Shadow of My Father

Shadow of My Father 59

Written by: J.P.G.

{"The Shadow of My Father" is pure fiction. As I am writing this story, I am above the age of 21. If you want a story with lots of sex, look elsewhere. This is a love story. Seeing as it is a love story, sex is in there, but it's in realistic balance in the characters' lives.

Any similarity to any real events, names, or life events is purely accidental. If you are underage, (according to your state laws, a minor), if this literature is offensive to you or to anyone around your viewing area, or it is illegal for you to view such content where you are reading it, stop reading the story.

This story cannot be distributed in any way, shape, or form without authors' express written consent.}

Story Written by: J.P.G.

Love Scenes Written By: Trevor

Edited By: Trevor

Edited By: Ed

Chapter 59

After thanking Josh, the family members went over to the governor and thanked him for everything he did to honor their loved ones. The first family of Texas spent a little over an hour with the families of the fallen soldiers before leaving. The governor wanted to spend more time with them, but he had to get back to his office and deal with what happened while he was gone.

On his way to the limousine, the governor shook hands and talked with as many soldiers as he could. It took him almost forty-five minutes to get to his car, if he wasn't shaking hands and talking with everyone that came up to him maybe at the most it would have only taken him five minutes. Still everyone on his staff knew when it came down to the soldiers, it was best not to rush him out of there.

When he finally reached the car, he and his family turned and waved at those that stuck around to see him off. After a few minutes of waving, Josh and his brothers got into the car, then Barbara, her mother in law and finally the governor. All the way to the governor's office, they all talked about the performance Josh just did. All them echoed each other on telling Josh that he needs to get into the studio and start recording a CD, but Josh kept saying no one would buy a CD made by a high school kid.

"Little brother..." Daniel Jr. pulled Josh into him and started rubbing the top of his head playfully. "Sometimes I think you are so smart you are dumb. You have a set of lungs on you that are a cash cow. All you need is to trust in yourself, that's it. You can sell millions of records, we all know you could if you just believe in yourself and cut one!"

Daniel Jr. let go of Josh just as they drove up to their father's office. "Listen to your brother on this, because he is right." The governor got out of the car, turned around and leaned back in. "I want you to finish high school and go to college Josh, but at the same time I don't want you to squander away any opportunities that comes your way with your singing. There are very few singers out there that can do what you do so naturally."

The governor leaned in and kissed Barbara, his mother and then his sons. "You guys go home and enjoy the rest of the day. I will see you all at dinner so do not stay too long at the pool." The governor smiled at his sun burned kids and closed the door as he walked into the building. When he stepped into the hallway, the press was there to great him.

"Ladies and gentleman I just walked in so I really cannot answer any of your questions at this moment. I do know what happened, but I have not sat down with any of the people in question and talked with them. With that said, it is really not up to me to hold those accountable for the wrong that was done here in the last couple of days since everyone that was involved are elected by the people. The voters of this state need to hold them responsible for the misdeeds they committed."

Governor Lopez thanked the press and walked into his office. He found Rich waiting for him with his secretary. "Can you please get me a Pepsi to drink and whatever my chief-of-staff wants?" Rich thanked the governor and asked for the same thing.

When they walked into the office, the governor could not believe his eyes. It wasn't that he didn't believe Rich when he told him what happened here, but he never thought in his wildest dreams that the Lieutenant Governor would go this far. He hung up his coat and made his way to his desk when the secretary walked in with the drinks.

"Thank you and can you do me one more thing before you get back to work on straightening out the mess that was made on your desk." The secretary said yes. "Can you please call over to the Lieutenant Governor's office and tell him that he needs to come down here immediately. If his secretary tries to say he is not there, tell her that she either gets him down here immediately or I will go to the press and let them know that he is hiding like the little coward that he is."

The secretary nodded her head and walked out of the office closing the door behind her. Rich sat down and started to fiddle with his soda. By the silence and the way Rich is acting, the governor knew something was up. What ever it is, he knows it is not going to be good for him.

"Governor, I have given this a lot of thought, about the other night when the Lieutenant Governor and the Republican leadership did what they did. I am your second in command and I dropped the ball while you were gone. If I hadn't fallen asleep at the wheel, those bills would have never made it to the floor and got to a full vote."

"You cannot be blaming yourself for something that you had no idea was going on. While they tried to hijack our government, you were doing what you were told to do by me. You were locked up in a conference room knocking out the final details of the bills I want to put down on the floor. So stop this bull and let us move on. The Lieutenant Governor is on his way up here if he knows what is best for him. I need you clear and on your game when this guy walks through the door."

Just then, the governor's phone rang. It was the secretary letting him know that the Lieutenant Governor is waiting outside. The governor told her to show him in and make sure they are not disturbed while he is talking with him. She hung up the phone and a few seconds later the Lieutenant Governor walked in. He walked over to Rich, shook his hand then the governor's before sitting down.

"Governor Lopez let me start off by saying how sorry I am for what I did during your absence. I thought I was doing the right thing, but now I see how wrong I was. Let me know what I need to do to correct this and put it behind us. Name it and I will do it without asking any questions."

"Let's put that aside for a moment, what you and the Republican leadership tried to do with those four bills. Let us first talk about what you and your immediate staff did here in this office. What do you think you were doing coming in here, doing what you did? Basically making yourself at home in an office that is not yours."

"Sir there is no excuse for that and I will not make one up. I am sorry and I promise that will never happen again as long as I am your Lieutenant Governor."

"What you did in here is unbelievable and I simply cannot understand what you were thinking about when you did it. However, I am not going to kick a dead horse. It is over and done with, and there is nothing we can do to change what happened in the past. Just let me tell you this though, I will not cover for you if the press ever finds out what you did."

Rich cleared his throat. "Governor the press already found out and is running with the story." Governor looked over at Rich with a surprised look on his face. "It didn't come from our offices. How they found out, I don't know."

"Fine well that is going to be your problem to deal with. If I am asked about it all I am going to say on that issue is what I walked into here today." Governor Lopez got up and walked over to his desk. "You didn't even put my stuff back where they were when you left the office. Were you planning to leave this office this way if you were not caught?"

The Lieutenant Governor shook his head. "I said already I was going to drop this subject and I am. Let us move onto the bills that the Republican Party pushed through the houses without one single democrat on board. Didn't you people even stop and think about what it would look like to the voters of this state, doing what you did?

Even though you and the others in my party do not think so, I want the Republican Party to stay in power down here in our state capitol, but that is not going to happen after what you guys pulled here. We are going to lose both state houses because of what you all played here and there is nothing I can do about it."

