Incest/Taboo Lady in Red

"Steve was knocked back a step or two, but he raised both arms up and shook the sleeves of his gown down to his elbows. I saw a gun in each hand, and then the shooting started. I saw a guy with a gun in the middle aisle go down. Then Steve raised his left hand and shot a man with a gun way back by the light pole on that side. When the three men charged him shooting as they moved up the aisle, I was really scared. Bullets were flying all over, but Steve Hammer just stood his ground, shooting like they were machine guns in his hands. He was incredibly brave! He saved us all."

Other graduates, teachers, and parents told similar stories. The injured police officer and the planned benefit were also frequent topics. It was the consensus of the Spartan Nation that Steve Hammer had once again saved hundreds, if not thousands of Spartan lives.

Steve was up early and managed his run before the sun fully emerged from the horizon. He showered and ate breakfast with his Uncle Joe. By midmorning, he became bored and decided to drive to Gwen's for the pool party her parents had planned.

As he pulled into the Anderson driveway, he noticed that Gwen's car was gone. He checked his phone and found a text message from her stating that she, Kate, Lisa, and Naomi had gone to shop for more refreshments since it looked like they were going to have more guests than originally planned. Steve decided it would be a great time to get some laps in and went around back to the pool.

He removed his shirt and placed it on a lounge chair. As he moved toward the pool, he was surprised to hear a voice behind him. Turning, he found Cindy Quick lying on a lounge chair in the corner of the pool deck and she was topless!

"I asked if you cared to rub some lotion on me since I burn easily. It seems the cat has your tongue. So what do you think? Are my tits better than Jordan's?"

Steve looked at Jordan's mother for a few seconds, mulling over her appearance and her words. Making up his mind, he strode over to where she sat, leaned over, picked her up, and then carried her over to a chair by the picnic table.

"What are you doing? I was just teasing you a little. You can't manhandle me. I thought you were a regular Boy Scout. You'd better not be thinking about raping me. Even heroes can be arrested and sent to prison!"

Steve calmly sat down with the well stacked Cindy Quick on his lap. He had an arm wrapped around her, pinning both her arms to her body. She struggled briefly, but quickly realized that she was totally at Steve's mercy.

Paula and Diane had been preparing sandwiches when they heard Cindy speak to Steve. They looked out the window in time to see a surprised Steve studying the older woman. Silently, they watched as he lifted Cindy off the lounge chair and carried her to a chair by the table.

"What's he going to do? He has to know that Gwen and the girls will be back soon," pointed out Diane. "He isn't going to let her seduce him, is he?"

"I really doubt it. If he can ignore the charms of Lisa, Kate, Stephanie, Jordan, Ashley, Becky and a few dozen other beautiful young women, I can't see him falling for Jordan's mother. He's got something in mind. Let's listen to what he says to her," reasoned Paula.

"Mrs. Quick, We need to talk," began Steve. "Let me explain a few things about how the world works. You do not have nicer 'tits' than Jordan. She's perfect, her body is perfect, and certainly her 'tits; as you call them, are perfect. The reason her 'tits' are perfect is that she's such a generous, loving, kind, beautiful woman. A woman with those qualities will always have perfect 'tits'. It doesn't even matter what they look like, or how big they are. 'Tits' don't make the woman. The woman makes the 'tits'. You have nice big firm 'tits' and you're obviously proud of them, but they are far from being as nice as Jordan's. The reason is simple. You aren't as good a person as Jordan. You could have amazing 'tits' with some effort, but you'd have to change a lot. You'd have to stop being so self centered and selfish. You'd have to learn to trust others and to love your daughter completely, at the very least.

"Gwen's mom has a perfect set of 'tits', but she'd never ask for comparisons or try to infer that hers are bigger, firmer, or nicer in any way than any of her daughters' 'tits'. Do you know why? Because she loves her girls; she doesn't compete with them. She does her best to encourage and support them. Because she's such a good mother, wife and friend, her 'tits' are spectacular. If she was a miserable, jealous woman those same 'tits' would be unattractive because she'd be unattractive. All women can have great 'tits', but it takes more than mounds on their chest. You're a very attractive woman and you have fairly big 'tits' but you'll never have great 'tits' until you learn to stop thinking of yourself first.

