Jack worked the boards, straps, and locks quickly. The side slippedinto place. The screws fastened it securely. "How are you doing?" Jack asked. He h...d not inflated the gag. "I'm fine." "Ready for the ride home?" Jack asked as he slipped a hand truck underneaththe crate. "No. But that's the current mode of transportation." Vicki said flatly. She knew what to expect as she jostled about the docks, freight liners,and trucks. Late AM found her sitting at her garage awaiting her husband. "Hi,. Steven had disappeared at the last minute, and now came bounding across the parking lot clutching a small bouquet of wildflowers. "For you, my lady," he announced as he bowed, raising the offering as though she was royalty. "You!" she said, giggling. The boy watched them play. He saw the sparkle of happiness in her eyes, and the kiss that Steven planted on her lips, then turned away to give them their privacy. There would be a day in his future as well, he thought as he walked back to his eight. “Not getting dressed today then?” The younger man said as I carried the tray into the bedroom.“Pete, I’ve told you before, the older man said, “you shouldn’t talk about personal things with the customers.”Before Pete could reply I said,“That’s okay, I don’t mind, and no, I won’t be putting any clothes on today, or any other day, unless I’m going out somewhere and will have to get out of the car. I hope that it isn’t going to be a problem with you?”Pete got his spoke in first,“Hell no lady, you. " "Don't worry. You'll figure it out." x-x-x-x Brody didn't know what to do. Once again, he was in a place he'd never been in a relationship. They hadn't broken up, but he wasn't sure what to do that would mean they were back together. It was a kind of limbo and he didn't like it. What had happened to him, he wondered. When had he gone from not wanting anything serious until after he retired to wanting to fix things with Ryan as soon as possible? And worse, why did it seem unfixable? They'd.