Consequences, Sandy Ch. 03

[The original two chapters of this story were submitted in 2008. The characters wanted an update, a continuance. Here is chapter three. Chapter four will be submitted before the fifteenth of Dec 2011. ]

At the beginning of the story Nick got a phone call from Sandy to tell him that his Dad, Pete, had died. He went home to find that dad left him the family business, a Builder's Center, a house and that Sandy lived in the house. He discovered that he had employees and in short order those employees gave him the love and respect they had reserved for Pete. He told Sandy about having loved her since high school. She confessed to having said "No" to every man who came around... while she waited for him to come back.

They married and took on the operation of the BC. Within months Sandy realized that she needed, they needed to include the other women who worked at the Builder's Center in the marriage. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, they did just that.

When they realized that the two other men who worked at the BC were lonely too one of them got hurt. He cut off his hand with the table saw. The family came together to care for him (Bill) and his working colleague John. By the time Bill was out of the hospital both men were invited into the family.

A rift between a local minister and the family resulted in the break-up of two of the congregation families. As Chapter three begins: John & Bill work the yard at the BC. Janice, Sandy, Karen and Janice were the original inside staff of the BC and are all married to Nick, John and Bill. Donna is also married to the three men and she is a nurse at the hospital. Jennifer was married to Albert and they were members of the congregation that had problems with the polyamorus family. Martha is divorcing the pastor of the congregation and intends to move her children (Matthew and Ruth) and herself into the family.

*****

I called our local Ford dealer and asked about a four-door pick up. The local dealer was Claude Craig who was my center for three years when we played football in high school. He found us a year-old F-250 four-door at a dealer in Scottsbluff. We worked out a deal. I paid him ten percent over his cost and gave him the same deal for six months on anything he bought from the BC. The next day he drove into the yard in my "new" truck. He was followed into the yard by Mrs. Craig driving their F-250. He and I did paperwork and Mrs. Craig went shopping.

The deal for buying the mayor's house finalized the same day Bill got out of the hospital. Sandy and I went to the realtor's office and did paperwork for an hour. It was lunchtime when we got back to the BC. Martha was sitting at Sandy's desk, learning that job and doing the parts of the job she had already learned. Martha wore a dress, a size or two larger than snug, in earth tones and slightly more coverage than necessary to be called modest. Jennifer was standing beside Karen at a cash register learning how to do that job. Jennifer was in a skirt and blouse, both modest with the colors a bit more vibrant that the soft earth tones of Martha's clothes. They had been employed for two weeks, ever since their husbands chose being right over being married.

Neither of them had been in bed with John or with me. Neither had spent the night in the hospital with Bill either. The night after we moved Jennifer into the house she asked, during dinner, "How do I get invited into this family?"

Every face at the table looked at me. I had a mouth full of Brussels Sprouts, so Sandy answered, "You decide you love everyone in the family. You make sure no one has a marriage contract with you and you have a job."

I'd finished chewing and swallowing, so I asked, "Do you love all of us?"

She nodded and said, "I think so." She paused and then said, "Yes! I love all of you."

I asked, "Are you married to anyone outside the family?" I smiled as I asked. We all knew the answers.

"Yes, Albert."

"Until that is resolved, you are our guest. I'm sure you can understand the need for closure and being squeaky clean about all the issues as well as some of the perceptions people may have." I said.

"I'll take care of filing, unless Albert has already filed for a divorce. I also need a job."

Sandy asked, "When you were married to Albert, did you like being a housewife?"

"At first, I did. But, after a while I felt used and not taken seriously. He made all the decisions except things like which laundry soap to buy. I felt more like his servant than his wife."

I asked Sandy, "Why did you ask her that question?"

"There are a lot of us living here. I think it would be great to have someone here, doing the laundry, cooking dinner for us, taking care of us so we all have the energy and time to take care of each other."

"If that job gets me into the family, I'll take it! Obviously, Albert doesn't want to be married to a whore, so I need a better job."

I said, "My vote is we accept her application for membership in the family on three conditions. Number one, she files for divorce this week. Number two, she does a great job of taking care of us and number three she never refers to herself as a slut, a whore or anything negative again."

