The House of Storms

By: Geron Kees
(© 2017 by the author)

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

GKees@tickiestories.us

Chapter 1

"What are you boys doing this weekend?" Ben Dane asked, coming to sit at the breakfast table with his sons.

Frank Dane, seventeen, dark-haired and blue-eyed, rubbed his forehead and gazed sleepily at his father. "We haven't decided, dad. Why...do you have something in mind?"

Joe Dane, sixteen, blonde and green-eyed, stopped eating his cereal and paused, the spoon hanging above the bowl, dripping milk. An excited look came into his eyes, and he let them slide briefly to meet those of his brother before sending them questing back to his dad. "Yeah. Are you asking us to go someplace with you?"

Mr. Dane held up a hand, grinning. The famous detective had learned long ago that one of the hardest thing to do in life was to try to put something over on his inquisitive sons. "Hold, on. I was just asking."

"Sure, dad," Frank said. "But you don't waste words, ever. So you must have a reason for asking." He leaned forward, excitement replacing the sleep in his eyes. "Are you on a case? Can we help?"

The man laughed. "I am not on a case...exactly. But I was talking to John Lewis down at police headquarters on Friday, and he was telling me about some odd occurrences going on up the coast in Land's End."

"The tourist town?" Joe asked, his eyes widening. "That place is supposed to be super! They have a carnival with rides and shows, all sorts of games and stuff, and that magician, Jack Dark, is supposed to be wonderful!"

"Sounds like a nice place for a man to spend a weekend with his sons, doesn't it?" Ben asked, dropping all attempts now to conceal a smile.

"What about these odd occurrences?" Frank asked, leaning forward. "Are you going to investigate them?"

The elder Dane rolled his eyes. "It's not a case yet, son. I was thinking the three of us could just run up there and have a nice, relaxing weekend together. I'm done with the Danby case, and I don't have anything going on until next week." He grinned. "We don't spend nearly enough time together, you know."

"And no one will suspect a guy visiting with his sons to be a detective snooping for a crime," Frank filled in, nodding knowingly. "I get it, dad. And then if you just happened to notice anything while we're there, you could let Captain Lewis in on it."

"Wow! A case!" Joe said, hooting gleefully. "We'll help, dad. You just tell us what to look for, and we'll snoop around, and --"

"No, you won't, either." Their father frowned at them. "This is a vacation for the three of us. I won't have you boys wandering around, asking questions and sticking your noses into things."

"Yeah," Frank said, snorting and waving a hand at his brother. "A bunch of prying questions will just tip off the thieves that we're on their tails." He glanced at his father. "They are thieves, right, dad?"

Ben Dane shook his head. "Are you two going to make me sorry I asked you along?"

Both boys looked at each other, and then back at their father. "Um, no, dad," Frank said. "We just wanted to help."

"And you have helped me on cases in the past, and I'm sure you will help me again." The detective smiled. "You two seem to have inherited my nose for trouble. And a little bit of talent for solving things, too." The smile vanished as he sighed.  "But you two need to learn patience. And" -- he leaned forward and gazed at them emphatically -- "you need to learn to wait to be asked."

"Now you got him mad," Joe said, dropping his spoon into his cereal bowl and shaking his head at his brother.

"I did not," Frank protested. "It was you, saying we'd go and snoop around, that --"

"It was neither," Mr. Dane interjected, causing both boys to fall silent. "I just want to spend a nice weekend with my sons. Is that so hard to understand?"

"Well, gosh, no," Frank returned. "I'm sorry, dad."

"Yeah, dad," Joe added. "We'll be good. We promise, don't we Frank?"

"Yeah."

Mr. Dane watched them sternly a moment, taking in their now innocent expressions, and then couldn't help smiling. "You two would be no good at poker." He sighed. "Okay. Let me fill you in."

The two boys grinned at each other, and leaned across the table, their eyes intent on their father. Mr. Dane shook his head, but his amusement at his son's reactions to a possible mystery in the offing could not be concealed. Like father, like sons!