"Think about what you asked me. You wanted me to admire your 'tits' and tell you they were as good, or better, than your daughter's. Why would you do that? You should be proud of her, support her, love her, but not try to compete with her. Parents don't do that. At least good, loving parents don't. Watch Paula today. She's gracious, understanding, supportive, and loving. There's a woman with perfect 'tits', and one of the reasons is that she'd never ask a question like you just did. Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?"

"I...I think I do," responded a quivering Cindy Quick. "I'm a bad person, and a lousy mother. That makes me less attractive, and since I put so much emphasis on my breasts, they can't be anything to brag about, simply because I'm so selfish. I tried to coax you to tell me my breasts were nicer than Jordan's for my own pathetic pride. You love Jordan, and because of that and how good a person she's become, you feel she's perfect, including her breasts. I'm not even close. Breasts don't make a woman beautiful, but a beautiful woman will always have perfect breasts in your estimation."

"Apparently you've seen Paula's breasts and think that they're exceptional, pretty much for the same reasons. She's a very good mother and wife and she's been kind to you. You love her and because of that, her breasts are perfect, she's perfect. I can't even imagine how you feel about Gwen's body, but I know it must be something very special."

"My God, Paula. Listen to Steve talk about your breasts! When has he seen them? What haven't you told me about that? You certainly made an impression on that young man. Have you slept with him? What about Gwen and Ted?" worried Diane.

"Just stop that foolish talk! That time he saved me from those rapists, he carried me up a hill to the car while I was topless. Those brutes had ripped my clothes off, and he put them both in the hospital for their efforts. I've never betrayed Ted, or Gwen. I can't help it if he likes my 'girls' so much," answered Paula with a smile as she turned her attention back to Steve to hear what he would say next.

"You understand what I'm trying to tell you, but will you try to work on your attitude and outlook? Jordan is a woman any mother should be delighted with, but not a woman any mother should try to compete with. She's amazing. Accept it. Embrace it. Be proud of it, but don't try to compete with it. The more you love her and encourage her, the better you'll look to me and everyone else."

"You're right, of course. I feel so foolish now, sitting on your lap with my sagging tits showing. I was stupid. I should never ask a question if I can't accept the answer. I'll go inside now and find something more appropriate to wear. I've embarrassed myself enough," stated a dejected Cindy Quick as she moved off Steve's lap.

"Mrs. Quick, you are a stunning woman. Don't think I'm saying otherwise. You have a wonderful figure, but you can be so much more if you put your mind to it and learn to love your daughter for the amazing woman she is, and not feel threatened by her."

"So you do like them, at least a little?" giggled Cindy Quick as she grabbed her top and hurried toward the kitchen door. She ran right into Paula and Diane when she entered the kitchen. Cindy pulled her top over her breasts as she looked at the sisters.

"You saw and heard all of that? He sure set me straight, didn't he? I never thought a hormonal teenage boy could be so indifferent to my charms. I don't know what you've got going with your daughter's boyfriend, but he certainly loves you, and not only like a mother. I envy you, Paula. I'm going to work to get him to feel the same way about me, impossible as that seems right now," finished Cindy as she headed up the stairs to the bedroom she had been using.

"She's right about one thing, you know," observed Diane softly. "That young man loves you far more than he would simply because you're his girlfriend's mother. You're a very lucky woman. He feels the same way about you as he does Lisa, Kate, and Stephanie. He's very strongly attracted to you, maybe even as much as you are to him. He'll treat his mother-in-law like a queen. This is all so intense, and so very cool, as Kate would say."

Just as Diane finished speaking, they heard the girls' laughter as they came into the kitchen. "Did something happen?" asked a concerned Gwen. "You both look so serious. Is anything wrong?"

"Actually, everything is very good," responded Paula. "We've been watching an Adonis out by the pool while we made sandwiches. It makes the work go faster."

"Steve's in the pool?" deducted Kate. "I'm going to go change into my suit right now and join him. I love the way he climbs up the ladder, all wet and muscular looking."

Gwen continued to stare at her mother until Paula finally looked away while breaking her silence. "I'll tell you all about it later. It's all good. Don't fret."

