A New Life for Jordan CH 18

A New Life for Jordan

By: Rob Warr

Ménage à what?

Chapter Eighteen

The next couple of days were enjoyable for the three boys, and by Wednesday they'd not only fell into a routine, the three had become good friends. Jordy and Seth worried what would happen to Rusty if his father didn't change his way of thinking, but they trusted Jordy's folks to do whatever was necessary to make sure he was taken care of.

At school on Wednesday, they rode the bus together then split up at the front door. The 7th grade classes occupied the north end of the building, the eighth in the middle, and 9th grade, which was Rusty's grade, occupied the south end of the building. Because their classrooms were so far apart, they seldom saw each other during the day, except in the cafeteria where they'd met the last couple of days to share lunch.

It was obvious Rusty's mind was elsewhere as he picked at his food that day, but Jordy and Seth tried to keep the conversation light. Rusty's father was a truck driver and often gone for days at a time, but he was due back on Wednesday around noon. Rusty couldn't help but wonder if he was there now, talking to his mom, and perhaps the Kellys, and deciding his fate. Jerry, Carl, and Tony knew the situation as well, but weren't nearly as involved as the other two boys and kept quiet for the most part.

It was no wonder Rusty had no appetite, and in fact felt as if he could lose what little food he had in his stomach, what with his fate being decided perhaps at that very moment. Excusing himself suddenly, he gathered up what was left of his lunch and headed to the bathroom.

"He's really in a mood," Seth sighed, "poor kid. I hope your folks can talk some sense into his dad's head."

"Yeah, me too. I guess we'll know when we get home today, assuming Mr. Cramer made it back on time."

"Hey, what's the worse thing that can happen? Rusty has to stay with us a while longer, that's not so bad, right?" Seth reasoned.

"No, it's not that. I've enjoyed his company, even if it has kind of put a damper on our love life, but he can't live with us forever. He needs to get back with his family, especially his little brother."

"Yeah, well...we'll just have to see how it all turns out. When we get done here, we should go find him and make sure he's okay."

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Anyway, I'm not very hungry all of a sudden. Want any of this?"

"Nah, me either. You guys want any of this stuff?" Seth said to the others at the table. Tony grabbed a bag of chips and the cookies Seth offered, but the other two refused.

"We're gonna go see if we can find Rusty. You guys stay here and eat your lunch, no need to overwhelm him," Jordy said as he stood.

"You sure you don't want me to come?" Jerry asked. He was of course closer to the situation, and had spent almost as much time with Rusty as the other two had since his return home Sunday night.

"Nah, you stay with Carl and Tony, we got this," Seth said rising to join Jordy.

"Okay," Jerry said easily, he worried about Rusty too, but he wasn't sure how much help he'd be considering Rusty's current mood, and besides he liked being here with his boyfriend.

It took some doing, but Jordy and Seth finally found Rusty out front sitting on one of the benches there. He barely looked up as they approached, but when they sat down he gave them a sad smile.

"You found me. Sorry I ruined your lunch."

"Nah, you didn't. It's okay, we get it," Jordy said smiling back, "we just wanted you to know that no matter what your dad decides today we're not gonna let anything bad happen to you. My folks will make sure of that."

"I know," Rusty sighed, "thanks. It's just...it's like waiting for a bomb to explode or something. I can hear it ticking away, and any minute it's gonna go off and blow up my whole world."

"You gotta think positive," Seth suggested, "your dad can't be all that bad, and your mom is on your side, not to mention your little brother."

"And Lucky," Jordy said with a grin in an attempt to lighten things up.

"Yeah, I should've brought Lucky with me when I ran away," Rusty joked, "he could've warned me you two were nearby."

"Yeah, but as friendly as that dog is, he'd of just licked us to death," Seth laughed.

After that, Rusty seemed to relax a little and they talked about other things till the bell rang signalling a return to class.

"See ya guys at the bus," Rusty said then, and they split up in the hallway.

The rest of the day was shear torture for Rusty, and once or twice Jordy and Seth caught themselves thinking about Rusty's situation as well. By the time the final bell rang, all three boys were eager to get home and find out what, if anything had been decided about Rusty's fate.

The bus ride home seemed to take forever, but finally the boys piled out at the bus stop to find Mr. Kelly waiting for them in his SUV.

"Hi guys," Mr. Kelly said as the four climbed in the back.

"Uh, any news?" Jordy said then, asking the question that was on everyone's mind.

"Nothing yet, Rusty's parents and little brother are coming over later for dinner and we are going to hash this thing out. We thought it might be good to talk on neutral grounds and let Rusty's dad see that we're just a regular family and not a bunch of radicals," he chuckled. Your mother has pulled out all the stops, she's fixing her meatloaf, homemade yeast rolls and all the fixings. For dessert she's using her secret weapon, carrot cake," he chuckled.

"Wow, am I invited?" Seth said, his mouth practically watering.

"Not this time sport, but if there's any leftovers, I'll have Mrs. Kelly pack it up for your lunches tomorrow. We don't want to scare the Cramers off by having too many people around."

"Yeah, I get it," Seth said easily, "Hey, Jerry, maybe we can convince our dads to eat out. We can go to the Dairy Stop or get pizza."

"Good idea," Jerry said grinning, "I bet they will."

They dropped Jerry and Seth off, then headed to the cabin/office and the boys piled out and headed inside. Mrs. Kelly was busy preparing dinner but stopped long enough to greet the boys and offer them a snack. Since they hadn't eaten much lunch, they were a little hungry, but decided not to load up and to save room for dinner, opting for some fruit and a glass of milk to tide them over.

In Jordy's room, the two boys threw their backpacks down and Jordy quickly changed into an old pair of jeans and tee shirt. Rusty hadn't brought all that many clothes, but he did change shirts, and was ready to help Jordy with the few chores he had to do.

They grabbed their jackets and were out the door moments later, meeting up with Seth in front of his cabin. The campground was starting to come alive now that the weather was warming up and there were at least a dozen campers there at the moment, which necessitated them making sure the bathrooms were clean, trash hauled to the dumpster, and a number of other chores.

Using the ATV, Jordy and Seth were able to make short work of the trash, then the three worked together to clean up the bathrooms and do the rest of the chores. By five, they had stored the ATV in the shed and the three walked back to Seth's cabin.

"Well, see you guys tomorrow, but I want a full report later, okay guys?" Seth insisted.

"No problem," Jordy said, "I'll let you know what happens."

"I just hope it's not bad news," Rusty said sadly.

"Why would your dad agree to come out here if he wasn't open to listening?" Jordy reasoned, "I bet he's already decided to let you come back home, he just needs to hear what mom and dad have to say."

"I hope so, but you don't know my dad like I do. He can be really stubborn..."

"So can mine, and my mom isn't gonna let up till he gives in,' Jordy chuckled, "she's fierce as a mountain lion."

"Yeah, fierce...rowwwwr," Seth growled, then dissolved into laughter.

"Well, see ya," Jordy said giving Seth a hug and not caring who saw.

Rusty was a little embarrassed by their open show of affection, but it still made him smile. He thought it was really cool that the two could be so open about their affection for one another, and he hoped that someday he had the same opportunity.

"Bye," Seth said giving Jordy a quick peck on the lips, "when you beat off tonight be sure to think of me," he teased.

"Who says I'm gonna beat off?" Jordy laughed.

"Oh, I know you...you're gonna do it. And I bet Rusty does it too, right Rusty?"

Rusty blushed deeply then and stammered, "Uh, well...uh, I don't know."

"We'll do it together," Jordy laughed, "now, are you happy?"

"Yeah, just no touching, right guys?" Seth said sounding serious.

"Got it dick head," Jordy laughed.

"Okay penis wrinkle, see ya tomorrow, and don't forget to text me later."

"Gotcha, bye," Jordy said finally starting toward home with Rusty by his side.

******************************************************

Rusty was a bundle of nerves as he waited for his folks, and when at last they arrived, he was stunned to find that Warren wasn't with them.

"Where's Warren?" Rusty asked his mother who gave him a brief hug.

"He's at your grandma's. He's fine son, don't worry."

"I didn't want your brother to be involved in this," his father said overhearing Rusty's question, "He doesn't need to know what all this is about."

Rusty didn't bother to tell him that Warren already knew, in fact he really didn't want to speak to his father at all. He could already tell that things weren't going to go as well as everyone had hoped, but he still had a glimmer of hope that the Kellys could convince his father to let him come home.

"Come on folks, sit...sit," Mr. Kelly said trying to be a good host, "dinner will be ready in a bit, but I thought maybe we could talk first."

Mr. Cramer's only reply was a grunt as he sat down on the sofa, his wife settling beside him.

"Thank you Mr. Kelly, Mrs. Kelly...you have a nice home," Mrs. Cramer said, trying to make up for her husband's rudeness.

"Thank you, we like it. It's a lot simpler than our old place back in Chicago, but it has a certain charm, and it's comfortable," Mrs. Kelly said before going back to the kitchen.

"You need any help mom?" Jordy said, hoping to get away from the tension in the living room, but feeling bad for abandoning Rusty.

"Why don't you and Rusty set the table for me?" she said, and both boys were grateful for the reprieve.

"So, I understand you drive a truck," Mr. Kelly started, "do you own your own rig or drive for one of the big companies?"

"I don't know if you'd say I own it," Mr. Cramer grunted, "me and the bank I guess. I run hot shots all over the country and don't mess with those big companies. They suck all the money up, and the drivers don't get squat. This way I get to keep all the money, well...except for what Uncle Sam takes."

