Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2011 22:16:17 +0000
From: David Lee <dlee169@hotmail.com>
Subject: Tommy and Tanner, Chapter 10

Tommy and Tanner
Chapter 10

Warning:

This story contains scenes of love and sexual interaction between males of
similar age.  If the reading or possessing this material is illegal in your
country, state, province, county, municipality, etc., please leave this
site immediately and do not proceed further.  If you are under the legal
age to read this, please do not do so.  It is not my intention to offend
anyone or to get you in trouble.

The author retains the copyright, and any other rights, to this original
story.  You may not publish it or any part of it without explicit
authorization from me.

This is not my first attempt at writing fiction.  My longer stories on
Nifty include: "Always and Forever" (March 25, 2004), "Jacob and Jacques"
(May 30, 2004), "Zeke" (August 29, 2005), "Tales from Bentonville"
(November 16, 2008), and "Second Chance" (September 24, 2010) under "High
School" and "Someone to Watch over Me" under "Beginnings" in the gay male
section.  There are a few short stories also: "Brad and Alan's Canoe Trip"
(April 22, 2004 under "Camping", "Of Angels and Dragons" (November 8, 2008)
under "Camping", "A Christmas Tale" (December 22, 2009) under "High
School", "Brazil Affair" (October 1, 2010) under "Beginnings" and "Seth's
Gift" (October 10, 2010) under the Science Fiction/Fantasy category.

I am now listed on Nifty under the category of "Prolific Net Authors" which
will make it easier for you to access earlier stories.  Some of these
stories are also posted at: www.storylover.us along with those of other
writers that may interest you.

My only reward for contributing to Nifty is your emails.  Please write if
you like the story.  Please include the name of the story in the title of
your email because my email service sometimes puts them in the "spam" file.

Finally, thanks and hugs to Tom and David (boxerdude) who edit for me so
that there are fewer mistakes!  They not only proof-read, but make other
valuable suggestions.

David
(dlee169@hotmail.com)

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 10

Lee turned out to be a charming guest and a great conversationalist.  Teri
was absolutely captivated by him and asked him to stay in touch.  She even
set a date with him to return, so that he would know that her invitation
wasn't simply a polite social gesture.

Tanner didn't learn any more details about his grandparents in talking to
his newly discovered uncle, but he did feel a certain kinship with the
young man.

Lee seemed to be genuine, and not a con-artist as Tark had originally
feared.  He also appeared to be a hard-working, successful guy who wouldn't
have ANY ulterior motive in trying to connect with his nephew.  Lee's
qualities helped to mitigate some of the information Tanner had learned
about his forebears.

----------

Given the full, and somewhat disrupted, schedule during the previous
summer, Tark hadn't had the chance to take his sons on an extended camping
trip like he'd done often in the past.  This year, they would all be old
enough to handle canoeing, as well as camping, since the older ones had
some experience in scouts and Tucker would have that opportunity soon.

The only way Tark would be able to work it in this summer was if Tommy and
Tanner farmed out some of their lawn work so they could go a week or so
after scout camp ended.  It was either that, give up scout camp, or
possibly give up their money-making little lawn business completely.

The boys didn't like any of the alternatives, especially the latter ones,
so they called a few friends to see who could do their mowing while they
were on vacation with their dad and brothers.  (Tark planned to keep up the
yard work while the boys were at scout camp.)

Andy readily agreed to substitute for them and Mason volunteered to help
him.  Andy was eager to earn a little spending money and Mason, who didn't
need the income, was enthusiastic about working with Andy.  Knowing what
they did about Mason, Tommy and Tanner were hesitant to hook them up in
this way.  They tried to ascertain what Andy knew about Mason's reputation
without saying anything specific.

Andy picked up on what they were doing and quickly assured them that he had
heard the rumors about Mason, but wasn't going to let that stop him from
working with the boy.  Andy was taking self-defense classes so that he
could ward off anyone who tried to bully him or who attempted to make an
unwelcome advance.  Inside his head, he was thinking that it might actually
be fun to get a blow job from someone who was considered an expert by some
of the athletes at school.  He wondered if he'd have the nerve to see it
through.

----------

"How would you guys feel about inviting Lee to go on our all-guy campout?"
Tark asked as he and his sons discussed arrangements one evening.

