TRACY

I lay in bed after Ben left. I wasn’t ready to face it all, still a bit uncertain about so many things. It was odd; what I believed and what I didn’t believe. I finally filled the tub and settled in for a long bath … and a long think.

What did I believe? Strange, but seeing Ben in his film, I could clearly believe that it was the same man who’d made love to me, asked me to be his wife, to stand at his side. I honestly believe that some powerful force, a Portal, did bring him to this world … and I honestly believe that he needs me to help him through all this.

Looking at the others, Riley’s husband, John, Chef Andy, even Cory, the grandson of one of them, there was no denying there was some sort of freaky DNA match going on here. I’d met Terry, Jack and even Lachlan during my previous visits to the Inn. How could I have been so damn blind? No, I wasn’t having much trouble swallowing what should have instantly calculated as impossible in a rational mind. But talking to the women, I got another sensation that seemed to confirm it all. We, the women in their lives, had a responsibility, an inexplicable reason to be with them. Period.

No, the strange stuff was way easier to swallow than some other things. You see, I was having a really hard time accepting the fact that Ben Wade could become a sheriff. Could do the job required. And I think I was terrified of watching him fail. I honestly didn’t believe it was in his nature. So … I stayed behind on the first really important event of his newly accepted existence.

While I soaked in a tub, Ben was facing the entire town of Stowe, Vermont. Accepting their nomination and trying to promise them everything they needed … to feel safe, to be protected, to know they were in good hands.

“Shit!” I suddenly leapt from the water. If there ever was a time to do my job, do my best by Ben, it was right now! I dressed as fast as I could and rushed to my car. Down on Main Street, Ben was talking to his constituents in the small space offered to him in the back of the hardware store. All I knew was that he needed me. What kind of wife would I be if I didn’t stand by him at a time like this? It’s not every day an ex-outlaw gets to run for sheriff among hammers and nails and power tools. Ben needed something soft. Me.

EMILY

At first it felt a little bit strange; coming back to the job I resigned from just two days earlier, but Kim assured me that Riley had taken on a let’s wait and see what happens attitude over the whole embarrassing affair. To tell the truth, I was actually relieved that someone had the presence of mind to react calmly. Maybe I can take something from this experience and carry it with me for the next time. Wait, scratch that. Kim’s promised me that there won’t be a next time.

It’s funny how I could’ve been so completely beside myself with grief and sadness only yesterday, and this morning I’m feeling happier than I have in ages. I think what really topped it all off was something that Kim did when we arrived at the office first thing this morning.

Usually we head on over to the kitchen and get our coffee and donuts, but he grabbed my hand and led me over to his desk, pulling me down into his lap as he fired up his laptop.

“What’s all this about?” I was enjoying the way his hand was caressing its way up under my skirt and across my inner thigh but tried to keep my focus; we were at work, after all. But I have to admit that the thought of doing it with Kim on top of his desk kind of got me going. But just when I was beginning to think that Kim was thinking the same thing he grabbed the cordless mouse and clicked the icon on the laptop screen for his instant messenger.

“I want you to watch me do this.” A few mouse clicks later, he had completely deleted his account. “No more NYSE411.”

I slipped my arms around his neck and kissed his cheek as the chair creaked from our combined weight. “You really didn’t have to do that.” Actually, I was glad he did, but I didn’t want to look like the jealous girlfriend.

He caught my hand in his and gave me a deep soulful look. “I never even used IM before I came to Vermont, at least not for personal use. I don’t need it. I know how to get a hold of you, and I don’t care about anyone else.”

“Not even VermontPonyGirl?” I couldn’t resist.

“Especially her. You’re the one who makes me happy.”

I wanted to just stay like that for a few minutes; the two of us snuggled up together in his chair, even if it was a tight fit. Hardly professional, but it was still early and no one else was around yet. I just held onto him, snuggling into the crook of his neck and loving the scent of his skin and the feel of his hands on my thighs.

“Emmy?”

“Hmmmmmm?”

“You’re wrinkling my daks.”

So okay, it was a nice moment while it lasted. I guess we were back to business after all. I let him go and got off his lap, smoothing down my skirt and trying to regain a little bit of composure when I caught a glimpse of him hitching his hips from the corner of my eye. His hands slipped into his pockets as he made a slight ‘adjustment’ and when he caught me watching, he grinned like a naughty schoolboy and winked.

“Not now, baby.”

I wonder if he’ll let me take advantage of him during our lunch break.

