The Car Mechanic and the Skier Pt. 02

"Oh, yes. Old houses are neat."

Robbie had his own question. "What about us, Mom? Are we moving here too?"

"Well, Eric and I like each other and we are thinking about living together. Would that be ok with you?"

"Oh yeah. There's room for a pirate fort, isn't there, Eric?"

"Definitely room for a fort, kiddo. It's ok for you to spread the games out in the living room. The grownups have to clean up and have a talk."

Kate was at the sink and Mely was pulling my ears. "Why doesn't he get pushback from the kids? It isn't fair."

I pulled her into my lap and kissed her chastely in case kids were looking.

"How come I've got two of the nicest moms anywhere living with me?" I whispered in Mely's ear, "And attacking me in the night!"

I got up and went for a dishcloth to dry with. "So what is the story for Ray?"

Mely went over and closed the door. "Kate asked you if her sister could stay in the extra bedroom until she has other arrangements."

"And I said yes, and I understand his wife wants a divorce, and I hope he does the right thing because I don't like to see the family I'm marrying into messed up."

I had a wet dish in my hands and they were kissing me from both sides. "Hey, take it easy, the kids will wonder about us if we start breaking dishes behind closed doors."

A voice said, "There are other things we could break..."

"Truce!"

Chapter 2 - Ray is a Problem

About a week later, Ray walked into my shop and said, "I understand you're seeing my wife?"

"Ray, I understand that she wants you out of her life," I said as coldly as I could.

"Yeah, but she wants child support, which I ain't gonna give her if she's already got a new man."

"Your about-to-be ex-wife is staying at my parent's house because her sister asked me for a favor that she could stay with us until she made other arrangements. You think you can convince a family court that she has a new man over that?"

"I've got evidence that you and she were seen together."

"You hired a PI to spy on us?"

"I've got pictures."

I walked him outside away from the shop. "Listen, wiseass, don't try anything funny on me. Her sister and I are engaged, and Kate is the woman in my life. I suggest you get the fuck out of here and don't come back."

He smirked at me and turned to go."You haven't seen the last of me. It will be a cold day she gets any child support."

I watched him going to his car. "You're just clever enough to be a pain, Ray," I said to myself.

I was madder than hell inside for the rest of the day. Short with Tony and pissed at myself for letting Ray get to me.

Dinner was quiet. The kids and the women could tell something was bothering me. After cleanup, I gestured upstairs.

I took a shower to get the bad smell off me. The women were sitting on the bed when I came out.

"Ray came to see me today."

"I told him our story and he said he had pictures of Mely and me together and was never going to get tagged for child support."

Kate looked mad, Mely looked sad.

Kate said, "He hired someone?"

"I guess. Probably doesn't have any spy gear himself. A guy with a good telephoto lens and some smart cropping might have compromising shots if he has been hanging around out there in the dark."

Mely hugged her sister and said, "What do we do? This is really shitty."

Kate looked at me, her anger showing, and said, "We file papers on him and get a family court date. The system will be on our side, we should use it."

I had a lot of worries about the system, but stayed silent. Kate and I put Mely in the middle between us that night but she still cried herself to sleep.

The next morning, I told Tony to take charge for a while and went to the electronics place. By afternoon, I had a perimeter of motion detectors installed, and an array of low light and infrared cameras. I had told Kate after breakfast to get new shades, and she already had them up when I came home from the shop.

The two women were calm and collected at dinner, talking with the kids and me. Afterwards we convened in the front bedroom again, where I told them that it would be useful to know when we were being filmed and by whom, if we could find out. In the meantime, we needed to find a good divorce lawyer, because if the court system was going to help us, we needed an advocate who understood its complexities and personalities.

"I don't want to do it, but we may need to split the families for a while. We don't want to give Ray's lawyer any ammunition, and we don't know whether the family court judge will be bothered about two women and their young children living with one guy or not."

I hugged them and said, "Not exactly the blissful situation we planned in the mountains, is it?"

They hugged me back and Kate said, "Hey, we're grownups and we are going to make this work. The two of us will get on the lawyer problem right away. For now, let's stick together. We all will feel safer in one place, especially with the kids."

