Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:31:01 EDT From: Bwstories8@aol.com Subject: Castaway Hotel: Greand reopening - Book 3, chapters 5 - 6 Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 3 by BW Copyright 2009 by billwstories Chapter 5 -- Mule Train. **Author's Note:** Please read the disclaimer in Chapter 00 before you read this. The next morning came far too quickly for the boys in the 'sex room', but they got up and readied themselves for the day's activities. After eating a good breakfast, everyone loaded into the van and some of the boys used our drive time to catch a little more sleep. We arrived at our next destination before 7:00, which we needed to do, and it wasn't until then that I explained to everyone what we'd be doing here. "Okay, guys, listen up," I began. "Today, we're going to be taking a daylong ride into the Grand Canyon -- ON MULES." The boys all looked shocked by my announcement and most began to look around at the others to gauge their reaction to this news. However, there were a few who didn't care what anyone else thought and immediately expressed their own opinion about my plan. "Way to go, Dad," Ricky shouted, enthused. "This sounds like fun." "Well, just don't think you're going to go galloping off, making your own adventure," I warned him. "Wow, this is awesome," Graham added. "I've never ridden on a horse or a mule before." I just smiled at his excitement. "Are you going to let Jordan and Nicky ride alone?" Kevin asked, concerned. "No," I responded. "Usually the ranch doesn't allow children younger than twelve to participate in this particular excursion, but the owner agreed to let me bring along some waivers of liability, which I had my lawyer prepare before we left. Not only that, but I also had to agree that the younger boys would ride with one of you older guys too. I even had to pay a little extra to do this, to show my appreciation to the ranch for their bending its rules to fit our unique situation." "Can I take Nicky with me then?" Kevin asked, hopefully. "Actually, they have a 200-pound weight limit on the mules, so I've already paired up the four youngest, so we wouldn't go over that limit on any one animal. It also means I won't be able to have anyone ride with me, so I'm trusting you older boys to take good care of them in my place. This is the way it works out. Dustin, you will take Nicky with you, Jordan will ride with Danny, Andrew will go with Kevin, and Ricky, you will be responsible for Sammy." "But I'm twelve!" Sammy protested. "I know you are," I agreed, "but because of your smaller size and the fact that you've never ridden before, the owner asked that you be paired up too. I'm sorry, but it's the only way he'd allow us to do this." Although Sammy looked crestfallen, he didn't cause any more fuss, but I knew the other boys were empathizing with him and feeling badly about his situation. Now that all of this had been explained, the boys were given a canteen filled with water and then led over to the corral and assigned to one of the mules. They were introduced to their animal by name, and once those introductions were completed, we were then instructed on correct procedures on how to ride one of these animals, which was different than riding a horse. They were also told about some of the animals' quirks and given 'motivators' they could use to get the mule to do what they wanted. The boys seemed to catch on quickly, as we practiced in the corral, so everyone could get used to their mounts. We were actually ready to depart by our 8:00 a.m. starting time. Suddenly, I remembered about Brandon's occasional bouts with acrophobia and felt I'd made a dreadful mistake by including him on this adventure. Fortunately, I hadn't assigned another boy to ride with him, since I wasn't certain his family would let him join us when I first made our plans, because I needed to inform the owner about who would be riding with whom and their weights, in order to get his okay. Therefore, I immediately sought Brandon out and asked him what he thought. "Brandon, I'm sorry. I almost forgot about your little problem," I whispered to him, so the others couldn't overhear. "Are you going to be able to handle this?" "I did all right on our walking tour and I think I'll be fine here," he assured me, although I wasn't as confident about this as he was. "I'll just look toward the other side and try to keep from looking down, if it starts to bother me." "Okay, but I want you to ride directly in front of me, at the rear of this procession," I told him, "so I can keep an eye on you and be close enough to help, if you get into trouble." "Okay, but I think I'll be all right," he reiterated, "but thanks for remembering and caring." He gave me a smile and then turned and got on his mule, guiding his mount in front of mine. Now that we were ready, our guide, who preferred to be called a wrangler, took the lead, with the boys following him down the trail. I brought up the rear, so I could keep an eye on my entire brood, but especially Brandon, while we were going down, into the Canyon. It also meant I would be there, if anyone needed assistance along the way. Slowly we moved over to the trail and began our descent into the Canyon. The path we followed wasn't quite as narrow as I had feared, but it didn't leave a great deal of room for error, either. However, the vertical drop-off along the edge was absolutely frightening, to say the least. It also caused me to wonder if I was doing the right thing by allowing any of these boys to do this, but it was too late to reconsider that option now. I just prayed I wouldn't come to regret it later, but luckily the mules were very sure-footed beasts of burden and made their way steadily down the slope. I also knew the animals would be careful not to go over the edge themselves, since they were experienced on these trails, so that thought relieved at least a small portion of my concerns. About fifteen minutes down the trail, we came to a wider area, which some of the boys jokingly referred to as a mule parking lot. At this point, the wrangler guided his mule to a stop and all the other mules instantly lined up beside him. He joked with the boys about applying their 'parking brake,' as he jumped off his mount and set about checking