"That is where I am hoping that you will help us out on. You popularity is in the high eighties and if you come out and throw your support behind me and the republican leaders in the state house it will save us. Plus we will be in debt to you if you do this."

"With all due respect to you guys, you were not thinking about what position I would be in if I had to come back and overturn whatever you guys did, so I will not go out and throw my support behind you all any time soon. At the same time, I will not talk bad about you and your companions or your actions. I will stay above the affray and let the press do what they normally do and that is chew away at this story like a dog with a bone."

The Lieutenant Governor had hoped the governor would have helped them out, but now he can see they are on their own. "Governor Lopez, would you at least talk with the republican chairman to see if he would help us out here? You know, either send us funds to flood the airwaves with our side of the story, or send the president down here."

"No I will not go to the republican chairman, the president, or anyone else on your behalf. You did these things without thinking, if you were thinking, you, and the rest, do not deserve to stay in the offices that you were elected to. You broke your oaths that you gave to the people of this state. That is a bell that cannot be un-rung."

"I agree with the governor on that Lieutenant Governor. The night that all this exploded, I spoke with the entire staff here and told them that they cannot talk to the press about what is going on in these walls so you do not have anything worry about as far as my staff. We are not going to be badmouthing you, but that does not mean we are going to help you clean up this mess. It is your mess to clean up which I truly hope you are able to do."

"I have a lot on my platter right now and can't afford to add anything else to it. That does not mean that you are going to get away Scott free with what you did. The democrats are already talking about impeachment for you and the others that were part of this. I do not see them getting that impeachment because you did not get a chance to break the law thanks to Rich here. But they will get something, what I don't know."

The office went dead quiet for a few minutes. "In one fell swoop you pretty much ended your political career. All night last night and this morning Rich here, as been fielding calls from the Republican Party. They all echoed the same thing and that is that your phone calls will not be returned. Even the president is thinking about canceling his trip down here, which I think would hurt him more than you guys."

"If I don't get any of my phone calls returned that is the end of my career and they know that Governor Lopez. Without the support of my own party, I am a lame duck up here until I leave my office and go back into the private sector"

"You should have thought about that before doing what you did. You and I never got along, but I never wished your downfall. I hoped that eventually we would be able to work with each other, but we will never find out if that was possible. Your life is going to change in the next couple of days and it is not going to be for the good."

There was no doubt in the Lieutenant Governor's mind what the governor just said is right. More so, that Governor Lopez is unwilling to go out and support him and the republicans that were just following orders. Their careers as politicians in Texas are pretty much over.

He got up, thanked the governor for his time, and left the office. Governor Lopez just sat there looking at the defeated man as he made his way out thinking how much he really wanted to say, but held his tongue. Not out of respect to the Lieutenant Governor, but out of respect to the office where they are sitting.

"Rich, the sad thing that the Lieutenant Governor still hasn't realized is the fact that he is just a man that was elected to hold office. If he dirties that office, the dirt does not leave with him when he leaves. It takes years for the people to trust their leaders again after a leader has disappointed them. Just look at what happened to former President Nixon.

Yes, he resigned, but the damage he did to the presidency was still there when he flew off in Marine 1. President Ford could not get the people to trust the government again or the one after him. I believe it took up to President Reagan before the people started to believe in their leader in the White House again."

"I agree with you one hundred percent on that sir." Rich pulled his seat closer to the desk so he was not talking too loud. "I need us to revisit the topic we were talking about before the Lieutenant Governor arrived." Governor Lopez sighed. "I heard what you had to say, but please hear me out.

You disagreed with on what I think about what happened here when you were gone. I should have been aware of what was going on and there is no excuse that I was not. Because I dropped the ball, I should be asked to resign my position. Look at the outcome of all this. You came home to a mess that is going to hold your agenda hostage until it is all settled and maybe even longer.

If you do not show a swift action here and have someone fired in your staff, everyone out there is going to think you are weak. Once they think that, you will not be able to get anything done. In return, you are lame duck governor that is just taking up space. So you have no other choice but to accept what I am offering."

"No I do not have to accept you stepping down as my chief-of-staff." Daniel slammed his fist on his desk, angry as hell that Rich is putting him in this position. "You will stay in your position and continue doing the great work you have been doing, end of story. I do not want to hear another word of you leaving. At least until the people of this state sends us packing."

As Rich got up from his seat, he pulled out a white envelope and placed it on the governor's desk. "I am sorry sir but I am not going to let you destroy yourself to keep me on board. Those sharks out there are yelling for blood and you have no other choice but to give it to them. In order for it not to be anyone else, I am going to sacrifice myself for the greater good. I really enjoyed working for you and you are going to do a lot for the people of this state and hopefully one day for this country."

Rich turned and walked out of the governor's office. He knew if he stayed and allowed the governor to try to talk him into staying he would fold. That is something that would harm the governor to the point that he would not be able to govern, which would hurt way too many! In addition, if he is not able to govern, he will be pushed out of office in the next election.

It seemed like the press had a mole inside the governor's office because almost immediately after Rich resigned as chief-of-staff, they had the story. All they were talking about is how the departure of Rich will hurt the governor more than help him, which the governor agrees with.

By the time Daniel is heading home for dinner, the press was reporting that the governor's administration is falling a part. Not even a year in yet into his governorship, he has a high person in his administration stepping down, his Lieutenant Governor trying to take over the governorship and he has no respect within his own party because of the stunt they pulled when he was gone. They went as far as saying that the governor should be the one stepping down, not his chief-of-staff and the Lieutenant Governor should be sworn in. At least he has the respect of his party and they will follow him.

The next morning's press briefing was jam packed with question after question about what the governor was going to do with out a chief-of-staff. Johnny fielded all their questions, answering them all, and then a reporter threw him a curve ball.

"Many people on both sides of the aisles are saying that Governor Lopez will not be able to govern since there was an attempt to take over his office while he was gone. On top of that, his own party tried to push legislation through that they knew if he were in town, he would veto. They have no respect for the governor; in return, he does not even have his own party behind him. Is the governor discussing what we are reporting and that is him stepping down as governor?"

"Why should the governor step down? He was not the one that did wrong here. So the answer to your question ma'am is no!" Johnny looked around the room. "Let me make it as clear as I can the answer is HELL NO! Governor Lopez is going to stay in the office he was elected and will do the work he promised the people he was going to do.

If the representatives in the state house refuse to do their job, the governor will take the bills to the people. Trust me when I say the people of this state will not look too kindly at the state senators and congressional representatives when they come up for election. They will not put these guys back into office to get paid for sitting on their butt."

