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Secret of the Wood

By: LesLumens



This is an entry in the '10 Literotica Earth Day Contest. If found anywhere except Literotica.com with this note attached, this story has been posted without my permission. © Copyright LesLumens

Some characters from my previous three Earth Day stories, "Steward of the Wood", "Daughter of the Wood", and "Forever of the Wood" return in this story. If you enjoy this tale, you might want to go back and read those for a deeper look at the history of the returning characters.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Dan's eyes popped open when he heard the hiss of something running through the dry leaves and grass, the sound drawing closer by the second.

"Hey," he protested when the two young squirrels used him as a convenient ramp to reach the tree behind him. They ran straight up his leg, jumped to his shoulder, and then scampered upward into the branches.

Dan looked up while rubbing his nose to stave off a sneeze brought on by bushy tails tickling it, and saw the mother of the two rambunctious youngsters. She tilted her head to the side and chattered what he took for an apology before chasing the pair up into the tree.

He chuckled and then stretched, glad in a way that the pair had distracted him before he dozed off. Despite having a lot on his mind, he was still a little drowsy, and the setting was perfect for a spring nap. Sunlight sparkled on the nearly still surface of the pond in front of him. Birds chirped morning greetings in all directions. The smell of pine filled the air, along with that unique scent that could only be called earthy.

Dan sat up a little straighter, ran his fingers through his sandy-blond hair, and then leaned back against the young elm that stood apart from the sea of conifers that dominated the area. It had taken Herculean efforts to save the tree when an apartment building had replaced the island of green where it once stood in the city. Only his parents would have indulged such a whim in a ten-year-old boy, when Dan couldn't bear the thought of someone cutting the tree down. Once it was transplanted here, his grandmother had nurtured it, ensuring that it survived the sudden upheaval and flourished.

He always came here to think, and he had a lot of thinking to do. With high school now behind him, he had to decide what to do with his life — and he didn't have the foggiest clue what that might be.

The sound of his cell ringing caused him to close his eyes and sigh. He'd meant to turn it off, but it was too late now. Broken from his reverie, he pulled the phone from his pocket and scowled at the number on the screen.

The reporter had been trying to contact everyone in the family for a month now. Word was that he was snooping around everyone who knew them, and scouring any records he could find as well.

Some quick thumb work sent a text to his mother, following up on the course of action that his grandfather had suggested. A minute later, she returned his message. Here too. Catch a ride with your sister to your grandmother's?

Daniel whipped off a quick 'K' in reply and reluctantly stood up. He patted the trunk of the elm and said, "I'll be back soon," before heading through a gap in the pines toward his sister's house.

The leaves of the elm shuddered just a little more than the gentle spring breeze warranted.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Dan walked down the hill from his house toward the woods with his sister at his side. The fair hair, expressive eyes, and soft features of the pair marked them as two of a kind. Anyone who didn't know better would find it difficult to believe that Kia was nearly twenty years older, however.

The light dimmed as Dan stepped from the grass at the bottom of the steep hill into the woods, but it was anything but gloomy. The breeze outside still carried a slight bite of lingering chill, but pleasant warmth permeated the wood. The fragrance of flowers that wouldn't bloom for months elsewhere tickled his nostrils. All around the animal trail that he followed with his sister, nature thrived at the limits of its bounty.

Despite his earliest memories lying within the boundaries of his grandmother's wood, Dan never failed to feel wonder at his surroundings. The trees let in just the right amount of dappled sunlight to bring out the shine on ivy leaves curling upward amongst their trunks. The canopy above conspired to allow beams of light to fall upon different highlights. Here, a particularly beautiful cluster of flowers. There, the stump of a tree that had completed its cycle of life nurtured an almost perfect circle of orange toadstools.

The trail opened up into a clearing at the center of the wood. He wasn't shocked by the sight of his mother and father sitting nude on the edge of the spring-fed pool, though he was a bit surprised that his father was here instead of at his office in town. Nor was he embarrassed to remove his own clothing while his sister shed hers but an arm's length away. This too was something that he'd known all his life, and as natural to him as breathing.

"Where are Grandma and Grandpa?" Kia asked as she pulled off her bra and let it fall into the pile of clothing at her side.

Brina shrugged. "They should be here soon."

Just like her daughter, the years barely touched Brina. Though over sixty, her honey-blonde hair had lost only a little of its luster, and only the faintest of laugh lines decorated her face. Her husband, sitting at her side with his arm around her waist, showed his age in his thinning gray hair.

"He called me too," Kia revealed after removing the last of her clothing and kneeling down to hug her parents in turn.

Dan shook his head. "The guy just won't give up."

"Nosy reporters aren't our only problem, either," his father said.

Brina sighed. "Gary, you could have at least waited until Mom and Dad got here before you said anything about that."

Gary winced from the rebuke. "Sorry."

"Someone speak of the devil?"

Everyone turned toward the voice as Daniel's grandmother and grandfather parted the thick curtain of ferns on the other side of the pool. As with the customary nudity of family gatherings within the wood, his grandparent's appearance was nothing unusual to Dan. Neither looked any older than him, and the family resemblance couldn't be denied, but his grandmother's skin shone as if she stood in golden sunlight, while his grandfather's skin was patterned and colored like tree bark.

Xantina's nose crinkled and she said, "I don't like that word."

Her mate, for whom Dan was named, apologized, "Sorry, love," and ran his fingers through her new-leaf green hair.

Xantina's smile returned almost immediately, and she laughed. She pulled him close, twining her fingers into his slightly darker green hair, and planted a kiss on his cheek.

Dan sat down on a sun warmed cushion of last year's leaves next to his mother and chuckled when his grandfather said, "Not in front of the kids."

The nymph rolled her eyes. "So silly."

The family patriarch cleared his throat and sat down with his legs dangling near where the water churned from its underground source. His mate sank down to the moss right next to him, and leaned her head against his shoulder. "So, something other than the reporter going on?"

"Got a call from councilman Carson yesterday," Gary answered. "The county is thinking about selling the preserve off 71 to balance the budget."

"Hmm. Must be pretty bad if they're thinking about that. The county has had that land as long as I can remember."

Gary nodded to his father. "Trosper just made the proposal yesterday, and it can't be good with his voting record. Carson said he was going to try to find out more. I was supposed to go talk to him this afternoon, but something came up and I'm going to have to be in court over in Jefferson County."

"I could go see what he found out," Dan offered, as the councilman had been his Scoutmaster before seeking public office, and he knew him quite well. Carson had actually taught him to tie knots and navigate with a compass in the very same woods that was apparently going up for sale.

Gary smiled. "Thank you. I was hoping that you might offer. This is personal, as far as I'm concerned. I have too many memories from that woods when I was in Scouts to let it go without a fight."

"Me too," Dan agreed.

His grandfather laughed. "Make that three. Like I said, the county has owned that land for a long time."

"Well, I guess Kia and I will find out what we can through the grapevine."

Kia groaned at that prospect, causing her mother to laugh and nod in agreement with the sentiment.

With his mate fidgeting at his side, the green-haired Daniel said, "We'd best move this along. Our little reporter friend obviously thinks that he's got something to sink his teeth into, and he's not going to back off. I think you're going to have to go a step beyond telling everyone to give him what he wants. Do it yourselves. Pile it on him."

Gary's brow furrowed as he considered the notion. "If nothing else, it might get him off our backs while he digs through the whole mess."

"I have a couple of other ideas too, but just put together all the financial records you can for now."

Xantina leaned in to ask her mate, "Done?"

He chuckled and kissed her on the forehead. "Yes, love. I believe we are."

"Good," she declared, and then snapped a kick at the water. The single movement of her slender foot somehow managed to splash all four of her family members across the pool, while the follow-through curled a stream of water right into her mate's face as well.

The game was on.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Daniel had felt buoyant when he left his grandmother's pool, but that had quickly changed as he spoke to his old Scoutmaster. Carson had managed to find out where the idea to sell the land had originated, and it wasn't good.

The man really orchestrating things behind the scenes was from a neighboring county. Daniel sat in the councilman's car off the side of a gravel road, looking at the future as he beheld the last parcel of land that Wilson had purchased.

"It's worse than I'd heard," Carson remarked as he surveyed the scene through the narrow gap in the trees.

Dan had to agree. The fences put up by the company and stands of trees left as camouflage hid what was really going on from nearly any vantage point. Here, after an hour of roaming back roads, he could see the truth.

Nothing but stumps and huge ruts left by the heavy machinery used to harvest the trees remained beyond the mask. Where trees a hundred or more years old once stood, there was only devastation.

Carson shook his head and sighed. "They have a lot of nerve calling themselves Greentree."

Dan picked up the camera that they'd brought along. "I'll go take some pictures." He was only able to find a few shots through the narrow vantage point, but even those were telling. To get any closer, he would have to trespass, which he knew that the councilman and his father would never approve of.

When Dan climbed back in the car, Carson was just hanging up from a call. His brow was furrowed, and Dan knew the look all too well.

"What's wrong?"

"I was just telling Lawrence Riser about this, and he blew it off."

Dan's voice was full of disbelief as he responded, "Blew it off?"

Carson started the car and nodded for Daniel to fasten his seatbelt. "I need to get back to my office and make some calls. Lawrence was one of the last people that I'd expect to side with Trosper."

