Silver Arrow Ch. 25-27

"You should be very proud of your son, Doug," Marvin said as we shook hands after the meeting.

"I am. He did the right thing. It's just too bad that he had to take that beating."

"We'll deal with that next week," the lawyer smiled, then turned to Bill.

"Bill, I don't want you to have any regrets about what you did. You did what every good citizen should do and that's to step in when it's needed. Congratulations and don't worry. We'll get this all settled in a few days and you can look back on it with pride."

"Thank you, sir." Bill was smiling and I noticed his eye, although badly discolored, was at least beginning to recover its shape.

I felt much better after the meeting. I had no doubt that Mr. Norman Whistler was in for a very difficult week beginning next Monday. I also knew that the Stenstroms would be well represented too. Marvin, who just happened to be Jan Stenstrom's lawyer as well, would be going to their home that afternoon to discuss the situation with the family. Apparently, Brigit had been reluctant to pursue the assault, fearing both reprisal and unwanted notoriety. Marvin was confident he could protect her from that.

It took until Tuesday afternoon before Marvin was able to get an audience with Norman Whistler. When he entered the office with Bill and me in tow, Whistler was seated and another man was sitting nearby.

Marvin introduced himself, Bill and me, while Mr. Whistler introduced Jeremy Ridley, also a lawyer and representing the school.

I won't go into details on the donnybrook that followed, but it was very instructive for both Bill and me. Marvin had all the cards and right from the get-go, it was obvious that Norman Whistler had neither done his investigative homework nor had he been completely candid with Mr. Ridley. As a result, I'm sure Mr. Ridley felt like "Mr. Riddled" when Marvin had completed his comments.

I admired the way Marvin handled it. There was no raised voice, no overt threats, no hyperbole, just the facts and Marvin's interpretation of his options on how to resolve the situation. It was interesting to watch Norman Whistler's face and it changed color from pale white to bright red, then back again. He should never take up poker.

Jeremy Ridley was composed and polite, but had no weapons to bring to bear on behalf of the school. At the end, he asked Bill and me to wait outside the office for a few moments. I guessed there would be some kind of offer on the table and it was up to Marvin to let me know our best option.

As Bill and I stepped out of Whistler's office, I saw every head in the outer office swivel toward us. A few seconds later, the Vice Principal's office door opened and she walked toward us.

"Would you like to wait in my office, Mr. Hansen?" she asked with a smile. "It will be more comfortable, I'm sure."

"Thank you, I appreciate that." Bill and I followed her into an office which appeared to be the same design and size as Whistler's.

"Relax, Bill. I don't think you're in any trouble," she smiled at my son. "You certainly shouldn't be, although I'd rather not be quoted on that just now."

"I hope Mr. Whistler sees the light on this, Mrs. Pettinger," I said quietly. "I'm pretty angry about his attitude and I'm sure Mr. and Mrs. Stenstrom are as well."

"Off the record," she began, "you and the Stenstroms have every right to be angry. I'm afraid that you've come up against the 'old school' thinking that has prevailed around here. Brushing that kind of behavior under the rug is not going to stop it from happening. Some of these boy-athletes have a sense of entitlement that isn't acceptable any more. I had a hand in writing the behavior policy when I first came here and I was pleased with it. Unfortunately, it isn't always observed. On top of that, when it is applied, it isn't always evenhanded. I'm hoping that Mr. Ridley and Mr. Krane will point that out to Mr. Whistler."

"That would be a big step forward," I nodded. "I'd be a lot happier if someone like you were administering the justice system around here."

"Thank you for the compliment. Do you have any more future students for our school?"

"Yes, my daughter Sandra will be along in a couple of years. Our oldest daughter, Deborah is a senior here."

"Yes, I know. She's a good student and a fine young lady. You and your wife have done a very good job raising your children."

"I'm a widower, Mrs. Pettinger, and most of the recognition for my children should go to my late wife and later, their nanny. I give them the credit for their behavior. I was away quite a bit for several years and really relied on them to work together. You can probably guess I'm pretty proud of them."

"You should be. What Bill did Friday to protect Brigit was the act of a real gentleman. Good for you, Bill," she said with a big smile.

