The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 3

 

When we tucked the boys in on Thursday night, we said goodbye to them, not just goodnight.  We did this because they’d still be asleep when we left for work in the morning and we wouldn’t be returning home before we left on our trip.  We also made sure to tell each of them, and we emphasized it for the twins, that they would have to wear their swimsuits if they used the pool over the weekend.  We didn’t want to take the chance of them forgetting, and they all assured us that they wouldn’t swim naked.  Actually, I think most of the boys were horrified at the thought of a girl seeing them naked, although some of them might have been willing to do it if they could see her naked at the same time. 

After we finished breakfast, we reminded Noah that he would have to drive today, and Holly immediately asked if she could ride with him.  We glanced at Noah to see if he had a problem with this, and as soon as he gave us a little nod that it was ok, we agreed to her request.  I think Dad picked up on this too, so I knew he’d keep a closer eye on them while we were gone. 

When we met up with Noah and Holly for lunch, Holly wanted to know where we were going this weekend and what we’d be doing, so we filled her in about how this came about.  She agreed it sounded nice and said she hoped we had a good time.  We thanked her and told her we hoped she had a good weekend too, and she assured us that she would. 

As soon as the workday ended, we had our staffs lock up the offices so we could leave for Harrisburg. We had done some research online the night before and found a nice restaurant along the way, so we stopped there to take a break and have a bite to eat before continuing on our journey.  It was after 10:00 when we arrived at the Harrisburg Hilton Hotel.  Once we checked in we went directly to our room, took a shower, and then settled in between the sheets of our king-size bed.  We wanted to get a good night’s sleep so we’d be able to enjoy the activities that were planned for the next day. 

When we woke up the following morning, we went to take advantage of the complimentary breakfast first, and then we headed outside to take a walk.  It was a beautiful day, so we agreed to take a leisurely stroll around the grounds first, and then we checked out the part of the city closest to the hotel.  We did this until we were ready for lunch, and then we went back to the hotel to eat at one of the establishments there.  After enjoying an excellent lunch, we went up to our room, changed into our swimsuits, and set out to take advantage of the pool. 

After swimming and relaxing poolside for a couple of hours, we went back to our room to rest before we had to get dressed for our dinner reservation at Char’s at Tracy Mansion.  We arrived there early enough so we could check out the building before we were seated at a table, and it was just as impressive as Dion and Trey had claimed.  The meal was outstanding too, and we made a mental note to thank Pop when we returned home.  As soon as we finished eating, we headed over to the Giant Center to take advantage of our next birthday gift. 

It was there that we were going to see the Elton John – Billy Joel concert, and even though they were both much older now than when we first enjoyed their music, we weren’t disappointed in the least.  They took turns singing their own hits and each other’s songs, and they even joked around with one another and the audience in between numbers.  We thoroughly enjoyed seeing both of them in person, and we’d definitely thank Dion and Trey and let them know it was a perfect birthday present. 

When the concert concluded, we went back to the hotel and headed directly to our room.  Seeing we were in such a good mood from the concert, we started kissing, and this led to some groping, and before long we ended up making love before we showered and fell asleep. 

We slept a little later than usual on Sunday and skipped the complimentary breakfast.  After waking up, getting dressed, and packing our suitcase, we carried it down and put it in the trunk of the car before going to a different establishment in the hotel for brunch.  After we successfully quieted the rumbling in our stomachs, we went to the front desk to check out before taking off for our next destination. 

Seeing it was another lovely day, we decided to walk to the Hershey Harrisburg Theater, rather than drive.  When the doors were finally opened and we were allowed to enter, we wandered around the public areas of the theater first and admired the interior of this marvelous old building.  It was just as impressive as Trey and Dion had claimed, and as it got closer to the time the show was scheduled to begin, we made our way to our seats and waited for the action to begin. 