KIM

It felt good to have everything back to normal. I can tell that Emmy’s being cautious with me, and I can’t blame her. I won’t disappoint her again. Problem is I just want to lock the office door and have my way with her, right there on my desk. You’d think that I was some kind of uncivilized drongo, but what’s a bloke to do? Maybe I’ll lock her in the office with me later this afternoon and see how much trouble we can get ourselves into. I can always take her out to dinner tonight to make up for her missing lunch …

But business comes first. Well, at least it usually does. Word’s gotten out among the staff that Emmy’s back and Phyllis, the head of housekeeping, stopped by the office first thing this morning and made a big show over how happy she was; lots of wait ‘til I tell the girls and now we can all heave a sigh of relief.  Comments engineered to sound innocent, but I caught her throwing several dirty looks my way when she thought I wasn’t looking. I really don’t care what that old bird thinks of me and I’d have no problem putting her in her place under normal circumstances, but Emmy’s in charge of the housekeeping staff so I’ll just let her handle it for now. I don’t trust Phyllis; I have a suspicion that she might be behind a whole mess of supplies and hotel towels that have come up missing lately, but I have to wait until I’m sure before I do anything. The problem will be convincing Emmy if I’m right. I don’t think she’s ever had to fire anyone before, and I have a feeling it’s gonna come down to that eventually.

Phyllis finally got the message and high tailed it back to her station when I casually mentioned the figures for the monthly inventory. She became all flustered and began to stutter and almost tripped as she rushed for the door.

Emmy threw me an impatient look, but waited until Phyllis was down the hall before saying anything.  “She was only being nice, you know.”   

I shrugged. “She can be nice when she’s not on the clock.” I made a note to call the manager of the Inn’s laundry service later that afternoon. I’m going to get to the bottom of the missing towels and then we’ll see just how nice Phyllis really is.

“You’re such a grump, you know that?”

Uh oh. I braced myself for the argument to come, but was surprised when it didn’t. Emmy just smiled and went back over to her desk and started returning phone calls that had piled up over the past couple of days. I watched her for a moment and when she caught me staring she just stuck out her tongue and kept on working. When I didn’t look away she wadded up a sheet of paper and threw it at me.

Thank God things are back to normal.  

How much longer ‘til lunch?

JOHN

Alright, alright, alright, I admit it. I was kinda afraid Ben was gonna somehow fuck up. There was no reason for me to go down to town this morning. I’m not a city or county official. Hell, I’m not even on the board of the Stowe Innkeepers Association. But I just couldn’t bear the thought of Ben standing there with radio mikes and television cameras in his face without some kinda support system nearby.

“Riles, get the baby, we’re taking a ride down to Stowe.” She didn’t ask but I felt the need to cover her obvious suspicions. “We gotta fucking need duct tape, right? Jeff still isn’t finished with the plumbing, so I may as well stock up.”

“Yes, dear,” she teased as she belted Nathan in the car seat.

I was afraid even the bureau chief’s wouldn’t show for Ben, I had no idea if he had their support. And when we got there, I can tell you, there were no big city or county personnel at all … yet. But every damn cop in town was there … along with every business owner and every resident … literally, hundreds of people. So many that they had long ago poured from the small store. No one but me and Mayor Williams had a small bag in hand, and my guess is that he too had purchased a roll of duct tape to cover his curiosity. Within minutes every city and county official had arrived and it looked like the show was about to start.

It was a circus atmosphere. Carl Bently, the Hardware Store owner, brought out one of those six foot folding tables and a crate so that Ben could stand high and be seen when he spoke. Fuck, I hoped he knew what the hell he wanted to say. Riles chatted with friends who cooed over Nathan. We were situated toward the front of the crowd that had blocked the entire street and quickly joined by Daisy and Monica and even Chef Chris and his family there to cheer Ben on. But no matter how much I searched, I couldn’t find Tracy. Damn, had the lovely Miss Pinkerton made it clear that Ben wouldn’t have her vote? She’d be the only one in Stowe from what I could see.

“I kinda thought you’d be the one running, John,” the Mayor sighed and I shrugged.

“It’s Ben they want.”

“Maybe next year when I retire they’ll come calling for you.”

“Me? Mayor? Don’t think so, man,” I laughed but … was it really that funny?

