Chapter 21

Ennis woke with a smile on his face with thoughts of their first night together blazing in his mind. He would have liked to have lingered in bed longer, but he knew they needed to get an early start. After waking Jack, they prepared to check out, but not before Jack talked him into sharing a shower, and this time, finishing it off the way Jack had wanted to the afternoon before.

"I can't wait clear till tonight for this," Jack had said.

Ennis willingly complied, but after it was over, it dawned on him what Jack had said before. "Uh, about tonight...sex in the tent...if other folks are camping at our site, we'll have to skip that, don't you think?"

"Why?" Jack asked.

"Why?" Ennis repeated. "How 'bout because I've noticed how loud you get during...well, at certain times while we're...you know."

Jack snorted out a laugh. "Me? I get loud? What about you?"

"Well, there you go, two reasons why we can't be getting up to any of that if other folks are nearby."

"Shit...there'll be other people in our camp?" Jack asked as he stuffed his pajama pants into his duffel bag.

"Well, possibly...each site is big enough for six I think," Ennis said, putting his shave kit into his bag.

"Hummmm," Jack said, as if he was thinking that over.

Ennis didn't want Jack to be disappointed. He hated seeing him without a smile on his face. "Maybe we shouldn't have planned to camp. Shit, I didn't think it out too good, I guess. Maybe we could find another room somewhere instead. I doubt they'd have anything here, but we could ask." Ennis reached for the phone.

He felt Jack's arms wrap around his waist from behind. "There's no need to change plans. I'm perfectly fine with camping. I was just having fun with you."

"You sure? 'Cause if you're not, I'm fine with making different plans. Besides, with the talk about Hantavirus, we wouldn't have to think about that if we stayed inside."

Jack seemed to be thinking it over, but said, "I think we should do what we planned."

"Okay...if you're sure."

"I am," Jack said firmly.

Before departing to Camp 4 campgrounds, they grabbed a quick breakfast and bought sandwiches to take with them for a picnic lunch. The drive to Camp 4 was a short distance, but very scenic. "After we check in, maybe we can hike to Mirror Lake," Ennis said. "You up for that?"

"Sure. How far is it?" Jack asked.

"We can do either the two mile or the five mile."

"The two mile sounds good."

"Up ahead," Ennis said. "We're here." They parked the jeep and got in line at the Park Ranger kiosk. "We'll get a site for sure. We're here plenty early enough," Ennis said. He checked out the line, counting heads. "Only fifteen people ahead of us. Probably others stayed last night, but I think we'll get in."

When it was their turn, they paid their five dollars each and were informed of the rules and directed to their site, which included a fire pit and picnic table. A middle aged couple with a teenaged girl were already there setting up their camp.

"We can either pitch the tent now or when we get back from sightseeing," Ennis said.

They decided to take off and set up when they returned. After introducing themselves to the family who was sharing their camp, they headed out for some fun in the sun.

"Let's grab the sandwiches to take with us," Ennis said. "We need to catch the shuttle up the road a ways."

"You sure seem to know your way around here," Jack observed.

"Yeah, well, like I said before, I've come up at least once a year since I started working at the Visitor Center, and before that, K.E. and I'd come up most summers." A wave of sadness washed over Ennis at the thought of his brother, but he quickly pushed it aside so that he could enjoy the day ahead.

By the time they completed their hike and had their picnic, they were hot and tired. They decided to go back to camp and set up the tent, and take a rest before doing anything else.

They worked together efficiently, and it didn't take long before the tent was pitched, and their things were arranged inside. They stored their food in a bear locker. Their campsite was large enough that they didn't feel too crowded, although voices carried from some of the folks camping in other sites, making for a less than tranquil atmosphere. "Wonder why they aren't out doing something?" Ennis complained.

"Probably tired like we are," Jack said. "The family staying here must have gone somewhere though."

"You feel like a nap? After that maybe we can go for a drive," Ennis said.

"Yeah, let's take a nap," Jack said, but the twinkle in his eye and the smile on his face sure made him look like he had something else in mind other than napping.

"You're making me nervous," Ennis said as he joined Jack on the sleeping bag.

"I wanna make you forget everything but what I'm gonna do to you right down here," Jack whispered into Ennis' ear as he copped a feel of his crotch.

