Bill W

Castaway Hotel III

May - Fall 2000

Chapter 1
The Announcement

It was Sunday afternoon, May 23rd, and I called the boys into the living room for a little family meeting. Since they were unsure as to the reason I had summoned them, they came into the room asking questions such as, 'What's up?' or 'What do you want us for?'

In order to keep from answering the same questions repeatedly, I merely told them to be patient and they'd soon find out. I waited until everyone was seated and quiet, before I began. "I know most of you were disappointed when I explained you couldn't sign up for summer sports this year. I also know you were upset because I wouldn't give you a specific reason why either. At the time, all I would tell you was that I had something else planned, but wouldn't go into details about it. I did try to make it a little easier for you to swallow by letting you know these plans would be very special and would more than make up for the sports you were going to miss out on, but I realized some of you were still not mollified by my explanation. Well, now I'm finally ready to let you know what my summer plans for us are."

The room was suddenly filled with many excited faces, as they awaited my announcement. Some of them were murmuring comments to each other, speculating about what I might have to say. Although most of them guessed it had something to do with our vacation plans, I doubted any of them would guess what I was about to tell them. Since I was also curious as to what their fertile imaginations would come up with, seeing as sometimes their speculations gave me inspiration for future plans, I gave them a few seconds to get this out of their system and listened to what they were saying. When their discussions began to die out, I continued.

"Nicky and Jordan will be arriving next weekend and we'll be leaving on our vacation starting June 5th. Your nephews will be staying with us until their parents join us later, because I wanted them to be part of most of the things I have planned." Although all of the boys seemed pleased to hear this, Ricky, Cole and Graham were ecstatic. They didn't realize they'd be spending that much time with the two little ones. However, their attention returned to me, as I continued my explanation.

"This year, our vacation will be in two parts. First, we're going to fly to Arizona. I've already rented a van, which we'll pick up at the airport, so we can do some sightseeing as we drive around the state. I'm not saying how long we're going to be gone, as we're going to play that by ear." This wasn't exactly true, since I did have a very definite timetable set, but I didn't want to give away all of my secrets just yet. "When we finally leave there, we will come back home, but only for a short time."

Suddenly the boys were all buzzing again. I heard comments such as, 'Did he say that was going to be part of the joint vacation, because he didn't talk about the others meeting us there?' or 'Why are we coming back home in between and why only for a short while?' I was not only pleased to see they had been listening to what I said, but also thrilled they were still somewhat befuddled. When I felt the moment was right, I continued.

"On July 24th, we will be leaving on a second trip, which will also double as our joint vacation with your older brothers and sisters. At that time, we'll fly to London and spend two weeks touring England with the entire family, before they return home. Nicky and Jordan will be going back with their parents when they leave, but the rest of us will be spending an additional two weeks there, on our own. I have other things I'd like to do while we're there, but I knew the working members of the family couldn't afford to take that much time off from their jobs. Any questions?"

Any questions? It was like a town meeting where everyone in attendance was against a proposed project and tried to make their points at the same time. All the boys were speaking at once and I had to get them quiet, before I could point to them one at a time, so I could hear what they wanted to say. They asked things like: 'What are we going to do?' 'What are we going to be seeing?' 'What should we pack?' and 'Should we take long pants too, or just shorts?'

In addition to those, Graham wanted to know why Jordan and Nicky weren't going to stay with us the whole time. "There are two reasons for that," I told him. "First, it's basically easier for them to go at that time and I didn't want to take them away from their parents for the entire summer. Second, and most important, the things I have planned wouldn't be appropriate or as enjoyable for someone as young as they are."

Although this answered the question, it started a whole new round of speculation about what things I might have planned that would fit my most recent description. Once those and their other questions were out of the way, I continued.

"I spoke with Brandon and Jay's parents a couple of months ago and they have agreed to let both boys go with us. As you all know, Brandon will be living here by then anyway, but I didn't want to invite one and not the other. They are just like sons to me too, and I really wanted them to be part of this trip. I think their parents felt the same way. Even though it means they won't be seeing much of their sons this summer, they were happy to let them join us."

Trey was waving his arms in the air, to get my attention. It was his way of letting me know he had another question. I signaled him that he had the floor and he began to speak. "Are you going to take Carlos, too?"

"Yeah," Pat chimed in. "I'll bet he's never been on a vacation or seen many other places." Honestly, I felt bad that I'd never even thought about him joining us, at least not since he went back to live with his mother.

"You're correct and I'm ashamed to say that I hadn't considered that option. I'll call his mother as soon as we get done here and ask if she would agree to let him become part of our plans. If she does, I'll put a special rush request in to get a passport for him. Hopefully, it will arrive by the time we're ready to leave the country. I pray we don't have a problem getting him one, because of their residence status in this country.

"Trey, I'm pleased you suggested it, though," I added, which caused Trey to sit up a little straighter from the recognition. "I'm impressed you were able to think about Carlos first, before immersing yourself in thoughts about what you will be doing or how much fun you're going to have." Trey just shrugged his shoulders, like it was no big deal, but he had shown a great deal of thoughtfulness and consideration by thinking of Carlos. His brothers made sure to thank him for bringing up Carlos too.

Just before we finished our discussion, I told them we would be doing some shopping just as soon as my grandsons arrived. It was so I'd be able to purchase additional appropriate items for all of them, things they'd need on the trip. I'd also be buying some new luggage to use, since we didn't have a sufficient quantity of pieces at our disposal. Since there would be sixteen boys on the trip, including my grandsons and not counting me, we would also need sixteen suitcases. I felt Jordan and Nicky could share one piece, since their clothing was smaller and they probably wouldn't be taking as many additional items as the others.

I made an additional plan too, by assigning the boys to the luggage in pairs. Even though each boy would still have his own suitcase, I wanted each person to pack half of their things in their own suitcase and half in their partner's. That way, if a suitcase did get lost on the flight, the boys would still have part of their clothing until the missing item was located. I would split my clothing with Nicky and Jordan's, so we wouldn't need an additional piece.

The suitcases would be identical, except for color, but even some of those would match as well, since they only make luggage in so many different tints. The boys thought splitting their things between two separate suitcases was a pretty clever idea, but it was born purely out of necessity. You see, I had lost luggage on trips in the past and knew the consequences, so I didn't want to ruin our vacation due to someone else's error. Hopefully, this will help us avoid such a pitfall.

"By the way, these trips were also part of the reason I bought all of those hand-held games and personal CD players for you last Christmas," I added, regaining their attention. "They are intended to make the trip more enjoyable and the time to pass more quickly. If you aren't sure about that, just ask Sammy and Andrew. They already know how useful those items can be." Sammy and Andrew added their words of agreement, which only strengthened my point.

"I will take the games with me, in my carry-on bag, with a full supply of replacement batteries. You will be responsible for your own CD player and whatever else you think you might want to bring along." The boys were satisfied with everything that was said and discussed, and the meeting soon broke up, so they could start planning what they needed or wanted to take with them.

A couple of days later, while Sammy and Andrew were at the house of one of their new friends, I held another impromptu meeting with the remaining boys. It was so I could lay down some ground rules for the trip, without making Sammy and Andrew feel badly. Once I had them all together, I briefed them about my plan.

"Whenever we stop at a hotel or motel, I will rent four rooms," I announced. "I will have Sammy, Andrew, Jordan and Nicky stay in the room with me, because I don't want them to become involved in your sexual escapades. Sammy and Andrew have given no signals they are ready for such things yet, and Jordan and Nicky are far too young to be involved."

Many of the boys immediately, and vociferously, objected to this proposal, because they wanted to be able to spend time with the younger boys at night too. This led to a lengthy discussion, after which we reached a compromise. On the trip, only one room would be set aside for any sexual activity on any given night. We would establish a rotating schedule for the various boys to use that room and they could do whatever they wanted to at night, as long as all parties were agreeable. That way, the boys in the other two rooms could invite one or more of the younger boys to join them for the evening, and I wouldn't have to worry about them getting roped into joining or viewing something they weren't ready for. Everyone seemed satisfied with the proposal.

After that was settled, I asked all of the boys to notify me as to whom their primary partner was going to be during the trip, although most of those pairs were obvious even before we started this discussion. I was somewhat surprised and pleased at Pat's choice, since he informed me he wanted to team up with Carlos. Once that had been established, I wrote down a quick schedule, rotating the pairs who would be using the 'sex room.' I did this by labeling the room with a pair of numbers, from one to six, so it wouldn't look as if I was showing any favoritism. After that was completed, each pair pulled a number out of a hat, which they would use to match up to the schedule. This way, they would know in advance what night(s) they would be allowed to use it, so they could make plans, if that was what they desired. This meant they would get to use the room on average of once every three days, which I felt wouldn't put any undue stress on their raging hormones. I also thought it was the perfect solution to the problem, especially since it had been their idea to begin with.

The next week was a buzz of activity, as the boys began their preparations. Brandon and Jay were over a great deal of the time too and I remembered to check to make sure they each had personal CD players, which they did. I advised them to bring them with them, along with whatever CD's they wanted to listen to on the trip.

I finally got in contact with Carlos' mom and she was thrilled that we wanted to include her son in our plans. I corrected her and told her he was 'our son,' meaning hers AND mine, which caused her to giggle. After that, I assured her Carlos would always be included in my family's plans and explained the boys also wanted him to join us, as much as I did.

I then explained in detail how long we'd be gone and a rough idea about what we'd be doing. The length away did bother her a little, but she felt Carlos would benefit from it and didn't want to rob him of such a tremendous opportunity. I thanked her for trusting me with her son, to which she replied, "Senior Currie, you forget. Carlos is OUR son," before she giggled again. I apologized for my short-term memory loss, which only caused her to laugh yet again.

Since everything had been agreed to, I made plans to go visit them in two days, so Carlos' mother could sign papers for the passport and we could get that process started before we left. She told me she wouldn't tell Carlos anything about the vacation, so I could tell him when I visited. I thanked her for that small favor and confided that I couldn't wait to see his reaction when I announced our plans. I also warned her I'd bring him back with me at that time, if that was all right with her, so I wouldn't have to make another trip. She said it would be fine, for which I was grateful.

When the day came, I drove to Philadelphia alone, since I figured the boys would get more than enough travel time in over the upcoming weeks. When Carlos saw me, he wanted to know why I was there and wondered if there was some sort of problem. When I told him the reason for my visit, he went absolutely crazy. I've never seen a kid so excited before, and I'd seen many excited children, both at home and at school. He jumped, screamed and ran around the apartment, before stopping to hug his mother and completely lifting her off of the floor in the process. Once he had her in the air, he swung her around in a circle, like he was playing with a rather large stuffed animal, before setting her down again, much to her relief.

Carlos then raced over to thank me, by grasping me around the chest in such a powerful hug that I was finding it somewhat difficult to breathe. He may be short in stature, but he has quite a grip. When I finally got him to release his hold, I looked down and noticed he was crying. When I asked him if anything was wrong, thinking he might have hurt himself in his exuberant celebration, he merely informed me he was just so happy that he couldn't hold back the tears. Now, I was even happier than before that the boys had been wiser than I and remembered to ask about bringing him along.

It took Carlos a little time to get his things together, even though his mother had managed to get most of his things ready without him noticing it. After many hugs and numerous kisses from his mother, she finally let go of him long enough for us to leave. She followed us down to the van and waved until we drove out of sight, although we both felt she might have continued waving even longer than that.

After I returned home with our guest, the boys greeted him enthusiastically. After a few hours of raucous reunion and getting reacquainted, things settled down a bit. It seemed to stay that way until my grandsons showed up, which set everyone off again.

As soon as I could get them to calm down again, we set out to do our shopping and pick up the additional things I felt we might need. The store management and security were experiencing their worst nightmare with so many boys running about and picking up things, although those items either ended up in one of our shopping carts or were returned to where the boys had picked them up. They needn't have worried, but I certainly understood why they would, without knowing my boys as I did.

When we returned home from our shopping spree, I had the boys place everything we'd picked up in their individual pieces of luggage, to make sure nothing was left behind accidentally. After reminding them to leave out what they planned to wear on the day we left, I also asked them to pack whatever other items they planned to take with them, so everything would be set. Once they'd finished, I had them place all of the suitcases in the living room, until we were ready to leave.

The final few days before our vacation were a blur of activity and my biggest job was keeping everyone's feet on the ground, while their heads stayed in the clouds. Steve volunteered to drive us to the airport, since we were leaving out of Pittsburgh, and I happily accepted. His offer took a big load off my mind, since I really didn't want to leave my new van in airport parking for that long a duration. Who knows what it might have looked like by the time we returned, if it were still there at all.

The morning of our departure, the boys were all up and getting ready before my alarm went off, thanks to our human alarm clocks. I prepared us all a rather large and substantial breakfast, so none of us would become hungry right away, because I figured it might be some time before our next meal. After the boys wolfed it down, I tied the last of the luggage to the roof of the van, counted noses and we were all set to leave. The boys eagerly slid into their seats, after some minor bickering over who was going to sit where, and then I drove down to the Shay residence to pick up Steve. Within minutes, we were off to the airport.

For the majority of the boys, this was going to be their first time on an airplane. They were excited, yet a bundle of nerves at the same time. Sammy and Andrew, who were now my flying experts, were doing their best to tell the others what to expect, in an attempt to lessen their concerns. It was cute to watch the two youngest, outside of my grandsons, trying to calm and inform their older brothers. They were very patient, answered all the questions put to them and became my unofficial little flight attendants for this trip.

By the time we boarded our jet, the boys were all prepared for what awaited them. I had taken a seat on the aisle, so I could watch all of the others, as our plane taxied and got into position for take-off. When the pilots revved-up the engines, in preparation for lift-off, I noticed some of the boys tensing up. I could see their bodies stiffen, the muscles in their arms and necks bulge and their knuckles grow white as they gripped the armrests. Sammy and Andrew did their best to convince them this was normal, but it didn't placate all of them. Some still remained rigidly attached to various parts of their seats, as we lurched down the runway.

The liftoff was smooth and everyone relaxed, once we were in the air. That was, until we hit our first bout with turbulence. Experiencing the sudden feeling that the plane was dropping from the sky, even though it didn't last for very long, made most of them more than a little jittery. They later agreed that it gave them an impression similar to what they'd experience during the first downward lunge on a roller coaster ride. You know what I'm talking about. It's the sensation where you feel as if your heart is lodged in your throat and you've left your stomach behind. Well, that occurrence set a few of the boys on edge for a bit, and they only started to relax a little, after it was explained to them what had happened and why. They weren't thrilled about it, since they also knew it might occur again at any time, however, they now understood what had taken place and accepted it for what it was.

Before long, the boys were immersed in a variety of activities. Some were looking out the windows, while others were chatting, listening to their CD players or playing with one of the hand-held games. Of course, there were those passengers who noticed us interacting and wanted to know what type of group we were. As usual, many of them didn't believe our response at first, after looking from the blonds, brunettes and the redhead, and then scanning the Orientals, black and Hispanic that made up our family. After we volunteered more information about how we happened to come together, they finally began to accept what we told them. One older couple, in particular, was very interested in the boys' stories and talked to nearly every one of them before we landed. I think the boys enjoyed this visit nearly as much as the older couple did.

We had now been on the plane for a couple of hours, so I wasn't surprised when the pilot announced it was time to prepare for landing in Phoenix. A new round of tension suddenly gripped the boys, when they thought about what this meant. Here we were in this huge metal 'can,' hurtling through the sky, and it would now have to land on a small, asphalt strip and slow drastically, without crashing during any of those steps. Soon, some of my clan was beset with a self-inflicted variety of rigor mortis, as the plane eased its way toward the tarmac.

Some of the boys were brave enough to look out the windows, to see what it was like, but most didn't want to observe what was coming next. Sammy was getting a kick out of his brothers' reactions, as he thought back to his first flight and remembered how he had been similarly frightened about his first landing. Now he was an old pro at this and it didn't bother him at all.

Finally, when all of the tires screeched from hitting the macadam and the pilots reversed the thrust of the engines and applied the brakes, bringing the plane to a crawl, many of my boys erupted in an involuntary cheer. I was glad I didn't have to check their underwear to make sure they had survived the process without accident, since I wasn't certain if they'd all been successful.

As we were preparing to disembark, the older couple that had been chatting with the boys earlier said good-bye to us, but not before asking for our last name and inquiring if I would be willing to give them our address, so they could keep in touch. I gladly wrote it down for them, thanked them for their interest and concern, and walked with them as we all went to the baggage area to collect our things. The boys hugged both of them as we went our separate ways and it was almost as if I were watching them say good-bye to their grandparents. Needless to say, I think this touched the couple even more. I believe I saw a few tears being shed as they headed to catch their next ride.

The rest of us made our way over to the car rental counter, where I picked up the keys for a very large van, which was waiting for us there. After quickly loading our baggage and the boys inside, I checked the map one final time and headed up I-17, toward Flagstaff. An hour or so later, we stopped at a diner along the highway for lunch. The boys ate as if they had never seen food before and the waitresses got a kick out of their appetites. One of the employees even convinced her manager to throw in desserts with the meal, considering what our total tab was adding up to. Yet again we were asked what kind of a group we were, and once more we had to deliver our explanation of how we had become a family.

When the boys had finished devouring a week's worth of the restaurant's food supply, I paid the tab and left a nice tip, before we continued our trip north, ready to make our first sight-seeing stop.

Chapter 2
Welcome to Arizona

About an hour after leaving the airport, we were pulling up to the Montezuma Castle National Monument. Although it isn't really a castle and Montezuma was never anywhere close to this place during his lifetime, it is still the best-preserved cliff dwelling ruins in North America. I wanted the boys to see it and get a feel for how the earliest Native Americans had lived. In that same spirit, we also visited the small museum there, spoke to some of the park rangers and then went out and walked along the trail. Although it was also educational, it seemed more like a hike in an unfamiliar setting, possibly even during a different era, and I think we all found it quite pleasant. I suspect the boys enjoyed their visit there, because a lengthy discussion ensued as we were leaving, as the boys compared their ideas about what it would have been like to have lived in that region when those first Americans initially inhabited the cliffs. In fact, that particular conversation continued, even as we reached Flagstaff.

We didn't stop, however, at least not this trip. Instead, we went east on I-40, toward Winslow. From there, we turned north again and traveled a short distance farther, to the Homolovi Ruins State Park. This place is situated just south of the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Indian Reservation. Here we got to see four major pueblo sites that had been occupied from 1200 to 1425, still prior to the first Europeans arriving in the new world, by the ancestors of today's Hopi Indians. It wasn't as impressive as our first stop, but it did add to the boys' understanding about these people.

Even though it was still fairly early by the time we finished there, the boys were letting me know it was time to eat. For that reason, we decided to drive back to Flagstaff, check into our motel rooms, clean up quickly and then go to dinner. While we were at the motel, I also made a few quick calls to several nearby restaurants, until I found one that could accommodate our group at this late notice. Once the reservation was made, I hurried everyone back into the van. It was a clean restaurant, nothing especially fancy, but we all had an enjoyable meal.

When we got back to the motel, the boys went to their rooms for the evening. They were all tired and wanted to call it a day, and I think most of this had to do with the time zone difference. Arizona was two time zones, or two hours earlier than Pennsylvania, so even though it was only 9:00 here, it felt later and we had all been up since very early that morning. Therefore, I quickly acquiesced to their suggestion.

Tonight, all four of the little ones where going to share a room with me, so I took them back to our temporary quarters and gave them their baths, in pairs. Jordan and Sammy wanted to bathe together and so did Nicky and Andrew, none of which surprised me. It worked out well, as the boys had fun horsing around in the tub – happy to be together.

When we came out of the bathroom, I sat in a chair to relax, but soon discovered three little bodies climbing on me. Everyone, but Sammy, had decided they wanted to sit on my lap. I think he either felt he was too old to do that now or just wanted to allow the others the opportunity, since there would not have been room for a fourth body. Even three was getting to be a squeeze. Happily, though, I made room for Andrew and my two grandsons on my lap and enjoyed a little cuddle time with them. They were all kind of sleepy, so it was very laid back.

When I suggested it was time for them to hop into bed, all four boys notified me they wanted to sleep together, on one of the two double beds in the room. Seeing they were small enough to still fit comfortably, I let them, while I spent the night alone on the other double bed.

Through the luck of the draw, the first night in the 'sex room' belonged to Ricky and Jay (who had drawn the number one when we drew lots before we left) and Danny and Brandon (who had pulled the number two). When I realized that particular foursome would be together again, it brought back memories of the first vacation we had all taken together, way back when. This led me to believe those four boys might have an encounter with the feeling of déjà vu this evening.

