Tales of The Caribbean

Co-written by: Mel and Jodie 

Rene stood looking in his closet with dismay. He’d spent the last two hours online reading everything he could find about their cruise. The more he read, the more excited he became. The ship looked incredible and the available activities seemed endless. However, one thing had him concerned; the recommendations for guest’s wardrobe. There were to be two formal nights where they suggested tuxedos, dinner jackets, or suits as appropriate attire for men. For the other dinners they said that ‘smart casual’ clothing was required.

Most of his wardrobe was casual to say the least. He was a freelance artist with a part time position teaching art to young children. Neither of those jobs exactly required the fanciest of clothing. He had his suit with one dress shirt that he’d worn to be married in, two pairs of Dockers and three golf shirts. The rest of his wardrobe consisted of jeans, shorts, t-shirts and sweats; at least half of which were paint stained.

They were to be traveling on a five-star cruise line and these clothes would not do at all. He pulled his suit out and noticed a small mark on the lapel. It would have to go to the dry cleaners. He began pulling all his clothes out of the closet and drawers, and put them on the bed to inspect them. One pair of Dockers were fairly new and would be good, the other two were getting a bit worn looking. He supposed his golf shirts would be okay but he’d need more than three casual shirts for the seven days. He had two pair of swim trunks, both of which were a few years old and looking rather faded.

He sat on the bed surrounded by all his clothing and sighed. All the new clothes would cost a lot and Zack had already spent a fortune on this trip. Rene had looked up the price when he’d been online; the cruise itself was a lot of money and that didn’t include flying from British Columbia to Miami, Florida! It wasn’t as if he could borrow some of Zack's clothes. The older man was several inches taller and two sizes larger than he was. Zack’s things would just hang off of him.

Maybe he could call Kadyn. Though Rene was slightly taller than his friend, they were about the same build. Perhaps Kadyn would have some things he could borrow.

Zack chose that moment to walk into the room, somewhat startling his young husband. “I’m on a break and thought I’d come around for a few minutes to pick up our suits. They both needed cleaning.” As he made his way over to the closet, he glanced at the disarray Rene was sitting in the midst of and smiled. “Getting a jump on the packing, sweetheart?”

Rene shook his head. “No, just looking through my clothes. I don’t seem to have much suitable for a luxurious cruise. I’m going to call Kadyn and see if I can borrow some nicer shirts from him. I’ll also look and see if they have any good sales on bathing suits in the Sears catalogue. That should give me enough to get by.”

“So you’ve been checking out the cruise online, right?” Zack returned the grin Rene sent in reply. It had been his suggestion when his excited husband had asked more questions than Zack had been able to answer. “This was a good idea; printing out some of the information.” He picked up the sheet of paper that had caught his eye and quickly read it over before placing it back on the bed. “I am sure Papa will tell you that one of the best parts in preparing for a cruise is going shopping. So write out a list of things you feel we both will need and tomorrow we’ll check out the malls in Kelowna. How does that sound?”

“It sounds expensive,” Rene replied. “I’m sure I could get by borrowing some things from Kadyn. After all, the cruise costs a lot of money. No sense adding to that for clothes I’ll only need for a few days.”

“I think you’ll at least re-use swimming trunks,” Zack pointed out. “And then there’s always the challenge of getting fresh paint on a new shirt or two when we get back,” he teased, collecting his suit from the closet and grabbing up Rene’s from the pile on the bed. “You think it over while I’m dropping these off at the dry cleaners, okay?”

Rene shook his head at Zack’s teasing. “Okay, but I still think it’s too expensive.”

While Zack was gone, Rene replaced his clothes in the closet and drawers. Sometimes he still felt like he didn’t do enough to contribute to the family finances. Yes, he’d made a substantial bit of money doing the grocery store mural, but for the most part his income was considerably less than Zack’s. Although he knew Zack never felt that way. He’d reminded Rene repeatedly that whatever income they both made belonged to them both equally.

A little over twenty-four hours later, Rene was back sitting on the bed surrounded by bags filled with new clothes. Hayden and Todd had joined them on their shopping excursion and between the four of them they were now fully outfitted for the cruise. He couldn’t believe they’d been talked into getting tuxedos. However, Todd’s persuasiveness and Hayden’s credit card had been put to work and he and Zack were now the proud owners of their own tuxedos.

Rene had to chuckle as how his very strong-willed Top’s protests had been worn down so easily by his dad and papa. Rene could never have changed Zack’s mind like that, but his parents seemed to have Zack’s number. Well at least now he wouldn’t have to feel like an embarrassment to his husband and in-laws. Rene’s new clothing was equal to the luxurious nature of the cruise.

He grinned when moments later Zack followed him into the room carrying more bags. “Is that everything? Or did your papa sneak some more into the car?”

“It better be everything. I don’t think Papa could get another parcel in the car regardless of size. And I still don’t know how he managed to talk us into a new tuxedo each. We could easily have rented some on the ship. It’s not as if we get to wear them as often as he and Dad do,” Zack good-naturedly grumbled as he hung the two garment bags in the closet. Secretly, he loved the look of his beautiful young husband in formal wear.

