The Texas sun was already bright this morning. Melissa stepped onto the patio wearing purple stretch pants, a white halter top with purple polka dots and huge purple sunglasses. She walked over to the lounge chair under the umbrella where Alan sat with his laptop. He grinned at her.
“We’re out of here. Sure you’re okay?”
“No worries. The kids have been trooping back and forth with their camping supplies and I just saw Maggie head down to the barn with enough food to keep them for a week.”
“They’re so excited to be allowed to camp on their own.”
“Well, John is going to ride out with them to the campsite. He wants to make sure he knows exactly where they are.”
Robert walked up beside them and nodded down toward the barn. Tori, Geoff, Robbie and Sam were already mounted on their little ponies. John rode up on an old chestnut gelding, the gentlest horse on the ranch. The children turned their ponies and dashed off at a gallop. Old Fred watched the ponies take off and followed with a rambling trot that bounced John up and down. John hung on in the saddle looking slightly panicked.
Robert, Alan and Melissa chuckled. “Didn’t anyone ever explain to him how to post?” Alan asked. “By the time he returns, his muscles are going to be so beat up we’ll have to use a block and tackle to get him out of the saddle!”
“Susan tried, but I don’t think it took.” Robert explained. “You mother said she’d meet you at the car. Helena and Susie are all ready to go.”
“Shop to you drop!” Alan offered as a sendoff.
Melissa leaned down and kissed him. “Charge,” she said with a laugh.
Melissa headed for the car. Robert settled into the chair across the table from Alan.
“I thought you were on vacation.”
“Mmm,” Alan said, using the drawing tablet on his laptop to continue his design. “It’s a working vacation, really. I need to get some preliminary drawings done before we head for Oz at the end of the week.”
“You’re taking Sam and Tori with you too?”
“That’s the plan. We’re all spending a few days in Hawaii, then John and Helena are going to go to Maui on their own while the rest of us head for Sydney. They’ll catch up with us the following week and come home by way of the Rock.”
“Hmm. Sounds complicated.”
“Taking five kids to the other side of the world always is. You think John will be all right out there?” Alan asked.
“I’ll take another horse and ride out to meet him in a few minutes.”
Alan looked up at him. “You ride?”
Robert looked at him and chuckled. “Susan taught me how to ride years ago. Don’t tell me Melissa lured you down to the stables with that old ‘he never comes down here, he’s allergic to horses’ routine?”
Alan blanched.
Robert threw back his head and roared with laughter. “She did, didn’t she? Alan, I fed her that line years ago so I didn’t have to go down there and feed the horses myself. Does she really still believe that?”
“I… think so.” Alan said faintly. He reached over to the cooler under the table and pulled out a beer. It was early, but he needed one. If Robert had followed them out to the barn that first time Mel brought him to Miller’s Bluff he probably wouldn’t have survived the experience. He turned back to his computer.
Robert looked down the trail the children had taken. “I hadn’t had a chance to tell you. That place you’ve built up there, that Rock. It’s quite impressive.”
Alan looked over at his father-in-law who was notoriously stingy with compliments. “Thank you, Robert. Mel was awfully glad you guys came up. And she was really upset about that … incident.”
Robert looked out over the pool. “We talked about that while we were up there. Wasn’t your fault.” He paused. Alan went back to his drawings.
“That free fall. Looked like you two were really enjoying it.”
Alan smiled and gave a small chuckle without looking up. “Every time.”
“And all those hotel rooms. They were saying you could turn the gravity right off,” he drawled.
“That’s the way I designed them.” By now, there was no way Alan was going to look at his father-in-law again.
“You know… Susan enjoys … unique experiences.”
Alan grinned. He leaned over and rummaged through his briefcase for a notepad. He pulled out a pen and wrote down two phone numbers. He tore the paper from the pad and slid it across the table to Robert. “The company keeps a suite reserved for our use. It comes in handy for meetings, and staying over if we get too involved in something to get home in one day. Call this phone number and let them know when you want the suite. Then call the second phone number and let Cellini know you’re coming up. He’ll reserve space on the next available Eagle out of Houston for you.” Alan laughed. “But keep an eye on him. He’s a smooth talking Italian with a thing for blondes. I saw him eyeing Susan last time.”
Robert chuckled. “I noticed that too. She was… quite charmed by him.” He took the piece of paper, folded it and put it in his shirt pocket. “Thanks, Alan. I knew I could count on you. I don’t think we need to mention this to the girls.”
“Oh, I hear you on that one, Robert. I promise you it will stay just between us.”
Maureen J. Long
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