Once the door to their room was closed and locked, Danny was the one who broached the subject of what they wanted to do.

"Well," he began, "do you two want to just stay with each other or would you like for all of us to do something together?"

Jay looked at Ricky before he answered. "We don't mind doing something with you two, do we, Ricky?"

"Yeah, it's okay with me, as long as it doesn't include any of the butt stuff," Ricky answered.

"That's too bad, because you don't know what you're missing," Brandon teased, "but we'll do whatever you want."

Ricky looked at Brandon for a few seconds before he responded. "You mean you like having Danny shove his big dick up your ass?"

"Yeah, I do," Brandon replied, honestly.

"Doesn't it hurt?" Jay wanted to know.

"Maybe it did a little at first," he admitted, "but now it just feels really great, just as good when you do it to someone else."

"Yeah, I bet that it feels good to do it," Ricky said, almost without thinking. "I've kind of wondered what it would feel like."

"Well, if you two want," Danny offered, "you can do it to us and you won't have to let us do it back. What do you think of that idea?"

Jay looked like he was going to bust a gut with excitement, but Ricky soon turned a cold shower on Jay. "No, I won't do it if I'm not willing to do the same thing for you. It wouldn't be fair."

"Ricky, Danny and I won't mind if you don't want to do the same for us," Brandon told him. "We'll let you guys try it with no strings attached."

Jay lit up again, but it didn't take long for that light to dim too. "No, it wouldn't be right," Ricky responded, sticking to his conviction of fair play. "I just can't take advantage of you guys like that."

"What if I give you an alternative?" Danny asked him. "What if you let us do it between your legs, like we did in the shower on the first vacation, or if you let us do it in your butt crack, without really sticking it up your butt?"

"I'm not sure what you mean by the second thing, but I'll do the first one if that's all right with you," he finally agreed.

"Well, the second option is just that we would rub our cocks back and forth in your crack, pushing your ass cheeks together so it feels like we're inside you. We'd never go in you, though."

Ricky looked at Jay and saw how much he wanted to try it. "Okay. We'll do either of those two ways, if you guys still want to do it."

"Great," Brandon said excitedly. "Who wants to be with whom?"

Ricky and Jay both grinned. "I think I'd like to be with Danny," Ricky said. "It would kind of be like old times, when he and I did things together, when there were just the two of us with Dad."

"You still remember that?" Danny asked. "To me, it seems like only yesterday that it happened, but I wasn't sure you still remembered it. We were both really inexperienced and didn't know very much, did we?"

"Yeah, I guess we were pretty dumb about sex back then, weren't we?" Ricky answered. "But I'll never forget how special or how good you made me feel."

"Hey, you were my first brother and that was important and special to me too," Danny assured him. "No matter what else happens, nothing will ever change that."

"No, it won't, will it, bro?" Ricky agreed. "I'm glad that you were my first brother AND my first sex partner."

"Me too." Danny stated, trying not to choke up from the emotional current welling up inside him.

"Okay, enough of this stroll down memory lane," Brandon chuckled. "Who wants to go first?"

"Why don't we let Ricky and Jay go first?" Danny offered. "Otherwise, they'll get so excited they'll blow their load before they even get it in us."

"Very funny," Ricky shot back, "but we won't argue about going first."

"All right," Brandon said. "We'll explain to you what you'll need to do then."

Danny quickly went into his things and pulled out a tube of KY jelly. Danny and Ricky got on one bed and Brandon and Jay got on the other. They were all doing a little kissing and petting before the older pair instructed them on how to loosen up their anus. Although Danny and Brandon probably didn't need this, since it hadn't been that long since they'd had sex, they felt it best that Ricky and Jay learn the correct way to do this, in case they decided to try it with someone else later.

Ricky wasn't too sure about doing this, since he wasn't too keen on the idea of putting his fingers in someone else's butt, but Jay showed no hesitation at all. Finally, after thinking about it a few seconds, Ricky realized his objection was silly. If he was going to shove his dick up there, why should he hesitate about doing the same thing with his fingers? Therefore, he went along and did as he had been instructed.

Before very few minutes had passed, Danny and Brandon were greased up, stretched out and ready to go. Eagerly, they lay on their backs and pulled their legs against their chests, letting the other pair know they were ready for action. Their rosebuds were winking at the virginal duo, as the younger boys rubbed some more KY onto their own dicks. Jay drew his foreskin back before he started and then both boys moved forward for their first attempt at anal intercourse. Under warnings from the older ones to 'go slow,' the rookies placed the heads of their cocks against the muscular rings and began to add a little pressure. They both slid in fairly easily, as the other two were fairly accustomed to this activity, and soon their penises were completely engulfed in the older pair's warm, moist holes.

Ricky swooned at the wonderful feeling of being inside Danny, while Jay almost shot his load as he entered Brandon. Both of the older boys sensed this excitement and lack of control in their temporary lovers, so they wrapped their legs around their partners' hips and held them in place, at least long enough for them to regain some control and allow their juices to simmer down. When they felt the younger duo was ready to go, Danny and Brandon pulled their legs back to their chest and told their partners to 'go ahead.'

Ricky and Jay both began to withdraw their meat, so they could plunge it back into the willing hole in front of them. Jay misjudged the length of his own pole and plopped out of Brandon rear entrance, which caused him to have to scramble frantically to re-grip his boyhood, line it back up and push it into the tunnel it had slipped out of. Eventually, they both got a rhythm going and were happily pumping their way to heaven.

It only took Jay a couple of minutes before he reached the brink again, so now he was slamming into Brandon with very short, rapid strokes. Suddenly he arched his back, drove all the way into Brandon's rectum, and emptied his creamy load deep into Brandon's bowels. When he was completely drained, Jay fell forward onto his partner's chest, so Brandon wrapped his arms around him and hugged tightly.

On the other bed, Ricky was still pumping into Danny, using fairly long, moderately paced strokes. Danny was encouraging his brother, telling him how well he was doing and how much he was enjoying it, when Ricky started to speed up his pace. Ricky was now like a man possessed, knowing he was almost ready to blow his wad up Danny's ass, so he pumped in and out of Danny like he was drilling for oil. Another minute of this frantic action was all it took and Ricky made his final thrust, before letting loose a tidal wave of spunk into Danny's gut. Once he had emptied his load, Ricky collapsed on his brother, totally exhausted. Danny lovingly hugged and kissed him, as soon as he regained his senses, and held onto Ricky until he, too, came down from his high.

"God, that was absolutely awesome!" Ricky exclaimed, as soon as he could speak again. "I figured it would be good, but I didn't think that it would be THAT good. I wonder if it will be that incredible when I do it with a girl?"

"I don't know," Jay added, overhearing the conversation, "but I can't imagine it being any better than this. Thanks, guys, that was terrific."

A couple of minutes later, the younger pair was ready to return the favor. They talked it over with their partners and agreed about how they wanted to do it. Brandon was willing to do it between Jay's legs, since that's what Jay preferred. Therefore, Brandon used the KY to add a generous supply of lube to Jay's inner thighs, before he added an equally thick coating to his own rod. He had Jay get on all fours, so he could slide in behind him, and then positioned his penis and had Jay close his legs tightly around his meat. Once they were situated, he placed his hands on Jay's hips and began to piston back and forth, allowing Jay's fleshy thighs to stimulate him to orgasm.

This wasn't going to be a quick ride, as Brandon was experienced and not prone to shoot quickly. The blond was enjoying this experience almost as much as if he were actually having anal intercourse, taking it nice and easy and relishing every sensation. Brandon's erection was also stimulating Jay's scrotum, as it brushed under the sensitive fleshy sac, and their cocks would occasionally rub together, as Jay's flaccid penis swayed with the motion of this activity. As this continued to happen, it caused Jay to become hard again, just as Brandon switched into second gear and started to go a little faster. Brandon was nearly ready for his sprint to the finish line and continually increased his pace, ramming his dick harder and faster between Jay's thighs. When he reached the point of no return, he thrust all the way forward, unleashed his load all over Jay's stomach and arms, just before Jay's own dick surprisingly erupted in his second climax of the night. Both boys collapsed on the bed and lay there, trying to recover.

On the other bed, Ricky lay on his stomach as Danny put a big wad of KY between his butt cheeks and rubbed it up and down the length of his crack. Then Danny coated his own stiffy with a generous amount of lubricant and straddled Ricky's waist. He asked Ricky if he was sure he was ready and Ricky told him to go ahead. Danny pulled Ricky's butt cheeks apart, slid his lumber in between the two fleshy globes and then put his hands on either side of Ricky's firm mounds and pushed them together, to surround his cock. Danny took a few moments to enjoy the wonderful feeling of his penis being buried between those muscular cheeks, but eventually gave in to his urges and began to rock back and forth. The pleasure he received from sliding his erection up and down the length of Ricky's crack was greater than he'd anticipated. Ricky added to this sensation, by tensing his ass muscles, so they would squeeze Danny's joystick, as it slid to and fro. He wanted to make sure Danny received as much pleasure from this, as Ricky had experienced when he had been on top.

Danny could sense Ricky's extra effort and appreciated the thought and effort behind it. After continuing his steady strokes for a few minutes, Danny redoubled his pace, now sliding in and out of those voluptuous mounds like a hot knife through butter. He was going faster and faster, nearing his zenith, when his dick exploded, spewing ropes of sticky spunk from between those wonderful buns and across Ricky's back. After the last of his juice oozed from the tiny slit at the end of his dick, he rolled off of Ricky and plopped down on the bed beside him. Ricky kissed him, gave him a huge hug and thanked him for the fun night.

After cleaning up, the boys decided to sleep with their recent sex partner for the evening, instead of with their normal bunkmate. They were all very tired, partially because of the change in time zones and all they'd been through for one day, and were soon asleep, snuggled against their bedmate. They all seemed pleased with their first day on vacation and the smiles stayed on their faces until morning.

Chapter 3
The Grand Canyon

The following morning, I let the boys sleep late, even though some of them still got up early. I guessed the others were tired out from the trip and the time change, while those in the 'sex room' might also be exhausted from their late night workout. Since it was a Sunday and I didn't have a lot planned for the day, I decided to give them a break.

When the last of my troops rose from the dead, I took them out for brunch. We made another disruptive entrance into a diner, merely due to the size of our family, and we went through the usual questions from the curious staff and other patrons. We answered all of their questions politely, before excusing ourselves to eat. After downing a substantial meal, we went back to our rooms and repacked, because it was time to load up the van and hit the road again. Once everything and everyone was on board, I navigated some of the back roads toward our next destination.

Danny immediately guessed where I was heading and I confirmed his prognostication. Hey, what else do you go to see when you're in Arizona? As he expected, our next destination was the south rim of the Canyon and we would be staying in Grand Canyon Village. Although it took us longer to make our way there than I'd calculated, since we got stuck behind some 'real Sunday drivers' along the way, eventually we were gazing upon one of the greatest natural wonders in North America.

The look on each boy's face was priceless, when they saw the Canyon for the first time, and I immediately started snapping pictures of them looking at it, instead of taking pictures of the amazing natural wonder itself. Finally, I remembered to also take a few shots of what we actually came to see, to make sure none of us would ever lose these memories, even though the years may play havoc with our minds. After that, we took a walking tour along the rim of the Canyon, but not until I was certain everyone had been reminded to stay away from the edge and someone older had a hold of the hand of each of our four youngest members.

After we finished our little hike, I snapped more pictures of the boys, but this time in either small or large groups, with each snapshot having the Grand Canyon as an awesome backdrop. I also allowed the boys to take a few pictures too, as they wanted me in some of the photos with them, which I was happy to agree to, since I wanted some reminders of being there with them as well.

As the hour began to grow late, I loaded everyone back into the van and drove to the lodge where we would spend the evening. We checked in and were given the keys to our four rooms, so we lugged our baggage there and got the room assignments established. Tonight, Dustin, Kevin, Pat and Carlos had the honor of being in the 'sex room', so we just had to figure out who would be in the various other rooms.

Cole and Graham informed me they wanted Sammy and Andrew in with them for the night, and then Ricky and Jay let me know they wanted to come in with me, so they could spend time with Jordan and Nicky. That left Danny, Brandon, Trey and Dion in the fourth room, so I asked them if that was all right, and they agreed it was fine.

Now that the room assignments had been settled, we all took our things into our assigned rooms, washed up and changed for dinner. I finished quite quickly; since the older boys had offered to help the younger ones get ready, which took the responsibility away from me. This also allowed me time to call around and look for a place where our small army could dine. After some hesitation from the employee I was speaking with at one particular location, and after being put on hold for many minutes, he finally confirmed our reservation. The only problem was, it would be slightly more than an hour before our tables would be ready.

In the interim, the boys entertained themselves, playing one of the hand-held games, listening to their own CD's or watching something on one of the televisions located in the various rooms. About twenty minutes before we would need to be at the restaurant, I rounded up the troops and we headed out to eat, much to the boys' delight.

We were quickly led to a large dining room where several smaller tables had been pushed together to make room for us, and the boys eagerly walked in and took their places. Most of the seating arrangements had been decided upon before we arrived at the restaurant, thus eliminating all the discussion over who would be sitting next to whom. I was allowed, or more like commanded, to sit at the head of the table.

Of course we had our share of stares as we entered and there were more than a few whispers as they watched us take our places, but the boys were getting accustomed to this, so it wasn't a big deal. We looked at the menus and ordered our drinks from the hostess, before a good-looking young man came by to deliver those drinks and take our order. He definitely caught the attention of some of the older boys, as he was probably only eighteen or nineteen himself, but I don't think he realized why some of the boys were being so attentive, talkative and cooperative.

After he left the table, some of the boys began chiding their partners about their 'drooling' over him, or were telling the others to 'put their eyes back in their head' or 'their tongue back into their mouth.' Not only that, but I noticed some of the boys 'adjusting' themselves under the table. I guess he had quite an effect on a few of them. Before long, the young man returned, bringing rolls, soup and salads for those who had ordered them, and the whole process of innocent flirting started all over again.

The boys would try to engage our waiter in conversation, as he placed the different dishes in front of them, and eventually he started to warm up and answer their queries. Not only that, but as time went by, he even began asking questions of his own. Eventually he got to the question about what we were doing there and if we were some kind of a group. He informed us that he judged us to be a church group, because the boys were so well behaved, and then went through the typical reaction of looking at each one of the boys when we told him we were a family.

It was obvious he wasn't turned off by that news, though, and he started asking each of the boy's questions about their lives and how they happened to come to live with me. He became so engrossed in their stories that occasionally I would have to remind him about checking on his other tables, to be fair to the other patrons. He would hurry and do that, but would return shortly thereafter, which led me to believe he didn't want to leave us for any length of time. This development caused the boys to begin to look at him more as a possible friend now, rather than just as a potential sex partner, even if that idea had only been a fantasy they'd created in their minds.

By the time we ordered our deserts, Mark's other tables were nearly all empty, but not because he had neglected them. It was just that the crowd in the restaurant had thinned out considerably, as most of the locals and vacationers dining there were turning in early or going to do other things. That allowed him even more time to spend with us and he seemed genuinely pleased by this new opportunity.

By the time we finished our meal, the older boys had invited Mark over to visit them at the Lodge. He immediately turned toward me and asked if it would be all right, before accepting their invitation. I saw this as a sign of a good upbringing and having been taught manners, which impressed me immensely. After I nodded my response, a huge grin spread across his face, before he told the boys he'd love to join them and would be over as soon as he finished work. I think that made everyone's day, at least in the teen hormone crowd.

As we were preparing to leave, I left him a rather large tip, even bigger than my usual generous gratuity. After all, he did give us special attention and fantastic service. As we passed him on our way out, we told him we'd see him later, which brought another one of those sexy grins to his face, which caused some of the boys to experience one final swoon.

As everyone went back to his rooms, I reminded each of them they would have to keep some sort of clothing on for the evening and the 'sex room' door should be double locked, since Mark would be joining us and there was no indication which room he would stop at first. Danny quickly insisted Mark would be going directly to his room, since he had given him his room number, which took some of the pressure off of the others. However, Brandon didn't look quite as pleased about it as Danny did.

Once that was settled, I gave the boys a brief rundown of the next day's activities, so they'd be able to determine for themselves how late they could stay up and still be able to function in the morning. I advised them we'd have to get up around 7:00, as we had a fairly rigid appointment set for 10:30. They all moaned a little, but knew I probably had something exciting planned, so they didn't argue too much over that point.

About an hour later, there was a knock on my door. I wonder which of the boys it might be and what they wanted. When I opened it, I discovered Danny standing there and he had a funny look on his face. I had a feeling something was up.

"Dad, do you think Mark could go with us when we do our sightseeing tomorrow? He says he doesn't have to be to work until 5:00 tomorrow night and he hasn't really spent that much time seeing the things around here either. He said he got this job through one of his professors at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, where he just finished his freshman year. He's a finance major there, working his way through school, and he only got here a couple of weeks before we did, but has been working most of the time."

"Wow, you sure learned a lot about him in a short time," I remarked, while eyeing him to get his reaction, but I think my comment flew over his head.

"He told me even more than that," he continued. "He also said his family is in Oregon and that's where he grew up. He only started college here last August and with classes and work, he hasn't had a lot of free time. Besides, he didn't have a bunch of money to do other stuff with, so he really hasn't seen much of Arizona since he came here. Can he go with us tomorrow, please? Please?" he begged again, while giving me a look he thought would make me give in.

"I don't see any major problems, if Mark wants to join us," I replied. I was going to say 'yes' anyway, so his look hadn't affected me at all. "It's just that some of you might have to hold the little ones on your laps in the van, in order to make room for him. Let him know he can also eat breakfast with us, if he can make it here by 7:30."

"Will you come and tell him, Dad? I'm not sure if he'll believe me," Danny replied. "He didn't want me to ask in the first place, because he said he doesn't want to impose."

"No problem. I'll be happy to do that," I answered, thinking this only reinforced my earlier impression that this young man had come from a good home. "Come on and I'll tell him for you."

We walked over to Danny's room, so I could tell Mark we'd be happy to have him join us. He seemed thrilled that I had agreed to this and thanked me several times for allowing him to join us. He then informed me he would be back early, so he could go with us for breakfast too. After that, he said good-bye, because he felt he'd need his sleep if he were going to spend the day with us. After he left, I urged the others to also get some sleep.

While all of this had been going on, the 'sex room' was still being used for its intended purpose. It was on one side of my room, while the other two rooms were on the other side, so I knew Mark couldn't hear what was going on in there, especially if he was in Danny's room at the time.

Speaking of the 'sex room,' at first I was a little hesitant about allowing Carlos to be included in the groups using that room, but the boys quickly assured me he had eagerly participated in a few sessions while he had been staying with us before. I tried to broach this subject directly with Carlos, when I was bringing him back to our place, just before the trip started. He hesitantly verified the stories and seemed a bit embarrassed that I knew about it. After thinking about it, he finally agreed it wasn't such a bad thing that I knew, as long as I didn't tell his mother about it. I laughed and assured him I wouldn't, before I relented on letting him become involved in the fun on the trip too.

The biggest difference about what was taking place tonight, was that the partners wanted to stay together and weren't up for mixing with the others. Dustin and Kevin were on their bed and had been making out for a while, before Pat finally turned off the lamp on the nightstand beside them. That pair had been fairly inseparable since Dustin's little hospital stay and Kevin's operation, which pleased me and delighted Kevin. It had also been a few days since they had spent any quality time together, so they were both more than a little horny. As soon as the lights were off, Kevin grabbed the lubricant and handed it to Dustin.

"I need you to make love to me tonight, babe," Kevin told him. "I don't care if the other two know what we're doing. I need you now."

"Hey, no problem," Dustin answered. "As far as I'm concerned, they could both watch us, if they wanted to learn something." Both boys chuckled and Dustin began to prepare Kevin for a little fun.

It didn't take long before Dustin was on top of his lover, sliding his thick slab of meat inside of him. Kevin groaned a little as that monster stretched him to his limit, but welcomed Dustin's intrusion fully. Kevin lovingly threw his arms around Dustin's neck and kissed him passionately, letting his partner know how much he was looking forward to this ride. As soon as Dustin was fully seated inside of him, he began his slow, steady rocking motion and the two boys gradually became as one. Their motions complimented each other perfectly, as each of their thrusts met the other part way, and they were really into their love making, totally oblivious to the other pair.