"It's a hard life, I'm sure," Mr. Kelly said, "being away from home so much must be hard on you and your family."

"Huh, yeah...I guess so. Maybe that's why my boy..." he started, then when his wife laid a hand on his leg he quickly changed course, "I guess if I was home more I'd know what's going on with my boys."

"I'm sure your sons have learned to adjust," Mr. Kelly said, "they both seem like fine young men. We've enjoyed having Rusty stay with us the last few days. He and Jordy and Seth have become good friends in the short time he's been here. He's also been a big help around here and he's helped Jordy and Seth with their chores."

"If there's one thing I taught both my boys, it's not to be lazy. They have chores at home and I make sure they do their homework and stuff when I'm home."

"They're both good boys," Mrs. Cramer said, "Oh sure, once in a while they act up a little, but never anything bad, mind you. We've taught them to be good and decent..."

Mr. Cramer looked as if he wanted to say something, but Mr. Kelly cut him off.

"Look, why don't we get right to the issue here?" Mr. Kelly said, steeling himself for the upcoming battle, "I sense that you think that you might have failed Rusty in some way because of what has happened."

"You mean because my boy turned out to be...queer?" Mr. Cramer sneered.

"Well, we prefer the term gay, but yes...that," Mr. Kelly said, "As you may know, the medical consensus is: that being gay is not a mental illness, and that it is probably predetermined at birth. Which means that Rusty was probably born gay, and nothing you our your wife could say had anything to do with that. However, knowing how you felt about such things has no doubt kept Rusty from being honest about his feelings all these years, and you might not have ever known if not for the incident that led to all this."

"You mean that filth he was looking at on the internet? Well, I fixed that. I busted his damn tablet and had that internet stuff disconnected."

"Do you really think that will change how Rusty feels inside? Oh, you may cause him to feel bad about himself and keep him from expressing himself around you and others, but keeping him away from those things won't change who he is inside. But the good news is: there's nothing wrong with Rusty just as he is. He is who he is, and he feels what he feels, and that's neither right or wrong. He's not hurting anyone by having these feelings, and hopefully someday he'll find someone who feels the same way, and he'll be able to share those feelings."

"That's disgusting," Mr. Cramer said growing angry now, "it's unnatural and immoral...it's sick, and I won't have Warren exposed to that kind of stuff."

"So, it's Warren that you're most worried about?" Mr. Kelly said, "I can understand that. He's younger and vulnerable, and no doubt loves his older brother and would be easy prey if Rusty was the kind of boy who would take advantage of that. However, even in the short time that I've known Rusty, I can say without a doubt that I do not believe he's that kind of boy. I know he loves his little brother, but it's a pure and natural love, and I would be willing to bet that Rusty would die before he would hurt him in any way," Mr. Kelly had to swipe at his eyes now because he was becoming so emotional, but apparently his sincerity must've shown through, at least to Mrs. Cramer.

"I believe you," she said wiping at her eyes too, "those two are close, but not like that. They love each other, and they're both good boys, and Rusty would never do anything to cause Warren a minute's trouble or pain."

"Huh, he don't have no control," Mr. Cramer grunted, "he's a sexed-up teenager, and if he didn't have this perversion, he'd probably be out chasing girls...like I did when I was his age."

"I was once that age myself," Mr. Kelly said, "and I liked girls just fine, but I certainly didn't chase after them as a young teen, in fact, I didn't date until I was 16, and even then it was chaperoned."

"Well, things might be different where you was raised, but around here we start early."

"So...if Rusty liked girls and had been looking at naked pictures of women, you'd have been okay with that?" Mr. Kelly asked suddenly.

"Hell yeah. That would have been natural. Oh sure, I'd have told him to keep that kind of stuff from his momma and little brother, but I wouldn't have gotten so mad..."

"I hate to interrupt," Mrs. Kelly said then, "but dinner is ready and I don't want it to get cold. Why don't we have a nice dinner, then we can all sit down and talk this out."

Mr. Cramer didn't think there was much to talk out, but he was hungry, and he never passed up a free meal when he could avoid it. He'd eat their food and listen to more of their ignorant drivel, but he'd already made up his mind about things, and nothing they could say or do would change his mind.

"Oh, I love your china," Mrs. Cramer said once they were seated, "my mother gave me a nice set for our 10th wedding anniversary, but I'm afraid there are quite a few missing pieces," she chuckled, "what with two feisty boys around."

"Thank you, I actually bought this on Ebay when we were living back in Chicago. We were down to three matching plates before that," she laughed.

The ladies kept the conversation going, discussing homemaking and family life in general, but skirting around the real issue. Mr. Cramer busied himself eating, and he had to admit, Mrs. Kelly was a good cook, and the food was some of the best he'd eaten in a while. His own wife was a pretty good cook, but since he traveled so much, most of his culinary experiences were at truck stops and cafes along the way. After years of driving a truck all over the Midwest, he knew where to find the best food, and considered himself an expert on roadside dining.

"This meal is delicious," Mrs. Cramer said looking at her husband and hoping he'd speak up as well.

"Uh, yeah...this meatloaf is better than the meatloaf at Maud's, this little cafe in San Antonio that I eat at sometimes," he said in way of a compliment.

"This is my mother's recipe," Mrs. Kelly said, "it was my father's favorite meal. I remember as a little girl helping my mother prepare dinner, and by the time I was 16, I knew most of her recipes by heart."

"It's really good Mrs. Kelly," Rusty said, feeling the need to speak up, "and thanks again for letting me stay here."

"Thank you Rusty, and you're welcome. We've enjoyed having you, and I know Jordy has enjoyed your company."

"Yeah, it's almost like having a big brother," Jordy said grinning.

Somehow they made it through dinner, and though Mr. Cramer wasn't much on dessert, he found Mrs. Kelly's carrot cake irresistible. Mrs. Kelly, noting his apparent approval of her cake offered to send some home with the Cramers and to share her recipe.

Mrs. Cramer offered to help clean up, and Mrs. Kelly accepted so the two could have some time alone to talk. Jordy and Rusty volunteered to help as well, but Mrs. Kelly suggested they go to Jordy's room for a while and they'd call them after the adults had their talk.

In Jordy's room, Rusty sank into the desk chair and buried his face in his hands, "I wish I knew what was going to happen," he sighed.

"Nothing bad, I promise," Jordy said, "even if your dad won't let you come home, we're not gonna throw you out. My folks will take care of you as long as they need to."

"I just hate being a mooch and a pain in the butt. Maybe I should go live with my granny."

"We'll figure all that out once we know what the adults decide. Meanwhile, don't worry so much. At least you're not stuck in that tent in the middle of the woods."

"Yeah, I know. Thanks."

In the living room, the adults were settled in with a cup of coffee in their hand, but the mood was anything but light. Mr. Kelly could tell that Rusty's dad was going to be a hard nut to crack, but he didn't think the situation was completely hopeless. Mrs. Cramer was already on Rusty's side, and Mr. Kelly was counting on her to help convince her husband that Rusty should be allowed to return home, and that he was no danger to his little brother.

Mr. Cramer sipped his coffee, which he had to admit was very good, and glanced at the clock on the wall. 7:30, it seems later, he thought, and he was anxious to get this over with and get home where he could relax.

"Okay, well...where were we?" Mr. Kelly said when no one else seemed eager to start the ball rolling.

"Look, I don't know what you people want from me," Mr. Cramer said trying to keep his temper under control, "my son is a queer, and I don't trust him around my other boy. I don't want it rubbing off on Warren and corrupting his mind. I want at least one of my boys to be normal."

"First of all, being gay doesn't rub off on someone else. You're either gay or you're not. And if you'd known what to look for all these years, I'd bet you'd have noticed that Rusty was different a long time ago."

"Yes," Mrs. Kelly said then, "with Jordy, I think we've known since he was ten or so, but when he started puberty it became even more clear to us."

"Wait, your kid is queer too?" Mr. Cramer said staring at the two.

"We prefer gay, but yes...either gay or bi. He's still young, and may find he's attracted to girls as well, but for now...he's convinced he's gay," Mr. Kelly said warily, he didn't like the way Mr. Cramer was looking at him.

"And you're okay with this shit?" Mr. Cramer said growing agitated.

"Yes," Mrs. Kelly said, "our son is still the boy we love and cherish, and who he loves has not changed how we feel about him. In fact, I'd say we are even closer now that he has trusted us with his real feelings."

"I don't believe this, you're encouraging him to be gay? You want him to do sick disgusting things with other boys. Oh my God, him and Rusty are probably doing that stuff, aren't they? Is that, are they...are they lovers or something? How did I not know this...?"

"No, I assure you he and Rusty are just good friends," Mr. Kelly said stiffly, "in fact, Jordy is in a relationship and faithful to his boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" Mr. Cramer laughed angrily, "You say that like you're proud of your son's perverted relationship with this other boy. I'd be marching up to that boy's house and telling his folks to keep the little pervert away from my son."

"Mr. Cramer," Mrs. Kelly said trying to calm him down, "we think of Jordy's boyfriend as part of our family. He's a sweet boy, and he's very good for our son, and we've come to love him as much as our own son. Once you get past the fact that they're both boys, the dating thing, and boyfriend thing doesn't seem that strange. Because we know about their relationship, that gives us an opportunity to set some rules and to monitor what goes on. But I'll be honest, we trust them to do the right thing, and we don't hound them constantly about what they're doing."

"Are you crazy? You're just basically telling them it's okay to do that sick stuff. I know how damaging that stuff can be. I was only 12 when that man found me and did those things to me...and...and I will never forget the pain and the humiliation that he caused me," he said looking ready to break down at any moment.

