7X5X15 : Book 2

By AJB

CHAPTER TEN

CHRIS

"There," Marissa said, indicating the dirt driveway by pointing her finger. "The mailbox says LT7 Ranch. That's the place, right"

Tony slowed the van and carefully pulled off the winding highway with a bump.

"Ouch!" someone in the back yelped.

"Sorry," Tony apologized. "You two okay?"

"Fine!" Davy said. "That was Jim. He's okay."

"Just banged my head on the window," Jim confirmed. "I'm good."

The driveway was a long arc and the first building that came into sight was a barn with corrals and several horses that twitched ears acknowledging their arrival. Once around the barn, the drive straightened and revealed a long, low ranch house at the top of a rise and several vehicles parked off to one side. In front of the house there were huge trees shading a grassy area.

"I thought this was a one-on-one interview," Davy wondered aloud when they noticed several children running on the lawn and a number of adults standing around a huge grill or sitting in lounge chairs at the edge of the lawn or on the deck that extended from the house.

"Actually, that point wasn't addressed," Tony noted, circling around to park off to the side with the rest of the cars and trucks. "I just assumed and I should know better."

"There's Vin, I mean Mr. Tanner!" Marissa nearly squealed, pointing at the now familiar figure chasing a giggling child. When the van got closer, Vin stopped, looked up, and waved.

"Why, yes, there he is," Davy said somewhat dreamily. He snapped his mouth shut when Jim gave him a narrow-eyed glance.

Tony chuckled. "We've been set up, folks. Looks like a party."

In the time it took Tony to park the van, a trim, older man, standing by the grill, passed over a spatula and retrieved a cane leaning against the brick side of the barbeque and headed their way at a steady, limping pace. Vin trotted up to him and they met the group together.

"Mr. Duggan," Vin greeted, shaking the reporter's hand. "This is my dad, Chris Larabee."

"Mr. Duggan." Chris took his hand in a firm shake.

"Mr. Larabee. This is my crew, Marissa Crane, Davy Trice and Jim Kenner." He waited until everyone shook hands. "Looks like a relaxing day. Celebrating something? Can Jim take some pictures?"

"Just one of our frequent get togethers," Chris explained. "As for pictures, generally, yes, but you may want to ask permission from the guys. Vin can show him around."

"Yes, I remember Mr. Standish's request." Tony turned and briefed the photographer, then sent him off with Vin to document the scene. That left Davy and Marissa eyeing each other. "One of you go with Jim."

"I'll go!" they said simultaneously before eyeing each other again.

"Davy, you go," Tony said, the words barely out of his mouth before his assistant sprinted to Vin's side. Tony though he heard a disappointed noise from Marissa, but she looked innocently back at him when he glanced her way.

"Please, it's quieter inside." Chris indicated the front door of the house on the other side of the vehicles.

Once inside, they enjoyed a sweeping view of the deck, barbeque area and the barn. Tony recognized the men he had already interviewed and smiled a little at the comfortable way they interacted with each other. If it was all an act, the journalist in Tony Duggan would feel it, but all he observed here was a close-knit family dynamic. He did note the surreptitious glances toward the house, confirming what he knew about how they watched each other's backs.

Photos graced the walls without cluttering them and smaller frames sat on the wooden mantle over the fireplace. A wrought-iron screen with a mounted cowboy silhouette blocked the open firebox. A large couch sat directly across from a big screen television and a carved, wooden rocking chair sat to one side with a quilt thrown over the back. The room was definitely masculine, but still felt warm and friendly. While Marissa studied each picture on the wall and took notes, Duggan approached Chris.

"Very nice home, Mr. Larabee."

"Thanks." Chris said, lowering himself into a recliner. "Help yourself to some iced tea."

A glass pitcher wet with condensation sat on the coffee table along with a pair of tall glasses and Tony saw a matching glass, half full, next to the recliner. "Thanks." Tony helped himself, offered to pour a Marissa a glass, and then turned in a small circle to take in the rest of the room when she declined the offer. She seemed captivated by the photographs and her hand flew across the notebook pages.