Johnny took a few more questions before ending the briefing. For the first time since he started briefing the press he ended the briefing with questions still being asked. He just got tired of the same questions being asked repeatedly. There is no other way he could answer the question anyway than he did.

It took the rest of the week before things in Austin started to settle down. Governor Lopez held back his bills while both houses began hearings on what happened. A blind person could see that they were not going after the governor. They were going after the Republican Leadership and Lieutenant Governor. When they started their hearings, the press was eating it all up. They loved seeing and reporting on the fall of those high up.

While all this was going on, the governor and his staff stayed far away from it as promised. They wanted to come out on the other end as clean as they started. That would not happen if the governor or anyone in his staff would go and talk to the press. The press wants that so they could trip up the person that comes out and talks.

While the Lopez family was dealing with the fall out in Austin, back home in El Paso it was calm as can be. Those that were invited to join the governor and his family on the trip with the president were getting anxious. Being that it is Friday and the president is going to arrive in less then three days, it was hard for them to stay calm.

Bernice unpacked and repacked her stuff already four times and was doing it again when Eric and Chris arrived. They pulled her away from packing and went down to pick up Immanuel to hang out. Once they had Immanuel, they headed to the mall to walk around, since they were saving their allowances to spend on the trip.

After an hour of walking around and window-shopping, they made their way to the food court. Each of them bought a drink and sat down. At first, no one said a word. They just looked around at everyone doing their errands. Finally, after almost tem minutes of silence, Immanuel broke the silence.

"I want you guys to be completely honest with me. Don't hold anything back okay." They all nodded their heads. "I know you guys really don't know me, but I am going to ask anyway. What are my chances with Patrick? I really like him and I really want to be with him, and you three are his long time friends. If you feel I don't have a chance with him, please tell me so I don't make a fool out of him or me."

"I really can't answer your question since I wasn't here when you and Patrick first met. That first meeting says it all." Eric looked over at Bernice, but Chris jumped in. "If Patrick doesn't take you for his boyfriend, I will". Chris started laughing, causing Bernice to hit him on the shoulder.

"Ignore him, he just fooling with you." Chris interrupted Bernice. "No I am not fooling around. If Patrick doesn't want you, I would love you to be my boyfriend." Once again, Bernice hit Chris on the shoulder, but this time she also shot him a dirt look. "Sorry about that, let's get serious for a moment on this.

As my boyfriend said, he was not here when Patrick and you met, but I was. I saw the look in his eyes as well as yours when you guys first sat together at that table." Bernice pointed to the table where they were sitting when they first met Immanuel. "That look says it all and that is you guys are going to be together for a long time.

With that said, you have to give Patrick breathing room. You know the story behind that, so I am not going to repeat it. I do not want to bum us out re-hatching the past. Especially that part of our past that none of us wants to think about. Just be patient with him and by doing so you will land up with a very good guy."

"Damn Bernice, I want to have him." Chris moved his chair over to Immanuel's and started to rub his hand against Immanuel's arm. "Seriously joking aside Bernice is right on what she is telling you. If you listen to her, Patrick and you will be together. If you crowd Patrick right now, you will push him away. He needs someone that will be with him and be there whenever he is hurting. He lost all that with Frank."

"Not to be mean but I would like it if we drop the subject." Eric got up from his seat and started walking away. Bernice quickly got up, followed by Immanuel and Chris. They had to jog to catch up to Eric. When they reached him, they walked in silence for a few minutes. Bernice knew if no one broke the silence, they would all be bummed out for the rest of the day, so she did.

"Hey why don't we go over to the Toy Store and play what ever game they have on the Saturn or Nintendo?" Eric pulled Bernice into him and smiled. Chris and Immanuel walked behind them and did not say a word. When they got to the toy store, there was no one playing either of the two game systems.

Chris and Immanuel quickly took the controllers and started to play Street Fighter on the Saturn, leaving Bernice and Eric to play Nintendo Mario Brothers. They traded systems whenever the games ended or someone died. Before they knew, two hours had passed. None of them wanted to leave, but they knew they had to in order to get Bernice home on time. Reluctantly they walked out of the toy store and headed to Bernice's house.

When they walked in, Father Gomez had a snack on the table for them. He knew they were going to be hungry when they got home because they were not going to spend any of their allowances to eat, and he was right. They gobbled up every crumb on their plate and still wanted more. After fixing seconds, Father Gomez made his way to the living room and turned on the news.

Pretty much everything they were reporting, Father Gomez ignored it. It was a repeat of the same thing and he was getting tired of hearing it. Just as he was about to turn off the television, the news anchor said something that grabbed his attention.

"The embattled governor of Texas is going to make an address from his office to the people of Texas at six this evening. We do not know what he is going to say, but rest assured that he is going to talk about what has been going on in Austin this last week. It might even be a speech to the people of Texas of him stepping down, as they want him to. Hopefully he does that so things can get back to normal in Texas."

For the first time in his adult life, Father Gomez started yelling at the television. He was yelling so loud it caused Bernice, Eric and the others to run into to see what was going on. When they found out why Father Gomez was yelling, they could not help but laugh. They always thought nothing bothered the father, but now they can see that he is human like the rest of them.

"Dad there is no way Josh's father is going to step down, no way." Eric interrupted Bernice. "Yeah Father Gomez, Josh's dad is no quitter. He did not do anything wrong and he should not have to pay for what others do. Some people you see on TV, they like to raise a person up and then just tear them down. They get joy out of that."

"I know what you kids are saying is right, but I am getting tired of hearing how the people of this state want the governor to step down. Those that are saying that and reporting that are reporting a lie. A poll was taken and ninety five percent of registered voters here in Texas do not want to the governor to step down. They are backing him up because they know he did not do anything wrong. Now the numbers for the others involved in this scandal are the opposite. Their numbers are..."

Their attention was grabbed by the news anchor on TV. They went from the studio to the front of the capitol building in Austin. "Janet the location of the governor's speech has been changed. He will not be giving his speech from his office, but instead from the floor of the state house. The state speaker of the house has called for a special session making sure every legislator from both houses is in attendance."

"Do we know yet what the governor is going to say? Is he going to step down and hand over the power of his office to the Lieutenant Governor like the people want?"

"We haven't seen a speech, but that isn't out of the ordinary for this governor. He does not like written speeches. Instead, when he gives speeches he likes to talk from the heart, and that is why the voters fell in love with him. With that said I can confirm that the governor has no intension to step down or ask anyone else to do so."

