His Daddy's Car

"I wasn't aware that my dating habits were being monitored so closely or I might have done something to spice things up for you perverts," snapped Katie.

Katie saw only a brief blanch in the expression of Kirby Wallace before he continued, "Please understand that when a person has displayed no romantic interests for ten years, and then one day faints at the sight of a man... a man who by all accounts is a total stranger, and then the very next day this person spends the night with this same man and subsequently introduces him to her parents... Well, I would be remiss in my duties if I didn't at least inquire."

Katie didn't like the way this conversation was heading. She needed to shut it down until she could get her responses worked out. "Bobby is Francis Reid's brother and Francis and I are friends. He is new to the area, so I offered to show him around some. It was more convenient to stay in San Antonio than drive back last night, and Bobby offered to put me up. I took the opportunity to visit my parents while I was in town, and Bobby was nice enough to accompany me. Since he would obviously be meeting them once they returned to the house -- after all, our family and the Reids have socialized for years, I thought it would be nice if they met him sooner rather than later."

Kirby actually smiled at Katie's response. "Come on Katie, I was born at night, but I wasn't born last night. Anyone with a heartbeat can see there is something between the two of you. It's palpable... you can hear it in your words, you can see it in the way you move... hell, you can almost smell it. So the question is, Why now, and why him?"

Katie couldn't meet his eyes. Her love for Bobby had always been obvious to her, and thank God to him, but she never considered how obvious it might be to others.

"I need to change now, so if there is nothing else," she said.

Kirby turned for the door and then stopped. "Be careful Katie. That's all I'm going to say right now. I'm here when you're ready to talk."

Katie watched him leave the kitchen and close the door. As she headed upstairs to change, she pondered what the conversation with Kirby meant to her and Bobby being able to start over. She wanted to keep everybody safe, but she knew beyond doubt that she could never give up Bobby again.

Suddenly she realized that she had Bobby back in her life. She was safe. She was secure. Bobby would know what to do, and she would trust him until her dying breath. She had no doubt.

JR was calling for her from the kitchen by the time she finished tying her tennis shoes. "I'm coming!" she yelled down to him." She ran down stairs and kissed JR's forehead before ushering him out the door and into Bobby's car.

Bobby was waiting to open her door for her as JR clambered over the side to sit in the back next to Joey. Katie grabbed Bobby's face in both her hands and planted a noisy kiss on his lips.

"I missed you," she said as she slid into HER seat.

"The feeling was very mutual," Bobby said as Joey and JR still had their eyes covered from Katie's kiss. He jumped over into his seat and backed out of the driveway.

"You boys be sure to hold onto your caps," Bobby said. "I don't want the wind to blow then off your pointed little heads."

Katie laughed and said, "You can also just turn them around so that the bills are in the back. That way the wind won't catch them and pull them off your cute little noggins."

Bobby laughed as he saw each of the boys firmly place a hand on top of the caps -- with the bills facing forwards. Katie turned to Bobby and stuck her tongue out at him, which made him laugh even harder. It was always easier to laugh with her hand on his.

Katie sat in the bleachers with Francis watching the practice.

"You know you can tell Jason, right?" Katie said as she watched her son and his father playing catch in the outfield.

"I'm glad you don't mind because I really couldn't hide things after yesterday."

"I guess my...our actions did create some questions."

"You think?" snorted Francis with a grin.

"I'm sorry Franc," said Katie. "I really thought I had some time to work this out, but I can't say I'm sorry that Bobby knows."

"So what's the plan?"

Katie couldn't hide the smile on her face or the excitement in her voice, "Bobby thinks we can play like we just met and are starting from ground zero to develop a new relationship. From what he has told me, our past history is virtually impossible for the Marshals to access."

Francis interrupted with a laugh, "Jason told me what Kirby encountered and how Bobby dealt with him. Have I ever told you how proud I am of my baby brother?"

Katie grinned, "Franc, you never mentioned you had a brother until you told me he was coming to visit you."

Francis nodded sheepishly and admitted, "Bobby has been a phenomenal success professionally, and that is apparent by the level of influence he has -- as you may now just be learning. Obviously I don't know the details of his career, but Jason has done some checking, and found that our entire family -- I'm talking parents, sisters, nieces and nephews -- everyone, are protected at so many levels, you would think we were royalty or something. Jason said that only someone with the highest level of influence could have arranged that."

