Chapter 66 

On Jumper's first night back at the ranch, Jake took the folding cot that Josiah had once slept on out of the closet and began setting it up for Jumper. "I'll sleep here on this fuckin' cot so ya can have the bed and be comfortable," said Jake.

As Jumper lay stretched out in the bed, he said, "Can't we both sleep in the bed. It's big enough."

Jake said, "Well, sure we can. But I'm a fuckin' tosser. I roll around a lot when I'm sleeping and I wouldn't wanna roll over on ya and hurt yer leg."

"You won't hurt me, Jake. I know that. I just want you to . . . . Please don't make me sleep alone."

Jake put the cot back in the closet and said, "Okay, Jumper. I'll sleep with ya. Let's git ya outta them clothes. Do ya have to go pee?"

"Yeah."

Jake held onto Jumper as he walked him into the bathroom. As they stood at the toilet, Jake could feel Jumper leaning heavily against him. When Jumper was back in bed, Jake stripped down and climbed in beside him. Stretching out his arm under Jumper's head, he cradled it against his chest. Jumper put his own arm over Jake.

After a long while, Jake said, "Jumper, would ya tell me a little bit about yer brother, Joe? What was he like?"

Jumper started to cry.

"It's okay," said Jake. "You don't have to talk about any fuckin' thing ya don't wanna."

"My dad hurt him a lot, and I think he killed him," said Jumper.

"Did you like Joe?"

"Yeah. He was my brother. I wanted to help him. My dad hurt me so much, I knew he hurt Joe, too. He was gonna run away and begged me to run away with him. But I didn't. I was afraid."

"Did ya love yer brother?" asked Jake quietly.

"I guess so."

"Do ya know what love is, Jumper?"

"I think I do. I cried when I knew my dad was hurtin' him. I should have taken him and run away like he wanted. I didn't want him to be hurt like that."

After a few minutes, Jake said, "Would ya like for me to find out what really happened to Joe?"

Jumper raised his head and said, "Yeah. How would you do that?"

"I'd have to think about it, Jumper. But if yer dad did some fuckin' bad thing to your brother, someone's gotta know 'bout it."

Jumper said, "Why do you want to bother doing that?"

Jake pulled Jumper closer to him and said, "It's because I love you, Jumper. And because it ain't right fer yer brother's sake to let yer fuckin' old man git away with somethin' bad.

Jumper tightened his arm around Jake and after awhile said in a choking voice through his tears, "I love you, Jake. I wish you were my dad. If only once he had hugged me like this, instead of hating me so much." Then looking up into Jake's face, he said, "I never knew anyone could be so nice, or ever want to have anything to do with me. I'm nobody, Jake. My dad always told me I was a worthless piece of shit."

Jake tried, but couldn't hold back his own tears. Jumper had used the word, "love." Maybe, he thought, Jumper was finally beginning to realize what the word meant. "Yer a human bein' like all of us, young man. Yer not worthless. God don't put peoples on this Earth to be worthless. But some sons-a-bitches turn worthless, like yer fuckin' old man. And he'll be punished some day fer it. Ya never hurt nobody in yer life. You've jist been tryin' to git along until somebody come along that loves ya. I love ya, Jumper. Michael loves ya, too. He brought ya here because he loves ya and wanted ya to feel that wonderful feeling of love yerself. Yer a good boy, Jumper, and I love ya so much. Nobody's ever gonna hurt ya agin."

Jake and Jumper lay quietly, sobbing in each other's arms. When they awoke the next morning, they were still locked in each other's arms. Jake had to pee badly, but Jumper's slender arms were pressed so tightly around him, he didn't want to move. He thought back when his dear Josiah once lay in his arms like this. He still loved Josiah deeply, and now he was also deeply in love with Jumper. He smiled to himself and thought that it wasn't bad to love more than one person at the same time. Love and remembrance is what life is all about, he thought. As he lay there, looking into Jumper's sweet, innocent face, he knew that he would lose Jumper eventually, like he had lost Enrique and Josiah before him. But he really didn't lose them. They still loved him and always found ways of showing their love to him. It would be the same with Jumper some day. He was certain of that. No . . . no one is worthless, but it's the love in a person's heart and soul that makes a man worthy. And Jumper was learning for the first time in his young life what it meant to be loved and cherished by another human being, and to be worthy of it.

Josiah and Brian arrived at the nursing home in Goliad and found Mrs. Forbes sitting in the front lobby. Although her hands still shook, she looked like a new person. When she saw Josiah come in, she held out her arms and smiled. Josiah knelt down and they hugged and kissed. Josiah had tears in his eyes.

Mrs. Forbes said, "Now let's have no tears, my boy. We may not have much time together, and we want to share only our happiness!"

