach rumbled.



Breakfast was a happy affair. The overall mood was high, like a dark cloud
had been banished, replaced by the buttery aroma of pancakes and sizzling
sausage links. Carter and Cam were cracking each other up over some inside
joke as they ate at the dining room table. Curtis was smiling behind his
Wall Street Journal, and Caroline practically skipped back and forth from
the kitchen.

"Can I help?" I asked as she passed by.

"I've got it all under control," said Caroline. "Sit. You, too, Sam. I'll
have more pancakes out in two shakes." She turned with a flourish and
headed to the kitchen. We sat down at the table.

Curtis dropped his paper. "Morning, boys. You been out on the beach?"

I nodded and Sam said, "Yes, sir."

"David came tearing through here a few minutes ago. Everything okay?
Anything I need to know about?"

"Um...no, I don't think so," said Sam, looking at me. Curtis eyed me
closely.

"You stirring things up again, Jack?" asked Curtis. My stomach
dropped. Crap!

"Uh...no, I...um...I don't think so."

"I see," said Curtis. He hid himself behind his paper again, but not before
I caught a sly smile. I looked at Sam and he shrugged. Then the pancakes
arrived and Sam was lost in his feeding frenzy.

I slowly nibbled on a sausage link and tried not to throw up. No way Curtis
wouldn't raise questions, especially when he learned all about David and
his job situation. We were so doomed. Sam was oblivious to anything but his
stomach.

"Uncle Jack?" asked Carter.

"Yeah, buddy?" I replied, coming back to the present.

"Are you and Uncle Sam coming with us to the palace?"

"Palace?" I asked. Curtis dropped his paper and looked at Carter.

"What's it called again, Grandpa?" he asked.

"The Breakers, and it's a mansion, not a palace. Palaces are for royalty,
like kings and queens," replied Curtis.

"Yeah, that's it. The Breakers."

"That's a strange name," said Cam. "Why is it called that?"

I looked at Curtis. "I have no idea, Cam," said Curtis. "Maybe you should
ask the tour guide later." Cam shrugged like he didn't care that much to
ask. I was curious, though.

"What do you guys want to do after we get back this afternoon?" asked Sam.

"Play chicken!" shouted Carter and Cam in unison.

"Yeah. Maybe we can get Daddy to swim, too," said Carter.

"I think that can be arranged," said David, as he and Kat joined us. They
were holding hands and Kat was smiling. For the first time since I met her,
she looked happy.

"Yay!" the twins shouted. Cam jumped up and ran to hug his father's
waist. As David reached down to pat his back, I saw his eyes mist over. He
loved his family. I couldn't imagine the pressure he was under.

"You boys finished with breakfast?" asked Kat.

"Yes, ma'am," said Carter. Cam was still holding on to his father.

"Then you guys should clear the table, and then get cleaned up. And take
showers - you both are starting to stink," said Kat.

"Do I stink, Daddy?" asked Cam, looking up at David.

David pretended to sniff the air and made a face. Cam giggled, then
released David to help Carter clear the dishes off the table. When he tried
to take Sam's plate, Sam hunkered over it and talked through half-chewed
pancakes.

"Hey! I'm not finist!"

"You're not supposed to talk with food in your mouth, Uncle Sam," said Cam,
giggling.

"And you're not supposed to take a man's food," replied Sam.

"How many pancakes did you eat?" asked Carter.

"I don't know," said Sam, turning to me.

"Don't look at me. I didn't have any," I said. The pancake platter was
empty.

"None?" he said.

"Nope."

"Oh...well, in that case, Carter...um...a lot?" said Sam.

"But how many is a lot?" asked Carter, amazed by his uncle's appetite.

"Sam Wainwright? Did you eat all those pancakes?" shouted his mother from
the kitchen.

"Busted," said Cam, grinning.

"Alright...enough of that," said Kat. "Leave Uncle Sam alone. You guys take
those plates to Grandma and get upstairs. And try to keep some of the water
in the shower, please."

Carter and Cam got kissed on top of their heads from Grandma, then came
flying back through the dining room.

"Walk," said David.  They slowed down fractionally, then raced each other
up the stairs. Footsteps pounded overhead, doors slammed. Kat sighed and
leaned into David's shoulder with a smile.

Caroline came in the room, drying her hands on a dish towel. "Kat? David?
Apparently your brother ate your breakfast. Would you like me to make some
more pancakes and sausage?"

"So what else is knew?" said Kat, as she slapped Sam across the top of his
head. He ducked and grinned at me. "It's fine, Mom. I can do it. Is there
coffee?"

"Help yourself. There's half a pot left. I'm going to get myself cleaned
up. Curtis, is there anything we need to bring?"

Curtis stood up from the table, folding his newspaper. "I'm buying lunch
for the family in Newport after the tour." He looked at me like he dared me
to object. What was that all about?

"Kat, put together any snacks you think the boys might want. There's a
small cooler just inside the garage on the shelf."

