Chapter 48 

As soon as Steve drove off with Jake to San Antonio, Tony walked over to the dining hall to turn on the lights and set the long tables for breakfast. When he saw Dan sleeping on one of the sofas, he went over and shook him awake.

"Hey, Dan. What are you doing sleeping here?"

"Oh, hi, Tony," Dan said, rubbing his eyes. "I just didn't have anyplace else to sleep."

"I thought you were staying in Luke's room," said Tony as he unfurled several long plastic tablecloths.

"He threw me out. And I don't know why," said Dan, raising himself up to a sitting position.

"Well, Dan," said Tony, as he continued to work. "Luke's always been known to be a moody person. One day, he wants to fuck you, and the next day he wants you out of his sight."

"Have you had that experience with him, Tony."

"No. I just heard about him from other guys. Anyway, Dan, what are your plans? You know Steve left the ranch this morning to go back home. He might not have left if he knew that you were no longer with Luke."

Dan said, "Oh, he knew. I told him last night. But I really fucked up. I thought I could move in with him, even though I told him earlier, when he asked me to, that I was staying with Luke. Steve's a prideful person, and he wouldn't back down. But I don't blame him a bit."

"Well, knowing Steve," said Tony, "I think he would have backed down if he had not already resolved to go back and try to rescue his marriage. He really liked you, Dan. What are you going to do?"

"I don't know what I'm going to do. I can't stay here. Michael's been nice enough to let me stay, but I don't work. I don't contribute anything. I know people think I'm just a moocher. He offered me a job out on the range as a cowpoke. He said I could learn. But that's not for me. I'm strong enough, but that kind of life's not for me."

"Where were you headed before Karl brought you down here?" asked Tony.

"I was on my way to El Paso. I'd heard about some job openings out there."

"Well, you could always head on out that way again."

"Yeah," said Dan. "I suppose I could, even though those jobs are probably taken. But I guess there'll be others. My plane ticket to El Paso isn't any good now. That was money down the drain. I suppose I can go on out to the highway and hitchhike over there."

"Dan, if you go, don't hitchhike," warned Tony. "With this summer heat, you'll roast to death out there on the highway. Why don't you take a bus. When I'm done with the breakfast here, I'll be glad to drive you to the bus station in Goliad. There are busses going that way all day."

Dan decided to give El Paso a try. It would be easier to get up to San Antonio, and there would likely be more jobs available there. But he was raised in a small community and was never really comfortable in large cities. He knew that El Paso was big, but not big enough to be intimidating. By mid-morning, when Tony had finished cleaning up the breakfast dishes, he and Dan drove into Goliad.

"Have you got enough money, Dan. I can give you a little if you don't."

"Thanks, Tony. But I brought a lot of money with me, and have hardly spent a dime while I was on the ranch. I'll be fine."

After buying his ticket, Dan sat on one of the long waiting-room benches with Tony. Across the aisle, on the next row of benches, was a young man, who appeared to be about thirty . . . a few years younger than Dan. He was dressed in an expensive looking pair of high heeled, pointed toed cowboy boots, a wide-brimmed cowboy hat, tight jeans and striped shirt. He was intently reading a newspaper. Dan turned to Tony and told him that he was very apprehensive about going to El Paso, a city he had never been in before.

Tony said, "Dan, here's our telephone number at the ranch, in case you don't have it. If you ever feel like calling, I wish you would. If you need help in any way, you know that Michael and the rest of us will be ready to help you. I'd better get back now. I have to get lunch started."

Tony and Dan hugged and said goodbye. Tony hurried out.

As Dan sat nervously waiting for his bus, he noticed that the young man across from him was looking at him unobtrusively from under the brim of his hat. There was a slight smile on his face. Dan returned the smile, not knowing whether it was noticed. Soon, the young man put down his paper and stepped over to Dan's side of the Aisle.

"Excuse me, are you headed to El Paso?" said the young man.

"Yes, I am," said Dan, looking up.

"Do you mind if I sit down?" said the young man in his heavy Texas drawl. "It's a long wait for this bus, and I've pretty well finished the paper. Since you look like you're alone, I thought maybe we could keep each other company."

"Sure," said Dan. "My name is Dan."

"Nice to meet you Dan. My name is Shane. Shane Murchison," said the young man as he sat next to Dan, extending his hand. "I own and manage a department store in El Paso. I inherited it from my father. I travel around a bit. Even though I own the place, I love get out and play the part of a buyer. I was in Goliad looking at a small place that makes hand-made boots. They're so nice, I thought maybe I could sell them in my store on consignment. Hey, what do you do, Dan. Why you heading way out yonder to El Paso?"

