A little bit more. CH 31 teaser (Patreon)

I had butterflies in my stomach as we drove to the airstrip to meet the jet. I had decided to take my truck and park there so that we wouldn’t have to inconvenience anybody else when we got back. I was so nervous, I very nearly forgot Ness’s birthday present. Only a timely comment from Jules spared me that embarrassment; it was a cautionary tale, but I wasn’t in any state to learn the lesson.

The jet was parked on the apron when we arrived at the airport, but Gerry was nowhere to be seen. Jules called him. He was on his way and would be there in about fifteen minutes. Despite that small delay, we were in the air less than forty minutes later.

The flight was uneventful; we arrived at the farm just under three hours later. Mary and Amanda had both been steadying me with their power, and Jules had held my hand most of the way up. I had no idea why I was so nervous, and yet I felt nauseated. The closer I got to the farm, the worse I felt.

When we pulled up at the front of the house, things got so bad that I nearly puked; I couldn’t even sense whether the twins had eased up. I sat in the car while all the girls got out, and then I sidled out. Terra was standing by the car, waiting for me, her tail wagging gently. While the other dogs were mugging the three girls, Terra simply walked up to me and pushed her head into my hand. I knelt in front of her and petted her head. She huffed gently into my face and then dropped her head and pushed against my chest. It made me feel better.

I looked across to the house, and Pops and Cheryl were standing on the porch, smiling. Of Ness, there was no sign.