Redwood Rock

Redwood Rock was an excellent place to camp. There were, of course, Lots in the forest were people could park there rv's or tents and there were also showers and toilets at the very beginning of park where people would drive in. Sprinkled around the campsites were water pumps where we could pump out water and the good old port-a-potties (which I refused to use).

I was 18 years old and the month was May. I still had two more weeks to go before my graduation. My Dad decided to call in sick for me this Thursday and Friday so that he and I could have a four day camping trip together. I hadn't seen my mother since I was little and I had an older sister, Jackie, who was grown and out on her own who I hardly saw anymore. I guess I felt like an abandoned little girl.

It was about noon when Daddy and I pulled into our lot at Redwood and we started to set up the tent. It was beautiful there, there were trees all around us, shading us from the hot sun and we were far enough away from our neighbors where we could have privacy, but still close enough for them to, say, hear our screams if we were being murdered.

The whole day was wonderful. After Daddy and I pitched the tent, we shuffled down a nearby hill to the river and started to fish. I could talk to him about anything. I talked to him about Matt, a guy who had recently broken up with me. I wasn't as heartbroken as I used to be, and with time, I was getting over it. I talked about my grades, friends at school, teachers, and he also shared with me stories of when he was young.

Our conversation had hit a dull, quiet patch when suddenly something jerked my line. I stood up, excited.

"Okay, okay...Now reel it in slowly," my father said.

I did as my father instructed and slowly enough I pulled out of the water a giant catfish, wiggling and thriving. I squealed in delight. There were a few other people fishing along the river and they looked over when they heard my squeals. The man nearest to us looked over and smiled. I smiled back.

As requested, my father took the fish off of the hook for me and threw him back. He also added a fresh worm to the hook and I was back in business. I kept my head forward, but my eyes shifted to my left where there was that man that had smiled at us. I studied him. He wore, what looked to be, denim tan pants and a plaid button-up shirt. His fishing things were all around him and he sat at the edge in a foldout chair, waiting for a fish to bite. His hair was mostly grey and his body was long and slim. I studied his face closer and could see his wrinkles. I sensed an air of sadness about him.

In the evening, my Dad and I started up a fire and roasted hot dogs and smores over the flames, eating the fleshiness of the hot dogs and the gooeyness of the smores. We had a big jug that could hold, oh, I would say maybe six or seven gallons of water. My father had forgotten to fill it up and he asked me to fill it up at the nearest pump.

"Where is it?" I asked him, straightening out my denims shorts as I stood up.

He pointed. "You just turned left and walk down that way till you get to Lot 104. It's right near there."

I nodded and grabbed the jug, starting to walk the short distance. It didn't take very long to get there, maybe five or six minutes. It was starting to get dark out, but it was still light enough to where I could see what I was doing. Unfortunately, I still didn't know what I was doing, as I was pumping the handle, but no water was coming out.

"Do you need some held with that, Miss?" I heard a voice behind me. I turned around and I immediately recognized him as the older man who had smiled at us while we were fishing. His face and body were highlighted by the glow of a nearby RV. I looked into his eyes. They were a bashful, beautiful brown color.

I smiled, "Yes, please. I can't seem to get this thing going."

"I know, it's rough," he said. "I'm in Lot 104, so I'm in charge of this thing," he chuckled. I decided I liked his laugh and giggled along with him.

I held the mouth of the jug under the faucet and he started to pump the water out. After a couple of minutes it was full and I closed it with the cap.

"Thanks," I said. "I guess all it took was a little extra mus- I mean, strength."

He was chewing on a piece of gum and he smiled at me, his arms crossed over his chest. "Say," he said, "you look a little young to be out on your own, especially in the dark amongst strangers."

"Well, I came here with my Dad," I stated.

He nodded and smiled shyly, "Well, may I walk you back to your lot? That is, if it's not too far. These old limbs aren't what they used to be."

I smiled, "Yes, thanks, I'd like that."

We walked out onto the main road in the camping site and started to talk a little bit. I learned his name was Robert and that he was traveling alone in his RV. He struck me as a very lonely man. His eyes were big and very expressive with his hair combed back. He looked maybe 60ish, but he was still very good-looking for his age.

