Chapter Twenty Nine
Tim flipped through the magazine, pausing at the pages of a bikini clad model leaning provocatively against the red sports car. He was most definitely looking forward to meeting some more babes this summer. His eyes roamed over the other selection of magazines. He couldn’t really pick up a skin mag with so many of the younger cousins around. One never knew when the triplet rascals were going to pop up.
With a glance out the window, he sighed to himself. It would be another hour to the campsite and they had stopped at the last Wal-Mart to pick up a few forgotten supplies. He had brought along with him plenty to read in the car, but somehow he had ended up riding this far with Leif, Logan and Miles, and he just couldn’t handle them and their nonstop chatter any more. He’d make damn sure to get back into the car with his own brother.
A pair of immaculate white sneakers appeared in his peripheral line of vision and then a soft voice asked, “Tim?”
Tim glanced up, and did a double take. A broad smile spread over his handsome features.
“Lyris!”
She beamed and before he knew it, she was throwing her arms around him. He hugged her tightly, inhaling the light floral scent of her hair, and getting a feel for the solid body of curves in his arms. She was wearing a red halter-top and cut-off shorts that displayed a pair of long, shapely legs that ended in brand new, super white sneakers. Her blond hair was in a ponytail, showing off her multiple ear piercings.
“What are you doing here?” They asked as the same time and laughed.
“Go ahead,” he smiled.
“We’re headed up to Kittatinny Campgrounds. My father likes to go camping, which means a camper with a small refrigerator. Roughing it for them is a three star hotel,” she rolled her eyes.
Tim’s grin got a bit bigger. “We’re headed up there too. Every summer. Campsites 12-17 are our permanent sites.”
“We’re eighteen!” her pale eyes sparkled at him.
“Right through the trees,” he murmured. He knew those trees well, and the paths that connected the secluded sites. Or at least, he used to.
“This is amazing. I’m sorry I haven’t called,” her smile vanished. “My wardens saw you at the airport and automatically assumed well, nothing good.”
“I understand,” he said dryly.
“Hey Tim, get a move—”
Tim wasn’t sure which twin was standing a few feet away but it didn’t matter. The twin flashed a mischievous grin and vanished.
“Oh damn,” Tim muttered. “That was a cousin, one of the twins I mentioned. I have to go before he gets reinforcements and traps us for some sort of humiliation. But I’ll see you up there?”
“Most definitely.” She smiled up at him and he grinned, impulsively reaching out to tap her nose with his finger and hurried after his scheming cousin.
***
The campsites buzzed with activity, as the teens set about pitching tents. The Belden-Duke Clan always reserved the same block, a cluster of campsites on the lake edge, set away and separated from the next block by thick trees with well–trodden footpaths. The adults knew how noisy their family could get and didn’t want to disturb other campers. Nightfall seemed to get the loudest, with the twins and Miles singing at the top of their lungs.
The twins shouted instructions back and forth at each other as Jesse shook his head in amusement. Tim helped his brother set up the tent they’d share. The two made quick work of it, working well together and set about setting up their parents’ tent. Dan had already opened a beer and was settled in his camp chair, joined by Bo, Jim, Luke and Mart. It was the kids’ duty to unload and set up before they could go jump in the lake or explore. This gave the adults time to relax and kept the kids out of trouble for an hour or two.
“Nothing’s changed with those two,” Jesse whispered to his older brother as they set up the tent. He jerked his head towards the Duke twins. “In about five more minutes, Leif will tackle Logan, they’ll topple the tent, and have to start over. Then Bo will make them unload the rest of the cars for goofing off. We let them do it, it saves us the work.”
Tim grinned. He had missed these family outings that last few years. Sure enough, after a couple moments of bickering, one twin tackled the other. Tim still couldn’t tell them apart, but the tent, half-set up, crashed down as they wrestled. Their other cousins stood around snickering as the adults just shook their heads in amusement.
As predicted, Bo came over and yelled at them to stop horsing around, pitch their tent and unload the cars. This freed the other cousins up to roam around, open soda, and set up their chairs around the fire ring.
Tim heard his father come up behind him, and then Dan’s hand was on his shoulder.
“I’m glad you’re here,” Dan said quietly.
Tim nodded and turned to him.
“Me too.” He smiled tentatively at his father, who ran his hand over Tim’s shorn hair affectionately before walking towards Daisy.
Tim wandered over to where Jim Frayne was helping his oldest son Byron set up a tent. Tim had never thought anyone related to him could be so quiet, but all of Jim's children were rather serious, introverted, non-exuberent children.
“Need a hand?” he offered.
“Sure,” Jim smiled at him and the three quickly finished the tent, then set about setting up the next one.
