Chapter 27 : Prince Charming

Chapter 27 : Prince Charming

We continued hiking and the conversation turned eventually to my courses and what I had selected for the fall. He seemed pleased with my choices and really wanted to know the details. It was one of the things I loved about my dad was his genuine interest in what was going on around him and in the lives of the people he cared about.

We heard mom and Alexa before we saw them, laughing and chatting gaily as the two paths met again at yet another rest area. They were walking arm-in-arm and seemed to be very happy. Dad and I arrived seconds before they did and he waved to them as they approached the picnic table.

"Have a good time?" he called out.

"Yes, as a matter of fact we did," mom said as they joined us. "We talked a lot about mom and what it was like to grow up with her in Europe before she passed. Apparently she was a real character, right up until her final days in Cardiff."

"That doesn't surprise me at all," dad said cheerfully. "She was one of the most amazing people I ever met. I miss her."

"Actually, that was something Alexa and I wanted to discuss with you," mom said, her tone not serious but indicating that outright levity was no longer required. "Mom isn't in Europe, Alexa brought her back here with her."

Dad nodded while I thought about that for a moment. "Okay. Where do you want to put her, Alexa?"

My aunt drew a deep breath. "As... strange as it sounds, before she died, mom said she wanted to be laid with my father. He may have driven her away when he had his mental breakdown, but she loved him until the very end."

Dad looked at my mom and nodded. "That sounds completely reasonable. Karen and I were the ones who had him interred in the family plot a few hours away, so whenever you're ready I'll call the mortuary and have them work on a plaque and we'll get it done."

Alexa smiled and wiped at the corner of her eye. "Thanks, Mike. You've all been so accommodating and willing to help."

"Well sure, you're one of us now, right?" he said, grinning. "We're family and we've got to stick together."

Mom rolled her eyes. "Just be prepared for him and the boy to break into a Ramones 'one of us' chant at any moment', she warned her sister. "Wouldn't be the first time."

"Gabba gabba hey," dad quipped, standing and looking around. "Shall we push on or start heading back?"

"To be honest, I'm pretty wiped," mom said. "Helen blathered at me most of the night so I didn't get nearly as much sleep as I should have. Let's head back for now. If we want to explore this entire thing, we'll make a day of it. Besides, Tommy-boy here stayed awake all night playing video games, so he's probably out on his feet."

"Tommy was about pinball, not video games." I groused.

"My point's still valid," mom said dismissively. "Anyway, let's go home. We'll order in for dinner, okay?"

We all acquiesced and prepared to head back. Mom looked at her sister. "Allie, you've got Prince Charming here. Try to keep him talking on the way back, okay?"

She nodded and my parents went back up the path my father and I had used. That left Alexa and I on the lower path, which we began to walk down.

"I think you'll like this path," she said as she put her hand in mine. "I made note of several remote areas along the way."

"Good," I said, squeezing her hand. "After all the flak I've taken, I could use some affection."

"Oh, auntie's got plenty of that for you..." she purred.

"Hearing you say that probably shouldn't have the effect on me that it does." I sighed, shivering and making her giggle. We walked for a few minutes until she eagerly pulled me off the trail and over to a small clump of trees and bushes, where we'd be completely concealed. She pressed me up against one of the trees and pressed her lips to mine, kissing me deeply. We both moaned as our tongues met and snaked around one another. Hands roamed around each other's bodies. I squeezed her breasts as she gasped into my mouth.

"C'mon," she murmured through the kiss. "I think I know an even better place..."

She broke the kiss and pulled me along by the hand, walking quickly. I already had a raging hard-on in my slacks and prayed no one would walk by us, because it wasn't going anywhere. She found a small, foot-worn trail that led down the slope, though trees and underbrush, towards the sound of running water. She grinned in delight as we reached a little stream, which babbled it way merrily through the forest. Tall trees surrounded us and this seemed like a grove out of mythology. Rays of sunlight came through the canopy of thick leaves above.

"It's magical," she breathed, totally enchanted with our surroundings. "It's like a faerie grove from old tales."

"It's incredible," I agreed, looking around while still holding her hand. "I'm really glad you brought me here."

"I saw the hidden path but we didn't come down," she murmured. "It's even more than I imagined it would be."

She turned and looked up at me, placing my hand on her heart. "And I'm here with you..."

I held her close and kissed her again, my heart soaring. In this most magical of places, we kissed without reservation, feeling a strange unity and comfort in one another that I'd never known before with anyone. Time meant nothing to me and the world was no bigger than this grove we'd found.

The kiss ended and she looked into my eyes again, smiling beautifully. She moved a curl of my hair away from my face and caressed my cheek.

"I want this to be where we make love, Alex," she said softly. "I'm done trying to deny how bad I want you. But we haven't got the time at the moment, we have to meet Karen and Mike shortly."

"I know," I replied quietly, my body almost trembling in my desire for her. "I want you so bad, Alexa."

She pressed her face against my chest. "God, we could make it a quickie, we could... but that's not what I want for our first time, especially here. Please help me be strong, Alex."

I took a deep breath. "We'll be fine, Alexa. We'll tease each other to madness until we make it back here, make one another cum and have a wonderful time. But I will refrain from making love to you until we are back here."

She sighed. "Okay. But you promise to keep me riled up and wanting it badly all the time?"

"No problem whatsoever." I said, grinning.

"Good," she said, looking around. "But we're not leaving without doing something..."