"I'm on it," said Kat. She looked at David and he got the message. He
grinned and moved toward the garage. Caroline and Curtis disappeared to
their room down the back hall. Kat buried her head in the refrigerator.

"Your dad suspects," I whispered to Sam.

"Suspects what?" he whispered back.

"I don't know, but it's not good."

"What are you two whispering about in there?" asked Kat.

"Jack was just telling me how much he likes me," said Sam with a goofy
grin.

"Not even a little bit, you jerk," I said. He and Kat both laughed.



An hour later we were all crammed into the SUV. The boys agreed to split
up, so Carter sat between his mother and grandmother in the last row, and
Cam divided David and Curtis. Sam and I were upfront. I offered shotgun to
David, but he declined.

Sam held my hand as we drove. I put my sunglasses on, leaned back, and
listened to the simple family conversations behind me. Curtis was telling
David about a case he was working on, and Kat and her mother were
discussing some woman they both thought was a busybody and too nosy for her
own good. Carter and Cam were quiet.

I turned around and looked at Cam. He smiled at me and rolled his eyes,
bored with the conversation flying over his head. I grinned and nodded my
head once. He nodded back.

I was nearly asleep when Sam pulled into the parking lot across the street
from a massive stone building.

"What's that?" I asked, pointing to it.

"That's where we're going. It's The Breakers Mansion."

"It's huge. Stay close, I don't want to get lost in there," I said. He
smiled and squeezed my hand.

"I've got you," he said. "Alright...everybody out. We're here." We
extricated ourselves from the SUV and stood next to it, stretching and
getting our bearings. Curtis took charge and directed us to move out. I saw
a familiar couple dressed like tourists exit a black Ford Explorer two rows
over. The man was watching us from behind his dark sunglasses. He nodded
slightly in my direction.

As we crossed the street and moved up the massive, eighteen foot black,
wrought iron gates, I pulled Sam back from the group. "You texted Ben about
our plans today?"

"Yeah. He should be here somewhere."

"He and Peggy just arrived. I'm surprised he brought her while he's
working."

"Maybe he wants to keep an eye on her while he keeps an eye on you."





We caught up to the group as Curtis was talking to the ticket agent. We
stood off to the side while he negotiated something with the attendant.

Coming back to us with eight tickets in hand, Curtis said, "We're in
luck. They have an actual tour guide working today, so we don't have to do
the audio tour. He'll be here in a few minutes."

"Thanks, Dad," said Kat. "Boys, stop picking bark off that tree."

"Mom...it's just a tree," said Cam.

"Step back from the that tree this instant!" said Kat. Cam and Carter
looked at each other, then raised their hands in the air and took two
deliberate steps backward.

"Listen to me, both of you," said Kat in true mother-is-all-powerful
voice. "There's no such thing as `just a tree' in this place. It's all been
imported from somewhere else. That tree you're mauling probably cost more
than our house. And when we're inside, whatever you do, don't touch
anything," said Kat.

David grinned at me as the boys rejoined our little group.

"Daddy, what does import mean?" asked Cam, grabbing his father's hand.

"It means something was brought here from far away, from another country."

"Is our house a lot of money?" he asked.

"Not as much as this one," said David. "Can you imagine living in something
this big?"

"Not if you can't play with the trees," said Carter as he kicked a rock
down the sidewalk. He looked bored.

A very tall, very thin man of indeterminate age appeared from behind a
clump of tall bushes. He was dressed in long khaki pants and a dark blue,
short-sleeved collared shirt. The plastic name tag pinned to his shirt
pocket said his name was Jim.

"Welcome to The Breakers," the man said in an unexpected deep voice. "Is
this your first time touring the mansion?"

"Some of us have been through it before," said Curtis.

"Very well. Welcome to Newport for those of you here for the first time. My
name is Jim. I'm going to take you through the mansion and tell you a
little about its history. If you have any questions, just ask. Ready?" And
off we went.

Jim was a fount of interesting, if ultimately useless, information. I was
in awe at how difficult it must have been to design and build a house with
over a hundred thousand square feet of living space and use as little wood
as possible. Apparently Cornelius Vanderbilt had been paranoid about
fires. The first house on the property burned to the ground shortly after
he bought it, so when he had it rebuilt, they made changes. A lot of
changes.

Kat was right - practically everything in the place had been imported from
Europe, including most of the stonework and works of art. And many of the
plants and trees in the gardens, as well. Jim explained that the American
nouveau riche of the Gilded Age curried favor with the European
aristocracy, so they brought as much of the continental design influence
into their homes as they could.

They could have saved their money. They were still looked down upon by the
European royalty, no matter how wealthy they might be. You could be
penniless, yet possess a great pedigree and remain the object of envy in
Europe.

We entered a great atrium with marble ceilings three stories
high. Everywhere you looked were sculptures and ornate tapestries. It was
breathtaking, but somehow not beautiful. Maybe the faint smell of dust and
mildew skewed my view, but it certainly didn't feel like a family home.