"Well, I'm looking for a job, and I thought maybe I could find one in El Paso."

Shane looked into Dan's eyes and said. "You're a good lookin' guy, Dan. What kinda work are you after?"

"Oh, just about anything. I was staying at a ranch not far from here, and they offered me a job as a regular cowpoke. But that's not for me."

"Well, Dan," Shane said, putting his hand on Dan's knee, maybe I could find something you'd like at the store. Say, do you have a place to stay there in El Paso?"

"Nope. Never been there in my life. I don't know anything about it."

"Well, Dan, You're welcome to stay at my place until you can find a place of your own. I have a big place out on the edge of town, plenty of room and a lot of acreage around it. I'm there all by my lonesome. I had a partner who lived with me up until six months ago, but he ran off with a Mexican businessman, and now lives down in Cuernavaca."

Dan thought, "My God. This guy's not only handsome, he lived with a male partner. Wow!"

Shane turned in his seat toward Dan and draped his arm over the back of the bench behind Dan's shoulders. And at the same time, he had his thigh pressed up against Dan's thigh.

Just then, Tony reappeared. "Oh, Dan," he said, looking down at the thighs pressed together as one. "I got down the road a little bit, and I noticed these things you left on the seat. Your sunglasses, a pen and a book. So I turned around and hoped to catch you before you left."

"Oh, thanks, Tony! I want you to meet Shane. He's from El Paso where I'm going, and he offered to let me stay at his house."

Tony recognized Shane as the young man who sat across from them, inconspicuously eyeing Dan from beneath the brim of his hat. "Really nice to meet you, Shane. It's nice of you to put Dan up in El Paso. He's been a little concerned about going to a new town with no job and no place to stay."

Shane stood up and shook Tony's hand. "Well, don't be concerned. I'll take good care of Dan here." Then looking at Dan, he said, "We'll have a lot of time on the bus to get to know each other."

Tony was happy for Dan, and couldn't keep the smile off his face as said, "I guess you won't need this book to read on the trip west."

"Well, I guess not," said Dan with a smile.

Just then the announcement came over the speaker that their bus was now loading. Tony took Dan in his arms and hugged him. He whispered in Dan's ear, "From desperation to scintillation, eh, Dan?"

Dan said softly, "I can't believe this. He's such a beauty. And he thinks he can get me a job. And he wants me to live in his house. Wow!"

As Tony waved goodbye while the bus pulled out, he hoped that this would be the beginning of a good new life for Dan.

Quincy McInerney and his brother Reno had gone before the University's disciplinary committee and were both suspended from the University for one year. Josiah felt that he couldn't go through anymore upset and decided not to press criminal charges against them. Quincy was still convinced that Josiah was really an unearthly being that had come down to Earth from somewhere else. To Reno's dismay, Quincy went to St. Paul's every day to pray. Quincy had become a totally different person, an unbelievable transformation from the vindictive and vengeful brother whom Reno had always known.

Although Quincy was not allowed to step foot on campus for a full year, he would go and sit everyday on a bench in a small park near the entrance to one of the classroom buildings where Josiah was known to attend class each day. He would watch Josiah go in to the building and later to walk out and wait on the step for Brian. Quincy felt the overwhelming need to approach Josiah and actually kneel before him and beg for forgiveness. Reno did his best to convince Quincy that Josiah was not a saint or an angel, but finally gave up.

One day Quincy rose from his bench and approached Josiah on the steps of the classroom building where he was waiting for Brian. Quincy actually knelt down and said, "Josiah, please forgive me."

Josiah recognized Quincy and jumped back, really fearful of what was going to happen.

"Josiah," Quincy continued, "I talked to Father Martin at St. Paul's and he told me that you . . . I mean, Josiah . . . is the embodiment of all the virtues of God. I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Josiah stood speechless, still afraid. Finally, he said, "What are you talking about?"

Quincy stammered, "I didn't know who your were. It was a sin to do what I did to you. Please forgive me."

Just then, Brian drove up with his car and honked.

"I've got to go now," Josiah said, and he rushed down the steps and into Brian's car. Neither he nor Brian had been aware of Quincy's hallucinatory experience when he convinced himself that Josiah was an unearthly spector.

Brian said, "Josiah! You're shaking. Who was that you were talking to?"

"That was Quincy McInerney, the one who beat me up and tied me to that tree. What a weird thing. He wanted me to forgive him. And he was on his knees, as you can see."

They looked over at the steps and could see Quincy still crouched on the steps, facing away from them.

