Chapter 3
As the kids frolicked in the pool, with the rest in swimsuits gathered around, Reed looked at Matt. "You mentioned something about a farm and your grandparents at lunch." Matt smiled. "Mind sharing?"
Hotch looked at Matt. "I sorta want to hear this too. Every time we're in the Midwest, you comment about farm fields. And you obviously know a lot."
"Since Mac is eight years older than me, mom and dad put him through college, with him joining ROTC at Northwestern to help pay the tab. But they still struggled to pay the bills. And for the record, Mac worked his butt off too." Mac smiled.
"But I was ten by then, and pretty much on my own. Mom and dad were both working two jobs to pay the bills and tuition. And like any kid that age, with too much unsupervised time on my hands, I fell in with the wrong crowd. Uncle Paddy, dad's brother, and the proverbial Chicago Irish cop," Hotch smiled, "pulled them aside and told them what was happening. Mom and dad felt bad but they had no choice. So they sent me to live on grandpa and grandma's dairy farm in Wisconsin, about three hours north of Chicago." Matt looked at Mac.
"It was heaven," Mac smiled, nodding at Matt. "We both spent our summers up there so our folks could work."
"It was my haven, and grandma straightened me out in a hurry," Matt said, as Abbey rubbed his shoulder, already knowing the story. Mac, knowing their grandmother, smiled broadly, as Stella enjoyed their memories. Matt looked at Reed. "Don't get me wrong Reed; I worked my butt off there. I was a simple farm kid. But in the school system there, I wasn't the only one. I found friends and a brotherhood that came from the same background. We worked hard; and played sports harder," Matt smiled. "We both loved it there. I stayed and graduated from high school, even though Mac had graduated from college and was off for the Marines. Mom and dad kept working so they could put me through college."
Looking at Hotch, he added, "And yes, I learned a lot about farms. Milking cows, collecting eggs twice a day in the chicken coop, baling hay and planting crops; corn and soy beans," Mac smiled. "Baling hay; now that was great fun," he said rolling his eyes at his brother, remembering the hard work that they put in back then. "But Da was great," Matt smiled, reflecting on the memory. "And when we had some down time, he took me into the woods on the farm and I learned even more. I know to this day, I can still track a deer."
"I always made sure I got up there for Thanksgiving," Mac added. He looked at Matt. "It was deer hunting time as well and dad wouldn't miss that," he smiled. "We got to spend that time together in the woods. Da, dad and we boys; mom and dad were working their butts off for me, but we had that time together. It was very special."
Matt beamed. "And damn how grandma and mom would cook for us," he said, looking at Mac, the fond memories rushing back.
"Oh jeez; Thanksgiving morning, we'd get up early and go hunting. Dinner was at four and it was a feast," Mac smiled.
Stella looked at the brothers. "So who brought home the trophy buck every year?" Reed moved into the pool with Colin, but kept up with the conversation.
"Stell," he said, thumbing at Matt. "He could smell a big buck a mile away and lay in wait for him all morning. Why do you think he joined Marine Recon?"
"But the best part," Matt smiled at Mac, "was the swimming hole."
Stella looked at Mac. "You never told me about that."
"Guess I never thought of it," he said, rubbing her shoulder. "It was on the southwest side of this big limestone sand hill that was on the property and had an aquifer underneath it; spring feed water. And since it got all that sunshine facing the west, it warmed the cold spring water. We swam in it every afternoon if it wasn't raining."
"But the best part," Matt continued, "there was this big oak tree on the west side of the swimming hole. It had no earthly business growing there expect its roots must have tapped into a vein of the aquifer. Anyway, it was huge." He looked at Mac. "I remember when dad and Da hooked up the tire swing to the big limb that hung over the pool."
The brothers looked at each, shaking their heads, as they smiled at the memories.
About that time, Matt heard a rattling in the garage. He and Hotch went on alert and looked to see Dave walking out with Mudgie. Dave was dressed in his usual shorts, white t-shirt and sandals, all Italian made. "What the hell you doing here," Matt asked. "You've got your own pool, and it's a helluva of lot bigger." Mudgie went to the side of the pool and happily barked at the kids.
"But it doesn't have them," Dave said, wagging his finger at the kids. "Besides, I bought the pork chops you're going to cook on the grill tonight for dinner," he slyly smiled, standing next to Stella. "Hey Greek goddess, how are you?"
Stella got up from her chair and gave him a hug. Dave and Mac shared warm handshakes. Reed looked around in amazement. "Dave, this is my son Reed Garrett. Reed, David Rossi." Reed standing in the pool, wet from playing with Colin, froze as Dave offered his hand.
"It doesn't bite Reed, and I duck hunt with my partner," he smiled, nodding at Mudgie. "I know wet hands." Reed warmly shook it.
Dave looked around. "What the hell? Two Irishmen and LEO and you're not drinking beer? I thought you all were on vacation?" Abbey glared at him as Stella rolled his eyes. Dave looked at Reed. "Maybe that's why I'm not married anymore."
