The Bunker Ch. 16 - Preparations

All characters engaging in sexual activity are 18 years old or older.

Ch 16 -- Preparations

******

Cast of Characters

Kevin Ansen-- a community college physics professor selected by lottery to enter one of four government bunkers to ride out the impact of The Rock.

Jennifer Rodriguez-- a former student of Kevin's; intended to major in Family Therapy, applies those interests to helping her new family, the first of Kevin's ladies to get pregnant

Sarah Moran-- a fellow faculty member and friend of Kevin's for several years. Sarah and Kevin were both interested and failed to recognize the signs in each other.

Constance Worthington-- a student at Simpson college, but never in Kevin's classes, learning canning and pickling techniques from a Mennonite friend and her mother.

Jessica Peters-- widowed mother of three that agreed to serve as Kevin's slave to save her children. Also pregnant with Kevin's child.

Belinda Ansen-- 16 year old daughter of Kevin Ansen

Leslie Roark-- just barely eighteen, a friend of Belinda and her mentor in band.

Melissa Ballas-- a former student of Kevin's from a prior semester, Kevin was surprised to learn she'd been flirting with him most of the semester.

Gabriela Fernandez-- the realty agent that helped the Ansens select a new home for the growing family, denied her commission by the seller and her boss.

Melanie Nakamura-- formerly partnered to Devon, a man Kevin killed in the melee. She had been a professor of reading techniques at a large university's teaching program.

Nicole Pharris-- formerly partnered to Devon. She had been a local news anchor when Devon selected her.

Shaunice Yancy-- 14yo old daughter of Devon, adopted by Nicole.

Levon Yancy-- 7yo son of Devon, adopted by Nicole.

Eleanor Estrovich-- 18yo surviving partner of one of the men who died in the crash. She came to Kevin to avoid her brother's suggestion she would have to partner with him in order to get in the Bunker.

Andrea Gadsen-- 24yo Instagram model. Chose Kevin because she's always been 'a winner's girl.'

Destiny Rawlings-- 41yo former chemistry teacher who physically matches Kevin's described preferences more closely than any woman in his family.

Manny's guys

Manuelo Sanchez (Gabby's brother) master auto mechanic, owns an oil change and light repair shop, handy with most home repair tasks, especially good at electrical repairs, loves smoking meats

Mike Garza works as an orderly at the hospital while working toward certification in phlebotomy. He's also taking college coursework in biology with an eye to becoming a lab tech. Loves to sing and no one cringes when he gets up for karaoke.

Rueben Garcias has experience in construction as a framer, bricklayer, roofer, and drywaller. Excellent over an open flame, prefers to cook fajitas, but good with kabobs, burgers, hotdogs and sausages

Daniel Rodriguez (no relation to Jennifer) auto mechanic that loves to tinker with machines and building stuff. Dreamt of owning a 3D printer one day until the Rock was discovered. Plays acoustic guitar, mostly ballads, some pop and rock, and of course, folk and campfire songs.

Carlos Hernandez , landscaper, kept away from any manner of cooking, loves darts, reading, and hanging out with friends.

Eduardo Alvarez -- former ship's cook, tends to change jobs frequently, has worked for Carlos and for Rueben. Longest job held was cook at a locally owned diner.

Cynthia's friends

Cynthia Fernandez (Gabby's daughter) recently completed her MA in Supply Chain Management. Basic cooking skills, but hell at organization and cleaning

Angela Guzman just earned her PA degree, passed PANCE. Applied for state licensing and provider ID number from DEA. Worked as EMT during school part time and summer full time 24/48 to accrue hours needed to get into PA school.

Louisa Martinez raised sheep for FFA

Other additions

Allison Tanner -- Kevin's muay tai trainer in preparation for Cullings melee. Romantically involved with Carlos since the mixer.

Jimmy Stewart -- part of the construction crew building the dorm and community buildings for the compound. Now romantically involved with Cynthia.

Missy Gibson -- former visual art instructor at Simpson College, mother of Jacob, age 8, and Kelly, age 12, invited by Sarah to join the community. Sculptor, primarily, but reasonably talented in drawing and photography. Likes using non-standard materials. Grew up on a farm. Divorced, dating Jeff for 8 months now, he's undecided.

******

D -- 18, Saturday evening

Coming home was comforting. Funny how we'd only been here a few months, only been together a few months, but this place, with these women, was home. In a few more weeks, we will make a new home, one we would share for a much longer time. Of course, these ladies, and our children, were not the only ones inhabiting this place. And the others had become family too.

As soon as our little convoy pulled to a stop in the drive, Cynthia came rushing out to greet her mother. Several others poured out the front door, spreading out to greet us rather than overwhelm us at the cars. At least, that's what I thought at first. As soon as Gabriella stepped out of the vehicle, Cynthia moved in to give her mother a big hug.

It took about five seconds for the diamond on Cynthia's finger to get noticed. Squeals erupted from every lady present. (I have twelve women attached to me, plus my teenage daughter, plus Shaunice, the teen girl Kiki adopted.) Dogs all over the county were holding their heads in pain as the high-pitched squealing rebounded.

I started hauling bags inside. A couple of men joined me. Manny looked happy and sour simultaneously. I had a sinking feeling I would experience the same dichotomous state in a few years. When I stopped beside him, not saying anything, he said in a low voice. "He makes her happy and he treats her right." I won't confirm the rumor there was water on the bottom rim of his eyes. I patted his shoulder and kept on with my work.

