Family Campout
The drive out into the mountains was long but full of excitement. The strategic placement of Lissa between Jeff and Brit in the back seat of the van kept their bickering to a minimum, so they managed to keep a mostly cheerful tone to the conversation.
Allison kept them interested the whole time by telling stories and amusing anecdotes about when her family went camping when she was younger. They laughed at the tale of the skunk that had taken up residence in their campsite forcing the family to sleep in the car, and the time when Allison had gotten disoriented coming back from the bathroom in the dark and accidentally ended up in the wrong camp and even climbed into a stranger's tent, and the incident of the missing car keys (it turned out that a raccoon had stolen them, and then later changed his mind and brought them back). The kids wondered how many of these were true and how many were tall tales, but in the end it didn't matter. The whole point was to entertain them, and it worked like a charm.
She had been the one to pick the campground. It was a little known out-of-the-way place near a stream with several campsites and running water in the bathrooms. It had a couple of short hiking trails of not more than a couple of miles and a nice swimming hole about half a mile downstream. She said that unless things had changed since the last time she had been back there, there was a good chance that they would have the whole campground to themselves.
She was right. When they pulled in, they found the place deserted. That didn't mean it was dusty or overgrown or full of cobwebs; on the contrary, it seemed to be well maintained.
There was a small parking lot surrounded by about half a dozen camp sites hidden back in the woods with picnic tables and flat spots for tents. They surveyed the area and chose a site with room for both tents, then went to work setting up camp.
All things considered, they did a fairly decent job of it. Allison helped them set up the tents with only a couple of minor comments of worry from Brit that they were going to break the poles, since she didn't understand that the poles were designed to be flexible in order to create an arch to support the tent.
After finishing they unpacked the gear, unrolling the sleeping bags in the tents so that everyone could reserve their spots. Jeff didn't relish the thought of sleeping between his two sisters, but he was determined to enjoy himself on this trip so he didn't complain too much about it.
Even though there was a picnic table, they had also packed several folding lawn chairs, which they set up around the camp.
By the time they had the camp fully set up it was lunch time, so they gathered around the picnic table and ate sandwiches and chips. Afterward, they divided into various activities. Greg, who had done most of the hard work setting up the camp, was tired so he decided to just relax and read a book he had brought along. Allison had brought her camera, so she asked Brit if she would like to go on another photographic excursion like they had last November. Brit enthusiastically agreed, which left only Lissa and Jeff.
Lissa suggested they go explore the hiking trail that Allison said led to the swimming hole. Jeff wasn't in the mood for swimming, but Lissa said she just wanted to scout it out. So Lissa grabbed a little day pack from the tent and the two of them took off in the direction of the stream.
The silvery water looked cool and refreshing, and Jeff wished he had changed into his swimming trunks after all. The stream had a rocky bank, and a dirt trail ran alongside it, which the two siblings followed. They laughed and joked as they went, in high spirits from the freedom of the outdoors. Even after only a couple of hours here, he decided he liked camping. No wonder Allison wanted to take them. No doubt she knew that once they experienced it for the first time, they would be hooked.
In no time the campground vanished into the forest behind them and they found themselves in the deep woods. They didn't worry; with the trail so clearly marked there was no chance of getting lost, and in fact the separation from the others only added to their feeling of liberation.
Soon they came across what must be the swimming hole. It was a wide spot in the stream, shallow on the near side and deep on the far side. The water slowed down to a lazy crawl here. There was even a sandy beach, probably artificial because all along the rest of the river there were only flat river rocks. The forest opened up here, allowing the warm sun to beat down on them and relax them into a near lethargy. In short, the swimming hole was perfect.
"Let's rest here for a while," Lissa suggested, taking his hand and leading him over to a nearby fallen log that made a perfect bench. They sat down on it, and for some reason that Jeff couldn't understand, Lissa didn't drop his hand. It didn't matter; it wasn't like she was his girlfriend or anything, so it didn't really mean anything.
"This is nice," Lissa commented.
"What's nice?" asked Jeff.
"Everything. The campground, the swimming hole, you."
"Me? What's so nice about me?"
"You know I don't get along with any of the boys at school, so it's nice to have at least one boy I can talk to. Thanks for being such a good brother, Jeff."
"Well I think you're a good sister, too. I guess it's because I don't get along with any of the girls at school. And I certainly don't get along with Brit."
"I know. It's sad. She's your sister, Jeff. You're supposed to love her."
"I do love her. It's not that I like to fight with her. It's just that sometimes she's so bratty."
"So you have to be the mature one."
