Free Little White Lies by Paul Watkins Page B

every day and night. They will be trained in emergency medical procedures, and most important, they will not turn the place into an armed camp.
    “I’m not talking about a goon squad. The kind of people I have in mind would do everything possible to insure the safety of you and your family and at the same time preserve a normal family atmosphere. Or, at least, as normal as it can be, given the circumstances. Either do it right, or don’t do it at all. But if you feel there is a problem, then let’s do it right. We can augment a small staff with electronic gear here at the estate. That way we would keep the long-term operational expenses down.”
    A.J. makes a twirling motion with his finger. “This all sounds wonderful, but who in the hell knows where to find people like that? To answer your other question: yes, I think there’s a problem. You can’t believe the kooks I run into in this business. If one of them ever got to my family, I don’t know what the hell I’d do.”
    “I’ll get to work on it.”
    I stand, accepting the decision for progress in a very important area and depart, leaving Marshall behind to talk with A.J. I already know where to start. Several of the men I served with in Special Forces in Nam wound up in security work. Some for the government and others went into the private sector. One person with whom I’ve stayed in touch over the years would be the perfect choice to put this thing together for us. He may not be available personally, but he would know where to get the people I need. people with the right skills who can be trusted to do the job no matter what.

CHAPTER 6  
    I have been with the Jacksons for almost four months now. That’s what the calendar says, but it seems almost impossible that much time could have passed so quickly. I guess that’s a good sign, as in time flies when you’re having fun. What I have been doing isn’t exactly fun, but there has been a lot going on and there is always satisfaction in doing any job well.
    The grand budget project has taken on a life of its own. We have gone from everyone spending as much as they wanted, whenever they wanted, on whatever they wanted, to estimates and requisitions. I’m not one for needless paperwork, but with a place as big as this, there have to be some controls or spending will always be out of sight. A.J. doesn’t exactly care for the budget process but he likes the results. After all, he was the one complaining about the money flowing out with no idea where it was going.
    Fortunately I haven’t experienced any more problems of the sort I encountered with Bear Street. The rest of the staff members have been cooperative and eager to do a good job. While A.J. is in and out, I have spent a lot of time with Sheri and I find her an absolute delight to work with. She’s a very bright lady and totally devoted to her family. I have never been around kids as young as Jeff-Jeff and Shana for any extended period of time, so that part is completely new to me. Their company is natural and very refreshing. Without children of my own, I had no idea of the different types and sheer number of questions a child could ask. It’s quite challenging. Even plain old everyday experiences take on a whole new dimension. Things may be old hat to an adult, but they often fill a child’s eyes with wonder.
    I think I would have to say that while the job has been interesting, the family has been captivating. A few months ago I had never heard of the Jacksons as a family and now it would be difficult to imagine a life without them. It’s easy to see how domestic working relationships can become quite intense with so much time shared with one another. I have no way of knowing how the Jacksons feel about me at this point, but I find myself drawn to them simply because they are such terrific people. very genuine. A doctor would probably try to put some sort of sophisticated medical spin on it, but I think this situation is merely fulfilling some