Chapter 6

~Friday, July 04th~

I found myself by the shore of Moosehead Lake. The water was completely still and glassy. I looked up; there was no sun, but everything was lit. Someone squeezed my right hand. I looked down and saw a familiar hand. The diamond on her finger glinted in the light.

Reaching out with my left hand, I lightly caressed Lacey’s face. She smiled at me, her entire face lighting up, her joy accentuating her beauty. I could feel her warmth, smell the scent that was unmistakably hers; jasmine and lavender. I opened my mouth to speak, but she reached up and pressed two fingers to my lips.

We stood and walked along the lake. The landscape blurred, and then we were approaching the cabin. Lacey led me inside, guided me up to our bedroom. Our lips met as we made our way to the bed. She pushed me down and straddled my waist, leaning in to kiss me again.

Her kisses were so passionate, and I felt her tongue snake into my mouth. I ran my hands along her body as she rolled onto her side. We kept kissing as we lay next to each other, our bodies pressed together. Everything was perfect. Everything was as it should be.

As I slowly started to wake, I felt something brushing against my lips. Faint, barely there. I licked my lips reflexively, and my tongue swept across something. The brushing on my lips got harder, the pressure increasing. My lips twitched, opening and closing. I tried to wet my lips again, and I felt my tongue touch something else. Something wet and moving. Something that inspired me to struggle out of the delirium of sleep.

I pressed more into what I now recognized as lips, starting to kiss and nibble on them softly. Those same lips began kissing me back. It was wonderful. It was gentle. I could feel the love in every movement. I sighed, relishing this stolen moment with Lacey, feeling the strength and support of her love.

The dream faded and the world started to come into focus. I realized that Lauren had turned around in her sleep. Her soft lips were brushing against mine. Gently fighting for space, softly brushing back and forth in a quiet dance. Before I fully understood what I was doing, I started actively kissing her. I opened my eyes to see a close up of Lauren’s perfect face. Moments later, her eyes opened, and she gazed at me with wide and sleepy eyes.

We both jerked back as we realized what we were doing. Since we were already on the edges of the bedroll, we both immediately fell off of it. The small blanket went with me, causing me to somehow get tangled in the thing as Lauren looked over at me, blushing bright red.

“Sorry, sorry!” I stammered while struggling with the blanket.

“It’s fine,” Lauren mumbled. “We were both asleep. No harm done.”

There was some awkwardness as I finally freed myself from the blanket. Lauren had sat up and was lightly applying pressure to her ankle, occasionally wincing in pain. Caught up in concern for Lauren, I forgot where we were and quickly stood up.

“Ouch!” I exclaimed when my head made contact with the roof of the lean-to.

“Are you okay?” Lauren asked, clearly struggling not to laugh.

“I’m good,” I replied, rubbing the top of my head. “You?”

“It still really hurts. I don’t think I can walk,” she sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” I insisted. “We should get started early so you can get some rest in the comfort of your own bed.”

“Good idea,” Lauren agreed. “By the way, happy Independence Day.”

“Happy Independence Day,” I chuckled. “I had actually completely forgotten.”

“So much for country pride,” Lauren giggled.

Lauren and I ate a quick breakfast in the ranger station after packing our things. Unsurprisingly, the rangers still didn’t have their off-road vehicle. They didn’t have enough people to help us back, so we’d have to either wait or set out on our own. I exchanged a few more texts with Austin, letting him know the plan. Fortunately, he was more than happy to feed Brady his breakfast. My poor dog was probably really confused.

My joints were still aching from yesterday, so I was not looking forward to the three more miles we had. Lauren tried to walk on her own, once more showcasing her stubbornness and independence. However, the first few steps were enough to bring tears to her eyes, and she accepted defeat.

I was almost completely supporting Lauren as we started down the trail. Our progress was slow, and it wasn’t long before we were both sweating again. The long hike, the lack of showers, and the sleeping in my sweaty clothes were combining to make me feel absolutely disgusting. I knew Lauren felt the same, and she wasn’t as used to roughing it as I was.

“How are you doing, city girl?” I asked at one point.

“Tired,” she admitted in a quiet voice. “And I’d kill for a shower. I feel gross.”

“That fancy wool thong of yours riding up?” I smirked.

“None of your business,” Lauren grunted in annoyance. “Dingleberry.”