Josiah wiped the tears away and smiled. She said, "Pull up that chair and tell me about your life. I've missed so much of it. I want to know. But before I forget, I want you to have this."

Sitting on her lap was a small bundle wrapped in white tissue paper. She unwrapped it to reveal a gleaming white cloth that seemed to have been made of silver threads. She unfolded it and held it out in front of her. She said, "Can you imagine yourself, Josiah, ever being so small that you could be wrapped up in this small sheath?"

Josiah touched the cloth gently and said, "I've never seen a cloth like this. It's like touching a cloud. It doesn't look as though it's even woven. It's like nothing I've ever seen before. Was I really wrapped in that?"

"Yes, you were, dear. This is how we found you."

"Are you sure, Mother, that you want me to have it?" asked Josiah.

"Of course, son. I want to know that when I go, you will have it and protect it. I've always considered it a holy cloth, in which was wrapped a little miracle."

Over the next hour, Josiah told his mother about his life, the sad and lonely years in foster care, and his coming upon Jake in the woods one day and the wonderful life that followed. He brought her a photograph to keep of him receiving the award at the University. For the first time in their conversation, Mrs. Forbes's eyes filled with tears as she looked at it.

"I'm so proud of you," she said, wiping her eyes with a hankie. "If only I could have managed to share your life for only a short while longer, but I just . . . ."

"No, Mother," said Josiah, "don't think about that. You took care of me as long as you could. And I love you so much for that."

Finally, Mrs. Forbes said, "It's like a dream come true having you come and see me like this. I'm sorry, but I'm awfully tired, and I think I need to go back to my room and rest. I'm really sorry."

Josiah and Brian wheeled her back to her room and helped her out of the wheel chair and onto the bed. She held out her arms to Josiah and they hugged."

Josiah said, "I'll be back to see you again, Mother. And I promise you, I'll treasure this cloth for the rest of my life. Thank you."

Once back in the car, Josiah broke down and cried as Brian held him tightly. They said nothing, but Brian understood. He had never known who his own mother and father were, and wondered if his mother could have been as dear as Josiah's.

As they drove toward the ranch, Brian said, "I still don't understand why you think we have to go to the ranch. I like it there as much as you do, but we have a lot of stuff to do back in Austin. This just seems like a waste of time to me."

"I told you, Brian, I don't know why. I just have the feeling I need to be there for a little while. We don't have to stay. We can go on back tonight."

When the two arrived, they walked into the kitchen and found Tony and Clayton starting to prepare the evening meal for the crew.

"Hey, you guys!" shouted Tony. "Nice to see you. Sit down and have some coffee with us. What are you guys up to?"

"I don't know, Tony," said Josiah. "We were just over in Goliad visiting my mother, and I just wanted to swing by here and see you guys."

Josiah sat next to Clayton. He hadn't intended to bring it up, but on impulse he turned to Clayton and said, "I understand that your . . . I mean, Jared is staying here now."

"That's right," responded Clayton. "But I stay clear of him. He doesn't know who anyone is anymore, and I sure don't want him to know who I am. If he sees me, I'm afraid he might, by some odd chance recognize me. He stays pretty much in his room with his so-called care-giver."

"I'd like to see him, Clayton," said Josiah abruptly.

"Why, for heaven's sake?" said Clayton.

Josiah was surprised at himself for asking. "I don't know, I just feel like I'd like to see him."

"I didn't know you ever knew him, Josiah," said Clayton.

Josiah thought for a moment and said, "You're right. I've never met him. But I've heard about him, and I'd like to see him for some reason."

With Clayton and Brian keeping their seats, Tony took Josiah down the hall to Jared's room. He opened the door slightly and said, "Excuse us. There's someone here who wants to see you, Jared."

Jared and Marcus were sitting at a small table looking at pictures again. Josiah said, "Hello, my name is Josiah Walker. I live in Austin, but I just wanted to see Jared while I'm here this afternoon."

Marcus stood up and very graciously stepped over and shook Josiah's hand. "Glad to meet you, Josiah. So you're one of the Walker clan, too, eh? Jared and I are just working on his memory of other family members before it's time for his medication." Turning to Jared, Marcus said, "Jared, do you remember Josiah?"

Josiah said, "He wouldn't remember me. We've never met."

With a pompous air, Marcus said, "You're a Walker, and you've never met Jared Walker? How peculiar. What, then, is your business with him?"

"I don't have any business with him," said Josiah. "I knew that he was now staying here, and I simply wanted to know how he is getting on."

"Well, I assure you," said Marcus, "that Jared is getting on just fine. Now if you'll excuse us, Jared and I need to get back to our memory therapy."

"Of course," said Josiah. As they walked back to the kitchen, Michael came out of his room.

