Date: Tue, 2 May 2023 22:44:02 -0500 From: William Marshal Subject: Taking a Risk, part 5 Taking a Risk, part 5 The INNdulge resort was built in 1958, and had a mid-century California vibe. The room Vance had reserved had a view of the pool and a kitchen. While the interior had obviously been updated, it still had the charm of an independent motel in the heyday of road trip vacations. There were several naked 20-something gym rats playing around the pool, and Shelby stopped to look. Vance whispered in his ear, "See something you like." He replied, "They're nice eye candy, but I prefer something with more substance." He then gently squeezed Vance's crotch. Vance moaned and said, "Careful there, boy. It's not in a gentle mood." "I was wondering when I would get to see your inner beast." "Are you sure you can handle him?" "Not at all, but I sure as hell want to try." "We'll see, but for now, I thought I'd like to get in a swim, and then maybe find some place to eat." "I'll come with you. I don't want any of those horndogs stealing my Uncle Vance." So Vance and Shelby both stripped off their clothes and headed for the pool. When they jumped in, the water felt cool and relaxing. It wasn't long before one of the 20-something came over and introduced himself. "My name is Chad." Then he looked at Shelby, "We are wanting to play a little pool basketball, but we are short a man. Would you be interested in playing?" "Sure," Shelby said, and soon he was on a team. The game wasn't short on physical contact and Shelby and the opponent he was paired against became very familiar with each other's bodies. It was one of the few times Shelby was thankful he didn't have a huge monster between his legs. As the younger guys played, Vance walked over to the Jacuzzi, where three men closer to his age were soaking. It didn't take long for Vance to be accepted in the group. They were all friends from L.A. and were regulars at the resort. Vance learned that the young guys in the pool were with them. Barry the leader of the group said, "We think of ourselves as a service club for young gay men trying to make it in L.A. We provide mentorship, social activities, and sometimes material support for promising young men." "Interesting," Vance said, "and the young men? What do they bring to this club?" Chuck, one of the other members said, "That depends on them. Some of them are into sex with older men, and I for one am happy to mentor them in that area as well." There were chuckles and nodding heads. "However, this is not some kind of sex club. We help out promising young without some expectation of quid pro quo. In fact, the rule is that any sexual relationship has to be initiated by the mentees, not the mentors." "We don't claim our club is `wholesome'," Barry said, "but we do insist on rules to prevent either the mentee or the mentor from being exploited. That's one of the reasons we have regular social functions, so we can monitor our individual and group interactions." "This sounds interesting," Vance said. "My name is Thad," one of the other guys said. "If you don't mind asking, what's the relationship between you and that young man?" Vance told them about how he met Shelby, and about Shelby's cousin leaving him high and dry. He also was honest about their sexual relationship without going into details. Then Vance asked, "Would Shelby be the kind of kid you guys would help?" Thad said, "We usually work with guys who are just out of college or in their Senior year of college, and who are looking to get into one of the professions. However, that is not a rule." Chuck added, "We do have a couple of chefs who are part of our group. We could ask them if they would be interested in meeting with Shelby." "Thanks, do you mind if I tell him about your club?" "Not at all," Barry said. "We call our group La Famiglia Melzi. Francesco Melzi was Leonardo da Vinci's favorite apprentice and, some believe, lover." "We've ordered BBQ for supper." Thad said, "Why don't you and Shelby join us. We had to order far more than we will eat to get them to deliver, so there is plenty of food." "Thanks," Vance said. "I was dreading having to put on clothes and then go find a place to eat." For the rest of the evening Vance and Shelby hung with their new friends, ate BBQ, and played in the pool. Finally, around 9:30 guys began heading back to their rooms. Back in the room, Vance got in the shower and was soon joined by Shelby. It wasn't long before both men were running their hands over each other and their cocks were getting hard. "Are you ready for something a bit wilder?" Vance asked and Shelby said, "Yes." Then Vance released a low growl and Shelby responded with a growl of his own. Vance pushed Shelby face and chest against the shower wall, and began fingering his hole. Shelby moaned, and Vance said, "Stay just like that." He then stepped out of the shower and grabbed the lube. When he returned, Shelby was still pressed against the wall and Vance leaned into him, and ordered, "Hands above your head and on the