Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2012 19:19:20 -0700 (PDT)
From: Pete Bruno <farmboy7456@gmail.com>
Subject: Single Soul Chapter 12

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This work fully protected under The United States Copyright Laws © 17
USC§§ 101, 102(a), 302(a). All Rights Reserved. The author retains
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full statement at the beginning of Chapter 1.)

A Single Soul
Chapter 12
She's Just Bat-Shit Crazy

Matt was sitting at his computer, staring out the window of his office, one
sunny and hot Friday afternoon in August, lost in thought as he reflected
on recent events.

Kelly had arrived the past June, and had quickly become a welcome part of
everybody's lives.

Jim had hired a nanny/housekeeper named Becky, the young wife of a deployed
Marine.  She quickly became an indispensable godsend, not only because of
how well she took care of Kelly, but also because of her relationship with
the two older boys.

Matty was out of his casts and down to just a leg brace, which he could
remove and swim with Jimmy in the pool.  His physical therapist approved
this as a good exercise for his recovery.

 Matt's relationship with Jim was moving along slowly, by design, but
getting deeper every day.  They were together for dinner almost every
night.  The boys, of course, thought this was all planned for their
benefit.  What the boys didn't know was that, every night after they fell
asleep, Jim and Matt were naked and devouring every inch of each other's
body!

The only problem for Matt in the relationship they shared was the guilt he
felt for betraying his marriage vows with his wife.  But, for the first
time in his life, he felt whole, complete.  He was determined, therefore,
that he would come clean with Denise as soon as she returned.

It was during one of the many struggles with himself over his adulterous
relationship with Jim that a thought crossed his mind.  His emails to
Denise were always full of his and Jimmy's daily activities; her responses
were almost always business-like, impersonal, as he saw it, anyway.  He
started thinking more and more about that.

Could she be involved with someone aboard ship?  Or, was it that she was
just totally wrapped up in her job and career advancement?

Two strong hands massaging his shoulders jerked him back from his thoughts.

"Hey, buddy, where were you?" Jim asked in his sexy baritone.

"Just thinking about things," Matt replied. He stood and took Jim into his
arms, kissing him deeply. "And how was your day?" Matt asked, snuggling his
face into the side of Jim's neck and inhaling Jim's masculine scent.

"SOP, Captain; but, being here with you makes it a totally different
story," Jim answered, dropping his head and kissing Matt's neck.  "So what
are our boys up to?"

Jim's use of the term 'our boys caused Matt's heart to sing.  It reinforced
his sense of `rightness' about his relationship with Jim.  In his entire
life, Matt never thought that he could ever feel this whole.  At the same
time, he experienced nagging guilt when he thought about his marriage to
Denise.  He became more determined than ever to resolve all his conflicts.
To remain true to himself, his personal beliefs, and to those around him,
Matt had to deal with the adultery issue that was compromising his personal
ethics.  While Jim was holding him in his strong arms, Matt promised
himself that he would come clean to Denise about everything on the first
night of her return.  After all, how could he be a good father to Jimmy, if
he didn't practice what he preached?

"The devil pup is sleeping, and the two musketeers are playing video
games," Matt answered Jim.

"Perfect, now about a beer, big guy?" Jim asked, and kissed Matt again.

"Sounds good; but, you and I need to talk," Matt said, as he led Jim to the
refrigerator for the beers.

"Jim ... how much do you love me," Matt asked, without turning to face Jim.

Jim's body went rigid and he glared at Matt.  "Where's this coming from
Matt?  I thought we got past all that shit!  That it was all in the past!
Listen, I've said I'm sorry ... more than once," his voice rising in anger.
"I bared my soul to you and begged forgiveness.  So, what the fuck more do
you want from me!?!" Jim snapped, as he slammed his fist into the counter.

"Whoa there, Gunner," Matt said, as he whirled and wrapped Jim in his arms,
"I wasn't going there, man! I agree; that's all over with now.  No ... this
is about me and the guilt I'm feeling about Denise.  Remember our talk
about the greatest commandment?  We even had it with the boys.  No, it's me
that's not practicing what I preach ... and it's startin' to get to me
... I'm wonderin' if maybe we ..." Matt faltered as he tried to speak.

Jim softened immediately, looked deeply into Matt's hazel eyes, and said,
"Matthew; I love you so much it hurts.  I don't wanna be away from you for
even just a minute; and if I had my way, we'd be together 24 hours every
day."  He hugged Matt tightly, "I know you like I know myself ... You wanna
ask me somethin', I can tell.  Well, do it.  Ask away."

"I feel like a hypocrite," said Matt.  "We teach our boys something and we
don't practice it ourselves.  So, if you'll please agree, what I'd like to
do is just not have sex anymore until I end it with Denise. I mean;" he
went on hurriedly, "we can still love each other and continue to develop
our relationship and raise the boys together, and all ..." Matt took a deep
breath ... "but no more adultery.  It's buggin' the Hell outta me," he
concluded.

