Robert Rex

David, glad you're joining in now! You already know the quality of writing and the quality of people here. Sorry to learn of your wife's death--but you'll find friends here! Dive on in, hit the chat rooms ... you'll be surprised and delighted at the welcome and support you'll get. Glad you're here, buddy! Builder, you've come to the right place--you'll find the support and resources here you'll enjoy ... so dive in, get to know the good folks here (chat is fun!) ... and get that writing going! We'll look forward to your insights!

Been away, had a lot of catching up to do--15 chapters! But definitely worth the read. Several cliffhangers throughout, but the solid build of the characters of Casey and Shawn kept my interest level up; a natural start and escalation of the romance. And you certainly did well at portraying an evil and ultimately insane Uncle Martin! Solid writing, an interesting tale, enough detail to flesh out the characters and scenes but not enough to bury a reader ... another great job of consistently good writing!

Yeah, the bullet wound was a turning point--with Bulldog not knowing, it could have gone either way for Bubba. And don't we wish we all had birthday's like that? Thanks for the comments, buddy!

Thanks, Lit...good to be back! Glad the emotion of both the drive to the hospital and the relief of a good diagnosis for Dave came through. Yup, they're finally building a life, covering lots of territory together. And, Bulldog's birthday gift to Bubba was pretty remarkable--but only emphasizes how strong their bond is now. Thanks for the comments--and the well wishes!

Thanks, Lit...good to be back! Glad the emotion of both the drive to the hospital and the relief of a good diagnosis for Dave came through. Yup, they're finally building a life, covering lots of territory together. And, Bulldog's birthday gift to Bubba was pretty remarkable--but only emphasizes how strong their bond is now. Thanks for the comments--and the well wishes!

Thanks for the kind words, Gary--and yeah, it's good to be back. Yup, covered a lot in this chapter, but think that's indicative of Barry finally getting into a routine; time moves faster when day-to-day activities settle down, and only the highlights jump out at you. And the activities related to the home and the birthday were definitely highlights. Thanks for the comments--now I get to get caught up on my reading, including "Cards on the Table"!

Aw, thanks LadyL! Glad ya stuck around for the story--and isn't it remarkable the distance Barry has come in just a little over 6 months? Thanks for the kind words--and for the recovery wishes! I'm doing ok...and hopefully back on a regular publishing schedule. Besides, I'm a tough old goat--takes more than almost a month in the hospital to slow me down! You won't get rid of me that easily!

Been out of pocket, and had to catch up on 8 (!) chapters at once! Geez, so much has gone on--only to find you've left us with a cliffhanger as they develop the plan AND wondering what's gonna happen with the band AND how Silas is gonna settle into his new life AND the role of his older sister AND ... well, you get the idea that you've got a lot hanging on out there! Damn, I've missed your writing and this tale. Good job here!

Glad you're here, Slough! Lots of fun stuff to explore here; great stories, interesting members (hit the chat rooms to find out)...you'll be wishing for more hours in the day! Enjoy!

The navy Chrysler's charging across I-10, over-driving its headlights. I'm only vaguely aware that the 300 is at 85 and climbing as I get on the Twin Span Bridge heading into New Orleans at 4:30am. To Bubba. Bubba's been shot … Bubba's been shot. Thrown on clothes after the call; raced to the car. The infotainment system accepted the verbal instructions of “directions to LSU Medical Center, New Orleans” easily. The touchscreen in the dash immediately flipped to a map, and voice directions star

Welcome, Paul! You already know what a great bunch is here--hoping you'll dive in with chat, and leave comments on the stories you're into. (Yeah, writers love that sort of thing!) And, definitely looking forward to your work. Get busy! <grin> I'm using a stock word processor program (Open Office). Find it easier to load each chapter as a stand-alone items, rather than breaking the chapter out from a larger document. Even more importantly, don't wait on a specific program--it's your story that we'll all focus on. Glad you're here, buddy!

/Glad you're here, Parker! There's lots to see and do--and if the writing bug has got ya, you'll never find another place as supportive or friendly to show your stuff! And everyone here will be helpful and do what they can to encourage your efforts. So absolutely YES--get those thoughts down on paper...we'll all be watching, and reading! Rex Glad you're here--you already know what great writing is here, and joining now gives you the opportunity to use your voice in both chat AND in likes and comments to the writers--and yeah, writers LOVE that! Dive in and have fun. You're presence makes a difference! Rex

Another fine chapter--bring on the next! Lol

Nicely done chapter! Just hope shawn doesn't wander down one night when Casey is locked up! Great to see love blossom !

Clochette, I'm like you--really don't like cliffhangers, but as I mentioned to Carlos (below), the chapter was just too damn long and needed a break point.Guess you'll find out out Bulldog's psychic link in the chapter(s) ahead. And definately glad you're like the writing style, and glad I made ya laugh about a DILF. A little humor is a good thing! Finally, after life getting in the way, finalizing the chapter ahead; we'll see what happens with Dave--but definitely glad you're attached to the guys! Hope the exams went well! THANK YOU for following the story!