"Land's End has been a tourist mecca for a lot of years. I went there as a kid myself, rode the rides, the roller coaster, the big Ferris wheel. I saw the shows - and there were some good ones, even back then. It's still quite the place to go for summer fun."

"Beats the heck out of what we have here in Gulfport," Frank put in, grinning. "They have a nice beach, and some great pools, too, I've heard."

"We have a nice beach here," Joe said then, looking at his brother. "You've always been happy with it before."

"Yeah, but it's small, and full of old ladies in beach chairs. You can barely walk across the sand without stepping in a knitting basket."

Joe frowned, but gave an agreeing nod at that, and then laughed. "I wouldn't mind getting some sun and sand."

To which Frank grinned and nodded.

"Anyway," Mr. Dane went on, looking a little vexed now at the byplay, "the place is big business, and pulls in a lot of money. Normally, it's quite safe and well-run. The town has a vested interest in keeping things going smoothly, and the sheriff up there, Jake Kingsley, has a good staff of deputies and is good at keeping visitors happy." Mr. Dane frowned. "But recently, some strange things have been going on."

"Like what?" Joe breathed, his eyes widening.

"Well, some of the rides have broken down under unusual circumstances. Each time, riders have been stranded. Both the roller coaster and the Ferris wheel have had more than their share of problems lately. Sheriff Kingsley told John Lewis that the ride maintenance is done by a local firm, and that they have always been very good at it. The manager of that firm, Hiram Jixson, seems to think that someone is deliberately doing things to the rides to make them fail."

"Sabotage?" Frank said in surprise, looking at Joe.

Joe nodded. "Sounds fishy to me."

Mr. Dane nodded. "Me, too. And there have been minor burglaries of some of the show tents and trailers at night, and other signs of trespass - nothing major, but definitely giving the impression that someone is sneaking about, doing things that they should not be doing."

"Anything else?" Frank asked.

Mr. Dane shrugged. "Some of the show people have disappeared - just up and left without a word. The town has had a little bit of a problem replacing them. The word seems to be out that Land's End is a trouble town." Mr. Dane shrugged. "And, there seems to be a lot of little things happening, here and there, none of which anyone cares to list, but that seem to be destroying the pleasant atmosphere there among the other entertainers. And that is destroying the pleasant atmosphere for the tourists. Revenues have been down twenty percent since the start of the summer."

"Whoa." Joe shook his head. "That's a bit."

"Almost a half-million dollars," Mr. Dane agreed. "So while no definite master plan seems visible, both John Lewis and I get the sense that someone is up to something that will ultimately affect the entire resort."

Joe grinned. "So you are going up to look around...scope things out?"

"Not officially." The elder Dane raised his eyebrows. "Get that? This is not a case, just a favor for a friend."

"Who also happens to be the captain of the local state police squad," Joe put in, grinning.

His father made a small, pained sound. "Are you listening to me, boys? I will be observing. You boys will be having fun. That is all."

Joe sighed. "We get you, dad. You'll be investigating, and we'll be sitting on our hands."

Frank gave his brother a warning look, but Mr. Dane only smiled. "Of course, if you two do happen to notice anything odd, I expect you to tell me about it."

The boys both brightened at that.

"But - does that mean you won't be around some?" Joe hesitated to ask. "I mean, if you are out observing, you can't always have us tagging along."

Mr. Dane frowned. "You have a point. I do want so spend time with you boys, but I do need to also be free to look around on my own." He suddenly brightened. "I know. Why don't you boys invite a couple of friends to go with us? That way, if I am out, or meeting with Sheriff Kingsley and his people, you two won't be bored. If you have friends along, you'll have more to keep you occupied."

Frank smiled. "Another two pairs of eyes, too, right?"

"We're not leaving until Friday?" Joe asked then, looking at his father. "We'll need to let the guys know."

