by Laurie Lochs
That's ridiculous. You know damn well they picked up the train as soon as they finished playing. They know the rules.
I took a deep breath and strode through the ranch. "Cal," I shouted, cupping my mouth. Yet there was no response.
I rounded the corner and suddenly, the thought hit me that perhaps Calloway was uncomfortable with the idea of starting a career. It was possible I'd been completely wrong in what I thought would be best for his life. Calloway didn't want to be a Spanish tutor or teacher at all. If he wanted to stay at Neverland Hills forever, it was possible he wanted to never grow up. Like a real lost boy in the Peter Pan movie. Being a Spanish tutor for a few hours a day wasn't in the cards for him. His home was in the playroom, building worlds with his best friends.
Yet that didn't sit right with me. He'd been excited as hell in the career center. The expression that shot across his face when I told him of his new job had been one of pure joy. It was an expression I wanted to cherish and put back on his face 100 times over. I never wanted to see him fall or get hurt in any way. The fact that he hadn't return was problematic in the purest sense of the word.
My heart sunk lower. I knew something was wrong.
I turned the corner into the hall that led to Calloway's room. There were two sets of stairs. I glanced up one. Then, I turned around to glance down the other that led to the playroom. My heart stopped the second I saw it.
At the bottom of the stairs, there was a pile of clothes lying in a crumpled heap. They weren’t moving. On closer inspection I saw it was a boy. The dim light at the bottom of the hallway flickered vaguely, like he was a ghost.
My heart flew to my throat. I couldn't breathe.
All at once, I leapt down the stairs and grabbed my boy in my arms. "Calloway," I called urgently. "Wake up. Daddy's got you, boy. Please."
Calloway's eyes fluttered open. He had a confused expression on his face. "Daddy?"
My voice was caught in my throat. "Yes, sweet boy. Daddy's here."
Calloway's eyes whipped around the hallway. His pupils were dilated. I ran my fingers over his head. He had a lump the size of an egg.
It's a concussion.
A moment later, Calloway smiled weakly. He looked into my eyes and bit his lip. "I'm in Neverland, daddy."
"Yes, sweet boy. Neverland Hills. In Montana.”
Calloway nodded. At once, a sigh of relief flew out of my mouth. For a second, I'd been worried that the boy actually thought he was in Neverland. The magical land of endless puerility and make-believe. But he knew where he was. It wasn't a concussion. He was being silly.
"Let's go, sweet angel. I’ll prepare you an ice pack."
"No, daddy. It will make me feel embarrassed. I don’t want anyone knowing I didn't see the flight of stairs."
"You're not stupid, sweet boy. You're the sweetest boy in the world. Everyone falls down stairs at some point in their life. Some boys do it when they’re 3. Other boys do it when they’re 23. It’s perfectly fine that it happened to you now."
Calloway sniffled. To my surprise, his eyes were wet. "Sweet angel," I whispered, running my thumb under his eyes. "There's nothing wrong with what happened. You shouldn't feel embarrassed."
"It's my stupid leg, daddy. It's always because of my stupid fucking leg."
At once, a wave of agony washed over me. I held him closer but it wasn't close enough. I wanted to grab a knife and make an incision in his chest. Replace his heart with mine. That way, he could use my body and my legs. He wouldn't have to carry this burden of guilt or shame with him, lugging it around like a millstone he couldn’t shake off.
"Baby boy. Your daddy cares about you whether or not one leg is shorter than the other. Please know that, sweet angel."
Calloway wiped his eyes. "I don't know why I thought I could be a Spanish teacher. I can't even walk down a flight of stairs."
"That's not true, sweetie. You're going to be the best teacher ever. All you need is to look both ways before you walk downstairs again. Does that make sense, sweet boy?"
Calloway sucked in his cheeks. "Yes, daddy. It makes me feel better."
I sighed and picked Calloway up in my arms. He was light than I thought. I brought him up the stairs and into the kitchen, where I fashioned an ice pack out of a bag of peas and a tea towel. I placed it on his forehead and took him in my lap.
