I, Janelle, was up eating breakfast at eight when Lacy stopped which wasn’t a surprise but Cadence stopping by ten minutes later was. Mom cooked each of them a waffle before heading off to the shoppe. “Mrs. Grant, can Jan go river walking with us at Timber Hills National Park?”

We’ll wear swimsuits under our shorts and tops so we can sun at the lake after the walk. Seemingly Cadence knew a group of college guys would be there as well. I wore a pair of cross-trainers that Joy had. The river water coming from the hills and mountains are very cold but we soon got used to it.

The guys who were ahead of us stopped so we would either walk with them or in front of them. Either way, they thought we beautified the scenery, their words not mine. It is strange to me having someone older interested in me. As a guy, I was interested in girls my age or younger, though I did look.

When we got to a deep area in the river Cadence, Lacy and I were soon upon the shoulders of guys having chicken fights. Lacy and her guy won the first match and could have won the rest except Cadence and I had our guys teamed up against them. Everyone won at least one bout before we continue the walk. We made it a mile and we threw several pieces of junk and debris out of the river and upon the bank where it could be collected later.

Over at the lake shore, the college group was having a cookout that we were now invited to. Stripping down out of my shorts and top brought back memories to when I would watch girls do the same. It sometimes feels very uncomfortable especially when someone creep is watching. Today was nice as I liked Buzz who was giving me extra attention. He’s a sophomore, who years earlier has quit wearing the buzz cut from where he got his nickname. He’s just over 6’ and is in good shape. He plays in the secondary on defense and has a good chance of playing on their varsity team. Someone told me he was also on the Dean’s honor roll at Prizo University. It’s not Heartland University in Central City but a rival college sixty miles in the other direction from the national park.

I hope that distance might make him acceptable to my parents. He’s four years older than me, which is too old to date according to my mom. The guys thought we were probably at least juniors. Finding out we were just entering high school cooled their interest. That was unfortunate because we were warming up to them.

When some women from their college stopped by; they hassled the guys for hitting on us. Tammy one of the women warmed up to us and helped us to feel comfortable in just being there. I wasn’t sure if Tammy knew my sister Joyce or just knew of her. She said, “It probably felt pretty good being noticed on your own without your sister around?”

She was right, it’s also hard because Joy can relate to guys four to six years older and Mom’s reasonably comfortable. “Don’t be too quick to match up with college guys like this. These guys are probably harmless as long as they’re not drinking or doing something else.”

Lace thought and shared, “How do we know you’re not jealous or trying to get rid of us?”

Another woman laughed, “Because either we’d claw and scratch out your eyes, or pick the guys we wanted and thrown over to you the Grubs.” I think her words were a mix of humor and being half serious. Tammy whispered to me, “Or we might have been interested in you for ourselves.”

When we got home and I shared with Joyce about who we met, she said, “Tammy’s probably the one I’ve met when she has visited at the university this past spring. You might have been lucky that the guys were around or she might have put a move on you. Word is she prefers younger women.”

Timber Hills is a unique park; much of it had been overworked by logging companies. It has been in the national park system some fifty years, yet there are still remnants of old logging camps or where someone might have lived that are not on the Park maps. Covering some 133,000 acres it is a treasure and a nice getaway. We camped out overnight in one of the campsite’s raised huts. It was nothing fancy but the gravity fed shower was welcome. Instead of doing nails that would have attracted bugs we check each other’s hair and bodies for unwanted ticks or signs of poison ivy.

Cadence was thrilled that she found a little critter down on my buns that I wouldn’t have found. I found one tick bug in Lace’s hair. More amazing was just to look closely at her and Cadence’s bodies. Cadence had me lying on my stomach when she gently kissed the top the top of my leg on the inside. I had not known how sensitive that area was or that it could feel so sensual. Lace took to sitting on me as they became enamored with my body. I guess none of us knew it could take me all the way to a small orgasm.

To add to their pleasure they threw me back into the cold water of the shower. They took to helping me to dry off but stopped before the process repeated itself. With the side shades down, and the roof open, we were able to sleep under the open sky.

Once during the night, I rolled toward Lace and she brought my hand to feel her breast. I was drawn like a bee to her nectar as she finally brought my head to her nipples. I tried to resist but she held my head there and kissed the top of my head. Finally, she turned toward me whispering, “You need to suck on my other breast.” I don’t remember when I fell asleep again. Cadence was amused that Lace and I were twined together in the morning.

We talked at breakfast about the possibility of doing things as a group like going to the movies and whatever with guys. Then it wouldn’t be a problem if someone was dating exclusively but we could be in the larger group. Cadence said, “It looks like we can even get serious about each other but hopefully we will have a group to be part of. Even if we fall away or need space from one romantically our friendship could still hold together.” It was interesting as we talked about last night and as we walked the trails together.

