We Can Work It Out

"And look how much worry and fear your dad saved you," Marge pointed out. "You should be proud of him, not castigate him. He served his country and saved his family the pain so many go through every day, worrying if their loved ones will make it home. Well Jack made it home, so let's have a few drinks. Hell, Ray and I were right there with him and we all made it home. We should celebrate life!"

"Marge is right, Brandi. Your dad's okay and that's all that matters now. Whatever he did, he learned what he needed to stop those scumbags last night and I'm damn glad he did," admitted Beth. "Maybe we wouldn't all be here right now if your dad wasn't the man he is. One or more of us could be in the hospital, or worse."

"That's true," agreed Linda. "We should all be happy that he made it back safely. Those scars look sexy as hell! Brandi gets married tomorrow and her dad is here to walk her down the aisle, so I say, let's have good time!"

Somehow, the other girls managed to raise Brandi's spirits and she stopped being upset with me. We hugged and she and her friends headed for more drinks. Val, on the other hand, was quiet. Marge quickly urged Ray to go to her room with his bag and change from his wet clothes, leaving me alone with Val.

"You decided to get even with me by going off and getting killed in some goddamn hell-hole, Jack? What did I say or do that was so wrong? We've always been able to poke and prod each other, to make each other strive for more, work to be better. Why did that suddenly become so wrong?" demanded Val.

"Val, this may take some time. I want to have that time to explain how I felt then, and how I feel now. We don't have the time right now. I would like to have that discussion this evening after the rehearsal, even if it takes all night. Will you wait until then? Will you also be willing to sit by me for awhile and just enjoy the girls and especially Brandi? You have done a wonderful job raising her, Val."

"I think that was one of our joint efforts, Jack," smiled Val. "If you remember, we usually did pretty good when we worked together toward a goal. I'll join you today, and listen to you tonight, Jack, but I don't know what you can say to make this all better. I don't think there is anything that could."

So we spent most of the day enjoying Brandi and her friends. Val and Brandi had made all the wedding arrangements well in advance and would be frantic tomorrow right up to the four o'clock wedding, but were able to relax before the rehearsal, with a minimum of time on their cell phones.

Val and Marge used two cars to drive the girls and me to the police station for our statements. It turned out that the two would-be robbers had long histories with the police. The one I had buried the knife into had come through surgery okay and was expected to make a slow, but complete recovery. That made the girls feel better, so it made me feel better. To me personally, I would not have lost any sleep if he had kicked. He made his choices. He could have seriously hurt one or more of the girls. I made my choice, and I was comfortable it was the right one.

The rehearsal went off without a hitch. I met Brandi's intended, Tim Gibbons, and he seemed like a very responsible young man. My son, Zack made it out of work and was there to learn his role as best man. Tim's friends filled out the remaining groomsmen positions and would be staying at the same hotel as Brandi's girlfriends. I could see a long and loud couple of nights at that hotel. Tim's parents were a bit older than Val and I, and were very gracious. They would also guests at the hotel.

We had a wonderful dinner and then everyone decided to meet at the hotel pool for a little pre-wedding party. Marge and Ray had already started the party before we arrived. Ray kept referring to me as FD and about the fifth time he did, Zack asked him about it.

"By now everyone knows we were in Afghanistan. Jack was obsessed about getting into better shape and losing his paunch. He ran with anyone, usually enlisted men, that would run a few miles every morning. He worked out with weights four or five times a week with the enlisted guys. In normal environments, officers don't usually interact all that much with the enlisted men, but Jack was pumping iron and working out with these men almost every day.

"The Army had the bright idea of assigning a Major Bernice Henderson the task of training the troops about the dangers of politically incorrect interaction between the genders. Mostly that meant the swearing and crude comments about women's various body parts had to stop.

"The day after she came to our base, the Major decided she needed to speak with Jack. Someone must have told her that he would be lifting weights with the enlisted men, so she showed at the small area the men had set up for their workouts. It was a hot summer day, and Jack and the others had been doing a pretty serious workout.