"Let's not worry about Spanish today, boy. We’re going to take you to daddy's room until you get better."
Calloway turned to me with the widest, trusting eyes in the world. "Thank you, daddy. That warms my heart."
I pressed the ice pack against his forehead and brought him to his beautiful room. After tucking him into the bed, I planted a soft kiss on his lips and willed him to get better.
I had to do something to quell the boy’s insecurity regarding his leg.
Chapter 15
Calloway
I pulled the blanket tighter over my body and burrowed into daddy's arms by the crackling fire. I took a deep breath and quivered. How embarrassing was this? I was almost morbidly ashamed I fell. Luckily, Oscar hadn't told anyone. He was keeping it a secret to make sure I felt loved.
"Sweet boy. Would you like one or two marshmallows on your s’more?"
"Two, daddy."
"Excellent choice. I’ll make four. We can each have two for our yummy treat."
I grinned and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. Debbie Oscar reached for the bag of marshmallows lying on the ground and impaled four on his whittled stick. He scooted closer to the fireplace and stuck the marshmallows into the flames. When they were a beautiful golden brown, Daddy Oscar took the them out of the fire and scooped them onto the graham crackers. I wanted to pop them in my mouth right then and there. He handed me my snack and kissed my forehead.
"Here's your yummy treat, boy. Try to savor it."
I burst into a grin. "Thank you, daddy. It looks amazing."
It was. It tasted like I'd stepped foot into a magical world where only chocolatey warmth and delicious sweet marshmallows remained. I flitted my tongue along the graham cracker, taking the entire s’more in my mouth. Chomp, chomp, like a hungry dino. The sensations lit a flame in my heart, burning more brightly than the fire we sat around. When I finished, I open my eyes. They were glazed with pleasure.
"I'm in heaven, daddy. You've made me feel so safe."
"It's the least I could do. I don't want you ever feeling like you're in danger again."
I giggled. "Then maybe we should put a baby gate up by the stairs."
Daddy Oscar barked out a laugh. “That wouldn't be the worst idea, boy. But daddy has something else in mind."
I arched my eyebrows. But I quickly pushed the thought away. For second, I almost thought that Daddy Oscar was considering getting me a gift or something. But I knew that was ridiculous. The marshmallows and delicious s'mores were enough. I wanted to sit by his side and the fire forever.
"Oh daddy," a voice suddenly gasped. "Yes, daddy! Touch me there!”
My jaw dropped. I whipped my head around. On the dark dewy grass, Dennis was sprawled out with Daddy Joe hunched over him.
"Where do you want daddy to touch you, sweet boy?"
"In my hole, please. I need your fingers inside me."
Daddy Joe stripped down to his underwear and pulled his cock through the band. My heart raced. He knelt above Dennis's quivering body and spit on his fingers. Then, he slid his fingers into Dennis's hole.
"Yes, daddy. Just like that."
Daddy Joe grunted and fingered his boy. Dennis frantically jerked his cock and moaned. Without warning, his body tensed. With a cry, he exploded over his chest and face.
My jaw dropped. I'd never seen so much come in my life.
"You did it, sweet angel. You came for daddy."
"Thank you, daddy. I've never felt so good in my life."
Daddy Oscar ran his fingers over my back. "Is that something you'd like to try, sweet boy?"
"Yes, daddy. But you keep denying me my passion
."
Daddy Oscar laughed. "I'm testing you to see how long you can hold out, sweet boy. Sometimes in life, the more you wait, the better it is."
I bit my lip. "So what you’re saying is that the anticipation is better than the real thing?"
"Not necessarily. In cases where ‘anticipation’ leads to hurting someone, that's not the case. Then, after enjoying the thing you’ve consumed, you wake up with your stomach in knots and your mind full of regret. But in other cases, say for instance mutually consenting sexual activity, it strengthens and multiplies the pleasure associated with the act. You see the nuance, boy?"
"Yes, daddy. It's very profound."
