Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2007 21:05:47 -0600 From: kenlou Subject: Nudist Camp Vacation - Chapter 34 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This story has been preying on my mind. Alan, Tim, Stevey, Paul and Mike have been speaking to me and telling me they want to get on with it, so here's another chapter. Andy, Frank, Bill, Marty, Grant, and Joe also send their greetings! Be sure to check out my new blog and website: www.lancekenman.com. A special "Thanks!" to Bruce at Z-Tech Systems for building a fantastic website for me! Be sure to add to my blog! Sign up and get updates on my progress and other writing efforts. Comments and suggestions are welcome and enjoyed. Let me know what you think about the direction the story's going, and I'll consider all suggestions. If you want to write to me privately, use my new email address: lance@lancekenman.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DISCLAIMER and LEGAL STUFF: This story is Copyright 2007 by Lance Kenman. (That's my pen name, but it still applies.) This story is FICTION, the story and characters are figments of my imagination, and any resemblance of the actions or persons depicted to actual events or real people is completely coincidental and in some cases is a damn shame! I have referred to a few actual places, but nothing described in the story, to my knowledge, has ever actually happened. Most of the locations mentioned in this story exist only in my mind. The world I have created is pure fantasy, is convenient to the story and is not intended to be a commentary on what may actually happen in the real world. In some cases the characters may remind me of people I've met, or I may apply the personality of a real person to a character. This is called "artistic license!" Please don't read this story if you're not prepared to read about love and sex between men and the sexuality of pubescent boys, and if it isn't legal for you to do so. Okay? Okay! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There are many people who write to me and touch my heart. The one thing many of us have in common is that we've suffered either from loss or abuse much like the characters in this story. We are all, in some way, at some time, "damaged goods." It is to these kindred souls that I dedicate this story. My advice to all: Live simply, love generously, care deeply, and speak kindly. Leave the rest to God. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nudist Camp Vacation CHAPTER 34 As we left the property and drove back to the house I thought about Mike and the horse he wanted, the horses we'd all surely want, the large property and livestock, the need for ranch hands, the need for a larger staff for what will likely be a larger house and grounds, and the complications of caring for it all. Then I thought of Tim and glanced at him. (He's so gorgeous!) Over the past few weeks I now have a new, young, very desirable partner, I had a heart attack, I helped Stevey with his close call with oblivion, I now have the boys that I *must* adopt (I know I must! Not only for their well being, but my own happiness as well!), I'm buying new property, and I have a militia of security. Andy and the breaking of the pedophile ring, being chased by men with guns (and being SHOT AT!), keeping the business instead of selling it for a huge fortune to what could be Las Vegas mobsters: these were only SOME of the things that had happened to me in just the last couple of months! That led me to a process of self-analysis: why am I doing this? WHAT THE BLUE BLAZES AM I DOING? Is all this what I want? I mean, REALLY? Yes, I'm being selfish! I want to FEEL things! I want to DO things! But more than anything, I want the feeling that I've accomplished something and that someone's life is better because of something I might have been able to do for them. That's selfish, too! I know the best kind of help you can give is when someone doesn't know who's given it, but I like to see the results, myself. I want the assurance that I've done something positive. And, yes, that's selfish, egocentric and self gratifying. I can only pray that I don't jeopardize someone's well being in the process. I could be living a quiet life somewhere with Tim just as easily, couldn't I? I'm sure he'd be happy with occasional visits to his folks and brother, and we wouldn't have to own a ranch, and have boys, and be shot at, and, and, . . . . Oh, Robert, why did you have to die? This has all become so COMPLICATED! I felt a hand on my cheek. Before I realized that he had moved, Tim had begun to wipe a tear from my face with his thumb. When I turned to him, he was silent, but had a concerned look on his face. I managed a weak smile and continued to drive. Holding his comforting hand I realized that I was being overly selfish about everything. I DID want Tim, and the boys, and the excitement, and the ranch, and to be close to the nudist camp! I wanted it all, even if only to feel myself LIVE! But more than anything, I'd FALLEN into several opportunities to help some very vulnerable young people, and I WANTED to feel that I was doing something good on this earth! I wanted to know that I would leave something behind, to make a difference, a GOOD difference, in someone's life, and have someone remember me when I'm gone! I breathed deeply and let it out slowly as I thought of how much my life had changed since I lost Robert. As I did I felt Tim's hand tighten on my own. How many twenty-year-olds do you know who are mature enough to realize you're thinking through something and just need them there, in silence? I love him more with every moment that passes! I finally resolved that I should push these questions out of my mind and just enjoy the moments that I can with Tim, Stevey, the boys, all of my friends and all that comes with the situations that arise. Just as I always have, I must deal with only one thing at a time, and Tim is such a nice thing to deal with! Back to thinking about the property, I resolved to reduce my concerns to two primary issues. One was that we'd need an architect to start work immediately on designing a house, a toy box, landscaping and property security, and the other was that we were going to need some serious staffing for the new property. I'd all but made up my mind that I didn't want to lease out the agricultural part of the property, but it would need to pay for itself so it wouldn't be a constant drain on our resources. That meant that somehow we'd need to manage it all ourselves, or hire someone to do it. I decided to call the same architect friend who had designed my present toy box. He'd also done a great job on designing the garden and some modifications inside the house and had gotten a great contractor to build it all in record time. When we arrived home and everyone had settled into the entertainment room I picked up the phone. "Hello, Thomas? This is Alan Stewart. I'm glad to catch you working on Saturday." "Alan! I'm glad you called! How's that house of yours working out?" "Actually, that's why I'm calling you. The house is fine, but it's in the wrong place and the toy box is too small." "Oh? I'm sorry. I guess I should have anticipated some need for growth in your car barn, or 'toy box' as you call it. I can easily design an addition, but what do you mean the house is in the wrong place? Would you like to come to