Jim stood still for a brief moment, peering deeply into Matt's eyes.  This
was not exactly the question he expected to hear, he thought to himself;
but, he couldn't argue with Matt's logic, and he was determined to do
everything he could for this relationship.

He sighed, softly and deeply.  "I don't like it one bit, Matty; but, I
understand where you're comin' from.  And I have to agree with you ... even
if I don't like it ... but, only until we square things away with Denise,"
he admonished with a grin.

"Now, that doesn't mean we can't still make out, does it?" he asked, giving
Matt a mock look of horror and pecking him on the cheek with a mischievous
grin.

"Hmmm" Matt reflected ... "You're a good man, dog-face, and ... maybe even
jerkin' ourselves off in the shower together might be okay?"  Matt sighed
with an equally mischievous grin and hugged the big man tightly, resting
his head on Jim's shoulder.

"Hey, are you guys ever gonna get dinner ready?" asked a voice from across
the kitchen.  Matt and Jim started, broke apart, and looked toward the
family room.  They saw both `their boys' standing in the doorway, looking
impatient about getting their dinner, but totally nonplussed by the sight
of their fathers hugging, even though this was the first time they had
witnessed such an intimate show of affection between their Dads.

Matt and Jim stepped away from each other, laughed, and bumped fists
... both hoping that the partial erections in their pants weren't too
obvious.

"And just what do the two musketeers have in mind for dinner?" Jim asked.

"Can we go out Dad, pleeease?" Matty begged.  "I haven't been to a
restaurant since the accident."

"Let's see what we can work out.  You guys go and check on your little
brother and then report back."

"But, quietly, please!"  Jim called out as the boys began to run down the
hall.  They skidded to a stop and began walking on exaggerated tiptoes to
the baby's room.  Jim watched them fondly and thought about recent events.

Over the past few weeks, Matt had gradually brought Jim up to speed about
his father and their `special relationship'.  Jim found it all very hot and
admitted to Matt that Frank was one of his favorite jerk-off fantasies.

The other development was how close Frank and Finn had become; they were
almost inseparable.  In fact, Finn had sold his majority share in his law
practice in Jersey and was in the process of moving to North Carolina
permanently, to be near Frank.  As he told everyone, there was plenty of
work in North Carolina for his divorce business.

On the home front, there were also changes, happily for everyone, other
than the occasional nightmare, Matty's recovery was progressing nicely.  In
fact, Matty's psychologist believed that Matty was doing well enough to
discontinue his therapy and told Jim just to watch for any signs of
regression.

Both Jim and Matt regarded baby Kelly as a huge factor in helping Matty
cope with the aftermath of the accident that injured him and killed both
his Mom and his Uncle.  Plus, Jimmy was available to crawl into bed with
Matty and comfort him during his stressful times.

While the boys were on their errand, Matt phoned his dad and arranged for
him to babysit while they went out to eat.  Finn got on an extension and
told the men that he would be coming along, as well; he had some news for
Jim, who needed to make some decisions.

Jim snapped back to the present when the two youngsters returned to report
that their little brother was still asleep.  Since Kelly's arrival, the two
older boys had become very attached to the baby, and both had begun calling
him "our little brother," which pleased both Jim and Matt, of course.

"Okay, boys, how does Mexican food tonight sound?" Jim asked, already
knowing the answer.

"Great!" the boys shouted.

"Are we taking the devil pup?" Matty asked.

Jim laughed, "Hey, Sport; you better not let your grandmother hear you call
him that; she'll tan your hide."

"Well, you and Uncle Matt call him that all the time," Matty said
defiantly.

"Yeah, but she'd tan our hides, too, if she heard us; so watch it," Jim
continued, "and no, Papa and Uncle Finn are coming up to babysit Kelly so
we can take our time and celebrate Matty getting rid of his casts."

"Cool," the boys said together, bumping fists.

Calling Frank "Papa" had become natural for both boys because Frank was
always around to help during Matty's convalescence.  This, of course,
pleased Jim and Matt greatly.

"Why don't you guys go get a shower and change?  They'll be here in about
forty-five minutes."  The boys scrambled upstairs and headed for the closet
they shared at Matt's house.  Because they were constantly together, it was
only natural that they keep clothes at both houses.

Until the issue with Denise was settled, Jim still had to go to his house
to change, though.  "I'm headin' over to the house to do the same thing.
You mind bringing the boys over when you're ready?" Jim asked Matt.

Meanwhile, Matt busied himself with Kelly, who had begun to fuss.  The baby
calmed as soon as he saw Matt.  He had bonded with Matt the same as he did
with his own father.  When he was especially fussy, even for Becky, all Jim
or Matt had to do was pick him up, and he would settle immediately.  He
would coo and grab their big fingers.  When Becky first saw this, she
declared, "You can be sure he's a devil pup, when only a dog-face can make
him happy," she remarked archly."