"Excuse me," said Cam, his hand raised. Jim smiled and nodded. "Why is this
place called The Breakers?"

"That's a great question, young man. When Cornelius Vanderbilt bought the
property, there was already a house here by that name, which comes from the
wind and waves that constantly break against the cliff at the rear of the
property. You can hear them out on the lawn."

Cam nodded, then whispered something in Carter's ear. He giggled. The group
moved around the cavernous room as Jim explained the origins of the
elaborate decor and artwork. Furniture provenance was boring, so I watched
the twins, whispering and giggling. Kat gave them a look, but they went
back to whispering as soon as her head was turned.

I walked over to them. "What's going on guys?" I said softly.

Cam waved me to stoop down so he could whisper. "Carter and I think it's
called The Breakers because the family couldn't stop farting." He giggled
and Carter was red in the face, trying not to laugh.



"Get it? Farting? Breaking wind?" said Cam, pushing them both over the
edge. They burst out laughing.

I rolled my eyes. "You goofballs. If your mom hears you talking like that,
you'll be in for it." Thankfully the rest of the group had moved away.

"What's going on over here?" said Sam, touching my back. I felt electricity
shoot up my spine.

"Your nephews have a fixation with passing gas."

Sam smiled. "Doesn't everyone?" The twins were laughing so loudly other
patrons were watching us.

"At the risk of sounding like your mother, are you ever going to grow up?"
I said, smiling.

"Not likely," said Sam, wiggling his eyebrows at the twins, causing them to
giggled even more.

I grinned at Sam. "You're not helping. Uh oh...told you," I said, trying
not to look at Kat's stern face as she approached.

"Do we have a problem over here?" she asked. Her face was serious, but
there was a humorous glint in her eyes.

"Um...no, sis. The twins were just wondering if they could slide down the
bannister of that monster staircase over there." Carter and Cam's eyes
looked at it, wide eyed.

"Sam...don't encourage them. And don't you do it either," she said, poking
Sam's chest. "Mom would have a heart attack."

"You're no fun," said Sam with a fake pout.

"Of course not. I'm a mother. Now come on, I think he's taking us up to the
next level."

"Yes, mom," said Sam. Kat smiled, touched his shoulder, then turned and
walked away. We dutifully followed her back to the fold.

Jim led us up the massive staircase from the main atrium to the second
level. The wide polished stone balustrades did indeed look fun to slide
down. Cam ran his hand up the one side and turned to Sam as we neared the
top, the mischievous glint in his eye unmistakeable.

"Don't let him do it, Sam," I whispered.

"Now who's the mom," said Carter next to me, and Sam snorted. I grinned and
tousled Carter's hair. David turned and gave Cam a look, ending any more
foolishness.

We traipsed through several ostentatious bedrooms and bathrooms, learning
all there was to know about plumbing challenges back in the 19th
century. Each room was more ornate than the last. I would never have felt
comfortable in any of them.

"Can you believe how extravagant all this is?" said Kat in a low
voice. "Who would live like this?"

"It was a different time, dear," said Caroline.

"It's ridiculous for any time. Who needs gold plated faucets on a stone
tub, when the servants live in a six by eight room with nothing more than a
cot and a closet?"

Jim overheard Kat's comments. "The gilded age was definitely a different
time. There were the haves and the have nots, and never the two should
meet. We can't tour the servants' floors above - they aren't open to the
public for safety reasons - but you're correct. The lifestyle of the owners
and their families was drastically different from those who served them. In
fact, it was Cornelius Vanderbilt's wish that the servants be seen as
little as possible, so there are secret doors and passageways throughout
the house so they could do their work and the house would run almost like
magic."

"How typical," said Kat. Curtis looked at her and I think I detected a nod
in agreement.

"Don't be unkind. We shouldn't judge them," said Caroline.

"I'm not being unkind, mother. Look at this place. Yes, it's beautiful, but
tell me all this isn't intended to show how much better they thought they
were than everybody else, just because they had more money than God."

"Your daughter has a point," said Jim. "The Marble House, another mansion
here in Newport, was the home of Cornelius Vanderbilt's brother. There was
some definite rivalry between them - and others in polite society of the
day - as to who had the most magnificent home or who threw the most
desirable parties."

"See...that's my point. Using their wealth to appear better than everyone
else. It's disgusting."

"Really, Kat, I think that's enough," said Caroline.

"I agree with Kat," said Curtis. "It's all very grand, but there's a reason
why people don't build houses like this anymore. It's more offensive than
impressive."

"Are rich people bad?" asked Carter.

I inhaled sharply and Sam's hand landed on the small of my back. The red
velvet drapes framing the twelve foot high windows appeared to sway back
and forth. Or was it just me? Curtis glanced at me, then down at Carter.