"Josiah!" shouted Michael as he took Josiah in his arms for a big hug. "How nice to see you! What brings you here today?"

"Well, Michael, Brian and I were just over in Goliad to see my mother, and I wanted to stop by here on our way home to Austin. I was just in to see how Jared was getting on."

When they walked into the kitchen, Michael sat down and joined them with a cup of coffee.

Michael said, "I think Jared is getting along fine. He's got a very attentive male nurse who seems to be doing pretty well."

"I hate to say this, Michael," said Josiah. "But I have a strange feeling about that caregiver . . . that Marcus person. I felt a dislike for him the moment I was in the room with him. I just don't like him. Oh, I know, it's none of my business. But I just feel there's something wrong."

Brian said, "Oh, Josiah! You're always imagining things! You don't even know this guy."

"I know," said Josiah. "I just think, Michael, you need to keep an eye on him. There's something going on with him. I can just feel it."

Brian said, "Come on, Josiah. We're running pretty late. We need to get back home."

Michael said, "Thanks Josiah. You know, I have to admit that Jared and Marcus rarely come out of the room. Now that I come to think of it, I never really see what Marcus is doing in his care-giving activities. It seems as though things are going alright. Maybe I need to visit them more often."

"As I say, Michael," said Josiah, "it's just a funny feeling I have about him. Maybe it's nothing."

Michael hugged and kissed both Josiah and Brian and stood out on the back porch waving to them as they drove away.

As Michael came back in, Clayton looked down into his coffee cup and said, "I wonder what funny business he thinks Marcus is up to. I sure hope there's no upset brewing with Jared. If things just stay the way they are, I'll be happy."

Michael said, "I don't know Clayton. But, it's true. I need to check on them more often."

During the drive back to Austin, Brian said, "Well, are you satisfied, Josiah? Is that why we went to the ranch? To get Michael all stirred up about Jared's care-giver? You're always imagining things, Josiah. That guy you think you're talking to out on our balcony. It's crazy!"

"Oh, Brian," sighed Josiah, leaning over and kissing Brian on the cheek. "I don't know. But, yeah. I'm satisfied. Let's just forget it. We've got school to think about now."

Jake spent that day working with Jumper to get him used to using his crutches. By the end of the day, Jumper became quite proficient with them and was able to move around at a fairly good clip. In the late afternoon, Jake took Jumper into the horse barn and lifted him up onto an old gray-and-black spotted horse.

"Don't be scared, little buddy. This here's a good old nag. Ever hear of the old gray mare? Someone wrote a song about her! Her name's Lady Pokey. She just don't care about nothin. You sit on her and if ya can git her out there in the yard, ya can put the spurs to her and snap them reins all day, and she jist won't move a fuckin' inch. She's jist a lazy old bitch. She's a good fer nothin' old nag. But we love her. How do ya feel up there?"

"Okay, but I feel so high up in the air! And I don't have nothin' to hold on to."

"That's becuz yer on her bare back. When yer ridin' we put a fuckin' saddle on. Then ya got a saddle horn to hold on to if ya need to. There'll be time enough fer that. Right now, I jist wanted ya to see how it feels to be up on one these fuckin' beasts."

"I'm kinda scared, but it's fun," said Jumper. "Ain't never been on horse before. Can I git down now?"

Jake laughed and said, "Sure can, boy. Yer gonna love it oncest ya learn how to ride. We'll git up there agin tomorrow."

When Jumper was once again down on the ground, he patted Lady Pokey on the rump. Jake said, "That's good. Show her you like her. Not that she gives a fuck. The old gal's been around the fuckin' block a few times and nothin' seems to faze her no more. Tomorrow, I'll git the guys to saddle her up and ya can feel what it's like to put yer feet in the fuckin' stirrups. It'll be more comfortable fer ya. Okay! Since yer now such a expert on them fuckin' crutches, we've been invited to eat with Michael in the house. Jeff went and bought ya a couple of nice new t-shirts and some jeans so you can stop wearin' them baggy old rags outta my closet. Let's go git cleaned up and put on yer new clothes. Ever time I come outta this fuckin' horse barn, I smell like horse shit. It gits up into yer fuckin' nostrils and ya can't git rid of it. I don't normally git cleaned up fer supper with the crew, but when we're eatin' in the house with po-lite company, I like to look my fuckin' best."

When they got back to Jake's room, Jake said, "Ya can't take a shower with that fuckin' cast on yer leg. So we'll jist have to give ya a sponge bath. Now here, let me git you outta them stinkin' clothes and go sit on the toilet. I'll show ya how it's done."

Jake filled up the sink with warm water and started scrubbing Jumper's neck and ears and face.

"Ow! That hurts," whined Jumper.

"I gotta really scrub hard to git that horse-shit smell off of ya. Now sit still!"