“What the fuck’s a dingleberry?” I inquired in a sarcastic voice. I actually knew what it was, I was just enjoying continuing our banter.

“Look in the fucking mirror,” she hissed as she accidentally put too much weight on her injured ankle. “And a dingleberry is a small piece of poop that clings to a dog’s ass after it shits. In other words, you.”

“You’ve got quite a mouth on you, for a lady,” I teased.

“Having tits and a cunt makes me a female, not a lady,” Lauren retorted. She shifted wrong and stepped down on her bad foot. It was all I could do to stop her from falling. My heart broke when she let out a soft whimper, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. “Fuck! Fucking shit fuck fuck fuck! Ow.”

“I have an idea,” I said after she calmed down. Then I led her over to a nearby rock. “Here, rest on the rock for a minute.”

Lauren set her backpack on the ground as she relaxed on the rock while sipping water. I had no doubt that I was in for a miserable three miles, but there was no other way. Even while leaning on me for support, it was too much for her. I couldn’t let her walk any further.

Thankfully, I had a small hatchet in my backpack. I walked a short distance away and started hacking until I had two long, mostly straight poles. Using a rope, I lashed the poles together at one end, creating a V shape. Grabbing Lauren’s backpack, I tied it and mine to the poles, on the side they were tied together.

With all the weight on one end, I grabbed the free ends of the poles and experimentally dragged the makeshift structure. It wasn’t perfect, but it would do. I looked over at Lauren, who was watching me with an incredulous look on her face.

“What the fuck?” she asked. “What are you, the hillbilly fix-it guy? The one with the mullet?”

“It’s a travois,” I explained. “A type of sledge often used by Native Americans. Ideally, you’d have one pulled by a horse or dog, but I don’t have any treats to give you.”

“So, you’re gonna pull that instead of us carrying our backpacks? How will I lean on you while you hold both sticks?” she wondered.

“Get ready. And no, I’d never have a mullet,” I grunted, wiping sweat and grime off my face. This was so going to suck.

“For what?” Lauren gave me a puzzled look.

“For a piggyback ride,” I answered. “I’m gonna carry your klutz ass down the trail.”

“No way! No fucking way! I am NOT letting you do that,” she was as stubborn as she was beautiful.

“The longer you stay on your ankle like this, the longer the recovery will be,” I reasoned. “It’s a mild sprain, so if we’re lucky you’ll be back to running in a week. Who will call me a twatwaffle every morning if you can’t run with me?”

“I’ll text you every morning that you’re a twatwaffle. It’s no trouble, really,” Lauren argued. “I’ll have to do that when you move anyway. You. Are. Not. Carrying. Me.”

“Look, it’s either your pride or your ankle. Your pride will heal, but if you finish fucking up your ankle you could be looking at surgery,” I gave her a direct look as she sat on the rock and looked up at me with defiance. “We still have a long way to go. Your pride or your ankle. Pick one.”

“Fucking. Fuck shit ass titties!” she cursed eloquently while glaring up at me with disgust. “Fuck! Fine! But if I hear one comment about how heavy I am, I’m hitting you. Even if we both fall to our deaths.”

“Deal. Uh, I guess,” I rolled my eyes.

Lauren was standing behind me, clearly reluctant to allow me to carry her. I told her to hurry up if she wanted to get home before dark. After another series of curse words, Lauren wrapped her arms around my neck. I reached back and grabbed her thighs, allowing her to hop up onto my back.

I had to release her legs to grab the two poles of my makeshift travois. It wasn’t easy, but Lauren was able to squeeze me with her legs to stay on my back. Honestly, Lauren was heavy. She was a slim woman, but she was still almost six feet tall. I also thought I remembered reading something about boobs being heavy. I knew they could cause a woman back problems, and two very large future back problems were pressing against me.

“Well, I guess this is one way for you to get between my thighs,” Lauren quipped, trying to make light of the situation.

“You,” I was already out of breath, needing to get used to this. Fuck, I was dreading the next few miles. “Could. Have. Just. Asked.”

“Gotta make a guy earn it,” she said, her arms tight around my neck while her legs gripped my waist.

“And Johnny, sorry Jonathan, never earned it,” I pointed out as I struggled to take the first steps, dragging the travois behind us. I sincerely hoped Sean never earned it.

Lauren chose not to respond to my comment, instead choosing to simply cling to me as I struggled to walk the rough trail. Rocks. So many rocks. Every step was torture. Yet, I felt better. I felt better because Lauren wasn’t crying out in pain any longer. Worth it.