dinner tonight and discuss it? It's been a long time and I'd really like to see you again." I chuckled. He was beginning to sound as if he had something more than dinner on his mind. "Actually that's my way of teasing. My new family and I have just looked at a piece of property and it'll need a new house and toy box as well as some other things. How's your work load?" He hesitated then asked with apprehension, "New family?" "Yes. I met . . . someone." I smiled at Tim and watched him blush while I said, "He's the most intelligent and caring person I've ever met. He's a gift from God and I love him more than he'll ever know. We also have two foster sons that we hope to adopt." I heard him whisper, "Damn!" Pretending I didn't hear him I said, "I beg your pardon?" "Oh, sorry," he said in a low voice. "It's just that I knew I'd waited too long to call you back. I just got caught up in work." There was intense disappointment in his voice. I was flattered to the point of embarrassment. Smiling, I said, "I'll take that as a complement. When can you come to look at the property? I'll close on it in two weeks." "Would tomorrow be too soon?" "The sooner the better as far as I'm concerned. The property isn't what I'd call ideal, but the location is what's important. The house was destroyed by fire and needs to be cleared, the grounds are seriously neglected, I'll need a new toy box, and we'll need some serious security both in the house and on the grounds." I heard him scribbling with a pencil. "Security? What's with the sudden interest in security?" "It's a long story, but I'll fill you in when I see you. What time tomorrow?" "Hmm. How about . . . nine?" "Nine it is. Here's how to get there: . . ." After I'd given him detailed instructions and hung up I turned to Tim. The boys were on the floor, resting on big pillows, playing a video game. "There's that part," I said to him in a low voice with a smile. "Now we just need to find someone to manage the ranch and whatever livestock we buy." Tim looked thoughtful for a moment then said, "Maybe Dad can help. He knows some of the neighbors and they might know someone we could hire." I smiled at him. I liked that he was thinking in terms of "we." "That would be great," I said as I admired him. "I'll call him." Tim picked up the phone and dialed the number. Waiting only a few seconds he said, "Hi, Dad! We need your help. . . . Yeah! Alan's already made an offer and it's been accepted! Is that cool or what? . . . Yeah, he's already hired an architect, but what we need now is a foreman for the ranch part. I was thinking you might ask the ranchers around the camp to see if they knew of anyone. . . . Okay, thanks. Love you, Dad." As he hung up he said, "Dad's really excited that we're gonna be living next door! He's gonna call a couple of the neighboring ranchers and ask them if they know anyone who can help." "Good. I'm a bit worried about this. I want to be sure we don't have a problem with any of our staff, but the ranch hands concern me the most." "Yeah, I know what you mean. We don't want a bunch of redneck cowboys making problems for us." "That's right. The one thing we don't need is to let someone into our midst that we can't trust. I don't want security to have to follow the boys around ALL the time. I want the peace of mind that they can wander around the place and not be bothered. We'll have each new hire checked and double checked before we let them loose on the place." Tim's eyes were wide and he slowly nodded. His attention moved to the boys on the floor. His eyes focused on Stevey and I saw him swallow hard. Just then Stevey turned his attention from the game to us with a smile on his face, but instantly lost it when he saw his brother. Silently he rose and approached, keeping his eyes focused on Tim's. Kneeling between his legs, with intense emotion, he dropped his head against his brother's chest and grasped him with both arms. Tim gently stroked Stevey's back. He transformed. I saw the gradual transition from my partner to that of a caring brother. Transfixed, I watched as tears rolled from Tim's eyes to his cheeks. Stevey slowly rose to look at his brother's face. He reached for Tim's shirt and unbuttoned it, one button at a time, pulling it from his pants. When he had it completely unbuttoned, he pushed it from Tim's shoulders and down his arms. Without a word Tim copied Stevey's deliberate movements and removed Stevey's shirt. I watched them curiously, but I became aware of the feeling that there was nothing at all sexual about what they were doing. I was watching a deep love between two brothers unfold before my eyes. When they were both nude above the waist Stevey raised up and leaned into Tim, pressing himself into him, reaching around him and pulling him, melting himself into his brother's well developed chest. Tim quickly had his arms around Stevey, holding him tightly, as if his life depended on this physical closeness. I suddenly understood that they wanted to feel their flesh against one another, as they must have felt in their youth when they embraced as nudists. As I watched, emotion raged on their faces, their eyes held tightly shut. >From the corner of my eye I saw movement from both Paul and Mike. Their attention was captured by the awesome vision on the couch beside me. I watched as Paul looked at Mike. Mike silently returned his gaze as they grabbed each other into a tight embrace as well. Stevey and Tim held each other and caressed each other as emotion radiated from them. I heard faint sobbing from Tim. "S . . . Stevey," he whispered. "I almost lost you." Stevey's body silently convulsed. Suddenly I felt a tiny hand on my arm. It was Mike. He reached both of his hands to my face and gently wiped tears from my cheeks. "Papa?" he asked with concern. I turned to him and pulled him into my lap. "I'm all right," I whispered with the assurance of a smile and kissed his cheek. I hugged him and he hugged my neck tightly in return. After several minutes I saw that Paul had fallen onto Stevey's back and was holding him tightly. Slowly, one by one they all looked at me. Exchanging knowing glances and smiles they moved to me and one by one they all fell on Mike and me. I can't tell you who was where, but I felt a press from four different bodies. Mike looked into my eyes with a smile and whispered, "I love you, Papa," then rested his cheek against mine. We all hugged and kissed in silence. It was as if there was an unspoken bond developing between all of us. I finally felt that we were definitely on our way to becoming a family. It was several minutes later, I lost track of time, that Nell appeared in the doorway and cleared her throat. "Ahem! Do I need to get a crowbar?" We all looked at the smiling Nell. She had her arms folded on her chest. We all started giggling and wiping our faces. "If anyone's interested, lunch is ready. If you're not, it'll keep." I looked into Mike's eyes and asked, "Hungry?" He nodded excitedly and wiped his eyes. There was a delayed chorus of "Yeah!" and "I'm starvin'!" The boys quickly got to their feet. Stevey and Paul ran past Nell as I helped Mike to his feet and Tim helped me up. As I held Mike's hand Tim looked deeply into my eyes with his hands on my cheeks. "Thank you," he whispered. I shook my head as my breath caught. I whispered, "No thanks necessary." He reached around my neck and held me against his