Please bare with me, I know this is a little slow, but I think this needs to go this way. I promise it will get better.
Chapter 3
The drive to Waylon was so long, Tom was sure that they would never make it. The three men drove their vehicles following their superior officer for the case at hand. Tom watched as the lights, traffic, and decay of the city slowly melted away into small suburban homes. The homes then gave way to trees which in turn lead to flat farmland. He had been to the country hundreds of times; he had not ever take time to note the landscape.
There was a smell that wafted through the window of his classic blue Ford Mustang. It was the smell of grass being cut, but the smell was sweeter. Not like you would smell as you cut the grass on your lawn mower at home. More like the sweet cool smell after a rain storm. He saw an older farmer in his field driving a red tractor pulling a contraption he had never seen before. It was like a giant "field vacuum," picking up the grass clippings, but this "thing" was pulling around a wagon onto which a younger man who looked to be about sixteen or seventeen was stacking the bails of hay. "So that's how they do that." Tom said to himself as he continued past the fields. Despite his dread of this whole case Tom thought 'this really is beautiful country.'
What felt like half a century later the three vehicles and one motor cycle came to a halt at a very old, two story home on the edge of the town. The home was modest but well kept. It's white exterior complimented by the black shutters at each window. There were numerous very old, very large trees in the yard. On one low branch of a particular oak hung an old tire swing which appeared to have seen better days. The grass was beautifully manicured as the multicolored flowerbeds dotted the landscape. There appeared to be two additional vehicles in the large driveway.
Tom pulled his car into the driveway way let the car idol for a moment before killing the engine entirely. He slowly emerged from his car glancing from side to side taking in the new surroundings. The sounds were so different, the air was different it was like stepping onto a new planet.
Dennis Booker pulled up next to Tom parked his car and gunned the engine. Tom furrowed his brow glared through the window at the man in the black Monte Carlo next to him.
"Relax little brother, just introducing myself to the neighbors." Dennis laughed.
Tom rolled his eyes and looked over at Doug who was stretching as he threw his leg over the back end of his motorcycle.
"Dennis, Doug, Tom get your things and come on inside." Dean said as he grabbed his bag from the back of his Maroon Bronco II. Dean headed for the house walking in the side door.
The officers gathered their belongings and walked into the house. They were greeted by the smell of hot apple pie, fresh baked bread and what smelled like meat loaf. Doug's spirits were instantly lifted as he realized he was very hungry.
"Boys, come on in here, I want you to meet someone." Dean's voice came from the next room over.
The three officers walked into the room and there were three people sitting on the couch.
"Boys, I want you to meet, Officer James Thompson, Principal Bonnie Woodruff, and my wife, Angela. These are my nephews Doug, Dennis and Tom Miller. They are my sister's boys. They will be staying with us for a while."
The three officers looked around the room and gave an uncomfortable "Hello" to the three people looking back at them.
Dean, my Lord, boys you've grown so much!" Angela Miller stood up and darted over to the officers and gave Hanson, Penhall and Booker each a hug and a kiss. She smiled and laughed as if she had known the boys their whole lives. "You have all gotten so handsome, and you look just like Sarah. Tom, you have your mother's cheekbones. Dennis you look so much like your grandmother, and Doug, my goodness, you get taller every time I see you! You are so handsome, all of you are. Come on… let's get you settled in and then will set down for some dinner."
Doug grinned at Tom and Dennis as the trio followed their new Aunt Angie up the stairs. Tom bent over to pick up his bags and turned around to look at the group of people behind him. Dean was talking to his Officer while the principal looked on. He heard Dean describing to the pair the illness his sister had and why these boys were staying with him. 'This is getting very complicated' he thought to himself. He turned to the stairs and headed up to join Penhall and Booker with Deans wife Angela. It was then that Tom started to wonder if they would really be able to make this whole charade work, and that thought scared him very badly.
So, like I said... just bare with me, it will get better. I am going to try and get you an update soon, but my son who is a US Marine is returning from Iraq and I am going to greet him as he gets off the bus! I am sooooo proud! OOOOO-RAHHHHHHH!