Jake then scrubbed Jumper's chest and stomach and back. "Now stand up so I can git yer ass and yer balls clean."

Jake didn't use the wash cloth. He soaped up his hands and ran them all around Jumper's ass crack and along his asshole. He couldn't resist then fondling Jumper's balls and penis as he washed them. And as he did so, Jumper's penis got hard and stood straight out. Jake could feel his own hard-on throbbing in his pants.

Jake said, "That's a hot lookin' piece of meat you got there, buddy. Ya sure ya never fucked nobody with that? That'd give some fucker a lot of pleasure!"

Jumper laughed and said, "I told ya, Jake. I never fucked nobody. I'm the one that always got fucked."

After Jumper was rinsed off and dressed in his new clothes, Jake got out of his own clothes. Jumper looked at Jake's totally erect penis and said laughingly, "That's a hot lookin' piece of meat you got, too!"

"Yeah," said Jake, grabbing hold of it, "but this old cock's done a lot of fuckin' in its life."

After Jumper's bath, Jake felt himself worked up into a really horny state. When he got into the shower, he soaped himself up and stroked his hard penis as fast as he could. It took only a minute for his orgasm to overtake him. As he shot glob after glob of his cum onto the shower floor, he was unable to stifle his groans of ecstasy.

After Jake stepped out and was drying himself, Jumper laughed and pointed to Jake's wilting penis. He said, "I know what you jist did!"

"I didn't do nothin'!" protested Jake.

"Yes, you did," said Jumper mockingly. "You jerked your dick off!"

Jake laughed and said, "Oh, you little fucker! Can't nobody keep nothin' secret! Don't nobody have no privacy 'round here!"

As Jake put on a clean pair of jeans and a shirt, Jumper hobbled over to him and put his arms around him. "Jake, do you have a lot of secrets?"

"Yeah. Of course I do. I bet you got some fuckin' secrets, too."

"No I don't," said Jumper. "I don't have no secrets. Would you tell me some secrets?"

"Okay. I might tell ya some secrets sometime if yer a good boy."

Jake and Jumper sat with Michael, Jeff, and Paul at dinner. Jeff made a special point to sit next to Jumper. At one point he put his arm around Jumper's shoulder and said, "You know, Jumper, we're all so glad you're back here with us. You really scared us when you came back hurt so badly. You know we all love you a lot, and we're glad to have you here with us. I see you're wearing your new clothes. I worried they might not be the right size."

Jake beamed. He knew that Jeff had thought it was a mistake to bring the boy down to the ranch, and was so happy that Jeff had now changed his attitude about it. Jumper was also very pleased that everyone was being so nice to him. Jake said, "Jumper, do you have anything to say?"

Jumper did have something in his heart that he wanted to say. He looked at Michael and said, "Yeah. I'd like to say thank you to you for making me come down here." Tears began to fill his eyes and he covered his face with his hands. "I'm sorry."

Jake put his arm around Jumper's shoulder. Michael got up and came around to Jumper's side of the table and, keeling down next to him, put his arms around him and said, "We love you, Jumper. And to see that you've come to like us and want to be with us makes my heart sing. Remember that first day Jeff and I met you at that awful truck stop? Jeff didn't know what I was thinking, but I knew then that this is where you belonged, and that I would somehow have you with us. You're lucky . . . we're all lucky . . . to have our friend Jake. He's the best friend any man could ever have. And he loves you very much, Jumper. He'll never let you down, and he'll never hurt you, and he'll never let anyone else hurt you. Welcome to our family, Jumper!"

As the tears streamed down his cheeks, Jumper threw his arms around Michael and kissed him. He had learned from Jake that hugging someone was the sincerest way to show your love for him. And he was right.

That night after they got in bed, Jumper said that his leg was hurting. "That damned cast is so heavy that it makes my leg sore."

Jake sat up and said, "Well, maybe a little fuckin' massage will help relax it. The weight's pullin' on yer thigh muscles and that's what's making it ache."

Jake took hold of Jumper's thigh with both hands and began gently kneading and massaging it. Jumpers clear skin with just a light dusting of blond hair on it felt so good in Jake's hands. He felt an overpowering urge to lean over and kiss that leg and run his tongue over it. Jumper was not very muscular, but his flesh was young and firm under Jake's hands. As he continued to massage Jumper's thigh, his forearm was constantly brushing over Jumper's penis. Jumper loved Jake's arm and began running his hand over the hair that covered it. Jumper's penis was soon hard and erect.

Soon Jake lay back down and looked at his own hard penis. "Well, little buddy, it looks like we got a couple of fuckin' stiff ones there."

Jumper smiled and said, "Yeah!"