He paused to stare at all the packages on the bed and shook his head. “God knows how many suitcases will be needed to cart all this stuff.”

 “Don’t look at me. I would have been more than happy with new swim trunks and a couple of shirts.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Four weeks later found Hayden standing in the driveway, looking in dismay at the amount of luggage jammed into the trunk of Zack’s car. “Do you think your car can take the load?” he teased his son. “I’ll go inside and get your papa out here before he finds something else to bring.”

“Good idea,” Zack murmured, somewhat stunned by the number of things deemed necessary for a week’s holiday. “Okay then, is this it? Are you sure nothing has been forgotten? Speak now before I close the lid or forever hold your peace!” he declared several moments later to the three men standing near him. All eyes turned to Todd.

“Of course, nothing has been forgotten. Why do you think I insisted on doing all the packing?” Todd indignantly responded, a little ruffled by the insinuation that he’d failed to meet his own exacting standards. He pulled two sheets of paper out of his pocket and held them up for the other to see. “I made extensive lists; one for Zack and Rene, a second for Hayden and myself. As you can plainly see, every item has been crossed off.”  He grunted and rolled his eyes when his son’s laugher clearing indicated the younger man had been pulling his leg.

“What’s say we hit the road?” Hayden remarked. “We’ve got a long trip ahead of us.”

“I’ll second that,” Rene answered. “I can’t wait until we’re on the flight for Miami. And just think, by this time tomorrow we’ll be on the ship.”

The air was thick with humidity as they climbed from the taxi at The Port of Miami. Hayden paid the driver while Zack and Rene moved to get the luggage out of the back. They were quickly greeted by a porter with a luggage cart.

Without further ado, they were told their luggage would be waiting for them in their staterooms and that they should make their way into the terminal where they could get signed in and board the ship.

Rene stood on the sidewalk and looked up at the massive ship which towered above the multi-storied building. “I can’t believe we’re finally here.”

Todd stood beside his son-in-law to gaze up at the magnificent vessel. “It certainly is impressive, isn’t it,” he commented, as awestruck as most people would be. He smiled up at Hayden as his husband’s hand pressed against the small of his back to gently propel him forward and out of the path of fellow passengers getting ready to embark. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Zack doing the same with Rene.

“Let’s get on board, love,” Zack suggested in a low voice meant for Rene’s ears only.

It didn’t take long to get through the pre-boarding process. Pictures were taken and they soon had sea-passes in hand and were stepping off the gangway and onto the ship. They were greeted by smiling crew members handing out glasses of champagne. It was explained that though their cabins were not yet accessible, they were welcome to explore the common areas of the ship and that a luncheon was being served in the Oceanview Café. 

“I vote we explore first,” Rene said as he sipped his champagne.

Hayden looked at his watch. “It’s already one-thirty. I think it would be wise if we ate first and then took our time to explore.” He knew Todd didn’t like him to bring attention to his diabetes, but like it or not his husband needed to eat soon in order to maintain a healthy blood sugar level. 

“I’m all for that,” Zack agreed, swallowing down the last of his champagne and turning to his husband. “We can explore later, sweetheart.”

“Yeah, I guess I am kinda hungry and I am anxious to see if the food is as good as we’ve heard,” Rene grinned.

Todd stepped closer to Hayden and drained his glass. He easily picked up on his husband’s subtle hint but found he didn’t mind being reminded at this time that someone was watching out for him.

The café was a causal buffet style service, but the food was delicious and plentiful. They filled their plates and enjoyed a great meal with a view of some incredible homes across the canal from the port. While they were eating an announcement was made that the staterooms were now available to all the guests. As much as they wanted to explore the ship, they were also very anxious to see their staterooms.  So they made plans to go to their rooms after lunch, get settled and then finally do their exploration of some of the ship’s amenities. 

Though not huge, the rooms were very beautiful with all the modern conveniences. The two couples’ rooms were next to each other with adjoining balconies; giving them privacy with a comfortable shared space. 

As soon as Zack closed the door behind them, Rene threw himself on the plush king-sized bed and grinned at his husband. “This bed is so comfortable I may never want to leave it.”

Zack lay down next to his lover, pulled him into his arms and gently kissed him. “While I wouldn’t want to spend the entire trip in it, I am more than willing to make good use of it every chance we get.”

Rene grinned mischievously. “You know, instead of taking this time to unpack, we could make better use of it.”

Forty minutes later and freshly showered, Rene and Zack met Todd and Hayden in the hallway and began their explorations of the ship. 

They couldn’t get over the many activities and facilities the ship had to offer. It truly was a floating resort. With three swimming pools, fitness centre, spa, theatre, numerous restaurants, lounges and cafés, casino, and live entertainment wherever they looked, the selection seemed endless. 

Dinners in the main dining room were exquisite. They had the same waiter assigned to their table every night and he soon came to anticipate their regular wishes; such as Rene’s love of a glass of ginger ale prior to dinner, and Hayden and Todd’s preference for decaffeinated coffee with dessert. 