The councilman put the car in gear and pulled back out onto the gravel. "Tell your father that I think someone is lubricating the wheels to get this through. We may need his help to stall long enough to find out what's really going on."

"Sure. I know he'll do anything he can."

Carson sighed. "I hope it's enough."

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

After sitting in the councilman's office for nearly an hour, watching the frustration build with each phone call, Dan had taken Carson's advice to head home. His old Scoutmaster promised to call the next day to relay anything that he discovered.

The limited parking in front of the councilman's office had convinced Dan to leave his car in the lot for the park, which lay directly opposite the green space from where he stood. It wasn't so long of a walk, and hardly an unpleasant one.

The park had changed quite a bit over the years, mostly from his family's influence. Pictures of his grandfather here showed mostly manicured grass. Now, trees and other natural growth broke up the landscape, creating a far more intimate setting that Daniel enjoyed. He was almost back to his car when he nearly collided with someone emerging from behind the bushes just off his path.

Daniel dug in his heels and found himself almost face to face with Brooke Kline.

His breath caught, and it was all he could do to say, "Sorry," without his voice cracking. The gossip around town was that she'd dumped the captain of the football team at a graduation party when she caught him feeling up another girl, and that she was still on the market.

Not that it mattered. She was one of the most sought-after girls his age, and he was that odd guy who spent more time with his family than at parties. She wasn't just out of his league, she was a completely different sport altogether.

"No, it's my fault. Oh, hey, Dan."

She knows my name? He thought in self-mocking disbelief. "Hey, Brooke."

"I haven't seen you since graduation. I thought you'd be off to law school by now."

Once again, he was stunned. Just knowing his name was enough of a surprise. Her having any clue about his life was almost incomprehensible. "I'm still not sure what I want to do."

She pushed a few errant locks of chocolate-brown hair away from her face and said, "You know me — journalism. I signed up for classes in the fall. Almost everybody else started last year, though. I've been walking around the park bored for an hour trying to figure out something to do."

Years later, he would still wonder where he'd found the courage to ask his next question. "Wanna catch the afternoon matinee?"

"Sure. I hadn't even thought about that."

Daniel's heart nearly stopped. He'd just asked out Brooke, and she'd said yes. Of course, she probably wasn't thinking of it as a date, but he was willing to take what he could get.

He pointed a thumb toward where he'd parked. "My car's right there."

"Why don't we just walk? It isn't that far."

A wide smile broke out on his face. "Cool."

She tilted her head in a follow me gesture and started across the grass. Dan couldn't shake the image in his head of him as a cartoon character floating through the air following perfume.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Dan still felt like he was floating several hours later as he drove down the county road back toward town. Brooke sat in the passenger seat, her hand lying on her tummy, a languid smile on her face.

"Oh, that was so good," she said for the second time since getting in the car. "I can't believe I've never even heard of that place."

The little country restaurant where he'd taken her didn't advertise except by word of mouth, and didn't have any sort of regular hours. It didn't even have a proper name. Everyone who knew about it just called it Geraldine's, after the woman who had first opened it.

Dan glanced over and smiled. "It's a well kept secret. If all you city-folk knew about it, it would be too hard to get in."

She chuckled and then groaned. "I'm going to have to eat nothing but celery sticks for a week to make up for it, though." After a quick look up the tree-lined road ahead, she asked, "How long until we make it back to town?"

"Fifteen minutes. Maybe a little less."

Brooke's expression changed to one of slight concern. "I think I should have gone to the little girl's room before we left."

"Oh, well my sister's house is just a little bit up the road. We could stop there."

She nodded, looking relieved.

Dan grabbed his cell and called the house, letting Kia know he was coming. A minute or two later, he turned off onto her drive. He usually drove at a crawl, to avoid kicking up gravel dust, but a billowing cloud followed him this time. Brooke was beginning to fidget in her seat, and popped open her seat belt the moment the car stopped.

He hurried to exit the car, thinking to open the door for her, but she beat him to it. Her urgency prompted a quick pace, and they were soon at the door. Before he could even knock, Kia called out from inside. "Come in."

As soon as he opened the door, Dan pointed down the hall and said, "It's the door on the right."

"Thanks," she said, and hurried toward the bathroom, her shoes beating a rapid tattoo on the hardwood floor.

"Well now. Who's that?" Kia asked, her expression filled with a mixture of curiosity and mischief as she navigated around the couch and a potted Ficus tree toward him.

"Shh," he admonished. "Brooke Kline."

"She's pretty."

"Sis..."

Kia laughed, but kept it quiet. "Sorry. I shouldn't tease. Mom wondered why you were so cryptic when you called to say that you wouldn't be home for supper. What did Carson have to say?"

"It doesn't look good. He thinks that someone's paying off people on the council."

Kia sighed. "Well, don't lose hope. Things always seem to come down to the wire, and we always manage."

He nodded, despite not really feeling his sister's optimism. He turned back toward the hall when he heard the bathroom door open.

"Thanks," Brooke said, her cheeks a little red.

"My sister, Kia," Dan said to introduce his sibling.

"Brooke," she offered in return.

"Well, we should get going," Dan interjected, knowing that escaping now was only going to lead to more questions later, but he was willing to live with it.

"Have fun," Kia couldn't resist saying as she walked back toward the kitchen.

Once back in the car, Brooke looked over at Daniel and said, "I did, by the way — have fun that is."

"Me too," he agreed as he circled around the loop at the end of the drive. "Wanna do it again some time?"

"I don't have any plans tomorrow."

Taken off-guard by the enthusiastic response, Daniel's mind whirled as he tried to think of something on the spot. One thing snapped into focus, and he gave it a shot. "Ever been horseback riding?"

Brooke's eyes lit up and she answered, "No, I've always wanted to do that."

"How about ten o'clock tomorrow morning?"

"Sure. Meet me at the park again?"

"That'll work."

"It's a date then."

Dan barely remembered the rest of the drive into town after hearing the word date pass her lips.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Two horse's hooves crunched the leaves, twigs, and pine needles covering the trail through the trees. The hardwoods grew fewer and fewer as the couple rode along, until conifers dominated the scenery along the trail. Birdsong filled the air in the woods, along with the chattering of squirrels leaping from tree to tree, keeping pace with the horses.

Though he made a show of checking his watch, Dan already knew it was close to noon by the rumbling of his stomach. He'd only checked the time as a cover for tearing his eyes away from the sight of Brooke's breasts jiggling hypnotically in time with her horse's stride. The tight sweater she was wearing caused the large globes to draw his eyes like a beacon.

He was just about to ask if she'd like to stop for lunch when her horse hesitated and sidestepped a little on the trail, coming dangerously close to the pines lining both sides. Dan clucked his tongue and said, "Easy, Altivo."

The horse immediately calmed, and Dan explained, "He gets a little nervous with a new rider. Want to stop for a bite to eat?"

She smiled at him and said, "Sure, I'm getting a little hungry."


Secret of the Wood



"I've got the perfect place. It's just up ahead."

Brooke held out a hand, letting it brush through the needles of a pine to her side. "So this is all your land out here?"

"You remember Sheriff Robinson?" When she nodded, he continued, "He decided to retire in Florida, and asked Dad if he wanted to buy the land, since it was between our house and my sister's."

"Must have been expensive."

"Nah, not really. He wanted to sell it to someone who would leave it as it is, so he cut us a pretty good deal."

"Still... I thought your family did charity work and stuff."

"Well, Dad and my brother are both lawyers. Mom and Sis are about the only large animal vets around, too. Even with all the stuff they do for free, we get by."

A bend in the trail opened into a familiar clearing, and Dan was amused to hear Brooke emit a gasp.

"What's that?" she asked while taking in the combination of a clubhouse and tree house. The lower section was on the ground and around ten foot square, with a gabled roof, and a rather conspicuous sign reading no gurls allowed! This was connected to the upper level by an enclosed ladder leading up into the widespread lower limbs of the tree, where rope swings hung from a balcony attached to the tree house. The entire structure was freshly painted to resemble a stone castle, complete with battlements.

Dan chuckled. "My nephew's tree fort. It was actually sort of mine for a while, until he was old enough to take over as lord of the castle. It was his dad's before that."

His skin broke out into goose bumps when Brooke loosed a beautiful, musical laugh.

"It's a good thing my brother never saw this. He always thought his tree house was the greatest thing in the world," she explained. "So, are we going to eat here?"

"Just a little farther." Daniel guided his horse off the trail and through a narrow gap in the trees. The red pines formed what he liked to think of as his privacy fence, hiding his spot from the world. After a short ride, he emerged with Brooke right behind him into the clearing around the pond.

"Another well kept secret?" Brooke asked as she took in the view. The brilliant sunlight shining down seemed even brighter after the ride through the shadowed wood, and the thick evergreen walls kept the wind at bay.

"From everybody but my family," Dan answered as he rode toward his spot.

"That tree is a little out of place," she remarked as he reined in.

Dan climbed down from his saddle with practiced ease. "It's a refugee from the city."

Her eyes lit up and she said, "Oh yeah. I remember hearing about it. So this is where you moved it, huh?"

He nodded and walked over to help her dismount. He barely managed to keep from shuddering when she took his hand and used his shoulder to help steady her as she dropped down out of the saddle. "Yep. She holds the fort when I'm not around."

"She?" Brooke asked with an amused grin.