"So this is where Vin grew up," Tony commented, taking a seat across from Chris. Marissa settled next to him.

"Yes, it is, from when he was 7 years old. It hasn't changed much over the years."

"Was it hard, raising two boys out here in the country?"

Chris chuckled and Tony noticed how the ridges of his face softened. "Well, there were times when we wished the emergency room was closer. It was a good thing Nate was around."

"So Vin and JD were pretty active, I take it?"

"Yes. They got into a lot, even with us standing right next to them."

"Boys will be boys, then?"

"Yeah, you could say that."

"Mr. Larabee," Tony scooted to the edge of his seat and then leaned his forearms on his knees to get closer to Chris. "When I spoke with Mr. Wilmington, I got the impression that there were some areas you might be reluctant to talk to me about. I told him at the time to prepare for the press, wanted or unwanted, if Vin wins a spot on the Olympic team. Did he tell you that?"

Chris nodded, "Yes, he did, and I appreciate the heads up, Mr. Duggan. We are familiar with how the press operates. With that in mind, we are prepared to respond regarding Vin's past and have a press agent lined up – Mary Travis."

"The news anchor?" Tony said, surprised. "You do have some connections, Mr. Larabee." Tony shook his head, grinning.

"Yeah, we do," Chris agreed calmly. "Her father-in-law was my boss when I was an agent."

"I read about his passing, what, two years ago?"

Chris nodded. "He was a fair and generous man. We were lucky to have him. I doubt our team would have been assembled if he wasn't there."

Tony glanced over to Marissa, and she nodded, confirming that she'd made a note of that.

Chris cleared his throat and got Tony's full attention. "The reason we asked you here today is right out there." He waved toward the big picture window that framed his extended family outside. "I think there's enough there to keep any media outlet busy when Vin's time comes and that's how we intend to play this out. It's Vin's show, not mine, not Buck's, not Josiah, Nathan's, JD's or Ezra's. We intend to keep the focus on Vin and his accomplishments, and on that." He nodded to the group outside.

"You mean family."

"The strength of family, yes. I know you told Vin that you couldn't figure out his motivation for competing; I'm here to tell you that what you see out there is the motivation. Any and all 'stories' from our past in the last 15 years come down to family: Nurturing it, protecting it, and basking in it. That's Vin's story, as well as mine, in a nutshell, Mr. Duggan."

Tony sat back, holding Chris' serene gaze and turned his subject's words over in his mind. Then, he tipped his head in realization before saying, "You aren't going to answer any questions regarding Ella Gaines, Cletus Fowler or Malibu, are you?"

Larabee's return expression looked like that of a smiling wolf. "I see that we understand each other then, Mr. Duggan. None of that is Vin's story."

Conceding defeat, Tony considered for a few moments before changing tactics and asking about how Vin got involved with each of the five Pentathlon events. As Chris spoke, the journalist noted the cadence of his subject's words and Chris' fluid expressions. When he first met Chris Larabee, Tony took him to be a stern, no-nonsense man with a tortured soul; but as he spoke, Tony marveled at the depth of feeling that shadowed every word and brightened his eyes.

Maybe Chris Larabee was a tortured man at one time in his life, but here and now, all he saw was deep pride, solid familial connections and a certain wonder and excitement about the future.

Tony Duggan found himself openly wishing to be the same way someday.

Chris finally wound down and from the finality of his last sentence, Tony knew they were done here for now. He smiled, and the two men held gazes for a moment. "I'm sure we have plenty to work with, Mr. Larabee." He stood, feeling strangely enlivened, as Chris levered out of the recliner, leaning on his cane. They shook hands with the journalist. "It will be an interesting next couple of years."

"It's been an interesting past fifteen years, I assure you," Chris agreed. "Please, have some food before you go. There's always plenty."

The trio moved outside and joined the rest, basking in glow that was the Magnificent Seven Family.

The End of Book 2

A/N: Thank you for sticking with my tale! I hope you enjoyed it. And, again, many, many thanks to Lyn for her beta genius! - AJB