The shows in the theatre were breathtaking and equal to any they’d seen on stage in the city. The musical groups performing in the various lounges and foyers kept everyone entertained. 

On the second night out, after the formal dinner, they attended a Friend’s of Dorothy gathering in one of the lounges. They were pleasantly pleased to find a significant number of other gay couples on board, and enjoyed meeting and sharing experiences with some of them. They also reveled in the freedom to dance together without second glances from anyone. Though Zack and Rene were not overly demonstrative in public, they were generally more comfortable touching and being affectionate than Hayden and Todd had ever been. The two older men had lived too long in a world where their sexuality was unaccepted by the majority. So it was a great pleasure for Zack to see his parents so relaxed together in a public setting. He didn’t think he’d ever seen his Papa smile as broadly as when Hayden led him out onto the dance floor and pulled him into his arms so they could dance to Unchained Melody. 

Todd had melted into his husband’s arms each time they stepped onto the dance floor. He relished this opportunity to dress in their tuxedos once again, as well as the freedom to be themselves and swirled to the music in beautifully appointed rooms. Hayden had even bought him a boutonnière which he proudly wore on his lapel. It made him feel very special indeed.

Included among the many special activities they enjoyed was the wonderful time spent snorkeling during their stop on the island of St. Maarten and then shopping until they dropped the next day in San Jose.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

On the fourth morning the ship arrived at the island of St. Kitts. Rene and Todd had a surprise for their husbands. The two men could barely contain their excitement as they sat down to breakfast in the dining room.  After the waiter had taken their orders, they each pulled an envelope from their pockets and put them in front of their husbands.

“These are for you and Dad,” Rene announced to Zack. 

“They are excursion passes for you to the Royal St. Kitt’s Golf Club.  You tee-off in one hour. So better eat up so you can catch the shuttle to the course,” Todd added enthusiastically.

Hayden was shocked. “But we told you we’d go on the bicycle tour of the island with you today.”

“We know you did,” Rene spoke up. “But we wanted you two to do something you both love and since neither of us care for golfing, Papa and I are going to take the bike tour and you two can enjoy what is supposed to be a world class golf course.”

Hayden smiled and looked to Zack. “Well, Son, I’d say we’re going golfing.”

“So it would appear.” Zack winked at Rene.

The two couples said their good-byes on the pier as they headed for their respective excursions.

“Hat and sunscreen at all times, right?” Zack whispered to Rene prior to leaving and stroked his back for a moment. “Have fun.”

Rene leaned into Zack’s touch. “Yes sir,” he whispered back. “You and dad have fun too, and don’t worry about us.”

They chuckled when they overheard Hayden reminding Todd to stay with the group and not wander off.

“The same goes for you, Rene,” Zack gently admonished and received a nod of promise.   

Todd and Rene’s group were met at the end of the pier by a tour guide standing beside a huge rack of bicycles.  The guide was a fit-looking young man wearing a bright island tours t-shirt and long black shorts. 

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the island of St. Kitts. My name is Frederick and my partner here is Leta.” He indicated a very tall athletic woman wearing the same shirt and shorts. “We have a perfect day for a ride and we want to show you some of our beautiful island. Before we depart, we need to ensure that everyone gets a bicycle of the right size. If you could line up here, we’re get you fitted out with a bike and be on our way very soon.”

It didn’t take long before everyone had an appropriate bike and Frederick once again addressed the group. “We are going to tour through the city of Basseterre and see some of the sites there. Next we’ll head up the coastal road and out to Romney Manor. We’ll stop for refreshments there and then we will make our up to Brimstone Hill fortress before making the return trip to your ship. As it was explained in the brochure, this is a fun but strenuous ride. If at any time you feel unable to continue, please do not hesitate to let either myself or Leta know. We can call for you to be picked up and returned by car to the pier. We must ask that you stay with the tour group at all times as we don’t want anyone to become separated and lost.”

“You ready to go, Papa?” Rene asked of the older man on the bike beside him.

“I certainly am,” Todd cheerfully assured his son-in-law. He slathered a bit more sunscreen on his face, set his hat at jaunty angle on his head and swung his leg over his bike.

They were fortunate that though the weather was very warm, it was not overly hot so they were able to enjoy the ride through the city while listening to the guides as they pointed out various sites. The coastal road up to Romney Manor was a beautiful ride with its’ ocean view and lush green surroundings.

Todd found himself needing the breaks they were given along the way. He enjoyed being able to appreciate the view every chance he got and catch a bit of the breeze gently blowing by, rather than constantly having to pay attention to peddling and trying to keep caught up with the others who were a tad younger than he was.

“There’s no need for you to hang at the back here with me, Rene; much as I welcome your company. In this heat, I am better able to handle the slightly slower pace maintained here near the back of the pack.”

“I like the company too, and I’m in no rush to get ahead. This ride is beautiful and I want to enjoy it all.”

“You’re absolutely right, and who knows if or when we will ever get a chance to see this grandeur again; so let’s make it last as long as possible.”

