Date: Fri, 18 Dec 2015 03:37:57 +0000 (UTC) From: Jerlar Subject: The Carney Men Chapter Seven This story is purely a work of fiction. Any resemblance to person's living or dead, or to events that may have occurred, is purely coincidental. The author claims all copyrights to this story and no duplication or publication of this story is allowed, except by the web sites to which it has been posted, without the consent of the author. All of us enjoy the stories here, so please, support Nifty. Like any other Business, it takes resources to keep it running. I appreciate you, and I know Nifty appreciates your support! Mark Stevens CHAPTER SEVEN Friday morning Phillip received another telephone call from his son. Don had decided to take off work early, and he would arrive sometime mid-afternoon. Excited by his son's news, Phillip also decided to leave work early as well. He called Douglas and informed him of the change in Don's plans. Phillip headed for his father's home right after lunch. He parked in Douglas' drive and hurried inside the house. "I'm home, Dad," he greeted. His father met him in the hall carrying laundry. Douglas greeted his son warmly. "You're really looking forward to seeing Donny, aren't you?" "I am, Dad." Phillip looked at his wrist watch. "He should be here in an hour or so." "I know. I thought I'd better change the sheets on the bed. Just in case he sleeps in my room. " Phillip watched his father make his way to the laundry room. "That's probably wise," he called after the man. Phillip exchanged his suit for a tee shirt and a pair of jeans and helped his dad finish straightening up the house. When the doorbell rang sometime later, the two men had finished their work and were in the living room enjoying a cold drink. Phillip sat his bottle down and hurried to the door. He opened it and saw his son standing before him. "Don," he greeted warmly. Phillip pulled his son to him. "God, it's good to see you," he said. "Hey, Dad. It's good to see you, too." Don Carney returned his father's hug and stepped back. "Where's the old man?" he asked. A grin appeared on his face. Douglas joined them. "I heard that. There's no one around here that's old. You little shit." Don gave his grandfather a hug. "Hi, Grandpa." "I agree with your dad," Douglas said. "It's good to have you home." Don had carried a bag with him into his grandfather's house. "Where shall I put this?" he asked as he picked it up off the floor. Phillip gave his father a look. He let Douglas make the decision. "Why don't you put it in the guest room for now," Douglas told him. "Your dad's been staying in there. I guess your choice is to ether bunk with him or me." "I can sleep on the couch, Grandpa," Don said. "I'll be perfectly comfortable there." "Nonsense. There's no reason; not when we have room for you in one of the beds." Deciding to add his two cents, Phillip said, "If you'd rather sleep alone, I can sleep in Dad's room, Don." "I'm fine sleeping with you," Don replied. As Don disappeared down the hall with his bag, Phillip gave his father a look. He rolled his eyes and remained silent. Douglas gave his son a big grin. "I told you," he whispered. "What's on the agenda first?" Don asked when he had rejoined the two men. Phillip looked at his dad and said, "I don't think we have an agenda of any kind. Grandpa and I were just having a beer. Would you care for one?" Don said he would, and Phillip went into the kitchen and returned with a cold bottle. He handed it to his son. "The plans are to be whatever you want them to be, Don," Phillip told his son. "I don't have to spend a lot of time with her, but I would like to see Mom," Don said. "You should see her," Phillip agreed. "Does she know I'm in town?" "I told her a few days ago you were coming in this weekend. If you want, you might ask her out to dinner this evening," Phillip suggested. Don looked at both men. "Would it be possible for all of us to have dinner together?" After a thoughtful silence, Phillip said, "I would like that. However, I'm not sure how your mother would feel." "We could let the two of you spend time together this evening," Douglas suggested. "You could do that," Don agreed. "However, I don't think that's right." "I'm not sure your mother would be comfortable having us around," Phillip said to his son. "Especially me," he added. Phillip watched his son's face change. "I don't know what she's thinking, and I really don't care." Don took a sip from his bottle. "I don't have a lot of time, and I want to spend it with everyone. At least this evening." Phillip gave his father a look and said, "If that's what you want, then give your mom a call. If she agrees, then Grandpa and I will go with you." Don left the room to make the call to his mother. "Is this wise, Phil?" Douglas asked. "I could care less about me, but I'd hate like hell for you to be embarrassed. Not to mention the hurt it could cause your son." "I'm not sure of anything, Dad. Not when it comes to Sandra and what she's thinking these days. Still, if she agrees, I'm willing to do this for Don." A short time later Don rejoined them in the living room. Both Douglas and Phillip waited to hear what the verdict was. "She's okay with it," Don told them. Phillip studied his son closely. "Are you being truthful with us, Son?" "Yes." Douglas called out his grandson's name. "What, Grandpa?" "What did she actually say about your father and me coming along?" "Okay, she was