"Let's not talk about her right now. I'm in too much of a good mood and I don't want to spoil it with a lecture."
"Okay," Lissa smiled. "So what about the girls at school? Why don't you get along with them? I know some of the girls your age, and they're really nice."
"I know. There's nothing wrong with them. I guess I'm just shy."
"You don't have to be, you know. You're really good-looking, and really nice. I'll bet any girl in school would love to get to know you. Take Kari Williams for instance."
"Oh, come on. Don't tease me about her."
"I'm not teasing. I know you like her, Jeff. I think you should at least talk to her some time."
"One of the most popular girls in the school? Are you kidding?"
Lissa sighed. "You really need to work on your self-confidence."
"Allison told me the same thing," he replied.
"She's right."
"Probably. But it's hard."
"I've got an idea," Lissa grinned. "Why don't you pretend I'm Kari? Pretend we're at school, and you come up to me. What would you say?"
"I don't know."
"Just start. I'm sure it won't be as hard as you think."
"Well for one thing, I doubt I'm going to be holding her hand before I even start talking with her," he said with a grin, glancing down.
Lissa laughed and dropped his hand. "Okay, good point. So just start talking to me."
"But what should I say?"
"'Hi' is always a good opening line."
"Okay. Hi, Kari."
"Hi, Jeff. Let's kiss," Lissa grinned, then puckered up and leaned in.
Jeff burst out laughing, and Lissa did too.
"You see how easy that was?" said Lissa.
"Somehow I don't think it would be that easy," he answered.
Lissa put her arms around him and hugged him. "Jeff, you're really a great guy. You just don't realize it. I wasn't kidding when I said I thought any girl would love to get to know you."
"You're just saying that because you're my sister," he said, but he really did appreciate it. He put his arms around her waist and hugged her back. Normally he didn't like hugs, but for some reason this one was okay.
"No, I'm not just saying it because I'm your sister. In fact, if I weren't your sister, I would love to be your girlfriend."
"Okay, now you're getting weird," he said, but with a smile.
"I'm serious, Jeff. The reason I don't get along with boys my age is because they're all so stuck on themselves. It disgusts me. You, on the other hand, can be really nice when you want to be. I mean, when you're just being yourself. I love you, Jeff. And if I weren't your sister, I think I would still love you, after I got to know you of course."
"Come on, Lissa. Don't tease me like that."
"I'm not teasing. I just think you ought to give Kari a chance to know you, and I'll bet she learns to love you like I do."
"I hope it's not like you do. The last thing I need is another sister."
Lissa laughed. "You know what I mean," she said. "I just think if you put forth a little effort, you'd be surprised at the results."
"Okay, I'll think about it."
"Well don't think too long, because otherwise some other guy will come along who won't treat her half as well as you will. You wouldn't like to see that, would you?"
"No I wouldn't."
Lissa drew away, to his disappointment. He let go of her and just sat there with her for a minute.
"Oh!" she suddenly said. "I forgot to put on my sun block. I'd better put it on if I'm going to stay out here any longer." She reached into her day pack and rummaged through the items in there. A moment later she pulled out a bottle of sunscreen.
"You need some too if you don't want to burn," she told him.
"Yes, mommy," he teased.
"Tell you what. I'll do you if you do me."
"Okay," he shrugged.
Lissa flipped the top open on the bottle, then hesitated. "Why don't you take off your shirt?" she suggested.
"What? Why? I just need it on the parts that are exposed."
"I know, but what if you decide to go swimming later? Then you'll need to put it on again. This way you'll just have to do it once."
That made sense. He grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pulled it over his head.
Lissa poured some lotion on her hand, rubbed them together, then put her hands on his chest. She began to rub it in, and he felt strangely excited by her touch.
She rubbed him all over his chest, starting with his shoulders and working her way down to his stomach. When she reached his pants, he was surprised to feel her slide the tips of her fingers under the waistband and into his shorts. She skimmed across the top of the hair line.
It was only a momentary touch, then she withdrew her hand and finished rubbing his abdomen as if nothing had happened. He couldn't believe it; had she not realized what she had done?
She had him turn around, and she began to work on his back. He decided just to relax; if she didn't mind that she had touched him there, then he wasn't going to make a big deal of it, and perhaps embarrass her. If he did that, she might not want to keep doing this, and it really did feel nice.
All too soon it ended. She removed her hands from his back, to his disappointment, and he turned around to face her again. He was about to put his shirt back on, but she told him to leave it off. He didn't know why she asked him to do that, but he obliged her. The sun on his bare torso did feel rather nice.
"Now my turn," she said, holding out the bottle of lotion. Jeff took it, poured a few drops on his hands, and rubbed them together.