"What happened to you was horrible, and yes, sick and perverted, but that has nothing to do with being gay. In fact, most child molesters are straight, and a good many of them are married and have children. Some abuse their own children as well, but many seek out other children and commit their atrocities on them," Mr. Kelly said soothingly, "Being gay does not mean you're a child molester. I have no fears that our son or his boyfriend will ever molest a child, or anyone for that matter. And if you're worried about Rusty molesting Warren, well...I think you're way off there."

"I know what all the doctors and experts say, but I know what I know too. That man was gay too. Everyone in town knew he was a queer, and he wasn't married and didn't have no kids, but he found boys...boys like me, and he tricked us and..."

"He was one man, a sick man, I'll admit, but not all gay men are like that. No more than every straight man is going to molest every little girl they come across. Let me ask you this: if Rusty liked girls and he had a little sister instead of a brother, would you worry that he might molest her?"

"What?" Mr. Cramer said looking confused, "I...don't know...no, I guess not. But being gay is like a sickness, and it makes them do bad things..."

"According to who? According to your experience with one horrible, sick man?" Mr. Kelly reasoned.

"I don't know. I'm gonna have to think about this..."

"For how long? I don't mind Rusty being here a while longer, but you owe it to your son to do what's right for him. He doesn't deserve to be treated like a leper and to have his whole life turned upside down. In just the short time we've known him we've come to care for him and see what a good person he is. You and your wife have done a good job of raising a fine young man, don't let that all go to waste over this one little thing."

"It's not a little thing, it's...it's like I don't even know my son anymore. We didn't raise him to be like this, he learned it on his own."

"No, he didn't learn it, he was born that way. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to accept who your son really is," Mrs. Kelly said quickly.

"John," Mrs. Cramer said touching her husband's arm, "Please, can't the boy come home? I promise I'll watch him, and make sure...you know..."

"Not now, I'm not ready Beth, maybe before I leave on Friday. I'll decide what to do, but not now...not tonight."

"I'm sorry," Mrs. Cramer said to the Kellys, "I'll take him to his grandma's so you won't have to take care of him anymore."

"No, he's fine here," Mr. Kelly said sternly, "there's no need to uproot him again so soon. If you decide he can't come home, then we'll consider that option at that time. I know I don't have any legal rights beyond what you've given me in writing, but I've come to care about your son, and I won't allow you to pass him around like a bad penny."

"Fine," Mr. Cramer said rising, "let's go. Thank you folks for the dinner, and...I'll let you know what I decide on Friday."

The Kellys couldn't believe what they were hearing. They'd had high hopes that they could convince Mr. Cramer to let Rusty come home, but now it looked like they were no closer to that happening than they'd been before.

"I'll get Rusty so you can say goodbye, "Mr. Kelly said, "You owe him that much."

Mr. Cramer just nodded, looking uncomfortable, however his wife pulled Rusty into a hug as soon as he appeared, with Jordy right behind him.

"Son, we're gonna go now. You're gonna stay here for now, but hopefully Friday you'll be home where you belong."

"But why Friday?" Rusty said looking at his mother in shock, "I want to come home now. Please," then to his dad, tears streaming down his face, "Dad, please let me come home. I promise I won't ever look at that stuff again..ever..."

"I can't make you change how you are," Mr. Cramer said looking defiant, "but I can decide to protect my other boy from that sickness. I don't know if I can ever accept you as you are, but I'll think about what was said here tonight, and I'll let you know what I decide on Friday."

Rusty dissolved into tears then, and his mother spent a few minutes comforting him, but eventually her husband pulled her away and ushered her out the door. As soon as they were gone, Rusty rushed down the hallway and into the room he shared with Jordy and fell across the bed and wept.

"What an a-hole," Jordy said angrily, "sorry about the language mom and dad, but he is."

"I agree son," Mr. Kelly chuckled sadly, "but I don't think he's a bad person, just an ignorant one. I'd hoped we could educate him tonight, but I guess he's not completely convinced. However, we've sewn the seeds of doubt and understanding, and maybe, maybe he'll make the right decision. Meanwhile, Rusty is safe here with us. Now, why don't you go see about him. I'm sure he doesn't want to deal with us stupid adults right now."

"Yeah, okay...but I'm really mad at that guy," Jordy said as he turned to go, then swinging around he added, "thanks mom and dad...for not treating me that way."

"Oh, honey, we love you, and we would never, ever make you feel bad about who you are," Mrs. Kelly said rushing to give him a hug.

"Yeah sport. We're proud of you, and we appreciate you being so kind and helpful to Rusty. Now, go and see about your buddy."

Jordy sat down beside Rusty on the bed and began to rub his back soothingly, "Hey, you okay? I mean, I know you're not, but look...at least you're safe here, and you got us...right?"

"Yeah, thanks," Rusty sniffed, "he hates me now. I just know it."

"I...I don't think he hates you, I think he just has this crazy idea that everyone who's gay is gonna molest little kids. My dad says he's just ignorant. I mean not that he's not smart, but that he's ignorant of the real truth, I guess."

"I'd never hurt Warren," Rusty said quietly, "I'd die first."

"I know, and your mom knows that too. I just think your dad is kinda messed up about those things, cause of what happened to him."

"Yeah, I suppose," Rusty said wiping at his eyes, "you must think I'm a real baby, bawling my eyes out."

"Nope, I'd cry too. Heck, I cry all the time, especially since I fell in love with Seth. I guess I'm just more tender that way...I don't know. Doesn't make me weak or childish, it's just how I feel."

"Yeah, thanks," he said sitting up and wiping at his eyes again, "I think I'll go take a shower, okay?"

"Sure, and when you're done I'll take mine. Hey, Rusty...I was thinking, maybe tonight you could sleep with me...in my bed."

"What, really? Won't it be weird? What would Seth say?"

"Whoa, I'm not talking about that kind of sleeping," Jordy teased.

"I know that," Rusty said blushing deeply, "I meant, you know...being in the same bed and all..."

"I'll tell him, but I bet he says it's okay. Hey, by the way...when you slept over there the other night, where did you sleep?"

"Uh, in his bed," he said blushing again, "but I swear, nothing happened. I didn't even get a boner."

Jordy laughed, "Well, even if you had, it would've been no big deal...as long as he didn't touch it."

"Well, maybe just a little boner, but I fell asleep pretty quick," Rusty admitted.

"Thought so, my boyfriend is pretty sexy," Jordy chuckled, "Go on, take your shower. I'm gonna text Seth and fill him in on things."

***********************************************

Jordy was still talking to Seth when Rusty returned from his shower looking and smelling much better. Jordy had already explained to Seth why he'd decided to let Rusty share his bed that night, and Seth had assured him that he understood and trusted them both. He even joked that jerking off together might get their minds off Rusty's troubles, but Jordy played it off with a 'we'll see' comment.

"I'm gonna take my shower now," Jordy said to Seth, "see ya tomorrow. Good night....yeah, I love you too."

Rusty smiled when he heard those words drift from Jordy's lips. He hoped that someday he'd find someone to share that kind of love with, someone as wonderful as either of these two boys, but he knew the odds were slim in a small town like Salina.

Jordy grabbed a pair of boxer briefs and headed to the bathroom, and when he returned a short time later, Rusty was stretched out on the bed looking half asleep.

"Is this okay?" Rusty said, "I can move to the other side if this is your side."

"Nah, that's fine. I sleep wherever. When Seth sleeps over, we're all over the bed," he chuckled.

"I bet," Rusty tittered, "you guys really love each other, don't you?"

"Yeah, a lot. You know, at first I really didn't understand exactly what was happening, then after that first kiss, wow...it was like the 4th of July and Christmas all rolled up in one. And when we started doing stuff...you know? Sex stuff...well, it just got better and better. At first, I guess we were just kind of into it for the sex, but then it became so much more than that."

"Yeah, I get it. I hope I can find someone like that someday."

"You will, just don't give up. Maybe not here in this place, but someday you will, and when you do, well...it will be the most wonderful thing you can imagine."

"I'm really tired," Rusty said then, his emotional fatigue weighing him down.

"Me too, and we got school tomorrow," Jordy said climbing into bed.

Curious to see what Rusty was wearing, he lifted the covers up to reveal that Rusty was still dressed in sweat pants and the tee he'd put on after his shower.

"Dude, are you gonna sleep in all that?" Jordy chuckled, "won't you get hot?"

"I...I just thought it would be better...since we're sharing a bed, that's all."

"Are you afraid you'll pop a boner or something?" Jordy laughed, "cause it's no big deal if you do. I gotta semi right now."

"Uh, me too, but I just didn't want you to think I was...you know, expecting to do anything..."

"I know that, and if I didn't have a boyfriend, I'd be all over you, but me and Seth made a promise to each other, that we wouldn't mess with other boys. But...that doesn't mean we can't take care of things on our own...together."

"You mean...?"

"Yeah, you stay over there, and I stay over here, and we can do it together. We can even watch each other, just no touching."

"Well, I did it in the shower, but I could go again..." Rusty confessed, blushing in the dark.

"Well, I didn't, cause I was hoping for this, so...get those sweats off and let's see the goods," Jordy laughed.

"Okay, but I'm not wearing any underwear," Rusty confessed.

"Even better," Jordy said stripping off his boxer briefs and revealing he was now fully hard.

"Oh, okay," Rusty said slowly pushing his sweats down his slim muscled legs to reveal he too was at full mast.