Dustin was telling Kevin how much he loved him and how desperately he needed this release, while Kevin kept reminding Dustin he would love him always and thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of Dusty's rod sliding back and forth, massaging his prostate. The two boys were stroking each other's ego, to go along with the physical stroking that was taking place, and they were totally into what they were doing. Dustin was going faster now, realizing he was getting closer to his reward, and both boys were panting quite heavily, as he continued to pummel Kevin's butt. When the climactic moment finally came, he buried himself deeply inside of Kevin, arched his back, let out a little moan and flooded Kevin's bowels with his love juice. Kevin felt the warm liquid coat the lining of his excretory tract and enjoyed the fullness he felt, as Dustin remained firmly implanted inside him. That's the way they stayed until they both came down from their sexual highs.

On the other bed, Pat and Carlos had discussed what they were going to do and Carlos was only up for a hand job. He was still new to all of this, but he didn't mind if they jacked each other's meat. Pat told Carlos he'd do him first and Carlos was eager to agree with that suggestion. Pat reached over and started playing with Carlos' uncut sausage, toying with the foreskin and pulling it back and forth, while he used his other hand to stimulate Carlos' balls, bringing him to arousal. It worked like a charm and soon Carlos was as hard as a rock.

Now that Carlos was ready, Pat began to stroke his fist up and down on his partner's pole and Carlos started to gurgle and then purr like a contented kitten. Pat knew his inexperienced partner wouldn't last long, so he kept his strokes steady, to make it as good for Carlos as he could. Soon strings of cum were shooting from Carlo's dick, as his body became as stiff as a board. After he was milked dry, Pat released his cock and let Carlos lie on the bed and enjoy the warm glow that this release had given him.

While he waited, Pat tried to figure out why he was so attracted to Carlos and why he felt the need to please him so strongly. Carlos wasn't as handsome as some of his other brothers and Carlos was even a little stocky, but Pat just felt this attraction to him that he couldn't break. Even worse, he didn't understand why he was attracted to him at all. While he was thinking about this, Carlos spoke to him and offered to return the favor.

Immediately, Pat lay back, thus allowing Carlos to grab his somewhat short, but thick, circumcised dick and have access to his testicles. Carlos was just as fascinated with the difference in their penises as Pat had been. Playfully, Carlos tugged and stroked Pat's boyhood until it stood like the mainmast of an old Frigate. Carlos hadn't yet learned how to enjoy what he was doing and pumped Pat's prick as quickly as a thirsty man would work an old hand-operated water pump. That's why it only took a few minutes before Pat's geyser erupted, sending streams of jism into the air, only to have gravity pull them back down and land on Pat's chest. As the puddles formed and 'Old Faithful' emptied the last of its contents, Carlos' hand slowed, until he released Pat's limp sausage. After the boys cleaned up the evidence of their mutual masturbation session, they thanked each other, said good night and went to sleep.

On the other bed, Dustin and Kevin had switched places and Kevin was ready to fill Dustin with his love. Somewhat amazingly, at least to me, Dustin was still willing to do this for Kevin, after he had been so resistant to the idea for such a long time. I suspected this meant Dustin finally realized the depth of Kevin's love for him and acknowledged his own love for Kevin. I think he felt that by showing he was willing to give himself completely, it would show Kevin he was willing to make a long-term commitment.

Slowly, Kevin placed his dickhead against the entrance to Dustin's love tunnel and then pushed his way in. He barely hesitated as he hit bottom and immediately began his withdrawal, so he could thrust forward once more. Kevin was still worried that his operation would affect his functioning sexually, but there had been no change in his ability since one of his testicles had been removed. He hadn't even really noticed any change in the amount of semen he produced, which astounded him. If he was shooting any less of a load, it was such a miniscule difference that it couldn't even be detected.

Now, Kevin was ramming his penis in and out of Dustin's chute, looking forward to the total-body tingling that would accompany his orgasm. Soon, he started to feel the familiar sensation of pressure building in his groin and knew the end was near. He was humping faster now, looking forward to the fireworks that would go off in his head, as his penis unloaded its contents. When that moment arrived, Kevin was not disappointed, as he fired his wad into Dustin's body cavity. He then collapsed on Dustin's chest, at which point the older boy hugged and kissed him affectionately. When Kevin had recovered fully from this encounter, he cuddled against Dustin's chest and lingered in his warm embrace, before falling asleep in that position.

Chapter 4
A New Friend

The next morning, I was awakened by my requested call from the front desk. As soon as that conversation ended, I dialed each of our other rooms and made certain the rest of the boys were up and getting ready too. Once that had been accomplished, I went around and woke the foursome who had spent the night with me. Although I was mildly surprised Ricky wasn't already awake, since he always seemed to get up prior to the alarm going off at home, along with Cole and Graham, but it may have been that he was just extra tired last night.

Anyway, Jay and Ricky were now helping my grandsons get ready and it was obvious the older pair felt a bond with their nephews. Even when the boys had gone to bed the previous evening, that closeness was evident. My grandsons insisted on sleeping with one of their uncles, so Jay and Jordan slept together in one bed, while Ricky and Nicky shared the other bed with me. Now I watched as the older boys helped the little ones wash up, before assisting them in retrieving their things out of the suitcases and getting dressed. Needless to say, this was a big help to me and freed me up to go check and see how the others were doing.

By the time I went from room to room to make sure everyone was nearly ready to leave, I discovered Mark was already in Danny and Brandon's room. If it hadn't been for the fact he was wearing different clothing than when I had last seen him the previous evening, I would have guessed he had sneaked back into the room after he'd said good night to me and spent the night with the others. Not that it would have made any difference, as the boys are old enough to know what they were doing and I trusted their judgment, but it was just odd to see him here so early. I just expected he'd show just before we were ready to leave, but it was nice to see he was evidently looking forward to being with us. Once the rest of my boys were dressed, I chased them down to the van and drove to the restaurant I had made breakfast reservations at the night before.

I warned the boys to eat a good breakfast, since today's itinerary indicated we would be eating our lunch later than usual. Everyone heeded my advice and stuffed himself accordingly, even Mark. However, he also spent much of the time talking to as many of the boys he could and showed a great deal of interest in everything they had to say. After Mark managed to grill an enormous amount of information from the others, which he did in a way that no one realized they were being interrogated, I began to try to find out more about him. We carried our conversation over to the van, in order to make sure we got to our destination on time. The boys let Mark sit in front with me, so we could finish our little talk, and I soon learned much more of Mark's story.

It seems that Mark is an only child, which was mostly due to the fact that his parents were together only for a short time, because his father was devastated when he heard his girlfriend was with child. In fact, he desperately tried to convince her to have an abortion or give the baby up for adoption, but she wasn't willing to do that to her child. Even though she knew it was going to be very hard for her (she was still in high school at the time and graduated when she was six-months pregnant) she wouldn't change her mind. Even when her family shunned her because of her situation and forced her to leave their home, she did what she had to so the two of them would survive. That's why, for as long as Mark could remember, it had just been his mother and him, living on their own.

Mark never got a chance to know his father when he was older either, because the man showed no interest in getting to know him. Mark felt he remained aloof so he wouldn't be forced into giving them financial support. The guy stated very clearly that he wanted nothing more to do with Mark's mother and left it up to her to raise the child as best she could, since she had previously rejected his proposals for getting them all out of this mess.

From what Mark told us about growing up in that situation, it sounded as if he'd had a pretty rough life and didn't get to enjoy very much of it. He had worked for a big portion of his childhood and adolescence, taking any job he could get in order to earn extra money for the family or make it possible for him to get a few of the things he wanted or needed. From the time he was about ten-years old, he mowed yards, raked leaves, walked dogs, had his own paper route and performed other odd jobs for his neighbors. Surprisingly, he somehow even managed to save some of his hard earned dollars, so he'd be able to go to college, as that was a dream of his. He combined that money with some modest scholarships he had won so he could attend, but he still had to continue working his way through school too, as the other funds didn't cover all of his expenses.

Mark told me he'd always missed not having a father and always dreamed about having a brother or two, so he would have someone he could be close to and confide in. He then admitted he envied my boys a little, because they'd lucked out and got exactly what he'd always longed for. He was adamant that he wasn't jealous of them, because he would never have wanted to leave his mother, but he had often wondered how his life might have changed, if he had been able to benefit from a similar situation. He was just finishing his story when I pulled into the parking lot of our next stop and I felt I had gained a great deal of insight into this fascinating young man during the course of our trip.

Now that we had reached our destination, I finally explained to the boys that I had arranged for us to take a jeep tour of the Grand Canyon. Actually, this outing would combine two separate tours and allow the boys to see the Canyon from a different perspective. The first part of our outing would be the Canyon Pines Tour, during which time we'd follow an 1880's stagecoach trail. Although the boys wouldn't actually be riding in a bone-jarring, old west vehicle, they would basically see what those passengers would have observed during a similar ride. The second part of our time there would be spent on the Indian Cave Paintings Tour, where we'd follow our guide into a collection of caves, so we could see the petroglyphs, which are carvings or inscriptions in rock, as well as several examples of cave paintings left by early Native Americans.

Seeing my whole brood wouldn't fit into just one vehicle, I had arranged for multiple vehicles to go together in sort of a caravan, so we could remain as a group and see everything together. The littlest ones rode with me, so I could keep an eye on them and explain about what they were seeing, while Mark and the older boys split up amongst the other vehicles. As I watched him joking around with the four boys he was riding with, I was already beginning to feel bad we would be deserting him after this tour, once we made our way back to the motel. However, I had to refocus on the present and make sure everyone enjoyed this outing.

The trip went well and the boys not only enjoyed what they saw, but also learned a great deal about the people who first lived in this area. They were also exposed to different kinds of information about the Canyon itself, such as how it was formed and the changes it had been part of. The total tour lasted about three and a half hours, and once it was over, we quickly loaded back into the van, so we could go and eat. The boys had not been shy about letting me know they were pretty hungry now and teased me into stopping at a fast-food establishment we discovered along the way.

Just as we were finishing up our meal, I explained we would be leaving the area as soon as we cleaned up and retrieved our things from the motel, because our next stop was going to be on the north rim of the Canyon. Mark looked more than a little depressed when he heard we would be leaving so soon, since he'd enjoyed his short time together with us, so he and the boys spent much of their remaining time exchanging postal and email addresses and promising to keep in touch. Seeing everyone was a little down over this parting, I came up with an idea, just as we reached the motel.

"Mark, I'm sorry we can't take you with us to our next stop, but the reservations have been made in advance," I explained. "Unfortunately, this isn't something I'd just be able to add another guest to, or I would, but it couldn't be done without causing enormous problems for the group I booked with."

"Oh, that's okay, Mr. Currie," he quickly replied, although I could still read the disappointment on his face. "I understand. It's just that I was having so much fun being with you and your sons. You don't have to worry about me though. I'll be fine."

"I'm sure you will be, Mark, but I still feel bad I can't include you on this," I admitted, "but I'll make you a promise. We'll come back through here when we head south again and stop at the restaurant to eat. I'll even make sure to request you as our waiter, so we can be sure of seeing you again. In fact, I'll call and make the reservations before we leave, so everything will be set for our return trip."

"Won't that make you go way out of your way and mess up your schedule?" he wondered, feeling as if his reaction had caused me to adversely effect our trip.

"Not really," I t old him. "Luckily, I was wise enough to plan some buffer time into our trip too, so we'd have some leeway if some unexpected opportunities arose. I'm sure the boys won't mind us altering our plans slightly," I suggested, before glancing up to seeing the older ones shaking their heads in agreement with my last statement.

"Besides, it will also make me feel better to be able to have us all spend one final evening together, if that's agreeable with you?" I added. He nodded it would be, so I continued. "I'll go make a couple of quick phone calls, while you guys chat, so I can set this up."

"Thanks, Mr. Currie. It's awfully nice of you to do all of this just for me," he confided. "I want you to know I really appreciate this and look forward to seeing you all again in a day or two."

I left the boys to talk things over, while I went to make my calls. The first was to make reservations at Mark's restaurant for two evenings from now and the second was to book rooms at this same Lodge, for our return trip. I could make any other calls this evening, if necessary, once I made adjustments to our schedule to accommodate this brief detour. By the time I got back to the boys, I could see some of them had tears welling up in their eyes and were fighting hard to maintain their composure. It was touching to see how they had become so close to Mark in such a short period of time.

After we said our farewells, we dropped Mark off at his car, before making our way back to Route 89. This road would take us on a winding, out of the way course to our next stop, but there weren't any alternatives to using it. This was because the only spot we could cross over the Colorado River was many miles north of where we were now, and then we'd have to turn south again, to get to our destination. Even though it sounds like a long trip, and it was, but it was also the best, if not the only way to get where we were going.

It did prove to be a long ride and most of it had to be driven slowly, as these were country roads and it wasn't like traveling on a major interstate highway. There wasn't much to look at to keep us occupied, so the boys entertained themselves, as usual. It was early evening when we pulled up to our next motel and checked in. After making room assignments, everyone went to clean up and get presentable for dinner. The desk clerk was very helpful and called to make a reservation for us at a restaurant he'd suggested. He also then told me the best way to get there, explaining it wasn't very far. I thanked him and gave him a tip for his effort, before I went to clean up. Once the boys and I were ready, we made our way there.

During the meal, I told the boys we'd have to get up at 5:00 tomorrow, because we had an 8:00 starting time for our next little tour. They begged me to tell them what we would be doing, but I kept it a secret. I wanted to be able to see the looks on their faces when they discovered what we were going to be doing, especially when they saw their accommodations. I knew they'd probably get a kick out of trying this, but I still wanted it to be a surprise. I figured they'd understand my reasons for doing this more fully once we got there.

After we finished eating, we went back to the motel. Before everyone went to their rooms, I warned them, once again, about getting to bed early, so they'd be well rested for tomorrow. I emphasized they shouldn't stay up for more than another hour, two at the most, but I would leave it up to them to make the final decision for themselves. The only caveat was, I wasn't going to be sympathetic if they were too tired to enjoy themselves the following day.

The room assignments for tonight went like this. Trey, Dion, Cole and Graham had their turn in the 'sex room' tonight, while Danny, Brandon, Dustin and Kevin had agreed to share one of the other rooms together. That meant Ricky, Jay, Pat and Carlos were going to be in the final room, but they also wanted Jordan and Nicky in with them. Each pair was planning on having one of the younger ones sleep with them, so I agreed. That would leave Sammy and Andrew to spend the night in with me, which I don't think bothered either of them.

We all went to our rooms, showered or bathed, and got our things ready for the next day. Once everything was done, Sammy and Andrew cuddled with me for a while, as we talked about our trip thus far, and then I tucked them into bed and kissed them good night. After that, I climbed into my own bed for a few well-needed ZZZs. It didn't take long before everyone in my room was out like a light.

The boys in the 'sex room' took advantage of having the room for the evening, although there was more than a little discussion about what they would do. Trey and Dion were more than a little concerned about the size difference between them and Cole and Graham. Even thought they were all within a couple of years of age with each other, Cole and Graham's growth had been stunted by malnutrition during their formative years, so they were considerably smaller and more underdeveloped, physically. Believe it or not, Dion was actually the youngest of the group, but was physically much larger than either Cole or Graham, especially when it came to his boyhood. After much discussion, they all agreed that oral sex would probably be their best choice and paired up accordingly. Trey and Cole went to one bed, while Dion and Graham moved to the other.

Trey looked like a giant lying beside Cole, considering Cole was actually nearly five months older, yet almost half a foot [15 cm] shorter. However, Trey remained conscious of this fact and was very gentle with his brother, while taking charge. He decided he would do Cole first and immediately bent forward to kiss his partner. Trey parted his lips and let his tongue slip out, sliding it gently over Cole's sealed mouth. Slowly Cole responded to Trey's probing muscle and parted his lips, so Trey's tongue could enter. Soon the boys were carrying on like two swordsmen in a duel, with their tongues clashing like two rapiers in a heated battle. Their hands were not idle either, as their paws roamed freely over each other's naked flesh, so they could become familiar with as much of it as possible.

With the preliminaries out of the way, Trey slid down Cole's body, letting his tongue and mouth explore the area between Cole's lips and crotch. After sucking on both of Cole's little pink nubs, he teased the fleshy areas in between with his oral muscle, before he began to let his tongue dart in and out of Cole's navel for a little while. Now, Trey was at Cole's groin, so he reached for Cole's cut piece of meat and began to orally explore it, as well. Trey let his tongue roam all around Cole's boyhood, teasing him as he let the tip of his tongue dart in and out of Cole's tiny slit, and then he moved down to play with his scrotum. Trey was able to take both of those tiny marbles into his mouth at the same time and worked them over with his tongue, while sucking on them at almost the same time. Cole was bouncing around on the bed, totally enjoying the attention and being more than a little aroused by his brother's effort. Soon, Trey realized he would have to move on and devour Cole's penis, so he wouldn't shoot his wad before Trey was ready.

Carefully, Trey released Cole's ball bag and moved up to engulf his stubby branch in one move. Trey's lips were rubbing over his pubic patch and Cole's penis was as far into Trey's mouth as it would go. Trey used his lips and tongue to stimulate the sides of the smaller boy's dick, while he added suction with his cheeks and lungs. Cole was flailing around on the bed, in reaction to this sensory overload in his brain, when suddenly he grasped a fistful of sheet in both of his hands and arched his body upward. Within seconds, he was spewing his load into Trey's mouth and down his throat, totally enjoying his sought after release. As his penis wilted, after yielding its final drops of semen, Trey released it from his mouth and let Cole enjoy his special moment in peace.

On the other bed, Dion and Graham had done some kissing and petting too, but they were younger and more impatient to get to the 'good stuff.' No one outside of the family would have believed that Graham was more than eight months older than Dion, as he was several inches shorter in height and Dion's love muscle was almost twice as long as Graham's. It was kind of a comical sight to see the two of them together, but neither of them felt that way. They just wanted to please each other and enjoy those wonderful feelings their orgasm would give them. Dion bent down and took Graham's pecker and nut sac into his mouth, all at one time, and sucked on them together like that for a minute or two. Once he was satisfied with what he'd done, he let Graham's gonads fall free, so he could suck on Graham's immature organ. This only reminded Dion about how lucky he was to be so well endowed.

Graham did have a sparse scattering of hairs at the base of his dick, but they were hardly noticeable to Dion, even when his lips touched that area. Eager to proceed, Dion let his lips seal around the outside of Graham's shaft, making sure he allowed his soft, fleshy lips to grasp the skin tightly enough to push Graham's foreskin back behind his glans, like he did with Trey. Then Dion let his tongue swish around the sensitive cock-head, while letting his oral muscle touch every part of it, including the slit. Dion's head was bobbing up and down now, although it didn't have to travel very far, and Graham was benefiting from Dion's careful ministrations.

Graham's mouth hung open, as soft whimpering sounds came from his throat and his eyes rolled back in his head, while he enjoyed the electrical feelings that were shooting through his tiny frame. Finally Graham reached the point of no return and his little dick erupted, spilling its immature watery droplets onto Dion's tongue and over the lining of his mouth. Dion made sure he got everything that Graham had to offer, not wanting to waste any of those few, precious, honey-coated droplets, and then he released the tiny piece of meat and let it fall back on Graham's abdomen. Dion snuggled up next to his little brother, while he waited for him to come down from his high, kissing the boy gently and letting his hands roam freely over and around his partner's soft, silky flesh.

Back on the first bed, Cole had recovered and was ready to take on Trey. Cole started by playing with Trey's semi-erect prick, pinching and stretching the foreskin, before sliding it back and forth, exposing and then covering his dickhead back up. This simple activity brought Trey to full erection and his granite pole stood out at a slight angle from his body. Trey's cock was not only longer, but also thicker than Cole's, so Cole knew it would take a little effort on his part to get that rod completely into his mouth. However, he was determined to do it and give Trey the same amount of pleasure that Trey had just given him. After licking the sides of the shaft and munching on Trey's testicles, Cole stretched his mouth as wide as it would go and eased his head down and over that mighty oak. Eagerly, he rocked up and down on Trey's pride and joy, stimulating it with his lips and tongue, while he sucked on it like he was slurping a thick milkshake up a straw.

Trey was really enjoying Cole's attentiveness and effort, even though Cole was definitely not as experienced, but he was thrilled to notice that Cole was so eager to please him. Cole never balked, hesitated or complained about what he was doing and gave his best effort to satisfy Trey. The tight fit of Trey's thick meat in Cole's small mouth and the sweet caress of the warm, moist lining of Cole's oral passage around his sausage gave Trey an experience unlike any other. Therefore, it didn't take very long for Trey's juices to start to boil over, deep within him.

