The Company - 16. Bros, Bunnies & Brains

i.

Our excursion to Arrowhead was exhausting. I was down and out so early; I may have worried a few people. I forgot about our little tradition of having big and little brothers spend the night together.

The idea was to let them get close to each other. With this pound full of horn dogs, sex was inevitable. No one complained, and the practice had led to some close friendships. If it works, don’t fix it.

I woke up early to a crowded bed between David and Todd. On the other side of the bed was Frank with Rodney and Barry. The first hints of pink were peeking through the window. Mike Bowers hadn’t made it, but the way he and Matthew had hit it off, I was pretty sure where he was.

Carefully, I slipped out of bed and put on some shorts, shoes, and a shirt. I noticed that Junior was missing. With so many people here, he must have found another spot.

I made the rounds and found Stevie, Toby, and Cole all snuggled up.

Brian and Lance had a small crowd in their room. Sang and Mihn were curled around Lance, and Billy was cuddled next to Brian. They were so cute that I wanted to hug them all.

Junior and Smiley were curled in a golden fur ball in Joey and Matty’s room. Most rooms had two twin beds, but joey and Mattie were on one. The two little beasts rose, stretched, and followed me.

I spotted Mark Polk wedged between Ray and James, passing their room.

My furry escort followed me downstairs, where I let Smiley run outside for a minute. The smell of coffee reached out from the kitchen. I heard Lee and Sharon talking.

They greeted me as the two critters followed me to the kitchen for breakfast. I prepared some food for Junior and Smiley and gave it to them. After sampling both bowls, the kitten and pup settled on the appropriate dish and ate with gusto.

Lee said, “Sharon has discovered something interesting.”

I asked, “Interesting?”

Sharon said, “It is. Come to the table, and I’ll show you.”

Lee handed me a cup of coffee and said, “It’s pretty weird if you ask me.”

Sharon had a calendar and opened it to July. She said, “I started putting the boys’ birthdays on the calendar, so we wouldn’t miss anyone. This is what I came up with.”

She opened the calendar to July and said, “Fully half of the boy’s and Marie’s birthdays fall between July 23^rd to August 23^rd. The other two groups are between November 22^nd and December 21^st and between March 21^st and April 19^th.”

“There are just a few outliers, all of them in November, but very few, and they are on what astrologers call the cusp of Sagittarius no more than a day or two off. With few exceptions, almost everyone is a Leo, Sagittarius, or Aries.”

Lee added, “My brothers and the rest of our close cousins in the Valley all fit. I don’t remember their exact birthdays, but they’re all in that range.”

I looked at the calendar and said, “This is odd. What could it mean?”

Sharon grinned and said, “Astrology is a hobby of mine. Leo, Aries, and Sagittarius are all signs ruled by the element of fire. Think of it as energy. You’ve got a house full of them. My Gene is a Leo, Scotty is an Aries, and I’m a Sagittarius.”

I chuckled and said, “Well, I can vouch for the energetic part… except before six am.”

“This isn’t the first time something weird has happened around this group,” Lee said. “Remember Friday night when Edgar showed up?”

Sharon asked, “Who?”

Lee said, “Back on our farm, we have a tame little back bear named Edgar. He likes us and will follow us during the day, but we never see him at night. Anyone he doesn’t know, he’ll avoid or scurry away. After Tim had told us about his plan, Friday night or early Saturday morning, Edgar showed up in front of everybody. It spooked my cousins Joey and Bobby Porter.”

“Joey Porter turned so pale that he was glowing in the dark. There’s some mystical connection between bears and Native Americans I wish I knew more about”, I said, trying not to give away my discomfort over the weirdness and strong coffee.

“I’m not surprised,” Sharon stated with conviction. “This many people born under the fire signs in one place are usually a recipe for a riot, but everybody gets along. There’s a lot of energy and power here. Something is happening that none of us realize.”

I looked at the calendar for July and August and couldn’t deny it. Big Ted turned eighteen on the same day as Frank turned twenty-one, followed closely by Toby, Brandon, Ritchie, Barry, Jeb, Chris, Sean, and Tony. Angel and Joey were there, along with Ray, David Bridges, Charlie, Jo-Jo, JJ, and Adam. My birthday was July twenty-sixth.

Looking at the other groupings, almost everyone else fits into the November-December and March-April brackets. The three outliers were Lance, Todd, and Jacob in late November. No one had planned this, but the facts didn’t lie.

I sipped the coffee, tried not to wince, and said, “Could this just be kindred spirits drawn together?”

“Maybe,” Sharon replied doubtfully. “I can’t help but feel there’s something to this. At first, I was delighted to get this job. Now I’m fascinated. This is a real mystery.”

With a grim expression, not entirely because of the coffee, I said, “Let’s keep this close. There’s no use in spooking the boys.”

Lee nodded his agreement. Sharon said, “I’ll quietly research and see what I can find out. I’ve read a lot, but I’ve never heard of anything like this.”

 

ii.

I went into my office to get some work done. Sharon Watts had given me a lot to think about. I saw myself as a man of science and rationality. I studied engineering: mathematics, switching systems, and signal amplification. None of that prepared me for seeing my group’s astrological alignment.

One of the branches of math that I had been immersed in was statistics. The probability for a random distribution of birthdays to come out this way was like getting struck by lightning with a winning lottery ticket in your pocket. Mathematically, distributions don’t work that way.

Being a nerd, I pondered the math. Sharon’s list had most of our people listed. Each person’s birthday is a random number between one and three hundred sixty-five. The probability of the tight distribution of birthdays clustered in or very close to three months approached zero.

Who would I even ask about this? I certainly wasn’t going to bring this to a roadside psychic.

I sighed and pulled some index cards from a drawer to get down to the serious business of organizing and planning the day. There was a lot I wanted to accomplish, but I was uncertain if I could get it all in.

Those who wanted to attend church would run from eleven to twelve, and then there would be lunch. Angel would take the boys who wanted to go to Big Sandy. The rest of us would hike over to St. Luke’s. That would take us to noon.

Next, we would have to take Todd, Stevie, and Mark to see their parents at the hospital. After that, I wanted to take them to do a little shopping. That should take until deep into the afternoon.

I still had to make an appearance at Acadia Ridge, which I would consolidate with Aaron and Grant’s first driving lesson that I was going to skew for late because I wanted it to be dark on the way back.

There were two other projects I wanted to squeeze in. I had the computers in the office. I wanted to get together with Matthew, Chance, Ray, and Brian and spend quality time building them. That would be fun, and I would spend time with several boys I had high hopes for. If I had to, I could probably delegate this chore to Matthew, but I didn’t want to.

The other thing I wanted to do for fun was to put the sound system together in the theater and let our musicians plug in and see how they sounded. David Bridges would be at church so that we could have a word.

My pager went off as I figured out how to get it all into one day. I picked it up; the number was the Sheriff’s Office in DeKalb.

I returned the call and got the switchboard, which made me wait a moment.

“This is Detective Hooper.”

“Good morning, Detective. I’m Tim Shepherd, returning a page.”

Hooper said, “I’m impressed that you called back at three minutes after six on a Sunday morning. Last night, we raided Daryl Brewer’s house.”

I replied, “That doesn’t sound good.”

“It wasn’t. We arrested Brewer for possession with intent, and we’re still investigating all the sex crimes. Kevin… excuse me; Sheriff Hollingsworth told me that you’re good at taking care of victimized kids and will become a licensed foster care home later this week. We’ve got three boys we need to place in a situation where they can get some therapy and stability.”

Hooper sighed and said, “We know you already have Robbie McDonald. We’re still missing a sixteen-year-old named Jimmy Singleton. His mother was wanted for prescription fraud, and we popped her with a new possession with intent to distribute charge.”

“I think we can help you with both matters, Detective,” I replied. “If you’ve got a picture of the Singleton kid, we’ll see if he shows up at the Game Zone. We’re getting a rep that if hungry kids show up, we feed them. Can you tell me anything about the other three? It would help if I knew their ages.”

Hooper said, “They are eleven, twelve, and thirteen. Their parents had been getting money and dope for sending them to stay with that sicko on weekends. We aren’t returning them to that mess, even if the parents weren’t already headed for the state pen. These three boys surprised me. Usually, when we get kids this age, they’re angry, sullen, or scared out of their wits. These boys are polite and seem to enjoy the attention. We try not to hold juveniles, especially this young, any longer than we must. In this case, they don’t seem to mind and have charmed our staff.”

“I’m not surprised,” I said with a head shake. “Kids that have been abused and neglected react well to the right kind of attention. It’s not uncommon for them to become people-pleasers to avoid abuse. It sounds like you’ve got some good people there.”

The Detective, obviously pleased, said, “Thank you, Mr. Shepherd. Do you remember a young lady you went to school with named Jewel Phillips?”

It took me a moment, but I did remember her. She graduated a year before me, and I said, “Yes. She dated a friend of mine back in the day.”

“Now, she works for Social Services and is engaged to Dr. St. James. She signed off on this early this morning. How soon can you come to get them?”

“Let’s get them away from the jail as soon as possible. They’ve had a rough weekend that wasn’t their fault. It’s early enough that I can come to get them now. When it gets a little later, my flock will be headed to church.”

Hooper said, “That sounds like a good idea.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

I hung up the phone and sighed.

Men plan. God laughs.

 

 

 

iii.

I planned to consolidate this trip with taking Todd and Stevie to see their mom. I thought I’d take some kids with me to help put them at ease. At 6 am, that was out, so on to Plan B.

I went upstairs to get ready, and almost everyone was still asleep. Little Dave, Barry, and Todd quietly slipped out of bed and followed me into the bathroom as I got some clothes together.

As I dressed, I explained what I was doing, and David, Barry, and Todd volunteered to go with me.

They put on some shorts and a shirt, and we went downstairs. On the way out, I told Sharon and Marie what we were doing and that we would be back as soon as I could manage.

Traffic was very light that early, and I used the time to discuss strategy with my co-conspirators. We knew very little about Kenny, Hunter, and Franz than the same mutt who had molested Ritchie’s kids and was caught red-handed with these boys. Their job was to make them welcome, get a read on the new boys, and let me know what they thought.

After the fifteen-minute drive, I was pulled into the Sheriff’s Department’s main office and facility on the outskirts of Dekalb around six-thirty.

David, Todd, and Barry waited in the van, and I went into the office. Detective Hooper met me and took me into one of their interview rooms.

He gave me a file containing the boy’s vital statistics, and I started reading. I immediately noticed that one of the boys’ last names was Phillips. Their birthdays were all in July and August. Hunter and I shared the same birthday.

I looked up, and Detective Hooper said, “I see you noticed that one of the boys is Jewel Phillip’s nephew.”

“I’m a little surprised.”

Hooper said, “She would have taken him herself, but she can’t for now, and the grandparents are elderly. Her older brother turned out to be a druggie loser.”

I asked, “The other two boys are brothers?”

Hooper nodded and said, “Yeah. Their mother is a hippie-dippy train wreck who will do at least ten years. Hunter is the elder of the two and the alpha pup of the pack. He’s protective of his little brother. I’m just glad we’ve got a decent place to send them. Kids like this who get dumped in a group home usually don’t do well. You keep the files; that’s your copy.”

He handed me a picture and said, “This is the Singleton kid.”

Jimmy Singleton’s striking features immediately made me think of my Porter relatives. He was small-framed and had jet-black straight hair, dark eyes, and high cheekbones of some Native American features. He wore jeans, a Boston t-shirt, and a dazzling smile in the photo. The Singleton boy was hot as fire.

I asked, “Can you tell me something about how the Brewer bust went down?”

Hooper replied, “I’m not supposed to, but you should know, so keep it under your hat.”

I nodded my consent, and he continued, “When we arrived at Brewer’s place, there was a strong smell of marijuana smoke, so we had probable cause. We entered the house, where we found the boys stoned out of their minds and the perp in the living room with porn videos running.”

“That sounds familiar,” I said with a wince. “The boys who warned me about this mutt said that’s how he works. I’ve got a seventeen-year-old who says this mutt made a run at him six years ago, and a fifteen-year-old he’s no longer interested in because he’s too old.”

Hooper said, “Please tell me you’ll let the shrinks take their statements.”

“Absolutely. Phillip Holmes said Brewer has been at this for a long time, and most of his victims were too embarrassed to complain. When this comes out in the papers, I expect you’ll hear much more about him. His former victims are embarrassed, but once the cat is out of the bag, they’ll be pissed to find out he was doing this to so many kids over so much time.”

The Detective shook his head and said, “We found pictures of at least thirty different boys when we searched his house. Brewer is going away for a long time.”

I said with a sigh, “Good. Now that the mutt is in the kennel, it’s time to clean up the mess he’s made.”

Detective Hooper said, “I like your attitude, Mr. Shepherd. Let’s go meet the boys.”

 

 

 

Hooper led me to a dorm-style room where the three boys were staying. They were all exhausted and were only wearing gym shorts or swimsuits.

They were cute kids, but not very impressive specimens for their ages. They were all skinny and hadn’t been eating very well.

Hunter and Franz were brothers and looked very, very Germanic. They reminded me of the kids I’d played with when Dad had been stationed in Europe. A few meals, a haircut, and some clothes should get them squared away. I agreed with Hooper’s assessment. Hunter was their leader, and he was carefully accessing me.

Kenny Phillips reminded me of Scotty Watts. He had brown eyes and hair, a slight frame, and an expression that mixed curiosity and mischief.

Franz sat close to his brother and observed the happenings nervously.

I sat in one of the chairs and said, “I understand that you three have had a rough weekend, and you need a place to stay.” The boys looked at me with interest, Hunter with an attitude of challenge, and I continued, “I want to invite you to stay with my family for as long as you like.”

Hunter Schmitt said, “You mean we don’t have to?”

“Robbie MacDonald lives with me.”

Three pairs of eyebrows rose, and I said, “I don’t know if you know Phillip Holmes, but he’s from DeKalb and lives with us too.”

Kenny said, “Hey, I remember you now. You were on TV Friday night.”

“That’s right. I run several businesses, and you might decide to work at one of them when you're old enough.”

Now that I had the boy’s interest, I said, “I won’t say you must live with us, but it’s probably better than the alternatives.”

Detective Hooper said, “Mr. Shepherd has a bunch of kids who had problems like what you’ve been through. They’re all doing very well.”

The three boys had a little huddle and Franz, the youngest, asked, “Can we have breakfast?”

I smiled and said, “Of course. There’s a McDonald’s on the way.”

That sealed the deal. After signing for my new charges, I led Kenny Phillips, Hunter, and Franz Schmitt to the van.

 

 

 

iv.

David, Todd, and Barry gave them their best friendly greeting. As I drove back to Lakeview, the boys settled in and talked. All three new kids kept giving me surreptitious looks and giggles. Much of their conversation was in hushed, low tones.

Once back in Lakeview, I drove to McDonald’s drive-through for breakfast sandwiches and orange juice. Then I took them to Dockside Park and parked in the shade, where we ate. Egg McMuffins were dispatched with gusto.

I appreciated how David, Todd, and Barry put the new kids at ease. Even Hunter, who, I thought, might be a problem, was laughing and smiling.

Once we finished eating, we all got out and walked around. I played tour guide, showed them around the pool and skate park, and let them walk around a bit.

Franz and Kenny seemed to be fascinated with the older teens. I couldn’t blame them. They were all good-looking, and even straight-ish boys would notice David was a tall, strikingly handsome boy. Hunter was cool to the proceedings, but grinned when he thought no one was looking.

Kenny whispered something to Todd, who laughed. I overheard Todd say to him, “No, David isn’t hard. He’s just hung like a horse.”

Kenny’s eyebrows shot up, setting the two younger boys on a giggling jag.

When we got past the woods, where the house was in easy view, Hunter said, “Man, that’s a huge house!”

Kenny looked and said, “It looks cool. It’s got a boat ramp and a neat bass boat.”

I spoke up and said, “I’m glad you like it. That’s where we’ll be living.”

All three new boys looked at me, and I said, “Let’s sit at a picnic table in the shade and talk.”

The boys followed me to a picnic table and sat down.

Barry said, “You guys don’t know Tim well yet, but he’s great. He saved me from a pervert, making me blow him at knife point. Nobody wanted me because I’m gay, but Tim took me in and treated me like the dad I’ve always wanted.”

Hunter looked at me and asked, “Do you know what happened last night?”

“I know. I haven’t told the others, but they wouldn’t be shocked. You are here because I have things set up, so you can have friends who won’t treat you like freaks. It has happened to all of us in one way or another, so you aren’t alone and don’t need to be ashamed.”

Hunter shook his head and asked, “You don’t care if we’re queer?”

I said, “I care about many things, but what makes you hard is your business. At your age, it isn’t set in stone that you are gay. Mother Nature plays a nasty trick on boys. When you’re around eleven or twelve, puberty kicks in and gives you a huge sex drive, no owner’s manual, and everyone tells you not to use it.”

Hunter grinned, and Timmy and Franz giggled at that.

“At that age, girls are usually out of reach, and you are mostly around your boy pals who are in the same boat. Many boys start out jerking off with their friends. It’s fun and quite common to try out sex with each other. They’ll have sex with boys until they decide whether they like boys, girls better, or both.”

David spoke up and said, “He’s right about that. Coming up through junior high, I had many boys come on to me whom I would have never guessed went both ways.”

I continued, “What’s messed up is when a pervert like Daryl Brewer gets into the picture, gets you high, shows you porn, and does stuff to you. You guys didn’t have much choice about it, and we’re all guys here. We know a blowjob or whatever he was doing to you feels pretty good, but you had much rather it were with someone else, right?”

All three boys nodded.

David spoke up and said, “Big cocks run in my family. A couple of years ago, I mowed grass for a guy I noticed checking me out. I flirted with him and would go shirtless when I did his yard, and soon, I was making a nice tip.”

Todd said, “Mr. Burrows. I did that yard too. He gives amazing head.”

David laughed, swatted Todd, and said, “You horn dog.”

“I have to be to run with this pack,” Todd rejoined.

“Fair enough,” David said, laughing. “My point is, don’t mistake horny for gay. It’s not the same. Guys give much better head than girls. It’s not even close. Many so-called straight boys like pussy but refuse to give up blow jobs from their guy pals.”

Hunter asked, “So, what’s the difference between Mr. Burrows and Daryl?”

I said, “I don’t know anything about Mr. Burrows, but he was with older boys, and they had a choice. Your parents sent you to Brewer’s for weekends starting when you were. What? Ten or eleven?”

Hunter said, “I was eleven the first time. Daryl has a… what’s that word… I think it’s a fetish. He likes to make boys cum for the first time. Even if you can’t cum, getting your dick sucked is… a lot more fun than homework.”

Everyone around the table got a chuckle out of Hunter’s understatement.

I said, “The point is you guys don’t have anything to be ashamed of. If you meet someone you like and want to, it’s OK. Just be discreet about it. None of our guys will rag you for it.”

Franz asked, “What’s discrete mean?”

Todd said, “Not in public, or anywhere you might get caught. Tim is cool, but many adults and kids aren’t.”

I said, “I know you need some rest, so we’ll go home, get you a real breakfast, and let you sleep. When we return from church, we’ll have lunch, go to DeKalb, and get you some clothes. I’m sure you can borrow some shirts and shoes.”

Barry said, “Something about the house you should know. We have two ladies that cook and take care of the 1^st floor. The second floor is ours. Be cool around Sharon and Marie; they’re great. You can let your hair down upstairs.”

 

 

I stood to lead the boys back to the van, and David winked at me. He said, “Could you show me the new pool house? I haven’t seen it yet.”

“Sure. I’ve got my keys.”

Now in tour guide mode, I led the group to the men’s side of the pool house and said, “The restroom is always open, but the changing room is only open when the pool is open.”

They followed me inside the restroom, and I unlocked the changing room door. I showed them the showers and the little rooms with doors for privacy.

David stepped up to the urinal and pulled his big cock out. Franz and Kenny immediately stepped up beside him for a peek. Todd and Barry joined them. No urination was going on, but hands were exploring.

Hunter blushed and rolled his eyes.

I said, “If you guys are going to play, go in the changing room. I’ll lock the door, and you can knock when you’re done.”

There was blushing, and the five boys went into the changing room, grinning and giggling. I locked the door. I decided to close the main entrance as well.

Hunter looked at me with a raised eyebrow and asked, “Play?”

I answered with a shrug, “That’s mostly what it is. It’s not serious; no one will get pregnant, and they’ll have fun. Everyone in our group is screened for sexually transmitted diseases. Instead of giving them a complex about it and having them sneak around, I think it’s better to let them have fun and ensure they’re safe. Do you want to go back there?”

Hunter approached me, grinned, and said, “Sort of, but I’m fascinated by you. You know we talked on the ride?”

I nodded.

“Barry said you protect us, take care of us, and don’t even ask for a blow job in return. What’s in it for you?”