The Cirque de Soliel show, Volta, was artistically done, breathtaking in scope, and a multi-layered extravaganza comprised of numerous talented performers.  Some of them thrilled us with amazing stunts on bicycles and unicycles, while others dazzled us as they spun around on ropes attached to the rafters, and others soared high into the air while doing incredible routines on trampolines.  Another person performed on a tight wire and did much more than just walk from one end of it to the other, and someone else spun around inside a metal hoop that was larger in diameter than he was tall.  There were also multiple people leaping through various shaped metal hoops that were fastened on top of one another, with each hoop facing in a different direction.  When the show ended, we agreed that we’d tell the boys they’d done an excellent job choosing such a thrilling gift for us. 

When the show ended, we walked back to the hotel to retrieve our car and then we began the long trip back.  It had been a wonderful and thoroughly enjoyable weekend, but now it was time to head home and get ready for work the following day. 

Along the way we stopped at the same restaurant we’d eaten at on Friday, because we were hungry and knew the others would have already finished dinner by the time we arrived.  Brandon drove the final leg of the trip home, since I had gotten us to this point. 

It was nearly 8:30 by the time we reached the house, so I carried our suitcase inside and set it down in the foyer.  After hearing us enter, the entire family came out to welcome us home, and Dad immediately asked if we had eaten yet. 

“Yes, we stopped for dinner on the way back,” Brandon confirmed. 

“That’s good, but I hope you’ve still got room for dessert.  Your kids have a cake in your honor that they want you to cut.” 

“Happy Father’s Day,” they all screamed as they took turns giving us a hug. 

“How was your trip?” Holly asked when she took her turn. 

“It was wonderful, and we’ll tell you all about it while we’re having cake and coffee,” Brandon told her. 

As we went into the dining room, Noah and Elliot headed into the kitchen so they could carry in the cake and ice cream.  While they were doing that, the others began filling us in about their day. 

“A bunch of our uncles came to the house today to wish Grandpa Josh and Grandpa Jake Happy Father’s Day,” Joshie began. 

“And it wasn’t just the ones who live around here either,” Benny added.  “Uncle Sammy, Uncle Andrew, and Uncle Graham came too, but they left a couple hours ago.” 

“I’m sorry we missed them.” 

“And Grandpa Josh and Grandpa Jake got a lot of phone calls from the ones who couldn’t get here,” Tristan added. 

“And they got a whole bunch of cards and packages yesterday too,” Hunter informed us. 

“And we went with them when they took Grandpa Josh and Grandpa Jake out to eat,” Hayden followed. 

“Then I guess we must owe someone for what they spent on your meals,” I said as I looked around at the others. 

“No, we split the bill, except for Dad and Pop, so you don’t owe us a thing,” Dion responded. 

“Are you sure, because we wouldn’t mind paying for what our kids ate?” 

“We’re positive,” Trey concurred. 

The boys and Holly were insistent that we hurry up and cut the cake, so Brandon took the knife and began slicing it, while I put the pieces on small plates and passed them to Noah and Elliot.  They then asked the recipient which flavor of ice cream they wanted and then scooped it onto their plate. 

When Brandon finished cutting the cake, he left to go up to our room quickly, and when he returned he was carrying two packages with a card attached to each one.  He handed the first one to Dad and the other to Pop. 

“Happy Father’s Day,” he said as he handed the packages to them. 

“Thank you,” they replied in unison.  “But you know you didn’t have to do this,” Dad added. 

“They’re from all of us and it’s just our way of letting you know how special you are to us,” he countered. 

“Yes, and it’s not nearly enough to compensate you for all you’ve done and continue to do for us, but it’s a start,” I added. 

As we sat down to enjoy our treat, the kids seemed to pull cards out of thin air and handed them to us.  “Thank you, but you already gave us your gift, because you helped to pay for the hotel room the first night we were there.” 

“We know, but we wanted to do this too,” Ryan stated, and I looked around at the others and could see they were nodding in agreement. 

Each one gave us a card just from him, and each one wrote a personal message inside the card as well, and this included Holly and the twins.  Each card was addressed to ‘Dad B and Dad D’, so we opened them together, read the note inside, and thanked the person who gave it to us. 

“We picked them out ourselves,” Tristan told us when we thanked him for his card. 

“Yeah, and we used our allowance to buy them,” Benny added. 

“Grandpa Josh took us down to the store so we could pick them out,” Wyatt chimed in, “and me and Joshie bought cards for Daddy and Poppy.” 

