Chapter 13

Donna, Tess and I settled into a comfortable relationship, I was still a bit charry about having sex with my daughter but I was out voted two to one. We decided to tidy up the outside of the house, so I contacted the two lads that cut the grass for the house warming and we made a start. Tess looked around and bought a second hand trailer which we towed with the quad bike, Tracie and Taff were having a ball getting used to it. I pulled the metal detector out and charged up the battery.

"What's that Tony?"

"That's a metal detector Taff, as this is an old property I think we should go over it and see what we can find." I told her about finding old relics during my travels.

"Can Trace and me use it?"

"Yep, that's why I brought it out love. If we find anything really valuable we should return it to Mrs Anderson but well probably find some old coins and things."

The boys started clearing out all the overgrown shrubbery and loading it into the trailer, the girls helped as well, with the trailer full the started the quad and pulled it around to the back yard and dumped it in a heap to burn later on. Once all the weeds had been removed I brought out the detector and showed them how to operate it, they were having a ball, ping, a squeal and a 'duh, a bloomin' nail' and so it went until they found a dirt encrusted broach, "Yippeeeee pay dirt". As the day wore on there were other "Duh's" and "Yippeeee's" the final tally was the broach, a wedding ring and a nice bracelet with a broken clasp, several coins plus a large amount of scrap metal.

When they cleaned up the valuables Taffy suggested they take them over to the nursing home and give them to Mrs Anderson, Tracie agreed and they wanted to rush straight over there until Donna pointed out they needed to make an appointment, old folk had rest periods when visitors were forbidden. Donna phone the home and arranged for the girls to visit at three o'clock that afternoon. Mrs Anderson was happy to see the girls and when they presented her with their treasures she was in tears.

"That broach was my mothers, golly, it must be more than forty years since it was lost, the wedding ring belonged to my brother in law Joe, we were all in a tizzy when he lost it, we searched every where and now you young ladies found it, my lovely bracelet, I was heartbroken when I lost that, it was a present from my father, just before he died, I never expected to see it again. Thank you so much, you've made today a very special one."

We burnt all of the rubbish and had a barby while it was burning, the two lads and the girls had a ball driving the quad bike around; I was happy because it had never gotten a good work out since I had bought it. Our next project was to spruce up the outside of the house, I asked the lads if they were interested in helping and they jumped at it. We power washed the old paintwork and then with all hands on deck, applied two coats of paint. The old house looked a million dollars when we were finished.

...

One day when Tess and I was inspecting a rather mangled controller, she posed the question. "When are you going to make an honest woman out of Donna Tony?"

"Uh, what brought that on Tess, I thought we were both happy the way things are going, did she say anything to you that I should know about?"

"No, but you need to consider how your relationship appears to the people around here, if we lived in the city no one would give a damn but country folk see things a lot differently. You need to consider you place in the community now, you're a leading business man and people look up to you, living in 'sin' isn't a good image."

"Hmm, that does give pause for thought, how do you think Donna will act if I ask her to be my wife?"

"She'll probably screw Jack raw, of course she'll want to marry you dopey, what woman wouldn't? You're a successful business man, not too bad on the eye and a pretty good lover to boot, you can't go wrong."

"Should I buy a ring before I pop the question or wait until she says yes, assuming she does that is?"

"If it was me I'd wait, when she says yes, then you both can choose the ring, judging by some of your past tastes I think that would be the wisest way to go."

"Why am I not offended by your critique of my taste?"

"Because you know I'm right Daddy dearest."

And so it came to past that I got down on bended knee and proposed to my lovely Donna. At first she looked stunned and when the reality set in she was all over me.

"Yes, yes oh yes, you lovely man, I love you, I love you, yes oh yes." Through all the snot and tears she was hugging and kissing me. "I never expected you to ask me Tony, I was happy just to have what we've got but this is the icing on the top of the cake. I can't wait to tell the family, Tracie will be ecstatic, so will Taffy and Tess, golly I'm so excited I'm just about peeing my panties."

"I think we should go into town this afternoon and look at engagement rings, I didn't want to buy one first 'cause I know I have poor taste when it comes to things like this." A visit to the local jewellers with a good selection of engagement rings and then the decisions, this one is nice but I like the setting on this one, does the colour of the stone matter and so on. Finally a decision was made, that should have been it but the jeweller being an astute business man suggested we also purchase the wedding rings as well, so it was decision time again, eventually we departed the store a few thousand dollars poorer, not that I'm complaining, Donna deserved the best.

When we arrived home I called the family together, once we were all settled I then re proposed to Donna and slipped the ring on her finger. There were squeals and ohs and ahs, Tess gave me a big smile and the thumbs up, mouthing well done Daddy. Before I knew it the were in planning mode for the wedding, time for one mere man to make a hasty exit.