Kate and Stephanie joined Steve in the pool and delighted in his willingness to throw them high above the water so they could dive in. Jordan and Charlie joined them a short time later, followed by Lisa and Naomi. Jared wandered in shortly after noon and Cindy Quick made her way to the pool wearing a modest one piece suit. By early afternoon, there were dozens of kids and parents enjoying an old fashioned cookout. Ted left work at noon to return home to man the barbecue. Gwen was busy helping her mother and Diane for the first hour. Shortly after one, she approached Steve as he chatted with Becky, who was wearing a very small bikini.

"Becky, could I borrow Steve for a minute. I need to speak with him," began Gwen as she took Steve's hand and led him away from the crowd.

"Mom told me about Jordan's mom and how well you handled the situation," revealed Gwen as shock spread across Steve's face. "I just wanted to tell you how proud I am of you and how much I love you. It remains to be seen if Jordan's mom will learn from the little talk you had with her, but it's great that you made such an effort. Jordan's worth it. Aunt Diane was even more impressed than Mom. She thinks you should become a shrink."

"Your mother and Aunt Diane heard me with Mrs. Quick? Were they upset? Did they tell you what I said?"

"Not word for word. They said that Jordan's mom tried to get you to tell her that her 'tits' as she called them, were better than her daughter's. You proceeded to use that word a dozen times as you discussed how perfect Jordan was and why her mom wasn't. They thought you used the term quite appropriately for the situation. Jordan's mom told them that she was going to try to improve and come closer to your expectations for her. I'm so proud of you, I have to kiss you."

Gwen wrapped her arms around Steve and pulled his head down to hers and kissed him gently, but passionately. Then she just hugged him for another minute before leading him back to the pool.

"Can I borrow him for awhile, Sis?" asked Kate as she pulled Steve toward the pool. "Jared thinks he and Naomi can beat Steve and me in a chicken fight. Let's show them who the chickens are!"

A little later that afternoon, Steve was in the kitchen looking for plastic forks when Paula stepped inside. As he looked at her, he felt his face get warm.

"Paula, I owe you an apology for saying what I did about you to Jordan's mom. I was trying to make a point to her and I never intended to be disrespectful to you. I shouldn't have said those things, or even brought up your name."

Paula walked across the room until she was quite close to Steve and spoke softly. "Did you mean what you said about me being perfect and having such nice, ah, I think you used the word 'tits'? I didn't think you even looked at them that day you saved me from those rapists. Do you think about that night every now and then?"

"No, I think about it all the time. Of course I meant what I said, but it was rude of me to use that word when speaking about a lady like you. You're an amazing woman and perfect as far as I'm concerned."

"Then you have nothing to apologize to me for," whispered Paula as she rose up and kissed Steve lightly on the lips. "You may want to apologize to Diane, though."

Paula had turned and headed for the door when she made that confusing statement. "I never even mentioned Diane's name. What do I have to apologize to her for?" asked Steve.

"You just answered your own question," laughed Paula as she went back out by the pool.

Steve had rejoined his friends by the pool for a few minutes when he heard Charlotte curse quietly. "That dumb ass Bill Hardy's in town. He's been asking around, trying to find people that were at graduation yesterday that thought Steve was too quick to shoot and that he endangered a lot of people with his actions. My mother's cousin just called her. She told Mom that he quizzed her son, but Tim wouldn't go along with it. Mom just texted me about it."

"That guy's getting to be a pain in my ass," admitted Steve with some annoyance. "I'm sure he'll find a few people that'll be happy to second guess my actions just so they can be on TV."

"Remember that we decided the best way to handle all of these issues is straight on, and with the truth," Gwen reminded Steve. "I'm certain that the people in this town support your quick actions, and reactions, even if Hardy does find a malcontent someplace. Should we be interviewed, or have a news conference of some kind?"

"I'm not especially fond of that stuff, but it does help keep the truth out front. I don't care too much about what he says about me. It's knowing he has a bug up his ass about me that causes me some concern. He's seen by millions of people every night."

"It seems like we'll have to put that on the back burner," replied Gwen as she nodded toward the kitchen door where Paula was leading several people out to the pool area. "It looks like the detective that took your vest yesterday, and he's got company."