“Hey, Archimedes,” Lauren spoke up after awhile. “Wouldn’t this be easier if I sat on the packs on this travis thing?”

“Travois. Fuck,” I dropped the poles. “You could have suggested that twenty minutes ago.”

“But you looked like you were having fun,” she giggled as I helped her sit down on a rock.

“That actually was my first idea,” I admitted as Lauren wiped the sweat from her brow. “I thought of making something for you to lay on, but I just didn’t think I’d be able to build something comfortable that wouldn’t make your ankle worse.”

“You’re not gonna make it at this rate,” Lauren pointed out. “Thank you. Really. Thank you for helping me. But, you passing out isn’t gonna help me. Then we’ll both be eaten by bears. Or moose. I know you said they were more dangerous.”

“Moose are more dangerous, but they won’t actually eat you,” I replied, sipping some water. “What do you suggest?”

“Can we fix up the lavois so I can sit or lay on it?” she asked.

“I’m not sure, maybe,” I mused. “And it’s a travois.”

My neighbor and friend was as intelligent as she was beautiful, but she had no experience in anything like this. Her first idea was to use a couple of shirts for her to lay on, but I let her know they’d quickly be torn to shreds, along with her back. Laying on the backpacks could work, but they were lumpy, and she would not be at all comfortable.

“What’s going on here?” a male voice called out after about forty-five minutes.

Lauren and I both looked up to see two people heading toward us from the direction we came from. They both appeared to be in their thirties, and they were dressed in hiking gear while carrying backpacks and walking sticks. I remembered them from Chimney Pond; they were a married couple and were staying in the bunkhouse. They must have set out after we did, but were able to catch up with us due to how slow we were moving.

“Pay attention, Blake,” the woman replied. “We met them last night, remember? The sprained ankle.”

“Nice to see you again. I’m Tim. This is Lauren,” I said, introducing both of us.

“I’m Kate and this is my husband, Blake,” the woman responded, looking at us with concern.

“Kate and Blake? That’s fucking adorable!” Lauren giggled from her rock.

“Thanks!” Kate smiled as she walked over to Lauren. Kate was a brunette with small breasts, but she was almost as tall as Lauren.

“Do you need some help?” Blake offered while approaching me. “Looks like you are struggling.”

“Thank you,” I nodded gratefully. “Lauren can’t walk anymore. I tried carrying her while using this travois to drag our gear. It’s just too much, so we’re currently trying to figure out how to make this comfortable enough for her to lay on.”

“That’ll be tough,” Blake winced. Blake had brown hair and a beard. He was very muscular, and stood at well over six feet. “Even if she can lay on it, you’ll still be dragging it along the rough terrain. Do you think you can manage carrying her if you don’t have to drag the backpacks?”

“Sure, but we can’t leave the backpacks,” I answered. “They have our survival gear, and we’ll be in even more trouble if something happens.”

“Where are you headed?” Blake asked while Lauren and Kate continued to talk.

“Roaring Brook Campground,” I told him. “My truck is parked there.”

“That’s where we’re headed,” Blake responded, looking relieved. “How about I drag your gear while you carry Lauren?”

“We can’t ask you to do that,” I said quickly.

“You didn’t ask. I offered,” Blake reasoned as he walked up and gave me a manly slap on the shoulder. “We hikers have to stick together. One of us is hurt, so we all have to help. It’s only a few miles, we can make it.”

“If you’re sure, it would be a huge help...” I trailed off, more than happy to swallow my pride for Lauren’s sake.

“I’m sure,” Blake insisted.

With Blake dragging the travois, carrying Lauren was much easier. And not just on me. I could hold her thighs, allowing Lauren to relax instead of focusing on not falling off my back. The hike was still difficult, but it was manageable.

To my surprise, we managed to get some time to enjoy the hike. What I enjoyed the most was having Lauren’s body against mine. She was hugging me tightly, occasionally commenting on how beautiful everything was. Even with thick clothing, I had no trouble feeling Lauren’s large breasts squished against me.

Lauren and I both sighed in relief when Roaring Brook Campground came into view. Blake and Kate were kind enough to help us get our packs to my truck. We added each other on social media and exchanged numbers so we could keep in touch.