“We don’t get an allowance, so we used some of the money we brought with us,” Hayden added, and he seemed to be speaking for Hunter and Holly too. 

“Thank you and it was very nice of you to do this,” I told them.  “And just so you know, the three of you will be getting an allowance from now on as well.”  This brought a smile to Hunter and Hayden’s faces. 

“You don’t have to give me an allowance,” Holly objected.  “You helped me get a job at the daycare and I’ll be making money there.” 

“We want you to save that money for college,” Brandon offered, “so we’ll still be giving you an allowance.  You can either save that for college too, or you can spend it on whatever you want.” 

“Thank you.  I wasn’t expecting you to do that for me too.”

“You’re welcome,” we both told her.  “You’re one of our kids now, just like the others, so we won’t treat you any differently than anyone else.” 

After we finished our cake and ice cream, Holly said goodnight and went to her room, since she had to work the next day and wanted to finish a project that she planned to take with her.  Brandon and I went with the boys to the family room to watch TV for a while, and during the commercials they told us about their weekend.   

“We already told you about today,” Benny began, “and yesterday we went swimmin’ after Grandpa Josh took us to the store to buy the cards for you.” 

“And we wore our swimsuits,” Hunter confirmed. 

“We’re glad to hear that,” Brandon replied. 

“And Grandpa Jake played kickball with us too,” Hayden added, “but he only pitched.” 

“It was very nice of him to do that,” I replied. 

“I was with Revin and his mom yesterday,” Tristan told us next.  “Uncle Dion and Uncle Trey picked us up for church this morning, and then I came home with them after we ate at the diner.”

“And Grandpa Josh used your SUV to take Grandpa Jake, Elliot, Ryan, Holly, and me to church,” Noah added.  “There wasn’t enough room for all of us to fit in Uncle Dion and Uncle Trey’s new SUV.”

“Yes, and that’s why we were so glad that they decided to get one too,” I responded. 

After the shows ended, we sent the boys upstairs to get ready for bed, and while they were doing that we went out to chat with Dad and Pop. 

“So did anything interesting happen while we were gone?” I asked as we sat down in the dining room to sip our coffee.  The four of us were totally alone at the time. 

“Nothing much, other than that I noticed that Noah and Holly were spending a lot of time together,” Dad stated while rolling his eyes. 

“Noah even asked for permission to take her with him when he went to spend time with some of his friends,” Pop added.  “He said he wanted them to all get to know one another.” 

“Hmmm, I wonder what was up with that,” Brandon mumbled. 

“I’m not sure, but it seems to be more than just a brother – sister connection,” Pop observed. 

“I agree,” Dad followed.  “I was wondering about that when Holly asked if she could ride with Noah on Friday, instead of going with the two of you, so I kept an eye on them while you were away.  They seem to have bonded, and I hope it’s merely due to the fact that they’ll both be going to college in the fall and have that in common, but I’m starting to think it’s more than that now.”

“Watching them interact with each other, I have a feeling there’s a romantic attraction between them,” Pop continued. 

“We’ve been wondering about that,” Brandon responded.  “They act the same way when we have lunch with them at work.” 

“Yes, they seem to be totally focused on one another, whether it’s at lunch or when they’re riding with us to and from the health center,” I concurred.  “We’ll talk more about this with you during the week, but right now we want to get upstairs and say goodnight to the boys before they fall asleep.” 

“Aren’t you going to say goodnight to Holly as well?” Pop wondered after I’d said that. 

“She went to her room long before the boys did, so I’m afraid she might be asleep already and we don’t want to wake her.” 

“Ok, go on and head upstairs with the boys,” Dad urged.  “Jake and I will help keep an eye on Noah and Holly for now.” 

Brandon and I agreed with his suggestion, and then we went upstairs to tuck the boys in.  We headed to the twins’ room first.

“We really missed you while you were gone,” Hunter told us when we approached the bunk beds. 

“We’re glad you had a good time, but we like it better when you’re here,” Hayden added. 

“We definitely missed you boys too,” Brandon confirmed. 

