The Ten of Them Chapter 3

Arthur’s notes: This chapter too has nearly no sex, sorry. This chapter is the build up for the main event that occurs later in the story. I feel is important to describe this part of their lives, as it has to do with romance building between the two young lovers.

JJ feels the bond for Kathryn a feeling so very strong, this bonding pulls them together, generated a need within him to love and care for Kathryn. JJ realizing Kathryn ten years of age is not ready for sex decides to wait, rather than chance losing the powerful connection they share. Kathryn is the only girl he truly cares for, and would do or give up anything to protect her.

Waiting for Kathryn: chapter 3

The next day, I showed the blueprints and a computer walk through to Kathryn who was very excited by the new house. Mom told me that she didn’t want that upstairs bedroom especially since all the masters now were identical, except the upstairs master was slightly smaller due to the elevator, but it had a balcony we should have a great view of the river. That seemed to excite Kathryn, she always dreamed of having a bedroom with its own elevator. I told Kathryn if she played her cards right she could sleep over. She would punch me in the shoulder every time I make that joke.

It wasn’t long before all the glass and outside was completely finished. Once sealed from the elements the interior work could begin. Geothermal heat pump and air handling and ducks, electrical and plumbing when simultaneously and we have to do septic system with leach bed which meant most of their hilltop got dug up completely.

In July I begin my morning runs again I run for about 3 to 4 miles each morning. On my third time out I found Kathryn waiting for me holding a large glass of cold water. Of course she wouldn’t let me hug her being all covered in perspiration. The days were hot even in the early morning when I ran. When I first showed up with my T-shirt tied around my waist I thought Kathryn was going to fall over. She wouldn’t let me hug her but that didn’t stop her from caressing my sweating abs.

By the end of August the solar cells installation was completed. We didn’t have to use the portable generators everything preceded faster. By the time school started two of the four wings were completed and most of the basement kitchen and living areas. We hired extra workers from a second contractor, who did not have any work at the time.

Michael Junior, Mark, and Eddie started fishing with Kathryn and I course the three brothers hated that Kathryn was there. I offered $100 price for whoever caught the most fish on that trip. As she caught more fish than anyone else did, Kathryn won the hundred dollars. She made us let her buy dinner for the five of us. She took us for a good dinner, they soon got over it. Kathryn loved to fish more than I or was the fact I made her brothers actually associate with her. The more time they spent together the less hostile to each other they were. During the fall I arrange for construction of a boat dock for my new boat.

The other major thing happened in August I begin football training preseason. Mom had to go to the administrative office to arrange for my classes. I received placement in advanced classes for most of my subjects, my home schooling in California didn’t count points towards my graduation. Coach was right I was the most physically fit freshman to join the football team.

When September comes around and we left for school that first day I got another surprise. Kathryn’s IQ and academics had advanced her before her peers. She was also a freshman in my class along with Eddie. The classes I had with Kathryn were all of the advanced courses; I had gym class with Eddie.

Being formerly from LA I got picked on often; the Edward brothers wouldn’t allow an unfair fight. So they warned them that I was now the toughest guy in the County. I was also training them in martial arts. We used some of the scrap lumber, two by fours for a demonstration one day. I had shown the brothers that I can break four two by fours stacked on each other without any trouble.

When one of the other boys totally insisted that I fight him, I asked if he minded me warming up first. He jokingly said. “It won’t matter if you’re hot or cold you’re still going to get your ass kicked.” I smiled to the brothers and they set up the two cinderblocks with four two by fours across them. Once they were in place I stretched a little and smashed the two by fours. I withdrew my martial arts license from my wallet I handed it to him. He stood there pale faced swallowing hard before he said. “I may have been out of line, and more than a little premature. I’m sorry John.” No one else call me LA to my face after that.

Kathryn and I try to spend as much time together as we could manage. No one seemed to bother her as long as I was around. She possessed a color copy of her birthday card and carried it in her backpack not risking the original. So even when I wasn’t around they knew me as her protector. She may have been the youngest and nearly the shortest freshman standing only at four foot six but no one bothered her.

Kathryn began joining me for my morning runs during that fall, and after she would practice with me while I went through my exercises. Her brothers joined us doing the training. Kathryn seems to be a natural and quickly picked up the basics.

I made a Thanksgiving card for Kathryn, she laughed at it for half an hour until she told me. “It was so bad it’s good.”

I made a Christmas card for Kathryn, the character a Christmas was me a Santa Claus with a large bag over my shoulder. During Christmas time several churches were taking up money and gifts for children throughout the County and I ensured that every one of them had what they needed. I convinced Kathryn to help me pick up presents for the girls for these organizations, she chose and I paid.

