Date: Sun, 1 Aug 2010 08:28:13 EDT From: Bwstories8@aol.com Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - Book 8, chapters 27 - 28 The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening --Book 8 - by BW Copyright 2009 by billwstories Chapter 27 -- Much to do on the Home Front. As soon as I arrived home from my trip to see Frankie, the high school boys cornered me, so they could fill me in about problems they'd had while I was away. They were extremely upset because the posters they'd put up on Thursday were either destroyed or had bigoted slurs scribbled on them, so I reiterated I had warned them there might be repercussions from organizing the alliance. I also conceded that our irate board member was probably not the only one who was against their efforts, but I was hoping such problems wouldn't start so soon. Unfortunately, we didn't get a break, where this was concerned. "What do you plan to do now?" I asked. "We've made more posters since Friday," Nick advised me, "and we're planning on putting them up tomorrow." "Okay, that's good," I responded. "I'll make sure your principal alerts the faculty and staff to keep their eyes open to see if we can catch the culprits." The boys seemed satisfied with my response and it put an end to their concerns for the time being. However, we were all still fearful of the beast lying beneath the surface and waiting to rear its ugly head. I had a strong suspicion this was just the beginning of our problems, although I was hoping these acts were being carried out by a very small number of students. No matter how many were involved, I was sure they weren't about to give up easily, especially since they had been able to do all this without being found out. Those who do things of this nature seem to get a little bolder each time they carry out their plans without getting caught. Monday morning, after I got to my office, I called the high school principal and talked to him about what had happened. I also inform him that the boys were putting up more posters, to replace the ones that had been defaced or destroyed, and asked him to see if he could discover who was behind the vandalism and slurs. He promised he'd do everything he could to assist in this investigation and I thanked him. I then moved on to my own work, because I had a lot to do after being away. Even though the high school boys had put up their new posters, they were not in a very good mood that evening. Nothing had happened during the day, but they weren't so sure the situation was going to improve. Sammy seemed to be particularly bothered about what had happened, but I couldn't get him to talk about it. I wasn't sure why he was more affected than the others, but he wouldn't elaborate about his concerns. He did tell me he planned to walk home from school the next day, but he refused to divulge his reasons. All he would say was that he had something to do, but wouldn't explain what he was up to. I suspected he was going to stakeout some of the posters, to see if he could discover who was defacing them. Since I was fairly positive he wouldn't confront the suspects alone, I felt it wouldn't do any harm, so I didn't object to his plans. Later that evening, I had to go out to attend a meeting, but before I left I reminded Jake and the boys that the following evening we had an awards banquet to attend. I advised them they should plan on being there a little early, because seating was not assigned and the best spots would go quickly. I also told them I wouldn't be coming home beforehand, because I had other duties to attend to, but I would meet them there as soon as I finished up. Andrew and Jesse were concerned the banquet would interfere with their bike ride, but I let them know they'd only have to cut it a little shorter than normal, rather than not go out at all. Reluctantly, they agreed to this, but only after getting me to promise they could go out for a longer ride the following afternoon. The next day, after I got to work, I received a phone call from the high school principal. He informed me it had been brought to his attention that a couple of the newly hung gay-straight alliance posters had slurs written on them, but no one had seen it done. It must have happened sometime between the end of school yesterday and the start of classes today, but there had been no reports of anything suspicious during this timeframe. He advised me that the damaged posters had been taken down, so my boys could fix or replace them, and then he added the surveillance would be increased in an attempt to catch the offenders. His comment prompted me to ask what had been written on the posters and he told me one poster had 'fags must die' scrawled across it, while another had 'gays will burn in hell' added to it. It was not surprising, yet still disturbing, and I'm sure whoever was doing this had picked those views up at home. I think the manner of inculcating bigoted attitudes might have been best expressed in a song from South Pacific, one that is often not used when doing this musical, because of its controversial nature. It was titled "You've Got To Be Carefully Taught" and the lyrics go like this. You've got to be taught to hate and fear You've got to be taught from