"So where should I start?" he asked.
"Start with my shoulders," she replied. She pulled the strap of her tank top off to the side to bare her shoulder to him. It was a simple, innocent gesture, but for some reason seeing her there without that single little strap was strangely erotic.
He forced himself to clear that thought from his head, and began to rub her shoulder. She pulled aside the other strap as well to give him access to the other shoulder.
It was almost like a massage, as he rubbed the lotion into her skin. Lissa closed her eyes and smiled, as if enjoying the sensation of his hands on her body. Jeff certainly did.
"Now where?" he asked as he poured some more lotion onto his hands.
"Lower," she replied casually.
"Lower?" he asked, surprised.
"Yes. Do all around my neck."
A little hesitantly, he began to work her upper chest, trying to keep his hands from straying too far down. It was difficult, the swelling of her breasts began almost too high for him to apply the lotion without touching them. Somehow he managed to complete his task, though.
Then she looked at him with a strange gleam in her eye. "Lower," she said again.
"Lissa..." he began, but didn't know what to say.
"Jeff, can you keep a secret?" she asked.
"Um... sure," he said. "What's the secret?"
"It's not something I'm going to tell you," she replied. "It's something I'm going to do. Or rather, we're going to do together."
"What do you mean?"
"Remember this spring when you pulled down my swimming suit?" she asked.
Jeff began to grow red. "Yeah. I'm sorry about that."
"Don't be sorry," she replied. "I'm flattered that you wanted to see my body. In fact, if you want to see it again, I'll let you."
"What?" he exclaimed in shock.
"I want you to rub sun block all over my chest, just like I rubbed it all over yours. So I'm going to take off my shirt."
"Really?" he asked, a broad grin forming on his face.
"Really," she answered. "But there's something I want you to do for me too."
"What?" he asked.
"If you're going to see my boobs, I want to see your cock."
"Okay!" he agreed enthusiastically.
She smiled, then she took hold of the bottom of her tank top and with one swift motion pulled it over her head. Jeff stared in amazement at her bare breasts. He had only had an instant to look at them that spring, but now he took a good, long look at them. While they weren't as full as Allison's by any means, they were beautiful in their own way. She had a certain youthful charm to her figure, very attractive and appealing.
"Now you have to show me your cock," she said. Jeff nodded and unzipped his pants. He slipped the front of his boxer shorts down and let his member spring free. It was already hard from the view of Lissa's body.
Lissa's eyes lit up with delight when she saw it. "Wow, Jeff!" she said. "It's gorgeous! Can I touch it?"
Without waiting for an answer, she reached out and wrapped her hand around it. Jeff gasped as the contact send a thrill through him. He had never been touched like that before.
As if that wasn't enough, she began to stroke it up and down, which sent the pleasure through him in waves. He couldn't believe it! He never knew it was possible to feel this good!
"You still have a job to do," she told him. He nodded and squirted some more lotion onto his hands. He reached out and placed them directly on her boobs.
That felt wonderful too. He took a moment to get used to the feel of them; they were not too soft and not too hard. His hands slid all around them, massaging the lotion into them.
Something was happening to the nipples, he realized. They were firming up, getting harder. He glanced up at her face, but she had her eyes closed and was breathing deeply. Then he remembered reading somewhere that when a woman was aroused, her nipples hardened just like a man's penis did.
"Oh Jeff," she breathed, obviously enjoying this as much as he was. She hadn't released his cock, but continued to stroke it up and down. His hands fell into the same rhythm as he rubbed all over her breasts. It was delightful, exquisite, and absolutely wonderful.
Unfortunately, it had to come to an end. He suddenly heard someone calling their names from a distance. Lissa's eyes opened wide, and she hurriedly grabbed her shirt as Jeff stuffed his cock, a little painfully, back inside his pants and zipped up. Lissa barely had enough time to throw her tank top back on before Allison and Brit appeared, walking around the bend in the path.
"Oh there you are," Allison smiled. "Enjoying the sunlight, I see."
"Yeah, it's nice and warm here," Jeff replied.
"I see you found the swimming hole."
"Yes, isn't it great?" said Lissa. "Now I wish I had brought my swimsuit instead of leaving it back at the campsite."
"Well, maybe we can go swimming later. We've got all tomorrow and Monday to have fun. Today I just want to relax."
"And take photos," Brit added. "Smile, Lissa. Smile, Jeff."
They both grinned as she raised the camera and snapped a picture. Then she walked around them and took a few pictures of the swimming hole.
"Do you mind if we join you on your photographic expedition?" asked Lissa. "I'm in the mood for some company."
