Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2003 13:11:47 EDT
From: Tulsadriller7@aol.com
Subject: Tales from the Ranch, Chapter 39/?

Disclaimer:  The following story is a work of fiction.  If you
are offended by descriptions of homosexual acts or man/man
relations, please exit this page.

TALES FROM THE RANCH
Copyrightc 2003 by Tulsa Driller 7.  All rights reserved.

This is a story of men who have two common interests.  You will
see that they love the land where they live and work, but it is
also the story of young men who love other men and their coming
of age in a culture of prejudice and misunderstanding.  It is a
story, which deals with difficult and often disturbing issues
but, nonetheless, issues which must be confronted in today's
world.

This is a work of fiction and in no way draws on the lives of any
specific person or persons.  Any similarity to actual persons or
events is entirely coincidental.  This work is copyrightedc by
the author and may not be reproduced in any form without the
specific written permission of the author.  It is assigned to the
Nifty Archives under the terms of their submission agreement but
it may not be copied or archived on any other site without the
written permission of the author.

PLEASE:  In a perfect world AIDS doesn't exist.  My characters
have unprotected sex.  I hope you use proper precautions because
I'd like you to be around the read the last chapter of this
story.

Tales from the Ranch
Chapter 39:  Confusing Secrets
     There was a group of twenty-seven people who gathered at
Victory Temple on Wednesday evening for a "congregational
discussion".  Riley Boyd acted as ex-officio chairman of the
meeting as the church really didn't have a board of trustees.
Jimmy Bob Jones ran the church his way and the members had always
been in the dark as to the financial situation of the church.
     Jimmy Bob had insisted that Bret Jenkins, Sr. take over the
treasurer's job about three years before, although Bret always
felt that he was just "rubber stamping" everything that Jimmy Bob
wanted.  It had taken a year for him to even find out what the
debt owed on the various notes was.  Driving to the meeting that
evening with his wife, he was wishing he had declined the job
when Jimmy Bob insisted he take it, but at the time he felt that
it was an honor to serve the man the members thought could do no
wrong as he was guiding the congregation in their daily lives.
     Riley, his wife, Lois and Bret had met with Marcus Streeter
earlier in the evening to find out what was going to happen to
Jimmy Bob.  They didn't tell him they had recovered almost
$115,000 in cash from Jimmy Bob's desk drawer and his home.
     Marcus told them Jimmy Bob's car could not be used to secure
a bail bond, since it was heavily damaged and there was no
insurance.  Bret hadn't paid the premium because there wasn't
money to do so.  Jimmy Bob had told him he would take care of it,
but the church would owe him for the amount he spent out of his
own pocket.  Also, since the church couldn't come up with the fee
Marcus requested to represent Jimmy Bob, he was withdrawing from
the case, telling them the court would appoint an attorney for
him.  Jimmy Bob would be in jail until the trial and sentencing
unless someone came up with the money.
     So, it was up to Riley and Bret to present the members with
the financial report of the Victory Temple.
     Of the people who showed up for the meeting, seventeen were
older members who had been part of the congregation before Jimmy
Bob Jones was invited to take over the pulpit after Dr. Phil
Arnett had died.  Several of those people were even charter
members of the congregation.  The other ten people had been
attracted by Jimmy Bob's charisma and had joined in the last few
years.  .
     Riley called the gathering to order.
     "Many of you are wondering what is going on in our church
and several of you have contacted me, asking that I call a
meeting so we can discuss the present situation of our
congregation and what can be done to allow us to keep the
building.
     "It is a sad state of affairs and I come before you with a
heavy heart this evening.  Our leader, whom we all trusted, has
turned out to be an admitted pedophile and has done harm to at
least ten young men in this congregation.  All the while, he was
railing on and on about his version of 'God's Plan' and heading
up what we thought was a just crusade against sin and moral
decay.  It turned out that this isn't the case.
     "If you will bear with me for a little bit, my wife, Lois,
and I have put a report together as to what has transpired in the
last few days, starting with Sunday.
     "Jimmy Bob conducted the church service on Sunday morning
and he and Marlene ate Sunday dinner at the home of Maynard and
Blanche Day's home.  They returned to the parsonage about 3 p.m.
The next thing we know is that the minister of Faith Assembly
Church called Jimmy Bob to tell him there was going to be a
meeting of the Dignity/Integrity Chapter at St. James rectory
that evening at 6:30.  Jimmy Bob had become obsessed with this
group of homosexual men and women, claiming they were taking over
Williamsport.  It was his idea to sit out in front of the house,
spy on them to see who was attending, then make their names
public to ridicule them.  He asked Bret Jenkins, Sr. to go with
him and Bret drove his minivan.  The two of them were able to
identify about half of the people who showed up, either by name
or where they are employed.
     "An off-duty police officer was attending the meeting and as
she parked behind the van, she noticed the brake lights
flickering, apparently Bret was bumping the pedal slightly.  She
and another person discovered Jimmy Bob and Bret using binoculars
to spy on those arriving for the meeting.  She called for two
patrol cars to be sent to the scene and helped remove the two men
from the van.
     "In the meantime, Bret Jenkins, Jr. arrived on his bicycle.
He had heard his mother talking on the telephone, found out what
his father and Jimmy Bob were doing and went to warn the group as
he was acquainted with several people he thought would be
attending.
     "An enterprising reporter by the name of Miles Truby
happened to hear about the disturbance, went to the scene and
took some pictures, a couple of which ended up on the front page
of the Austin American-Statesmen on Monday morning.  He quoted a
conversation by the police, an attorney from Austin who was
attending the meeting, along with Fr. George Tikker who was
hosting the meeting.  There were no charges filed, or arrests
made.  Jimmy Bob and Bret were told to leave the area.
     "Now, Bret, I have to apologize to you for telling the next
part of the story, but it's all part of what has led up to our
present circumstances."
     Bret nodded his head, embarrassed to have attention called
to him.
     Riley continued.  "Bret Junior was in trouble at home
because he had attended a Sunday morning mass at St. James Church
a week before.  Now he was afraid to go home for the reason his
father was in trouble with the police, not for doing anything
illegal, but being warned that his behavior of spying, along with
Jimmy Bob, would not be tolerated.  They were advised to leave
the area and did so.  Bret took Jimmy Bob home.
     "Several of the men who were attending the meeting talked to
Bret, Jr. and he indicated he was afraid to go home as he feared
physical abuse from his father.  The men took him home and his
mother advised that it might be better if Bret didn't stay at
their house that night, hoping his father would calm down and
they could talk about it at another time.