naked chest. I stroked his smooth back as he whispered, "I owe you much more than love. I owe you my happiness . . . and my well being. You make me feel like I can do anything." I looked into his eyes and whispered, "You owe me nothing. You make me happy in more ways than you know. As for Stevey, I've been blessed to be able to help some very special people, both young and old. I wouldn't trade that for anything. You'll never know how wonderful, how rich, you've made my life in the short time I've known you. I love you more than I'll ever be able to express, either in words or in actions. If you choose to love me, then my life is full. You don't owe me anything." He smiled shyly and tossed his shirt over his shoulder then leaned into me and placed a tender kiss on my lips. "I love you," he whispered. "I love you, too," I whispered back with a smile. "That's all that matters." We both became aware of a small pair of wide blue eyes watching us. He was intent on Tim's chest. "You sure got big muscles," Mike said to Tim. Tim smiled at him and said, "Yeah, and you'll probably have bigger muscles." His eyes widened even more. "You serious?" Tim nodded, "Mm hmm." Mike smiled and sighed, "Cool!" I laughed and said, "Let's go get a sandwich before Paul and Stevey eat it all." Tim and I each took one of Mike's hands and walked with him to the dining room. He looked up at us, from one to the other, seemingly in admiration all the way. Stevey and Paul were half way through their first sandwich when we arrived in the dining room. We were all on our way to devouring some serious groceries when the phone rang. Nell brought the phone to Tim and said, "Tim, it's your dad." Tim quickly swallowed and said, "Thanks," taking the phone. "Dad? Yeah, just a minute." Cupping the phone he asked me, "Do you have a pencil and some paper?" I reached into a drawer of the buffet and handed him what he needed. "Okay . . . yeah . . . really?" He handed the phone to me and said, "Dad wants to talk to you." Puzzled, I took the phone and said, "Hi, Dad!" He chuckled, "Hi, son. I gave Tim a phone number. It's for the owner of the place next to your new property. He says he was about to fire his foreman, but he wants to talk to you, first. Alan, I don't like the sound of it. Either he's really upset at his foreman or he's not in good health, or both. I don't know what he's got on his mind, but he was unusually serious." I had to admit that it sounded strange. "I'll give him a call and see what's on his mind. Thanks, Tom." "No problem, Sonny!" he laughed. "Oh! Rita's tugging on my arm. She says y'all've gotta come for supper tonight. I was supposed to call you this morning, but I forgot. She's been cooking all day and I'd catch Hell if you don't come! You've gotta save my sorry butt! You'll come, won't you?" I laughed, "Sure we'll come. Besides, it'll give Nell a break. She usually takes weekends off, but with all the boys here, she hasn't taken any time for herself. What time?" I heard mumbling on the phone then, "Momma says the sooner the better, but no later than six." "We'll be there as soon as we can. We're just finishing lunch, now. It might be good for the boys to get some exercise over there; they've been cooped up here too long." I looked at the boys around the table. They had stopped eating and were watching me intently. Smiles broke out all around. I cupped the phone and said, "We're going over to the Smith's as soon as you're ready. Finish eating, but don't wolf it down! Chew, chew, chew!" Am I beginning to sound like my father? Well, it could be worse. I could begin to sound like Nell! . . . Just kidding! Back on the phone I said, "Tom? The boys are anxious to visit." Then I remembered Stevey. "I'll have to check about whether we need to bring other company." "Oh, Frank's already here. I've seen him a few times hiding around the place. He pops up in the strangest of places. Okay, we'll see y'all in a bit!" "Great!" After hanging up I immediately dialed Frank. It barely rang. "Frank? Are you there?" "Hi, Alan. What's up?" "I wanted to let you know that the boys and I are going to the Smith's for dinner. Will we need protection?" "Hmm. Don't know if you'll need it, but you'll have it. I'll get a detail over here right away. Don't worry about a thing." I smiled. "Frank, when you're on the case, I never worry. Thanks." I pulled out my cell phone and speed dialed Andy. "Alan? Is everything okay?" I chuckled, "I was about to ask you that same thing. We're all going to the Smith's for dinner tonight. Frank's arranging for some security. How are things at your end?" "No progress, I'm afraid. It could be they're just laying low about to pounce, or it could be nothing. Either way, having Frank's men there won't hurt." "What about Stevey? Will he be safe at home?" "If you mean, should he go home to stay, I'd say not just yet. Things aren't as stable as I thought they might be. As long as there's no other problem it would be best if he didn't go home to stay for a while longer. I'll let you know when the heat's off." "Okay. By the way, I just bought the property next to the Smith's. We plan to build a new house and set it up with security. I'm sure Frank will want bars on all the windows, but I don't think any of us could live in a house that looked like a prison. There are other ways . . . ." "Listen to him, Alan. He's got great ideas. He likes security to be invisible, so I don't think you'll have a problem with it, at least if you can afford what he suggests. It could be pricey, though." "If it's necessary, we'll afford it. Thanks, Andy. We'll invite you to the house warming." He chuckled. "Now, THAT'S something I'll look forward to!" I laughed, "I'll bet you will. Thanks, Andy. Oh, and Andy? Call if things get too rough, will you?" He hesitated and sighed, "Yeah, I will. Thanks. I'll call you tomorrow." "Okay, good. See you." I sighed loudly looking at the phone, imagining the stress that must be on his face. An anxious Stevey sputtered, "Well? What'd he say?" I smiled at him and said, "He said you should stay here a while longer. Is that okay?" He smiled and looked at Paul. "Yeah. That's like REAL okay!" Paul looked back at him and sighed then pressed his hands into his lap. I scowled and said with mock sincerity, "I may have to separate you two." They both turned to me and said, "What?" "You heard me. Do I constantly need to remind you that Paul's still healing?" (GAWD, I sound like my father!) "Just chill! Paul, how're you feeling?" "Better! LOTS better!" I raised my left eyebrow and gave my best smirk of disbelief. It was my way of showing that I knew better. I practiced it in the mirror, so I knew it to be effective. I used it a lot at work. Paul dropped his head and said, "Well, SOME better anyway." I sighed, loudly, and looked at Tim. He was amused and smiling at me. I winked at him. "I think I'd better call that guy while the boys are finishing their lunch. Oh, and would you tell Nell that we won't be here for dinner? Tell her that if she wants to take tomorrow off, too, we'll be fine." "Okay." I dialed the number. The note said his name was Clint Bower. "Hello?" It was an older man's voice. "Hello, Mister Bower? This is Alan Stewart. Tom Smith gave me your number. He said you wanted to talk with me." "Yes, Mister Stewart. I'll get right to the point. I have a proposition for you. I own the ranch next to the one you