year to year It's got to be drummed in your dear little ear You've got to be carefully taught You've got to be taught to be afraid Of people whose eyes are oddly made And people whose skin is a different shade You've got to be carefully taught You've got to be taught before it's too late Before you are six or seven or eight To hate all the people your relatives hate You've got to be carefully taught You've got to be carefully taught It was originally written to address bigotry against Orientals, Pacific Islanders and other people of color (as they put it at the time), but I think one more verse could have been added between the second and last verses... one that goes like this. You've got to be taught to really despise The boys who tend to love other guys To spread all that hatred and tell all those lies You've got to be carefully taught Talking about the posters dominated the discussion when we all got together again at the awards banquet later. The boys were irate that someone had messed with their posters again and couldn't comprehend why anyone would stoop as low as to do these things. After debating this point for many minutes, I tried to remind them this was the reason they were organizing the alliance in the first place, to educate others about gays and build tolerance and respect for those who are different. After going into a little more detail concerning this, the boys began to calm down a bit. They were still upset about what had happened, but they were beginning to hope they could get enough others to understand that gays were no different than anyone else; except for the fact they were attracted to members of their own gender. They also began to think they could change the attitudes of enough of their fellow classmates to improve the situation, but I warned it would be a long and difficult struggle to counteract years of ingrained distrust and misinformation. The boys said they understood, but they were still anxious to give it a try. I could tell Sammy wasn't as enthused as the others. I attributed it to the fact that he was probably upset he hadn't been able to discover whom the culprits were who were doing this. Once again, I tried to draw out of him what was wrong, but he still wasn't willing to share this information with me. The only thing he would say was that he'd be walking home from school again tomorrow. Of course, I figured this was to give him another opportunity to try to discover who the vandals were. Although I was becoming leery about his obsession, I concluded there was little harm in it for now. I also calculated that if I gave him enough time he'd either give up his surveillance or open up about what was bothering him, so I dropped the topic and gave him his space. The banquet began with a very nice meal. After we finished eating, the awards were given out and each of my graduating sons received some recognition. To my surprise, Cole accepted the first of these honors when he was given the award for 'Outstanding Performance in the Trades Program.' He had earned this for the mechanical and body work he had done to fix up the thirty-year old Mustang GT Fastback he'd purchased. The high school principal winked in my direction, when he noticed my amazed look. It was then that I realized he had intentionally kept this information from me, so he wouldn't spoil the moment. Actually, I was grateful he had done this, because now I could truly respond to Cole, as I should, once he returned to his seat. We were all genuinely pleased and proud of him and let him know this when he returned cradling his plaque. After that, Trey was called on to receive an award for his writing and another for having the highest four-years average in English. Neither of his honors came as a surprise to any of us. When he was presented his writing award, the high school principal also noted his past accomplishments and reminded everyone that Trey had received honorable mention for his play at the national level the previous year. After a nice round of applause, he also returned to his seat. Another mild surprise came when Nick's name was read and the president of the Rotary Club acknowledged his accomplishments. The president told those gathered that besides having been chosen to go to Brazil as exchange student during the previous year, Nick had earned the highest grade on the Spanish competency test. Not only that, but he was also given a special award for achieving outstanding proficiency in Portuguese, as acknowledged by the school he attended in Brazil. Again, this was something that had been kept hidden from me, but I swelled with pride as I watched Nick go up to accept his plaques. Not to be outdone, Vinnie was recognized for being 'The Most Inspirational Member of the Student Body.' This was a special award, created by the Student Council, and the presentation read as follows. "This award is given to the student who most inspires us and this person is Alvin 'Vinnie' Rydell-Shay. Vinnie has overcome physical handicaps and the loss of his parents on 9/11, yet he always remains positive and upbeat. He is constantly willing to offer a helping hand and has a smile for each of us. If more people were like Vinnie, then the world would be a better place to