The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 2 - 21. A Time For Lovers

Once Little Ricky left we had lunch. While we were eating I mentioned an idea to the boys about what we might do next. "How would you boys like to go swimming in about an hour?"

"Yeah!" they all chorused back.

"How about you?" I asked Dion, Trey, and Pop next.

"That sounds like a great idea," Pop agreed, while the other two chimed in their agreement as well.

"Ok, then. After we finish eating I want each of you boys to go to your room, get your swimsuits, and grab a towel from the linen closet. Then, bring them to us so we can pack them in our duffle bags."

They all nodded their understanding, but as they were leaving the table I grabbed Ryan's arm and pulled him aside for a quick chat. "If you haven't figured it out, we're all going to be changing in the locker room."

"I don't want to do that."

"I had a feeling you might have a problem with that, so I have two suggestions. You can either change in one of the other rows of lockers, or you can change facing the wall so the others won't see anything and give you some privacy."

"I don't want to change by myself cuz someone else might be there or could come in before I'm done. And I don't want to change facing the wall neither, because everyone will still see my butt."

"You'll have to do one or the other, or maybe we should just stay home."

"No, I want to go, so I'll figure somethin' out."

"Go get your things then and we'll pack them with our things."

I then called Noah quickly to see if he wanted to go with us. He did, so he told his friend he had to come home, without telling him the reason for his departure.

Brandon and I then went to retrieve what we needed as well before packing everything in our bag. When Ryan brought his things down, he didn't hand it to me and merely stuffed it on top of everything else. I wasn't happy about that, but rather than create a scene I figured I'd just talk to him about what he'd done later. Now, we headed out to the vehicles, with Joshie riding with us and Pop going with Dion and Trey. Once we got to the Boys & Girls Club, I watched Ryan closely as we went into the locker room to change.

I was more than a little surprised when I handed out the various items they'd given me at home, because I realized Ryan had only added a towel. I looked at him questioningly as I handed it to him and waited to see what he was going to do next. He merely began undressing and that's when I noticed he had worn his swimsuit under his other clothes.

He sat with his back to the rest of us and didn't turn his head in the slightest. I took that to mean he was worried about seeing the rest of us naked too, so I signaled the boys not to say anything when one of them was about to comment about his peculiar behavior. We finished changing and moved past Ryan once we had our swimsuits on. Now that we were all ready, we headed out to the pool and jumped in.

I spent the first few minutes watching Ryan to see how well he was doing, and determined him to be a capable swimmer. I then turned my attention to Brandon and spoke.

"I guess he wasn't ready to change with us. I should have suspected something when he put his own things in the duffle bag, but I thought he was merely confused about the way we did things."

"Yes, that was pretty sneaky, but now he'll have to wear wet jeans on the ride home, because the water will soak through from his swimsuit. It's pretty cold out, so I'm glad he won't have to be outside for very long, or he might wind up with frostbite in some pretty sensitive areas."

"That would teach him, but I'll speak to him later."

There were quite a few more people in the pool today than on our previous visit, so we weren't able to toss the boys into the air like we'd done before. The boys were upset about it, but I told them we'd make up for it when we were able to use our pool at home, once the weather broke. They accepted my answer, although they still weren't totally happy about it.

We swam for more than an hour before we decided we'd had enough. We then went to the locker room to shower. Ryan did it in a hurry and with his swimsuit on, since I told him to do it to rinse the chlorine off his body. Then, I asked him to dry as well as he could with his towel, including his trunks, since I didn't want them to turn to ice once we were outside. He looked mildly shocked when I'd pointed this out, since he'd never considered that factor when he decided to do this. Once we were all dressed again, we left to return home.

"Put your towel on the seat before you sit down," I told Ryan before he hopped into the SUV. "I can see the water soaking through your jeans already, so that might help to keep the seat a little drier, although your towel is most likely damp too."

"Ok, I will, and that was fun. Thanks for taking us there."

"Yeah, I liked it too," Benny agreed. "I just wished there weren't so many other people in the pool." We knew what he meant by this comment, although I wasn't sure if Ryan understood.

When we got home I pulled Dion aside. "Have you planned anything yet?"

"Yes, I have and I'll tell you about it later. I can't do it now because Trey will get curious if I don't join him soon."

He then took off, but I was glad to hear that he'd been able to work out something for the following weekend. I'd made reservations for Brandon and me too and just hoped we'd have as much fun as they were going to have.

While Ryan, Benny, and Joshie were playing video games, Noah came up to speak to me. "I couldn't believe what Ryan did."

"Yes, it shocked me too. We'll give him more time and see if his attitude changes. If not, it's going to create a few problems, because I know Benny won't be happy."

