Chapter 43

Phillip and Kendra had volunteered to meet Bob and Sue Davis's flight from Tucson when it landed just before five o'clock on Friday afternoon, June 20th. When Matt Davis had gone back to Fort Monroe to work out the last few weeks or months before he was released from active duty with the army pending his retirement, he'd taken Deb Davis's Buick, leaving the minivan he'd bought with Kendra and his wife. To avoid leaving Deb at home alone all day while Kendra was at work, Kenda had arranged for Deb to spend the day with Leeanne and Jack McCracken, and since Bobby and Emily were also there while Lee and Amanda were at work, they got to spend time with her as well, which was good for all of them. Some days, Phillip dropped Dotty off there too so she wouldn't get too lonely. Since Leeanne and Jack had bought a minivan so they could take Leeanne's Montessori students on field trips during the school year, there was never any problem taking everyone to the community pool or the park.

Bob and Sue came through the jetway looking fit and happy; there were handshakes and hugs all around before Bob said, "We paid for extra baggage – well, the Foundation did – so we'll have the clothes we need for any possible occasion, but Sue is looking forward to doing some serious shopping while we're here, Kenleigh."

"And I am looking forward to going shopping with her," Kendra said.

"And I will happily not go shopping," Phillip added to general laughter. "I'll happily play golf or go running with you whenever you want, General, but leave me out of the shopping trips."

"Son, I know you're going to be working for me, at least until Matt takes over, but you're also family, so drop the 'General' except at the office, will you?" Bob said. "You can call me Poppy like Kenleigh does."

"Thank you, Poppy."

"I brought Phillip along to haul the mounds of luggage, Nana," Kendra said.

"That's me – the Sherpa," Phillip said, remembering all the times Dotty had told him and Jamie that she wasn't going to be their Sherpa when they were younger. "Mom and Lee want us all to come over for a cookout tonight, and there's a car in the parking garage at the foundation just for your use, Poppy; Harry arranged it."

"Yes, he mentioned that when I talked to him last night. What time should we be over at the house, Phillip?"

"About seven?"

"That will be just fine. That will give us time to move into the apartment, freshen up, and then make the drive over. We'll finish unpacking later."

About the time Bob and Sue were getting off the plane in Washington, Jamie was at the community pool in Alliance with Bobby and Sammy Kozal. The time difference meant it was only three o'clock there, and at that hour the pool was very busy. Larry Kozal's wife Kathy, six months pregnant with their first child, was also there; Rosalyn had asked her to go along to make sure that the boys didn't impose too much on Jamie. Kathy was sitting in a deck chair in a two- piece swimsuit that draped gently over her baby bump watching her youngest brothers-in-law play with Jamie when a girlfriend from high school wandered by.

"Hey, Kath. How's it going?"

"Fine, Jeannie. How are you?"

"Good. How much longer?"

"About three months, and I'm convinced this one is a boy; he's certainly active enough. Pull up a chair."

"Thanks. Who's the hottie playing with Bobby and Sammy?" Jeannie asked, none too subtly.

"Close your mouth, honey, you'll catch flies," Kathy said dryly. "He's taken. That's Abby's new guy, James King. Federal agent, professional photographer, and all-around great guy. They met in Washington – you know Abby's doing an internship out there, the Thornton Foundation - when some creep tried to jump her while she was out jogging one night. She fought back, got away, and ran literally right into Jim's arms."

"Really? When was this?"

"Couple weeks ago," Kathy said, fudging the timelines slightly.

"And they're already a couple?"

"Hey, when a gal like my sister-in-law runs into a guy like Jim's arms, it's just meant to be, you know?"

"Yeah, I guess so. If they met in Washington, what's he doing all the way out here?"

"Visiting the family. He had to come to Kansas City to discuss a job transfer to his agency's office there, so after he finished that, he came out here. Larry's parents offered to meet him in Lincoln or even Omaha, but he said he wanted to see Carhenge."

"He drove all the way out here to see a bunch of old cars?"

"Well, I think meeting the family might have been a bit of an incentive, too," Kathy said. "He spent the morning at the alternative school talking to the summer school kids, at Chief Finley's request. Some of them are getting pretty close to some serious brushes with the law, you know, and the chief thought that a fresh voice from a guy who's already an experienced federal agent at twenty-two might make an impact on them. Larry was there and he said it went very well. They were all set to have him speak at an assembly, but he said no, he wanted it to be informal, so he and Lare went to Safeway, bought a bunch of sodas and cookies, and they had the meeting around the cafeteria tables. The kids kept him there talking for over two hours. Now, they may have just been trying to avoid going back to class, but Larry doesn't think so."

"He's only twenty -two? Really? I thought at least twenty-six."

"A common mistake, from what I understand. He was on the plane from D.C. to K.C. last Monday when he nabbed a domestic terrorist that had been on the wanted list for about five years. Just got on the plane, sat down, struck up a conversation with the woman the terrorist was forcing to help him, and next thing the guy knew, Jim had him in handcuffs."

"Wow. Like… wow. Well, I wish them all the best. Gotta go, Kathy. See you around," she said, and walked away, clearly disappointed that Abby had seen Jamie first.

"And that," Kathy thought, "is that. I wonder how many more single girls I'm going to have to wave off before they get the word that Jamie isn't interested in anyone but our Abigail?"

At four o'clock, Jamie called a halt to the pool day. Bobby started to protest, but one look from the J-Man had him climbing out of the pool and heading for the loungers where they'd left their towels.

"Go to the locker room, shower off the chlorine, and put on the dry clothes you brought," Jamie said. "I don't want wet bathing suits on the seats of that rental car. I'll be right behind you."

"Yes, sir." They trooped off to the locker room, towels around their necks. Jamie offered Kathy a hand to help her out of the deck chair and she said, "Thanks. I gotta tell you, Jamie, I have never seen those boys so cooperative."

"I'm intimidating," Jamie said with a smile. "Also, I offered an incentive. If they don't give you or me any backtalk or attitude, I'm going to take them out to the police firing range and let them each fire off a few rounds with the Sig Sauer, with my help. I already cleared it with Ray and with Chief Finley, and of course we'll be using eye and hearing protection."

"Oh, Lord, they'll be in hog heaven."

"I'd better go make sure they're really changing clothes, not getting into a water fight in the showers or something."

"You know boys very well."

"I should. I used to be one. Those boys are my brother Phillip and me about twelve years ago, before we even knew Mom was working for the Agency."