live." This was something else we were not expecting and I think Vinnie might have been a little embarrassed when he returned to the table. Although he liked to be noticed by his friends and enjoyed being the center of attention at times, he was not one who liked to be recognized in a public forum, especially when his medical condition was brought up. I could sense his discomfort, but fortunately the banquet ended shortly after that presentation was made, so he didn't have long to suffer through his uneasiness. Once the banquet concluded, each of the boys received congratulations from their friends and others in attendance, while I went around the hall to congratulate some of the other recipients as well. After the crowd began to thin out, we gathered up our things and went home, happy to call it a day. Thursday the college boys arrived home, lugging all their possessions. They seemed to be happy about being back for the next couple of months and I knew they were relieved their finals were over and another academic year was behind them. However, the most excited member of the group seemed to be Shannon. He was not only happy to be home to see his father and everyone else again, but he seemed extra pleased to be reunited with Nick. Of course, Nick was probably more excited than Shannon, since he'd been pacing the house all week, while awaiting his lover's return. I'm not sure Jake was as thrilled about the two of them getting back together, but he was being good and keeping his mouth shut. Even though he had told them boys he accepted their relationship and continued to be friendly toward Nick, I could still sense he was uneasy about what consequences might result from Shannon and Nick's future sexual exploits. As soon as they felt it was safe to do so and wouldn't be deemed impolite, both boys slipped off to their room to get reacquainted. As soon as they were alone inside, they decided it was safe to be themselves again. "Damn, I missed you," Nick told his lover. "Have you been a good boy?" Shannon teased back. "Yep, totally," Nick responded. "You mean you haven't done anything since I've been gone?" Shannon clarified. "Not a thing... well, except for my own hand," Nick answered. "And it's been pretty busy. I've missed you so much." "Well, if that's true," Shannon responded, "then I think you've earned a reward. What would you like?" "Just to hold, kiss and feel you close to me again," Nick told him and immediately Shannon wrapped him in a huge embrace. Before long, the boys made their way to the bed and were passionately kissing and running their hands over each other's clothed body. Once they were lying beside each other on the mattress, Shannon expected Nick to ravage him, but that didn't happen. Instead, Nick merely continued to kiss Shannon and run his hands all over Shannon's exterior, but he didn't make any overt sexual moves. "Is something wrong?" Shannon asked. "No, nothing," Nick replied, confused. "Why?" "Then why aren't we undressed yet?" Shannon commented and, finally, the light went on in Nick's head. "I told you," Nick began to explain, "that I've learned there is more to love than just sex. Sex is just the dessert, but the main course is when we're close and I am holding you. I've really missed being able to do that." "Are you sick?" Shannon asked, as he placed his hand on Nick forehead, as if he were checking his temperature. Finding Nick's head felt 'normal,' he continued. "Wow, you are serious, aren't you?" Shannon added, amazed. "Did my dad threaten to castrate you or something, if we had sex again?" Nick let out a nervous little laugh after hearing Shannon's comment. "He might have thought it, but he's never said it," he confided, "but I guess knowing how stupid I was about going after sex all the time really scared me. Did you see where that porn star had unprotected sex filming in Brazil? He became HIV positive and has infected some of his co-stars too." "Yeah, I heard about that and..." Shannon hesitated before continuing, "I thought of you when I did," he reluctantly admitted. "But you've tested negative, right?" "Yes, I did, but the doctor also said it might not show up right away," Nick conceded, but he was looking away, instead of at Shannon when he did so. "Is that why you don't want to have sex now?" Shannon asked, directly. "Not exactly, but it is a concern," Nick responded. "I just know I'd rather have you, even without the sex, than to have sex with anyone else now." I think this comment floored Shannon, since he never expected Nick to say anything like this. Sex had always been the key motivating factor for Nick and now he was saying it wasn't his main focus any longer. "You've decided this all by yourself?" Shannon wanted to know. "Not exactly," Nick admitted. "Pop has had me seeing this guy about what he calls 'my obsession with sex.' "And it's helped?" Shannon asked, surprised that he hadn't heard about this before now. "Yeah, I didn't think it would, but it really has," Nick responded. "We've talked about a lot of things and he got me to see that I always wanted sex because it made me feel good, but I also kind of thought it meant I was loved. I guess you know that I didn't think my parents loved me when I was younger