Quincy was acting so strangely that Reno decided to call their parents. The parents then drove down from Dallas and picked up their sons and brought them home. The parents had not been aware of their sons' suspension. Because of Quincy's erratic and uncharacteristic behavior on the drive home, they drove directly to the Dallas Psychiatric Hospital, where they checked him in through the emergency room. They did this because Quincy was no stranger to psychiatric problems and was well known at the hospital.

At the State prison, Jared spent many sleepless nights following Tommy's death. He held on to Tommy's clothes and had them close to his body while he was in bed at night. He went over and over in his mind all the things that Tommy had meant to him. He was a young, vulnerable and hapless lad who needed someone's love . . . the love of a father. And he, Jared, had been that loving father to him.

Now his mind was filled with anguish over his neglect and the lack of interest he had shown in his own son, Clayton. Burning in his mind was the day Clayton had come to see him there at the prison when he had cruelly disavowed the boy as his son and angrily sent him away. He hated himself for what he had done. He hated his life. He hated all the cruel and thoughtless things he had ever done.

Jared had no idea where Clayton was, but he had the burning desire to see him and talk to him and try to become his father again. Although he had never been a religious person, he asked to see Father Taft, the prison chaplain. He told the chaplain the whole story of Tommy and how he had tried to rescue the boy from the constant rapes that he had to endure. He also told him about having disowned his own son for no good reason at all.

Father Taft listened intently and believed that Jared was sincere in his grief over Tommy's death and the torment he now suffered over his son, Clayton.

"Would you like me to hear your confession, Jared?" said the Chaplain.

"I'm not a Catholic, Father."

"It might matter to some priests," said Father Taft, "but that doesn't matter to me."

"I've never done a confession."

"You stay here," said Father Taft. "I'll sit nearby facing the other way. All you have to do is tell me honestly what you believe in your heart to be things you have done that you know were wrong and sinful."

For the next hour, Jared confessed all of the heinous misdeeds of his life he could remember. When it was over, he cried. It was something he never did, nor had he ever felt like crying. But to tell a religious man of all the terrible things he had done was so liberating that the tears came in spite of himself.

"Father," said Jared. "I need to see my son. I need to see Clayton. But I don't know where he is."

"Could he be with another relative? Do you have relatives with whom he might be staying?"

"I have a brother, who lives down on the family ranch where we were born and raised. He's the only one."

"Would you like me to give him a call and make inquiry after Clayton."

"Oh, yes. That would be so kind of you."

Back in his office, Father Taft called the Walker Ranch and spoke with Michael.

"Mr. Walker, this is Father Thomas Taft, the prison chaplain. I have had a long visit with your brother, Jared."

"Excuse me, Father, but what is he up to now?" said Michael.

"Well, Mr. Walker, I've come to learn that the two of you have been estranged for some time, but I agreed to call you and inquire whether or not you know the whereabouts of his son, Clayton."

Michael almost felt his heart skip a beat. "I need to tell you, Father, that his son is now my son. I have legally adopted him and he lives with us here on the ranch. His name had been Clayton Adams. He had taken on his mother's maiden name when he learned that his father had abandoned him. He is now Clayton Walker. He is a Walker after me, not after Jared."

"He very desperately wants to see Clayton. I think he is enormously remorseful for having rejected his son, and . . . ."

"I don't care how remorseful he is, Father," shouted Michael. "Clayton is now my son. I don't want Jared near him."

After a long pause, Father Taft said, "Jared is Clayton's natural father, Mr. Walker. He has confessed his sins to me and I think it would be the right thing to do to at least let Clayton hear for himself his father express directly to him his deep contrition and the guilt he feels for the great sin of having once turned his back on his own son. I think Clayton needs to hear that. Even if he never sees his father again, he will have heard the confession of his conscience-stricken father. Any boy needs to hear that from a father who had abandoned him."

Michael didn't believe in his heart that Jared could possibly be contrite about anything. But after remaining silent for awhile, he said, "Alright, Father. I need to think about this. And I need to talk to Clayton. It will be his decision. You know, do you not, that Jared will be having a parole hearing in June. I am being required to be a witness at that hearing. I want you to know that I do not intend to soft-pedal all of Jared's past transgressions just because he decided to confess them. You may have forgiven him, but I have to tell you I never will."

"If Clayton decides that he wants to see his father," said the Chaplain, "you can call the Warden's office to make an appointment. Keep in mind that prisoners are allowed only fifteen minutes during a visiting session."

Michael looked out the kitchen window and saw Clayton coming out of one of the barns. He went out and called to him. "Clayton, come on up here on the verandah, would you. There's something we need to talk about." Calling to Tony through the screen door, Michael said, "Tony, bring us a pitcher of iced tea, will you please. I notice you have some already made."

