Tales from the Ranch

Disclaimer: The following story is a work of fiction. If you are offended by descriptions of homosexual acts or man/man relations, please exit this page.

TALES FROM THE RANCH Copyrightc 2003 by Tulsa Driller 7. All rights reserved.

This is a story of men who have two common interests. You will see that they love the land where they live and work, but it is also the story of young men who love other men and their coming of age in a culture of prejudice and misunderstanding. It is a story, which deals with difficult and often disturbing issues but, nonetheless, issues which must be confronted in today's world.

This is a work of fiction and in no way draws on the lives of any specific person or persons. Any similarity to actual persons or events is entirely coincidental. This work is copyrightedc by the author and may not be reproduced in any form without the specific written permission of the author. It is assigned to the Nifty Archives under the terms of their submission agreement but it may not be copied or archived on any other site without the written permission of the author.

PLEASE: In a perfect world AIDS doesn't exist. My characters have unprotected sex. I hope you use proper precautions because I'd like you to be around the read the last chapter of this story.

Tales from the Ranch Chapter 27: Things to do on Your Honeymoon

As they were standing there, holding each other, looking into their mate's eyes, exchanging champagne nectar with their kisses; Dale became aware that there was a large basket of flowers sitting on the coffee table that he hadn't really noticed before. It was an arrangement of red, long stem roses, white mums and pink carnations. They were beautiful. There was an envelope hanging from the arrangement. He would have to ask about that, but right now there was something more important to do. Enjoy being with his lover.

Their lips were sticky from the champagne and some had run from the corners of their mouths. It didn't do any good to try to lick it off, but it sure felt good to both of them. It was very erotic to take a sip of the golden liquid and share it with each other.

Soon the glasses were empty. Craig kissed Dale on the end of his nose and took the flute stems to be refilled. As he turned around, Dale moved to look at the flowers. In large script, the words on the envelope said, "For Dale, My Everything"

He untied the card and opened the envelope. Inside was a piece of card stock and lettered in flowing script was, "10 Reasons Why I Love You." Reasons 1 through ten said, "You are Dale Richards." Below Reason Number 10 were the words, "You complete my life. Love, Craig".

Tears welled up in Dale's eyes and flowed down his cheeks. Never had anything caused the impact this card did. Craig sensed what was happening, set the glasses on the coffee table and walked into Dale's arms.

"Thank you, thank you," Dale blubbered.

They held onto each other as if they were afraid the other was going to vanish.

"You are welcome," Craig said. "And. I mean every word of it." He had tears in his eyes, too. They continued to hold each other, standing so they could both look at the flowers.

Finally Craig, without saying anything, eased Dale onto the loveseat without breaking contact. With one hand he picked up a glass and handed it to Dale, then picking up the other, they each took a sip, this time swallowing it themselves.

When Dale could talk again, he said, "They are beautiful and so are you!! Thank you for rescuing me from a hum-drum life."

"Shh. you didn't have a hum-drum life, you just weren't aware there is a wonderful world about you. and we are going to enjoy it together." They kissed again, then each took another sip of champagne.

Almost as if they had rehearsed it, they set their glasses on the coffee table and reached for the other again. Hands rubbed each other and mouths devoured tongues, which were trying to swab the other's tonsils.

No words were spoken. There was no reason for them as they started pulling the other's clothing off. They finally had to stand up to open belts and unzip pants. They toed their loafers off and soon were standing there wearing only socks and boxers. And. there was a hard cock sticking out of the fly of each pair. They each cupped the other with their hands, then gently lowered the other's shorts to a point where gravity took over, pooling them around their ankles.

If possible, each was more turned-on than they ever had been.

Craig started to kneel in front of Dale, but without saying anything, Dale pulled him back up and led him to the bedroom. As they went past the clothes rack, Craig picked up the vanity case, as they probably would need the lube. He hoped so, anyway.

Standing on either side of the king-size bed they turned the covers back and crawled on top, each wondering why a couple would want to sleep in such a large bed. Although they were both large men, they would have been happy in a double bed, but enjoyed the queen-size bed they had at home. But only because of the extra length, since they were tall.

Making love to each other had never been hurried, although sometimes of a morning it might seem like it. Tonight it was almost as if they were in slow motion, nothing was hurried and they took turns pleasuring the other in many different ways, bringing each other almost to the point of climax several times. Both felt sensations in and on their bodies they had not experienced before.

Finally, as Dale was lying on his back with Craig on top of him, rubbing himself on Dale's hairy body, almost as if they had rehearsed it, Craig slipped downward to lick Dale's nipples. Dale spread his legs apart and Craig slipped between them without thinking about it. He could feel Craig's steel-hard cock jabbing him in the groin and he instinctively raised his hips and Craig slipped a little further down on Dale's body.

When that happened, Dale wrapped his legs around Craig, who took it as a signal that Dale was receptive to being entered to complete their copulation. He wet his fingers with some of the precum each had produced. It was much slicker than the commercial product and soon Craig had Dale moaning and moving around on the bed, whimpering and rubbing Craig's chest, back and shoulders.

"Do it," Dale gasped, not wanting the good feeling of Craig's fingers to end.

Just to be on the safe side, Craig uncapped the lube bottle, putting a pretty good squirt of liquid up Dale's love chute, then worked it around with his fingers, gently withdrawing them and placing the head of his cock at the entrance. The head slid in easily.

"Com'on, give it to me, stud," he told Craig.

Calling Craig "stud" had somewhat the same effect on him as calling Dale "cowboy". They were coupled, as one, and proceeded to give the other a good ride. This wasn't just a fuck, this was making love to the man each loved and while they were giving all they had, it was still gentle. Craig was enjoying playing with Dale's nipples and rubbing his hands through the hair on his chest and stomach. He was careful not to make contract with his cock, which had leaked enough precum to fill his navel to capacity. it was running down his sides. Craig dipped his finger in and fed each with the clear, sweet nectar of Dale's passion. Dale leaned up to kiss Craig. Somehow that action allowed Craig to go a little deeper and he hit Dale's magic button, then experienced the same feeling he and Dale had twice before. It seemed that he passed into another area of his rectum. Dale's eyes opened as he realized what had happened.

Without warning, he erupted onto their stomachs and as his sphincter tried to clamp shut, it triggered Craig, who felt like a gallon of cum was being shoved through a small tube. Dale relaxed between each shot, which seemed to allow Craig to expel more cum. Their orgasms seemed to go on forever. It was a delicious feeling, being as one body and each reacting to the others muscular spasms. This was the ultimate sexual feeling as far as both were concerned.

Mouths searched for the other, then Craig wanted to taste Dale, so he sat up enough he could harvest some of the love juice Dale had shot. He put some in Dale's mouth, then fed himself, leaning down so they could kiss and stir the offering around in the other's mouth.

No words had been spoken, just sounds of love and pleasure and there had been plenty of that.

They lay like that for several minutes and when Craig started to slip out of Dale, he felt empty, but fulfilled. As they started to separate, the cum which had dried peeled off them.

"I love you," Craig whispered contentedly in Dale's ear.

"I know. and I love you, too," searching for another kiss.

They still didn't separate and must have dozed a bit after their euphoric state of bliss, because this time they really were stuck together when they came to.

"We. are a mess," Dale laughed, pecking Craig on the nose.

"Don't you just love it? I do," Craig answered.

"Yes. I do and I love you and I hope you never forget it."

"I won't. especially if it's always this good."

"No question about it, you turn me on," Dale said, sealing the statement with another kiss.

This time it was Craig who crawled off the bed and offered Dale his hand to help him. Amazingly with all the cum that had been produced, the sheets were still dry. Dale wondered how that had happened, but was glad they didn't have to sleep on cum- soaked sheets tonight.

Dale led the way to the bathroom with Craig following closely.

"How about I fill the Jacuzzi and get it ready while we rinse off in the shower?" Dale asked.

"Fine with me. The champagne must make you horny, so I'll go get it," Craig said, wiggling his eyebrows and running his tongue around the outside of his lips.

"You make me horny, and the champagne is just an excuse," Dale laughed.

Craig was waiting for Dale to stand up from adjusting the Jacuzzi. When he did, he asked Dale, "But. didn't the champagne help your anxiety about losing your virginity?"

They fell together, laughing.

Craig retrieved their glasses and rinsed them out, refilling them. Dale had the Jacuzzi filled and was adjusting the water temperature in the shower when Craig came back into the bathroom. They exchanged another kiss, then took a sip of champagne before stepping into the shower. It didn't take them more than a couple of minutes to rinse themselves off each using a washrag and bar of soap to "de-cum" the other. They dried just enough to not drip on the floor on their way to the whirlpool. It was too bad they couldn't sit side by side and enjoy this properly, but this one was like the one in their apartment, it was built for one person or two midgets. Nevertheless, they enjoyed the undulating jets of water and it did help them relax a little more, although the sex and champagne were working their wonders, too.

They finished the champagne and played with each other with feet and hands, occasionally reaching out for another kiss. Before they got out of the bath, each was more than just a little hard.

"Do you have some more virginity to lose?" Craig asked with a grin on his face.

"I'll never be a virgin again. and I thank you for it," Dale teased.

They both laughed at that and stood in tub, taking turns drying each other as the water drained out. As they snuggled together in the bed, Dale noticed that it was 1:30 a.m. What a wonderful experience that had been. They wrapped themselves together and immediately went to sleep, dreaming pleasant dreams of the other.

