Friends and Family Series

Sandy & Dan

By: Ron Robbins
(© 2011 by the author)
Editor: Frank Perry

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Chapter 3

The helicopter took off a little after noon and headed for the Dunnlap Plantation, which was twenty-five minutes south of the town of Dunnlap. As they neared the Plantation, Sandy pointed out its northern boundaries. All they could see were acres upon acres of green fields. "I won't say a word of what Pete is farming on this plantation, because he will only repeat again everything I would tell you, anyway. My brother eats, sleeps and dreams about this plantation. Farming is his life. He's been like that since we were kids. Of course, my love was electronics and computers. There's the farmhouse to your right."

"God, it's huge," Dan said. "It looks like a French chateau."

"You're right, that's what Penny and Pete wanted. The right wing houses Pete's administration offices," Sandy said, "but you're right; it is quite large."

The helicopter landed in the middle of a concrete runway, about a half-mile from the house. A mini-bus pulled out of one of the large hanger buildings and parked next to the aircraft. The copilot opened the door and lowered the steps. Nora and Roger deplaned first followed by Dan and Sandy. Pete walked over and hugged Sandy and kissed him on the cheek. "It's been too long, little brother," Pete said. "Now, introduce me to our guests."

Sandy put his arm over his brother's shoulder and introduced him to Nora, Roger and Danny. "Welcome to Dunnlap Plantation," Pete said. "You're just in time for lunch. He opened the center door to the mini-bus. "That's kind of a big step for you, Dan? Here, put your arms around Sandy's and my shoulder and we'll lift you up those steps."

They lifted Dan up and onto the isle of the bus where he was able to use his walker.

"Thanks, guys," Dan said. "It's nice you two are the same height."

Pete got into the driver's seat and started the bus. He closed the doors and drove to the house. He gave a running narration on interesting tidbits about the plantation. "Those hangers house our corporate jet, our two helicopters and crop dusters. Our reinforced runway can land Sandy's 737 without a problem. I like to fly my own Queen Air when we visit the folks. Dunnlap Plantation is the largest privately owned farm in Georgia. We raise cattle, horses, pigs, and poultry and grow all our own animal feed. Our main crops are hay, alfalfa, corn, and soybeans, and our secondary crops are seasonal vegetables. We have our own lake, and house our staff and farm personnel on the property. We have a railroad siding, storage warehouses, frozen food packaging plant, poultry and hog-processing plants, waste water treatment plant and electric power plant. We also own the farm equipment company that sells, leases, and repairs all the farming equipment and long haul transportation equipment. This plantation is completely automated and computer controlled."

"Good Lord, this is some huge operation," Roger said.

"It sure is," Pete said; "thanks to my baby brother here. We're partners in this business. I'm the farmer and he's the banker. Sandy is only interested in designing and building the computers and the software that runs this place. He had no interest in the farming business at all." Pete chuckled, "We'd never see him at all if it wasn't for my kids and my computers. Anytime we ask Sandy to design a program to improve our production line or automating a system, he's 'Johnny-on-the-spot'. He rolls up his sleeves and jumps on the project until he comes up with a program that works. Of course, he sells the new product and makes himself a few more millions; right, bro?"

Sandy laughed. "What my brother neglects to tell you, is that the half of the profit I earn from those inventions are plowed into his children's trust fund. There's so much money in their trust fund that their great-great grand children wouldn't be able to dry up the trust."

"Well, here we are folks," Pete said as he pulled up to the front terrace of his home. They helped Dan out of the bus. The butler opened the door and greeted the guests as they entered into a spacious entrance foyer. The butler opened the double doors to reveal a long hallway that led to the rear of the house. "The children are in the family room, Master Peter," the butler said.

"Sandy, why don't you lead them back to the family room? I need to wash my hands."

Sandy led them straight back to the family room at the end of the hall. Penny, Peter's wife, walked over to Sandy and hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. "Sandy, it's good to see you again," Penny said.

"Penny, I would like to introduce Nora Kelly, her son Dan, and Roger Brant."

Penny greeted them and called the children over to meet their guests. The children were polite and well behaved and shook hands as they greeted the guests. The two younger children returned to their game. The twins, Sandy and Pete, Jr. stood on either side of Sandy. He put his arm around each boy and leaned down to whisper to them. They both smiled and nodded their head in agreement.