"Thank you, Ma'am."

Every once in a while we could hear some raised voices next door, but not clear enough to make out what was going on. I was just as happy that Bill and I weren't there. That kind of thing would probably have caused me to finally lose my temper and say something I would regret. Best to leave it to the professionals.

It was almost an hour later that Marvin emerged from the office, alone.

"We're done here, Doug ... Bill. I'll brief you when we get to the ranch. I think you'll be more than satisfied with the results."

That comment alone was enough to lift my spirits and I could see another smile on Joyce Pettinger's face as well. Bill just looked a bit bewildered by it all.

"Well, here's how it's going down," Marvin began. He had Harlan, Margaret, Rose and my whole family as an audience.

"Ryan Fitzpatrick will be called before Mr. Whistler, Mr. Ridley, the vice principal and the student council president. If he is found guilty of the charges we have laid, he will not graduate with his class. He can, if he wishes, have his own lawyer present. It's possible for him to transfer to another school if they'll accept him. He will not face criminal charges for sexual assault, but if found guilty, his school record will show sexual harassment.

"The three boys who assisted him in the beating of Bill will also be called before the administration and could be suspended for two weeks and kicked off the football team. Apparently, the coach was a lot more upset with the four of them than the principal was.

"The school district will put a sum of money, yet to be determined, in a scholarship account for both Bill and Brigit as compensation for injuries and insult. You and Brigit can pretty well count on college education costs being covered. In addition, both you and Brigit will receive a letter of apology from the school for your treatment while in their care.

"Mr. Ridley will negotiate an early retirement package for Mr. Whistler and I think it would be reasonable to assume he will be gone by year end. Is there anything I might have overlooked?" he asked.

"Wow!" Rose exclaimed. "You really did a number on him."

"Well, once I laid out the options and we discussed the possibility of more than one civil suit against both the boys and the school, they began to see the light. It's a shame it had to come to this, though. You would think in this day and age, men like Norman Whistler would understand their responsibilities and their own written policies. He's still wondering what he did wrong. He just doesn't get it. Jeremy Ridley is a very competent lawyer and knew immediately that there was no way to cover this up. He has quite a bit of leverage with the school board and I don't doubt they will deal with Whistler fairly promptly."

"Thank you, Marvin. You've made me feel very good about the law profession," I grinned.

"Thank you, Mister Krane," Bill added. "I'm glad I won't be suspended. Maybe I can try out for the football team next year."

"I think Coach Warner would welcome you, Bill," Marvin said. "He didn't hesitate a minute throwing the four guys who attacked you off the team. He said he didn't want anything to do with guys like that. I'm guessing he'd welcome you, especially considering your size."

And with that, the drama ended.

Chapter 26 The Rest of My Life

When I look back, I realize I hadn't lived in any one place for a very long time. My marriage to Diane was ten years before the divorce. Only ten years, and most of them in Minneapolis even though we were both from St. Cloud. Then seven years in Louisville, and now Sacramento. I was hoping that we had found a permanent home. My parents had moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, and from all reports were loving it. In fact, it sounded like Diane's parents were seriously considering it as well. They had stayed in touch with my parents and still got along very well with each other.

I called Christie now and then. Not often, but enough to keep track of how she was doing. Her business was growing nicely and my boast that she would pay off her mortgage on the house in five years wasn't looking so remote any more. I was happy for her. Still no man in her life, but she admitted she wasn't looking very hard. She did take in a business partner and this woman was also living at the house. Apparently they were very compatible, both in the business and socially.

Bill went to spring practice camp for the football team. Coach Warner was pleased with what he saw and invited Bill to training camp in August. That put a big grin on Bill's face. He was no longer dating Lori. She would be moving to San Francisco with her parents at the end of term and while they were close, there wouldn't be any heartbreak on either part. Almost the day that word got out that Bill was unattached, Brigit Stenstrom paid him a visit.