When Frank and Finn arrived, Matt herded the boys together, walked across
the street with them to Jim's, and the four headed out for dinner.

Later, upon returning to Matt's house, they found Frank and Finn watching
TV, while Frank rocked Kelly.

"Well, guys, did you have a good time?"  Frank asked.

"Sure did, Papa.  It was the first time I've been out to eat since the
accident," Matty said excitedly.  For a moment, his eyes reflected some
sadness as he recalled the incident.  It disappeared quickly and he
returned to his usual happy self.

"Boys, why don't you guys go play some video games?  We have some business
to discuss," Jim said.

"Okay," the boys answered and headed off to Matty's bedroom.

"Come on, Dad, let's go watch the boys play video games while these guys
talk," Matt said.

"No, you two are my family now, and I would appreciate your input," Jim
said.  "Go ahead, Finn."

"Well," Finn began, "your mother-in-law filed, yet again, for visitation
rights.  But, when the judge read the brief by our attorney and the
testimony of the police and social worker, it was dismissed immediately
with prejudice; which means she can't file again."

"Good!  She's the last person I ever want near my boys," Jim stated flatly.

"And, by the way, I've also filed a copy of your Jersey restraining order
here at the county courthouse, in case she decides to visit North Carolina.
This state has a reciprocal agreement with Jersey," Finn went on.

"Now, for the insurance settlement.  The trucking firm's insurance carrier
has raised the offer to settle to five million for the wrongful death of
Linda and 1.5 million for Matty's pain and suffering, and for any future
medical expenses he might have," Finn said.

"Do you think that's a good offer?" Jim asked. "I mean, it's more than
their first two offers."

"Actually, I think you would be wise to take it," Finn counseled.  "If it
went to court, you may have a good shot at a larger settlement; but, then
you could probably count on the insurance company appealing that award and
your legal bills would really mount up," Finn said. "Frankly, I think it's
a good offer that you should accept.  It's more than enough to make raising
the boys easier and paying for their education and, of course, hiring help
to take care of that."

"What do you think, Matt?" Jim asked his lover.

"I agree with Finn.  It's not like you set out to profit from her death;
but you never know what the future will bring.  What if Matty starts having
problems, either physically or mentally, as a result of the accident?  At
least you'll have the means to get him help," Matt replied.

"Uncle Frank, your thoughts?" Jim asked.

"I'll make it unanimous," Frank said.

"Okay, Finn, go ahead and set it up; and you'll have to help me invest it,"
Jim said.

"Now, for happier topics, Kelly's christening and the boys' birthdays,"
Matt said. "Dad, would you mind hosting both parties?  We'll pay for
everything; but, we thought it might be nice to have it at the beach."

"I think that's a great idea.  We can use both houses, if that's okay with
you, Finn," Frank remarked.

"Sure, that would be great.  I'd love to do that; but, I insist on paying
for the birthday party.  You two can do the christening ... and I won't
hear any arguments about it," Finn said.

"Do you have a date in mind?" asked Frank.

"We were thinking September 6th and 7th.  That's a weekend that should work
out well because the boys go back to school the week before, and that'll
give them a chance to pick a few friends to invite," Matt said.

"Okay, let's go for it.  We'll work on it later this week," Frank said.

On the drive back to their beach houses, Frank thanked Finn for being so
generous about the boy's birthday parties and the special care he was
taking with Jim's case.

Finn reached over and took Frank's hand.  "They're important to you, so
they're important to me; and I do love those two kids, like they were my
own"... Finn's voice trailed off, "Considering how that bitch I was married
to has turned my children against me ... well ... I'm sure I'll never see
my grandchildren," he finished in a sad note.

"Give `em time; they're only teenagers.  She has a lot control over them at
this age.  When they get to college, things should change," Frank said, as
reassuring as possible.

As they were pulling into their cul-de-sac, Finn asked, "Your place or
mine?" as he reached over and cupped Frank's crotch.

"Anywhere is fine with me, as long as I get at that hot ass of yours,"
Frank said.

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

The next morning, Matt put on his running gear and headed over to Jim's
with Duffy and Danny in tow for Jimmy to watch.  Jimmy had spent the night
with Matty, and Becky was already in the kitchen feeding Kelly when Matt
came through the back door.  As soon as the baby recognized Matt, he began
to bounce up and down.  Matt kissed the baby good morning and got a smile
from Kelly for his efforts.  Jim entered the kitchen just as Matt was
hovering over the baby, teasing him and tickling his bare belly.

"Stop scaring the kid," Jim grinned as he came in, "or are you maybe tryin'
to talk him into going to Canoe U already?" Jim joked.

"You say that like there's something wrong with being a Midshipman,
Gunner," Matt shot back.

"Oh, why no, sir, Captain Sir," Jim replied, clearly mocking Matt with a
big smile on his face.

Becky rolled her eyes and shook her head, muttering sarcastically, "You two
should take your act on the road. I suggest we get on with feeding this
hungry baby".

