Cedar and Musk

Note to reader: Normally I write serialized stories. This is an experiment in writing a single longer story.

Cedar and Musk

Chapter 1

"Fucking deer," Radley Ainsworth screamed. A friend had told him about how beautiful the blooming dogwoods and redbuds were in the Spring, but his sightseeing detour down a country road had just turned into the highway to hell. The doe was dead by the side of the road and so was Radley's 1988 metallic red Corvette. Radley tried his cellphone then yelled again, "Of course there are no bars in Hillbilly Fuck, Arkansas." Then to put a cherry on top of his shit sundae, it started to rain.

Mark Fain, was headed back to Evening Shade, Arkansas with five tons of logs loaded on his semi. "Yes, there is actually an Evening Shade, Arkansas, but it is not the metropolis the TV show by the same name makes it out to be. He just came around a bend when he saw a car on the side of the road. "Shit," he muttered. The skid marks and the apparent damage to the car, all said auto-deer collision. Mark was also aware that the result can be ugly. On average, every year 10,000 motorists are injured and 150 are killed nation-wide by deer.

The truck's brakes hissed as it stopped on the opposite side of the road. Mark let out a sigh of relief when he saw the driver get out of the car and there were no passengers. "Do you need a lift," Mark yelled over the now pouring rain.

"Yeah, thanks!"

"Grab what you need and get in."

While the guy got a bag out of the trunk, Mark grabbed some of his emergency triangles and a flashing red light from the truck and set them out to warn oncoming vehicles of the disabled car; then, he drug the deer the rest of the way off the road. When both men were in the truck's cab, Mark extended his hand and said, "Mark Fain."

"Radley Ainsworth."

Between the storm and the setting sun, there wasn't going to be any way to deal with the car that night. "Do you have friends or relatives in the area?" Mark asked.

"No, if you can just drop me at a motel, I would appreciate it."

"There isn't a motel, within 20 minutes of here, and it ain't a sleeping motel, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I've got a pretty good idea. Shit, I guess I'm fucked."

"Look, you can stay at my place tonight, and then we can check on your car in the morning to see how bad it is."

Radley hesitated, and Mark added, "Look Radley, I ain't no hillbilly rapist, and you look like you got a bunch more fight in you than Ned Beatty."

Radley laughed, "Thanks, your offer sounds like the best I'm going to get tonight."

"I think it's the only offer you're going to get tonight."

"All my friends call me Rad. Radley sounds like I'm Ivy League."

"All my friends call me Mark. Sorry there ain't no way to shorten it, and I'm just plain bush league."

Despite Mark's folksiness, Rad suspected that Mark was more than just one of the "good ol' boys."

A couple of miles down the road, Mark slowed the truck to make a turn onto what appeared to be a gravel road. There was a sign that said, "Fain Family Mill: Specializing in Cedar and Hardwoods 3/4 mile." Both sides of the gravel road were lined with tall trees, and Mark shifted into low to start up the hill.

Rad, laughed a bit nervously, and said, "We established you aren't a hillbilly rapist, but I forgot to ask about axe murderer."

"Don't be silly.......we switched over to chainsaws years ago."

Just as Rad was debating jumping from the truck, the road opened into a clearing with several buildings, machinery, and stacks of lumber scattered about. Mark stopped the truck in front of a building labeled `OFFICE.' Mark said, I need to stop in the office for a minute, you can use the phone to let someone know where you are. Cell service out here sucks even on a good day."

The rain had stopped and when Rad jumped out of the truck's cab, he took a deep breath and filled his lungs with the smell of rain and fresh cut cedar. "Wow, that's amazing."

Yeah," Mark said, "If I could figure out how to bottle that smell, I'd be a rich man. None of that chemical crap you buy in a store even comes close to the real thing."

Inside the office there was a man and a woman who both looked to be in their late 50s. Mark introduced them "This is my Aunt Edna Fain and Uncle Alfred Fain. Aunt Edna is the office manager, bookkeeper, and lady with the whip." Edna laughed, extended her hand.

"Nice to meet you ma'am, my name is Radley Ainsworth, but my friends just call me Rad."

Edna said, "What a well mannered young man, and do I detect a bit of Texan in you."

"Yes ma'am, born and raised." and he gave Edna a wink.

Then Mark said, "This is my Uncle Alfred, he's the chief sawyer and the mill's resident curmudgeon."

"My friends call me Al," Alfred said, sticking out his hand, "but for now, you can call me Alfred."

Rad smiled and said, "It's nice to meet you sir, and thank you for your service."

Alfred said, "How do you know I was in the service?"

"Your tattoo sir. 101st Airborne, right?"

"Yes," Alfred said. "What do you know about the 101st?"

"My father was a colonel in the 101st."

"Your father was Colonel Jefferson Ainsworth, later Senator Ainsworth?!"

"Yes sir."

"Son, your father was my brigade commander. You can call me Al," Alfred said with a smile.

"Well, now that you've charmed my family, Aunt Edna, Uncle Al, and I need to have a quick meeting. And, you need to let your family know where you are."

"If I knew where I was, I would."

Mark picked up a business card from the desk and handed it to Rad. Then he, Edna, and Al walked into an office. Rad looked at the card and it said: Mark Fain, Owner/Operator Fain Family Sawmill. Then the office number, address, and website. Rad decided he would keep the card and check out the website when he got a chance.

After meeting 20 minutes, Mark, Edna, and Al walked back into the front office in time to hear Rad say, "I realize you are just an intern, however I assume you can take a message. Tell my fucking brother, the Congressman, where I am. I will let him know when I finally get to fucking St. Louis. Until then, the fucking lawyers can just sit on the fucking paperwork."

Rad's back was to the office door and hadn't noticed the three were in the room. Rad blushed a bit and said, "Sorry ma'am for the language. Senator Ainsworth was a statesman, but Congressman Ainsworth is an asshole."

Edna laughed, "I am the only woman working at a sawmill. I assure you, I have heard much worse. Now, Al and I need to hit the road. Fridays are Al's night to cook."

"Yeah, and the Burger Hut closes at 8:30."

Chapter 2

Mark lived in an apartment above the office. When he opened the door to let Rad in, he said, "It's not a long commute to work in the morning."

Rad looked around and felt like he was in a hunting lodge. The walls were natural pine. The floors were also pine, but they were stained and sealed. The main room looked like it could have once been the lodge of a viking Jaul. The ceiling was open to expose the heavy beams and timbers. At one end was a large stone fireplace. On the mantle were antique tools from the bygone days of logging. Rad shuddered a bit when he saw the head of a buck with the largest set of antlers he'd ever seen mounted over the fireplace. In front of the fireplace was a grouping of leather furniture.

In the middle of the room, where most people would have put a dining table and chairs, there was a massive, custom walnut billiard table. While the table's joinery was perfect and nearly seamless, the surface of the wood still had the saw marks from the sawmill. Rad would have bet that the table was made by someone at the mill, maybe even the guy standing next to him.

On the wall opposite the fireplace was the kitchen. Again the cabinetry was outstanding and highlighted the beauty of the woods used. Most impressive was a live edge bar top cut from a single cedar log.

"This is spectacular!" Rad said.

"Thank you, when my dad built the office building in the 80s, he wanted to put an apartment up here, but he never got around to it. So after college, I badgered him into letting me take it on."

"Wow, you did all of this!"

"I have always liked woodworking. It's kind of my hobby. Hey you've been in those damp clothes too long. Let me show you the guest room, and the bathroom. You should take a hot shower."

"That would be great."

"Don't worry about how much hot water you use. The water heater is on demand, and I had the propane tank filled yesterday," Mark said with a smile.

When Rad saw Mark's shower he was in awe. The shower was massive; the floors and walls were flagstone. Hanging from the rafters was a rain showerhead and on opposite walls from each other were two additional shower heads, one was connected to a steam generator and the other was connected to a handheld sprayer. Along the back wall was a soaking tub, and above the tub was a skylight that opened to release the steam and allow fresh air to enter.

After a long and tension relieving shower Rad stood in front of a wall of mirror to dry off, He opened a drawer to look for a brush. He didn't find a brush, but he did find a shower enema system. "So that's what the extra tap is for," Rad said with a smile. He closed the drawer and finished drying himself.

"That is one amazing shower you have." Rad said when he walked into the kitchen. Mark was getting vegetables from the fridge, and said, "Yeah, when you live alone in the middle of nowhere, you need something to take the edge off." Mark stood up, turned around, and dropped one of the peppers he had just retrieved from the fridge.

It was dark when he'd stopped to help, and Rad was wearing an oversized sweatshirt and baggy cargo pants, but now Rad had on athletic shorts and a very tight University of Texas Swim Team T-shirt. He smiled and said, "I picked up the wrong bag and all it seemed to have are clothes from my Sophomore year at UT."

Mark recovered and said, "I see you have grown some since then."

"Yeah, I guess so."

Rad was a hot 22-years-old stud. He stood 6"3", weighed 175 lbs., and had an athletic swimmer's build. To make him even more sexy he had angular features, chestnut hair, pale blue eyes, and a scruffy beard.

Mark said, "There is a lasagna in the oven. Could you take it out of the oven when the timer goes off. Also, I would appreciate it if you could fix a salad. Unless cutting up veggies is beneath the dignity of a Longhorn."

"No, I can make a salad. You'd be surprised how low a Longhorn can sink."

That comment made Mark's cock twitch and he decided he better get to the shower before he had a raging hard on. As he walked past, Rad took a deep breath, and smelled the sexy scent of cedar and man musk. Rad thought to himself: that's the smell you need to bottle.

Mark turned on the shower and when the temp was where he wanted it, he stepped in. His cock was rock hard. Mark said, aloud to no one but himself, "Wrong bag my ass." Then he began to stroke the nine inch pieces of meat between his legs as he closed his eyes and lost himself in the vision of male perfection standing in his kitchen. It wasn't long before Mark let out a deeply sexual groan and shot his spunk onto the shower floor. Mark had to put one hand on the wall to keep from sinking to the floor while his other hand milked the last of his cum.

Little did Mark know that Rad was listening at the door for sounds of sexual release, a small fetish Rad had picked up listening to guys masturbate in the dorms at UT his freshman year.

After washing away the cum, sweat, and dirt of the day. Mark walked into his bedroom to get dressed. He decided that two could play Rad's game, and Mark slipped on a sleeveless Under Armour compression tank, and some nylon basketball shorts. When Mark walked into the kitchen it was Rad's turn to drop something.

Mark had played college baseball at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, and at 39 could still play third base. In addition to the workout he got daily from operating a lumber mill, he had built a CrossFit gym in one of the old sheds on the property. At 5'11 and 200 pound Mark was a muscular bull. Mark looked like a man who earned his livelihood in the outdoors. His hair was medium brown, as was his well trimmed beard and mustache. However, it was his eyes that Rad was drawn to. They were brown and alert, as if constantly searching for game or predators. Mark was a man's man, and Rad was under his spell.

Mark and Rad sat at the bar and ate lasagna, salad, and garlic bread. At first the conversation was superficial and stilted. Eventually the beers they were downing along with the food loosened up the conversation. Rad had just graduated from the University of Texas the previous May, and had plenty of college stories to tell. The more beer Rad drank, the more Texan he became. His accent thickened and his stories became bigger. When he was telling a story his eyes would spark and he would make huge gestures like a modern Mark Twain.

