Mending Wounded Hearts

The tractor-based drill was proceeding along at a lively pace. Paul and my patent attorney, Will, were hard at work with the details and the application was ready for signatures. I would have Petes take it home so his parents could sign and get it notarized since Petes was a minor. I was happy to be involved in their lives again and this project could protect a lot of grape farmers of both wine or non-wine species.

I called Riley and Rory; Riley was a boy Carolina and I adopted along with his brother. Rory was his boyfriend and possibly his fiancé. My reason was two-fold, I wanted to invite them to the party and I wanted some help with the control systems integration and diagnostics. They were both robotics nuts and actually had a company that made custom robots and drones. They would talk your ears off about either one. They agreed to meet me at the fab shop.

Hey, Dad! Riley locked onto me with a killer hug. Rory followed suit and I hugged them both tightly.

"Are you really thinking of getting married again?" Riley asked. Luke says she's a lot like Mom but different."

"It would seem that way, I didn't see it coming but she's a wonderful woman. I think you'll like her. Yes, she is a lot like Carolina in personality but she's also very different. It's hard to find a no bullshit woman but it looks like I got lucky twice," I explained.

"Luke said she is pretty cool, he also said you had two new boys and Ally's son there at the ranch."

"I hadn't planned on that either but there they were and I couldn't turn my back, any more than I could let them keep splitting you and Kevin up. I haven't reached him, how is he doing?" I inquired.

"He's a little bummed right now. Bethy found another guy she liked better and bailed on him. I guess she figured out he was never going to take orders from her and went looking. He showed up while she was packing and the new boyfriend tried to keep him out. Kevin's smart though and he had a body cam on and he told the guy he was trespassing and he better leave so the guy tried to get physical and hell, you know how that was gonna go. The cops showed up and Kevin showed them the footage and they cuffed new guy, but Kevin allowed him to go when Bethy was done. He allowed Bethy to pack up her personal stuff and clothes but the furniture was his and it was staying," Riley recounted.

"I hope that's the end of it, I never much liked Bethy and I hope she doesn't try to go after him through the court," I supplied.

"I doubt it, her name wasn't on a single thing in that house, they never filed joint taxes, hell they weren't together long enough. I know because I mentioned the same concerns when he told me. Aside from feeling used, he's okay. He needs a girl like Mom I think," Riley grinned.

"Well, I'll call him again and see how he feels about coming to the party. I hope he can find a woman he can trust; women like your mom are thin on the ground," I put in.

"So where's the project, Dad?" Riley asked.

I walked them over to the prototype and introduced them to my head fab guy. Mike runs the shop for me and keeps the guys busy when I don't have any projects in the works.

"Damn, that's some great welding, is that Mig or Tig, Mike?" Rory asked.

"It's a bit of both guys, Jason could weld a dismembered cat back together and get it to climb a tree," Mike bragged.

"It's beautiful work, I don't see him so tell him I love it," I requested of Mike.

"I know it's late in the process but I'm concerned about stability on a side grade. I have an idea for out riggers that can go at the front end here; we can use rotary actuators to swing them out and the usual for support. I think I found the actuator we could use and I have a thumb drive with specs and vendors for you," I informed him.

Charlie was just asking me about outriggers. I told her to take a couple hours and see what she comes up with; let me get her and we can take a look. Mike sent a text and a few minutes later Charlie was going over my specs on her computer. 

"I was going with manual swing out, but it's going to be a heavy assembly, these are great drawings Rob," Charlie prattled. "This will save hours."

"So where are we on control and integration?" I asked.

"We’re going to need a board to integrate engine commands if the throttle and hydro pressure are going to remain constant. I scrounged a controller but I don't think it's up to the job. I think we'll need help there."

Charlie was a jewel; she hated drama and worked as hard as any guy in the shop, but looked great in a party dress. I decided that if I could get Kevin to come for a visit I would introduce them.