Just two weeks before Christmas the coach presented me with the keys to the house. It was finished just as he said it would be. We had already moved several things in that we didn’t have room for in the small house. A few days later the Edwards family helped as we completely moved into our new home before Christmas. Within the larger space my room looked a little Spartan but I didn’t care much. We had purchased a lot of furniture that was ready for delivery. The new living room suit, theater chairs for the home theater, pool table, card table for the game room, pool furniture and a bedroom suit for mom. I did add an overstuffed oversized leather chair to my room. It was just big enough for Kathryn and I to snuggle in together, and we spend a lot of time reading in it. Mom hurriedly decorated the living room for Christmas. Under the tree we placed our presence to each other along with the ones for the Edwards.

Of course I purchased presents for the Edwards. I gave stocking stuffers of music cards, or prepaid credit cards. I purchased one major gift for each of them; I try to find a thoughtful gift not worried about cost. Helen helps me pick out presence for her children. I give the coach two Super Bowl tickets and airline and hotel reservations all expenses paid.

Once our football season was over, I began instructing classes in martial arts as an afterschool program that January. The first few classes had six students including Eddie and Kathryn. They would call me LA for the longest, not to my face anymore, till Kathryn challenged anyone that call me LA would get and asked kicking from her. It didn’t take long for the class to begin filling up mostly with girls once Kathryn had tossed around a couple of the football players that was hassling her for dating me and took her challenge.

I found out I could get a driver’s license for farm vehicles including a truck but could only drive to and from markets. I got one anyway just so I could occasionally drive down to the farmers market. Like always Kathryn is at my side when I made our little trips. And as always we were not left alone, usually one of Kathryn’s sisters, my mother or Helen would come along. It always was an excuse to do a little shopping and a lot of the times I would buy roses for Kathryn or other flowers for our Moms.

On Valentine’s Day Kathryn seem to be a little down so I bought her a dozen roses that cheered her up a little. As we set and talked it took a while but I found out what was really bothering her. I had the money and the means to spoil her with anything I wanted to. But for her she did not even have enough money to buy me an inexpensive watch she had seen at the jewelry store.

That’s when I started learning to be a pickpocket. I didn’t take money out I put money in. Sometimes that’s even harder than sliding a $20 bill out. Kathryn didn’t understand why for the longest time she would find more money at the end of the day in her pants than when she left for school. Teasing Kathryn I told her. “I must be a money magnet and you been around me enough to be magnetized.”

At the end of the school year she caught me putting cash into her pocket, she acted all mad but I knew inside she was laughing at me. She realized I give her anything to make her happy.

At the beginning of summer my new house was home. My room quickly became where most of the younger Edwards hung out. Mark and Eddie would come over to play video games; mom would let them even if I wasn’t around.

Kathryn usually could be found by my side her sisters sometime teased her calling Kathryn JJ’s shadow. She replied to their teasing, “If by shadow you mean girlfriend yes I am his shadow.” I was anywhere near, and I always was I would give her a kiss to emphasize that she was my girlfriend. Kathryn and I read a lot, most the time with Kathryn my lap and her head resting against my shoulder. Kara and Krystal would come over with their brothers, sometimes to hang out but will usually help mom around the house first. The twins and their father came to play billiards, in pairs or solo sometimes with me or one of his children. The swimming pool was always a popular spot to hang out. Even Helen could be found there occasionally usually with Mom. The home theater was large enough so all of us could watch a movie together. A large projection screen lined one wall, with digital surround sound it was as good as going to a major movie theater. Best part of it was I’ve had Kathryn on my lap in the dark for an hour and half or longer.

The Coach even started going fishing with Kathryn and I. The next summer I had a boat house built by the coach’s construction crew. Our two families grew closer over time.

In the spring Kathryn had her growing spurt by her eleventh birthday she looked more like a young woman than girl. She outgrew her training bra and was now in a 28 A cup, 20 inch waist with 28 inch hips. Summer was hard on me, her body was that of a willowy young goddess of a woman but she wasn’t ready to be one.

Kathryn had decided she wanted a job over the summer. I had her write a resume stating all her abilities and qualifications. I actually was quite impressed with what she had written. I checked some of her job references and they checked out. So I hired her, she became my scheduling secretary and personal assistant. It didn’t take her long to figure out I was not a pushover of a boss. I actually had her working doing several of my minor projects throughout the days when she worked. She did love the paychecks but I found out she spent most of the money on things for family or me.