Before we got on the trails a Ranger told us, “Some people running from authorities in upstate New York were sighted some seventy miles away yesterday. While it is not expected they are coming in this direction, we felt a need to warn you in case you would come in contact with strangers.” He even showed us pictures of the guys.

We had hiked out almost an hour and a half and just we started back. We had gone a good distance cutting across timber to join another trail further into the forest. My brother and I had been up here for a week just a year ago for vacation as my then mom was staying away from some people and was tired of watching us. We weren’t supposed to but we shadowed other hikers and met two guys who said they were homeless Vets. Over the week traded food and water for help in seeing the park. They were old guys from Viet Nam.

Someone told me old was WWII or Korea. ‘Dah, Viet Nam was ancient to us.’ We were higher up and the trail wound back and forth. We looked down the mountain searching for a trail to cut down to. We found the trail by looking for walkers. One couldn’t have been more than thirty feet below us, but there were three grungy guys looking back at us. Lace spoke to what all of us were thinking. “It can’t be them, the Ranger said there were four.”

Cadence joked, “I volunteer you to go down and make sure they’re safe.” Lace joked, “Sorry but I’m not into the grunge look.” The guys called to us and said, “Wait there we want to talk.” One thing we weren’t doing was waiting around to talk.

We hurried back to where the trail turned up the mountainside; I convince Lace and Cadence we should hide off the trail. I knew if we made our way to the creek at the base of the hill we could follow it back to the camp area. Lace’s phone wasn’t working anywhere in the park. Cadence was ready to call her father if the guys reached our trail and got off it where we did.

The good news was two guys continued up the trail; the bad news is there were four and two stayed close to where we left the trail. We could try to get to the lower trail and to stay ahead of the men or make our way to the creek and follow it back to the campgrounds. Cadence has called her father but only got his message machine. 911 sort of understood where we are, but the signal cut out and broke our connection.

I asked Lacy and Cadence to quietly make their way over another 100 feet to hide behind a boulder and I would follow if they were undetected. Lacy had stumbled but it only sounded like a deer in the woods. I was soon with them as we were now below a ridge and out of sight. It took us twenty minutes in a hurry to get down to the creek and begin following north to where it crossed the campgrounds. Five minutes later there was movement behind us that was likely the guys and the sound was growing closer, they were gaining on us.

A lower level of the trail was to our west and there was the sound of two guys coming toward us and now off that trail.

We have two cans of pepper spray but we’d rather they never get that close. But they were getting closer. We crossed the creek, to have it between them and us if they got that close. Lacy pointed to two heads bobbing to the west. It was hard to judge a distance seeing so little. We were now on an incline which meant we were within a mile of the camp. The noise behind us had stopped or at least we couldn’t hear anyone. The guys to our west were traveling faster as they knew where they were going.

“What the f**k are you, girls, doing here?” The words came out of nowhere; there was one of those old vets from Viet Nam.

“Oh, am I glad to see you,” I was quickly hugging the guy who now seemed scared or at least surprised by my actions. “There’re some guys running from the law trying to catch up to us,” I rattled off quicker than he could take it in. Cadence and Lacy were also talking to him.

“Slow down you’re safe,” the guy said. “Rangers called us to help find you.”

Just as we relaxed we heard, “None of you are safe; now don’t do anything foolish.”

The Vet said, “You beat us to it,” the old guy pointed his walking stick at the guys.

They laughed at him showing a gun and saying, “This is loaded.” We heard a shot and dropped to the ground. We heard the guy with the gun moaned, “He shot me.”

“Now punk, drop the gun or you’ll drop dead!” He said to the other thief, “You tie your buddy’s feet with some vine and don’t be stupid enough to reach for the gun or show another one.” The wounded guy is moaning and then crying he needs help. Two Rangers are making their way down to us and two State Troopers are following. Slade runs away with his rifle, “Johnny’s here don’t worry.” With that another, Vet shows himself.

Lacy ask the guy who helped us, “Why didn’t you just ask him to drop the gun?” He replied, “This isn’t
TV. If someone died it would be them.”

He soon left as another appeared and the rifle was gone. He said, “We couldn't let those guys after you get stupid, but none of us can be found with a rifle or a gun.”

The National Park Rangers were now, here, and one says, “Snake, I see you’re back in the country. Thanks for helping these girls out. We got here as fast as we could, but it might not have been soon enough. We appreciate your help.”

A Trooper asked, “Who shot the rifle?” The Ranger replied, “Don’t jump to conclusions, the girls are safe and those two are caught. Let’s celebrate, with any luck two more guys might be tied and packaged somewhere soon.” The Trooper looked back to the Rangers, “The guy standing up to be counted is the Snake, he’s a Viet Nam Vet; usually still in Southeast Asia. He can’t be in our possession or Jersey might request him for past crimes.”

Snake, was new to me, he wasn’t one of the guys I met last year; Slade was. It took a good twenty minutes to get up to the campgrounds; Mr. Rawlings was there to give Cadence a big hug. Lacy and I were soon engulfed into the hug. “Sounds like you girls did well; I’m proud of you.”