I stood with Blake at the back of my truck, drinking water as I told him about Abbott Trails. He had actually heard of us, and I was happy to know that he only heard good things. Lauren was sitting in the passenger seat with the door open so she could speak with Kate. I ended up overhearing part of their conversation.

“You two make a cute couple,” Kate said.

“Oh. We’re not together. Just, um, friends,” Lauren replied.

“Girl. He was trying to kill himself carrying you. And the way he looks at you? I’d husband him real quick if I were you,” Kate giggled.

“It’s not that simple,” Lauren sighed sadly.

“Then make it simple,” Kate advised. “The good ones aren’t easy to find. For men or women.”

We soon said goodbye to our new friends, apologizing for not staying longer. Kate and Blake understood, knowing we needed to get home. Handshakes were exchanged, and it wasn’t long before we exited Baxter State Park with our new memories. And injuries in Lauren’s case.

“Thank you, Tim,” Lauren whispered as she put away her sunglasses.

“You’re welcome,” I nodded. “I’m sorry you got hurt, but I hope you still had fun.”

“I did, it was amazing and I want to go back with you so we can reach the top together,” she said, talking faster than usual. “But, that isn’t what I was thanking you for. Thank you for helping me. You didn’t complain once, and I could tell how much of a burden I was.”

“You weren’t a burden,” I stated firmly. “You were hurt, you needed help. It happens, it’s not your fault.”

“Thank you for helping me,” Lauren said, and I soon felt her hand on my knee. “You made sure I was safe, you suffered for me. It felt nice to have someone care so much. I just wanted to make sure you knew I noticed, and I appreciate it.”

“Of course I care,” I replied, my heart heavy. I had to come up with something to lighten the mood. “I’ve got your back, buddy!”

“Thanks, pal,” she snorted as she lightly caressed my knee.

Another twenty minutes into the drive and Lauren was fast asleep with her face pressed against the window. So. Fucking. Cute. I was completely exhausted. In fact, I was too tired to even lose myself in my thoughts. I was basically a zombie for the rest of the drive.

“Lauren?” I whispered, lightly shaking her shoulder after parking the truck in front of Lauren’s SUV. “Lauren, we’re here. Wake up.”

“Huh? What?” Lauren grunted as she woke up.

“We’re home,” I told her.

“We made it,” she sighed while wiping the drool from her chin.

“We made it,” I chuckled.

I helped Lauren out of my truck and led her through the front door of her house. She plopped down on a chair in her kitchen, her eyes slightly glazed. I quickly ran back out to get her backpack and left it near her front door. She could deal with it later.

“My bedroom is upstairs. I’m downstairs,” Lauren groaned, sounding like she had reached a new level of exhaustion. It made sense. She was home, and all her tension was released.

“I’ll help you upstairs,” I offered. “But, I did think you wanted to shower first?”

“Too tired,” she grunted. “I’ll do it when I wake up. Wash sheets, too.”

“Okay, let’s get you to your room,” I smiled.

Lauren leaned on me as we took on our final challenge; the stairs. She still couldn’t put weight on her ankle, and I wasn’t sure if she was even fully conscious. I was basically carrying her when we reached the second floor. Fortunately, the master bedroom was easy to find.

The bedroom was pretty standard; a large bed was opposite the door and facing a flat screen television that was mounted on the wall. Lauren had a very nice desk with a laptop resting on top of it, a dresser, and the room had a built-in closet. The main thing I noticed was that there were once again no pictures to be found. No friends, no family.

“This is my room,” Lauren commented with a frown as she tossed her cap on the dresser. “Don’t look in my desk.”

“I won’t, I won’t,” I immediately promised as I brought Lauren to the bed. “The bodies are in the basement, so I assume you keep the severed heads in your desk.”

“Okay,” she yawned.

I knelt on the floor and carefully removed Lauren’s hiking boots. She winced and pulled her foot out of my grip when I accidentally aggravated her sprained ankle. I did manage to get her socks off without incident before standing up. Then I plugged in her phone so it could charge while Lauren pulled off her sweater and tossed it on the floor.

“How are you feeling?” I asked.

“Tired,” Lauren grunted before pulling off her shirt, revealing a navy colored sports bra.

“I understand. I’m going home and passing out,” I smiled, unable to stop myself from looking down at Lauren’s cleavage. Her boobs were just so big, and she was sitting on the bed, the angle was perfect.

“Wait. Help me up first,” she said, reaching out for me.