We arrived at my lot. "That's my Dad over there," I pointed to him. "We were just going to hang out and talk a little bit, nothing special. Would you like to join us, Robert?" I hesitated than added. "We have plenty more ingredients for smores, if you're interested."

He smiled and nodded shyly and we walked over to my father who had been eyeing us suspiciously. I guess it did look rather odd, his daughter bringing a strange, older man back to the tent.

"Dad," I said, "this is Robert, he's staying a few lots down from us. Robert, this is my Dad, Nathan."

They shook hands and exchanged nice-to-meet-you's. My Dad let Robert take his foldout chair and he took the bench on the picnic table that every lot had. The three of us had a very nice conversation. We talked about what brought us to the campsite and so forth. I learned that Robert was 62 and had been a widower for about five years.

Robert looked beautiful, with the reflection of the flames of fire jumping on his face. He sat across from me and Dad sat off to the side. He was sitting, leaning back in his chair, his ankle crossed over his opposite knee and his chin in his hand listening and talking.

"I'm sorry to hear about your wife," I said to him.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

There was an awkward pause and my father jumped in. "Well, I'm just glad I have my little squirt here," he chuckled.

That was my Dad's nickname for me, "little squirt". The men chuckled.

"Well, she's a very charming young woman," Robert said.

"Thank you," I said shyly.

"Nah, don't get embarrassed, honey," my father said. "He's right. You know, she's graduating in about two weeks or so."

"Is that so?" Robert asked. "From college or high school?"

"High school," I said to him. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

I learned that Robert had two sons, twins, that were twice my age. I delighted in the taboo that I was younger than even his babies were. A few minutes later Robert thanked us for the chat and got up to leave. We got up as well. He and my father shook hands and then Robert shook my hand. My heart leapt up in my throat as he looked at me. He had a mischievous, sweet twinkle in his eye. I shook his hand dreamily. He smiled and departed. I watched him walk to the end of our lot.

"Hold on Daddy, stay right here," I told him and ran over to Robert. I gently touched his shoulder. He startled.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I laughed. "I didn't mean to scare you." I looked up into his eyes very deliberately and I slowly spoke to him in my sensual voice. "I just wanted to thank you again, we really enjoyed your company."

He chuckled, "Well, thank you. I enjoyed the company as well."

There was thick sexual tension between the two of us and I leaned forward to kiss him, but he caught my arm with his hand and pointed out that my father was watching us.

I giggled, "I forgot about him."

"Frankly, I almost did myself," he smiled, stroking his hair back. "I hope we run into each other again. You're an angel of a girl." And, after a longing look, he departed and headed for his lot.

I watched him walk away. I loved his backside. He had a skinny behind and long legs. I shook myself out of my fantasy and walked back to where my father was standing. He had his hands on his hips, looking at me disapprovingly. I asked him if he was done with fire. He nodded and I extinguished the fire with the water.

"What's the matter, Daddy?" I asked, knowing very well what the problem was.

"Little girl," he told me in a low voice. "That man is old enough to be your grandfather and you're chasing after him! He's older than I am!"

I unzipped the tent. "Yes, but he's still a man, Daddy," I said to him and stepped inside.

That night sleep did not come easily to me. Daddy and I each slept in our separate sleeping bags. I lied there, my arms crossed behind my head. Obviously, there could be no self-gratification, with my father so close by, but I was so excited thinking of Robert. We definitely had some sort of special connection, that much I knew was true. The way we looked at each other, it was with longing, with passion. I had a feeling he was a romantic, and I so desperately wanted to get up out of bed and run to his RV and fall into his arms. It felt as though I was already falling for this man.

The next day was Friday and my Dad and I ate breakfast and decided to go hiking not too far from the campsite. I dressed in denim shorts and a white t-shirt and very gently, sweetly asked if Robert could join us.

"Honey," he started. "I don't think that's a good idea. Sweetheart, I know you like him and all that, but I don't think it would be the right thing. First, you don't know if he likes you as well and second, even if he does, don't you think you're leading him on? After all, he's leaving tomorrow morning."

"Dad, please," I asked. "I don't see the harm in it, we'll never see each other after tomorrow and if he's lonely, well, why can't we help with that if we can?"