"Oh, God," Ennis groaned. He knew there was no use fighting it, or trying to talk Jack out of it, so he relaxed the best he could and let Jack have his way with him. They didn't have much time to nap since Ennis gladly repaid the favor.

In the late afternoon, they decided to take a drive to check out some of the area. Ennis wanted Jack to see as much as he could. They had a stroke of luck, which gave Ennis a lot of encouragement. They noticed a group of conservation workers out in the forest. Jack recognized them as being from the California Conservation Corp.

"Maybe I should stop and see if I can talk with the supervisor," Jack said.

"Good idea," Ennis agreed.

Jack pulled off to the side of the road and walked over to the group while Ennis waited in the jeep. He saw Jack speak to some of the workers, then another guy wearing a different uniform walked over. After speaking briefly, the guy shook Jack's hand and then they stepped away from the group. Ennis watched as the two of them had a lengthy conversation. Finally, Jack headed back. Ennis was so anxious to hear what Jack had learned that he began speaking as soon as Jack opened the driver's side door.

"Well, what did he say?"

"I talked to the Forester supervising the crew. He gave me some good tips and information about applying for work up here. I think it'll help when I'm ready."

"Good...wow, that was lucky, wasn't it?" Ennis said. He could tell that Jack was excited too. He was smiling ear to ear.

Suddenly Jack turned to Ennis. "I never really asked what kind of work you plan on getting up here."

"Me...well, there are lots of things I could do. Information stations, visitor centers, museums, things like that." Ennis was quiet for a moment before going on. "But, what I'd really like to do is work in a stable. They have several up here. Not sure what kind of money I could make, but it's worth checking into."

"Yeah, that sounds great, Ennis. You said you worked in a barn when you were in high school."

"You remembered."

"'Course I do. I remember everything you say." Jack smiled. "I think everything's gonna work out for us."

"We'll make it happen," Ennis said.

Jack started the jeep and they continued on their drive. Before calling it a day, they stopped for supper, deciding on pizza, salad, and beer at a place called Degnan's Loft. By the time they arrived back at their tent, they were so tired that all they could do was make a quick trip to the public bathroom and then crawl into their sleeping bag. They snuggled together, an owl in a nearby tree lulling them to sleep.

...

They hadn't brought an alarm clock but didn't need one, because a busy woodpecker gave them a wake-up call at sun-up. To offset the unwelcome and annoying sound of the pecking, Ennis turned his attention to the sleeping form next to him. He'd only been admiring Jack for a few short seconds when he stirred and opened his big blue eyes.

"What the hell is that noise?" Jack asked in a grumpy, sleep-filled voice.

"I think it's a woodpecker," Ennis answered, his throat feeling dry and tight.

"Shit...what time is it?" Jack asked.

"Early," Ennis said. He fumbled for his watch. "Just after five."

Jack snuggled down into the sleeping bag and closed his eyes again.

"What are you doing?" Ennis whispered.

"Going back to sleep," Jack said, sounding like he was talking in his sleep.

"What's the matter...you didn't sleep good last night?" Ennis asked. He didn't get an answer. "Were you awake all night worrying about a bear attack?" Still no answer. "We should get up so we can get an early start. Gotta drive to Bridalveil Creek Campground and get us a space." By the sound of Jack's breathing, Ennis figured he'd fallen back to sleep. "Jack," he said, nudging him with his arm. "Come on, it's a forty five minute drive." Jack wasn't responding despite Ennis' attempts at conversation, and it sounded like the woodpecker had been joined by a couple of friends. How Jack could sleep was beyond him.

Ennis exhaled. He had an idea of how to wake Jack up, but he didn't know if he had the courage to do it. He listened and didn't hear any other folks up and about yet. Surely they'd be waking up soon if those woodpeckers kept at it, not to mention other birds that were singing their morning songs. And most of the folks probably had plans that required getting an early start.

Before he could talk himself out of it, he lowered himself down in the sleeping bag and grabbed hold of Jack's sleep pants, yanking them down along with his boxers. The sight of Jack's morning wood was inviting as hell. "Jesus," Ennis said under his breath. "All mine."

By then Jack had opened his eyes and had the most stunned and surprised look Ennis had ever seen. That alone was worth the risk he faced by daring to do this in a campsite with three other people asleep within yards of their tent, and numerous other campers in the vicinity.

