he’s going to give you a hard time.”
“Don’t worry. I’m a charmer, remember?”
“And so humble about it.” She told him about the conversation.
Michael laughed. “It sounds like fun. Tell me about them.”
Jen went into detail trying to describe her family. Michael listened carefully, taking mental notes. He knew how to begin with them.
The flight to Kentucky was long, affording them a few hours to sleep. Michael rented a nice sedan and followed Jen's directions to the quiet country road leading to the renovated two story ranch home with a barn and full pastures.
“It’s hard to see since it’s so dark, but it’s real pretty here. Do you like horses?” Jen asked, grabbing Michael's hand.
“I do. We used to ride a lot as kids. Ready?” he asked, lovingly kissing her knuckles. Jen nodded and stepped aside as he gathered their bags and carried them to the front door. She knocked timidly, wishing she could share some of Michael’s self-confidence. Nothing ever seemed to bother him.
“Jen! Dennis, they’re here! How was your trip, baby?” Jen's mother embraced her tightly. She looked up at Michael and broke into a huge smile, reaching up to hug him warmly and kiss his cheek. “You’re a big one! Welcome to our home.”
He handed her a small package. “Thank you for having us. I brought this for you,” Michael said with a charming smile, his white teeth flashing against his tan.
“What’s this? Who are you and what have you done with my little girl?” Dennis asked, hugging his daughter tightly. He reached to shake Michael’s hand, pleased that his grip was met evenly.
Jen slapped her father’s arm. “Don’t try to break his hand, Dad. You’ll lose. Let go.”
“How tall are you?” Dennis eyed the young man.
“6’3”, sir.”
“Weight?”
“210.”
“Think you can wrestle down a bull?”
“I can wrestle my little sister and she’s pretty bull-headed.” Michael grinned, earning a hearty laugh.
“Jenner, Jenner, Jenner!” two little boys yelled as they ran to greet her.
She hugged them tightly. “Look how big you boys got! Luke, Dan, this is Mike.”
“Wow, you’re taller than a building!” one of the boys said.
Michael got on one knee to shake their hands. “I felt that way when I was your age. My dad and uncle are as tall as I am.”
“You have big muscles too! Mom, look how big they are!”
“Sorry about this,” Jen said as the boys tried to put their hands around Michael’s arms.
“Michael, thank you so much,” Lil said. “It’s beautiful. How did you know?” She held up a crystal hummingbird.
Michael stood with a little boy hanging from either arm. “I remembered Jen saying you collected hummingbirds, Mrs. Carter.”
“Please, call me Lil.” The woman dabbed her eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m touched.”
“Please, don't apologize, ma’am. I am just glad you like it. I also have something for you guys, if you let me get to my bag,” Michael bribed as the boys swung from his biceps. They dropped quickly, looking eager.
“Son, you didn’t have to do this,” Dennis said, frowning at his sons.
Michael laughed. “I was taught never to go anywhere empty handed. Here you go. This, Mr. Carter, is for you.”
“For me? Damn, boy! Jen, I’m keeping him! Look at these flies! Thank you, son!” Dennis said excitedly, showing off the custom flies for fishing. The two boys shrieked, pulling out authentic USMC cammie sets, complete with their names on the pockets.
“Cool, Mike! Thanks!”
“Now, gentlemen, you must remember that I am a Marine Corps officer which means that, when you wear those, you must obey orders. Can you do that?”
“Yes, sir!” Both boys saluted.
Michael straightened himself, correcting their salutes and walking around them with his hands locked behind his back like Scott had done with him at that age. “Seems like we have some training to do here. Get down and give me five!” he ordered. The boys jumped to the
“Don’t worry. I’m a charmer, remember?”
“And so humble about it.” She told him about the conversation.
Michael laughed. “It sounds like fun. Tell me about them.”
Jen went into detail trying to describe her family. Michael listened carefully, taking mental notes. He knew how to begin with them.
The flight to Kentucky was long, affording them a few hours to sleep. Michael rented a nice sedan and followed Jen's directions to the quiet country road leading to the renovated two story ranch home with a barn and full pastures.
“It’s hard to see since it’s so dark, but it’s real pretty here. Do you like horses?” Jen asked, grabbing Michael's hand.
“I do. We used to ride a lot as kids. Ready?” he asked, lovingly kissing her knuckles. Jen nodded and stepped aside as he gathered their bags and carried them to the front door. She knocked timidly, wishing she could share some of Michael’s self-confidence. Nothing ever seemed to bother him.
“Jen! Dennis, they’re here! How was your trip, baby?” Jen's mother embraced her tightly. She looked up at Michael and broke into a huge smile, reaching up to hug him warmly and kiss his cheek. “You’re a big one! Welcome to our home.”
He handed her a small package. “Thank you for having us. I brought this for you,” Michael said with a charming smile, his white teeth flashing against his tan.
“What’s this? Who are you and what have you done with my little girl?” Dennis asked, hugging his daughter tightly. He reached to shake Michael’s hand, pleased that his grip was met evenly.
Jen slapped her father’s arm. “Don’t try to break his hand, Dad. You’ll lose. Let go.”
“How tall are you?” Dennis eyed the young man.
“6’3”, sir.”
“Weight?”
“210.”
“Think you can wrestle down a bull?”
“I can wrestle my little sister and she’s pretty bull-headed.” Michael grinned, earning a hearty laugh.
“Jenner, Jenner, Jenner!” two little boys yelled as they ran to greet her.
She hugged them tightly. “Look how big you boys got! Luke, Dan, this is Mike.”
“Wow, you’re taller than a building!” one of the boys said.
Michael got on one knee to shake their hands. “I felt that way when I was your age. My dad and uncle are as tall as I am.”
“You have big muscles too! Mom, look how big they are!”
“Sorry about this,” Jen said as the boys tried to put their hands around Michael’s arms.
“Michael, thank you so much,” Lil said. “It’s beautiful. How did you know?” She held up a crystal hummingbird.
Michael stood with a little boy hanging from either arm. “I remembered Jen saying you collected hummingbirds, Mrs. Carter.”
“Please, call me Lil.” The woman dabbed her eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m touched.”
“Please, don't apologize, ma’am. I am just glad you like it. I also have something for you guys, if you let me get to my bag,” Michael bribed as the boys swung from his biceps. They dropped quickly, looking eager.
“Son, you didn’t have to do this,” Dennis said, frowning at his sons.
Michael laughed. “I was taught never to go anywhere empty handed. Here you go. This, Mr. Carter, is for you.”
“For me? Damn, boy! Jen, I’m keeping him! Look at these flies! Thank you, son!” Dennis said excitedly, showing off the custom flies for fishing. The two boys shrieked, pulling out authentic USMC cammie sets, complete with their names on the pockets.
“Cool, Mike! Thanks!”
“Now, gentlemen, you must remember that I am a Marine Corps officer which means that, when you wear those, you must obey orders. Can you do that?”
“Yes, sir!” Both boys saluted.
Michael straightened himself, correcting their salutes and walking around them with his hands locked behind his back like Scott had done with him at that age. “Seems like we have some training to do here. Get down and give me five!” he ordered. The boys jumped to the
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