Chapter 20

For the next few months life was roses. John was happy, Cindy was happy, and Theresa was happy. Outside the snow was melting and the ground was turning green. Now the roof was rolled back almost all the time.

The girls accompanied John on his surface forays just to get over their growing cabin fever. He laid out sections of the property in preparation for planting. Lots of corn and other vegetables.

They made a welcome trip into town for provisions and a small tractor for the garden.

Driving lessons for the two girls and gray hairs for John. Not so bad as if they were out on the road. They retrieved the second ‘cruiser from the storage shack and soon the two women could be seen cycling back and forth down the dirt road as they practiced their driving skills. Then more gray hairs on John’s head as he got them each up to speed out on the highway. He was a good teacher for all the worry it brought him. His biggest worry was out on the highway. If they got pulled over he was going to jail. Somehow they never encountered a highway patrolman. A very lucky thing. Both girls then just sixteen. With Cindy the eldest at just a few months older than Theresa.

They had a bit of a spat about the women getting their licenses. John patiently explaining the law to the two of them. Then making them look it up themselves when they wouldn’t drop it. In the end the women relented. Forcing themselves to be contented driving the thirty-two miles of dirt road out and back. At least they got to drive.

John made their studies a condition of their driving practice, but at this point either could have easily passed their GED’s. John obtained some advanced courses for them without telling them that they didn’t need them for their GED’s. No harm in learning more than they needed and giving them a head start on College.

In the mean time both girls were maturing drastically. Their bodies filled out even sexier. The big surprise was when Theresa actually passed Cindy in breast size. The girls hips finished their spreading and both of them, all things considered, turned into stunningly beautiful young women.

They were also turning out to have a bunch of business savvy. Under John’s tutelage their investments grew at an awesome rate. Within a few years they would be financially secure themselves. John actually dreaded that time. What would hold them when they no longer needed his money? It would turn out to be the least of his worries.

Spring passed on into summer. The women worked side by side with John on the garden. Grudgingly wearing at least minimal clothing when they were above ground level. They would strip down to nothing almost of the instant they moved inside. John suggested that they hang shorts and halters by the door, like he did his work gloves. They chuckled over the idea, but eventually took him up on the idea. The rest of the time indoors they lounged around in mostly nothing.

John bought them each sexy bikinis, but it was a hard task getting them to wear them. Whenever they lay out in the solarium it was completely nude. (The solarium was the only place John would let them go nude while exposed to the sun.) As such their tans filled out ... completely. With just the hint of tan lines where they wore their work shorts and halters.

They quit their arguing with him the day the man from the BLM showed up.

He drove to the gate, honked and waited. The women scrambled down the stairs all excited and roused John out of his work room. Himself wearing just shorts, T-shirt and sandals. He told the women to stay close to the garden while he walked out to talk to him.

He didn’t open the gate until he was all the way up to it.

“Howdy!” he called to the BLM man. Noticing the stenciling on the side of the pickup.

“Howdy ... and who might you be?” the BLM man asked suspiciously.

“John Stevens, I own this land. Who’s asking?” John shot back.

“John Fisher, BLM. That’s who.”

“Hello John, what can I do for you?”

“Just a wondering, noticed a bit of rutting on the road. Don’t get much travel on these roads out here. Don’t like to see erosion get a start.”

“Well, not much chance of that, this being mostly flat land. But since you mention it I’ve got a ninety-nine year right of way from the government to use the road. I’m the only one that’s got any business out here so don’t worry about it. Whenever the road starts to get too bad I’ll pay to have it graded.”

“All thirty miles?”

“Yup.”

“You have any idea how much that would cost?”

“Yup, the price of a grader and at least two weeks of my time.”

“You’d do it yourself?”

“Maybe, if need be. What’s all this about anyway?”

“Just curious I said. Like to know what’s going on in my district ... what are you doing out here anyway.”

“Gardening. For now.”

“What kind of gardening?” he asked suspiciously.

“Vegetables. For eating.”

“What about the silo?”

“What about it?”

“What you doing with it?”

“Not much, the sucker leaks like a sieve. Got a dandy well for my garden though, if I needed it. Got enough water in that damn hole to water a golf course if I had a mind to. Got shafted real good by the guys who sold me the property.”

“Yah, talked to them a while back. They’re the ones who got me wondering what you’re doing out here. Thought I saw them two kids go down into the silo to get you.”

“The top floor is above water table, hung a few floors in the walls before the water rose up last winter. Flooded out two months hard work.”

“Who are those kids anyway?”

“Just my nieces. Their mom sent them out to work for me for the summer. Mostly they’re a pain in the ass. Always bored and wanting to go to town. I let them practice their driving up the dirt road and back. But won’t let them onto the highway till they get their licenses.”

“I don’t envy you.”

“I don’t envy me ... Listen, anything else you want to know?”

“Naw, I was just curious what was going on out here. Vegetables you say?”

John sighed. “Guess you’d better come take a look so I don’t get the drug sniffing dogs out here in the middle of the night.”

“I didn’t imply anything of the sort!”

“No, but you was thinking it. Come on. May as well walk.”

The BLM man shrugged his shoulders and then followed John. The plants were all high enough for him to identify as vegetables. He looked carefully down each row. Much more carefully in the direction where the women were weeding. His eyes popping wide out of his head as he strained not to look too closely to their shapely bodies, their lithe forms quite clearly defined in their halter tops and shorts.

“Tammy, Charlotte Ann, Come over here and meet Mr. Fisher of the BLM”. John called.

The women wiped their hands on their butts and walked over with as little interest as John hoped they would.

When they got close enough John said: “John Fisher, these are my nieces Tammy, the blonde and Charlotte Ann.”

They looked at him suspiciously and shook his hand. Now they were up close, Mr. BLM was fairly drooling.

Cindy turned to John and said: “Uncle John, it’s hot out here. Can we go get something cool to drink and maybe play Nintendo or something till it cools off. Maybe take a swim?”

John jumped in: “I told you girls that water was tool deep and cold! You’ll get a cramp and drown and your mother will never forgive me. I’d end up dredging a hundred feet of water just to find your body. If you’re finished with your chores you can go in and cool off, but stay away from the edge of the water!”

Cindy kind of shrugged and headed off with Theresa in tow, before she could speak.

“Come on Tammy, afore he thinks of something else for us to do!”

Theresa looked thoughtfully over her shoulder at the BLM man. And thankfully followed Cindy down the stairs.

“Nice kids.” the BLM man said, watching them the whole way.

“Pain in the ass to get any work outta.” John said.

“Yah, know what you mean. Probably hard on them out here in the middle of nowhere.”

“They can lump it through the summer. I take them into town every now and then.”

“Don’t envy you, having to watch them two.”

John just looked at him in mock disgust.

“Nothing wrong with them a little bible learning and hard work wouldn’t cure.” John said. (Having no idea how prophetic his words could be.)

At the mention of the bible the BLM man turned and started back to his truck. “Guess you’re all right out here. Let me know if I can do anything for you ... and keep an eye on that road erosion.”

“Yah ... fix it myself if I have to.”

“Might check out the price of a grader before you get any ideas about that.”

“Might do that. Thanks.”

John walked him back to the gate and watched him drive off before he triggered the control to shut it. He casually walked back to the silo before he walked inside and fired up the road sensors; Which placed the BLM truck just over the nearest hill.