The next morning, the three of us watched the camera footage. After thirty seconds, they only activated if the motion sensor caught something. At a time stamp of 8 pm, there was an image of a body moving on the edge of the property in dark clothing. Whomever it was came to the fence and crouched down out of sight. Ten minutes later, probably frustrated by the new shades, he left. There was nothing else the remainder of the night.

Kate said, "Ray can't afford to pay for much surveillance, and he is probably scared of getting caught trying it himself. Let's get the kids organized and off to school."

There was a lot of work at the garage, and I was off myself in a hurry. But not before each woman got a tight hug and a warm kiss. "Hang in there," I said to them.

Tony's first question was, "What's with that no good came to see you yesterday?"

"He's been cheating on Kate's sister. She's going to divorce him, the louse."

I had my head under a hood when a leg nudged me. "Don't move, I've got the drop on you, buster."

My arm went around her waist. "You going to shoot me now or later?"

She leaned over and said, "We have a lawyer. Recommended by a friend of dad's. I just came from talking to him. Mely has an appointment for late this afternoon. You and I are in charge of the kids and dinner."

I got my head out and she carefully kissed me. "Don't you dare get those greasy hands near me. I may be marrying a mechanic, but I am not marrying grease!"

She pointed to a sack in her hand. "Wash your hands and we will have a sandwich in the park."

We sat on a shady bench with trees all around. Between bites of sandwich, she said, "I talked to the folks. Told them my high school friend and I were pretty serious. That you and Robbie got on great."

"What did they say?"

"They are happy I've found a guy. Told me I was too young not to marry again."

"Traditional values in your family."

"Yes. But mom teased me, right in front of dad. Asked me if being serious meant I had already been to bed with you."

"I looked her in the eye and said, 'He is a fantastic lover.' My dad clapped and made me blush."

"Maybe with their daughter married off and grandson in school, they don't need to move away. Older people shouldn't leave their homes unless they have to."

"Eric! I do love you. That very thought went through my mind this morning." Her kiss was warm.

"So that leaves Mely's place. Knowing Ray, I bet there isn't beans of equity in it. Maybe she should forget his moving out. She could deed her interest to him, assuming it is next to nothing."

"I'll tell her to mention that to the lawyer."

"Which means you and Mely are stuck with me and a wreck of a big old house on a hill."

Her hands were pulling my head down to her lips. "You grew up in that house." She licked me and I fondled her warm breast. "You turned out pretty well. Maybe three more kids can grow up there."

"You are very trusting of the dumb mechanic."

She stood. "This is way too mushy. Let's get Mely clear and free of Ray first."

"When do I give you a ring?"

"Didn't you already propose?"

"I did. But no one knows we are foolish enough to marry again."

"Yes. Foolish. That's it."

"I'm going to tell the folks you asked me to marry you today and I accepted."

"No ring?"

"Later. Maybe not at all. Maybe I get a nicer wedding band. Sean's is in my dresser drawer. I loved him, but he is gone."

We walked slowly back to the garage. We held hands and bumped hips. I said, "I don't know about you, but this isn't a weekend fling anymore. It isn't fixing the pretty girl's car. I feel I have connected with someone I need to be around for a long, long time."

"Eric, if I don't jump in that car and drive away, I am going to have a complete sobbing breakdown, right here. Kiss me hard and go back to work!"

Kate and I were serving dinner to the kids when Mely walked in, looking grim. I fixed her a stiff drink and sent her upstairs with Kate while I did the daddy thing with the youngsters.

After they ate, I asked politely if they would mind playing in their bedroom while the grownups had an important meeting over dinner. Karen did her own grownup routine and said, "Daddy Eric, we will be good. Tell us when we can come down."

The store bought quiche was hot and the vegetables done when two hard eyed women arrived. I served and they sat at the counter in silence. "You don't have to talk if you don't want to."

"We do," they said together.

Mely's tale tumbled out. The lawyer said that even with the pictures, she would get custody and child support. The court didn't let straying men have custody. In fact, he probably wouldn't get much in the way of visiting rights either. But even with a garnishment order, she might have a tough time collecting on the child support. The lawyer had used his bank contacts to discover that the house value was underwater. Somehow, Ray had gotten a second without Mely's signature, or forged it, and there was negative equity of as much as fifty thousand. Since there were irregularities about the second, the court would likely allow her to quitclaim her interest, leaving the mess in Ray's lap.

