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Sliding Home

The clanging of his head striking the metal pipes under the sink sounded like a church bell leading Terry Wallace to come within a hairsbreadth of launching into a profanity-laced tirade, but he caught himself at the last minute just barely holding it in.

"You o.k. under there?" said a voice from outside.

"Yeah, Grandpa, I'm fine."

"Hit your head didn't ya?"

"Yes, I did."

"Bet that hurt like Hell."

"Grandpa! Watch your language. There are kids around. Why do you think I wasn't cussing a blue streak?"

"Ha! Kids these days are too soft. A few little curse words gonna ruin them for life or something?"

Terry slid out from under the sink where he had been trying with mixed results for the past hour to fix a leak. His grandfather, a cantankerous old man, staring his seventy-ninth birthday square in the face looked down at him.

"No, Grandpa, but we should still set a good example for them. This is a daycare, after all, people count on us not just to watch out for their kids, but to be an example of good behavior."

"I'm too old to worry about setting examples for a bunch of kids. You need to invest in earplugs for the little suckers."

"I'll add it to the list along with new plumbing for this entire dump. I have no idea how Mom kept this place running."

"Did you fix the leak?"

"It will hold for now, but we need a professional to do the job right."

"So hire a pro."

Terry didn't even bother to reply. He knew all too well that their current budgetary situation precluded any such extravagances like hiring a real plumber.

When he had gotten the call a year earlier that his Mom was in the hospital having suffered a stroke, Terry Wallace had been trying to live his dream. He had just been promoted to the next level in the Houston Astros system, "A" Ball in Davenport, Iowa, it was a jump over the rookie league where he had started. It seemed like maybe things were finally taking off for the twenty-two-year-old after four years of playing in the low minors. The lack of power in his swing had made him harder to notice than the big boys who swung for the fences, but Terry had tried to make up for it with speed and defense. He was starting to make contact more often at the plate, and if he got on, he knew he could make the pitcher nervous with his ability to go to second with even a small jump. He was never going to be a big money player, but he thought he was beginning to carve out a niche of his own.

Then the phone call came.

He had rushed back home to find his Mom clinging to life with his grandpa sitting by her side. Terry had already lost his Dad to a heart attack when he was still in high school. It seemed ridiculously unfair to now be sitting by his mother's bedside watching her slip away too.

"Mom?"

Her voice was so weak he had to lean in to hear her speak.

"Terry, Baby...I was afraid...I wouldn't get...to see you..."

"I'm here, Mom. The doctors say you need to rest if you're going to get better," he lied.

"Don't...pa...patro...patronize me...I know this is it...I need something from you, Terry. Please...Don't let them close my school...so many folks...depend on...us...please."

The daycare school had always been his Mom's dream. She had opened it with his father's help when Terry had been just two years old. He had been one of its first students. His mom had called it "Grandma's House" because she wanted to invoke an image that was safe in the minds of the little ones that went there. The school had grown slowly bringing in kids from the surrounding neighborhoods until, eventually, they had enough income to expand adding a Pre-K classroom as well as building a full-size outdoor play area complete with swings, jungle gym, and a merry-go-round. Terry's grandpa had built a sandbox large enough to accommodate a couple of dozen kids at once.

Grandma's House had flourished for a time, but when they started to open bigger, fancier franchised daycare centers nearby it had begun to eat into their clientèle. By the time Terry had graduated from high school, the business was starting to decline, but if his mom had felt any pressure, she never showed it. The woman loved children, and they seemed to gravitate toward her as well. She was determined to give them the best care she could, and she always tried to make the school a welcoming and happy place.

"When these kids come here, especially for the first time, their going to be scared. A lot of them have never been away from their moms and dads, so we owe it to them to make this transition as easy as possible," she had told Terry one sunny afternoon.

Terry had listened and been proud of what his mom was accomplishing, but the school had never really been his dream. He had wanted to be a pro ball player from the time he was in Kindergarten. If he wasn't the most gifted athlete he certainly worked hard, and that perseverance started to pay off by the time he was a freshman at Donner West High School. He had learned early on that with his frame he would likely never hit for power, but he was fast and had a good glove. That combination of defense in the outfield and base stealing ability had caught the eye of a few scouts, and Terry had been selected in the late rounds of the Major League draft.

After his Mom's death, Terry had tried in vain to find someone else to take over the business, but other than his grandpa whose health wouldn't allow it, there were no close relatives or friends who were interested. He couldn't blame them giving the declining attendance. The idea of selling had occurred to him on many occasions, but he had promised his mother on her death bed to keep the school open. It didn't seem right to go back on that promise.

"Earth to Terry? You going to answer the phone or what?"

"Huh? Oh! Right..." said Terry realizing he had been daydreaming and that the phone in his office was ringing.

He shut the door behind him dropping into the chair by the desk. The old wood creaked beneath him, and he wondered if it would continue to hold his weight.

"You should have at least replaced the chair, Mom," he thought absently.

"Grandma's House! This is Terry speaking."

"Terry! My friend! How's it hanging brother?"

"Miguel? Oh Wow! It's so good to hear your voice. Things are...Um...Good. How about you?"

"I can't complain. If I can just get my curveball over a little more consistently, I think I can start turning some heads around here."

Terry had met Miguel Esperanza while playing rookie ball. Miguel was a left-handed pitcher with a wicked fastball, but some serious control issues. The first time Terry had batted against him in practice Miguel had drilled him so hard in the head Terry had seen double for a full day afterward. The two had become roommates and close friends on and off the field. The one thing Terry missed almost as much as playing the game was his friend, Miguel.

"What can I do for you, Miguel?"

"I do need a favor. My sister, Gabriella, lives in your area and she just lost her job at the Super-Mart. I was hoping that you could give her a chance at your place. She studied "Early Childhood Education" at the university but had to drop out when my mom got sick. She knows her stuff though when it comes to kids."

"I don't know, Miguel..." waffled Terry.

He could barely afford the people he had on staff now.

"Come on, Dude. I swear she is aces! Just give her a chance."

"I tell you what. Send her over and let me meet her. We will see where it goes from there, O.K.?"

"Thanks, Terry, I knew I could count on you. Shit! I got to go, Man! Batting practice is starting. We miss you around here!"

"Yeah...I miss you guys too," replied Terry wistfully as Miguel broke the connection.

"We taking in more strays?" asked his grandpa from the door.

"Maybe...We'll see..." replied Terry coming to his feet.

"You can't afford a decent plumber! How are you going to afford another teacher?"

"Maybe I'll take it out of your salary," said Terry slapping his grandpa on the arm as he passed.

"You don't freaking pay me!"

Terry made his way into the large lunch room where the noise of dozens of rowdy kids quickly overwhelmed his ears. They came in all shapes and sizes but were almost always universally loud.

There was one exception to that rule today.

"How is she doing?" asked Terry to one of his teachers, and an older, gray-haired lady named Ms. Helen Carasco.

"Nervous and still a bit sad. I tried to get her to sit with the other kids but..."

Helen indicated the subject of their brief discussion with a nod.

The young girl, maybe five years old sat apart from everyone looking down at her plate with its turkey sandwich and chips, but not touching the food. Terry carefully settled himself down on the tiny, round seat meant for a person much more diminutive and smiled.

"Not a big fan of turkey?"

The little blond head didn't move or even register that she was aware of his presence.

"Ms. Helen told me your name is Annie. I'm Mr. Terry. It's nice to meet you, Annie."

Her small face, scared and distrusting briefly glanced up and then back down.

"You know if you're not going to eat that sandwich maybe I could give it to Arthur. If I can get him out of his tree that is..."

"There is a kid in a tree?" came a hushed voice.

"Well, Arthur isn't exactly a kid. He is more of a furry friend that likes turkey. Would you like to meet him?"

Terry waited patiently until the blond head nodded once slowly. Then he picked up Annie's plate and walked to the back door of the school. He opened the door leaving one cacophony of noise behind and trading it for another as the playground was teeming with kids who had the first lunch period. He waved at the two teachers who stood nearby keeping an eye on things while he walked past them keeping a slow pace so his tiny companion could match his longer strides with her much shorter legs.

He led her along the fence line to a small, gnarled looking tree in one corner. A green wood bench sat in front of it, and Terry took a seat. Annie joined him but scooted as far to the opposite side as she could.

"I think he might show his face, but we have to be real quiet and not move, o.k," whispered Terry out of the corner of his mouth.

The sounds of children laughing continued as a backdrop to their vigil as they waited.

Terry had set the plate down with a bit of turkey and a couple of chips sitting in the middle while he put the rest on a napkin in his lap. His keen eyes picked out Arthur a moment later, and he smiled. His mother had been feeding the family of squirrels in this tree for years, and they had become almost as tame as house pets. Arthur slipped down from where he had been hiding up in the top branches, scurrying down the trunk and dropping on to the ground before standing on his hind legs to sniff the air.

"Ooohh..." breathed Annie next to him.

"Stay still. He will come to us."

Arthur lowered himself back down, and in short bursts made his way toward the plate that sat on the ground at Terry's feet. He stopped just short, his tiny nose sniffing the air, then like a brown blur he was at the edge of the plate scooping up a piece of turkey and holding it in his tiny paws very much like a human would have taking quick bites.

"He's so pretty," breathed Annie.

"He has friends..." whispered Terry.

Two more squirrels had dropped from the tree unnoticed, and seeing that the coast was clear, they joined Arthur picking at the turkey and chips.

"Are they his kid's?" asked Annie.

"I think they're all kind of just friends that share the same tree."

"Would you like the rest of your sandwich?"

Annie tentatively reached over to take the sandwich from Terry's hand and began to nibble at it while watching the dining squirrels.

"I know this school seems big and strange to you, Annie, but we are all happy you're here with us. I think Arthur is happy too."