just bought. As a matter of fact it surrounds it on two sides. I'm getting up in years and I've been thinking seriously about selling out. Would you be interested?" "Well, I haven't bought the property, yet, but I should, soon. What's the condition of your property, and how many acres is it?" "You'll close, count on it. Actually the place you're about to buy was cut from a much bigger ranch. It's my family place. You're buying it from me. The house and land was a gift to my daughter and her worthless husband. He was killed in the fire that destroyed the house and she doesn't want to live there any more. Can't say as I blame her, really, but that's enough of that. The rest of the place is a little over seventeen hundred acres. I've got the livestock down to about fifty head of Longhorn, two hundred head of Black Angus and about twenty horses. If you want 'em, I'll make 'em part of the deal." I tried not to sound surprised. "Do your foreman and hands come with the property?" "If you want 'em, I'm sure they'll work for you. They're a hard workin' lot, but . . . ." "But what?" "Well, the other night I walked in on my foreman and, well, I caught him with his pants down. I mean down around his ankles! He was, uh . . . WITH one of the hands." I snorted. "You mean they were having sex?" He sighed. "You don't mince words, do you? Yeah, that's what I mean." "Mister Bower, that doesn't bother me. I've seen a lot . . ." "The hand was another man!" "Like I said, it doesn't bother me. What two people do . . ." "Yeah, I've heard that before. Well, the foreman and the hands all work hard, and if that other doesn't bother you, you should be fine." I hesitated then said, "There's just one other thing. . . ." "How much? I was wondering if you'd ask. It's . . . ." The price was half what I expected. "Mister Bower, that's not much for all that land. What about the livestock?" "That's it. Land, livestock, buildings and equipment. Total price. Take it or leave it." "Well, that sounds like a really good deal, but I don't usually part with that much money unless I know what I'm getting. Can I ask why you're not asking more? Have you been losing money on it?" "No, I've been making good money on it; that's not it. I'm old, I'm tired, and I just don't want it any more." There was a sound of bitterness and defeat in his voice. "I'm sorry," I said softly. "Is there anything . . . ?" "No, nothing. I just didn't expect my life to turn out like this, that's all. Listen, the Keller boy tells me you want a two week escrow and title insurance. I can do better'n that. This property's just a piece of what my family owned since before this was Texas. I also own the title insurance company in town, so I'll make the title insurance part of the deal, too. Let's sit down on Friday and sign the paperwork. That sound good?" "Mister Bower, if it's everything I think it is, you've got a deal. Do you want a cashier's check?" "Can I trust you?" He laughed. "A personal check is fine for both places. It's not like I won't know where to find you, is it? Besides, if Tom Smith says I can trust you, that's good enough for me. He's a man of his word. See you at eight o'clock Friday mornin' at the title office." "Great. Oh, and I'd like to talk with your foreman, if that's okay." "Not a problem. Name's Hank Flint. You can probably catch him tomorrow at the foreman's house, it bein' Sunday an' all. Probably have his pants around his ankles again. It's the only house on the property about a half mile past the other place, so you can't miss it. He can show you around the place while you're there if you want. See you Friday." "Thanks." I hung up the phone and looked at Tim. He'd heard most of my side of the conversation after he returned to the table. Swallowing hard, wondering if I'd done the right thing I said, "We're ranchers. I just bought another seventeen hundred acres and a lot of livestock. It comes with a gay foreman." Tim laughed, "What? A GAY foreman?" I nodded. "This should be interesting." Stevey started choking on his tea and laughing. When he recovered he muttered, "Alan's home for gay dudes! It'll be a gay dude ranch! You can call it the 'Lazy Gays!'" Paul laughed until he choked and Mike smiled at Tim. I choked as well. Who would have guessed that my life would have become so interesting? And it all began with a vacation at a nudist resort! I just realized that I'd been looking dreamily into Tim's eyes and he was looking back the same way. I began to blush. With a wink at him, he winked back and I cleared my throat. "Okay, guys! Done?" I looked around the table and found that they were all looking at Tim and me with goofy grins. Stevey giggled with his hand over his mouth. Paul smiled and blushed. Through his redness Paul managed to say, "I think you guys are so awesome." I cleared my throat again and smiled at Paul. "Are you ready to go?" There was a chorus of "Yeah!" as they jumped from their seats, but I rained on their parade. "No, you're not! Go upstairs to your rooms, wash your faces and put on clean clothes! We don't want you to embarrass yourselves in front of Tim and Stevey's parents!" Paul was the last one to run, but I caught him gently by the arm. "Hold up a second!" I whispered. Kneeling on one knee, I looked up into his eyes and asked, "How are you feeling? Is the bruising okay? Any soreness anywhere?" He gently rubbed the left side of his tummy and said, "No, not really." "Would it be okay if I had a look? I just want to be sure you're healing." He nodded. I took him by the hand and Tim followed us upstairs. The three of us went into Paul's bedroom and closed the door. Paul took off his shirt and let me look closely at the bruises. Indicating his left side he said, "It's sorest here. It's kinda sore deep inside." I pressed gently around where I pictured his kidney to be, but that was around his back. "Does this hurt?" I asked. "No, not really. It feels a lot better there, actually." "Any trouble or pain when you're peeing?" He shook his head. "The doctor asked me that, too, but everything's fine. This is where it hurts the most, but it's not as much any more." I pressed gently where he indicated. "Here?" I asked. "Yeah. There mostly, but it doesn't really hurt when you press it. It hurts mostly inside. It's sort of a little ache, sometimes when I twist around." All of his obvious bruising was in the first stages of turning from dark purple to a sickly yellowish green. "Did it hurt there when Dr. Graves looked at you?" He nodded, "A little bit. He said it was just deep bruises. He called it hema- something." "Hematoma. That's what they call deep bruises. They usually take longer to heal. Does it hurt more or less?" "Less, but it still aches sometimes." "I'll get you a couple of pills. It'll feel better, but you may still have some pain. If anything begins to hurt more, tell me right away. Okay?" He nodded and hugged me around the neck. I hugged him gently in return. He whispered, "No one ever talked to me or listened to me or cared about me like you do." "Well," I choked, "you better get used to it, 'cause that's the way it's going to be from now on." When we released our hold on one another I kissed his forehead. Smiling at him I said, "Go rinse your face. Wash your armpits with a washcloth and use some deodorant. You're beginning to smell like a man. Then put on a clean shirt." He smiled at me and kissed my