"To a man, not one had a shirt on. Most wore shorts, so the Major had no way of knowing which man was the officer she sought, so she asked for Captain John Jenkins. Jack puts the weight bar back on the bench rest and gets up and walks to the front and stands at attention. Now understand that Jack was all pumped up with a sheen of sweat covering his chest. His scar was fairly new and very evident. It kept him from looking like a pretty boy, though. I was there that day. I can tell you that Jack had what every woman wants!

"This prim and proper major, who has the assignment of teaching every one how to be politically correct, is stunned to see Jack. She was expecting some fat old fart to waddle up. She looks Jack up and down in disbelief and then she finally blurts out, "You're the fucking dentist?"

"The rest, as they say is history. After that, when it was necessary to be politically correct, we referred to Jack as FD, but he was the "fucking dentist" when it was just the guys."

Everyone broke into gales of laughter at Ray's story. Even Val laughed till tears streaked down her cheeks. I reached over and wiped the tears off her face. Brandi had seen the gesture and decided it was time to draw me out. I'm sure she wouldn't have said anything if she hadn't had a couple drinks.

"So Dad, are you still pissed at Mom for what she said that day at party?" asked Brandi in front of many of our family and friends, as well as her fiancé's parents. "Do you think two years is long enough to punish her, or are you going to keep it up indefinitely?"

I gave Brandi's question some thought. If anyone else had approached me like that, I would have been furious. Brandi knew I can't be very upset with her and she took advantage of that fact from time to time.

"Brandi, since you've asked, I'll tell you what I'm thinking. The incident that most people think precipitated my tour in the military occurred in front of family and friends, so it's only fitting I explain my feelings in the same surroundings. Two years ago, I was working sixty hours a week. I was overweight and tired all the time.

"Val was working hard, too. The difference was she was in fantastic shape and seemed to have boundless energy. I became dissatisfied with my looks, my health, and my life in general. No one knew it, but I had tried dieting for three months and had gained four pounds.

"Ever since Val and I first met, we always had a mock adversarial relationship. We tried to do better than each other. We'd make silly bets about who would get the better mark on a test, or see the most license plates from New Jersey. Sometimes they were silly, sometimes serious. When Val was thinking of going back to school to get her masters, she kept coming up with reasons why she couldn't or shouldn't. The kids were too small, it cost too much, she didn't have the time... you get the picture.

"At a Thanksgiving dinner, with her parents and mine in the room, I told Val that she was a pathetic chicken shit and she should forget about going to school. She wasn't smart enough, she was just a girl, I was the head of the house and would earn enough to live comfortably, and she should be content having babies and raising them."

"Are you serious, Dad? You said that to mom? Did she get angry?" asked Brandi.

"You were there, kiddo, but too young to remember it. Did she get angry? Is the Pope Catholic? She reamed me out for three days. Then she signed up for the classes and got her masters.

"So almost twenty years later, Val sees me overweight and out of shape, working too many hours, and neglecting the things that mean the most to me. At a Memorial Day picnic with family and friends present, Val tells everyone that she's afraid a piece of ass and a bike ride would kill me. I should brush up on my oral skills because I wouldn't be able to ever satisfy her, or any woman again with my big gut, low endurance, and limp dick."

"No shit, FD! Val said that in front of your family and friends?" asked Ray in amazement.

"That and a few more things I don't care to repeat, Ray. I was in a funk already. The Army had been recruiting me and somehow it all came together. Val obviously had no respect for me. I already knew I hadn't done very well the last few times we made love. Her comments cut me to the bone. I went and signed up the next day and shipped out as soon as I could. I had to agree to go to Afghanistan, since that was where they wanted me in the first place. I just neglected to mention it to Brandi. By that time I wasn't even talking to Val.