The squealing mass of femininity finally calmed down, grabbed their bags and put away their clothes. The temporary housing back on the base had a washer and dryer, so everything was clean before getting packed for the return trip. Jessica made sure of that. She delegated the work to a couple of the younger girls, I think, but she made sure it got done before we left.

Dinner was a low-key affair. I made angel hair pasta with tomato sauce and ground beef. The ladies cycled through to make their plates while continuing to plan Cynthia's wedding. She and Jimmy decided to tie the knot early next week so Gabriela could attend.

I loafed about the outer perimeter for a while before approaching Gabby and making my suggestion. She teared up and squeezed the stuffing out of me. Then she rushed over to her daughter and whispered in her ear. Cynthia squealed happily, jumped up and ran to me. My stuffings got squeezed again.

"Are you sure? I mean, with everything you've got to get ready for, do you even have time?"

"We make time for important things, Cynthia. Making you and your mother happy is important."

I got another tight hug. Cynthia headed back to the scrum of wedding-happy ladies. I drifted to the kitchen for a drink. Melissa intercepted me. I immediately recognized the look in her eye and followed her, her small hand gripping my wrist like a horse's reins. She led me straight to the master bedroom, closing the door behind us.

Melissa began undressing me. I did the same for her. As her bra fell away, I cupped her small, perky breasts in my hands, kneading them softly. That elicited a pleasant moan. I flicked one nipple with my left hand, bending down to suck on the other. She rewarded me with a stilted gasp and a barely whispered 'yes'.

We paused stripping each other to kick off our shoes, then rapidly removed the other's remaining interfering garments. I was already mostly hard. We crawled onto the bed, centering ourselves. My little barrel rider took the top position. She wasted no time lining me up and impaling herself on my meat stick. Melissa's eyes fluttered as she descended. A wide, lazy grin spread across her face as her soft, wet lower lips reached the base of my shaft.

"God, this feels so good." She began rocking her hips. She fixed her eyes on mine.

"I'm mildly surprised you're not part of the wedding chat."

She smirked back. "I have two very practical reasons. One, with everyone else distracted, I get this dick all to myself, with no rush. Two, I never envisioned marrying you."

I stroked my hands up her sides slowly, awaiting her timing to continue.

"Last semester, in your class, I had hopes of getting you into bed, getting you into me, but I didn't fool myself about marrying you. Don't get me wrong, I would have loved for it to be more than just a fling. But I knew, as a younger woman seeking an older man, that marriage was unlikely." She switched to a rolling motion with her hips. "Even if it was just the two of us for the rest of our lives, I didn't expect a wedding. I was ambivalent about children. If you wanted them, I would, without hesitation." She paused, going back to rocking, but grinding her clit against the top of my boner with each cycle. "Now, of course, I'm expected too. I have no problems with that." She looked down at me with a smile. "Now flip us over and pound me."

I took hold of her hips and rolled us. Her eyes flashed as I took charge, even though it was at her request. I took a few slow, full-length thrusts before grabbing her knees and pushing them back towards her head. She reached up to take hold of her legs. I placed my hands on either side of her shoulders and shifted my weight until I was hovering over her. Her breath caught, knowing what was coming. I launched into rapid, forceful thrusting with no preamble.

"Oh, yeah, baby. Just like that, give it to me," she said with small whine. Rhythmic grunting followed in time with my thrusts. She shifted her legs to my shoulders and grasped my head in her hands, clutching tightly. I could feel her small, taut body trembling.

"Hunh, Hunh, HUunnnnaaaAAAAAAA YEEEEEEEEESSSSSS!!!!"

Her love channel convulsed around my cock, but not painfully so. Her orgasm increased her lubrication and I went full animal ravaging. Her vocalization varied between moaning and mewling, her eyes wide, pleading for more.

I raced to my finish and howled as I exploded within her. Melissa purred as I lowered myself, settling in beside her. She rolled, keeping me inside of her for a little longer. She tucked her head under my chin and wrapped her arms around me. "This is what I need. This is enough for me."

We lay like that for an undetermined time until Leslie opened the door and peeked in. "Found them!"

I reached back, taking hold of the comforter. I pulled it over us, maintaining some privacy.

Sarah decided to give the others more time with me, since she'd gotten to share my bed every night for the last week. Every night I came home, anyway. Constance, Andrea, Eleanor and Destiny claimed it was 'big tiddy night' and clamored for space on the bed. Melissa acquiesced. We'd lain there together for an hour at least, so she was satisfied.

I dealt out at least six orgasms amongst the four ladies before popping a second time. I was asleep not much later. To be fair, our little sex fest went on for nearly two hours straight. They got breaks during that time. Hard to complain though. I got to fuck four beautiful women and bury my face in four luscious sets of tits.

******

D -- 17 Sunday

Church was... refreshing. Jessica's pastor showed a consistent pattern of focusing on the biblical text, through the lens of Christ's words, rather than established church dogma. Somethings, of course, aligned with tradition, but he never failed to point out where the past had gone with a human interpretation that did not align well with the clear wording in the gospels. If I'd had a pastor like him long ago, I might not have left the church.

