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The house Wolf has found at the beach is right on the ocean front. Soon as we're there, he changes into sandals and a Speedo. Now I can get some awesome pics of him.

He grabs a towel and grins at me. "Ocean's waitin', kid. Let's go."

The water seems cold at first, but it gets warmer once you're in. Now I'm glad old Walt taught me to swim, cause Wolf swims like a fish. We play around some then lay on the beach blanket. With the sun setting, the wind gets cool, so we head back to the house.

Wolf puts his arm around me like I dream he does. "Having a good time, buddy?"

I put my arm around his waist and we walk along. "The best."

Wolf says the cook is excellent, but the food tastes twice as good as it does at home so I pig out. Wolf laughs and tells me to stoke up cause I won't be eating so good at his place.

The next week some people with a couple of guys about my age rent the cottage next door. We start tossing a basketball around until Wolf sets up a tennis net in the yard. I get a lot of exercise with the guys, but they leave at the end of the week. Wolf doesn't let me get bored. He takes me to pIaces I read about in history like the hill the first airplane flew off. We see The Lost Colony and climb a couple of lighthouses. That was really fun and you could see forever from the top. I even get to see how the men at the old lifesaving station took people off wrecks.

It goes so fast Wolf blows me away when he says we gotta pack and leave tomorrow morning. I hate to go, but I can tell he wants to see his home again.

We get our stuff in his car, tip the cook, and hit the road. Wolf says it's about an eight hour drive, but once he's on the freeway he lets the Mercedes out. We float along until he pulls off the freeway and drives into a small town to a shacky looking place.

"Best Bar-B-Que anywhere, kid. Get the sandwich, cause it's fantastic."

I don't know what to expect and for a minute I think the waitress has set a hamburger down in front of me with iced tea then I see it's a lot bigger bun. There's a thick layer of shredded meat and another of yellow slaw. Poor Wolf is having a tough time trying to pick his up with one hand. I see why when I pick mine up. It's a lot thicker than I thought.

"Uuum, good," I say after a bite.

Wolf's got the top off his sandwich and is shaking something from a little bottle on it. "Want some of this?" He asks.

"What is it?"

"Hot pepper sauce. Makes it good."

"No way. I don't like pepper."

"Wish I had a beer," Wolf says after a swig of tea.

"Get one."

"Not when I'm driving and they don't serve beer here."

I thought Wolf was nuts when he told me I couldn't eat but one sandwich, but I'm full by the time I finish.

"I hope we can eat here again," I tell Wolf as we're getting up.

"We won't be coming anywhere near here again unless it's next summer."

"Aaaw. Any way we can take a sandwich with us?"

"Great idea." He points to a store across the street. "I saw some Styrofoam coolers in their window. Go get a small one and a bag of ice."

I do, and Wolf packs in four containers and ices them down. "Good thinking, kid."

I'm tired of riding when Wolf stops in a small town and buys some groceries. We have to cram the bags behind the seats cause the boot is full. The sun is setting when Wolf turns off the highway onto a dirt road that's almost hidden in the trees. A minute or two later he stops in front of a log cabin with a broad porch.

"This is it, Ric. Help me get the shutters open to air the place out and we'll get the stuff out of the car later." He shows me how to raise the window and screen then unlatch the shutters and swing them back against the house until the latch catches to hold them open. While I'm doing that, he's turning on the electricity and starting the water pump.

It's after we've gotten our stuff from the car I have a chance to look around. There's a long leather sofa and a couple of chairs facing the stone fireplace. On the floor is a big rug with some kind of design in it. On one wall is a desk, and at the far end of the room is a dining table and chairs. I saw the kitchen, two bedrooms, and bath when I was opening the shutters.

Now that it's dark, it feels kind of spooky. I mean in town there's always lots of noise, and there was plenty at the beach with boom boxes and partying, but I can't see a single light anywhere and it's so quiet you can almost hear your heart beating.

Wolf comes up beside me. "Like it?"

I get close to him as I can. "It's too quiet."

He smiles. "That's what I like. This is the only place I can be myself, think my thoughts, and not get interrupted by anything outside. It's not always this quiet, though. Pretty soon the crickets and frogs will start up."

When I finally crawl out of bed the next morning and wobble to the kitchen for a cup of coffee, I'm instantly awake. Wolf hasn't got on anything but a pair of moccasins and some kind of flap of cloth hanging down in front and back.