wall! Spread your legs." Shelby moved his legs apart, but not as far as Vance wanted. So he kicked them further apart while saying, "I told you to spread them!" "Yes, Office Hayes." "That's Detective Hayes," Vance said as he slid his middle finger into Shelby's hole. Shelby groaned with a mixture of surprise and pleasure. "Are you hiding anything in here?" Vance demanded as his finger explored Shelby's rectum. "Nothing sir. I'm hiding nothing." "Then what's this?!" Vance snarled. He then got down on his knees for a better position from which to stimulate Shelby's prostate. Vance put more lube and his fingers and soon had three buried deep inside Shelby. However, Vance wanted to probe deeper. "It looks like I'm going to have to use a baton to reach all the way." "No Detective Hayes; please, not the baton," Shelby whimpered. Vance jumped up and spun Shelby around and slapped his face. Not hard, but just a little sting. "Stop being a whiny little bitch. It's time to toughen you up." Vance covered his cock in lube, then lifted Selby up. Shelby was now up against the wall and unable to touch the floor. Vance looked him in the eyes and said, "You thought I was a dirty cop; little did you know I can be a dirty pig. Now wrap your legs around my waist." When Shelby did, Vance slowly lowered him until his ass was just touching a throbbing cock. Vance stopped for a moment. Then gave Shelby a deep kiss as the kid was impaled on the huge fuck stick. Vance gave a couple of upward thrusts deep into Shelby before saying, "Does this excite you?" "Oh, yes sir!" "Then dry off and climb onto that bed. It's time you explore the jungle." That night Vance spent a long time finding all of Shelby's erogenous zones: the nape of the neck, his inner thighs, his pits, and most sensitive, his nipples. Before Vance even touched Shelby's cock, the boy was sexually wound as tight as a fiddle. That evening, Vance introduced Shelby to the spectrum of the gay Kama Sutra. From doggy to pile driver, and from Cowboy to Pirate's Bounty, Vance's cock worked over Shelby's needy hole. Finally, Shelby was flat on his back with his legs high in the air being spread like a wishbow. Vance began to rail Shelby with deep, hard strokes, while Shelby delighted in the masculine attention. Shelby moaned and arched his back as a gusher of cum shot into the air. Shelby's entire body seemed to clench down on Vance's cock, forcing a primal cry of "fuuuuucccck" from his mouth as he filled the reservoir of the Trojan XL with his own warm seed. When the beast was again calm, Vance smothered Shelby in a protective embrace and kissed the sweet boy's lips. Finally he said to Shelby, "I hope tonight wasn't too much too soon." Shelby returned the kiss and said, "It was amazing. You were amazing." So, they lay wrapped in each others' arms, kissing, sharing themselves, and eventually drifting into sleep. The next morning, Vance was alone at the resort's breakfast when Barry and Thad showed up. "Well, Thad said, "we have another member of the early riser club." "Yeah, I have never been able to sleep in, and it has only gotten worse since I retired. One would think that it would be the opposite." "I think that is because you are not ready to be retired," Barry suggested, "I don't mean that you weren't ready to leave the KCPD, but I think you already are thinking of a new career." Vance told them about the offer to run his uncle and aunt's farm. Then he told them about a call he just got from his cousin. "Graham's daughters are getting concerned. Uncle Graham hurt his back, but is refusing to take it easy like the doctor ordered. They know he and Aunt Ruby aren't ready to leave the farm, but they don't want them doing it by themselves anymore. They also know that I am one of the few people Uncle Graham will seriously listen to. Plus, I really like the farm and want to be sure Graham and Ruby's family can keep it going if that is what they want." So, why didn't you tell your cousin you would manage the farm for the family?" Barry asked. "What, or more specifically, who is keeping you from saying yes to the next chapter of your life?" "You know who. I am not going to abandon Shelby all alone in California." "So take him with you," Barry said. "His dream is to be a chef out here in California," Vance replied. "Is it really his dream, or just his Ohio escape plan? I do believe he wants to be a chef, but I'm not sure California is essential to that dream. Look, if it's West Coast or nothing, I will be happy to take him as my mentee. You could go back to Kansas confident Shelby would get the best opportunity possible. However the thing I can't give him is you, and you are the center of all his dreaming since at least Barstow, and likely before." Just then Shelby and his new friends came for breakfast. When Shelby saw the other boys kiss their mentors, he also kissed Vance. "Didn't want to feel left out?" Vance said with a teasing note. "Nope, just making sure everyone knows I've called dibs on you." Vance then kisses Shelby, saying, "Dibs