White Lies Ch. 03

"She got her blouse and pants on by herself, all I had to do was help her button them." Melanie grinned, whispering to him.

Walker looked over at Carla, she smiled back at him.

Later that afternoon, he heard sounds coming from the living room, then laughter. Looking in, Carla was sitting on the floor playing with some toys with little Beth. Melanie sat nearby in a chair, just watching. He grinned to himself and left them alone, going back to his work adding a second bathroom and shower off the rear living quarters that Melanie and Beth were now using.

This would afford them more privacy in their own lives, at the moment they had to share the facilities. It hadn't really been a problem although Walker had already seen Melanie several times in just a huge bath towel.

The first couple of times he had apologized and quickly gone back into the main living room. Then since she didn't act concerned in the slightest, he became almost used to it.

She also came out wearing thin pajamas to watch TV, and it was very clear that was all she had on.

Walker did his best to not stare at her, feeling pangs of guilt at his body's reaction.

Walker bought a nice smaller flat screen TV for her room, but she told him she preferred to watch it with all of them together.

Several times he had to make his mind go blank when she shifted positions, causing her upper body to move beneath the cloth.

There was one time when he was bathing Carla that she came in, it was always a struggle to get her out of the tub when it became slippery so Melanie stepped in to help. That time her pajama top had gaped open and Walker saw Melanie's bare breast.

His own reaction was instant, and Melanie noticed, but since she had both hands busy helping Carla there was nothing she could do.

She smiled shyly but said nothing, just continued steadying Carla until Walker could lift her out to the floor.

They looked into each others eyes for a moment, Walker was the first to break the gaze with a blush. Thoughts had crept into his mind, he could not help that.

Then several times after that, he looked up to see Melanie again watching him with an odd expression on her face. She always looked quickly away when she caught his gaze.

That caused him to have dreams. They weren't dreams of sex, instead they were of being trapped, with no hope. Melanie would be there, reaching for him, but always just beyond his best efforts.

He knew what was causing them, his entire life was now a trap.

+++

Nearly another full year went by, with all of them just living their lives. Walker had began the work on the second bathroom many months before, a huge amount of effort and he had it nearly finished. Part of the problem there was that Walker had no skills at all in construction or plumbing and wiring, so each and every step was a learning curve.

Still, it was now looking very good, and he felt a deep satisfaction at his efforts.

Carla's progress had become rapid, even her Doctors were surprised. She now always dressed herself, she even began to do some cooking. Her speech became nearly normal.

Walker was floored when he came home from the hardware store with some parts to finish hooking up the shower he had built in the second bathroom to find Carla outside on her bike.

Before she had ridden the bike, but only rarely since she had a fear of traffic. She had never gotten really comfortable with it.

She was only doing little trips up and down the driveway but she was staying on it. Melanie sat on the porch watching, a smile on her face.

"Carla is really progressing very quickly. Soon she will be able to take care of herself, you know." Melanie told him.

Walker sat down beside her, completely aware of her body so close to him.

"You are almost finished with the addition, and now it is starting to look like you won't be needing me any more." Melanie told him.

He glanced over at her, realizing that it was a question.

"You can live here as long as you want to." He told her.

"Really?" She asked, sounding excited. Her hand came out and touched his forearm, Walker was completely aware of that also.

"Yes, really. You are part of the family now, you and Beth." Then uncomfortable with the feelings that Melanie's touch was causing, he got to his feet.

Melanie stood up and hugged him tightly, the first time she had ever done that. Walker's reaction was instant, and Melanie felt it.

"Oh." She said, letting go.

"I'm sorry." He told her, blushing.

She looked up at him, then smiled.

"Don't be sorry, it's a compliment!" Then with a giggle, she turned and went back into the house. Walker stood and watched her walk away, his mind whirling.

He had been having more thoughts of her every day now, with no way to stop them, no way to react to them either.

Carla rode up and stopped, glancing at Melanie as she went inside, then back at Walker. Her left eyebrow raised slightly but she didn't say anything.

Walker took a deep breath. Then he went inside and finished the shower, tested it. Everything was perfect. Melanie hugged him again when he showed it to her, getting the same reaction.

This time she took her sweet time letting go.

"I wish...." She started to say, then she quickly retreated leaving him standing there with more mixed emotions.

He had a tough time with that, finally quietly in his own bathroom he took care of the problem in the only way he had now. The sensation of Melanie in his arms filled his thoughts. Later, he went to bed and had another fitful night.