David crouched down and put his arm around Carter's waist. "No, son, rich
people are not bad." He gave a challenging look to Kat. She crossed her
arms in a huff. "But sometimes, when people become super wealthy, they
don't always make the best choices. They can come to believe that they are
better than other people just because they have money."

"I don't understand," said Carter.

"Me either," said Cam.

"Let me try, David," said Curtis, stepping over toward the twins. David
stood up and gave room to his father-in-law.

"Boys...back when your mom was just a little older than you, she made a
friend in school. She was invited over for a birthday party at her friend's
house. We said she could go, and your Grandmother helped her buy a nice
birthday present. Your mother wanted to wear her best blue dress and
Grandma helped her do her hair - it had yellow ribbons in it, if I
recall. Well...when she arrived at the party, all the other girls were
wearing the latest styles of clothing, and a few of them made fun of your
mother's dress. And when it came time to open presents, the birthday girl
took one look at your mother's gift and set it aside without even saying
thank you. Your mother had spent all her allowance on that gift for her
friend. She came home in tears and vowed never to speak to her friend
again."

"That's mean," said Cam. Carter looked up at his mother, concerned. She
smiled at him.

"Yes, it was mean. And very superior," said Kat.

"What does...superior...mean?" asked Carter.

"It means you think you're better than everyone else," said Curtis. "Your
mother's friends thought they were better than her because their parents
could afford to buy them the latest clothing styles or the most expensive
gifts."

"Just because their family had lots of money?" asked Cam.

Curtis made a face. "Exactly."

"But daddy said not all rich people are bad." said Carter.

"He's right. There are some people who have money but don't allow
themselves to feel superior because of it. They might have some very nice
things, and even live in a big fancy house, but they would never make a
guest in their home feel bad because of what they were wearing or how much
money they had."

"Are we rich, daddy?" asked Cam.

David laughed. "Not like the Vanderbilts. We'll never have enough money to
build a house like this."

"How much would it cost?" asked Carter.

"More than I can imagine," said David.

"Actually, we get asked that question quite a lot, young man," said Jim.
"In today's money, it would cost over 330 million dollars to build a house
exactly like this."

"Wow! Is that a lot?" asked Cam. Everyone laughed, except me.

"Yes, son. That's a lot of money," said David.

Sam grabbed my hand, getting my attention, and winked at me. I looked down,
feeling sick to my stomach. He saw my expression and took action.

"Jack and I are going out for some air," he said, pushing me out into the
hallway with his hand at my back. He maneuvered us into a large open area
off the main hallway bordering the open atrium to the floor below. A light
breeze whipped through from the windows overlooking the rear lawn, cooling
the space and filling it with desperately needed fresh air. Sensing my
impending meltdown, Sam gently pushed me toward one corner near one of the
windows, away from other visitors. I concentrated on breathing.

"Take it easy, little man," said Sam.

I looked through the open window down at the cut stone verandah jutting off
the back of the mansion. "I'm trying. Ugh! I hate this. I don't want to be
judged for my money. I didn't ask for this."

"No one's judging you, Jack. They don't even know."

I spun around and looked hard at him. "But they will. We have to tell
them. Your father already knows something is up. He said as much to
David. We're gonna have to talk to him."

"So we will."

I threw my hands in the air. "And then what? You heard him. And Kat. They
think rich people are full of themselves and lording it over everyone
else. Fuck! Just when I thought they might like me."

"Woah...easy, Jack. Settle down," said Sam, grabbing my bicep gently. He
rubbed his other hand up and down my spine. I looked into his deep blue
eyes, looking for an escape I knew wouldn't come.

"Hold me," I whispered. Sam pulled me into his arms and cocooned me into
his chest. I clenched my eyes shut and fought hard against the fear and
frustration coursing through me. There was no way I was going to cry. My
back was to the room, so I didn't see Caroline approach from behind.

"Are you boys alright?" she said.

Sam stiffened. "We're fine, Mom," he said. I pulled my face from his chest
and looked up at him, then put on a brave smile and turned to face her. Sam
let go, but stayed right behind me. I reached back for his hand.

"I'm fine, Caroline," I said, faking a grin. "Too much gold plating and
European tapestry makes me nauseous." She grimaced with my attempt at
humor, then stepped closer, putting a hand on my arm, and looked into my
eyes.

"I hope you won't hold what Kat and her father said about wealthy people
against them. They mean well, but Kat, and Sam, too, had a difficult time
in school. We barely had enough in those days to pay their tuition. Keeping
up appearances was out of the question. They received a good education, but
I'm afraid they paid an undeserved price."

"Mom...it's okay. We're fine. You don't have to bring up the past. I'm over
it," said Sam.

"You may be fine," said Caroline to Sam, then she looked back into my
eyes. "But Jack's not."

I inhaled sharply. Sam squeezed my hand tighter, and put his other hand on
my back to steady me. I didn't know how to respond, so I said
nothing. Tears threatened.

"Jack...I am first and foremost a mother," she said. "I can see things in
my kids others will never see. I can see in you great conflict right
now. And unless I'm mistaken, it's about money. Are you in trouble
financially?"