everyone's equipment, tightening cinches, checking stirrups and just making sure everything was as safe and secure as possible. Before we restarted, he reminded the boys of the safety rules, especially the one about keeping their animal up close to the one ahead of it. Although these mules made this trip nearly every day, they also have a tendency to have a will of their own or would get sidetracked and begin to lag behind. Whenever this happened, the boys were informed it would be up to them to show the mule who was in charge and use one of the 'motivators' they had been shown to get it to do what the rider wanted, or else the mule might begin to think it was on its own and possibly do something foolish, like run to catch up, if it fell behind. At this point the wrangler also asked if anyone had second-thoughts about going on, since they could dismount and walk the short distance back up the trail and wait for the rest of us to return. However, no one wanted to do that, either because they were too excited about participating in this activity or didn't want to chicken out in front of the others. However, this didn't stop some of them from being more than a little concerned about the possible dangers inherent in this type of outing. For the next two hours we continued our slow trip down. As we went along, the boys were busy commenting about the scenery and taking note of various items of interest, as we played follow-the-leader down the trail. The view was breathtaking, looking into the canyon, and the various shades of the canyon walls only added to this awesome and overpowering spectacle. I did notice that Brandon was sneaking a few peeks at the awe inspiring view, but seemed to be concentrating most of his attention straight out, looking only in the distance and avoided looking down as much as possible. I was relieved to see that he seemed to be doing fine. However, there were still occasions when I caught him looking in the opposite direction, as if he were studying the striations in the canyon wall or possibly making geological notations about the various materials making up the various levels of exposed earth, but I knew what it really meant. Those were the instances when the elevation factor was starting to get to him. I also kept checking on how the older boys were doing with the younger ones and was pleased to see they were all taking their role very seriously. They had their little brother or nephew sitting between themselves and the saddle horn, with their arms wrapped on either side of their passenger. The older boys had a firm grip on the reins and the younger boys were clinging to the saddle horn to help them keep their balance, while also enjoying the comforting feeling of those protective arms on either side of their body. It was quite an outing, as we made our way down into the Canyon in this fashion, and the Colorado River kept growing larger and closer to us as our surefooted transportation inched their way closer and closer to that once powerful torrent of water. When we started out, the river appeared to be no more than a fine silk thread meandering across the valley floor, but now it appeared more like a blue string, which kept growing thicker the farther down we traveled. Once we'd completed the entire descent, we all dismounted and had a chance to stretch and roam around a bit. While everyone chatted with each other about their feelings concerning what we had just done or complaining about various areas of their bodies being sore, especially their backsides, the wrangler was busily checking their tack again. After a few minutes like this, he announced it was time to get going. The boys had hoped this break would last a little longer, but they did as they were told and remounted their sturdy beasts. From there, we made our way to Plateau Point, but it was during that portion of our ride when we all began to notice how hot it was getting. It was most definitely hotter here than it ever got back home and I was concerned about how it might affect the boys. I knew I would have to remind them to utilize their canteens to keep hydrated, during our next stop. Undaunted by the temperature, we rode on until we reached our goal, which turned out to be a huge, flat rock, surrounded by a pipe rail. After hitching up the mules to the rail provided for that purpose, we made our way forward to investigate what we might be able to see from that vantage point. We were soon pleased to discover a picturesque view of the Colorado River meandering across the valley floor. It was still quite a distance below us, and now looked more like a baby-blue ribbon unwound upon the ground. Once we finished exploring this site, we were informed it was time to eat, so the boys quickly and enthusiastically dove into the bag lunches that were provided in this package deal. While they were eating, I went around and told each of them to make sure they drank plenty of water too, because of the extreme heat and the perspiring they were doing. They each said they understood and did as I asked. The fresh air, activity and excitement of the ride had made the boys ravenous, so they devoured their lunches in no time flat. The wrangler joked about how quickly their food had disappeared, and then he and I let them wander around some more, while we finished our meals. When he was done eating, the wrangler took the time to point out several more items of interest to all of us. Before we remounted, I asked the boys for their reactions to the ride down, as I wanted to get their thoughts now, while they were still fresh in their minds. Suddenly, they all began to talk at once and I couldn't understand what any of them were trying to tell me, so I had to start calling on them to speak, just to end the confusion. Once things were organized, I discovered the boys had really enjoyed not only the ride on the mule, but also the sights in the Canyon as we rode along. "Yeah, outside of the saddle sores I've got from riding this blasted thing," Jay announced, "it's been really great. Even though I've seen pictures of this place in school, they ain't nothing like it looks for real." I thought about correcting his grammar, but decided to let it slide this time. "I may not be walking straight again for a while and my legs might stay