The elder Dane frowned. "Hmm. Well, there's really no need to wait. Tomorrow is Thursday. If you boys don't mind, we can go tomorrow morning. That will give us four days to look around and have some fun. We can return on Monday morning."

"Do we mind?" Frank repeated, grinning at his brother. "I'll say we don't mind!"

Mr. Dane smiled, but didn't say anything more.

"Wow," Joe said then. "I'll call Tony Priko and see if he wants to go."

"And I'll call Chip Morton," Frank said, smiling. The two boys jumped up from the table and went to the phone in the hallway.

Tony Priko was Joe's age, with sunbrowned skin, black hair, and brown eyes. He lived two houses down from the Danes, and was at the front door almost as soon as Joe got off the phone with him. Joe let him into the living room while Frank called his friend Chip Morton, who lived on a farm at the edge of town, and invited him to go along, too.

"Wow! It's really swell of you to invite me," Tony said, his teeth flashing in a smile. "I've never been to Land's End. Wait until Debbie hears about this!" Debbie was Tony's twin sister. The two had a little bit of a competition on to see who could have the best summer, and just now, it looked to Tony like he was winning.

Frank came in, grinning. "Hi, Tony. So, what do you think? Will your parents let you go?"

"My dad's out of down on business," Tony said, "but I already asked my mom, and she said I could go!"

Joe couldn't help smiling at his friend's excitement. "One down, one to go." He looked at his brother. "What did Chip say?"

Frank made a face and rolled his eyes at the ceiling. "He said he was just putting the carburetor back on the Princess, but he would be over as soon as he was done."

The Princess was Chip's old jalopy, which he was always trying to 'soup up' up into a hot rod. The car spent more time scattered in pieces around the Morton's garage than it did on the road, but Chip was adamant that he was improving things, and Frank and Joe did have to admit that the car ran better now than when Chip had first gotten it. Not that that was saying much, as Chip had had to have the car towed home after he had bought it.

They were all talking excitedly when the front door opened and two woman carrying shopping satchels came into the house. Frank and Joe broke off the conversation to greet them. "Hi, mom! Hi, Aunt Gerta! How was the shopping trip?"

Mrs. Dane was a petite, pleasant-looking woman with brown hair and sparkling green eyes. She smiled, waved at Tony, and then set down the bag she as carrying. "Oh, it was fun. It was big sale, with lots of specials to look at."

The other woman was older, tall and slender, with graying hair fixed in a neat bun atop her head. She wore little glasses on her nose, and a small frown upon her face. And just now, the bun atop her head was covered by what had to be one of the most outlandish-looking hats that the boys had ever seen. It was gray, tall in the middle with a pleated top, and had a brim on one side with a cluster of flowers on it, from which protruded the head of a small, wooden bluebird.

The woman cleared her throat, and eyed Frank and Joe proudly through her glasses. "Notice anything, boys?"

"Why...Aunt Gerta...you bought a new hat," Frank said carefully, trying with all his might to keep a straight face. "It's...it's lovely."

"Um...yeah," Joe agreed, looking at the ceiling. "I've never seen anything quite like it."

Aunt Gerta smiled happily, and turned so that they could see the back of the hat. What looked like a tuft of grass was growing out of the rear of it.

Mrs. Dane smiled, and nodded her head. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" Her eyes twinkled, telling all and sundry that she was not about to spoil Aunt Gerta's happiness over her new acquisition.

Mr. Dane came into the room and stopped short, his eyes fastened on his older sister's head. "Why...Gerta...a new hat. It's, um...it's...stunning."

"It was the only one they had," the older woman said, patting it affectionately with the tips of her fingers. "I just about stole it, it was so inexpensive."

"I'll bet," Frank said, nodding.

"Yeah," Joe agreed. "Couldn't be two hats like that in the world."

Mr Dane turned to look at the boys. "I think I just heard Chip's old car drive up."

Frank and Joe looked at each other, relieved to have a reason to get away from Aunt Gerta's new hat. Joe patted Tony's arm and motioned for him to follow. "Thanks, dad. We'll be out front!"