"These people are with law enforcement and want to talk to you, Steve. They'll also ask a lot of the rest of us questions. Is that okay with you? I thought that you'd be glad to get it over and done and while avoiding a trip to the station. They just knocked on the door and told me they wanted to ask questions. It seems like something we'll have to do sooner or later."

"It's fine, Paula. It saves me the trip down town. The only problem may be that the detective won't remember why he's here or what questions he wanted to ask. You've seen Gwen before, Detective Dorn. It's not polite to stare."

"I'm sorry! I've seen her on TV and in videos, but this is the first time I've seen her in a swim suit. I apologize, Ms. Anderson. I was taken aback by your beauty, but I'm ready to go to work. This is Dr. Sheila Paulson and Agent Jack Lacey of the FBI. They'll be asking questions, too. Jack heads up the FBI team doing the investigation."

Steve and Gwen shook hands with the two government agents. "I have to admit that I'm a little intimidated myself," began Agent Lacey. "One of our guys was sent packing because he didn't display the proper amount of respect to you both, but especially to you, Ms. Anderson. I will do my best to remain professional in my demeanor and questioning."

"Let me interpret what these two guys are trying to say. You've been voted one of the country's sexiest women, along with the blonde in that skimpy bikini over there. These guys are worried about looking where they shouldn't, or in some way, allow the rest of us to know what's really going through their minds. If you remain in that bikini, you can't blame these guys for looking. That's the point they were trying to make," stated Dr. Paulson with a grin.

"Goodness! Am I supposed to take off my bikini so they can question me?" asked Gwen with a straight face.

"You misunderstood..., no you didn't, did you? You're toying with us," laughed Dr. Paulson. "Suppose we begin the interview. One of the reasons I'm here is to attest to the proper behavior of these gentlemen."

"Okay, let's have a seat and get started," suggested Gwen as Steve pulled a chair out for her as she called to her mother. "Mom! Could you get Kate and Stephanie to bring these people some burgers and sodas? Thanks!"

Once again, Steve was asked explained his actions from early the previous day right on through the shoot-out. He had just nicely begun when Ashley and Becky approached them with three plates of food and some drink. Dorn couldn't conceal his interest in Ashley.

"Aren't you a teacher at the school?" asked Detective Dorn as he accepted a plate from Ashley. "Are there many teachers here today? What subject do you teach? I need to ask you some questions when I'm finished here."

"You already have," chuckled Ashley. "I teach English and there are a couple other teachers here. This is my sister, Becky Summers. She's visiting me, and she's friends with Steve and Gwen."

"I'd shake, but I seem to have my hand full," wisecracked Becky as she placed the food dish on the table. "Steve calls me 'Lefty', but you'd be advised not to do that. Steve gets upset when I cry."

"Of course, Ms. Summers! I understand completely. That's why I'm here and the last agent's back in DC shuffling papers," replied Jack Lacey. "I won't make his mistakes. Thanks for the food. I appreciate it."

Steve smiled as Dorn watched Ashley and Becky walk back toward the pool. As he glanced around the table, Steve realized that both Gwen and Dr. Paulson had noticed the same thing.

"This environment is like a minefield for Detective Dorn," observed Dr. Paulson. "He's having some difficulty staying focused and not staring at the guests. Try to stay on topic, Detective, please."

Dorn had the decency to blush as he turned his head back to the group at the table. Half an hour later, Gwen and Steve were finished and Jared sat through an interview. A short while later, Ted was sitting with the group explaining his actions of the previous day. After that, Dorn, Lacey, and Dr. Paulson mingled with those attending the party, asking questions and listening to observations and comments.

Dr. Paulson led the other two to a secluded corner to compare notes. "One of my assigned tasks was to see if any of these people had suffered significant mental trauma from the violent events of yesterday. It's my conclusion that they've formed the best support group I've ever seen. It centers on Steve Hammer and Gwen Anderson. The females here adore Steve and have complete faith in his abilities to protect them from harm. Even the older women, like Mrs. Anderson and her sister, defer to him.