Sometime during the night he dreamed of Melanie, coming towards him, opening her blouse to bare her breasts as she did so.

Walker woke up with a start, feeling the dampness from his nocturnal emission. The dream was clear in his mind.

He got up, pulled on his robe and went to the bathroom to shower. Glancing at the clock, he saw it was nearly 3 in the morning. He finished and dried off, stepping out he saw Melanie at her bedroom door.

"Is everything OK, Walker?" She asked him. The night light behind her framed her body clearly through the thin pajamas she wore.

"Yes, fine. I just...needed a shower. Trouble sleeping." He told her, unable to force his eyes from the outline of her full right breast. Her hip and lower body were also clear, he could make out the shadow of her mass of pubic hair.

She looked at him with a smile, then glanced down at herself and back up.

It was obvious that Melanie was well aware of how much of her he could see. Walker fought the urge to just reach out for her, barely managing not to.

"Well, goodnight." He told her, stepping by to his own room.

"Good night." Melanie answered. Her voice sounded slightly disappointed.

+++

Life had become a rhythm. Carla was now often up before anyone, making the Coffee, then progressing to breakfast. Melanie and Beth joined them for meals. Life changed to his having two women busy around the house.

It was almost like having two wives, except for the separate bedrooms.

He would have thought that perhaps there might be friction between them, but there was never any sign at all of that. Since Melanie and Carla got along famously, Walker began to think of perhaps going back to work.

Then one afternoon he came in and found Carla busy on the computer, both of her hands flying across the keyboard like he had seen her do so often before her stroke.

She glanced up and saw the surprised look on his face.

"It's like I start to do something and then how to do it just floods into my head." She grinned at him.

Walker just nodded, pleased.

He went to check on Beth who was playing in the den, she sat there at a table writing in big block letters. Now seven years old, she was reading and writing fairly well.

Melanie came up to him as he stood there watching. Without thinking, Walker instinctively reached out and put his arm around her waist.

Melanie looked up at him with a mild expression of surprise, then she turned and leaned forward and kissed him. It was only a brief peck but it made his head swim as his lips touched hers.

Without a thought he kissed her again, this time it was much more than a peck. He looked at her face, tears welled up in the corner of her eyes and she let go of him.

Walker stood there trying to figure out what had just happened as she stepped back, then she quickly retreated to her bedroom. He went into the living room and turned on the TV, sat there not seeing it for quite a long time.

+++

A few days later Walker was surprised to look out and see Sara and Tim drive up. He went out onto the porch to greet them.

"Hi, kids!" He called out as they walked up the driveway.

"Got some news, Dad." Tim said.

"Let's go inside, get you sat down, OK?" He added.

"OK." Walker knew from Tim's manner that something was up. They went inside, gathered around the kitchen table. Melanie took one look and made herself scarce.

"That Jonathan guy, you know he was scheduled for release in just a couple of months?"

Walker nodded. It wasn't something he had been concerned about but it had been in the back of his mind.

"Well, it won't happen. He is dead." Tim said flatly.

"Dead? Really? What happened?" Walker had not thought of him much what with all the other problems in his life the last couple of years.

"He got into some kind of conflict, insulted some bad people. There was a fight and one of them had a knife."

"Oh." Walker felt nothing at all.

He knew that part of his life was over.

"One other thing." Tim told him. Sara was beaming, Walker knew instantly.

"You are going to be a Grandpa." Tim grinned.

Walker felt like doing some handsprings.

Then he lectured Tim about using Cocoa Butter every single night to keep her from having any stretch marks, Sara broke out in giggles when he told them that he wanted to be there when his Grand baby was born.

"Jeez, Daddy! Relax, it's still almost seven months away!" She told him as he was hugging her.

Carla and Melanie came in right at the last of that, so it all had to be repeated.

"Good. I am really happy now." Carla said, hugging Sara. Then there were hugs all around, when Melanie hugged Walker he saw Carla watching, she again had a strange look on her face.

Glancing over at Sara, he saw the exact same expression. He felt himself blush mildly and let go of Melanie.

+++

That night as Walker lay in bed, his head filled with thoughts, there was a soft tapping on the door.

"Can I come in?" He heard Carla ask.

"Sure, what is it?" He sat up, thinking she needed his help with something.

The door opened, for a moment Carla's body was outlined in the dim light from the hallway.

It was clear that the short nightgown she had on was all she wore. She came over and sat on the edge of the bed, for several moments she simply sat there saying nothing.