After supper, Rad said, "Is this here pool table just for show, or do you play?"

"First it's a billiard table, not a pool table."

"What's the difference?"

"Well first, the standard pool table is 9 feet and the standard American pocket billiard table is 10 feet. I wanted to go old school and make it 12 feet, but my daddy said I was already wasting too much prime walnut. Second, pool tables are covered in felt, billiard tables in baize, which is a wool cloth. There are other differences, but you college boys have a limited attention span, so I'll stop there."

"So do you play billiards, or just talk about it?"

"Boy, that beer has made you pretty cocky. Can your skills back up that talk?"

"Frat champion three years in a row."

"Hell, that's as impressive as being elected mayor of Toad Suck, Arkansas."

"Big talk for someone from Evening Shade."

Mark racked up the balls and said, "Your break, Show me what you got."

As they played, Mark noticed that when Rad had to reach for a shot, his junk would come to rest on the edge of the table confirming Mark's suspicion that Rad was freeballing. For his part, when he reached for a shot, Mark made sure his shorts pulled tights across his muscular ass.

Rad grabbed a couple of beers from the fridge, and brought one to Mark.

"I didn't ask for this," Mark said.

"I ain't drinking alone."

Mark made a note to add beer to his shopping list.

In the end, Mark won two out of three games. He could have won all of them, but with no bets on the table, Mark decided not to show Rad his best game.

"So kid, I usually hit the hot tub before going to bed. You are free to join me, stay in here and watch TV, or go to bed."

"The hot tub sounds great, but I don't have a swimsuit with me."

"Swimsuit!? This ain't the Holiday Inn. My tub is all natural."

Rad smiled, "Then hot tubbing it is."

Mark's hot tub was on a balcony off of his bedroom. On the way through the bedroom, Rad noticed that Mark had a massive king size bed. "Is the bed more of your handy work?"

"Yeah, We got into some Osage Orange a while back, so I decided to build it out of that. Fucking hardest wood I have ever worked. I spent as much time sharpening saw blades and chisels as I did actually building it. I just finished it a couple of months ago. It's not even broke in yet."

Mark stripped off his clothes and stepped onto the deck. Rad had to take a couple of deep breaths before he could follow suit. Mark just kept getting hotter and hotter. His pecs were massive and covered with a medium amount of fur. His stomach was flat, but had just enough padding covering his abs to be comfortable to lay on. Then there was the cock. It was huge and it wasn't even hard.

In contrast, Rad was naturally smooth and had very little body fat to soften his washboard abs. While Rad had alway been proud of his cock, next to Mark's, his was just average. Being average at anything wasn't something Rad was used to experiencing. However, if he could have read Mark's mind when he stepped into the tub, Rad would have known there was nothing about him that Mark would call average.

The clouds from the earlier storm had moved on, and now the night sky was clear. The balcony overlooked the mill and yard. The light from a full moon turned the yard into a world of contrasting light and shadow and it looked like a scene from a fantasy movie. The woods around the mill were filled with the sounds of night animals, and the scent of cedar filled the air. Rad was on sensory overload.

After soaking in silence for three-quarters of an hour. Mark said, "We should probably get out. We have been drinking, and we don't want to overdo it."

Rad and Mark both stood up and the moonlight illuminated their wet bodies. Rad looked at Mark and his cock began to harden. Mark handed him a towel, gave him a smile, and said, "Goodnight."

Rad couldn't remember the last time he needed to masturbate so badly. Once in the guest room, Rad began stroking furiously and shot his load hard and fast. He then collapsed onto the bed and was instantly out.

Chapter 3

The next morning, Mark knocked on the guest bedroom door, but there was no answer. He opened the door and saw Rad lying naked and face down on the bed. Mark smiled and went to the kitchen to start the coffee. After downing a cup, it was time to tackle the boy in the guest room. He poured a cup of coffee for Rad and again knocked on the door, but again there was no answer.

Mark went in and said, "Okay, buddy it's time for you to get up."

"What time is it?"

"7 o'clock."

"In the evening?" asked a disoriented Rad.

"No, in the morning."

"Who gets up at seven in the morning on Saturday?"

"Boys who lose a game of chicken with a deer."

"Oh, yeah."

"Here, drink this," and Mark handed Rad a cup of coffee.

Rad took a couple of sips and handed the cup back to Mark, "Man, you like your coffee strong."

"Yeah, that will put hair on your chest."

"Swimmers don't have hair on their chest," Rad said, and flopped back on the bed with his arms above his head.

"Well, someone has certainly gotten comfortable," Mark said.

"Does my lack of modesty offend you?" Rad said dramatically.

"No, it's the wasting of good daylight that offends me."

Mark pulled Rad to his feet and took him to the bathroom. Mark turned on the rainshower and shove Rad under it.

Rad screamed, "Fuck! That's cold!"

Mark laughed and said, "Oops. My bad."

After taking a shower and getting dressed, Rad followed the smell of bacon to the kitchen. Just as he was about to enter the great room, Rad heard Mark say "No, I won't be there this weekend..... I have company....... No, it's not that type of company....... Maybe next time.......I'll see you Aaron."

Rad stopped and thought: Aaron...or was that Erin?....What difference does it make to me if he's seeing someone?... Anyway, I will be out of here in a few days anyway.

After taking a deep breath, Rad stepped into the kitchen area. "Umm, bacon and cedar, now that's a smell worth bottling."

"You got that right," Mark said as he handed Rad a plate with bacon and French toast.

"Hey man, I'm sorry but I overheard you talking to someone on the phone. Am I keeping you from doing something this weekend?"

"No, I sometimes go to Memphis for the weekend to meet friends and hit the bars. But I wasn't feeling up to this weekend. Plus, I've got enough drunks around here to keep me company."

"Sorry about that." Rad said sheepishly. "Sometimes I forget I'm not in the frat anymore."

"Hey, we've all been there."

"So, why aren't you drunk?"

"Well, to start, I probably have 25 or 30 pound on you. Second..." Mark smiled and held three of his beer bottles from the previous night over the sink and poured half their contents down the drain.

"You sandbagged me."

"Eat you breakfast. We have to go see how bad your car is."

After breakfast Rad helped Mark hitch a flatbed trailer with a cable winch to his trunk. They drove out to where they left the car and found an Arkansas State Trooper assessing the scene. He said, "Hey Mark, do you know anything about this wreck?"

"Yep, the car belongs to this guy. Officer Carter, meet Radley Ainsworth. Radley Ainsworth, meet Office Dale Carter."

"Son," Office Carter said, "you look a little under the weather this morning. You weren't drunk when you hit this deer, were you?" Rad suddenly went pale.

Mark laughed and said, "No Dale, young Radley here was stone sober when he plowed into one of Arkansas foot hoofed citizens. What you see there is from last night."

Dale smiled, and said, "He got you with that half-a-beer thing, didn't he?"

Rad nodded slightly embarrassed.

"Don't feel bad kid. He's gotten the best of a lot of us with that scam. The sad part is how much good beer he's poured down the drain over the years."

Officer Carter, took down Rad's account of the accident and said he'd file the report. Then he said, "I was going to call for a tow, but Mark, I see you have your flatbed. I assume you're going to pick it up."

"That's the plan, if we can get a cable attached to winch it onto the trailer."

Office Carter worked traffic while Rad and Mark found a place to connect the cable. Most of the damage was confined to the front passenger quarter panel and wheel. "Okay Rad, that damaged wheel is going to try to pull the car to the right and off the ramps. You need to get behind the wheel and keep it aimed as straight as possible."

It didn't take long for Mark to winch the Corvette onto the trailer and strap it down."

Before they climbed in the truck to head back to the mill, Office Carter asked, "Are you staying in the area until your car is fixed?"

Before Rad could answer, Mark said, "He's staying at my place; at least until Monday, maybe a bit longer."

"Kid you're lucky Mark is the one who came along. You won't meet a nicer guy, or a better problem solver."

"I am figuring that out," Rad said with a smile.

Back at the yard, Mark and Rad had a chance to take a closer look at the damage. "Damn, that's going to cost a pretty penny to fix, at least to fix right," Mark said.

"I know. That's why I carry classic car insurance. I would probably just take the insurance money and move on, but my Uncle gave me this car. It has sentimental importance to me."

"So have you called your insurance company?"

"No, I should do that."

"Go ahead and use the one in my office. You will probably be on hold forever and the chair is comfortable. Also there are plenty of pens and pads lying around on the desk to take notes."

"Thanks, but I don't want to run up charges on your phone service."

"Don't worry, it's an internet phone system, so the cost is a flat rate," Mark said.

"I've been meaning to ask you about that. I can't seem to get any cell service out here, but you seem to have great internet. You've even got Netflix and Hulu."

Mark pointed at what was either a tall hill or a short mountain and said, "See that tower up there."

"Yeah."

"Years ago we put that tower up there so we could communicate with our crews using two-way radios. A few years ago we hired a guy to install a repeater up there that takes a signal from the internet provider in Evening Shade and relays it to that tower in the middle of the yard. This evening I'll help you set up your phone to access our wifi."

While Rad called his insurance company, Mark put the trailer with the Corvette in one of the sheds. When Rad walked into the apartment, Mark asked, "What did you find out?"

"It seems there are only a few insurance adjusters for classic cars in Arkansas, and surprisingly none of them live in Evening Shade. They said I could either take the car to one of the shops they recommend or they will have an adjuster out here in a couple of weeks."

"Ouch," Mark said. "Sounds like you have some decisions to make."

"Yeah," Rad said, not sure of what to do next. Finally he said, "When you told Office Carter I might be staying here a bit longer than until Monday, how long is `a bit'?"

Mark smiled, "As long as you need....Of course the way you guzzle beer, I might have to run a bar tab for you."

Rad laughed, "Oh, I insist....But, I don't want to be paying for beers that get poured down the drain."

"You learn fast frat boy."

"I'm going for a run,'' Mark said, "are you interested."

`How long."

"Oh the path is around 3 miles."

"Sure, I can do 3 miles easy. Let me get changed."

When Rad was ready, Mark led him to a trail, actually a path, behind the office. Rad said, "This is a running trail?"

"It's a trail; I run on it; therefore, it's a running trail. However, if it's too much..."

Rad laughed, "I'm sure I can handle a three mile jog in the woods."

"Good," Mark said and started down the path. A few yards down the path, Mark yelled back, "Keep an eye open for bears."

"Bears!?"

"Yeah," Mark teased," Arkansas used to be known as the Bear State, and they're making a comeback."

Twenty-five minutes later Mark was back at the mill, and a few minutes later Rad stumbled out of the trees. After he caught his breath, Rad asked, "What the hell was that?"

"That was a jog in the woods."

"Shit, when you said three miles, you didn't say they'd all be uphill."

Mark laughed, "Don't exaggerate, only half were uphill." Then he opened a fridge on a side porch of the office, grabbed two beers, and handed one to Rad. Then he sat down in one of the porch rocking chairs. Rad joined him.

After a bit Rad said, "I need a shower."

Mark sniffed the air, "I think you do."

"So do you."

Mark and Rad sat rocking, drinking beer, and not saying anything for at least a quarter hour. Finally Mark stopped rocking, and said, "The answer is yes."

