Erastes

Different Points of View

Chapters 16-20

We left the house to pick up the other boys and load the gear we were borrowing from Austin's father into the Tahoe, but then we'd be ready to set off on our camping trip. Before that happened, however, I had a few surprises, beginning with when I stopped to get Dean. When I got out to help him load his things in the back of the SUV, he handed me an envelope, which he said was from his father. When I asked him about it, he told me it contained money that I was to use to help defray the cost of the food and other expenses I would incur on his behalf. I wasn't expecting this, but he said his father insisted that I accept it, so I folded the envelope and placed it in my shirt pocket.

We picked up Steve next and he also handed me an envelope with a similar explanation, but it all became clear when we got to Austin's house. His father had taken the day off, so he would be there to give me the tent, sleeping bags and other items I was borrowing from him. He also handed me an envelope and told me that he and the other parents had talked about this on their own. He stated that after the fairly large sum I had spent on their sons at Jared's birthday party, they didn't want me to bear the brunt of another expensive endeavor and had agreed to chip in. I thanked him for his consideration and told him I hadn't expected their generosity, but this money would allow me to do even more for their sons while we were gone.

The campground I was taking them to was located about three hours from where we lived and the boys were extremely excited as we made the trip. Almost from the start, they began asking questions about what different things we were going to do there and were basically bouncing around in their seats, as they begged me for this information. Boo-Boo was about the only one that was remaining calm, something I hadn't expected, since this was his first lengthy trip in a vehicle. Although he started out on Jared's lap, he soon moved to the floor and remained curled up at Jared's feet for most of the ride. Since this was such a lengthy trip, I thought it would be wise to stop for lunch before we got there, but we had to make one additional layover before we ate, when Boo-Boo began to whine. Jared and I figured that this meant the puppy needed to do his business, so I pulled over and let Jared take him for a little walk.

By the time we found a diner to stop at, the boys were not only starving, but they were also eager to reach the campground. I hated to leave Boo-Boo in the Tahoe, since he seemed to want to go inside with us, but we knew he wouldn't be allowed in the diner, so we had to leave him in his cage. I had parked the SUV in the shade, but in a spot where we could also observe it while we ate, and we also left all of the windows opened a fraction, so he wouldn't suffer. He did whine a bit as we walked away, but then I noticed that he lay down again, once we started to go inside.

We hurriedly downed our lunch, since we were all worried about leaving Boo-Boo for too long, and then we drove the rest of the way to our destination. When we pulled into the campground, I checked in quickly at the office, to let them know we had arrived, but I also inquired about the potential campsites that were still available. I was then given a map and the man pointed out which sites still remained open, so I chose one that would give us as much privacy as possible, yet still not be too far away from the toilet-shower facilities.

This was a fairly large campground, so there were actually four of these facilities, which were situated in four distinct areas that were pretty much isolated from one another. I was mildly surprised to see that there weren't many other campers in the section I had chosen, and as soon as we made our way there, I could only see one other couple, a man and a woman, but they were at least seventy yards away from where we were going to set up.

As soon as we pulled up to the campsite, Jared took Boo-Boo for a quick walk and I got his cage and placed it on the grass. Once Boo-Boo had relieved himself, Jared put him into the cage, since we were going to be busy for a while and didn't want him to run off or get under foot. I then got out the tent and had the others help me set it up. I think the boys, with the possible exception of Austin, were surprised at the amount of effort it took to put it together. It wasn't actually that difficult, at least not as far as tents go, but since the boys had never done this before, I think they were astounded by how much effort they had to put into it and how long it took. Once the tent was standing and secured, I let them check it out briefly, before I had them get the sleeping bags out of the SUV and put them inside the tent.

We also took out the lanterns I'd borrowed, so they'd be handy when it started to get dark, but I left the snacks and water in the Tahoe, since I didn't want those things to attract any unwanted visitors. We'd get them out whenever the boys wanted something, but then we'd lock them up again after they were finished, since I didn't want any animals drawn to our location looking for something to eat.

Once we had finished doing this, I took the boys into the woods and had them gather up any dry pieces of wood they found lying around on the ground, so we could use them to build a campfire later. We each had a pretty good armful when we got back, with branches and twigs of various sizes and thickness, and then I had them gather up a bunch of rocks, so I could use them to line a fire pit for later, since I thought the boys would enjoy a campfire before bedtime.

Austin was probably the biggest help with all of this and he also offered to instruct the others on various points as we went along. I think the rest of the boys were impressed with his camping knowledge and listened to his advice very carefully. This actually helped me too and I was pleased that I didn't have to do this all by myself.

By the time we had finished doing everything, it was dinnertime and the boys were beginning to complain that they were starving. Since we had worked up quite a sweat and were dirty after finishing these tasks, I suggested we shower first and then go out to eat. I had them get out a towel, a change of clothes and their small satchels with their personal grooming supplies, and then I drove us all down to the shower facility. I didn't need to do this, since the building was definitely close enough to walk to when we needed to use the toilet, but since they had a bunch of other things to carry, I felt this would be a better way to get there.

We took Boo-Boo with us too, since we were afraid he might get stolen or attacked by a wild animal if we'd left him in the cage, and he wagged his tail enthusiastically when he realized we were taking him along. Once we got inside the facility, the boys eagerly investigated the place. The urinals were closest to the door, followed by the stalls with the commodes, and then the shower area. On the other wall, there was a row of four sinks across from the urinals and then a bench, where we could sit when undressing. There were also hooks on the wall above the bench that we could hang some of our things on, but then the boys took a closer look at the shower facility and learned it was just one large shower room, with three showerheads.

Even though I was wondering how Steve and Austin were going to react to taking a group shower, I encourage everyone to set their satchels with the grooming supplies on the bench. I'd planned ahead and had taken Jared and Josh out and purchased something appropriate for them to bring along, since I figured they probably didn't have anything of this nature. Once they had set those items down, I told the boys to hang their change of clothes on the hooks, along with their towels, and then we started to get undressed. Of course, Jared, Josh and Dean had no problems doing this, since they had changed with me numerous times before, but Austin and Steve were slightly more hesitant. Eventually, Austin started to undress too, but it took Steve a little longer to get started. Once he saw the others had no problem doing this, he must have concluded it was all right and began to join in.

Since Josh and Dean were among the first to enter the shower area and realized that since there were only three showerheads that we'd have to double up, they took the middle location. Jared then went down to the one on the right, and Austin stopped in front of the one on the left. I had hung back to see how Steve was going to handle this, but he seemed fine and went over to join Jared when he finally entered. Since I was the last one in, the only showerhead left open was the one Austin was using, so I asked if he'd mind me joining him and he said he didn't. We all had our own soap and shampoo, so we started cleaning up, and I began to look around, to see how things were going. I have to admit that Austin and Steve were both fairly handsome and adequately hung for someone their age, and showering with Austin also gave me plenty of time to admire his body, as he swiveled around under the water and gave me a wonderful show.

Boo-Boo had followed Jared into the shower area and was busily walking back and forth under the spray, but he was also lapping up some of the water collecting on the floor. The boys were all very careful about watching where he was, so they didn't step on him, and Boo-Boo seemed to enjoy this nearly as much as we were. At least I knew I was enjoying this refreshing endeavor, as well as the wonderful show of young boy flesh.

When we finished cleaning up, we went back out to the bench, dried off and put on our clean clothes, and then we moved over to the sinks to brush our teeth and comb our hair, before collecting all of our gear and going back outside to get into the Tahoe. We then drove to one of the local diners, left everything in the SUV and went inside to fill our empty bellies. Boo-Boo put up less of a fuss this time, and we left him much the same way as we had done earlier, except it wasn't as hot out now.

After we'd finished eating, I drove back to the campsite and we pulled out the collection of camping chairs and placed them near where we would soon be enjoying a campfire. Once it was dark enough, I lit the kindling, and when we saw which way the smoke was blowing, we moved our chairs out of the way and settled in to talk about the trip thus far.

"It was a lot of work to get everything set up, but I think it's going to be worth it and this trip will be a lot of fun," Josh commented.

"It's been great so far and I can't wait to see what else we're going to do," Jared chimed in.

"Me too," Dean followed, "and I can't wait to swim in the lake?"

"This is fun, but it's a lot different from what I do with my family," Austin added. "We don't go out to eat and usually fix our meals on a propane stove or over the campfire."

"Yes, I thought about doing it that way as well, but I was afraid it might be too much with so many first time campers and didn't want to end up having to do all of the work by myself," I explained, and I saw Austin nod his understanding.

"Yeah, my mom and dad always do those things together, but they also taught my sister and me how to help out, just as soon as we were old enough," he agreed.

The boys were all looking at Steve now, since he was the only one that hadn't said anything as of yet. After thinking about it for a minute, he finally spoke up.

"I think this is fun too, but I didn't know we were going to have to shower together," he stated.

"Did that bother you?" Jared asked.

"Maybe a little at first, since I've never done anything like that before, but I guess I'm ok with it now," he replied.

I'd had a feeling that he'd never been naked in front of others before, at least not since he was very little, but I'm glad to hear that he worked it out for himself. I had been mildly concerned after seeing his initial reaction and wondered if it might cause a problem for us.

As it began to get late and the boys started to show signs of weariness, I turned on one of the lanterns, and then made certain the campfire was completely out, before I told them I'd take them over to the restroom facility so they could go to the toilet and brush their teeth, as we got ready to turn in. Once everyone had finished those preparations, I drove them back to the campsite. Once there, I grabbed the lantern and made sure that Jared had the puppy do its business first, before we went into the tent. We had Boo-Boo's cage in there already, for him to sleep in, because we were afraid he might try to slip out of the tent later, if one of us got up during the night to pee. We certainly didn't want to take the chance of him running off or have a confrontation with a wild animal, so we felt it would be safer to keep him in his cage.

Once that had been taken care of, I had the boys grab their sleeping bags, unroll them and get set to turn in. Josh and Dean took their bedrolls to the far right side of the tent and began to get comfortable, and Steve set out his sleeping bag next to theirs. Jared then placed his down next to Steve and signaled me to put mine beside his, so that left Austin on my other side. No one seemed to complain about this arrangement, so I had each of the boys strip down to their underwear and slip into their sleeping bags for the night. Before long, I could hear the gentle hum of their breathing and knew they were probably all asleep, before I dozed off too.

About halfway through the night, I awoke to use the toilet and was surprised to discover that both Jared and Austin had sidled tightly against my body, with their arms thrown across my chest. Each of their arms was actually touching against each other too and they looked so sweet and peaceful lying beside me, but I wasn't sure if they had done this accidentally or if they had intentionally placed themselves in this position. I think I knew the answer where Jared was concerned, but I wasn't so sure about Austin. He had, however, given me quite a show in the shower earlier, so it did make me wonder.

Reluctantly, I had to remove their arms from my chest so I could get up, and then I slipped on my shoes and walked to the restroom to use the urinal. When I'd finished my business, I went back and took Boo-Boo out to pee next, and then I put him back in his cage and crawled into my sleeping bag again.

When I awoke the next morning, both boys had their arms draped over my chest again, so I just lay there for a few more minutes, because I wasn't sure if I wanted to disturb them. When I finally decided that I would have to do this, Austin woke up, and when he saw me glancing in his direction, he merely gave me a big smile, but didn't make any effort to move away from me. It seemed as if he didn't have a problem with this arrangement or being so close together, so he may have done this intentionally after all.

Eventually, I got up, and Austin did too, so we got dressed and went outside. I took Boo-Boo out of his cage first and brought him out with us, and before long the rest of the boys were waking up and coming out to join us. Once they were all awake, we walked up to the restroom together, with Boo-Boo happily running along beside us, and we all used the toilets and brushed our teeth again, so we could get ready to go out to eat.

I took the boys back to the same diner we went to the previous evening and we all ordered a substantial breakfast. I told them to eat well, since we wouldn't be coming out to eat again until dinnertime, although I had an assortment of snacks they could nibble on, if they got hungry in between. The boys heeded my advice and ordered an assortment of pancakes, French toast and waffles, as well as bacon or sausages to go with those items, but some also had toast, hash browns or eggs as well. I think they were all pretty stuffed by the time we got back, so I sat them down to discuss what we could do next.

"Look, I'm going to suggest something to do, to see what you boys think about the idea," I began. "I'm pretty sure you've all noticed the lake, and we can go swimming in it later, but this place also has canoes we can rent, if you want to go on a little canoeing adventure around the lake. I know Jared has been in a canoe before, but I'm not sure about the rest of you, so what would you think of doing something like this today?"

"I'd love to do that," Austin stated, without hesitation. "I've done it before with my father, when we traveled down a river in a canoe, and it was a blast."

"Have any of the rest of you done anything like this before?" I followed, and saw a bunch of heads shaking in response. "Would you like to try it then?"

This time the heads all began to nod, as everyone agreed they would like to give this a try. Since I knew it would take a while before we'd get out on the water, I wasn't worried about waiting until their breakfast had settled. Therefore, I loaded them into the Tahoe again drove over to the office, where I quickly informed the guy in charge about our intentions. I explained that he could just add the rental fee to my bill and I'd settle up with him before we left, since there were probably other things he'd end up charging to me before we ended our stay here. Once he agreed to do that, he led us out to a shed where they kept all of the equipment and supplied us with six life vests and six paddles, before he helped me get down three canoes from a large metal rack. He then went back to the office, while I gave the boys a few lessons.

"You are all going to have to wear a life jacket, even though I know you can swim – it's just a precaution. Before we take the canoes down to the lake though, I want to teach you how to use the paddles."

I then taught the boys how to grip the top of the paddle using their inside hand, while grasping the paddle lower down with their other hand. Then, I had them practice paddling in the air, the same way that I had done with Jared, and once they had this skill mastered, I took Jared and Austin aside. I did this so I could teach them how to use their paddles as a rudder too, since they were my experienced canoers and would sit in the back of the canoe and help steer. Once they understood what would be required of them, I had the boys put on their life jackets and showed them how to carry the canoes down to the water's edge.

Once the boys had put the front half of their canoe in the lake, I had the three inexperienced boys step into the canoe they'd be in and take the seat in the front, before Jared, Austin and I pushed the canoes farther into the water. The three of us then stepped into our canoes and got into position on the back seat, before we used our paddles to shove off, so we could begin our trip around the lake. I let the others go first, because I wanted to follow behind, where I could keep an eye on how they were doing. This would allow me to spot any problems they might be having and correct what was wrong, without them lagging behind.

I took Josh with me, along with Boo-Boo, because I felt I could watch the puppy best and keep him from jumping into the water for a swim. I had his leash wrapped around my leg, but I also kept one foot on it as well, while allowing him just enough leeway that he could stand on his hind legs and peer over the side of the canoe, without going further.

Dean had opted to go with Jared, since he felt more comfortable with him, so that left Steve to go in the canoe with Austin. I let Austin and Steve take the lead, with Jared and Dean in the middle. I advised them to keep a couple of yards between the canoes, in order to lessen the likelihood of collisions. With that admonishment, we began to make our way around the lake.

It didn't take long before I noticed that Josh and Dean seemed to be tiring more quickly than the others, since they were the smallest, youngest and probably in worse shape than the rest of us. However, I was impressed that they didn't give up or begin whining about the situation, possibly because they didn't want to wimp out in front of the others and then get teased about it later. They managed to keep up, even though they were both pretty winded and sore by the time we got back to the spot we'd started from. After we took the canoes, paddles and lifejackets back and checked everything in, I stopped to chat with the boys before we got back into the SUV.

"Did you all enjoy that?" I wondered, while gazing from one face to another.

"Yeah, I liked doing that, but it sure tired me out," Dean admitted.

"Yes, it does take a lot out of you, that's for sure," I agreed.

"It was fun though," Steve added, with a huge grin. "I'd never done that before, but I wouldn't mind doing it again."

"I agree," Austin chimed in.

"Me too," Jared added.

"I'm worn out, but it was fun," Josh stated. "I'd be willing try it again too."

"Ok, we'll try to do it again before we leave," I agreed.

These comments had kind of surprised me, but I was glad to hear that the boys were all willing to give it another go. Even though most of them had probably just gotten a month's worth of exercise in one day, there were a great deal more new experiences still ahead of them.

From there, we went back to the campsite and chilled out for a while, as we sat in the camp chairs and talked. During this time, the boys gave me more of their reactions to our little canoe adventure and then we chatted about other things we might do, so I had an idea about what they might be up for next. Once we finished doing that, we went into the tent and I had them change into their swimsuits, so we could go down to the dock for a dip in the cool lake water, because I thought it would refresh them and ease the soreness in their overworked muscles.

Before long, five naked boys were standing around me again, as they hurriedly put on their swim trunks. Once they were ready, we walked down to the dock and dove into the water. Boo-Boo eventually jumped in behind us, although he was a little hesitant at first, since the dock must have seemed quite a long way above the water, but he finally found the courage and jumped in too. I watched him to make sure he wasn't having any problems, but he seemed content to swim along with the boys.

We stayed in the water for quite a while, and then we went back to the campsite, dried off and sat down to talk again.

"Dang, this has been great and it's only the first day!" Steve exclaimed. "I've already had more fun here than I've had all summer long, except for Jared's birthday party. I'm really glad you asked me to come along with you."

"Me too," Austin added. "I mean, I've always liked Jared, but I didn't know he liked me enough to ask me to his party and now this. Thanks, man. This has been really great."

"I've always liked you as a friend," Jared replied, "but until Bob moved in next door, I've never done things like this either. When he started doing this stuff with Josh and me, then I finally had something I could invite others to join in and I'm glad you agreed to do it with us."

The rest of the comments were pretty much the same and we continued talking until the boys started complaining they were hungry and began urging me to take them out to eat. After thinking about it, I decided to take them to a different place to eat tonight, but with similar results. The boys were obviously hungry after all of the physical exertion from the day's events and they packed away one heck of a lot of food, as they refilled their fuel tanks again, in anticipation of what we were going to do tomorrow.

We stayed up for a while after we got back and I lit another campfire. We spent the next hour enjoying the beautiful evening and the glimmer of the firelight, while discussing suggestions about what we might do next. As the boys started to tire, I put the fire out and walked with them to the restroom. I didn't feel we needed to shower tonight, since we'd had a good swim earlier, so we just went to the toilet, brushed our teeth and headed back to the tent and crawled into our sleeping bags.

Before I fell asleep, both Jared and Austin cuddled up against me again, so I began to think that Austin was doing this intentionally and liked being affectionate. I wasn't sure if he did this with his father or other family members, but since it was something he had elected to do, I wasn't about to discourage him, so we went to sleep like that.

The following morning, we got up and I took the boys out for breakfast again and they ate many of the same things that they'd had the day before. Once they were full, I took them back to the campground and prepared them for the next new activity. This time, I'd decided to teach the boys about archery, since the campground also had an archery range and equipment we could rent, and the boys seemed to like this idea. Since they were agreeable, I drove them down to the office again and cleared everything with the guy there, and he was soon providing us with three bows and six target arrows for each one, and then I led the boys over to the archery range.

When we got there, I demonstrated to the boys how to do this and then let them go three at a time, while one of the boys who wasn't shooting watched Boo-Boo. There was a six-foot [1.8 m] high dirt berm a short way behind the targets, to stop any arrows that missed, so I let each boy shoot his six arrows and then had them go down to retrieve the arrows after everyone had released his allotted supply. Once they came back, I let the other two boys have their turn, while I shot with them, and then we went down to retrieve our arrows. We went through this process several times, until the boys had become somewhat proficient, but had begun to grow tired. It takes a great deal of arm strength to pull the bowstring back so many times and it had obviously taken a toll on their arm muscles.

From there, we went back to our campsite and relaxed for a while, before we went in to slip on our swimsuits again, so we could go back to the lake for a dip. This was one part of our trip that Boo-Boo really enjoyed too and the boys were great with him when we were all in the water. The boys were amazed with how well he could swim, since he wasn't very old, but I told them it seemed to be an intrinsic trait in Labs. That information seemed to satisfy them and we had a great time for the next hour.

After canoeing yesterday and then shooting the bows and arrows today, as well as swimming on both occasions, I was surprised the boys' arms weren't about ready to fall off. None of them were complaining though, so I saw no reason to stop them from having more fun. When I finally told them it was time to get out and return to the campsite, they didn't argue with me and we took Boo-Boo and walked back to the tent. When we got there, we were fairly dry, so we merely sat down in the camp chairs and relaxed until it was time to go eat.

When the boys began to grumble that they were getting hungry again, we got dressed and I took them to a different place to eat. Once again, they ate everything that was set before them on the table, with the exception of the dinnerware, utensils, ketchup bottle and the salt and pepper shakers, which made this experience very similar to watching a swarm of locust attacking a wheat field.