Jake reached down and rolled his balls around in his hand, and said, "Jumper, there's somethin' ya need to know about me. And I might as well tell ya right out. If yer gonna live with me, ya gotta know somethin'. Ever night I relieve myself. Jist gotta do it."

"Relieve yerself?"

"yeah. Ya know. Ever night and sometimes in the mornin' I gotta jerk off. Ya know. Ever man's gotta jerk off. I thought ya needed to know that. Hope ya don't mind."

"I don't mind," said Jumper, pushing himself closer to Jake. "I gotta jerk off, too. Like ya said, every man's gotta do it."

Jake smiled and looked over at Jumper. "Maybe we can do it together. How's that?"

"Okay," said Jumper as he grabbed hold of his hard penis.

Jake started to slowly stroke his penis and then said, "How did'ya like it when I did it to you in the hospital. Pretty fuckin' good, huh?"

"Yeah!" responded Jumper. "I never did no sex with a guy, except when he fucked me. I like this better."

"Well, little guy," murmured Jake. "Do ya think turn-about's fair play? Would ya like to do it to me?"

"What? Fuck?"

"No! Jerk me off!"

"Yeah. Would ya let me?" said Jumper eagerly. "I never seen another guy shoot his cum, except into my rear end."

"Sure. Jist take a hold of it there and give it a good fuckin' work-out, boy."

Jumper sat up and wrapped his hand around Jake's penis and started stroking.

"Can't ya do it a little bit faster?" said Jake. "Slide yer hand up the whole length of that cock."

Jumper vigorously stroked Jake's penis as Jake pinched his own nipples with one hand and played with his balls with the other.

"Oh, that's good, buddy! That's real fuckin' good!" growled Jake.

As Jake continued to pinch one of his nipples, Jumper reached over with his free hand and started pinching his other nipple.

"Aw, shit, Jumper! I can see that you know what I like. That feels so fuckin' good! Just keep strokin'. I'm gonna cum in a minute!"

Jake's body began to stiffen and Jumper watched Jake's face at it began to contort.

"Aw shit! Fuck!" yelled Jake as his penis began to throb violently in Jumper's hand and a great geyser of thick white sperm shot straight up out of Jake's penis. Then another, and another, coming down to cover Jumper's hand with hot pudding-like sperm.

Jake said breathlessly, "Jist keep strokin' until every drop comes out and I tell ya to stop."

Jumper sat with his mouth open in amazement. He had never seen another guy cum before. Jake's sperm just kept spurting out, and Jumper thought he had never seen so much thick sperm in his life.

"Okay, Jumper, let go and gimme yer hand." Jake took Jumper's hand and sucked off all of the sperm that covered it. Jumper was breathing hard with excitement. Jake said, "Well, yer sure a good fuckin' cock jerker! Did ya ever eat yer cum afterward? As fer me, I love it. It tastes so fuckin' good!"

Jumper laid back on the bed and began stroking his own penis. Jake sat up and said, "Hey, it's my turn now to do it fer you. Okay?"

Jumper smiled and took Jake's hand and put it on his penis. Jake started stroking slowly with one hand as he moved his other hand lightly over Jumper's chest and stomach. He wanted so badly to lean over and take the boy's hard cock into his mouth, but knew that was something that would have to come later. As he stroked Jumper's penis steadily, and then faster and faster, he looked at every inch of the boy's body. It was slender, but yet so perfectly shaped. His skin was white and pure, and Jake wondered how this rather delicate and fragile body could have been fucked so violently by so many rough truckers, sometimes ten or fifteen times a day. As Jumper closed his eyes and lightly rubbed Jake's free strong and sinuous arm, Jake felt a feeling of overwhelming love for this dear, sweet young man. He looked down at Jumper's slender hand and fingers at they gently caressed his arm. Funny, he thought. The boy had a hot thing for Jake's arms. Jake always considered himself a leg man. He loved men's legs. He could kiss and suck on them for hours.

Soon, Jake could feel the veins that circled Jumper's hard penis begin to enlarge. The boy clutched fiercely on Jake's arm. He began to buck his hips slightly, and then it happened. With a rather high-pitched moan, Jumper's penis began to spurt long streams of cum, all landing on Jake's hand. Jake kept stroking, and each time his hand came up over Jumper's penis head, Jumper jerked and moaned again. Jumper's body began to relax as his orgasm subsided. Jake held onto the boy's penis for awhile, and when he felt it begin to wilt, he held his hand up in the air.

"Have ya ever tasted yer own cum, Jumper?"

"No."

"Here. Lick a little off my hand. It's really good. I'll taste a little first."

After Jake had licked a little off of his thumb, he held his hand close to Jumper's mouth. Jumper looked at it for a little while and then took hold of Jake's wrist and brought his hand to his mouth. He just touched some of the sperm with the tip of his tongue. Then he licked up some more of it.

