TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE

5. TOURING BOSTON

The guys all looked at us, and Jean-Luc smirked. "Tell us, or it is tickle time." I gasp just as we hear."Son, I did not teach you to threaten women to get a secret out of them."  Jean-Luc turns white "Mom I was only kidding."  "I bet."  She turns to Marcel."Were you planning on helping your brother."  He shook his."Nope, I remember all the lessons you taught me."  

She chuckles. "Sure you do.  Anyway, we showed up to take you kids out to eat."  I watched as the boys all gulped, and I heard Charles yell."Yes, we did, but if the boys are threatening a tickle war to get secrets out of the girls, maybe they should stay behind"  I lost it as the boys all looked at each other and pouted.  They all apologized even though none of them acted on Jean-Luc's threat.

I laughed. "I have never seen so many grown men pale as these four have."  Lace chuckled."They are all scared of Fleur and my dad.  Each one of them knows they are not to be messed with.  They also know that my dad will defend a woman he cares about no matter what."  I nodded."I am glad your father has decided to include me in the list of women he cares about."

As we all pile out of the room, I hear Fleur next to me. "Of course he cares for you.  You are his best friend's daughter."  I looked at her."What?  I thought he was my grandpa Joe's  friend."  Charles chuckled."I am, but I met your grandfather through your father at the wedding.  We hit it off and stayed in touch.  To keep your mom off your tail, we told her I was your grandfather's friend. See, she knows where I live.  If she made the connection that Peter set this up, she would know exactly where you are staying."

"She knows about this house?"  "Yep, because I was living here before I married Fleur.  This is where my first wife and I built our family.  I didn't feel right bringing Fleur into this home, so I built us a home just for us.  Plus, we needed the room with both boys coming in for visits.  Before you ask, I lost my first wife to a terrible car accident.  From time to time, Lace's maternal grandparents would come to visit.  They used to stay here but now they have a guest suite at the new house and they love it."

I nodded "Good I would hate to have them stay at a hotel when they are visiting Lace."  Lace laughed."My grandparents always knew when I graduated high school and started attending college. If it were here in Boston, I would be staying in this house with roommates.  They wanted me to get the full college experience."

We all ran outside, and Lace pulled me to the garage inside. It was a red Honda CRV, a black Ford Edge, and a silver Chevy Silverado, quarter ton full cab with quad doors.  "Damn girl, really, three cars."  Lace laughed."They are not all mine.  The Honda CRV is mine, the Ford Edge belongs to our other roommate, and the truck is all yours."  "Really, but how... my dad."  

Charles put his arm over my shoulders "Yep, you were supposed to get a vehicle when you turned 17 but as you know they used the money to make sure that brat was able to get the car of her dreams.  What high school kids need with a fully loaded Maserati is beyond me."  "What's worse is that was her second car.  The first one she totaled when she snuck out.  Now, I guess it was one of the many times she was with my ex."

Fleur shook her head and looked at all of us kids. "If any of you total your car, you are on your own for a new one.  Oh, and that includes the insurance.  I do not care if you're in college and have to get a job.  None of you really need a car since everything is within walking distance.  I hope you all only use them when necessary."  

Before I jumped into Lace's car with Heather Lace saluted her mom, "Eye Eye captain, only for groceries and going to school in bad weather."  Fleur and Charles shook their heads as we piled in and watched the guys jump into a Jeep Grand Cherokee.  Charles yelled out, "We are headed to Ruth's and Chris's Steak House."  Heather gave a thumbs-up before we were on our way.