Trial Of Strength (Book 14)

"THE TWINS' STUNNING NEWS"

Kyle & Kevin are handsome identical twins, intimate friends, devoted lovers and sexual partners.  But they are feeling the need to branch out, to be more independent of each other and more intimate with other men. Their man, the tribe’s cofounder Bob, agonizes at the unthinkable prospect of a total split of his boys, whom he had always considered inseparable.

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<><>    The Twins Deliver A Shock     <><>

Peace and quiet had descended on the lavish Grady House in mid-afternoon – and that was probably just as well.   

The first full day of the house party for the boisterous tribe of thirty or so men and boys had been a sequence of little adventures and problem-solving scuffles – all under the amused and watchful eyes of the hosts, the sexy movie star Grady and his handsome Italian lover Mario.

This was typical of the Grady House parties, which were not only a place for fun, laughter and lots of sex.  They also were an opportunity for the men to relax and sort out the problems and complications that inevitably built up among this volatile group of loving, oversexed couples, threesomes and small families.

The latest of these dramas had involved the black construction workers Darius and Zack, and their Thai boy Ryan.  The drama was described by Darius as a tempest in a teapot, which proved to be accurate when peace was restored in an emotional and passionate love-making session – ‘a small family affair’ as Zack smilingly called it. 

Afterwards, a small group of men had rallied round the little family in one of those love-conquers-all solutions.  Love was still definitely in the air when couples and threesomes headed for their guestrooms to give the theory another whirl.

Among these couples were the founders of the tribe, Randy and Bob.  They were the rock on which the tribe had originally been built years ago.  Their story went back a long way – back to a grubby beer bar at the scruffy end of Hollywood Boulevard. 

They were as different as two men could be.  Randy was a roughneck gypsy construction worker from Texas; Bob was a sophisticated young business executive from upscale Marin County in California.  Both were remarkably handsome and neither had ever been sexually attracted to men – until their eyes met in that tawdry bar and they fell in love. 

Their story was long and action filled, until here they were, years later, the owners of a growing construction company and the leaders of a tribe of men and boys who had been drawn to the exciting couple.

In the quiet afternoon at the Grady House party they, like most of the other couples, had retired to their guestroom where sex was definitely on the menu.  But not quite yet. 

They had poured drinks – beer for Randy, brandy for Bob – when there was a knock on the door and the handsome young face of Kyle looked in.

Kyle and Kevin were identical twin brothers, senior boys in the tribe and devoted boys of Bob.  They had also, since their young days, been devoted to each other in every way, including sexual.  Much of the polished sophistication of their man Bob had inevitably rubbed off on them, and they were highly respected as the gourmet chefs of the tribe.

Kyle smiled, “Is this an inconvenient time, sirs?  You look as if you were about to …er …”

“… make love?” said Kevin.  The twins often completed each other’s sentences and shared the same thoughts, as well as being physically identical, with the same handsome features and well-toned physiques.

“We were about to have sex, yes,” Bob smiled, “but it can wait – we have the next two or three days in the Grady House for that.”

Randy, usually impetuous when it came to making love with Bob, did not object this time.  He loved seeing the joy on his lover’s square cut features when he was with his twins.  They made a perfectly matched threesome and Randy loved them all.  He even thought of the twins as his boys too – a family of four, with Randy the powerful protector of them all.

“Come in, come in, boys,” Bob beamed.  “Join me in a brandy?”

They all sat round a low coffee table and Bob asked, “So, guys, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?”

“Just when you and Randy were about to make love,” Kevin smiled.  “How about that – some nerve, eh?”

“I assume it must be something important, though you’re welcome at any time.”

“To us it is, sir, and we’ve come to you and Randy for advice.  You see, we’ve been talking …”

“Ah, the fateful words,” Bob laughed.  “You hear that, Randy?  As soon as you hear boys say ‘we’ve been talking’ you know you’re in trouble.  It means they’ve come to a decision that is as momentous as it is often disastrous.  So what is it this time, boys?  You gonna grow your hair long and dye it black to be like Randy?   ‘Cos if it’s that, I tell you now, it ain’t gonna work.  Look at you two.”

As always, the boys were wearing white shorts, with Kyle in a pale blue polo shirt and Kevin in green.  About as different from the rugged construction worker as they could be. Of course, Bob made them laugh and Kyle said, “No, nothing like that, sir, you’re just being silly.”