“Where’s Hallie?” Tim asked. He knew from his brother that Hallie usually skipped the family get-togethers. He had never understood Hallie, nor particularly liked her. The woman had everything most women wanted and she was a bitter, spiteful woman who usually had a glass of scotch in her hand.
Jim’s jaw set slightly.
“She’s not coming. Valerra will bunk with Mabon.”
Tim didn’t comment, just nodded his acknowledgement. He remembered Hallie as being very unhappy, and often shooting dark looks towards Trixie, his favorite “aunt”. Yet she had always doted on him. Tim looked the most like Dan, and the least like Daisy, but Hallie was always happy to see Tim and his siblings. Tim had long ago figured it had to do with Hallie being sweet on Dan when they were teens. It wasn’t until Trixie and Bo were getting married that Jim and Hallie got together. The adults didn’t talk about it but as snooping children, Tiffany, Aralyn and Tim had eavesdropped enough to put the picture together. Hallie and Jim getting together was definitely tied to Bo and Trixie’s relationship. They all felt sorry Jim.
Luke and Honey had gone for a stroll along the water’s edge, hand in hand. Tim envied their quiet, solid relationship. Bo and Trixie were the exuberant ones, often acting like teenagers in love and being very expressive about their affection. Luke and Honey were quiet, but the bond was as strong. Dan and Daisy were somewhere in the middle, very affectionate but quieter in their adoration, though there had been a strict rule of knocking before the kids could enter their bedroom since he was little. The older children were all very aware of their parents’ devotion and affection, and made sure to be out of the house on Friday nights, or at least in their rooms with snacks and entertainment, giving their parents privacy.
Tim wondered if he’d ever have the chance for such a solid relationship. Even Aralyn had had something solid this past year, with that Cam guy, and they seemed to be the real deal. Aralyn had confessed to him in an email how much it hurt to say goodbye to Cam, even though she needed to go wander, and it wasn’t fair to keep him waiting and wondering. Tiffany had emailed that it was killing Aralyn to let Cam go, but she wouldn’t keep him on a string for the next year while they were gone. Dean swore up and down that there was no one better than Cam, especially for Aralyn.
Carrying one of the coolers from his fathers SUV, Tim’s hazel eyes glanced over to the trees. Faint voices carried but he couldn’t distinguish any of them. Maybe he’d take a walk. Campground 18 wasn’t too far off. Just through those trees, in fact.
Setting the cooler down, he turned, startled to see a small boy with bright red hair and big green eyes staring up at him.
“Well, hi, Regan,” he sat on the cooler so he wouldn’t look so big to the boy. He knew Regan was small for his age and he had overheard Daisy once, ranting on the phone to Diana that she suspected Hallie’s drinking while pregnant with Regan was the reason Regan was so smaller.
“Hi,” Regan said shyly. He was Jim and Hallie’s youngest, with the red hair of both Jim and his namesake, Tim’s own great-uncle Bill Regan.
“Do you remember me?” Tim asked. The boy was about eight, he thought, maybe. He couldn’t quite remember.
“Sort of.”
“Well, I tell you what,” Tim smiled at him. “You can hang out with me and we’ll get to know each other all right? I’ve missed a lot the last couple years and Jesse’s too big for me to pick up and toss around. You wanna be my camp buddy this weekend?”
Regan nodded shyly as Jim glanced their way and smiled, pleased to see his shy son had approached his newly returned, mysterious cousin.
“In fact, I’m going to take a walk, wanna come?” Chicks dig kids, he thought.
Regan nodded.
“Hey, Jim,” he called. The older man looked up. “Is it all right if Regan goes with me for a few?”
“Sure,” Jim called back.
Tim held out his hand to the boy and Regan took as it they headed down the footpath.
Within a few minutes the path came out, and Tim smiled. There was a large camper set up, and Lyris was kneeling by the back end, hooking up the water. Her family was unloading their supplies, and he saw another blonde woman, smooth hair immaculately styled, in spotless white pants. Tim almost laughed out loud. White pants to go camping? Heavily jeweled rings that could so easily be lost?
Lyris looked up and her eyes widened slightly then she grinned and waved.
“You know her?” Regan asked.
“Sure do.”
“She’s pretty,” he said softly.
“She sure is,” he said admiringly. “Let’s go say hi, okay?”
Regan nodded.
Lyris hurried forward to meet them, and Tim saw her father emerging from the camper.
“Hi!” she gave him a big smile.
“Hi, there.”
“Who’s this cutie?” Lyris gave Regan a big smile of his own as she knelt down in front of him.
“This is my youngest cousin, Regan.”
“You’re handsome little guy,” she smiled at him. “Are all the men in your family so good looking?”