I chuckled and said, “Cute guys surround me, I love them all, and we have a blast.”

Hunter smiled, but was quiet for a moment. He said, “That’s cool. Barry also said the only time he’s ever heard you tell even a little white lie was when someone was being nosy. You tell the truth. I’m not used to that.”

I put my hand on Hunter’s shoulder and said, “Seeing is believing, Hunter. Give it a day, and we’ll talk later tonight?”

“You’re on,” Hunter said. Then he grinned mischievously, rubbed a growing bulge in his shorts, and said, “Listen.”

It wasn’t difficult to hear the five boys in the changing room being very naughty.

I chuckled and said, “Sounds like they’re having fun. Are you sure you don’t want to join them?”

“Nah,” Hunter replied. “It sounds fun, but I’m trying to figure you out.”

Hunter took his shorts off, tossed them on the sink, and stood in front of me stark naked with a five-inch uncut boner. He said,” I’m up for doing whatever you want if you promise to take care of Franz. I’ll suck your cock, and maybe even let you fuck me. I won’t even mind it because you aren’t old, fat, and ugly.”

“It’s not like that, Hunter. I’m going to take care of you anyway.”

Hunter looked mystified and said, “I know nothing is free. We’re just trailer trash. Why would you want us other than to fuck us?”

“Nobody is trash, Hunter,” I said. “Especially boys as cute as you and your buds. Put your shorts back on. You were dealt some bad cards, but you just pulled four aces with us.”

Hunter grabbed his shorts and said, “I did?”

“Yes, you did. Your first ace is that we’ll be a real family to you. Instead of the chaos in that trailer park, you will get regular meals, decent clothes, and people who will become brothers to you. Second, you’ve got me. I’ll let you be yourself and never allow anyone to abuse you. Third, you and your brother will have a nice, safe place to live. Fourth, we’re going to have fun.”

As Hunter pulled his shorts up, I said, “By the way. I noticed that we have the same birthday. You’ll be fourteen.”

Hunter’s expressive eyebrows went up. “Really?”

“Kenny and Franz aren’t far behind, either. Do you have a birthday wish?”

Hunter made my day by saying, “If I never have to see Daryl again or go back to the trailer park, my biggest wish was fulfilled today.”

I surprised Hunter by hugging him and softly saying, “That one is fulfilled. You’ll have to start thinking about the next one.”

 

v.

I pulled the van into the driveway at a quarter to eight. The new kids first noticed the red Porsche parked by the driveway.

Hunter and Franz’s eyes googled, and I said, “That belongs to Bart. Be nice, and he might take you for a ride.”

Kenny was a Mustang guy and liked my 1970 Fastback in the garage.

When we arrived in the kitchen, Sharon was serving breakfast to Frank, Jeb, Kelly, Jo-Jo, Brian, and Billy.

Billy jumped up from the table and exclaimed, “Hunter!” He hugged the bemused older boy and asked, “Are you going to be living here too?”

Hunter replied, “I think so. Are Tracy and Robbie here too?”

“Yeah,” Billy replied. “They’ve already been down. Get a plate. Sharon’s got pancakes and sausage.”

Brewer had introduced Ritchie’s boys to the new kids at some point. As creepy as that sounded, it was a good thing in this context. Having some kids around they were familiar with would make them more comfortable.

Sharon fixed plates for the three new boys, and they had second breakfast. Who would have guessed they were part Hobbit?

I left the new kids in Billy’s capable hands, asked him to bring them up when they were done, and went upstairs. I made a beeline for Brandon’s room and found him talking to Toby, Stevie, and Cole. They were all clad in boxers and, in Stevie’s case, tightie-whities.

“Good! Two of the people I was looking for. Brandon, Cole, how would you like to be big brothers?”

Toby said, “You mean we’ve got more boys?”

This prompted a giggle from Stevie.

I said, “Their parents were arrested for drugs, and Sheriff Hollingsworth asked us to take care of them. We have two brothers named Hunter and Franz and another boy named Kenny. Hunter, Kenny, and Franz are thirteen, twelve, and eleven. They all have birthdays coming up soon.’

Brandon asked, “July and August, like most of us?”

I nodded.

Cole said, “That’s weird. It seems like almost everybody has a birthday coming up.”

“You aren’t the first person to notice,” I said, sitting on the bed. “It’s sure odd. Sharon put all the birthdays on a calendar. Fully two-thirds of us have birthdays in July and August. The others are November-December and March-April.”

“Leo, Sagittarius, and Aries,” Stevie said. “It drives mom crazy I’m interested in astrology. She is sure I’m going to grow horns and a tail.”

“You’ve got a horn, all right,” Toby quipped. Stevie grabbed him, and the two boys rolled over Brandon’s bed, wrestling.

Brandon protested, “Ew, Ew, Ew! Could you not do that on my bed? It’ll get all crusty.”

I grabbed Stevie, picked up the giggling boy, and asked, “What do you know about astrology?”

Between giggles, Stevie thrives on attention, he said, “Not much. Just the basics. I would guess it's why we all get along so well.”

“What do you think of your little brother Toby?”

Toby grinned and said, “He’s great fun.” Toby addressed Brandon and Cole, “You’ll love having one. Now, if Tim gives mine back, we’ve got to dress for church.”

From the hall, Frank said, “Give him back to Toby, Tim. I’m sure he’ll let you play with him later.”

I put Stevie down and couldn’t resist tickling him, leaving him giggling on Brandon’s bed.

I stood and said, “The new kids need some underwear, shorts, a t-shirt, and flip-flops. They came to us only wearing shorts or swimming suits. After church and lunch, I’m taking Todd, Stevie, and Mark to see their parents in the hospital, and we’ll do some shopping. So, get ready for church or sleep in, and we’ll get rolling after lunch. Pass the word.”

Frank stage whispered to me, “Oh, look how cute!”

I stepped out of Barry and Brandon’s room to see that Kenny, Hunter, and Franz had gained an entourage. Billy led our three new kids upstairs, followed by Barry, David, Todd, Tracy, Robbie, Sean, Bart, Jeb, Joey, and Mattie, with Smiley and Junior following behind, safely away from all those feet.

Hearing the minor ruckus, Chris and Tony came out of their room to see what was happening. Ray, Juan, Mark, Robbie MacDonald, Phillip Holmes, Gene, Scotty, Aaron, and Adam crowded the hall.

Ritchie Barnes, still half-asleep, wandered around the corner shirtless in boxers and asked, “What’s up?”

I had to grin at the much less than half-dressed assembly and said, “We have three new boys to welcome. This is Hunter and Franz Schmitt, and Kenny Phillips. This is a good fraction of our family. It’s not everybody, but it’s a good start. Typically, when we get someone new, we assign a big brother, and I think I have just the boys in mind for you. Hunter, come meet your big brother.”

Hunter came forward, and I said, “Brandon, meet Hunter. Hunter, Brandon, is one of our original seven. He’s been here from the start, knows how things work, and everyone in the group. I think he’ll make a fine big brother to you.”

Brandon came forward, hugged Hunter, and said, “Welcome, Hunter. We’re going to have a blast.”

“Franz, it’s your turn.”

The younger Schmitt brother came forward, looking confused, and asked, “I’ve already got a big brother.”

“Don’t worry. You get to keep him. We assign a boy who has been with us and knows the rules to be your buddy and help you get acquainted with us. I think Barry would make a good one for you.”

Barry squeaked, came forward, and gave Franz a big hug.

“Kenny, it’s your turn. I think Cole will be a great big brother to you.”

Cole arrived and gave Kenny a big hug, and the new boys had their big brothers assigned.

From that point, things devolved. A bunch of excited and happy kids started talking at once, greeting the new kids, chatting among themselves, and having a great time. A sleepy-looking Bobby Knight and Jacob Porter joined the proceedings from downstairs. Just behind them, Tommy Knight, with his little brother Tommy Holloway riding piggyback, came up the stairs carefully.

I went to the Knight twins and their little brothers and said, “Did you all stay over last night?”

Bobby shook his head and said, “We stayed at our house, and Tommy and Jacob spent the night.” Bobby hugged Jacob and added, “If I had known having a little brother was this much fun, I would have adopted one years ago.”

With Tommy Holloway still riding piggyback, Tommy Knight said, “Same here. Dad is calling us the Two Tommys.”

I said with a chuckle, “I may have created a monster. Your two little brothers are looking incredibly smug. Is that ankle still bothering you, Tommy?”

Tommy sighed, “Yeah. I must have run around on it too much yesterday. It was swollen this morning. Tommy has been carrying me around to keep me off it.”

“Stay off it as much as you can. We’ll let Doctor Chang look at it if it’s not better in the morning.”

Jeb and Eddie Turner came up the stairs and introduced themselves to our new kids, who seemed to enjoy all the attention. Seeing Eddie hug them was heartwarming after knowing what he had been through.

I could already tell Joey, Matty, Mihn, and Sang would be pals with the new kids. Hooking Joey up with a pup had been an inspired idea. The pup seemed to keep Joey grounded, and the puppy was ecstatic with all the attention he got.

Things were going fine until Roderick, James, and Marcus arrived. At the sight of the three black kids, Hunter seemed frightened and looked ready to run. Then Brandon spoke to him quietly. He calmed down and talked to the Jackson brothers when they introduced themselves.

I wanted to see what that was about, so I raised my voice, “We had better cut this meet and greet short. Those who attend church must get ready, and our new kids need to get some rest. We’re going to be busy this afternoon.”

Some clothes were borrowed for our new boys, and their big brothers moved them to my shower. I got Hunter and Brandon alone in my room for a moment and asked Hunter, “When you saw Roderick, James, and Marcus, I thought you were going to run. What’s up with that?”

Hunter hung his head and said, “There were some older black teenagers at the trailer park who were… not very nice.”

Franz appeared and said, “They were bullies. Sometimes they would corner us and make us do stuff for them.”

I doubted that they were forcing the younger boys to do their laundry. “Some people are assholes,” I replied. “But you don’t have to worry about Roderick, James, and Marcus. They’re good people.”

“Brandon said they were cool,” Hunter replied with a shrug. “I’m a little afraid of black people after those guys at the trailer park. If these guys are cool, it’ll be all right.”

Brandon said, “Make a point to get to know them. Tim knows them well, and they’re great. Roderick is cool too. You don’t have anything to worry about from them.”

Franz asked politely, “Do we have to go to church?”

“Only if you like,” I replied. “Chris’s dad is the Pastor where most of us go. Some of our boys go to a Baptist Church.”

“We went to that church before my dad died,” Brandon said.

Barry appeared and said, “I think we’ll skip this morning to stay with our new brothers. ”

“That’s fine,” I said as I got my clothes together. “They had a long night and will need to get some sleep. Brandon, you know the tradition. You guys can use my bathroom.”

Brandon blushed, which made Hunter nervous. He asked, “What tradition?”

Barry said, “Trust me, you’ll love it. It’s very cool. My big brother is Frank.”

 

vi.

I gathered David and Todd, and we went to an out-of-the-way bathroom at the end of the hall I had prepared the night before. We went inside, closed the door, locked it, and I hugged my two little brothers.

“David, Todd, you know our tradition,” I said as I peeled off my shirt. “Sorry I didn’t get it done last night, but I passed out early. The big brother washes the little brothers, and then they return the favor.”

Todd said, “We know. It’s not exactly a secret to insiders. The new kids will love it, and I’m looking forward to it.”

“I am, too,” David said as he dropped his shorts.

As I started the water, I asked, “So, how did it go with the new kids?”

David answered, “Kenny and Franz will fit right in.”

Todd said, “Horny and sweet. I’m pretty sure they are seriously in love with Barry now.”

“Everybody loves Barry,” I said with a grin.

“They were fascinated by Dave’s big cock,” Todd said as he got naked. “They like big ones. You spent time with Hunter. What is he like?”

I stepped into the shower, and my two little brothers followed. I started washing Todd’s back and said, “He loves his little brother. We talked while you guys were in the changing room, and he offered to do anything I wanted if I promised to take care of Franz. He’s street-smart and thought he had to give up sex for us to treat them right. I paired him with Brandon because he was that way at first and had an addicted parent in common.”

“After getting to know some of these kids, I appreciate my parents more,” David said. “Nobody is perfect, but they would never rent me out.”

Todd, obviously relishing the attention, said, “I’m going to have a hard time going home. Mom is a little hard to live with.”

I finished Todd’s back, started on David’s, and said, “We’re going to see her today. I’ve had a few people give me a heads-up about her being everything from odd to downright nutty. I’ve heard that she may have some form of mental illness.”

Todd sighed, “So it’s not just me thinking that.”

“No, Todd,” David said with a compassionate tone. “I’ve been thinking the same thing for a while now. You may not see as clearly since you live with her, but I’ve seen it worsen since I’ve known you.”

Todd asked, “What can we do about it? I’ve been worried about this for a while.”

I squatted to get to David’s long legs and behind and said, “Dr. Patrick is the senior psychiatrist on staff at County. I’ll talk to him and see if he can evaluate her. She is throwing up some big red flags. Taking your bedroom doors down for one, the little shrine I saw at your house is much more Catholic than Baptist. If it is something like schizophrenia, it’ll be progressive and get much worse.”

“She talks to herself when she doesn’t think anyone else is around,” Todd said, seemingly encouraged that others saw his mom as odd, and it wasn’t just him. “I don’t mean just saying random things. It’s like she is having a conversation.”

I finished David’s back, and Todd moved back. I started washing his chest and arms and said, “Whatever happens, don’t stress over it. You and Stevie will always have a place with us.”

David surprised me by hugging Todd and saying, “You’ll always have me.”

“Are you two a couple?” I asked with a grin.

David said, “No, it’s better than that. We’re bros.”

 

 

vii.

When we finished up and dressed for church, I made the rounds. Much of the earlier crowd had dissipated.

Hunter and Franz were sound asleep on Barry and Brandon’s bed. They slipped out of bed and met me in the hall.

“Thanks, Tim,” Brandon said, beaming. “I was hoping I’d get a little brother at some point.”

“Yeah. Thanks, Tim”, Barry added with a big smile.

“Toby isn’t enough?”

Brandon said, “It’s not that. Thanks for trusting us with the new kids. I’m pretty sure we’re going to be friends.”

Barry asked, “Why did you pick us?”

“You know I won’t tell you what they’ve been through. That’s for them to tell,” I replied. “You both have some bad experiences in common. Tell them about what happened to you, so they won’t feel like they are weird.”

Barry and Brandon hugged me and returned to stay with Hunter and Franz.

 

Kenny Phillips wasn’t asleep when I visited Cole’s room. They were lying on the bed talking when I arrived. Cole got up and said, “I think Kenny wants to have a word with you. I’ll be back in a minute.”

Cole left the room, closed the door, and I sat on the bed. Before discussing fetal alcohol syndrome with Dr. Chang when he examined Barry, I had heard of it but knew very nothing about it. Now I was seeing the signs in Kenny.

I said, “Hi, Kenny. How do you like Cole?”

He chirped, “Cole is neat. I like him.”

“Did you have something on your mind?”

Kenny said, “Can I whisper it in your ear?”

I smiled and said, “Sure, pal. Come here.”

Kenny came out from under the sheets smelling nice and fresh, wearing tightie-whities, and sat on my lap. He put his arm around my shoulder and whispered, “I’ll suck your dick until it creams if you take me for a ride in your Mustang.”

I whispered, “That sounds fun, but you don’t have to do that. I’ll take you for a ride when we go to the mall later.”

“I don’t mind. I like to suck dick, and I like you. I’m good at it too. Ask Todd.” He replied and kissed me on the cheek.

In that instant, I wanted to strangle Daryl Brewer. Billy and Tracy Barnes were just like this at first. Even their language was similar. Brewer had groomed them for abuse.

“You know Billy and Tracy,” I said, changing tact.

Kenny said, “I know Robbie too, but I haven’t seen them in a while. They were at Daryl’s house a few times last winter.”

I returned his peck on the cheek and said, “Try to get a little rest. After lunch, we’ll go shopping for clothes, and you’ll get a surprise.”

This, of course, had the opposite effect on Kenny. The idea of a surprise excited him. He wiggled in my lap and said, “What is it? What is it?”

The little guy was just so cute! I whispered in his ear, “Promise you’ll keep it quiet?”

He nodded eagerly.

“After we get you guys some clothes, we’re going by the Bike Rack in DeKalb to order you some bikes. We won’t get them today, but it won’t take them long to get here.”

Kenny asked, “Could you do something for me tonight?”

“Sure, Kenny. What would you like?”

“Tonight, before bed, would you read to me? My Grandfather used to before he died. I really like it.”

“Sure, it’ll be fun. Do you have anything in mind?”

“I don’t care as long as it’s cool.”

“Sure, it’ll be fun. Tell your friends. We’ll all gather in the sun room before bed, and I’ll read you one of my old favorites.”

This won me a big hug. Kenny lay back down, and I gently rubbed his back. He was tired and excited, but more tired after his long night. Soon he was breathing regularly.

Cole was waiting just outside the door. He looked concerned and wanted to talk, so we walked to my room.

He looked at me and asked, “Were Toby and me this bad?”

I hugged him and said, “No, Cole. You weren’t, but Toby had his moments.”

Cole asked with a baleful grin, “I know you assigned him to me for a reason.”

“Yes, I did,” I replied. “You’re a good kid and won’t use him. You’re smart enough to know that we must deal with people as they are, not how we wished they were.”

Cole asked, “Do you have any advice?”

“Kenny is a sweet kid, but he’s been conditioned to get what he wants with sex. You aren’t much older than him, so you two can have fun, but we need to show him that he’s not just a sex toy. Understand?”

Cole nodded balefully and said, “I do, and I think I understand how you handled me, Toby, and some of the others better now.”

I put my hand on his shoulder and said, “I always knew you were a bright one, Cole. It’s complicated, and it will take some time. You’ll have to be patient and tolerant, but you’ll get a little brother who will love you forever.”

Cole nodded with a sly grin and said, “I think I’m going to need some vitamins.”

 

 

viii.

Angel Denardo drove the contingent bound for Big Sandy Baptist Church. Arron, Adam, Alan, Todd, and Stevie rode with him and picked up Gary Jones on the way.

Those of us going to St. Luke’s gathered in the kitchen. Frank, Little David Bridges, Chris, Tony, Toby, Jeb, Rory, and Randy rounded out our group. We left at ten thirty for the short hike.

For the first time, we went through the gate that opened onto the grounds of the new St. Luke’s Community Center. When you design something, it’s incredible to walk through it.

The gate opened near the amphitheater. It had a big metal grate, like a garage door, that secured the structure when it wasn’t in use. Thirty rows of seats were separated by a center aisle that rose as they got further from the stage.

The concrete walk divided the amphitheater and a soccer field. The other area was changed to a baseball diamond at Toby's suggestion. At the end of the baseball field, the path split and went toward the back gate of the church in one direction or the main Community Center building in the other.

I was impressed with the landscaping. The green space was sodded, and ornamental bushes and trees had been planted to provide shade to picnic tables. All in all, I was pleased with our work. This was something the community could take pride in.

It was obvious that there was work still to do. There were eight big containers sitting on what would be the parking lot in front of the main building.

As we approached St. Luke’s, parishioners gathered around the church. A group of them were at the fence line for a good look at the construction. As we drew nearer, I spotted Big David Bridges with Betty, his brother Sammy and three older men looking over the new construction with interest and delight.

Big Dave asked a few paces from the gate, “So Tim, what do you think?”

I shook my head and said, “Your guys must be magic or something. A few weeks ago, this was just a swamp. How close are you to completion?”

Big Dave opened the gate to let us through and said, “Major construction is done. We’re into the finishing and furnishing stage. We can open by next week.”

Sammy quipped, “I knew he would be a contractor. You should have seen some of his Lego creations when we were kids. Tim, this is an elder from St. Luke’s. They are already interviewing people to be on the staff.”

I shook his hand and introduced myself.

He replied, “It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Shepherd. I knew your father for years. It’s good to see you are continuing his work.”

I chuckled and said, “This was one of my dad’s dreams, and I don’t want him haunting me. The improvements we’ve made has bettered the neighborhood look.”

Charlie Garner, I knew. He was President of the Homeowners Association. “It will increase property values on both sides of the bay.”

Sammy put his arm around Little Dave and said, “Tim is a miracle worker. He’s even got tiny here working. Where’s your partner in crime?”

Little Dave said, “Todd went with the group that went to Big Sandy Baptist. Since the crazy preacher is gone, some people are going back there. Their new preacher is a lot better.”

Sammy snorted and said, “I’m certain. Nobels set the bar quite low.”

Garner shook his head and said, “There has been some bad business in town lately, and Reverend Nobles was the worst of it. I wish we could have gotten him out of town without a massacre. We owe whoever put a bullet in his eye a great debt.”

The only answer I had to that was, “Amen.”