"At least he didn't make a scene, seeing he was in there while we were changing too."

"That's true, but he made sure he didn't look around either."

"Yeah, I noticed that."

The rest of the day was fairly normal, as Brandon and I focused on our chores while the boys entertained each other. After dinner we watched a movie together on TV before making sure the boys headed up to bed. I asked Ryan to stay behind so we could talk.

"What you did today was pretty sneaky, but I think I should explain to you why we don't wear our suits under our clothes. Since it's winter, wearing damp clothes can create a problem, especially if the SUV broke down and we didn't have heat, but it could also cause you to become ill. We might have also stopped somewhere on the way home, but I didn't want to do that, since others might think you'd wet yourself and I didn't want you to be embarrassed. We don't do it this way just so we can see the boys naked and it's for their own good, so next time I hope you do like the rest of us. We'll give you your privacy without you having to go to that extreme."

"Ok, maybe it was silly of me, since I didn't think about wearing wet stuff out in the cold and I didn't mean to keep you from doin' other stuff neither. I'll try to do better next time."

"I hope so." I then let him go up to his room to turn in.

On Monday, I pulled Noah aside so we could talk about the upcoming weekend. "I'm sure you realize this Saturday is Valentine's Day and I'd like to ask a favor of you, since you don't seem to have any plans for that day. Dion and Trey have plans, and Brandon and I wanted to go out too, so would you be willing to watch the other boys for us?"

"Really? You're going to put me in charge?"

"Yes, but don't get carried away and go off on some kind of power trip. Grandpa Jake will be here as well, in case something comes up and you need help, but you'll be the one responsible for making sure there are no problems."

"I won't let you down. I promise, and thanks."

"You're welcome, and I imagine you'll be able to do the same types of things you usually do with the boys and you'll all get along just fine. However, I'll also tell the other boys that if there is a problem that you're the boss and I expect them to do whatever you say."

"Neat. I like that."

"Just remember, we'll deal with any issues or complaints the next day."

"K."

Now that this had been taken care of, we went about things as we normally would, while also getting ready for the weekend. I wasn't going to say anything to the other boys until just before we left the house on Saturday. That way they wouldn't have time to plan anything, just in case they were tempted to take advantage of the situation.

During the week Dion also offered to share what he'd planned. "I made reservations for us at Mount Airy Casino Resort in the Poconos."

"Really? That seems like an odd choice since you guys don't gamble."

"Not really. I checked out their website and saw that there's lots of other things to do there, so we won't have to gamble unless we want to. It just seemed like a nice place to get away. I looked at a couple of other resorts first, because they advertised romantic getaways for couples, but I soon decided against those places. After perusing the literature I was afraid they were only talking about straight couples, so I was worried about how they might react if we showed up instead."

"That's a good point and it's probably a wise decision to avoid those other establishments. I hope you two have a great time at Mount Airy."

"Thanks, and thank you for watching the boys so we can get away."

"You're welcome, and I might ask you to return the favor sometime, although it might not be for Brandon's birthday. That's in early March and I'd rather wait until we had better weather."

"I know what you mean, but we'll return the favor anytime you want."

Things proceeded pretty much as usual until Thursday night when Joshie came up to me. "Daddy and Poppy said they're going away tomorrow and me and Wyatt will be staying here with you."

"Yes, they want to spend some time alone and have two reasons for doing it. First, Saturday is Valentine's Day and they want to do something special with each other, but Monday is also your poppy's birthday, so they're going to celebrate that too."

"So we aren't gonna have a party for Poppy?"

"Sure we will. We'll just do it Monday night after dinner."

"Oh, ok." He then walked off, satisfied with my answer.

After dropping the boys off at home on Friday afternoon, Dion and Trey took off for their weekend away. Pop and Noah had agreed to keep an eye on the boys until Brandon and I arrived, since Dion and Trey usually watched all of them until we got home from work. When we reached the house, the boys were all in the family room playing video games, so we popped in to say hello.

"How's everything going?"

"Good. My dads left already," Joshie replied.

"I'm glad."

After we went to let Pop know we were home before going to our room to change, I helped Brandon with dinner, since Trey wasn't here to fix anything tonight.

Everything was going smoothly and we spent a quiet evening watching a movie with the boys. Since Benny and Joshie wanted to sit on Brandon's and my lap again, Wyatt climbed up on Noah's lap as he sat in one of the recliners and cuddled against Noah's chest. I think Noah liked that Wyatt did this, because I saw a grin spread across his face as he wrapped his arms around his nephew.

