Title: Homestead
Author:Eskimo1958
Summary: Ben takes his son to the old family farm in Tennessee for the summer. They
find it occupied by a lady and her daughter, who are on the run from her former husband's
family. Ben helps out, and he and his son get a wonderful reward.
Keywords: MF, mf, rom, preg, virg

Ben turned off the highway and onto the old, dirt lane. After twenty feet, he stopped in front of a large gate, saying to his son, "Go on," as he pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and handed them to him, adding, "Unlock it."

Seventeen year-old Bob opened his door, and went to the gate, unlocking it quickly and pushing it open. He waited for his dad to pull the large Chevy suburban and the utility trailer it was pulling through the gate before he closed it and locked it back up. He went and climbed back into the passenger seat, and Ben started on up the lane. Ben was still thinking, it had been almost fourteen months since they were back at his old stomping grounds. This land here in central Tennessee was his family's, and still is, as it had been for well over a hundred and seventy years. He was suppose to have spent last summer here, with his wife and son. But two weeks before they were to leave, Jean was diagnosed with cancer. She lasted for seven months, passing on just before last Christmas.

Bob was silent as well. He had been thinking abut his own future. He just finished his junior year of high school, he was entering his final year, and still unsure what he wanted to study in college. But there were other issues as well. His long time girlfriend of three years broke things off a month back. And the other girls in school weren't exactly breaking the door down to want to date him. And now he's rode five hundred miles with his dad, to his great-grandparents old homestead, and he really wasn't too thrilled over it.

His dad's only sister said it would be good for both, to get away from life up north for a spell, but two whole months? Aunt Ginny is unmarried, and never had been, and no children, so all of this would eventually be his as well. Not that he had any idea with what to do with it at the moment. Five hundred acres, all mountainous and heavily forested, save for the small cove that the old, one-hundred year-old farmhouse sits on and about ten acres of cleared land, along with the large pond.

Bob knew his dad wanted him to follow in his footsteps and take over the family business. Ben's father had bought a hardware store in lower Michigan back in the early fifties, after working at the Ford plant for a few years. By the time Bob was born, there were ten stores, and they were doing real well. Now, Ben is down to two stores, selling the other eight to a large corporation and investing wisely. Ben doesn't need to work, but there he is, most days on the showroom floor, helping the customers.

The lane is two miles long as it snakes up along the Cumberland Plateau, before dropping into the cove. As they made the final downhill climb, Bob noticed his fathers face get funny, like something was wrong. Then, he knew why, as his nostrils caught the wisp of smoke. Nothing intriguing there, but the smoke was intermingled with the smell of a meal cooking, a strange meaty smell.

Ben now had his senses on high alert. He recognized the smell, although he hadn't been around it in probably twenty-five years, not since his grandparents lived here in the hollow. Someone's cooking coon, he told himself. There are no other houses around, the nearest one is three miles over the hill. So it had to be coming from the house.

He said as he came to the bottom, "You didn't see any other tracks at the gate, did you?"

"I didn't notice any." replied Bob, his eyes now wide open, looking for any movement as they came into the clearing. The pond was between them and the house, and Ben saw smoke coming from the chimney. It was a cooking fire, why else would anyone be having a fire in early June in this part of Tennessee? And why was someone in his family's home? Bob jumped, as he thought he saw movement by the back door of the two-story structure. The large SUV crept slowly towards it, and came to a stop in front of the double-porch front.

Ben said softly, as he unhooked his seat belt, "Move slowly while getting out, get the rifle off the floor behind you. Load it, and hide it as you carry something over it." He smiled, as he added while opening his door, "I'll get a few bags out of the back, you cover me and stay behind me."

They casually got out, with Ben going to the back of the truck, and Bob to the door behind him. Ben was slow and deliberate in getting some bags out, giving Bob time to load a clip into the .22 rifle. They brought it along for varmint control, not knowing they might need it for anything else. Bob glanced up at his father, nodding that he was ready, a nervous smile on his face.

Ben pulled two bags out, and shut the door. Bob came around to the rear, two large comforters covering the rifle, his hand at the trigger. Ben turned and started for the door, saying at a whisper, "Keep it pointed at the ground, son. I don't want to have a bullet dug out of my backside." He winked at him, and Bob smiled nervously, as Ben also said "Don't shoot unless whoever it is has a firearm."

Ben led the way up the porch steps, and opened the front door. They never locked it, on the premises that it would only make an intruder break it down, as they're not exactly near anyone anyway for someone to hear it. He pushed the door open and stepped inside, the air thick with the smell of cooking meat, and smoke. The front room proved empty, save for the two old couches and the small, circular dining table at the left end. Neither fireplace in the room was lit, although Ben quickly saw that there had been fires in it since his last visit. He glanced to the stairs to the right, leading up to the two bedrooms.

Neither said a word, as they walked to the doorway leading to the kitchen. He walked in, and there were his intruders, huddled against the wall. Two females, both raven haired, wearing not much more than cotton summer dresses. The older one had a knife in her hand, one which he recognized as his grandmothers large butchering knife. She hissed out, "Who are you?"

Ben felt Bob come to his side, and Ben reached out without looking, placing his hand on top of the bedding, keeping his son from raising the rifle, before he stated, "I'm Ben Tate. This here house, and this whole cove, is my land. Why are you trespassing?"

She replied "You're lying!", as she waved the knife in the air at him.

He saw the younger girl had a look of fear in her eyes, as he said "Not hardly. I can go get the sheriff, and have you removed, if that will prove it to you. Now, who are you?" She didn't answer, just kept the knife in front of her and the other female. Ben sighed, and without turning, saying to Bob, "Give me the rifle, and go start unloading the Suburban. I want something to eat besides coon."

Bob wrinkled his face, saying "Is that what that stench is?" He pulled the rifle out, handing it to his father, before turning and dropping the bedding on the counter, and heading out to the vehicle.

Ben grinned, as he saw the look of fright from the women, both staring at his rifle, as he said "Now, drop the knife, and tell me who you are?"

The younger one, looked at the older one, then at Ben, saying "Please mister, don't hurt us."

Ben chuckled, "I've no intention of it, unless your friend there tries sticking me with that butchers knife. If you look at the handle, it'll have the initials of M E T on it. Stand for Mary Elizabeth Tate, my grandmother."

The older one glanced down, and she looked at it funny, then said "That doesn't prove anything."

Bob came in, with bags of groceries, putting them on the counter. He looked at the two females, then at his dad, saying "Maybe if you shoot them, then they'll believe you, dad."

Ben chuckled, "Nah, better we just ignore them." He turned, and joined his son in emptying the SUV and trailer, after unloading and placing the rifle in the vehicle. It was already late in the day, and they needed to get the generator hooked up and running so they can have lights and water. Out at their vehicle, Bob had watched as his dad emptied the clip and chamber of ammo, and asked "You think that's wise?"

"We'll see. I'm pretty sure they're too damn scared to do anything." He looked up, adding, "They've been here for a while. You noticed the garden?"

Bob turned and looked, letting out a whistle, "Well I'll be. But why are they here?"

Ben set the lock on the door, and shut it, saying "I'm sure we'll find out in good time." He came around, grabbing some more bags, "Well, let's get things set up, shall we. Just ignore them for now."

Bob laughed, "Easier said than done. I've got to take a dump, and we have to get the water running yet."

"Use the outhouse.", his father replied, making the young man groan with distaste.

They had everything emptied in thirty minutes, and the electric on shortly after that. Ben and his dad set the house up for electric years ago. Sort of. For most things, it's on a battery system with a AC converter. But for appliances, such as the freezer, fridge and well pump, they use the generator to get things going. The well supplies water to a small cistern. A smaller pump delivers the water from there to the house for needs within. The second pump runs on battery, which like all the batteries, are charged by the generator.

When Ben was a child, there was no electric, and there was no indoor plumbing, save for the hand pump by the kitchen sink, which still is used. Once done unloading and getting everything running, Ben returned to the kitchen, finding that the two women hadn't moved yet. He went to the wood burning stove, and peered into the pot, furrowed his brow, and said "Well, your coon is ruined." He took the pot and placed it on the counter, and went to the freshly stocked fridge. They had stopped at the grocery store once they arrived in town. He pulled out a chicken, tossing it on the counter, saying "If you can fry us up some chicken, I'll be appreciative of it."

Ben turned and left the kitchen, heading up the stairs to store his clothes away. He checked the bedroom he normally used, and saw that the women had their things in it. He sighed, going to the other room, finding Bob in it, as he said "Looks like we'll be bunking together, son."

Bob groaned, saying "Well, at least there's two separate beds."

Ben chuckled, as he dumped his bags onto the bed on the right. It took each of them twenty minutes to get their clothes put away, before they headed downstairs. Bob was sent out to check on the outbuildings, as Ben went back into the kitchen. The older of the two women was at the stove, but when he entered, she jumped back, keeping the stove between him ad her.

Laughing, Ben said "Hell lady, get over it, will you?! Keep it up and I'll drive into town and get the sheriff right now and have your scrawny ass taken away. As well as your sister.!"