The three boys exited hurriedly, going out onto the front porch and closing the door behind them.

"Holy smoke!" Tony whispered. "What on earth was that? It looked like a bird cage exploded on your aunt's head!"

Frank just grinned. "She loves hats. My dad just says she has no taste for selecting them, is all."

Joe laughed. "She has a closet full of them, Tony. That one wasn't even the worst one!"

Tony just shook his head. "Wow."

They heard a thunk and then a soft curse, and looked over to the driveway. There stood Chip Morton's bright yellow jalopy, the Princess. The hood was tilted skyward, and Chip's backside was visible hung over the front fender as he poked around beneath the hood.

The two Danes and Tony grinned, and crept up on the other boy, and surrounded the front of the old car. "Hey!" Frank yelled, at the same time clapping his hand down on his friend's back.

Chip jumped, and then backed out from under the hood. He was sandy haired and blue-eyed, with attractive features, which seemed perpetually set in a smile. Just now there was a trace of grease across his upper lip, looking much like a mustache against his tanned skin.

"Aw, what'd you go and do that for, fellas? I could have walloped my head but good on the hood!"

Frank took in the grease mustache on his friend's face and grinned. "El Zorro! It ees so nice to meet you een person!"

Chip gazed at him in puzzlement. "Huh?"

Frank shook his head, grabbed his friend by the arm, and led him around to the side of the car. The convertible's top was down, and Frank laughed at the spray of tools laid out across the back seat. "All that for a carb job?"

"I like to be thorough," Chip said, smiling now. "You know that."

Frank nodded, and pushed Chip down and turned his face towards the car's side mirror. "Wipe that mustache off your face, old man, before someone mistakes you for a bandit!"

Chip looked at himself in the mirror, and blinked. "Now, how did that get there?"

The boys all laughed.

"How's she running?" Joe asked, patting the car's fender.

Chip grinned, reached into the back seat and found a rag, and carefully wiped at the grease on his lip. "Now that the master mechanic as placed his golden touch on her, she's doing just great."

"Oh, you hired a mechanic?" Frank asked, winking across the hood of the car at his brother.

Chip stopped wiping at his face and pretended to look hurt. "You laugh now, but the Princess actually won a race on the way over!"

Joe laughed. "Little girls on bicycles don't count, Chip."

Chip straightened and placed his hands on his hips. "I'll have you know that it was a brand new coupe. The Princess is ten years old!"

Frank held up a hand. "Okay, okay. We were just playing with you, Chip. That's really great, that you won." Frank leaned forward, his eyebrows going up questioningly. "What did your dad say about you going along with us to Land's End?"

Chip suddenly looked disinterested. "Oh, that. He said I could go. If I wanted to."

Frank nodded. "And...do you want to go?"

The other boy's face suddenly lit up like a Christmas tree. "Do I! Gosh, Frank, Land's End is just the gas!"

Frank grinned, and turned to look at his brother. "I guess we're set, then."

Joe nodded. "How about we go inside and talk about it? We can let dad know that everything's ready to go."

Tony grabbed Joe by an arm and briefly wrestled with him in excitement. The two boys laughed, and headed back into the house.

"I'm glad you're coming along," Frank said quietly, after the other two boys were gone.

Chip smiled, leaned a little closer, looking into Frank's eyes. "Try to stop me."

Frank just grinned, draped an arm around his friend's shoulders, and both boys turned to follow the others inside.

Mr. Dane nodded when he heard that the other boys were able to go. "That's fine. We'll get an early start in the morning, okay? It's a fairly long drive to Land's End." He nodded at Chip and Tony. "If you boys are here by about eight o'clock, that should be fine. Just remember to bring everything you'll need, okay?"

"Bathing suits," Joe said then, grinning. "We'll want to make the beach there, I'm sure!"

Chip nodded, looking excited. "I'd better put some gas in the Princess now just to make sure I have enough in the morning and don't have to stop on the way over. You fellows want to go along?"