When the movie ended, Brandon went up with Joshie and Benny to take their shower, while I gave Wyatt a bath. As I began to wash him, Wyatt asked a question.

"Where my toys?"

"Just a second and I'll get them." There was a container with the toys his fathers put in the tub with him whenever they gave him a bath, so I retrieved it.

"Can you play wid my toys wid me?" he quickly followed.

"Sure, Wyatt. That sounds like fun." I then did as he'd requested.

"Joshie say Daddy and Poppy goed on a trip."

"Yes, they did. They went away for your poppy's birthday."

"Dey did?"

"Yes, they wanted to do something special for Valentine's Day and your poppy's birthday."

"So Daddy'll give Poppy his prefent dere?"

"Yes, I guess you could say that," I answered, knowing we had completely different ideas about what that meant.

"When dey comin' home?"

"Not until Sunday night. That means you'll spend the next two days with us."

"K," he answered as if it wasn't a big deal.

"Unka Bandon wash me 'fore, but me like you doin' it too."

"I'm glad to hear that and I like helping you."

Once we were done, I helped him put on his pajamas and tucked him into bed. After I kissed him on the forehead he made another comment. "Daddy 'n Poppy kiss me here," he said, pointing at his lips.

"Ok, I'm sorry I messed up," I apologize and kissed him again, but this time on the lips. "I'll make sure Uncle Brandon knows it too."

"K." Wyatt then closed his eyes and I quietly slipped out of the room.

From there I went to see if Benny and Joshie were ready to be tucked in and they were just coming out of the bathroom with Brandon. After they hopped into bed, Brandon let me tuck them in before we both kissed them goodnight. I'm not sure why they each still had their own bedrooms, since they seem to prefer sleeping together.

When we got downstairs, I filled Brandon in about giving Wyatt a bath and having him ask me to play with his toys. "Oh, yeah, he made me do the same thing when I gave him his bath the last time we watched him. Sorry I forgot to mention that to you."

"It's ok and it wasn't a big deal. It has just been a long time since I gave anyone that young a bath and I really enjoyed doing it."

"That's right. I did it the last time we watched Wyatt and Joshie, and Dad usually does it when Dion and Trey go away whenever he's here."

"It's funny because I examine small children nearly every day, but I think this is the first time I've given a child a bath since I did it for Jordan and Nicky when they were little."

"Damn, that was a long time ago, seeing they're both in college now."

"Stop making me feel like an old man."

"Well, they are a little older than Elliot, so get used to it, old timer." Brandon giggled after saying this.

"Very funny, but if I'm an old timer then you are too."

"I know, but it doesn't bother me like it does you." He then stuck out his tongue to emphasize the point.

"I'll have a better use for that after we go to bed, so keep it in your mouth until then," I teased.

"Oh, that sounds like fun and I can't wait."

When the time came, I made good on my promise and we not only kissed and made out, but we engaged in a little oral foreplay before making love. I may be an old timer, but I'm certainly not dead or in need of any aids, like Viagra.

On Saturday, Brandon and I were busy doing our usual chores, as well as covering the cooking and kitchen duties. This meant we didn't have much time to spend with the boys until after we'd cleaned up the kitchen after lunch. Before we did that, however, I had to run an errand first, and when I got back Brandon and I walked into the family room, collapsed on the sofa, and prepared to watch whatever the boys had on TV.

Noah had the remote as he sat in one of the recliners with Wyatt on his lap, and before long Benny, and Joshie had taken up their usual places with us on the sofa. Ryan kept glancing at us, and I felt it was to see if we were doing anything inappropriate with the boys.

Brandon and I were surprised to see that the boys had agreed to watch the movie 'Cars', but quickly discovered they'd done it for Wyatt's benefit. Brandon and I thought it sweet that the older boys had chosen to do this, and Wyatt was obviously enjoying the action on the screen.

When the movie ended, I thanked the others for doing that for Wyatt and was mildly surprised by their reaction.

"He always has to watch what we want to see, so we let him pick what we watched today," Benny explained.

"That was very nice of you."

"Ryan and Noah said it was ok too, not just us," Joshie added.

"Well, I was thanking all of you, but now I have something to tell you. Tonight, Brandon and I will be going out for dinner to celebrate Valentine's Day. You'll be staying here and I'm putting Noah in charge."

"So he can tell us what to do?" Ryan asked quickly.

"For the most part you'll do whatever you normally do, but if there's a problem then Noah will decide how to handle it. I just want you to know that Brandon and I will deal with any problems tomorrow, if anything should happen while we're gone."

"What are we gonna do for dinner?" Benny wanted to know.

"Grandpa Jake's going to order pizza and Noah will fix each of you a salad to go with it. I hope you're all ok with that."