hesitant at first." "I don't want to make things uncomfortable for you," Phillip said. "For either you or your mother," he added. Don picked his drink up and drained the bottle. He looked at his father and asked, "What's happened to her, Dad? She doesn't seem like the same person." Phillip gave his shoulders a shrug. "I really can't say, Don. I knew things weren't the best between us. They haven't been for a long time. However, I thought we'd continue just the way we were. She had other plans, I guess. When I decided to spend a few nights with your grandpa, she told me I should perhaps think about staying here with him. She thought he needed me more than she did." "That was pretty damned cold," Don declared. Phillip looked across the room at his father. "Honestly, Don, it hasn't been bad here at all. In fact, I'm enjoying spending the time with your grandpa." "What is it with the Carney men?" Don asked. "Ann seems to feel the same way. She has no intention of getting back with me." Douglas stood to his feet. "Then I guess the Carney men will have to stick with each other. I'm going to get us another beer." <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< The evening spent with Sandra Carney had actually gone rather smoothly. It was a bit awkward at first, but over their food in the restaurant things had settled down until it felt almost normal. Whatever normal was, Phillip had thought. Two hours later as they were leaving the restaurant, Sandra said to her son, "It was really good seeing you, Don. I hope you can bring Scottie with you next time you visit." Phillip had wondered if Sandra might not ask them to drop by the house, but the invitation was not offered. Not even to Don. "Enjoy your visit with your father and your grandpa. Give Scottie my love." "I'll do that. Goodbye, Mom." As Phillip drove them back to Douglas' home, he said, "Well, that went much smoother than I had anticipated." "I was thinking the same thing," Douglas agreed. Don was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "Well, I have a confession to make." Phillip took his eyes off the road for a second and gave his son a look. "And that would be?" "I told Mom she had to behave this evening or I wouldn't make another attempt to see her." "I'm sorry, Son." Phillip's heart went out to his adult son. "I'm not," Douglas said from the back seat." "Be quiet, Dad." "Hell, I agree with Donny. Shit, she's the one who caused the rift. You didn't." "They say it always takes two, Dad," Phillip pointed out to his father. "I agree. However, it also takes two to keep things running smoothly, too." "Ann was the one who made the decision to make the change in our lives," Don remarked. "As I said earlier," Douglas reminded them, "We're Carney men, and we need to stick together." "I'm beginning to think the same way," Don agreed with his grandfather. Phillip reached across the car seat and gave his son a pat on the knee. "I'm just damned glad you're home for the weekend, Son." "Me, too, Dad." Looking at his grandfather in the backseat, Don added, I've missed you, Grandpa." "I'm just glad to have my guys here together. Hopefully Scottie will come with you next time." Douglas reached out a hand and placed it on his grandson's shoulder. "He'll be glad you want him to visit, Grandpa. He's a good kid." Phillip agreed and asked, "Do you really think it's over between you and Ann?" Don was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "I think so, Dad. Ann and I—we were young. When I think about it now, I think perhaps at the time both of us were in love with the idea of being in love, rather than being in love with each other." From the back of the car, Douglas said, "Whatever the reason, Donny, you got one hell of a son out of the deal." "That I did, Grandpa." Phillip said, "Well, for what it's worth, I've always liked Ann. She's a good mother to Scottie." "Yes, she is. We're still good friends. We always will be," Don said. "You have to get along because of Scottie," Phillip reminded his son. "That's true. However, if Scott wasn't in the picture, the two of us would still be good friends." Phillip pulled into the driveway, and the three men walked inside the house. Phillip and Don landed in the living room, and Douglas soon joined them carrying cold beer with him. "Going to party, are we Dad?" Phillip asked, his face lighting up. Douglas handed them each a cold bottle. "It's not like any of us have to get up early around here." "That's the truth," Don said and took a drink from his bottle. The rest of the evening flew by as the three talked memories and drank lots of beer. It was such a good time that none of the sadness that had recently touched all of them in one way or another, appeared to be around. Phillip was the first one to call it a night. As he stood to his feet, he paused and grinned. "I must have drank more that I realized." "You need me to walk you down the hall, Dad?" Don asked his father. "I may have drank a lot, but I can still function," Phillip informed his son. As Phillip was leaving the room, he turned and said, "I'll leave the light on in case you decide to bunk with me. Night." Phillip stopped by the bathroom and drained his body of the beer it had consumed. He brushed his teeth and went into the bedroom. As he entered the room, it suddenly occurred to him that he had been staying with his father for a week now. It had been several days since he had even slept in this