bent to match the shape of my mule," Dustin offered, "but I'm really glad we did this and I can't wait to tell the girls at school that I rode a mule down into the Grand Canyon." I think Kevin winched slightly at his comment, but didn't let the others, especially Dustin, notice it bothered him. "I don't know about the rest of them, but I nearly crapped my pants when I looked over the side, just after we started out," Pat bellowed, apparently somewhat surprised that no one else had mentioned this fact when they spoke. After Pat's statement, though, everyone began to express how scared they were when we first started out, saying things like they were worried the mule might stumble and send them both hurtling down the slope. However, they all claimed they got over that feeling pretty quickly, as they discovered the mules knew what they were doing and were being very careful not to have such an accident. When it was the little ones' turn to speak, each one talked so fast that it became just one long, run-on sentence. However, after hearing the excitement in their voices, I knew this would be an experience they would never forget. Just to make sure, though, I started snapping pictures of all of them, as they remounted their mules to make the trip back to the top. I don't think any of them had noticed me taking pictures on the way down and I was sure they wouldn't notice me taking even more as we headed back, but I did want one or two close-ups of each mule and rider(s). That's why I took those now, while the boys were still willing to sit still for a few more minutes, while the wrangler rechecked everyone's gear yet again. When I got to Brandon, I asked him how he was holding up and he assured me he was doing fine. He said his stomach got a little queasy a couple of times, but that's when he looked away and everything was fine again, a few seconds later. He also assured me he had enjoyed this, even if it had been a bit scary at times, and thanked me for bringing him on this trip. I told him I brought ALL of my sons, except for the two oldest ones, which caused him to smile again. Once we were ready to leave, the boys and their mules fell back into formation and the wrangler got us started. The climb back up was quite arduous and much harder on the mules. I can only imagine what those poor creatures had to endure, not only pulling their own weight up that slope, but the weight of its rider(s) as well. The trip up was just as lovely as the journey down, but I don't think we noticed quite as much this time, as we did during the descent. The only thing that didn't change was the frightened feeling we got looking off the side of the trail and down the steep cliff, the higher we climbed. Several hours after we began this trip, we were back at the ranch and the wrangler asked the boys if they wanted to help take the saddles off the mules and brush them down. This was strictly voluntary and not part of the original package and I thought the boys would laugh at his offer. Boy was I surprised. You would have thought the wrangler had just offered them a chance to win a million dollars by their enthusiastic reaction and excited utterances. I'd never seen the boys so happy to perform a chore in their entire lives. I will have to get the wrangler aside later and ask him his secret. With all the enthusiasm they could muster, the boys watched their guide as he explained what to do and how to do it. The younger ones were the most fascinated by this chore and even came over to help the wrangler and me with our animals, when they had finished helping their older brother or uncle with their own. I snapped the last few pictures of the boys as they finished rubbing down the mules, to have a lasting memory of this event. After they were done with those duties and the mules had been fed, we thanked the wrangler and I slipped him a decent tip. Before we left, I took time to ask him if all the young riders, or any riders for that matter, were as eager to perform those tasks as my boys had been, and he just laughed. "Sir, I think everyone I've ever taken on that tour has been happy to perform those jobs when we got back," he offered, with an amused grin. "I think it's their way of thanking the animals for taking them down and bringing them back safely." Gee, I hadn't looked at it that way. Once I finished my discussion, the boys said their good-byes to the wrangler, thanking him profusely, and then we got back into the van to head to the motel. We hadn't been in the van for more than a few seconds, but it didn't even take that long for the air inside to turn foul. Frantically, we began opening all of the windows, since it now smelled like a barnyard inside the van. Each of us was a mix of mule smell and body odor, and desperately needed to bathe or shower before we could go anywhere, including out to dinner. I was certain we didn't want the taste of our food to be affected by the odors emanating from our bodies. Besides, I'm sure we could have cleared out any restaurant we entered, if we walked in smelling like that. As we drove along, I thought about how long it had been since I had ridden in a vehicle that had relied on nature's air conditioning like this, since we all seemed to take for granted the mechanical variety used in cars, homes and business. In the old days, we would joke that we had 4 -- 60 air conditioning in our cars, meaning four windows down at 60 miles per hour. That was the only type of A/C I ever enjoyed in a car until after I was out of high school. Although the fresh air wasn't quite enough to remove all the smells from our nostrils, it was certainly better than it would have been if we'd left them rolled up. I think that's why all the boys were so happy when we finally pulled into the motel parking lot. They exited the van quickly, raced to their rooms and doubled up in the showers and baths. This wasn't only to get rid of the smell, but also to hasten our departure to eat, as they were now famished. I left the windows open in the van, to give it time to air out some more. I certainly wasn't worried about anyone trying to steal it while it smelled that way, because a would-be thief would most likely barf the minute he stuck his head inside any of the windows. Once I was in my room, I called the front