Sean's Next Adventure Ch. 21

Dear Reader,

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, events and incidents are the products of the author's imagination.

This story is part of the ongoing adventures and misadventures of Sean. Every story I have submitted to this point leads to this moment. I invite you to take some time and catch up if you are able

Constructive criticism, and feedback is truly appreciated. I would like this to be an interactive journey as much as this medium allows. Please feel free to send suggestions, ideas for future characters etc. I welcome the input.

A thank you to the readers that have sent in suggestions for ongoing story arcs. Please feel free to send your thoughts

Keep Soaring,

Pelican

PS. As one who battles Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, this chapter more than many others is deeply personal. If you are struggling, please reach out and get help, you are not alone in your fight. May you all find your Courtney in the darkness.

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Sean slept like the dead after the "party" the girls threw for him. They had gotten him boots to hike, some clothes for the trip, and even a Michigan ORV sticker so that he could take the Tacoma on some of the off road trails that criss crossed Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Sean had only been to Michigan once. He had two recruiting visits to the state after his Junior Year of High School. He had visited Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan. It was at camps between his junior and senior years that he had gotten the attention of Power 5 coaches.

The next morning Sean was up early. He showered and kissed Courtney, "Are you sure you don't want to come with me?" he asked.

She sighed, "I want to, but I can't. We have a clinic for high school teams and a couple of alumni events we have to go to. Plus I have a class, I need to get caught up from last semester."

Sean hugged her close, "I'll be in touch and I have my location on for you."

She smiled through sleepy eyes, "Thank you. Be safe and come back to me."

Sean stood from the edge of the bed where he was sitting, "Promise."

As he reached the door Courtney called out, "Sir?" Sean paused and turned. "If you need to fuck your stress out on someone, please let me know."

Sean smiled, "I'll let you know before that happens, IF that happens. Maybe I'll even send you snaps."

Courtney smiled, "That could be hot and if you can do that, I consider that letting me know." Courtney laid in bed and listened as the Tacoma pulled out of its parking space. Courtney rolled over and drifted back to sleep.

Around 9 AM, Sean was just about to Columbus, Ohio when he called Darius. He let him know that he thought everything with Andrei had been handled and that D and his crew were not on any suspect list. He also told him where he was going and though things may be calm for now, he didn't trust the Eastern European guys and if they started any shit with Courtney he would be 13 hours away.

Darius told Sean to shoot Courtney his number so that she could have it. Darius may have been a bigger protector than Sean was. "Kick, I'm telling you to have her call me THEN call 911. I don't have those blue and red woo woo lights to get there as fast. I need a minute to handle Putin Junior before they show up." Sean laughed and thanked Darius. Darius replied, "I told ya son, you gave me the number I got your back and I meant it. I do expect you to make a tackle this year though. Light someone up for me."

The drive had gotten flat, through the mountains and across the Ohio River the rolling hills gave way to the plains of northern Ohio. Sean was amazed at the size of some of the farming operations that he had driven by. Flat land with wheat, corn, and beans stretching to the horizon.

Sean had the windows down as he drove. Listening to a mix of music, he ran across Radio Classics on his satellite radio and was enjoying listening to old radio shows from days gone by. He called his grandfather and told him where he was going and that he would be home in a week or so and would be there for about a week. His grandfather heard something in Sean's voice that bothered him.

"Do you want to talk about it, Bub?" Dave asked.

Sean tried to play innocent, "Talk about what?"

Dave had his phone sitting on the desk in his office. He put his head in his hands, his grandson was too much like him in some ways. "Talk about what's bothering you. I hear it in your voice."

Sean proceeded to tell his grandfather about the State Police suspicions in his accident and his run in with Andrei. His grandfather listened quietly and patiently as Sean ran through the details of the past few weeks.

When Sean had finished his grandfather very quietly said, "And..." Dave McKenna had a way about it. There was a raging inferno of drive and determination that fueled him, but to the outside world he had this calm and comfortable demeanor. He was a gentle soul, he was an old soul. People took notice when Dave McKenna walked into a room, even in his 60's he was a presence. His wife Martha had always said, "When you walk into a room the room knows you're there without you saying a word. Every woman wishes they were with you and every man wishes they were you."