I ensured that she scheduled time for fishing swimming and dating. Her eyes got large when I told her I wanted scheduled time for dating. With her hands on her hips she demanded to know who I needed scheduled for a date. Not backing down I told her make sure she’s free on all my scheduled time for dates. It only took 3 seconds for her to realize my date’s she was scheduling were with her, jumping into my arms she asks, “What activities are you planning on your dates?”

Laughing I teased her replying, “That would depend on what my girlfriend wants to do.”

Not fallen for it Kathryn replies playfully, “Oh, I’ll think of something.”

She did get mad when I had her schedule a fishing trip without her. All three of her brothers were going to go fishing with me in my bass boat. They want to use a different lake which meant moving the boat on its trailer. Unfortunately we only had room for four in the truck and since it was Michael Junior’s last year here none of the other brothers would give up a seat for her. Needless to say she did get back at me because my schedule becomes brutal after that. That wasn’t completely her doing as football practice began in August.

The twins had graduated and would be off to college this fall when they were afraid that the finances would prevent them from attending the schools they wanted. A mysterious benefactor contacted their schools paying the tuition for the entire year. Of course the coach suspected it was me but never said anything. A week before the college began a truck came by carrying two cars. When Michael and Michelle were called to sign for the cars their eyes got wide when the pink slips were presented to them. The coach just shook his head and went back into his house.

That summer was over far too quickly. Even with her working for me we become closer throughout that summer. I began to appreciate how bright she was, she was easily the smartest person that I knew. It didn’t take long to realize her potential was far greater than her circumstance would have permitted.

School that year was much like the year before except for my last class period. I receive permission to use a class period for my martial arts/self-defense class this year. The physical education instructors participating with class, it received accreditation as a gym class. Like the previous year far more female than male students attended.

Kara was a freshman that year, and she began to hang around Kathryn and I. She also took the self-defense class for her gym class. When a senior classmen said something very rude about Maria I was surprised to find Kathryn laughing, as Kara had placed him in a hold and was making him retract his statement. Considering he outweighed her by at least 70 pounds and was taller by a foot with greater reach you would assume the fight would’ve been very one sided. Kara wasn’t bothered much by anyone after that.

I found out he had not only made a rude remark but grabbed Kara inappropriately. Having worked with the administration I requested and got him to serve as our sparring dummy for a week. His name was Joe and he didn’t enjoy his week as sparring dummy, I instructed on the use of many throws that week. On Friday I allow him to attack me in any form or fashion he care to. He thought this was a chance to reap a little revenge. What it really was, my chance to make a lasting impression on Joe. He would throw a punch or combination and I would toss him using one of the methods I had instructed on that week. At the end of the session I did a little demonstration using five two by fours, as I smashed through them Joe realized I had been purposely holding back on every punch I gave him.

After school ends, I begin teaching Kathryn how to trade on the stock market. I set up one of those trial accounts, where you test out yourself to see if you can trade well enough to make money. After two weeks on her trial account I was surprised to see how well she was doing. I opened a stock account for her place in everything like the trial account only a few things if you look for them would’ve told you it was an actual account. At the end of the month she was already up 25% over what she was two weeks prior. I asked Kathryn if she would be my partner with me providing initial money and her running the stock account. When she said she was frightened, and not wanting to lose my money. I asked her. “What difference would it make from a trial to an actual account?” Kathryn got a confused look for second until I explained. “You didn’t know it was real money for the last two weeks. You made two and half-million.”

Shaking Kathryn said, “You mean you trust me that much.”

I pulled her close before I said, “Of course I do. It’s only money. You’re far more important to me. Family is what’s important to me, money isn’t all that important to me.”

Shyly Kathryn asks, “JJ, am I family?”

I pick the words carefully not wanting to frighten her. “I would love for you to be family when you’re ready.”

Kathryn lifts her face to mine, she kisses me passionately when she finally pulled back she asked, “What kind of family, obviously not a sister? You don’t kiss sisters like that. Maybe a sister-in-law but you haven’t shown any interest in any of my sisters. You’re obviously straight, judging from that hard on you just got. Since you’re obviously turned on by me sexually, I’m betting you want to marry me.”

I’m grinning from ear to ear when I ask, “Should I go down on one knee now or wait until I have an engagement ring?”

“You can wait till you… No. JJ ask right now.”

I release Kathryn and step back holding her left hand I start to lower myself and stop. She gets a confused expression on her face. I ask her, “Could you close your eyes and wait just a second I had this all planned out and doesn’t work right without something to put on your finger.”