He grins. "So sleeping beauty finally got up."

"Yeah. What's that?" I point to the cloth.

"Breechclout. It's what young Indians wear in summer."

I shake my head. "You mean you don't wear jeans at home?"

Wolf laughs. "We all do, but I wanted you to see real Indian clothes and I like to wear this in hot weather." He holds out his arms and spins around. "Ta da! What'cha see is what'cha get, kid."

He's sexier than ever. "I wish."

He grins. "Tough. Sit and I'll rustle us up something to eat. Oh, yeah, buddy, don't go wandering around outside unless I'm with you. There're rattlesnakes around."

"No way." I hate snakes with a passion.

I wash the dishes from lunch. By the time I finish, Wolf is stretched out in his chair asleep. I get my camera and take a picture of him cause I'm bettin' Rob's never seen a guy wearing a breechclout before. Now he can really see how beautiful Wolf is. I wish I dared flip his breechclout back, but I know the second anyone gets near Wolf when he's sleeping, he wakes up ready to fight.

I thought I might get bored out of my tiny mind, but even with no people around Wolf keeps me busy. We run in the early morning, he teaches me to fish in a stream near his cabin, and takes me to interesting places. We make a trip to the reservation where he shows me the Indian museum and that night we see the outdoor play Unto These Hills. It's so late we spend the night in a motel.

Another day he takes me to Biltmore House. That place is so big I can't begin to imagine people really living there and calling it home. It takes us all day to see the most interesting parts of it. In the dining room there's an organ in the balcony. Wolf tells me that was so people could have music before radio and record players.

After we've eaten breakfast one morning, Wolf tells me to put on jeans instead of my shorts, cause we're going to see a very old man he says is a medicine man. Wolf has on jeans, too.

"Let him do all the talking, Ric. You can answer if he asks you a question. If you want to be real polite, you will greet him as grandfather."

I thought Wolf's cabin was off the road, but this has got to be a mile or more away from everything. When we get there, I see the little house is kind of rundown. I follow Wolf to the open door. He stops there and waits. Finally a quavery old voice says "Come, Little Wolf. Bring other person."

The room is dark and junky, but I see an old man sitting in a chair by the fire. He's all wrinkled and dark, his hair is white, and his eyes are milky so I know he's blind. Makes me wonder how he knew it was Wolf.

"O'siyo grandfather," Wolf says quietly. "You have not forgotten. My heart is glad."

The old man nods. "My eyes no longer see, but your aura is strong, Little Wolf." He turns his head in my direction. "He who comes with you has aura of young white man."

"That is so, grandfather. I seek your wisdom."

The old man slowly nods again. "The young one's heart cries out for you, Little Wolf. In your heart is the same longing. Why do you not show your love?"

"It is not lawful, grandfather."

"Young one is old enough to be a man. The law is wrong, my son. Your needs are great and you had no contentment until you came to the young one."

Wolf shakes his head. "To break the law will mean prison and likely death for me, and a ruined life for him. I cannot do that, grandfather."

The old man seems to look into the little fire for a few minutes. Wolf stands quietly and motions for me to be still when I shuffle my feet. At last the old man speaks.

"The spirits say your love will not be known to others if you use care. I see you protecting young one. It will come when the winds blow cold. You will need special thing that is now your hand."

Wolf motions for me to leave and he follows without saying anything else to the old man.

"Why didn't you tell him goodbye?" I ask when we're in the car.

"Because that would mean we would not see each other again."

I've got ten thousand questions, but I can tell from his expression Wolf won't talk about it now. In fact, he doesn't say much at all for the rest of the day, so I read one of the books we got.

It's the next afternoon when Wolf calls me to sit next to him on the sofa and puts his arm around my shoulders.

"I have to tell you something, Ric. Grandfather has great wisdom, but he's handed me a problem without a solution."

"How?"

"You heard him say my heart cries for you. I could not hide it from him, but I've kept it from you as best I can. I love you very much, Ric. I had no family until you. Seeing all the ways you've tried to love me turned a job I thought I would hate into one that's almost worth what it took to get it. Old grandfather knew your feelings for me and mine for you and said it was wrong to deny our feelings because of the law."

"I told you."