My cell phone was ringing, “Hi Mom, yes were safe. We’re with the Park Rangers and Mr. Rawlings is already here. Some Viet Nam Vets helped us, but for some reason, they’re living in the national forest here.” A news crew is there and wanting to make the story about us and the capture of criminals who had avoided law enforcement for three days.

Mr. Rawlings understood we were being quiet, playing dumb about the rifle and how the one guy was shot. Another hour had passed when we heard a message to the Rangers; two more guys were tied up further up the trail. Harvey, the other Vet I knew of from last year, was holding them until authorities got to them.”

It seemed sadly ironic the veterans were again being given little credit for what they did. The rifle used to wound the one fugitive was wanted by some people as much as the guys they captured.

I said, “Aren’t these guys going to at least get some reward for capturing these guys?”

A young Trooper said, “You don’t understand, we don’t want to reward vigilantes, especially if these guys are still playing soldier with loaded rifles.”

Another officer said, “Crime Stoppers might a reward you girls. You could share it with them if you wanted. That would be up to you.”

I walked away muttering, “This is f**ed up.” Mr. Rawlings snickered, but encouraged me, “Try to keep your cool. You can say what you think, but do it so it can be part of the story.”

“If we got our stuff and went home would the news people follow us,” I asked? “Maybe we can think of something by then,” Cadence added. We were glad Mr. Rawlings is a Detective in the police department as we weren’t riding in the back of a marked police car.

It would take a month for the reward money from Crime Stopper to get to us and Labor Day for us to get it to the veterans. For now, I had to choose between going on vacation with my family or with the Rawlings.

I really wanted to relax but ‘no, I had to get school clothes for when we got back and help pack for ten days at the ocean.

Among other things, we painted the guest room just before vacation and changed it to my room. Joy and I would still share the same bathroom. I would miss again not being able to sleep in my own bed.

It was not hard to choose to go with my family. Lacy was coming with us, Mom had already invited her. Mom said, “While you have been around us for several months’ vacations are different.” We had a vacation scheduled for another national park and it would usually be fun. Mom decided neither Lacy, I nor she could relax at a national park this summer. It had been several years since I had more than a day at a time at the beach. I asked Lacy and Joyce, “Are you sure there will be enough to do to interest us at the beach?” They giggled and I didn’t understand.

Mom asked to see our cell phones and confiscated all of them. I guess it’s a tradition for their vacations. It meant getting Mom without distractions or being called away. Since Faith and Joy were okay with it, I was sure I could live with it.

This year’s vacation would be a luxury; the only decent rental Dad and Mom could find was a plush home. The beach was shared with others, but it was marked off to most as a private beach. We would be the only neighbors without some sort of boat in the marina.

The teens and college students on the beach were taken back a little when we showed up. Elizabeth, Deborah, and Caroline, as well as William the Third, were a bit pretentious the first few days. Their swimsuits and beach robes yelled Fifth Avenue. Lacy and I being crime celebrities were actually discounted as there were two guards on watch at the beach most of the time. Joy however impressed the college students. More than one tested her I.Q., but Joy only saw it as a small annoyance.

How the girls of money look in their swimsuits and clothes impressed me. Mom says tailored clothes would do that. The young women all went to a spa at least twice while we were there. Even Joyce was invited once. With the minimum cost starting at a hundred and fifty dollars Joy and Mom would be the only two to go. Grandma Grant was with us the first weekend. She too helped to break the ice for us in being there.

Faith and I got our first golf lessons from a club pro. Heather Cooper was not a golfer I had heard of but she was well thought of and very good from what I could tell. Some men treated her as candy decorations. She almost exclusively gave lessons to women but was often required to shuttle men around if she was free.

Now sporting a bra and the ability to fill B cups, I found it different swinging golf clubs. Heather commented to me, “I see some boy must have shown you how to play golf. You will do better not trying to kill the ball and just making sure you swing all the way through and drive the ball where you want it.” Where Faith improved with the first lesson, it took three lessons before I played a decent round of golf. “Be patient,” Heather explained, “you had to unlearn some bad habits. Now you’re playing a good girls game.”

She realized I thought she was calling me a sissy. After my third session, Heather was off for the rest of the day. She asked, “Would you please walk with me around the walking path.” Finally, I realized, Heather saw me as being an overly tense girl who might have been abused.

Finally, I realized it and I dared to confide in her. “Please don’t tell others, but last year my name was Ronnie. Things are different for me because I use to be a boy.” I was sure if I told her I was a boy early in the spring she would never have believed me. “I’m kind of proud with how much I’ve changed, but activity like golf I'm still not used too.” It finally took Mom visiting with Heather and me to convince Heather. I knew she believed us when she stepped back to size me up, trying to see glimpses of Ronnie still there.

Making friends there was another matter and I wouldn’t be sharing my past with them.

To be continued…