Kathryn giggles, “Okay, I guess I can.”

I release Kathryn hand and rush over to the desk I make lots of noise opening a couple drawers and shutting them. I quickly glanced over my shoulder to ensure she keeps her eyes closed. I make sounds like I’m trying to do something with a paperclip as I go into a pocket for a key and open a locked compartment on my desk I quickly remove the jewelry box with her engagement ring. It’s a diamond ring with two rubies as rose flowers on each side of the diamond. I return to Kathryn, her eyes are still closed as I kneel before her. I clear my throat as I slide the ring over her finger I cover her hand with mine. Kathryn eyes open and look into mine; I see love and happiness shining in her eyes.

“Kathryn, love of my life. Would you do me the great honor of being my best friend, my partner, and my wife?”

Kathryn is always the playful type she asked, “What do I get out of it?” Even though her eyes are saying yes I know she’s negotiating our partnership.

Still kneeling I say, “All my love for all my life, everything you ever want I will give you.”

Kathryn giggles, “First of all you’re going to give me a nice Ruby and diamond engagement ring to replace this paperclip ring you made.”

Smiling I asked her, “Is that all my love that you want?”

Kathryn playfully answers, “Yes, and when you’ve done that my answer will be yes.”

I take a long blink as if she asked me something hard. “As you wish.” Then raise my hand off the top of hers moving the ring from underneath I notice she glances down at it. Her eyes go wide seeing the ring, Kathryn’s mouth drops open in shock and then she screams, “Oh my God that’s it that’s the engagement ring I saw.”

Kathryn grabs me and pulls me into a passionate kiss, after we break I ask, “Would that be in the premonition you had the first time we kissed, when you saw the ring?” Her eyes go wide as she shakes her head reluctantly yes. I confess to her. “I had a premonition too. That’s how I knew that necklace was destined for you.”

Kathryn asks, “So is it true then?”

Cuddling her close to me, I say, “Only if we work at making it come true.”

Kathryn says, “You think our premonition was like Groundhog Day with Bill Murray.”

Grinning I say, “I love that movie, hopefully we get it right but what I saw we did pretty good.”

Kathryn giggles, “Yeah you got me pregnant ten times.”

Still cuddling to her I kiss her neck before replying. “You know we both want a big family. Our twelve kids do some pretty amazing things.” She kisses me again before saying. “Yes my husband they do.”

Like always be never get very long together without someone in the family coming up to my room. I’m not sure if they’re protecting Kathryn or me. Its mom this time as she comes up Kathryn gets excited “I got to tell.” I kiss her. “Of course we had to tell. But don’t forget to tell them about the money you made this last two weeks.”

“Maggie, look!” Kathryn holds out her hand for mom to see. Mom seeing the ring Kathryn’s excited face and me grinning from ear to ear comes over and sets down heavily on my bed. Then Mom as she takes Kathryn’s hand to get a better look at the ring seeing the design, she asked. “Holy shit, JJ did you ask her…”

Kathryn answers. “Yes, Mom and I said yes.” She threw her arms round Mom. Mom has tears in her eyes as she holds Kathryn. Kathryn pushes mom back for second I got to tell you something else. I’m JJ’s new partner in the stock market we made too and a half million so far.

Mom remembers the joke I used to tell when Kathryn would find unexpected money in her pockets. “Now you both are money magnets.”

Laughing I say, “She made all the choices, if she keeps it up by the time we’re married we’ll be billionaires.”

She corrects me. “JJ you’re a billionaire, don’t forget I’m your personal assistant and I’ve been watching your accounts for you.”

A little surprised I say, “Really I guess I’m been making you work harder than I had thought.”

Giggling mom says, “That’s right you slave driver.”

Kathryn walks to me hugging me tightly she says, “We got to go tell my parents.”

Mom says, “Hang on a second I want to get the video camera.”

As we are walking into the Edwards’ yard Kathryn is wrapped around my arm which is not an uncommon sight. I can’t help but remember how much both of us have changed in the past two years. Oh my God, with everything else on my mind I didn’t realize tomorrow is her birthday. “Love, what would you want for your birthday?”

“I think I got it already.” She says looking at her ring.

“Seriously love, I want to give you something for your birthday. Anything at all.”

Kathryn asks “JJ could you give me your help for my birthday present.”

Smiling I say, “Of course I will but you don’t have to make that your birthday present.”

Kathryn seriously replies. “Let me finish before you say that. You said we were partners and I get 50%. My parents are struggling financially I want to help. Would it be possible if I gave my share so far to my Mom and Dad?”