I met Brigit for the first time when we were invited to the Stenstrom home to get acquainted. My heritage was Danish, while the Stenstroms were of Norwegian extraction. It was particularly evident in Anika and Brigit. They were both big, busty, blonde women. I could see why the boys would be sorely tempted by Brigit. While she was only sixteen, she had the body of a fully developed woman. On top of that, when we visited, Brigit only had eyes for Bill. So, it was no surprise that when Lori announced her departure, Bill was very happy to substitute Brigit. If it was hero worship, Bill was all in favor of it.

It was nice to meet some people outside of our little enclave, and when Debbie started dating Mike Sikich, we got to meet his family as well. Father Mike Sr., and his wife, Bella, were very nice people. They had three children as well, the youngest of which was Mike Jr. Senior was Production Manager at the local box plant. He'd worked there since he graduated from high school. He had higher ambitions for his children. Their eldest daughter was in grad school at UC Berkley, studying political science and interning at the state capital. Their middle son was a sophomore at Sacramento State and enrolled in the honors business program. He was the smart one in the family his father said. He was already planning to finish college in three years. Mike Jr. had big shoes to fill.

Debbie's graduation was a mixture of happiness and sadness. I was delighted that she had graduated on the honor roll and that she would receive an academic scholarship to Sacramento State as a result. It was sad, however, that Diane could not be here to see just how lovely our daughter was and what a fine young lady she had grown to become. She was mature beyond her years and I knew that whomever she would choose for a husband in the future, she would choose wisely. In any event, I had tears as I watched her walk confidently across the stage to receive her diploma and the notification of her scholarship.

I think Bill and Sandy were just as proud of Debbie as I was, but I was surprised to see tears from Rose. I knew she and Debbie were close; more like sisters. There was no doubt though that Rose was also proud of Debbie and delighted at her success. Mike and his family joined us for a celebration meal afterward and he and Debbie were already planning their courses at Sac State. Mike Jr. would be working at the box plant this summer. He just missed earning a partial scholarship and would need to earn money for his tuition. There was no free ride in the Sikich household.

I'm sure Sandy must have felt a little left out, but she didn't show it. She was watching her sister and Mike Jr. very closely. I wondered what was going through that pretty little teenage head. Bill wanted to invite Brigit, but the Stenstroms had other plans. He seemed to relate well to Mike Jr. and they were engrossed in conversation for much of the meal. Maybe Mike Jr. was trying to get some inside information on Bill's big sister. That would be a long shot.

I was sitting with Rose by my side, and when we weren't eating, one or the other of us would be touching, often holding hands. I felt so secure with Rose now.

That night, together with Rose in our bed, she propped herself up on her elbow and looked down at me.

"You've had that smile on your face all day, Doug. Tell me what it's about."

"That should be obvious. It's about Debbie's graduation. It's about Bill and his doing the right thing. It's about this family and how it has endured some really terrible times and come through them. It's about you, Rose. How lucky I am to find someone like you. I didn't expect it, but I did hope for it. It does give a man cause to smile."

She stared at me for a bit before she said, "When I first met you, I didn't know what to expect. We were hiring a bus driver. I had no idea how much more than a bus driver you were. You and I have had our hard times over the years, but somehow, with help, we've come through. Somehow, I've found the man I want to be with. I love you, Doug."

There it was. That word I so longed to hear.

"I love you too, Rose. We're an imperfect pair, but we are a pair."

"So ... what do we do about it?" she asked hesitantly.

"Rose deSilva, would you marry me ... imperfections and all?"

"Yes, Douglas Hansen, I will marry you with all my imperfections as well."

"Thank you, my love. It's the only thing I wanted to hear. I'm going to be a very good husband ... or at least I'm going to try to be one."

"I don't have any worries about that. You don't have anything to prove to me, Doug. I love you just the way you are."

I held her to me and kissed her lovingly many times. I hadn't felt this content in a long time and I knew that I had made the right decision.

"Do you think the boss will give us some time off to go shopping for a ring?" I asked.

"I'm willing to bet he will. If he doesn't, I'll sic Margaret on him," she giggled.

"That's not fair. He doesn't stand a chance against her."

"I think you'll find that both Margaret and Harlan will be very happy that we've decided to marry. I've talked to Margaret a number of times about it and she's been very encouraging. I know Harlan thinks he's made a very good decision to hire you, so I very much doubt there will be any worries about them supporting us."