"It would be cool if you'd include my uncle," Tanner smiled.  "I know he
doesn't really have any family since his adoptive grandpa died.  I think he
misses that.  I'd like to get to know him better."

"I'm in favor," Tim spoke up.  "He's a nice guy and we should do our best
to make him feel welcome."

"Isn't he gay?"  Tuck frowned.

"He said that he is." Tark replied evenly.  "Do you think it would be right
to exclude him because of his orientation?"

"I guess not, but we'll be naked sometimes won't we, and what about
sleeping arrangements?"

"You know we always go skinny dipping when we can," Tark smiled.  "I'm sure
he's not going to make a move on a boy your age.  We can take three small
tents and he can bunk with me.  Of course that would leave you with Tim and
he may not want his little bro sharing with him."

"You'd better let me tent with you!" Tucker exclaimed, looking at his
oldest sibling.

"Sure twerp.  You can share with me as long as you wash your feet and don't
eat too many beans at supper time." Tim joked.

"Well Tommy, you're the only one who hasn't spoken on the subject."

"Oh, I'm fine with it.  I'd like to get to know him better too and ask a
few questions." He blushed, thinking that he'd made a bit of a faux pas.

"Good.  I'll call Lee tonight.  We've been assuming things; perhaps he'll
be busy or won't want to join us."

----------

As Tanner had predicted, Lee was very pleased about being invited to camp
with them.  However he had some reservations.

"Uh, are you sure everyone will be comfortable with having a gay man
along?" he asked.

"Sure!  Let me tell you how the discussion went.  Tanner is excited about
getting to know you better.  Tim, my eldest and most macho, said he thought
it would be great.  Tucker, my baby, is just entering puberty and is
probably a little concerned about his orientation, so he's a bit skittish.
Tommy said he'd like to ask you some questions, and from the way he
blushed, I suspect they might have to do with sexual orientation."

"Wow!  They seem pretty open."

"They'd better be!  That's how we're trying to raise them.  Don't be
surprised if they ALL quiz you a bit about what it's like being gay.  I
hope they'll be tactful enough not to embarrass you."

"How should I handle their questions?"

"If they're too personal, just say so.  The boys will back off.  Otherwise,
simply try to think of what you wish someone had told you at that age and
level with them."

"I'm glad you trust me to do that.  How can you be sure I'm not a pervert
who preys on young boys?"

"I think I'm a pretty good judge of character, Lee.  Besides, I know you'd
have to be thoroughly vetted in order to work as a counselor with kids.
You were probably scrutinized more closely than we teachers were."

"We are checked thoroughly, and you're really cool, Tark!  If you weren't
straight I'd ask you out.  Oops, I hope I haven't overstepped and queered
the deal, so to speak."

"Love your sense of humor, Lee.  If I were gay, I'd certainly accept the
invitation.  I'm kind of flattered that you'd find me attractive.  I'm
quite a bit older."

"You're fit and good looking.  I'm not hitting on you, but I do appreciate
daddies."

"You go for guys who have children?" Tark asked, somewhat confused by the
jargon.

"No, it's a term we use for guys who are 40 or over and I assume, given
your oldest boy's age, that you must be in your late 30's like Ralph would
be.  That is, unless you fathered Tim as a teen.  If I didn't know you had
teenage boys, I guess you at about 25 like me."

"Thanks for the compliment and for explaining the lingo.  I'm 42,
actually."

"Ah, the answer to life, the universe, and everything!" Lee chuckled.

"If you're into The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, we'll get along
famously." Tark laughed in return.

"Oh, I also have to warn you that this is a group of young heathens.
They'll want to be naked whenever they can get away with it.  I'm not sure
how comfortable Tuck will be at this age, but the older boys have always
loved skinny dipping and have no shame whatsoever.  Tanner has embraced it
too since living with us.  We don't mention it in front of Teri, though I
suspect she knows."

"Thanks very much for including me in this bonding experience, Tark.  And
thanks for trusting me to be nude around your naked boys.  I'm going to
talk to my boss tomorrow about taking vacation days on those dates."

----------

During the week that all the boys were away at camp, Tark and Teri were
looking forward to a kind of second honeymoon.  With the house empty, and
both having a bit of free time, since neither was teaching summer school,
they could do a few crazy things that they rarely got to enjoy during
child-rearing years.