With just a few more nods of Cole's head on his wand, Trey released a powerful load of cum down Cole's throat, nearly gagging the smaller boy with the large volume of cream he had produced. Cole was able to control his reflexes and managed to swallow most of his treat, only allowing a few drops to escape from his lips before he regained control. Trey's head (the one on his shoulders) was swaying back and forth as he let all of those wonderful feelings wash over his entire body. As he was coming down from the clouds, he felt Cole crawl up beside him and press his lips against Trey's, so they could share a warm, tender and loving kiss. In response, Trey threw his arms around Cole's torso and they spent the next few minutes just hugging, kissing and sharing a special moment alone.

On the other bed, the mismatch was even more pronounced than the difference in size between Cole and Trey. Although Dion's meat wasn't nearly as thick as Trey's, it was longer and Graham's oral opening was much smaller. Dion had already thought about this in advance, and was prepared to give Graham some advice. He instructed the smaller boy to just take what he could in his mouth and then wrap his hand around the rest of it, so he could stimulate that part with his fingers.

Graham's eyes nearly popped out of his head, as Dion's wand came to life and kept growing. Graham had only seen it in its flaccid state before this and had thought that was big. Dion couldn't help but giggle at Graham's startled reaction.

"I guess you've never seen one like that before, huh, little bro?" he teased.

"How big does it get?" Graham asked, amazed.

"It won't get any bigger for now, but I'm hoping it keeps growing, as the rest of my body does," Dion explained

"It's a monster already and you want it to get bigger?" Graham challenged, somewhat in shock.

"Yeah, why not? I hope it gets to be as long as a ruler," Dion boasted, although Graham couldn't comprehend a penis that long.

"Well, I don't know who'd be able to do anything with you if it gets that big," Graham suggested, although Dion was unfazed by his remark.

"Oh, somebody will. Big dicks are really neat and there will always be someone who will want to play with it," Dion informed him. "Guys are fascinated by big snakes, so I don't think I'll have to worry about finding somebody to help me out."

"Well, I'll take my turn now, while it's still small," Graham told him, before clarifying that point, "well, at least smaller than it will be when you get older." Dion chuckled at Graham's last comment, as he watched his little brother struggle to slip his mouth over the head of his cock.

"Don't try to take too much. Just take what you can and then use your hand on the rest of it," Dion reminded him, as it looked as if Graham was going to try to take as much as he could.

Telling him a second time got Graham to do precisely that, so now he began to treat Dion's schlong like a big Tootsie Pop. He licked, sucked and pulled the bulbous helmet in and out of his mouth, only worrying about the top third of Dion's pole. Graham was having so much fun playing with Dion's toy that he almost failed to notice when Dion began to approach his orgasm. Finally, he heard Dion panting and understood what that meant, so he wrapped his mouth as tightly around Dion's knob as he could.

As Graham continued to slide to and fro around the upper part of Dion's boner, his two hands worked up and down the sides of Dion's root. Dion had now reached the edge of his sexual cliff and ribbons of spunk sped up his shaft and flew from the slit, coating Graham's tonsils with his milky treat. Graham slurped it all down and continued to suck on Dion's prick until Dion pushed him off. That was because his cock was getting a little tender, since Graham's efforts had been directed at a very limited area of his rod, so he pried Graham off before it began to hurt worse.

In an effort to keep Graham from feeling his efforts weren't appreciated, Dion pulled Graham up to him, so he could kiss and hug him to show him he enjoyed the fine job he had done. After they cuddled together for a few more minutes, the boys kissed each other one final time, since they'd decided they wanted to spend the night with their normal partners. Dion and Cole quickly switched places and soon they were wrapping their arms around their usual bunkmate.

Trey and Dion waited about twenty minutes, letting the other pair fall asleep first, before they began to discuss the evening. "Well, how was it?" Trey wanted to know.

"It was okay," Dion responded. "Graham tried hard, but he just doesn't know how to handle such a big cock."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Cole had all he could do to handle my thick meat and I kind of felt bad for him. He did his best to please me, though."

"Are you still horny?" Dion asked Trey. "I know I am."

"Me too. What do you want to do?" Trey wondered.

"Let's make love to each other. Okay?" Dion suggested.

"Sure. You can go first," Trey agreed. "Can you get the lube?"

"Yeah, I've got some in my suitcase. Hold on while I get it," Dion told him.

Dion's bare butt bounced as he raced across the room, while his dick swayed to and fro in time with his steps. He quickly retrieved his tube of lube and raced back to the bed. Trey rolled over on his stomach and spread his legs, so Dion could deposit a big dab of jelly against his pucker. Dion used his fingers to rub it around and into Trey's hole, stretching him out at the same time. When Trey indicated he was ready, Dion scooted in between his legs, greased his own pole and placed his mushroom head against the opening.

As gently as he could, Dion pushed his dick against Trey's rosebud, until his helmet penetrated the muscular ring and gradually slid all the way into Trey's love tunnel. He paused momentarily before he began to piston in and out of Trey, taking full advantage of having his usual sex partner. Dion was riding Trey's ass as if he were a Brahma bull rider in the rodeo and was going for the trophy. Trey bucked his rear-end up and down as Dion rode him, matching his lover's every movement. They seemed to be going for the world's record ride, when Dion slammed his meat home and let loose his second load of boy juice of the evening, before falling, exhausted, across Trey's back. Trey was huffing and puffing too, having enjoyed Dion's growing expertise in love making, but then patiently waited for Dion to recover, so they could switch positions.

Dion had nearly worn himself out with his effort, so Trey positioned his partner on his back, placed Dion's legs over his shoulders and began to grease Dion up and stretch out his rectal muscles. Trey worked him over until he could get three of his fingers inside Dion's chute, without causing him discomfort, and then he put a coating of lube on his erection and moved into position. He was careful to go slowly with his lover, not wishing to hurt him as he entered, and eventually he was fully inside Dion and ready to go.

Trey hesitated for a few seconds first, to make sure Dion had adjusted to his girth, and then began to slide in and out of Dion's hole, brushing Dion's prostate on nearly every thrust. As Trey continued to rock back and forth, he bent down and kissed Dion, slipping his tongue into Dion's eager mouth. The two sparred with their tongues, while Trey pounded Dion's butt like a rutting deer. This continued for several more minutes, before Trey began to feel those tingling sensations spread throughout his body, which caused him to make his final thrust, before whitewashing Dion's intestinal tract with his love juices.

That pair continued to hug and kiss for a while longer, before they gave in to their tired bodies and cuddled together for sleep. Dion lay with his head resting on Trey's chest, while his arm was wrapped around his lover's waist, and that's the way they were positioned when they eventually dozed off.

Chapter 5
Mule Train

The next morning came far too quickly for the boys in the 'sex room', but they got up and readied themselves for the day's activities. After eating a good breakfast, everyone loaded into the van and some of the boys used our drive time to catch a little more sleep. We arrived at our next destination before 7:00, which we needed to do, and it wasn't until then that I explained to everyone what we'd be doing here.

"Okay, guys, listen up," I began. "Today, we're going to be taking a daylong ride into the Grand Canyon – ON MULES." The boys all looked shocked by my announcement and most began to look around at the others to gauge their reaction to this news. However, there were a few who didn't care what anyone else thought and immediately expressed their own opinion about my plan.

"Way to go, Dad," Ricky shouted, enthused. "This sounds like fun."

"Well, just don't think you're going to go galloping off, making your own adventure," I warned him.

"Wow, this is awesome," Graham added. "I've never ridden on a horse or a mule before." I just smiled at his excitement.

"Are you going to let Jordan and Nicky ride alone?" Kevin asked, concerned.

"No," I responded. "Usually the ranch doesn't allow children younger than twelve to participate in this particular excursion, but the owner agreed to let me bring along some waivers of liability, which I had my lawyer prepare before we left. Not only that, but I also had to agree that the younger boys would ride with one of you older guys too. I even had to pay a little extra to do this, to show my appreciation to the ranch for their bending its rules to fit our unique situation."

"Can I take Nicky with me then?" Kevin asked, hopefully.

"Actually, they have a 200-pound [90 kg] weight limit on the mules, so I've already paired up the four youngest, so we wouldn't go over that limit on any one animal. It also means I won't be able to have anyone ride with me, so I'm trusting you older boys to take good care of them in my place. This is the way it works out. Dustin, you will take Nicky with you, Jordan will ride with Danny, Andrew will go with Kevin, and Ricky, you will be responsible for Sammy."

"But I'm twelve!" Sammy protested.

"I know you are," I agreed, "but because of your smaller size and the fact that you've never ridden before, the owner asked that you be paired up too. I'm sorry, but it's the only way he'd allow us to do this." Although Sammy looked crestfallen, he didn't cause any more fuss, but I knew the other boys were empathizing with him and feeling badly about his situation.

Now that all of this had been explained, the boys were given a canteen filled with water and then led over to the corral and assigned to one of the mules. They were introduced to their animal by name, and once those introductions were completed, we were then instructed on correct procedures on how to ride one of these animals, which was different than riding a horse. They were also told about some of the animals' quirks and given 'motivators' they could use to get the mule to do what they wanted. The boys seemed to catch on quickly, as we practiced in the corral, so everyone could get used to their mounts. We were actually ready to depart by our 8:00 a.m. starting time.

Suddenly, I remembered about Brandon's occasional bouts with acrophobia and felt I'd made a dreadful mistake by including him on this adventure. Fortunately, I hadn't assigned another boy to ride with him, since I wasn't certain his family would let him join us when I first made our plans, because I needed to inform the owner about who would be riding with whom and their weights, in order to get his okay. Therefore, I immediately sought Brandon out and asked him what he thought.

"Brandon, I'm sorry. I almost forgot about your little problem," I whispered to him, so the others couldn't overhear. "Are you going to be able to handle this?"

"I did all right on our walking tour and I think I'll be fine here," he assured me, although I wasn't as confident about this as he was. "I'll just look toward the other side and try to keep from looking down, if it starts to bother me."

"Okay, but I want you to ride directly in front of me, at the rear of this procession," I told him, "so I can keep an eye on you and be close enough to help, if you get into trouble."

"Okay, but I think I'll be all right," he reiterated, "but thanks for remembering and caring." He gave me a smile and then turned and got on his mule, guiding his mount in front of mine.

Now that we were ready, our guide, who preferred to be called a wrangler, took the lead, with the boys following him down the trail. I brought up the rear, so I could keep an eye on my entire brood, but especially Brandon, while we were going down, into the Canyon. It also meant I would be there, if anyone needed assistance along the way.

Slowly we moved over to the trail and began our descent into the Canyon. The path we followed wasn't quite as narrow as I had feared, but it didn't leave a great deal of room for error, either. However, the vertical drop-off along the edge was absolutely frightening, to say the least. It also caused me to wonder if I was doing the right thing by allowing any of these boys to do this, but it was too late to reconsider that option now. I just prayed I wouldn't come to regret it later, but luckily the mules were very sure-footed beasts of burden and made their way steadily down the slope. I also knew the animals would be careful not to go over the edge themselves, since they were experienced on these trails, so that thought relieved at least a small portion of my concerns.

About fifteen minutes down the trail, we came to a wider area, which some of the boys jokingly referred to as a mule parking lot. At this point, the wrangler guided his mule to a stop and all the other mules instantly lined up beside him. He joked with the boys about applying their 'parking brake,' as he jumped off his mount and set about checking everyone's equipment, tightening cinches, checking stirrups and just making sure everything was as safe and secure as possible.

Before we restarted, he reminded the boys of the safety rules, especially the one about keeping their animal up close to the one ahead of it. Although these mules made this trip nearly every day, they also have a tendency to have a will of their own or would get sidetracked and begin to lag behind. Whenever this happened, the boys were informed it would be up to them to show the mule who was in charge and use one of the 'motivators' they had been shown to get it to do what the rider wanted, or else the mule might begin to think it was on its own and possibly do something foolish, like run to catch up, if it fell behind.

At this point the wrangler also asked if anyone had second-thoughts about going on, since they could dismount and walk the short distance back up the trail and wait for the rest of us to return. However, no one wanted to do that, either because they were too excited about participating in this activity or didn't want to chicken out in front of the others. However, this didn't stop some of them from being more than a little concerned about the possible dangers inherent in this type of outing.

For the next two hours we continued our slow trip down. As we went along, the boys were busy commenting about the scenery and taking note of various items of interest, as we played follow-the-leader down the trail. The view was breathtaking, looking into the canyon, and the various shades of the canyon walls only added to this awesome and overpowering spectacle.

I did notice that Brandon was sneaking a few peeks at the awe inspiring view, but seemed to be concentrating most of his attention straight out, looking only in the distance and avoided looking down as much as possible. I was relieved to see that he seemed to be doing fine. However, there were still occasions when I caught him looking in the opposite direction, as if he were studying the striations in the canyon wall or possibly making geological notations about the various materials making up the various levels of exposed earth, but I knew what it really meant. Those were the instances when the elevation factor was starting to get to him.

I also kept checking on how the older boys were doing with the younger ones and was pleased to see they were all taking their role very seriously. They had their little brother or nephew sitting between themselves and the saddle horn, with their arms wrapped on either side of their passenger. The older boys had a firm grip on the reins and the younger boys were clinging to the saddle horn to help them keep their balance, while also enjoying the comforting feeling of those protective arms on either side of their body.

It was quite an outing, as we made our way down into the Canyon in this fashion, and the Colorado River kept growing larger and closer to us as our surefooted transportation inched their way closer and closer to that once powerful torrent of water. When we started out, the river appeared to be no more than a fine silk thread meandering across the valley floor, but now it appeared more like a blue string, which kept growing thicker the farther down we traveled.

Once we'd completed the entire descent, we all dismounted and had a chance to stretch and roam around a bit. While everyone chatted with each other about their feelings concerning what we had just done or complaining about various areas of their bodies being sore, especially their backsides, the wrangler was busily checking their tack again. After a few minutes like this, he announced it was time to get going.

The boys had hoped this break would last a little longer, but they did as they were told and remounted their sturdy beasts. From there, we made our way to Plateau Point, but it was during that portion of our ride when we all began to notice how hot it was getting. It was most definitely hotter here than it ever got back home and I was concerned about how it might affect the boys. I knew I would have to remind them to utilize their canteens to keep hydrated, during our next stop.

Undaunted by the temperature, we rode on until we reached our goal, which turned out to be a huge, flat rock, surrounded by a pipe rail. After hitching up the mules to the rail provided for that purpose, we made our way forward to investigate what we might be able to see from that vantage point.

We were soon pleased to discover a picturesque view of the Colorado River meandering across the valley floor. It was still quite a distance below us, and now looked more like a baby-blue ribbon unwound upon the ground. Once we finished exploring this site, we were informed it was time to eat, so the boys quickly and enthusiastically dove into the bag lunches that were provided in this package deal. While they were eating, I went around and told each of them to make sure they drank plenty of water too, because of the extreme heat and the perspiring they were doing. They each said they understood and did as I asked.

The fresh air, activity and excitement of the ride had made the boys ravenous, so they devoured their lunches in no time flat. The wrangler joked about how quickly their food had disappeared, and then he and I let them wander around some more, while we finished our meals. When he was done eating, the wrangler took the time to point out several more items of interest to all of us.

Before we remounted, I asked the boys for their reactions to the ride down, as I wanted to get their thoughts now, while they were still fresh in their minds. Suddenly, they all began to talk at once and I couldn't understand what any of them were trying to tell me, so I had to start calling on them to speak, just to end the confusion. Once things were organized, I discovered the boys had really enjoyed not only the ride on the mule, but also the sights in the Canyon as we rode along.

"Yeah, outside of the saddle sores I've got from riding this blasted thing," Jay announced, "it's been really great. Even though I've seen pictures of this place in school, they ain't nothing like it looks for real." I thought about correcting his grammar, but decided to let it slide this time.

"I may not be walking straight again for a while and my legs might stay bent to match the shape of my mule," Dustin offered, "but I'm really glad we did this and I can't wait to tell the girls at school that I rode a mule down into the Grand Canyon." I think Kevin winched slightly at his comment, but didn't let the others, especially Dustin, notice it bothered him.

"I don't know about the rest of them, but I nearly crapped my pants when I looked over the side, just after we started out," Pat bellowed, apparently somewhat surprised that no one else had mentioned this fact when they spoke.

After Pat's statement, though, everyone began to express how scared they were when we first started out, saying things like they were worried the mule might stumble and send them both hurtling down the slope. However, they all claimed they got over that feeling pretty quickly, as they discovered the mules knew what they were doing and were being very careful not to have such an accident.

When it was the little ones' turn to speak, each one talked so fast that it became just one long, run-on sentence. However, after hearing the excitement in their voices, I knew this would be an experience they would never forget. Just to make sure, though, I started snapping pictures of all of them, as they remounted their mules to make the trip back to the top. I don't think any of them had noticed me taking pictures on the way down and I was sure they wouldn't notice me taking even more as we headed back, but I did want one or two close-ups of each mule and rider(s). That's why I took those now, while the boys were still willing to sit still for a few more minutes, while the wrangler rechecked everyone's gear yet again.

When I got to Brandon, I asked him how he was holding up and he assured me he was doing fine. He said his stomach got a little queasy a couple of times, but that's when he looked away and everything was fine again, a few seconds later. He also assured me he had enjoyed this, even if it had been a bit scary at times, and thanked me for bringing him on this trip. I told him I brought ALL of my sons, except for the two oldest ones, which caused him to smile again.

Once we were ready to leave, the boys and their mules fell back into formation and the wrangler got us started. The climb back up was quite arduous and much harder on the mules. I can only imagine what those poor creatures had to endure, not only pulling their own weight up that slope, but the weight of its rider(s) as well. The trip up was just as lovely as the journey down, but I don't think we noticed quite as much this time, as we did during the descent. The only thing that didn't change was the frightened feeling we got looking off the side of the trail and down the steep cliff, the higher we climbed.

Several hours after we began this trip, we were back at the ranch and the wrangler asked the boys if they wanted to help take the saddles off the mules and brush them down. This was strictly voluntary and not part of the original package and I thought the boys would laugh at his offer. Boy was I surprised. You would have thought the wrangler had just offered them a chance to win a million dollars by their enthusiastic reaction and excited utterances. I'd never seen the boys so happy to perform a chore in their entire lives. I will have to get the wrangler aside later and ask him his secret.

With all the enthusiasm they could muster, the boys watched their guide as he explained what to do and how to do it. The younger ones were the most fascinated by this chore and even came over to help the wrangler and me with our animals, when they had finished helping their older brother or uncle with their own. I snapped the last few pictures of the boys as they finished rubbing down the mules, to have a lasting memory of this event.

After they were done with those duties and the mules had been fed, we thanked the wrangler and I slipped him a decent tip. Before we left, I took time to ask him if all the young riders, or any riders for that matter, were as eager to perform those tasks as my boys had been, and he just laughed.

"Sir, I think everyone I've ever taken on that tour has been happy to perform those jobs when we got back," he offered, with an amused grin. "I think it's their way of thanking the animals for taking them down and bringing them back safely." Gee, I hadn't looked at it that way.

Once I finished my discussion, the boys said their good-byes to the wrangler, thanking him profusely, and then we got back into the van to head to the motel. We hadn't been in the van for more than a few seconds, but it didn't even take that long for the air inside to turn foul. Frantically, we began opening all of the windows, since it now smelled like a barnyard inside the van. Each of us was a mix of mule smell and body odor, and desperately needed to bathe or shower before we could go anywhere, including out to dinner. I was certain we didn't want the taste of our food to be affected by the odors emanating from our bodies. Besides, I'm sure we could have cleared out any restaurant we entered, if we walked in smelling like that.

As we drove along, I thought about how long it had been since I had ridden in a vehicle that had relied on nature's air conditioning like this, since we all seemed to take for granted the mechanical variety used in cars, homes and business. In the old days, we would joke that we had 4 – 60 air conditioning in our cars, meaning four windows down at 60 miles per hour [95 km/h]. That was the only type of A/C I ever enjoyed in a car until after I was out of high school.

Although the fresh air wasn't quite enough to remove all the smells from our nostrils, it was certainly better than it would have been if we'd left them rolled up. I think that's why all the boys were so happy when we finally pulled into the motel parking lot. They exited the van quickly, raced to their rooms and doubled up in the showers and baths. This wasn't only to get rid of the smell, but also to hasten our departure to eat, as they were now famished.