Sean sighed, he had been asked, "And..." too many times in his life. He took a deep breath, "Why did he leave me? Why wasn't I enough to stay alive for? Why did he make me find him like that?" Sean's voice started to break as his emotions began to boil deep down inside of him.

Dave McKenna had been waiting 13 years for this moment, he thought he was prepared for his own emotion but he wasn't. Dave and Martha's daughter Melissa had her life ruined by Darren's death. The affair and his mistress' pregnancy and the accusations of embezzlement that all came to light following his death had put the entire family in a bubble and under the microscope for years. Melissa was devastated but had done her best to shield her son from the worst of the chaos. Martha was a mother hen who wanted nothing more than to protect her only child and her only grandchild. Dave though was livid at the destruction Darren caused in that single desperate act.

Dave took a moment to push down his rage, there would be a time for Sean to hear that but this wasn't the time. "Sean, there was a lot going on. Not many of us are as okay as we want others to think. We are all fighting our own battles. There are folks out there fighting cancer that you don't know about, folks with heart disease that we never know. There are also folks fighting demons that tell them they aren't important or the world would be better off without them. Bub, when someone is fighting those monsters it has to be exhausting. To be in battle every minute of every day"

Dave went on, "Then, in the case of your dad. Bad things begin to happen and spin out of control. Those monsters that he had battled just got louder. His own brain blamed himself and started thinking that maybe those thoughts of the world being better off without him were right. I don't think at that moment he thought about your mom or you. I don't think he could think about who would find him or how much pain he would cause. I think all he could think of was to make the noise and the pain stop. He did. The problem is that he chose a path that hurt a lot of people, you and your mom the most."

Sean pulled the truck over, he was crying too much to be safe driving. "I miss him. I want so badly to hear his voice one more time. To hear him tell me that he's proud of me."

Dave was hurting on the other end of that call. He wanted nothing more than to pull his grandson into his arms and hold him and absorb all of that pain. Dave was an old man, his heart could take it. Hearing his grandsons heart breaking was almost too much. "Sean, your dad loved you. In those few seconds though, his pain overwhelmed that love and he lost a battle that he had fought for years."

Sean caught his breath and his tears began to slow, "Why did his parents go away too?"

Dave sighed, "Darren was their only child. They lost their world and seeing you or your mom must have been too much of a reminder. I can't always explain people, bub. Sometimes we humans do stupid things."

Sean took a deep breath, "I need to call Sierra. There is something I need to do and I need to do it soon."

Dave was confused but didn't push his grandson any further. He asked him to call him when he arrived safely at the cabin and that he would see him next week.

As soon as the call ended with his grandfather Sean called Sierra's firm.

"Bailey and Bailey, this is Gretchen, how may I help you?"

"Hi Gretchen, Sean Little here, is Sierra available?"

Gretchen was much more pleasant than the first time he had called realizing how big of a client he would be, "One moment Sir."

It took a few minutes but Sierra got on the phone. Sean explained to her what he wanted to do and why. Sierra cautioned him slightly and pushed him to make sure that he was sure it was what he wanted. When he convinced her she assured him that the process would be relatively easy and wouldn't cost much. She would send him the forms he needed and all he needed to do was to print them, sign them, scan them and send them to her and that they could set a hearing date when he was next in the county.

Sean told her he would be in town the next week and she told him she would make sure he had the documents today. Sean hung up and began to drive. He had one more phone call to make to finish setting up the surprise.

As Sean was crossing the border from Ohio to Michigan near Toledo he got the emails he was waiting for from Sierra. He was trying to figure out how to get things printed so he could sign them and decided to take a chance. He stopped at the rest area and googled the University of Michigan Library. Sean called, talked to the librarian who picked up the phone and explained who he was and what his situation was. He was told that it wouldn't be a problem to print and then scan the documents for him if he could get to the library before 4 pm.

Sean made it to the library just after noon, took care of the business he needed to, grabbed some lunch from Zingerman's Deli and got back on the road north. When he got notice that his email had been received by Gretchen and that he and Sierra had an appointment with the judge next Tuesday at 11 AM he called Tony, the equipment manager at Tech and asked him for a favor. He then called Courtney and then Matt. Courtney was excited and assured Sean that she would let the others know of his plans.