     "One of the men offered a place for him to stay that night
and when he went with Bret to get clothes and the other things he
needed, his father told him to get out of the house and to take
his son with him.  He took a swing at another of the men, who
grabbed his wrist and broke a bone in his arm.  He has the cast
to prove it."
     Bret was really embarrassed now.
     "The story continues on Monday morning.  The reporter, Miles
Truby, wanted to dig a little deeper into the story so went
calling at Victory Temple.  According to him, initially Jimmy Bob
told him to get out of the building and berated him for the
article in the newspaper.  He told Jimmy Bob that he only wanted
to interview him so he could tell his side of the story.  Part of
that interview was in the Tuesday morning paper.
     When Miles started to leave the church, a little boy about
10-years old was waiting to see Jimmy Bob.  He asked Miles if "he
was ready for him" which triggered an alarm in his mind.  He
pretended to leave the building, then went back to check.  I
don't need to go into any detail, but the police were called,
pictures were taken and Jimmy Bob was arrested."
     There was an audible gasp from those attending the meeting.
Up to that point there had been little reaction to what Riley had
reported.
     "Jimmy Bob was taken to the police station.  He called Bret
at work and he secured the services of Marcus Streeter, an
attorney.  He was able to arrange bail in the amount of $50,000
by using Jimmy Bob's Cadillac as security.  Bret took Jimmy Bob
home.
     "As you know, Monday evening the story was carried on the
five and 6 p.m. television news broadcasts.  A mad crowd gathered
in front of his house and Jimmy Bob got scared, called the police
for protection and then confessed to having had sexual relations
with at least 9 other small boys."
     Another cause for murmuring from the assembled members.
     "Jimmy Bob spent the day in custody on Tuesday, then Marcus
Streeter was able to get him released and took him home.  We
don't know the full sequence of events, but it appears that Jimmy
Bob drank quite a bit of alcohol, and then drove to the church to
retrieve some incriminating pictures from his desk.  Several
witnesses reported that he was driving erratically on his way
back home.  He must have lost control of his car, hit the gas
instead of the brakes, jumped the curb and ran into a large oak
tree in a yard.  Although he wasn't injured, he was knocked
unconscious.  EMS was called and took him to the hospital.  The
plastic sack containing the pictures was discovered and used as
evidence against him.  A blood test showed that he was DUI with
about 3 times the normal limit for alcohol.
     "He was treated, then admitted to the hospital under police
guard and transferred to the jail the next day.  As you know,
more of the story appeared in the papers this morning.
     "Some of you are probably asking where Marlene was all this
time."
     More noises from the audience.
     "It seems that the marriage of Jimmy Bob Jones and Marlene
was just in name only, although we don't know that for sure.
However, we do know that a man spent Monday night at her home and
now it appears she has moved out of the house and into his
apartment."
     Riley did not tell the group that he and his wife had given
picture proof to Miles Truby that morning.
     Another gasp and discussion among those attending the
meeting.
     Riley stood there, waiting for the audience to quiet.
Finally, he continued.
     "This afternoon, Bret, Lois and I called a locksmith and had
the locks changed on the building.  Bret told me that he had
never been privy to much financial information, although he knows
what is owed on three notes and that only the interest is being
paid on them at this time.
     "We found a big discrepancy in the handling of cash from the
collection plates.  Bret told me that the church secretary made
up the deposit on Monday morning, then gave him a copy of the
deposit slip and receipt later in the week.  He had not realized
that no cash was being deposited."
     More noise from the audience.
     "The three of us went through his desk drawers and found
$56,000 in cash stuffed in file folders, most of which had dates
written on them."
     There was a lot of noise this time and it took almost 5
minutes before Riley could continue.
     "We decided to have the locks changed on the parsonage,
also.  We found $41,000 in Jimmy Bob's bedroom and about $17,600
in Marlene's bedroom.  This is a total of about $114,600 in
unaccounted cash contributions to our church, we think going back
to about the first of this year."
     The noise level went way up.  People were on their feet,
some shouting, and some demanding he be brought to justice for
this.  It was a full ten minutes before Riley could get their
attention again.
     "Folks, Bret has been kind enough to bring the financial
records up-to-date this afternoon and has a concise report of our
financial position."
     There was a little noise in the audience as Bret made his
way to the podium.
     Bret got right to the point.
     "I'm going to start with the assets.
     "The building was appraised at $772,450 a year ago and the
furnishings, organ, grand piano, pews, sanctuary furniture at an
additional $35,000.  The furnishings for the school and day care
center are valued at $37,000.  The parsonage is worth $89,700.
This makes our total fixed assets at $934,150.
     "The cash in the bank as of today was $3,270.93 and we have
the cash which we found in the amount of $114,623, for total cash
of $117,893.93.
     "For the liability side, we have a note in the amount of
$350,000 on the building and $51,000 on the parsonage.  Payments
on the building note had been current until 3 months ago when we
started paying only the interest due to lack of funds.  This note
will be due in five years, March 31, 1995; however, if we don't
make the interest payments they have the right to call the note
for immediate payment.  Payments on the parsonage mortgage are
current."
     There was more noise from the audience.
     "In addition there are two notes for $50,000 each to cover
operating expenses.  The oldest one dates back about five years
and the newer one from about two years ago.  We have been making
interest payments on these, but no principal payments for the
last two years.  Both of the smaller notes, totaling $100,000 are
up for renewal next month and the bank is putting pressure on the
church to have responsible members co-sign new notes.  I've been
told by one of the directors that they are fearful the church
could go under - now even more so with what has happened in the
last 3 days."
     There was a lot more dissention.  Finally Bret was able to
continue.
     "With the discovery of the cash we've found, it may be
possible to pay off the older of the $50,000 notes and reduce the
other by a small amount, then bring our payments up to date on
the mortgage of $350,000.  That would put us in a pretty good
position to continue operating as a church, but without a
leader."
     One of the members was immediately on his feet.  "We'd be
better off without a leader than letting that SOB come back
here."
     There was general agreement.
     Riley took the floor again.
     "Ladies and gentlemen.  I don't think we have to worry about
Jimmy Bob coming back here.  I don't think he will ever get out
of jail."
     There was a lot of noise, mostly in agreement.
     Another man took the floor.  "We've been hoodwinked, but
maybe this is a wakeup call for this church and it's the Good
Lord himself telling us that we need to take a different course
in the future."
     More approval.