I stop this a few feet away from the porch and turn to her smiling I say, “You’re such a generous and loving person you’re going to make someone a great wife. Oh yeah that’s me.” Then I kiss her passionately. Her mom laughs from the porch, watching my Mom videotape us. Kathryn holds her left hand up to my face and Mom zooms in for a close-up of us kissing.

Helen calls from the porch, “Would you two come over here and tell us what’s going on.”

We break our kiss and begin walking hand-in-hand again to the porch. She sets down in my lap with her left hand resting on her knee. Neither of us says anything for a while but my eyes keep traveling down to her hand. I’ll make eye contact with Helen or the Coach and then my eyes travel back to Kathryn’s ring. My fourth time doing this Helen follows my eye movement. Mom catches Helen’s expression of total shock when she sees the engagement ring. “Oh my God that’s… That’s the ring you described.”

The Coach seen the ring asks like a dutiful father, “JJ did you ask my daughter to marry you?”

“Yes Sir, I did ask her to marry me.” I can’t read his face whether he is happy or upset he’s hiding it well.

The Coach says, “Seeing that ring on your finger I guess you said yes Kathryn.”

Kathryn bubbling with joy replies, “Yes, Daddy I did say yes. I also said yes to becoming his partner. He taught me how to trade stocks on the Internet. In the last two weeks we’ve made two and a half million dollars. ”

Rubbing her shoulder I say. “You did all the work on making that money, all the decisions and choices on the stocks were yours.”

Michael and Helen are almost in shock hearing this new information about their youngest daughter. “She such a natural when it comes to the stock market she has a sixth sense, she’s easily outperforming my choices so I’m going to begin putting more money for her to work with.”

Kathryn turns to me asks, “Are you sure?”

“I’ll always be there to help you and not give you more than you can handle. Now get back to what you were saying.”

Kathryn smiles as she addresses her parents. “Oh yeah, my partner has agreed to allow me to take out my share of the earnings for the past two weeks. Mom, Dad I know that money has been tight this year so I want to give you 1 million bucks.”

Helen’s mouth drops open in shock. The coach rushes forward and grabs a giggling Kathryn off my lap. Holding her up, he asks, “Are you sure?”

Throwing her arms around her father’s neck she kisses him on the cheek before pulling back to say, “Yes Dad it’s what I want to do.”

Helen recovering from her shock jumps up and wraps the both of them in a hug. Kathryn her head between her parents as they both begin to kiss her on her cheeks. After a few minutes her Father sets her down.

The Coach pulls me up into a hug between him and his wife, Helen kisses me on the cheek it feels like both welcome me into their family officially. They finally let me step back and then the Coach begins. In a series tone he says, “John since you came into her life two years ago you made my daughter extremely happy. You are a good friend to our family. Whenever you were needed you were always there helping. I know you’ve paid for the schooling of my children with it was not required of you. It was you who give them automobiles so they have transportation to school. I’ve seeing you prove yourself over and over to be a far better man than most any I’ve known. I would be pleased to call you son.”

Then he adds playfully, “Don’t think I will be easier on you on the football field.”

Just as playfully I reply, “I would not like it if you did.”

The rest of the family begins to come on the porch wondering what’s going on. As Kathryn holds up her hand for her sisters to get a good look at her engagement ring. It’s Kara that is first to congratulate us says, “You were serious when you said you spend the rest of your life finding out what it was. Congratulations little sister, you got a good one.”

Some of her sisters’ comments make me smile others I have to worry a little bit about. I have a feeling until we are married there still going to try to tempt me. Maybe not even then they would stop.

Like every summer Kathryn and her sisters and brothers are off to the grandparents for a week starting on Kathryn’s birthday, the only difference is this summer I get to go spend the day with Kathryn at her grandparents. We follow the Edwards to the grandparents’ home.

Her grandmother has hundreds of stories all of them new to me, one story in particular gets Kathryn’s attention. Her grandmother tells us when she was a young child how her grandma told her it was more normal for a young girl to marry an older man sometimes as much as ten or fifteen years difference in age, with the girl anywhere from twelve to fourteen. She tells us her grandmother married when she was thirteen years old to her grandfather and they were married for fifty-five years before their deaths.

