Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2021 00:15:30 +0100 From: David Greg Denton Subject: Dr. Mike, My Dad and Me - Part 4 Dr. Mike, My Dad and Me – Part 4 Gay, grandfather, grandson If you enjoy reading stories on Nifty, then don't forget to donate! It's easy, just follow the link http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html * * * * I leaned over and kissed my dad on the cheek then said, "I love you too, Dad." "Thanks for sharing that with us, John." He leaned over and kissed Dad on the lips. "Now, I think I'd better be getting dressed and heading on out." "You're welcome to stay, Mike," Dad assured him by laying a hand on his thigh. Dr. Mike patted Dad's and said, "Thanks for the offer but I have brunch plans with my sister in the morning. Maybe next time." He got up, gathered up his clothes from the hallway and got dressed. I said goodbye and hugged him. He kissed the top of my head and told me to be good. I laughed and said I couldn't make any promises. Dad walked him to the door where they kissed and hugged longer. They really did have a connection and I was so glad for them both. I couldn't hear what they were saying but I was sure if Dad wanted me to know, he'd tell me. Once Dr. Mike was gone, I joined Dad on the couch. We just sat there, neither of us having the words to describe what had happened that evening. Then a phone rang. It was my dad's ringtone, so he went to the table near the door and picked it up. "It's a number I don't recognize," he announced, but he punched the button anyway. "Hello? Oh, hey, Mike! Are you okay? Did you leave something behind?" I wanted to give him some privacy so I got up and went into the kitchen to clean up from dessert. Dad was still speaking loudly enough for me to hear his side of the conversation though. "Dinner? Saturday night? What time? 7:30. Yes, I'll be there. Yes, I can do that. See you then. Bye!" He came into the kitchen just as I was finishing up. "Mike has asked me to come over for dinner next Saturday night!" He was so excited and happy it made me excited and happy for him. "So it's like a date then." "No... I mean yes... I mean maybe. I don't know!" I walked the few steps to him, took him by the shoulders and said, "Calm down, Dad. It's a week away. There's plenty of time for you to get excited about your date as it gets closer, okay?" He laughed and said, "You're right, it's just been so long since I've been on a date." I hugged him and he hugged me back. "Hey, will you be okay? Is there one of your friends that you can spend the night with? Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. He told me to pack an overnight bag. A sleepover... at my age!" I had to chuckle at that and assure him, "Yes, I have plenty of friends I can ask to sleepover. Don't worry." Dad gave me a stern look and commented, "You know that's not what I said. You can't stay here unsupervised... especially with one of your friends!" I laughed and told him I was just kidding, but I'm not sure he believed me. As Dad's big date/sleepover approached, I thought of an alternative to staying over at a friend's. I made the call and set things in motion. At breakfast on Friday morning, I let Dad in on what I had planned for the weekend, "Dad, there's been a change in plans. I asked Grandad to take me to the cabin this weekend. He's picking me up this afternoon." He looked surprised and more than a little shocked. "What?! When did all this happen?" he asked as he set his coffee mug down. "I called on Sunday and asked and he said, `yes.'" "And you were waiting until now to tell me this, why?" "I wanted it to be a surprise. Don't you want me to spend the weekend with Grandad?" I knew he couldn't say no because Grandad was always saying he didn't get to see me enough. "Of course I want you to spend time with your grandad. I just don't understand why you couldn't tell me, that's all." "It wasn't that I couldn't tell you, I just wanted to make sure Grandad could make the trip before I told you. He had to clear up some things at work. I thought this would give you a well-deserved break from me!" He laughed and said, "Well, I guess I could use a break from my troublesome teenage son." He placed his hand on top of mine and squeezed. "I love you too, Dad." He chuckled as he said, "That's not what I said. I did not say that." I smiled and went back to eating my cereal glad that everything was going according to plan. Between bites I added, "Well, you may not have said it but I can read between the lines." He chuckled and asked, "Well, are you packed at least? You'll have to take enough clothes, sheets and towels to last just in case your uncle forgot to restock the place." "Already