"He sacrificed his chief-of-staff, a man that shouldn't have been forced out. The governor needs to step down in order to save himself from impeachment. He has to realize now that he is a lame duck governor. There is nothing he is going to be able to do about that so he should think of the voters first and just step down so things will go back to normal down there in Texas."

"Janet you are reading some poll or talking to people that others are not talking to or reading. Every poll I have seen since this mess started is saying totally the opposite of what you are saying. The voters of this state are backing their governor and will not ask him to step down."

"First what you are saying is not completely..."

"Sorry Janet but we are going to have to go live to the floor of the state house here in Austin. The governor has just entered and as you can see, everyone is on their feet. Both sides of the isle are applauding as the governor is making his way to the front of the chamber." The reporter stopped talking to allow the viewers to watch the scene unfold.

Governor Lopez was dressed in a nice dark blue suit, a white dress shirt, and blue tie. The state senators and congressional representatives were on their feet applauding and trying to shake the governor's hand as he passed them. It took him almost ten minutes to make it from the entrance of the chambers to the front of the chamber, but no one shut off their TV's.

Even when he finally made it to the front of the chamber and took his place behind the podium, they did not stop applauding for another five minutes. Finally, when they did, the state speaker of the house introduced the governor, causing the chambers to erupt into applause again. After another four minutes of applauding, the chamber got quite.

"Good evening my fellow Texans, I wish we were here this evening under different circumstances. Over the last week, we have been plagued by scandal and unable to do the work of the people of Texas. That isn't right to them and I am here today to put a end to these scandals and move us forward to start working for those that put us here in office.

While I was out doing my service that I swore to do for the army, certain individuals took liberties that were not theirs to take. Although they did not break their oath of office or break any laws in this state, they were wrong on what they did. I am sure they know they were wrong and wish they could take it all back, but at the end of the day, they cannot. They created a mess that caused a lot of good men and women to leave.

I lost a good man, my chief-of-staff. If you would believe what the news is reporting he was fired, well they are wrong. The chief-of-staff is a better man than those that created this problem in the first place. He came and stepped down from his position to keep the scandal away from my office. When he tendered his resignation, I refused to take it, but he would not have it any other way.

It was not his fault, but he felt it was. He felt that he should have known what was going on in this chamber and stopped it. Since he did not, he felt he let me down, which he did not. Not one man could have stopped that group of men from what they were trying to do. In return we have lost a very good man and because I couldn't stop that from happening, I will never forgive myself."

Governor Lopez took a breath and drank some water before continuing. "So far an innocent man has given up his career in order to stop this scandal from getting out of control. Those that were responsible for this are still in their seats and claiming they did not do anything wrong. How wrong they are. They should step up and admit the wrong they did so this scandal could be put to rest. Because they refuse to do so, it is halting the work we have to do for the people of this state.

I am here to say that is not going to continue!" The chambers broke into applause. "We are not going to stop working for the people that put us in our office because of a few rotten apples. Hold your hearings, do what ever you feel that you need to do to those involved, but at the end of the day, they have to answer to the voters that put them in their seats. I know the voters of this state very well and they will be less forgiving than we can ever be."

Once again, the chambers irrupted into applause. This time they were all on their feet except for those that caused everything. The Lieutenant Governor and the Republican Leadership just sat in their seats as their fellow legislators cheered for their demise.

"Let's not let them stop us from doing what we came here to do. Do whatever you have to do, but at the same time, work on the bills that the voters of this state really need. You have several pieces of legislation pending that will deliver needed relief for the citizens of this state. Do not hold up these pieces of legislation any longer. Pass them and get them on my desk so we can deliver the needed help we have been promising for months now.

At the same time, I am going to hand you a new piece of legislation to start working on as well. Due to the spending cuts and getting rid of wasteful projects that were not working, we have a surplus. This money does not belong to us! It belongs to the taxpayers of this state! It is time for us to give them back their money because they know better what to do with it than we do." Applause broke out in the chamber once again.

"Pass this tax deduction immediately and get it on my desk to sign along with the other bills that are pending in your houses. The faster you get these bills passed, the faster we can start handing out checks to the tax payers of this state and opening up the other programs to help those that need a helping hand right now.

We need to stop spending our time with small issues that do not help the people of this state. We need to get back to what matters and pass the bills that will make the difference. I am here before you all this evening to ask you to put aside our differences, likes, dislikes, personal beliefs and start working together to give the voters a better government. A state government that they can trust and believe in that has their best interest at heart.

To those that have tuned in and are waiting for me to say in order for this state to get back to work that I am stepping down as your governor, you are going to be disappointed. There are only two ways I am leaving this office, either by death, which is not going to happen god willing any time soon, or the voters voting me out of office. You are stuck with me as long as the majority of the voters keep putting me back into this office."

Everyone this time stood up yelling in support of the governor as they applauded. "So let's get back to work and stop giving the press things to report on. Let's show everyone that we can work together and put aside our differences." The governor took a breath.

"Thank you for your time and god bless the great state of Texas." Governor Lopez turned around and shook the hands with the state speaker of the house and Lieutenant Governor before making his way down to the aisle. Just like when he walked in, the legislators rushed to the aisle and tried to shake the governor's hands as he walked out.

"See dad I told you that he was not going to bend to pressure. He told the nay sayers off and did it with dignity."

"Bernice you are right and I should have never doubted the governor. I am just getting tired how the press is reporting the news. They seem to think that we want to hear their personal thoughts on what they are reporting, but boy are they wrong. We just want the news without their thoughts and beliefs getting in the way."

Bernice sat down on the couch next to Father Gomez. "Even though you are not my father, I consider you my father and I am glad you took me in. I wouldn't want any other father out there, and that includes Josh's." Everyone started to laugh. "I also hope you know that Patrick is coming into a very good family with you at the helm."

No one said another word. They sat there in front of the television watching the news anchor scramble around for a life jacket. The reporter that is reporting from the capitol building is ripping her apart and she cannot do a thing about it. She felt that when she spoke those that were listening would follow. Now she is getting a rude awakening.

Back in Austin not even five minutes after the governor had left the chambers, they put his new bill on the floor for debate. Since they all wanted to look good in front of the press, the debate was short. The bill quickly was moved to a vote and for the first time since the governor came into office, the bill passed without one nay vote.

When Governor Lopez heard that his bill past both of the houses without a nay vote, he could not help but laugh. He knew this was the right bill to get the state legislators to start working and working together. None of them would have voted against a bill that is cutting taxes and giving taxpayers a check, not unless they want to commit political suicide.

Also the governor felt by putting this bill before the houses and getting them to agree on it as one, they can no longer say they cannot agree on something. They have shown that they are able to work together and in return, the other bills that are pending and are to come will pass the houses without much debate.