Finally Ben came out of the hardware store and climbed up on the table. He looked around, noticing us but still searching. It didn’t matter what he was looking for, it was time for his speech. He and I had gone over everything Thorne and O’Leary had created for him; a sterling history of decorated police work and honest small town life in Snowflake, Arizona. He knew the facts he had to adopt as truth, and Ben Wade was a man who could make anyone believe anything if he put his mind to it.

The crowd roared and shouted, cheered and clapped and Nathan waved wildly, suddenly recognizing the man he knew from the Inn. Ben slowly removed his hat, fingering it and looked into every person’s eyes before a voice so clear and humble fell from his mouth, I started to wonder why I ever doubted him.

BEN

Last time I looked down at a crowd like this, there was a rope around my neck. The only hoots and hollers that day come from my crew comin’ to save my sorry ass. This was kinda different. Lookin’ at them all, I recognized some of the faces. The pregnant lady that day during the bank robbery was holding up a pretty little baby. I smiled and gave her a wink. The woman who owned the coffee shop passed a cup all the way across the street until it finally reached my fingers. It was cold already but welcome all the same. Whatever it took for me to buy some time before I had to talk, was good for me. I waved to the family. Gave up looking for Tracy. And finally figured I’d wasted enough time.

“Thank ya. Thank ya all for comin’ out this morning though you didn’t have to. All I really gotta do here is announce that I’m runnin’ for Sheriff of Stowe, Vermont.” The cheers were so loud, there was no point trying to talk over it so I waited, tried to breathe real evenly. When they quieted, I cleared my throat.

“Can’t really say I understand why you want me to have this job so much. I ain’t done nothing any one of you wouldn’t have done. Things just … happened fast that day. I gotta say this one thing though. Seeing those men, wavin’ guns around with so many of you so close … I wasn’t standing for it. You got a God given right to know you’re safe in your own town. I don’t really know how being sheriff would make it any different … I’d do it again either way. But I can make ya one promise.

“If you do elect me … you ain’t …” and I saw her, pushing through the crowd, slithering like a pretty wildcat all the way to my feet. I cleared my throat again, really happy to be doing what I was doing and for the first time … really wantin’ to be the Sheriff. Tracy was at my side. I could do anything now. “Ah … like I was sayin’ … if you do elect me … you will never be sorry. I’ll never let you down. Never.”

Tracy climbed up on the table and I took her in my arms. “I ain’t never gonna let you down either, darlin’,” I whispered but the goddamn microphone doodad clipped at my shirt announced that to everyone there!

PULLO

I was back to reviewing acidity studies and mineral content of soil samples, frustrated with what I was seeing and rethinking every row of vines I’d already planted. It would take years to see my first decent crop … but after all that time, by the gods … I needed a harvest worth making wine.

Chicken pox thankfully in the past and the school year over, Valerie was spending her days with me at the vineyard. I would have thought she’d rather visit friends or play with the children at the Inn, but she was adamant about being here. Last weekend she helped me immensely, locating the packet of studies her mother had done on the property nearly a year ago. Cross referencing the soil studies with the map of my land, I realized that the samples were all taken from the areas where previous vines had been planted. I immediately had new samples taken and am awaiting the results.

Inside my head I heard my beautiful Lesley’s voice. “If anyone can make this vineyard work, you can Titus. But, you can’t do it alone, my love. You can’t do it alone.”

I stood in the center of a long row of seedling vines and sighed, wondering if perhaps I should just forget trying to cultivate the grapes. I could purchase another vineyard’s harvest and focus all my attention on the winery. Across the field the new winery construction glowed, a bustle of activity, the experts recommended by Kevin doing a wonderful job of it and following my specifications to the last detail. But again, I remembered Lesley’s voice. “You can’t do it alone.”

That was the reason I took a chance. Maximus was far too busy with his own thriving vineyard, but there was another … there was Max Skinner and as far as I could surmise, he was doing well in Canada. It was worth the price of postage and I wrote to request his advice. This very morning I received a response. He would arrive next week and be glad to assist. That was the sole reason for my pleasant mood … against all odds.

The odds, including soil inefficiency, was my house. Kevin had arranged for a band of workers under a contractor by the name of Delbert Priest to work on the house. It was going very slowly. Very … very slowly and I wished I had the likes of Vorenus or even Antony to whip them into shape. I had devised a rather fun tool though. When they appeared to be doing less than normal … which was less than I expected anyway … I walk around the house holding my silent cell phone to my ear and pretending to explain the progress or lack of progress to Kevin who is working hard on Jack’s house in Maine. It always worked, they always moved quicker and I had begun to wonder if I should be making more regular pretend calls to Kevin.