After Michael and Clayton settled themselves on the verandah and Tony had poured them each a glass of tea, Michael said, "Clayton, have you had any regrets about the adoption. I mean have you ever regretted that you are now my son legally?"

"Of course not," said Clayton. "You're my dad. You're the only dad I've ever known." Then looking a bit worried, he added, "Do you have any regrets, Michael?"

Putting his hand on Clayton's arm and holding it tightly, Michael said, "Absolutely not. Having you now as my own son is one of the best things I have ever done in my life. But I need to tell you that I received a call from the prison Chaplain, and he said that Jared wants to see you."

"Oh, God, no!" sighed Clayton. "He told me when I saw him that he didn't even know me. He told me I wasn't his son. I knew at the time he was lying. But that was okay. I couldn't get away from him fast enough."

"Well, Clayton, he apparently has had a change of heart for some reason, according to the Chaplain. It seems he wants to apologize to you for everything," said Michael. "But I just have a feeling he's lying again. I'd like to know what he's up to. Clayton, the Chaplain was very firm in his belief that Jared is sincere. And he urged me to talk with you about going up there to visit him."

"Oh, God, Michael. Did you say he wants to apologize to me? How can an apology make up for having denied I ever existed? Do you think I should go?

"It's up to you, Clayton," said Michael.

"I won't go and see him, though, unless you're with me . . . even during the visit.

"I wouldn't think of letting you go up there alone. If you want to go, I'll be by your side every minute."

Clayton thought about it for the next two days and finally decided he would go, as long as Michael was with them when they talked. Michael called and made the appointment for the next day.

After arriving at the prison, Michael and Clayton were led into a windowless room, in the middle of which was a large square table. They were seated together on one side. After about ten minutes, Jared was escorted in and seated across from them. Two large armed guards stood nearby as Jared stared at Clayton.

"Clayton," Jared said softly and continued to look at Clayton's face intently. "Clayton, my boy. I'm so glad you came." As he held out his two handcuffed hands to Clayton, one of the guards stepped forward briskly, warning him to keep his hands in his lap.

Michael said, "Jared, Clayton's here to hear something that he understands you have to say to him. We have only a few minutes, so get on with it."

Jared had rehearsed what he was going to say, but suddenly the words were all a jumble in his head. Not remembering his carefully memorized statement, he said, "I want to tell you I'm sorry, Clayton. I'm sorry for everything. You're my son and I did a terrible thing telling you that you weren't."

Michael interrupted. "Jared, before you go any further, you need to know that Clayton is now my son, not yours. I have legally adopted him."

Jared stammered, "But you can't do that without his father's consent!"

"Under the circumstance where you never had anything to do with him," said Michael, "and since you were incarcerated, the court was on good grounds to grant the adoption. It is quite legal, I assure you."

Jared looked at Clayton with pleading eyes. "Clayton, please. I was wrong. I was a terrible father."

"You were no father at all," interjected Michael.

"Clayton, please. I want to make it up to you. I'm your father. Don't I have a right to be back in your life? Don't I have a right now that I have admitted I was wrong? Clayton, I'm going to be out of here soon, and maybe we can go off somewhere and rebuilt our lives together as father and son."

Michael said, "You're only having a parole hearing. That doesn't mean you'll get out."

Jared slammed his handcuffed hands on the table and shouted, "Why are you talking, Michael! Why don't you let Clayton say something? It's Clayton I wanted to talk to, not you!"

Clayton leaned forward and said, "It's too late. I have a home now. I'm really happy and content for the first time in my life. You've already said that I was not your son, and I'm telling you now that you are not my father." Putting his hand on Michael's hand, he went on. "Michael is my father. He's the only father I have ever had."

"Clayton!" begged Jared.

"Thank you for the apology," said Clayton calmly. "But it's not enough. And it's too late. And I don't really believe you anyway."

As Jared stared open-mouthed at Clayton, Michael stood up and leaned over the table toward Jared and said, "I really wonder what it is you've got up your sleeve this time. What slimy little ruse have you been cooking up in that twisted brain of yours. You've given me plenty of hours of Hell in my life, Jared, but you're not going to get a chance to mess up Clayton's life again. Just remember that!"

One of the guards stepped forward and said, "Your time's up Walker. Let's go."

As both guards drew Jared off the chair to his feet, Jared said, "I'm telling you the truth, Clayton. It'll be all different now. I'm going to get out of here shortly, and you'll see. We'll make a new start. Just you and me."

As the guards led Jared out into the hall, Jared shouted, "Please, Clayton, come back so we can make plans!"