forehead, too. "Okay, Dad." I hugged him again. When he was through with me he turned to Tim and hugged him, too, then ran to his bathroom. I smiled at Tim and put my arm around his shoulder. As we walked to our room Tim whispered in my ear, "I love the feeling of being needed." I looked deeply into his eyes and whispered, "Me, too." When we were alone I took Tim in my arms, looked deeply into his eyes and asked, "Are you okay?" He nodded and said, "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just having a little residual panic I guess." He held me tightly and rested his head on my shoulder, breathing fitfully. I held him and gently stroked his back. He finally sniffed and wiped his nose with the back of his hand. "It's just," he began, "I love him, Alan. I don't know what I'd do without Stevey around. He's been, like, my best friend. Being a nudist can be hard. Everyone only wants one thing. They want to see you nude. Every year in high school, at the beginning of the year in gym class, everyone would crowd around me in the locker room and gawk at my body." Then he laughed. "They didn't know that seeing a guy with a white middle - part of him that had never seen the sun - turned ME on! It took every bit of my will power not to throw wood. If it wasn't for Stevey I wouldn't have had anyone to talk to. Like I already told you I didn't have any friends. I was friendly with everyone, but I didn't have anyone close. It always seemed like I was a kind of a celebrity 'cause I was a nudist, but the only people that wanted to get close to me were those that wanted to see me nude or have sex with me. I didn't want that. I wanted someone to talk to, to share my thoughts." Then he looked into my eyes, running his hands down my arms and across my chest and whispered, "Someone like you. Stevey knows how much I love you, and he loves you, too. He loves you almost as much as I do." I smiled and nodded, "I know. But he's . . ." "Yeah. He's only thirteen. I know I'm a lot younger that you want me to be, and Stevey's jailbait. But now that I know what he's been through, I know he'd be okay with doing things with an older man. I know you love him, too, Alan. I wouldn't object if you two . . ." I cleared my throat to interrupt him. "I don't think so. Stevey's been through a lot, but that doesn't mean that it would be okay for . . . you know. He needs to heal, emotionally, and he needs to be as much of a kid as he can be, considering that his childhood was stolen from him." He smiled at me and said, "Yeah, I know. And he's still jailbait." Tim sighed and looked at me with a smile. "I'll just have to keep you for myself." Then he pulled me into a warm embrace and said something that surprised me: "I still want to finish that weekend at the lake. I'd also like to do some traveling. I'd like to see other countries and visit places like London, and Paris, and Amsterdam, and Moscow, and Rome, and the pyramids of Egypt, and the Great Wall of China . . ." "Whoa!" I laughed, "Just remember we've got a family, now. Let's do some bonding with the boys before we run off and leave them for a private vacation." "Then we'll have to start with places that are closer like the Grand Canyon, and Yellowstone, and Washington DC, and Gettysburg, and the Redwoods, and San Francisco, and Niagara Falls, and . . ." I started laughing. "What?" he asked with a smile. "We could take that big motor home. We could go on cruises. And we could take Stevey." After he'd wound down I smiled at him. Stroking his hair and touching his smooth, unwrinkled face, I whispered, "I love your enthusiasm, and I'll try to keep up. But right now we have to get ready to go to your parents' for dinner." He held me with one arm and tenderly touched my lips with his other hand. "I love you," he whispered. "I love you, too." Our very wet kiss was interrupted by a knock on the door. Through the door we heard Stevey yell, "Hey, you two! I thought we were going to my 'rents for dinner!" "We'll be right out!" I yelled through the door. I looked at Tim, still holding him and asked, "Ready?" He nodded. "I just need to splash some water in my face." I stepped to the door and opened it. "C'mon in. We're almost ready." Stevey ran into the room and inspected the unwrinkled bed. He looked at me with a disappointed expression. Paul and Mike followed him into the room and looked around curiously, apparently unaware of what Stevey was looking for. I laughed and said to Stevey, "You know entirely too much!" Stevey looked at Tim who smiled and glanced at me as he turned toward the bathroom. I followed Tim and splashed water into my face as well. After I dried I stepped up behind Tim who was watching me in the mirror and reached my arms around him. I leaned down and kissed the back of his neck. Tim gasped and threw his head back onto my shoulder. Pinching his nipples he squealed. I could see movement in his crotch as he reached toward it and rearranged his growing hardness. When he groaned loudly we heard giggles behind us. I kissed Tim's neck again and whispered, "We'll finish this tonight." "Mmm!" he mumbled with a smile. Watching him in the mirror I smiled back at him. "Have you seen how you look at me?" Glancing at himself he blushed. "I look goofy!" Laughing I said, "No, you look quite sensual. I didn't fully realize how much I loved you until I noticed my own expression in the mirror when I looked at you." He chuckled and hugged my arms around him. In a low voice he said, "I still think I look goofy." "Maybe, but I like it." He turned in my arms and gave me a quick peck on the lips. "Which car are we taking?" "Oh, I suppose we should take the Hummer. The Suburban isn't back yet." He nodded. "I'll get it and bring it around to the front door." "Okay. I need to get a couple of pills for Paul." As he walked toward the boys Tim said, "Stevey, can you help me?" I watched them disappear, wondering what Tim had in mind that he would need to discuss with Stevey. I decided that if it was any of my business, I'd find out about it later. I looked at Paul and Mike and smiled. "Paul, I'll get you a pill. Mike, why don't you stay with us?" I grabbed a couple of ibuprophen for Paul, but I put one of his pain pills in a pillbox and put it in my pocket in case he needed it later. I pulled out a paper cup and put some water in it. Looking at Paul I asked, "I think you'll do better with something that won't put you to sleep. If you need something stronger, let me know, okay?" He nodded. "How good are you at taking pills?" He blushed and said, "No problem." I handed him the pills and water, wondering what the blush was about. He threw the pills in his mouth and took a gulp of water. They were down in an instant. "Wow!" I said. "That's impressive. When I was your age I used to have trouble taking pills." He blushed again and glanced at his brother. "Stevey told me how to do it." "Really? What did he tell you?" "Well, uh, you just, sort of, open your throat." I raised my eyebrows and nodded. I think I followed what he was saying. "Ah! Yes, I . . ." "You know," he elaborated, "Like when you deep throat someone." He began to giggle and covered his crotch with both hands. It was my turn to blush. "Uh, huh! Well! By the way, how are you doing down there?" I said, pointing at his crotch. "Lots better! It doesn't hurt hardly at all, anymore. I even woke up with a big boner and it only hurt a little bit!" "How's