She started to say something and Karen said, "She also needs to learn how to do our jobs at the BC so we can have her for back-up."

"I accept your terms!" Jennifer said.

I remembered that conversation as Sandy and I walked back into the BC.

Jennifer had filed for divorce within twenty-four hours of our dinner conversation. Albert had not talked to a lawyer, much less filed, to our knowledge. The house was in great shape and dinner wasn't an issue. Jennifer left the BC an hour before closing, on the days she worked there, so dinner would be waiting for us when we arrived home.

Everyone was busy. There were at least twenty customers in the store when we walked in. We waved at Jennifer, Karen, Martha and Janice and went to our offices.

Sandy made sure John closed the yard early and went to get Bill from the hospital. Bill's hand was healing nicely, but not one hundred percent the way it was before. He would still work in the yard, but the power tools were no longer available to him. He had lost some of the feeling and some mobility in his hand.

One of us had been at the hospital every day and every night since the pastor and the Fire and Brimstone Brotherhood had been there. The Brotherhood had been back once, only to discover they were not allowed in Bill's room, by Bill's request. Actually it was by Bill's insistence.

We had moved Jennifer into our house the night of the dinner when Albert left her. Her non-essential stuff went to John's house out in the country. Two days after the dinner Karen saw Martha in town and asked how things were going. Martha said she was leaving the pastor and looking for where she could go. The house they lived in belonged to the church, not them. We squeezed Martha in and temporarily her children went to live with her father on his ranch.

Just after closing, the day we got the mayor's house, I used the intercom, "Please come to my office."

As soon as they were all gathered I called John and Bill on the cell. "I have good news. Sandy and I signed the papers today and the house the mayor used to live in is now ours. We can move in starting this weekend!"

Bill's voice was heard from the cell, "Which we?"

Sandy spoke, "The wives of the family have already met and discussed this. For historical reasons the room Nick and I remodeled as the master suite is still the master suite. The wives agreed it's my bedroom. My old room is now Janice's room. The bedroom downstairs closest to the kitchen belongs to Karen and the other bedroom is a guest room. In the new house the big bedroom, downstairs, is Jennifer's. The other downstairs bedroom is Martha's. One upstairs bedroom is Donna's and the other one is the guest bedroom. The basement needs to become bedrooms for Martha's kids and storage. Organized storage."

Bill asked, "What about John and me?"

John asked, "And Nick?"

Sandy put her hand on my thigh and said, "There are eight bedrooms to choose from. Pick one. Please don't pick the same one all the time. Listen to your heart and the signals we give you. You'll probably never need to sleep alone for the rest of your lives."

John asked, "Where do I put my stuff?"

"I moved most of my stuff into the basement." I said. "Since we now have two houses we can put some things in both basements and still have room for the kids rooms. That way whichever house we sleep in has clothes and things for us."

Karen said, "In every closet of Pete's house we already have clothes for Nick. We can easily expand that to include clothes for Bill and John, too."

Sandy asked, "Could you boys build extra closets in both houses? And shelves for storage in the basements?"

"Of course we can!" John said.

I said, "Ladies, Sit down with any of us and work out a design for what you want in your rooms. Bill, John and I will build whatever you want. We'll also build storage in the basements for all of us."

John asked, "Are we going to the new house? I've never been inside."

"Good idea." I said, "How about we call and order food delivered and we meet at the new house? We can start measuring for rugs, curtains and whatever after we eat."

After one loud minute of discussion Sandy called to have Chinese food delivered. She reminded Mr. Wong that we just bought the mayor's old house and he should deliver there and not to our other home. It worked. Ten minutes after we arrived Mr. Wong's sons delivered three bags of Chinese food.

When the mayor, ex-mayor, left town he was in sort of a hurry. He had hoped to leave town unescorted by the police. As it actually happened his wife and kids left town after he became incarcerated, awaiting trial. They took personal belongings and almost nothing else. We got the house essentially furnished, including a new gazebo in the back yard.