"What? The answer to what?" Rad asked.

"The answer to the only question you are afraid to ask me. Yes, I'm gay."

Mark and Rad sat for a while looking into the yard. Finally, Mark held out his hand. After a moment of hesitation, Rad took it.

Mark said, "Let's go get that shower."

Chapter 4

Mark pulled Rad's sweat soaked T-shirt over his head. Rad had a perfect swimmer's build. His torso was lean and smooth. His shoulders were powerful and his arms and legs sinewy. Mark dropped Rad's shorts to the floor; leaving him standing in just a jock. Rad did not have a big ass, but the jock bound his glutes into tight globes. Rad's cock was straining to be released from its cloth prison.

Rad couldn't keep his hands off of Mark any longer. Rad worked to remove the skin tight Nike top Mark wore on the run. When he finally tossed it on the floor, Rad couldn't resist running his fingers through Mark's damp fur. When Mark's running shorts hit the floor, Rad was thrilled to see he was also wearing a jock, but his was black and straining to contain a massive cock and a full muscular ass. Although Rad stood four inches taller than Mark, he felt dwarfed by the broad muscular stud in front of him.

Mark turned on the rain showerhead and adjusted the temp until the water was warm and inviting. Then he pulled Rad into the shower. Mark began to soap the tall swimmer's torso. Occasionally he would pinch or kiss Rad's quarter size nipples. Mark slowly dropped to his knees and pulled Rad's jock down to release his cock. Rad's cock was seven inches, cut, and fully erect. Mark's lips slowly moved closer until they barely touched the tip. Rad inhaled a deep breath and Mark moved up and began to tease his balls. Finally, Mark's lips parted and he slowly swallowed Rad until his nose was buried in Rad's pubes.

"Fuck," cried Rad, "that's sooo goood!'

Mark began to bob up and down on Rad's cock. He was a master of technique and Rad was going crazy. Eventually, Mark put his arm between Rad's legs and began playing with Rad's ass. For a young stud that was too much and Rad began to shoot down Mark's throat and fill his mouth with jizz. Even though he had cum just the night before, Rad had a huge load. It was as if the run, the smell, and mostly being in the presence of Mark had supercharged hit testicles to work overtime. Never had Rad experience such a sexual high before. Mark was like an orgasmic drug dealer, and Rad felt there was more in his erotic pharmacy to try, to experiment with.

Rad started to go down to return the favor, but Mark stopped him. Rad looked at Mark with a hundred questions in his eyes. Mark smiled and said, "tonight." Rad's mind exploded and cock twitched as he considered the possibilities. "But first," Mark said, "We need to pick up some food and restock the beer fridge."

Mark was giving his grocery list one last check when Rad walked into the kitchen. He was wearing faded Levi's, an `Austin City Limits" festival T-shirt, a denim jacket, and hiking boots. "Fuck, you are hot," Mark said. "Damn, did I say that out loud?"

"Yes you did buddy, and I'm holding you to that." Rad shot back.

"Well, the sooner we get going, the sooner I can find out if the show lives up to the billing."

The closest town with a decent grocery store was in Cave City, 15 miles away.

"The first stop is Buttercup's Kitchen. I'm hungry, and I bet a kid like you is starving."

"Yeah, I am feeling a bit peckish."

"Peckish? Hell I'm surprised you're not gnawing on my shin."

"It's not you shin I want to gnaw on."

"Hold on there son. If you are suggesting what I think you are, there will be no teeth marks down there."

Rad laughed, and said, "Shit this is the most fun I've had in three weeks."

At the Buttercup, Rad ordered a burger and fries, Mark ordered smothered steak with mashed potatoes and fried okra." When the waitress brought out the orders she asked, "So Mark, whose this hottie? Did you finally hire a hand for the mill?"

"Annie, this is Radley Ainsworth, and no he's not a new mill hand. I found him along the side of the road after he hit a deer."

"Nice to meet you ma'am," Rad said.

"Damn, cute and well behaved, why don't I ever find these when I'm out driving?"

Both Mark and Rad laughed.

After a few bites, Rad said, "So, you're looking for a mill hand?"

"Yep, you interested?"

"That all depends."

"On what."

"Whether the owner/operator can put a good enough offer on the table."

"Well what's the competition, why are you headed to St. Louis?"

"I'm doing the gap year thing now, then next fall I'm starting law school."

"So your choice would be between being a high priced, big city lawyer, with a prestigious career, and a cushy air conditioned office, versus, a mill hand, earning an hourly wage, in the middle of butt-fucking nowhere. I doubt there's enough fresh air and cedar aroma to tip those scales."

"Probably not, but the owner/operator should still pitch his best offer," Rad said with a wicked smile.

"If innuendo is a tool of the trade, you're going to make a great lawyer," Mark said. "But I don't get it, UT has a good law school, and you seem like you should have been accepted. I mean you're smart, you did your undergrad there, and you have the political connection that should have made acceptance a breeze."

" UT doesn't have a good law school, it has a great law school, and I was accepted. The problem is my asshole brother and the whacked out state of Texas politics. He is up for reelection next year, and his campaign sees me as a liability. Apparently, it doesn't look good if a Texas Republican has a brother who believes the science on climate change, doesn't believe The Bill of Rights is only for Christian white men, and worst of all is gay. So, I am being sent out of state to law school."

"You couldn't refuse?"

"Could have, but that would have meant my brother would keep control of the family trust. We each have a 50 percent share of the trust, however if we can't agree on how to manage it, the trust's lawyer casts the deciding vote. I want the trust to be more socially conscious in its investments and my brother wants to invest in oil, gas, and big agribusiness. The trust's law firm is also the law firm of the Texas Republican State Committee and several of the state's biggest polluters. So my brother's investment decisions win."

"However, he said he would agree to dissolve the trust and split the assets on the condition I got my `tree-hugging, commie-liberal, gay ass out of the Lone Star State.' So, that's why I am going to law school in St. Louis."

"Oh," Mark said quietly and looked down at his plate.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"Well, I cut down trees. I have sap on my hands. You probably think I'm some evil forest mass murderer."

Rad laughed so loud other diners looked at their table. When he finally stopped laughing, Rad said, "Thanks, I needed that."

After lunch the next stop was the Hometown Grocery for the basic pantry staples. "Since it looks like you may be staying a while, what are some things you like?" Mark asked.

"Usually for breakfast, I have either Frosted Flakes or Pop Tarts..."

"Seriously, how old are you thirteen?"

"There's a kid in all of us," Rad said with a smile.

"I work for a living," Mark said, "so, I have to have a decent breakfast. How are you with biscuits and gravy?"

"I love biscuits with sausage gravy."

"Then we need to pick up some tubes of biscuits."

"What about sausage?"

"There's a freeze in the mill's tool shed full of sausage. Arkansas is being overrun with feral hogs. To keep the population down in the woodlots I have to hire hunters to thin them out. So, I get a share of their kill. The guys from the mill come over on a weekend and we drink beer and make sausage. We smoke it, then put it in the freeze and anyone who needs some just grabs it."

"Free sausage"

"Hardly, I figure for every pound of sausage we get, the hogs have done a thousand dollars worth of damage."

After they finished at the grocery store it was off the Old Buck's Liquor. Buck Holliday was a codger. Mark said hello then asked, "How's the beer?"

"Cold as my ex's heart. Old Milwaukee is the Cindy Special of the week," Buck said.

Rad asked Mark, "What's the Cindy Special?"

"Cindy is Buck's ex. Every week he runs a special on a cheap beer that leaves a bad taste in your mouth. It's a tradition to buy a six of the Cindy Special and the money goes into Buck's alimony jar." Mark pointed to a jar by the counter that said "Vampire Fund, Help feed the blood sucker."

"Shit, it sounds like an ugly divorce."

"That's part of the joke. Buck and Cindy actually get along, they just couldn't live together. If you believe the local gossip, Buck and his ex split a six of the Cindy Special every Saturday night, then fuck like alley cats. You know--lots of biting, scratching and yelling."

Mark picked up two 24-packs of bottled Budweiser, a couple of cartons of Sam Adams Octoberfest, and a six of Fat Tire. Rad, looked at the selection with an odd expression. Mark said, "The Fat Tire is for drinking with the steaks I'm grilling tonight, the Sam Adams is for sitting on the porch at the end of the day, and the Bud is for if we need to get shit-faced drunk."

"I see," Rad said, "That way you won't feel bad about pouring half of it down the drain."

"You know, for a frat boy, you're not too dumb."

Rad added a bottle of honey bourbon and a bottle of tequila to the stack.

"Oh, so that's why you insisted on limes." Mark said.

"Yep, and I've got this," Rad said as he handed Buck a card.

Buck looked at the card and read the name aloud, "Radley P. Ainsworth the Second."

On the drive back to Evening Shade, Mark asked, "P? What does that stand for?"

"Preston."

"Damn kid, you should have gone to Yale with a name like that. So where does the Second come from?"

"My uncle, the one who gave me the Corvette, was Radley Preston Ainsworth the First. He never had any children, so my parents named me after him. No one ever talked about it, but I think he was gay, so we have more in common than our names. I just wish I had known him better."

Chapter 5

When they got back to the mill Mark and Rad put the groceries away and the beer in the fridge, then Mark said, "We have an order of cedar going out early on Monday morning, so I need to get the paperwork done. It will take me a couple of hours, so you will have to entertain yourself for the afternoon."

"Not a problem. Is it okay if I walk around the yard?"

"Sure, just be careful what switches you flip. You'd hate to turn on a saw by accident and cut off something important."

"Thank you for your concern."

"Oh, I'm not worried about you, I just don't want anything to ruin my evening."

Rad laughed.

Mark double checked the load on the semi to make sure it matched the order. Then he priced the cedar and completed an invoice. When he was finished, Mark looked at the final bill and smiled. The customer was getting a premium quality product and it was fetching top dollar. The Fain Sawmill had a good supply of high grade timber contracted and the demand was strong. The year was going to be one of the best ever, the only thing that kept it from being the best was the lack of a dependable mill hand to help Alfred.

Rad walked around the yard. As he noticed that none of the equipment was new, but it all seemed well taken care of. The saws, planers, and milling machines were old cast iron models that looked like they would never wear out. Missing was the automation of large mills. Here human hands still touched each piece of wood.

When he finished his paperwork, Mark found Rad out in the yard. "So, what do you think?"

"I'm impressed."

Mark laughed, "Well it doesn't take much to impress you. This is a small mill. Nothing like large corporate mills."

"I'm not talking about the size of the mill; I'm talking about the pride and professionalism I see all around me. The equipment may be old, but it is well maintained, and I've never seen wood like this at Lowe's or Home Depot."

Mark said, "You have a discerning eye. Too many people confuse glitz for quality."

After a bit Mark said, "Hey how about we get a beer, and I'll start the steaks."

Back up at the office Mark stacked some charcoal in a grill. Rad had grabbed a couple of beers and was watching him get ready to start the charcoal. "I don't think I've ever seen charcoal like that."

"We make it here from some of the waste oak and hickory. It's part of our effort to use as much of the tree as possible. What we can't cut for lumber we try to find other markets for. We cut up some of the scrap into blanks for the local wood turners. We also turn limbs that can't be turned into lumber as fuel for smokers and grills. What's left gets ground and mixed with the sawdust for mulch. The money from those secondary products helps cover the employee insurance premiums."