She laughed as the squirrels finished their food and ran right beneath her feet staring up at her as if hoping for more. When they realized nothing was forthcoming, that chased each other playfully back up into the tree.

"Do you like to swing?" asked Terry as she finished her sandwich.

"Yes! I like to go high!"

Terry laughed, "I did too when I was small like you. My Mom used to swing me on that very swing set right over there."

He led Annie over to the swings, and she slipped into one of the seats taking the chains in a tight grip. Terry started her off slow, but soon she was giggling and calling him to, "Swing higher! Swing Higher!"

As Annie kicked with her feet and rose higher into the air, Terry spotted his grandpa limping his way across the playground. He joined them just as Annie was winding down and Ms. Carasco showed up to take her for her nap.

"Thank you for the swing. Can I see Arthur again?"

"Sure, Kid, anytime you want."

They left together leaving Terry and his grandpa watching them walk away.

"You have your mothers gift, like a kid whisperer, they gravitate to you."

"I think they just understand I'm at the same intellectual level."

"Ha! I know that's true. I came to get you because there is a young lady in the lobby asking for you."

"Right, that must be Miguel's sister; she got here fast."

"Maybe you could use some help with the interview process?" said his grandpa with a twinkle in his eye.

"Nope, I think I got this, but thanks for volunteering,"

"Well, you know where I am if you change your mind."

Terry nodded smiling and walked back inside. The minute his eyes landed on Gabriella Esperanza he knew why his grandpa had shown interest in joining the conversation, he had always been a bit of a dirty old man, and she was not unattractive. Standing about five-foot-four-inches tall, the young Hispanic girl was leaning against the counter when he arrived. She had the typical dark brown hair and oval face he had come to associate with women from the Spanish speaking world, but she was even prettier than most with large, wide-set brown eyes and full, soft looking lips painted a berry-brown color. Her body was curvy, with decent sized breasts that pushed out the top of her t-shirt giving him just a glimpse of the swell of light brown flesh concealed beneath.

"Gabriella?"

"Hi! You must be Terry. Miguel has talked about you so much I feel like I know you already! It's so good to be here, and I can't thank you enough for seeing me. It's always been my dream to work with kids every since I was in grade school I..."

She ran on for another minute, talking so fast that her accent made it hard to make out what she was saying.

"Woah! Easy there. Why don't we go to my office?" suggested Terry.

She stopped talking long enough to follow Terry inside, and he shut the door behind them.

"I'm sorry! I'm a little nervous, and when I get nervous I tend to talk faster, and then my accent gets kind of bad, and people can't understand me which makes me more nervous, so I talk even faster and then..."

"Gabriella?" cut in Terry.

"Yes!" she said, halting so fast if she had been driving instead talking they would have been thrown forward in their seats.

"Take a breath between your words. I'm getting scared you're going to pass out on me."

"I'm still doing it, aren't I? Sorry, I'm nervous..."

"I don't bite, Kid. Why don't we slow down and you tell me a little bit about your background? Try not to hurt yourself doing it."

She laughed and started again, this time at a slower, more intelligible pace. Terry listened intently. It was apparent inside of five-minutes she was infinitely qualified to help, but that didn't change the fact that money was very tight.

"Look, I can tell you're more than prepared for this job, but see the thing is..."

He started to explain the economic realities, but as he spoke, he could see her face fall. The thing about Miguel that had always amazed Terry had been how effective he was at using what he called the "sad puppy dog face" it was clear his sister had inherited the same ability. The more he tried to clue her into his financial woes the sadder she looked, and Terry quickly lost heart.

"I guess, maybe we could take you in on a trial basis, and see how it goes," he said finally.

"Oh! That is so kind of you! I won't let you down I promise! I will be the best teacher here! I will always be on time, and keep the kids happy, and listen to everything you say, and..."

"Gabriella! You got the job!"

"Right...Sorry...I promise I'm not always this chatty. Although everyone calls me, Gabby, not Gabriella, so maybe there is something to that."

"Well, Gabby, welcome to Grandma's House. What do we you say we get you a locker for your purse, and I will show you around?"

The stowed away Gabby's belongings, and she fell in alongside him as he acquainted her with the grounds and the rest of the staff. The good news was that as she got more comfortable, and started to speak at a normal pace, her accent receded and he was able to understand her much better. A couple of times she got excited at the prospect of working with the kids, and her speech sped up again, once even lapsing momentarily into Spanish before Terry politely explained he wasn't bilingual.

"Oh! Yeah...Sorry. I got carried away," she apologized though Terry rather enjoyed the way the foreign words rolled off her tongue, it made her even more attractive.

He finally left her with Ms. Carasco to get her feet wet with one of the classes and returned to his office to face a growing mountain of paperwork.

"So I see you didn't turn away the stray...again," observed his grandpa from the doorway.

"It's just a trial thing. We will see how it goes."

"I'm not complaining. She is very easy on the eyes...We could use a little pick me up in the scenery around here."

"I didn't hire her for her looks."

"They didn't hurt though did they?"

"Grandpa, please don't hit on my new teacher. She is way too young for you."

"What's a matter? Afraid I'll get to first base before you, Mr. Hot Shot Ball Player?"

"First of all, I don't play ball anymore, thanks for reminding me. Second, this isn't a competition and...You know, why am I even having this conversation with you? You've got one foot in the grave, you even tried anything with her she would give you a heart attack inside of ten seconds!"

"Yeah, but what a way to go! I always did want to go out with a bang!"

"Jesus, Grandpa! I don't need that image in my head! Why don't you go help wash dishes in the kitchen or something?"

"Fine, Fine, but the game is on, Sonny! We'll see who has more charm."

Terry rolled his eyes as his grandpa left the office, he was the kind of old man the orderlies were always chasing out of the other female retiree's rooms at any old folks home. It was one of the reasons Terry had been reluctant to commit him to one.

All the talk of Gabriella Esperanza got him to thinking of her, especially the way her rear-end filled out her tight jeans, but he just as quickly pushed such thoughts from his mind. He was far to busy trying to keep this place afloat to get involved with someone.

The afternoon seemed to crawl by, and Terry finally took a break from his labors to check on the latest addition to the Grandma's House family. He slipped quietly into the back of Ms. Carasco's classroom where the pre-K kids were sitting in a circle on the floor. To his surprise, it was Gabriella who was sitting in the middle of the group and reading to them in a voice that mirrored the grumpy character from the storybook in her hand.

"She's a natural," supplied Ms. Carasco quietly as she joined Terry by the door.

"I can see that."

"The kids came right to her, and she had them eating out of her hand in no time."

He hung around for a while watching her interact with the children, and he had to agree with Ms. Carasco, Gabriella had that special something when it came to dealing with kids.
"Checking up on me?" she asked him after Ms. Carasco had taken the kids outside to play while she cleaned up the room.

"As the owner, I like to keep an eye on things," he replied.

"You seem pretty young to be in charge of all this. I thought that older gentleman..."

"My grandfather. No, he has a stake in operations, but since my Mom passed on it's all fallen to me."

"Is that why you stopped playing ball with Miguel?"

"Yes. It was a tough decision to make, but when it comes to family what else are you going to do?"

"Thanks for giving me this opportunity. I do appreciate it."

"If you keep on doing this well you will have more than earned it."

"So, decided to make your move first, Huh?" came his grandpa's voice from the doorway.

"Grandpa..." started Terry his tone carrying a definite hint of warning.

"It's nice to meet you Little Darl'in. I'm Charlie Wallace," said Terry's grandpa going so far as to take Gabriella's hand to give it a chivalrous kiss.

"Oh My!" said Gabriella with a smile.

"Where have you been all my life," said Charlie Wallace while winking at her from beneath his bushy white eyebrows.

"That's enough of that, Grandpa. You will have to excuse him. Senility is claiming his brain. It's like a bowl of Tapioca pudding in there," said Terry playfully taping his grandpa on the side on the head.

"I'll have you know I am as sharp as I ever was, even sharper!"

"That bar was set very low according to Grandma."

Gabriella shook her head laughing at the antics of the two men in front of her who clearly had great affection for one another.

"Come on, Grandpa, its dinner time. Let's go find you something soft and dietary for you to gum."

"Don't let him mislead you! I have all my original teeth in great shape. I could chew through a lead pipe!"

Terry started to lead him away, but he threw a look over his shoulder, "You should come to dinner with us."

Gabriella seemed taken off guard and hesitated, but Terry stepped in to save her any embarrassment.

"You can if you want to, we serve up dinner a couple of times a week at my house for anyone from the staff who wants to come. It's kind of an informal meeting to talk about things going on at the school. Could be a good way for you to meet more of the folks from around here?"

"Oh...Well in that case...Sure, why not?"

"We live at 411 Sycamore, big white house at the end of the block you can't miss it!" said Terry as he led his grandpa out the door.

"Bring some bourbon we're low!" called out Charlie Wallace as he went out of sight with Terry pushing him from behind.

"No bourbon!" shouted Terry.

Gabriella shook her head again. It was going to be an interesting dinner.

DINNER AND A MOVIE -

Gabriella arrived at the address Terry had given her right on time. She noticed a few other cars parked out front and the sounds of laughter and music coming from inside the residence. The front door was open with a screen door still baring the way inside.

"Hello?" she called tentatively.

A head popped up from around the corner followed closely by the rest of what turned out to be a middle-aged woman with honey blond hair, and a lop-sided smile.

"You must be the new girl. I'm Donna Murchison. I handle the toddler room."

Donna opened the screen door for her, and Gabriella stepped inside.

"I saw you around the school today, but I didn't get the chance to introduce myself," said Gabriella sticking out her hand, "and you can call me, Gabby."