Some people that I remember from the first few times I came here with Jess were no longer around. A few new faces were. In more than one instance, there were clearly two or three women with the same man. That had prompted a whole series of marital themed sermons by Pastor George on marriage, polygamy, and husbandly and wifely duties.

Not that that was today's lesson. He'd finished that series a few weeks before training began. No, today was about balancing 'love thy neighbor' and 'care for the poor, widow, and orphans' with 'carry a sword'. A lot of people skip over the verse where Christ tells his disciples to go out into the world with a sword and a bag, in contrast to the first time when he sent them out with neither. Of course, the first time, he was still here. The second time, he was leaving.

An oversimplification would paraphrase Pastor George's words as 'charity begins at home'. But that wasn't what he said. His wrap up expounded two principles. A man has a duty to provide for his family. A man has a duty to teach his kids that sometimes, a sacrifice must be made to help others. Like eating half rations so someone else can eat too.

To put a ribbon on that point, the pastor had announced that henceforth every Sunday service would end with a church potluck dinner. The original announcement went out two weeks ago, but the start was aligned with this lesson. You don't think the old boy planned it that way, do ya?

Gabbi, Jess, and Jenn had been regularly attending with me. Sarah joined us shortly before training week and was here today. She only looked slightly green at the thought of food. She wasn't throwing up as much the past few days as the months prior, so maybe a few easy dishes would work for her. I was not prepared for what I saw on her plate.

"Fried chicken? Really? You hate fried food."

"I know. I just... it smells so good."

I gave her a wary smile. "I know they say tastes change during pregnancy, but wow."

"Don't tease me. You did this to me."

"I seem to recall a rather enthusiastic participation on your part. And don't think I didn't notice you arranged for the others to give you exclusive access for a week."

"So you did notice."

"Uh, well, not during the week, but after you came giggly happy out of the bathroom with a positive pregnancy test, I put it together."

Sarah smirked and bit into a drumstick. Do you remember the movie Finding Nemo ? The part where Bruce the Shark got a whiff of blood and his eyes rolled over and changed? I swear Sarah's face went through the same transition.

"Oh my god, this is so good." She looked up to see me chuckling. "Shut up." I just laughed harder but managed to blow her a kiss. She polished off two thighs and some sides before we left.

When we got home, I sought out Manny and Allison. We found a quiet, isolated spot to talk.

"Hey guys, I've offered to take Cynthia dress shopping in Oklahoma City tomorrow. That means Gabby and Cynthia for sure. Maybe Angela and Luisa as well."

"Oh definitely." Allison interjected. "You don't leave a girlfriend behind when shopping for a wedding dress. That would be a big insult."

"Okay, so four in the shopping cadre. Safety is becoming an issue. I'm going to drive. I'll have a holstered pistol and a rifle stored in the vehicle. I'd like you to accompany me, Allison. Manny, you'll be responsible for security here in my absence."

"Getting practiced at it man-o," he said with a grin. "Just keep my niece and sister safe."

I nodded in response.

"I should drive." Allison stated. "If things get hairy enough for the long gun to come out, you're better at that than I am. If you're driving, we'd be hamstrung."

"Okay, that's fair. We'll talk to the ladies about specific destinations in a bit. Manny, you have any concerns?"

"Nope. You guys gonna be gone most of the day?"

"Probably. It's a two hour drive each way, and I doubt they'll want to go to only one shop. Cynthia already added on party supply and hobby stores to get decorations or stuff to make them with. We'll stop for lunch somewhere in there as well. Figure we'll be gone until at least dinner. I'll make sure you get a heads up when we're on our way back."

"Sounds good."

******

D-16 Monday

Allison was up, stretching and performing warmup exercises on the back deck when I came out to do some stretching of my own. She finished her morning routine and left to get dressed. Though, today, 'getting dressed' most likely included hiding an expanding baton and a taser somewhere on her person. Maybe a knife as well.

I wrapped up my morning exercise, minus the run and grabbed a bowl of cereal. By then, Gabby joined me, getting the coffee pot ready. Soon after, Cynthia and both her friends from college -- Angela and Luisa -- came through the back door from their rooms in the dorm building. Missy and her kids were the only ones living in the south building. It was mostly community rooms anyway.

The ladies all sipped at their coffee cups. Most were halfway through when the biscuits I hadn't seen Gabby pull out of the fridge were ready. Allison, arriving shortly thereafter, happily accepted a cup and a biscuit. She slowly peeled the thing apart, one 'flaky layer' at a time. Our voices were low as Gabriela and I described the specifics of today's plans. Allison and I would provide protection while the four of them went shopping for a wedding dress for Cynthia. Given it was a two hour drive, we would also stop at a few other shops and hopefully garner materials needed for wedding decorations. We'd eat lunch while we were out and planned to be back in time for dinner. The three younger ladies had come in dressed for a travel day. Gabby and I were the only two not dressed yet. Time to fix that. A quick word to Allison and I went upstairs only a minute behind Gabriela.

Jeans, a comfortable button down with a breast pocket, shoulder holster with pistol from the secure box under my nightstand, and a light jacket and I was ready to go. Strictly speaking, I wouldn't ordinarily wear the jacket this time of year, but I wanted to give the ladies a chance to forget I was armed. Or, more precisely, why I was armed.