"And Jeff doesn't count because he's no fun to be with," Brit replied.
"That's funny, coming from you," Jeff said sarcastically. "At least I prefer the company of people to the company of a camera."
"Just because you're no good at photography."
"Come on, guys," said Lissa. "Let's not fight. We're supposed to be having fun."
"Okay," said Jeff. "Truce, Brit?"
"Truce," she agreed.
They spent the rest of the afternoon following Brit along the trail, suggesting pictures for her to take and reveling in the great outdoors. Jeff had to admit, he had been a little uneasy about this vacation, but now that he was out here, he decided it was great. And that wasn't just because of what had happened between Lissa and him.
They got back to camp a couple of hours later and found Greg napping in his tent. Allison slipped inside and woke him with a kiss, and he groggily returned to the land of the living.
With all the trees around, darkness came early to the campground. As Greg prepared a dinner of beef stew on the camp stove, Allison set about building a fire in the fire pit. It wasn't long before they had a nice, warm blaze going. They sat around talking and eating dinner as the sky darkened and night approached.
Jeff kept stealing glances at Lissa that evening, wondering what she was thinking. She seemed to have forgotten all about what they had done that afternoon, or more likely, was pretending that it never happened. He wondered if that was just so that the rest of the family wouldn't suspect, or if maybe she was ashamed and didn't want to think about it.
After dinner, Greg turned on the propane lantern that he had bought for the trip, which gave them enough light to sit around the picnic table and play card games. They had brought a couple of their family favorites, and they played for hours, laughing and smiling and having a great time, until it was time for bed.
By agreement, Lissa and Brit went into the tent first to change into their pajamas, then they emerged and Jeff changed into his. He wore a tee-shirt and sweat pants to protect against the chill of the open air. Even during the summer the temperature dropped into the fifties at night, not fatally cold but not pleasant to be in without warm clothes.
His sisters joined him in the tent, and they all climbed into their respective sleeping bags. None of them seemed to want to go to sleep; it was a new experience and therefore an adventure. They stayed up talking until they heard Greg's voice from the other tent telling them to quiet down.
They immediately fell silent, and Jeff lay there staring up at the domed ceiling of the tent for a while, thinking about a hundred different things. His sister Lissa was at the top of the list. He wished he knew what she was thinking, whether she wanted to forget all about what had happened that day or whether, life Jeff, she wanted to try it again some time. He knew it was naughty, but they were just fooling around, not being serious. That made it okay, or at least, not as bad.
Maybe he would get her alone tomorrow and talk to her about it. If she wanted to stop it and never think about it again, he wouldn't push her. He just had to know.
He was beginning to get drowsy, so he rolled over onto his side and closed his eyes, just listening to the sounds of the woods all around him. It was a peaceful symphony, very restful in fact.
He had just about fallen asleep when he heard Lissa shuffling her sleeping bag closer to his. Suddenly she was up against his back, and she slipped her hand down inside his bag.
"We never did get to finish what we started this afternoon," she whispered quietly as her hand sought out his crotch. Jeff nearly gasped as her hand entered his boxer shorts and fastened around his cock.
"I'd almost forgotten what one of these felt like until today," she said as it began to grow hard.
That at least answered his questions about her. She really did want to continue, and he was more than willing to let her. He smiled and let the pleasure take him as she stroked it slowly up and down.
It was an incredible feeling. He had always been conservative like his father; sex was just something that a person didn't do until they were older. It wasn't appropriate to receive any kind of stimulation on certain parts of the body. He had been so strict about it that he never knew what he was missing. Now as the almost ticklish, intensely pleasurable feeling filled him, he realized this was one of the greatest sensations in the world.
Lissa seemed to enjoy stimulating him like that. She brought her head in close to his and kissed him on the side of the neck. Six months ago he would have squealed and pushed her away from him if she tried that, but this was different. It didn't feel gross or uncomfortable; it just felt nice.
With his mind focused on the sensation of Lissa's hand down his pants, he almost didn't hear the soft, nearly silent noise of his little sister whimpering in the sleeping bag next to him. He glanced over at her and saw her curled up in the fetal position, facing away from him. Her trembling frame and quiet sobbing alerted him that there was something wrong.
He should have expected that she would spoil his fun. Brit had notoriously bad timing, almost as if she planned it to be the most annoying to him.
Still, he couldn't exactly fault her if she was hurt or frightened. She was just a little girl after all.
He carefully reached down and withdrew Lissa's hand. "Later," he whispered. Then he turned over and put a hand on Brit's shoulder. "Brit, what's wrong?" he asked, also in a whisper.