A single tear escaped and I wiped it away, embarrassed. I looked down at my
feet in silence. What could I possibly say?

"Mom...this isn't the time," said Sam in a tone indicating he had slipped
into full protection mode.

"It's...complicated," I said, looking up into Caroline's eyes. I saw
tenderness and deep, heartfelt concern - no judgment. Her eyes suddenly
welled up.

"It just that I care, Jack, and I'm so grateful for you," she whispered,
grabbing both of my forearms. Her eyes never left mine, even as her tears
fell. "When you stood up to my sister, to protect Sam, I knew...I knew
without a doubt you really, truly love him. You did what...what I couldn't
do." Her voice broke.

Sam gasped behind me. "Mom..."

"I'm okay," she said to him, putting up a hand. Then she was back to
staring into my eyes. She pushed a tear away with her fingers and said,
"You and Sam...oh, Jack, you have to know how I've longed for Sam to find
someone who would love him the way he deserves to be loved. You are perfect
for my son. And you're family now. So whatever you're going
through...whatever you need...your family is here for you."

The lump in my throat nearly suffocated me. She just declared I was
family. Sam squeezed the hand he was holding behind my back so hard I
thought it would break.

I stood up straight and somehow managed to find my
voice. "Caroline...I...thank you. I appreciate everything you've done for
me already. And for...what you just said...you'll never know how much it
means to me. Being a part of Sam's family...I could never ask for more than
that."

She smiled, and I genuinely smiled back. She looked at Sam and her smile
widened, so I knew without looking he was smiling down on her,
too. Caroline reached up and put an open palm against my cheek.

"I mean it, Jack. When you're ready to talk, I'll be ready to listen," she
said.

"Thank you. But I promise you, I'm fine. We'll talk later," I said, seeing
our group approaching.

"Talk about what?" said Kat, joining us. Curtis and David were discussing
something with Jim, and the twins looked bored silly.

"Lunch," said Caroline, winking at me. "Curtis, dear, I think it's time we
said our goodbyes to Jim and take our family to eat."

"Right. Very well, then. Thank you, Jim, for the informative tour," said
Curtis, shaking his hand.

"The exit is right down the main stairway over there. You folks have a safe
trip home," said Jim. The rest of us expressed our thanks and followed
David and Kat and the boys down the steps and out the main entrance.

Outside it was scorching hot. Say what you will about how ostentatious and
pretentious the mansion may have been, the architect knew something about
how to keep the monstrosity cool in the heat of summer.

"Where are we headed for lunch, Dad?" asked Sam as we sauntered toward the
main gates.

"Carl Bertrand told me about a place called The Pier. I'm sure you can find
it using your phone or that fancy GPS in your car," said Curtis.

"Sounds great," said Sam.

"Yeah, I'm famished," said Carter, grinning at me.

"Me, too," I said.

"Me, three," said Sam and Cam together. David and Kat laughed.

Sam pulled out his cell phone and started entering things into it. My guess
is he was informing Ben where we were headed. I fell back a little,
pretending to look at my own phone, when I caught sight of Ben and Peggy
fast walking across the parking lot to their car. He didn't look over, but
I could tell he wasn't too happy with us moving around so much. Just as he
was about to get in his car he caught me watching him. He nodded once and I
detected a slight smile maybe? Maybe having Peggy around took the edge
off. He didn't look nearly as trigger happy today.

The trip over to the restaurant was quiet. Everyone was hot and tired and
hungry. Sam steered the big SUV through congested traffic with ease and
found the restaurant with no problem. We parked in a nearby lot and walked
into the crowds milling around on the pier.

Cam was mesmerized by the large sailboat moored on the wharf. He and Carter
asked and received permission to walk over closer to check it out. David
went with them.

"Cam really likes boats, doesn't he?" I said to Kat.

"Yes. Always has. He's a natural fish out of water. He wants to take
sailing lessons. A friend at his school does at some wharf club on the
shore."

"Are you going to let him?" asked Sam.

"Not likely," said Kat.

"Why not?" asked Caroline.

"Because, Mom...then he's going to want a boat. Where are we supposed to
put a boat? Next he'll want David to haul him back and forth to the shore
on weekends. He's too young. There's time for all that."

"I can think of worse things a young man could pursue," said Curtis.

"Keep those thoughts to yourself, Dad," said Kat.

"Fine. I'm going to see about getting us a table," said Curtis. Caroline
followed him in to use the restroom.

"You guys doing okay?" asked Kat.

"Yeah, sis. We're great," said Sam. He grinned at me and my dick stirred in
my shorts. I grinned back at him.

"Oh my god, you two need to get a room," said Kat. I blushed and Sam smiled
big.

David and the twins came back to our little group.

"Did you see it, Mom? Isn't it amazing?" said Cam, bouncing on his toes.

"Yes, it is. And very big," said Kat.