     "I don't care if Jimmy Bob was right or wrong with his
crusades, but it's sure drawn a lot of bad attention to this
church," another stood and said.
     Riley managed to get their attention again.
     "We don't have to decide anything tonight, but we wanted to
bring you up-to-date on what is going on here.  I would like to
propose that we meet on Sunday morning for a prayer meeting at
our usual time, then have an organizational meeting to elect
officers and a finance committee, along with a pulpit committee
to determine who might be available and willing to lead us."
     "I second that motion," one of the women yelled.
     "Since this isn't a business meeting, there was no motion
and a second is out of order, but I would like a show of hands if
you are in agreement to our meeting on Sunday," Riley said.
     It was a unanimous showing.  Then someone stood up to
suggest a potluck dinner afterward and again, it was a favorable
show of hands.
     Another one of the original charter members stood to ask,
"How much were we paying Jimmy Bob?  I assume he's off the
payroll now, isn't he?"
     Bret stood.  "In addition to furnishing him a home,
utilities and a car, we were paying into a retirement fund and
insurance, too.  His base salary without the fringe benefits was
$48,000 per year and - yes - he's off the payroll."
     There was general laughter.
     * * * * *
     After the meeting, people stayed around to talk and there
was general consensus that an effort be made to find all the
victims of Jimmy Bob's sexual abuse.  Bret would like to know
that himself.  He was glad when he and Beth could finally go
home.
     * * * * *
     Dale and Craig retired to Joe's room.  Joey was spending the
last night in his room and Frank and Doris were sleeping in the
third bedroom.  Although the closets had been emptied entirely
for purposes of seeing what was on shelves, many things had been
returned and hung up so they were out of the way of those
sleeping in the bedrooms.
     Doris and Frank had been up the longest of any of them, so
retired early for the night, going to sleep immediately.
     Joey wasn't far behind.  The last two weeks had been a
strain on him with Joe going into the hospital for what both knew
would be his last time.  He had stayed with his aunt, but knew
that was a temporary situation.  When Joe went into the hospital
no one knew what would happen to Joey.  The social worker had
been able to locate Dale, who had rescued Joey from a very bad
situation - that of being placed in the Foster Care system of
Children's Social Services, which was overloaded.  Even a smart,
desirable child like Joey got lost in the system because no one
really cared about them.
     Most of those who were signed up to be Foster Care providers
were only in it for the money and what was given them to buy
clothes and necessities for those in their care, ended up in
their pockets while the children did without and eventually gave
up trying to improve themselves.
     Joey knew a boy his age that was in "the system" and it
wasn't a pretty sight.  He had been thinking about running away
from Houston if something happened to his father.  He was smart
enough to live on the streets (at least he thought so) but there
had to be better places to do it than living in Houston.
     He knew that his father had provided money for him in a
trust fund, but what good would it do if he couldn't get to it
until he completed a master's degree in his chosen field?  Even
though he was an honor student, that and the money wouldn't do
him any good.  So, it was with great relief when he found out his
half-brother had been located and was willing to provide a home
for him.
     Upon their first meeting he was pleased to find out Dale was
gay and had a partner, Craig.  While Joey hadn't really thought
about his own sexuality, he'd never really given it a thought as
others being straight or gay.  What difference did it make?  He
certainly would never have guessed that these men were.  They
seemed like ordinary men, just like himself.
     However, Craig had laid the cards on the table, explaining
that he and Dale were a couple, devoted to each other and had no
desires toward him except to provide a home for him and take care
of his material needs.  Joey immediately liked these men and felt
comfortable with them.  And, most importantly, they genuinely
seemed to like him and had proven that many times over the last
ten days they had been together.
     They each shared an offbeat sense of humor and could tease
the others about anything and it was well received.
     And, Williamsport.  From what Joey had seen of the place and
the people he had met there, he was going to love it.  Sure, he
would miss his friends in Houston, but the kids his age that he
had met seemed have a genuine interest in him.  He loved it that
Dale and Craig had gotten him involved in the church choir.  That
was a big surprise to him and he knew it was where he belonged,
at least as far as having the chance to sing.
     Joey would miss his father, but he was really gaining an old
brother, or if one wanted to define it another say, two Dads.
And, the bonus, he'd gotten grandparents out of the deal, too.
He'd never had those before.  Then there was the promise of
Craig's sisters becoming his aunts, too.  He'd gotten a "ready-
made" family out of the deal.
     Although Joey had been exposed to church, he hadn't ever
felt any real reason to give thanks.  This night before crawling
into this bed for the last time, he knelt and gave thanks for the
blessings he had received.  And, prayed for love and guidance in
his new life to come with his Dads.
     * * * * *
     Dale and Craig were both tired and wound up.  It had been a
long day, but they had accomplished a lot in getting the house
listed with a competent realtor and making arrangements for two
men, who were a gay couple, to handle an estate sale for them.
There was a trust from the very beginning and both felt
comfortable in allowing them to handle the sale with them being
200 miles away.
     They rolled together in the bed, searching for the other in
the middle, finding the love they needed to sustain them for the
night.
     Dale couldn't help but thinking about occupying his father's
bed with Craig.  He wondered how many men had shared this bed
with his father and what they had done to pleasure each other.
The thought made him start to get hard.  Craig was nestled
against Dale, front to front.  Although he wasn't doing anything
except to lay there in his lover's arms, he felt Dale begin to
respond to something, which in turn, triggered his own arousal.
     Their mouths searched for the other, then tongues dueled for
supremacy, swabbing tonsils.  They pulled themselves tightly to
each other.  Both were thinking they were the luckiest people in
the world to have each other.  They were now parents, if you
wanted to call them that.  It felt good to think of themselves as
such, anyway.
     They had been together for a very short period of time, but
trusted the other fully.  Each was a good match for each other,
respectful of the other's needs and emotions.  They each adored
the other and thrived because of it.  Dale had come out of his
shell of being an insecure, unloved man who needed someone to
show him that the world was a place to discover and have fun
doing it.  Craig was much more self-assured, but still needed a
mate he could rely on; one who would love him and be there for
him for all time.
     Together, they were set to conquer the world.
     * * * * *
     Sex was slow and easy for them that night and without prior
planning they pleasured the other at the same time.  They had
their cocks buried to the balls in each other's throat.  It
seemed that hands and fingers were everywhere.  Release from
their tensions reached a roaring climax for each and they feasted
on the ambrosia the other gave in reward.  Finally, as each was
softening, they swung up where they could mix the cocktail of
their love and commitment to each other and share it like the
wine of communion.