Katie nodded and said, "Now you have some idea of how I have felt around Bobby since I first met him. He has always made me feel safe, secure, protected, but most of all, loved more than anything in the world."

When the practice was complete, Jason and Bobby walked over to the stands to wait for the boys to say goodbye to their friends and join them.

Before the boys joined them, Bobby offered, "I would like to treat everyone to dinner and dessert at the Dairy Queen down the street. Any takers?

"You don't have to do that," said Francis. "Everyone can eat at our place."

"You have hosted us every night since I returned. Unless you want to drive into San Antonio and go to Chuck E. Cheese, you should accept my offer."

Jason visibly cringed at the mention of Chuck E. Cheese and said, "I'm in".

Francis frowned, but then smiled as she nodded.

Katie said, "It's not In-N-Out Burger, but as long as you're there, I'll survive." She took Bobby's hand and went to retrieve their son.

Jason, Francis and Joey left as soon as the Blizzards were done. Bobby and Katie sat next to each other while JR was still nursing the last dredges of his dessert.

"Well?" said Katie.

"It's your call, Mom" replied Bobby.

Katie turned to JR and said, "Do you mind that Bobby and I like each other, JR?"

JR looked at his mom like she had just sprouted a pig snout, "I guess not. If I can't have my real dad, I can have a guy with a car at least as cool, and if he makes you happy, even better."

Katie gasped at her son's comments, but Bobby refused to stifle his laugh.

Katie tried to refocus the conversation, "JR, are you okay with Bobby and I having sleepovers like last night?"

JR looked up at her, and then glanced over at Bobby, "Well, I didn't know you had a sleepover last night."

"Your mom stayed over at my house last night JR so we could talk. Then we went to visit your grandparents together this morning. I live closer to where they are staying, so it was more convenient."

"Okay," said JR, "So since Joey and his parents have already left, are we all going to have a sleepover at Bobby's house tonight?"

Katie replied, "Not tonight sweetie, but maybe Bobby could come over to our house tonight for a sleep over. Would that be okay?"

Bobby knew what was coming and bit the inside of his mouth in preparation.

"Sure Mom," agreed JR. "The sheets on my trundle bed are clean, but I don't think any of my pajamas would fit Bobby."

Katie saw Bobby's stifled outburst and pinched his arm.

She smiled at JR and said, "How would you feel about Bobby sleeping in my room instead of yours?"

"But you only have one bed," JR countered.

"I would be willing to share it with Bobby," said Katie.

JR considered this and said, "I don't think your pajamas would fit Bobby either."

Now Bobby was in pain from the combination of trying to suppress his laughter and from the pinches that Katie was inflicting on him.

With a straight face, Katie said, "Well if pajamas weren't an issue, how would you feel about Bobby and I sharing my bed?"

JR just shrugged and said, "No biggie."

"Well then," Bobby said. "I need to run by my place to pick up a few things. I can drop you two at your house and then come back, or you can ride to and from my place with me. "

"With the exception of pajamas, I think I can accommodate you for one night. I know there is a brand new toothbrush just dying to have your name on it," Katie said as she stroked his arm.

Bobby patted her hand and returned her smile, "There are a few things that we are going to need which I know you won't have. I wouldn't make the trip unless I thought it was necessary. The other option is that we stop by your house and pick up things for you and JR to spend the night at my place. The problem with that is getting JR to school tomorrow."

JR piped up, "I don't have school tomorrow. It's a teacher workday so all students get it off."

Katie said, "He's right, I forgot. Looks like you just talked yourself into a couple of house guests for the night."

"Then it looks like the plan for tonight is settled. Who's ready to roll?" asked Bobby.

Bobby insisted on staying outside while Katie and JR packed a few things they would need for a night at Bobby's house. Katie didn't want to be away from him, but she relented and ushered JR into the house.

"You know which backpack to use, right JR?" Katie asked as she sent him to his room while she turned into hers.

JR replied over his shoulder, "I was going to use the same one I use when I sleep over at Joey's.

"That's' the one," Katie confirmed. "I'll come in and check what you have packed in a minute. It won't take me long to get my stuff together."