"I want Daddy," she sobbed.
"Why? What happened?" he asked.
"I hear noises outside. Maybe there's an animal out there."
Jeff listened, but all he could hear were the usual sounds of the forest. The wind in the trees, the scratching of branches against each other, and the murmur of the river in the distance.
"Brit, there's nothing out there," he told her. "Now go to sleep."
"But I can still hear it!" she whined. Jeff rolled his eyes. It was her overactive imagination, nothing more. He decided to have fun with it.
"I know what it is," he said.
"What?" she asked.
"It's a ferocious, man-eating bunny rabbit! I hear they're common around here."
Brit couldn't help but giggle at the absurd suggestion.
"But seriously, Brit," he said, "this is the way forests sound. I'll prove it to you. Tomorrow when we're all in the camp, you go into the tent and listen. You'll hear exactly the same thing, and you'll know there's no animal out there because we'll be outside. Okay?"
"But that won't be until tomorrow. What if there really is an animal out there? What if it's a bear?"
"There aren't any bears around here. No wolves, no mountain lions, and no saber-toothed tigers either. Remember when you were younger and you used to hear noises at night, even in our house?"
"Yes."
"But it was just the normal creaks and groans of a house. Just normal sounds. This is the same thing. Forests have their own set of noises like that."
"I still want my daddy."
"I'll tell you what, Brit. Remember what you did when you heard those noises in the house and got scared?"
"I slept in your bed with you."
"Exactly. If you want, you can sleep in my sleeping bag tonight."
"Really?"
"Really. My sleeping bag's bunny rabbit proof."
She giggled again, then they both unzipped their bags. At first she tried to crawl in with him, but there wasn't enough room, so instead they opened them both up, spread hers on the ground, and threw his over the top of them. She snuggled up against his chest.
"Do you feel better now?" he asked her.
"Much better. Thank you, Jeff."
"I love you," he whispered. "Good night."
Lissa then climbed out of her sleeping bag and under the covers with Brit and Jeff. "Is there room enough for one more in here?" she asked.
Jeff wondered if she was going to try to continue their adventure, with Brit right there. "Um, Lissa... maybe we shouldn't."
"Shouldn't what?" she asked. "I just want to sleep in here with you too, that's all."
"Okay, fine," he replied.
She slid up against his back and put one hand over his arm to stroke Brit's hair.
"Jeff," said Lissa, "you're wonderful. You took care of Brit when I'm sure you'd rather be doing other things."
"Of course I'm going to take care of her. She's my little sister."
"I know. And I know you love her. It's just nice to see you showing it like this once in a while."
"This isn't going to turn into another lecture about how I shouldn't fight with her, is it?"
"No. I just want you to remember this moment. Remember how it feels. And just think about it next time you get into an argument with her, and then decide which you like better. That's all I'm going to say about it. Except to let you know that I'll think of a suitable reward for you."
Jeff laughed. "I can't wait," he replied, wondering what she had in mind.
"I love you, Jeff," she said.
"I love you too."
As it turned out, they weren't devoured by a wild bunny rabbit during the night. The three of them woke up safe and sound in the morning. Jeff was the first to wake, and he found himself with both of his sisters in his arms. Lissa looked so beautiful sleeping like that; he had always thought she was pretty, but he rarely got to see her asleep. Then he glanced down at Brit, and realized that she was lovely too, in her own way. It was more of a childlike cuteness, although he could tell that she would be every bit as beautiful as Lissa one day. Probably even more so.
It was times like these that he wished he wasn't so mean to her, even if she deserved it. He decided he liked being her big brother after all, even if the only time when he liked being with her was when she was asleep.
He heard hushed voices outside the tent, probably Greg and Allison. Apparently they had gotten up first. He wanted to see what they were up to, but he didn't want to disturb Lissa or Brit. So he contented himself with just lying there peacefully as his sisters continued to slumber in his arms.
Lissa was the next to wake. She opened her eyes and glanced around groggily. When her eyes caught Jeff's, she smiled. Then she saw Brit sleeping there and leaned over to kiss her on the forehead. Although Brit was usually a sound sleeper, this morning that contact was enough to wake her. She opened her eyes and smiled at her big sister.
"How are you feeling?" Lissa asked her.
"Fine," she said. "This is my first time sleeping outside."
"See?" said Jeff. "No wild animals ate you."
"Only because I had my big brother to protect me," she said, which made Jeff smile. It was unusual for her to say things like that, so he really enjoyed it when she did.