Security was one reason we'd chosen the OKC area over Dallas. The latter would have had far more shops to choose from but was already balkanizing. It would probably stabilize sooner, but right now, OKC was more stable. Besides, a shop in Oklahoma City would be willing to make a better deal than Dallas area. The world was changing radically, but Dallas was still more expensive. Before heading back downstairs to help Allison load the SUV, I stopped by Gabby's room and made my request. Her eyes glinted as she nodded.

We took the interstate, as it was still free of any 'local authority checkpoints'. That still took two hours to get to Penn Square Mall. Well, a boutique just across the road. Allison drove, her eyes scanning constantly. A 9mm was under her seat with two back up magazines. She was still learning to be comfortable with a pistol. I had two under my seat for mine, (I had one in the weapon and another on my person) and four clips for the M16 under the rear cargo area false floor. All that remained in the SUV while we went in. Allison stowed her pistol in her purse when we exited the vehicle.

Thankfully, the room was mostly square, though the back areas changed the geometry somewhat. Allison inspected the changing areas, verifying that the only other door was behind the cashier's desk. I took up position between the cashier station and the entrance to a changing space. I'm sure there was a name for it, but it was a decent size room with several chairs and an inner, small room for the bride to change into dresses before emerging for friends to give their opinions. Allison took station in one of the front corners of the main room, a few quick steps from the front door. Perfect position for her shorter range weapons. We both kept our eyes sweeping the room, especially the front, which was all glass, and the shop owner. She seemed pleasant enough, but she wasn't in my community and was thus suspect.

Cynthia and her friends ooh, awed, and cooed over more dresses than I could recount. Gabby spent time with them, then drifted away to examine other dresses. I felt a little guilty, having some notion that what I'd asked of her was an incredibly big deal, but I knew she would be better at it than I.

Cynthia, Angela, and Luisa spent well over an hour looking at every. single. dress. in. the. store. Well, maybe not every dress, but still. Then they retired to the changing room to put the top six choices through a champagne-fueled semifinals that narrowed it down to two dresses that went into a one-on-one prize fight to determine a winner.

Yeah, no, it wasn't nearly that exciting, but they sure seemed to think so. I just wanted to convey some of the atmosphere of the morning. It didn't appear to be an 'every female' thing, since Allison was not visibly energized like the rest. Then again, maybe it was a 'still waters' thing on her part.

Cynthia was giddy, hugging me repeatedly, thanking me for the dress. Her friends did the same, though less frequently. None noticed the items Gabby added to the purchase table. Though, they were halfway to the door by then. They didn't exit until Gabby and I had the purchases in hand and were walking out as well. The shopkeeper was delighted to get paid in gold coin. That's what Manny had gathered last night and Allison loaded this morning. Well, that and the rifle.

Dress shopping took us to lunch time. The mall food court was briefly considered, then rejected in favor of Olive Garden. I wasn't going to turn down a shot at 'create your own' pasta. Angel hair was my favorite. Afterwards, we hit four different craft shops to get the makings of wedding decorations.

No artificial flowers though. They called the florist on the drive home to request the bouquet and flower arrangements. There would be just enough time. That included two days for the florist to receive the needed flowers in the first place. A few substitutions had been necessary, given the short timing and the world circumstances. Cynthia rolled with it. As she commented later, "There's preferences, then there's just being a bitch."

The 'quiet' living room, the one we'd taken to using for bible study together, became 'wedding central'. Materials and completed projects took over the space. Truthfully, I only saw it the one time, when I absently walked in with a book in hand. I felt testosterone draining from my body as I stood there. Gathering the last of my wits, I fled quickly to the gym to hit the weights.

I'm kidding. I didn't hit the weights until the next morning's workout.

******

D -- 14 Wednesday

I stood with one foot on the second rail of the wood fence surrounding the sheep pasture. Melissa stood beside me, Luisa on the other side of her. The three of us silently observed the sheep as they contentedly chewed grass.

"You have everything you need to shear these guys?" I asked Luisa.

"Yes, the last few needs arrived last week. I've done it plenty of times. I've even taught it to younger kids in FFA. I'll teach at least two others, so even if I'm sick, the job can get done."

"Excellent. What about... uh-"

"Melissa's parents introduced us to their butcher. We have an agreement with him."

"Nice work, ladies."

"Might work out even better in time."

"How's that?"

"The apprentice butcher has taken a shine to Angela. It looks pretty mutual too."

"That's be good if it works out. Hell, with sheep, chickens, and crops, this place'll be set for food."

"We have an agreement in place with my family to swap out rams and ewes occasionally so our small herd doesn't get inbred."

"Outstanding." I looked at Luisa. "Ya'll are going to be an important resource in the community. That's going to make some people grateful, and others jealous. Be careful when you're off the compound. Smile, and be wary."

"Well, there's more than one way to build relationships with others."

"Oh?"

"Besides Luisa and Leonard -- the butcher's apprentice -- Eduardo seems to be spending a fair bit of his time with a young lady in town. She's twenty-two, five years younger than him, but they seem to have hit it off well. Rueben's been enjoying being desired." Luisa chuckled. "Not quite a different girl every night, but there's clearly at least three ladies seriously competing for his affections."

"That can create bad blood too."

"True," Luisa said, "but Manny and the others have been giving him advice so he can navigate this change. He was never into dating before. Got razed by some that he was gay. Which was BS. He went out with girls a few times before this, just not with the frequency of most guys."