desk, to see where they had been able to make a reservation for us this evening. I hastily jotted down the name, address and directions to the eatery, as the desk clerk gave them to me, and then I hung up and got ready myself, since the bathroom in my room was now free. The reservation had been made at a steak house. It wasn't too expensive and the food was decent, but the best feature was the large, all-you-can-eat salad bar that went with it. The boys eagerly went and loaded up plates there first, while waiting for our meals to be prepared, and they managed to wolf down another large meal, washed down by several glasses of soda each. After filling up like that, I wasn't sure if the boys would still have room for dessert afterward, but I should never have doubted how much those small bodies could pack away, as I watched them finish their dinner by polishing off an ice cream sundae. I paid the bill and left an appropriate tip, and then we all went back to the motel to crash. The room assignments for tonight put Ricky, Jay, Dustin and Kevin in the 'sex room.' Cole and Graham had asked to share their room with the four little ones and I told them they could, as long as they didn't get overly rambunctious or carried away. They quickly agreed. Brandon and Danny asked Pat and Carlos to share a room with them this time, so Trey and Dion asked if they could stay with me. Trey, Dion and I talked for a while before going to bed. They gave me their views on the vacation thus far, and then explained how they were beginning to feel about each other. I knew these two were getting close, but I was surprised to learn they were closer than even I had suspected. What was even better was they were both pleased with the way things were turning out and the year and a half age difference between them didn't seem to matter at all. That's probably because Dion was physically and emotionally more mature than most other boys his age. After about an hour of talking, the pair said good night to me, slipped into bed and fell asleep, wrapped in each other's arms. I stayed up a little longer, watching some movie on television, but I couldn't help looking at them from time to time, noticing how contented they looked, nestled together. I was glad I had this time to get to know them better. The boys in the 'sex room' were tired, but still wanted to take advantage of having the use of the room for the night. After a somewhat prolonged discussion between Dustin and Kevin, that duo agreed to pair up with one of the other two, so Dustin went with Ricky, while Kevin and Jay teamed up. Each twosome went to a bed and settled for a quick sixty-nine. Ricky and Dustin manipulated each other to a speedy erection and then eagerly set about sucking each other off. This wasn't a slow, passionate encounter, as one would have with a lover, this was just the hurried, erotic type of session, performed merely to get some relief. They were focusing only on the end result and did the old 'Popsicle routine,' hurriedly sucking and slurping on each other's poles. It was as if they were trying to finish off a frozen treat before it melted, on a very hot summer day. With the frantic pace they were using, it wasn't long before they were getting their fill of the warm, alabaster custard that shot into their throats, and then they just lay back and enjoyed the warm feeling it had given them. The situation on the other bed was pretty much the same, but Kevin and Jay took a few extra minutes to play with each other's uncut boyhood first. It wasn't often they got to experiment with another 'natural' penis, so they weren't going to let this opportunity go by without taking full advantage of it. First they manipulated each other with their fingers, pinching, pulling and stretching the excess skin, and then they toyed with the flap of flesh, using their mouths to nip, pull and suck on it, before they tried to push their tongue through the opening between the foreskin and the glans. Once they were satisfied with their manipulations, they went straight to work, sucking each other to orgasm. It took only a few more hectic minutes of this activity before they swapped their loads and siphoned off every last drop, before they quit for the evening. Once everyone had eased the aching in their loins, they hopped into bed with their customary partner and drifted off to sleep. Another day done and another need satisfied. Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 3 by BW Copyright 2009 by billwstories Chapter 6 -- Friends and Family. I let the boys sleep late the next morning, to compensate for the long and rigorous day they'd spent on the mules the day before. The last of them awoke just before 11:00, so I took them out for brunch. As soon as we finished, we loaded up the van and made our way back to the Lodge where we had stayed two nights before, so we could go to the restaurant and see Mark again. Through the luck of the draw, Brandon and Danny were scheduled for the 'sex room' tonight, so they talked to the other pair that was supposed to be in with them and got them to agree to switch with the group who had the room tomorrow night. That way, the two days' schedules would just be flip-flopped and each pair would be in with whom they were originally scheduled, but it would also allow Danny and Brandon the opportunity to spend time with Mark and not put him in an awkward situation or miss out on their own turn. All of the groups agreed to this change, so things were copasetic. We had another long slow trip getting back, but we finally reached the lodge a few hours later. We checked in quickly, went to our rooms, and settled in. I gave the boys free time until dinner, so they could wander around, listen to their music, watch television or go swimming, and they jumped at the chance to just relax and enjoy themselves. The little ones wanted to go swimming, so I had them get into their swim-trunks and grab a towel, and then I went to the pool with them. They had a great deal of fun splashing around and cooling off, and I had a good time staying in the shallow end with the four youngest. Nicky and Jordan could swim, but I wasn't comfortable with them in the deep end on their own, and Sammy and Andrew hadn't acquired the skill yet. The only thing they did in the water