     * * * * *
     Dale awoke first, hearing the shower in the bathroom next to
their room.  Frank and Doris must be cleaning up.
     He kissed Craig awake, applying his mustache to all the
proper places on his face and chest.  They each had "morning
mouth" probably caused by the cum from the night before.  Dale
got out of bed, giving Craig a hand to follow him to the
bathroom.  They took turns peeing, and then brushing their teeth.
They would have taken a shower together except there wasn't room.
While Dale was showering, Craig stripped the bed and laid out
their clothes for the day, then took his shower while Dale dried
his hair and began dressing.
     Doris had started a pot of coffee and was standing in the
kitchen when Dale walked in, carrying the sheets and bed pad from
Joe's room.
     "Good morning," he said in his usual morning, cheerful
voice.
     "Morning, Dale.  I hope you fellows slept as well as Frank
and I did."
     "Yes, it was a long, busy day, yesterday."
     "I've already stripped the bed we slept in last night and
put those sheets in the washing machine," Doris told him.
     "Good, we need to have Joey strip his bed, too.  Any sign of
him, yet?" Dale asked.
     "Yes, he rode to the donut shop with Frank.  You know,
something all of us need badly," she laughed.
     Dale gave her one of his famous 1000-watt smiles.  "If it
will cure my hunger, I'm all for it."
     "What are you for?" Craig questioned as he walked into the
kitchen.  "Good morning, Mom."
     "Donuts to cure my craving for something to eat," Dale said,
continuing his smile.
     Craig chose to ignore it.  He was still tired from the
previous day and night's activities.
     "I'm going to start a load of two sets of sheets.  There
should still be still be another set of sheets to wash, along
with 3 mattress pads and towels, unless you want to keep any of
this stuff for ourselves and take it home to wash," Dale said.
     "Actually, the set that was on the bed we slept in appears
to be new and they are percale, really comfortable to sleep on,"
Craig said.  "We can take those if you like them."
     "They were really soft," Dale said, then sacked them into
one of the pillowcases and took it to the living room.  He went
into Joey's room and stripped his bed, too, then started the load
of sheets.
     Frank and Joey arrived back at the house about that time
with a box containing 15 donuts.  "I thought this would tide us
over until we could get some real food," Frank told them.
     Craig poured each of them a mug of coffee, which emptied the
12-cup pot.  He emptied the basket of grounds, measured out more
and refilled the reservoir with water for another pot.
     Doris handed paper napkins to everyone and they dug into the
box of donuts.
     It was quiet except for the chewing and sipping noises.
     Frank spoke up.  "I don't know about anyone else, but I
really slept well last night.  Must have worked harder than I
thought."
     There seemed to be general agreement from each of them.
     "Okay, what do we have to accomplish today?" Craig asked.
     Dale spoke up first.  "Make sure everything we are taking
with us is packed and ready to load in the various vehicles.
     Doris spoke up.  "I intend to go through the kitchen
utensils and pots and pans to see if there is anything you boys
might need to keep or that I can use.  Craig, you need to pack
the liquor and put it in the trunk of one of the cars.  Also, we
might as well box up the spices so we can divide them later.
They won't sell at the sale and we might as well use them
ourselves."
     Dale said, "Let's put the fragile stuff in the back of the
Blazer.  The heavier things can go in the bed of the pickup with
the big TV right behind the cab.  I have a net to put over the
bed to secure things from blowing out.  I really don't think we
are going to have to put much in the cars, but we'll just have to
see how things stow away."
     Joey spoke up.  "I need to finish looking in Dad's room
because I didn't have a chance to look in the dresser drawers,
yet."
     "Okay, when we finish here, why don't you do that and I'll
go with you?" Dale said.
     "I haven't emptied those drawers, so I think that's the only
thing I haven't been through," Doris said.
     "Aren't we going to eat breakfast?" Frank asked, pouring
himself another cup of coffee, then refilling the others.
     Doris ignored him.
     "Sure, I'll go with you, grandpa," Joey said.
     "I beg your pardon?" Dale said.  "I thought you were going
to finish in Joe's bedroom."
     "Oh yeah, I just remembered," Joey said, grinning.  "Sorry
grandpa, guess you're on your own."
     "Story of my life," Frank laughed.
     "That's only his opinion," Doris said, pretending to cover
her mouth with her hand.
     That caused all of them to laugh.
     "I'm like Rodney Dangerfield, I don't get no respect," Frank
said, pretending to pout.
     More laughter.
     "Poor Dad," Craig said, patting him on the back.  "We're
going to have to have a 'Feel Sorry for Frank Day,' sometime
soon.  Everybody!!!  Listen up!!  Have something else planned for
that day," Craig teased.
     "Well Dad, thanks for the donuts.  You, at least, should get
some respect for that effort," Dale told him.
     "Thanks, Dale.  I'm glad I have one son who thinks his old
man is okay."
     "Excuse me, but I need to go put my boots on, the shit's
getting a little deep in here this morning," Craig said.
     "But Dad, you already have your boots on," Joey told him.
     The laughter continued.
     "Yes, it's beginning to sound like the auditions for a
comedy club," Doris said.  "I guess I could do my Phyllis Diller
act, but if they stretched my face that tightly, it would
shatter."
     That statement added to the laughter.
     Joey was enjoying the teasing.  'This is a neat family,' he
thought.
     About that time Dale heard the washing machine shut off, so
he went to see if it was through with it's complete cycle.  It
was just through the wash cycle, so he would have to wait to
start the next load.
     The clowning around had come to an end.  It was time to get
to work.  Everyone was thankful there wasn't very much more to
do, except to pack the vehicles.
     * * * * *
     Joey went to the neighbors who lived on the east side to
tell them goodbye and thank them for being so nice to he and his
father while they had lived next door to each other.  He picked
up the house key, telling them that a realtor was listing the
house and that there would be an estate sale coming up soon.
     Then, he called his aunt, his Dad's aunt, to tell her
goodbye and make sure she had his new address and telephone
number.  She and Joe had never been close to each other, however,
in the last few years she'd had to rely on him and Joey more and
more because of her declining health.  Joey felt sad when he
talked to her because he figured that he would not see her again.
     * * * * *
     Dale and Joey left in the middle of the morning, driving
Joe's car, to go to Jay McCormick's office.  Dale had called him
earlier to tell him of their progress, thank him for helping them
find a realtor and people to have the estate sale.  They were
going to his office to pick up the urn that contained Joe's
ashes.