Despite the hard time the other boys often gave Chip about his old jalopy, the yellow car was a well-loved part of the boy's daily lives. The two Dane boys had their little motor cycles to get around the back roads on; but Chip's car was the only real transportation the group had to get to some of the places they needed to go.

"Sure," Frank said, giving his friend a small jab. "We always want to ride in the race car."

Chip rolled his eyes, but smiled. "She's getting there, slowly but surely."

The boys said farewell to the adults and went back out to the drive and piled into Chip's car.

"Ouch!" Joe hollered, as he and Tony leaped into the back seat.

"Um...watch out for the tools back there!" Chip called belatedly, grinning in the rear view mirror.

"Now he tells us!" Tony said, pulling a screwdriver from beneath himself.

The boys laughed as the car backed out of the drive and proceeded off down Elm Avenue.

"Is the radio working today?" Frank asked, reaching for the switch.

Chip shrugged. "I haven't tried it. I've been meaning to pull it out and get a tube for it...but it's a job."

Frank sighed, nodded, and decided not to find out.

As they reached the stop at the corner, they saw two girls walking down the sidewalk. The girls immediately smiled and waved, and the boys waved back.

Debbie Priko was sixteen, like Joe, and always had a smile for him. Ellen Morton, Chip's sister, was also sixteen, and had always liked Frank. The two girls were pretty and vibrant, and Frank and Joe liked them, even though they were often left scratching their heads over the ways of girls. Normally, the girls would have wanted to chat, but this time they pointed off down the street and continued going.

"I could have stopped," Chip said, eying Frank out of the side of his eye as the car proceeded onward.

"No, that's fine. We don't have time to be side-tracked. We'll see the girls later."

The two boys grinned, but didn't say anything else, and Chip drove on down to the end of the winding town road, where Biff Martin's little gas station stood on a corner. Chip pulled the jalopy up to the island, and the boys got out to stretch their legs.

A young man they knew, Bill Peale, was gassing up a shiny green roadster on the other side of the island. He waved, a grin on his face. "Hi, fellas. What can we do for you today?"

"Hey, Bill," Frank said, going over and giving the other boy a pat on the shoulder, "How's the summer job going?"

Bill waved a hand at the station's main building. "Oh, it's great. Mr. Martin works on the cars, and me and Jeff  - that's Jeff Conners, from school - we pump the gas. It's a good job, actually."

"Where is Jeff?" Chip asked, looking around.

"Went to the gent's room," Bill whispered. "He'll be back in a minute."

Chip grinned eagerly. "Can I get things started?"

Bill looked uncertain, but nodded. "I guess it's okay. You know how?"

Chip laughed, and reached for the gas nozzle. "I think I can manage it."

"Well, go easy. That nozzle can kick back when the tank gets full."

Frank and Joe both laughed. "Chip hasn't filled that tank since he's owned the car," Joe said, grinning.

"And why should I?" Chip asked, looking slightly wounded. "Three dollar's worth is nine gallons. I can drive all week on that."

"Yeah," Tony agreed. "It's not like were taking Chip's car up to Land's End."

Bill gaped. "You guys are going up to Land's End?"

"Just for the weekend," Frank returned. "My dad's taking us in the morning."

"Wow," Bill returned, grinning. But then he gave them a sudden interested look."What's taking Ben Dane, the famous detective, to Land's End? Is he on a case?'

"No, it's just a vacation," Joe said carefully. "We're going to spend some time together."

"Though you never know," Chip added. "Some strange things have been going on up there!"

Frank noticed then that there were two men in the green roadster that Bill was servicing, and that they appeared to be listening to the conversation. They were both young, unshaven and rough-looking, and Frank tensed as he noticed the eyes of the driver watching him in the side mirror. He gave Chip a nudge with his shoulder, and shook his head. Chips's eyes widened, going to the roadster, but he just nodded and didn't say anything more.