"In matters of protection and safety, they all believe that Steve Hammer can handle any crisis, and they feel extremely safe when they are near him. That, along with the way he answered questions posed by you both, has convinced me that he is not a danger to any law abiding individual. He's gracious, polite, even humble. He's no threat to society and in my opinion, is a tremendous asset to this community. My report will state that, unless one of you persuades me differently."

"I've got to agree. Every person here supported his actions without reservation. They don't show any noticeable signs of PTSD that I could see. These two kids attract good people to them. I've never seen anything quite like it. It's like they're eighteen, going on forty. I can't see any reason to suspect this attack was anything other than what it appears. These kids are clean. We can concentrate on the attackers and their actions. We can leave now."

"You guys go ahead," offered Detective Dorn. "I'm going to hang around and do a little more investigating. I have a few more questions."

"Are any of those questions for that blonde teacher?" joked Agent Lacey. "You seem to be smitten by her."

"Have you ever had an English teacher that could fill out a bikini like that?" demanded Dorn as he watched Ashley apply sunscreen to her arms.

The FBI people laughed and headed to their car while Dorn meandered back into the party. It was about twenty minutes later when Ashley approached Steve with a nervous acting detective following her.

"Steve, Detective Dorn has asked me to go to the concert with him Friday night. I told him I planned on volunteering at the benefit and he promised he'd help me do whatever I was doing. I heard how Lisa relies on you to help her decide if a guy is the real deal or a pretender. Should I go out with the detective?" finished Ashley.

"That's a good question, Ashley. How old is he? Has he ever been married? Does he have kids? What are his intentions? Does he make a good living? What are his long range goals?" asked Steve bluntly.

"Who the hell do you think you are to ask questions like that? You're not her father! I don't see why I should be trying to convince some kid why I should be allowed take Ashley out," snapped Dorn.

"Well, Ashley, it looks like he's not the one. Any man worth his salt would crawl over broken glass just for a smile from a woman like you. It appears that the Detective doesn't need or want a smart, beautiful, generous woman. He must have so many ladies already that he doesn't need to waste his time trying to convince me that he's good enough for you," reasoned Steve as he stared at Dorn.

"Wait! I made a mistake. I don't have any girlfriends. I was just surprised and embarrassed that Ashley would ask you if she should go out with me. I'm single, graduated from State with a degree in Criminal Justice. I'm twenty-eight, never been married and don't have any kids. I want to stay in Sparta and work my way up and eventually head up the police department. I don't make a lot now, but in a couple years, I should be making a pretty good salary. I'm a good detective, but I need to control my temper a little better. I'd never hurt a woman, or force myself on one.

"I saw Ashley when we were investigating that first attack, but I never had the chance to speak to her. I've been trying to think of an excuse to talk to her for the past several months. I apologize for being such an ass earlier, but it was my pride talking. I'm trying to convince an eighteen year old that I'm good enough to date his teacher. That just seems weird to me, but I'll do whatever it takes to prove to Ashley I'm a good guy."

"What do you think now, Steve? I don't think I can stand dating another loser. He's pretty good looking and he has a big gun. Should I take a chance on him?" wondered Ashley.

"Detective Dorn, you're right that I'm not her father. He's dead. I'm the one guy on this planet that really cares for Ashley and wants to see her happy and safe. That should make you like and respect me, if you have any feelings for Ashley. She's special, beautiful, and smart, but very vulnerable. If she goes out with you, will you avoid tobacco and drugs; and alcohol if you're driving? Will you treat her with respect and be willing to do anything it takes, including endangering your own life to keep her from harm? Does that sound like too much to ask?"

"No, it doesn't, to be honest. I'd gladly do all of that for her. Just give me the opportunity to prove it," implored Dorn.

"If you want to go out with him Friday, I think it'll be okay, but let me know if he mistreats you or uses drugs, or alcohol and drives. If he can't respect a wonderful woman like you, he doesn't deserve you," reasoned Steve.

Dorn stuck his hand out and Steve shook it firmly. "I'd better get back to the station. I've got tons of paperwork and reports to fill out. Thanks, Steve. I'll call you, Ashley, to set a time to pick you up on Friday."