     Jay welcomed them and they visited for a short time, Jay
mainly concerned that Joey was going to be okay.  Dale and Joey
both gave him an account of the activities of the previous few
days, including Joey's debut as a singer in the choir at St.
James.
     Jay gave Joey the box containing the urn.  The three men
shook hands and exchanged goodbyes.
     The next stop was Arlen Fischer's office to sign some papers
transferring Joey's trust fund to Dale's administration and to
authorize the Trust Department of the Bank of Houston to remain
as trustee.  He also gave Dale an original copy of Joe's will.
     Dale reported what was being done with the house,
furnishings and car.  Arlen agreed that they were doing the right
thing.
     The last stop of their errands was to stop at the local
branch of Joe's bank, City Trust, to close his checking and
savings account and empty his safety deposit box.  The bank
officer greeted them, asked a few questions and had Dale sign
where necessary since his signature had been added to the account
the previous week.  He gave Dale two cashier's checks for
$9,340.17 and $7,657.75.
     There were a number of CD's in the safety deposit box, made
out to Joe with Joey being listed as beneficiary, with the clause
"payable on death".  Dale wasn't sure what that meant, so they
went back to talk to the officer who explained that they would
need a copy of Joe's death certificate, then they could either
cash the CD's and pay Joey with a cashier's check, or issue new
CD's in his name.
     Jay had given them a certified copy of the death
certificate, telling Dale he could order additional copies, if
needed.
     The banker didn't need a certified copy.  He verified what
they gave him, made a copy and then handed it back.  Dale decided
to ask for a cashier's check made out to Joey, then they could
take care of investing the money at the Bank of Commerce.  He was
sure that Morris Johnsmore and Marty could steer him to the right
person since the amount of that cashier's check would be almost
$80,000.
     They closed out Joey's savings account, which had about
$1,250.57 in it.  Dale put that cashier's check in with the
others they had received.
     On the way back to the house, Dale posed a question to Joey.
     "Our Dad was somewhat flippant about disposing of his ashes
after he was cremated."
     Joey broke in, "Yeah, he always used to say we could scatter
them, bury them or flush them down the stool."
     Dale grinned, then his face turned somber.  "I'll tell you
my idea and you tell me what you think."
     "Okay," Joey told him.
     "There are extra lots where my grandparents and my mother
are buried in the cemetery at Williamsport.  What do you think
about burying the urn in the plot next to my mother?  They really
belong together as far as I'm concerned.  We don't know where
your mother is and may never hear from her again," Dale told him.
     "I think that's a great idea.  He'd be buried where he would
be close to both of us," Joey said.
     "Let's talk to Fr. George about it in the next few days.  He
can do a simple committal service at the grave.  The Veteran's
Administration will provide a marker to place on the grave and
that will show he was a veteran of the Vietnam War."
     "Dad, that's a really great idea.  I didn't know what we
would do with the urn and I was afraid it would get put on a
closet shelf and forgotten.  Let's do it," Joey said.
     * * * * *
     By the time they got back to the house, it was noon and
everyone was seriously hungry.  Almost everything had been put in
the various vehicles and there was still plenty of room for the
few boxes and items left to be loaded.
     "Where shall we go eat, Joey?" Frank asked.  "I don't think
we spent enough money last night."
     Everyone laughed.
     "My favorite Mexican Restaurant is El Toro's and it's not
too far from here.  It's family owned and their food is a lot
better than most others, and certainly the chains."
     "Sounds good to me," Craig said.
     Everyone was in agreement, so they loaded into Joe's car.
It was a little crowded, but Craig, Frank and Doris being the
smaller people of the group sat in back.  They were only going a
few miles, anyway.  Joey gave good directions and the traffic was
amazingly light for the noon hour.
     They were shown to a table immediately and Frank ordered a
pitcher of Margaritas and a Coke for Joey.  The waiter brought
three baskets of chips and pitchers of hot and mild sauce with
bowls so each could mix sauce to their own taste.
     By the time the drinks arrived all had decided what they
wanted to eat.  The waiter filled their glasses, and then wrote
their orders down.
     "Cheers," Frank said, hoisting his glass.  The others did
the same.
     "Thanks for being here for Joey, Craig and me yesterday and
today," Dale said.  "We couldn't have done it all without your
help."
     "Hey, that's what families are for," Frank said.
     "It was our pleasure to help.  We got to meet Joey and get
better acquainted with you, Dale, and we're looking forward to
spending a couple of days with you in Williamsport, too," Doris
added.
     "Yes, we're going to take you up on that horseback ride,
going up the river like you promised us. We even brought our
cowboy boots so we'll look like real dudes out on the range,"
Frank added.
     "And I'm going to play 'cooking teacher'," Doris told them.
I think in two days time I can make first-class cooks out of all
three of you."
     "Boy, she doesn't know that she just bit off more than she
can chew," Dale laughed.
     "Don't sell Mom short," Craig said.  "She can do it."
     "I'm looking forward to it," Joey said.  "Dad taught me how
to do some things in the kitchen, at least enough that I could
fix pot roasts, bake chicken and cakes and make some things in
the crock pot."
     "That's a good start," Doris told him.
     That reminded Dale to ask Joey about the cookbooks he said
he wanted to keep.
     "I've already put them in my backpack," Joey told him.
     About that time their meals arrived.  Dale wondered if there
was going to be enough room on the table for all the plates and
platters the waiter brought.  All of it was steaming hot and
prepared to order.
     The food tasted as good as it looked and in no time at all,
the plates were empty.
     "Joey, this was an excellent idea.  Thanks for suggesting
it," Dale said.
     The others murmured their approval.
     Frank insisted on paying the bill and wouldn't even allow
Craig or Dale to leave the tip.
     Everyone thanked him as they left the restaurant.
     * * * * *
     It took them another forty-five minutes to finish loading
the vehicles, most of it going in the bed of the pickup.  Dale
insisted that they do one last 'walk-through' of the house.
Nothing seemed to have been overlooked.  They set the alarm and
locked the house.  Everyone who needed to get inside had a key
and a code for the security system.  The monitoring company had
been notified to contact Harlan Holman in case of any problems.
     At 2:15 the caravan pulled out of the driveway, Craig
leading the way in the Bar-W pickup, Mitsy riding with him.
Doris was following Craig in their family car.  Frank was next,
driving Joe's car and Dale and Joey bringing up the rear.
     Craig was glad he'd rented a storage unit before leaving
Williamsport, as there was too much stuff to put in the apartment
and his storage locker in the basement.  They could sort things
out at their leisure, then take the boxes they needed to the
condo as they were ready for them.