"I know. I'm gonna have a boat just like it someday," said Cam.

"Let's get you through grammar school first," said Kat.

Before Cam could regale us with more of his future sailing plans, Curtis
came out, looking perplexed.

"Can you believe this? They have a table ready for us. Come on, let's go."
We followed him past the rather long line of other patient patrons waiting
for tables. Did Ben pull some strings somehow?

Caroline met us at the hostess stand, and our group was led upstairs to an
open air seating area overlooking the pier and marina. It was beautiful.

The food was amazing, too. After a short discussion, we all decided to eat
the fish and chips. Carter and Cam both said they were the best they had
ever eaten. Half way through our lunch, I noticed Ben, without Peggy,
standing off to one side near the bar at the far end of the deck. He saw me
and nodded once, then looked out at the marina.

An hour later Curtis settled the bill with our waitress, everyone used the
restroom, and we slowly made our way back down and through the crowded
restaurant. Outside, I slipped my sunglasses on and caught a reflection in
the window. Ben and Peggy were now together again, sitting on a bench. He
had his arm around her shoulders, and she was eating an ice cream cone. She
looked very happy. He looked at her and grinned. Yeah...she was good for
him.

I resisted turning around as we walked back to the parking lot. I knew Ben
would be behind us, keeping a watchful eye. Too bad he couldn't stand in
for me at the upcoming financial inquisition.

Sam and I were the only ones still awake when we pulled into the pebble
driveway nearly an hour later. The loud crunch under the tires stirred
everyone from their slumber.

Carter and Cam went running inside to change into swimsuits. David, Kat,
Sam and I went a little slower up the stairs. We parted company at the top
and Sam followed me to our bedroom. I closed the door behind us and Sam
pushed me up against it.

"Do we have time?" I asked, seeing his need in his flickering blue eyes.

He growled, grabbed my arm and led me to the bed. He pushed me backwards,
pounced on top of me, and buried his tongue in my throat. Apparently, yes,
we did have time.

I was feeling much better when we emerged ready to swim. David and Kat came
out of their bedroom just as we hit the top of the stairs. She had a guilty
grin on her face, and David looked very relaxed.

"Looks like someone else needed a room," whispered Sam to his sister.

"Nevermind. The boys are waiting," she said.

Outside, the twins were anxiously waiting for adult supervision.

"What took you guys so long?" asked Cam.

"Yeah. How long can it take to change clothes?" asked Carter.

"Just long enough," said Kat, and Sam and David laughed. She gave them a
look. I thought about crawling under the table.

"We want to play chicken," said Cam.

"Let's do it then," said Sam as he kicked off his flip flops.

All six of us stepped down into the pool. We took turns, two teams of two
fighting it out. The first team that went down was out for the next
round. Forty minutes later my legs were jelly. Even Carter and Cam wanted a
break.

Sam and David were making taunting noises at each other. They weren't ready
to quit.

"Come on, honey. Saddle up," said David, keeping an eye on Sam.

"Only if Jack does, too," said Kat.

"Get on, little man," said Sam. I stared daggers at Kat and she burst out
laughing.

"I'll get you for this," I mumbled as I passed her.

Sam helped me get situated on his shoulders. My dick felt very obvious
pressed up against his neck, not that he complained. Kat climbed up on
David's shoulders and the battle commenced.

Sam and David were taking this very seriously. So was Kat. Me much less
so. Until she scratched my arm trying to pull me off backwards. Now it was
on.

"That hurt. You're going down, now," I said.

"Oooo. Big words, little man," she said.

"Let's get `em, big guy," I said, grabbing Sam's head and pushing him
forward.

David and Sam battled hard underwater. They could only use their legs, and
each team nearly went down a number of times. Carter and Cam were cheering
from the sidelines. At some point Curtis and Caroline came out and watched
the fun.

In the end, it was Sam who stumbled. I went face first over his head and
got a nose full of chlorine for my troubles. I came up sputtering and
wiping my eyes. Kat had her hands raised in victory and Cam and Carter were
jumping up and down on the pool deck.

"Sorry, Jack. I stubbed my toe on the bottom," said Sam.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Yeah. It hurts though. I scraped some skin off."

"Oh, man. That hurts," said Cam.

"The chlorine stings, too," said Carter.

"I have something for that inside, Sam," said Caroline. She turned to go
back in the house.

"I'll be fine," said Sam to his mother's retreating back.

"You coming in, Dad?" asked Kat, still sitting up on David's shoulders.

"Maybe later. I have some calls I need to make." He said the last part
looking directly at me.

"Is it our turn again?" asked Cam.

"I'm wiped out, buddy," said David. "Give me a few minutes to catch my
breath, okay?"

"Let's play on the slide," said Carter to his brother. Cam nodded and they
walked to the far side of the pool. Taking turns, and upping the challenge
with each pass, they laughed and carried on, sliding into the pool.