The butler announced that lunch was ready and led them into the dining room. An excellent wine was served with each course of the meal.

"The food served to you this afternoon was home grown, except for the wine, of course, but I'm working on that," Pete said.

"Pete, how would you like to join Danny and me next month for some sailing?" Sandy asked. "I haven't had the yacht out for months and I sort of promised the twins."

"Sure, I'd love to," Pete said. "Do you like to sail, Dan?"

"It's been a while. Where do you keep your yacht, Sandy?"

"It's in Savannah."

"Wait one minute," Pete said. "If you're planning to do the cooking, the trip's off. I love you dearly, Sandy, but you are the world's worst cook. No way am I going to subject my sons to your cooking."

"Thanks a lot, bro; don't worry, there's a full crew who will be on board this trip. I'm even bringing along one of the chefs from home. I want this to be a nice relaxing cruse."

"How many days do you plan to be away?" Pete asked.

"I can only get away for three days. I'm leaving for an extended business trip the following week after that."

"Where are you off to this time?"

"I'll be commuting between Indonesia and Ireland. I'm buying two more companies — one in Indonesia and the other in Ireland."

"When are you going to slow down, bro? You're hardly ever home, as it is?"

"This is going to be my last trip for a while. I've been after these two companies for over two years now. Last month, I made them an offer they couldn't refuse. Now, they want to talk turkey. The dollar is strong now, and we need to break into their labor market. They were in a much better bargaining position last year. As it is, I'm going to have to split my key staff and hire some additional people locally. The patent laws and tax structure are different in both countries. Checking and inventorying everything takes time, even with computers."

"You'll do fine, bro, you always do," Pete said. "Are you all ready for a ride in the chopper while I show you the farm?"

"Nora, if you want to take a rain-check, Pete will understand," Penny said. "If you like, we can visit while the boys take their plane ride."

"I'd like that," Nora said. "I'd love to see more of your beautiful home."

"Bye, boys," Penny said. "Enjoy your trip."

Penny took Nora on a tour of her home. They ended up on the patio off the family room. "You have a beautiful home," Nora said. "You know, I would have a hard time telling Sandy and Pete apart, if they were dressed alike. They certainly are a handsome pair; I get the impression that they are very close."

"That they are. They are also quite a unique pair," Penny said. "They are more like Siamese twins, and have been for as long as I've known them. Their mother told me that they were like that since they were toddlers. They never displayed any sibling rivalry, like most boys. As children, they were always together and had very few close friends. Although, later on, as they grew older, they added more friends to their circle, but to this day they have very few really close friends.

A lot of their isolation stems from their maturity and their superior intelligence. They had very little in common with children their age. They became frustrated and bored in elementary and high school, since they were light years ahead of students their own age. The educational system was not as progressive as it is today. The boys attended grammar and high school to be around children their own age. Their psychologist felt that the boys needed to attend private, progressive schools, which catered to exceptional children. The psychologist theorized that, eventually, other young men would be at a level where the boys would be on a more equal footing. Well, maybe not quite their level, but close enough where a normal relationship could develop. While the boys attended elementary and secondary school, their curriculum was at an advanced level. By the time other students were graduating junior high, Sandy and Pete where entering college.

"The odd thing about the twins was that they had chosen totally opposite career paths. By age eleven, they knew what fields they wanted to pursue. Sandy had decided on the computer industry, and Peter was into animal husbandry and agriculture. I thought that they would have chosen the same career path. Maybe that explains why they got along so well. By the time Sandy had reached his eighteenth birthday, he already had developed and patented two software programs. Sandy is a genius. He didn't sell his new programs outright, but instead, licensed them to a top software company on a royalty basis. Sandy felt this was the only way to go, since he didn't have the capital or the time to start a company to market the software programs on his own. At that time, he and Peter were into their MBA program. In any event, Sandy wanted to continue to develop new programs and didn't have time to spend running a company. It didn't take long for the royalty checks to come in. Six months after his programs were introduced to the market, Sandy had earned half a million dollars in royalties.

"It was around that time that Peter found a good opportunity to buy into a poultry operation that he felt had great potential. He asked Sandy to help him with the market survey and a proposal for potential investors. Peter had already verified the inventory and had his mother's law firm do a thorough investigation on the company. They got their father's engineering firm to survey the plants and buildings from top to bottom.