"Yes, ma'am.  By the way, after our run, the Captain and I are gonna be
headin' out to do some shopping and planning for the birthday parties and
the Christening.  So, we won't be back until after lunch.  If those two
hoodlums give you any trouble, call us," Jim said.

"And if they bug you about swimming, they can only go if you have time to
go with `em," Matt added.

Matt and Jim left on their usual run.  Afterward, they went directly to
Matt's house, and headed straight for Matt's huge, master bath shower.
They were naked in a flash.

Jim nuzzled Matt's neck and said, "Fuck, Matty; I love the way you smell
after a run."  He lifted Matt's arm, stuck his nose into Matt's pit and
sniffed, licking the hairy armpit ... "and taste," he added, and then
kissed Matt deeply.

"Come on now, Jim, remember, we're only supposed to jack off together.
But, if you keep doing that, I'm not gonna be able to control myself," Matt
said as he stepped into the shower.

"Yes, sir; then let's start polishing these poles, because just looking at
you makes me want to cum!"

With all the shower heads running Matt leaned on the wall at one end and
Jim at the other.  Using liberal amounts of body wash, they began to slowly
jerk themselves off, playing with their own balls and pinching their own
nipples.  Matt had never experienced anything this hot; it was as exciting
to perform for Jim as it was for Jim to watch him.

Matt began to pant. "Jimmy, I'm gonna cum, man!  Move over here, so we can
shoot on each other."

Jim gave Matt a sexy smile and moved closer to him.  Their cock heads
almost touching, both panting and stroking themselves, the two lovers
yelled together, "I'm cumming!" and shot ropes of cum on each other's
stomach.

Shaking in the aftermath of their mutual orgasms, they leaned against the
shower wall and Matt said, "Now that was fun," as he rubbed Jim's cum into
his own body hair.

"Yes, sir, it sure was! Now, let's get rolling.  We have a lot to do before
Becky leaves, and I wanna get a haircut today, and one for Matty, too," Jim
said.

"Yeah, I could do with one, too," said Matt.  There's a great Marine owned
barber shop on 172 in Sneads Ferry called the Back Gate; the wife's out but
the husband is still active duty, and they do a mean `high and tight'.  We
can take a shortcut by goin' through the base and drop by Dad's house on
the way.

"Okay, sounds good.  But I suggest we go first and order the tents, tables,
and chairs we'll need for the parties."

They dried and dressed, then headed out to arrange for their party
supplies. On the way, they stopped at Bicycle Gallery and ordered matching,
dual Sport mountain bikes, in different colors of course, as birthday
presents for both boys.  Grocery shopping was next; then they stopped for a
quick lunch and some alone time to discuss the party and the christening.

"Are you gonna do it in the Catholic Church?" Matt asked.

"I'm not sure; I was thinking about that last night," answered Jim.

He looked at Matt and went on, hesitantly, "I also did a lot of thinking
about you and me. At the risk of being presumptuous, I'm assuming that,
once Denise comes home and things get worked out between the two of you
... that you and I would be living together and raising the boys.  Well,
maybe Jimmy only part-time; depends on the agreement you make with Denise
..." Jim said without his usual confidence, and left the conversation
hanging for Matt's response.

"That would be a big affirmative, Gunner!" Matt said, grinning widely.  If
they weren't in a public place, thought Matt, he would have soundly kissed
Jim on the spot, not only for what he said about them but also for the cute
way he approached it ... Well, as `cute' as a six-foot-three, stud of a
Marine can be, anyway, he thought to himself.

Jim let out the breath he had been holding, smiled, and went on.  "Whaddaya
think about the Episcopal Church, instead of the Catholic?  They seem to be
a little more accepting."

"That's true; but, both the boys were baptized Catholic, and so were we,"
Matt said.

"Okay, I agree," said Jim.  "How `bout, then, we all go to Mass tomorrow
and meet the priest and see what vibes we get from him.  I mean, we really
should start taking the boys to church, anyway.  I don't wanna fill their
heads with guilt, or anything; but, the fellowship would probably be good
for `em.  Remember?  You and I had a lot of friends at church, CYO
basketball, and even our scout troop."

Matt replied, "Hmmm ... I think Infant of Prague has a mass at 1000 hours
tomorrow; or we could stay at Dad's tonight and go to St. Mary's in Surf
City, instead.  Remember? Yeah! It's the outdoor church and the boys might
like that.  Hey, and we wouldn't have to worry about Kelly cuz he can stay
with Dad while we're at church!"

"Sounds like a plan," Jim replied. "Let's head out and I'll drive while you
call your Dad,"

Once they got to Matt's, they split the groceries between the two houses,
went out to the pool, thanked Becky for working, and sent her on her way.
She wasn't away two minutes when they heard the boys laughing and,
suddenly, two bathing suits came flying out of the pool and landed with a
splat on the deck.

"What's so funny, you two?" asked Matt.

"Nothin," they drawled, looking at each other knowingly.

