Secrets 2: Looking Through Different Eyes - 22. Chapter 22 S2

Chapter 22 – Making Concessions

Now that the cookout was over and we were done with the fire pit, Ma and Pa sat and cuddled for a while longer as they watched the fire burn down. Eventually, though, Pa knew he had to do something to make certain the fire was completely out, for safety reasons. He didn’t want to have to worry about any embers rising into the air after being reignited by a strong breeze and then either starting a forest fire or causing the cabin to burn.

After letting Ma know that it was time to make sure the fire was out for good so they could go to bed, he grabbed the hose that he’d hooked up earlier and headed toward the fire pit. He added just enough water to make sure the fire was out, but not so much that there would be a soggy mess to clean up later. As soon as the fire had been taken care of, he and Ma went inside and made their way up to their room.

Devin and I had gone to our room long before them, but we were too tired to make love. After we took our shower, we got into bed, and as we were lying there I decided to mention something to Devin.

“Do you believe that your dad and grandpas really wanted you to see what having a cookout was like for when you have a son, or do you think they had another reason for doing it? I mean, you’ve been to cookouts with my family before, and this was basically the same thing, so was it really necessary?”

“I agree with what you’ve said to a certain extent, but we don’t use a grill like your dad does, we built our own, so it’s different. There is also a lot more work to do in order to prepare for it, and I believe they also wanted me to realize that it’s a time when my entire family gathers together for a while. That way they’ll be able to join us when we have a son, either when we come back to visit them at the cabin when we’re on vacations while our son is still young, or later when we move back here to train him.”

“Ah, so you’re saying they don’t think we’d invite them to join us unless we’re having a cookout?”

“Gramps, Pops, and my dad and mom will always spend time with us out here, but Gramps and Pops’ wives don’t always come out here with them. However, if we have a cookout, then Gramps and Pops will bring their wives too, whether it’s their current wives or their next wives. The only problem is, having everyone here at the same time is starting to get a little crowded, but if we have a cookout outdoors then there won’t be a problem having enough room for everyone.”

“Ok, I get it now, but we might have to add another bedroom to the cabin for our son or sons so we can still have some privacy while we’re here,” I added with a giggle. “And we’ll also have to build another picnic table for the cookouts as well.”

“Our son or sons could always sleep down in the family area on the bearskin rug like I used to do.”

“But then where will Gramps and Pops sleep when they stay over?”

“Ok, then we might have to add on another bedroom, and I’m really glad that you’ve gone through the training to become a skinwalker, because now we can train our sons together. As soon as our sons reach puberty, we’ll train each one and then he’ll be able to go on a run with us every now and then and we’ll all be able to back each other up in a crisis.”

“Yes, we will, and I’m glad that I enjoy going for a run nearly as much as you do. And since I’m also a skinwalker, the next time a boy gets lost out here or if there’s another rapist on campus, we’ll be able to look for them together.”

“Yes, and that will definitely be a plus and a lot better.”

Now that we’d finished discussing these things, I snuggled with him as we fell asleep.

In the morning, Gramps woke us up so we could go out fishing with him and Pops, so we got up and got ready. However, I was a little surprised to find Pa waiting outside with Gramps and Pops by the time we got there to join them.

“Are you going out with us?” I asked.

“No, I just wanted to talk with my dad and granddad about a few things first. But now you guys better get in the rowboat, if you plan on doing any fishing this morning, because this is the best time to catch fish and you don’t want to miss out,” Pa advised us.

“Yes, we need to get moving,” Gramps agreed.

As we were taking our gear down to the lake, Pa went back inside the cabin and we pushed the rowboat into the water. The rowboat had two seats that went from side to side on the rowboat, and there was another small seat at the bow, or the front of the rowboat. We all got in and Devin and I sat on the seat near the stern, or back of the rowboat, and Pops sat on the small seat in the bow. Gramps sat on the seat in the center of the rowboat by himself, because he was going to do the rowing and would need the extra room.

Once we got farther out on the lake, we cast our lines into the water and waited for a bite. The fish were hungry this morning and eagerly went for the worms we were using as bait, so we made quite a haul. After we decided to call it quits, Gramps rowed us back to shore.

Once we’d cleaned and scaled the fish, Pops offered to take the bucket with the fish guts and other unwanted parts out to the woods. He would then dump everything in the pit and throw some of the lime that was stored in the shed on it so it didn’t attract predators. While he was doing that, we took the fish inside and gave them to Ma before we went to take a shower.