"Well Charlie, that's why Riley and Rory are here, that sort of thing is their business,” I supplied. "Have you decided on a control valve set up?"

"Yes, and we left room for expansion, I went with Rexroth for both the electronic and manual valves and I chose the PQ controller for the steerable bit. Damn, those things are expensive," Mike exclaimed.

"That sounds good but if we export let's go with a European valve stack for convenience. Um, you guys all have passports, right?" I asked.

Only Jason shook his head no. "Well you should get one. We'll probably all be going on service calls until we get a dealer structure going," I suggested.

"Cool Rob, foreign travel on the company dime, sounds good to me," Jason grinned.

We got down to business and Rory was full of suggestions after I explained all the requirements.

Riley told me they had enough to work with and took the existing controller for testing and went back to their shop. I was confident that it wouldn't take them long to come up with solutions.

Oh Mike, Peter will be here Friday and I'd like to show him how things are progressing, will that put you in a bind?"

"I don't think so, If Riley's right we might even be able to get this thing running by then. Do you want to see the drill mount? I have it in the oven but it's done cooking," Mike offered.

The mount was a very professional looking weldment that was freshly powder coated and it looked slick. I doubted that the powder coating would hold up to the kind of abuse the unit would see in service, but Mike assured me that this formulation was more durable and impact resistant than standard powder coating. Since I trust him to know what he's doing, I told him it looked great.

In Mike's office, we chatted socially for a bit. I got the run down on his family, three boys, two girls and all of them school age now.

"So Mike, what is Charlie's status relationship wise? Or do you know?"

"Not good, the jerk she was seeing was all show and no substance.  She was pretty busted up by the way it ended."

"Do you think she'd be open to an introduction? One of my sons has been looking for a girl with Charlie's qualities for some time, but his last one was a total waste. But you've heard that story before, right?"

"Heard it, hell, I've lived it, probably you have too. But yeah, if your son is anything like you, Charlie would love to meet him. She's had a crush on you since you interviewed her. She said you were the only employer that never brought up her gender and ability to do the job because of it."

"Didn't need to, we have jib cranes at every work station and I know you'll chew out anyone who lifts more than they should. Including me," I acknowledged.

"Kevin is my adopted son, He and Riley are brothers and Kevin kept running away to protect Riley until we had them both sent to us. Kevin was a great kid and he's a good man. I will try to drag him along or get him to the Christmas party or something so they can meet. I think they're both due for a chance at happiness."

"And how are you and Ally doing? Or is it okay to ask?" Mike inquired.

"We're doing great, I think she's a keeper. We're having a get together so she can meet the important people in my life and I think it would be great if you guys could attend, if you're available. It'll be next Saturday at the ranch. Let me know and bring your family. I'll work on Nash to get him to show up. It was a wrench when he retired but like he said, he's done this job enough. Now he's making metal sculptures, pretty cool ones too."

I will present it to Christy but I imagine we'll be there. I can almost guarantee Charlie but Jason and Gordo are unknown. I think Jason has a race that weekend but I'll ask. Gordo is hard to pin down. Fridays are his night out but he's still really young and silly. I'll ask them all," Mike affirmed. 

On the drive home, I received a call from Kevin. Riley had called him and he was more than happy to get together. I told him I might have a surprise for him but refused to elaborate. He was finally high enough on the food chain that he worked plain clothes. No more airport duty going through luggage and listening to people lie their ass off. Customs didn't sound that appealing but he liked what he was doing, He worked task forces with FBI and DEA and ranged up and down the state. He spent a lot of time in the bay area. His home in San Jose was cozy but worth a mint because there was an acre around it. Prices were at a peak again and he was thinking about selling up and moving south. He would be off the week of the party and spend the night before with us. I had already heard from Dan and Jeannie and they would be down too.