and that's why I ran away. "This guy showed me that sex only made me feel good for a little while," Nick continued, "so that's why I had to keep doing it more and more, kind of like someone addicted to drugs. After a while the same dose doesn't have as strong an effect on you, so you have to take more or do it more often. Now, I don't feel like I need to have sex all the time. I mean, it was nice and made me feel really good, but now I know I'd rather be loved and love someone else, rather than just to have sex without any feelings." "How long have you been seeing this guy?" Shannon asked. "Ever since my doctor's exams," Nick responded. "Pop worked it out so the guy comes to meet me at school two to three times a week, during my study hall time." "And this hasn't bothered you?" Shannon wanted to know. "Nope, not at all," Nick answered. "In fact, I'm kind of glad he made me do it. It's made me see a bunch of things about myself that I never knew before." "You have changed," Shannon gasped, since he didn't know what else to say. He just looked at Nick, as he thought about how he wanted to approach him now. "You know, I still want to have sex, though," Shannon finally admitted, before he decided to add something more, to see how Nick would respond. "You're not afraid to do that with me now, are you?" "No, I'm not afraid to," Nick told him, "but we do have to be very careful. I don't want you to get the genital warts and I certainly don't want to expose you to HIV, if I was dumb enough to get that too." "Okay, so we'll be very careful and always use rubbers, but I don't want to do without the sex. I've missed doing things with you while we were apart and I was looking forward to us being intimate again." Later, I heard a rumor that Nick might have blushed at this point, but Shannon didn't let up and pushed him down on the mattress, kissed him aggressively and slowly began to remove Nick's clothing. Nick tried to protest, but that was hard to do with Shannon's tongue sticking in his mouth, so he just moaned and began to respond to Shannon's persistence. Before long, both of them were naked and ready for more. "Just don't touch my dick unless it's in a condom. Okay?" Nick insisted, worried about his partner's safety. "Come on. It can't be that bad," Shannon insisted. "Yes, it can. You can get the warts really easy and they won't go away. So, please, promise me," Nick pleaded. "Okay. Okay. But that's going to be hard," Shannon agreed. "It has to be hard, to stay in the condom," Nick joked back, which caused Shannon to give him a playful punch in the shoulder, before he ran off to get the box of prophylactics and lube. When he came back, he handed the items to Nick, who quickly slipped a condom over his own erect member, and then he put one over Shannon's engorged shaft as well. "What's that for?" Shannon asked, puzzled. "We have to protect you too," Nick stated. "Not only can you get it from my dick, but you could also get it if you make love to me." That seemed to be enough to satisfy Shannon's curiosity and they went back to concentrating on what they were doing. Shannon did notice that Nick was more affectionate and spent much more time on the foreplay than in the past, which only confirmed what Nick had already told him. He really had changed, and because of that, the boys spent a long time together, enjoying each other emotionally, as well as physically. Shannon liked the idea that Nick seemed to be taking pleasure in just being with Shannon, instead of looking forward to the wham-bam-thank-you-man type of sex. In fact, Shannon almost had to beg Nick to get to it tonight, as Nick was more into pleasing Shannon than himself. However, once he finally committed to the act, no matter how concerned he was about exposing Shannon to whatever he might have contracted in Brazil, he gave it his all. Slowly, Nick slid his sheathed shaft into his lover, which caused Shannon to moan and shiver in delight, especially since he had been looking forward to this moment for many months. This also included the time Nick was in Brazil, because they hadn't been allowed to have sex since he returned. Lovingly, Nick consummated their love once again, but this time with more kissing and focusing on other areas of Shannon's body as well. After many minutes of their rhythmic dance, Nick exploded in a powerful orgasm and then collapsed on top of Shannon. However, once he recovered, he switched places and returned the favor. The next morning, we could all tell they had finally ended the temporary celibacy they had been forced to endure. We noted how they both glowed and pranced about, which were only a couple of the signals that made us conclude they had been intimate. Even though he didn't say anything or react in a way the boys would see, I knew it still bothered Jake deep down that Shannon might be exposing himself to various potential threats to his own health. I was certain he felt the boys were practicing safe sex and taking every possible precaution, but there is always the chance something bad will still happen. Besides, it's a father's prerogative to continue to worry about the welfare of his child, even if it runs counter to the evidence. The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening --Book 8 - by BW Copyright 2009 by billwstories Chapter 28 -- Changes. It wasn't very long after breakfast before the younger boys and I headed off for school, while the college boys slept in. I had a full day ahead of me, not only with school related issues, but I also had to firm up my arrangements to visit the farms the next day. I was going out to inspect the changes that had been made and make sure both farms were operating as they should be. My final duty would be to check on the children who lived there, even though Sally or one of the other caseworkers continued to look in on them regularly. I decided not to take all the boys with me this time, because they'd be going out at the end of June to help with the haying, but Jake would be joining me. I was going to take Little Ricky with us too; since he used to live there and had mentioned several times that he wondered what his old home looked like now. I felt he needed to see what was happening there and get some closure, before going out with the other boys. I thought it might give him some peace of mind to know that his father's death and mother's illness had also precipitated some good, and not just the sadness and pain it had caused him. Both sets of house parents were expecting my call, so I told them Little Ricky, Jake and I would be coming out between nine and ten the next morning. That night I advised Little Ricky about our plans, so he'd be ready to get up earlier than on a normal Saturday morning. I was a little surprised by how excited he seemed about joining me, but I was glad to see him react so positively to the news. However, later in the night there was a surprise in store for me, but this one had nothing to do with Little Ricky. It happened when Sammy asked if he could go to the movies with some friends, something he rarely did. Not only that, but these were boys I never even knew he was friendly with. The entire group he would be with had shaky reputations and did not come from the best of families, so this concerned me even more. However, I've always preached that they shouldn't judge a book by its cover and be willing to give people the benefit of the doubt, at least until they'd proved they weren't worth the risk. Therefore, I didn't nix his plans. I did, however, tell him I expected him to act in a way that would bring them UP to his level, rather than having him stoop to theirs. I'm not sure if the look he gave me meant he was just surprised I had brought this up or if they might have had some plans that were on the shady side, but he said he understood. His initial reaction had caused me some concern, but seeing I trusted Sammy, I put those thoughts out of my mind. Sammy also told me he wouldn't need a ride home afterward, since one of those boys had said he'd drop him off on his way home. Going against my better judgment, I said that would be okay. However, I did have a backup plan of sorts. Some of the other boys were planning to go out too, so I asked them to keep their eyes open, just in case, as I just wanted to make sure nothing was amiss. They said they would, which made me feel a little better. After dinner, while the boys were getting ready to leave, Jake and I helped Andrew and Jesse clean up the dishes and put things away. Those two boys were staying home with us, so they volunteered to do the cleanup. While we were working together, Jesse prodded Andrew into asking Jake and I to go out with them on their bike ride tomorrow. After explaining to them that we had things to do in the morning, but we'd be happy to join them sometime in the afternoon, both boys seemed quite pleased. They were still excited about this prospect after we finished our chores, so they excitedly began to plan the route they wanted us to take. As they disappeared, I dragged Jake off to the living room, where we could be alone. I decided this was a good opportunity to spend some quality time with him, but I also hoped it might help keep his mind off Shannon and Nick. They had gone out too, along with almost all of the older boys, and I didn't want Jake to spend the entire evening worrying about his son. We began watching a movie and before long Andrew and Jesse returned to join us. They both sat off to my right, as I sat with my arm around Jake, and when the commercial came on, Andrew began to explain where they hoped to take us tomorrow. It was in the opposite direction from the way we went the last time I rode with them and I told them it sounded like fun. They seemed happy with my response, but they were even more pleased when Jake informed them that he was looking forward to going on the bike ride too. We flicked through the channels after the movie ended and watched a variety of other programs. Then some of the boys began to return home. Needless to say, many of our vehicles were out and about this evening, so the boys didn't have to wait long for rides. Kevin and Vinnie were the first to show up. They were using the 4Runner and had Trey and Dion with them. They had gone out together, but I was surprised to see Sammy was with them too. I thought his friends were giving him a ride home, but they all just said 'hi' when they walked in and then the two couples disappeared