like there is a star system out there with our name on it.”
Walter ’s face flickered with disappointment before a calculating gleam suddenly appeared in it. He nodded in agreement before he let out a huge sigh. Hopping off the chair, he turned and helped Nema down off hers. At only three and a half feet tall, even the standard size chairs could be a challenge for both him and his tiny wife.
“ When do you plan to leave?” Walter asked as he threaded his fingers through Nema’s slender ones.
“ It will take a couple of weeks to get everything in order,” Alan said looking over to where Manota was standing, his eyes still moving to Tony on occasion now. “Will that be alright, Jo? We need to take care of things here if we don’t plan on returning. I’d liked to set things up so that we can hopefully support ourselves on your new world. There are a few things I know your mother will want to take with us as well.”
Jo looked over her shoulder at Manota. She had been doing all the talking because, although he could understand what they were saying, they could not understand him until a translator was embedded into their ears. She cleared her throat to get his attention, raising her eyebrow at him in amusement at the dark scowl still on his face.
“Is it possible to stay that long?” She asked softly.
Manota gave a brief nod of his head. “Yes,” he muttered before he glanced back at Tony who was trying to not to be too obvious about how his eyes kept going back to Jo. “I swear if he looks at you one more time, I will cut his eyes out,” he added.
Jo rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Down boy. He has been like this since I first met him when we were seventeen. He isn’t really in love with me, he just thinks he is because I haven’t fallen for his good looks.”
Manota ’s eyes jerked back down and if anything, the look on his face became more menacing. “You think he is good looking?” He growled out.
“ I am not discussing this with you right now,” Jo muttered turning back to where Walter and Nema were looking at them in amusement.
Ricki stood up gracefully, closing the notebook she always carried. “Yes, well. If you need any assistance with anything, Alan, please don’t hesitate to ask. I can handle the liquidation of any assets that you have and file the necessary documents,” she said quietly. “Papa, I think it might be best if you could say something to help those who have been worried about Jo, Star and River at the meeting tomorrow morning - just to let them know they are okay.” Ricki turned to look at Jo for a moment before she bent and hugged her friend. “Everyone has been very worried. I am happy for you, Jo,” she whispered. “You, Star and River all deserve this happiness.”
Jo looked into Ricki ’s smoky gray eyes. She saw the sincerity there and a hint of sadness that Ricki couldn’t quite hide. She reached over and squeezed Ricki’s hand.
“ Thank you, Ricki,” Jo said quietly. “I’ll miss you. You’ll always be my sister, no matter where I am.”
Ricki ’s eyes clouded for a moment before she straightened, standing stiffly. “Papa, momma, if you are ready.”
“ Marvin, Martin, move everyone out!” Walter’s gruff voice called out. “We have things to do.”
Jo stood up and walked Ricki, Walter and Nema to the door. She gave them each a hug before giving the others who had come along one as well. She paused as Tony came up to her.
“Sorry about your head, Tony. Is it feeling a little better?” She asked, ignoring the low growl coming from the other side of the room.
Tony grinned and nodded. “I’ve had worse,” he admitted as he shot an amused glance at Manota who was glaring daggers at him again. “Do you think he would try to kill me again if I gave you a hug?”
Jo nodded her head and giggled. “More than likely,” she said with a wry grin.
“ Well, they say you only get to live life to the fullest once. I always did love to
Walter ’s face flickered with disappointment before a calculating gleam suddenly appeared in it. He nodded in agreement before he let out a huge sigh. Hopping off the chair, he turned and helped Nema down off hers. At only three and a half feet tall, even the standard size chairs could be a challenge for both him and his tiny wife.
“ When do you plan to leave?” Walter asked as he threaded his fingers through Nema’s slender ones.
“ It will take a couple of weeks to get everything in order,” Alan said looking over to where Manota was standing, his eyes still moving to Tony on occasion now. “Will that be alright, Jo? We need to take care of things here if we don’t plan on returning. I’d liked to set things up so that we can hopefully support ourselves on your new world. There are a few things I know your mother will want to take with us as well.”
Jo looked over her shoulder at Manota. She had been doing all the talking because, although he could understand what they were saying, they could not understand him until a translator was embedded into their ears. She cleared her throat to get his attention, raising her eyebrow at him in amusement at the dark scowl still on his face.
“Is it possible to stay that long?” She asked softly.
Manota gave a brief nod of his head. “Yes,” he muttered before he glanced back at Tony who was trying to not to be too obvious about how his eyes kept going back to Jo. “I swear if he looks at you one more time, I will cut his eyes out,” he added.
Jo rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Down boy. He has been like this since I first met him when we were seventeen. He isn’t really in love with me, he just thinks he is because I haven’t fallen for his good looks.”
Manota ’s eyes jerked back down and if anything, the look on his face became more menacing. “You think he is good looking?” He growled out.
“ I am not discussing this with you right now,” Jo muttered turning back to where Walter and Nema were looking at them in amusement.
Ricki stood up gracefully, closing the notebook she always carried. “Yes, well. If you need any assistance with anything, Alan, please don’t hesitate to ask. I can handle the liquidation of any assets that you have and file the necessary documents,” she said quietly. “Papa, I think it might be best if you could say something to help those who have been worried about Jo, Star and River at the meeting tomorrow morning - just to let them know they are okay.” Ricki turned to look at Jo for a moment before she bent and hugged her friend. “Everyone has been very worried. I am happy for you, Jo,” she whispered. “You, Star and River all deserve this happiness.”
Jo looked into Ricki ’s smoky gray eyes. She saw the sincerity there and a hint of sadness that Ricki couldn’t quite hide. She reached over and squeezed Ricki’s hand.
“ Thank you, Ricki,” Jo said quietly. “I’ll miss you. You’ll always be my sister, no matter where I am.”
Ricki ’s eyes clouded for a moment before she straightened, standing stiffly. “Papa, momma, if you are ready.”
“ Marvin, Martin, move everyone out!” Walter’s gruff voice called out. “We have things to do.”
Jo stood up and walked Ricki, Walter and Nema to the door. She gave them each a hug before giving the others who had come along one as well. She paused as Tony came up to her.
“Sorry about your head, Tony. Is it feeling a little better?” She asked, ignoring the low growl coming from the other side of the room.
Tony grinned and nodded. “I’ve had worse,” he admitted as he shot an amused glance at Manota who was glaring daggers at him again. “Do you think he would try to kill me again if I gave you a hug?”
Jo nodded her head and giggled. “More than likely,” she said with a wry grin.
“ Well, they say you only get to live life to the fullest once. I always did love to
Similar Books