"Okay, I'm going to get up now," said Jeff, then lifted off the top cover. Immediately, a blast of cold air struck them, and he realized that the only reason he had felt warm was because he had the heat from his sisters' bodies keeping out the early morning chill.
He replaced the covers over the tops of his sisters, who scooted in and snuggled up next to each other. He hurriedly threw on a sweatshirt, then his socks and shoes and finally his coat. He unzipped the tent flap and stepped outside.
His father and stepmother were crouched by the fire pit, with a small blaze going. Apparently Allison was teaching Greg how to start a campfire.
"Good morning, Jeff," Allison smiled. "Do you want to learn too?"
"Sure," he shrugged. She reviewed some of the information she had told his father. The general idea was that the easier a material was to light, the shorter its life span. Therefore, one needed to gradually build up from the easy-to-light materials such as paper, through twigs and small branches, kindling, larger sticks, and finally long-lasting logs.
By the time she concluded her lecture, they had a nice fire going.
They heated a large kettle of water for breakfast, which consisted of instant oatmeal and cocoa. Jeff made a quick run to the bathroom, and by the time he returned Lissa and Brit were both up.
"So how did you all sleep?" Allison asked the kids.
"I didn't," Jeff said. "Brit's crying kept me awake all night." He spoke the words without thinking; he had gotten so used to teasing her that even though he didn't want to, he did anyway.
"You're a jerk!" she snapped.
"Kids, we're on vacation," said Greg. "Let's not start fighting."
"I'm sorry, Brit," Jeff said. "Really. I shouldn't say things like that."
"No you shouldn't," she replied, still frowning at him.
"So were you really crying?" asked Greg.
"Just for a little bit. I thought there was a wild animal outside of the tent."
"It did kind of sound like it, didn't it?" said Allison. "It's amazing how when you're out in the forest at night, every little sound seems to be amplified. You just get used to it after a while."
"Yeah, so I'm not a crybaby after all, Jeff," Brit said.
"Come on, I said I'm sorry."
"Fine. You're sorry. Now stop talking to me."
"So what did you do last night when you thought you heard the animal?" asked Allison.
"I just imagined it eating Jeff. Then I was fine."
"You did not!" he exclaimed. Then to Allison and Greg, he said, "We put our sleeping bags together so she could snuggle up to me."
Both Greg and Allison laughed at that.
"Yeah, I know it's hard to believe," Brit countered, "but even I make mistakes sometimes."
"Brit, will you just drop it?" Jeff demanded. "I said something I shouldn't have, and I feel bad about it. Especially since I don't like it when you're mad at me. Can we just assume you won this fight and get on with having fun on our vacation?"
"Thank you, Jeff," Allison told him. "You're being very mature about this."
"Why do you care if I'm mad or not?" Brit demanded.
"Because I'm worried that next time you're scared or unhappy you'll suffer in silence instead of coming to your big brother," he told her. "The thought of you alone and scared bothers me."
"Really?" she asked in a more subdued tone.
"Really," he replied. "Brit, I didn't mind your crying last night. I'm just glad that I could help you feel better. And just because I sometimes say things I shouldn't doesn't mean I don't care about you. Forgive me?"
She hesitated for a moment, then came over and gave him a hug. "I forgive you, Jeff," she said.
A cheerful atmosphere once again settled on the camp after that, and Jeff and Brit managed to keep from fighting all the rest of the morning.
The early morning chill burned off quickly, to be replaced by the warm summer sun. Pretty soon they all took off their jackets and sat around in short sleeves.
At about 11:00, Allison asked Lissa to accompany her into her tent for a minute. They disappeared inside, then emerged later with a couple of towels over their arms.
"Lissa and I are going to go to the swimming hole," Allison said.
"Let me know what you think of it," replied Greg. "Maybe we'll all go swimming this afternoon."
"That will be nice."
"Have fun," Jeff told them. The two girls headed off into the woods in the direction of the river.
Jeff wanted to explore one of the other hiking trails, but he didn't relish the thought of having Brit tag along, so he tried to think of some excuse to go alone.
As it turned out, Brit herself came up with a solution. She was sitting in one of the camp chairs when she suddenly pitched forward and fell on the ground. Jeff laughed, but Greg hurried over and picked her up. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"Sorry," she said, growing red. "I just nodded off."
"Do you want to take a nap?" Greg asked, and Brit nodded.
"Jeff, I need to finish cleaning up from breakfast," Greg said. "Would you mind putting her to bed?"
"Come on," Jeff said, taking her hand. He led her over to the tent, unzipped the flap, and helped her inside. He folded her sleeping bag back over and zipped it part of the way up so that she could climb inside. Before he could get back up, she suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I love you," she said.