"Uhm, yeah," he responded, followed by a nervous chuckle. His grandmother had referred to the tree in the feminine while using her magic to nurture it, and he'd gotten into the habit as well, since it seemed appropriate for some reason. "So, let's eat," he said, changing the subject.

Dan pulled what he'd packed out of the saddlebag while Brooke walked toward the elm and observed, "I guess she really isn't all that out of place. She's sort of the queen at the center of attention."

Naturally, he stared as she stretched, standing up on her tiptoes and making her already stunning bottom all the more eye-catching in her jeans. She didn't help him keep his eyes from wandering to her body when she tugged at the neck of her sweater as she turned back toward him, causing her breasts to bounce.

"Whew. This may be a little warm here, out in the sun."

Dan knew that it wasn't just the sun. Knowing how much he enjoyed this spot, his grandmother had extended a little extra measure of her magical blessing upon the place. It was always warmer or cooler here, depending upon the weather, than the surrounding woods. He finished retrieving everything for their picnic lunch and gave his horse a pat on the neck. "Okay you two, go have a drink and find something to munch on. Don't wander far."

The two horses nickered and took off simultaneously toward the pond.

Brooke laughed. "It's almost like they understood every word you said."

He shrugged, nearly losing his precarious one-finger grip on a thermos full of coffee in the process. "I was there when Mom helped deliver them, so they've known me all their life. They're twins." He sat everything down and grabbed the blanket he'd brought to spread it out underneath the tree. He would have been perfectly content to sit on the ground, but he wasn't willing to take the chance that she wasn't.

"Horses can have twins?" she asked as she sat down on the blanket.

"It doesn't happen very often, and at least one usually doesn't survive. Mom fought pretty hard for those two."

"Your family is pretty famous for things like that around here."

"We all do what makes sense to us — even if it doesn't make much sense to anyone else," Daniel responded and chuckled as he started opening containers to lay out lunch. "All we're doing is talking about me, though. Have you decided what you want to go for once you're out of school? Print? Television?"

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Kia grinned approvingly as she peeked through the foliage.

She could hear Glen and Xanmara starting to fidget behind her, and knew that they were eager to see their great-grandparents, so she stepped back from her clandestine listening post. The whole family had been a bit worried about Dan's shyness around girls, and it was a relief to see him doing all the right things.

She turned back to the kids, pressed a finger to her lips to indicate silence, and then waved for them to follow her back to the car. She'd originally planned to walk to her grandparent's pool, but decided she didn't want to invade her brother's privacy any more than she already had. He would likely ride back the way he'd come, and might encounter them along the way if they walked.

Besides, she was just as excited to deliver the news about Daniel's budding relationship as her kids were for the family visit.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Brooke finished a last strawberry and leaned back on her hands. She let her head loll back and gave a contented sigh. Dan turned his attention to the containers from their picnic lunch as a distraction, because he felt as if his eyes were about to pop out of his head. The pose was one of the sexiest things he'd ever seen in his life.

"Oh, I swear you're trying to make me fat." She sat back up and asked, "Where did you get those strawberries? I almost never see any in the stores this early, let alone any that aren't almost tasteless."

"Mom picked them up somewhere." It wasn't exactly the whole truth, but he could hardly explain how his mother had actually come by the treat. His grandmother loved strawberries, so they grew most of the year round at various places within her wood. She was a little stingy about sharing them, which meant that anyone in the family who wanted some had to go hunting.

Brooke picked up a small container outside of Dan's reach to hand it to him and laughed. "How old is this Tupperware, anyway? It looks like the stuff my grandma had, and it was old then."

Dan chuckled as he nested the container inside another that he'd already wiped out. "It lasts forever if you take care of it."

"So you don't use any more plastic than you have to?"

"Yeah," he answered, a bit embarrassed. One of the things that had always set him apart from his peers was his conservation-minded upbringing, which he'd espoused constantly when he was younger. It had taken quite some time to get over bringing it up in every conversation, and only because his mother had convinced him that beating people over the head with it only made them resist all the more.

She must have noticed the blush he could feel burning in his cheeks. "It's good, really. You're probably smarter than the rest of us. Everyone will have to come around eventually, I guess."

He shrugged, wearing a sheepish grin. "Sorry if I'm driving you crazy about it."

"You aren't, really." She picked up the thermos. "Let me help."

"Thanks."

Once they finished gathering everything up, Dan clucked his tongue, and the two horses immediately turned from where they were grazing to approach. Dan stowed away what he was holding, and then took Brooke's burden to do the same. While he situated everything in the saddlebag, she folded the blanket.

Her horse turned to him and snorted once everything was put away and Brooke prepared to climb into the saddle.

"Not today, Altivo. Sorry."

Brooke gave him a curious look. "Hmm?"

"I know that look. He's in the mood to run."

She brought a finger to her lips for a moment and then smiled as she asked, "Could we?"

The excitement in her eyes convinced him. "I'll take us the short way back, and then we can give them a little free rein in the pasture."

"Let's go," she declared, anticipation obvious in her voice and body language.

Riding out past his sister's house cut the journey down to less than half the length of the leisurely ride in, and would bring them to the back of the farm that the horses called home. Shortly after passing by Kia's house, she asked about his jacket, which bore the logo of a forest preservation group that the family belonged to. The question provided a useful distraction as he urged his horse to a faster walk at the edge of the wood. Her horse matched the speed, which resulted in a wider smile on her face — and even more pronounced, hard to ignore jiggling.

He thought to keep the explanation simple at first, but she kept asking questions and seemed genuinely interested, so he fell into talking about what the group stood for, how they got funding, and the most recent push for green legislation that they were focused on. The last drew her deeper into the conversation, as it involved an effort to get the message out in the media to counter the opposition.

Though they were from completely different worlds, talking as they rode brought up some common interests. It started with the media, which was critical to the environmental activism of his family, and her foremost passion. That had somehow segued into favorite television shows, followed by movies and music, revealing a shared love for songs a generation out of sync with their peers.

Dan almost regretted seeing the fence on the back side of the pasture when they approached. He'd barely noticed the half hour passing as he talked to Brooke. The light in her eyes as he opened the gate was well worth the break in the conversation, though.

Dan hopped back up in the saddle, because her horse made it quite plain that he was ready to stretch his legs. Once he rode through with Brooke, he asked, "Ready?"

Altivo's whinny almost completely drowned out her enthusiastic, "Uh huh."

"Okay. Lean forward a bit if you feel unsteady, and just give a yell if you want to slow down. Here we go." He then gave a flick of his reins and called out "Yah!"

Her horse dutifully stayed alongside as Dan urged his to a canter, though he could see the animal constantly looking toward him in anticipation of a real run. Brooke was keeping her seat well, and glanced over to say, "Faster."

Dan laughed, and then gave both his date and her mount what they wanted. Two sets of hooves thundered across the pasture, accompanied by Brooke's cries of excitement, which sounded distinctly sexual to him. By the time they neared the other side of the trek, near the barn, he was half hard from the arousing sounds she made along the way.

As he slowed the pace back down to a fast walk around the barn, she released a loud, "Yes!" She then moaned and added, "Oh my god. That was incredible."

The sight of her breathing hard, her face flushed, and the orgasmic quality of her voice was almost too much to handle. He smiled and spent the rest of the ride around the barn trying to force the swelling in his jeans to go away before he had to dismount.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Brooke looked into her rear-view mirror as she drove away after the date, more than a little perplexed with Daniel. She'd done her level best to attract his eye at every opportunity, without much effect. Considering the outrageous amount of flirting she'd poured on, she'd expected him to be all over her.

Instead, he was a perfect gentleman. He'd certainly noticed her trying to accentuate her charms, but he just didn't react in the way she was used to when men thought they had a chance to get in her pants. He hadn't even pushed for a kiss afterwards, and she thought that taking that initiative might have been a bit too much.

Her phone rang, and she clicked the button to turn on the speakerphone.

"Get anything juicy? I haven't heard from you in two days." The caller asked before she could even say hello.

"Nothing yet," she answered. "I had a chance to peek into the sister's medicine cabinet, but there wasn't anything interesting there. He hasn't said anything really suspicious yet."

"Has he talked about all that land they have or the charities?"

"Yeah, I got him talking about it. I don't know whether he's telling the truth or not, but he has good stories to explain it all."

"He'll slip up eventually. Keep at him."

Brooke said, "I'll see what I can find out."

"There's something fishy with the whole family, and I'm going to find out what it is. They're just too good to be true. Get me the key to this story, and I guarantee you that you'll be working at the station as soon as you graduate."

"He's supposed to call me tomorrow."

"Don't keep me in suspense for so long next time. Gotta run. Keep me posted, babe."

Brooke hung up the phone, suddenly feeling a little uneasy about the whole situation. The talk with Dan had surprised her quite a bit, revealing common interests that she never would have anticipated. More than once, she'd caught herself forgetting what she was trying to wheedle out of him, telling stories of her own.

She shook it off, thinking that she was never going to make it as an investigative reporter if she didn't keep an objective eye on the ball. Daniel's family seemed too good to be true, and experience told her that such a feeling was almost always right — especially when it came to men.

She'd learned that lesson hard and fast, many years ago.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Daniel didn't know whether to be grateful or sad when Brooke pulled the popsicle stick from her mouth one last time. Her now bright cherry-red lips turned up into a smile, and she handed him the stick, which he deposited in the trash bin next to the bench where they sat.