"Gabby it is then. Terry and his grandpa are grilling hot dogs in the back. Why don't you join us in the kitchen?"

Donna introduced Gabby to the rest of the folks that had shown up for dinner, including the Beasley sisters, Tammy and Wanda, who ran the kitchen and made the children's meals as well as June Kraft who took care of the front desk in the mornings and helped out Donna with the toddlers in the afternoons. Terry came in to find the group laughing and drinking tea while he was carrying a platter of freshly cooked meat.

"Good! You made it. I see you met everyone," observed Terry.

"Gabby was telling us an interesting story about you she heard from her bother. Something about a bet that you could drink a gallon of milk in less than an hour."

Terry wrinkled his nose, "Yeah, I fell for that one. I don't want to think about it when I'm about to eat."

"They should have changed your nickname from 'Speedy' to 'Old Faithful,'" laughed Charlie Wallace as he followed in Terry's wake.

Everyone started laughing again at Terry's expense, but he took it good-naturedly.

"Grab a hot dog while their warm folks, chips are on the table."

The group fell in around the long wood dining room table. Tammy Beasley had brought some excellent German potato salad and passed it around.

"So, Terry, any truth to the rumors that a real estate guy was looking to buy the school property to build a strip mall?" asked Donna.

Terry raised an eyebrow and answered around bites of his hot dog, "This rumor pops up every year. I don't know how it gets started, but I assure you if I were thinking about selling I would let everyone know about it."

"So you're not thinking about it?" pressed Donna.

"Why don't you let the kid eat his food, Donna. This ain't a courtroom," cut in Charlie Wallace.

"We have always been allowed to ask questions in the past. It's no big secret that the school has been going through lean times, and I think I have the right to know what Terry's thinking."

"I appreciate your interest, Donna, but at the moment I'm not contemplating anything so radical," said Terry.

Donna started to reply, but she was interrupted by Wanda Beasley, who wanted to know about her request for a convection oven that would make it easier to bake cookies for the kids. This led to a long discussion about the dangers of promoting too much sugar consumption among them, and whether healthier snacks like apple slices or raisins were a better idea.

"If I had a choice between a cookie and a fucking raisin when I was four I would have said piss on the damn raisin!" said Charlie Wallace.

"Grandpa! Jesus! Can we keep this a civil meeting?"

"It's my home, and I'll talk as I please."

"Someone should wash your mouth out with soap, Charlie Wallace!" said Donna in an irritated tone.

"I got something you can wash!"

"O.K. I think it's time to change the subject!" said Terry sternly.

"Speaking of piss, anyone think we should start a contest to see how many of the boys can hit the toilet. I think if we make them practice and give them an incentive, like a cookie for every time they don't piss on the wall or the floor, it would reduce the amount of time we spend cleaning," put in June Kraft.

"I second the motion!" added Wanda.

"No one is going to teach the boys to aim their piss!" said Terry to a widespread outbreak of laughter around the table.

"I think this meeting has gone off the rails," added Terry.

"Better off rails then six inches short of the bowl," said Gabby.

Terry could only stare at the sky and pray for patience.

"Did we get the confetti eggs for outdoor playtime on Friday?" asked Tammy artfully changing the subject.

"I got a hold of ten cases, that's like almost six-hundred eggs, so I think we are all set," offered Terry.

"Confetti Eggs?" said Gabby.

"Yeah, it's this thing we do once a semester. We turn the faculty and staff loose with the kids outside with bins full of confetti eggs and let everyone go to town breaking them on each other. The kids love it, and it's a harmless way for the rest of us to get back at the ones that annoy us all year."

"Like that little Bobby Brandt," cut in Wanda with a grimace, "he goes out of his way to antagonize the other kids. That boy has a mean streak in him just like his father."

"At least your kids will keep their clothes on, every time I turn my back Macy Kline is running buck-naked across the playground! What gets into these kids," said Donna with a shake of her head.

"Maybe she just gets hot," said Gabby, "I know I wouldn't mind going without clothes on some summer days."

"I wouldn't mind it either," said Charlie Wallace with a creepy grin.

"Grandpa!" snapped Terry, though he was having a hard time not imaging Gabby nude running in the sunshine. It was not an unpleasant image.

The rest of dinner went by with the usual complaints about the rickety plumbing, and the intermittent air conditioner failures before things broke up. Terry helped his grandfather to the living room where he sank into the couch and switched on a movie. The film had just started, and the opening credits were still scrolling by on the screen.

"I hate this shit! Why can't they get to the action!" he complained.

"The people who are in the film and helped make it deserve credit, Grandpa."

"Maybe so but they don't have to name ever damn so and so, next they're going to toot a horn for the son of a bitch that hung the toilet paper!"

Terry laughed and went back to clean up the kitchen only to find Gabby already washing dishes in the sink with her sleeves rolled up.

"You don't have to do that I can handle it."

"Nonsense, you cooked."

"I see the rest of the ladies abandoned ship."

"Is that their usual modus operandi?"

"Eat my food and run? Pretty much, yeah. Then again I don't pay them particularly well, so they probably see it as a perk."

Terry leaned against the counter watching Gabby work.

"You have a gift with children."

"I've heard the same about you. The other ladies talk."

"My mom was the one that really could make kids smile. I do alright I guess."

Gabby wiped her hands on a dish towel eying Terry with a speculative look, "Modesty in a ballplayer? That's not something you see often. It's not something I ever saw in my brother."

"I'm not a ballplayer anymore," said Terry a little more sharply than he had intended.

"Sorry, a sore subject I can see."

"It's o.k. but not something I'm keen on talking about."

"That's alright I should get going anyway. Want to be fresh to face the onslaught of tiny feet tomorrow."

She dodged around him moving to get her purse.

"Gabby, wait...I...Um...Just wanted to say you did a good job today," he said awkwardly not wanting their meeting to end on a bad note.

She smiled slowly, a move that transformed her face from pretty to downright gorgeous.

"Thanks, Terry, and thanks again for dinner."

He walked her back to the screen door letting her out and watching her make her way back to her car. It took a real act of willpower not to stare at her exquisitely tight ass the whole way, but somehow he managed it.

"That Gabby is quite the looker."

"I'm not going down this road again, Grandpa," said Terry taking a place next to him on the couch.

"I'm just saying it's been a while since I saw you with any sort of female companionship. You can't tell me you're not feeling a little lonely these days."

"I'm too busy to be lonely."

"Bullshit! You're just afraid you might start liking this girl, and that might give you another reason to stick around and not sell the school."

"What are you talking about?"

"You can lie to those airheads, but I've still got some savvy when it comes to figuring things out...Plus that real estate guy who was sniffing around last year stopped by and left a letter for you."

"Crap! Where is it? He was supposed to call me first. When did he show up?"

"While you were gone buying the hot dogs. I put it on your desk in your room."

Terry stood over his desk a moment later perusing the many lines on the contract in front of him. He was no lawyer, but the offer looked on the up and up to him.

"So...You are thinking about selling," said his grandpa from the doorway.

"It's just an offer we get them all the time."

"Maybe, but I can tell by the look on your face; this is different."

"I don't know Grandpa, sometimes I think I can make a go of it, but other times I want to go back to playing ball again. Things were simpler on the baseball diamond than they are here that's for sure."

"Look, kid. I know you promised your mom and it sticks in your craw that you had to give up your dream to do it, but at the end of the day it's your life, and you're the one that's got to live it. If it means that much to you maybe you should sell."

"They probably wouldn't take me back at this point. It's a long shot when you get a chance to play at the Major League level, and they don't look kindly on people who walk away from it, especially marginally talented ones like me."

"Still...I think at the end of the day you have to go with your gut and what makes you happy."

"I know Grandpa. I'm going to give it a lot of thought."

"Fine...Now, where did you hide the bourbon?"

"No bourbon! I don't need you hung over at school tomorrow."

"You sound like my mother..."

"You used to get hung over before high school?"

"Junior high. I was always ahead of my time."

"Let's just go watch the movie."

"Spoilsport..."

A TIME TO PARTY -

Over the next two weeks, Gabby continued to prove herself a worthy addition to the staff at Grandma's House. The kids loved her, and the parents raved about how much happier they seemed at home. If it hadn't been for the added financial burden, Terry would have been well pleased by the outcome so far, but watching the school's cash balance dwindle was making it hard to celebrate. He sat in his office that Friday going over the books and scratching his head trying to figure out how to make things work when a knock at the door interrupted his train of thought. Gabby stood in the doorway leaning against the frame with her arms crossed.

"You're concentrating so hard. I can see the smoke coming out of your ears."

"I'm afraid math was never my strong suit. I have trouble balancing my checkbook let alone keeping up with this place."

"I wish I could help, but I'm not much good with numbers either," she said.

"Did you need something?"

"I was going to ask if I could leave a little early today. A friend of mine is getting married tonight, and I wanted to go."

"Sure, I don't see why not. Just let Helen know and have a good time."

"Thanks, Terry."

He returned to his number-crunching getting more frustrated by the hour before finally throwing in the towel near 5:00. Leaning back and stretching, Terry gave a wide yawn while listening to the tension in his back give way with a loud crack. The lobby was its usual sea of parents and shouting children as pickup time arrived. He stood to one side looking on when he noticed Gabby all by herself in the far corner of the room looking none too happy.

"Hey, Kid. I thought you were going to leave early for that wedding?" he asked coming closer.

"I was, but...This is so embarrassing. I was going with a date, but he canceled on me."

"Oh...Sorry to hear that, but you can't just go by yourself?"

Gabby got very quiet looking as if she was about to cry.

"What's wrong?" asked Terry concerned.

"It's just...I could, but, my Ex-boyfriend Rudy is going to be at the wedding. He and I didn't part on good terms, and one of the last things he said to me was that I would never find another man who would want to be with me."