Wolf shakes his head. "Ric, you don't fully realize the problem. You saw the papers and TV news last week about the pedophile priests and the penalty the teacher got for molesting a boy. I can tell you that a child molester won't have a chance in prison."

"Why?"

Wolf shakes his head. "Even murderers have some scruples. Any one who molests a young child will be killed by other prisoners as soon as the word gets out."

"Oh."

"The law doesn't see any distinction between a child molested against his will, or the child who wants to freely love an adult. It's all the same crime and the adult is always guilty."

"That's what grandfather meant when he said the law is wrong."

"Yes, but it's still the law." Wolf hugs me closer and kisses me on the forehead. "I do love you, Ric. I want make love to you so much it hurts, but the risk is too great and I can't share grandfather's belief that we won't get caught." Wolf sits up and wipes his eyes. "Go with me on this, love. When you're of age, if you still feel the same, we can be together in every way."

Now I'm crying, too. "I love you, Wolf. I'll try to be good. I just wish I could sleep with you at night."

"I'll go that far while we're up here, Ric, but no funny stuff."

"Can I do this?" I pull his arm up and rub it against cheek then kiss it on the end.

"Why?"

"It's so beautiful."

He shakes his head.

"Honest, Wolf." I kiss him, but his kiss is on my forehead as usual. I see him naked one morning. He's fantastic looking and it makes me jealous to see he's not cut. His skin is long and I'd love to play with it, but I know it's not in the cards.

I can't describe how wonderful it feels to feel Wolf's arms around me as I go to sleep feeling safe and loved, so I won't try, but it makes our last few days fly by.

"I see why you love it up here so much," I say to Wolf as we drive away, beginning our trip home.

"I'm glad you understand, Ric. There's more beauty in silence than in noise. I hope you've enjoyed your summer."

"Man, you won't ever know. It's been the best time of my life."

He puts his hand on my knee. "I'm glad. Having you with me has made it special for me, too. You're the greatest, Ric."

* * *

I have about two weeks before school starts again. I wake in the middle of the night needing to take a leak. When I finish I push open the door to Wolf's room. We leave our doors open so whichever of us needs the bath we know it's free. There's a bright moon and I can see him stretched out on top of the sheet. I knew from the cabin he sleeps raw in the summer.

In the moonlight he looks so peaceful and gorgeous I slip into his room and lay down beside him. He rolls over without waking, his stump lands on my chest. I lift it enough to kiss and stroke gently. When he doesn't wake I reach down and carefully lift his meat so I can see.

His eyes pop open. "What the hell!" He grabs my arm so tight it hurts. When he turns the light on and sees it's me, he shakes his head. "Why, Ric?"

"I miss sleeping beside you like I did at your cabin and having you holding me. I ... I just wanted to touch you."

"Get in your own bed. We'll talk about this tomorrow," he says harshly. He gets up and pushes me toward my room then I hear him taking a leak.

He isn't smiling at breakfast and Annie doesn't talk cause she can tell from his face he's not happy about something. After breakfast he follows me up to my room and shuts the door.

"Damn it, Ric, I thought we talked this out after what the old grandfather said and agreed you wouldn't try anything until you're eighteen."

I can't help the tears that start down my face. "I ... I love you so much, Wolf. I just wanted to see it up close."

He comes over and sits on my bed beside me, putting his stump around my shoulders. I lift it around so I can kiss it.

"Ric, I love you, too, but I can't do what you want or let you. Look at your pictures and jerk off if you want to. I'll see if I can find someone near your age for you to enjoy."

"You're the only one I want, Wolf." I know he won't let me kiss him on the mouth so I kiss his stump again.

He smiles. "I know, but no way."

Wolf can always surprise me. Friday night after school starts, he tells me we're going to visit a youth group. I don't much want to go, but Wolf says he'll be with me and I don't have to stay if I don't want to. My mouth drops open when a guy not much older than me welcomes me and Wolf to the gay and lesbian students group. I look up at Wolf and he nods.

There's maybe twenty kids there, some older than me, some younger. Two guys seem to run the meeting and program, then it breaks up for soda and cookies. The guys that talk to me are real nice. The only other adult there is a guy about Wolf's age. He and Wolf are sitting at the back of the room talking together and don't bother us.