“So what then?  You’re tired of being chefs?  You two are splitting up?”

The twins exchanged surprised looks and Kevin said, “Yes, that’s it, sir. Not the chef thing, the other bit.”

Bob’s jaw dropped.  “What?  You’re splitting up?  You two?  My twins?”  My inseparable twins?  It’s unthinkable, eh, Randy?”

“They’re kidding, buddy.  Is that why you came up here, kids?”

“We’re not joking, sir.  We are splitting up.”

Bob frowned.  “You can’t blame us for being skeptical, boys.  Let me remind you, when I first met you, you were trying to steal my car – to live in.  The story you told me then was that you had been in foster care since birth, and everyone kept trying to separate you.  But you were in love with each other, so you ran away. 

“You pleaded with me not to let the system split you up. so I took you on as my boys … and the rest is history – here you are.  So you see why we’re skeptical about your decision.”

Kyle said, “It may not be quite what you think, sir.  We would still be friends and live together and still be chefs, but we wouldn’t be lovers.  We would pull away from each other and live like regular brothers, sharing the rent and that’s about all.”

“And what brought this on, guys?” Bob asked, still reeling from the idea.

Kevin took over the tale. “Well, sir, we’re getting older, and we’ve been feeling that being so intimate with each other restricts our development in many ways.  Take sexually.  We’ve always been monogamous with each other, except for when we both make love with you, sir.  Even then, we act like one person, not two.”

Kyle took over.  “You see, we want to be emotionally and sexually independent, able to meet others as individuals, to do want we want, behave how we want.  A good example is Randy …”

“Oh no,” Randy said, holding up his hands defensively.  “Randy is not a good example; he is a very bad example.  Anyone who models his life on mine is eventually gonna run over a cliff.  That has happened to me often, and thank god I’ve always had Bob to come and pick up the pieces.  Like the king’s horses and the king’s men gluing Humpty back together.  I’m surprised you don’t run out of glue, buddy.”

“I got in an extra-large supply, Humpty,” Bob grinned.  “The thing is, boys, that running around, fast and loose sexually is too easy, there are no inhibitions, no brakes.  You get a reputation for being promiscuous – and yes, I’m looking at you, Randy.  It’s not like marriage and divorce.  You don’t need a license to fuck.”

“You know, dude,” Randy said, as if a light bulb had just gone on, “I’ve often thought that would be a good idea – having to get a license to fuck.  It would sure clear the field and solve a lot of problems.”

“Oh don’t be ridiculous, Randy,” Bob sniffed.  “You’d be first in line at the registry office to get yours.  They’d have to invent a kind of day pass – all you can fuck in a day for one low price, like a buffet brunch.”

There was a confused silence until Kevin sputtered, joined by Kyle, and they burst out laughing.

“You’re right, boys,” Bob said, “this is becoming ridiculous and I’m sure that’s not what you intended.  This is a serious issue for you.”

“So what’s your suggestion, buddy?” Randy grinned

“Well, this is not the kind of problem where you snap your fingers and come up with a solution.  It’s a big transition for the boys, has to be taken slowly, one step at a time.  But, er, as we’re all here and love is in the air, we could try taking a first step.”

“You mean sex is in the air, don’t you, dude?” Randy said, still suppressing a smirk.

”Hey,” Bob cautioned, “let’s not begin by falling into the trap of putting a label on things.  This is complicated, something you have to ease into.”

“OK, dude, ease away, and we’ll follow.  At lease we don’t need a license.”  

Bob looked sideways at his lover.   It was evident that Randy still was not taking the issue seriously.

<><>    Separate But Equal    <><>

“OK,” Bob said, we’ve made love with the twins before, and we all know how it begins – with Kyle and Kevin kissing.”

Randy licked his lips. “Yeah, and that sure gets the juices flowing, watching two sexy identical twins making love.”

“But not this time, buddy.  You just heard – the twins are not making love with each other anymore.  They’re just horny brothers on the prowl for a way to get their rocks off.   So go for it, boys.”

There was much initial hesitation, so Randy took the lead.  As always, the impulsive gypsy had a short fuse when it came to sex, so he grabbed the nearest boy, Kevin, and pulled him into a grinding kiss.