Saturday and Sunday flew by fast, and before the Lopez's knew it, they were heading to the airport to go back to El Paso. The governor wanted to arrive before the president so he could greet him and the first lady. So they were out the of the governor's mansion at the crack of dawn, and in the air by six in the morning.

The trip back home was not long. When Cesar woke up Josh, he thought that he had just fallen asleep. He looked out the window and saw a familiar site, home. Quickly he gathered up all the music sheets that he was working on and stuffed them into his bag. As soon as he finished, the plane touched down on the runway.

A few minutes later, it came to a complete halt and the long metal stairway was moved up to the door. Since nobody knew what time they were going to be in, there was no one at the airport to meet the Lopez family, which the governor did not mind. He was tired of the press and he knew this was going to be the only time he and his family were going to be free of them.

Since they arrived in El Paso a couple hours earlier than the president, the governor decided to go and look at the new house. His brother told him the last time they talked that it was pretty much done, which he could not believe. He was given another date of when the house was going to be done and ready to move in. If it is done as his brother said, the construction crew is ahead of schedule by almost three weeks.

As the boys made their way off the plane, they looked around and could not believe there was no one around. They thought they were actually able to sneak into town, but that was not going to last long. As soon as they pulled out of the airport, the police escort turned on their sirens and started closing off the roads in order for the governor's motorcade to get through without having to stop.

The governor felt bad on stopping the traffic especially during the morning rush hour. He knew that the traffic at this time in the morning was bad as it was, and now he is adding to the problem. Trying to help the morning commuters, the governor asked the driver to take the side streets, but the police escorts radioed to the driver that was impossible. Simply put it was not safe to drive a motorcade this size into private streets that anything can happen like something being thrown at them.

Reluctantly the governor agreed and sat back in his seat. It was not long before they got onto I-10 and was heading to the west side of town. Taking the Resler exit, they made their way down to Mesa Street. Where they turned onto a private street where their new house was being built on, everyone looked out the window to see the house.

"Man, dad the house is huge. Look at that thing; it is so big you can get lost in it." Brandon said with his face glued to the window. "Are we going to be able to go inside of it?"

"I don't know son it all depends on if it is safe or not. If the supervisor says we can go inside, we will, but if the he says no, do not keeping asking him. We are only here to see how far they have gotten." The governor looked out the window with his sons and hoped that the supervisor would let them inside at least for a few minutes.

As the motorcade drove into the property, the construction crew stopped working and made their way to the front of the property. They stood there watching the motorcade stop and then the doors opening. At first, they did not think it was the governor inside the limousine, but when the first Lopez boy got out, they knew differently. The supervisor dusted himself off and did his best to straighten up his work clothes. When the governor stepped out of the car, he walked up and introduced himself.

"Mr. Governor I wish you would have called ahead and let us know that you and your family were going to come. That way I would have made sure that everything was ready for your inspection." The supervisor shook the governor's hand before introducing the workers that was working on the house.

"Gentleman it looks like you guys are doing an excellent job here." The governor pointed to the house. "My brother was telling me the other day you guys are pretty much done with the house. When he told me that, to say I was surprised would have been an understatement. When you all started working on the house you gave me a different finish date, has that changed since we last spoke?"

"Mr. Governor the house is almost done, but there are still all the inspections that need to be done before you are able to move in. If we pass all the inspections, you should be able to move in about two weeks ahead of schedule. If they find something wrong, and depending what they find wrong, that date will change."

"I understand all that, I truly do, but I don't see why you won't pass all the inspections. One of the reasons that I hired your company is because of your history of always passing inspections." The governor started walking towards the house. "Is it safe for me and my family to go in and take a look around the house for a few minutes?"

"Of course Mr. Governor, please do, I wouldn't feel right if you didn't." The supervisor walked the governor and his family to the front door and let them in. Right away, the boys went running up the stairs to find their rooms. While the governor, his wife and mother stayed down stairs looking around.

"This is probably not the place or the time Governor Lopez, but I need to say something that has been bothering me." Governor Lopez looked at the supervisor and asked him to continue. "What the press was doing to you the last week was wrong and I am not the only person that believes that. Everyone I have talked to pretty much echoes what I believe, and that is how could the press blame you for something that wasn't your fault? They are pretty stupid people if they thought we would have believed their lies."

"Thank you for telling me that, it really does brighten up my day when a voter comes up and tells me what you told me. Let me tell one thing that I have always believed in from the moment I started voting. The voters of this state and nation are not as stupid as if the press believes we are, and so many other people believe we are. We can see through the lies and mistruths. We do not follow anyone blindly and they are learning that every day."

"Yes sir and let me tell you those that did the wrong will not get elected back in. If they know what is best for them, they will not even try to run for office. I hope that they will see that we are not going to put up with lies and half-truths anymore. We finally have a governor in the office that is there working for us, the regular people. So if they do not want to get embarrassed by a huge defeat, they'd better not run again."

"Once again thank you for your kind words I really do appreciate them. As far as what you said, I think the wrong doers see that, and if they don't, they will by the time they are up for re-election." Barbara pulled the governor away from the supervisor to save him.

She knows her husband well and sees things in his facial expressions that no one else can see. There was no doubt in her mind that he did not mind talking to him, but not in length about what just happened in the last week. He is worn out, and wants to have a few minutes of peace on that subject.

Upstairs the boys were stunned on how the builders got it right. Although there is no furniture in the rooms yet, they imagined what their rooms would look like with furniture. Josh and Cesar walked onto their balcony and looked at the west side of El Paso. Neither of them could believe the view that they have.

Just as Cesar walked up behind Josh and wrapped his arms around him, Brandon came running into the room. "Wow, I mean wow this is totally what I didn't expect. We are like rich or something now, are we really rich?"

Brandon jumped onto the rails of the balcony and sat down. "No we are not rich, far from it." Josh started to laugh unable to finish talking because Cesar was nibbling at his ear lobes. "I am pretty sure dad is in debt with this house and will be for many years, but it is an awesome house." Josh was barely able to talk between laughs.

"I don't care what anyone says about dad, he is very cool." Seeing that Josh and Cesar wanted to be alone, Brandon jumped of the rail of the balcony and started to leave when Josh called him back over.

"Little bro where are you going? Why don't you, Cesar, and I look around the new house together? I am pretty sure we will find all sorts of ways to get into trouble." Josh broke free from Cesar's grips and headed into their room. Cesar looked at Brandon, not ugly, but not happy, before following Josh into the room.