On Sunday night, they made love on the patio under a nearly full moon.  It
had been years since they'd done anything like that out of doors.  As
proper as Teri was normally, she became a tigress when Tark pleasured her
orally under the stars.  In fact, she even left scratch marks on his back
when he brought her to her second orgasm with his tongue.  Tasting his own
cum on her had been an unexpected turn-on for Tark.

They made love in the middle of the day on Monday and Tuesday, but their
hot romantic encounters came to a temporary halt on Wednesday when they had
an unexpected visit from Tark's father just before noon.

Fortunately both Teri and Tark were dressed when he rang the doorbell.

----------

"Dad, what a pleasant surprise!  Are you here alone?"  Tark greeted him.

"Yes, I am.  I had some business to attend to in Chicago and thought I'd
take a chance on dropping in unannounced on the way home.  Have you had
lunch?"

"We were just thinking about what we might eat," Tark said with his head
turned away enough that his father couldn't see him flicking his tongue at
his wife who was having a difficult time keeping a straight face.

"Let me treat you to lunch at that little place you like to take the boys.
I hope we can find a private booth because I have a number of things to
tell you."

They rode to the restaurant talking about nothing more serious than what
the boys were up to.  Tark was curious about what his father would have to
say, but figured he'd learn soon enough.  He was neither surprised nor
displeased at his mother's absence.  It would be great to enjoy his dad's
company in a relaxed atmosphere.

Once their orders were taken, James began to fill his son and
daughter-in-law in on what had been transpiring in his household.

"You remember, of course, how we couldn't come at Easter time because your
mother wanted to be in Paris.  I readily agreed because I felt it would
have been a burden for both of you during the holiday even if we'd have
stayed in a motel.  Cynthia can be a bit much – insufferable, actually.

When we went on to Monte Carlo she spent a lot of time, and a good bit of
money, at the roulette wheel.  I went to the beach instead because I hate
to waste money on gambling.  Anyway, she met some supposed aristocratic man
about 20 years her junior.  He's known as Count Noah Romanov.  I'm not sure
how he came up with that unlikely combination of names, but I like to think
of him as Noah Count; you know, like no-account!" James said, stopping to
laugh at his own pun.

"I have a bad feeling that mother lent him money or something," Tark
interjected.

"Worse than that, or maybe better – depending on your outlook.  She
moved to Reno the minute we got home in order to get a quick divorce.  I
didn't tell you anything, thinking that she'd come to her senses and be
embarrassed about the whole thing.  However, the divorce just became final.

One advantage for me, and disadvantage for Mr. No-account, is that she was
willing to settle for very little money.  After all, her aristocratic lover
has a villa in the Tuscan countryside as well as other homes scattered
around the world.

Because I'm not a very gullible person, I had a detective agency do a
little investigating.  The villa is actually owned by a descendent of the
Pazzi family and is frequently rented out to help finance its upkeep.  It
appears that Count Romanov is a fraud.  Cynthia will probably be turned out
on the street the moment he discovers that she's not independently wealthy.

Now, don't frown like that, Tark!  I won't leave your mother destitute.  I
have a trust fund set up for her so that she will be able to live
comfortably, as long as she isn't extravagant.  She doesn't know about it
and won't unless she contacts me.  Either way, I have no intention of
taking her back.  I hadn't realized what a royal pain in the ass she is
until I've been free these past few months!"

After lunch, Teri excused herself to use the restroom and Tark asked his
father if he'd like to stay a few days to keep from being lonely.

"I love being with you guys and the boys, but I'll come back sometime when
they're home.  You and Teri need time alone to maintain your marriage.  If
I were your age and had a wife as pretty as Teri, I'd be getting laid every
single day the boys are gone.  I hope that's what you're doing!

"Uh, maybe not every day, Dad.  Even I may need a little time to recharge."
Tark blushed, not being used to such a direct conversation with his father
on the subject of sex.

"Make all the love you can now; rest when you're my age."

"I'll keep that in mind, Dad.  I think you're becoming a randy old goat."
He grinned.

"Well, I hate to think of myself as being old, but I'll accept the `randy'
part.  I'm not going to blow my money on some floozy, but I won't rule out,
um, dating a bit.  I hope you don't think me foolish."