When we got back, the boys asked me what we were going to do tomorrow, so I told them one possibility was that I could take them to a place where they could mine for gems, if they thought that sounded like something they might wish to try. The boys asked what this would be like and what it would entail, so I explained to them that it would be similar to an old-time prospector panning for gold, although we'd be doing this looking for other semi-precious stones. I told them the place I had in mind had bags and buckets filled with a quantity of dirt that had been dug from an area known to have gemstones, and then they'd have to dump this material in a apparatus and then swirl it in water, to get rid of the excess dirt, which would allow them to inspect what was left. They seemed to want to give it a try, so we agreed that's what we'd do.

Seeing we were going to be leaving the campgrounds to do this, the boys decided that they wanted to shower tonight, even though we'd spent so much time in the water earlier. I told them this would be fine, so we grabbed all of our gear, climbed into the Tahoe and I drove them back to the shower facility. The boys were a lot faster getting undressed this time, even Steve, and we entered the shower area together.

Josh and Dean paired up again, but this time they took the showerhead off to the right and Jared asked me to join him in the middle, so Austin and Steve teamed up at the remaining showerhead. Austin seemed to be making sure I was able to get a good look at him again, but I also got to inspect Steve a little more closely as well. Jared didn't seem to mind me doing this, since he was doing it as well, but after I got an eyeful, I turned back and finished cleaning up. Jared even asked me to wash his back, which he hadn't done the previous time we'd showered, and I noticed Austin seemed to be very interested in watching me do this.

Once we had finished our showers, dried off and slipped on clean underwear and shorts, we moved to the sinks to brush our teeth. Boo-Boo was very good during this whole time again and spent some of it licking our legs, but once we were all done, we went out, got back in the Tahoe and I drove them back to the tent.

I was surprised that the boys had merely gone back to the sleeping bags they had used the night before and no one asked to change places with anyone else, but I didn't mind being sandwiched between Austin and Jared. I'm not sure if Austin might be gay as well, or if he was just a kid who liked having an adult's attention, but he seemed to enjoy being next to me as well. Before long, he had cuddled up against me again, and we all fell into a deep sleep.

The following morning, after taking the boys out for breakfast, I drove them over to the place where we could pan for gemstones. I'd noticed this place on some of the other camping trips I'd made here in the past, but I had also done something similar to this when I was younger, so I had a feeling the boys might find this interesting. They seemed to think so too, once I'd told them about this place, so I was hoping they'd feel the same way after they'd actually tried their hand at it.

When we went inside the building, I pointed out the buckets filled with dirt and other items, before suggesting that they each select one. After quickly looking the buckets over, they each chose the one they wanted and I paid the cashier, so we could take them outside. Once there, I had each boys select one of the wooden boxes with a wire screen bottom, and encouraged them to dump some of the contents of their bucket into it. Then, I explained how they were to take this box and dunk it into the trough located behind them, which was filled with running water. Doing this would wash away the loose dirt and leave only the rocks and other larger pieces for them to sort through, to see if there was anything worth keeping. The boys would inspect each piece carefully, in order to determine if it was just a stone or something more valuable, and then I'd double-check to make sure that they didn't miss something.

They had to do this multiple times in order to inspect the entire bucket full of material and I watched to make sure they pulled out each of the items they were here to find. I think they were surprised by the rough appearance of these items. They probably were expecting them to appear cut and polished, such as you would find in a piece of jewelry. Once I explained to them that these items might look like that, once they had been prepared, the boys began to realize that this wasn't exactly an instant gratification type of activity.

Once each of them had sorted out everything worth taking with us, I told them that I would arrange to take them to another place later, where there were guys with a shop who would explain what they could do with the gemstones they had discovered. I told them those guys would be able to give them a better idea about what the rough stones might look like after they worked on them and the boys seemed satisfied with my explanation. Happily, they gathered up their semi-valuable discoveries and placed them in containers I had purchased for this purpose, so they wouldn't lose any of their hard work, and then we made our way back to the campground.

"That was pretty interesting," Austin stated, once we were in the SUV. "I've gone camping a lot, but I've never done anything like that before, so I'm really glad I came with you. Thanks for inviting me."

Jared and I each told him he was welcome and we were glad he was able to come along too.

When we got back to the campground, the boys decided that they wanted to go swimming next, but I told them we needed to collect more firewood first, so we'd have plenty for later. After we finished doing that chore, we went into the tent and put on our swimsuits, so we could go down to the lake and rinse off the sweat and dirt from collecting the firewood. Jared carried Boo-Boo down to the dock this time, since he'd taken the puppy's harness off earlier, because he thought it bothered Boo-Boo while he was swimming. I can't tell you what a kick I get out of seeing Boo-Boo swimming with all of the boys, because it's simply precious to watch.

When I took the boys out to dinner later, I told them not to stuff themselves tonight and leave some room for later, because I had a special treat for them when we got back. They immediately began questioning me about what it was, but I wouldn't tell them, and since no one was with me when I picked up the supplies for this, they couldn't guess what I had planned either.

When we got back, I started stacking the wood for a bigger fire, but I wouldn't light it until it got dark. The boys began pestering me while I was doing this, because they wanted to know what I had planned, but I told them they'd just have to wait and see. Later, I went to the Tahoe and retrieved the bag of things I had hidden from them, and when I came back, I opened it and pulled out a box of Graham Crackers, chocolate bars and a bag of marshmallows.

"Great! We're going to make Smores," Austin announced, after seeing what was there. "My dad does this with us sometimes and I love them."

"What are Smores?" Josh wanted to know.

"Wow, you've never had one before?" Austin asked, and Josh shook his head in response. "They got their name because you always want 'some more,' and what you do is put a marshmallow on a stick and roast it over the fire first. When it's done as much as you want, you take half of a Graham Cracker and put a piece of chocolate on it, and then put your marshmallow over that, before covering it with the other half of the Graham Cracker, and then you eat it."

"So they taste good?" Dean asked, still unconvinced.

"They're great!" Austin assured him.

It wasn't quite dark yet, but now that the boys knew what they were going to do, I had them go snap off a slender twig from one of the trees, so they could use it to put their marshmallows on. Before they got back, I lit the fire, so when they returned, I had them start roasting their marshmallows, while warning them not to get it too close to the blaze. Once they were ready, I helped them make their first Smores, at least everyone except Austin, since he knew what he was doing.

"Wow! These are good," Josh announced, once he'd taken a bite.

Everyone else was soon agreeing with his assessment and I think each of the boys had two or more of these special treats, before we were finished. I was glad this was something else they seemed to enjoy and that I'd been able to introduce them to this new snack.

When we got ready to turn in later, I was surprised when Steve asked if he could move his sleeping bag over and sleep next to me. Before I could answer, Austin told Steve he could place his sleeping bag between his and mine, which sort of surprised me, because Austin had seemed content to cuddle up against me thus far. I guess maybe he'd decided that maybe he needed to let Steve have a chance to do this as well and didn't wish to appear too greedy.

Anyway, we shifted the sleeping bags around and got rearranged, and then we prepared to go to sleep. Before we did that, however, the boys wanted to know what we were going to do tomorrow, so I told them that I thought we could take a hike, and everyone agreed that sounded like a good idea, so they settled down and soon drifted off to sleep.

When we were getting ready to go out for breakfast the next morning. Steve informed me why he had requested to sleep next to me.

"I didn't want to cause a problem last night, but the night before Dean was farting a lot and I didn't think I could take another night with that smell," he explained. "I hope that was ok."

I had to chuckle before I answered him.

"Yes, that was fine and I wondered why you had suddenly made that request," I replied.

After we'd finished our breakfast, I drove the boys over to a place where they had several hiking trails we could choose from. After looking at the map and talking it over with them, we chose to go out on the ten-mile trail. That was fine with me, although I was surprised they had selected one of the longer options, and I wondered how Boo-Boo was going to handle this distance. After thinking about it briefly, I decided one of us could always carry him for a while, if it was too much for him, so we got ready to set out. Before we got started though, I had each boy grab a couple of bottles of water out of the SUV, so they could take them with us, because I was convinced they'd need to re-hydrate before we were done.

The trail was pretty flat for the first mile or so, and I spent some of my time trying to point out various items of interest as we walked along, but then the path began to rise up sharply, as we encountered our first major obstacle. After climbing this hill, we took a very short breather at the top, so we could take a drink. I quickly placed a jar lid on the ground, which I had carried in my pocket, and then I filled it with water, so Boo-Boo could have a drink too. Once everyone was taken care of, we started out again.

We didn't encounter our next obstacle for another couple of miles, but this hill was even steeper than the one we'd climbed earlier. As we were slowly making our way up this incline, I noticed that Boo-Boo was beginning to struggle a bit, so I offered to pick him up and carry him for a while. Jared was fine with the idea, since he didn't feel he had the strength to do it, and I soon had the feeling that Boo-Boo appreciated it too. Almost as soon as I placed him in my arm, he began to lick me, as if he were thanking me for picking him up.

I carried Boo-Boo for quite a ways, since the trail wound and undulated for the next couple of miles, and then I felt he was probably rested enough to walk on his own again. We continued on and were now probably a little over a mile away from reaching our starting point again. We were currently headed down a gradual slope, when part way down we came across a tree root that was partially exposed across the trail. Most of us had no problem stepping over it, but for some reason though, Josh failed to notice it and stepped on it instead. When he did, he twisted his ankle and dropped to the ground in pain. He tried to get up and walk on it again afterward, but he said it hurt too much, so I told him I'd carry him, piggyback, until we got back to the Tahoe. He was fine with this idea, although I knew this was going to create quite a physical challenge for me, but I did what was required.

It took nearly everything I had to carry Josh the rest of the way back, because we encountered one more change in elevation before we got there. I somehow managed to make it, but just barely, and Josh thanked me, as I placed him inside the SUV.

From there I drove everyone back to the campground and we were all content to take a breather after this. We sat around for quite a while, while the boys downed more than a few snacks, as they attempted to regain their strength. Once they began to perk up again, one of them suggested that he wanted to shower next and then relax some more, before we went for another swim in the lake. Everyone seemed to agree with his idea, and I was fine with it too, so we grabbed our things and I drove them to the shower facility.

The boys got undressed very quickly this time, because I think they were eager to get out of the clothes they had worn on the hike, which now reeked from the profusion of sweat that had dried on them. We all ended up in pretty much the same places as our previous shower, with Josh and Dean at the showerhead on the right, Jared and I in the middle, and Austin and Steve on our left. I think the boys were actually getting used to doing this, and maybe even enjoyed showing off and checking out each other, because they were indeed giving quite a show.

Once we'd finished washing up, drying off and putting on some clean clothes, we then went back and spent the next hour in the camp chairs talking about various aspects of our trip that they had enjoyed so far. Everyone kept exclaiming that they were having a great time and loved everything we'd done, and they said they were glad that they'd been able to come. The boys all thanked me numerous times for suggesting this outing and doing everything for them.

Now that the boys had recuperated from the hike, they were finally ready to go swimming again. I noticed that Boo-Boo was getting excited too, when he saw the boys putting on their swimsuits, so I guess he's starting to associate their putting on those garments with going down to the lake to swim, so he was looking forward to getting into the water with them. Since he's basically wearing a fur coat in this heat, I could understand why he would feel this way.

I told Jared we wouldn't need the leash or harness, and no one would have to carry Boo-Boo either, because I was fairly certain that he was going to follow us down to the lake without any problems. That's exactly what happened, but as we got closer, Boo-Boo raced ahead and leaped from the dock, into the lake, before any of us even got there.

We swam until it was time to change and get ready for dinner, and the speed with which the boys did this let me know that they were truly hungry. On the way there, I told them to save some room again, because there were enough supplies left over to have Smores again this evening, and the boys all seemed to like this idea.

Although I'm sure they left enough room for the Smores, they still packed away one hell of a lot of food again. Even the waitress seemed awed by how much the boys ate and she certainly earned her tip by lugging all of that food to our table.

After we got back to the campsite, I arranged the wood to start the fire a little later, but I was planning to wait until the boys' meals had time to settle first. I was also slightly concerned that we might run out of wood first, before the boys had time to roast their marshmallows, but after I tossed the final piece onto the fire, it lasted long enough for the boys to fill up on this treat.

Once again, each of the boys made at least two Smores, although I'm not sure where they were putting them, seeing how much they had devoured earlier. However, they are all growing boys, so I guess I shouldn't really be surprised.

When we went to turn in later, the boys stayed where they were the previous night, with Steve next to me again. Austin looked hurt that Steve stayed between us again, but he didn't say anything, although I suspected he wasn't about to let this happen tomorrow night too.

The following morning, after we'd emptied our bladders and brushed our teeth, we headed out for some breakfast. While we were eating, I overheard some of the locals talking about a storm system that was moving into the area.

"Did I hear you mention something about storm warnings?" I asked, in an effort to find out more.

"Yep. There are thunderstorms that will be moving in shortly and the weatherman says these storms might last two or three days," one of the other customers informed me.

"There are both storm watches and storm warnings posted for this county and several others," another customer added. "I guess we're expecting a real doozey of a storm, or maybe a series of them."

I certainly didn't like the sounds of this, so I urged the boys to eat quickly, so we could get back to our campsite. Once we were there, I sat the boys down to discuss the situation with them.

"I'm sure you heard what they were saying at the diner this morning," I began. "I know you probably don't want to hear this, but I'd rather not be here during a bad storm, especially a thunderstorm, and it sounds as if they will continue until we're supposed to leave. What would you say about going back early?"

"Aw, dang," Steve said. "I was having a great time, so I don't really want it to stop until we absolutely have to."

"Can we stay at your house until Friday then," Jared asked, "because our parents aren't expecting us back until then, so can we? Please?"

The others quickly chimed in their support of his idea.

"Let's pack everything up and take down the tent then," I offered. "If we get back and find no storms are headed our way, then we'll set the tent up in my backyard until Friday. If we're having storms there as well, then I guess we can camp out in my living room, if that's what you boys want to do."

They were fine with my suggestion, so they quickly rolled up their sleeping bags, packed their other things into the satchels they'd brought with them and then they helped me take down the tent. Once we had everything loaded into the Tahoe, Jared picked up Boo-Boo and we all piled in and buckled up. Now, we were ready to make the three-hour drive home and then I'd determine if we were going to set up the tent again or sleep in the house. I had expected Jared and Josh, and possibly even Dean, might want to do this if we went back early, but I thought maybe Steve and Austin might prefer to go home, but I guess I was wrong. It's not a problem for me though and I'm fine that they want to continue with this experience.

Chapter 17
The End of Summer

We arrived at my house a little after noon, so I took the boys inside and got on the Internet, so I could check out the local weather forecast. Once I'd discovered that everything was supposed to be fine in our area and the storm system we'd heard about was passing north of here, I knew we'd be ok. It just happened that the campground we'd been at was near the southern edge of the storm's path, but they were still going to get hit pretty hard. Since we didn't have this problem, I talked to the boys to see if they wanted to put the tent up or sleep in the house. After briefly discussing this amongst themselves, they agreed that they wanted to continue camping out, so we dragged the tent out of the Tahoe and set it up in my backyard.

After the tent was pitched, we moved all of our gear into it as well and I immediately noticed that Austin had placed his sleeping bag next to mine again and made Steve sleep on the other side of him. Neither of them said anything to me about this, and I'm not sure if any of the others even noticed, but I certainly had. Austin's behavior confused me slightly, since I wasn't sure as to why he seemed so attached to me. It certainly appeared as if he had a very good relationship with his father, so he wasn't like Jared in that he was looking for someone to fill that role, and I didn't feel as if it was a sexual attraction, although he did seem to be showing off a little whenever he was naked in my presence. Therefore, I was at a loss as to why I frequently found him so close by my side or why he seemed to like to cuddle with me at night. I put this out of my mind temporarily, because I had a bunch of boys I had to entertain.

"Now that everything is in order," I began, "what would you boys like to do next?"

"Can we go swimming in your pool?" Dean wanted to know.

"I don't see why not, since there's plenty of time," I agreed. "I'll let you decide if you just want to swim or if you'd rather play a game or two."

"Isn't there some way we can let Boo-Boo swim too?" Jared followed. "I know he's going to want to get in the water with us, since he enjoyed swimming in the lake so much, and I think it would be cruel to have to put him in his cage."

"I was thinking about that as well and think I've come up with a solution to this problem," I offered. "I'll go into the house and get the grooming brush I bought to use on him and then I'll give him a good rubdown with it. That should get rid of most of the loose fur that might come off in the pool, so he can join us without clogging up the filter. Why don't you boys go change while I do this."

"Do we have to wear our swimsuits?" Austin asked next, surprising me. "I think it might be fun to try swimming without anything on."

I was partially expecting this question from Jared, Josh or Dean, but I didn't think Austin would have been the one to ask about skinny-dipping. This made me wonder if maybe one of the others had put him up to posing this question.

"I'm not sure that would be a good idea," I began, only to be cut off.

"Why not?" Steve countered, interrupting me. "We've already seen each other naked before, like when we've showered and changed in the tent, so what's the big deal."

If I'd been surprised by Austin's question, I was even more astonished at Steve pushing the issue. I thought he would be the least likely to want to do this.

"If anyone found out that I let you do something like that, then it could cause a lot of problems for me and your parents probably wouldn't ever want you to come here again," I explained.

"You won't tell anyone, will you?" Jared asked, hoping to alleviate my concerns.

"No, I won't!" Austin quickly agreed.

"Me neither," Steve chimed in.

"What if Jared's mother stopped by on her way home for dinner, because she noticed my SUV in the driveway and wanted to know if something was wrong or why we came back so soon," I countered. "Would you want her to see you running around or swimming naked?"

"I doubt that my mom has been coming home for dinner, since we haven't been around, so she probably won't come home tonight either, since she doesn't know we're here now," Jared challenged. "I'd guess that she's probably been eating at the diner, because she gets a discount if she wants to have a meal there."

"See!" Austin piped up. "We can do this and no one will tell anyone about what we did, and you don't have to worry about someone stopping by to see why we're here."

"If I let you do this, then you can't tell anyone, not even your bff," I added, as I wondered why I was even considering letting them do this.

"I think our best friends are all right here," Steve offered, looking around and grinning.

"You still have to be really careful about talking about things like this even with each other, especially whenever there's a chance someone else might overhear," I emphasized. "If anyone ever found out about this, then they'd probably get all over me, just like what happened to Jerry Sandusky, even though I won't be touching any of you."

"Don't worry. We'll all be really cool about this. Right guys?" Austin stated, as he sought confirmation from the others.

Suddenly, I saw all five heads nodding up and down.

"Damn, how do I keep finding myself in these situations," I asked, rhetorically.

"Probably because you're a nice guy," Steve offered. "Not many adults are willing to do things just for us or will consider what we want to do, especially if it isn't something exactly normal."

"I must have rocks in my head, but ok," I agreed. "Just grab your swimsuits and take them down to the pool with you, along with your towels, just in case Jared's mother comes home to eat and stops by to see what's up."

The boys were willing to make this minor concession, so they eagerly began to strip down, before grabbing the necessary items. I took my gear too, but I also picked up Boo-Boo and carried him into the house, got the doggy brush and carried it outside, where I'd run it over his fur.

When I came out of the house, the boys were merrily leaping into the pool and frolicking in the water, so as soon as Boo-Boo saw what they were doing, he began struggling to break free of my grasp, so he could join them. I held on to him and began brushing his furry coat, but after I'd removed as much of the loose hairs as I could, I set Boo-Boo down and he immediately raced over to the pool and dove in.

When I took the brush back inside, I tossed the collection of fur I'd removed from the puppy into the garbage. Then, when I turned back around, I found Austin standing behind me. I looked at him quizzically, wondering what he was doing here.

"I told the others that I had to come in to pee," he stated, as he looked up into my face. "I really don't have to do that though and really just wanted to come inside to talk to you. I want to thank you for inviting me to do this, but I also wanted to say that I'm glad you don't mind me trying to get close to you either, like at night when we're sleeping."

"Yes, I was kind of wondering about that," I countered.

"Well, after I saw Jared doing it with you, I kinda wanted to try it too," he confessed. "I love my dad and all, and we do a lot of great things together, but he doesn't like to show any affection, except to my mom. I don't remember him ever hugging or really touching me, except maybe to give me a quick pat on the back or a smack on the butt. I don't think he's ever kissed me either. He says that isn't manly, even when I was a lot younger and tried to get him to give me a kiss or a hug."

"I'm sorry to hear that, but a lot of guys are that way," I confirmed. "It's a shame that they can't even let their guard down with their sons, but many men don't seem to be able or willing to do that."

"I know and that's why I've enjoyed being close to you," he added. "My father would have gone ballistic showering with a bunch of boys, but you were so cool about it. You made me feel accepted, so I didn't feel ashamed about letting you or the others see my body, and I really enjoyed sleeping close to you and being able to put my arm over your chest. Sometimes I could even feel and hear your heartbeat."

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed doing that and this answers a lot of questions for me," I admitted.

"Yeah, and I talked to Jared about it after the first night, to make sure he wasn't mad when he saw I was doing it too," Austin continued. "He said he might have been a little angry at first, but since we're now best friends, and Jared says we're sort of like brothers, it was ok."