The adults found lounge chairs and stretched out. Caroline handed me a tube
of antibiotic ointment and I smeared it on Sam's injured big toe while he
made eyes at me. I put a fabric bandaid over it and pronounced him all
better.

Then it happened. I didn't see it - I was too busy doctoring Sam's foot -
but I definitely heard the loud crack of a small head hitting the hard edge
of the pool. Carter screamed and David vaulted out of his chair. Two
strides and he dove head first into the pool. Sam pushed me aside and
followed him in.

Kat went running around to Carter, her face ashen white as she stared into
the pool. I could see bright red blood on the white pool gutter from my
chair. Cam had not surfaced. I was up and moving toward Kat when Sam and
David surfaced, an unconscious Cam in their arms.

"Oh my God," yelled Kat. "Is he okay?" Carter was crying, and she grabbed
him and held him tightly to her side.

"He's breathing," said David. He was also bleeding profusely, a pink cloud
swirling around his blond hair. Sam looked scared.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my security device, then looked at
Sam, my thumb trembling over the button. If I did this, there was no
turning back. He nodded once, and I pressed it down three times.

What happened next is hard to describe, it all happened so fast.

The pretend gardener came running around the corner of the house, gun
drawn. First one, then another, then another man came running up from the
beach, pounding across the boardwalk to the pool. One had a gun out, the
other a phone to his ear, and the third dove into the pool.

"I'm an EMT," he said to David and Sam when he came up out of the
water. "Try to keep him flat and floating, just like you're doing. We don't
want his spine or neck to bend. Here, support him like this." He moved
Sam's hand under Cam's neck.

Kat looked at me, horrified. Carter was crying even harder, seeing his
brother bleeding and unconscious. I heard the sliding glass door slam open
and Caroline and Curtis come running out. Caroline saw the guns and
screamed.

Ben came flying out of the house right behind them, pushing his way around
Curtis. Curtis did a double take, then grabbed on to Caroline before she
fell down. He got her into a chair, both of them in shock.

Kat's hand was over her mouth. Any minute she was going to collapse. I
moved to her side and grabbed her. She leaned into me, moaning
incoherently. The EMT in the pool was checking Cam's pulse and breathing.

Ben squatted down at the pool edge. "Talk to me. Tell me what we need
here."

"We need to get him flat on a hard surface. Then we need to get him to a
hospital." Ben nodded then started looking around. I saw the deck chairs.

"A deck chair. Take the cushions off," I said. He looked at me, then
snapped his fingers. The other guys put their guns away and ran to grab a
lounge chair. They threw the cushions aside and carried the chair right
into the pool.

It took some maneuvering, but they managed to get it stable under Cam's
limp body. As they released it, the chair floated to the surface, lifting
Cam out of the water.

Ben looked at the EMT and he nodded. "Okay, let's get him out of the
pool. I need one of you guys out front when the ambulance gets here," said
Ben. The gardener trotted off.

Together the guys got Cam out of the pool and onto the concrete pool
deck. Kat let go of Carter and knelt by his side, pushing his hair gently
out of his face.

"My baby, my baby," she sobbed.

"Ma'am, I need to check him out," said the EMT gently. Kat barely heard
him. David leaned over and pulled Kat away. She turned, buried her face
into his chest, and howled. Carter jumped and Sam grabbed him. They both
were crying.

For reasons I'll never understand, I was the only one who didn't
cry. Instead, my brain ran parallel to Ben's, matching every decision in
real time. It was like I thought it and he did it a second later. I could
hear sirens approaching.

Lights flashed all around as the ambulance screamed into the driveway. Kat
stopped sobbing only when the attendants approached with a gurney and
various medical kits. Ben's guys gently pushed the family back so they
could work on Cam. We moved trancelike to stand next to Caroline and
Curtis. No one spoke.

A moment later the EMT, shouted, "He's awake!" David let go of Kat and ran
to his son. Sam caught her before she fell. Caroline pulled Carter into her
lap and wrapped him up. Curtis looked at me, full of questions. His answers
would have to wait.

A few minutes later they lifted the gurney onto its wheels and slowly
pushed it toward us. Cam was white and shaken, but he could focus on
us. Sam let go of Kat, and she lunged for the gurney.

"I'm sorry, mama," said Cam weakly. Kat touched his face, barely able to
see past her tears.

"It's okay, baby. Don't worry. You're gonna be okay. Daddy and mama are
right here."

Carter pushed through to get his brother. Cam looked at him and smiled
thinly. "Does this mean I win?" Carter grinned, pushing his tears away. The
ambulance attendants smiled, then pushed him toward the open doorway into
the house.

"Sam, you need to get your family to the hospital. Can you do that?" asked
Ben. Sam nodded, reaching for me. I squeezed his hand. He was about to cry
again.

"Jack, you know what to do?" said Ben, looking at me. I nodded. I don't
know how I knew, but I did.

"David, you take Kat and Carter and follow the ambulance," I
said. "Somebody call us when you know where they are taking him. We'll
bring clothes and shoes and anything else you need. We'll be right behind
you. Go."