"As long as he's careful. And respectful."

"Rueben? Oh, hell ya. Both by instinct and the knowledge of what would happen if the other guys here found out he'd mistreated a woman. They may not be the most enlightened, shall we say, about social norms, but they won't put up with abuse or even ill treatment. And they're learning on the other stuff. Some. With Angela being our doc, and Cynthia as the primary organizer, the guys are adapting quickly."

Melissa jumped in with, "You failed to mention Mike."

Luisa blushed. "Uh, yeah, having a guy for the nurse and a lady doc has forced the guys to rethink old norms."

"Not what I meant. You're still dodging."

That's when my slow ass brain caught up. "Oh, you and Mike are a thing?"

Luisa punched Melissa in the arm. "Big mouth. Why the hell did I say anything to you?"

"Relax, we're happy for you."

"That is good news, I'm happy for both of you, Luisa." I spoke up in hopes of redirecting the conversation.

"Thank you," mumbled Luisa.

"I'm glad to see you're all settling in well and finding partners either amongst yourselves or in the community."

Luisa replied with a weak smile, too embarrassed to say anything.

******

My next check in was the electronic command center where Leslie was teaching Manny, Cynthia, Allison, and Jimmy how to operate the surveillance system she designed. That was this morning's lesson. Yesterday was the power system -- balancing the hydroturbines in the creek with the solar panels on the roofs and checking the battery storage. That was really the biggest question -- how long the batteries would last. The short answer was, we really didn't know. My advice had been don't count on more than ten years. The turbines were rated to last fifteen years -- and we had a two replacement sets, so arguably 45 years worth of power from the stream, as long as it maintained a steady flow.

Manny was the first to notice me standing in the doorway.

"Hey esse, how's it hangin'?"

I chuckled. "Just fine. Makin' my rounds to check on the transition work."

"Strawberry shortcake over there is smarter than I'll ever be, but she explains things clear enough for me to follow along."

Leslie couldn't decide whether to be insulted at the 'strawberry shortcake' label or grateful for the praise of her intellect and teaching skill. I winked at her, hoping she'd take the hint and the praise. Surely as a country girl, she had some understanding of razzing.

"Well, I'll leave you in her capable hands, good to hear things are progressing smoothly." Leslie waved good bye and continued her spiel. Tomorrow she was taking Missy, Cynthia and Carlos through the ins and outs of the digital media server containing the electronic library she'd built. Yes, of course we'd constructed a physical library as well. A hardcopy works even without power, but an e-library can pack a million times more information or entertainment in a much smaller space. As long as you can power it. Tradeoffs.

******

D -- 10 Sunday night

Oh Lord. Look, I've lived around Hispanics for a good part of my life, but I'd never been a part of an Hispanic wedding. I did not know all of the traditions. With the wedding tomorrow, well, the guys expected Jimmy to serenade his bride this evening. With all of them singing back up and Mike on guitar. They wanted me in on it too, but I suck at languages. I never learned Spanish and I certainly never learned Spanish songs.

Jimmy latched onto that, saying he didn't know any Spanish songs either. Manny cut us both off.

"It's our tradition, it doesn't have to be one of our traditional songs. Popular songs are often used. So pick a few English language songs to romance your lady, Jimmy."

"Um, okay. How about 'All of Me'?"

"Oh," I said, "didn't know you were a Willie Nelson fan."

All of the younger men looked at me funny.

"It's a John Legend song. Here, let me bring it up."

"Already got it for ya bud." Mike hit play. I was impressed.

"Ok, that's a good song choice, Jimmy," I replied.

"Now you just need two more," interjected Manny.

"Oh! He could do 'In Your Eyes'" I suggested. "But he'd need to hold a boombox over his head while he sang it."

Again, they all stared at me blankly.

"Okay, that was a good movie, you philistines need to get some culture."

"Well, we also need to stick to songs I know how to play," Daniel added.

Two hours. It took two hours to settle on three songs. Well, and practice them so we were somewhat coordinated. Lyrics were handed out. I stationed Ellie outside the room to keep too many people from listening in. It was supposed to be a surprise, after all.

Dinner was a semi-subdued affair. Conversation was muted. With the wedding tomorrow, everyone had some task in mind. Everyone was happy for Jimmy and Cynthia. There was an energy in the air. Pretty sure all the ladies knew something was up, too. They just didn't know what.

Using his sister as an intermediary, Manny made sure Cynthia was in her room, near the window as the sun edged towards the horizon. Jimmy looked like he was seriously considering vomiting as a career choice as we walked out to the enclosed courtyard area between the buildings and made our way to a spot below Cynthia's window.

Daniel played a loud riff intended to grab attention while several of the guys let loose with gritos. After a pause in playing, Daniel laid in the opening chords of John Legend's 'All of Me'. Jimmy sang the first verse... unevenly, before and after Cynthia opened the window and stuck her head out. She was blushing, and kept bringing her hands up to hide her face. She also had an enormous grin. Her eyes were twinkling even at this distance in low light.

By the time the first chorus kicked in, Jimmy found his confidence and really belted out the tune with reasonable skill. Cynthia looked like she'd melt on the lines about 'perfect imperfections' and being there when the world is beating her down. The ending came in a little rough, but Cynthia cheered. So did the gathered throng hanging out the back windows of our house.