"Well, that's just silly. You're a pretty girl whose talented and funny. I'm sure there are plenty of guys who would want to go out with you."

"That's sweet of you to say, but so far he has been exactly right. It's been almost two years, and I haven't had a single date since. I've had so many guys not show up or cancel on me I can't even count. I don't know what's wrong with me, but I don't want to show up at that wedding alone; it would just prove that Rudy was right."

Terry felt terrible for her awkwardly reaching over to pat her shoulder.

"Look, I don't know if this would help, but I wasn't doing anything tonight, and I have a suit at home if you wanted I could take you as your date? Purely platonically, of course," asked Terry, adding the last part in haste.

Gabby wiped at her eyes, "You don't have to do that, Terry."

"Hey, I don't mind. I like a good wedding. You have to bring plenty of tissues though I always cry."

She laughed, "O.K., Can you meet me back here in an hour?"

"I can do that, no worries."

A short while later Terry was at home putting on the only suit he owned, a simple black one he had been using since college when his grandpa stuck his head in the bedroom.

"Well, look at you! Where are you going all dressed to impress?"

"Wedding," answered Terry absently as he struggled with his tie.

"Whose getting married? I hadn't heard about any wedding."

"It's a friend of Gabby's. Her date canceled, and I offered to step in."

"Ohhhh...Did you now," said his grandpa with a knowing grin.

"Don't read too much into this. I was just doing the poor girl a favor."

"I just bet you are. Oh! For Heaven's sake! Didn't anyone ever teach you to put on a tie? Let me help."

With a little assistance, Terry finally managed to finish getting dressed.

"Try to stay out of trouble tonight, Grandpa. I won't be very late."

"Please, take your time. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" said his grandpa with a wink.

"Geez! Grandpa! It's a platonic date."

"Is that some fancy new way to say three-way?"

"How you ever managed to catch Grandma is still a mystery to me. I'm going now. I'll see you later."

Terry drove back to the school and pulled into the parking lot next to Gabby's car. She was standing by the driver's side when he got out. He took a deep breath fighting an urge to whistle appreciatively at her. She had cleaned up very nicely and looked stunning in a green dress covered with a floral design that was conservative enough for a wedding but still managed to show off a bit of her substantial cleavage. The heels she was wearing gave her more height than usual, and she didn't have to crane her head up to look Terry in the face.

"Thanks for doing this again. You look very nice," said Gabby looking him up and down.

"I can, on occasion, manage to look almost presentable. I will try not to embarrass you this evening."

"I think I will be the envy of everyone but the bride," she said smiling.

Terry felt a warm glow at her compliment as he opened the passenger side door of his car to let her inside. He got a nice whiff of her perfume as she went by, and it smelled wonderful.

"You look pretty too, by the way, that color suits you," added Terry as he slid behind the wheel.

Gabby did the navigating and got them to the hotel where the wedding was taking place. A valet took Terry's keys to park the car, and he stepped around to take Gabby's hand in his walking with her to the front doors. She looked down at their fingers intertwined and back up at Terry raising an eyebrow.

"I'm supposed to be your date, right? We need to sell this for Rudy," he explained.

"Right, in that case..." said Gabby and she promptly stepped closer to him almost brushing her lengthy, black hair on his shoulder.

The entered the venue smiling and laughing. Gabby took Terry around introducing him to some of her friends. Everyone was very friendly and polite, and Terry slowly started to relax. He wasn't usually a party person, and big crowds made him nervous. They took seats on the bride's side of the aisle admiring how nicely the hotel had done the decorations. Gabby suddenly tensed next to him, and he looked over to see her mouth "Rudy" and nod her head to the right. Terry threw a quick look over catching sight of a short, very muscular gentleman with shaved hair and tattoos on the back of each hand going up into his sleeves. He squinted in surprise. Rudy was not at all the kind of guy Terry had pictured Gabby to have been dating. He looked more like a prison escapee than anything else.

"Stylish fellow," said Terry.
"I know he looks like a gang banger. Rudy likes to play the tough guy."

"So he is actually a pussy cat?"

"Oh, no, he is an asshole. He's a black belt in karate, fourth-degree or something, and likes to break bricks with his hands."

Terry gave her a worried look, "I'm starting to regret being your fake boyfriend."

"I told you that you didn't have to come."

"I hope I'm not insulting you by saying this, but he isn't exactly the kind of guy I was picturing would be your Ex."

"We met when I was in high school. What can I say I was young and I liked the bad boys."

Rudy had taken a seat and was surveying the crowd, as his eyes moved across Gabby and Terry he scowled. Terry gave him a wave, and Rudy shot back a look filled with venom.

"Oh, yeah, he and I are going to be good friends I can tell," said Terry.

Gabby patted his arm, "Don't worry he can't kill you in front of this many witnesses."

"That's reassuring..." replied Terry quietly.

The music for the wedding party began, and everyone turned to watch the procession. It was a beautiful ceremony, and the bride and groom couldn't have looked happier. Terry glanced briefly at Gabby half-way through picturing her in a brides dress and thinking she would undoubtedly make a pretty one. She caught him staring and wrinkled her brow.

"What?"

"Just...Thinking the bride looks nice," lied Terry.

"Yeah...Kelly was the prettiest girl at our high school. I always envied her those blond locks."

"There's nothing wrong with your hair it's perfect for you," shot back Terry without thinking.

Gabby smiled and rubbed his arm in thanks.

When the ceremony ended everyone made their way across the hall to a reception in a large banquet room. There was plenty of food and the guests milled around the buffet getting plates to take back to the tables that had been set up in the center of the large venue. Terry and Gabby chose a table away from the main crowd and enjoyed their food in relative peace with thankfully no sign of Rudy. The bride and groom arrived about forty-five minutes later, and everyone rose to clap for the new couple. A band struck up some lively tunes, and a few guests made their way to the dance floor to show off their moves.

"If you would excuse me for a moment. I need to use the restroom," said Terry leaving Gabby at their table talking with a friend of hers from school.

The restroom was bustling with other wedding goers, and Terry patiently waited his turn at the stall. After taking care of business, he returned to the banquet hall only to find Gabby missing from the table where he had left her, but it didn't take him long to locate her standing near the wall by the dance floor with Rudy. Gabby did not have a happy expression on her face as Terry approached, and Rudy looked even less happy to see him.

"This is a private conversation. Why don't you go back to your cake?" suggested Rudy rudely.

"If you're talking to my date then I think it is my business," said Terry sharply.

Rudy's eyes narrowed, but before he could say or do anything, Gabby darted over to Terry taking his hand.

"You know, Terry, I would just love to dance."

The two of them quickly moved out onto the dance floor with Gabby practically dragging Terry along.

"You shouldn't provoke him. Rudy can be unpredictable when he feels threatened."

"Did he ever hurt you? Is that why you aren't together anymore?"

"It wasn't like that, not really. He would yell a lot and maybe be a little too possessive, but it was mainly we just grew apart as we got older."

Terry took Gabby's hand putting his arm loosely around her waist as they swayed along to an up-tempo number. Rudy watched them from the far side of the dance floor.

"What were you two talking about when I came up?"

"More of the same, about how I should get back together with him because I could never do better, and no other man would want me anyway."

"I hope you don't believe that B.S. Gabby?"

"If someone tells you something long enough, and you have evidence to back it up, it can become hard to ignore I will admit."

The music changed to a slow song, and some of the folks on the floor moved to exit, but Terry drew Gabby tighter to him even as she turned to go.

"I don't know what caliber of guys you've been seeking out since Rudy, but I honestly think they must be blind not to see how special you are Gabby."

Her face softened, and she smiled almost shyly up at Terry as they waltzed slowly across the dance floor. The deep brown of her eyes reflected the glow of the overhead lights making them appear beautiful and mysterious at the same time. Without even thinking, Terry started to bend down, lips parting.

"You probably shouldn't. Rudy is watching..." whispered Gabby.

Her full, dark lips hovered tantalizingly close.

"I think Rudy should find his own date. Besides, I'm a full-service fake boyfriend," replied Terry with a mischievous smile.

He might have been a fake boyfriend for the night, but the kiss that followed felt anything but fake. Gabby's lips were even softer than they looked molding perfectly to Terry's and he drank in the sensation of warm tingles flowing across his spine while the rhythm of his heartbeat quickened in his chest. If his intention had been for the kiss to be a brief display of affection to rile Rudy, he failed miserably. The kiss lingered. Gabby reached up, releasing Terry's hand to slide her arm around his neck, and they slowly slid their mouths around thoroughly enjoying the contact between them. When their lips finally did part they were both breathing harder and glancing away in embarrassment at how aroused they had become.

"Wow...Um...Thanks for that...I think it got Rudy's goat," said Gabby finally looking over at her Ex-boyfriend's back as he stomped off.

"My pleasure," replied Terry trying to calm his racing heart. It had been some time since he had kissed a girl and even then he didn't recall getting this fired up.

Rudy must have left the wedding because they never saw him again that night which bothered either of them not at all. They enjoyed the rest of the festivities, and Gabby came within a hairs-breath of catching the bouquet then delighted in teasing Terry about it.

"I saw your eyes get so big when it looked like those flowers were heading right for me!" said Gabby laughing.

"Maybe, but I would have to charge you extra to be a fake husband as well."

"I didn't know I was paying you?"

"You aren't other than the pleasure of your company, but I do take charitable donations."

This is for you then," she replied handing him a mint from the complimentary bowl in the hotel's lobby.

"I guess I can't say you never got me anything."

Terry drove the two of them back to pick up her car at the school. The parking lot was deserted. The school stood almost eerily quiet as they loitered by their cars the night illuminated by a nearly full moon.