Startled, Kevin instinctively flashed a nervous glance at his brother Kyle, but Randy, once sexually aroused, was not a man to be ignored.  He pressed his hands down hard on Kevin’s shoulders and forced him to kneel in front of him.  He grabbed the boy’s hair and pulled his face into his crotch, forcing his lips against the shape of the boss’s legendary beer-can thick cock under his jeans.

Kevin choked but, like so many men before him, he soon submitted to the sexual persistence of the horny gypsy.

Despite his vow of independence, Kyle was alarmed to see his twin being manhandled so forcefully, and he instinctively looked at Bob for support.  But this was not like the old days.  Bob knew what Randy was doing, giving Kevin a taste (literally) of the independence he desired.

So Bob just smiled, unzipped his shorts and said quietly, “You asked for it, kid.  Kevin’s on his own now … you too.”  Obediently Kyle sank to his knees, pulled Bob’s cock out and lowered his mouth over it.

Startled at first, the twins soon became attracted by the sexual freedom of not having to follow their brother’s cue.  This was not the four-way they were used to.  It was two couples doing their own thing – with mounting pleasure.

Seduced by Randy’s caveman approach, Kevin was soon drawn into the sexual magnetism that had ensnared so many men.  He stopped glancing at his brother and tasted for the first time the freedom of acting alone.

Bob’s style was different of course, but his gentle lovemaking was, in its way, just as seductive as Randy’s muscular action, and commanded all of Kyle’s attention and sexual exhilaration.  Soon the couples were acting independently, with Randy and Kevin grappling on the floor, Bob and Kyle on the bed.  

There came the moment, of course, when Randy spat on his rigid cock and pressed it against Kevin’s ass.  But the boy’s huge sigh was one of pleasure, not pain, so Kevin’s brother was not stirred to protect him or even notice.  He was too busy enjoying the sight of the handsome Bob smiling down at him, his muscular physique flexing as his cock pounded his ass.

The two couples made love in their own ways, with no reference to each other, and even their climaxes were not coordinated.  In the past, four synchronized orgasms would have been natural, but this time two separate finales gave the boys the freedom they had desired.

On the floor Kevin said to Randy, “I love getting fucked by you, sir, to have you all to myself.  You make me feel like the only boy in the world.”

“To me, right, now you are, kid.  You’re a great lover, so gorgeous, so fucking sexy.  Can you cum without touching your cock?”

“Of course, sir.  For you, anything.”

“OK, here it comes then.  You ready?”

Their moans of ecstasy rose up from the floor as Randy’s huge cock filled Kevin’s ass with jizz, and Kevin’s cock spurted semen up high on the gypsy’s hairy chest.

The other couple heard, of course, but felt no urgency to copy them.  Bob continued to make love in his own special way, long and languid, his deep brown eyes smiling down at Kyle as they finally climaxed together.

For a while, just the sound of heavy breathing filled the room until at last Kyle jumped off the bed and stood on the floor.  Jubilantly he smiled down at his twin.  He reached down, pulled Kevin up on his feet and they smiled into each other’s eyes.  Impulsively, they hugged joyfully … and kissed at last.  It was a long, passionate kiss, two identical twins having found the erotic freedom they sought.

Except for this final passionate display of fraternal affection.

<><>    Not Ready For Prime Time    <><>

Realizing what they were doing, the twin pulled abruptly apart and blushed.  “Oh,” Kevin said, “it didn’t work.”

“What d’ya mean, kid?” Randy blurted.  “You didn’t like that gypsy fuck?  I don’t usually get complaints.”

“Oh no, sir, I didn’t mean that.  You were magnificent, I loved it.  But Kyle and me were supposed to act separately, none of that kissing-twins stuff.  And in the end, there, we failed.”

Pulling up his shorts, Bob said with mock disappointment, “Well, I’m sorry you feel that way, Kevin.  Sure didn’t feel like a failure to me.  I must be losing my touch – Randy too.  Though I never thought I would hear myself say that about him.”

“I ain’t losing my fucking touch,” Randy growled. “It’s these kids losing touch with reality.  Look at this, boys.”  Randy pulled Bob into a bone-crushing man-hug and a grinding, ravenous kiss.  When they separated at last, Randy’s eyes flashed.  “Are you two calling my man a failure?’