During the meeting they talk about one of their friends who's gotten hurt, a discussion about a dance over Thanksgiving, and a Christmas party. One of the guys asks me if I have a boyfriend to bring to the dance. When I tell him yes and point to Wolf, his eyes get big.

"I mean a guy your age. We have adults as chaperones because it's required, that's all. No adult/kid stuff," he says.

"One in California, but no way we can get together. I really love Wolf though. I ..." I have to stop to wipe a tear, "I wish he'd let us make love."

The guy I'm talking to shakes his head. 'That's heavy, man. What if you got caught?"

"That's what Wolf says."

"I wish Mickey wasn't in the hospital. He's your age and hasn't got a steady. He'd love to go to the dance with you. I bet you'd like him."

"I don't know how to dance."

"That's okay. Now he can't dance either, poor bastard. Maybe he'll be back before then and you can meet him."

"Okay." I can't tell him Wolf's got to approve of everything before I can do it cause he'll want to know why and I can't tell him. I don't really know myself, it's just the way it always has been.

"Well?" Wolf asks me on the way home.

"Not bad. The guys were nice enough. John was trying to fix me up."

Wolf grins. "Be good for you. Who's the victim?"

"Some kid named Mickey. He's in the hospital."

"John didn't tell you anything else?"

"Don't think he knew. Nobody uses their last name."

"Gary, the guy I was talking to, is the adult sponsor and a teacher. He seems like a good guy and runs a tight ship. If you want to go back, I'll check 'em out."

"Good enough. At least it's guys my own age and they're gay."

A few nights later Wolf comes in my room and hands me an envelope. "Take a look."

It's a photo of a guy makes my head spin he's so beautiful. He's got black curly hair, thin face, and as best I can tell, a great bod. If I wasn't in love with Wolf I'd bed him fast as possible, cause he looks like what I'd bet Wolf looked like when he was a kid.

When I look up at Wolf, he's grinning. "You're going to like him even better when you see him in person."

"Why?"

Wolf laughs. "Don't you want to be surprised?"

I jump up and try to grab him. "No!"

Wolf lets me pretend I'm winning for a minute then easily slips out of my hold. "They didn't tell you why he's in the hospital?"

"No. Tell me!"

"He's out of the hospital, but going every day for therapy and treatment for depression. They took his foot off."

I fall flat on my bed. I can't believe what Wolf said. "For real?"

He nods.

"I wish I could meet him."

"I'll arrange it if you want. I know his parents are desperate because Mickey believes nobody will want him around with his foot gone."

"Man, I gotta see 'im. Please, Wolf."

When Wolf picks me up at school on Friday, he heads away from our house. I start to ask, but he looks at me. "Hope you're ready to go visiting."

"Who?"

"Mickey. His mother seemed real pleased when I told her you wanted to meet him. She knows he's gay and talked to Gary. He put in a good word for you. She did say that Mickey may yell if you go in his room cause he doesn't want to see anybody."

"I can yell louder than him, I'll bet."

"You would, too."

"Only if he's good looking as you."

"God, I get to baby-sit a perverted kid tries to put the make on every amp he sees."

"Only when they look like you. I wouldn't even have to go through this if you'd let me love you."

"Save it for Mickey, kid. He's your age, but a few months older."

The house Wolf stops in front of is a nice brick in a good subdivision. We get out and go to the door. It's opened by nice looking woman. "Yes?"

"I'm Alex Wolf and this is my ward Ric Nordwall."

She opens the door. "Do come in. I'm delighted to meet you. It's so kind of you to come see Michael. I'll show you up."

"Just Ric, ma'am."

She nods. "Of course. We'll have coffee while they visit."

Wolf smiles. "Ric may get a little loud."

She smiles. "Louder than Michael, I hope."

She leads me upstairs and knock on a door. "Michael, there's a young man from the group to see you."

"Go away!" He yells.

She smiles at me. "Just go ahead in and I'll go down. Call if you need anything."

I wait 'til she's started down the stairs then push the door open. This is one time a picture wasn't near as good as the real thing. Mickey is drop dead gorgeous. He's sitting in a wheelchair with a robe around his legs.

"What the hell you want?" He snarls.

I walk over to him and hold out my hand. "I'm Ric and I wanted to meet you, cause I'm making you my date for the Thanksgiving dance."