Organ music from inside the church swelled, prompting us to move inside and cut short a conversation that was headed towards awkwardness.

 

We settled in for a session of Anglican aerobics, hymns with excellent organ and piano accompaniment, and a mercifully brief sermon focused on the 2^nd Chapter of James - faith without works is dead. Before the end of the service, Father Ashley announced that the St. Luke’s Community Center would be opening Friday, and a Grand Opening celebration would occur later, on July the Fourth, with hot dogs, fireworks, and a watermelon cutting.

 

After church, we walked back across the grounds, and Big Dave talked about the remaining work. The Amphitheater was near the end of the list. It wouldn’t be ready until mid-week, so our musicians had more time to prepare, and I had an oversized item on my agenda slip a few days forward.

Dave and Betty boarded his Ranger bass boat and headed across the bay. Most of the kids and Frank headed back to the house, but Sammy wanted to have a word.

We walked back toward the church close to the community center, where Sammy produced a set of keys and opened a side door. He said, “Care to look around?

I followed him into the building, and he said, “I heard about Mrs. Brent’s accident. I understand Todd, Stevie, and Mark are staying with you?”

“That’s right. I was surprised when David and Karl showed up last night, but that’s Little Dave. He wanted to be there for Todd.”

Sammy said, “I’m quite fond of all three. They’re nice kids and much better off with you. I don’t like to speak ill of anyone, but their mother has several loose screws.”

As I followed him through the half-finished building, I said, “You aren’t the first person I’ve heard that from. From what I’ve gathered, it sounds like she has some form of mental illness. Since she’s in the hospital for a while, I’ll speak with the Doctors and see if they can evaluate her.”

Sammy said, “That’s probably a good idea. What role is Little Dave playing in your organization? I have a feeling it’s more than just working the arcade.”

“Yes, it is,” I replied. “He’s practically a clone of David when we were that age.”

He sighed and said, “I know my brother and son are bisexual. Neither one of them can keep it in their pants. I’m pretty sure he has a thing with Todd. I need to know is… how are you protecting them from AIDS?”

I said, “Everyone in our group gets a pre-employment checkup with Dr. Chang. It’s a physical exam, of course, but we add an STD screen and no-nonsense counseling to teach them how to avoid getting infected. We will follow that up every four months to make sure. I love them, Sammy, and I’ll do everything I can to protect them.”

Sammy surprised me with a big hug and said, “I always knew you were smart. Are you going to give David and Todd driving lessons?”

“I plan on it.”

“Good. I get a little too anxious when Little Dave is driving. I’ll happily defer that little chore if you're good at it.” Sammy smiled and asked, “Are Karl and Dave sort of like you and Big Dave used to be?”

I blushed and said, “I don’t pry, but I wouldn’t doubt it. Karl is my cousin, and Little Dave is such a good, gentle natured boy. He’s a natural as a big brother. Karl was timid, and since he and David have been hanging out, he’s come out of his shell.”

Sammy chuckled and said, “He always wanted a little brother. Is he a good influence?”

“He’s more than just a good influence. Did you hear about the big meth bust in DeKalb over the weekend?”

Sammy nodded, and I continued, “Sheriff Hollingsworth knows we’re good about cleaning up messes like Andrew Lassiter and the Mad Preacher left. They had three kids with nowhere to go, and they paged me at six this morning.”

“David, Todd, and Barry went with me to pick those kids up. They were instrumental in getting them calmed down. Kids talk to kids, and David has a special charisma. They were afraid and anxious, and watching them go from defensive to relaxed in minutes was magic.”

“I’m glad he could help,” Sammy said. “What else are you building over there?”

“Keep this under your hat for now, but if I raise them, educate them, teach them that work doesn’t have to be drudgery, they’ll be the kind of employees David and I will want in the future.”

Sammy nodded, and I gave him an abbreviated version of the plan.

“That’s great, but where does David fit in?”

I confidently said, “David has a rare talent for handling people, and that’s a skill you can’t teach. Tons of people are running around with MBA's that are completely clueless when it comes to leadership. Little Dave is a natural.”

Sammy grinned, “I can see that. He’s always had that quality that marks him as an alpha dog. I’ve known you since you were Karl’s size, Tim. I know you are smart, idealistic, and honest. I give my blessing to this undertaking, but please send him home occasionally. I miss the big lug.”

I shook Sammy’s hand, we parted, and both went home to Sunday dinner.

 

ix.

Things were organized chaos at lunch. Several things were happening at once. The afternoon shift for the Game Zone was getting ready to depart and had already eaten. Chris and Tony would run the shift, with Danny and Big Ted backing them up. Augmented with Mikie Bowers, Jeff Blake, and Tyler Reynolds, Phillip's crew would open the park. Sean and Bart were making a run to Sean’s house in DeKalb, and Roderick and his brothers were organizing to move Sharon and Ritchie’s households.

Frank and I were taking the younger boys to DeKalb. I would take Todd, Stevie, and Mark to see their parents at the hospital. Frank would take Hunter, Kenny, and Franz shopping. I made sure Joey, Matty, Scotty, and most of our younger boys were in on it too. We would meet at the new mall in Rivervine, split up, take care of our business, then meet back at the mall. Then the boys would get a surprise. Jeb will be joining us for that part.

Sharon and Marie’s Sunday dinner was fantastic. They cooked fried chicken strips, rice & chicken gravy, green beans, rolls, a salad with pie, and ice cream for dessert. The new boys were delighted by the feast, and I, too, was amazed. Sharon’s knowledge gained cooking in restaurants had made a big difference in feeding the hoard.

 

After lunch, the guys bound for the Game Zone took off to get it running. Roderick’s brothers, plus Ritchie and Gene, headed to the apartments to move Ritchie and Sharon’s stuff. Phillip’s guys trooped off to Dockside Park to open the pool and skate park. Marie and Sharon got in the minivan destined for The Kitchen Cabinet in the old mall in DeKalb.

That left Frank and me with the kids destined for DeKalb and Rivervine. Frank gathered most of them into the new van. I grabbed Kenny and told him to ride with me. His eyes bulged when he saw we were going in the Mustang.

Kenny was excited. He bounced between Todd and me, with Mark and Stevie in the back seat. I had to wonder if he was a tad hyperactive. I followed Frank to the New Mall on the highway in Rivervine and parked, so Kenny could join the rest of the kids for their shopping expedition. I got a big hug when he got out.

As soon as Frank had Kenny with his group, I pulled out and drove to the hospital. Frank had his hands full with that bunch, but he loves taking them shopping. He always does a fantastic job of it, too.

 

As luck would have it, Mrs. Brent and Mr. Polk were both in orthopedics. The nurses on the unit limited us to two visitors for thirty minutes.

Todd and Stevie visited their mom, and I went in with Mark. I told the boys I’d be in the waiting room when they were done.

Mark’s dad was in traction. His legs were in casts, and he looked like someone with hospital fatigue. Mark ran to his side and got a hug from his dad.

Mark said, “Dad, this is Mr. Shepherd. He’s letting Todd, Stevie, and I stay with his family.”

I shook Mr. Polk’s hand and said, “It’s a pleasure having them. Last night in the gym, Mark humbled us all when he snapped off two hundred chin-ups.”

Mr. Polk, his arm around Mark affectionately, chuckled and said, “I was dubious about his mom putting him in gymnastics classes, but they paid dividends for him. He’s not big, but strong as an ox.”

Mark gushed, “My big brother is Ray Kent. He’s going to be the quarterback for the Vikings this fall.”

Mr. Polk asked, “Big brother?”

I said, “When we get a new kid, we pair them up with someone who has been with us a little while. Ray is a good one.”

Mark said, “Stevie and Todd are there too, so it’s fun. We had fried chicken, rice & gravy, and biscuits for Sunday dinner.”

Mr. Polk addressed me, “I saw you on television Friday. Will Mark be working for you?”

“That’s a part of what we do. Everybody works, so they get to make a little money and learn some things they don’t get taught in school. Mark just joined us yesterday, so he hasn’t started yet.”

Mark said, “I’ll probably work at the Game Zone, and I’ve been keeping up doing my yards. I’ve been talking to the guys. Working there is fun.”

Mr. Polk looked wistful and said, “they tell me my recovery will take a long time. So will Mrs. Brent. She broke her pelvis and won’t even start physical therapy for weeks. You don’t mind keeping him?”

“Not at all. We’ve got several boys his age. They all like him.”

Smiling now, Mr. Polk said, “I can tell Mark is happy. His stutter is practically gone. Thanks for coming. I feel better knowing he’s somewhere he feels comfortable.”

After shaking Mr. Polk’s hand, I left my contact numbers with him and let him have the balance of his time with his son.

 

 

I took a seat in the empty waiting room and waited for the boy's visiting time to finish up. The place was dead. The waiting room was offset from the patient’s rooms, and I saw no one.

Suddenly, I realized I was sitting still with nothing to do but wait. This was a rare treat. A few short weeks ago, there were plenty of these moments—far too many. My new family had filled those lonely, empty spaces to over-flowing, and I was okay with that.

A USA Today was on the table with a front-page headline halfway down the page: Pravda Announces High-Level Chernobyl Staff Fired for Stupidity. I had to snort a laugh at that. Anyone using liquid sodium-moderated graphite reactors had to be very stupid. Playing games with them went past stupidity to some form of insanity.

Speaking of insanity, I had one unpleasant task I needed to accomplish. There were two phones in the room. One was an outside line, and the other was part of the hospital’s internal phone system. After checking my phone list from my wallet, I picked it up and dialed the nursing station Marion Sanders usually ran.

The phone rang once, and a woman’s voice answered, “ER. This is Warren.”

“This is Tim Shepherd. I’m trying to reach Marion Sanders. Is she working today?”

“Mr. Shepherd. I’m Tina Warren, Justin’s mom.”

“Justin is such a cute little guy. He’s one of our favorites around the Game Zone.”

Ms. Warren said, “Please call me Tina. I want to thank you. The other night, when it rained, Jeb drove him home.”

“Jeb is a great kid. We try to look out for the kids when we can. How old is Justin? He’s a little guy, but I heard he will be a seventh grader this year.”

“That’s right. He’s small for his age, but the Docs say nothing is wrong, and he’ll grow out of it. I understand that Steven stays with you and works during the week?”

“Yes, he does. I know being a nurse makes your scheduling a headache. If it would help, we could do the same for him.”

Ms. Warren sighed and said, “Thank you. Being a single mom is difficult sometimes.”

“I understand, Tina. That’s why I try to help. Even good kids can find messes to get into when they’re unsupervised. Has Marion told you how we work?”

She laughed and said, “It’s remarkable! You give them a physical with Dr. Chang, and then they can stay at your place until we get a few days off?”

“That’s right. If I train them young when they’re a little older, I can hire them for bigger league things I have in mind down the road. We have two moms who stay with us, so they’re well taken care of. Marion has all our contact information.”

She sighed and said, “Thank you. You don’t know how much this means to me. Hold on; I’ll get Marion.”

Half a minute later, “ER, this is Sanders.”

“Hi Marion, Tim Shepherd.”

“Steven’s not….”

“No. He’s just fine. He’s working the afternoon shift at Game Zone. I took a chance to catch you. There is a lady here in orthopedics who is showing some red flags that might indicate mental illness. I was hoping you might have a word with someone and have her quietly evaluated.”

“Dr. Patrick is off today. Dr. St. James is the only psychiatrist we have available. Who is the patient?”

“Her name is Brent. She has a broken pelvis from an auto accident this weekend, and her boys are staying with us.”

Marion Sanders replied, “Oh, that one. I spoke to her about her boys yesterday. We’ve been swamped with car wrecks and heat stroke this weekend. Can you be a little more specific about red flags?”

“Odd behaviors, chain-smoking, disorganized speech, strange beliefs, hyper-religious, and one of her boys said when she thinks no one is around, she has complete conversations like someone is talking back to her.”

Sanders said, “That’s not good. I’ll give St. James a heads-up, and he’ll talk to her primary. You know what this sounds like?”

“Yes,” I said remorsefully. “I knew a guy in college that got diagnosed with schizophrenia. He went from one of the guys to an in-patient psychiatric hospital in just a few weeks.”

“Thank you, Tim. With that injury, she will be in rehab/PT care for some time. That will give us a chance to evaluate her over time. Sometimes the stress of hospitalization can aggravate the symptoms. By the way, I’m seeing an old friend of yours, Jonah Jamison.”

That was a name I hadn’t heard in a while. I said, “Jonah is great. I’ve known him since I was a kid. He taught me how to work on cars and trucks. He’s a widower with three boys and is a great dad.”

She laughed and said, “That’s how I met him. I’ve put many stitches into him and his three cute boys. This week, it was Nix’s turn.”

I said, “You both deserve some good luck for a change.”

Marion said, “Give him a call. He would love to hear from you. I need to go; we’ve got an ambulance arriving shortly. Tell Steven I’ll see him Tuesday.”

“I’ll talk to you later, Marion.”

I put the phone down and sighed. I was happy for Marion and Jonah. I dreaded what Todd and Stevie would go through if Mrs. Brent was headed for schizophrenia.

 

I considered all the things I had planned for the day, and in a short time, Mark came into the waiting room.

He came over to me, hugged me, and said, “Thanks for bringing me to see dad. It was good for both of us.”

“My pleasure, Mark,” I replied, hugging him back. “How do you like Ray?”

Mark sat in the chair beside me, grinning and blushing brightly.

“That good?” I said with a big grin that caused him to nod and giggle.

Mark whispered, “I’ve never talked to any adults about… you know. I really like it. Ray and James are neat!”

“Todd said you and Stevie were like bunnies.”

Mark laughed aloud and whispered, “Our record is fourteen times in one day.”

I whispered, “How long have you known you like boys?”

He replied quietly, “Forever, I guess. The first time was with another boy in gymnastics when I was nine. He was cool, but we had to move when mom died. When I got here last year, I met Stevie. He would spend the night at my house until dad got hurt, and I had to stay with the Brent's. We made sure to never get caught.”

“I couldn’t help noticing you have an eye for older guys.”

Mark nodded.

“That’s common, but it can cause problems. I know they look good, but it’s better to stick with our younger crowd.”

Mark smiled and said, “I’m pretty sure me, Ray, and James are pals now.”

I said, “Just between us, I think Todd like you.”

Mark giggled and whispered, “I know. I flirt with him and wear tight underwear around him. He gets all hard and stuff. Could I ask you something… personal?”

“Sure.”

“How big are you?”

“A little more than eight inches.”

Mark looked up at me and said, “Wow! Could I see it, please? It’ll be our secret.”

I whispered, “Not here. You’ll have to be patient.”

He smiled and asked, “Are we about to go shopping at the New Mall?”

“Yeah. The new kids need everything. You, Todd, and Stevie need a wardrobe update. You’re cute in tightie-whities, but you’re a big boy now and need some boxers and a few other goodies.”

Mark said, “Cool.” Then he looked at me mischievously and said conspiratorially, “Stevie likes you.”

I grinned at Mark and whispered, “I think you like me.”

He smiled, fidgeted in his seat, and nodded.

“That’s cool. I like you too. Who else do you like? Maybe I can hook you up.”

Mark said, “The blond boy with curls.”

I smiled and said, “Oh, good choice. That’s Brian. Do you have a bike?”

Mark said, “No, I ride Todd’s old one.”

Todd and Stevie came around the corner with grim expressions. Stevie looked mad, and Todd just looked tired.

They sat in nearby chairs, and Todd said, “They haven’t let her smoke, and she’s having a mean nicotine fit.”

I offered, “This would be a great time for her to quit.”

Stevie said, “Fat chance of that. Are we done here?”

Todd said, “Stevie, you know she’s hurt and….”

Stevie rounded on his older brother and growled, “You always make excuses for her, but she is meaner to you than anybody.”

I said, “I take it things didn’t go so well with your visit?”

Todd shook his head, and Mark said, “Thankfully, we won’t have to deal with her for a while. Everybody at Tim’s place has been cool to us. Isn’t it time for us to meet the other guys?”

Mark had changed so much overnight that I was a little stunned. He had gone from stuttering uncertainty to flirting and asserting himself in a tense situation. The transformation was gratifying to watch. I put my hand on his shoulder and said, “Sure. Let’s head to the mall and get you guys outfitted.”

 

Todd and Stevie were a little sullen after visiting their mom. I hoped some retail therapy would help them shake their funk. I drove them back to the new mall and parked my Mustang beside Frank’s van. He had been there as numerous bags and boxes were piled in the back. I left a post-it note in the van – back shortly.

They followed me to a big sports store and started by getting Todd, Stevie, and Mark some basics. Gym shorts, white tennis shorts for work, socks, swimming suits, compression shorts for the younger boys, and a pair of jocks for Todd. I also got them each a pair of Nike shoes and moved on.

Next door was a JC penny, and they each got two good Lee jeans, khakis, and some shirts. They wanted some boxers, but I asked them to wait. Super-K in Lakeview had Joe Boxers, and they agreed. They did find some bikini-style briefs, and we added them to our pile.

We returned to the Mustang, and Frank was waiting with the boys he had been shopping for. Joey, Matty, Mihn, Sang, Billy, both Robbie's, Tommy, Tracy, Jo-Jo, Eddie, Rusty, Hunter, Kenny, Franz, and Little Karl were all milling around in the shade of a Bradford Pear tree.

I approached Frank and asked, “How did it go?”

He smiled and said, “I love doing this, but let’s take them in smaller groups next time.”

I nodded and said, “Lesson learned. You ready for our next stop?”

Frank grinned and replied, “Yes. At least I won’t have so much to do this time.”

I whistled and said, “Everybody, mount up.”

This time, Kenny and Franz loaded up in the Mustang.

Kenny got between Todd and me on the front seat and said, “The van is full of bags. I can’t believe all the stuff we got!”

I put my arm around him and asked, “What did Hunter think?”

Kenny said, “He’s stunned. We were dreading having to stay at a foster home. This is better than anything we hoped for.”

I grinned and said, “You haven’t seen anything yet.”

 

I took off, and Frank followed me to a little store south of the mall. Jeb’s jeep was sitting in the parking lot, and we arrived at the Bike Rack a little before two-thirty.

The boys looked excited as we dismounted and met with Jeb.

Jeb called our group to some semblance of order and said, “I’ve been involved in biking since I was little. I used to do long-distance racing and know bikes. I’d like to know if you guys would like to start a BMX team.”

Joey said, “There’s not a track anywhere close.”

“There will be this fall,” Jeb replied. “One will be built when City Park gets its makeover later this summer. So, who’s in?”

That turned out to be a silly question.

One by one, the boys were fitted for their gear and a bike. They were bummed out that it wouldn’t be delivered for a week, but they all bounced with excitement. With the boys and staff occupied, Jeb and I had a seat in an unoccupied office.

I asked Jeb, “So, how do you like being a big brother?”

Jeb grinned broadly and said, “It’s great, but I think I understand what you meant by taking care, or you’ll have eighty of them.”

I said, “I spoke to Justin’s mom. He’s going to be joining us. I didn’t know you drove him home that rainy night last week.”

“He’s just such a cute little guy. I can’t help but feel protective.”

I grinned and asked, “I can tell he’s got a crush on you. Has he made a pass at you?”

Jeb blushed crimson and asked, “How did you know?”

“Your blush. You give him any?”

Jeb blushed even brighter.

I chuckled and asked, “It’s cool, you're legal. Better yet, his mom likes you. What happened?”

“He ran a scam on me. He said he didn’t have a daddy to ask and wanted to see me in private. I took him to the locker room, and he said he thought he had a redbug. I didn’t know what a redbug was. I’d always heard them called chiggers, so after figuring out what they were, I dug some ChiggerX out of the First-Aid kit and knelt in front of him. He pulled out a hard four-inch dick, looked at me with those eyes, and said, ‘Please? I love you.’”

I cracked up for a minute. That was smooth. Just the sort of thing that would work on sweet, earnest Jeb. After laughing, I said, “I like Justin already. You ever hear the proverb about feeding stray tomcats?”

Jeb said, “I’ve heard it. If you feed them, you own them.”

“You are his big brother already, so tonight won’t be so awkward.”

He gave me a dirty look and said, “You’re enjoying this.”

“I am. Think how good for Justin this is.”

“Really?”

I said, “Look at it from his perspective. He’s probably the littlest kid for his age around. You’re a tall, handsome teen, treating him nicely and blowing him. Justin has a crush on you. When he said please, I love you, that wasn’t a scam. He scored. He got a big win. He loved every minute of it. Have you let him have it?”

Jeb nodded. “Lee is great, but I miss blow jobs, and Justin needs practice.”

“I usually remind everybody about the rules when seeing a younger boy, but not with you. Justin is lucky, and so are you. You let him know he’s going to work with us. He’ll be working with Billy and Robbie, keeping an eye on the younger kids.”

“He’ll like that.”