After we finished cleaning up, we went downstairs and waited for Gramps and Pops to join us, and then we all had breakfast together with Ma and Pa. While we were eating, Devin made a suggestion.

“Why don’t we all go out for a walk after we finish eating?”

“It sounds like a good idea to me,” Ma replied without hesitation, and the others readily concurred.

When we started out, Gramps and Pops took the lead, and then Ma and Pa walked behind them. Devin and I took a position at the rear and followed the others as they walked down one of the trails. We’d walked quite a distance already when Pop turned around and asked a question.

“What would you say if we wanted to take you out on a lesser used trail today? Jacob and I cleared this trail when he was a teenager and going through his training, and because he had so much extra energy I thought it was a good way for him to work it off. I’m not sure if it has been used very much since then, but Jacob and I come out here and clear it off every now and then, so what do you say?”

“Have I ever been on it before?” Pa asked.

“I can’t remember if I ever took you out on it or not,” Gramps replied, “but you might have found it on your own at some point.”

“Then let’s take it so I can see if I recognize it.”

As it turned out, this trail was narrower than the one we were on, so we had to walk singled file.

“I’ve seen this trail before, but I thought it was just a deer path,” Pa stated.

“They might be using it as well, but it didn’t start out that way,” Pops responded.

When that trail connected to one of the wider trails, we walked with our partners again, and then Ma made a comment.

“I’m enjoying doing this with the rest of you and I want to thank you for allowing me to go with you.”

“We should have done this before,” Gramps stated, “and I promise we’ll do it more often in the future.”

I was certain that Ma was smiling after she heard his response, but I couldn’t see if that was the case for sure, since she was ahead of us on the trail. However, I was convinced that she attributed Gramps and Pops’ change in attitude to the fact that she had become less hostile toward them about going out for a run while she sat in the cabin alone.

When we got back to the cabin, Devin and I helped Ma get lunch ready. We don’t usually eat lunch, but taking such a long walk in the fresh air made us unusually hungry, so once lunch was ready, we all sat down to eat. When we finished, Devin and I helped Ma do the dishes, and then we all took a breather for a while and allowed our meals to digest.

Once we were ready, we went out for another walk on some of the lesser used trails. It was a leisurely excursion in the woods on a beautiful day that wasn’t too hot.

When we got back to the cabin, we played games until it was time for supper, and then Devin and I went out to the kitchen with Ma to see if we could assist her while she was whipping something up for us to eat. She found several minor tasks that we could do, but I think she was mostly enjoying our company more than our assistance. She smiled and hummed a lot while she was working, so we both knew she was in a great mood!

When we finished eating, we all decided to sit on the front porch for a while before we turned in. We let Ma and Pa share the porch swing, and Devin and I brought out chairs for Gramps and Pops to sit on, and then Devin and I sat on the top step leading up to the porch.

“I really enjoy going on these walks with all of you,” Ma stated again.

“I do too,” Pops agreed, “and we definitely need to do it more often.”

“We haven’t got much time left before Devin and Mac will have to leave,” Pa pointed out. “But if we take a walk in the morning and another in the afternoon, then we should be able to cover most of the trails before they go on vacation with Mac’s parents.”

“And I’m sure my dad and I know about a few trails that you might not be aware of,” Gramps countered, “so we’ll take you out on some of those as well, if you don’t mind.”

“Wait a second,” Ma followed. “If we don’t know about these trails, then they can’t be used very often and that concerns me. We’ve already encountered an irate mother elk and a mountain lion on some of the trails that we use fairly often, so I hope that taking these other trails won’t mean we may encounter more animals that might attack us.”

“We may, but the rest of us will be able to protect you,” Pa replied.

“He’s right, because Devin and I protected you those other times and now you’ll have even more protection,” Pa stated.

“Hey, I helped the last time too,” I stated, feeling left out.

“That’s right, you did,” Pa agreed. “My apologies for forgetting the contribution you made with the mountain lion.”

“I’ll admit I didn’t do very much,” I conceded. “I just transition my head into a Bigfoot’s head and then roared like Bigfoot might do.”

“If I remember correctly, that’s what actually scared the mountain lion away. I suspect it might have heard that roar before and didn’t want to encounter the creature that made it.”

“Does that mean Bigfoot is real?” I asked.

“It’s a definite possibility,” Pa answered.

“Yeah, you might be right about that,” Devin concurred, “but by the time Mac did that, my dad and I had already transitioned as well.”