its shape? Is it lopsided or straight?" "Uh," he said, looking down at the front of his pants, "I don't know. I didn't look." "Well, next time it happens, pay attention and let me know, okay? It's important." He smiled wide and said, "Okay." I smiled back at him and ruffled his hair. Immediately I remembered how much I hated it when I was his age and someone did that to me. I smoothed his hair back in place and hugged him. "Are you ready to go?" I asked. Paul nodded into my chest. I looked over at Mike who had obviously been watching us. "Are you ready to go, Sport?" He nodded, but stood watching us with his hands behind his back. I looked down into Paul's eyes and softly said, "Let's go." When we got to the car Tim and Stevey were laughing and had a look of guilt when they first saw us. "Plotting?" I asked Tim. His false sense of incredulity could have won him an Oscar. "Plotting?" he asked. "What would make you think that?" "That smirk on your face, for one. What's up?" He winked and whispered, "Later." Then he glanced at the boys. At least the mood was much lighter as we drove. It was as if it were a new day and nothing bad had ever happened. At least they didn't notice the familiar Suburban following us to bring them back to reality. Arriving at the Smith's was as if it were a holiday, except that the day was still warm. Tom greeted us all with hugs. Even me! Rita was wearing an apron (as well as full clothing, as was Tom) and had obviously been cooking. The smell was outrageously intoxicating! "Rita," I asked, "what on earth are you cooking? It smells like Christmas!" "Oh," she laughed, "I feel like it's Christmas. Let's just say that I felt like a bit of a celebration. We hired a cook for the dining room, so I'll be semi-retired, now, and I wanted to celebrate everything else, too. No harm in that, is there?" "No! Of course not!" I noticed that the boys had all disappeared into the back, but Tim was staying close. He had watched them disappear, longingly, but stayed by my side. It looked as if he had reluctantly made the choice to stay with the "grown ups." I put my arm around his shoulder and squeezed him close. He put his arm around me and rested his head on my shoulder. Rita smiled at him and winked at me. After several minutes of small talk about the property next door and living next to them, the boys all came out from the bedrooms. What caught my attention was that they were all nude! Even Mike was proudly wearing only his sneakers and a wide grin! Of course, his pecker was leading the way! I chuckled and asked, "Where do you guys think you're going?" Through his ear-to-ear grin, Stevey announced, "I'm gonna show the guys around." I gave an inspecting look at Paul. "Paul, your bruises are still pretty mean looking. Are you sure you want to go outside like that?" He nodded. "I don't care if people see me. If anyone asks, I'll just say I was beat up, but they're all in jail. It's the truth, isn't it?" I couldn't argue with logic. "The only problem is," I said as I pointed down at Mike's erection, "you can't go out like that." Tom laughed and said, "Oh, I don't know. We're all used to the little ones losing control. He's still young enough that I don't think anyone will care. Besides, he'll lose it soon enough." Rita had a motherly smile on her face. "Yeah, Alan!" Stevey chimed in. "I used to spring a boner all the time!" As they were talking I could see Paul's pecker begin to rise. "Okay," I said, "Why don't you all sit down for a minute? Tim, would you mind going with them? I think it'd be best to keep an eye on them their first time out. What do you think?" He smiled at me and said, "I think it's a very good idea. I'll be just a minute, dudes!" he said as he pulled off his shirt while walking to the bedroom hallway. It was a warm, sunny day, and I had suspected that Tim had been aching to get back outside in the nude. I considered this as confirmation. I turned back in time to catch a wide-eyed look from Mike following Tim as he disappeared. He had his hand on his pecker. I whispered in his ear, "Are you afraid it's gonna fall off?" He blushed and grabbed my arm with both his hands and followed me to the couch as I sat. Mike sat hard against me as I reached my arm around his shoulders. By the time Tim came out, which wasn't long, Mike's erection had almost subsided. At Tim's appearance all three boys jumped up and headed for the door. Tim leaned down to me and kissed me on the lips. "Are you sure you don't want to come?" he asked. "I'm sure. Go enjoy yourself. I'd like to rest a little bit." He looked at me with surprise. "Are you all right?" "I'm fine! I'm just doing a little catch up on following doctor's orders." Looking relieved he said, "Oh. We'll be back in a bit." I nodded as he turned to catch up with the boys. I chuckled and said to Tom, "Tim's very mature, but there's still some boy left in him." Tom nodded with a smile. "What do you say we get comfortable, too? Rita and I only put clothes on because the boys were coming over. Now that the ice is broken, we can be ourselves." "Okay," I nodded while I tried not to show my hesitancy. I hadn't thought about it, but after all, nudity is the norm, here. Tom herded me toward the bedrooms. "C'mon. You can put your clothes in Tim's room." I looked around the room as I undressed. I had never been in Tim's room, so I felt like I was intruding into a part of his life he may not have wanted me to see. It was as if I was peeking into his soul. I smiled as I saw the things of his earlier life that he kept, but no longer held his attention. Keepsakes, remembrances, books, papers, new and old toys, they were all there and it was all clean and well organized. There was a worn, well-loved Teddy bear carefully propped on a high shelf, along with other artifacts from an active childhood. It warmed me that he had cared enough to keep them. A collage of photographs and pictures cut from magazines decorated an open section of wall. On closer inspection I recognized Tim's family, a lot of partially clad male celebrities (all very nice looking!) and even a very old grainy photo of me! (I was barely recognizable.) At the very center, in the position of greatest honor, was a photo of a couple. I guessed their ages to be mid-sixties, but they could have been older. They were nude and very attractive. I recognized a strong family resemblance to Tom and, to a lesser degree, Tim. They could only have been Tim's grandparents. The desk held computer parts laid out neatly, ready for assembly in some fashion. There were drives, cards, memory chips and mother chips. Some were old and some were relatively new. On a shelf above the desk were reference books and a large array of disks, some loose and some in crystals. Finally nude, I examined my body in the full length mirror on the closet door. The bruising from my heart procedure was completely gone, as were the red discs from the heart monitor electrodes. My body hair was short but even, thanks to Tim's handiwork with the razor, but I didn't like the way my muscles were beginning to sag. It wasn't obvious to the casual observer, but I could see it. It had been too long since I'd had a good workout. I made a mental note to bring that up with the doctor when I saw him next - Monday? Check your calendar, Stewart! It had been so long since I'd been nude anywhere but in private that it felt odd walking