It was hard to tell if it was the long drive, the champagne or the wonderful sex they'd had the night before, but they slept until almost 8 o'clock. Craig had to pee and Dale opened his eyes as Craig got out of bed. The room was bright and sunny, as they had not closed the drapes when they went to bed. Only the sheer curtains blocked the strong sunlight.

Dale, with his morning woody, followed Craig and his erection into the bathroom and they stood side-by-side while peeing. The cum and champagne cocktail had caused each of them to have "morning breath" so Craig retrieved their vanity case so they could have their toothbrushes, paste, razors and shave cream. They made short work of getting ready for their morning shower and seemed to spend more time kissing and rubbing against each other than getting clean. It felt wonderful to both of them to be out of town and have a totally different routine.

By the time they dressed and picked up their clothing, which was in the living room, it was almost 9 a.m. Although there was a coffeepot in the room, they hadn't used it.

"Are you hungry?" Craig asked?

"Starved," Dale said.

"Let's go down to the dining room for breakfast, then we can come back to the room and freshen up before going to the trade show."

"Fine with me," Dale replied. Then he added, "And thank you for the flowers. I want to keep the card forever."

"You already thanked me. last night. and other times, too," Craig said.

"I want to thank you every day for the rest of our lives. I love you more than you will ever know." Dale had tears in his eyes again.

They stood in each other's arms and exchanged kisses, but this didn't cause either to have an erection, just the enjoyment of holding the other.

"Come on, I'm hungry after all the exercise last night," Craig said.

Dale laughed as they made their way to the door.

The elevator made no stops on the way to the mezzanine level. Dale didn't realize until later when they went back up to their room that only one elevator served the upper three floors, the mezzanine and lobby, not stopping anywhere in between.

The restaurant wasn't busy and the hostess seated them at a table for two. A waiter appeared with menus and they ordered a pot of coffee and orange juice. After a suitable interval, the waiter was back to take their orders, which was for a typical country breakfast for each.

"I don't know about you, but I'm never that hungry at home. If I'm on a trip, I can't wait to get to the restaurant for breakfast."

"Must have rubbed off on me," Dale said, with his 1000-watt smile and a sparkle in his eyes.

Craig made a mental note to be careful about putting food or drink in his mouth when Dale looked like he was amused. He didn't want to spew food all over the elegant dining room.

They chatted about the trade show and the possibilities of what they could do over the next few days. Their food arrived shortly and they dug in like they hadn't eaten for a couple of days. Dale remembered that he hadn't eaten that much on Friday and asked Craig what he'd eaten.

"I had a bowl of soup and a sandwich for lunch and the salad at the IHOP in Killeen last night. What about you?"

"A hot beef sandwich with mashed potatoes and vegetables for lunch and the salad last night, Dale answered."

"No wonder we're starved - and it's been 14 hours since we last ate!"

It would be safe to say that both fairly inhaled their food.

"This should hold us until noon," Craig laughed.

"Already planning your next meal?" Dale teased.

"Yeah, I suppose so. They generally have a pretty good food court at these shows, but we can always go to a restaurant, too.

"Let's just see what we feel like when we think we're ready, okay?" Dale asked.

"Sure, we don't have a schedule. Are you ready to go to the room for a couple of minutes, then head to the show?"

Dale signaled the waiter for the check. Craig left a tip and Dale took care of paying for their meal.

Craig showed Dale how to use his key card to access the elevator. Dale had noticed the evening before that the bellhop had used a card, but hadn't realized why. Soon they were in room 2207.

While Craig was in the bathroom, Dale debated about giving Craig the neck chain he'd gotten him for his birthday. He decided to wait until a more romantic time. Craig came out, after having used the toilet and brushing his teeth again. Dale used the bathroom while Craig checked the rooms to make sure they had everything picked up and put away.

They walked the block to the Tarrant County Convention Center in the morning sunshine. It was going to be a perfect day. Craig hoped that the weather would be the same the rest of the time they were here. They hadn't looked at the weather channel, but he seemed to remember that it was supposed to be clear and not hot.

The registration booth for the Ft. Worth Builder's Show was right inside the main door and Craig walked to the advance registration section. He gave his name and was given two folders, which contained the identification badges that would allow them in and out of the show without paying admission. Also included were tickets for various vendor shows in the main theatre, schedules of showings, coupons for food and drink, a note pad and ball point pen.

They hung the cords for their badges around their necks. Craig was pleased to see that Dale's badge showed that he was a member of the firm of "Albrecht and Bastian, Architects," with Williamsport being shown as their home city.

"I just hope that nobody asks me what a floor joist is while I'm here. They'll throw me out for being a fake," Dale laughed.

"Won't happen," Craig said.

Dale couldn't get over the size of the show, vendor booths lining the walls, big displays scattered throughout the concourse. Represented were appliance distributors, lumberyards, window manufacturers, door manufacturers, insulation systems, roofing materials, turf companies, heating and air conditioning, stone, brick, concrete, lighting, home entertainment, landscaping, gardening, power tools, power equipment, sprinkler systems. the list went on and on and so did the displays.

"Where do we start?" Dale asked.

"Right here. We just wander from one booth and display to another. If you see brochures that look interesting, pick one up and put it in your folder. Feel free to ask questions. We've talked about building a house, this will be your chance to see building materials and everything that you can think of to put inside the house, too."

It really was an eye-opening experience for Dale. He had just never thought about all that he was seeing. It certainly made the new crew quarters at the Bar-W look like a child's project compared to what a mansion would require in the way of furnishings.

This show was open to the general public, but there was no free admission for anyone.

Some booths had videos showing applications and usage for their products. Craig told him that they did need to look at the schedule of showings in the main theatre. Some were movies and some were live demonstrations of equipment and techniques, so they stood off to one side to look at that.

Craig was interested in alternative building materials and there were two shows, which happened to be back to back, starting at 10:30. Each was only about 10 minutes long. They didn't have too much time before those shows, so started wandering in that direction.

A water garden display caught Dale's attention. He'd never thought about building something like that, but it was ideal for a patio or even a large yard. The pools on display were even filled with fish.

Craig was interested in an electronic-controlled lighting system, that could turn lights on and off in any room in the house, using a computer program. It didn't take long for their folders to start bulging and they'd only been there a little over a half hour.

One of the showings they went to was a video presentation and the other was simply a series of displays with a man extolling the virtues of his product. Neither answered Craig's questions so he made a note to find their booths and go ask questions.

It appeared that 90% of those attending the show on Friday were architects, builders and vendors. The general public would be there on Saturday and Sunday, making it a lot more crowded on the floor.

Finally, about 12:30 Craig asked Dale if he was hungry or thirsty.

"I'm surprised, but I could eat again. I wonder if there are any good Mexican restaurants in the area?"

"I think so." Craig pulled a visitors brochure out of his folder and spread it out where they could both look at it. "Yeah, here it is, 'Mama Rosas Cantina", Craig said. I've eaten there before and they have good food. Everything is prepared to order and hot. It's not one of the chains where they fry enough taco shells to last the week on Monday and stuff them full of cold hamburger and taco sauce as needed."

"How far is it?" Dale questioned.

"About five blocks. Let's go back to the hotel and freshen up and then head up there. I think it's on the free trolley route, so we can ask the doorman at the hotel where it stops."

"You're on," Dale said as they headed to the door. They exited out a side door and that put them right across the street from the hotel.

They dumped their folders out on the desk. The room had been cleaned. While Dale was in the bathroom, Craig checked the water for the flowers. He didn't know if the maid had filled it or not, but the level was adequate. He congratulated himself on having a florist in Williamsport forward his card and arranging for the flowers to be in the room when they checked in. Same thing for the champagne

• • • • *.

The doorman told them they could catch the trolley right there in about 5 minutes as it ran a loop that would put them at the corner, a few doors from the restaurant.

"Do you want to ride or walk?" Craig asked.

"How about riding up and walking back? We can shake the food down that way."

"Fine with me."

The five minutes passed quickly as Craig pointed out some of the buildings in the area. The diesel powered tram pulled up to the curb, discharging five people. Dale and Craig were the only ones to get on.

The trolley stopped at least once in every block and the route actually took them about 12 blocks before they were at the restaurant stop. That gave Craig a chance to point out several other interesting buildings. They would walk back on a different route so he could show him others.

They ordered a pitcher of cold Mexican beer that arrived at the table with ice floating in it. The pitcher and glasses had been in the deep freeze. Needless to say, the beer was very cold and tasted good. They ordered a combination dinner for two with a plate for each, then shared the order. There were two each of burritos, tacos, tostadas, enchiladas, Chile Relanos and plenty of chips with both red and green sauce. There were also two generous scoops of guacamole. True to Craig's word the food was wonderful. The tacos were hot and crisp, filled with ground beef, small pieces of potato and peas.

"You can always judge a Mexican restaurant by the tacos they serve and this is a real Mexican restaurant," Craig said.

Dale had to agree with him. He loved Mexican food, but the restaurant's around Williamsport served "Tex-Mex" and this was probably more authentic. It certainly tasted better to him.

They took their time eating, then headed back to the hotel before going to the convention center. Craig pointed out several buildings which he liked, both old and new.

They wandered around the show for another 3 hours, again picking up a lot of brochures and advertising. A number of vendors were having drawings to give away various products from Jacuzzi tubs to appliances and services. They registered each place they could as none required you be there to win.

Craig enjoyed the show. It had certainly grown in size since he was last there and he thought it was a better show. Certainly he'd seen enough to make it worth the time and expense to attend. And especially because he could share it with his lover, who seemed to really enjoy the day.

They left the show using the same exit as at noon, ending up across from the hotel.