"Cool, need some lotion?"

"Sure," Rusty said accepting a squirt from the bottle Jordy had retrieved from the bedside table.

Soon the room was filled with the sounds and smells of two teenage boys in heat, doing what most red-blooded, hormone-driven teen boys do at bedtime, jerking off. They both seemed to be in the same mindset, taking things slow, and savoring the feeling as their eyes feasted upon each other's bodies and rampant members, driving up the level of excitement to explosive proportions.

"I'm close," Rusty panted after about ten minutes, "what do I do about the mess?"

"Here," Jordy said producing a towel from somewhere on his side of the bed, "catch it if you can, don't get any on the sheets or pillow if you can help it," he laughed.

"K...you close?"

"Yesss....in fact....oh man...here I go," Jordy said as his dick erupted with a series of powerful squirts. The first went straight up, then splashed down on his pubic area, but the next two he directed toward his chest and stomach. The last was much less powerful and fell back down on his hand, then except for a little ooze, he was spent.

Rusty, upon seeing Jordy's impressive ejaculation, soon felt his own balls pull up tight as his orgasm hit and he too began to spew forth, his load much thicker and plentiful.

He managed to catch most of it in the towel, but one squirt got away and landed squarely on his lips. Instinctively, his tongue emerged to lick his lips clean, and he moaned lowly at his own taste.

Jordy, having witnessed this simple act, thought it was especially erotic and found himself wishing that he too could get a taste of Rusty's ball batter. But he and Seth had made a promise, and he wasn't about to break it for a few seconds of pleasure.

"Wow, that was a good one," Jordy said after a few minutes.

"Yeah, I think having someone watch makes it hotter," Rusty observed, "like in the boat house. That was awesome, the three of us."

"Yeah, it was awesome," Jordy confessed. In fact, Jordy thought, it had been even better than the time with Trevon and with Jerry. Sure, Jerry was sexy in his own way, but Rusty was just...well, nearly perfect, and oozed sexuality. He couldn't help but think once again, that if he and Seth weren't in love, Rusty would certainly be the kind of boy he'd go for.

"You sure Seth is okay with this?"

"Yeah, totally. He's the one who suggested it," Jordy said then, producing another towel and starting to clean up.

"Oh, okay. I just, you know? Don't want to mess things up for you guys."

"You won't, trust me. We know what we're doing," Jordy laughed, "I probably shouldn't tell you this without Jerry's permission, but see..."

Jordy went on to explain how he and Seth had fooled around with Jerry at first, then how they'd suddenly decided that it didn't feel right for them. Well, anyway that Jordy had decided it first, then Seth had agreed, and though they still jerked off with him, there was no physical involvement.

"So, sort of like with me...now, I mean?"

"Yeah, Seth and I are...well, a couple, and we don't need anyone else that way. But...jerking with a buddy is cool, and no one gets hurt that way. It's fun and safe, and no one feels left out."

"Yeah, I guess, but I'm wondering: how was it when the three of you...you know? Messed around for real?"

"Well, truthfully," Jordy said blowing air out past his bottom lip and making a face, "I have to admit, it was fun...very sexy, and exciting, but I think part of it was because it was all new to Jerry. Well, new to us too, that sharing part, but Seth and I had been doing stuff for a while before Jerry came along."

"Yeah, Jerry seems nice. He's with Carl now though, so I'm sure he doesn't miss that stuff."

"Yeah, we were trying to find him someone, then he met Carl, and well, they just clicked I guess. Who knew opposites could really attract?" Jordy chuckled.

"Are you and Seth opposites too?"

"Well, I guess in some ways we are. Like, Seth is more of a leader and I'm a follower, and Seth is outgoing and I'm a little shy. He's got a devilish sense of humor, and he's always joking around," Jordy said, a smile filling his face as he thought about his boyfriend.

"Yeah, I get that," Rusty chuckled, "but he's really a nice guy and I like him a lot, both of you, really. Thanks again for putting up with me. I know it's a real pain having me around. I just want you to know that if you ever need time alone with Seth, I'll find somewhere to go or something to do."

"First of all: you're not a pain, and second: Seth and I find plenty of time to do it," he chuckled.

"Good, but just saying, I don't want to be in the way or anything."

"You're not, now...let's get cleaned up and get to sleep. I'm dead, and that alarm clock is gonna start buzzing at 7 am."

"Yeah, I'm beat now that I beat off," Rusty joked, "thanks again for that...it was fun."

"Yeah, it was," Jordy admitted, almost too much fun, he thought. Now he had the image of Rusty's cock and his smooth sexy body embedded in his brain and it was causing him to have crazy thoughts. Thoughts about what it would be like to suck Rusty dry, or lick his butthole or...dare he think it? bend him over and... No, he had to stop thinking things like that. He loved Seth, and Seth was all he needed. Oh, why did God have to make so many beautiful boys and send them his way? he wondered. He practically had to will himself to sleep that night, but even then, Rusty followed him into his dreams, and he awoke sometime later drenched in sweat as he recalled the dream he'd just had.

Looking over at Rusty's still sleeping form, he was again taken with his beauty, and as the dream replayed in his head, he found he was once again hard. Reaching down to adjust himself, he realized he'd failed to put his boxer briefs back on, and upon checking, discovered that Rusty was still naked as well. Rusty's cock was soft however, nestled in his sparse patch of pubes and resting atop his ample balls. He was even sexy looking asleep and soft, Jordy thought. Then his thoughts returned to the dream and he knew he would not be able to sleep till he relieved the pressure in his balls once more.

Trying to be as quiet as possible and with a minimum of movement, he reached down and grabbed his cock and began to masturbate, using the copious amount of precum for lube. It took only a few minutes of this to push him over the edge, and trying hard not to cry out, he began to come onto the towel he'd retrieved a the last minute.

From beside him Rusty's soft sleepy voice caused Jordy to jump, "You must be a horny guy," he chuckled, "sorry I missed that one. I only woke up at the end."

"I um, had a dream...about Seth, and I had to...you know?"

"Yeah, I get it. Was it a good one?"

"Yes, very good," Jordy agreed. Except this dream wasn't about Seth, it was about Rusty, and involved everything two boys could do sexually. It had been so vivid, even to the point that Jordy could smell Rusty's pleasant teenage musk, and feel his butthole give way as he sank inside him. He was getting hard again just reliving it in his mind, and he knew he had to stop or things might really get out of control.

"I'm gonna go pee, be back in a few," Jordy said, finally finding his underwear and slipping them on.

"Okay, I'm going back to sleep. See you in the morning," Rusty muttered, and he was already asleep by the time Jordy returned a few minutes later.

Jordy sighed as he slipped back into bed, and it was a long time before he managed to get back to sleep. Some time later he awoke with a start, and feeling something warm and firm pressed against his backside, he realized that in his sleep Rusty had spooned against him. What's more, Rusty had an arm thrown over him and his hand was dangerously close to his...once again hard cock.

He considered wiggling free and rolling Rusty over, then finally decided they weren't doing anything wrong. Rusty just needed comforting and someone to hold, and he was that someone. So what if Rusty was hard and his dick was poking at his crack? He was hard too, he often woke up hard. It meant nothing, right? It was just one of the maladies of being a teenage boy. So what if it felt good having Rusty snuggled up to his backside? They weren't doing anything wrong. Seth would get a laugh out of it, Jordy thought. Heck, maybe when Rusty had slept over with him, they'd done the same thing. After all, Rusty was asleep, so it wasn't like he'd planned this or anything.

Suddenly, Rusty shifted and his hand fell against Jordy's hard leaking cock. Jordy drew in a sharp breath, fearful that he'd come just from this brief touch, but fortunately Rusty withdrew his hand then, pulled away, and rolled onto his other side facing away from Jordy.

Jordy was relieved at first, then he felt a sense of loss. Rusty's warm body had felt so good snuggled up against him and he wanted that feeling to continue. Making a decision he hoped he wouldn't regret, he rolled onto his side facing Rusty's backside and scooted up till he made contact. When Rusty didn't stir or pull away, Jordy moved on in and threw an arm around the sleeping boy and snuggled close.

It felt even better being the big spoon, and his hard cock pressing into Rusty's naked bottom, separated by only a thin layer of cloth, felt wonderful. He knew he was pushing the limits, but he was helpless to stop himself. It wasn't like he was going to rape Rusty or anything, heck Rusty was asleep, and nothing was going to happen.

Then with a sigh, Rusty reached up and gently pulled Jordy's arm tighter around him as he pushed back, wiggling his butt against Jordy's hard leaking cock. For a second Jordy feared he would begin to unload into his underwear, but at the last moment Rusty relaxed once more and stopped moving.

Jordy finally decided that Rusty had done those things in his sleep, and that it was no big deal. However, it still took him a long time to drift off to sleep, for he kept thinking about how good it had felt having Rusty cuddled against him. Fortunately, this time he didn't dream at all.

*******************************************************

The next day, Jordy awoke to find Rusty was already up and dressed. After a quick trip to the bathroom, he got dressed and stumbled into the kitchen in search of the others. Rusty sat at the table with his dad, and his mom was busy in the kitchen preparing breakfast.

"Good morning sport," Mr. Kelly said smiling, "did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, pretty good," Jordy said, "mom, can I have some hot cocoa this morning?"

"Yes dear," his mother said, coming in long enough to give him a hug and kiss the top of his head.

"Hey," Jordy said sliding in across from Rusty, blushing despite the fact that as far as he knew they'd done nothing wrong.

"Hey, thanks for letting me sleep in your bed last night," Rusty said, then looked panicky when he saw the look on Jordy's face.