“No, oh no, sir, definitely not,” Kyle protested.  “We meant us.  We failed because we were supposed to be free of each other, independent – and here we were hugging and kissing each other.”

“So were we, boys,” Bob said gently.  “And yet we didn’t fail at anything.”

“And you know why?” Randy said, less gently.  “Because we were doing what we felt like doing … because we were free to do whatever the hell we wanted to.”

Bob smiled. “What Randy is saying, guys, is that you’re taking too narrow a view of this freedom thing.  When we all fucked – two separate couples, as you wanted, it was a terrific expression of freedom.  And when you hugged, that was freedom too – doing something because you wanted to – because you felt like it.”

“Bob’s right,” Randy growled. “So, like, what?  You gonna say ‘I wanna hug my brother but I’m not free to because I wanna be independent so I can’t hug, even though I want to. What kind of cockamamie bullshit is that?  Beats me.”

As Randy got tied up in verbal knots, they all burst out laughing.  Bob hugged the twins in turn and smiled, “No doubt about it, this plan of yours needs a rethink before we let you loose in the real world.  ‘Cos you two ain’t ready for prime time yet, boys.”

Kevin pulled on his shirt and looked at his watch. “We better get back to the kitchen, our break is nearly over.  We really wanted to arrange separate breaks – you know, spend our free time apart – but, but we didn’t want to put Danny to the trouble of rearranging the schedules.  He has enough to do.”

Kyle grinned ruefully.  “And this break we didn’t exactly spend apart, did we?  Quite the opposite.”

“But Randy and I enjoyed our time with you,” Bob said.

“Oh, we did too, sir,” Kevin said hastily.  “It’s just that we intended to … oh, it’s complicated.”

“No sweat, you’ll sort it out.” Bob smiled. “Just relax and do what comes naturally to you.”

<><>    Eddie’s Tragic Tale    <><>

There seemed to be an extra buzz in the air when the tribe gathered that evening for the traditional big communal dinner.  Of course (also traditional) when a new story broke in the tribe it was up on the grapevine and known to everyone immediately.

Kyle and Kevin were loved and respected by everyone.  They were a solid no-nonsense pair, a serenity they inherited from their man Bob, so it was unusual for them to be the center of the latest gossip.  But Bob knew that if they tried to ignore the story it would take on a life of its own, with rumors and exaggerations.

So at the start of dinner, Bob confronted the issue head-on.  When Randy sat down after his usual opening speech thanking the chefs and all the guys who had made the party possible, Bob stood up and made a short speech of his own.

“Guys, the grapevine being what it is, you all know by now that the twins, Kyle and Kevin, have run into some complications with their usually rock-solid relationship. It involves personal issues that they alone can solve, and I’m sure they soon will.  In the meantime, it’s up to us to be supportive and not to spread guesswork or gossip.  As time goes on, if anyone has anything useful to share with the twins, feel free to do so at the appropriate time.”

“Oh I have something right now.”  That was young Eddie, predictably enough.  Eddie always had something to say and was never shy about saying it.  So now, when he spoke, they all sat back, expecting to be amused by his observations on life.

“See, guys, here’s the deal.  We all know the twins are joined at the hip – well not literally like Siamese Twins, of course.  But they share everything in their lives – everything, including sex.  Some of us have had the privilege of watching the two sexy brothers make love, and I gotta say, that’s enough to make anyone’s dick stand to attention.”

“Stick to the point, kiddo,” said Eddie’s man, the macho Arab Marine Hassan.  He was used to Eddie’s long-winded stories and often intervened to keep them short – shortish, anyway.”

“OK, sir, I do have a point here.  It involves cock-sucking.”

“Now there’s a surprise,” Darius chuckled.  “Most of your stories start with a blowjob, dude, you being an expert at the trade.”

“As a matter of fact, smartass, my advice to the twins does involve sucking cock, and I’ll tell you why.  They say they want to be more independent, not always twins in a three-way or four-way – too complicated.  So I say, keep it simple, one-on-one.  And cock-sucking is the best one-on-one there is – one mouth one cock, can’t beat it.

A blowjob just does not lend itself to three-ways … although …” Eddie paused for dramatic effect.  “Although I myself have tried – and lived to regret the day.

“And we’re off and running,” Randy whispered to Bob, as expectant smiles lit up around the table.