"Thanks again for escorting me, and for...everything else."

"It was my pleasure, Gabby. I had a wonderful time."

Gabby leaned up to kiss him on the cheek. Then put her arms around his neck for a hug, but when she tried to pull away, Terry held her to him. They stared into each other's eyes brightened by the moon.

Terry started to lean down.

"Rudy isn't here," said Gabby quietly.

"That's fine. I didn't want to kiss Rudy."

"Did you...Want to kiss me?"

"What do you think?" said Terry brushing his nose against hers, his lips hovering less than an inch away from Gabby's.

"I think...I wish you would..."

They came together again like on the dance floor, but this time even more intensely. Terry slid his mouth softly against Gabby's tasting the sweetness of her dark, creamy lips until with a quiet sigh she parted her lips wider, and he slid his tongue into her mouth. The French kiss that followed was gently sensual and filled with subtle touching. Two tongues swirling together in mutual exploration, then breaking apart.

"That was nice...It's been a long time."

"For me too."

"I should go, Terry. Thanks for giving me a night to remember."

Gabby gave him one last quick peck and then she was gone. He watched her pull away not quite able to take his eyes off her car until it was gone from his vision.

His grandpa was still awake when he arrived home a short time later.

"So how did it go?" he asked muting the television.

"It went fine. Her ex-boyfriend is a piece of work I can tell you that. What an asshole."

"There's no accounting for taste I guess. I'm sure Gabby will pick someone better the next time around. I wonder if any young men are lining up?"

"Is that is supposed to be a subtle hint?"

"It's not so subtle," laughed his grandpa.

"Clearly, but I told you before I've got too much on my plate to think about getting involved. Now it's late, and I need to get some sleep," said Terry dismissing his grandpa with a wave as he went off to bed.

Leaning back on the couch, Terry's grandpa un-muted the T.V. with a shake of his head chuckling to himself, "Don't want to get involved! Keep telling yourself that Romeo, but that lipstick on your collar tells a different story."

GIMME SHELTER -

The following week dawned hot and humid a harbinger of the coming summer. This time of year would have signaled the ending of spring training and the beginning of another year spent in the pursuit of Major League glory, but in Terry Wallace's case, it was more like the pursuit of an unclogged toilet.

"With butts so small how can they possibly use this much toilet paper?" mused Terry unhappily as he plunged the stinky mess in the bowl.

He had come into the school early that day both to deal with the plumbing issues, and on the off chance he might get to see Gabby for a bit before school started. He might have been cagey about how he was feeling with his grandfather, but the truth was there was an attraction between him and Gabby. The past weekend, Terry had spent quite a bit of time trying to get the kiss they had shared out of his head, but he was having no luck doing it. He wondered if Gabby felt the same way.

"I probably should have called her this weekend," he admonished himself while grabbing a bucket and a mop to clean up the excess water that had spilled over the sides of the bowl.

He had picked up the phone several times, but chickened-out each time. He still wasn't sure how he felt about things, and whether or not it was a good idea to get involved with a woman that he might very well have to fire in the near future.

"Hey, Terry?"

"Yeah, Helen. I'm back here," he called from the tiny restroom.

"Did you know if Gabby was going to be in today? She didn't show up for class this morning."

"That's strange. I never got a call from her saying she wasn't going to be here."

"Well, I tried to call her myself, but she didn't pick up. I just wondered if you knew anything?"

"No, but I will check into it as soon as I'm done here."

Terry stopped to rub his jaw in thought, even though he had only known her a short time Gabby had been very conscientious about showing up for work on time and ready to go. It worried him that she hadn't called before not being there that morning. He pulled out his cell phone dialing her number from memory. The distant connection was made, but after a few rings, it went to voice mail.

"Gabby? It's Terry. Helen told me you didn't show up for work today. I hope everything is o.k. Please, call me back and let me know."

The cellphone was only back in his pocket a matter of minutes before it rang with the name Gabriella Esperanza displayed on the small screen.

"Hey, Gabby! We were starting to worry about you here and...Gabby?"

It was clear that something was wrong; he could hear the sound of someone clearing their throat on the other end of the line, a noise like quiet sobbing.

"Terry? I'm in trouble..."

By the time Terry arrived at Gabby's apartment he had a full head of steam up, and his feet barely touched the sidewalk as he raced up to the front door. A police car was parked at the end of the walkway, and Gabby's front door stood open. He knocked and peeked inside to see Gabby sitting on a sofa holding an ice pack to her eye while a female cop sat next to her jotting down items in her notebook. A male cop about Terry's size with a severe look on his face stood just inside the doorway, and he looked Terry up and down.

"Who are you?"

"It's o.k. he's my boss," said Gabby.

"and a friend..." added Terry as he slipped past the police officer.

Terry joined her on the couch, and when she briefly pulled back the ice pack, he could see a large bruise on her cheek.

"So you were saying that your ex-boyfriend...Ah...Rudy...He knocked on your door around 6:00 A.M. this morning, right?"

"That's right. I answered it...and...he was very agitated...way more than I had ever seen him before...I could smell alcohol on his breath and...and..."

She started to cry, and Terry put an arm around her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.

"I know this is difficult. I'm sorry, Ms. Esperanza, but I need you to tell me exactly what happened."

In fits and starts, Gabby slowly explained how Rudy had accosted her over the wedding, about seeing her with someone else which led to an argument.

"He had never raised his hand to me before, but then it just happened. I was more shocked than hurt, but when the pain did kick in I started screaming, and he panicked and ran."

The female cop nodded in sympathy.

"We talked to your neighbor, Ms. Griffith and she confirmed hearing the argument, and seeing Rudy hit you and run. We're going to track him down don't you worry about that, but in the interim is there someone you could stay with? It would be better to have someone you trust nearby."

"My parents are out of town, and the rest of my family is in Mexico, I don't really..."

"You can stay with my grandpa and me," cut in Terry surprising himself.

"I couldn't do that, Terry, but..."

"It's o.k., we have a spare bedroom, and you would be safe there. Rudy doesn't know me from Adam. He would never look for you at my house."

"Is that o.k. with you, Ms. Esperanza."

Gabby nodded finally with a weak, but grateful smile, and went to pack a few things.

While she was gone the two officers whispered among themselves while calling in the details of the assault on their radios. Gabby returned and followed Terry back to his car after locking up her apartment. The female cop leaned down to talk to Terry before he pulled away.

"We're going to have a unit patrol this area in case he comes back, and another is watching his residence and place of employment. He should surface fairly quickly, and we will take him into custody when he does. If you have any trouble or questions here is my card. Call 911 if you suspect anything out of the ordinary."

"We'll do that officer. Thank you."

Terry pulled away from the curb still reeling in shock over this sudden turn of events.

"Jesus, Gabby, I'm so sorry. I feel like this is my fault. If I hadn't made such a deal out things at the wedding..."

"I don't blame you, Terry. I've known Rudy a long time, and as loud as he can be when he's mad, I didn't see this coming either. I'm glad that you're here, and that you went with me to the wedding. I'm glad about all of it, even what happened after..."

"So am I," admitted Terry and he took Gabby's free hand in his.

He looked over at Gabby's face when they came to rest at the next stop light. The bruise was darkening nicely and would likely take a few days to heal.

"We should take you to the emergency room just in case," he said worriedly.

"It's nothing. The police had a paramedic check me out. It's just a bruise. It only hurts when I smile."

"Then I will try not to be funny. Which isn't going to be easy," said Terry wiggling his eyebrows.

Gabby laughed softly then touched her face again, "Ouch! See, I told you."

When they arrived at his house, Terry helped Gabby inside making sure to check the street before closing the door behind them. The spare bedroom was lightly furnished but functional with a bed and end table on one wall, a small dresser on the opposite one.

"Would you like me to bring you anything?"

"I'm fine thanks. Shouldn't you go into work?"

"I think the place can run without me for one day."

He took a seat next to her on the bed and held her tiny hand in his the way he had done in the car.

"Don't worry about anything. You're safe here. I would say your biggest worry is going to be running into my grandpa if he decides he wants something from the kitchen during the night. He tends to sleep in the nude."

"That is a scary thought."

"I've learned to look him in the eye, never downward," admitted Terry making Gabby laugh again.

"Thanks for being here, Terry."

He put his arm around her again secretly thinking about what great pleasure it would give him to take a baseball bat to Rudy.

They did eventually have to leave to retrieve Terry's grandpa from the school and bring him home. After relating the story of what had happened to Gabby, Terry had to spend the next hour talking his grandpa down from going on a one-person hunt for the former boyfriend and currently wanted felon.

"What do those darn cops know! I was running black ops in Korea when they were an itch in their daddies pants!"

"Mom told me you were a supply officer. I've seen pictures," replied Terry as he flipped through a menu for the local pizza place.

"It was all a smoke screen. I was deep undercover."

"Is that right? Was this before or after you spent thirty days in the brig for streaking the officer's mess hall?"

"I was framed! They never could prove that it was my naked ass!"

Terry rolled his eyes, and Gabby was nearly in tears on the couch.

"You two should take this act on the road. There's money to be made here."

"I don't think we would last two days on the road together before Grandpa here got us thrown in jail for something. Most likely something involving public drunkenness."

"Now see here I've never been drunk in public as far as anyone knows. I hold my liquor with the best of em. I can prove it. Someone get me a bottle of Bourbon!"

"No Bourbon! I'm not cleaning up a mess like that again," shouted Terry.

The group eventually settled on what pizza they wanted to order, and Grandpa went off to use the facilities while Terry and Gabby waited for the pizza to arrive.

"You know I see a lot of your grandfather in you," observed Gabby.

"You take that back right now, or I'll make you sleep outside tonight!" said Terry in mock anger.