I got my driver’s license at the first possible moment. Mom bought me a car for my sixteenth birthday. Took my driver’s test as soon as I was permitted and like most everything else my life I pass with flying colors even the road test. I even parallel parked well. I hadn’t told Kathryn about getting my driver’s license that Wednesday the day after her birthday. Kathryn was surprised when I showed up on Friday to spend some time with her, and of course I listened to a bunch more stories from her grandma. As it was beginning to get late they invited me to stay the night they had a little more room. I had to sleep up stairs with the boys. I called mom told mom where I was going to be at, before she left to her party.

That night her brothers grilled me on marrying their baby sister, most of it was in good fun. They basically wanted to make sure that I truly loved their baby sister. Kathryn’s brothers also ribbed me about being a virgin and already engaged asking why I haven’t tried anything. I told them it’s always been up to Kathryn, when she’s ready she will let me know. They all said they appreciated that but admitted not being able to do it themselves. I said, “I know what I’m waiting for is totally worth it.” The three brothers groaned before telling me to shut up and go to sleep. We all laughed and the drifted off to sleep.

I woke up earlier than anyone else the next morning. I am accustomed to running in the early morning. I walk into the bathroom and wash my face and wet my hair to comb it out. I quietly moved through the house and out onto the back porch to wait the rest of the family to awake.

Grandma was the first to get up only about ten minutes after me. We set there and talked in the early morning sun, she basically asked me how I ended up engaged to her youngest granddaughter. I asked her, “You want the long story or the short version of my life story?”

She giggles and said. Those sleepy heads will not be up for at least another hour so you got time if you give me the long one in that time.

I begin the medium one. “When I was three my father died in a LA freeway accident. A rich man not paying attention ran into my father as he was helping to rescue people. There was a large lawsuit settlement and I received twenty-five million dollars.

My mother was so busy working; she had thrown herself into her career trying to avoid the pain of losing my father. That’s why I can do things other kids never got away with. I pulled myself out of public school and hired a governess and started my own home schooling. I needed a class for my physical education and the accepted a martial arts Academy where I trained at. I began training there three times a week when I was seven by the time I was ten I had my first black belt when I was twelve and finished high school I have five.

To get the information I needed to get through school I would hire tutors. Occasionally they were hard to find. Sometimes I paid for a week when all I needed was less than an hour of their time. So I started Internet business just as I was finishing my high school, to help other students in the same situation.

To help me with my business my governess became my partner. Between high school and college we started a second Internet company it was an auction site and make quite a bit of money with people paying point $.50 for each bid they entered. I sold my Internet companies and decided to retire I finished three Associates degrees in college by that time. And I got really lucky when I found the land next to Kathryn’s home.

The first time we kissed was an accident I went down to talk to her and she rose up our lips met and after I knew. That kiss lasted over 20 minutes but didn’t see more like a second.

I got the house built by Michael, who is really a great contractor. I love spending time with Kathryn any time, any place we can be together. She’s easily the smartest person I know. Don’t tell her that.” I gave grandma a wink.

“In two weeks playing the stock market on $10 million she makes 25% profit. Not only she smart, she is very generous. When she was working for me her paychecks will usually go mostly to the family. Now that she’s my partner her income for the last two weeks she gave it away to her parents so they didn’t have to struggle. She’s a very special person my Kathryn, I’m very lucky that she agreed to be my wife.

Grandma calls it as she sees it, giggling she says. “From everything my son is told me about you. I know you’re not one to exaggerate. So I believe every word of the story but I also know you left a lot out, that is a short story.”

I’m sorry ma’am “I have the ability to remember everything I see or hear. If I told the long story it would take over nine years.”

Grandma giggles. “How did you end up back in high school here when you already have a high school diploma in California and three college degrees?”

“Coach told me that the local school doesn’t accredit home schooling from out of state. I was under 16 so had to attend school. I guess it was something to do that I hadn’t done before. I have a lot of classes with Kathryn, which is great gives us more time to spend together.”

Grandma says. “That makes sense.” She asks me. “Would you do me a favor by picking some berries a little ways up the mountainside?” I agreed and she told me just to wait a minute. In a minute or so she returned with Kathryn and a bucket for us to fill. Kathryn was almost embarrassed her hair a mess from sleep but I couldn’t take my eyes off her, she wore a thin white T-shirt her bra showed underneath her blue jeans that would just tight enough to show every curve of her body. Her grandma laughed, “Yeah you’re in love.”

Kathryn looking at me asks, “You think I look good like this?”

Still staring at her I say, “Yes, you always are beautiful to me.”

Kathryn stretched a little before taking my hand and led me to the berry bushes. Half hour after we start picking Kathryn’s sisters finally arrived to help us. Although that was a fun half-hour we didn’t pick many berries but I did get more than a few kisses from my fiancée.