“Sssh,” Bob cautioned, “let him talk, he loves to entertain.”

Eddie took a deep breath.  “Once upon a time …”

“It’s a nursery rhyme,” Brian giggled.

“A nursery rhyme about cock-sucking,” his boyfriend Brandon grinned.  “That’s a first.”

Eddie silenced them with an icy stare, a look he reserved for moments like this.  “As I was saying, I once attempted a three-way blowjob.  Big mistake.  I thought I could suck two cocks at once.  I should have known better, seeing as how one of those cocks was Randy’s humongous schlong.

“It didn’t work.  I warn you, guys, sucker beware.  Once Randy’s cock starts swelling in a mouth that’s already occupied by another …”

There was laughter around the table and Hassan was rotating his hand in a rather desperate wind-up signal to Eddie.

“OK, sir, gotcha.  Anyway, like I said, it didn’t work.  I choked on both cocks and my throat was so stretched I ended up with … laryngitis.”   Another dramatic pause as the laughter grew louder.

“Laryngitis!!  Men, have you any idea what a tragedy that is for a boy who loves to talk so much they call him motormouth?  I was locked up in a world without words.  It lasted four days.

“Not that that was altogether a bad thing,” Hassan grinned.  “I had four days of silence – except for a few squeaks now and again that I pretended to understand, just to make Eddie feel good about himself.  Of course, Eddie got his own back.  When his voice returned after a four-day silence I got four days of talk – a non-stop machine-gun delivery of talk.”

Amid the peals of laughter around the table, Randy yelled, “Hey, kid, we started out – what seems like hours ago – with the twins and their problem.  And we ended up with your ‘tragic’ laryngitis.  What the hell does this have to do with them?”

“Well,” Uncle Mike smiled, “I think Eddie is saying that if you want to be independent and alone, get a dose of laryngitis.  That’ll do the trick.”

“By this time the laughter was uncontrollable, drowning any attempt at speech.  And inevitably the bread fight started – small chunks of bread being hurled at Eddie.  He ducked.  “Hey this is not how it goes, guys.  Bread fights are always for Grady.”

“No.” Grady objected. “This time I’m an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire.”

Too bad – Grady was traditionally the victim of flying bread, and the men happily switched target.  Grady crossed his forearms protectively over his face and pleaded, “No, not the face. It pays for these parties.”

When the deluge finally subsided Grady, convulsed with laughter, sat down next to his lover Mario.  “Amico, now I remember why I love these parties. Better order more bread.”

<><>    Make ‘Em Wait    <><>

As the dinner party finally wound down the twins approached Eddie with warm smiles.  Kevin said, “Eddie, we want to thank you for bringing a touch of laughter to our news that many of the guys think of as sad.  You are so good at lightening the mood.”

“Thanks for saying that, dude, I got that advice from Grady – that storytellers should ‘Make ‘em cry… make ‘em laugh … make ‘em wait’.  Grady said that’s something he tries to do as an actor.  His movies have a lot of drama, but he tries to mix humor in too.  You know how that smile of his makes audiences fall in love with him.

“Now, as you just saw, I’m good at the first two things – the ‘laugh’ and ‘cry’ bits – but somehow, I could never get a handle on the ‘make ’em wait’ thing. I’m impulsive, a bit like Randy … you know, the way he just charges in and …well, not exactly like Randy, of course, ‘cos …”

Eddie was interrupted by Hassan clearing his throat loudly.  “Kiddo, seems like you’re pretty good at making guys wait, as you’re doing right now.  If you would stop talking for two seconds together you might notice that dinner is over, and guys have started wandering the grounds.”

“Oh yeah, talking too much again, uh?  That’s another thing that storytellers have to …”

Hassan talked right over him. “That’s just what I was gonna suggest, kid, taking a stroll round the grounds with the twins, to work off all that food before bedtime.”

“Good idea, Hassan,” Kyle said.  “You with us or against us, Eddie?”

Eddie was with them of course, never one to abandon an audience. and a few minutes later they were sauntering round the large, lush grounds together.  As they wandered, they casually broke into two couples – Kyle and Eddie, Kevin and Hassan.

In his conversation with Kyle, Eddie, predictably, still couldn’t abandon his favorite subject.  “You know, Kyle, what I said about that three-way blowjob was true, though I think I could manage it these days.”