She finally spoke, as she returned to the front of the stove rather hesitantly, "She's my daughter."

Ben raised an eyebrow. This lady couldn't be much more than thirty-four, maybe even less than that. And the other one was in her late teens. He chuckled to himself, wondering who the lucky guy was that knocked her up so damn young. "So where's she at?"

"Getting some green beans and some greens out of the garden." She said, as she tended to the cooking chicken.

"You going to tell me your names, now?" he asked.

She turned her head, and looked at him, saying "I'm Emma Cole. My daughters name is Clair."

He leaned back against the opposite wall, checking her out, as he asked "So, how long have you two been trespassing on my property?"

"Close to a year. We were up on the ridge for the previous three.", she answered.

"Where? There's no structures up there anymore!" he asked.

"A cave." She gestured towards the northeast, "We lived in it. After..."

She suddenly fell silent, as Clair came into the kitchen through the back door. Ben looked at the daughter, as well as the mother. Both wore similar light dresses, and he could tell neither were wearing bra's, and probably no panties as well. Both looked clean, although rough looking for their age. The clothes themselves were old, and worn thin. "Who you running from?", he asked, but she didn't answer, as Clair grabbed a pot and worked the hand pump to get some water to boil the beans. "Where you from?", was his second question.

"Where you from?" she asked in return, with some annoyance in her voice.

He laughed, "Michigan, near Jackson. I don't think you've ever been there. I visited this place every summer while I was growing up."

She went and put the pot of beans on the wood burning stove, and tended to the chicken once more. Clair had a large bowl full of greens, and she was rinsing them off, as Emma said "We're from Kentucky, we started heading south four years ago."

"Why?" She didn't say a thing, just kept on cooking. "The two of you walked all this way?" No answer. "Well, you two are obviously in some sort of trouble. And if you weren't on my land, it wouldn't be any business of mine." She kept cooking, as he sighed. "I'll let you two stay for a while. You all haven't trashed the place, and I'm pleased about that." He took a seat at the table, propping his elbows on the table, and holding his face in his hands, wondering what to do. Should he visit the sheriff, or just let things go?

Bob came in, and Clair, who was standing by the door, jumped back towards her mother. Bob chuckled, as he looked at his father, and said "The buildings are fine. We need to re-stock up on firewood, though." He looked at the two women, as both men knew what happened to what they had cut, split and stacked last time they had been here.

Ben said "Is the splitter in the barn?" Bob nodded his head yes. "Tomorrow we'll get busy on that. You might as well go take a bath in the pond."

"The pond?" Bob asked, protesting the thought.

"Yeah, the pond. The hot water heater hasn't filled yet, nor has it been run in a while. It's either the cool water of the pond, or the damn cold well water. Take your pick."

Bob grumbled, as he turned and headed towards the stairs, saying "I'll get a towel and some soap."

He walked past his father, and on to the upstairs. Ben just sat and watched, still unsure of what to do. He heard Ben come down the stairs, and head out the front door for the pond. He noticed that Clair stopped what she was doing for a second, craning her neck to watch Bob leave the house, a look of curiosity on her face. Ben smirked, amused at the young lady's curiosity. A few minutes later, he heard the splash, as his son jumped into the pond.

As he watched Clair cook, he decided to ask some more questions, "How old are you and the girl?"

She glared at him at first, before looking at the girl, and saying "I'm thirty, she's sixteen."

He let out a low whistle in amazement, "So, you two have been hiding from someone for some reason, not my business, actually, but eventually, if you stay much longer, I would like information on your background."

He mulled it over, and after a few seconds, he asked "How long you plan on staying on my property?" She didn't answer, just went on cooking. He sighed, and quickly got to his feet. Both of them jumped, causing him to look at them, then he laughed, saying "Damn, you two are pretty damn jumpy."

Ben went out onto the porch, and watched as his son bathed in the pond. Bob looked up and saw his dad, hollering "It's pretty damn cold, dad."

Ben smirked, "You'll get use to it.", he replied, as he sat on the floor of the porch, thinking things over. Common sense was telling him to contact the authorities. But then, something was telling him that there were issues here that he didn't know. They were definitely not from around here, that's for sure. And they've been hiding for quite a while. From the law? He didn't think so. He frowned, knowing that someone was after them, probably an ex-husband or boyfriend. That seems to make the most sense. Bob finished getting cleaned up, and as he came up to the porch.

"So what you thinking dad?" asked his son.

Ben thought for a second, "Not sure, Bob." He got to his feet and entered the house, with Bob behind him. He told him, "Go on upstairs and get some clothes on. Bring me down a clean towel and I'll go take my turn."

Entering the kitchen again, he smirked as Emma moved suddenly away from the table. Clair glared at him, as he sat back down, watching them watching him. Bob came back fully dressed, and Ben rose to his feet, saying "My turn."

Leaving the room, he went upstairs and stripped down. Soon he was feeling the cold water of the pond, as he jumped in to wash the dirt and sweat from his body. His cold bath was only ten minutes at most, before he got out of the water and dried off in the warm Tennessee sun. He wrapped the towel around his waist, and walked back to the house. Going into the kitchen, he saw Emma pulling the chicken off the pan, as he asked his son "How's it going?"

Bob snorted, "They don't seem to want to talk much."

Laughing, he turned and walked towards the stairs to get some clothes on, saying "I could have told you that." Soon he was into some dry clothes, and joined his boy at the table in the kitchen. Bob was eating, but the two females were standing off away from the table. Ben took a seat, and as he grabbed some food, he asked "You two going to eat? Or are you just going to starve your sorry butts in protest of us being here."

They didn't move, and he shrugged, and began to eat. Both father and son looked at each other, and smiled. Both found that the chicken was cooked well, as were the vegetables. After a few minutes, the mother pushed her daughter towards the table. Clair turned and looked back at her, a scared look on her face. But Emma jerked her head up, motioning Clair to go and eat. Ben and Bob both looked on, not saying a word, as the girl reached nervously for some food, and put it on a plate. Ben smirked, and shook his head slightly, and continued to eat. By the time he was done eating, Clair had grabbed some food as well. Ben and Bob stood and went back to work on things that needed down. First Ben went and started generators, then the well pump, and he was happy to see water coming out of the tap. Then he went to the electric water heater and turned it on.

The whole time, neither one spoke about their unwanted houseguests. Not that it wasn't on both of their minds. Ben was thinking on what to do about them. Once they were done, they came into the living room, and saw neither woman around. They heard footsteps upstairs, and both went up to the bedrooms. They saw both women huddled together inside the bedroom, and Ben snorted, "Hell Emma, we're not going to hurt you." he stated. He turned to his son, saying "Go on, get to bed."

"What you going to do?" Bob asked of his father.

"I'm getting me a chair and make sure neither paranoid bitch stabs you in the back." He said with a laugh, adding, "You can watch in about six hours."

Bob protested as he went into the bedroom, saying "Shit dad, we got to baby-sit them? Why don't we just get the sheriff and get their smelly ass's hauled out of our house?"

Ben sternly replied "Because we're not. Obviously they're fleeing from someone, and they're scared. Now go on and get some sleep."

Bob grumbled as he went to the bed and started stripping down to his underwear. Ben grabbed a chair and a blanket, and set it in the hall, and took a seat to start his vigil. He was sure that Emma and Clair could hear what was said between his son and him, and he was wondering if it would do any good. Sighing, he just leaned back and tried thinking on what the best course of action would be. He was happy to see that both females went to sleep eventually. And six hours later, he got Bob up to take watch. This was their routine for the next three days, work for a spell, and take turns watching each others backs. The only positive thing to happen so far was that Emma had turned out to be a decent cook. But unfortunately, they were going through food twice as fast as they should, what with two extra mouths to feed.

The father and son were using the log splitter, after spending the previous day taking down two old trees and hauling them to the barn. They were about done, when Ben said "I'll sure be glad when we get this done. Boy do I need a shower."

Bob smirked, "What difference it make, those two are stinking the place up."

Frowning, Ben said "You noticed it, huh?"

"Shit dad, as soon as I walked out into the hall I could smell them. They've been wearing the same clothes since we arrived.!" stated Bob.

Ben mulled it over, saying while doing so, "I don�t think they have any other clothes, son." Then he smiled, "You packed a couple of your Red Wing hockey jerseys, didn't you?"

"Yeah! What of it?" replied his son.

"Well, they probably don�t want to wash what they have on because they've nothing else to wear. Plus, since we're here, they're probably a bit modest about getting cleaned up." Said Ben.

"You're not going to have them wear my jerseys, are you?" protested Bob.

Laughing, Ben asked "You want to keep on smelling them? I'm sure it won't get any better unless we do something about it, Bob."

Bob frowned, asking after a short pause, "So what do we do? Force them to shower?"

Ben shrugged, "If we have to, yes. After dinner, we'll corner them and force them into the bathroom. Just follow my lead, okay?"

"Sure dad." responded Bob.