Brandon tagged along with Josh and Cesar, but felt bad that he interrupted his big brother with his boyfriend. He knew they wanted to be alone and tried to leave, but his brother called him back. Still even though it was not really his fault that Josh called him back, he was trying to find an excuse to leave them, but each time he tried, he got pulled back in.

Most of the house was blocked, so they could not get into some of the rooms. They discovered the way down to the basement where they found Daniel Jr., Carlos, and Patrick in the theater room. When they walked in, their jaws dropped to the floor. Cesar turned to Brandon and asked him to pinch him to make sure he was not dreaming.

The room had red carpet and walls that led to a huge television built into the wall with black speakers on the bottom and the sides. There were rows of huge leather seats that sat a total of fifteen. If you did not want to sit in the seats, there was plenty of room in front for you to lie down.

They all sat down making claims on the chair, which will theirs from this day forward. As they chatted back on forth about the fun they are going to have in this room, the governor, Barbara and Rose walked in. Daniel Sr. looked at his kids and smiled. He loved seeing them enjoying themselves and more so, together as a family.

"I hate to break this up, but we have to go in order to make it in time to greet the president at the airport." Daniel Sr. said reluctantly. "In a couple of weeks we will be back and will be moving in. Until then you guys will have to suffer living in the governor's mansion."

The governor started laughing at the looks he was getting from the boys. "At least this house isn't haunted like the mansion is." Josh shot back at his father, but Patrick came right back at him. "You keep saying that the governor's mansion is haunted, but I haven't seen or heard anything of the sorts. Maybe it is just your imagination getting away from you."

Josh was about to reply when the governor jumped in. "You boys can hold that conversation on the ride to the airport, but we have to leave now! Moreover, I agree with Patrick about the ghost and the haunting of the mansion. It is just your imagination getting the best of you my son that is all."

Walking out of the theater room, Josh looked over at his dad as if he was crazy. He knows the noises he hears and the things he has seen is not his imagination, but he will drop it so that it isn't blown into a big conversation. One he really does not want to get into since no one else believes him anyway.

Since there was not much traffic on the way back to the airport, they got there in half the time it took them to get to the new house. When they arrived, there was already a crowd that numbered into the thousands standing to greet the president when he arrived. At least that is what everyone thought until they saw the signs.

They came out to support their governor. When they got out of the limousine, they started to chant `don't take any bullshit' repeatedly. Governor Lopez smiled and walked over to the rope line to greet those that came out to greet him. He signed as many autographs and shook as many hands as he could before Air Force One came into view.

As the president's plane was landing, several more limousines drove up carrying the first family of Texas guests. Eric was the first to get out from the car, followed by Bernice, Chris, Immanuel, Father Gomez, and Isaac. In the other car were Daniel and Carlos's girlfriends and a couple of their close friends that were invited. Among the friends were Brandon's as well. They quickly greeted each other as the president's plane came to a complete halt and the long metal staircase was pushed up to the door.

Something made Patrick turn to look at the limousines, and when Immanuel stepped out of the car. His bottom jaw fell to the ground. He did not know that Josh's father even knew he existed, more so invited him on this trip. Looking over to Josh for some kind of explanation, but all he got was a big grin. Seeing that he was not going to get any explanation on why, Patrick walked, almost like running, over to Immanuel.

When he got to him they both wanted to hug each other, but neither of the made the move. Instead, they ended up shaking each other's hands and stood there in silence for a few seconds, which seemed like eternity to both of them. Finally, Patrick broke the silence by asking how all this came about.

"All I know is that Father Gomez called me in and told me that I was invited on this trip and asked if I wanted to go. Of course, I jumped at it. After I said yes, the father went down to see my parents and got their permission for to go. Once they said yes, Father Gomez asked me not to say a word to you, because they all wanted this to be a surprise."

"Boy it was surprise, I can tell you that. When I saw you stepping out of the limousine, I could not believe my eyes. I had to take a double look to make sure it was ..." Patrick was interrupted by someone whistling. They both looked over at the group and saw Isaac and Josh waiving them over. "We will talk more about this in the plane when we are alone."

Once again, they both wanted to hug each other, but neither of them made a move. As they walked over to the group to join them, they both wanted to hold each other's hands, but again neither acted on it. They just walked in silence and smiled at Josh and the others when they got to them. As they turned their attention to the plane, people were already getting off the plane, but it was not the president nor was it his wife.

The first people that got off Air Force One were secret service agents and some of the president's staff. Then the president and first lady walked out waving at the crowd that had now doubled in size since the governor and his family arrived. After a few minutes of waving, the president and first lady made their way down the stairs.

"Governor Lopez it is great to see you." President Bush said as he shook the governor's hand. "I am glad that you were able to make it because I was worried that you were going to call me up and cancel with me." The governor looked over at the president as he leant in to kiss the first lady on the cheek.

"Why would you think I was going to cancel on you? This week has been on the books ever since I was sworn in as governor. There is nothing that would have kept me from joining you and this beautiful wife of yours on this tour around Texas."

"I thought with everything that has been going on in the last week in Austin, you would have wanted to stay closer to home to make sure that another stunt like that wasn't going to be pulled. I still cannot believe that happened while you were serving your nation. These guys should have known they were in the wrong, and the press?"

"Mr. President thank you for your concern, but this is your trip for you to come down here to get votes, not to be worried about me. You keep your eye on the ball and we will do everything we can, to get you a second term in office."

President Bush smiled at the governor as he turned his attention to the governor's kids. This time around he spoke with each of them equal time. When he got to Josh, he congratulated him on his first song and asked him where he could buy it. Not meaning to, Josh laughed a little before answering.

"Sorry sir but everyone keeps telling me that I should record a CD, but I am far from being a singer. No one will go out and spend twelve or fifteen dollars for a CD of a person that is not a singer. They have better things to spend their money on and actual real artists to choose from when they buy their music."

"Believe it or not young man you are a true artist that people will spend those twelve or fifteen dollars on to buy your CD. You have now performed in two concerts this summer with the greats of Country music. If you were not a good singer I can promise you, none of those that performed in your concert several weeks ago would have done it if you were not going to sing. I understand they even asked you to sing when you were not planning to do so, is that right?"

"Yes sir Dolly Patron actually left me no other choice in the matter. She not only told me that I had to open the show, but sing a duet with her, which I loved doing. I may be gay, but I know when I am looking at a beautiful woman, and boy is Dolly one." Josh made the president crack up laughing. "Plus George brought me back on the stage to close the show, which was a big honor."

President Bush patted Josh on the shoulder and looked over at Cesar. "You young man, have your hands full with this guy." Cesar nodded his head looking over at Josh as he shook the president's hand. "Make sure you keep him out of trouble and get him into a recording studio to make a CD for me and millions of others to buy."