"I just...um, figured you needed to sleep in a nice comfortable bed for a change," Jordy said recovering quickly, "it was no big deal, my bed is pretty big."

"That was nice of you Jordy, but I just assumed you two were sharing a bed all along," Mrs. Kelly commented, "that air mattress is okay in a pinch, but it's not the most comfortable place to sleep."

"It's okay ma'am," Rusty assured her, "I don't mind. It beats a sleeping bag and the hard ground."

"Yes, I'm sure it does," she said going back to her cooking, "I'll make enough cocoa for both of you, and the eggs will be ready in a few minutes."

They ate in near silence as if a dark cloud hung over them that morning. Rusty was convinced his father would never give in, and he worried what would happen to him next. He knew he couldn't live with the Kellys forever, as nice as that would be, but he hoped he could at least stay long enough to figure things out. Maybe his granny would take him in, but she was old, and didn't have much money, and that worried him a lot. Maybe he could quit school and get a job...no, he'd have to be 15 before he could get a job. It was just so hard to think about what came next.

"Rusty, honey...aren't you hungry?" Mrs. Kelly said when she saw Rusty pushing his food around his plate.

"What? Oh, yeah, and the eggs are really good," he said forcing himself to eat then. He knew he needed to keep his strength up, and it was impolite to let this good food go to waste. Mrs. Kelly had been especially nice to him, as if he was her own son, and he didn't want to insult her by refusing her delicious food.

"Is there any more cocoa?" Jordy said draining his cup.

"No, but you can make some more if you're still thirsty," Mrs. Kelly chuckled, "you're not helpless young man."

"Oh, yeah...I guess," Jordy said jumping up, "need some more, Rusty?"

"Nah, I'm good," Rusty assured him as he took a bite of bacon.

"I've got some calls to make this morning," Mr. Kelly said finishing his coffee and standing up, then carrying his empty plate and cup to the sink, "I will see you lovely people later. Boys, have a good day at school, and Rusty, son...try not to worry too much. I have a feeling everything will work out okay." With that, he kissed his wife goodbye and squeezed the two boys' necks affectionately on his way out.

Rusty thought about how different the Kellys were than his own family. He couldn't imagine his own father ever being that nice, that loving, and he couldn't remember the last time his father had touched him in a way that conveyed affection. His mother, on the other hand, had never been stingy with hugs, or kisses on the cheek or forehead, though lately he'd begun to think he was getting too old for that stuff. That was of course before all this stuff had happened with his dad, and now he missed those hugs and those gentle loving kisses.

"Come on dude, we'll be late," Jordy said pulling Rusty out of his thoughts, "Seth will be here any minute. I'm surprised he's not already here. He usually has a second breakfast with us," he chuckled.

"Okay, I'm done," Rusty said cramming the last bit of eggs and the last piece of bacon in his mouth. He carried his plate and cup to the sink, thanked Mrs. Kelly for breakfast, and followed Jordy to his room.

They had just finished dressing when Seth appeared, looking quiet handsome and chipper. Unlike Jordy, Seth was a morning person and had been up since 6:30. He'd had breakfast with his dad, and they'd had a long talk about Rusty and his situation, and Mack's reaction had been as expected, one of anger and disbelief. He'd assured Seth that he'd talk to the Kellys and see if he and Mark could be of any help, then he offered to give him and the other boys a ride to the bus stop.

"Dad's out front," Seth said looking the two over, then glancing around the room, "It smells like jizz in here," he joked.

"It always does," Jordy said rolling his eyes, "and most of it is yours."

"Yeah, and now Rusty's too, right?" he laughed.

"Maybe, we'll talk about that later," Jordy said mysteriously.

"Oh yeah. Do I need to be worried?"

"Of course not pea brain," Jordy laughed, "come on, let's get going. Don't want to miss the bus."

They picked Jerry up next, and as usual he was running late and looking scattered, but they finally managed to make it to the bus stop, and just in time, as the bus pulled up a few minutes later. The four occupied the last two seats on the bus, Jordy and Seth in one, and Jerry and Rusty in the other. Jerry was curious about what had gone on, but he was too shy to ask Rusty, and figured he'd find out later from either Jordy or Seth. Obviously, Rusty's dad hadn't let him come home, but until he found out what had gone on, he'd just have to guess about why.

By lunchtime, the boys were exhausted and hungry, and as promised, Mrs. Kelly had used the leftovers from last night's meal to prepare their lunch. Their lunch sacks contained thick meatloaf sandwiches and little containers of potato salad, the usual carrot and celery sticks with ranch dressing to dip them in, and for dessert, a piece of carrot cake.

"Oh man," Carl said eying their lunch, "that looks good."

"We'll share," Jordy said handing half of his sandwich to Carl, "maybe pig boy here will share with Jerry."

"I'm good, I got turkey...my favorite. Maybe Tony would like it."

"Looks good," Tony said practically drooling, then rolling his eyes, Seth parted with half his sandwich as well. It was a good thing Mrs. Kelly always cut their sandwiches diagonally since it made it easier to share.

Rusty offered half of his sandwich to another boy at the table who politely refused it, but Seth kept eying it, and finally Rusty pushed it his way. Jordy just shook his head when he saw that, but he'd become accustomed to Seth's voracious appetite.

Carl and Tony wondered about Rusty's situation, but didn't feel close enough to him to ask what was going on. Like Jerry, they figured they'd eventually find out from Jordy or Seth, and there was no need to pry.

Despite being on edge and a little upset, Rusty managed to eat most of his lunch, and he actually felt some better then. When the group was done eating, they carried their lunch bags back to their lockers, then met out front to get some fresh air and enjoy the last few minutes of lunch break.

A cool wind blew from the North, and the sky had been cloudy most of the day, but it was still in the 50s despite it being early April. Soon, spring would arrive and the boys were looking forward to fun outside, and of course the end of the school year and summer vacation. Jordy had Lee's visit to look forward to, and he just knew that he and Seth would get along just fine and the three would have a blast.

After school that day, the four met at the bus, and this time Jordy sat with Rusty, and Jerry and Seth occupied the seat across from them, with Jordy and Seth on the aisle. Jordy wanted to talk to Rusty and see if he could cheer him up a little, and well...if he was honest with himself, he just wanted to be near him. Last night was still fresh on his mind, and though it had been innocent enough, it had still been exciting.

"One more day," Rusty said gnawing on his backpack strap nervously, "one more day till I find out if my life is over or not."

"Stop it," Jordy said sharply, causing Rusty to pause and look his way, "your life is not over. Unless you think being with me and my family is the end of your life."

"I didn't mean that..." Rusty said blushing, "you guys have been great, and I really appreciate all you've done, but I can't live with you forever."

"You could as far as I'm concerned," Jordy admitted, "but I don't think it will come to that. Listen, my dad is not gonna let anything bad happen to you, got it?"

"I guess, but what can he do if my dad says I can't come home?"

"I'm not exactly sure, but I heard my dad say it was illegal for your dad to throw you out as long as you're a minor. So, unless he wants to go to jail...he's gonna have to either let you come home, or pay someone to take care of you."

"My dad's not rich," Rusty said, "but even if he lets me come home, I'm worried about what kind of rules he'll make me follow."

"Don't worry about that now, okay? Just take it one thing at a time, okay?"

"Yeah, but it's hard not to worry when your whole world is turned upside down," the boy sighed.

"I know, and I'm sorry this happened, but there is one thing I'm happy about..."

"What's that?" Rusty said looking at Jordy curiously.

"That we met you. I want us to be friends no matter what happens," Jordy said, baring his soul, "I really like you, and I know Seth does too, and my folks are crazy about you."

"Thanks," Rusty said wiping at his eyes, "are you trying to get me going again?" Rusty joked, "I can't be seen bawling on the bus."

"Sorry, I'll shut up now, but I just wanted you to know, you're not alone in this."

"I know, thanks. Hey, think we could ride the ATV when we get to your house?"

"Yeah, that would be fun, we can hook up the cart and all three of us can ride, or if Jerry wants to ride we can take turns, two at a time."

"Hey, you guys what are you scheming about over there?" Seth teased, "are you two gonna run off together."

"Damn, he's on to us," Rusty joked, surprising everyone. It took them a second to get what had just happened, then the other three boys laughed.

"Good one," Seth said, "you must be feeling better," he added, glad to see that Rusty felt good enough to make a joke. Like Jordy, he really liked the boy and hated what had happened to him, but he also had faith in the adults to work things out.

"Rusty suggested we go ATV riding when we get home, you guys up for it?"

"I...um, promised my dad I'd go into town with him when I got home," Jerry said frowning, "but thanks anyway."

"No problem dude, next time for sure," Jordy said, thinking this really worked out better. He hated to admit it, but since Jerry and Carl had become boyfriends, Jerry just didn't seem to be as much fun. He was spending a lot of his weekend nights in town with Carl and his younger brother. Sometimes he wondered about that, if he and Carl were boyfriends, how did they justify letting Ricky play too? He thought about the time the three of them had messed around though, and he had to admit, it had been pretty exciting. What had changed that? He wondered, was he the only one who had a problem with it? Had Seth only agreed to be exclusive because he'd made such a big deal out of it. And what about his feelings for Rusty? He had to admit, the thought of including Rusty in their sex play got him hard. He knew it was wrong, and knew he couldn't have both, but damn it, he still couldn't quit thinking about it. Maybe all that talk about them being too young to really be in love, or make a real commitment to one another wasn't so whack after all.