As soon as Dorn disappeared from sight, Ashley jumped into Steve's arms. "That was so sweet! You really do look out for me. No wonder all of us females love you so much. Gwen, Becky, Jordan, and Naomi are all looking at us. I'd better let go of you and go tell them what just happened," reasoned Ashley just before kissing Steve on the lips and then running off to join her friends.

"It's a good thing Steve graduated yesterday or Sis could be in trouble for such an open display of affection for a student," stated Becky as Ashley hurried their way with a huge grin on her face. "Look at her smile. It makes me wonder what just happened."

"That Detective Dorn just asked me out on a date!" giggled Ashley like a school girl. 'He was pretty shy and got all red when he finally managed to ask me."

"Cool!" replied Jordan. "He's a good looking guy and only a few years older than you. I saw him giving you the 'once-over', about ten times. Can we assume you agreed to go out with him?"

"I made him talk to Steve about it. I saw how much Lisa relied on Steve's opinion to help her find a good guy. I thought it seemed like an excellent idea, so I told him that Steve had to okay it before I went out with him."

"He was okay with that?" asked a skeptical Naomi. "He's a cop and ten years older than Steve. I can't imagine him not getting pissed at that notion."

"He did get all pissy with Steve! He said he didn't think he should be asking a kid if he could take me out. Steve pretty much told him to go to hell if he didn't feel a smart, beautiful, generous woman like me was worth the effort to convince Steve he was a good guy. He was annoyed because Steve asked if he was married, had kids, had plans for the future, and if he made a good living. Can you imagine? Dorn bitched that Steve wasn't my father.

"Steve told him that my father was dead and that he was the one guy in the world that genuinely cared about my welfare. The detective apologized pretty quickly. He couldn't eat crow fast enough. He practically begged Steve to reconsider.

"Then Steve told him he had to treat me with respect, not use drugs, or even alcohol when he drove with me! He told Dorn he had to be prepared to risk his life to keep me safe. If he agreed to all of that, Steve would let him take me out."

"My God! Steve gave Detective Dorn 'the talk'!" gasped Lisa as she arrived in time to hear the end of Ashley's story. "That's so cool! Doesn't it feel good to have a man care enough about you to lay down the law to another man that wants to date you? Dad gave Steve the same talk, more or less, and then Dad gave it to Jason last weekend. I was so proud of Dad and Jason told me his respect for Dad increased immeasurably. I've got to tell Dad about this!"

"Gwen, your boyfriend is full of surprises. When I saw his beautiful, blonde teacher hugging and kissing him, I thought he was probably working on getting into her little bikini panties. It turns out he's protecting her like a father would. I should have remembered that he likes the more ample assed type."

"That reminds me," stated Gwen. "Where's Jared? He should have formed an answer by now about who has the bigger butt. He's studied yours all afternoon. I wonder if he even had time to glance at mine."

"It's a pretty safe bet he managed a few looks. Every man here has done nothing but look at your ass, except when you were facing them, and then they stared at your boobs," observed Naomi. "I will admit that a few eyes wandered Jordan's way now and then, although I can't, for the life of me, figure out why."

Gwen's and Naomi's banter was interrupted by Charlotte. "I've been following the news reports today. I know you said you wanted to relax and not bother with them, but a lot's been going on. For one thing, Steve was right about those armed terrorists being American.

"They all belonged to a survivalist group in Montana. They hated the government and blamed it when they lost their homes and marriages in the recession. They were all bitter, lonely men that formed a support group that fed off each others' hatred and anger. Most of them had police records for violent offenses.

"They wanted to send a message to the world about how unfairly they had been treated and they decided that finishing what the other terrorists failed to accomplish would gain them the necessary notoriety. They especially wanted to kill you and Steve, and any family and friends they could manage. They expected to blow up half the population of Sparta at the graduation and then shoot any survivors! The police in Montana found all of the information on computers at the compound where the men lived."

"Wow!" exclaimed Gwen. "Steve was right about them being after us and our families. Now I worry that there are more people that think the same way. Steve won't be around all the time to keep saving Kate, Lisa, me, and everyone else."

"Don't get too upset over this. We'll just have to think of some ways to keep everyone safe. You and Steve are 'America's Royal Couple' and will be the targets of all sorts of schemes and scams until someone else comes along to gain public favor," reasoned Naomi. "But, you're both smart and very capable. This is just the down side to being the sexiest woman alive and dating the sexiest man ever born. My offer to trade places still holds."