"That answers an entire other set of questions for me," I responded. "Jared can be a little possessive at times and thinks of me as his personal property."

"I know, because I've noticed he even calls you Dad," Austin admitted.

"Yes, I wondered if either you or Steve had picked up on that," I stated.

"We both did and we think it's great, since Jared told us that he really never knew his father, only Josh's dad," he added.

"Well, we'd better get back outside, before the others start to wonder what's taking us so long," I urged.

Austin smiled and then gave me a hug, so I hugged him back. It was kind of strange hugging another naked boy and feeling his penis touching my leg, but he wasn't aroused and this didn't seem to be sexual. It was just a young man who longed for some physical attention from his dad and was willing to get it from another male instead.

After he finally released me, I went outside and joined the others in the pool, but Austin stopped to use the toilet after all.

"Where's Austin?" Jared asked, as I approached the pool.

"I think he's in the bathroom," I replied.

"He must have had to take a crap or he's playing with it," Steve retorted, which caused the two youngest boys to giggle.

We stayed in the pool for a couple of hours and engaged in a variety of different activities. The boys started out challenging each other to race first and then we played volleyball for a while. Once they tired of doing that, they wanted to play chicken in the shallow end, but I wasn't so sure about doing this. After all, they were naked and it would mean the guy on the bottom would have his partner's testicles and penis pressed against his neck. As tactfully as I could, I tried to point this out, but the boys didn't seem to feel this would be a problem, so I finally relented.

Since Austin, Jared and I were the biggest and probably the strongest, we were going to be on the bottom. Josh and Jared became partners, and Dean paired up with Austin, which meant Steve would be riding on my shoulders. I bent down to let him hop on and almost immediately I felt him boning up and his erection poked the back of my head. Rather than say anything, I walked out to where the water was slightly deeper and then dropped us below the surface. This sudden surprise seemed to take care of his problem and we came back to the surface again.

"Thanks," Steve said, after we caught our breath again. "Sorry about that."

"Not a problem. It happens, especially at your age," I replied.

I don't think anyone else heard us and we played Chicken for a while, until the boys began to tire of the activity as well. When they did, we got out of the pool and sat on the lounges and chairs, as we relaxed and regained our strength.

When it came time to eat dinner, I decided to take the boys down to the diner Sherry worked at, so I could let her know why she'd see the Tahoe in the driveway. This way, she wouldn't jump to conclusions when she came home later, but she did look shocked when she saw us walk in, so she came over to see what was up.

"Did something go wrong or was someone hurt?" she asked, looking around and counting noses.

"No, it's just that the weather took a turn for the worse and the area was going to be hit with storms for the next few days," I explained. "We decided to come back and finish up camping in my backyard."

She laughed when she heard me say this.

"Not quite an outdoor adventure, but it's probably for the best," she shot back. "At least you'll be able to go in the house if it starts storming here."

I nodded in agreement and then she led us back to where we'd had Jared's birthday party. I helped her pull three tables together to accommodate the size of our group and then she took our orders and got her boss' permission to take her dinner break, before coming back to sit down with us.

As we ate, the boys filled her in about all of the things we'd done while we were there and she looked quite impressed. She even told them that she was amazed by the variety of things we'd participated in and asked the boys if they'd enjoyed themselves. They immediately assured her that they had, but then they told her we were going to have even more fun at my place. Sherry looked at me after hearing the boys say this and I merely shrugged my shoulders, to let her know that I hadn't yet decided what types of things I was going to do with them now.

Even though Sherry was eating with us, she also kept jumping up to get more drinks and other items the boys needed, since she had agreed to take care of our table, while the other waitress looked after the two customers she'd already had when we showed up. She had agreed to split those tips with her, so when I paid the bill, I left her a fairly substantial tip. I'm sure I'll hear about this later and she'll claim I overdid it, but as far as I was concerned, she'd earned it.

When we got back to the house, the boys decided they wanted to just chill out and watch a movie, so they all agreed to make it a marathon of sorts and we'd watch both parts of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I knew that we'd end up staying up long after midnight to do this, but since it was their decision, I gave in.

I told the boys they could each grab a drink from the fridge and then we went into the living room and got comfortable. Jared and Austin sat on the sofa, but left a space for me to sit between them, while Josh and Dean made themselves comfortable on the floor. Once I'd called up the first part of the movie on Netflix, I sat between them and Steve sat on the floor, between my legs, with his back propped against the sofa. I suddenly felt as if I were the center of attention.

Once the flick started and all eyes were glued on the screen, I lifted my arms and wrapped them around Jared and Austin's shoulders. Austin immediately glanced up and flashed me a huge grin, and then he leaned against my body and got comfortable. If all he wanted was a little male attention then I could give him that, without going further, since Jared was more than enough to handle when it came to the sexual arena.

When the first part of the movie ended, we took time for a potty break and then I had each of the boys get themselves another drink. I also pulled some ice cream out of my freezer and asked who wanted some, and each of them did. After scooping everyone out a bowlful, we took our dessert and drinks back into the living room and settled back into our seats. Then, I used the remote to start the second part of the movie, as we ate our ice cream and sipped our drinks. When we came to a spot where I cause pause the movie, Jared and I collected the bowls, carried them out to the kitchen, rinsed them off and then put everything into the dishwasher. While we were doing this, Jared spoke to me.

"Thanks for letting us do all of this today," he stated.

"I didn't do much," I responded.

"Yes, you did," he objected. "You're letting us camp out in your yard and you agreed we could skinny-dip in the pool and then you took us to my mom's diner to eat, so we could explain everything to her, and now you're letting us to stay up late to watch the movies and you've been really good to Austin. Don't worry, that doesn't bother me, because we talked it over."

"You did?" I challenged, feigning ignorance.

I didn't want him to know that Austin had basically told me this when we were in the house together earlier.

"Yeah, he just needs some attention, like I did, but I don't think he wants you to do any of the sex stuff," he explained. "He gets along with his father, but they're not as close as he wants to be, so I think he wants you to kinda do what his father won't. I told him it was ok, like when I saw him cuddle with you at the campsite."

"You knew about that too?" I wondered, although I already knew the answer to that as well.

"Yeah, I noticed him doing the same thing I was doing and I got a little jealous at first, until he explained it to me," Jared answered. "I told him that was all right then and I'd share you with him, so we'd kinda be like brothers."

"You amaze me more every day," I stated, as I tousled his hair. "Let's get back with the others, before they begin to wonder where we are."

He nodded his agreement and we sauntered back into the living room, got back in our previous spots, before I restarted the movie.

When the second part of the movie ended, I noticed some pretty sleepy boys in the group, so I had them go to the toilet, brush their teeth and then we got ready to turn in.

"I'll leave the backdoor unlocked, in case you need to get into the house to use the toilet, but seeing the tent is at the very edge of where the yard is mowed, if you only have to pee you can do that into the longer grass," I advised them. "Since I'm not worried about Boo-Boo running away or getting lost here, I think we can let him sleep with us, instead of in his cage."

"Can we sleep without anything on tonight too?" Austin asked next.

"You want to sleep nude?" I reiterated, for clarification.

"Yeah, we're alone, it's warm out and I think it would be something else that would be neat to try," he explained. "I can't do it at home, because my parents, and even my little sister, sometimes come into my room without knocking first."

"Yeah, can we do that?" Steve asked next, adding to the pressure.

Before I realized what was happening, the other three were agreeing that they liked the idea too. Seeing it was dark out, they'd be in their sleeping bags anyway and I doubted anyone would stop by to check on us, I gave in and allowed it. Happily they all began stripping down and then they climbed in to their sleeping bag, ready to call it a night.

About ten minutes after everyone had settled in, I felt Jared grab my arm and pull it into his sleeping bag. He then placed my hand over his genitals, which let me know that he wanted some attention. I started to pull my hand away again, but he held it there, to let me know that he didn't want to take 'no' for an answer. I wasn't going to masturbate him or suck him off, because that would just be too dangerous with the others around. However, I could massage and play with his genitals, to give him a little pleasure.

I was more than a little concerned when Austin rolled over and threw his arm across my chest a few minutes later. Although I doubted he could see what we were doing and he wasn't touching my other arm, I thought that possibly the vibrations from my slight movements might arouse his suspicions. That didn't happen, however, because before long I could hear the gentle hum of his breathing in my ear, which let me know he was sound asleep.

Once Jared drifted off as well, I removed my arm from his sleeping bag and started to doze off as well, but that's when I felt something moving near me. It was Boo-Boo and he was just positioning himself between Jared's head and mine. I take it that he looks at us as his parents, since we're the ones who feed and do nearly everything for him, so he felt most comfortable curled up where he could keep tabs on both of us. Ah, yes. What can be cuter than a boy and his dog?

When we got up the next morning, I found five naked boys running around the tent. I was beginning to think I was with a group of naturists at a nudist colony, rather than a bunch of campers.

"Any ideas about what you'd like to do today?" I asked. "We still have today and tomorrow before your parents will expect you back. I told them I'd have you home for dinner on Friday, so we have until about 6:00 tomorrow night."

"I've got an idea," Jared offered, before anyone else came up with anything. "How about you take us fishing where you took Josh and me with our mom? You've got enough fishing poles."

"That is a possibility, but there is also a problem," I replied. "I don't think it would be safe to have more than four people in the rowboat at a time and there's six of us."

"That's not a problem," Jared shot back. "Since Josh and I did this with you before, then we'll fish off the shore or the dock, while you take the others out in the boat. Then if there's time, maybe a couple of them will switch with us after a while."

"Yeah, I'd like to try fishing," Steve added, "and Austin and I will switch with Jared and Josh after we've had a chance to try it."

"Yeah, and then you can cook the fish we catch later, so we can have it for dinner," Josh suggested.

The boys all seemed to like this idea, so I agreed to do it. They helped me put the rowboat on top of the Tahoe and strap it down again, and then Josh and Jared helped me carry the fishing rods out, while the others loaded the oars and cooler into the SUV. I also had them put one of my buckets in there too, so those fishing on the dock would have a place to put whatever they caught.

When we got to our destination, the boys helped me carry the rowboat down to the lake, put water in both the cooler and the bucket, and then I showed them how to bait their hooks. Once everyone felt they were ready, I got Josh and Jared set up on the dock and then took the other three out in the rowboat. I didn't fish for two reasons. For one thing, I wanted to be able to help the boys if they had problems, and the other was that I took Boo-Boo out with me, because Jared was afraid the puppy would dive into the water if he got distracted. Therefore, I took Boo-Boo in the boat, so he could be with us, yet I could keep an eye on him, as well as hang on to his leash.

The boys in the boat only caught a few fish, but they had a good time trying. Once we had a half-dozen fish in the cooler, Austin and Steve volunteered to go in and they'd fish from the dock, while Jared and Josh came back out with Dean and me. I thanked them for doing this and then the boys swapped places.

As I was rowing back out to deeper water, Jared told me that they had caught three fish, but they said it wasn't as good there, as it was out in the boat. They caught several more fish while they were with me, and when we went back to the dock we discovered that Austin and Steve had only added one more fish to the bucket. Just the same, we dumped the contents of the bucket into the cooler and then Austin and I carried it back to the SUV and loaded it inside.

Once we had the cooler and the fishing rods loaded into the Tahoe, the boys helped me carry the rowboat back, lift it up on the luggage rack and strap it down. Then we started our trip back home. Along the way, I stopped at a grocery store and we all went inside so I could buy some potato and macaroni salad to go along with the fish. Dean also talked me into buying some Hawaiian Salad too, which is made with a variety of fruits, vegetables and mini-marshmallows, so it's slightly sweet and something he said he really liked. I also bought a dozen donuts and some more ice cream for dessert while I was at it,

Once we got back home, I began gutting and boning the fish, but most of the boys thought that was gross and didn't want any part of it. Jared and Austin, however, we eager to help and wanted me to show them how to do this. Before long, we had completed the process with each of the fish the boys had caught, and then I began preparing the various filets, so I could cook them for dinner.

I'm not sure if all of the boys liked fish, but they each ate some, along with the salads, and they claimed it was really good. I guess the fact that they had each landed at least one of the fish might have had something to do with it, since eating something you've helped to provide always seems to taste better. Once the boys finished the main course, I gave them some ice cream to top it off, but they decided to leave the donuts for later, as a snack.

Now that we'd finished eating, we went in to watch television for a while and then the boys wanted to swim until it was time to go to sleep. Once again, they did this nude and I had a blast watching, as their dicks bounced and swung around. When we went up to the tent later, the boys didn't bother to put anything on, because they planned to sleep naked again as well.

As soon as we were in our sleeping bags, Jared pulled my arm inside his sleeping bag again, so I could give him a little attention. While he was doing that, Austin took my other arm and pulled it out to the side, so he could lay his head on it, but then he coaxed me into wrapping it around his upper body and pulling him tightly against my side. Even though I had two arms, I had no control over them, because someone else was using each one.

When we got up the next morning, the boys all wanted to shower, so they went in pairs up to use my two bathrooms upstairs. Josh and Dean went into the guest bathroom, while Jared and Steve used the master bath. I was somewhat surprised that Jared hadn't waited to shower with me, but I guess Austin must have asked him if he could do this instead and Jared graciously agreed to the arrangement.

I decided to allow it as well, since we'd already showered together at the campground, and we merely washed ourselves, until Austin asked me if I'd wash his back. After I did that for him, he turned to thank me and then said that he hoped he'd be able to come back and spend more time at my place in the future. He went on to tell me that Jared and he had talked this over and he was going to plan to stay with Jared once in a while, but then they would come down and spend the night with me, if that was ok. I told him we could probably work it out sometimes, as long as they let me know in advance, so I could plan on it. He assured me they would and then he threw his arms around my chest and wrapped me in a bear hug of appreciation. Once again, his penis was pressed up against my leg, but just as before, he wasn't aroused.

Once we finished and had brushed our teeth, I took them out for breakfast. When we got back, I made a suggestion and told the boys that since we hadn't been able to go out canoeing again while we were at the campground, as I'd promised, then I was willing to take them to the State Park, where Jared and I had canoed when he was staying with me, while Josh and his mother were on their trip. They agreed that this sounded like fun, so I drove us there, rented three canoes and we set out for another canoeing adventure.

We spent a couple of hours paddling around the lake again, in the same pairs as before, and we all had a good time. Afterward, I took them back to my place and had them pack up their belongings, roll up the sleeping bags and then we took down the tent. After that, we put my stuff into the garage and loaded everything I'd borrowed from Austin's father into the Tahoe. Once that had been taken care of, the boys stripped down and we hopped in the pool to cool down, one final time.

One of the boys threw the beach ball into the pool, since he wanted us to bat it around, but Boo-Boo swam over and began to investigate what it was first. To our amusement, he began butting it with his nose and pushed it across the water, while chasing after it. I think he was trying to bite it, but because it was so large, he couldn't get a grip on it with his mouth and it just kept moving away from him. After a while, he tired of this game and merely swam around, going from one boy to another.

We did get out of the water for part of the time, but the boys just sat around naked and air-dried, until they decided they wanted to play volleyball for one final time before they had to leave. Once we finished doing that, I had them dry off and get dressed, so I could drop them off at their homes.

We dropped Dean off first and his mother came out to meet him and asked him if he'd had a good time. When he assured her that he had, she thanked me for taking him and then the rest of us took off for the next stop.

Steve was the next one to get dropped off and both of his parents came outside to welcome him back. Once again, they asked their son about the trip and if he'd enjoyed himself, to which he gave them a resounding 'yes.' When they thanked me for taking him, Steve dropped his bag on the ground and raced in my direction, so he could give me a big hug. I was somewhat surprised that he was doing this in front of his parents, but as I hugged him back, I looked up and saw his mom and dad smiling, so I felt this was all right.

When we got to Austin's house, only his father came out to greet us and then we carried all of the gear I'd borrowed from him into their garage. Once everything was unloaded, I thanked him for letting us use those things and he assured me that we could borrow them any time. He then shook my hand, but he wasn't very attentive to his son, so I thought this only confirmed what Austin had told me. I actually felt badly for him, so I was now more determined than ever to help him find an alternative to his problem.

Jared and Josh rode back with me, but then I dropped them off at their place, so they could have dinner with their mother tonight. Jared said they'd come back down later and then they disappeared into the house and I was left alone again, but this time I had many memories of this past week to mentally review and keep me entertained.

The boys did come back later and they also spent some time with me on Saturday as well. I even called Sherry Friday night, after I saw that she had arrived home, and suggested that on Sunday I would be happy to take her and the boys to the mall to do some back to school shopping, since the boys had been with me the past week and they'd been unable to do this before now. School started on Monday and I wanted both boys to look nice, especially on their first day, so I was planning to supplement what Sherry intended to spend on them, so they could get a little better quality of items than they might otherwise end up with.

Sherry was a little reluctant to allow me do this at first, but over time I finally convinced her that it was something I really wanted to help with. I could tell she appreciated my offer, but I didn't want her sons to think she couldn't do everything on her own, if that's what she wanted, or that what I was doing was any more important than her contribution. It was a very tricky line that I was walking, but I think she and I had a good understanding about how it would work, even before we left on this excursion.

That's because I had asked her to give me an idea about what she was planning to spend on pants, shirts and other items for each boy, and then when we picked something out that one of the boys liked, I would quickly calculate how much more that item cost than what she had planned to spend, and then I would chip in the difference. Jared and Josh were thrilled when they found out that I was going with them this year, but they were even more excited when they discovered that we were going to shop at some of the nicer stores, where many of their classmates got their clothes from, rather than just to the discount stores. I told them we would get their pants, shirts and shoes at the mall, but then we'd get their underwear, socks and other supplies at Walmart next, but I felt it was important that they looked nice when they walked into their classrooms this year.

Once the boys had selected their new school clothes, we went to look for athletic shoes next and got them one pair for everyday use and one pair reserved for gym classes and sports. Sherry and I each paid for a pair and the boys commented this was the first time they'd ever had a separate pair of athletic shoes just for gym.

Now that we had the important items, we drove over to Walmart next and allowed the boys to pick out a couple of pairs of sweats, as well as their underwear, socks and gym clothes, before we began to round up the basic supplies they thought they would need, such as notebooks, paper, folders, pens, pencils, etc. Once we thought we had everything they required, except for those few items they'd find out about during the first couple of days of classes, we loaded all of the packages in my Tahoe, and then I drove them to a local restaurant, where we enjoyed a relaxing meal together and listened to the boys make comments on everything they had purchased earlier in the day.

Jared and Josh thanked their mother and me several times for all the 'neat' things we got them, and when we got back in my SUV to head home, they gave each of us an appreciative kiss on the cheek as well. I felt proud that they included me in on this gesture of affection and appreciation, and I think Sherry was proud that her sons had done this as well. When I glanced over at her, I could see the moisture welling up in her eyes, which told me that this small gesture had meant as much to her as it had to me and had nearly brought her to tears. It was a very touching time indeed.

Once we got back to their place, I helped them carry everything into the house and then the boys both thanked me again and gave me a hug and another kiss on the cheek before I left. Sherry also thanked me as I was heading out the door, while including the comment that she was very thankful that I had moved in down the road. She insisted that I had helped to change and improve her sons' lives, and that she would be forever grateful for everything I had done for them. I told her it was no big deal, since I got as much, if not more, out of this relationship, and she just smiled at me and waved, as I headed for the Tahoe. It certainly is nice to know when people appreciate the things you try to do for them and I was pleased that I could help out, but now I couldn't wait to hear how things had gone on the boys' first day.

After I returned home, I began to realize how lonely my life would be from now on, since I had grown so accustomed to seeing this pair nearly every day. I was fairly certain that I would be thinking about them while they were at school, and since they'd most likely have homework and other chores to do when they got home, I doubted they would be able to come down to see me until Friday night and possibly also on Saturday. Since Sunday was their mother's day with them, I wouldn't see them then either, unless possibly we did something together, if Sherry didn't mind. Maybe I could suggest a group outing once a month, but for the most part that day was just for them.

The only good thing about this sudden change of circumstance was that I would be able to focus on my writing again. My agent, editor and I have so far managed to finalize the first ten chapters and they're in the process of working on their suggestions for the next two, while I'm working on the rough draft of chapter 13. It's coming together nicely, and now that the boys are going to be engaged in various academic pursuits, I'm not going to mope around the house and feel sorry for myself, just because they won't be around. Instead, I'll spend those hours dedicated to my work, so I should be able to make tremendous leaps with the rest of the story.

I worked hard for the rest of the night and was exhausted by the time I went to bed, but I set my alarm for early the next morning, because there was something important I wanted to do. Although the boys were too old for me to see them off on the first day of school, I made sure that I was outside working in my front lawn when the bus went by. As it passed my house, I glanced up and noticed that both boys were waving at me through the bus windows, so I returned their waves, pleased to share this brief moment with them. Once the bus was out of sight, I went back into the house and began to work on my story again.