"Like for instance if you're eating a chocolate cake. Sometimes, you wait all day to eat it. When you take the first bite, you feel incredible. But after two or three bites, it's almost like you're forcing yourself to enjoy it. It never tastes as good as it does in your mind. It's the same as when you listen to music. You have a song stuck in your head the entire day. While at work or school, you can't wait to get home and listen to the song. But the second you put it into your playlist and bring your Air Pods to your ear, the song loses its luster. It doesn't sound good."
"That's definitely happened to me, daddy."
"I don't mean to get all philosophical on you. Yet other times, the expectation is incredible. Like for instance when someone teases you that they're going to give you a blow job. The entire day, you're waiting for this beautiful moment that will fill you with a singular pleasure you can't get anywhere else. I’ve never regretted that. At least, not in my experience."
"It sounds like you understand the meaning of life, daddy. I wish you could teach me everything."
Daddy Oscar laughed. "All in due time, sweet boy. Now," he said, sliding his palm into my lap. "How about you open your zipper for daddy."
My heart raced. "You want to stroke me here?"
"Yes, sweet boy. Let daddy jerk your cock."
My body tingled. With a soft moan, I tugged open my zipper until my erect cock was sticking out in front of me. I moaned as Daddy Oscar's hand came in contact with my shaft. He stroked it, milking every drop of pre-come from my body. All at once, a wave of pleasure washed over me. It shot through my veins. I cried out and exploded all over the ground. Some of my come even got in the fire. It sizzled against the burning embers and logs.
"That was amazing, daddy. I feel clean."
Daddy Oscar laughed. "That's the idea, sweet boy. Tonight, you can jerk me."
I grinned. Daddy Oscar made us more s’mores. We ate them whole. When he finished, he whispered one more thing in my ear that made my entire body burst into flames.
"Tomorrow morning, sweet boy, Daddy prepared a wonderful gift for you. He knows you're going to love it."
My heart stopped. So I had been right to think he was going to give me a gift. "What is it, daddy?"
"It's a surprise, my little angel. You'll see tomorrow."
My body tingled. I couldn't believe it.
Please, Daddy. I want to see my gift now.
I woke up with my heart racing. I hadn’t slept the entire night. What kind of special gift was Daddy Oscar planning? He hadn't given me any clues. For all I knew, it could be a new copy of Rosetta Stone. What mattered was that I couldn’t focus on anything. All I could think about was the gift.
"Sweet boy," Daddy Oscar said, setting a delicious plate of eggs and bacon at the table. I grinned and glanced around the room. The rest of my best friends were starting to trickle into the dining hall for breakfast.
"Thank you, daddy."
Debbie Oscar sat next to me. Without warning, he pulled out an enormous box wrapped in pink paper with a bow. My jaw dropped. Was this it? Was this the gift he was talking about?
"What is it, daddy?"
Daddy Oscar grinned. "It's something very special I got just for you."
My insides turned all warm and gooey. This was it. There was no way I'd be able to eat with the gift in front of me. I had to open it now. If for no other reason than to stop my curiosity from curbing my appetite.
"Can I see it, daddy? Is this an appropriate time?"
Daddy Oscar laughed and ruffled my hair. "Yes, sweet boy. Let's do it fast before the other boys see. We don't want them getting jealous."
I grinned. Taking the pink package from his outstretched hands, I set it on my lap and tore into the paper. I placed the bow on daddy's head as a joke. Then, I opened the package. My heart melted when I saw what it was.
"Oh daddy. No.”
My daddy had gotten me a brand-new pair of shoes. But they weren't just any shoes. As I ran my fingers over at the bottom of the soles, I realized they were special shoes.
One is bigger than the other. There’s a special platform at the base.
"Is this…” I began, my voice breathless. “Are these for my leg?"
"Yes, sweet boy. Daddy got you a perfect pair of shoes so you can walk like the rest of your friends."
"Thank you, daddy!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms around him. I buried my face in his chest and planted a million kisses on his neck. Daddy Oscar grinned and stroke my hair.
"We can use them soon, boy. I planned a special event this afternoon just for you.”
My heart stopped. I glanced into his eyes. A special event just for me?
Was there any way he was telling the truth?