Sitting in the car, my Dad started up the engine. He reluctantly agreed and we backed up out of our lot and pulled in front of Lot 104. There sat Robert's RV and vehicle, almost as lonely as the man himself. I got out of the car and approached the RV. I knocked on his door. I heard shuffling on the inside and he opened the door. He smiled and stepped out of the vehicle.

"Hi there Meg," he said. "It's nice to see you."

"It's nice to see you too," I said, my heart beating faster. "My Dad and I were just going to go for a hike, we were wondering if you'd like to come with us? If you don't have anything planned at the moment, that is."

He grinned and chuckled, "Meg, that has completely made my day. I would like to spend the day with you and your Dad," and he lowered his voice so my Dad wouldn't hear us, "and especially with you."

I giggled, "Well, thank you. You all ready?"

"Yep," he said and we started to walk towards my Dad's car. "I showered and dressed - as you can see - so I'm ready for any adventure," he said to me with a wink.

He reached for the one of the back doors and crawled in. I jumped into the backseat with him.

"Thank you for the invite, Nathan," Robert said to my father.

"Oh no problem," Nathan said. "We're glad to have your company."

My Dad turned around and saw me sitting next to Robert. I stared at him. "What's the problem, Daddy?"

"Wouldn't you be more comfortable sitting up front, squirt?" he asked. "You were sitting up front earlier."

Robert looked at me and I blushed.

After my father's successful attempt to embarrass me in front of Robert, we started rolling and went to the park that was about nine or ten miles away. It was almost painful for me to sit next to Robert and not be able to hold him or kiss him. True, we had only met the day before, but my feelings were so strong, I could feel my breath get caught in my chest. My father was talking about how I was attending college in the fall.

"Yeah, I'm going to miss the little squirt, that's for sure. It won't be easy to live without her."

At that moment, with my father's eyes concentrated on the road, Robert gently reached over and held my hand. I looked down. My hand looked so small in his. I looked up at him and he was smiling at me. I smiled back. My Dad went on with his normal conversation and my hand and Robert's softly played with one another. We stroked each other's fingers lovingly, sweetly. It was as though our hands were almost making love. What we were unable to do with our lips or our bodies, our hands were doing for us. I could feel the romantic nature, the passion from his touches. I almost sighed out loud at his touch.

The conversation then switched to the subject of fishing where Robert was an active participant. He fooled my father beautifully and they held the conversation as though nothing was going on in the backseat.

We pulled into the parking lot and got out of the car. This was one of my favorite places to visit. There were dirt paths up and down the mountainside surrounded by thickets of trees. Every once in a while a hiker would come across a map of what path would lead where, the rock balconies that overlooked the rushing river, etc. On ground level, at the base of the mountain, there was a humble hamburger and hot dog stand where people would order and eat there lunches on the nearby benches.

The three of us started hiking up the mountainside. The path was hardly wide enough for three people and we'd have to make room for people who were walking passed us. I was walking with my father on my left side and Robert on my right side. Unbeknownst to my Dad, I slipped my small hand into Robert's. He looked over at me. I grinned at him.

We talked about a variety of things and every now and then we'd stop at one of the rock balconies and look out at the river, hundreds of feet below us and then sit on the bench for a breather.

After a few hours of hiking, at around one o'clock or so, we came across one of the upright maps on the path. There was a balcony called "The Lover's Overlook" nearby. Following the directions, we walked along the path. My hand and Robert's were becoming sweaty, still playing with each other though, and anxious to get to the romantic destination. We found it alright and it was beautiful. On the surface of rock there was a wooden floor with benches and railings. It overlooked the river. We could hear the rushing of the water. The three of us leaned on the railing and my father announced he was going to sit on one of the nearby benches. Robert and I stood there quietly, looking at the scenery, the beauty of it all. Across the river was another mountain with trees sprouting from it's side.

I looked behind me back at my father. He was sitting up on the bench, fiddling with the camera. It was one of the older models, the kind that had a roll of film that needed to be developed and so forth.

"Hey, you two!" my father teased. "Let me get one of the two of you."