When the Chinese food arrived we found plates, flatware and everything else we needed waiting for us. We got Bill into the house and John went to the market and bought beverages for the house, bringing back milk, sodas, teas and coffee. We sat at the big dining table and ate. It was great having Bill back with us. As we ate I called Donna at the hospital and invited her to join us in her new home.

She arrived a little after eight. She said it took her fifteen minutes less to get to the new house. She ate and Bill sat with her. The rest of us toured the house and started making plans. Our first home was built in the early fifties. The new house was built in the late sixties. Mr. Wilkins and crew had painted the first house blue-gray with white trim. The mayor had his house painted a soft brown with a cream colored trim.

I was in a bedroom with Martha and Karen measuring when Martha said, "This is confusing! We need names for the houses. I called the other house Pete's house a minute ago. I don't want to keep calling this the mayor's house."

Sandy heard her and called out, "I like calling the other house Pete's house."

Karen said, "I would like all of us to meet out in the front yard, please." She smiled and led the way. We all followed. Following Karen was a treat as she swayed her hips with her walk. John and I stopped and got Bill and helped assure his safety as we went out in the front yard.

Karen got all of us to face the house and then she said, "Ever since the mayor had the house painted I've thought it looked like a gingerbread house!" As she said it we all could see she was right. We owned a gingerbread house! We owned Pete's house and the gingerbread house!

We all agreed it was the perfect name. Back inside we sat at the table and talked. A shopping trip was planned so wives could buy what they needed for the gingerbread house. Martha, Jennifer and Donna decided that since they would be living in a gingerbread house they would decorate it with eyelet and lace curtains and bed skirts. Each woman would pick colors from the BC for her room and all of us would paint before moving them in. Martha would confer with her kids and get their input on colors and things for their rooms.

John asked if the bedrooms would be so feminine that he would be uncomfortable being in them.

Donna answered, "Mine'll be country comfortable and look even better with your work boots parked beside the bed." John smiled and the issue was handled, for the moment.

On the shopping trip to Scottsbluff queen-sized beds would be ordered, with bedroom furniture of each wife's choosing. We were just about ready to go to Pete's house and sleep when I saw Jennifer standing in the kitchen all by herself. I stepped up behind her and wrapped my arms around her. Feeling her warmth and the pressure of her breasts against my arms I realized I was willing to stand there with her a long time.

"What are you thinking?" I asked.

"I was thinking about cooking for us in this kitchen." She turned and faced me, wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me. As her warm, soft lips pressed on my lips I knew I had already given in, no matter what she wanted. She said, "The stove is too small. The fridge is too small. There's no disposer or dishwasher. There isn't enough light."

"At work tomorrow, order what you need. You are the queen of the kitchens. While you're at it, get what Pete's house needs too. If either house needs a contractor call Carl." I kissed her again and went to talk with Bill.

When we loaded up to go home Sandy sat next to me and said, "You did it again."

"What?"

"You told Jennifer to get whatever she needs for the kitchens. No one has ever trusted her like that! She came to Janice and I and asked us what she should do."

"You told her to order what she wants, didn't you?" I asked.

"Yes, after we explained how you and Pete operate. She didn't know Pete. She knew Albert. Albert micromanaged their home and her. You trust her. Do you have any idea what it will cost to update both kitchens?" Janice asked.

"No idea. If I have to raise the rent for the tenants to pay for it, well..."

She hit me. She told me it might cost ten thousand dollars. I asked if she wanted a check or cash. She laughed and hit me again.

When we got home Martha collected the mail and we all went into the house, turning on lights, talking and starting the evening getting-ready-for-bed rituals. Martha saw a letter addressed to her from the headquarters of the church her husband worked for. She stood in the dining room with the rest of the mail on the table and opened the letter.

A few seconds later John heard a thump coming from the dining room. He was in the kitchen. He rushed to the dining room and saw Martha on the floor. He loudly called out, "Help! In the dining room!"

He got down on the floor and began checking Martha for damage and a heart beat. She had no visible damage and her heart was beating. She sputtered and started waking up.

Her eyes opened and John asked, "Are you OK?"

Martha looked at John and said, "I didn't think he'd do it." Her voice was a whisper.