Sean was back on the road heading north. He drove with the windows down and no music. Sean was stunned by the engineering marvel and the view from the Mackinac Bridge. He stopped in Mackinaw City to get groceries for the week and then headed over the Mighty Mac into the U.P. Crossing into the Upper Peninsula was incredible. The blue of the lake, the coolness of the air even in June was a wild experience for the young man

He continued the hour north to Paradise then just turned West towards Tahquamenon Falls, a few miles in he turned north down a two track road where he found the cabin. The cabin was a small cabin used mostly by hunters in the fall and winter sports enthusiasts in the winter. It was a beautiful log cabin with white pine floors. There was a small kitchen, a bathroom with a walk in shower, an open living area with an eating table and sofa and recliner. The bedrooms were upstairs. Sean found a Master Bedroom ensuite with a large log framed king size bed, attached was a bathroom with a large tub and walk in shower. A smaller bedroom was down the hall with a Queen Size bed, then another bedroom with two sets of bunk beds. The view from the Master Bedroom was spectacular.

Sean stowed his things, put away his groceries then took a walk around the property. A couple of hundred feet from the cabin was a large clearing with a fire pit and what looked to be a Sauna. There were various paths that Sean imagined led to other cabins. This central area was a place for folks to gather after their daily activities. Under an awning was a pile of wood for the campfire. After the winter season there wasn't a great deal left, but enough for him to get through the week.

As he was walking back to the cabin he called his grandfather and Courtney to let them know that he had arrived and was going to settle in for the night before heading out to explore the next morning. When he arrived at the cabin he noticed that there was a bundle of wood and kindling that had been delivered to his porch with a note. "Temps are supposed to be in the 30's of a night, thinking maybe some wood would be nice." The note was signed, "Auntie Nita."

Sean texted Anne. "Who is Auntie Nita?"

Anne texted back, "It means Aunt Bear. Auntie is a revered term among Native folks, she is honored by her tribe as one who is due respect and honor. An Auntie is one who looks over everyone. She is a Chippewa who owns the cabins you are staying in. She and I were friends way back in my college days and we still keep in touch. Give her a big hug from me when you see her. She's an angel."

Sean moved the load of wood into the cabin when his phone buzzed again, it was from Anne, "No. You fuck my Japanese American friend, you fuck me. You can't have my Native American friend too. Just NO."

Sean texted back, "That's not a challenge is it?"

Anne texted back, "You Sir are incorrigible."

Sean enjoyed the quiet of the day. He had opened the windows to let the fresh air invade the space. He listened to the birds chirping, and heard the critters running through the woods. The sky was blue, the air still had a bit of coolness to it. For Sean it was the time of year when shorts and a sweatshirt were the perfect wardrobe.

Around supper he started a fire in the fireplace and pulled out a cast iron pan. He cut up potatoes and onions, wrapped them in foil with some butter and salt and set them on the grate near the heat. He had one of the steaks coming to room temperature and he seasoned them simply with salt and pepper.

He put the cast iron in the fire to heat it up and when it was good and hot he put in a bit of butter to melt then dropped the steak in. The sound of the sizzle of a steak on a hot pan was music to Sean's ears. He seared the steak for a couple of minutes on each side then pulled the pan off and took it to the stove. He let the hot iron do the rest of the work while he rolled the potatoes to the other side to even out the cook.

Sean had picked up a number of books in Mackinaw City for light reading for the week. In truth he went a bit crazy and bought every book written by Steve Hamilton who writes the Alex McKnight series. He reclined in the recliner with a fire in the fireplace as he read. Around 10:00 he laughed to himself at the irony of the situation and how it would play out.

Before the season the Media Relations folks came to get stories from starters from the football program to give snippets to TV folks to use in their broadcast. Sean KNEW that his summer at a cabin in the Upper Peninsula reading novels would be used at some point because it was so contrary to what folks expected from a college kid.

Sean's muscles were getting tight from the 13 hour drive so around 11 he decided to walk to the sauna. He had found a laminated sheet explaining the gathering area and how to use the sauna. It was large, it could easily hold Sean's entire special teams unit.