to their rooms. Sammy came in to sit with us, but he didn't appear to be in a very good mood. I wasn't sure if his evening didn't go as he wished or if somehow his brothers had interfered with it by bringing him home early. I felt I'd wait to see if he mentioned anything, rather than pushing him to find out what was up, but he remained mum. We sat like that for a few minutes more and then the boys took off for their rooms. I ended up going to bed without finding out what was troubling Sammy. Jake and I got up early Saturday morning and Jake began to fix breakfast, while I went to wake up Little Ricky. After downing a decent meal, the three of us took the Grand Am and drove out to the farms. Although it was only a little after 9:00 when we arrived, all the children were up and active, unlike at home, where everyone, except for Little Ricky, Jake and I, was still asleep. Our first stop was at the Beckers' old home and I was well aware, before we arrived, that the renovations had now been completed. The place looked really nice and nearly everything had changed, both inside and out. Although the basic structure had remained essentially the same, a few minor walls had been removed, to open things up. The house had also been insulated and vinyl sided, so it really looked fantastic. "Wow, this looks so different," Little Ricky commented. "Do you like it?" I asked. "Yes, I like it," he responded, "but I don't feel as if it's my old home any more. In a way, I'm glad, because now I won't think about it so much. I have a new home, so that's the way it should be." I wasn't sure if he was being totally honest about his feelings, but if he was, I was glad he felt he belonged with us. Before, I knew at least a part of his heart remained at the farm, but now maybe this would change. It wasn't the reason we had the place remodeled, because that was solely for practical purposes of accommodating more children, but it apparently did more than that. After checking out the house, we went out to the barn, to look at the improvements there. We discovered many boards had been replaced, both on the sides of the building and in the flooring, in an effort to strengthen it. In addition to that, the barn had received a fresh paint job and looked as if it had just been built, which belied it's nearly one hundred year age. The boys who were doing the morning chores were just finishing up the milking or busy cleaning the barn floor. As soon as the milking was completed, the cows were led out to the pasture, so they could graze for the remainder of the day. I counted seven boys currently living at the farm and they ranged from about twelve to seventeen, but I noticed not all of them seemed enthused about being there. Two of the boys, the youngest and another who was about fifteen, seemed happy enough, but the other five appeared to be going through the motions of doing their chores only because they had been forced to do so. I could tell by the way they were going about their duties that they couldn't wait to get away from the barn, but maybe that was to be expected. Not only was the work hard and dirty, but I would also guess a little rebelling is to be expected from boys this age. It might be truer for these boys, because they had either been in trouble with the authorities or shuffled around from one place to another. I made sure I got to chat with each of them for a bit, although the seventeen year old didn't seem to want to be bothered. I wasn't sure if this was just because of his age, since older teens don't often want to share their feelings with adults, or because there were more deeply rooted problems, but I was determined to find out. After chatting with some of the others, I discovered most of them were just upset about having to get up so early on a Saturday. They thought things could wait a little longer this morning, since it was the weekend, but the house-parents wouldn't give in. This, in turn, resulted in their negative attitude. When I hinted that the oldest boys seemed to be taking it really hard, the others laughed. Then they explained that he was mad because he wanted to go out the night before, but the house parents wouldn't let him. That was because he had been slow getting his chores done a couple days that week and had given them some lip when they told him his behavior wasn't acceptable. I guess his punishment for the minor rebellion was being stuck home on a Friday night. When I got back to the house, I asked the house parents how things had been going and they told me quite well. They said they'd had a few minor problems with the boys, but nothing serious, and I was pleased to hear that. All in all, it looked as if things we're working out well and I was happy about what was being done with the Foundation's investment. Once we finished up there, we drove to the second farm and found similar encouraging results. At this location there were three younger children, a girl around three and two boys about four or five, and then there were two older girls, one maybe fourteen and the other about sixteen. This was in addition to the nine- year old girl they had before they accepted this position. The renovations there had been completed as well and the house and other