"Okay, fine. Now let me go," he replied.
"Not until you tell me you love me," she said.
"Okay, I love you. All right?"
She kissed him on the cheek, then released him. He gave an amused laugh, then left the tent.
Lissa and Allison arrived at the swimming hole. It was just perfect. With a small beach, a sandy bottom, and a slow current, it looked nice and inviting.
Allison immediately began stripping off her clothes, and Lissa followed her lead. By unspoken agreement, neither of the girls had brought swimsuits. Ever since that first time naked in the hot tub with Allison, Lissa no longer felt self-conscious about her body with the woman.
Once they had their clothes off, they waded into the water. The water wasn't particularly cold, which was nice, but it was cold enough that Lissa didn't want to just jump right in. She spent some time standing in the shallows getting used to the feel of it on her ankles, then her calves, then her knees. Besides, she liked the feel of the sun on her bare body.
Allison, on the other hand, waded out immediately to the deeper part, submerging for a second then standing up again to let the water run off her body. In the sunlight she almost sparkled. Allison had the type of hair that looked especially good wet. Once again, Lissa was reminded of just how beautiful the woman was.
Lissa continued to walk slowly out toward Allison, letting the water crawl inch by inch up her skin and watching her stepmother treading water further out. Lissa suddenly realized that this symbolized some of the difference between the two girls. While Lissa was somewhat timid, Allison had no fear. She dove right in to new experiences, literally in this case. Lissa had to laugh at the pun.
"What's so funny?" Allison asked.
"Nothing," Lissa replied. "I'm just in a good mood."
"Me too. I like spending time alone with you. It's too bad we don't get the chance more often. Why don't you come out here with me?"
"I'm working up to it. Don't worry. I'll be out there soon enough." She took another step forward.
By this point, she was up to her hips. She almost gasped as she felt the water lapping at her skin between her legs. In the last couple of years she had been growing increasingly sensitive there. The slightest touch could sometimes set her off, arousing her regardless of the situation she was in. She understood it was a natural part of growing up, so it didn't bother her. And occasionally, like right now, she enjoyed it. She stood there for a moment, letting the water stimulate her.
Allison watched her, but if she knew what Lissa was doing, she didn't say anything. Even if she did, Lissa wouldn't have minded. With anyone else she might have been embarrassed, but not with Allison. She felt completely comfortable in the woman's presence.
However, as much as she wanted to continue, she knew it would be too suspicious if she remained there too long. She continued her progress forward into the stream, wading in up to her waist.
"By the time you get out here it will be time to get dressed and go back to camp," Allison told her. She swam up close to her, then stood up in front of her. She grabbed Lissa's hand and pulled her toward the center of the swimming hole.
"Hey!" Lissa protested, trying to pull her hand away. But Allison wouldn't stop, and Lissa suddenly found herself up to her chest.
"Just go under once, then you'll be fine," said Allison.
"I will in just a minute," Lissa replied.
"Okay, you leave me no choice." Allison suddenly wrapped her arms around Lissa and pulled her under the water. Lissa had just enough time to take a deep breath before her head went under. She playfully struggled against the older woman, who held her tight. Both girls kicked their legs, wrestling with each other under the water.
A moment later Lissa managed to break free and stood up, spluttering and laughing. She wiped the water from her eyes and slicked her hair back.
"You're mean," she said, but it was all in fun.
"I'm sorry, Lissa," said Allison with a wide grin on her face. "Forgive me?" She spread her arms in a gesture of asking for a hug.
Lissa reached in and embraced her. The two women held each other for a minute or two. Lissa enjoyed hugging Allison, especially when they were naked. Once again, she realized that an outside observer might get the wrong impression, but really there was nothing sexual about it at all. The two women were close friends, but that was it. The physical contact was simply an expression of affection. They had only talked about it once, and that was all they needed. Lissa was well aware of the fact that it wasn't typical for two heterosexual women to touch each other like this, but it didn't bother her.
Allison kissed her on the cheek, then drew away with a smile on her face. She lay back on the water and let herself float there.
Hidden behind a tree, a pair of eyes watched in shock and fascination as the women frolicked in the water. Jeff couldn't help but feel aroused by the sight of them together. While he had seen Lissa's upper torso before, and Allison on the video, seeing two naked women at once was twice as exciting. Furthermore, they had been hugging just a moment ago. Did that mean they were interested in each other sexually? Allison had talked about lesbians before, but had never imagined that his own sister and stepmother could be that way.