"Yes sir I plan to do what ever it takes to get him to sit down with Brandon and write more songs before going into the studio to record them."

The president looked over at the new faces he has never seen before. "Sir these young people are friends of my kids. Since they were unable to spend anytime together during their summer vocation, I invited them on the trip." President Bush looked at the governor surprised. "Don't worry we are not going to pile up in Air Force One. I plan to take out my air craft since I invited them to come."

Governor Lopez went down the line and introduced everyone to the president. When the introductions were finished, the president and governor made their way to the stage that was set up for him to make his speech. A half hour later, they were making their way back to the rope line and then the planes.

When they reached the staircase leading up to Air Force One, President Bush leaned in and whispered to the governor. "I have never got this kind of welcome here in El Paso. This city is one of the very few in Texas that always voted democrat. I might actually win this district this time around thanks to you."

"No sir it isn't all me. The voters are smart and they can see that you are the right answer for our nation, not any of those on the democratic ticket. It is starting to look more and more like Governor Clinton is going to win the nomination. If he does, you are going to need all the help you can, not just this one district."

President Bush shook his head as he made his way up the staircase. The governor stood there at the bottom of the staircase watching the president soak it all in. When he and the first lady walked into their aircraft and the door was closed, the governor made his way to his. He found Barbara waiting for him and they walked up the stairs. As they made their way up the staircase, the governor held onto his wife tight. She is starting to show and he wanted to make sure nothing bad would happen.

When they reached the top, they turned around, and just like the president and the first lady, they waved at the cheering crowd. They did not head in until the president's plane was making its way down the runway. Once they saw that, they joined the others that were already seated and ready to fly.

The whole way to San Antonio, Josh and his friends talked about what they did during their summer vacation. No matter how hard Josh tried to get the others to talk more about their vacation, they would somehow bring the conversation back over to the concert. They wanted to know in detail about George Strait and all the other famous singers Josh met during his two concerts.

Meanwhile Daniel Jr. and Carlos spent the time with their girlfriends and the friends they invited on this trip. Unlike Josh, they did not talk about what they did over the summer. They knew what each of them did because they talked over the phone a lot during the last couple of months so the conversation quickly moved to what they are going to do on this trip.

At the other corner of the plane Patrick and Immanuel snuck off to be alone. They did not really get a chance to get to know each other before Patrick left for Austin. They are taking this time now to learn a little more about each other. After being alone for almost thirty minutes, Patrick pulled Immanuel over to the guys so he could get to know Josh and Cesar.

When they sat down with them, Patrick was surprised to see Brandon and his friends sitting with them. They were asking how much different it was from junior high school to high school. Josh at first was playing with them by telling them it is rough, the freshman are always picked on and every other scary thing he could think of to scare them, but eventually Josh cracked up laughing, unable to keep the lie going.

Brandon and his friends did not think it funny at first, but eventually gave in and started laughing. The rest of the trip they all took turns telling Brandon and his friends what to suspect going into high school. This time they are telling them the truth, which put them at ease. They were told by other people that high school was the way Josh was first saying it for freshman, but now they feel a lot better after learning the truth.

When they landed in San Antonio, they went straight from the airport to the ballroom of the hotel they were staying at for dinner, a speech and fund raising. When things started to get very political, Josh, his friends, brothers, their friends, girlfriends and boyfriends went up to their room. Where they changed and went down to the heated pool.

They swam until almost midnight. Barbara and Rose had to come down and get them out to go to bed. The only one's that were going out who were able to sleep in the same bed were Josh and Cesar. Daniel Jr. and Carlos's girlfriends had to sleep in their own separate room. They did not question their father since they already knew why it had to be that way. There is no way Josh and Cesar were going to make a life-changing mistake if they had sex because neither of them could get pregnant.

The next morning they got up early, had breakfast, and then flew out before six am. They stopped in two small towns before reaching Laredo. Josh thought it was weird that the president was giving speeches in these small towns. When he asked his father about it, his father gave him a simple answer.

"It shouldn't matter the size of town, they all deserve and should demand a visit from their governor and president." Josh understood what his father was telling him.

Although their hotel in Laredo had a pool, they did not go down and swim. Instead, they split into their own little groups and hung out in their rooms. Josh and Cesar were getting to know Immanuel a lot better and they liked him. He was no Frank, but they knew there would never be another Frank.

Just as they were kicking off their shoes and getting ready to turn in for the night, the phone rang in Josh and Cesar's room. Everyone looked at each other, but no one moved towards the phone. Finally, after the fifth ring, at least that is what Josh thought because he lost count, the ringing stopped.

They just stood in the middle of the room looking at each other and then the phone started ringing again, making them jump. This time Josh walked over to the phone picking it up. In a low voice, he said hello. When he heard his father's voice, Josh relaxed.

"The president wants to speak with you, so straighten up, and head up stairs to his floor. When you get there, the secret service will walk you to his room."

Not asking any questions, Josh did what he was told. He hung up the phone and walked into the bathroom. After combing his hair, brushing his teeth he walked to the bed, sat down, and slipped on his shoes. All the while Josh's friends sat watching him, wondering why he was getting dressed again.

"What is going on Josh?" Eric spoke up. "Who was on the phone and why are you getting dressed?" Josh got up and started to make his way to the door. "My father was on the phone and he told me that the president wants to see me. So don't wait up, I`ll probably come in late." Josh smiled and left the room.

Russ joined Josh as he made his way to the staircase. They went up one floor and when they reached the door, the secret service stopped them. After running their fingerprints and other checks, they were allowed to go in. Several other secret service agents met Josh and Russ at the door and walked them to the president's room.

When they reached the door, the agents asked Russ to wait for Josh outside while he visits with the president. Russ nodded as he watched Josh walk in and the door close behind him. Josh looked around and could not believe the size of the room the president had. It was like an apartment.

"Here is the young man I have wanted to talk to." President Bush walked over to Josh and the secret service agent. "Thanks that will be all for now." The secret service agent joined Russ outside in the hall. "Come on in Josh and make yourself comfortable. Do you want something to drink?"

Josh made his way to the big couch and sat down. He looked up at the president and polity asked for a Pepsi. President Bush smiled and walked away. Not even a minute later, he returned with an ice cold Pepsi and a cup of ice. He handed it to Josh and sat down in the big leather chairs to Josh's left.

"I have been looking forward to this trip for a while now. Not only to get out of Washington, but also to get a chance to talk with young kids like you. I was saddened when your father told me that you were going to take his plane because I wanted to talk with you. Pick your brain for ideas on how to get the young vote and maybe what you see I might be doing wrong."