"We both really like Becky.  It's just that she sorta cramps our style when
we're in the pool," Matty said with a big grin, and both boys began
laughing again.

"Okay, I see," replied Matt. "Guys, we gotta get goin'.  We're all stayin'
over at Papa's tonight.  So, go get dressed.  And grab some clothes to wear
to church tomorrow," he added.

"Church!  Are we really gonna go to church, Dad?" Jimmy whined, looking at
Matt with a long face.

"Yes.  And that's an order; so march, Mister ... that goes for both of
you."  Matt answered.

In the process of getting ready to leave, they realized that, with four
people and three dogs, plus all of Kelly's baby stuff, they had to take two
cars to manage it all.  They drove directly to the barber shop and parked
in shaded spots for the dogs.

The boys hadn't had a haircut yet this summer; so they both had a full head
of hair.  Matt asked them how they wanted theirs cut.

"I want mine cut just like yours, Dad.  Mom would never let me get one like
yours," Jimmy said; "but, a lot of the guys at school have haircuts just
like you and Uncle Jim."

"Me too, Uncle Matt!"  Matty quickly added.

Both Matt and Jim wore their hair in the traditional `high and tight' style
of the Corps.  Matt looked at Jim, and they smiled at each other.

So, into the shop marched two marines, two boys and one baby.  Fifteen
minutes later, they all walked out, the two youngsters looking like
mini-Marines, and prepared to drive on to Frank's place.

While they were strapping Kelly into his car seat, Matty mentioned to his
father, "Hey, Dad.  When we were headed over to Uncle Matt's to go swimmin'
today, we saw Grandma Butler drive by."

Jim froze and looked at his son. "Are you sure, Sport?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think so, anyway.  It sure looked like her," Matty said.

"It was probably just someone who looked like her," Jim said, trying to
convince himself more than his son.  He decided to tell Finn about it when
they got there.

The last thing I need is that crazy bitch causing trouble, Jim thought to
himself.

 As soon as Matt and Jim spotted Frank emerging from his front door to
greet them, they both yelled out, "No swats!"

Matty and Jimmy, who wanted to proudly show off their new haircuts, had
already begun running to their Papa as soon as they spotted him.  But, they
skidded to a stop and looked at their Dads, both totally confused.

 "Huh?" they said in unison.

Frank looked at the boys with a phony leer and said joyfully, "Swats!" Then
he proceeded to give them each a light slap on the back of the head.

"Hey, Papa, what was that for?" Jimmy asked, while both boys rubbed the
backs of their heads. Matty joined in with, "Yeah! What'd we do?"

Matt and Jim laughed at the scene. "Boys, you'll learn real quick that on
the day you get a new haircut you have to call out 'no swats' when you
first see Papa.  If he says `Swats' before you say `No swats', well, you
can see what'll happen."

Frank laughed as he grabbed both boys and hugged them tightly, "I really
like your haircuts; you look like little Marines!" Frank said.

"Thanks Papa," they both replied.  Then they broke free, the boys were
anxious to swim; so, after taking their belongings to their room and
stripped, then ran down to the pool, and jumped in.

Meanwhile, Frank told Matt and Jim to follow him with the baby.  He opened
a door on the second floor.  Jim and Matt stared with wide eyes at a room
completely set up for a baby, complete with a crib and changing table.

"Wow, Uncle Frank, this is great; thank you!" Jim exclaimed.

"I'll do anything it takes to get you guys to bring Kelly down here more
often," Frank said, cradling the baby and kissing him tenderly.

Finn joined the gang for swimming and dinner.  Afterward, Jim grabbed Finn
in the kitchen and told him what Matty had said about seeing his
grandmother drive by.  Finn agreed that the boy might have been mistaken;
but, he admonished Jim to keep a wary eye out and be sure to explain the
whole situation to Becky on Monday, so she could be on the lookout, too.

Around 2100 hours, Matt informed the boys that it was time for bed, as he
took Kelly upstairs to put him down.  At that moment, Jim's cell phone
rang.  It was his next door neighbor, calling to say that he was concerned
because he kept seeing the same car driving through the neighborhood
throughout the day; and then, about 2000 hours, he saw a woman get out of
the car and walk around Jim's house.  Then he saw her walk across the
street and do the same at Matt's house.

Jim fumed; he was now convinced that Matty was right.  It was Linda's
mother, alright.

Finn and Frank calmed him down; and the four of them discussed a plan.
They knew that the boys would be safe at Frank's place for the next week,
because the old bat didn't know anything about Frank's beach house.  So,
they called Becky and asked if she would mind coming to Frank's house all
week, instead of Jim's. Thrilled to be at the beach for a week, she readily
agreed.

Matt and Jim decided that, after church the next day, they would go back to
their houses to pick up more clothes for the boys, food for the dogs, and
more supplies for Kelly.  After Frank, Finn and the three boys went to bed
and things seemed to calm down a bit, Matt knocked on Jim's bedroom door.

