RV Summer
Once again - Guests who don't like what they read should stop reading and stop talking!
Chapter 3
They'd spent the next day in the pool and even went into the closest town using the car just to see it. It was officially the third day of their trip.
Alexis gave him the address of the next stop but said nothing else. "New Hampshire?" Rick knew it was a state but he wasn't sure what was in it. He wasn't overly surprised that they were going north. Last year they'd gone south and had made it as far as New Orleans before turning around and racing for home so that Alexis didn't miss her first day of school.
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They came to the address and Rick was even more confused. The road they were on was dirt and gravel and suddenly they reached the address except neither of them saw a whole lot.
"You're sure this is right?" Rick stopped and killed the engine but was looking around.
"It looks right to me." Alexis knew something he didn't so she got up, opened the door and got out, and started up the long driveway. Hearing her dad mumbling behind her told her he was following. This was going to take a lot; she knew that but she was hoping it would work out.
Alexis was in the lead and Rick was letting her. She pressed the doorbell and waited.
"Hi, I'm Alexis Castle. Are you Lisa Ward? We talked earlier." That had Rick's eyes opening wide though he held his tongue.
"Right this way." She came out and took them around to the back of the house. It was then that Rick knew he was being played and just what this place was.
"Honey, can you bring Dixie," Lisa called to her daughter who stepped into a pen, picked up a puppy, and walked over to her mother. Lisa began to tell them most everything about the puppy. "She's nine weeks old and ready for a new home. She's had her first set of shots and all the puppies have been played with by both of my daughters so they're comfortable with people. Her next set of shots are due in 4 weeks. As I told you over the phone she's sable in color."
"A puppy." Rick should have known but his daughter had clearly been planning behind his back.
Alexis took the puppy and pressed her into her dad. "Look at that face, Dad. How can you resist that?" Alexis cooed at him as she cuddled the puppy, falling in love instantly.
Rick had a question. "What kind of dog is it?"
"Collie," Lisa stated matter-of-factly.
"Hair," Rick said flatly. He wasn't sure he was onboard with this plan and was beginning think he didn't have any say in this.
Lisa went through the standard traits of a Collie. "Dixie's what is called a Rough Collie. Long hair on the outside that will require brushing and a downy layer of hair underneath. It's this downy layer that keeps them cool and warm at the same time. Collies are very friendly and are totally a family dog. They love children of all ages. They have very few inherited unwanted traits like stomach problems or arthritis or eye problems that other breeds of dogs have. They aren't guard dogs though they are good watch dogs.
"Dixie's parents are champion show dogs. Dixie doesn't have the coloration that would make her a champion show dog. That's why she's available. That doesn't mean she is or will be ugly. But to be a champion show dog you need to be perfect." Dixie was still going to be lovely dog who would make a great pet.
"Dad?" Alexis did need his approval but she would pull every shot she had to get what she wanted. "She's a lot smaller than the pony you offered me."
Rick knew he was in trouble and had he thought just one card to play. "How much?"
"One thousand dollars. You get her paperwork, two cans of food and a bag of dry food so you can mix it with what you buy so you can try and prevent diarrhea, as well as a collar and some coupons for dog food," Lisa said.
"You can take it out of my allowance," Alexis told him. Rick knew at that moment he was done. Her allowance would easily pay for the puppy in no time. Certainly before the summer was over.
"How big will she get?" He had one more fear that he could play.
"Most of our dogs when full grown average between 50 and 55 pounds for females. The males can be up to 75 pounds though the average is less but more than the females," Lisa quickly answered.
She could easily see the girl wanted this puppy and had done her research and had contacted her on her own. She had seen the RV park out on the road and that told her the dad had money so Dixie wasn't going to want for anything.
"And when she pees inside the RV?" Rick questioned Alexis.
"I'll clean it up. And when she poops inside the RV I'll clean that up too. I'll make sure she has puppy food available as well as water. We can stop and get her a different collar, a leash, dog food, dog bed, dog toys, and chew toys." He could take that out of her allowance as well.
"What about when she cries all night because she misses her mother?" Rick played his last card he thought he had.
"Not going to happen since she's sleeping with me in my bed," Alexis responded.