Sandy was holding the letter in her hands and said, "The pastor, her husband, has charged her with adultery in a church court. She is likely to be branded an adulteress, if found guilty. The hearing is next week in Lincoln."

"If my Dad hears about this it will kill him." Martha said. She had John help her up off the floor. He didn't let go of her.

Sandy asked, "Is your Dad's name Jeremiah Wilkerson?"

Martha nodded.

"He's a cc on this letter. He got it today, just like you. He knows."

John said, "Call him. If you want, we'll fight this. We can go to Lincoln and fight this. You've never been unfaithful to anyone. Call your Dad and talk to him."

"I can't go to Lincoln and fight this! Me against the church?"

Sandy put her arms around Martha and said, "No! You won't go alone and it's not you against the church. It's our family defending us from lies. No one can attack any of us without all of us defending."

I wrapped my arms around Sandy, John and Martha and said, "Right now what needs to happen is for all of us to get some sleep. The BC won't run itself in the morning. Martha and I will do some research in the morning and find out how we defend the family from this. No one is to have sex with either Martha or Jennifer tonight or until this is settled."

"Why me?" Jennifer asked.

"First, your divorce isn't final. Second, you're a member of the same church. They could be charging you as well. Maybe the letter for you will come tomorrow. In any case we want to avoid problems if we can."

"Ok. I haven't had sex since way before Albert abandoned me, so tonight won't be anything new."

"Maybe you and I should share a room until after things get resolved." Martha said.

"Good idea." Sandy said. Martha made the call to her Dad and explained the situation to him. He was supportive and asked if he should attend the hearing, as moral support for her. She said, "Yes. Thanks, Daddy."

That night John and Sandy slept in the master bedroom. Karen and Bill slept in Karen's bedroom. Donna, Martha and Jennifer shared the bedroom we were going to designate as the guest room. Dad kept a roll-away bed in the basement that we had moved into that room when Martha moved in. Janice and I shared her bed that night.

We all made it to bed at a reasonable hour and Janice made sure I knew she appreciated me once we were in bed. We tried to be quiet, but Janice seems to lose control and become vocal when someone eats her for more than a minute. I wasn't in much of a hurry and Janice screamed her pleasure... twice. When we were spooned and ready for sleep Janice said, "I'm glad I'm a wife. I wouldn't want your job."

"Job? I don't have a job."

"Yes, you do! We all look to you. You're the leader of the family. Not the Dad exactly, but like the Dad. Not the Boss either, but the Boss. The older brother, Dad, Husband, lover and I realized tonight, you're also sort of our spiritual leader, too."

"Too much! I'm just Nick. I love you all and work to have your lives be great. Please, no titles."

"How about Honey or Sweetheart?"

"Oh, I can live with either of those." She kissed me again and we slept.

In the morning we were greeted by another Jennifer breakfast. Healthy, filling and it tasted great. We all told her how great she was, kissed her and we went off to work. Jenn stayed home and did her housekeeping things. We left her the older pick-up in case shopping for something was on her list of things to do.

Bill got lots of visitors his first day back. Karen heard him explain to a friend that he was staying with us for a while, while we waited for his healing to finish. The friend invited him to come for dinner. The friend was a single woman. Karen went into the office and spoke to Sandy then both came to see me.

Karen came through the door first and said, "We need your help. Bill was just invited to dinner by Sarah Dalby. I saw his face. He doesn't know what to do. He can't say, "Sorry, I'm sleeping with my three wives." I think you need to talk with him."

"What do you both think he should do?"

Sandy said, "I think he should accept. Go have dinner, get some pampering and find out how people feel about him. He's always been so shy that a few dinners and things and he might come out of his shell some more."

Karen said, "Sarah Dalby will do her best to get Bill into bed!"

"And, will he see her as a better choice than the three of you?" I asked. Both women shook their heads. "I don't think you have to worry. He knows what he has at home and he knows not to screw that up."

"Would you talk to him, please?" Karen asked.

"Ok, but you should talk to him as well. Persuade him to keep in mind what he already has and that dating outside the family helps the family look more like the rest of the community. Give him a hickie a few inches from his penis. He'll think twice before getting undressed for Sarah Dalby or anyone else!"