Craig didn't know about Dale, but he was tired of standing and walking. Dale wasn't that tired. He was used to hard work and being on his feet all day.

As they were riding what they thought of as their "private elevator" to their room, Dale asked about their plans for the evening.

Craig simply said, "We have dinner reservations at Bistro Nicoise at 8 o'clock. It's an elegant French restaurant, so we need to wear jackets and ties."

"Are they going to have more than 4 pieces of silver at each plate?" Dale teased.

"Nah, I think they just bring 'em as y'all need 'em," Craig snickered.

"Good, 'cause I get confused when they put forks and spoons on the same side of the plate."

Craig laughed. He couldn't think of a formal place setting where that was true, but it was a funny statement, anyway.

By this time they were at their door and Dale pulled his card out of his billfold to let them in.

As per Craig's request, a tray of assorted cheeses and crackers was sitting on the coffee table and there was gin and scotch on the bar, with a bucket of ice and glasses next to them. The only thing missing was someone to mix their drinks for them and they could take care of that.

"Wow, it looks like the 'Happy Hour Fairy' has been here," Dale said, amazed at the unexpected surprises he'd had already experienced since they had arrived.

"Does he look like you or me?" Craig teased.

"You," Dale exclaimed, grabbing Craig and spinning him around for a long kiss.

As they finally broke apart, Craig said, "Another kiss like that and I won't need a happy hour."

Dale was anxious to demonstrate again, so they locked lips together.

"If you'll take your clothes off, I'll fix drinks," Craig said.

"Are you trying to bribe me, because if you are, it worked," Dale said, starting to unfasten his belt.

As Craig headed to the bar, Dale followed, wrapping his arms around Craig's waist and loosening his belt, too.

"Let's see which happens first. you get the drinks mixed or I get both of us naked," Dale said, rubbing his hands up under Craig's polo shirt.

"No contest. I can't mix drinks while you're feeling me up and tearing my clothes off."

Craig turned around and they helped each other strip, then Craig returned to his task, filling two glasses with ice, gin and olives. For some reason, they were both more than just a bit hard when Craig handed Dale a glass. He then moved the flowers to the desk to make more room on the coffee table.

Exchanging kisses, they settled on the love seat and Craig leaned against Dale, working themselves into their favorite position. Dale was sitting with his back in the corner, one leg stretched along the back and his left on the floor. Craig wiggled against him so they could look at each other, exchange kisses and allow Dale to set their glasses down between sips.

"Did you enjoy the day?" Craig asked.

"Yes, it was great to spend it wandering around with you and not have a schedule to deal with."

They sat there silently, helping each other with their drinks and crackers, idly tracing designs on the other's skin, exchanging small kisses and relaxing.

When they finished their martini, Craig got up to fix a second round. Dale slipped into the bedroom and got the box from Mercier's Jewelry. Since he was nude, he didn't have any place to hide it on his person. So, he put it down in front of the cracker tray.

He sat down and Craig was soon back in his favorite position, having handed Dale a fresh drink before he sat down.

Craig spied the box. "What's this?" he said, leaning against his lover and pointing at the box.

Dale picked the box up and handed it to Craig. "Happy Birthday," he said, hugging him and kissing his left cheek.

"But. my birthday isn't until Sunday," Craig said in a teasing voice.

"Okay, let me have it back and I'll give it to you on Sunday, then."

Craig leaned in for a kiss. "No, since you insist, I'll open it now."

He untied the gold cord and took the lid off the box. He was pleased as he'd wanted a chain but had never indulged himself.

"It's beautiful. Thank you." This time Dale got a full- mouth kiss. "Put it on me. please," Craig said.

Dale unfastened the clasp and put the chain around Craig's neck, refastening it. It looked perfect to him, but any adornment on Craig's body would look fine.

"This is an 18-inch chain. He has shorter or longer chains if you don't like this length," Dale said, adding, "Happy Birthday, love."

"Let me go look in the mirror," Craig said, jumping up. He went into the bathroom and admired it in the full-length mirror. "This is just perfect."

"Let's see what it looks like when you are wearing a shirt," Dale said, picking up Craig's shirt and taking it to him. He helped Craig slip it on.

Again, it was the perfect length. You could see it clearly in the vee of his polo shirt and Dale was pretty sure it would show up if he were wearing a regular sport shirt.

Craig admired it and was truly pleased. He pulled his polo shirt off so he could rub his body against Dale's. "Thank you, hon, how did you know that I'd like to have a chain?"

"I didn't. I wanted to get you something that you might enjoy wearing and that other people could see. Especially me."

Craig gave him a passionate kiss and when they broke away, he hugged Dale and said, "Thank you, thank you, again."

They made their way back to the love seat, settling in again. Dale was very pleased that Craig liked his chain. He thought it looked sexy on him, but Craig looked sexy just being Craig.

Craig was thinking that he might go to the jewelry store and buy Dale a chain just like it. He could save it for a special occasion, or maybe even Christmas.

The Edam and Gouda cheeses were good. They weren't expensive brands, but just something to nibble on with their drinks.

"Do you want to go through the shower before we get dressed?" Craig asked.

"Yeah, and I probably should shave, too," Dale said, taking Craig's hand and rubbing it over his cheeks.

"Might not hurt. If we're going to dress up, it'll just make you look all the more handsome, although I might not be able to stand to look at you all decked out in your new duds. And." he rubbed his finger over Dale's upper lip. "This is really starting to look great on you and I like the way it tickles. no matter where you use it on my body," he giggled.

"You want it used on your body?" Dale said, grabbing Craig and tickling his nipples with his fingers, then running his tongue over them before applying his mustache to each.

Craig usually wasn't ticklish, but tonight he was - at least there. They had a good time rubbing each other, nipping, pinching lightly and exchanging kisses. Of course, it had the expected reaction - both were hard.

The clock said 6:15. and their dinner reservations were for 8 p.m. Hmmm. Dale knew a way to entertain Craig that would give them a real reason to cleanup before they got dressed.

He indicated to Craig that he wanted to stand up and when Craig did so, Dale stood, gathered Craig into his arms and carried him to the bedroom. By the time they had wonderful sex, shaved, showered and dressed, it was almost 7:45 as they arrived in the lobby. Both looked like they had just been the stars at a men's fashion show.

The doorman hailed a cab and they were at Bistro Nicoise at the appointed hour.

It was a beautiful, but intimate restaurant. The dining room was almost filled, but the noise level was non-existent. There was a 3-piece combo on the stage, with a woman singing "old" songs from the 1930's thru the 1960's and it sounded wonderful.

The Maitre d' seated them in a corner of the room at a table where they could sit at a 90-degree angle to each other and both look over the dining room. It was a perfect table.

Their waiter was Andre, a young fellow, but extremely efficient and correct.

"May I bring you gentlemen a cocktail?" he asked, the question directed to Craig.

Craig ordered martinis, the way they liked them with no vermouth, shaken, and the waiter left. Shortly, his assistant arrived to fill their water goblets.

Dale and Craig were looking the dining room over. The furnishings were elegant, heavy thick draperies, oil paintings and modern watercolors on the walls.

The drinks arrived in crystal stemware. Dale realized there was no ice in the glasses, but the martinis were ice cold. "If you order drinks either "shaken" or "up" they shake them with ice and serve them this way," Craig explained. "Instead of olives, they put a twist of lemon peel in the drink."

As they were saying "Cheers" and touching the rims of their glasses, Andre brought menus and a wine list to their table. Dale opened his menu and there were no prices on it. He realized that the reservation was in Craig's name, therefore, he was Craig's guest in the eyes of the waiter. Well, he could live with that. Actually it felt good to be pampered, especially since Craig was the one doing the pampering.

The only problem was that the menu was largely in French and Dale didn't have a clue as to what anything was. 'Okay, Craig, you're gonna get it,' he decided.

His eyes twinkling and his 1000-watt smile turned on, he leaned over to Craig, who luckily didn't have anything in his mouth.

"My menu doesn't have any pictures. Do you think they have cheeseburgers?"

Craig had figured he was going to get a question like this.

"If that's what you want, I'll order a child's plate for you. Do you want French Fries or 'Tater Tots', he asked Dale, giving it right back to him and kicking him lightly on the ankle as he said it.

They both laughed quietly, not daring to make a spectacle of themselves in this place.

"Will you order for me then, please? I'll love you for it," Dale told him.

"Do you want beef, chicken or seafood?" Craig asked.

"You've never suggested anything that I didn't like, so I'll leave myself in your hands. kind of like I was about an hour ago," he smiled.

"Touche," Craig said, snickering. Then he added, "I'll order for both of us if you don't mind."

"Fine. Surprise me," Dale said, taking a sip of his drink and relaxing, since he didn't have to worry about what to order. Craig had made up his mind about the meal, and then studied the wine list, finally picking a red French Bordeaux to go with the entree.

When Andre returned to their table, Craig discussed his selections and asked that the courses be served with the appropriate wines, except for the Bordeaux.

The Sommelier arrived at the table and Craig briefly discussed the food and wine. He returned to the table with a bottle and held it out to Craig for inspection. Craig read the label and indicated that the wine would be fine.

Dale watched in fascination as he prepared the bottle to be opened. Although he was wearing a silver chain with a tasting cup around his neck, he presented the cork to Craig, then poured a small amount into a stemmed glass. Craig took a sip of the wine, letting it sit on his tongue, and then swallowed it. "That will be fine."

The Sommelier filled Dale's glass about two-thirds full, then did the same with Craig's glass.