Romney Manor was home to Caribelle Batik, a maker of incredible hand-dyed fabrics known around the world for their quality and beauty. They dismounted their bikes to take a tour of the facility, and saw some of the process for making the material. The gift shop had many incredible pieces of clothing and Todd spent ages picking out brightly coloured shirts for himself, Hayden, Zack and Rene. They were assured that their purchases would be loaded safely into a car and sent to their ship prior to its’ departure that afternoon.  

After shopping, they gathered in a lovely shaded area with blankets spread on the ground. A beautiful lunch was laid out on tables and they were encouraged to help themselves; then find a place to sit and enjoy.  

Rene selected a seafood salad sandwich and a plate of fresh fruit before flopping onto a colourful blanket.

There was such a wide choice to tease the palate and as usual Todd to a longer time to make a decision. He eventually settled for the exact same thing Rene had chosen. Suspecting a drop in his sugar level due to extensive exercise in the heat, he snatched up a couple of cookies and walked over to sit next to his companion.

The rest went a long way in augmenting Todd’s energy and he had no trouble keeping up the rest of the tour. They arrived at Brimstone Hill Fortress without mishap and partook of another welcomed break while everyone snapped pictures of the breathtaking panorama stretched out before them. Then it was downhill from there.

They had just past Romney Manor on the return trip when Todd realized he was one gift short. He decided he absolutely had to have that lovely blouse he’d spied in the gift shop window.

“Rene!” he called out to get his son-in-law’s attention. “I’m just going to make a slight detour and slip into the Manor for a moment.”

Rene stopped his bike and turned to look at his father-in-law. “Why would you want to go back to the manor?  The tour group will get ahead of us.”

“I’ve decided to get that blouse for Nessa after all. I should have purchased it earlier, but couldn’t make up my mind at the time. This road leads straight back to the city. I don’t think I’ll have any trouble catching up and returning to the ship with everyone else.”

“Well, you’re not going without me; we shouldn’t get separated,” Rene replied as he looked down the road at the group of bicyclists continuing on unaware that the two men had stopped behind them. “Let’s just be quick; we don’t want them to worry about us being behind.”

They biked up the driveway to the manor and Todd quickly went into the gift shop to make his purchase while Rene stayed with the bikes. Less than ten minutes later, they were back on the road with Todd’s purchase hanging from the handle bars of his bike as the shop keeper had reminded them of their other purchases having already been sent on to the ship. 

Rene was surprised when there was no sign of the tour group as far down the road as they could see. “I think they must have been moving pretty fast, Papa. We’d better get going.”

“Okay, put your feet to the metal, boy!” Todd enthusiastically agreed as he began peddling faster.

Fifteen minutes later, they came to a split in the road which they hadn’t been aware of on the journey out earlier in the day. The road to the left seemed to lead down closer to the ocean and the one to the right stayed along hillside but still with an ocean view. There had been times on the journey out when they had been closer to the ocean, but was this one of those points? 

Rene stopped his bike and looked to Todd. “What do you think?  Do you remember which way we came from?”

“Hmm,” Todd took off his hat and wiped his forehead while he gave the matter a second’s thought. “I am pretty sure we came down this way,” he announced, choosing the path along the hillside.

“Okay, then let’s go,” Rene replied, feeling nervous but hopeful that his father-in-law was correct.

Almost two hours later, after making one more decision at yet another fork in the road, they found themselves getting further from the view of the ocean as thick vegetation and trees surrounded them.

Todd looked around as they peddled along. This certainly didn’t look at all familiar. He didn’t remember seeing this much overgrowth on the first part of the tour. He was definitely becoming apprehension. He was also finding it increasingly more difficult to keep up the pace they’d been maintaining to this point; not that he’d ever admit it.

Rene stopped and climbed off his bike. He was sweating profusely from the humidity in this almost jungle-like area. “Papa, we need to go back. We’ve obviously made a wrong turn somewhere.” He looked at Todd and could see the older man was flushed and shaking looking. “Are you feeling okay?”

Todd once again wiped the perspiration off his forehead and took a small sip of the water he had left. “I’ll be fine, Piglet. Don’t fret any over me.” He didn’t voice his belief that he would be worrying enough for the both of them. He was beginning to fear he’d made the wrong choice a way back; his past difficulty in being about to proficiently plot a course of action rearing its’ ugly head. He blinked when he heard Rene talking to him.

“Okay, but please let me know if you’re not feeling well. We can stop and rest if you need to.”

They remounted their bikes and began back along the road. A few minutes along the way, they came upon a couple of men walking towards them.

The men were stepped out in the path of the bikes. “Whoa there! Where do you two think you’re going?” The first one called out in the heavily accented voice of an islander. They were both dressed in dirt-covered clothing, and one was carrying what appeared to be a large machete.

Rene was already very nervous about being lost; now he was feeling downright scared. “We’re just heading out for a ride,” he answered quickly, hoping to get past the men without any trouble. 

“Nobody come riding bikes along dis road,” the man replied as he came to a halt right in front of Rene, and forcing him to break. His companion did the same with Todd.

Todd glanced anxiously from one man to the other, before taking an uncertain glimpse in his travelling companion’s direction. 