Robert and I laughed somewhat awkwardly and, very platonically, we stood side by side and gave our best smiles. My Dad chuckled and snapped the shot. We turned around, facing the river again and started talking about everyday things. Our hobbies, etc. We found we both like the cinema, both enjoyed dancing and playing guitar.

"I'm just learning," I told Robert. "What surprises me is how much strength a person needs in their fingers just to hold the strings down."

"It's definitely hard at first," Robert said. "I've been practicing for about ten years and still haven't gotten all the chords down and such. Lately I've been trying to learn 'Here Comes the Sun'".

"That's a beautiful song," I said.

I heard a grumble over from where my father was and saw that he was slumped on bench, his chin on his chest, sleeping. I started to giggle and I pointed him out to Robert. He chuckled quietly. We looked at each other. The water was roaring below us and the wind was tossing our hair about. The breeze gently seduced the tree's branches into movement. He stood about 5'10" and I looked up into his eyes. He looked over at my father again and still, he was asleep.

Robert gently tucked my hair behind my ear and held my face in his hands. He stood there for a moment, looking at me and stroking my cheek with his thumb. His eyebrows were scrunched upwards and his eyes were wet with longing. I looked up at him lovingly. He leaned down and pressed his soft lips against mine. I followed his lead and closed my eyes too, kissing him back. His kiss was the sweetest I had ever experienced. I don't know who opened their mouth first, but soon we were slowly, sensually French kissing. We heard some people approaching and reluctantly ended our kiss with the wet quench of our lips.

I looked up at him and giggled, "Wow, that was wonderful."

"It was," he said quietly. "I haven't kissed a girl in five years. Gosh," he said to me, in almost a whisper, "you are so lovely. You look like an absolute angel, a princess."

My eyes became teary at his words and I thanked him. The people that had been approaching finally arrived at the overlook. Robert and I laughed.

"Well, it was great while it lasted," I said. "Should we wake up the old boy?" I asked, referring to my Dad.

He nodded with a chuckle. I walked over to my Dad and gently shook him awake.

"Wha - what is it?" he asked groggily.

"Come on Daddy," I said. "Are you getting hungry?"

He nodded and rubbed his eyes, stretching his limbs. "Yes, let's go to the little stand they have. I'm actually getting pretty tired, do you mind if we go back to the campsite after we grab some lunch?"

Neither Robert or I minded (or so we said) and we headed down to where the food stand was. It took us a while, as we had walked so far from where we had originally started, but we made it. We put our order in to the man behind the screen and we sat on the bench, eating our lunches. Only occasionally were words spoken. I think we were all tired from our little escapade for the day.

After lunch, we dragged our sluggish bodies to the car and climbed in. My Dad very aggressively suggested I sit in the front seat. I argued, but he gave me that "fatherly look" and I was quickly shut up and hopped into the front seat.

On our way back to the campsite, we decided to stop at a house that had wood for sale. We needed some more for the fire. The three of us climbed out and my Dad bought some wood for our lot. My father raised the hood of the trunk and we began to load the wood into it. After my Dad had put his pile in the back, he hopped into the front seat. With the hood still up, Robert and I were hidden (mostly hidden, with the exception of maybe his height) and we took the opportunity to kiss again. Another kiss that almost seemed impossible to detach myself from. So as not to arouse suspicion, our lips parted and we shut the trunk of the car and sat in our assigned seats, campsite-bound.

Back at the campsite, my Dad dropped Robert off at his lot. He climbed out of the car and looked at me. The window was all the way down and I gazed at him. I was afraid this was the last time I was going to see him. He looked like as though he was thinking the same thing. He told the two of us to take care and we told him the same thing.

"It was nice spending time with you, Robert," I said gently.

"You too," he said quietly and my Dad departed and drove to our lot.

We climbed into the tent and promptly went to bed to take a nap, though I was afraid I'd never see Robert again. I smiled when I thought I could convince Daddy to let him come over this evening for dinner. And then sadness came over me again, going over again in my mind what seemed to be our "good-byes".

I woke up around eight o'clock that night. I couldn't believe how long I had slept! I was awakened by the sound of my Dad getting the wood ready for a fire. I unzipped the tent and stepped outside.