I was still at my computer when I heard their bus go by again later and was surprised when they showed up at my front door a few minutes after that. It appeared as if they had barely taken time to drop off their school gear at home first, before they hoped on their bikes and came down to see me. As soon as they walked through the front door, they began to tell me all about their new classes, new teachers and which of their friends that I knew were in some of the different classes with them. They also mentioned about how their friends had commented about how they were dressed. We continued to discuss all of the various aspects of their day until it approached their dinner hour and then I sent them home, so they'd be there when their mother arrived to eat with them.

I knew they probably wouldn't be back afterward, because they'd both mentioned that they had homework to do for the next day, but I enjoyed the time we got to spend together. I had a feeling that this might become a nightly ritual for them now, which would give us a couple of hours together each evening, before they went home to be with their mother and then stay put to do their chores and schoolwork. However, I didn't see them over the next few nights, so I concluded they had only done this because it had been their first day of classes.

Friday night the boys came down to see me again, so I decided to run an idea by them.

"The weekend after this one is Labor Day weekend, so I was thinking maybe we could all do something together again," I began. "What do you think about the idea?"

"Yeah, that would be great," Jared immediately responded. "What would we do?"

"I'll have to think about it, but why don't you ask your mother what she thinks about the idea when you have dinner with her later," I suggested. "Then you can tell me what she says when you come back later or even tomorrow."

They agreed and asked their mother during dinner. She thought it sounded like a wonderful idea and she'd have Sunday off as usual, along with the Monday holiday. She then said she'd like to talk to me about this further and told the boys to invite me to have dinner with them Saturday night. I suggested that maybe we should just wait until Sunday, when she had off and we'd have more time to talk things over, so the boys said they'd ask her at breakfast the next morning, before she left for work.

After that had been settled, we spent most of the evening in the pool, because I warned them I'd probably be draining and covering it for the year sometime before the end of September. They didn't look pleased to hear this, but understood why it needed to be done, even though it was hard to believe that the summer had passed by so quickly.

The next morning when the boys came down, they said their mother had agreed to have dinner together on Sunday, so I suggested they could all come down earlier in the day and spend some time in the pool with me first, and then we could all go up to their place to eat. They said they'd mention the idea to their mother at dinner later and then let me know what she said when they came back down.

When I asked the boys what they wanted to do now, they said they wanted to watch both parts of the last Harry Potter movie again. When I asked them why they wanted to watch it a second time, they explained that the other guys had kind of distracted them while we were watching it during the campout, plus they were kind of tired that night, since we'd stayed up so late to finish it, so they'd dozed off a few times and missed parts. After hearing their reasoning, I agreed to do this, so I set us up with The Deathly Hallows, Part I and we settled in to watch it.

Both boys sat next to me on the sofa, with my arms around them, but they were totally focused on the screen. This time they were making mental notes of each detail that was offered and were absorbing the true darkness of this final book. When this part ended, we went out to the kitchen and I fixed them lunch and they both asked me questions about the things they didn't quite understand. After we had dealt with each of their queries, we went back into the living room and started Part 2.

This part was truly intense and the boys became upset when some of their favorite characters got killed. Fortunately, the movie ended on a fairly upbeat note, so they were in a better mood by the time the final credits began to roll. As soon as it ended though, they told me that they must have missed many of the deaths the first time around, because they didn't remember so many of the characters getting killed. We then discussed the final implications of everything that had happened, before deciding to take another dip in the pool and prior to their going home for dinner.

The boys had been slightly subdued since the camping trip and Jared hadn't been pestering me to have sex with him as frequently, but I didn't understand what had caused this change. I guess it's possible that with school and everything else going on in his life that possibly he was just taking care of his urges quickly, possibly in the morning before school, before he went to bed at night or even in the boys' room at school. This wasn't a problem though, but it had made me curious.

We had a good time in the pool, with me playing volleyball against the two of them, and then we went inside to change, before they went home to have dinner with their mother. When they came back, they said their mom liked the idea of coming down tomorrow and asked if it would be all right if she brought dinner down to fix here instead and I said that would be fine. That way we wouldn't need to run back and forth, between the two houses.

They all came down shortly after lunch on Sunday, with Jared helping his mother carry a cooler from her car with the food in it. We then placed everything in the fridge and the boys went upstairs to change. Sherry already had her swimsuit on under her other clothes and I was wearing mine as well, along with a t-shirt, so we talked while the boys were changing. She explained that she would be working both Friday night and nearly all day on Saturday the following weekend, but would have Sunday and Monday off. After hearing this, I made a suggestion.

"Would you mind if the boys stayed down here on Friday and Saturday then," I asked.

She quickly agreed that would be fine, since she was certain her sons would like that idea as well, and then we'd all spend Sunday and the holiday together, doing whatever we came up with. When the boys came back downstairs, we filled them in about our ideas and they were happy to go along with our plans.

We quickly decided that on Monday we'd go for another picnic at the park, since there would be another fireworks display, but we were still debating what we wanted to do on Sunday. There were many ideas being tossed about, from miniature golf, bowling, seeing a movie and going to an amusement park, just to list a few. Now, we just had to choose which one or combination of things we would actually do.

We decided to go out to the pool and continue our discussion there, when I suddenly had an idea. I excused myself and went back into the house, so I could check out some ideas online. Then, I made a couple of quick phone calls, before I went back outside to share the information I had just learned. What I had done was to check out the amusement park that is about two hours away, to see if and when they would be open. That's when I discovered that their last two days of the season would be Sunday and Monday, and then they would be closed until next summer. After asking if this was something that might interest them, the boys seemed eager, so Sherry agreed.

I then went back inside and made another quick call, so I could use my credit card to reserve tickets for the following Sunday. After I informed them about what I had done, I told them that it would be best if we got up early that morning, so we'd arrive shortly before the gates opened, in an effort to avoid the worst of the crowds. Then, we'd stay there as long as everyone wanted, and when we came back home later, if it was still early and they weren't too exhausted, we could go see a movie.

Everyone agreed with my plan, so we decided to get up at 5:00 Sunday morning, so we could leave by 6:00. Since the boys would be with me, it should speed up the process, since they could shower quickly in the morning and we'd be at the park when it opened at 8:00. We would then spend as much time there as the boys wished, before heading back. Everyone was now looking forward to the following weekend, so I went back inside to help Sherry prepare our dinner.

Chapter 18
The End of Innocence

On Friday afternoon, which officially began the Labor Day weekend, the boys came down to my house toting a small duffle each, which contained the things they would need for the next couple of days. I was thrilled that they were going to be spending this time with me and I think the boys were looking forward to being here too. Jared might be a little disappointed though, because I doubt there would be the slightest possibility for us to have any sexual contact, unless his devious mind could come up with a way to do it without his brother becoming aware of what he was up to. As a precautionary measure, I was going to take the first chance I got to tell Jared that he shouldn't attempt anything risky, because I was definitely afraid he might. In the end though, I was just happy that they were going to be around here for a couple of days.

Once the boys put their things in the guest room, the next thing we did was to change into our swimsuits, so we could hop in the pool together. Once we changed, Jared brushed Boo-Boo next, so he could join us too, otherwise Boo-Boo would whine, pitifully, and that would ruin the fun for the rest of us. Boo-Boo loved spending time in the water and didn't mind occasionally getting bumped around or hit by the ball when we were playing volleyball, although he would take a nip at it whenever that happened.

I was actually looking forward to doing this, because I had fallen out of the habit of getting in the pool unless the boys were here, because I was spending most of my waking hours working on my story. Since the exercise was definitely good for me, I was hoping that this would get me back in the groove of working out on a regular basis. I was now determined to make time to maintain a daily exercise program as well, because I needed to take care of my body, as well as my mind and my bank account. I would work this into my daily routine and exercise first thing each morning after waking up, before I shower, dress, eat breakfast and start my writing regimen for the day.

After our time in the pool, I drove the boys down to the diner, so we could have dinner with their mother, because even though they were staying with me, I didn't want her to miss out on having this time to spend with her sons. I treated everyone to this meal, although Sherry made sure we got her discount on the bill, and it was nice to watch the boys interact with their mom during this time. When Sherry's dinner hour was up and she had to start working again, I drove the boys over to the local cinema complex to watch a movie, but I made sure it was one that I didn't think their mother would be interested in seeing with them. I enjoyed this time with the boys, as they sat on either side of me in the theater, and I'd occasionally feel one or the other, or sometimes both, leaning against my shoulders.

When the movie ended, we headed back to my place and talked some more about school and their classmates, before we turned in for the evening. As it turned out, both boys asked if they could sleep with me, seeing I had a king-size bed, and after discussing this with them for a few minutes, I finally agreed to let them do this. I felt that having both of them in there at the same time would be safe enough and concluded it would be like a parent allowing his children to join him in bed. This seemed very important to each of them, so I didn't see how I could say 'no' and break their little hearts. Besides, I wanted to feel them cuddled up against my body almost as much as they wanted to be near me.

That night was uneventful, although I did enjoy it when one boy or the other would snuggle up against me during the evening and throw his arm across my chest. This constant contact, however, actually kept me up much that night, because I would wake up to see if something was wrong each time this happened. Then I'd watch the boys sleep for a while longer and enjoy feeling their bodies pressed tightly against mine, because it made me feel good knowing that they felt safe and secure being here beside me. Of course, Boo-Boo helped to keep me awake as well, since he continually walked over my body, as he moved from one boy to the other.

I know Jared had some sort of sexual dream or urges during the night, because I felt his hand cautiously exploring my nipples, and then my genitals, at one point, but I didn't let him know that I was awake or that I knew what he was doing. It was nice to see that he realized discretion was the key to our continued relationship and didn't try doing anything more overt, since it seemed he was trying to keep his brother from finding out what he and I had been doing together. You see, at this point neither of us was aware that Josh had already observed one of our sessions and was fully aware of some of the things we'd been doing with each other, because he hadn't mentioned this fact to either of us. He had kept very mum on this point, so we were totally oblivious to the fact that he knew Jared and I had been sharing sexual favors.

The next day we spent more time swimming, and of course Boo-Boo was part of this as well, and then I took the boys out to play miniature golf again. They were getting pretty good at this now and forced me to start concentrating on what I was doing, so they didn't leave me in the dust. After we completed the course and tallied up the final score, we discovered that Jared and I had tied, but Josh was only one stroke behind. This left everyone feeling good, because both boys had done so much better than on any of our previous outings, so I stopped to treat them to an ice cream, before we headed back to my place.

Once we got there, I urged the boys to begin getting things ready for the rest of the weekend, since we'd be very rushed from this point on. First, I had them lay out what they planned to wear on Sunday, when we went to the amusement park, and then we packed up some things we thought we might need along the way or in case of emergency. This meant we packed some snacks to take with us and put some drinks in the fridge, so we could put them in the cooler before we left in the morning. I also had them pack a change of clothes into a satchel I was using for this purpose, just in case one of them had an accident, like falling or sitting in something, as well as for any grosser reasons.

Once we finished doing all of those things, I took the boys down to the diner again, so we could have another meal with their mother. I think Sherry was surprised to see us again, although I could also tell she was pleased, so we sat at the table and waited to order, until she was able to take her break. As soon as she sat down, the boys told her about their day, as well as the preparations we'd made for tomorrow, and she seemed quite pleased. I think we were all looking forward to the next two days together.

When we got back to my house, we decided to take Boo-Boo out for a walk next, since he'd be left alone at home tomorrow while we were on our trip, and when we finished, we took another swim, with Boo-Boo racing ahead of us and diving into the water. We had a good time doing this, but once we got out and dried off later, we decided to turn in for the evening. It was actually still on the early side, but I hadn't slept well the night before and we planned to leave before sunrise the following morning, so we would be at the park when it first opened. The boys understood this and didn't complain, but this might also have been due to the fact that we'd had a busy day and they were tired.

When the alarm went off a few hours later, neither boy budged, so I had to rouse them myself. Even though we'd gone to bed early, they still weren't eager to get out of bed, but I did manage to get them showered and dressed, while assuring them they could finish sleeping in the Tahoe on the ride to the park. Once I got both boys into the back seat and strapped in, I gave them pillows to use so they could lean against the windows or each other as I drove. After I loaded everything else into the Tahoe, I picked up Sherry at her house and she noticed that her sons were already off to dreamland again. She merely chuckled, got in and we were on our way, and then she and I chatted as I drove.

The boys slept for nearly the entire trip and only woke up when we stopped to use the restrooms. After going to the toilet and downing a small carton of orange juice, the boys went back to sleep and stayed that way until we came to a stop in the amusement park's parking lot. Now, they were wide-awake, and once we entered through the main gates, they grabbed a map and began checking out the lists of rides. They quickly determine which ones they wanted to go on and planned out what order we would ride them.

Jared and Josh were soon dragging their mother and me from one end of the park to the other, as they located the rides they wanted to try out. Sherry and I joined them on the first couple of rides, with Jared riding with me and Josh going with his mother, but she and I weren't as thrilled with the rides as the boys were. In a very short time, I realized that as I got older the twirling, whirling, rising, and falling of the rides merely made me want to lose the last meal I had eaten and didn't seem to be as big of a thrill as it once had been. I think Sherry had drawn the same conclusions, so we chose to skip some of the later opportunities and remained on the ground as much as possible, except when the boys insisted that we join them on a particular ride.

This frantic pace continued throughout the day, with the exception of a meal break we took around midday, which was followed by a relaxing time watching one of the shows that were going on, as we gave our food time to digest. Other than that, we let the boys do whatever they desired and gave them every opportunity to enjoy the park and tire themselves out at the same time. Don't get me wrong, Sherry and I were having a wonderful time too, but most of our pleasure was in watching the two boys enjoying themselves, as we reveled in their youthful enthusiasm and enjoyment. No matter how much this day might end up costing me, it was worth every penny just to be able to see the boys having so much fun.

As dinnertime approached, we asked the boys if they wanted to stay at the park to eat or if they had been on enough rides for one day and wanted to go somewhere else for dinner. After talking this over and debating it for a while, I could tell they both wanted to stay and make at least one more round on the rides, so we decided to find someplace where we could sit down and enjoy a nice meal. After looking around for quite some time, we finally found a place that offered more than just the fast food type of items we had eaten earlier. The menu here offered BBQ chicken, beef and pork, as well as sausage and peppers, which seemed to be a step up from the hamburgers, hot dogs and pizza we'd had for lunch. They also offered a selection of salads too, so we settled in for a leisurely dining experience. Once we finished, we went to watch another show next, to give our meals time to settle first, and then the boys dragged us off for another go at the rides they'd enjoyed the most.

The boys wanted Sherry and I to go with them on a couple of the roller coasters, another ride that rocked back and forth before it swung over the top, and one more trip on the double-Ferris wheel before we left. Although the Ferris wheel wasn't going to be too bad, we knew the roller coasters had a lot of ups, downs, twists and turns, as well as a couple of nasty loops, and the rocking motion of the other ride could end up giving our stomachs some trouble as well. Even though we tried to explain this to the boys, while hoping they would take pity on us, they didn't seem to care if one of these rides caused us to barf on them along the way. They merely reminded me that I'd made them bring a change of clothes, in case something like this were to happen, so I guess I had no one else to blame for what they were about to put us through.

This time Josh wanted to go with me, so Jared went with his mother, but I was convinced they had intentionally picked the most horrendous of all the rides for us to start this round on. It was the worst of the roller coasters, that not only went very high, but it lurched, jerked and turned us on our heads, which meant Sherry and I had all we could do to keep our meals where they belonged. I think the boys got more than a little sadistic delight out of watching us turn a pale shade of green and suffer in this fashion, because they allowed us only a brief respite before they took us on the next ride. They justified doing this by telling us that the closing time for the park wasn't very far off, so we had to hurry, if we were going to accomplish all they still wanted to do. For their sake, since it definitely wasn't for ours, Sherry and I sucked it up and followed them to the next location.

Over the course of our remaining time there, we not only rode on the rides I'd previously mentioned, but they also took us on a couple of others – one that catapulted us into the air, before letting us plummet back to earth, and another that whipped around on a circular track and snapped us from side to side, nearly giving us whiplash. Sherry and I tried to be good sports and stoically suffered our way through these torturous forays, while noting that the boys seemed to be getting some enjoyment from watching our agony, while they also reveled in the pleasures they received from the rides themselves. They were having such a good time that I almost felt sorry for them when we heard the announcement that the park would be closing shortly, although Sherry and I were relieved at the same time. After listening to the boys do some grumbling and groaning about this, they selected one last ride for us to go on, and obediently we followed them to this final tribulation.

As we endured being tortured yet again, I gave my best theatrical performance of a person in severe agony and the boys laughed and chided my dramatic abilities. When the ride finally ended, I pretended that it had turned my legs to jelly and staggered and stumbled along, as we made our way back to my vehicle. Since the boys actually began to worry that I wasn't going to make it on my own, they quickly moved to either side and attempted to help me walk across the parking lot. Sherry was nearly splitting a gut laughing, while watching me milk this situation for all it was worth, and the boys did their part, although I felt they were both pretty sure that I was faking it. Once we reached the Tahoe, I made a miraculous recovery, so we hopped inside and headed for home.

I thought the boys might sleep on the way back, but they were still too wound up for sleep, so they kept telling their mother and I stories about everything they had enjoyed while we were at the park. After recounting which rides were the best, which were the lamest and which ones were merely ok, they then regaled us with an animated account of what Sherry and I went through and how we looked on some of those rides. Sherry had turned around in her seat, so she could watch them do this, and I kept glancing at their antics in the rearview mirror. They were totally going overboard with their animated account of what had happened and definitely tried their hardest to crack us up or make us defend ourselves in the process, which meant they got very silly while doing this. Even with these exaggerations, it was wonderful to watch how much fun they were having imitating our previous discomfort and they managed to keep this up for the entire ride home, only letting up when I pulled into their driveway.

Immediately, Jared asked if he could spend the night at my place, since he said that he wanted to spend some time with Boo-Boo and pointed out that there weren't going to be very many opportunities for him to do this until next summer, now that school had started. After listening to his impassioned plea, his mother relented, since she could tell how much it meant to him. We were surprised when Josh told us he was going to stay home with his mother, seeing it seemed that he seldom let Jared and I spend time alone like this recently, so we happily accepted his decision. Even before I had even backed out of their driveway, I realized that Jared was already making mental plans for what we were going to do. Therefore, as soon as he took Boo-Boo out for a quick walk, he came back inside and began to explain what he expected next, before grabbing my hand and dragging me off to my bedroom.

"Jared, will you slow down?" I pleaded. "You don't have to be in such a hurry. We're alone and have all night."

"But we haven't had an opportunity to do anything in a very long time!" he blurted out, "so I really need this bad."

"I know," I sympathized, "but we're alone now and the doors are locked, so no one will be slipping in without our knowing it. We can take our time and definitely don't have to rush. Ok?"

Jared looked at me and smiled, while giving me a look that told me he trusted my judgment, so I affectionately reached out and tousled his hair.

"What do you say to taking a shower together?" I asked. "It was a long day and we probably don't smell too fresh right now."

He grinned at my comment.

"Yeah, you're probably right," he agreed. "I did do a lot of running around earlier."

I guided him to my room, but when he began to take his clothes off, I grabbed his hands and stopped him. He quickly stared at me, while flashing a surprised look.

"Let me do that for you. Ok?" I asked, only to get a devilish little grin in response.

"You do whatever you want to me," he quickly offered.

This let me know that he was open to all kinds of possibilities at this point, while possibly even hoping for something different tonight. I quickly brushed those thoughts aside for the moment and returned to the task of removing his clothing, which I did with as much love and tenderness as I could muster. I had no intention of rushing or hurriedly ripping the garments from his torso, even though I was anxious to get to the treats contained within.

"You're always so gentle with me," Jared commented, which let me know he appreciated my efforts.

"Gentle, huh?" I responded.

I had just removed his shirt and unbuckled his shorts, when a devilish thought entered my mind, so I decided to act upon it. At that point I pushed him onto the bed and began to tickle him, mercilessly.

"How about this?" I asked, as he roared out in laughter. "Is this gentle enough for you?"

Boo-Boo must have thought I was hurting Jared, because he began barking and going crazy. At the same time, Jared was fighting to break free from my grasp, while also trying to catch his breath, in between fits of laughter.

"Ok, ok. I changed my mind," he managed to gasp out. "You're not ALWAYS gentle."

"Oh, you don't think so?" I asked, while continuing to give him my tickle torture.

I continued doing this for a few seconds more and then I bent forward and kissed him on the forehead.

"Sorry," I explained, after doing that, "but I just couldn't let your comment pass unchallenged."

"That's ok," he countered.

As soon as those words were out of his mouth, he placed both of his hands behind my neck and pulled my head down, so he could give me another kiss. Soon, I felt his lips parting and his tongue snaking its way against mine, as he probed to gain entry into my oral cavity. Willingly, I opened my mouth slightly and allowed his tongue to slip between my parted lips, and now I felt it roaming the moist interior. Before long, we were taking turns sucking on each other's tongues, but it quickly became apparent that Jared wanted more. As soon as we finished removing the remainder of our clothing, Jared slowly climbed on top of me and began grinding his midsection against mine.