"I guess there's a price for everything, and no good deed goes unpunished. I think Steve and I need to catch up on what's going on with this investigation and maybe have a news conference. That Bill Hardy will be doing his best to denigrate Steve and me any way he can."

Gwen found Steve eating a hamburger and led him into her father's den. Then she dialed Clyde's number and put him on speaker phone. "Clyde, we're thinking of having a session with the press. They're all over town and that Bill Hardy's trying to ruin us anyway he can. I think Steve needs to state his case again and let people hear what he did and why."

"I have some information for you kids that should reduce the effects of Hardy's smear campaign. I've seen and handled bullies like him my entire life. Here are a few suggestions you should consider."

Twenty minutes later, Gwen placed a call to Amber Stahl. "Amber, Steve and I have been deluged with requests for interviews. We feel it's about time we made ourselves accessible to the media. I was wondering if you could set it up? We'll be at the warehouse we're using for the concert in half an hour. Do you think you could alert your fellow reporters that we'll be fielding questions at that time?"

"Sure, Gwen, but I should warn you that Bill Hardy's in town and he's looking for anything he can find to make you and Steve look bad. He really has a bug up his butt about you both. He's the nightly news anchor for our network, so I have to be careful around him. The station treats him like he owns the place. Be aware that he'll do his best to make you guys look bad."

"Thanks for the heads-up, but we're as prepared for him as we'll ever be, so please let everyone know we'll be available in half an hour," responded Gwen before disconnecting.

Half an hour later, Steve and Gwen entered a room set up with chairs and about a dozen microphones on a table in front of it. Over a dozen reporters were seated on the other side of the table.

"Thanks for coming, everyone. We understand you have some questions for us about the situation yesterday at our graduation. First, let me say that we've been told by the family of the Officer Clune that he's out of intensive care, but still in serious condition. With time, care, and determination, he should make a full recovery. Nothing is more important to us right now than the health of this brave officer of the law that was gravely wounded protecting the citizens of the Spartan Nation. We thank him for his service, his sacrifice, and his bravery. Now we'll entertain questions."

Most of the questions were directed at Steve and his role in thwarting the attack the previous day, starting with his morning run. Steve answered all questions precisely and gave sound explanations for every move he made. Things seemed to be going well until Bill Hardy gained the floor.

"Mr. Hammer, how do you justify firing two handguns into such a large and panicked crowd? Wasn't it possible that some of the bullets fired by you could have struck innocent people?"

"I'm not here to justify anything, Mr. Hardy. I'm simply answering questions about what occurred. People like you will take it upon themselves to worry about justifications. I simply did what I felt was necessary at the time."

"You seem to have a cavalier attitude about the lives of innocent people. It didn't worry you that some of them could have been shot, and possibly killed, by the bullets fired from your handguns?"

"Mr. Hardy, you've been doing your best to push your agenda of maligning Steve and me for months," responded Gwen hotly. "If Steve didn't care about the lives of others, would he have dived into that icy river to save those children last fall? Would he have entered that gym last winter knowing that armed terrorists with bombs were waiting? Would he have carried those bombs away from the stage yesterday, knowing they could be detonated at any time? Would he have returned, knowing that he was likely to be in a deadly gun battle? He didn't have to do any of those things, but he did. He did them because he values lives very highly, especially innocent women and children. For you to suggest otherwise is far more than just insulting. It's abominable!

"Let me ask you this question, Mr. Hardy. It's been 24 hours since that attack. You've had time to consider everything. Exactly what would you have done in Steve's situation, assuming you had the skills of observation and deduction that Steve has? Tell us just exactly how you would have handled the whole situation," demanded Gwen.

"I'm not here to answer questions. I'm the reporter! I ask the questions, and you're not doing a very good job answering them," replied Hardy as he made no effort to conceal his annoyance.