"Okay Mom," said JR as they both headed to their rooms.

Katie just needed to select a change of clothes for the morning, and upon reflection, she decided to take her robe. She could borrow Bobby's again, but he might want, or need it, with JR in his house. When she had finished throwing her few things into a small tote bag, she went to check on JR.

JR had over-packed, not knowing what type of clothes he would need for tomorrow. Katie told him that she would like him to wear something nice, but not dressy so that Bobby would be embarrassed to take them anywhere, and so he would look nice when they visited his grandparents.

She helped him pick out an outfit, and then asked him, "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

JR smiled at her and said, "I guess I'm Okay".

Katie hugged him, turned out the lights, and headed downstairs. She locked the doors and beamed at Bobby when she saw him leaning against the side of his car.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Ready," Katie and JR replied in unison.

"Then let's go!" yelled Bobby

Bobby had learned that it was easier to get from Francis' house to his by taking US 181. There were fewer traffic lights than on US 87, and after merging with I-37, it dropped him into the I-410 loop much closer to his house.

As they were passing by Calaveras Lake, JR spoke for the first time since they had left his house.

"Have you always owned this car?" JR asked

Bobby glanced at him in the rearview mirror and said, "My dad gave me this car for my sixteenth birthday and I've owned it since then."

JR countered, "No, I mean are you the only person to have owned this car."

Nodding his head in understanding Bobby answered, "No, JR. Someone else owned this car before me. They left it sitting in the dessert for many years and when my dad gave it to me, it needed a lot of work. It took me almost nine months to restore everything, but that was by doing a little bit at a time. My dad and I worked on it together, and those were some of the best times he and I ever shared."

Katie smiled at the memory of how fondly Bobby always spoke of the time that he and his father had spent together working on his car. She prayed that now Bobby and JR would have an opportunity to have the same sort of bond.

JR asked, "How much stuff did you have to do to fix the car?"

Bobby seemed to be getting into the conversation as he replied, "Fortunately, the motor and drive train were in good shape and only needed a little maintenance work and a couple of seals replaced. I had to sand the paint down to the bare metal and have the entire car repainted, some of the tail lights and one of the headlights needed to be replaced, but the major work was on the interior and the convertible top. The car had been sitting in the sun for years, and that did a lot of damage. The seats had to be rebuilt onto the original frames, and then recovered. That is the only change I made from the original car, because I chose to use real leather as the cover rather than vinyl."

"Why?" asked JR

"Yeah, why?" asked Katie. She had never heard this.

Bobby smiled at her, glanced back at JR in the mirror and continued, "I figured that since leather comes from cows, and cows live outside where the sun shines on them all day without them getting damaged, then that's the same stuff I wanted for my car."

Katie and JR both laughed, and then JR asked, "How fast does your car go?"

"Good question," said Bobby. "I always just loved driving the car and never confused driving fast with having fun. Although there was one time when PattyKat and I drove out to the desert, and on a lonely straight road in the middle of nowhere, I got the speedometer a little over a hundred miles per hour. The Corvair isn't really a sports car or muscle car like the Camaro or Ford Mustang. It only has a flat six cylinder engine that is rated at 140 horsepower. There are a lot of cars more powerful."

"This car is so cool," said JR. "Why don't we see more of them around like some of the other older cars?"

Bobby nodded, "There are probably two main reasons. The first one is that most Corvairs got re-purposed. In a lot of cases, the body of the car was removed and a dune buggy body was put on in its place, usually made out of fiberglass. The engine is air cooled and doesn't need water, so it suits desert driving conditions real well. Plus the suspension on the Corvair was exceptional. Each wheel had an independent suspension rather than two wheels sharing one. That was another feature that made the car popular for off-road enthusiasts. The other popular thing to do with Corvairs was to just take the engine out and use it in an airplane. Again, the horsepower to weight ratio combined with it being air cooled, made the Corvair engine very attractive for use in an airplane. The second reason is that the car received a lot of bad publicity in a book and some magazine articles a couple of years before this particular car was built. Even though the claims made about the car being unsafe were eventually proven to be incorrect, sales of the car declined to the point where Chevrolet decided to stop making it.

JR asked, "Do you ever let anyone else drive your car?"

Bobby looked at Katie, "Only PattyKat".