“And Mac’s getting quicker at transitioning, now that he’s getting more experience,” Pa added.

“See. Doris, there’s nothing to worry about,” Gramps said, “seeing you’ve got all of us here to protect you.” She smiled as she looked at each one of us.

When the discussion ended, we all got ready to turn in, but Devin and I decided to make love first. As we were doing this, I realized the others could probably hear what we were up to, but I no longer cared. They might tease us again in the morning, but so what. We were enjoying making love and could deal with a little ribbing in the morning, because we were happy expressing our love for each other, and neither of us was ashamed about doing it.

After breakfast, we went out for another hike, and this time we took a couple more of the trails that neither Devin nor I had been on before, although Pa had used one of them previously. When we returned to the cabin, we got ready to eat lunch, and during the meal I made an observation. Not only were these walks good exercise, but they were having a noticeable effect on our appetites.

After waiting for a while, we went out for a walk on some different trails. We were being fairly quiet as we walked along, because we were all enjoying the lovely day and observing nature, so we stayed out a little longer than usual.

In fact, it was dusk when a mother bear and her two cubs crossed the trail a short distance in front of us. They stopped when they saw us, and since we weren’t sure if the mama bear might think we were a threat and decide to attack us, we felt we should do something. Gramps and Pops reacted first, and then Pa, Devin and I joined them as all began waving our arms and making a great deal of noise. As soon as we started doing this, the mother bear chose to leave the trail, with her two cubs following closely behind.

When we got back to the cabin, Ma immediately went to the kitchen to start fixing supper, so Devin and I followed her and helped with whatever we could.

“Do you really think that mother bear might have attacked us,” Ma asked as we were eating.

“I doubt it,” Gramps replied, “but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.”

She seemed satisfied with his answer, so we talked about what a lovely day it had been and that we had enjoyed taking that leisurely stroll through the woods.

After supper, we all agreed to play games again and we did it for a couple of hours. When the last game ended, we all agreed it was time to turn in.

Devin seemed to be in a hurry to get up to the bedroom so we could make love, and he was a total madman as we thrashed around on the bed. There was no doubt in my mind that everyone else could hear us and I was worried that his parents or grandfathers might come to the bedroom to see what the noise was all about. Thankfully that didn’t happen, so when we were done we showered and then cuddled together as we fell asleep. I believe Devin was more content than usual.

We got up early again so we could go fishing, but before we went out in the rowboat, Pa, Gramps, and Pops all commented about the previous evening.

“Damn, I thought you two must be having a fight and destroying the bedroom last night,” Pa began with smirk.

“I thought they must have transitioned into bears and were having a dispute over who got to be top and who’d be bottom,” Gramps teased.

“Hell, I thought Devin had thrown Mac out of bed and they were making love on the floor,” Pops followed, “because all I could hear was thump, thump, thump on the floor.”

“Hey, we were in bed and having sex the entire time,” Devin replied unfazed by their ribbing, “so you guys must have heard the bed bouncing on the floor.”

I couldn’t believe he’d just said that, because I’m having difficulty with how easily he can joke about this with Pa, Gramps, and Pops. I’m not as embarrassed by their teasing as I used to be, but there’s no way in hell I’d joke around with them about what we’d done, as Devin tends to do.

“So, who’s going fishing?” Gramps wanted to know without hesitation.

“Why don’t the four of you do that and I’ll go inside so I can have a chat with Doris when she wakes up.”

“Mom’s still sleeping?” Devin asked. “I hope we didn’t keep her up last night and that’s why she’s still sleeping.”

“No, she was just tired out after the hikes we took yesterday.”

‘I’m glad to hear that,’ I thought without uttering the words aloud.

“Ok, it’s time for us to head out on the lake,” Pops stated, so we all grabbed our gear and made our way down to the water’s edge. After we stowed our gear, Gramps rowed us out away from the shore and no one was talking as we cast our lines in the water. I was just happy that they were no longer teasing us about last night.

We got a later start this morning, due to their ribbing, so the fishing wasn’t quite as successful as it had been the previous morning, but we still did ok. After we finished cleaning and scaling the fish, we carried them inside and gave them to Ma while Gramps was busy emptying the bucket in the woods. Devin and I had finished taking our showers by the time he returned, but we waited for him to take his shower before we ate.

As we were eating, Ma asked a question. “So, what time are you boys going to leave for Jamesville?”

“We want to do some shopping on the way back so I can pick up a few things for the trip,” Devin responded, “so would you mind if we leave once we finish eating breakfast?”