Lauren placed her hand on my shoulder while I wrapped an arm around her waist. Once she was balanced, Lauren let me hold her up while she unbuttoned her hiking pants. Before I could say anything, Lauren pushed her pants down to her knees, revealing her very skimpy black underwear.

“Uh...” I mumbled stupidly as Lauren pulled the comforter down before sitting on the bed.

“Help me with my pants, please?” Lauren asked quietly.

“Right. Sure,” I nodded as I knelt on the floor again.

I kept my eyes on the floor as I pulled off Lauren’s pants and folded them. Her legs were so long, so toned, so flawless. I set her folded pants down on the bedside table before turning back to the bed. My heart caught in my chest when Lauren turned away from me and laid down.

Perfection. That was the word that came to mind. Lauren’s ass was absolutely perfect. The tight globes were only covered by a thin string of dark fabric, and I wanted to touch. I wanted to touch her so badly my hand actually twitched. Then she pulled the comforter over her body, leaving me with only a memory.

“I had a great time yesterday,” she whispered while settling in.

“So did I,” I replied sincerely. “Do you need me to stay? I can sleep on the floor or something. I just don’t feel right about leaving you when you can’t walk.”

“I’ll be fine, I’m a big girl,” Lauren said. “Go home. You’re exhausted, too.”

“If you’re sure...” I sighed, reluctant to leave. “Just promise you’ll text me if you have trouble walking, or if you need anything. I’ll be right over.”

“I promise,” she told me.

“Thank you,” I smiled down at her.

“Goodnight, Tim,” Lauren mumbled sleepily. “Thank you for taking such good care of me.”

“Goodnight, Lauren,” I responded, leaning over to kiss her temple. “Sweet dreams.”

Brady was thrilled to see me when I walked in to my cabin. You would have thought I’d been gone for years from the way he was wagging his butt while whining and grunting. I set my backpack down and paid him some attention before heading upstairs.

Unlike Lauren, I decided to take a quick shower. I needed it. Badly. I didn’t see the need to put anything on, so I just dried off and staggered back to my room naked. I plugged in my phone and sent a few texts before getting into bed. I was unconscious before my head hit the pillow.

The limited sleep I got was not enough, but I had to show my face to the counselors for Independence Day. Plus, I was hungry. At least it shouldn’t be too long a night. I groaned in pain when I reached over and grabbed my phone.

I had a few texts from Lauren. She thanked me again for the great hike and for helping her. My neighbor also insisted she was fine and would be able to manage getting around by herself. The final text let me know that she was still having company for the holiday.

Doing my best to ignore my jealousy, I got ready for the rest of the day. After dressing and hanging out with Brady, I left out the back door and breathed in the fresh air. My joints hurt and were stiff, so I slowly made my way down the hill leading to my dock, hoping to walk it off.

I found myself standing on my wooden dock as I looked out over Moosehead Lake. Everything was quiet, peaceful. Lauren had helped remind me that this was a wonderful place. Leaving was for the best, but it was going to be difficult. And, for the first time, I contemplated coming back to visit.

The sound of a motor brought me back to reality. Turning my head, I looked over toward the entrance to Lauren’s little inlet. Her small boat quickly came into view, and I was momentarily thrilled that she had the energy to still go out. Then I remembered.

Lauren wasn’t alone in the boat. Sitting up on the stern was a young woman who looked to be about Lauren’s age, early twenties. She was a cute brunette with a friendly smile, and she was wearing a very appealing red bikini that drew attention to her small breasts. The girl had to be Chloe, the barista from town. I was pretty sure I had seen her a few times, but never really spoke to her.

Sitting beside Lauren was a guy who seemed to be a few years older, about my age. He had light brown hair, and his missing shirt showed that his physique was quite impressive. I also realized he was quite a bit taller than I was, and a couple inches taller than Lauren.

From the angle, it wasn’t easy to see Lauren, but I did catch the occasional glimpse. The busty blonde was wearing her new sunglasses, as well as the same dark blue bikini top she had on the day we met. Chloe and Sean seemed to be in a great mood, but I saw a guilty frown on Lauren’s face when she briefly waved. Then the boat passed my dock, and I could only see their backs as they continued through Moosehead Lake.

It wasn’t a date. I repeated that line over and over as I headed over to the dining hall. The guy had brought his baby sister, it couldn’t be a date. Fuck, why did they have to be wearing bathing suits? Why did Sean have to be taller than me?