Chapter 16
Oscar
I studied my boy’s face, trying to gauge his reaction. It was clear he'd liked the gift. But would he feel embarrassed to use them in front of his friends?
"Boy," I continued, “today’s the perfect day to go on a walk this afternoon. We’ll put on your big boy shoes. You won't feel embarrassed to go up the trail."
Calloway's cheeks flushed. "I don't know what to say, daddy. You're making my heart melt."
"They're going to look great."
"Thank you, daddy. I'd love to try them out this afternoon."
I gave Calloway another hug. After planting a soft kiss on his forehead, I removed the package from his arms and placed it beneath the table. Nathan, Dennis and Jacob were just coming in the room. It was still Jacob's birthday week. I didn't want to distract from that.
But my heart couldn't stop singing for Calloway. I'd bought the shoes on a special site that allowed you to customize the length for boys with special walking abilities. Daddy Brent had told me he'd gone out of his way to get a unique gift for his boy last year. It was a copy of The Giving Tree written in squiggly font for boys with dyslexia. I’d decided I needed to find a customizable pair of shoes for my boy. That he'd been overjoyed to see them was the icing on the cake. It made my heart swell knowing he’d finally fit in with the rest of his little friends.
After breakfast, I laced up Calloway's shoes, threw on a pair of khakis, and hopped with the rest of the daddies and boys into the Jeep. When we got to the mountain, we wasted no time in rushing out of the vehicle and preparing for our journey.
"Boy," I said before we embarked on our journey. "Are you ready to show daddy how you use your shoes?"
"Yes, daddy." Calloway blushed and grinned at me. I placed my hand on his chest. His heart was racing with excitement.
"Don't go too fast, sweet boy."
Calloway laughed. "I won't let you walk alone."
I held his hand. We took off for the trail. Ahead of us, Brent and Nathan led the way, singing camp songs and clearing any brush that had fallen because of the storm yesterday. Calloway grinned the entire time, his smile spreading from cheek to cheek. The best part was he wasn't wobbling all over the trail like usual. He didn't trip one time. When we got to the lake. I unlaced the shoes. After applying sunscreen to my boy’s hairless body, we dove straight in.
"Daddy," Calloway whispered in the water. He doggy-paddled towards me and softly wrapped his wet glistening arms around my waist. "Thank you so much."
“I want to give you all the special things, boy. All of them.”
Calloway smiled softly. Sunli
ght fell on his shoulders and paved his skin with brilliant diamonds. All around us, birds chirped and sang their crisp morning songs. The water was blue and warm. Green leaves fluttered from the poplars and elms, falling into the lake like little emeralds from the sky.
It was a perfect summer's day. My boy put the cherry on top of the proverbial sundae of life.
"I'm so happy you like your gift."
Calloway nodded. "It's the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me. Really."
I brought Calloway out of the water. We sat on the ground, sipping wine that Daddy Joe had packed like we were 5th-century BCE Athenians about to enjoy a Euripides play. We nibbled grapes and held hands as we stared at the lake.
"Daddy," Calloway said after a while. "Can I thank you for your gift?"
I turned to face my boy. "Yes, sweet boy. Do whatever you have in mind."
With a devilish grin, Calloway crawled onto my lap and slowly untucked my cock from my swimsuit. He rubbed his finger over my cock, bringing it to an erection. I stared into my boy's beautiful eyes as he jerked my cock, stroking the shaft. He darted his tongue along my balls. A moan escaped me.
"You're making daddy feel so good."
"Can daddy come in my mouth?"
"Yes, angel. Let daddy come down your throat."
Calloway moaned and took my cock into his mouth. All at once, my orgasm exploded through me. I clenched my toes and deposited my load into his sweet mouth. Calloway took every drop. When he finished, he glanced into my eyes with the most trusting expression ever.
"Thank you, daddy,” he whispered, a bit of come trickling down his chin. I wiped it with my thumb. “Thank you for letting me repay you for your gift."
"Of course, baby. You make my heart swell."
Then, I took him under my arms. We fell asleep in the shade.
Chapter 17
Calloway
One week later