"Come in," Jim said.  Matt walked in and climbed into bed with Jim.

"This is not a booty call," Matt said, wrapping his arms around Jim from
behind. "I know you're upset about your crazy mother-in-law, and thought
you might want some company."

"Thanks buddy and you're right; just having you here helps me a lot
... `course that little piece a wood sticking me in the ass ain't helpin'
any, though," Jim said with an evil laugh.

"Little, my ass!" huffed Matt indignantly.  "Just for that, I'll go on back
to my room!  God forbid I should bother you!"  Matt said with mock severity
and started climbing out of the bed.

Jim grabbed him and pulled him back in.  "Don't even think about it,
Captain.  I need you with me tonight," "We can just sleep," he added, more
than a bit regretfully.  And sleep, they did.

Just having Matt next to him in bed calmed Jim's nerves and they both slept
soundly until they were awakened by the baby monitor, full of Kelly's
crying and fussing.  Both men began to rise; but Jim said, "Stay, buddy,
I'll take the first shift."

After breakfast the next morning, Jim and Matt dressed their sons in the
church clothes they had brought, and headed out for the noon mass.  The
boys were surprisingly attentive and both fascinated by an outdoor church,
"It was pretty cool," they said after mass.  As they walked out the front
doors, Matt looked at the priest greeting parishioners as they filed out
and noted that the priest was a youngish man who looked familiar.

"Hello Father, I'm Matthew Leo and..."

"Captain Leo, how are you?  It really is a small world," the priest said as
he shook Matt's hand. "I baptized your son when you were stationed at Paris
Island.  I'm Father David."

"Yes, of course, Father," replied Matt, as he recalled meeting the priest.
"I thought you looked familiar.  That is one impressive memory you have,
Father; it's been almost nine years," placing his hands on Jimmy's
shoulders.  And this is Jimmy, the baby you baptized."

The priest reached out and shook the boy's hand, "Well, you sure have
grown, young man."

"Father," Matt went on, indicating Jim, "This is my best friend and
neighbor, Chief Warrant Officer Jim Flannery and his son, Matthew," Matt
said.  He saw the look of realization that crossed the priest's face as he
heard how the four of them were named.

Father David has put two and two together, I bet, Matt smiled to himself.

"We'll step aside, Father, so we don't hold up the line; but, if you have a
few minutes later, we'd like to discuss something with you."

"Sure, give me about fifteen minutes, and I'll meet you over by the
benches," Father David said.

When the priest joined Jim and Matt, he had changed from his vestments into
street clothes.

"Father, Jim and I first met when we were only eight years old. After high
school, we went our separate ways and didn't have contact with each other
for years.  This past May, in a twist of fate, Jim moved into a house
across the street from me," Matt explained.

"I see," said Father David; "and just what can I help you guys with?"

"Well, Father, my wife was killed in a car accident soon after she gave
birth to my younger son, Kelly, and, well, I'd like my son to be baptized
and I want to talk to you about that," Jim said.

"Okay, I have this afternoon free, if it works for you," Father David
replied.

"As a matter of fact, it does," said Matt. "We're staying at my father's
house up on North Topsail Beach. Would you like to join us there for
lunch?"

"That would be great; what time?" Father David asked.

"If you're ready, you could follow us now."

"Great; lead the way," the priest said.

On the way to Frank's, Matt called his father and alerted him that they
would have a guest for lunch; and told the boys that if they wanted to go
swimming, they would need to wear swim suits. "There's no need to shock
Father David," he added.

When they arrived, Frank and Finn had the grill going and were ready to
start the burgers.  After introductions, Father David accepted a beer; and
this, of course, elicited giggles from Matty and Jimmy.

"Hey, guys, priests drink more than just wine at Mass; we're actually
regular guys, you know?" Father David said, surprising the boys.  But, they
immediately became more comfortable around him.

After lunch, Frank and Finn took the boys on a walk up the beach, they were
about two miles south of the New River Inlet, and the other side of the
inlet was the southern end of Camp Lejeune.  Off the four went on their
jaunt, loaded down with binoculars and water bottles, the three dogs
scampering around them.  The boys were off on another adventure!

It was the low tide of the day, and as they were walking Finn was pointed
to what looked like pieces of black top in the shallow water and explained
to the boy's those was the remnants of where the road used to before the
hurricane's Bertha and Fran in 1996 when eighty percent of the homes on the
island were damaged, and one hundred ocean-front homes were washed away.
Then he showed them were a one hundred-foot inlet had been cut into the
island; it was the largest of the thirteen that breached the island; it was
more than five months before residents could return.  Then he pointed out a
modest brick beach front home with a large empty lot next to it.  Finn
explained that on that lot stood a Baptist church that was moved off two
years ago to a larger location on the mainland, but through both
hurricane's neither of those building sustained any damage while the homes
on either side were washed away.


"I'd say was a bit of Divine intervention," Frank said.