There was a knock, and Joey and Matty were at the door. They came inside, and Joey asked, “Can we have a word with you in private, Tim?”

“Sure, Joey. Jeb, keep an eye on things outside?”

Jeb said, “Sure.”

Joey and Matty pulled up chairs. Joey’s eyes were suspiciously wet, and he said, “When we talked at Mike’s house Friday, I told you I wanted to go fishing and have a dog and a bike. You made that all happen over a weekend. I love you, dad.” He stood up, hugged me, and gave me a huge smile. Matty joined the hug.

I hugged them and said, “I love both of you.”

I noticed hard boy parts against me, and Joey asked slyly, “Enough to give us both a special hug at bedtime?”

“I’d like that,” Matty giggled.

“That was supposed to be private, Joey.”

Matty said, “Don’t be mad at him. I asked how far he’d gone with you. If that’s as far as you’ll go, I want to go there.”

I sighed and said, “OK. I don’t know if I can get it in before we go to Pensacola, but I’ll try.”

 

Jeb, Frank, and I got many hugs that day.

It took forty-five minutes to get everyone measured and fit, but the Bike Rack’s owner and son were having a ball. To them, the news that there would soon be a BMX track in the area was music to their ears. The order for twenty BMX bikes, custom paint jobs, helmets, and uniforms made their entire month.

 

 

Frank took his group back to the house, and I dropped off Kenny and Franz. While they stopped to unload and put away their loot, I took Todd, Stevie, and Mark to Super-K and got them the boxers they wanted.

Super-K was huge and convenient, but not very busy that Sunday afternoon. It was the place you could go for a steak, light bulbs, and motor oil. The big draw for our crowd was Joe Boxers.

Todd, Stevie, and Mark all collected boxers in their favorite colors. Stevie elbowed me and whispered, “What’s your favorite color?”

“What color is my Mustang?”

Stevie nodded and picked up a pair of red boxers in his size.

Mark and Todd saw Stevie’s choice and added a red one to their collection. I decided to let them graze for twenty minutes. Mark and Todd went off to look around, but Stevie stuck with me and the shopping cart full of boxers.

We sat down at a bench, and I asked Stevie if there was anything he needed.

Stevie gave me a look I’d seen on Toby many times and said innocently, “I need to pee, but I don’t want to go by myself.”

Just as innocently, I said, “OK.” I stood and pushed the shopping cart full of boxers toward the men’s room in the back of the store.

Stevie followed me, and the little devil was grinning. During our first visit to Arrowhead, Toby and Brandon had a bet to see which one of them could get the farthest with me. After Mark’s blunt proposal, I surmised Stevie and Mark had a similar bet.

I may have created a monster, pairing Stevie up with Toby. I dreaded wondering what Hunter might get up to after hanging out with Brandon for a while. It didn’t take long to make it to the big restroom in the back of the store, where I parked the buggy.

I opened the door, stood by the wall, and waited for Stevie to relieve himself. The restroom was large, with an entry foyer, a big washroom with six sinks and mirrors, a divider, four urinals, and four stalls.

Stevie looked a tad disappointed, but I had fulfilled my promise. Stevie was trying to be foxy, but he was just a kit compared to me. I could see Stevie’s reflection standing at the urinal with his shorts down, showing off his butt.

As I was waiting, the door opened, and Colt Bryant entered the restroom and instantly recognized me. Surprised, he blushed and said softly, “Hi, Tim.”

The randy twelve-year-old that Charlie Dalton had abducted had a suspicious lump in his shorts, and I whispered, “Hi, Colt.” I pointed at his erection and whispered, “In the mood?”

He blushed and nodded.

I whispered, “The blond kid in there is cool.”

Colt’s eyebrows rose with a smile, and he scooted around the divider.

In a normal voice, I said, “Stevie, Colt is a friend. You two have fun. I’ll keep a look-out for you.”

I could see the two boys’ reflections on the tile. After a quick, whispered conversation, and some giggles, Colt led Stevie to the end stall and closed the door. I peeked under the stall and only saw one pair of feet. This must be Colt’s happy hunting ground.

I waited while Stevie and Colt had fun. They were mostly quiet, but I heard a few bumps, moans, and slurping noises.

They had been at it for a few minutes when I heard the outer door open. Seconds later, Jimmy Singleton, the last boy missing from the trailer park bust, entered the washroom door. He saw me, and his eyebrows went up. He smiled at me, rubbed his crotch, and approached me.

I acknowledged him with a nod and whispered, “I’m playing lookout for the boys in the last stall.”

He smiled, nodded, and went around the divider to the stall next to Stevie and Colt.

I didn’t know there was a glory hole, but apparently, there was. In seconds, the new kid had his shorts around his ankles and hands over the top of the stall divider.

The boys went from mostly quiet to downright noisy. Slurps, moans of pleasure, and labored breath could be heard. It sounded like the boys were having a ball. What I was hearing gave me a stage-four boner.

Keeping an eye on things, I noticed that Jimmy wasn’t just getting his knob polished. He knelt and blew Colt through the hole and then Stevie. After a few minutes, the older boy pulled up his shorts, flushed, and exited the stall.

When he came back onto the washroom side of the divider, I whispered, “Come here.”

I put my arms around him, and his hands invaded my shorts.

I whispered, “Did you know those boys were just twelve and thirteen?”

The boy looked frightened and shook his head.

“Don’t worry about it. That’s how glory holes work: you never know what you’ll get. They’re little horn dogs and love cock. Did they give you a good one?”

He blushed, nodded, and whispered, “Yeah. I like cock too.”

Jimmy unbuttoned my shorts, but I stopped him. I’m not sure why sketchy cruising sex is so hot. I had to stop it, but damn he made me hot.

I said, “Not here. Do you have to be anywhere?”

He shook his head.

“I’m Tim. Meet me up front and act like an old pal. I’ll take you home with us.”

He whispered, “Cool. I’m Jimmy. See you in the front,” he bumped my knuckles and departed, leaving me hard as a rock. Thankfully, I wore a jock and a shirt that came down far enough to provide additional cover.

Stevie and Colt came out of the stalls a minute later to the washroom giggling. I had to straighten their clothes up a bit.

I asked quietly, “Did you two little horn pups have fun?”

That started them on a giggling jag.

Stevie rubbed my crotch and whispered, “You’ve got a big old boner.”

Colt took the same liberty, but his hand went further up under my shirt where my cock head had escaped my waistband.

Stevie was turned the wrong way to see Colt’s reaction, and his hand closed around my cock head. Then the horny little pup pulled his hand back, tasted my pre-cum, and winked at me.

I adjusted myself and whispered, “Hearing you horn-puppies having so much fun over there gave it to me. Come on, let’s go meet Mark and Todd.”

We all made sure we were presentable in the mirrors and left for the bench to wait for Todd and Mark.

On the way, I asked, “Colt, who are you with?”

“My mom is shopping.” He made a face like he smelled something foul and said, “We’re supposed to go stay with my crazy cat lady Aunt Mabel this week.”

I said, “Go find her. Maybe we can give you a better option.”

Colt’s face brightened, and he said, “Cool,” and scooted off to find his mom.

When Colt was away, I asked Stevie, “What did you bet, Mark?”

Stevie blushed furiously and stuttered, “How… how did you know?”

I smiled and said, “I’ve dealt with horny boys before.”

Stevie whispered, “We had a bet on which one of us would see your cock first.”

“I thought so. What were the stakes?”

“It’s embarrassing. Do I have to tell?”

“I’ll trade you a few secrets you’ll want to know. Besides, I did sort of hook you up with Colt and the boy who joined you.”

Stevie brightened and asked, “Who was it? He was so hot.”

I grinned and said, “Maybe I’ll hook you up again if you tell.”

He rolled his eyes and whispered, “The loser has to lick the winner’s butthole for a whole minute.”

I asked softly, “You like that?”

He nodded vigorously and said, “Mark and I both love it, but don’t like to do it. It makes me nut like a horse.”

I said, “It’s usually called rimming, and it is spectacular. Did you learn to like that doing Mr. Burrow’s yard?”

Stevie blushed furiously, looked around, and asked, “How did you know that?”

“I’ve dealt with horny boys before. I used to be one, and I still am. How much do you make doing his yard?”

“It’s just a twenty-dollar yard, but he gives us both a fifty.” Stevie laughed and added, “He likes us all sweaty.”

“I can’t fault his taste, but he’s a cheapskate. If I had a couple of cuties like you on the side, you’d both make at least a hundred.”

Stevie grinned and said, “Deal. When do we start?”

“We’ll see how cute you look in boxers when we get home.”

Stevie said, “OK. Now tell me a few secrets!”

I said, “Number one, there’s a way to rim that’s not so gross.”

Stevie looked incredulous and asked, “There is? How?”

“Do it right after a bath or shower and make sure it’s good and clean down there. Some people put jelly or whipped cream on it.”

That set Stevie off giggling. When he recovered, he said, “OK. I can see that. We never got a chance, with my mom watching us like a hawk. What’s the second secret?”

“There is a glory hole in the employee’s restroom at the Game Zone.”

Stevie said, “Cool!”

“The good thing about it is the only people who have access to it are our friends, who are all tested, so you won’t catch anything bad or get in trouble.”

Stevie said, “Super cool! What’s the third secret?”

I said, “You never know when I might use it.”

Stevie grinned, nodded mischievously, and said, “Super cool!”

I asked, “Do you like Colt?”

“Yeah, he’s fun. Mark will like him too.”

“Good. I think he’ll visit this week, and he can stay in your room.”

I heard the distinctive sound of heels and looked up to see Colt and his mom approach. I stood and said, “Hello, Mrs. Bryant.”

She smiled at me and said, “Hi, Tim. Colt said you invited him over.”

“Yes, mam, that’s right.”

She sighed and said, “We were about to head to my sister’s house, and Colt hates it up there. He’s allergic to her six cats. If he could stay with your boys this week, he would love it and save him from being miserable. I’ve got his bag in the trunk of my car.”

“It won’t be a problem. I’m going out of town Tuesday, but the boys will love to have him over.”

Colt said, “Yes! No cats!”

Stevie said, “We have a kitten and a puppy, but only one of each.”

Colt said, “One or two would be fine. Six is overboard.”

I said, “Stevie, Colt – stay here and wait for Todd and Mark. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

 

I followed Mrs. Bryant out to her car. She said, “I saw you on TV Friday. I want Colt to be around your group. Dan and I separated, and Colt idolizes you.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. It must have been tremendously stressful while Colt was abducted.”

She stopped behind an Oldsmobile Cutlass and said, “That’s true, but the aftermath was so… messy. It was a shock to both of us to discover Colt is gay at his age. He has always been all boy. We didn’t see it coming. Dr. Patrick told us that many boys act out as gay in their early teens and grow out of it later. Dan couldn’t handle it. Rather than constantly fight over it, we separated, and he’s caring for his elderly parents in Savannah.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Dr. Patrick comes out and sees all the boys on Fridays,” I replied. “I’ll be back from the class we will attend that afternoon. Why don’t we wait until Friday? He can work at the Game Zone this week. You can come over for supper that night.”

Mrs. Bryant said, “That sounds good. I can stay another day at Mabel’s. She opened the trunk of her car, handed me a duffle bag with Colt’s things, and said, “I’ll see you Friday.”

 

I walked to the Mustang and put Colt’s bag in the trunk. When I looked up, I saw Jimmy walking around in the bushes out near the edge of the parking lot. I walked to him and said, “Are you looking for something?”

Jimmy looked up and said, “The bag with all my stuff is gone.”

I helped him look for it, and we found it. A dog had dragged it out from under one bush to another and chewed on it.

Jimmy looked relieved and said, “Everything I’ve got is in this bag…. and dog slobber.”

“Are you… homeless?”

Jimmy looked away and answered, “Sort of. The Narcs busted the trailer park I lived in with my mom. I’ve been afraid to go back. She’s been in trouble before, and if they get her again, she’ll do time.”

I said, “You’ve got nothing to worry about. This morning, I got a call from a Deputy Sheriff, and we picked up Hunter, Franz, and Kenny to stay with us. Phillip Holmes and Robbie MacDonald stay with us too.”

Jimmy’s head snapped around, “No way!”

“The Sheriff’s Office is looking for you, but you’re not in trouble. They busted your mom, and she is. They want to ensure you’re OK and will probably send you to stay with us anyway. When we get to my house, I’ll call the Sheriff, so he’ll stop looking.”

Jimmy looked around to ensure no one was in earshot and said, “If I stay with you, are you going to let me have that big cock?”

“If you can’t find another one. Come on. We’ll go to the house, feed you, and maybe let you get a shower. Then we’ll go have some fun.”

He grinned and said, “You know what I like to do for fun.”

“I think you’ll fit right into our little family. By the way, what’s your favorite color?”

Jimmy said, “Red. Why?”

“I’ll grab a few things for you while we’re here.”

We walked back to my Mustang, and Jimmy said, “Tough car.”

“I usually drive a Toyota truck and only drag the Beast out on Sundays. Hang out for a few minutes, and I’ll be right back.”

I left Jimmy in the Mustang and went back inside, where Todd, Stevie, Mark, and Colt were waiting. I had them wait a few more minutes as I made a quick round and got a few things for Jimmy and Colt. I had become a good judge of sizes and knew where things were, so it only took a few minutes. I checked out and sorted things into five bags, with each boy’s name written on the bag with a Sharpie.

I took the boys out to the car and introduced them to Jimmy. Stevie and Colt didn’t recognize him, but Todd was delighted to meet him.

 

When we returned home, the bunch with Frank had taken off to the Game Zone or the Park, and the house was quiet. I handed the boys their bags and led them upstairs.

I led the boys around to the room next to Tracy, Billy, and Robbie, so Colt, Stevie, and Mark could get their stuff unpacked and changed. Since the Bunnies would be living there, I decided to call their room the Hutch.

After getting the younger boys settled, I led Todd and Jimmy to the room David and Karl stayed in when they slept over so that they could go through their loot. Jimmy was astonished at what was in his bag, and I got a big hug.

Todd hugged me and said, “Thanks, Tim. I can’t wait to try out boxers.”

“This is so cool,” Jimmy exclaimed. “Everything is brand new, and… you even got me some new shoes!”

I hugged them both and said, “I take care of my boys. Todd, Jimmy needs a shower. Why don’t you join him?”

Todd blushed and looked at Jimmy, who grinned back and said, “I’d like that.”

 

While Todd and Jimmy were busy, I changed into shorts in my room. It was too hot for jeans.

I went back to see Stevie, Mark, and Colt. I knocked on the door and heard Stevie say, “Just a minute.”

After some scuffling about, Stevie opened the door in his red boxers, saw me, and grinned.

I picked him up and said, “I thought I’d come to see how you three cuties look in boxers.”

Mark pulled the door open, and I entered. The Bunnies and Colt all wore red Joe Boxers.

I entered the room, and Mark closed it behind me. I sat on the edge of the bed with Stevie in my lap and said, “Did I interrupt my bunnies?

Colt giggled, and Stevie and Mark blushed. I said, “Come here, you three.”

Colt and Mark gathered on both sides, and I was able to hug all three. I said, “You won’t get in trouble for that. You are being discreet about it. I need to talk to Colt for a few minutes. You suppose you could let me borrow him?”

Mark sighed theatrically and said, “Only if you must. Colt is cool.”

“He is. I promise he’ll be right back.”

 

 

Colt followed me down the hall to the party room. I closed the door, sat on the sofa, and invited him to sit on my lap.

He got comfortable and said, “I talked to your mom while I was getting your duffle bag. She is going to let you spend more time with us.”

Colt hugged me when he heard the news.

“There is one thing we need to talk about. You were cruising earlier.”

He blushed and asked, “What were you and Stevie doing?”

I chuckled and said, “Long story. Stevie and Mark had a bet to see which one would get a look at my cock first. Stevie asked me to take him to the men’s room, but I didn’t have to go.”

Colt giggled and said, “…and I walked in.”

I said, “Yup. I know how hot it is to cruise, but it’s dangerous. That’s how Charlie Dalton got you.”

Colt nodded and sighed, “Yeah, I went to a park right after dark. That’s how he got me; no one was around. In stores, there are people around, and it’s safer. There are a few places I know I can go and maybe have some fun. My dick sort of takes over whenever I'm there, and I check it out. Super-K is one. The other is the old mall in DeKalb. Usually, no one is there but sometimes….”

I grinned and said, “Sometimes you run into another horny kid.”

“Yeah. It’s fun and makes me so hard. You, too, judging from the boner you had back at Super-K. Now that was impressive.”

I sighed and said, “I know. It affects me the same way. Hearing you guys having fun gave me a wicked one.”

Colt giggled and said, “Lucky you were wearing a long shirt. Who was the guy that came in?”

“I’ll introduce you later. He is a cute boy, but all you got to see was his dick.”

“It was a nice one,” Colt said as he ran his hand over my shorts. “He was nice too. When he was done, he returned the favor and didn’t just leave like most guys.”

I said, “I probably shouldn’t have let it happen, but he was cute. I knew you and Stevie would have fun, and I like to spoil my boys a little.”

At that remark, Colt gave me a peck on the cheek.

“But seriously, Colt, a big problem with cruising is sexually transmitted disease. All our guys get checked, so we know we’re all clean. Tomorrow you’ll go to our doctor, get a check-up, and he’ll tell you how to avoid AIDS and other diseases.”

Colt looked panicked and said, “I’ll be scared. What if…”

I hugged him and said, “You don’t have anything to worry about. You were just tested after the Dalton incident. What I want to ask is for you not to cruise. You don’t have to. We have many boys here, some just as horny as you.”

Colt said, “There is something about glory holes that makes me so horny I can’t help myself. The danger of getting caught spices it up. If you get lucky, you get to suck dick or get your dick sucked, and whoever it is can’t tell everybody at school about it. It makes me so super-hot.”

I said, “Then you’ll be happy to know that there is one at the Game Zone in the employees-only restroom. Anyone who uses it will be one of us, they’ll be disease free, and you won’t get in trouble if you get caught.”

Colt said, “Really?”

I nodded. “Something else you’ll enjoy is getting to know some of these guys. Instead of sneaking around for quickies, you’ll be staying with the Bunnies. You will discover how much more fun it is to spend the whole night with them instead of a quickie BJ in the back of Super-K.”

He smiled and said, “Now that sounds like real fun. Thanks, Tim!”

I kissed his cheek and said, “You’re welcome, Colt. Now, I’ll return you to the Bunnies.”

 

I returned Colt to the Hutch. He went inside, and I said, “Don’t take too long. We need to head to the Game Zone soon.”

Jimmy and Todd were still locked away in a bathroom, making happy noises. I knocked on the door and said, “Hey guys, speed it up. We need to head to the Game Zone soon.”

 

 

With the boys occupied, I went downstairs to my office to call the Sheriff’s office. It was just before four, and I was sure Detective Hooper would be off, so I asked for Sheriff Hollingsworth.

After a brief time on hold, the Sheriff answered, “Hi, Tim. Thanks for taking those boys off our hands this morning. They didn’t need to be in our jail.”

“I’m glad we could help. I have more good news for you. We have Jimmy Singleton. He heard about the bust and was afraid to go home.”

The Sheriff sighed and said, “Great. We’ll skip a step and not process him. Hold on to him for court on Tuesday. What did you think of Detective Hooper?”

I said, “Smart, professional, and conscientious. I like him.”

Hollingsworth laughed and said, “That’s about what he said about you. He just got his shield and is our junior detective. He led the bust of Brewer’s place early this morning. That was an ugly business. How are the kids doing?”

“We’ve got kids in the same general age group, so they’re making friends. They had fried chicken, rice, and gravy for lunch and are having fun. So far, so good. Do they have any relatives who might want custody?”

“Their parents cut ties with the grandparents years ago,” Hollingsworth replied. “What we’re dealing with is generational chemical dependency. Those kids would go from addicted parents to alcoholic grandparents. Unless we get them out of that cycle….”

“I understand. I just wanted to give you a heads-up about Jimmy Singleton, so you would have one less headache on a Sunday afternoon.”

“Thanks, Tim. I appreciate fewer headaches.”

 

 

After talking to the Sheriff, my thoughts turned to Jonah Jamison. He, his father, Josiah, and older brother, Aaron, ran Jamison’s Shop on the outskirts of town facing Rivervine. My dad had always used the place, and I still did occasionally. I’d had a crush on Jonah and eventually saw him at Dockside Park. We liked each other and saw each other on the sly for years. When I went to college, we lost touch, except when I saw him at his shop.

Calling him would be a blast from the past. They lived in a bunch of trailers on his daddy’s land. I remembered his number.

I dialed, and one of his boys answered, “Hello?

“Hi, Nix. It’s Tim Shepherd. I want to speak to Jonah.”

“Hi, Timmy. Have you got a sick car? We would love to see you.”