"You're a public figure, creating news with lies and innuendos. You're implying that Steve may have unnecessarily risked innocent lives, so it's reasonable to ask what you would have done differently. I think I know the answer to that. You aren't exactly known for your courage and conviction. You never would have noticed the bombs. If you had, you never would've risked your life to remove them. If you had done that, you never would have returned to the stage knowing armed men were planning an attack. If you had come back armed, you probably would have shot more innocent people than the attackers because you lack the skill and the nerve to do what Steve Hammer is so capable of doing.

"Lacking those skills and courage, you waltz into town looking for people that are critical of Steve. You try to build a case against Steve; that he was reckless and out of control. The truth is quite different. Steve is expert with handguns, with either hand. There probably aren't more than a couple dozen people in the world that could have accomplished what Steve managed yesterday. He shot fast and he shot straight. No bystanders were harmed. I agree that it's difficult to believe, but that fact is testimony to Steve's nerve and skill, not his good fortune.

"What have you done to help others? When have you risked your life for innocents? When have you stepped forward on a stage, knowing full well that you'd be the target of multiple gunmen? Have you noticed that none of the other reporters have pursued your line of questioning? You probably would have us believe that it's because you're so clever and can see what others do not. The truth is that you're a petty, jealous man using your position as a network news anchor as a bully pulpit to push your agenda. That agenda, for whatever reason, is to attack Steve and me.

"I don't care so much what you say about me, but Steve Hammer is a hero by any definition of that word. He's proven his courage, skill, and respect for life more times in the past year than most people do in a life time."

"This is all very touching, but not answers to my questions, Ms. Anderson. You've admitted having a relationship with Mr. Hammer. Wouldn't you think that would certainly prevent you both from being considered 'America's Royal Couple'? Can you honestly say that your conduct has been such that anyone could consider you a 'Royal Couple'?

"I'd like to address that question," stated Steve calmly. "We never asked for that title. America has no royalty. We're founded on the belief of equality. That said, Gwen Anderson is a wonderful role model. She's proven herself to be generous, brave, and compassionate. Her beauty is breath taking, and her intelligence is almost off the charts. She represents everything that's right with this country, and with its young adults."

"Is sleeping around something parents should want their children to emulate?" retorted Hardy.

Steve quickly rose from his chair and moved around the table in Hardy's direction. Before he made it very far, Bill Hardy began back pedaling and tripped over some cables. He barely hit the floor before he was back up and moving quickly for the door. Steve calmly stopped, bent over, and picked up a cell phone and handed it to a lady reporter he didn't recognize.

"You dropped this, Ma'am," smiled Steve as handed her the phone. "Now where were we? Where did Mr. Hardy go? I thought he wanted to ask us more questions."

After he spoke, Steve broke into a hearty laugh. Soon all of the reporters were laughing with him. The laughter continued even after Steve returned to his seat. Gwen was grinning as she moved ahead to speak into the microphones.

"I have some other information I want to share with you. Clyde Davis, our friend and manager, has joined with a few substantial investors, along with Jordan, Steve and me to form 'The Lady in Red Productions'. It'll take over the production and marketing of our line of swim suits and evening wear. To that end, we have purchased the Lerner Building just down the street. It will serve as company headquarters as well as be used to manufacture the clothing line. We expect to hire about fifteen people immediately. We'll no longer be paying other companies to make our products. We'll guarantee that they'll be 'Made in America' and be of high quality.

"Our production company will be involved in music, movies, TV, posters, promotions, advertising, and finding and signing talent. All profits will be channeled to charitable endeavors in the Spartan Nation. We'll continue to funnel all profits to the hospital fund through the end of the year. Then we'll reassess the needs of the area. Clyde believes that our movie, which will be titled "Midnight Lights", will easily repay investors in the first few weeks of release. Once expenses are met, our share of the profits kicks in and all monies made by the shares that Jordan, Steve, Clyde, and I control will be channeled to the hospital expansion fund. It's our hope that we'll raise enough to make the hospital expansion viable. Profits from future projects may be directed to other worthy causes.

"I'm extremely proud to announce that "Lady in Red Productions' has also purchased this wonderful building. You can see some modifications are already being made. After the concert Friday, construction will begin in earnest. You are now standing in 'The Lady in Red Center for the Performing Arts'! There will be Broadway shows, cultural events; charity events, fund raisers, and who knows what else taking place here.​