Dale's first impulse was to pick the glass up and take a sip, but something told him that it might not be the right thing to do.

Craig leaned over. "This wine is for the entree. There will be different wines served with each course."

Dale was glad he had his guide to help him, because he knew this was going to be the dining experience of a lifetime and he was looking forward to it.

The first course was a Lobster Parfait served with a dry champagne. It was presented in parfait glasses and consisted of chunks of lobster tail with a somewhat tart sauce drizzled over it. Dale and only eaten lobster tail once before - in a steakhouse and it was nothing like this, which seemed to melt in ones mouth.

The next course was Creme of Tomato soup. It was somewhat spicy, served hot with a dollop of sour cream and garnished with fresh basil and chives. It was accompanied by a small glass of dry sherry.

The entree was Fillets of Beef with Bearnaise Sauce, accompanied by an Onion and Mushroom Souffle and Roasted vegetables. The Red Bordeaux had been ordered for this course Hard Rolls and whipped butter were served, also.

The next course was Watercress salad with a light Sour Cream Dressing.

After this was a "palate refresher" of Raspberry Sorbet.

The restaurant's "Chocolate Bar" was wheeled in to their table. There were at least a dozen chocolate creations ranging from a chocolate souffle to a chocolate torte, chocolate mousse, chocolate ice cream, chocolate pie, chocolate cheesecake and others. It was a chocoholics delight.

Dale took a piece of the chocolate cheesecake and Craig chose the chocolate torte. The champagne had been on ice and new glasses were brought for it, along with fresh pears and apples and, finally, coffee.

The meal was served leisurely, no rushing and with an adequate amount of time between courses to allow that wine to be finished. The taste treats were wonderful and Dale had always heard the term "fine dining". Now he knew what it was.

They discussed the food as they ate it, from time to time almost like excited children as they discovered a new taste. They frequently held hands since they were sitting next to each other. Craig was sure that Andre had seen them a couple of times, but they didn't care.

Finally, the meal drew to a close. Dale looked at his watch. They had been there almost two hours. He couldn't believe it. They had consumed a lot of very excellent food, yet neither felt stuffed. The bill was presented and Craig used his MasterCard to pay. Dale wondered how much the bill amounted to, but he wasn't about to ask. This was Craig's treat and it had been another great experience for the two lovers to add to their scrapbook of memories.

The Maitre d' had called a taxi for them and it was waiting as they stepped out the door. The ride back to the hotel didn't take long and Craig steered Dale into the elegant cozy bar for a nightcap, ordering a Drambuie on the rocks for each of them.

They were still talking about the meal as they rode the elevator to their floor. The room was lit by dim light and the drapes were open so they could see the city lights. They stood close to each other, looking out the window and Craig pointed out several things of interest. They were on the east side of the building so they could see planes in their landing pattern approaching the Dallas-Ft. Worth Airport. They were both amazed at how evenly spaced the planes appeared to be. Although it was 30 miles to downtown Dallas, they could see the lights of the tall buildings there. All of the freeways were busy and Dale was thankful they lived in Williamsport.

They went into the bedroom to change clothes. Dale was surprised to see that the bed had been turned down and mints placed on their pillows. 'This is living well,' he thought.

"How tired are you?" Craig asked Dale.

"I'm not ready to go to bed, unless it's to play around," Dale answered. "I don't think I could go to sleep right away after all that food."

Craig had a funny look on his face.

"What.?" Dale asked.

"Hey cowboy, y'all wanna go to a gay bar?"

"Sure," Dale said, brightening up. "I've never been to one. This will be whole new experience."

"Well, there's a bar called 'Chaps' that's within walking distance. It's a country-western gay dance bar."

"Well, what are we waiting for, let's go!" Dale said, clearly excited at the idea.

"Podnur, put on your Levis and cowboy boots and we'll go shake some ass and two-step around the room."

"Just one problem." Dale's face fell.

"What's that?" Craig asked.

"I don't know how to dance."

"Well, it's not as if we were going to try to tango or cha- cha, this is just good 'ol shit-kickin' dancin'," Craig laughed.

"Okay," Dale said, holding out his hand for a 'high five'.

They pulled on their 501's, cowboy boots and polo shirts and headed for the door. Dale noticed that he could see Craig's new chain. He stopped at the door, turned around and gave his lover a kiss, which was reciprocated.

As they left the hotel, the doorman gave them a knowing look as they set out down the street.

The bar was only three blocks from the hotel and as they got nearer they began to see men entering and leaving the place.

There was a doorman collecting a $10 cover charge from each person and stamping the back of their hands. He gave each of them a ticket good for a $4 drink.

It didn't take long for their eyes to adjust since it was dark outside. Dale was stunned, the dance floor was larger than a basketball court and it was full of mostly men, dancing together, or in groups. and it looked like some were dancing by themselves, too. It was hard to tell with all the movement on the dance floor. There were strobe lights, mirrored balls and laser beams punctuating the dance area.

They became aware that the dance floor made up only about a third of the building, as there were several rows tables and chairs around the perimeter of the dance floor, then a balcony with booths.

"Have you been here before?" Dale asked Craig. He had to speak loudly.

"It's been at least 4 years, but I used to come here with friends from time to time."

"Wow. This place is something else," Dale said, wondering how many people were in the club.

"Coors beer okay?" Craig asked.

"Sure," Dale said, giving Craig his ticket.

"My ticket and a little cash will buy two beers, you can get the next round later."

Craig made his way to the bar and Dale stood there, looking around and taking it all in. He couldn't believe that all of these men were probably gay. Most were dressed as he and Craig, but there were a number of guys wearing leather chaps and not much else. There were plenty of bare chests, sporting nipple rings, leather harnesses, hairy guys wearing tank tops, guys wearing dog collars and other leather gear. Some had huge key rings attached to their belts and were wearing engineer boots instead of western boots. All in all, it seemed that anything went.

Dale was glad he had Craig with him, but before he got back, some fellow dressed as he was, walked up, put his arm around Dale's waist and asked him to dance.

About that time Craig walked up, handed Dale his beer and said, "Hi Sweetie, y'all ready to find a place to sit?"

The other fellow shrugged his shoulders and moved away.

"Let's move up to the rail and watch them dance for a little bit. I need to see how this is done," Dale said.

He and Craig made their way to the sidelines. Dale really couldn't see any step pattern to the dancing, although later the DJ put on a record called "The Texas Two-Step" and everyone seemed to be in sync with that music.

After that recording finished, the DJ announced that the floor should be cleared for a dance lesson. About 30 men came out, dressed in Levis and white vests, wearing boots. One of the men was wearing a headset and announced that he was going to talk these men through a dance routine, then everyone could try it.

The music started and the men were stepping, turning, kicking and following the instructions. Dale and Craig had finished their beers and dropped the bottles in one of the many trashcans sitting around the bar.

When the leader/instructor announced that everyone was welcome to join these men for the second time through, Craig grabbed Dale's hand and pulled him to the middle of the dance floor.

The music started and they followed the instructions, watching the other men. Within two minutes they had the steps down and were enjoying dancing with each other. Dale was having the time of his life. It was certainly different than going to a high school dance. If they had allowed the boys to dance with each other (as the girls sometimes did) he would have gone to every one of those high school hops.

True to what Craig had said, they "shook ass" and danced around the floor, stompin' and kickin'. After several dances, they were ready for another beer so Dale went to the bar to get them. This time they were both propositioned to dance by other men.

They went back to the rail, sipping their beers and watching the others dance. Dale thought it felt really good to be with so many other men and have a good time.

They danced two more dances; both slow numbers and both enjoyed the experience of dancing close together in each other's arms.

It was past midnight when they headed back to their hotel. The shift change meant that a different doorman was on duty when they went back into the lobby.

"Did you cowboys have a good time at the 'Chaps'?" he asked.

"Sure did," Craig said. Dale wondered how he knew, but then realized that they looked the part and had come from that direction. It didn't upset him.

They were both tired enough that they were ready to go to bed almost as soon as they stripped off their clothes. It had been a long, fun-filled day and the best part was that they had been able to enjoy it together.

After brushing their teeth and washing their faces, they made their way to the too-big bed, crawling in and wrapping around each other. They exchanged kisses and both went immediately to sleep.

Saturday dawned as another bright and sunny Texas day. They were in a weather pattern that was typical of late September - beautiful, sunny days and not too hot.

Craig woke up first. Dale was lying on his back, still sound asleep. Craig was on his right side, facing Dale. They had separated sometime during the night, but were still touching as Craig had his left arm lying across Dale's furry chest. He needed to pee, so carefully eased himself to the edge of the bed, trying not to disturb his lover. It was almost 7 a.m.

He made his way to the bathroom, relieved himself, then washed his face and brushed his teeth. Going back to the bed, he carefully moved himself up next to Dale, getting into a position where he could admire this wonderful man that was next to him.

Soon, just looking at Dale wasn't enough. He wanted to run his fingers over his body, kiss him and make love to him. He had an idea. Putting some saliva on his finger, he started teasing Dale's left nipple. Then he spread his fingers, gathering up some of the fur that covered his pecs, he closed his fingers together and pulled gently.

The beautiful, sleeping man came to, grabbing Craig's hand and kissing it. Then he rose up, grabbed Craig in his arms and lay back down, pulling him partially on top of himself.

"Hey, no fair. you've brushed your teeth already. I've got 'beer mouth' this morning." With that he jumped out of bed and followed his morning woody into the bathroom, peeing and brushing his teeth, then washing his face.