The two men laughed, one looking to the other. “You know, Bob, I think we’ve got us a couple of lost tourists. What do you think?”

“No doubt about dat, Simon. Given this is our land, lost they is!”

“What do you think we should do with these lost boys, Bob?”

Bob let out an exaggerated sigh. “Well, Simon, I think we should do what we do with all the lost tourists around these parts.”

Simon groaned and waved his machete in the air. “I supposed we’ll have to.”

Bob looked at Rene and Todd. “Resort or ship?”

Rene gulped audibly. “Sh..ship”

For a moment there, Todd thought he was going to pass out. He gripped the handlebars so tight his knuckles turned white.

“Okay, Bob, you get da truck and we’ll drive ‘em back to the port in Basseterre. Then we go get our beers.”  Simon looked at Todd. “I’m Simon and this is my brother Bob. Please excuse our dirty clothes. We just came from clearing a path to where my brother’s new home will be.” He pointed with the machete to a newly cut swath in the vegetation. “He’s getting married in the summer and we’re building him a new place on the family land here.” 

“A wedding; how wonderful! Congratulations, Bob, on both your upcoming nuptials and your new home!” Todd exclaimed; overwhelming relief was making him babble as he held out his hand to the men who were apparently their rescuers. “I can only imagine the entire family is looking forward to it. Weddings are such exciting events.”

Getting off his bike and going over to sit down on a nearby rock, Todd realized he was a great deal more tired than he had let on. He sat there panting and trying to catch his breath as he wondered how long it would take Bob to return with the truck. It suddenly hit him just how late they were in returning to the ship; that by now Hayden and Zack would be wondering where they were and if they were all right. He reached for Rene’s hand when the younger man joined him for a badly needed rest. The expression on Todd’s face clearly showed the concern he wasn’t quite able to verbalize.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Several miles away at the port, the bicycle tour operator and his assistant had contacted a representative of the cruise ship regarding their two missing cyclists.

Frederick was feeling frantic. He counted on these tours booked through the cruise lines for his living and losing two of their passengers was not a good thing. “We’ve sent two cars back along the route to look for them. I just don’t understand how they became separated from the group. I know we were altogether when we left the fort and the rest stop,” he explained to Jacob O’Reilly, the ship’s manager of excursions.

Jacob nodded. “Through the process of elimination, we’ve identified the two men as being Todd and Rene Pierce. Their husbands are on the golf excursion to the Royal St. Kitts which is due back any minute.”

“Husbands?” Frederick questioned.

“Yes,” the manager answered sharply. “Husbands! Is that a problem?”

Frederick rapidly shook his head. “No, no sir, not a problem.”

The manager gave a stiff smile. He wasn’t going to put up with any homophobes working for the cruise line. But he’d dealt with Frederick before and didn’t think the man was a bigot. “All right; well let’s hope your people locate them soon. We depart in,” he glanced at his watch, “one hour and twelve minutes.”

Moments later, a large tour bus pulled up to the pier entrance. Jacob walked over to meet it before the passengers could disembark. As soon as the door opened, he climbed aboard and spoke to the driver, then picked up the microphone. “Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen. I do hope that you enjoyed your round of golf and luncheon at the Royal St. Kitts Golf Club?”

Several happy cheers went up amongst the passengers.

“I’m glad to hear it!” Jacob went on. “We have just over an hour prior to leaving port.  If any of you wish to take advantage of the shops here, please feel free to do so. Just be sure to be back on board no later than four pm. Would passengers, Hayden and Zachary Pierce, please see me outside of the bus? Thank you.”

Jacob stepped outside and waited patiently as the passengers began to disembark. Moments later, two men who were most obviously father and son approached him. “Misters Pierce, I presume? I’m Jacob O’Reilly, manager of excursions on board the Solstice.” He extended his hand to the older man and shook it before doing likewise to the younger.

“Yes, I’m Hayden Pierce and this is my son Zachary. What’s this about?” Hayden asked, feeling anxious.

Zack’s eyebrows puckered as a sense of pending disaster flowed through him. He pursed his lips and let his father asked the questions.

“I am afraid that Todd and Rene Pierce did not return to port with their tour group. At some point along the route back from Brimstone Hill Fortress, they became separated from the group. We have people out searching for them now and have every reason to believe that they will be found and returned here very soon. However, at this point we are unsure of their whereabouts.”

Hayden groaned, his mind filling with both worry and exasperation. He glanced at his son and could see his own feelings mirrored in the younger face. He looked back to Jacob. “What can we do to help with the search?”

“There’s nothing you can do, Mr. Pierce. I assure you we are doing everything we can to find them. You do not know the island and could easily become lost yourselves while looking. I recommend you board the ship and return to your staterooms where we can contact you as soon as your husbands are located.”

Feeling his heart rate accelerating and finding it increasingly harder to take in the deep breaths he needed to stay calm, Zack stubbornly dug in his heels. “Sorry, but I plan to stay right where I am!” he adamantly announced before turning to his father. “I refuse to move from here, Dad, until we receive additional news.”