His rock hard penis was now rubbing vigorously against my own, while we continued our passionate kiss, and the friction he was creating was astounding. This little guy was dry humping me like a rabbit in heat and thrusting his hips into my groin, as he continued grinding our erect masts between our bodies and against one another. With the energy he was expending, it didn't take very long before his body stiffened and he was shooting warm jets of semen between us, but he continued his grinding, until his body fluids began to become a sticky film coating both of our abdomens.

After this happened, he merely lay on top of me and allowed himself to enjoy the intense feelings from the orgasm he had just experienced, but when he came down from his high, he remained where he was and began kissing me again.

"I love you so much," he stated, before he began kissing me some more.

I had never doubted it for even one minute, since he had a way of letting me know this, without having to speak the words. Lovingly, he looked me in the eyes, before he lifted his body and glanced down at the mess between us. While he was doing this, he realized something else.

"You didn't shoot, did you?" he wanted to know.

"No, but that's ok," I told him.

"No it's not," he insisted, as he slid down my body and began stroking my penis back to life.

Within seconds, my napping manhood began to respond to his gentle touch, and then he took it into his mouth, making it obvious that he felt obliged to return the favor. Immediately, he began to nod up and down on my shaft with the same eagerness and energy that he had used for his own release moments before. Within a couple of minutes, I was spewing my own load and Jared was swallowing it as quickly as he could, but some of my love juice managed to escape and glide down his chin and onto my body. Once he had drained me of my fluids, he lifted his head and smiled at me, so I pulled him forward to give me a chance to clean off his face. Slowly, I licked the extra cum off his chin and neck, but this caused him to giggle a little, so when I finished doing that, I pulled him against me again and held him in my protective embrace.

"This is nice," he told me, in a low purr.

I knew what he meant, because I was totally relishing the moment, while we continued to stroke and kiss each other, as we shared our love. We never did take our shower and eventually fell asleep in each other's arms. We ended up spending most of the night in this position, so when we awoke the next morning, we had a hard crusty film coating our stomachs. Finally realizing what we had done, we quickly showered together and cleaned each other, as we removed the traces of last night's love making session. I knew I cared far more for Jared than what I had previously considered safe, but at this point there was no turning back.

We had no sooner stepped out of the shower than the phone began to ring. I had a feeling I knew who was calling, even before I picked up the receiver.

"Hello," I answered.

"What time do you want to pick us up?" the familiar voice wanted to know.

"Good morning, Josh," I greeted the caller. "Can't you at least say hello first when you call?"

"Sure. Hello, Bob. When are you going to pick us up?" he repeated.

Even though he had taken my hint, I'm not sure if he caught on to the meaning of what I was trying to teach him. Realizing this, I decided to answer him nonetheless.

"Well, Josh, it's 8:00 now, so how about around 10:00. That will give us time to have breakfast, load up the Tahoe and then pick you and your mother up. We'll be at the park early enough to take Boo-Boo for a good walk first, eat our picnic lunch and go for a boat ride, before the fireworks start. How does that sound to you?"

"Great! I can't wait for you to get here," he agreed.

"We'll be there in a couple of hours then," I assured him. "See you then."

"Ok. Bye," was his simple reply.

Jared wanted to know what that was all about, so I told him and then we went downstairs, so I could fix us both some breakfast. After we ate, we went and loaded the cooler of drinks into the back of the SUV and tossed a couple of light jackets in for later, before lifting the rowboat up on the roof rack and strapping it down. That last part turned out to be a bit of a struggle, since Josh wasn't here to help us this time, but we still managed to get it done. Once we had everything in place, Jared grabbed Boo-Boo, along with his harness, leash, doggy bowls and puppy chow, and then we drove to his house to pick up his mother and brother.

They were waiting for us, so we quickly helped them load their things into the Tahoe too, including the picnic lunch Sherry had fixed for all of us. Once everything was in place, I reminded them to bring a light jacket as well, in case it cooled off when it got dark, and then we headed to the park. When we arrived there, we parked near the lake again and then everyone agreed we would take Boo-Boo for a walk, similar to what we had done when we came for the Fourth of July.

This time we took a much longer walk than before, because Boo-Boo was now older and eager to investigate more of these new surroundings. Jared was being quite generous and let Josh take the leash for part of the time, since he wanted to walk Boo-Boo too, and I could see that Josh appreciated this small gesture. Another difference was that Boo-Boo didn't stop to mark the area quite as often as our previous time here, possibly because he realized we were just visiting and wouldn't be at this location for very long, but he did stiff and investigate nearly every inch of our little journey.

When we finished our little hike, the boys helped me take the rowboat off the Tahoe and put it in the water, and then they helped their mother take her seat. We planned to do this for about an hour, while making the most of what was left of the morning. This activity was designed solely to allow us to spend time with each other, as well as to give them a chance to have a little down time before we ate.

The boys didn't ask to try to row this time, but we still had a few laughs along the way, and what happened was this. When we first started out, Boo-Boo was content to lie at the boys' feet and would merely nudge them from time to time, to get them to pet him. However, after a half hour of inactivity, Boo-Boo decided he wanted a little more action than we were giving him. The boys were busy looking over the side of the boat and staring into the water, to see if they could spot any fish, while Sherry and I were chatting. Before any of us noticed, Boo-Boo stood on his hind legs, so he could look over the side of the boat, and then he leaped into the water.

We all turned and looked when we heard the splash, wondering if a fish had jumped out of the water or someone had thrown something at us from the shore, and we all began laughing when we saw Boo-Boo happily doggy paddling along beside us.

"Dang, I thought he fell asleep," Jared said, as he started calling his puppy.

"Obviously not," I pointed out, "and since none of us were paying attention to him, he decided to entertain himself."

Before responding to Jared's calls, Boo-Boo swam over to a twig someone had tossed into the water and then swam back toward the boat, proudly carrying it in his mouth. Triumphantly, he lifted this prize for his master, as he swam up beside the boat. Seeing this, Jared bent over the side, scooped his pet up, lifted him into the boat and set him down between us. Immediately after being placed back in the rowboat, Boo-Boo began to shake the accumulation of moisture from his fur and managed to cover the rest of us in a spray of doggy water.

The boys roared with laughter when this happened, especially after seeing the shocked look on their mother's face as she received more than her share of these droplets. After everyone settled down from this little episode, I rowed the boat back to shore and the boys helped me carry it back to the Tahoe. One we'd strapped it onto the roof rack again, we began unloading the coolers and other items containing our noon meal.

While we were doing that, Sherry took Boo-Boo and went over to the restroom to wash up before we ate, and when she came back, I took the boys to do the same thing. While we were gone, Sherry unloaded the cooler and set everything out, so it was nearly ready when we returned. Once we got back, I had Jared put some of Boo-Boo's puppy food and water into his bowls, so he wouldn't bother us while we ate.

This lunch was a little different that the last one, because this time Sherry had packed crackers, cheese, grapes, raisin bread, cold fried chicken, raw vegetables (celery, broccoli, cauliflower) and dip. In addition to all of that, she had also packed both banana pudding and cantaloupes for dessert. It was a wonderful meal and a nice change of pace, but I think Sherry was trying to let us all know that we should be eating healthier than we had been doing, by including more fruits and vegetables in our diet.

After we had all eaten our fill, Sherry and I sat and talk, while the boys went off to play with Boo-Boo. They were doing this near the lake, but without being close enough to entice the puppy to dive in again, while also keeping a very close eye on him this time. It was a beautiful sunny day, and Boo-Boo appeared to be happy as he ran around and stretched his legs. The boys would sometimes run ahead of him or quickly move off in another direction, so Boo-Boo would chase after them. Seeing they had more energy than we did, Sherry and I happily let them do as they pleased, while we relaxed and chatted about a bunch of different topics.

We covered a variety of items, from current events to local situations, before she finally added her thoughts about the changes she had noticed in her boys as of late. She told me that she thought I'd been a fantastic influence on both of them and thanked me for everything I had done for her sons, before adding that she hoped I'd remain in their lives for quite a while to come. I assured her that I had no plans to move from the area, and as long as she and the boys wanted me in their lives, I'd be there for them. She thanked me once more, before the boys came back extremely excited and carrying something in their hands.

"Look what Boo-Boo dug up!" Jared exclaimed.

I took the item from him and examined it.

"It appears to be a rabbit's skull," I told them. "It probably died of natural causes or was killed by a predator, but the head was left behind and decayed, before getting covered over or trampled into the mud. Boo-Boo's keen sense of smell most likely alerted him to its presence, so he dug it up."

"You should have seen him," Josh added. "He was digging like crazy and throwing dirt all over the place."

"Yes, dogs certainly like to dig," I advised him.

At that point Jared announced that he wanted to take the skull home with him, which didn't set to well with his mother, but she was pretty good at accepting the types of things the boys like to do. After a brief hesitation, she agreed to let him keep it, but only if she could first boil it in water when they got home, to kill any germs or anything else it might still be attached to it. Jared quickly agreed to this stipulation, knowing it was most likely the only way his mother would give in.

After storing the skull safely in a plastic bag and putting it in the SUV, I asked the boys what they wanted to do next.

"There's no one here to play with this time and there's not much else to do," Josh began to complain.

"Yes, it's not quite as warm out as it was on the Fourth," his mother countered, "so it looks like many people decided to do something else. They'll probably all show up for the fireworks later though."

"Would anyone mind if we went somewhere else in between and took Boo-Boo home first, before the fireworks started," Jared asked. "He didn't really like being here for them the last time."

"What would you think about maybe taking in a movie then?" I posed.

They all thought that was a good idea, so I took everyone home first, so we could clean up a bit and put Boo-Boo in his cage, before we headed out for the cinema complex.

The boys wanted to see a comedy that was playing, and even though it was geared toward a slightly younger crowd, Sherry and I agreed it would be acceptable. After purchasing the tickets, I bought everyone drinks and popcorn and then we sat near the back of the theater, at my insistence, and waited for the movie to begin. Even though this film was meant for a younger audience, Sherry and I still found parts of it funny, while the two boys thought it was absolutely hilarious. I don't think I've ever heard the two of them laugh so frequently or so loudly, and I was glad they were enjoying themselves like this.

When the movie was over, I took them all out for some ice cream next, before we drove back to the park for the fireworks display. To avoid the traffic afterward, we parked along the street and didn't enter the park again, and merely leaned against the SUV, as we watched the colorful aerial display.

As soon as the last of the fireworks had exploded, we got back into the Tahoe and took off for home. When I dropped them off at their door, everyone thanked me and then I helped them carry their things inside. I could tell Jared wanted to go home with me, but seeing he had school the next day, he knew better than to ask. I watched them all wave at me from their door, as I backed out of the driveway and drove back to my place, exhausted and ready for some much needed sleep. Once I was in the house and ready for bed, I suddenly realized how lonely this place seemed again. Having the boys around had livened things up while they were here, but then it made it seem even lonelier when they weren't around. With school back in session, I knew I'd better get used to being alone most of the time, since the boys would most likely only be joining me on the weekends.

I was just getting ready to get into bed when the phone rang. I had no idea who would be calling at this hour or for what reason, so I hurried to the phone and picked it up.

"Hello," I answered, while waiting to see who responded.

"Hey, Dad. I just thought I'd call to say good night," I heard the familiar voice say.

"Jared, thank you and that's sweet, but how did you know I wasn't sleeping already?" I questioned.

"Just figured you wouldn't be yet," he replied.

"Well, I almost was," I admitted. "I was just getting ready to hop into bed when the phone rang."

"See, I knew you'd still be up," he retorted, before giggling.

"Well, I guess your heart was in the right place," I conceded. "Does your mother know you're calling me?"

There was a hesitation on the other end of the line.

"Not exactly," he admitted, timidly. "She and Josh went to bed already, so I sneaked out of my bedroom to use the phone."

"Well, I thank you for that, but now you'd better get to bed too," I suggested. "I'll see you next weekend."

"Night, Dad," he quickly added.

"Night, my boy, and sweet dreams," I offered, but as I was getting ready to hang up, he spoke again.

"You too, Dad. I love you," he chimed in.

"I love you too, sport," I assured him.

After I'd hung up the phone, I thought about how special it was that a teenage boy would think to call me, just to wish me a good night, even after spending most of the day together. I knew I loved this kid, but he just kept proving to me how special he was in so many different ways. However, I would have to speak to him about being careful when doing things like this, because I didn't want him to throw up any red flags that might make his mother suspicious about our relationship or cause her to question what was going on between us.

The next morning I woke up fairly early and started the day the way I had promised myself I would. After putting on my swimsuit, I went out to the pool and began swimming laps and had a fairly good workout, before I raced back upstairs to shower quickly, dress and then head back downstairs. From there, I walked down to the road to collect my mail next, since I hadn't done that on Saturday afternoon, since we'd been out, and I happened to be doing this just as the boys' bus was passing by. I saw Jared and Josh eagerly waving at me through the bus windows and thought it was pretty nice that they didn't let peer pressure prevent them from acknowledging me in this manner. I quickly waved back, before they disappeared from sight, and then I went back into the house and headed into the kitchen to fix my breakfast.

Once I'd finished eating and cleaned up the mess, I went out to my computer and checked my email next, because I hadn't done this all weekend. When I opened my account, I found something from both my agent and editor. After reading their emails and noting that they were returning the chapters they'd been working on, I carefully read their suggestions, added or changed what I thought was necessary and then opened the next chapter to work on.

Even though I hadn't done much over the weekend, I had been on a roll before that and was fairly invigorated with new ideas, because of the time I'd spent with the boys this past weekend. Being highly motivated, I wrote all day long and only stopped for a very quick lunch and a light dinner, before quitting for the night. I was extremely please with how much I'd gotten done and would soon be sending the next chapters on to my agent and editor.

The rest of the week went much the same and passed by fairly quickly, so before I knew it, it was Friday afternoon. I didn't even realize how late it was when my front door opened and Josh and Jared walked in, carrying their overnight bags. Even though they had left some clothes and a few other items at my place, they always brought their homework along, as well as anything else they thought they might need while they were here, so they wouldn't have to keep running back and forth, between their place and mine. They had called during the week and arranged to stay with me both tonight and all day tomorrow, but then they would return home on Sunday, so they could spend the day with their mother. It was almost as if we were a divorced couple and I had custody of my kids on the weekend.

The boys were in a good mood when they arrived, and because the weather was only slightly cool, they wanted to go swimming the minute they showed up. I had no problem with this and it sounded like a good idea to me too, so we all put on our trunks and Jared quickly brushed Boo-Boo, before we hopped in the pool. The boys said they wanted to race, so I decided it would be best to do this first, before I got tired out doing other things. We completed three or four races before I bowed out, and then the boys raced a couple more times, before we decided to get out and rest for a brief time.

While we were relaxing, the boys filled me in about their week at school and told me about everything they had done. I was fairly certain they were embellishing many of the details, so they could impress me about what assignments they had completed and the grades they had received on them. They also shared other tales about some of the things their classmates had been involved in, some of which were quite comical, as the boys imitated these students and some of their teachers, but I was also shocked by how some of their classmates had acted. Some of the things they had done were funny, while other things seemed quite brazen and rude, so I was glad Jared and Josh hadn't taken part in this.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it when they filled me in on their week, and after they finished, I decided it was time for us to clean up and go out for dinner. I figured we'd stop by the diner again, so Sherry could see the boys too, and we'd wait for her to take her break, so she would be able to eat with us.

Sherry was surprised, but pleased to see us again, and we only had to wait ten or fifteen minutes before she was able to finish up with her current customers. However, that gave us time to decide what we were going to order. By the time she sat down at the table with us, we knew what we wanted and gave our order to our waitress, one of Sherry's coworkers. As we waited for our meals to arrive, the boys began to tell their mother some of the same stories they'd shared with me, and soon they had her laughing at their tales. This continued until our food was delivered and then they calmed down a bit while we ate. After we had our dessert, we said good-bye to their mother and made our way back to my place.

As soon as we got there, I had the boys do their homework and then I checked it over for them. Once I felt our meals had settled, we changed into our swimsuits again and Jared grabbed Boo-Boo, so we could go outside for another dip in the pool. We wouldn't be able to do this for much longer, since I'd be closing it up for the year in another couple of weeks, so I let them take advantage of it while they could. Once they dried off and got dressed again, we watched TV for a while, before we went to bed.

As soon as the program ended, the boys grabbed Boo-Boo and we headed upstairs. They immediately went into my room, without asking first, but since they did it the last time they were here, I think they felt they could do this every time. I immediately spoke to both of them about this, since I didn't want them to think they could just do this whenever they wanted, because I was afraid about how their mother would react, if she knew they were always sleeping with me. The boys responded by saying that she never asked them where they slept, so they didn't see it as a big deal or foresee any problem, and I didn't argue the point further.

When Josh went into the bathroom to pee and brush his teeth, I spoke to Jared in private, to remind him not to do anything foolish while his brother was in the room. He assured me that he wouldn't, and then when Josh came back, Jared went to the guest bathroom and I went into mine, so we could do the same thing. When we returned, we stripped down to our underwear and Jared picked up Boo-Boo and stuck him between us, as we all settled in to sleep. Nothing sexual happened that night, and I think both boys just wanted to be close to me, because they were cuddled up against me on either side throughout the entire night, with the puppy roaming around from one open spot to another.

Since it was chilly on Saturday, the boys decided that they didn't want to go swimming, so they scrambled to think about what else they wanted to do. I was somewhat surprised when Jared suggested that we see what college football games were on and told him that I didn't realize he liked football. He said he did, but his mom wouldn't let him play because she was afraid he'd get hurt. When I asked Josh if he wanted to do this too, he said it was okay, but he preferred to watch the pros on Sunday. This was something else I hadn't previously known about them, so I asked if they might want to go with me to watch their high school team play sometime. They immediately said they didn't, because the high school team wasn't very good, so I scrapped that idea for now.

Since there were games on nearly all day long, we stayed home to eat tonight, but I knew Sherry wouldn't think anything about this, since I realized she didn't expect me to bring them down every night. After telling them their choices and asking what they'd prefer, I went out to the kitchen and started preparing something, and when it was done, I allowed them to come out, fix a plate and then take it back with them, and we ate using the TV trays, so they wouldn't miss any of the game.

It was getting late by the time the last game ended, so we went directly up to bed. The boys immediately asked if they could sleep with me again, and since they had asked, I said it would be ok. I knew why Jared wanted to do this, but I thought possibly Josh just didn't want to be alone, and we all settled in again, with Boo-Boo marking out his spot.

Sunday morning I got up, I fixed breakfast for them and then watched as they walked home. I started feeling sad after they were gone, but acknowledged that this wasn't my day to be with them. I knew I'd have to keep busy so I wouldn't miss them so much, so I sat down at the computer and began to work.

During the rest of the day, as well as the following week, I got a lot done on my story and emailed off chapters to both my agent and my editor. By Thursday afternoon, I was already starting to look forward to seeing the boys again, when my doorbell unexpectedly rang. Since I wasn't expecting anything, I couldn't imagine who might be there and opened the door. I was shocked to discover two uniformed police officers.

"Robert Cox?" the larger one asked.

"Yes," I responded timidly, since I was uncertain as to why they were here.

"Would you step outside please?" he asked next, and I did what he wanted. "We have a warrant for your arrest and you have been charged with sexual abuse, for having sexual contact with a minor. You have the right to remain silent…"

The officer's voice droned on, but I don't remember hearing anything he said beyond that point. Once he had finished reading me my rights, the other officer slapped a pair of handcuffs on me, patted me down, led me over to their patrol car and helped me into the back seat. The rest of the time that followed was a blur and I don't even know if they locked up my house before we left and drove down to the police station. Once there, they took me inside and I knew my life had now changed forever.

Chapter 19
The Accusations

Once the cops placed me in their squad car, we headed off to the police station. I can tell you that I certainly found the experience to be scary, intimidating and humiliating. When we arrived at the station, I was taken into the booking area and fingerprinted, before I was led to another area where they took my mug shots. In my naivete, I made this entire experience very easy and provided them with everything they needed. I'm certain that you're wondering what I'm talking about, so I'll explain.

It began when they took my fingerprints and the officers asked me to wash my hands first, which I obediently did. Later, after I had a chance to discuss this with someone who had been through this process before, I learned that career criminals, as well as those who are wise to the procedure, are not quite as cooperative. They use their knowledge about how this works to prevent the authorities from getting readable or identifiable prints by using a variety of tricks.

As one inmate later explained, most of those who had been through the system before would use the time while they were waiting to be processed to continually rub their fingers into the dirt on the floor, while pretending to tie their shoes or doing other things. They do this in an attempt to get very small grains of dirt to stick to the oils in their skin, in order to obscure the ridges I their fingertips and make the results look different. Others might carry a tube of Chap Stick in their pockets, which they would smear over their fingertips before being printed, again to blur the ridges on their fingers. Doing these types of things often made the prints taken to be unreliable and prevented them from being used to identify them again later.