"What will you do when she falls out of your bed?" Her bunk was high off the floor.
"It has a barrier to prevent that," Alexis replied. It did actually except for where her feet were so she could climb into bed. But she left that part out.
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Rick was listening to the GPS unit take him to the next address Alexis gave him while she sat there with her puppy in her lap who simply wanted to play with her.
He should have known better but was a little surprised when the address turned out to be the closest pet store so they could buy what they needed for a new puppy. True to Lisa's word they had 2 cans and a bag of dry dog food that she had been using. They were free to buy what they wanted.
Alexis was carrying the puppy from the far edge of the parking lot where Rick could park and get back out of into the store with Rick right behind her.
"Not that dog food, Dad." He had put the first one he had come across in the cart. "This way." She saw the name of the food she wanted.
"And why this one instead of that one?" Rick was curious. Besides this one costing more, dog food was dog food, he thought.
"Ingredients. She's not eating crap, she's eating the good stuff." Alexis had done her research and this food had real food in it and not a lot of crap she shouldn't be eating.
Rick was soon pushing a cart full of stuff out to the RV and Alexis was out in front with her puppy. While he took it inside the RV and looked for a place to put it all with the slide outs all in, Alexis was in the grass allowing Dixie to pee and hopefully poop.
"Happy now?" Rick asked her as she put Dixie on the floor between them in her doggie bed and picked up her binder for their next stop.
"Thanks, Dad, you're the best. Isn't he, Dixie," she crooned. Dixie for her part wanted out of her bed and in Alexis's lap.
"13190 Patterson St. NW, North Lawrence, Ohio, is next." Alexis waited until he started driving to put her book away and pick up Dixie who wanted up badly.
"Hi, Dixie. You're going to love this." She was going to get to see parts of the country they did over the next few months. Dixie wasn't interested in loving where they were going. She wanted to know where she was now.
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They were on Interstate 90 headed west toward Rochester when they hit a major construction zone that slowed them to a crawl and then stopped, only to crawl a little more until they finally got to keep going, but very slowly. It cleared up only for them to come upon yet another one just as bad.
"The GPS said it was going to take us 8 hours. We aren't going to make that now, we really aren't." It was getting darker and they weren't even close.
That had Alexis putting Dixie down and pulling out her book.
"5374 Canandaigua Farmington Town Line Road, Farmington, New York. It's a KOA campground that has 100 feet pull throughs and a dog park, mini golf, pool, free Wi-Fi, firewood, and snack bar," Alexis said.
"Mini golf!" Rick was sold. That made Alexis smile since she should've know he would like that part.
"Thought you might like that. I look forward to moping the floor with you." Alexis grinned at him.
"Challenge accepted, daughter of mine. You are so going down." Rick had no intention of losing.
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Way up front were horseshoes, shuffleboard, a children's playground, pool, and then the office. They were assigned space number 25 and given a map on how to get there.
"At least they didn't give us number 27," Alexis noted as they turned past it. Getting into that space on the route they had taken was far too tight of a turn. "There, Dad." It was the first open space after a small drive area and it was a drive through.
Since they each had tasks with the addition of getting Dixie to stay in the RV, they plugged in and leveled the RV and extended the slides. Then Alexis took Dixie out while Rick started cooking dinner before it rained on them because it looked like it was going to and it smelled like it was.
"Dixie did her duty,"Alexis announced and searched for where her dad had put everything. Soon Dixie was digging into her puppy food with reckless abandon.
"Somebody's hungry." Alexis smiled. "Admit it, Dad, you like Dixie. She's so much better than a pony."
"We still need to find a vet eventually for her next shots," Rick told her and heard her squeal and start hugging him. He liked it but it also had him replaying what he had just said. Then it hit him he had just accepted that they were going to keep the dog.
"Already planned for, Dad. Already planned." They didn't need a specific vet, just any vet and the paperwork they had. She had lists of vets between here and where they stopped last before returning home and even after they got home.
Rick began shaking his head. She had played him expertly. Part of him was pissed at himself and part of him was even more proud of her. He even adored the kiss to his cheek she gave him before she started helping him with dinner.