“Yes, I agree we’ll remain here.” Hayden laid a reassuring hand on his son’s shoulder and spoke quietly to him. “It’s going to be okay, son. They’ll be found and brought back to us.”

Zack nodded and roughly raked a hand through his hair. He began pacing to lessen the adrenaline boost brought on by images of worse case scenarios. He made a valiant effort at resigning himself to hang in there and wait as patiently as humanly possible, given the circumstances. He was grateful for his father’s presence, even though the older man was as agitated as he himself was.

Hayden turned to back to Jacob. “Do you think someone could bring us some bottled water while we wait?”

“Of course, Mr. Pierce. Why don’t you gentlemen come and take a seat under the shelter.” Jacob indicated the port entry area which was open air but had a roof and several benches under it. “You’ll feel better getting out of this hot sun. I’ll send for some beverages for you both.”

Minutes later, two crewmen arrived. Between them they had a small folding table and a cooler chest. While one set up the table, the other put out bottled water and a covered tray of small sandwiches and fruit. He handed Hayden and Zack each a small chilled damp towel.

Despite his worry Hayden felt much better for having washed away the sweat from his face and hands. He downed most of the bottled water in a few seconds and watched pleased as Zack did the same.

Over the next while, the two men took turns pacing around in the small compound and watching impatiently for any sign of Rene and Todd’s return.

While Zack was over looking beyond the gates, Hayden took a moment to talk to Jacob again. “What will happen if they are not back before the ships departure time?”

“No worries, Mr. Pierce. When an excursion is booked through the cruise line such as this one, the ship will wait for the passengers return.”

“But for how long? We both know it can’t wait too long so as to throw off the schedule completely.”

“I’m sure it’s not going to come to that, sir. But let’s just wait and cross that bridge if we come to it, all right?”

Zack came walking back over, his face etched with concern. He’d obviously been listening to the conversation.

“So you’re saying we still have time, right?” Zack willingly settled for the confirmation he received. He looked at his father in a new light. How often had the man gone through something like this? Zack figured his parent must be made out of sterner stuff than he was because this uncertainty and fear for his beloved was just about killing him.

The biking group had long since returned, noticeably short two participants, when a dusty pick-up truck unexpectedly pulled up to the port entry. Although it seemed like it had been several hours since the return of Hayden and Zack’s tour, in reality less than an hour had passed since they’d received news of their missing husbands.

Tears sprung unbidden to Zack’s eyes and his knees almost buckled beneath him in relief when the passenger door opened and Rene jumped out, followed moments later by Todd. Zack barely had time to get it together and brace himself enough to catch the young man throwing himself into his arms.

“Oh, Zack, I’m so sorry. You must have been frantic wondering where we were,” Rene burst out as he hugged his husband.

Now that he had his husband back safely in his embrace, Zack didn’t think he’d be able to let go. “’Frantic’ doesn’t even come close to describing what I’ve been feeling, Rene. Right now though, I just want to hold you for a few seconds. We can talk about your adventures later.”

Hayden felt the tension drain from his body when he saw Todd and Rene climb out of the truck. All he could think to himself was, ‘Once I tell him I love him, I’m going to kill him.’ Though this was not the first time in their many years of marriage that Todd had gotten lost or gone missing, Hayden didn’t think he would ever get used to it.

As they walked quickly towards one another, Hayden could see the look of love and apprehension in his husband’s eyes. As soon as he reached him, Hayden pulled his husband into his arms and held him tight. “Thank God you’re okay!” He pulled back and looked into Todd’s eyes. “You are okay, aren’t you?”

“Yes, yes, I’m fine, Hayden.” Todd threw his arms around his husband’s neck one more time, the bag in his hand swinging around and slapping them both on the side of the head. “I’m so relieved to be back here safe and sound, and I am so sorry for causing you any distress. We had a rather harrowing experience, but it’s all behind us now.”

Sincere apologies were repeated several times as the lost men were welcomed back. While Frederick and his assistant retrieved the bikes from the back of the truck, Hayden and Zack shook hands with Bob and Simon. They expressed their profound gratitude by pressing a wad of bills into each man’s hand, even though the rescuers insisted it wasn’t expected or necessary.

Hayden and Zack both wrapped an arm around their errant husbands and walked them onto the ship, eventually making their way through curious spectators to their staterooms.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Zack rested his backside on the edge of the desk, folded his arms across his chest, crossed his ankles and glared at his young husband who was sitting at the foot of their bed with his head hanging down. Now that the panic was over, the anger had begun to set in and Zack struggled to keep his emotions under control. He knew his stance might appear somewhat intimidating but he felt better able to deal with the sensations racking his body if he physically held himself close.

“Please tell me what happened to result in you and Papa becoming separated from the riding group, Rene,” he requested in as steady a voice as possible.

Rene sighed deeply and went on to explain about Todd wanting to stop and get the blouse for Nessa.

“Could you not come up with an alternative when you found you weren’t able to persuade Papa to stay with the group?” Zack inquired after patiently listening to what had led up to the two men going missing.

“I couldn’t think of anything at the time,” Rene mumbled.