I left the windows open in the van, to give it time to air out some more. I certainly wasn't worried about anyone trying to steal it while it smelled that way, because a would-be thief would most likely barf the minute he stuck his head inside any of the windows.

Once I was in my room, I called the front desk, to see where they had been able to make a reservation for us this evening. I hastily jotted down the name, address and directions to the eatery, as the desk clerk gave them to me, and then I hung up and got ready myself, since the bathroom in my room was now free.

The reservation had been made at a steak house. It wasn't too expensive and the food was decent, but the best feature was the large, all-you-can-eat salad bar that went with it. The boys eagerly went and loaded up plates there first, while waiting for our meals to be prepared, and they managed to wolf down another large meal, washed down by several glasses of soda each. After filling up like that, I wasn't sure if the boys would still have room for dessert afterward, but I should never have doubted how much those small bodies could pack away, as I watched them finish their dinner by polishing off an ice cream sundae.

I paid the bill and left an appropriate tip, and then we all went back to the motel to crash. The room assignments for tonight put Ricky, Jay, Dustin and Kevin in the 'sex room.' Cole and Graham had asked to share their room with the four little ones and I told them they could, as long as they didn't get overly rambunctious or carried away. They quickly agreed. Brandon and Danny asked Pat and Carlos to share a room with them this time, so Trey and Dion asked if they could stay with me.

Trey, Dion and I talked for a while before going to bed. They gave me their views on the vacation thus far, and then explained how they were beginning to feel about each other. I knew these two were getting close, but I was surprised to learn they were closer than even I had suspected. What was even better was they were both pleased with the way things were turning out and the year and a half age difference between them didn't seem to matter at all. That's probably because Dion was physically and emotionally more mature than most other boys his age. After about an hour of talking, the pair said good night to me, slipped into bed and fell asleep, wrapped in each other's arms. I stayed up a little longer, watching some movie on television, but I couldn't help looking at them from time to time, noticing how contented they looked, nestled together. I was glad I had this time to get to know them better.

The boys in the 'sex room' were tired, but still wanted to take advantage of having the use of the room for the night. After a somewhat prolonged discussion between Dustin and Kevin, that duo agreed to pair up with one of the other two, so Dustin went with Ricky, while Kevin and Jay teamed up. Each twosome went to a bed and settled for a quick sixty-nine.

Ricky and Dustin manipulated each other to a speedy erection and then eagerly set about sucking each other off. This wasn't a slow, passionate encounter, as one would have with a lover, this was just the hurried, erotic type of session, performed merely to get some relief. They were focusing only on the end result and did the old 'Popsicle routine,' hurriedly sucking and slurping on each other's poles. It was as if they were trying to finish off a frozen treat before it melted, on a very hot summer day. With the frantic pace they were using, it wasn't long before they were getting their fill of the warm, alabaster custard that shot into their throats, and then they just lay back and enjoyed the warm feeling it had given them.

The situation on the other bed was pretty much the same, but Kevin and Jay took a few extra minutes to play with each other's uncut boyhood first. It wasn't often they got to experiment with another 'natural' penis, so they weren't going to let this opportunity go by without taking full advantage of it. First they manipulated each other with their fingers, pinching, pulling and stretching the excess skin, and then they toyed with the flap of flesh, using their mouths to nip, pull and suck on it, before they tried to push their tongue through the opening between the foreskin and the glans. Once they were satisfied with their manipulations, they went straight to work, sucking each other to orgasm. It took only a few more hectic minutes of this activity before they swapped their loads and siphoned off every last drop, before they quit for the evening.

Once everyone had eased the aching in their loins, they hopped into bed with their customary partner and drifted off to sleep. Another day done and another need satisfied.

Chapter 6
Friends and Family

I let the boys sleep late the next morning, to compensate for the long and rigorous day they'd spent on the mules the day before. The last of them awoke just before 11:00, so I took them out for brunch. As soon as we finished, we loaded up the van and made our way back to the Lodge where we had stayed two nights before, so we could go to the restaurant and see Mark again. Through the luck of the draw, Brandon and Danny were scheduled for the 'sex room' tonight, so they talked to the other pair that was supposed to be in with them and got them to agree to switch with the group who had the room tomorrow night. That way, the two days' schedules would just be flip-flopped and each pair would be in with whom they were originally scheduled, but it would also allow Danny and Brandon the opportunity to spend time with Mark and not put him in an awkward situation or miss out on their own turn. All of the groups agreed to this change, so things were copasetic.

We had another long slow trip getting back, but we finally reached the lodge a few hours later. We checked in quickly, went to our rooms, and settled in. I gave the boys free time until dinner, so they could wander around, listen to their music, watch television or go swimming, and they jumped at the chance to just relax and enjoy themselves.

The little ones wanted to go swimming, so I had them get into their swim-trunks and grab a towel, and then I went to the pool with them. They had a great deal of fun splashing around and cooling off, and I had a good time staying in the shallow end with the four youngest. Nicky and Jordan could swim, but I wasn't comfortable with them in the deep end on their own, and Sammy and Andrew hadn't acquired the skill yet. The only thing they did in the water with their parents was take a bath, so they never learned how to swim, but it didn't matter that much in the limited amount of water we were in currently and all four of them had a good time anyway.

I was surprised when Graham came over to join us, since he was a capable swimmer, but he preferred spending his time with this group. The kids were having a blast splashing each other and then they all ganged up on me. I fought back, but was careful about what I did in reprisal, as I didn't want to scare or traumatize any of them about being in the water.

Before long, I discovered most of the older boys had come down to the pool too, but they were swimming in the deep end. However, I also noticed Carlos and Dion were just sitting by the side of the pool, not doing much of anything. I watched them for quite a while and observed they never got in the water. I thought maybe I'd better check to see if there was a problem, so I talked the little ones into taking a short break. After we got out of the pool, I went over to talk to the other pair.

"What's up, guys? Isn't the water to your liking?" I asked them, trying to get the ball rolling.

"Oh, uh… it's not that," Carlos stammered in reply. "I'm… well… I'm just… too tired to swim now."

"Yeah," Dion added, "me too. I just… don't want to take any chances… right now."

"Hey, guys. It's me. Remember?" I reminded them, hoping this would get them to realize they didn't have to worry about opening up, whatever the problem was. "You don't have to make up excuses to make me feel better. I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to do." I hesitated for a few seconds, before I continued. "Neither of you can swim, can you?"

They looked at each other, as a mild look of horror gripped their faces, and then they turned back toward me. They both hung their heads and neither said a word, until Dion finally broke the silence. "No, I can't swim, but I don't know about Carlos. Nobody ever had the time to teach me when I was younger and my Grandma was too old to help me. Besides, we lived so far out in the country that I never had the chance to learn, even when I got older."

"I can't swim either, Pop," Carlos followed. "There weren't many places to swim where I grew up and we moved around so much once we got to the States that I never was able to learn. I just didn't want the other boys to find out and think I was a baby or something."

"Hey, no one is going to think you two are babies just because you can't swim," I responded, as cheerfully as I could. "You just haven't had the opportunity. Who knows, maybe the other boys would be willing to help you with that, if you'd let them. I know it's not easy to handle not being able to do something that everyone else can do, but don't be embarrassed by any of this. If you guys don't want to let on to the others just yet, you could always come into the shallow end and help me with the little ones. No one would be any the wiser."

"You don't think they'd try to get us to come down with them?" Dion asked.

"Well, they might, but you could always just tell them that you're helping me with the younger boys. Sammy and Andrew can't swim either, and I still want to keep an eye on Nicky and Jordan until I feel they'll be safe in the deeper section."

"It sounds good to me," Dion added. "What do you think, Carlos?"

"Yeah, we could do that. I really would like to get in the water, just not over my head," Carlos agreed.

"Good," I said, looking at them and smiling, "why don't you two go tell the little ones they can get back into the water now, if they want to, because you're going in with them."

Both boys' expressions changed from dour to overjoyed, in less than a blink of an eye, as they now had an important role to serve too. They eagerly went off in the direction where the little ones were waiting for me, and it wasn't long before they were escorting the boys, hand in hand, back to the shallow end of the pool. Soon the seven of them were frolicking, splashing about and having a great time. I went down and sat on the edge of the pool and kept an eye on them all, while basking in the innocent fun they were all sharing.

I let the boys stay in the water for as long as I thought I could, but finally it was time to go back to our rooms, get dressed and head out to the restaurant in time for our reservation. When we walked in, Mark spotted us and waved in our direction. The hostess led us to our table and Mark came over to greet us, just as we began checking out the menus.

"Hi, I'm glad you made it back," he began, sporting an ear-to-ear smile that let us know he meant what he said. "I was kind of worried you might decide to just keep going and stick to your original schedule."

"We wouldn't do that, Mark," I told him, "especially if I promised you we'd return. If I make you a promise, you can bet the farm that I'll keep it."

"So I'm beginning to learn. It's nice to see all of you again," he added.

"Are you coming over to the lodge after you get out of work?" Brandon asked, seeming more excited about the idea than Danny this time.

"If it's okay with your dad," Mark replied, while glancing in my direction.

"Can he, Dad?" Danny asked right away, before giving me a chance to respond.

"Of course he may," I answered, before adding, "and I thought you knew that already."

"Yeah, we did, but we wanted Mark to hear it for himself," Danny told me, with a smirk on his face.

"As long as you guys don't disturb the neighbors or cause any damage, you can do almost anything you want," I added, before wondering if that might also include some sort of sexual contact with their new friend.

"Thanks, Mr. Currie. I'm glad I got to wait on you the other night," Mark confessed, meaning he wouldn't have been included with our little group, if it weren't for that quirk of fate.

"And we're glad too, especially some of my sons," I informed him, while nodding at Danny and Brandon and causing them to blush. "You come over when you're done and maybe you could stop by my room for a while, so I could get to know you a little better too."

"Sure thing, Mr. Currie. I'd like that," he told me, sounding as if he really meant what he said and wasn't just being polite.

We ordered our meals and gave Mark the menus. He placed our order, brought our drinks and then went to check on his other tables. He was still very attentive to us throughout the evening, but he didn't ignore his other tables quite as much as he did the last time we were there. Maybe it was because he knew he'd be able to spend time with us later, or it was possible his boss had said something to him about the other night and he knew he had to avoid repeating the problem. Whatever the reason, we didn't see as much of Mark during our meal, as he gave equal attention to all of his customers.

We finished our entrees, ordered and ate our dessert, and then prepared to go back to the lodge. I left Mark another good size tip and we all made sure to tell him we'd see him later, as we made our way out. We went back to our rooms and some of the boys showered or bathed again, before relaxing until bedtime. It didn't seem as if we'd been back very long, before there was a knock on my door. It was Mark, Danny, Brandon, Trey and Dion (as the latter pair was sharing a room with the former pair) and they came in and sat wherever they could. Soon Nicky and Jordan were having a good time with their uncles, while I got to chat with Mark. Sammy and Andrew were staying in with Ricky, Jay, Dustin and Kevin, so they weren't around at the moment.

"Well, Mark. Danny tells me you're majoring in finance at Northern Arizona University. How do you like it there?"

"The weather's a lot nicer than in Oregon, but the work's hard," he began. "I've got some tough professors and it's not easy trying to work and carry a full load of classes."

"Yes, I realize that, but there are still a fair number of students who have to do that in order to get through college," I replied. "I'm sure you'll do just fine. What do you want to do once you get your degree?"

"I'm not sure yet," he answered, frankly. "I thought about becoming a financial planner or maybe even working my way to becoming a Chief Financial Officer someday, but there's also the possibility of becoming a mutual fund manager or an investment banker."

"Those are mostly high stress occupations," I advised him. "Are you sure you're ready for that?"

"Not really, but I can make big money if I can land one of those jobs," he explained. "Then I could afford to be on my own and still help my mom out too."

"That's a nice thought, but I'm sure your mother would want you to do something you'd be happy with," I told him, shifting back to thinking like a parent again. "Would you really be happy working at one of those types of jobs?"

"Yes, I would," he responded, without hesitation. "Those kind of opportunities have always intrigued me. I've been interested in the stock market since a teacher in high school taught our class how it worked. After that I even won a couple of contests using a simulated account to invest with and beat out all the other competitors, and some of them were adults."

"Well, if you like that type of work and you can stand the pressure and the long hours you'll have to put in, then I wish you the best of luck," I told him. "You could make more than enough money to take care of you and your mother if you're successful Speaking of your mother, would you mind telling me a little about her?"

"No, I've already told Danny and Brandon a little about us, so I'm willing to tell you too," he replied. "My mom got pregnant with me just before she graduated from high school. She told my dad that she was going to have a baby and he wanted her to get an abortion or give me up for adoption. Mom wouldn't do it, and my dad said he wouldn't give her a cent unless she did, so my mom told him to get lost and neither of us have seen him since."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Mark," I assured him, reading the pained expression showing on his face. "Your father doesn't know what he's missed. He'll never know what a fine young man he helped to create." Mark took a moment to control his emotions, before opening up more.

"I have thought about looking him up, from time to time," he admitted, "but I didn't want to upset my mother by contacting him. I finally gave up on that idea, since it wouldn't be fair to her, after all she's done for me without his help."

"Are you sure she'd object?" I asked, thinking his mother might like to see him make contact with his father.

"I don't think she'd be happy about it," he told me.

"What about you? Will you be happy with yourself later, if you don't try to find him?" I wondered, having witnessed these types of situations with others.

"I've always wanted a father and always wondered what he'd be like," Mark admitted, with a look of longing on his face, "but I'm not sure how I'd take it if I found him and he still didn't want anything to do with me."

"I'm sure that would be a tough pill to swallow," I answered, "but what if you found him and he agreed to establish a relationship with you? Would you want that?"

"Yes, I really would," he almost gushed. "Mom's been terrific and all, and I love her very much, but a guy needs a dad more than a mother, once he starts to get older, and I've always felt cheated by not having one. I think that's why I was so interested in your family that first night you ate at the restaurant. Here were all these boys who managed to get what I always wanted. You took them all in and now you're their dad. I wish I could have been that lucky."

"But you still have your mom and some of these boys didn't even have that much," I countered, trying to get him to see he was luckier than he realized. "Sometimes we wish so hard for something else that we fail to see what we do have right in front of us."

"I know, but I've wished my dad would show up for so long that it's hard to give up my dream," he admitted, looking a little sad again.

"Don't give up your dreams," I suggested, "as long as you don't let it ruin the present for you. Don't be unhappy or waste today, just because you're wishing for something that might happen tomorrow or the tomorrow after that."

"Thanks, Mr. Currie. I'll try to remember that," he agreed, while looking a little more hopeful.

"Mark, maybe next summer you could come and spend some time with us," I suggested. "What would you think of that idea?"

"I'd like that, Mr. Currie, but I wouldn't be able to afford the transportation and I'll still need to work and earn money for school," he replied, almost apologetically. "Thanks anyway, though. I would have liked that, if it were possible."

"What if I paid for your plane fare and you came to work for me?"

"It's real nice of you to offer, but I couldn't have you do that," he confessed, showing his considerate side again. "You've got all these boys to support and I wouldn't feel right having you spend your money on me instead of them."

"Don't worry about the money, Mark, because we've got more than enough to last," I confided. "We've been very fortunate and these boys are well taken care of, both now and in the future. However, that doesn't mean I couldn't help you, as well."

"But what could I do that your sons couldn't do for you?" he asked, looking confused.

"You could help me with my investments and finances," I replied, emphatically. "We've got money for the future and you could help me make sure it doesn't run out. You could do the research and recommend stocks, bonds, mutual funds or other things you think I should invest in, to help make our resources grow. What would you think of that?"

"I'm not sure I'd have enough knowledge to help you just yet," he admitted. "I'll only have finished my sophomore year by then and I don't think I'll have taken enough courses to know all the things I'd need to know to do what you want."

"But you've had experience with the stock market, haven't you, in those contests?" I pressed.

"I have, but that wasn't real money," he confessed, almost as if he thought I hadn't figured that out already. "That was all make-believe. Even though I did well, I wouldn't want to take the chance of losing your money and hurting you and all these boys in the process."

"You'll only be making suggestions and then I'll consider your proposals and make the decision of whether or not to accept your advice. If I lose money, it will be my own fault, not yours," I explained, hoping that would be enough to remove his doubts.

"But I'd still feel responsible if you did lose money," he admitted, and I knew he truly would.

"Then just make sure you give me good advice," I teased, while giving him a wink.

That remark caused him to smile and I knew he was now actually considering my offer. Therefore I pressed ahead and asked him what he made at the restaurant, including tips, so we could agree on a salary. Once that had been established, I explained that I would keep in touch with him during the school year, and I was certain some of the boys would too, before I promised to get his ticket to him before school was out.

Mark was happy about this possibility and the boys were thrilled. Not only that, but I felt good too. It was well worth the little detour we took to come back here, and all of us seemed to end up winners. While the boys were all talking about next summer, Mark looked up at me and asked if I minded if he took the boys out and showed them around a little. I asked whom he was planning to ask and he replied he'd be willing to take anyone who wanted to go. I told him to see who was interested, so he and the four boys went to check with the others.

While they were gone, I tucked my grandsons in for the night. By the time the boys came back, they told me it would just be the five of them, as the other boys were having fun entertaining Sammy and Andrew. I told them to have a good time and to remember that we'd be leaving fairly early in the morning. They said they'd remember and then left, but not before Mark came over and thanked me again. I think he almost hugged me, except he wasn't sure how I, or the boys, would react if he did, so he just shook my hand instead. After they left, I crawled into bed too.

While all of this had been going on, the boys in the 'sex room' had been having a discussion of their own. Tonight Pat, Carlos, Cole and Graham were using the room and trying to figure out what to do. Pat explained to Cole and Graham that Carlos still wasn't all that sure about a lot of the sex stuff and told them he didn't want to push Carlos before he was ready to do more. Cole and Graham had no problems with that and agreed to let Carlos decide what would happen tonight, if anything. The boys were watching television when Carlos finally spoke up.

"I don't want to ruin tonight for the rest of you, so if you guys want to do something…"

Cole cut him off. "Don't worry about it, Carlos, it's not that important. We'll do whatever you want to do, even if it's nothing."

"Yeah," Graham added, "we don't have to do anything if you don't want to. It's not that important."

"Thanks, guys," Carlos added, "but I don't want you to give up everything. We can give each other hand jobs, if you want."

"That's up to you," Cole told him. "We'll be satisfied with whatever you decide. Graham and I already talked about this and we both agree. We'll do whatever you want to do."

"Let's do that, then," Carlos urged them. "I don't mind doing it to other guys with my hand."

"Can I be with Carlos then?" Graham asked, and everyone agreed. The boys split up and went to their beds.

"How come you wanted to be with me, Graham?"

"Because you're not circumcised, like me, but bigger," Graham admitted. "I just wanted to see what your dick was like. It looks kinda thick."

Carlos smiled and the boys took off their shorts and got into bed. Carlos laid back and let Graham start exploring. He could see how curious Graham was and wasn't about to stifle that inquisitiveness. Graham didn't really understand what the older boy was doing for him, but he was sure enjoying himself with his investigation. Carlos had a chubby cock and a real thick foreskin. He did everything he could with that extra piece of flesh, pinching it, stretching it, pulling it back and then pushing it forward, and he even took time to study his dickhead when it was exposed. As he examined it, he sniffed around it, before touching the spongy surface with his tongue. Carlos wasn't expecting that, but didn't object either. In fact, Carlos was kind of honored to be the center of attention and was admiring Graham inquisitiveness, as he moved about during his exploration of Carlos' groin. Finally, Graham wrapped his hand around the fat sausage and began to stroke his fist up and down. Carlos closed his eyes and relaxed, wanting to enjoy the sensations.

Graham knew what felt good to him, so that's what he was doing to Carlos. He used his other hand to rub over the outside of Carlos' scrotum and could hear the older boy moan as he did that. Graham continued to pump his hand up and down, trying not to go too fast, and Carlos' mouth unexpectedly dropped open and emitted little grunting sounds, as Graham continued. Graham went a little faster now and continued to massage and lightly squeeze Carlos' nuts while he stroked his pole. It didn't take very much longer before Carlos' body stiffened, as he unleashed streams of spunk across his torso. Graham stroked him a little while longer, until the flow stopped, and then he just sat and watched Carlos as he recovered.