They watched a movie on the big TV and listened to it rain cats and dogs on them.
"Good night, pumpkin, I love you." No matter what she did he would always love her. He would even help her hide the body if it came to that.
"'Night, Dad, love you, too." Alexis stroked the sleeping puppy in her lap.
Alexis closed up the RV, shut the sliding door, and put Dixie in her bed. Then she stripped down and changed into her sleepwear before going into the bathroom to do her routine. She had basically taken over all the shelf space with her lotions and stuff. Her dad hadn't said a thing.
"Here I come, Dixie." Alexis climbed up and found her right where she had left her. She worked at putting her between her and the outside wall so that she didn't find a way to go over the side by accident. "'Night, Dixie." Alexis kissed her head and tried to relax and go to sleep.
The day had gone just like she'd hoped it would. She had a puppy and her dad had accepted her. Life couldn't be better especially since they were on their summer vacation that she had also talked him into.
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Alexis quickly found out what her win meant for her when she woke up to Dixie licking her face. "What are you doing, Dixie? Go back to sleep." Dixie wasn't listening and kept licking.
"Okay, I'm awake, I'm awake." Alexis turned to look at her and get her off her. "Uh-oh." Alexis had done research on puppies. The second they woke up they needed to pee.
"Hold it, hold it." Alexis needed some sweats to change into first followed by her flip flops. Then she picked up Dixie who was looking over the barrier between her and her new best buddy.
"SHIT! It's still raining." That had her searching for an umbrella that she knew was in there somewhere while carrying Dixie and hoping the pup could keep holding it.
"Okay, Dixie, go potty." Dixie was right at her feet under the umbrella. "Go potty! Before both of us are soaked." Alexis watched her walk around her, finding the border between being dry and being wet. Then she squatted and peed.
"GOOD GIRL! You went potty." Alexis picked her up, lavished her with kisses, and got licked in return. "Let's go back inside." Alexis had left the door open since she had barely moved.
Alexis put her down and went back to shake the umbrella dry, then closed the door. "You want breakfast?" Alexis found the puppy food bag, scooped some out, put it down, and watched Dixie eat it like she was never going to get anymore ever again.
"Happy?" Alexis saw her arch her back. "NO! No, no, no." She had already forgotten rule number 2 or in this case poop number 2 after eating.
Back outside they went and since she had already started Dixie arched her back and pooped and then sat there since moving meant getting wet and that was out.
Alexis fished out a baggie, picked it up, turned the bag inside out and then tied it tight to lock in the smell. Dixie was too small for the steps so she got picked up again and inside they went. Alexis put her down, shook out the umbrella and closed the door, then turned to find her drinking from the water bowl.
"You better hold that or we're both going to drown," Alexis said to her and decided that since she was up she might as well stay up and use the shower first before her dad woke up.
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Rick slowly blinked. He was awake, just barely. He began stretching and felt a few pops. "OW," he complained even if it didn't hurt since it sounded like it should. Then he noticed something else. "Do I smell coffee?" He sniffed a couple more times to make sure.
He was up like a shot and put on a robe. He opened his pocket door and saw the other one already open which told him Alexis was already awake and it also reinforced the smell of coffee. He knew it was for him since Alexis didn't drink coffee. For some reason his Castle genes for the love of coffee didn't extend to his daughter. She hated coffee and almost hated the smell of it.
Stepping to her door he found her sitting on the floor fully dressed for the day and playing with Dixie. It looked like she was trying to teach her to play tug of war with a stuffed toy.
He was never going to admit it, but it looked sweet. "I smell coffee," Rick announced and headed for the coffee maker.
"I thought that would get you up. We've been up for an hour already. You're getting old, Dad." Alexis hid her smile by hiding behind Dixie.
"Very funny." Rick still loved her as he poured himself a cup. "Did you leave me any hot water?" That had been a problem with their old RV.
"I tried. This water heater is bigger and we're connected so it should be fine." Alexis was already loving this new RV. She was sitting on a tile floor instead of carpet and it was gorgeous.
Rick took his coffee with him and closed her pocket door behind him. He went into his bedroom to strip and then into the bathroom to take a shower. He found this shower was just like the old one: a bit of a tight fit but workable since he had a method.