In a soft, low voice, I said, "Could be worse, Mely. You knew he was a rat, and this proves it. If he has a lawyer, he is being told to be very careful or you will be over at the DA's office with fraud charges."

She clung to me and cried, "I don't want him in jail, I just want him out of my life. And I don't want any of his bills."

Kate was busy moving dinner plates and the wine bottle to a tray. "We are taking this upstairs. She needs friends with her tonight."

I followed and stopped at the kids' room. "Hey, Melanie isn't feeling well, and we are putting her to bed. Do you suppose you could take care of bedtime on your own just this once?"

They were amazing. "Are you going to take care of her, Eric? Make her better?"

"I am going to do my best. You are great kids. Give me a kiss and don't forget to brush your teeth. We will have stories tomorrow night."

Kate had Mely out of her clothes and settled in the middle of the bed. She smiled up at me, tears running down her face. "This is SO dumb."

"You have amazing kids, all of them. They are putting themselves to bed because mommy doesn't feel well. I was told to take care of you."

Mely put her arms out to me and Kate snatched the food away as we closed tight to each other.

It took a few minutes, but the tough younger daughter came back to life and sat up. We smiled and got in so everyone could share the food.

In between bites, she said, "Kate told me what happened at lunch."

Wide eyed, I looked at them and said, "What was that?"

"Don't be nasty. Isn't one of us crying enough?"

I reached for a leg of Kate and dragged her into my arms. "What I remember of lunch is she flat refused a ring."

I kissed her before she could say anything. Her hand beat the side of my head but the lips stayed locked with mine.

"He is devious."

"I am. It is what makes me so lovable."

The tray went away permanently, and the two wildcats took their frustrations out on me.

After a while, they lay back and smiled. "You are going to make this work, aren't you?"

"You are going to make it work, and I am going to help."

"I am going to get the kids, be decent."

Three bodies dashed in to make mommy better. "Mom, you have to get better. We want you to. Eric wants you to. Mommy Kate wants you to."

There was a giant snuggle that no woman could resist. Mely collapsed and smiled with her eyes closed. Karen asked, "Eric, what is she doing? Why is she smiling with her eyes closed?"

I squeezed the wiggling small body in my arms and said. "She is feeling better already. She is funning us with that closed eye business. You better walk on her."

Mely reached out and pulled on Karen's leg so she could hug her daughter. The boys piled on. Kate and I were in our own tangle to the side, with Robbie in Kate's lap. She said, "Ok, kids, back to bed, you have fixed mom. There is school tomorrow."

After a while, the light was out and I was in the middle. "We are going to look for a job to share."

"What if you start that job search but also be remodeling contractors for this house?"

"Are you kidding us?"

"Half of a remodeling project is permits and subcontractors, the bank, the insurance, all the choices..."

"We could do that?"

"Why not? You have me under control."

"Sis, he is being bad again."

"There are books about this. Even online books. You make a plan. Lists of all the things that need doing. You figure out what they cost and decide what order you are going to do them in. Maybe you hire an architect for some help and to keep you out of trouble with the city over the building permit."

"If we are all diverted with remodeling, when will you get any loving?"

"I'll molest you when you least expect it. I'm good at that."

Life was calmer and brighter in the morning. Everyone got smiles and kisses and hugs from Mely. Kate announced that she and her sister were going to visit the career office at the local junior college and see what they could pick up.

I said, "No guys, hear me? I'm very territorial when it comes to my women."

They grabbed each other and giggled. They promised to be good and bring me lunch at noon.

When I took a break with Tony in the middle of the morning, I asked, "Business is good and this place is overflowing. What do you think we should do?"

A dozen years ago, my folks had helped me buy into one of the town's favorite independent garages, whose owner wanted to retire. After a year working together, he helped me get a loan from the bank to buy him out and provide retirement funds. That loan was almost paid off, and I was sure the bank would lend again, based on my good record.