At first when Josh started talking, he stuttered, but after the first sentence, he was talking freely. "President Bush I do not know why you want to pick my brain when you have all these advisers to talk to. They know what is best and how to get you to win. I am only a sophomore in high school. What do I know about winning?"

"Believe it or not you know a lot young man. My own sons helped me out in my last election, and because of their help, I won. Do not get me wrong, they are helping me out on this election as well, but I have never had an opponent like those that are coming out of the Democratic Party. I have my work cut out for me, what do you think?"

"Well my father thinks Clinton is going to win that ticket and that is who you are going to face in the general. He is something no one has seen before and the people like him. Moreover, he has the youth that you do not have. That is really working in his favor. I really hope he doesn't get the nomination because he is going to be hard to beat."

"Do you think if your father was on the ticket we would have a better shot of beating him come November?"

"Not to sound all high and mighty, but I think my father can win against Clinton if they ran against each other. Yes, Clinton has been in office a lot longer than my father has, but my father has done a lot more already than he has done in all the years he has been governor, plus look at the support my father as received over this mess right now at his work. That should answer your question."

"Yes it certainly does. Usually when a scandal this big breaks out even those that were not involved in the scandal get hurt. Your father is the first person I have ever seen go high in support among the voters. Let me ask you this, do you think if I would ask your father to come join my ticket, would he."

Josh sat back and thought about his answer. "I don't think he is looking to run for any other job right now. He is happy where he is, so I do not think he will say yes. He will help you in any way he can because he believes in you, but he will not quit this job."

"Well it was just a thought! Please do not repeat what I am saying to you to anyone." Josh agreed and the president changed the subject. By eleven, they had talked about several topics and Josh was truthful and blunt with the president, which he liked. He has been feeling that he has not been getting that truthfulness from his advisors lately. All they have been doing is telling him what they think that he wants to hear.

When Josh got up to leave, the president surprised him. "I talked with you father after dinner tonight and told him that I want him, his family and friends to join me on Air Force One for the rest of the trip. He agreed, which made me happy. So I hope you will come and talk with me when ever you have a free moment."

"Certainly I will, and thank you Mr. President." Josh's smile on his face lightened up the darken room the president and he were in. They said good night to each other, shook hands as the president walked Josh to the door. All the way back to his room, Josh could not believe that the president of the United States actually wanted his advice. He felt like he was walking on air.

TO BE CONTINUED...

WRITER'S CORNER:

I have a home page for you to see what the characters look like or what the places look like. If you want to walk in their shoes, please go to: http://jacobmillertex.com/

{Welcome back one and all to another chapter of "Shadow of My Father". Let me say first I know there was a lot of politics in this chapter. The last time I did that, some of you were not happy. Please remember that this story is going to have that, and it is only a story. I know we all do not share the same beliefs and thoughts, but keep in mind it is a fiction story and just as in real life the characters in this story need to take a side.

Now with that said, let us get to the chapter. A lot happened that kept your heads turning. First and most importantly Rich stepped down from his position. He will not be gone and you all know that if you have read my other stories. Rich is going to stick around until the governor hires his replacement. It might take a while depending on whom he asks.

It is sad though that a good person like Rich sacrificed his career because of what others did. He was not at fault, yet he blames himself. He will not let the governor or anyone talk him out of stepping down. I wish he would stay because he was an asset to the governor, but he has his mind already made up. Now once he does leave will not be the last time we see him in this story, I promise you that.

I will not even go and touch the press issue. Been there, talked about it and will not go there again. I am glad that the governor finally went out and addressed the state even though he did not have to. He left no doubt in anyone's mind where he stands. He is not going anywhere and those that can remember how this story started; he is going to be around for a very long time in the political world.

I skipped the conversation between the Lt. Governor and the governor. I am glad that Daniel Sr. did not fold and promise to help him out. He made his bed, now he has to sleep in it. If any of you are familiar with politics and figured out what it meant when Daniel Sr. said to the Lt. Governor his phone calls are not going to be returned, his career is over now because not even his own party will help him out. In the next chapter there is going to be more on this so stick around.

What is there to say about the house except wow? The construction crew is way ahead of schedule and the first family of Texas is going to be able to move into their new home for sure on time if not earlier. The kids are going to have fun in the new theater room and everything else the new house has.

Let's talk a little bit about the ending of the chapter. It is good to see the gang back together. At least this trip with the president is not going to be boring for the Lopez boys like the first one. They have their friends, and yes, girlfriends, to hang around with. I wonder what kind of trouble they are going to get into. You know they are going to!

What do you think about President Bush talking with Josh at the end? The question that sticks out for me is the one he asked Josh what he thought about the idea of his father running on his ticket. Do you think the president is willing to drop his running mate and ask Daniel Sr. to come aboard? I know in real life he never did that, but again this is a fiction story, so who knows.

There is so much going on in this story, and not enough paper to write it all on! I have been getting a lot of email recently asking about Martha. She is still alive and still in the coma. She will be back, when I do not know, but she will be back. In addition, the other plots that are hanging out there will be coming back into the story in the chapters to come. There is one more chapter left and then we are moving into the sophomore years. So hold onto your hats ladies, and gentleman, the ride is just beginning!

I could stay here all day long, with all the open plots already in this story, but I won't. I warn you though! Do not skip a chapter, or you will be lost. There is a so much to answer in the chapters to come. Keep reading the future chapters, and enjoy! Please email me and let me know how I am doing at jacob@jacobmillertex.com, Thanks!}

EDITOR'S CORNER

Another great chapter, but I wish Josh and Cesar had more time together as they love each dearly but don't consummate that love enough for my liking.

When it comes to American politics I'm in the dark, being just an humble Australian guy so I won't comment on what I don't really understand except to say if I was running for President I would ask Josh for advice all the time. He is wise beyond his years (Maybe he should be the Presidents running mate?)

As Jacob hinted we have not heard the last of Rich, he is a very intelligent young man with his finger on the pulse and should not be out on a limb for what happened plus don't forget that early on in the story we heard Rich was gay so maybe it's about time he found himself a boyfriend. Meanwhile the house sounds like a great place and I'm sure when they move in it will become a home.

I know I'm dodging all over the place, and like Jacob I wasn't going to mention the press business but believe me the way the press acted is indicative of the media all over the world. They will do and say anything for the sake of a good headline.

That's all from me this time. Please keep the e-mails coming, we love to hear what you think about Jacob's yarns. Bye for now and take care.

trevor@jacobmillertex.com