Reed smiled as Hotch said, "Ya think big dog?"
"Judas, Dave it's only 1:30 in the afternoon. Us Irishmen usually don't start until three."
Dave winked at Reed. "'Cause they're still nursing a hangover."
"Rossi, sit down and shut up," Matt growled.
"Do I at least get an ice tea?" Rossi smiled, knowing what was coming next.
"Absolutely Dave," Abbey said, pointing to the sliding glass doors of the deck. "You go through them, and you know where the plastic glasses and ice tea are."
Dave smiled broadly, done playing with all of them. "Anyone else?" The all shook their heads as Dave made himself at home.
Reed looked at Matt. "I take this isn't unusual?"
"Reed, we told you at lunch. We're all pretty close. You're just getting to see it in action. And btw, if he buys the meat, I'll grill it," Matt smiled.
Hotch laughed to himself looking at Reed. "You should see Dave when we're all there, including the kids, at his 'mansion'," he emphasized, hearing Dave coming out the door. Matt and Abbey looked at each other and laughed.
Dave piped in as he walked to them. "It's a mansion, with a lot of stuff that doesn't go well with a bunch of kids."
"Have you thought about maybe changing that if you want them around?" Mac offered.
"Whose side are you on?" Dave said, looking at Mac.
"Theirs," he said, smiling at Rossi and pointing to Matt and Hotch.
"Bro," Matt said. "What was the saying that Da always said about being nervous?"
"I was more nervous than a chicken with a fox in the hen house." They both smiled at the memory, sharing a laugh.
Jack happened to swim by. "Uncle Matt, what does that mean?"
"Jack, foxes eat chickens. And if one gets in the hen house, where they all lay their eggs, it's not pretty."
As Jack swam away, happy with the explanation, Matt looked at Hotch, and whispered. "Now that's a damn serial killer on a spree." Hotch silently laughed.
As Dave sat down, Reed looked at Matt and Abbey. "So you told stories on mom and dad. How did you two meet?"
Matt looked at Abbey. "In a nutshell, my roomie for two years at the Academy, and my best friend, got married in Houston. He was the son of big society marrying a daughter of the same. I was his best man. Abbey was the maid of honor."
Abbey laughed. "And I chased his butt for six months before we finally went on a date. And btw Reed, I may have been born with the silver spoon in my mouth, but I was raised to work for everything you got." She nodded at Matt. "It took me that long to convince him. I just had to fly to San Diego to do the convincing."
"Babe, I bought in that first weekend. But, I was just playing hard to get," he said pulling down his sunglasses to look at Rossi over them. "Isn't that how the game is played?"
Rossi looked at him. "You? Have game?" Matt dropped his left hand below the lounge chair he was sitting in to give Dave a one finger salute, out of the sight of the kids. The rest just roared.
The kids soon swam up to where they all were sitting and pleaded for Matt and Aaron to get in so they could dive off the board at the deep end. Mac joined them in the pool as Abbey and Stella helped the kids do their dives. Jack, beginning to master the workings of the diving board, began to get some air in his jumps. Cam and Case quickly followed his lead. Colin, usually the daredevil, but leery of the diving board, finally made his first jump off it. Yet it was a cannonball that drenched Reed. The kids all laughed as he dove after them. They shared a great time, and, as usual, Casee was able to even get Uncle Dave in with them.
As the kids shared some down time watching a movie in the living room, the adults all sat around in the shade. Abbey rubbed Dave's shoulder. "You really did bring pork chops. So what else do you want for dinner?"
He looked at her. "I get to pick?" Mac noticed the legendary profiler nearly salivating. He winked at Stella.
Abbey just nodded at him. "I'm pretty flexible," she said, smiling at him.
"Baked potatoes, candied carrots, Chinese coleslaw and garlic bread; I'll give you some money if you need to run to get anything."
"Easy enough; but I do need to run and get a few things."
"My wallet is in my shorts in Matt's den," Dave said. "Just grab what you need."
Abbey shook her head at him as Dave got the patented Hotch glare from Matt.
"Mind if I come along?" Stella asked. Abbey just smiled at her as they left the pool area to change and go to the food market.
Matt watched intently as the ladies left and then looked around, smiling broadly. "I think its beer drinking time boys."
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A/N: This is where I get to show my pride at being a dairy farmer's granddaughter. I grew up in that same environment. My parents and I lived six miles from the family farm, and my greatest childhood memories are spending time there. Except for the chicken coop; the hens loved grandpa. They just scratched the hell out of my hands when I tried to get the eggs. Look at chicken feet and get the visual; I came out bloody. And back in Matt's time age, baling hay (alfalfa) was damn hard work, which I did as a teenager. I am woman. Hear me roar. ;) It wasn't automated like it is now with the big round bales. Back then, it was square bales that weighed about 50 pounds each that you had to load (correctly) on the hay wagon and then unload; and usually on the hottest days of summer. So don't miss that part.