The counselors were already in the dining hall when I arrived, as were several staff members. I wished them a happy Independence Day and gave a brief speech about the summer barbecue and fireworks. I also reminded them not to be up too late since the next batch of campers were arriving the next day. That was my way of saying not to get drunk tonight. Unfortunate timing for Independence Day, but that was how it worked out. The campers had to be the first priority.

I sat with a group of guys for the barbecue: Greg, James, Henry, Kenny, and Jason. Brian didn’t join us since he was sitting in a corner with Brooke. She was in his lap as they whispered to each other and giggled. Others were sitting in various groups, and I noticed Nikki looking at me several times.

The meal was very informal, with people coming in and grabbing food whenever the mood struck them. Some ate inside, others found outside picnic tables. Either way, there was hot food available until it was almost sunset. That was when everyone made their way to the shore for the fireworks show.

Everyone around Moosehead Lake would be out to watch the fireworks. We had a few shows over the summer, but the ones on Independence Day were always the most impressive. Abbott Trails owned a lot of shore, and all the guests would have great viewing spots. I tried not to think about Lauren and Sean watching the fireworks on the shore of Moosehead Lake, beneath the beautiful night sky.

I found myself standing between Michelle and Riley as we waited for the fireworks to start. We didn’t touch, not wanting to make our intimacy obvious. Riley did make a few quiet, flirty comments, only stopping when other people started standing around us.

Colorful explosions lit up the sky over Moosehead Lake. The scene was stunning, and I glanced over to see the fireworks lighting up Michelle’s face. Various colors reflected off her glasses, and the quiet redhead had a huge grin on her face.

Michelle inched closer to me until our shoulders touched. She looked away from the fireworks to lock eyes with me. We both smiled. Michelle then got up on her toes so she could put her lips by my ear and whisper, obviously hoping to use the explosions to muffle her words.

“I’m ready to have sex,” Michelle husked in my ear. “Tonight. After the fireworks.”

My eyebrows rose as Michelle pulled away from me and smiled. A small blush colored her lightly-freckled face as the occasional sky explosion lit up her features even further. I felt Riley’s hand on my arm, and knew she approved.

“I can’t wait,” I replied.

“What the FUCK!” a loud, angry female voice behind me shouted.

Spinning around, I realized Nikki had been standing right behind us, obviously eavesdropping. I instinctively took a couple steps back as the tall, tan brunette glared at me. She was wearing jean shorts and a v-neck shirt. Her arms were crossed beneath her breasts, and she looked ready to hit me.

“Nikki,” I sighed.

“Fucking asshole,” Nikki spat before turning around and stomping off.

“Happy Independence Day?” Riley offered with a helpless shrug.

I managed to put Nikki out of my mind when the fireworks ended and people started going their own separate ways. Michelle and Riley walked with me down the path toward my cabin. Once we were far enough down the path, the girls each took one of my hands, lacing our fingers.

Riley commented on how tired I was, and I took the time to tell them the story of Lauren’s sprained ankle. They both teased a bit about the city girl not being able to handle it, but I quickly reminded Michelle that she was from Philadelphia.

“I can wait if you need to sleep?” Michelle offered when we walked in to my cabin.

“You’re ready for a very special moment in any person’s life,” I stated firmly. “We are not postponing it.”

“Oh, I know!” Riley interjected while Michelle played with Brady. “You lay back and let us do all the work. Michelle can ride you. It’ll be great for her first time; she’ll be in complete control.”

“That’s a good idea,” I nodded, wincing as my knee cracked.

“I like it,” Michelle agreed before looking at me in concern. “Your knee okay?”

“All good,” I replied while grabbing three bottles of water from the refrigerator. “My joints are just sore.”

“How about a nice massage before we get started?” Riley offered as she accepted her water.

“Isn’t tonight supposed to be all about Michelle?” I wondered.

“It is,” Riley nodded. “And I’ll teach her how to give a massage, it’ll be great!”

“Works for me!” Michelle interjected. “We’re your friends, let us help!”

I loved Michelle’s enthusiasm, so I happily agreed as I led the two girls up the stairs. Brady whined at the door when it was shut in his face, and I felt a flash of guilt. The two cute, willing females in my bedroom made me forget all about the dog in an instant. I felt bad, but he’d be fine.