"Two months after the business survey was completed, Peter was convinced that something was wrong somewhere. The business was on the market for over a year with no takers. He had a much better understanding once his father's engineering report was in. The report showed that the physical plant and equipment were in poor condition. The owners hadn't made any improvements to the equipment or the buildings in five years. However, the big red flag was that they were in violation of the State's EPA laws and were about to lose their certification. If they lost that, they would be out of business. They had six months to comply. The administrative end of the business was also a mess. The management staff was top heavy and overpaid. The plant engineers were overworked and understaffed, with no support from the upper-level management. Also, the owners were drawing large salaries without reinvesting anything back into the business.

"Peter was very disappointed. He knew, from Sandy's marketing report, that the company had been an established leader in this market for years, and with the right leadership, it could be a moneymaker. After his meeting with Sandy and his parents, he realized that no bank or private investor would lend them the money to buy the company. Sandy believed in Peter and told him to finish the proposal and he would find a backer for the deal.

"Two weeks after the meeting, Peter delivered the proposal to Sandy, who studied it carefully and made several phone calls on his own. He had his mother form the Dunnlap Agricultural Division of the Dunnlap Corporation. He divided the stock between himself and Peter. He gave 75 percent ownership to Peter and kept 25 percent for himself. Peter knew nothing of this until he sat down with Sandy and his mother, who laid out the entire plan and handed the corporate papers and the corporate seal to Peter. Naturally, Pete was overwhelmed and it was the first time since they were boys that Pete broke down and cried.

"Sandy's plan was brilliant in its simplicity. Sandy had Peter set up a meeting with the owners where Sandy confronted them with the facts of the business, and tendered their offer to purchase the company. The following week the owners agreed to Sandy's terms and he and Pete became the new owners. Sandy and Pete didn't have to put up one penny for the purchase of the business. The owners agreed to allow them to buy the company on an installment basis. Of course, Sandy put up the money for the performance bond, and bankrolled the renovation of the plants and equipment.

"Pete did a fantastic job in turning around the operation. Within six months he had the plant in top shape and the company was showing a profit. As time went by, Sandy and Pete keep acquiring more companies, in addition to forming companies on their own. By the time Sandy graduated from college he was a millionaire. Pete reached that goal two years later. Today, Pete is a multimillionaire and Sandy is a billionaire."

"That is quite a success story," Nora said. "It's hard to believe that they are so wealthy. My God, they're only twenty-six."

"I find it hard to believe, myself, sometimes," Penny said; "they are both so down to earth."

"It's obvious your twins certainly adore their Uncle Sandy," Nora said.

"They sure do," Penny said, "and the feeling is mutual. My mother-in-law told me that the twins are exactly like Sandy and Pete, as if they were cloned. They have the same high IQ and personalities. They also are like Siamese twins. They seem to communicate without speaking. They are wonderful boys and a joy to have around. They are very protective with their sister and their baby brother. They are much better off as far as their school is concerned. They are enrolled is a special school for exceptional children located in Atlanta. They commute every day to school. One weekend a month, they spend with Sandy. He lets them each invite a friend to come along as well. Sometimes they do, but most of the time it's just Sandy and the boys. I think the reason is they don't want to share Sandy with their friends.

"Danny appears to be a bright young man," Penny said. "At least Sandy thinks so. He told us all about Dan's accident. It's a shame he fell a second time on that same leg. Well, he is in good hands, now. He is good company for Sandy; he needs to have young people around. Pete said if Dan is as bright as Sandy thinks, then your son's future is assured, Nora. Ah, I hear the gang has returned; we've had a nice chat, and I hope we can do it again."

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The helicopter returned to the Dunnlap estate with its passengers and several boxes of fresh picked fruits and vegetables. Sandy said, "You have two hours before the dinner, folks, so, you're on your own until six o'clock." 

They all took the elevator to the second floor. Sandy said, "See you all downstairs at 6PM."

Sandy had just finished dressing for dinner when he heard a knock at the door separating his suite from Dan's. "Come in, it's not locked." The door swung open, and Dan walked in.

"If you have a few minutes, I'd like to talk to you," Dan said.

"Sure come in and sit down," Sandy said.

Dan chose one of the wing chairs by the fireplace. Sandy took the other and smiled, "We gave you a workout today. I hope you spent some time in the whirlpool."