"Nope, I think you deserve to have fun.  Just don't get anyone pregnant!"

----------

In the afterglow of their coupling later in the afternoon, Teri and Tark
discussed James' news.

"Tark, you don't seem broken up over your parent's divorce."

"Why should I be?  Mother has never been a particularly warm, caring
individual.  Remember her performance at Christmas?"

"Yes, but she IS your mother."

"In the biological sense, but she was never motherly.  I was something she
possessed that she could show off to her friends – the perfect little
gentleman."

"I can't imagine you as a perfect little gentleman."

"Oh, I was until I got tired of playing that game.  Then one day when I was
about six, I came walking into the living room during one of her society
teas naked as the day I was born and asked if someone could wipe my butt."

"You didn't!"  Teri giggled, picturing the look of consternation on his
mother's face.

"Oh, but I did!  That was the last time she made me come down to perform
for her guests."

"So, the boys' propensity for nudity is genetic."

"Nah, I think it's just a guy thing and probably most guys prefer to be
naked until some female is successful in taming them."

"But, back to your mother, you must have some kind of familial feelings for
her."

"Not as much as I do for Beulah.  She was the one who put Band-Aids on my
cuts and held me when I was sick.  Mother may have thought of her as a
housekeeper, but to me she was Mom."

"Oh Honey, we've been married nearly 19 years, why haven't you told me this
before?"

"Guys aren't supposed to let things like that bother them."

"That's not what you tell the boys.  You tell them it's okay to let their
feelings out and to cry when they need to.  I've seen you interact with
them as a sensitive, tender man."

"I know, and I mean it.  I want them to grow up differently than I did.
I'm really trying to be more open too.  You're the one who's changed me and
I love you for it."

"I wish I could make it all better for you."

"How about a second helping of dessert," Tark grinned as he began to tongue
his way down past her bellybutton.

"Can't you think about anything but sex?"

"No.  Is that a problem?"

"Uh, not at the moment.  Oh, please don't stop what you're doing!" she
gasped.

----------

When Teri and Tark picked up the boys from scout camp, there was no missing
that the two of them looked very happy and relaxed.  Tucker probably didn't
notice, but the older boys did and suspected they knew the reason.

"I think they've been getting it regularly," Tommy whispered to Tanner and
Tim.

"I agree," Tim giggled.  "They've probably spent the whole time in bed."

"We probably shouldn't talk that way about our parents, but I think it's
hot imagining them in bed," Tommy admitted.

"You are such a pervert!" Tanner laughed.

----------

The boys had a week to rest up from scout camp and get ready for their trip
with their dad and Tanner's Uncle Lee.  The first thing they did was dig
out what they would take for clothes.  Tark suggested that they should
leave their better shorts home and pack things that were expendable.  The
boys all had pairs of ratty boxer type swimwear with liners in them which
would eliminate the necessity of taking much in the way of underwear.
Since it was an all-guy outing, they wouldn't care how ratty they looked or
if they didn't have too many changes.  They could always wash the day's
sweat out of their trunks in the river.

Tim's supervisor at the pool wasn't thrilled to have her best lifeguard
miss another week in peak season, but didn't fire him because he was a
reliable employee.  In return, Tim worked extra shifts to fill in for kids
who were on vacation and subbed on a moment's notice for the ones who
didn't show up.

He also took extra care to see that everything was ship-shape when he left.
His attention to detail did not go unnoticed.

Tommy and Tanner did their best to get all their mowing obligations up to
snuff before they turned the job over to Andy and Mason.  They took the
other two boys along on some of the bigger jobs so that they would know how
things were supposed to be done.

Tark had done pretty well in keeping things up, and Tommy couldn't fault
him for not spending quite as much time and effort as Tanner and he did.
He grinned when he thought about why his dad hadn't spent more hours on the
lawns.  He didn't share that with Tanner, thinking that the mention of his
dad having more interest in sex than yard work might remind him of how his
father had died.

----------

Tark had planned their trip well and had arranged ahead with a company that
rented canoes at a reasonable rate.  They provided a shuttle service so
that he could park his vehicle at the place where they would end their
journey.  The outfitter could have included the use of all the equipment
needed, but since the guys had tents, sleeping bags, and cooking gear, it
seemed like a wasteful expenditure to go for the more costly package.
Besides, this would make them more flexible in case they wanted to change
their plans.