They finished up their work for the day, and headed to the house. Entering, they found both mother and daughter just coming in from the garden, and Ben thought he saw a slight smile on Emma's face when their eyes met. He was surprised when he saw it, and he wondered if the two of them were finally going to be less hostile to Bob and him. Emma cooked up a pot of ham and beans, and after dinner, Ben said to Bob, "Go and get those jerseys." Bob looked at him, questioning him with his eyes, and Ben waved him off. He rose up, and went to the back door, and leaned against the frame, just looking outside and waiting for his son's return. He heard him come down the stairs, and Ben turned and motioned him to stop. This wasn't lost on Emma, as her eyes got big fast. She was cleaning the table off, when she first looked at Ben, and then at Bob. Ben asked politely, "Those the only clothes you two have?"

Emma looked at them, and stood straight up, as if she was going to try to take flight. "Yes. All our other clothes are pretty much shot."

"I figured that." He pointed to Ben, and said "He's got a couple of jersey�s for each of you to wear, while you wash what you have on. But first, we would like for you two to take a shower. You both stink pretty darn bad." Neither Emma or Clair moved, until Ben said with a bit of firmness in his voice, "Go on, get into the bathroom and get showered off. There's towels and soap and shampoo in there. If you two are going to stay any longer we don't want to have to stay upwind from you all the damn time."

Emma went to within arms length of Bob, and reached for the jerseys. He handed them out to her, and she snatched them quickly out of his hand. Bob first had a surprised look on his face, then one of amusement as he started laughing at what she had done. Emma grabbed her daughters hand and pulled her into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Ben shook his head, amused as much as Bob, as he said "Come on, we might as well get things cleaned up. And get a large bucket of water on the stove. They'll need it to get those clothes clean."

"Sure dad." responded his son. As he grabbed a bucket and started filling it with water, they heard the shower come on. Both ended up finishing cleaning the kitchen up after their meal, and they went to sit in the living room to read. Twenty minutes later, both of them heard the bathroom door open, and the footsteps of the two females as they went into the kitchen. A soft conversation could be heard from there, but it couldn't be made out what was being said. Ben finally got up, and went to the door leading into the kitchen, and saw the mother washing the clothes that they had been wearing in the large pot.

Ben said "I've laundry soap in that cupboard over there." as he pointed to the cabinets by the bathroom door. Clair went to it and opened the doors and pulled a box of detergent down. "You might want to get another pot of water hot so you can rinse those clothes." Emma fetched another pot off the wall, and went tot eh sink to fill it up with water, and placed it on the stove.

She finally turned to look at him, and she smiled nervously, before the smile disappeared, and she turned her face away, as she said softly "Thank you sir."

He snorted softly, "No problem, Emma." He watched for a bit longer, than he said "Well, I'm going into McMinnville tomorrow to get some more food, since I hadn't planned on sharing it. Anything you need?"

Clair went up to her mother, and whispered something into her ear. Emma turned red, obviously embarrassed. She turned towards him, but she didn't raise her face, as he said "Yes, we um, need something for, um."

Ben suppressed a chuckle, asking "Feminine products?" She turned away, shaking her head yes. "No problem, I was married for over twenty years, that doesn't embarrass me. Come up with a list by morning of things you want, and I'll get them."

"But we have no money?" stated Clair.

Ben laughed, "You two have already cost me plenty, what's a few dollars more?" as he turned and went into the living room.

As he sat down, Bob asked "So we're going into town tomorrow, huh?"

"I am." He then looked at his son, adding "You're staying here." Bob gave him a puzzled look, as Ben added softly, "Not like I completely trust them. I want you to watch them."

The evening went well, and after Emma had Clair hang their freshly washed to let them dry out back, they came inside and sat in the living room, wearing the oversize hockey jerseys of Bob. AS they sat down, both Ben and Bob got an eyeful, as for when they sat, the jerseys didn't quite cover everything when they moved about. Clair's had slid up her legs as she sat down, and they got a great view of her furry little snatch. Ben asked if they felt clean now, and Emma and Clair both said that they do. Next morning after breakfast, Ben asked Emma, "You got me a list made?" Emma fidgeted, and Ben knew there would be no list, as he asked "You can't write, can you?" She sighed, her head bowed down, as she shook it from side to side. "Well, do you want pads or tampons?" he asked.

"Tampons." blurted out Clair.

Ben smiled, and he asked Emma, "Anything else?"

She shrugged, "No, not really."

He turned and walked out of the kitchen, telling his son, "I'll be back in a few hours."

"Sure dad." replied Bob.

Once in town, as he drove along the main drag, an idea came to mind. He had just passed the county library on his way to Wall-Mart, when he suddenly decided to turn around. On the way into town, he was wondering how he could find out more on these two females, and upon seeing the library, he knew that would be a good place to start. He immediately discarded the idea of asking the law about her. At least, not until he finds more about her, anyway. So into the library he went, and he limited his search to under an hour. By the time he left, he had some valuable information as he went on to do his shopping.

He was pulling up to the gate across the lane a bit past one. It took longer than he thought, as he got out, opened the gate, drove through and got back out to close the gate. He saw a few cars drive be, some slowed down as he did all of this. He just assumed them to be curious as to who was heading back on the old lane. Pulling up to the house, Bob came out to unload the groceries. When Bob saw what all his dad had bought, he said "Holy shit, dad."

Ben smirked, "Yeah, I know. How did things go while I was gone?"

"Fine." Bob said with a laugh, adding "They actually talked to me for a whole twenty minutes. I think they had gotten a bit nervous because you've been gone so long." They started carrying bags into the house and into the kitchen, where Emma started putting the items away, with help from Clair. The last trip of bags was the one that had amazed his son. Ben carried it into the kitchen, and handed it to Emma, saying "Here, see if these fit."

Emma opened the bag, a surprised look on her face, as she said "Oh my." She lifted her head up, saying "Thank you. Come on Clair." Emma grabbed Clair's arm and pulled her into the bathroom. A few minutes later, and they came back out, wearing gym shorts and t-shirts.

"I didn't get you ladies any underwear, as I didn't want to raise suspicion." Ben said.

Emma blushed, "Yes, I understand."

He turned to Bob, and said "Come on, let's work on some more wood cutting."

Bob wanted to protest, but he sensed something was up. Once out the door, Ben said "I went to the library and did some checking."

"What did you find, dad?" Asked Bob.

"Well, they're sort of wanted by the law, but they're also on the run from her ex-husband and his family up in Kentucky. Near Hazzard. Seems he had been beating her on a regulate basis. She got tired of it and turned him into the police for a drug operation he was running. For some reason, he didn't go to jail, but he did beat her more, and started molesting the girl."

"Damn." hissed out his son, "So she ran off then?"

Laughing, Ben replied "Not until after she shot him in the back. He's alive, but according to the news accounts that I read, he's a quadriplegic. His family has stated they wanted revenge."

"So how did they end up here?" asked Bob.

They entered the barn, and acted like they were working on the splitter, as Ben saw Emma watching from the kitchen door. "They drove his car as far as Crossville. They were tracked as far as Bledsoe County, then the trail went cold. There was speculation that his family found them first and had them killed."

"Nice fucking family." snorted Bob. Ben glared at him, and Bob said "Sorry." They didn't say anything, and Bob finally asked "So now what do we do?"

"Not sure." Ben said as he wiped the sweat off his brow. "Guess we'll let them stay for the time being, as they've no where else to go." He laughed, "We'll just see how things go, maybe they'll pack up and head off within a few weeks." Not a word more was said, as they continued to work on the splitter, before Ben motioned that they should head on back inside.

A week passed on by. By now, everyone was use to each other. Neither Emma or Clair jumped at any sudden movement. They were even talking to one another. It was a Thursday, and Bob was fishing in the pond, while Ben rode the large riding mower, cutting the grass. As he made a turn, he saw it, movement up the lane coming from the road. He drove over to where Bob was sitting and turned off the mower, and said softly, "Do not look towards the lane, look at me." Bob held his head up, looking at his father. "Someone is coming down the lane on foot. Go inside, tell Emma and take her and Clair and put them in the crawlspace through the trap door in the pantry. Hide anything that looks to be of a woman's. When you come back out, bring me a soda, as if nothing was wrong." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a person coming into view. He turned his head, saying "Go on now."

Bob went casually walking into the house, and found both women staring out the window, off to the side. He said "Dad told me to hide you two in the pantry, come on." They followed him, and within seconds, they were down in the crawlspace, an old root cellar at one time. After hiding everything that looked to be of teh two females, Bob fetched his dad a can of soda, and coming out, he saw the man, a sheriffs deputy, within twenty feet of his father.

"Good afternoon, deputy, how you doing today." Ben said, as he stood up off the rider and offered his hand to shake.

"Hello sir, you own this property down here?" asked the deputy.

Ben laughed, "Yes, I'm Ben Tate. My family has owned this holler for well over a hundred and fifty years. I brought my boy down for the summer." He turned to see his son, a puzzled look on his face, as he handed his dad the can of soda. Turning back to face the deputy, he asked "Would you like something to drink, young man?"