"Earth to Jordan," Seth said into his hand, trying to sound like voice on a speaker, "is there a problem?"

"Huh? Oh, no, just thinking about something," Jordy said blushing.

"It's our stop, goober, come on," Seth laughed, standing and grabbing Jordy's hand, oblivious of anyone else on the bus.

There was no one waiting for them at the bus stop, but it wasn't far to walk, and halfway there Mark's met them in his pickup. He stopped along the side of the road and rolled down his window and greeted the boys, then said to Jerry, "Come on buddy, we have places to go and people to see," he joked, "I trust you guys can walk home today."

"Yeah, almost there," Seth said waving, "see you guys later. I'm surprised my dad isn't going too," he added with a chuckle.

"He's busy," Mark said grinning, "but I'll see him later."

"I bet," Seth laughed, "all of him probably."

Mark just smiled, then with a wave he drove off.

"Wow, I can't believe he's so cool about that stuff," Rusty said.

"Yeah, well...we have our own little gay village here," Seth joked, "Jordy's folks seem to be the only straight people around."

"Yeah, and now you find me," Rusty laughed, "what are the odds?"

They had made it to the bottom of the hill then and split up to stow their backpacks and change into clothes more appropriate for riding. After checking in with Mrs. Kelly, Jordy and Rusty changed into old jeans and long sleep shirts and boots, which were better for riding than athletic shoes.

"Going riding," Jordy said grabbing a snack for the three of them, "be back for supper."

"All right," Mrs. Kelly said, "be careful," she sighed. She still referred to the ATV as the death machine, but not as often, and certainly not in front of Rusty.

"We will," both boys echoed, then they were out the door.

At Seth's cabin they found Seth had already retrieved the ATV and the helmets. They now had three helmets, since they sometimes used the wagon to carry a third person. They played rock, paper, scissors, to determine who rode where to begin and Seth wound up driving, Rusty behind him and Jordy in the wagon.

As they started off, Rusty laced his arms around Seth's waist and squeezed him tightly. Seth's body felt warm and solid against him and before long he was hard. Maybe it was the vibration of the ATV that had caused his boner, but the feel of Seth's perky rear against him said there was more to it than that.

"Something's poking me in the butt," Seth teased.

"Sorry," Rusty said blushing.

"It's cool, I'm hard too, and I bet Jordy is too. Everything we climb on this thing we get hard. I don't know if it's the vibration or the excitement. Of course snuggling up to each other from behind might have something to do with it."

"What are you guys talking about?" Jordy said sitting up on his knees and leaning against the front wall of the trailer.

"Our boners," Seth confessed, "he didn't have a filter, and was always honest, which sometimes was a bad thing, but at least Jordy always knew where he stood with the boy.

"Oh, I got one too," Jordy confessed, "I might just whip it out and rub one out back here," he joked.

"Now that would be fun, maybe we could take turns doing that," Seth teased, "or Rusty could drive and we could do the nasty together back there."

"Forget it mister, we're only doing that in bed, speaking of which...when do you think we can do that again? It's my turn, remember?"

"Hey, you figure out when and where and I'm there dude," Seth said, "maybe Rusty could watch."

"Really?" Rusty said a bit too loudly.

Seth chuckled and Jordy thought long and hard before he replied, "I...I wouldn't mind if Seth doesn't."

"Hey, I'm the one who suggested it," Seth said, surprised by Jordy's answer, but excited by the thought of actually doing it.

"Hey, we should take Rusty up to the overlook," Jordy suddenly suggested .

"Hey, good idea," Seth said turning the ATV around by cutting across one of the RV pads, "you're gonna love this," he said to Rusty .

The ride didn't take long but it was a bit bumpy in the trailer, and Jordy had to hang on tight and used his legs like shock absorbers.

"Ugh, one of you has to ride back here on the way back," Jordy groused, "my legs are killing me now."

"Well, at least your butt doesn't hurt," Seth laughed.

Jordy stuck out his tongue, but Seth just laughed and led the way to the overhang. Rusty was as much in awe as Jordy had been the first time, but he didn't hesitate to follow the two out on the overhang. The three sat down with Jordy in the middle and stared out at the placid lake and they noticed a sail boat in the distance.

"Cool," Rusty said sighing, "it's so peaceful here, and the view is awesome. I bet you guys spend a lot of time here."

"Not as much as we should," Seth said, then he recounted meeting the bully here and how Seth had sent him running home to his daddy, never to be seen again.

"I knew that guy. I wondered what happened to him," Rusty said, "he was a real dick weed."

"Yeah, for sure," Seth chuckled, "so...wonder what it would be like to jerk off here and splash our jizz on the rocks below?"

"Are you serious?" Jordy chuckled, "might be dangerous if we got too carried away and fell over."

"Nah, we could sit down the whole time, but we'd need to get our pants off first or we might lose them over the side."

"I don't know, that's kind of crazy. Besides, I don't wanna sit my naked butt on these sharp rocks."

"Yeah, we need to bring a blanket next time," Seth said dismissing the idea, for now.

"Hey, we could...just...you know? stand up or something," Rusty said, excited by the idea of jerking together once more, and maybe even watching the two blow each other.

"Let's save it till later," Seth said making a face, "it's getting colder, and it'll be getting dark soon. We should probably head back now."

"Yeah," Jordy agreed, wondering what had changed Seth's mind about getting off in the wilds.

Jordy drove back with Seth behind him and Rusty in the little wagon. Jordy drove slower then Seth had, avoiding ruts and dips, and Rusty had an easier time of it than Jordy had. They arrived back at Seth's cabin just as the sun was starting to dip, and quickly put the ATV and wagon in the little shed out back and walked back to the road.

"Wanna come down?" Jordy asked giving Seth a longing look.

"In a while. I need to check in with dad. You guys go ahead and I'll come down after dinner, okay? Dad is fixing chili, one of my favorites."

"Oh, okay...well...not sure what we're having, but I bet you can eat again," he chuckled.

"Maybe," Seth said grinning, "later dudes," he said turning to go, "and don't do anything I wouldn't," he added with a laugh.

"So, that leaves us wide open," Jordy joked.

"Yeah, well...I do have my limits, but at least keep it sanitary guys."

"Very funny. You know we wouldn't do anything without you there," Jordy said with a serious face.

"I know, I was just kidding man, loosen up."

"I'm as loose as a goose," Jordy chuckled, "and in fact, I need to poop guys, so...I'm gonna go on ahead."

"Ewww...TMI," Seth called after him, but Jordy was already half way to his cabin by then.

"That guy is nuts," Seth said staring after him, "but I love his nuts," he added chuckling.

"Yeah, you both are nuts, and I like both you guys' nuts," Rusty said, then blushed.

"Oh, really? Well, you got a nice set too," Seth said grinning, "too bad they're off limits."

"I get it," Rusty said looking serious, "you guys are in love, and you don't want to mess that up by doing stuff with other boys, right?"

"Yeah, that's sort of what we decided, but sometimes...I gotta tell ya, it's tough. There are just so many hot boys to look at."

"Are you sorry you became boyfriends with Jordy?"

"Course not, I love him...a lot, it's just...well, we're both so young, and we've never really done that much stuff, and I kinda feel like we might be sorry someday that we didn't."

"Hmm, have you talked to Jordy about this?"

"Nah, I don't want him to think I don't want to be with him, or that he's not enough for me."

"Yeah, I get that. Well, I think it's cool that you guys jerked off with me, that was pretty hot. And...you got to see my hot bod, so that was a plus."

"Yeah, it is pretty hot, and that azzz is to die for," Seth said wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh yeah, what would you like to do to it?" Rusty said before he could stop himself.

"Oh, you know," Seth said blushing, "not that I've done that a lot, well...actually only once, but it was awesome. And there's other stuff too..."

"Like what?" Rusty said automatically adjusting the hardness in his jeans.

Seth's eyes went right to Rusty's crotch, and he licked his lips nervously before answering, "Well, I know this might sound weird, but you know what rimming is, right?"

"Yeah, I've seen videos and stuff..."

"Well, I like doing that, well...to Jordy anyway, and I like having it done."

"OMG, really?" Rusty almost moaned, "I bet that feels sooo good."

"It's wicked crazy good, like almost as good as getting fucked I guess."

"Oh shit, man...I just dumped a load of precum in my underpants," Rusty confessed, "I better go before I come all over myself."

"K dude, but...don't beat off yet, okay. I want to see if we can't talk Jordy into doing it together again, naked."

"Okay, but it will be hard, I mean...difficult," Rusty giggled, "It's already hard."

"Yeah, me too. Go on, I'm gonna go eat dinner and I'll be down later and ready to play."

"Sure, should I tell Jordy what we talked about or...no?"

"Nah, we'll all talk later," Seth said frowning, "wouldn't want to give him the wrong idea or anything."

"Yeah, I guess not. Uh, I don't want to do anything to mess things up with you guys, you know that, right?"

"Yeah, me either, but dang it, I want to do some stuff while you're here, stuff I prolly shouldn't be thinking about. No, scratch that. I didn't mean that. Just forget it, okay?" Seth all but begged.

"Yeah, I didn't hear nothin" Rusty chuckled, "I'll see ya later, okay," he said as he started off, then he turned around and added, "just so you know, that stuff I didn't hear, I feel the same way too, only...I feel that way about both of you."