with their parents was take a bath, so they never learned how to swim, but it didn't matter that much in the limited amount of water we were in currently and all four of them had a good time anyway. I was surprised when Graham came over to join us, since he was a capable swimmer, but he preferred spending his time with this group. The kids were having a blast splashing each other and then they all ganged up on me. I fought back, but was careful about what I did in reprisal, as I didn't want to scare or traumatize any of them about being in the water. Before long, I discovered most of the older boys had come down to the pool too, but they were swimming in the deep end. However, I also noticed Carlos and Dion were just sitting by the side of the pool, not doing much of anything. I watched them for quite a while and observed they never got in the water. I thought maybe I'd better check to see if there was a problem, so I talked the little ones into taking a short break. After we got out of the pool, I went over to talk to the other pair. "What's up, guys? Isn't the water to your liking?" I asked them, trying to get the ball rolling. "Oh, uh… it's not that," Carlos stammered in reply. "I'm… well… I'm just… too tired to swim now." "Yeah," Dion added, "me too. I just… don't want to take any chances… right now." "Hey, guys. It's me. Remember?" I reminded them, hoping this would get them to realize they didn't have to worry about opening up, whatever the problem was. "You don't have to make up excuses to make me feel better. I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to do." I hesitated for a few seconds, before I continued. "Neither of you can swim, can you?" They looked at each other, as a mild look of horror gripped their faces, and then they turned back toward me. They both hung their heads and neither said a word, until Dion finally broke the silence. "No, I can't swim, but I don't know about Carlos. Nobody ever had the time to teach me when I was younger and my Grandma was too old to help me. Besides, we lived so far out in the country that I never had the chance to learn, even when I got older." "I can't swim either, Pop," Carlos followed. "There weren't many places to swim where I grew up and we moved around so much once we got to the States that I never was able to learn. I just didn't want the other boys to find out and think I was a baby or something." "Hey, no one is going to think you two are babies just because you can't swim," I responded, as cheerfully as I could. "You just haven't had the opportunity. Who knows, maybe the other boys would be willing to help you with that, if you'd let them. I know it's not easy to handle not being able to do something that everyone else can do, but don't be embarrassed by any of this. If you guys don't want to let on to the others just yet, you could always come into the shallow end and help me with the little ones. No one would be any the wiser." "You don't think they'd try to get us to come down with them?" Dion asked. "Well, they might, but you could always just tell them that you're helping me with the younger boys. Sammy and Andrew can't swim either, and I still want to keep an eye on Nicky and Jordan until I feel they'll be safe in the deeper section." "It sounds good to me," Dion added. "What do you think, Carlos?" "Yeah, we could do that. I really would like to get in the water, just not over my head," Carlos agreed. "Good," I said, looking at them and smiling, "why don't you two go tell the little ones they can get back into the water now, if they want to, because you're going in with them." Both boys' expressions changed from dour to overjoyed, in less than a blink of an eye, as they now had an important role to serve too. They eagerly went off in the direction where the little ones were waiting for me, and it wasn't long before they were escorting the boys, hand in hand, back to the shallow end of the pool. Soon the seven of them were frolicking, splashing about and having a great time. I went down and sat on the edge of the pool and kept an eye on them all, while basking in the innocent fun they were all sharing. I let the boys stay in the water for as long as I thought I could, but finally it was time to go back to our rooms, get dressed and head out to the restaurant in time for our reservation. When we walked in, Mark spotted us and waved in our direction. The hostess led us to our table and Mark came over to greet us, just as we began checking out the menus. "Hi, I'm glad you made it back," he began, sporting an ear-to-ear smile that let us know he meant what he said. "I was kind of worried you might decide to just keep going and stick to your original schedule." "We wouldn't do that, Mark," I told him, "especially if I promised you we'd return. If I make you a promise, you can bet the farm that I'll keep it." "So I'm beginning to learn. It's nice to see all of you again," he added. "Are you coming over to the lodge after you get out of work?" Brandon asked, seeming more excited about the idea than Danny this time. "If it's okay with your dad," Mark replied, while glancing in my direction. "Can he, Dad?" Danny asked right away, before giving me a chance to respond. "Of course he may," I answered, before adding, "and I thought you knew that already." "Yeah, we did, but we wanted Mark to hear it for himself," Danny told me, with a smirk on his face. "As long as you guys don't disturb the neighbors or cause any damage, you can do almost anything you want," I added, before wondering if that might also include some sort of sexual contact with their new friend. "Thanks, Mr. Currie. I'm glad I got to wait on you the other night," Mark confessed, meaning he wouldn't have been included with our little group, if it weren't for that quirk of fate. "And we're glad too, especially some of my sons," I informed him, while nodding at Danny and Brandon and causing them to blush. "You come over when you're done and maybe you could stop by my room for a while, so I could get to know you a little better too." "Sure thing, Mr. Currie. I'd like that," he told me, sounding as if he really meant what he said and wasn't just being polite. We ordered our meals and gave Mark the menus. He placed our order, brought our drinks and then went to check on