"Seriously, you both try to hide how much you care about people behind a veneer of humor, but it shines through all the same."

"Don't let him hear you say that he'll deny it to his grave."

"You're both good men, Terry Wallace. The best I've met in a long time."

Gabby had turned to face him on the couch, and even with the bruise on her cheek, she looked gorgeous. Terry felt the growing tension in the room, and though it didn't seem entirely appropriate, he found himself longing to taste Gabby's soft looking lips again. He was saved from his moral conundrum by the ringing of the front doorbell.

"Pizza's here," he said in mild disappointment as he went to answer the door.

"I say we eat before Grandpa gets back, given my experience he is liable to be in the bathroom for hou..."

The door flew open as soon as Terry unlatched it crashing into his shoulder and throwing him back into the room. Terry stumbled but managed to catch himself without falling.

"What the Hell!" yelled Terry.

The door was already slamming shut, and instead of a pizza delivery man, Terry was face to face with Rudy.

"Got you, pendejo! Think I'm stupid! I followed you back here. Now...Where is Gabby!"
"Rudy! What are you doing?" asked Gabby coming into the room.

"Oh...Hey, Baby...I'm sorry about this morning...I had a little too much to drink ya know..."

Rudy was swaying enough to give the impression that his drinking had not stopped since that morning.

"The cops are looking for you, Rudy," cut in Terry.

"I saw them cops this morning. Why did you do that Gabby? I wasn't trying to hurt you...not really...You just made me so mad, ya know...I love you, Girl."

"You have a weird way of showing it!" snapped Terry.

"You stay out of this mother fucker! This is private business!" shouted Rudy.

Gabby came closer trying to calm her riled up Ex-boyfriend.

"Rudy...You need to cool off and come sit down like a gentleman. We can talk..."

"I've tried to talk to you before, and look what it got me! I was so nice to you, Gabby, and you go behind my back and start seeing other guys. You know how much of a pain in the ass it's been the last two years to keep running these assholes off..."

"Wait a minute! You've been sabotaging my dates for the past two years? That's why I haven't been able to get anyone to go out with me? All this time...Son of a bitch, Rudy!"

"Hey, Baby! I was protecting you. I knew I was the guy you needed. Come here..."

Rudy staggered forward grabbing Gabby by the wrist, but when she tried to pull away, he squeezed harder.

"Ow! You're hurting me, Rudy!"

"Let her go!" yelled Terry and he grabbed Rudy by the arm spinning him around.

Terry was debating whether to take a swing, but Rudy proved that even drunk he was a mean opponent. Before Terry could even raise his hands, Rudy had caught him with a sharp Karate blow to the midsection followed by a roundhouse kick that sent Terry flying backward onto the dining room table with a loud crash.

"Terry!" cried Gabby.

"See what I'm talking about, Baby! I'm just trying to protect you from jerks like this idiot."

Rudy moved toward her again trying to get Gabby by the wrists as she stumbled backward toward the couch.

"Rudy stop! Leave me alone!" she yelled.

"Gabby...quit acting like a spoiled bitch! Just come with me, and we can go talk..."

Gabby finally slapped him across the face hard enough to bust his lip. Rudy reached up wiping the blood on his fingers, and his eyes turned dark and angry.

"You little slut! This is how you treat me after all the nice shit I did for you!"

He reared back to strike Gabby across the face for the second time that day, only to crumble to the floor when a wooden baseball bat crashed into his head.

"You got Karate! I got Louisville Slugger 1928 Mother Fucker!" shouted Terry's grandpa as he waved the bat around in triumph.

Gabby gazed up in wonder at the old man who stood over her former lover then she ran over to hug him.

"There, there, missy, everything is going to be fine. He ain't gonna trouble you no more," he said rubbing her head.

Terry returned to the room after picking himself up off the dining room floor still rubbing at his belly where Rudy had socked him.

"Where the Hell were you?" groused his grandpa.

"I was getting back into the fight. I just needed a second."

"Getting back into the fight? What was your plan let him wear himself out hitting you?"

Terry took the bat from his grandpa and bent closer to check on Rudy.

"He dead?" asked Grandpa all too casually.

"Still breathing, but he is going to have a nasty headache when he wakes up. I'm going to go call the police."

"Good thing I finished my constitutional when I did, or you'd be pushing up daises my friend," said Grandpa.

Terry could only shake his head as he dialed 911.

The police arrived, escorting Rudy away in handcuffs, and taking statements from everyone present. By the time they left, it was getting late, and Terry's grandpa yawned and headed off to his bedroom.

"I think that was enough excitement for me for one night. I'll see you two in the morning."

"Goodnight, Grandpa," said Terry from where he sat on the couch.

"I don't know what to say, Terry. I should apologize again for bringing so much trouble to your home."

"It's o.k. Gabby. I'm glad my grandpa and I were here to protect you. Well, more him than me I guess. You can bet he is going to be telling the story of his heroic rescue for awhile."

"I thought you were heroic too," she said placing her hand on top of his.

"You mean as I heroically bounced off the dining room table."

"I still think what you did was very brave. Thank you for standing up for me."

"It's late, we both should probably get some sleep," said Terry.

"You're probably right; there was a lot of day in today, not sure I can take too many like it."

She leaned down to kiss Terry on the cheek, "Goodnight, Terry."

Sleeping turned out to be a trickier proposition than Terry had imagined, and he tossed and turned in bed playing over the events of the day in his head. He was considering getting up and looking for a snack to calm his nerves when a quiet knock sounded on his door.

"Yes?" he called out.

The door opened a fraction, Gabby's face barely visible in the dim light from the hallway.

"I'm sorry to bother you. I couldn't sleep, and I thought you might be having the same problem."

Terry waved at her to come in, and she shut the door behind her crossing the room to sit on the edge of the bed. Gabby had changed into a long t-shirt to sleep in that fell to her knees. He tried not to stare at her chest, but the cold air was making her nipples stand up, and without a bra, they were outlined clearly against the cloth.

"I could make us some warm milk maybe that would help settle us down."

He started to sit up but winced as he moved.

"He hurt you..." said Gabby.

"I've been hurt worse, but I admit I think I'm going to have some nice bruises to match yours."

"Where?"

Terry pointed to the side of his head where a bruise was forming at the point he had impacted the table.

"Here for one, and then there's this spot where my ribs hit the chair when I rolled off on the floor."

Gabby leaned closer, and then to Terry's surprise; she gently kissed the side of his head. Before he could think of a pithy comment to make she surprised him further by bending over to kiss his side where his ribs were red and tender.

"Does it hurt anywhere else?" she asked her dark eyes shining in the low light, "I want to kiss all the places you hurt."

"Anywhere?"

She smiled, "Anywhere you want..."

"I think my lips might be a little sore," he replied with a chuckle.

The words were barely out of his mouth when her warm, full lips covered his in a slow, sensual kiss, sliding all around. He slipped his arms around her waist pulling her further up on to the bed, and she sighed deeply as he held her tight. The kiss gained steam, her hand looping around behind his head mashing his lips against hers, mouths parting wider, tongues swirling together. It had been a long while since Terry had been in a situation like this with a woman, and he felt his arousal growing fast, his penis swelling with blood. Their breathing quickened, and the kisses became more frantic, more needful, a low groan issuing from Gabby's throat.

Their lips parted briefly, and they lay panting in the semi-darkness looking into each other's eyes.

"Gabby?" he asked putting a host of questions into that one name.

He got his answer when she sat back away from him long enough to pull her t-shirt off over her head. Terry swallowed hard while his eyes were roving over her half-naked body. She had the most exquisite pair of breasts he had ever laid eyes on. The dark flesh was round and firm, twin mounds pushing away from her body and topped by wide areolas even darker still, a mahogany brown expanse of bumpy skin capped by perfectly round nipples.

Gabby watched Terry's appraising stare smiling at his obvious delight.

"Have you ever been with a Hispanic girl before?"

Terry shook his head his words failing him for the moment.

"You know what they say, 'The darker the nipple, the sweeter it is...'"

She guided his hands to her expansive chest letting out a breath when he lifted her heavy breasts squeezing the silky smooth flesh. A groan followed when Terry pulled her closer to run his tongue around one dark brown nipple licking the stiff knot before pulling it into his mouth.

"Oh...Terry..." she whispered.

He kissed her soft breasts in turn, suckling at the sweet fruit laid out before him.

Terry was groaning now as well, his breath coming in quick panting bursts as the desire for her grew inside him. They rolled to the left with Terry coming down on top of Gabby's petite body still clinging to her perfect tits, covering them in kisses and hot licks from his tongue, biting at her hard love buttons. She cried out with each nip running her fingers into the hair on the back of his head and pressing his mouth more firmly to her chest.

"Yes! Yes! Oh! Terry...You're making me feel so good..." she moaned.

The heat between them continued to build. Terry kissed his way across the flat valley of her stomach working his way downward. Gabby was wearing a simple pair of black silk panties, and he carefully hooked his fingers into them slipping them down and off. The area between her legs was a thick tangle of black curly pubic hair above her dark brown, swollen labia. Juice glistened on the lips that guarded the entrance to her body, and Terry didn't hesitate to taste her bountiful nectar. She arched her back off the bed letting out another explosion of air from her lungs as his tongue plunged into her depths.

"AH! God! Yes, Terry!"

It proved hard for Gabby to lay still, her pussy had been neglected for far too long, and she had forgotten how good it could feel to be taken this way by a man who knew how to give pleasure they way Terry did. His tongue felt like it was everywhere inside her at once, hitting erogenous zones that hadn't felt a man touch in years. She tossed and turned, grabbing at the sheets, and fighting back screams for fear of waking Terry's grandfather. The tingling beginnings of an orgasm started to build into a slow quaking inside her making her whole body tremble with her breath coming in tight gasps.