"Your operation gets even more impressive," Rad said.

When the coals were ready, Mark threw a couple of rib-eye steaks on the grill. While the coals were turning white, Mark and Rad had fixed the rest of supper, so when the streaks came off the grill, dinner was ready to serve.

Rad got a couple of more beers to go with the meal. He was also making sure Mark was drinking all the beer and not sandbagging him this time. The steaks were some of the best Rad had ever eaten. He asked, "Where did you get these steaks? They are amazing."

"One of my college teammates' family owns a ranch in the Flint Hills of Kansas. They keep a special herd of Angus to sell to special customers and for their own use. The reality is the beef is too good to be commercially profitable except as custom orders. I order a steer every year. They have it custom processed and packaged. When it's ready, I drive up for a visit and pick up my beef."

After putting the dishes in the washer, Rad said, "Are you up for a bet?"

"What kind of bet?"

Rad handed Mark another beer. "I bet the only reason you beat me last night at pool..."

"Billiards."

"Okay billiards. I bet the only reason you beat me last night at BILLIARDS was that you drank only half as much beer as me."

"Oh, you think so."

"How about a rematch."

"Why would I want to do that?"

How about we make the game more interesting with a bet."

"Okay, what is the bet?"

"Straight pool to 50. If you sink a legal ball, your opponent has to remove an article of clothing. The winner of the game gets to decide the rest of the evening."

"I don't know," Mark said.

"I see; you're not so cocky when it's a fair game," Rad taunted.

"It's your ass frat boy."

"Not tonight country boy."

Once the game started, Mark won the break and never looked back. Twenty minutes later, Rad was standing completely naked and holding a cue stick he never got to use. All he could manage to mumble was, "Damn, you sandbagged me again."

Mark smiled, smacked Rad on the ass, and said, "Don't worry, I'll be gentle."

Mark then took Rad's hand and led him to the balcony. Mark stripped naked, and the two got into the hot tub. Mark gave Rad a gentle kiss and said, "Are you okay?" and Rad nodded.

"Look at me," Mark said. Rad looked straight into Mark's eyes. "I told you I wasn't a hillbilly rapist, so if you don't want this, just say so."

Rad leaned forward and gave Mark a passionate kiss. When their lips finally parted, Rad said, "I want this more than anything. I'm just afraid once I get it, I won't be able to let it go."

Mark pulled Rad between his legs so that Rad's back was resting on his chest. They sat like that for a few minutes listening to an owl in the distance, inhaling the intoxicating aroma of cedar, and staring at an infinite night sky. Finally Mark said, "Will you share my bed tonight."

Rad turned, gave Mark a kiss, and said, "Yes."

Mark said, "Come with me." and led Rad to his bed.

Mark explored the length of Rad's body from his lips to his toes. Mark found those places that made him purr, those that made him giggle, and those that made his cock stiff. Finally, Mark couldn't resist any longer and his attention moved to Rad's 7 inch, cut cock.

Rad's cock was gorgeous and Mark gently licked a drop of pre from its tip. It was both salty and sweet, and Mark needed more. He parted his lips to let Rad's cock enter, and without even thinking slid all the way down until his nose was buried in soft pubic hair. It was like swallowing Rad's cock was familiar and organic.

After bringing Rad to the edge twice, Mark lifted Rad's leg back and part ed them to expose a tight and beautiful puck. For a few moments all Mark could do was stare, then he bent down and ever so lightly kissed it. Rad grabbed his ankles and pulled his long legs back until he was nearly folded in half. Rad was inviting Mark to explore his frat cunt. Mark slowly and sensually licked, and Rad moaned with pleasure. Mark's tongue teased and caressed Rad's hole until he finally screamed "Fuck me!"

As much as Rad wanted, needed, Mark inside him, the reality of taking nine inches of thick cock frightened him. He'd been fucked before, but never by a demigod. As Mark pushed his cock against Rad's entrance Mark sensed the resistance and paused. He leaned down and kissed Rad, then said, "We have all night. So when you are ready...." The tenderness and care with which Mark reassured him was all it took for Rad to relax and give Mark entrance.

Rad locked eyes with Mark, and before he even realized it Mark was stoking deep inside him. The stimulation to Rad's prostate was beyond anything he had ever experienced. There was nothing Rad could do, wanted to do, to forestall the orgasm that crashed down upon him like waves on a rocky shore.

Rad's next surprise was the completeness of Mark's orgasm. In the short time Rad had known him Mark was always in control of himself and his environment. However, at the peak of his orgasm Mark was an out of control beast. He wasn't mean or violent, but he was freed from responsibility and restraint. For those few moments Mark's brain was locked away and his cock ruled his body.

Mark slowly withdrew, and lowered himself to gently kiss Rad. Mark's brain had once again asserted control. No words were spoken, or needed, touch alone communicated everything the moment required. Rad took a deep breath. The scent of cum mixed with that of cedar, and the musky smell of Mark's sweaty body. It was like a sedative, and Rad fell asleep in Mark's strong arm.

Chapter 6

Sunday morning, Rad woke up and cuddled up to Mark. "What up frat boy?"

"Would I be too obvious if I say my cock?"

Mark laughed, and said "Maybe just a bit, since there is a piece of pipe grinding into my leg. So, what you want to do about it."

"How about a reprise of last night."

"Are you a mind reader," Mark asked and pulled Rad in for a kiss.

An hour later two very sweaty and satisfied men lay looking at the ceiling while they recovered. Rad asked, "Is there anything you are not good at?"

"Let's see. I suck at Pictionary; I can't make a flaky pie crust; and I can't sing. How about you?"

"I can't tie a decent bowtie; I can't juggle; and I suck at parallel parking."

"I think we need to grab a shower and get something to eat before the baseball game starts."

After finally getting showered and dressed, Mark made biscuits and sausage gravy, and Rad scrambled some eggs. The two ate while watching the pregame show.

Fortunately, both Mark and Rad were Cardinal fans. St. Louis was playing the Chicago Cubs in one of the MLB's most intense rivalries. Rad was the kind of fan that would jump up, and scream at the TV if the ump made what he thought was a bad call. When the Cards would score, Rad would strut around like he was Fredbird, the Cardinals mascot. Mark teased him for acting like a queen, but inside Mark thought it was sexy.

At the beginning of the game, the guys started a drinking game. Every time the Cards got a double or more they had to finish what was left in their bottle, and get a fresh one. Mark called an end to the game early when Cards hit three homers in the bottom of the fifth, "There is fun drunk, and then there is dangerous drunk. This is going to be a blowout, and neither of us need to get that waisted."

The game ended 12-3, but Rad wasn't awake for the final out. The stress of the accident and the beer had finally caught up with him. He was stretched out asleep on the leather couch and using Mark's lap as a pillow. Mark looked at the sleeping stud and said to himself: another thing I'm no good at, saying goodbye."

When Rad finally woke, Mark was gone. In place of his lap was a pillow. The TV and the lights were off. Rad went looking for Mark and found him soaking in the hot tub. Rad slipped off his clothes and climbed in so that his back was resting on Mark's chest.

"Okay Tex," Mark said, "just go ahead and make yourself at home."

"Don't mind if I do."

The two talked about nothing and everything. It was so good to have someone to talk with, to joke with, to share a meal with. Until that moment Mark hadn't realized just how lonely he was. As they talked Mark was massaging Rad's shoulders and upper back.

"Damn, you are good at that. Where did you learn how to do that?"

"I and one of the pitchers on my college team roomed together. We got in the habit of helping each other work out the kinks."

"Work out the kinks?"

"No nothing sexual...Well some of the massages were a bit intimate. I wasn't out and at the time thought he was straight. Truth is, we wasted two year giving and getting massages when we could have been giving and getting head, and a lot more."

"So you never?"

"Not in college. A couple of years ago we were back on campus so they could honor our team and induct us into the university's sports hall of fame. Actually, they just wanted to hit us up for donations to upgrade the practice facilities. At the banquet we both got a bit, well a lot drunk, and we ended up playing true confessions. It turns out he's a big old bottom. We went back to the hotel and had our own induction ceremony. We still hook up one or twice a year."

Rad said, "I got lucky. I found out my freshman roommate was gay, or as he claims bi, when I discovered his computer porn stash. After he threw a fit about violating his privacy, followed by an hour of weeping and begging me not to out him, we fucked and never stopped fucking for four years."

"Do you still see him?"

"Yep, saw him this afternoon."

"Huh?"

"He plays in the MLB. He's not out. In fact, he married his high school beard. I'm betting the marriage ends the day after his career does. He wanted children and an MLB career, and she wanted out of the Texas Panhandle. They both got what they wanted, and I'm happy for them."

"So...I don't know how to ask this; except to just ask it," Mark said. "Are you out?"

"I describe myself as `not in.' I grew up in a political family. I celebrated my tenth birthday in the Governor's Mansion in Austin. When I was in the sixth grade, my father won his first term in the U.S. Senate. He and mom went to D.C.. My brother, Connery, was at UT. It was decided I would live with my aunt in Austin so I could continue school with my friends. As I got older, I would talk with my aunt Gerty, and she knew. But she was one of the few free thinking liberals I ever actually knew in Texas."

"During my freshman year at UT, dad was running for his second term in the Senate. I planned to come out to my parents right after the elections were over. But three days after dad won the election, he was told he had cancer. I told mom, but we decided not to tell dad. After dad died, his attorney gave me a letter from my dad, it said: Radley, I knew you are gay, and I still loved you. I wish you could have told me. Dad."

Rad couldn't go on, he was sobbing too much. Mark rapped his strong arms around Rad and just held him. When he finally regained control of his emotions, Rad said, "You are the only other person who knows about the letter. When dad died, mom was already in failing health. I think she just didn't want to go on without him. I never showed it to her."

"I guess what I'm saying is the people that matter knew."

Mark didn't say anything, but just continued to hold Rad. There were several minutes of silence then Rad said, "Thank you for not asking about my brother. I'm too emotional to talk about that asshole."

Mark helped Rad out of the tub, dried him and then led him to bed. There was not sex that night. There was a different kind of sharing, intimacy, and vulnerability.

Chapter 7

Monday morning, Mark slipped out of bed and got ready for the day. After eating breakfast, Mark went to have a quick word with Rad, "Hey, frat boy."

"What time is it?"

"6:30, I'm running a bit late, so I need to get going."

"What time do you start around here?"

"The crews will start to arrive around 7:30 to get their orders for the day. The mill will start running around eight, and customers will begin picking up loads at nine. So, I have to have my shit together before then. This boss is still a working man."

"When does your day end?"

"When the work is done."

"Oh."

"Sorry buddy you're on your own for today. I will be out in the field most of the day. Feel free to wander around and explore. Just be careful in the yard. The trucks and forklifts have the right away. Also, feel free to use the gym, and remember people in the yard can see the balcony. So if you decide to use the hot tub, your cute ass may get some whistles."

"Somehow, solo hot-tubbing has lost its appeal."

"There's breakfast staying warm in the oven, and help yourself to whatever is in the kitchen for lunch. I should be able to stop work around four this afternoon. We can drive into Batesville and rent you some wheels so you're not stuck here all day long."