The deputy smiled, as he looked behind him, as Bob went back to the pond and started fishing again. "No, that's fine. Someone called in a few days back about seeing a car come down here. They must not realize that you were in town, that's all."

Ben looked at the cop's name tag, and said "No problem, what is it? Deputy Gross?"

He replied "Yes sir."

"Who were your grandparents, deputy?" asked Ben.

"Well, my daddy's folks were Amos and Amanda Gross."

Ben chuckled, "My great-grandmother was a Gross, so we're probably related." Both chuckled, and Ben said "Well, I'm glad you checked up on things, after all, there�s a lot of bad people out there."

"Yes, there are. I'm just glad that everything here is okay." He took one more look around, and said "Well, best if I get on back to my squad car."

Ben said "Tell you what, I'll give you a lift back up, it's a long hike up that hill." He went towards his vehicle, and the deputy followed. The two men climbed in, and Ben started it up and put the vehicle in drive. "You guys been busy?" asked Ben, as he tried to make small talk.

Gross said "Well, we're always busy. Although it's been quiet in this part of the county of late."

"O, why? What's been going on?" asked Ben, adding "I hadn't been here in over a year and a half." He turned to the deputy, and said "You see, my wife died last winter. She was sick for a long time before hand, so we just never made it down."

"Sorry to hear about that, Mr. Tate." said Gross. "Nothing really lately. Just a few years ago, two women from Kentucky turned up missing, and they were last seen over in Bledsoe County."

"Never found them, huh?" Ben asked, as the Suburban began the climb up the hill.

"No. But of course, people kept saying that they would see them, or that items would turn up missing." he explained. He asked "You haven�t had anything turn up missing, have you Mr. Tate?"

Ben snorted, and said "It had been so long since we were last down that I couldn't tell you if they were or not."

Gross chuckled, "Well I think they're long gone anyway. But we'll always be on the lookout for anything suspicious."

Ben didn't like the way the deputy said that last part, but he feigned ignorance, as he pulled up to the gate, seeing the county sheriff car on the other side. "If I see anything, I'll get in touch with you all." he said, as Gross got out of the vehicle. He stayed put, smiling, as the officer went around the gate, and got into his car. Ben waved as the deputy honked, backed out of the lane and drove off. He turned it around and went back to the house. After parking, he found his son sitting in the living room, a worried look on his face. "Where they at?"

"Still in the pantry crawlspace, they won't come out." his son replied.

Ben snorted, saying "Come on." Ben went to the pantry, finding the trap door open. Crawling down into it, he looked in the darkened crawlspace, and said "Come on you two, he's gone."

"He'll be coming back." said Emma.

"How you so sure?" Ben asked.

She replied, "I just know it."

Ben sighed, "Well, you two can't just stay down here forever. You'll be dead in a week what it being so dank and damp down here."

He heard Emma sniffle, and ask "We might as well be dead, then."

"Not in my crawlspace you don't. Your rotting corpses would stink the place up big time. Besides, most everyone think you two are dead already."

She didn't say anything, and he heard her sniffle some, then the words "You, you know what I did? and where we came from?"

Ben laughed, "Hell yeah, I checked up on you while in town last week. You shot your husband in the back, and he's now paralyzed."

"He ain't dead?" asked Clair.

"Unfortunately, no, he's not." Ben replied with a chuckle. "Of course, I'm sure his family wants to find you. That's why I didn't turn you in." He sighed, "Come on out Emma. It should be obvious that I'm not going to harm you or turn you in."

Bob came rushing into the back room, saying "Dad, he's coming back."

Ben hissed out "Shit!" as he stood and closed the trap door. Thinking fast, he said "Get some lunchmeat out of the fridge and some bread." His son did as he was told. They quickly made one sandwich and tore it in half, offering one to his son. He grabbed two fresh soda's as he heard the knock at the door. Ben stood and walked to the front door, and opened it, saying "Well hi deputy, did you forget something?"

He smiled, "Well, the sheriff called me on the radio, he wanted me to come down and look through the house." Ben acted surprised, and said "Well, legally, you know you do need a warrant." The deputy fidgeted, but Ben smiled, hoping in the back of his mind that Bob had hidden everything of the two women. "Oh, I guess it's okay. What you want to see first?"

"Oh, I guess the kitchen first." He replied.

Ben put his hand on the deputy's shoulder, and said "Well, it's right this way." as he guided him to the kitchen. "We're right in the middle of lunch right now, why don't you take a seat and have a soda when we finish."

"Oh well, that'll be fine, sir." He replied. Bob went to the fridge and opened it and pulled out a cola, and handed it to the deputy.

Ben said "This is my son, Bob. Bob, this here is Deputy Gross, he's related to my daddy's grandmother.

Bob snorted, "Gee dad, everyone around here is related to you, aren't they?"

The older two men laughed at that. Gross responded with "Yeah, pretty much everyone here is related to everyone else."

Bob finished off his sandwich, and Bob said to him "Go on up to your room and get changed, I want to go into town and get some fuel for the generators." He turned to the cop, as Bob stood to leave the kitchen, "We go through a lot of diesel to keep those generators running."

"Where you got them?" asked Gross.

"Out in the barn. Dad and I set this place up to run on battery, but we needed a way to charge the batteries up. So we've a pair of diesel generators in there. They don't have to run much, as we don't use that much energy. Just enough for the water heater and fridge and the pumps for the well and cistern." he explained. He heard Bob upstairs, moving about. Ben didn't even crack a smile, as he said "Well, what you want to see next? The bathroom and pantry are over there."

Gross stood, and walked to the bathroom, and peeked inside. He made a quick glance, and then looked over at the pantry, and said "You sure do have a lot of stuff for two people. You expecting company?"

Ben said "Well, yes. As a matter of fact, I am. We plan on heading back north to pick up a friend. So we'll probably be gone for a day or two. But we'll be back." Gross smiled, and he walked towards the living room, gesturing that way. Ben chuckled, "By all means." he said, as he stood and followed him into the living room. Bob came downstairs, and he smiled, before taking a seat on the couch.

Ben then followed the deputy up the stairs, and as he smiled, he watched as he looked about. As Gross turned, his radio crackled, and he pulled it off his belt, saying "Gross."

A voice sounded on it, "You down at the house?"

"Yeah, I am." he replied.

"I'm up at the gate, it's locked."

Ben said "Tell him there's a key under the rock next to the left post. That way he can drive down."

Gross relayed the message. Then he said "Well, everything's okay here."

Ben laughed, "I sure the hell hope so." as they came back downstairs. They went out onto the front porch, and Ben said "Oh, I forgot about the grass. Guess we won't be going into town until tomorrow now."

Gross chuckled, "Sorry, I probably disrupted your life today."

Ben laughed, "Oh that's all right." He saw a car coming down the lane, and he said "Besides, it's nice to talk to another person. My boy and I were getting a bit bored talking to each other." Both laughed as the car came to a halt. Gross started to get inside, saying "Thanks a lot, Mr. Tate."

Ben smiled, and waved, as he walked towards the rider while watching them drive back up the lane. He heard Bob behind him, asking "Now what?"

"Keep them hid until nightfall. I've a idea for tomorrow." He replied.

The sun wasn't even up the next day, when Ben knocked on the doorway of Emma and Clair's room, as he said "Come on, let's go."

He heard movement, and rustling of clothes, as he went on downstairs. Bob was standing at the door, and Ben said "Go turn off the interior lights of the suburban. The switch is right below the headlight knob." Only one small light was on inside the house, as Bob went out the door to the Suburban. He heard the two women behind him, and he turned and said "Give us a few moments, then we can leave. You have everything?"

Emma relied, "Yes, I even have the box of tampons. Plus we've all our clothes and the blankets that were ours."

Ben said "Good." as he reached out and grabbed her hand, saying "Come on and let's go."

He turned out the lone light, then pulled her to the door, with her daughter right behind her. Soon they were in the car, and Ben looked over the back of his seat, and said "Stay on the floor and covered up."

He and Bob heard the movement of their bodies on the floor, and Emma asking "For how long?"

"Probably at least until we get onto the interstate. That's almost two hours." Ben replied.

They drove up the lane to the gate, and Bob got out to open it and then he shut it after Ben pulled through. As they drove towards town, Ben said "Look back and make sure that they're covered up. Pull the bags down on top of them, make it look like they fell off the seat."

"Yeah, sure dad." Bob said as he turned around and leaned over the back of the seat. He saw that one of their feet was exposed, and he covered it up. Then he pulled a bag down, setting it haphazardously on top of them. In ten minutes, they pulled into a gas station, and Ben got out to fill up. Emma and Clair knew that he was going to, as this was part of the plan.

And neither Ben or Bob were surprised when the county sheriff�s car pulled into the service station. Ben smiled, seeing it was Gross, and he said "Hey there, how you doing this morning?"

Gross came walking by the vehicle, peaking inside as he did, saying "Oh fine, you heading home today?"