Unfortunately, from this distance he couldn't really get a good view of their naked bodies, but he dared not risk going any closer. He had not meant to follow them; it was just that the other trail that he was following had a side path that he had decided to explore that apparently led to the swimming hole. And now that he saw what was going on, he found it impossible to tear his gaze away. He wondered if Lissa and Allison would actually have sex, right there before his eyes.
When they emerged from the water a few minutes later, he watched in anticipation as they spread their beach towels and lay down in the sun to dry off. Unfortunately, his fantasy was not to be fulfilled; they were merely sunbathing. They didn't even touch each other.
All too soon the heavenly vision ended. The girls stood up and began to dress. Jeff took that as his cue to leave, so he crept back into the forest and continued his journey up the trail.
They all met back in camp for lunch. Jeff ate plenty, although his mind wasn't on the food; it was on what he had seen that morning. He wondered how that related to Lissa's and his playing with each other yesterday. Or was there any relation at all? Lissa had been involved in both; that was the only thing he could say with certainty. So she shared a dirty secret with Allison, and she shared a dirty secret with Jeff. How many other people were involved? Was Lissa secretly some wild woman masquerading as a serious, even a little repressed, schoolgirl?
He couldn't help laughing out loud at the absurd image that that brought to mind.
"What's so funny?" asked Lissa.
"Nothing," he replied. "I just had an absurd thought."
"About what?"
"Never mind that. Maybe I'll tell you later."
In the afternoon they all went swimming. Even Greg accompanied them. This time Lissa and Allison wore swimsuits, to Jeff's disappointment, though he hadn't really expected them to go naked again except in a fleeting thought.
This time it was all completely innocent fun, a regular family outing. The kids all got into a splashing contest, and even Allison joined in. She won.
As they dried off on the beach afterward, Allison taught them to skip rocks. They stood there happily playing together until one by one their arms got sore and they dropped out.
The good, clean, wholesome fun was entertaining enough that Jeff almost forgot about the earlier incidents, and his desire to continue what he had started with his big sister. He was really beginning to like camping, especially with Allison involved.
When they went to bed that night, he wondered if Lissa would try to do the same thing as the previous night. But she simply lay in her sleeping bag and went to sleep. Jeff's disappointment gave birth to a new feeling: jealousy. He found it surprising and a little ironic. He had never been truly jealous of his father even though Greg had Allison and Jeff didn't. But as he lay there in bed that night, he realized that he was jealous of Allison. Had the woman seduced Lissa away from him? What had really happened between them at the swimming hole? But he had been watching them almost the entire time; other than a couple of hugs and what looked like a kiss on the cheek, nothing serious had gone on between them. No, he couldn't really accuse Allison of stealing Lissa from him. It was more likely that Lissa was just a little confused about her emotions right now. If she needed time to sort them out, he would give her that time. And if she did choose Allison over him, well, he could live with that. His sister and he had only been fooling around after all.
There was something else he wanted, though. It wasn't sexual, it wasn't incestuous, it was only borderline intimate. Last night had felt so nice with his two sisters to cuddle with him, he wanted to feel that same way again tonight. He felt awkward about asking Lissa for that favor, so he reached his hand out and placed it on his little sister's shoulder.
"Brit, are you asleep?"
"Yes," she replied, but even with a whisper he could sense the grin on her face.
"Do you want to sleep like we did last night?" he asked.
"I thought you didn't like it," she told him. "I thought my crying kept you awake."
"I was only kidding when I said that. Any time you want to sleep in my bed like we used to do when we were kids, you go right ahead."
"Thank you, Jeff," she said, then began to unzip her sleeping bag. Five minutes later they lay there together in each other's arms, both smiling contentedly.
The next day was Jeff's birthday, and they celebrated it not with a cake, but with a peach cobbler that Allison cooked up from one of her family's secret recipes. They stuck fourteen candles in it and lit them. Jeff made the secret and absurd wish that Allison would seduce him, never expecting it to come true. But that was the point of birthday wishes. He blew out all the candles in one breath, and then they dug in. It was the first time Jeff had ever tasted anything like it, and it was delicious.
Greg said there hadn't been room to bring his presents, so they would have to open them later after returning to the house. That gave Jeff plenty of motivation to help break the camp that afternoon. He found that he enjoyed the work; it was fascinating to see the camp transformed from a place where a family could live for two days into a wilderness area where there was no hint that they had ever been there before, all in the space of less than an hour.
It was a little sad to leave the camp, but he knew this would not be the last time they did it. Allison insisted that Greg make a promise that they would make it a family tradition, and with enthusiastic encouragement from his children, he readily agreed.
Jeff secretly hoped that certain events during the campout would become traditions as well.
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