After two weeks of dating, Dan was glad the amusement park had opened. He was running out of new ideas around town, and the park had provided a perfect solution for today.

He did at least have a great idea for tomorrow, which had taken a couple of days to set up. He couldn't wait to see her face when he sprang the surprise on her.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

She nodded, and they both stood up. She reached for his hand as they walked toward the exit of the park. "It's been so long since I actually came here to ride anything. All my friends ever wanted to do was walk around and flirt and gossip."

"Too bad it hasn't warmed up enough for them to open up the log flume. I like that better than the roller-coasters."

Brooke tugged on the sleeve of her white t-shirt as she stepped through the gates into the parking lot. "I think we might've had to skip it, even if it was open."

Daniel's cheeks warmed as he considered the thought of that t-shirt soaked through with water. Even dry, it didn't leave much to the imagination, thanks to an apparently thin bra and the still crisp spring air. "Yeah, I guess so."

She leaned into his shoulder and laughed. "You're so cute when you blush."

Because they'd arrived early and it was still the off-season, it was only a short walk from the gate to the car. Dan opened her door for her, and then crossed in front to his own side of the car.

As soon as he sat down, Brooke said, "I haven't had this much fun here since Mom and Dad brought me when I was little." She paused and rolled her eyes. "Before they got divorced and started hating each other."

"Had to be rough," he sympathetically offered as he backed out of the parking space.

"They did their best to keep us out of it, but we heard," she responded with a shrug.

For the next few minutes, she talked about the back and forth of her parent's divorce and how it made her feel. She seemed to need to talk, so Dan just let her know he was listening by making a few comments. Finally, she said, "Listen to me, trying to ruin the day. Can't expect all marriages to turn out as well as your parents'."

"Guess it's just a matter of finding the right person." He let his gaze linger on her just a little bit longer than intended — and far longer than he should have while driving. The reward of her uncharacteristically shy smile was well worth it, though.

He focused his eyes on the road just in time to see the dually pickup merging into his lane.

With traffic in the lane next to him, Dan had to hit the brakes hard. Brooke gasped and then exclaimed, "What a jackass!"

Once his heart stopped pounding, Dan noticed the advertisement for Greentree Timber painted on the tailgate of the truck and his eyes narrowed.

"There's no how's my driving number. I already looked," Brooke remarked.

"It's not that. That's the timber company that's after the patch of land the county is thinking about selling. I wonder where they're going, and what's under that tarp?" Dan felt a little stab of guilt that thoughts of Brooke had pushed the effort to prevent the sale to Wilson almost completely out of his head.

"Well, let's follow them, then."

Dan smiled and kept pace. Remembering the camcorder Brooke had brought with her to the park, Dan asked, "Hey, can you film that truck? Try to get the logo."

"Sure," she responded and opened her purse to retrieve the digital cam. She turned it on and aimed it out the windshield, recording the truck ahead. "How long?"

"Just a minute or two for now, then check it out to make sure you can read the logo."

She kept the camera on the truck for a while longer, and then turned it off to review what she'd just recorded. "It's clear. I can almost read the address at the bottom even on the viewscreen."

"Great. I don't know what good it will do, but I know that Dad will want to see it."

"I think he's going to exit," Brooke said a minute or two later.

"Yeah," Dan agreed, and flipped his turn signal to slip into the exit lane at almost the exact same time as the driver of the truck. He realized that there were two places of interest the truck might be going along the road they were circling around to.

Sure enough, the driver of the truck slowed down when approaching the turn toward the woods. Dan started to ask Brooke to get out the camera again, but when he glanced her way, she'd already aimed it at the truck.

"He's still going too fast, if he's planning to turn," she noted.

"Probably just drooling in anticipation."

"You really don't like them, do you?" she said as she shut down the camera again, the turn already past.

"I've seen the way those guys work. They claim to be conservation minded, but they leave just enough and replant just enough to hide where they clear-cut everything and tear up anywhere they go. They probably dump used oil and who knows what else too."

"Why is the county selling it to them, then?"

Dan shook his head. "Don't have enough proof to convince the council that it will happen, and we think some of them are on the take."




Secret of the Wood



"Better fall back a little bit. The traffic is thinning out," she suggested.

He nodded and eased off the accelerator. "I'll trust your instincts. You're the investigative journalist."

"And I smell a story."

He chuckled, keeping his eyes on the truck and the road. A few minutes later, the truck's brake lights came on.

"I've got it," Brooke said, once again anticipating him asking her to film the truck again.

"That's councilman Trosper's driveway."

"Just pass by and don't look," she warned while keeping the camera on the truck.

Dan did exactly that, and then thumped the steering wheel once he passed the driveway where the truck had turned. "Damn. I wish we could see what's under that tarp."

"Slow down and turn up there," Brooke instructed. When he made a puzzled sound, she said, "Trust me."

Dan made the turn and started uphill.

"Pull off right at the top of the hill. There's a gravel lot there."

Dan remembered a small civil war era graveyard there, and that the lot was for it. He stopped as soon as he pulled onto the gravel, and Brooke said, "Let's go."

He had to hurry to keep up with her as she skirted along the fence surrounding the graveyard, with her camera in hand. He broke out into a wide smile when he realized that she was heading for a spot overlooking the councilman's house.

The driver of the truck had already gotten out, dropped the tailgate, and set up ramps. Councilman Trosper was standing beside the truck. As Brooke aimed the camera, the driver of the truck climbed into the bed and unhooked the ties for the tarp. A minute or so later, he whipped off the tarp.

"Looks like a brand new quad."

"It looks like a bribe to me," Brooke corrected him, her voice filled with excitement.

The couple watched and filmed as the quad rolled out of the truck. The driver and councilman shared a handshake before the former climbed back into his vehicle and drove away.

Brooke turned off the camera. "Let's get back to my car. I've got an extra thumb drive that I can copy this onto for you." She grabbed his hand and eagerly tugged to encourage him to follow.

Though excited about having something that could actually prove what he suspected about the council, it was hard to think about that with Brooke's hand in his.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

A love song played on the radio, mingling with the cascade of water as Brooke showered. Touches of exhilaration still shot through her from capturing a real story of bribery unfolding right in front of her eyes. Even though Dan had asked her to keep it under wraps until he had a chance to talk to his father, she was tempted to take it to the biggest station in the city herself.

She unconsciously hummed along with the radio, and her mind wandered to the mixture of relief and excitement in Dan's expression when she'd told him that she was free tomorrow.

She was still humming when she turned off the water and slid back the glass door, but at the moment her foot stepped on the towel outside the shower, her smiled faded.

She slapped the radio to turn it off and thought, Stupid. What are you doing?

The word stupid continued to echo in her head as she toweled dry — a self tirade berating her for falling for it again. The old pain and anger swelled up inside her, along with the memories that she'd buried so well.

She'd developed early, and abundantly. The attention had frightened her at first, and then intrigued her as she grew accustomed to it. Then, he came along and swept her off her feet.

At fourteen, she was the talk of the school. She had a boyfriend who had a car, instantly propelling her into the social stratosphere, and making the other girls green with envy any time she walked past on his arm. For a month, any time she wasn't with him was spent reliving it with her friends in whispers, giggles, and sighs. Page after page of her notebook contained different ways of signing her married name, following the wedding she'd already planned in intricate detail.

As soon as he got what he wanted in the back seat of his car, he'd moved on to his next conquest.

She'd vowed that very night to never — ever — let anyone take advantage of her that way again. The redness of her eyes from crying was gone by the next day of school, replaced by determination. She kept up appearances to maintain her social status, and had a new boyfriend within the day. Soon enough, calculating the best way to stay on top of the ladder smothered her feelings.

Right up until she'd just caught herself humming a sappy love song and grinning from ear to ear.

With a towel wrapped around her body and another wound into a turban on her head, she stalked back into her bedroom toward the phone. She had to get back in control, which meant calling Dan and telling him that she had something more important to do tomorrow.

His cell went straight to voicemail, so she tried the home phone. An exasperated sigh escaped her as she tossed the receiver onto the bed, having gotten a busy signal with her second call. Her hand slashed the air in front of her as she turned back toward the bathroom, thinking to try again after finishing getting ready for bed.

A call on her cell from Benson looking for juicy tidbits distracted her, and she ended up going to bed without making the later call.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Dan peeked in on his father again and saw him typing an instant message. He recognized the handle as his brother's, and the window filled most of the screen. Ever since seeing the video, his father had been on the phone and the computer, talking to Carson and members of his firm, trying to decide how best to utilize the evidence.

The phone rang through for the first time in hours, as both the line and the call waiting had been in use almost all evening. His father glanced at the phone and called out, "It's Kia," as he returned to typing.

"I've got it," his mother answered from the front room.

"What do you think, Dad?" Dan asked when his father sent the message and sat back in his chair.

"We'll see. At the very least, this should convince a couple of people on the council who haven't been paid off yet that getting as far away from this mess as possible is conductive to their continued political life."

"What about going to court?"

"Have to agree with my partners. This isn't quite enough. We should be able to convince the D.A. to start digging, though."

Dan could tell that his father was excited, and that was a good sign. For the first time since seeing the rape of the land in the next county, he had some real hope that the future of the land that they were fighting for wouldn't share the same fate.