"Yeah, just for a couple of days. We're going to bring back a couple of people, my girlfriend and her daughter." Ben said, as he continued to pump the gas.

"Oh, well, have a safe trip." Gross said.

"We sure will." replied Ben, and he added "Oh hey, could you do me a favor?"

"Sure, what?"

"Well, make a drive by and make sure no one trespasses while we're gone. We should be back on Tuesday."

"Sure, I'll even drive down and check the house if you wish." he stated.

Ben smiled, "Hey, that would be great."

Gross turned to go, and said "Take care now."

"Yeah, sure thing. Thanks." He replied.

Ben shut the pump off and put away the nozzle, screwed the cap back on and grabbed his receipt, before getting into the car, and exhaling. "You were right." stated Bob.

"I'm just happy he didn't want to look inside the vehicle." He started the truck up, and said " You better believe that I'll be driving the speed limit until I get out of here." Two hours later, they were on the interstate. Less than four hours after that, they were crossing the Ohio River, heading still farther north. After a brief stop south of Indianapolis, where Ben filled up the vehicle and Bob went inside to get some food from a fast-food restaurant to go, they were on the road again. Both mother and daughter were now off the floor, as they got up once they were on the interstate.

It was a bit of a cultural shock for both women when they arrived at the Tate's large country home. Ben smirked when he saw the amazed looks on their eyes as they got out and looked around. Ben asked "You okay, Emma?"

She blushed, "Oh my, I mean..."

Trying to keep from laughing, Bob said "It's not much, really."

She looked at Bob, and said "Easy for you to say, you haven't lived without electricity and running water for the past couple of years."

Ben chuckled, and said "Well, you're right there, Emma. Come on, let's go inside, and I'll show you and Clare around while Bob unpacks."

Ben winked at his boy, who just smiled and went to the back of the Suburban and opened up the tailgate. Ben walked to the front door, and the mother and daughter followed closely behind. After unlocking the door, they entered and both were in awe as they looked about the front room. He showed them the living room, the den, the dining room, and the kitchen, before saying "We've five bedrooms upstairs. You have the choice of either having a separate room for both tonight and tomorrow night, or you can share a bed." Emma looked at him, and he explained, "I know you two probably are a bit nervous, and I was thinking that maybe if you wanted to stay together, you can use my bedroom and I'll sleep in another bedroom."

Emma smiled, "That will be fine, Ben. I would feel better if Clair was with me."

Smiling, he said "Well, follow me then." The two followed him up the stairs, and were amazed at the rooms.

As Clair walked into the master bedroom, taking in the sight of the king-size bed, she declared "The bed's bigger than any bedroom that I've ever slept in."

Ben chuckled, as he watched with a smile while Clair walked about the room. Emma laughed, "Go see how big the bathroom is, honey." She said as she pointed to the bathroom door.

Clair went to it, opened the door and said "Oh my!" She turned around, a look of sadness on her face, as she said "Sure wish I could stay here forever."

Both Ben and Emma felt a bit awkward at that comment. It suddenly dawned on Ben that he had no clue on what to do with these two on a long term basis. He doesn't mind helping them out right now, as he believes they're in a bad situation. And Emma was thinking as well. She frowned, knowing that this was a short term deal. Ben broke the awkward silence, saying "Come on, I'll send Bob out to get us some dinner. It's been a long day and we could all use some rest."

They smiled, and went back down the stairs to the kitchen. Clair went to help Bob unpack, which Ben noticed that she did without hesitation. He's noticed some other things the past few days. Clair has been talking a lot with his son. And Bob has seemed to be enjoying the young lady's company. Ben gave Bob a twenty and sent him out to get some Chinese take-out food. And after dinner, they all went to bed.

In the morning, Ben woke first. After taking a shower, he came into the bedroom where he had slept, and picked up the phone. He dialed a number, and a female voice answered, saying sleepily, "Hello?"

"Ginny, it's Ben."

"Oh, hi Ben.", she paused, and she asked "What's wrong down there?"

He laughed, "Long story, but we're home right now."

"Home? Why?"

Ben explained everything in twenty minutes, as his sister listened. Finally, he asked "So, could you like lend a hand here?"

She replied "Sure, you are my brother after all. I'll be there at nine."

"Perfect.", he replied, "Se you then. Bye."

After hanging the phone up, Ben went to the kitchen, and found Emma getting breakfast ready. They smiled at each other, and he got to thinking. The idea of her being a hired cook had popped into his head during the night, but he wasn't sure if she would go for it. While she cooked the bacon, he grabbed a cup and poured himself some coffee. "Sleep well?", he asked.

She responded with "Best nights sleep I've had in years, Ben."

He chuckled, and replied, "I'm sure it is." He took a sip of his coffee, and decided now was a good as time as any, "How would you like to live here?" She turned her head, a shocked look on her face, and he added "Bob and I could use a cook. Not to mention a maid. You and Clair can have the master bedroom if you wish." She turned her head back to the skillet, and she didn't say anything. Ben was a bit discouraged, wondering if he had done the wrong thing by asking her this. He sighed, and as he went to the table to take a seat, he added "Well, you can think about it. After all, we've a month yet to spend at the homestead before we come back north."

"What about my daughter?" she asked.

"She can help you." He saw the relief on her face, and he laughed, "No, I wasn't about to split you two up, Emma."

Blushing, she went back to turning the bacon, and she replied enthusiastically, "Yes, I would enjoy working for you. And I'm sure Clair would be okay with it as well."

"Good." Ben said, with a big smile. "Oh, and my sister will be arriving here soon. She's taking you and Clair out to do some shopping. And to get your hair dyed another color."

She asked "Another color? Why?"

"So to make it harder for you both to be recognized.", he answered. "Since you've both black hair, and straight, I'm sure she'll have it lightened up and put some curls into it. Probably make it a lot shorter as well."

With an amazed voice, Emma replied "Yeah, that'll be good."

Just then, Clair entered the kitchen, and Bob was right behind her. Bob was in shock when his dad told him about hiring Emma to be a cook and maid. Clair's eyes lit up, and she asked "Can I have my own bedroom?"

Emma harshly reprimanded her daughter "Clair! You should be grateful that we're even going to be staying here and working for Ben and his son."

Ben was laughing, as he replied "Actually, I would like my room back. There's no problem with her having her own bedroom. Of course, he'll have to use my bathroom, and you two can use the other one upstairs."

Bob added "What about school? She going to attend the same school as me?"

Ben frowned, asking Emma, "How old is she?"

"Sixteen. She'll be seventeen on August third." responded Emma.

Ben mulled that over. He hadn't thought of that. "That may be a problem. As a matter of fact, the whole identity issue may be a problem." Ben saw the puzzlement in her eyes, and he chuckled, "We need to come up with a new name for you. And good documentation as well."

"How we going to do that?" asked Clair.

Ben shrugged, "Give me some time, and I'm sure we'll think of something." As he continued to eat, he said "Bob and I will go get some more groceries to take down with us, while my sister takes you two out to shop."

"But we've no money!" stated Emma.

"I'll take it out of your pay." laughed Ben. She smiled, and they finished their breakfast. Ginny was soon there, and the three women went off to shop, leaving Ben and Bob to go get some more groceries to take back to the homestead. He had planned on leaving early in the morning to head back south, and that they did, leaving the house in Michigan right at four in the morning. As he drove, he thought about what he had gotten his son and him into. Yesterday cost him close to five hundred dollars for the clothing. And another one-fifty for the dying of the girls hair to a sandy blonde and cut it short and curl it. He smiled, remembering when Ginny brought them back to the house. The hair job worked nicely, as they looked completely different now.

They arrived late in the day at the homestead, and as Bob and Ben unpacked, Emma and Clair got dinner started. As they laid around afterwards, with Ben reading a book and Clair, Bob and Emma playing cards, Ben got to thinking again. Mainly about Deputy Gross. Something was bothering him about him, right from the get go. As it turned out, he didn't have long to contemplate about him. Ben was working on the barn door the next day, when he heard the vehicle come down the lane. He didn't bother having Bob lock it last night, and for some reason, he wasn't surprised when he saw the marked car of the county sheriff.

Ben stopped what he was doing, and went to the edge of the drive as the car came to a halt. The window rolled down, and he saw it was Gross, as he greeted him with "Good morning, deputy. I hope you didn't have any problems while we were gone."

Gross smiled, "No, not here anyway."

"Care for an ice tea? My lady friend and her daughter are here, I believe she has some made already." Ben asked.

Gross grinned, as he unbuckled his seatbelt, saying "Sure, why not?"

Entering the house, they found both Emma and Clair sitting in the living room. Ben noticed both of their faces, their eyes about popping out of their heads, as the two walked into the kitchen. He didn't say anything, as he went to the fridge and pulled out the tea, and grabbed a couple of glasses. He filled both, and handed one to him, and then each took a sip. "This sure is an old house, Mr. Tate."

Ben chuckled, "Yeah, according to family tradition, the front part was built sometime before the civil war."