“No. I just wanted to catch up with your daddy.”

“He is mad at Tuck about something, and he’s talking to him in his room.”

“Maybe I can save Tuck from a tanning. Knock on the door and tell him it’s me.”

There was a knock and a mumble of conversation, and Jonah answered, “Hi, Timmy. I’m sure glad to hear from you.”

“I spoke to Marion Sanders today. She mentioned you two were dating.”

“I hope you put in a good word for me.”

“Didn’t have to. I think she has already fallen in love with your boys. Her son Steven works at the Game Zone. Steven is a little older than Tuck, but he’s a great kid. How are your boys?”

Jonah said, “Just a minute.” I heard some conversation and a door closed. “I can talk now. Tuck is about to turn fifteen. Nix is about to be thirteen, and all the Kleenex in the house mysteriously vanishes for some mysterious reason.”

I chuckled and said, “Now there’s a mystery that would stump the Hardy Boys.”

Jonah snorted and said, “Timmy will be ten soon. Funny how they are all in the late summer. Anyway, I’ve had a little trouble with Tuck. Please hire him like Steven, so he can stay at your place, at least for a while.”

I asked, “What’s the problem?”

Jonah said, “I think you used to call it the call of the wild? I’ve caught him once, and he’s got a buddy. Lately, I've had to wonder about Nix and some of his buddies.”

“Oh crap. If your daddy found out, he would try to burn the witch at the stake. Don’t worry about it. I can use Tuck. I'll find a spot for Nix too if necessary. It’ll be fine.”

“There’s a reason he gave us all Old Testament names. Thanks, Timmy. I love you, man. I know you paid off Jan’s medical bills.”

“It’s the least I could do. If you connect with Marion, do you have any plans?”

“I don’t know, Tim. I’m stuck here.”

“We’ll talk about that later. Why don’t you pack a bag for Tuck and bring the boys to the Game Zone at about five? How does Tuck like the idea?”

Jonah chuckled and said, “He’s not so thrilled about it, but I think he’ll go along because it’s you. Should I tell him the truth?”

“That’s up to you. What have you caught them doing?”

Jonah sighed and said, “Well, there’s a college boy who meets him in the woods near our place, and they blow each other. He thinks I don’t know, but it’s a nice kid who’s the son of an old customer. I haven't caught Nix, but he's got a couple of buddies I wonder about.”

I chuckled and said, “That sounds very familiar.”

“Doesn’t it, though? It’s giving me wood just talking to you.”

“I know how to fix that, you big ole stud.”

He sounded a little husky and said, “Listen at you! Truthfully, it would be a mercy. I didn’t get pissed about Clay. He’s a nice boy. What made me mad is that I caught him at that glory hole in the back of Super-K. That’s an easy way to catch that AIDS shit.”

“We’ll get Tuck squared away. If he’s not getting fucked, he should be all right. How is that old Chevy truck?”

Jonah said, “It’s coming along. We're done with the engine, but the bodywork is stalled. We’re waiting on parts.”

I said, “Good. I’ll see you at five.”

 

 

Todd and Jimmy were dressing when I knocked on their door. They were both decked out in Sun Britches and t-shirts, and Jimmy was donning his new Nike's.

I said, “Looking good, guys. I’m going to get the Bunnies, and we’ll be off.”

The Bunnies were ready. I led the giggling, skylarking mob down to the kitchen, where Sharon and Marie were unloading some kitchen gadgets, and introduced Jimmy and Colt.

Sharon told Colt, “My son Scotty is about your age. I hope you’ll be pals. He’s a little shy.”

“We probably will,” Colt replied. “I’m not shy, and anybody in Tim’s crew will be cool.”

Jimmy looked around the kitchen and said, “I hope you’ll teach me how to cook. The kitchen in our old place was so small, making toast was a challenge.”

Marie said, “We take all the help we can get with this crowd. We’re having homemade pizza for supper.”

 

x.

We arrived at the Game Zone a little before four. Colt said, “Wow, what a crowd!”

Todd explained, “We were closed until five yesterday because of the power failure. Many of our regulars missed us.”

Randy and Jeb were sitting at the front door in green Game Zone shirts and white tennis shorts. I introduced Jimmy, but Colt was no stranger. He had been at the Game Zone for our grand opening and showed up regularly. The Bunnies were frequent flyers.

Kenny Phillips was the first to notice Jimmy Singleton and greeted him happily. The Schmitt brothers weren’t far behind. They were thrilled to see him. Robbie MacDonald spotted him, and their reunion was complete. As I passed, I said, “Jimmy, check with Aaron in our kitchen. He’ll hook you up with a meal.”

Colt tugged at my shirt and whispered in my ear, “I’ve seen the kid talking to Ray and the one talking to, oh, what’s his name… Jeb shopping on that special aisle at Super-K.”

Stacy Frazier was standing by Ray at the Atari football machine. My surprise was Justin, the little blond kid who ran into me on opening day. Jeb had mentioned that he liked attention. Justin looked younger than Little Robbie, but that was deceptive on a fair-haired, fair-skinned boy. A closer look showed subtle signs of puberty I would have missed before I collected a company of them.

Barry spotted Colt and approached at flank speed, killing any further immediate inquiry. Barry was delighted Colt would stay at least the week with us.

I went to the kitchen to order a cheeseburger to feed Jimmy Singleton, and Big Ted jostled my elbow as I spoke to Aaron. Once I was done, I followed Ted outside the Dark Room for a private word.

He stopped in front of the door, and I asked, “What’s up?”

Ted handed me a key-ring with a Nissan truck medallion and said, “We had a kid much too high to drive. Frank knows him from Lakeview, JC. I know you don’t like to let them leave when drunk or high, so I stashed him in the Dark Room to come down before he drove away or one of us took him home.”

“Thanks, Ted, “I said and grabbed his shoulder gratefully. “You handled it just right.”

Ted said, “It’s better this way. He won’t kill himself or anybody else driving messed up. Besides, he’s cute even by our standards.”

Big Ted returned to the front, and Joey passed him at the bead barrier. He approached me and said, “I know him. He’s cool. His name is Patrick, and he used to hang out at City Park with me sometimes.”

I asked, “What was he like?”

Joey said, “Patrick is nice. He always smoked a joint with me.”

Frank approached from the office and said, “Patrick is another one of the guys that the deputy was messing with.” He looked at Joey and said, “Give us a minute, Joey, but stay close. You may want to talk to him, too.”

Joey slipped into the employee lounge, and Frank said, “One day when I had to meet the deputy, he brought Patrick with him wearing a dog collar and a leash. The deputy told him to suck my dick. He didn’t want to, but the deputy whacked him in the back of his knee with his nightstick, grabbed him by the hair, and forced him. Then… he fucked Patrick raw.”

All I could think of to say was, “Shit.”

Frank looked very troubled and said, “After that first time, the deputy would occasionally bring Patrick wearing a dog collar and humiliate him. I feel like I was part of rape.”

“No, you weren’t. You were both under duress.”

Frank looked at the door. “I know, but I still feel gross about it. Patrick has… problems. He went to Lakewood junior college last year. Before I moved in with you, he would randomly show up at my apartment late at night drunk. I dreaded it. No, I didn’t dread it. I’m just supposed to tell my boyfriend that.”

I smiled at him and said, “That doesn’t bother me. Maybe he likes it a little rough?”

Frank thought it through and said, “Maybe, but not like Officer Unfriendly did rough.”

“Could you give me some details? I know it’s gross, but I don’t want to get this wrong.”

He did. I was sure that the deputy was a sadist. According to Frank, he treated Patrick as bad or worse than he treated Rich. Maybe he had something in common with Rich that made the deputy feel the need to punish him.

I took Frank to the old pharmacy’s window to look at him. He was asleep on one of the couches in the Dark Room. Patrick was a baby-faced nineteen who looked younger. He was dressed preppy, wearing a Polo shirt, white tennis shorts, and topsiders on the floor beside him. He had neat sun lightened brown hair and tanned skin. He was skinny nor beefy like he was yet to fill out.

After looking him over, I said, “He’s sleeping, so there are a few things I need to take care of before we start this project.”

Frank grinned and said, “You’ve got new boys?”

“One new, he was the one the Sheriff’s guys missed at the trailer park. His name is Jimmy Singleton, and he’s sixteen. The other is Colt Bryant. He was one of the kids that Charlie Dalton abducted. He was shopping with his mom at Super-K, and she decided to let him stay with us this week instead of visiting his crazy cat lady aunt.”

Frank said, “I know, Colt. He’s a sweet kid. Barry and Cole will love having him. He stayed with them for most of our Grand Opening. What are you going to do about Patrick?”

“Ideally, I’d like him on the Red Team. Realistically, we’ve got to see how bad off he is. He could fit in, or he could be a menace. We’ll have to see. Let me think about it, take care of our boys, and then we’ll see.”

 

I got Joey out of the Employees Lounge and had him sit with Patrick while Frank and I went to the office. Looking around with the cameras, I spotted Jimmy happily eating a burger and chatting with Robbie Mac.

Looking around a little more, I spotted most of our younger boys in a clump chatting: the Bunnies, the Chang twins, Little Carl, the Schmitt brothers, Kenny Phillips, and Mattie. They were all laughing and having fun around one of the tables in the dining room.

I picked up a radio and called, “Tim for Brandon.”

Brandon looked at a camera and replied, “What’s up?”

“Bring Hunter back to the office, please. Let the rest of the new kids know I’ll be talking to them about work assignments.”

He nodded toward the camera and replied, “Will do.”

The two boys arrived, and I had Hunter come into the office and have a seat. Brandon went back to the front.

When he was settled, I said, “You’ve met Frank.”

He blushed and said, “Yeah. He took me shopping this morning and got me more stuff than the past four Christmases.”

I asked, “How would you like to work here?”

He grinned and said, “I was hoping you would ask. I’d love to. I understand what you said this morning. Seeing is believing.”

I reached under the desk, pulled out one of the green Game Zone shirts, and said, “I’m going to give Kenny and Franz a job too. They won’t be wearing a Game Zone shirt. They’ll get to stay here and play, but their job will be to look out for the younger kids.”

Hunter said, “They’ll like that. Can I ask something?”

Frank answered, “Of course.”

He looked embarrassed but asked, “Are you two a couple?”

I grinned and said, “Yes, we are.”

He said, “Darn,” winked at Frank, then said, “I meant cool.”

Frank and I both chuckled, hugged him, and sent him back out to play. Hunter was going to be all right.

 

Kenny and Franz were next. I spent a few minutes telling them about the job I had in mind for them. I noticed that Kenny was enthralled with Frank.

Franz said, “Let me get this straight. You want us to make friends with the kids here, play all day, make sure no one is bullying them, taking advantage of them, or taking their money, and… we get to play all day?”

Frank said with a smile, “That’s the job. Think you’re up to it?”

Franz answered, “I’m all in.”

I asked Kenny, “What do you think?”

He replied, “I think I’d do anything Frank told me.”

Frank hugged Kenny and gave him a peck on the cheek, causing him to blush redder than a stop sign.

 

The Bunnies were next. Stevie and Mark were expecting their green shirts, and they got them. They would be the youngest uniformed workers we had, save Adam Pate, but both would turn thirteen shortly.

 

I couldn’t spot Colt anywhere on the cameras. I had an idea where he might be. Frank hugged me and asked, “When will we talk to Patrick?”

I said, “I want to think carefully about how we handle this. We know he’s got issues from how the deputy treated him. Do you have any other clues?”

Frank shrugged and said, “Our relationship was mostly physical. First, the deputy forced him to do stuff. We didn’t talk at all. Last semester, we met at school. He would come over to my apartment smashed and horny and pass out as soon as he got off. The morning after, he would flee.

“I have his keys. I think I’m going to peek at his truck. Find Rich Kelly and Kevin Stone. They’re both here.”

Frank said, “More of the deputy’s victims.”

I said, “If we do this, we’ve got to do it right. Until we’re sure he’s OK, one of us will need to be with him. It will help him if we can show that he’s not alone, and he can recover from Officer Unfriendly’s abuse.”

 

Frank went up front, and I quickly browsed the security camera feed backward. Colt Bryant went into the employee lounge. Billy Barnes followed him in a few minutes later.

I went around to the lounge, quietly stepped inside, and latched the door. Listening, I heard slurping and heavy breathing. With Billy and Colt, there was no mystery about what was happening. There was some whispering, and I listened to the stalls open and close. There was some more whispering, and then the heavy breathing resumed.

Opening the door, I stepped inside. The stall against the wall was closed. They were both in there, but only one pair of feet showed.

I stepped into the open stall, freed my cock, and took a leak. A small pair of boxers was sitting on top of the commode tank with “Billy” written in Sharpie on the waistband. I had to go, and it lasted nearly twenty seconds. I could feel hot breath on my cock from the big glory hole. My cock responded by plumping up a bit.

As I dripped into the toilet, I said, “Billy, are you giving Colt a nice warm welcome?”

There was giggling, and Billy said, “Yeah….” Then he asked plaintively, “How did you know?”

I took his boxers off the tank, stuck them through the hole, and said, “You forgot these. If you hadn’t found them, you would have had to go commando.”

I put my cock up and said, “Billy, Colt will be doing the same job as you and Robbie. When you are done welcoming him, tell him about it, and we’ll talk later. You two would be much more comfortable on the couch in the locker room. You can lock the door so that you can have privacy.”

The two little scamps streaked out of the stall nude, giggling, carrying their clothes to the locker room. The couch had to be more comfortable. I turned the radio on at a modest volume to cover their shenanigans and left.

 

Once I got Colt and Billy sorted out, I went outside and looked for a Nissan truck. It didn’t take long to find it. It was last year’s model with a silver and red paint job. The outside was nice, but the inside was a mess. There were fast food containers on the floor and dirty clothes in a basket. Was he living in his truck?

I circled the truck again and spotted a little Christian fish bumper sticker beside the Lakewood Junior College parking permit. A “First Baptist of DeKalb” bumper sticker was on the opposite side. Bingo. Knowing what Rich had been through with the deputy, no wonder Patrick had a complex.

 

 

Returning to the office, I met with Frank, Kevin, and Rich. I told them that Patrick had been badly abused by the deputy and had issues.

Kevin asked, “How can we help?”

“Letting him know that he’s not alone and there’s life after what he’s been through will be a big help.”

Rich growled, “I hope that rotten bastard enjoys prison.”

I put my hand on his shoulder and said, “Are you OK?”

He jerked a quick nod and said, “I think it may help me to help someone who has been through the same thing. I still question why he mistreated Patrick and me and treated Kevin and Frank completely differently. We talked about it, but he was just so mean.”

I said, “He was a sadist but had his favorites. For some reason, he just wanted sex from Frank and Kevin and wanted to punish you and Patrick. Don’t worry. Officer Unfriendly is going to get his. Now let’s try to undo some of the damage he did.”

 

Frank opened the door to the Dark Room, and I followed him in. The black lights were on, and the lava lamps were doing their timeless dance. Joey was curled up, napping on one sectional sofa, and Patrick was stretched long on the other, mouth open, snoring softly.

I sat down beside Joey and wrapped him in a hug. He woke up sleepily and scooted into my lap. Holding him a moment, I sat there and asked, “How is Patrick?”

Joey produced a prodigious yawn and said softly, “He woke up, and we talked a little. His folks told him he needed to find somewhere else to live because they didn’t want drugs around his younger brothers and sisters. I told him you were cool and are taking care of me, and you would help him too.” Joey kissed me on the cheek, and I had to hug the sweet little guy.

I said, “Thanks for watching him, Joey. He’s got problems, but I think we can help him. If he’s half as sweet as you are, it’ll be more than worth it.”

Joey got in my ear and whispered, “I could use a special hug right now.”

I whispered, “If you want to play, Billy and Colt are across the hall in the locker room.”

Joey got up, winked, and left the room. I was pretty sure where he was going.

I looked at Frank and nodded.

Frank knelt over Patrick, gently jostled him, and said, “Wake up sleepy head. We need to talk.”

Patrick stretched, saw me, became self-conscious about his prodigious sleep boner, and sat up. He looked up at Frank with a smile and said, “Hi, Frank. Good to see you.”

Frank sat on his right side, hugged him, and said, “It’s good to see you too. I want to introduce you to my… well, boyfriend doesn’t quite cover it.”

I sat on his left and said, “Partner is the best word.”

Patrick shrank and said, “Oh shit. I’m sorry I came on to you, Frank. I didn’t know.”

I put my arm around him and said, “No problem, Patrick. I won’t hold your good taste against you.”

He looked at Frank and me and said, “Joey said you were cool. I’m glad. With your arms, you could snap me in two.”

“I wouldn’t hurt anybody as cute as you. Besides, you’ve been hurt enough.”

Frank said, “Patrick, you’re sitting beside the guy who got that sadistic bastard busted.”

Stoned as he was, Patrick’s head snapped toward me, and his eyes widened. He put his arms around me, and Frank and I embraced him. Patrick began to sob, and we held him as he got it out.

After a few moments, he choked out, “You freed me.”

I stroked his back and said, “I got rid of him, but you aren’t free. You’re hurt inside, and it’s messing you up. Now you are staying high to make those feelings go away.”

He nodded and said, “He called it training me. He would put a dog collar around my neck whenever he was around. I was supposed to say… I’m nothing but a hole, and call him sir.”

“We’re going to help you, Patrick. I understand you need a job and a place to live. That we can handle, but there will be rules. I don’t want hard drugs around my boys. I can live with a little weed, but only after work. Understand?”

Patrick nodded.

I said, “You’ve been through hideous abuse and mind games. I know it is confusing because you hated most of it, but part of it felt good. You feel dirty because you liked some of it.”

Patrick’s eyes widened, and he said, “Dude, are you reading my mind?”

Frank said, “No. He’s good at helping kids put themselves back together after an asshole like Officer Unfriendly has unraveled them. He certainly helped me.”

I reassuringly put my hand on his shoulder and said, “You’re not alone. Who better to help you get it back together than guys who have been there?”

He asked, “It happened to you too?”

I said, “Not in the same way, but it had similar results. Mostly it’s about how you feel about yourself. Internalized guilt and shame can work on you over time. You feel unworthy of friendship and love. It alienates you from family and friends, and drugs and alcohol become a refuge. Sound familiar?”

Patrick nodded and asked, “What can I do about it?”

“We’re going to surround you with friends who know, understand, and won’t treat you like a leaper,” Frank answered concisely. “We’re going to start that right now.”

He stood, opened the door, and Rich entered.

Rich approached Patrick, took a knee in front of him, and said, “I’m Richard Kelly. I know we’ve seen each other around. He did it to me too. Tim talked me into seeing the psychiatrists he has coming out on Fridays.”

Surprising all of us, and even himself, I think, Rich hugged Patrick and said, “It gets better faster than you might believe around these guys. Tim is wonderful, and he’s just the start. You know Frank, Chris and Tony are great too. Wait until you get a load of our kids. You’ll love them.”

He stood, exited the Dark Room, and Kevin Stone entered.

Kevin approached Patrick, introduced himself, and told him the deputy had given him coke for sex.

Many of our boys came in, introduced themselves, welcomed Patrick, and hugged him.

It was a beautiful thing to watch. Little by little, I could see Patrick come in from the cold. He was no longer alone. The shame might linger, but the important part was that he was no longer alone with it. It would take time and some effort on his part, but he was going to be all right.

Frank drove Patrick home in his Nissan. He would take care of Patrick and let him sleep it off.

 

 

xi.

Back in the office, Rory was watching the cameras. I entered, sat beside him, and asked, “How is it going?”

“The kids are getting hungry, so our kitchen is getting slammed. I replaced four cash cartridges, counted, strapped, and bagged the cash. We’re having a great day.”

I put my hand on his shoulder and said, “Competent subordinates are a treasure.”

Rory snorted and said, “I think the new boys, Hunter and Kenny, like redheads. I’ve had one or the other at my elbow all afternoon. Cute little Franz seems to like Adam Pate.”

He panned the camera. Hunter was talking to Ray, Kenny was talking to Rusty Bowers, and Franz and Adam were playing doubles on the Pac-Man machine.

I smiled, “I’d say they are smart boys.”

Rory rolled his eyes and said, “You just like redheads.”

“What’s not to like?”

“Careful, or I’ll call your bluff, you flirt.” He looked at the monitor and said, “It looks like you have an appointment. He stood and walked to the door. I looked at the security camera monitor and saw Rodney Carlton arriving at the office door.

Rory opened the door; gave Rodney a high five as he entered, and Rory departed.

Rodney was looking good. Frank had taken him shopping Saturday night, wearing Sun Britches, a nice Polo shirt, and topsiders. He sat in the chair beside me, affected an air of annoyance, and said, “I’ve got a bone to pick with you.”

I asked, “Have I offended you?”

Rodney’s eyes sparkled with mischief, and he said, “You blew Ted, and so did Frank. I demand satisfaction.”