Uh oh, he thought as he saw his mother walking toward him, her eyes trained on the office door, and narrowed in irritation. He stepped out of the way, knowing better than to stand in the path of an approaching storm.

Brina's voice was filled with sarcastic sweetness when she reached the door to the home office. "Oh, dear. You do know that it's after midnight, don't you? Kia was just wondering if she might possibly have her husband back at some point this evening, too. If you both don't want to spend the night camping out in the tree fort, I suggest you come to bed."

Dan could almost hear his father wincing when he replied, "Sorry, Bree. I guess we just got caught up."

Her expression softened. "I know. I feel it too."

Dan's father appeared in the doorway and turned toward him. "Good work, Dan. Be sure to tell Brooke I said so, too. Speaking of which, shouldn't you be hitting the sack? Rumor has it that you have big plans tomorrow."

"Yep. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," his parents responded, and turned to walk hand-in-hand toward their bedroom.

Dan headed to his own room, but he knew that sleep wasn't going to come easily. He had too many things racing around in his head for that.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Brooke sat in the anchor's chair, reading the last of the news item on the paper that the cameraman had handed her. Other than the clothes she was wearing, she looked every bit the part.

"I'm Brook Kline, for Channel Seven News."

Dan and the crew who were there preparing for a real broadcast applauded, and Brooke's smiling face blushed bright red before she covered it with her hands and looked down for second.

"You're a natural. One take," the cameraman remarked.

The station manager laughed. "Wish it was that easy around here all the time. I'll go get you a copy."

Dan walked over to the still blushing Brooke and offered a hand. She took it and stood, her eyes locking with his for a few seconds.

"You were great," he said, his eyes lost in hers.

"Thanks."

A slightly amused cough from the cameraman snapped them back into reality. Daniel nodded toward the front of the desk and led Brooke off the set. He fended off her self-criticism until the station manager returned with the copy of the video, and capped his argument with, "You'll see for yourself when you watch this."

Daniel held out his hand to the station manager and smiled. "Thanks, James."

James took his hand and shook it. "Any time, Dan. Your Dad saved my butt in that bogus slander case. This isn't even a fraction of the thanks I owe you." He turned his attention to Brooke and nodded. "You're aiming for the right profession, I'll tell you that."

"I hope so."

"Back to work. I have advertisers to call," James said, waving as he headed back to his office.

"Let's go, so I can maybe stop blushing," Brooke said.

Dan smiled and walked her out to the car. Once he'd opened her door for her and crossed to take his own seat behind the wheel, he turned toward her and asked, "So, did you have fun?"

"Yes. I never — ever — would have guessed what you were up to." Once again, her eyes met his. "It was just... The most..."

Daniel's heart started racing as she leaned toward him. She tugged on his wrist, drawing him toward her as well. Her lips parted, and her eyes drifted closed.

The kiss was something that he knew he would remember until his dying day. Though they'd kissed at the end of the last several dates, this was something far different. Their lips met in a soft caress that only lasted a second, and then she leaned back slightly.

"Thank you," she said in a soft, shy voice, her face only far enough away to look into his eyes again.

"You're welcome."

A horn tooting startled them both, and Dan looked up to see someone driving by giving him the thumbs-up signal.

"Uhm... I guess we better get out of here."

Brooke's cheeks were once again quite flushed when she gave him an enthusiastic nod.

Back out on the road, Dan said, "I didn't really have anything else planned for the day. Is there anything you want to do?"

"Try not to be seen in public with this stupid grin on my face," she replied and punctuated it with an embarrassed laugh. "That was the sweetest, most thoughtful thing that anyone has ever done for me."

"I was hoping that you'd like it."

"I loved it."

The word love on her lips gave him chills. "So, you hungry?"

Brooke nodded. "Subway sounds good. Why don't we make a picnic of it, like we did that day horseback riding?"

Dan was quite happy to agree with that.

A short while later, the couple stepped into Dan's spot beneath the elm, subs in hand. Brooke said, "I can see why you spend so much time here. It's so beautiful, and peaceful."

Dan desperately wanted to say that she fit right in, but didn't want to sound as love-struck as he felt.

Brooke's eyes widened and she whispered, "Look at that squirrel. It's almost close enough to touch."

He held his breath, but knew he was in trouble when another squirrel skittered down the tree, its claws clicking on the bark. He fed the animals regularly, and they were completely unafraid of him. A second later, the first squirrel did exactly what he hoped it wouldn't do.

Brooke gasped when it jumped off the tree onto his shoulder.

Dan chuckled and shook his head against the squirrel's bushy tail tickling his nose. "Sorry, guys. I didn't bring any treats with me today."

"Wow. Do you think it would let me touch it?"

Seeing the wonder in her eyes sent relief flooding through him. He wasn't going to have to explain. "Maybe. He likes his chin scratched. Move slow, and let him have a sniff first, so he can get to know you."

The squirrel tensed when she tentatively reached toward it. Dan said, "It's okay. She's not going to hurt you." He then looked back at Brooke. "Move a little closer."

She raised her hand a little more, and the squirrel darted its head forward to sniff for a second. It almost immediately scrambled away to hide with only its eyes peeking up over Dan's back, and then slowly climbed back up on his shoulder toward her. After a few more seconds of hesitation, it sniffed her fingers again.

"Turn your hand palm up, slowly."

She followed his directions, and then he said, "Okay, give his chin a little scratch."

The squirrel twitched its tail as she scratched its chin, drawing a giggle from her.

From the tree overhead, the other squirrel chattered. The one on Dan's shoulder shrank back, looked up, and almost immediately leapt back into the tree. Both squirrels then climbed back up into the boughs.

Dan laughed and said, "That was his girlfriend. I guess she was feeling a little threatened."

Brooke picked a long hair from the squirrel's tail off Dan's shoulder. "You must have been a druid in a past life or something."

He nodded toward the ground, and the couple sat down on the soft carpet of forest debris. "You believe in stuff like that?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Sure. There are plenty of things we can't explain. Maybe some of it is things that we just don't understand, but I think there's magic in the world."

Little did she know that he had more than just blind faith to base that belief on.

"I've never really talked about it with anyone that much. People look at you like you're crazy."

"Not me," he said and smiled.

Brooke reached into her purse for a bottle of hand sanitizer before opening her sub. She glanced up into the tree for a second and asked, "You don't think they'll be offended, do you?"

He laughed and shook his head, taking the bottle after she was done before opening his sandwich as well.

The hours passed unnoticed as the couple sat and talked. The kiss they shared when he dropped her off at her house that evening was far longer than any previous, and left him absolutely spellbound.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Ten-year-old Glen's voice piped up from the back seat as Kia drove home from the store. "Mom, why is Uncle Dan acting so goofy?"

"He's in love, Glen."

He stuck out his tongue and declared, "Bleh."

Kia laughed, glad that her son had chosen to wait until Dan wasn't around before asking that question. Her brother had come to her — albeit reluctantly — looking for inspiration, because he'd exhausted his own ideas for dates with Brooke. She'd started with finding out what they'd done so far, and then moved on to how the relationship was coming along.

The look on his face had been priceless when she'd asked about kissing, and whether there was any tongue involved yet.

In the end, she suggested that it was time to surprise Brooke with the knowledge that he could cook — and not just on the grill. The timing was perfect, because she, her husband, and the kids would be at her mother's house having a birthday dinner for Gary. That left her house free for Dan to wine and dine Brooke.

She hoped that he'd taken her suggestion to go sit under his tree and relax when she offered to go to the store and get everything he needed — plus a few special touches. He'd been pacing and fidgeting the whole time, and she had little doubt that there would be a track worn in her floor if he was still at it.

She pulled up to the last stop sign in town and checked for traffic. When she looked to the right, her good mood evaporated, and her stomach went sour.

Kia hit a button on her phone to activate the voice dialing and said, "Mom," to make the call.

She had no idea how she was going to tell her brother that she'd just seen Brooke handing a file folder to the reporter who had been harassing the family.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Brooke handed the folder back without even looking at it. "Look, Benson, I'm telling you that there's nothing to find."

He waved the folder and said, "Oh, come on. You can't tell me that you don't smell something rotten about them. Surely you want to find out what secrets they're hiding just as much as I do. Just look at this. Look at all that land they have. They have to be embezzling from one of those environmental activists groups that they're part of."

She shook her head. "You're wrong. Nothing he's said seems the least bit suspicious."

"You've got to try harder than that if you're going to make it in this biz. Shake that tight little ass of yours and jiggle those tits, sweetheart. Once you've got all the blood out of the big head, he'll spill everything."

Brooke's skin crawled, and not just because of the way he leered at her when he said it. She'd gone into this doing exactly that, and the thought of it made her nauseous now. After all, it had worked all her life. All she'd ever had to do was bat her eyelashes and shake her booty to get her way with any man.

What Dan had done for her at the television station and the hours of sitting and talking afterward had changed all that. Despite her convictions from the night before, he'd managed to break through her armor. Part of her screamed not to be a fool, but the part that believed Dan really was what he seemed was winning.

When she was with him, she felt wonderful. When they were apart, thinking about him was like a mirror on her soul, and she was more disappointed with what it reflected about her by the moment. Her whole life felt superficial and sleazy now, and Benson standing in front of her was the perfect example of it.

"I'm not your sweetheart," she sneered, and turned her back on him, heading toward her car.