goes both ways. So, do you have anything you want to do today?" "The guys are going hiking in the canyons. I was wondering if we could go?" "Do you have any hiking boots?" "No," said a disappointed Shelby. "Well then eat your breakfast and let's head to the sporting goods store." Shelby's face burst into a smile and he headed off to chow down. After the previous night activity he needed to refuel. Once they found out where the group was hiking, they set off for the sporting goods store. Vance explained to the clerk they were going hiking that day, and Shelby would have very little break in time on the boots. "Then these are the ones you want," the clerk said, and handed Shelby a pair of high tech looking boots. "I have a pair of these, and love them; even when new they never rubbed a sore." Shelby had never had as nice, or as comfortable, of a pair of shoes. However, their price shocked him. "Again with the money concern," Vance scolded. "At the police academy they made it a point that we invest in good shoes. After you've patrolled a Renaissance Fair for a day, you'll understand why. Besides, I am still spending the casino's money." Vance also bought a couple of insulated water bottles. When they finished, they headed to the Palm Canyon trailhead. The group was hiking the Lower Palm Canyon trail. It was four miles, but considered an easy hike. For centuries, the Cahuilla people lived in the canyons surrounding Palm Springs. While most Europeans considered the desert a wasteland, the Cahuilla were able to adapt to the environment and thrive. The Cahuilla were primarily hunter gatherers who harvested the seasonal produce and game provided by nature. The big four of the Cahuilla diet were Agave, Mesquite beans, Pine nuts, and Acorns. The Fan Palm trees that give Palm Springs its name were to the Cahuilla, what the buffalo were to the Plains Tribes. The trees created a micro climate by tapping the underground water and through evaporation and the shade they provided, created a livable oasis in the desert. The dried leaves of the palms were used for huts, sandals, and cooking utensils. The sweet fruit was harvested for food, and seeds were even used for gourd rattles. Grant, one of the La Famiglia Melzi mentors, was a professor of environmental science at UCLA and one his areas of study was how pre-industrial societies used resources and adapted to change in their environment. Shelby was very interested in his explanation of how the Cahuilla were able to use the seasonal produce in their environment to insure a year round food supply. Shelby was particularly impressed with their approach to hunting. For example, they used nets to hunt for rabbits; however, if they caught too many, they released the extras. Thereby, ensuring the sustainability of the rabbit supply. Before heading back to the INNdulge, the group decided to eat at FRANKinBUN, a place featured on "Diners, Drive-in, and Dives." Vance and Shelby decide to each order the Frankinflight, a meal that comes with three different sausages. They each ordered different sausages and then they cut them in half so each could try all six options. For sides they order the `Potato Tornado,' a spiral cut fried potato on a stick. After they finished eating, it was time for some more naked pool time. Again, the boys rough-housed in the pool while the older guys sunbathed and hung out in the jacuzzi. That was until the boys decided to challenge their `daddies' to a game of pool keepaway. Shelby hadn't told his teammates that Vance was a retired cop and stronger and faster than he looked. So, the first few times they tried to dunk Vance, they were the ones coming up gasping for air. After the game, they were all hanging around the edge of the pool relaxing, and Chaz, one of the young men said, "Okay Mr. Hayes, you obviously have had some training in self-defense. What was it?" "I recently retired from the Kansas City Police Department, where I was a detective. However, for a number of years, I also taught the self-defense course at the academy. I have a 2nd degree black belt in Krav Maga." "What's that?" another of the boys asked. "Krav Maga is a self-defense and fighting system developed by the Israeli military in the 1950s. It's not really a martial art, and doesn't have the ceremonial aspect of martial arts. However, it works well for police officers because it was developed to deal with real-world threats and put down an attacker hard and fast. It's like an advanced form of street fighting, and unlike martial arts, doesn't take years to master." Chaz looked at Shelby and jokingly said, "You could have warned us." Shelby blushed and said, "I knew he was a cop, but I didn't know about the Krazy Maggie stuff." Vance laughed and said, "It's called Krav Maga, and I might just have to throw some whoop-ass on you if you call it that again." The guys laughed, and Shelby said, "He's not kidding. I saw him drop a drunken asshole in Vegas as he called it `hard and fast'." The rest of the afternoon was relaxing and talking. Around 