Regan blushed and looked down. Tim grinned.
“Regan, anytime a woman says that to you, always answer yes.”
“Yes,” Regan said softly.
“Adorable,” Lyris smiled at Tim. “Are the piranhas watching?”
“Moving in,” he whispered.
She turned. “Mother, Father, this is Tim. I met him on the plane.”
“Hi,” Tim turned on the charm. “My family is camping right over there.”
“You come here often?” her father asked suspiciously.
“Every summer. I’m Tim Mangan, this is my youngest cousin, Regan Frayne.”
Regan looked up shyly and gave a small smile.
“Frayne? As in Frayne Academy of Sleepyside?” her father asked, the suspicion fading slightly from his eyes.
Tim nodded. “That’s Regan’s father Jim, my cousin somehow. It’s kind of confusing how we’re all related.”
“I made a large donation to the Frayne Academy last year,” her father approvingly. “I fully support their purpose, and the work they do to keep troubled youth off the street.”
“I’m sure Jim appreciated it. The school is his lifelong dream.”
“Good family, all of them. Couple of them are in law enforcement, yes?”
“Yes, sir,” Tim made full eye contact. “My father, and my mother’s cousins are Federal Marshals.”
“Good, good to hear. Young men need solid careers like that. You planning on following in your father’s footsteps?”
“Uh, I haven’t quite decided but I just graduated from the Army and Navy Academy.”
“Fine school,” he said, nodding his head. “I’m a Fishburne man myself.”
Tim smiled and kept the conversation rolling for several more minutes, until Regan tugged at his shirt.
“We should be getting back, I promised his dad we’d only be a little while,” Tim played Mr. Responsible, which he could see went over well.
“Well good to meet you, young man. Lyris needs to meet some decent young people.”
A moment later he lifted Regan onto his shoulders and winked at Lyris as they headed back towards their camp.
The twins had managed to unload the rest by the time they returned, as Miles and Jesse unloaded the wood for the fires. Lifejackets to be worn in the water were in a crate, ready for use, in varying colors with names written on them in faded ink.
Bo was setting up the small teepee in the fire circle for later as the others milled about, unpacking and setting up their tents. Most of the men were ready to relax, the cooler of beer had been opened and its contents passed around. Tim almost reached for one, then remembered he was only eighteen and his parents would definitely not approve. He settled for soda. It was probably best his parents not know about some of his after-hours exploits at school. Especially the ones involving girls, he thought with a smile.
Dan smiled as he saw his son return, little Regan riding on his shoulders and giggling.
“Makes you proud, doesn’t it?” Bill Regan asked. Dan nodded. His uncle was only seven years older than him, and often accompanied them on family outings. A lifelong childless bachelor, he doted on all the children of the Belden-Duke Clan as much as he had their parents, if not more.
“I know you still beat yourself up over him going the wrong road,” the older man continued, “But you’re a good father. Tim turned out just fine and sending him away was the best thing you could have done for him. You didn’t screw up anymore than your parents did, or me, though I thought so a couple times. That pride you feel is how I feel about you, and it goes both ways.”
Dan nodded, his throat choked up as his uncle squeezed his shoulder. His eyes followed his oldest son as Tim returned Regan to Jim. Jim laughed and reached up to tousle his son’s hair. Regan asked if he could hang out with Tim and Jim agreed. The small boy followed Tim over to the tent Tim would share with Jesse, and started asking questions. Tim patiently began explaining how a tent went up.
“It’s so good to have him home for good,” Daisy said happily, joining her husband.
Dan’s arm slipped around her waist. The high fashion designer wore old jeans and a t-shirt, her dark hair in a ponytail, and worn cowboy boots on her feet. He loved her dressed up but he loved her even more this way. This was the sweet, southern girl he had fallen in love with, relaxed and causal. Daisy loved camping and being outdoors, and tent sex was always hotter. He was relatively sure Jesse had been conceived on a camping trip.
“He turned out okay, didn’t he?” Dan murmured.
“We knew he would, sugar. He just needed the right guidance and it looks like he got it.”
“I just wish I had been able to provide it,” Dan replied.
“No living in the past, Dan,” she said gently. “What’s done is done. He’s alive, healthy, and clean. And he’s made his peace with us sending him away. I think our boy has a bright future.”
“Me too.” Dan hugged his wife to him happily.
Meet the cast in full & see the family tree!
Author’s Notes
- A huge yee-haa to the fabulous and lovely Ronda, for editing this! The poor woman had to slog through some crazy typos!
- Kittatinny Campgrounds do exist.
- Yes, we will get to Hallie and Jim's story. Just have a little patience.
- Word Count, 2,676
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