"You're making a huge mistake. This is a golden opportunity."

She tuned him out and slammed the car door. He just kept waving the file folder and talking as she started the engine, and he was still doing it as she drove away.

The golden opportunity that she'd stumbled upon had nothing to do with Benson and his offer to put in a word for her at the station. She had made a huge mistake, but it was in missing what an incredible guy Dan was just because he wasn't part of the in-clique at school.

Now, she didn't know if she could handle the guilt of having started dating him under false pretenses, in order to seize that golden opportunity. Tears welled up in her eyes as she made the decision to tell Dan everything. She just couldn't live with lying to him any longer, even if it meant losing him.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Though it had taken some time, Daniel had managed to relax as his sister had suggested. He'd actually dozed off after a short while, and a peculiar sensation awakened him.

When he came back to his senses, he realized that what he was feeling was a squirrel trying to root its way into the pocket of the jacket he was using as a pillow, while three others looked on. He yawned and said, "Hold on, you impatient little bushtails."

After distributing the peanuts he'd brought as treats for the squirrels, he stretched and reached for his cell to see what time it was. As soon as he turned it on, it beeped to signal an incoming message, startling the squirrels around him. "Sorry, guys," he apologized.

The message was from his sister. Come to Grandma's. We need to talk.




Secret of the Wood



Dan's brow furrowed as he wondered what it could be. He reached up and scratched the chin of the squirrel sitting on his shoulder staring curiously at the phone and said, "Sorry, I've got to get up."

As soon as his furry friend leapt down, Dan stood up to stretch and yawn one more time. Brooke had said she was going to be busy until late today, so he still had a couple of hours to wait before he could call and ask her to come to dinner.

He was just about to start walking home when the squirrels began acting very peculiar. The animals had all focused their attention on the elm, and their tails twitched with excitement as they chattered to each other. He looked behind the tree and up into the branches, but didn't see anything unusual. A quick look around did reveal a deer peeking out from between two small pines, and a pair of rabbits near the brown remains of cattails near the pond.

The crunch of gravel from a car pulling up to Kia's house caused him to turn that way, but not before he saw the animals all scurry for cover. Another beep from his cell announced a second message from his sister. He sent her back a text letting her know that he'd gotten the message, and that he'd be there in a little while.

He closed the phone, stuck it in his pocket, and looked up to see Brooke standing at the edge of the clearing.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Kia, Brina, and her father all regarded Xantina curiously when the dryad laughed. The news Kia had delivered about seeing Brooke with the reporter was hardly a laughing matter.

The nymph rolled her eyes, stole a quick kiss from her mate, and said, "All will be well."

"But, Mom," Brina started to protest.

The elder Daniel then cocked his head as if listening for something in the distance. He nodded his head and a smile spread across his face. "I think she's right."

"What is it?" Kia asked.

"Think things are taking care of themselves," the family patriarch answered.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Dan smiled and walked toward her. "Hey, Brooke. I thought you were..." He trailed off as he got close enough to see her clearly in the shadows of the trees and could tell that she'd been crying. "What's wrong?"

"I... I need to..." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as a tear rolled down her cheek. "God, this is so hard."

He paused before reaching her, the tone of her voice causing his stomach to do flip-flops. "What is it?"

Her eyes opened again, and yet another tear streamed downward. "That day in the park..." After a brief pause, resigned resolve crossed her face and she quickly continued, "I was waiting for you."

"Okay," he responded, not understanding.

"I'm... I'm not who you think I am." She turned away, seemingly unable to look at him. "I was waiting there because someone asked me to. Benson — he asked me to try to get on the inside and find out what I could about you. About your family."

Daniel knew the reporter's name, and he could feel his heart break.

"I should have known it was wrong, but he... It doesn't matter. I should have known. I'm a fake."

"What does he want?"

"He thinks that you're embezzling or something. He... He just doesn't understand."

She turned fully away then and quickly blurted out, "There's nothing to worry about. I didn't tell him anything, because there's nothing to tell." Her voice broke up in a sob as she finished with, "I'm so sorry," and started to walk away.

Dan caught her hand before she could make her escape, and turned her back toward him. She looked down and away, refusing to meet his eyes.

"I know it wasn't all an act. It couldn't have been."

"I'm a fake. I told you."

"Then why are you crying?"

"Please just let me go," she sobbed, and weakly tried to wrench away.

Daniel cupped her cheek in his hand and caught her gaze. "I don't ever want to let you go."

"But I lied to you. I spied on you."

"Doesn't matter." His smile said it far more clearly than the words ever could.

Brooke's lips parted and a little whimper passed them. Her legs seemed to lose all strength for a second, and Dan quickly wrapped his other arm around her to support her.

"If it was all an act, you never would have told me. You wouldn't be crying. I know you. The real you. Not the act. Not the popular cheerleader from school. It's you that I'm falling in love with, Brooke."

"I... I..." she sobbed, and then leaned into his chest, wrapping her arms tight around him as if afraid he might vanish if she didn't.

Dan held her close, stroking her back and hair as she cried. The animals, which had gone quiet when she arrived, returned to their unknowable conversations and songs praising the day. The wind kicked up, moving aside overhead limbs to let a brilliant beam of sunlight shine down upon the couple below. He was lost in the embrace, and had no idea how much time had passed before the squirrel jumped up on his shoulder.

The squirrel's tail tickled Brooke's face, and she looked up to laugh, tears of joy having replaced those of sorrow.

"Way to interrupt, bushytail," Dan said to the critter sitting on his shoulder.

"It's..." Suddenly, Brooke's eyes widened and she whispered, "D-dan..." He turned his head, following her startled gaze, and thought, Oh boy.

At first, he thought it was his grandmother walking out of the elm as if through a door. After the first moment of shock, he realized that there were subtle differences. The dryad's hair was a darker green, and her breasts were smaller and perkier than his grandmother's. The nymph looked around, blinking her eyes like someone who has just awakened in an unfamiliar place.

"Who... What is she?" Brooke whispered as she cowered behind him.

"There's nothing to be afraid of," Dan tried to comfort her as the nymph took notice of them.

The dryad started at first, but then tilted her head and regarded Dan curiously for a moment. She suddenly smiled, recognizing the aura of nature that was his birthright. "Hello. What is this place? This is not my place."

"It is now, Sister," a familiar voice sounded from the trees.

Before he could think better of it, Dan turned toward her and said, "Grandma?"

His grandfather stepped out of the trees right behind Xantina, and almost immediately darted in behind his mate to cover his nakedness when he noticed Brooke looking right at him. His cover quickly vanished as the two dryads let out simultaneous squeals of delight and rushed toward each other.

The elder Daniel chuckled nervously and shrugged his shoulders.

"Grandpa, what are you doing?"

"But, you said your grandparents died," Brooke remarked.

"Uhm... I actually said they were in a better place," Dan weakly explained.

"Cat's out of the bag now, Dan." He scratched his head and looked toward the two nymphs. "I'm going to have to have a little talk with your grandmother about that."

Brooke's grip on Dan's arm relaxed a little. "This is just... Wow," she said, and Dan was glad to notice that she didn't sound afraid.

"Grandma, who is she?" Dan asked, as much to break the short silence that followed as from curiosity.

"She is my sister, Xannera," Xantina said, and then nodded toward Dan.

Xannera walked over and said, "My place had become very small and stinky and loud. I was so tired and lonely, but you brought me here. This place is very nice. I like it here. Thank you."

"You're welcome, but I don't understand."

"I think I do," his grandfather offered. "That's her tree, isn't it? The one he transplanted here."

Xantina nodded. "He heard her weeping, and he helped her."

"I guess you do sort of have an ulterior motive for all the environmental stuff your family does," Brooke observed. Her voice somehow managed to convey amusement, curiosity, and just a touch of awe all at the same time.

He looked at her and said, "You okay? I know this is a lot to take in."

"You think?"

Dan echoed her smile and chuckled.

"I told you that I believe in magic. I never thought that I'd actually see it, but I really do believe in it."

Xantina gracefully glided over and let out a musical laugh. "She is very pretty, Daniel. I like her." The nymph then clasped Xannera and her mate's hands. "Come. Take our hands. Make a circle."

Dan already held Brooke's hand, so he reached for Xannera's, since she was on his side. Brooke hesitated a second when Dan's grandfather held out his hand, but after reassuring smiles from both men, she completed the circle.

"Now close your eyes," Xantina instructed.

"Do it. Trust me, your stomach will do flip-flops if you don't," the green-haired Daniel instructed.

Dan watched Brooke close her eyes, and then did the same. He snapped them back open a second later when he heard his mother say, "Mom?"

Brooke let out a gasp, which wasn't surprising, all things considered. Kia and Brina sat together on the edge of Xantina's pool, their clothing neatly piled a short distance away. The two women shared a glance, and then slipped into the pool. Though the crystal clear water did little to hide their nakedness, it was the best that they could do to reduce the shock to Brooke.

"Come meet my sister, Xannera," Xantina declared, and then dived into the pool. The other dryad was close behind.

"Uhm... My grandmother has an aversion to clothing," Dan explained to a wide-eyed Brooke.

Xantina splashed him and said, "Coverings are silly."

Dan wiped water from the perfectly aimed splash out of his eyes, and his mouth dropped wide open when he saw Brooke tossing her blouse aside.