4:30, Barry said to Vance, "Tonight is our last night here. Tomorrow we head back to L.A. It's a tradition after one of these weekends for the mentor to take his boy out for a nice dinner. Just the two of them. Have you had a chance to find out whether Shelby wants to join us in L.A.?" "Not yet. I have to admit, I have been putting off that conversation, but I will ask him tonight." "Good. If he wants to join us, we will be having breakfast tomorrow at nine. You can tell us then." "Thanks," Vance said. That evening Vance took Shelby to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. He requested a late reservation in as private a place as possible. He wasn't sure how the conversation would go, and he didn't want to be in the middle of the dining room if things went south. One of the reasons he chose Ruth's was because it has a relaxed dress code. As they were dressing, Vance tossed Shelby one of his shirts, a peach Oxford, and said, "Figure out what to do with this." Shelby looked at the shirt, then smiled. He put on a pair of Levis with just the right amount of wear to say stylish, but with just a note of `fuck your conventions." He then put on a black T-shirt followed by the oversized peach Oxford. He left the dress shirt unbuttoned, untucked, and rolled the sleeves to just under the elbows. To finish the look, he put on his new hiking boots and propped his sunglasses on top of his head. Vance looked at the kid and all he could think about was how absolutely fuckable he was. For a moment Vance thought about canceling the reservation and ordering pizza and a six-pack of Michelob lime. But then he remembered the conversation they needed to have, a conversation that couldn't be had with his cock balls deep in the eighteen-year-old stud's ass. At the steakhouse, Vance and Shelby were seated in a small booth with high backs that almost felt like a snug in an Irish pub. Shelby had never been to a steakhouse and was a bit overwhelmed by the place, the menu, and the prices. Finally, Vance said, "Would you like me to order for both of us?" "Yes, I would very much like that." When the young man who was their server returned to take their order, Vance ordered the Porterhouse for two, medium rare, with garlic mash potatoes, Caesar salads, and a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. The server looked at Shelby and then at Vance. Vance said, "He's my son." Then lifted his hand to reveal a 100 dollar bill. "Yes sir," the young man said with a smile. When the waiter was gone, Vance said, "Well, I guess I am a crooked cop after all." "No, I would say you are a wicked hot daddy, Uncle Vance." Vance's cock twitched and his ass tightened on hearing Shelby call him Uncle Vance. Fuck, this was going to be hard. For most of the meal, Vance and Shelby talked about the fun they were having. Shelby was really hitting it off with the La Famiglia Melzi boys and said he would miss them when they left in the morning. During dessert, Vance told Shelby about the call from his cousin, and that his uncle needed his help. "I've decided to manage the farm at least until one of my cousins' children is ready to take over. So, I'm cutting my trip short, and the day after tomorrow, I'm headed back to Kansas." "Oh, I see," Shelby said softly. The fact that Vance said `I' rather than `we' was like a dagger in Shelby's heart. "Barry has said you can go back to L.A. with him. He said there are a couple of chefs in their group and he can get you hooked up with one of them. You wouldn't be all alone and could pursue your dream career." "Sure," Shelby said quietly looking down at his plate, "I guess that's for the best." "Or," Vance said with hesitancy, "you could come back to Kansas with me." Shelby's head jerked up and on his face was a huge smile, and he said, "Yes, that is what I want. I was so scared you wouldn't ask me." "I guess I was scared you would say no," Vance said, and it suddenly hit him just how much he was afraid of losing Shelby. Then a look of concern came over Shelby and he asked, "What will your uncle and aunt think?" "Uncle Graham and Aunt Ruby can't wait to meet you. They know I'm gay. I told them the summer after I graduated college. I was afraid they wouldn't want me hanging around the farm and their grandkids, but they were so accepting and loving. They have been worried that I will grow old alone, so when I told them about you, they insisted I at least try to get you to come back with me. Aunt Ruby is all excited that you might want to take over her diner; she said everyone keeps asking when it's going to reopen." "Wow," Shelby said, "How many times are you going to save me?" "Almost as many times as you have, and will, save me." Vance and Shelby spent that night making tender love to each other. It wasn't until early in the morning that they finally fell asleep. In the morning, Vance woke up with Shelby still cuddled in his arms and kissed the back of his neck. "Come on Hot Stuff, it's time to wake up." "Umm, Hot Stuff, I like that," Shelby said as he