     * * * * *
     By the time they were close to the rest area on I-10, Craig
needed to pee badly and figured everyone else did, also.  Each of
the other drivers was relieved when they saw Craig turn on his
right turn signal.  As he got out of the pickup, he snapped the
leash on Mitsy and was going to walk her to the pet area.
     Joey ran up.  "I'll do that, Dad, then you can walk her when
I go pee."
     Craig was only too happy to have Joey do that.  He needed to
go.  The combination of the salt and alcohol made him feel like
his bladder was stretched to its limit.  Especially after sitting
for 120 miles with a seatbelt across his lap.  They were the only
ones in the restroom and he was thankful there was an open urinal
so he stepped up next to Dale.  He didn't know where Frank was,
probably waiting for Doris to get out of the car.  He teased, "Hi
fella, come here often?"
     "As a matter of fact I do, and I think I've see you here
each time, too.  Trolling for tricks today, are we?" Dale
answered with a funny grin on his face.
     About that time someone walked in behind them and that was
the end of the joke.  It turned out to be Frank, but they didn't
rally want to tease each other about picking up tricks in the
rest area in his presence.  Craig was still peeing when Dale left
to wash his hands.
     Joey was walking Mitsy so he went to take her leash so Joey
could use the facilities.
     Craig bought soft drinks for everyone and they drank them
before starting the final leg of their journey home.
     They arrived in Williamsport about 5:45, parking all four
vehicles in the parking lot of the condo.  Mitsy went to her
usual place to check on what other dogs had left and add her mark
to the area they all used as a bathroom.
     While she was taking care of her business, the five people
unloaded the items in the two cars, as they were all things that
would stay at the condo.  Dale, Craig and Frank carried the boxes
of liquor and Doris and Joey each had large boxes of kitchen
items.  Joey made a second trip to gather up clothing they had
kept.
     Craig picked up the padlock they would need for locking the
storage garage.  Dale, Joey and Frank went with him in the two
ranch trucks to unload and store the other items; Craig warning
them to put the boxes marked "Fragile" on the top.  It only took
them about 25 minutes to drive there, unload and drive back to
the condo.
     Frank rode with Dale, telling him how great Joe's car was.
"I need to let Doris drive it, but I'm buying it regardless.
It's a lot more comfortable than either of our cars and drives
better, too."
     They left the big-screen TV at the storage unit at the very
front so they could get to it easily.  They needed a four-wheel
dolly to use to get it into the condo, so this was temporary
storage.
     By this time it was about 6:45 and all were ready for "happy
hour" and to go out for dinner.  Craig took charge of the bar.
He had put cheese out to soften before going to the storage area,
putting it and crackers on a tray to go on the coffee table.
     Bartending was a simple job for this crew tonight.  Two gins
and two scotches.  Joey helped himself to a Coke.  Soon they were
settled down to enjoy the company of the others.
     "I can't believe that we've been to Houston and back,
accomplished everything we did and were only gone about 36
hours," Dale said.
     "It may have only been 36 hours, but I feel more like it was
at least four days," Craig laughed.
     "We didn't waste any time, did we?" Doris asked.
     "No, and the three of us want to thank you again for all the
help and support you've given us.  Frank used up vacation time
and I know you had things you would have done otherwise," Dale
told them.
     "Nonsense.  I don't use all of my vacation time as it is and
other than for being able to spend time with the three of you,
it's great to get out of town and do something different," Frank
said.
     Doris agreed.  "We haven't had a trip for a little while.
It's nice to see another world, other than our own.
     "By the way, I almost forgot, there's a box for you fellows.
I set it on the chair in your bedroom."
     Dale got up and brought it back to the living room.  He
handed it to Craig, who broke the tape with his fingernail.  When
he lifted the tissue-wrapped item out of the box they discovered
it was the flower arrangement Craig had given Dale and had sent
to their hotel room in Ft. Worth.  They had taken it to be dried
and Doris had picked it up when it was ready.
     Dale was really taken with it.  The colors weren't as
brilliant as when the flowers were fresh, but there was no sign
of damage anywhere.  The floral shop had done a super job.  He
wanted to kiss Craig, but decided to wait until they were in the
privacy of their own bedroom.
     "Thank you for picking these up," Dale said.  "They turned
out a lot better than I thought they would.  I was expecting them
to be flat and dry, like when you pressed them in a book."
     Craig took the bowl of flowers to set it on their dining
room table.  It was just right for the room and low enough you
could see over it to the person seated across from you.
     After their second drink, they crowded into Joe's (Frank's)
car to go to Tony D's for dinner.  Greg, of course, had the wait
staff outdo themselves and provided plenty of wine for the group
to drink with their meal.
     * * * * *
     Back at the condo, Craig was going to have Joey help him
change the sheets on his bed so Frank and Doris could occupy his
room that night.
     "I'll not hear of that," Doris said.  "We have to sleep in a
strange bed tonight regardless of which one we use here.  Joey
might as well be comfortable in his room and Frank and I will
sleep on the hide-a-bed in the living room."
     "I can sleep out here, grandma," Joey replied.  "I'll
probably get up before you do, anyway because Mitsy will want to
go out as soon as it starts getting light.  We'll disturb you
when we go through the living room, so we might as well stay out
here."
     Craig and Dale agreed.  "You'll have to share the bathroom,
but the door into Joey's room can be shut and he can use the door
from the hallway if he needs to."
     Doris and Frank reluctantly agreed to sleep in Joey's room,
so they changed the sheets and put clean towels in the bathroom.
     It was still too early to go to bed, so the five of them sat
in the living room to discuss the possible activities of the next
few days.
     About that time the telephone rang.  It was Paul Rathborne
and he wanted to talk to Joey.  Craig called Joey to the kitchen
to take the call.
     "Hello," Joey answered.
     "Hey Joey, it's Paul Rathborne from St. James.  How are you
this evening?"
     "Oh, hi Paul.  I'm okay.  We've been to Houston and just got
home about 6 o'clock, then went out to eat."
     "I hope everything went okay," Paul said.
     "Yes, we brought things back to Williamsport that I wanted
to keep and my Dads listed the house with a realtor and made
arrangements for an estate sale.  My grandparents, actually they
are Craig's parents, drove down from Arlington to help us.  They
are going to stay until Sunday, so you'll get to meet them at
church."