He went right to it, holding back nothing. He hoped like hell that Jack would remember where they were and stifle those sensual sounds he always made during their lovemaking. At one point Ennis reached up and grabbed his pillow and shoved it in Jack's direction, hoping he'd figure out what it was for and use it.

Ennis' elation and satisfaction at giving Jack this pleasure was worth any risk in spades. Jack made him feel reckless and daring; something that was so foreign to him that at times he couldn't believe it was actually him doing some of this stuff. All he knew was that he felt better than he'd ever felt in his life, and it was going to be full steam ahead.

It was as if Jack had had his batteries recharged after the attention that Ennis had shown him. They threw on some clothes and ventured out of their tent. Ennis looked around to see who was up. The family sharing their space was nowhere to be seen, but a few folks across the way were moving about.

"You wanna go clean up before or after we eat?" Ennis asked.

Jack yawned. "After," he said.

"Work up an appetite, huh?" Ennis grinned. He knew that he probably looked like the cat that swallowed the canary. Thinking of birds, Ennis figured a canary was probably about the only kind of bird that wasn't tweeting in the trees above them. More and more were adding their songs, and the pesky woodpeckers accompanied them with their own unique drum beat.

Ennis walked over to the fire pit and Jack followed. "Did that fella say his name was Mike?" Ennis asked.

"The guy camping with his wife and daughter?"

"Yeah."

"Uh-huh, Mike. His wife was Audrey, and I can't remember the daughter's name."

"He musta put this wood here. Wonder if he'd mind if we used some for a fire. We could heat water for some instant coffee."

"Maybe he'll be up soon and we can ask him," Jack said.

"Why don't you go get our food out of the locker. Don't forget the pot for heating water. Maybe I'll just borrow some wood. I can get more to replace it before we leave."

By the time Jack returned with their supplies, Mike was standing next to Ennis and they had a fire started. "Mornin'," Jack said.

"Good morning," Mike greeted.

Jack poured bottled water into the pot and placed it over the fire. By that time Audrey joined her husband asking him to retrieve their food from their bear locker. "Would you guys like to join us for breakfast? I can make some oatmeal," she offered.

"We're in kind of a hurry, so we're just going to eat something real quick," Ennis said. "But thanks just the same."

"You're moving on today?" Audrey asked.

"Yeah, going to Bridalveil Creek to camp," Ennis answered.

"I saw you taking pictures yesterday. Would you like a picture of the two of you, maybe standing in front of your tent?" Audrey asked.

"That'd be real nice," Jack said. "I'll get the camera."

Ennis and Jack posed in front of their tent and smiled when Audrey snapped the picture.

Mike returned and Audrey joined him at the fire pit. "Looks like your water's boiling," she called out.

Jack and Ennis fixed their coffee and unwrapped a couple of granola bars, and each peeled an orange. They shared small talk with Mike and Audrey. When they were ready to leave for the bathroom, the teenaged daughter finally showed up looking tired and bedraggled. They never did remember her name.

By the time Jack and Ennis were washed up, had gathered their belongings, and dismantled the tent, the family had left the campsite so they never saw them again.

"Let's hit the road," Ennis said. He took the wheel of the jeep and they set out on their next adventure, stopping briefly to buy ice, beer, and food. They hadn't traveled too far when Ennis cleared his throat preparing to bring up a subject he'd wanted to ask Jack about.

He glanced at Jack, and when he had his attention, he jumped in headfirst with the idea he'd been bouncing around in is head since he'd made the plans for their trip. "Uh, I thought of something we might should do while we're here...that is, if you want to."

"Oh, yeah? What's that?" Jack asked, turning his body and looking intently at Ennis.

"I thought I might drive us by a place called Yosemite West. It's a community that has cabins and apartments...houses, even some condos. Uh, there are also other places up here with year-round rentals and places for sale, but since we're going this way, I thought it might be a good idea to drive by, just to kinda get a feel for what's available in the way of places to live...you know, for when we… hopefully, can move up here."

Ennis felt tongue tied and nervous...excited too. He glanced at Jack to gauge his reaction and waited to hear his reply. What he saw in Jack's eyes touched his heart. It was obvious that Jack was very moved. He even seemed to be close to tearing up. Ennis hoped it was because he liked the idea. He didn't have long to wait to find out.

"Ennis, I don't hardly know what to say," he said.

"Don't tell me you're at a loss for words..."