his other tables. He was still very attentive to us throughout the evening, but he didn't ignore his other tables quite as much as he did the last time we were there. Maybe it was because he knew he'd be able to spend time with us later, or it was possible his boss had said something to him about the other night and he knew he had to avoid repeating the problem. Whatever the reason, we didn't see as much of Mark during our meal, as he gave equal attention to all of his customers. We finished our entrees, ordered and ate our dessert, and then prepared to go back to the lodge. I left Mark another good size tip and we all made sure to tell him we'd see him later, as we made our way out. We went back to our rooms and some of the boys showered or bathed again, before relaxing until bedtime. It didn't seem as if we'd been back very long, before there was a knock on my door. It was Mark, Danny, Brandon, Trey and Dion (as the latter pair was sharing a room with the former pair) and they came in and sat wherever they could. Soon Nicky and Jordan were having a good time with their uncles, while I got to chat with Mark. Sammy and Andrew were staying in with Ricky, Jay, Dustin and Kevin, so they weren't around at the moment. "Well, Mark. Danny tells me you're majoring in finance at Northern Arizona University. How do you like it there?" "The weather's a lot nicer than in Oregon, but the work's hard," he began. "I've got some tough professors and it's not easy trying to work and carry a full load of classes." "Yes, I realize that, but there are still a fair number of students who have to do that in order to get through college," I replied. "I'm sure you'll do just fine. What do you want to do once you get your degree?" "I'm not sure yet," he answered, frankly. "I thought about becoming a financial planner or maybe even working my way to becoming a Chief Financial Officer someday, but there's also the possibility of becoming a mutual fund manager or an investment banker." "Those are mostly high stress occupations," I advised him. "Are you sure you're ready for that?" "Not really, but I can make big money if I can land one of those jobs," he explained. "Then I could afford to be on my own and still help my mom out too." "That's a nice thought, but I'm sure your mother would want you to do something you'd be happy with," I told him, shifting back to thinking like a parent again. "Would you really be happy working at one of those types of jobs?" "Yes, I would," he responded, without hesitation. "Those kind of opportunities have always intrigued me. I've been interested in the stock market since a teacher in high school taught our class how it worked. After that I even won a couple of contests using a simulated account to invest with and beat out all the other competitors, and some of them were adults." "Well, if you like that type of work and you can stand the pressure and the long hours you'll have to put in, then I wish you the best of luck," I told him. "You could make more than enough money to take care of you and your mother if you're successful Speaking of your mother, would you mind telling me a little about her?" "No, I've already told Danny and Brandon a little about us, so I'm willing to tell you too," he replied. "My mom got pregnant with me just before she graduated from high school. She told my dad that she was going to have a baby and he wanted her to get an abortion or give me up for adoption. Mom wouldn't do it, and my dad said he wouldn't give her a cent unless she did, so my mom told him to get lost and neither of us have seen him since." "I'm sorry to hear that, Mark," I assured him, reading the pained expression showing on his face. "Your father doesn't know what he's missed. He'll never know what a fine young man he helped to create." Mark took a moment to control his emotions, before opening up more. "I have thought about looking him up, from time to time," he admitted, "but I didn't want to upset my mother by contacting him. I finally gave up on that idea, since it wouldn't be fair to her, after all she's done for me without his help." "Are you sure she'd object?" I asked, thinking his mother might like to see him make contact with his father. "I don't think she'd be happy about it," he told me. "What about you? Will you be happy with yourself later, if you don't try to find him?" I wondered, having witnessed these types of situations with others. "I've always wanted a father and always wondered what he'd be like," Mark admitted, with a look of longing on his face, "but I'm not sure how I'd take it if I found him and he still didn't want anything to do with me." "I'm sure that would be a tough pill to swallow," I answered, "but what if you found him and he agreed to establish a relationship with you? Would you want that?" "Yes, I really would," he almost gushed. "Mom's been terrific and all, and I love her very much, but a guy needs a dad more than a mother, once he starts to get older, and I've always felt cheated by not having one. I think that's why I was so interested in your family that first night you ate at the restaurant. Here were all these boys who managed to get what I always wanted. You took them all in and now you're their dad. I wish I could have been that lucky." "But you still have your mom and some of these boys didn't even have that much," I countered, trying to get him to see he was luckier than he realized. "Sometimes we wish so hard for something else that we fail to see what we do have right in front of us." "I know, but I've wished my dad would show up for so long that it's hard to give up my dream," he admitted, looking a little sad again. "Don't give up your dreams," I suggested, "as long as you don't let it ruin the present for you. Don't be unhappy or waste today, just because you're wishing for something that might happen tomorrow or the tomorrow after that." "Thanks, Mr. Currie. I'll try to remember that," he agreed, while looking a little more hopeful. "Mark, maybe next summer you could come and spend some time with us," I suggested. "What would you think of that idea?" "I'd like that, Mr. Currie, but I wouldn't be able to afford the transportation and I'll still need to work and earn money for school," he replied, almost apologetically. "Thanks anyway, though. I