buildings looked just as impressive as the changes at the old Becker farm. Once again, I took the opportunity to chat with the children, although the little ones didn't give me much in the way of useful information. Instead, they told me about the animals and what they'd named them, before filling me in about some of the things they do for the animals. They all appeared to enjoy being on the farm and I was pleased to see they were so happy. The older girls both told me they had been hesitant about coming to the farm-home, when they were first offered this opportunity, but then went on to explain they were glad they'd given it a try. Both of them told me they had more freedom here than any place they had lived before, but it was possible it was because the farm was so isolated. They also told me they enjoyed being around the younger children and helping to take care of them. The girls said they were treated fairly, although they did have lots of chores to do and some of the work was hard. I thanked them for their honesty and help, and then Little Ricky, Jake and I said good-bye and headed home. When we got back, Andrew and Jesse were chomping at the bit and anxiously awaiting our return, so we could go out for our bike ride. After fixing everyone a quick lunch, we went to the shed to get the bikes. Little Ricky even asked if he could join us and Andrew and Jesse both said that would be fine. We quickly dragged out another bike for him and then took off. The boys were riding ahead of us, with Jesse leading the way, while Jake and I brought up the rear. We were chatting as we pedaled along, but I was a little concerned about the fact we were riding two across. However, there wasn't much traffic and we always dropped back into single file whenever any vehicles approached, so it worked out fine. I think Jesse and Andrew had taken me too literally when I told them Jake and I could use the exercise. The route they took us on today had many more hills than the previous route I had taken with them. Even though it was very scenic, it was also longer and more difficult, so it turned out to be a very strenuous outing. There were times when Jake and I were both panting and struggling not to fall behind, but we somehow managed to keep up. The boys even suggested we take a short break before we turned around to head back, so we stopped at a convenience store to purchase drinks. This gave us a chance to catch our breath and regain our strength, in addition to being able to replenish the bodily fluids we had lost due to the exertion. On the way home, the boys took turns riding next to Jake and I, so they could ask how we were enjoying the ride and other things. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, including Little Ricky, which kind of surprised me. Being sixteen and a junior in high school, I didn't think he'd find this as enjoyable an activity as the rest of us, but I was wrong. When he rode next to me, he thanked me for letting him come along, but I told him he should thank Jesse and Andrew for that. He said he would, but then moved on to another topic. Little Ricky also told me how happy our trip to the farms had made him feel, knowing some good had come out of his father's death. He thought it was great that the Foundation was using his old home to take care of others that had found themselves in situations similar to the one he had been in. He advised me that he had also noticed the sign as we entered the property, stating it was the 'Albert and Arlene Becker Farm Home for Youth,' and admitted seeing it almost made him cry. After getting this off his chest and out into the open, I think he felt better and we continued to pedal along. I was glad when we finally reached home, because I was getting tired and quite sore. I knew the soreness would only get worse over the next few hours, so I would have to think of a way to counter the problem before long. After dinner, Jake and I found the solution we were looking for, when we hopped into the hot tub and let the water soothe our aching muscles and joints. We were only in there for a few minutes before Jesse, Andrew and Little Ricky came sauntering in. They were totally naked and carrying their towels. "Do you mind if we join you?" Little Ricky asked, speaking for all of them. "We saw you heading in here and figured this was what you were planning to do. I know I'm a little sore from that ride too," he added, as he dropped his not so subtle hint, "so it will help us too. Please, may we join you?" I looked at the three boys, standing there looking anxious and flashing us their cutest grins, but I knew Andrew and Jesse probably weren't hurting as much as the rest of us. After all, they'd been doing this for a while on their own, so they were more accustomed to it. However, I gave in. "Come on, you little weasels. Hop in," I told them, which caused all three to immediately jump in the tub with us. For nearly an hour we sat in the hot tub talking about our bike ride and other things, but basically just relaxing and letting our bodies recuperate from all that physical activity. The boys did ask if we'd go out for a ride with them every weekend, and after Jake and I exchanged a few furtive glances between us and