"As a matter of fact, I did. Do you recognize the clothes I'm wearing? "

Sandy grinned, and nodded his head, "Yes, I selected them myself. You do justice to that Armani outfit, you look very handsome. I've selected several different designers for variety. I'm sure you'll like the Versace outfits, as well. I had each store send a nice mixture of colors and fabrics for you to select. When you have some time this week, try on your tuxedo for Ludlow. If anything is amiss, he'll have it taken care of before the banquet. I hope you like my selection. If there's anything you don't like, just have Ludlow take care of it."

"Everything is perfect. I've already tried on a few of the outfits, and everything fits perfectly. Sandy, you've must have spent a small fortune on those clothes. That Armani tuxedo must have cost over a thousand dollars. My dressing room is completely stocked. I'll never be able to wear all those clothes, let alone store them in my closets at home."

"Don't concern yourself about where to store the clothes, it's not important. The important thing is that you dress properly. As long as you are staying with me, I will see to it that you are taken care of. And that not only includes your room and board, but all your other needs as well. We made a deal, remember? You agreed to let me take care of you, and that is exactly what I intend to do."

"I know, Sandy, but I feel funny accepting these gifts from you. It just doesn't seem right. I've always paid my own way. If I hadn't ruined my knee, I wouldn't be in this position. I hope you don't feel I am ungrateful, for everything you have done so far, but, I feel like I'm taking charity from you, and it makes me feel uncomfortable. Anyway, I may not even have any room for these clothes when I leave. I had a long talk with Mom, and we have decided to sell the house in Atlanta. It's really too big for me, and Mom wants me to relocate to New York and live with her. "

"Are you happy living here, Danny?"

"You're kidding, of course? I'm extremely happy living here. The longer I'm here, the more comfortable I become with these elegant surroundings. Every day is a new adventure and your staff cannot do enough for me."

"Good, that's settled then. Look, Danny, I know you are uncomfortable accepting my gifts and that shows your strength of character. That is to be commended. If I were in your position, I would probably feel the same way. But I'm not, and I thank God I never will be. You were honest with me, now I'll do the same for you. I was a millionaire by the time I reached my nineteenth birthday. When I return from this upcoming business trip, I should be a multibillionaire. I was very lucky and had a lot going for me. I have a loving family, and my parents provided us children with all the support and guidance we needed."

"Both my parents were above average people, and both were successful in their professions. I'm not ashamed to admit that Pete and I are geniuses. Our parents recognized this and saw to it that our talents were not wasted. They saw to it that we had the professional support we needed and required. But, even though we had the edge over most other kids our age, Pete and I agreed that we still had to push ourselves harder, because we knew we would be up against people not willing to accept the ideas of teenagers. That's why we concentrated on developing our theories and ideas. But, above all, we had to earn our credentials. We both graduated from GT with double majors and received our MBA's by our twentieth birthday. We were always supportive of each other in whatever venture of business we had chosen. I was lucky to strike it big first, because I was able to bankroll Pete in his agriculture business. Pete is also a multimillionaire. Don't think it was all 'peaches and cream' either. We had to put up with a lot of indifference, both from our peers, as well as from the skeptics in the business world."

"Pete and I were always close, more so than most twins. Because we were treated as outcasts, our bond became even stronger. I don't think either one of us would have made it, if we didn't have each other. That is why he is so special to me, he's more than a twin, he is a part of me and that will never change."

"The reason I mentioned my wealth, and my relationship with my brother and family, is so you understand the importance I place on people I care about. The money I spend on you is minuscule when compared to my daily income. I'm doing this because it gives me pleasure and because you need my help and support at this stage of your life. Besides which, I am fond of you and I like having you around. I believe everything in this life happens for a reason. Your injury brought us together and your accident brought you here. Now, put on a happy face and join me while I welcome my dinner guests. I want you by my side until after dinner."

♦      ♦      ♦      ♦      ♦      ♦

The guests had all arrived when Sandy and Danny entered the drawing room. They walked over to where Nora and Roger were standing. "Lady and gentlemen, may I have your attention for a moment?" Sandy asked. "First, let me thank you all for joining us tonight. I would like introduce my good friends and house guests, Roger Brant, Nora Kelly, and her son, Dan Kelley. Also, please welcome my good friends, who were responsible for the architectural design and construction of my corporate complex, Alex Savage and Sandy Sanford of Stonewall & Savage. Please make yourselves at home and enjoy your evening." Hal Golden was the first one to make his way over to where Sandy and his guests were standing. He introduced himself and shook hands with them all.