Rad tried to go back to sleep but couldn't, so he took a shower and ate breakfast. Once it hit eight o'clock, Rad called one of the restoration shops the insurance company had given him and found they would take on the job, but there was no estimate on how long it would take. The problem with classic cars was finding someone who has the parts or can reproduce them.

Once the car was taken care of, Rad decided to get some air. He eventually ended up at the sawmill. He found Alfred straining to stack a slab of fresh cut cedar. Rad, grabbed an end of the board and gave him a hand."

"Thanks Rad," Alfred said.

"It looks like you can use some help."

"Yeah, we've been looking for several months. That's the problem of being in the boonies, there's not a lot of people looking for jobs, and those that are, you don't want. The warehouse boys help when they can, but today they have a large order to get out."

"I see, well I can give you a hand."

Alfred took Rad's hands and looked at them, "Pretty soft. You'd better use these," and Alfred handed him a pair of gloves.

Because both Rad and Al were wearing hearing protection, Rad had to learn some hand signals to communicate. Soon Rad and Al developed a working rhythm and cedar boards began to fly off the mill. Al stood at the controls and set the cutting depth of the saw, and Rad cleared and stacked the timber. Al also gave Rad a quick lesson in driving a forklift so he could bring logs to the mill. Al still stopped the mill on occasion to move the stacked cedar into the drying shed. It was one thing to trust Rad to move a log in the open yard, it was entirely different to stack long boards high in the drying racks of a shed.

At noon, Al shut down the mill and said, "Let's go get some lunch. Edna went into Woodie's Cafe in Evening Shade and got us some burgers." Al, Edna, and Rad sat on the office porch and ate burgers and fries. Next to the beer fridge was a fridge stocked with sodas and water. Rad noticed that today there was a padlock on the beer fridge. For dessert Edna had brought some of her own special pecan pie.

"So, how's the new mill hand," Edna asked.

"He's a worker," replied Al. "We haven't cut that much cedar in months."

Rad couldn't help smiling. He knew it meant something when someone who'd worked hard all his life praises your effort.

"I am glad to hear it. You know I get worried when you are running the mill alone. I'll feel so much better when Rex and Terry are here."

"Who are Rex and Terry?" Rad asked.

"Rex is our grandson and Terry is Mark's nephew," Edna said. "They are at school now, but they work summers here at the mill."

Just then a truck pulled up and a man similar in age and build to Mark got out and walked over. Al said, "Jerry, this is Radley Ainsworth, he's staying with Mark for a few days until they gets his car to the shop."

Jerry extended his hand and said, "Jerry Fain. I heard about your run in with one of the locals. I hear it messed up a sweet car."

"Yeah, that's a bummer, but the bright side is I've met some great people."

"Who it looks have already put you to work."

"Well, I need to earn my keep."

"Jerry is the head forester for the Fain Timber Trust," Edna said, "It seems like he only drops by when he needs our signatures."

"Mom, you know that's not true. I was over just two days ago."

"Yeah, to eat some pie."

"And to see you and dad," Jerry said and gave his mother a kiss on the cheek.

Al said, "Enough talk. Let's get these papers signed, so you can get back to making us some money."

"Okay." Jerry said, "This first document is for permission to sell the pine plantation trees at auction. The second document is to sell Fain Family Mills ten thousand board feet of mixed hardwood and cedar at ninety percent of market rate. The last document is a contract to purchase seedlings to replant the pine plantations."

After both Al and Edna had signed the documents, Jerry said, "Sally, I and the girls will see you on Sunday." Then he got in the truck and left.

Al said, "Rad, you look confused. The Fain family business is convoluted. For tax and business reasons my grandfather split the business into two parts during the 30s. One part is Fain Family Sawmill, of which Mark is the owner operator. The ownership agreement states that if Mark or his heirs want to sell the mill, it has to be offered to other members of the Fain family at 90 percent of appraised market value. Also Fain family members get preference in hiring for the mill."

"The other part of the business is the Fain Timber Trust. The Trust owns timber land in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky. If you like bourbon, there's a good chance it was aged in a barrel made from white oak harvested from the Fain Timber Trust. Anyway, I and Edna are the trustees of the Trust. One of the stipulations in the Trust documents is that Fain Family mill gets the first choice of timber at 90 percent of market rate. The result of all that legal paper is that I and Edna work for Mark, who works for us, and we all three work for the family, of which half work for the three of us."

"That sounds confusing."

"Yeah," said Al, "We're probably one of the few families who invite their lawyer and banker to the family reunion."

"Wow, I thought dealing with my brother over our family trust is a mess, but you guys have a tangle. But. at least you guys get along."

"We have our moments," Edna said, "But we are lucky that way."

"Well, let's see if we can get some more cedar in the drying shed. That is if you are still up for helping?" Al said.

"Absolutely," Rad said.

When Mark got back around four, he was amazed at the size of the dent made in the cedar logs. "What happened, Uncle Alfred?" Mark asked, "You told me this would take at least a week, but from the looks of it, you will be finished tomorrow morning."

"I found myself a millhand." Al said pointing to Rad who was loading a log into the mill.

"Rad?" Mark said with surprise.

"Yeah, the boy is a quick learner and a hard worker. Oh by the way, you owe him a day's wages...And maybe a bonus." Al said with a wink. That Mark was gay had never for a moment been an issue for Al and Edna.

Mark waved Rad over, "If we're going to get you a car rented, we'd better get cleaned up and on the road."

"What the fuck are you renting him a car for?" Al said. "Now I'm going to lose my millhand."

"No, you won't," Rad said with a laugh. "You're gonna have to fire me to get rid of me. I'll see you in the morning."

When Mark closed the door to the apartment, he grabbed Rod and said, "Fuck you smell so good. You are driving me crazy."

Rad laughed, "Oh, you think I smell good."

"Oh yeah, there is nothing better than the smell of a man who's been working in a sawmill all day."

"Well, I don't think everyone would agree, so I need to take a quick shower."

"Guess I'll have to join you. We can't have one of us smelling pretty and the other smelling like soap and chemicals."

Once he started washing Rad's chest, Mark couldn't resist. He pushed Rad `s back against the shower wall, and Mark dropped to his knees and gave the new millhand a bonus that blew his mind and his load.

Chapter 8

On the way to Batesville, Mark said, "Tomorrow, you need to see Edna about getting put on the payroll."

"You don't have to pay me. You've done so much for me and I was just trying to help out."

"Thank you, but my insurance company, OSHA, and the Labor Department would shove something very unpleasant up my ass if they discovered you were not on the payroll. Plus, I can't very well put `paid in beer and blow jobs' on the company balance sheet."

"I see your point. I'll take care of that first thing in the morning."

At Enterprise Rad rented a standard SUV. Originally, Rad had suggested a Chevy Impala, but then Mark reminded him that the mill road was steep and built for trucks. The next stop was for pizza before heading back to Evening Shade. Mark took Rad to a local place that served brick oven pizza and cold beer. When the waitress brought the beers to the table, Mark said, "This is one, you only get two. We have a 30-minute drive back to the mill, and I don't need to spend my evening bailing you out of the Sharp County hoosegow."

"Hoosegow? Man you are a hillbilly."

"I never said I wasn't. I just said I wasn't a hillbilly rapist."

Mark and Rad had a great time eating pizza and talking about their college athletic experiences. Rad realized how different a team sport like baseball was than swimming. Yeah, they called it a swim team, but in reality it was a collection of individual athletes. The closest thing there was to a team in swimming were the relays, but even there each swimmer swam his or her leg alone.

"A lot of us were friends," Rad said, "but we didn't have to be close. At the meets we would cheer for each other, but we didn't live it with teammates like guys that play baseball, football, or other team sports. We each had our own goals, training schedule, in fact, unless you were on a relay, you didn't even have to practice with the rest of the team. I told you I roomed with a baseball player. If I asked him after a game how they did, my roommate would say we won' or we lost.' If he asked me the same question, I would say I placed first' or I swam a personal best.' There may not be an `I' in team, but there are two in swimming."

"I never thought of it that way," Mark said. "Love or hate you teammates, you practiced together, you played together, and you won or lost together."

After they were finished, Mark paid the tab and said, "I need to stop and pick up some parts for one of the machines. I'll meet you back at the mill."

Chapter 9

When Mark entered the apartment, he was surprised not to see Rad stretched out on the couch watching TV. Mark walked to the bedroom and found Rad in the hot tub already on his second beer. Mark stripped off his clothes and got into the tub behind Rad. Mark began to slowly massage Rad's shoulders and he could feel the tension, but there was more, there was anger.

"What's the matter," Mark asked as he continued the massage.

"My fucking brother." Rad spit out with all the hostility possible. "He called me on the way back here. I knew I shouldn't answer, but like an idiot, I did. He started in right away, didn't even say hello or ask me whether I was alright. All he wanted to know was when I would get to St. Louis. When I was going to sign the apartment lease, and when I was going meet with the lawyers. Finally, I just got pissed and said I would be there Saturday and the fucking lawyers could see meet with me then. I yelled fuck you Congressman Assworth. Then I hung up the phone."

"Congressman Assworth, that's good."

Rad had to laugh a little, "Yeah, he still hasn't forgiven me for that. The College Republicans had invited him to speak at one of their events. So the UT Democratic Club printed stickers that read ASS and pasted them over the `Ains' in all of the signs announcing his visit around campus. Boy did I get a cussing when he found out I was president of the UTDC."

"Wow, you two really don't get along."

"Nope, my brother is the one guy who can make Ted Cruz seem likable. We pretended to be brothers when my parents were alive, but now if either of us saw the other on fire, we wouldn't even piss on the flames."

Rad turned around to face Mark, then asked, "Will you come to St. Louis with me next weekend. I don't want to deal with the lawyers alone. I know we just met, and I'm the mooch living in your house, and you probably just want me gone, but......"

Mark kissed Rad, and kept kissing him until he was no longer trying to talk. Finally Mark said, "Of course I will go to St. Louis with you. Oh, and FYI, you are welcome here as long as you need or want."

Rad sat soaking in Mark's arms for half an hour listening to the Arkansas woods and inhaling the air with deep breaths. Finally Mark whispered in Rad's ear, "Do you want to play a game."

"What kind of game?"

"Game of control."

The thought of Mark controlling him seemed so hot to Rad that he didn't even give it a second thought, and he answered. "Yes master."

Mark led Rad into the bedroom and looked at his boyish face, then he said, "The rules are quite simple. You are going to fuck me the way I tell you to, but you can't cum until I tell you to. Any questions?"

"What happens if I cum before you tell me I can?"

"Then you will have profoundly disappointed me."

Rad was suddenly nervous, "At that moment he would rather be caned until his ass was striped with bleeding lashes than disappoint Mark."

Mark lubed his hole and Rad's cock. Then he lay down and gathered a pillow with both arms. He spread his legs and asked, "Are you ready?"

"Yes sir."

Mark smiled, "Then when you are nice and hard, put your cock at my hole. Tell me you are ready."

Rad stroked his cock a handful of times then gently placed the tip of his cock on Mark's pucker and said, "I'm ready sir."

"Good. When I tell you, you are going to push slowly and you are not going to stop until you are all the way in. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir."