Gross smiled, "Sort of like my late uncle's up north of here on top of the ridge, Milt Kilgore."

Ben asked "Old Milt is dead? When did this happen?"

"Last December." Gross glanced towards the living room, and then at Ben, and asked "You mind showing me that log splitter out in the barn?"

Ben caught on quickly, "No, not at all. Come on."

They went out the back door, and fifty feet from the house, Ben said "So Milt passed on. What was he, eighty something?"

They entered the barn, and Gross replied "Eighty seven. Confirmed bachelor, although there were some women in his life."

Ben stopped, "Really? I'm surprised."

Gross didn't smile, as he said "It happened late, he told me so right before he died." He cleared his throat, and went on, "Seems he was helping some lady in trouble, giving her items to survive and all. She had a daughter, and according to Uncle Milt, she and the girl were living in a cave up along the ridge."

Ben eased back against the wall of the barn, and asked "And what else did he have to say about them?"

Gross shrugged, "Just wanted me to watch out for them. Make sure no harm come to them. I've been checking on them ever since."

"Well, good you could lend a helping hand." Ben stated. "Anything else you can do would probably be appreciated."

"I've been working on that." He replied. "Of course, the help of others has been a blessing."

Ben thought for a second, and then asked "What�s the local officials think of this situation? Anyone else know?"

Gross shook his head, "Just a few others. But don't worry, at this time they don't know the current status of them."

"Does Emma know?" He asked.

Gross smiled, "Not at all."

"You want me to tell her?"

"Depends on what you want to do. I was sort of hoping that you would take her up north and keep her there. No one would dream of looking there.", Gross replied.

Ben smiled, and with a light chuckle, he said "Actually, that's already been decided. I could use a housekeeper around the house." He fell silent, then he said "Of course, there's the identity issue."

Gross cleared his throat, "I could take care of that." Ben looked at him funny, and Gross said "What I mean is, there are others that know the situation. Documents could be obtained giving them new identity's."

Ben mulled that statement over, before looking over his shoulder towards the house. "Maybe we better talk this over somewhere else."

"I was hoping you would say that. How about in two days, you come into town. Meet me at the courthouse, how about at noon?"

"I'll be alone." He stated.

Gross laughed, offering his hand, saying "I was counting on that."

After biding their good-byes to each other, Gross went to his car and left. Ben didn't say a word about Gross's visit to either his son, nor to Emma. When the day came, he took Emma aside, and said "I'm going into town. I'm to meet with someone to get you a new identity."

Her eyes flew open, and she said "A new identity? Why?"

He smiled, "So you won't have to hide anymore."

She smiled at first, then a worried look on her face, as she asked "How you going to do that?"

"I know someone that can help. However, if things go wrong, I want you to be warned ahead of time. If you see anyone other than I coming down the lane later this afternoon, you and Clair get into the root cellar. Better yet, stay inside the house until I get back, understand?" She nodded her head that she did, and he smiled, "Good. I'm hoping this will work out quickly and well. I'll see you in a few hours."

He started to leave, and she said "Ben?" He stopped, and she suddenly came to him and hugged him tightly, not wanting to let go. He hugged her back, feeling her soft feminize flesh pressing into his body. He felt her warmth, and a desire crept into his mind. He gently pushed her away, his hands on her shoulders, and said "Don't worry, I'll be back soon." He wasn't sure why, but he lowered his lips to hers, and they kissed. He pulled away once more, seeing the sparkle and worry both in her eyes. He turned, and quickly went out of the house, passing Bob who was sitting on the porch. As he passed his son, he said "I'm going into town, be back in a few hours."

"Can I go?" Bob asked.

Ben didn't even look back, saying "No, stay here and be careful." He went to the drivers door of the suburban, and turned to look at his son. He frowned, and said "Keep an eye out. If anyone comes around, get the women into the root cellar."

Bob wanted to ask what he meant by all of this, but knew better. He watched as Ben drove out up the lane. He knew something was up, but wasn't sure what. He started thinking about the two women. The younger one has been hanging around him a lot since they got back from Michigan. And the way she had been looking at him of late. A curious look. A curious look that was not lost on the girls mother. Emma and Clair were in the kitchen, and Clair was at the table snapping beans. But every few minutes, she would lean over and look towards the front porch. Emma smiled, and said "Something bothering you, Clair?"

Her daughter straightened up, "No ma."

Emma was wiping down the kitchen, but she put the rag down, and sat down at the table across from her daughter. "Then why you keep looking to see what Bob is doing?" Clair's face jerked up, a shocked look on her face. Emma chuckled softly, "You like the boy, don't you?"

Clair looked down at her hands, "Yes momma. I think I do. But he doesn't seem to pay much attention to me."

"You try talking to him?" Emma asked.

"No. I mean, I don't know how?" She replied.

"Just ask him what he's doing. I'm sure he might be attracted to you, he just don't know it yet." She said with a laugh. She reached over, and grasped her daughters hands in hers, "Tonight, after dinner, why don't you go talk to him." Clair smiled, and her mother patted her hands, before standing and going back to cleaning the kitchen. She was extremely nervous, counting the minutes go by as she waited for the return of Ben. And lots of things were running through her mind. Yes, she would like to work for him. But, she was thinking that maybe she would want more. She was wondering if he would like her for something other than a maid. This was the first man to ever treat her as a human. She's grown to trust him in such a short amount of time.

Bob heard it first, the sound of his dad's Suburban as it made it's way slowly down the lane. Looking at his watch, it read five-twenty. His belly was rumbling, as he watched nervously while he heard Emma and Clair getting dinner on the table. He knew something was up, after all, his dad told him to be on his guard today. Thankfully, nothing out of the ordinary happened, even Clair was her normal self, watching him every chance she had. He smiled, thinking that the young girl's admiration of him was rather blatantly obvious, even to him. He wanted to talk to his dad about it, though. To get his advice on what to do about her. She was sort of cute. A bit homely perhaps. But then, she hasn't the resources to make herself look her best. Although she does look mighty fine in the shorts and shirts that his aunt went and purchased for her. With a chuckle, he thought about how she refused to wear a bra, saying that it hurt her little breasts.

And of course, he's been showing off, but not nearly as obvious as she has been watching him. Every chance he gets, he lets her see him undress, but always with his back to her. And on occasion he's even left the bathroom door ajar as he would take his shower. And last night, as he showered, he caught the movement at the door, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw her peeking through the opening and watching as he dried his body off with his back to her.

The Suburban came into view, and he smiled as he saw his dad behind the wheel. Ben parked the vehicle and got out, carrying a thick folder. He came up the steps, and asked "They inside?"

He didn't wait for an answer, as he opened the front door and walked on into the house, with Bob right behind him, replying "Yeah, they've about have dinner ready."

He followed his father on into the kitchen, a bit puzzled. Both Emma and Clair turned to watch as the two men took seats at the table, and Emma sort of smiled before turning back to the stove, asking "How did it go?"

"Good," he replied, adding "What we having to eat?"

Emma turned, seeing no expression on the man's face. "Pork chops, mashed potatoes and gravy and some greens." She said over her shoulder, "Clair, get those men something to drink."

Clair went to the fridge, saying "Yes momma."

Not another word was spoken the rest of the meal. Bob and Clair both sensed an uneasiness, but neither could figure it out. Once the meal was finished, both men stayed in the kitchen, watching as Clair and Emma cleaned up. Once done, Ben motioned to Emma, "Come on and have a seat."

Clair and Emma took their seats at the table, and Ben opened the folder, handing a sheet of paper to Emma. She looked at it funny, and then said "These are birth certificates!" She lifted her head up and asked "Whose are they?"

Ben snorted, "You and Clair's." He then handed him some more papers, "You're an orphan, and Clair was born out of wedlock, so no fathers name is listed. Since I didn�t know your birth dates, I made them up. From now on, your surname is Sanders."

She blushed, "You've made me a few years younger than I actually am. Thank you." She then got a serious look on her face, and asked "So now what?"

He shrugged, "Well, we're staying here until August. Then, you can either return to Michigan with us like we had talked about, or you can stay here and see if you can get a job."

She quickly asked "Is the offer still on for working for you?"

Smiling, he replied, "Yes, it sure is." He glared at his son, who snickered at what he had said.

With a bright smile, Emma said "In that case, guess we can enjoy the rest of the summer here."

A week went by, followed by another. All four were much more relaxed, but there was still something in the air. Ben sensed it, it was like anticipation. He kept wondering about the situation. If there would be a sexual connection between him and Emma. Or between his son Bob and Clair. He had been watching the two teens. To him, it seemed that Clair was curious about Bob. Or rather, about Bob's anatomy. Every time Bob would shower, she would sit by the kitchen table, watching the bathroom door, trying to get a peek at his son. She would also go upstairs whenever he was going to change clothes. And, the last few days, he's noticed his son showing a bit more interest in Clair. He thought about talking to his son, but he held back, thinking that maybe letting nature take it's course would be the best way for things.