ground his ass back into Vance's cock. "Let's go, we have plenty of time for that later. We smell like sex and need to get cleaned up before meeting the guys for breakfast. I want to say goodbye, and I'm pretty sure you do as well." In the shower, Shelby threw his arms around Vance's neck and asked, " You did ask me to go back to Kansas with you? I didn't just dream that?" Vance laughed and said, "Yes Dorthy, I did ask you to go back to Kansas with me." "Thank you Mr. Wizard." At breakfast, Shelby wasted no time telling his new friends about going with Vance back to Kansas. Although the other boys were all four to five years older than him and college students or grads, they treated Shelby like an equal and were genuinely happy for him. Barry said to Vance, "I think the both of you made the right choice. Here is my card, keep me informed about how things are going. Also, let me know when your cider is ready to buy. I would like to give it a try. We usually have a party in Palm Springs on Super Bowl weekend. maybe the two of you would be interested in joining us." "That sounds fun. January is a good time to get out of Kansas and find some place warm. Oh, and thanks to you and the rest of the guys for the friendship. It really helped me clarify what I wanted." Barry gave Vance a hug and said goodbye. When they got back to the room, Vance said, "Grab your swimsuit suit, and a change of clothes. It is crazy to drive this far and not see the Pacific Ocean. San Diego is only a couple of hours away, and Black's Beach has an area where the LBGQ+ community gathers." So two and a half hours later, Shelby and Vance were standing on a cliff overlooking Black Beach and looking at a small part of the largest body of water on earth. The climb down the cliffs to the beach was definitely a workout, but well worth the effort. When they were finally on the beach Shelby had a chance to look around and asked, "Is this a nude beach?!" "Officially, California doesn't have nude beaches. Unofficially, this is North America's largest nude beach. It's a bit like being on traffic patrol. If everyone is doing five over the limit, you can't ticket everyone, so then you effectively have a new speed limit." Vance led the way to the unofficial LBGTQ+ section of the beach, and the two found a little bit of sand to stake out as their homestead with a couple of beach towels, a backpack, and a cooler. Shelby and Vance each helped the other with sunscreen, and then lay back to enjoy the sunshine. It wasn't long before Shelby had worked up the courage to remove his swimsuit. Vance tossed him the bottle of sunscreen and said, "You've got some more area that needs protection." Shelby giggled and said, "Yeah, this isn't a weenie roast. Aren't you going to take off your suit?" "I don't need to show off." "Maybe not, but I want to show you off. I want every twink on this beach to be jealous of what I have. After all, if I can't have a big cock, I can have a daddy with a big cock." "Let's stick with uncle....or boyfriend." Boyfriend! Really, I am your boyfriend?" "Unless you don't want to be." Shelby jumped on top of Vance, gave him a big kiss, and yelled, "Hell yes! I want to be your boyfriend!" One of the guys laying on a towel a few feet away, gave Vance and Shelby a funny look. Vance said, "Sorry, he's just a bit excitable." "So I see," and gave a nod to Shelby's plumping cock. The guy and Vance broke into a laugh and Shelby gave a little blush. However, soon Vance was also sans swim trunks and the two ran into the ocean to play, but soon they were back on the sunny beach. "Damn, that water is cold." Shelby said. "My poor little penis has shrunk to nothing bigger than a baby carrot. This is fucking embarrasing. It's like that episode of Seinfeld when George has to explain to his date what shrinkage is." Vance started to laugh at Shelby's rant. "Sure," Shelby said indignantly, "go ahead and laugh at the poor little boy and his little `Shelly' cock. You don't know what it's like to have the smallest cock at the gay nude beach. Hell, all the cold water did to you was shrink that monster to `normal' size'." Now Vance was really laughing. He put an arm around Shelby and said, "Look around, you are not the smallest guy on the beach, and you weren't the smallest guy at the resort this week. Besides, what did I tell you about your cock and my ass?" Shelby gave a small smile and said, "They were made for each other." "Damn right, and tonight you're going to show me just how right I am." As they talked, Shelby's cock began to stiffen, and Vance said, "See there, you just can't keep a good man down." Shelby laughed, gave Vance a kiss, and said, "You could sell timeshares to an 80-year-old with a bad heart." For the rest of the afternoon the guys played pickup volleyball, watched the hang gliders taking off from the cliffs above, and soaked up the sun. Finally around six o'clock, Vance said let's go find something to eat and watch the sunset before heading back to Palm Springs. Vance found a place called Jeff's