would have liked that, if it were possible." "What if I paid for your plane fare and you came to work for me?" "It's real nice of you to offer, but I couldn't have you do that," he confessed, showing his considerate side again. "You've got all these boys to support and I wouldn't feel right having you spend your money on me instead of them." "Don't worry about the money, Mark, because we've got more than enough to last," I confided. "We've been very fortunate and these boys are well taken care of, both now and in the future. However, that doesn't mean I couldn't help you, as well." "But what could I do that your sons couldn't do for you?" he asked, looking confused. "You could help me with my investments and finances," I replied, emphatically. "We've got money for the future and you could help me make sure it doesn't run out. You could do the research and recommend stocks, bonds, mutual funds or other things you think I should invest in, to help make our resources grow. What would you think of that?" "I'm not sure I'd have enough knowledge to help you just yet," he admitted. "I'll only have finished my sophomore year by then and I don't think I'll have taken enough courses to know all the things I'd need to know to do what you want." "But you've had experience with the stock market, haven't you, in those contests?" I pressed. "I have, but that wasn't real money," he confessed, almost as if he thought I hadn't figured that out already. "That was all make-believe. Even though I did well, I wouldn't want to take the chance of losing your money and hurting you and all these boys in the process." "You'll only be making suggestions and then I'll consider your proposals and make the decision of whether or not to accept your advice. If I lose money, it will be my own fault, not yours," I explained, hoping that would be enough to remove his doubts. "But I'd still feel responsible if you did lose money," he admitted, and I knew he truly would. "Then just make sure you give me good advice," I teased, while giving him a wink. That remark caused him to smile and I knew he was now actually considering my offer. Therefore I pressed ahead and asked him what he made at the restaurant, including tips, so we could agree on a salary. Once that had been established, I explained that I would keep in touch with him during the school year, and I was certain some of the boys would too, before I promised to get his ticket to him before school was out. Mark was happy about this possibility and the boys were thrilled. Not only that, but I felt good too. It was well worth the little detour we took to come back here, and all of us seemed to end up winners. While the boys were all talking about next summer, Mark looked up at me and asked if I minded if he took the boys out and showed them around a little. I asked whom he was planning to ask and he replied he'd be willing to take anyone who wanted to go. I told him to see who was interested, so he and the four boys went to check with the others. While they were gone, I tucked my grandsons in for the night. By the time the boys came back, they told me it would just be the five of them, as the other boys were having fun entertaining Sammy and Andrew. I told them to have a good time and to remember that we'd be leaving fairly early in the morning. They said they'd remember and then left, but not before Mark came over and thanked me again. I think he almost hugged me, except he wasn't sure how I, or the boys, would react if he did, so he just shook my hand instead. After they left, I crawled into bed too. While all of this had been going on, the boys in the 'sex room' had been having a discussion of their own. Tonight Pat, Carlos, Cole and Graham were using the room and trying to figure out what to do. Pat explained to Cole and Graham that Carlos still wasn't all that sure about a lot of the sex stuff and told them he didn't want to push Carlos before he was ready to do more. Cole and Graham had no problems with that and agreed to let Carlos decide what would happen tonight, if anything. The boys were watching television when Carlos finally spoke up. "I don't want to ruin tonight for the rest of you, so if you guys want to do something…" Cole cut him off. "Don't worry about it, Carlos, it's not that important. We'll do whatever you want to do, even if it's nothing." "Yeah," Graham added, "we don't have to do anything if you don't want to. It's not that important." "Thanks, guys," Carlos added, "but I don't want you to give up everything. We can give each other hand jobs, if you want." "That's up to you," Cole told him. "We'll be satisfied with whatever you decide. Graham and I already talked about this and we both agree. We'll do whatever you want to do." "Let's do that, then," Carlos urged them. "I don't mind doing it to other guys with my hand." "Can I be with Carlos then?" Graham asked, and everyone agreed. The boys split up and went to their beds. "How come you wanted to be with me, Graham?" "Because you're not circumcised, like me, but bigger," Graham admitted. "I just wanted to see what your dick was like. It looks kinda thick." Carlos smiled and the boys took off their shorts and got into bed. Carlos laid back and let Graham start exploring. He could see how curious Graham was and wasn't about to stifle that inquisitiveness. Graham didn't really understand what the older boy was doing for him, but he was sure enjoying himself with his investigation. Carlos had a chubby cock and a real thick foreskin. He did everything he could with that extra piece of flesh, pinching it, stretching it, pulling it back and then pushing it forward, and he even took time to study his dickhead when it was exposed. As he examined it, he sniffed around it, before touching the spongy surface with his tongue. Carlos wasn't expecting that, but didn't object either. In fact, Carlos was kind of honored to be the center of attention and was admiring Graham inquisitiveness, as he moved about during his exploration of Carlos' groin. Finally, Graham wrapped his hand around the fat sausage and began to stroke his fist up and down. Carlos closed his eyes and relaxed, wanting to enjoy the sensations. Graham knew what felt good to him, so that's what he was doing to Carlos. He used his other hand to rub