He had taken a similar trip on the shallow river in his younger days with a
couple of fraternity brothers so he knew approximately where campsites were
along the route.  His friends and he had loved the area, and the chance to
go skinny dipping and sun in the nude at the well-screened campsites.
Knowing his bunch, he assumed they would feel much the same.

On Sunday, a week after the boys had returned from scouts, they all loaded
up in the minivan with three small tents, sleeping bags, coolers, and food.
Some of their equipment had to be strapped on the roof rack in order to
have enough space for everyone to sit comfortably.  Tark and Lee made some
joke about looking like the Joad's on the way to California.  Tim got it
because he had seen the movie in his English class when they studied The
Grapes of Wrath, but they had to explain it to the rest of the boys.

----------

The boys waited somewhat impatiently with the canoes for Tark to come back
with the shuttle driver after parking the van at their destination point.
Lee had brought along two Frisbees which proved to be a great way to fill
the time.  Tossing them around acted as a kind of icebreaker with Tucker
who was still a bit standoffish with him.

Some other people, including a couple of teenage girls, a teen boy, and a
small boy, were also waiting for their drivers to return and Lee invited
them to participate.  Tanner was impressed by the show of friendliness on
the part of his uncle.

No doubt the girls were impressed by more than Lee's sharing.  They
couldn't help but assess the boys who seemed athletic and who were dressed
in apparel that gave some hints of their masculine attributes.  Tanner's
swimsuit had a hole in it pretty close to the crotch.  Of course it
revealed only the white liner underneath, but it did cause the girls' eyes
to stray in that direction.

One of the mothers had a small digital camcorder which she used to capture
scenes of their play.  She exchanged email addresses with Lee, promising to
share the video with him.

The kids were all so engrossed in their activity that the time passed
quickly and they felt almost reluctant to quit.  The mother of the small
boy thanked Lee for helping entertain her restless son.

"You play with them so well; you must have children of your own"

"In my real life, I'm a children's counselor.  So far I'm single."

"Well, I'm surprised some young lady hasn't snagged you.  You'd be a
perfect father."

"Thanks," he said, "I hope to raise a couple of kids when I find the right
person to do it with."

----------

The three canoes were divided up among the six with Tark and Lee sharing
one.  Tommy and Tanner were together, and Tim had Tucker with him.

Of the boys, Tuck was the most thankful that he'd been to scouting camp a
couple of weeks before.  He had signed up for the canoeing activity where
he'd paid close attention, knowing that he didn't want to look like a fool
in front of his older brothers.  Tim noticed how proficient he was in
handling his position at the front of their canoe and complimented him on
it.  Tuck ate that up like candy.

Tommy wondered if Tanner would want to change partners to have some time
for bonding with his uncle.  That was fine with him.  As much as he'd like
to spend every minute of every day with Tanner, he knew it would be selfish
to do so.  It was not all that long since the anniversary of Ralph Lead's
violent death and Tanner needed support from as many directions as
possible.  When he mentioned switching around, Tanner was pleased.

Tark steered his canoe toward a large flat area on the right edge of the
river around noon knowing that his boys would be ready for a refueling
stop.  They all dug into the sandwiches, chips, and fruit.  Tark had
prepared the sandwiches ahead to save time on the river and to help the
boys pace their eating by providing a specific number.

When they were ready to head on, Tommy asked his dad if they could switch
canoes so everyone could have a chance to be with someone else for a while.

"Are you and Tanner unhappy with each other?" Tark asked with a slight
frown.

"No, I think he should get to talk to his uncle some," Tommy explained.

"Capital idea!  I'll suggest a rotation.  You can be with Tim and I'll take
Tucker."

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Author's notes: Thanks to all who emailed since last posting.  They
include: Rutabaga, Don R, Bill T, Ott, Walt S, Jim C, John McD, Bert H,
Bill K, Wayne, Trish, Paul J, Mark H, Jim W, Gabriel S, Paul R, and Paul F.

I'm home again!  It's beginning to warm up in Iowa.  We were in the 60's
today!!!

David