Back at the house, Jim began explaining his situation to Father David.  He
had barely begun his tale when they heard Kelly crying over the
monitor. Jim automatically rose to tend to the baby's needs; but, Matt
stopped him, "I'll get him this time; you go on talking with Father David."

Ten minutes later, Matt returned with Kelly, feeding him his bottle. It was
patently obvious that he loved the baby very much, because of the
tenderness in his eyes as he watched Kelly nurse and grab his big wrist at
the same time.

Jim's voice trailed off as he gazed at the scene.

Father David watched the actions of the two men, and thought to himself:

I think my first assessment of these two was very likely correct: Jim and
Matt share much more than simply the companionship of best friends.

Father David briefly pondered this based on the fact that he, himself,
identified as a gay man, a fact that only a very few of his most trusted
friends knew.  Although, he was proud of himself for always maintaining his
vow of celibacy, but he still appreciated good-looking men when he saw
them, and was especially sensitive to that type if he thought they were
gay.

However, he respected the privacy of these two men and vowed not to bring
up the true nature of their relationship.  Instead, he chose to let Jim and
Matt broach that subject in their own good time, if ever.

Jim snapped himself out of his reverie and picked up where he had left off
in his story.  He left nothing out, ending with the discovery of the lie
about Kelly's death and, of course, the kidnapping that ended with his
wife's death.

Father David listened, without comment.  When Jim sighed heavily and became
silent, the priest thought for a few moments and then spoke.

"That is quite a story.  I must say, you all seem to be handling everything
rather well, especially young Matthew.  It's apparent, to me, that there is
a lot of love in this group; and that's what is most important in
situations like this."

The three men talked for another hour, concluding their discussion with
Father David, who assured Jim and Matt that he would check the calendar for
his availability on the day they wanted to have the christening.

As they were shaking hands and saying good-bye, Jim said, "Thanks for
taking time with us, Father David..."

"You know, guys, when we're alone, please call me just `Dave'.  Unless I'm
at the altar, I'm a regular guy, just like you two."

Grinning in agreement, Jim and Matt followed the priest to the door and
watched him walk to his car.

With Kelly down for a nap, Matt and Jim took the opportunity of being alone
to simply hold on and draw strength from each other.

"You like him, don't you?" Matt asked, reflecting on his original
assessment of the priest.

"Yeah, I do; and I think he figured us out.  I'm not sure; but, I got a
vibe," Jim said.

Matt laughed, "Whoa, Gunner; have you developed gaydar already?"

Jim lightly punched Matt's arm. "No, butt-head; it's just intuition."

They continued to talk about recent developments; and, a half-hour later,
the gang arrived from their trip up the beach.  The boys were thrilled and
chattered excitedly about what they had seen: An aircraft carrier and troop
ships, the hovercrafts going back and forth between the ships and shore,
offloading Marines, and Ospreys flying up and down the beach.  The boys
were very animated and ended their tale with, "It was just like being in a
war movie!"

Jim and Matt prepared to go back to Jacksonville to check on the houses and
do some packing for the boys during their stay at Frank's throughout the
following week.  They had decided that Matt would work at his own house
during the day for that week while Jim was on duty at the base; and, each
day, he and Jim would join everybody at Frank's house on the beach for the
night.

Before they left, Finn spoke with them and told them both not to react if
they happened to encounter Linda's mother; just to call the police.  He
instructed Jim to make two copies of the restraining order, one to keep
with him at all times and the other to keep at Frank's place.  His last
comment was a suggestion to Jim that he contact Jim's landlord and secure
permission to install a security system in the house, at Jim's expense.

They stopped first at Matt's house to gather what he needed for the week,
and then crossed the street to do the same for Jim.  Nearing the front
door, they saw an envelope stuck in the screen, and they could see some of
what was written on it, "This ain't over asshole"... Jim read aloud and
reached for it; but, Matt stopped him.

"I think we should call the police and report this without touching
anything.  You know it has to be from that bat-shit crazy bitch; so, let
them handle it," Matt said.

"Yeah, you're right," agreed Jim, pulling out his cell phone to make the
call.  While they waited for the police to arrive, Jim entered the house
through the back door and began his packing, while Matt waited out front
for the officers.

Meanwhile, Matt called Finn and told him what had happened.  Finn agreed
that they had done the right thing.  He instructed Matt to ask the police
if they would open the envelope while wearing gloves and record its content
in their report, and then release the note to Jim's custody.

Jim showed the officer the restraining order against his mother-in-law and
related Finn's message to them. With gloved hands, one of the officers
opened the note and read it aloud:

"Don't think this is over you bastard. You will not keep me from my
grandchildren and I'll make sure you lose custody of both boys when I
expose your secrets and deceit and how you caused the death of my son and
daughter."

"Do you have a printer that also makes copies, sir?" the officer
asked. "I'd like to have a copy of this note to attach to the report."