Thanks, Carlos! Glad the DILF made ya smile--and yeah, the coffin of youth sealed shut for me in one week; the first was in a bar when a twink called me "Daddy"; the second was the discovery of a grey chest hair! LOLTrust me, hate cliffhangers as much as you, but the chapter was already far too long ... it seemed like a natural break point. Glad you're still enjoying the clipped writting style. Comments are mixed among friends on how they like it, but I find it fits Barry's non-drugged personality. Glad ya liked the chapter, buddy--thanks for the comments!

Nicely done! Adam is both remarkably agressive--this IS a first date, right?--and yet remarkably open; I think that openness is what Jason's sensing, and it's what's responsible for increasing his comfort level. They've got a surprisingly intense dynamic going on. Gonna be interesting to see where this goes--as well as Jason's parent's response to all of this! Already looking forward to the next chapter--you've done well on this one!

Damn, damn, DAMN! Fine writing in a feel-good chapter! Great to see that all the band shares in the emotion of missing and honoring Silas. (BTW, love the bands' names!) Each one brings their own fresh thoughts/memories to the song, and as you describe, each one sings/plays honoring the emotions of each other, the road, and the memory of their now absent friend. Exceptionally moving. I'm not only looking forward to Silas' return, but also to his response when he hears their song for him--it'd be wild to have him hear it on the radio somewhere, and get his response, as well as that of his new girl friend (not girlfriend). His brother's response will be interesting, too. Good job of writing the chapter, capturing the emotions running loose here! Bring on that next chapter.

Mike, thanks for the review!Yeah, I'm not necessarily a fan of "cliffies", but quite frankly, was forced to do it--otherwise the chapter would have beem a stand-alone novella! LOL! I'm typing as fast as I can to get a resolution to all of this--we'll see what happens. I'm obviously pulling for our heroes, but...they're both in dangerous situations, Dave because of his career, Barry because of his past. I'll report what happens as soon as possible! Thanks for your kind words--hang on as the story progresses!

Dathi, thanks for the comments! Glad you found the chapter interesting--and yeah, it DID cover a lot of territory, including some new characters you may see later! :0Glad you appreciated Bulldog's approach to dealing with the pass; although he and Bubba haven't directly discussed it, I think it represents a remarkable turn-around from Barry's previous no-holds-barred approach to sexual play he'd had in his previous marriage. He's obviously a changed man! Thanks again for your input--and for sticking with the tale!

Lit, as I'd mentioned in my comments with Headstall (below), we forget the constant danger law enforcement seem to deal with on a daily basis. And Dave has certainly been in his share of dangerous situations--but this is a situation that's happened quickly, and is obviously unexpected. We'll see what happens--it's truly up in the air!Thanks for sticking with the story and commenting!

Thank you for the comments, LadyL! I appreciate your comments especially about the dialogue. I work really hard to make sure it all "sounds" real--I can "hear" it from the characters, so really feel like all I'm doing is reporting! Although, at times it's not gramatically correct--I've mentally replayed some of my own conversations at times, and the way we speak isn't always matching with what word Nazi's would approve! Also, glad you enjoyed the "making groceries" phrase--it's just one of the things that makes South Louisiana unique. One of the other phrases is getting your poboy (that's a hero- or sub-type sandwich for those not in the area) "dressed" with condiments, lettuce, tomato, extra gravy, etc. Sounds funny, but it makes sense. And there are plenty more unique things and sayings here, too. As for me, well, guess I'm a believer in a "spidey sense" that we all have, but may not pay much attention to. (Yeah, I know that sentence isn't gramatically correct--see?!?) We've all had the experience of knowing who was calling before looking at the caller ID; many mothers instinctively know when their child is hurt or in danger; couples who are bonded to the point they're finishing each other's sentences can do that sort of thing; and God knows twins occasionally seem to think with one mind Guess I'm a proponent of ALL of us paying more attention to our "gut-level" feelings and instincts. Admitting anything beyond that... well, I'm not saying! Thanks again for the kind words--and for following the story!

Important to remember--Bubba's in a dangerous line of work, the response that Bulldog is gonna have is going to make the difference!Lots of things in this chapter--and big stuff ahead. Hang on! Thanks for the review!

Nicely done! Scheming uncle is gonna find out in the end that paybacks are tough! And, as Jim mentions, Shaun and Casey would be a formidable team! Really looking forward to where you're taking the story!

Thanks for the review and input, Cole--means a lot!Think Barry's life is like most of ours; we go through day-to-day, sometimes missing all the things going on. And, sometimes the big stuff has to hit us upside the head! The next couple of chapters are in flux for our heroes--we'll see how the story plays out. Thanks for following along!