Jack laughed. "Well, almost." He leaned back in his seat and took a deep breath. "Take us there...I think it would be awesome to see what kinda places are available." His smile was as bright as the sun shining into the jeep. "Between this and running into that Forester yesterday, it gives us a jump start on next year."

"Sure does," Ennis said. "Next spring will be here before we know it so it's really not too early to start thinking about these things."

The drive was breathtaking with miles of stunning scenery. "If we end up living up here, we'd be about a half hour away from Yosemite Valley. Can't get much closer than this I don't think," Ennis said.

When they reached Yosemite West and began driving around, they noticed a couple of condominium buildings and many houses, some modern, and others more in keeping with what they'd expect to see for the area. Most homes were nestled in the trees.

"From what I know about it, some of these places are resort homes, rented on a daily, weekly, or even monthly basis to tourists. Others are privately owned," Ennis said. "I'm sure we could rent something if that's the way we wanna go...see how we like it, and who knows, later on we might want to buy."

"This looks really great...amazing," Jack said, looking right and left along the street as the jeep rolled along. The roads were paved, but not a sidewalk in sight, evergreens, oaks, and manzanita growing throughout the community.

"Notice anything unusual?" Ennis asked.

Jack looked like he was thinking. "Unusual, like what kind of unusual?"

"See any power poles or telephone lines?"

Jack did a double-take out the window. "No, now that you mention it...what gives with that?"

"It was designed with all utilities underground. Doesn't detract from the feeling of living in a forest. Cool, huh?" Ennis knew he was grinning like a kid.

"Wow, I'm impressed," Jack said, wearing a grin of his own.

"Lots of hiking trails up this way," Ennis mused as he drove them down another street.

"Would be an awesome place to jog," Jack said.

"Would be an awesome place to live," Ennis said. "With you," he added, and reached over to take Jack's hand in his.

...

Upon arriving at Bridalveil Creek Campground, Jack found that check-in was a bit different from Camp 4. Ennis seemed aware of how to go about it and asked Jack to help choose their site. They walked around a short time assessing where the vacancies were, then Ennis placed a tag and their payment of fourteen dollars each into a box.

This campground contained more campsites than Camp 4. RV's and trailers were allowed, as well as pets. There were even a few sites that would accommodate horses. It seemed a little more hustle and bustle; however the sections were laid out in a way so that it was hard to see the neighboring sites. The creek ran right by giving it a peaceful feel, despite the number of people.

Ennis began pitching their tent under the Jeffrey pines, while Jack stored their food in the bear locker. They soon met their sitemates, a group of four young people barely out of their teens judging from their appearance and actions. They seemed friendly, though a bit loud, as they introduced themselves, but nothing could annoy Jack at that point. He still hadn't come down from the high he'd been on while exploring Yosemite West with Ennis.

Jack hoped that having the four young guys camping next to them wouldn't irritate Ennis. He'd barely said hello, but he looked in a good mood as Jack helped him work on the tent. Soon a Ranger came by to verify who paid for which site and check each group in. Jack enjoyed a short, informative conversation with the man, all the while noticing Ennis smiling at him from across the site. Jack had to make a concerted effort to focus in on what the Ranger was telling him, and he learned a bit more about job opportunities in the area, which was an added bonus to their already fantastic day.

By the time the tent was set up, Jack felt famished. "Are you getting hungry?" he asked Ennis.

"Yeah, we didn't have that much for breakfast, so I'm ready for something. Let's get our food out."

They sat at a picnic table and enjoyed a leisurely lunch listening to the creek and watching squirrels, chipmunks, and various birds forage for food.

"After lunch, what do you think about doing the hike to Sentinel Dome? The trailhead's up the road not too far...It's not a hard hike till the final stretch. Then it gets a little steep, but it's a great view from every direction once you get up there."

"That sounds fine with me," Jack said.

"Did I ever tell you that you're easy to get along with?" Ennis asked.

Jack smiled. "Could say the same for you...and all these plans you made for us...I'll never forget it."

"Wasn't nothin'" Ennis said. "It's good to have someone to do things with...someone who likes what I do." Ennis lowered his head and Jack noticed a slight blush.

After returning from Sentinel Dome, they rested up and used the fire pit to cook some hot dogs for their supper. It seemed that the four boys were on a different schedule, so they weren't in each other's way.