Bob was getting ready for a shower, as he had finished helping split wood for his father. Ben was in the barn, working on the log splitter. He was stacking the firewood along the wall, when he heard a voice behind him say "Hello."

Turning, he saw Emma, and he smiled, saying "Hey, what you doing?"

"Oh," she started to say, as she walked over to about five feet from him, as he continued to stack the wood, "Clair and I just finished cleaning the kitchen. And I thought I would come out and talk with you."

Ben was turning a wrench, when he replied "Okay, what about?"

His jaw fell open when she reached down and pulled her dress up and over her head, shaking her head to let her hair fly free, before tossing the garment over on the ground. "Well, us, for starters." she said, as she took a step towards him, and got down on one knee.

He mumbled out "Shit!" as her hands worked his fly.

As she reached into his pants, and grabbing his soft cock, she stated, "I've decided that since I'll be living with you, I might as well make myself available to you for all of your desires."

He wanted to protest, to tell her that this wasn't necessary, but with has rapidly expanding meat being pulled into her mouth, he wasn't about to stop now. He leaned back against the machinery, and put his hands on her shoulders, watching as she sucked his meat. Sucking in a deep breath, he leaned his head back, as she worked his cock in her mouth. His hands were in her hair, stroking her scalp, enjoying the action she was providing. She put a hand around his body, and pulled him so his cock sank down her throat, her other hand down in her crotch stroking her clit. Within five minutes, he groaned with the wonderful feeling of his cock jettisoning it's load down her throat. She gagged at first, happily swallowing what he had to offer.

Ben was breathing heavily, as she sucked him dry. When she took his cock out of her mouth, she asked with a grin, "How was that?"

Chuckling, he responded, "Damn fine."

"Why don't we go up to a bedroom and you can try out some more options." she added.

"What about Clair and Bob?" he asked, a bit surprised at her request.

Standing up, she grabbed his hand with her left hand, and her discarded dress with her right, saying with a grin, "They're in the shower, I'm sure they won't miss us."

He willingly was lead out of the barn, as he thought about that statement. He asked as they walked towards the house, "And you're like, okay with this? My son having sex with your daughter?"

She turned and looked at him as they walked, "She could end up with someone a hell of a lot worse for her first time. If they last, great. If not, how many do?" He chuckled, seeing her point, as they reached the back door, with her putting her finger to her lips for quiet.

Ten minutes before, just before Emma left the house to go seduce Ben, she turned to her daughter, and said softly, "Darn it Clair. Quit peeking at him. If you're so darn curious, go on and get in the shower with him."

"But momma!" The girl protested, "What if he touches me?"

Emma said "Hopefully, he touches you well." The teen was shocked, as she stood there by the bathroom door. Emma grabbed her arm, and opened the bathroom door, and shoved her on inside, closing it behind the girl.

Bob heard the door open and shut while he was in the shower, but thought it was his father. He had just closed the curtain, and was bent over at the waist, adjusting the water. Clair was standing there, on the other side of the curtain, scared and unsure of what to do. She was still in shock at what her mother had done to her, sending her into the bathroom to see what a man looks like naked. And, to see what sex feels like. She didn't want to disobey her mother, as she went to the edge of the shower stall, and pulled back the shower curtain just enough for her face to poke through and get a look at Bob's bare backside.

With the sound of the water running, Bob didn't hear the curtain being pulled back, but he did see the movement of it. He glanced over his shoulder, and when he saw her face, he said softly, "Hey, what you doing, Clair?" She froze in terror, as he stood straight, and turned around, not bother covering his bare cock. Her eyes darted down to see it, then just as quickly, they darted back to his face. A face that was somewhat amused by the scene. He asked "You want to watch me shower?" She nodded her head yes. "Well then, why don't you get out of those clothes, and get in here with me, that way water won't splash all over the floor and create a mess."

He watched her face disappear, and he thought maybe she would turn down his offer. He turned around and put his head under the warm water, getting his body rinsed before he started washing up. Clair wasn't about to back out now. Now that she had seen his cock, she wanted to see it again. And he was offering her the opportunity to see it closer. She quickly took her clothes off, placing them on the vanity, before approaching the shower and pulling back the curtain just enough to slip her thin body into the stall with him.

Turning and seeing her standing there, he smiled, and moved off to the side, saying "Here, you might as well get cleaned up as well, now that you're in here." She smiled, a bit nervous, as she took a step and was under the water. He grabbed the shampoo and started washing his hair, as she rinsed her body off. She smiled as he handed her the bottle of shampoo, and she started washing her hair, as he grabbed a washcloth and started to soap it up to cleanse his body. He admired her small breasts. They stuck out from her chest, rather pointy, with puffy nipples. She glanced down, and saw his cock had started to swell. He looked to see what she was looking at and he chuckled, saying "I guess I must be enjoying the view."

Blushing, she replied, "But I'm not that pretty." as she lowered her chin. He reached out with his hand, and touched her chin, lifting it up, and he stated, "Yeah you are. You're a little doll." Her face brightened up, as a big smile came to it. He moved his hand along her cheek, and gently caressed it, saying "Don't ever think you're not beautiful, Clair."

"Thank you, Bob." she said, as she felt a warm feeling in her loins. He went to washing his body, first his arms, then his torso.

As he was washing his legs, he asked "You want to wash my cock for me? It'll give you a chance to touch it." He reached out, handing the washcloth to her, as he said "Go on, it won't bite you." She giggled, taking the cloth, and gently wiped his hanging meat. His cock jumped, and so did she, causing him to chuckle and declare, "It seems to like you, Clair." She glanced up at his face, smiling, then went back to gently washing his shaft. "Yeah, that's it, wash it good, babe." The feeling of his cock in her hands was strange to her. Yet she found it interesting. So soft, but still so hard. It was sticking straight out now, a good nine inches long, and as big around as her wrist. She got a bewildered look on her face, and he asked "What's the matter?"

"How could you get that inside of me? It's so big?" she asked.

Laughing, he said "I would have to make sure your body is ready, with lots of foreplay."

She lifted her face up, asking "What's foreplay?"

Doing his best from laughing, he explained, "Well, I would touch you in ways to make your body able to accept me inside your pussy. With both my hands and my mouth."

Now she was curious, as she pulled on his rock hard cock, asking "Like how? With your mouth?"

He smiled, lowered his face and kissed her lips gently. She moaned, her hands coming up and resting on his biceps. He kissed her lips again, and she opened her mouth, allowing him to slip his tongue between her lips. Both mouths widened, and the kissing became harder, with her now exploring the inside of his mouth with her tongue, as his hands fell to the back of her body, gently caressing and squeezing her wet, slick skin. He broke the kiss, and without saying a word, he turned her around, and brought his hands to her front side. He pulled her back up against his body, his large cock against her small back, as his right hand came up across her belly to her right breast, and he gently pulled and kneaded her firm, young tit flesh. This sent a warm feeling rushing through her body, from her breast to her crotch, where his other hand just arrived. She parted her thighs without even thinking, by instinct, as she lifted her foot up, and braced it against the shower wall. His fingers easily pulled her pussy lips apart, as his mouth suckled the hot skin at the base of her neck, and when he touched her clit, her hips bucked, a soft moan escaping from her mouth. He felt her clit, amazed at how big it seemed to his touch, and he started to rub it with his left hand, while his right worked on her little breasts. Soon she was pushing her little, round ass against him, her legs going weak, as he held her up, attacking her body with his fingers and his mouth. Only a few minutes passed until she arched her back, and cried out, as the first orgasm of her young life tore her body apart. She had never felt anything like it before, as she collapsed in his strong arms. She gasped out "I love you." as she turned her head and kissed his cheek.

He whispered into her ear, "I love you too, Clair." as he held her tightly. He eased a finger into her tight cunt, wiggling it around, amazed at how tight it felt, and wondering if he actually could get his cock inside this beauty. She bucked her hips, saying "Oh god, Bob! That feels good."

"You like that, huh?" he asked, and she nodded her head yes. He eased a second finger inside her slick cunt, and she let out a loud groan, her cunt clamping down even tighter. The base of his palm was rubbing her clit, and she was feeling that wonderful feeling coming again, and she was fucking his fingers, trying to get there once more. With a deafening scream, she reached it, as her cunt tried breaking his fingers off, with his own cock erupting, spraying a healthy load up against her backside and his chest.

She was mumbling incoherently, as he nibbled on her neck and throat, lifting her off her feet with now three fingers inside her snatch. "You're body is almost ready for me, Clair."

"Almost?" she asked with a gasp.

He lowered her down so her feet touched the floor of the shower, and she turned around. She saw his jizz on his chest, and looking down to his cock, she saw a strand of cum hanging down from the tip of his shaft. She reached down and grabbed it, and brought it to her lips. The taste was different, not disgusting as she thought it would be. She leaned forward and sticking out her tongue, she licked his cum off of his chest, while her tiny fingers wrapped around his shaft.