On the other bed, Pat decided to take care of Cole first. Even though the pair didn't spend all that much time together, they did have a few things in common. First of all, Pat was only seven months older than Cole, although he was a grade ahead of him. Pat and Cole both liked to do things with their hands and they were more of the mechanical and outdoor types than the others. They liked to walk in the woods, go camping and build things. They had been working together on improving the tree house/fort, in the woods out behind the house. I'd been letting them do it on their own, figuring they'd ask me if they needed help.

Pat had been fondling Cole as they talked about the trip so far and compared their notes on the mule ride into the Canyon. Of all the boys, those two had seemed to enjoy it the most, although the little ones thought the mules were pretty neat. Cole was now fully aroused, so Pat wrapped his fingers around his tool and began to stroke it up and down. Cole stopped talking and lay back, so he could enjoy what was happening. It didn't take long to bring him to the brink, so before long he was blowing his wad all over himself. Pat continued his pumping, to milk him dry, and then he released Cole's prick and waited for him to regain his senses.

By this time, Carlos had started working on Graham. He looked at Graham's smaller penis and thought back to when his looked like that too. It was only a couple of years ago, but it brought back fond memories about the time during which he first learned that his cock could be used for more than just peeing. Eagerly, he began to manipulate the smaller tube and decided to explore it, like Graham had done to his. First, he exposed the head, so he could look at it more closely, and was fascinated with Graham's reactions to his efforts. He watched Graham squirm and twitch, and listened to the smaller boy squeal his approval, as Carlos played with his boyhood. This was exciting Carlos nearly as much as it was Graham, and he didn't realize it would be so much fun to please another boy in this manner.

Carlos used two fingers and his thumb to stroke Graham's erection, since it was too small to wrap his hand around, and Carlos got a kick out of watching Graham respond, as the smaller lad's hips flopped up and down to match Carlos' efforts. Carlos had a big grin on his face as he watched the younger boy get into the action and he sped up his pace, knowing Graham was desperately seeking relief. Soon watery droplets were spurting from the tip of Graham's cock, and gradually Graham's bucking stopped too, leaving him lying motionless on the bed. Carlos stroked him a few more times before he stopped, and then leaned down and kissed Graham on the forehead, thinking that Graham would probably fall asleep after this. Carlos grabbed a couple of tissues and cleaned up his younger playmate, before pulling the sheet up over both of them and settling in.

By this time, Cole was busily playing with Pat's stubby pecker. His fingers were barely able to touch once he'd wrapped his hand around Pat's stump, but he still worked his hand up and down, striving to bring Pat pleasure. While he was doing that, he worked his other hand down and slid a finger into Pat's chute, in an effort to stimulate his partner's prostate. When he located that leathery button, he rubbed his finger over it, causing jolts of pleasure to shoot through Pat's body.

Pat jerked when Cole first hit it and twitched a few more times as the other boy continued to rub it. Cole continued to jerk Pat's meat, but brought his finger back out of Pat's rectum, so he could roll his palm over Pat's nut sac. Pat was making a bunch of little noises now and it almost sounded as if he was cooing. In another minute, Cole felt Pat's wand swell in his hand, just before the ribbons of cum sprang from his dick. As Pat's jism splattered on his chest, Pat concentrated on enjoying the last of the tingling sensations that flowed from his toes to his hairline. Finally it was over, but Pat remained in the afterglow of this experience for quite a few minutes more. As Cole was cleaning up the mess, Pat returned to the land of the living and gave Cole a hug and thanked him for his efforts. Soon they were cuddled up together on the bed, falling asleep in each other's arms.

I didn't hear the other boys come in later, so I'm not sure what time Mark brought them back, but they seemed to have enjoyed their time together and didn't give me any problems in the morning. Brandon and Danny thanked me for asking Mark to join us next summer and for trying to help him out. I asked them if there was anything going on between them and each assured me there wasn't. They'd discovered that Mark was straight during their first night together, when he was constantly talking about his steady girlfriend, but they still liked to hang with him. If nothing else, he was still good eye-candy.

The boys had concluded they didn't have many older friends, especially ones who were in college, and it was neat to do things with someone his age once in a while. I told them I was happy that they weren't disappointed by his orientation and was even happier to find out their hoping he might be a potential sex partner wasn't the only reason they had wanted to get to know him. They assured me, even though Mark was 'gorgeous', he was even nicer just to be around. I was proud and pleased hearing how my boys were growing up.

Chapter 7
The Runaway and a Family in Need

I had the boys up and fed early the next morning, so it wasn't long before we were on the road heading toward Phoenix. I had been driving for a couple of hours, but it was still fairly early, yet I could tell it was going to be real scorcher today. After another hour or so on the highway, we finally reached our first stop, the Pioneer Arizona Living History Museum, just north of Phoenix. This wasn't your typical museum in which you saw a bunch of displays. Instead, this is a collection of preserved buildings and authentic reproductions that represent a part of the country's history. To be precise, it is intended to recreate various parts of late 19th century Arizona Territorial history, from the 1860's through the 1890's.

There are 28 buildings on the site, spread over ninety acres, and include a Victorian house, rare Spanish colonial houses, an Opera House, a saloon, a dressmaking shop, a print shop, a carpenter's shop and a blacksmith's shop. There were also interpreters in period costumes, to answer any and all questions visitors might have about what they were seeing. It was an interesting stop, almost making you feel as if you went back in time, which the boys seemed to enjoy. In fact, the boys even talked me into having our lunch there.

As we ate, the boys wanted to discuss some of the things they'd seen. "Man, people sure lived in really small places," Pat observed. "Some of those cabins are smaller than your bedroom, Dad."

"Yes, people lived very simply and spent more time outdoors rather than inside," I explain, "which is probably the opposite of the way things are today."

"Daddy, who was the woman that guy kept talking about at the theater?" Graham asked.

"I think you mean Opera House and he was talking about Lily Langtree," I responded. "She was an actress whose beauty was said to rival that of Helen of Troy, 'the face that launched a thousand ships.' I've heard she had lily white skin, hence her first name, delicate features and her hair was filled with lovely curls. Judge Roy Bean, the Old West's 'hanging judge,' was said to have a crush on her, although it is unsure if he ever met or even saw her in person." I wasn't sure that information helped Graham any, but he didn't ask any more questions about her.

"Dad, the Fort Brent Wood that we saw," Danny asked, "is that really what it would have looked like? I thought the western forts were made of logs with pointed tops, to keep the Indians out."

"I think that's what television and the movies have led us to believe," I told him, "and I'm sure there were a collection of forts like that, but look around. Do you see enough trees for them to do something like that around here?" I forgot we were indoors at the time, so my comment caused Danny and some of the others to get up and go look outside. When they came back, they answered my question.

"Gee, I never noticed that before," he told me. "I guess you're right, it would be easier to make a mud and wood type fort like we saw today, rather than the one's I'd thought were used." What can I say? Another lesson learned.

By late afternoon, we were back on the road again, and by now, it was an extremely hot afternoon. I had only been driving for about an hour, when the boys started begging me to stop at a grocery store, so they could pick up some soda, ice and a couple of those Styrofoam coolers. I agreed it would be a good idea and a wise precaution, and then we would have enough for the motel that evening. Therefore, I made a quick stop on the outskirts of Phoenix.

It didn't take long before I found a grocery store and pulled into the parking lot. All of the boys wanted to go in and enjoy the air conditioning, so I looked like the Pied Piper with my whole brood in tow. We grabbed a cart and headed back to the beverage section. While the boys were loading up their choices of drinks in the cart, I noticed a man chasing a teenage boy through the store. Before the kid got to the end of the aisle, another man jumped in front of him and they both roughly grabbed a hold of the boy.

Immediately they started pulling items from the boy's pants and from under his shirt; it looked to be all food items. My guess was that the boy was a runaway and he was stealing something to eat. I didn't like the way he was being treated, so I knew I would have to think of something fast.

I told my boys to get the ice and to try to find the coolers, while I went to take care of something else. I also told them to play along with me and follow my lead, if things started to go against us. I walked down to where the two men where manhandling the kid, and set my impromptu plan into motion.

"Buddy, there you are," I said, pretending to speak to the boy. "Where in the hell did you disappear to?"

"Do you know this kid, mister?" the older gentleman asked me.

"Yes, I do. Excuse me, I'm Josh Currie and I run a group home," I told them. "Buddy, here, is one of my boys and he ran away from us a couple of days ago. We've been looking all over for him."

"My name's not Buddy," the kid protested. "It's Nicky."

"I know that, Nicky," I countered, hoping the kid didn't blow this for both of us. "I forgot you don't like me using your nickname any more." I turned toward the older man. "I'm sorry if he's caused you any problems, but if you let me take him with us, I'll make sure that he doesn't bother you again."

"You can tell that to the police," the man bellowed, determined to make the kid pay for what he'd done. "We caught the kid shoplifting and he's going to be arrested."

"Look, sir, I'm sorry about what he's done, but what if I pay for the items with our other purchases? We're not from around here and we'll be leaving the area right after we pay for our groceries."

"I'm not supposed to do that," he began to mumble. "He should be punished for what he's done."

"He will be, I'll make sure of that," I informed him, hoping he'd think my punishment would be a suitable alternative. "Look, if you have him arrested you won't get any money for what he tried to steal, I'll have to go down to the police station to get him, and that means I also won't be buying the things the other boys have chosen. We'll all make out better if you just drop your objection and let me pay for everything. That way, I can take him with me, without having to go to the police station, and then we'll be leaving town. What do you say?"

He looked very pensive for another minute or so. "Very well, but I don't want to see him in this store again," he stated, adamantly.

"Don't worry, you won't," I informed him. "We're planning to leave this area as soon as we finish here, if nothing stops us, that is," I added, insinuating we wouldn't be able to, if he had this kid arrested.

Having reached this agreement, I took the boy and his 'stolen property' back to find the other boys, and they were ready to leave by the time we found them. "These things are Nick's, so put them in the cart with the other items. Do you need anything else, Nick?"

"Why are you doing this?" he asked, wondering if he'd got himself into bigger trouble after I did this for him.

"Because you needed help," I explained, simply. "Is there anything else you think you need?"

"Look, I wasn't stealing this stuff for me," he told me. "I would never do that. It's for this boy I met over at the park, over by the school. He told me that he hadn't had anything to eat for nearly three days. I was taking this stuff for him."

"That's very noble of you, Nick. Will this be enough?" I persisted.

"For now. I don't know what else he might need," Nick explained. "You could go with me and we could ask him?"

"That sounds like a good idea," I agreed. "Okay, boys, to the checkouts. Let's pay for this and go find that kid."

We went to the front of the store, paid for everything and took it out to the van. The boys let Nick sit in front, next to me, although he was still eyeing us suspiciously. "What kind of a group are you guys, anyway?" I could hear the others begin to snicker.

"We're a family," Andrew told him, "and that's my daddy."

"But I thought you told the manager that you ran a group home!" he snapped back, now totally befuddled.

"I do. I run a home for this group, my sons," I replied, before smiling at him. Nick looked around the vehicle, trying to figure out how this could possibly be.

"Dad adopted us," Dion told him. "We all came to him in different ways, but we're all brothers now and we're one big, happy…well, mostly happy, family." The other boys giggled or took objection to his last phrase.

"What do you mean, mostly?" Ricky wanted to know.

"You should understand that part," Pat told him. "You and your little hoodlum friends were the ones who were harassing the others when I arrived."

"That's not fair," Graham said, indignantly.

"See what I mean, Nick?" Dion said, with a huge grin on his face.

"Yeah, I think I'm getting the picture," Nick responded.

"Nick…" I began, but he cut me off.

"It's Nicky, if you don't mind," he told me, leaving no doubt that he preferred this name to the one we'd been using for him.

I hesitated and thought about my response before I continued. "While you're with us you'll have to answer to Nick, because we already have a Nicky and it would be pretty confusing with two of you."

"You do?" he asked, as if he didn't believe me.

"Yes, my grandson. He's back there somewhere," I pointed out.

"It's me," I heard a little voice squeak from the back, and then a face peered over one of his uncles' shoulders. "I'm Nicky."

"Hi, Nicky," Nick said, smiling at him. "I don't get to meet other boys named Nicky very often. There are a lot of girls named Nicole that they call Nikki, but I've only met one other boy with that name."

"Now you know two," Nicky said mischievously, "and I'm the best one."

Nick laughed at his namesake. "I'm sure you are, Nicky. I'm sure you are. Okay, you guys can call me Nick and he can be Nicky. Okay, Nicky?" Nicky beamed at the recognition.

"Yeah, I'm Nicky and you're Nick. I like that," my grandson confirmed.

"Me too," Nick said, smiling back at him.

"Nick," I began, "why don't you direct me over to that park, so we can look for that other boy. Okay?" He agreed and we were on our way. As we pulled into the area, I discovered it was more of a school playground than a park.

"He'll be over by the bushes, back there behind the swings," Nick said, pointing in that general area. I pulled the van around and got as close to the area as I could. Then I told Nick to go and find his friend, so he could bring him back to the van and we'd give him something to eat and a soda to drink. It was several minutes before Nick reappeared, and he came out of the bushes leading a younger boy. They were walking hand in hand toward us, so we all began to get out of the van. The other boy looked a little frightened at first, until Nick said something to him that seemed to calm him down. As they came up to us, Trey and Brandon were pulling the coolers out of the van and carrying them over to a shady spot on the grass. We all went over and sat down and Nick introduced the new boy to us.

"Bobby, this is Mr. Currie and his sons and grandsons," he informed his friend. "They just got me out of a jam at the store. I got caught stealing and they talked the manager into letting me go, instead of calling the cops. They also bought the food I was stealing for you and a bunch of other stuff."

"I didn't want you to steal for me," Bobby said, with a shocked look on his face. "When you said you were going to get something, I thought you meant that you had money to buy it with. I wouldn't have said okay otherwise." While the boys were discussing this, I made each of them a sandwich and then reached out in their direction, with a sandwich in each hand. After they took them from me, I told them to grab a soda from the cooler. They both wolfed down the food and guzzled their sodas, so I made another sandwich for both of them. Bobby was still eating rapidly, but Nick had slowed to a more normal pace.

I took this time to get a good look at both boys. Nick was about 5'7", blond hair, blue eyes and was more than a little dirty. I'd say from looking at his disheveled appearance that he'd been on his own for a while and hadn't been able to bathe or change for quite a few days. He was slender, but not anorexic, and his movements were very fluid and graceful.

Bobby, on the other hand, probably wasn't even five feet [1.50 m] tall, really skinny, and extremely filthy. This kid hadn't seen any water for cleaning purposes for a very long time. Once the boys finished eating, I began to ask them both questions.

"Bobby, how old are you?" I wanted to know.

"I'm eleven," he told me, without hesitation.

"What in the world are you doing by yourself?" I followed, unable to comprehend what a kid this age was doing out all alone.

"I'm not really by myself," he quickly informed me. "I just went to be on my own, because my parents weren't able to make enough money to feed the whole family. I figured I was old enough to take care of myself, so I left."

"Whoa, slow down there for a minute," I urged him. "Let's back up a little, shall we? What do you mean that your parents aren't able to earn enough money?"

"My dad hurt his back in an accident and couldn't work at his old job any longer," he began his explanation. "The jobs he can work don't pay much and both my parents have been having trouble finding jobs that last for very long. Most of the work they get usually only lasts for a short time."

"Where are your parents now?" I wondered, but Bobby didn't seem to want to answer this question for me. He looked at the ground in front of him and didn't say a word. I knew I would have to prod him again.

"Hey, it's okay, Bobby," I continued. "I don't mean to pry, but I would like to see if I could help your family out. I can't do that if you won't tell me anything."

He looked up at me and studied my face for a little while. He must have thought I was being sincere, because he finally answered me. "We lost our house after Dad lost his job," he informed me. "The bank reprocessed it or something…"

"Do you mean the bank repossessed it?" I asked, interrupting him.

"Yeah, that's what they did," he confirmed, "so we've been living in our car ever since."

"In a car?" I repeated, startled. "How many of you are living in this car?"

"There were five of us," he answered. "My mom, dad, two sisters and me."

"I at least hope it's a big car," I replied, forgetting I shouldn't be making jokes about his situation.

"It's a Dodge Shadow," he told me. I quickly realized that is a smaller, mid-size vehicle.

"That's not real big," I replied. "It must have been awfully cramped with five people and their belongings."

"Yeah, we didn't have very much room," he admitted, looking even more sad than before.

"Bobby, what does your father do?" I asked.

"He worked for a construction company. He did a lot of things, but mostly he was a carpenter," he told me, and I could immediately see why a bad back would be a major problem for him, although Bobby also clarified that point. "He can't lift much now, not after he hurt his back, so nobody wants to hire him."

"Why don't you take me to where they're staying and I'll see if I can't help them? Okay?" I continued.

He looked skeptical, as if he weren't sure he should be doing this, or possibly he thought his parents would object to getting someone else involved in their problems. However, after a few minutes, he finally agreed to my request and we began preparations to leave.

Chapter 8
Another Good Deed

I told Nick he could go with us, to help guide me around and make Bobby feel safer, but I told the other boys to wait there on the playground and make themselves comfortable, until we got back. I didn't want to scare Bobby's family, if that many people suddenly showed up and confronted them. My boys loaded the coolers back in the van first, so we'd have food and soda to give to Bobby's family, once I'd located them. It wasn't long before the three of us were on our way and Bobby was giving me directions to where his parents would be parked.

Before we got there, I found another grocery store and made another quick stop. I picked up lunchmeats, bread, some condiments and more drinks, before we started to load up with more non-perishable types of food. I purchased cans of Spam, Vienna sausages, vegetables, pork & beans, peanut butter, jelly, canned juices and bottled water. I also added a can opener, paper plates, plastic silverware, vitamins for both the adults and the children, and a gallon of orange juice. We paid for everything, carefully loaded the bags into the back, and were on our way again.

We discovered Bobby's family in an isolated area of a large parking lot, which was part of a huge strip mall. I let Bobby get out first and he walked over to his parents' car by himself. His mother spotted him first and jumped out of their vehicle and ran toward him. She grabbed him in her arms and was hugging him to her chest, as his father and sisters got out to greet him too. I take it his parents hadn't had a say in his leaving and were glad he was back.

After several minutes of this affectionate reunion, Bobby started waving his hand at us, indicating we should join him. Nick and I got out and slowly walked over to where the family stood. Bobby introduced his parents and sisters to us, before he introduced us to them. After the introductions were made, I began to talk with the parents, while the kids went back toward the car.

I told them about my boys and myself, advised them we had purchased some food and other things for their family and then got to know a little more about their situation. After we had talked for a while and got to know each other better, I called Bobby and Nick over, so we could walk back to the van and grab the supplies from the back. We carried the groceries over and put them in the trunk of Bobby's parents' car, where they would be safe until needed. Bobby's mother and father thanked us several times and I told them I would do whatever else I could before we left. I added that we would come back tomorrow afternoon to see what more we could do, and then Nick and I left, leaving Bobby with his family. We could see his mother starting to prepare things for them to eat as we drove away. It was a very rewarding sight.

Nick gave me directions on how to get back to the school and told me more about himself on the way there. I guess he was beginning to feel more comfortable with us and no longer felt we were any threat. Through this conversation, I discovered Nick had run away from his home in Oklahoma City, because he felt neglected and unwanted. He said there were other reasons, too, but didn't want to elaborate on them, at least not yet. I did learn his parents were fairly well to do, unlike Bobby's folks, but Nick had conflicts with his father and felt ignored by his mother. He also informed me that his father was planning to send him to military school in the fall, so he took off, since there was no way he was willing to attend there.

I was just beginning to understand more about him, when we reached the playground where we'd left my boys. Along the way, I had also talked Nick into staying with us, at least for a few days, since I was worried about him being alone now. As we pulled in to the parking lot, the boys raced to the van and wanted to know why we were gone so long. While I was explaining it to them, Nick ran back over to the bushes and retrieved his belongings, so he could bring them with him. As I was continuing my explanation about what we'd been doing, they all loaded into the van and I let Nick fill them in on the rest of what they had missed out on with Bobby and his family.

The afternoon passed by quickly, especially after being sidetracked like that, so I decided we should go to our motel. It was only about twenty minutes away from where we were, so it wouldn't take that long to reach it. After I checked in, I informed the boys I would advise them of their room assignments shortly. However, I did suggest to Nick he would be staying in my room, if he didn't mind, and he said that would be fine.