"Yeah, sure, come on in," Jim said.  They went into the house, made the two
copies, and then, with his hands still-gloved, the officer returned the
original to its envelope and placed it in a plastic bag for Jim. Jim
provided the officer with a description of his ex-mother-in-law's car plus
the New Jersey license plate number that the neighbor had noted for him.

After thanking the departing officers, they finished loading their own car
with Jim's personal belongings, locked the house, and left for North
Topsail Beach.  As they were backing out of the driveway, Jim noticed a car
driven by a woman slowly pass the front of his house.  He was certain that
it was his mother-in-law.

"Don't worry," Matt told him. If it is, she won't be able to follow us.
I'll just go through the base, which she's not allowed to enter, and then
we'll take Rt. 172 down to Dad's.  "That'll sure piss her off to no end,"
he grinned.

The road known as Rt. 172 ran through Camp Lejeune and down to Snead's
Ferry and was only open to active-duty personnel and employees who had
passes that allowed them through the gates.  Both of Matt's cars had them
since he worked on the base and was a reservist.  Of course, both his cars
carried the Navy decal for a Lt. Commander on it, which always guaranteed a
salute at the gate.

Matt was watching in the rear-view mirror and was certain that the woman's
car was, indeed, following them.  When he turned to enter the main gate,
her car sped up and drove past.  Both men laughed.

"She'll probably think we're staying on the base, because she doesn't know
about Frank's house or even that you can get to the beach through the
base," Jim said.

Back at Frank's, they gave the letter to Finn, plus the copy of the police
report, and told him about her tailing their car.

"She's just making things worse for herself," he remarked.  I'll send this
to the court in New Jersey."

After dinner, Frank and Finn took the boys to Finn's house, where the boys
stared in wide-eyed delight and amazement at a game room that
eight-year-old's could only dream about, complete with PlayStation, Xbox,
and an old-fashioned shuffle board game.  But, what really blew their minds
was the movie room with its one hundred and two-inch screen and a dozen
oversized, leather theater chairs.

Matt and Jim watched TV, trying to keep Kelly awake past his usual bed
time, hoping he would sleep longer that night.  Around 2000 hours, they put
the already sleeping baby in his crib.

"Wanna take a shower with me?" Jim asked Matt with wiggling eyebrows.

"I got a better idea. Follow me," replied Matt, heading for his bedroom.

"Okay, now get naked and sit in that chair," Matt ordered, as he headed to
his bathroom.  He came back naked as well and carrying two jockstraps and a
bottle of lube.  Jim saw that it was their dirty jockstraps that they had
worn that morning for their run.  Matt sat opposite Jim in the other chair.

"Now, you know how we both get off making love when we're all hot and
sweaty," Matt began to explain.  "So, I figured we could have a good time
jacking off, if we watched each other do it while we sniffed each other's
jockstrap ... and we still wouldn't be violating our agreement," Matt said,
his cock already hard and leaking.

"Captain Leo, you are one kinky fuck, and I love it!" Jim exclaimed, taking
Matt's jockstrap and burying his face in it as he grabbed his big cock and
began stroking.

Matt did the same, and the two studs watched each other hungrily as they
both rubbed the jockstraps across their faces, sniffing deeply, and told
each other out loud what they wanted to do to the other's body.

Taking a big sniff of Matt's jock, Jim said, "Matt, I can't wait for you to
suck my cock and shove your big finger in my ass and play with my love
nut," Jim moaned.

"Same here, big guy; I've been dreamin' about lickin' your nuts and then
shoving my tongue so far up that hot ass of yours it comes out of your
mouth," Matt panted as he worked his cock.

"Shit, man, you keep talking like that, and I'm gonna cum! But, I wanna cum
with you! I want you to cum in my mouth and you in mine!" Jim croaked in
his passion for Matt.

"I know, buddy; that's what I'm thinkin' about, too!  Your fat cock shoved
in my mouth, and me lickin' your sweaty balls after we've run five miles,"
Matt groaned, as he lovingly rubbed Jim's smelly jockstrap over his face.

"Oh, god, Matt ... you look so fucking hot with your muscles straining like
that!" Jim yelped.

And that was it.  With loud grunts and gasps, both men simultaneously fired
ropes of cum onto their heaving bellies.  Still in the throes of their
mutual orgasms, they stood and slammed their sticky torsos together.

Gradually, they regained enough of their senses to wrap their arms around
each other and kiss deeply.

Stepping back, but not releasing Matt, Jim said, "That was so fuckin' hot!
I loved the jockstraps idea ... maybe we should just keep wearing `em and
never wash `em ..." he suggested with an evil leer.

"Damn, Gunner, I love the way you think!" Matt replied.

"And I love you, Captain, more than you'll ever know," Jim said in his sexy
baritone.  "But, right now, I need to go take a cold shower ... alone
... so I won't have to go to confession later," he added with a grin.

To be continued...

Author's Note: Thanks to all of you who have written to tell how much
you're enjoying the story, I hope you stay tuned.  Also, a special thank
you to my editor who makes this story readable.  For all the readers
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