Tony said, "We should either move or buy the place next door and build a better shop. Where we are now can be staging and light repairs."

"Who do we get to do the plans?

"My brother is married to an architect. I'll ask her if she is interested, or knows someone who is."

Over lunch, they said, "We have good news and bad news. The good news is that there are lots of opportunities in Sacramento. The bad news is that there is zilch around here unless you want to be a minimum wage wait person."

"I think I have picked up more work for your project management company. Tony and I were talking this morning about our space problem at the garage. He thinks we should build a new shop in that empty lot next door. His sister in law is an architect and might do the plans."

They looked at me, unsmiling. "Just because you like our bodies doesn't make us project managers."

"I'll bet if you go back to the JC after lunch, they will enroll you in a project management course, or something close."

"God, sis, he is serious."

She didn't say anything, but I could tell Kate knew my scheme for getting Mely's mind off her marital troubles. She nodded at me and said, "Hey, we better do as he says or our behinds will be toast."

Mely sat on my knees, straddling me straight on, and delivered a hot, wet kiss. Kate said, "Stop acting like a tramp in public. You are shameless, and that photographer is probably lurking in the bushes."

Younger sister shot off my lap like she had been electrocuted, shouting, "Damn, a girl can't even show a little affection."

When I got back to the shop, I asked Tony if he thought the two sisters could turn themselves into project managers.

"Well, Boss, you know what they say about pretty girls and empty heads. But if you are hanging out with them, there must be some brains in there."

"Tony, you are giving me a lot of credit. Kate's sister is having a bad divorce. Maybe going to class and creating pert charts will get her diverted to something more constructive than her lousy ex."

I added, "If your sister in law is interested in the job here at the shop, there is also remodeling work at my folks' house. Let's get everyone together. Maybe dinner up on the hill?"

"I'll call her tonight."

Chapter 3 - A Divorce Fight

The three adults worked hard to make mealtimes special for the three kids. They knew bad things were happening and we tried to provide as much warmth and sense of normal as we could. There was talk that Mommy and Daddy were not going to live together anymore. Eric's house was going to be home, maybe for a long time.

After dinner, grownups got to take dessert to the bedroom upstairs and talk. Ray's lawyer was contesting the divorce terms and a court date was set for a month away. The house was empty and in Ray's name. Angelina Tobias had completed schematic drawings for the new shop and for the remodeling at Eric's house. The women leaned on me and recounted their adventures at junior college.

"There are some cute guys, Eric. Maybe you don't have to support us after all."

With eyes closed, I pulled their hair. "What if I get mad and territorial and beat you?"

They hummed and said, "We love it when you get violent..."

"Actually," I said, "we have to raise some money. Maybe you do have to go to work, after all. And not selling your fabulous bodies, either."

They inched up and kissed me. "We're sorry. Shouldn't kid around like that. We'll go to the job center tomorrow and see what we can find."

"I have a better idea. Tony and I would be a lot more efficient if there was someone to deal with the phone and people at the counter. What if the two of you did a job share? That way, the off duty one can cover kids, and shopping and errands."

"Do we get paid?"

"Yes. After you go over the books, you can have a reasonable amount of whatever extra there is."

They sat up and pulled my hair. "Wait a minute. Sounds like we only get leftovers?"

I got my arms around the loving sisters and said, "Take the job for two weeks. Learn the shop routine and how to handle money and see what you can do to drum up business. Tony and I will sit down at the end of the two weeks and see if there is enough to support three salaries."

"We have to think about this. You stay and relax. We will put the kids to bed and be back."

I did the kitchen cleanup and found some reading material to take back to bed. They were there first, giving me bold looks. "Get in here."

They had on their tee shirt nighties and nothing else. "I know. You are planning on using pussy power to extract concessions."

The bold looks got bolder. "Well?"

"Everybody says, 'Never work for your relatives.' "

Silence.

"I guess we aren't getting married after all."

"None of that, buster. Do you remember whose bed we are in? Whose bodies you have been satisfying your lust with?"

I slid down in the bed and pulled the sheet over my head. There was a delightful smell of freshly scrubbed female bottom parts where I was. What was the worst that could happen to me?