After I got everyone situated, I told the boys to clean up for dinner. Nick and I were alone in my room, as the four little ones were staying with the older boys tonight, since I planned to use this time to learn more about our guest. I told him he could shower first, but we soon discovered another problem. He didn't have any clean clothes to put on afterward. I told him I'd borrow some from one of the other boys who were about his size and he could wear those for tonight. I added that we would all go to the Laundromat tomorrow, as we all had things that needed to be cleaned, and then we'd decide what other items he might need, so we could run to a store and purchase them.

Nick immediately told me I didn't need to buy him anything and he could make do with what he had, but I told him we'd see, before I went to borrow some things for him. He was heading into the bathroom as I went next door.

Trey offered to lend Nick an outfit and soon had a pair of shorts, shirt, socks and underwear ready for me to take back for Nick to use. Kevin made a similar offer and gave me another set of items for Nick to have for tomorrow. After thanking them both for their generosity, I went back to my room and could hear Nick still in the shower. I grabbed one of the extra toothbrushes from my carry-on case and grabbed my travel shaving kit from the suitcase, getting everything together, when the bathroom door opened and Nick walked out. He was toweling his hair dry as he entered, not seeming to care if I saw him naked. "Did you get any clothes for me?" was his simple question upon entering.

"Yes, here are two different sets of clothes," I informed him. "One is from Trey and the other is from Kevin. I know you don't know which ones they are, but I'll point them out to you later." He was looking over the clothes, while I was checking out his body. I was surprised at how developed his frame was; obviously he must have worked out in the past or been involved in sports. He was circumcised and hung about 3 – 3.5" [7&frac-9 cm] flaccid. He was pretty good looking, now that he was cleaned up, and I felt some of the boys might be attracted to him, after they saw him looking like this.

"I'll wear this stuff tonight," he said, showing me the set that Trey had donated. "Thanks for making the boys let me borrow these."

"I didn't make them," I corrected him, "they volunteered. They've all been in similar situations and are really quite generous when it comes to others who could use some help."

"I didn't mean anything by that, but I will thank them myself later," he corrected. "And thank you for helping me at the grocery store and for everything else. I don't remember anyone ever being this nice to me before."

"You're welcome, Nick, but I would like to find out more about you later. Would that be okay?" I asked, hoping he'd be willing to continue to open up to me about himself.

"Yes, I don't mind telling you," he replied. "You seem to understand better than other adults. Most of them either don't care or don't want to be bothered. You're different, though. I can tell, especially after seeing what you've done for all of your sons, grandsons and what you did for Bobby and his family."

"I do care and I am interested," I agreed. "We'll be alone tonight, so we can get into this more later, but for now, it's almost time to eat. Here's a toothbrush and toothpaste, so you can brush your teeth. When you're finished, I'll take my shower and you can watch television or play a game while you're waiting. There are a bunch of electronic games in that bag on my bed. Help yourself, since we brought them along so everyone could play with them to help pass the time."

"Thanks, Mr. Currie," he told me. "I'm sure glad you came into that grocery store today, or else I would be spending tonight in jail, instead of here in the motel with you."

"I'm not sure they'd have kept you in jail for petty larceny," I advised them.

"They would have once they found out I was a runaway and wouldn't give them any information about myself," he countered, and I had to admit he was probably right. "You saved me and I won't forget that. Thanks."

"Well, maybe you're right," I confessed. "They might have kept you for being a runaway or if you wouldn't cooperate, and you're welcome. Make yourself at home while I clean up."

I went and took my shower, shaved and brushed my teeth. Soon I was dressed, so I went to see how the other boys were doing. They were all nearly ready, so I called the front desk for suggestions as to where we could eat. Once I had a place, got the directions and made a quick call to make sure they could accommodate us, I had everyone come to my room.

The boys began talking to Nick, as soon as they walked in, trying to make him feel welcome and to discover more about him. He told them a little, although not as much as he shared with me, and I began introducing him to the boys, a few at a time. Nick made sure to thank Trey and Kevin for lending him the clothes, when I got to them, and both told him it was nothing and he could borrow whatever he needed while he was with us. Nick just smiled and thanked them again.

We had a good meal and the boys used that time to tell Nick about themselves, while getting to know each other better. By the time we were ready to order dessert, Nick seemed like part of the family. During that time I also learned that Nick was fourteen and an active swimmer. That helped to explain his better than average body development for a kid his age. He also told us he was going to be a freshman in the fall. That gave him something to talk about with Trey and Carlos, as they were both going to be freshmen too. That didn't keep the others out of the conversation though, especially since Ricky, Cole and Pat were all about the same age as well.

As we were returning to our motel, I grabbed a Phoenix newspaper out of one of those newspaper dispensers that are always around. There were some things I wanted to check out in it later. We all went back to our rooms and some of the boys asked Nick to come over and spend some time with them. I told the boys they would have plenty of time for that in the future, but I wanted to spend the time with Nick tonight, so I could learn more about his situation. The boys gave in, although they were not real happy about it, and Nick and I went to our room. We got comfortable and I began to ask him some more questions.

"So, why don't you tell me more about your family and why you ran away?" I prodded him.

He didn't even pause to think about it and just began to open up to me. "My dad's a manager in the structural design and engineering department at Gulfstream. They build jets," he informed me. "He is very bossy and everything has to be done exactly his way. I pity the poor people that work for him. He wants me to be an engineer or a doctor, and that's just not for me. I'm not that good at math and science, but Dad doesn't want to hear that. He says I could do better, if I applied myself. When I got my final report card and he saw my grades, he got angry and decided he was going to send me to military school in the fall. There was no way I was going to let that happen, so I took off. I packed a few things while my parents were out of the house and just left."

"What about your mother? Couldn't you have asked her to intervene between you and your father?" I wondered.

"No. Mom doesn't care about anything but herself," he stated, rather coldly. "She's so wrapped up in going back to college to become a doctor that nothing else matters. She still goes out places with Dad, but she acts like I don't exist any more. She put off going to medical school when she got pregnant with me, so now that I'm old enough to take care of myself, she returned to college to fulfill her dreams."

"There's nothing wrong with that," I advised him.

"Not unless you forget about everything else, and that's just what she's done," he shot back, somewhat defiantly. "It's like she never had me. I hardly ever see her any more, we never talk or do things together, and she couldn't care less about what I'm doing. The only reason my dad cares is because I'm going to carry on the family name and he wants to make sure I don't embarrass him. Neither one of them gives a damn about me any more, other than that I live up to their expectations. They won't even consider what I want or ask what I'm thinking. I hated living there with them, so once Dad started talking about military school, I made my decision to get the hell out of there."

"Don't you think you could work this out with them?" I pressed.

"No way," he replied. "The only thing that Dad would accept would be for me to do exactly what he said. I can't do that, so I won't go back. Hell, they probably haven't even noticed I'm gone yet."

"When did you run away?" I asked.

"About three weeks ago," he told me.

"And you don't think they would have noticed you were gone by this time?" I challenged, thinking he might be exaggerating a tad.

"They probably just think I'm out with friends or something," he offered. "I left a note in my room for them, but I doubt they've seen it yet. They probably won't find it until it's time to ship me off to military school. That's when they'll go looking for me and find out I'm gone."

"Where were you going and what were you planning to do?" I asked him, wondering if he'd even considered those issues.

"I came here because I thought I could go to one of the reservations and talk them into letting me go on a vision-quest," he informed me. "I've been to four different reservations so far and none of them will let outsiders do that. They say I would have to have someone from the tribe recommend me and they won't do it unless they know you really, really well. I thought the vision-quest would tell me what to do next, so now I don't know where I'm going to go or what I should do."

"Well, you could stay with us for a while, at least until we figure something else out," I suggested. "We're on vacation and there are a few more places we are going to visit here in Arizona. You're welcome to join us for the time being."

"Thanks, I'd like that. I really like you and your boys," he sort of gushed. "You've all been really nice to me and all of you seem to care about what happens to me. I wish my parents were more like you."

"Maybe they are and you just don't know it," I offered. "Or, maybe they'll change after you've been gone a while."

"Maybe, but I doubt it," he replied, with a touch of sadness in his voice.

"Give them a chance and they just might surprise you," I advised him.

"Or maybe they'll surprise you, but I'll wait and see, like you say," he agreed, although probably only half-heartedly.

"Good," I agreed, thinking he was trying to meet me part way on this. "Look, you can do what you want until we turn in. I want to read the newspaper and check some things out. Will that be all right with you?"

"Sure, Mr. Currie. I've got no problem with that," he told me. "Thanks again, and I want to thank you for Bobby, too. That was really nice of you and I know he and his family appreciated it."

"Well, that's part of what I'm working on now," I hinted. "I'm going to try to see if I can't find them jobs and a place to live tomorrow, before we leave here. I'll want you to go with me, while I try to work things out."

"But what about the other boys?" he asked, concerned that I was neglecting them.

"Most of them will stay here, but I'll take some of them to the Laundromat, so they can wash our dirty clothes, and yours too," I informed him. "They won't have a problem with that, I'm sure. In the meantime, you have the games, television or I can see what the other boys are doing if you want to join them. It's up to you."

"I think I'll just watch some TV while you're reading. I'd rather just stay here with you for tonight, if you don't mind. I'm kind of tired of answering questions and all." I just smiled at his last comment, thinking about how much we had all grilled him today.

"No, Nick, I don't mind. Let me do this and then maybe we can talk some more later," I suggested, in case he just wanted to talk, rather the tell more about his family. Maybe he had some questions for me.

"Okay, that sounds good," he responded, more eagerly than I would have expected.

We both did what we had planned and I made sure to set aside enough time, so we'd get a chance to talk more once I'd finished.

Chapter 9
A Helping Hand

The sleeping arrangements that night went like this: Ricky, Jay, Cole, Graham, Sammy and Andrew shared one room; Dustin, Kevin, Pat, Carlos, Jordan and Nicky shared the second; and Danny, Brandon, Trey and Dion got their belated turn in the 'sex room'. That last foursome was in their room, getting ready to decide what they wanted to do for the evening.

"Would you mind if we just stayed with our own partner tonight?" Trey asked shyly.

"Heck, no," Brandon answered him. "We were thinking of asking you the same thing. We haven't been able to spend any time alone in ages and were hoping you'd agree to this, since we saw how tight you guys were with each other. We were just afraid you'd be offended if we suggested it and think we didn't want to spend time with you or something."

"We know better than that," Dion told him, "but we were kind of worried you might think the same thing about us. I'm so glad we feel the same about this and you guys are my brothers now."

"I'm glad too," Danny answered him. "Thanks, guys. This means a lot to Brandon and me."

The boys went to their own beds to have some fun with their partner. While Danny and Brandon were getting ready to go at it, Dion and Trey were having another little discussion. "What do you want to do, Trey?" Dion asked.

"What I want is for you to be inside of me," Trey responded, very directly and forcefully.

"Okay, then you can do me after," Dion suggested.

"That's not really necessary, Dion," Trey countered, timidly. "I really like being on the bottom and not all that interested in being on top."

"What are you talking about?" Dion wondered, unsure if there was a problem.

"I'm trying to tell you that I like receiving, better than giving," Trey confirmed. "I'll be happy as long as you do me."

"Oh, I get it," Dion announced, finally beginning to understand what Trey meant. "Heck, I like the giving part better, so it won't be a problem at all. I mean I'll do the other thing too, if you want me to, but I don't enjoy that as much as I do sliding in and out of you."

"Great! Then we'll make a perfect combination," Trey announced, joyously. "You do the giving and I'll do the receiving."

"That sounds terrific to me, as long as you don't mind," Dion agreed. "I just thought you'd feel cheated if I didn't do the same thing for you."

"Heck, no!" Trey exclaimed. "While you're sticking it up my butt, just use your hand to get me off. That's all I'll need to make me feel good."

"I can do that. In fact, I'll be happy to do that," Dion agreed, enthusiastically. "Are you ready then?"

"I sure am," Trey announced, before he rolled over, lifted his butt in the air and wiggled it at Dion. Dion started laughing and went to get his lube.

When Dion returned, Trey was on his back, two pillows stuffed under his rear and his legs pulled up to his chest. Dion started to lube him up and then greased up his own pole. Before long he was in position, with his eight-plus inches [>20 cm] ready to drill for oil. Dion had grown a little since he first came to be with us, much to Trey's delight.

Gently he pushed his way in and Trey opened up to receive that wonderful monster. Dion had learned to control himself better with practice, so he was lasting longer and longer and not blowing his wad so quickly any more. Now, he began to make long steady strokes in and out of his lover and, yes, he and Trey were definitely becoming lovers. They were growing more and more inseparable the longer they were together, and I could see more than just a brotherly bond forming between them, especially since the night they shared a room with me on this trip.

Dion was happily ramming his pole up Trey's rectum and stroking Trey's cock at the same time. Trey was really enjoying Dion's budding prowess, and loved Dion's energy and eagerness to please. He was also impressed with Dion's progress in learning to contain his excitement and avoiding the quick releases. This time, Dion was giving him the best ride yet. That long slender dong of his felt great up Trey's chute and it kept brushing against Trey's prostate on nearly every stroke. Trey was in heaven and Dion's hand stroking Trey's cock was just the icing on the cake.

After many minutes of this dual stimulation, Trey was beginning to approach his own orgasm, and from Dion's panting, he assumed his partner was nearly there as well. Trey did all he could to hold out until Dion came, but nearly couldn't stand to delay it any longer, when he felt Dion's hot blasts filling his bowels. Relieved that he had made it, he released his own load, allowing his hot cum to squirt between their bodies. Before long, both of their cum reservoirs were completely empty and Dion fell on top of Trey, exhausted, yet satisfied. They remained like that for several minutes, until Trey finally wrapped his arms around his partner and began covering him in kisses. Eventually they cleaned up and went to sleep, having their best dreams ever, as they snuggled happily together.

Danny and Brandon enjoyed a similar night of bliss, but they had each made love to the other. Although Brandon felt similar to Trey, about preferring to be the bottom in the relationship, he was always reluctant to broach the topic with Danny. Danny always seemed to enjoy it too, when Brandon did him, and the night they were with Pat, Danny had offered to let both boys do it to him. That's why Brandon hesitated about saying anything, since he was afraid they both might be bottoms at heart. Some day he'd bring the topic up, but just not yet.

The next morning at breakfast, I explained to the boys that there was going to be a slight change in our plans. We were going to spend an extra day in Phoenix, to give me time to see if I could help out Bobby and his family a little more. I told them they could go swimming in the pool or hang out in the rooms, and I asked for a couple of volunteers to go to the Laundromat to wash our clothes. Pat and Carlos immediately offered to do that chore, so I accepted their assistance and told the other boys to get the things that needed to be cleaned together, when they got back to their rooms.

Pat and Carlos placed the clean items from their luggage onto their bed, so they could put the dirty clothes in there and take everything to the Laundromat. Once they were finished washing everything, they could then fold the clean items and bring them back the same way. I thought it was a good plan and told them so, besides thanking them for volunteering to do the work.

Next, I explained to the others that Nick would be going with me, since he knew Bobby the best. I thought that would make Bobby more comfortable, and in turn relieve any apprehensions Bobby's parents might have. They quickly understood what I was saying and agreed it was a good idea. After that, I asked the older boys to watch out for the little ones and they readily agreed. Everything had now been taken care of, so Nick and I were off.

While Pat and Carlos were doing our laundry, Nick and I went to check out apartments I had found listed in the newspaper. After looking at several, we finally found one we both liked, and believe it or not, it wasn't very far from the grocery store where I found Nick the day before. It was a fairly large three-bedroom, two-bath apartment, on the ground floor of an apartment complex, and below it were the laundry facilities and the storage rooms for the various tenants. After discussing the situation with the complex manager, he agreed to rent the apartment to Bobby's family, so I wrote him a check for the security deposit and first six-months' rent. He was happy and we were thrilled. He wanted me to sign the lease, but I explained I wanted Bobby's family to sign it first and then I'd sign it too, if that would make him feel better. He agreed and said he would give us the keys, once I brought them back and everything was signed.

Nick was very excited about all of this. "They're going to love it and they'll be so surprised. Thanks, Mr. Currie. You're the greatest."

"Hey, it's time you stopped calling me Mr. Currie. You may call me Josh, Uncle Josh, Pop – anything, but please, no more Mr. Currie.

"Okay, but let me think about that for a little while," he agreed. "I'm not sure which one to use yet."

After that, I drove to my next stop, which happened to be the district offices of the local school system. I asked to speak to the Superintendent, and it took a little sweet-talking for me to be able to get five minutes with him, but I did get in. I told him who I was, explained about Bobby's family and I inquired about a couple of positions I saw in the help wanted advertisements in the newspaper. After we talked for a few minutes, he agreed on interviewing the couple for the positions.

The father would be considered for the janitorial/maintenance-man position (since the ad stated no heavy lifting was required and the superintendent had confirmed that fact), and the mother would interview for a cafeteria worker's spot at the high school. His position would be a 12-month job, while hers would be a 10-month contract, giving her school vacations and the summer off to be with the children. I thought it was the perfect solution and set up the interviews for Monday morning. The Superintendent wrote his name, phone number and the interview times on a slip of paper, so I could give it to Bobby's parents. I thanked him and then we left, but we still had one more stop to make.

In a couple of minutes, we pulled up at the grocery store we were at yesterday. Nick didn't want to go inside with me, but I told him to stick close and there wouldn't be any problems. We went inside and I asked to speak to the manager. He was paged to the front of the store and had a strange look on his face when he saw us. Hesitantly, he came over. I reached out and shook his hand, before explaining that I was going to offer him a chance to make some money. He looked puzzled, but heard me out. I told him that I wanted to open up an account for a needy family. I would write him a check, right now, for six hundred dollars, and then he would allow the family to buy their food and write it off to that account. I would also give him my name and address, in case they overspent that sum in the future, and then he could call me to settle the account. He agreed to my proposal, so I got out my checkbook and began writing. He thanked me and then hesitated a minute before he spoke again.

"I'm glad you talked me into letting this little rascal go yesterday," he admitted. "I wasn't sure I was doing the right thing at the time, but you were right, we all benefited from it. I already see he looks much better and seems to be happier now that he's back with you. I'm pleased to know you and I want to thank you for being such a nice guy, helping out that family and all those boys you work with." Nick had to stifle a giggle, but controlled himself until we got outside the store. He waited until we got back into the van before he spoke.

"Did you see the look on that guy's face when he saw us in his store? And he still thinks that you run a group home for boys," Nick told me, before breaking out in a fit of hysterical laughter.

"Well, I do, don't I?" Nick chortled again and we drove over to find Bobby and his parents.

When we located them, I explained that we wanted them to follow us someplace. They immediately wanted to know where, but we told them that part was a secret. They looked suspicious and talked amongst themselves for a bit, before they agreed to follow us. I think they did so only after Bobby pleaded with them and explained how I had already helped Nick.

We pulled into the apartment complex and parked. Nick ran to get the manager, while they got out of their vehicle. I pointed out the layout of the complex, including the play area for the children, and then emphasized about what a nice location it was in. They still weren't sure what was going on and why I was telling them all of this, but they didn't run off. By the time the manager had rejoined us, we were already heading to their new apartment, although they didn't know it.

They were speechless when they saw it and I explained to them that I had already paid the security deposit and first six-months rent. They thanked me, although still looking skeptical, and then I heard them asking each other, in soft whispers, what they were going to do after that. That's when I sprung my next surprise. I told them about the job interviews with the school district and what positions they were for. I explained that would give them enough time to get their feet back on the ground and allow them the opportunity to save up some money, so they could stand on their own, from that point on.

Bobby's mother started crying, while his father kept thanking me over and over again. That's when I realized the apartment wasn't furnished. I was busily apologizing about that fact when the manager explained he might be able to help us out. He informed us about a Salvation Army thrift store that was located nearby and added the prices for things were quite reasonable. I thanked him and decided I'd take the family there, as soon as we had finished our business with the apartment complex manager. They signed the lease, got their keys and everyone was happy.

We drove over to the thrift shop and I allowed them to pick out their furniture for themselves. They ended up getting three bedroom sets, a small dinette set, some furniture for the living room and four or five table lamps. After listening about their situation, the thrift store manager agreed to deliver the items that evening – for free. I quickly wrote him out a check for the items, with an additional donation for the organization, so they could help others out as well. Nick and I accompanied the family back outside, while the thrift store manager was having his employees load up a couple of trucks with their purchases. We went back to the apartment with them and got a kick out of watching the kids look around their new home.

"We don't know how to thank you," Bobby's mother told us. "You've done so much for us and I have no idea why."