Cynthia turtled back in fast and Jimmy almost broke and ran. We coaxed him into staying and she came back out as he launched into 'Hold My Hand' by Hootie and the Blowfish with all of us singing back up vocals. As easy as the chorus was, my ladies joined in on the cries of '... hoooold myyy hand...' and things finally turned festive.

And then it was time for the denouement. All of us stepped back from Jimmy in a horseshoe shape. With Daniel's guitar in the background, he sang in a clear, strong voice:

Every time our eyes meet

This feeling inside me

Is almost more than I can take.

No doubt about it, this was Jimmy's heart song. It was like the air changed. A couple guys forgot to join in on the 'I don't know how you do what you do' and 'I want to spend the rest of my life' lines for back up. Mike and I had his back though. We really punched on the last few 'Every little thing that you do' lines. It fit perfectly with the way Jimmy was building. He gave the end a good flourish. Everyone cheered and Cynthia was doing the whole two-handed throwing kisses thing.

"I love you Jimmy Stewart, you nut ball!"

Several cheers went up.

Manny and I escorted Jimmy back to the main house. We'd cleared one room for the night so he could stay here instead of Cynthia's room for the night before the wedding.

******

D -- 9 Monday

The entire female half of our little community un-assed the compound en masse and relocated to the church immediately after breakfast. They took all the dresses, make up, and decorations with them. They took the kids as well.

Manny and I had been given strict orders to have Jimmy at the church no later than noon. And no earlier either. Having been designated Los Patrinos, we took our duty seriously. Jimmy's friend Leo was Best Man. He didn't make it for the serenade, but would meet us at the church at the designated time. Angela was Cynthia's Maid of Honor while Gabriela and Missy Jackson were designated Las Madrinas. As soon as the art professor showed up at the compound, she and Cynthia had gotten along like a house on fire.

Jessica's church was hosting the wedding. Pastor George agreed to conduct the ceremony, provided the couple come in for at least three pre-marital counseling sessions, which they readily agreed to. The older gentleman's eyes were watery when he greeted me the Sunday after he took delivery of the five pallets of canned veggies, two pallets of canned meats, and six drums of vacuum sealed rice. I'd thought about giving him a rifle or pistol as well, but I didn't think he'd take it. He had plenty of parishioners that probably had arms. What he wanted most was the ability to sustain his flock.

All of us guys arrived dressed and ready. The women had taken over the children's wing of the church building as the bride's party's dressing suite. We milled about in the front of the sanctuary until guests began arriving. After that, we took turns seating them. Jimmy's family lived one town over. Like, nearly his entire living extended family. A lot of them came, along with his friends.

Cynthia had friends from her K-12 years here in town and many of them showed up. Little politician that she was becoming, she'd also invited folks that she and the others in the compound were networking with -- Leslie's parents, Melissa's parents, the butcher, and the vet. Well, the butcher's apprentice was Angela's plus one, but still. One aunt and her family lived close enough to attend as well.

Half an hour before the ceremony was expected to start, Sister Jeanine came out and began playing a mixture of light classical music and uplifting hymns. Why is it that every pastor's wife either plays piano, or organ, or sings? It's uncanny how that seems to always work out. Surely there are some pastor's wives that can't carry a tune in a bucket, or couldn't shake a tambourine worth a damn, but I've never met one.

Leo came out of the little vestibule he and Jimmy were stashed in, awaiting the proper time. He quickly relayed 'one small change' to ask Cynthia about. I had an instant queasy feeling. Sure, adding his parents as additional 'Patrino y Madrina' made sense, but even small detail changes on the day of the wedding, just minutes before the bride is expected to march in? I hoped Cynthia liked Jimmy's parents.

She did. She was a bit miffed he waited until now to say something. She wasn't alone, and as the messenger, I got shot several times. Fortunately, they were only shooting angry looks. Don't mess with the bride on the wedding day! I swiftly returned to the sanctuary and informed Jimmy his last minute twitch to the finely tuned machine hadn't blown the whole thing up. Then Manny and I explained to his parents. Once they understood, they were thrilled.

Manny signaled to Sister Jeanine that all invitees appeared to be present. Manny, me, and most of the guys took seats on the second pew, behind Jimmy's parents. Reuben posted up by the door Jimmy was set to walk out of. When the pastor's wife launched into the groom's march, Leo emerged, with Jimmy in trail. Reuben fell in behind them. They lined up with Jimmy to the pastor's left, Leo below and beside him, and Reuben below and beside Leo. Sister Jeanine skillfully truncated the song. There was a pause. Then she launched into the familiar wedding march.

First to emerge was Luisa, who wound up on the lowest step, and furthest to the pastor's right. Angela followed several steps behind her, then Cynthia several paces after Angela. We'd discussed having either Manny or me walk her down the aisle, but Cynthia decided against that. Manny was her uncle, not her father -- and not that much older. She and I had a favorable relationship, but not the kind of fondness implicit in walking her down the aisle. So she walked unescorted.

What followed was a mix of Mexican traditions that stemmed from Catholicism, at least in part, and Protestant traditions. Cynthia and Gabriela were largely Protestant, though Gabby had been raised Catholic. Much of her family was still Catholic, and they had expectations . They'd also been made aware this was not going to be a purely Catholic affair either. Pastor George gave a brief sermon on the sanctity of marriage and its importance in the building of a community. Jimmy presented Cynthia with a small wooden box containing 13 gold coins. Providing that was one of my 'El Patrino' duties -- or was it a privilege? Those can overlap easily.