"Wish I had time to go there," Bill said, wistfully. "But I have a lot going on right now. I hope you guys have fun."

Just then Jeff Conners ran up, fixing the cap on his head."Sorry, fellas. Had to answer nature's call."

Chip stood back and let the other boy take over the gas nozzle. "I'm getting three dollar's worth, Jeff."

"Gotcha. How are you fellows doing today?"

"Great." Chip laughed. "But every summer day is a great one, you know?"

Bill finished with the roadster, and hung the nozzle back on the pump. The driver paid, and the car started and pulled out. Frank watched it go. As the green roadster paused in the station's driveway, the driver looked back at them in the side mirror. The two men were talking, and Frank was just starting to get suspicious when the car pulled out and went on up the road, heading out of town.

"You know those guys?" Frank asked Bill, pointing in the direction that the green auto had gone.

"Never saw them before," Bill replied. "We get a lot of traffic here that's just passing through."

Joe came over and stood next to Frank. "Something going on?"

Frank frowned after the vanished car, but shook his head. "No. Just my imagination, I think."

They finished and paid, stood talking to the two attendants for a few more minutes, and then hit the road back to the Dane's house. By the time that Chip pulled the jalopy into the Dane's driveway, Frank had largely forgotten about the two men in the green roadster.

They were, after all, likely just passing through.

* * * * * * *

The boys hung out together that evening, excited over the coming trip. They gathered in the yard behind the house at the Morton farm and cooked burgers on the stone grill there, and sat to eat them at the old picnic table beneath the glow of Japanese lanterns. Debbie Priko and Ellen Morton had joined them, and the girls had been having a good time.

Frank played the game of cat-and-mouse that he and Ellen - Ellie - always played together. She would try to get him to commit to something more than 'just friends', and he would pretend like he was a little too thick to get what she meant. It tended to exasperate Ellie, who couldn't seem to decide if the Dane boy's obtuseness was real or feigned.

Chip watched the exchanges with the same slightly pained look he always wore at such times. Ellie was his sister, and he loved her, but having her continually pressing up on Frank to be more engaging with her was just a little wearying, too. He knew that Frank was doing his best with a difficult situation, and that it was about all he could do under the circumstances.

Joe Dane was playing the same game with Debbi, although he tended to alternate his smiles with a few frowns, and play the whole thing off as if Debbie was sometimes just being a 'silly girl'. Debbie seemed to enjoy cornering Joe and then watching him slither out of the trap, while Tony smiled and pretended to be keeping score.

The big old RCA Victor radio set sitting on a table behind the screen of the little rear porch of the house had been playing the hits all evening. Both Frank and Joe had danced with the girls several times, as Dick Haymes had crooned or Glenn Miller's orchestra had played, but had now tired of it and had retired to the picnic table to sit and sip their Cokes. The evening was drawing on now, and soon the boys would have to call it a night.

"You're not very romantic this evening, Frank," Ellie teased, sipping her own drink and eying him across the table.

"I'm just tired," Frank said, smiling. "And we have to get up pretty early tomorrow to get on the road."

"It's not fair," Debbie put in then, giving her brother a small slap on the arm, " that certain people get to go to Land's End, and certain other people don't."

"Girls are no good on a case," Tony said, curling his lip and waving a hand at her. "The first time someone pulled a knife on you, you'd just scream and run."

Debbie's eye immediately swiveled to Joe. "You didn't say this trip would be dangerous. Who has a knife?"

"No one," Joe replied, sighing. "Your brother is just teasing you."

"And Mr. Dane asked us to go," Chip pointed out, trying not to smile. "We'll actually be able to help, not just get in the way."

Ellie and Debbie looked at each other and laughed. "Well!" Ellie said, getting to her feet and pulling at Debbie's sleeve. "I guess we know when we're not welcome, don't we, Debbie?"

"Yes, indeed," the other girl agreed, rising to her feet. "Let's go inside. It's awfully stuffy out here."