Michael and Clayton stood and looked at each other, both looking and feeling terrible after going through the dreadful scene they had just been a part of. Neither spoke, but slowly walked out of the room with Michael holding his arm tightly around Clayton's shoulders. When they finally reached the car, Clayton broke down.

"How could this happen," sobbed Clayton. "I wish you'd refused to let me come here."

"I'm sorry, Clayton. It was your decision to make."

"What if he isn't lying?" pleaded Clayton. "What if he meant what he said?"

Michael didn't know how to answer that. After they both got into the car, he said, "Would that have made a difference to you?"

"No, it really wouldn't." Leaning his head on Michael's shoulder and wrapping his arms around Michael's waist, he said, "I love you so much, Michael. I'm glad you're my dad. No one in this world could be luckier than I am. Let's get out of here. Let's go home."

Now back in his cell, Jared lay on his cot staring at the ceiling. He couldn't believe that Michael and Clayton didn't think he was sincere. If only he had remembered exactly what he had rehearsed to say. That would have convinced them that he was truly sincere in his repentance. He counted on the possibility that Clayton would think about it and would eventually want to be with him. Because of his record of good behavior, he was confident that he would be granted parole, and that once out of there, he would be in a better position to get Clayton to be reasonable and look at it all differently. The news that Clayton was now Michael's legally adopted son had shocked him. It didn't seem possible that that could be. He would get around it somehow. Clayton would eventually see the truth that his real father now truly loved him and would come to him.

Caleb was now fairly well recovered from the shoulder wound that had been inflicted on him by his wife. She had been indicted for assault with a deadly weapon and attempted murder. She remained in jail, and her trial was scheduled for late September. Caleb had started divorce proceedings and was assured by his attorney that it would be a quick and easy matter. He had been grateful to Michael for his hospitality over the past several weeks, but was also concerned that he was probably overstaying his welcome.

In the late afternoon, Caleb found Michael on the front verandah going over some plans for his expanded Milo Maize field. "Michael, if I may, would you have a minute to chat."

"Of course, Caleb. Sit down. I was just going to order something to drink. What would you like? Coffee? Tea? A cocktail, maybe?"

"Thanks, Michael." Said Caleb. "I'll just have whatever you're having."

"Well, I think I'll have my usual triple Scotch. Okay?"

Caleb nodded agreeably. Michael turned to the house and shouted, "Tony!"

When Tony appeared at the door, Michael said, "We need a couple of triple Scotches, if you have a minute."

"Michael, I'm doing pretty well now," said Caleb, "and I've got to get back to work full-time at the firm. So many cases are piling up, you know. I've purchased a nice Condo in Goliad. It's in one of those new complexes just outside of town on the old Teague ranch property."

"Yes, I've seen them. They're really beautiful. Old man Teague would roll over in his grave if he could see his old place now."

"I'm going to move in there tomorrow. But there's something I want to talk to you about. It's Noah. I had thought the two of us could start a new life together and live in our own place. But, as you probably know, he and Ricky . . . you know . . . ."

"I know exactly, Caleb. I knew that you had planned to stay together. But I think it's obvious to all of us that Noah and Ricky will have a hard time being parted."

Caleb took a long drink from his glass. "Michael, I've done a lot of thinking about it, and I really think it would be the right thing to do to let the two of them stay together. After all, I'm an old man in my late thirties, and the two of them are the same age. They're both seventeen . . . just a couple of months apart. They need to be with people their own age."

"I agree," said Michael.

"It isn't as though Noah and I won't be seeing a lot of each other from time to time. It's strictly up to you, Michael. But do you think that, when I move out tomorrow, both Noah and Ricky could take that room and make it their own?"

Michael smiled and said, "Absolutely! That's a great idea! But I hate to see you leaving us. I really had hoped you'd stay right here on the ranch permanently."

"Your hospitality has been super, Michael. But I really shouldn't stay. One thing that worries me is Jake. I know the close relationship he has with Ricky. I don't know what this will do to him."

Michael took Caleb's hand in his and said, "Caleb, Jake and I were talking the other day. And that subject came up. I don't think you need to worry about that. Jake is fully understanding of the love that Noah and Ricky have. And he thinks like you do. They are contemporaries. They're the same age, and they need to be together. Jake is fully expecting that something like this will occur. And he'll be okay with it. He wants what's best for Enrique."

Caleb looked down at Michael's hand holding his and said softly. "I love the feel of your hand, Michael. I'll never forget what we had together when we were a couple of horny young studs. That old woodshed? Remember? Hmmm." Then holding Michael's hand tightly, Caleb looked into his eyes and said, "I'm giving you fair warning. When I get settled, I'm going to have a house warming party. And you'll be the only guest. It'll just be the two of us to celebrate the new place. I'm buying a new bed, too. And we'll have a bed warming. And you're going to help me do it."