"It's good, ain't it," said Jake with a smile.

Jumper nodded vigorously and then licked Jake's hand clean. But instead of backing off, he continued to hold Jake's arm and bring his tongue up over the hair on Jake's forearm, sucking on it as he went. Jake's penis began to harden again as he watched this boy, who was clearly enjoying the taste of Jake's skin.

As Jumper eventually put his head back on the pillow, Jake rolled over on top of him without putting his whole weight on him. He looked down into Jumper's beautiful eyes and sensuous full lips and said, "I love you, Jumper, so much."

Jumper looked deeply into Jake's eyes and said, "I love you, too, Jake."

Jake slowly lowered his head and touched Jumper's lips with his own. Kissing the boy gently several times, Jake suddenly felt Jumper's arms tight around his back and Jumper's legs twining around his own. They lay there for a long time, kissing deeply, sucking on each other's lips and tongue. Jake soon tried to roll off, but he was held fast by Jumper's arms, locked behind him. Over and over, they repeated their love for each other. It was after midnight when they finally lay side by side, exhausted and clamped in each other's arms. Neither wanted to go to sleep, but the Sandman finally did his work, and they both drifted off.

The next morning Jeff walked into his father's office to find Michael working on his plan to re-open more natural gas wells. He said, "Dad, I've been meaning to ask you about something. I don't like to be nosey about your business. But the other day I came in here to talk with you. You weren't here, but I happened to see a card laying here on your desk with Ted Kennedy's name on it. You know, my old high school friend. I picked it up and read the note he wrote on the back of it. Dad, what you do is your business. But I'm surprised you didn't mention to me that you had met him and . . . you know . . . done stuff with him.

Michael said, "I'm sorry, Jeff. I really did mean to tell you about it. There is nothing I do that I want to keep secret from you. It happened in Dallas the night before I picked up Jared from the hospital. I was trying to brace myself that evening, and I guess I had a little too much to drink at the hotel bar. Ted was also in the bar and came up to me and introduced himself. After we talked for awhile, I got kind of drunk and he volunteered to take me back to my room. Honestly, Jeff, I don't really remember what happened after that. But I realized the next morning after I found his note that he and I must have done something. I'm sorry, Jeff."

"You don't have to be sorry, Dad," said Jeff. "Ted and I used to jerk off together after school. I really always wanted to do more with him, but we just never found an opportunity to do it. I wish there was a phone number or an address on his card. I'd like to get in touch with him again and have him come down and visit us here. I'm sorry you don't remember what happened. I always thought he was a hot looking guy. He had one of the biggest cocks I'd ever seen then, and I remember he used to shoot the biggest damned loads of cum."

Michael said, "He's attending SMU up there. I'm sure you could reach him through their directory service. I'd kind of like to see him again myself."

Jeff was about to leave when Michael said, "Oh, Jeff. Something else. I've decided to take a flight up to New York to see if I can find Karl. He hasn't called me in a long time, and I've been trying to call him, but there's been no answer. Then last night, I tried again and got a message that that number is no longer in service. I'm really worried about him."

"How will you find him. It's a pretty big city," said Jeff.

"I think the only thing I can do is go to his father's office and see if someone there might know his whereabouts. At least that's where I'll start."

"That sounds really strange," said Jeff. "Would you like me to go with you?"

Michael said, "No, Jeff, you'll be going back to school in a few days, and I'll take my flight to New York probably on the same day you leave here. I'll be leaving Jake in charge down here. Jeff, I have to tell you that I miss Karl so much. I'm tired of sleeping in that bed alone without him every night. I jerk off every night to relieve my loneliness, but after I shoot my load, I'm still wanting him to be there. I dream of holding and kissing his beautiful body, but it's not the same as having him there with me. I just have to find him and see him again."

Jeff took Michael in his arms and said, "Dad, I wish you had come in to sleep with Paul and me on some of those nights while we've been here. It might have helped a little."

"Jeff, I know it would have helped. But I didn't want to bother you. You have each other and didn't need me to get involved."

Jeff said, "Paul loves you almost as much as I do. You didn't have to jerk off alone. We could have given you so much more each night. And we would have loved it. Dad, I want you to stay with Paul and me tonight in our room, as well as the next few nights until we leave if you'd like."

Jeff took his dad's hand and led him out of the office into Michael's bedroom. Pushing Michael down on the bed, Jeff lay beside him and kissed him lovingly on the lips. Reaching down to rub his dad's crotch, he felt Michael's penis growing larger. He undid Michael's belt and pulled his jeans down to around his ankles. Jeff then scooted down and took his dad's throbbing hard penis into his mouth and sucked it gently.