“Yes, we almost fell asleep in the car without any screaming kids,” I teased. 

“We don’t scream in the car,” Hayden objected. 

“But I guess we are kinda loud at times,” Hunter conceded.

“But it’s all good, because no one is fighting or arguing – well at least most of the time.” 

“We only do that once in a while,” Wyatt chimed in. 

“That’s true, and you usually stop when we ask.”

Brandon and I then kissed each of them on the forehead and bid them sweet dreams, and then we went to Tristan’s room next. 

“I wish Revin’s mom would’ve let him come home with us after church today, cuz he wanted to wish you guys Happy Father’s Day too.” 

“Yes, we noticed that you let him sign your card to us and he added his own message,” I replied. 

“Yeah, he says he thinks of you guys as his dad too, cuz he’s here so much.” 

“And we think of him as another son,” Brandon agreed.  “I just hope it doesn’t bother his mother.” 

“Nah, she’s even said that to him too,” Tristan confirmed. 

We then went to say goodnight to Benny and Joshie next.  “Did you guys really have a good time or were you just saying that?” Benny wanted to know. 

“We had a terrific time,” Brandon responded. 

“And we thoroughly enjoyed each of our birthday presents,” I added. 

“Good, cuz I was afraid you were just saying that to make us feel good.” 

“No, everything was fantastic.”

We then headed upstairs to say goodnight to the older boys and stopped in Ryan’s room first.  “I’m glad you two had a good time this weekend and enjoyed our gift,” he said after we entered his room. 

“Yes, we had a fantastic weekend and we truly enjoyed each of our gifts,” Brandon responded. 

“In fact, I think we probably enjoyed the Cirque de Soliel show even more than we would have enjoyed seeing one of the musicals.” 

“That’s great,” he agreed.

We then went to say goodnight to Noah next, and while we were there I thought I’d ask him a question.  “Is there something going on between you and Holly?” 

He looked shocked after he heard my question.  “We get along really well, but I think it’s cuz we both just graduated from high school and are going to college in a couple of months.”

“Is that all, or might the ‘L’ word be involved?” I continued, and this caused him to blush. 

“I don’t think we’re in love, but we do like spending time with each other.” 

“Well if it gets to be more than that, and perhaps you’re tempted to get involved sexually, I hope you’ll come to us first.  I’ll make sure you have access to condoms, and we might even talk to Holly about going on the pill to avoid the chance of her getting pregnant.” 

Noah’s face was bright red now.  “We haven’t even kissed yet, let alone talked about sex, but I’ll let you know if we need any of those things.” 

“Ok, we just want to make sure you’re both careful and safe.” 

“Thanks,” he stated as we left his room. 

When we got to Elliot’s room, I had a question for him too.  “So will Ian be coming home this weekend?”

“No, he won’t be here until the weekend after that.”

“So will he be here in time for your birthday?” I followed.  Elliot’s birthday was on Friday, June 29^th.

“No, he won’t get in until late Saturday or early Sunday, depending on if his flight takes off and lands on time.”

“Ok, I just hope he’ll stop in to say hello when he gets here,” Brandon added. 

“Oh, he’ll be here a lot over the summer, because we only have sex when we’re here.  We don’t do that at his house.”

“His parents won’t allow it?” Brandon asked. 

“No, it’s just that his room is right next to their bedroom and Ian doesn’t want them to hear us when we’re having sex.  At least when we’re here you guys aren’t even on the same floor as we are.” 

“I see, and I guess we can understand that,” Brandon confirmed. 

“So were you like that with Grandpa Josh too?” 

“Not exactly,” I replied as I thought back on how Dad had been there the first time we’d had anal sex because Brandon and I were afraid of hurting one another.  “We had a slightly closer relationship with him.”

“I’m not sure what that means, but I’m definitely not going to ask,” he said while acting as if he’d just bitten into a very sour lemon. 

“Yes, it’s probably better that way,” I concurred.  “Goodnight and pleasant dreams.” 

We both gave him a hug before we left, and then we went to our room and got ready for bed.  It had been a long and wonderful weekend, but now it was time to rest up as we prepared to return to work.