Michael laughed and leaned over and kissed Caleb lightly on the lips. "It's a deal, Caleb. I'll feel honored to be the first!"

The next day after breakfast, Jake helped Enrique move his belongings over to the room in the house where he would be living with Noah. Caleb spent the afternoon signing papers for the purchase of his condo. He had picked up from storage a few pieces of his furniture that he thought he would need when he moved in. He had them stacked in a rented Ryder truck. When he arrived at the condo, however, he found that workers were still laboring away. None of the bathroom fixtures had yet been installed, and the painters were still at work with at least two days of work ahead of them.

Caleb realized that there was no way he could move in for at least two days. He went into Goliad and had a large Pizza for supper at Pizza Hut. What to do! Perhaps Michael would let him sleep on the sofa in the living room for the next two nights. He hated the thought of getting a motel room. Arriving back at the ranch, he met Noah and Enrique sitting in the kitchen finishing up a large bowl of tapioca pudding for their desert.

"Well, boys, I've got a problem. The condo isn't ready yet. Even the toilet hasn't been installed yet. I guess you could say your old man hasn't got a pot to piss in! I'm going to ask Michael if he'd let me stay here tonight, and probably tomorrow night. Maybe on the sofa."

"Dad, you can sleep with us," said Noah excitedly. "You know we've got that king size bed."

"Noah, that's yours and Ricky's room now. I appreciate it, but it would make things uncomfortable for you."

Ricky said, "Caleb, both of us want you to stay with us in our room tonight. It's your room, too, as long as you don't have a place to stay. And besides that, as long as Noah has that room, you are welcome to sleep there anytime."

"Well, you guys," said Caleb hesitatingly. "Are you sure? I hate to get in the way of you two on your first night together."

"Dad, don't be crazy!" said Noah. "It'll be great having you sleep with us tonight, won't it Ricky?"

"It sure will," said Enrique, getting up and running around the other side of the table to throw his arms around Caleb's neck and give him a big kiss on the cheek.

Just then, Michael came in. "I thought I heard your voice in here, Caleb. Is anything the matter?"

Caleb explained the problem with the condo and said, "Noah and Ricky here have offered to let me stay over in their room tonight."

"That's fine, Caleb," said Michael. Then with a big smile, he said, "These two guys are a couple of horny little devils. You'd better be careful!"

Caleb smiled, while Noah and Enrique started to giggle.

Michael then lightly squeezed the back of Caleb's neck and said, "Okay, you guys go on to bed now. It's getting late. I'm going to sit right here and finish this bowl of tapioca. Go on, now!"

As Caleb and the two boys entered their room, Caleb said, "I'm going to go ahead and take a shower. I've been out and around all day, and I'm beginning to smell like an old cowpoke after being out on the range a couple of months."

While Caleb showered, Enrique and Noah swiftly got out of their clothes and jumped onto the bed. They had already showered right after supper.

Enrique rolled over next to Noah and said, "I can't wait 'til your dad gets in bed with us. You know last week when he sat over there and jacked off while we were here fucking on the bed, he had his pants down and had his shirt pulled up. Boy, what a hot body he has! I never thought I was going to have a chance to be in bed with him!"

Noah smiled and said, "I think he's looking forward to being in bed with you, too, Ricky. I remember when he first met you at our house one afternoon, I could see he had his hand in his pocket, fumbling with the bulge in his pants. Then after we moved out here to the ranch, he asked me one night all about you. You know, what was it like to have your penis in my mouth, what did your cum taste like, did I ever tongue-fuck you, was there hair in your ass crack, and a lot of stuff like that. So I think he's really kind of excited about tonight."

When Caleb emerged from the shower, Enrique could almost feel his heart begin to race at the sight of Caleb's totally naked and perfectly formed body, covered all over with a very light layer of soft light brown hair.

"Here, Dad," said Noah, patting the space the two boys had opened up between them. "Lie down here between us."

Caleb jumped into bed between the two boys and said, "I hope you're okay with this . . . you know . . . my moving in with you like this tonight."

Enrique rolled over close to Caleb and said, "I've been wanting to do this, Caleb. I could hardly stand to know that Noah was sleeping with you, and I wasn't. Noah tells me that you and Michael used to fuck around with each other. When did you first start doing it?"