done, Dad." "Well, then will I at least get to see you before you leave this evening?" he asked as he placed his hands on my shoulders. I returned the gesture placing my hands on top of his. "Sorry, no. He's picking me up after I get out of school." He pulled me up, gave me a big hug lasting much longer than usual and I couldn't help but hug him tightly back. "Dad... I'm just going away for the weekend!" He squeezed then let me go. I even thought I saw a tear in the corner of his eye, so I had to lighten the mood. "Stop being an old woman, Dad!" "I can't help it. You're going to be going away to college soon and then I'll only get to see you on holidays!" "That's crazy, Dad. I'll be home all the time... to do laundry!" That made him laugh and I knew then that I had done my job. * * * Grandad brought me home late Sunday afternoon. He and Dad had plenty of time to catch up while I finished up some homework. Dad asked Grandad to stay for dinner, but he said he had to get back home to do laundry. I hugged and kissed him on the cheek at the door. After Grandad left, Dad and I sat down to eat and I asked how his weekend went with Dr. Mike. "Well, if you're asking me for a blow by blow... no pun intended... I'm not going to give it to you because you were there last week, so you know exactly what happened," he responded. "Fair enough. Do you at least want to hear about my weekend?" "Of course I do! Why don't we finish eating and then you can tell me all about it, okay?" I agreed and continued eating. Once we were both finished, we cleaned up together and then moved to the couch so I could tell him all about the fun time I'd had with my grandad. * * * We got to the cabin late in the afternoon. We took the cooler and our suitcases inside. The place needed a little dusting and sweeping but was in pretty good shape otherwise. I unpacked the bag of clothes, towels and sheets I'd brought, filling the dresser drawers in my bedroom and the shelves in the bathroom. But when I went to divide the sheets between the two bedrooms there was only one set plus extra pillowcases. I went into the other bedroom and told Grandad. "Hey, Grandad. It looks like I only brought one set of sheets. I don't know what happened but I must have forgotten the other set. I'm sorry. I guess I'm gonna have to sleep on the bed without sheets." He had been unpacking clothes in his room and putting them in the dresser. He turned to me and said, "No, no, no... that won't do. You can sleep in here with me." "Are you sure, Grandad? I wouldn't want to crowd a big guy like yourself." He stopped what he was doing, put his hands on his hips and said, "Are you calling me fat, Jack?!" I turned beet red. This time it was my turn to say, "No, no, no, Grandad. I didn't mean that at all! I meant that your shoulders are just so broad," I gestured with my hands to show how wide they were. "That's all." He patted me on the shoulder and said, "Oh, okay, then you are forgiven." I smiled, happy that our misunderstanding was behind us. "Why don't we go outside and sit on the porch. Bring a chair with you?" "Sure, Grandad." I picked up one of the rockers and he picked up another. We sat outside, just rocking and staring out at the pond without speaking, enjoying the solitude of the great outdoors. It was Grandad who finally broke the silence, "So what do you want to do tomorrow?" I had given this plenty of thought on the way down so it was easy to answer. "I thought maybe we could go for a hike to the top of the ridge. That is if you're up to it." He stopped rocking, looked right at me and replied, "Are you implying that I'm too old to make that hike?" Oh shit! I've done it again, I thought. "That's not what I meant, Grandad! I misspoke. I meant `Are you up FOR it?' I can see that you're in terrific shape." "Okay then, once again... you are forgiven," he said with a little chuckle. Whew! Dodged another bullet. "Are you hungry?" "Always," I answered. He tousled my hair then walked into the kitchen. I attempted to fix my hair as I followed. We ate sandwiches and chips and when we were finished we went over to the couch to read the books we'd brought with us. Eventually, I started getting sleepy so it was hard to concentrate on the words. Grandad must have noticed because he suggested we get ready for bed. I let Grandad use the outhouse first then I went out. When I came back in, I had to decide what to wear to bed, a tee shirt and my boxers or just my boxers. I decided to go with just the boxers. When I entered the bedroom, I saw that Grandad was wearing a tee shirt. I could have gone back and gotten one, but I just let it go. I pulled back the covers and climbed in on my side. I hugged the side of the bed, trying