"Just take care of your children and love them. That will be payment enough," I told her. "We all get down on our luck from time to time and I'm just giving you a helping hand, so you can get back on your feet. Someday, when you have your financial situation back under control, you can give some other needy family a helping hand and allow them to become independent again."

They each smiled at us, nodded their heads and shook my hands. Bobby and his sisters wanted us to see their rooms, so Nick and I walked back to the bedrooms with them. Bobby hugged Nick and thanked him for being so nice and then asked me to kneel down. When I did, he hugged me too, and then gave me a kiss, which totally surprised me. After that, his sisters did the same thing.

We went back into the living room and I told them that we'd help bring everything in from their car before we left. We brought the groceries in and put them on the kitchen counter, while Bobby's mother started putting things away. She put the orange juice and water in the refrigerator, a simple act that caused a light bulb to go off in my head. Suddenly I realized that we had forgotten something else, something basic. I told the family that I had to do one more thing, and Nick and I went back to the van.

"What now?" Nick asked me.

"We forgot dishes and silverware," I told him. "I think we should also get them some bedding, towels and wash cloths, and then a gift certificate, so they can buy some new clothes and anything else we might have forgotten."

"Good idea, but can you afford all of this?" Nick wondered.

"Don't worry about it," I told him, "I've got it covered."

We drove over to a discount store and bought the items I had previously mentioned, but I also got them $250.00 worth of gift certificates from that store. They could go back on their own and buy their clothing, curtains, and whatever else they needed at another time. We returned and dropped those things off, which started Bobby's mother crying again, and then the furniture arrived, just as we were getting ready to leave. I wrote my name and address on the paper from the school district and told them to keep in touch. They thanked me once more, and then Nick and I left. By the time Nick and I got back to the Laundromat, we discovered Pat and Carlos had been done for a while and were beginning to wonder if we had forgotten them. We told them what we had done and they just smiled. Then I heard Carlos say, "I figured he'd do something like that."

By the time we got back to the motel, the boys were starving. We could either have a late lunch or an early dinner, so we decided to just go ahead and have an early dinner. We went out to find a restaurant, knowing we shouldn't have a problem getting seated at this early hour, and then proceeded to stuff ourselves. Nick spent his time, in between bites, telling the boys about how we had helped Bobby and his family. The boys asked if we could stop by and see them again before we left and I told them we could do that tomorrow. We'd invite them to join us during the day and then we'd say our good-byes before we moved on to the next town. Everyone seemed to like that idea, so it was agreed it was what we'd do.

That night the entire group was in a really good mood. We went to a movie and then stopped by the apartment, so we could invite Bobby and his family to go with us tomorrow. They tried to refuse, saying we had done too much already, but we weren't going to take 'no' for an answer. We told them to be ready by 9:00 the next morning and they could follow us to where we were going. They agreed and we went back to the motel.

We didn't stay up very late, because we knew we'd have to get up early in the morning, and I told the boys what was planned. Then we went back to our rooms and cleaned up. Nick asked me if he could sleep with me tonight, seeing the little ones were going to be using the other bed. I actually thought he would just share with them or spend the night with some of the other boys, so I suggested he might feel more comfortable spending the night with some of the other boys. He quickly turned down my suggestion, saying he wanted to stay with me, so I told him that would be fine.

Once we were in bed, he thanked me again for helping Bobby and his family out, before informing me about how much he liked Bobby and how close they had become in the short time they had known each other. Then he admitted it made him feel special that he had helped make it possible for us to meet them, before adding that he almost felt as if he had been the one who had really helped them out. I was just settling in, ready to close my eyes, when he made one final comment.

"I wish you were my father," he announced, shocking me, "or that my father was more like you. He has enough money to help people too, but he only thinks of himself."

"Don't be too hard on him," I countered. "You might be surprised. He is probably at home right now, missing you very much." Before Nick had a chance to argue the point, I placed a finger over his mouth, letting him know it would be best to remain quiet, and then I kissed him on the forehead, wished him pleasant dreams and we both got comfortable. Shortly thereafter, I discovered he had already fallen asleep.

The 'sex room' wasn't very busy that night either. It was Ricky, Jay, Cole, and Graham's turn to use it, and the boys just helped each other get off quickly and then went to sleep. They were excited about our plans for tomorrow and wanted to be well-rested when we got to where we were going. They were soon asleep, dreaming pleasant thoughts about what tomorrow would bring.

Chapter 10
Phoenix, Yuma and Tombstone

Early the next morning, we drove over to the apartment where Bobby and his family had moved and then headed out for breakfast. I had them follow us, because there just wasn't room for them in our van. After we finished eating, I told them to follow me again and led them to our next stop, a miniature golf course. We split into foursomes and practically took over the entire place. The kids had a great deal of fun and no one really paid much attention to the scores. I was impressed watching my boys help not only our smallest members, but also Bobby and his sisters. This fact was also picked up on by Bobby's parents, who commented about how good the older boys were with all the younger ones. It was a very rewarding and enjoyable experience for all of us.

Once we finished there, we loaded into our vehicles again and they followed me to a gas station, where I filled up both vehicles. I didn't want anyone to get stranded along the way. Once that was done, we drove to Scottsdale, which is just outside of Phoenix. Since the next activity I had planned wouldn't take place until noontime, I led everyone to a movie complex. Luckily, there was a cartoon showing, one of those that both the children and adults can enjoy. Bobby and his sisters were extremely excited about this, because they hadn't seen a movie, or even been able to watch television, for a very long time.

I think we all enjoyed the film, but I got more satisfaction out of watching the kids. Bobby's sisters were on the edge of their seats most of the time, watching intently and giggling joyfully at the humorous moments. I could tell Bobby was into it too, but every so often he would look over at me and flash me a huge grin, letting me know how much he appreciated being here.

After the movie ended, we loaded up again and pulled up to Rawhide Western Town for lunch a few minutes later. This is a steakhouse with much, much more for the kids to do. The best description I can think of would be, it was kind of like Chuck E. Cheese on steroids. We entered it by walking over a covered bridge, which led us into a facsimile of an old west town. The younger ones thought it was really neat.

Before we ate, we decided to attend the stunt-filled Six Gun Theater first. This was actually held outdoors and was full of cowboys falling down, which included from the top of buildings, getting knocked down in brawls or after losing one of the assortment of shootouts, but it was done well and the kids were enthralled with the action.

The next activity on our agenda was taking a spin on the Rawhide Carousel. This was an old steam-driven merry-go-round, built in the 1880's, and I reminded everyone that riding this would have been a major event for children of that period. It wasn't that different from modern carousels, except the sound of the engine running it, which gave this ride a whole new feel, at least for me.

Once these rides were over, since Bobby's sisters wanted to go on it again, we decided it was time to eat. Entering the dining area, we sat down and began looking at the menu. Immediately, the boys picked up on the Rattlesnake and Rocky Mountain Oysters, the first two items on the menu.

"Ewww, they've got rattlesnake on the menu, Daddy," Graham announced, while making a very sour-looking face.

"Yes, remember you're out west now and people actually eat that here," I explained. "They say it tastes like chicken."

"Then I'll settle for the real thing," Cole shot back, noting the irony in eating something that tasted like something else.

"What are Rocky Mountain Oysters, if they're not seafood," Pat asked, looking confused. Bobby's parents and I just looked up at him and grinned.

"I'm not sure you're ready to know the answer to that," I told him.

"Why not?" Pat shot back.

"Come on, just tell us, Pop," Brandon followed. "I think we'd all like to know what that is." As I looked around, all the boys were nodding their agreement.

"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you," I told them. I then lowered my voice, so Bobby's sisters wouldn't hear what I was saying. "They're bull testicles."

"Ewwwww," Kevin shrieked, as he pictured someone eating something like that. I think it had affected him more, since he'd had one of his own removed.

"Yuck," Jay added, nearly vomiting over just the thought of trying such a thing.

"Who would eat something like that?" Dustin followed, not believing anyone would have the guts to try such a thing.

"Well, someone must, or they wouldn't keep it on the menu," I joked, which drew disgusted looks from my entire clan.

We all did find something more suitable for lunch, and the younger ones, those under eleven, ordered from the Kid's Menu, which came with activities to occupy them while the rest of us chatted. I was surprised to note that Sammy had also asked for a kid's menu, even though he reminded me earlier that he had turned twelve before we left home, but I guess that was more to his liking and he was eager to immerse himself in the activities provided with it.

After encouraging everyone to order what they wanted and not worry about the price, we had a very tasty meal, one of the best so far on this trip. Once we'd finished, I suggested we attend a performance of the Rainmaker Comedy Show, to give our meal some time to settle. Everyone agreed that sounded like fun, so we went and laughed away the next thirty minutes or so, listening to cowboy humor.

Once we left there, I talked everyone into going on the stagecoach ride, even though we had to split up in smaller groups to do this. It was quite an eye opening experience for everyone, as the ride rattled the teeth in our mouths as we traveled along. If it was this bad to us, what would it have been like for someone traveling by stagecoach in the 1800's, since I suspected the shocks on these coaches were better than the originals would have been and the roads we traveled over a touch smoother.

After that, we went to the Native American Theater for a show, where we watched various Native American groups perform ancient dances and impress us with their skills using traditional weaponry. After the show ended, we all hopped aboard the Desert Train Ride, so we could see some of the local scenery. Once that ride was over, we let the little ones go panning for gold, while the older boys went to try their hand at becoming a sharp shooter, among other things, at the Wells Fargo Arcade.

When we all came together again, Bobby's parents took their girls to ride on the burros, while the rest of us tried the camel riding instead. I was curious as to why such an activity would be included in an old west setting and was surprised to learn that during the mid 1800's the U. S. Government and the Secretary of War had set up a camel corps, importing over seventy camels to use in the arid southwest. The animals were put to work carrying freight over the desert, between Arizona and California, but the experiment didn't last very long and was generally considered a failure. I'm not sure why, but it didn't really work out.

When I finally suggested it was time to leave, everyone seemed satisfied with the great time they'd had there. We actually did some swapping around on the way back, as Ricky, Cole and Graham offered to ride back with Bobby's parents, when their kids told us they wanted to ride in the van. Since everyone was agreeable to that idea, we made our way back to their new home.

Once we arrived at their apartment, the kids insisted on showing us all around now that the place was furnished. It looked great and was well organized, for the short time they had been in it. Bobby's father also told me the moving crew actually set up the beds and everything else for them when they delivered it, so it saved him from having to do it. I was also pleased to note all of the beds were made, their personal belongings had been put away and the whole area looked fantastic.

We stayed for about an hour before I had to explain we needed to be on our way. Although they were a little disappointed we would be leaving the area soon, they thanked us again, the kids gave us all hugs and kisses, and Bobby was extra generous with Nick and me. As we bid them all farewell, we also promised them we'd keep in touch. There were more than a few tears evident on both sides, as we hit the highway again, this time heading in the direction of Yuma.

We took I-10 part of the way, before taking a connecting road to I-8, and it was there that we stopped for dinner. It was a fairly brief stop, since boys can eat very quickly, and then we drove a little more. By the time we got to Yuma, it was getting late, so we just checked in to our motel and went to our rooms.

Tonight, Danny, Brandon, Dustin and Kevin were in the 'sex room', although I never heard what took place that night. Knowing the four boys as I do, I figured that they probably just spent the evening with their own partner and enjoyed the time being close to one another.

Other than that group, Cole, Graham, Pat and Carlos asked Jordan and Nicky to join them in their room, while Ricky, Jay, Trey and Dion asked Nick to come in with them. That left Sammy and Andrew with me, but the three of us enjoyed a peaceful evening together, with both boys cuddled up on my lap until it was time for bed.

The next morning, after breakfast, we visited the Yuma Territorial Prison State Historical Park. It had been a Wild West territorial prison from 1896 to 1909, and was made of iron and adobe. The overpowering bleakness of what it might have been like to be confined there really hit home with the boys.

"Man, can you imagine being locked up in a place like this for any length of time?" Ricky asked, noting the starkness and small size of the cells. "I think I'd go crazy, if I had to stay there for very long."

"Too late," Dustin teased. "You already ARE crazy." That caused Ricky to take a playful swipe at his larger, much more muscular brother.

"Just the same," Danny interrupted, "can you imagine what it would be like to spend even a week locked up here. I think I might die of boredom."

"Well, it certainly wasn't a resort or country club, that's for sure," I responded. "The prisoners were placed in their nine-foot-by-twelve-foot [2½-3½ cm] cell, which was equipped with the two triple-decker iron bunks you saw, one on each side, so the cell could accommodate six. Just that many bodies packed into such a small area, not to mention the smell and uncomfortable conditions created by the summer heat, when it would frequently be 110 degrees [43°C] or more and there was no air conditioning, were enough to make it unbearable.

"Those who got into trouble were moved to the ten-by-ten dark cell. Once the door was closed on that holding cell, there was absolutely no light in there at all and the prisoner was fed only bread and water. It was reported that a couple of prisoners who had been kept in the Dark Cell went directly from there to an insane asylum. Anyone who tried to escape from the prison would be fitted with a ball-and-chain, which they wore at all times, so I guess you could say there was nothing fun or soft about this place."

When that discussion ended, we toured the park's museum, where we learned about some of the criminals who had been housed there. None of them had names we recognized, for being overly notorious or anything like that, and we discovered most of the criminals had been robbers, forgers, bigamists or even murderers. Outside of the bigamists, who loved more people at one time than was allowed, it was hard to feel sorry for them or about what they had to endure. The boys were also surprised to learn that twenty-nine women had also been locked up here, as they didn't realize some of the women in the old west were as tough as men.

We also saw artifacts from its operational years, which included tools the prisoners used while building this place, a ball and chain, other restraining devices and an old prison wagon with iron bars, which was used whenever the prisoners were transported, including to be brought here in the first place. It was kind of a sobering look at the past and well worth the extra drive.

After leaving the prison, we hopped back on I-8 again, to go back to Tucson. We stopped for lunch about a third of the way there, and then drove straight through to our motel. We settled in, cleaned up and relaxed for a short time, which included a dip in the pool. As it approached dinnertime, I got the boys ready again and we went out to eat. It was nothing fancy, yet still enjoyable, and then we returned to the motel for a quiet evening.

Pat, Carlos, Trey and Dion were next in the rotation for the 'sex room', so Ricky, Jay, Dustin and Kevin asked Nick if he would spend the night with them. He agreed instantly and I think I know why. I've been watching Nick since he joined us, mainly to get a feel for what he was like and to pick up little signals about him. From what I've seen so far, I think he has a crush on both Ricky and Kevin, although I'm not positive. I've caught him staring at those two more than at the others and he always seems to try to sit by one or the other at meals, unless he was near me. I think I've become a surrogate father to him and sometimes it seems like he's desperate for a man's attention and affection. It's too bad his father didn't fill that need for him.

That left Danny, Brandon, Cole and Graham in the last room and they asked Sammy and Andrew to join them. That left me alone with my grandsons, which worked out well and gave me an opportunity to spend a little more time alone with them. I hadn't had much chance to be alone with them since our vacation began, so tonight I decided to give them my undivided, personal attention. We started off by playing some games together and then I gave them their bath. Once they were clean, we sat down and watched the Disney channel for a while, and they both cuddled up on my lap like Andrew was so fond of doing. After watching a couple of shows, I put them to bed and turned in myself. I think we were all satisfied with our evening alone.

The next day we went to the Old Tucson Studios, a theme park just outside of Tucson, where there were rides and shows enough for everyone. I let the older boys split up into groups and do as they pleased, having a meeting place and time established before they left. I kept the four little ones with me, but I did offer Sammy the chance to go off with the others. He thought about it for a minute and then decided he wanted to stay with us, as he preferred being with Andrew and my grandsons.

Seeing that had been decided, we went off and did the kiddie thing, and I let the boys go on all of the rides designed for children their size, which included Sammy. The four had a ball, nearly sprinting from one ride to the next, while I struggled to keep up with them. This made me wonder how much longer, meaning months and years, not days and hours, I'd be able to deal with such young and energetic children.

During our time together, we also watched a gunfight, saw a dance hall revue (which the little ones thought was more comical than sexy), attended a big top show (which meant it was held in a large tent) and listened to some Native American storytelling. When we met back up with the others, even the older boys were satisfied with their day and we were ready to go eat dinner, before returning to our motel for the night.

During dinner, my grandsons excitedly, and animatedly, told their uncles about their day. I think my boys got a thrill out of seeing their nephews so excited and kept them going by asking questions or making comments about what they said. Both Jordan and Nicky ate up the attention and even hammed it up a bit, taking advantage of their moment in the limelight.

Once we were in our rooms, things were pretty quiet. The boys were all a little tired and we were nearly finished with our Arizona tour. Ricky and Jay got to share the 'sex room' with Pat and Carlos, who just happened to get scheduled in there on back to back nights, but it was a very subdued event. Everyone decided it was best to go to bed early, in preparation for our last full day in Arizona, which I warned would be a fairly full day.

The next morning we drove to the Mission San Xavier del Bac right after breakfast. It's a Catholic church that was built back in 1783, just a few years after the United States became an independent nation. It is a beautiful, old, Spanish mission that has its own attached museum.

"Why are we stopping here," Sammy asked.

"Because this is supposed to be one of the most beautiful of all the mission architecture," I informed him.

"It doesn't look that special," Nick observed, looking out at the structure.

"Maybe not to you," I replied, "but considering the time it was built and the many years it has been here, I think it fits superbly into its surroundings."

"How come the one tower has a top and the other one doesn't," Dion asked, after noticing that discrepancy.

"I'm not sure," I explained, "but it looks as if, for one reason or another, they never managed to finish it."

The boys followed me inside and that's when I think they understood why this mission is considered to be one of the most beautiful. It's a wonderful blend of Moorish, Byzantine and late Mexican Renaissance architecture, yet it was so well done that it's hard to tell where one leaves off and the other begins. It is also filled with domes and arches, with many wonderful paintings decorating various spaces, and the high altar is massive, intricate and glorious to behold. We sat in the pews, so we could absorb the magnificence of the place for a short time. After that experience, the boys no longer found a need to question why we'd stopped there.

On the way out, we purchased some Indian fry-bread to try, which is a crispy, fried bread that can be served with a variety of toppings, including red chilis or beans, but we chose the cinnamon and powdered sugar versions instead. It was really pretty good and I was glad we chose the 'sweeter' types for the boys to try.

We were now on the road, heading for our next destination, Tombstone, which was about an hour away. It is one of the legendary old west towns that seem to get mentioned in nearly all Westerns and cowboy stories. It was the place where the infamous gunfight at the OK Corral took place, which was a bloody and deadly shootout between the Earps and the Clantons. One of our first stops was where that gunfight took place. The boys were standing next to the nine life-sized replicas, seeing if they thought any of them looked menacing, when we were informed a reenactment of the gunfight would take place. Eagerly, the boys gathered around to watch it.

"Jeez, that didn't take very long," Graham complained, when it was over.

"No, it didn't," I agreed. "It was my understanding that the whole thing took about thirty-seconds, but when it was over, three of the cowboys lay dead and Morgan and Virgil Earp had been wounded."

"Dang!" Pat exclaimed "All that happened in thirty-seconds?"

"Yes, with so many guns firing," I assured him, "it didn't take much time at all.

During our stay there, we also learned the town got its name because its founder had been had been told by friends that he'd find his tombstone, rather than silver, as he left to seek his fortune. That's why he named his first claim Tombstone and the city was built around the mining of gold and silver.

After that, we also visited the Tombstone Courthouse, the Boot Hill graveyards, the Bird Cage Theater, the Crystal Palace Saloon and the Tombstone Epitaph, the town's newspaper. We also had lunch at the Rose Tree Inn. When we left Tombstone, we went back to our motel in Tucson, to spend our final night there. We'd be catching a plane in the morning for San Antonio, Texas, where we would visit Brandon's family for a few days. The boys didn't know our destination yet, for all I was willing to tell them was that we were going someplace else, which made them wonder why I was keeping it such a secret. Actually, I wanted to surprise Brandon, not them.

Brandon, Danny, Cole, and Graham shared the 'sex room,' but none of them were really into doing much tonight. They were all pretty tired, so they just sucked each other off quickly, before they went to sleep. The thing that made the night special for them was that Graham slept with Danny, while Cole shared his bed with Brandon. The older boys held the younger ones all night long and were almost fatherly in the attention they gave their little brothers. Graham and Cole enjoyed the special attention they got from their older siblings and it was really pretty special to all of them to experience this sort of time together.

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