If you were able to do either of those things, then when the officer in charge asked you to wash your hands, to remove any foreign debris from your fingertips, you would utilize another trick. Those knowing how to beat the system would comply, but they would only allow the soap and water to come into contact with the palms of their hands, which they would vigorously rub together, to make it appear as if they were doing what they'd been told. Then, when they were given a paper towel to dry their hands, they would do something similar and merely roll it between their palms, without letting it touch their fingertips. I thought this was pretty ingenious and wished I'd known about it sooner, but I would learn even more as I met others who were wise to various criminal ways.

After the booking process had been completed, I was taken into a room to be interrogated about the charges against me, but fortunately I had seen enough cop and lawyer shows on TV to know enough to ask for an attorney first, before I responded to any of their questions. I was then allowed to make a phone call, but the only attorney I knew was the one I used to go over my contracts with the book publishers and handled my financial affairs. Although I knew this wasn't his field of expertise, I called him just the same, hoping he would be able to find me a lawyer who was versed in criminal law.

"Good afternoon, Coughlin, Gerhart, Hinman and Kattell," the receptionist answered.

"Hello, may I speak with Jack Coughlin, please?" I asked, with my heart racing a mile a minute.

"May I ask who is calling?" she wanted to know.

"Yes. Tell him it's Bob Cox," I replied, hoping he'd take my call.

"Certainly, Mr. Cox. Just one second, please," she announced.

I was temporarily placed on hold while the secretary informed my attorney I was on the line. After a slight delay, he answered.

"Hello, Bob. What might I do for you today?" he asked, in a very cheery tone.

The problem was, I was anything but cheery.

"Jack, I've been arrested and need your help," I began. "I know this isn't your area of expertise, but I need you to find me the best criminal lawyer you know."

"You know you can count on me, Bob, but what happened? What are the charges?" he followed.

When I told him, he was nearly as shocked as I had been. After I answered a few other questions, I nearly forgot to tell him an important bit of information, such as where I was being held.

"I think I know just the man for you," he assured me. "Sit tight and don't say a word. I'll get him there just as soon as I can."

After thanking Jack for his assistance, I hung up the phone and was led to a holding cell, where I would wait until my lawyer showed up. There was one other guy in there, probably in his late twenties or early thirties, and he was sitting on the only cot. Since he was a fairly rough looking character, I merely walked in and leaned against the wall, since I didn't need a physical confrontation on top of everything else. You see, I've learned from watching various cop shows on television that some of these criminals can be very territorial, especially if they were there first.

"Whatcha in here for?" he asked.

I eyed him suspiciously, as I wondered if I should even bother to respond at all. I finally decided I didn't need any enemies in here, so I answer him as cryptically as possible.

"A misunderstanding," I replied, hoping that would suffice.

"Aren't we all?" he replied, releasing a little chuckle. "I got busted for trying to take a laptop from a store. What did they expect, seeing it was just sitting there unguarded behind a counter, so I picked it up and headed for the door. Too bad the clerk spotted me and was able to alert security, because they nabbed me just as I was going out the damn door. A few more seconds and I would have gotten away with it. I tried to explain that it was all just a misunderstanding, but the damn rent-a-cop wouldn't listen. So what did you do?"

I knew better than to tell him the truth, since I've heard that people charged with sex crimes, especially against a minor, are at the bottom of the food chain here. With that in mind, I quickly came up with another explanation.

"I supposedly didn't adhere to a restraining order," I offered.

He laughed again.

"Damn, that sucks," he shot back.

I merely nodded, knowing he'd probably turn on me if he discovered I was really being charged with sexual abuse of an underage boy. Instead, I kept quiet and concentrated on my current predicament, while attempting to think of a way of getting out of this mess. He sat quietly for the next couple of minutes, before he spoke again.

"It's your first time, isn't it?" he wanted to know.

"First time what?" I responded, since I'd been deep in thought and wasn't sure what he meant.

"First time being arrested," he explained. "I can always tell first timers. They're always quiet and spend most of their time trying to plan a strategy or something. Don't worry, your lawyer will tell you what to do, and if he's worth his fee, he'll have you out of here in no time."

I thanked him for his insights and hoped he would leave it at that, but then he went on to give me a few more pointers, including the one I told you earlier about the fingerprints. After that, he went on to tell me that he'd been arrested the first time when he was thirteen and then bragged that he had learned most of the tricks of the trade before he'd turned fifteen. Obviously, he hadn't learned the right tricks or he wouldn't be in here now. We continued to talk off and on, even though I tried to let him know I really didn't want to continue this banter, but he must have felt that I'd be better off distracted from my current concerns. Mercifully, that situation was about to change, when one of the guards came in and made an announcement.

"Cox, your lawyer is here," the guards called out.

He then unlocked the door to the holding cell and led me to a small, windowless room. Inside sat a man in a suit that I presumed to be my attorney. He stood up as I entered, extended his hand and introduced himself.

"I'm Bruno Colongeli," he announced. "Jack Coughlin told me you could use my assistance."

"I certainly can and thanks for taking my case," I responded.

"We haven't come to any agreement about that yet," he pointed out, "because we need to discuss a few details first. To begin with, I'll need a $10,000 retainer. Will that be a problem for you?"

"No, I'll contact Jack and give him temporary power of attorney, so he'll be able to get the money out of my account."

"Good. Since that's settled, I've looked the paperwork over and the district attorney has three affidavits to support the charges they've made against you. Before we talk about those items, I need to know if you have ever been convicted of any crime or arrested before?"

"No to both questions, so may I see those affidavits?" I asked, wondering how there could possibly be three of them.

Who could have possibly filled out an affidavit besides Jared? No one else knew about what we had done, so who could be responsible for those other two documents? What the hell was going on here?

"Certainly. I have copies of each one," he responded, "but let's clear up some of these other issues first. To begin with, tell me every detail concerning what has happened since the police showed up at your house."

I told him everything I could remember; from the moment the doorbell rang and up until the time I entered this room with him. He jotted down some notes, asked me a few other questions and then dug out the affidavits for me to look over. Anxiously, I glanced to see who had made these claims.

The first one was from someone I didn't even know, so I skipped over it and looked at the next one, which was signed by Jared. My heart sank to the pit of my stomach and I became nauseated as I read the words on that piece of paper.

I, Jared Carlson, spent time with Bob Cox and would do odd jobs for him, because I wanted to earn some money so I could help my mom. We became really close over the following weeks and I began to ask him questions about sex stuff, since I didn't feel comfortable asking my mom. He would always tell me what I needed to know, but he would never touch me or ask me to touch him, until the end of the week I stayed at his house with him. My mother and brother had gone away and Bob offered to look after me while they were away, because I didn't want to go on the trip.

I'm really the one to blame for what happened next, because I really wanted to learn what a blowjob was like. Bob tried to explain it to me, but I wanted to know what it felt like. He wouldn't give in at first or do anything like that for me, but I finally got him to give in the day before my mother and brother were to come back. As soon as he said 'yes,' I got undressed and Bob sucked on my penis until I shot the sperms out. That was the only time we ever did anything like that.

I was amazed that Jared had admitted this, but at least he hadn't told them everything. Even though his statement had only a minor resemblance to the truth, I knew it was his attempt to protect me. As I thought about it though, I was confused about why he'd even admitted to this much, but I was grateful that he had only told them we'd done it once.

"Are you all right?" the lawyer asked me. "You look as if you'd seen a ghost. Is there something wrong?"

"No, I was just caught off guard reading this," I shot back. "I didn't think Jared would admit to anything like this."

"Are you saying it's not true?" he pressed.

I merely looked at him, because I was unsure about how I should respond.

"Look, I know if I tell you things, then you can't tell anyone else. Right?" I wondered.

He eyed me now.

"Yes, I have to keep everything you tell me completely confidential, as a part of the attorney-client privilege," he answered. "The only exception to that rule is if you tell me you are planning to commit a crime. Now, I need you to tell me the entire truth."

"Ok, I did do this with Jared, but it wasn't the only time," I admitted. "He is correct in saying that he was the aggressor too and I put him off for as long as I could, but he wore me down and I finally weakened and gave in. He's a great kid and I can't believe he willingly told anyone about this, but I didn't force or threaten him to do anything."

"Well, it's an official police statement, so he must be the one who gave them this information," my lawyer confirmed. "How about the other two statements? Do those seem accurate to you?"

"I haven't read those yet," I admitted, "but I'll do that now."

Actually, I had temporarily forgotten about those other two statements, so now I grabbed the only one I hadn't looked at previously. I was surprised to see that Josh had made this statement, but I couldn't imagine what he might have to say about any of this. Was it possible that he saw something on one of the nights he had slept over? I wasn't sure, so I began to read his affidavit to find out what he had to say.

I, Josh Carlson, went down to Bob Cox's house to get my brother, Jared, because he had stayed with Bob when my mom and me went to see my grandparents. We came back early, because I got into a fight with my grandparents, so I went down to Bob's house to let them know we were back. When I went inside, I didn't see anyone around, so I went looking for my brother. I finally found him in Bob's bedroom and my brother was lying naked on Bob's bed and Bob was sucking on my brother's wiener (penis).

Neither of them knew I saw them, because the door to the bedroom was open when I got there and I left without them knowing I had dropped by. I never told them what I saw either.

Well, I guess that explains some things, especially about why Jared had admitted to me giving him oral sex. The only question it leaves is how Josh saw this and why he told anyone about it. I mean, when he came down after their trip, it was later and Jared and I were in the living room at the time. Had he come down earlier and we didn't know it? Needing an answer, I searched my mind, to see if I could decide if this was possible. Carefully, I thought back to the day in question.

We hadn't expected Josh and his mother home until the next day, but they surprised us and came back early. Sometime after Jared and I had come downstairs, Josh rang the doorbell, and when I went to answer it, I was surprised to discover the front door was unlocked. I guess he could have come down earlier and seen what we were doing in my bedroom. That's because we had been even more careless and left the bedroom door open as well, so I imagine it was possible that he saw us. Did he go back home after that and then come down again later, but this time rang the doorbell to let us know he was there?

"What about that one?" my attorney asked, bringing me out of my thoughts. "Is it accurate?"

"I don't know," I told him honestly. "It might be true, but I have no way of knowing. If he witnessed anything, I certainly didn't know about it at the time."

"How about the last one then? Look that over and let me know what you think about it," he urged.

I nodded and grabbed the first affidavit again – the one I had set aside. I still didn't recognize the name attached to it, but this time I read the contents, not just the name.

I, Susan Kazinski, work as an aide at the school attended by Josh Carlson, and one day I overheard Josh talking to one of his friends. He was telling the other boy that he had seen his brother getting oral sex from a guy named Bob and I later figured out Bob was an adult. Seeing I knew Josh's brother to be under the legal age of consent, I reported what I'd heard to Children's Services and they sent me here, to the police station, to fill out this report.

"What do you think of that one?" the lawyer asked, as I set the paper down.

"I can't comment on this one either, since I don't know the person and what she claims seems to be hearsay," I replied.

The lawyer nodded and then collected each of the statements from me. Then, he put them back into the manila folder he'd taken them out of and slipped everything back into his briefcase.

"The arraignment is supposed to be in a half-hour," he explained. "The officers will escort you up to the courtroom and I'll meet you there. While we're in court, just keep quiet and let me do all of the talking. We should be able to get you released on your own recognizance, or at least make it so you can post bail."

I acknowledged what he told me, before I was taken back to the holding cell. When I got there, the other guy was gone, so I concluded he must have been taken for his arraignment, maybe released on bail or possibly moved to a regular cell. Somewhat relieved, I sat on the cot and waited to be escorted to court. It wasn't long before a guard returned, placed me in handcuffs and advised me that he was taking me to be arraigned. He then led me to an elevator, which took us to the second floor, but when it stopped, he seemed to hang back and let me walk ahead of him.

Wasn't he afraid that I might take off or something? However, that's when I discovered the reason he had lagged behind me. Suddenly, there was a series of flashes, as a photographer began snapping several pictures, nearly as soon as the doors of the elevator parted. I quickly threw up my hands and turned my head, but it was too late. By this time, the guy with the camera had already taken at least two or three decent shots and there was nothing I could do to get them back.

Once the guy finished snapping his shutter, the guard grabbed a hold of my elbow and whisked me into the courtroom. As we passed through the doorway, I saw my attorney standing off to one side and he approached me as I entered. He quickly explained what would happen when my case was called and we waited patiently for that to happen. When our docket number was announced, we stepped forward and took our places behind the table my attorney had pointed out to me earlier.

"Bruno Colongeli for the defendant, your honor. We waive reading of the charges and my client enters a plea of not guilty. I also ask that my client be released on his own recognizance."

The judge looked over at the Assistant District Attorney, who was standing behind the other table.

"Prosecutions thoughts on this matter?" the judge followed.

"Your honor, these are fairly serious charges, and we ask for remand," the Assistant District Attorney requested.

"Why don't we compromise," the judge suggested, as if had anticipated what both lawyers had planned to say. "Bail is set at $10,000, cash or bond."

We left the table and my lawyer spoke to me again, once we got to the back of the courtroom.

"I talked to Jack earlier and he said he'd cover your bills until he could get here to have you sign the power of attorney," Bruno explained. "I don't think he'll need to do that now, so I'll go post your bond and then I'll drive you home. When we get there, you can write me one check to cover both the retainer and the bond money. Is that alright with you?"

I quickly agreed and was then led back to the holding cell, where I would wait until my bond was posted. The holding cell was still empty when I got there, so the other guy had definitely been released or was now in a jail cell. I sat there for about twenty minutes before my lawyer showed up again and then I was released into his custody. He led me down to where his car was parked and we hopped inside, and then I gave him directions to my house, because he had no idea where I lived. We talked some more along the way and Bruno shared some additional information with me.

"I haven't spoken with the District Attorney's office yet, but it's possible that we might be able to resolve this without a trial," he announced. "Due to the limited amount of evidence and the claim that this only happened once, plus the fact that you have no previous criminal history, I may be able to get him to offer you a plea agreement."

"I know what a plea agreement is, but what exactly would it mean for me?" I wondered.

"It would mean that you won't have to take your chances with a jury, the charges will be reduced and the punishment would be less severe," he explained. "I'm not saying that it won't still have an impact on the rest of your life, but we'll try to get it knocked down as much as possible."

"I appreciate that, but you'll talk everything over with me first, before you accept any offer. Right?" I pressed, since I was worried about what this might entail.

"Absolutely!" he assured me. "Everything will need your approval first, before I will be able to do anything."

That made me feel a little better, although I was still concerned about how this was all going to play out.

When we reached my house, I took him inside and wrote the check to cover both the retainer and the ten-percent he had put down to secure my bail bond. Once he had pocketed my check, he took down my phone numbers and told me he'd be in touch. I walked him back out to his car and thanked him for taking my case, and as I watched him back out of my driveway, I began to wonder how this whole mess was going to turn out. I made sure that I didn't look up the road toward Jared's house, because I wasn't ready to see him and didn't know how I'd react if I did.

Once I was back in the house, I quickly locked all of my doors, since I didn't want any uninvited company at this point, but then again I didn't envision that happening. As I sat down on my sofa, I began to wonder why Josh and Jared had given those statements. Did Josh really see us on that one occasion and why was he telling someone else about it, especially at school, where he could be overheard? It was hard for me to blame him though, because I was the one who had been so stupid and careless as to leave the door unlocked and let it happen in the first place? And Jared. Why would he admit to this? Was he forced or threatened to make this charge? Why else would he say I'd had oral sex with him?

In hindsight, I should have known better and never given in to him. I should have stuck to my guns and refused his constant advances. Even though my brain had constantly told me to keep emotionally detached, my heart quickly fell in love with the cute imp. Once that happened, it made it impossible for me to deal with his exhibitionism and put off his requests forever. In the long run, I guess the little head made the decisions that the big head should have made, so now I was going to pay for listening to the head without the brain. Belatedly realizing this, I began to analyze how it had played out.

I had heard how some predators groom their victims, by making seemingly innocuous initial requests and then getting their mark to increase what they're willing to do, a little at a time. These predators may start off just having the kid get down to his underwear for some innocent reason and then next merely ask the kid to get naked for a bath or shower, without the threat of any sexual contact. Sometimes they might even use drugs or alcohol to get the kid to lower his defenses, and then over time, the adult would continue increasing his requests by small increments, until the child was ready for sexual contact. As I look back upon my situation now, I believe that to some extent Jared had been grooming me in much the same way.

In the beginning, it was with him wearing very tight articles of clothing when we were together and then he took it a step further, when he began rubbing up against me, such as when I was teaching him how to use the lawn tractor. After that, he constantly began to find ways to end up being naked in front of me, beginning with the first time I allowed him to take a shower at my place and when he came downstairs naked afterward. Once I'd convinced him that I wasn't going to permit him to do this, he started wrapping a towel around his waist, but somehow it conveniently seemed to keep falling off.

When I finally convinced him that I wasn't going to allow things like this to keep happening, he found other ways to get what he wanted. This started with him convincing me to let him stay in my room when I changed into my swimsuit, so he got to see me naked too – since that didn't break our agreement about him being naked in front of me. This evolved into us changing in the room together, but then he also talked me into watching him masturbate, since he couldn't show his mom and was afraid about how one of his classmates might react if he were to show one of them. Since he seemed desperate to be able to show someone that he could now produce semen, I finally relented, after I'd concluded this was the lesser of possible evils.

From there, he continued to escalate the process, when he stayed with me while his mother and brother went away. First, he convinced me to let him sleep with me and then he wanted me to give him a bath. Although at first I didn't want to wash his private areas, he conned me into doing this too, and then when he popped a boner, he convinced me to jack him off. He followed that by masturbating me the following morning, while I was still asleep, and then he finally talked me into showing him what oral sex felt like.

Why was I so stupid and how was it that I didn't I see what was going on? It's probably because these were all things I was hoping to do with him as well, even though I was too afraid to be the aggressor. Now, I see I had a very good reason to be fearful about doing these things and even though I know that I shouldn't have given in, it was way too late to be making this revelation. It was now merely a moot debate about what should have been, but the big questions that still remained was how is this about to change my life and where do I go from here?

Since I didn't know what to do, I merely began to wander around the house, as if I were in a dissociative stupor. The phone rang a couple of times, but I didn't want to speak to anyone, so I chose to let it ring and allowed my voice mail to record any messages. I continued to meander from room to room, totally lost and completely baffled about what I should be doing, but everywhere I went only served to remind me of times I had spent with the boys or the things I had done with Jared. I was going through an emotional tug of war, since I wanted to remember those wonderful moments, while at the same time grappling with the pain of knowing that those same types of situations would never happen again. I didn't know what to do to ease the pain, but then I discovered a modicum of solace in an old standby.

In my many trips around the house, I discovered an unopened bottle of wine, so I popped the cork and slowly tried to drown my sorrows and unhappiness in an alcoholic stupor. I not only downed that bottle of wine, but I found another and opened that one as well, and before long I discovered that I had polished off both bottles. By this time I was feeling no pain, but I also wasn't thinking very clearly. After a while, I began to convince myself that this nightmare was going to end and that things would work out in my favor, like some wonderful fairy tale ending. I pictured me spending time with Jared and Josh again and envisioned my life going back to the way it was before any of this happened. I eventually went to my room to lie down on my bed, since my head was spinning, and mercifully I passed out.

I don't remember much beyond that point, at least not until I came to the next morning. I was a little hung over, with that telltale taste in my mouth, which helped me to remember exactly what I had done the night before and why I don't generally drink to excess. After cleaning up, brushing my teeth and changing my clothes, I went downstairs and grabbed a bite to eat and then I checked my voice mail. The first message was from the local newspaper reporter who was trying to get me to give him 'my take' on the charges. The next call was from Jack Coughlin, who asked me to contact him today, so we could take care of some 'loose ends.' There was also a third call, but that person left no message, so I figured it might have been one of the first two callers trying to reach me again. I suspected it was most likely the reporter calling back, in an attempt to get an exclusive interview or as a way of sprucing up his current story.

I picked up the phone and called Jack back.

"Good morning, Coughlin, Gerhart, Hinman and Kattell," the receptionist answered.

"Hello, may I speak with Jack Coughlin, please?" I asked.

"May I ask who is calling, please?" she followed.

"Yes. It's Bob Cox," I replied.

"Certainly, Mr. Cox. Just one second and I'll see if Mr. Coughlin is available," she stated.

I was then placed on hold, while she attempted to discover if Jack could take the call. Before long, I heard his familiar voice on the line.

"Bob, how are you doing?" he asked, sounding very concerned.

"I've been better, Jack," I replied. I was trying to sound chipper, but I knew it didn't come out that way. "My entire life seems to be in a shambles and it doesn't look as if there is much I can do about it."

"I understand how you must feel, but Bruno and I will do our best to try to help you through this, so you can begin putting everything back in order," he offered. "That's why I called last night. Bruno mentioned that you wanted to give me power of attorney, just in case you weren't able to handle your own affairs. I know you're at home right now, so do you still want to do this?"