"Maybe tomorrow, on the way home, we can stop for lunch in a restaurant," Ennis said. "Hope you don't mind we had to eat camping food today."

"Are you kidding? I love eating camping food...especially hot dogs." Jack took a big bite and chewed it slowly while giving Ennis what he hoped was a sexy and seductive look.

Ennis shook his head and laughed. Jack noticed him look around, obviously trying to see if anyone was nearby, but no one was paying any attention to them.

After supper, they decided to drive to Glacier Point to survey the night sky. Jack thought it sounded romantic when Ennis suggested it, and he jumped at the chance to get away and sit with Ennis under the stars. They didn't know who might have had the same idea, and besides that, tour buses brought folks there each night, so it kinda put the kibosh on anything romantic except hand holding and a few chaste kisses. It was still the perfect way to wind down at the end of the day.

Upon returning, their quiet and reflective mood got a jolt when they came upon a bear lumbering along the edge of their camp. Ennis stopped in his tracks causing Jack to bump into him. Jack was almost ready to ask what the heck, when he noticed the massive creature.

"Jesus Christ," he whispered.

"Just stay still, he'll go on," Ennis whispered back.

Most of the folks must have already been inside their tents and RV's because they didn't notice anyone, or hear any screams of alarm. They watched as the bear made it's way into their campsite, reaching for something on the picnic table, evidently a scrap of food, because they could see, and even hear it, eat whatever it was.

"Damn idiot kids, leaving food out," Ennis muttered under his breath.

Jack watched in stunned silence, his fingers gripping into Ennis' arm. When the bear wandered off into the darkness, they quietly crept to their tent. Neither of them were anxious to visit the bathroom after that. In fact, they used some bottled water to brush their teeth with just outside their tent flap, and agreed that the bathroom break they'd taken in an outhouse after leaving Glacier Point would do them till morning.

The high elevation made for very cool nights, so between that and the little scare they'd just experienced, they shivered while changing into their nightclothes. Ennis opened the sleeping bag and hurriedly crawled inside, patting the space beside him. "Come on, get in here."

Jack got in, reaching to turn off the lantern. He snuggled up to Ennis. "You ever seen a bear before?" Ennis asked.

"No, that was my first. How many have you seen?"

After a few moments of silence he came up with a number. "I think four, counting this one. This was probably the closest I've been to one. Geez, that really was a shock to come back to camp and have it right here. I hope no one else gets the wits scared outta them."

"Yeah, wonder where it went."

"Hopefully no one else had any food out and it left. I'm gonna give those boys a piece of my mind tomorrow."

"I don't think I'll be able to sleep. I'm wired up after that," Jack said.

"Me too."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Don't get any ideas. Those four morons are a stone's throw away."

"Okay," Jack said.

"Snuggle with me," Ennis said, pulling Jack closer. Crickets chirped, the rippling water of the creek gurgled, and the tent flap fluttered in the breeze as sleep overtook them.

...

Singing birds and various voices woke them up the next morning. They really needed the bathroom by then, so they quickly pulled on their clothes and made a beeline to the facilities. When they returned to rustle up something for breakfast, Ennis looked around for the occupants of the next tent, but none of them were around yet. Ennis used some of the wood that was left from the evening before to make a fire. They heated water for coffee to drink with their fruit and breakfast blend trail mix.

Jack could tell that Ennis wanted at least one of the young men to emerge from their tent so that he could chew them out, but there was no sign of life coming from the rectangular dome tent. Jack secretly hoped that they'd stay inside so Ennis couldn't confront them.

"Maybe we should tell some of the folks what we saw last night," Jack suggested. "They should be aware of what happened."

"Yeah, you're right," Ennis agreed.

After breakfast, they took a short walk and informed a few of the campers about the bear, reminding them not to leave food out. By the time they had everything packed and were ready to go, two of the boys had come out of their tent. "Don't get mad," Jack said as Ennis headed over to have a word with them.

Jack couldn't hear the exchange, but from the look on the two boy's faces they were embarrassed, and he hoped they had learned a lesson. Ennis returned to help carry their gear to the jeep, and they were on their way, heading back home after a fantastic vacation.

Jack wondered if someday they'd really call Yosemite home. He hoped so. He could sure see himself living with that handsome blond haired fella. This trip had met his expectations a hundred times over.

To Be Continued...