“My apologies Rodney. That was back when Big Ted thought you were grounded… forever. He was down, and I love the big, sweet guy. How can I make this right?”

Rodney stood, locked the door, and started a strip tease. He sexily took off his shirt and flip-flops. Then he made the rip of the Velcro in his Sun Britches sound very sexy.

Then clad only in a very skimpy red bikini brief, he gave me a lap dance, ran his hands under my shirt, and huskily rasped in my ear, “I demand satisfaction.”

I said, “This is a side of you I never imagined.”

Rodney giggled and said, “Ted and I would like to invite you and Frank to a four-some.”

I gave him a big smile and said, “That sounds like fun. Frank and I will be out of town for a big chunk of this week, but we can work it out.”

Rodney grabbed my wrist, looked me in the eye, and said, “I’ve always been submissive, but Frank encouraged me to be more assertive about what I want. Thanks for being my lab rat.”

I kissed his cheek and said, “You’re beautiful, Rodney. You may have never considered it, but some power goes with it. Learning to use it takes some maturity and good judgment, but it was fun being your lab rat.”

A more assertive Rodney wouldn’t be a bad thing. He quickly dressed and returned to play. I had only one problem with being Rodney’s lab rat – his lap dance gave me a killer boner that would take a few minutes to calm down.

 

 

xii.

I looked at the camera to see what I’d missed while I was distracted by Rodney’s… experiment, which didn’t amount to much. The clock read ten until five, so Jonah and his boys would arrive soon.

Looking around the office, I found some promotional baggies, filled them with a generous supply of tokens, and took them to the front, where Randy and Jeb were working the door. Sure enough, Jeb’s sidekick Justin was right beside him. I gave them a heads-up to look for the Jamisons and instructions for them to send Jonah back to the office. I left the bagged tokens for the boys.

I returned to the office and waited. I watched through the cameras as they arrived a few minutes after five. The boys were happy to get their tokens, and Randy led Jonah back to the office.

I opened the door for them and gave Jonah a one-armed bro hug, saying, “Randy, I want you to meet an old friend. My dad always took his cars to Jamison’s Garage. Jonah taught me all I know about what’s under the hood.”

Randy shook Jonah’s hand, and I introduced him, “Jonah, this is Randy Carlson. He is my security for the boys. We have another guy, but he’s off for the night.”

Jonah said, “Nice to meet you, Randy.” Looking around the office, he saw the camera setup and said, “I see you take security seriously.”

Randy said, “Tim built this after several ugly incidents involving local kids. Now kids have a safe place to go in Lakeview.”

I invited Jonah into the office and pulled out a chair. He sat and said, “It has been weird this summer. We worked on Charlie Dalton’s Grand Prix and were shocked to hear about what happened.”

Randy slipped out the door and said, “Nice to meet you, Mr. Jamison. I’ve got to get back.”

As soon as the door closed, Jonah looked at me and said, “It was a pleasure to hear from you today.”

“When I spoke to Marion, she mentioned you. I’m sorry I haven’t been around. I was still in school when Jan passed and didn’t even hear about it for weeks after.”

Jonah said, “I called after your dad passed away, but no one was ever home.”

“I traveled and got some certifications, so I wasn’t home much, and my old Toyota was well-behaved. I didn’t have an excuse to come see you.”

Jonah grimaced and said, “I wasn’t sure you wanted to see me. You were thirteen when we first hooked up, and I was already married and had Tuck.”

I grinned, “I started it, remember? I couldn’t believe how lucky I got when you showed up at Dockside Park that winter.”

He chuckled and said, “It’s making me hard just thinking about those nights with you in that boathouse.”

“We always do that to each other, but we’re both legal now.” I stood, moved behind him, massaged his shoulders, and said, “You need some stress relief?”

Boy, did he ever.

 

 

Once we got reacquainted, we sat in front of the monitor and zoomed in on Jonah’s three boys. I hadn’t seen them in a while, and they had grown up.

I said, “Before we watch them, what should we remember?”

Jonah said, “Boys will be boys. They don’t know they can see them, and I bet your guys don’t look too hard unless something is going on.”

“You’re right about that. We keep an eye on things, but we have it on tape if we need to go back and check things.”

Nix and Timmy were busy playing games. The twelve and ten-year-olds, respectively, were enthralled by the game machines.

Tuck was the oldest at nearly fifteen. He was very much like I expected Jonah was at that age: big for his age, handsome, and constantly horny. He towered over most of the Game Zone regulars at nearly six feet. I noticed he wasn’t playing games, but it looked like he had his game on. He was talking to Kelly Stringer.

I narrated, “This is Kelly. He’s one of my early morning runners.”

Jonah said, “He’s a good-looking boy, and Tuck is talking him up. Can you zoom in?”

I zoomed the camera in close on Tuck. He was wearing blue jean shorts and had one hand in his pocket. The elevated camera easily saw what was almost invisible in the crowd.

“Look at that; he’s showing Kelly his goods.”

I picked up the radio and said, “Kelly, private side channel.”

I gave Jonah a look, and he nodded.

The radio bleeped, and Kelly could hear me through his earpiece.

“Kelly, the kid who is talking you up, Tucker Jamison. Are you interested?”

There were two clicks for no.

Jonah looked at me imploringly, and I clicked the mike, “I’ll owe you a favor.”

Click. Click.

“I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”

Kelly opened the mike and said, “Maybe. We’ll have to talk about it.”

With the channel still transmitting, I heard Tuck say, “Is there somewhere private we can go?”

Kelly said, “Sure, but I’ll have to go by the office to tell the shift leader I’m going on break.”

Tuck followed Kelly to the employee lounge, where he had him wait. A few ticks later, Kelly knocked on the office door.

I opened the door, and Kelly came in, “I know you, Tim. What are you up to?”

Jonah said, “I’m his dad. We want to catch him for a good cause.”

I said, “I’ve been friends with Jonah since I was younger than you. Tuck has recently discovered that some boys like to suck dick, and he loves for them to suck his dick,” I said cheerily. “His problem is that their family lives with his grandfather, who hates queers. Tuck likes it so much, he’s getting sloppy, and it’s only a matter of time before he gets caught, and it gets back to gramps. I’ve offered him a spot with us, but he’s reluctant.”

Jonah said, “I’ve already caught him twice. A third time will be the charm if you’re up for it. When we catch you, don’t stop. I’m going to let him know it’s OK.”

Kelly blushed with embarrassment and said, “Tuck is cute, but he could use a lot of polish. OK, it’ll be fun. It’s for a good cause, but….” He looked at me and said, “You’re going to owe me one.”

I said, “Count on it, Kelly.”

He gave me a nod, left the office, and returned to the employee lounge. I heard a crackle over my ear bud as Kelly opened his mike.

I heard the door open, and Kelly said, “I’m back. Why did you pick me?”

Tuck said, “I can tell when people like what they see. You look good to me too. Is it cool in here?”

“I can lock the door. Let’s go into the bathroom. We’ll hear anybody come in the lounge.”

Jonah asked, “What are they doing?”

“The same thing we used to do. Trying to make sure no one catches them.”

Through the radio, I heard Tuck say, “A deal is a deal. I’ll go first.”

Kelly said, “OK, but when I say switch… Oh… nice.”

Jonah asked, “What’s happening?”

I said, “Apparently, to seal the deal, Tuck’s going down on Kelly first. Let’s head that way. You know what you are going to say?”

Jonah said, “Yeah. I’ve been thinking about it all day.”

I heard Kelly get an enthusiastic blow job from Tuck in my earbud. Good for him. “Oh shit, Tuck! You know how to do it.” I heard Kelly gasping, and he said, “I’m going to cum. Thanks.”

I opened the door to the lounge quietly, and we went inside.

From my earbud, I heard Tuck say, “Did you hear something?”

Kelly responded, “It’s a noisy building. Besides, we’re locked in. Now it’s your turn.”

Tuck’s gasp and moan of pleasure were audible through the wall when Kelly went down on him. I held up my hand to indicate that we should wait and let the boys get into it. Once there had been enough heavy breathing, I gave Jonah a nod, he opened the door, and we both stepped in.

Poor Tuck nearly had a heart attack, but Kelly kept working on him. Jonah said, “You’re caught, so you might as well enjoy it.”

Kelly gave Tuck a masterpiece performance as Jonah said, “This is the third time I’ve caught you.”

Tuck said, “It was just that one time….”

Jonah said, “I know about you and Clay, and I’m not pissed about him, either. When I was your age, I let a few boys blow me. Guys give much better head than gals. I know how much fun it is. I want you to be safe from gramps or from catching anything. Stay with Tim’s guys for a while. Tim and I have been friends for a long time. We’re working on something to get us out of the trailers, so it’ll only be for a few months.”

I said, “You two finish up, and we’ll see you in the office when you’re done.”

Tuck asked, “How did you know?”

I reached down, turned off Kelly’s radio, and said, “Kelly was accidentally transmitting.”

We left them to it and went back to the office. I scanned the cameras and saw Nix chatting with Tracy Barnes. I offered no comment, and we waited for Tuck and Kelly.

Jonah said, “I like the idea of having a shop of my own, but I don’t want to compete with Pop, or and to be honest, I’m not sure I have the business smarts to run it.”

I said, “Leave that to me. We can specialize in things your dad’s shop doesn’t do and send you off for certifications. I have an idea to get started. Do you still have that old Pontiac Lemans?”

Jonah’s eyes brightened, saying, “I’ve been saving her. She’ll be a real beauty. She’s a 72 model.”

“City Park is going to get a big renovation like Dockside Park. I think we’ll have a car show in September, and we can show off my Mustang and that Cobra you rehabbed. We can show off the Lemans. We can use the show to promote your new shop specializing in performance cars, trucks, and their parts and accessories. That shouldn’t cut into your dad’s business at all.”

Jonah looked speculative and said, “Where will we put the shop?”

“Let me work on that. We’ll get together and design it for you. We’ll pick a site, and Bridges Construction can have it built in no time. I’ve also been investing in real estate. If you and Marion get together, I can get you into a house in my neighborhood. I also have another reason for wanting you in business. I’ve got many kids who need to learn about cars and trucks and how to keep them running. I can’t think of a better teacher or more willing helpers.”

Jonah looked at me with a grin, “I’m all in, bro. I’ll pull the Lemans and get started.”

I said, “I’ll get you some money to work with and some for your time, of course.”

 

There was a knock on the office door, and Tuck and Kelly arrived looking flushed and relaxed.

Jonah hugged Tuck, and I hugged Kelly.

Tuck laughed and said, “All this time, I thought I’d be dead if I got caught again. Thanks for telling me you used to like it, dad.”

Jonah said, “You might have been skinned if it had been gramps. Going both ways kind of runs in the family when we’re young. I think that’s why Pop hates it so much. I’d rather you squeeze a few off with your buddies that have babies as young as I did. I’m glad I had you, but it was tough to have a baby at eighteen.”

I said, “We have a tradition in our group. When we get a new guy, he gets a big brother. Kelly, would you like to be Tuck’s big brother?”

Kelly blushed and said, “Sure. It’ll be fun. Come on, Tuck, I’ll introduce you around.”

Jonah said, “Hold your horses, Tuck. Before you go, I want you to be on your best behavior for Tim. When you’re with his crew, he’s the boss. He’s going to help me open the shop we’ve been dreaming of for years and get out of those damned trailers.”

Tuck said, “I agree, but Nix and Timmy will have to come to play here while I’m working some time.”

“We can work that out. Now, go have some fun, and I’ll see you later at the house.”

Jonah and I talked for a while. I went out on the floor and spoke to Timmy and Nix. They were both excited and jealous that Tuck would work at Game Zone, but their dad promised to bring them to play. I had Aaron feed them dinner and said my goodbyes at about ten until six.

I had to get going for our next adventure.

 

 

xiii.

Just after six, my brain trust assembled. Brian, Ray, Grant, Walt, Matthew, Chance, Phillip, Aaron, Sean, and Bart piled into the Red Team 2 van, and we went to my office.

As we drove, I explained to them what we would be doing. I had twenty-five PC kits, monitors, and keyboards at the office, and we would need to put them together. I had meant to do this little chore for some time, but things conspired to keep me busy.

I had finally managed to get the right people together. Some looked excited, while a few looked dubious. They had all heard that people could assemble their PCs, but they assumed those were big brains. I knew Matthew, Chance, Bart, and Sean all owned computers, and most had at least an introductory class in school.

It was usually a class in BASIC, the retarded programming language for beginners, included with most PCs. It could do a few things, but most people gave up after hello world. That was about as useful as tits on a bull. It was a rare few PC users who wanted to do programming. What most people wanted to do with their computers was use applications like word processing, spreadsheets, and data management. That was the track I would take towards making my boys computer-literate.

We arrived, and I got them started assembling what they would need. The box with most of the components, the box with a monitor, a boxed keyboard, and a basic tool kit. They all got set on the workbenches.

Once we were ready, I took one of the instruction manuals to a whiteboard and gave them a short lecture on the essential parts of a computer and how these PCs went together. Ray, Matthew, and Chance were excited about getting their hands on the machines and the rest, after seeing what was required, weren’t as intimidated.

We started by unboxing the tower case. Next, I showed them how to attach an anti-static wristband and ground it to the workbench. Then they stuck the standoffs for the motherboards inside the case. The next step was to install the motherboards and secure them in place. Then they installed the power supplies. We installed the floppy disk and the 40-megabyte hard drives. Then we connected cables, and the insides of the machines were essentially done.

The boys were all excited by this point. I had them unbox the keyboard and 17” Mitsubishi monitors. We powered them all up, did a little debugging in a few cases, and loaded DOS and Microsoft Word.

I wasn’t surprised when Matthew had his PC up and running MS Word first. I pulled out an Alps printer; I had a pile of them, too, plugged it in, loaded paper, and had it printing in no time.

The whole group was like a sports team that had just beaten a rival. They had done something few thought they could do, gotten it done in an hour and a half, and it all worked like a charm.

We turned everything off and piled in the van for home and Marie and Sharon’s homemade pizza. After talking to Matthew, he agreed that while we were gone, he would take small groups to the office and have them put together their PCs.

 

 

xiv.

After supper, I gathered Brian and Grant and took them to my truck.

When we arrived, Brian saw the big box in the back and asked, “Is that what I think it is?”

“Yes, if you think it’s a six-inch Newtonian telescope. I timed this so we would be out after dark for a while.”

I took them to LaSalle National Forrest and let Grant have some time behind the wheel. Initially, he was a little nervous, but quickly got the hang of it. I had him drive through the forest to the other side and guided him to the Boudreaux house on Acadia Ridge.

Remy and his brothers were surprised and delighted to see me. I got a big hug from Thibault and was surprised by a pop of static electricity.

We let the boys get acquainted, and Remy and I walked down the slope behind the house to a noisy brook that overlooked the rocky valley below.

Remy said, “Thibault said you would come with good news today.”

I chuckled and said, “He’s right. I’ve got good news.”

Remy said, “I could sure use some.”

“The deeds for all your places will be delivered this week. The bank isn’t going to uproot your community.”

His head snapped around, and he was flabbergasted.

“How… how did this happen?”

“My dad established a foundation to help farm families hold on to their land. I let them know that you guys needed help, and they got to work. They ensured all the families had their places paid off free and clear and even cleared tax liens.”

“Tim, my God. I don’t know what to say. Thank you.”

“Remy, you were there for me when I was getting over losing dad. I think he would be delighted we’re able to help you now. This is just the beginning. Think what that valley would look like with a dam and a big lake. We could build a little hotel and have fishermen in. Now we can hire a survey crew to come up here and find out what the bankers wanted to get their hands on.”

Remy looked out at the twilight vista and said, “I've been sweating this for months, and now… we’ve got a future! What will we do?”

I put my arm around Remy and said, “I’ve got more kids to give driving lessons to, so I’ll come out again tomorrow evening. I’ve got to go out of town from Tuesday to Friday. This week, you talk to the families, and I’ll come back next Saturday afternoon, and we’ll sit down and talk business.”

Remy said, “You’re on.”

 

 

When we returned to the house, Brian and Grant were getting acquainted with Remy’s younger brothers… in their bedrooms upstairs. Remy and I sat at their kitchen table and talked about what we would like to do in the coming months and years.

I suggested that they set up a coop and incorporate the area. If they had a name on the map, things could start happening for them.

Thibault came down from upstairs and sat on my lap. Once again, there was a pop of static electricity. He said, “I knew you would come today. I know when you dream about us too. Like early Saturday morning.”

I sat up straight in the chair in surprise, and Remy chuckled.

“How is this possible?”

Remy said, “I don’t know exactly, but we’re connected. There’s an older woman I want to introduce you to when you come back. She… is our strážce cest and will know what to tell you.”

“What does that mean?”

Thibault said, “I turn thirteen on July 26th, so I’m being taught some of the ancient knowledge. In the old tongue, strážce cest means the keeper of the ways.”

“That doesn’t sound French.”

Remy said, “It’s not. It’s older than French. We’re not supposed to talk about it with outsiders. I’m only telling you because of what you did for us. Mama Francois will have to be the one to tell you more.”

Thibault said, “I told you he would take care of the bank.”

He had not been a part of that conversation. I hugged the little guy and said, “I’m just glad I could help.”

Before we left, Thibault stopped me a whispered in my ear, “Tuesday when you travel, you will meet two powerful men who feel they owe you a debt. How you handle them will be crucial.”

I asked him, “How do you know these things?”

Thibault said, “I’m a magical Cajun, remember?” Then he winked.

Something all sorts of weird was going on. He told me that in a dream.

 

 

xv.

Brian drove on the way back. I guided him to the waterfall overlook in LaSalle National Forest, where we stopped. I set up the telescope behind the tailgate of my truck.

My dad had bought that telescope as a kit. He and my older brother had put it together. I was too little to be much help with that project. It took a while to get it right, but it was powerful, and we had a selection of lenses that would allow us wide-angle and focused views.

We had a copy of the latest Sky & Telescope with its monthly sky map to guide our explorations.

I had great fun showing Grant and Brian the June sky: the Summer Triangle of Altair, Deneb, and Vega, and the galaxies lurking in Cassiopeia and Cepheus. Cygnus was high in the sky. Jupiter was out, as was Saturn, and we could see their moons. The Andromeda Galaxy was the star of the show. It was dark enough to get a great look through a wide-angle lens.

Brian and Grant got a charge out of seeing the deep-sky objects they had only seen pictures of in books. It’s one thing to see it in a book or magazine. It’s quite another to see it with the mark one human eyeball. It makes it real.

A park ranger drove by, saw what we were doing, waved, and drove on.

Mosquitoes found us, so we packed up, and Brian drove us back to Lakeview. We were all feeling a bit peckish, so we stopped by Arby’s for a snack before I drove to Super-K.

I had to get stuff for Patrick, Tuck, and Justin. When we stopped, I gave Brian and Grant both a hundred-dollar bill, and they were floored.

While they were stuttering, I said, “I try to make these little adventures fun, and I do love you two. You don’t have to spend it. I promise it won’t go stale. Meet me back here in thirty minutes.”

I went into Super-K, and Bryan and Grant browsed a few of the other storefronts.

On the way inside, I passed Stacy Frazier’s Mercury Bobcat sitting in the parking lot. After Colt’s earlier revelation, I doubted I’d be seeing him in the aisles.

I found a buggy and started making the rounds for my new boys. I wasn’t sure what Patrick needed, so I just got a few basics. I got white tennis shorts, socks, and a pair of size ten shoes for Tuck. I made my way through the underwear and got them two Joe Boxers in their sizes. I got a couple of nice jocks for Patrick and Tuck.

I noticed a junior high kid I’d seen around the Game Zone. Placing his face, he was the grandson of our homeowner’s association. Howie Garner was trying his best to browse inconspicuously and failing miserably. He was paying more attention to people around him than looking at products on the shelf. I wondered if he was shoplifting, but he was working his way toward the Blue Light Special rear bathroom. Poor kid was so nervous that he turned in a circle before entering the door. Howie had no future in covert ops.

As I was finishing up, I saw trouble coming. A store security type was making his way purposefully toward the restroom. I moved the cart sedately around the lane for cover and quickly moved toward the restroom.

The security man had stopped in the antechamber and was listening when I caught up with him.

He whispered, “Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to wait.”

I whispered, “Are you about to bust two kids having sex in there?”

“Yeah, what’s it to you?”

“One is the star receiver for the Lakeview football team, and the other is a grandson of a… prominent community member. They aren’t bad kids. I want you to bust them. Then, I will come inside and hand you two grand to let them go. These brats need a little shock therapy.”

The security man whispered, “I’m Carter. OK. I’ll play along. Do you want me to play bad cop?”

“It might help make the point, Carter.”

He asked, “How bad a cop?”

“Moderately bad, but not Gestapo. Let them know how vulnerable they are when they are too horny to think.”