“Little girly, get your little ass out of here, will ya. It ain’t safe for you to be playing around all this construction … and you honestly can’t think you got anything we need to hear. Get the hell outside and play,” came a man’s voice as I rounded the bend into the hallway. The hair bristled at the back of my neck and I intended to charge ahead to defend my daughter, but it was her voice that stopped me.

I could see Valerie planting her feet and squaring her shoulder. She tossed her head to throw her hair behind her shoulders and scowled. “You can’t talk to me like that Mr. Priest! And watch your language too! I can be anywhere I want to be. And,” she stomped closer to his ladder and pointed to the ceiling. “I’m telling you, that molding is all wrong! Daddy is gonna be really mad if you don’t fix that!”

Perhaps I was mistaken? Perhaps I already have a General to whip the men into shape?

JESSIE

“Baby, are you really okay with all of this?” I’ve asked him a variation of this question at least three or four separate times in the past several days, but his answer’s always the same.

“I really am, Jess.” He pulled me into his arms, smiling softly, his body warm and safe. “Thing’s didn’t work out quite as I planned, but it’s still all very good.” He hugged me tight.

I leaned into him; careful not to knock him off balance. I love it when he holds me like this. I can bury my nose in the crook of his neck and feel like I’m in this wonderful, protective cocoon. I guess the reason I find myself asking the question over and over again is because ever since our big fight everything’s just been so calm and sweet between us. But for some stupid reason, I just can’t let it go. Maybe I’m just afraid that he’ll wake up one morning and realize that he’s been pushed into something he wasn’t ready for; so sue me. I can’t help it if I feel a little insecure. I love Lachlan Curry with all my heart, and I’m just a natural born worrier.

“I’m just a little nervous, I guess.” I leaned my head back and looked at him; his face was freshly shaved and smooth and I fought the urge to bite him on the chin. Funny, I’d never been the kind of girl who got off on biting a guy, but there was just something so irresistible about that beautiful deep cleft in his chin that brought out some deep-seated primeval urge.

I felt his hand on the back of my neck as he planted a kiss on my forehead. “It’ll all be apples, I promise. We’ll buy a big monster of a house with plenty of bedrooms and a great big yard for our nippers to play in. I’ll build a deck in the back and we’ll have everyone coming over all the time for birthday parties and holidays, and we’ll have a couple of dogs and a few cats and whatever other animals the kids bring around and maybe a nice Jacuzzi hot spa where you and I can go to recover after chasing them around at the end of the day.”

“Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out.” I was a little surprised by his sense of vision, but it was a nice one, nonetheless. I’ve always harbored a secret fantasy of marrying an old fashioned guy and having a traditional marriage and home life. Maybe it’s from watching all those reruns during my childhood of Father Knows Best or Leave it to Beaver. After all the false starts and failed attempts at committed relationships with other men, was I really just spinning my wheels all that time until Lachlan finally appeared? Maybe I needed to have a few really disastrous experiences with men before I was ready to appreciate all that he had to offer? Whatever it was that kept me waiting for this man, I’m eternally grateful.

“Sweetheart, it’s simple; we want the same things and we love each other. Don’t overanalyze.”

It’s funny how often he takes something that should be so completely obvious and hands it back to me on a silver platter.

“You’ll just end up driving yourself crazy.” His hand slid down from my neck and smoothed its way down my back, settling on my hip. I loved the feeling of his casually intimate touch; he did it all the time. A little caress here and there whenever we were in the same proximity; the touch of a hand, a playful grab for my bum, a pat on my stomach. He’s taken to doing the latter quite a bit over the past several days. It’s like he’s just so pleased with himself for getting me pregnant. His whole attitude has improved since he’s found out. It’s, oh, I don’t know … like the news of this baby has given him a new sense of purpose and focus.

 “Besides, it’s too late to change your mind now, you know. You’ve already agreed to marry me.” He patted my butt and kissed my forehead again. “The movers will be here tomorrow and we’ll be in Vermont in a couple of days; we’ll make the arrangements for the wedding and set up an appointment with that realtor friend of Kevin’s … you didn’t get a chance to meet Kevin, did you? He supervised the building of the Inn and he’s in charge of the expansion; he’s also building Jack and Natalie’s new home.”