When he was gone, Seth let out a deep breath and shook his head. Why did things have to be so complicated? he wondered. Things were just fine till Rusty came along, but he didn't blame Rusty, no, it was his own fault that he couldn't keep from thinking about other boys and sex. Sometimes he even wished he could mess around with Jerry and Carl, and yeah, even Carl's little brother Ricky. He was way too horny for his own good, he supposed, and if he didn't get his feelings under control he was going to ruin the best thing he had, his and Jordy's relationship. He finally wandered inside and his dad's usual cheerful greeting brought him out of his funk.

By the time Rusty made it to Jordy's cabin, Jordy was done in the bathroom and watching TV in his room. He was laying across his bed dressed in gym shorts and a tee now, and Rusty thought he looked especially sexy.

"Hey," Jordy said looking up from the TV.

"Hey, whatcha watching?"

"Some nature show, I was bored."

"Yeah? Wanna play a game or something?"

"Sure," Jordy said sitting up. Then stretching, he moved to the floor and pulled out the controllers for his game console.

Rusty settled in beside him, being careful to leave space between them, although he could still feel the heat coming off Jordy's body and smell his unique scent. Even a foot apart, he still found Jordy's presence arousing, and he felt his erection returning.

"Did you and Seth have a nice talk?" Jordy said, trying to make it sound casual.

"Yeah," Rusty said, not elaborating.

"What about?" Jordy said, not letting it go.

"What? Oh, you know? Just stuff," Rusty said blushing.

"Sex stuff?" Jordy laughed nervously.

"Maybe," Rusty confessed. How much should he tell? he wondered. He'd promised Seth not to say anything, but obviously Jordy knew something was going on.

"It's cool. I get it," Jordy said calmly, "as long as you're not doing it, I guess."

"We never would," Rusty said, not denying the desire was there.

"What we did in the boat house, that was nice," Jordy said, changing course, "and last night in my bed...well, that was nice too."

"Yeah, thanks," Rusty said, wondering what Jordy was leading up to.

"Were you really asleep the whole time?" Jordy said suddenly.

"What do you mean? Did I do something wrong in my sleep?" Rusty said sounding worried.

"No, it was kinda nice actually. Oh, nothing bad, you just, umm, spooned up to me, that's all."

"Oh, sorry," Rusty said blushing, "I guess it's just instinct or something. Sometimes Warren would climb into bed with me and we'd snuggle. Nothing sexy, just cuddling and spooning, that's all. It helped us sleep."

"Yeah, like I said, it was nice. But then I spooned against you, and well...you pushed your butt back against me, and well...that was kinda unexpected...and sexy."

"Oh man, I'm sorry," Rusty said, "but I swear, I was asleep the whole time."

"Yeah, I finally figured that out. I guess it's just instinct, like you said."

"Are you gonna tell Seth?" Rusty said sounding worried again.

"Nah, why would I? It's not a big deal," Jordy said calmly, "why, do you think I should?"

"I don't know," Rusty sighed, "you know him bettern' I do. What would he think?'

"He'd probably laugh," Jordy admitted, "he's not the jealous type."

"Yeah, I sorta see that. What about you, are you the jealous type?"

"I have to admit, I was...at first. I guess I was just a little insecure, but now...I don't worry so much. I know Seth loves me, and I trust him and he trusts me. I guess as long as whatever we do we do together, things will be fine."

"So...you think you might like to do stuff with someone else, as long as Seth was cool with it?" Rusty ventured.

"With the right person, yeah...I think so," Jordy admitted.

"I know it's none of my business, but I think Seth feels the same way too."

"Why do you say that? Is that what you two talked about?" Jordy said grinning.

"Sort of," Rusty confessed, "but I really shouldn't be talking about it."

"Why, did Seth tell you not too? Is he afraid I'll get jealous or something?" Jordy said sounding mildly amused.

"Would you, get jealous, I mean?"

"Nah, I trust him, and I trust you too," Jordy assured him, "but maybe the three of us should do some talking about this."

"That's what Seth said," Rusty admitted.

"Hmm...maybe after dinner we can talk," Jordy said, the video game forgotten and his mind racing at the implications.

"It's your turn," Rusty said then, jogging him out of his stupor.

"Huh, oh...I'm kinda tired of this. Why don't we go for a walk or something before dinner?"

"Oh, okay...sure. You're not gonna throw me in the lake and drown me, are you?" Rusty teased.

"No way, but I'd like to talk some more," Jordy confessed.

"Okay, sure...you better put on some long pants though, it's cold out there."

Once Jordy had changed into warmer clothes, they grabbed their jackets, and after announcing they were leaving and would be back by dinner time, they headed out the door. Jordy led the way to the far end of the campgrounds and to the little bridge. This was only Rusty's second time being on the bridge, but he thought it was a nice place to visit. It was quiet there and private, and Jordy wasted no time getting to the point.

"I been having these thoughts," he said before he could chicken out.

"What kind of thoughts," Rusty asked, but he was pretty sure he knew what Jordy was talking about.

Jordy sighed, "Sexy thoughts...about you," Jordy confessed, "I love Seth, but I want to do stuff with you. Is that crazy or what?"

"I don't know if it's crazy, but if it is, then I'm crazy too. Like I said before, I don't want to mess things up with you and Seth, but I like both of you that way. What we did in the boat house was awesome, and if that's all we ever do, well...that's fine, but I gotta admit, I'd really like to do more."

"Like what?" Jordy insisted, not letting it go.

"Well, not everything, but sucking for sure. That looked so sexy when you and Seth did that. All I could think about was what it would feel like to be the one on my knees. Oh, and maybe having it done to me too," Rusty admitted.

"Yeah, that would be fun," Jordy said reaching down to adjust the hardness in his pants.

Rusty's eyes followed Jordy's hand to his fly and he chuckled, "You too?"

"Yeah, well...I haven't jerked today," Jordy chuckled, playing it off.

"Me either," Rusty agreed, "maybe later...if Seth wants to."

"Yeah, I'm sure he will. He's even hornier than I am," Jordy chuckled.

"Yeah, I've noticed he seems to be the one to get things started," Rusty added.

"Yeah, well...that's one thing I like about him, he's not afraid to take chances and get me to take them too. Like the first time we messed around at his place..." Jordy laughed, relating the story of how Mack had called them on it, since they'd been less than quiet during their love-making session.

"Oh my God, I'd have died. Mack must be super cool," Rusty said, "but then if him and Mark are doing stuff too, I guess he understands perfectly what you and Seth are feeling."

"Yeah, it's super cool having rents that get us and don't make a bunch of rules and stuff. We should probably head back," Jordy said then, "I'm kinda hungry and we're having spaghetti and meatballs, with salad, and garlic toast, one of my favorites."

"Yeah, sounds good. I'm gonna get fat if I keep eating like this though," Rusty laughed, "at home mac and cheese was the closest we got to pasta."

"You're not getting fat, don't worry. At our age, we just burn it all off," Jordy assured him, but it did trouble him to think that Rusty and his little brother weren't fed properly at home.

Dinner was almost ready by the time the two came in the front door and Mr. Kelly greeted them with the news and told them to wash up. They took turns in the bathroom then wandered in to find the table set and the bread and salad on the table.

"Grab your plates boys," Mrs. Kelly said, and when they did, she filled them with spaghetti and topped it with meat sauce and four huge meatballs.

"Oh man, this smells so good, mom," Jordy said, his mouth watering, "thanks," he added accepting his plate and sitting down beside Rusty who'd been served first, since he was company.

"Umm, it is good," Rusty said cutting off a bit of meatball with his fork and sampling it, "big too."

Jordy chuckled, "Yeah, our balls are big."

"Jordy!" Mrs. Kelly scolded, but she was laughing.

"What? Meatballs, big meatballs. Mom, you have a dirty mind," he teased.

"Boys," she said shaking her head, "never a dull moment."

"You know you love us," Jordy reminded her.

"Yes, I do...but it would be nice to have had a daughter to offset all the testosterone being thrown around," she laughed.

"Mom, now who's being dirty?" Jordy laughed.

"That's not dirty, that's nature," Mr. Kelly offered, "and your mother is right, we do outnumber her," he chuckled.

"I guess I could dress up as a girl once in a while," Jordy joked, "I could be...Jordina," he said causing everyone to laugh.

"That's okay, son. We like you just the way you are," Mrs. Kelly assured him.

They discussed school and life in general as they finished their meal, and after a dessert of pudding with bananas and vanilla wafer cookies, Jordy volunteered himself and Rusty to do clean up. Mrs. Kelly thanked them and accepted gratefully, then she and her husband retired to the living room.

The two boys had just finished cleaning up and Jordy was about to put the leftover sauce and spaghetti in a container when Seth showed up.

"Hmm...what's that?" Seth said sniffing the air, "Spaghetti and meatballs, yum....I can take care of that and you won't have to worry about any leftovers," he offered.

Jordy just smiled and went about fixing a plate for his boyfriend and pouring him some iced tea. While Seth ate, the other two boys finished their cleanup, and loaded the dishwasher. All that was left was Seth's dishes, which they'd add after he finished eating, then start the dishwasher.

"What you guys been up too, besides eating?"

"We went for a walk," Jordy said, "to the bridge, and we talked some."

"Oh, about what?" Seth said looking up, a bit of spaghetti sauce clinging to the corner of his mouth.

Without thinking, Jordy leaned in and licked the bit of sauce off, and when he pulled back Seth laughed. Rusty thought it was the sexiest thing he'd ever seen and could feel his cock throbbing in his jeans just at the sight of this little bit of intimacy.

"Thanks, but you didn't answer my question," Seth insisted.

"Finish your spaghetti pig boy and we'll talk in my room," Jordy said quietly so his folks couldn't hear.