"Dan, your eyes are as wide as saucers," his grandfather whispered to him as he passed to join everyone else in the pool.

Though he tried to heed the friendly advice, it was difficult to do with her standing right next to him in just her bra. "Brooke, you don't have to."

"He's right," his mother added as she swam up to the edge of the pool. "It takes some getting used to. You don't have to embarrass yourself to make an impression. We should probably get dressed, too. Mom will endure — though we'll probably get splashed a bit."

Xantina blew a raspberry at her daughter.

Dan bent to pick up her blouse as Brooke giggled at his grandmother's reaction, but she stopped him before he could reach it.

Her face was bright red, but she shrugged and squeezed his hand. "I take my shoes off when I go to Aiko's house, because that's what they do."

Dan's voice sounded just as nervous as Brooke's. "This is a little different. You sure?"

She nodded and lifted one foot to untie her shoe.

Another splash from his grandmother prompted Dan to pull off his now soaked shirt. His heart thundered in his chest as he tried not to stare at Brooke removing her clothing. He had a second battle going on as well — trying to stem the flow of blood rushing between his legs as Brooke revealed her body.

Dan had just pulled down his jeans when Brooke walked over to the pool and dipped in a toe. The water was perfectly warm despite the season, and the dark-haired beauty waded in a second later. The sight of her bare bottom entranced him, leaving him standing with his thumbs hooked into the waist of his boxers.

Brooke turned, her blush having spread all the way down to her chest, though she had a smile on her face. "Are you coming?"

Though he'd seen his family naked all his life, Brooke was something altogether different. Dark pink circles capped her abundant breasts, surrounding large nipples that stood stiff and erect. A neatly manicured triangle of curls adorned her mound, such a sharp contrast to the women in his family, who only had hair on their heads.

When his grandmother tugged on Brooke's hand to guide her toward the center of the pool, Dan took advantage of her glancing away to drop his boxers and hop into the pool to try to hide his swelling erection.

The elder Daniel clapped his hands to distract attention from his obviously nervous grandson and said, "Now, let's get to know each other, and see if we can't solve a few problems."

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Dan sat at the candlelit table in his sister's dining room, smiling at Brooke, having finally had the opportunity to cook her the dinner that he'd planned. Because of his family's traditional Earth Day gathering, he'd moved it up to lunch, so that the two of them could be with the rest of the family at his grandmother's pool later that day.

The last several days had been a whirlwind of activity. As soon as his grandmother had given Brooke her blessing by welcoming her, the rest of the family had forgotten any reservations that they had about the young woman. That proved quite valuable, because Brooke was able to offer a lot of help in pulling off the plan his grandfather conceived.

The family had put together a mountain of financial records from every facet of their lives, along with statements from accountants, law partners, and anyone else they could think of. They then invited Benson over to the house. Within a few minutes, the reporter had grown visibly bored with having everything he'd tried to acquire on his own dumped in his lap, only to find nothing interesting.

That's when Dan handed him a gem that took his mind off the family. With a lead to government corruption in hand and the perfect sound bite of Earth Day to present it, Benson had turned his attention to the scandal.

The initial report had aired just this morning, and the words no comment had suddenly become very popular amongst a few members of the county council. Brooke had mixed feelings about Benson acknowledging her as the person who shot the video.

The vote to sell the land was off the table for now, but Dan suspected that it would soon come back up again. His father and brother were working out how to buy the land themselves with some help from the forest preservation groups the family belonged to, in order to ensure that it never fell into Greentree's hands.

"Your sister was right. You're a wonderful cook," Brooke remarked as she sat down her glass.

"Thanks. Have I told you that you look beautiful?"

She curled a lock of dark hair around her fingertip and answered, "Oh, a dozen times today, but you can say it again if you want."

The last several days had broken down any lingering doubts that Brooke harbored about Dan's feelings for her. The couple had found several opportunities to be alone, more than a few of which she was sure that his family had purposely provided, and he hadn't once tried to take advantage of it. Though she wanted him more by the moment, the time just hadn't felt right, and she suspected that he felt the same way.

"You're beautiful."

"I hope you never get tired of saying that," she whispered as she leaned in for a kiss.

"Never," he whispered back between kisses.

"Why don't we take a walk?"

"Hmm?"

She stood up. "It's a beautiful day. Let's walk down by the pond."

He rose from his seat as well, blew out the candles, and took her hand. The sun shone bright as they stepped out onto the porch into the unusually warm spring day. Hand in hand, they crossed the yard into the woods beyond. Pine needles scrunched underfoot as they followed the trail.

"I've been thinking..." Dan said.

"About what?"

"About what I want to do with my life."

"And..?"

"I'm thinking about going into politics?"

"Why politics?"

He shrugged and said, "I don't know. I guess I just want to do something different. Maybe if I'd been on the county council, we'd have found out about Greentree sooner, and had a chance to do something about it before it got as close to a vote as it did."

She smiled and snuggled up closer to him as they crossed the old wooden bridge spanning the creek that fed the pond at his spot. "If that's what you want to do, then you'll always have at least one member of the media on your side."

There was nothing of hesitation in her voice, and that locked his decision in stone. "I'm going to go for it."

She squeezed his hand, and he didn't need any more than that to know she'd be by his side all the way down the path he'd chosen, just as she was on the path winding through the evergreens.

"Do you think she's here?" Brooke asked upon reaching the clearing by the pond.

Dan looked around and shrugged. "Don't know. She's been spending a lot of time with Grandma, trying to learn about how things have changed while she was sleeping." Xantina had revealed that her sister nymph had been in a sort of hibernation for lifetimes as the city gobbled up her forest.

Brooke led him toward the elm, stepped out of her shoes, and asked, "So what is your Earth Day celebration like?"

"It's just sort of a time for us all to catch up and be together. We have a lot of fun. It's not really all that different from any other holiday gathering."

"Except that you're all naked?"

Dan laughed as he sat down next to the tree with her. "Well, yeah, there is that, and the splashing."

"I still can't believe I took my clothes off like that. I wasn't even thinking about it until you told me that I didn't have to. It just doesn't feel strange there." She paused to laugh. "Well, not too strange. I guess it will take some getting used to."

"Yeah, Dad and Steve say that I'm lucky I never knew any different."

Brooke's lips parted slightly, and the couple came together in a kiss. Dan cradled her cheek in his hand, tingling all over from the taste of her lips and the feeling of her fingers running through his hair.

The tingle changed into a chill when her tongue slipped into the kiss. Her hand moved down from his hair to his back, and her other hand glided up his leg. Dan matched her passion, his heart beginning to race.

Brooke pulled back a little to take a breath, and rubbed her nose against his. Then she whispered, "Maybe I should get some practice."

She sat back on her knees and reached for the top button on her blouse. Naturally, his eyes followed her fingers as the first two buttons popped open, but then he looked up into her eyes. She wore a sensual smile and let her eyes drift closed for a moment when his gaze met hers. Her cheeks flushed slightly as the buttons continued to open, revealing the valley between her breasts, then her bra, and finally her tummy.

Dan stroked his hand up her side as she shrugged off the blouse, and she responded to his touch with a moan. Her breasts thrust toward him as she reached around her back to unhook the clasp of her bra. She slowly slid the straps off her shoulders, and gasped when his hand cupped the unbound globe of her right breast.

A shudder passed through her as her bra fell to the carpet of grass, leaves, and pine needles. Dan's fingers curl around the entire swell of her breast and he looked into her eyes again. She gave him just the slightest nod, and he scooted closer.

Brooke let out a sharp whimper and stiffened for a second as his thumb moved to the erect point of her right nipple, and he took the left between his lips in a gentle caress.

Her soft sounds of pleasure mingled with the birdsong, becoming a part of the symphony of nature around them. He adored her breasts with kisses, suckling the tips and teasing them with his tongue. She mussed his hair, her body slightly swaying in response to the touch of his lips. When her other hand gathered up the material of his shirt to pull it free of his jeans, he paused just long enough to pull the shirt over his head and toss it aside.

"Oh yes, Dan," she moaned when he returned to his labor of love on her breasts. Her hands roamed over his bare torso, tracing the hills and valleys of his muscles, and slipping beneath the waist of his jeans.

Dan's cock throbbed in protest against the denim constraining it, and he had to sit back to adjust his swollen member out of the uncomfortable position. Brooke's hands glided up his back to his shoulders, and she stood up in the same sexy, graceful motion.




Secret of the Wood



He rose to his feet as well while Brooke worked open the buttons on her skirt. The pleated cloth pooled at her feet a second later, revealing her white cotton panties. She stepped forward, and their lips met in a brief kiss. At the same time, she popped open the button of his jeans.

His zipper slid down, and she pulled down on the denim to expose his boxers. The kiss they shared this time was far from brief, and filled with passionate anticipation. She traced the outline of his stiff cock with her fingertips, making him groan, and then squeezed it with a slightly surprised sounding groan of her own.

"Make love to me, please," she begged in a husky whisper.

Some dim part of his awareness that wasn't focused on Brooke sinking down to the ground again caused him to blush, as he had to struggle a bit to remove his shoes and jeans. Fortunately, the feeling lasted only a moment as he watched her recline to tease her breasts with her fingertips.

Brooke offered silent instruction when he finally managed to drop his boxers and stepped out of them. As he sank to his knees, she lifted her bottom and glanced down at her panties. He took the hint, and pulled the cloth past the swell of her hips, revealing the arrow of dark curls on her mound.