"Walker, I want...." Her hand reached out and touched his bare chest, slid downwards over his stomach. Then she drew back the light covers and slid into bed with him.

Walker understood, he tried his best to let his mind go blank but failed. She pressed her lips to his chest, slid one hand downwards to fondle him.

There was no reaction at all.

"Carla, no! I...I can't!" Walker's mind flooded with that same vision of her doing the same thing with Jonathan. For a moment his stomach churned, a feeling of illness swept over him.

He reached down and pushed her hands away.

"I just can't!" He told her bitterly.

Stubbornly, she reached again for him.

"Let me. Please?" She told him, renewing her efforts. The sensations from her practiced hands began to have an effect this time, as Walker gave up and tried very hard to make his mind go blank.

Even at that the best he managed was a halfway hard erection, Carla kept on until finally Walker climaxed weakly.

Carla sat up, looked at him. He could barely make out her face. Her eyes appeared to be shiny, like tears were forming, but he could not be sure.

"Oh...Walker...I am so sorry!" She whispered, then she stood up and quickly left. He listened for a few moments to the monitor in her room as she sobbed quietly, then nothing. He realized she had reached over and shut it off.

+++

"I want to talk to you." Carla told him just a few days later.

"OK." Walker steeled himself for that.

They sat down at the kitchen table, she looked down at first, then her chin came up and she looked him right in the eyes.

"I can take care of me now..myself..I am OK." She said, haltingly.

"Yes, I am happy to see that." Walker said.

"You don't love me any more, do you? You don't even try to touch me?"

"Carla, I..I just can't." Walker told her.

"You will never want me again, will you?" She said, looking down sadly.

"No. Probably not, not like that." He admitted.

"I can't stay then. I want to go be with Sara." She said flatly.

"What? Carla, I.."

"I love you but you don't. I know. So this is best. I asked Sara and Tim, they have room and say..said OK. I can help with the baby. Sara wants to work, she wants to be somebody."

"You know you can stay here, I will take care of you."

"No. It's time, I have to move out. You need your life back...and so do I." She said. The look on her face was stubborn, final.

"All right. If that is what you want." Walker sighed.

"It is. You can have your life, maybe Melanie?" Carla said.

"Melanie? I don't..we aren't doing anything..?"

"I know that too. You are stupid, she loves you. That is why I tried..I wanted you back, even if it would only be just a part of you, but..." Carla actually laughed.

Walker had no idea what to say.

"My fault. If I could go back?..I can't though. This is best, I am leaving you, OK?" Her eyes became wet.

Walker pulled her to her feet, held her for quite a long time.

"OK." He said finally.

"But I do love you, Walker. I am really sorry." She said.

Walker leaned down and kissed her, the first time in a very long time. He knew she was right, this part of his life was over.

But deep down inside he was not sure that Melanie was all that interested in him, not in the way it would need to be. Perhaps sexually, he had thought that. But permanent? As a couple?

For himself, it would need to be that way. He had no interest now in any sexual fling.

He really had no idea at all how to say anything to her about it, other than just a couple of incidents, there really had been nothing between them.

Melanie was his employee. Other than a few incidents that were just a result of living close together, there had been nothing. Just a couple of hugs, an innocent kiss, there had been not one single thing to make Walker think that she was in love with him.

Not knowing what to say or how to say it, he said nothing at all.

+++

"I guess you really won't be needing me now?" Melanie said to him as they finished packing the last box for Carla.

Sara had spent the entire morning helping them, carrying boxes out to the big van she had rented. She had just came back inside in time to overhear that.

"I don't know what is going to happen. But you are welcome to stay here until...?" He told her.

"Daddy! You dumb ass! Tell her!" Sara blurted out.

Walker just looked at her.

"For God's sake, Daddy! Melanie is in love with you! Aren't you, Melanie?"

Melanie blushed furiously, stood up. Walker turned and looked at her. Then he grinned.

Melanie piled into his arms.

"I am still married, I need to deal with all of that..." Walker said but that was muffled as her lips met his.

"Daddy, you and Mom haven't really been married for almost three years. It's time you get to be happy again! Mom will be just fine with us, and I want her there." Sara grinned.

Just then Tim walked in. He stopped and looked around in confusion. Then realizing, he grinned also.

"I had to kick Daddy's ass, honey!" She laughed.

Looking back at Walker now kissing Melanie, Sara grinned.

"Let's get out of here before they embarrass us!" She said, grabbing her husband's hand and leading him out the door.