I just hugged him and smiled. He was so excited about all our plans and I was just happy that he had made peace with the things he couldn’t change. Of course, his most recent appointment with the orthopedic surgeon just yesterday had a lot to do with it. His healing is coming along nicely.

“I have no intention of changing my mind, Lachlan Curry.” Hell no. Fate and some strange kind of magic brought him to me and I’m looking forward to enjoying the ride of my life.

LACHLAN

I can laugh at myself a little bit now.

I was so caught up in the moment, getting into a blue funk over all that I’d lost that I almost forgot what I had right in front of me. The loss of my military career was completely unexpected; I’d had this mental image of myself twenty years from now, retiring as a full bird Colonel and maybe starting up my own aviation school afterwards, but I wasn’t blindly fixed on the notion. I might have tried to push it until my knee healed and held off from making my final decision for a few months, but I think I did the best thing for both of us by resigning my commission. Yeah, I feel some disappointment, but not enough that I’ll never get over it.

I have plenty of options, and maybe things are just working out the way that they’re meant to; I’m still not sure of the reason or science behind it, but maybe none of us are really supposed to know the true nature of the Portal. I reckon everyone wonders from time to time just why they’re here and the point behind it all, regardless of when or where they’re from. All I know is that everything fell into perspective the moment Jessie told me that she was pregnant. My head cleared instantly and I remembered that not all unexpected surprises are unpleasant or unwanted.  

I’m going to be a father.

After so much uncertainty (and okay, I’ll even admit to feeling a good bit of fear for a while there), the knowledge that I have helped to create something as wonderful as a child with a woman who has so captured my heart fills my soul with a powerful feeling that nothing else can ever compare. Jess and the baby have become my anchors and because of this, I can look forward to every passing moment with joy and a new sense of purpose. I can’t change or alter the past, but I sure as bloody hell can leave my mark on the present. As to the future, well, I’m optimistic and have nothing but high hopes for all of us.

But back to the present; who knew that one woman living alone could accumulate so much stuff? The movers are scheduled to arrive tomorrow and Jess and I have been scrambling to sort through what we’re going to take with us and what’ll be tossed or donated to the Salvation Army. I guess I lived like the average bachelor; all I needed to furnish my apartment was a ratty old couch, a big comfortable bed, a wide screened telly and killer sound system. The cooler came with the apartment and usually held nothing much more than beer and cold cuts. I’ll fess to having a collection of die cast model airplanes and a couple of Flash Gordon action figures, but they were easily packed up into a couple of cardboard boxes. All told, aside from the TV, my total worldly possessions fit nicely into a corner of Jessie’s kitchen. Jessie’s possessions on the other hand …

Bone china tea cups from jolly old England, shelves and boxes full of sea shells, delicate dragon and unicorn figurines, a closet full of old teddy bears, a collection of books that would make any library proud, cooking utensils that filled every drawer and cupboard to overflowing (why does one person need a blender, a food processor, a Kitchen Aid mixer, four billys and three coffee makers?), two full sets of dishes, 33 glasses of assorted shapes, colors and sizes, 15 coffee mugs, a full set of silverware with the teaspoons mysteriously missing (I think I saw one sitting on the nightstand in the bedroom), more seashells, something that looks kinda like a waffle maker but Jess calls it a sandwich press …and let’s not even get started on the amount of clothing that’s scattered all over the apartment. Jessie’s clothing.

Don’t get me wrong. Whatever she wants to bring along, I’m fine with all of it. She’s the one who’s leaving her job and following me to a place that’s she never seen before a few short weeks ago. She’s taken all that’s happened well in stride and more than anything, I want her to be happy.

We were working on packing up the kitchen; Jessie had just carried a box over to rest beside my stack of stuff when something caught her eye and she leaned over to investigate. The sight of her round firm bum hanging out of her shorts caught my eye and I was happily enjoying the view when she turned around, her hands holding the old glass doorknob that I had picked up in Little Italy months ago. I had forgotten all about it until that moment. 

“Hey, this is really neat.” She turned it over and examined it closer, a wistful smile on her full beautiful lips as she ran her fingers over the green cut glass knobs. “God, I just love this kind of old stuff. Where’d you find it?”

She looked up at me, a smudge of dirt on her nose and her hair coming loose from its ponytail as she waited for my answer. I felt a wave of embarrassment come over me, only because at that moment I had remembered what I had been thinking when I bought it; this doorknob will one day lead the way into our first child’s bedroom …certainly not a very macho thing for an ace fighter pilot to be thinking about, but when I told Jessie the story she looked as if she were about to cry. It was all apples, though. She carefully sat the doorknob back where she had found it and came over and threw her arms around my neck.