Cynthia and Jimmy exchanged vows and rings under George's direction. Then Manny, me and the other guys stood to distribute the communion elements as George informed the gathered throng of this tradition, along with a truncated version of the Protestant communion liturgy. Once everyone had a communion wafer and a cup, we brought the elements forward and exchanged them amongst ourselves as well. Pastor had already provided some to Cynthia and Jimmy, as well as himself. We'd pre-staged them on the altar earlier. It wasn't until we'd taken the cup that I discovered another concession the wily minister had made. It wasn't grape juice in that tiny plastic cup. It was real wine.

There were a few sounds of surprise, but nothing that came close to breaking the moment. Cynthia's aunt and uncle seem to note the distinction and looked on approvingly. Sometimes pastoring isn't much different than diplomacy. Same stakes, different scale.

George called for the Padrinos and Madrinas. The six of us gathered around the newlyweds and Gabby brought out a slender golden cord. Cynthia and Jimmy joined hands and we as a group wrapped the cord around their hands. We did so silently, which allowed the small cries to be heard. Honestly, it was nearly an inverse of the flag ceremony when I'd been on funeral detail back in my Army days. A silent ritual with a strong emotional impact.

They elected to march out that way, arm in arm with everyone cheering. I was sent along with the rest of the guests to host the reception in our courtyard area. Gabby was hostess. Sarah stayed behind with most of my partners to quickly clear the chapel of all the decorations. The flowers came home and decorated the common areas of the three buildings. Except the bouquet. Instead of the Catholic tradition of presenting the bridal bouquet to Mary, Cynthia went with the common American tradition of throwing the bouquet. Sarah caught it. She gave me an amused look, with only a small amount of steel in her gaze. When she got home, she displayed it in a vase centered on top of the master bedroom dresser.

Manny and most of the boys quickly slipped out of their wedding regalia before firing up the coals or checking on the smoker. Mike and Rueben stayed in their fancy stuff and warmed up to wander the courtyard while performing. As host, I stayed in my nice clothes too. The newlyweds wandered the crowd greeting each guest and receiving congratulations. I circulated, keeping an eye out for disturbances, or needs that weren't being met. Sometimes that meant running as a gopher for Manny at the smoker with the pig's head or Rueben at the grill with the marinated flank steak and chicken leg quarters.

Gabby, as hostess split her time between wandering the crowd and running back in the kitchen. Her sister brought two almond cakes for the sweets table, and Gabby made polvorones yesterday. That still meant a lot of work making fresh tortillas, rice, and tres leches cake now. The black beans she 'cheated' -- in her words -- and used the slow cookers starting this morning.

Fortunately, the cleanup crew worked quickly. They arrived already in normal clothes and jumped straight into helping Gabby, Manny, and Rueben. Have I mentioned I love these ladies? Things get done before I know they need doing most of the time. The arrival of reinforcements left me free to socialize more with the guests, which is what most people think of as hosting.

Everyone's attention turned when tables starting appearing near the outdoor cook stations. Rueben began pulling steak and chicken off the grill to cool. Manny did likewise with the two pig's heads. Not gonna lie, that gave me a mild case of the creeps. But in the spirit of things, I promised to at least try some of the cheek. A table went up along one side of the area set with tables and chairs, quickly acquired a tablecloth and then was covered in desserts. Except the tres leches which Gabby was still working on.

A second table went up on an adjacent side from the sweets table, just far enough away to prevent traffic to either table from running into each other. Manny and Rueben started carving at that same time, and shortly thereafter, meat platters landed on the long table, along with fresh flour and corn tortillas from the kitchen, the crockpot of black beans and two large bowls of rice -- one cilantro lime the other tomato and peppers with a bit of kick.

Rueben's second batch was veggies for fajitas and shrimp skewers. Those cooked fairly quickly so even those that got in line early got some on their second pass.

The conversation subdued somewhat as everyone ate, but the festive spirit filled the air. My heart swelled with hope for this place and these people. Laughter and scattered conversation, with occasional pronouncements the assembled throng by Gabby, Manny, Tia Helena, Jimmy's dad, and Leo to name a few. Gabby's sister and her family were all perfectly fluent in English, so no translation was needed in either direction for the crowd wide pronouncements. As for the smaller discourses, well, those were private fucking conversations anyway weren't they?

Manny gathered the younger men for one more traditional event. Swooping in behind Jimmy in his chair, they lifted him on to their shoulders like he was crowd surfing and tossed him like pizza dough for a minute or so. Manny had co-ordinated this with me. It was customary for folks to stuff money in the groom's pockets during this. Since dollars might soon be worthless and most people would soon be back to a barter economy, that seemed pointless. So I converted some of the compound's funds into silver and gold coins, then placed one bag of five silver coins and one bag of five quarter ounce gold coins at each place setting, with a card permitting the individual attendees to keep as much as they wished, or put as much as they wished into Jimmy's pockets during the Muertito. The crowd also removed Jimmy's shoes and passed them around. Coins went into them as well. When he sat down, Jimmy had to be careful. He was paying out like an overused Vegas slot machine. Levon and Nelly happened to be passing by and jumped in quickly to gather the scattered coins. Belinda brought up a clean bowl. After dumping all the coins in it, Cynthia gave Bel keys to her room and Bel rushed off to place the bowl on her dresser.