Mark took a couple of deep breaths then said, "Now."

Rad pushed and breached Mark's sphincter and didn't stop despite the fear that the tightness of Mark's ass and his own arousal would cause him to prematurely cum. When Rad was all the way in, he lay absolutely still, and it was the first time in his life he was thankful for not having another inch of cock.

"Are you ready to start?"

"One more minute, please sir."

After allowing Rad more time to gain control, Mark said, "Begin to fuck me with long slow strokes."

"Yes sir."

Over the course of the next half hour, Mark would give Rad different directions, sometimes slower others faster, sometimes long strokes others short. Three times Rad was on the edge, but somehow Mark sensed, it and allowed him to slowly back away from climax.

Finally Mark asked, "Are you ready to finish?"

"Yes sir."

"Then, give me your best fuck. Show me what your cock can do."

"Yes sir," and Rad began to ride Mark's ass. Mark was moaning and encouraging the frat boy. Beads of sweat were dripping from Rad's chin and onto Mark's back. Rad moaned, "Oooh Fuuuccck!" and released a torrent of cum deep into Mark. It was as if a dam had broken, and Rad couldn't release the built up pressure fast enough.

When Rad's balls were drained and his cock sated, he started to withdraw, but Mark said, "Stop. Let it fall out on its own."

"Yes sir," Rad said. He was totally spent and collapsed onto Mark.

Eventually Rad's cock slipped out of Mark's hole, and he rolled off onto the bed. Rad said, "Now it's time for me to make you cum."

Mark rolled onto his side, and said, "You already have." Where Mark's cock had been pressed against the bed, the duvet was soaked with cum. Mark said, "I need to rinse off before going to sleep."

"May I join you sir?"

Mark kissed Rad and said, "The game is over. I am Mark and you are Rad."

Rad smiled and nodded.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

The next morning, Rad became an employee of Fain Family Sawmill. Then he went out to help Al in the mill. Around ten o'clock the last of the cedar was run through the mill, and Al shut off the saw. "Well thanks Rad, you sure made a difference. Without you, there would still be a stack of cedar logs, and I would have days yet ahead of me."

"So what's next?" Rad asked.

"We have a custom order for walnut. Beautiful wood but hard on saw blades, and at times a bit tricky to mill. We'll start by changing the saw blade. It's always good to start with a sharp blade. But before we get started on the blade, let's go get some coffee, and Edna brought cookies for the crew."

Al and Rad, were sitting on the office porch with coffee and cookies, when Edna joined them. "Rad I just got an odd phone call from Reed, Reed, & Schroeder, some law firm in Austin. "They wanted to know if you would be around to sign for some documents this afternoon. I said I'd call them if I run into you. Have I run into you?"

Rad laughed, "Yeah, that's the shyster law firm my brother convinced my parents to make my family trust's law firm. Dad always used a family friend in his hometown as his personal lawyer, but when he retired, Connery convinced dad to hire this law firm, which by coincidence is where my sister-in-law's father is a partner."

"It sounds like he stacked the deck," Al said.

Yep, but there's nothing I can do about it now. Edna, go ahead and tell them they can deliver the documents this afternoon. They must be sending someone out from their Little Rock office."

Back at the mill, Al showed Rad how to lock out the power to the saw so no one could accidentally turn it on while they were working with the blade. The blades on the mill were like large steel belts with cutting teeth on one side.

With the saw not running, Al and Rad could talk to each other while they worked. "So what's with you and your brother?"

"His problem is he's a politician that isn't very likable. It's always been that way. As a kid people didn't really like him but, he learned how to manipulate a situation and how to use the family name and the money to get what he wanted. He doesn't give a rat's ass about the religious right or the bubbas who vote for him, but he knows how to demagogue their issues and win their votes. So he's anti-abortion, pro-Second Amendment, and of course "Mr. Family Values." And therein lies the problem with having a gay brother."

"Your dad was my commander, but I didn't know much about his politics. Was he like that?"

"No, dad was a conservative, but he would be appalled with the direction of the Republican Party. He wanted the government to work for people. He might have viewed how to get there differently than his Democratic colleagues, but in the end they shared a common goal: to make people's lives better."

"That the man I knew," Al said.

"The other thing was that my father had a military record to run on, he had real character, and he was a likable guy. So, when he first ran for office he had some real gravitas. My brother is a pale shadow of what dad was."

"I am glad to hear your father was the man I thought him to be," Al said. They finally got the blade off and carried it to the tool shed and hung it on the wall with other blades that needed sharpening.

"Those are quite the blades, do you sharpen them yourself?"

"It all depends. If we are in between orders, we will sharpen blades. But there's a guy in Evening Shade that runs a repair and sharpening business we use." Al looked at the sharp blades hanging on the opposite wall and said, "We'll put this one on after lunch."

Rad was again enjoying lunch with Edna and Al, when a car pulled up to the office. A young man, likely an intern got out, and asked if Radley P. Ainsworth was around. Rad said, "That's me."

After showing ID, Rad signed for a package that was a couple of inches thick. After the messenger boy drove off, Rad threw the package on the porch and said, "I'll look at this shit later. I need to cut some wood." Rad had discovered the physical activity along, with the tangible sense of accomplishment of watching the milled wood stack up, was better therapy than he could get lying on some psychiatrist's couch.

After the new blade was installed. Rad loaded the first log in the mill. He watched as Al positioned the log to produce what he thought were the best cuts. This was the skill of the sawyer that came with experience and an eye for the timber. As the mill began to cut the walnut log, Rad noticed that the saw was traveling through the saw more slowly. Al was adjusting the speed to compensate for the hardness of the wood. Any waste large enough for wood turners or carvers Rad set aside. When the first good slab came off the mill, he admired its dark wood and beautiful grain, but it was when he went to pick it up that Rad knew the real difference between cedar and walnut. The walnut was dense and heavy; the sort of stuff that made a mill hand earn his money.

At the end of the day, Rad was hot and sweaty, but his mind was settled. After saying goodbye to Edna and Al, Rad grabbed his package and went up to the apartment. His phone buzzed, and it was a text from Mark saying he would be late getting home. So, Rad tossed the package on the counter and went to take a shower. The warm water felt good on his tired muscles. He smiled at the thought that working at the mill might turn his swimmer's body into something a bit more muscular. He absent-mindedly grabbed his cock for a quick release, but caught himself and thought: no this is for later.

After slipping on a T-shirt and shorts, Rad decided he would make dinner for Mark, but he wasn't sure what. Rad wasn't a complete novice in the kitchen, but he had a limited repertoire of recipes, most of which began with a box. Looking in the fridge he found a couple of bags of pre-cooked chicken breast strips, tortillas, and cheese. He put them on the counter and said, "So, what can I do with these?" In the pantry he found a couple of cans of green chilies. "Chicken enchiladas Radley style." he said with a smile.

After getting the enchiladas in the oven and making a salad, he looked at the package at the end of the counter. He opened it and pulled out a copy of the Trust document. The agreement to dissolve the Trust, and three years of financials for the trust.

Flipping through the agreement to dissolve the Trust, Rad came to Section 3, paragraph 2:

"As a condition for dissolution of the Ainsworth Family Trust, Radley Preston Ainsworth agrees to pursue a suitable education and/or employment as agreed to by his brother, Connery Jefferson Ainsworth. In the event of the breach of this clause, Connery Jefferson Ainsworth shall have the authority to assume fiduciary conservatorship of Radley Preston Ainsworth's inheritance until he obtains the age of 27."

In the margin was a handwritten not that said, "See addendum B"

Addendum B was Rad's bill of indenture. In short it said Rad would live in St. Louis, attend law school at Saint Louis University, and interned in the offices of Reed, Reed, & Schroeder during the summer. It also required him to seek permission from Stanley Reed, chief shyster at RR&S, "before making any statement, granting any interview, or participating in any political or social causes which might negatively impact his future employment prospects."

Rad threw the folder with the document across the room and about hit Mark as he walked into the apartment.

"Nice to see you too," Mark said.

"Sorry."

Mark picked up the document and noticed the title, "I presume this isn't good news."

"It's not news. I was told about what it would take to get Connery to agree to dissolve the Trust before I left Austin, but seeing it in writing just pisses me off. They make it sound like this is for my good, rather than to protect my brother's political career. I just want to tell them to stuff this up their asses. But if I do, I will never get control of my inheritance."

"Can't you fight it?"

"No, the deck is stacked against me. In Texas judges are chosen in partisan elections. There isn't a chance I could beat my brother in a court controlled by the GOP."

"That sucks, so you have to go to St. Louis," Mark said as he realized even his wildest hope was now beyond reach.

Until that moment Mark hadn't realized how much he was creating a fairy tale future in his mind, and he suddenly had to get out of the room. "I need to take a shower," Mark said and almost ran to the bedroom.

When Mark didn't come back for supper, Rad went to find him. The shower was running and Rad quietly opened the door. Mark was leaning against the wall letting the water run over his body. He looked so lonely and sad. Rad closed the door, and under his breath said, "Fuck you Congressman ASSworth."

Rad was standing in the kitchen when Mark finally came back. Rad could tell he was trying to act as if nothing was bothering him.

Mark said, "Something smells good."

"I hope you like it," Rad said as he took the enchiladas out of the oven.

The supper conversation was light, and avoided the papers sitting at the end of the bar.

"This is really good. I could get used to having supper ready when.....Oh, shit," Mark said when he realized what he'd just said.

Rad looked at his plate and didn't say anything. Mark stepped behind him and started to massage his shoulders. "Hey babe, we'll figure something out."

Rad turned around and tried to smile, "You called me babe."

Mark suddenly felt like he might have said something wrong, "I'm sorry...I mean if you don't feel...well I thought..."

Rad kissed him. When they finally parted lips, Rad said, "You thought right."

That night there were no more thoughts of legal paper or Congressman ASSworth. There was just hot sweaty sex.

The next morning Rad walked naked into the kitchen and was surprised to see Mark sitting at the bar. He said, "What are you still doing here?"

"Is that anyway to talk to you baby in the morning; although, I do like the look."

Rad smiled and gave Mark a kiss, "Sorry, I guess I'm just used to you being long gone. You know, being the owner/operator."

Mark smiled, "Last night I was thinking..."

"Was that before or after you dumped a second load in my ass."

"Silly frat boy, after. Anyway, I was thinking about these documents. Have you had a lawyer look at them?"

"Not really. Knowing this law firm, I just always figured there was no way around the terms--that they had me by the balls."

"Maybe they do, but I have a friend who's a pretty smart lawyer, do you mind if he takes a look at these."

"What the hell. If he can find something I would love it, but I'm not holding out hope," Rad said.

"I don't know if I should say this," Mark said. "I know that your inheritance is important to you, and you want it invested well and in things you believe in, but I also hope you believe in me."

Rad kissed Mark again and said, "Don't think I haven't thought about that. It would be so easy to let Connery control the Trust, take the check, work in the mill, and let you fuck the guilt away. But..."

"But, it's not who you are. I get it." Mark said. "So, we'll figure something out. Cause giving up is not who I am." Mark gave Rad a kiss and then squeezed his cock.