over the outside of Carlos' scrotum and could hear the older boy moan as he did that. Graham continued to pump his hand up and down, trying not to go too fast, and Carlos' mouth unexpectedly dropped open and emitted little grunting sounds, as Graham continued. Graham went a little faster now and continued to massage and lightly squeeze Carlos' nuts while he stroked his pole. It didn't take very much longer before Carlos' body stiffened, as he unleashed streams of spunk across his torso. Graham stroked him a little while longer, until the flow stopped, and then he just sat and watched Carlos as he recovered. On the other bed, Pat decided to take care of Cole first. Even though the pair didn't spend all that much time together, they did have a few things in common. First of all, Pat was only seven months older than Cole, although he was a grade ahead of him. Pat and Cole both liked to do things with their hands and they were more of the mechanical and outdoor types than the others. They liked to walk in the woods, go camping and build things. They had been working together on improving the tree house/fort, in the woods out behind the house. I'd been letting them do it on their own, figuring they'd ask me if they needed help. Pat had been fondling Cole as they talked about the trip so far and compared their notes on the mule ride into the Canyon. Of all the boys, those two had seemed to enjoy it the most, although the little ones thought the mules were pretty neat. Cole was now fully aroused, so Pat wrapped his fingers around his tool and began to stroke it up and down. Cole stopped talking and lay back, so he could enjoy what was happening. It didn't take long to bring him to the brink, so before long he was blowing his wad all over himself. Pat continued his pumping, to milk him dry, and then he released Cole's prick and waited for him to regain his senses. By this time, Carlos had started working on Graham. He looked at Graham's smaller penis and thought back to when his looked like that too. It was only a couple of years ago, but it brought back fond memories about the time during which he first learned that his cock could be used for more than just peeing. Eagerly, he began to manipulate the smaller tube and decided to explore it, like Graham had done to his. First, he exposed the head, so he could look at it more closely, and was fascinated with Graham's reactions to his efforts. He watched Graham squirm and twitch, and listened to the smaller boy squeal his approval, as Carlos played with his boyhood. This was exciting Carlos nearly as much as it was Graham, and he didn't realize it would be so much fun to please another boy in this manner. Carlos used two fingers and his thumb to stroke Graham's erection, since it was too small to wrap his hand around, and Carlos got a kick out of watching Graham respond, as the smaller lad's hips flopped up and down to match Carlos' efforts. Carlos had a big grin on his face as he watched the younger boy get into the action and he sped up his pace, knowing Graham was desperately seeking relief. Soon watery droplets were spurting from the tip of Graham's cock, and gradually Graham's bucking stopped too, leaving him lying motionless on the bed. Carlos stroked him a few more times before he stopped, and then leaned down and kissed Graham on the forehead, thinking that Graham would probably fall asleep after this. Carlos grabbed a couple of tissues and cleaned up his younger playmate, before pulling the sheet up over both of them and settling in. By this time, Cole was busily playing with Pat's stubby pecker. His fingers were barely able to touch once he'd wrapped his hand around Pat's stump, but he still worked his hand up and down, striving to bring Pat pleasure. While he was doing that, he worked his other hand down and slid a finger into Pat's chute, in an effort to stimulate his partner's prostate. When he located that leathery button, he rubbed his finger over it, causing jolts of pleasure to shoot through Pat's body. Pat jerked when Cole first hit it and twitched a few more times as the other boy continued to rub it. Cole continued to jerk Pat's meat, but brought his finger back out of Pat's rectum, so he could roll his palm over Pat's nut sac. Pat was making a bunch of little noises now and it almost sounded as if he was cooing. In another minute, Cole felt Pat's wand swell in his hand, just before the ribbons of cum sprang from his dick. As Pat's jism splattered on his chest, Pat concentrated on enjoying the last of the tingling sensations that flowed from his toes to his hairline. Finally it was over, but Pat remained in the afterglow of this experience for quite a few minutes more. As Cole was cleaning up the mess, Pat returned to the land of the living and gave Cole a hug and thanked him for his efforts. Soon they were cuddled up together on the bed, falling asleep in each other's arms. I didn't hear the other boys come in later, so I'm not sure what time Mark brought them back, but they seemed to have enjoyed their time together and didn't give me any problems in the morning. Brandon and Danny thanked me for asking Mark to join us next summer and for trying to help him out. I asked them if there was anything going on between them and each assured me there wasn't. They'd discovered that Mark was straight during their first night together, when he was constantly talking about his steady girlfriend, but they still liked to hang with him. If nothing else, he was still good eye- candy. The boys had concluded they didn't have many older friends, especially ones who were in college, and it was neat to do things with someone his age once in a while. I told them I was happy that they weren't disappointed by his orientation and was even happier to find out their hoping he might be a potential sex partner wasn't the only reason they had wanted to get to know him. They assured me, even though Mark was 'gorgeous', he was even nicer just to be around. I was proud and pleased hearing how my boys were growing up. E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions, or other 'constructive' comments or advice may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com - but please put the story title in the subject line, so it doesn't get deleted as junk mail.