He ignores my hand and glares at me. "Fuck your date. If I could dance I wouldn't be in this fucking chair, would I?"

My grin seems to piss him off even more. "I can't dance either but, damn it, we could have fun. The guys seem real nice."

"They draft your ass to come lure the cripple out so they can feel sorry for him?"

"Hell, no. I don't see no cripple."

"Damn you're stupid!" He flips the robe off so I can see his right foot is gone. "Happy now?"

I give him my best smile. "I sure am. You're the sexiest looking stud I've ever seen, 'cept for Wolf."

"Sexy? You're sick. Who wants a guy like me?"

"You want to find out?"

"You man enough to make me?"

"I don't want to hurt you."

"Ha! Scared I'll whip your ass even with one leg? Come on, cause you won't hurt my leg if that's what's worrying you."

I pull off my sweater and flex my arms. "You asked for it."

I walk over and grab his hands pulling him up. He stumbles trying to get his foot on the floor, then tries to push me away. I swing him around and push him back onto his bed, then hold his hands down and lay my best kiss on him. Suddenly he stops struggling and starts kissing me back. We sit up still in a clinch and I slip his robe and pyjama top off. We fall back and my hands stroke his awesome body. When he starts to gasp for breath I sit back up and look at him while running my finger through the black hair on his chest. He pulls up and I slip the pillows behind his back.

"I didn't hurt you did I?" I ask.

He shakes his head looking awed. "Who the hell are you, dude?"

I hold my hand out again. "Ric. John told me I'd like you and you don't have a steady, so I'm staking my claim. We're going to the Thanksgiving dance together if I have to drag your ass there. Got it?"

"Come 'ere." He grabs me and gives me a fantastic kiss, then turns me loose. "I gotta show you something." He pulls up his pyjama leg so I can see the bandage on his stump. Looks like they cut his foot off just above the ankle.

He jumps when I reach down and rub it on the end. "Man, I can't wait to see it without that bandage. You'll look awesome on crutches." I look at my watch. "Shit, Wolf's gonna be yelling for me any time." I lean over and kiss him again. "Next time it ain't just gonna be kissing, stud."

"You don't care?" He asks in a shaky voice.

"Hell, no! I hope Wolf comes back up so you can see how awesome he looks with only one hand. You're the only other stud near hot as he is."

"Why"

"Why what?"

"Why do you think my ... my ..." he can't say it, "makes me hot?"

I shrug. "Dunno know, but Wolf can tell us." I walk over to the door and call him.

He comes in with a big smile. "Hi, Mickey. Boy, you're a hot stud. I'm surprised Ric hasn't raped you yet, hard up as he stays."

This time Mickey blushes.

"So what you want, guys?" Wolf asks.

"How come I get hard every time I see a guy's stump?"

"Whoa! That's a tough one." Wolf runs his fingers through his hair. "I told you I'd find out if I didn't know the answer and I don't. I'll do my best to find out and let you know. Anything else?"

When I shake my head, he says, "Then we'd better get going. You using crutches yet, Mickey?"

"Some, but not real good."

"That's okay. Ric and I are gonna come by and take you to dinner some night soon."

Mickey shakes his head. "Don't wanna go out on crutches."

"Bullshit!" I howl. "You'll look so sexy on 'em and Wolf with his hook, I'll have to fight every bitch in the place."

Mickey giggles and looks at Wolf's hook. "Damn! I thought Ric was joking."

"I wish he were, but he's not. I feel sorry for you, because you'll be fighting him off every time you're together."

Mickey giggles again. "Long as it's like the fight we just had."

"Yeah." I kiss him again then look at Wolf. "We better go or you'll be going home alone."

"Not a chance." He grabs my arm and pretends to drag me out. Mickey's still laughing.

His mother is at the bottom of the stairs. She hugs me soon as I'm down. "Thank you so much, Ric. That's the first time Michael's laughed since the accident. Please come back soon."

"I'm afraid you're going to find you have a pest on your hands if you invite him back," Wolf tells her.

"It'll be worth it just to hear Michael laugh. Come back any time, Ric."

"I'm going to try, but Wolf has to bring me."

"I'll call you next week," Wolf tells her. "Ric and I will be taking Mickey out to dinner. He said he could use crutches well enough."

She staggers back and sits down. "He wants to do what?" She gasps.