When the food started getting dished up, Leslie began playing soft background music to give Rueben and Mike a break. As people were finishing up from their meals, she went to something just a touch livelier. A few people moved tables aside and couples started dancing. It was several minutes later when Gabriela appeared at my side.

"Have you seen Jimmy or Cynthia lately?"

"Uh, no, I haven't," I said, scanning the dance floor and the head table. Gabby squealed happily. I gave her an amused look. "I'm sure they just wanted a little private time. It is their wedding day after all."

She looked me like I was a mildly bright child. Adorable, but mildly bright. "It's tradition. If the groom and bride can slip out without anyone noticing, it brings good luck to the marriage."

"Oh, well, good for them. That's two reasons to be glad they slipped out."

"No, no, you don't understand. Now we have to find them. Whoever finds them is also supposed to have good luck."

"Wouldn't that cancel their good luck by getting found?"

"No, they get luck for slipping out unseen, not staying hidden."

"Ah. So... now we hunt?"

Gabby nodded, with a great big grin. I noticed a few others moving towards the dorm building, community building, and main house. One person headed towards the powerhouse. Apparently, the hunt was on. With so many people going to the main house, I knew I wouldn't be the first to find them if they were in there. But. I had a sneaking suspicion, they were somewhere else entirely.

When Cynthia and I inspected the stream and the turbines, we found a cut in along the bank that was submerged in high water, but exposed at normal volume. It was also easily six feet below the main bank, and deep into the wooded area, so there was plenty of privacy. Which is exactly what Cynthia said when she saw it. The approach to get there wound down from a crossing fifty yards upstream, but there was a rabbit trail leading to the bank overlooking that location. If all I had to do was spot them, that would be sufficient. I crept quietly along the path.

Once I got to where I could see the big tree overhanging the shelf, I could hear confirmation I was on the right track. I leaned around the tree briefly to make sure it was Jimmy and Cynthia, rather than two other paramours getting frisky. That kind of thing tends to happen at weddings. Never happened to me, but I hear tales. I texted Gabby I'd found them. She asked where, so she could join me. I hesitated, but in the end figured bringing her to where I am still kept her separate from the young lovers by a six foot drop.

Gabby tried, but she wasn't that quiet coming down the trail.

"Oh, God, is that my mother up there?" Cynthia wailed.

"Listen, kitten, you've gone through three orgasms just in the past ten minutes that I've been here. Take the win." With a wicked grin I added. "Keep up the good work, Jimmy."

Cynthia blushed furiously while Gabby laughed and Jimmy grinned in victory, shooting me a thumbs up. We turned our backs to the young lovers as they dressed and head upstream to the trail. Gabby had a curious grin on her face.

"I'm glad you're the one that found them."

"It was fun. I kinda had an inside scoop on this. Cynthia noticed it when we were inspecting the hydroturbines and looking at fishing possibilities. Seemed like a good bet, and I was right."

"Yes, you were mi amor . About that and other things as well." Worry crossed her face as she brought her hand behind my neck and pulled us together for a kiss. "I'm glad because, to me, it affirms that the hand of providence is upon you. God will protect you. That also scares me. It also means you have need of such protection. You walk a dangerous path, one that we need you to walk. At least you will not be alone. I will worry, but I have hope." She nestled her head against my chest and wrapped her arms around me.

What the hell do you say to that?

I held her, my back leaning against the tree, until she was ready to head back. The sun was slipping towards the horizon as we returned. Both families had departed. In fact, Manny and everyone over thirty was no where in sight.

Gabby looked at me and hiked her eyebrows as we reached the dance space. The music was more energetic now.

"La Tornaboda!" she cried. She pulled me on to the dance floor and danced provactively. My younger partners materialized out of the crowd, surrounding us and displaying their own lascivious moves. I take that back. Destiny, Kiki, and Melanie were present as well. They probably felt obligated to stay with me.

After the first song, Gabriela said her goodbyes. She was clearly having a good time, but as she said, Cynthia might feel constrained with her mother present. Just as importantly, the bride would not want to see her mother getting freaky on the dance floor. She delivered that last statement with a tone that promised of a future demonstration.

I immediately turned to Melanie. She looked like the beat was bashing physically against her skull. "You are free to seek out a more acoustically appealing setting." I delivered a kiss to her forehead and she left as quickly as decorum allowed. Then I turned to Kiki, who spoke first.

"I'd like to hang out for another song or two, but I'll be pooped outby then."

"That's fair."

Destiny just shook her head and wiggled her hips. I swear all of these women seemed to think they were Shakira once the beat dropped. I certainly appreciated the results though. Leslie and Melissa had the figure to match the Latina songstress. Constance on the other hand, had that amazing combo of svelte torso and big juicy top. As she wiggled her hips and contorted her waist, her breasts seemed to be dancing all of their own accord. Since I was quite familiar with those luscious lumps, it was mesmerizing. Still, I managed to have eyes for the others. They were all tantalizing. I am one lucky son of a bitch.

My girls surprised me by leading me off the dance floor before my tired old feet began making demands. It wasn't a rest though. Just a change in the dance style.

******

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