He bounded back onto the bed and it seemed as if the two men were trying to crawl inside the other, kissing, rubbing, tickling, and kissing some more. Whatever they were trying to do, felt good to each of them. They proceeded to give each other a tongue bath and were pleasuring the other by doing so. It may have started out as innocent play, but the lovemaking soon turned serious with fingers and tongues poking inside the other, every place they could find to insert them.

They never thought of making love as being an "it's my turn to have you do this to me" type of thing. It was never intended to be that way for them. They enjoyed giving as well as receiving and the love act was started with no preconceived idea of how it was going to proceed or end. Again, as they seemed to be doing lately, they brought each other close to a climax several times using different methods. Today, they ended up in a '69' position, on their sides and were using hands to tickle balls, the perineum and finally, invade the sphincter.

Dale was getting close and he knew Craig was, also. He accelerated his efforts, swallowing Craig to the balls. Craig wanted to prove he could do that, too, and had managed to get all of Dale's cock in his mouth and down his throat. He had discovered the joy of pleasuring him by contracting the muscles in his throat. He knew Dale was leaking a lot of precum because he could feel it going down his throat, but he couldn't taste it as the end of his tongue was against Dale's ball sack.

Using his index finger, he started teasing Dale's rosebud. It immediately dilated, but Craig didn't have any lube available. He didn't want to withdraw from having Dale's cock buried in his throat. So he just lightly rubbed his finger in a circle and from time to time lightly pulled the black hairs that grew in his ass trench. That's all it took.

All of a sudden it seemed as if Dale's cock had doubled in size, then started to spasm. For Dale, that's all it took. He didn't know how much cum he fired, but it must have been a record amount. Craig pulled back so he could taste. It wasn't as sweet as other times, but he remembered the beer from the night before.

His efforts with Dale's cock helped trigger his own orgasm, not that Craig needed any help. With what seemed like no warning, he was shooting a big, thick stream into his lover's mouth and he could tell that Dale was swallowing as fast as he could. Dale had the same taste experience. Craig was also slightly bitter this morning.

Their orgasms seemed to be completed about the same time and they moved into a position where they could exchange kisses and the rewards of their harvest.

Murmuring, "That was the best" and "I love you" to each other they slowly came down from their sexual plateau.

In the short time they had been together, two inexperienced men had learned how to push the other's buttons - and they had learned to do it well.

Finally they decided they had better get out of bed and get the day started, although maybe they both would have liked to recharge and do it again.

Craig glanced at the bedside clock as they got out of the bed. It was almost 8:15. 'Wow, that had lasted over an hour and it didn't seem like 5 minutes,' he thought.

They didn't waste any time in the bathroom or shower. By the time they had breakfast - and yes, they were starved to death again today - the morning would be almost half over.

"I suggest that we have coffee and rolls in the coffee shop, then a light lunch because Mom will have a bountiful meal for us tonight and I can guarantee you that she takes it personally if you don't eat as much as she thinks you should," Craig laughed.

"What about a big breakfast, skip lunch and enjoy dinner?" Dale asked.

"I don't care. Let me tell you what I thought we could do today, but we don't have to do any of it," Craig said.

"Okay.?" Dale questioned.

"I was going to suggest that we go to the Ft. Worth Botanical Garden. They have a nice restaurant for lunch and there is a gift shop. The place is huge as it covers a little over a hundred acres. We can't possibly see more than just a little bit of it today, but it's worth taking the time to go there.

"Then, I'd like to take you to the Kimbell Art Museum, not necessarily to see the art exhibits. they are more than worth seeing. but to see the building. When we were in architectural school, our instructors would bring us here to study the building. Louis Kahn designed it and he died about 2 years after the museum opened in 1972. It's a masterpiece and I think you will enjoy seeing it.

And then. don't forget that we are supposed to be at my parent's house around 3:30, so we do need to plan our time because we need to be back here about 2:45 to freshen up and dress for going to my folks. It's casual, but I think we should wear slacks and nice sport shirts."

"That's okay with me. I don't have any suggestions and you certainly have done a fantastic job of helping me have a good time. especially in bed," Dale leered.

"Keeping you entertained in bed is the most fun I've ever had, but there is a world outside, too," Craig teased back.

By this time they were dressed as the night before. They could wear Levis and polo shirts with their boots and not look any different than half the men in the places they would be going.

They took their "private elevator car" to the mezzanine coffee shop and were seated immediately. Dale suggested their usual "at home" breakfast of coffee, juice and sweet rolls and that's what they ordered. It didn't take them very long to eat and they were out of the restaurant in 15 minutes.

As they walked outside, Craig gave the claim check for their car to the doorman and the car was brought to the front door within 3 minutes, the car valet holding the door open for Craig and doorman opening Dale's door. Dale noticed that Craig gave the car valet a couple of ones.

The Botanical Garden wasn't too far away. Traffic was lighter, probably because it was Saturday morning and they were pulling into the parking lot about 10 minutes later.

As they were driving, Craig recited a little of the history; that it was the oldest garden of this type in Texas, covering 109 acres, there were about 2,500 species of plants and trees and 21 specialty gardens. There was a fall festival in the Japanese Gardens, an herb festival and their annual Fall Plant Sale was going on right now.

"Do you think I could find something to take to your parents?" Dale asked.

"That's really sweet of you. I know they would appreciate it. You are so thoughtful," Craig said, squeezing Dale's hand.

They walked to the entrance and found out that today was a "two for one" day and they could each get in for one paid admission. Dale paid the $5 and they were given a map and brochure showing the various gardens and information on each.

Craig headed for the Japanese Gardens and Dale followed. Although he had seen pictures of Bonsai plants, he didn't really realize the training that had to be done to get the miniature shrubs and plantings to grow into their present shapes. He was astounded that copper wire was used to twist limbs into their sculpted shapes and further surprised to learn that many of the specimens were over a hundred years old. Incredible.

The collection was large and the gardens had other plantings of exotic shrubs, trees, flowers and sculpture. It was a very peaceful setting and there were plenty of benches where visitors could sit to enjoy the presentations and meditate if they so desired. There were bridges over ponds and flowing water, winding paths and even small temples dedicated to the various Japanese religions.

Dale had a hard time believing that something like this existed, let alone in the middle of a big city. It was so peaceful.

The next area they entered was the Fall Plant Sale. There was everything from spring flowering bulbs to evergreens, orchids, small trees, potted mums, Amaryllis bulbs for Christmas, and flower seeds harvested from their own specimens, guaranteed to grow in the Central Texas climate.

The men saw several things they were interested in, but Craig suggested they visit the Herb Festival first and maybe go to the Treasure Tree Gift Shop before deciding on buying anything.

So, the next stop was about a block away at the Herb Festival. They were selling everything from potted herbs, herb seeds, and recipes using herbs to books on growing herbs.

The fun part of this was being able to look at and touch the various plants. One could rub the leaves between your fingers and get the delicious aroma of the oil from the crushed leaves.

Dale decided that for themselves, they should buy either plants or seeds of some of the basic cooking herbs; parsley, basil, chives, marjoram, rosemary, cilantro, thyme and oregano. The next question was if they should buy the live plants or seeds. They finally decided on the live plants when they found out that they could probably be grown on their balcony or in the sunny window of their kitchen. The young fellow they talked to suggested they buy either a half whiskey barrel or a large (about 25 to 30-gallon) plastic flower pot for their balcony and fill it with a mixture of sand, good topsoil and peat moss and keep it watered in hot weather.

"What about adding manure?" Dale asked, thinking that they had plenty at the Bar-W.

"That would be excellent, just don't add too much or you'll burn the plants just like in using granular fertilizer," they were told. "Actually something like "Miracle Grow" is the safest to use."

"Does your mother need any herbs?" Dale asked.

"I don't know. I know she has a small kitchen garden, but I don't really know what she has. I guess that she could always use another herb, or even a duplicate of something she might already have," Craig told Dale.

They decided to talk about it over lunch, thanking the young man, telling him they would be back before they left.

The next stop was the Treasure Tree Gift Shop. They had herb seeds and about any kind of flowering bulb you might want. In addition, there were all kinds of items for the yard, patio, house - wherever. Sundials, thermometers, garden railroads, fountains, water pumps; most of which they had seen at the Builder's Show the day before. They wandered around, finally buying a picture book of the gardens at the height of each of their display times.

By this time it was 11:15, so they decided on an early lunch in the Garden Restaurant. There was a different flowering specimen on each table. The table where Dale and Craig were seated had a delicate pink orchid on it. It was beautiful and they each commented on it.

"We'd better add a greenhouse to our house plans, then you can grow orchids," Craig teased.

"This one is certainly beautiful," Dale said. Craig had some information about orchids and Dale was amazed to learn that many orchids (although not all) were parasites, attaching themselves to other plants and nourishing themselves on the systems of those plants. Mistletoe was the same thing. It had no "root system" and could not grow by itself. It liked apple and oak trees as its host.

As they were looking over the menu, Craig said, "Remember, we'll have a large meal this evening, so plan accordingly."

Dale decided on the "Garden Meatloaf" which seemed to be about half beef and half vegetarian as it had mushrooms, zucchini and squash in it. He ordered Angel hair pasta with Mariana sauce to go with it.

Although that sounded good, Craig decided on their chicken potpie with a small house salad. He wanted to be able to enjoy his mother's efforts because he knew she had been cooking all week.

Doris Bastian had, in fact, been planning the dinner all week and had done most of her preparations on Friday. Her son may have been the middle child, but he was the "take charge" type and had actually helped his older sister maintain her place on the honor roll. He was always beyond his years, but she was thankful that the school didn't try to "skip him" a grade. In high school he took Advanced Placement courses, which allowed him to concentrate on his major - architectural science when he started college.