"Yes, Jack. Just as a safety precaution," I confirmed. "I'm not sure how this is going to play out, and to tell you the truth, I'm not sure if I want to deal with certain matters right away, so I'll let you handle those issues for me, if you don't mind?"

"No, that's fine and I understand," he commiserated. "Do you want to come down today and sign the papers? I can have them drawn up in no time."

"I'd prefer not to have to show my face in town for a while," I replied. "The newspaper seems anxious to get my picture, so they can plaster it across the community page, but they're also calling and trying to finagle some comments out of me about this. Would it be possible for you to come here instead, so we can take care of this?"

"Those vultures have been circling already, have they?" he retorted.

"Yes, they had a photographer at the courthouse when I was arraigned and he snapped several pictures as I got off the elevator," I explained. "Then, someone from the newspaper left a message for me last night, wanting me to call them back so they could get my side of the story."

"They do seem to thrive on other people's misery, don't they?" he stated, but I knew this question was rhetorical and he didn't wait for me to respond.

"Ok, you stay home then and I'll drop by after work," he agreed. "I'll have the paperwork with me and you can just sign the forms then. Bob, can I bring you anything else when I come?"

I took a minute to think about this, as I searched my mind to figure out what I had in the house and if I had any severe shortages.

"Yes, if you wouldn't mind, would you please pick up a copy of the local newspaper for me," I asked. "I want to see what they're saying about all of this."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" he challenged, and I could tell that he sounded very concerned.

"Yes, I think it would be best if I knew what the locals are hearing about this case," I answered. "I want to see if people will be picketing out in front of my place or driving by and gawking. Hell, some of them might even drive by and start shooting."

"I hope nothing like that happens, but I understand why you might want to stay on top of this," he agreed. "Ok, I'll pick up a copy of the paper on my way there. In fact, I'll drop a copy off each evening, for as long as you want?"

"Thanks and that would be great, at least for a few days," I agreed. "That way I can see what I'll be facing outside of the courtroom, as well as within."

"Ok, Bob. I'll see you later then," Jack added, before hanging up.

I spent the rest of the afternoon holed up inside my house. I did open a few windows to let in some fresh air, but I made sure the windows I opened had the blinds adjusted so that they were only open enough to let the fresh air pass through. I also made sure all the doors were locked, since I didn't want anyone infringing on my privacy. I tried to do some writing, but that proved to be a useless venture, so I sat down to flick through the channels on my TV. At least that would give me a slight diversion, without having to concentrate fully on the program I was viewing. I ended up watching reruns of some older shows on A & E, FX, TNT, USA and SyFy, but I was only doing this to get my mind off my legal woes.

Mercifully, Jack showed up a few hours later and dragged me away from these brain-numbing episodes. We discussed my current situation and then I told him where I kept certain items, such as my bank accounts, financial records, my monthly bills and a rundown of where I kept all of my important documents. I also gave him a list of all of the various people and companies I used to do various jobs around the house, because I wanted him to know all of this, in case I was sent to prison for any length of time.

With him having these details, he'd be able to look after things while I was away or even prepare the house for sale, if it appeared that I wouldn't be back any time soon. Once I had given him all of this information, I signed the paperwork to give him power of attorney on my behalf, which would allow him to do any of the things I was unable to do for myself.

As difficult as it was to face this possibility, I had to admit that I could end up being incarcerated for these charges, and if that happened, I'd need someone to take care of these things for me. Once I had signed the power of attorney, Jack wished me well, assured me that he'd take care of whatever I needed and told me he'd keep in touch. I thanked him for all of his help and assured him that I valued him as a friend, not merely as a terrific lawyer.

Before he left, I asked him if my publisher had become aware of this situation or if he thought it might affect any future dealings with them, and he said he doubted both. He explained that the publishing company was a very large organization, which was located in a major city, so he doubted if this small town gossip would have gained their attention. Besides, he pointed out that I used a penname, which would obscure my legal woes from my readers, as well as for anyone but those at the very top of the organization. After hearing his reasoning, I thanked him for his observations and assistance, before he got into his car and drove off.

Over the course of the next few days, I checked out the local newspaper and watched the local television news broadcasts, just to see how I was being portrayed. At first, my arrest had been given some minor notoriety, such as a brief story on the lower half of the front page of the community section, along with a small picture, but it also received a brief mention on the local channel's nightly news segment. However, after those initial reports had come out, the attention on my situation appeared to dwindle, possibly due to the fact that I was only accused of having limited contact with a single victim. On the other hand, I assume this attention will pick up again, once the case moved to trial.

My criminal lawyer, Bruno, and I had already been discussing strategy, which included some issues that I dreaded being a part of. The first of these was when we discussed if I'd be willing to testify and face a very intense cross-examination. We then weighed the value my testimony might have in bolstering my defense, when compared to the risks of having the prosecution paint me as a predator, as he attempted to rip me apart on the witness stand.

After discussing this, Bruno mentioned that he expected both Jared and Josh would be called to testify against me, so he wanted to have as much information about them, including any types of contact I'd had with them, so he could use those details during his cross-examination. That's when I encountered my first doubts about going through this process. Even if Bruno was questioning their veracity to protect and possibly keep me from going to prison, I didn't want him attacking these boys and raking them over the coals. Since my life already seemed to be ruined, I didn't want to end up destroying Josh and Jared's lives as well, by putting them through such a potentially destructive process and exposing intimate details about their lives to their peers.

After listening to my concerns, Bruno tried to assure me that although doing something like this might be necessary, he would try to be as gentle with the boys as he could, while at the same time attempting to discredit their testimony. No matter how many assurances he gave me, or how gentle he said he would be, I was still worried about hurting either boy by putting them through such a potentially uncomfortable situation. Bruno then explained that I didn't really have much choice in the matter, if I wanted to beat this rap. Reluctantly, I allowed him to proceed, but I continued to brainstorm for another way we could accomplish the same thing, without putting these boys through such scrutiny or revealing intimate details of their lives.

Over the next couple of weeks, there were several court dates we were required to attend, since I had charges pending against me in family court, as well as in criminal court. Every time we went to one of these proceedings, intending to handle various motions or procedural issues, it seemed as if the case was always rescheduled for a later date, for one reason or another. This seemed very odd, especially when I considered how many times we went to court before a trial date was finally set, but I guess this only proves that the wheels of justice do grind exceedingly slow. However, I wondered if this conflicted with the right of the accused to a speedy trial. Whatever the reason, this case seemed to drag on.

During this entire period, I remained a recluse – locked up in a jail cell that I once called my home. I didn't even go out to pick up groceries, since I wasn't sure what might happen if someone recognized me and decided to mete out his own form of justice. Fortunately, I found a company called 'Shop 4-U' that would let me call in my grocery order, do the shopping for me and deliver it to my home, for a fee. This meant I would only have to come into contact with one individual, yet it would provide me with the items I would need to survive. After talking to the company representative on the telephone, we were able to work out an arrangement as to how often I would need their services and which option I would use to place my order, be it phone, fax or online, so that was another issue I had resolved for now.

During this same period, there were some other occurrences that weren't as positive, beginning with the harassing phone calls I started to receive. Seeing I wasn't answering my phone, unless I recognized the phone number on my caller ID, some of those calling were kind enough to leave messages, so I'd know what they wanted. They then proceeded to call me disgusting names, while making certain I understood that people like me weren't appreciated and should burn in hell. Others even went as far as to describe things they would do to me, or my home, if I didn't end up in prison and decided to stay in the area.

Of course, I realized that most of the people who called and left these messages were most likely cowards who were hiding behind the anonymity of a telephone. Others were probably just blowing off steam and would never have the guts to do whatever they claimed. However, seeing there was a chance there might be one in this group that would actually try to carry out his threats, I called Bruno to see what he thought I should do. He directed me to notify the State Police and report these incidents, so they'd have a chance to run interference for me.

Within a few hours after I'd placed that call, an officer stopped by to take my report and listen to the messages I hadn't already deleted. After doing this, he explained that someone from his office would most likely contact the telephone company to see if they could help trace where these calls came from and then possibly identify who the callers were. Although this sounded promising, and even helpful, he didn't act as if he was actually interested in my problem or that he wanted to spend much time investigating my claims. In fact, he appeared to be disinterested and I quickly got the impression that he thought I was getting exactly what I deserved. He was willing to file the report, since that was his job, but I didn't feel as if he was sympathetic to my plight or eager to discover who was harassing me. After he left, I concluded that I wouldn't report any further incidents; since I wasn't convinced it was going to do any good.

This wasn't the only thing that happened either. A couple of times when I was outside, either retrieving my mail or going to or from my car after meeting with my lawyer, the drivers or passengers in cars going by would shout out obscenities at me or make other derogatory comments as they went by. One guy even threw an empty beer bottle in my direction, which missed hitting me in the head by less than a yard. Although it landed harmlessly on the lawn and didn't even break, I knew the guy would've loved to see it crash into my skull.

I thought about reporting this incident as well, but after the reaction I got concerning the harassing phone calls, I decided against it. Why set myself up for another disappointment and more grief? Instead, I grabbed a plastic bag out of the house and placed the bottle in it, without touching it myself. I then gave it to Bruno, so he'd have it as evidence and possibly be able to retrieve fingerprints from it, especially if another similar incident were to happen later.

During this time, I also spent a great many hours wondering what had prompted Jared to give his statement in the first place. Of course, I could tell that he was still attempting to protect me, by not disclosing everything we'd done together and insisting that he had instigated the contact, but yet he had still admitted that we'd had sexual contact. I was still convinced that he wouldn't have intentionally done anything to harm me, unless he felt he had no other choice, so this made me wonder what it was that had prompted him to admit that I'd performed oral sex on him.

It also made me wonder if Sherry had something to do with his decision. Had she somehow found out about what her son and I had been doing and then made him file the report? The problem with this theory was that I couldn't see Sherry doing that either. If she'd found out about what we'd been up to, I'm sure she'd have confronted me herself, rather than forcing her son to hurt someone she knew he cared a great deal about. Even if she didn't approve of our actions, she also realized more than anyone else that Jared had been hurt far too much already and didn't need to lose someone else in his life. That's why I don't think she'd hurt him more by making him file charges against me. No, I just couldn't see it happening that way.

Over the next several weeks, I spent countless hours pondering this question, as I prepared myself to go to trial. During this time, I had many more meetings with my lawyer and he spent a great deal of time preparing me for what was to come. We also spent time refining our legal strategy, going over what types of things might be said and what other accusations might be made, but we also took time to fine-tune my possible testimony, if it were to come to that.

I certainly wasn't looking forward to testifying and hoped I wouldn't be asked to. I also couldn't imagine what Jared and Josh must be going through, knowing they would have to get up on the witness stand and testify to the things they had said in their statements. I wasn't sure how this was going to play out or what the future would hold for any of us, but I knew things would never return to what we once had enjoyed and that thought saddened me greatly. Before any of this had come to light, I'd begun to believe that for once in my life things seemed perfect, but now it was just another shattered dream.

Chapter 20
The Trial

After many delays, several new court dates and a great deal of anticipation, not all of it good, the trial was set to begin. I was a nervous wreck as the time approached and wondered not only what types of things I'd have to endure in the courtroom, but also what might happen when I was traveling to and from the courthouse. I wouldn't be alone during much of that time, since my attorney had suggested I drive to his office and then ride with him, but that was primarily to give us a chance to discuss various issues on the way in, as well as to allow him to help to keep the press off of my back. With this goal in mind, he told me that as we moved to and from the courtroom, I was to walk slightly behind him and off to one side, so he could try to shield me from the reporters and photographers, or at least make it more difficult for them to get what they wanted. I thanked Bruno for his thoughtfulness and was glad that he was on my side.

The first time we began the long walk from the parking garage to the courtroom, I was certainly glad that he'd suggested this approach, because the vultures from the press were out in full force. Not only did I see the photographer who had snapped my picture as I got off the elevator for my arraignment, but video crews from the local television station were also there, as well as the reporters with their microphones. As we dodged these various individuals, I made sure that I heeded Bruno's advice and kept him between me and the scavengers who were eager to pick at what meat was left on my bones.

I doubted that any of the reporters and photographers were happy with the results, as we successfully negotiated our way past them without giving them any comments and making it difficult to get any kind of decent shot of me. However, once we entered the courtroom, we didn't have to worry about the press any longer, because they weren't permitted inside the chamber.

As Bruno and I made our way to the defense table, I tried not to glance at the small crowd that had already taken seats in the gallery, because I didn't want to become upset if I noticed that some of them were glaring at me. My lawyer had told me that most of today would be spent selecting a jury and nothing more than that would happen until tomorrow, so I wasn't as nervous as I might have been otherwise.

A few minutes later, the Assistant District Attorney came in and seated himself at the table to our right, so now we were merely waiting for the judge to enter, so proceedings could begin.

"All rise," the Bailiff announced. "Court is now in session, with the Honorable Judge Thomas Murphy presiding."

Once the judge had taken his seat, we were told we could be seated again and the process of voire dire began. Voire dire is the process where the lawyers are given an opportunity to question the jurors. The questions they ask were designed to determine the competency of each prospective candidate and see if either lawyer would challenge their selection, for one reason or another.

This process began with the judge asking the jury pool a series of general questions, to learn if they might have any prior knowledge that would disqualify them from serving in this case. First of all, he asked if they knew any of the attorneys involved or if they had dealt with any of them or their law firms. Those who had were then released, and then those remaining were read a list of potential witnesses and asked if they had any previous connection with or knowledge of these people. If they did, then that connection was explored and some of those people were let go as well. The judge then asked if any of the potential jurors had ever been sexually abused or had a family member or close friend who had suffered such abuse. Those who had were then released as well, since such an occurrence would put their subjectivity in question.

Once those people had been eliminated, the lawyers finally got a chance to question the various potential jurors personally, to see if they wanted to challenge their suitability for serving. This process was quite time consuming and not very interesting, but the lawyers asked the judge to excuse several other people from this duty as well.

During this process, the lawyers asked the prospective jurors questions such as, "Do you have children or grandchildren?" and "How would you feel if you'd discovered they had been sexually abused?" to see how sympathetic they might be to the victim or possibly predisposed against the abuser. The lawyers also wanted to know if any individual or immediate family member had been "involved in any legal proceedings, no matter the reason," to determine if those people might have a bias against the legal system in general. The people in the jury pool were then asked if they thought they could be "open minded and judge this case solely on its merits and the evidence presented, rather than on the emotional issues surrounding the case." Hopefully, that would prevent a juror from deciding the case based only on their feelings and the stigma such charges might evoke.

During this questioning process, I was watching those being interrogated, as well as those waiting their turn, and I noticed a couple of them giving me very accusatory or hostile looks. I made sure to point this fact out to my attorney and then he requested that those people be dismissed as well. By the time we broke for lunch, nine jurors had been seated, so the final three and the two alternates would be selected when we came back for the afternoon session.

My lawyer invited me to join him for lunch at his club, so we could discuss some other issues while we were eating. I agreed, so I followed him out of the courtroom and rode with him over to this private establishment. I didn't eat much, because I was far too nervous about this ordeal to get much down, but we did talk about certain jurors and what he expected we would need to do to win them over. We also discussed some of the jurors who had been questioned before we left, but had not yet been selected or dismissed, to see if I felt any of them should be challenged to prevent them from being seated. After going over all of these various issues, we finished our meal and then paid the tab, before making our way back to the courthouse.

It took about two hours of the afternoon session to seat the final jurors and alternates, and once that was completed, the judge adjourned the proceedings for thirty minutes, so the lawyers could prepare their opening statements. These would be given when we returned and then the prosecution would be allowed to call its first witness.

During this recess, my lawyer left me alone, so he could spend the time polishing up his opening remarks. I was left sitting in a small conference room, but there were no magazines to read and nothing to do there, but in a way it wasn't entirely a bad thing. That's because being in this room also kept me away from the media and others in the courthouse that might have wanted to gain access to me. Due to the absolute boredom I faced during this period, this seemed like the longest thirty minutes I think I've ever had to endure. I know thirty minutes is still thirty minutes, no matter how you look at it, but when you consider it in the context of what you're about to face next might affect the rest of your life, then each second seems to take a minute or more to pass by.

When this seemingly endless half hour was up, Bruno led me back into the courtroom and the trial got underway. First, the prosecution got to give its opening remarks, so the A.D.A. stood up, strolled over in front of the jury box and prepared to give his best dramatic plea for justice. As he spoke, he walked up and down the length of the jury box and made eye contact with each juror, in an attempt to sway them over to his point of view from the very get-go.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury," he began. "This case involves one of the most heinous crimes that could ever be committed against a minor. It is a case where an adult takes advantage of the physical and emotional needs of an underage child and uses it to his own advantage. This adult used his position, as someone who employed this boy to do some odd jobs around his house, to force the kid to also gratify his sexual urges.

"You will hear testimony that will describe how he manipulated this boy and used the threat that he wouldn't be allowed to continue working for him, unless he agreed to his demands," the A.D.A. continued. "If this boy could no longer work for him, it would take away money that his family had come to depend on, so this put pressure on the child to relent and engage in certain sexual acts. Not only that, but the defendant was also careless enough to let the boy's younger brother witness one of these sessions and that minor oversight was what took him down and brought this case to the attention of the authorities.

"All that the District Attorney's office is going to ask of you is that you listen to the testimony, weigh the evidence and then reach the only conclusion substantiated by the facts – that he is guilty of the crimes charged and then see to it that he is sentenced to the justice he deserves. Every child in this community will sleep better and feel safer once they know that twelve honest men and women did what they could to protect them from this evil."

The Assistant District Attorney then leisurely sauntered back to his seat, but not before giving me a very cold and threatening glare. While that was happening, my lawyer rose from his seat and walked toward the jury box as well.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. Trials like this often elicit a certain emotional responses to the accusations, some of which can be rather extreme, and these responses tend to make jurors want to decide the guilt or innocence of the defendant based solely upon their feelings, instead of taking the time to scrutinize the facts of the case. This is precisely what my learned colleague is hoping will happen, because he's already attempted to tug at your heartstrings and gain your sympathies using the emotional aspects of the charges, rather than focusing on the meager amount of evidence that he has in this case. This is a situation where the District Attorney's office hopes your heart and gut reaction will sway your decision, rather than having you use your brains and focus on the dearth of evidence. I will try to help you separate the facts from the emotion, as well as distinguish between the truth and the fiction in this case.

"I will also try to expose the distortions," Bruno continued, "as well as point out the exaggerations, so you can zero in on the lack of evidence in this case. The prosecution will ask you to accept everything they tell you at face value and not question the veracity of those statements, but I shall ask you to look beyond what is said to determine what is the truth and what has been fabricated or twisted to fit what the prosecution hopes to prove.

"Throughout this trial, all the defense is going to ask of you is that you listen to the details presented and weigh the evidence, but most importantly I ask you to base your verdict SOLELY upon those facts," Bruno added. "I will also ask that you leave your emotional baggage at the courtroom door and refuse to let any preconceived notions blur your perception of the facts in this case. I implore you to base your verdict solely upon the evidence put before you and not on the highly charged rhetoric the Assistant District Attorney will spew, in order to slant your perception of these facts."

Once Bruno had finished his remarks, he returned to our table and sat down beside me once again. At this point, it was the judge's turn to speak.

"Mr. Levitt, you may call your first witness," he stated, addressing the A.D.A.

"Thank you, Your Honor," he began. "The State would like to call Ms. Susan Kazinski to the stand."

This was the woman who gave the third statement that Bruno had shown me previously. I still had no idea why she was testifying, since it seemed that most of her information was second-hand. However, she was sworn in and then the Assistant District Attorney began to question her.

"Would you please state your name and occupation for the court?" the prosecutor requested.

"My name is Susan Kazinski and I work as an aide at the local middle school."

"Thank you. Now, Ms. Kazinski, were you the one who brought this case to the attention of the authorities?"

"Yes, sir. I was," she answered, looking smug.

"And why did you do this?" he asked. "What information did you have that made you report this situation?"

"As I said, sir, I work as an aide at the middle school and one day I overheard a conversation between Josh Carlson and one of his friends," she stated. "From what was said, it made me realize that Josh had seen his brother having sexual contact with an adult."

"Objection, Your Honor. This is hearsay testimony," my attorney pointed out. "This witness has no first-hand knowledge of any such acts."

"She is only testifying as to what she heard and why it led her to file a complaint with the Department of Child Services," the Assistant District Attorney shot back.

"However, Your Honor, that complaint was based solely upon hearsay information, so none of the testimony should be admissible," my lawyer pointed out.

The judge thought for a moment, before he made his decision.

"The objection is overruled," he stated. "The witness may testify that she heard the boys talking and what opinions she formed as the result of what she heard, as well as why and how she reported it. However, she may not give direct testimony about the content of what was said between the boys."

My lawyer looked a little surprised and dejected by the judge's ruling, but he sat down again without further comment. The A.D.A. turned to face our table and gave us a little smirk, before he continued.