down the hallway in the Smith's home. Making my way to the living room, I became aware of a set of eyes following me. Tom whistled at me! "Now I know why Tim's so attracted to you!" I watched while his eyes dropped to my half-swollen crotch. He chuckled and cleared his throat. "Actually," I said, "I can see where Tim got his body. His dad's quite well built himself." Rita came around the corner with two glasses of iced tea. "Thomas, what are you going on about?" Then she, too, stopped for an ogle at me. "Oh, my! I hadn't seen you nude when you were here." She quickly looked around. "Tim's not here, is he? Alan, you're quite a looker! Do you always, y'know, trim your body hair?" I looked down at myself, feeling quite self-conscious. "Uh, no. When I had the heart attack they trimmed my body hair in odd places. Tim . . ." I caught myself and studied Rita's reaction as I continued. "Uh, Tim took care of the rest. He thought I'd look better if my hair was all the same length." Rita shared a knowing smile with Tom and I blushed. Rita continued, "Well, he was quite right. You're very fit. You take good care of yourself." I crossed my arms self-consciously across my chest. "Not as good as I usually do. I haven't worked out for a while." Rita handed me a glass and motioned for me to sit. I spied a small stack of towels and grabbed one, quickly sitting on it. "You'll have to come back and get some more sun," Tom observed as he found a seat for himself. "You've still got a bit of a tan line." Rita disappeared and quickly returned with a glass of tea for herself. After she'd arranged her own a seat I noticed by her firming breasts that she was a bit aroused and she was quite attentive. I felt incredibly flattered by her attention, but I was hoping Tim would return, soon. I also caught an occasional amused look from Tom cast in Rita's direction. They shared that knowing look only longtime mates can exchange. It's that intuitive kind of communication that I find so heartening. At least he wasn't jealous of me! I smiled at them and felt myself blush again as they both turned back to me. I was about to end the silent conversation with a comment of some kind (I have no idea what I was about to say!), but thankfully I was interrupted by the door opening and the sound of the boys broke the awkward silence. Tim must have felt my vibrations. He came immediately to me and sat next to me while the boys headed down the hall, presumably to go to Stevey's room, with Mike right behind them. Tim leaned into me and made a point to kiss me on the lips. I cleared my throat, a bit embarrassed at the show of affection in front of his folks. "You're back quicker than I thought you'd be. Anything wrong?" He shrugged and said in a low voice, "I think Paul got a little self- conscious about his bruises." "Oh. How'd Mike do? Any problems?" He chuckled and glanced at his folks. "If Paul hadn't wanted to come back I was about to bring them back anyway." He looked at his folks who were smiling at him. "Mike never lost his boner. He couldn't take his hand off it and his eyes off all the nude bodies. Poor guy. It'll take him a while to get used to this. I guess we should have broken him in a little more gradually by being nude at home." "Hmm." I thought a moment and said, "I think maybe we should hold off for a while until we can get something settled by way of adoption with the boys. I'd hate to jeopardize their future." Tom scowled and sighed. "It's too bad, really, that people are so narrow minded. Our boys grew up nude, and they sure haven't suffered any." Tim thought for a moment and said, "Well, it might have been a little difficult in school occasionally, but all in all, I kind of enjoyed the freedom." Then he chuckled. "It was kind of nice, though, being the only kid in school without a tan line." Everyone chuckled and Rita noticed the stirring in my groin. I was beginning to think she was developing a crush on me. At least the thought calmed my libido. Our conversation then led to more talk about the place next door, since both Tom and Rita were becoming excited that we'd be living so much closer. "Oh, by the way," I said, "Agent Cooper suggested that Stevey stay with us a little longer. Is that okay? I mean you must be missing him." Rita looked sadly at Tom. "Yes, we miss him, but we want him safe. We get really nervous when two men or a single man comes to stay. We've already changed the rules to exclude single men, but we just don't feel right turning away male or female couples. This is a family resort, but we have several gay couples that have kids. It would just be wrong to turn them away. The singles, though . . ." "What Rita's trying to say is that we're no longer comfortable allowing single men to come here, even if we do have a section just for adults. It's just . . ." I nodded. "I certainly can't blame you, but I'm glad you didn't change the rules until now." I looked at Tim and smiled. We talked for a couple of hours about the property and all that we thought about doing with it until about four o'clock when the boys came out of the bedrooms. Paul and Mike came up to Tim and me while Stevey went to his mother and announced, "We're hungry! When's supper?" Standing she said, "Tell you what. You boys go wash up and supper will be ready in about thirty minutes. How's that?" "Cool!" they chimed and ran back down the hall as Rita walked into the kitchen. I cleared my throat and in a whisper I asked Tim, "What's protocol? Do we dress for dinner?" Tim chuckled and shook his head. "You're fine as you are," he whispered as he looked at my lap. For some reason that caused a reaction. It wasn't just the innuendo. I could smell Tim's sun baked scent radiating from him and it had me on the edge of control as it was. I swallowed hard and pulled a towel over my midsection. Holding the towel to cover my rapidly rising erection I quickly stood and announced, "I'd better wash up, too." Escaping to the privacy of Tim's room I closed the door and sat on the bed, my head in my hands as my dick throbbed. It just didn't feel right. Nothing seemed to feel right. It was probably that I'd been thinking too much about Robert. I wanted to turn the clock back so that he and I were in bed, holding each other tightly. I never should have let him go to work that Saturday. I had had an erection that needed attention, but Robert was in a hurry to get to work. He was in a hurry so he could get home early, or so he said. The door slowly opened and softly closed. I didn't look up. Tim sat quietly on the bed and gently rubbed my back. He cleared his throat and said, "Mom's worried about you and so am I. What's wrong?" Clearing my throat I rubbed my eyes and managed a smile. Trying to sound cheerful I said, "It's nothing. Just something I was thinking about." Tim looked into my eyes with deep concern. "That's not all of it, is it? There's more. I'm your partner, now. I need you to share with me the stuff that bothers you." His concern broke down my last barrier. I had been preoccupied all afternoon and apparently the only person I'd deceived had been myself. I grabbed him and pulled him tight. Burying my face in his soft, smooth neck I began to sob. He held me as tightly as I held him. When I'd finally cried myself out I looked into Tim's deep brown eyes and whimpered. "You're right, but I'm so weak," I whispered. "You deserve better." "N - No!" he