Chapter 11

To my complete lack of surprise, both kids slept in the next morning. I enjoyed my coffee and did some reading online while enjoying the quiet of the house. I briefly considered working on one of my reports, but I quickly dismissed the idea. There would be plenty of time for work later.

But that did get me wondering about the day. We were more than halfway through the kids’ visit and we hadn’t done much besides hanging out around the house. Running errands in town didn’t count. We did go bowling, which was a blast, but we hadn’t gone anywhere. Out here, there were some amazing places to see. Mountain trails to hike, national parks, all kinds of stuff. Maybe we should take a trip somewhere? Or maybe go camping?

What I wanted to do was go skinny-dipping. I loved the feel of water on my bare skin. I knew both Amber and Joe had really enjoyed the clothing-optional hot springs we’d visited a few years ago but that had been a major trip. That got me thinking—there were other hot springs that weren’t too far away. Maybe I could find something suitable that we could visit and not have to worry about being caught bare-assed.

I opened a new browser tab and started to search.

Amber emerged from her room just as I was looking at a Google map.

“Morning,” I said.

With a yawn, she gave me a wave on her way through the living room to the kitchen. A minute later, I heard the refrigerator door open, followed by a loud and obviously frustrated, “What the hell!”

“What’s wrong?” I jumping up from my seat, suddenly fully alert.

“Joe put the milk carton back empty,” Amber grumbled something else, but it was under her breath and I couldn’t make it out.

“We just bought another gallon.”

“Yeah, but...!”

She didn’t finish it. She didn’t have to. Sometimes Joe didn’t really think. It got old quickly.

The fridge door closed, and I decided to wander in and see how she was doing. Amber had just settled down at the table with her bowl of cereal, so I refilled my coffee and sat across from her.

“Sleep well?” I asked.

She nodded and took a big bite of cereal.

“Did you make up with Joe?”

Her eyes came up, studying me for a second. Gauging whether or not I knew something. I did, but she didn’t know that and I played it cool.

“Yeah,” She managed around a mouthful.

“Good,” I smiled. “Anything special you want to do today?”

She shrugged and went back to shoveling heaping spoonfuls into her mouth, forcing her cheeks to swell and look more like a chipmunk than a fourteen-year-old girl.

“So...,” I said, “I was thinking. We’ve really only hung around the house while you guys have been here. What would you think about going to some hot springs? There’s one we haven’t visited a couple of hours from here.”

“Clothing optional?”

“After dark,” I answered.

She grinned and shoved another spoonful of cereal into her mouth, somehow maintaining the smile on her face as she did so. A little stream of milk slipped out of the corner of her mouth.

“I take it that’s a yes.”

She nodded her head vigorously as she chewed and I chuckled.

“Okay. I’ll check with your brother and if he’s okay with it, I’ll get us a room at a nearby motel.”

I walked down the hall and found Joe’s door partially open. I knocked lightly before swinging it all the way open and finding him sitting up in bed, his sheet tenting over his obvious morning wood, while his face was buried in his phone. I walked in and sat down in his computer chair. Joe didn’t even react to me encroaching on his space.

“I was thinking about going on a little trip today,” I said, trying to steal his attention for whatever it was he was doing on his phone.

“I was going to play in a tournament today,” Joe said, his voice worried.

“Tournament?”

“Yeah, we’ve been wanting to try one, but we weren’t good enough yet.”

“Can you do it tomorrow?” Joe shook his head.

“It’s only today.”

“Isn’t there another one coming up?”

“Yeah,” Joe sighed heavily.

“Then you can play in that one.”

“I guess so,” Joe grumbled, obviously not all that enthused with my ruining his plans. “I need to let the guys know.”

“Come have some breakfast as soon as you’re done.”

I got up and walked back to the kitchen. Amber was finished cleaning up her dishes, but the milk and cereal were left on the table.

Joe came out of his room an hour later. He didn’t look all that happy. Amber briefly looked up from her Kindle as he wandered through the living room. She grinned when she noticed his morning wood, before she noticed the mood he was in. I felt bad, but he could play in another tournament.