I called Jack Bustamante, the best barbecue chef I know and made sure he had everything under control. I gave him the head count plus an error factor. We would have a side of beef, a hog and plenty of chicken. I reminded him to bring plenty of takeout boxes for the leftovers. I really looked forward to Jack's pulled pork sandwiches.

Time seemed to accelerate and I had all the boys helping with the bunkhouse over the barn. That's where the kids would stay except the really young ones. Brandon and Kelly told me that I could put guests in their bedrooms.

By Friday morning, everything was ready. Espen arrived about noon and Claire had already made plans with a man she was seeing to have a weekend away. 

I picked up Petes and Randy in Carpinteria and they looked very relaxed and very happy.

They snoozed most of the way back but I was able to see why Randy had gotten to Petes. He was beautiful, his green eyes were lively and enchanting and he was just overall cute as a bug.

I stopped at the fab shop and walked in. 

Jeez is that you Pete, you're all grown up man," Riley exclaimed.

Petes gave Riley a warm hug and introduced Randy. 

Riley introduced Rory and it was just a hug-fest for awhile.

"So how are we looking, Riley?" I asked.

"Really good, Dad, the GPS is being stubborn but that may be the steel roof. We may need a better antenna, but I'm not sure. The engine controller that runs all the components is in place so we can start it and drive it. You know we could make this thing unmanned if you wanted to add a couple servos for the drive system," Riley suggested.

"I'll want to think about that for a while. But it's a good idea. I presume you're talking remote control not autonomous, right?" I confirmed.

"Absolutely, Dad, remote is the best bet. Autonomous might be dangerous for a machine like this. Too much risk to people and vines in undefined terrain," Riley agreed.

"So fire this baby up and let's see it move," I whooped.

The drive hydraulics and outriggers worked flawlessly.  The beast scooted around on its tracks with Jason in the cab with no lurching or difficulty changing direction. The basic machine was done now, they just had to mount the drill mount and try the drill and the steerable bit. 

We called Dig-safe and verified there were no buried utilities on record in the back lot. After an hour the drill was in place and we were ready for the first test. Even the GPS behaved and logged the location of the first hole and then the second. We used the guide cable, pulled it out the opposite hole, and declared success. We didn't have any irrigation tubing to install and the holes were covered up. 

With the machine back inside, I declared that everybody should get started on their weekend and wished them all a pleasant time and that I hoped to see some of them Saturday if they had no prior commitments. Jason confirmed he had a race and Gordo was going surfing up the coast with friends. Charlie said she would be there but she wouldn't be bringing anyone. It was sad the way she said it. Mike said his bunch couldn't wait. 

I stopped Charlie next to her truck and asked if she was okay.

"I'm okay, just a little sad, I just can't seem to find a good man that's as advertised. Online dating sucks but I'm not having much luck with clubs either," She lamented.

"Well how about this, if you are okay with it there's someone I would like you to meet. I like you Charlie, you're a good kid and you deserve a good man."

"Well, if you vouch for him, hell I'm in." He can't be worse than what I've been dealing with."

"Don't sell yourself short, I think the right guy will recognize what a great person you are and maybe you can have a chance at being happy," I encouraged.

"Thanks, Rob, I'm looking forward to tomorrow, noon right?" Charlie hugged my neck and grinned at me, then she hopped into her truck and took off.

I walked to my truck and saw Mike talking to Petes, he was waiting to lock the gate but I reminded him I had keys to the place. I watched as he bombed out the gate in his old MG TC.

That reminded me that I needed to put my Lancia Beina Pourtout in the hanger for Dan to use. It was a beautiful mid-thirties Cabriolet and it looked like the weather would be perfect for it. Dan was one of the few people besides myself that had driven that car. Abby followed me down in the XK140 and I was in awe of her ability to drive the fussy little car. She asked me to drive back so she could enjoy the scenery. We took our time.

Luke and family arrived just before Mike and his brood. We had them all set up with rooms for them and the little ones and we showed the older kids to the bunkhouse.