"I was actually sitting in a tent in some mountain village near Pakistan when I realized that Val was just giving me a kick in the ass, much like I had done to her all those years ago. It was an epiphany. The problem was I had way over reacted and I was afraid to admit it to Val. Hell, I didn't even know for sure if we were still married. After the way I left, she had every right to divorce my sorry ass. That was the day I became obsessed with getting into shape."

"Wow, Dad! I knew you left because of what Mom said, but I didn't know she was trying to wake you up. I was mad at her for a year because she had chased you away from us," revealed Brandi. "Mom, I owe you a big apology."

"I didn't blame you, or Jack. I knew I had gone too far with some of my comments. To belittle a man about his sexual abilities in front of others is unforgivable," admitted Val. "I just wanted Jack to lose some weight and get healthy so I would have him for a very long time, and it all backfired."

"Well, you have to admit, Val, that it did wake me up. I'm in far better shape than I've been in a long time, if not my entire life. Now it's you that would never be able to keep up with me. You'd be crying "Uncle" before I was even warmed up," I confidently predicted.

I heard a few gasps as I watched Val's face. She seemed shocked at first, but then I saw the corners of her lips form a little smile.

"Bullshit!" spat Val. "On the best day of your life, you'd still fall way short. Have you ever heard me cry "Uncle"? I never have and I never will!"

"I'm just saying that I'm in far better condition than you are, Val. You simply wouldn't be able to keep up," I reiterated.

"Listen to you two!" interrupted Brandi. "This is the night before my wedding and I refuse to allow you two to argue, especially about such a personal thing. My future in-laws and friends are here, listening to all this crap. I'm sorry I brought it up."

"This is between your father and me, Brandi. You're right. It is personal, and personally, I think he's delusional. Playing soldier has given him a false sense of pride."

"Oh yeah? We'll see who's telling the truth and who cries "Uncle" right now," I snarled as I stood up, grabbed Val, tossed her over my shoulder and carried her toward my room.

"Uh oh," laughed Ray. "It looks like a fucking marathon..... literally."

I tossed Val on the bed and locked the door. She was already half undressed by the time I turned around. I popped the buttons off my shirt and tossed it in the corner. Then I kicked off my shoes and socks, dropped my pants and boxers at the same time and stepped out of them. Val was naked by that time.

"Now, let's see what you can do, braggart!" goaded Val.

I hadn't been laid in over two years and my cock was so hard I could drive nails with it, but one battle does not win the war. I started slowly, kissing Val for a long time. Then I worked my way down her body. An hour later, my cock was still hard and had not yet entered her. Val was pushing my face away from her center.

"Just say "Uncle" and I might let you rest," I mumbled around her clit.

"Hah!" groaned Val. "I have not yet begun to fuck"!

An hour and four positions later, I again asked Val if she wanted to yield.

"I'm just waiting my turn on top," she managed as she shuddered through an orgasm.

The end of the next hour saw both of us sweating profusely. Val was riding me reverse cowgirl style and asking, "Have you had enough, Jack. I don't think you've ever cum more than three times in a night. We can call it a draw. We need to get cleaned up. Let's take a shower and go to sleep."

"Are you saying "Uncle," I asked.

"Not even close, General Patton," muttered Val.

I got off the bed, picked Val up and tossed her over my shoulder. Then I opened the door and marched outside. We were both naked. Val tried to protest, but was worried about making too much noise and waking everyone up in the middle of the night. I tossed her into the pool and jumped in after her. When I reached her side, I lifted her up and placed her on the edge of the pool and dove headfirst into her muff one more time.

It took a few minutes but she began to shake and moan quietly. I could tell she was trying to keep it suppressed, but there are some things you just can't stop. Suddenly, Val let out what sounded like a low scream.

"Okay! Uncle! Please, Jack, you win. No more! Uncle!" groaned Val.

I was feeling pretty tired but really good. Then I heard a stentorian voice boom out from the third floor darkness, "Thank God! The fucking dentist won! Now we can all get some sleep!"

The courtyard was filled with applause as Val and I ran naked back to our room.