She had a hard time deciding on a menu because Craig liked all food that was put before him and he had told her that Dale was easy to please, too. She finally decided on a rib eye roast. It wasn't quite as tender as prime rib, but her family thought it was more flavorful. Her butcher knew what she was after and supplied a 10-pound roast for eight people.

For the salad course, she decided on mixed greens with green onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, green pepper strips and chunks of avocado with her own special creamy dressing.

She had a hard time deciding on a potato dish and finally came up with twice-baked potatoes. These had bleu cheese, garlic and sour cream mixed with the potatoes.

Craig had always loved roasted vegetables, so she came up with a mixture of zucchini, green peppers, onions, carrots, yellow squash and fresh green beans. These were sauteed, then finished in the oven.

Of course, there had to be his favorite fruit salad and another salad of pasta with a creamy cheese dressing. And, of course, corn on the cob.

Craig's favorite cake was a 3-layer carrot cake with cream cheese icing. Everyone else loved that cake, too. After a short debate with herself, she decided that Craig was too old to have candles on his cake.

After their lunch, the men made their way back to the Herb Garden and purchased the herbs they had decided on, buying several things for gifts for Craig's parents. The next stop was to buy several Amaryllis bulbs at the Fall Plant Sale.

"I'd like to come back here again when we have a whole day and just wander around. This is a beautiful park," Dale said.

"Would you rather stay here for a while instead of going to the Kimbell Museum?"

"No, not today. If we spend too much time anywhere, we won't get to visit many places. I'd rather see a little bit of a lot, then come back to do the tours later," Dale said.

"That's fine with me. I'm the same way, go visit and see what you want to explore later."

They hauled their purchases to the car and Craig drove to the Art Museum, which wasn't too far away. Dale glanced at his watch. It was 12:25. That should give them about two hours here, he thought as Craig parked their car.

Craig went through the history of the museum and gave Dale some facts about the building and collections. It was a huge building, longer than a football field and twice as wide and largely built out of reinforced concrete that was cast in place. Yet it presented the feeling of being light and airy. Travertine marble, copper, glass and steel completed the outside of the building.

They paid their admission and walked into the building, which was even more stunning than the outside, if that were possible. It was finished with travertine marble, quarter-sawn white oak, anodized aluminum, mill-finish stainless steel, slate and ceramic tile.

Craig loved this building. He seemed to discover new facets of the construction and appearance each time he visited, which had been a considerable number of times. Again, Dale couldn't get over the feeling of peace as they walked in.

They started walking, looking into the various gallery rooms, with Craig leading the way to see some of his favorite art pieces and paintings. They wandered for well over an hour and hadn't even seen half the building when Craig suggested they go to the Museum Shop.

This was a great experience as there were prints of some of the museum collection which were suitable for framing, reproductions of some of the sculpture, books, mobiles, and some things that were the typical gift-shop junk - but which probably sold to a lot of people.

Craig found a print of "The Fountain" painted by Hubert Robert, a French painter in about 1762. Dale had admired the painting and Craig had always liked it. It was full-size, about 44 x 35 inches and he bought it to have framed after they got home.

"Something to remember our honeymoon," Craig told Dale.

"Hmmm. all I have to do is look at you and I'll remember it, but this is beautiful. I really like it. Thanks." Much to Craig's surprise, Dale hugged him and gave him a peck on his cheek. An older woman saw that, but had no reaction, so Craig returned the gesture.

"We don't need to rush, but we really ought to be going so we can freshen up and change clothes," Craig said. Dale looked at his watch. It was almost 2:30. This day was really going quickly.

As they drove under the canopy at the entrance to the hotel, Craig got out of the car and told the valet that they would need the car in about 30 minutes. The young fellow gave Craig a claim ticket and said he would park the car in front instead of in the garage.

They took the herb containers out and made their way to their room, which had been cleaned. The flowers were back on the coffee table and the liquor was on the bar. Craig set the box containing the plants on the bar. They had been told that they should be watered tomorrow. Dale was carrying the print and he leaned it against the mirror on the dresser so they could admire it again.

"Are you going to have a quick shower?" Dale asked.

"Yeah, that sounds good. but darn it. no time for hanky- panky, I'm afraid."

"Not to worry, we've probably not fully recharged anyway," Dale said, poking Craig in the chest.

"You may be right there, I don't think I've ever cum so much and you about drowned me, too," Craig teased back.

They stripped off their clothes and crawled into the shower, lovingly helping wash the other. Although it was erotic, they didn't get aroused - very much, anyway.

Both selected dress slacks and a print sport shirt after putting on socks and boxers. Craig brushed their dress loafers to get the dust off and help restore the shine. They both looked sharp, but they looked sharp in their Levis, too. Just as they looked without clothes. They admired each other, and then exchanged a passionate kiss.

Dale selected the herbs they'd purchased for Craig's mother. Basil, parsley and chives.

"I'm going to stop at a liquor store and buy a couple of bottles of wine to take to my Dad," Craig said.

"Let me pay for them," Dale asked.

"I'm not keeping track of things like that," Craig said, "but that's fine as long as it's from both of us."

"Okay by me. I brought plenty of money, but we didn't discuss paying for any of this before we left home. Maybe we should have."

Craig interrupted. "Let's don't even go there. We are here to have a good time and we're certainly taking care of that. We can figure this out when we get home if you want to."

"Okay," Dale said brightly, giving Craig another kiss as they started for the door.

The drive to Craig's parents only took about 20 minutes and five of those were spent selecting two bottles of a nice red Bordeaux wine. Craig thought it was from the same vineyard as the wine from the night before, but only about a third of the restaurant price. 'Oh well, that didn't make any difference. This was their weekend to celebrate and they were doing that.'

Dale paid for the wine and the store had a nice gift box that would hold two bottles.

Craig drove onto his parent's driveway and both his parents were at the car before they could get out and gather their gifts.

While Craig's mother attached herself to him, Frank came around to Dale's side of the car and offered his hand to shake. "I'm Frank, Dale, and welcome to our house, son." He then embraced Dale, which totally surprised him. Dale returned the gesture, feeling extremely welcome.

They traded people. Frank went back to welcome his "other son" and Doris grabbed Dale into a bear hug, kissing him on the cheek. She was shorter than Craig, so he had to lean over. "Oh my," she exclaimed, "Craig said you were handsome, but that doesn't adequately describe it."

Dale turned red.

"I'm Doris, but I guess you already know that."

Craig and his father were standing side-by-side, with their arms around the other's waist, smiling at Doris and Dale.

Dale was amazed at the family resemblance. Craig looked a lot like his father, but had his mother's blond hair and definitely her nose. Craig had his father's eyes and compact build. They were the same height and probably weighted the same.

Dale and Craig pulled their packages out of the car and followed Frank and Doris into their house.

"Emmm, something smells good," Craig said as they arrived in the living room.

"I hope I've fixed your favorites, Craig," Doris said.

"Mom, anything you cook is my favorite."

Frank was standing there, looking at Dale. He normally didn't pay too much attention to what other men looked like, thinking Dale was extremely good-looking, but would never have guessed that he worked on a ranch.

Dale handed him the box containing the wine. "This is something for your bar and Craig and I hope you enjoy it."

"Thanks, guys, I appreciate it."

"Mom, Dale and I visited the Botanical Garden this morning and thought maybe you could use some herbs in your garden."

"That's sweet of both of you to think of that and I appreciate it. Thank you," she said to both of them.

Doris was looking at Dale and liked what she saw. Dale was more than just handsome; he was rugged looking without being rough. Her son definitely had good taste and she hoped they would make this work.

Frank spoke up. "I know it's not time for happy hour yet, but the bar is open and I'm taking orders." There was no doubt about what that meant.

"Scotch and soda for me, Dad," Craig said.

"I'll have Beefeater Gin on the rocks with olives," Dale said, having seen the Beefeater bottle on the bar.

"My kind of guy," Frank said. "Hon, do you want your usual scotch?" addressing his wife.

"That's fine, Frank. Make it a light one or I may never get Craig's birthday dinner on the table," she laughed.

Frank turned to the bar and in a short time had drinks ready for everyone. They wandered into the kitchen, enjoying the aromas coming from the oven. Doris opened the door to baste the roast. It was beautiful and was just starting to cook as it had only been in the oven about 20 minutes.

Craig was standing next to Dale and put his left arm around Dale's waist. At first Dale was a little embarrassed, but realized he was with their family and it was fine.

Doris immediately spied the ring on Craig's left hand. "Craig, is that a new ring, I've not seen it before?"

"Yes, Mom. Look." He turned to Dale and took his left hand so she could see both.

Doris got tears in her eyes. "Craig. Dale. I'm so happy for you. Look, Frank. look at these beautiful rings!!"

Frank admired them. "I guess this means that you fellows have made a commitment to be together?" he asked.

"Yes," they answered together, emphatically.

"Congratulations, we're celebrating more than just Craig's birthday tonight, then." He raised his martini glass. "Cheers. and welcome to our family, Dale. Doris, we've got two sons now."

Dale was blinking back tears and he noticed that Craig was doing the same. He walked over to Craig, putting his arm around his shoulder and kissed him on the cheek.

"I hope that doesn't make us brothers," Craig laughed.

They all laughed at that statement.

"Come on Dale, let's go out onto the patio and visit while Craig and his mother catch up," Frank said.