"Go to dinner with Wolf and me. Please let him go, cause I think he's awesome."

"Yes, yes, yes." She stands back up. "If you can get him out of this house, please do."

"We will. After dinner we may go to the group meeting as well, or back to our house. Whatever he and Ric want to do."

"How'd it go?" Wolf asks me when we're in the car.

"He's sure hot. I snatched his ass up and threw him on the bed and kissed hell out of 'im." I remember and giggle. "He sure surrendered fast. Wish we'd had more time, kissing ain't all we'd done."

"If you bring him home I'll see that you have some privacy."

"Great."

Wolf's fantastic as always. Friday evening about six-thirty we pull up at Mickey's and I go to the door. Mickey opens it looking like a model. He's got on black slacks and a gray sweater. I give him a quick kiss before he yells, "I'm gone."

"Have a good time." I hear his mother call back.

I help him down the three steps and he makes it to the car easily. I take his crutches when he's seated.

"Where're you sitting?" He asks. Wolf's car has two bucket seats.

"Behind you. I'll hold your crutches so you can't get away." I vault over the low side of the car and sit on an old cushion from home. It's chilly, but the heater's good, so we're comfortable with the top down.

The restaurant Wolf picked is nice enough that he has to argue with the maitre d' because we don't have on ties and coats. We finally get a table near the back. "They've gotten picky," Wolf says.

Wolf orders a drink and something that's super good but non-alcoholic for Mickey and me. While we're waiting, I use my foot to play footsie with Mickey's stump. He draws it away at first, then grins at me and plays the game. We start to giggle and Wolf frowns at us.

"I hope you're not doing what I think you are."

"Depends on your dirty mind," I say.

"Oh, my God!" He says. "We'll not only get thrown out of here, but thrown in jail. Cool it until you get to the house."

"Foreplay's fun any time," Mickey retorts.

Wolf shakes his head. "I thought I was doing myself a favor when I took Ric to see you. I didn't know you were just as bad or worse."

"Man, you gotta be young to enjoy sex." Mickey surprises me with this one.

"Young man," Wolf says to Mickey, "Ric has been begging to get his butt beat. Keep it up and you'll be joining him."

Mickey shakes his head. "Not a chance. I'm not into kinky stuff like that."

Wolf looks blasted. I have to laugh at how neatly Mickey has turned the teasing on him. I don't know what might have been said next if the waiter hadn't come with our dinners just then.

We all ordered lobster and I figured I'd have to help Wolf, but he has less trouble than me getting the tail meat out of the shell. Mickey winks at me, makes sure Wolf sees him fork a piece of tail meat, dunk it in the melted butter, and eat it then smacks his lips. He says, "Mmmm, that was great piece of tail."

Wolf almost chokes on his tea, then looks sternly at Mickey. "You've had your fun, kid, now behave or I won't ever let you near Ric again until you learn to behave in public. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." Mickey sounds contrite, but I know he's not. Anyway, he behaves the rest of the time. It's a great meal; I'm stuffed when it's over.

"Where to, guys?" Wolf asks when we're back in the car.

"Home, James." I say.

"Home, James, your ass. You guys don't want to go to the meeting?"

"We want time together," I say nicely.

"I wonder why I guessed that." Wolf says as he drives off.

"You have to be home by 11, so I'll let you know when it's time to leave, Mickey. You guys behave and have fun, whichever comes first," Wolf says and shuts the door to my room.

Seems like we've just gotten in my bed when Wolf's banging on my door and telling Mickey to get ready to go home. Neither one of us wanted to try the real heavy stuff in back, but we sure made lots of love facing each other. I'm almost exhausted. I help Mickey get dressed, but he's sure doesn't look like he did when we picked him up. I don't either. If Wolf would let Mickey sit on my lap we could smooch, but he makes me get in back. I just get a quick kiss when I help Mickey to the door.

When I get back in the car, I let out a big sigh and say, "Thanks, Wolf. It was a great evening I won't forget."

"I hope you guys were careful."

"We didn't do anything like that. Mickey don't like it and I don't either."

Wolf pats my shoulder. "I'm glad. You guys are a little young for some things. It's better to be safe than sorry when your life's on the line. Mickey's sure a wise-ass. His mother would be shocked."

I shake my head. "She'd be glad. Mickey said he had more fun than before. You know."