"Yeah," they replied, nearly in unison.

Brandon and I then went to shower and get dressed to go out, because I'd reserved a table at our favorite restaurant for tonight. When we came downstairs, I hurried out to the rec room and retrieved the boutonnieres I'd run out to purchase earlier. After I pinned his to his lapel, he did the same for me, and then we said goodbye to the boys and headed out to the car.

"Have fun!" we heard the boys yell to us as we were leaving.

"And don't stay out too late," Noah added, making us grin.

When we got to the restaurant, we were led to a secluded table next to a window that overlooked the well manicured lawn behind the building. When the cocktail waitress arrived, we both ordered a glass of wine while we decided what we were going to order.

Brandon and I each opted to have surf and turf, and chatted while we waited for our meals to be delivered. "I hope there aren't any problems while we're gone," Brandon stated.

"I'm sure the boys will be fine, hun. They're all good kids and get along normally, so I don't expect tonight to be any different."

"Yeah, you're probably right. I wonder how Dion and Trey are making out?"

"They're probably eating dinner now, just like we're doing, and did their making out earlier." Brandon gave me a strange look after I'd made a joke out of his comment.

"Knowing them they might not have even gotten out of bed since they arrived last night."

"Lucky them."

The meal was fantastic, as usual, and then we had to make a choice from the special dessert menu for couples. We decided to order the cheesecake topped with cherries, and when it was delivered, we discovered it had been made in the shape of a heart. When the waiter brought it to the table, he also dropped off a small package.

"What's that?" Brandon asked, while pointing at the wrapped parcel.

"It's a present for you. Happy Valentine's Day, my love." I'd dropped off my gift for Brandon earlier in the week so the waiter could bring it to the table along with dessert.

"This is your gift to me? But I left your gift at home."

"It doesn't matter, but I wanted to give you my gift while we were having dessert."

"That's what I was going to do, but I had a different type of dessert in mind."

"Oh, I like that idea too, so we'll enjoy both." I then handed the package to him.

Brandon looked at it for a moment, almost as if he wasn't sure if he should open it, but I urged him to go ahead. When he unwrapped the box and looked inside, his jaw dropped slightly as he gazed at the item it contained. It was an engraved silver pocket watch, so he picked it up and began to admire it.

"Turn it over. It's engraved." He did and read the inscription. 'May my time with you always be this wonderful. Love, Danny.'

"It's beautiful and I love it."

"I'm glad. I picked it out because I knew you didn't like to wear a wristwatch at work and thought this would be more appropriate."

"It's perfect."

We split the cheesecake down the middle and enjoyed our half. It had been a romantic and wonderful dinner.

The restaurant also had entertainment, which was merely a pianist playing a variety of romantic songs. There was also a small dance floor, so we got up and enjoyed a couple of slow dances with each other. Seeing so many people in the community already knew we're gay, there were no negative comments when we did this. We even noticed a few people smiling at us, as we held each other close.

We soon gave up our table and moved to the bar so we could continue dancing and enjoying the evening. We weren't drinking very much and merely sipped our wine, but it was enough to allow us to stay and enjoy more time together.

When we arrived home, Benny and Joshie were already in bed, but Ryan and Noah were still up. "I'm glad to see you made it home before midnight," Noah teased, even though we'd only beaten it by a few minutes.

"We didn't want to risk being turned into pumpkins or toads if we stayed out too late," Brandon replied.

"You guys are silly," Ryan observed, as we began urging Noah and him to head up to bed too.

As the boys were going upstairs, we went to let Pop know we were home and immediately regretted that we'd taken so long. This was due to the fact that he appeared to be having trouble keeping his eyes open when we got to his room.

"You could have gone to sleep and Noah would have come and got you if there was a problem," I pointed out.

"I wouldn't be much of a babysitter if I fell asleep on the job," he replied with a grin.

"Well, thanks for covering for us, but get some sleep now. We'll see you in the morning."

We closed his door as he climbed into bed, and then we went up to say goodnight to Noah and Ryan.

After getting ready for bed, Brandon brought out a small package and handed it to me. "Happy Valentine's Day, Babe."

I took the gift from him and slowly unwrapped it. Inside was a lovely, silver money clip that contained a circular frame in the center, about the size of a half dollar. Inside it, Brandon had placed a photo of the two of us.

"It's engraved too," he offered, so I turned it over and read the inscription. 'To the most valuable thing in my life. Love, Bran'.

"It's perfect and I'll cherish it always."

We then hopped into bed and started making out, which soon led to bigger and better things. When the love making ended, we cuddled together and fell asleep. It had been a fabulous Valentine's Day.