"Jesus...Terry...If you don't stop soon...You're...going...to...make me...cream!" she warned.

"Yeah...Ummm...Gabby...Are you going to cum for me? I would stop, but...Damn...Your pussy tastes so good..."

"Terry...TERRY! I'm not kidding...shit...SHIT! I'm going to cream your fucking face! Ah! AH! GOD! TERRY! I'm going to...TERRYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

She tried not to cry out too loud, but it was so hard after being denied this pleasure for so very long. A slow ripple through her stomach turned into a torrent of hot waves that shot from her clitoris straight up her body, and she thrashed and twisted on the bed climaxing over and over.

Terry kept his mouth tight to Gabby's hard clit enjoying her wild movements each time his tongue lashed across it. When she finally ran down and dropped back to the bed, he slid up next to her smiling down at her panting form.

"At the risk of embarrassing you I gotta say, you look sexy when you cum."

"Let's see how you look..." replied Gabby with a wicked smile.

Terry found himself pressed back to the bed as Gabby took the superior position covering his mouth in another hot, French kiss before she started her own journey toward paradise. He shifted a bit feeling her tickle his nipples with her tongue watching his eyes grow wider as she descended toward the bulge that stood out prominently on his silk boxers. A sigh escaped his lips when she rolled them down exposing his thick, rock hard penis. The length of his shaft was fully erect, and she took it in her small hand stroking the vein covered flesh up and down.

"Fuck...Gabby...It's been a long time..." he gasped.

"Poor baby, I can tell, your balls are as tight as a drum," she observed running her nails across his scrotum and making him jump.

He jumped even more when she let the swollen head of his prick slip into her mouth. Her thick lips started to massage every inch of Terry's pulsing, quivering rod while her hands tugged at the thick shaft that soon ran wet with her saliva. Gabby pushed harder, taking him deeper into the back of her throat, squeezing his cock head there and holding it while she hummed.

"Dear sweet, God! That fucking feels so good..." whispered Terry harshly.

"You like the way I suck your cock, Terry?" asked Gabby with a sultry smile from where she lay, licking his shaft from tip to base with teasing flicks of her tongue.

"Fuck YES!"

She went down on him again, repeating her motions, taking him deep and squeezing his cock tight. The surging of his scrotum in her hand heralded a coming explosion, and she worked him toward it with enthusiasm wanting to return the favor he had already done for her.

"Gabby...FUCK! Ah! Shit, Baby...I can't hold it back much longer!"

"Don't fight it, Terry...I want to make you feel good..."

"I'll show you what feels good," said Terry his voice thick with desire.

His cock popped from Gabby's sucking mouth with a wet noise as Terry slid down the bed and pushed her onto her back. She spread her legs without even thinking inviting him inside her still soaking wet vagina.

"I want you, Gabby," he gasped his cock poised at the entrance to her love hole.

"I know...I want you too."

They both cried out into the darkness, joining their bodies with a mutual thrust of hips. Terry sank into Gabby's hairy cunt feeling her dark flesh wrap tight around his throbbing pole. It was so wonderful inside her, so much better than he ever recalled feeling before this and he couldn't hold still moving instead to push himself deeper, driving his penis further into the wet folds. She slipped her arms up around his muscular back holding on, meeting his frantic pushes with upward thrusts of her own. The sounds of their bodies slapping together in rhythm filled the room along with their gasps and grunts of shared pleasure. Gabby's breasts bounced on her chest, and Terry gathered them in pressing his mouth over her hard nipples, sucking roughly at them.

"Oh! Careful, Terry! Sucking my nipples is a sure way to make me cum again!" she whimpered, but this only egged him on, and he sucked harder nibbling the dark cherries.

"Ah! God Damn, Terry! You are so fucking good at this! Ahhhh...Shit...You're going to make me cum again...Oh fuck...FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! AH! God, I'm cumming!"

He felt her go, her pussy getting so tight as she climaxed that he could barely keep pushing into her. Gabby seized at his back pressing her spasming cunt even harder against his cock, impaling herself as deep onto his prick as she could. She shook beneath him, her face fixed in an expression of sheer ecstasy, mouth falling open letting out a string of low, guttural moans. The mere sight of her caught in the throes of a powerful orgasm proved to be the last straw for Terry as well, and his balls surged so hard he couldn't contain the roaring river of semen that suddenly shot up his shaft to erupt like a geyser from his cum slit.

"Ahhhh! God...Gabby! GABBY! I can't hold it, Baby! Ahhhhh!"

"YES! Cum inside me, Terry! CUM IN ME! Ah! Fill me! Give me all that sweet fucking cum!"

They clung to each other; bodies snapped taunt, Terry's semen shooting into Gabby's willing womb in long, thick ropes and her pussy, in turn, squeezing his cock to milk every drop. Their breathing slowed together, and they looked deep into each other's eyes both a little shocked at how intense their coupling had been.

"Gabby..." started Terry almost shaking his head.

"Don't try to put it in words. I felt it too. Just hold me."

He lay next to her pulling her body up close to his, feeling the slow pounding of her heartbeat against him. The only sound was the ticking of Terry's bedside clock as they held to each other until Gabby finally slipped away, kissing him one last time, a brief touching of her wonderful lips to his.

"I should go to my bed...Wouldn't want your grandpa to get the wrong idea."

Terry was too tired to argue, though he would have preferred she stay.

"Sleep tight, Gabby. If you want I could make pancakes in the morning?"

"Look at you. The gift that keeps on giving. I'll see you in the morning, Terry, and...Thank you...for everything."

WILD PITCH-

The morning wasn't any different really than a thousand others Terry had seen living in his Mom's house, and yet it had the feeling of something different, a promise of new beginnings hanging in the air. He felt like he used to when taking his first at-bat during spring training with the hope of another season stretched out in front of him.

Gabby was still sleeping, and given what she had gone through the day before he was more than happy to let her rest. His grandpa too was not much of an early riser, so Terry was alone in the kitchen working up a bowl of pancake batter when his cell phone rang.

"Miguel?" answered Terry feeling an odd sense of guilt.

"Hey, Terry! Sorry for calling so early."

"That's o.k. Pal. What can I do for you?"

"I want to do something for you. First, I wanted to thank you for everything you've been doing for Gabby. I appreciate you taking care of her."

Terry almost choked thinking that Miguel had no idea.

"It's been my pleasure. She's a wonderful girl."

"She sure is, and I hope you're a gentleman, my friend. She is my baby sister, ya know?"

"Oh...Yeah, of course, you know me," replied Terry feeling even more guilty than he had a second ago.

"I do know you that's why I'm asking. Ha! Anyway, I just wanted to pass on something I heard. You remember that scout from the Dodgers with ran into in that bar in Florida?"

"Vaguely, I was kind of drunk that night," admitted Terry.

Drunk was actual an understatement. Terry had woken up the next morning passed out in the parking lot of his hotel under his rental car.

"Well, he remembered you. I ran into him again, and I mentioned that you had dropped out of the game for some family stuff. He said that was too bad, and that you had some promising talent that could be developed. He told me to pass it on that if you decided to give it another shot he thought he could get you an opening on their Rookie League roster.

"Back in Rookie League."

"I know it's a step down from "A" ball, but it would be a way back in for you. I know you have a lot of stuff going on in your life, but how many people get this chance, huh? It's just something to think about."

"Thanks, Miguel. I will. Take care, and keep the ball down o.k.?"

"You know it! Check you later, Pal."

Terry hung up staring out the window at a flock of birds feeding on the ground in his backyard. First the offer on the school, and now this surprising nugget from out of the blue, it was almost like the Universe was trying to tell him something. He closed his eyes imagining himself on the diamond again, no crying little kids, no bills he couldn't pay, nothing but the green grass and a thousand cheering fans.

"Penny for your thoughts," came Gabby's voice snapping him back to reality.

He turned, eyes popping open to gaze on his house guest. Even now, first thing in the morning with bed head, Gabby looked better than most women looked primed to go out.

"I was...Um...Just thinking about coming to get you. The pancakes are ready."

"As promised. I like a man who is true to his word."

Terry went to hand her a plate, and as she took it from him, she leaned up to brush her lips across his in a quick kiss.

"Thanks for making breakfast, and for last night. If the pancakes are half as good, I'm in for a treat."

"There are three things in life that I'm deadly serious about, pancakes, baseball, and...You can guess the third one," he said with a wink.
They sat down at the table to eat passing the syrup between them.

"You don't have to go into work today if you don't want to," started Terry, "I mean with what you went through yesterday maybe you could use some downtime."

"No, I want to go in. I miss the kids, and I owe it to the ones that depend on me. Some of those kids need to see a friendly face every day to know their safe."

Terry smiled, Gabby sounded just like his mother.

"In that case, I will let you shower first while I go wake grandpa. You don't want to be around for that it isn't pretty."

"I don't even want to try and picture it," said Gabby making a face.

The school was a madhouse as usual, and though there were a few stares at the bruises adorning Terry and Gabby's faces, everyone was too polite to ask what had happened. Terry spent his morning trying to balance the books again while quietly mulling both the offer on the school and Miguel's revelation about the Dodgers. It would be so easy to chuck all this and go back to the life he had known, one with a lot less responsibility, but the promise he had made to his mother weighed on him, and then there was Gabby. Thinking of her made him stand up and walk out to the cafeteria to look out the big window that gave him a full view of the playground outside. She was out there right now with her class, her brown skin shining in the sun, dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. His breath caught in his chest.

He had never found himself thinking about one girl so much, and it seemed like she intruded into his thoughts more and more. Then there was last night, he might have been able to chalk some of that up to all the emotions that had been churning following Rudy's attack, but the truth was he had been with several women, and it had never been so profoundly moving before.