"I'm proud of you for that, too. No one but you could have gotten away with what you did. In fact, you're the only one I know with enough balls to have done it."

I punch him on the arm. "You're just hoping I'll be so happy having sex with Mickey I won't be buggin' you."

"Something like that. Even if you fall in love with him, remember I still love you, Ric."

"I love you, too. I always will."

Next morning Mickey calls me before I've even had breakfast. "Hey, baby, I sure had fun last night. I got the grand inquisition when I got home, but it was worth it. That Wolf is sure one cool dude, you're lucky to have him around. Bet you my mom's gonna call him before the day's over. Gotta go, breakfast." He hangs up and I haven't gotten a single word out. Wolf won't believe it.

Like Mickey figured. It's not long before Wolf comes up to my room. "Mickey's mother is certainly pleased about last night. She says it's all due to your being a good influence on him and his seeing I don't care who sees my stump or hook."

"You gonna take me over there sometime this week?"

"Not until Friday. He goes back to school Monday and has a lot of work to catch up. Won't hurt you to do a little studying either." He hugs me. "You piss me off sometimes, Ric, but you're a damn good kid. I love you."

I hug him back. "Love you, too."

That night I lay awake for a while thinking how lucky I've been this past year. I get a great looking and loving guy with one hand for a nanny and a cute one-footed guy my age for a lover. The only thing could be better would be to have Mickey going to the same school as me. But if he did, I know my grades would fall if we had classes together.

Though the dance is informal, Wolf drives my old man's BMW sedan so Mickey and I will have plenty of room and I won't mess up my clothes before we get there. I must look silly as hell when Mickey opens the door and I see him, cause he starts to laugh, then calls to his mother that if he doesn't come home, he'll be staying with me. He hands me his crutches and says he's taking them just in case. I walk beside him as he walks to our car with a slight limp. I open the back door and he gets in, me beside him.

"You're doing great with the leg," Wolf says.

"Gotta get used to it, but it's nice not to have to use crutches all the time." He looks at my expression. "Don't cha like it?"

"No." I say flatly.

"Why?"

"Cause you and Wolf ain't half as sexy when your stumps don't show."

Mickey looks surprised until Wolf says "I forgot to give you that information on devotees, Mickey. Remind me to do it after the dance."

"I sure will. I wanna find out what makes this guy tick."

Wolf laughs. "If you find out, let me know."

A sudden thought hits me. "I can tell you."

"What?" They both ask at the same time.

"Being trapped in a car with two wild predators."

"Huh?" Mickey says. Wolf's just looking puzzled.

"Yeah. A Wolf and a Fox both after my fantastic bod."

Mickey growls and pretends to launch himself at me. Wolf's chuckling. "In your dreams! If I weren't driving, I'd get you for that," he says.

Mickey gets a big welcome from the guys at the center. John looks at me and grins when I put my arm around Mickey to stake my claim. We have a great time and Mickey even drags me on the floor for a slow dance. He shows me the simple steps and it's not hard following him, though he steps on my feet a few times. What feels best is having our arms around each other dancing cheek to cheek.

Mickey says he's tired and his stump's beginning to hurt a little, so I find Wolf and he takes us home. I get the overnight bag and Mickey's crutches from the car to make sure he stays.

He takes his leg off. "That feels better," he says. He props up on pillow in my bed, so I fix a place for me. Wolf brings us some popcorn and soda, and we settle in to watch The Edge of Seventeen. It's a gay flick Wolf bought from e-Bay for me. Next thing I know the sun is shining and Wolf is standing beside my bed looking at us.

He smiles when he sees my eyes are open. "You guys are sure handsome together. Have a good night?"

"I don't know. I went to sleep before the movie was over."

Wolf nods. "I know. I had to undress both you turkeys and turn the TV off. No rush to get up. I won't fix breakfast until you do."

We take it easy all day. Mickey's mother finally calls to see when he's coming home. Wolf takes the phone and says he'll bring him immediately, but she says she has to go into town and will pick him up in about a half hour. It's a little less when we hear her car horn out front. I kiss Mickey goodbye, but it surprises Wolf when Mickey hugs him and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

"What was that for?" Wolf asks him.

"Just for being a great guy." He goes out carrying his bag and crutches. Wolf's smiling.