Dale followed him out the sliding door from the kitchen. The yard was beautiful, tastefully landscaped. There was a small water garden with a fountain in one corner of the yard. Dale headed toward that and saw goldfish in the little pond.

"Craig and I attended the Ft. Worth Builder's Show yesterday and I saw an exhibit where they had a couple of these set up. One was about 8 feet tall and had a couple of waterfalls above the pool."

"Craig hasn't seen this yet. We just had it put in about 3 months ago. It's pleasant to sit and listen to the running water."

They settled into comfortable patio chairs close to the water and fell into a natural conversation. Frank was easy to talk to and was interested in the Bar-W Ranch. Amazingly he'd heard of it and knew of its reputation for fine beef and excellent horses.

Frank asked a lot of questions, which Dale proudly answered and told him about the ranch expansion, the Williamson's commitment to their employees and the building of the first of three possible houses to provide a place for their employees to live.

Frank was impressed with the size of the ranch and how it was divided and used.

"I hope that Doris and I can come down soon and I want to see the place."

"Great, we can saddle up some horses and ride back up the river. There is some really rough terrain within a few miles of Williamsport."

After a short time their drinks were empty. "Come on Dale, let's go raid the bar again, then you can visit with Doris and I'll talk to my other son."

Dale followed him into the house, busting with pride that Craig's parents had accepted him with no reservation. He was proud to have them as 'parents', too.

"Dale, go see if Doris and Craig are ready for a refill," Frank said as he was washing their glasses.

He headed to the kitchen. "Frank said to check if you were ready for fresh drinks."

"I am," Craig said. "What about you, mom?"

"I'm going to go slow for now, but go ahead," she told Craig.

Dale took Craig's glass back to the bar. Frank washed it and gave Dale a new drink for each of them, then followed Dale to the kitchen.

"Alright, mother, I've had a nice visit with one son. Are you ready to trade so I can talk to the other one?"

That made Dale extremely proud to hear that statement.

"Don't tell her any of the details of our sex life," Craig said with a smirk as he followed his father out of the room.

Dale turned red and Doris laughed.

He and Doris had a similar conversation to the one he'd had with Frank. Both of them were proud of Craig and of his accomplishment in his chosen field and it was obvious they were proud of Dale, too.

"Frank and I were concerned about Craig living in a small town, that he wouldn't have the opportunity to meet men like you. I just didn't think there would be other men who. would. be like him (she tried to carefully choose her words).

"My experience in this is pretty limited, but I've been amazed at the number of others we've met together and we have a group that is sponsored by our church that seems to be both a support and a social group. My employers are very supportive and insist that Craig go on trips with me when he can. Next week is a big horse show in Waco and we are both going with them."

"That's wonderful. Not all would be so willing to do that and you should be proud to work for them, too," Doris said.

"I am. They have been extremely good to me." Dale then told Doris about Marty inviting Craig and him to be present last Sunday when they told Jason about losing their dog, Sandy.

Doris had tears in her eyes. "I just hope my two daughters do as well finding a good husband as Craig did in finding you," she said.

Again, Dale was a little embarrassed, but proud of what Doris had just said.

"I think Craig is pretty special, myself, and I think I'm the lucky one.

"Well, Craig will always be my baby, but you'll be our son, too, and we're glad you are part of Craig's life.

Dale found that Doris was just as relaxed and easy to visit with as her husband. As he sat there visiting, Doris was working on meal preparation, so he told her about the cooking class they were taking and they discussed that in detail.

"I've always believed that if you could read, you can learn to cook. Most recipes are detailed and easy to follow and some of the cookbooks have good step-by-step pictures to follow, too. If you fellows lived closer I'd have both of you proficient in the kitchen in a couple of weeks.

"You know, I should have worked with Craig when he was in high school, but he was taking Advanced Placement courses the last two years and had to keep his grades up, so I didn't even think of trying to teach him about the kitchen. I guess at that time I just assumed that he would get married and. I'm sorry, Dale, I didn't mean it to sound that way. but that he would marry in a traditional manner and his wife would do all the cooking."

"No apology necessary. You know, being gay is somewhat new to me, too. I guess I always thought I'd get married to a woman someday and have children, but didn't have any interest in helping the process along."

Doris laughed. "I've heard that in many states they allow male couples to adopt children. If you and Craig really want children, you might look into that."

"We haven't discussed that, but thanks for the input. It may be something to check out later. I don't have any idea how Craig might feel about it, but I wouldn't be opposed to it after we get settled and know this is permanent."

"Oh, Dale, I can tell it's going to be permanent. Trust me, Mothers know these things."

Dale didn't know whether he should agree or not. He and his mother had never been 'best friends' as Craig and his parents seemed to be.

"Dale, I don't mean to pry, but Craig indicated that you had lost your grandparents and mother. and aren't sure where your father is?"

Dale briefly told her the story, ending with the fact that the last he knew, his father was in the Galveston area, working for a construction company.

"I'm really sorry to hear that. Our family has always been close and we've always tried to treat Craig and his two sisters, Susan and Becky, fairly and see to it that they had everything they needed to prepare them for life. Some aren't so lucky, but it seems that you've overcome the odds and turned out extremely well."

"Thank you. My grandparents both worked hard and they didn't have an easy life. My mother, too." he said.

About that time Frank and Craig arrived back in the kitchen. Craig walked over to the stood where Dale was sitting. Standing behind him, he put his arms around his chest. "She didn't make you tell anything you weren't supposed to, did she?" he teased.

"Yes, she knows the whole sordid story now. I'm going to have to crawl back to Williamsport in shame."

Everyone laughed. Dale felt so comfortable with these people. Frank and Doris were as wonderful as their son.

Dale got a twinkle in his eye and flashed Craig his famous 1000-watt smile.

"Oh no, he's going to get me again," Craig laughed.

Frank had a funny look on his face.

"Wha.? He questioned.

"Every time Dale gets a gleam in his eye and puts on that goofy smile, I know that he's going to say something funny. Last night it was about the menu in the French restaurant not having any pictures. and the night before."

Dale turned red.

Frank started laughing and so did Doris, so Craig told the story about the menu not having pictures and Dale asking if he could get a cheeseburger. "God, that's funny. Dale, I love your sense of humor," Frank said.

Doris was laughing, too. "What about the night before?"

Dale shot Craig a warning look, but knew Craig was going to tell the story, anyway.

Craig repeated the story as all four of them laughed so hard he could hardly finish the part about the manager thinking he was going to have to perform the Heimlich maneuver.

Dale was somewhat embarrassed, but everyone was enjoying the story so much that he didn't care. These were truly people who loved each other.

It wasn't too long before Susan and her "fiancee to be" arrived at the house. Introductions were made with Frank telling Susan that Dale was their new son.

"Well, thank goodness he's not a swishy-acting faggot," Susan laughed. "I'm glad to have a new brother instead of a new sister. I'd never forgive Craig for that."

Dale was introduced to Chuck, who had a quick smile, firm handshake and was good-looking, too. Craig had met him before and they embraced each other.

Frank was busy fixing drinks when Becky and her current boyfriend arrived. She and Stan had only been dating about three weeks. Craig, of course, hadn't met him but his parents seemed glad to see him again.

Susan took care of the introductions since Doris was busy and Frank was in the other room.

". and these are my two brothers, the handsome one is Dale and the good-looking one is Craig."

Everyone laughed.

Stan seemed shy and Dale wondered how he would fare when the family all got started teasing each other. "I'm pleased to meet you," he said quietly, shaking both of their hands.

About that time Susan noticed Craig's ring, then looked at Dale's hand. She let out a shriek and grabbed both hands, holding them together so she could admire the rings.

"Wow, Craig. I always thought I'd get a ring first!" She looked at Chuck when she said that, then added, "These are beautiful. You guys have good taste."

Of course, Chuck had to look at the rings, then Becky 'oohed and aahhed' over them, too. Stan didn't have any comment.

Frank arrived back in the room with a tray of drinks. It appeared that Becky and Stan were drinking cola, and Dale wondered if there was any alcohol in them. Craig had a similar thought and wondered if Stan would be more fun if he had a couple. or four drinks. He needed something to loosen him up. Somehow he doubted that he and Stan would ever be brothers-in- law.

Doris had put a tray of hors d'oeuvres on the counter. Everyone was helping themselves so Dale moved over to see what she had put out. There were crackers, dips and cheese. He liked it that the kitchen was large and everyone seemed to congregate in the area to visit and enjoy the company of each other.

"Frank, have you shown Dale your railroad, yet?" Chuck asked.

"No, and Stan hasn't seen it either," he replied. "All aboard," he said in a big deep voice and led the way to the basement.

The men had barely cleared the door to go downstairs when Susan said, "What a stud my brother landed! If I didn't think Chuck and I were going to get married, I'd fight Craig for him."

Becky looked startled

Doris laughed. "Honey, I don't think he's available. and I think they are really in love with each other. Craig and you got lucky and found the right person the first time around."

"Mom, that's disgusting. I know Craig's gay, but you don't have to make fun of me," Becky said. She sounded bitter.

"Becky, relax, you'll find the right man when it's to be. Don't try so hard.

"I know. Stan's a nice guy, but he's such a wimp about everything."

"When you said that Craig's new friend was a cowboy, I don't know what I expected, but Dale looks like a combination of the Marlboro man and a model for Armani. and I wouldn't mind seeing him model briefs for Calvin Klein, either," Susan said.

Doris got amused. Apparently Dale had gotten her older daughter turned on. She wondered if Chuck would get lucky later tonight, not knowing if they were actually having sex.