"Why don't you talk a picture it lasts longer," said his grandpa grouchily.

"I see you're still pissed you missed out on the pancakes."

"Nope, I'm watching my figure. Almost as intensely as you're watching a certain school teacher."

"I was just checking that the school is running smoothly."

"Bullshit."

"Grandpa! We've talked about the language!"

"I wouldn't have to resort to such coarse words if my grandson would get his head out of his ass. Why don't you admit you're sweet on the girl?"

Terry sighed, "If I told you you're right would you at least not rub it in?"

"I can't make any promises, but I would expect a bigger smile from you. What's the problem does she not feel the same way?"

"No, I think she very much does."

"Well, what then?"

"There's just...a lot on my mind right now, O.K."

Terry started to walk away, but his grandfather caught his arm in one gnarled old hand.

"Terry, I know how much playing ball meant to you, and we touched before on how this school was your mom's dream and not yours. Thing is son, as gifted as you might be as a ballplayer, you're just as gifted if not more so working with these kids. I think you could be successful doing either one, so at the end of the day it does come down to you. Where do you want to be?"

That was the million dollar question.

Shrugging off his grandpa's hand, Terry left the cafeteria without another word.

The sunshine outside felt good on his face, and he strolled around the playground being mindful not to step on any of the little ones who darted to an fro. He stopped to lean against the chain-linked fence that ran completely around the property his eyes still on Gabby as she ran her class through a game of tag. The scene had him so captivated that he almost didn't feel the gentle tug on his leg.

"Mr. Terry?" said the quiet voice from below.

"Oh...Hey, Annie," he said leaning down, "how are you today, Sweetie?"

"Good. Ms. Gabby said you could teach me to hit."

He noticed that she was carrying a little plastic baseball bat and matching ball. Annie handed him the plastic baseball, so light it hardly registered in his palm.

"Did she now?" he said throwing a look Gabby's way. She was watching him now and winked at him when she caught his eye. He smiled back shaking his head in feigned annoyance.

"O.K. then...Why don't you come with me."

He led Annie to an open area away from the other kids.

"I fed Arthur this morning. He was very happy!"

"I'll just bet he was! He doesn't always get a nice breakfast; it was kind of you to make sure he did."

Terry stooped down to show her how to hold the bat properly in her tiny hands, and stand with her legs shoulder width apart. He was careful to throw the ball to her nice and slow with an underhand toss. Annie's first few swings were wild, but on the third try, she narrowed her eyes like a hunting Eagle and blasted the pitch right back at him.

"Whoah! Nice hit!" exclaimed Terry honestly surprised at the solid contact.

It proved not to be a fluke when she did the same with the next few pitches even when he sped things up a bit.

"You know, Annie, I think you may be a natural at this game."

"I'm good?" she said smiling.

"Yes, you are, Sweetie."

A whistle blew signaling the end of outdoor play for now. Annie darted over to Terry to hug his leg.

"Thank you, Mr. Terry!"

She started to run toward the main building but stopped after a few steps to turn around again.

"I like it here."

Annie was gone after that blond hair waving behind her leaving a bemused Terry Wallace bouncing a plastic ball in his hand.

"I'm glad, Annie," he whispered under his breath as she dropped out of sight.

Terry dropped his grandpa at home after work and went to drive Gabby back to her place.

"Good day, today?" she asked from the passenger seat.

"Yeah, it was, thanks."

"I saw you were working with Annie Foster. She is a sweet little kid."

"I think she might have a Big League future. She has a mean swing."

"You know it's not my place to say, but I was thinking about the school and the trouble you're having with getting folks to come out. It occurred to me that maybe you need better advertising?"

"Oh?"

"I took the liberty of working up a flyer for you, and I have a cousin who does web sites, I think I could convince her to do one for you for free as a favor to me."

At the next stoplight, Terry took the paper from Gabby's hand. It was clear she had an artistic eye. It was quite good.

"You did this free hand?"

"I used to like to draw when I was a kid."

"It's terrific, very eye-catching. I don't know if I want to prevail upon your poor cousin though."

"It's O.K. she owes me a favor, and I surely owe you one."

"You don't owe me anything, Gabby."

"I think you should let me be the judge of that, besides it's in my self-interest as well to see the school succeed."

He pulled up in front of her apartment handing the paper back to her.

"I guess we could let her work something up and see how it turns out."

"Awesome! Would you like to come in for a minute? I like to end my day with a glass of wine to take the edge off."

"I guess that wouldn't hurt," said Terry putting his car in park and shutting off the engine.

Terry asked to use the restroom once they got inside and as he washed his hands in the sink after he stared at his reflection in the mirror still haunted by the decision that weighed on his mind.

Perhaps with Gabby's help, he could turn things around?

Didn't he owe it to kids like Annie to at least try?

"You know I was thinking, maybe we could add the website address to your flyers and print up a test run to see how it goes," said Terry as he exited the bathroom.

"That sounds like a good idea," came Gabby's voice from the kitchen, "do you still want that glass of wine?"

Terry glanced over at where Gabby stood framed in the doorway but wasn't able to answer right off. This was probably because Gabby was standing in that doorway wearing nothing but a black, silk thong while holding a glass of wine in her left hand.

"Um...I..." stumbled Terry.

"You can drink it out of the glass, of course, but I thought you might like it better like this..."

Gabby carefully upended the glass holding it just over her breasts and pouring part of the contents onto the upper part of her chest so that the liquid ran down her bare skin and over her mounds like twin islands in a mighty stream to finally drip down onto her stomach.

Terry took a deep breath and marched straight to her covering one of her wine-soaked breasts in his mouth and licking the tangy liquid off of her feeling every sweet inch of her bumpy areola under his tongue. She gasped and moaned pulling him tighter while his head moved from side to side cleaning her dark skin until, at last, they fell into a deep, fruity tasting kiss.

"Are you trying to seduce me, Gabriella Esperanza?"

"Why? Is it working?"

"You're about to find out."

He lifted her into his arms, carrying her half-naked body to the bedroom where he shed his clothing in record time. They dropped onto the sheets together rubbing at each other's naked bodies while trading deep, passionate tongue kisses, Frenching one another with a growing hunger behind each kiss. Terry's fingers teased her swollen labia feeling the soaking wetness of the flesh that lay beyond.

"Don't make me wait, Terry. We can take our time later, right now I need you inside me," begged Gabby.

He rolled her onto her back, spreading her legs wide and slipping between them to press his fat cock to the entrance of her quivering vagina.

If anything their joining this time was even hotter and more powerful than before, and as Terry sunk into her needy body, Gabby cried out digging her nails into his shoulders, clinging to him.

"Ah! God...Yes, Terry! I can feel it so good! Ah! Every hard inch! Give it to me, Terry! Fuck me! Fuck me deep and hard!"

Terry took her precisely as she wanted with forceful thrusts of his hips almost lifting her ass off the bed. Her large fun bags bounced wildly as their cries mixed into a glorious symphony of erotic pleasure.

"Yes, Terry! Wanted you all day. I was dying to feel you inside me again. Oh! Let me on top, Baby!" begged Gabby.

They reversed positions quickly, both anxious to join their bodies together again. Gabby lowered herself onto his thick love gun guiding it inside while pulling his hands to her breasts. While she leaned back grinding her clit on his shaft, he took her perfect brown love mounds into his hands caressing the silky skin, squeezing and kneading them, pushing her closer to her orgasm with each touch. Her nipples were so hard they barely moved when he brushed his fingers across them.

"I can't hold it back much longer, Gabby," he warned her.

"I'm close too...We...Can go together..." she moaned reaching down to rub at her clitoris with one hand.

Their combined movements became more frantic, cries growing in volume with each passing moment.

"It's coming, Gabby...Ah! Fuck! I...Can't stop it! Your pussy feels too good, Baby! Ah! SHIT!"

"Oh TERRY! I'm going right fucking NOW! Ah! YES! AHHH CUMMMMMINGGGG!"

It was not a second too soon because Terry cut loose right along with her filling her tight love hole with bursts of his pearly white jizz. Gabby looked so gorgeous, head back and breasts thrust outward creaming his cock over and over in multiple orgasms before dropping onto his chest panting and spent.

"I think it just keeps getting better with you," she whispered.

"I'm glad you think so because I feel the same way."

The kissed each other softly, enjoying the afterglow of their tryst while the sun slowly set outside the window.

Terry's key hit the door hours later than he intended. He knew that his grandfather could take care of himself for the most part, but he still hated leaving him alone for too long. Still, he thought the old man would have been happy to know that he had spent the evening with Gabby.

The door closed behind him, and immediately his ears were assaulted by the horrendous sounds of his grandpa's snoring coming from the living room. Gently, Terry removed the remote from the elderly hand that clutched it, and he carefully tipped him sideways onto the couch covering his thin frame with a blanket. This wasn't the first time he had come in to find his grandpa passed out in front of the T.V. and it likely wouldn't be the last.

He tip-toed to his bedroom stopping long enough to switch on the hallway light in case his grandpa woke up later and wanted to find his way to better accommodations in his own bedroom.

Terry stretched and pulled off his shirt to get ready for some sleep when his eyes spotted the real estate contract still sitting on his desk. He picked it up, imaging the freedom that it represented, and then with a slow smile, he dropped it into the trashcan beneath the old desk.

Where did he want to be?

That's what his grandfather had asked him, and it was a question he still didn't fully know the answer too, but as good as he had been between the lines on a baseball field he thought it was possible he might be even better on a playground. Maybe, with Gabby's help, he could make a go if it with the school. It might have been his mom's dream, but perhaps it could be his as well.

He slipped between the sheets turning out the light and settling in for the night safe in his bed.

Safe at home.
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