Ellie winked to let the boys know they were kidding. "We have an early day tomorrow, too," Ellie confided. "We're helping Ms. Cavanaugh deliver a calf at the farm next door."

"I'm sure you'll be a big help with that," Frank said, returning the smile. "We'll see you when we get back."

Debbi paused behind Joe, leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss on top of his head. "You be careful, Joe Dane, you hear me? If anyone pulls a knife on you, you scream and run!" Joe cringed slightly at the contact, but didn't say anything.

The two girls laughed, waved, and went back to the house.

For a moment, the boys sat in silence.

"Girls are nuts," Joe said, nodding. He rubbed the spot on top of his head where he had just been kissed. "Just plain nuts."

Frank laughed. "Debbie likes you, Joe. How do you expect her to act?"

Joe smiled then. "Oh, about the way that Ellie does with you."

"Ho!" Chip said, waving a hand as if it held a sword. "And the thrust is neatly parried!"

The boys all laughed.

"Say, Joe," Tony said then. "Can you look at my motorbike before I head home? It's been acting a little strangely. I'd hate to get stranded out at night."

"Sure," Joe said, grinning. He cast a look at Chip, and winked at Frank. "Um, unless you'd rather have the master mechanic look at it."

Frank grinned around his soda straw as Chip's eyes briefly touched his. But Chip was not about to be baited. "I only know hot rod engines, not toy motorcycles," he said in a bored tone, waving a hand at Joe and Tony dismissively.

Those two boys laughed, and headed away to the drive beside the house.

Frank sighed, looking up at the crescent moon. "Life sure is complicated, isn't it?"

Chip nodded. "Yes. Sometimes I think I'm going to go a little crazy."

They looked at each other, sipping their drinks.

On the radio, a new song started, and Frank suddenly grinned. "Oh, that's our tune!" he whispered.

The song was called Nature Boy, by Nat King Cole, and had just started getting a lot of air time. It had somehow come to mean something to the boys, and Frank sang along softly, his eyes on Chip, knowing the lyrics by heart now. Chip watched him and smiled, waiting for the part that they both liked so much.

Frank closed his eyes when he got to it, and smiled as he sang it softly into the glow of the lanterns.

"...The greatest thing...you'll ever learn,

Is just to love...and be loved, in return."

Frank sighed as the song ended.

Chip looked over his shoulder. The rear of the house was dark save for Ellie's room upstairs, and the curtains were drawn there. The girls were undoubtedly getting ready for bed. Joe and Tony had not returned from the drive, and were likely still looking at Tony's motorbike. Above them, two of the Japanese lanterns had gone out, and the table was now lit more by moonlight than by the flickering flames of the last two lanterns.

Chip turned back, reached across the table, and laid his hands on Frank's. "You're my nature boy," he said quietly.

Frank nodded. "And you're mine."

They looked at each other, exchanging by sight what they could not exchange even in the gentle light from the moon and the lanterns. The risks were simply too great here, in Chip's own backyard.

"We'll find some time," Frank promised. He smiled. "My dad said he booked three rooms at the hotel in Land's End. One for him, one for Joe and Tony...and one for us."

Chip sighed. "I can't wait."

They heard a sound from the corner of the house and pulled their hands apart.

Joe and Tony returned, smiling and laughing.

"Find the problem?" Frank asked.

"No," Joe returned, shaking his head. "It seems fine."

"Maybe it was just my imagination," Tony offered, looking apologetic in the moonlight. Joe poked him playfully, and both boys laughed.

"I guess we should get home," Frank said, rising. Briefly, his eyes touched Chip's, and they grinned at each other. "See you fellas at eight, okay?"

Chip nodded. "I'll be there."

"Me, too," Tony said. "Wow! I still can't believe we're going to Land's End!"

Frank nodded as they walked back to the drive to get their motor cycles started for home.

Yes, he agreed with Tony. Somehow, he was sure that this trip was definitely going to turn out to be one they would remember!

To be continued...