Becky was strangely quiet, but neither Doris nor Susan was going to ask any questions.

Doris gave each of the girls some tasks to do in the kitchen. She had set the table that morning, so the dining room was all ready to go, except for putting food on the table and lighting the candles.

The men, meanwhile, were having a ball with the trains. Frank really did have as much equipment as Santa Fe and the room was full of tracks going everywhere with a big switchyard along one wall where freight trains could be made up.

"How long have you been into model railroading?" Dale asked.

"I got my first train when he was 32 and he's been playing with it ever since," Craig laughed.

"I was not 32," Frank said. "I'd just turned 33."

"See, an even bigger kid than I always thought," Craig said.

There was more laughter from everyone. Dale loved his new family. He certainly felt good being with them.

After about 20 minutes of playing with the trains, Frank said, "Let's go back up and have one more drink. Mom ought to be ready for us to eat when we're through with that one."

They trooped back up the stairs and headed to the bar. The kitchen was producing some wonderful aromas and both Dale and Craig realized they were hungry. Well, good, they wanted to do justice to the meal Craig's mother had put together for her sons. Dale wondered if Chuck was treated as well by Frank and Doris as he was. He'd have to ask Craig about that later - if Craig even knew.

When they sat at the table to eat, all joined hands and Frank asked the blessing with thanksgiving for Craig's birthday and for Dale becoming a part of their family. Each person at the table was included in the blessing.

"Amen" they all said and started on the salads that were at each place.

The table looked beautiful, with a light blue liner under a white lace tablecloth. There were blue napkins to match the liner, white china with silver trim, sterling silver, Waterford stemware, a water goblet and claret stem - the same pattern as Doris had given Craig - all under a glowing crystal chandelier. The lights were dimmed and the candles made the atmosphere cozy.

Doris had split the couples up so they could visit with each other. She and Frank were at the ends of the table, with Dale at her right, then Susan and Stan. On Frank's right were Craig, Becky and Chuck. It was her hope that Frank, Craig and Susan could help draw Stan out of his "shell". Doris liked Chuck and Dale was also easy to visit with and her daughters were in the middle of the table where they could easily talk to everyone.

There was a lot of teasing and kidding as they started their meal. When they were finished with their salad, Chuck helped Doris clear the plates. Dale asked if he could help and Doris told him he could bring the serving dishes in and set them on the buffet so they could be passed around the table. There were several warming trays for the hot food.

Craig had been right. His mother was a wonderful cook and the food was delicious. Everyone ate heartily and the conversation remained spirited with questions about jobs and things that were going on in each of their lives. Everyone had questions about the Bar-W Ranch and Dale was pleased at the interest.

For Frank and Doris it was a great evening. It was the first time in about four months that all of their children had been in the house at the same time and was also the first time that each had a "significant other" with them. They didn't realize until that night that it was lonely with just the two of them in the house by themselves most of the time.

Susan had her own apartment and Becky lived in one of the dorms at S.M.U. While the distance wasn't far, traffic and their schedules kept them from visiting their parents as often as everyone might like.

By the time they were through eating, there wasn't much left. Doris wasn't even sure they could get two decent-sized sandwiches out of the roast that was still on the platter. She suggested that everyone move into the family room and they would have dessert in there shortly. This time it was Dale and Becky who helped clear the table while Doris rinsed the dishes to prepare the china, silver and crystal to be hand washed a little later.

She flipped the switch on the coffee maker, as she knew at least two people would want coffee later. The cake was on a crystal cake stand. She got out a container of vanilla ice cream and a bottle of champagne. The flute stems were on a tray on the kitchen counter.

Doris wanted to cut the cake and serve it in the family room, so had set up a small table to hold the stand, plates, silver and napkins. Becky carried the cake in; the other items were already there.

Frank went to the counter to open the champagne and pour it. He poured the golden nectar and soon everyone had a glass. Happy Birthday was sung, then there were presents to be opened. Craig got the usual articles of clothing, gift certificates and a piece of crystal stemware for their dining room and a nice tool kit with screwdrivers, a hammer, wrenches, and several other items. His father gave him a cordless screwdriver. Craig proudly showed everyone the chain that Dale had given him the evening before.

Then the cake was cut and served with ice cream and coffee for those who wanted it. The cake was Craig's favorite and Dale knew why as soon as he tasted the first bite. He didn't want to be a pig, but joined Craig in having a second piece.

Shortly afterward, Becky and Stan left.

Becky had barely backed her car out of the driveway when Craig asked, to no one in particular, "What cemetery did she visit to dig him up?"

Everyone laughed.

Susan spoke up. "This is the worst one yet."

Doris said, "I'm getting a little bit concerned about her because you are right, they just keep getting stranger."

Frank added, "It was like pulling teeth to get him to even answer questions with a yes or no. I finally gave up and talked to Craig and everyone else at the table. Why bother."

Chuck laughed. "Is this the way you talk about me when I'm not around?"

"Oh, absolutely," Susan said, giving him a peck on the cheek.

Frank explained to Dale and the others. "Becky is 23 years old and thinks she's going to be an old maid if she isn't married by the time she gets her degree. Unfortunately, she seems to date any man who smiles at her. I think she's too aggressive and doesn't wait for a man to ask her out and Stan was probably afraid to say 'no' when she asked him."

"Well, whatever her problem is, I can't do anything about it. Besides, Chuck and I need to be on our way. Craig, have a Happy Birthday. Dale, I'm glad you are part of our family now. And. I'm sure that Craig is luckier than you are," she laughed.

"T.h.a.n.k's heaps - I think," Craig replied.

Dale laughed. "All I can say is, 'I love him'."

Everyone said their goodbyes and Susan and Chuck left in his car.

"What do you fellow have planned for tomorrow?" Frank asked.

"We really haven't made any plans. Maybe go to church, then see some things in Dallas," Craig told them.

"Why don't you go to church with Mom and me and then we'll take you out to brunch afterward? We can go to the country club," Frank said. Doris was nodding her head.

"Where are you going to church?" Craig asked.

"We're still going to St. Phillips on Morris Lane, the 11 o'clock mass," Frank replied.

"Can we talk about it on the way back to the hotel and then call you a little later?" Craig asked.

"Sure, we know that you want to make the most of your day tomorrow and show Dale some of the sights here. We're just pleased that we could help you celebrate your birthday and to meet Dale, too," Frank said.

"Especially to meet Dale," Doris agreed.

"Can we help with the dishes?" Dale asked.

"No, Dad and I can do them. You guys run along and either go have a good time or get some rest. It sounds like you've had a busy two days here already," Doris said.

"We'll talk about tomorrow and let you know as soon as we get back to the hotel, okay?" Craig asked.

"Okay."

They gathered up Craig's birthday presents and Doris provided a large bag to put the clothes in so they didn't have to fool with the shirt boxes.

"Thanks for the shirts, wine glass and tool kit and screwdriver," Craig said, hugging both his parents.

"You are welcome, son. Hope you get good use out of all of it," Frank said.

"Thanks for the wonderful dinner. The food was certainly good," Dale said.

"Mom, it really was a great birthday dinner. All my favorites. Thank you," Craig told her.

Frank and Doris both hugged Dale. Doris kissed him on the cheek. "Take good care of my son," Doris reminded Dale.

Frank said, "Welcome to our family, son. I've always wanted two boys, now I have them."

"Thank you," Dale said.

Frank and Doris hugged Craig, too, and then walked the two men to their car.

On the way back to the hotel, they decided that although it would be fun to spend some time with Craig's parents, they wouldn't get anything done if they went to church, then went to brunch, so decided to decline the invitation.

"Are you sure your parents won't be unhappy?" Dale asked.

Craig squeezed his hand. "No, I don't think so. They know we want to see Dallas and it's not as if we can't come back another weekend soon," Craig told him.

"I understand. And. I sure had a great time with them today. They are so accepting of the fact that you and I are partners. I feel fortunate to know them."

"You're part of the family now. I guess if you are now a son, too, that makes us brothers and our relationship with each other has become incestuous," Craig laughed.

"Mom always liked you better," Dale laughed, quoting an old Tommy Smothers line.

"Sibling rivalry?" Craig said, laughing.

"Seems that way." They both were still laughing.

By this time they were back at the hotel. Since the gifts were in the trunk and it was locked, they decided to leave them where they were so they didn't have to cart them to the room and back.

A different doorman welcomed them and Craig asked for a claim check for the car.

Back in their room, Craig called his parents to tell them that they were going to spend the day on their own, but would talk to them before they left town on Monday afternoon.

They took their clothes off and sat on the love seat in their boxers. They were tired and it felt good to sit and touch each other, their arms holding the other.

(to be continued)

• • • • • Author's Note: This is my first attempt at gay fiction, and the only way I can learn whether or not I should continue is from my readers' feedback. I would appreciate your comments, criticism, suggestions, and anything else that you would care to say. All Email will be answered. If you wish to receive e-mail notification of subsequent postings, please let me know by sending your request to the following e-mail address: TulsaDriller7@aol.com

A special THANK YOU to DANNY and GARY in DALLAS for their help and input to this chapter and the next. Their help was invaluable as I'm not that familiar with Dallas. Some of the information was downloaded from websites and it's hard to put the places into a story where you are (hopefully) seeing it through Dale and Craig's eyes. Thanks for the overwhelming response to previous chapters. I have received positive replies from all over the world and continue to be amazed at how large my "Notification List" has gotten. My special thanks for proofreading help to Paul Daventon, who has taken time to help me catch obvious errors.