In the kitchen, Ben and Emma were walking by the bathroom door when Clair had her latest orgasm, and both froze. They looked at each other and smiled, before continuing on into the living room and up the stairs. They went into the room that Ben was sharing with his son, with Ben closing the door behind them. Emma went to the bed and fell back onto it, landing on her butt and elbows, watching as Ben removed his pants. He smiled at her, as he came to the bed and crawled down between her outspread legs, burying his face in her sweet sex. She moaned, and she laid back, enjoy what he was doing to her sex with tongue and fingers. She closed her eyes, feeling his tongue darting across her clit, as he used three fingers inside her hot, steamy hole. Her fingers clutched his hair, as she arched her back, and let go with a long, low wail while her body shook from a powerful orgasm.

She let go of his head, her arms falling off to the side, her body trying desperately to gain some much needed oxygen. Ben rose up slightly, crawling up her body, planting soft kisses as he went. At her breasts, he sucked each nipple, while his thick, hard cock slip up along her slit, waiting to enter her hot body. A smile was on her face, as Ben sucked gently on her right nipple, her hips moving, feeling his thick prick slide between her cunt lips. She wanted it inside of her, and so she moved her hips so his cock head was at her entrance, and he leaned forward. She moaned, feeling his shaft enter her cunt, making her vagina walls ripple. her juices were flowing, coating his shaft and lubricating it as he sank all nine inches into her.

His mouth left her nipple and went for her mouth, her arms reaching around his body and pulling him tight against her, as she raised her legs and put her heels into his bare ass, spurring him on. It wasn't long before they both felt it, a powerful mutual orgasm building with each thrust, as he pounded her pussy hard and fast. Then he roared loudly, as he gave one hard final lunge, burying himself balls deep inside her hot cunt, spraying her womb with his spunk as she cried out while gasping for air as she felt her body shake from another powerfully hard cum.

In the bathroom, Bob had turned the shower off, and helped Clair out, gently pushing her up against the vanity. He leaned into her, and they kissed each others lips, her little fingers wrapped around his shaft as his hands played with her little boobies. He then moved his hands to her hips, and lifted her up, setting her bare butt on the counter. Then he slowly started kissing his way down her body, making her moan erotically as he sucked each hard nipple, before finally reaching her furry snatch. His hands grabbed the back of her thighs, and pushed her legs up, sending her back against the mirror, and she gasped when she felt his tongue work it�s way inside her hot-steamy hole.

She reached down, caressing his scalp, letting out a satisfied sigh as she smiled, enjoying what his tongue was doing to her sex. Bob was sliding his tongue from her fuck hole to her clit, sucking on her flesh from time to time, as her juices started to flow. Her hips were moving, forcing her snatch into his face as he ate her good. And then, her body stiffened, as she groaned loudly, feeling her first good cum from being eaten. Bob stood up, while still holding onto her legs, his cock pointing right at her pink pussy. Moving forward, the head of his cock slid up along her slit, bumping into her clit, sending another jolt of pleasure through her young, thin body. He slid his cock back, bending his knees, getting the head of his prick at her opening. Then, he gently pushed forward, as both watched as he slowly entered her body. She sucked in a deep breath, then she felt a sudden pain, causing her body to jump as she let out a sharp yelp. He lowered his face to hers, and they kissed, as he didn't move, feeling his throbbing cock struggling to keep from forcing it's way all the way in.

Letting go of her legs, she wrapped them around his waist. He moved a hand to her belly, and put his thumb on her button. She sighed, feeling a wave of pleasure replace the slight pain she had when he had first entered her. He pulled out just a fraction of an inch, and sank back in slowly, her slippery tight cunt grudgingly accepting his ember, making her groan. A groan that now was more of pleasure, he noticed, as his throbbing member entered her even deeper. She shuddered, as she wrapped her hands around the back of his neck, her body starting to respond to his invading member. She felt a heat in her groin, as she pulled her butt off the counter, and slid her cunt down on his shaft. Soon she was using her own strength, and Bob's hands on her ass, as she rode his cock, before he tossed his head back and grunted hard, his cock shooting his wad into her hungry cunt. His pulsing cock sent her off, as she buried her face into his shoulder, as an even greater orgasm ripped her lithe body. Still holding her up on his prick, he turned around and sat down on the toilet, her feet hitting the floor, as she ground her wet snatch on his cock.

They were kissing each other passionately for a good ten minutes, until there was a sharp knock at the door. Clair jumped off his lap, his hard, cum-covered cock flopping free. She stepped into the shower, pulling the curtain in front of her, as Bob went to the door, and opened it a crack, seeing his father on the other side of the door, just as naked as he. Ben smiled, asking "You two done in there?"

Bob looked over his shoulder, and then back at his father, saying "Um, well, we need a shower."

Snorting, Ben asked "Again", as Emma came into Bob's view, wearing just a shirt. As Bob grinned, his father stated, "Go ahead and get it over with. We need to shower up as well."

Nervously, Bob said "Yeah, sure." He then smiled, saying "We'll be done in a minute." He closed the door, and climbed into the tub with a smiling Clair.

She giggled, as he closed the curtain, saying "Guess we better get washed up, huh?"

He smiled, as he bent at the waist, and turned the water on, responding with "Yeah, and we better make it quick, for we don't want to use all the hot water."

They playfully and quickly washed themselves clean, before turning off the water and stepping out to dry off. They donned their clothes and came out into the kitchen, surprised to see Emma bending over the table, her forearms on it, as her small breasts bouncing around while Ben was standing behind her, fucking away. Ben looked up at the stunned teens, saying "You two, um, we'll be done here shortly."

Bob smirked, as he looked at Emma's smiling face, her eyes closed, as he pulled Clair towards the living room, saying "Yeah, sure. But wipe the table off when you're done, old man."

Clair was laughing, as they were pulling each others clothes off while heading to the couch, both ready to resume their love making, hearing Ben bellow out "Don't get smart boy."

Four weeks later, the four of them were packing the trailer and the Suburban, getting ready to head on north. Ben lifted his head, hearing a car coming down the lane, and he smiled, seeing it was his favorite deputy. The driver-side door opened, and out stepped Deputy Gross, and Ben went over, offering his hand to shake, saying "Hey, glad you made it before we left."

Gross smiled, saying "Well, I couldn�t let you guys leave, without thanking you once again." He shook Ben�s hand, and looked around, saying "You know, I can�t tell you how much my wife and I appreciate you selling us most of this property. Especially at the price!"

Ben snorted, as they turned and walked towards the porch, where Emma came out with a glass of ice tea for both men. Gross saw the smile on her face, and after he took the drink from her, she wrapped her arms around him, saying a tearful "Thank you."

He laughed, "No problem, Emma. I just hope you don�t mind the cold of Michigan."

Laughing, she let go of him, and declared loudly as she rubbed her belly, "Oh, I�m sure Ben will keep me plenty warm. Not to mention safe and sound."

Gross looked towards the house, asking "Where�s Clair?"

Emma stated "Seems she must have a touch of flu this morning, as she went into the bathroom to throw up."

Gross smiled, finished off his drink, and stated sincerely, "Well, that�s too bad. I sure hope it isn�t anything that�s contagious."

Ben walked him back to the car, as he told the deputy, "Oh, I�m sure it�s nothing." As Bob and Emma finished loading, Ben and the young deputy made small talk, before wishing each other the best.

Six months later, on a Friday evening, Ben enters the house from the garage and into the kitchen. Emma was standing in front of the sink, washing dishes with no clothes on. She turned and looked over her shoulder, and smiled at him, as he came up from behind and wrapped his arms about ere body. He cupped her breasts, swollen twice the size as they were from this past summer, letting them go as he ran his hands down over her large, pregnant belly. Nibbling on her neck, he then kissed her, saying "Hey, since we�re now here in Michigan on a permanent basis, one of these days you really got to learn how to use the dishwasher."

She giggled, pressing her bare ass against his crotch, feeling his pecker grow. "Maybe one of these days.." She turned her body around, and they kissed as she hugged him tight. She then went on to say "Go on and get changed and cleaned up. dinner is almost ready."

His hands came up and pawed her breasts, saying "I�d much rather eat you now."

She playfully swatted his hands away, saying jokingly "Go on, or you'll get nothing but coon to eat!" He laughed, as he started walking away, as she added, "And get those two disengaged from each other, they probably need a shower before dinner."

Snickering, Ben went on towards the stairs, hearing the sound of a bed getting a workout. And the farther he got up the stairs, the louder the sound became. At the first room, where the sound was coming from, he looked in. He smiled at the sight, as Clair was astride his son, her belly and breasts just as large as her mother, with Bob's hands covering her milky white funbags, as he was thrusting up into her pregnant cunt. Ben said "Hey guys." Both heads turned, but neither stopped their fucking action, "Emma said stop fucking and get cleaned up."

Both giggled, as Bob said "Sure dad. I'm almost there."

Ben smiled, and walked down the hall to his room, shaking his head when eh heard the familiar grunt of his son, as he shot his load into Clair's pregnant cunt. He then sighed, as he walked into his room, thinking how well this had all turned out.

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