Chapter 10

Rad and Mark sat in the St. Louis offices of Reed, Reed, and Schroeder. Finally, the receptionist said, "Mr. Ainsworth, Mr. LaPorte will see you now." Rad and Mark got up, and the receptionist looked at Mark and asked, "Are they expecting you?"

Rad said, "He's with me."

"One moment please," the receptionist called someone.

A few minutes later a middle aged man in a very expensive suit came to the front lobby. He said, "I am Darren LaPorte." He then looked at Mark, "May I ask who you are?"

"Mark Fain."

"Mr. Fain, since this is Ainsworth family business, I'll ask you to please wait here."

Rad stepped up and said, "Mark is my family. He is my lover. He will go in with me, or this meeting is over."

LaForte was suddenly flustered and finally said, "Give me a moment, and he went back to his office."

Mark smiled and said, "Well played."

"Thank you. Did you notice the lap dogs do dress well at Reed, Reed, and Schroeder?"

Mark noticed that the receptionist was trying to hide a smile.

LaPorte finally came back and asked Rad and Mark to follow him to a conference room where there was a woman dressed just as expensively. LaPorte said, "This is my associate, Brenda Hobson."

After asking Rad and Mark to have a seat and offering them something to drink, LaPorte said, "This meeting is merely a formality, as the terms for dissolving the Ainsworth Family Trust have already been agreed upon. I trust you have had the opportunity to read the documents we delivered to you. Do you have any questions before signing them?"

"No, I don't have any questions." Rad said.

"Good then this should be quick," LaPorte said and handed Rad the documents and a pen to sign.

Rad took the pen and document from LaPorte and sat not doing anything for a couple of minutes. LaPorte and Hobson looked at each other and finally Hobson said, "Mr. Ainsworth, is there a problem."

"Yes," Rad said, "I want Section 3, paragraph 2 of the agreement stricken and Addendum B removed."

"Mr. Ainsworth," LaPorte said. "The terms have already been negotiated for the dissolution of the Trust. You can't expect your brother to change them now."

"First, I did not have a say in those terms. Second, I do expect them to be changed."

Hobson said, "Excuse us for a moment," and she and LaPorte left the conference room.

While they were out Mark made a phone call, "Hello Cory are you here?....Good...hang tight." After hanging up, Mark leaned toward Rad and said, "He's in the lobby."

After twenty minutes, LaPorte and Hobson came back to the conference room and sat down. LaPorte said, "We have been in communication with your brother, and he has rejected any changes to the agreement. If you will not sign the documents as presented, then the dissolution of the Trust is void, and the original terms of the Trust remain intact. He also said to tell you that is Congressman ASSworth's final offer."

Mark said to Rad, "It sounds like he's still mad about the posters."

"Yeah, send the text."

The four sat without saying much to each other. Then, the intercom buzzed and the receptionist said, "There is a Mr. Cory Jensen here. He says he's Mr. Ainsworth's attorney."

LaPorte told her to show Mr. Jensen in.

"Well Jensen," LaPorte said, "I am surprised to see you here. Estate law isn't your normal area of malpractice. You are usually mucking up the free enterprise system."

"I see you're still upset about losing that class action suit. Hey, how could you know that your client was dumb enough to keep a second set of books detailing how much he defrauded his workers in wages. Besides, it wasn't like you had to personally write his employees checks for $3.4 million in back wages, and $7 million in punitive damages. But we're not here to relive the good times, we're here to get Radley here what he wants."

"What does he want?" Hobson asked.

"All Mr. Radley Ainsworth wants is for the Ainsworth Family Trust to be dissolved and an equal distribution of its assets." Cory turned toward Rad and asked "Did I forget anything?" Rad scribbled a note on a pad and handed it to Cory. "Oh yes, Mr. Radley Ainsworth would like Representative Connery Ainsworth to go fuck himself."

"Jensen, you are a crazy son of a bitch if you think Congressman Ainsworth will ever agree to dissolve the Trust and let Radley just do and say whatever he wants. Face it boy you have no other choice, and in time you will get used to St. Louis. Who knows you might even find yourself a new lover in our fair city."

Cory said, "Oh Darren, now you've gone and fucked yourself and your client." Then he slid a folder across the table."

"What's this?"

"In that folder are four letters that will be sent out tomorrow. The first is to the Federal Elections Commission advising them that Congressman Ainsworth may have filed a false campaign funding report. The second is to the IRS reporting that Congressman Ainsworth may have failed to report $10,000 in taxable income. The third, is a notice of intent to have Reed, Reed, and Schroeder replaced as the law firm for the Ainsworth Family Trust. And, the fourth, is a letter to the Texas Bar Association seeking sanctions against the firm of Reed, Reed, and Schroeder for failure in its fiduciary duties and the best interest of all the beneficiaries of the Ainsworth Family Trust."

"You are crazy," LaPorte yelled. "You have absolutely no legal basis for any of these claims."

Cory took a document from his briefcase and slid it across the table to LaPorte. That is a FEC filing for the Ainsworth for Congress Campaign. You will notice there were donations from the Trust totaling $10,000. Of course a candidate can make unlimited contributions of his own money to his own campaign, but the Trust is not Congressman Ainsworth's money alone. Every dollar in the Trust is co-owned by Radley Ainsworth." Cory turned to Rad and asked, "Did you agree to allow your brother to donate $10,000 from the Trust to his campaign.

"Absolutely not," Rad said.

LaPorte jumped in, "Radley Ainsworth did not have to agree to the donation. The Trust agreement allows a designated Trustee from Reed, Reed, & Schroeder to cast a deciding vote when the brother's are unable to agree on disbursements."

"Let's set aside the fact that it is illegal to make a contribution in someone else's name, which is what happened when money co-owned by Radley was donated to a political campaign. Let's also set aside the clear conflict of interest that arises from your law firm also being legal counsel for the Texas State GOP. Elizabeth Ainsworth executed a change in the Trust before her death that precluded the Law Firm of Reed, Reed, and Schroeder from intervening to decide charitable or political contributions. In her instructions she clearly stated that she knew her son's disagreed on various issues and politics, thus she did not want either son to feel he was being forced to make a donation to a cause or candidate he did not believe in. I notice that the change to the Trust was not included in the Trust documents Radley Ainsworth was provided. I had to get a copy from Elizabeth Ainsworth's personal attorney who wrote the document and filed it with the court."

"And here's where things get sticky for the Congressman. To keep Radley from raising a stink about the Trust donating to the Congressman's campaign, the donation was listed as a disbursement in the Trust reports. Radley also received an identical disbursement that day under the terms of the Trust, and his disbursement was reported to the IRS as taxable income. I wonder if the same can be said for the Congressman's disbursement?"

"So here's the bottom line, will any of this stick? Who knows, but months of investigation and scandal rumors make the possibility that anyone cares the Congressman has a gay brother seem small. As for his personal animus toward his brother, the Congressman is a prick and needs to get over it. So, go meet with your client and your partners and fill them in on our chat. Also tell them they have until the Post Office opens Monday morning to fax me signed copies of our counter document, or those letters get dropped in the mail."

Rad, Mark, and Cory got up and left the conference room.

Chapter 11

In the lobby, Rad asked Cory, "Do you think my brother will agree?"

"I think your brother had two goals in mind when he convinced your father to structure the Trust as it is: to control you and your family's money for as long as possible. I think your mother understood that and that's why she made the change that she did, so he couldn't use the Trust for his political ambitions. Will he agree to what you want? I'd say 50/50?"

"Why do you say that?" Mark asked.

"On one hand he doesn't need a scandal. He has a challenger in the Republican primary, and the Democrats are targeting his seat. On the other hand, he likes the power that comes with control of the Ainsworth Family Trust. Not only does the name carry weight in Texas, but he's used the Trust's investment power to curry favor with some important movers and shakers in the Texas GOP."

"Why didn't you say anything about that upstairs?" Mark asked.

"We're saving that for round two; in the case we have to go after the Congressman and Reed, Reed, & Schroeder for misuse of the Trusts assets. I am sure the last thing they want is to be hit with subpoenas for records and depositions about the Trust's investment portfolio."

"When will we know anything?" Rad asked.

"The post office opens at 8 a.m. Monday morning. My guess is they will wait until 7 a.m. to call me. They could wait to call until closer to eight, but they won't want to risk my watch being a bit fast," Cory said with a smile.

"What if they don't call?" asked Rad.

"If they don't call, I drop the letters in the mail. Then, by noon, your brother will be served a subpoena as well as the Austin, Little Rock, and St. Louis offices of Reed. Reed, & Schroeder. At that point it's game on,.... unless you are getting cold feet."

"No if he fights me," Rad said, "I want Congressman ASSworth's name on the front page of Texas newspapers everyday until the election."

"Good," Cory said, "Are you guys staying in town in case there are papers to sign?"

"Yes," Mark said. "We are booked at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel until Tuesday."

"I'll let you know if and when I hear anything;" Cory said, "until then, try not to think about it too much."

Mark had already decided that he was going to keep Rad as busy as possible so he wouldn't be moping around the hotel room imagining the worst. Rad had booked a tour of the Anheuser-Busch brewery and a Cardinals baseball game. Now Mark was taking Rad to lunch then and then to the Gateway Arch for the afternoon.

For lunch, Mark took Rad to St. Louis Steve's Hot Dogs.' Rad ordered a Bacon Bacon Jamaican,' a hotdog topped with crisp bacon, jerk seasoning cheese, peppers and sweet chipotle sauce. Mark went for the HYAAAH! Dog with grilled onion, peppers, bacon, provolone, and smoky pepper mustard.

Mark was wiping chipotle sauce off of Rad's mouth when Rad said, "Tell me I'm not crazy."

"Crazy what?"

"Crazy to get in an all out battle with my brother, give up law school, and move to Hillbilly Fuck, Arkansas to become a millhand at a sawmill and be with a guy I met just a week ago."

"You're not crazy," Mark said. "Of course, that comes from a man who desperately want you to move to Hillbilly Fuck, Arkansas to be his sawmill hand and boyfriend."

"Wait, did you just call me boyfriend?"

"Yeah, what do you want me to call you?" Mark said, not sure if he had gone too far.

"Well, I was thinking along the lines of sexy-hot-frat-boy-fuck-stud, but boyfriend probably does sound better."

Mark and Rad each smiled and looked at his new boyfriend like he was still a bashful sophomore in high school on a first date.

After eating Mark and Rad went to the Gateway Arch, but neither of them really cared at that moment about the Arch, the history of the West, or anything else but getting back to the hotel and fucking. Finally Mark looked at his watch, then said, "Fuck it, I don't care if it's only three in the afternoon. Let's go!"

Once the door to the hotel room shut, Mark set a new record for stripping Rad of his clothes. Mark pinned Rad against the wall and said, "Are you up for this." Rad grabbed Mark's cock and squeezed as he said, "Give me your best and your worst."

Mark picked up Rad, carried him to the bed, and dropped him. Then he stripped off his shirt to reveal big hairy pecs topped by large dark nipples. Next Mark shed his pants. His thighs were thick and covered with dark hair. Finally, Mark slid off his tight boxer briefs and let his nine inch cock free. Rad was suddenly rock hard, and he wondered how one guy could have such an effect on another.

Mark leaned down for a kiss, and Rad grabbed his cock. Mark moaned as Rad slowly coaxed a drop of pre from the head and licked it from his fingers. Rad couldn't resist and moved into a position where he could suck Mark's cock.