 “That’s the sweetest, most romantic thing I’ve ever heard. Do you know just how much I love you, Lachlan Curry?”

I get a little kick whenever she says my full name like that, in moments like that. I kissed her nose and wiped off the smudge of dirt with my thumb. “Show me.”

She smiled and slipped her hand down the front of my shorts, giggling in that sexy way women do. Her eyes widened and met mine when she felt what was waiting for her.

“Again?” She sounded rather pleased with herself. “I’m beginning to think that you have a one track mind.”

I pulled her close. “Well, it wouldn’t hurt to take a little break now, would it?” I waggled my eyebrows and took a healthy squeeze of her arse. Again, that sexy giggle.

I think there’s just something about a kitchen that brings out this side of me. Making food, making a baby, making love. Within seconds Jess was naked in my arms. It took me a few seconds longer to slip off my clothes with the brace and cast getting in the way, but Jess was more than helpful by assisting with that task.

Before my mind went blank, I made a quick mental note to remember this when we go house hunting in Vermont; kitchen counters at just the right height for …various creative endeavors.

It gives the term home cookin’ a whole new meaning …

RICHIE ROBERTS

I rented a car at the Burlington airport and drove the hour along mountainous, green highways all the way to Stowe. At the Inn, I was greeted by the same woman who took my reservation, a pretty Marla who informed me that the owner, Mr. Biebe would like me to be his guest for dinner in the formal dining room. Well la-di-da fancy. Sounded interesting so I noted the time and headed to my room. Fucking nice room too. Sure I’d have dinner with the owner, but if the man wanted to sell me a timeshare, there was only one reason I’d consider it. The mountain. So I headed to the ski resort to take a good look at the facilities.

The lodge could use a few improvements, but at least the massive houses weren’t cropping up right along the slopes. I hate that shit. Ski in, ski out, my ass. All that meant was that some idiot would be skiing past my bedroom while I was hopefully getting a little morning delight. Nah. The Inn was far enough away. A short drive and I’d be at the slopes. Clip on the skis and up to the double black diamonds.

I liked the mountain, the gondolas and chairs looked good, snow making apparatus everywhere but no lighting. Perfect. I fucking hate night skiing and if a resort had it, I’d get cajoled into doing it. This could be my nirvana. Close enough to Manhattan for a weekend break, far enough to feel like it’s a vacation. Yeah. I’ll talk to Mr. Biebe.

But I started to get a strange feeling in my gut even before I met him in the dining room. Then … I looked at him. Shit. I sure as hell wasn’t expecting this. Maybe I should’ve taken a look at those other movies. Either way … this could be fun.

We sat, ate a delicious meal and made stupid small talk. Then I just dove right in. “Thanks for the invite Mr. Biebe and yeah, I’m interested,” I started, not even letting him get a word in edgewise. “Are you selling timeshares in the original building? Or just for the new construction? And if it’s the new addition, are you sure it’ll be ready for next season?”

“Ah … Mr. Roberts … I don’t wanna sell you a time share.”

“What if I wanna buy one? Are they all purchased already?”

“Um … no … but I won’t sell you one.”

“But I want to buy one,” I hissed. Damn. Why was this fucker making it so hard?

“Jesus fuckin’ Christ, Richie. I won’t sell you a timeshare. I’ll fucking give you one.”

Yeah, that got more than my attention. The weird shaking in my belly got worse and I blinked.

“Come down to the pub, buddy. We got a lot to talk about … and timeshares ain’t got a damn thing to do with it.”

CORY

I love my job. Couldn’t ask for a more perfect situation … or a more entertaining assignment.

The Vermont Tourism Recreational Council projects were slated to begin filming in the fall, so my first assignment was something a little off the wall but right up my alley … following the interesting political campaign of one Mr. Benjamin Wade for Sheriff of Stowe, Vermont.

Could this have been any more fun? Man, I’ll be in his face for the next sixty days, have his face in front of my camera and get to ask any variety of questions (some that will never make it into the documentary, of course). I’m loving this … Ben’s hating it and that made me love it even more. Ha! And they all thought my Granddad was the Bad Ass. This was going to be more entertaining than watching the hair on Gemma’s head stand on end because she’d just felt the touch of a ghost!

Could life get any better?