to give Grandad as much room as possible but he must have noticed because he said, "Jack, I really don't take up that much room. You're entitled to half the bed. Go ahead and use it." I scooted a little closer to him then felt Grandad's arm pat my bare chest. "Good boy. Now get some sleep." He turned away from me and pretty soon I heard the soft sounds of slow, steady breathing. I turned away from him and went to sleep myself. I woke up the next morning to an empty bed, so I got up, walked down the hall and saw a fully dressed Grandad sitting at the table eating breakfast. "Morning, sleepy head." I waved as I walked out the back door and paid a visit to the outhouse. When I got back inside, a protein bar, apple and a bottle of juice were waiting for me. I kissed him on the cheek and sat down to eat while Grandad busied himself with getting water bottles and protein bars ready for our hike. About halfway to the top, I was sweating so badly I had to take off my tee shirt and stuff it in my back pocket. Grandad kept his on even though it was sticking to him like a second skin. I couldn't help but notice that he really was in great shape for his age. Once we reached the top, we both just stood there admiring the view. Then Grandad moved closer to me and laid his arm across my shoulder. I put my arm around his waist and gave it a little squeeze. "I will never get tired of this view," Grandad said in a voice so soft it was as if he was afraid that if he spoke any louder, he'd break this special moment like a mirror and never be able to put it back together again. I decided to let him enjoy the view and the silence for as long as he wanted. When he had had enough, he finally said, "Okay, let's go back." He hugged me quickly then we turned and started back down. Once we were back at the cabin, I began to strip for our swim in the lake. Grandad wasn't. "What's the matter, Grandad?" "Aren't you going to go inside for your swim trunks?" "I didn't bring any. I never do. Dad's okay with it... oh gosh, I'm sorry. Are you not okay with me swimming nude?" He looked like he was going to say one thing but then changed his mind. Finally, he said, "If you didn't bring one, it's no big deal. I'm fine with it." He didn't look convinced but I wasn't going to argue because I really didn't bring one. Once I was naked, I picked up my towel and started walking down to the dock, looking back to see if he was going to follow. He was undressing which was a good sign. I dropped my towel then ran the last few yards and took a leap off the end, into the water executing a near perfect cannonball. When I emerged, I looked back to see Grandad, naked, running toward the end of the dock, leap into the air, tuck and execute a perfect cannonball. When he emerged, I clapped, held up all my fingers and yelled, "10!" He laughed and said, "Thanks." "You wanna swim for a bit?" I asked. Instead of an answer, he just started swimming away from me! I had to swim fast to catch up and pass him, but then thought better of it and slowed down enough for him to catch up with me. He started swimming back to the dock and I followed. We climbed out, spread our towels out on the wooden planks and laid down on them to let the sun's warm rays dry us off. I looked over and noticed that Grandad had hair on his back. I'd never noticed that before, then I realized he almost never took his shirt off. "You're hairier than I remember, Grandad." "That's because I usually go to the groomer once a month but missed my appointment for you." "What are you a poodle?" I asked. He chuckled and added, "That's just what I call them. I see an aesthetician. She shaves my back for me during the summer, but I let it go during the winter months." "Why?" I asked before realizing it might have been too personal a question. "Because like you said, I'm pretty hairy and the ladies don't like it." "Are you dating someone, Grandad?" "No, but I like to be prepared for situations where I might have to take my shirt off." So that was why he wouldn't take off his shirt in front of me, I thought. "You know, I could shave your back for you if you'd like. I brought a razor and some shave gel." "You'd do that for me?" "Of course, Grandad. Anything for you!" "Thanks, I'd like that." "Good we can do it after lunch." I turned over and suggested he do the same. I looked at all the fur on his chest and stomach. I really just wanted to run my hands through it but managed to resist. Instead I asked, "Do you think I'll be as hairy as you and Dad?" "Be careful what you wish for, Jack. The Miller men are very hairy." I laughed and said, "I won't mind. I think it's sexy." He laughed a little but didn't say anything more. (To be continued in Part 5)