"You've talked to Margaret about marrying me?" I said surprised.

"Yes. I trust her judgment and she's a good friend."

"What about your own judgment?" I asked. "Are you sure this is what you really want?"

She chuckled. "Relax. Yes, Doug, it's what I really want. When I talked to Margaret, it was about how to go about getting you to where you would ask me."

"Devious woman," I snorted.

"Guilty. But ... do you want to change your mind?"

"Not for a minute. You've said yes and that's final. We are getting married, Ms. deSilva."

"Oh, all right then, if you insist," she smirked.

"I do insist, young lady. Now, how should we spend the rest of the night?"

"I'll think of something," she said, reaching for my flaccid cock.

The light of a new day caused me to think about some things that I should have considered earlier. First and foremost, I hadn't talked to the kids about me and Rose. I needed to make sure they were okay with it. How would they react to her? I thought Debbie looked on her as an older sister and they were clearly fond of each other. Bill didn't seem to have any relationship with her. It wasn't that he was distant or unfriendly, it was more that she was just "there." Would he be a problem?

Sandy was less of a concern. She and Rose were good friends and Sandy listened to Rose and followed her advice. I was pretty sure she would welcome Rose into our family. But, thinking about it, it was going to be an unusual family. The relationship among the five of us was going to be unlike most families, even reconstructed ones when a widow or widower remarries. The difference was Rose. She was different, and her relationship with my children was different. I would know soon enough how they felt.

"Family meeting after dinner, gang," I said as we began our meal. Rose had chosen to stay at the Cummings home, and I would call her after I had discussed our plans with the children. Every time I referred to them as "my children" I wondered how accurate that was. They were growing up rapidly and really weren't children any more.

When the dishes were done and put away, we sat back down at the kitchen table, still our usual meeting place no matter where we lived.

"I wanted to ask you all an important question and I need an honest answer from all of you. I want to marry Rose and make her my wife and your step-mother. I want to know how you feel about that."

Surprisingly, Debbie said nothing, waiting for someone else to speak up.

"I like Rose," Sandy said with a nice smile. "She would make a good mom. You should marry her, Daddy."

"We just want you to be happy, Dad," Bill quickly added. "If Rose makes you happy, then go for it."

"Well, I guess that makes it unanimous," Debbie grinned. "I think she's super, and I know she makes you happy, so like Bill said, go for it."

"Thank you ... all of you. That's a big relief. As much as you want me to be happy, I want you to be happy also. I'm very proud of all three of you and I feel very lucky to be your father. I'm sure Rose will feel the same way."

"You've already asked her, haven't you Dad?" Debbie accused with a sly grin.

"Yeah," I admitted, nodding. "But, she knew we would be having this meeting and she also knew that if it wasn't going to be accepted well, it wouldn't happen. So, I'm sorry if you feel deceived, but that's why I did it.

"That's okay, Dad," Bill said. "It has to work for everybody ... so ... I understand."

"Me too," Sandy chimed in.

"Thanks," I said. "Meeting adjourned. I guess I'd better let Rose know, huh?"

"Good idea," Debbie laughed.

Not many minutes later, Rose was at the door and being welcomed by all four of us. Debbie was especially warm to her and they hugged for some time. Bill hugged her awkwardly, feeling a bit uncertain about how to greet his future step-mother. Sandy was very open in her welcome. I could see the look of relief on Rose's face as she realized that the acceptance was genuine and not forced.

I went to the bedroom and picked out something from my top drawer. I had thought about this before, but now was the right moment.

"I have something for you, Rose," I said as I approached her. I held the lapel of her blouse and pinned it on. It was the silver arrow I used to wear on my uniform."

She looked down at it. "Why this?" she asked.

"Until we get that ring, this is my pledge to you. We'll call it Cupid's silver arrow, signifying our love."

"Thank you, Doug," she said, beginning to tear up. "Even with the ring, I'll wear this to show everyone how I feel about you."

"When can you move in permanently?" I asked.

"I'd better talk to Margaret first. I don't think this will come as any surprise, but it's a courtesy that I owe her and Harlan. If either of them is uncomfortable with it, then we may have to continue on as before."