Michael said, "Fuck me, Jeff. Right here. Please fuck me. I need you to do that right now. Please."

Jeff pulled his dad's boots and jeans off and removed his shirt. Then stripping himself down until he was completely naked, Jeff mounted his father and plunged his hard penis into Michael's asshole. As he pumped hard and fast, the door opened. It was Marcus.

"Oh, excuse me!" Marcus said with a hint of sarcastic glee in his voice. "I just wanted to ask you a question, Mr. Walker. But it will wait." Then, as he folded his arms and coming closer, he looked down at the father and son. With a wry smile on his face, he said, "My, my! I'm finding out all sorts of interesting things about Jared's family. Yes, yes! Very interesting!"

Michael said, "Marcus, you should have the decency to knock before you come into someone's bedroom. This is none of your business. Will you please leave."

As the door closed, Jeff's orgasm suddenly swept over him and he sent his load into his father's rectum, as Michael bucked his hips as though to push his son's penis in as far as possible.

As they lay next to each other, Jeff said, "That man is really peculiar, Dad."

"Well, Jeff, he probably thinks we're awfully peculiar, too," said Michael. "You know, I've been thinking about Josiah's remarks about him. I wonder if I need to watch him more carefully."

Jeff said, "It might be a good idea, Dad." Then kissing his dad on the lips, he said, "Remember, Dad, you're sleeping with Paul and me tonight. Okay?"

"Okay."

Early that day, Jake had taken off to attend to some business in Goliad. He said, "Jumper, would ya like to come with me? I'm taking the truck into town to pick up some supplies."

Jumper said he would rather stay home and practice some more on his crutches. After Jake left, Jumper went outside and decided to walk up to the knoll not far away where Jake had said there was a small stream lined with rocks on its bank. Jake had told him about the accident that he had once had there when he was trying to retrieve Enrique's kite from a tree.

When Jumper finally got to the knoll, he flopped down onto the ground and watched the rippling stream as it bubbled over the rocks. He felt as though he was no longer Jumper. Someone else was now occupying his body. He was suddenly living the life of someone else. He thought about Jake and those wonderful hugs that Jake gave him. He loved to hold and kiss and run his hands over Jake's arms. They were the arms that held him and made him feel a warmth inside that he'd never known. That's why he loved those arms. Those beautiful, strong, and loving arms! His father's arms were large and strong like that, but they were used only to hit him and beat him. The sound of his little brother's screams suddenly filled his head, and he covered his ears. Was it possible that Joe was still alive? Was it possible that Jake might be able to find him?

Jumper felt like another person looking back over the life of that stranger called Jumper. He thought about what a different world he was now living in from the one he had once occupied. He remembered coming home from school and so often hearing his mother behind her closed bedroom door talking and moaning with some strange man. Then, more than once, he would see that strange man walking naked down the hall to the bathroom, oblivious of Jumper's presence. Some afternoons when there was no man in the house, he would look for his mother and sometimes find her naked and fucking herself with a dildo and telling him to get lost.

He had nothing to look forward to at home but the knowledge that his own father would come home soon and once again, as he did almost every night, throw him down on his bed in a threatening way and have his way with him. It would hurt and he would cry. Then his father would hit him in the face and tell him to shut up. He remembered longing for his father to love him and treat him like his friends' fathers seemed to treat their sons.

He thought about those endless days and nights after he was thrown out when he would steal food from 7-Eleven stores and sleep at night by the dumpster out in back. He never thought of himself as a human being . . . only as an animal, offering himself to horny truckers for five bucks a fuck. He remembered that he was neither happy nor unhappy. He just existed. He never looked forward to the next day and never cared whether or not he ever woke up in the morning. The thought of dying was actually comforting to him in a way.

But here he was, living a life of a different person, around people who were kind and said they loved him and cared for him. How did this happen? How could it happen that he would walk into the restroom at that truck stop and then stand at the urinal next to a person called Michael Walker? He was nobody. He was just a piece of worthless shit existing the only way he knew how. How could anyone want anything to do with him, except to use him for their self-gratification?

Jake talked about God. He'd heard there was a God. But he didn't think God had anything to do with him. Why would anybody . . . Why would Jake thank God that a piece of nothing like himself was with him? Why would Jake . . . or anybody . . . want to love him? He has nothing, he's done nothing, he's given nothing. But there it was, nevertheless. Jake loved him and Jake was giving him a new life. Jumper thought about the fact that he had given nothing to anyone. He was nobody. He had nothing to give. For the first time in his life, Jumper felt a strange unfamiliar feeling. It was gratitude. Gratitude . . . a feeling he'd never felt before for anyone. It was a feeling that made him want to give back in response to the love that someone was now giving to him.