communicated telepathically, we gave in again and agreed we would do it as often as we could. The boys seemed satisfied with our response and didn't push for a firmer commitment. After getting out of the hot tub and drying off, the boys talked us into watching a movie with them. It was one the older boys had rented for the evening, but these three wanted to see it too, now that the others had gone out. We made our way to the living room, popped the movie in and then got comfortable. It was a suspense/horror flick and wasn't bad, although the title escapes me at the moment. When the movie ended, Jake and I decided to turn in, so we bid the boys sweet dreams and left them to their own devices. Jake and I knew we'd have another busy day tomorrow, because it was Danny and Dustin's combined birthday party, and we'd need all the rest we could get to be ready for it. Jake and I got up early Sunday morning and began to prepare things for the party. We were having a cookout and the entire extended family had been invited, although I advised them presents were not necessary. We had decided that once the boys reached eighteen the idea of gifts would be optional, as we would bankrupt the extended family otherwise, especially since our family was continuing to grow. The boys understood this and agreed with our logic, especially since they all had pretty sizable trust funds and weren't really hurting for anything. However, when it came to Jake and I, the boys were still on our gift list. Knowing that, we asked the two boys to come with us and took them out for a little ride. We drove directly to my friend's car lot and the boys wanted to know what we were doing there. After changing subjects and avoiding their questions, we got out of the car and I took them over to where two SUVs were parked. "Seeing you're the oldest, you get first choice," I said, looking at Dustin. "They aren't exclusively yours, but you will be the primary driver and responsible for their care, maintenance and deciding whom you'll allow to borrow them and when." Both Danny and Dustin's mouths dropped open with that news. "Really?" Dustin asked, in order to confirm he had heard correctly. "Yes, really," I assured him. "That means we'll have them all summer and we'll be able to take them to college with us too?" "Absolutely, although you will each be expected to transport some of your brothers to and from their colleges as well, so Jake and I won't have to. Each of these vehicles has a trailer hitch, which will allow you to haul a small trailer behind you, with everyone's belongings in it." The boys were now beaming. "Deal," they both chimed in. "Thanks, Dad one and Dad two," Danny added, giving Jake a promotion from Uncle Jake to Dad 2, which made both of us grin in approval. "Yes," Dustin agreed, giving us both a very powerful embrace in gratitude. Once his hug was broken, I looked back at him. "Well, you still haven't told me which one you want," I emphasized, as I pointed at both the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Dodge Durango. In order to make his choice, he moved over to check each vehicle out, with Danny right on his heels. They were excitedly opening doors and slipping in and out of the various openings, thoroughly checking both vehicles out from all possible angles. They took turns getting behind the wheel of each one, and when they did, I handed them the keys I'd picked up from the owner on Friday, when I finalized their purchase. Both boys were quick to check out the radios, CD players and speakers, to see if they'd give off that rhythmic, body-pounding beat that young people seem to love. Then, they walked around the exteriors again, to get a final, overall impression. I'm sure they were trying to get a feel for what their friends would think when they first saw them in their new set of wheels. They had to be sure it would give them the 'kewl' image they were seeking. After struggling with his decision for several minutes, Dustin finally gave me his choice. "I'll take the Jeep," he told me, while looking pleased about his selection. I quickly glanced at Danny to catch his reaction, but it hadn't change. I think he was happy just to know he'd have one of them. "Okay, then I want each of you to drive your vehicle home," I told them, and got a confused look in return. "You mean you've already bought them for us?" Danny asked. "Yep, all that was left was for Dustin to decide which one he wanted," I informed them. "I even had them added to the insurance policy on Friday, and if you hadn't noticed, they even have license plates on them." That comment made both boys move to the rear of each vehicle to verify this, and when they came back around, they headed straight for the driver's door. "Just take it easy and we'll see you at home," I added, before Jake and I got back in the Yukon and drove off. Once they pulled in the driveway, news spread quickly and soon all the boys were out looking at the new SUVs and getting the lowdown from their older brothers. It took quite a while for the excitement to die down, but we weren't going to rush them. We wanted everyone to be able to savor the moment. In the meantime, Jake and I went back inside the house, to continue our preparations.