Kevin had been there since Friday night and his brother was overjoyed to see him. When Riley and Rory arrived, they increased the volume and I suggested they move to the patio and grab a drink. Next was Bobby my youngest boy as sweet natured as ever but alone. His girlfriend was on an assignment and couldn't make it back in time.

Sean was on Embassy duty somewhere in the Middle East and Colin had a work commitment that he couldn't get out of.  Ally and I had Skyped with both Colin and Sean so they could at least meet. They all got on well and wished us the best. We would get ahold of Henri during the next week. Soon all the guests had arrived and the party was in full swing. Judge Bannister had arrived and so had Jerry my neighbor. I had invited some of my other neighbors but they were a bit standoffish. Paul arrived with his wife and son and we opened the pool to swimming. Keeping Carter in a swimsuit was a major undertaking.

I took a moment, introduced Charlie to Kevin, and suggested he give her a tour of the place so they could talk. Cammie and Dennis had set up several docile mounts for the kids who wanted to ride; Brandon, Kelly, Espen and Wade all acted as guides and each had a little one on their horse with them. A couple changed their mind rather loudly. I tussled with grand kids and introduced Luke's boy, Warn to Carter and they hit it off immediately.

The dinner bell rang and everyone got ready to eat. We fed the little ones first and eventually everyone was munching some of the finest barbecue in the state. Jack and Mary arrived for dinner because they had been open that day. Ronny tracked down Kelly and they sat down to eat together. Ronny would be spending the night but Jack and Mary would have to head home and open up for breakfast the next day. That's life in the restaurant business.

A bit later, we gathered in the great room and Lucas played piano, Bobby dug out his fiddle and Riley and I played guitar and we had a sing along just like when they were young. Lucas sang with us and even Ally and a few others joined in on a few different choruses.

The evening advanced and Pam said her goodbyes and Jerry walked her out. Ally raised an eyebrow at that. I grinned. Jerry went on home and it was days before we saw him again.

Eventually, it was just the folks that were staying over. I realized I hadn't seen Kevin or Charlie since dinner. They had parked themselves on a bench in the formal garden and seemed to be getting on well.

Dan and Jeannie had a great time and Tessa was riding herd on all the girls. Amy had attached herself like a leech to Tessa and Rainy, who was Mike's older and a bit troublesome daughter and seemed enamored with Tessa as well. She soon wrangled all the girls into the girls’ side of the bunkhouse and Brandon took charge of the boys with the help of Espen, Kelly, Petes, Ronny and Wade.  Bobby went up and checked on the boys and Cammie visited the girls. All seemed well. Bobby said, “There was no point in telling the boys to quiet down and go to sleep, they were too wound up.” 

Ally decided that Charlie shouldn't attempt to drive home so late and offered her room and opted to sleep with me. 

Cammie and Dennis went back across the road and everyone said goodnight. Soon the house was silent.

I had baked enough bacon and fried enough sausage to feed an army; all we needed to do was make the toast and eggs. I had four large pitchers of whipped eggs ready and ran off batch after batch as Kevin pitched in and made toast for the ravening horde. Bobby ate and then spelled me on the eggs so I could eat. I wasn't sure how I could be hungry after the dinner I ate the night before. Mike rounded up his bunch around noon and off they went after thanking us for the hospitality.

Kevin caught me unaware and hugged me hard. "She's perfect, Dad, how did you know?"

"I didn't, I just thought it was worth a shot. I take it she returned your interest?"

"Seems that way, Dad, maybe we have a chance. I've never clicked with anyone like this before."

"Well, I hope it works out for both of you, you seem right together."

"Yeah we do don't we?" Kevin mused absently.

I went inside and Charlie grabbed my neck and kissed my cheek. "Thank you, Rob, Kevin is a great guy and he just might be the guy for me. We are definitely going to explore all the possibilities.

"That's great, I hoped you two would hit it off," I grinned.

Charlie floated away and I saw her chatting with Ally.