She lifted her legs to let him completely remove her panties, leaving one leg bent at the knee and allowing the other to settle to the grass as the cotton garment slipped from his fingers. Wetness glistened in the sunlight on her folds, and the breeze blowing through the trees conspired to bring the scent of her arousal to him, filling his lungs.

Dan moved forward and dropped down onto his hands, seeking her lips again. As they kissed, she reached between their bodies to squeeze and stroke his cock. "Please," she entreated him again, and angled his tip down to touch her nether lips.

Only a slight shift of position and her guiding hand allowed him to sink into her warm, wet embrace. She let out a long moan as he penetrated her, and gasped when his tip settled in her depths.

Her walls squeezed him tight, and then even tighter as her intimate muscles contracted around him. Her head lolled back, and a sharp whimper accompanied yet another tightening of her canal around him. Dan remained buried deep inside her for a second, reveling in the sensation of their bodies becoming as one.

He rocked his hips slowly and said, "Ah, Brooke, you feel so good."

"Mmm, I'm so full. You're so deep," she responded, her voice rising and falling in pitch, in time with the motion of his body.

Dan walked his hands backwards and straightened, wanting to see her. Her half-closed eyes popped wide open and she cried out, "Oh!" as the change in angle caused him to hit all new pleasure triggers.

"Yes. Mmm, just like that," she encouraged him while a hand moved between her legs.

Dan's eyes roamed from her slightly flushed face to her breasts, and down to where she tickled and rubbed her swollen clit. Her wetness coated his shaft from root to tip, and the sight of her nether lips clinging to him as if trying to keep him from leaving her depths caused him to increase his pace unconsciously.

Though her eyes closed often in pleasure, whenever they were open, they sought his. He could see a perfect mixture of love and passion in her deep brown eyes, making his heart sing. She fit him like a glove, as if she were made for him, caressing him in ways he'd never dreamed of with every slow stroke. He felt no need to hurry, and truthfully never wanted it to end. 

Brooke began to writhe on the grass as the minutes passed, her musical sounds of pleasure growing louder and more frequent as they coupled. Her breathing quickened, as did the pace of her fingers over her bud. Though he was feeling the first tickles of his own release in the tip of his cock, it was far more subdued than he was used to, much like the slow pace that he maintained.

"Oh. Oh. Oh yes. Oh yes," she whimpered, her voice steadily rising in pitch. "I... I..." Whatever she had started to say transformed into a long, almost pained-sounding cry that culminated in a squeal.

Brooke bucked violently as she came, the hand between her legs slapping hard to the earth. She arched her back, her mouth open in a silent, jaw-trembling scream. Her toes and fingers curled as she squeezed unbelievably tight around him.

Another spasm wracked her body, and her bottom dropped to the grass again. The cry of ecstasy trapped in her throat finally made a warbling escape, followed by a loud gasp to draw air back into her starved lungs.

Dan's cock slipped from her with the second lurch of her body, but he didn't care in the least. The sight of her coming so energetically was better than any orgasm he'd ever experienced. He stroked her legs and simply watched her gasp, whimper, and moan her way through the seemingly endless waves of sexual release flowing through her.

Finally, her breathing grew more regular, and the tremors of her body dulled into shivers. Her eyes fluttered open. She smiled, and let out a long, languid moan.

"Oh, that was wonderful. I love you, Dan."

"I love you, too."

"Mmm, kiss me."

He was happy to oblige that request, and reclined next to her to do so. A lingering tingle of her orgasm caused her to twitch when their lips first touched, but then they both melted into the soft, sweet kiss.

For long minutes, they simply looked at each other, caressing each other's faces and tasting each other's lips when the whim struck them. Then, she rolled over onto her side to better look at him, and felt his still-hard cock tickling her.

"You didn't come?"

He shook his head. "Good thing. We sort of forgot about something."

"Nuh uh. I'm on the pill." She curled her fingers around his erection and purred, "It's so gorgeous."

Dan groaned, his cock throbbing in her grasp. She looked into his eyes, bit her lower lip and offered a coquettish smile as she sat up. Dan rolled onto his back and admired her body as she stood. He moaned when she stroked her fingers over her moist folds above him.

He sat up as she sauntered past him, her ass swaying in a teasing dance. She walked up next to the elm and put her hands on the trunk, bending low to thrust her bottom out at him.

Brooke looked back over her shoulder, a wave of chocolate brown hair obscuring one eye, and wiggled her ass in invitation.

Dan never took his eyes off her as he accepted.

"Mmm hmm," Brooke moaned as he reached her and stroked his hands over her heart-shaped bottom, clearing away the pine needles stuck to her soft skin.

His caress slid higher, up her sides, and reached her breasts. He gave them a slight squeeze, and then leaned down to trace kisses up her bare back to her neck. Brooke panted, pushing her ass against his cock, and said, "I love the way you touch me."

She bent a little lower, and when that didn't accomplish her goal, one hand left the tree to reach between her legs, attempting to guide his cock inside her. He got the hint, and moved one hand down to her hips, while he used the other to rub the head of his cock up and down her moist folds.

A push of his hips, and he was once again nestled in her depths.

"So good," she said as her fingers went to work on her clit.

Dan started slowly, as he had the first time, but Brooke had obviously sated her desire for soft lovemaking. She pushed her hips back toward him with every thrust, each time a little harder than the last.

He surrendered a little control over his desire, his cock sliding in and out of her fast enough for quiet claps to sound with each deep penetration. Still, Brooke urged him on. "Faster. Harder."

Inflamed by the incredibly sexy tone of her voice and the way she fucked back at him, he gave her his all. The previously subdued sound of their bodies coming together grew loud, her ass jiggling from the force of his thrusts. "God yeah," he growled as the hot friction built up the itch of impending climax within him.

"Yes. Take me. Fuck me," she exclaimed, her flashing fingers brushing against his balls each time he drove his cock into her depths.

The quick pace eroded his control, and he knew he wouldn't last much longer. He slowed a little, trying to delay the fast approaching explosion of his seed.

"Don't stop. I'm so close. Give it to me. Come for me!" The last word turned into a broken squeal.

He didn't have much choice, as slowing down had done absolutely nothing to dull the feeling of her walls milking him. He was past the point of no-return now. Surrendering to the inevitable, he pounded his cock home, grunting and growling in exertion.

"G-gonna... Gonna come," he warned, knowing he had a few thrusts left, at best.

"Yes! Come for me!" she cried out, and then loosed a scream of ultimate ecstasy.

As orgasm claimed her, her canal clamped down on him, setting off his own climax. Dan buried his cock inside her with a growl that shot up in volume as his seed surged forth.

"Ah, fill me up!" Brooke squealed, and then screamed again as another wave of beautiful agony shot through her body.

Dan's cock pulsed, shooting his cream deep inside her. Every spurt was harder than any he'd ever experienced before, sending chills up and down his spine from the rare, delightful sensation.

"Oh yes, Dan. Oh yes. Oh yes," she whimpered as his throbbing caused her intimate muscles to contract, which in turn caused him to throb yet again. Her fingernails dug into the bark of the tree while her curled toes pushed into the soft earth below.

His energy drained from him along with his cum, Dan's head dropped down until his chin was against his heaving chest. The shock of yet another squeeze of her intimate muscles around him instinctively caused him to jerk free. She yelped as cool air kissed her hot sex, and her depths ached from the sudden emptiness.

Brooke remained standing, one sticky-fingered hand hanging limp at her side, while the other formed a pillow for her to lean her head against the tree. Dan wasn't so lucky, as his wobbly legs simply refused to support him. He gave them their way and sat down heavily on the ground, offering him a perfect view of cum starting to well up from between Brooke's nether lips.

"Oh, that was so good. I swear I could feel it squirting inside me. Did you come hard?"

"Uh huh," was all he could find the strength to mutter as he decided that even sitting up was too much effort. He lay down with a grunt, his softening cock slapping against his thigh.

She straightened and turned to face him, grinning when he groaned at the sight of her dipping her finger into the cream dribbling from her, and tasting it. "God, me too. Both times. No one has ever made me come so hard — so fast."

She lay down next to him and rested her head on his chest, listening to the sound of his heartbeat. He wrapped an arm around her and sighed in spent bliss.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Xantina cooed as her mate pumped the last of his seed deep inside her. Just up the hill, Brina let her head loll back and reveled in the feeling of her husband filling her full as she quivered atop him. Steve and Kia were likewise enjoying the first waves of their simultaneous orgasms in a hotel room in town.

Because she was so intimately connected to the members of her family, and they to her, every couple had shared their bliss through her magic — with the added spice of Dan and Brooke's first time thrown into the mix. The lovemaking was as much a part of the family Earth Day tradition as the gathering afterward.

Even Xannera shuddered in orgasm, having brought it on with her fingers as she watched the young couple engaged in the ultimate expression of love beneath her tree. She was beginning to understand that this thing her sister had spoken of was a very nice thing indeed.

Xantina's ever-growing family settled into the afterglow, sharing the love that was the true secret of the wood.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Hope you've enjoyed this fourth walk into the wood with me. Please take a moment to vote, ( Just once — no stuffing the ballot box ) and perhaps leave me a comment to let me know what you think of the story. Be sure to read and vote on as many contest stories as you can, too.