     "That's great.  Sounds like a productive trip.  Joey, the
reason I'm calling is that I want to do something special for the
communion hymn on Sunday and thought maybe you could help me
out."
     "Sure, I'll try.  What do you need?"
     "Are you up to singing another solo?" Paul asked him.
     "Yeah, that'd be neat. if I can do it."
     "It's an easy one, you probably know it already.  It's a
hymn arrangement that I've made and the choir will sing it during
communion.  I was going to give it to you on Wednesday at choir,
but you were out of town."
     "Sure, I'll be glad to do it.  How do I practice this?"
     "Can you come to the church sometime tomorrow?" Paul asked.
     "I don't think that's any problem.  I know there are some
things planned, but we were just starting to talk about them when
you called.  Can I call you back, maybe in the morning?" Joey
asked.
     "Let's just leave it that if you can come to the church in
the morning, I'll be there from 9 o'clock to about noon to
practice.  Just come on over.  If you can't do it in the morning,
call me at noon at the rectory and we'll figure out a time that
will work for both of us."
     "Okay, I can probably do it with no problem, so I'll either
see you or call you."
     "Good.  Thanks Joey.  Goodbye."
     "Bye, Paul," Joey said as he hung up.
     * * * * *
     Meanwhile, the rest were discussing the day.  Dale had to go
to the ranch and Craig wanted to take his parents out there so he
could look at the new house for the crew quarters.  Dale, of
course, wanted to look at it also.  They decided that mid-
afternoon would be a good time to take the horses and ride up the
river.
     Dale wanted to do it at that time so Craig and Joey could go
along, too.  Jason and Kevin would be in school so they wouldn't
have to worry about hurting their feelings by not taking them
along.
     Craig wasn't sure of his schedule for the next day.  He
would have to go to the office to see if Don needed anything done
to the drawings that were already in the computer for Warren
Collins' project.  A thought came to him to check about the
houses in the vicinity of the rectory.  There might be something
there that could be suitable for Dale, Joey and him to buy and
remodel.
     Frank and Doris had no plans, although Doris was thinking
about what to have for dinner the next evening.  This would be
her opportunity to lay in supplies and teach "her boys" about the
"art of the kitchen".  She knew they liked good food and she was
going to show them just a few things which they could expand on
and develop their own menus.
     The people bantered around for another hour until it seemed
that all were trying to stifle yawns.  It was time to go to bed.
     * * * * *
     Friday morning dawned clear but quite a bit cooler, 52
degrees, although the weather forecast said it would be 70 by
noon and 75 by 5 p.m.
     Mitsy, as usual, wanted to go outside when it started become
light outside so Joey was the first awake.  He let her out, then
ducked into the bathroom to pee, brush his teeth and wash his
face.  By this time Mitsy was scratching at the door so Joey let
her in and followed her to the kitchen to put out food, give her
fresh water and turn on the coffeepot.
     Frank had awakened when he heard Joey flush the toilet.  He
rolled over to see that the clock said 6:15.  That was about his
usual time to wake up.  As soon as the light went off in the
bathroom and he heard the hall door close, he was up to take care
of his morning needs.
     Craig woke up first this morning and thought it was because
of the opening and closing of the front door, but he wasn't sure
if Joey was letting Mitsy out or in.  He rolled over to look at
the clock on his side of the bed.  The red digital numbers read
6:19.
     Dale roused about the same time as Craig, reaching his arm
around Craig's chest and pulling him back toward himself.  Craig
was reveling in the feeling of Dale's hairy chest against his
back.  The next thing he knew was that Dale was licking behind
his right ear and running his hand from his nipples down to his
groin, then skirting around to lovingly caressing his balls.
What a way to wake up of a morning.  For each of them.  Dale was
getting off by feeling Craig and Craig was getting off being
fondled by his studly lover.
     "How's my big sweetheart today?" Craig questioned, trying to
turn so he could kiss Dale.
     "Guess?" Dale replied, thrusting his groin against Craig's
cheeks.
     Craig could feel Dale's hard cock at the top of his cleft.
It was oozing precum and felt slick to his skin.  Dale used his
right hand to maneuver it into position, then used some of the
lubricant he was producing to work his fingers into Craig's
channel.  As soon as the first finger breached Craig's sphincter,
he knew that it wouldn't take much to make him ready.  That was
one thing they had discovered shortly after they started having a
relationship.  They could relax enough to take the other with a
minimum of lubrication and that the natural each produced was
better than KY or some of the other commercial products.  And.
best of all, saliva contributed to making the natural lube even
slicker.
     So, with each of them shifting position slightly, Dale was
able to enter Craig and bury himself almost to his balls with
little effort.  Craig enjoyed being the recipient and as soon as
Dale was embedded in him, he pushed himself back against Dale's
chest to receive additional stimulation from his hairy chest.
     They had to be careful about making noise this morning, as
they didn't know who might be up and about and could hear the
sounds of their coupling.  Dale used Craig's precum to coat the
palm of his right hand, then helped Craig to achieve a climax
that triggered Dale's own orgasm.  This wasn't the best sex
they'd had by any means, but it did bring relief to each and was
quick.  Since they hadn't put towels on the bed, the sheets would
either have to dry or be changed.
     Dale hated to slip out of Craig's ass ring, but they also
had to get the day underway.  This was Friday and there was a lot
to accomplish.  After all, Craig's parents were here and they
wanted to entertain them to the best of their ability.  Craig
slipped on his boxers to go to the kitchen to get their orange
juice.
     Frank and Joey were looking at the paper while sipping
coffee.  Both were in their boxer shorts, too.  It was really a
contrast of bodies.  Frank was shorter than Joey, and of course,
older.  He was trim but had a little hair on his chest, not
smooth like his son.
     Joey, at fourteen, was larger than Frank and Craig by virtue
of being taller, and was much hairier.  Craig thought it was a
striking contrast.
     Joey was looking at the Thursday paper while Frank was
looking at the current Friday paper.
     "Hey Dad," Joey said.
     "Yeah?"  Craig loved to be called 'Dad'.  He didn't know
why, but it felt good to hear it.
     "You'll never guess the latest news in the preacher's
story."
     "What's that?" Craig asked.
     "He and his wife didn't really have a marriage.  Some dude
stayed with her at the parsonage on Monday night and now she has
moved in with him.  They didn't tell what his name is, but that
he teaches Computer Science at Western Junior College."
     "Oh, really?  Shouldn't be too hard to figure that one out,"
Craig stated.