Beach Burgers in La Jolla and they grabbed some burgers, fries and soda then drove a few blocks to La Jolla Shores Park to find a place to eat while waiting for the sunset. As they sat on the grass other groups began showing up to also watch the sunset. Each group picked a spot sufficiently distant from the others so as to give the illusion of privacy in a public park. The Pacific Ocean was living up to its name and the water looked almost motionless. So when the sun lowered in the sky its light reflected off the water like it was a blue mirror. The Sun turned the horizon orange as it seemed to slip into the ocean. Then for a moment a small dot of light seemed to cling to the horizon before dropping over the edge and allowing the night to close like a curtain at the end of a play. Vance turned and gave Shelby a tender kiss, then said, "Let's go back to the resort. I need to feel your naked body pressed against mine." Shelby smiled and returned the kiss, then the two quietly got up and headed back to Palm Springs. At first, they didn't talk much; instead, Vance chose one of the playlists from his phone to play over the Mustang's audio system. The playlist was a collection of Motown Love Songs. When `Ain't No Mountain High Enough' by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell started to play, Vance reached over and took Shelby's hand and began to sing along. By the time the song was finished, Shelby was using the back of his free hand to wipe away tears. "Hey Hot Stuff," Vance said tenderly, "I didn't mean to make you cry." Shelby gave Vance's hand a little squeeze and said, "These aren't sad tears, I've emptied that barrel. These are happy tears and that barrel never runs dry." "Damn if I didn't think it would cause a wreck, I would give you the biggest fucking kiss right now. However, I'm not dying before I have that cock of yours up my ass one more time." "You're not playing with me...you really like my cock?" "Hell yes I do! I know you find it hard to accept, but the truth is, your cock hits all of the right places. So, just forget all of that shit they dumped on you in junior and senior high. You have a national treasure hanging between your legs, and it's all mine. I don't know how many times I have to say that, but I will keep saying it until you believe it." You couldn't have removed the smile from Shelby's face with a power grinder. All that matters was Vance wanted his cock, his ass, his body, his heart. Vance Hayes wanted Shelby McPherson! When they got back to the INNdulge, Shelby was on fire with passion. He was out to prove that Vance was right about his cock, and did he ever. Vance couldn't remember the last time his orgasms had been so intense or as frequent. As for Shelby he was a dynamo of sexual energy. Vance was sure he could have satisfied an entire Roman legion. Even more amazing, he never seemed to run out of cum. Vance's ass was full and overflowing by the time they called it a night. Both men were exhausted, satisfied, and slept very well. The next morning Vance was first up as usual. He got showered, dressed, and packed before waking up Shelby. "You can sleep in the car, but you have to shower before we go." Shelby smiled and headed for the bathroom. It was 23 hours, not counting stops or road construction, from Palm Springs to Uncle Graham and Aunt Molly's farm, and Vance intended to make it in two days. It would help with a second driver, and the plan was to make it to Santa Rosa, New Mexico the first day. Luck was on their side, and two days later, at 9:24 p.m, Vance and Shelby arrived at the Holland family farm. Ruby Hayes, Vance's father's sister, had married Graham Holland 46 years earlier and moved into the house they still lived in. When Vance and Shelby pulled up, Graham, Ruby, and three of their grandchildren came pouring out of the house to welcome them to their new home. There were plenty of hugs to go around, and when Aunt Ruby got to Shelby, she said, "We are so glad you are here, and thank you for being such a good friend to Vance. He means the world to us." Shelby smiled and said, "He means the world to me too." After a late supper, Ruby said, "Vance, Ashley and I cleaned up the old Brett house for you and Shelby. It hasn't been lived in for a while and needs some TLC, but it's weathertight, livable, and private." "Thanks Aunt Ruby," Vance said. "If it's alright, I think we will head over there now. I am dead beat." "Absolutely," Ruby said, "Go get some sleep." Graham added, "And don't worry about getting up early tomorrow. You can start FT the next day." "What's FT?" Shelby asked. "Farm Time," everyone said in unison, and then laughed. ****************** I hope you enjoy Taking a Risk. If so, check out my other stories. You can find links to the rest of my stories in the Author Directory, https://www.nifty.org/nifty/authorslist.html Also, if you enjoy the stories at nifty.org, consider making a donation to help cover the cost of providing a site to host mine and other author's stories. https://donate.nifty.org/