“And don’t be upset,” I added. “It’s just because we’ll have to leave my house early tomorrow morning so we can head to the airport to catch our flight!”

“We understand and it’s fine, but just drive carefully.”

“And I’ll give you some money,” Pa followed, “since I assume you’re going to be buying things you can use for college as well.”

“Yes, I am.”

“Then I’ll chip in a few bucks as well,” Gramps and Pops both added, “and you can pick up a few items for Mac as well.”

“Thanks, and I’ll do that,” Devin agreed. “This will help out a lot!”

As soon as we finished eating, Pa, Gramps, and Pops all handed Devin some money, and then we went up to our room to pack the things we were taking with us. For Devin, this also meant the things he was taking to Fort Collins, since he was going to leave them in his SUV while we’re gone.

As soon as we loaded everything, we said our goodbyes to everyone and thanked them for the great time we had at the cabin. We also thanked them for the money they’d given to Devin for when we stopped to do some shopping. We also said a special goodbye to Gramps and Pops.

“Don’t forget that we plan on seeing both of you when you come to Fort Collins to attend a football game or two with us.”

“We’re looking forward to it,” Gramps agreed.

“And we’ll check the schedule and let you know which games we want to attend,” Pops added.

“That works for us,” Devin confirmed, but then he hesitated. “And Mom and Dad I want to thank you for allowing me to increase my height, because I added two more inches over the summer (5 cm), and now I’m as tall as Dad, Gramps, and Pops.”

“You were definitely old enough to make that decision for yourself, although I don’t think you should get any taller,” Pa replied. “I just hope you can convince your friends it was a late growth spurt.”

“That won’t be a problem.”

“And I approve of the changes you’ve made and I’m happy you’re also going to start wearing clothes that fit you better from now on,” Ma added. “You’ll be much more handsome that way.”

“They may still be a little big on me, but they won’t be nearly as obvious as before.”

“I’m certainly glad to hear that,” she confirmed, and then we got in the SUV and drove away.

Just as soon as we reached a main road and the driving was a little better, I turned toward Devin and spoke.

“When we stop to do some shopping, we’ll just pick up new clothes for you to wear on vacation, and then we can shop for the rest of your clothes when we’re in Missouri.”

“No, we can’t do that, because I won’t have enough room to pack those things in my suitcase when we leave for Florida.”

“Don’t worry about that. My grandparents can ship that stuff to our house while we’re in Florida, so they’ll be there when we get back.”

“Ok, that will work too.”

“I’m glad you agree, because they might have some different things at the stores in Missouri that we wouldn’t be able to find around here.”

“I find that hard to believe, but it won’t do any harm to look and buy the things we like there, as long as they aren’t more expensive.”

“I agree and I don’t have a problem with doing that.”

On the way to my house, we stopped at a couple of stores to pick up a few items for Devin. The first stop was so he could purchase a pair of Skechers, since he needed a new pair of shoes to go with his new height. We felt those would be the most comfortable for him to wear as we walked around on vacation, so he picked out a larger size that he thought would be more appropriate for his new height. He then merely adjusted the size of his feet accordingly before he tried them on.

At the next location, we looked at shorts and polo shirts for him. He told me before we started that they wouldn’t be anything flashy and each item would be primarily a single color. He also urged me to pick out a couple pairs of shorts and polo shirts as well, because he felt his dad and grandfathers would be upset if he only spent the money on things for him.

“You know Gramps and Pops told me to buy something for you as well,” he stated.

“But I don’t want you to spend that money on me.”

“Don’t worry. They gave me more than enough to buy you something as well.”

I did as he suggested, and then we took the various items to the dressing room so we could inspect how they looked on us in the mirrors. We also let each other comment on each item before we decided if we were going to buy it. In the end, he chose several pairs of shorts and several polo shirts to wear while on vacation, and I picked out two of each as well.

After he paid for everything, I asked Devin to wear a pair of his new shorts and a new polo shirt before we got to my house, since he was currently wearing his new Skechers. In order to do that, he went into the men’s room and entered a stall to change.

“You look marvelous,” I told him when he came out, imitating Billy Crystal’s catchphrase.

“Thanks, and I feel marvelous as well,” he replied and then giggled, and then we headed to my house.

When we arrived, I asked my parents how they liked Devin’s new clothes. My mom and dad looked at him oddly for a few seconds, but didn’t comment right away.

“I like his new look,” my mom finally stated.