"Now, Ms. Kazinski, would you continue, please," the A.D.A. prompted.

"Yes. As I was saying, I overheard Josh Carlson telling his friend that he had seen his brother, and this man named Bob…" she stated, when my attorney cut her off.

"Objection, Your Honor," he shouted. "You clearly stated the witness could not testify to what was said between the two boys, yet she's doing exactly that."

"Objection sustained," the Judge ruled. "Ms. Kazinski, you may not relay the essence of the conversation you overheard, just why you took this situation to the authorities."

She looked a bit confused by the judge's comment, but eventually she continued.

"From what I heard, I believed that Josh's brother, who I had also known when he attended the middle school, was having sexual contact with an adult," she stipulated. "Seeing I knew Jared, the brother, was still a minor, I felt it my duty to report this to Children's Services."

"So what did you do, precisely?" the A.D.A. asked next.

"I went to Children's Services and filed a report," she answered. "They then directed me to go to the police station and give them a statement to that effect. I later learned that they arrested the man involved."

"And why did you do this, again?" the prosecutor asked, to emphasize the point.

"To protect a vulnerable minor from what I believed was a sexual predator," she replied.

"Thank you, Ms. Kazinski. No further questions, Your Honor."

The A.D.A. then sat down and the judge turned toward my lawyer.

"Mr. Colongeli, do you have any questions for this witness?" he asked.

"Yes, Your Honor. I most certainly do," he responded.

Bruno then walked slowly toward the front of the courtroom and stood just off to the side of the witness stand.

"Ms. Kazinski," he began, "you've said you overheard the conversation between two boys, is that correct?"

"Yes, it is," she confirmed.

"And this conversation indicated that sexual activities were going on between a boy and a man. Is that also correct?" he pressed.

"Yes, that's correct," she agreed.

"What did you do to verify that these statements were true?" Bruno followed.

She looked totally bewildered by his question and didn't immediately respond.

"I'm not sure that I understand what you mean," she eventually admitted.

"Ok, then let me put this another way for you," Bruno followed. "Are all of the conversations you hear between students truthful? Do they ever tell each other lies?"

"Yes, sir. Sometimes they tell lies, but not all the time," she answered.

"And how do you determine what is a lie and what is the truth?" he pressed.

"Sometimes I just know whether the things they are saying are true or not, because I have knowledge about the topic," she answered.

"Ah, so sometimes you have firsthand knowledge of the facts, so you know whether what the student has said is true or a lie then," Bruno reiterated.

"Sometimes," she agreed.

"Did you have firsthand knowledge in this case?" Bruno pressed.

"No, sir. I didn't," she confessed.

"Ok, then how else might you determine if what you overheard was a lie or the truth?" Bruno continued.

"Well, sometimes I ask different teachers who might know or maybe even the principal," she replied. "On a few occasions, I have even confronted a parent about what I heard."

"So you know everything you hear the students say isn't always the truth?" Bruno continued.

"Yes, sir, I know that," she confirmed.

"Then what did you do to determine if the statements you heard in this case were true or not? Did you question the boys about what was said?" Bruno wondered.

"No, sir, I didn't do that," she confessed.

"Then did you confront the brother, who was supposedly involved in this matter?" he followed.

"No, sir, I didn't do that either," she admitted.

"Did you confront the boy's mother or the man who was supposedly involved in this situation?" he pressed.

"No, I didn't check with the mother and I had no way of knowing exactly who the man was," she acknowledged.

"In that case, were you even sure it was a man and not merely another boy?" Bruno pressed.

"I was pretty sure it was, but I couldn't be positive, since I didn't know exactly whom they were talking about," she admitted.

"In that case, did you have a teacher or the principal question the boy, his brother or any one else, to determine the veracity of these statements or discover if an adult was actually involved?" he followed.

"No, sir. I just reported what I'd heard to Children's Services," she stated. "I figured they'd check to see if the accusations were true or not."

"Ah, so you didn't do anything to verify the truthfulness of these statements and just passed them along to Children's Services, while leading them to believe they were true?" Bruno stated, using an accusatory tone.

"I don't know what they believed, sir," she confessed. "I just told them what I'd heard."

"Didn't you merely hear gossip, without even knowing exactly whom the boys were talking about, and then pass it along?" he continued.

"I knew the brother, just not the other person," she confessed.

"Tell me, Ms. Kazinski. Out of every ten statements you hear the children tell each other, how many of those would you consider to be falsehoods or lies?" he mused.

"What do you mean?" she responded, with a blank expression covering her face.

"Well, out of every ten comments you overhear at the school, on average, how many of those ten conversations would turn out to contain lies or misinformation?" Bruno rephrased. "One, two, three, four… eight? How many on average are not totally true?"

"Maybe four out of ten," she replied, still looking a bit confused.

"So knowing that forty percent of the conversations you overhear from the students are not true, you still reported this conversation as being reliable, without first investigating it yourself or having others at the school do so?" Bruno challenged.

"Yes, sir. I guess I did," she admitted. "I just assumed that Children's Services or the police would investigate the truthfulness of what I reported before they acted upon the information."

"Ah, yes, assumed," Bruno stated, adding a hint or sarcasm. "Are you familiar with the old adage about people who assume?"

The prosecutor immediately jumped to his feet.

"Objection, Your Honor. Is the defense attorney trying to testify now?"

"I merely asked the witness a question, as to whether she was familiar with a certain expression," Bruno responded, while trying to look completely innocent of the accusation.

"Objection sustained," the Judge quickly ruled. "Mr. Colongeli, I suggest that you refrain from characterizing the witness' testimony. Do you have any further questions for this witness?"

"No further questions, Your Honor. I think we all see how Ms. Kazinski operates," Bruno replied.

He had a very smug look as his face, as he walked back to his seat and sat down beside me. When I looked up again, I noticed that the judge was looking at his watch.

"Seeing it's getting late in the day, court will adjourn until 9:00 a.m. tomorrow," he announced. "The jury is instructed not to read any articles or view any news reports related to this trial, nor are they permitted to discuss this case with anyone else. This includes spouses, parents, children, friends and each other. Court is adjourned."

As soon as the judge rapped his gavel and stood up, we all rose from our seats. Right after he left the courtroom, the rest of us got ready to leave as well, and Bruno asked me to follow him, which I did without hesitation. He led me to a door at the rear of the chamber and then down a back stairway to the basement level, before heading for his car. Along the way, Bruno stated that he wanted me to meet him at his office at 8:00 the following morning, so I could ride with him to the courthouse again. That way he could help to protect me from the press and I could fill him in about anything that might have come to me during the night. I agreed, just as we arrived at his car, and then he drove us over to his office. As soon as he pulled into his parking space, I bid Bruno goodnight and walked to my own vehicle, which was parked nearby.

It turned out to be a very long and disquieting night for me, as I sat alone at home. All I could think about was how my lawyer was going to cross-examine Josh and Jared tomorrow when they took the witness stand, especially after I'd seen what he had done to Ms. Kazinski. It was eating me up thinking that he was going to do something similar to those boys, whom I still cared about, but Bruno kept insisting that it was necessary. God, how I hated this! It was bad enough watching him beat up on the teacher's aide like he did, while confusing her and making her look foolish in front of everyone, but now he was going to do this to Josh and Jared as well. I know that since I'm facing these charges that I'll probably never have contact with either boy again, no matter what Bruno does or doesn't do, but even so, I was still having trouble accepting the fact that my lawyer needed to rip their testimony, and them, apart. There had to be another alternative.

This continued to haunt me throughout the night and made it difficult for me to sleep. No matter how hard I tried not to think about this, I would end up visualizing both boys being on the witness stand and answering the questions asked of them by the prosecutor, while at the same time realizing they were trying very hard not to say anything that would hurt me any worse than what had already happened. Then I would see them getting riddled with questions from my attorney and painfully watched as Bruno badgered and tried to confuse them. I even cringed when I pictured him upsetting the boys to the point where they could barely think or when he made them cry. How could I let this happen? The knowledge of what was to come was eating me up inside.

After what little sleep I was able to get, although it wasn't very restful, the alarm went off and I slowly got ready for another day in court. After showering and getting dressed, I had a cup of coffee and a couple of pieces of toast. That was all I thought I could hold down, since my stomach was tied up in knots, as I worried about what was going to happen today in court. At 7:30 I went out and got in the Tahoe, drove to my lawyer's office, parked my vehicle and then went inside to meet with Bruno. After a polite greeting, we went back outside and got into his car and drove to the courthouse.

Bruno parked in the garage again and we got into the elevator at the basement level. The elevator stopped at the first floor, and to my surprise, a woman got on, accompanied by Jared and Josh. I discovered later she was the caseworker assigned to look after the boys during this process, since Sherry didn't feel she could afford to take time off from work to be here with them.

At first the boys didn't see me, because I was standing behind my attorney, but as they stepped toward the rear of the elevator, they noticed I was there. They both stared at me briefly, like deer caught in the headlights of a car, but then they quickly looked down at the floor, not knowing what else to do. In that brief moment when our eyes met, I saw how much Jared was hurting. His eyes were red and puffy, like he had been crying, and when I looked directly into them; I could see that they were also filled with moisture. My God, this was tearing him up and he was suffering as much as I was over this situation. How could I continue to see him hurt further?

It was at this point that I made up my mind. No matter what the consequences were for me, I couldn't put Jared through any more than he had already been forced to endure. I was the adult here and should have resisted his advances, but I didn't, so now I'd have to pay the piper. How do they say it on the streets? Don't do the crime, unless you can do the time. Well, I guess that's exactly what I was going to have to do now.

As soon as we got off the elevator, I advised Bruno that I needed to speak with him in private, before we went into the courtroom. He looked at me with a very odd and surprised expression, but nodded his understanding, and then he led me to a small room, off to one side of the hallway.

"Bruno, I want you to check with the D.A. and see if he'll offer me a plea deal," I began. "I saw the boys in the elevator and realized how badly this was affecting them, so I can't put them through any more. I'll plead guilty, rather than having them take the stand."

"Bob, you can't get cold feet now," Bruno urged. "Things have been going fairly well for us so far, so it would be unwise to give in at this juncture."

"That's not the point," I objected. "I told you before that I did things with this kid and I can't let you tear him apart on the witness stand, just to save my neck. I believe you saw the boys get on the elevator and observed how badly they were hurting. I just can't put them through any more than they've already had to deal with."

"Are you sure about this?" Bruno asked, seeking confirmation.

"I'm positive," I stated. "Please ask the D.A. if he'd be willing to negotiate, because I don't want to put these boys through any more, especially your cross-examination."

"Ok, if that's what you want," Bruno reluctantly agreed. "You're the boss and it's your hide."

We then walked into the courtroom and made our way to the defense table, at just about the same time as the judge entered the courtroom. After he was seated, my lawyer remained standing and addressed him.

"Your Honor, may I have a minute to confer with the Assistant District Attorney?"

"Yes, but make it quick," Judge Murphy agreed.

My lawyer then stepped across the brief expanse separating the two tables and addressed the A.D.A.

"My client wants to know if you'd be open to negotiate a plea?" Bruno began. "He saw the two boys on the elevator and doesn't want to put them through the stress of testifying or having to be cross-examined, because he knows I'm going to rip them up, if given the chance. I think he saw what I did to your first witness and doesn't want to see the same thing happen to these boys, but that's your call. How much pain do you want to cause these kids?"

"That's very big of him, considering what he's already done," the A.D.A. shot back.

"Look, Sam, he didn't coerce that boy into anything," Bruno pointed out. "Yes, he did something with the boy, but it was because the kid wanted to and kept asking my client to give in to his request. This guy wouldn't hurt these kids, and in fact he's proving it right now, by being willing to plead, in order to save them further discomfort. Even though I advised him against this, he's willing to go to jail, rather than harm these boys. Why don't you make me an offer I can recommend he accept? Ok?"

"Gentlemen, we're waiting," the Judge prodded.

"Yes, Your Honor," the prosecutor responded. "Just another minute or two, if you please, and we might be able to resolve this matter."

"All right, but don't take too much longer," the Judge urged.

"You know, the boy told me a similar story when I talked to him alone," the A.D.A. admitted. "He said he kept asking your client to do those things and kept at it until he finally gave in. He told me that he was willing to deny anything like that ever happened, because he didn't want to hurt your client, since he was the one who had talked the guy into doing it. He even told me in private that he wouldn't have admitted to it at all, but doing that would have made his brother look bad and he was getting pressured, so he had to choose between the two.

"I'm still not sure what to do about this matter," the A.D.A. continued, "but I'm beginning to wonder if someone wasn't a bit overzealous in investigating this situation and possibly they coerced the kid into filing charges. I'm not saying your client is blameless, since what he did was still a crime, but he didn't force himself on this kid or rape him. Ok, I'll do it. Sexual abuse one, with a sentence recommendation for one to three years in prison."

"You call that an offer?" Bruno quipped. "How about sexual abuse two, with a year in county jail? He's not a big time criminal and I doubt he'd survive a year or more in prison."

The A.D.A. eyed Bruno for a few seconds, before he responded.

"Alright, I'll agree to those terms, but he'll have to allocute to having had sexual contact with the boy," the A.D.A. insisted.

"I think he'll accept that deal, but let me check with him quickly," my attorney replied.

Bruno hurriedly returned to our table and told me what was being offered. Since I was ready to accept any deal they offered, I gave him my consent. Bruno now turned and nodded toward the A.D.A.

"Your Honor," the prosecutor began, addressing the Judge, "I believe the Defense Attorney and I have reached a plea agreement, so if we may have a short recess to work out the details, I think we can avoid taking up any more of the court's valuable time."

"You have?" the Judge asked, while raising his eyebrows and frowning. "In that case, this court will recess for an hour and then I'll expect to hear the details of this agreement, before I dismiss the jury."

"Yes, Your Honor, and thank you," the A.D.A. responded.

"Yes, thank you, Your Honor," Bruno added.

The judge then slammed down his gavel and declared a recess and the jury was led out of the courtroom. Once the judge and jury had departed, I followed Bruno and the A.D.A. to a small office, where we hammered out the details for this deal. The A.D.A. then typed out what we'd agreed to on his laptop and copied the file onto a flash drive, so he could take it to another area where he printed it out. After Bruno read the plea agreement over, the A.D.A., Bruno and I each signed it and then Bruno and I waited in that small room until court reconvened.

Once the judge entered and declared the court back in session again, he looked at the A.D.A. and spoke.

"Do you have a signed plea agreement?" he asked.

"Yes, Your Honor, we do," the A.D.A. told him.

"May I ask what you have agreed to?" the Judge pressed.

"Yes, Your Honor. The defendant has agreed to enter a plea of guilty to sexual abuse in the second degree, with a sentencing recommendation," the A.D.A. answered.

"Mr. Cox, do you realize that by accepting this plea agreement it has the same effect as being found guilty by a jury?" the Judge asked, while eying me suspiciously.

"Yes, Your Honor, I do," I confirmed.

"In that case, your plea is accepted and recorded," the Judge ordered. "Sentencing will take place two weeks from today and a pre-sentence investigation will be required. All reports and recommendations are to be submitted to me no later than three days prior to sentencing. In addition to that requirement, I am also issuing a temporary restraining order, to prevent the defendant from contacting or communicating with the boys involved in this matter or any other child under the age of eighteen. Is that clear?"

I nodded my agreement, but I also said 'yes,' so it could be recorded, and then the judge turned toward the jury and spoke.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, this completes your service and I thank you for your time and effort," he stated. "You are now excused."

The judge then stood up and went to his chambers, after which the members of the jury were escorted out of the courtroom. Once they had gone, Bruno instructed me to follow him to the car and stated that he'd explain the details about what would happen next, after we got back to his office. Obediently I walked behind him, as we made our way from the courtroom. Once again, he took me out a back door, but this time he led me through areas I had never been in before, in order for us to avoid the press. He was very crafty in how he went about this, and rather than taking the elevator or the stairway we had used before, this time we walked down a different stairway instead, until we came to the level of the parking garage. We quickly got into his car, but neither of us said a word, as we drove back to his firm. Once we were there, he led me into his private office and closed the door, before he turned to me and spoke.

"You were very fortunate that the A.D.A. was willing to accept a plea deal, especially since the trial had started, but you were even luckier that I could convince him to agree to the generous terms I'd suggested," he acknowledged. "By dropping the charge down to this lesser count, it means that you won't have to go to prison and can serve out your sentence in the county jail instead. Now don't get me wrong, because I'm not saying that is such a great place either, but it's certainly better than a state facility, where there are more violent offenders that you would have had to intermingle with. The biggest downside is that you will still have to register as a sex offender, once you're sentence has been completed."

"I suspected I would," I confessed. "So why do you think the A.D.A. agreed to this deal then, if it's so much better for me?"

"I don't think he had much confidence in his witnesses," Bruno announced. "He saw that we already cast doubt on his first witness and might have been worried that the jury would wonder why she chose to believe a conversation she'd only overheard, without investigating it further, since she admitted that she didn't believe everything the children said."

"I was surprised the judge even allowed her testimony in the first place," I pointed out, "since she had no direct knowledge of anything that happened."

"I was too, but he ruled that it was only admissible under a very narrow interpretation of the law and she could only describe what she'd heard to explain why she reported the incident to Social Services, while at the same time not being allowed to reveal what was said," Bruno explained.

"I see, but she almost slipped," I stated.

"I know, but we prevented that from happening," Bruno acknowledged. "I think the A.D.A. was also worried about the boys' testimony as well. He indicated that the older boy was hesitant about admitting to what happened and stated that he'd only done it so he wouldn't make his brother look bad. I think the A.D.A. was concerned about what he might say and possibly even worried that the kid would change his story, once he was on the witness stand."

"I was wondering about that myself," I interjected. "After seeing him in the elevator, I had my doubts that he wanted to go through with this."

"I don't think the A.D.A. had any more confidence in the other boy either," Bruno went on. "I think he was afraid that he might also change his story and claim that he'd only said those things to impress his friend, so there was a chance that you may have ended up getting off altogether."

"Possibly, but I just didn't want to put those boys in that situation," I admitted. "I didn't want Jared to feel that he had to lie or be stigmatized if he didn't, because I'm certain that he realized his testimony would send me to prison."

"That's very admirable of you and I hope you don't come to regret your generosity later," Bruno stated, while giving me a sideways glance.

"I'll survive this better than he would have made out on the witness stand," I responded.

"I hope you do," Bruno muttered. "By the way, I hope you also understand that you'll have to allocute before sentencing, right?"

"Yes, I heard that too," I confirmed.

"Ok, so here's what I need you to do," Bruno continued. "I want you to write down exactly what you're going to say in your allocution, so I can go over it with you and suggest whatever changes I think are necessary. I suspect the judge will go with the year in jail that the A.D.A. and I will both recommend, but you'll be out in seven or eight months, once you are credited for good time, as long as you don't get into any trouble while you're incarcerated. You should also be prepared to be taken directly to jail after the sentence hearing, so I suggest that you just wear a dress shirt and no tie that day, instead of a suit."

Once he'd told me this, I thanked Bruno for not only taking my case, but for also listening to my request that I didn't want him to interrogate either Jared or Josh. That is what led to the plea agreement, after he convinced the prosecutor into taking a lesser charge and offering a reduced sentence. Even though I'll be spending time in jail, I still feel this is better than harming Jared or Josh further.

After we finished up there, I went home, so I could get my things in order, before the sentencing date. I had a great deal to do and only two weeks in which to do it. The first thing I took care of was to drain my pool and cover it, because I knew the boys wouldn't be coming down to swim again and I had certainly lost interest in swimming as well. I also took all the pool toys and deck furniture and locked them in the shed, because I wouldn't be coming back until next spring.

Sitting at home later that night, I began to think about how Jared and Josh were doing. I wondered if they realized what I had done to protect them today, by accepting the plea agreement and taking them off the hook at the last minute. After seeing them in the elevator, I could tell that they had both been hurt enough already and realized that if my lawyer had cornered Jared into admitting he wasn't forced into having sex with me, then that might affect Jared's situation with his peers at school.

No, what I did was for the best – I was convinced of that. I would end up having to pay for doing something I knew I should have avoided in the first place, although I won't go as far as to say that it was wrong, because I don't feel Jared was harmed by what we did. In fact, I think someday Jared will even admit that he benefited from our time together and definitely wasn't injured in any way, be it physically, mentally or emotionally.

After that, I prepared to call Jack Coughlin, so I could inform him about what had happened in court and arrange for him to take care of things for me while I was locked up. The more I thought about it, the better I began to feel about what I had done, by accepting the plea agreement. It wasn't that I was happy about going to jail and eventually being required to register as a sex offender, because having a criminal record was certainly going to follow me and present a whole bunch of new challenges. On the other hand, I had prevented Jared from having to go through testifying against me, being cross-examined and possibly having to admit to some things that he might regret forever, if that information was to get out. I'll do the time, as long as neither of the boys has to be scarred any further than what has already happened.

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