All Characters In This Story Are 18+ Years Old.
*****
Saturday, September 3, dawned a beautiful Rocky Mountain autumn morning. By 10:45 a.m. Claude James and his 18-year old niece and granddaughter, Nel Martin, had finished their grocery shopping and were on their way to meet John Taylor and Nel's best friend, John's 19-year old daughter, Megan. Soon they would be off to spend the rest of the Labor Day weekend at the Taylor's rustic cabin retreat.
Claude had his shearling ranch coat in the trunk with their luggage and wore Levi's and his favorite brushed wool sand-and-slate plaid Pendleton camp shirt. His brown felt slouch hat, not exactly like, but reminiscent of, Indiana Jones' snap-brim fedora, was oddly incongruous with his battered Adidas. Still, Nel thought he was at least as handsome as Harrison Ford, and better, because he was right there beside her in the Toronado. She snuggled closer to her grandfather and touched her right hand through her bulky knit wool sweater to her baby bump. Rubbing herself softly she smiled and kissed Claude's cheek. He turned his face to her and grinned. "What was THAT for?" He asked, pleased by the spontaneous attention.
"Nothing," Nel answered. "And, everything, I guess..." she lifted her hand to Claude's right wrist, pulling it from the steering wheel. She put his hand flat against her taut abdomen and pressed her own hand on top, pushing both across the dome. "Have you thought about whether you want a son or a daughter?" She asked.
Claude returned his eyes to the road but kept his palm on Nel's tummy, enjoying the warmth, imagining the second life within. "I just want healthy and happy," he replied, truthfully, "but I suppose the best would be for you and your mom to have babies of different genders. Every man wants a son and I would love to have another daughter." He glanced at Nel and looked back to traffic. "Do YOU care one way or the other?"
"That's funny," Nel said, "I was thinking along the same lines, and I'm kinda hoping Mom has a boy and I have a girl... That way she could have a son and a daughter before it was... you know, too late." Nel squeezed her grandfather's hand. "She's nearly forty and I've heard eggs get 'old' and stuff. Anyway, WE'LL have lots of time to give you a son if this one's a girl, RIGHT?" Nel reasoned.
"Right," agreed Claude, pulling into the Taylor's driveway behind John's Cadillac. "Speaking of all this, even under that sweater it's obvious you aren't the same skinny tomboy you were last Spring... no doubt you have told Megan, but how do you want to play it with her Dad?"
"Ohhh, uhm," Nel pondered. "Well, I suppose my pregnancy is a fact... we should just, you know, 'dummy up' about who's the Daddy, I guess."
Just then the far left door of the Taylors' triple garage opened and Megan and John walked down the pavement. Claude got out of the coupe and Nel slid out behind him. "Hey, Megan!" She called.
Megan scurried up and hugged her friend. "Hey, Nel!" She said, breathlessly, "This is gonna be SO great! I have so much to tell you! Oh, my goodness, you're starting to get big, aren't you?" She whispered in her ear, with a soft giggle.
"Yeah... have you told your dad about me?" Nel asked, and saw Megan shake her head 'No.'
Meanwhile, John and Claude were shaking hands, formally meeting each other for the first time, although they recognized each other from previous encounters at the pizza parlor. "So this is your Toronado... Sweet! 1968?" inquired John.
"Nope, 1966. First year." Claude corrected. "It's in great shape for a 50 year old," he laughed, "Especially now that that mechanic in Manitou Springs installed the new carburetor."
"Oh yeah," John replied, "That's right... That was real nice of you to take care of Megan and put her up... Would have been damned inconvenient if Franny or I had had to drive out and collect her."
Claude's cock twitched involuntarily at the memory. He hoped Mr. Taylor did not notice that or the rising color in his cheeks. "It was... the least I could do, John..."
"Call me 'Johhny,' Claude," John quickly interrupted, "All my friends do." he clapped Claude on the back and continued, "I'll just pull the Jeep out and we can load up and get going." He turned and walked back to the open garage door.
Nel watched Mr. Taylor amble away. He was shorter than Claude, by far, but had a very sturdy look. She noticed he and Megan were both wearing similar red-and-blue checked flannel shirts and sleeveless black Columbia down vests. John was in blue jeans, like her uncle, while Megan was wearing the same Marmot Ginny pants she had on in May. Everyone looked ready for anything.
The provisions were quickly transferred from the Olds to the Cherokee Trailhawk and the girls piled in the back seat while the men climbed in the front. "We're unlikely to need the Lo Range 4x4," John said to the crew, "But it's nice to know it's there, and I haven't been up the road this year, so I really don't know what the spring thaw and summer storms have done to the ruts."
"Pretty remote, is it, this cabin?" Claude asked responsively.
"It's on the Barker Reservoir, outside Nederland," John informed him. "The first 45 miles is all paved regular roads, but, then we'll come to a locked gate at the end of 'Doe Trail'. From there it's five miles of graded gravel, though, like I said, there may be some rough spots." He turned his head to the back seat and grinned, winking, at the girls. "We'll be there in about 90 minutes, give or take... You guys settled in back there?"
"We're cool," Megan answered, as Nel nodded from the passenger side.