"Hal, Dan will be staying on here with me," Sandy said. "He has expressed a desire to do some programming to keep his hand in. I thought Brad Stevens might have some work for him, what do you think?" Sandy asked.

"I think we can use all the talent we can find," Hal said. "I'll make sure Brad talks to Dan before the night is over."

"Many thanks, Hal," Sandy said. "Well, are you all set for the Gala next week?"

"I sure hope so," Hal said. "The PR people have been driving me crazy. Every time I turn around they've come up with some important VIP we should invite. I finally put my foot down today and told them the guest list is closed. If they wanted to invite someone new, they had to eliminate someone from the list. We both know they will never resort to that. I feel that everything is in place and looking good. The entertainment committee wanted to know if it's all right to have a final dry run with the entire team on Monday."

"That's fine with me," Sandy said. "Have them coordinate that with Ludlow. I know he is hiring extra help to handle the guests who will be staying here. Ludlow did say that all the floral decorations and tables will be set up by Thursday night. It's been a long time since I've had a large gathering like this in the manor."

Alex and Sandy made their way over to talk to Sandy and Dan. Sandy made the introductions to his guests. Dan asked, "Is that your building in Century Center off I-85, Mr. Savage?"

"Yes, that's my building," Alex said. "And please, call me Alex." What brings you to Dunnlap, Dan?"

Dan smiled, and winked at Sandy, "An accident. Sandy and I were roommates at the hospital when we had our surgeries. When I fell a second time and broke my leg and ankle, I was confined to a nursing home. Sandy came to my rescue and brought me here to recover."

"Alex is a GT alumnus, too," Sandy said. "Dan was injured playing soccer at Tech four months ago."

"Tough luck," Alex said. "Don't worry now, Sandy's a good man, he'll take good care of you. I thought Pete was supposed to be here, Sandy?"

"He probably had some last minute emergency to take care of; don't worry, he'll be here."

"He said he wants us to build him a new poultry processing plant, and a rendering plant."

"Pete is always adding something to his operation," Sandy said. "I can't keep up with him, Alex. And how are you and the children doing these days?" Sandy asked."

"Our angels are just fine, thanks. They are at the farm with my parents this week."

"How many does that make now?" Sandy asked.

"We have three of each now," Sandy said. "Beth will be a year old next week. I'm going to miss her birthday. I have to head out to Brazil on Sunday for the start-up of the new petro-chemical plant we finished building for Mac Stevens. Alex is flying up to the farm to stay with the children while I'm gone. Take that pained look off you face, Sandy; we'll both be here for your party. Alex will be flying down, Friday, with Drew and Mac. I'll be flying our 737 up from Brazil and landing here, after I do the customs thing in Miami. As far as I know, Mac and the bunch will be flying in from New York. I'll bet this place will be crawling with security people next week. Did I tell you that Mac and Drew want us all to plan to attend their anniversary party on Paradise Island, next year? It should be some get together. All the family members are invited as well. Can you imagine having all those children at the estate for three days? Mac told me that he hired a yacht big enough to accommodate the overflow. It should be a great week. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again. Did you know Mac's son, Lance, will be announcing his engagement at the party?"

"I heard rumors, but I didn't know if anything was set," Sandy said. "Mac should have named him Chip instead of Lance. I've heard he's become more involved in the business and has been trouble-shooting for both Drew and Mac for some time now. You know everybody calls them the Trinity. They are really super people and you wouldn't want better friends. I'm surprised you haven't become part of the MacDonald Stevens Corporation."

"Mac had made a few overtures, but Pete is not sold on the concept yet, he likes things the way they are for now. As long as Pete feels that way, there can be no discussion about joining Mac and Drew. Of course, we both utilize Mac's services."

Sandy felt an arm go around his waist. "What were you four saying behind my back?" Pete asked, as he hugged his brother. "Sorry I'm late, but my daughter had a snit and I couldn't leave until she was pacified. Poor baby feels left out sometimes."

"Where's Penny?"

"She's introducing our house guests to Nora and Roger in the entrance area; they were on their way in."

"That's right, you brought the Randall's and McKenna's over with you." Sandy turned to Danny and said, "John McKenna is president of the Animal Group and David Randall is president of the Agriculture Division."