He smiled, “You know you’ll own them after this?”

“I won’t have to cut my grass for years.”

Carter smiled and shook his head. He locked the outer door of the bathroom antechamber and quietly entered the main bathroom. He went inside, and two minutes later, I heard him say, “All right, boys. Pull your shorts up and come out of there. You’re both under arrest for lewd conduct.”

I heard vague protests through the door - we weren’t doing anything.

However, I heard Carter clearly say, “I’m going to cuff you and search you.”

When the search started, I heard Stacy protest, “Hey! Do you have to search… so rough?”

Carter growled, “Quiet!”

There was some low muttering and a squeak I assumed was from Howie Garner.

I swung open the door and entered. Three sets of eyes turned my way. I said, “I appear to have arrived at an awkward moment. Howie? Stacy?”

Carter said mockingly, “I caught them together in the last stall.”

I read the store security man’s nameplate, “Mr. Carter. Would it be possible for me to make this little youthful indiscretion go away? These aren’t bad kids. They’re just a couple of boys with ants in their pants.”

Carter said, “They need to be punished. What they were doing is stupid and spreads diseases.”

I pulled out my wallet and said, “Would a couple of grand help you forget?”

Howie and Stacy’s eyes widened.

Carter grinned and said, “They’ve got to be punished.”

“Don’t worry, sir. I’ll make sure they don’t forget it.”

He took the money with a smirk, looked at the boys, and said, “You two lucked out. He just saved you a lot of trouble.”

Carter unsnapped the handcuffs and said, “You boys, stay here. I need to speak to this gentleman. I don’t want to see you back here. You aren’t banned from the store, just this bathroom, understood?”

Stacy and Howie both nodded. I followed Carter into the antechamber, and he said, “I know you, Mr. Shepherd. I saw you on TV the other day. You know, we get a few juvies a month. The cops aren’t paying me for them. Do you want them?”

I said, “Sadly, I’ll be out of town most of this week. I’d want the ones you catch, twenty-one and under. In the future, offer them a choice: call the cops or call me, and I’ll put them to work. If they choose wisely and pass my interview, I’ll give you a thousand for each one I keep, or half that if I reject them. Are you working tomorrow?”

Carter said, “I work the night shift. That’s when we catch them. Day shift never gets them, and I know it’s happening. I’ve got suspicions about what’s going on here. Maybe if we work together, we can get to the bottom of it.”

“I’ll come by tomorrow night, and we’ll set it up.”

Carter grinned, saying, “I feel like I just did a good thing, but I feel slimy because I took a bribe.”

“Mr. Carter. If the store wanted security, they would pay you better. The boys will see a doctor in the morning for an STD test and counseling. They shouldn’t be a problem for you anymore. Think of it as free enterprise in a worthy cause.”

Carter shook my hand and said, “I like your style. I’ve got a cousin in Atlanta who is sick with that AIDS shit. I wish he had met someone like you.”

Carter departed, and I returned to the bathroom, where Howie and Stacy were waiting. Stacy came right to me and hugged me. Howie stood still as if he were stunned, with tears staining his face.

Stacy said, “You just dropped a thousand dollars apiece to get us out of trouble! I love you, Tim!”

Howie approached and said, “You aren’t going to….”

“No. I’m not going to tell your folks. As I said, you boys are young and had ants in your pants. You two are cute together. I just happened along in time to get you out of a jam. The cop was right. You shouldn’t be meeting this way.”

Stacy said, “Argh! He busted us at the worst possible time. I was just about to nut. Then he searched me… everywhere. I’m so horny it hurts.”

“Stacy, you’ve got your car. Howie, how did you get here?”

Howie said, “Mom is working tonight. I just walked over from the apartments. I can stay out until whenever if someone can take me home.”

“Stacy, take him to his apartment and finish your business. Be sure to take your time and enjoy it. Howie is cute, and you’re a stud. It should be spectacular without having to worry about getting busted.”

Howie and Stacy blushed, and I added, “Howie, leave a note for your mom. Tell her I hired you, and you start first thing in the morning. Pack an overnight bag; you’re visiting us tonight. You two show up at my house at about midnight. Park and come around to the pool. You aren’t the only ones who have found this spot, and I’ll be talking to another one of my boys about it. It will be our little secret for now, but the guys in the hot tub will be hot, and they’ve been here.”

Howie joined the hug and said, “Cool! This day went from horrible shit storm to awesome in seconds!”

“Tim has a remarkable talent for making that happen,” Stacy said with a grin.

I completed my shopping, grabbing a few items for Howie and Stacy. Grant and Brian were early back to the car.

It was only a little after nine when we got home. The crowd wasn’t home from the Game Zone yet, so I got some frozen crawfish out of the freezer and took Brian and Grant out on the boat. We went out for a half hour and baited our trot lines. When we were done, the mosquitoes encouraged us to head back inside.

Once we had the boat put up, Brian said, “This is what it’s supposed to be like.”

Grant asked, “What?”

Brian surprised me with a hug and said, “Spending time with your dad. Tonight, I built a computer, met some cool guys, saw the Andromeda Galaxy, went shopping for fun, and went fishing. It doesn’t get much better than this.”

Grant got the idea, joined the hug, and added, “Tonight has been wonderful. You won’t tell Marcus about Acadia Ridge, will you?”

I hugged them and said, “It’s been my pleasure. What happens on Acadia Ridge stays on the Ridge. Lance has been there.”

Brian chuckled, “Yeah, he told me about it. That’s why I was looking forward to it. Now I’m going to do some laundry.”

Grant said, “Not if I get there first!”

The race was on. There was a reason I’d taken Brian and Grant on the trip. Those two had not been close, but they were now.

 

 

xvi.

It wasn’t very late, but a few vehicles were parked. One of the vans, Angel’s Mercedes, Patrick, Sean and Frank’s Nissan's, and Bart’s Porsche, were there, so some boys were home. When I went inside, the kitchen was spotless. Marie and Sharon had retired for the night.

Frank was asleep in our bed upstairs, but Patrick was nowhere to be seen. I woke him with a hug and asked, “Where’s Patrick?”

Frank looked paler than usual and said, “I’m not feeling so great. I’ve got a stomach bug. Tommy and Bobby are staying with him in the party room until you get back.”

“Are you OK?” I asked, concerned.

“I’ll be fine in the morning. I ate too much of Marie’s spicy Italian Sausage pizza. It was delicious, but it held a grudge about getting eaten. I took some Pepto, and I’m already feeling better.”

I kissed his brow and said, “Sleep it off. How is Patrick?”

“He’s much better. The way we introduced him to our herd worked. I think he’s in a state of shock about landing here. He’s curious about you.”

“Me?”

Frank gave me a grin and said, “Yes, you. He met you on the worst day of his life and thought you would break his neck for hitting on me. Instead, you hugged him, told him it would be all right, and took him in. In short, he’s kind of like all of us. Talk to him. I think he likes you.”

“Will do. Any advice on how to deal with him?”

“You don’t need any. Your instincts always work.”

I chuckled and said, “When I was at Super-K, store security caught Stacy Frasier and Howie Garner in their restroom.”

Frank cringed and said, “Howie… yeah, I met him at Game Zone. Cute, polite boy. What happened?”

“I bribed the security guard to let them go. They will arrive at midnight, and I’ll talk to them.”

He laughed and said, “You know, you just got two more puppies.”

Hugging him, I said, “We already had Stacy. It’s Howie, I think, who’ll be interesting. His grandfather is president of the Homeowners Association, and he applied for the Blue Team. I’ll see you in the morning.”

As I left the room, Frank said, “Thanks, Tim. Patrick is a great guy. Give him a little time, and I think we’ll be glad to have him with us.”

 

Brandon and Barry were in their room with Hunter and Franz sleeping. Toby was in his studio with Leo Lewis, sketch pads scattered in front of them on his worktable. Cole had his arm around Kenny Phillips asleep. The new kids had a long day, but a good one.

When I arrived in the party room, the black lights and stereo were on. Patrick sat between the Knight twins, and Zeke Smith and Charlie Scott were on the other couch. They were all laid back, listening to Rush’s A Farewell to Kings, enjoying their buzz.

I sat down on the couch by Charlie and whispered, “How are you tonight?”

He replied quietly, “I’m thanking my lucky stars that I never ran into that heinous deputy. Some of the things Patrick and the twins said he did were messed up.”

I put my arm around Charlie and said, “It was messed up. I’m glad I found you before he did. Think I’ll catch up with you guys.”

I loaded a bong hit, burned it, and passed it to Charlie.

Charlie hit it and said, “Zeke and I met that Andrew dude. He invited us to party, but we passed.”

Zeke lifted his head and said, “We knew some of your guys from before, like Kevin. We met Andrew buying weed. He had a bunch of junior high kids with him, which wasn’t cool.”

“We didn’t know exactly what was happening, but it felt wrong, you know?” Charlie said, obviously disturbed. “I should have said something, but I don’t think the cops would have been impressed if we told them we met him buying weed.”

I said, “That’s one of the bad things about the weed culture. It’s against the law, so it’s always underground. It forces you to stay silent even when you see sketchy stuff. Many dealers use it to cover up sex abuse or, in the case of the shady deputy, extort sex from the unwilling.”

Charlie stood and said, “I think I’m going to hit the rack.”

Zeke stood as the pair said goodnight and went to bed.

Their departure caused Bobby to stir. He looked up, saw me, and gave me a grin. He carefully got off the couch, moved beside me, and whispered, “We stayed with him as Frank asked. I can’t believe it… I thought…”

“No, Bobby, you weren’t the only ones. A badge and a gun cause much fear in kids.”

Bobby said, “Why Patrick? He’s such a nice kid.”

I put my arm around his shoulder and said, “Why you and Tommy? You are both nice kids. I suspect it was simply a matter of opportunity. Once he had you on the hook….”

“I agree,” Bobby replied with an expression of disgust. “In a way, no reason is worse. It could have been anybody. We just drew the joker.”

Patrick sat up and said, “I was always taught that things happen for a reason.”

Tommy stirred and said, “The reason is simple: we got caught up in a bad cop’s sick game. It helped when I talked to Dr. Patrick Friday. I was overthinking it and blaming myself.”

I said, “The only person to blame is deputy what’s-his-face, and he’s going to have a nice, long time to think about it.”

Patrick said, “His name was Swanson. I’ll never forget him because he literally treated me like a dog.” His face turned red, and he growled, “He messed me up so bad my parents threw me out. I hate him.”

Tommy said, “Don’t hate him.”

Patrick looked at Tommy aghast and said, “What?”

“That’s the only power he’s still got over you,” Bobby said. “My brother and I had to figure that one out. All the rage in the world won’t change it, and it only hurts you. Swanson is one sick dude, man. He’ll probably die in prison. The best thing for it is to live your life and move on without allowing him to do any more damage to you.”

I said, “Nothing has happened that can’t be healed, Patrick. Do your parents know what happened?”

Patrick shook his head and said, “I couldn’t….”

I interrupted him and said, “Sure you could. Maybe not now or tomorrow but give it some time. We’re going to help you get rid of the shame and self-blame. I suggest you start working out with us in the gym. Make that anger work for you instead of letting it eat you up.”

Tommy put his arm around Patrick and said, “Welcome to the family, Pat. I think you’re going to dig it. We’re going to go home and get ready for Monday.”

Patrick smiled as I stood and hugged the Knight twins, and they made their exit. As soon as they were out the door, he asked, “Is this for real?”

I sat down beside him and said, “It’s getting close to the time the crowd will be getting back. You want to see how real it is?”

“You’re on.”

 

xvii.

Ten minutes later, the thundering herd arrived. Patrick and I took station in the sunroom. I was sitting and waiting in the big chair under a reading lamp with a book I thought Kenny might find cool. I was surprised when he, Franz, and Hunter arrived in their boxers and sprawled all over one of the couches. The arrival of the crowd must have awakened them.

There was much commotion and flushing as the boys arrived home and settled in for bed. The only announcement that I would be reading tonight had come from Kenny.

Next to arrive were Barry, Brandon, Cole, Toby, and Leo. They were dressed for bed and sprawled untidily on the floor around me.

Soon the trickle became a flood. Gene, Scotty, Joey, Matty, Mihn, and Sang entered and found comfortable spots. I was surprised when Lee and Jeb accompanied by Justin, Kelly, Jo-Jo, and Tuck, all clustered around a loveseat.

Then Stevie, Colt, Mark, Todd, and Jimmy Singleton arrived and made themselves comfortable.

Once everyone was settled, I said, “Kenny asked me to read something cool. I thought this was cool when I read it at your age. It’s an older science fiction book, but interesting and action-packed. It’s called Starship Troopers by an author named Heinlein.”

I read the first chapter to the rapt attention of my audience. After eleven, I started seventeen pages, but good old Heinlein kept them all awake and enthralled. As I read, more people joined us: Brian, Grant, James, Aaron, Adam, Marcus, Angel, Chris, Tony, Steven, and JJ. We had a real crowd, and the boys were hanging on every word and ready to sit through another chapter.

After the chapter, I closed the book and said, “Goodnight, guys. We’ve got to get up and do it again in the morning. Tuck, Justin, and Patrick, I need to see you three before bed.”

I got about fifty hugs, and much to Patrick’s surprise so did he.

As Jo-Jo hugged me, I whispered in his ear, “You and Kelly go to sleep. Tuck doesn’t get any until tomorrow, OK? Tell Kelly.”

Jo-Jo grinned at me, winked, and went off to bed.

I handed Patrick his bag from Super-K and introduced him to Chris and Tony. I asked him to hang out with them while I took care of a few things.

Justin took his loot, hugged me, and scooted off to catch up with Jeb and Lee.

 

xviii.

Tuck was the last person in the room, and he said, “You said we’d talk when we got home… somewhere a little more private, maybe?”

“Sure, Tuck. Follow me.” I led Tuck to the party room. The black lights were still on, and I turned on a good FM rock station from Memphis, then closed the door.

Tuck looked around and said, “This room is so cool.” He looked around, and his eyes lit up. He reached behind the coffee table and picked up the tray with a bong and some weed on it. I had forgotten to stash it.

He looked at me with his best charm, which was considerable, and asked, “Could I please have a bong hit… or six?”

I chuckled and said, “I’m not sure your dad would be pleased. This is for you.” I handed Tuck the big bag from Super-K with his new shoes and assorted goodies, and his eyes widened.

He started inspecting his loot and said, “This stuff is cool! I’ve smoked a joint with dad a few times. He said he knew I’d try it sooner or later and didn’t want it to take me by surprise.”

“That’s Jonah. I know he’s a great dad.”

Tuck put a few items on the couch beside him and said, “He is. I wasn’t thrilled about coming here to stay, but it’ll be fun staying with Kelly and Jo-Jo, and I’ve known you since I was little.”

He pulled the two jocks out and raised an eyebrow.

“A tall skinny boy like you needs boner control.”

Tuck grinned and said, “True dat.”

He pulled out the two Joe Boxers and said, “Oh, cool! I like these.”

Next, he pulled out the bundle of a dozen white socks, three white tennis shorts, a swimsuit, and a red Speedo. He gave the Speedo a close inspection and waggled his eyebrows. It was the shoes that made him say, “Cool! I’ve wanted a pair of these. How did you know?”

“Your dad let me know what you wanted and your shoe size. I guess it’s true what they say about big feet.”

Tuck chuckled at that and started putting his stuff back in the bag. When he was done, he sat back, looked at the bong longingly, and wheedled, “Please, Uncle Tim? It’ll help my nerves.”

“You’ve got nerves?”

“About what I need to talk about and ask you, yeah.”

I sighed and said, “OK. I’ll load you one.”

I picked up the tray, took it to the closet, and said, “I’ll bet you want to ask about Clay.”

Tuck replied, “Yeah. Do you mind if… I keep seeing him?”

As I loaded a little weed, some of Roderick’s hash, and a layer of weed on top of it, I said, “Apparently, Jonah didn’t mind. He likes Clay and never said anything to you about it until now. Tomorrow, I would like us to get together and talk. I want you to see each other here and not go sneaking around where you might get in trouble. Do you know if he’s got a job?”

“Yeah. He bags groceries at night at the Piggly-Wiggly in Rivervine.”

“I’ll make him a better offer.” I sat down beside Tuck and handed him the bong.

Tuck took the bong and hit it like a pro. He knew what he was doing, so he had smoked some weed. When he tried to hand it back, I declined. He burned up what was in the bowl, and it took him three hits. After, he lay back on the couch, sighed, and said, “That tasted good. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome, Tuck. Was that what you wanted to ask?”

He grinned and said, “Not everything. You know, dad caught me getting a blow job in the back of Super-K. Then he talked to me and said he let a few boys suck his dick when he was a kid, and it was the best head he had ever gotten. It sure made me feel better.”

“Too many people act like that’s a big deal. It’s not. Many boys do that. It’s way better than getting young girls pregnant. It’s different now because of all the different things you can catch.”

Tuck said, “I know. I’m just curious. Did you and my dad do it?”

Now it was my turn. Karma was slamming me for enjoying Jeb’s discomfort when I talked to him about Justin. My blush betrayed me, and I answered, “Uhhh…”

Tuck laughed and said, “You did, you dawg! Dad had me when he was eighteen, and he’s thirty-three now. You would have been… ten?”

“That’s not when we started. Before my grandfather died, we used to hunt at dad’s place up North. That’s where I got to know him. We didn’t start doing stuff for years.”

Tuck had his hand in his shorts and said, “How old were you when you first blew him?”

I lied, “Jonah was drunk, I was fifteen, and no. As much fun as it would be, we won’t be doing that.”

“Awe, why not? I promise to be a good boy.”

“I’ll bet you would. I heard you blowing Kelly in my earpiece. He might have caught you on your knees if I hadn't held up Jonah.”

Tuck said, “That was cool of you. Sometimes you’ve got to give to get. I must have turned Kelly on; he nutted fast. Could I have another bong hit?”

“OK. While I’m loading you one, try on some of your new stuff to check sizes.”

Tuck said, “Cool,” and started rattling his bag.

I took the tray to the closet, began loading another, and enriched it with a little hash. Putting the hash back in the special drawer, I noticed Kevin’s coke was still there. When I turned around, Tuck was standing by the couch in a red and blue jock.

I moved back to the sofa, sat, and asked, “How is the fit.”

Sitting and taking the bong, he said, “It’s a little tight.” Tuck hit the bong.

“It’s supposed to be to make your meaty beastie behave.”

He nodded and hit the bong again.

I said, “I’m thinking, here is a boy about to turn fifteen who wants something, and he is alone with his gay rich uncle wearing a sexy jock and showing off his goods. I’m betting you want a vehicle.”

Tuck gave me a look that said I know I’m busted and said, “Please? We’re not rich, and the only thing I could get would be a clunker.”

“Put on that Speedo and sit in my lap like you used to.”

He grinned, slipped out of the jock, and pulled on the Speedo.

Tuck moved to sit in my lap, and I wrapped my arms around him. “I’ve known you since you were a baby, Tuck. As cute as you are, I’d never feel right about doing anything with you. Once when I was waiting for my dad’s caddy to get fixed, I went inside with Jonah. He was so proud; he wanted to show you off. He had to change you, and you had a little woodie. I looked at your dad and said he’s a Jamison, all right. It’s a whole lot bigger than the last time I saw it.”

Tuck laughed and asked, “Did you blow him?”

“We didn’t have time. Would it help if you knew your mom wouldn’t do oral?”

Tuck twitched and said, “I didn’t know that.”

“Many country girls raised religious won’t, and they’re just asking for their studly husbands who like oral sex to stray. I know you’re curious about your dad and me. I blew him before you blew Kelly this afternoon. He needed it. I love him, but I understand he’s bisexual, his family will always come first, and I’ll never get in the way of that. In the bargain, you, Nix, and Timmy get an uncle who is crazy about you and likes to spoil you a little, just as long as you don’t turn rotten.”

Tuck turned and hugged me back. He sighed and said, “My brothers and I know you like us, and I’m cool about you and my dad. I’m just a little frustrated because boys are the only ones to come knocking so far.”

“Boys are fun for now, but I think you'll do better with girls when you’re a little older. You’re well on the way to being studly. I can introduce you to some of my girl cousins. If you are known as one of mine, that’ll get a boy cute, as you noticed.”

Tuck said, “That’s really cool of you.”

“Tell me about the incident at Super-K. How did you get into that?”

Tuck said, “Gramps gives dad a list of stuff for the shop, so he goes to Super-K every Saturday like clockwork. Me, Nix, or Timmy usually go with him to help. He does his thing, and we can look around. One day I went in the can to take a leak. There was an old dude at the urinal, so I went to a stall where the hole was. I took out my dick and started to piss, but I could tell someone was behind that hole. I felt hot breath on my junk and got hard, and there was graffiti that said show hard for bj. I was about to zip up, and a hundred-dollar bill appeared in the hole. I reached for it, and the hand gestured for me to put my dick in the hole. Anyway, that was my first blowjob, and I was addicted. I knew Clay liked me, and we started meeting up. I started checking out Super-K whenever we went there. Even if I don’t make a c-note, I can usually score a bj. I just got unlucky getting lucky yesterday. Thank God dad was cool about it.”