Without a word, David led his family through the house and out the front
door.

The rest of us split up to change and gather clothes. Fifteen minutes later
we were in the big SUV, me behind the wheel. Sam was still shaken. I was
worried about him.

Ben knocked on my window, and I lowered it. "Take your time, Jack. I'll be
there in a little while. I have someone following you, just in case. You
good?"

"Yes," I replied.

"Good. Go," he said. He stepped back and I drove off.

By the time we got to the emergency room, Cam had been taken for a CAT
scan. David and Kat were sitting in the waiting area, trying to console a
hysterical Carter. He saw me and jumped up, running over to me. I crouched
down and he ran into my arms.

"I don't want them to hurt Cam," he sobbed.

"Shhh...buddy, hey...look at me," I said. He lifted his tear-streaked face
to mine. "They won't hurt him, I promise."

"They said they had to test him. I should be with him. He needs me," he
insisted. I looked at a distraught David. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Carter...I'm pretty sure the tests they're gonna do don't
hurt. Besides...Cam's pretty tough, don't you think?" I said. He looked at
me and slowly nodded.

"I wish you could be with him, too, buddy," I said, pushing away the tears
on his cheeks. "But right now, we have to the let the doctors have their
turn. We'll see him in a little while. Why don't we get you changed out of
that swimsuit and maybe find something to eat while we wait? What do you
say?" He looked at me, nodded, then hugged me hard. Sam had tears in his
eyes, and mouthed a silent thank you.

David, Kat, and Carter changed clothes, and we all spent another tense
thirty minutes waiting for test results. Finally, a middle-aged doctor in
blue scrubs pushed through a set of double swinging doors and walked over
to David and Kat.

"How is he, doctor?" asked David.

"Camden's gonna be fine."

"Oh, thank God," said Caroline. Kat fell back on David, relieved. Sam
collapsed in a chair, his eyes welling up.

"He'll have a tender goose egg on his head for a few days, so keep him
quiet. The scans all came back normal. No swelling, no hemorrhaging. His
eyes are fine, and he's alert and talking. Speaking of," the doctor said,
bending down to look Carter in the eye. "Are you Carter?" Carter nodded.

"He's asking for you. Made me promise I'd bring you as fast as I could."

"Can I see him now?" asked Carter, bouncing on his toes.

"Right now. Mom and Dad, follow me."

The three of them followed the doctor through the doors and down the
hall. Sam started toward the doors.

"Hold up, Sam," I said. He turned back, looking lost. I pulled him into a
hug, and he broke down and sobbed into my chest. "I know...I know," I
whispered. I managed to get him to a couch, and Caroline sat on the other
side of him and patted his back. Curtis held her hand. The tears I had been
holding back broke through as I rocked Sam in my arms.



Two hours later, the nurses shooed us all out of Cam's room. He needed
rest, they insisted. He seemed fine to me, sitting up and laughing. Carter
was sitting in the bed with him. Good luck peeling them apart tonight.

Sure enough, Cam convinced his nurse to let Carter stay. He told her his
head didn't hurt as long as Carter was with him. Cam wasn't allowed to eat
for a while, so Carter said he didn't want to eat either. The rest of us
shuffled down the hallway to the cafeteria, exhausted.

Everybody else had a hot meal. I grabbed orange jello and a dinner
roll. Sam went with sliced roast beef and mashed potatoes, so I knew he was
feeling better.

We found a private table and sat down, pulling our plates from the red
plastic trays and setting them on the next table.

"How are you holding up, dear?" asked Caroline with a hand on Kat's
shoulder. Kat grabbed her mother's hand and squeezed.

"It's gonna be a long night."

"David...you okay, son?" asked Curtis. David looked up from his salad and
nodded.

"I'm good, now that I know he's out of the woods. I haven't been so scared
since they had that horrible fever."

"Well...looks like we're going to be here for a while. What should we do?"
asked Caroline.

Curtis looked hard at Sam and me. Sam stopped mid-bite and put his fork
down. I swallowed my jello. "We can start with someone explaining to me how
the pizza man has a posse of armed agents and knows these two by name. Oh,
and just so you know...I called the Bertrands. They don't have a gardener."

I grabbed Sam's hand and he squeezed it hard. Here we go.

Curtis looked straight into my eyes. "So start talking..."

***

Jack has managed to find his way into the Wainwright inner circle, but will
it last once Curtis and the others find out the truth? What will Kat think
of Jack when she learns of his hidden wealth? Will David (and Harry) find a
new job with Mason? Will Todd survive the car ride to the office with
Margie? Stay tuned for more to come...

Thank you to my editors, Harry, Mark and Darryl. They dropped everything
over the Christmas holiday to edit this for us. I can't think of a nicer
gift to us all.

And thank you, Forever fans, for riding on this journey with me. There are
twists and turns yet to discover in this family saga. Much more to come...


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