We made it to the ranch house in just a few minutes, the gate had been left open for us since we were expected.

I had watched as Barton filled a small, shabby suitcase with his clothing, which wasn't much, a few pairs of jeans, one pair of decent pants, a couple of dozen t-shirts, several long sleeved shirts including a few flannel ones, a couple of light sweaters and two jackets.

One of the jackets was denim, matching several pairs of the boy's jeans, the other matched the pair of decent pants.

After a tragedy, Charlie and his small family move from the West Coast to the East and to a small and idyllic, dairy community to start anew. Soon he starts to realize the town seems a bit odd and the things there not so right, including himself.

Jenna and Ron, left at home while their parents traveled to China to learn a new manufacturing process. Awakened in the darkest hours of the night by his dog barking Ron opens the door to face someone other than the skunks or coyotes raiding the chicken pen as he first expected.

I can't recall who suggested that I should take things further between Charlie, Betty and Shawna. This is where that 'going further' starts.

If you aren't sure what I'm referring to here, read this story: https://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/fiction/72209/charlies-wish-f...

Chat session initially between Charlie and Betty, December 27, 2017, starting around 9:30 PM Central Time:

I spent the next several days just relaxing in the common room of the inn, enjoying a drink now and then.

It took that long for the people there to get used to me sitting on a heavy stool I had built out behind the inn the day after I arrived. Once the stool was built to my satisfaction, I placed it just far enough from the cooking hearth that I would stay warm, but not be too hot.