“Yes, his new clothes seem to fit him better,” my dad added.

“And that makes him look even more handsome than before,” my mom followed.

I was sure their comments were due not only to the fact that his clothes fit him better, but also because of his new stature. They might have even thought he had lifts in his shoes and that’s what made him look taller. They may have also suspected it was because of the fact that he was standing up straighter due to the boost in his confidence level, but they didn’t question either of us about it. They were just happy that we’d showed up even earlier than we’d agreed on, so Devin and I carried all of the things we were taking on the trip up to my room.

When we returned a little while later, my parents filled us in about when we’d be leaving to catch our flight, and when they finished, my mom had one more thing to tell us.

“I want both of you to give me your dirty clothes so I can do your laundry before we leave. And you can give me the new clothes as well, because they should be washed before you wear them. And don’t worry, Devin, because I won’t shrink them or let the colors run together.”

Since we’d taken everything up to my room earlier, we immediately went there to get the items she’d requested. I was tossing my clothes into a pile on the floor, but I heard Devin groan as he was taking off the new outfit that he’d worn here. When I looked at him to see what was wrong, I saw the blood had completely drained from his face and he was totally pale. I could also read the panic on his face and in his hectic actions as he kept shoving his hands in and out of the pockets on the shorts. Finally, he grasped them at the bottom and shook them upside down.

“Is something wrong?” I asked.

“Yes, I’ve lost the rest of the money my dad and grandfathers gave me,” he screamed.

“What are you talking about?”

“My dad gave me $3000 in hundred-dollar bills before we left and Gramps and Pops gave me $500 each. I had it with me while we were shopping and I only spent about $450 at the two stops we made, but it’s not there now!”

“Why did your dad give you so much money?”

“It was so I could buy the shoes, shorts and shirts on the way here and still have enough money left over to shop for school clothes later. He also said he gave me some extra money to spend on the trip.”

“So, you pulled out all of that money at both places?”

“No, I placed $500 in my right pocket, along with the key to the SUV, and I put the rest of the money in my left pocket so I didn’t pull out all of the money when I was paying for my purchases. When I changed I moved it over to my new shorts, but now I’ve only got the change that I placed in my right pocket, along with the key for the SUV!”

“Do you think the money might have fallen out somewhere or that someone could have stolen it?”

“I don’t see how anyone could have done that, because they couldn’t have put their hand in my pocket without me noticing. It could have fallen out, though, but the only time that could have happened was while I was changing before coming here, because I moved the money over before I put the shorts on.”

“Then let me call the store and see if anyone found it.”

“Trust me, if anyone found that much money I doubt they would have turned it in.”

“You never know, because I’ve heard stories about Good Samaritans finding money or valuable items and then doing the right thing.”

“Yeah, I guess it’s possible, just not probable.”

“When was the last time you knew you had the money?”

“I didn’t want to put my hand in the pocket after I put the new clothes on, so it would have to be when I changed into them.”

“Ok, let me call the store and speak with the manager.”

“Yeah, I guess it’s worth a try.”

Luckily, it was before closing time for them, so I called the store and asked to speak with the manager. When he answered, I explained the situation.

“My friend and I shopped in your store earlier and my friend might have lost a large amount of cash while he was in your fitting rooms or in the men’s room. Did anyone turn in any money?”

“Not that I know of, but let me check with the accounting office. If any money was found, it would have been placed in an envelope and put in the safe. The contact information for the person who’d turned it in would have been written on the outside of the envelope, along with the amount and the date. That way we’d know which envelope was the correct one if someone called to claim the money within 30 days. If no one claimed it, we’d also have the contact information so we could call to the person who’d found it and inform him that he could come in and collect the money.”

He then put me on hold for several minutes, and when he returned I was holding my breath and hoping that an honest person might have found Devin’s money.

“No, I’m sorry. No money was turned in to us, but the cleaning crew might find it later, so why don’t you give me your contact information.”

I didn’t hesitate and gave him my information and thanked him before ending the call. Devin had figured out what happened as well, since he appeared totally dejected when I looked at him.

“The manager said the cleaning crew might find it later, so there’s still a chance it will be found.”

“Yeah, a fat chance or no chance,” he shot back. “The people on the cleaning crews don’t make very much, so I doubt any of them would have turned the money in if they found it.”

“You don’t know that. They could be an honest person.”

Obviously, my encouragement didn’t seem to work, because his body suddenly slumped forward and his head drooped against his chest as he stared at the floor. He was totally dejected and I felt awful for him.