With his cock buried deeply in Rad's throat, Mark decided he wanted more. He pulled Mark's legs up and toward him until Rad's sweet hairless ass was exposed and vulnerable. Mark began a systematic assault on Rad's ass. Mark's tongue was both talented and relentless.

Finally, Mark stood up, pushed Rad's legs back over his head, and let his monstrous cock drip pre in Rad's smooth perfect hole. Rad looked up and said. "Do it, pile drive my ass," and Mark sunk his cock balls deep into his lover's hot, tight ass.

Soon sweat was dripping from Mark as he pounded Rad. "Yes baby, give it to me. Show me who's the boss?"

"I'm the boss!"

"Who owns my ass?"

"I do!"

"Aaahhh Fuuuucccck," Rad yelled as he covered his face with his own cum. The sight of Rad shooting ropes of cum sent Mark over the edge, and he shoved deep into Rad's man cunt to dump a massive load of spunk inside his frat boy.

Mark was totally spent and flopped back on the bed. Rad moved up to lay on Mark's chest. He ran his fingers through the sweaty hairs that covered his pecs. "Fuck baby, I may not walk again."

Mark kissed the top of his head and asked, "Was I too rough."

"No way, sometimes I need rough love."

Mark wrapped a protective arm around Rad, and Rad snuggled into Mark's body and was soon asleep.

As Rad slept on his chest. Mark listened to his boyfriend's soft breathing. Mark was still trying to get his head around the idea that he had a boyfriend. It was hard to believe that just days before he wondered if he would ever meet someone that would fill the void in his life, now he was holding the man he hoped was the one. All because a doe in the Arkansas backwoods didn't look twice before crossing the road.

Mark managed to wiggle out from under Rad, so he could grab a shower. The hot shower felt good, but Mark missed his hot tub. Mark was drying himself when he walked out of the bathroom. Rad was sprawled out naked on the bed. His long swimmer's body was so hot. Mark had to show restraint not to touch the boy's beautiful cock. Instead, Mark touched Rad's shin and said, "Babe, why don't you get up so we can go get something to eat. Mark had to chuckle when he saw Rad reach back to check his hole on the way to grab a shower.

Mark took Rad to the Train Shed for dinner, actually he took him there because it had a bar with a variety of beers on tap, and they didn't have to drive back to the hotel. Rad and Mark were on their second beer when their orders were taken. Rad ordered a New York Strip and Mark ordered a chicken fried steak.

Mark looked at Rad, and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Are you asking about my mind or my ass?"

"Either."

"My ass will recover, but my emotions are still fucked up. I know my brother is an ass, but I just don't get why he can treats me like that."

"Did you have friends when you were a kid?"

"Yeah," Rad said, "I always seemed to be able to make friends. It helped that I was good at sports. I always tried to join a team, soccer, baseball, swimming, I played most of them at some time, even football."

"So did your brother play sports."

Rad laughed, "He tried, but was a total klutz. The other kids hated it if he got put on their team."

"I suspect your brother is jealous of you. You're smart, good looking, athletic, and popular. All of the things he is not, and when he found out you were gay he finally felt there was something that made him better than you."

They talked a bit more and Rad ordered another beer, and then another. When he tried to order a fifth beer, Mark gave the waiter a sign to cut him off.

"Fuck him," Rad said with a slur, "All I ever wanted was for him to be my brother. He can just go fuck himself. Pay the check, and let's go back up to the room and you can fuck me."

"Whoa there buddy, are you sure this is a good idea. You seem out of control."

"I am out of control. That's why you are in charge. Come on stud, show me who owns my ass."

"Okay, okay. Hold it down. There are other people here."

Mark paid the bill and finally got Rad up to the room. It was a struggle to get Rad's clothes off and get him into bed. Mark took his own clothes off and cuddled up behind his boy. Eventually, Rad passed out and Mark kept a protective watch over his lover.

The next morning Mark was awakened by Rad's moaning. "Oh, my head hurts. Mark got up and found Rad some pain relievers and a bottle of water." When Mark handed them to Rad, Rad asked. "Are you mad at me?"

"No, I'm not mad at you."

"Did we, you know...?"

"If you are asking if we had sex last night, the answer is no. I only have sex with people who are conscious. Remember, I am not a hillbilly rapist."

"Oh, babe, I am so sorry. I really wanted you to make love to me last night."

"I know....and so do half the people that were also in the restaurant last night."

"On fuck," Rad said pulling a pillow over his eyes. "I embarrassed you, didn't I?"

"Well, we rode up in the elevator to our room with a couple of older ladies that I hope we don't run into for the rest of the weekend," Mark said with a chuckle.

Rad moaned again, and said. "Do you hate me?"

Mark smiled, pulled the pillow from in front of Rad's face and said, "I could never hate you. Now go take a shower, I've ordered breakfast."

After breakfast, Mark and Rad got ready and headed to Busch stadium. The game was being broadcast by the network so it was scheduled to begin around two. It was still early April, and as they were leaving Rad asked, "Shouldn't we take jackets?"

"I need a new Card's jacket and hat and plan to buy one at the stadium. I'll buy you one too."

"I have my own money, even if I can't get the Trust dissolved."

Mark kissed Rad, "I know you do babe, but I want to buy it for you." So, the first thing Mark and Rad did when they got to the stadium was hit the Cardinals Store. They were at the park plenty early because Mark liked to watch batting practice.

Mark had purchased really good seats behind the home team dugout. Rad said, "You're spending a lot of money this weekend. I can pay for some of this. After all, it's my fault we are in St. Louis this weekend."

Mark looked at Rad and said, "Hey frat boy, I can afford it, so don't worry about it." Mark then smiled and added, "Besides, I can always deduct it from your wages, millhand."

Rad smiled and said, "I guess that's right, boss."

"And don't you forget it."

"I'm going to get some snacks," Rad said. "At least let me buy the food and drinks."

"That's a deal."

"What do you want?"

"Just get me whatever you're having."

"Okay," and Rad headed off to the concession stands. When he got back, he handed Mark a bag of peanuts and a soda.

The Cards were playing the Astros, and they took the lead in the bottom of the second. The Astros were having pitching trouble, while the Cards pitchers were on fire, so there wasn't any doubt who was going to win. Several times Rad went for refreshments, and each time, he came back with sodas.

Mark and Rad had taken the Metrolink to the Stadium, so on the walk to the station, Mark asked "Is there anything you want to do?"

"I want to do the ropes course back at the station."

"Really?"

"Sure, don't you want to?"

"I guess. But if you really wanted to climb something, I've got a woodlot full of trees and climbing harnesses back at the mill."

"You have harnesses--kinky."

"Easy there stud."

Back at the station, Mark and Rad spent half an hour walking and ziplining three stories above the floor of union station. Mark and Rad had a blast and when they finished both were hungry. "So where do you want to eat?" Mark asked.

"I was thinking about the `Soda Fountain.'

"When did you regress to fifteen?" Mark asked.

"What's wrong with fifteen?"

"Let's start with the fact that they are prison bait."

"Oh, yeah."

At the Restaurant Rad again ordered soda pop to go with this burger instead of a beer, so Mark followed suit. After finishing, his burger Rad said, "Okay lumberjack, how about a root beer float."

"Sure, but when we get back to the room, I'm going to have to check your ID."

Rad laughed and said, "Check whatever you want."

When they got back to the room, Mark stripped off his clothes and said, "I'm going to take a shower." After a while Rad walked into the bathroom and stepped into he shower and began to wash Mark's back.

"Did I do or say something wrong?" Rad asked.

Mark turned around and said, "No, babe. Today was great."

"But?"

"I noticed you didn't drink any alcohol today. There's nothing wrong with that..."

"But, you're wondering if I am trying to prove something."

"Maybe."

"Well, I'm not an alcoholic, if that's what you're wondering about."

"I know that," Mark said, "You've been trying to drink your anger away. Ever since we met, your brother has been living in your head and making you miserable."

"He just makes me crazy," Rad said. "I want to get back at him. I want to hurt him like he has hurt me."

Mark kissed Rad. "Here is my concern. I need to know you're not just slumming it as millhand in Arkansas to hide from or get back at your brother. So, I'm going to dry off and go into the bedroom. You need to stay here until you get your brother out of your head. Because, I want to be the only guy in your heart and your head. Do you understand?"

Rad nodded and Mark kissed away a tear. "If you get it figured, I want you to fuck me, no make love to me, like I am the only thing that matters in your life because that is how I feel about you."

Mark climbed into bed, and waited for twenty excruciating minutes until Rad walked out of the bathroom and climbed into bed, and laid down on Mark's pec. For a while he just ran his fingers through the hair on Mark's chest. Then he said, "I need to tell you something..."

Mark braced himself for what he was about to hear.

"I need to tell you that I love you. I can't imagine not being with you wherever you are. So, I am not just slumming it in Arkansas, and I am certainly not slumming it when I am with you."

Mark said, "Make love to me."

Rad reached over and turned off the lights.

Chapter 12

Mark and Rad were at breakfast Monday morning when Rad's phone rang. "Good morning," Cory said. "Are you awake?"

"Yeah I was up at six this morning and pacing around the room. Mark finally decided I needed something to do. So, he took me to breakfast."

"That sounds good," Cory said. "Well, they called this morning at 7:17. They have agreed to your terms, no conditions and no counter proposal."

"Really!? "I can't believe my brother would actually agree!"

"He didn't want to. I have a former classmate that works in the St. Louis office, he told me on the down-low, they sent LaPorte to D.C to get your brother to sign. The scuttlebutt is that the Congressman spent 45 minutes berating him and calling the firm incompetent. Finally the senior partner in Austin had to call him and threaten him. Told him his political career would be over, and if the Trust stays intact the firm would side with you in the future. So he finally signed. My guess is there is more than we know, and Reed, Reed, and Schroeder was willing to throw the Congressman under the bus to save its own corporate ass."

"So, what now?" Rad asked.

"We need to be in their offices at eleven to sign the papers. I'll meet you in the lobby at 10:45."

At 10:55, Rad, Mark, and Cory stepped off the elevator, and a receptionist said, "Mr. LaPorte and Ms. Hobson are in the conference room." LaPorte didn't look amused when Cory made a quip about putting the miles on the corporate jet--more likely the result of losing to Cory again rather than all the air time.

Cory looked the documents over to insure there were no "last minute changes," then he handed them to Rad to sign. Rad noticed that Connery Jefferson Ainsworth had already signed. Rad picked up a pen and signed the documents, and handed them back to Cory.

Cory said, "This is a list of three brokers. Pick one and have all the assets of the Trust transferred for sale and division. The assets will be liquidated within the next 180 days and funds transferred to accounts designated by the beneficiaries. I think that concludes our business."

In the lobby Cory asked Rad, "Do you have any questions?"

"No, thank you so much for everything you have done. I hope I can consider you my personal attorney."

"I would be honored," to represent you Cory said. "It is not often that a lawyer gets a chance to represent a good person and at the same time kick the crap out of an asshole."

After saying goodbye to Cory, Mark asked Rad, "So, what do you want to do now?"

Rad kissed Mark, and said, "I want you to take me home."

THE END

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