“I am pretty sure that had you caught up to your guide and informed him of Papa’s wishes, Frederick would in all likelihood have had the entire group take a break while they waited out the few minutes it took to purchase a blouse. But that didn’t occur to you, did it?”

Rene shook his head. “No, it didn’t really. I honestly thought we’d just be a couple of minutes and be able to catch right up. And it truly didn’t take that long, less than ten minutes.”

“If it took less than ten minutes for Papa to find what he wanted, why were the two of you unable to catch up with the other cyclists?”

“Well the road was kind of winding and we couldn’t see them when we came out of the manor. We rode quickly but we came to a fork in the road and Papa said he was sure it was the one along the hillside, so we took it and then there was another fork soon after that and well, we just got lost.”

Zack groaned in disbelief. “You let Papa choose which route to take when you came to that first fork in the road? God Almighty, the man’s sense of direction is erratic at best.” Zack was not being facetious or disrespectful; he was merely stating a well-known fact. “And you met up with Simon and Bob after a second fork in the road. Bet you were glad to see them.”

“Not really; at first we were a bit scared. The way they talked and looked, we thought they were dangerous. But we soon realized they were teasing us and they’d helped lost tourists in the past.

“Well, their teasing aside, they did bring you back to port which was very kind of them considering how much it must have been out of their way to do so.” Having curtailed his growing anger of moments ago, Zack now shook his head in mild exasperation. “Rene, love, you are going to have to learn to think ahead and come up with other ways of handling problematic situations as they arise. We both know you are not in any way responsible for Papa’s mistakes in judgment. However, you are accountable for your own.”

“I know,” Rene replied forlornly. “Are you…you going to spank me for this?”

“Yes, I’m going to spank you.” Zack dropped his arms to his side and straightened up.

“But we’re on holiday! People might hear us…me.”

Zack turned on the TV, went over to sit down beside his husband and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “These rooms are quite well soundproofed. And yes, I know we’re on holiday, love, but do you really want this hanging over you until we get home?” He pulled Rene close and kissed his head.

Rene reluctantly shook his head and softly whispered, “No.”

“All right, let’s get this done then.” Zack got to his feet and moved over to the small sofa.

Rene swallowed hard when Zack beckoned him over. This was not what he would expect to transpire when they were on the cruise. But like it or not, this was going to happen. Zack was his Top and this was the lifestyle they chose to live. He sometimes wondered why he liked it. It wasn’t something he’d ever thought of prior to meeting his husband. He almost laughed a little as he thought back to when Zack had first explained how he wanted them to live. It wasn’t that he forced it on Rene; far from it. Zack wasn’t that kind of person. However, he’d made it clear and simple that this was the lifestyle he wanted to live and that it would be good for both of them. And it was, despite moments like this one.

With slightly shaking hands, Rene undid his shorts and pushed them down along with his boxers. Zack reached up and guided him across his hard lap, settling him as comfortably was anyone could be in such a position. Rene had seen the changing looks of worry and then anger on Zack’s face since he’d returned, and he knew his butt was about to pay the price for putting his Top through all that.

Zack gently rubbed his hand over his Brat’s bare bottom. “Remember, Rene, this punishment is for going against my instructions to stay with the group and not wander off. It is not for getting lost and worrying those who love you. Do you understand? The latter is merely fallout from the original disobedience.”

Hearing a grunt which implied comprehension, Zack raised his right arm and brought it down with a resounding smack of first one white cheek and then the other. Many more such spanks followed until the once unblemished bottom was an even shade of deep red and Rene’s body language had indicated the lesson had been learned.

Rene bit down hard in the insides of his cheeks and bravely tried to remain stoic and quiet. He knew Zack was right; the stateroom was well insulated. But he still wasn’t going to take a chance on someone passing in the corridor and overhearing him cry out.

However, by the end, it was all he could do not to beg Zack to stop and he was unable to contain the gasps and whimpers created by the burning pain of his backside. He allowed a loud groan to escape his lips after the last spank had fallen.

Zack removed the boxers from where they were hanging off Rene’s right ankle and set the repentant man on his feet. Getting to his own feet, Zack enveloped his husband in his arms and murmured words of love and forgiveness into his damp hair. 

When he thought Rene was calming enough to move, Zack slowly steered him around to the side of the bed and helped him lie down. Then after removing some of his own clothing, he lay down next to his lover and once again pulled him into a firm embrace.

Rene settled into Zack’s arms and let the exhaustion of the day slowly washed over him. He drifted off to sleep and woke over an hour later to the clicking sounds of a keyboard. Glancing over at the sofa, he saw Zack sitting with the remote keyboard and placing an order for room service on the big screen TV. He shifted slightly to see what was being ordered and groaned at the soreness of his bottom.

“I’d like the crème brulee for dessert.”