Now it is my future sister-in-law’s time to hassle me about our relationship me and their baby sister. When it starts to become sexually suggestive I stopped them, anyway I needed to before Kathryn kicks their ass. “Now sisters here’s the thing I love Kathryn with all my heart. Nothing you can do would ever tempt me into messing that up.” Three of her sisters flash me their breasts, and teasing me by saying, “JJ you know you want to touch our tits you’re just human.”

“Sorry sisters those aren’t the breasts I am in love with.” Kathryn grins at me but gives her sisters and very angry look. She steps forward and places her hand over my heart and kisses me, when I say loud enough for her sisters to hear. “You know I belong to you and you alone.” She cuddles to me and I can almost hear her purr.

Her sisters’ screams alert me to the danger, a large black bear is charging through the brush less than 100 feet away from us. A black bear common in some parts of the Appalachians was actually rarer to see one this far east. Most, but not all, of the black bear populations are limited to the national forests and parks of the Appalachians. We’re more than 200 miles from the nearest national Park.

Kathryn’s sisters turn and run before I can tell them not to, a black bear can run faster than any human so running from a bear is a bad idea, it is an apex predator and its instinct tells it to kill anything that runs from it. I tell Kathryn to stay behind me as I stand as tall as I can with hands up and shouting at the top of my lungs I step between the bear and the fleeing girls. The bear is confused and stops to assess the threat. If it feels I am too much of a threat it will turn and run or move back until it decides whether it has the upper hand or not.

This is a large male not easily intimidated, but not as dangerous as a female protecting her cubs. The bear turns to me and stands on his hind legs, it is easily head and shoulders above me and I’m six foot one now. I call onto all my training and experience, I understand a little of its anatomy it like most mammals has several weak spots where a trained individual can do fatal damage. My body is hard and lean even though away hundred and ninety pounds I run and lift weights to prepare my body for football. I also perform my martial arts daily. As the bear strides forward in his attack posture I move forward a few steps towards the bear when he is in range I performed a kick to his throat as fast and hard as I possibly can. The sound of the bear’s neck breaking is one I’ll never forget, is the first thing other than an insect I’ve ever killed. I know I didn’t have a choice but I still feel badly.

Kathryn is at my shoulder her hands wrapped around my arm as we both look at the dead bear. She looks up at me to see my sadness. She says. “My love you didn’t have a choice if you had not stopped the bear one of my sisters would have been its breakfast.”
I turn to pull Kathryn close to me. Holding her I say. “There’s no way I would ever let anything hurt you or my family.”

Kathryn grins at me devilishly. “So my sisters are our family, you said my not your.”

After giving her a quick kiss I say. “Help me pick up the buckets and take the berries back down to grandma before she has a heart attack thinking we’ve been eaten by a bear.”

On the way down we are met by her three brothers caring rifles headed to where we were at. Their shocked expressions will always something me and Kathryn can look back on and laugh. Their mouth hanging open as Kathryn and I strolled pass them hand-in-hand carrying two buckets of berries.

Kathryn’s smile confused her brothers as they looked I can forth between each other. Finally Michael Junior asks. “JJ ran the bear off?”

Kathryn replies “It’s still up there right where JJ left it.” Looking up at me she adds. “JJ did what was necessary to protect his family.”

Mark asks. “What happened to the bear?”

Kathryn response before I could say anything, teasing her brothers she says. “He tried to, but the bear was as dumb as my brothers.”

The three still confused asks. “So what happened to the bear?”

Kathryn still teasing her brothers says. “I’ll say this slowly, JJ, kicked, the, bear, once, and, only, once. The, bear, is, dead. JJ did what he needed to do to protect us.”

I say to Kathryn. “Come on Love let’s go stop your grandma from worrying.” In another couple minutes we walk onto her back porch and in through her back door into the kitchen. Setting the buckets down on the table her grandmother rushes into the room right up to Kathryn and throws her into a hug so tightly that Kathryn groans.

Michelle screams into the phone. “THEY’RE OKAY.” I’m not sure who she’s talking to her father or someone she is trying to get help from, but from as loud as she was they have to be holding their ear right now. I chuckle to myself seeing the reactions. Maria, Kara and Krystal all come running hugging their sister then beginning to say thank you to me.

After a minute or so everything calms back down. Michelle says. “The last thing I saw was JJ stepping between the bear and us as it charged. What happened after that?”