Ludlow walked up to Sandy, "Mister Sandy, the chef tells me dinner is ready to serve"

"Thank you, Ludlow." Sandy made the announcement and everyone began to move to the dining room. Sandy sat at one end of the table, and Pete at the other end. Dan was seated to Sandy's right and Nora on the left. The rest of the guests found their name cards and sat down. When everyone was seated, Sandy gave the blessing and the first course was served.

♦      ♦      ♦      ♦      ♦      ♦

Sandy was up and dressed early the next morning. The door to his suite was open and he was working at his computer when he heard the sound of Dan's walker outside his door. He turned as Dan walked into the suite.

"Good morning," Dan said. "Will you have time to talk with me today?"

"Good morning," Sandy said smiling, "what's wrong with right now? Sit yourself down in your favorite chair and we'll talk."

"Sorry I turned in early, last night," Dan said, "I overdid it a bit yesterday."

"Hey, you're in a recuperating mode, don't try to be a hero. When you're tired, you should rest. What did you want to talk about, tiger?"

"Brad Stevens and I talked for quite a while yesterday. He told me he had a number of projects he felt that I could tackle. He would like to meet with me again on Tuesday and discuss them in detail."

"That's a good start," Sandy said. "Brad is a competent manager and a savvy engineer. He must have concluded that you have the experience he needs. Did you enjoy yourself yesterday?"

"Very much, you invited some high-powered people here for dinner, I was impressed."

"Who impressed you the most?"

"The man who impressed me the most was your brother. He is one smart dude, and his enthusiasm is contagious. Pete is a dynamic, intelligent person, and is so full of life. To me, he is the most interesting person I've ever met. All of your guests were impressive, but, the other two men I found interesting were Alex Savage and Sandy Sanford. Maybe I'm a little prejudiced because they are GT men, but they are both very sharp individuals. There is no doubt in my mind that beneath that savvy exterior, are men of steel. Alex is knowledgeable, sophisticated and extremely intelligent. Sandy has the same qualities, with that old world charm and sophistication of a southern gentleman. They are quite a formidable pair. I would hate to be on the opposite side of the bargaining table with them."

Sandy smiled and nodded his head in agreement. "You're very observant, young man. You've pretty much figured them out," Sandy said. "You're absolutely on target about Pete. You know he hasn't changed since we were kids. Of course, Pete is one in a million, and I love him dearly. Alex is what I would call 'laid back, aggressive.' He is smooth and has a fantastic mind. He never forgets a thing. He is hard working and a fierce competitor. Did you know he graduated from Annapolis in the top five percent of his class? That he is a linguist and was responsible for building Stonewall and Savage into one of the largest and most respected engineering firms in the Southeast. Of course; with Sandy on the team, they have now gone international. Sandy is Alex's right hand man, and has been responsible for the inroads they've made in the international markets. You're right, they are a great team. It wouldn't surprise me if Sandy ends up as President in the near future."

"Is Mr. Stonewall still with the firm?"

"Terry Stonewall died of a stroke four years ago and left everything to Alex."

"Holy sh--, an instant millionaire," Danny said.

"Alex was already a millionaire before Terry died. Terry's inheritance made him a multimillionaire."

"You know, a young guy like me could develop an inferiority complex being around millionaires of your ilk."

"It could also work the other way around, it could stimulate you to become one yourself."

"I'll keep that as my thought for the year," Danny said smiling.

"Look, my friend, I'm going to be scarce next week, what with the party and putting the finishing touches on these two mergers I'm working on. After our weekend of sailing, I'll be leaving for Indonesia. It looks like I'll be gone for some time. I'll be flying in for the monthly Board meetings, so you'll be on your own for a while. I'll leave you a copy of my itinerary and will call you during the weekends. You have the run of the house and I want you to feel free to invite your mom or your friends in for company. Feel free to use the chopper whenever you want to run into Atlanta. Nelson will be here to take care of you and Ludlow will see to anything else you need. Don't hesitate to call Pete, if you need anything. One last thing … do you have a passport?"

"Yes, it's in our safety deposit box in Atlanta."

"Have your mother bring it with her next weekend. Are you ready for some breakfast?" Sandy asked. "All this talk has made me hungry."

"You bet."

♦   ♦   ♦   ♦   ♦   ♦   ♦   ♦   ♦   ♦

To be continued...

Posted: 05/28/12