choked. "You're the one I want! You're the one I love! Tell me what's wrong!" I slowly shook my head and whispered, "Later. Not right now. There's too much. It's all emotional baggage and ghosts." He looked at me intently and swallowed hard. "It's Robert, isn't it?" I blinked at him in disbelief. How could he know that? I opened my mouth to speak, but my throat seized and refused to let me, so I dropped my head and just nodded silently. He held me and gently rubbed my shoulder and back, then finally softly said, "You need to tell me about him." I sighed a long breath and nodded, still holding my head down. I felt as if I was suffering from terminal sadness, that is, of course, with the exception that the incredible young man sitting pressing his firm, bare thigh into mine was radiating the most intense love for me. Thinking about Robert had put my emotions in a tailspin. I felt a familiar depression coming on. (That hand on my back was so gentle and warm.) Robert's memory was killing every good thought. (Tim is sooooo sexy!) I looked up into that wonderful, clear young face and felt myself being drawn into it. His thin eyebrows were so perfectly straight, his teeth so white. His eyes were so dark brown and his hair had been so loved by the sun. His scent wafted into my nostrils and electricity surged through every nerve in my body. Before I was fully aware of what was happening my lips were brushing his. Tim pressed into me and massaged my mouth with his, slowly searching my mouth with his tongue. I felt every concern drifting away as I was lifted into Tim's loving embrace. Everything that wasn't Tim seemed to fade to insignificance as we fell back onto the bed. His breathing became ragged as I realized I was panting into his mouth. I rolled on top of him and felt his hardness stab my thigh. He moaned, I let a noise go from deep in my throat, and I immediately shot my load all over him! My dick was convulsing and so was my entire body. I was inside my body watching it empty my nuts all over a young god. MY young god! Ohmygod! I did it again! I just had a spastic, spontaneous ejaculation all over my naked, strike that, NUDE young partner! I had almost gotten my breath back and dropped to devour Tim's insistent manhood. He is sooooo, smooth! Sooooo silky! It took very little stimulation and he was spraying my tonsils white! I swallowed quickly and milked him dry, then began to lick him clean. When he gasped loudly as I licked his left nipple, there was a childish giggle at the door from more than one boy and fast footsteps that became quieter. We'd been entertaining someone, and I'm pretty sure I know who! I'm going to have to find a way not to make so much noise when I climax! I used a towel to finish cleaning him as his panting slowed. Propped on my left elbow, I slowly ran my hand over his sculpted body, marveling at how wonderful it was just to be able to touch him. He watched my face as I continued to trace his form. "Better?" "Outstanding!" I whispered. He laughed, "No! Not me! You!" "Oh, that. You make me forget things." He chuckled and grabbed me into a tight hug. I'll never complain about having that wonderful body pressed against mine! We stayed entwined for several minutes when we were brought back to reality by a knock on the door. "The boys are hungry!" Rita announced. "We're sitting down to supper! You can join us when you're ready." I looked at Tim and whispered, "I love you, so much." "I love you, too. Don't ever forget that." I shook my head and said, "I won't. I need your love. All of it." He nodded. "You got it! Now, let's go join the gang, or Mom's feelings will be hurt." We stood and I quickly inspected us to make sure all evidence of our love making was gone, including our erections, and Tim led me to the dining room after we had a quick wash-up in the bathroom. The boys had already put a pretty big dent in the food Rita had laid out. As we sat and ate, nothing was said about our abrupt disappearance, but Tim kept a watchful eye on me. I could feel his empathy giving me strength, just as if he were projecting it into me. He's so remarkable! After supper the boys made short work of a cheesecake Rita had made then we all got dressed, made our excuses, heaping praises on Rita about how good everything was, and retreated home. Rita made sure to give Stevey an extra long hug and gave him instructions to behave and be careful. It was obvious she continued to worry about him. It was still light out when we got home, and it would be a couple of hours before sunset, so I whispered to Tim that we were going out again. He looked a little apprehensive, but he nodded in silence. "Do you boys want to go for a ride?" I got an excited affirmative from all three. "Okay, then, let's go to the toy box and pick out a car." This seemed to excite the boys, but Tim seemed to have an idea of what I had in mind, so he walked with me behind the boys. When we burst through the door, Stevey found the light switches and turned all the lights on. The boys all scattered throughout the building, each yelling that we were taking this or that car. Stevey had singled out the Z06 'Vette and seemed to be drooling on it. I laughed, getting Stevey's attention. "How are we all going to fit in that?" Stevey looked over at me and shrugged. "When are you taking me for a ride in it?" I glanced at Tim who was chuckling at me. "Soon," I said. "Let's look at this one over here." Paul was nowhere to be seen, but Mike was wandering down the aisle of older cars. That was where I led Tim and Stevey. "Paul?" I yelled. "Yeah?" came a distant reply. "Come over here. We'll take this one." Tim watched me while I led them to the Boattail Auburn. He had a question on his face. It didn't seem to be a practical choice, but I could only smile at him. He nodded and obediently got in the car on the passenger side. "No," I said in a very low voice. "You're driving." He slid over to the driving position as I opened up the rumble seat and indicated for Stevey and Paul to get in. They excitedly complied. "Mike, the back seat's too small for three. You'll have to ride in the middle of the front seat." "Okay!" he said, and jumped in with a big smile on his face. "I'll get the door. Start it up and follow me out." Tim looked a little apprehensive at first as he looked down at the dash and found the key. I knew he wouldn't have any trouble. When I had the overhead door open Tim had the car there so I climbed in. As he carefully drove out of the building, he said with surprise in his voice, "This isn't an old car." "No, it's not. It's a reproduction with a modern V-8, power steering and brakes, and all the modern comforts." Then almost in a whisper, my eyes clouding, I said, "It was Robert's." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To be continued . . . . ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Okay, so there's the end of the most current chapter, my Holiday present to all of my faithful readers. I hope to have more chapters on more of a regular basis, probably every other month, maybe sooner, but don't count on it. If you want to keep track of what I'm up to, sign up on my blog at www.lancekenman.com. - Lance P.S. - As I stated at the beginning, Lance Kenman is my pen name. However, Lance is my real middle name. I've thought for years about using it, but never got around to it. This is my chance, so I'm going for it. - L.