room. Phillip removed his shirt and jumped out of his jeans. Leaving his shorts on, he pulled the cover back and crawled between the sheets. Ah, it felt good to stretch out flat, he thought. He had dozed off when something startled him. He opened his eyes and discovered Don standing in front of the dresser. His son was eyeing him closely. "Did I wake you, Dad?" Phillip was suddenly wide awake. "I must have fallen asleep," he said. "A little too much beer, I'm afraid," he added. "I can sleep in Grandpa's room if I need to," Don offered. "I'm fine, Don," Phillip assured his son. He gave the empty side of the bed a pat. "You won't bother me." Phillip pushed himself up higher on his pillow and watched as Don slowly unbuttoned his shirt. When he took it off, he was still wearing a tee shirt. Don pulled the tee shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor. Phillip was startled to see how hairy his son's chest was. Thick brown hair much darker than what covered Phillip's belly, grew widespread down Don's stomach. The sight made Phillip's mouth suddenly go dry. He watched as his son unsnapped his jeans and stepped out of them. Phillip was suddenly more than just awake. The sight of his son undressing in front of him had made Phillip's cock hard. Very hard. He cautiously adjusted the cover to hide the fact. Don, naked except for boxers, turned and asked his dad if he was ready for him to turn the light out in the room. When he did, Phillip got a full view of his son's body. The thick brown hair that traveled down his chest disappeared inside the waistband of Don's shorts. Caught up with the view before him, Phillip didn't answer. "The light, Dad? Are you ready for me to turn it off?" Phillip suddenly returned to earth. He reached for the lamp on the bedside table and turned it on. "I'm ready," Phillip told his son. "You can turn the overhead light off." Don turned the ceiling light off and made his way toward the bed. As Phillip watched his son, he thought, Maybe this wasn't a good idea after all. Perhaps his son should have slept with his grandfather. Phillip immediately pushed that thought out of his mind. No, it would not be a good idea for Don to be in the bed with Douglas. Phillip felt the bed move as his son crawled in beside him. No, this had not been a good idea at all, he decided. Too much beer could keep a man from thinking clearly, he realized. Phillip felt his son's leg touch him. Then just as quickly, Don pulled it away. "Sorry about that, Dad," Don said. "I have to ask you something, Don." "Okay." "Forgive me, but when did you grow so damned much body hair? I didn't know you were that well carpeted." "I've been hairy for years. Ann didn't like it. She wanted me to keep it trimmed in places and shaved in others. I tried that one time and swore I'd never do it again. When the hair begins growing back, it itches like crazy. When I refused to shave, she asked if I would at least wear a tee shirt." "I just wondered. Your grandpa and I are both hairy chested, but I thought you probably took after some of your mom's people." "Do you admire guys with hairy chests?" Phillip felt his face turn red. He had gotten himself into a mess, and he didn't know how the hell to get out of it. He didn't answer his son's question right away. Don was the one who broke the silence. "Don't be embarrassed, Dad," he said. "Honestly, I admire anyone who has a hairy chest; anyone who is willing not to shave it off." "Did you ever try waxing?" Phillip asked. "Oh, hell no. I'd have to be out of my fucking mind to do something like that." The room was suddenly quiet once more. Again, it was Don who broke the silence. "Did I just say `fuck' in front of my father?" Phillip laughed, and he felt his body beginning to relax. "I've been known to say that word now and then, Don." As he spoke, Phillip reached across the bed to give his son a pat on the shoulder. His hand touched the middle of Don's stomach and immediately came in touch with the boy's chest hair. "Shit, sorry, Don. I thought I was aiming for your shoulder." "It's okay, Dad. You never answered my question. Do you really like looking at men's hairy chests?" Phillip tried to choose his words carefully. "If I were an artist, I would probably have to say for the purpose of art...yeah, I enjoy looking at chest hair." The room became silent once more. It lasted so long this time that Phillip thought his son had drifted off to sleep. He was about to turn over on his side when Don's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Me, too." "You, too, what?" "I have always admired men with hairy chests. I can't tell you why. Who knows? Perhaps it's because Ann never liked to look at mine. In fact, when we were in bed, I had to always wear a tee shirt. She didn't want to feel it. If she accidently touched body hair anywhere, she would get mad and leave the bed." "Damn. I'm afraid I don't know how to respond to that," Phillip said. "No need to. It's just a fact. Was a fact," Don corrected himself. "Well, anytime you want to come for a visit and want to go shirtless, please feel free to do so." Listening to the words he was saying, Phillip was suddenly embarrassed. He decided to try again. "Hell, maybe I have had too much beer. Goodnight, Don. I'm really glad you're here." Phillip snapped the lamp off and darkness settled in the room. "Goodnight, Dad. "I'm glad to be here, too. I love you, Dad." "I love you, too, Son. Goodnight."