Sean grabbed his swim trunks, put on some shoes and started the trek to the central compound. The paths were wide, bordered on each side by 4 x 4 timbers. The paths were covered in small gravel. The ground crunched under Sean's feet with each step. His breath hung in the air, Auntie Nita was right, it was getting cold.

Sean reached the compound and was surprised to see a light on in the sauna. He continued walking through the night. He slipped his shoes and his sweatshirt off and laid them on a chair and pulled the door to step into the steamy air.

Sean was greeted by a scream of surprise as a naked woman jumped up from laying flat on the top bench. She covered herself the best she could. "What the fuck are you doing?" she screamed.

Sean averted his gaze, but his gaze had seen enough. A beautiful dark haired woman, probably a bit older than him. Dark skin with raven hair. Sean guessed she was native by initial appearance. "I'm so sorry, I was told I could use the sauna. I didn't mean to interrupt."

The young woman's breathing was calming a bit. "You didn't see my towel outside!"

Sean shook his head, "It's dark, I wasn't looking that hard. Listen, I'll go. I'm sorry."

Her voice got loud again, "Nope, you aren't going because Aunt Nita would skin my ass for running off a guest. I didn't know she was expecting anyone. Just get my damn towel please."

Sean stepped out and found her towel that was actually under a chair on the wooden deck. He stepped back in, again averting his eyes as she took the towel and wrapped it around her. "You can look now."

The white towel did the best it could covering the woman. Her large tits showed ample cleavage and her nipples were rock hard threatening to cut through the cotton towel.

Sean was trying to not stare but at the same time not wanting to be rude. He truly felt as if he were in a no win situation. After too much silence he asked, "Okay to put some more water on the stones?"

The woman had calmed somewhat. "Please, maybe the steam will hide my shame and embarrassment."

With the hiss of the water on the stone she finally got a good look at the man who had walked into the sauna. Tall, broad shouldered, a thick chest that moved to a thin waist. His thighs were like tree trunks and his arms chiseled. His hair was brown but as the light caressed it in the steam she saw streaks of red. His face showed a couple of days of stubble, but that was the only hair she noticed on his body. She was the type of person that didn't miss much.

Sean sat and enjoyed the magic the steam and heat were doing on his aching body. He still had a couple of bruises that had yellowed over time from the fight with Andrei. He sit with his eyes closed and his legs stretched out for a while, almost forgetting he was sharing the sauna with someone else.

After a few minutes she spoke, "I'm Brianna Littlefeather, by the way."

Sean smiled, "I'm Sean. Nice to meet you. I take it you are from the tribe by you referring to Auntie Nita?"

The beautiful girl laughed, "I am, and Nita is an Auntie to many, but she is my aunt, my father's sister. I just graduated with my MSW and she told me that I could come up for a couple of weeks until I start to work. She didn't tell me that anyone else was here. Truthfully I don't run around naked all the time."

Sean chuckled, "You do not have to apologize for that. Just caught me a bit off guard is all."

Brianna smiled, "I think that was a compliment, so thank you. I think."

Sean returned her smile, "Compliment yes, awkward compliment - definitely."

Brianna stood up, the white towel now wet with sweat and steam clung more tightly to her. Her nipples projecting prominently. As she walked to the door Sean noticed that the towel barely covered what could be called a bubble butt. She paused and turned when she opened the door, nearly catching Sean admiring her curves. "Maybe, I'll see you around this week, I promise I won't be naked."

She closed the door as Sean muttered to himself, "No need to do that on my account." Sean stayed in the Sauna for another 30 minutes or so before walking back to his cabin. The night had indeed grown cold but Sean walked to the cabin in just his trunks with this shirt and towel over his shoulder. In the pale moonlight you could see the steam from his warm body fade into the night air.

That night Sean slept better than he had in weeks. No dreams, no nightmares, no restlessness. He woke up early the next morning, tossed on a pair of thick gray sweats and a thick gray hoodie and took off on a run around the cabin complex. On his second lap of the outer loop he saw Brianna, bundled up sitting on her deck sipping coffee. He waved as he passed as she yelled out, "See, I do wear clothes!"