Jumper remembered the leather wrist band that Jake always wore. It was made and given to him by Enrique as a measure of his love for Jake. Jumper began to cry. What could he do? He loved Jake, just as Enrique had. Jake had told him that he was somebody and was not worthless. He had to somehow show Jake that he wasn't worthless. He had to start being a human being who mattered, someone who was worth something. He had to somehow give back to these wonderful people who had done so much for him.

Jumper never went back to the house for lunch. He spent practically the whole day lying next to the stream and listening to that gentle rush of water over the rocks. Suddenly, he heard footsteps in the grass behind him. It was Jake.

"Hey, little guy," Jake said as he stood smiling and looking down at Jumper. "Some of the guys told me they saw you coming out here."

"Hi, Jake," said Jumper. "I just love it here. Was that the tree over there that you fell off of?"

Jake sat down next to Jumper and said, "Yup. That's the very fuckin' tree. I scared the shit outta poor Ricky. He saw me fall. It put my fuckin' lights out. I don't remember a fuckin' thing. If it warn't fer Ricky runnin' back and gittin' help, I'd probably drowned my sorry ass."

"You and Ricky loved each other a lot, didn't ya?" said Jumper.

"You bet yer fuckin' balls we did. We still love each other, Jumper. Once ya love somebody really hard, that love don't never stop. He don't live with me no more, but that don't mean we stopped lovin' each other."

Jake patted the ground next to him with his hand and said, "It was right here, almost on this same fuckin' spot that him and me first jerked off together. I s'pose you didn't want to hear that."

"No, Jake, I wanna know that. I wanna know everything about you. I remember when me and you first jerked off, too."

"Oh yeah. The other night when we jerked each other's dick."

"No, no," said Jumper. "Did you fergit when you jerked me off in the hospital and that funny stupid nurse come in and saw all that cum layin' all over my gown?"

They both laughed, and Jake took Jumper in his arms. They kissed each other deeply as Jumper ran his hands over Jake's arms.

Jake said, "You like my arms a lot, don't ya? I wonder why ya like em so much. That ain't sayin', though, that ya can't have 'em anytime ya want 'em. It feels good to have my little Jumper's tongue runnin' up and down my arms."

"Jake, yer arms mean a lot to me. From the minute you picked me up when I was runnin' away in the rain that time. You know, you talk about God. I don't know much about that, but yer arms are what I imagine God to be. I never felt anything like it. When you held me so tight in yer arms, I wondered if that was what God was like."

"Well, little buddy, I ain't God. No where near. But it jist might be that you felt a little bit of God comin' through my arms." Jake looked down at his arms and said, "It jist might be. And I'll sure let ya worship 'em anytime ya feel like it."

They both lay down on their backs next to each other and watched several clouds roll by. After a long while, Jumper said, "I knew an Indian guy at school oncest. I think he was a Cree. He said he talked to the spirits a lot. Are they the same as God?"

"Sure they is," said Jake. "And ya can talk to God, too."

"What do you say to him?"

"Well, first ya tell him ya love 'im, and then ya can ask him to look over ya and protect ya. But ya have to be a good person. He don't like bad people."

"So God don't like my dad, neither, huh?"

"Nope. That's fer sure. Yer dad'll feel God's fuckin' wrath someday."

"What will he do to him?"

"Oh, only God knows that. But what he'll do to him won't be fun."

Jake and Jumper lay quietly for awhile. Soon, Jumper said, "You and Ricky jerked off right here?"

"We sure as shit did. Ya wanna do it with me right here jist like he did?"

Jumper reached over and took Jake's arm and kissed it. "Yeah. That'd be fun. Jist you and me this time."

"We'll do it jist like him and me did it," said Jake. "We gotta take off all our clothes and jist be bare-ass neked. That's the best way."

Jake stripped down and helped Jumper get his pants off over his cast. He took hold of Jumper's hard penis and started stroking, as Jumper did the same with Jake's penis.

Jake said, "I love doin' this out in the fresh air like this. Feels so fuckin' good when the breeze blows over my fuckin' balls. Ya feel it blowin'?"

They stroked each other slowly at first while they looked into each other's eyes and kissed. "Git ready, little guy, she's gonna blow in a second," Jake growled. "Are ya ready? Let's shoot our fuckin' loads together."

As they jacked each other off, faster and faster, they both allowed their orgasms to take over their bodies and, as they both bucked their hips, great streams of hot thick cum shot out of their penises and all over their hands. When the last drops of cum dribbled out of their penises, Jake said, "Now don't let that fuckin' juice go to waste. I know ya ain't tasted my cum before, but go ahead and try it. Lick yer hand off good."

As they both licked up each other's cum from their hands, Jumper said, "This is kinda like cum from God, ain't it?"

Jake smiled and said, "It might be."
 

To be continued...