I chuckled and said, “Now you know why he didn’t come down on you hard for getting your dick sucked. Jonah will never be a very good hypocrite. That’s one of the things I’ve always liked about him. Can you stay away from it, Tuck? You don’t need it anymore. You’ve got us.”

Tuck said, “Yeah. I haven’t said anything, but I’ve seen a few of your guys there.”

“You’ll let me know who they are?”

“I don’t know their names yet. When I figure that out, I will.”

“Good. Here’s the plan for your vehicle Tuck. When you turn fifteen, you’ll get your learner’s permit. You and I will find a nice truck, and then I’ll take you to the country to practice. She'll be yours when you show me you are a responsible and capable driver. Then we’ll find some nice muscle cars for your dad to restore in his new shop. These will be show cars, but I’ll put your name on one of them.”

Tuck hugged me, and I asked, “Tell the truth. It won’t matter either way: are you gay or bi?”

He considered the question and said, “I don’t know. Boys and girls make me hard, but girls at school call me a redneck and trailer trash. If I could meet some girls and not look like a hick, I might do all right.”

”Have patience, Tuck. It’ll take a little time, but you’ll get what you want. We’ll give your wardrobe a makeover.”

Tuck asked, “What about bud?”

“The house rule is nothing stronger than bud, only at night before bed. Most people get so busy that they’re not bored and smoke less. Now, how do you feel.”

Tuck said, “Great! I’m getting what I want for a change. Things are looking up. I think it’ll be great here. Now I’ve got to figure out what to do with this boner.”

I said, “Go see if Kelly and Jo-Jo are still awake. If not, I can probably hook you up. I’ve got to check on the kids. If your roommates are asleep, meet me back here in a few minutes. You can finish what’s on the tray if you get bored.”

Tuck gathered his loot and said, “What’s with this can of whipped cream doing in the bag?”

I took the smaller bag and said, “Oh, sorry. That was for the kitchen.”

 

xix.

I went to my room to change. Patrick was still hanging with Chris and Tony, so I scooted in, got out of my clothes, and put on board shorts over a silver Speedo.

Frank had changed positions and was lying on his back, sleeping soundly. I thought he must be feeling better because he was spread out like he was when he was comfortable. I kissed him and returned to the party room.

Tuck wasn’t there.

My next stop was the room where Billy, Robbie, and Tracy were sound asleep.

Next door, Joey and Matty were sound asleep, so I wouldn’t be giving them a messy hug.

The door was open when I got to the Hutch, where the bunnies lived. Colt was sound asleep, and Stevie and Mark were across the hall in the bathroom. I hugged Colt.

I discovered something about Todd and Stevie. Todd enjoyed taking a shower with Jimmy earlier in the afternoon. Stevie and Mark were in the tub together. They enjoyed the freedom to explore what they didn’t dare in their mother’s house.

Stevie and Mark were murmuring in the tub, and I knocked on the door.

Mark answered in a sing-song voice, “Who is it?”

“It’s Tim. Can I come in?” I still had the can of whipped cream in a bag, just for this moment.

Stevie said, “Just a minute.”

I heard bare feet and the door lock snick. Opening the door, I saw Stevie’s bare bottom as he sat back in the tub as I entered. There was a trail of wet bare feet to and from the tub. Stevie and Mark sat at opposite ends of the tub, facing each just relaxing.

Walking in, I closed and locked the door and said, “It looks like you two have discovered how much fun it can be to take a bath with a friend.”

Mark just grinned, and Stevie said, “It’s fun. We wanted to try it at home but wouldn’t dare because of Mom. What’s in the bag?”

“That was probably a good idea. We’ll get to the bag. You two had a bet to see which one of you could get a peek at my junk first. If you had waited, you would have found that many boys come around to the big shower in the master bathroom in the mornings.”

Mark said, “Really? We can shower with you?”

“It’s just a shower, and yeah, a few guys might pop a boner, but no one will care. It’s not an orgy. It’s just a bunch of friends hurrying to get ready in the morning. Sometimes we fill up the big tub and hang out like you and Stevie.”

Stevie said, “That would be so cool.”

I unsnapped my shorts and pulled them down, so both boys could get a look at my cock.

Mark’s eyes widened, and Stevie said, “Whoa!”

“I promised you’d get a look. Since you both saw it simultaneously, I suppose this makes your bet a tie.”

Both boys were highly aroused, and Mark, despite his shyness, reached out and put his hand around my cock, which plumped with his touch. Not to be outdone, Stevie moved closer to get a good feel. With the Bunnies exploring my cock, it soon swelled to its entire length.

I said, “OK. You two cuties got a good look.” I stowed my cock and pulled my shorts back up. “Since you guys tied, I suppose that means you both won… or lost, depending on how you look at it. Gentlemen don’t welsh on bets.”

I pulled the can of whipped cream out of the bag, left it on the tub’s edge, tossed the empty bag in the trash, and said, “I’ll see you two Bunnies in the morning.”

As I left the bathroom, I heard the Bunnies giggling.

Passing the room Jimmy and Todd were staying; all was quiet. I was happy that those two seemed to be hitting it off.

Returning to the party room, I found Tuck lying on a couch listening to the stereo.

I sat beside Tuck, and he looked at me with a silly grin. He yawned and said, “Hi, Timmy. Is that what they call creeper weed?”

“Yeah. It takes a few minutes to kick in. How are you doing?”

He leaned toward me on an elbow and said, “I feel great. I’ve never seen you without a shirt on. You’re ripped.”

I said, “I take it Jo-Jo and Kelly were asleep.”

He sighed and said, “Yeah. Can you hook me up?”

“It’s late. Most everybody is in bed, but I’ve got a couple of friends coming over in a little while, and we’re going to sit in the hot tub.”

Tuck said, “That sounds like fun.”

I said, “Wait here. I’ll be back here in a few minutes.”

 

xx.

When I returned to my room, Tony and Chris’s door was closed. So was the door to my room. Quietly I opened it, entered my bedroom, and caught Patrick sucking Frank’s cock while he lay asleep.

He was so engrossed in the project that he didn’t even notice. I approached him from behind, gave him a friendly pat on the back, and whispered, “Do a good job. Once you are done, put on the Speedo in your bag and meet me in the bathroom.”

Patrick twitched, continued, and gave me a thumbs-up.

I went into the bathroom and slipped off the board shorts I wore over my Speedo. I only had to wait a few minutes, and Patrick entered the bathroom wearing a red Speedo, a boner, and a look of consternation.

Not knowing what to expect, he was surprised when I hugged him and said, “You should know Frank and I share everything.”

Patrick said, “I’m sorry. He was lying there with that big boner. The deputy rewarded me by taking me to see Frank. When I met him at the Junior College, I blew him in his truck and went to his apartment.”

I guided Patrick to the rim of the big tub and said, “Let’s have a seat. Frank loves a good blow job, and he’s beautiful.” I put my arm around him, hugged him close, and said, “I love spoiling him, and he likes you. Tell me what you liked about the deputy and what you hated.”

Patrick asked, “Why?”

“Because I don’t want to do anything that will cause a flashback or make you afraid of me.”

Patrick was quiet for a beat and said, “You’ll think I’m kinky.”

I chuckled and said, “You’ll know I’m kinky if I show you my playroom in the basement.”

With a grin, he said, “Cool. I hated being roughed up. That’s not sexy. It’s mean, and it hurts.”

“I understand. That’s not kinky. It’s called sane.”

Patrick smiled and said, “I think I know why Frank fell so hard for you. You are charming. OK, the kinky part. I didn’t like it when he fucked me, but I’m pretty sure I’d like it if someone I liked who wasn’t trying to hurt me were to fuck me. I’d cum like mad after he did it.”

“Still not kinky. In gay circles, that’s plain vanilla.”

He gave me a playful shove and said, “Stop that. I thought I was a whore for liking that.”

“Nope. Plain vanilla gay. Not kinky yet.”

He sighed and said, “OK. I might like a little bondage with someone I could trust not to hurt me.”

I said, “Aha! That’s a little kinky, but certainly not as far out there as you were thinking.”

Patrick said with a quaver of emotion in his voice, “OK. I liked it when he forced me to suck those boys’ cocks. He would grab me by the hair and shove those big dicks down my throat. It revolted at first, but then it got me very turned on. Then when they would cum, he would pull me off them, and they would blow a big load in my face and hair.”

I soothed Patrick as best I could, “That’s a form of kink called domination. It’s not sick, Pat. It’s just a fantasy that lives in the back of some people’s minds. That deputy just unlocked that little Pandora’s Box for you and showed you a few things you might have discovered later for yourself.”

Patrick said, “So I’m not that far out there?”

“Nope. I have a feeling what is bothering you is what you learned growing up sitting in church all those Sundays and reconciling your feelings with your faith.”

Patrick shook his head and said, “Now there’s a conversation I’m not ready for.”

“Then we won’t have a conversation, but if you listen, I’d like to give you some food for thought.”

He nodded, and I continued, “I’ll bet you are what the Baptists call a cradle Christian. You stayed in the church nursery, went to Sunday school, and grew up in church. Am I right?”

Patrick nodded nervously.

“I had the same problem. When I went to college, a group met for gay Christian students. I would go and listen to them, and I learned some interesting things. You know those preachers who claim the Bible is the inerrant word of God?”

Patrick nodded. That was one of the core tenets of Southern Baptist dogma.

“Well, I learned that might not be exactly true. The Bible is thousands of years old and several thousand more in parts. The original texts were in several different languages and were translated, translated again to and from Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek to Latin. For centuries the Catholic Church’s official language was Latin. It wasn’t until around 1600 that King James of England translated the Bible into English. Are you with me so far?”

Patrick nodded, and I continued, “There has always been controversy over certain key words and phrases. For instance, the word gay people love to hear, abomination?”

He nodded, and I said, “Our word abomination doesn’t exactly translate from Hebrew to English neatly. In Hebrew, it translates is not our custom. So, some of those whopper verses some preachers like to harp on don’t mean exactly what you think.”

Patrick looked interested now, and I plowed ahead, “When we think about sin in the bible, most people look at the Ten Commandments. The commandments say don’t lie, don’t kill, don’t steal, don’t sleep with your neighbor’s wife, and so forth. We might sum it all up in modern language as "don’t be an asshole.”

Patrick laughed and said, “I never thought of it that way.”

“These are basic guides for getting along with other people. They work well and have been a basic code of civil behavior since the Old Testament. The one the haters like to smite us with is adultery, and it’s another one where the translation doesn’t hold up. Adultery from the old scrolls, where this all originally came from, is purely about male-female relationships and marriage. Again, it’s unclear whether this has anything to do with gay people or relationships.”

Patrick asked, “If it’s so unclear, why do they harp on it so?”

I answered, “Because it’s easy. Think about it, Patrick. According to Kinsey’s study, Gay and Bi people comprise around ten percent of the population. All the church’s anti-gay rhetoric causes them to either leave or keep quiet. It’s easier and more popular with preachers and their congregations to damn those heathen homosexuals than to come down hard on their parishioner’s more popular sins like divorce, drinking, gambling, and so forth. To make a bad pun, we’re low-hanging fruit. By bashing us, it makes them feel superior. Homosexuality isn’t something they are drawn to, so it’s easy for them to denounce us and feel good about it.”

He grinned and asked, “What about the verses in the New Testament?”

I grinned and said, “Ahh… You are talking about the ones written by one person, Saul of Tarsus or Paul. He’s a fascinating character. You’ve been to Sunday School because you are following this. The thing to remember about Paul was that he never met Jesus. He was originally Saul and a Pharisee. He came along after Jesus was crucified and originally persecuted Christians until he had his Damascus Road experience, converted to Christianity, and became Paul. I paid close attention to this part because of my namesake Timothy. If you read between the lines, it sounds like Paul was besotted with Timothy, a handsome young Greek. If I remember correctly, Paul circumcised Timothy, and good ole Timothy had much faith to go along with that. Paul described Timothy as a beautiful youth. Is this all sounding just a bit homoerotic?”

Patrick’s eyebrows raised, and he said, “That does sound like Paul might have been interested in him.”

I said, “We can’t know what happened between Paul and Timothy, but it sounds odd. It was in Paul’s writings in Romans and Acts where the New Testament whopper verses can be found. Heck, the three chapters of Timothy are all letters from Paul to his young, hot Greek buddy Timothy, and the Greeks were famous for going both ways back then.”

I switched gears, “Now let’s jump forward to 1600 and the Court of meh King James of England. I called him a meh king because he was not a popular monarch, not at all, not at all. King James was often described as a fop. That’s Old English for what the vulgar would commonly call a fag these days. He was supposed to have had several boyfriends at court, quite scandalous, but it’s good to be the king.”

Patrick smirked, and I said, “Perhaps the scholars he commissioned to translate the Bible to English wanted to give King James the finger. Those translations could have gone either way, and maybe they put a finger on the scale.”

“Gay people have been part of Christianity since the beginning, Patrick. The Catholic Church has had gay Popes and Saints. It’s only in the last centuries, and mostly due to the influence of the King James Bible, that homosexuality has been considered a big sin. It’s not. If it is a sin, it is a sin of the flesh and not of the heart. Some writers in the Middle Ages suggested that what we call gay people were especially holy because they were in love with man, who was made in God’s image.”

Patrick asked querulously, “Why haven’t I ever heard any of this?”

“The Minister of the First Baptist Church of DeKalb certainly isn’t going to preach it. If you went to Seminary, you might run into it. You must study hard and find the right people. I ran into them in college. There are groups for gay Christians and even Churches that embrace gay members. It might be a while before we get one here, but it will happen eventually because we are commissioned to share the good word with every creature. Not straight, gay, or bi creatures but every creature.”

Patrick said in amazement, “You’re a Christian?”

“I try, Patrick. I don’t have all the answers. I haven’t even learned all the best questions. The best we can do is try. I don’t have a house full of kids for fun. It’s a lot of work, but I think it’s a labor of love God put on my heart to do. I used to wonder why no one stood up for us. Why were we met with condemnation and derision, and no one stood for us? That’s who I am, Patrick. I have the means and the will, and I stand for us. I’m not perfect. I don’t always do the right thing, but when you know me well, you will know I will always try.”

He put his arms around my neck, and I felt tears land on my shoulders. I’d managed to give Patrick his faith back. That would help him recover.

 

xx.

I retrieved the last bag from Big-K in my bedroom and Tuck from the party room. When Patrick met Tuck, he looked surprised. I banked that away. Patrick knew Tuck, and I had an idea where from. The three of us went downstairs, out the back, and around to the pool.

I put the bag with Howie and Stacy’s Speedos down in a chair, and we sat in the oversized hot tub. I said, “Patrick, this is Tuck. He’s the son of a close friend of mine.”

“Hi, Tuck,” Patrick said in a friendly tone. “How did you end up here?”

Poor Tuck was fried and horny. He answered, “Uhh… my dad knows Tim from way back. Dad caught me getting a blow job in the K-mart restroom yesterday and thought it might be a good idea if I hung out here for a while. My grandfather is a little unreasonable about stuff like that. He’s like real religious but swears and drinks sometimes.”

“Thanks for being honest, Tuck,” I said and put an arm around him.

“I thought I knew you from somewhere,” Patrick replied with a grin. “Don’t sweat it, Tuck. At least half the kids in town check that place out. There’s a rumor that some guy who goes there will slip you a hundred-dollar bill if you let him blow you.”

Tuck said, “I know. I got my very first BJ and a c-note there at the same time, and it wasn’t even my birthday. You’ve been?”

“I needed the money,” Patrick replied with a shrug. “Things haven’t been good at home for a while. I was at my wit’s end until I ran into Frank and Tim today. I don’t know where I would have stayed tonight if it hadn’t been for them. Now I’m in a hot tub with a hunk and a cutie, so this day turned out better than I could have dreamed of.”

I put my other arm around Patrick and said, “I’m glad to have both of you. Frank likes you, Patrick, and I’ve known Tuck since he was little and his dad since I was little.”

I heard a car pulling up and said, “That should be Stacy and Howie.”

Sure enough, Stacy and Howie came through the gate, and I said, “Welcome. There’s a surprise for you two in that chair. Put them on and join us.”

It was dark, so we couldn’t see them as they slipped out of the swimsuits, donned the Speedos, and joined us in the hot tub.

Howie said, “I’m glad it’s dark. I’d die of embarrassment being seen in one of these.”

Patrick said, “We’re all wearing them, so you’ve got nothing to worry about.”

“It feels pretty good,” Stacy said. “It’s almost like you aren’t wearing anything. When Tim took us to his lodge, we all wore them.”

In the dark, Howie finally got a good look at Tuck and said, “Oh my God, it’s you. Are you all right?”

Tuck giggled and said, “Yeah. My dad was pretty cool about it. He knew Tim from way back, and that’s how I lucked into ending up here.”

I said, “Howie, this is Tuck. Tuck, this is Howie. I see you two have met.”

Howie sat back in the hot tub and said, “It’s a little embarrassing, but it was nothing compared to tonight.”

I said, “They don’t know Howie, but they would all be OK about it.”

Howie looked at Stacy, who gave him a nod and said, “I was giving Tuck a blow job in the back of K-mart yesterday when his dad came in and ordered him out. I thought we were both dead, but they just left. Worse, tonight, a store detective caught Stacy and me. Tim bribed him not to call the cops.”

Patrick and Tuck both mumble something very much like oh shit.

Stacy sloshed through the water, landed in my lap, hugged me, and said, “He gave that guy a thousand a piece to let us go. We’re banned from that bathroom, but Tim saved us from a lot of trouble.”

I hugged Stacy and said, “You were at Arrowhead Lodge. You heard what I told everyone. Guys, AIDS is no joke, and there are other things you can catch that are even more common. You never know who will be in that next stall, and if he must pay for it, he’s desperate.”

Tuck said, “It’s something I’ve worried about.”

Howie said, “Stacy told me a little about working for you. Does everyone who works for you gets tested?”

“Every single one on day one. In addition, our doctor tells you how to avoid the virus. So far, we’re batting a thousand. Everyone is clean, thank God. However, when one of you guys sticks your cock in a glory hole, that breaks the system. Can you guys give up cruising? You get to work with many cute guys, and sometimes the coffee breaks can be awesome.”

Howie asked, “Are they all gay?”

“No. Some are bisexual and will probably end up mostly straight with a hobby. You’ll have friends, and I will help and protect you. You saw that tonight.”

Howie said, “Move over, Stacy. I want to hug him too.”

Stacy slid off my lap, and Howie flopped into it and hugged me.

Patrick said, “I spent the afternoon with Tim’s partner Frank. Tim is the one who killed the crazy preacher and the guy in the Pontiac who tried to abduct a couple of his kids. When he says he’ll protect you, he’s not just blowing smoke.”

Howie asked, “That was you?”

I nodded and said, “Please don’t spread that around. So far, I’ve managed to keep that out of the press.”

Howie nodded and said, “I don’t know anybody here other than my grandpa. Mom just got divorced, works all the time, and I’m supposed to sit at home when I can walk fifteen hundred yards from the apartment and get a BJ, maybe walk away with a c-note?”

I acknowledged his point with a pat and said, “I understand completely. When I was your age, the place where horny gay and bi kids went to hook up was Dockside Park next door. The problem is, these places attract bad people, like a horny old goat with money and a taste for boy cock. Who knows what he’s swallowed?”

The boys laughed nervously. Howie was feeling me underwater, taking up where Stacy had left off.

I asked sweetly, “Howie, do you like cock?”

Howie purred, “Uh-huh.”

I said, “I would consider it a personal favor if you finished what you started with Tuck yesterday. Poor boy has blue balls.”

Howie slid off my lap toward Tuck, and I added, “Not quite yet; he’ll last thirty seconds and want to go to sleep.”

Tuck laughed and said, “Probably less!”

With my lap unoccupied, Patrick invaded it.

I held him close and said, “Are we all agreed, no more blue light specials?”

There was laughter, and Howie answered, “Glory holes are hot.”

“Then you’ll be happy to know that there is one in the employee lounge of the Game Zone. Only our friends who have been tested can get to it, and you won’t get in trouble if caught. I might not be there to help next time. Agreed?”

Stacy answered, “I’m convinced after getting cuffed and pawed by a rent-a-cop. Once is enough for me.”

Howie said, “OK. I’m banned from there anyway.”

Patrick hugged me and said, “I know your secret, Tim.” He kissed me chastely and said, “You love us. You might not be there to help, but you would try. That’s who you are, which is amazing and good enough for me.”