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Rick didn't see Alexis or the dog when he came back out dry and dressed. This place was basically an emergency stop in route to their actual destination so after some breakfast he would be ready to go.
Looking out all of the windows he still didn't see either of them but was sure Alexis could take care of herself so he started work on breakfast.
The bacon was done and he was just starting to crack some eggs when Alexis stepped inside. She put the dog down and unhooked the leash. They both watched Dixie race to her water bowl and start drinking and drinking.
"I had cereal earlier so that's all yours." Alexis sat down in her seat so that she could look through her binder, noting just where they were and where they wanted to go.
That had Rick putting most of the eggs back and cooking only what he wanted.
Startled, Alexis found a small plate with a few strips of bacon being placed in her lap. "I had a few extra so those are yours. Use your pad and button us up and we can get started after you give me that address again." His GPS had lost it after being shut down.
"13190 Patterson St NW, North Lawrence, Ohio," Alexis said and began pressing buttons to pull in the slides, raise the leveling jacks, followed by Rick putting it into gear.
Listening to the GPS they were soon back on the Interstate.
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After a quick stop for fuel, just because they could even if they didn't need to and Rick had spotted where they were going. Clays Park Resort
Alexis picked up her binder. "Clays Park Resort has 500 acres in total: a 10 acre water park with slides, 18 hole miniature golf, lake fishing that's free to use, country store, restaurant and pub–" Rick interrupted her.
"A pub?" He was sold. Alexis rolled her eyes, not that he could see her doing it.
"Heated indoor pool, 150 foot water slides, rings swings, dual zip lines, barrel roll, splash pad, kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddle boards, volleyball courts, basketball court, full size foosball, whatever that is. Should be fun." Alexis put it away when Rick stopped at the rental office and she hooked up Dixie to take with her.
They were told dogs were allowed but only when on a leash. Alexis already knew they didn't have a doggie park but that was fine, she was just a puppy.
It was really big and they were given a map to find their space and soon found that there was a large lake that was dead center of the place that had the water park. They found themselves on the very far side. About as far away from the water park as they could get.
"We have bikes, Dad." They didn't have to walk it and the bikes had locks.
It was another drive through and they just barely fit. "Excellent planning so far, pumpkin." Because of their size there were a lot of state parks that wouldn't accept them now unlike their old RV that was more than short enough. So it would be mostly commercial RV parks now. Not that it was a bad thing.
"They say not to eat and swim, so eat now and swim later or swim now and eat later?" Rick asked her knowing what he wanted to do.
"Swim now, of course. Right after I let Dixie out so she can do her business." Alexis started to pick her up. "Right after I feed her." If she ate she would poop and if she drank she would pee, so she needed to do all four, then they could go.
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The second Rick saw the slides an excited, "Ooo," slipped out. He sped up his walking to reach them. Alexis did as well for the same reason.
They climbed up the hill and then climbed up the stairs until they got in line. Since Rick was in front of her he got to go first. Rick did as he was told and then lifted his arms way up in the air and screamed all the way down until he hit the water of the lake.
Alexis loved him greatly. She had already learned that her dad could sometimes be a kid that was far younger than she was. However she had also learned that he knew how to have fun and wasn't afraid to show that he was having a lot of fun.
Alexis did as she was told; raised her arms and screamed all the way down until she hit the water. She swam to shore and ran up the hill to catch up to her dad and they did it all over again. Over and over again until it was time for something else.
Alexis had always been self-conscious about wearing a bikini because she was small busted. She was sixteen years old and was an A cup. As self-conscious as she was about her bust size, today was different. She was having far too much fun to even notice.
The zip lines came next. Alexis was still in a bikini much like the other women and girls. She waited in line behind her dad and was hooked up into a harness, told to just hang on, and jumped like her dad had done. Like her dad she spread her arms and legs wide and screamed the entire way.
Once they reached the end they both walked their way back to the beginning so they could do it all over yet again. "How long are we here again?" Rick thought he knew the answer but he was having too much fun and nine year olds didn't have good memories.
"One week, Dad. One whole week." Alexis had planned ahead and right now she was glad she had.