     Frank broke in.  "According to the Friday paper, Jimmy Bob
won't be getting out of jail.  He hadn't paid the insurance
premium, so the car wreck isn't covered and the Cadillac can't be
used as collateral for bail money.  And. get this. the church
doesn't have any money, so his attorney quit."
     By this time, Craig was laughing so hard he almost had tears
in his eyes.
     He quickly poured two glasses of juice and started for their
bedroom.  The laughter had made his asshole leak and he could
feel Dale's cum starting to run down his leg.
     "Serves the old bastard right," he said as he hurriedly
disappeared around the corner.
     * * * * *
     Craig gave Dale a short version of the two newspaper
articles as he shaved, preparing for the shower.  He skipped his
mustache although no one had noticed his effort, yet, although he
could feel it with no problem, the light blond color blended with
his skin color.
     "This story just keeps getting better and better.  I wonder
what the next news will be?" Dale questioned.
     "I don't know, but I'll bet there is plenty we'll never know
about," Craig said.  "But I agree, it just keeps getting better
and better."
     * * * * *
     Marlene Jones and Scott McKown were caught up in the middle
of something they had no control over.  Scott was innocent,
except for two facts, the first of which was that he was
providing a place for Jimmy Bob's wife to live.  Marlene had
moved out of the parsonage, taking her clothing and personal
things, but had forgotten to remove the cash Jimmy Bob had been
giving her, so she was broke.  At this point in time she didn't
care.  She had her clothes, her car and her lover.  She didn't
realize how tough things were going to get.
     Scott took some good-natured kidding about the article in
the paper, but was able to turn the story around to his advantage
- that she was a good-looking slut who was continually horny and
he was the beneficiary of that lust.  None of his colleagues
really cared at all who he slept with.  The straight guys were
jealous he was getting laid and the gay ones were, too - that
they weren't on the receiving end of his screwing ability.
     * * * * *
     The story about the recovery of all the cash had not made
the news, nor would it.  It did, however, put the Victory Temple
in a better financial light when it was time to deal with the
bank.
     Bret Senior was pleased to have the cast removed on Thursday
morning.  A new x-ray showed that the break had started to knit
and the swelling had gone down.  Dr. Matt Lucas was pleased with
what he saw - a healthy patient who was going to heal quickly,
probably with no side effects.  He took him to Dr. Lawrence to
have him change the cast, giving him instructions as to how he
wanted it molded.
     "Can I have a flesh-colored cast this time?" Bret asked.
     "What?  You didn't like the gay one I gave you?" Dr.
Lawrence teased.
     Bret didn't know how to answer that one, but that confirmed
he'd gotten the fuchsia colored one on purpose.
     "Well, it's not a problem.  We don't even have to wrap the
arm in an elastic bandage this time, so you can take a shower
without having to worry about getting your arm wet."  He
proceeded to take the old cast and bandage off.  Bret's arm had
turned lily white in just three days.
     The new cast was put on his arm and it was a big relief to
him that it fit and wasn't tight or hot.
     * * * * *
     Paul Jenkins wanted to talk to his brother about Jimmy Bob
and finally succeeded in getting him to tell him what had
happened.  He revealed that Rev. Jimmy Bob had approached his
friend, Fred Moxley.  Fred told his parents and whether they
believed him or not, they started attending another church rather
than confront Jimmy Bob.  Of course Paul was scared and wouldn't
allow himself to get into a situation where he and Rev. Jimmy Bob
were alone with each other.  Paul was also on the lookout for his
younger brother, Terry, but hadn't told him details of the danger
that could be in store for him.  He was just monitoring the
situation.
     So, it was finally a relief when Bret Junior agreed to talk
to his younger brother, Paul.  After Bret gave Paul a sketch of
what had happened to him, Paul was sure he could identify at
least five of the boys who had been victims.  Bret agreed to talk
to his father with Paul going with him.
     * * * * *
     The police investigator wanted to talk with Sammy Murdock.
At first his father refused to discuss it, telling the police
that it was a "family matter" and there was nothing they could
do.  However, since the story stayed in the headlines he finally,
although grudgingly, allowed the juvenile authorities to talk
with him.  He didn't hire an attorney, but insisted he be allowed
to sit in on the meeting.
     Sammy told the investigator that several times there had
been another man who would meet with him and Rev. Jimmy Bob in
the office.  He was not able to identify the mystery man,
although he gave a fairly good description.  The man always wore
a suit.  He had black hair, cut short and wore "little" glasses.
He did say that when the other man was present, he would fondle
Sammy and allow Sammy to masturbate him while Jimmy Bob sat in
his chair and watched, stroking himself to a climax.
     That answered the mystery as to why Sammy thought Miles
Truby was another man who had come to play around with him.  And,
he said he thought this other man had given Jimmy Bob money.
     'So,' the investigator thought, 'it almost sounds like a
case of child prostitution.'  He hoped they would be able to
figure who this other man was and get his statement because of
charges pending against Rev. Jimmy Bob Jones.
     * * * * *
     When Dean Fletcher heard and read in the paper about Jimmy
Bob getting caught, literally with his pants down, he was glad
he'd been called to attend a meeting at the last minute.
Otherwise, he would have been there in Jimmy Bob's office, too.
This had been going on for about five months and there had been
twice that Jimmy Bob had two young boys there at the same time.
The first time Dean and Sammy Murdock had used an adjoining
office that was empty except for a couple of old executive office
chairs that had broken down because of Jimmy Bob's weight.
     The second time all four were in Jimmy Bob's office and both
boys took turns with the two men.  Sammy, being nervous, had
forgotten to tell that story.
     Dean Fletcher worked for a wholesale automotive company as a
regional sales manager.  His company had been after him to move
to Odessa, Texas to try to expand that territory into New Mexico.
He made the sudden decision to call his immediate boss to see if
the offer was still good.  It was.
     Dean told his boss that he would be gone for a couple of
days to look for a place to live, then rented a U-Haul truck,
emptying his 2-bedroom apartment that night.  He left for Odessa
the next morning, towing his car behind the truck.
     * * * * *
     (to be continued)
     * * * * *
     Author's Note:  Thanks for the great response to Chapter 38.
I would appreciate your comments, criticism, suggestions, and
anything else that you would care to say about this chapter.  I
try to answer all Email, but I know some have slipped through the
cracks and I'm sorry.  If you wish to receive e-mail notification
of subsequent postings, please let me know by sending your
request to the following e-mail address:  TulsaDriller7@aol.com
     My special thanks for proofreading help to Paul Daventon,
who has taken time to help me catch obvious errors.