Kathryn finally released from her grandmother’s hug begins the story from there. “JJ stops the bear from charging after them or they would’ve been its breakfast. When the bear stood up on its hind feet it was taller than JJ it looked so big. JJ held his ground standing there hollering at the bear with his arms above his head. He was trying to scare the bear off. But the bear was as stupid, as my brothers and wouldn’t back down. As it came forward JJ walked up to where he could kick it. With one kick and only one kick he killed the bear. And sisters he said, There’s no way I would ever let anything hurt you or my family. My family not your family so stop trying to mess up what we have.”

Her grandmother hearing the last sentence scolded her other granddaughters running them from the room. Grandma begins cooking breakfast for us of country gravy, biscuits, bacon and eggs. Several vehicles pull up at the front of the house, two Sheriffs and a Ranger step from their vehicles.

Kathryn tells the story to the three, who asks several times. “Just one kick?” I hand them my martial arts card, they each look at it then handed back. Kathryn’s brothers are back and they confirm the bear is dead with no weapon damage. Eddie is grinning as he tells the officers. “JJ here is also the martial arts instructor at our high school. He will be marrying my baby sister.”

Eddie takes the officers to see the bear after the vehicle pulling an ATV arrives. They take ATV to bring back the dead bear. The bear corpse lies at the base of a large oak tree; one of the brothers has carved into the bark of the oak, an Appalachian thing. “Under this here tree JJ killed a bear.” Loaded onto the ATV they remark, “That has to be the largest black bear we seen in a while.”

A week later I get a phone call asking if I like to have the bear skin I agree to take it although there is a charge for having it prepared.

Summer again passes too quickly, too soon as August and football practice. September and we begin our junior year.

Our life slips into a routine, of school, trade stocks, homework and dating. Of course we try to spend as much time with family as possible, that helps me to withstand the temptations I feel from Kathryn. Time moved by in December again this Christmas Kathryn bought me a really cool watch. I got her another necklace with matching earrings and I bought stocking stuffers for the entire family $100 music cards for the kids plus one major gift for each with the approval of my future in-laws, of course I put from Santa on all the major gifts I bought.

I did my best not to force the issue but I was sixteen years old. Her sisters have stopped trying to tempt me, even so ever chance they got they would come over to the pool to swim. When mother and their parents plan on attending one of their parties. Maria and Eddie talked me into throwing one of our own.

The whole cheer squad plus most of the football team, baseball team was coming plus several other girls from school. For a school of 500 students nearly 120 kids showed up at the party. I had bought lots of soda, chips, dips and everything needed for a teenagers’ party.

Just after nine o’clock some strange things started happening some of the kids would go off for 10 or 15 minutes and come back with messy clothing. It didn’t take long to figure out what was happening. Several of the partiers begin to lose more and more clothing the cheer squad was the first to go topless to hoots and cat cries for most the guys. The girls in the band wouldn’t be outdone, so off came their tops quickly followed by their panties. By 10:15 there was hardly a non-nude girl in the house and some couples were openly having sex. I found Kathryn setting with a group of girls who is still trying to talk her out of her bikini. I overheard them saying. “Come on girl take off the bikini and you can fuck any guy here.”

Pulling Kathryn away from them, I led her up to my bedroom to talk. “Love you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. Don’t let those girls talk you into doing something you will regret. I pulled up the security cams off my computer the house had become a brothel almost every room had one or two couples engaged in full-blown sex. In a few rooms there was a line for the girl as she willingly took on anybody who wanted a crack at her. I shook my head and turned off the monitor.

Kathryn asked me. “You’re sixteen years old and you don’t want to join in on that?”

I confess to her I know our relationship is strong enough by now for her to know this. “There’s only one girl in this world that I want to be with. She’s sitting right here, I’ll wait till she’s ready whenever that is.”

Kathryn smiles from ear to ear as she steps up then wraps me in her arms. I kiss her we lose track of time like we always do. This is a first time truly been alone and uninterrupted as our kiss becomes more and more passionate. She finally pulled me over and onto the bed she pushed me down and straddles my hips feeling my hard on she giggles. “Is that for me?”

“I have been saving it for you and only you.”

She gets up and locks my door then comes back as she slowly undoes the top of her bathing suit walking to me. Her bottoms are held on by two strings over the hip as she comes she undoes each string soon the bottom falls and my cock is even harder than I ever remember. I get up when she reaches the bed she pulls my trunks down and my hard on springs forward. It standing nearly straight up against my belly all nine inches of it she wraps her hand around it her fingers not reaching her thumb. She runs her hand back and forth feeling its hardness.

Kathryn smiles sexily. “You said you would be ready when I am. I’m ready I want to be your lover from now on.”

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