"Well, it was when we were just kids. At first, we used to jack off together after school, just like you two guys did. We used to go over to the Teague place . . . you know, where my condo is now. We'd go into one of their barns and jerk off. One day, old man Teague walked in and caught us. He got so mad, he was just hopping around like a Mexican jumping bean. He started yelling at us and grabbed a pitch fork and chased us out. We didn't have any pants on, but we grabbed them and we ran as far as we could out into the field. Then Michael stepped into a real big wet cow pie and fell. He had cow shit all over his legs and all the way up to his shoulder on one side. We both started laughing. And luckily, there was a big galvanized steel watering trough nearby, and he jumped into it and tried to wash it all off."

The boys started laughing as they pictured Michael covered with cow shit.

"Michael was always getting himself into shit like that," said Caleb. "One Fourth of July, we went out into the fields on his own ranch and had fun blowing up cow pies with two inch fire crackers. One time, he didn't get away fast enough, and this real wet, juicy pie blew up right in his face. Michael had cow shit in his hair and in his mouth and all over him. I wish I had had a camera. It was the funniest sight I'd ever seen."

Enrique asked, "Well, when did you start going to the woodshed here?"

"I don't remember, exactly. But we spent a lot of time in there. That's where we learned everything we know."

"Is that where you fucked each other?" said Enrique.

"Yeah, that's where we did everything. We learned to fuck, suck, rim. We did everything."

Enrique said, "I always wanted to spend a night with Michael. Only a couple of times a long time ago, he fucked me. But I always wanted to look into his ass crack and also get that cock of his in my mouth."

"Well, Enrique," said Caleb, "You probably will sometime, when the time is right."

"Why did you get married, Caleb, if you were having so much fun with Michael?" asked Enrique.

"Michael and I eventually lost touch with each other, and when I was in college living in a fraternity house, all the guys I knew were fucking their brains out all the time. And I guess I wanted to be just one of the guys, so I dated girls, too. That's where I met Noah's mother. She was a virgin when I first met her and I thought it was cool to start fucking like the other guys. So I fucked her a few times. But then she got pregnant. Her parents put the pressure on us to get married before the baby was born, and so we did. But not long after that, she developed complications and had to have an abortion. Soon, she got pregnant again, and then Noah here was born. We eventually told Noah about this, and I'm glad to say that Noah was conceived and born in wedlock."

As Noah cupped his dad's balls in his hand, he said, "You know, Dad, I always wished I could have watched you fucking mom. What's it like fucking a woman?"

"I always kind of wished you could've been there with us, too," said Caleb. "What's it like? Well, fucking a cunt is nothing like fucking a good tight asshole. A woman's pussy is real wet and slimy. I knew guys who liked to get down and eat a woman's pussy. But I never could stand the thought of that. I always came without any difficulty, though, because I would always fantasize that I was fucking Michael. That did it every time. But, you know, I did watch my own dad . . . your grandpa . . . fucking my mom a lot of times. I used to go out in the backyard at night and watch through their window. I finally realized that my dad knew I was watching, because after awhile he would look over at the window and wink. Those two were real animals. He would pound her so hard and she would always have her legs wrapped around his back. And then when they would cum, he would let out a real Tarzan yell. And he was one of those guys who loved to eat my mom's pussy."

"Wow," said Noah. "I didn't know that about Grandpa and Grandma!"

"Well, son," said Caleb, "How do think your uncles and I were born. Someone had to do some fucking! But let me tell you about a time that really turned me on. One time, my mom, who worked as a hotel representative, had to go out of town for a few days. On the first night, I woke up and heard voices coming from my dad's room. I ran outside and looked in, and he had two young girls in bed with him. They weren't much older than me. I watched for a couple of hours while all three fucked and sucked the hell out of one another. It was great."

"What did Grandpa look like naked, dad," asked Noah.

"Well, he always had a great physique. He had this big bush of black hair poking out from his ass crack, and I would have given anything to have been able to bury my face in it. My own penis is about seven and a half inches when it's hard, and his cock looked to me to be about the same. I remember watching those two girls taking turns eating out his ass."

"Wow!" both boys said, almost in unison.

"Well, boys, do you think we ought to get some sleep now?"

Noah said, "Dad, look at your penis. It's as hard as a rock. And you want to go to sleep?"

Enrique scooted down and began gnawing on and sucking on the soft hair that covered Caleb's forearm. He then moved his tongue onto Caleb's stomach, where he sucked on the hair that covered it. Noah moved down and took his dad's penis into his mouth, while Enrique began sucking on Caleb's ball sack and running his hands over the soft hair on his legs.

"Oh, guys, that feels so good."

Noah said, "Dad, I want you to show Ricky something that drives me crazy. Get up on your hands and knees so that Ricky can get behind you and look at your balls hanging down. Caleb did as he was told. Ricky stared at Caleb from behind, looking at his enormous ball sack as it hung limply and long down between his thighs. Caleb wiggled his hips slightly, and Ricky could see his heavy sack of balls swinging back and forth like an enormous pendulum.