“With no laryngitis?” Kyle smiled.

“That’s a thing of the past,” Eddie ginned, “I changed my technique.  But I still maintain that one-on-one is best for any blowjob. Pity you and Kevin have always been so into each other, you didn’t let other guys like me get a look in.  But hey, we’re alone now and you twins have loosened the reins a bit, so how about I give you a taste of my new technique – with me doing the actual tasting?”

“Sure thing, Eddie.  Go for it.”

Eddie grinned and sank to his knees before Kyle.”

<><>    It Was Good For Me – How Was It For You?    <><>

Some distance away, a similar conversation took place between Hassan and Kevin.  Hassan chuckled, “Sorry if Eddie monopolized the conversation at dinner, dude.  I’m used to it, he amuses me, and he’s a great kid – sexy too.”

“No need for an apology, sir.  Kyle and I were grateful that he took the spotlight off us.  This thing about us wanting more independence is kind of a private thing, something we’ll work through on our own.”

“I think it’s a good idea,” Hassan said.  “As you guys get older you have less need to cling together, which you always did for protection as kids. You’ll probably find it will actually strengthen your relationship with Kyle … fuller, more adventuresome, more to talk about.”

“Actually, sir, I think we’re already finding that out.”

“And it’ll sure give the other guys a look in, not just a sneak peek in the window. Hell, a lot of the guys still can’t tell you two apart, though I can.”

Intrigued, Kevin smiled.  “How, sir?”

“That mole at the base of your neck.  But it’s not only that.  You two are identical in many ways – attitudes as well as looks – but I’ve always noticed that Kyle is more outspoken than you. You tend to watch and learn in the background, soaking up the opinions of others rather than giving your own.”

“Yes, I guess that’s true, sir.”

“Tell you the truth, kiddo, I always found that attractive.  It’s a kind of shyness that I find sexy in a young man, even in a nervous new Marine recruit.”  Hassan laughed.  “Maybe that’s a reaction to my Eddie, who never hesitates to give his opinion about anything and everything.”

“You found me attractive, sir?  I never knew that.”

“How could you, Kevin?  You twins were so tied up in each other you probably never noticed me eyeing you from a distance.  I assumed that a dark-skinned Arab soldier was not your cup of tea.”

“Not tea, sir, but more like a drink of Scotch.  Oh, I noticed you alright, sir, very much. I used to get a hardon when you came close. You were right when you said I’m the less assertive of the twins, and always leaned on Kyle for protection. 

“I envied Eddie being your boy, and wondered what sex with you would be like.  Partly rough, like Randy, I thought – but with more tenderness than him.  I mean, you train all those nervous Marine recruits, and Eddie told me they kind of hero-worship their handsome Arab captain.”

Hassan laughed. “I never stopped to think of myself like that.”

Kevin said, “And I always dismissed such thoughts.  After all, Kyle and I were so close we never allowed thoughts like that about others.”

“Until now,” Hassan grinned.

Kevin blushed.  “That’s right, sir.”

“When your thoughts strayed and you did wonder about sex with me, how did you start?”

“Slowly, sir, step by step.  I’ve seen you naked by the pool sometimes and loved the sight of your cock.”

“And wondered what it would be like to suck it?”

“Well … yes sir.”

“So go for it, Kevin.”

Kevin blushed and sank to his knees before Hassan.”

<><>    Old Acquaintances    <><>

Sometime later Hassan was wandering around the grounds with a satisfied smile on his dark, handsome face, when he saw Eddie, also alone.

“Hey, kid, I was looking for you.”

“Me too, sir.”

“Time to hit the sack, don’t you think, kiddo?”

“Aye-aye captain.  Lead the way.”  Hassan slung his brawny arm over Eddie’s shoulder and they headed for the house.

Not too far away the twins found each other, each sporting a glow that the other had never seen before.

Kyle smiled mischievously.  “It was good for me, dude.  How was it for you?”

“Very good thanks, bro,” Kevin grinned back.

“Time for bed, don’t you think?  It’s been a long day.”

“Oh, yeah, definitely.  Can’t wait to fall asleep with your arms round me.”

“Me too.  I love you, Kev.

“Me too, Kyle.  A whole lot.”

They held hands and headed for the house.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><> 

TO BE CONTINUED IN “A Trial Of Strength” – Book 14: Chapter 20