"That sounds like a funny name for a girl...PattyKat" said JR

"She might say the same thing about the name JR for a boy," Bobby said

"But JR is not my name, it's just a nickname," he retorted.

"And PattyKat was her nickname," Bobby told him

"You must have really liked her," said JR.

"I told you she was special," said Bobby. "In fact, that gives me an idea."

"What?" asked JR

"Do you know any girls named Nina or Maria?" Bobby asked JR.

JR thought for a minute and then said, "I had Nina Taylor in my class in second grade, and one of the ladies who works in the cafeteria is named Maria."

"Good," said Bobby "Now have you ever studied about Christopher Columbus and what his ships were named?"

"Of course, they were The Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria," said JR.

"That's right," said Bobby. "Now do you remember me telling you how boats are often named after special girls or ladies?"

"Yeah," said JR. Katie was getting interested in this too.

"So do you think that Christopher Columbus' ships were named after Nina Taylor or the Maria in your cafeteria?" Bobby asked with a grin.

JR laughed and said, "I doubt it. They weren't born yet."

Bobby nodded in agreement with JR's conclusion, and then offered, "Maybe they were named after the ships?"

"Maybe," agreed JR.

Bobby continued his plan, "Maybe I can nickname someone after my car the way that Nina and Maria were named after Christopher Columbus' ships? What do you think?"

JR fell right into place with his reply, "If girls can be named after ships named after girls, then a girl could be named after a car named after a girl."

"Excellent point," said Bobby. "And I can think of no one that I would more want to name after my car, than Katie Freeman." Smiling at Katie he saluted and said, "You are now PattyKat".

JR yelled, "Cool mom. You've got a nickname too!"

Katie sobbed as she squeezed Bobby's hand.

"So does this mean that my mom gets to drive your car now?" asked JR

Bobby glanced over at Katie as he said, "Anytime she wants, JR. Anytime she wants."

JR had quieted and Bobby thought he might have fallen asleep. As they pulled into the driveway of his house, JR started his questions again.

"Is this your house, Bobby?"

"It belongs to a friend. He is in the Air Force and has to spend a couple of years someplace else, so he is renting it to me while he is gone."

"Cool," JR said.

JR had crawled over the side of the car before Bobby could get around to open Katie's door. He helped her out, took her tote, and then led her and JR into his house. Bobby gave JR a quick tour, and then helped Katie get everything needed for JR to take a bath. Once they had JR started on that task, Katie pulled Bobby to her for a hug.

"I need to fill you in on something," she said.

Bobby led her to the couch and pulled her down beside him then said, "Fill me in."

"Kirby Wallace is suspicious about us," she started. "He cornered me when I went home to change before practice."

"Suspicious in what way?" asked Bobby.

"He said that my behavior with you raises concerns. They know that I haven't dated or even seen another man the entire time we have been in the program, so my sudden interest in you had raise some flags for them. Why now? Why you? Understand?"

"I understand completely," said Bobby with a smile. "If they knew of my monk like existence for the past ten years, they would be even more suspicious."

Katie kissed his cheek and asked, "So what are we going to do?"

"I'll have another talk with Marshal Wallace and convince him that love at first sight can't be denied... or some similar logic. Don't worry about it."

"I won't," Katie said. "I know you will always take care of us, and I love you so much for that."

JR finished his bath and Bobby showed him to the guest bedroom. The bed hadn't been made yet, so JR was given the choice of having it made, or sleeping in a sleeping bag. Naturally, he chose the sleeping bag.

As Bobby rolled it out for him, JR asked, "Is this your sleeping bag Bobby?"

Bobby smiled at Katie as he told JR, "It's one of a pair that I have had for years. Good night."

Bobby left Katie to get JR situated, and then went into the room setup as his office to put a few things together and send a few e-mails.

JR asked, "Mom, I like Bobby, but what happens if my dad comes back?"

"Bobby will never take the place of your dad JR, in my heart or yours," she told him.

"But if you and Bobby are together, you won't be getting back together with my dad, and I thought you still loved him," JR said.

Katie understood her son's concern, "JR, I love your dad more today than I ever have, and I love Bobby just as much. I'm going to ask you to trust me when I tell you that someday your dad and I will be together for you again, and that Bobby being here now will help that to happen."