“Your wish is my command, sweetheart.” Zack smiled as he added two of the delicious desserts and sent off the request. He moved over to the bed and stretched out next his beautiful young lover. “We, my love, are going to be spending the rest of the day right in this room, glued at the hip and just enjoying each other’s company. Hope you didn’t have any other plans,” he lightly teased as he once again reached for the man beside him.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hayden stared at the blouse which Todd held up for his perusal. He rubbed his eyes wearily, finding no surprise that such an object could have led to today’s troubles. Only his beloved husband could get himself lost on an escorted bicycle tour for the sake of a gift. Todd did everything with passion and love for his family. Nessa was very much a part of their family, having been Zack’s nanny throughout his childhood. She’d remained a part of their household until she retired a few years ago and had married a long-time friend.

“Yes, Todd. It is a beautiful blouse and I’m sure Nessa will love it. However, it is the means which you took to obtain it that are the issue here today and you know it.”

“You’re right, I do know it,” Todd contritely acknowledged. “I’m not just feeling bad about getting so many people worked up, but also for dragging Rene into the mire with me. I can’t even think of a way to apologize to him and still avoid talking about….well, you know. I feel wretched about the whole mess and I’m so very, very sorry, Hayden.”

“Yes, I know you regret it now and we will deal with that. As for your guilty feelings about taking Rene along, just let them go. You need to remember Rene is an adult and responsible for his own choices and actions. Actions which, if I know our son, are being dealt with in a similar fashion as the one I’m about to employ. Now put the blouse back in the bag and get your trousers down so we can get this business taken care of.”

Todd opened his mouth to ask if it would be possible for his husband to reconsider. But not wanting to earn addition retribution, he rethought the idea and quickly obeyed the directive, and all too soon found himself naked from the waist down and in the last place he would have expected or wanted during their vacation.

Once Todd was settled across his lap, Hayden placed his hand on the firm round butt. “I’m really quite angry with you, Todd. This is hardly the first time you have allowed your passions to override your judgment, but I assure you it is going to be the last time on this trip. Not only are you going to find sitting uncomfortable for the rest of this day, but you are restricted to staying with me wherever I go for the remainder of our journey. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, I get it,” Todd mumbled into the bedspread he had clutched in his hands. He found comfort in the hand resting on his backside, even knowing that comfort would soon become a thing of the past. And it was only the promise of staying close to Hayden once this was over that helped make this even remotely do-able.

Hayden proceeded to apply a long firm spanking which turned his beloved’s derrière enough of a crimson red to ensure his displeasure at today’s actions were well understood.

Todd began squirming and then kicking his legs as the heat in his rear-end intensified. On an emotional level, the pain was also taking its’ toll due to his chastiser’s anger. Todd hated his husband being disappointed or angry with him and wished he’d never laid eyes on that darn blouse. He let out a final loud yelp when the last swat landed harder than the others. At least it was an indication the punishment was over; something he was extremely grateful for.  

Hayden pulled Todd up into his arms and held him tightly as he let out the emotions of the day, soaking the shoulder of Hayden’s shirt with his tears. “I know, my darling. It’s all done now,” he whispered. “Why don’t we lie down for a while? Then I think a quiet evening with room service is in order.”

Todd tightened his grip on Hayden’s shirt as he was gently maneuvered around to the side of the bed and helped to lie down. He moaned his displeasure when his hands were disentangled long enough for his lover to spoon in around him. He didn’t speak, merely concentrating on getting his breathing under control. His butt was on fire, his eyes were sore and his nose was blocked; yet he felt safe, loved and cared for. He lovingly kissed the hand resting on his shoulder and fell asleep in the knowledge that all was right in his world.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next morning, a quietly contented Rene followed Zack into the dining room. Hayden and Todd were already seated at a table, sipping on coffee and perusing the menu.

“Good morning. You two are a bit late,” Hayden commented with a smile. Zack wore a happy grin and the slight swagger in his walk made Hayden chuckle. ‘Chip off the old block,’ he thought to himself.

“Yeah, we slept in,” Zack offered the unnecessary explanation. “We’re more than ready to order breakfast though,” he stated and laughed when his stomach rumbled.

Rene was grateful for the padded chair as he slid into his seat. His bottom was still a bit tender and he didn’t relish sitting on any hard surfaces. He discretely moved his chair a little closer to Zack’s, still wanting the reassurance of his husband’s body near to his.

Zack winked at Rene and placed his large hand on top of his husband’s slightly smaller one. He suddenly realized there was enough space at their table for another person to join them. He smiled at the familiar sight of his two fathers sitting a little closer together than they usually did. It was an occurrence he’d often witnessed while growing up, only now he understood the reason behind it.

“So,” Zack began as he watched the server pouring coffee into his cup, “any plans for the day?”

Todd turned to his husband. “Well, darling, it’s your call.” He hid a happy grin behind his cup.

The four men enjoyed the ships many amenities throughout the last days of their voyage.  Todd more than once got his wish to go dancing and Rene hit a lucky streak in the casino, walking away with a thousand dollars.  He spent a portion of his winnings by purchasing the full photo package offered from the cruise line for Zack and himself as well as Hayden and Todd. 

As with all good things their cruise came to an end far too soon. Though they were sad to leave the beautiful ship, they had many happy memories to carry home with them. They knew they’d dream of this lavish vacation for years to come and relive it every time they looked through the copious amount of pictures they’d taken.

The End