"Hey you guys," said Caleb. "What am I—a freak on display?"

"No Dad, you're not a freak," said Noah. "You've just got a hot body, and those low-slung balls swaying in the breeze are gorgeous!"

Lying on his back, Ricky scooted up under that ball sack. Caleb lowered himself very slightly so that Ricky could run his tongue over the bottom of the sack. As he did that, Noah spread his dad's ass cheeks and pushed his face in so that he could taste his father's puckered hole. He could feel the ridges around the hole contracting wildly, as though it were trying to suck in Noah's tongue. Soon it opened up and allowed Noah to slip his tongue in easily.

At the same time, Caleb lowered his hips again a little so that Ricky could suck in each of his balls, one at a time. Noah said, "Ricky, if you get up here, you can see all the hair that Dad has in his ass crack. Dad, do you have as much hair there as Grandpa did?"

As both boys knelt and peered into Caleb's ass, Caleb said, "Yeah, it's just the same."

Ricky then took a turn at slashing his tongue through the hair until it reached Caleb's hole. He then looked at Noah and said, "Noah, do you think I could fuck your dad?"

"I heard that," said Caleb, as he rolled over on his back and pulled up his legs. Caleb had secretly longed to have Ricky's cock up his ass from the day they met. "Fuck me, Ricky."

Enrique mounted Noah's dad and slowly pushed his hard penis in through the thicket of hair and into Caleb's waiting asshole. As he did so, Caleb reached up and ran his hands over the soft, velvety brown skin on Ricky's chest and stomach. As Ricky looked into Caleb's face, he could see the look in his eyes of overwhelming desire. Noah moved up and lay cross-wise over his dad's face so that he could fuck his dad's mouth. Caleb sucked in his son's throbbing penis quickly and began raising and lowering his hip faster and faster. As the two boys fucked harder and harder, they were all bouncing violently on the bed, whose springs were squeaking and squawking loudly.

Soon, Noah cried out, "I'm cumming, Dad!" Enrique watched Caleb's throat as he gulped and swallowed his son's hot sperm. There were so many surges of the stuff shooting out of Noah's penis that it began running out of his dad's mouth and down over his cheek. Seeing this, Enrique could feel his orgasm overtaking him like a hurricane and shot his own streams of cum into Caleb's rectum, all the while feeling Caleb's asshole clenching and unclenching rapidly.

As Noah slowly pulled off of his dad's face, Caleb motioned for Enrique to slide up and let him suck the last drops out of Enrique's penis. Soon, the three of them lay beside one another, exhausted and trying to catch their breath.

Caleb lay slowly stroking his own penis, which seemed to be crying out for attention. "Boys," said Caleb. "Something that Michael and I used to love to do was to give each other cum facials."

"What's that, Dad," asked Noah.

"We used to love to take each other's cum directly into our faces. Would you like me to try it with you?"

"Yeah," said Enrique. "Can you do it to both of our faces?"

"Okay, lie close together and put your faces together, cheek to cheek." Caleb got up on his knees and straddled both the boys' slender bodies and began stroking. As he went faster and faster, the boys watched Caleb's enormous and low-slug balls flopping up and down and back and forth. Enrique reached up and ran his fingers over the soft hair that covered Caleb's inner thighs. And he could see his own cum begin to ooze out of Caleb's ass crack and run down one of those thighs.

"Okay, boys," said Caleb breathlessly. "I'm getting pretty close. Are you ready?"

"Yeah," both said in unison.

"Okay, here I cum!" shouted Caleb.

Suddenly a huge glob of thick white sperm shot out of Caleb's penis and landed on Enrique's nose. Then stream after stream of cum shot powerfully onto both of their faces. One landed squarely into Noah's mouth. Others splattered over their eyes, cheeks, and chins. As he shot his sperm, Caleb bucked his hips at every surge until it was all gone. Enrique reached up and took hold of Caleb's hot penis and squeezed out the remaining sperm into his other hand and licked it off. Noah then leaned over and washed Enrique's face completely with his tongue, and Enrique did the same for Noah as Caleb watched. It was so erotic for him to watch them licking the cum off of each other's face.

Soon, the three of them lay completely exhausted. After a long while, Noah said, "Dad, do you think that you and Michael will get together again for some fun?"

"Yes, Michael and I will definitely get together again. I'll tell you all about it when we do."

All three lay there with their naked bodies pressed closely against one another and were soon sound asleep.
 

To be continued...