"Oh, okay...yeah, sure," Seth said nodding.

Once in Jordy's room behind a closed door, Seth sank down on the bed and patted a spot on either side of him. "Okay, sit and let's talk guys."

"Oh, okay," Jordy said, not really sure he wanted to do this now that the moment had arrived.

"Uh, what about?" Rusty said, playing dumb.

"Oh come on, you guys. It's pretty obvious what's going on with us three."

Jordy sighed, "What do you mean? I mean, I think I know what you mean, but I need to hear it out loud."

"Geesh," Seth said taking a deep breath, "that thing in the boat house, that was...exciting, right?"

"Well, yeah...being naked together and doing that while Rusty watched...yeah, it was awesome."

"It was the hottest thing I've ever seen, and trust me, I've seen a million gay videos," Rusty said grinning, "but I think what made it so hot for me was the fact that you two were in love. The way you treated each other, and the kissing. Wow, it was mundo sexy."

"Yeah, but there was more to it...at least for me," Seth admitted. "Jordy, don't get mad or upset, but...this was different than when it was us and Jerry, or even Trevon. There was something really exciting about it, and I think you felt it too."

"Uh, different how?" Jordy said, pushing Seth to come clean. He was pretty sure he knew exactly what he was feeling, but he wanted to hear it spelled out in words.

"Okay dang it, if you gonna make me say it then, I think we both like Rusty in a different way than we liked those two. Am I wrong, cause if I am, just tell me and I'll shut up."

"No, you're not wrong, but damn it, it's so confusing. I mean, we promised to be faithful and to keep it just between us two, but I gotta admit, ever since Rusty came along I've been having these thoughts..."

"Me too!" Seth said excitedly, "and dang it, I get hard just thinking about what the three of us could be doing."

"Me too," Jordy admitted, "and last night...well..." he then related what had happened with Rusty in bed the night before.

At first Rusty thought this might be too much for Seth, but one look at Seth's face said he was okay with it. In fact, Seth listened with obvious interest, then looked at Rusty and winked, "Even in your sleep you're a horny dude."

"I guess," Rusty said, "I really didn't know I'd done it. I wish I'd been awake. I mean, it would have felt really good I bet."

"I think me and Jordy need to talk, if that's okay. Do you mind going in to the living room and hanging out till we're done."

"Just talk?" Rusty teased, "Yeah, no problem. If they ask me why I left you two alone, I'll just say I got bored watching you two make out," he joked.

"If they ask, just say we needed some time alone, they'll understand," Jordy advised.

"Yeah, okay...just come get me when you're done, I guess."

"Yeah, we will," Seth said, and when Rusty was gone and the door shut, he moved closer to Jordy and gave him a wet passionate kiss, "I been wanting to do that all day," he chuckled.

"Wow, I can tell you been saving it up. I felt that one in my dick," Jordy giggled.

"Me too, and I'd like to do something else too, but first...we should talk about this...this thing with Rusty."

"Okay, what do you think we should do about it? I mean, Rusty may not even be here after Friday, so that doesn't give us much time."

"Yeah, I hadn't really thought about that. I mean, we can probably find time, even if he goes back home. The important thing is: figuring out if we really want to do this, and making sure we don't screw things up with us."

"Do you think it would?" Jordy asked searching Seth's eyes for the answer.

Seth scrunched up his cute face, "I know it won't change how I feel about you, in fact, I think I love you even more for even considering doing this. I mean, as long as we both want it, and we don't let it get in the way of what we have, I think it would be okay."

"Yeah, I think so too. We could try it, and if it doesn't feel right, or it bothers either of us, we don't have to do it again."

"Yeah, that's what I'm thinking," Seth said, then added, "I guess before we go making plans though, we should ask Rusty."

"Oh, I don't think he'll object," Jordy laughed, "I think that boy would do anything we asked." Then Jordy made a face, "but I don't think we should go all the way with him...you know? We should save that for us. Especially since that's something new and I haven't even got to do it yet."

"Yeah, I agree. That's just for us, but I think sucking and touching would be fine."

"What about kissing?" Jordy asked, wanting to get all the rules figured out in advance.

Seth made a face, "I don't know. Honestly, I don't know. What do you think?"

"I think kissing might be okay, but we'll just have to see how that goes. I mean, he might not want to kiss, but then again, it might happen in the heat of the moment, or whatever. It doesn't have to mean the same thing as when you and I kiss, right?"

"Yeah, I'm open to kissing if it comes up," Seth said, then he laughed and shook his head, "I can't believe we're sitting here talking about a ménage à trois,"

"Ménage a what?" Jordy said making a face.

"It's French I think. It means three people having sex...or something like that."

"Oh, yeah, I knew that," Jordy giggled, "it's really not that weird though. Remember with Jerry that one time? That was hot. I guess it was me who screwed that up because I felt so unsure about things between us. I was afraid Jerry would steal you away..."

"Aww, no way. I love you and only you. I mean, that way. I mean, I love Jerry in another way, more like a brother, but you're the only one I'm in love with."

"Yeah, I know...and I feel the same way. I'm not nearly as worried about this thing with Rusty, but we gotta be careful. If it does happen, we can't let Jerry know or it might make him feel bad about what happened with us three."

"Yeah, I never thought of that. Well, he's got his head up Carl's ass most of the time," Seth laughed, so...I don't think that's a problem. Seems like we hardly see him these days except at school."

"Yeah, those two are pretty thick, and I guess Ricky spends a lot of time with them too, so I guess they have their own...whatever that was you said," Jordy laughed.

"Ménage à trois," Seth laughed, "even the name is sexy."

When the two boys appeared a short time later in the hallway, Rusty joined them and they led him to the kitchen, explaining that they were thirsty and going to grab a drink.

"Well?" Rusty whispered once they were out of sight of the adults.

"We'll talk in Jordy's room. We have to hurry though, I have to be home in about a half hour," Seth said grabbing a sports drink and handing one to the other two boys.

"Help yourself," Jordy joked, and Seth blushed.

"Well, you did say I was family..."

"You are, I'm kidding. What's mine is yours."

"And...what's mine is mine, so I gotta lot," Seth joked, "come on, let's go talk some more."

Back in Jordy's room, they resumed their positions on the bed, and Seth led the way once more.

"Jordy and I have decided that: we want to try doing some stuff with you...if you want to, that is," he said quickly.

"What kind of stuff?" Rusty said nervously.

"Knitting and crocheting," Seth teased, "sex of course. Only not everything, just some touching and jacking, and maybe oral...oh, and kissing if it happens."

"Are you guys sure. I don't want to mess things up for you..."

"Are you going to try to steal one of us away from the other?" Seth said looking serious.

"No, of course not," Rusty stuttered, "Anyway, I'm not looking for a boyfriend, just some fun."

"Then it shouldn't be a problem. Jordy and I feel like our love is strong enough to allow us to do this and neither of us feel jealous or go bat-shit crazy," he laughed nervously.

"Jordy, are you sure?" Rusty said giving Jordy a shy look.

"Yeah, I'm sure. It's like Seth told me, I actually feel closer to him because he wants to do this too. Like we can share just about anything and still be in love."

"Wow, well...only thing is: I may not be around much longer. If my dad won't let me come home I'll probably have to go live with grams."

"We'll figure it out, the important thing is that we all agree. Well, do we all agree?"

"Yeah," Jordy said, "I'm pumped about it."

"Yeah, I mean...if you guys are sure. I'd be crazy to say no," Rusty said excitedly.

"Good, we're all agreed, now...we just gotta figure out when and where. But right now, I gotta get home," Seth said, then leaning in, he kissed Jordy long and hard on the lips, then gave Rusty a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek, "I'll see you guys in the morning. TGIF guys."

"Yeah, I'll walk you to the door," Jordy said, still in a daze from the kiss.

"You guys can jerk it and cuddle tonight, but no kissing or sucking," Seth said with a smile.

"We know, but I think we should save it, just in case," Jordy said as they stood to go.

Rusty groaned, but agreed he too could wait, then announced he was going to take a cold shower. The three walked out together, and while Rusty headed to the bathroom for his shower, Jordy walked Seth to the door.

"Goodnight Mr. and Mrs. Kelly," Seth said as they passed them in the living room.

"Goodnight son number two," Mrs. Kelly laughed.

"Night Seth," Mr. Kelly said, "tell Mack we said hello."

"Will do Mr. K," Seth said with a grin, then to Jordy, "Well, see ya tomorrow. Nite lover boy," he said giving Jordy a peck on the lips.

The Kellys just smiled at Seth's show of affection, knowing that this was nothing compared to what must go on behind closed doors. They were of the 'don't ask, don't tell' mentality when it came to the boys' love life though, and the less they knew the better as far as they were concerned.

Jordy returned to his room and hashed out a bit of homework while he waited for Rusty to finish in the bathroom, then took a quick shower and got ready for bed. Rusty was already stretched out in bed when he returned, and Jordy felt the need to kid him about it.

"So, just assuming I'm letting you sleep with me again, rapist?"

"Oh, sorry," Rusty said pretending to be embarrassed, "I'll sleep on the air mattress again, no big deal."

"I'm teasing butt brain," Jordy laughed, "we may not be jerking off, but we can do that spooning thing again."

"Yeah, okay...sounds good, only this time, I'll be awake and able to enjoy it," Rusty laughed.

End Chapter Eighteen

Next: Working things out

Rob Warr 8-16-21

Many thanks to my buddy Michael in LI for his invaluable help with editing, story ideas, and pics. But most of all: for his friendship and support. Love ya Mikey!!!